Valkyrie Dormitory.
"I must apologize, Lord Elias. As your maid, having you personally take care of like this is truly disgraceful."
"Don't say that. Here, eat first."
Inside Rita's bedroom—
The beautiful maid with short ash-golden hair lay exhausted on her bed. Unlike her usual composed and graceful deanor, she now carried a hint of sluggishness and laziness. Yet, this vulnerability only added to her charm, invoking a desire to protect her.
Elias sat at the edge of the girl's bed and used his authority to examine Rita's condition, confirming that it was rely physical exhaustion that had yet to recover. She wasn't injured.
(Seems it really was just a spar with i. I was overthinking it. Then again, both i and Rita are level-headed girls. It's unlikely they'd actually break into a fight or sothing like that.)
With that thought, Elias let out a breath of relief.
To be honest, he had been a bit worried that upon opening the door, he'd find Rita missing an arm or a leg.
After all, while i is usually calm. (Not always.)
The Queen, on the other hand, is always aggressive!
"Heh, still... this is a rare sight."
"What is it, Lord Elias?"
"Nothing. Just thinking how it's usually you taking care of . Now, with roles reversed, I finally get a chance to take care of you."
Elias placed a small table on the bed and set the warm dishes in front of Rita.
Though he wouldn't mind feeding her with an "ah~" gesture—in fact, if it were Kiana or Bronya, he would've started already—
Unfortunately, while Rita's favorability was steadily rising, it still wasn't quite high enough for such couple-like intimacy.
"As expected... such a neat and tidy room."
Elias glanced around and comnted. He had briefly considered helping the maid tidy up her room, but imdiately realized he wouldn't get the chance.
After all, Rita Rossweisse was a perfect maid.
How could her room possibly have even a speck of dust?
"Thank you for the complint. But, you know, it's not very polite to stare around a girl's room like this."
"You're right. But do you mind, Rita?"
"Hehe, well... if it's Lord Elias, then I suppose I don't mind at all."
Even in a state of exhaustion, Rita Rossweisse maintained perfect elegance.
She gazed at the boy before her and thought: let this peaceful and lovely mont be a reward for my efforts today. I hope you don't mind, Miss i.
i: (I absolutely mind! You wretched maid!)
But Rita's mischievous thoughts went no further.
Like the dishes she so perfectly prepared, she precisely asured each mont. Without any excessive behavior, she simply savored this mont of shared space.
If you asked whether Rita liked Elias now—
The answer would be yes.
But if you asked whether it was love—
Then no, not quite yet.
Rita enjoyed the occasional flutter Elias brought her. She was content with no longer playing the black-gloved hand, able instead to focus on being both a Valkyrie and a maid.
Compared to Schicksal, St. Freya Academy was far too full of sunshine. Her assassination techniques and spy skills had not seen much use for a long while.
Rita couldn't help but feel her edge in those areas had dulled considerably.
Though she had originally been handed over to Elias as a bargaining chip by a certain inhuman Overseer, she never expected that it would allow her to leave her assassin self behind.
The ti spent in the Valkyrie dorm—
To Rita, was a ti of healing.
...
"Ehh~ Even though Lady Durandal is still with Schicksal, I find myself less and less inclined to return."
"That's good then. Abandoning darkness for the light is always a good thing."
"Only Overseer Otto is the darkness. The majority of Valkyries in Schicksal are quite bright, you know," Rita added.
Elias shrugged, not disagreeing.
Aside from being ruled by that inhuman Otto, Schicksal had always been committed to fighting the Honkai.
Unfortunately, while he could now easily dethrone Theresa and claim the title of ruler of St. Freya Academy, he still couldn't usurp the position of Overseer of Schicksal.
Well, maybe not entirely impossible.
Elias could ti-travel to the past, after all.
(Tch, last ti it was all "my friend" this, "my friend" that, and the favorability didn't go up at all. Damn dog Otto, if you really think of as a friend, let ti travel back 500 years and just off you myself!)
Co to think of it, Otto really took the long way around.
His lifelong dream of saving Kallen Kaslana could've been fulfilled in the simplest way—by genuinely becoming Elias' friend. Elias could then ti-travel back over 500 years to a ti Otto could never reach.
And erase Saint Kallen's tragedy altogether.
In hindsight, Otto's eventual false-godhood, his decision to touch the Imaginary Tree and forge a new tiline to save Kallen, might actually have been the correct choice.
