An Invitation to Dance

Furina, still bewildered by the message in her mind, instinctively accepted.

Then—

A girl with fiery red hair, tied in a high ponytail, materialized in the courtyard.

Furina stared, dumbfounded.

Where… where did she come from?!

The newcomer scanned her surroundings, her gaze sharpening as it landed on Furina.

"You're the so-called God of Justice?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"Uh… y-yes… that's me…" Furina stammered, shrinking under the girl's intense scrutiny. A thought struck her, and she blurted it out without thinking.

"Are you… that country bumpkin from the group?"

"Huh?"

The girl's eyes narrowed dangerously at the words "country bumpkin."

"Weren't you going to judge me?" she asked, her voice laced with steel.

"Uh… well, yes! Insulting a god is a grave offense! A god cannot be mocked!" Despite her fear, Furina stood her ground, maintaining her divine facade.

"Where did this girl come from…? She looks cute, but… scary. Will my act even work? What if something bad happens?"

"Of course, I am a merciful god. Apologize, and I'll forgive you!"

Furina tried to de-escalate, offering an olive branch—or rather, a desperate escape route.

"Apologize?"

The girl's expression shifted, a strange glint in her eyes. Furina's heart sank.

"Is there a problem?" she asked nervously.

"No problem at all. But…"

Furina brightened. Yes! An out! I can back down gracefully, maintain my dignity, and avoid a confrontation.

"But what?"

"Beat me first!"

A chain-linked spear materialized in the girl's hand, its sharp tip inches from Furina's face.

"Eh… eh… EHH?!"

The glint of steel, so close she could feel the phantom pain on her neck, sent shivers down her spine. Furina's carefully constructed composure shattered.

"A god must be powerful, right? If you want to judge me, then beat me first. I've never fought a god before!" the girl—Sakura Kyoko—declared, a thrill in her voice.

Furina wanted to cry.

How… how did this happen?!

She was just an ordinary person, physically weaker than a wet noodle. Fighting a battle-hardened magical girl like Kyoko…? It was suicide.

But backing down was unthinkable. Exposing her false divinity was worse than death.

What do I do? What do I do?!

Panicked, her eyes darted around, searching for an escape. Then, she noticed a message in the chat group.

Jiang Qiao: If you're in trouble, give her food. @God of Justice

Jiang Qiao, currently serving as Eden's cuddle buddy, had predicted this outcome. Given Kyoko's personality and Furina's… theatrics… a clash was inevitable. More accurately, a one-sided beatdown.

Furina, not knowing who this "Jiang Qiao" was, clung to the advice like a lifeline.

She looked around frantically. Food… food…

Her gaze landed on the barely touched pastries.

"H-here… this is for you…" she stammered, pushing the plate towards Kyoko, her heart pounding in her chest.

Leftovers… will she be offended?

Furina suddenly regretted taking the stranger's advice. Offering half-eaten food was practically an insult! Would the girl retaliate, skewering her with that terrifying spear?

But she'd underestimated the power of food, especially for someone like Kyoko.

The magical girl's eyes lit up at the sight of the pastries. Her hostility melted away like snow in the sun.

With a flourish, she slung the spear over her shoulder and plopped down on a nearby chair.

Sharing food = Let's be friends!

That was Kyoko's simple logic.

Even leftovers were acceptable. If you offered food, you were a good person… a good god!

Furina watched in disbelief as Kyoko devoured her precious pastries, a mix of relief and despair washing over her.

It worked! She was safe!

But seeing her beloved Proustiste disappear… a part of her wished Kyoko had just ended it all.

My afternoon tea… my dessert… my Proustiste… NOOOO!!!

Guilty! Death sentence! Death sentence!

Normally, Furina would unleash her "divine wrath" upon anyone who dared steal her happiness. But facing the girl who'd just threatened her with a spear, she could only weep internally.

Why did I have to challenge her?

Suddenly, Kyoko stood up.

Furina's heart leaped into her throat.

Is she going to beat me after eating my dessert?!

But Kyoko simply reached into her pocket, offering Furina…

A chocolate bar.

"…For me?" Furina asked, surprised.

Kyoko nodded, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

"If you insist… I shall graciously accept!" Furina beamed, then remembering her role, cleared her throat and adopted a more dignified posture.

A friendship had been forged.

God of Justice: Thanks! @Jiang Qiao

Kyoko: Hmph, busybody.

While happy to have made a new friend, Kyoko still felt a twinge of annoyance at Jiang Qiao's advice. It made her seem like she could be bought with food.

I'm not that easy!

"Looks like that's settled," Jiang Qiao murmured, watching the newfound harmony in the chat group. He closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by Eden's soft murmurs.

As the moon traversed the night sky, dawn arrived, painting the room in warm hues. Eden stirred, awakening from a pleasant dream.

"Good morning, Eden~"

A sweet voice, the most delightful alarm clock imaginable, jolted her awake.

Her golden eyes fluttered open, sleep-induced haze giving way to a profound sense of happiness.

"Good morning, Elysia," she replied softly, a smile gracing her lips.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I had a lovely dream."

