When Sheele saw Elias walking toward her.
Her heart began to beat faster and faster.
Even though her eyes clearly told her that Elias was walking straight toward her, her mind kept denying it over and over.
(It's an illusion. It must be an illusion. There must be something behind me that he's heading for. After all... someone as ordinary as Sheele couldn't possibly catch the attention of the Savior.)
She wasn't Cinderella who had lost her glass slipper.
There would be no prince coming to find her.
And yet...
When Sheele came back to her senses, Elias was already standing right in front of her. Those dazzling golden eyes were fixed directly on her, and the boy's gaze was so gentle.
So gentle that Sheele couldn't help but think—had something once happened between them before?
"Do you want to be happy?"
Elias suddenly asked.
Sheele trembled all over. She instinctively looked around to make sure the question was directed at her. Right now, she felt like a timid little creature that wanted to be taken away but was too shy and afraid.
She didn't understand the meaning behind Elias' question, but there was no doubt that she longed for happiness. At this moment, she was lost and uncertain about the future. Even though Cocolia had been arrested, Sheele still didn't know where she should go next.
"Do you want to be happy?"
Elias asked again.
Only then did Sheele realize she hadn't answered yet. She quickly nodded her head with all her strength.
"Good. Then hold my hand, and you'll find happiness."
Elias reached his hand out toward Sheele.
"I... really can?"
Sheele stared blankly at Elias' outstretched hand.
It was gloved in spotless white fabric, pristine and pure. She couldn't help but worry that if she touched it, she might soil it.
And besides, could happiness really be obtained so easily? Did she even have the right to hold that hand?
"Of course you do, Sheele. You definitely have that right," Elias said, as if reading her thoughts.
"Eh?"
"Because I came here for you."
"For... me..."
At that moment, the girl was completely stunned. In the darkest, most desperate time of her life, a hero had appeared.
Sheele unconsciously took Elias' hand. In that instant, she felt as if she were holding the entire world.
"How do you know my name?" she asked softly.
"Well, because you're someone important to me."
That baseless kindness and warmth left Sheele at a loss for how to respond. Yet... somehow, she felt a strange sense of familiarity and comfort around Elias.
As if they had truly spent a long time together before. Even if her mind couldn't remember it, her body instinctively recognized and accepted his presence.
The moment she held Elias' hand, an indescribable sense of safety filled her body. Her trembling stopped, just like a stray animal that had finally found its home.
"Emmm, Ely once said this: cute girls should wear cute clothes. It's one of the truths of the world. I completely agree."
"Cute... clothes?"
Sheele subconsciously looked down at her own outfit. Even as flattery, it couldn't be called cute. Cocolia had never treated them kindly.
These clothes were more like rags than garments—ill-fitting, dirty all over. There were nice dresses in the orphanage, but only when guests visited were they allowed to wear them.
The purpose, of course, was to make the guests like them—and buy them.
(Uu...)
Sheele showed a sad expression and lowered her head in shame.
Elias sighed as well. Wearing such clothes wasted even the most adorable face. Cocolia, you truly deserve damnation! When I get back, I'll personally visit Mobius' lab myself!
Then he snapped his fingers.
The power of the Herrscher of Reason activated.
In an instant, Sheele's old clothes vanished, replaced by a strapless white gown. The long skirt bloomed with pure white flowers of creation, symbolizing rebirth.
At that moment, Seele looked as if she had undergone a complete transformation—like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. Even standing beside Elias, she didn't pale in comparison at all.
This was a dress Elias had designed based on Seele's battlesuit as the Herrscher of Death, also known as "Herrscher of Rebirth."
The transformation resembled Cinderella's magic, yet unlike hers, this spell would never vanish at midnight—it would last forever.
"Sheele... you're actually this cute."
"What a beautiful girl."
"Guhh... so pretty... so jealous."
At that moment, everyone in the orphanage stared in awe. Even Cocolia was dumbfounded. Only now did she realize how much she had let such a gem gather dust.
"Th-this is... me?"