After all, if you simply rewound the current era back 500 years, even if Otto succeeded in saving Kallen once...
Due to fate's corrective force, she would still inevitably die.
Because that was her destined fate.
Using ti travel to save soone from the past—
That was an ability exclusive to Elias.
As an outsider to this world, he alone was immune to correction, capable of changing predetermined fate and saving those long gone.
"Speaking of which, Lord Elias, I overheard sothing downstairs earlier... You and Miss Kiana..."
Rita suddenly changed the subject, blinking her beautiful eyes. She didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.
"Ahem! Those who know, know."
Elias gave an awkward cough and averted his gaze.
"Right, it's pretty self-explanatory. Still... you've chosen to beco Miss Kiana's pillar of support, even after uncovering Overseer Otto's plans."
Rita comnted with a touch of emotion.
After Fu Hua left Schicksal and switched allegiances, she had inford Elias of Otto's plans. Rita trusted that soone as sharp as him had already deduced the Fool's entire sche.
And as Otto Apocalypse's forr black-gloved hand, Rita knew more than most—perhaps even more than Fu Hua, though not everything.
But a woman as intelligent as Rita had, to so extent, already discerned Otto's objective and so of his thods.
"Perhaps the Overseer's goal is to use everyone's bonds with Miss Kiana—especially yours—to assist in awakening the Gem of the Void inside her."
The Gem of the Void was an especially unique Herrscher Core, unlike the Herrscher of Reason or Herrscher of Thunder.
Schicksal had long confird that if the person fused with that Core awakened as a Herrscher, there was a high probability they would beco a Herrscher of the Honkai, hostile to humanity.
During the Second Eruption, the first Herrscher of the Void (Elias) had not been taken over by the Herrscher consciousness inside the Core, instead acting as a human who wielded its power.
But that Herrscher consciousness hadn't disappeared. It remained dormant within the Gem of the Void all these years.
And judging by what happened when young Kiana briefly experienced Herrscherization and was temporarily controlled by that Herrscher persona—
The result was Siegfried's left arm being broken and an entire Valkyrie squad being wiped out.
The Herrscher persona within the Gem of the Void harbored a deep hatred for humanity.
"If we wish to avoid falling into Overseer Otto's plan, then perhaps the correct approach would be to keep a distance from Miss Kiana—in other words... avoid forming a deep bond with her."
"Sorry, but that's not going to happen."
Elias shook his head without hesitation.
As the captain of Honkai Impact 3rd, how could anyone resist forging a bond with the ultimate, incredibly, overwhelmingly adorable Kiana? If he were to do that, then what would be the point of his ti travel?
Rita wasn't surprised by Elias' answer.
But precisely because of that, she felt concerned.
"I knew you'd say that. But if you go down this path, you're bound to face off against Overseer Otto soon."
After all, Otto Apocalypse was just waiting for the mont Kiana's favorability toward Elias maxed out.
Yet Elias gave a confident smile, completely unfazed.
"Don't worry. He has his sches, and I have my cards to play. If it cos to a confrontation, I'm not afraid of that bastard. I've already gathered enough strength and trump cards."
"As expected of you, Lord Elias."
Seeing him so full of confidence, Rita smiled in admiration. The boy's composure and self-assuredness gave peace of mind to all who followed him.
"Naturally. But while I have nothing to worry about... what about you, Rita? I have a feeling a storm is coming. When that ti cos, what will you choose?"
Elias crossed his arms and asked with interest.
"That..."
Rita's eyes flickered with hesitation.
When Otto and Elias clashed, it would mark the mont Schicksal and St. Freya Academy went to war.
And though she was nominally Elias' personal maid now, she was still officially an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal.
That would put Rita squarely in the middle.
Her position would be extrely awkward. In the end, she would have to pick a side—and neutrality likely wouldn't be an option.
Elias rested his cheek on his palm, quietly enjoying Rita's troubled expression.
He was confident that she wouldn't choose to oppose him, but he also wanted to savor her monts of indecision and internal conflict.
However...
"If that ti truly cos, then I will choose to fight by your side, Lord Elias."
"Oh? That's more decisive than I expected."
He raised an eyebrow, surprised at her lack of hesitation.
"Because I believe you will win. And isn't it only natural to stand with the victor?"
"Haha, sharp thinking—as expected of you."
Elias laughed heartily and clapped his hands.
Rita smiled back politely.
Though she appeared decisive on the outside, inside she was nervous.
