At first, Ely still wanted to resist.
But when she saw the boy she cared about most standing right there in person, the pink-haired elf gave up her meaningless struggle and allowed Sakura to arrest her without resistance.
As for how the followers reacted to seeing their leader captured…
"So the leader was Elysia all along—the one rumored to be Lord Elias' girlfriend."
"Ah, good! Please, Miss Sakura, make sure to lock her up tight! Give her a few extra years while you're at it!"
"Exactly! Lord Elias is the world's hero—how could anyone think they have the right to monopolize him?"
"Right, it's way too selfish—uh, I mean, way too unfair!"
Not a single believer made a move to save their leader. After all, Elysia had claimed the radiance of the sun—something meant to shine upon all—for herself. They were practically thrilled to see the pink elf get caught and hoped she'd stay locked up for a while.
Elysia: "Uuu… Traitors! You're all traitors! In this cold and heartless world, only my dear Elias can bring warmth to this poor elf's heart! Eli, hug me!"
Elias: "Alright, alright… come here. Sigh—I don't even know how to feel about this, Ely. You really went overboard this time."
His girlfriend founding a religion that worshipped him was not something Elias had ever expected. Part of him was flattered—but mostly, it was just overwhelmingly embarrassing.
Elysia: "Ehehe~"
And so, the pink elf earned herself a shiny pair of silver bracelets.
After that, Sakura reported the situation to Mei, which immediately caused a massive uproar within the Fire Moth. By the time the three of them returned, a full trial had already been prepared for Elysia.
Inside the Fire Moth headquarters—
"Waaah, everyone's being way too serious about this! I—I'm starting to get nervous…"
Elysia shrank back, clearly intimidated as she looked around the courtroom.
She was seated in the defendant's chair inside a custom-made courtroom that Vill-V had built from scratch in just thirty minutes after hearing about her arrest.
Vill-V: "Of course! Elysia's grand downfall must be celebrated with proper grandeur and solemnity!"
Elysia: "I'm not downfalling yet!!"
At the top seat sat Mei, holding a wooden gavel, her expression calm yet authoritative.
With the epitome of rationality herself serving as the presiding judge, no one could object. Everyone trusted that Mei would deliver the most fair and wise verdict.
Aside from Elias, the courtroom was filled with familiar faces: Mobius, Sakura, Aponia, Hua, Kevin, and Kalpas. The women had come voluntarily, while the men were clearly dragged in to fill the seats.
Elias' expression was complicated. He couldn't help but think—
(Why does this feel like one of Vill-V's "Theater of Domination" plays? Couldn't she have at least made an opera house instead? Why are all the trials in this place staged like performances? Is this her weird personal quirk or something?)
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Order! Order in the court!"
Mei struck the gavel with a faintly amused smile.
"Now, the trial will commence. Elysia, do you admit that you secretly founded an unregistered religious organization known as the Church of Elias, and that you acted as its leader?"
"Uh, w-well… yes, I guess so."
Elysia nodded sheepishly.
"Excellent. Death penalty. Effective immediately."
"Mei—!!"
The hasty verdict made the pink elf leap to her feet in protest, slamming both hands on the table. But it was clear that this was going to be a trial full of bias and personal grudges.
After all, what could possibly be more terrifying than having your boyfriend's sharp-eyed, stoic best friend acting as the judge?
Oh right—there was something worse.
That would be the fact that the defense attorney, jury, and even the bailiffs were all of the same kind. Out of everyone present, the only ones not against her were the few men sitting as passive spectators.
Defense Attorney – Mobius: "The prosecution fully supports the decision of the presiding judge."
Jury – Aponia: "Elysia, please repent properly in prison."
Clerk – Misteln: "Don't worry, Elysia. I'll take good care of Elias for you while you're gone."
Bailiff – Hua: "Elysia, please refrain from any form of resistance in this courtroom."
Elysia: "…"
At that moment, the pink elf felt as if the whole world had turned against her. None of her so-called friends were good people! There was no way she was going to surrender quietly!
With tears shimmering in her eyes, she looked toward the white-haired boy in the audience with a pitiful expression and called out for help.
"Eli, help~!"
"Ahem! Everyone, can we take this seriously? If you keep pushing things like this, I might just storm the courtroom and free her myself."
Elias coughed lightly, half-helpless, half-amused.
"Tch!" xN
"Ehehe~ My Eli's the best!"
The women clicked their tongues in disappointment, frustrated they couldn't bring Elysia down completely. Meanwhile, the pink elf, now safe thanks to her personal hero's intervention, blew Elias a dramatic kiss.
"Tch, fine. We'll redo the trial, then," Mei said irritably.
