A week later, inside the Australia Sydney Super Dome.
Elias walked into the preparation room holding a bouquet of flowers, offering praise to the singer who was getting ready.
"Today, you look beautiful, Eden."
"Mm, thank you for the flowers, Elias."
Inside the room, Eden had already changed into a gorgeous, elegant stage outfit. She looked like a goddess of art incarnate. If someone said she was a descended Muse, countless people would believe it.
Eden lightly sniffed the white flowers Elias handed her. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she let out a small sigh of relief.
"Eden, you look very nervous."
"Yes, I really am nervous. After all, such a large stage is rare even for me. The live audience is more than double the usual size, and—there's also a very special guest here today, isn't there?"
Eden was a clever woman. Even though Elias hadn't mentioned anything about the Herrscher, she had already guessed it from the boy's reactions over the past few days.
But even so, she had no thoughts of retreating.
"Don't you feel afraid, Eden?"
Elias raised his hand to gently rub her temples, asking curiously.
"Of course I feel afraid. In fact, I'm still trembling inside right now. Look, Elias."
Eden lifted her hands. The flawless fingers—hands that could drive Kira Yoshikage insane—were trembling slightly, proof of the unease hidden beneath Eden's elegance.
Though she was a superstar of the age, Eden was still just an ordinary person.
Having once witnessed a Herrscher (Sheele) cause a Honkai Eruption, with death all around, how could Eden possibly remain as calm as if nothing had happened?
But…
"But with you here, Elias, I know I can do it."
Eden looked at him with complete trust.
She was willing to share her stage with Elias, and also her very life.
She believed that no matter how terrifying a Herrscher might be, they could not take her life away from this white-haired boy.
She would never demand the concert be canceled.
Because countless people longed for Eden's songs. She had to keep singing—for those expectations, and also to respond to the soul of herself as a 'singer.'
"Do you know, Eden, Ely once told me, 'Eden, the people of this era all grew up listening to your songs.' Now, I think those words are truly right."
"Hehe, I'm not that old, Elias. This year I'm only—ah, that's a secret."
"That's not what I meant. I just wanted to say, Eden, to this era, you are an irreplaceable existence."
Elias carefully cupped the singer's face before him, as if he were touching the most beautiful piece of art in the world.
His words were neither exaggeration nor flattery.
Elias knew exactly how dazzling this [Gold] Flame-Chaser before him truly was. Eden was already a symbol of this era, the most brilliant jewel of this civilization.
Therefore…
"I'll protect everything of yours, Eden. With me here, no one can ruin your stage. Not even the Herrscher of Finality could steal your light."
Elias made a solemn promise.
Eden's stage was one of the things he would absolutely protect. He would never let this star of art fall or fade.
"Thank you, my dear Elias. In that case, as exchange, as long as I stand on the stage, I will sing for you, dance for you, and shine for you."
Eden raised her hand to caress the boy's cheek, feeling that he was even more dazzling than any gem in her collection.
Her voice had always been like Elysia's love—something she could share selflessly with everyone. But now, Eden was willing to be partial, to sing just for Elias.
Taking advantage of the moment, she realized with pleasant surprise that her fear had disappeared, replaced by brimming courage.
And…
Eden: (I have a feeling my highlight moment is about to arrive~ Ely, sorry in advance, put your hat on tight—we're going to be lifelong best friends.)
Elysia: "Ah-choo! Who—who's thinking about my Eli? Whoever it is, come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare!"
...
After that, Elias went into the next room.
Elysia and the others were waiting inside.
"In short, that's the situation. I'm certain Himeko will become the Herrscher of Fire today. Everyone, prepare for battle."
"Hmph! Since we know who the Herrscher is, why not just kill her right away? With our strength, let alone one Herrscher, even if ten came we could wipe them out."
Kalpas clenched his five fingers into a fist, scorching flames erupting from them.
"Ahh, Kalpas, stop it already. The air conditioner in this room can't keep up with your flames. Kevin, hurry and use your ice to cool him down. Also, Elias, your stage outfit looks amazing—let me take a picture~"
Elysia fanned herself, then leaned in close to Elias as she spoke.
