When you play a game repeatedly, the more you play, the faster you clear it—and you naturally figure out more convenient moves on your own.
Elias' first run was already near perfection.
He successfully reduced the human population loss of the Previous Era to below 10%, preserving an age that should have been destroyed by the Herrscher of Finality.
The fate of an entire era was rewritten simply because of one man's existence. Elias had achieved a miracle that countless others could only dream of.
Even geniuses like Mei, Mobius, and Vill-V could only sigh in admiration—"Perfect."
However...
The purpose of perfection is to be surpassed.
Now, in the twelfth cycle—
Elias discovered he could still do even better.
Before the Third Eruption even began, under his leadership, Fire Moth had achieved total control over every Honkai-related disaster around the world.
The average lifespan of a Honkai Beast had been reduced to just ten minutes, with the longest surviving no more than half an hour. In other words, Honkai Beasts had become the shortest-lived creatures on the planet. Even Judgment-level beasts couldn't last thirty minutes before dying at Fire Moth's hands.
Oh, right—there was one exception: the Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast capable of devouring its own kind and evolving infinitely—Vishnu.
When Vishnu was still at the Chariot-class stage, Elias had captured and contained it.
Then... he force-fed it over ten thousand other Honkai Beasts.
That so-called infinitely evolving monster eventually broke down crying, begging not to be fed anymore.
"Figures it's only 'pseudo-infinite.' Can't even handle over ten thousand before reaching its limit. Compared to Chimera, it's a joke."
Elias commented dismissively.
Then he casually killed the creature that had evolved to its theoretical limit—a super Vishnu whose power surpassed even that of Herrschers.
At this point, Fire Moth's overall combat capability had grown at least a hundredfold compared to the original history.
The key reasons behind this unprecedented efficiency and might lay in the two new Divine Keys Elias had designed—tools that even Vill-V herself had called strokes of genius.
Third Generation, First Divine Key: Codex Arsenal!
Third Generation, Second Divine Key: World Portal!
Elias said, "If I reforged all the Divine Keys into the strongest weapons for my own use, I could push my personal combat power to its absolute limit—crushing everything in my path. But..."
Even without the Divine Keys, Elias could already crush everything. As the most perfect Chimera fusion warrior, the strongest Palatinus, and bearer of five Herrscher Cores—
His configuration was so broken that only the Herrscher of Finality could even hope to challenge him. Every other Herrscher wasn't even worth using both hands.
Therefore—
Elias found Vill-V and said, "Here are the Gem of Truth and the Gem of the Void. Let's use them to forge two strategic-class Divine Keys powerful enough to suppress all Honkai on Earth."
And thus, Codex Arsenal and World Portal were born.
Codex Arsenal: A super-automated factory capable of mass-producing high-end weapons without any cost limitations.
As long as there was enough Honkai energy, it could mass-produce anything—even nuclear bombs, pseudo Divine Keys, and the Moonlight Throne.
World Portal: A colossal gateway capable of connecting any location on Earth, making the phrase "Where there is Honkai, there is Fire Moth" a literal truth.
Through this portal, Fire Moth's soldiers could instantly deploy to any Honkai disaster site—no transport planes, no convoys required.
Elias also had Vill-V modify the fourth Divine Key, Echo of the Sky—that massive satellite—into a global Honkai energy scanner.
Now, whenever Honkai energy concentrations spiked anywhere on Earth, it would immediately signal the birth of a new Honkai Beast, allowing Fire Moth to dispatch an appropriate strike team within seconds.
With these three Divine Keys working together—
The Previous Era completely suppressed the Honkai.
...That day, during Fire Moth's strategy meeting...
Vill-V: "The new exosuits and Honkai energy weapons are finished. Should we start mass production?"
Elias: "Of course. Our equipment hasn't been upgraded for a week. Equip everyone with the newest exosuits, Honkai Gatlings, mini railguns, and soulium tactical weapons. If they can carry it, they should bring it."
Fire Moth Soldiers: "Long live Lord Elias! Long live! Long, long live!!"
Now, even an ordinary Fire Moth soldier wore an exosuit equivalent to a Schicksal A-rank Valkyrie armor and carried the most advanced soulium weapons.
Every fusion warrior was equipped with a pseudo Divine Key.
In short, after the Codex Arsenal was completed, Fire Moth no longer had to worry about insufficient firepower. They were so well-supplied that they could afford to nuke even a Chariot-class Honkai mosquito if they wanted.
Fire Moth Soldiers: "We've never fought a war this luxurious before! It feels amazing!!"
