(Isn't this Griseo's father?!)
Elias stared in surprise at the blue-haired man before him, not expecting to encounter soone familiar here.
At the sa ti, he beca completely certain—this organization was the precursor to the Fire Moth!
"Hey, what are two little kids doing~ here?"
Ato also looked at Elias and Elysia in surprise.
Two adorably styled kids—a cute boy and a little girl—had appeared in this heavily guarded military base, hiding inside a trash can, no less.
Also, did he just imagine the boy calling him "father-in-law"? Ato figured it must've been a misheard fluke. After all, he didn't even have a daughter.
"Uh, we were just curious."
"This place isn't for kids. You probably overheard what we were saying just now, huh? Hah~ never thought the day would co when a couple of kids eavesdrop on classified intel."
Ato looked at them with an exasperated expression.
If it had been anyone else, he would've treated them as spies. But what could he say to two children like these?
Besides, the base that should have been heavily guarded was infiltrated by two kids—ti to double the training of those useless guards outside!
"Alright, fine. I'll let you go this ti since you're both so cute. But what you just heard is absolutely top secret. Go back and sleep it off—forget everything, got it?"
He warned them with a serious face.
Elias nodded obediently. But just as he was about to take Elysia and leave, the girl suddenly spoke up.
"Excuse ... when you said 'eliminate completely'... does that an you're going to kill soone?"
"Ely?"
Elias turned to her in surprise and saw the worry and anxiety on her face. He imdiately assud she was afraid they might co after him.
"Little girl, you're too young to understand these complicated things. We were talking about monsters—beings that pose a threat to humanity. Ugh, why am I even telling a kid this..."
Realizing he was saying too much, Ato sighed and scratched his head.
"Anyway, you two better leave now. This won't happen again."
"Uh, alright..."
"Bye-bye, mister~ I hope you have a daughter soon!"
Elias waved as he offered a cheeky farewell.
(Co on, Father-in-law, bring Griseo into the world already! I love your daughter!)
Though the organization was searching for him, Elias wasn't too worried.
At this point in ti, Herrschers hadn't even been born yet. The Previous Era had no knowledge of humanoid Honkai-side beings aside from the zombies.
Even if they had heard of Herrschers, they wouldn't suspect a kid like him.
However, when Elias turned to look at Elysia, he saw a downcast expression on her face and imdiately asked with concern:
"Ely, are you okay?"
"Mm... it's just... was that uncle telling the truth? About monsters... that threaten humanity..."
Elysia's face showed rare sorrow. She looked down at her small hand. Am I a monster?
"Ely..."
Elias gently patted her head with care.
"Humans often use words like 'monster' or 'god' to label beings whose powers exceed their comprehension. But in truth, what's important isn't power. It's the heart."
"The heart?"
Elysia looked up at Elias, confused.
She placed her little hand over her chest.
Staring intently into the boy's eyes, she hoped he could give her the answer.
"Yes, the heart is what matters most. What kind of power one holds is never the key. Only the radiant brilliance of humanity is proof of what makes a person human."
"Elias, I... I don't really get it."
"That's okay. When you grow up, Ely, you'll understand."
"Oh..."
Elias reached out and squished Elysia's confused little face.
As far as he was concerned, no matter how great his Herrscher powers were or how many Herrscher Cores he fused,
Elias firmly believed he was still human.
Everything he had achieved so far was built on the foundation of seeing himself as human. And that radiant, brilliant humanity—even after surpassing human limitations in power and body—remained the clearest evidence that he was still one of them.
(Wait a second... if that's the case, then why... am I still human now?)
A flicker of confusion passed through Elias' eyes.
He recalled how Herrschers in the Previous Era were all enemies of humanity, puppets of the Honkai designed to destroy civilization.
So why were Herrschers in the Current Era capable of retaining humanity? Of betraying the Honkai again and again?
Could it be that soone changed the fate of Herrschers in the present day?
