Because Elias had expended a massive amount of Honkai energy in creating a body for Bella and forging four Pseudo-Herrscher Cores, he refrained from using the Herrscher of the Void's abilities on the way back.
Instead, Bella once again transformed into her Benares form and carried Elias back to Earth.
As expected, they were immediately detected by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, who had been closely monitoring them. Several supersonic jets had already been lying in wait, and the moment they were spotted, they launched a relentless attack.
But…
"With just these few metal scraps, you dare challenge me, who possesses the power of the Herrscher of Wind?"
There was no need to even use Ideal Fluid.
Elias simply raised his hand and solidified the 'wind' within a radius of several hundred meters.
The jets instantly froze in mid-air, completely enveloped by an invisible wall of compressed air, unable to move an inch.
"Be crushed into scrap metal, you pests."
The aircraft, along with their pilots, were gradually compressed by the immense air pressure, deforming before plummeting from ten thousand meters above the ground.
It was so weak that it made Elias yawn. While he had no intention of wiping out humanity, he had no mercy for those foolish enough to attack him.
If anything, he preferred using such ruthless methods to make them regret ever opposing him before their inevitable demise.
Elias: (In the cramped cockpit of a jet, unable to do anything, watching yourself being slowly crushed—such despair must be unbearable. But you brought this upon yourselves.)
...
Elias and Bella returned to the Babylon Tower.
Overlooking the towering structure, Elias spoke coldly.
"This thing has no reason to exist anymore. Babylon Tower, Babylon Tower… In myth, humanity built a tower reaching toward the heavens, a symbol of arrogance. But in the end, this arrogance was shattered by the hands of the gods."
"Since that's the case, then let me, a Herrscher, be the one to destroy you. What should I use… Oh, I know—Herrscher of Thunder's power: Railgun, fire!"
Blue arcs of electricity crackled at his fingertips. Accompanied by a terrifying surge of Honkai energy, a person-sized electromagnetic projectile shot forth, striking the tower.
In an instant, the Babylon Tower was pierced through and obliterated.
The sheer force of the blast even dispersed the storm clouds in the distance, revealing a clear blue sky.
"Alright, vengeance is pretty much complete."
Elias clapped his hands in satisfaction.
Those who had harmed him and the girls had been dealt with, and now, the Babylon Tower was reduced to rubble. Revenge truly was best served swiftly and decisively.
Afterward, Elias and Bella—now in her human form—returned to the cave where Sirin and the others had been sheltered.
"Sirin, I'm back."
"Elias!!"
The violet-haired girl immediately leaped into his embrace.
The other girls quickly followed, swarming around him.
They hurriedly examined him from head to toe, and only after confirming that he was unscathed did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Relax, I'm really fine this time."
"Hmph! That's not certain. Elias, you love to act tough—you need to be properly monitored."
"Huh? Do I?"
"Yes!" x4
The four girls spoke in unison.
They could no longer bear the thought of letting Elias out of their sight for too long. Who knew what kind of reckless trouble he would get into next?
"Huh? Big sister, who are you?"
On the other side, Bella had remained silent, standing behind Elias like a loyal attendant, so much so that Sirin and the others hadn't noticed her at first.
But once they finally got a good look at Bella, Sirin instinctively tightened her grip around Elias' arm.
(Since when did Elias find such a beautiful young lady? Could it be that he likes this type of girl? Wuwu, I... In two or three more years, I definitely won't lose to her! Go, Sirin!)
The little violet-haired angel cheered herself on in her heart.
"What are you thinking? She is Bella, the dragon you saw earlier."
"Eh? That really cool-looking dragon? She can turn into a human?"
"Of course! Dragon girls are all the rage now. My Bella is amazing."
"Ugh, Master flatters me."
Bella awkwardly waved her hand. Despite her overwhelming power, interacting with human children left her feeling nervous and unsure of herself.
For some reason, upon first seeing Sirin, Bella felt an indescribable sensation. She found herself glancing at the girl multiple times, though she couldn't quite understand why.
"Where should we go next? What should we do now?" Sirin asked, looking lost.
