Cecilia, Fu Hua, Theresa, and Siegfried were all warriors who fought for justice and the betterment of the world.
And because they were "heroes of justice," they were now at a complete loss for words.
Elias' suffering filled them with guilt and self-reproach.
It was Schicksal that had wronged this boy. Just as he had said—everything he had done was self-defense.
The people he had killed? Every single one of them had deserved it.
Cecilia and the others glanced down at their weapons, realizing they could no longer point them at Elias.
Siegfried, on the other hand, was on the verge of slapping himself. Dammit! I'm such an idiot!
"And you, First Herrscher—Welt Yang. Let me guess, you came here to try and convince me to fight for humanity, just like you?"
"Uh… well…"
Welt awkwardly adjusted his glasses.
That had been his initial goal. But given what he had just learned, how could he possibly ask that of Elias now?
This boy had suffered so much and yet still hadn't chosen to destroy humanity. That was already an incredible display of restraint.
Honestly, Welt felt like all of humanity should be kneeling in gratitude for Elias' mercy.
Thanking the Herrscher of the Void for not wiping them out!
With the level of caution and abilities Elias had demonstrated during his fight with Fu Hua, if he had wanted to end the world, there was nothing Welt could have done to stop him.
Even Fu Hua silently agreed.
Sure, their battle hadn't looked too extreme—
It had only leveled a few kilometers of land, leaving the ground barren and causing minor things like mountain collapses and massive fissures, after all.
But the truth was that Herrschers and MANTIS warriors were built differently.
Herrschers existed to destroy entire worlds—their abilities were designed for large-scale annihilation.
Unlike a human soldier, they were never meant to engage in simple one-on-one combat. Their purpose was extinction.
If Elias had wanted to end humanity, all he had to do was fly into space and start hurling meteors at Earth.
And what could humanity do against that? Absolutely nothing.
With the Void Herrscher's absurd level of mobility, even trying to aim at him would be a fantasy, let alone actually landing a hit.
"If you're here to ask me to fight for humanity, then I refuse. At least for now, I can't do that," Elias stated firmly.
"Herrscher of Reason, you fight for humanity because you were born from human kindness."
"But I am different. I was born from human malice. Someone like me could never fight for those who have hurt me—because they don't deserve it."
No one could refute his words.
Because they were true.
And while they might have understood his reasoning, accepting it was a different matter.
Elias' power was simply too dangerous. If he ever did choose to take revenge… humanity wouldn't stand a chance.
"Herrscher of the Void… What do you plan to do next? You really don't intend to… take revenge on humanity?"
Theresa clutched her nun's habit tightly, her voice tense.
Elias rolled his eyes.
"Who has time to waste on something that pointless? I just want to find a beautiful place and spend a peaceful life with the people who matter to me. That's it."
"…Thank you."
Hearing that, everyone finally exhaled in relief.
The boy had no intentions of destroying the world.
And that was the best outcome they could have hoped for.
Welt nodded in agreement. While he was a bit disappointed that he hadn't achieved his ideal outcome, he knew that no one in the world had the right to demand more from Elias.
Thinking about it, Welt Yang cast a disdainful glance at the Schicksal members.
Look at what your organization has done. This Herrscher of the Void… what an incredible young man.
Despite enduring inhumane torment, he still longed for light instead of falling into darkness. How kind-hearted did someone have to be to make that choice?
Welt wasn't the only one who thought so.
After everything he had suffered, it was inevitable that Elias' personality would be fractured—twisted, even. And yet, rather than embrace the destruction he was meant to bring, he chose to reject his Herrscher duty for the sake of those he cared about.
Cecilia and the others couldn't help but wonder—
If he had never been experimented on, just how kind and gentle would this boy have been? He would have been… an angel.
(Otto Apocalypse, you absolute bastard.) x5
Everyone collectively cursed a certain absent mastermind.
And then—
Beep beep beep—!
Fu Hua's communicator suddenly rang.
Before she could even react, the call connected automatically, leaving her with no chance to decline. That alone spoke volumes about the caller's arrogance.
"Greetings, Welt Yang, Leader of Anti-Entropy. And to you as well, Herrscher of the Void. Perhaps I should introduce myself—my name is Otto Apocalypse."
(The most loathed man on the planet has arrived!)
The previously calm atmosphere instantly turned tense and dangerous at the arrival of Schicksal's infamous overseer.
Fu Hua immediately regretted not smashing her communicator to bits.
She didn't know what this green-robed bastard wanted, but she was absolutely certain it was nothing good.
"A pleasure to meet you, Herrscher of the Void. I am Schicksal's Overseer and the true master of Babylon Labs. You may simply call me Otto. I feel deep regret over your past suffering and wish to offer my sincerest apologies."
Otto placed a hand over his chest and gave an elegant bow—
But his noble facade was shattered a second later.
Because Elias responded with a very friendly international gesture and a radiant, beaming smile.
"Just say what you came to say, you flamboyant bastard. By the way, as a man, don't you feel embarrassed having a hairstyle like that? What, do you have a habit of crossdressing? And apologizing to me? If you were really sorry, you'd drop to your knees, slam your head on the ground a few hundred times, and then strangle yourself."
Elias cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"In fact, why don't you come over right now? I'll personally shove a subspace spear up your ass. Seriously, man—other people have a 'forehead darkened by fate,' but yours is just plain green. Hey, don't tell me your wife ran off with another guy? Because if so—damn, good for her. Fantastic decision."
Elias smirked mockingly.
"Honestly, anyone would be better off finding a real man rather than spending their life with some girly-haired weirdo like you. Huh? Why so quiet? No way… Are you actually speechless already? Are you still there? No response? Welp, guess I'll hang up. Ugh, how annoying. We were having a perfectly good conversation, and suddenly I get hit with a spam call. Hey, Miss Fu Hua—maybe consider blocking this number next time."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence. Absolute, dead silence.
Everyone—including Otto himself and his secretary, Amber—was completely speechless.
They all sucked in a sharp breath, making a significant contribution to global warming.
Then, as if telepathically linked, the five people standing near Elias all gave him a mental thumbs-up.
(That. Was. Beautiful.) x5
None of them had expected this elegant, kind-looking Herrscher to be so… viciously sharp-tongued.
Watching Otto's expression twist as if he had just downed a full glass of bitter melon juice was the most satisfying thing they had seen in years.
Especially Siegfried, who had completely lost control of his facial muscles—
He clutched his stomach, fell to the ground, and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Even Welt, usually composed and dignified, was trembling all over, trying—and failing—to suppress his laughter.