After finally reuniting, Elias and Seele couldn't suppress their emotions any longer. They clung to each other for a long time, embracing in silence until they were fully satisfied.
After White Seele took her turn, it was Dark Seele's turn to hug as well. Elias felt like he had just experienced peak bliss—it was even better than cuddling cats!
"Papa Elias, when are we going home? I really miss Bronya-sis and everyone."
"No rush. Before we leave, I have a little trouble to deal with. First, Seele, tell me everything that's happened since you entered the Sea of Quanta. Let's talk it over."
Elias gestured with his eyes, silently signaling Seele that he had a plan. The kind and clever girl immediately understood and nodded, recounting her journey.
She spoke of drifting in the void until the shadow of a giant serpent rescued her, traveling through dozens of bubble universes, encountering alternate versions of familiar people—and, notably, never once finding another version of Elias.
(Hm? No alternate versions of me? Must be because I'm a transmigrator. Honestly, that's kind of nice.)
Elias had always found uniqueness romantic. That pink elf girl was unique too. In that way, they were quite alike—existences so rare that even calling them miracles wasn't enough.
Still, what caught his attention wasn't the absence of other Elisases in bubble universes—it was the serpent Seele mentioned.
He knew exactly who it was: Kevin Kaslana.
"Seele, is that serpent still watching you? Can you feel it now?"
"Yes. But... I don't think it has any bad intentions."
"Hmm, probably watching over you to protect you. That could be considered kind—but for us, trying to leave the Sea of Quanta, that kind of attention is anything but good."
Elias frowned and shook his head.
Just as he suspected—Kevin was watching.
While his attention might serve to protect Seele from danger, it likely meant Elias himself had now been noticed too.
He wanted to open a portal and take Seele home, but as long as they were under Kevin's observation, opening a gateway would immediately expose them.
And if Kevin hitched a ride back into the real world…
Human civilization as it existed now might not survive. It would be forced to accept Kevin's Stigmata Plan and the path of salvation through destruction.
(Sigh... No use worrying. I expected something like this. And now, it's time... to draw the serpent out.)
Elias narrowed his eyes, reviewing the plan he had drafted two nights ago. Then, he spoke—clearly and loudly.
"Ahem. Since we can't go back yet, let's chat about what's been happening in the real world, Seele."
"Eh? Papa Elias?"
"You wouldn't know, but a lot has happened recently. Over in Nagazora City, there was a massive Honkai Eruption. The Third Herrscher—Herrscher of Thunder—has appeared."
"???"
Seele tilted her head, completely confused—and looking utterly adorable.
She didn't know what a Honkai Eruption was, or what a Herrscher even meant, so her confusion was understandable.
But as smart as she was, she quickly realized that Elias wasn't really talking to her.
He was talking to the one who had been silently watching her all along: the "serpent."
Sure enough—
"A Herrscher... has finally reappeared."
In a remote, uninhabited bubble universe within the Sea of Quanta—
A white-haired man opened his piercing blue eyes, so cold they could freeze the sun.
That man was Kevin Kaslana—strongest of the Previous Era, and now the strongest of the Current Era as well. The first of the Flame-Chasers, and a fusion warrior bearing the Signet of Deliverance.
More than 1,500 years had passed since Su sealed him in the Sea of Quanta. He had spoken to no one, had been with no one. But even that long, lonely exile could not shake his iron will.
His one purpose: to defeat the Honkai.
"The Third Herrscher... the Herrscher of Thunder... So, this era's Honkai has finally manifested."
Kevin murmured to himself. Very few things could capture his attention anymore—but the words "Herrscher" and "Honkai" were enough to stir this man.
The faint observation he had left on Seele, to prevent her from being erased by the Sea of Quanta, had unexpectedly brought him intel on the real world.
He focused more of his attention, planning to listen in on Elias and learn more about the current civilization.
Incidentally, Kevin believed Elias was just another soul lost in the Sea of Quanta, unable to return to the real world.
Kevin knew nothing of X-10 Experiment. In his understanding, there were only two ways to escape the Sea of Quanta:
The Eye of the Deep in The Deep.
Or the Second Divine Key: Cosmic Juggernaut.
