Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

A sweet, energetic voice echoed in her ears. Looking at the girl who seemed like a fairy from a fairytale come to life, Fu Hua's jaw dropped slightly.

The price she paid for repeatedly using the Fenghuang Down at its rated power had made her forget almost all of her past memories – the fact that she could recall some was thanks to Otto later using Schicksal's most advanced treatment equipment to help her. Even so, some of her memories were permanently lost.

Before the 'Old friend, I wasn't lying' incident, she shouldn't have any memories of this girl before her.

But—

'Elysia' was a miracle.

Although, essentially, the current [Elysia] wasn't the original, just seeing that face, that familiar gesture, that smile, and even that tone of voice, a part of Fu Hua's fragmented memories resurfaced amidst a surge of emotion.

It was their first encounter – after becoming a MANTIS Warrior through the Meta-Morph factor, she joined the MANTIS Warrior squad, and the one who briefed her was the famous 'Flame-Chaser Hero'.

At the time, she was incredibly nervous and restrained, but Elysia's attitude caught her off guard – their first conversation wasn't about anything serious, but… about fashion and makeup, topics between girls.

Then, scenes of their acquaintance and time spent together flooded her mind in fragmented pieces.

And finally, the name that she couldn't recall no matter how hard she tried when she saw the crystal fragment was pieced together.

Fu Hua clutched her forehead, looking at the pink-haired girl sitting on the sofa with pain and disbelief, gritting her teeth:

"E-Elysia?!"

"Yes, it seems you recognize this face~ That's great, saves me a lot of trouble… Side effects of the Fenghuang Down? Although I don't know if it'll work, maybe this can help alleviate it."

The girl clasped her hands together, a relieved expression appearing on her face. Then, looking at the clearly suffering Fu Hua, she reached out and touched her smooth forehead – after a faint pink light flickered, the pain on Fu Hua's face noticeably subsided.

"Hmm, seems to be quite effective."

"…"

"What's wrong? Don't you have anything to say to me, Hua?"

Meeting 'Elysia's' gaze, Fu Hua, recalling her identity, shook her head, then said with difficulty:

"But… Elysia, you should have already…"

"Died?"

The pink-haired girl tilted her head, smiling as she finished the unfinished sentence, then nodded:

"Mm, that's not wrong – I'm just borrowing this body."

For Fu Hua, this wasn't difficult to understand. Controlling someone else's body was one of the abilities of a psychic-type MANTIS Warrior.

Although, to her, with only partial memories, it seemed strange that Elysia, a… 'unknown type' MANTIS Warrior, could use this technique, wasn't the fact that Elysia, a deceased person, was standing before her alive after 50,000 years more surprising than that?

The only problem was that Fu Hua misunderstood the meaning of 'borrowing' in Jiang Qiao's words, but that wasn't important.

"…"

Unable to comprehend why Elysia appeared before her, but looking at that familiar face from her memories, Fu Hua, whose mind had been tempered by long years and become incredibly resilient, felt her eyes sting slightly.

She had lost too many memories, so many that she couldn't even remember how much she had lost – although thanks to this, Fu Hua was able to start countless new lives, but it seemed that in every 'new life', she ended up alone.

This lingering loneliness, even with those fragmented memories, still haunted Fu Hua, the former Flame-Chaser, the Azure Empyrea, Immortal Phoenix, the current Fu Hua.

And when 'Elysia', an incredibly important companion to her, reappeared before her, her heart was filled with mixed emotions, but most of all, joy – which made her embrace Elysia involuntarily.

The pink-haired girl who was hugged looked a little helpless – there's no benefit at all, she felt more like the one giving the hug. Dismissing these thoughts, sensing Miss Divine Land Tablet's excitement, 'Elysia' gently patted her back, saying softly:

"Mm-hmm, Hua, I know… These long 50,000 years must have been hard on you, right?"

Although she wasn't the real Elysia, recalling Chicken Mommy's hardships from the animated short, since she was using this body, it was nice to offer some comfort.

Of course, after the comfort, it was time to 'collect the reward'.

She didn't specifically return to the current era just to let 'Elysia' and Hua reminisce.

"Hua… mm, it's more appropriate to call you Fu Hua now, right?"

