"Y-you… you're my brother-in-law?!"
Rin's eyes sparkled with excitement as she stared at the photo, the pink-haired girl's wariness instantly vanishing and replaced by warmth and familiarity.
(What the—seriously? How could this be misunderstood?!) Elias nearly lost his composure, inwardly reeling.
It was just a casually fabricated photo, completely normal in content—nothing even remotely romantic. So why would this little girl immediately think… he was her brother-in-law?
Little sister, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want! With one sentence, you might be dragging me into a full-blown love-triangle battlefield!
"I'm not, I didn't—Sakura and I aren't like that. You're reading too much into it." Elias quickly shook his head in denial.
"No way, absolutely not! You went to see cherry blossoms with my sister—that totally makes you my brother-in-law! Wait, could it be that Sis hasn't told you yet? Possible… she's a really shy person, after all."
Rin crossed her arms like a little adult, deep in thought.
"Uh… is there some special meaning to going cherry blossom viewing with Sakura?" Elias asked curiously.
"Yup! I once pestered her about what she'd do if she ever got a boyfriend. She said she'd definitely take that person to see the cherry blossoms alone. But she also said she'd probably never have that chance in her life. So… what do you think of my sister?"
"She's… nice. Pretty, gentle, capable, and very… ahem! Anyway, I haven't known her that long." Elias cleared his throat, already regretting fabricating that cherry blossom photo—it had turned into an accidental misunderstanding.
Rin puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
In her eyes, her sister clearly liked Elias. Taking him to see cherry blossoms but not telling him the meaning? That had to be shyness! And since her sister was an overprotective sis-con who adored her, the fact she let Elias come pick Rin up meant she already considered him family.
Elias' reaction only made Rin more anxious.
(If he's this clueless… or maybe he's not interested in Sis? No way! Don't worry, Sis! You finally got your first romance at eighteen—your little sister will help you fight for it with everything I've got!)
Ace wingman Rin, reporting for duty!
"Brother-in-law, what's your name?"
"Elias… and call me 'big brother,' not 'brother-in-law.' Uh, wait, I mean—"
"Got it, Big Brother Elias! No problem, onii-chan!"
Elias twitched at the corner of his eye. This girl, who in the original timeline had no lines and was killed off immediately, was turning out to have quite the personality.
Compared to the reserved Sakura, she was far more lively and mischievous. Honestly… she was so adorable he almost wished for a sister like her. Then again—wait! Wouldn't marrying Sakura solve that? That'd be grea—no, what was he thinking?!
Miss Pink Elf and Snake Lady would explode!
"Big Brother Elias, let me tell you—my sister's amazing! Perfect figure, fantastic cooking, can handle all the housework. Marry her and you're set for life. Sure, we're not rich, but Sis is super honest! Once you marry her, she'll be yours forever!"
"…That is pretty perfect."
Elias raised a brow, finding himself a little tempted.
Truth be told, he'd always liked Sakura—whether Yae Sakura or Sakura—but this was the first time he'd thought about her as a potential wife… though that was entirely thanks to her sister's enthusiastic sales pitch. A sister promoting her own sister—it was absurd!
Still, Rin wasn't wrong about any of it.
Sakura really was the perfect kind of girl to marry—Elias couldn't care less about wealth, but the idea of spending eternity with someone like her was far, far too tempting.
Not to mention that beyond her loyalty, Sakura had so many other appealing qualities: fox(-ish?) ears, shrine maiden, incredible cook…
"Right? Right? Before anyone else confesses to her, you should hurry up and win her over!" Rin urged with excitement.
"Win her over my foot~ We're really not like that. Honestly, her opinion of me isn't that high… probably," Elias said with a chuckle, flicking the little girl's forehead.
"Ugh, Big Brother Elias, how can you pass on this? Trust me, if you're even a little proactive, Sis would totally say yes! She's actually super easy to win over."
"Yep, confirmed—you're definitely her real sister. But… are you sure it's okay to talk about Sakura like this?"
"Uuuh! Then—how about this? As long as you marry my sister, I… I'll be with you too!"
Rin clenched her teeth as if making a great sacrifice.
It was her way of repaying her beloved sister for all the care and love she'd given her growing up. Today, she was willing to go all out!
