Under a vast blue sky, the eyes of a white-haired boy slowly opened. Below him lay the familiar sight of St. Freya Academy. His breath trembled lightly.
"I'm... back—!!!"
Elias spread his arms wide, shouting into the heavens, declaring his return to this era.
Six angelic wings unfurled behind him, and at that moment, his existence seemed even brighter than the sun itself.
Then, Elias let himself fall back into the boundless blue, drifting freely with the breeze. He looked up at the sky of freedom and felt a deep, soul-stirring emotion.
At this moment, he had returned to his world—to the true, original world of the Current Era! Time, which had long been frozen for this man of pure white, had finally begun to flow once again!
"I need to get back to everyone!"
After flying joyfully across the sky for a while, Elias decided to head straight for St. Freya Academy.
Raiden Mei, Kiana, Bronya, Seele, Sirin, Himeko, Rita... and many, many more.
There were too many people he longed to see—too many he had missed for far too long. Just the thought of finally reuniting with the girls he had dreamed of day and night made his heart pound, his whole body trembling with excitement.
But just then—
Ding-dong~
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the Previous Era instance. Your temporal traversal rating is SSSSS. All rewards have been distributed.]
The familiar voice of the system echoed suddenly.
Elias blinked in surprise—he had almost forgotten about that.
Although he wanted nothing more than to rush back to the academy and see Mei and the others, the glittering icon in his vision—beckoning him to click—was far too tempting. It wouldn't take long, after all. So, with a shrug, he tapped it.
The next second, a long report appeared before his eyes.
Previous Era Clearance Rating: SSSSS
Fire Moth's Thirteen Flame-Chasers (Modified) — all fifteen Flame-Chasers survived. Difficulty: SSS.
All Flame-Chaser-affiliated personnel survived. Difficulty: S.
Defeated all Herrschers except the Herrscher of Origin. Difficulty: SSS.
Previous Era human survival rate exceeded 90%. Difficulty: SSS.
Herrscher of Origin remains alive, while the Current Era Herrschers retain their humanity. Difficulty: SSS.
Ensured the coexistence of both Previous and Current Eras. Difficulty: SSS...
Additional Achievements: Joined the Flame-Chasers sequence; challenged the Imaginary Tree; attained pseudo-godhood; enslaved Otto; saved parallel world; rescued Previous Era Herrschers; maintained casualties under 100; cleared a Planet-class Honkai Beast; conquered the Herrscher of Finality...
Overall Evaluation: Your glory shines as bright as the sun—an unparalleled feat in the history of countless civilizations. You are the greatest savior of all time. For the Flame-Chasers of [Deliverance] and [Eternity], the heavens thunder their applause.
"Haha, well, System, you're just stating the truth—but you're making me blush a bit~"
Elias looked at the long report proudly, still surprised that he had actually accomplished so many incredible feats.
(You have every right to be proud, my dear Host. From now on, even if you look down on others through your nostrils, it would be perfectly justified.)
"Uh, no thanks—I still need to keep up appearances."
(Understood. Then please check your traversal rewards. A reminder: there are a lot of them!)
"The more the better! Let me see!"
Elias rubbed his hands together eagerly as a massive golden gift box materialized before him. Without hesitation, he opened it—only for blinding golden light to burst out, almost dazzling his eyes.
Previous Era Rewards: Full retention of personal strength (Seventeen Herrscher Cores + Ultimate Chimera + Palatinus Physique); Fragmented False God Authority; Fragmented Origin Power; Trace of the Finality's Force; all Flame-Chaser [Signets]...
Acquired Powers: Elysia's Immaculate [Ego] (Charm +1000%); Eden's [Gold] (Unlimited Funds); Aponia's [Discipline] (Word Command); Sakura's [Setsuna] (Speed Up); Pardofelis' [Reverie] (Luck +10,000); Griseo's [Stars] (Painting Skill MAX + See Through Essence)...
Elias widened his eyes and scrolled through the system interface a few more times—yet still couldn't reach the end. Truly, it was an absurdly long list. Well, what else could he expect from such a monumental temporal traversal?
The sheer number of rewards made his eyes blur.
He had known from the start that his journey through the Previous Era would make him significantly stronger—but even so, he hadn't expected this level of absurdity. His current power level was completely off the charts.
Before traversing time, he had only been a rather ordinary, unimpressive Herrscher with five Cores. But now, upon returning to the Current Era, Elias felt like a sovereign emperor returning to his homeland in triumph.
"Perfect. I'm invincible now~ From here on out, I can coast through anything. Huh? Wait a second—I even got powers from the Herrscher of Finality? We had affinity points? Don't tell me she actually developed feelings for me after our fight?"
