"Damn it! Still can't open a spatial passage?"
"No! Elias has locked the space from the other side!"
"Grr... that super invincible idiot!"
In the Current World.
After swiftly dealing with the disasters on Earth, the women immediately gathered together and attempted to return to the Sea of Quanta. At first, they hadn't felt anything unusual, but...
Thinking back to the anxious expression on Elias' face when he sent them out of the Sea of Quanta, the disasters that erupted the moment they returned to the Current World, and the now completely sealed space as if deliberately preventing them from going back—
Everything pointed to one conclusion: something had gone terribly wrong in the Sea of Quanta! The problem was so severe that it had crossed dimensional barriers, affecting the Current World itself!
And Elias...
He was likely standing at the very center of that crisis.
"Damn it! Damn it! How did this happen?! It's my fault... it's all because of me..."
Mobius trembled all over, drowning in self-blame.
In the snake's eyes, Elias had executed her plan—and that was what led to this chaos.
It was her fault. She was the one who had harmed him.
The thought refused to fade. The guilt was almost like venom, threatening to poison this immortal serpent to death.
"Pull yourself together, Mobius! The most important thing right now is figuring out how to get back to Elias! Don't let your emotions cloud your reason, do you hear me?!"
MEI grabbed Mobius by the collar and shouted. Yet anyone could see clearly that this woman—hailed as the absolute pinnacle of rationality among humanity—was trembling as well, unable to remain calm.
"I know, MEI, you're right. We need to think of a way quickly. Wait... that's it! We call that person!" Mobius suddenly looked up, as if struck by inspiration.
"Who?!"
"Elysia! If it's the authority of Origin, maybe we can reopen a passage to the Sea of Quanta!"
At those words, even the Herrscher of Finality nodded. Ever since the authority of Origin fell to Earth fifty thousand years ago, the Cocoon of Finality had never reclaimed that authority—or Elysia.
Because of that, Finality did not possess the power of Origin.
The authority to make wishes come true. The authority to grant desires upon the world. The authority that connected all Herrscher authorities...
Beyond all that, there was an even simpler way to describe the authority of Origin.
[The authority that brings forth miracles!]
Therefore, if it was Elysia, perhaps she truly could use the authority of Origin to create a "miracle" and reopen the path to the Sea of Quanta.
As for what was happening on the other side of the sea...
None of the women cared in the slightest! No matter what was happening, they would not allow Elias to face it alone!
They were done standing by helplessly, watching him get hurt while they could do nothing.
Thinking this, Mobius immediately dialed Elysia's communication terminal. At a time like this, who cared whether releasing that pink elf would cause trouble for them?
If anything happened to Elias... damn it, the next day they would all charge straight at the Imaginary Tree together!!
"Hi~ Mobius, what a surprise! You suddenly called me? This hasn't happened in fifty thousand years. How refreshing."
"Hey?! Elysia, get out here immediately!"
"Eh? So urgent? Did something happen?"
"Yes, that little lab rat right now—"
Before Mobius could finish her sentence, a spatial portal suddenly opened. A white-haired boy flew out from within.
He returned safely to everyone's side.
Mobius: "..."
Elysia: "Little lab rat? What happened to the little lab rat? Mobius, are you talking about the ones you keep in your lab, or are you referring to—"
Beep beep beep beep beep~
Mobius hung up without hesitation and immediately set Elysia's number to reject. The other Flame-Chasers present also cut off their terminals at once, just in case that pink elf tried calling them.
Elias: "Hm? I thought I heard Ely's voice."
Mobius: "L-Little lab rat... you're alright?"
Elias: "Mm, I'm fine. By the way, just now—"
Before he could finish, Elias saw the relieved expressions on the women's faces—eyes brimming with tears. He instantly realized that once again, he had made the people he loved worry terribly.
"Sorry. I did something foolish again," he corrected himself. Now was not the time to care about a certain pink elf who was "traveling the world."
"Elias!!" xN
The women immediately threw themselves at him. Whether usually aloof, cold, calm, or rational, at this moment there was only joy and relief that the white-haired boy had returned safely.
Two arms were not enough to embrace everyone—but fortunately, Elias had wings.
Six pure white wings unfurled and wrapped around them all. His own nose stung with emotion.
Without exaggeration, Elias had just faced the greatest crisis of his life. The Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta—either one alone was an existence he could never confront head-on.
