"With this, only one more Divine Key remains to be completed. My divine arsenal is nearly full~"
Elias played idly with the twelve Divine Keys in his hands, smiling with satisfaction. Only one was missing—the [Key of Corrosion]. Once he obtained that, he would possess the full collection of all Divine Keys.
One of his reasons for visiting Vill-V this time was precisely to retrieve a tool designed to counter the Herrscher of Corruption.
"Vill-V, hand me the box I asked for—uh, Vill-V? Wake up, come on, snap out of it!"
"Ehehe~ Elias kissed me again~"
Right now, Lover had a blissful, dazed expression—as though she could die happy at this very moment. A single kiss from Elias had left her in this euphoric state.
But perhaps that was only natural—after all, she was Elias' Lover.
To everyone else, the Lover persona was completely unapproachable. Not merely high defense and high resistance—she was completely immune to all advances. Yet for Elias, her defenses might as well have been made of paper. Every touch, every word from him landed as a perfect critical hit.
Elias shook the Lover by the shoulders, but she didn't respond at all—not until the other personalities forcibly kicked her offline.
And then…
For once, the rare [Self] persona appeared.
"Hi, did you miss m—ah, um, hello, Elias."
Self-Vill-V rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. She'd tried to imitate Elysia's cheerful manner—but for someone as socially anxious as her, mimicking a social terrorist like Elysia was way too difficult.
Worth noting, whenever Self-Vill-V took control, her hair color changed from its usual dual-tone—left side amber-brown, right side deep green—to a uniform shade. Even without her personality's difference, she was the easiest Vill-V to recognize.
"You don't have to imitate anyone, Vill-V. No matter what kind of you it is, I'll always like you. Hello, the 'real' Vill-V—though honestly, to me, all of your personalities are the real Vill-V."
Elias reached out and patted Self-Vill-V gently on the head.
Unlike the others, Self-Vill-V possessed the same incredible genius—but none of the confidence. In fact, she was painfully timid and self-deprecating.
Elias never quite understood why Vill-V felt such self-doubt. With her brilliance, she had no reason to.
"Th-thank you, Elias. That makes me really happy."
Hearing his words, Self-Vill-V let out a small sigh of relief. A faint light seemed to flicker in her eyes.
She never thought of herself as someone remarkable. Despite her genius, she always lacked confidence, often muttering "I can't do anything right." In truth, one could even say that the other Vill-V personalities were born as her way of escaping from reality.
But Elias accepted her. Every time she appeared, the white-haired boy would always patiently reassure her, again and again—acknowledging her, encouraging her.
"As expected, Elias, you're truly the best audience we could ever ask for. The item you requested is ready—I'll bring it to you now. It's just a simple gadget, but Expert put a lot of thought into it."
Vill-V spoke as she retrieved a small black box.
It was made entirely from soulium, a material impervious to Honkai energy—capable of blocking all signals. This was the device Elias intended to use against the Herrscher of Corruption.
"Once activated, it creates a completely offline zone that blocks all forms of network and electronic communication. No information can enter or leave the area."
Vill-V handed the black box to Elias.
"Hm, this is even better than I imagined. I thought it could only block signals for whatever's inside the box."
"Hehe~ That'd be boring, wouldn't it? Oh, and one more thing—the size of the offline zone is adjustable. Its maximum coverage… is an entire city."
"...You never fail to impress me, Vill-V."
Elias blinked, half amused, half helpless, then tossed the box lightly in his hand. The prison for Corruption was finally complete—with this, his plan would be flawless.
"Oh right, I almost forgot—here, this is for you."
After all the shocks Vill-V had given him today, Elias almost forgot something important. He reached into his pocket and took out a golden badge shaped like a pocket watch, handing it to Self-Vill-V.
"What a beautiful emblem! What's it for?"
"It's for the 'Fifteen Flame-Chasers'—a small group Elysia and I are founding together. I'd like you to join us, Vill-V…"
"I see. Then I'm in!"
Before Elias could even finish his sentence, Vill-V agreed without hesitation.
She pinned the emblem proudly to her chest, admired herself in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction.
Elysia or not, it didn't matter. Since the invitation came from Elias, there was no way Vill-V could refuse. Besides, the name "Flame-Chaser" suited her aesthetic perfectly.
"Great. Then I'll leave the renovations of the Golden Courtyard to you. Let me know if you need anything."