"I need to borrow your Fenghuang Down."

The pink-haired girl smiled, revealing her intention.

The original purpose of Project Avalon was to connect and monitor the consciousness of all mankind. Therefore, the most suitable core for the Avalon system was undoubtedly the core of the Eighth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Sentience.

Unfortunately, the Eighth Herrscher of both the Previous Era and the current era hadn't appeared yet, and Jiang Qiao also needed a living Herrscher's power to help her pinpoint the Cocoon's location, so she could only set her sights on the already completed Eighth Divine Key, the Fenghuang Down.

Dismantling a Divine Key and using its core for another device wasn't unusual. Vill-V had once transformed the devastating Fifth Divine Key from a weapon of mass destruction into a hibernation pod that preserved people from the Previous Era to the current era.

"Fenghuang Down?… Alright."

Hearing 'Elysia's' request, although Fu Hua was a little puzzled, she didn't suspect anything. After a slight hesitation, she took off an exquisite hair ornament – the true form of the Fenghuang Down. Although it often appeared as 'feathers', that was just a manifestation of the Fenghuang Down in use.

Vill-V, on a whim, had added this effect, probably for a very simple reason – the Fenghuang Down, as the Key of Sentience, was inherently silent and subtle. If it didn't have some cool special effects, how could one appreciate the power of this 'consciousness weapon'?

Although she had some attachment to it, having worn it for so long, Fu Hua didn't have any particular sentimental attachment to this powerful Divine Key – it was just a weapon assigned to her by Fire Moth in the Previous Era.

Although she was concerned about the consequences of the Fenghuang Down falling into the wrong hands, she wasn't worried about 'Elysia'. Mm… Actually, she was still a little worried.

"You're not going to use the Fenghuang Down to mess with someone again, are you?"

Fu Hua looked at the pink-haired girl with a helpless expression.

This one was the type who 'abused' the Fenghuang Down.

— Not only in the Elysian Realm, which she didn't remember, but also in the partial memories of the Previous Era that she had recalled, the Fenghuang Down assigned to her had been borrowed by Elysia countless times, almost always for pranks.

Although it was mostly harmless fun, Chicken Mommy, whose personality had become more conservative with experience, was still somewhat concerned.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't do that."

[Elysia]' – Jiang Qiao – smiled as she examined the Fenghuang Down. Although using this body did make her a bit of a prankster, and she herself was a bit of a prankster, compared to the 'fat lady', she was still quite serious.

Rather than worrying about her using the Fenghuang Down for pranks, it was better to worry about when she would return it… Mm, she probably would, right?

Jiang Qiao, being reasonably accommodating, planned to only take the Herrscher core and leave the rest. As for the Honkai steel part… she could just create a fake replacement with the complete Authority of Truth later.

The effects were the same, it was just that the core created by a Herrscher of Reason was much lower in quality compared to a real Herrscher core and couldn't be reused – otherwise, she wouldn't need to borrow the Fenghuang Down, she could just analyze it and create a replica with the Authority of Truth.

Fu Hua, unaware of 'Elysia's' thoughts, sensed her intention to leave and asked:

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I still have some things to do."

[Elysia] smiled and nodded.

Besides obtaining the Fenghuang Down, she also needed to pick up some other things in the current era. For her own purposes and to enhance MEI's Avalon system, she needed to go to the Elysian Realm.

"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to part with me?"

"…"

Fu Hua remained silent; she was indeed reluctant.

It was a rare reunion with an old friend, and they had to part ways after just a few words… Fortunately, she was already accustomed to farewells.

Sensing the subtle look in her eyes, 'Elysia' smiled.

"I understand, I understand~"

"Don't worry, I brought you a little gift on the way. I'm sure you'll like it, Fu Hua."

With that, the pink-haired girl stood up from the sofa, gently patted the 'drunkard' lying on the sofa's buttocks, and said helplessly, "Although I understand the need to numb pain with alcohol, you should also take care of your body~ Miss Himeko."

"I've taken care of your problem, be careful in the future."

— Schicksal's Valkyries, due to the side effects of artificial stigmata, had very short lifespans. Even if they were lucky enough to survive on the battlefield, their bodies, eroded by the Honkai, were riddled with wounds like an ant nest.

