Many people in this world are often gifted in things they dislike. Elias was just such a type—or so Misteln thought at this moment.
Herrscher of Sentience: "Ah… ah… ah…"
Looking at the Herrscher of Sentience, who could no longer form complete words and could only let out such pitiful groans, Misteln felt a trace of sympathy despite standing as her enemy.
She then turned to Elias. In this [Idea] lady's eyes, there was now a faint trace of fear.
Misteln had a feeling. Though Elias truly hated human experimentation, perhaps his talent for tormenting people surpassed even Otto and Mobius.
Earlier, Elias had first used brute force to torment the Herrscher of Sentience without killing her, then fused with Misteln to unleash his dream authority, dragging the Herrscher through a nightmare like the eighteen levels of hell.
That she could still groan at this point made Misteln sigh—indeed worthy of being the Herrscher of Sentience.
To still make a sound… what a strong will.
"Well, this much should be enough."
Having vented the anger in his heart, Elias looked refreshed. He then picked up the Judgment of Shamash and cleanly severed the Herrscher of Sentience's head, thus bringing this Honkai crisis to an end.
Of course, the opponent was not a physical entity but a spiritual body, so the Herrscher of Sentience's real-world vessel had not died.
Still, with her spirit in this state, her body could hardly be well. At the very least, there was no way she could continue to maintain normal thinking ability.
"With this, Elysia and the others should have no problem capturing the Herrscher of Sentience in the real world. All right~ everything's settled. We should head back."
"…Yes, Master."
"Uh, did I scare you, Misteln? Sorry, I lost my temper a bit too much this time."
Seeing his [Idea] acting a bit more reserved than before, Elias felt a touch of guilt. He raised his hand and pulled Misteln into his embrace to comfort her.
Misteln arched her brow slightly, realizing this was a good opportunity. She pressed her body closer to the white-haired boy.
"Ahem! Master, don't mind it. I know you were angry because your reverse scale was touched. But yes, you did give me quite a scare, and I'm still a little frightened."
As she spoke, Misteln took Elias' hand and pressed it against her chest, as if to let him feel her racing heartbeat.
"Ah, it really is beating quite fast…"
"Yes. So please, comfort me."
"Uh, is this the right time? What about everyone outside…"
"Master, we're in a dream. The concept of time here is very vague and can be extended at will. No matter what we do or for how long, it won't affect the real world."
As she spoke, Misteln began unfastening her battlesuit.
The competition for Elias' affection was becoming fiercer by the day. She had to seize every opportunity to get ahead! Elias' throat bobbed—he was never one to refuse such invitations.
And so, the two became intimate.
"…"
Even though her head had been severed, the Herrscher of Sentience's spirit still retained a trace of awareness. Tears welled in her eyes. She thought bitterly—these two were too much. After beating her up, they were now doing this in her dream.
...
After several hours passed in dream-time, the two, well-satisfied, exited the dream and returned to the real world.
When Elias' consciousness returned to his body, he suddenly felt a heavy weight on his stomach.
Opening his eyes, he froze.
"Mission completed in 5 minutes and 21 seconds. Welcome back, Elias. Congratulations on saving the world once again. How do you feel? Just in case, do you require a full-body examination?"
"Uh… Duck?"
Sitting atop his stomach was a silver-gray-haired, red-eyed, expressionless girl. Elias stared blankly at Prometheus, for a moment suspecting he was still dreaming.
Prometheus tilted her head slightly, expressionless, and spoke.
"Forgive me. My full designation is [Terminal Overseer 017·Prometheus]. I am an AI-based bionic robot, not the 'Duck' you called me. However, if this is the nickname you have chosen for me, I would be happy to accept it."
"Ah, sorry, my mistake. Hello, Prometheus. It's a pleasure to meet you々."
Elias blinked as he spoke, and unconsciously reached out to pat Prometheus on the head. Though her hair was made of soulium metal filaments, it felt incredibly smooth to the touch.
This sudden but unnervingly practiced head-pat made Prometheus-17 freeze for a moment. Yet the mechanical girl still obediently lowered her head slightly, recording data as she allowed Elias to continue.
"What a curious experience. I've never had my head touched in this way before. According to my scans, among human customs head-patting carries many meanings, but most often it expresses affection. Elias, may I ask—do you like me?"
