Inside the Fire Moth conference room—
Elysia and the Flame-Chasers were holding a reflection meeting. Once again, they had failed to become the strength that could truly stand beside the white-haired boy. All they could do was watch helplessly as he sacrificed himself to win another victory for humanity.
But none of them could feel joy from this triumph. Instead, a deep sense of powerlessness filled the air.
"We promised him we'd help…"
"Damn those Herrschers! Come at me if you have the guts!"
"It's all because we weren't strong enough! That's why Elias had to…"
"We couldn't do anything!"
…
Kevin and the others were overwhelmed with guilt. They had all been present during the battle against the Herrscher of Earth, yet none of them had managed to truly assist Elias. Once again, he had borne everything alone.
Thinking back now, they wanted nothing more than to travel back in time and punch themselves in the face.
"What kind of useless trash am I?!"
When the pseudo–black hole appeared—they were helpless.
When the meteors fell—they were helpless.
And when the Herrscher self-destructed—they were still helpless!
(If—if only I had finished off the Herrscher of Earth before she could self-destruct, Elias wouldn't have had to buy time for Mu Continent's evacuation! He wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed right now! Damn it!)
Kevin clenched his fist, seething with regret.
All that flawless momentum Elias had built was wasted because of their inaction.
He had carried the entire fight—one main carry dragging seven or eight useless supports. The Herrscher had been defeated, pierced clean through, but they'd grown complacent—none of them went for the finishing blow.
The result? Their enemy unleashed a self-destruct that leveled an entire continent.
In the end, Elias had to throw himself into the blast zone, covered in debuffs and running on scraps of health, shielding the world with his own body just to minimize the damage.
If it weren't for his near-infinite durability and countless trump cards, anyone else would've died instantly.
Sure, no one could've predicted that the Herrscher would pull such a move. Instead of dying obediently and handing over her Core, she used it as a hidden energy source for self-detonation.
Even so, Elias had comforted them afterward, saying, "It's not your fault. It's just that the Herrscher didn't play fair."
But the fact remained—they hadn't helped him at all.
"We can't stay this useless anymore. Next time, we must fight beside him. We can't let Elias face another Herrscher alone—or else who knows what reckless stunt that idiot will pull for the sake of saving everyone!"
Kevin slammed his fist onto the table, shattering a chunk of it with one strike.
He would never forget how his inability to cleave open the pseudo–black hole forced Elias to dive inside and use the artificial cascade to destroy it from within.
The usually easygoing white-haired "husky," that bright and carefree boy, had driven himself to the edge for humanity. Kevin swore he would push himself to his limits—train until death if he had to. And he'd recently heard that Dr. Mei and Mobius were launching something called Project Chimera.
He didn't know what it was.
But it sounded powerful.
Next time, he would stand tall. Otherwise, there was no telling what their kindhearted Savior would do next.
"That's right! Kevin's right!" Elysia added, slamming her palm onto the table and breaking another section of it. "We need to stand tall! We have to become Elias' strength! Sure, the wounded version of Eli is adorably handsome in his own way, but I never want to see him bleeding again!"
"I'm going to create a world where Eli never gets hurt again!"
"Yeah!!" ×9
At her declaration, the Flame-Chasers all nodded fiercely. In their eyes, anyone could bleed—anyone but that white-haired boy.
Each of them had the potential to defeat a Herrscher on their own, but none could do it as perfectly as Elias—saving everyone in the process.
The truth was simple.
They weren't strong enough.
And maybe, just maybe—they'd all gotten too used to relying on him.
"From this day on, everyone—use everything you've got! Our one and only goal is this: before Elias faces the next Herrscher, we'll eliminate them first!"
Elysia had once hoped Elias could continue capturing Herrschers alive—redeeming them like he did with Sheele—but now, she no longer entertained that thought.
It was far too naive, far too dangerous.
The pink elf still longed for Herrschers who, like herself, retained their humanity—but if it meant her beloved boy would have to suffer again, would have to lie in a hospital bed again…
Then she decided it would be better to kill them.
Elysia couldn't bear to pay any price that involved Elias' pain.
"In short, that's the plan. Dismissed—Eli Gate!"
"Eli Gate!" ×9
...
Two days later—
Misteln had finally returned from the fountain of rebirth—the Stigma Space. As a being of [Idea], she was essentially immortal.
After all, her very essence was the crystallization of the Schariac Stigmata. As long as the Schariac Stigmata existed in the world, Misteln would have infinite resurrections.
