A month passed after that.
Inside the Fire Moth base—
"Elias, you seem to be in a really good mood lately~"
After finishing her mission for the day, Elysia looked curiously at the white-haired boy beside her.
Though Elias usually wore a smile, these days his expression radiated pure bliss. Occasionally, he even hummed tunes to himself.
"Yeah, because I finally accomplished something I've dreamed of."
Elias reached out and gently pinched Elysia's cheek as he spoke.
It had been a month since Vill-V joined their side. With sufficient resources backing her, the great inventor had been tirelessly pushing creative boundaries day and night.
Improvements to the Schicksal Aesir, Anti-Entropy Titans, and Arahato-class robots had all been completed within just three days. And just yesterday, Elias had successfully taken the pilot seat of the Strike Freedom Gundam!
He was absolutely ecstatic!
"I see. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I was worried you might be bothered by the higher-ups, but it looks like Miss Pink Elf was just overthinking." Elysia wrapped her arm around his and beamed like a flower in full bloom.
"Heh, with my beloved Elysia by my side, how could I possibly feel troubled… As for the higher-ups, give it time—I'll take them all out."
"Uh… I guess something really did happen then."
Elysia blinked. Elias had always been confident, but now he seemed even more assured—maybe even a little overconfident.
...
"Yo, been pretty high and mighty lately, huh?"
The two arrived at Mobius's lab after their mission, and the serpent scientist greeted them with a teasing remark.
Elias shrugged and scooped up Griseo, who was lying on the ground drawing. He gently wiped the paint off her cheeks.
"What do you mean 'lately'? I've always been impressive, Dr. Mobius. Oh, by the way, I brought you a souvenir."
He reached into Imaginary Space and pulled out a sealed preservation box. Inside were two tusk-sized materials that gleamed faintly.
Mobius's eyes lit up instantly. She recognized them right away—they were the twin fangs of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Parvati.
"Mmm~ Not bad. Not bad at all."
Although Mobius's primary research interest was Elias himself these days, she never turned down high-grade Honkai specimens.
At the same time, she cast a subtle glance at Elias and Elysia, silently marveling.
After all, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were synonymous with disaster. Whenever one appeared, Fire Moth would mobilize massive forces, deploy overwhelming firepower, and brace for heavy casualties.
Yet this Emperor-class Parvati had been taken down effortlessly by this couple. They didn't even look the slightest bit winded.
"What a monster couple…"
Still, Mobius wasn't entirely surprised.
If he didn't have the strength to back it up, Elias wouldn't have dared to challenge Fire Moth's high command so boldly. True confidence had to be built on absolute power.
And with the overpowered capabilities of these two, no one in command would dare make a reckless move even if they wanted to.
But there was no doubt—Elias had gone from a prized asset fought over by every faction to someone who was now openly ostracized.
Worse still…
He was now considered a threat by the upper ranks!
The thought made Mobius worry. Her words were harsh and her tone venomous, but few cared more deeply than she did.
"Hmph! Just for Vill-V, you managed to offend the entire Fire Moth leadership. Only you could pull something like that off."
"Haha, it's not a big deal. Nothing worth mentioning."
"...That wasn't a compliment!"
Mobius's eye twitched uncontrollably.
After Vill-V broke out of prison, the enraged Fire Moth high command immediately issued a mandatory mission to Elias—ordering him to recapture her.
After all, aside from Elias and Elysia, no one else had ever successfully captured that cunning, bold, and highly capable genius.
Even if others managed to locate her, Vill-V would run circles around them with her mechanical creations and sleight-of-hand illusions.
Though Vill-V had already issued a formal statement saying she'd misunderstood things—clarifying she now knew the Honkai wasn't a disaster created by Fire Moth and promising not to oppose them anymore, even offering to fight the Honkai in her own way—
That meant nothing to the higher-ups, who valued face and personal gain above all else.
Especially since Vill-V had accessed classified intel during her prior infiltration of Fire Moth HQ—not just Honkai-related files, but records of embezzlement, scandals, and bribery involving the top brass.
Plenty of them were praying for her death just to silence those secrets.
The high command: "It's one thing for you to know about the Honkai. We might've even let you live if you joined us. But now that you know our dirty laundry—you have to die."
Elias, however, directly refused the mission.
He even openly declared that he was now Vill-V's friend (and financial backer), and therefore hoped Fire Moth would rescind the bounty on her.
