"Holy crap! Kalpas, where did you learn that trick?!"
Elias was utterly shocked. Kalpas had actually learned how to blackmail someone using leverage. Who taught him that?! Who could've possibly taught our honorable Kal-bro such a morally questionable tactic?!
Give us back the simple, gullible Kalpas we used to know!
"Hmph! I learned it from you and Elysia."
Kalpas crossed his arms, a cold smile forming beneath his mask.
"Eh? I-Is that so?"
Elias scratched his head awkwardly.
(Ah… if it's from me and Ely, then that's fine.)
"Hehehe~ Brother-in-law, you're Rin's now! Though it's a bit unfair to my sister, I guess when the time comes, we'll just both let her stab us together~ That kiss just now felt so strange, Brother-in-law, and you smell really nice~ Mmm~!"
"Damn it! Rin, when you wake up, I'll let Sakura spank your butt—so you better start preparing yourself!"
Elias quickly covered Rin's mouth as she tried to lean in again.
He hurriedly activated the Herrscher of Rebirth's power to flush the alcohol out of the pink-haired girl's system, then used the Herrscher of Ice's ability to cool her overheated brain.
"Hahaha~ Now I see! The only thing that can make you lose your composure like this are these women, huh? Elias, I didn't expect that the man who can slay Herrschers without hesitation would end up humiliated by such a situation. How amusing."
Kalpas laughed as he drank, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle before him. This was better than any snack to go with his drink. If only he had a phone—he'd have recorded the entire scene for posterity.
Elias rolled his eyes.
He couldn't help but sigh at how the world had changed—even Kalpas had gone bad. Was this the corruption of humanity or the decay of morality?
Alright, fine, this was probably his and Ely's fault.
But there was no way he'd lose a verbal battle against Kalpas.
"Tch! You're one to talk. Herrschers are nothing to me, and they're nothing to you either. You're ridiculously strong, but deep down, you're just a soft-hearted guy who likes kids, Kalpas."
Elias and Kalpas were both lions of the forest—beasts who ruled their domains. There was almost nothing in this world they couldn't kill or achieve. But even lions have things they cherish—fragile little deer they would never harm.
Both men had their soft spots, people they would protect with their lives.
In some ways, Elias and Kalpas were very much alike.
"Hmph! Say whatever you want. Just remember, if you dare breathe a word about what happened today, I'll tell Sakura that this little girl kissed you. We'll both go down together if we have to."
Kalpas' tone was almost gleeful, more excited than he'd ever been even in the face of a Judgment-level Honkai Beast or a Herrscher.
He never imagined he'd one day catch Elias off guard—the cunning man who always planned ten steps ahead. And all because of a random accident.
"Let me think… if Sakura finds out, she'll definitely be thrilled, right? Her little sister stealing her man? Elias, you'd better reclaim that sword you gave her, or it'll be hilarious when she kills you with your own gift."
Kalpas slapped his mask as he laughed. At that moment, he felt he'd discovered an emotion called 'joy.'
"Wait—hold on. You know what? Maybe going down with you wouldn't be so bad. Let's see who suffers more in the end, huh? I bet it'll be you. Hahaha~!"
(Oh come on! Kalpas, when did you become an Aha follower? You're basically a masked trickster now—but being a 'fun-seeker' doesn't suit you!)
Elias felt a chill run down his spine. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. Right now, even if the Herrscher of Earth appeared, he wouldn't be as scared as he was of this current disaster.
Because compared to a Herrscher's arrival…
A love triangle was far deadlier!
"Kalpas, calm down. There's no point in mutual destruction. How about we both back off a bit, yeah?"
Elias sighed inwardly. So this was karma, huh? The heavens truly spared no one. He never thought he'd live to see the day he'd have to beg Kalpas for mercy.
"No can do. I'm really looking forward to Sakura's reaction when she finds out. Speaking of which, she almost cut me once before too."
Kalpas touched his own neck, clearly refusing Elias' suggestion to make peace.
"Hey! What if I die—who's going to save the world then?!"
"Relax. Elias, you're not dying anytime soon. That woman would never bring herself to actually kill you. But… what she might do instead? I have no idea."
"Come on! What kind of friend says that?!"
Elias' eye twitched violently; he was completely speechless. This Kalpas was beyond saving.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Kalpas froze when he heard Elias' words. Behind the mask, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Friend? Elias… you think of me as a friend?"
"Uh… yeah?" Elias nodded instinctively.
