"Hua, you're too modest. If you call yourself 'average,' then most people in this world would have to call themselves trash. Even I don't think I'm that great."
Elias looked at Fu Hua, who had finally lost a match, and said that with a gentle smile. Yet even after the battle, the Immortal Phoenix remained composed and calm, while Mei and the others lay sprawled on the ground, utterly exhausted.
She was simply too enduring!
Although Elias knew it was rude, he sometimes couldn't help thinking, "When you lose something, you always gain something else." Was Fu Hua's incredible strength the result of sacrificing her potential for growth?
Well, it could only be said—she truly lived up to her title as the Immortal Phoenix. She could easily achieve what others could not. As for the 'two ounces of flesh' on her chest? They were merely a combat burden—better off gone!
"Elias, are you thinking something rude right now?" Fu Hua's eye twitched; her intuition told her she was absolutely right.
"Ahem~ how could I be? I was just thinking about how strong you are, Hua. If we were to rank the Flame-Chasers by strength, you'd easily make the top five."
Elias spoke with a straight face.
Leaving aside himself, Elysia, and Kevin—the top-tier trio—there were still Kalpas, Kosma, and Sakura among the combat-oriented Flame-Chasers.
With Fu Hua's current power, she wasn't any weaker than those three... perhaps even stronger.
Since Elias had changed the past, Fu Hua was no longer the severely injured warrior she once was. Thanks to the side-effect-free SWARA, her body had continued to evolve for over fifty thousand years.
Even if her evolution wasn't as extreme as a Chimera's—it was still formidable.
In other words, aside from Elias and Kevin, Fu Hua was the only Flame-Chaser capable of near-infinite growth.
"So, be a little more confident, Hua. If I'm the most remarkable person of the Previous Era, then you're the greatest of this Current Era. The Immortal Phoenix who guarded Shenzhou for five thousand years could never be just 'average.'"
Elias gently reached out and patted Fu Hua's head.
At this moment, she was still in her Artificial Cascade state, her long white hair streaked with hints of crimson.
The normally plain and modest girl looked dazzling now—so beautiful it could make anyone pause in awe. Even if she stood beside Elysia, she would not lose an inch of radiance.
If Elias were to unleash his own Artificial Cascade now, taking on his Reverse God form, the sight of them together would be nothing short of divine.
"Uuuu... our class monitor is so strong and yet only ranks in the top five?! The Flame-Chasers are just too insane!"
"Well, I don't think I'm that amazing. Back in the Previous Era, I only fought Honkai Beasts. It was Elias who took care of the Herrschers and the stronger ones."
Fu Hua spoke earnestly. When she thought back on her accomplishments, she didn't think they were all that impressive.
After all, it was just a few thousand Emperor-class, nearly a hundred Judgment-level, and a dozen Vipralopa-class Honkai Beasts—nothing worth bragging about.
"Heh~ Hua, I'll be honest with you. We are really amazing. You too. So have a little more pride in yourself. You're the one who knocked out the Herrscher of Finality, remember?"
"And besides, how does that Shenzhou poem go again? 'A crimson feather of Taixuan's blade, Ki that splits the heavens wide. Heart bound to the mortal tide, the Immortal Phoenix shall abide~'"
Elias playfully tapped the stoic immortal's flat chest, only to feel a sharp pain in his knuckle.
He glanced down at the crimson feather ornament on her chest, thinking that must've been the culprit. Yes, definitely that—otherwise, it'd just be too tragic.
"It's really not that exaggerated..." Fu Hua muttered shyly. If it were anyone else, she wouldn't have cared—but coming from Elias, those words filled her with warmth. It made all her years of effort feel worthwhile.
"By the way, Hua," Elias tilted his head curiously, "why were you all fighting just now? It didn't look like training—Mei and the others seemed really serious about trying to take you down."
"..."
At that moment, all the girls in the room froze.
The prize for winning—a full three days of Elias' exclusive company—was something none of them could openly admit in front of him!
Besides, today's battle wasn't over yet.
Though the strongest among them, Fu Hua, had been unlucky and lost due to a momentary mistake, her defeat meant the alliance they'd formed was no longer necessary.
The girls exchanged sharp, wary glances. The moment Elias left, they'd resume fighting without hesitation.
"Ahem, it's just regular sparring, Elias. Don't overthink it. Class Monitor was simply giving us some hands-on combat training," Mei said with a forced smile.
