"Hey~ Miss me?"
"Y-you—you're back already?! I told you to go have fun a few more days! Stay away as long as possible! Elias, your current state is dangerous!"
Theresa stared dumbfounded at the white-haired boy in front of her. She was completely thrown off. This problem student never listened to his principal at all!
She had just told him yesterday to take his time coming back, and now here he was—bright and early the next morning, returning to St. Freya Academy on Anti-Entropy's private aircraft with Mei and Ji Xuanyuan.
"What can I say? I missed you all."
"That doesn't matter right now! My grandfather has his eyes on you—get out of here while you still can!"
Theresa frantically tried to shove him back into the Anti-Entropy plane, like she could stuff him in and have Welt and the others fly him as far away as possible.
Getting targeted by Otto Apokalypse was easily one of the most dangerous things in the world.
But Elias just chuckled and shrugged.
"Yaaah!"
To Theresa's alarm, Elias casually scooped her up like a child and sat down on her principal chair as if it were his own throne.
The scene made it look like Elias was the real headmaster of St. Freya, and Theresa his tiny daughter.
"Alright, alright. Thanks for your concern, Theresa. But some things you just can't avoid. If it's fate, it will come. And if it's danger, better to face it with a smile than to run. Besides… Otto Apokalypse? I'm not afraid of your dear gramps~"
Elias narrowed his eyes. He might be wary of Otto, but he was far from afraid.
If he feared a future pseudo-god like Otto, how could he ever hope to surpass him and become a true god himself?
"You—you really aren't scared?"
"Of course not~ What's there to fear? Otto only has three S-rank Valkyries worth noting right now. We have our own here at St. Freya."
"Uh, we do?"
"Me, Mei, and the Valkyrie of the Oath of Judah."
As he spoke, Elias reached over and patted the large golden cross displayed in Theresa's office. The intricate, ornate weapon hid immense sealing power inside.
"Huh… now that you mention it… Wait a minute! Shouldn't the third one be me?!"
"What are you talking about, Theresa? The real S-rank Valkyrie is Judah. You're just the B-rank launcher. Try to have some self-awareness~"
Elias smirked and ruffled Theresa's hair.
She puffed up angrily, looking like she might jump up and kick him in the knee.
"I am not a B-rank launcher! Elias, you super-problem student! I'm an S-rank, got it?!"
"Eh, I thought my grades were decent."
"They're only decent across the board! If it weren't for you being a guy, all those older single Valkyrie instructors wouldn't be handing you excellent marks!"
"Oh? So the teachers are thirsty for me?"
Elias blinked in surprise.
He'd thought only Himeko was like that. But apparently the whole faculty was?
"Ahem—anyway, Theresa, don't worry. Have a little faith in St. Freya. Otto won't pull anything crazy."
Besides, Elias had brought backup.
Welt had agreed to stay and help hold the fort.
With a total of four Herrscher-level forces on hand, and Elias himself being a dual-core Herrscher wielding the Judgment of Shamash…
Even Otto would have to think twice before making a move.
Back during the Second Eruption, the reason Elias got outplayed by Otto wasn't because he lacked power himself—but because the people around him were too weak.
As harsh as it sounded—and though it might dishearten Sirin and the others—it was true: they had been Elias' weakness at the time.
But now, that concern no longer existed.
It wasn't just Elias who had grown stronger. The girls he cherished had also gained the strength to fight. They didn't need his constant protection anymore. In fact, they were now capable of fighting for him.
"I-I see… Now that you mention it, that is the case, isn't it?"
Theresa blinked in realization.
She hadn't noticed before, but now that Elias had pointed it out, it was true—St. Freya Academy might still lag behind Schicksal in terms of mid-tier power, but at the high-end, they were no longer inferior.
Though to be fair, it wasn't St. Freya that had gotten stronger on its own—it was because Elias had joined them.
Theresa felt dizzy, like she hadn't fully woken up yet. Who would have thought that just one invitation she'd made back then would end up changing the academy so drastically?
"Alright then! Elias, you're right—we really don't have to be afraid of Grandpa. So when do you plan to visit Schicksal?"
Theresa forwarded Otto's email to Elias.
The message was politely worded, using the pretense of getting feedback on the Vermilion Knight: Eclipse and proposing technical adjustments as an excuse to invite him to Schicksal HQ.
Otto even offered to have Schicksal's finest maids prepare the best afternoon tea and said Elias could bring as many people as he wanted.
