(Once the Chimera procedure is complete, I'll head straight to this spot and wait for the Herrscher of Binding to descend.)
Elias' gaze lingered on the location Pardofelis had just pointed to on the map. The more he looked, the more suspicious the place seemed.
If someone else had chosen it, he wouldn't have cared much. But this was Pardofelis—the luckiest catgirl of the Previous Era. Anything she guessed at had at least a nine-tenths chance of being right.
(If she really guessed correctly, that'll be a huge achievement. Maybe we'll even get a perfect clear this time.)
Ruffling the catgirl's head affectionately, Elias made a mental note to look forward to it.
The four of them then spent a peaceful afternoon tea together. They didn't do anything particularly meaningful, but during such troubled times, every small moment of peace was precious beyond measure.
While ordinary people might not yet feel it, those standing at the forefront of humanity's war against the Honkai carried tremendous pressure—and Elias bore the heaviest weight of all.
With the upcoming Project Chimera looming, he needed moments like this to unwind his nerves.
...
Night fell in the quiet bedroom.
"Eli, you're going to undergo the Chimera procedure tomorrow, right?"
Just as Elias was about to change for bed, a soft, pink figure suddenly wrapped her arms around him from behind.
The soft, warm body of Miss Pink Elf pressed against his back, her gentle touch as familiar and intoxicating as ever. It felt as if he were being embraced by a living cloud of silk and jelly.
Under normal circumstances, Elias would've already turned around to enjoy the warmth of her affection—but this time, he froze, his body stiff with tension. Slowly, he turned his head toward her.
"Uh… Ely, how did you find out about that?"
"Hehe~ Take a guess, Eli~"
"...Was it Mei?"
Elias frowned slightly. Could Mei have told Elysia on purpose—hoping she'd persuade him to give up on the procedure?
If that was her plan, it wouldn't work. The Chimera operation was far too important to him. No matter how much he loved the pink elf in his arms, Elias had no intention of backing down.
Still, if it really was Mei who told her, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
In fact, he was already planning to "have a serious discussion" with Mei after her own fusion surgery was done—one that might last an entire day and night—to show her exactly how strong he was.
However…
"It wasn't Mei. It was Kevin who told me," Elysia said with a shake of her head, her smile soft and teasing.
"Wait, what?" Elias blinked in disbelief.
He had told Kevin about the procedure—but he had also specifically warned him not to tell anyone. For that ice-block to go and betray him like this?
He'd gotten cocky. It seemed the big husky needed another good beating to remember his place.
(Kevin, I really hope you walk out of that lab alive tomorrow… though I can't promise you'll be able to stand afterward.)
"My dear Ely, what kind of spell did you use this time?" Elias asked, helpless, lifting her effortlessly into his arms and setting her down on the couch.
"This time? No magic~ Just one bucket of ultra-deluxe limited-edition instant noodles."
"...Yeah, that would do it. Still, Kevin's a dead man walking…"
His fists clenched involuntarily. That noodle-obsessed husky really needed some sense knocked back into him.
"Forget about Kevin. I'm upset with you, Eli," Elysia pouted adorably, puffing her cheeks. "You kept something so important from me! My heart took ten thousand points of emotional damage!"
"Oh? That doesn't sound too bad—after all, Ely, your HP bar is huge."
"Ehh~ hmph!"
Elysia's lips twitched, and she lightly punched him in the chest with her tiny fist.
Taking the cue, Elias let a pair of white dragon horns grow from his head, lowering them toward her in silent apology.
"Sorry, Ely. I just didn't want you to worry."
Seeing that she hadn't immediately grabbed his horns like she usually did, Elias tilted his head forward a little, playfully nudging them against her.
It was precisely because Miss Pink Elf was so important to him that Elias had chosen to keep the Chimera procedure a secret from her.
In his original plan, Elysia would sleep in late the next day—by the time she woke up, everything would already be over. He'd return in his new form, casually downplay the entire ordeal, and she'd never have the chance to worry.
"Well, alright. I'll forgive you this time, Eli. But there can't be a next time, okay? I'm happy you didn't want me to worry… but worrying about you is the only thing I can do."
"Ely…"
"After all, you're amazing, Eli. Most of the time, none of us can really help you. We just watch as you take on all the danger alone… sometimes we can't even be there for you. So at the very least—let me know. Let me worry. Let me witness it."
