Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

Kosma, having escaped the clutches of [Elysia], was training in the training grounds. Though still a newcomer, perhaps due to his past 'glorious days', Kosma's performance was considered excellent among the new recruits.

The only real issue was that his age limited his physical functions, resulting in a gap in physical strength compared to the adult Flame-Chasers.

[Seven rings – ten rings – eight rings…]

Looking at his score, Kosma wasn't satisfied.

Before the technology to combat the Honkai had truly evolved, the main weapons of the Fire Moth warriors were still firearms… or rather, thermal weapons had always been the mainstay in the fight against the Honkai.

It was only after the First Honkai Eruption that Fire Moth, finding conventional kinetic weapons ineffective, developed 'anti-Honkai weapons'.

These weapons could effectively penetrate the Honkai energy field that gave Honkai beasts their high resistance to conventional kinetic weapons.

The drawback was that they placed extremely high demands on the user's abilities.

As he trained, a hint of frustration mixed with the boy's focus.

Dystopia had learned about the glorious deeds of 'Night☆Hero'… things were going to be difficult from now on.

But…

Even so, he would absolutely not become one of those so-called 'fairies'!

The image of [Elysia] popped into his head – Kosma shook his head violently, his expression screaming rejection.

I, Kosma, would rather starve to death or jump into the Eye of the Storm again than become a fairy or a girl!

The next moment, the portable communication device he carried – a standard-issue watch distributed to all Fire Moth warriors and staff – displayed a message:

"Warrior ███, you have been requisitioned by Dr. MEI. Please report to Laboratory █."

To combat the Honkai more effectively, Fire Moth warriors were obligated to cooperate with Fire Moth's internal research departments on various scientific projects, including weapons testing… Of course, things like human experimentation were generally voluntary unless those in charge were truly desperate.

Kosma, having signed the relevant agreements when joining Fire Moth, was aware of this. What he found strange was why he was being called up.

According to information Dystopia had gleaned from some of the older members within the organization, these research projects usually involved veterans with extensive experience fighting the Honkai.

After all, those who had survived the Great Eruptions knew best what they needed.

And Kosma – while his scores were quite good, frankly, Fire Moth wasn't exactly lacking in high-performing warriors.

With the entirety of humanity as its recruitment pool, Fire Moth's warriors were almost all top-tier individuals from various countries. You couldn't pick one at random who would be much worse than him.

Though confused and vaguely uneasy, Kosma steeled himself and followed the watch's directions to Laboratory ▉.

He had never met Dr. MEI in person – well, that wasn't entirely accurate. A photo was pinned at the top of Fire Moth's internal network. It showed Elysia, Dr. MEI, Vill-V, and the infamous Mobius in a group photo, the latter looking particularly 'happy'.

Thanks to this, even new recruits within the organization could recognize the four people in the photo.

But recognizing them was one thing; knowing what kind of people they were was something you mostly learned through rumors.

Elysia… there was probably no one in Fire Moth who didn't know this social butterfly.

As for Dr. Vill-V and Dr. Mobius, well, setting them aside for now, the Dr. MEI he was about to meet…

The commander of the Third Honkai Eruption, an incredibly rational and brilliant scientist, and currently the official spokesperson for Fire Moth – these were the labeled bits of information Kosma had about MEI.

…Hopefully, she's not like Elysia.

But reality seemed determined to clash with his wishes.

"Hi~"

When he followed the staff member's guidance into Laboratory █, the first thing he saw was [Elysia] smiling and waving at him.

At that moment, the unease in his heart intensified into a sense of crisis, as if a giant 'DANGER' sign had appeared above his head.

Kosma's face went blank, and he desperately wanted to turn around and run.

Then… the door behind him closed.

…Just great.

Though panicking internally, Kosma had already entered the lion's den. He swallowed hard and braced himself as he walked towards [Elysia].

"You probably saw the message on your way here. The main reason we called you in was to test a 'new type of equipment' – and Elysia recommended you to me." MEI, holding a tablet and focused on its screen, didn't show much emotion through her glasses as she stated the purpose and pointed the finger at Jiang.