And Himeko Murata's physical condition was even worse than most. The hidden injuries from years of fighting and the damage from Honkai erosion made her life like a candle in the wind.

Although drinking was a hobby she developed, Himeko was actually using alcohol to numb her nerves and alleviate the pain.

According to the original timeline, Himeko planned to solve this problem by finding Jizo Mitama's stigmata from the Nine Nether, but unfortunately, the outcome wasn't ideal.

Coincidentally, Jiang Qiao encountered this when she came to St. Freya, so she helped take care of it.

Unfortunately, Himeko, dead drunk, probably couldn't hear these words.

After 'Elysia' left, Fu Hua, who had helped Himeko back to her room, returned to her own and saw the gift left for her – it was an exquisite gift box, pink all over, with a ribbon and the Azure Empyrea emblem.

"…A little gift?"

Looking at the gift box, Fu Hua was puzzled. What could be inside?

Given Elysia's personality, perhaps… a pretty dress?

Recalling the 'her' in her memory, Fu Hua made this guess, not really caring much.

Although Elysia had good taste, unfortunately, she wasn't the type of 'girl' who was keen on dressing up. She was the type who, when opening her wardrobe, would be questioned by other girls – Are you really a girl?

But it was a gift from an old friend, so she was still happy.

Casually opening the gift box, the nonchalant Fu Hua froze upon seeing what was inside…

…

The 'fat lady', abandoned by Mobius, didn't mind and left Mobius's domain. Walking through the public area of the Elysian Realm, she looked at the pictures of 'Mobius' in a pink dress she had taken with the chat group's photo function, chuckling to herself:

"Little Mobius is also very cute, hmm~ If Dr. Mobius saw these photos, her expression would be quite something, wouldn't it?"

Unaware of 'Mobius's' true nature, simply thinking of 'Mobius' as someone who looked very similar to Dr. Mobius, Elysia was still quite amused.

Unknowingly, she entered the trial area of the Elysian Realm – unlike the surface area where the Flame-Chasers resided, the trial area was specifically designed for visitors and contained past enemies from the Thirteen Flame-Chasers' memories.

Besides conversation, this was also the most important way for Flame-Chasers to assess whether visitors were qualified to obtain their Signets.

And the 'fat lady' seemed to have some bad luck. As soon as she entered the area, she felt a wave of heat – with a sense of danger, she instinctively dodged, then looked at the large, narrow, black scorch mark on the ground, as if burned by something extremely violent, and couldn't help but gulp.

Oh my… If I hadn't reacted fast enough and dodged, I would have been hit squarely and definitely knocked out!

Elysia, feeling both scared and angry, looked towards the source of this sudden attack, but the next moment, she felt a shadow flash behind her. Turning around, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

"…Kiana?"

Seeing Kiana, the 'fat lady' finally remembered that she wasn't alone in this Elysian Realm… It must be because bad [Jiang Qiao] was too infuriating! It's not because I was having too much fun with the girls in the Elysian Realm and forgot!

Comforting herself, Kiana, hiding behind her as if seeking refuge from a ferocious beast, said with a trembling voice, "Help! That uncle went crazy, said a bunch of weird stuff, brought me to this place, and started attacking me relentlessly!"

"Yes, it's him!"

With that, she pointed at a white-haired young man not far away, slowly walking towards them with a flaming sword, accusing him.

"Eh?"

Elysia blinked, confused.

She looked at the white-haired young man – to the current, early-stage 'fat lady', in a timeline where Kevin was sent to Europe to play with his bestie and hadn't joined Fire Moth to fight to the death, she obviously couldn't recognize him.

Of course, this didn't prevent Kevin from sensing the 'Elysia' essence within her, currently appearing in 'Jiang Qiao' form.

Seeing the appearance of Elysia's original self, although his expression remained indifferent, his eyes revealed complex emotions.

But he didn't show it – just like Mobius, Kevin had also received an invitation from the Elysian Realm trio to participate in the 'tease Ellie' game.

Although he found it pointless, he still chose to cooperate.

"I am Kevin, the warrior wielding the Signet of Deliverance."

