At the entrance of Mobius' laboratory.
Elias was suddenly confessed to by Klein.
Instinctively, he glanced at the nearby laboratory door and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming there was no movement.
It wasn't his own safety that worried him—it was hers. After all, if the snake found out about this, there'd be no outcome other than eternal overtime—or perhaps even purgatory.
"N-no problem, I've already... accepted my fate!"
"Klein, you actually..."
Of course, the diligent one knew Mobius' temperament perfectly well. But it was precisely with that awareness that she had decided to confess to Elias—fully prepared to die by overwork.
Her courage moved Elias to tears.
"Elias, I know this confession is sudden. Honestly, I don't even know how it happened... I just suddenly realized how I feel about you, and... I can't control it."
Blushing deeply, Klein pressed her hand against her chest as she spoke.
Ever since learning that she had been one of the vessels for the Herrscher of Dominance—but was ultimately saved by Elias—the green-haired girl's mind had been filled entirely with his image.
Her emotions were like a volcano that had been suppressed for far too long, suddenly erupting uncontrollably. It was irrational and abrupt—love had come too fast, like a whirlwind...
Though in truth, the reality was quite the opposite.
Across the eleven previous cycles, Elias had saved Klein from her fate as a Herrscher vessel every single time.
At first, Klein's feelings had been purely gratitude. But as the cycles passed, that gratitude quietly evolved—into affection, and then into love.
And the reason Klein became a workaholic in the first place stemmed from her fear of the Honkai.
In her own words: "I can only numb my fear of the Honkai by working nonstop."
Perhaps that was also why she admired Elias so deeply. The thing she feared most in the world—the Honkai—was something that Elias could crush with ease. That made him the embodiment of safety in her eyes. Add to that the countless times he'd rescued her from Mobius' overtime hell...
These emotions had built up over twelve entire cycles, finally reaching their breaking point. She couldn't hold it in any longer—she had to tell him, or she'd suffocate.
Still, she never expected anything in return.
All she wanted was to say it.
But then—
"Thank you for liking me, Klein. How about we grab a meal sometime? Are you free today? ...No, you're probably not. That's fine—I'll give you a day off in Mobius' name. How about a date instead?"
Elias said with a dazzling, sun-like smile.
"Eh? Ah? I—uh—wait..."
Klein's mind went blank. Her eyes widened in shock, hands flailing helplessly. She never expected Elias to not reject her.
"Elias... does that mean... you're accepting my confession?"
"Yeah. I'm really happy, actually. I've never been confessed to by Klein before. Haha~ to think that in this final cycle, I'd get to hear you say you like me—it's a wonderful surprise."
Had this been any other time, Klein's sharp mind might've caught onto something strange in his phrasing—but right now, her thoughts had overheated and short-circuited.
"...Really? You mean it? But I'm not like the others in the Flame-Chasers. I'm not strong, not particularly pretty either. Honestly, I just wanted to tell you how I felt—I didn't think you'd actually agree."
Klein's voice carried a faint trace of self-doubt.
Of course, she wasn't lacking in ability. After all, anyone capable of assisting Mobius directly was undoubtedly a bona fide genius.
But compared to the Flame-Chasers, Klein had always felt like she was just... ordinary.
"What are you talking about! Klein, you're amazing!" Elias said, patting her back reassuringly.
"Eh?"
"Klein has so many good qualities—and she's a very cute girl too. It's just that no one ever noticed because of those dark circles under your eyes."
Elias reached out and gently patted her head. Though she wasn't quite on the same level as Elysia, Klein was undeniably a beauty.
Unfortunately, thanks to a certain shameless serpent who exploited her twenty-four hours a day, Klein never had a chance to take care of herself. Her hair was always messy, her eyes perpetually shadowed, and she always wore her lab coat.
She'd never had the chance to show her true charm.
As much as Elias loved Mobius, he couldn't help but feel she deserved a little criticism for that. Someday, after finally subduing her, he'd make her copy the labor laws a hundred times as punishment.
"Besides, why would I reject you? When a sincere girl confesses her feelings, how could I ever disappoint her?"
It wasn't quite love yet.
But Elias did, without question, like Klein.
His standards for love were both impossibly high and surprisingly simple. As long as the affection was genuine, and he had at least a baseline fondness in return, he wouldn't turn it down.
