Mobius' sudden appearance disrupted Silas' original plans—though he considered this turn of events advantageous. Aboard the aircraft returning to MOTH headquarters, Silas began revising his strategy. Perhaps I can persuade Mobius to accelerate the MANTIS Project... becoming a MANTIS before the 7th Herrscher's emergence might prevent Australia's complete annihilation.
Yet he had to consider the risks: advancing technology too rapidly could escalate the Herrschers' power. After all, the 11th Herrscher—the Herrscher of Binding—had clearly evolved to counter MANTISes. Without Lilith and the others sacrificing themselves to breach its defenses, he'd never have reached it. He'd expected to perish together with that Herrscher... but in the end, after being impaled by the Black Abyss White Flower, the Binding Herrscher hadn't retaliated. Instead, it had embraced him.
"Michaela..." Silas recalled the devout girl who'd once been a medic, always darting across battlefields to tend to the wounded, her prayers a constant murmur. Yet she'd become humanity's enemy, wielding her blades against those she'd once healed. Or perhaps... she believed an end in sleep was humanity's kindest fate. No more suffering under the weight of survival. No more dread for tomorrow. Only eternal slumber.
The 11th Herrscher's Authority: Honkai Energy Suppression. Ordinary humans died instantly; MANTISes within one minute.
Though Silas had entered the Divine Prayer Barrier himself, his experience differed from others. While Vill-V described it as agonizing, he'd felt... release, as if invisible hands lifted his burdens, urging him to abandon his obsessions and surrender.
Originally, there had been two plans to defeat the Herrscher of Binding. The first was a direct assault, with the Fallen Angels squad coordinating with other MANTIS soldiers while Silas and Kevin broke through the Divine Barrier and assassinated the Herrscher.
The second was proposed by "Pure Evil" Vil-V: sacrifice as many civilians as necessary to overwhelm the Herrscher's suppression threshold, forcing the Divine Barrier to collapse in a short window.
As the commander of the strongest anti-Honkai MANTIS unit, Silas openly supported Vil-V's plan. Based on Malice's calculations, the number of civilian sacrifices required was within the limits humanity could bear while still being able to rebuild civilization. But the proposal faced fierce opposition from Elysia and Mei—because the outcome for those civilians was certain death.
Even if volunteers stepped forward, the numbers were nowhere near enough.
The debate among MOTH's upper command dragged on for days before they finally chose the first plan.
But Silas had already decided: if they wouldn't approve it, he would have his squad bypass the chain of command and implement the plan anyway. In his eyes, MANTIS soldiers were humanity's strongest weapons—far more valuable than any civilian.
However, before he could act, Elysia—realizing his intentions—gathered Kevin and several others to strike the Herrscher first, hoping to prevent him from sacrificing civilians.
Knowing Elysia was the Herrscher of Origin—humanity's first and last hope—Silas had no choice but to ensure her safety. He abandoned the second plan and led the Fallen Angels into battle as quickly as possible.
The result: total annihilation.
Everyone in his squad died, except for him.
Before the battle, he'd warned them all: Entering the Divine Prayer Barrier means certain death. Yet... not a single one retreated.
Now, reborn, the Binding Herrscher remained his inevitable trial. Without civilian sacrifices, the tragedy would repeat.
"This time... I must restrain Elysia first." Silas clenched his fists. "Forgive me, Elysia. Just this once, I have to do this. Forgive me..."
Meanwhile, Elysia and Mobius were still discussing their plans for the future.
"Elysia," Mobius asked, her gaze fixed, "if you truly harbor special feelings for Silas… are you prepared to face who he really is?"
Elysia straightened up slightly. In the previous timeline, she had her suspicions, but no matter how much she investigated, she never found solid evidence. She replied, "Mobius... are you referring to the Rebellion Purge Incident?"
Mobius raised her eyebrows. After a moment, she said, "Of course it's you. Only you would have noticed. Then I'll speak plainly—Silas executed every last member of the resistance, even those who had already surrendered. Including their families."
Elysia's eyes widened in shock.
The Suppression of the Resistance had taken place during and after the 10th Herrscher event. At the time, MOTH faced threats not only from the Honkai, but also from anti-MOTH forces who believed the organization had colluded with Herrschers and stolen humanity's freedom. They'd been a thorn in MOTH's side—especially after the 10th Herrscher used them as cannon fodder.
Following the 9th Herrscher incident, MOTH made the crackdown official. Silas led the Fallen Angels into Africa to eliminate the resistance's stronghold.
The official report stated that Africa had become a breeding ground for multiple Apocalypse-class Honkai Beasts, and that a remnant of the 10th Herrscher launched a final counterattack with a Honkai fission bomb—annihilating the entire resistance.
But…
That wasn't the truth.
"From the start of the suppression to its end, Silas took several months," Mobius said, sipping her coffee. "That's already ridiculous enough on its own. Do you know what kind of people make up the Fallen Angels? They're maniacs who treat engineered Honkai outbreaks like party tricks. How could they possibly need that long to deal with a rebel force that didn't even have a single MANTIS soldier?"
