"This really is… the most harmless artificial cascade I've ever seen. Just like that?"
Mobius stared in disbelief at Pardo, who had turned into a cat. If all fusion warriors' cascade forms were ranked, this girl would definitely be in the weakest tier.
For artificial cascade, which usually brought MANTIS closer to the Honkai side by transforming them into Honkai Beast-like forms for great power, turning into a cat was far too cute and harmless.
Pardo tested her ability.
"Eh? I think I can change sizes too."
"…That's it? Truly weak."
Mobius raised a brow. For a moment she was mildly surprised, since this was an ability that had only appeared in Elias before—the kind brought by Chiyou's Meta-Morph ICHOR.
But when she saw that Pardo's growth maxed out at the size of a large animal, her interest faded. Elias could enlarge himself into a white dragon tens of thousands of meters long. Compared to him, Pardo's elephant-sized transformation was laughable. One bite wouldn't even fill the gap in his teeth.
"Alright, alright. Weak or not doesn't matter. Pardo's role is a mascot anyway. Power isn't important. Besides, I've always wanted a cat—this is perfect. Come here, let me pet you again."
Elias paid no mind. He took Pardo from Mobius and once more unleashed his master-level cat-petting technique, making Pardo melt with bliss.
By the way, Elias suspected Pardo was like Aponia: the Meta-Morph surgery didn't so much give them Honkai Beast powers as amplify their own natural talents.
And what was Pardo's talent?
Luck!
Maybe now her luck stat had already gone from A++ to EX.
"Hehehe, don't stop, keep going… ahh, it feels so good~ This is addictive, meow~ Boss Elias, you're amazing! From now on, I'll stick with you forever!"
Under Elias' hand, Pardo completely surrendered. The adorable cat-girl lay limp in his arms, eyes closed in enjoyment, her tail swaying happily.
She felt like she had a new dream. Not just eating her fill and taking naps every day—she also wanted Elias' pets forever.
Thinking that, the cat-girl rubbed her head against his palm, begging for more.
"…Somehow I feel like this little one isn't so harmless after all. Becoming a pet cat really lets her do whatever she wants? Tch, I never predicted this route."
"Waaah~ But she's so cute. I want to pet her too. Hehe… I also want Elias to pet me."
"Pardo, please show a little restraint."
Mobius, Elysia, and Aponia each reacted differently as they watched Pardo snuggle against Elias. They all felt the cat-girl was shamelessly exploiting her role as a pet, raising Elias' affection in a way none of them had ever thought of.
"Meow-meow-meow~"
Seeing Mobius' glare, Pardo flinched, leapt down, and quickly turned back into human form, scratching her head with a dry laugh.
Of course not! She was just a harmless little kitty. How could a cat like her possibly have bad intentions? So please, Snake-sis, don't eat me.
"Ahh~ that was great."
Elias rubbed his hands in satisfaction. It had been too long since he'd petted a cat. And such a perfect one too. As a veteran cat lover, his heart was filled with joy.
(Sorry, Kiana. Your status as my pet girl has dropped a rank. Yes, you're unbelievably, super-duper cute. But Pardo has cat ears, a tail, and can literally become a cat!)
(And her luck… might even surpass yours…)
(Kiana: spits blood!)
Elias winked at Pardo. She nodded at once, understanding perfectly. One wanted to pet cats, the other wanted to be petted—their interests aligned.
Elias: (Pardo, come find me whenever you're free.)
Pardo: (Got it! Boss Elias, you're the best!)
And so, the matter came to a close.
...
With Aponia, Kalpas, and Pardo joining, Fire Moth's base became livelier than ever. Visitors from other branches remarked that this base was truly unique.
A hot-tempered berserker, a sunny noodle-loving boy, a nun always speaking of fate, the future, and Elias, a mad scientist named Mobius, plus the inseparable couple Elias and Elysia, and many others…
Everyone agreed—they really felt like the main cast of some anime.
Elias: "Well, of course~ Anyway, everyone line up. It's time to receive the nun's prayer—her discipline."
Every fusion warrior from Fire Moth's branches gathered, because Elias insisted that Aponia place [Discipline] on all of them to prevent future rampages.
Fusion warriors carried within them an instinct to approach the Honkai side, making them more prone to cascade than ordinary people. Left unchecked—or worse, deliberately unleashed—
They would fuse deeper with the Honkai Beast genes inside them, transforming into beasts themselves to gain greater power.
This was known as artificial cascade.
However, though artificial cascade was a trump card in battle, its flaw was that repeated use—or a weak will—could cause a complete loss of reason, turning the user into an actual Honkai Beast.
But Aponia's [Discipline] could serve as a safeguard. The order Elias asked her to give was…
Aponia: "Please, never forget that you are human."
Fusion warriors: "We are human, always!" xN
The effect was immediate. Several warriors who had been in semi-delirium instantly regained clarity.
With this, the trump card of artificial cascade could now be used more freely.
And since Aponia's abilities weren't suited for frontline combat, Elias assigned her the role of a psychologist. After all, [Discipline] had countless applications.
Its true essence was to act upon the subject's subconscious [desire], influencing their mind and body, even catalyzing change.
Though the method was somewhat twisted, there was no denying that everyone who walked out of her counseling room improved noticeably.
Elias knew problems would eventually arise from this approach. But for now, he wanted to use every option available.
After all, his current path was constant trial and error, seeking the one optimal answer. Of course, he had to test every choice.
But what he did not know was…
One night, Elysia visited the nun who could see through fate, seeking the truth about herself.
...
Inside Aponia's counseling room—
"Hi~ Aponia, good evening. I didn't expect you'd become the base's most famous psychologist so quickly. [Discipline] really is convenient."
