"[The Fifteen Flame-Chasers]? Wow~ That sounds so cool! Like some kind of heroic group!"
Elysia's eyes sparkled brightly.
She couldn't help but feel thrilled. The moment Elias spoke the name, it seemed to carry a strange magic, resonating deep within her heart.
"So? What do you think, Ely? Worth a shot?"
"Of course! As long as it's something you want to do, Miss Pink Elf will give her full support! But… why do you suddenly want to form such a group? People might overthink it, you know."
Elysia said with a hint of concern.
As the world's savior, everything Elias did now would be scrutinized and analyzed by the entire world.
It was like those reading comprehension questions in literature exams—where a single sentence could be interpreted in five or six different ways, even though the author hadn't thought that deeply at all.
People always tended to overthink—and misunderstand.
"Then let them think whatever they want. Under absolute authority, their opinions don't matter anyway. I just want to form a small group of my closest brothers and dearest girls—a team that belongs to us alone."
Elias' eyes gleamed with anticipation.
The title [The Fifteen Flame-Chasers] didn't grant any special privileges—it was simply an identity, a mark of belonging. Elias merely wished to leave his name and trace more deeply etched into the history of the Previous Era—the Dusk Age.
And, admittedly, to fulfill a long-held admiration.
In his previous life, when he'd first encountered the name [The Thirteen Flame-Chasers] in the story, he'd thought it was just too cool. After all, he was still a guy, and every guy liked something that sounded that awesome.
Incidentally, he'd once overheard Kevin chatting with Kosma, Su, Kalpas, and a few other fusion warriors, secretly debating which of their fan-given titles sounded the coolest.
(Elias: "I get it. After all, a man remains a boy until death, and what boy doesn't have a chuunibyou phase? But still… Kevin, holding a discussion like that without inviting me? That's just rude!")
"Ahem, anyway—the title of Flame-Chaser is just our recognition of ourselves. Let others say what they will. Given our current popularity, it's far more likely we'll be praised than rejected."
"Ah, that's true~"
Elysia blinked, realizing there really wasn't much to worry about. The two of them then began enthusiastically discussing the details.
Like the order of the fifteen members.
The ranking wouldn't be based on power or status—only on who fit best.
"First, of course, is you, Eli. Oh, and we should prefix the rankings with our Stigmata names."
"Mm, good idea. Let's do that."
With the launch of Project STIGMA, Fire Moth had successfully developed Stigmata and begun testing their applications—but not everyone could bear their power.
Naturally, the Flame-Chasers could.
At Elias' suggestion, Dr. Mei and Mobius recorded each member's strength as a Signet.
But rather than just a record of power, it was more like a reflection of each of their lives so far.
"Ely, you've received your Signet too, right?"
"Yes, I have. And I really like it."
"Good. Then it's settled."
"Mm~ The first Flame-Chaser: Elias, with the Signet of [Deliverance]. Ahh, that sounds so cool! And I'll be the second Flame-Chaser: Elysia, with the Signet of [Ego]~"
Elysia proudly placed her hands on her hips as she announced her title and rank. For her, this position was only natural.
After all, as she'd said before—it wasn't about strength or hierarchy. And of course, the pink elf had to be right beside the white-haired boy.
"Alright, then the third position goes to Kevin, with the Signet of [Preservation]. I think he'll like that."
"Mm, then the fourth should go to Mei. Her Signet is [Erudition]—it suits her perfectly."
Elias and Elysia continued their lively discussion, brimming with excitement.
In the end, the final results showed only a few differences. Kevin ended up as the third member, and because Mei was added, everyone else's position shifted down by two ranks compared to the original order. Other than that, nothing much changed.
Elias looked at the finalized list, his name and the Signet of [Deliverance] shining at the top, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
He hadn't expected that, in this timeline, he would become the Flame-Chaser of [Deliverance]. But… perhaps it truly was well-deserved.
After all, Elias was universally recognized as the world's savior—the one who had resolved nearly every Herrscher that appeared in the Previous Era.
Thus, the title of [Deliverance] fit him perfectly—more than anyone else.