"Tch. Otto's little trap, huh? Too bad he's going to be disappointed—I'm not going."
"Huh? You're not going? But didn't you just say you weren't afraid of Grandpa and would face him directly?"
"Mm~ I did say that. But obviously, one must be a bit arrogant when dealing with Otto. If I just go running over because he asked nicely, that'd make me look spineless. And seriously—what kind of idiot would go charging into the enemy's base because of a few polite words?"
Elias rolled his eyes. Who would fall for such an obvious bait?
"Theresa, send him a reply for me. Just say the Vermilion Knight: Eclipse is working perfectly—no need for further adjustments. As for afternoon tea… tell him he's welcome to come have some here at St. Freya."
"Got it!"
Theresa took a deep breath, feeling a little giddy.
There were very few people in the world who could be this bold toward Otto Apokalypse. Even she couldn't help but admire Elias in that moment. So cool! No wonder he was the only male student at St. Freya!
Elias grinned, spinning the Cosmic Juggernaut's beacon in his hand.
This time, things were different from the Second Eruption. Back then, he'd been the one with his weakness exposed. Now? The one with a soft spot being squeezed was Otto.
"Alright, I've got some business with Fu Hua. I'm heading off for now."
"Okay. She should be in class right now."
"Perfect. Ji Xuanyuan, let's go give her a big surprise."
He turned to the founding loli beside him.
Ji Xuanyuan nodded eagerly. She couldn't wait to see how her old friend had changed after 5,000 years.
(So this is your name now—Jingwei. I wonder if you still remember me?)
...
Himeko's combat training had just ended, and the Valkyries were still immersed in post-class discussion and practicing the techniques they'd learned.
Even Kiana, Bronya, and Seele were hard at work. Now that they'd resolved to become Valkyries who fought to protect what was precious, they were putting in the effort.
But compared to these fledgling birds—
Fu Hua had no need for such drills.
Not because she was arrogant, but simply because an A-rank Valkyrie's experience, even accumulated over a decade, offered little to someone who had been fighting since 50,000 years ago.
Compared to Fu Hua's true combat prowess, the techniques taught in class were almost laughably crude.
She was like a phoenix hiding its resplendent feathers, purposefully acting inexperienced just to blend in with the fledglings around her. But as they say, gold will always shine.
Even holding back to the extent of draining the entire Pacific, Fu Hua still stood out. With only a fraction of her skills revealed, she had already reached the level of A-rank Valkyrie—on par with Himeko—and became a standout figure in class.
"Class Monitor I didn't quite understand this move in class… could you explain it again?"
"Of course, Seele."
"Me too, me too! For some reason, it feels like you're better at this than Himeko, Class Monitor."
"H-how could that be, Kiana? I'm just a regular student… I only studied some martial arts from Shenzhou before."
Kiana's intuition had always been frighteningly sharp.
Thankfully, she didn't have the brains to follow through.
Fu Hua let out a dry chuckle and brushed it off with an excuse. It wasn't like she wanted to stand out—but she had already suppressed herself to the utmost, and really didn't know how to hold back any further.
And let's not forget—she was still running on low reserves.
Yet even in this weakened state, she was evaluated as an A-rank Valkyrie.
As expected of the [Vicissitude] of the Flame-Chasers.
"By the way, where are Elias and Mei? I haven't seen them since yesterday. Did something happen?"
"No idea. Elias didn't really say. That guy's always like this."
"Maybe he didn't want to drag you into danger, Kiana. That's probably why he didn't tell you the details."
Fu Hua had known people like that among her old comrades—those who bore everything alone, shouldering every burden, keeping danger to themselves. She was all too familiar with it.
"But that's the worst! We're supposed to be teammates, and we can't even help."
"Idiot Kiana. We can't help just because we're too weak. If we want to support Elias, we have to get stronger."
Bronya wiped the sweat from her brow.
Even though her specialty was in electronic warfare, she never slacked off on physical training.
This body, modified by Elias using the Herrscher of Rebirth's powers, would be a waste if she didn't put it to use.
"Hm? Auntie just messaged me—Elias and Mei are back! Yes! Dinner's going to be great today!"
"...Idiot Kiana. Are you happy they're back… or happy about the food?"
"Both, of course~ You guys know full well how far the quality dropped without them yesterday. If I don't get food made by Elias or Mei today, I'll die, seriously."
