"Mobius, get away from Elias—let me handle this!"
"Elysia, you owe me a door!!"
Mobius' face turned green as she watched the entrance to her lab explode into pink crystal shards. Didn't Elysia realize how tight her research funding was lately? Every expense had to be managed carefully.
That titanium-alloy door was expensive!
And to make matters worse, as Mobius looked at the pink piglet in front of her, she felt something else—jealousy.
Yesterday, Elias had said right in front of her that if Elysia wanted, she could learn all his secrets without even trying.
Meanwhile, Mobius wasn't even allowed a drop of his blood.
Truth be told, Mobius didn't particularly care about chasing answers. But if a reference sheet was handed to her, she would absolutely take a peek without hesitation.
Especially now—after a whole night of research—
Elias had practically reached a realm beyond Herrschers, which only deepened her curiosity.
"Elysia, do you really think just because I'm a researcher, I don't have any combat capability? Let me show you why so few people dare to approach this lab. This... is my domain!"
Mobius glared at Elysia, preparing to unleash a few of her modified zombies to teach this troublesome elf a lesson.
However—
"Pink Elf Flying Kick!"
Before she had the chance to act, the furious Elysia gave her no opening—delivering a flawless knightly kick right to the cushioning pads on Mobius' chest, sending the serpent flying.
"Elysia, you little—"
"Dr. Mobius, you were the one in the wrong."
Elysia glanced at Mobius, now unconscious and slumped against the wall, and struck a victory pose.
"Mmm? What's going on?"
The commotion had awakened Elias. He rubbed his eyes, dazed as he surveyed the room.
The lab was a mess. His adorable Elysia was crouching beside the unconscious Mobius, scribbling random doodles all over her face with a permanent marker.
"Ely? What are you doing here?"
"Elias, you're awake! Hurry—let me check. Did Mobius do anything weird to you?!"
"Well, she did do some stuff... but it was just experiments. Haah~ I'm so tired. Uh… what are you doing?"
Elias looked at her strangely as Elysia started patting and sniffing him like a little puppy.
He instinctively pushed her away a bit—he hadn't showered last night, after all.
After a thorough check, Elysia finally let out a sigh of relief.
(Phew~ All good, all clean. My Elias doesn't smell like snake—thank goodness.)
She'd heard way too many versions of the story on the way to the lab: Midnight Lab Play, You Are My Little Lab Rat, Please Research My Body... Elysia had nearly broken down.
No way was she letting that kind of thing happen!
Seriously, what was it with these scientists and their obsession with being homewreckers? First Mei, and now someone else trying to steal her Elias? Elysia immediately raised the banner of pure love and stood her ground.
Now that she had confirmed Elias was safe—not devoured or anything—her tense heart finally relaxed.
"Ely, did I make you worry?"
"Mhm~ But it's fine~ I'm usually the one causing trouble for you, so it's only fair I get to worry once in a while too. But remember, when you go out, you have to take care of yourself, Elias. Don't let some bad woman trick you."
"Uh, got it. Though honestly, I think it's less about whether I can be tricked, and more about whether I want to be."
"...Fair enough. You're smart enough, Elias. So from now on, you're only allowed to be tricked by me, okay?"
Elysia said this as she hugged the white-haired boy in front of her, and Elias returned the embrace without hesitation. To the two of them, hugging was no different than a casual greeting.
(Mmm, gained 0.2kg. Still comfy.)
Elias closed his eyes contentedly, accurately gauging the slight increase in Elysia's weight since yesterday.
While a tight, fat-free physique was undeniably appealing, Elias found himself increasingly fond of Elysia's softer, fuller figure. It was just too comfortable to hug.
Elias: "..."
Elysia: "..."
(▽)(()
The two stayed quietly embraced for a full ten minutes before finally parting. Elias felt a good chunk of last night's fatigue melt away, while Elysia's smile carried deep relief.