His tone was indifferent, yet with a rare gentleness. Besides his old friends and MEI, perhaps only the person before him could receive such treatment from the Flame-Chaser of Deliverance.

Overwhelmed by shock, the 'fat lady' almost blurted out her real name, but she quickly corrected herself:

"Uh… Hello, I'm… Jiang Qiao!"

— Good thing I reacted fast enough, almost blew my cover.

Looking at Kevin's calm expression, Elysia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, looking at the frightening greatsword in his hand and his grim face, she shrank her neck. Although a little scared, remembering Kiana behind her, she asked softly:

"Um… why are you chasing Kiana and attacking her?"

"It's a trial."

Kevin's answer was concise.

But because it was Elysia, he explained a little further:

"All visitors to the Elysian Realm must undergo trials to gain the approval of the Flame-Chasers. And I personally believe – for Kiana Kaslana, the most suitable trial is to have me as the trial subject."

— From a certain perspective, Kiana had profited. After all, none of the past visitors had Kevin personally acting as their trial subject.

And due to the white-haired dumpling's unique qualities, and her connection to 'Elysia', various factors led him to personally take action.

But unfortunately, compared to the guidance of others, Kevin wasn't the type who was good at teaching. Generally, he only had one way of imparting experience – combat.

For a warrior, experiencing sufficiently challenging battles was the most effective way to grow, as he had concluded.

In reality, this method might be a bit crude.

But at least when training new recruits in the Previous Era – the soldiers Kevin trained often had a higher survival rate.

"Who does trials like that?! You clearly just want to kill me!"

Kiana, hiding behind Elysia, shouted angrily.

— She was the type who didn't like studying and preferred combat.

This was practically ingrained in the Kaslana bloodline.

But even if she preferred combat, encountering such a monstrous uncle right from the start was too much!

Just a graze from that flaming sword, and she would be gone!

In fact, before Elysia arrived, Kiana had been killed many times. Fortunately, as a consciousness, she could be resurrected in the Elysian Realm.

At first, Kiana was a little excited, but after experiencing the agonizing feeling of being burned to death by the greatsword several times, the white-haired dumpling was completely terrified.

Elysia's appearance was practically a lifesaver!!!

Kevin wasn't angered by Kiana's accusation, instead saying calmly:

"If I wanted to do that, you wouldn't even have the chance to stand here."

This wasn't an insult, but simply stating a fact.

As the pinnacle of the Previous Era's technology, the strongest MANTIS Warrior – even if only a memory body, if Kevin wanted to eliminate Kiana, a half-baked warrior who wasn't even as strong as the current Bronya – a rookie who hadn't even reached B-rank Valkyrie level – he could kill her hundreds of times in an instant.

Compared to him, Kiana wasn't even an infant.

"You…"

Kiana, not understanding this reality, only felt insulted and angered. Elysia, standing beside her, looked at the terrifying scorch mark and the flaming sword in Kevin's hand, recalling the previous scene, and couldn't help but persuade:

"Uh… Kevin, this trial of yours seems a bit too much… Could you lower the difficulty a little?"

Having talked to Jiang Qiao, she knew that Kiana did need sufficient training to grow – so she didn't try to pull Kiana out of Kevin's trial, but tactfully suggested adjusting the difficulty.

No matter what, this intensity was too extreme for a newcomer like Kiana, wasn't it?

Elysia felt that even she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Kiana retorted irritably:

"Tch, what's the use of telling him that."

At first, when faced with Kevin's trial requirements, she confidently agreed. But after being beaten to the point of questioning her life and begging for mercy so many times, that cold-faced uncle showed no intention of adjusting the difficulty.

You still want to adjust the difficulty?

Be careful of being chased and attacked together!

However—

"…"

Faced with Elysia's suggestion, Kevin remained silent for a moment, then readily accepted:

"Alright."

At this moment, his weapon changed from a flaming greatsword to a baseball bat.

The white-haired dumpling, instantly proven wrong, felt a little dejected.

Kiana looked like she was questioning her life.

…You… That's not what you said before!

How come you changed your mind as soon as she arrived?

Are you targeting me on purpose?!

The white-haired dumpling, feeling discriminated against, was filled with resentment.

Just at this moment, Kevin said—

"Descendant of Kaslana, will you still cower?"