Sheele widened her eyes. She instinctively raised her hand to touch the mirror Elias had conjured, as if to confirm that the girl inside was truly her. But she could hardly recognize herself.
It felt like she was dreaming—but Sheele didn't know that her dream had only just begun.
"Ahem! I'll leave the rest to everyone here. I'm off to enjoy my date now. Bye~"
Elias waved casually to the soldiers behind him.
"L-Lord Elias?"
Before anyone could react, Elias drew a line in the air, opening a spatial gate. Then, taking Sheele's small hand, he stepped through it, leaving the Fire Moth soldiers utterly bewildered.
Uh... their Savior just left?
He really came here just to ask that girl out?!
Good grief—looked like a new ship had set sail. They couldn't help but wonder how Lady Elysia, Dr. Mobius, or even Dr. Mei would react once they heard about this.
...
The pitch-black portal didn't scare Sheele at all. As long as Elias held her hand, she felt she could go anywhere.
Yet the next second, her breath caught. She had expected to be taken somewhere incredible—but the beauty before her eyes was so unreal that she pinched herself to be sure it wasn't a dream.
Crimson-gold skies painted by sunset, floating palaces in the air, a magnificent labyrinthine garden, a grand white-and-gold castle, and fields filled with the blooming flowers of creation.
"Th-this place is...?"
"Sheele, welcome to the Elysian Realm!"
Elias pointed proudly to the breathtaking scenery before them.
With Vill-V and Mobius' help—and after ten full cycles of study—Elias had already mastered all the necessary technology to bring this place into existence long ago.
When it came to dating, what place could be more perfect than a paradise Elias and Elysia had built using their most beautiful memories from around the world?
This was a wonderland beyond any fairy tale—a paradise so enchanting that once you entered, you'd never want to leave.
"It's usually not open to outsiders—only Flame-Chasers are allowed here. But... you're an exception, Sheele."
"..."
Sheele stood there in a daze, feeling as though she'd ascended from earth to heaven. She was completely entranced by the realm, unable even to speak.
Elias chuckled softly. Everyone who entered this place reacted the same way—even he and Elysia, who had created it, had once been awestruck.
The moment one stepped into the Elysian Realm, all the troubles of the outside world ceased to matter.
But then...
Guuu~
A cute rumble came from the girl's stomach.
Sheele immediately covered her face with both hands, so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a hole.
"Haha~ Before we start playing, let's fill our stomachs first. If I remember right, these are your favorites, aren't they?"
"Eh? How do you know that?"
When Sheele saw the food Elias had casually conjured, she couldn't help swallowing hard. To her astonishment, it was all her favorite dishes—every single one of them. The feeling was almost too unreal.
She stared blankly at Elias. Even though she barely knew him, he seemed to know everything about her.
"Didn't I say already? Because you're someone important to me, Sheele. I know everything about you. Don't worry—I'll never hurt you. And right now... instead of asking questions, what you should do is simply enjoy my paradise."
"...Alright. Sheele believes you."
For a girl who had only just escaped misery, Elias' kindness was so unreasonably warm that she should have felt suspicion or fear.
But this wasn't the first time. Across ten loops, the affection and closeness she'd developed toward the white-haired boy had left a deep imprint on her instincts—even if her memories were gone.
And besides, everything before her was simply too beautiful.
So beautiful that even if Elias told her the food was poisoned, Sheele felt she would still eat it. After all, she had already lost everything. If she could leave this world painlessly within a beautiful dream, that would also be a kind of happiness.
After that—
Sheele spent the entire day playing with Elias until she was completely exhausted. Finally, while watching a movie together in the Elysian Realm's grand theater, she drifted off to sleep.
"Looks like that's it for today," Elias murmured softly.
"N-no... I can still..."
Sheele tried to fight off her drowsiness. This had been the happiest day of her life—she didn't want it to end.
"It's alright, Sheele. Rest easy. This dream will never end. I'll make up for all the pain you've endured in this world... so just sleep well."
Elias gently patted her head. Hearing his words, the girl finally closed her eyes.
Even in her sleep, her small hand still gripped the corner of his coat tightly, as if letting go would make everything vanish like a dream.