Elysia cupped his face in both hands, her blue eyes filled with tender seriousness. Then, she rose on her toes and kissed his white dragon horns.
"And honestly, I never planned to stop you from undergoing the Chimera procedure."
"Eh? Really?"
Elias blinked in surprise. He'd assumed Elysia would vehemently oppose it.
But Elysia only smiled, her lips curving sweetly as her hands—already itching with restraint—finally gave in to temptation. She grasped the dragon horns and began to gently play with them.
"Because my Eli can do anything. Even a 0.001% success rate doesn't scare me. If it's you, I know you'll succeed."
(I'll make sure you succeed, no matter what it costs. As long as it's something you want to achieve, I'll make a wish to ensure it comes true.)
Her smile bloomed even more beautifully.
Elias' heartbeat stilled for a moment as he gazed at the lovely girl before him. For that instant, even breathing slipped his mind.
Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, holding her tightly as Elysia let out a surprised little cry.
"Ah! Eli, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"Just now, I fell in love with you again. And that's a moment worth remembering—because it's the thousandth time. My dear Ely, how do you always make my heart race like this?"
"Well, that's because you're under the fairy's love spell~ Once you're enchanted, you'll fall deeper in love with me each day. And when your affection bar maxes out, it'll overflow and start filling again~"
Elysia winked playfully, her smile pure and mischievous.
"I see. That's a terrifying magic indeed," Elias replied seriously. "Then you'll have to take responsibility for me, my dear Ely. You're never allowed to lift the spell. Without you, I wouldn't be able to live."
Their eyes met—his golden and hers sapphire blue—each reflecting the other. In that moment, nothing else in the world seemed to matter.
"Pfft—ahahaha~!" ×2
Both of them burst into laughter.
His clear, bright laugh intertwined with her soft, bell-like giggle, forming a melody so harmonious it could move the heavens. And together—two flawless, beautiful beings—they created a sight beyond words.
"Ely, can I ask you something strange?" Elias suddenly asked.
"Eli, you always know how to pique my curiosity~ Of course you can. What's your strange question?"
"Well… if—just if—time rewound back to the day we first met… and neither of us remembered anything… would you still fall in love with me again?"
Elias reached out, gently brushing his hand across her cheek, his eyes full of quiet hope.
"That's such a romantic question," Elysia replied softly. "Let me think… Even if I forgot everything, even if we had to start over, I'd still fall in love with you, Eli—every single time. What about you?"
"Even if the world reset a thousand times, I'd still love you again and again. Even if I forgot everything else, I could never forget you, Ely."
Elias gazed at Elysia with the gentlest eyes—his tone somewhere between a simple truth and a solemn vow.
Thump!
Elysia's heart leapt violently.
For a moment, she felt as though a wave of warmth surged through her whole body. The white-haired boy before her seemed to outshine every gemstone in existence. Her heart was completely captured.
She had always considered herself a level 99 romance master (though she had only ever fallen in love once)—yet just a single tender glance from Elias melted every defense she had. Her mind went completely blank.
"Ahh, Eli… that's so unfair," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "Now it sounds like I'd lose if I ever forgot you… No way—I won't let that happen! I'll remember you too, forever!"
Elysia shook her head, determined. She wasn't usually competitive, but when it came to love—when it came to him—she refused to lose, even to Elias himself.
"I won't lose, okay? I'll always love you more. That's important! And… we have to make a promise—if time ever really rewinds to the day we first met, whoever remembers first has to make the other fall in love again."
"Haha, alright. It's a promise."
Elias smiled, his lips curling upward. Truthfully, even without her saying it, he already knew what he would do.
The girl before him—brilliant as a flying petal, dazzling as the brightest gem—was someone he would love again and again, no matter how many times fate reset their story.
They say the wise do not fall in love. But for Elysia's sake, Elias was willing to be a fool forever.
After all, a world without Miss Pink Elf was not a world worth living in.
The atmosphere grew sweet and serene. It felt as though even the air itself carried warmth and light. If anyone opened the door at that moment, they would've been overwhelmed by the tenderness between them.
The two simply leaned closer—sharing quiet affection, words unspoken yet perfectly understood. Time slipped away unnoticed.