Elysia remained silent.
"The suppression ended not long after it began," Mobius continued calmly. "He activated the 0th Power Rating of the Black Abyss White Flower—at the cost of his own lifespan—to obliterate the entire Sahara region. Eighty percent of the rebels vanished in an instant. The remaining rebels surrendered shortly afterward. But once their supplies were seized, they were executed—on Silas's orders—by Beelzebub and Asmodeus."
"The entirety of Africa. Over a hundred million people. Not a single survivor."
Mobius voiced the brutal truth that Elysia had never learned in the previous timeline—cold, emotionless.
The cabin fell into a long silence.
So long, in fact, that Mobius began to wonder: if this was the extent of Elysia's feelings for Silas, then perhaps she wasn't a threat after all.
But just as that thought crossed her mind, Elysia finally spoke:
"I… never knew," Elysia whispered. "I believe you, Mobius. But I also believe Silas doesn't kill without purpose. The MOTH Council approved this from the start… didn't they?"
Now that's more like it, Mobius thought to herself, then revealed another fact she'd previously held back.
"You're right. Silas asked the Council how to deal with the resistance. Their answer was, 'Handle it as you see fit.' Hah… those cowardly fossils just didn't want the blood on their hands. No reintegration programs, no containment measures—just gave him full authority and looked the other way."
Elysia lowered her head and stared at the floor. Her voice trembled slightly.
"Mei… she knew, didn't she?"
"Of course she knew. She even voted in favor of the Council's decision to let Silas handle it alone." Mobius's voice was nonchalant. "It's funny, isn't it? She signed off on that slaughter, yet when it came to the Herrscher of Constraint, she opposed sacrificing civilians. Hypocritical, really. Though I suppose she kept it from you because Silas asked her to."
"Then how did you find out?" Elysia asked, lifting her eyes again, focusing on the question she truly cared about.
"Lilith told me," Mobius replied. "Silas took all the blame on himself, and she was worried that burden would break him. I kept a close eye on him for a while afterward but… honestly, I didn't notice anything unusual. Now, though… I'm starting to think he was broken a long time ago."
"Yes... that's Silas for you." Elysia's voice was soft, almost tender. "He never speaks of his burdens. He buries everything inside, shouldering sins that were never his to bear."
Both she and Mobius knew the truth—during the 10th Herrscher's reign, humanity's resources had been stretched to the brink. The rebels, though possessing supplies, were already on the verge of collapse. The meager stockpiles Silas brought back to MOTH proved it. Had they taken in the surrendering rebels…
The result? Famine. Panic. Collapse.
From a logical standpoint, Silas' choice had been necessary. His actions ensured that, at the very least, humanity never starved before the end.
But from a human perspective?
He was a monster.
"This incident—and the fallout of the 9th Herrscher—must have shattered his last restraint," Mobius mused. She was referring, of course, to how Silas had later supported Vill-V's plan during the Binding Herrscher tragedy—once someone crossed a line like that, they'd never hesitate to do it again.
To bring light and hope to others, he buried himself in darkness and sin.
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, abruptly, Elysia stood.
Mobius frowned. "Elysia? Where are you going?"
"Thank you, Mobius." Elysia's back was turned, her expression hidden. "Thank you… for finally making me resolve myself."
Mobius' eyes narrowed.
"I'll tell him everything. I'll accept all of him—just as I said before. We can start over, fight together, and carve out a better future." Elysia's voice was firm, unwavering. "Because I've realized… I love him. Not because he's a hero who bore the world's sins. Not because of what he's done or said. I love him… simply because he is him."
A quiet, almost self-deprecating laugh escaped her.
"Ah… it seems I've grown a little stubborn, too."
And with that, she left.
Mobius sat alone, motionless as stone. Minutes passed before she finally let out a low, mocking chuckle.
"Heh… of course it would be you, Elysia." Her golden eyes gleamed in the dim light. "But even so… I won't let go so easily. After all…"
A serpent's smile curled at her lips.
"A snake never lets go of its prey. It's patient. And it waits."
Elysia walked steadily toward Silas' cabin, her mind clearer than it had ever been.
She had imagined, once, that if she ever saw the truth of Silas—the blood on his hands, the cruelty he was capable of—she might pull away. That she would pity him, mourn for him, but never stand beside him.
But now?
She loved him.
Not out of sympathy. Not out of obligation.
But because she chose to.
She would share his burdens. Walk the same path. And together…
They would rewrite the future.
Perhaps the ending would remain unchanged.
But the journey?
That, they could shape.
The cabin door slid open.
Silas looked up, confusion flickering in his eyes—
—only for Elysia to smile at him, bright and warm, as if nothing had changed.
"Hi~! It's me! The second of the Flame-Chasers, Elysia!" She winked. "Now then… let's properly reintroduce ourselves, Silas."
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