"Ooh, a dream? Let me guess~ It was about me, wasn't it?" [Elysia] tilted her head playfully, her pink hair cascading around her shoulders.

"You guessed right."

Eden readily admitted it, then added with a teasing smile, "Can you guess what kind of dream it was, Elysia?"

"Hmm… that's a tough one~ But I'm so curious~ So…" [Elysia] leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Tell me~ my dear Eden~"

Jiang Qiao, channeling Elysia's usual tactic, employed the ultimate weapon: aegyo!

Based on Elysia's memories, it was incredibly effective against Eden.

"I'm afraid I can't recall," Eden said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

[Elysia], though slightly suspicious, simply sighed. "Oh well, if you can't remember…"

Dreams, while vivid at times, were often fleeting. Eden, in her honesty, wouldn't lie about it.

"But if you do remember, you must tell me~"

"I will."

Eden smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Her golden eyes held a hidden meaning.

They moved on, the conversation shifting to the upcoming concert. Eden, a stickler for preparation, began her pre-performance rituals.

But now, she had a new idea.

This was her final performance in Mu Continent—a milestone in her career.

Sharing it with someone special… wouldn't that be wonderful?

…

Eden's concerts were legendary, every performance a sold-out spectacle. Tickets were notoriously difficult to acquire, even with her agency's strict anti-scalping measures.

Previous concerts in Mu Continent had required city-wide security, even drawing police reinforcements from neighboring areas.

And now, the final performance…

The crowd was massive, swelling towards a hundred thousand. Eighty percent of Mu Continent's police force was deployed, barely maintaining order.

"Wow, this is… lively," Jiang Qiao (as Elysia) muttered, adjusting his cap as he navigated the throngs of people.

While Elysia had traveled extensively in her youth, this was her first experience with such a massive crowd.

As for why the pink-haired goddess, supposed to be battling a Honkai beast in South Asia, was here…

After defeating Ganesha (Pārvati in this timeline), she'd immediately flown to Mu Continent, arriving at the Second Fire Moth Research facility just in time.

When she inquired about Jiang Qiao's whereabouts, the answer had been… he was at the concert.

Seriously?! I'm slaving away fighting monsters, and he's enjoying a concert?!

That rascal!!!

He used my body to sneak into Eden's concert before, and now he's doing it again behind my back?!

Good thing I'm clever!

If she hadn't checked the chat group, worried about his well-being, she would've missed it!

And she'd never even seen Eden perform live!

"Just made it!" she thought, relieved, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten amidst the electric atmosphere.

She sent a message through the chat group.

Elysia: Bad Jiang Qiao! I'm at the concert! Where are you?! @Jiang Qiao @Jiang Qiao @Jiang Qiao

While Fire Moth had its own communication channels, the chat group was more convenient.

She'd planned to surprise him, to get revenge for his sneaky concert-going habits. She'd even asked Einstein not to inform him of her arrival.

But now… she needed a shortcut.

She'd settle the score later.

Backstage, [Elysia] was surprised by the message, but replied nonetheless:

Jiang Qiao: Here, backstage. Come over.

Elysia stared at the message, confused.

…Backstage?

How did he get backstage?

Having rushed here, she hadn't spoken to Yssring yet, so she was unaware of Eden's situation.

But that didn't stop her from getting angry.

Backstage access was a privilege. Jiang Qiao getting in meant he'd done something.

And it probably involved Eden…

Her cheeks puffed up with indignation.

Darn it! I forgot about Eden!

While she knew this wasn't the same Eden from the Elysian Realm, if that rascal could charm that Eden, this one would be child's play.

She had to admit, grudgingly, that he was efficient.

He can't stay put, can he? Another beautiful girl, and a superstar no less!

At least she'd confiscated his body. That should prevent any… incidents.

And… heehee… using her body… that meant Eden would be hers once she got it back!

Convinced that Jiang Qiao hadn't made much progress with Eden yet, Elysia decided to take advantage of the situation.

The Elysian Realm Eden was a lost cause. But this one… I have a chance!

Stealing his body was a stroke of genius!

She might even succeed in her revenge plan!

Yes!

But… backstage access…

That meant a front-row seat to Eden's concert!

While she could watch from the crowd, it was incredibly cramped. Being closer… and keeping an eye on that rascal… it was the perfect plan!

She could watch Eden and prevent Jiang Qiao from causing trouble!

Excited, she typed a quick reply.

Elysia: Bad Jiang Qiao! Just you wait!!! @Jiang Qiao

Front-row seats to Eden's concert! And I get to supervise that rascal! I'm coming!

Ugh… so crowded…!

Elysia struggled through the sea of people, reaching out towards the less densely packed areas.

Just a little further… just a little further…

Meanwhile, backstage…

Jiang Qiao stared, bewildered, as Eden, dressed in a stunning stage outfit, extended her hand towards him, an invitation in her eyes.

As the backstage crew looked on in shock, her elegant voice echoed through the dressing room.

"—Elysia, would you like to join me on stage for a dance?"