A little hope… Did he mean the Chimera Project?
He was the one who proposed it and was the earliest to participate in its experiments. Later, Mei took sole responsibility for carrying out Kevin's Chimera Project, and after the Ninth Herrscher incident, the Thirteen Fallen Angels gradually joined the project one after another.
Then, as the strongest spearhead against the Honkai, they were nearly wiped out in the Tragedy of Binding. By the end, only Kevin and Silas remained among the executors of the Chimera Project.
If the others had survived, would the outcome in the battle against Finality have been different?
That would mean… in the end, was it her decision that forced Silas down a path with no return?
Elysia looked at Silas, unsure what she was feeling anymore. Having someone who was willing to oppose fate itself and march toward a future where death was certain, all for her sake… Shouldn't that have been something to be happy about?
So why did her heart ache?
Was it because the person willing to do this for her no longer loved her?
Or because the man she loved bore too much pain that should never have been his?
She didn't know.
"So… why? Why would you go this far for me?" Elysia tried to keep her voice steady. If he had already let go of his feelings for her, why was he still determined to overturn that future?
"Because in the next era, what you hope for and what you believe in will come true." Silas smiled. "In the next era, Herrschers will be born who fight for humanity. They will fight alongside humans, for all the beauty in the world. That's the future I've seen—the one you never got to witness."
"The next era…" Eden's pupils contracted. If Silas meant what she thought, then he had known from the very beginning that this era was inevitably heading toward its doom… and yet he had still chosen to resist?
In the later stages of the fight against the Honkai, almost everyone had realized that civilization's fall was unavoidable. And yet… as far as Eden knew, up until the Sixth Herrscher—and including the Sixth—none had dealt irreparable damage to human civilization. Even when the Seventh Herrscher burned Australia, and the Ninth Herrscher sank the Mu continent, people still had not given up.
Until… the Tragedy of Binding.
No—by his own words, to be exact—he fought only to overturn the future in which Elysia had to sacrifice herself.
"But there's a very serious problem," Silas said with a troubled look. "If we are to see that future, then you must be the one to sacrifice yourself… because your authority is to plant the seed of humanity in the Herrschers of the future, allowing them to bloom with flawless human nature."
Come to think of it, in his past life, when he became a Herrscher, there had been a moment where he thought he saw the Imaginary Tree. Whether anything happened then, he wasn't sure. All he remembered was that he'd taken one look at the Imaginary Tree, and then… he was a Herrscher.
Was I really… unable to do anything at all back then?
That was probably what he'd thought at the time.
So what—he had just happened to guess the right "password" or something?
Eden looked at Silas, then at Elysia, and suddenly felt like they had hit a dead end.
Silas wanted to save Elysia, so his choice wouldn't change—and thus his ending wouldn't change either.
The future Elysia wanted to see could only be realized through her sacrifice, so her ending wouldn't change either.
Even if they started over… would their fates still be the same as in the previous life?
But what Elysia thought of, instead, was the only time she had ever seen Silas cry in her memories—
The time Lilith sacrificed herself.
He had held Lilith's cold, lifeless hand, alone in the morgue, and stayed there all night.
The next day, when she saw him again, he was wearing both the moon and sun earrings.
So… did that mean she truly had no chance anymore?
If Silas knew what Elysia was thinking right now, he would definitely tell her not to keep dwelling on that. After all, it wasn't just the sun and moon earrings he'd worn since then—there was also Sariel's brooch, Astaroth's pocket watch, Beelzebub's broken blade…
He just… wanted to remember those who had fought alongside him, in his own way.
Elysia looked at Silas, stood up silently, and walked over to him. In a soft voice, she said:
"Even if you say that… my answer is still the same as it has always been. I will not give up. Even if there's no response in the end, I will still stand by your side, to witness your story and share in your struggle."
Silas looked up at her and smiled. "Alright."
Then, Elysia leaned down and brushed her lips against his, light as a dragonfly skimming water.
Silas was completely stunned. What the hell? You're learning from Lilith now, aren't you?
Eden was just as shocked. Elysia, you…
Elysia stepped back a few paces, clasped her hands behind her back, and smiled. "If Lilith can do that, why can't I? No matter what, if I once loved you, then that means I've had you in some way, doesn't it?"
Silas: "…"
Well… that almost sounded reasonable, but could they please stop linking him to Lilith every chance they got? Didn't they realize that with them bringing her up around him all the time, psychological analysis might just predict he'd end up actually falling for Lilith?
He had a world to save! Wouldn't romance just get in the way?
Right now, he had absolutely no interest in falling in love.
"If you want so badly to save me, to free me from that future where I have to sacrifice myself, then in return… since I love you, I should save you from your sacrificial fate too, shouldn't I?" Elysia spoke with a gentle tone, but her words were resolute.
This time… it's my turn to save you.
Eden quietly sipped her milk tea. The truth was, if these two really wanted to, neither of them would have to die. But clearly, they had both chosen the road of no return.
No—more precisely, these two would only ever make that choice.
Silas was momentarily taken aback.
Was… was that Elysia officially confessing to him?
Well, it was… just a little bit embarrassing…
Your turn to save me, huh…
He stood up, smiling at her. "Alright, then I'll look forward to seeing how you plan to save me."
"Hmph, don't underestimate me. You should know, beautiful girls can do anything~" Elysia said with her hands on her hips.
Eden gave a faint smile as she listened. The Elysia from before was finally back—after all, just like Silas had once told her in the previous life, the word melancholy would never suit Elysia.
"Mmm…" Elysia stretched lazily. "You know, I've been agonizing over this for a long time. Silas, shouldn't you at least show some appreciation?"
Silas thought for a moment. "Then… how about I treat you to another milk tea?"
The next second, Elysia grabbed his hand and ran off with him. "You can buy me milk tea later—today, you're going to spend the whole day having fun with me!"
"But—"
"If you refuse, I'll tattle to Dr. Mobius that you're sneaking off to Mei for the Chimera Project!"
Silas: "???"
When did you learn that from Lilith?!
Elysia gave a sly smile. Hah—sure enough, with a guy like Silas, hints and sweet words were useless. You had to take a page out of Lilith's book and hit him where it counted!
Eden stayed in her seat, quietly sipping the last of her milk tea. Then, with elegance, she tossed the empty cup into the trash and walked toward the bumper car area. From the looks of it, Felis and the others had just finished a round.
She might as well go and catch up with them.
Meanwhile, a very deadpan Kosma suddenly spotted the two figures dashing past—one boy, one girl—and widened his eyes. "What the hell?" The shock was so strong he blurted out his thoughts out loud.
Dystopia was momentarily stunned, then immediately pulled out her phone to call Pardofelis.
What's going on? Wasn't Silas with Pardo earlier? How did he end up running off with Elysia now? Isn't this moving a little too fast?
No—she had to help Pardo keep an eye on this.
"Come on, Kosma, we're following them!" she said, dragging Kosma along in pursuit.
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