Aside from the powers he obtained during his journey through the Previous Era, Elias had also earned several additional rewards—skills drawn randomly from key individuals who held affection toward him. For instance, Eden's Gold (financial omnipotence), or Vill-V's Self (personality segmentation).
And among them, aside from a faint trace of Finality's power, Elias noticed one particularly interesting entry: Temporal Resistance.
Temporal Resistance: All time-based abilities will have no effect on you.
"Emmm... sounds impressive, but kinda useless? Aside from the Herrscher of Finality, no one else really uses time manipulation, right?"
The Herrscher of Finality in the Current Era didn't need to be defeated anyway—after all, Elias planned to succeed Kiana and take up the mantle himself.
"It's not like the Herrscher of Finality from the Previous Era still exists, and we'd somehow meet again... yeah, totally impossible. Absolutely impossible~"
He quickly skimmed the rest of the rewards, unwilling to leave it unfinished due to his obsessive need for completion, yet too impatient to go through everything slowly. After all, he couldn't wait any longer to see his beloved girls.
"Alright, confirmed! Time to go home!"
Closing the system interface with a flick, Elias beat his six wings and soared toward St. Freya Academy—without the slightest intention of being discreet. He descended directly onto one of the academy's walkways.
Several Valkyries, who had just finished class and were discussing where to go for lunch, looked up as a radiant figure descended from the heavens. Their belongings slipped from their hands as they stared in shock.
"Wha—was that... an angel just now?!"
"Wait, isn't that Elias?!"
"Whoa... so divine! I think I'm in love!"
"Unbelievable! Elias is actually an angel!"
"Sorry, Raiden Mei—but your boyfriend's just too amazing!"
Sensing their gazes, Elias responded with a dazzling, gentle smile and a small wave. Instantly, countless invisible arrows pierced straight through the hearts of the girls present.
Even before this, his looks were already at the peak of human perfection—but now, amplified by a certain Miss Pink Elf's immaculate charm, his allure had become downright catastrophic.
Not to mention, Elias wasn't merely handsome. After saving the world twelve times, he now carried the noble, serene air of a savior—tempered by countless millennia of solitude and the wisdom of one who had witnessed the flow of history itself.
At this point, anyone with eyes—man or woman—would inevitably be drawn to him.
As for these Valkyries, most of them young women who had never even dated before, yet secretly longed for romance... it was inevitable. From this day onward, Elias would haunt their dreams.
After charming the entire courtyard with nothing more than a wave and a smile, Elias prepared to head toward the dormitory. If memory served, both Rita and Kiana should have been home before his departure.
But just then—
"Finally found you! Elias, stop right there!"
"Huh? Raven?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Elias turned around to see a furious island raven charging toward him—none other than Schicksal's infamous Raven, weapon in hand. In fact, she was already brandishing her Seven Thunders of Retribution, fully armed.
It took Elias a moment to recall why.
One of the reasons he'd chosen to traverse time—aside from the timing being right—was, in fact, to avoid this explosive little island raven.
Because... he had blown up her island.
But that explosion had been an accident. Back when Elias was still the Herrscher of Wind, he had deflected one of Schicksal's Honkai Fissile Bombs—and, by sheer misfortune, it had been blown all the way to Raven's private island villa.
He had compensated her with a brand-new island mansion afterward.
Still, putting himself in her shoes... years of hard-earned savings spent to buy that property, only for it to be vaporized in seconds. Even with compensation, resentment was only natural.
"Today, I'll avenge my poor island villa! Prepare for judgment, Elias!"
"It's been so long, Nata—I missed you!!"
"Eh?"
The moment Elias turned around, Raven's heartbeat suddenly skipped. It was a fierce, involuntary jolt—the unmistakable sign of falling for someone.
Before she could even process the feeling, Elias spread his arms wide and, moving faster than the eye could follow, appeared in front of her and pulled her into his embrace.
"???"
"Don't move, Nata. Let me take a good look at you."
Elias wrapped an arm around Raven's slender waist, his other hand brushing against her cheek. His golden eyes shimmered with unrestrained longing—so deep and sincere that Raven's face instantly turned crimson.
Natasha Cioara happened to be the first familiar face Elias encountered after returning. All the longing that had built up over the eons overflowed—pouring out upon her in that single moment.
"W-What are you doing, Elias?! We're outside! Whatever this is, save it for later—"
"I can't hold it anymore. Please forgive me, Nata! I didn't mean to blow up your island~"
"Even if it wasn't intentional, it still makes me angry! Do you have any idea how many years I saved for that?! Let me shoot you once and maybe I'll forgive you!"
Hearing him bring up the topic himself, Raven's suppressed anger flared back up. She balled her fists and began pounding weakly against his chest—though her strength was so light that Elias barely felt a thing.