"Good evening, Elysia. I'm only carrying out Elias' orders. And… why are you dressed like that?"
"Well, I'm a public figure too. If people saw the ever-cheerful Elysia needing counseling, they'd worry a lot~"
Elysia removed her hat, mask, and sunglasses one by one, revealing her radiant smile, not the least bit aware of how suspicious her disguise had been.
Aponia looked at her helplessly.
"The most important thing is… you don't want Elias to worry, right?"
"Mhm~ That's right. Eli already has so much to handle every day. As his beloved Pink Elf, I can't burden him with more. My job is to heal him—that's what a girlfriend should do."
Elysia rubbed her flushed cheeks.
Lately, she had realized she was falling for Elias more and more. Just imagining his face in her mind turned her cheeks into rosy apples.
"Also, just call me Ely~ We're close friends now, don't be so distant."
"Very well, Ely. Though I don't recall when we became close friends. Still, chatting with you is pleasant. But… I already know why you've come. Shall we move to the real topic?"
"Eh, you're so direct. Fine, fine."
Hearing Aponia's words, Elysia's heart skipped a beat. The Pink Elf pressed a hand to her chest, her usual cheer gone, replaced by nervousness.
She took a deep breath, bracing herself, as if throwing everything on the line.
"Aponia, please… you who can see fate, tell me—am I… a Herrscher?"
"Yes. You are a Herrscher."
"…I see."
Elysia slumped into her chair.
Her lips curved into a bitter smile. She had held onto a sliver of hope, but it vanished at once. Aponia, who could see fate and the future, could not be mistaken, nor did she have reason to deceive her.
"So it's true after all. A Herrscher… why did I have to be one?"
"Ely, you…"
"If Elias finds out I'm a Herrscher… would he really hate me? I couldn't bear that."
Elysia clutched her head, tempted to roll around on the floor in despair. Aponia sighed at her dejection.
"Ely, deep down you know that's impossible. No matter your true identity, Elias would never feel the slightest dislike for you."
"Mhm, you're right. Eli loves me most of all. Even if I'm a Herrscher, he'd never despise me."
Her hand went to the necklace Elias had given her. A soft, blissful smile appeared on her face. So what if she was a Herrscher? She knew well how deeply Elias favored and doted on her.
In fact, she had absolute confidence—
If her worth were weighed against the whole world on the scale of his heart, she would always be heavier.
Thinking this, her smile grew brighter, tinged with pride and triumph.
But…
(I can't just accept that.)
Her grip on the necklace tightened.
She was a Herrscher. Elias was human.
That contrast was more opposed than Romeo and Juliet's. Elysia didn't want to be a Herrscher. She wanted to be human.
Only then could she truly be worthy of Elias. Yet, no matter how she wished, it was a desire the world would never grant.
"Aponia, please tell me… Elias and I—our future. Does it end happily?"
Her voice trembled as she asked.
Normally, Elysia wasn't one to seek spoilers. For her, anticipation, nervousness, unease, and the unknown were what made a story thrilling.
But this time, she needed to know the ending. Because this was about Elias—the boy she loved with all her heart. Her first and last love.
If she weren't a Herrscher, she would have believed wholeheartedly in a happy ending together.
But being one, her unease outweighed her hope. Fear took root.
Because she knew how biased Elias was toward her.
(If my Herrscher identity is exposed, Elias will definitely side with me. Even if it means becoming the world's enemy, he'll still choose me.)
(Ah, that makes me happy. Maybe we'll go on the run together? Our pursuers would surely include Mobius, Sakura, Mei, and Eden.)
(But so what? No matter how many times they come, Eli and I will drive them back. After all, we're the strongest couple in the world!)
Elysia had already spun an entire 52-episode romantic fugitive drama in her mind. And she was confident it could happen—because Elias loved her more than anything.
There was nothing more fortunate in the world than to be loved by the one you loved.
But along with her joy came worry.
After all, the boy she adored was not only her lover—he was humanity's savior.
Elias bore the heavy mission of saving the world, leading mankind to victory against the Honkai. How could someone like him stand against the world for her sake?
Elysia would never allow it—not even in death!
She didn't want Elias to abandon his ideals because of her.
Her love was selfless.
Yet love was also complicated.
Elysia selfishly wanted Elias to love only her. But above that, she wanted him to be the brightest star. If she was a Herrscher—if she were ever to stand against humanity like the others—
She would find a way to end herself at once.
She would never stand against Elias, nor let him turn against the world for her sake.
The boy she loved would one day defeat every Herrscher, conquer the Honkai, and bring everyone a perfect happy ending. He was her proud, radiant hero!
Elysia would never stain the glorious future that awaited Elias.
If it ever came to that, she would even let herself become part of his shining victories, adding one more laurel to his name.
"Please don't worry, Ely."
Aponia's lips curved into a gentle, blessing-filled smile. She could see the future, and thus she knew.
"In every future I've seen, you are always a Herrscher of humanity's side. You remain with him forever—never apart. Even if the world is destroyed, your ending is still one of undeniable happiness. I may not see Elias' fate, but I see your threads of destiny entwined from beginning to end, never separating."
"Really?!"
"I swear on Kalpas' life—it's true."
Aponia raised her hand solemnly.
But there was one thing she did not say.
Though Elysia's thread was indeed the one most tightly bound to Elias', many other threads were also wrapped closely around his.
Mobius, Sakura, Mei, Hua, Eden… and others Aponia could not even recognize.
Even she herself was among them.
Aponia: (Could it be… that in the future, I too will become his lover?)
Elysia: "Hm? Aponia, why is your face suddenly red?"
Aponia: "…It's nothing. I was just thinking of something that makes me happy."