Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

Using my body to cause trouble, then making me take the blame, while you were off having fun with other girls, and even rejecting my advances…

I haven't forgotten any of it!

Elysia had been biding her time, waiting for her chance to get back at the jerk.

And now, she had him cornered!

If he wasn't using another girl's body, she might have dragged him off for some… quality time.

"I simply offered him a more promising career path than being a hero." Jiang Qiao, as [Wendy], said casually, trying to appear innocent.

Elysia frowned, her desire for revenge fading, replaced by concern. "...You tried to recruit him into Fire Moth?"

She disapproved. Fire Moth wasn't a good organization. Even she had only joined to fulfill her dreams and protect her friends. Recruiting a child like that felt wrong.

"No, I invited him to become a fairy."

"?" Elysia blinked, confused.

"Isn't being a fairy better than being a hero? Just like our dear Elysia~"

"Pfft…" Elysia giggled, slightly flattered.

Even though he's a jerk, he knows how to sweet-talk a girl.

"No wonder he ran. Inviting a boy to become a fairy… pfft…"

"[Wendy] looked serious. "Who says cute boys can't be fairies? Is that in the 'Elysia Code'?"

"Where did you even get that…? But it is interesting~" Elysia, amused, couldn't deny her interest.

It was something she would do.

But…

She glared at [Wendy].

Damn it, that was my idea! He stole it! I'm the real Elysia!

She puffed out her cheeks, annoyed at Jiang Qiao's blatant Elysia-like behavior.

Jiang Qiao, confused by her sudden shift in mood, wondered, What's wrong with her? She was just laughing…

Girls are so hard to understand…

Elysia led him to the medical area.

"Blanka? What are you doing here?" Jiang Qiao frowned, recognizing Mobius's assistant. She should have been at headquarters. This place was dangerous, even for those who interacted with the infected.

"Uh… who is this?" Blanka looked at [Wendy], then at Elysia.

She didn't recognize Jiang Qiao in this form. But she felt like she was seeing double.

"Call him Jiang Qiao. He's a jerk." Elysia introduced him, then grinned mischievously.

"Even Mobius is here. And Blanka volunteered. She's worried about Ato, isn't she?"

"Of course not! Mobius isn't here, so I'm helping out." Blanka blushed. While everyone knew about her and Ato, being called out like this was embarrassing.

"Really? But when we returned, someone was very worried when she heard Ato was injured~"

"Fine, fine, I was worried! What do you need? I'm busy." Blanka, flustered, tried to change the subject. She was helping the infected, using her knowledge gained from Mobius.

"We're here to check on Kosma."

"Kosma… oh, the boy Elysia and Ato brought back." Blanka's expression turned somber. "...He's not doing well."

"Follow me."

They followed her to a tent where Kosma lay unconscious, purple markings covering his neck.

"...He was exposed to the Honkai for too long. While he seems to have some resistance, he still contracted the Honkai sickness." Blanka sighed.

The Honkai sickness was incurable in this era… well, Su had survived, but that had required a serum extracted from thousands of lives. They didn't have that yet. Even Mobius couldn't do much.

These patients were essentially… terminal.

"How…?" Elysia looked distressed. She turned to Jiang Qiao.

"...Jiang Qiao." She'd dropped the "jerk" in her worry. She felt helpless, but she also had faith in him. He always seemed to have a solution.

He smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine."

And for him, it truly was a simple matter.

—It was just the Honkai sickness.

Even without the power of life and death, his Origin powers were enough to deal with this. It was simply a matter of extracting the excess Honkai energy.

The only downside was that it wasn't a complete cure—that required the power of life and death.

A pink glow enveloped the patients as [Wendy] raised his hand. Purple sparks emerged, and the markings on their bodies faded. The sparks coalesced into a crystal flower, which floated into his hand.

"This flower absorbs Honkai energy from those infected, but it needs to be… discharged periodically. You know what to do, Elysia." He handed the flower to Elysia.

While Elysia couldn't do what he did, she could handle this.

"I know." Elysia puffed out her cheeks, despite her relief.

Damn it, creating crystal flowers is my specialty! He learned it from me! And now he's better than me?! And it even has extra functions… Hmph, it's because of that stupid Origin power!

Origin power is the worst!

After Blanka left, Jiang Qiao said, "I'll leave this to you. If you have any problems, ask MEI or me."

"...Are you leaving again?" Elysia asked, disappointed.

"Yes."

"...How about we switch?" She hesitated, then repeated, louder, "Let's switch!"

She blushed, glaring at him. He's doing this on purpose! That jerk!