Though they had been freed from Babylon, the vast snowy landscape before them felt overwhelming to the young girls. Having spent nearly their entire lives confined in a cell of less than twenty square meters, the world outside seemed impossibly large.
If it were just Sirin and the others, they would undoubtedly become lost in this endless white wilderness.
Fortunately, Elias was mature and reliable. He habitually ruffled the violet-haired girl's hair as he reassured her.
"Next? Isn't it obvious? We'll find a place far warmer than this—where the sun shines bright and flowers bloom year-round. We'll start a brand-new, happy life and make up for all the time that was stolen from us."
He could somewhat understand why a certain island-loving crow wanted to disappear.
Elias suddenly entertained the idea of acquiring a secluded island villa where he could live peacefully with Sirin and the others for the rest of his life.
"Grrr~" x4
Suddenly, the girls' stomachs rumbled. The four of them immediately lowered their heads in embarrassment, while Elias chuckled and patted their small heads.
"Looks like before we search for a new home, we should focus on filling our bellies first. I should've thought ahead and taken some supplies from Babylon before blowing it up."
Elias expanded his perception, scanning for the nearest town to open a teleportation gate.
One way or another, food came first!
…Meanwhile…
"Your Eminence, the Babylon facility has likely been completely wiped out. The fifteen Honkai-powered jets sent to investigate have also gone dark. Here is the satellite footage of the Second Herrscher."
On Schicksal's floating island base…
Otto narrowed his eyes as he studied the combat footage of Elias, along with the experimental data retrieved from Babylon before its destruction.
Even Amber, his ever-loyal secretary, could not discern what was on the man's mind at this moment.
"Incredible. A truly unique Herrscher. Unlike the First Herrscher, he possesses multiple authorities. But when he destroyed Babylon's Valkyries and Aesir units, he only had a single power at the time."
"Right, we observed him riding that Honkai Beast to the Moon earlier. Could he have obtained new abilities there? It's possible. The Moon does hold remnants of the previous civilization, along with traces of Honkai energy."
"Based on the records I've gathered, the final battle of the previous civilization took place on the Moon. If the Herrscher of the Void traveled there and gained residual power from the Finality, it would make sense."
Otto steepled his fingers, watching Elias' footage over and over, as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
The most important detail was that this young Herrscher of the Void, much like the Herrscher of Reason, undeniably possessed 'humanity.'
This was a stark contrast to the Herrschers recorded in the previous civilization's data—those who knew only destruction.
Satellite footage had clearly captured Elias protecting the girls.
Though the exact reason remained unclear, this was undoubtedly beneficial to modern civilization. However, Otto had no intention of delving deeper into the matter for now.
"Your Eminence, what should our next course of action be? Moreover, this Herrscher of the Void… he doesn't seem to harbor any malice toward the world."
"…No, no, no. Regardless, a Herrscher possessing multiple authorities is an undeniable threat. We must approach and handle this matter with utmost caution."
Three images floated before Otto.
Each depicted Elias using different powers: opening a portal, compressing air, and firing an electromagnetic railgun.
"It appears his abilities correspond to the Herrscher of the Void, the Herrscher of Wind, and the Herrscher of Thunder… I wonder if he possesses additional abilities. If so, I sincerely hope he has mastered the Herrscher of Death's authority as well."
Otto unconsciously clenched his fist.
For him, that was a beacon of hope. If Elias truly wielded the power of the Herrscher of Death… then perhaps—just perhaps—his long-cherished wish could come true. He could bring Kallen back to life!
"Originally, I had planned to send only Siegfried and Theresa, but now it's clear their combat strength alone won't be enough… Prepare Cecilia for deployment as well. Also, contact my old friend, the Immortal Phoenix."
"Understood, Your Eminence."
"Wait. Have all Schicksal Valkyries ready for action—and prepare my most powerful soulium body as well."
"Y-Your Eminence, is that truly necessary…?"
Amber was visibly shocked. She hadn't expected Otto to take this matter so seriously.
The golden-haired man's eyes held an indescribable obsession as he calmly uttered a single phrase:
"Prepare everything—he is worthy."
"…Understood."