After all, he wanted to be loved by many.
As for rejection—why reject someone? In a world so vast, meeting someone who truly likes you without any hidden agenda is rarer than a miracle. If fate brought that person to you, how could you not treasure it? Otherwise, the heavens themselves might strike you down.
Besides, as a self-proclaimed successor of harem ideology and a savior seeking the perfect ending, Elias had always chosen the path of having it all.
Because he believed wholeheartedly in his ability to make everyone happy.
"...Elias, p-please give me a moment. I need to calm down." Klein began taking deep breaths.
"Of course. Take your time. Once you've calmed down, let's go out somewhere. Now that I think about it, I don't really know much about you, Klein. Let's get to know each other better."
"Uuu... alright, I understand."
Klein nodded, her composure rapidly slipping away under the onslaught of Elias' god-tier romantic charisma. With no experience in romance, she found herself completely swept along.
Yet, strangely enough, being led by him like this felt... comfortable. Safe. For someone as timid as her, it was the perfect kind of warmth.
Blushing, the green-haired girl covered her face with both hands, a shy but lovely smile blooming across her lips.
"Right then—let's do something to mark the moment."
"Eh? Do something?"
"Yeah, something like this..."
Elias narrowed his golden eyes and smiled, slowly leaning closer.
As the distance between them shrank, Klein's heart began to race faster and faster. Even with no experience, she knew exactly what was about to happen.
(T-too fast! It's only been two minutes since I confessed! What do I do? I'm so nervous... Doctor once told me that when she and Elias kissed, she even used her serpent tongue—wait, no, why am I thinking about that?!)
Inside her mind, a tiny version of Klein was panicking, spinning in circles with spiraling eyes.
And then—
Both Elias and Klein froze at the same time.
They suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of being watched. Their entire bodies went cold, as if a serpent had coiled around them. A red danger symbol practically appeared above their heads.
"..." ×2
Slowly, both turned toward Mobius' laboratory—only to see the door slightly ajar.
Three pairs of eyes were peering straight at them.
Mobius: "..."
Cangxuan: "Stare..."
Danzhu: "Stare..."
Had they been standing a bit farther away, perhaps they wouldn't have noticed—but as it was, Elias and Klein were only a few steps from the lab door.
Meaning the trio were, quite literally, spying right in front of them.
"Ahaha~ morning, Snake. Morning, Cangxuan, Danzhu."
"G-good morning, Doctor, Cangxuan, Danzhu."
The two awkwardly greeted them first.
Mobius' eyelid twitched uncontrollably. She had no words to describe what she was feeling. The boy she liked—and her most trusted assistant—had started flirting right outside her lab door.
At this point, it was practically an open provocation to Mobius' face!!
"Go on then, don't stop on my account," she said with arms crossed, trying to keep her composure—hoping embarrassment would make Elias and Klein back off.
However…
"Oh? Then let's continue, Klein."
"Eh? C-continue?"
"Of course. Mobius said we should, didn't she?"
"Well, if it's Doctor's instruction..."
At Mobius' own suggestion, Elias and Klein leaned in again, the distance between them shrinking rapidly. Just before their lips touched, the serpent finally lost all restraint and stepped between them.
"Y-you two, stop right there!"
Her plan had backfired spectacularly. A normal person would have stopped out of embarrassment—but Elias never played by common rules. And when it came to expressing affection, he never hesitated.
As for Klein… Klein always followed Mobius' orders without question. If the Doctor told her to continue, she would.
"That's not what I meant! Klein, back to work—right now! Elias, go wherever you want!"
Mobius felt like crying. The boy she liked and her most trusted assistant—these were supposed to be two sources of happiness. So why did it feel like her world was collapsing instead?
Today, Mobius' hair looked especially green.
"Wow, I didn't think Elias could even charm Senior Klein! I always thought she only cared about research. I guess even she can fall in love!"
"Danzhu, for the sake of our lives—and our paychecks—maybe don't talk about this. Doctor looks like she's about to devour someone."
Cangxuan and Danzhu exchanged nervous glances. They'd just witnessed quite the show, but if they kept running their mouths, they might wake up as test subjects on Mobius' operating table.
...
At this point, Elias had basically completed the "Mobius' Lab Route."
