"Atonement, yes... I want to atone. Please, tell me—how can I make up for what I've done?"
Dr. Magi looked up at Elias with wide eyes, like a man drowning in sin, begging an angel who had descended to offer forgiveness.
Elias looked down at him, then raised the vials of HSN-b46 Honkai serum in his hand.
"Just like you've started doing—use your knowledge to create more treatments for Honkai-related illnesses. As for human experimentation—erase everything related to it from your mind."
"Of course! I'll never touch anything related to human experimentation again! Never again!"
Dr. Magi didn't hesitate. If he ever had to return to that field, he'd rather cut off his own hands.
Elias nodded in satisfaction and continued.
"Good. I like the phrase 'a thousandfold return'—whether it's for kindness or cruelty. So now, tell me: how many lives have your experiments taken so far?"
"Roughly... over a thousand."
"Damn it. Then repay it a thousandfold—save one million lives. That's your atonement."
"Yes! I will! I swear I will!"
Dr. Magi was practically vibrating with determination. He hadn't had a choice before—but now, he wanted to do good.
A million lives. He didn't know if an old man like him had enough years left to save that many.
But this was his penance. His duty.
The road ahead would be rough. The HSN-b46 serum was already his life's greatest masterpiece, and he planned to start with that.
But HSN-b46's creation demanded massive resources—he'd practically drained half of a Schicksal division's supply just to produce two doses.
Still, the outcome had been worth it.
These two vials could completely eliminate the Honkai erosion affecting Valkyries. Though it came with a side effect: those who had gained Honkai control via artificial stigmata would lose their powers and return to being ordinary people.
But Dr. Magi didn't see that as a side effect at all.
He had once followed Otto's orders to transform countless normal girls into Valkyries, sending them into brutal warzones.
That was his sin. And now it was his duty to turn them back.
"If we can solve the production cost issue, every Valkyrie could return to normal life."
"...That's not something you should say out loud. If Otto hears of this, he'll stop at nothing to kill you."
Elias offered a quiet warning.
While Otto's ultimate goal was to resurrect Kallen Kaslana, the very existence of this serum posed a massive threat to the foundation of Schicksal.
He would never ignore it. If this ever reached Otto's ears, Dr. Magi would face endless assassination attempts—not even Welt might be able to protect him.
And Elias expected more than just that from him.
Sure, he was an old man—but Otto himself had acknowledged him as a genius.
And since he was a genius, Elias felt it was only natural to ask more from him.
"Don't limit your sights to Valkyries. The people affected by Honkai energy go far beyond just them."
"Y-You're right! There are so many civilians who've developed Honkai diseases from exposure. My serum can save them—save everyone!"
Dr. Magi's breath quickened. He suddenly realized that if he could reduce the cost of HSN-b46 and mass-produce it—
Then everyone affected by Honkai energy could be treated. At that point, saving a million lives would be just the start. Tens of millions? Within reach.
Just the thought of it made Dr. Magi tremble with excitement—so much so that even Welt couldn't remain calm.
If that dream could come true, then even if this man had once been a killer, there'd be no doubt he'd earn a place in heaven.
But neither of them could possibly imagine—
Just how ambitious Elias really was.
Among all the victims of Honkai-related disasters, there was one group whose fate was the most tragic, and whose numbers far exceeded even those afflicted by Honkai erosion.
The zombies.
Because out of every ten people exposed to Honkai energy, nine would become zombie.
Only one might be lucky enough to merely suffer erosion, barely hanging on to life a while longer.
"Can your serum... turn zombies back into humans?"
"..." x2
When Elias asked that, both Welt and Dr. Magi froze. A second later, they both sucked in a sharp breath—this boy was really out there.
Dr. Magi shook his head in regret.
"No, it can't. HSN-b46 can only help those not fully corrupted by Honkai energy. That's already pushing its limit. Even heavily-eroded individuals need increased dosage just to stand a chance."
"I see... But limits exist to be broken."
"Herrscher of Rebirth, what are you planning?"
"...My blood can also purify Honkai energy."
Elias raised his hand and swiped it along the edge of his scythe. Blood dripped from his palm, falling from his fingertips.