Elias couldn't rember the answer.
(If that's true, then I owe that person a huge thanks... Thank you for allowing to be a human Herrscher.)
That thought filled his heart with silent gratitude.
"Co on, Ely. Worrying about irrelevant stuff is just a waste of energy. What really matters is the here and now. So, where are we going to play today? Have you decided yet?"
"Elias... you're right!"
With his encouragent, Elysia's face lit up again with a dazzling smile.
She naturally grabbed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.
"But I've already had so much fun today. That infiltration earlier with you was super exciting. Though... maybe a little too intense. I'm kinda tired now~"
"Just say what you an, Ely."
Elias gently tapped her nose.
"You know I could never say no to you."
"Aww~ Elias, that makes so happy. But you know, it's the sa for too." Elysia smiled sweetly, her eyes full of affection.
Just like Elias would never refuse her, Elysia would never turn down anything Elias asked of her.
She loved how he accepted her every whim, but even more, if sothing could make him happy, she'd give it her all.
"Alright then, Elias. I want to nap while listening to your singing. Is that okay?"
"Of course, Ely. Which song would you like to hear?"
"One I've never heard before!"
"Haha~ no problem. Leave it to ."
Elias sat under a large tree and stretched out his legs. Elysia imdiately lay down and rested on them.
With her guard completely down, she closed her eyes and began to breathe gently to his singing.
Elias removed his jacket and gently draped it over her petite fra. Watching her sleeping face, he too gradually found peace in his heart.
(Even though we got noticed a little this ti... once they find no clues, those people should give up soon enough. Then we can go back to living peacefully like this again... yare yare, am I really falling this deep?)
Elias let out a bitter chuckle at his own thoughts.
Looking at the elf-like girl asleep on his lap, he realized he might truly be enchanted by her.
Just a mont ago, he had felt a sudden impulse to ignore the fate of civilization and simply stay imrsed in this beautiful, ordinary life.
"Still, that just won't do."
Elias shook his head to clear the thought from his mind.
Even if he didn't act on it...
Reality would never allow soone destined to save the world to just stop moving forward.
...
Several months later.
"Uncle Ato, you're here again and again and again."
Elias gave the blue-haired man an exasperated look, rolling his eyes. This was already the third ti.
"Ahem, I'm just following orders."
"C'mon, spill the beans. Here, a bribe."
"You little rascal..."
Ato couldn't help but chuckle as Elias handed him two pieces of candy. He had never seen a boy so good-looking and witty. For a mont, he even imagined what it would be like if his future daughter married Elias.
...But that thought vanished instantly.
A daughter was a father's precious little treasure—how could he give her away to soone else? And besides... it was clear this kid was already taken!
He glanced at Elysia, who was sitting right beside Elias.
"You two really are inseparable, huh? Every ti I see you, you're glued together."
"Are we?"
"Really?"
Elias and Elysia exchanged a glance.
They both thought it wasn't that exaggerated—they only spent, what, over ten hours a day together?
Whenever they couldn't see each other, sothing felt missing, like a piece of the world was out of place.
So was that too much ti?
Ato: (Tch! These two are already dishing out couple vibes at this age. If they don't end up together, I'll wash my hair standing on my head.)
"Ahem. Well, yesterday there was another abnormal fluctuation. HQ wants to run checks on everyone in the town. Don't worry, compensation will be provided."
"Oh..."
Elias frowned slightly. But I didn't even use my powers yesterday...
The repeated inspections made him feel like he was being pushed along by sothing. As if the world was urging him to move forward again.
Which, to be fair, he had indeed been delaying for quite a while now.
"Ah... I ssed up..." (very quietly)
Elysia averted her gaze awkwardly, twiddling her fingers in front of her chest.
She was the reason they showed up this ti.
Yesterday, Elysia had been testing her powers to see what she was capable of. Just a little display—or so she thought.