"Oh, alright then~"
Elias tilted his head slightly, then obediently lifted Raven's Seven Thunders of Retribution, pressing the muzzle against his own chest.
That scared her so badly she immediately yanked the barrel upward.
"Y-you idiot, Elias! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Eheh~"
Elias simply stuck out his tongue with a playful grin.
Raven's eye twitched. She aimed the gun at his hair instead—she couldn't bear to actually harm him, but at the thought of her poor, destroyed island, vengeance still demanded something...
Villa Island: (So... I'm worth just a few strands of Elias' hair?!)
Flame-Chasers: (You think you're worth a few strands of Elias' hair? Insolent island! Blow it up again!)
But just as Raven was about to fire—
She realized, to her shock, that the Seven Thunders of Retribution in her hands had turned into... a slingshot.
Unless Elias allowed it, not even a single strand of his hair could be harmed. The Divine Key refused to fire.
After all, it was Elias' personal weapon—crafted with the full affection and devotion of the Flame-Chaser bearing the [Helix] Signet.
After fifty long millennia apart, it had instantly abandoned Raven to return to its rightful master.
Under her stunned gaze, the Seven Thunders broke free from her grip, floated to Elias, and transformed—displaying all seven of its forms one after another, as if asking which shape he preferred. Its obedient demeanor was a stark contrast to the queenly arrogance it had shown in Raven's hands.
"Elias, what's your relationship with the Seven Thunders of Retribution?!"
"Hm? She's my beloved weapon, of course~ simple as that. Now don't be mad, Nata. I'll buy you two new island villas, so forgive me, alright?"
"T-Two islands?!"
Raven gasped, taking in a sharp breath. Inwardly, she whispered an apology to her long-lost island. It wasn't that she didn't want revenge—
But first of all, she couldn't bear to actually hurt the white-haired youth in front of her. And second... that offer was simply too good to refuse.
Besides, the whole time, she had been melting under that burning, tender embrace—his gaze filled with affection deep enough to drown in.
For the first time in her life, Raven thought... perhaps today was her chance to rise to the top.
"Although I still think island villas are destined to sink one day—far from anything resembling [Eternity]—if Nata likes them, then by all means, buy as many as you want. At this point, even Schicksal's floating islands are pocket change."
Elias recalled one of the rewards he had seen earlier—Eden's Gold—the bank account tied to it held a number so long he'd stopped counting after the thirteenth digit.
"...One is enough, really. It's not like I can live on multiple islands at once. But, Elias, if you'd like, you can come stay with me. I'll save you a nice room."
"Really? Thank you, Nata, you're so kind. I'm lucky to be loved by someone like you."
"L-Loved?! Elias, what are you suddenly saying?!"
"Hm? My dear Nata, don't you like me? Or did I misunderstand something?"
Having matured emotionally through his experiences in the Previous Era, Elias had developed the habit of speaking his feelings openly—no hesitation, no playing coy, just direct honesty. And as for whether Raven liked him or not... at his level, it was impossible not to notice.
After all, she had once posted a high-priced bounty to find him, personally put a bullet in Otto for his sake, and even offered to save him a room at her rebuilt villa. Add to that her blushing face and racing heartbeat—there was more than enough evidence.
"Guh! Elias, you... you've become way too straightforward all of a sudden! I mean, you always were, but not like this! This is version 2.0 honesty!"
Flustered, Raven pulled up her hood to hide her crimson face. Right now, she felt like finding a quiet corner to curl up in and roll on the ground from sheer embarrassment.
"Heh~ Maybe I've been influenced by a certain pink elf... and a few others. So—do you like this version of me?" Elias smiled softly and patted her head through the hood.
"!!!"
Raven clutched her chest, feeling like she needed emergency medical attention. She didn't know what was happening, only that Elias' charm was lethal—and he seemed completely unaware of it.
(Calm down! Calm down, Natasha! Remember the golden rule—being a tsundere leads nowhere. Even if you're flustered, don't you dare back out now!)
A true veteran mercenary through and through, Raven took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. Looking at the white-haired youth's expectant face, she realized this might be the perfect chance of a lifetime.
Her moment to rise had come. If she could pull this off, she'd have her new villa... and Elias. Her life would finally be complete.
Raven: (Sora, please... give your teacher courage!)
She gathered every ounce of strength she had and opened her mouth to speak—
"Elias!/Brother!/Master!!!" ×7
Several figures suddenly came running toward them.
It was Raiden Mei, Kiana, Bronya, Seele, Himeko, Sirin, and Bella—all seven with tears streaming down their faces. They charged straight in, instantly knocking the poor island raven aside.
Raven: "???"
The seven girls clung tightly to Elias, crying as if they'd never let go. Just moments ago, they had all experienced a terrifying flashback in their minds.
A memory in which Elias had died to save them.