Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

Elysia's Classroom is Now in Session~♪

How did things end up like this?

Gray Serpent was questioning his existence. His meticulously planned operation to retrieve the Gem of Desire had failed. The Fourth Herrscher had been snatched by Anti-Entropy's First Herrscher.

And his backup plan, Chiyou, had also failed. He'd wanted to prove his competence, but all he'd accomplished was a series of failures.

"Nothing is going my way…"

Ever since the Nagazora incident, he hadn't had a single success. He briefly wondered if it was because of their Lord, but quickly dismissed the thought.

—It couldn't possibly be the Lord's fault, right?

The Gem of Desire was out of reach. It was in the hands of Welt Yang, the Herrscher of Reason. While World Serpent had infiltrated Anti-Entropy, they couldn't risk open conflict.

Taking on Anti-Entropy wasn't difficult, but challenging the First Herrscher would be costly. And they risked exposing themselves. Besides, Schicksal would take advantage of the situation.

The Gem of Conquest was protected by their Lord, and the Herrscher of the Void's host was… complicated. So, he set his sights on Schicksal.

—They were rich in resources.

They had acquired most of Sirin's "legacy," including the Gem of Haste and the Gem of Serenity. While the Gem of Desire and the Herrscher of the Void's core were unavailable, those two gems were sufficient to guide their Lord out of the Sea of Quanta and restore his power.

But acquiring them would be difficult. They were at Schicksal HQ.

Fortunately, World Serpent had agents everywhere.

Just as he'd known about the Gem of Desire in New Zealand, he also knew about the Gem of Serenity.

Otto had been trying to create artificial Herrschers, just like the Herrscher of Reason. And the scientist in charge of the Gem of Serenity project was Dr. Magi, from the Third Research Department.

According to their intel, she was like Hu Wolf—cold, ruthless, and without morals.

Such a person was easy to manipulate. They had an entire civilization's worth of "treasures" at their disposal.

But targeting someone close to Otto required a distraction.

"I need something big enough to divert his attention."

He knew what he had to do, but he was also troubled.

…Cocolia is dead…

While her death was a boon to Anti-Entropy's idealists, for Gray Serpent, she had been a useful pawn.

But it didn't matter. World Serpent could achieve its goals without her. It would just take more time and effort.

Beep.

An unknown contact. This was unusual. World Serpent's communication channels were highly secure. Only their operatives had access.

He answered cautiously.

And froze.

A familiar, cheerful voice echoed from the other end:

"Hello~ Can you hear me?"

This casual greeting, completely out of place on a World Serpent channel, didn't confuse him. He was… short-circuiting.

As the most eloquent of the Gray Serpents, he was never at a loss for words.

But facing this person, even with the entire Gray Serpent network's support, he was speechless.

"Hmm~ Don't be shy. I got your contact information from Raven. We've met before, haven't we? Mobius's creation… Gray Serpent, was it? Don't tell me… you don't want to talk to me? I'll be heartbroken~"

"...Of course not, my Lord." He chuckled nervously, his voice uncharacteristically submissive. "What can I do for you?"

Anyone familiar with Gray Serpent would be shocked by his demeanor.

—But it wasn't surprising. The person he was speaking to held a unique position, even among the thirteen Flame-Chasers.

"Hmm~ I need you to send a few people into the Elysian Realm."

—While St. Freya was good at creating Herrschers, it was too slow and costly. The original story had required Himeko Murata's sacrifice. He wasn't interested in repeating that. He might send them there for a normal school life, but not now.

St. Freya wouldn't do, and neither would Anti-Entropy. While Tesla, Einstein, and Welt were excellent teachers, their focus was on practical application, not the type of training he needed for these future Herrschers.

So, only one place remained—the Elysian Realm.

A simulation facility from the previous era, containing the memories and legacies of the thirteen heroes, it was the perfect place to hone one's will. World Serpent used it as a training ground for their operatives.

"That…"

"Is there a problem?" [Elysia] raised an eyebrow.

"...I need to inform our Lord first."

He wasn't surprised she knew about the Elysian Realm. It only confirmed her identity. But the Elysian Realm was a secret.

While not opposed to World Serpent members entering, outsiders… it was unheard of.

But because it was [Elysia], he only needed to inform Kevin, the current leader of World Serpent. He couldn't refuse her.

"Fine."

"I'll send you the list. Please make the arrangements."

"And… give my regards to Kevin~♪"

With Elysia and Kiana's itinerary sorted, the current era should be peaceful for a while.

Unless the Fifth Eruption arrived early. The Fourth should have happened after their graduation from St. Freya. But it had been moved up by three years.

But even if the Fifth Eruption did occur, now that he had connections with Durandal and Anti-Entropy, he didn't need to handle it personally.

…

Deep within the Sea of Quanta, Kevin stared towards a distant point—the moon, in the real world's terms.