"You don't see me as a subordinate? Or a pawn?"
Kalpas' eyes gleamed brighter and brighter.
"Of course not! Do I look like the kind of guy who treats people like tools? I'm not Dr. Mei, okay? Well… actually, Mei's just misunderstood. Deep down, she's a romantic, not some cold, emotionless scientist."
Elias spoke seriously.
He had never seen the Flame-Chasers as mere subordinates or chess pieces. Not even once.
Because in truth, his first feelings toward them had always been—admiration and respect.
Those feelings came from his previous life, born long before he ever set foot in this timeline. Even if the root of it was just a game, Elias had genuinely revered these warriors who burned themselves to light the path for future generations.
His goal in coming to this era had always been to change the tragic fates of the Flame-Chasers—and to build genuine bonds with them, to become their equal, their companion.
"...Hmph!"
Suddenly, the Flame-Chaser known as [Decimation] let out a sharp snort, startling the white-haired boy. Then, Kalpas turned around, refusing to look at either Elias or Rin anymore.
"...I'll let you off this time. But you're not allowed to talk about what happened today."
"Hm? Oh, sure thing."
Elias agreed sincerely, deleting the photos on his phone—well, except for one backup.
And yet, for some reason, he felt that Kalpas' aura had softened slightly. It was as if flowers had started blooming around the usually irritable man.
Stare—
"Ahem! Don't look at me like that. Also, don't forget—we're not the only ones here."
Feeling Elias' gaze, Kalpas grew a bit uneasy and quickly pointed toward Aponia to divert his attention.
"That woman might start spreading rumors too, you know. So Elias—how about you just silence her right here? If you want, I can help."
Kalpas cracked his knuckles, his fighting spirit flaring.
Elias immediately shook his head, declining the offer.
"No need, no need. Aponia isn't the type to gossip. Besides, she listens to me more than anyone else."
"Oh? So you can even handle Aponia? Hahaha! Alright, Elias, I'll admit it—you're impressive."
Kalpas tilted his head in genuine surprise before raising a thumb in praise.
"Actually, Kalpas, I've been curious… why do you hate Aponia so much? Sure, she can go overboard sometimes, but she's never had bad intentions."
Elias tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
But that one question was like lighting the fuse on a powder keg.
"Bad intentions? Elias, do you even know what that woman's done to me?! Go ahead—ask her yourself! Ask her how many [Discipline] she's planted on me!"
"[Discipline]? How many could there be?" Elias asked, glancing toward Aponia, who was supervising the children's meal not far away.
She calmly raised one slender finger.
"Ten [Discipline]? That's a lot, actually."
"One hundred and twenty-seven," Aponia corrected him flatly. She didn't seem to think it was much, but Elias was utterly dumbfounded.
"Wait, what?! That's more than Sheele's! Aponia, what on earth did you do to him?!"
"Nothing much. Just…"
Aponia pulled out a small notebook and began listing, one by one, every [Discipline] she had ever implanted in Kalpas. Yes—if she didn't write them down, even she couldn't remember them all.
The longer Elias listened, the more he realized Kalpas' resentment wasn't unfounded at all. In fact, it was a miracle the man hadn't punched her already. Kalpas was truly a gentle soul.
Things like: [Please] speak politely, [Please] apologize properly after hurting someone, [Please] do not kill without reason, [Please] read one book per week for self-cultivation, [Please] attend church and pray every three days, [Please] pick up trash from the ground, [Please] copy the Eli Gate's teachings daily… and so on and so on…
Elias facepalmed.
"Aponia—guilty!"
Judge Elias delivered his righteous verdict.
"Eh?" Aponia tilted her head in surprise.
"What do you mean 'eh'? Don't play innocent! This is way too much! No wonder Kalpas hates you. You totally deserved it. Come on, undo them already!"
Elias rapped his knuckles on the moth-winged woman's head. Even if Kalpas was a fierce hound, chaining him with over a hundred restrictions was going way overboard.
"But… if I undo the [Discipline], Kalpas…"
Aponia hesitated and looked toward Elias.
"That's an order, Aponia."
"…Yes."
Aponia suddenly felt a powerful force surge through her body—a golden chain of light constraining her every movement. Even though her will resisted, her body obeyed Elias without hesitation.
It wasn't surprising. No one understood this power better than she did.
It was a [Discipline]—a lifelong vow she had once placed upon herself: [Always obey Elias' command].
