"I've completely gotten used to this place."
Elias gazed out over the scenery of Schicksal's floating island and spoke calmly.
After that day, some more time had passed. Now, every day, he either accompanied the girls in Elysian Realm or came over to Schicksal's floating island to spend time with Cecilia. After all, it was nothing more than stepping through a portal.
And for someone like Elias, who possessed the authority of the Herrscher of Corruption and the Herrscher of Sentience, remaining undetected was laughably easy. Whether surveillance cameras or the naked eye, none could retain any memory of his figure.
Even Otto himself had no idea that during this period, a white ghost had been wandering around his floating island.
Meanwhile, many events had accelerated during this time. For example—the founding of the Snowwolf Squad.
This Valkyrie squad, composed of Schicksal's five strongest A-rank Valkyries and led by the S-rank Cecilia, had been established several years ahead of schedule.
Elias had even witnessed the oath-taking ceremony of the six of them. It was known as the Wolfblood Oath.
Cecilia: "A lone wolf stands fearless and unafraid, gazing into the abyss, hunting the gods!"
This was a squad formed specifically to suppress disasters caused by Emperor-class Honkai Beasts and above. It could be said to be Schicksal's most elite armed force.
Members of the Snowwolf Squad no longer wore Schicksal's original emblem. Instead, they bore a unique golden wolf's head as their insignia, with Schicksal's emblem split in two and placed on either side of the golden wolf head.
It was an honor absolutely unparalleled within Schicksal.
And yet now...
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Today's results are even worse than yesterday. Especially you over there, Shigure Kira—learn a thing or two from Salome next to you. See how smart she is."
"Guh! Just how strong is this guy?! Even our entire Snowwolf Squad working together can't beat him!"
"Don't get distracted during battle. OUT."
Elias casually caught the training bullet fired by Shigure Kira, then flicked it back at even greater speed, striking the girl's forehead directly.
Then, while the remaining five stared in shock, Elias moved again like a phantom, instantly defeating them all.
However, his treatment of Cecilia was exceptionally gentle. He merely circled behind her and wrapped her in an embrace.
"Cecilia, you lost again."
"Mm. Elias, thank you for being willing to guide us."
"It's fine. I was bored anyway."
Elias shrugged, then sat down on the sofa and pulled Cecilia onto his lap, openly enjoying the warmth and softness of the girl in his arms, completely ignoring the dog food he was scattering around.
The only ones who knew Elias occasionally dropped by Schicksal were Theresa, Cecilia, and the five members of the Snowwolf Squad.
And somehow, it had turned into the current situation where Elias would help train the Snowwolf Squad from time to time.
"All of you have great potential. With my training and the right Valkyrie armor in the future, each of your teammates has a chance of becoming an S-rank Valkyrie."
Elias looked appreciatively at the five who had just been effortlessly defeated by him.
If nothing else, at least every single one of them was easy on the eyes.
A-rank Valkyrie: Cheng Lixue.
Fu Hua's disciple, code name "Frost Swordmaiden." A gray-haired, gray-eyed girl with an ancient, refined temperament. She wielded the Sword of Domination "Water's Edge" and could be considered the strongest A-rank Valkyrie in Schicksal.
A-rank Valkyrie: Salome Jokanaan.
Code name "The Baptist." Originally a prodigious dancer, a black-haired, blue-eyed girl with the aura of a youthful artist. Before becoming a Valkyrie, she displayed her graceful figure upon the stage. After joining Schicksal, she danced the dance of slaughter upon the battlefield.
A-rank Valkyrie: Shub-Niggurath.
Code name "Daughter of Chaos." A red-haired, green-eyed wild-dog type beauty. She had been declared dead multiple times during dangerous missions, only to reappear lively and kicking a few days later. Elias knew this was due to the powerful regenerative ability granted by the alien lifeform Shoggoth species within her.
A-rank Valkyrie: Patricia Highsmith.
Code name "The Wiz." An Anti-Entropy spy with white hair and purple eyes who had obtained three doctoral degrees from MIT. She specialized in dual heavy machine guns for mid-to-long-range suppression of Honkai Beasts, as well as intelligence analysis.
Finally, A-rank Valkyrie: Shigure Kira.
Code name "Solar Prominence." A beautiful girl with icy blue hair and blue eyes. She had originally aimed to become a trainee idol, but somehow ended up taking and passing Schicksal's Valkyrie exam by accident, and before she knew it, had become an A-rank Valkyrie.
The most outrageous one of the bunch.
And in the original storyline, the only Valkyrie of the Snowwolf Squad who boarded the battleship and survived.
However, although Shigure Kira dreamed of becoming an idol, she possessed a catastrophically off-key singing voice capable of shattering even the composure of the "Great Herrscher of Sentience." So tone-deaf it was almost moving.
To this day, the only effective damage the Snowwolf Squad had ever dealt to Elias came from this girl's singing—something akin to a "sonic weapon." Though at the moment she opened her mouth, Cecilia and the others had also been caught in the blast.