"Uh... right. Well, as long as you're all having fun," Elias replied awkwardly.
Sometimes, pretending not to notice was the best choice. Smiling helplessly, he realized that this was an all-out tatakae between women—any man who interfered would only make things worse.
"Oh, right—this is the perfect time to ask about the other Flame-Chasers," Mei said suddenly.
"Hm? You mean you want to know about their abilities?"
"That's important too, but first—" Mei gripped her long sword nervously. "Class Monitor... how many of the others are after my Elias?"
"...All of them."
Fu Hua scratched her cheek awkwardly with her Artificial Cascade exoskeletal claw.
Technically, she and the others had come first chronologically, but Fu Hua understood that Mei and the rest were Elias' first companions in his heart.
Still, there was no helping it. Elias' charm was simply too great. Not just the Flame-Chasers—even their civilization, even their entire world had fallen for the white-haired boy.
Fu Hua couldn't help but feel grateful that Kevin, Su, Kalpas, and Kosma were all male—and that Elias' preferences were normal. Otherwise, the number of rivals would've skyrocketed.
"Ugh... that's the worst possible answer," Mei groaned, her eye twitching as she glared at Elias' back. She could already feel her list of future opponents expanding. She'd need to become even stronger!
(Wait a second. Class Monitor's also one of the Flame-Chasers, but... she's helping us? We've been fighting for days, yet she doesn't seem like an enemy at all.)
The thought struck Mei suddenly. Could it be... that the Flame-Chasers weren't actually united?
"..."
Fu Hua noticed Mei's suspicious gaze, closed her eyes, and turned to leave.
Honest she might be—but she wasn't stupid.
She knew her silence about certain truths would eventually come to light. She had already accepted that her fellow companions would punish her when that time came... but if there was any way to lessen it, she'd take it.
In fact, this idea had come from Misteln.
Misteln: "When everything's revealed, we'll be in deep trouble. But if there's a powerful enemy around, everyone's attention will shift elsewhere, right?"
Fu Hua: "So you're planning to let Mei and the others draw the fire, and we take advantage of the chaos to reduce our punishment?"
Misteln: "Exactly~ Even though everyone's strong, the Current Era has numbers on its side. If they grow a little stronger, they might even match us."
Fu Hua: "...What a terrifying sense of balance."
Misteln: "Hehe~ Then let's see how long we can keep this up. Until everyone arrives, let's make the most of this calm before the storm—and raise our affection points while we can."
Listening to the witch's cunning plan, the immortal decided to go along with it. After all, even her nearly immortal body wouldn't withstand the wrath of women who'd been holding back for fifty thousand years.
...
In the Valkyrie dormitory—
"Hmm... is it just me, or does it feel like everyone's been acting like they're preparing for war lately?"
"It's just your imagination, Lord Elias."
"Since Rita says so, then I'll take her word for it."
Elias wrapped his arms around the perfect maid from behind while she was working. Her cheeks flushed red, and she instinctively leaned into his embrace in response.
To Rita, her affectionate master's habit of expressing love through action was something to be thankful for—as a woman, it was a blessing. But from a maid's perspective... it was quite the opposite.
Every time she cleaned the house thoroughly, it ended up needing another round of cleaning—or even replacement furniture—after their affectionate moments.
And the impact force of a Planet-class MANTIS... was definitely not something an ordinary person could endure. There were times Rita truly thought she had reached heaven through sheer pleasure.
"Ehe~ my beloved Lord Elias, what new way are you planning to bully—ahem, love me this time?"
"Hmm, how about... in front of Bianka? Eh, I'm kidding, don't get mad—or excited—about it."
As a Chimera-type MANTIS, Elias also possessed the mental perception ability of psychic-type warriors. That meant he could sense emotional changes instantly—and with the perceptive ability he inherited from Griseo, he could even see people's true colors.
Just now, Rita's color had turned from red to a hint of yellow.
"You're joking, Lord Elias. How could I ever be mad? You may do whatever you please with me."
"I'm not joking, Rita. Ahem, fine—here, take this gift and forgive me, okay~?"
"...This is?"
Rita blinked blankly at the pendant placed in her hand. Whatever irritation she'd felt earlier instantly vanished. In fact, she suddenly thought—maybe doing it in front of Durandal wouldn't be that bad after all.
