NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 224: Jiang Qiao! This Isn't Over!!!
"What do you think you're doing to Elysia?"
The usually gentle voice was now laced with ice. Standing at the end of the hallway, dressed in her elegant stage costume, was Eden.
Her normally warm, golden eyes blazed with fury.
Worried about Elysia, she'd followed them, abandoning all pretense of composure. She'd overheard snippets of their conversation: "part of the mission," "body"…
These weren't normal words.
Her initial suspicions solidified as she witnessed the man pinning Elysia against the wall, his actions clearly aggressive.
He's not a good person!
Eden, who cherished Elysia, wouldn't stand for this.
"Eh—?"
Elysia, her… activities… interrupted, was about to unleash her fury on the unwelcome intruder when she saw Eden's face. She froze.
Then, her cheeks flushed crimson. While Jiang Qiao's body might have been unfazed, Elysia, easily embarrassed, was mortified. She could be bold in private, but public exposure turned her into a blushing mess.
And now, caught red-handed with Jiang Qiao… by Eden…
AAAAAHHHHH!!!
Her mind screamed, her already limited processing power grinding to a halt.
Eden approached, her golden eyes blazing with righteous anger, fixed on the flustered Elysia.
Caught red-handed, and now you're playing innocent?
Too late!
Driven by a complex mix of protectiveness and something else… something darker… Eden raised her hand, ready to deliver a well-deserved slap.
Elysia, still frozen in place, didn't react.
Thankfully, Jiang Qiao intervened, catching Eden's wrist.
"Elysia!" Eden's voice rose, sharp with concern and anger.
[Elysia] looked at her with pleading eyes.
"Please… don't, Eden," he whispered.
"But he—" Eden sputtered, her usually calm demeanor cracking.
"You misunderstood, Eden," Jiang Qiao said gently.
"—Misunderstood?" Eden almost laughed.
Misunderstood what?
She'd heard and seen everything!
Seeing was believing!
Still, her affection for Elysia compelled her to listen.
"She…" Jiang Qiao began, then hesitated, glancing at the still-flustered Elysia. "She was just… retrieving her body."
Elysia, relieved by the explanation, nodded vigorously.
Yes! I was just getting my body back! And… maybe teaching him a little lesson for being so annoying!
Once she cleared things up with Eden, everything would be fine! It might even improve their relationship!
Heehee~ I'll gain points with Eden without even trying~ Imagine… Jiang Qiao on my left, Eden on my right…
Elysia's imagination ran wild, a blissful future unfolding before her eyes.
But—
Eden's expression hardened.
She'd missed the crucial word: "retrieving." Or rather, in her anger, she'd misinterpreted it. She thought the man was claiming ownership of Elysia, treating her like a possession!
And what was worse, Elysia was defending him! Eden was convinced that Elysia had been tricked, coerced, or worse…
She recalled Elysia's mention of supernatural abilities. This man was likely part of that organization, possessing some power he'd used to control Elysia, turning her into a… plaything.
The thought fueled her anger, and a flicker of suspicion entered her eyes as she looked at Elysia.
Elysia, oblivious to the escalating misunderstanding, was now even more confused.
Why is she even angrier now?
She looked at Jiang Qiao, pleading for help.
He sighed, turning to Eden.
"Eden, actually…"
Beep beep!
His Fire Moth communicator chirped.
He excused himself, answering the call.
It was MEI.
Her expression was grim. Something serious had happened.
"What is it, MEI?" he asked, noticing Eden's worried glance. "It's fine, Eden. You can trust her."
MEI nodded curtly, accepting his reassurance.
"A major Honkai eruption occurred in ARC City thirty minutes ago," she reported, her voice tense.
"ARC City? Isn't the 4th squad stationed there?" Jiang Qiao frowned. Wendy, the 4th Herrscher, was there too.
"Yes, but we lost contact after the eruption."
"Including Wendy?"
"Yes."
[Elysia] tapped his chin thoughtfully. Even without her core, Wendy was comparable to a standard Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie. For her to lose contact…
"Any Herrscher-level Honkai energy readings?"
"Unknown. The situation is unclear. Vill-V's detection devices can't penetrate the area. ARC City is completely isolated."
[Elysia] sighed. "I'll go."
