Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

Wendy's upbringing wasn't ideal. While far better than her GGZ counterpart's, it was still difficult. Her father had died young, and her mother, a frequent nightclub patron, was neglectful and harsh.

Wendy had grown numb to this bleak existence.

Then, one day, while working a part-time job, she met Totori, an exchange student from Shenzhou.

Totori's arrival brightened Wendy's life, showing her the vastness and beauty of the outside world. A seed of longing for freedom was planted in her heart.

She yearned to explore the world with Totori, like the unrestrained wind. She would be the wind, and Totori, the little bird soaring alongside.

But this dream seemed unattainable.

Lying in a hospital bed, Wendy coughed weakly. Faint purple marks were visible on her neck beneath her clothes—signs of Honkai infection.

For most people, this was an incurable disease.

But Wendy's greatest suffering wasn't physical, but mental.

A seductive voice had appeared in her mind, promising her everything she desired—ultimate freedom—if she simply obeyed.

It sounded so… tempting.

She almost agreed, but a nagging feeling told her that obeying would lead to a disastrous outcome.

Clinging to her bond with Totori, she resisted the alluring whispers.

…Totori, I want to see you.

She waited, and waited.

Finally, the voice she longed for echoed in her ears:

"Wendy, I'm here!"

Her eyes lit up as she looked towards the auburn-haired girl, then froze.

Her gaze fixed on the pink-haired girl standing beside Totori, their closeness evident.

"Who is she?"

"Hee hee, she's my new friend! Let me tell you, Elysia is amazing!"

Friend?

…Friend…?

As Totori enthusiastically introduced the pink-haired girl, Wendy's joy evaporated, her bright eyes turning hollow. Jealousy gnawed at her.

She had always considered Totori hers. But now… Totori had a new best friend?

She knew, logically, that Totori couldn't have only one friend. But selfishly, she'd hoped to be Totori's only friend.

A new best friend… No!

Something within her seemed to shatter. A faint green tinge appeared in her dark hair.

Just as she was about to lash out, the pink-haired girl spoke.

"Don't just talk about me. If you focus too much on other girls, Wendy will get jealous~"

"Wendy isn't like that!" Totori protested.

The green in Wendy's hair receded, and she looked flustered.

[Elysia] smiled knowingly.

I know you're eager, but hold on! I can't let you succumb to the Herrscher just yet!

"Hmm~ Let me see… Wendy, is it? Just like Totori said, you're a very cute girl. She told me so much about you on the way here~"

Approaching the bed, [Elysia] leaned in, her finger tracing Wendy's chin. Wendy, initially pleased by Totori's stories, blushed at the close proximity. Weakened by her illness, she couldn't resist, inhaling the intoxicating floral scent.

But it was quickly replaced by annoyance.

Flirting with me after being all chummy with my Totori?

I'm getting angry!

Herrscher activation!

"You can't do that~ It would make Totori sad, maybe even hurt her. You wouldn't want that, would you?" [Elysia]'s soft, sweet voice held a hint of coercion, making Wendy's heart clench with fear.

She… she saw through me?!

And… somehow, [Elysia]'s touch eased her physical pain, and the mental pressure she'd been enduring seemed to drain away. The seductive voice vanished completely.

"How is she? Is she okay?" Totori asked anxiously.

While skeptical of Jiang Qiao's "medical skills," seeing Wendy's improved complexion and posture, she realized there might be something to it.

"She'll be fine. I'll take her back to headquarters for a checkup with Dr. Mobius." [Elysia] retracted her hand, her gaze lingering on Wendy's chest—not out of any perverse interest (she had [Elysia]'s body, after all), but because her pink, Honkai-enhanced eyes had detected something… the Imaginary origin.

The Will of Honkai has gotten smarter.

Normally, Herrschers emerged after a Honkai Eruption, selected through a process of trial and error. But after the Nagazora incident, the Will of Honkai, wary of being tricked again, had reversed the process.

Now, the Herrscher would be born first, then trigger the Eruption.

Just like the future Herrscher of the Void, the moment Wendy awakened, the Eruption would begin. And this eliminated the risk of premature detonation.

The Imaginary umbra originated within the Fourth Herrscher. Only her awakening could unlock it.

But the moment she awakened, the "reservoir" would explode.

