Inside the Golden Courtyard—
"Eli, I have something very important to tell you."
After their lips parted, Elysia spoke solemnly.
"Hm? Strange. There's actually something about Ely that I don't know yet? Hurry and tell me."
Elias was surprised. He raised his hand to wipe the lingering shimmer from his lips, looking curiously at the pink-haired elf before him.
"..."
Elysia clenched her small hands and took a deep breath.
She urged herself in her heart to speak quickly. Since she had already heard Elias' entire story, it was only fair that she revealed her own secrets as well.
(Say it. Tell him now. My identity, my authority. Once I say it, everything will…)
"Eli, actually, I'm also a He…"
Ding dong!
Just as Elysia closed her eyes and resolved to reveal her identity as the Herrscher of Origin—a loud chime from the doorbell interrupted her right at the word "Herrscher."
"Tch, seriously? At this exact moment?!"
Elias frowned deeply, even his killing intent stirred.
He picked up the Judgment of Shamash: Might of An-Utu in his right hand and the Seven Thunders of Retribution: Scythe in his left, preparing to teach whoever dared to knock at such a time a painful lesson.
"Uh, calm down, Eli. If it's anyone other than Kevin, please don't hurt them, okay?"
Elysia's resolve crumbled like bubbles. Yet she also felt… a strange sense of relief.
(But this timing is too much of a coincidence…)
The pink elf couldn't help but think that it wasn't a "person" interrupting her—but "fate" itself.
She followed curiously behind Elias to see who was at the door.
"Hello, we are from [XXXX Jewelry Company]'s delivery service team. Respected, noble, and handsome Lord Elias, this is the diamond ring you custom-ordered months ago. Please take a look to see if you are satisfied, or if any adjustments are needed."
A sharply dressed salesman appeared with a full escort of twenty-four people, carrying an exquisitely crafted small gift box.
Their hearts were racing with excitement. Their company had been commissioned by the Savior himself to create a ring—obviously a proposal ring! It was both an honor and a terror.
"..." ×2
Elias and Elysia were speechless.
The two exchanged glances.
Elysia bashfully averted her gaze, while Elias scratched his head awkwardly, putting away his eager Divine Keys. He didn't know what to say anymore.
At least, his earlier irritation had completely vanished.
After all, it was a jewelry company delivering a ring—one clearly crafted with great ceremony, even guarded by an armed escort team. Anyone who didn't know better might think they were transporting an armored convoy. Though, truthfully… even a truck full of cash wouldn't be worth as much as this ring Elias had ordered.
Because this ring was meant for the most important girl in his life. Elias hadn't used the money Eden gave him—he'd poured all his own savings into it.
And as the Savior, Mei paid Elias hundreds of millions in salary every month.
Mobius: (%￥%#@￥!)
One could imagine how valuable this ring must be.
"Ely, go back inside. No peeking."
"Ehh~ Eli, we're already at the door! How can I just pretend I didn't see anything?"
Elias blocked the entrance to the Golden Courtyard.
Elysia tried to slip under his arm, but Elias caught her by the waist, holding her in place. Her hand stretched toward the ring box—but no matter how hard she reached, it remained just out of reach.
"I don't care. It's not time yet. Go on."
Elias' tone was cold and resolute.
He was a man who valued ceremony deeply. Even for Elysia, there would be no exception. No—precisely because it was Elysia, he couldn't let her see it in advance.
Then, Elias simply opened a spatial gate at his feet—and tossed the pink elf right into it.
"Eliii—!"
"Don't worry, I've linked the space. You'll just keep falling for a bit. Once I'm done handling things, I'll let you out."
"Eli, you meanie! Please, just let me take one little peek…"
"Dame."
Ignoring Miss Pink Elf's plea, Elias snapped his fingers and closed the spatial gate. Then, turning around, he faced the utterly bewildered jewelry company staff.
"Uh… Lord Elias, did we come at a bad time?"
"Yes, very much so. But still, thank you for bringing the ring in person. Let me see… hmm, perfect—exactly as I requested. Swipe the card."
"Th-thank you for your approval…"
The sharply dressed salesman sighed in relief.