"Cough! Cough, cough!!!"
Elias nearly choked on his own saliva.
This girl was seriously pulling out all the stops!
To get him to go after her sister, she was willing to throw herself in as a bonus? Buy one, get one free? Wait… both are freebies?!
He gave her a helpless look and patted her Sakura-pink hair.
"It's not that your sister's not great—it's just that I already have a girlfriend. And you've really misunderstood. That photo was actually—"
"What?!!"
Rin's eyes went wide like saucers.
This little ace wingman, who'd turned into her sister's top supporter at such a young age, froze in place as if she'd just looked into Medusa's eyes.
Slowly, she crouched down to the floor, then rolled back and forth, her face filled with disbelief.
(Sis… I can't believe you! And here I thought you were too shy to confess—turns out you're the other woman?! Your little sister is SHOOK. I just finished bragging about you being an honest person!)
Meanwhile, outside—
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Sakura sneezed several times in a row. She quickly covered her mouth and crouched down to avoid being spotted by patrolling Fire Moth soldiers, her mind puzzled.
"Do fusion warriors even catch colds? It's not even cold today… Speaking of which, why isn't Captain Elias back yet? Could something have happened? This is nerve-wracking."
While she eagerly awaited the return of her little sister and Elias, she had no idea that in Rin's eyes, her perfect big sister image had just crumbled—and an unshakable misunderstanding had taken root.
Inside, Elias—watching Rin roll around on the floor in frustration—realized they'd been chatting too long. But honestly, Sakura's sister was even more interesting than he'd imagined.
He reached down and helped Rin to her feet.
"Alright, enough about that for now. We should get going before Sakura waits too long."
"Okay… but Big Brother Elias, how are we going to get out? Those people outside aren't just going to let us walk away."
Rin's worry showed as she glanced at her stash of escape tools, wondering if they'd be enough for two.
Elias smiled and patted her head.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
"Whoa~ You're so reliable! You've got a plan already, right? Are we climbing up the chimney or digging a tunnel?"
Rin's eyes sparkled with admiration as she pulled a plastic shovel out of the box, making Elias laugh.
"Haha~ You've watched too many movies. Just stick with me—we're walking out the front door."
"Huh?"
Under Rin's astonished gaze, Elias took her small hand, grabbed the little suitcase she'd prepared long ago, and walked straight toward the front door.
Outside, the two soldiers on guard were drowsily passing the time—after all, there was nothing inside but a cute little girl, hardly a threat worth worrying about.
But just as they were discussing where to grab a drink after their shift, the door behind them suddenly slammed open.
BANG—!
The loud crash made both soldiers jump.
"Wh-what's going on?!"
"Who's there?! Get back inside!"
Instinctively, they raised their rifles—only for a white blur to blitz past their eyes. In the next instant, both were sent flying through the air with a single kick.
Such an obvious commotion immediately triggered an alert in the protection zone. Within moments, dozens of Fire Moth soldiers rushed over, rifles raised, barking warnings.
"Who dares cause trouble in a Fire Moth protection zone?! Hands up and surrender, or we'll shoot on sight!"
But the moment Elias emerged into view, leading a visibly tense Rin by the hand…
"You're… threatening me?"
His golden eyes swept coldly over the soldiers blocking his path.
"White hair… golden eyes—is that him?!"
"No mistake—it's Captain Elias!"
"What?! You mean the hero who's taken down three Herrschers?!"
"C-Captain Elias, what are you doing here?!"
The soldiers' fierce posture shattered in an instant. Some trembled so hard they could barely keep hold of their rifles.
Who in the human camp would dare stand against him now?
Facing the man whose legend included three straight Herrscher defeats, no mere soldier would dare point a gun at him. To oppose him was unthinkable.
"I'm here to pick someone up. And you're standing in my way… do you intend to make yourselves my enemy?"
"N-no, sir! Make way!"
No one could fault their retreat—for this was Elias. Even a Herrscher would have no choice but to step aside.
"Big Brother Elias, y-you're amazing!"
Rin was stunned, staring at him with pure admiration.
She'd never imagined she'd be leaving like this—like the whole world would part before them if Elias so much as willed it. It was beyond cool.
"It's nothing. Let's go."
"Mm!"
