"Let me finish first, Ana. Although it makes me very happy that you trust me so blindly, this is something extremely important. Listen to everything before you decide."
Elias raised his hand and gently patted the pitiful girl on the head.
In the game, Ana's treatment could only be described as utterly tragic. Back then, she had been one of Elias' deepest regrets.
In his previous life, when Elias had still been a powerless Captain who could do nothing, he had naively believed that Ana, like Kiana, would be able to overcome the Herrscher persona and even successfully board the Hyperion.
In truth, even setting aside her background and the plot, Ana's appearance perfectly matched Elias' tastes. After all, who wouldn't like such a pure and adorable girl?
And in the end, he had been brutally stabbed in the heart by that damned company.
But now, Ana had already overcome her tragedy and successfully boarded Elias' Hyperion.
There was only one final step left before she could completely defeat her fate.
And Elias no longer wanted to passively wait for Honkai to make its move. This time, he would strike first!
"Ana, are you willing to become a Herrscher?"
Elias placed both hands on the girl's fragrant shoulders and asked seriously.
"Eh? A Herr—Herrscher?"
Ana's pink eyes widened in shock.
For a moment, she thought she had misheard. What did Lord Elias just say? He wants me to become a Herrscher?
"Yes. I hope you can become the Herrscher of Ice. Of course, I won't let you become a puppet of Honkai. When the Herrscher persona is born, I'll personally handle it for you."
Elias patted his chest as he spoke.
He already had a foolproof plan. After all, if there was anyone in this world who understood Herrschers best, it was undoubtedly him.
Without question, this was also part of the [Artificial Herrscher] plan. But unlike the versions Otto and Cocolia had once carried out, Elias' plan was painless, risk-free, and guaranteed to succeed.
How could he possibly allow a beautiful girl who admired him to become Honkai's puppet?
Still, he needed Ana's own consent. If she refused, he would abandon the idea immediately. In the original storyline, she had fought with everything she had against the erosion of the Herrscher persona, hoping to die as a human even at the cost of her life.
Unfortunately, she had been ruined by someone else's forcibly imposed "kindness," and even that simple wish had failed.
(Feels like there's a good chance she'll reject it. Ana seems like the type who especially hates Herrschers. I...)
"No problem! Please let me become a Herrscher!"
"That fast?!"
An answer without the slightest hesitation.
Elias was genuinely surprised.
There was no trace of resistance on Ana's face. Instead, she looked eager, as if she couldn't wait.
In the original storyline, Schicksal's brainwashing had made her believe all Herrschers were enemies of humanity, filling her with extreme rejection. But now, at St. Freya Academy, Herrschers were practically everywhere.
It was to the point that no one could tell whether it was a Herrscher Academy or a Valkyrie Academy anymore.
Ana had also made many Herrscher friends, including the Herrscher of Ice from the Previous Era. Coupled with Elias' own deeds, she now held no prejudice or resistance toward Herrschers at all.
She even felt a bit of admiration.
(As long as I become a Herrscher, I'll gain greater power. And... maybe I'll even be able to move into that dreamy Valkyrie dormitory! Ahhh~ Just thinking about it makes me so happy!)
Although Raiden Mei and the others often complained that their opponents were growing more numerous, there were still countless girls in this world who liked Elias but did not even have the qualification to compete.
Ana had originally been one of them. She had thought her feelings would remain buried in her heart forever. But now, she felt that opportunity had appeared right before her!
As long as she could become a Herrscher.
Then she would undoubtedly receive Elias' focused attention.
And setting aside the Herrschers of the Previous Era, among the Current Era Herrschers, aside from Welt, all of them had already moved into the Valkyrie dormitory.
Ana declared that no matter what, she would not miss this opportunity.
"Mm. That burning look in your eyes—seems you've truly resolved yourself." Elias nodded solemnly.
Although he had disabled the authority of the Herrscher of Sentience and could not read her thoughts, she must be thinking something noble, like sacrificing herself for humanity, befitting a Schariac Valkyrie.
"Yes, Lord Elias. Please turn me into a Herrscher. I, Ana Schariac, am willing to dedicate this body to you!"
"Excellent! In that case, I promise you this—Ana, you will encounter no risk or accident. You will become the Fifth Herrscher of this era, the Herrscher of Ice, by your own will!"