Prometheus inquired expressionlessly.
This blunt question made Dr. Mei, freed from her restraints, widen her eyes. So this was the advantage of robots? No shyness, just direct questioning.
She really had created a formidable opponent!
Elias blinked. This was his first time interacting with a mechanical girl, and since she had the exact same face as Bronya, he found the experience fresh and intriguing.
"As for your question, I'd say yes. After all, waking up to see a cute girl in front of me—who wouldn't like that?"
"I see. It seems you're satisfied with my appearance, but I would still like to ask more specifically. If possible, please give me a score out of 100."
Prometheus spoke with anticipation.
"How could 100 points be enough? I'll give you 10,000."
Elias answered without hesitation.
Just her Bronya face alone instantly maxed out Elias' favorability. A 'duck face' was his critical weakness—let alone this unprecedented AI girl.
Seeing Prometheus show no resistance or rejection, Elias continued patting her twin-spiral hair, feeling a mix of indescribable satisfaction and nostalgia.
(Never thought I'd get the chance to pat Duck's turbines even in the Previous Era. Nice! Mei, you did well.)
"10,000 points? That far exceeds my expectations. I thought I'd only score around 90. Thank you, Dr. Mei, for designing this appearance for me."
Prometheus sincerely thanked Mei, showing no sign that she had just restrained the Doctor moments ago.
"You're welcome, Prometheus!"
Mei's response was through clenched teeth. She was now extremely regretful, thinking if she had known this would happen she wouldn't have designed her this way—or better yet, wouldn't have given her a humanoid form at all!
Elias carefully admired the mechanical girl before him.
As an AI-based bionic robot, Prometheus had a face far more exquisite than a normal person's, like a perfect doll crafted by a meticulous artist. Mechanical components were visible across her body, but the joints were adorned with artistic engravings.
Elias had to marvel at Mei's craftsmanship. This Prometheus was the perfect fusion of girl, machine, and art.
She had elevated the 'Duck' image to a whole new height!
"It seems you truly like how I look, Elias. Hehe, I believe you have excellent taste."
Prometheus met Elias' eyes as she spoke. As a mechanical girl, she had no sense of embarrassment, openly presenting herself for Elias to admire.
Although her speech contained interjections, there was no emotion in her voice—like a reading recital. Yet combined with the electronic tone, it actually enhanced the effect in Elias' ears.
All he could say was—Dr. Mei truly was a genius.
To think she had created such a perfect mechanical girl.
Elias was deeply impressed.
However, the reason Elias felt such natural fondness toward Prometheus was not just because she had Bronya's face. More importantly, it was because Elias came from the Current Era.
In the future, Prometheus would hack into the Herrscher of Finality, placing a shackle named "Will of Honkai" upon the Cocoon of Finality, thereby aligning the Herrschers of the Current Era with those of the Previous Era.
True to her name—Prometheus, the thief of fire—this mechanical girl would one day steal the fire of hope from Honkai, from "God," for the humans of the next civilization.
It was thanks to her that the knowledge of fighting Honkai from the Previous Era would continue to benefit the next. Without her, who knew what form Honkai might have taken in the Current Era.
"But speaking of which, Prometheus—why are you sitting on my stomach? Not that it feels bad."
"I am protecting your physical safety, Elias. When your consciousness is outside your body, no matter how powerful you are, you cannot resist external attacks."
Prometheus said this while glancing at Dr. Mei. Under the gaze of her own creation, Mei felt a twinge of guilt and awkwardly averted her eyes.
"I see. Well, thank you for protecting me. I owe you a favor for this."
"A favor? Understood. I have recorded it. Elias, you owe me a favor. Hehe, the value of a savior's favor is no small matter. In human terms, I should call this a great profit."
"Haha~ you're amusing. Mei, can we discuss lending Prometheus to me for a few days?"
Elias' eyes sparkled as he looked at Prometheus, then turned toward the pained expression on Mei's face.
"No. Absolutely not."
Mei refused without hesitation. She already felt that in just a few minutes of conversation, Elias' favorability toward Prometheus had surpassed his favorability toward her. This was unacceptable!
At this rate, if she lent Prometheus to him for even a few days, she'd really earn the title "creator surpassed by her own creation" like some tragic heroine!