It almost felt like he should've unlocked an achievement.
"Klein, don't overwork yourself. You should learn to relax a little from Cangxuan and Danzhu. I'll come visit you again soon."
"Uh, okay."
"Elias, get out!"
Veins bulged on Mobius' forehead.
There were only four people in her lab, and two of them were already professional troublemakers. If Klein started slacking off too, Mobius didn't even want to imagine the chaos that would follow.
Elias simply waved and turned to leave. In his opinion, Mobius should start with Cangxuan and Danzhu—they had great potential, after all.
Incidentally, all three of them had undergone Meta-Morph procedures, and all belonged to the serpent-type Honkai Beasts.
Cangxuan and Danzhu were Emperor-class white and red serpents, respectively, while Klein—like Mobius—was a Judgment-level Shesha-type Honkai Beast.
Though none of them were combat personnel, the truth was that few in Fire Moth could actually win in a fight against these four.
"By the way, where's Gray Serpent?"
Elias suddenly realized the lab's other "serpent" was missing.
"No idea. Probably outside studying human behavior or something. Why? Do you need him for something?" Mobius asked, shrugging.
"Yeah, I do. Have him come find me later."
Elias nodded seriously.
It was a simple task—but an extremely important one. One that could very well determine the success or failure of this entire cycle.
...
Although there were alternatives, Gray Serpent was without a doubt the most suitable candidate. After all, he was fated to be one of the few who would survive from the Previous Era to the Current Era.
...
In the Golden Courtyard.
A month after the capture of the Herrscher of Dominance.
Elias stood before the remaining three hourglasses—those representing Binding, Corruption, and Finality.
The sand within Binding's hourglass was almost out.
"Let's finish this one quickly. This time, I won't need Pardo's luck-based tricks. Still... if I remember right, the vessel for the Herrscher of Binding is currently..."
Elias' expression turned complicated. After hesitating for a moment, he stood up and opened a portal.
The next instant, he appeared inside a cathedral.
The moment the priests and nuns inside saw him, their eyes lit up with fervent devotion. Some even dropped to their knees as though they were in the presence of God Himself.
"Every time... it's so over the top. Relax, everyone," Elias said helplessly.
"Ahh! Lord Elias has come!"
"Welcome, our Savior!"
"Please accept our devotion, Lord Elias!"
The white-haired man sighed softly as he looked upon the clergy who now worshiped him as a living deity.
He'd accomplished so many miracles that, after the Honkai had shattered people's faith in God, all nations had abandoned their old religions entirely—and turned to worship him instead.
"This time, I'm here to see your saint."
"Someone, bring the Saint here immediately!"
Within a minute, a young woman in a white nun's habit came hurrying over. Her hands were clasped in reverence, her cheeks flushed faintly as she gazed at Elias with pure adoration.
"Lord Elias, how may I serve you?" she asked softly.
"Ah... uh... give me a second to adjust," Elias muttered, his expression complicated.
If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have reacted like this. But the saint before him happened to look exactly like Theresa Kaslana—albeit an alternate-universe version.
The resemblance was uncanny, but unlike the petite and childish Theresa he knew, this Saint was a fully developed young woman with graceful curves and serene beauty.
Thinking about Theresa's usual chaotic behavior, then looking at this devout, gentle Saint, Elias couldn't help but feel the whiplash. He even wanted to take a picture—to show it to Theresa when he returned to the Current Era.
"Ahem! I'll be direct. In a few minutes, you'll be chosen by the Honkai and become a Herrscher."
"Eh? Lord Elias... are you serious? I—I'll become a Herrscher?"
"Yes, but don't worry. I'll save you."
"...Ahh, my Lord..."
Tears shimmered in the Saint's eyes as she looked up at him, overwhelmed by emotion. Her faith in him, already absolute, deepened even further.
Elias could only sigh inwardly. To a devout servant of the divine, his arrival now was no different from God himself descending to save his follower.
A saint was, after all, a woman who dedicated her life to serving the divine.
And now, he had replaced that divinity.
In other words, this alternate Theresa—the grown-up, saintly version—now saw serving him as her sacred calling.
"Ahem! There's not much time left, so let's begin. Don't worry—it won't hurt."
"Lord Elias, please... do not show mercy on my account."