"Mobius! Let go of my Elias!!!"
Elysia lost it completely.
The moment she entered the lab, she saw Mobius clinging to Elias and kissing the lips that should have belonged to her alone. What kind of monster was this shameless snake?!
In a flash, Elysia felt something sprout from her head.
"Elias' lips are mine!!"
She bolted forward and leapt high into the air, about to deliver another signature Elf Dropkick straight at Mobius.
This time, she wasn't stopping at doodling on her face—oh no, this called for a full-blown public execution.
Once she knocked this thieving snake out cold, she was going to dress Mobius in frilly pink clothes, take a ton of pictures, and upload them to the entire Fire Moth network to socially annihilate her.
She'd make sure Mobius couldn't even live on Earth anymore—let her take a rocket to Mars and stay far, far away from her Elias!
However—
"Heh~ Elysia, you really have impeccable timing."
"What?!"
To her shock, Mobius easily sidestepped the attack.
Elysia's eyes widened in disbelief. She missed?!
When did this instant-noodle-gobbling, malnourished snake become this agile?
Had to be a fluke. Just a fluke!
"Mobius! Apologize! I'm seriously mad now! Wait—no, I'm already furious!"
"Hehe~ Elysia, who would've thought you'd been hogging such a great thing to yourself? But that's fine. From today onward, Elias is mine."
Mobius licked her lips.
Her expression was one of deep satisfaction—like she'd just tasted the rarest delicacy imaginable.
Perhaps due to Shesha's genetic influence, her tongue even seemed a bit longer than before.
"Whoa... that's intense..."
Elias still hadn't fully processed what just happened, stunned inside and out.
So this... was a snake? Her technique was awful, but the sheer specs were overwhelming! She completely outclassed Elysia, Mei, Himeko, Bronya, Kiana, and even Rita!
Elias smacked his lips unconsciously. No matter how harsh Mobius sounded when she talked, her lips had been soft.
"Damn you, Mobius! Prepare to repent—I, champion of true love, shall bring you down!"
Lawful Elysia wasn't playing anymore. She immediately pulled out Whisper of the Past, a pink Honkai-powered arrow nocked and aimed right at Mobius.
Yet the moment she loosed it—
"Too slow~ Elysia, is that all you've got? You think this firepower is enough to beat me?"
"She dodged it?!"
"Hahahahaha~!!"
Mobius weaved through Elysia's arrows with literal serpentine grace, completely unbothered—as if she were on a casual stroll.
(Oh right... this was Elysia's biggest weakness.)
Elias analyzed the situation instantly. His pink elf might be going down hard in this fight!
Elysia's crystal arrows were devastating—enough to wipe out most Herrschers in one hit—but her fatal flaw was her speed. She was just too slow.
No matter how quick her aim, a bow couldn't compare to bullets. Against brainless Honkai Beasts or recklessly charging Herrschers, she'd be fine.
But Mobius, a fully awakened MANTIS, could catch bullets barehanded. Dodging slower crystal arrows? Child's play.
And Mobius wasn't some itchy-palmed god who insisted on catching arrows just to show off—only to get blown up in the face for it.
"This is impossible... Mobius, you...!"
Elysia looked like she'd seen a ghost. She never imagined that a scrawny scientist like Mobius could be this terrifying in battle!
Seeing Mobius up close, Elysia instinctively raised her longbow to block—but...
"Oh? Trying to match strength with a fusion warrior? Bold move."
"Uuuu! Damn it! Who even are you?! Give me back that weak, tsundere, foul-mouthed Mobius I know!"
"Elysia, I've evolved~"
Mobius couldn't contain her laughter. She grabbed Elysia's bow with one hand and her wrist with the other, and with just a little force, she had the pink elf completely restrained.
Just like every other Herrscher, Elysia was fragile. When she fought alongside Elias against Honkai Beasts, her role was mostly long-range fire support.
Only when facing simpler enemies like the zombies did Elias allow her to go in for melee—and maybe because he'd always done such a good job shielding her up front...
Miss Pink Elf was terrible in close combat! All that grappling she learned at the Shenzhou dojo? Completely forgotten.
"Elysia, even you have your day, huh~"
Mobius grinned playfully. Seeing herself firmly holding down Elysia with no hope of retaliation, she was certain: the times had changed.
The Pink Elf meta was over. Now it was the Mobius era!
"Don't get cocky, Dr. Mobius! Miss Pink Elf will rise again!"
Unwilling to accept defeat, Elysia pulled back and darted over to Elias' side, grabbing his hand and fleeing.
"Hmph~ I'll let you go for now. After all, Elias is already in my grasp. And delicacies like him should be savored slowly, ahahaha~!"
