"Wah—w-what's even happening right now?!"
Elysia was completely dumbfounded.
Elias had suddenly brought her to a private pharmacy, barged straight inside without saying a word, and then proceeded to beat up a bedridden man. She could clearly feel the anger radiating from the white-haired boy beside her.
During their journey, this wasn't the first time Elysia had seen Elias get angry. After all, not everyone in the world was kind—they'd once even encountered human traffickers.
Of course, since Elias and Elysia were always holding hands, those people never got a chance to act—and in the end, the pair even wiped out the traffickers' entire hideout.
But this time, Elysia noticed something different. The white-haired boy, who only ever got angry when someone hurt her, now seemed to be angry... for another girl.
"Uuuuh... please, stop... don't hit me anymore..."
"Stop crying! You call this crying after such a mild punishment? As a man, don't you have any shame? Now—apologize to the little snake! Repent!"
Elias glared coldly at Mobius' father, his golden eyes blazing with divine brilliance.
As someone who had saved the world eleven times, his will had long been tempered like steel.
Now, any cowardly or guilty person couldn't even meet those golden eyes without breaking. Mobius' father was no exception—cold sweat poured down his body as an overwhelming fear overtook him, as though this young boy were a god who had punished him many times before.
And in fact, that was true—exactly seven times.
From the fourth reincarnation onward, Elias had stopped being satisfied with mere travel. He realized there was more he could do.
Since he could make everything start over—then why not rewrite every tragedy completely?
After all, he'd always been a little greedy.
And so, in every cycle since, on the day Mobius turned nine, Elias would arrive at her family's pharmacy with a cake... and beat her father to a pulp.
"Uuuuh... I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mobius! It's all my fault, I shouldn't have tried to hit you! Please forgive your father, I'll treat you well from now on!"
The man, his face swollen like a pig's head, knelt trembling before his daughter, begging for forgiveness—and pleading for the mysterious white-haired boy to stop hitting him.
Elias frowned and gave him one more slap, spinning him several times on the spot before he crashed to the floor.
"Treat her well? No. You've already lost the right to be a father—or even to call yourself human. I'm taking the little snake with me."
"!!!" ×2
Both Elysia and Mobius widened their eyes in shock. The sudden declaration left them completely speechless.
After that final slap, Elias ignored the man entirely. He turned, picked up the cake from the table, and opened the box.
Inside was a beautifully crafted three-colored cake—green, black, and white—with the words 'Happy Birthday' written elegantly across it, and a cute little green snake figure as decoration.
Both its appearance and scent were flawless. Elysia knew that Elias had spent an entire hour making it himself... she had drooled just watching him bake it.
"Happy birthday, my dear little snake. I came to save you. Will you come with me?"
The fury and contempt in Elias' eyes melted away, replaced by tenderness and affection as he looked at Mobius.
"I... will."
Mobius instinctively accepted the offer.
She knew it was all far too sudden. Her sharp, analytical mind was already breaking everything down rationally.
(Who is this boy? How does he know my birthday? Why does he feel so familiar? He's too mysterious—too suspicious. I should refuse him...)
Yet, even though her mind was telling her to resist, her body responded honestly—she accepted him without hesitation. After all, it wasn't just Elysia who had built up affection for Elias through ten cycles of reincarnation. Mobius had too.
The moment she saw Elias, she felt as if she had regained something precious—like a long-lost piece of her heart had finally been restored.
"Good. Now go say your final goodbyes. Tell him everything you need to."
Elias gently patted Mobius' head, then activated the Herrscher of Rebirth's power, healing the small wounds on her body.
He led Mobius to stand before the broken man, wrapping his arms protectively around her from behind like a guardian.
In that instant, Mobius felt an unprecedented sense of safety. She took a deep breath, looked straight at the man who had once been her father, and declared with unwavering resolve:
"I will bring evolution to humanity."
"No matter what kind of disaster or what kind of medicine comes, I will never let humanity be humiliated as you have been. I will never allow humans to become such ugly beings as you!"
"Goodbye, Father—goodbye, weakness."
With those words, Mobius turned away, as if the man before her no longer deserved even a glance.
She cast away that shattered bond of blood, but it didn't matter—because now, she held the hand of a savior.
Elias blinked, and out of nowhere, pulled out a massive battle axe, silently asking with his eyes—Do you want me to chop him too? After all, with a speech like that, didn't it feel like something was missing without a little final justice?