"?"

"What…? Fine. It seems… this world needs you more than I do." She sighed, sitting down beside him.

He was a jerk, but he was also amazing. He'd accomplished so much in such a short time.

Even now, she didn't fully understand what he'd done. MEI and the others hadn't explained, but she could tell they needed [Elysia].

She felt a pang of loneliness, but she understood. It was necessary.

Like a game, MEI and the others needed a high-level teammate, not someone to carry… well, she wasn't being carried, but she wasn't as strong as [Elysia].

Some things… Elysia could never do.

—Even as the founder of the Flame-Chasers, she was second best. As someone had said, she wasn't suited for leadership.

Reality was cruel. Asking the idealistic Elysia to do this would be cruel, and irresponsible.

While she hated to admit it—it felt like admitting defeat to [Elysia]—she couldn't burden her friends with her stubbornness.

But this decision was also painful. Letting Elysia be [Elysia] was irresponsible to the people of the previous era. But letting [Elysia] be Elysia was irresponsible to Jiang Qiao.

Shifting her responsibilities to someone else felt… wrong.

Sensing her conflict, Jiang Qiao smiled gently. "Don't overthink it. Just do what you think is right."

Everything was predetermined.

Whether he was [Elysia] or Elysia, it didn't matter.

But—

…Using 'Elysia' would be more appropriate for his next destination.

…

Compared to the previous era, the current era was relatively peaceful. After Cocolia's plan failed, New Zealand hadn't experienced a major Eruption. With Rita and the Oceania branch's support, things had quickly calmed down.

However, Anti-Entropy, trying to escape with Cocolia's warship, had been intercepted by the Hyperion.

While Theresa was friendly with the Anti-Entropy members, the Hyperion's current captain was Himeko Murata.

And the Far East branch, still following orders, treated Anti-Entropy like any other enemy—shoot on sight.

"Two warships were too much of a target." Welt sighed, watching the incoming fire.

"I told you we should have abandoned one!"

"Easy for you to say! You have no idea how expensive these things are!" Tesla yelled.

Anti-Entropy wasn't exactly wealthy. Every Titan was a significant investment. And Cocolia's flagship was state-of-the-art, worth half a Titan army. Their transport ship was also valuable. Losing either would be a major setback. If the Oceania branch hadn't arrived so quickly, Tesla would have tried to salvage the Titans Cocolia had deployed, even just for spare parts.

"I agree." Einstein nodded, feeling the financial strain even more acutely. She managed Anti-Entropy's budget, and most of it went to their research—and Tesla's tendency to create expensive, high-tech junk.

"And I have more bad news—"

"Schicksal reinforcements have arrived. And it's… Durandal."

The golden-armored Valkyrie appeared on the screen, having arrived via a high-speed transport.

"Good. It's time for our third Herrscher of Reason to make her debut." Welt, after a moment of hesitation, decided to let Bronya handle Durandal. He wasn't confident in facing an S-rank Valkyrie without his powers. And it was time for the younger generation to step up.

"..." Bronya, back in her default clothes, stared blankly.

Welt mistook her blank expression for confidence. "I believe in you. You can handle this."

"..." Bronya felt a surge of… complicated emotions.

Should she tell him that the super-powered Bronya wasn't her?

But…

Remembering the cool and powerful [Bronya], she decided against it.

She looked so cool!

…Maybe I can be like that too? After all, I am the Herrscher of Reason now…

She felt the power within her. Maybe she could rescue Seele herself, and then they could go on a motorcycle ride together… the thought made her heart race.

If he can do it, so can I!

A mere S-rank Valkyrie? Nothing I can't handle!

—She'd sparred with Rita after she'd become a Schicksal Valkyrie. As the infamous Ural Silver Wolf, Rita had respected her. And while Rita was strong, she wasn't unbeatable.

And now, she was different.

"I am the Herrscher of Reason!" She thought, remembering Cocolia's stories of the Herrschers' power. And with Welt's encouraging gaze, her confidence soared. She nodded, maintaining her stoic expression.

Project Bunny carried her to the deck… the mech seemed restless, almost rebellious.

"...The Herrscher of Reason?" Durandal, wielding Abyss Flower, looked at Bronya, uncertain.

"Yes." While her nerves had regenerated, Bronya maintained her usual expressionless facade. She felt a twinge of fear as she looked at the powerful, golden-haired Valkyrie, but then, feeling the power within, she smiled confidently.

"Bronya Zaychik. Remember that name. It's the name of the one who will defeat you."

This Herrscher power… it's amazing!

—I am invincible!