Inside the Golden Courtyard.
After a delightful dinner, Eden led Elias through her collection.
Priceless gems, centuries-old sculptures, paintings he barely understood but which were insanely expensive, countless vinyl records, a super cellar holding rare wines from around the world—on and on.
One could only say Eden truly lived up to her epithet of "Gold." Her hands seemed to hold the wealth of an entire world, and with that wealth she had bought nearly every beautiful thing the world could offer.
"If Pardo were here, she'd probably be trembling with joy—no, she'd be shaking in a panic, haha~"
Thinking of his lucky cat anchor, Elias chuckled. Pardo liked to pilfer small things, but she usually only took lighters, instant noodles, and the like.
If she ever wandered into Eden's Golden Courtyard, the catgirl would be at a total loss.
Everything here was far too expensive.
Pardo could never be certain whether a trinket she snatched was worth millions or billions; if she were discovered, she'd probably wind up in prison—or working for Eden for life.
"My dear Elias, if anything here catches your eye, you're free to take it," Eden said generously.
These collections—tens of millions, hundreds of millions each—meant nothing to her. If gifting any of them earned Elias' favor, this heiress wouldn't hesitate to give him the entire Golden Courtyard.
"Really? Anything from the villa?" Elias raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Of course. And if there's a specialty you want, tell me anytime. Your wealth is my wealth. I'll buy it for you."
"Eden, you're too good to me, but I think I already possess the most precious treasure of this courtyard."
Elias smiled and slipped an arm around the beauty's slim waist, drawing her close and inhaling her scent.
Eden's cheeks flushed crimson.
Her golden goblet clattered but Elias caught it easily, gave it a slight shake, then drank. Even that rare vintage tasted not nearly as exquisite as the woman before him.
Elias wasn't naive—he could tell Eden had already fallen for him.
All the treasures in the Golden Courtyard paled beside Eden herself.
And Elias had won Eden's heart.
"Eden, I want you to sing only for me tonight."
"Yes. It would be my honor, Elias."
Fresh wine warmed their lips, and their kiss answered the promise. In the art-filled courtyard they embraced, exchanging and accepting one another's affections.
Eden felt her heart race wildly—words failed to describe her joy. Her feelings had been accepted; her yearning returned with tangible proof.
She felt like a tender, inexperienced girl. She wound her arms around Elias' neck and kissed him with eager, awkward fervor.
"Elias, please don't pity me."
"That can't be allowed—you'd be ruined."
Elias treated her like fine porcelain, gentle and careful lest he be too rough. He couldn't help it—she was fragile and beautiful.
For now, she was still merely human.
But Eden stubbornly shook her head, love's wine clouding her mind.
"It's fine. I don't mind being broken."
All she wanted now was to drown in Elias' embrace—to let her delicate mortal body test the strength before her savior.
Elias raised a brow, surprised by her words, but undeniably intrigued.
Though such behavior didn't fit his usual persona, there was a certain thrill in the thought of shattering something exquisitely beautiful. Few things in the world compared to Eden.
An irresistible curiosity stirred in him.
He couldn't help but wonder: if he were to take the supreme artwork named Eden and break her, what kind of destructive beauty would that create?
It was fine—he already had her permission.
There was no need to worry. He would play with care.
Casually, Elias picked a vinyl from Eden's collection and set it on the turntable. As the classical melody filled the air, he and Eden's figures overlapped in the candlelight.
...
By noon the next day—
The once-opulent Golden Courtyard was in shambles. Priceless artworks lay shattered across the floor.
A preliminary estimate put the damage at at least one billion from the previous night's frenzy and indulgence.
But Eden didn't care. For her, such a sum was trivial—happiness like that could never be bought, no matter the cost.
She struggled to open her eyes, even that small effort feeling heavy. The bedraggled yet still beautiful diva spoke her first words of the day:
"I must—I absolutely must become a fusion warrior!"
She was far too fragile. This frail body couldn't hold onto such blissful moments for long.
"Don't worry. I've already prepared for that."
Elias stroked Eden's hair, then pulled from Imaginary Space a glass container holding material from a Honkai Beast—a substance that looked like a gemstone.
"The Emperor-class Varuna. Of all the Honkai Beasts I've seen, it's the most radiant. Perfect for you, Eden."
"Thank you. This is the best gift I could ask for."
Eden embraced it, her face full of anticipation.
Last night had been utterly blissful.
She had to admit she'd been shallow before, believing the joy of music and spirit far surpassed any of the body.
But now her thoughts had changed. Unfortunately, her mortal frame made those moments far too brief.
So—Eden resolved she would no longer remain merely human!
Just as the two were about to reminisce a little more about last night's delight, a sudden crash resounded through the doors.
"Eli—!"
"Elias—!"
"Damn it, too late!"
"Ah, we've already lost."
Several dazzling figures barged into the Golden Courtyard uninvited.
There on the luxurious double bed lay the boy and the diva. Pink Elf, Pink Fox, Green Snake, and a Giant Moth all wailed in dismay together.
Elysia, Sakura, Mobius, and Aponia—all had dark circles under their eyes, their gazes fixed sourly upon the blissful, satisfied Eden.
They had waited with expectation all night. Yet Eden had gotten there first!
"Good morning, everyone. Oh—Dr. Mobius, may I ask a favor of you later?"
Eden blinked and smiled, already back to her calm elegance.
"Hah? A favor?"
Mobius froze, wondering if her killing intent hadn't been strong enough. Or were pop stars simply this resistant to pressure?
"Yes. Could I ask you to perform a Meta-Morph surgery? Elias has already secured the material for me."
"You think I'll agree to that?!"
Mobius gritted her teeth.
