"So this is the Lord's theater? It's... magnificent."
"To be allowed entry here—it is truly an honor."
Gray Serpent and Jackal entered the alternate dimension at Elias' summons—and were immediately left speechless by the sight before them.
What stood before them was a colossal structure—a theater spanning over a kilometer in diameter.
A palace of pure gold, adorned with banners bearing the emblem of salvation. Crimson roses drifted gently through the air as triumphant melodies echoed across the vast hall. Every inch of the place radiated opulence and splendor beyond imagination.
Gray Serpent silently thought that he should probably redesign his appearance—replace his somber mechanical body with a golden one. His current image simply didn't fit the radiant domain of his Lord.
Jackal, meanwhile, could only stare, utterly awestruck.
Elias smiled in satisfaction at their reactions.
"Behold—the Golden Theater. That shall be the name of this new Theater of Domination."
He hadn't called them here for assistance. He simply wanted to show off. Constructing this Golden Theater had taken considerable thought and effort.
If the previous Herrschers of Dominance' Theater of Domination had been a vessel of malice—a manifestation of their collective spite—then this Golden Theater was the symbol of a savior's glory.
Though, aside from serving as a platform to use his Dominance Authority, it offered little direct combat benefit. Still... it could be considered his own field spell—or rather, his personal Reality Marble.
(And besides... the Authority of the Void pairs quite nicely with the Theater of Domination. There are so many interesting possibilities.)
Elias mused silently to himself.
In the original timeline, the Herrscher of Dominance had been laughably incompetent.
The Theater of Domination was supposed to be their personal domain, their very world—and yet, it was breached over and over again by intruders.
As long as someone obtained even a single Core—or sometimes not even that—they could somehow invade. The protagonists entered that place as if it were their own living room.
Later, it was even picked up by a certain opportunistic bastard.
But under Elias' control, such a disgrace would never occur again. The Golden Theater would only welcome those whom he personally invited.
Anyone foolish enough to force their way in—thinking they had locked onto its coordinates—would instead be banished by the Authority of the Void to the depths of the Sea of Quanta.
Elias smirked. "Whoever dares to trespass in my home... can go feed Kevin in the Sea of Quanta."
But then, something unexpected happened.
Just as Elias opened a portal to return to reality—
A white blur suddenly burst through.
"Found you! Wait!!"
Kiana shouted as she spread her arms wide, blocking his path. Her sky-blue eyes were filled with a mix of tension, hope, and fear—the look of a lost pet finally finding its owner again.
"...I almost forgot. In this world, I'm not the only one who can use the Authority of the Void."
Behind his mask, Elias' golden eyes softened with both helplessness and affection as he gazed at her.
He realized what must have happened: the moment he opened the portal, Kiana had sensed the spatial fluctuation and opened one of her own to follow him through.
Even between Herrschers of the Void, such synchronization was no easy feat.
This Kiana, he thought, was not the same as the foolish little paramecium he once knew. She had attended the final lesson—and grown stronger in every way... strong enough to make his heart ache.
"You two, step back. Prepare for the next phase of my plan."
"Yes, my Lord!" ×2
Gray Serpent and Jackal bowed deeply before leaving. The former needed no explanation, while the latter's loyalty had skyrocketed ever since meeting Elias.
"..."
"..."
Now alone with Kiana, Elias found himself at a rare loss for words.
He hesitated—wondering if he should continue to deny his identity. Even if he revealed his face, it wouldn't matter; after all, with the Authority of the Herrscher of Death, Elias could freely alter his appearance.
"The Herrscher of Dominance has been dealt with. Go back and tell your friends there's nothing to worry—"
"You're Elias, aren't you?!"
"..."
"I always hoped you were still alive... so I could finally say I'm sorry. Please—let me see your face. I just... I've missed you so much, Elias."
Impossible to refuse. Impossible to deny.
Looking at the tearful, pleading Kiana before him, Elias felt a sharp pain in his chest. If he shattered her hope now, how heartbroken would she be?
"Heh... no matter the era, no matter the timeline, I can never say no to you, Kiana."
With a soft sigh, Elias reached up and removed his mask.
"!!!"