Alternatively, with access to a Herrscher Core, he could forcibly open a path back to the real world.
This was another reason Kevin kept an eye on Seele. The girl, who bore the Stigmata of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Death, had the potential to become the Herrscher of Death in this era.
"Looks like Prometheus succeeded. The Honkai in this era is still manifesting as Herrschers..."
"But only the Third so far... I wonder if Elysia succeeded. Did any of this era's Herrschers gain humanity, just as she wished?"
He thought of his former comrade—the Flame-Chaser known as [Ego], Elysia, whom he had killed with his own hands.
The heart that had been frozen for 50,000 years throbbed with pain. He clenched his fists, desperate to hear more about the Herrschers of this civilization.
Did they inherit Elysia's will and become Herrschers of Humanity?
But then—
"Oh, by the way, Seele," Elias said casually. "You won't believe it. During the Third Honkai Eruption? Not a single person died. And that newly born Herrscher of Thunder—you wanna guess what she did?"
"Umm... Seele doesn't know."
"Well, if you don't know, that's fine. Actually, not just her—the Second Herrscher of the Void and the First Herrscher of Reason too—they're nothing like the Herrschers in the Previous Era who only knew destruction. All of them actually... hmm, maybe I shouldn't spoil it. Let's stop here for now."
"..."
SAY IT! Finish the damn sentence!
What happened?! What about the Herrschers of this era?!
Kevin took a deep breath. His face, usually frozen solid like the ice he commanded, twitched visibly.
He hated people who stopped talking halfway through something important.
Right when it was getting to the crucial part!
That was Elysia's legacy, damn it!
(I need to make him finish that sentence. What exactly happened to this era's Herrschers?)
With that thought, Kevin stood and exited the bubble universe he resided in. This was too critical a moment to be left hanging.
In just a few breaths, he appeared before Elias and Seele.
"Stop right there. Finish what you were saying."
...
"Stop right there. Finish what you were saying."
(Hah... finally took the bait.)
Seeing Kevin Kaslana finally appear before him, Elias' lips curled into a faint smile.
He knew it—talking about whether the Herrschers of this era had humanity would definitely lure this icy relic out.
Phase One of the plan: successful. Kevin had taken the bait. Now for Phase Two: time to show off some real acting chops.
"Who are you?! Where did you come from?!"
Elias played his part, pretending to be startled by Kevin's sudden appearance. He shielded Seele behind him protectively, as if afraid this stranger might hurt her.
On the other side, Kevin realized his abrupt arrival might have been a bit... dramatic. He wanted to explain that he meant no harm, but after 1,500 years without much conversation, his social engine took a while to start.
"...I am Kevin."
That was all he could manage after a long pause.
Now Elias was speechless.
At this point, even Kosma probably spoke more fluently than this guy.
"Hmph. Who's supposed to understand that? Whatever, let's cut to it—friend or foe, pick one."
Kevin choked on the words. Somehow, it felt like this boy had stolen his line.
Meanwhile, Elias was thoroughly pleased at having done exactly that.
...
As a warrior of salvation, Kevin did not lie.
In his heart, he knew the answer was clear: foe.
His plan—the Stigmata Project—made him the enemy of the current era.
But if he answered honestly, the boy before him might withhold critical information about the Herrschers. So Kevin hesitated.
Using force was possible, but unless he absolutely had to, Kevin avoided violence with those not aligned as enemies.
So his response was:
"I am Kevin Kaslana. That is all."
"...Has anyone told you you're terrible at conversation? Wait—Kaslana? Are you related to my little Kiana? Kiana Kaslana?"
"I don't know who that is. But... if she bears the Kaslana name, she may be one of my descendants."
"Hmm... you definitely look the part. Fair enough."
As the atmosphere grew tense, sweet little Seele came in with the perfect assist.
Although she had only seen the shadow of the serpent before, the moment Kevin appeared in full form, she instantly recognized him as her mysterious rescuer.
No doubt about it—no one else could be this bad at talking.
"Papa Elias, that's the serpent."
"Oh? So you're the one who saved my Seele? In that case, we're friends. Thank you."
"...It was nothing. I had my own reasons. They're not worthy of your gratitude."
Kevin shook his head.