Also present were Sakura and the others—four Flame-Chasers in total. Adding Elias, this outside-standard bug, Kalpas' boast about being able to annihilate ten Herrschers wasn't an exaggeration.
"Kalpas, you don't get it. Elias' goal is to save Himeko, not to kill her," Miss Pink Elf added.
"Mm, just as Ely said. And though it's unfortunate, we can't prevent Himeko from becoming a Herrscher."
"Eh? Why not?"
Kevin asked in confusion. In his view, since they already knew who the Herrscher host was, there were plenty of ways to prevent her awakening.
For example—lock her in a soulium chamber, or soak her in a pool of Honkai serum. As long as Honkai energy was completely isolated, wouldn't that stop her from becoming a Herrscher?
"Idiot! Even if Himeko doesn't become the Seventh Herrscher, someone else will. But if we know the host in advance, at least we can prepare and minimize the losses."
Elias rolled his eyes at this white-haired husky.
If anyone other than Himeko became the Herrscher, who knew when or where they might appear? And this was the Seventh Herrscher!
Her Honkai Eruption would cover an entire continent!
Just one Eruption could kill tens of millions!
"I see. So that's how it is. Got it!"
Kevin nodded firmly and gave a thumbs-up.
"As expected of you, Elias. You really think everything through."
"Of course. But Kevin, you should spend less time with Su. Sometimes you need to exercise your brain when your external processor isn't around."
Elias sighed as he gave both advice and complaint.
Truly, Kevin deserved his title as the ancestor of the Kaslana bloodline. With an external brain helping him, this husky would never bother thinking for himself.
And since Elias had already salvaged so many regrets, Kevin was still a sunny, cheerful boy—training daily, slurping noodles, and fighting Honkai Beasts—without the slightest trace of self-isolation or mental collapse.
Yes, that was pretty good…
"...Elias, I oppose this plan."
At that moment, the silent Sakura suddenly spoke.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
Anyone else opposing Elias wasn't strange—even Elysia occasionally disagreed with him. But for Sakura to speak against him? That was extremely rare.
This fox-eared woman had always been the most obedient to Elias—if he said east, she would never go west. Her loyalty was sky-high… though maybe now she ranked just behind Aponia.
"Oh? Sakura, what do you want to say?"
"Forgive me. Since we've confirmed Himeko will be the Seventh Herrscher, I believe the most reliable plan is to cancel the concert, evacuate the crowd, and monitor her closely. Then, at the moment of her awakening, subdue her instantly. Only that way can losses be minimized."
"Mm, that does sound like Sakura's style."
Elias nodded approvingly.
Though she walked the path of a one-strike assassin, Sakura was actually extremely cautious and conservative. In her view, bringing Himeko into such a densely populated city was a terrible idea.
Because of Eden's concert, countless people had gathered there.
Australia originally had only a population of about twenty-five million.
But now the number was about to soar to thirty-five million.
That alone showed just how terrifying Eden's popularity was.
Bringing Himeko to such a place, in Sakura's eyes, was no different from handing victims directly to the Honkai. Once a Honkai Eruption broke out, out of these thirty-five million, how many could survive? Even one hundred thousand would be unlikely!
Therefore, she believed the best plan was to evacuate the crowd immediately, or bring Himeko somewhere remote and deserted.
"Sakura, your idea is correct, but… rejected."
Elias crossed his hands into an 'X.'
"W-why?" Sakura froze.
"Because what you proposed may be the safest method, but it's not the one that maximizes benefit."
"..." x4
His words left the four others in stunned silence.
Elysia looked at him in disbelief, almost suspecting some corrupt higher-up had taken over his body.
The next second, Elias walked up to Sakura, gently patting the fox-eared girl's head and her soft pink ears.
"Sorry, Sakura. What I'm aiming for isn't the safest outcome—it's the perfect one. Believe me, this time we won't let a single person die. And at the same time, we'll use this chance to raise humanity's morale even higher."
Elias spoke apologetically but with confidence.
Sakura's plan could minimize casualties most effectively, but even then, there would still be some losses. Elias, however, demanded absolute perfection—no losses whatsoever.
First: Not a single death.
Second: Save Himeko's life.