The soldiers no longer had any concept of conserving ammunition, because Elias had once told them:
Elias: "If every soldier saves a single magazine, our armories will soon overflow with unused rounds. Before we can empty them out, new weapon research will have to be delayed."
Fire Moth Soldier: "Lord Elias, don't worry! We've already developed the good habit of emptying our clips!"
Elias: "And if the Honkai Beasts are already dead but you still have ammo left?"
Fire Moth Soldier: "Then we'll unload all the remaining bullets into their corpses! Just to make sure they don't come back to life!"
Elias: "Good. Remember this—truth depends on firepower. If anyone dares to save ammo, make them eat every bullet they saved!"
Tears welled up in the soldiers' eyes. Fighting under Elias was pure bliss. Appointing him as supreme commander had been the smartest decision their leaders ever made.
Although, most people knew those leaders had been forced into that wise decision.
Still, despite Elias' extreme measures, the overall intensity of the Honkai didn't rise much. His methods mainly focused on pure firepower—mass-producing high-cost weapons through the Codex Arsenal. Civilization itself hadn't advanced all that much technologically.
Even so, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts had become common sights, and Judgment-level ones appeared every few days.
But Fire Moth could easily handle them all.
Their division of labor was crystal clear:
Lower-class Honkai Beasts were handled by regular soldiers.
Upper-class ones were handled by fusion warriors.
Judgment-level titans were assigned to the Flame-Chasers.
As for Herrschers? Elias handled them personally.
Thanks to his Lilium Sanguineum—every Honkai Eruption was wiped clean.
Starting with the Second Herrscher, the Honkai began attaching companion beasts—well, "portable power banks"—to each new Herrscher.
These companion Honkai Beasts, ranging from minimum Judgment-class to maximum Vipralopa-class, had already been thoroughly studied by Elias during his ten previous cycles.
So, the end result—
They all became "food" for Elias and Kevin.
Elias: "Damn, this feels great~ It's like the Honkai's giving us free upgrades."
Kevin: "Keep 'em coming. I can still eat! Burp~"
As Chimera fusion warriors, Elias and Kevin could devour Honkai Beasts to absorb their abilities.
By the end of the Fifth Eruption, both had surpassed even their first-cycle selves.
They each possessed over 300 types of Judgment-class genes—
And more than 20 Vipralopa-class genes!
At this point, Elias' [Reverse God] and Kevin's [Diabolic] powers had become the twin nightmares of the Honkai.
In short, Fire Moth was now perfectly organized, highly efficient, overwhelmingly armed, and unwaveringly loyal.
Thanks to the mass deployment of Schariac's Honkai energy serum, Honkai disease was no longer incurable.
As a result, from the First Eruption to the Fifth, the total number of Honkai-related deaths across the entire Previous Era was... fewer than one hundred.
Elias: "Alright~ Let's keep this momentum going. We'll wipe out all twelve Honkai Eruptions. As for the Herrscher of Finality... I've fought her more than a dozen times already. I'm getting bored of it."
His achievements were so monumental, the number of lives he had saved so vast, that his reputation once again soared beyond measure.
In the current Previous Era, nearly ninety percent of humanity had become followers of the Eli Gate.
Everyone firmly believed that this Flame-Chaser who bore the [Deliverance] Signet would lead humanity to victory against the Honkai.
...
In the Golden Courtyard—
"Sakura, looks like you're the only one home today."
After returning from The Deep End and finishing a meeting at Fire Moth, Elias headed to the Golden Courtyard. As the Savior, he could clock out whenever he pleased.
As usual, Sakura—with her distinctive pink fox ears—heard him return and instinctively went to the kitchen. She soon came out carrying freshly brewed tea and snacks.
Then, like a well-trained habit, she quietly sat beside Elias, offering her soft ears for him to play with—taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around.
"Today's Honkai Beast happened to be one I countered perfectly, so it didn't take long. As for everyone else... I think they're still working hard—trying not to fall too far behind you."
Sakura spoke with a hint of helplessness.
She and Elias were both among the Fifteen Flame-Chasers—a title that was undeniably glorious. But because the Savior was simply too extraordinary, that glory also came with enormous pressure.
To avoid being left too far behind, every Flame-Chaser was pushing themselves relentlessly to chase his back.
Not because they couldn't bear to lose their honor or fame—but because they didn't want Elias to be alone.
They all knew how powerful he was, how blindingly radiant—like the sun itself. Yet precisely because of that brilliance, the Savior stood apart from the world, distant and unreachable.
