"So comfortable~ Elias, go faster! I can handle it!"
"Alright then, hold on tight! Acceleration!"
High above in the blue sky, Elias carried Eden in a princess hold as he flew at high speed. Though she was the dignified and graceful superstar of the era, Eden actually enjoyed this kind of thrilling activity.
Her beautiful eyes widened as she admired the scenery she could never normally see, and right there, she began singing aloud.
Hearing her song, Elias flew with even greater vigor, deliberately picking areas full of clouds to dive through. He passed through one after another, his heart brimming with joy as Eden's voice accompanied him.
"I can actually transform into a true dragon. Next time, I'll show you." Elias said casually.
"A real dragon? That's something I'm really looking forward to! Will you carry me on your back when you do?" Eden's eyes sparkled.
Though being carried in his arms was wonderful, after all, an embrace was an intimate gesture. Flying, however, should be the ultimate symbol of freedom. Eden wanted to soar seated upon a dragon's back.
"Of course I will, my dear Eden." Elias agreed without hesitation.
What he referred to was his artificial cascade.
While his draconic transformation could already be considered part of that, it was still only partial. A full artificial cascade would transform him into a massive dragon.
Elias had once attempted it in a deserted area, and the result was unexpected. Though he had used Benares' genes, he hadn't become Benares.
Instead, he had transformed into a colossal white dragon. Unlike Benares' mix of black, white, and blue, Elias was pure white all over except for his golden eyes. And most importantly… he was enormous!
A serpent nearly a kilometer long like Sesha was already massive, but compared to Elias' cascaded dragon form, it was like a mere worm that could be slapped flat with one claw.
Elias was thankful he had chosen a large, empty location. Otherwise, if he had transformed within the base, Fire Moth would've been reduced to rubble instantly.
Elias: (The reason I became so large must be due to the Chiyou genes.)
The Meta-Morph he used combined Benares and Chiyou, inheriting traits from both Honkai Beasts. Mixed with Elias' own influence, the three fused together.
Dragon + Beast + White-haired boy = One massive white dragon.
It was an outrageous fusion, but at the very least, it had a distinct and striking image.
Afterward, when Elias saw the satellite images of his cascaded form, he couldn't help but sigh that he looked exactly like the CEO's Blue-Eyes White Dragon—though with golden eyes…
He worried about what he might look like in the future once he executed the Project Chimera. If the form was unsightly, he wouldn't hesitate to use the Herrscher of Death's Authority to adjust it himself.
...
Not long after, the two returned to Fire Moth.
When Elias landed in superhero fashion with Eden in his arms, he instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Captain Elias is back! Huh? But isn't that supposed to be Elysia in his arms?"
"Oh? Has he started a new route again? Let me see!"
"Hisss! That looks like Eden!"
"What?! Eden?! Let me see!!"
"Wait… could the rumors really be true?"
Ninety-nine percent of the warriors there were Eden's fans—in fact, nearly the whole world was. Seeing their idol descend from the sky, the crowd surged forward in excitement.
At the same time, a pink figure leapt over the crowd and landed right beside Elias. She threw herself into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest—or rather, like a pink cannonball.
"You're back, Elias~!"
"Cough, cough! Ely, calm down a little."
"I can't! I haven't cuddled you in nine hours! Elias, do you know how I survived these nine hours? Miss Pink Elf was lonely to death!"
Elysia took a deep breath against him, like someone who had been drowning and finally resurfaced for air. After replenishing her dangerously low supply of Elias, Ely felt alive again.
Only then did she notice the change in him.
Elias' dragon wings, gauntlets, and back were each inlaid with several massive gems. At the center of his chest armor was even a palm-sized sapphire.
Miss Pink Elf's eyes instantly lit up.
"Woooah~ this looks way too good! Wait, hold on—those look like real gems! Elias, don't tell me you robbed a jewelry store! If you did, I'll go to prison with you!"
"…Thanks for the sentiment, Ely, but no. You're overthinking. These were gifts from Eden."
Elias brushed his hand over the gems. In truth, they were just a cover—inside each gem was a Herrscher Core.
After much thought, Elias realized only Herrscher Cores were worthy to be his adornments. Ordinary gems couldn't withstand the shock of battle—they'd shatter into powder.
But Cores were different. Though usually stored inside his body, he could also affix them to his surface. They had not only the durability, but when he wielded Authority, they even glowed.
Visually, it was maxed-out special effects—absolutely stylish!
"Eden?!"