"Elysia, do you admit that you privately founded an unregistered religion known as the Church of Elias?"
"Yes, I admit it—but I didn't do anything bad! I only wanted to share Elias' greatness with the world!"
Elysia declared proudly, pulling out a copy of the Church of Elias Doctrine from her pocket.
She knew no one here—besides the white-haired boy—was on her side. Whether she could turn this situation around now depended entirely on her own words.
The Church of Elias — Core Doctrines:
Fulfill Elias' wishes—at any cost.
Maintain optimism, positivity, and a bright outlook on life. Love the world you live in.
Recite aloud the Savior Elias' past deeds and achievements every day, and keep them forever in your heart!
Emulate the kindness of the world's most merciful Savior—cherish those around you and help every person in need.
Actively spread the Savior's glory, and bring more people into our faith! Eli Gate!
(Further points omitted…)
As Elysia presented the document, the courtroom fell into silence. The women had to admit—she'd done an impressive job this time. The doctrine was actually… well-written.
"Have you ever profited from using Elias' name?"
"Absolutely not! Everything about the Church was funded by me personally! The venues, the Elias merchandise, even the encyclopedia—all of it was commissioned and printed with my own money, and given away for free!"
Elysia puffed out her chest proudly.
"Ely—!"
Elias couldn't take it anymore. He jumped up onto the defendant's platform and pulled the pink elf tightly into his arms.
"You silly girl… what am I supposed to say to you? So that's why you've been so frugal lately."
"It's fine~ I just wanted to do something that made me happy. I want more people to like you, Eli—to understand how amazing you are."
Elysia nuzzled contentedly into his chest. She meant every word. Seeing the Eli Gate grow, watching more and more people learn about him—it filled her heart with warmth.
"I don't need everyone to like me. I just need you, Ely. Damn it… the ring isn't even finished yet."
Elias held her tighter, his heart swelling with emotion. His already sky-high affection for her shot up even further.
"It's okay~ That just means I can keep looking forward to it a little longer. Besides, I'm not quite ready for you to put that ring on me yet. Give me a little more time, okay?"
"Ely~"
"Eli~"
Their eyes met, filled with affection. For that moment, it felt like the rest of the world no longer existed. The air turned pink as they unconsciously leaned closer… and kissed.
The entire courtroom fell silent, every onlooker rendered speechless as they watched the couple make out in the middle of a legal proceeding.
"You two, that's enough! Show some respect for the court, you idiots! Elias, get back to your seat!"
Mei trembled with envy, her glasses cracking from sheer pressure.
"I refuse! I'm staying with Ely! If she's going to prison, then I'm going with her!"
Elias sat right down in the defendant's chair—and then casually pulled the pink elf into his lap.
Everyone: Σ(っД;)っ
Elysia, looking utterly blissful, nestled comfortably against him while casting a triumphant glance at all the other women in the room.
(See that, everyone? That's the power of true love! Miss Pink Elf will always be Elias' number one, most beloved girl! No one can ever separate us!)
The women: "…"
Yeah. There was no stopping her now.
As long as Elias was shielding her, Elysia was untouchable. Even if they actually threw her in prison, what would it matter? With Elias by her side, anywhere would become paradise—and full of affection.
Besides, after a full investigation, it turned out that the Church of Elias had committed no crimes whatsoever.
In fact, nearly every member had followed its doctrines faithfully, spreading kindness and positivity wherever they went, making their communities brighter and better. So while founding a religion wasn't exactly commendable… the results were undeniably good.
"Tch. Verdict: Not guilty."
Mei announced reluctantly.
"Hehe~ That's how it should be! Oh, how about this—why don't you all join my church? I'll make you all senior believers! You'll even get the full gift set: Elias body pillow, keychain, figurine, and encyclopedia! What do you say?"
Elysia grinned as she extended her invitation to everyone present.
"I think you're just showing off, Elysia," Mobius muttered.
"If you make me the leader, I'll join," Aponia said calmly.
"No thanks. Joining would just let you get away with more," Hua replied flatly.
"Maybe I'll start my own church instead…" Misteln mused quietly.
One by one, they all refused. If someone else had founded the Church of Elias, they might've joined without hesitation. But since it was Elysia who did it… absolutely not.
They were already far behind the pink elf. If they joined her church, they'd just be cementing their position beneath her forever—with no chance to catch up.
"Aw, fine~ That's a shame."
"Well then, we're done here. What a ridiculous farce. I've still got plenty of research to do," Mei sighed, turning to leave.
"Ah, wait, Mei—hold on just a second."
As Mei prepared to walk away, Elysia quickly stopped her. Mei raised an eyebrow, instantly on guard.
