Honkai Star Rail: Summoning the Chrysos Heirs — Chapter 86

Chapter 86: A Discussion About the Flamechasers

The spicy broth bubbled furiously in the center of the table, sending up plumes of fragrant, chili-laced steam. An Ning sat across from it, her chopsticks hovering in mid-air as she indignantly listed off the latest heinous crimes committed by the Divine Advent Cult. Before she could launch into her next grievance, a crisp chime sliced through the quiet privacy of their booth.

[Ding-dong. A thread starter you follow has updated.]

The synthetic voice was exceptionally loud over the simmering pots. An Ning’s voice caught in her throat. She blinked, her fiery momentum stalling out, and glanced toward the phone resting on the edge of the table. Setting her chopsticks down, she hastily pulled a napkin from the dispenser, wiped her fingers clean, and snatched up the device.

As her thumb swiped across the glass, the relaxed, off-duty warmth vanished from her face. Her shoulders squared. Her spine straightened. In the span of a single breath, the casual diner was replaced by a rigid, mission-ready operative.

“What happened, Sister An Ning?” Cyrene lowered the piece of tender tofu she had just been about to eat. She tilted her head, blinking her striking, diamond-shaped eyes with a perfectly calibrated look of innocent curiosity.

An Ning didn’t reply right away. Her eyes darted back and forth across the screen, reading the text twice over to ensure she wasn’t hallucinating. Finally, she let out a heavy, exhausted sigh and slid the phone across the table.

“That informant… the one who’s been tracking the Western Ruins incident. They just posted an update.” She tapped her knuckles lightly against the wooden table, her voice dropping an octave. “They claim to have figured out why the fog dissipated. It wasn’t a natural phenomenon. And it wasn’t the work of The Authorities, either. It was a newly surfaced, mysterious organization.”

“A new organization?” Cyrene gasped, letting a flawless mask of surprise wash over her features.

She reached out and took the phone. The harsh glare of the screen reflected in her clear pink pupils, illuminating the freshly refreshed forum interface.

[Frontline Gossipmonger (Thread Starter): The reason the purple fog only lasted for a little over three hours during the Western Ruins incident has been found. It was the work of an organization called ‘Flamechasers’.]

[Frontline Gossipmonger (Thread Starter): According to fragmented intel leaked from within The Authorities, this group showed minor traces of activity a few days ago. However, this incident marks their official debut to the public.]

[Frontline Gossipmonger (Thread Starter): As for the actual identities of the ‘Flamechasers’, The Authorities are keeping it under absolute lock and key. Highest level of secrecy. I can’t speak too plainly, but I will reveal this much—the Flamechasers only dispatched two people to resolve the Western Ruins incident. Two people, to crush a major disaster that nearly collapsed the entire front line.]

The comment section beneath the main post was already a warzone. Doubts, agreements, wild predictions, and neutral observations flooded the screen, refreshing faster than the eye could track.

[User12948 (Nickname flagged for violations): Huh? OP, are you drunk? What do you mean? Dozens of veteran Ability Users suffered critical injuries, and a disaster-level event that The Authorities couldn’t even scratch was just steamrolled by two randoms from a pop-up guild? Even trashy web novels wouldn’t dare write something that outrageous.]

[Demon King Big Black Fox: But… I actually feel like the OP has no reason to lie to us. When has their intel ever been wrong? Even if there were minor errors in the past, they corrected them within minutes. If they dare to post this, they must have solid proof. Let’s wait and see. If the post isn’t deleted in half an hour, I’m believing it.]

[Rising with the Wind: Shouldn’t we be focusing on that name? ‘Flamechasers’… It sounds incredibly tragic, doesn’t it? Like moths darting into a fire? Or people chasing light in the absolute dark? Regardless, if this is true, this organization is no joke. I have a gut feeling they’re going to be the biggest dark horse in the Ability User world this year. They might even rewrite the entire power dynamic.]

“Cyrene, what do you make of this?” An Ning asked, her tone heavy with inquiry as she watched the younger girl stare silently at the screen.

“You mean… those ‘Flamechasers’?” Cyrene finally dragged her gaze away from the scrolling text and handed the device back. Her pink hair spilled softly over her shoulders as she tilted her head, painting a look of utter bewilderment across her face.

An Ning took the phone but didn’t bother looking at the screen again. She simply placed it face-down on the table. Clasping her hands beneath her chin, her brows knitted together in deep anxiety.

“A disaster that nearly broke the entire front line… resolved by an organization I’ve never even heard of. And using only two people.” She shook her head. “That kind of raw power… it sounds completely absurd. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. If this intel is accurate, I’m actually terrified.”

“Terrified? Of what?” Cyrene blinked, playing the part of the naive civilian perfectly.

An Ning stared into the boiling, blood-red oil of the spicy pot. The dancing flames from the burner reflected in her dark eyes. “A hyper-lethal faction suddenly drops out of the sky, wielding strength that eclipses even the elite squads of The Authorities. We don’t know their alignment. We don’t know their motives. What if…” A shadow of dread passed over her face. “What if they’re just another group of lunatics like the Divine Advent Cult? If power on that scale slips out of control, it would be an absolute massacre for ordinary people.”

‘Ah,’Cyrene thought, a quiet amusement rippling through her mind.’So this is the instinctive paranoia of someone tasked with maintaining Order.’

To the authorities, any uncontrollable variable—no matter how helpful—was a threat first and a miracle second.

She studied An Ning’s rigid, stressed expression. Feigning a moment of deep thought, Cyrene let out a soft sigh and shook her head, allowing a bright, gentle smile to bloom across her face.

“Sister An Ning, you can’t always jump to the worst-case scenario!” Her voice was light and melodious, soothing as a spring breeze. “Think about it. If this organization was really full of bad guys like the Divine Advent Cult, why would they step in to fix the Western Ruins crisis? Villains don’t usually go out of their way to save people, do they?”

Without waiting for an argument, Cyrene picked up the communal chopsticks. She expertly fished a perfectly cooked slice of marbled beef from the bubbling, milky-white broth of the clear soup pot, transferring it directly into An Ning’s bowl.

“Come on, aren’t we supposed to be enjoying hotpot together?” Cyrene rested her chin in her hands, beaming across the table. “Stop dwelling on things that ruin your appetite. Save the stressing for when you’re actually on the clock. Right now, it’s time to relax and enjoy the food.” She gestured to the bowl. “If you let that delicious beef get cold, that would be the real tragedy here.”

An Ning stared at the steaming meat in her bowl, then looked up at the radiant, smiling girl opposite her. The tension gripping her shoulders slowly melted away. Her severe expression softened into a helpless, fond smile.

“You’re right, Cyrene.” An Ning picked up her own chopsticks and lifted the beef. “I’m ruining the mood. Today is supposed to be our day off.”

She placed the meat into her mouth, chewing slowly. The cut was incredibly tender, saturated with the rich, savory broth. The crushing worry that had choked her appetite just moments ago finally receded, making way for the simple pleasure of a good meal.

“Mmm…” An Ning hummed softly. “I usually prefer the kick of the spicy pot, but I have to admit… this clear broth is actually pretty amazing.”