Kiana patted her flat stomach. Without her feeders around, every minute felt like an eternity. Her taste buds had been thoroughly tamed by those two.
Just then, Elias arrived at the training grounds.
Kiana, Bronya, and Seele immediately ran over.
Fu Hua was about to greet him too—
When her eyes locked onto a much smaller figure standing beside him.
(Ji Xuanyuan?! This… this is impossible! Is this a hallucination caused by Fenghuang Down?)
Fu Hua's eyes went wide in shock.
Ji Xuanyuan—the first comrade she had in the current era, who had sacrificed herself five millennia ago to seal Chiyou—was standing before her, alive and real.
Even Fu Hua's heart, tempered to be unshakable over long millennia, faltered in that moment.
To all the Flame-Chasers, comrades were irreplaceably precious. Most of them valued their companions' lives far more than their own.
"Ji Xuanyuan… is it really you?"
Fu Hua's voice trembled with emotion.
"It's me, Jingwei. It's been five thousand years… and you're still just the same. That's wonderful."
"I don't know how this is possible, but… I'm just so glad you're alive."
After five millennia, the reunion between Fu Hua and Ji Xuanyuan was something no one else could comprehend. The two embraced tightly, Fu Hua's breathing unsteady and tears welling in her eyes.
Ji Xuanyuan was the same. Due to her height, her face was pressed into Fu Hua's chest as they hugged.
At that moment, she felt overwhelmed with emotion.
(As I thought… Jingwei hasn't changed a bit.)
Ji Xuanyuan's nose tingled.
It was truly a miracle. In the long stretch of five thousand years, the world had changed beyond recognition. Everything she once knew had shifted with time.
But only the flat-chested immortal still stood as she always had! Even five thousand years had failed to change her in the slightest!
Ji Xuanyuan was nearly brought to tears. This feeling—this tactile memory—was exactly the same as five thousand years ago. Jingwei truly hadn't grown a bit! It was almost unbelievable.
Though she herself hadn't changed either, that was only because her body had died and her growth halted. Now that Elias had reignited the spark of life in her, Ji Xuanyuan's halted development had resumed.
Soon, she would definitely surpass Fu Hua...
"So, what happened exactly? Ji Xuanyuan, I thought you had been… devoured by Chiyou."
Fu Hua wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
She was overjoyed yet confused. What kind of miracle had taken place? And why did it feel like she'd just sensed a trace of good-natured mockery? Must be from exhaustion...
"Ahem. Class Monitor Fu Hua, are you free for a bit?"
Elias coughed to interrupt.
"Elias… I see."
Fu Hua's pupils contracted. She had noticed the ancient golden sword in Elias' hand.
The moment she laid eyes on that Key of Domination, she realized this boy had something to do with all this.
"I think it's time we had a serious talk. Don't you agree?"
"No problem. Let's go to your dorm."
The two quickly reached a mutual agreement to have a proper discussion.
"Huh? What's going on with them?"
"Bronya is not sure. But… Bronya has a bad feeling. Hopefully, no more rivals appear."
Bronya glanced from Ji Xuanyuan to Fu Hua, her expression blank. She knew she had to act soon. Sorry, Mei… time to brace yourself for a new hat!
...Inside the Valkyrie Dorms...
"Mei, hit me."
"Okay."
Though the wording was misleading, that wasn't what it meant. Raiden Mei deployed her Herrscher powers, cloaking Fu Hua in an electromagnetic field.
It caused no harm, but immediately disabled all electronic devices on Fu Hua's body.
And among them, her red-rimmed glasses sparked the most violently, nearly exploding on the spot.
"Looks like those glasses were your communication tool with Otto. Yep, definitely better without them."
"You really do know a lot, Elias. Yes, I admit it—I was sent to St. Freya by Overseer Otto as a spy. I'm… truly sorry."
Fu Hua lowered her head apologetically.
She had felt deeply guilty for some time now, especially every time Elias pulled her into the dorm to mooch a meal. She felt ashamed of betraying such genuine friendship.
"Then I hope you'll make up for it with actions—like teaching me a few powerful techniques."
"Uh… Of course. Though, won't that be letting me off too easily?"
"Then teach me the strongest ones—like the legendary Edge of Taixuan of the Immortal Phoenix."
Elias looked at her with burning curiosity. He had long coveted the technique that could cleave the Will of Honkai itself. Mental domain techniques were something he still lacked.
"...Alright. I'll teach you."
Fu Hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
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