Did she look like the type to do such a stupid thing—helping a rival gain more strength and standing?
But Eden only raised a single finger, still smiling.
"One billion for the procedure."
"Eden, who do you take me for?!"
"Ten billion." Eden raised two crossed fingers.
"Money isn't everything! There are things in this world that can't be bought!"
"One hundred billion euros. And an additional ten billion per month in future investments. How about it?"
"Tch—you think Mobius can be swayed by such petty money?! Hmph! Fine, I'll do it. But don't get me wrong—I only want the data from a new material. After all, Elias' Chimera Project requires massive samples!"
Mobius folded her arms, talking tough as ever.
"..." x3
Elysia, Sakura, and Aponia stared wordlessly at the snake who had given in to money.
They felt she was beyond saving.
(Damn it! Do you think I wanted this? Mei cut my budget again and again! I haven't even paid Klein's salary for three months!)
Mobius glared back defiantly.
Inwardly she fumed: these fighters and priests could never understand a researcher's suffering!
Did they even know how hard her days were now?
She had to split one cup of instant noodles into three meals!
(And just where the hell does Vill-V get her endless sponsorship?! Always "name your price," it makes me sick!)
Thinking of that multi-personality genius, Mobius nearly split apart with jealousy.
The last time her budget was slashed again, she had stormed off to confront Mei directly, demanding to know why she was being cut so badly while Vill-V got off scot-free.
But Mei's answer had been that Fire Moth had never given Vill-V a single cent beyond her base salary. Her salary was only three times higher than Mobius', that was all.
(Mobius: "The hell?! Why?!")
Upon learning that Vill-V's unlimited resources came entirely from a mysterious mega-sponsor, Mobius nearly collapsed from sheer envy. She had gone home and popped an entire box of bubble wrap in rage, yet still couldn't calm down.
"Eden! Did you enjoy yourself last night?!" Miss Pink Elf asked darkly, a huge # symbol throbbing above her head.
"Well… all I can say is, I wish last night could have lasted forever, Elysia."
"I-I'm unfollowing you!!"
Elysia stomped her foot furiously. She was about to become Eden's first anti-fan. She had put on her best outfit last night, waiting the whole time—and ended up getting sidelined instead.
The thought of being turned into Green Elf again, yet again, was unbearable!
Eden simply lay back with serene composure, her expression saying, Get angry all you want. I've already tasted it, already had my fill.
(Yikes, so this is what women's wars look like. Better not open my mouth as the fuse here.)
Elias quietly activated his quantum ability to conceal himself. Sorry—he could maybe handle a three-person battlefield, but five women at once? Not a chance.
Of course, if things got out of hand, he would step up and draw the fire himself.
Still, looking at the gathered women before him…
(With Elysia, I feel happiest. With Sakura, most at ease. With Mobius, most thrilled. With Aponia, most out of control. With Eden, most elegant…)
So Elias thought. His heart felt fuller and fuller, caring about more and more things. The sensation was utterly wonderful!
...
Several days later—
Eden and Hua successfully completed their Meta-Morph surgeries. Neither showed signs of side effects. Unfortunately, no wings or tails sprouted.
But when they attempted artificial cascade, they shocked everyone.
First was Hua's artificial cascade.
With the Meta-Morph ICHOR from Judgment-class Garuda, Hua's body was wreathed in flames. Her hair shifted from gray to white streaked with red. This plain, low-key girl transformed into a phoenix.
Cool, beautiful, and incredibly powerful!
No one had expected that the girl who seemed the very definition of "ordinary" could change so drastically.
When the surgery ended, Hua wept with joy.
"Hua: Finally, finally it's my turn to be strengthened! Wuu… Two years! From the Fourth Herrscher all the way to the Seventh, I waited two years! At last I can stand tall!"
Elias: "Eh~ poor child."
While Hua rejoiced at her newfound strength, Elias felt sorrow for her. He could do almost anything—change even the most dangerous fates.
But even so, there were some fates that could not be changed—like Raven's exploding island, and… Hua's flat figure.
Now she was steadily walking down her destined path. Even Elias couldn't figure out how to overturn Fu Hua's fate as a flat immortal. The problem was, he couldn't even identify where the issue lay.
Sushang had proven that Edge of Taixuan wasn't the cause.
Bronya had proven that time wasn't the cause.
Griseo would prove that being a fusion warrior wasn't the cause.
Theresa had proven that genes weren't the cause.
And Ai-chan had proven that not even being human wasn't the cause.
Elias: "Ah~ such a tragic story. But maybe not so bad after all. After all, how does the saying go—flat chests can flatten the world, the bigger the bust, the worse the person! Hua, you're destined for immortality!"
Finally, when Elysia sparred with Hua, she discovered Hua's post-eruption recovery was absurdly strong—complete with Garuda's own death-lock effect. Combined with her greatly enhanced physique—
Hua's combat power skyrocketed several tiers! At last, after two years, the immortal had received an epic upgrade!
On the other hand, Eden's was even more astonishing.
"Whoa, that's enormous."
"Good thing you didn't use it back at base."
"It's actually bigger than Elias' form!"
Eden's artificial cascade manifested as a golden-pink whale, soaring freely through the skies, radiant and dazzling—nearly ten kilometers long!
Elias immediately grew excited, unleashing his own artificial cascade, transforming into a colossal white dragon.
Though Eden's starsea whale was twice his size, once he activated the [Gigantification] ability of his Chiyou gene, that difference vanished in an instant.
Thus, that day above Fire Moth's base—
A magnificent, radiant pink whale.
A mighty, awe-inspiring white dragon.
The two circled one another in the sky, dancing together, as dragon roars and whale songs resounded across heaven and earth—spectacular and dreamlike.