"C-could I have… another kiss first?"
Self-Vill-V mustered all her courage to say it.
For someone as timid and self-effacing as her, just voicing that request took every ounce of bravery she had.
Her cheeks turned bright red as she lowered her head—but from her angle, all she could see was a soft, blinding whiteness. The sheer scale of the sight before her was enough to make even the most stoic saint lose composure…
Elias chuckled helplessly.
"Ah~ that's such a small request."
"Be a little greedier, my great inventor. You're my partner in saving the world. Just as you'd do anything for me—I'd do anything for you, too."
"E-Elias, that's really—"
"Alright, alright, less talking. Next time, ask for something harder. Now then—ahm!"
Elias leaned in and kissed her, biting lightly as if trying to devour her whole.
In an instant, the [Helix] Flame-Chaser's eyes spun into spirals, her brain short-circuited, and her cheeks flushed scarlet as steam rose from her head. Within two minutes, she had fainted completely.
"Ababa ababa ababa…"
"Hm~ a bit inexperienced, but that's okay. She'll get used to it soon enough."
Elias licked his lips with a sly smile, his golden eyes gleaming like those of a mischievous white fox.
He stored all the Divine Keys inside his Imaginary Space—a personal storage dimension he had created using his authority. This time, he opened a separate sub-space to serve specifically as his armory.
By the way, although Elias had already acquired the Herrscher Cores of Reason and Wind back in the Current Era, when he arrived in the Previous Era and obtained those two Cores again, something curious happened: though both could be used simultaneously, they couldn't resonate with each other.
After all, they were essentially the same Core—one couldn't resonate with oneself. Elias felt a twinge of regret about that.
"Make sure to attend the celebration banquet later. Even though Self fainted, the other personalities can hear me, right? Please make sure to pass the message along."
"..." ×8
All the other personalities fell silent—they were still reeling from the intensity of that last kiss. None of the techniques they'd studied from romance manuals even came close to that level of shock.
Even the Yandere admitted she probably couldn't handle it.
After delivering the badge, Elias left Helixcraft and went on to visit the others to inform them of the plan.
Elias and Elysia each took charge of recruiting half of the Flame-Chasers, and everything went smoothly—everyone agreed to join without resistance.
The Fire Moth council members voiced mild objections, thinking Elias was forming a separate faction. But their worries were entirely unfounded.
And objections were pointless anyway. When Elias casually dismissed them with a single "objection overruled," the council members could only fall silent and let him and Elysia proceed with creating the Flame-Chaser system.
...
A few hours later—
Inside the Golden Courtyard, which had not yet become the Elysian Realm.
Soft music filled the air, accompanied by fine food and wine. Balloons and streamers adorned the grand, elegant villa.
Though it was meant to be a celebration for heroes, the atmosphere was anything but solemn.
"Kalpas, is the fried noodles ready yet?"
"Hmph! Come get them yourself! And why am I the one cooking for everyone?!"
"Haha~ don't sweat the details. Honestly though, Kalpas, I didn't expect you to be this good at cooking."
Elias grinned as he placed the fried noodles on the table. To everyone's surprise, Kalpas' culinary skills were nearly on par with Mei's—something that left the entire group astonished.
"Fried noodles… slurp…"
"Kevin, you're drooling."
"Su! Delete that photo right now!"
"You two, behave."
The white-haired husky boy was chasing his best friend around the courtyard, only to be promptly stopped by Mei's commanding glare.
"Eden, shall we sing a duet later? Elias can accompany us, right?"
"Of course, that sounds lovely~"
"Absolutely. What do you want to sing, Elysia?"
"Hmm~ let's sing WHITE NIGHT!"
Elysia cheerfully wrapped one arm around Elias and the other around Eden, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Elsewhere, Sakura and Aponia were discussing child education theories; Vill-V had just attempted to 'upgrade' ELF Klein and was now being chased furiously by Mobius; Pardofelis was dozing by the fireplace; Hua had tried to help in the kitchen but was kicked out by Kalpas for being hopeless at cooking; and Kosma was polishing his badge for the umpteenth time.
Meanwhile, Griseo was quietly sketching the entire scene, a bright, innocent smile on her face.
It looked less like a gathering of warriors and more like a warm, boisterous party among close friends. The lighthearted atmosphere made it difficult to associate these young men and women with the title "Flame-Chaser."