As a side note, aside from Cheng Lixue—the devoted Fu Hua fan—the entire Snowwolf Squad were all devoted Cecilia fans. Thus, after learning of Elias and Cecilia's relationship, they had once regarded him as a must-kill enemy.
But now they had all been thoroughly beaten into submission. All except for Shigure Kira, whose fan devotion ran the deepest and who was still stubbornly resisting.
"Salome, you and Shub should try more proactive coordination. I know your personalities are opposites and your combat styles differ, but that's precisely why you can complement each other."
Elias reached out and patted the head of the "Baptist" girl who had performed the best in this simulation battle, offering praise while also giving advice.
The dancer girl's face flushed red. She avoided his gaze and said stiffly, "I don't want to cooperate with that dumb dog. I can't do it."
"Don't say that. Shub might be as reckless as a Kaslana husky, but she actually likes you a lot. Someone like her needs a calm external brain."
"...Fine. Since Mr. Elias says so."
"Next, Lixue. I won't give you an unreasonable challenge like landing a hit on me. Next time, if you can get within twenty meters of me, I'll tell you one of Fu Hua's embarrassing past stories."
"It's a deal! Let's start right now!"
The swordswoman girl who had just been sitting on the ground exhausted suddenly felt as if an electric current had surged through her body. It was like she had been fully refueled—instantly brimming with energy and battle intent.
For a devoted Fu Hua fan like her, there was no better form of motivation.
Recently, however, Cheng Lixue had begun to grow puzzled. Why did Elias know so much about Fu Hua? Yet even when she asked, all she ever received were riddle-like answers unique to a Flame-Chaser.
"Keep it up. At your current rate of improvement, in one or two years you'll be ready to take the S-rank test."
"Yes, Mr. Elias." x4
"Hmph! Bleh!"
Aside from Shigure Kira, the other four now looked at him with clear respect in their eyes. Cecilia smiled and gently patted Kira's head, instantly soothing the girl.
Elias had been guiding them for quite some time now. The five of them had progressed at astonishing speed. At this rate, their future strength would be at least on par with Tazie-jie.
"Alright, dismissed. Except for a certain noise-making idiot—go back and practice more. Next time you open your mouth—no, when you open fire—make sure every shot is fired from blind spots. Or just train in close combat or gun-fu instead."
"Cecilia, let's go. Date time!"
With that, Elias grabbed Cecilia's small hand and stepped straight through a portal. Although she was technically forbidden from leaving until the replication of the Schariac Holy Blood succeeded, he couldn't care less about that.
After he left, the five A-rank beauties on the field all let out a collective sigh of relief before collapsing onto the ground without regard for their image.
"Damn it! He dragged Lady Cecilia off on another date again. That's the third time this week! Is he a dating maniac?! Wuuu... my Lady Cecilia..."
"Kira, you're not allowed to speak ill of Mr. Elias."
"Salome, why do you always defend him? Don't tell me you've fallen for Elias too? If that's the case, I support you! Go swap him out and bring Lady Cecilia back!"
"You—do you want me to slice you open?"
Seeing the two about to start fighting, the remaining three hurriedly pulled them apart. Then they looked helplessly at Shigure Kira, who still stood alone in firmly resisting Elias x Cecilia.
"Kira, we know you really like Captain Cecilia. But you have to admit those two are a perfect match."
"I refuse to admit it! He doesn't deserve her at all!"
"Come on. No matter what, Mr. Elias has risked infiltrating Schicksal so many times just to see the captain. Doesn't that already prove he's deeply devoted?"
"Risk? He looks more relaxed coming to Schicksal than going home!"
"You're so stubborn. Fine then—name one flaw Mr. Elias has."
"L-let me think..."
Shigure Kira immediately choked on her words.
No matter how much she resisted, she couldn't find a flaw in someone without blemish—because there simply wasn't one. In truth, if Cecilia weren't involved, she would be the one who admired Elias the most.
Once, when the Snowwolf Squad went to KTV for team building, Elias had shown off his singing voice and completely dominated the room. After all, his singing had been evaluated by Eden as being on the same level as her own.
For a certain tone-deaf girl, that was nothing short of dimensional suppression. Not to mention that in the Previous Era, Elias had even performed on stage alongside Eden several times.
So although he wasn't an idol, he had already reached the height Shigure Kira dreamed of.
"And I remember Mr. Elias even tried to solve your tone-deaf problem, right? Didn't he introduce you to a very good teacher? How did that turn out?"
"Guh..."
"Looks like we don't need to ask."
Seeing Shigure Kira practically lose all color, the four of them smiled wryly. They truly felt sorry for her. She had all the qualifications to become an idol—except that the moment she opened her mouth, it was lethal.
As a side note, the person Elias had introduced back then was Eden. The result was that Shigure Kira nearly sang Eden unconscious.
Even Sakura's beloved heavy metal music had at most only made Eden's face turn pale. That alone showed just how severe this girl's tone-deafness was.
"Ahem. Even if it failed, Mr. Elias was still willing to help you. So in the future, try to be a little nicer to him. Otherwise you'll just be a bad girl."
"...I—I understand."