Even if he wanted to pass it on to Kevin, that white-haired husky would never dare accept it, no matter how bold he was.
(Kevin: "What the hell! Sure, [Deliverance] sounds awesome, but giving it to me is practically a death sentence! Elias, take it back—I'm not about to get roasted by billions of people!")
Of course, Elias didn't yet know that the Signet of [Deliverance] would only represent one part of him. In the future, he would acquire a second Signet—one marked by [XX].
While [Deliverance] symbolized saving the world, [XX] would represent saving a single person.
But that didn't mean the latter was any easier.
After all… sometimes saving one person is harder than saving an entire world.
"Eden gave me this [Golden Courtyard] a few days ago," Elias said. "I've already asked Vill-V to help renovate it. When it's done, this place will serve as our ark to reach the Current Era."
"Mm, then I'll design the theme carefully," Elysia said with excitement. "But since it's an ark to the next era, [Golden Courtyard] doesn't sound quite right. We should rename it! Let me think… Got it! Let's call it [Elysian Realm]!"
Elysia clenched her right fist and lightly tapped her left palm as the inspiration struck.
She knew exactly what Elias meant by "ark to the next era"—a large-scale cryosleep system.
At Elias' request, Vill-V had already begun researching cryogenic chambers powered by the Fifth Herrscher's Core of Ice—machines capable of operating independently for tens of thousands of years without failure.
Once installed in the newly named [Elysian Realm], everyone would be able to enter cryosleep—and when they opened their eyes, they would awaken in Elias' era.
And if the timing was handled properly, they wouldn't even have to wait years like Bronya and Sirin once did before reuniting with him.
(Elias: Easy. I'll just set the sleep duration long enough, then once my time travel's complete and I return to the Current Era, I can personally wake everyone up. Even if thousands of years pass, it'll feel like just one peaceful nap.)
"Mm, as expected of your taste, Ely. [Elysian Realm]… what a beautiful name—truly beautiful."
Upon hearing the name, Elias' gaze toward Elysia grew complicated—like a detective who had finally found the decisive clue.
(Ely, you're definitely not some nameless character. To have come up with the name 'Elysian Realm,' you must be a key figure in the story of the Previous Era.)
He reached out and gently pinched the pink elf's cheek.
At this point, he was certain that he had known Elysia's name long before arriving in this timeline—and that she must have had a major role in the story he once knew.
Because…
Elysia was far too special.
A girl so radiant, so full of brilliance and charm—there was no way she hadn't existed in the narrative of the Previous Era. She couldn't possibly have just appeared from nowhere.
(Now that I think about it, there are many gaps in my memory. For instance, I know there were thirteen Flame-Chasers, but I can only recall twelve names—and I can't remember who actually founded the group in the first place.)
There was no way he could've forgotten something that important.
And yet, he had no memory of it at all—nor any recollection of Elysia herself.
Elias was certain of it—no one in the Current Era had ever tampered with his memories. After all, the Herrscher of Sentience had not yet appeared, and Fu Hua could not have used Fenghuang Down on him.
And yet… he could not remember Elysia.
He couldn't recall this girl—radiant as a drifting petal.
When every impossibility had been ruled out, the remaining answer, however unbelievable, had to be the truth.
(Alright then… the one who made me forget Elysia wasn't anyone else—it was me.)
Elias narrowed his eyes in certainty.
Even though his past self might've been "weak"—at least, compared to his current power—he was still far beyond the reach of others.
Manipulating or altering his memories? Even Otto Apocalypse couldn't have done that.
No, the only person capable of such a feat… was Elias himself.
(Most likely, before I traveled back to the Previous Era, I ordered the system to seal all memories related to Elysia.)
Elias tapped his temple thoughtfully.
As for the reason he would choose to forget her—
That was rather easy to guess.
(First of all, it couldn't have been because I disliked her. Absolutely impossible. Not even a one-in-a-billion chance of that.)
Elias was certain.
Before losing his memories, he must have deeply loved Elysia. In fact, there was no one alive who could possibly hate her.