Third: Boost humanity's morale.
Only with all three could victory be called complete!
"…You really are a greedy man. Fine, if that's how it is, then I'll follow your lead…"
Sakura let out a helpless smile. This savior before her was far too greedy, wanting everything at once—but that was what made him so dazzling.
Since Elias had said so, she chose to believe and obey. After all, this boy had never once disappointed anyone.
Sakura believed that, even if it seemed like a miracle with a probability only at the farthest end of the decimal point, if it was Elias, he would succeed.
"Hahaha! Well said, Elias. I'll follow your lead this time too. Let the Honkai witness my power. But… if even one person dies, I'll make you witness mine."
"Elias, tell us what we need to do."
Kalpas and Kevin were fired up and brimming with battle spirit.
For Kalpas, it was simply that Elias' words matched his taste. For Kevin, Elias was simply too cool—not aiming for the best, but for perfection itself, that was a true savior.
Seeing Elias' confident, greedy determination, the Flame-Chasers couldn't help but admire him, willingly following his lead.
"Go on, tell us our assignments. It's getting late—don't hold back."
"Uh, well… truthfully, I don't have any."
"What?!" x4
The four were stunned again.
"In my prediction, I alone am enough to handle the Seventh Honkai Eruption without casualties. But for Sakura's sake, to be 'safe,' I brought you all as backup."
Elias winked at Sakura. His meaning was clear: I'm not being reckless—I'm being careful.
Since he already had absolute confidence, and still brought four Flame-Chasers as support, Elias felt there was no one in the world more cautious than him.
Sakura: "I see. Then I'm relieved."
Kalpas: "So we were extra this whole time?!"
Kevin: "Tch! Showing off again without me."
Elysia: "As expected of you, Elias—but you're bad! Looks like I won't get any credit again. And since Himeko's the one becoming the Herrscher, I can't even steal the kill this time."
The four had thought they were preparing for a fierce battle, only to now realize they were just spare backup.
For a moment, their feelings were complicated, and the tension melted away.
Miss Pink Elf had a feeling that this time, they were just going to watch a concert, see Elias show off for a bit, then buy a pile of souvenirs before heading home.
That really did sound like a vacation trip…
To this, Sakura and Kalpas both thought they might as well leave early. The reason was simple: neither of them could appreciate Eden's songs.
Perhaps it was because he was an alien, but in Kalpas' ears, Eden's singing was nothing more than noise.
As for Sakura, her tastes were simply different. Compared to Eden's classical style, she preferred heavy rock and metal.
The last time Elias listened through her headphones, his head had buzzed non-stop. He truly hadn't expected the fox-eared girl's tastes to differ so much from her elegant appearance.
Sakura: (If I wear headphones at Eden's concert… wouldn't that be rude…)
...
March 9th, at the entrance of the Sydney Dome.
A red-haired beauty entered after her ticket was checked, found her seat inside, and sat down with a long sigh.
Lately, Himeko felt completely out of sorts.
Perhaps it was fatigue. Recently, while carrying out missions to hunt Honkai Beasts, her concentration often wavered, and sometimes she even experienced strange hallucinations.
After learning this, Elias immediately gave her leave to rest.
So, planning to relax, Himeko bought a ticket to Eden's concert, hoping to use the diva's music to restore her condition.
Himeko: "Come to think of it, Elias came to see me about a week ago. What happened then? Hm… I can't remember. Forget it, never mind."
According to the fate Aponia had once observed—
Himeko should have been transferred to Australia a year ago for a stationed mission. During that time, because of Fire Moth leadership's inhumane decisions, her comrades died one by one. Gradually she fell into despair, and in the end, she was chosen by the Honkai and became a Herrscher.
Although Elias hadn't directly influenced her, her fate had still been changed indirectly. And yet…
Even though the process was different, Himeko still arrived at the land where she was destined to become a Herrscher at the very same time.
She was like a prisoner trapped in a labyrinth with no exit. No matter which way she moved forward, Himeko could never escape this maze called 'fate.'
Himeko did not know she was about to meet her destined tragedy. But equally, she did not know—
That the ending where she would cause rivers of corpses and blood before dying miserably… would also change.