"I never expected to run into Bronya's mother. What a surprising encounter. It's a shame that it contradicts my current goals—otherwise, I really would have stayed a bit longer to see baby Bronya."
Elias muttered to himself with slight regret.
They had only spent about half a day with Alexandra, but perhaps due to her maternal instincts being particularly strong at this time, she unconsciously extended her overflowing love and care toward Elias and the girls.
Elias was fine with it, but the little girls nearly refused to leave. Most of the children from Babylon's lab were orphans, completely defenseless against such warmth and affection.
"We can't travel with her. Anti-Entropy might be fine, but I'm not sure how Schicksal would react. Both sides are bound to send people here."
If they got too involved with Bronya's mother, Elias worried that his situation might drag her into unnecessary danger. The last thing he wanted was for Bronya to die before she was even born.
Speaking of which, Elias also encountered Bronya's father and… a younger Cocolia.
(Whew—almost stabbed her with the subspace spear. Come to think of it, wasn't she still working under Bronya's dad at this point?)
Elias couldn't help but sigh.
It was strange to think that this same woman—who once reported her superior for smuggling arms, who donated most of her salary to orphanages, who couldn't tolerate injustice—would eventually become the person he knew in the future.
Sensing Elias' emotions, Bella whispered, asking whether they should eliminate the blonde woman. She didn't know why her master harbored killing intent toward her, but she was more than willing to act on his wishes.
If he desired it, taking care of Cocolia—whether her current or future self—would be effortless for Elias.
"No need. This woman still has some use."
(After all, I have no idea how much the future could change. The children in Cocolia's orphanage… I don't want to kill her now, only to doom them later.)
After finishing lunch, Elias and Bella resumed their journey with the four little ones in search of a new home.
To avoid being surrounded by Schicksal's pursuers, Elias periodically teleported everyone. No matter what, the Herrscher of the Void's mobility was unmatched.
"Elias, aren't you hungry? You barely ate at lunch."
"I'm fine. I don't need food anymore. You all go ahead and eat."
"Alright… But so this is the outside world? Everything is covered in white."
"Heh, not everywhere. Further south, even in winter, there are places where flowers bloom and the sunlight is warm and pleasant. Though, summer can be really hot."
"That still sounds better than the cold."
Sirin rubbed her small hands together, speaking with determination—though, thanks to Elias, they weren't cold at all.
Using the Herrscher of Fire's power, he controlled the surrounding temperature, maintaining a comfortably warm climate within a twenty-meter radius.
Hearing Sirin's words, Elias chuckled.
He was about to tell them that they only thought that way because they had never experienced a real summer. Once they traveled somewhere with normal seasons, they would quickly learn to appreciate air conditioning as one of the greatest inventions of all time.
But simply walking in silence was boring, so Elias occasionally hummed a tune to keep their spirits up along the way.
For instance, he had just sung "Let It Go," which perfectly matched the icy landscape around them. Sirin and the others were utterly entranced by his performance.
However—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Everyone, be careful! We have enemies!"
Three gunshots suddenly rang out from a distance. Powerful energy bullets struck Elias' ever-present imaginary barrier but failed to inflict any damage.
Bella immediately stepped forward, shielding Elias. As his loyal half-Honkai Beast companion, she was born to be his shield.
"Didn't expect to get this lucky and run into you, Herrscher of the Void."
"…Damn."
A white-haired man descended from the sky.
Dual-wielding the Judgment of Shamash, his stance was undeniably cool—yet that unmistakable air of foolishness embedded in his very DNA made Elias recognize him instantly.
A Kaslana.
And not just any Kaslana—this was Kiana's father, one of the three legendary pure-hearted warriors of Honkai Impact, Siegfried Kaslana!
Elias felt utterly speechless. How was it that both father and daughter had such absurd luck? He had been teleporting randomly to avoid being surrounded by Schicksal, only to land directly in front of Siegfried!
Elias: Pain. So much pain.
"Hey, hey, hey! What a rude little brat! So you're the Herrscher of the Void? You look harmless enough, but you've got a pretty high kill count. I suggest you surrender quietly—might save you some pain."
Siegfried raised his twin pistols, speaking with righteous conviction.
Elias twitched at his words. If Kiana was a clueless airhead, then Siegfried was a husky—an old, stubborn husky! And the older he got, the dumber he seemed!
"…Idiot."
Elias instantly realized that Otto must have manipulated Siegfried.
There was no doubt that the green-cloaked bastard had twisted the narrative to make Elias look like a villain.
Siegfried only knew that Elias had killed people.
But he didn't know who Elias had killed.
And Otto sure as hell wouldn't tell Siegfried the truth about Babylon's experiments. Instead, he would simply say, "The Herrscher of the Void has massacred many. He is an enemy of humanity."
Conveniently omitting the fact that the people Elias had killed were all inhumane researchers who tortured children.
(Otto: "I never told a lie, Siegfried.")
"Sirin, take the others and wait for me in the town."
"…Be careful, Elias."
Elias opened a portal to the nearby town, ensuring the girls left safely before he could fight freely.
"Nice try! I won't be fooled by your innocent act! Surrender, and release those girls you kidnapped! Holding hostages is despicable!"
"…I was hoping to resolve this peacefully, but… Looks like I'll have to beat some sense into you first. Seriously, you're a grown man—do Kaslana lose all ability to think without an external brain?!"
Elias raised his middle finger at Siegfried.
His philosophy was simple: if you attacked first, then whatever happened next was your own damn fault.
And he already had a grudge against Siegfried.
Sure, Kiana's situation was unique—but how could this idiot father leave his young daughter to travel the world alone in search of him?
Thinking about all the hardships Kiana endured over the years, Elias made up his mind. He would give Siegfried the beating of a lifetime—one that Kiana herself would be proud of!
He was going to slap Siegfried's face so hard that even Cecilia would leave him!
Siegfried faltered for a moment, sensing that something was very wrong with the atmosphere.
"W-Why do I feel like I'm about to be the victim here?"
"Siegfried, have you prepared to repent? Bella, we're taking him down! No need to hold back—beat him until he's barely breathing!"
"Yes, Master."