The moment Elysia heard that name, her eyes widened. Then the pink elf began trembling, her eyes filling with tears.
This startled Elias badly.
(Who?! Who made my Ely cry? Stand up right now! I'll kill you ten thousand times over and it still won't be enough!!)
The next second, Elysia whipped out her terminal, shoved it in front of Elias, and asked nervously:
"Elias, is this news real or fake?"
"Hm? What news?"
Elias focused his gaze and froze.
[Shocking! Era Superstar, Songstress Eden's Romance Exposed—Spotted Entering a Hotel with a Man at 8PM! Their behavior was intimate!!!]
It was clearly published this morning, yet the reposts had already exceeded ten million, and the comments were past 99,999+. The comment section was a wailing chaos—like a Herrscher of Dominance had taken over.
Elias' eye twitched furiously. Beside him, Eden also stood stunned.
They hadn't expected their actions last night to be photographed.
Elias wasn't in too much trouble—only his distinctive white-haired back had been captured. But Eden was less fortunate. She had turned her head toward the camera, her face perfectly clear.
Thankfully, Eden's PR team was competent. Though just as blindsided, waking up to find their diva in the world's top headline, they still managed to spin a response.
Eden's PR: "It's a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding! The man in the photo is the accompanist from yesterday's concert. They only went out for drinks to celebrate the successful performance. As for the hotel—who says going to a hotel means doing that?! Our Miss Eden simply got drunk and stayed the night there, what's wrong with that?!"
Elias: "Well damn, that's actually spot on. Eden, your PR really nailed it."
Considering no one else knew what had happened between them last night, her PR team couldn't possibly know the truth. They had clearly blurted out a hasty excuse… which by sheer coincidence turned out to be the exact reality.
The coincidence was almost eerie.
Eden quickly pulled out her own phone, only to find 99+ missed messages.
She immediately called back her manager, clarifying she had no romance at all—that everything was exactly as they had said. They had done well, and she promised to raise everyone's salaries later.
"Ah, being a superstar really is tough. I guess that means, Eli, you'd better not debut after all."
Elysia sighed as she watched Eden juggling explanations and promising a press conference.
She knew if Elias debuted, he would become explosively popular. But that would only attract needless rivals. Thinking it over, she decided it wasn't worth the risk. Things were already chaotic enough.
Mobius was always scheming, but Elysia could still manage her. Now, however, Sakura had joined the fray, with Mei, Vill-V, and Hua all eyeing their chances as well.
Miss Pink Elf was still the unrivaled empress among them, but if too many enemies appeared, there was always a chance they could steal him away. And that was something she would never allow!
"My apologies—it seems I don't have much time left. Tell me, what procedures are required to join Fire Moth?" Eden asked calmly after ending her call.
"Eden, are you serious?" Elias frowned slightly.
"Of course. Even though I'm only a singer and don't have the kind of power you do, Elias, I still want to do what I can. And besides…"
Eden suddenly took his hand, smiling softly.
"…coming here means I can be closer to you."
"!!!" ×N
The moment her words fell, the entire place erupted in shock. Elias could almost hear the sound of countless hearts breaking. Around them, the crowd—especially the men—looked at him with eyes full of envy and jealousy.
It was fortunate that his reputation was strong enough. If it had been anyone else, they might have already been sniped on the spot.
"Absolutely not! Elias is already mine, Eden—you can't have any ideas about him!"
At the critical moment, Elysia cut between them, shielding Elias behind her like a mother hen protecting her chick. She had known it—if he spent a night away, something was bound to happen!
The pink elf also shot Elias a strange look, thinking: Wow, that was fast. Just one night, and you've already captured a superstar? You didn't use some hypnosis app, did you?!
Elias: "Ah… the weather sure is nice today…"
Honestly, Elias himself wasn't sure how it had come to this. He hadn't deliberately tried to win Eden over, yet somehow her favorability toward him had skyrocketed. It was simply… mysterious.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Elysia."
"Hm? Eden, you know me?"
"Of course. Last night, while dining with Elias, we talked a lot. He told me he has the world's cutest, most beautiful girlfriend—brilliant and dazzling, like falling petals." Eden praised sincerely.
"R-Really? Oh my, that makes me blush. Elias, you really… always telling the truth~ Next time, if you're going to stay out late, at least call me first, don't make me worry."
Elysia rubbed her face with both hands, grinning happily. She hadn't expected Elias to describe her that way.
Her irritation over his night away instantly shrank by more than half. A few sweet words now, and she would forget the rest entirely.