(Mei: "I cannot accept this!!!")
Yet Prometheus simply shook her head.
Though she had only been "born" a short while, she had already mastered all the knowledge of the Previous Era—and had even learned the human emotion called "rebellion."
"Elias, regarding my being 'loaned out,' you don't actually need to consult the Doctor. I am willing to go with you."
Prometheus spoke in a flat tone, uttering words some people might never dare speak in their entire lives.
"Eh? Is that… okay?"
Elias was momentarily stunned. It sounded odd, like the mechanical girl before him was asking to elope. Was this really appropriate? Prometheus—your creator is right there watching you.
"Of course it's okay. After all, my underlying orders include many tasks that require me to stay close to you—for example, [constant observation]. This is essentially the mission Dr. Mei assigned me."
"Prometheus, come back to the lab with me. I think you need a full-scale inspection. Don't worry, I'll take you apart piece by piece and carefully check where the problem lies!"
Mei's eye twitched violently, her glasses cracking from the force of her aura.
"Beep-beep. Self-check complete. Status: excellent. Energy: full. Operating program: no bugs detected. This unit has no issues. Please trust your own technology, Doctor."
"Hmph! I am now experiencing unprecedented doubt in my own technology. Prometheus-17, I hereby formally declare you fired! After work today I'll toss you straight into the scrap recycling yard!"
Mei thought this AI was beyond saving. She might as well sell it to the scrap dealer for three yuan per kilogram.
"Very well. In that case, Elias, could you please pick me up then? I can do many things for you—whether playing games as a companion, gathering intelligence, or assisting in battle. I can handle all of these tasks."
Prometheus turned her head toward Elias as she spoke, also sending a copy of her user manual to his phone.
"Oh? With so many functions, Prometheus, you're incredible. Ahem… Mei, which recycling yard are you planning to throw Prometheus into? I'll go pick her up. Actually, why not just give her to me now—save you the trouble of tossing her away."
Elias admitted he was very tempted. He had always wanted a mechanical girl. And compared to a certain vegetable thief, a Prometheus with Bronya's face was much more to his taste.
"I—throw her into a dump?! Never!!"
Mei felt like spitting blood. She looked at Prometheus, now standing obediently by Elias' side and earnestly introducing her many functions, and felt as though she had truly committed a sin.
"Emmm~ I feel a sense of familiarity. Elias, I want Prometheus to come with us too."
Misteln sized up Prometheus as she spoke.
"No problem. Then it's decided."
Elias nodded in understanding. In the original timeline, these two had traveled together across the world as partners. Even though the future had already changed, the fact they could meet across 50,000 years in the Previous Era showed how deep their destined bond was. So… Misteln, please cause her a little less trouble this time!
While the four chatted—
The team responsible for capturing the Herrscher of Sentience returned.
But the moment they arrived, Miss Pink Elf couldn't help but exclaim: "My dear Elias, can you tell me just what you did to the Herrscher of Sentience in that dream?"
"Eh? What happened?"
Elias' heart skipped a beat. Did his intimate moment with Misteln in the dream somehow get exposed? No way… right?
Yet even Kevin, Sakura, Hua and the others wore strange, indescribable expressions.
"Uh… just see for yourself."
"???"
"Hmph."
Kalpas walked over, dragging the Herrscher of Sentience. He threw her down at Elias' feet, then disdainfully wiped his hands on his clothes.
Mei curiously looked as well, and like the others, her expression turned strange as she glanced between Elias and Misteln.
"What exactly did you two do?"
"Ababa… ababa…"
The Herrscher of Sentience had turned into an idiot, unable to even form words. Her eyes were filled with "wisdom" as if she had been infected with the "Teri Teri Virus."
"When we found her, she was already like this. Looks like this was your doing."
Elysia recalled the earlier scene.
They had followed the coordinates given by the Observation Hub to the Herrscher's real-world location, which turned out to be inside a high-rise luxury building in the city center.
They had kicked down the door with all the flair of "Fire Moth! Open up!!" only to find the Herrscher already collapsed on the floor, wearing an utterly ruined expression.
Everyone: stares…
Elias: "Uh, maybe I went a little overboard and broke her spirit. Anyway, let's just dig out the Core and toss it into the Deep End."
Herrscher of Sentience: "Ababa… ababa…"