"I won. You should all keep your promise."
Elias pointed to the unconscious Herrscher of Fire as he spoke.
"Impossible! There's no way you came out unscathed! You must be forcing yourself to stand—let me see!"
The Herrscher of Thunder, always a bit domineering, refused to accept the outcome. She immediately reached out and began tugging at Elias' military uniform. But in the end, all she saw was the youth's sharply defined, pale skin and powerfully built muscles.
Elias' body was like the masterpiece of an ancient Greek sculptor—flawless, a work of pure strength and beauty.
When a woman strips, it's called seductive. When a man strips, it becomes art.
Gulp! ×5
All five Herrschers swallowed hard in unison.
"Have you seen enough? Touching will cost extra."
"Hmph, n-not bad, I guess..."
The Herrscher of Thunder reluctantly averted her eyes. Elias pushed her aside and buttoned his clothes again.
"Well? Convinced now?"
"We haven't seen what's below yet..."
"See that, and you'll have to take responsibility."
Elias rolled his eyes, then materialized several maid outfits and tossed them before the Herrschers.
"Put them on."
"Wait a minute! How do we know you didn't just heal yourself before coming here? There's no way you're unhurt! I'll wake Fire up and we'll hear what she has to say!"
Slap! Slap!
The Herrscher of Reason smacked the unconscious Herrscher of Fire twice, trying to wake her up. Seeing that, Elias decided to pull out his trump card.
"No need to ask her—I've got proof right here."
"Huh? What proof?"
"Let's watch the VCR together."
(He actually recorded it?!) ×5
Elias casually created a projector, connected the recording, and cast it into the air. The five Herrschers then watched an intense battle unfold before their eyes.
On the screen, Elias and the Herrscher of Fire fought fiercely over an endless ocean. Elias wielded the black-and-white holy lance, while the Herrscher of Fire rode on the back of her Judgment-level Honkai Beast, Garuda.
The blazing flames lit up the sky, and the combined fire of Chimera and the Herrscher burned the sea itself.
In the end, the Herrscher of Fire narrowly lost to Elias.
"What a pity~ She was just a little bit away from actually wounding me. Now do you believe me?"
"..." ×5
"Let me make this clear—I hate those who break their word. The deal is sealed, and those who renege will face the punishment of the rock. But... surely, the mighty Herrschers—apostles of gods—aren't too scared to honor a little wager, are you?"
Elias smiled as he looked at them.
The five Herrschers twitched at the corners of their eyes. After gritting their teeth, they each picked up a maid outfit, even dragging the newly awakened Herrscher of Fire into it.
Herrscher of Fire: "What does this bet have to do with me?! Why am I being dragged into this?!"
Herrscher of Ice: "We're all Herrschers—we share the same fate."
Herrscher of the Void: "Just accept the humiliation with us. Otherwise, don't expect to survive here in the Deep End."
Herrscher of Fire: "..."
In the end, the six Herrschers all changed into cute, short maid outfits that perfectly accentuated their figures. The Herrschers of Thunder, Void, and Fire wore black, while the Herrschers of Reason, Wind, and Ice wore white stockings.
One had to admit—the Honkai's taste was impeccable. Elias seriously suspected that one of the Previous Era's criteria for becoming a Herrscher was having a stunning face and figure. Each of the six before him was an extraordinary beauty.
Everyone appreciates beauty. Even Elias was momentarily dazed, thinking that killing them all during his first cycle might have been a bit of a waste.
"Ugh, so humiliating!"
"Do we have to wear this forever?"
"Whatever... it's at least better than a prison jumpsuit."
All six Herrschers were blushing furiously. The Herrscher of Fire felt the most wronged—she hadn't even agreed to the bet, yet on her first day of imprisonment, she was somehow forced into a maid outfit.
Although the Herrscher of Fire wanted to resist, she didn't even need Elias to act— the other five Herrschers forced her into the outfit themselves.
Herrscher of Fire: "Damn it!!"
"Do I need to teach you what comes next? Be more self-aware." Elias rested his chin on his hand, watching them expectantly.
"M-Master...~..." ×6
"Such small voices, and no emotion either. Fine, I'll let it slide this time. But someday I'll have my dear Ely teach you how to say it properly," Elias said with a critical tone.
Hearing his judgment, the six Herrschers' eyes twitched in unison.
They were all proud apostles of gods, yet now they were dressed as servants, calling the young man who defeated them 'Master'. It was... an unbearable humiliation!
What made it worse was that this wasn't a one-time deal—the magic was perpetual. From now on, they'd have to wear these maid outfits and address Elias as Master.
