In outer space near Earth.
After defeating the Planet-class Honkai Beast, the Flame-Chasers all relaxed. Although the Herrscher of Finality still remained, there was no need to worry for now.
Pardofelis: "Finally, finally, it's over~!"
Sakura: "That was truly a perilous battle."
Kalpas: "Hmph! Nothing more than that."
Kevin: "Damn it, I actually forgot to take a bite of that Planet-class Honkai Beast. Such a loss."
...
In truth, everyone had been panicking during the fight.
After all, every member of the Previous Era had already evacuated into Elias' internal bubble world, and their purpose in challenging Finality was only to send Prometheus' replicated data through the [Gate].
To make her the embodiment of the Will of Honkai in the next era.
Afterward, it wouldn't matter even if they ignored the Herrscher of Finality.
Because once she finished resetting civilization, she would return to the Cocoon of Finality and disappear, only descending again when the twelve Herrschers of the next era were born.
But who could have known there would be a Planet-class Honkai Beast this time?!
Unlike the Herrscher of Finality, it wouldn't return to the Cocoon after destruction—it would continue to exist.
If they didn't eliminate it now, then once the Herrscher of Finality completed her mission and initiated the next era, the new civilization would face the threat of a Planet-class Honkai Beast from the very start.
That would be an absurd joke.
So, no matter what, they had to destroy it—otherwise, the new civilization would be born on the brink of extinction.
Now that the opponent had been defeated, Elias could finally proceed with the next stage of his plan.
"Good work, everyone. You can head back now."
As he spoke, he opened a portal leading directly to the surface.
"Hm? Eli, aren't you coming back?"
"Yeah, I plan to investigate the Herrscher of Finality's situation a little longer—and maybe hang around in space for a bit. Anyway, you all go ahead and prepare for the victory feast. I'll be back soon."
"Oh, okay then."
Perhaps due to exhaustion from the recent battle, Elysia didn't notice his slight unease. Afterward, Elias closed the portal and exhaled softly.
What he was about to do next couldn't be seen by the girls. Otherwise, he'd be in serious trouble—from a different kind of angle.
After sending everyone off, Elias turned toward the unconscious Herrscher of Finality, a faint look of nostalgia crossing his face.
"It's been a long time... Finality."
Elias once again activated his [Reverse God] state, then invoked his gigantification ability, enlarging himself to match the Herrscher of Finality's divine stature.
At that moment, it was as if two deities stood upon the moon. In the silent, soundless void of space, their presences radiated an untouchable, sacred majesty.
The six wings behind Elias spread wide, and with a single beat, he crossed the 400,000-kilometer distance between Earth and the Moon.
Gazing upon the Goddess of Honkai he had fought countless times before, Elias couldn't help but recall the battles from his ten cycles of reincarnation—one after another, endless clashes that made his hands itch just thinking about them.
However...
"Sorry, but this time, I'll need you to make a little sacrifice. Ah~ and to think my principle has always been to only kiss the girls I like."
Elias spoke with a complicated expression.
He pulled the unconscious Herrscher of Finality into his arms, gently cupping the Goddess of Honkai's face—and kissed her directly.
It wasn't born of desire. Though it resembled a kiss, what Elias was actually doing was absorbing and devouring the Honkai energy that comprised the Herrscher of Finality.
And this kiss was far stronger than he had expected!
(Guhh! Such terrifying Honkai energy... No wonder it takes the full output of fifty Moonlight Thrones to vaporize it. Damn, I can't take anymore—my storage capacity's already at its limit!)
Every passing second, nearly a million HW of Honkai energy surged into his body. Even with the Chimera physique, at this stage, it was impossible to contain the seemingly infinite Honkai energy of the Herrscher of Finality.
So Elias immediately activated his trump card prepared in advance.
A bubble world nearly the size of a fundamental dimension!
Indeed, Elias now possessed two bubble worlds within his body. With the power of the Holy Blade Durandal, he had recently managed to store another world inside himself.
The one he was connecting to now, however, was different from the bubble world inhabited by the people of the Previous Era. This one had not undergone any stabilization or purification—it was simply a vast, already-collapsed bubble world.
Elias channeled the Honkai energy he couldn't contain into this world, using it as a storage vault. This was the only way he could avoid being torn apart by the overwhelming power.
As for whether an ordinary bubble world could withstand the Herrscher of Finality's Honkai energy—the answer was, of course not.
This was the kind of energy capable of resetting an entire civilization back to its origin. If it were to take liquid form, it would be vast enough to submerge the entire world.
A normal bubble world would simply burst under such pressure, becoming a realm completely eroded and destroyed by Honkai energy.
