In a hotel in Chicago—
"Herrscher of Reason, what are you waiting for?! I went through hell to get this Gem of Serenity from Schicksal! Why haven't you absorbed it already?!"
In the presidential suite at the top of the hotel,
An elderly man with messy white hair, wearing a lab coat and looking quite unkempt, was shouting excitedly at Welt, who was holding a gem that glowed with a bluish-violet light.
Welt glanced at the Gem of Serenity and shook his head expressionlessly, making it clear he had no intention of absorbing it.
He hadn't even fully mastered the Herrscher of Reason core, so adding a second core wouldn't significantly increase his strength—especially since the Herrscher of Death didn't suit him at all.
Welt was a man who could get up from the ground all on his own—he didn't need the Herrscher of Death's power to assist. Besides, not long ago, a certain young man had told him: the remaining three Herrscher gems in Schicksal? He would be taking them all.
"Calm down, Dr. Magi. The one we're waiting for will be here any moment. I promise you—there is no one in the world more suited to be the master of the Gem of Serenity."
"The person you're talking about is—"
"Welt! I'm here! Where's the gem?!"
At that moment, a white-haired boy suddenly appeared. His arrival was so sudden that not even the guards—nor Welt himself—noticed his presence beforehand.
Like a ghost materializing into flesh, Elias transitioned from quantum state back to human form.
The moment he received Welt's message, he had dropped everything and rushed over as fast as he could.
Elias had been fretting over how to treat Himeko's Honkai erosion, and for once, fate had smiled on him—delivering the Herrscher of Death core at exactly the right time.
"It's ready for you—right here."
"Mm, it's definitely the real thing. Then I'll just—"
Elias caught the small box tossed to him by Welt and took a few seconds to examine the bluish-purple core inside.
He confirmed it—this was the power he had once lost.
As soon as he held the Gem of Serenity, it pulsed to life in his palm, glowing brilliantly. As its original master, Elias' presence alone was enough to activate it.
Just holding it caused a faint black mist to gather around him, as if the core were urging him to absorb it, eager to reunite with its true owner.
But just as Elias was about to do so—
"W-Wait a minute!!"
The white-haired old man suddenly lunged forward, completely ignoring the black mist radiating from the core, and snatched the Gem of Serenity from Elias' hand, staring at him with caution.
"Who are you really? Tell me—what do you intend to do once you have the Gem of Serenity?!"
"...Welt, is this the Dr. Magi you mentioned over the phone?"
"That's right, Elias. This old gentleman is of great value and full of sincerity—both in his research and in bringing us the Herrscher of Death core."
Welt nodded as he explained.
A few days ago, Dr. Magi had defected from Schicksal under the pretense of needing the core for human experimentation. He stole the Gem of Serenity and reached out to Anti-Entropy's executive branch for protection.
In the original course of events, he would've contacted Cocolia—the mother fox who was even worse than Otto—and ended up being caught by a cloned version of the First Herrscher of Reason: Welt II.
Those two were not good people. They would've turned the entire city into a testing ground, activating the Gem of Serenity to trigger an artificial Honkai eruption in an attempt to create a Herrscher of Death for the current era.
But Cocolia was now imprisoned in the Imaginary Space by Elias, and Welt—thanks to Elias' guidance—had returned to Anti-Entropy.
After regaining his authority as leader, Welt had already purged most of the parasites within the organization.
At the time, Dr. Magi's request for asylum had been intercepted by Welt, who immediately took interest. The information he carried from Schicksal was far too valuable, so Welt had personally gone to retrieve him.
"I'm in a hurry. Hand over the core."
Elias held out his hand expressionlessly.
The moment he got the call, he had rushed over without stopping. He hadn't even cooked for the girls at the dorm—by now, they were probably slurping instant noodles together.
Though Himeko's condition had stabilized, Elias still wanted to end her suffering as quickly as possible—every second counted.
"I have to be certain this gem falls into the right hands! I can't afford to make another mistake!"
Dr. Magi clutched the Gem of Serenity tightly.
Even with some resistance to Honkai energy, a normal human like him couldn't withstand the erosion of a Herrscher core. His hands were already turning pale like those of a zombie.
But he didn't care. He held the gem firmly, staring hard at Elias as if trying to determine whether this young man was truly worthy of inheriting it.
"Mistakes you made? Ah… right. I remember now. You're the guy who ran human experiments for Schicksal."
Elias' face twisted in clear disgust.