Mobius watched the flustered Elysia flee with glee. Her mood had never been better.
To celebrate this rare victory, she cracked open a cup of instant noodles and splurged by adding two eggs and a sausage!
Meanwhile, outside—
"I actually lost to Mobius. No way. This has to be a nightmare—I need to wake up!"
"Ely, Ely, calm down! Be rational, please!"
Seeing the pink elf charging straight for a utility pole, Elias quickly pulled her back.
"Calm down?! How do you expect me to be a calm down, Elias?! Uuuu! I lost! I'm reporting Mobius for cheating!"
"Sigh~ It's not cheating—it's part of the new patch. After the Third Honkai Eruption, we unlocked the [MANTIS] expansion. Me, Mobius, Kevin—we've all received buffs."
"What?! That's a thing?!"
Elysia gasped in shock. Only now did she notice something different about Elias—those pure white dragon horns on his head glistened under the sunlight, locking her gaze.
In that moment, Elysia was like a cat fixated on a dangling toy. When Elias' horns swayed slightly, her little head swayed too.
She felt her hands move on their own, irresistibly drawn to the dragon horns.
Elias even leaned down a little to help her reach, letting the horns rest gently in her palms.
"!!!"
Elysia's eyes widened in astonishment.
That texture!
Absolutely unbeatable!
She began lovingly stroking them, unable to let go. Elias' dragon horns felt as if they were sculpted from flawless white jade—more exquisite than any work of art. Smooth and warm to the touch.
Elysia: (I could do this forever!)
She felt like her hands were now permanently attached. More importantly, she realized that every time she adjusted her grip or pressure, the white-haired boy reacted slightly.
"Elias, you can feel that?"
"Yeah. Whether it's the horns, wings, or tail—these are all new body structures that came with being a fusion warrior. Definitely not just for show."
"Ooooh! So that's how it is! Here we go then—heyah!"
Elysia blinked, then doubled down on the stroking. Elias twitched at the corner of his eye, then flicked her forehead to stop her from getting any weirder ideas.
"Just so you know—horns aren't a sensitive area. No matter how hard you rub, it just kinda tickles."
"Eh? Just tickles?"
Elysia instantly looked disappointed. She'd hoped for some kind of special reaction—but that was it?
Elias rolled his eyes. This pink elf needed to stop thinking about weird stuff all the time. Once a day was more than enough!
Chomp!
Suddenly, Elias' lips were captured by Elysia's own. As if trying to erase all traces left by Mobius earlier, the girl kissed him with determined force.
"Next time I won't lose. Whether it's your horns or your lips—both are mine alone!"
Elysia nuzzled against Elias' neck, making a silent vow: she would never lose the war called love again. Mobius? Just a minor detour. Next time, she'd absolutely destroy her.
…Yet a few days later…
"E-Ely… I'm sorry, I really am!"
Elias looked at her with endless guilt.
"Uuuu, how did it come to this…"
Elysia had collapsed in an ORZ pose, the very picture of a defeated pink puppy, while Mobius stood smugly behind Elias, practically glowing with pride.
In short: the snake had successfully seized the throne. Miss Pink Elf had turned green with envy… literally.
Feeling utterly ashamed, Elias gently hugged the girl who now looked like a wilted blossom. He really had tried to stay strong over the past few days, but...
Fusion Warrior Mobius was just too powerful! Add in a certain unspeakable factor and... last night, it finally happened.
"Elysia, how are you feeling now?"
"Mobius... I... I'm gonna end you! Uuuu!"
"Very well, I'll give you that chance!"
Two minutes later—
Miss Pink Elf had been pinned beneath Miss Green Snake.
As a squishy archer facing a strength-and-speed double-A scientist, with no space to kite or reposition, the result was a complete one-sided beatdown.
"Oh dear, how fragile."
Mobius was radiating smugness. She had won—utterly, thoroughly!
And she definitely didn't put any shady computer parts in Elias' instant noodles last night. Nope. No underhanded tricks were used at all.
"Uuuu... how did it end up like this…"
The defeated pink puppy had her fingers clawed into the ground, her expression utterly crushed.
"I told you, Elysia—you're too weak. In every possible way."
Mobius wasn't mocking her. She was just stating facts.
Elysia's original stamina limit was three hours, but ever since Elias became a MANTIS, she'd been downgraded to Ultraman status—blinking red after just three minutes.
Meanwhile, Mobius—now a fully upgraded MANTIS—had received an ultimate, god-tier buff. She could go all night long without even breaking a sweat!
Snakes, after all, were known for their prolonged mating rituals. Some could go for 24 hours straight. As a Judgment-level Honkai Beast, Shesha certainly didn't slack in that department.
