"Elias, are you okay?! Thank goodness... thank goodness, that was so terrifying... those memories were just—"
All seven girls looked at him with visible fear in their eyes.
Raiden Mei frantically checked over his body, while Kiana had her ear pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Bronya had already sent Project Bunny to perform a full-body scan.
Seele stood frozen, not knowing what to do. Sirin, Bella, and Himeko only relaxed after confirming that Elias was indeed standing before them, safe and sound.
Even then, none of the seven could bring themselves to let go of him. Their hands clung tightly to his arms, his shoulders, his clothes—gripping as if afraid he might vanish at any moment.
"Uh... what's going on here?"
Raven stood there, dumbfounded.
Honestly, she really wanted to be angry right now.
Her once-in-a-lifetime chance to confess—her hard-earned courage—had just been completely ruined. That sudden interruption left her with the unbearable feeling of being stopped right at the edge.
But when she saw how shaken the seven girls were, their expressions filled with tension and even fear... she couldn't bring herself to stay mad.
Just moments ago, Mei and the others had suddenly been struck by a flood of memories—in which the white-haired boy they loved had sacrificed his life to save them.
If it had been just a dream, they could have laughed it off and moved on. But these weren't dreams—they were memories.
"It felt so real... I can recall every detail as if it truly happened," Mei said, her voice trembling.
"Affirmative," Bronya added, her tone uncharacteristically uneasy. "Bronya can even recall the emotions she felt in that moment. This is no illusion."
"Waaah! Elias, don't die again! I'll be good from now on, I promise! Just don't teach me any more 'final lessons'!" Kiana whimpered, pressing her face against his chest, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Even if it conflicts with our current memories... I believe it really happened. That was... terrifying," Himeko murmured, her face pale.
In that memory, Elias had donned the fourth-generation Godsbane Suit—Vermilion Knight: Eclipse—taking Himeko's place. He was consumed by Honkai energy, fighting until the very end, giving his life to save Kiana, who had become the Herrscher of the Void.
Himeko could even recall his last words as he pushed her away:
"This 'Final Lesson'... let me substitute for you this time, Himeko."
The moment those memories resurfaced, all seven of them had dropped everything and rushed toward him, desperate to make sure he was truly alive.
Only after confirming his safety did they finally exhale in relief.
"So that's how it manifested, huh..."
Listening to their explanation, Elias quickly pieced together what had happened.
In the parallel world's Current Era, he had approached the Imaginary Tree and transferred that world's versions of Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Himeko, Seele, Sirin, and Bella into this original reality.
He had left the details of their existence to the Tree's discretion—but he hadn't expected it to manifest their fusion this way. Still... he found it rather fitting.
After all, even though they came from a parallel world, they were essentially the same people. The only difference was whether or not they had experienced life after his death.
Now, their memories and emotions had merged as one. Yet because they were fundamentally the same individuals, their souls and consciousness remained unchanged. Mei was still Mei, Kiana was still Kiana, and the same went for all the others.
No secondary personalities, no fragmentation—just wholeness.
"Don't worry, everyone. I'm perfectly fine. There's no one in this world who can kill me anymore. As for the origin of those memories... I'll explain everything slowly."
Elias gently patted their heads reassuringly, then pulled Kiana into his arms and inhaled deeply several times, as if savoring the scent of home.
(Mmm, my Kiana really smells so good~ Though compared to Pardofelis, she's got less of that cat scent... no tail, no ears—but still, utterly, absolutely, ridiculously adorable! I'm in love!)
"W-wah! Elias, what are you doing all of a sudden?!"
"You can't blame me, you know. It's your fault for being way too cute. So... be good and let me just eat you up, okay? Don't worry~ I'll be very gentle."
Elias' golden eyes narrowed playfully. This silly Kiana thought she could escape after diving into his arms? How naive.
He reached out and scratched gently beneath her chin.
"Guuh!"
Kiana's cheeks turned crimson, her whole body going limp.
"Elias, you're acting so weird! When did you get this good? You weren't like this before!"
Well, of course he wasn't.
During his time in the Previous Era, Elias had spent almost every day petting cats. In the darkest, most grueling times, Pardofelis had been one of the few who could truly soothe his heart.
So for the sake of his mental well-being, Elias had developed a very healthy daily habit—one hour of cat-petting therapy.
As a side note, the most therapeutic experience of all was little Griseo—barefoot, sitting on his lap and painting quietly.
