Inside the Fire Moth base.
Streamers, balloons, and music decorated the once plain and spacious hall, turning it into a lively and festive space. Long tables were laden with delicious food, and the warriors and staff of the base were holding wine in their hands, celebrating another victory for humanity.
It had been a week since the Herrscher of Wind was defeated. Due to the need to deal with the damage caused by the Fourth Honkai Eruption, the customary victory banquet was only now being held.
"Uh, while a banquet is nice, why do I feel like I've been drained since I got here?"
Elias, dressed in a white suit with gold trim, sat tiredly on the sofa and downed his champagne in one gulp.
From the moment he stepped into the venue, people had been approaching nonstop to shake his hand, take photos, ask for autographs, and discuss collaborations.
"That's because, to be precise, this is really your personal victory banquet, Captain. You single-handedly took down the Herrscher of Wind. Everyone wants to meet this hero," Hua said with a small smile.
"I see… well, fine then. By the way, Hua, that outfit looks great on you. Who picked it out?"
Elias' eyes flickered with curiosity as he looked her over.
Hua was wearing a blue cheongsam, the slit not too high but enough to reveal glimpses of her fair legs as she moved. Her chest was still, as always, flat.
"Uh… Captain Himeko did. Does it not suit me?"
Feeling his gaze linger, Hua tugged at the hem of her dress nervously, as if to cover her legs.
"No, it looks very nice on you."
"…Thank you, Captain." Hearing his praise, Hua exhaled softly and smiled.
"Actually, today isn't just a victory banquet—it's also a welcome party for new members."
"Oh, that explains all the unfamiliar faces."
Elias nodded, then grabbed a bottle of red wine from the table and poured himself a full glass. He began drinking, but knowing he could never actually get drunk, he felt a little regret.
Seeing his slight frown, Hua hesitated before asking softly:
"Captain… are you unhappy?"
"Hmm? Why should I be happy?"
"Well… humanity has defeated a Herrscher again, more comrades have joined us, and your own achievements have grown even greater. Isn't that something to be happy about?"
Her voice was gentle, probing.
From her perspective, there was plenty to be happy about. Everyone else at the banquet seemed joyful—yet the one person who should be the happiest looked like he was drinking away his gloom.
Hua regretted that she wasn't Elysia. She didn't know what went on in the mind of this heroic boy before her. That pink elf who usually followed Elias like a tail was nowhere to be seen tonight.
If Elysia were here, surely she could cheer the Captain up—so Hua thought.
"Hey, Hua, do you know how long it took me to deal with the Herrscher of Wind?" Elias asked, shaking his head.
"I heard… less than half an hour." Hua's eyes held both admiration and confusion.
Just being able to fight a Herrscher one-on-one was already a staggering feat, and Elias had ended the battle in under thirty minutes, bringing the Fourth Honkai Eruption to a close.
Admiration was natural.
In her mind, no one could know of Elias' record and not respect him. Which was why she was confused about his dissatisfaction.
"Thirty minutes? I'd say twenty-nine of those were spent getting to her."
Elias thought back. Two punches had ended the fight. Even saying it took him a minute would've been an overstatement.
"Half an hour… In that entire thirty minutes, the Herrscher of Wind unleashed over a hundred super tornadoes, destroying who knows how much."
"..."
"These past days, haven't we just been cleaning up after that mess? Destruction is always easier than rebuilding. If… if that Herrscher had appeared right in front of me when she was born, none of this damage would exist."
When Elias had slain the Herrscher, he'd been joyful. But as he worked to deal with the disaster she'd caused, that joy faded.
Half an hour, a hundred super tornadoes, dozens of cities in ruins.
In his mind, Elias recalled the exact timestamp of the Herrscher of Wind's appearance, then silently reviewed the appearance times of the Herrschers of Reason, Void, and Thunder, committing them to memory.
Making sure not to forget a single detail.
"Captain, you've already done incredibly. There's no one in the world who could have done better."
"Others couldn't do better—but I can. Next time… I'll make it perfect. I won't let anyone die." Elias spoke firmly, his hand unconsciously tightening on his glass until a crack formed.
"…You set your standards far too high."
To Hua, he shone impossibly bright.
He was sitting while she stood, yet it felt as if she were looking up to him.
