Inside Griseo's art studio.
Huu~ huu~ huu~
A faint and steady breathing could be heard. Even with Elias' sharp hearing, he felt that if he wasn't careful, he might miss it. His gaze softened as he gently stroked the head of the girl resting in his arms.
Although at first Elias had been lying on Griseo's lap pillow, he hadn't actually fallen asleep—his eyes had only been closed.
Firstly, if he truly slept, it would be too much of a waste. After all, this was Griseo's lap pillow~
Even though the girl had become a Judgment-level MANTIS, her soft, delicate legs still made Elias worry that his head might accidentally crush them.
Secondly, at this point, sleep was somewhat difficult for Elias. His memory capacity had finally reached its limit, and every second his brain throbbed in pain. Countless tragic memories would surface in flashes, making rest almost impossible.
It was this that kept Elias from sleep.
So, after pretending to nap for a while, Griseo also began to grow sleepy. Taking advantage of the moment, Elias had Misteln weave a dream for her.
"Sweet dreams, little Griseo. Just this is already enough of a reward for me."
Elias whispered lovingly as he looked down at the small painter in his arms. Simply holding her brought peace to his weary heart.
In countless past cycles, Griseo had always brought Elias comfort. No matter how troubled he felt, as long as this girl who painted worlds was beside him, he could keep moving forward.
If only she were a bit older—then perhaps, by now, he might've qualified to challenge a certain Miss Pink Elf.
"If Griseo were a grown-up, I'd probably have confessed to you long ago. You're just too cute, too healing...."
Elias smiled, poking the girl's sleeping cheek. It felt as though the broken pieces of his heart were being gently mended.
However, just as he was wishing this moment could last forever, his communicator suddenly rang with an emergency alert. Elias nearly crushed it in irritation.
"Tch! Really? You choose now to throw an anomaly at me?!"
The transmission reported a massive outbreak of Honkai Beasts—forming a terrifying tide that was attacking a city protected by Fire Moth.
This incident wasn't recorded in Elias' memories. In other words, it was a butterfly effect caused by his interference with fate.
Although Elias believed others could handle it, he decided to go himself, just in case.
"Eh~ thank you, little Griseo, for giving me such a beautiful time. Farewell—sweet dreams."
Elias pressed a gentle kiss to Griseo's forehead before opening a portal and stepping through to the site of the Honkai Beast tide.
...
At the scene of the Honkai outbreak—
"Whoa! Lord Elias has arrived!!"
"Thank goodness! We're saved!!"
"Honkai Beasts, you're finished now!"
"Savior, please save us!!"
The instant Elias appeared, the once-panicked crowd erupted in cheers. Fear and despair were instantly replaced by hope and excitement.
On the other side, while the people shouted in worship, Elias felt no ripple in his heart. Calm and composed, he observed the tide of Honkai Beasts before him, analyzing the situation.
"Rrraaaahhhhhh—!!" ×N
Countless Honkai Beasts roared in unison, their numbers so vast they filled the entire horizon. Among them were even Emperor-class creatures.
Elias' expression remained unchanged as he said, "Whatever. Let's just erase ninety percent first."
Facing hundreds of thousands of Honkai Beasts forming an army capable of ending the world, the white-haired youth drew a massive flaming sword. His eyes reflected boredom and faint annoyance before he muttered—
"Shamash—Assault."
The flames of the Herrscher of Fire ignited along the blade. Elias gripped the hilt as though holding a blazing, divine torch capable of illuminating the entire world.
The people on-site watched as the white-haired youth, facing hundreds of thousands of Honkai Beasts while wielding the Judgment of Shamash, stood like a god among men. Reverence filled their hearts as many instinctively drew a cross upon their chests and whispered, "Eli Gate."
In the next second, Elias swung the Judgment of Shamash. The searing flames surged like an ocean tide, sweeping across the horde of Honkai Beasts.
The tens of thousands of terrifying creatures that had moments ago filled the world with dread were now reduced to ash. The earth turned into scorched wasteland, the dark clouds above were completely burned away, and the planet itself looked as though someone had parted it clean down the middle.
And this was with Elias suppressing the weapon's full power. Had he unleashed it completely, even the defensive walls and gear of his allies would've melted in the heat wave alone.
Thus, the once-catastrophic Honkai Beast tide was nearly annihilated in an instant.