As long as Elias gave the order, Aponia would become nothing more than his puppet. Not even she could undo it.
...Half an hour later…
"It's done. All [Discipline] removed."
Aponia withdrew her glowing hand from Kalpas' head, looking slightly regretful. In contrast, Kalpas was ecstatic.
"Hahaha! Finally! I'm free! No more of those damned rules! Elias, I owe you one!"
Kalpas clenched his fists, feeling the absence of the invisible shackles that had bound him for so long. He laughed loudly, his voice echoing down the entire street. He suddenly felt like finding a Judgment-level Honkai Beast to fight, just to vent his joy.
"No need to thank me—it was Aponia's fault this time," Elias said, tugging gently on the nun's cheeks.
Kalpas wanted to take revenge immediately, but when he saw Aponia held in Elias' arms, he decided to let it go. Just being free from her [Discipline] was victory enough.
The three continued chatting and eating together. Kalpas, in high spirits, insisted on paying the bill—and, in typical Kalpas fashion, ordered every dish on the menu.
Meanwhile, Rin had finally sobered up.
Well, technically, she'd been awake for a while.
The girl had been pretending to sleep out of guilt, knowing she'd done something outrageous. Unfortunately, Elias—ever sharp-eyed—saw right through her act.
"Rin," Elias said with a dangerous smile, cracking his knuckles, "as your brother-in-law and future family, it's my duty to punish you. Any last words?"
"Waaah~ Brother-in-law, I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to! Just don't tell my sister, okay?"
"Relax, I wouldn't dare tell Sakura. And since you were drunk, I won't punish you too harshly. But sneaking drinks still deserves a lesson!"
Elias' right hand flexed, bones popping audibly as a wicked grin spread across his face. Memories from his days at the House of the Hearth—disciplining naughty children—resurfaced.
"When you make a mistake, you accept punishment. That's only fair, right?"
"Nooo~! Please, nooo~!"
Then came the sharp, rhythmic sound of slaps echoing through the air. By the time the thirtieth smack landed, the little pink-haired fox spirit had thoroughly reflected on her mistake…
At least, on the surface.
(Rin: "Owww! Brother-in-law, you really didn't hold back at all! Guess I'll have to sleep on my stomach tonight… But still—worth it! Totally worth it!")
Lying face-down on the bench, Rin secretly peeked at the white-haired boy.
His pure, snow-like hair shimmered softly, each strand catching the light. His perfect side profile looked as though carved by the hands of a god, his golden eyes shone like molten sunlight, and his presence radiated like the sun itself—brilliant and untouchable.
Slurp! "He's just too delicious…" (￣￢￣)
Drool slipped unconsciously from Rin's mouth.
Meanwhile…
"Kalpas, may I have a word with you?"
"No. Go away."
Kalpas didn't even glance at her, chugging straight from two bottles of liquor. Today was a good day for him—he'd bonded with the children, freed himself from Aponia's [Discipline], and, most importantly…
He'd learned that Elias considered him a brother.
His mood couldn't be better.
So why ruin it by talking to Aponia? Engaging with that woman was just asking for a headache.
"I just want to talk about Elias."
"…Tch. Fine. Say it quickly."
"Thank you, Kalpas. Then… could you tell me what kinds of things men generally like?"
Aponia's expression was completely serious.
"Huh? Aponia, did you hit your head on a door or something? What the hell does that have to do with Elias?"
Kalpas frowned, his tone flat and unfiltered.
"…"
Aponia fell silent for a moment. Then her gaze turned toward the white-haired boy not far away, her violet eyes filled with longing and quiet desire.
"I want Elias to truly fall for me… But I don't know how to do that. So I wanted to ask for your advice, Kalpas. You are a man, after all."
"Haaah…"
Kalpas took a deep breath, visibly restraining the urge to punch her. He instantly regretted even entertaining this conversation.
"Aponia, the fact that you thought asking me for advice was a good idea proves your brain isn't working right. Do you honestly think you can compare me to Elias?"
"Hmm… I suppose not," Aponia said after a brief pause, blinking as she mentally compared the two men. Indeed, she'd clearly chosen the wrong person to consult.
"Hmph! And another thing—" Kalpas glared at her through his mask. "The moment you started thinking about making Elias fall for you, you were already wrong."
"Why do you say that, Kalpas?"
"Do I even need to spell it out?"
Kalpas' voice was sharp, his tone carrying weight even through the mask.
"Because, Aponia—" he said coldly, "you don't deserve him."