Siegfried—Old Ma! Ah~ Old Ma~

"Having Mei around really makes things easier. If it were just me alone, it would've taken a lot longer to get here."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Elias and Mei held hands as they transformed into a streak of red lightning speeding across the ocean's surface. This was the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, allowing her to move over long distances at lightning speed.

And by holding her hand, Elias could share this gift, sparing him the trouble of exhausting travel like before~

"If only my Bella were here, it would've been even faster and easier."

"Hmm? Bella? Who's that?"

Mei's heart skipped a beat. Another unfamiliar name—and clearly a girl's. Could it be some vixen snuck into the picture while she wasn't looking?

"She's my companion Judgment-class Honkai Beast. My Bella is super fast and just as strong as a Herrscher. Ah~ I really miss the feeling of soaring freely on her back."

Elias said with a nostalgic look on his face. Mei, beside him, let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Whew~ So it's just a Honkai Beast. Scared me for a second."

She had thought it was another vixen, but if it was just a Honkai Beast, then it was fine~

After all, Honkai Beasts aren't rational, and they don't look remotely human—there's no way they could steal Elias away, right?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

Although Mei's flight was fast, there was still a bit of distance to the coordinates Anti-Entropy had sent. But neither Elias nor Mei found it boring.

Because the one they loved was right beside them, no matter how long the time, it would never be enough.

As they chatted, they quickly reached their destination.

"An Anti-Entropy stealth battleship? Looks like this is the place. Let's land on that platform."

"I'll follow your lead. Just tell me where the enemy is, Elias, and I'll cut it down."

Herrscher of Thunder Mei said with intense determination, her right hand tightening on her scabbard as if sensing nearby threats.

Elias shook his head, indicating they didn't need to be so violent—this would just be a simple fish-herding mission.

"Let's go talk to Welt and get the situation."

The two of them landed like streaks of lightning on the bridge of the Anti-Entropy battleship.

Wearing the Vermilion Knight: Eclipse armor, Elias, and the Herrscher of Thunder Mei—

Their overwhelming and dazzling presence stunned the surrounding Anti-Entropy members.

They already knew the two newcomers were Herrschers like their own leader, but still couldn't help casting reverent glances their way, not daring to approach.

"Hmph~ Is it like this everywhere I go."

Herrscher Mei muttered, arms crossed.

She was long used to the fearful gazes of others.

It had been the same back at St. Freya Academy.

Mei's girlish personality was warmly welcomed by classmates, but her queenly side was always feared and avoided. (Though truthfully, it was because her queen persona was too overbearing, bossy, and... kinda chuuni.)

Mei didn't particularly mind.

To her, the gaze of mortals was no different from that of insects.

As long as Elias looked at her gently, that was enough.

But just then, a stranger suddenly stepped forward. Upon seeing Mei, his expression turned excited, and in the next second, he spread his arms wide as he walked toward her!

(It really is Mei! She's changed so much in just a few months—so majestic now. As expected of my daughter! Calm down, I must stay calm! This is a long-awaited reunion. I must not lose composure. I need to show her the image of a mature and steady father. Alright! This is it!)

Raiden Ryoma took a deep breath and walked toward Mei. This ultimate girl-dad had gone through a lot to prepare for this reunion and leave a good impression on his beloved daughter.

Neat, clean clothes and a meticulously styled haircut—at least in appearance, Raiden Ryoma looked like a handsome middle-aged man.

He was going to tell Mei that her father finally got to see her again.

He was going to give his daughter a warm, fatherly hug.

Then, the two of them could find a place to sit and have a heartfelt talk.

Ryoma had even decided to personally make lunch for Mei—his daughter used to love the meals he cooked!

But just as Raiden Ryoma approached Mei with all those thoughts swirling in his head—

"Mei, it's been so long. Did you miss your da—"

"Who are you? Get out of the way. Scram."

The Thunder Queen lifted her chin and spoke with arrogance.

"..."

Raiden Ryoma turned to stone. Then shattered. A sea breeze swept through, scattering his metaphorical dust into the ocean.

Not far away, Siegfried sucked in a breath and thought:

(Old Ma! Ah~ Old Ma~ This is rough. Just a few months in prison and your daughter doesn't even recognize you anymore.)

"Uh, that guy looks kind of familiar."

Elias rested his chin on his hand, looking at Ryoma and wondering—was he some background character? Why did he seem vaguely familiar?

(Wait… isn't that my dad?!)

In her spiritual space, Mei finally realized.

That was her dad—the one who'd been locked up. What was he doing here? Come to think of it, she had almost forgotten she even had a dad in jail.

