After returning to their home world, Bella and Sirin went back to the island villa, while Enoxia headed straight to the Elysian Realm.
Within minutes, she was nestled in Elysia’s arms, recounting her dangerous yet ultimately unsuccessful mission while playfully whining.
“…Oh? An Enoxia from the Sea of Quanta? If possible, I’d love to meet every version of Enoxia out there!”
“V, don’t feel down just because you didn’t get to see Kevin. This trip completely won Sirin’s heart, didn’t it?~”
“As for Atlantis… Even though it perished, you witnessed the story they left behind. That means it’ll always live on in your heart, right?~”
Being with Elysia made Enoxia feel incredibly at ease. Even the absurd fabricated memories that [Enoxia] had implanted in her could be recounted without a hint of shame in front of her.
“By the way, Enoxia, since you can turn yourself into data, changing your hair and eye color should be easy, right?”
“Well… theoretically, yes. But whenever I seriously consider using the Authority of Corruption to fully transform into your appearance, it feels like some unseen force stops me. Maybe it’s because the Herrscher of Origin’s status is higher than the Herrscher of Corruption’s… or maybe it’s just my own psychological resistance.”
“I chose your appearance and voice because I thought they were beautiful and pleasant to listen to. But in front of you, I’d rather stay true to my own [Ego].”
“Aww, Enoxia, you’ve put so much thought into this! That’s wonderful~ But… what if we held a cosplay event? Ever since I met you, I’ve been curious about how I’d look with a different color scheme!”
“Just remember, Enoxia—no instant data modifications! The fun is in the process of changing outfits, you know?~”
Even if Elysia hadn’t said it, Enoxia wouldn’t have done that. The mere idea of the Herrscher of Corruption altering Elysia’s data was enough to give her PTSD.
“Oh, and just the two of us would be a bit too plain. Let’s invite Sirin and Bella too! The more, the merrier, right?~”
With a mischievous grin, Elysia whispered something into Enoxia’s ear. Enoxia’s eyes widened in surprise before she gave a thumbs-up. When it came to fun ideas, Elysia was truly in a league of her own.
“Oh, and I’ve set up a direct connection between the Elysian Realm and the island villa. As memory constructs, Cecilia and Alexandra can come over anytime, and you can visit them just as easily.”
“I understand that you, as people from the Previous Era, might hesitate to step into the real world and interfere with the current civilization’s development. But it’s still nice to leave the Realm occasionally and take a stroll outside. The scenery out there is quite beautiful, you know?~”
Elysia nodded.
“Turning down a lovely girl’s kindness would be rude—especially when it’s my little sister’s! Alright, Enoxia, I promise. Ten days from now, we’ll meet at Sirin’s place.”
“As for coming into reality… The people of this world have the right to choose their own path. Our circumstances were different, and our way of thinking might not be the right one for them…”
“But Enoxia, I promise you this—if the people of this era can overcome the Finality… and if we can still talk to you like this when that time comes… I’ll walk through the new world with everyone else, taking in all its beauty with an open heart.”
“Mhm, don’t worry. This era, we’ll definitely succeed. And when we do, I’ll travel the world with you, sis.”
“I’ll look forward to it, then!~”
Enoxia had only applied minimal encryption to the dedicated connection. Any halfway-decent hacker could probably break in—theoretically. But obviously, anyone foolish enough to try would immediately find a certain corrosive virus flowing back along the line, guaranteeing a physical-level death.
Elysia was the first to cross over, enthusiastically chatting with Alexandra for the entire afternoon. Enoxia explained Elysia’s idea to the two of them. Sirin found it amusing and immediately agreed to join in. Bella, however, nervously lowered her head, her face flushing slightly. But with Sirin so eager, Bella naturally couldn’t refuse.
The next day, Cecilia and Alexandra continued babysitting in the digital space while Enoxia set up isolation protocols to ensure their activities wouldn’t interfere with the cosplay event.