This made Kosma's lips twitch. Just as he suspected, the reason a newbie like him was being called in to test weapons was definitely because someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.

He subconsciously looked at the 'mastermind' – [Elysia] was smiling innocently, looking perfectly natural.

He was doing this entirely out of kindness!

Climbing the ranks slowly from the bottom of Fire Moth would take forever. Using this powerful equipment would obviously be much faster.

Plus, Jiang remembered that Kosma really liked transformation themes, right?

Oblivious to Jiang's "kindness," Kosma sighed inwardly.

He was starting to wonder if joining Fire Moth had been the right decision. He was being targeted so relentlessly.

They were even using their privileges… You're really despicable, Senior Elysia!

But the thought that he was just testing 'new equipment' did ease his anxiety slightly.

When he saw Elysia, he'd actually been wondering if she was going to strap him to a table and perform some kind of 'turn you into a cute girl' magic.

Testing new equipment couldn't involve gender reassignment, right?

Dr. MEI should be quite reliable.

"This is the equipment you'll be testing."

"…A bracelet?"

Seeing the bracelet in MEI's hand, Kosma was puzzled.

It looked high-tech, but it didn't seem to do anything… Wait, could it be!

The boy's heart suddenly raced. Masaka, could this be the kind of transformation item from movies and anime that helps the wearer transform?

Truth be told, while his reason for joining Fire Moth was indeed to fulfill his 'hero' dream, Kosma had also made the decision after learning about Fire Moth's cutting-edge technology.

Before joining Fire Moth, he'd often wondered if this mysterious organization had 'superheroes' or 'Kamen Riders'. Unfortunately, after joining, the older members had burst into laughter when they heard his ideas, patting him on the shoulder to bring him back to reality. "Kid, that stuff only exists in movies."

Kosma had actually been quite disappointed.

And yet…

"That's right, it's exactly what you're thinking." [Elysia] confirmed Kosma's guess with a smile, which made his heart leap with joy, even though his expression didn't change. His eyes were practically glued to the bracelet.

M-Me, I can become a superhero like in the movies?

If there weren't other people present, and if he knew how to use the transformation device, Kosma would have already tried it without hesitation.

"Mhm~ I knew you'd like it."

Kosma was practically beaming.

Like it? I like it way too much!

If you'd told me it was to test something like this, I wouldn't have hesitated for even a second!

Don't you understand the romance of being a man?!

At this moment, Kosma's opinion of [Elysia] improved dramatically. The terrible impression left by the 'fairy training' was completely wiped away. Senior Elysia, Big Sister Elysia! You're practically my savior!

Kosma took a deep breath, almost wanting to shout out loud:

I believe in you!

Senior Elysia, I'm your loyal dog!

"Alright, let's head to the testing area first." Dr. MEI urged.

Laboratory █ had a dedicated 'testing area' inside, with walls made of high-strength concrete and comprehensive equipment. It was undoubtedly the best place to test the power of the 'transformation bracelet'.

"The activation code for the Transformation Bracelet is 'TAIL ON'."

"TAIL… ON?"

Hearing this code, Kosma was a little confused. It meant – twin-tails, activate.

Though he found the code a bit strange and unsettling, with a sense of foreboding he couldn't explain, it was ultimately no match for Kosma's love of 'transformation'.

Are you kidding me? How could there be anything wrong with a transformation device? I'm going to be a hero like Kamen Rider or Ultraman! No one can stop me! No one!

His nostrils flaring with excitement, Kosma eagerly followed the instructions to the center of the testing area, impatiently waiting for Dr. MEI's "begin" command.

Ignoring the strange activation code, his yearning to be a 'hero' made Kosma abandon his usual "…" style. He excitedly raised the bracelet and shouted:

"TAIL ON——!!!"

The next moment, blazing light enveloped his entire body, and the monitoring equipment inside the testing area simultaneously maxed out its data readings.

"Transformation Bracelet… Twin-Tail Transformation Bracelet, no… the most accurate term for this should be the [Conceptualization Bracelet]." Dr. MEI calmly watched the data streams on the screen.