As he spoke, Elias picked up Ana's lance.
First, he removed the pseudo-Core of the Herrscher of Snow embedded within it.
"Step one: become a pseudo-Herrscher."
"Yes!"
Ana accepted the pseudo-Core with both hands and pressed it into her modest chest. Since it had been created using Elias' own power, it would not generate a Herrscher persona.
The girl smoothly became the Herrscher of Snow without incident. There were no major changes to her clothing, only a snow-white cloak appearing over her shoulders. At the same time, light snow began to fall from the sky.
The Herrscher of Finality beside them looked somewhat surprised. Ana's talent exceeded expectations. Even though snow was her authority, very few pseudo-Herrschers could alter the weather itself.
"Such powerful strength... so this is a pseudo-Herrscher?"
"Heh, this is only the appetizer. Get used to it first. In a moment, I'll let you evolve into a true Herrscher."
"Yes, Lord Elias!"
If Wendy, the Herrscher of Wind, saw Ana at this moment, she would likely cry from envy. Back when she underwent the [Artificial Herrscher] plan, she had endured who knew how much torment.
How could it compare to Ana's ease and comfort now?
Elias observed the girl's physical condition and nodded in satisfaction once he confirmed her body had reached Herrscher-level standards. In truth, pseudo-Herrschers had a chance to become true Herrschers.
And the probability was far higher than that of ordinary people.
As long as they continued to grow, they were like a pawn in chess that had successfully advanced to the enemy's back rank—able to be promoted into any piece except the king.
The pseudo-Core could likewise ascend into a true Herrscher Core.
And the Herrscher of Snow was precisely the lower form of the Herrscher of Ice.
Ana had fought using this power for so long. Combined with her own talent and the destiny already set for her, if she were to become a Herrscher, she would one thousand percent become the Herrscher of Ice.
"Have you adapted?"
"Mm! I've completely mastered the authority of snow."
"Very good. In that case, we'll begin the next step. Finality, I'll need your cooperation... Actually, if Misteln were here, it would be safer and simpler. But who knows where she's run off to lately. Sigh..."
Elias let out a small sigh. Although he was already completely confident, if his dear [Idea] lady were present, that confidence would multiply several times over.
After all, Ana possessed the Schariac stigmata, which would allow Misteln to fully display her power.
"Hi~ Miss me?"
At that moment, a mature woman's gentle voice sounded from behind.
The long-missing Misteln suddenly appeared, startling Elias so badly he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Whoa—! You scared me! Where have you been all this time, Misteln? And don't imitate Ely's tone when you talk."
"Ahem! Don't worry about those minor details. It took a bit of time to escape, but it seems I arrived just in time. Master, you happen to need my power right now."
"...I'd really like to worry about those details, but my instincts tell me I shouldn't dig too deeply."
The corner of Elias' eye twitched as he looked at Misteln, who appeared dusty and disheveled, as though she had just crawled out of the ground. He couldn't help but wonder if someone had literally planted her in the soil.
"In any case, we proceed as planned. Next is the critical moment when Ana evolves from the Herrscher of Snow into the Herrscher of Ice. I need you to do this and that..."
"No problem!" x2
The Herrscher of Finality and Misteln both nodded after hearing the plan. Not only did they have no objections, they were somewhat impressed that Elias had devised such a method.
With everything in place, Elias turned his gaze to the slightly nervous girl.
"Ana, all you need to do next is absorb the Honkai energy I release. Don't worry about anything else."
"Eh? That's all?"
"Mm. Leave the rest to us."
As he spoke, Elias began releasing Honkai energy, and Ana immediately absorbed it with the Core of the Herrscher of Snow inside her.
Suddenly, Elias' expression turned a bit strange.
Though it felt awkward to admit, this Honkai energy was the very same energy he had just absorbed earlier. Didn't that mean he was essentially transferring something he had already swallowed... back to Ana?
"Elias, what's wrong? You look a little odd."
"Cough. N-Nothing. Don't mind me."
As the Core of the Herrscher of Snow grew fuller, when her Honkai energy reached 2000 HW, Ana finally touched the domain of true Herrschers. The final condition had been met.
At that moment, within the Cocoon of Finality, the Will of Honkai—Prometheus—began its work. Although she could not alter the Cocoon's decisions, she could occasionally interfere to a certain degree.