"You're far too cunning, my lord. What's the occasion for such a gift?"
"Hmm? Do I need a reason to give gifts to the girl I like? If you insist on one... it's because I love you, Rita."
Elias smiled warmly. He had always enjoyed giving presents to those he cared about. To call him a gift fanatic wouldn't be an exaggeration.
In his eyes, while material things couldn't represent everything, they were undoubtedly one of the simplest ways to convey affection.
Besides, seeing his beloved girls wear jewelry he'd chosen for them—watching them shine even brighter because of his gifts—gave Elias an indescribable satisfaction.
After all, he didn't have to worry about mundane things like cars or houses. The money he saved had nowhere else to go.
"It really suits you, Rita. Makes me like you even more. My taste's as sharp as ever."
"...Lord Elias, could you please wait for me in the bedroom? I'll be done cleaning soon."
"Eh? Oh—alright."
After Elias left for the bedroom, Rita crouched down, covering her blushing face with both hands as steam seemed to rise from her head.
To be clear, she was highly skilled—though Rita had no real romantic experience, some people were simply born with a natural allure. Yet...
Her defenses felt utterly useless before Elias—like paper before fire. How could someone be so unashamed, throwing such straightforward words so casually?!
"Dating Lord Elias is pure happiness... but it's terrible for my heart. He wasn't this intense before—when did he level up so much?! It's too much for me to handle!"
Rita took a few deep breaths to steady herself.
She glanced at the wall clock—still over thirty minutes until St. Freya's classes ended.
Rita: (That's plenty of time.)
After all, she could barely last even ten minutes...
Meanwhile, in the bedroom—
Elias lay on the bed, browsing through shopping pages. Since he'd prepared a gift for Rita, it was only fair to do the same for the others. After all, favoritism was unacceptable!
"Let's see... for Mei, a full titanium-alloy cooking set. For Kiana, anything edible should work. For Bronya... definitely the latest Homu plushie. Hmm... maybe I should kidnap Welt and make him draw a manga instead."
Elias cheerfully continued scrolling—before long, he was even looking at island sale listings.
"And this one's for Raven—a private island villa. Though, for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that no matter how many island villas I buy her, they always end up sinking. Must just be my imagination."
Elias shook his head. Surely no one could be that unlucky. There was no such thing as a fate that bizarre.
In the end, he picked out two of the largest islands and paid in full without hesitation. After all, money to him was nothing more than an endless string of digits that would never run out.
Forget one or two islands—if Otto or Welt ever decided to sell Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, Elias could easily buy both organizations outright.
After all, he now possessed the immense fortune once held by the Flame-Chaser who bore the Signet of [Gold]. From now on, any problem that could be solved with money was no problem for Elias at all!
"Still, the system really is amazing. It somehow managed to convert Eden's fortune from the Previous Era into this one. Even though the currency's completely different... shouldn't this cause hyperinflation? I mean, the global economy just gained several trillion overnight."
Elias glanced at the black-and-gold bank card in his hand, feeling a twinge of concern. Even the account number and password were identical to those from the Previous Era—or rather, it was the very same card Eden had once given him.
"Ah, whatever~ no point overthinking the system. Let's keep shopping, shopping~! Today's goal: spend one billion!"
Though it wasn't the same kind of thrill as battle, the rush of buying things freely was undeniably satisfying.
Elias felt he was on the verge of developing a dangerous new habit—shopping without ever checking the price tag.
Elias: (Ah~ I feel like I've officially become Eden's pampered man. I can't wait to see her again... It's been so long since I've heard her sing—my ears are starving for her voice.)
...
Meanwhile, in the Elysian Realm—
On the open-air balcony of the Elysium Everlasting Castle, Elysia, Eden, and Aponia were having afternoon tea.
The three chatted and laughed together, all smiles. With the man who had once inspired their rivalry no longer present, their sisterly bond had grown stronger than ever. Now, even blood sisters couldn't compare to their closeness.
As Elysia cheerfully shared some amusing gossip she'd picked up recently, Eden's terminal suddenly buzzed faintly. She opened it—only to find several transaction notifications.
"Dear Ms. Eden, your account ending in xxxx has made a purchase of ** credits. Remaining balance: ..."
For a few seconds, Eden just stared blankly at the messages. Then, her expression lit up with pure joy as she leapt to her feet.
Eden: (It's Elias! He's finally made it through!)