With the Fire Moth's rank-and-file still awaiting their new equipment, and the situation so volatile and unpredictable, he was the best person for the job.
Mu Continent was relatively close to ARC City. And with Wendy missing, he was the most qualified to handle a potential Herrscher-level threat.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it," [Elysia] replied with a smile, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear.
Beep!
The call ended. He could feel Elysia's burning gaze upon him, clearly displeased by his last comment.
But she didn't voice her complaint, her expression now laced with concern.
"ARC City…"
"It's as you heard," Jiang Qiao confirmed, then turned to Eden, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, Eden, but we have to go to ARC City immediately."
Mu Continent could wait. Femirins's development would take time. ARC City was the priority.
A VTOL aircraft, bearing the Fire Moth insignia, descended amidst gasps of surprise from the crowd below.
MEI, ever efficient, had dispatched a high-speed transport.
The sudden interruption postponed Elysia's attempt to clear her name. Eden could only watch as the man and [Elysia] boarded the aircraft.
She wanted to shout, to ask to join them. She couldn't bear the thought of Elysia being alone with that man.
But she knew this was important. A singer would only be a liability.
She bit her lip, her fists clenching so tightly that her nails drew blood. A wave of helplessness washed over her. This feeling of powerlessness… it was agonizing.
She wanted to fight alongside Elysia, not watch helplessly as she flew away with that strange, unsettling man. What would happen between them? She didn't even want to imagine.
As the aircraft disappeared into the distance, a new resolve hardened her gaze.
She finally understood why her future self had chosen to abandon her art for the battlefield. Perhaps… she too had experienced this same sense of helplessness.
A steely glint entered her golden eyes. Her internal conflict resolved, replaced by a newfound determination.
Wait for me, Elysia! I'll rescue you from that man!
Meanwhile, oblivious to Eden's vow, Jiang Qiao and Elysia sat on the aircraft.
Contrary to Eden's fears, nothing untoward was happening.
Elysia wanted to do something… to finish what she'd started… Surely, no one could stop her in the sky!
But she wasn't shameless enough to assault Jiang Qiao in front of the pilot.
So she sulked.
It's all his fault! Eden wouldn't have looked at me like that if it weren't for him!
Still, despite her anger, she wouldn't let it interfere with the mission. She sat beside [Elysia], watching him review some documents.
"What are you looking at, Jiang Qiao?" she asked, curious.
"Files on ARC City from MEI," he replied, his eyes scanning the pages.
While ARC City was isolated, they weren't completely blind. Fire Moth satellites were monitoring the area, and pre-eruption data was still valuable.
Elysia glanced at the documents, the dense text making her head hurt. She preferred a more… hands-on approach to missions. Other Flame-Chasers meticulously studied intelligence reports. But Elysia… well, she focused on interpersonal relationships and brute force. Thinking was… Jiang Qiao's job.
She watched him, tempted to distract him, to enact her revenge. But he seemed focused, so she reluctantly decided to behave.
She leaned against him, pulling out her phone to browse the internet. Fire Moth's advanced technology provided stable internet access even at high altitudes.
The top news story was about Eden's concert.
And the headline…
*—Shocking! Famous Singer Eden is a Lesbian!_
Details… scarce. But the main topic of discussion was the mysterious pink-haired girl, "Elysia."
Netizens were divided.
One faction: enthusiastic shippers.
The other: converts.
Eden x Elysia! The ship had sailed!
Fanfiction, fanart… the internet exploded with declarations of their OTP status.
And the converts…
Two words: Elysia's Gate!
European Road Trip Was Terrible: Guys, we've seen the light! We've found our true faith!
20 Dumplings and Spicy Hot Pot: I'm Elysia's dog!
'Please': …Elysia.
An endless stream of "Elysia's Gate" comments followed, hinting at the formation of a… cult.
But what truly horrified Elysia was the Fire Moth intranet.
The rumor that Elysia, the organization's social butterfly, was a lesbian had spread like wildfire.
And some jerk named Erwin had even posted:
Elysia is preying on innocent girls! Be careful, ladies!
Followed by a chorus of "Indeed!" and "We knew it!"
Elysia felt like exploding.
My reputation! Ruined!
Jiang Qiao! THIS ISN'T OVER!!!