In an instant, within the entire presidential suite—except for the Honkai energy inside Elias and Welt—all traces of residual energy left from the Herrscher's awakening vanished.
All because of a single drop of Elias' blood.
"Holy blood... Is that Schariac Holy Blood?!"
Welt nearly lost control.
While Schariac Holy Blood—capable of purging all Honkai energy—had once been Schicksal's top secret, it had since been compromised after Cecilia joined Anti-Entropy.
But that only made Welt more stunned—
He never imagined Elias possessed Schariac blood… and with such a high purity level!
(Wait—hold on. Didn't Cecilia say her holy blood was the strongest in the Schariac line? But this… Elias' blood seems dozens of times more potent!)
Welt trembled.
He felt an overwhelming sense of crisis—
As if a single splash of Elias' blood might knock him flat on the floor.
To a Herrscher, that crimson liquid wasn't blood—it was molten lava.
A single drop of Elias' holy blood could probably obliterate any Honkai beast weaker than an Emperor-level on contact.
"With my blood as a catalyst, I believe your HSN-b46 serum can surpass all limits—create the ultimate Honkai serum capable of even turning zombies back into humans. (God-Killing Spear Pro Max!)"
"!!!"
Dr. Magi broke out in goosebumps.
He immediately patted Welt's shoulder, urging him to conjure several diamond vials, then carefully caught the drops of blood falling from Elias' fingertips.
The boy's blood glowed a brighter red than normal—almost luminous, and carried a faint, pleasant aroma. It was more beautiful than any rose or ruby.
As they watched it drip into the vials, only one phrase came to both Welt and Dr. Magi's minds—
Priceless treasure.
They were now nearly certain: there was no weapon in existence more powerful against Honkai than Elias' blood.
And his blood… might be the key to turning zombies back into human beings.
Dr. Magi cradled the vial as if it were a holy relic.
Elias almost wanted to say there was no need to treat his blood like treasure. It really wasn't that rare. Now that he'd become the Herrscher of Rebirth, his regeneration rate had increased over fiftyfold.
A few drops of blood? Even if they drained him dry, he could regenerate it all in no time.
In fact, unless someone chopped his head clean off, Elias essentially had no vital points anymore. Even if his heart were removed, he could regrow it in the blink of an eye.
As for why his holy blood had such high purity, it was because Elias had used the Herrscher of Rebirth's authority to amplify the Schariac factor in his blood to the absolute limit.
(Complete mastery over cellular biology… Something like this is trivial. At this point, if I deploy my domain, I could literally hold the lives of everyone in Chicago in my hands.)
Elias thought to himself.
If the Herrscher of Thunder specialized in immense destructive power, then the Herrscher of Rebirth excelled in wide-area environmental manipulation.
He could now wipe out an entire city in a moment.
Or turn a desert into a lush forest in seconds.
Creation and disintegration—that was the power Elias now wielded.
(If I were a game character, I'd be the kind that applies massive AoE debuffs and buffs. Well, against low-level enemies, my debuffs basically amount to instant death, anyway.)
"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! Your blood might be the key to humanity's victory over the Honkai! I will definitely use it to create a serum that can turn zombies back into humans!"
Dr. Magi was practically ecstatic.
"Prove it with action, not words. Start by making a simplified version to treat Valkyries—just remove the Honkai erosion. Don't go overboard with the kind that strips them of their powers."
Elias made sure to emphasize that.
He hadn't forgotten how, in the original story, this old man had injected Kiana with a serum that almost turned her into a regular girl. If she hadn't been a Kaslana, she might have completely lost her powers.
Valkyries were one of the last lines of defense against the Honkai. Modern civilization couldn't afford to lose them.
"Fine... Alright."
Dr. Magi nodded with some reluctance.
Though he deeply regretted turning countless girls into Valkyries in the past, he seemed to forget—
Those girls had all volunteered to undergo artificial stigmata, choosing to fight for the sake of all that was beautiful in the world.
There had been no coercion, no threats—
Only the Valkyries' noble spirit of self-sacrifice.
Welt patted his chest, signaling to Elias that he'd keep an eye on the old man and make sure he didn't start jabbing people with syringes at random. Anti-Entropy and Schicksal may clash, but neither would ever joke around when it came to fighting the Honkai.
Ring ring ring!