Just as Bella finished adjusting the projector, Elysia appeared in the living room, holding a box.
“Ta-da! These are the props Enoxia specially prepared for me!”
She opened the box, revealing black clothing, a blue wig, and orange-red contact lenses.
“Enoxia, Enoxia, how’s your preparation going?”
Enoxia shook her head. “Sis, your eye color is a pure blue with a hint of pink. Since these were custom-made, I had to settle for plain blue.”
Of course, if they were in the Elysian Realm, Enoxia could’ve just willed the perfect pair into existence. But first, she preferred physical forms, and second—if she had access to cheats in the Realm, she’d probably be tempted to instantly swap outfits. Doing everything with a snap would take away half the fun.
“Ahh, what a shame. Even now, Mobius is still so shy. Even if she doesn’t like cosplay, it’d be nice if she at least showed up in a pink dress to cheer us on!~”
Enoxia couldn’t hold back a laugh, already imagining the scene: If Mobius actually did that, Elysia would probably grab the Realm’s loudspeaker the next day and blare on loop—”The Mobius who wore a dress is back! The Mobius who wore a dress is back!”
Then she’d have Griseo offer a sharp critique, instantly filling the entire Realm with joyous laughter. The only one left flustered would be Mobius herself—outwardly scolding Elysia with a red face, but secretly pleased inside.
“Looks like Sirin and Bella are almost ready too! Let’s get started, everyone. See you in a bit!”
As the projector turned off, Enoxia returned to her room. Drawing from her nonexistent, absurdly exaggerated memories, she first changed into clothes and underwear matching Elysia’s, then put on the contact lenses, followed by the pink wig and matching hair accessories.
Staring at her pink-haired reflection, Enoxia knew that even if the colors were identical, Eden and the other Flame-Chasers would instantly see through her disguise.
Still… if I showed up at Schicksal Headquarters like this, I wonder what Fu Hua—with her fragmented memories—would think.
“But the real fun is definitely with Sirin and Bella…”
In Sirin’s room, Bella stared at the props laid out before her, her face full of anxiety.
“My Queen… I… this…”
Sirin ignored her, tossing the outfit onto the bed before leaving. Once sure Sirin was gone, Bella grabbed the white dress and buried her face in it, inhaling deeply.
“My Queen’s clothes… hehehe…”
Giggling to herself, Bella slipped into the dress, then picked up the purple wig nearby…
Not long after, a projection of Elysia—now in her “Faded Fairy” outfit—appeared in the living room. Seeing the pink-haired Enoxia, she clapped her hands in delight.
“Looks like to anyone who doesn’t know us well, we could totally swap identities without being caught! Enoxia, you look absolutely lovely in pink!~”
“My appearance is based on yours, sis. Aren’t you just indirectly calling yourself beautiful? Though it’s true.”
Elysia winked playfully.
“So, how do I look? Still adorable, right? Careful—I might just steal your heart!~”
The pink Enoxia turned herself into data and embraced the blue Elysia. The two of them happily engaged in intimate activities in the living room, only noticing Sirin—now cosplaying as Bella—after several minutes.
“Sirin, you look absolutely adorable like this too!~”
Hearing an identical voice, Sirin stared blankly as the pink girl cupped her cheeks. It took her a few seconds to realize the two had swapped appearances.
“Enoxia. You’re doing this on purpose.”
Normally, even though Enoxia used Elysia’s voice, she tweaked it slightly—enough that anyone paying attention could tell the difference. But just now, to tease Sirin, she’d copy-pasted Elysia’s exact voice file.
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. So, how does it feel trying this for the first time?”
Enoxia switched back to her usual tone, carefully examining Bella’s outfit.
“It’s… actually pretty fun. At first, I wondered if Bella and I could swap roles for a day. As my familiar, her obedience is a given, but experiencing things from a different perspective is… intriguing. But now… well, it seems the only way to make it work would be for you to use your corruption powers to swap our self-perceptions—make me think I’m Bella and her think she’s me.”