The technology of the Previous Era was insufficient to support this level of calculation and observation, so she directly accessed the processing power of the Fourth Satellite and the 'Prometheus' super-large-scale Soulium computing cluster, which was still under construction.

The most crucial technology in the [Transformation Bracelet] was [Conceptualization], a technology that transformed abstract concepts into physical reality – combined with a special substance called 'Attribute Orbs', it resulted in a form of 'metaphysical technology'.

Its requirements for the user were supposed to be – the holder must have a strong attachment to the 'twin-tails' element (because the creator had a personal preference when making it)… After realizing this, a rare hint of speechlessness flickered in Dr. MEI's eyes.

While metaphysical systems tended to be a bit quirky, the creator of the [Transformation Bracelet] had gone completely overboard.

It wasn't just a little personal touch – the entire thing was made of personal preferences.

Fortunately, the one Jiang Qiao had obtained seemed to be a 'prototype'. It didn't have the extremely strict requirements of the later, finished product.

It was the 'generalized' version – the downside being that its combat power was also significantly lower. Well… that wasn't surprising, considering the nature of metaphysical items.

Meanwhile, inside the testing area, Kosma had finished his 'transformation' as the light subsided.

He took a few excited steps.

"I can feel the power flowing through my body!" The boy was incredibly excited and completely oblivious to the changes happening to his body. Kosma was simply reveling in the exhilarating power brought by the 'twin-tail transformation'.

A light jump sent him easily to the ceiling, and upon landing, the uncontrolled power caused the high-strength concrete, capable of withstanding the charge of a chariot-class Honkai beast, to instantly crack with alarming fissures.

Good, very good, extremely good! This power is making me feel amazing!

But there was something a little strange…

This outfit…

Finally, Kosma, lost in the joy of 'transformation', noticed his rather 'revealing' attire.

A hollowed-out battlesuit, tight-fitting shorts, metal-clad over-the-knee socks… and two locks of emerald green hair.

His already fair face was now even more… well, you could say it had the pinkish glow of a 'young girl', with tempting rosy lips and… determined yet dazzling orange eyes.

Subconsciously, the 'boy' reached down… and felt nothing there.

At that moment, Kosma's pupils dilated instantly, and his brain felt like it was about to explode.

Brother, You Turned Into a Sister! (Groundhog Scream)

Sensing a scrutinizing gaze, Kosma's eyes met those of the smiling [Elysia]. The latter's eyes held admiration, and an uncontrollable grin stretched across her lips.

In that instant, Kosma understood.

That inexplicable sense of impending doom finally had a source.

…Aminos!!!

Alright, so you were waiting for this moment!

Silently retracting the hand that had been reaching for… well, you know… the twin-tailed magical girl warrior 'Cosma' makes her grand debut!

The newly transformed girl stared blankly at [Elysia], who had somehow closed the distance and started pinching Cosma's cheeks.

"Mhm~ You really did turn into a cute girl~ Let me feel!"

"Aww~ You're unbelievably adorable!"

[Elysia] was overjoyed, clearly seeing Kosma as a new 'toy' – a sentiment Griseo could certainly relate to.

"See? I told you 'being a fairy' is great, right? Aren't you happy~?"

"…"

Kosma remained expressionless.

You can just imagine how much I want to talk to you.

But…

Feeling the power surging within her from the 'transformation', despite being utterly speechless about suddenly becoming a pretty girl, Kosma was reluctant to give up this newfound strength.

Even though it wasn't quite the Kamen Rider or Ultraman she'd imagined… there was no doubt that a magical girl was still a warrior!

Just look at the craftsmanship of this cool, external metal armor, the surging power… even someone like Kosma, who wasn't exactly into this kind of thing, couldn't help but be a little fascinated.

"Alright, stop playing around and let's continue testing."

MEI's voice broke through. While she also found the pretty-girl version of Kosma quite amusing, her 'absolute rationality' during work hours made her focus more on the specific data of the [Transformation Bracelet] and its potential applications.