Later, as they rested together, Elysia let out a soft breath, still unwilling to concede. "Someday, Eli… I'll make you feel just as flustered as I do now."
"Haha, I'm afraid that's impossible," Elias said with a gentle laugh, patting her soft pink hair. "After tomorrow's Chimera procedure, I'll be even stronger. My dear Ely, you might end up even more outmatched next time."
"What?! That's not fair!"
Elysia's eyes widened in disbelief.
For the first time, she seriously considered whether she should talk him out of the procedure. Even as a MANTIS, Elias already overwhelmed her completely. If he became a Chimera—merging countless Honkai Beast genes into himself—it might be impossible for her to ever keep up.
Even using her Origin power to wish for it might not be enough.
(Ugh… if this keeps up, our training sessions will get shorter and shorter…)
In truth, she was overestimating herself.
Once Elias became a Chimera, his evolution would never stop. And one day, he would ascend to the state of [Palatinus], growing infinitely stronger with every passing moment.
By then, poor Elysia—whose strength would remain constant—might not even last three minutes against him.
Still, she didn't let that thought weigh her down.
Because everyone would be in the same position. Elias' strength was something beyond comparison.
(Why do I feel like today might be the last calm moment we'll have? Should I… maybe ask for another kiss? No, no—I can't distract him before his surgery. Not because I'm too tired, of course…)
Elysia buried her face shyly against his chest, silently scolding herself. Her body was tired, but her heart raced with excitement.
The words Elias had spoken earlier still echoed in her mind—warm, steady, unforgettable. Just thinking of them made her cheeks burn and her pulse quicken.
Even if sleep wouldn't come easily that night, she didn't mind.
Because for Elysia, every moment spent with him—every heartbeat shared—was already a beautiful dream she never wanted to end.
But Elysia was never one to sit idle.
"Eli~ Give me the photo album."
"Hm? What for, Ely?"
"I just felt like looking at our old photos again. Fighting to save the world is wonderful and all—but honestly, I still think our traveling days were the happiest."
"Mhm, I agree. I miss those carefree days—just the two of us wandering across the world without a single worry. Haha~ Looks like I'm better suited to being a traveler than a savior."
Elias chuckled as he reached into the Imaginary Space and pulled out Elysia's enormous photo album—a thick collection of memories so vast that, in his words, "in another universe, this would be a full set of five-star Light Cones."
Elysia eagerly flipped it open.
Every picture inside had been taken by her own hands. And as she looked through them, each photo brought a flood of vivid memories, softening her expression into a warm, gentle smile.
For the record, the Polaroid camera Elias had once gifted her (the same model as March 7th's) was still carefully preserved in perfect condition.
"How nostalgic~ This one was taken when you gave me my first camera. We were so young back then—so cute!"
"And this one's from our first trip to the amusement park! We took it when the Ferris wheel reached exactly 3.5 revolutions at the top."
"Oh, and this one—haha—we couldn't find a hotel that night, so we had to set up a tent in the park. Then it suddenly rained, and we ended up sleeping under a bridge instead."
"Ahh~ and this one! That's when we won the 'Best Couple Challenge'! We cleared all the stages in just three minutes—everyone else took over half an hour! See? I told you, Eli and I are perfectly in sync!"
Elysia's eyes sparkled with joy. To her, this photo album—filled with every memory they shared—was her most precious treasure.
Elias looked amazed. Out of hundreds of photos, Elysia could recall the exact details of every single one—where they were, what they'd been doing, even how they'd felt.
"Ely, your memory's incredible."
"Of course~ Every moment I've spent with you, I've remembered perfectly. I could never forget a single second."
To her, these memories were everlasting—never to fade, never to be forgotten. They were the most beautiful times of her life.
As she flipped further through the album, the pictures gradually drew closer to the present. When she finally turned to the last page—a photo from earlier that day—she exhaled softly, a wistful smile on her face.
(What a brilliant, dazzling life it's been. I really am lucky to have met Eli… But thinking back, ever since we joined Fire Moth, he's been revealing more and more of his secrets, hasn't he?)
Her thoughts drifted back over all of Elias' extraordinary achievements—his impossible victories, his countless correct decisions, as if guided by knowledge beyond time.
Elysia couldn't help but murmur softly, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
"Eli… you're like someone who can see the future—or no, maybe more like someone who came from the future."