Naturally, the high-ups were never going to agree. So they turned around and gave the mission to Elysia instead.
But expecting Elysia to accept? Yeah, good luck.
"Not doing it~ The pink elf would never go against Elias. If she's your friend, then she's my friend too. I also vote to remove the bounty."
The high command: "..."
The moment the two of them refused orders, they became enemies in the eyes of the power-hungry leadership.
Soon after, envoys were dispatched to persuade or coerce them.
They offered money. They promised power.
And they threatened: if the mission wasn't completed, Elias and Elysia's current positions would be revoked.
Elias/Elysia: "That's it? Whatever~"
The high command: "..."
Elias and Elysia had strong material desires, but in a strange way—they didn't care for money itself. What they loved were delicious food, beautiful sights, and everything wonderful in life.
As for power and status? Even less important.
Rather than being lofty rulers, Elias and Elysia preferred their roles as wandering travelers.
Eventually, Elias had enough. He outright beat up the messengers sent by the higher-ups and turned the tables, threatening them in return.
If they kept pushing, he'd have Vill-V release all that dirt and let their political enemies tear them apart.
"You really pissed those old geezers off back then," Mobius said with a hint of delight. "But you were seriously angry that day—did they hit a nerve?"
"Mobius, anyone I want to protect—no one on this earth is allowed to hurt them!" Elias declared firmly.
"...You and Vill-V got that close in such a short time?" The serpent frowned slightly.
"Don't get jealous, Mobius. Don't worry, you're one of the people I'll protect too."
Elias said sincerely. Even though Mobius was usually sharp-tongued and loved spiking his food and drinks with sleeping agents, their bond was nothing to scoff at.
And Elias knew. Even if she never admitted it, Mobius had been defending both him and Elysia during high-level meetings.
"...Hmph~ Jealous? Who's jealous! I don't need your protection anyway. And do you even realize those higher-ups now see you as a real thorn in their side?!"
"Eh, guess it's because Elysia and I are too popular."
Elias tilted his chin smugly.
"But to those neurotic bastards, it looks like you're trying to snatch their authority!"
Mobius rubbed her forehead, visibly irritated.
What happened next had shocked everyone—because Elias and Elysia were simply too well-liked.
The moment word got out that the higher-ups wanted to punish them, nearly everyone in the base spoke out on their behalf.
And not just their base—other bases had people stepping forward too.
After all, these two were the heroes who had defeated the Second Herrscher.
They also consistently handled the most dangerous missions against Emperor-level and higher Honkai Beasts, and had by far the highest deployment count. Countless frontline fighters and rank-and-file staff across Fire Moth idolized Elias and Elysia.
Add in their gentle, helpful personalities and kindness to everyone they met—well, anyone who'd ever interacted with them ended up fond of them.
Although the top brass backed off for the time being due to overwhelming opposition, this whole incident crossed a line for them.
A powerful warrior beloved by all—if they couldn't put a leash on him, then he might one day overthrow them.
"Elias, you were way too reckless with that. No matter how corrupt those bastards are, they still run Fire Moth for now. If they truly decide to come after you, then—"
"Then I'll strike back."
Elias's eyes sharpened. In that instant, the aura of a Six-Core Herrscher radiated from him, instantly dissolving all of Mobius's concerns.
He was never afraid of Fire Moth's upper ranks. The only reason he joined Fire Moth at all was to fight the Honkai and meet the future Flame-Chasers.
"Dr. Mobius, you don't have to worry. Elysia and I are the strongest right now. Even if they send people, it'll just be more cannon fodder."
Elias clenched his fists. Absolute power might not solve every problem—but it could definitely solve the ones who caused them.
And besides... in terms of influence, his power base was growing fast.
Ever since he began supporting her, Vill-V's Helixcraft had relocated to a small island in the Pacific—and had seen an epic transformation.
Nearly a thousand mechs had already been constructed and were lying dormant in underground hangars, ready to launch at a moment's notice.
Vill-V only needed to let her imagination run wild and complete the prototype.
Then Elias would use the Herrscher of Reason's authority to analyze it—then instantly mass-produce the design.
Their partnership was like cheat codes in action. In just a single month, an incredibly powerful force was taking shape, completely under the radar of Fire Moth.
Given Elias's current Honkai energy reserves, he could build over a thousand mechs every month. And each redesigned unit from Vill-V was strong enough to take down top-tier Honkai Beasts like the Emperor-class.