They quickly left the protection zone. Sakura, who had been anxiously waiting, spotted them immediately—and in the next instant, she was sprinting toward them with such speed that even Elias barely caught her movement.
"Rin—!"
"Sis?!"
The sisters embraced tightly, tears streaming as they cried in each other's arms.
Elias didn't disturb them. A faint smile played on his lips as he sat nearby, simply appreciating the moving reunion.
Even here, still within Fire Moth territory—so what? With him standing guard, not even the mightiest figure alive could intrude. Because he said so.
After a long while, the sisters finally loosened their embrace.
"Captain Elias… thank you. Thank you for saving Rin! I don't know how I can ever repay you."
Sakura wiped away her tears, her gaze toward him utterly changed.
"No need. Like I said—it was a small matter."
Elias smiled and shook his head.
It really was just a small matter—but only for him. If it were anyone else, even Kevin wouldn't have been able to so easily get Rin out.
Only he could ignore all defenses to infiltrate here, and only he could make soldiers step aside without a fight. It was because it was him that this was possible.
"I've already contacted Ely to come pick you two up. You can head back to the base with her in a bit."
"Yes, I understand."
"Eh? Big Brother Elias, you're not coming with us?"
Rin clung to the hem of his coat, reluctant to let go.
"I have some important matters to take care of—namely, giving the people who hurt your sister a very thorough beating."
"Really? Then good luck, Big Brother Elias!!"
"…Thank you, Captain," Sakura said, bowing deeply—ears swaying in a way that almost made Elias lose control of his hands.
Soon, Elysia arrived in a plane.
…
Once she had taken Sakura and Rin away, Elias stretched slightly, his warm gaze cooling into steel.
"All right—it's time for a cleanup."
…
In a private base somewhere in South America—
"What did you say?! Elias appeared in the Tenth Protection Zone and openly took Forget-Me-Not's sister?!" The man in a suit roared into the phone in panic.
He was the Third Councilor of Fire Moth—the very one who had been seething with jealousy toward Elias at the earlier meeting, and who had given Sakura the undercover assassination mission.
"What were you doing?! Why didn't you stop him?!"
"What? You didn't dare? Useless! Worthless trash!"
Slamming his terminal to the ground, he collapsed into the plush sofa, cold sweat pouring down his face.
"Damn it, damn it! Forget-Me-Not, you traitorous wench! You've betrayed me for Elias! If you ever fall into my hands, I'll torture you and your sister to death!"
"Wait—she knows this base's location. No, I need to move immediately! There's a top-grade bunker in Amora—I'll hide there for now!"
He staggered to his feet, hurrying toward the helipad. Though he hated Elias, he feared him just as much.
Men like him could rant and curse in private, but when the real threat appeared, they cowered faster than anyone.
"It's fine, there's still time! Based on the speed he showed when taking down the Herrscher of Wind, it'll take him at least an hour to get here—plenty of time to escape!"
But just as relief began to set in—
A black-gold portal appeared before him.
A white-haired youth stepped out calmly.
"Fire Moth Third Councilor, Smolit—I'm here to count your sins. Are you ready to repent?"
"Elias?! H-how can you be here already?! Impossible!"
Smolit shook like a leaf, his terror palpable. His legs gave out, and a foul smell filled the air.
"Hmm. I heard from Sakura that you had quite a bit to say about me in that meeting. Yet here you are, pissing yourself at the sight of me. Pathetic. Never mind—you can just die now."
Elias' hand transformed into a dragon's claw, gripping Smolit's head. The man was already beyond reason, babbling in panic.
"Impossible… that portal—Herrscher of the Void's power! You're a Herrscher! Aren't you afraid of being discov—"
"No need. The dead are very good at keeping secrets."
With a sharp squeeze, the man's skull burst, blood splattering across Elias' white clothes.
For a moment, Elias froze.
This was his first kill in the Previous Era.
"…Deserved. Next."
The hesitation lasted less than half a second. With a wave of his hand, another portal opened, leading to the locations of the remaining Fire Moth councilors Sakura had named.
To the Previous Era, a Herrscher was the ultimate enemy.
That was why Elias would never display powers like those of the Herrscher of the Void or Herrscher of Reason—abilities that were already known and easily recognized—before a crowd.
But if no one saw it… that was another story.