Mobius twitched at the corner of her mouth. "Forget it. Let him rot on his own. Let's go."
"What a pity... but fine," Elias shrugged.
He took Mobius by one hand and Elysia—still frozen in shock—by the other, and the three of them left the pharmacy together.
Mobius' father let out a breath of relief.
A daughter was one thing—she could go if she wanted. What mattered was that he had survived, cured at last, and could now look forward to a bright new future... or so he thought.
But knowing Elias' personality, could he really have let the man go so easily? Of course not. The only reason Elias hadn't finished him off was because he knew—the man had no future left anyway.
The Honkai disease might have been cured, but the damage caused by years of overdosed painkillers—nerve necrosis and cognitive decline—would leave him worse than dead for the rest of his life.
Elias spoke quietly, "All acts of goodness deserve reward, and every sin deserves punishment. That's not the law of the world... that's my law."
...
Later, the three of them arrived at a café.
"So once again—happy birthday, little snake. Here, your cake and your gift. Do you like them?"
Elias cut three neat slices of the birthday cake and placed them on plates for himself, Mobius, and Elysia. He skipped the part with candles and wishes.
He knew Mobius wouldn't bother. Like him, she wasn't someone who would entrust her hopes to gods—she would achieve them with her own hands.
"..."
Mobius still sat there dazed, staring at the birthday cake—its colors, design, and flavor were all perfectly suited to her taste. And beside it sat a green snake plush toy, a gift from Elias.
It all felt so surreal, like she was trapped in a dream.
"Who exactly are you? Why are you helping me like this? What's your goal?"
Mobius tried to summon her usual caution.
But to her shock, she couldn't. The usually suspicious girl couldn't muster even a trace of wariness toward Elias. Instead, she felt an almost instinctive desire... to hug him.
Ironically, it was the girl sitting beside him—Elysia—who instantly triggered Mobius' hostility.
"The answer is simple. Because I like you. I need you. That's why I came to save you, Mobius. Hehe, I've missed you so much... my dear little snake."
Mobius: "???"
Elysia: "!!!"
That straightforward confession hit both girls like a thunderbolt.
Elysia stared at Mobius in disbelief, sensing the utter sincerity in Elias' voice—and suddenly found herself questioning reality. How had she just gained another rival in love?!
For a moment, Mobius almost forgot how to breathe. She realized, to her shock, that she actually felt... happy. Even though she was being confessed to by someone she had just met, she didn't feel repulsed at all.
Instead, this white-haired boy made her want to throw herself into his arms—to give herself up completely and explore the mysteries of life together with him.
"How do you prove that you actually like me? And... if you had to compare me with that pink-haired girl beside you?"
Mobius steadied her emotions and asked, proving once again that she was truly the little snake—always going straight for the deadly question.
Elias couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"Little snake, don't ask me questions that'll put me in a difficult spot, okay? As for proof... how about this?"
"W-wait—what are you doing?!"
Elias suddenly grabbed Mobius' small hand and pulled her toward him. Then, before she could react, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss onto her cheek—light and fleeting, like a falling cherry blossom.
"I don't kiss people I don't like."
His tone was completely serious.
In truth, if the Herrscher of Origin had been Mobius instead of Elysia, he would still have gone through countless cycles of reincarnation just to save her—he would never give up.
"You... I... this..."
Mobius' cheeks flushed bright red. She covered her face with both hands, instinctively wanting to wipe the kiss away—but couldn't bring herself to do it.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the pink-haired elf looked like she was about to fade from existence.
Elysia's eyes welled with tears. She felt as though something more precious than her life itself had been taken away. It was like watching her owner fall in love with another pet—her heart was crumbling apart.
The pink-haired girl clutched tightly at Elias' sleeve, sapphire-blue eyes locked on him with desperate intensity.
Of course, Elias wasn't going to neglect Elysia. He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek as well, leaving the café's single, middle-aged owner completely dumbstruck.
(Café Owner: Holy crap! This kid's already managing a love triangle at that age—and flawlessly at that?! Kid, teach me your ways! You can have free coffee for life!)
With her own kiss secured, Elysia finally felt like she'd recovered some HP—but she still clung tightly to Elias' arm, glaring daggers at Mobius with all the vigilance of a jealous cat.
Mobius, of course, glared right back. The two girls' eyes met, sparks flying in silence.