Suddenly, a woman among the entourage burst into tears—the lead designer of the ring, whom Elias also knew. Feeling a bit awkward, he added a generous tip.
Though he accepted the delivery decisively, the truth was—the design of this ring had been revised fifty-three times!
For Vill-V, Elias was the ideal client. But for this poor designer, he was nothing short of a demon king.
His requirements had been unbelievably precise and demanding. The very first one—"the greatest ring ever created"—had already crushed her and her team under immense pressure.
During the design phase, Elias had invested more energy into the process than into Project STIGMA, Project Chimera, and the Dual Civilization Coexistence Plan combined!
And just when she thought he was finally satisfied, two days later he'd show up again with new requests, nearly driving her to her knees to beg him to find someone else.
Elias: (I wanted to, but Eden told me you're the best jewelry designer in the world.)
Designer: (Uuu… I'm not! I'm garbage! Eden, my idol, why did you do this to me?!)
Jewelry Company: (Hang in there! You can do it! This is the Savior's order—do your best! Once this project is complete, we'll sponsor a world tour for you!)
Even though the timing was unfortunate and Elysia had found out, seeing the exhausted designer who had lost so much hair from overwork, Elias still gave them a five-star rating.
Instantly, the team cheered with tears of joy, as if they had just accomplished something monumental.
In truth—they had. They had completed an order for the Savior himself. Once word of this spread, their company's future would shine brightly indeed.
Elias told them they could use his name for advertising—but only after he delivered the ring. Making it public now would be… problematic.
They nodded in full understanding.
"Hey, who do you think Lord Elias' proposal target is?"
"Do you even need to ask? It's obviously Miss Elysia!"
"I-I'm actually an Elias × Mobius supporter…"
"Ha! I'm in the Elias × Eden camp."
"What—seriously? I thought we were allies!"
"Stop arguing~ No matter who Lord Elias plans to propose to, that girl's definitely going to be the happiest woman alive. Ahh, I'm so jealous."
"Dude, wake up—you're a guy. And remember, we signed an NDA, so don't go spreading this around."
After the jewelry company staff departed, Elias carefully hid the ring box, then opened another portal—releasing Elysia back into the courtyard.
"Ah—ow!"
From the portal high above, a pink figure tumbled out.
Elias, already prepared, lifted his arms and caught her gracefully in a princess carry. But this time, Miss Pink Elf had no time to swoon—her small hands were busy frantically searching through Elias' clothes.
"Eli! I was falling for five whole minutes!"
"Mm. How was it? Fun?"
"It was fine… wait, no, not fine at all! I want compensation! Let me see that ring in the little box~"
"That won't do. The time isn't right yet."
Elias shook his head, indicating it was still too early.
Elysia immediately puffed her cheeks in protest, but no matter how much she pouted or pleaded adorably, the white-haired boy remained completely unmoved.
"Then… when will it be time?"
Elysia blinked her sparkling eyes, brushing her cheek affectionately against his neck as she asked.
When the ring had been just an idea, she could manage to wait patiently—but now that her long-awaited dream was right before her eyes, Miss Pink Elf could barely contain herself.
Time! At the very least, she needed to know when!
"Secret~"
Elias pressed a finger to his lips, smiling teasingly. His voice made Elysia's heart itch like a cat pawing at it.
(Tsk tsk, isn't it obvious, Ely? Something this important has to be revealed during a grand, unforgettable moment—not just casually.)
But the truth wasn't hard to guess.
Elias planned to present the ring at the finale of the Previous Era—right after overcoming Finality.
That was the most perfect moment he could imagine.
When civilization at last emerged from the endless night of the Honkai and greeted the dawn of a new age, he would, before all, place the ring on the pink elf's finger.
A perfect ending to their long journey.
Just imagining it filled him with sweet anticipation—and made Elysia even more impatient.
"So then, Ely, you still haven't finished your secret. Let's continue—I'm all ready with my shocked expression."
"Hmph! The mood's gone. Next time."
Elysia crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.
"Eh? Don't be like that, my dear Ely. Come on, just tell me now."
Elias feigned a pained expression and teasingly nipped at the tip of her pointed ear.
"…Eli, you're in no position to complain. Even if you make my ears feel good again, it won't work this time."