"...Yes, that's right. Because of my experiments—because of the Gem of Serenity—many people died at my hands! Otto is a demon, but so am I."
Dr. Magi growled bitterly.
"I've followed Otto's orders for forty years! During those years, I transformed countless girls into Valkyries, sending them onto the battlefield against the Honkai!"
"Just a month ago, Otto ordered me to experiment with the Gem of Serenity—to find a Valkyrie who could fuse with it. And I did it! Five Valkyries died on the operating table during that experiment!"
"At the time, I didn't feel any guilt. I just thought it was a necessary sacrifice for humanity's survival."
"But then… that bastard Otto brought in my only granddaughter—told me to use her for the same experiment, one with near-zero success rate!"
"That's when I regretted everything… The moment I saw my granddaughter Lin's name on the list of test subjects, I finally understood how wrong I'd been all these years."
Dr. Magi dropped to his knees like a man confessing his sins, tears of remorse streaming down his face.
Of course, he knew he didn't deserve sympathy.
The Valkyries who had died under his hands were no different from the granddaughter he now wanted to protect. If Otto were here, he would've sneered:
What? Other people's lives don't count? But now that it's your own granddaughter, suddenly you grow a conscience? You didn't hesitate with the other girls, but when it's your family, now you want out? What a hypocrite.
Dr. Magi was painfully aware of that. He knew he was a despicable coward, someone who had committed unforgivable crimes and would surely go to hell when he died.
No matter what noble reasons he had claimed at the time—
The moment he used those Valkyries as test subjects, he had forfeited the right to be forgiven.
Even his betrayal of Schicksal may have been nothing more than selfishness.
As long as the Gem of Serenity was out of Otto's hands, the experiments would stop, and his granddaughter Lin might live. That was the only reason Dr. Magi defected.
But still—
Even if he didn't want the gem to fall back into Otto's hands, he wouldn't hand it over to someone he didn't know. What if this boy was just another who would use it for evil?
"Your motivations may have been selfish, but at least you've realized your mistakes—and you've taken steps to correct them."
Elias spoke coldly, as if passing judgment.
"What I hate the most is human experimentation. People like you, who experiment on others, should be carved up a thousand times and sent straight to hell. But... considering how hard you've fought to redeem yourself, I'll answer your question."
Before Dr. Magi could react—
Elias had already snatched the Gem of Serenity back and pressed it against his chest, starting the fusion process instantly.
The sight nearly gave Dr. Magi a heart attack. He had never seen anyone attempt such a direct and reckless fusion—but somehow, it was going shockingly well.
"My name is Elias. I was the Herrscher of the Void born from the Second Eruption. I want the Gem of Serenity because it was originally my power. And... I have a teacher who's suffering from Honkai erosion. I need the Herrscher of Death's power to save her."
"What?! The Herrscher of the Void?!"
Dr. Magi's eyes widened in disbelief. Anyone from Schicksal would instantly recognize that name.
He had even seen Elias in person once.
During the final hours of the Second Eruption's spacetime disruption, Elias had led tens of thousands of Honkai beasts to attack Schicksal.
By the end, over half of Schicksal's floating island was destroyed. Otto's soulium bodies had been dismantled nearly a hundred times. Their mechs were wiped out—yet not a single Valkyrie was harmed.
Dr. Magi had been there, watching that boy like an apostle of god, delivering divine retribution.
"It was you… You're still alive! You're really alive!"
"Which is exactly why I said this," Welt added, adjusting his glasses with a smile. "There's no one more suited to be the master of the Gem of Serenity."
At that moment, Dr. Magi finally relaxed.
Truthfully, he wouldn't have trusted anyone with the gem—not even Welt.
But Elias was different. He had once rebelled against Schicksal, destroyed the Babylon Lab, rescued thousands of test subjects, and dealt Otto a devastating blow. The Herrscher of the Void—Dr. Magi had absolute faith in him.
"Now you can rest easy, Dr. Magi. All that's left is to witness what comes next."
"Ha... Haha... Who would've thought? A sinner like me, with blood on my hands, actually gets to witness the rebirth of a Herrscher. What an honor..."
The fusion between Elias and the Gem of Serenity went flawlessly.
After all, it was originally his core. Not a single obstacle stood in their way. For the Gem of Serenity, merging with Elias felt like returning home.
Welt quickly deployed a barrier to block out Honkai energy emissions, ensuring no one could detect the birth of a new Herrscher of Death.