Because, in the end, aside from Pardofelis and Griseo, every one of them might have been a battlefield legend—but they were still just young people.
"So then, to celebrate the founding of our Fifteen Flame-Chasers—cheers!" ×2
Elias and Elysia raised their golden goblets in unison, their voices overlapping perfectly.
"Cheers!" ×13
Under the radiant glow of the crystal chandelier, everyone lifted their glasses high, smiles shining brighter than the wine itself.
Eden: "May this moment last forever."
Elias: "May we fight for all the beauty in this world."
Elysia: "May our brilliance forever illuminate the earth!"
Kalpas: "Hmph! I'll… protect everything we have now." (so quiet it was almost a whisper)
Kevin: "Kalpas, that's my vow of preservation."
Kalpas: "Die, Kevin!!"
Everyone: "Pffthahaha—!"
The Golden Courtyard gleamed with opulence, its halls overflowing with artistry—a luxurious villa fit for the [Golden] Flame-Chaser herself. It was practically a miniature palace.
In the past, even Eden herself had felt out of place living here. The sheer extravagance made most people instinctively feel tense and restrained.
But watching everyone laugh and play, her eyes softened.
What a peaceful, joyous time this is, she thought.
In that moment, the Golden Courtyard had truly become a home—a home for their family of fifteen Flame-Chasers.
"I finished it!"
Griseo raised her small hand triumphantly, her bare feet pattering across the floor as she ran toward Elias, clutching her newest painting.
"Hm? That was fast, Griseo."
"My best one yet! I drew everyone!"
"This is…"
Elias unfolded the drawing and froze, eyes widening in awe as an indescribable warmth filled his heart.
Around him, Elysia, Eden, Mobius, Kevin, and Kalpas all fell silent as they looked at the painting—each of them feeling their heartbeat quicken.
The purest girl among them had captured their exact likenesses in that moment—each face radiant with happiness and light.
Several of them instinctively touched their cheeks, astonished that they could smile like that.
It was a painting beyond words—something that, just by looking at it, filled their hearts with warmth.
At that moment, Griseo's drawing had become the shared treasure of the Flame-Chasers.
"I really love drawing everyone."
"Thank you, little Griseo. You're the best! But… why aren't you in the painting?"
"Eh? I—I think I forgot. Besides, I was painting while looking at everyone's expressions, but… I couldn't see my own."
Griseo said softly, a hint of frustration in her tone.
Elias smiled gently, lifting the girl onto his lap. With a flicker of psychic energy, her drawing board floated toward them, and a paintbrush tipped with sky-blue pigment materialized in his hand.
"Then… may I draw Griseo?"
"Mhm! I can't wait! I want to see what I look like when Brother Elias draws me."
"Is that so~? Then I'll have to give it my all."
Elias smiled, patting the small girl's head before lowering his gaze to the canvas. His expression softened, and with utmost focus, he began to paint.
In the past, to spend time with Griseo, Elias had learned every painting technique possible using the analytical power of the Herrscher of Reason. In truth, his skill now even surpassed hers.
But today, he wasn't trying to show off his mastery—he simply wanted to capture the image of the little angel before him. So he mimicked her own style, brushstroke for brushstroke.
Before long, a sky-blue-haired girl appeared on the canvas, her innocence immortalized in color. Griseo's eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at it, feeling the same warmth everyone else had earlier.
Almost instinctively, she touched her own cheek.
"Th-this… is me?"
"Mhm. Do you like it, little Griseo?"
"..."
"Griseo?"
Elias blinked, a bit worried by her silence. Had he made a mistake somewhere?
"What should I do now…" he murmured.
Then Griseo's face scrunched into a conflicted expression.
"I… I was going to give this painting to you, Brother Elias. But now… I don't want to. I really like it. I want to keep it for myself."
"Phew~ so that's all. You gave me quite the scare there, little Griseo."
Elias chuckled, pressing a hand to his chest in mock relief.
"I'm sorry…"
"It's alright~ Since you like it so much, how about I give it to you instead? But make sure to take good care of it, okay? This painting's now our shared treasure."
"Mhm! I'll take care of it forever!"
Griseo nodded vigorously, her expression so adorably serious that everyone's hearts melted at once.
"Thank you, Brother Elias! I love you the most!"
"G-Griseo?!"
Before he could react, the little girl leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. It felt like a tiny sky-blue bird had pecked him softly—so pure, so sweet, that Elias' heart instantly melted.