"She really is exactly the same..." Elias murmured.
In the first cycle, the Sheele he had met wasn't this one—it had been the Herrscher personality born from the descent of Honkai, whose temperament mirrored that of Dark Seele.
The Sheele before him now was the human personality from before she was devoured by the Herrscher—kind, pure, afraid of violence, just like White Seele.
That was only natural. After all, Sheele was an alternate-world counterpart of Seele. Although their appearance, personality, and even genetic structure were almost identical, in Elias' eyes, they were still two completely different people.
Still...
(If I brought Sheele and the Herrscher of Death back to the Current Era...)
Seele fans, rejoice!
Four Seele's—double the happiness!
...
The next morning, inside the Fire Moth base—
"Ah!"
The sleeping girl opened her eyes. Seeing an unfamiliar ceiling, she immediately sat up in shock. Sheele looked around in panic, her unease deepening when she didn't see Elias anywhere.
She wasn't a girl who could easily adapt to new environments. Ever since she'd been sent to the orphanage, the only place she'd ever felt safe was that small wooden chest.
She'd grown used to hiding inside it—dark and cramped though it was, the narrow space gave her a strange sense of security.
Sometimes, Sheele would imagine another version of herself inside her mind—someone strong, brave, confident, and capable of everything.
Even so, she found it strange. It had taken her so long to grow used to life in the orphanage, yet it had taken only a single day for her to become completely accustomed to Elias' presence.
When she woke up and didn't see him, she felt an emptiness inside her chest, like something precious was missing.
But that feeling didn't last long.
Almost as if he had known the exact moment she'd awaken—the door opened, and the white-haired boy stepped back into her sight.
"Yo, Sheele. Awake already?"
Even though he wasn't wearing the white suit from yesterday but rather the Fire Moth Supreme Commander's uniform, Elias still looked so handsome that Sheele's heart began to race.
"Lord Elias..."
"Don't call me that—just call me 'big brother.'"
"Uh... o-okay."
Sheele nodded nervously, feeling both flustered and overwhelmed.
Elias gently lifted her from the bed, then began to comb her hair with practiced hands.
"After breakfast, come with me. I'll help you take back everything you've lost."
"Everything I've... lost?"
Sheele soon understood what he meant.
The inheritance her relatives had stolen from her parents—everything that rightfully belonged to her—Elias had already reclaimed. And those who had hurt her in the past... had received the punishment they deserved through repentance.
To be honest, Sheele didn't care much about money, houses, or any of those things. Her material desires were astonishingly few.
But...
That inheritance represented the love and memories her late parents had left for their daughter. Such things couldn't be measured in money—nor should they be taken away by others.
At the end of the day, Elias brought Sheele to her parents' graves. The girl clung to the tombstone and cried until she fainted.
"..."
Elias stood in silence, etching the scene deeply into his mind.
He had tried to save Sheele's parents, but there had been too few clues—no confirmed time, place, or cause. The official declaration of their deaths came after six years of fruitless searching. If he traced it back, that was even before Fire Moth had been founded.
If he could've found them, of course he could have changed their fate. But when you didn't even know where to start, there was nothing to be done.
Of course, if he kept looping, Elias could eventually find and save them. But... he himself was nearing his limit. This cycle was the final one.
So...
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you two. But I'll take care of Sheele in your place. I won't let her suffer ever again."
Elias spoke softly to the two graves, then lifted the unconscious Sheele into his arms and left the cemetery.
A Savior's promise never went unfulfilled.
From that day onward, the girl named Sheele would live peacefully and happily under his protection. Nothing—neither humanity nor Honkai—would ever harm her again.
After all, Elias' greatest talent wasn't fighting—it was doting on others.
Thus, Sheele didn't even get the chance to stay sad for long.
Because on the third day after waking, Elias brought her back to the Elysian Realm once again.
In paradise, tragedy simply didn't exist—except for the ELF modeled after Elias, who had to face a daily battle among fifteen elf girls.
But even that wasn't tragedy—it was pure entertainment...