"Fire, can't you be a bit more competent?!"
"Hmph, at least I'm handling it better than you all are."
"Ugh! Are we really stuck like this?!"
Elias enjoyed their unwilling expressions for a while, feeling a sense of conquest welling within him. He said cheerfully,
"It's fine. Feeling embarrassed at first is normal. Don't worry—you'll get used to it in time."
"Who would ever get used to this!!" ×6
"Oh? Want to bet again? If any of you manage to defeat me, you won't have to wear the maid outfit or call me Master."
A sly smile crept onto Elias' lips. It almost looked like a pair of white fox ears and a fluffy tail appeared behind him.
The Herrschers froze, feeling an ominous premonition. It was as if they had just stepped into another trap. But before they could think further, Elias continued speaking.
"Alright, same conditions as before. If the next Herrscher that appears can hurt me, I'll grant any request—returning your Cores, joining the Honkai faction, anything."
"Hmph! M—Master, you think we'd fall for that again? We refuse to bet!" the Herrscher of Reason said firmly.
"Wait, we'll bet!" said the Herrscher of Fire.
"That's right, we'll bet! Fire almost managed to injure M—Master last time. The next Herrscher will be even stronger! This time, victory is ours!" declared the Herrscher of Ice.
Seeing their overly confident faces, Elias suppressed a laugh and instead put on a mock-worried expression, pretending to be cautious.
"Hmph! Don't get ahead of yourselves. This time, if you lose... each of you owes me a kiss. How about that?"
"Deal!!" ×5
The Herrschers of Reason, Void, Thunder, Wind, and Ice all recalled the kiss Elias had shared with Sheele before, and they agreed without hesitation, signing their names on the contract.
"Eh? That... that fast?" The Herrscher of Fire was stunned, thinking her seniors had terrifyingly high resolve.
"Excellent. How straightforward~."
Elias also signed his name on the contract.
The poor Herrschers had once again fallen into Elias' trap. After all, how could someone of his strength truly be evenly matched with the Herrscher of Fire? Even if the seventh Herrscher appeared, what could it change? Elias was already holding back by not defeating them in a single move.
The previous VCR had been nothing but acting. Elias' real goal was to make these foolish Herrschers believe they stood a chance next time. It was all part of his scheme.
And so, full of confidence, the six Herrschers awaited the next battle... only to receive the outcome that anyone could have foreseen.
...
"Tsk, tsk... how unfortunate. This one isn't even a direct-combat type."
Elias spoke as he tossed the eighth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Sentience—before them and played the next VCR.
Unlike the last grand oceanic battle, this capture had been utterly mundane.
To put it simply, the newly born Herrscher of Sentience planned to hide, using her powers to create memetic weapons and spread them online, trapping all humans in eternal slumber through dreams.
However, before she could even act—or rather, before she had fully awakened—Elias had already infiltrated her hideout, rescued her host consciousness, and knocked her out with a single punch.
Because she had been brought here unconscious, the Herrscher of Sentience still hadn't figured out what was going on. She looked utterly confused.
Herrscher of Sentience: "What happened? Who am I? Where am I? What was I doing? Where's my Core?"
Six Herrschers: "...Damn it!!"
Though it might sound rebellious, at that moment they all felt an urge to curse the Honkai itself.
All six of them felt like they'd been tricked by the Honkai. If the next Herrscher had been a straightforward combat type, maybe they could've actually injured Elias. But the eighth one turned out to be the sneaky kind instead.
Elias: "What a pity, truly a pity~ It seems the Honkai you worship doesn't favor you after all. Once again, I've won. Time to fulfill your end of the bet. But I'll be generous this time—if you're unwilling, you can owe it for now."
Elias spoke with benevolence, though this was also part of his plan. While a Herrscher's kiss was indeed rare, he didn't particularly care about it.
Even if they refused to fulfill the bet, it didn't matter—Elias' goal was simply to make these Herrschers owe him something. After all, intimacy wasn't only about friends, lovers, or family.
A creditor and a debtor were, in their own way, an intimate pair—and Elias was still their "Master."
This was a tactic he hadn't tried in previous cycles, and he was curious to see what kind of results it would bring. Whatever the outcome—good or bad—he'd lose nothing.
However, something unexpected happened.
"Hmph! It's just a kiss. Fine, here!"
"Eh?"
The Herrscher of Thunder, cheeks flushed, boldly walked up to Elias and pressed her lips to his in a domineering, queenly kiss. The act left Elias momentarily frozen.
