Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

You naughty Jiang Qiao! How dare you flirt with other girls behind my back?

Meeting up? Meeting up? Things are moving pretty fast, huh!

After seeing Qingque's group chat message, our Fat fairy's anger flared up instantly—Hey, Elysia is here in MOTH for... ahem, advanced studies! Just like Kiana and the others! It's completely different from that naughty Jiang Qiao who's off flirting with random girls!

Scrolling through the chat history, Elysia's cheeks gradually puffed up—Mahjong with four players? Oh great, so one wasn't enough, now [she's] planning to play around with multiple girls? Just how many girls has that bad boy been secretly meeting behind her back?

Elysia: Hmm~ What kind of meetup are you planning?

The Fat fairy jumped straight into the conversation—ready to catch them red-handed.

Neither that naughty Jiang Qiao nor this "DieForCards" user was going to get away!

Of course, Qingque had no idea about the Fat fairy's sinister intentions. She glanced at the group chat, looking somewhat confused at this unfamiliar ID.

To be honest, most... no, all the people in this group were strangers to her. Even though there was someone named Jiang Qiao, she still hadn't figured out their exact identity through deduction. However—this didn't stop Qingque from promoting her favorite hobby:

"Imperial Jade of course! I guarantee you'll be addicted after one game—you won't be able to stop!"

You should know that all of Qingque's mahjong buddies were dragged into this hobby by her, one by one.

Getting one more person means one more mahjong partner for the future, right?

Playing hooky is more fun with more people—sometimes you can even share the risk! Ah, I'm so clever!

However, Elysia clearly had no idea what "Imperial Jade" was.

But that didn't stop her from scrutinizing Qingque's 'suggestive' words.

Could this be—some kind of code? The Fat fairy immediately interpreted it like those scenes from TV shows she'd watched before.

To avoid detection, the cheaters in TV shows often use this kind of method to arrange their 'card games.'

Realizing this, a thoroughly shocked Elysia's cheeks reddened slightly, but her puffed-up cheeks seemed to grow even larger—Are you telling me this to show off? Or are you taking advantage of the fact that I don't understand!

Yunyun: What's Imperial Jade?

Hu Tao: [curious.jpg]

Kyoko: [peeking.jpg]

As luck would have it, everyone in this small group chat had quite the playful nature. Once they heard about something interesting—naturally, they all had to join in on the fun!

DieForCards: Oh... you don't know? Well, you've heard of Ruan Mei Palace, right? Imperial Jade is a card game played there for entertainment.

Though frustrated at not being able to drag out that troublemaker who'd doubled her workload, Qingque immediately started explaining and promoting the game when she realized none of the group members knew about Imperial Jade.

After all, joy shared is joy doubled!

This explanation also made the Fat fairy realize she'd misunderstood everything. The embarrassment from misinterpreting the earlier group messages made Elysia feel a bit awkward, but thinking that no one had noticed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

However...

Imperial Jade?

It sounds like something really fun... hmm... Elysia was definitely NOT thinking this because it might mean meeting cute girls!

While the Fat fairy was getting excited, [Elysia] was lying in bed in her Pre-Civilization form. Through the pink silk nightgown, you could see her jade-like white arms. Looking at Qingque eagerly promoting Imperial Jade in the chat group, a hint of helplessness appeared on her delicate face.

[She] somewhat suspected that Qingque might turn this chat group into a mahjong players' club—just imagining the scene of Qingque dragging others to form a table later... the scene was too beautiful to imagine.

However...

Seeing Qingque reminded [Elysia] of the "scratch cards" with novelty items for sale that had been set aside in the chat group.

[She] glanced at her points: the daily check-in points plus the settlement points from the Wind Herrscher confrontation task... After subtracting -20 for two transit tickets, [she] now had 121 points.

Getting interested, [Elysia] decided to splurge a bit. Keeping twenty points in reserve, [she] bought ten scratch cards.

[She] remembered that last time [she] won a bunch of junk, with the only decent thing being the Motherly Spring—though unfortunately it hadn't been very useful...

[Elysia] casually scratched the cards.

[Intertwined Fate] [Transformation Bracelet] [Intertwined Fate] [Thousand Ways to Kill You] [Intertwined Fate] [Spicy Candy] [Sister Juice Flavored Ramen] [Hannah Stigmata - Top] [Assassin's Art - Modified]

Looking at the results of this "unboxing," the pink-haired girl fell into momentary silence.

These items seemed all rather... should we say strange?