"Hmm? The coward's father? Seems like it matches someone in your memories… whatever, not important."

Herrscher Mei searched through the shared memories, but a moment later lost all interest.

The queen simply walked past the frozen Raiden Ryoma without even sparing him a glance.

What did the coward's father have to do with her, the Herrscher of Thunder?

She was nothing more than a consciousness born from the Stigmata.

If Raiden Ryoma dared call her daughter, the Thunder Queen would cut him down on the spot… Elias, though—that was a different story.

Recently, their "activities" had been unlocking more and more new experiences. For the boy she loved, the queen didn't mind setting aside her pride and nobility to chase after some exciting thrill.

"Mei doesn't remember me… my daughter doesn't remember me… and it's only been a few months. Haha, hahahaha, the sea here sure is nice. Suddenly I feel like diving into it."

"Damn it! Ryoma, calm down, calm down!"

"Calm down? Siegfried, how do you expect me to calm down?!"

Raiden Ryoma said, utterly devastated.

It felt like he'd taken a million-point critical hit. His precious baby girl didn't even recognize him. That cold, indifferent gaze—it was like she was looking at a stranger.

At that moment, the mature, steady father couldn't hold back his tears. He dropped into an ORZ pose on the deck of the battleship, eyes losing their light.

Mei told him to scram. Maybe he really should.

Yeah… maybe right into the ocean.

"Uh, time to give Mei back control of her body. Looks like my father-in-law's about to snap."

"Tch, what a pain. Fine."

Only because Elias said so did the queen obediently switch out.

In fact, Mei had been trying to get her to swap out this whole time, but the Thunder Queen had completely ignored her.

"Father-in-law, are you okay? That was just Mei's Herrscher persona. She didn't recognize you—it's normal, really. Don't take it to heart. Let's start over."

Elias patted Raiden Ryoma on the back while thinking, No wonder he looked familiar. So that's my father-in-law!

"R-really? That's good, that's good… Thank you, young man. I really thought Mei didn't recognize me."

Raiden Ryoma let out a relieved breath and gave Elias a grateful look. This kid is pretty kind… wait—did I just hear something weird just now?!

"What did you just call me?"

"Father-in-law~ Nice to meet you! My name's Elias, and I'm currently Mei's boyfriend."

Elias said with a brilliant, sunny smile.

"Don't you dare call me that!!"

(You little brat!! How dare you lay hands on my daughter?! I will never forgive this! I challenge you to a duel! If you want to win the heart of Raiden Ryoma's daughter—fine, then the only way is to step over my corpse!!)

Raiden Ryoma's eyes nearly popped out of his head. The moment Elias said the word "father-in-law," his rage—and blood pressure—exploded.

He'd spent all those years raising his precious little cabbage, and now someone had plucked it while he was stuck in jail for just a few months!

But just as Raiden Ryoma was about to unleash his hostility—

An overwhelming pressure instantly descended.

The Thunder Queen, who had just logged off, reappeared and stared coldly at him, thumb already pushing her blade from its sheath.

Raiden Ryoma: "..."

Under the pressure of a Herrscher, this father could do nothing but tremble in place, glaring furiously at the white-haired boy in front of him.

Elias shook his head with a sigh.

What's the point? A glare can't kill someone. And besides, Father-in-law, you can't even beat me.

In fact, if you dare try to touch me, you'll probably trigger a full-blown father-daughter fallout.

"Alright~ My queen, let Mei talk to her father for a bit. It's been months since they've seen each other. Here, you can use this spare body for now."

"Fine… Hey, Raiden Ryoma, if you show hostility toward Elias again, even if you are the coward's father, I'll still cut you down."

With that icy warning, the Thunder Queen transferred into the body Elias summoned from the Imaginary Space.

Then, Mei's original consciousness took control of her true body.

"Long time no see, Dad."

"Mei? Is that really you?"

"Mm, it's me."

"Good, good, good… it really is my daughter."

Raiden Ryoma was nearly moved to tears. Yes—this girl before him was truly his daughter. That tone, that gaze—there was no mistaking her.

"Sorry I've been gone so long, Mei. You must've missed me terribly. I'm sorry you had to feel so alone."

"It's alright, Dad. With Elias by my side, I haven't felt lonely or sad at all."

Mei shook her head without a moment's hesitation.

There wasn't even a hint of loneliness or sorrow in her eyes. Especially when she said Elias' name, her face bloomed with a radiant, happy smile.

Crack!

"Huh? What was that breaking sound?"

(Mei, that was your dad's heart.)

Raiden Ryoma was on the verge of tears.

He had already heard from Welt about Elias' relationship with his daughter, but he still held on to a faint hope—maybe it was just the Herrscher persona who liked Elias, not his real daughter.