At the same time, her affection for Eden rose sharply.
(Elysia: Eden is so dignified and reserved—there's no way she has any ill intentions toward Elias. Just like today's news, it must have been a misunderstanding. She's not like that green snake doctor or that pink fox vixen. There's no way she'd try to steal him from me.)
Nodding to herself, Elysia looked at Eden more and more favorably. She had confirmed it—this was her future bestie!
"Just call me Ely. So Eden, you really don't have that kind of intention toward Elias?"
"Of course not, Ely. I don't wish to become his lover." Eden shook her head, face completely sincere.
"Really? That's good. As long as you feel that way, we can definitely be best friends!" Elysia let out a sigh of relief.
She patted her own chest, decisively erasing Eden's name from her mental assassination list.
But then—
"Well, I only hope I can become Elias' support, help him fulfill his dreams, sing for him when he needs me, continue intertwining our souls through music… and that he'll treat himself kindly. That's all."
"Eh???"
Elysia stiffened. Something about that sounded very wrong. Eden, are you sure you're not trying to steal my man?
Eden still wore her flawless smile.
Then, before anyone could react, she reached out and touched Elias' dragon horns—the place previously reserved for Miss Pink Elf alone, her absolute forbidden domain!
From a certain angle, this was already a declaration of war.
"Elias, I'll do everything I can to ensure your happiness. When the Honkai war ends, come with me onto the stage, and together we'll pursue music and art."
"Uh… I'll think about it, when the time comes…"
"Cough! Cough!"
Elysia quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, then pulled out her pink handkerchief to carefully wipe his dragon horns. Her smile remained radiant, but Elias could swear he saw black aura rising from her body.
Elysia rose onto her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Elias' neck.
"Sorry, Eden. Once we defeat the Honkai, Eli and I will continue our journey around the world. Until we reach the very end, he will belong to me alone."
"The end?"
"Oh my, I didn't explain well enough—it means for a lifetime~ But since we're fusion warriors, that lifetime will be very, very long. Eden, if you want a turn with my Elias, you might have to wait several thousand reincarnations~"
Fighting spirit glimmered in Elysia's eyes.
The lifespan of a MANTIS was at least six digits. Even when this era ended and the next one began, and the one after that, she and Elias would still be traveling together.
Until every inch of the world bore their footprints. Until they found a flawless paradise, an eternal utopia. By then, the golden age of this world would have long dimmed. And so…
(Elysia: Eden, you'd better behave yourself!)
Eden: "..."
The air grew thick with gunpowder.
The golden songstress and the pink elf locked eyes. At that moment, a wandering insect flew past, only to be slain instantly by the sheer sharpness of their gazes.
Everyone nearby instinctively backed away, swallowing hard. War! This was war! An invisible war!
Though no blood had been shed, in some ways it was even more dangerous than the arrival of a Herrscher—for this was a war between women!
"Eden, you only met Elias yesterday. Isn't it a bit too fast to try and steal him after just one day?"
(Though, to be fair, a certain pink fox managed it in just two days…)
"Hehe. Our time together may have been short, but Elias has already entrusted me with an immeasurably precious treasure. And more than that… music has bound our souls together. We already understand each other."
Eden spoke with confidence. Though she might not yet know his hobbies, she truly understood his soul—and she held the dream of the white-haired boy.
Perhaps this pink elf knew Elias' body and emotions better. But Eden believed that was limited. Physical companionship could only go so far. She, however, could become his soulmate.
Their gazes clashed once more.
Confirmation struck both of them: a formidable rival!
Best friends? Hah! Guard against fire, guard against theft, guard against best friends!
If Elias hadn't sealed away his memories of Elysia, he would certainly feel guilty now.
Because of him, two women who should have been lifelong friends were now glaring daggers, their bond split by enmity. Truly, it was just like him—to once again alter fate itself.
"Eden, I think you should give up. Fire Moth isn't just for anyone. The standards are high, and singing can't save humanity~"
Elysia stood with hands on her hips, her presence radiating power.
Elias silently muttered: Not necessarily. In the 2D world, singing really can save humanity—not only that, they even hold concerts in space while fighting interstellar wars. (Symphogear, Macross…)
"Oh? Is that so?"
Eden smiled and pulled out her unlimited black card.
"Ely, I think you're misunderstanding something. Singing may be my forte, but my true power is… wealth."
(Elias: Attention, everyone! The ultimate invincible billionaire lady is about to unleash her cash powers. All poor souls, protect your fragile hearts!)