"I was sent by the Third Councilor of Fire Moth. A month ago, all the councilors convened for a meeting on how to take you down (skipping ten thousand words of details)… and that's all the intel I know about the higher-ups."
Sakura sat in seiza on the floor, honestly sharing every piece of information she had. After all, she'd been coerced into taking this mission—there was no reason to be loyal.
"Mm. Thanks, that's useful intel."
Elias nodded. Finally, he had concrete leads on those old schemers. Sakura didn't know every detail, but it was enough for him to plan a thorough cleanup.
To someone determined to save the world like Elias, these parasites didn't deserve to exist.
"And you? What do you plan to do next?"
"…The only options given to me are to complete the mission or die. Thank you for sparing me, Captain Elias… but I was never free to begin with."
Sakura gave a bittersweet smile.
True to her name, she was like a cherry blossom—beautiful but fleeting. The sadness in her expression felt like watching petals drift to the ground in a poignant dream.
Cocoon did not allow failure. If the mission failed, death awaited—whether during the mission or back at headquarters, where other Cocoon operatives would execute her.
She could fight back—she had the strength now—but the higher-ups still held her one weakness. As long as Rin was under their so-called "protection," Sakura could only obey orders.
The best outcome she could imagine was for Elias to imprison her for life. In the eyes of the higher-ups, that would be no different from her death. It would keep her alive and keep her sister safe—a win-win.
Even if it meant never seeing Rin again, just having them both alive would be enough. And… being Elias' prisoner probably wouldn't be that bad.
"Hey~ stop running from reality, Sakura."
Elias lightly tapped her head with his fist, gazing at the emptiness in her eyes with a sigh.
"Captain Elias…"
"Do you honestly think those bastards would take care of your sister after you die? As someone in Cocoon, you should know better than anyone how low their morals are. A promise from them is worth nothing."
He gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes, shattering her last bits of hope.
"The ending I see? Your sister used as test material in some human experiment. Maybe some twisted creep would tell her I killed you, make me her enemy, and poison the bond between you—so one day, she'd come for my life."
"…No, don't—"
She tried to cover her ears, but two hands weren't enough.
His words pierced straight into her, dragging out the reality she had refused to face.
"Sakura, you are your sister's last and only protection. If you're gone, Rin will have no future."
"What… should I do?"
Tears glimmered in her eyes.
She was good at only two things—cooking and fighting. Neither could change her situation. That's why she was always at the mercy of others.
Hugging herself helplessly, she felt a despair more painful than any wound.
Elias cupped her face and wiped away her tears. His golden eyes burned with resolve as he asked:
"Tears are proof of defeat—they change nothing. So, Sakura… do you know where your sister is?"
"...I know where she is, but the place is heavily guarded. And if they take Rin hostage, I…"
Sakura clenched her fists in frustration. Even now, as a fusion warrior with the power to cut down any enemy, if those people put a gun to Rin's head—
All she could do was drop her blade and let herself be killed.
But then, a warm hand gently patted her head.
"It's fine. You have me."
"Captain Elias…"
"When someone important to you is taken and you can't do a thing to help… I know exactly how that feels."
Elias' hands balled into fists as he recalled his experience during the Second Eruption, when Sirin had been taken hostage and he'd been forced to rip out his own Herrscher core.
That helpless despair and rage had never left him. And now, he understood Sakura perfectly.
So he decided to help her.
It wasn't out of pity or sympathy—just pure, unshakable anger. Elias would never let something like that happen again in front of him. Whether it was to himself or to someone else, he would not allow it.
"I'll be your ally, Sakura. I'll make sure you and your sister are reunited."
"Really? You're willing to help me?"
Sakura's eyes went wide. She immediately grabbed Elias' hand, as if clutching the last lifeline she'd ever get.
"Mm~ Leave it to me. I'm the hero who can save the world—saving one, no, a pair of sisters caught in tragedy? That's a small matter."
Elias patted his chest with confidence.
Sakura felt fresh tears slide down her cheeks, as though a ray of light had broken into her world.
"Ah, but… you'll have to promise me one thing afterward. Something important. Something hard."
"I promise. I'll do anything!"
She didn't hesitate. For her sister's sake, she truly would do anything—kill, die, whatever it took. If Elias could save Rin, she wouldn't even refuse if it meant offering up her own body.
"Good. Then let's not waste time—let's get you two back together as soon as possible."
"What about me? What do I get to do?" The pink elf had gotten fired up as well, raising her hand high—how could she possibly miss out on something like this? As for her fee, she'd happily settle for getting to touch Sakura's ears.
"Ely, you go let Mei and Mobius know. Tell them to be ready to take over. I'm also planning to… take out a few Fire Moth councilors while we're at it."
After a moment's thought, Elias smiled.
"Ehhh~! So you're leaving me out?!"
"Sakura, point me the way. We're going."
Before Elysia could protest further, Elias hauled Sakura to her feet and spread his white dragon wings, launching them both from the balcony into the sky. The supersonic flight made Sakura shiver.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her pink fox ears couldn't even stay upright.
In less than ten minutes, following her directions, Elias spotted the target. As they landed, Sakura immediately covered her mouth, her face pale—without her new fusion warrior body, that 10-Mach unshielded flight would have left her in critical condition.
"Hold it together, Sakura. This the place?"
Scanning the area, Elias soon spotted the emblem of a moth with burning wings. It was marked as a secure zone—though from the outside, it looked more like a prison.
Fire Moth soldiers patrolled everywhere, with cameras, drones, and sensors. Even a fusion warrior would find it difficult to enter without being detected.
Using his clearance, Elias checked the data: this was a "protection zone" for people important to Fire Moth's upper echelon—mostly family members of high-ranking officials.
"Y-Yes, my sister is 'protected' in this area. What should we do next?"