He did this every year, even here in the Sea of Quanta. He honored their unspoken agreement.

He sensed Gray Serpent contacting him.

They rarely communicated. Even with World Serpent's technology, reaching Kevin wasn't easy.

But lately, the contact had become more frequent.

He listened to Gray Serpent's report—another failure.

But he wasn't one to punish his subordinates for their failures. He was surprisingly lenient with his operatives. And neither the Chiyou nor Gem of Desire failures were significant.

He was even slightly pleased.

The current Herrscher of Reason's performance was impressive, even for him.

He briefly imagined what would have happened if someone like that had existed in their time, then dismissed the thought. He'd lost the right to dream a long time ago.

Besides, time couldn't be reversed. A miracle like the First Herrscher wouldn't happen again. She'd paid the ultimate price for it.

The Fourth Herrscher's appearance, however, meant the Finality was drawing closer.

While he acknowledged this era's progress against the Honkai, it wasn't enough to overcome the Finality.

He wanted to give them more time, for her sake, and his own.

But the rapid succession of the Third and Fourth Herrschers worried him.

Then, Gray Serpent's next words made him freeze.

"Also, my Lord, Elysia contacted me."

"What did she say?" A rare urgency entered his voice.

While he'd become cold and emotionless, his past companions, especially her, still stirred something within him.

"She wants to send a few people into the Elysian Realm. I checked the list… they're mostly Herrscher candidates."

The Elysian Realm? The Flame-Chasers' sanctuary?

And she wanted to send Herrscher candidates there? The Flame-Chasers and Herrschers were sworn enemies. He couldn't imagine the consequences.

If something happened in the Elysian Realm, they would be held responsible. And if something happened to Elysia's people, they wouldn't be able to face her.

Gray Serpent's head hurt. He had to consult with Kevin.

"..."

"Let her do as she pleases."

—Later,

"The organization has decided. You will lead these people into the Elysian Realm."

Raven stared at the list in disbelief. Jiang Qiao (Elysia), Bronya Zaychik, Wendy, Kiana, and… Raiden Mei?

Outsiders in the Elysian Realm? But that's… restricted to World Serpent operatives!

Even they rarely entered.

And now, a whole squad of outsiders? She could understand Jiang Qiao. There were orders to recruit him. But the others…? Seriously? How well-connected are they?

That pink menace… could she be the Lord's illegitimate daughter or something?

"Are you sure this is okay?"

Normally, she wouldn't question orders. She was just a mercenary.

But this list… Wendy, Jiang Qiao, and the little gremlin were human. But Kiana and Mei… taking Herrscher candidates into the Elysian Realm…

She shuddered, imagining a certain man's reaction.

He'll kill me!

But Gray Serpent simply ended the call, leaving Raven cursing under her breath. "A little more information would have been nice!"

She contacted Mei, who was thankfully at home.

"...The Elysian Realm?"

"What is that?"

Kiana and Bronya were equally confused. Elysian Realm…? That doesn't sound… exciting…

"Hmm~ Elysia's classroom is now in session~♪"

A pink-haired girl in a teacher's outfit, holding a small pointer and wearing glasses, stood before them. She looked adorable.

[Jiang Qiao], however, gritted his teeth.

Why are you so good at this?!

Elysia had been ecstatic to reclaim… or rather, use, Jiang Qiao's body. I'll finally get my revenge!

But before she could enact her plan, she'd been informed of their next destination—the Elysian Realm.

And now, she had to watch Jiang Qiao impersonate her, perfectly, while she could only fume silently.

Tesla and Einstein hadn't realized the truth yet.

And she couldn't expose him without revealing her own charade. What if they ask why the fake Elysia is more convincing than the real one?

To avoid that awkward situation, she forced a smile, listening to 'Teacher Elysia's' lecture.

I want to be a teacher too!

—She'd lost her chance to be a radio host, and now, her chance to be a teacher, stolen right before her eyes…

I'll remember this!

But despite her annoyance, she was also intrigued by the Elysian Realm. Her childhood dream had been to find a paradise, and after traveling the world and failing, she'd decided to create one herself. And now, she was hearing about an actual Elysian Realm…?

But Jiang Qiao, in full [Elysia] mode, was being cryptic. He explained its purpose and nature, but omitted any useful details.

—While revealing them now wouldn't hurt, he wanted to maintain the element of surprise. He wondered how a certain Elysian Realm fairy would react to a group of Herrscher candidates.

It would be entertaining.

While his explanation convinced Anti-Entropy—it's a relic of the previous era—and intrigued Kiana and Bronya, Elysia was disappointed.

That's it?

I thought it was a real paradise…

Feeling let down, she resumed plotting her revenge.

His body is mine now! I can do whatever I want!

He said there are cute girls in this Elysian Realm…

A mischievous grin spread across her face. He likes flirting with girls in my body? I'll flirt with girls in his body!

—Revenge plan 3.0, commencing!