"Hmph!" ×2
Elysia: (〃＞︿＜)
Mobius: ~（﹁﹁)~
A strange fighting spirit surged within the little snake's heart. She didn't care if she lost to anyone else—but there was no way she could lose to this pink-haired fluffball.
Elias sighed quietly. Wasn't it a bit early for a love triangle to form around him?
"Ahem... let's eat the cake. It's going to get cold."
"..." ×2
Mobius rolled her eyes but then seemed to think of something. She moved closer to Elias and, under Elysia's panicked stare, wrapped her arm tightly around his left arm.
"You said you needed me, right? Fine then—tell me, what do you need me for?"
"Little snake, I want you to help me save the world."
"W-what?"
Mobius froze. She instinctively thought it was a joke, but seeing the dead-serious look on Elias' face, she had no idea how to respond.
"But that's something for the future. For now, you still need to gather knowledge. Just keep doing what you want to do. I'll help you achieve your dream with everything I've got."
Elias leaned close to her ear and whispered softly.
"After all, I'm your little lab rat, aren't I?"
"!!!"
A shiver of excitement ran through Mobius' body. That whisper—it was like the devil's temptation, carrying a dangerous allure. Her whole body felt hot, and she instinctively licked her lips.
She suddenly had the impulse to devour him whole.
Elias continued, "I'll be sending you to the Mu Continent soon. With your talent, you'll easily pass the entrance exams at the higher academies there. For the sake of our future—and your ideal—what you need now is to master as much knowledge as you can."
"Oh, right—here, this is the serum that can cure Honkai disease. I've written down the full formula too. Anyway, it's all yours now. In the future, you can open a hospital to make it public—or join Fire Moth and release it through them."
"If you ever run into trouble, contact me immediately. If it's for you, Mobius, I'll come to you no matter what. Ah, look at the time—our flight leaves soon!"
As Elias spoke, he waved a plane ticket in one hand and handed Mobius both the serum and the written formula. Then, without giving either girl a chance to react, he grabbed their hands and sprinted toward the airport.
Mobius truly felt like she was dreaming, but even so, she instinctively tightened her grip on his hand.
"Wait! You still haven't told me your name!"
"I didn't? Ah, I must've forgotten because it felt so familiar. My name's Elias, and I'm the Savior. Come with me, Mobius—let's save the world together~"
"..."
Mobius stared blankly at the white-haired boy who called himself the Savior. At that moment, she had no idea just how many earth-shattering miracles this person would go on to accomplish.
...
After sending Mobius off to continue her studies on the Mu Continent, Elias and Elysia resumed their journey.
Though, the latter wore an expression of utter defeat. It was understandable—after all, she had believed Elias was hers alone, only to find out he had room for others too.
The disheartened pink-haired elf took several days of Elias' gentle comforting before finally regaining her usual energy.
Elysia: "I-it's fine! The advantage is still mine! I'm Elias' childhood friend—the one he's closest to! A little snake like Mobius isn't a threat... right? There aren't any more, are there?"
Elias: "The first time's always the hardest, but you'll get used to it eventually, Ely. Now that little snake's joined the team... who should I find next? Mei, Sakura, Aponia, Vill-V... what a tough choice."
This journey wasn't just about fulfilling his promise to travel the world with Elysia—it also had another purpose: reconnecting with all the Flame-Chasers ahead of time.
And to her growing horror, the pink-haired elf soon realized that as their journey continued, her number of 'love rivals' just kept increasing.
Like the wine-red-haired singer they met in an opera house, dreaming of stardom... the shy yet brilliant prodigy from a magic show... the pink-haired shrine maiden skilled with a blade... the catlike girl they encountered on Dusk Street... the young nun with a heart wider than the sea... and so on, and so on...
Elysia: "Uuuuh! Why is this happening?! I was here first!"
Elias: "Mission complete~ We've reestablished bonds with everyone. Still... weren't they all a little too easy to win over?"
System: (Of course, Host. After ten cycles of reincarnation, every one of them already holds full affection toward you. Even without their memories, loving you has become instinct.)
And as time passed, Elias and Elysia's world journey finally drew to a temporary close.
Because—
The first war between humanity and the Honkai was about to begin.
Elias: "So it's time again... the First Honkai Eruption, the Herrscher of Reason... Let's see if I can break the fastest-clear record from the last cycle."