That was precisely why Elias had chosen a world the size of a fundamental dimension—one that was already ruined.
After all, something that was already broken... could hardly break again.
And this was also the reason Elias refused to use the Moonlight Throne on the Herrscher of Finality.
(Finality, I need your power to fulfill my wish. So... forgive me. If we ever meet again, I'll pay the price for this kiss.)
Elias narrowed his eyes. Having adjusted to the violent influx of Finality's energy, he increased the strength of his devouring—his kiss. To be honest, he felt a little guilty.
It couldn't be helped; his sense of morality was still too high.
He didn't want to do this. The Elysion Pedion was ineffective against the Herrscher of Finality, since every Authority originated from her in the first place.
He had tried this in past cycles.
Using Elysion Pedion to absorb Finality's Honkai energy had proven nearly pointless—the energy he absorbed was slower than her natural regeneration. The efficiency gap was nearly a thousandfold compared to direct absorption.
(What a shame... if only I could be like that protagonist from a certain dating anime—stealing powers with a kiss. Too bad that kind of convenient setting doesn't exist here. There's no way I can take her time authority with just a kiss.)
Elias sighed in mild regret.
But at the same time, his heart raced, and his body heated up. After all, when he thought about the one before him—the enemy, the Herrscher of Finality, the Goddess of Honkai—
Though most Herrschers could be called divine messengers, Finality was divinity itself.
She was the most sacred and exalted being in existence—the eternal, immutable absolute.
(So right now... I'm actually kissing a goddess...)
That realization stirred within him a strange sense of conquest, mixed with emotions he couldn't quite name. He unconsciously wrapped his arms tighter around the Herrscher of Finality's divine body.
If one were to talk about godlike beings, Miss Pink Elf was technically of the same level as the Herrscher of Finality.
But... Elysia was human, not a god—and that truth was deeply rooted in Elias' mind.
As an extra precaution against unwanted witnesses (like satellite surveillance), Elias had already used the Herrscher of Thunder's authority to disable every satellite temporarily.
Still, doing something like this in open space made him feel... awkward. Looking around at the two enormous round spheres beside him, Elias couldn't help feeling as though he were being watched by both Earth and the Moon.
Earth: Stare...
Moon: Stare...
Elias: (Could you two turn around...? No? Alright, fine, I'll handle it myself.)
He unfurled the six wings of the [Reverse God], wrapping himself and the Herrscher of Finality in them—forming a cocoon of white feathers.
Only then did the uncomfortable feeling of being watched fade, allowing Elias to finally focus on the task.
...
Five hours later—
Hic~
The six wings of [Reverse God] folded back, and Elias released the now completely drained Herrscher of Finality.
Her Honkai energy had been far greater than he'd imagined—so much so that the process had taken an extraordinarily long time.
The bubble world within Elias' body could no longer contain even a single drop more. Twice during the process, he had been forced to reinforce its membrane to prevent it from bursting apart.
"...Anyway, just for this time—thank you."
Elias hesitated for a moment before expressing his gratitude to the Herrscher of Finality. He didn't even bother wiping his lips.
After all, though they had fought countless times, there had never been hatred between them. It was merely a matter of perspective—you wish to destroy the world, and I wish to protect it.
Especially during the last few cycles of their battles, Elias had long begun to treat their confrontations as sparring matches. Once he'd had enough, he would either finish things with a single Taixuan Eminence or use the Moonlight Throne to knock her into dormancy.
And as someone born in the Current Era, Elias owed some degree of gratitude to Finality. Without her resetting civilization, his own era would never have existed—nor would Kiana and the others.
And this time, without the Herrscher of Finality, his next plan could never succeed perfectly. So...
"Ahem. As an impolite man, I apologize for my desecration. Please accept this token of apology—farewell."
Using the Herrscher of Reason's authority, Elias constructed a small object and placed it upon the head of the Goddess of Honkai before him. Then, opening a portal, he returned to Earth.
Truly, his moral compass was far too upright...
However, Elias didn't realize that even in her dormant state, the Herrscher of Finality could still perceive her own condition.
Yet, as a divine being—an embodiment of Honkai itself—a mere kiss would not shake her resolve.
However...
What if the power of the Herrscher of Origin could even affect the Herrscher of Finality herself?
...
Back at the Fire Moth base—
"Eli, you're way too slow! Everyone's been waiting for you."
"Huh? You guys haven't started celebrating yet?"
"Of course not. The star of the show wasn't here! Come on, grab a glass!"
The others voiced their mild complaints about his five-hour delay, but soon they were laughing, pulling him into the joyous celebration of victory over the Honkai.
This celebration would continue until the Herrscher of Finality awakened again to reset civilization. For Elias, it was the twelfth time he had attended such a feast.