"The remaining few are nothing. Everyone, pursue the stragglers—but stay alert."
"Yes, Lord Elias!" ×N
...
After a long while, the very last Honkai Beast was finally eliminated. It was only then that Elias realized this final one had been the source of the entire tide.
"A new type of Honkai Beast I've never seen in any previous cycle... what a hassle. It triggered a localized Honkai Eruption, summoned massive numbers of Honkai Beasts, and even amplified and controlled them. It's practically a Herrscher among Beasts."
"Judgment-level... no, Vipralopa-class—Nine-Tails."
The image of the final foe appeared in Elias' mind: a fox-like Honkai Beast with golden fur and several large tails, resembling the mythical Nine-Tailed Fox of legend.
Although it wasn't designed for direct combat, among all Honkai Beasts Elias knew of, this one ranked within the top five in terms of danger.
It had an elegant, almost divine beauty—like the embodiment of enchantment, reminiscent of Tamamo-no-Mae—but its abilities were terrifying.
The Nine-Tails could trigger a minor-scale Honkai Eruption.
While it couldn't summon a Herrscher, it could call forth hundreds of thousands of Honkai Beasts and make them submit to its will. Its roar alone could greatly enhance their Honkai energy output.
Had its opponents been any weaker, this creature could've effortlessly wiped out entire nations.
But in the end, it was devoured by Elias' Heaven Devourer.
"Emmm... it was strong, yes, but no casualties this time. Actually, it even strengthened me. Heh, perfect—looks like I can control Honkai Beasts now."
Elias glanced behind him—there, a fluffy white fox tail emerged, and a pair of fox ears sprouted atop his head. He immediately deactivated the Nine-Tails' Meta-Morph factor.
"Ugh... that's a bit embarrassing, but the ability's decent..."
As a Herrscher who had betrayed the Honkai, Elias had never possessed the ability to summon or command Honkai Beasts.
But after consuming the Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast, the Nine-Tails, that had changed.
With its Charm ability, he could now issue commands to Honkai Beasts. The original Nine-Tails could at best control Emperor-class ones—but Elias, being who he was, felt confident he could manage even those of Vipralopa-class.
With this newfound ability, Honkai Beasts would no longer pose a threat. In fact, they could even become allies of humanity.
However, things didn't end entirely smoothly.
Though the Nine-Tails hadn't managed to breach his defenses, Elias had still taken a hit—something that almost never happened.
It wasn't because the Nine-Tails was particularly strong, but simply because he'd failed to react in time.
"My condition's terrible. Just a short period without sleep, and my reflexes dropped so much I couldn't dodge a Beast's beam... still, it's nothing serious."
With the physique of a Chimera MANTIS, and the life-regulating powers of the Herrscher of Rebirth, Elias wasn't physically susceptible to fatigue. Even if his mind grew weary, his body would not easily falter.
Originally, he intended to return to the command center, but before he realized it, Elias had wandered to the Golden Courtyard. Stepping inside, he found that the ones home today were Eden and Aponia.
"Hm? Sheele's not home?"
"They said they went grocery shopping. Hm? Elias, what's wrong? You look terrible—are you hurt?"
The moment Eden and Aponia saw him, their expressions changed drastically. Both women immediately rushed over to his side.
"Eh, I'm fine, really. Nothing happened. I just gained a powerful new ability from a Honkai Beast—I've gotten even stronger. How could anything be wrong with me?"
"But Elias, your face looks terrible."
"Huh?"
Elias froze for a moment. Instinctively, he turned toward the mirror in the courtyard—and the reflection that met his eyes startled even him.
His golden pupils were dim, and dark circles had formed beneath his eyes, rivaling those of Klein. It was clear his mind had reached its limit.
"You've pushed yourself too hard. Take some proper rest for a while. I'll speak to Mei about it," Eden said firmly.
"I'm fine... I'm just... a little tired."
At this point, there was no hiding it. No matter what he said, his face alone was proof enough.
And the instant he admitted his exhaustion, Elias suddenly lost all strength and began to collapse. Thankfully, Aponia caught him just in time before he hit the floor.
"Elias! You must rest!"
"...Rest, huh."
The white-haired youth gave a weary smile. If he could, he would've gladly closed his eyes and slept for three days and nights. But the moment he tried, countless memories of tragedy would surge through his mind.