"Well then, let's head back. Goodbye, Dr. Mobius. Also—I'm hungry, so I'm taking this cup of instant noodles. Sweet dreams."
Before leaving, Elias draped Mobius' lab coat back over her and gently moved her to the lab table. It could at least serve as a makeshift bed—certainly better than the cold, hard floor.
Pfft!
Looking at the cute doodles Elysia had scribbled on Mobius' face, Elias couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Nice work, Ely."
"Ehehe~ But of course."
...
Half an hour later—
In Fire Moth's dining hall:
"Ah, so the rumors have spread."
Elias sighed as he felt the stares around him.
Thanks to Mobius' antics last night, the entire base now misunderstood the nature of their relationship.
Elias glanced down at the instant noodles he was slurping. Honestly, this wasn't enough. For compensation, he should've emptied Mobius' entire stash.
"So it was all a misunderstanding from the start?" Elysia asked, for the nth time.
"Yeah. But it looks like I can't clear it up either. That'd just cause more trouble."
Elias nodded and finished the broth in one go, feeling slightly revived.
Mobius had used that misunderstanding to cover up her secret experiments on the Herrscher's corpse. While it still seemed suspicious, it passed muster—and more importantly, had no holes.
If Elias tried to clarify things now, it would only lead the higher-ups to dig into the Herrscher corpse incident.
At that point, both Mobius and Elias would be branded as accomplices… which, admittedly, they were.
"Best not to give those bastards any excuses—for now. But one day, I'll drag every single one of those parasites out into the light."
Elias made this vow with conviction.
In this era, he wasn't just here to gather intel on Herrschers—he was also investigating Fire Moth's upper brass.
These parasite-like bureaucrats were a constant drag on humanity's fight against the Honkai, yet they were all adept at hiding themselves.
Uncovering them might be even harder than locating Herrschers.
(Hmph! Once I've got all your dirt, none of you are escaping.)
It was a mission he had to complete.
Otherwise, even if the Honkai didn't destroy this civilization, these corrupt Fire Moth officials certainly would.
After all, to combat the Honkai, the UN had handed Fire Moth enormous authority—and the higher-ups had abused every bit of it.
To someone like Elias, who genuinely wanted to save this world—these people were enemies, too.
"So, what now? Are you just going to let the rumors spread? Because I won't allow it!"
"Thanks, Ely. But honestly, I don't mind. It's just some silly gossip about me and Mobius."
"...That's exactly why I mind—because it's about you two."
Elysia pouted as she stabbed her oversized parfait with a spoon. Even the icy sweetness of the dessert couldn't mask the bitterness in her heart.
The girl named Elysia was selfless by nature. She would share flowers she picked with others, offer heartfelt blessings to strangers, and smile kindly at everyone. She was always willing to share the beauty in her life.
But—
Elias was different.
He was the one thing she selfishly wanted to keep for herself.
Her only desire to possess something beautiful.
As she tasted that unfamiliar bitterness in her heart, Elysia instinctively understood what the feeling was—jealousy.
She wished the rumors spreading around the base weren't about Elias and Mobius, but about Elias and herself.
She wanted to be his heroine.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in her mind.
"Elias, do you want those rumors to die down quickly?"
"...The real question is, do I want them to end, or do you want that more? Go on—what's your plan?"
Elias looked at her with an indulgent smile.
"Ahem! The best way to make people forget one rumor is to distract them with another one!"
Elysia cleared her throat and pulled out a pair of glasses from who-knows-where, placing them on her face as she spoke like a strategist.
"Mhm, makes sense. So...?"
Elias raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
But in the next second, the pink elf's cheeks flushed red. She buried her face behind the tall parfait glass, and her once confident voice became soft and muffled.
"If I publicly declare myself as your girlfriend... everyone's attention will definitely shift."
"...That's actually a great idea. But my dear Ely, there's no need for you to twist it into something like that. A girl's confession is an important thing—it shouldn't be treated like some rumor."