[Elysia] picked up the three pink orbs with a troubled expression—before [her] transmigration these might have been fun to play with, but now that [she's] in the Pre-Civilization era... who's going to reimburse [her] for these?

Oh well, I'll ask Guild Master Hu Tau if she wants these things, since they're from that game after all.

Looking at the Thousand Ways to Kill You, [Elysia] tossed it into imaginary space without any expectations—this junk wasn't even worth keeping under the bed, especially since it contained an actual grenade!

As for the Spicy Candy and Sister Juice Flavored Ramen... [she] passed on the former, having no interest in prank foods, but that Sister Juice Flavored Ramen—[Elysia] found [herself] staring at the ramen package, caught in a long internal debate.

To be honest, [she] had never tried Sister Juice Flavored ramen before.

...Why do I actually want to try it?

Thankfully, [Elysia] managed to suppress that bizarre urge—[she] wasn't some shameless white-haired mochi after all.

The Hannah Stigmata was fine enough. Though seeing it gave [her] some PTSD from [her] past captain life, at least MEI and her team were researching them. Throwing it their way... might actually prove useful.

Among this batch of scratch cards, the most valuable items were probably the [Transformation Bracelet] and [Idle Death Gamble - Modified].

The former—[Elysia] remembered it was from "I Want to Be a Twin-Tail," and its effect was pretty straightforward... Once worn and activated, it would transform the wearer into a twin-tailed beautiful girl.

[She] figured Elysia would absolutely love this thing, but realistically speaking... while it might seem like just a prank item, thinking back to [her] memories of that anime, the twin-tailed beauties transformed by this bracelet were actually quite powerful...

Hmm... what if [she] tried to reverse-engineer this thing and mass-produce it?

At that moment, [Elysia] imagined Fire Moth warriors wearing [Transformation Bracelets] to the frontlines, resulting in beautiful girls battling Honkai beasts.

...Well, looks like everyone might really end up becoming beautiful girls now?

Joy sparkled in those azure eyes with hints of pink—thankfully [Elysia]'s self-control was exceptionally strong. If this was the Fat fairy [Elysia], she probably would've needed to change her underwear by now.

As for the Idle Death Gamble...

[Elysia] felt the power within this gambling technique and understood its modifications.

Unlike the original version from Jujutsu Kaisen, the modified version's main difference lay in its form—while the original used pachinko games, the modified version allowed the ability user to set their own conditions. As long as they followed standard rules, it would work with any game, whether poker or mahjong.

Moreover, perhaps considering the differences in power systems across worlds, this version of the gambling technique had some built-in 'adjustment' flexibility.

[She] could change the original 'cursed energy' to 'mana,' 'Honkai energy,' 'imaginary energy,' or various other power sources.

However, the original effect from the Jujutsu Kaisen world—that ability to draw 'unlimited energy for a short time' from the world's foundation through restrictions—seemed to have been nerfed as a result. Now it could only draw energy from the surroundings.

If the energy source was cut off, the ability would basically become useless.

However—

As the ultimate admin-privileged individual, [Elysia] felt this power that was almost like an 'authority' and found [herself] deep in thought.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtain gaps onto [her] face. [Elysia], wearing light clothing after a night's rest, yawned. The shifted shoulder strap revealed a hint of spring scenery. Glancing over, [she] could see fairy Elysia still sleeping sweetly, with traces of drool glistening at the corners of her mouth, looking absolutely adorable.

This made [Elysia] unable to resist pinching those baby-fat cheeks.

"Morning already, huh?" Waking up from the touch, fairy Elysia rubbed her eyes, but quickly noticed the puddle of drool she'd left. Her little face turned bright red: "I-I-I..."

"Hmm~ I didn't see anything~"

The pink-haired girl smiled teasingly.

After tidying up their appearance, the odd pair headed to the cafeteria. With Fire Moth's expansion, their cafeteria had grown considerably larger, now bustling with more personnel than ever.

As [Elysia] walked through with fairy Elysia, occasionally greeting acquaintances of this body, [her] gaze drifted to a green-haired youth sitting in a corner.

"...Kosma?"

Though [she] couldn't see his full appearance, that familiar silhouette was enough for [her] to recognize him. After all, as a perfect being, a Herrscher's memory was incredibly sharp.

[Elysia] rested [her] chin on [her] hand, raising an eyebrow in surprise—[she] also noticed that Kosma seemed to be chatting with someone... a girl with orange hair tied in a ponytail.