Kiana's eyes widened. The moment she saw his face, tears immediately began to fall.
"I'm not dreaming, am I? Elias... I finally found you again!" Unable to restrain herself any longer, Kiana ran straight into his arms.
Amidst her cries and tears, Elias could feel the raw emotion in her voice. He gently wrapped his arms around her in return.
"Say it again... please... that line you once told me," Kiana begged through trembling sobs.
"Of course. Ich liebe dich, Kiana." Elias replied without hesitation.
No matter the era, no matter the world—those words were his, and his alone, for her.
The moment she heard them, Kiana's sorrowful face bloomed into a smile—a radiant expression of joy. It was the phrase she once believed she would never hear again. She held him even tighter, unwilling to let go.
Later, Elias, unable to refuse her insistence, was dragged aboard the Hyperion. There, he met Mei, Bronya, Himeko, Seele, and the others.
Naturally, his sudden appearance caused a massive commotion.
While the warmth of their welcome was undeniable, after a brief pause, Elias decided to tell them the truth.
"Yes, I am Elias—your Elias. But... I'm a bit different from the one you knew. Simply put, I come from another timeline—one where everything reached the best possible ending."
Everyone: "???"
Their expressions were a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Elias couldn't help but think that if a certain Archbishop of Schicksal were here, he'd be ecstatic. His existence was living proof that Otto Apocalypse's long-held dream could indeed be realized.
A man who had once died was now standing alive before them—proof that survival in another timeline was possible. That had been Otto's goal all along: to make Kallen Kaslana live on in another reality.
But Elias had gone even further.
He had crossed over entirely—stepping into this world's timeline.
If Otto learned of this, he would stop at nothing to discover how Elias had accomplished it.
Otto's goal had always been to ensure Kallen lived on in a parallel world. But if he knew it was possible to bring her across timelines entirely... that would be a temptation too great to resist.
"So... you're not our Elias?" Kiana asked, her face pale.
"If this were an ordinary parallel world, then no—I wouldn't be your Elias. But this world is... different."
Elias reached out and gently patted her head.
This was not a naturally born parallel world—it was one created as a result of his own interference with fate.
To put it simply, Elias was like a train named "Previous Era," running along a fixed set of rails. But somewhere along the way, that train had derailed, charging off onto an uncharted path.
To keep the train moving forward, the "world" itself—the cosmic railway workers—had built a new track extending from his trajectory. That new track was this parallel world.
Thus, unlike naturally formed parallel universes, this one had been born because of him. In a sense, he was its origin.
Proof of that could be seen everywhere: the history of the Previous Era that Elias had personally rewritten now existed as this world's true history.
All the preparations and legacies he had left behind in the original world were also present here.
Even the four instances of "parallel Elias" that existed in this timeline could be viewed as the world's own attempts to replicate him.
Elias: (Though the system wasn't replicated in this world, it's clear that the versions of me here still possess fragments of my abilities. After all, no ordinary human could have become the Herrscher of the Void—or wielded the Key of Blankness.)
System: (Judging from their strength, though, the replication was incomplete. If it were a perfect copy of your full power, you could never have died—even without me. I suppose... fate intended it that way. A dead host benefits destiny the most, after all.)
Fate didn't care whether the girls' stories ended in happiness or tragedy. It only cared about following its original script to completion.
Yet Elias' existence had disrupted that script time and again—forcing fate itself to rewrite its reality around his actions.
So, naturally, fate wanted him dead. Once he was gone, no one would remain to break the script. The world would continue exactly as written—all the suffering, every tragedy, perfectly preserved.
In other words, this world's Kiana and the others had essentially been saved by him once again, though this time... without his knowledge, and at the cost of his own life.
But, as Elias thought, there wasn't much difference. He had done the same countless times in his true world anyway.
"So that's how it is. You're really Elias... I'm so glad," Kiana whispered.
Once that truth sank in, the girls smiled in relief—but those smiles soon changed.
"Elias... you're planning to leave again, aren't you?"
"Yes. That's right."
"I see... In that case—everyone, grab the ropes! Tie him up!"