Since Elias already had abundant Honkai energy—
There was no eruption.
Not even a single Honkai beast appeared.
When the blinding light faded, only the boy in his new form remained.
"The power's coming back… Not much yet, but enough."
Elias flexed his right hand slowly. He glanced at Welt, who instantly understood and conjured a full-body mirror for him.
"Mm. The new outfit's not bad. If there's one thing Honkai gets right, it's Herrscher fashion."
Elias studied his reflection and nodded in satisfaction. The new attire was ornate—and he liked it.
A sleek, black ceremonial suit; a cloak like the night sky with a shadowy hood; three pairs of black wings on his back; and in his hand, a massive blue-black scythe nearly two meters tall.
Right now, he looked like a fallen angel dwelling in eternal night—or perhaps a regal, elegant death god.
"Finally… I've reclaimed it. The full authority of the Herrscher of Death!"
Elias felt the return of his complete power.
It was even stronger than during the Second Eruption.
And that thrilled him—he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do now.
"So this is it… I've become what they call a feathered Herrscher—one whose core power is fully unlocked and who retains human consciousness. Compared to the Second Eruption, I'm several times stronger. Heh… maybe it's time to give myself a new name."
"Seele was called the Herrscher of Rebirth after her transformation, right? Then I'll be… the Herrscher of Rebirth."
A feathered Herrscher—one who, even after transformation, retained full humanity and could unleash 100% of their Herrscher core's power. Elias now fit that definition perfectly.
Mei still needed more time to harmonize with her other self. Only when both personas fully cooperated could she achieve her own feathered form.
As for Welt, due to the unique nature of the Herrscher of Reason core, his chances of feathering were nearly impossible. Honestly, better let Bronya take over already.
"So now the world has another Herrscher fighting for humanity. Truly something to celebrate."
"Cough—! It worked… it really worked. I never thought I'd live to witness the birth of a Herrscher."
"Dr. Magi?!"
Welt turned in alarm to see Dr. Magi collapsing to the ground. Only then did he realize that the doctor's body had been completely corrupted by Honkai energy beneath that lab coat.
"I've already had my reckoning. This old bag of bones has long been rotting from within. But… getting to see this before the end? I regret nothing."
With trembling hands, he pulled out two red vials from his coat.
"Herrscher of Rebirth… this is HSN-b46, a Honkai serum I developed. It can neutralize Honkai energy in the body and repair damaged tissues. With consistent use, it could turn a Valkyrie back into an ordinary girl."
"This… along with the Gem of Serenity, is the last useful thing I brought. My final atonement. If possible… after I die, please look after my granddaughter."
"She's nothing like me. She's kind, brave—she fights for the beautiful things in this world. She's a truly exceptional Valkyrie."
Elias accepted the red vials in silence.
He recognized them immediately—these were a key component in the God-Killing Spear Otto would later develop. In the original story, they were the very injections Himeko used on Kiana during their final mission together.
He quietly stashed them away.
Then, Elias placed a hand on Dr. Magi's shoulder. A second later, the power of the Herrscher of Rebirth activated.
"W-What are you doing?!"
"There's nothing more freeing in this world than death. But the sins you've committed—can they really be wiped clean with just death? I'll tell you now: they absolutely can't."
"My body… it's healed? You… you can cure Honkai erosion with your power alone?!"
Dr. Magi looked down in shock at his now-normal body. His previously dying form had been restored to full health.
But he quickly realized—this wasn't gratitude for delivering the Gem of Serenity.
After all, the former Herrscher of the Void despised people like him—those who experimented on others.
So this was… a sentence?
"I do hate people like you. People who toy with the lives of others on the operating table. Cocolia was the same—and I sentenced her to die a thousand deaths, then imprisoned her forever in a place no one can reach."
Elias spoke coldly, his scythe resting against Dr. Magi's neck.
"...I see. Yes. That would be fitting. Death is too light a punishment for me."
Dr. Magi chuckled bitterly.
And yet—
Elias lowered his scythe.
"No. You're not like Cocolia."
"Huh?"
"Yes, you're a sinner. But you repented. At the very end, you realized your wrongs and desperately tried to make things right. So… I'll give you a chance to atone."
Elias looked down from above, speaking like a judge passing divine sentence.
Dr. Magi felt as if an angel had descended upon him to deliver judgment.
He trembled all over, instinctively reaching toward Elias with both hands, pleading for his verdict.
"Atonement… Yes. I want to atone. Please—tell me how I can make it right."
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