And due to the Will of Honkai's meddling with the Imaginary energy of this entire timeline, Wendy's awakening would trigger a global-scale Fourth Eruption.

…

Leaving Totori and Wendy to reconnect, Jiang Qiao informed MEI and Mobius of the situation.

"Can't we just kill her?" Mobius suggested, ever pragmatic. Eliminating the pre-awakened Herrscher would solve the problem.

"Don't tell me you can't. You obviously have the ability to absorb the Imaginary origin even after she dies." She cut off Jiang Qiao's attempt to protest.

—It was true. Even if Wendy died, the Will of Honkai could choose another host, or even resurrect her as a Herrscher.

—But so what?

[Elysia] was the Herrscher of Origin. Jiang Qiao, wielding the full power of Origin, could intercept the escaping Imaginary origin the moment Wendy died. A host's death was when the Imaginary origin was at its weakest. Even the Herrscher of Corruption wasn't immune to this.

"If I do that, I can no longer maintain my purity." [Elysia] didn't deny the possibility, but offered her own reason for refusal.

Elysia would never condone sacrificing one to save many—unless it was herself. But Jiang Qiao, while reluctant, could make the difficult decisions he deemed necessary.

"So you're that desperate to hide your Herrscher identity?" Mobius's tone held a hint of mockery, not out of malice, but a sort of mournful resentment towards the world.

Through studying the Second Herrscher's remains, she sought to elevate humanity to the level of perfect Herrscher beings. Yet, [Elysia], a perfect being, had to hide her true nature, clinging to her "humanity." Mobius didn't like it.

"Let's consider other options, Dr. Mobius," MEI interjected.

Not out of Herrscher solidarity, but out of rational consideration, perhaps even empathy for [Elysia], she opposed Mobius's simple, yet brutal, solution.

Jiang Qiao's concern might be for Elysia's future. If her Herrscher identity were exposed, her life would become incredibly difficult. Even with unmatched power, becoming a lonely tyrant wasn't a desirable outcome.

And, most importantly, he believed he could save the world and protect Elysia.

"I think I have a solution." [Elysia] said suddenly.

"I'll be leaving for a while. The original Elysia will return. Please take care of her."

"Can that clumsy idiot handle this?" Mobius was skeptical.

MEI shared her doubts. While unaware of Elysia's specific situation, she didn't think the somewhat ditzy Elysia could match [Elysia]'s current competence.

"Yes, she can." The pink-haired girl smiled.

He had unwavering faith in Elysia.

And even if she couldn't handle it perfectly, he would be there.

"I'll leave some safeguards on Wendy to delay her awakening. There might be frequent smaller-scale Eruptions in New Zealand during this time. You need to prepare and start evacuating people. If possible, evacuate the entire country."

No matter what, New Zealand would be the epicenter of the Fourth Eruption. Minimizing casualties was paramount.

"Easy for you to say." Mobius rolled her eyes.

Evacuating an entire country? That wasn't a small city like Nagazora. It was a nation!

"I believe you can do it. After all, beautiful girls can do anything~"

"Something this simple can't possibly stump the great Dr. Mobius, right?"

"Don't try to flatter me. This is…" Just as Mobius was about to refuse this nightmarish task, the pink-haired girl's eyes glazed over, replaced by a naive, unburdened look both MEI and Mobius recognized.

Looking at the two familiar faces on the screen, Elysia was confused.

—Wasn't I playing with a cute girl? What happened?

…

For the Herrscher of the Void, every day since Elysia's arrival had been a torment. Frilly dresses, strange games… she was treated like a doll.

Her hatred for the pink-haired menace now rivaled her hatred for Jiang Qiao.

They're both monsters! She lumped them together as the "Beastly Duo."

But today, surprisingly, she was spared the pink menace's attention. It was both unexpected and… intriguing.

That girl usually pestered her at every opportunity.

Why not today?

Curious, Sirin used the little bit of Void authority she'd managed to wrest from Jiang Qiao's restraints. It's mine, dammit!

She peered into the outside world.

And she discovered something remarkable.

The pink menace was gone! And that overpowered jerk hadn't returned.

This one was…

Looking at the innocent, easily manipulated Kiana, tears of joy and relief welled up in Sirin's eyes.

—Honey, you're finally back!