Yet, after such long and brutal battles, celebrating victory never grew tiresome—no matter how many times it repeated.
And this time, it would truly be the last one.
Thus, Elias allowed himself to enjoy it to the fullest.
...
But aside from the festivities, there was still work to be done.
"The Codex Arsenal and the World Portal—those two large-scale Divine Keys aren't recorded in the history of the Current Era. We'll send them into the bubble world to serve as tools for rebuilding civilization."
Elias distributed the Divine Keys among the Flame-Chasers, instructing them to pass them down according to the histories of the Current Era.
For instance, the Judgment of Shamash would later go to the Kaslana family; the Abyss Flower to the Schariac family; and as for the Void Archives—though it protested—it would be handed over to the Apocalypse family.
The newly redefined Project STIGMA would no longer aim to sacrifice humanity in order to transcend Finality. Instead, its purpose would be to pass down the power of Stigmata to the people of the next age.
He also buried treasures across the world—soulium, technology, and information.
After all, both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy would depend heavily on excavating relics of the Previous Era for their future development. Key materials such as soulium could not be reproduced by Otto; they could only be excavated.
"Hua, I'll leave the Sword of Domination and Fenghuang Down in your care. Oh, and I still need to take a few of the Domination Swords to seal the Planet-class Honkai Beast."
The Planet-class Honkai Beast was something that did not exist in the original timeline. Though it could no longer move, it still needed to be hidden.
If some fool ever discovered it, they'd undoubtedly try to tamper with it—and end up destroying themselves.
Finally, Elias ordered all the Herrschers in The Deep End to move into the bubble world as well.
When they learned that Elias had struck down Finality with a single blow, leaving her unconscious for ten days, the Herrschers collectively dropped to their knees in terror.
And thus...
Time flowed on through the celebrations and the many tasks at hand. Soon, the tenth day—the final day—arrived.
...
In the Elysian Realm—
"Eli, tomorrow's the last day... our journey is finally coming to an end, for now," Elysia said softly, her voice tinged with reluctance.
The two of them sat together on the Ferris wheel, letting it rise and fall again and again in endless repetition, as if it would never stop—never truly end.
"Yeah, tomorrow is the last day. But there's no need to feel sad. Our future is still connected—our journey isn't over yet."
"You're right... it's just as you say..."
Elysia struggled to maintain her expression. For the first time, she lied—something unthinkable for the one who bore the Signet of [Ego].
Tomorrow marked the final moment. She would offer herself as a sacrifice to unleash the power of the Herrscher of Origin, granting humanity and free will to the Herrschers, severing their ties to the Honkai.
In doing so, she would preserve Elias' future—ensuring that the next era would have the strength to withstand the Honkai's embrace. And the Herrschers of this age would finally find peace.
Elysia told herself over and over that it was worth it—that this was the best choice. The price was only her own existence—her own annihilation.
That was enough.
Her life had been radiant, colorful, filled with happiness and beauty. She had met the best person, reached the best ending—and now... it was time for the curtain to fall.
"Ely, tomorrow, I'm going to propose to you."
"Eli, I..."
Elysia's heart skipped violently, her resolve wavering in an instant.
"I can't wait for tomorrow. Make sure to send the invitations to everyone—the finale has to be grand."
Elias held a small ring box in his hand. This time, Elysia hadn't managed to take it from him ahead of time.
He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
This time, the only way Elysia could wear that ring on her left hand's ring finger—was if Elias placed it there himself.
"Mm... Eli, you're right... our finale must be grand. I'll go deliver the invitations to everyone later. Tomorrow... everyone will definitely envy me, won't they?"
"Of course. But let's make a promise, Ely—no matter what happens tomorrow, you must smile. After all, tears don't suit us."
"Okay, Eli... it's a promise."
At his words, Elysia smiled with genuine relief. Elias smiled back.
The two of them spent the rest of the day together in the Elysian Realm. And when Elysia departed to deliver the invitations—
Elias quietly left the realm as well, arriving at the empty depths of The Deep End.
There stood a single device—The Great Hibernation.
"Sorry, Ely. Tomorrow will be long for me. Before it arrives, I need to make a quick trip—five hundred centuries into the future—to retrieve the final piece of the puzzle."
He spoke softly to himself as he climbed into the chamber of The Great Hibernation.
"The long journey to save the world has ended. Now begins a short trip to save the one I love. I can't wait... maybe I'll drop by to see Kiana and the others while I'm at it."
As the lid closed, a wave of cold air filled the chamber, freezing the white-haired young man's consciousness in an instant.
And when that frozen moment finally thawed—
Fifty thousand years had already passed.