"Master, you really went overboard this time. If it weren't for the Honkai resistance accumulated through your [Palatinus] path, and the years of reinforcement you've endured, you'd have died."
"Nonsense, I wouldn't die that easily. Uh…"
In the extravagant hospital bed, Elias reached out—trying to pinch Misteln's cheek—but his hand accidentally grabbed something soft. He froze, slightly embarrassed.
"Sorry, that wasn't intentional."
"No need to apologize. Everything I have belongs to you, after all. You can touch whatever you like."
Misteln smiled slyly, her expression both bright and mischievous.
Elias, of course, knew her height by heart—there was no way he could've "missed."
That little stunt? Entirely intentional on her part.
For this subtly cunning [Idea] lady, her beloved master in his weakened state was simply too tempting a target to tease.
"But… this was the first time you've ever gotten hurt while fighting a Herrscher, wasn't it? So—don't you think it's time for an epic power-up?"
"Yeah, you're right. The lower-ranked Herrschers aren't easy anymore. I already have some plans, but in the end, raw power is the foundation of everything."
Elias clenched his remaining hand. The next moment, a soft warmth pressed gently against him.
Misteln gazed at the boy with an entranced look before leaning close to whisper into his ear.
"Then shall we begin? A Stigmata Awakening?"
Though she was the crystallization of the Schariac Stigmata, upon becoming an [Idea], Misteln had gained high-level authority over all stigmata—including those of the Kaslana line.
She could send Elias into the Kaslana Stigmata Space. She couldn't help him bypass the trials required for awakening, but to her, such "tests" were nothing more than child's play for her master.
After all, Elias was far stronger than that golden Valkyrie, Durandal. If Durandal could awaken, so could he.
"Emmm… so, how much stronger could I get from this?"
"No idea~ If it were Durandal, I could estimate the result. But you? You're beyond prediction. Still, at the very least, I'd say tenfold stronger~?"
"Misteln, you know about Durandal?"
"Of course~ I am the crystallization of the Schariac Stigmata. As long as someone bears that mark, I can access her memories—even the ones she's forgotten herself."
Misteln smiled faintly.
As a recorder with the power of [Transcription], she could, through touch, record all of a person's thoughts, memories, and abilities.
Unfortunately, the Stigmata research project in the Previous Era was still in its early stages. Otherwise, with [Transcription], she could have easily created an army of Seeds of Ideas—a force rivaling Fire Moth's mechanized legions and fusion warrior corps.
"So, Master—shall we begin now? Don't worry about your current condition. Inside the Stigmata Space, I can restore you to your peak state temporarily. Well… maybe half your full strength," Misteln corrected herself with an awkward smile.
She couldn't help it—Elias was simply too strong.
Even with her dream manipulation ability, she couldn't perfectly simulate the combined might of an Eight-Core Herrscher and a Vipralopa-class MANTIS.
Still, even at fifty percent strength, Elias could breeze through the Kaslana Stigmata's trial.
And Misteln was genuinely eager to see the moment when Elias ascended to the level of [Palatinus].
Once both the [Kaslana] and [Schariac] stigmata were fully awakened, he would gain a power beyond artificial cascade, beyond even the Honkai itself. Reaching [Palatinus] would grant him the right to face Finality directly.
"Not so fast. As much as I'd love to 'create anew,' if I'm going to reach [Palatinus], I should do it at my strongest. My standards aren't small, you know."
Elias stroked Misteln in his arms, a confident smirk tugging at his lips. Achieving [Palatinus]—like Durandal—was the most crucial milestone in his plan to grow stronger.
But precisely because it was so important…
He had to maximize every last bit of its potential.
[Palatinus] was the evolved fusion of the Kaslana's 'Artificial Cascade' and the Schariac's 'Holy Blood Purification.' Once he succeeded, the amplification it would grant him would be unimaginable.
His Schariac Holy Blood had already evolved to an absurd degree—its purity now tens of times higher than even Cecilia's or Durandal's.
So naturally, Elias planned to push the Kaslana's 'Artificial Cascade' to its absolute limit as well. Once perfected, his [Palatinus] would far surpass Durandal's.
As for how to push artificial cascade further—
"Project Chimera is nearly ready. Once I integrate all the Honkai Beast genes, I'll achieve a new kind of artificial cascade unlike anything before. Heh, I can't wait to see what I'll look like then—uh…"
Elias suddenly froze.