Sakura took a moment to regain her color. Thanks to her strong self-control, she managed not to do something unladylike… like vomiting rainbows.
Her hand was already on her sword hilt, ready to rush in and cut through gunfire to bring her sister out. But she restrained herself—because she knew she didn't have the power to save her. The one who did was standing beside her.
She looked at Elias with hope in her eyes.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"No. Stay here and wait for me."
Elias shook his head, indicating he could handle it alone.
Then, before her astonished eyes, his body began to turn transparent until it vanished completely. Sakura closed her eyes, senses at full alert, but couldn't detect even a trace of him.
It was as if he'd evaporated into thin air.
"Wait for my good news."
"...I'll be counting on you, Captain Elias."
Hearing his voice right by her ear made her heart race. The ability he'd just shown filled her with unprecedented hope. If it was him, he could definitely save her sister.
...
"This infiltration method is definitely convenient."
Fully quantumized, Elias moved like a ghost into the protected zone. Soldiers' eyes, drone sensors, guard dogs' noses—none of it mattered.
In this ghostly form, nothing could touch him.
Following the directions Sakura had given him, he found the location: a single-story house.
It wasn't large, but more than enough for two sisters. Two soldiers stood guard—this was the 'home' Fire Moth had arranged for the Sakura sisters.
"I'll deal with you later."
Still in ghost form, Elias didn't bother with the door—he walked straight through the wall.
Inside, the sixty-square-meter home was tidy and clean. A vase sat on the table, a fox plush lay on the sofa, and photos of the sisters decorated a cabinet.
It was clearly a warm, cherished home.
Though modest, it was the reward Sakura had earned through her missions. Elias glanced around as if appreciating a beautiful view, understanding her better.
If it were him, he thought, he'd stain his hands with as much blood as needed to protect such a peaceful home.
(Why does this feel familiar? Protecting someone important, sacrificing yourself to create a little haven… no matter the suffering or danger, never giving up… Wait—that's exactly what I was like during the Second Eruption!)
With that thought, his fondness for Sakura grew even more. He decided she had to have a happy ending.
"No sign anywhere else… so it must be here."
He looked toward the only place left unchecked—Sakura's bedroom. A sister missing her elder would likely hide away there.
Passing through the door, he found her.
Rin's hair was the same pink as Sakura's, but tied in a single ponytail. Unlike her sister's purple eyes, Rin's were a bright blue. One look was enough to tell they were siblings.
At the moment, Rin was frowning in concentration.
"This goes here, and this like that… Okay! Hope this comes in handy later!"
In her hands was a crude homemade grappling hook and rope—clearly hand-crafted by the girl, rough enough to look like a child's toy that could easily break.
Elias watched her with interest.
Rin walked to the bed, her small frame letting her crawl halfway underneath before pulling out a box. She gently placed her homemade grappling hook inside.
Elias peeked in to see an assortment of escape tools: a compass, a map of the area, pepper spray, compressed biscuits.
"I don't know when sis will be back… but one day, I'll escape from this place. Sis, honestly—what do you take me for, some clueless kid? You think I can't tell you're doing dangerous work for my sake?"
Rin pulled out a photo of herself and Sakura, speaking to the image of her sister.
"Sis… come back safe this time."
"That saying is true—children shouldn't think they can see right through adults, but adults shouldn't think they can easily see through children. You're sharp, Sakura's sister."
Elias meant it.
Sakura would stain her hands with blood for her sister, but her sister wasn't some ignorant burden either. Rin was doing her best in her own way. Even as a young girl, she was already planning to escape the Fire Moth protection zone.
Seriously, were all kids in the Honkai world this overpowered?
Kiana and Elysia traveled the world at ten. Bronya made a name as the Silver Wolf of the Urals at a young age. Durandal took a headshot from a kilometer up at age ten and survived. And Rin, who looked about ten, was already plotting her breakout.
"Wh-Who's there?!"
Rin nearly jumped out of her skin. In her home—where she was alone—a young man had suddenly appeared, seeing her long-prepared escape kit.
Panicked, she grabbed around for a weapon and came up with… a pencil, which she pointed at him while trembling.
"Don't be afraid, little one. I'm Sakura's… friend. I'm here to take you to reunite with your sister," Elias said gently.
"My sister's friend? I don't believe it. Sis never told me she had a friend this handsome. And even if you are super handsome, I'm not going anywhere with a stranger!"
She gave him a look that said, you can't fool me.
"Uh… young but cautious. As expected of Sakura's sister… and you sure know how to talk."
"Of course! I'm a mature kid. I can drink coffee, cook for myself, sleep alone without sis here—sis… sis… sob sob…"
"Hey, hey, don't cry."
Elias, who could stay calm before a Herrscher, was now flustered by a little girl on the verge of tears.
He patted his pockets, searching for proof of his connection to Sakura—only to remember they'd only met two days ago and hadn't even exchanged numbers.
(What do I do? I can't exactly tell her her sister's three sizes… all I remember is Yae Sakura's from the Valkyrie dorm…)
(Wait, why am I panicking? If I don't have proof, I can make proof.)
"Ahem. Here—this is a photo of me and your sister. That should prove I'm not a bad guy. Trust me, she asked me to come get you."
He pulled a photo from his coat and handed it to her.
"Eh? A photo with sis?"
Rin took it, skeptical—then her eyes widened in surprise. It was a simple shot: a white-haired youth and a pink-haired girl viewing cherry blossoms.
Of course, it had never happened. Elias had created it on the spot with the Herrscher of Reason's power. There was nothing romantic—no hand-holding, no kissing, no hugging—just two friends looking at scenery.
All he needed was for Rin to believe he was Sakura's ally. But then—
Rin: "Y-You… you're my brother-in-law?!"
Elias: "???"