If he had not created yet another miracle, he might already have been collared by one side and taken away, raised as a weapon against the other. And if that had happened... he might never have seen Mei, Mobius, and the others again.
Just imagining that possibility filled this fearless savior with uncontrollable fear.
"I'm back, everyone. I'm back!"
His wings tightened around them. Anyone could sense his lingering fear and vulnerability, so they hugged him more firmly in comfort.
"Welcome back, Elias."
"We're right here."
"What do you want to eat later?"
"It's alright now. We're all here."
Bathed in such gentle warmth, Elias' trembling body gradually calmed. A soft smile appeared on his face.
This was the only thing he truly pursued in this world.
What authority? What power? What eternity? All of it was nothing but fleeting clouds. Honkai? The war between the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta? In truth, Elias did not want to bother with any of that nonsense.
All he truly wanted was to live peacefully with the ones he loved—forever. Nothing more.
...The Valkyrie dorms...
The women looked enviously at Pardofelis, who had turned into a cat—Anchora—and was currently nestled comfortably in Elias' arms. As someone who also positioned herself as a "pet-type" girl, Kiana bitterly wished she could turn into a kitten too.
Kiana: "This is way too enviable! In the future, I'm going to undergo that Meta-Morph surgery too!"
Griseo: "Big Brother Elias, I want to as well!"
Elias: "Alright, alright~ then come here."
Griseo immediately swallowed the shrinking medicine that Snake had given her earlier. In an instant, she transformed from a curvy young beauty into a soft, adorable little loli.
The sight instantly brought back countless beautiful memories from the Previous Era. Elias pulled little Griseo into his arms, kissing her, patting her head, hugging her, lifting her up high—he felt completely healed.
Griseo: "Just as planned!"
Mobius' eyes lit up. So that trick worked too? She had just been about to pop a shrinking pill herself when the other women stopped her with subtle looks.
(Mobius, have some self-awareness. Even if you shrink, Elias won't treat you the way he treats Griseo.)
(Exactly. Even if Dr. Mobius becomes smaller, she won't look cute—just even more suggestive.)
(Snake Sis, the only time you're truly cute is when you're drunk.)
Mobius: "...Damn it!"
Soon, the women's gazes locked onto Elias without moving an inch. Partly because they simply liked looking at him—but more importantly, they had all sensed a certain "change."
In the past, because of his absurdly high looks and the temperament he had honed through countless Shura fields, ordinary people barely even had the confidence to stand beside him.
Especially someone like him—perhaps only exceptional women such as Mei, Misteln, Eden, and the like could match him.
If not for their own feelings of inadequacy, the girls at St. Freya Academy who secretly admired Elias would have confessed long ago.
But now...
An indescribable change had appeared in the boy. He seemed even more flawless and sacred, to the point that even Eden and the others felt a faint loss of confidence—as though they were no longer worthy of him.
It felt like mortals standing before an angel—before an existence of a higher order.
Among those present, it seemed that only the Herrscher of Finality could stand beside Elias without becoming his mere backdrop.
"So, what exactly happened in the Sea of Quanta just now? Can you tell us?" Mobius asked, puzzled.
The women's expressions turned serious. They all clearly remembered the expression of sheer panic on Elias' face when he teleported them away.
If it were someone else, that would be one thing—but he was the Flame-Chaser of Deliverance and Eternity! What in this world could make Elias panic like that? Not even the Herrscher of Finality would go that far.
And the change in him now was certainly related.
"Mm. I do need to tell you. I'll start with the conclusion... I have now become the shared Pseudo God of the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree."
"Eh?" xN
"The reason I sent you all away was because I sensed the will of the Sea of Quanta approaching me. It wanted me to become its slave. So... I drew the Imaginary Tree over to confront it."
"Huh?" xN
"They both wanted to claim me. But since neither could overpower the other, that gave me an opportunity to threaten—cough—to negotiate."
"..." xN
"In the end, the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta agreed to give me time to grow and to choose. For now, they won't interfere with or influence me anymore."
Elias summarized the situation briefly.
Most of Kiana and the others from the Current Era still did not fully understand what the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta were. They widened their eyes, looking like they didn't quite get it—but it sounded incredible.
Meanwhile, the Herrscher of Finality, Mobius, and the other Flame-Chasers who understood the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree all swallowed hard, completely stunned.