Their combat capability was growing far faster than Fire Moth's. It wouldn't be long before Helixcraft surpassed them entirely.
At this point, calling Elias the co-owner of Helixcraft wasn't even an exaggeration. After experiencing what unlimited resources felt like, Vill-V had straight up admitted she couldn't live without him anymore.
"Everything's under control. Honestly, if they really want to turn hostile—I'd welcome it."
"...Wait, don't tell me this was all on purpose?"
Mobius suddenly froze, her eyes wide. Something clicked in her brain the moment she heard Elias's last line.
She realized that, though Elias always acted so openly, this time he'd gone way too far. Thinking back on everything now… it was almost like he'd deliberately provoked the higher-ups!
"Heh, sharp as ever, Doctor."
Elias gave Mobius an approving clap.
Of course he'd provoked them on purpose.
After all, only when these people made big moves could he find their weaknesses—only then would there be a chance to uncover their real identities hidden behind those virtual projections.
And...
That Flame-Chaser who bore the Signet of "Setsuna"—Elias had no idea where to even start looking for her. All he knew was that in the early days of the Previous Era, Sakura had served as a black ops enforcer for the higher-ups.
Much like Rita in the Current Era.
So as long as Elias pissed them off enough, they'd eventually send Sakura to assassinate him.
When that time came…
Elias: "My greatest talent is converting enemies into allies. Just look at Rita, Durandal, and Li Sushang—I can't wait for Sakura to come try and assassinate me~"
...
Besides, the weakness of that "Setsuna" Flame-Chaser was far too obvious. If Sakura showed up, Elias was confident he'd instantly get the upper hand—maybe even turn her blade on her own masters.
Mobius turned around with a deadpan expression.
She decided she'd worried for nothing.
This boy's appearance was simply too deceiving. A handsome, white-haired, golden-eyed youth—just one sunny smile from him and anyone's guard would drop instantly.
Because beauty is justice. Looking at this radiant, sun-like young man, who could possibly believe he had any ill intent?
Ironically, it was the pink elf girl that gave people pause. Many who first met Elysia actually worried she was secretly yandere.
"Just don't go overboard, all right?"
"Thanks for worrying about me, Mobius."
"Who's worried! I just won't allow you to die before I've figured out all your secrets... hmph! Be careful. Those bastards are just about at their limit."
Mobius turned away with classic tsundere sass.
In that moment, Elias found the serpent rather adorable.
He thought: I can still restrain myself now, but if Mobius ever turns into a little loli, I might not be able to stop myself from hugging and squishing her endlessly!
"Don't worry, Doctor. I know what I'm doing. But... they have no choice but to endure. They must endure. Until the moment I choose to act, no matter how angry or fed up they are with me—they'll have to keep pretending."
"...And where does this confidence come from? As far as I know, people who hold power too long tend to lose their patience."
"Because right now, Fire Moth doesn't have enough high-end combat power. If they openly turn against me... then no one will be able to handle the Herrschers."
Elias said as he looked up at the calendar hanging on the wall.
And as if to confirm his words—
Suddenly, the base's red alert sirens began to wail.
[Bzzzt—Alert! Alert! Honkai Eruption detected! The third Herrscher has appeared! All units prepare to deploy to the Far East region—Sapphire City!!]
The entire base instantly plunged into tension. Mobius dropped the test tube she was holding.
"Time to move out, Ely."
"Mm. I just hope we can save more people this time."
"No—we will save them all. Eventually."
Elias gently set Griseo down and stood up with Elysia, both heading straight for the launch deck. At the same time, he committed this moment to memory.
Right now, without the advent of MANTIS tech, only Elias and Elysia could confront Herrschers head-on. Fire Moth's only alternative was to throw bodies at the problem.
But trying to bury a Herrscher of the Previous Era under human lives?
That could take hundreds, even thousands of lives.
Fire Moth couldn't afford that price.
Which was exactly why they had to tolerate Elias.
"What a joke. Only in the face of catastrophe do humans choose unity and tolerance. That said… Sapphire City, huh? Looks like I'll finally get to meet class monitor Fu Hua."
With that thought, Elias quickened his pace.
He knew—this Third Eruption would ruin Fu Hua's life.
Her family and friends would all perish in this disaster.
Elias: "That can't happen… I need to hurry over. Maybe I can still save something for her."