The analysis during the transformation was merely data collection. The real tests for 'Cosma' involved instruments for measuring strength, speed, and other factors.

"Okay, okay~"

'Forcibly' pulling her hands away from Cosma, [Elysia] looked regretful. Jiang was finding it a bit troublesome; when using this body, she was always led by its instincts whenever something interesting happened.

Before she could even think about holding back, the body would already be pouncing… This strange instinct was… sigh.

Having dealt with [Elysia], Dr. MEI turned to Cosma, who was finally free, and asked, "You can continue testing, right, Kosma?"

"No problem, I can continue."

Although incredibly embarrassed by her current 'girlish' body, Cosma's attachment to the 'transformation' made her reluctant to leave the transformed state. Gritting her teeth, she nodded and persevered.

Soon, under the measurements of specialized equipment, twin-tailed Kosma's data was displayed before MEI.

Strength: 10 tons

Speed: 100 meters in 3.5 seconds

Dr. MEI's eyes twitched slightly as she saw the data.

This thing was practically a humanoid monster! And this was only because the 'Transformation Bracelet' was a prototype and Cosma didn't fully resonate with the 'twin-tails element', resulting in her being unable to unleash even ten percent of its original power.

But even with this limited power, it was more than enough to beat the tar out of most common Honkai beasts.

Even most Herrschers would crack open (physically) if they underestimated twin-tailed Cosma and took a punch.

"Mhm, I should test its strength too."

Looking at the data, [Elysia] felt the urge to have a 'little spar' with twin-tailed Cosma.

'She' cracked her knuckles, looking eager to try.

Ever since taking down the Second Herrscher, Jiang hadn't really engaged in direct physical combat with anyone using this body. The few times she had fought were almost entirely about abusing her authority and unleashing ultimate moves.

While she had the combat experience of [Bronya] and [Wendy], it wasn't quite the same as using [Elysia].

Come to think of it, since she'd been using this body, she'd been running around so much that she hadn't participated in the basic training exercises for Fire Moth warriors in ages.

Seeing a somewhat interesting 'target' now was a good opportunity to make up for lost time.

Moreover…

"I just got something new. This is a good chance to try it out."

"Alright."

MEI didn't object. Combat data was much better than static numbers. It was good to gather it. Besides, she wasn't worried about [Elysia] getting hurt in a spar. After all…

Cosma, however, was clearly unaware of this. Seeing [Elysia] step into the testing area, she hesitated.

"You'll get hurt."

She was quite sincere.

While becoming a girl was embarrassing, Kosma was very satisfied with this power.

Feeling a little puffed up, little Cosma now vaguely felt like she was invincible.

As for [Elysia], the Fire Moth hero who had personally defeated the Second Herrscher…

Please, she was Cosma, the twin-tailed magical girl warrior with the [Transformation Bracelet]!

How could she lose to an unarmed, ordinary person?

Feeling confident of victory and also a little unsure of her strength after just gaining this power, Cosma, despite feeling a bit resentful towards [Elysia] for turning her into a 'magical girl warrior', didn't want to hurt her out of respect for her senior and a tiny bit of 'gratitude'.

"Aww~ It seems I'm being underestimated." The girl looked slightly troubled, sighed softly, and raised her hand. A crystal longbow materialized – the Whisper of the Past. Then, she smiled at Cosma in the distance and said softly,

"Alright, alright~ Don't worry about it. You can't hurt me. Let me tell you a secret – I'm very strong, you know~"

If it were before, Jiang would have preferred to fight as a 'power user', relying on her authority like a mage.

But after obtaining 'Elysia of the Elysian Realm', 'he' could draw on her 50,000 years of combat experience. In terms of pure combat ability, 'he' was now even stronger than the original Elysia.

Unfortunately,

This undisguised 'explanation' sounded more like confidence in her own strength and a belittling of her opponent to Cosma.

Perhaps influenced by the bracelet, Cosma's delicate face puffed up slightly.

Who do you think you're underestimating?!

The current me is a twin-tail!!!