Inside the Anti-Entropy base.
Of course, Schicksal wasn't the only faction that detected the awakening of the Herrscher of the Void. As their longtime rival, Anti-Entropy also picked up on Elias' presence.
"So, the day has finally come—a new Herrscher has awakened," said a bespectacled, brown-haired man with the face of a mature gentleman.
He was the First Herrscher, Welt Yang.
The first Herrscher of the modern era to stand on humanity's side, the second inheritor of the Herrscher of Reason's core, and a legendary figure known for his resilience.
At this moment, he had just finished watching Elias' battle footage, clenching his fists afterward.
"Ein, what's your take?"
"First, it's clear that he possesses humanity. After all, the Herrscher of the Void protected those children. I believe… he is at least a Herrscher we can approach and possibly an ally. If successful, then…"
"The world will welcome a second Herrscher who stands with humanity… I see. It looks like I'll have to go meet him in person. Schicksal is bound to act as well."
"Yang, be careful. While this Herrscher of the Void hasn't displayed any overt malevolence, his powers far surpass yours. Based on how he destroyed Schicksal's fighter jets, he's not the merciful type either."
Dr. Einstein's expression was grave. From her perspective, Elias leaned toward chaotic good, but a single misstep in diplomacy could turn him into an enemy.
And to be honest, she didn't have much faith in Welt Yang's negotiation skills.
"I understand, but he's worth the risk."
"I get it. Dr. Tesla has already mobilized the Titan forces—they'll provide immediate support if things go south."
"I'll leave it to her then… Elias, Herrscher of the Void, what kind of change will your appearance bring to this world? I hope it's for the better."
Welt Yang gazed into the distance.
Though he couldn't predict the outcome, whether good or bad, he would follow the will he inherited from Joyce, the First Herrscher of Reason, and his own convictions—to fight for humanity.
...
Meanwhile.
While both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy made their moves, Elias, the center of the storm, was currently troubled over what to feed his little angels.
"Damn, I didn't expect food to be this scarce here… And we don't have any money."
"Master, should Bella just steal some?"
"Nope. We have principles. If it's an enemy, we can go all out, but for innocent civilians, let's avoid using our powers."
Elias shook his head in refusal.
After using his powers to teleport to this small town, he quickly realized how scarce supplies were.
Many people were struggling to find enough to eat.
While some small shops were still selling goods, none of them had any currency to trade with.
Elias gently patted Sirin's head in apology, but the violet-haired girl simply shook her head and buried herself in his arms, reassuring him that it wasn't his fault.
"Hmm… Should we just go fishing in the river?"
Elias hesitated, but it did seem like a practical idea.
Using the Herrscher of the Void's power to catch fish would be easy, and with the Herrscher of Fire's power, they could build a fire even in freezing conditions. Any bacteria could simply be eradicated with the Herrscher of Death's authority.
Elias smirked. "Yeah, this could work!"
Elias had no qualms about using world-ending abilities for something as simple as grilling fish. However, his casual approach left the Will of Honkai in his mind utterly speechless.
(Will of Honkai: What kind of person did I choose?!)
Incidentally, Elias found himself missing Mei more and more—his personal chef who always prepared delicious meals for him.
Mei, I'm starving. Food, please.jpg
(Then again, considering the timeline, Mei was probably just a little girl in elementary school right now. Hmm, maybe I should open a portal and take a peek.)
"Children, are you hungry?"
"Hm? Who's there?"
Lost in thought, Elias was caught off guard by a woman's voice.
Turning around, he was momentarily stunned, eyes widening in disbelief. Was he hallucinating?
(Wait… what?! Why does she look just like Bronya?!)
No—she looked even older than post-Honkai Bronya!
She had the same distinctive twin-drill hairstyle, but her figure was much fuller, and her overall demeanor was drastically different.
The woman standing before him smiled warmly, her gaze gentle—she exuded the air of an ordinary mother. Well, she was a mother.
A wedding ring adorned her left ring finger, and most notably… her stomach was noticeably swollen—she was pregnant.
"W-Who are you?" Sirin and the others shrank behind Elias like startled kittens.
For children who had suffered in Babylon's experimental labs, the word "adult" had become synonymous with "enemy."
The Bronya-lookalike woman hesitated awkwardly before hurriedly pulling a few canned goods from her bag.
"Don't be afraid, Auntie isn't a bad person. I just noticed you all looked hungry. I have some canned food here—would you like some?"
"Y-You're giving us food?"
"Of course. You're still growing children—you need to eat properly to stay healthy."
The woman radiated pure kindness.
For the first time, Sirin and the others encountered genuine kindness from someone other than Elias. They were momentarily at a loss, unsure of how to react.
Likewise, the pregnant woman seemed equally uncertain. Both sides were awkward in their own way, but ultimately, Elias stepped forward, accepting the canned food with gratitude.
"Thank you, ma'am. May I ask for your name? So we can properly thank you in the future."
"Oh my, such a polite young man. My name is Alexandra Pavlovna Zaychik. But there's no need for thanks—how could I, as an adult, let children go hungry?"
"…Thank you."
Elias was now certain—Alexandra Pavlovna Zaychik was Bronya's mother.
Which meant… the child in her womb right now was Bronya!
A storm of thoughts surged through Elias' mind. His knowledge of the original timeline told him that Bronya's parents were victims of the Second Honkai Eruption.
During this period, they had lived in Siberia. However, only Bronya's mother had managed to escape the disaster in time. Her father had perished due to a Honkai Beast attack.
"Er… excuse me." Elias instinctively reached toward Alexandra's stomach but stopped himself just in time.
He knew that for a mother, the child within her womb was more precious than life itself.
"It's alright, it's alright. This child will be born in just a few months. I'm feeling a little nervous… I just hope she can grow up healthy and strong."
Alexandra gently caressed her belly, radiating maternal love that overflowed from her every gesture.
In truth, food was scarce in her household as well. Bronya's father even resorted to dealing in illegal arms to afford baby formula.
However, when Alexandra saw Sirin and the other children frowning in discomfort from hunger, she chose to share her food with them.
Perhaps it was pure kindness. Perhaps she saw her own child in them. Or maybe she just wanted to do more good in the world, accumulating blessings for the daughter she was about to bring into it.
Whatever the reason, her generosity stemmed from the luminous love of a mother.
Sirin and the others were momentarily mesmerized. They didn't fully understand what they were witnessing, but instinctively, they longed for it.
"…Yes, she definitely will."
Elias nodded in response.
He knew the story—he knew that Bronya's childhood was far from ideal. While he couldn't change those past events just yet, he could at least do something within his power now.
Quietly, he activated the Herrscher of Death's authority.
But not to bring death.
Instead, he granted life.
He ensured that Alexandra's body would remain healthy.
After all, in this region, the diet was excessively heavy on meat, while vegetables were scarce and expensive. This often led to malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and other health complications.
This was Elias' way of repaying the kindness of a few cans of food. It was also his silent blessing—for both this mother and the unborn Bronya.