Searching through [her] memories, [she] couldn't find any impression of this girl in 'Elysia's' previous memories... She's definitely a stranger, [she] thought. With Elysia's personality, there's no way she'd forget a beautiful girl.

Even in 'Jiang Qiao's' memories, [she] struggled to find a match.

Finally, [she] accessed the memories stored in Fenghuang Down from Elysian Realms Elysia.

At that moment—the answer surfaced.

One of the original eight MANTIS Warriors—Dystopia.

Of course, she didn't have that title yet.

"Hmm, the timing matches up pretty well," [Elysia] nodded knowingly.

In Elysia's memories, Dystopia and Kosma were from the same batch—new recruits who joined Fire Moth during the Fourth Honkai Eruption. After the Seventh Eruption, she became a Mental Perception-type MANTIS Warrior, and then... during the Eighth Eruption, died at Kosma's hands.

If [she] recalled correctly, she and Elysia were quite close... or rather, Dystopia got along well with most people. She'd prepare various little gifts for others during important occasions, making her MOTH's second most social butterfly after Elysia.

After filtering through the information about Dystopia, [Elysia] approached [her] 'prey' with a tray full of food.

"Hmm~ Mind if I join you?"

"...!"

Hearing the voice and seeing [Elysia], Kosma's heart jumped in alarm. If he hadn't been with company, our dear Kosma might have already been planning his escape route.

Unlike Kosma's fearful reaction, the orange-haired ponytail girl—Dystopia—lit up with delight upon seeing [her]:

"Eh—"

"Of course, of course! We'd always welcome Elysia-senpai!"

Within Fire Moth, there was practically no one Elysia couldn't handle. Just hearing about her achievements would make any newcomer look up to this 'Fire Moth Hero' who personally defeated the Second Herrscher during the Second Honkai Eruption with admiration and affection.

In fact, after learning about [Elysia's] glorious battle record, Kosma had been quite admiring too—wasn't this exactly the kind of 'hero' he'd imagined?

Unfortunately, [Elysia's] 'fairy-raising doctrine' proved far more persuasive than any 'hero talk,' and it thoroughly terrified Kosma. To defend his masculinity, Kosma now acted like a mouse spotting a cat whenever he saw [Elysia].

"Was joining Fire Moth your own decision?" [Elysia] asked, sitting down with [her] tray. Though [she] smiled at Dystopia, [her] gaze kept drifting toward Kosma.

"Hah—Kosma, you know Elysia-senpai?"

"Ah, we met in New Zealand... um, no... twice... oh wait, three times! Yeah, we've met three times!" The pink-haired girl replied while counting on [her] fingers... Strange, why would someone need to count fingers for such a simple thing?—[Elysia] quickly lowered [her] hands, putting on an awkward but polite smile.

"..."

Kosma was completely lost.

Haven't we only met once?

(Could it be that she's trying to get close to me... but why would such a famous Fire Moth hero be interested in someone like me?)

At this thought, Kosma's eyes grew more wary.

(...She's not still planning to teach me how to be a fairy, right... Better avoid contact as much as possible.)

Thinking this way, out of respect for his senior and gratitude for saving his life, Kosma still answered [Elysia's] question:

"Yes, it was my own decision."

"Oh come on, he obviously wants to be a hero~ I don't get what's up with boys, what's so great about being a hero anyway?"

It was clear that Kosma and Dystopia were quite close, as she casually exposed his motivations, making Kosma visibly uncomfortable.

Sure, he wanted to be a hero and had been secretly operating as Night☆Hero, but having it exposed like this... given Kosma's shy personality, it felt like having his chuunibyou phase revealed to everyone.

"A hero, huh..."

At this, [Elysia] let out a soft sigh:

"Well, if that's your choice, I have no right to interfere."

[She] wasn't actually against the Flame-Chasers (old) member joining Fire Moth, but [she] didn't want them making such a decision based on 'hasty' ideals. That would only lead to heartbreak in the end.

Take Kevin for example—MEI's personality meant that until she achieved her self-imposed goals, she'd never entertain any notion of romance.

As MEI herself had said—"The feelings between Kevin and me were never fair. I had to sacrifice others for civilization, even sacrifice Kevin, but that earnest boy would always stay by my side without complaint."

Perhaps Kevin truly wouldn't regret it. Thinking of that man's 50,000-year vigil—if given another chance, the earnest boy named Kevin would probably still choose to fall in love with MEI.

But if MEI were given another chance to choose—she would definitely... no, she would absolutely choose to reject him.

Kevin... deserved better. A Kevin who didn't end up with her would only live a happier life.