"And you should give up on Captain Cecilia. Those two are destined to be together. Their feelings are already at that level—and they're both so strong."
At that, all five girls revealed looks of admiration.
They were all A-rank Valkyries, and their beloved captain was an S-rank Valkyrie. There was no way they would acknowledge a weakling as their captain's lover.
And Elias' strength had already completely conquered them.
"If Mr. Elias were like that Kaslana heir, we'd definitely stand with you and oppose him," Salome said, cold light flashing in her eyes.
"Hmph! That guy's a toad lusting after a swan. Doesn't even look at himself in the mirror. We were too easy on him back then!" Shigure Kira spun her gun with a cold snort.
Whether due to the corrective force of fate or some other factor, Siegfried—who had once been forcibly brought back to Schicksal by Otto—had now become an A-rank Schicksal Knight.
And he had developed feelings for Cecilia.
Then...
Cecilia had decisively rejected him.
And the entire Snowwolf Squad had launched a month-long "hunting operation" against Siegfried. In the end, that white-haired Kaslana husky had nearly been beaten to death.
Shigure Kira: "You can't even beat us, and you want to date Lady Cecilia? Dream on!"
Patricia: "Uh, Kira, if I remember correctly, you were the one who spread rumors afterward saying he had groped Valkyries' butts."
Shub: "Hahaha! That guy's already public enemy number one among the Valkyries!"
Salome: "It wasn't exactly elegant, but for once, I approve. Siegfried doesn't deserve her."
Cheng Lixue: "If Mr. Elias and Captain Cecilia could just make their relationship public, there wouldn't be this kind of trouble."
But making it public was impossible.
Because they all knew that Elias was the very same person who, long ago, had captured over two hundred Schicksal Valkyries—and extorted one hundred fifty billion from Otto—no, one hundred seventy billion.
Although the captured Valkyries had claimed they were extremely happy and even wanted to be captured again, because during that period they experienced the ease of ordinary life...
From a standpoint of allegiance, Elias was undoubtedly an enemy.
In truth, by concealing what they knew, the Snowwolf Squad could already be considered traitors to Schicksal. But... although they were Schicksal's Valkyries, the one they truly followed was Cecilia.
At this point, Cecilia's status almost seemed to have dropped to vice-captain. Elias, on the other hand, looked more like the actual captain of the Snowwolf Squad.
...
During one of their dates.
"In a few more days, the replication of the Schariac Holy Blood should be complete. Once that happens, I'll finally be able to go see you openly, Elias. I can't wait."
Cecilia's beautiful eyes sparkled. At last, she was about to win her freedom.
"Mm. I'll be waiting for you. When the time comes, I'll take you to see Elysian Realm. Trust me—it's the most beautiful place in this world. You'll be stunned."
Elias reached out and gently patted the girl's head.
Because of him, many events that had once been Cecilia's destiny had been brought forward. Becoming an S-rank Valkyrie. Founding the Snowwolf Squad.
Behind all of it was his deliberate guidance.
This journey through time would end soon. Before that happened, Elias wanted Cecilia to possess the strength to protect herself.
And he also wanted to witness the moment she gained her freedom.
I thought time would be too short. I didn't expect there to be some leeway left. Not bad. Driven by her yearning for freedom—and her feelings for me—Cecilia's growth has surpassed my expectations.
Elias gently tucked a Casa Blanca lily into the girl's hair, then captured her sacred and beautiful figure in a photograph.
Cecilia's cheeks flushed faintly as she revealed a breathtaking smile.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Schariac Holy Blood was successfully cloned.
From then on, although Cecilia was still a precious holder of Holy Blood, her strategic importance dropped significantly. She was finally granted the right to leave freely.
But before she could celebrate for long, Otto summoned her.
...
Inside the office of the Overseer of Schicksal.
Otto swirled a glass of mediocre red wine in his hand, smiling as he looked at the two before him.
"First, allow me to congratulate you on the successful cloning of the Holy Blood. Cecilia, congratulations on finally regaining your freedom. And during this period, the Snowwolf Squad's achievements have exceeded even my expectations. As expected of Schicksal's pride—our S-rank Valkyrie."
"Thank you for your praise, Overseer. If there's nothing else..."
Cecilia sounded slightly impatient. She could hardly wait to share the good news with Elias.
"Ah, don't be in such a hurry. I called you here not only to congratulate you, but for another matter as well. Cecilia... I hope you will enter into a marriage alliance with the Kaslana family."
Otto's smile carried a trace of mockery.
"W-what?"
Cecilia froze on the spot.
"The strongest Schariac bloodline of this era, combined with the Kaslana bloodline—what kind of monster would be born from that union? I look forward to it. And this is an order from the Overseer. Refusal is not permitted."
Otto looked down at her from above.
"..."
The sudden, malicious decree left Cecilia's mind blank.
But in the next second, she snapped back to her senses—and delivered an answer that was both clear and perfectly correct.
"I refuse!"
The girl rejected it without hesitation.
At the same time, she raised Abyss Flower and drove it straight into that damned Otto's head.