They had guessed that what Elias encountered was serious.
But they never imagined he had been targeted by both the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta! Could it get any more absurd than that? There was probably nothing in this world greater than this.
Across the entire cosmos, those capable of even observing these two supreme existences could be counted on one hand. For billions of years, aside from Elias, no being had ever reached them directly.
And yet just now—
These two supreme existences had appeared before Elias at the same time! They had even fought over him!
Mobius: "Someone hold me up. I suddenly can't stand properly... this actually happened..."
Vill-V: "M-Me... my genius brain is a bit overloaded right now. Give me a moment. Just a moment."
MEI: "This truly is beyond imagination. The fact that you returned unscathed, Elias..."
The Flame-Chasers who possessed knowledge of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta looked at him with admiration. He had not only returned safely—he had even gained benefits from both the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree.
That achievement far surpassed even his feat of saving the Previous Era.
"After being tossed around by those two like that, how could I not demand sufficient compensation?" Elias said, snapping his fingers.
Immediately, several Imaginary Constructs and Quantum Shadows appeared. They lowered their heads in submission and obedience to him.
Mei and the others twitched at the corners of their eyes. They could clearly sense that every one of those monsters rivaled them in strength as Herrschers.
Their boyfriend was truly becoming more and more outrageous.
Sometimes they even wondered whether they and Elias still lived in the same world. Even someone as noble as Eden felt like Cinderella chosen by a prince.
Eden: "Ah~ if every person is born with a mission, then Elias, you must have been born to become a legend."
Elias: "How could that be~ It's obvious I was born to fall in love with all of you."
Eden: "...That does sound right."
The peerless songstress' cheeks flushed faintly. Her heart skipped a beat.
Elias' charm was simply overwhelming now.
Chosen by both the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree and granted authority by them, he had become the most exalted and noble existence in this world.
And though he had become a dual Pseudo God of Imaginary and Quantum, Elias—blessed by Elysia—still retained his humanity. Undoubtedly, he was still human.
And as a human, in terms of status, he now stood even higher than the Herrscher of Finality as a god.
"Little lab rat, you're far too tempting!!"
Mobius' eyes were already sparkling with hearts. Though they had not yet tested the authority of this dual Pseudo God, everyone knew it must far surpass the current standards.
Snake's lifelong pursuit had been to achieve [Infinity]. Yet now, Elias could no longer be described by mere infinity. The more Mobius looked at him, the more her heart raced.
Truth be told, Elias had evolved too far.
This white-haired boy chosen simultaneously by the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta—how sacred and noble he was.
And precisely because of that, the other women felt their more "improper" desires diminish...
Looking at Elias' appearance and temperament—so perfect that even the word "perfect" was insufficient—they could not help but feel that they were committing a grave sin.
He felt like someone meant to be worshiped.
For them to harbor lewd thoughts about him was like wishing to defile an angel descended to the mortal world—utterly irreverent.
However...
Mobius: "Hehe~ the current little lab rat only excites me more. Come now, tonight... I want to conduct an experiment about [Blasphemy]."
Everyone: "!!!"
Though she was one of the Flame-Chasers, Mobius could never be described as a "good person." In fact, she was the one who most embodied the word "evil" among them.
Faced with such sacred perfection, others might hesitate—but Mobius only grew more thrilled! More eager to stain that pure white with her own colors!
The women shot Mobius condemning looks...
While inwardly telling themselves they ought to learn from this snake! Wasn't guilt the best aphrodisiac?
Elias: "Is it just me, or are the looks in your eyes getting kind of dangerous?"
The women: "It's your imagination! You've imagined it!"
Elias: "Uh... alright. But not tonight. Too much happened. I'm exhausted. And Duck—are you free tomorrow? Would you like to go on a date with me?"
Bronya, suddenly called out, froze for a moment—then nodded without hesitation.
In truth, she had originally arranged to go shopping with Seele tomorrow. But...
Bronya: Seele, I'm sorry. When an opportunity like this falls from the sky, Bronya must seize it properly!
Seele: Big Sister Bronya, wuu...
Elias: Bronya's mom is arriving tomorrow. I need to make proper preparations.
At the same time.
Within Elysian Realm.
A certain forgotten pink elf finally began to sense that something was very wrong...