(Perhaps… this is what a hero is…)
Hua thought to herself, clenching her hands in frustration.
She was just a plain girl when Elias saved her life during the Third Honkai Eruption, losing everything she had. More than seeking revenge against the Honkai, she wanted to follow Elias—the one who had rescued her that night.
But even now, she was still weak.
Others might see her as a genius warrior, already capable of handling a Templar-class Honkai Beast on her own.
But compared to Kevin, who had joined Fire Moth at the same time, Hua felt utterly outclassed.
Never mind fighting alongside Elias—the gap between them only widened with time. Even though he stood right in front of her now, he felt impossibly out of reach.
And that was only natural.
The white-haired youth was humanity's strongest hero.
She was still just an ordinary soldier.
The gap between them was like heaven and earth.
And she knew why.
But because of her respect and admiration for Elias, she had never voiced the thought.
Now, watching him blame himself for not doing enough… it left a bitter taste in her heart.
Perhaps it was arrogant of her, but she wanted to share some of his burdens. To do that, she needed an answer.
"Captain, why won't you let me undergo the Meta-Morph surgery?"
"Hm?"
"I've applied to Dr. Mobius many times… but I know you've told her to reject me each time."
Hua's voice brimmed with frustration.
If she became a fusion warrior, she would gain immense strength. Even if it still wasn't enough to stand beside him, at least she could follow in his footsteps.
But Elias had refused her, time and again.
"I've told you before—the reason is that Fire Moth still hasn't found a suitable Honkai Beast for you."
"I remember my fusion compatibility scores qualified with—"
"None of those are good enough. Don't fuse garbage into your precious body. Just wait a little longer."
Elias' tone was calm. He had already tasked Vill-V with using satellites to search the entire world for the Garuda Honkai Beast, but so far there was no sign of it.
It was highly possible that Garuda was a Companion Honkai Beast tied to a Herrscher.
Hua's brows furrowed. She had already been waiting far too long.
"Captain, with all due respect… even trash is better than being a useless burden. Aren't there plenty of warriors in the base who couldn't find an ideal Honkai Beast and settled for second-rate Chariot-class… or even Knight-class?"
"Hua, you cannot settle. Chariot-class? Knight-class? Don't even think about using that kind of garbage."
Elias' tone grew heavier, instantly dousing Hua's momentum and leaving her fumbling for words.
"B-but… I want to become stronger."
"…"
After a pause, Elias raised his hand and patted Hua's head. Looking at this still-so-'green' Immortal Phoenix, he felt conflicted, unsure how best to respond.
This Hua wasn't the Fu Hua of fifty thousand years later. She wasn't yet the guardian of Shenzhou for five millennia—just a young girl who had only recently stepped onto the battlefield against the Honkai.
To be honest, seeing such an unseasoned Fu Hua was strangely novel for Elias. She was usually so obedient and earnest, working hard but achieving little in the short term.
It amused him.
"Hua, you will become stronger. Your future self will be far stronger than you can imagine now. I'll prepare the very best one for you—so… wait a bit longer, alright?"
"…Yes. I understand. I'll wait."
Hua felt her heart skip a beat. Hearing Elias' sincere and gentle words made her feel as if he were saying she was special. In an instant, she became docile.
Elias drained a glass of red wine in one go and stood, scanning the room. He hadn't seen his pink elf for half an hour and was starting to miss her.
But instead of Elysia, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Well now, didn't expect him to be a newcomer. Let's go say hello."
He strode toward the cluster of new recruits.
People around them turned curious gazes his way. As the hero who had defeated three Herrschers, Elias now drew attention with even the smallest gesture.
These newcomers had already heard of his exploits from the veterans. Seeing this legendary figure walk toward them left them thrilled.
"Hey~ kid, we meet again."
"Y-yes… hello, Captain Elias."
"Haha~ You've got the guts to pull off something that impressive, but you talk so timidly? Have some confidence, Kosma~"
Elias patted the green-haired boy's shoulder warmly. This future Flame-Chaser known as the 'Daybreak' had now joined Fire Moth.
"You… remember my name?"
Kosma's voice jumped in surprise.
"Of course. How could I forget the name of the guy who jumped into a tornado with a bomb on his back?"
Elias smiled.