But the result far exceeded her expectations. The dazzling glow of pink crystal flowers almost lit up the entire night. In that mont, she felt like she could do anything.
"Alright, nothing unusual with you two. Go on and play."
Ato looked at the instrunt readings.
Honestly, he thought this check was unnecessary. The two before him were just a pair of innocent angels—what kind of power could they possibly have?
What he didn't know was...
"Phew~" x2
Both Elias and Elysia let out a breath of relief at the sa ti.
For her, it ant her unusual nature had gone undetected.
For him, it was thanks to the Herrscher of Death's powers, which let him disguise himself as an ordinary person.
Otherwise, just his Honkai energy alone—already restored to around 1000HW—and the super high-concentration Schariac Holy Blood running through him would be more than enough to cause a massive incident.
Especially the Schariac Holy Blood.
That was a miraculous product of five millennia of natural mutation, further refined over centuries by Otto himself.
The ultimate counterasure against Honkai energy—the most effective weapon known against it, and the key to curing Honkai disease!
And Honkai disease in the Previous Era was far more severe than in the current age.
...
That night, back at the orphanage—
Neither Elias nor Elysia could sleep.
Their rooms were adjacent, and at this mont, both Elias and Elysia sat on their beds, leaning against the shared wall—unaware that the other was doing the sa. If that wall were removed, their backs would be pressed together.
"It's ti to head out."
Elias looked toward the silvery moonlight outside the window.
The world was pushing him forward, and now he had finally resolved himself to take the next step.
This little town had brought Elias imnse warmth; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it his new ho.
But how can one have a ho when the Honkai still exists?
The Honkai's shadow lood ever closer. Now was the ti to continue his journey.
After all, the title of "Reincarnator" should not beco an excuse to sink into complacency. Only by completely eradicating the Honkai crisis of the Previous Era could Elias truly enjoy peace.
Moreover...
(If the Honkai isn't destroyed, Ely won't be able to live safely in this world either.)
Thinking that made Elias smile faintly. That reason was far more compelling than "saving the world"—a reason that truly gave him strength.
Having made up his mind, Elias stepped out of his room.
...
anwhile, in the adjacent room—
"It's ti to leave."
Elysia leaned on the windowsill, gazing at the moon outside as she whispered to herself.
"If I stay in the town any longer, I might bring trouble to everyone again."
She had co to understand she was sothing... different.
Different in a way invisible to others.
Elysia believed these repeated inspections were all because of her. If she stayed, soday she might cause a truly dangerous disaster.
Ever since Ato said, "If we can't capture it alive, we eliminate it," months ago, that chilling phrase had remained lodged in her heart. She couldn't help but worry that she might truly be a threat.
Elysia cherished everything in this town. She would never allow herself to bring calamity to this place.
And...
"I need to know what I really am."
Her gaze fird as she spoke those words to herself.
She wanted to understand.
Where she ca from, what her powers were, what her purpose might be.
And...
If she truly wasn't human, then how could she beco one?
She wanted to be human. She wanted to be soone like Elias.
"Besides, I've actually wanted to see the outside world for a long ti. But because everyone was here... because Elias was here, I could never bring myself to leave."
Elysia pulled open a drawer in her desk. Inside was a storybook titled Elysium Everlasting.
It was a birthday gift from Elias during their first year together, and she had treasured it ever since—reading it hundreds of tis.
"They cheered, embraced one another, and sang in celebration of their dream coming true. At last, they had arrived at paradise..."
She didn't even need to look at the page number. Her fingers found the exact spot by instinct. Closing her eyes, she softly recited a passage from mory.
When she opened her eyes again, her finger had landed precisely on the words she recited.
Her face lit up with yearning.
"I want to find my own paradise too. It must be sowhere in this world. And if by chance it doesn't exist... then I'll just build it with my own hands. And when I do, I'll na it after and Elias!"
With that firm resolve in her heart, Elysia also stepped out of her room.
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