Within seconds, the girls—wearing disturbingly sweet smiles—produced ropes that looked far too well-prepared and surrounded Elias from all sides. His arms and shoulders were immediately restrained by several pairs of soft, but surprisingly strong, hands.
Someone they had once lost—someone they had mourned for—was standing before them again.
How could they ever let him leave now?
At that moment, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya shared one single thought: We'll never let him go again. No matter the method, no matter the cost.
"Maybe we should just lock him in a little room forever."
"Don't worry, Elias—we'll take good care of you."
"Nothing bad will happen anymore. We'll never be apart again."
Seeing their red eyes and unhinged smiles, Elias' expression twitched. His instincts screamed that he was in danger.
"Uh... this isn't really necessary, right? My funeral's already been held four times! Can't we all just calm down?!"
"Calm down? How can we calm down?!"
"We've already lived in a world without you once—we won't endure that again!"
"This time, we'll never let you leave!"
The moment Elias saw their determined, almost predatory gazes, he realized—he had made a mistake. He never should have confirmed his identity. He was doomed now... though not in the way he expected.
He also thought to himself that perhaps he really needed to start paying more attention to his personal safety from now on—because this Kiana, Mei, and Bronya were the same as their true-world counterparts... and yet, somehow, also not.
They were the other side of those girls—the side born from losing him and being saved by him once more.
Elias: "Ah~ looks like I've got another problem to deal with."
His list of responsibilities had just grown longer.
Originally, his plan had been simple: acquire the Authority of the Herrscher of Dominance, use the Imaginary Tree, and return to the Previous Era fifty thousand years in the past.
He'd simply reverse the course of his derailed train and guide it back onto its rightful track.
But now... things were different. He couldn't just leave these girls behind.
They were too fragile, too scarred, and far too precious. To them, Elias' return was nothing short of resurrection—and if he disappeared again, it would be an emotional wound none of them could recover from.
So, he thought of a compromise.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I can't stay in this world forever. There are people I still need to save... a home I need to return to... and a future I must keep moving toward. My time has been frozen for far too long—it's time I let it flow again."
Kiana lowered her gaze, tears shimmering in her eyes. "...Elias. But for us... we just want this moment with you to last forever."
"Yeah... I understand. So, would all of you be willing to come with me? That's the only way I can think of. If it's through that Tree, we can reach the best ending possible."
In that moment, the answer came to Elias instinctively—his best, and perhaps only, option. His goal hadn't changed. He still intended to ascend the Imaginary Tree.
That place—the law that governed all existence, the mystery behind the cycle of life, the origin of all creation and truth—it was the eternal instant, the beginning of the end, the source of every law and meaning. That was the Imaginary Tree.
If he could reach it, he would grasp the very pen that could rewrite reality itself. The world would bend at his will. At the moment his hand touched the Tree, Elias would become capable of anything—perhaps even surpassing the very concept of the Honkai itself.
He would become, in every sense, a god.
"Alright! I don't know exactly what you're planning, but... let's do it your way, Elias!"
"Uh... that was fast. Maybe you should think it over a bit? This isn't exactly a small decision."
Elias blinked in surprise at how quickly they agreed.
The girls hadn't hesitated for even a moment. He had expected at least a few minutes of consideration—but their response was immediate, unwavering.
"Didn't we say it already? We've had enough of a world without you."
"...I see. In that case, it's decided."
Elias nodded solemnly. He realized now that he had underestimated the depth of their feelings—and with that, his resolve solidified as well. The Imaginary Tree awaited, and he would ascend it, no matter what.
But there was more he needed to accomplish than Otto Apocalypse had ever dreamed. He couldn't simply rush the Tree as Otto had done.
Though...
(Eh~ and here I was telling myself to treasure my life more. Looks like I'm about to die again... but it's fine. I'm still within the bounds of temporal traversal, and the system will protect me. I won't really die.)
Elias chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head. He definitely couldn't tell anyone that part.
"Turns out treasuring your life is harder than it sounds. But that's fine. After all... if I want to create an ending that's never existed before, I have to do something that's never been done. That's the truth of the world."
His golden eyes turned toward the direction of Schicksal.
"Now then, Otto... it's your turn. I hope you're ready to repent—because your debt is due."