Elias always said he could serve as her chair all day long without complaint.
After twelve loops and countless nights of training, Elias' cat-petting technique had long surpassed mortal limits—now elevated to the realm of divine mastery.
Kiana, completely unprepared, had no resistance whatsoever. She was instantly "defeated."
"...I've got a bad feeling about this," Mei muttered, her right eyelid twitching.
For some reason, she had the sudden sense that she was surrounded by invisible enemies.
Her intuition screamed, A large number of rivals are approaching! Hat count increasing rapidly!
"Elias, tell us the truth—what's going on here? Do you have another cat out there somewhere?!"
Kiana's instincts, too, were sounding alarms. She had the distinct feeling that her status as Number One Pet Girl was in grave danger.
"Alright, alright~ I'll tell you everything. But it's kind of a long story. Let's head home first, okay? The benches here at the academy are fine, but I much prefer the sofa in the dorm... or maybe one of your laps."
Elias ruffled Kiana's hair lovingly, his touch gentle as if handling a precious treasure.
His eyes softened with nostalgia. Once upon a time, he had told Kiana he liked her hair loose—and from that day forward, she had stopped braiding it.
The beauty before him now truly lived up to the title of the Moon Goddess... though her personality was still pure "paramecium."
...
When everyone returned to the Valkyrie dormitory—
"Welcome home, Lord Elias. That was quick. Has Miss Raven stopped trying to hunt you down already? And why is everyone back together... skipping class as a group isn't very good behavior, you know?"
The voice came from a woman in a black-and-white maid outfit, her silver hair gleaming beneath a pair of decorative succubus horns. It was none other than Rita Rossweisse, S-rank Valkyrie and ever-dutiful maid.
"I'm home, Rita~ Oh, right—there's going to be a new rule at home from now on. You'd better remember it." Elias said suddenly, as if the thought had just struck him.
"My, how sudden. But of course, please tell me. A maid's mission is to fulfill her master's every request."
Rita blinked, then quickly pulled out a small notebook, ready to jot down his words. Once, she had committed an unforgivable mistake—but Elias had forgiven her, trusting her still. Because of that, his place in her heart now even surpassed that of a certain golden-haired idiot. She truly saw him as the one master she would serve for life.
Never mind a few indulgent whims—if Elias asked for her life itself, she wouldn't hesitate to give it.
After all... she did owe him her life.
"From now on," Elias declared with a smile, "whenever your master—that's me—comes home, the maid—that's you—must greet him with a hug."
And as he spoke, he demonstrated—pulling the still-surprised Rita into a warm, firm embrace.
A familiar fragrance filled the air—the soft scent of roses unique to this S-rank Valkyrie and all-around maid.
Rita froze for a moment, and with her characteristic perceptiveness, immediately noticed the change—or rather, the growth—in Elias. Though she didn't know exactly what had happened, as a professional maid...
She knew exactly what to do in that moment.
So Rita raised her hands and gently returned the embrace.
"Understood, Rita has taken note~ But... I think we could add one more detail to the rule. Perhaps... a kiss, as well?"
"Mhm~ that would make it even better."
Elias nodded happily and reached up to pat her head.
The thought that such an elegant, alluring maid would be waiting for him at home every day made Elias feel that even if he ever wandered beyond the Milky Way, he'd still make sure to come back before nightfall.
"..." ×N
The girls standing at the doorway twitched in unison, feeling like they couldn't keep up with the level of this exchange.
Even Himeko was doubting her life choices a little. She remembered seeing Rita years ago—before she joined Schicksal—back when she was still the daughter of a humble florist in Manchester.
Back then, Rita had been a pure, innocent girl. Who could have imagined that a few years later, that same sweet child would become such an enchanting, otherworldly temptress?
"Ahem! Elias, didn't you have something you wanted to tell us? I can't wait any longer," Himeko interrupted, clearly trying to regain control of the situation.
"Ah, right. Then prepare us some tea, Rita. This story's a bit long—and you all should brace yourselves, because it's going to be beyond anything you could imagine."
Elias said this with a hint of pride, and the girls' curiosity—already high—only intensified further.
(Host, are you really going to tell them everything?)
(Yeah, there's nothing left to hide now. I kept it secret before because I was cautious—didn't want a certain scheming priest to catch wind of it. But now...)
Before his time travel to the Previous Era, Otto had already been defeated. Most of Schicksal's Valkyries had joined St. Freya Academy, and now, the three remaining S-rank Valkyries under Otto's command were also on Elias' side.