"Even so, you saved someone important to me. Whatever your reasons, that fact remains. So please—accept my thanks, Kevin Kaslana."
Elias' gaze was sincere.
The banter and pretense were one thing, but he truly was grateful. Though Kevin's presence spelled disaster for the world at large, Elias had always cared more about the people around him than the world itself.
"Let's see if I have something to give as thanks..."
"That's unnecessary. As I said—"
"Ah, don't worry about it. I only have this box of Super Instant Noodles: Royal Family Pack Edition. If you don't mind... please accept it."
"..."
Kevin instinctively swallowed.
He placed a hand on his stomach, realizing it had been thousands—no, tens of thousands—of years since he'd last slurped noodles.
He once proudly led the Flame-Chasers on noodle-based team-building activities, after all.
"Thank you. I'll accept it."
Kevin raised a hand and accepted the box of instant noodles. If not for the setting, he would've already started boiling water.
"It's fine, it's fine~ Since you saved Seele, I'll call you a friend. By the way, what was it you wanted to ask earlier?"
"The Herrschers. Tell me—do the Herrschers of this era still stand against humanity? Do they still possess humanity... Please. This is important to me."
It was about Elysia's final wish—Kevin had to know. After a pause, he even used the word "please."
Elias went silent for a moment. Though Kevin's expression remained unchanged, Elias could feel a trace of sorrow, hope, and nostalgia.
He had originally planned to give a vague answer—but now, Elias decided to give a serious one.
"No. The Herrschers of this era have all retained their humanity. Some have even fought to protect mankind."
"The First Herrscher of Reason gave his life to protect an entire city. Though he vanished, his will to fight for humanity was inherited by the second Herrscher of Reason."
"The Second Herrscher of the Void saved thousands of girls turned into test subjects, a small town, and the people he loved. He undid the tragedies that were meant to happen."
"And the Third Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder, is a girl in love. For the one she loves, she even gave up her powers and the mission of destruction. Even after awakening again, she still holds on to her human heart."
Elias' words hit hard.
Kevin's eyes widened in astonishment. His ever-stoic face actually showed emotion—shock.
"...So that's how it is. Elysia... you really succeeded."
"Hmm? Kevin, was that a smile?"
"Was it?"
Kevin blinked, touching his face—his lips had indeed curled up by a few pixels.
This was the best news he'd heard in 1,500 years. Even this glacier of a man couldn't help but crack.
Kevin made up his mind—since Herrschers were manifesting again, World Serpent would likely find a way to bring him back to the real world.
And if possible, he'd bring this boy and girl with him—as thanks for today's good news.
"Anything else you want to ask?"
"Uh... do you know about World Serpent?"
"What's that? Never heard of it."
"Oh. Then nothing else."
Kevin looked up at the Sea of Quanta with a 45-degree angle, silently hoping Grey Serpent and the others were working hard to retrieve him soon so he could resume the Stigmata Project.
As for now... nothing to do. Time for noodles.
The Sea of Quanta didn't have water, but Kevin could melt and boil his own ice. Thanks to Chimera experiments, he had the abilities of nearly all Honkai beasts—boiling water was easy.
"Ahem, uh, Mr. Kevin."
"Hmm? Something else?"
"Could I ask you to stop watching us? Seele and I just reunited, and, well, we'd like some private time to... reconnect. You get it, right?"
Elias gave him a knowing look. The look all men understood.
"...Understood. I'll leave you be."
Kevin nodded awkwardly.
He had wondered why Seele, who was around Elias' age, kept calling him "Papa." Now it all made sense—just couple stuff. Young people these days.
Immediately, he withdrew his presence from Seele.
Young couples needed space to set their sparks flying. No need for a third wheel.
He'd find a spot and enjoy his noodles instead.
Today had been a good day. He'd learned that Herrschers had humanity—and after fifty thousand years, he could slurp noodles again. Kevin's mood was excellent.
He completely withdrew his perception, giving Elias and Seele all the privacy they could want.
And once Elias confirmed he was gone—
"Now's our chance! Seele, let's go!!"
Without hesitation, Elias opened a portal back to the real world, grabbed the blushing Seele's hand, and sprinted.
Time to dip!
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