Because he remembered something—specifically Kevin's 'demonic' transformation after undergoing the Chimera procedure. The memory made his eye twitch.
(Wait. I won't… turn out like that, right?)
(Tight black bandage pants on the bottom, half-wrapped torso on top—God, that's so damn embarrassing!)
Elias immediately decided he'd have a serious talk with Mei and Mobius about it. They had to make sure his design was finalized beforehand. No way in hell was he turning into some kind of incubus!
If he ever went into battle in that form, he wouldn't let a single witness live. Not one!
"When do you plan to undergo Project Chimera, then?" Misteln asked.
"Well, after the Tenth Eruption is handled. I'd say in two or three days… or rather, it's already begun."
"W-What?!"
Misteln nearly fell off the bed, completely shocked. For a moment, she thought she'd misheard.
The Tenth Herrscher had already descended? But the Ninth had just been dealt with a few days ago!
In all the data she knew from the Previous Era, the records clearly stated that the Tenth Herrscher wouldn't appear until six months after the Ninth was defeated.
"Eh~ The records passed down to the Current Era also claimed the Ninth Herrscher had no companion Honkai Beast and wouldn't self-destruct. Misteln, my existence has already rewritten history."
Elias shrugged helplessly.
He'd only realized it yesterday—the Herrscher of Earth and her accompanying Honkai Beast had both been unnaturally focused on him.
Gazing out at the moon beyond the window, Elias had a chilling thought.
He'd been targeted by the Cocoon itself.
And indeed, he was right.
The Honkai had made its judgment—unless Elias was eliminated, it would never be able to destroy the world before the Herrscher of Finality descended.
The next Herrscher to appear… would be the Herrscher of Dominance.
This was not a Herrscher born with world-ending power.
Its very existence had only one purpose—to eliminate humanity's leaders and key figures in the fight against the Honkai. In the original timeline, Dr. Mei had been its target.
Now, however, that target was Elias.
"There's no better chance than this, is there? I'm badly injured, weak, with only a 'little' power left. The Honkai possesses intelligence—it won't let such an opportunity slip."
Elias shook his head, his tone light and untroubled, as though the one the Honkai sought to kill wasn't him.
There was no solid evidence for this theory, but based on how the Herrscher of Earth had specifically targeted him, Elias was almost certain that the Herrscher of Dominance—designed for assassination—had already descended.
But remembering the Herrscher of Dominance's ability, Elias could only think—the Honkai was underestimating him.
Even if he couldn't use his Authorities for now, even with just one arm, he could still annihilate the Herrscher of Dominance.
At worst, he could trigger his artificial cascade again.
The Savior White Dragon fighting the Herrscher of Dominance would be like crushing bugs—annoying, perhaps, but trivial.
Still, Elias really did want to rest this time.
Elias: "Forget it. Let everyone else handle this one. I'll just act as bait—those Herrschers will come right to me anyway. Though… we should make it efficient. Ideally, wipe them all out in one go."
Misteln: "I'll inform Dr. Mei right away."
Soon, everyone rushed to the scene.
Once they learned that Elias was being targeted by the next Herrscher—and that it might already have manifested—everyone's hearts tensed in alarm.
Looking at the 'frail' white-haired boy lying on the bed, each Flame-Chaser silently swore to protect him at all costs this time.
"But do we really have to use Eli as bait? Isn't there any other way?" Elysia protested immediately.
"I agree. This method… is unacceptable," Sakura added, her grip on her sword tightening. She was moments away from cutting something—or someone.
"Alright, alright, it's settled then. Just make sure you all protect me properly, yeah?" Elias said casually before turning toward Vill-V.
"I'm counting on you, my great inventor—build me a cage that Herrschers can enter but can't leave."
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
Vill-V puffed out her chest, giving a dramatic thumbs-up. Her entire being seemed to ignite with creative fervor.
A thousand Herrschers, she'd heard?
Perfect!
A thousand Herrschers meant a thousand Cores, didn't it? That meant she could forge countless new Divine Keys for Elias!
She was already planning expansions for the Deep End in her mind—it would need a serious upgrade after this.
"…"
Dr. Mei sat silently as the others discussed their strategy.
It was time, she thought. Time to activate her own secret project. This time, she wouldn't just watch.
The so-called Herrscher of Dominance…
Would become the stepping stone for her ascension.
Little did those Herrschers know—they were already walking straight into a nightmare crafted just for them.