"How... how could this happen..."
After learning that Rin would become the Herrscher of Corruption, Sakura completely broke down.
Elias had once given her the chance to leave Fire Moth and live a normal, peaceful life. But in the end, the fox-eared girl chose to stay—and she had two reasons for that decision.
The first was her admiration, longing, and gratitude toward Elias.
The second was her wish to create a world free from the threat of Honkai—a world where her little sister could live a safe and happy life.
Sakura didn't care about many people. The Flame-Chasers were precious comrades in her heart, but among them, Elias and Rin were the most important. To her, those two were family.
And to Sakura, the meaning of the word family was no less important than it was to Kalpas.
In her own words, she had no grand or noble ideals. Saving the world was too heavy a burden. She fought only to protect the people dear to her.
Therefore—
"Why... Honkai... why did you have to choose my sister?! Haven't you taken enough from me already?! Why... why even my two most important people..."
Sakura's delicate body trembled.
Her hand gripped tightly around the hilt of Frozen Naraka at her waist.
The boy she loved was forced by the Honkai to bear the fate of two entire eras, carrying a burden she couldn't even imagine.
And now, her precious little sister had been chosen by the Honkai, destined to become the terrifying Twelfth Herrscher.
At that moment, Sakura truly wanted to cut something—anything.
But there was nothing here for her to strike. So her anger, sorrow, and helplessness, like the cold blade she wielded, remained sealed within its sheath.
"Please, Elias—save Rin! I don't want her to become a Herrscher..."
Sakura grabbed Elias' hands tightly like a drowning person grasping a lifeline, her violet eyes filled with desperate pleading.
"Of course, Sakura. I'll save Rin. How could I ever let the girl who calls me brother-in-law turn into a Herrscher?"
Elias smiled softly, pulling her into his arms to comfort her.
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Sakura shook her head, biting her lip.
When facing past Herrschers, she had never felt anything particular. They weren't connected to her personally. Elias' attempts to capture Herrschers and restore their humanity were something she admired from afar—a gentle ideal, worthy of respect.
But now, when the one destined to become a Herrscher was her own sister, Sakura panicked.
"Elias, I know I'm asking the impossible, but... could you stop the Herrscher from descending onto Rin's body?"
Her voice trembled with plea.
"I—I don't want Rin to end up like Himiko or Klein. I can't bear to see the Herrscher take over her body."
Even though she knew Rin's consciousness wouldn't completely disappear, Sakura found herself unable to accept it. All she wanted was for her family to live peacefully, free from pain.
She knew her request was selfish—
That she was placing too much hope and expectation on Elias' shoulders, adding yet another weight to someone already carrying too much.
The mere thought filled her with guilt.
But still...
"I'm sorry... I can't do anything. All I can do is place my hope in you, Elias..."
She lowered her head as if in confession.
"There's no need to apologize. Don't worry. I'll make sure your wish comes true. Since the opponent is the Herrscher of Corruption, I might be able to prevent the Herrscher's personality from taking over Rin."
Considering the unique nature of the Herrscher of Corruption, Elias believed there might be a way to intervene—to let the girl who called him 'brother-in-law' remain human.
"R-really? Elias... thank you!"
Tears of gratitude welled in Sakura's eyes.
Once again, she felt truly thankful that Elias had appeared in their era. Without him, she knew she would have been utterly powerless.
No—in truth, anyone would have been powerless.
If Elias hadn't been there, Sakura—the useless elder sister—could only have watched helplessly as her little sister became a Herrscher and turned against civilization, utterly powerless to stop it.
"There's no need to be so formal between us, Sakura," Elias said gently, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. "But to be safe, I'll need Rin to stay within my sight for a while, just in case anything unexpected happens."
"Think of it as a little vacation before Finality arrives."
"Hm... eh?"
Sakura tilted her head in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant.
...
The next day.
Mio City—a priority-protected city under Fire Moth's jurisdiction.
This was where Sakura and Rin lived.
The city was lush with greenery and protected by both mechanized forces and fusion warrior units. Even a high-tier Honkai Beast would find it nearly impossible to break through its defenses.
It was one of the safest cities in the world.
But because of that, land in Mio City was worth its weight in gold. Even millionaires could only afford spaces the size of a bathroom.
However, as a decorated fusion warrior with great merit, Sakura had been directly assigned a residence. Though modest in size, it was more than enough for her and Rin.
Inside a high-rise residential building—
Knock, knock!
"Rin, I forgot my key. Open the door for me."
"Okay! Coming, coming!"
Accompanied by the patter of slippers, Rin—who had no classes today—hurried to the door.
"Welcome home, Sis~!"
As soon as the door opened, the pink-haired girl leapt forward, wrapping her arms around the figure before her in a bear hug, burying her face into what she thought was her sister's chest.
"Eh? Wait a sec, this feels wrong. Sis, what happened to your chest? Why is it so hard now?"