Hearing the heavy breathing and suggestive murmurs coming from the bedroom, Enoxia sighed. This reward was a bit too much for Bella.
Sirin walked to the window, gazing at her current appearance with a hint of melancholy.
“I keep feeling this strange illusion… as if Bella were right beside me. I wonder if I’d feel the same if I cosplayed as Afora or Agata…”
Sirin’s solemn tone and wistful expression made Enoxia’s heart tighten instinctively.
“Sorry, Enoxia. I didn’t mean to worry you. I could never forget them—or the moments we shared in Babylon Tower. But now, with all of you here, I can remember those times without anger or fear. Just… regret and longing. If only they could’ve lived to see this…”
Her serious mood lasted all of three seconds before she caught sight of Bella stumbling out of the bedroom and immediately frowned.
With purple hair, golden eyes, and wearing Sirin’s dress, Bella leaned heavily against the wall, panting. Sweat drenched her back.
Seeing Sirin’s displeased stare, she tried to kneel and apologize—only to collapse with a thud, too exhausted to move. Then, unable to hold back any longer, a nosebleed gushed out.
Thankfully, as a Judgement-class Honkai beast, her physiology differed from a human’s. Within ten minutes, Bella had mostly recovered. Before Enoxia could even intervene, she’d already cleaned up the bloodstains. Enoxia was amazed to see that Sirin’s easily stained dress remained spotless.
Once done, Bella knelt before Sirin, awaiting punishment. Since she’d just cleaned up, the hem of her dress barely picked up any dust. Seeing her like this, what little anger Sirin had left vanished entirely.
“My Queen, I’m sorry, I…”
Sirin, now calm, pulled her up and straightened her clothes.
“Say what you want to say. I’ve prepared myself.”
Bella immediately knelt again. For her, honesty—even if it meant scolding or punishment—was preferable to lying.
“Um… My Queen… Could I… wear your clothes from now on? I’ll wash them properly, I swear!”
“Because… when I’m wrapped in your scent… it’s like you’re right beside me…”
Her voice grew quieter, her face redder. Sirin glanced at Elysia. When she’d first invited her to this event, she’d only thought it’d be fun. Now, it seemed she’d accidentally awakened something dangerous in Bella.
Studying Bella in her dress, Sirin suddenly realized—since the day she’d crafted this body for her, Bella had never changed clothes. Of course, as Honkai energy constructs, they were essentially part of her body. But Bella’s refusal to switch outfits clearly stemmed from the fact that these clothes were a gift from Sirin.
“Bella… is a girl too. It’s only natural she’d want to wear pretty clothes and make herself look beautiful…”
Turning back to the still-kneeling Bella, Sirin spoke.
“Fine, you can wear my clothes. But after you’re done, you have to come to me and be my dress-up doll. Understood?”
Bella’s eyes gleamed as she threw herself into Sirin’s arms.
“My Queen, use me however you wish!”
Enoxia watched the entire scene with deep satisfaction.
“Looks like the problem’s solved! Good job~ Now, let’s play some games. And no cheating, Enoxia!~”
The four of them started gaming. To match the day’s theme, Elysia added a rule: Each player would control the character of whoever they were cosplaying.
For example, since Enoxia was cosplaying Elysia, if her character won, it counted as a point for Elysia.
With Enoxia refraining from using her Authority to cheat, Elysia dominated the other three. In the end, Enoxia still scored the highest. Though when Bella realized her victories earned points for Sirin, she went into overdrive—unfortunately, video games weren’t the same as real-life brawls. Sirin’s score ended up undeniably last.
Despite losing, the lighthearted atmosphere left Sirin in high spirits. If only every day could be like this…
(Inspiration for this side story came from a Honkai Impact 2 event where Kallen met a Sirin cosplaying as Nine and a Nine cosplaying as Sirin.)