And what they wanted... was to walk beside him.
Sakura and the others understood all too well that beneath the strength and the glory, the Savior of mankind was, at heart, a lonely young man who feared isolation.
"Everyone's really giving it their all," Elias said softly, rubbing his cheek against Sakura's. "But don't push yourself too hard either. Someday, let's gather everyone and take a break together. How about a trip to your hometown?"
As he spoke, Elias completely lowered his guard.
In that moment, the Flame-Chaser of [Setsuna] could have drawn her blade and easily taken his head with a single strike. Her success rate would have been 100%.
But of course—that possibility didn't exist. Not even one in a billion.
Sakura's blade would never turn against Elias. It was a sword meant only to protect him—to cut down his enemies, never him.
"Mm, sure. It's almost cherry blossom season anyway. I'll take everyone to visit my shrine. But really, that 'don't push yourself too hard'—you should be saying that to yourself."
Elias chuckled softly. "Yeah, I know. Sakura, then... let me rest for a bit." He wrapped his arms around the girl's gentle frame.
Sakura nodded quietly, leaning against his chest with a serene smile, cherishing this rare and precious moment.
Soon, she heard the calm rhythm of breathing. Looking up, she saw that the white-haired boy had already fallen asleep.
Unlike the confident, domineering Savior he was while awake, the sleeping Elias looked peaceful and gentle. Sakura felt she could look at that sleeping face forever—no, for a lifetime.
"He really was exhausted... I'm so useless, I can't even share your burden," she whispered softly, brushing his cheek with tender fingers.
The Flame-Chasers could all feel it—Elias was carrying some enormous, invisible pressure that he never spoke of. And even if they asked, he would always laugh it off.
"Ah~ I really wish there was something I could do for you..."
Sakura sighed quietly.
Her fox ears drooped slightly as she sank into her memories.
During the Third Eruption, the Herrscher of Thunder had descended upon the Far East—in the city of Nagazora.
Sakura's hometown lay directly within the range of the Honkai Eruption. Fortunately, she possessed an unusually high resistance to Honkai energy.
But her parents were not so lucky.
At that time, Sakura had been nothing more than an ordinary, powerless girl. She and her younger sister, Rin, could only watch helplessly as the Honkai consumed their parents and turned their beloved city into a living hell.
Just when the two girls had fallen into utter despair, a black-and-white holy lance pierced through the storming thunderclouds. Soon after, blood-stained white petals drifted down from the heavens, saving everyone.
And then... Elias descended from the sky, wrapping the trembling girl tightly in his arms.
Sakura would never forget that moment.
She had been chosen—favored—by an angel.
Of course, she would later learn that she wasn't the only one he had saved. Mei, Hua, Kevin, and Su were all rescued by Elias during the Third Eruption—they were now her comrades in Fire Moth.
(Sakura: My competition is way too fierce...)
What Sakura didn't know, since she hadn't yet regained her memories from previous cycles, was that her destiny had already changed from that moment.
In the original timeline, she would have lost both her parents and her home in the Third Eruption, been taken in by Fire Moth alongside her sister, and eventually become the assassin of the MOTH's Cocoon division.
But this time, everything was different.
Everything she cherished had been saved by Elias.
After the Third Eruption, Elias had even offered to carve out a peaceful future for her—one where she could live as a shrine maiden in her restored homeland.
But Sakura had refused.
Her reason was simple—she wanted to see him again.
Ever since the day Elias had saved her, she couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't think of anything else. The image of that white-haired boy haunted her mind every moment. She felt that if she didn't see him again, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
So, after saying farewell to her parents, she handed her shrine duties to her beloved sister Rin and enlisted in Fire Moth.
She thought it would take a long time before she'd get to meet the supreme commander himself.
But to her shock—on the second day after she joined, she met him again.
And on the third day, she found herself surrendering completely to him—body and soul.
Sakura herself had been dumbfounded. She had always considered herself a rather modest and traditional girl. Even if a chance ever arose to be with Elias in such an intimate way, she'd imagined it would take time—a long, long time.
(Sakura: Am I... that kind of shameless girl? Why did I lose control so easily? But... I'm so glad he didn't reject me. If he had... I think I would've just died.)
For the record, when she later told her sister Rin about it, Rin was completely stunned.
Rin: "Wait—what?! My dear sister, you already found someone?! And it's Big Brother Elias?! Oh my god, did our ancestors' tomb catch fire or something?! But... oh no... I think I also fell for him at first sight... What am I supposed to do now?!"