After all, Kevin wasn't the type to give up on himself just because the one he loved rejected him.

As for Kosma...

Though wanting to become a 'hero' might seem foolish or hasty to many, [Elysia] knew very well that it was the core belief that this green-haired youth lived by.

However—

"Are you sure you won't consider my suggestion?" [Elysia] asked, still not giving up.

Turning Kosma into a cute girl would be so much fun~

"..."

The silence was answer enough—Kosma was absolutely stubborn about this.

Of course, while Kosma was a complete die-hard, Dystopia was different! Being just as much of a fun-loving instigator as Elwyn, the moment she caught a whiff of something interesting, she eagerly sidled up to [Elysia] with an expectant look.

"Eeeh? What suggestion? What was Kosma doing before?"

"Heh~ Oh, you've come to the right person for that gossip! Let me tell you, Kosma, he…" [Elysia] happily started spilling Kosma's secrets, triggering a mini-combo of revelations – the fairy thing was one thing, but the moment the name 'Night☆Hero' came out, it would be the death of Kosma.

That name was a total embarrassment for him. Even though he was close with Dystopia, that was precisely why he wouldn't breathe a word about it. And yet…

While Dystopia was happily chatting away with [Elysia], Kosma had somehow vanished from his seat without anyone noticing.

But it was easy to imagine that the next time they met, Dystopia, being the kind of person who lived for a good time, would definitely give the silent Kosma a thorough teasing about the 'Night☆Hero' business. Jiang hopes for that very much.

He'd already shared the 'turn Kosma into a fairy' mission with Dystopia, who'd said she was really looking forward to seeing the 'fairy' version of the cute boy (that's the idea!).

After breakfast, Jiang Qiao led fairy Elysia to MEI's office, where she was already buried in paperwork.

"Good morning, Elysia."

"Mhm~ Good morning, MEI."

"You probably have another favor to ask, don't you?" MEI didn't even look up, her hands flying across the documents. Just from the vibe, she knew it was something that would add to her workload. That's why there was a hint of complaint and annoyance in MEI's voice.

"What are you saying? Do I only come to you when I need something, MEI?"

"Stare~"

Being subjected to MEI's emotionless gaze, the pink-haired girl's facade crumbled. She cleared her throat and said, "Okay, fine, there is something… but it's a fun little surprise! Look!"

Jiang showed off the 'Transformation Bracelet' she'd gotten last night.

"What's this?"

"Hehehe, watch closely!" Under MEI's confused gaze, 'Elysia' put the bracelet on her wrist.

Then, accompanied by a burst of upbeat music and light, 'she' transformed… into someone with twin-tails!

MEI's expression turned blank, then… 'disapproving'. She sighed. "...A bracelet that changes hairstyles. Interesting. Maybe you could talk to Vill-V about it, she'd definitely be able to make it even more… interesting."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, please leave. I have a lot of work to finish."

As someone who focused on practical results, MEI had absolutely no interest in such 'flashy' toys.

However, Elysia's twin-tails did warrant a brief compliment – that fleeting moment of appreciation, lasting less than a second, was practically a miracle for the workaholic MEI.

"Just listen for a bit longer~ This bracelet can actually turn boys into pretty girls!"

"?"

Hearing this, MEI finally looked up, but the look in her eyes was incredibly complex.

Alright, you got my attention.

It is pretty impressive.

But…

Turning boys into pretty girls… what's the point?

Even though MEI was a little curious about the bracelet's effects, from a purely academic standpoint – right now…

Looking at the mountain of work files, she expressionlessly suppressed that damn curiosity.

How could Jiang pass up such a perfect opportunity to promote her wares?

She thought for a moment and decided it was necessary to have a 'guinea pig' demonstrate the power of the twin-tail transformation bracelet to Dr. MEI.

So… who would be the lucky guinea pig? (laugh)

------

My brain gonnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa explodeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

SO many layers, so many characters, so many idioms trying to murder my sanity. Elysia-ception is real. Send coffee and a language-free vacation. 

i learn that translating many fanfic at this rate killing my braincell, i want cry 😭😭😭

━((*′д｀)爻(′д｀*))━!!!!(￣ε(#￣)ヽ（≧□≦）ノ(ﾟДﾟ*)ﾉヽ（≧□≦）ノ(┬┬﹏┬┬)(´.＿.｀)（;´д｀）ゞo(TヘTo)(⊙x⊙;)( ˘︹˘ )(╬▔皿▔)╯o(≧口≦)o