Rin blinked in confusion. Her sister's two soft, squishy "slimes" had turned into a steel plate.
"Rin... maybe check who you're pouncing on next time."
"W-wait—Brother Eli?!"
Rin blinked up at the white-haired boy before her—handsome as ever, with Sakura standing right beside him. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief before realizing her mistake.
"It's been a while. Here, this is for you~"
Elias smiled and handed her a small plush animal toy.
"Th-thank you! But, um... Brother Eli—why are you at our house?"
"My quarters at the base are under repair, so I'll be borrowing your place for a bit."
"Wha—? Even the Savior can run out of places to live..."
"If you're not okay with it, I'll leave."
"Ah—no, no, no! You're totally welcome! Very welcome! Come in, come in! I'll get you slippers!"
Rin hurriedly grabbed a pair of brand-new men's slippers from the cabinet and placed them in front of Elias' feet. They were a perfect fit, and Elias couldn't help glancing at her in mild surprise.
(Hehe, I knew this might happen someday, so I bought them just in case. Rin, you're such a genius.)
Rin silently gave herself a mental thumbs-up.
"Sis, why are you just standing there? Come on in already."
"Ah, y-yeah... coming."
Sakura still stood frozen at the door.
Although it made sense for Elias to keep Rin close to prevent anything from happening once the Herrscher factor began to awaken, Sakura hadn't expected it to turn into living together.
The fox-eared girl felt a little dizzy.
(Thank goodness I did a full cleanup the other day. I hope Rin hasn't made a mess since then. Dinner's got to be extra nice tonight. But wait—there's no guest room... where will Elias sleep? Hm. He can just sleep with me, that's fine.)
Taking a few deep breaths to steady her heart, Sakura couldn't help but think that maybe Rin becoming a Herrscher wasn't entirely a bad thing after all...
"Rin, you're terrible at this game. I'll use one hand."
"Uuugh! How are you so good at everything, Brother Eli?!"
"Talent. Oh? Nice combo there."
"Hehe~ I practiced that for ages! Wait—how'd you counter it so fast?!"
On the sofa, Elias and Rin were already engrossed in a multiplayer game, their laughter echoing through the room.
Sakura stood nearby, watching them in mild disbelief.
(That was fast...)
Rin sat on Elias' lap, furiously mashing the controller buttons, while the white-haired boy effortlessly held down her restless, white-socked feet with one hand and used the other to completely annihilate her in-game.
"..."
Sakura couldn't help but stare blankly.
Yesterday, in the Golden Courtyard, this same boy had stood before everyone and revealed himself as a savior from fifty thousand years in the future—the one who would guide humanity's path to defeating the Honkai.
And now, that same "savior" was sitting casually on her sofa, playing co-op games with her little sister like a normal teenager.
The contrast was so great that Sakura's mind momentarily crashed.
But still—
"Rin, try this. If you use that combo like this, it'll work better."
"Brother Eli, you're a genius!"
"Of course~ Once you get it down, let's go for another match."
"Ah—let's do ranked! I'll handle the cleanup, and you can go wild, Brother Eli!"
There wasn't even a hint of awkwardness between them.
Watching Elias and Rin play together so naturally, Sakura couldn't help but notice how seriously Elias took the game—his expressions were livelier than when he fought Honkai Beasts.
When he trolled enemies with clever gadgets, he'd smirk mischievously. When someone flamed him in voice chat, he'd fire back instantly. And when Rin messed up and caused them to lose, he'd simply sigh and say, "One more round."
Sakura suddenly felt that this was the truest side of him.
"Wait a second... Elias is actually younger than me, isn't he?"
Recalling some of the public data she'd seen online, Sakura suddenly remembered—Elias was two years younger than her.
Well, technically speaking, he was fifty thousand years older...
"..."
Sakura fell into another daze.
Elias had always seemed so dependable that she'd subconsciously ignored his age. But now, watching him play with Rin like this, she realized—he really was just a boy.
"Sis~ I'm hungry. When's lunch ready?"
Rin turned her head with a pout. It was already lunchtime, but she'd woken up so late she hadn't even eaten breakfast.
Hearing her sister's complaint, Sakura snapped out of her trance.
"Ah, I'll start right now. It'll be ready in about an hour. You two finish your game first—and don't forget to wash your hands afterward."
She headed into her room, changing out of her Fire Moth combat suit into a loose home outfit, then tied a pink apron around her waist and stepped into the kitchen.
"Suits you perfectly, Sakura," Elias said with genuine admiration after watching for a moment.
The combination of a white home outfit and a pink apron, though simple, highlighted her gentle, domestic charm. Without her Fire Moth combat uniform and the Frozen Naraka at her side, aside from her fox ears, she looked like a perfectly ordinary, kind-hearted young woman.
The kind one could easily imagine bringing home as a wife.