As long as her actions complied with the rules established by the Cocoon of Finality, she would not be obstructed.
For example—granting a true Herrscher Core to a pseudo-Herrscher who had already grown to her limit.
"This feeling... it's coming!"
Frigid air erupted from Ana's body. The Core of the Herrscher of Ice replaced the Core of the Herrscher of Snow. As the vessel expanded, the amount of Honkai energy she absorbed increased as well.
2000 HW. 2500 HW. 3000 HW...
Only when the energy within her Core reached 5000 HW did she stop absorbing.
At the same time, her appearance underwent a tremendous transformation.
The girl's chestnut hair turned pale white. A black veil covered her face. Behind her floated two slender white ice cages, each containing a blue-flamed candle.
Her upper body was dressed in black, while her lower half was clad in a tight white-and-blue bodysuit that outlined her graceful figure. A silver crown rested upon her head, and she wore a magnificent blue-and-white robe.
Elias could not help but sigh at the inappropriate thought that surfaced in his mind.
She's not showing a single inch of skin. So why does she look more seductive than anyone else? Honkai's taste really is excellent.
"Lord Elias... the Herrscher persona... it's here..."
"Misteln, Finality—we're going in!"
If the Herrscher of Ice from the first cycle of the Previous Era had been unfortunate enough to encounter Elias and Kalpas the moment she was born, then the Herrscher persona descending upon Ana now was even more miserable by comparison.
Elias and the Herrscher of Finality simultaneously activated the authority of the Herrscher of Sentience, projecting their consciousness into Ana's mental space.
At the same time, through the connection between the Schariac stigmata, Misteln also entered Ana's mind.
"Human, hand over your body to me... hm?"
The Herrscher of Ice persona, who had just descended and was preparing for an intense battle over control of the body, froze completely.
Three figures stood before her.
The Flame-Chaser who embodied [Deliverance] and [Eternity].
The Herrscher of Finality.
And the [Idea] Schariac Stigmata.
The Herrscher of Ice persona trembled.
It was no exaggeration to say that any one of these three could easily crush her. And unlike the Herrscher of Sentience, she possessed no power at all before taking control of Ana's body.
Elias: "Choose. Friend or enemy."
Finality: "If you choose enemy, I'll erase you right now."
Misteln: "Hehe~ What a weak, pitiful little Herrscher. So... what will you choose?"
Herrscher of Ice persona: "I-I surrender."
(Does anyone understand my pain?! I just got born. I haven't even taken over a body yet, and there are already three final bosses camping me! Forget the other two—why is Finality here? Aren't you supposed to be on our side?!)
How was she supposed to resist this?
Even their own ultimate boss had been turned by humanity. What was the point of struggling stubbornly?
In her current purely mental state, she could not even rush forward and splatter blood on them.
(I can't do anything at all!)
Herrscher personas with humanity were far easier to deal with than the stubborn ones of the Previous Era. Faced with the choice between surrendering to live or dying for nothing, they naturally chose the former.
To be safe, Elias weakened her. Finality sealed her. Misteln constructed a cage within the mental space and tossed the Herrscher persona inside.
With both sealing and weakening debuffs stacked upon her, the Herrscher of Ice persona could no longer compete with Ana for control of the body. She could only sit obediently in prison.
If Ana ever felt lonely in the future, she would at least have someone to chat with inside her head.
"Very good. You've made a wise choice. Behave yourself. If your performance is good, I'll even construct a real body for you someday so you can start life anew."
Elias looked at the imprisoned persona with satisfaction, unable to help recalling the pleasant memories of storing Previous Era Herrschers as collectibles in The Deep End.
Everything had proceeded exactly according to plan.
"So... that's it? I've become the Herrscher of Ice just like that? It was that easy?"
"What else did you expect? With this lineup, what could we possibly fail to accomplish? Wait—hold on! Why is your total Honkai energy only 5000 HW? Didn't I give you 10000 HW?"
It seemed that, as always, something unexpected had occurred.
Honkai truly excelled at surprises—or perhaps this, too, was an unchangeable destiny.
When the Herrscher of Ice of the Current Era was born, the Sixth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Stars—would also be born.
"OOOOOOOO—!!"
"Tch! Why are you shouting so loudly?!"