She truly believed Elias would win, but his opponent was none other than Otto Apocalypse.
Who knew what kind of inhuman and insidious tactics that man might pull? This would be a gamble for Rita as well—a test of faith.
She had staked her bet on Elias' victory.
If he lost, she would be branded a traitor to Schicksal, without question…
But if he won, it would prove her judgnt correct—and that the man before her was indeed the greater hero, more capable than Otto Apocalypse of leading humanity to triumph over the Honkai.
Once Rita was convinced of that truth—
She would offer him her absolute loyalty.
If the coming clash with Otto was the final boss battle of a ga, then defeat would an losing all equipnt and never having another chance.
But if Elias won… one of the rewards awaiting him would certainly include a fully loyal max-affection character—"Rita Rossweisse's Absolute Devotion."
"You must give it your all, Lord Elias. I've bet everything on you. Though... if possible, please don't make face Lady Durandal."
"I'm afraid I'll have to apologize in advance. If Durandal really shows up, I'll most likely drag you into the fight too."
Having a best friend from the enemy faction on your team—
Might just apply a "holds-back-a-little" debuff to the golden goose.
"That would be quite a problem."
"Hehe, then maybe you could try persuading Durandal to switch sides when the ti cos."
"I don't think that's likely. Lady Durandal... she's quite stubborn."
Rita gave a bitter smile as she replied.
That golden goose was the type who'd never back down unless she slamd into a wall—and even then, with her strength, she could probably break through it.
Just thinking of that spear that looked like it could pierce stars—and the bug-like strength of its wielder—made Rita shudder and break into a cold sweat.
(With the years of friendship between and Lady Durandal, I hope she'll hold back... at least a Pacific Ocean's worth. That way I might still be standing at the end—rather than lying down...)
Though the chances were slim.
Rita still decided she would try to persuade her.
After all, there was no future in following Otto. She had found a new possibility in this Valkyrie dormitory—a new hope for defeating the Honkai.
...
Rita gazed at the boy before her, beautiful eyes filled with anticipation.
(If it's Lord Elias... with his charm, he might just be able to win over every future Herrscher. Just like how Miss i completely fell for him!)
If that happened, the war against the Honkai might turn into sothing else entirely—sothing like... Honkai: Date A Live!
"Rita~ That look in your eyes tells you were just thinking sothing weird."
"Ah, no, not at all. How could that be."
"Heh, alright then. It's getting late. I really enjoyed our talk tonight. You should get so rest."
Elias checked the ti. Without realizing it, he'd been in the maid's room for nearly three hours. Ti always flew when he was with this elegant beauty.
The sky outside had grown dark.
If he didn't leave now, with how well people like i knew him, they'd probably think he had already... done sothing.
But just as he was about to leave, Rita grabbed his hand.
"Lord Elias, there's one last thing... please co a little closer."
"Hm? What is it? This close enough?"
"Not quite. A bit closer, please."
Elias moved to sit even closer at her bedside, but the Herrscher of Desire shook her head.
So Elias leaned in again—until his face was nearly touching hers.
"This close?"
"Mm~"
Just as Elias thought she was going to whisper sothing into his ear—
Two soft, fair hands gently cupped his cheeks.
And the next second, her red lips landed on his.
Elias' eyes widened in surprise.
The maid before him blushed slightly, her smile pure yet seductive.
"Think of it as an advance blessing for your victory, Lord Elias. Please, make sure you win."
"Gulp! And if I do—will there be more?"
"You're really greedy, you know. But... whatever it may be, I'll grant your wish."
"Hissss~ Suddenly I feel like tearing Schicksal down right now. Otto, my dear friend, do a favor and just go die already!"
Elias suddenly understood why it was so easy to lose control around a woman like this. With soone this charming—so pure, so seductive, so naturally alluring—teasing you like that...
A man losing his rationality was perfectly understandable!
If Rita had lived in ancient tis, she'd absolutely have the potential to be one of those legendary beauties said to bring down empires.
Not to ntion, besides maxing out her charm, she was also a dual-A in strength and speed who could swing a scythe and take down enemies.
Ah~ that made her even more irresistible!
As Elias floated away from the girl's room, still dazed by the charm of this Herrscher of Desire—
Inside the room...
"Uuuuuuuu~!!"
The sound of a kettle boiling echoed.
The previously composed and seductive Rita was now buried under her blanket, her face red enough to drip water.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon/DaoOfHeaven
User Comments
0 comments from readers