Elias gently moved the parfait glass aside and cupped her cheeks with both hands.
"Besides, it's not a baseless rumor. Right now, in this world, the only person I would ever call my girlfriend—is you."
His eyes were so tender they seemed to melt her.
Rejection? Impossible.
Both Elias and Elysia knew.
Their relationship had surpassed 'lovers' a long, long time ago.
Elysia's heart thumped wildly. She gazed at Elias with sparkling eyes full of anticipation.
"Then... I'm going to say it, okay?"
"Ah, not so fast."
Elias held up a finger, gently pressing it against her lips to stop her confession. Panic and anxiety instantly appeared in her eyes.
"Eh? Why not?"
"Because confessions are a man's job. I won't let you steal that moment."
He smiled and, from seemingly nowhere, took out a silver necklace inlaid with a pink crystal.
"So let me do it instead, Ely."
"Elias, you..."
Elysia gasped, covering her mouth in surprise as she stared at the necklace.
(I'm glad I bought it.)
Elias looked at the necklace in his hand.
He'd stumbled upon it while walking through town—a piece that felt perfect for Elysia. He hadn't thought twice before buying it. It wasn't meant as a confession gift originally. In fact, he hadn't even planned on confessing today.
He just thought it would look beautiful on her and had intended to give it to her when the time felt right—nothing more.
At that moment, Elias felt incredibly grateful for the decision he'd made that day. Normally, he might craft little gifts with the powers of the Herrscher of Reason to give Elysia—but for something as meaningful as a confession, he wanted to buy it with his own money.
"Ely, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" Elias asked nervously, heart pounding.
"I will. Elias, I like you too—I'm happy to be your girlfriend!"
Elysia answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Ahhh, thank goodness."
Elias let out a sigh of relief as the tension in his heart melted away.
Sometimes, even when you already know the answer, your heart can't help but tremble until you hear it aloud.
That's what a confession is.
It takes enough courage to make even the most timid soul willingly ride the world's most terrifying rollercoaster.
Elias reached out and placed the necklace around Elysia's neck, a satisfied smile gracing his lips.
"As I thought—it suits you perfectly."
"Mm. I'll cherish it for the rest of my life."
Elysia wiped the corner of her eye, brushing away the tears so she could see her beloved Elias clearly.
She couldn't describe the feelings in her heart.
She had imagined this scene a thousand times before—but when it truly came, she found herself utterly overwhelmed.
Because this was her dearest wish come true.
Always, the girl named Elysia had seemed like a goddess.
She possessed a kind of love so vast and boundless it felt like an infinite sea—something no ordinary human could hold. She gave it freely to the world, to people, to every blade of grass and leaf.
If anyone ever learned her true identity as the Herrscher of Origin, they would surely believe that the phrase "God loves all" was written just for her.
But to this goddess, the white-haired boy was something extraordinarily special.
The love Elysia felt for Elias was love, yes—but it wasn't the same love she gave to the world.
The love she gave to Elias wasn't fair. It wasn't selfless. It wasn't infinite.
On the contrary—it was selfish, clumsy, and uniquely his.
Because this wasn't merely love.
It was romance.
It wasn't the divine, universal love of the Herrscher of Origin, given equally to all.
It was the personal, one-of-a-kind love of the girl named Elysia—reserved only for Elias.
The Herrscher of Origin loved the entire world.
But Elysia only romanced Elias.
"..." x2
The two gazed into each other's eyes, so deeply that the rest of the world seemed to vanish.
Elias and Elysia closed their eyes, leaned in, and shared a kiss. They had kissed each other on the cheek, the forehead, and many other places in the past.
But never like this.
At that moment, it felt as if the bells of a grand cathedral rang out and doves soared into the skies.
The entire world lit up.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOH—!" xN
Meanwhile, the cafeteria of Fire Moth erupted in cheers.