Back when he had defeated the Herrscher of Wind, the countless tornadoes she had spawned were still slowing but remained for a while. Elias and many fusion warriors had been running all over to deal with them.
In one city, he had found Kosma—still an ordinary human—trying to stop one of the Herrscher's residual winds. Mistakenly thinking the tornado's core was the cause, Kosma had jumped off a building straight into it with a bomb, intending to blow it apart.
If Elias hadn't saved him, Kosma would have been torn apart instantly.
(I didn't do anything great. If not for Captain Elias, I'd be dead now. I can't believe this great hero even remembers my name… Should I say something to express my gratitude?)
"…Thanks."
Kosma mentally slapped himself. Why was his mouth so clumsy?
Back when Elias had saved him and casually erased that tornado, the future "Daybreak" Flame-Chaser had already begun to idolize him.
After joining Fire Moth, Kosma learned from veterans of Elias' unmatched—no, legendary—achievements. He became a full-fledged fanboy.
Three times he had faced godlike opponents, three times he had saved the world. Kosma's past vigilante deeds paled in comparison. This was the kind of hero he truly admired.
(Stay calm, Kosma, at least thank him—he saved your life… Ah, no, I'm too nervous to speak. What if Captain Elias thinks I'm ungrateful?)
"…"
Inside, Kosma was panicking like an ant on a hot griddle. But his stoic face and inarticulate manner made him look like a cold, brooding youth.
Those nearby frowned at what they thought was his rudeness.
Elias, of course, understood the truth and wasn't offended in the least. In fact, he found it amusing.
"Only a Herrscher who can read minds could have a proper conversation with you," Elias remarked.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the Herrscher Core of Sentience, and he wouldn't take the Current Era's Sentience authority by force. But the Previous Era's Herrscher of Sentience… that was a different matter.
"…Sorry."
After an eternity, Kosma finally forced out the word.
"No problem. Oh, by the way—you rookies haven't formed squads yet, right?"
"Uh… not yet."
"Perfect. Kosma, interested in joining my squad? I've got my eye on you."
"!!!"
The offer stunned everyone within earshot. Elias' squad might be small, but every member was a standout: Elysia, who could fight a Herrscher one-on-one; Kevin, hailed as the strongest rookie; Hua, destined to become a true master; and Elias himself, the three-time Herrscher slayer.
Countless people dreamed of joining, but knowing they weren't strong enough, they never dared to try. Now Elias had personally invited a new recruit.
Jealous, envious stares burned into Kosma, as if people wished to swap places with him.
"M-me? Really?"
(Captain Elias invited me… This has to be a dream. Actually, dreams are more likely than this happening in reality. If I pinch myself, I'll wake up, right? Ow—wait, it's real?! He really invited me!)
Kosma felt like a massive pie had fallen from the sky and knocked him senseless.
"Of course. I'll take that as a yes. Report to my squad tomorrow," Elias said.
"Y-yes!"
Kosma nodded vigorously.
Elias smiled, clearly pleased. Others might not know Kosma's potential, but he did. This future fusion warrior of Vishnu would rank in the top four among the Flame-Chasers.
Recruiting such a talent lifted Elias' spirits considerably. But he couldn't help noticing something odd.
"Where's Ely? She changed into a dress tonight—I wanted to ask her for a dance."
It felt strange not seeing Elysia for so long. But just then—
"In that case, dance with me first."
Dr. Mei, dressed in an elegant white gown, approached and offered her hand.
"Hm? Mei?"
"Elias, a gentleman doesn't refuse a lady's invitation."
…Meanwhile, outside the base…
"Kevin, good dogs don't block the path. Friend or foe—choose!"
The pink elf, dressed in an exquisite gown, aimed her drawn bow at the husky-like man.
"Elysia, sorry. Tonight, I can't let you into the banquet… Mei promised that if I keep you here, she'll have a dedicated ramen stall set up in the cafeteria."
Sword in hand, Kevin's noodle-loving will was unshakable. He would hold the pink elf here.
At his words, a giant 'RAGE' seemed to appear on Elysia's forehead.
"Cursed Mei-chan! As sly as ever. But you think a mere Kevin can stop me? Tonight, Miss Pink Elf is going to dance with Elias no matter what!!"
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