Even setting that aside—
With seventeen Herrscher Cores, the power of the Ultimate Chimera, and the body of a Palatinus—Otto, even as a False God, would stand no chance. Elias could quite literally beat him into the ground without breaking a sweat.
And then, a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
(Wait... if I don't use the Void powers, False Gods can't die, right? Which means... a False God Otto would be... an indestructible punching bag?)
Elias' fists clenched unconsciously. His hands itched at the mere thought.
He shook his head to clear the tempting idea away. There would be time for that later. Right now, he deserved a well-earned break after the massive Previous Era ordeal.
After all, balance between work and rest was important~
Soon, the afternoon tea began.
"Ahem. I know it sounds unbelievable, but... just a while ago, I traveled fifty thousand years into the past—to the Previous Era—and completed a grand adventure there."
Elias reclined comfortably on Himeko's lap, recounting his journey through the Previous Era.
Of course, he didn't tell the whole story.
He skipped over the parts about the endless cycles, the injuries, and the long, lonely road of time.
Instead, he spoke of how he had led the Flame-Chasers in their battle against the Honkai, how he and his fourteen comrades—his family—formed the Flame-Chasers Fifteen, living through an era of unity and purpose.
He told them how he had captured every Herrscher alive and, using the power of the Herrscher of Origin, freed them from the Honkai's control.
Naturally, he omitted the price he had paid to wield that power.
When he finished, the girls were left completely dumbfounded.
"...My god, that's just unbelievable. If it weren't you telling us, Elias, I wouldn't have believed a single word," Himeko muttered, swallowing hard as the beer can slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a dull clunk.
"The era fifty thousand years ago... the Fire Moth, the Fifteen Flame-Chasers... I've actually seen those names before, buried in Schicksal's classified archives. I never imagined you would be the leader of them all."
A drop of fragrant sweat slid down Rita's temple.
She recalled the ancient records she had once glimpsed—accounts of heroic deeds so grand they bordered on myth. Never in her life had she imagined that the one responsible for such impossible feats would be the white-haired boy standing before her now.
"So... you're actually the true master of World Serpent? The 'Savior' that Gray Serpent's always going on about—is you?! I... I want my job back!"
Raven's jaw dropped. She had never expected that Elias was the actual boss of her former organization. Without hesitation, she declared her intention to rejoin World Serpent immediately.
"Bronya is currently experiencing system instability. Project Bunny—stabilize me before I fall over."
"Brother, you're so amazing... saving an entire civilization like that. Seele really admires you! But... um, there was also a Herrscher of Death named Sheele in the Previous Era, right? That's... kind of interesting."
Even Bronya's expressionless face had cracked, while Seele looked at Elias with open admiration.
But among them, one figure at the doorway wore a look of bittersweet surprise.
"I honestly don't even know what to say. Elias... fifty thousand years, and you still haven't changed. You're still hiding your pain behind that same gentle smile."
Standing quietly at the dorm entrance, Fu Hua listened to his story with a small, knowing smile.
It wasn't that simple. It was never that light-hearted.
As one of the Flame-Chasers herself—a witness to the final day of the Previous Era—Fu Hua knew all too well what truly happened.
The glory that left Rita and the others awestruck was written not with triumph, but with Elias' blood and sacrifice.
"But I've finally waited long enough. So that was the moment you left for the Previous Era, wasn't it? Now, at last, I don't have to pretend not to know you anymore. The people of Elysian Realm can finally reunite with you. Elysia has been holding back for years."
Fu Hua sighed softly. Because Elias had changed the past, she had recognized him during the Second Eruption—realizing that the young Herrscher of the Void at the time was none other than her former Flame-Chaser leader.
But to preserve the natural flow of history, Elias had instructed her beforehand to act as if she didn't know him—and to never intervene, no matter what happened.
Remembering that day during the Second Eruption, when she watched Elias die once again before her eyes... Fu Hua still didn't know how she had managed to endure it.
For a long while after, she had withdrawn completely from the world.
And then... Fu Hua made a decision.
She shared her memories with everyone in the Elysian Realm.
When the remaining fourteen Flame-Chasers learned the truth about the Second Eruption—about how their leader had died yet again—
They collectively lost control.
The entire group nearly broke free from the Realm itself, fully intent on annihilating Schicksal—and erasing Otto from existence.