"As I thought, Sakura—you're far better suited to wield a kitchen knife than the Frozen Naraka. Here, let me help."
"Eh? Elias, you can cook?"
Sakura blinked in surprise, nearly dropping her knife.
"I never mentioned it? I'm quite good, actually."
Elias lifted Rin off his lap and stood up.
A moment later, the authority of the Herrscher of Reason activated, instantly forming an apron around him—complete with the character "Chef" embroidered on the sleeve.
Sakura immediately sensed an aura of strength radiating from him.
Back in the St. Freya Valkyrie dorms, there were four supreme beings who ruled over the kitchen: the rice-cooking queen Raiden Mei, the disciplined Immortal Phoenix Hua, the flawless maid Rita, and the culinary powerhouse Elias.
Each possessed their own signature specialty.
And Elias' cooking technique was the most inimitable of all, for he employed his diverse Herrscher authorities to perform culinary feats that others could only dream of.
"It's been a while since I've done this~"
Even though he hadn't stepped foot in a kitchen for years, Elias showed no sign of rust.
After all, as the Herrscher of Reason, he could preserve every learned motion perfectly—engraving it into muscle memory, or rather, directly into his DNA.
Elias had carved many strange "skills" into himself—Star of Eden was only one of them.
"Amazing..."
Watching Elias handle ingredients with such practiced ease, like a seasoned professional chef, Sakura couldn't help but breathe out in awe.
"I can't lose, either."
Though humble chefs might not say it out loud, every skilled cook had their own pride. Mei, Rita, and even Elias were no exception—and neither was Sakura.
Her eyes sharpened with resolve as she straightened her posture and began preparing the ingredients once more. Her movements weren't as elegant or magical as Elias', but they were swift, precise, and full of quiet confidence.
"Whoa~"
Rin had long since abandoned her game controller, finding the sight before her far more entertaining.
Elias cooked like a magician casting spells, while Sakura moved like an assassin—quick, graceful, and decisive. Rin swallowed hard, already certain she was in for an incredible meal.
The lunch that should have taken an hour was ready in less than thirty minutes thanks to Elias' help.
The dining table in Sakura and Rin's home wasn't very large, but with three dishes each, the table was nearly overflowing.
"Ahem! As the judge for today's match, I swear on my next month's allowance that I'll be completely fair and impartial! No favoritism toward either my sister or brother-in-law!"
Rin's eyes sparkled as she stared at the delicious dishes before her, wiping away the drool threatening to spill down her chin.
"Alright then, we'll leave the judging to Rin," Elias said confidently, arms crossed.
"Hehe, Rin, don't you dare play favorites," Sakura replied, equally confident.
She was still amazed that Elias could cook. Not that it was strange—rather, because it was so... normal for someone so extraordinary. His ability to display something so down-to-earth caught her completely off guard.
Meanwhile, Rin eagerly picked up her chopsticks and tasted both dishes.
"!!!"
Her pupils dilated the moment the flavors hit her tongue.
At that instant, Rin made a secret vow: even if only for the sake of her future meals, she had to make sure her sister and Elias ended up together!
Both of their dishes were so divine that she could practically feel her soul ascending.
After swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and looked at them both seriously.
"Sis... you lost."
"W-what?"
Sakura blinked in disbelief, quickly grabbing a piece of Elias' grilled meat to taste for herself. Her fox ears twitched.
"Incredible texture... The heat control is perfect, but this isn't even high-quality meat. Elias, how did you enhance it so much?"
"Heh~ Herrscher powers, of course. The Herrscher of Death's authority works wonders for preparing ingredients."
Elias tilted his chin proudly. Even though their cooking skills were on par, he had an unfair advantage—using the power of Creation to push the quality of the ingredients to their absolute limit.
"I see... then I admit defeat."
Sakura smiled in genuine admiration, gracefully conceding.
"Mmph, mmph—Sis, Brother Eli, if you two don't start eating soon, I'm going to finish everything myself! It's so good—way too good! Ahhh, what if I never get to eat something like this again? Brother Eli, when are you going to marry my sister already?! Uuuuu~!"
Rin spoke between mouthfuls, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster's—until, as expected, she started choking.
"Don't talk while eating. Drink some soup."
"Gulp—ahh... saved. Thanks, Brother Eli."
"..."
Sakura watched the two of them silently.
A gentle smile spread across her lips as warmth filled her chest.
Her gaze drifted around the small room—the soft glow of the hanging lamp, the few simple decorations, the framed photos of her and Rin together. Perhaps even a single vase from the Golden Courtyard could buy the entire apartment.
But right now, sitting at the same table with Elias and Rin, eating together as he occasionally picked food for her—
Sakura felt the warmth of something called family.
Her eyes softened, committing the moment to memory. And in her heart, she made a quiet prayer.
"May this moment last forever..."