And Elias, being a dragon-type MANTIS, was already strong enough to overpower Herrschers. Now with another upgrade?
"Guhah!"
Elysia felt as if she'd just taken a critical arrow straight to the heart.
Mobius' words slammed into her with devastating force, and she felt even more wronged.
Hadn't she once been the meta queen? For over a decade, she had been the undisputed main heroine!
Even when the story shifted from the travel arc to the Fire Moth arc, she'd stayed relevant—teaming up with Elias to take down the Herrscher of the Void and the Herrscher of Thunder.
She had always been top-tier. Never once had she eaten dirt!
Lately, Elysia had begun to feel that her absurdly long newbie protection period... might finally be over.
(Uuuu, how did it come to this... Not only did I lose to Mobius and get stolen from, but even my rank on the base's power board got taken by Kevin!)
Elysia recalled her training room rankings.
It used to be simple: Elias always ranked first, she'd sit comfortably in second, and the rest could fight over scraps. But recently, Kevin had appeared out of nowhere—shoving her down to third place.
Elysia: (I'm down bad, folks!)
"Uh... Ely, I..."
Elias wanted to comfort her. He didn't mind her shortcomings at all, and from a certain technical perspective, he had even gotten revenge for her—Mobius may have gotten stronger, but last night he still managed to absolutely wreck her, leaving her cross-eyed and tongue-out.
But some things just weren't easy to say out loud.
Elysia clenched her teeth and pushed herself up from the ground. Her eyes—though belonging to a defeated pink elf—still gleamed with a stubborn, unyielding light!
"It's fine, Elias. I get it now."
"Eh? Get what?"
Elias looked at her puzzled face—only to feel as if he were witnessing a fallen elf rising from the dirt, determined to fly once more and reclaim her paradise from the coils of a green serpent.
"I—need—more—power!"
"Wait, are you a Shadow Eminence now?"
"To reclaim the honor that once belonged to Miss Pink Elf, I must grow stronger! I guess I've got no choice but to join that fusion surgery program too."
The day the bow is restrung... will be the day the Pink Elf returns!
Elysia was burning with resolve. She would master new power, reclaim exclusive rights to her beloved boy, and give that snaky menace the beating of her life!
However—
"Unfortunately, Elysia, we haven't found a Honkai Beast whose genetics are compatible with you. Until we do, I'm afraid you'll have to remain... down bad."
Mobius said with a beaming smile.
Elysia's roaring fire was promptly doused with cold water. She turned to stone on the spot, cracking down the middle.
"Why does it have to be like this?! No—!"
"Hmph! You've had your moment in the sun for long enough. No way are we buffing you again so soon."
"Er... Mobius, that logic... is disturbingly sound. I have no rebuttal."
Elias' lips twitched. Something about that didn't sit right with him, but he had to admit—Mobius had a point. Elysia had been top-tier for way too many updates. Maybe it was nerf time.
But would Miss Pink Elf accept defeat just like that?
"Never! Elysia will not yield! I'll reshape this imperfect world into one that fits me perfectly!"
She reignited her fire once more.
How could she surrender to fate? Looking into the eyes of the white-haired boy who cared so deeply for her, Elysia asked herself—could she really give Elias up?
Absolutely not. Not even a sliver!
She made up her mind—to keep fighting!
Without another word, Elysia turned and marched toward the mission hall.
"If Fire Moth hasn't found a compatible Honkai Beast for me, then I'll find one myself! I'll track down the strongest, most beautiful one and stage a glorious comeback!"
"Ely, I believe in you. Go for it!"
"Mm! Sorry for the wait, Elias, but I'll win you back soon—just wait for me!"
After accepting a mission to subjugate an unknown Honkai Beast, Elysia ran off to the airport. She had a goal: to find the strongest and most beautiful beast out there!
Half a month later...
"Ugh. Still no good..."
Elysia slumped to the ground in frustration, staring at an Emperor-level Honkai Beast riddled with crystal arrows. It was the tenth unknown-type she'd found in two weeks.
Still... not compatible.
Even the brightest flame could be dimmed. Even the most optimistic pink elf could be disheartened. After weeks of fruitless labor, Elysia finally began to feel the sting of disappointment.
She looked up at the cloudy sky—it felt like a mirror of her bleak future. With a heavy sigh, she offered a silent, heartfelt prayer:
"Ahhh~ O heavens, could you please grant me the most beautiful, most powerful Honkai Beast that suits me? Miss Pink Elf is desperate~!"
And as if the universe had heard her plea, a massive pale-pink manta ray Honkai Beast appeared in the sky.
Its name: Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast—Maheśvara!