It was the price he paid for carrying the memories of every Honkai event across every cycle. His mind throbbed so painfully that sleep was impossible.
He could have erased those memories with the Fenghuang Down, freeing himself from the burden—but until he reached the final battle against the Herrscher of Finality, Elias could not do so. Through repeated cycles, he had verified one crucial fact.
Rather than relying solely on the Throne of Moonlight and countering after absorbing a portion of Finality's power, burning his own memories and unleashing the Edge of Taixuan could force the Herrscher of Finality into the longest possible shutdown.
To change fate once and for all, he needed that shutdown to last as long as possible.
And beyond his overflowing memories, even his soul had reached its limit. Though the Eternal Heart kept him from deterioration—ensuring that no matter how much time passed, his mind would never break—
Still...
Sometimes, breaking would've been easier.
Because of the Eternal Heart, Elias remained eternally self-aware. It meant that no matter how long he lived, he would never lose himself, never go mad, never fall into chaos.
This was the very reason Misteln had once marveled at him—how he could remember every tragedy yet remain himself.
Otherwise, bearing the weight of an entire civilization's sorrow would have corrupted even someone like Elysia.
"Eden, can I ask you for a favor?"
Supported by the two women, Elias lay down on the sofa, too exhausted to move even a finger. Breathing alone now felt like a laborious task.
"Yes, Elias, tell us," Eden replied softly.
"Anything within our power... no, anything you desire—just tell us," Aponia added, her tone filled with concern.
Neither woman knew exactly when it had begun, but both found their hearts aching whenever they looked at Elias. Neither could explain why, only that a powerful urge had arisen within them—to make him stop, to make him rest.
"Could you sing for me, Eden? I want to sleep, but I can't. My mind is a mess... but if it's your voice, I think I could finally relax."
"I understand. If it's for you, Elias, I'll sing anytime," Eden replied without hesitation.
"I'll do what I can as well. Please stop overthinking. Please rest properly. Please don't push yourself so hard anymore..."
As Aponia spoke, she sat beside him and gently let the white-haired youth rest his head upon her lap. She then invoked her [Discipline]—layer upon layer of binding thoughts, gently suppressing his turbulent mind.
Though Aponia's words acted like invisible chains, the restraint felt soothing to Elias. The endless flood of tragic memories finally quieted.
Incidentally, since Aponia's figure was... generous (H cup), once his head was on her lap, Elias realized that two towering peaks had completely blocked his view.
But before he could think further—
In the next instant, a golden song filled the air.
The sun drops
Nightmares climb top
Wings flip, and the world stops
Sharing gems and rum worth of diadem
But no one can free from suffering
I used to witness of all wonders
I've anticipated the earth sunder
Engraved discipline from principles
Fairest… come with your shapeless hopes
I pray for the oath made of gold
All of my dearest lost lambs
Could you see the thunder enfold
I pray for the wars made of falls
From my concession to confession
Still cannot avoid blossom of predestined faults
When the sun dropped
Sweetened dreams floated top
Wings flip, and the world fade in foam
—Predestination (Aponia & Eden Fan-Made Song by Kinoko蘑菇)—
...
The divine melody—truly worthy of the name Eden. Listening to that golden voice, the corners of Elias' lips curved unconsciously. For the first time in a long while, his soul felt at peace, as if it were being cleansed.
Elias was a man who could never be drunk on wine, yet Eden's song could make his heart intoxicated.
Truthfully, he had never wanted to remember the tragedies. If he could, he would have chosen to forget them all. The only memories Elias wished to keep were the beautiful ones.
(How beautiful... I'll have to trouble Eden to sing for me every night from now on... I just want to dream—just once, a beautiful dream.)
As his consciousness sank into darkness, a single tear traced down from the corner of the white-haired youth's eye, glimmering softly as he finally drifted into slumber upon Aponia's lap.
At last, Elias had fallen asleep.
Seeing his peaceful expression, both Eden and Aponia let out quiet sighs of relief. Gently, they brushed his snowy hair, each pressing a tender kiss to his cheeks.
Then—
"The rest is up to you, Ely."
"Take good care of Elias. He needs you."
The two women spoke softly toward the pink-haired figure standing in the corner.
"Mm. Eden, Aponia—thank you."
Elysia smiled warmly, stepping forward to take Aponia's place. Sitting down gracefully, she let Elias rest his head upon her lap, her eyes tender as starlight.