Then…
"We're Herrschers. A bet's a bet!"
"Thunder's right! It's just a kiss!"
"Ice, hurry up—it's my turn next."
"Mmm... what a strange feeling this is..."
"Y-you! Close your eyes!"
When it was finally over, Elias touched his lips, dazed, wondering where exactly things had gone wrong.
He looked at the Herrschers with a complicated expression, and they quickly turned their heads away. While half of them had done it out of curiosity, the moment their lips met his, Reason, Void, Thunder, Wind, Ice, and Fire all felt something shift within them.
For an instant, something beyond the mission given to them by the Honkai seemed to awaken.
"..."
"..." ×7
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Both Elias and the Herrschers were at a loss for what to do. But the most bewildered one of all was the Herrscher of Sentience.
Still having no idea what was happening, the newly born Herrscher felt like she had just witnessed something outrageous. Were her seniors... betraying the Honkai?
It must be so! They'd already put on maid outfits, called him Master, and even kissed him!
So... should she betray it too?
Otherwise, she'd look out of place.
"Uh~ I've got something else to do. I'll be going now."
Elias sensed that things had gone beyond his control. He decided to retreat and reconsider what had gone wrong.
But his cape was suddenly seized by six hands.
"Human—no, Master, you're not leaving!"
"Huh? What are you planning?"
"You think you can just win and run off? Keep betting! We'll win everything back this time!"
"..."
Elias' expression turned complicated as he looked at the six Herrschers, their eyes blazing with determination. One thing became clear to him.
These Herrschers hadn't fallen in love with him.
They were just... addicted to gambling!
(By the heavens, gambling truly is poison. Get hooked once, and reason flies out the window.)
"Fine, fine, I'll humor you one last time. But this time, I won't hold back. The stakes must be equal. If you've got the guts—then bet."
"No problem! What are the terms? What's the bet?"
"Same terms as before—if the next Herrscher can so much as scratch me. As for the wager... let's make it bigger this time. Let's bet everything. Not just a wish, but everything you have. Do you dare?"
Elias folded his arms, his calm demeanor pressing down on the Herrschers like a mountain. Yet at this point, they had no way out—not because of pride, but because their dignity was on the line.
Herrschers: "Fine! We'll wager everything! There's no way we'll lose this time! Soon, you'll be ours!"
Elias: "Heh, foolish."
The Herrschers didn't realize that they were already completely entranced—and that the terms weren't equal at all.
To Elias, this was just a game. But for them, it was everything. The reason was simple: power. Elias held the kind of strength that could overturn the table at any time.
And besides…
Elias: (This doesn't even count as a bet. You can't call it that when there's no chance of winning.)
A wager only exists when the outcome is uncertain. If the result is already set no matter how hard one struggles, then it's nothing but mockery.
Still, Elias decided to put a bit more effort into it this time.
But not because of this guaranteed win.
It was because the next Herrscher... had a grudge against her.
...
Months later—
The Previous Era, Mu Continent.
At the moment of the Ninth Eruption, bloodstained white petals drifted down from the sky, halting the tragedy before it could begin. Before the Herrscher of Earth and her accompanying Honkai Beast could even react—
Elias used the power of the Herrscher of the Void to teleport them onto the ocean's surface. In his left hand, he held the Abyss Flower; in his right, the Judgment of Shamash. At the same time, he activated the Artificial Cascade: [Reverse God].
Such treatment—none of the previous Herrschers had ever received.
"In the first cycle, you were the only one who gave me real trouble. Not only did I fail to get your materials, but your Core exploded, and you even managed to sink the entire Mu Continent."
Elias began listing his grievances.
Then, raising the blazing greatsword, he said:
"After that, I swore—every time I see you, I'll beat you down. So... struggle all you want, Herrscher of Earth. Because now, you'll learn what terror truly is."
Herrscher of Earth: "I don't know what you're talking about, human, but—die! Simulated Black Hole!!"
A massive artificial black hole appeared over the sea.
Because Elias had increased the civilization's strength, the Herrscher of Earth's power had also grown stronger through the Honkai's influence.
The simulated black hole she created now was far more terrifying than before—if left unchecked, it could erase several supercontinents and eventually swallow the entire planet.
However…
Elias: "That's it?"
Facing the apocalyptic black hole, the [Reverse God] youth lifted his blazing sword—Might of An-Utu—and swung it down.
In the next instant, the black hole was sliced cleanly in half.
It wasn't even the "Shamash Assault" technique.
It was just Elias' normal attack.