"Elysia, what are you plotting now?"
"Ahem, well, lately the church's finances have been… a little tight. My salary's good and all, but maintaining everything by myself has been tough. Honestly, I've even been working part-time in the cafeteria to make ends meet, so…"
Before Mei could escape, Elysia grabbed her arm and looked up at her with those big, sparkling eyes.
"Mei, could you maybe approve just a tiny bit of funding for me?"
"Haaah?! Elysia, have you lost your mind? Why would I give you money—to expand your church?! And what's this about working in the cafeteria? You're just mooching free food, aren't you?!"
The cracks in Mei's glasses deepened. The cafeteria's food supply had mysteriously dwindled lately—thanks to one pink-haired glutton piglet she'd personally hired.
"Ahem! Don't say it like that, Mei~ We're best friends, right? Please, help me out, okay? Besides, it's not for me—it's for Elias~"
"…Tch."
Hearing that, Mei hesitated.
"If you fund me, I'll make you the vice-leader. Deal? If not, I'll just go ask Eden instead."
Elysia pressed her advantage, bargaining sweetly.
"One hundred million. That's my limit."
"Uh… can't you add a little more? The church is growing fast lately, and I was even thinking of buying some land to build a proper cathedral."
Elysia quickly raised her expectations.
"…Fine. Three hundred million euros. That's as far as I go."
Mei sighed, lifting three fingers.
"Mmm~ That's perfect!"
Elysia's entire face lit up with joy.
"Alright then, I'll transfer the money later. Just make sure you give me a chance to appear at one of your events. Hm… actually, that feels like too much. I'll have to cut some of Mobius' next year's budget to make up for the deficit."
Elysia secured her development funds, Mei got herself promoted to vice-leader, and Mobius… lost next year's funding.
Thus, a world where only the snake suffered was born.
Mobius: "I'm going to kill you all!!!"
Tears welling in her eyes, Mobius immediately triggered a man-made Honkai collapse and charged at the two culprits—Elysia and Dr. Mei—who had just conducted a very public "under-the-table deal." Within three minutes, she was subdued.
Calmly replacing her shattered glasses, Mei looked up at Elysia, who was now standing atop the collapsed serpent form of Mobius, casually prying at a loose scale.
"…I didn't expect this to be the church you founded."
"Hm? What do you mean, Mei?"
"Nothing. I just thought the church you founded was… a different one. My mistake. Sakura, go and recheck the other case later—see if there's anything suspicious."
"Got it," Sakura replied listlessly. She was tired and decided to handle the investigation tomorrow.
"Uh, what are you all even talking about?"
Elysia tilted her head in confusion. From Mei's tone, it sounded like she had already suspected Elysia of founding a church long before this incident.
Mei pulled out her terminal and projected some data.
"A few days ago, we discovered a group calling themselves the Ely Gate Faithful. The style of the church was… very similar to yours. Their insignia is even a crystal flower. I thought that was the one you had founded."
"That's not me! I swear I don't know anything about that!"
"Mhm. It does seem unrelated now," Mei said with a faint smile. "Still, just in case, Sakura should investigate further. Who knows—maybe someone else founded a church to worship you this time."
She spoke half-jokingly.
"…"
Cold sweat trickled down Elias' forehead.
As he quietly lowered his presence and began inching toward the exit, a familiar arm suddenly hooked around his neck. A grinning white-haired man pulled him close.
"Yo, Elias! Ramen ikuze!"
"Uh, Kevin… I'm really not in the mood for noodles right now."
"Not in the mood means you kind of are, right? Perfect! There's this new ramen place I found—come on, let's go!"
Kevin tugged him forward, and in the process, Elias' notebook slipped from his pocket and fell to the floor.
A sudden gust of wind—no one knew from where—flipped it open, revealing a page titled Draft: Church of Ely Doctrine.
Doctrine of the Church of Ely:
Fulfill every wish of the Goddess Ely—no matter the cost.
Maintain a healthy, positive, and optimistic attitude. Support and help fellow believers.
Show kindness and cherish all life around you. Treasure every bit of beauty you have.
The Goddess Ely loves those with horns. Believers without horns should strive to grow some.
Actively spread the Goddess Ely's virtues and bring more people into our faith—Ely Gate!
(Further points omitted…)
Compiled by: Elias, Leader of the Church of Ely
"..." xN
The air grew deathly still as everyone turned to stare at the white-haired young man.
"I—I just wanted to spread Ely's good qualities!" Elias stammered, standing tall with his hands on his hips.
"YOU STUPID COUPLE!!!" xN
Everyone in the room shouted in perfect unison.