But that tiny shred of denial was utterly shattered by Mei's words just now.

Elias: "Let me say it again—from now on, I'm counting on your support, Father-in-law~"

Ryoma: "..."

Mei: "Dad, say something!"

Ryoma: "O-okay, okay… Pleased to meet you! Please take care of her!"

Turns out that in the face of true love, all resistance is meaningless. Not even a father-in-law can stop it.

Having utterly crushed her father, Elias held the Thunder Queen's hand in his left, Mei's in his right, and walked away without looking back, leaving behind the defeated Raiden Ryoma.

...

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Welt."

"It's fine. It's not often I get to see Ryoma in that state. Oh, let me introduce you—these two are Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla."

Welt shook his head, signaling it wasn't a big deal, then introduced the two young women standing behind him to Elias.

Anti-Entropy's top two scientists, and the face of modern science in this civilization—their credentials and intellect were so impressive that Elias was sure their degrees and patents stacked together would be taller than he was.

"So you're the Herrscher of Rebirth that Welt speaks so highly of? The Herrscher of the Void from over ten years ago? You're younger than I imagined."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Tesla. I've heard great things. If you don't mind, I'd love to chat about Arahato later—I'm really interested in that giant humanoid mech you built."

"Oh? You've got taste, I like that! Sounds good!"

Dr. Tesla, with her iconic red twin-tails, looked at Elias with a spark of admiration—her meaning was clear: if you like Arahato, we're friends already.

"Dr. Tesla is as easygoing as ever. Nice to meet you, Herrscher of Rebirth. I'm Einstein."

"Nice to meet you too, Dr. Einstein. But you can just call me Elias. After all, 'Herrscher of Rebirth' or 'Herrscher of the Void' are just titles."

"No problem. By the way, Dr. Maki's research on the HSN-b46 serum has made a breakthrough. It'll soon be ready for mass production... We really have to thank you, Elias."

Dr. Einstein extended a friendly hand, and Elias didn't hesitate to shake it.

At the same time, Elias mused to himself:

(So these are the famous "Lobster Doctor" and "Messy Hair Doctor" from Honkai lore. One's fiery and wild, the other's calm and rational. Heh~ What an interesting pair.)

"By the way, that whole thing earlier was hilarious. Poor Ryoma lost all his dignity—his daughter didn't acknowledge him, and he got annihilated by his son-in-law. Hahaha, I can't take it."

Dr. Tesla laughed heartily, patting Elias' arm.

"Pfft!"

"Heh heh~"

Even the usually calm and composed Welt and Einstein couldn't help chuckling at the memory.

Welt/Einstein: "We're professionally trained to remain serious at all times… unless we absolutely can't hold it in!"

Raiden Ryoma: "..."

It might be a little mean to say, but they thoroughly enjoyed the show. Ryoma, you really were down bad~

"Ahem, let's get to business. We've pinpointed Chiyou's location, and we've also found the 10th Divine Key—Xuanyuan Sword. So… what's your plan?"

Welt shifted the topic to serious matters.

He didn't mince words. Though it was obvious Elias knew many things he didn't, there was no doubt the boy's position was on humanity's side.

This wasn't a gut feeling—it was based on Elias' consistent choices throughout past events.

The Second Eruption, the Third Eruption, the Honkai energy serum, and now the Chiyou incident—all of it proved Elias' character.

"Simple. I'll open a massive passage to the Sea of Quanta, then draw the Xuanyuan Sword to lift Chiyou's seal. After that, we'll launch an attack from behind to drive Chiyou into the quantum passage—done."

Elias laid out his plan directly.

There was no reason to hide it—after all, he was talking to Welt Yang, the Herrscher of Reason who carried the world's name and fought for humanity.

This wasn't some two-faced rat like Otto. There was no need for schemes or hidden agendas.

And the two scientists—"Messy Hair Doctor" and "Lobster Doctor"—were both good people, bolded and underlined.

"Whoa, that's bold and straightforward. I like it! But building a quantum sea gate big enough for Chiyou to enter? That's some wild thinking."

"It's a daring plan for sure, but if it works, it'll minimize the threat dramatically."

Tesla and Einstein both looked amazed. Just opening a passage to the Sea of Quanta was already world-breaking, and now they were talking about one that could fit Chiyou...

"Can that really be done? You know how massive Chiyou is…"

"I'm confident. After all, we have three Herrschers here—including myself as a dual-core Herrscher. If we channel all the Honkai energy into me, creating a passage big enough for the Chiyou behemoth… won't be a problem."

Elias clenched his fist with firm confidence.

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