Even the snake who always called the pink elf an annoying piglet—deep down, even Mobius regarded her as a comrade.
So if he liked her that much, why would he seal away his memories of her?
(There's only one answer. I probably wanted to experience a pure, untouched love—to see if I could fall for her again without knowing her story…)
A soft smile tugged at Elias' lips as he realized the truth.
That must have been his intention—to meet Elysia not from a god's perspective within a story, but from zero, to build their bond piece by piece.
To truly learn everything about her—anew.
For that, his past self deserved praise.
Yes, this was exactly how their love story should unfold—unmixed, transparent, flawless.
(Since I had access to the ability of [Rewinder], the power to endlessly retry and restart, it's just like me to… well, do something a little mischievous. Ahem, I mean, interesting.)
(Still, the memory seal must not have been permanent. I'm a man of restraint. Most likely, I set it so the seal would break once I activated [Rewinder] for the first time.)
Elias reasoned perfectly through his own thoughts. Even the system inside him looked astonished.
"Eli? What's wrong?"
Elysia blinked. She suddenly noticed that the white-haired boy's touch had grown gentler.
When she looked up into his golden eyes, she saw a tenderness overflowing with love. Her heart skipped wildly, and she blushed, wondering what she had done this time.
(Oh dear, what a sinful elf I am—to have made Eli fall for me this deeply! I don't know what's going on, but his affection level just skyrocketed again! N-no, this won't do!)
Elysia shook her head, clenching her small hands into fists.
(Anything else I can compromise on—but not this. There's no negotiation here! I must love Eli more than he loves me! I'll never let his affection surpass mine!)
In love, the pink elf's thoughts and logic always became… unique.
"Eli, what were you thinking just now?"
(Come on, say something and knock me off my feet!)
Elysia lowered her guard, ready to take a direct hit—and to lose spectacularly.
And Elias did not disappoint. He delivered a critical hit straight to her heart.
"Nothing much," he said softly. "Just that… maybe I wasn't sent to this era to save civilization."
"Eh? Then why?"
"Well," Elias said with a straight face, "maybe I came here just to have a sweet, sweet romance with a certain Miss Pink Elf~ Saving the world? That's just a side quest I'm doing along the way."
He sounded utterly serious—and honestly, it wasn't even that far-fetched. Sure, he understood all the grand ideals about saving humanity, but none of that could ever compare to falling in love with the pink elf herself.
When Elias imagined a balance in his heart—Elysia on one side and the world on the other—the scale tipped instantly, sending the world flying right off.
Truly, she was no ordinary pink piglet.
She was heavier—more important—than the world itself.
"Mm, yes, that must be it! Falling in love with my dear Ely is the main quest I crossed time and space for. Ugh~ how foolish of me, wasting so much time on a mere side quest like saving the world. Totally backwards priorities."
Elias sighed and shook his head, looking genuinely regretful.
"!!!"
Elysia pressed a hand over her chest.
Her cheeks flushed bright red, and steam practically rose from her head.
She had expected Elias to say something heart-stirring—but she had not expected this. The boy had unleashed an ultimate attack without warning!
Completely defenseless, the pink elf felt as though her entire twenty-five-bar health gauge had been obliterated in an instant—no, even the gauge itself had shattered!
And yet, Elias wasn't done.
He followed up mercilessly with the finishing blow:
"After all," he said softly, "to me, Ely, you're more important than the world itself."
"Guh!!"
That was it. The pink elf now owed Elias twenty-five bars of health.
Elysia clutched at her pounding heart, regretting deeply that she had ever lowered her guard.
(More important than the world… Eli, how could you say something like that as the world's savior? But… I'm so happy… so, so happy! Even if I died right now, I'd have no regrets! Waaaah! Meeting you in this life was the greatest fortune ever!)
She felt as though a hole had opened in her heart, overflowing with enough love to drown her whole being.
Unable to contain the impulse any longer, she wrapped her arms around the white-haired boy's neck—and kissed him, hard.
(It's time to confess. I'll tell Elias my secret. I can't hide it anymore… and I don't want to.)