Just then, Welt's phone rang.
"Report: We've successfully located A-rank Valkyrie Lin and destroyed Schicksal's research base. Mission complete. Preparing for return."
"!!!"
Elias' eyes snapped wide open.
Though her voice had matured, he could never mistake it. The girl on the other end of that call was Sirin!
Welt was startled by Elias' sudden reaction. He quickly raised a finger to his lips to keep him silent—his identity couldn't be exposed.
"Tch."
"Ahem. Good work. Bring the young Valkyrie back immediately. She's an important guest of ours."
"Understood."
Once the call ended, Welt found himself sweating under Elias' icy stare. That gleaming scythe of his looked like it could drop on his neck at any second.
"Calm down, Elias. I get that you want to see them again, but you can't reveal yourself yet."
Welt explained hurriedly.
Sirin and the others had targeted Schicksal so aggressively over the years that Otto now held a deep grudge against them. Though Bella constantly protected them, preventing any direct action—
The moment Sirin's group showed themselves, Schicksal would activate satellite-level surveillance.
They had just operated inside Schicksal territory. If Elias had spoken up and been recognized, word might have reached Otto's ears.
"Just be patient a little longer, Elias," Welt said, trying to comfort him.
This entire incident would be blamed on Anti-Entropy.
Otto would simply assume Dr. Magi defected to Anti-Entropy with the Gem of Serenity and traded it for help in rescuing his granddaughter.
Nothing more. He wouldn't know about the Herrscher of Rebirth.
In this narrative, Elias didn't exist.
"Tch. Fine. It's not yet time for my reunion with those girls anyway. But… the sooner the better. I'm accelerating my plans."
Elias clenched his fists and forced down the ache of longing.
Elsewhere, having heard that his granddaughter was safe, Dr. Magi finally relaxed completely.
"Doctor, you'll be staying under Anti-Entropy protection to research Honkai serums. But what about your granddaughter? Will she join Anti-Entropy as well?"
"...No. If possible, I'd like to enroll Lin in St. Freya Academy. She's always been an excellent Valkyrie—and proud to be one. I think only at St. Freya can she continue doing what she loves."
Dr. Magi hesitated, but finally voiced his thoughts.
It was a safe choice too.
Unlike the original timeline, St. Freya Academy was no longer a subordinate to Schicksal.
Otto held no authority over its Valkyries now.
Even if he gave an order, Theresa wouldn't comply. And Otto wouldn't risk all-out war just for a single A-rank Valkyrie.
Especially not when the academy currently housed the Herrscher of Thunder.
Even sending an S-rank Valkyrie wouldn't guarantee success.
Unless Otto deployed Durandal and a whole 1.4 Valkyrie army, it simply wasn't worth it.
So yes—Lin would be safe at St. Freya.
"Alright then. I'll keep an eye on your granddaughter. Don't worry."
"Wait… does that mean…"
"Yup. I'm a student at St. Freya now. With two Herrschers present, even Schicksal won't dare act recklessly. Shame someone quit recently—otherwise we'd have had three."
Elias gave Welt a sidelong glance.
The older man chuckled with a helpless shrug.
He really did prefer teaching over being Anti-Entropy's leader.
"T-Three Herrschers? Good grief… Is that academy even a school for Valkyries anymore?"
"Heh. Our St. Freya Academy is a place blessed with talent and destiny. Nickname? The Herrscher Academy—also known as the Far East Demon Cave. Three Herrschers? Please. We're just getting started."
Elias did a quick mental count.
Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Fu Hua, himself… at least six Herrschers.
Just imagining it made him feel ridiculously powerful.
With their business settled, the three prepared to go their separate ways.
But then Welt mentioned something important Sirin's team had just reported:
Schicksal's Herrscher-Valkyrie fusion experiments weren't limited to one site.
A separate experiment was underway at Schicksal's New Zealand branch.
There, another Herrscher core was being fused with a Valkyrie—with early signs of success.
The core in question was the Gem of Desire—the Herrscher of Wind's core.
The subject?
An A-rank Valkyrie named Wendy.
Elias narrowed his eyes. "Busy times indeed. Leave that one to me. Welt, focus your side on locating the Chiyou Honkai Beast and developing the Honkai serum."
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