"Oh, really? Fine then."
"W-wait! Don't actually stop! Keep going!"
Seeing Elias really pull away, Elysia's face changed instantly. (So he is that shameless!)
Her elf ears twitched, as if questioning why that fleeting pleasure had vanished so quickly.
A mischievous grin crossed Elias' face. After all this time, they'd tried many little games, and he knew perfectly well that Elysia's ears were one of her biggest weaknesses.
If he kept it up a few more times, he was sure she wouldn't be able to hide any secrets from him—she'd end up begging and confessing everything.
But to his surprise, this time Miss Pink Elf endured for a full half hour without giving in.
"Ely, you're holding out pretty well this time."
"I-I won't give in… no matter what!"
"Oh ho, now I'm interested."
Two hours later, the lovely elf's ears were covered in faint bite marks. Just before she reached her limit, Elysia managed to escape—barely keeping her secret as the [Herrscher of Origin] safe.
...
"Ugh! Eli's technique is unfair! I almost spilled everything!"
Elysia sat by the riverside, rubbing her bitten, flushed ears. Her cheeks were still pink, her whole body slightly dazed.
The next moment, she smiled radiantly. Though she hadn't seen what was inside the ring box, she still felt utterly happy.
So happy that she wished time could stop right here—that tomorrow, and the uncertain future, would never come.
"Ahh~ but maybe it's because today was so perfect… that I couldn't bring myself to say it."
The pink elf crouched by the stream, resting her chin in her palms.
Thinking of her identity as the Herrscher of Origin—and her power, the ability to make wishes upon the Honkai—she could only let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
She was conflicted over her ability to restore Herrschers' humanity… to free them from the shackles of the Honkai.
After learning of the white-haired boy's past, Elysia had all but confirmed it—it was because her future self would one day make the wish: "Let all Herrschers return to being human."
It was that wish which allowed the Herrschers of the next era—Raiden Mei, Kiana Kaslana, Welt Yang, and… Elias himself—to stand with humanity and fight for beauty.
But when she thought of the price required to make that wish come true…
Ely: (There's no way I could tell him!)
On such a wonderful day, how could she bear to let the white-haired boy's smile be replaced with sorrow?
And knowing him as well as she did—if Elias ever learned about it, he would definitely, once again, recklessly try to shoulder it all himself!
After all this time together, Elysia understood him better than anyone.
The world marveled at the countless miracles created by the Savior—but Elysia knew the truth behind those miracles.
Elias avoided every avertable disaster with knowledge from the future. But when he faced crises that couldn't be escaped—those demanding a sacrifice—
The white-haired boy would always choose to sacrifice himself.
To exchange his own being for the survival of everyone else.
That was the essence of his miracles.
So Elysia knew: if she told him about her authority, Elias would, without a doubt, try to bear her cost as well.
But the price for that wish was far too heavy—and Elysia would never allow Elias to carry it.
"Ahh~ forget it, forget it! No more thinking! It's not time yet anyway, and there's still plenty of time! I'll enjoy every moment until the very end. Who knows, maybe something will change!"
Elysia slapped her cheeks lightly, then skipped cheerfully toward her Fire Moth dormitory.
She decided to relax by reading one of Elias' doujins—throwing her worries aside. After all, as the saying went, "Escapism may be shameful, but it works!"
"Oh right, I'll ask little Griseo in a few days to draw a new one! We haven't tried the classic fantasy route yet."
"Next time, Eli will be the brave hero, rescuing the pink elf princess from the demon lord's castle."
"I can't wait to finally wear that ring… it'll definitely look perfect on me~ Oh, and I should stop by the Civil Affairs Bureau for a marriage registration form. That'll surprise him!"
Elysia gazed at her left hand's ring finger, lost in a beautiful daydream. There were still so many things she wanted to do—there was no way she could just "die off" so easily!
However…
When the moment of choice finally arrived—
For the people of the next era, and more importantly, for the boy she loved—Elysia would make that wish.
But what she didn't know…
Was that the one she loved most carried a secret even greater than her own. That deep within, he was far more stubborn than anyone could imagine. Even if she tried to stop that candle-like boy from burning himself away—
In the end…
The flame that was destined to burn—would still ignite.