This Chat Group's Vibe is a Bit Off

Many years ago, Koschei had secretly ruled Lungmen. By chance, Wei Yanwu and his brother, Talulah's father Edward Atreus, arrived in Lungmen. After a fierce struggle, they successfully drove Koschei out of Lungmen.

However, Koschei somehow learned Edward's secret as a surviving descendant of Victoria's royal family, as well as his relationship with Wei Yanwu's younger sister. It then exploited the jealousy and rage of Wei Yanwu's younger brother—the Emperor of Yan—and Londinium's influence, forcing Wei Yanwu to kill Edward himself in order to protect Talulah, who was still in her mother's womb. After that, it returned and took Talulah away by threatening to blow up half of Lungmen.

It was no exaggeration to say that if not for Koschei, Talulah would have been Lungmen's young lady right now, rather than some unlucky girl starving and freezing on the Ursus snowfields.

After taking Talulah away, it had constantly tried to mold her into its ideal form. But Koschei's teachings were filled with an intensely incomprehensible air of dog-and-donkey nonsense.

Talulah still remembered some of Koschei's brain-dead remarks: "Talulah, do great things! Great things!" "Talulah, no one is born to be ruled by others, but they yearn for your rule." "Ursus needs a war. As for the vast tracts of barren land, slaughtered livestock, industrial decline, soaring prices, devalued rubles, and rising unemployment brought by war, those are insignificant sacrifices. Only war can bring Ursus rebirth." And so on.

Though Talulah had been young and knew nothing about the world then, she had known very clearly that Koschei was an idiot.

Anything related to Koschei, whether its ideas or the legacy it left behind, she did not want to touch.

Right now, she was like the poor young man in "On Taking Over": inheriting a grand ancestral house and estate from his forefathers—Koschei—but opposing the former owner of that house and fearing contamination by Koschei's possessions. Too cowardly to enter, he flew into a rage and burned everything down, considering it a way to preserve his own purity.

Then Qianyi and the others tied her to a tree and beat her.

Bound to the tree by the Void Band, Talulah howled, "Let me go! What are you doing?! I asked you to deal with Koschei, not to deal with me!"

"I think your problems are more serious than Koschei's." Qianyi sounded deeply regretful. "Liberating all Infected and allowing Infected and ordinary people to live as equals—that is the goal you are fighting for, right? But what are you doing? Wasting time in this frozen wasteland, playing cat-and-mouse with small fry like the Infected Patrol Squad, worrying every day about food, clothing, and housing. You do not even have a stable source of Originium Inhibitors. So how can you speak of equality?"

Talulah: "..."

"Calm down. I am not blaming you. I just think your methods are far too stupid. At your current pace, you will probably only manage to seize one small city in your entire life, unite some Infected as Reunion members, then leave the remaining mountain of problems to your descendants or successors."

"You do not understand Koschei."

"But I understand dukes! That position is only one step away from Emperor. If I can sit in that position, it means I have the authority to impose the Band Dissolution Tax throughout Ursus. If I go one step further and seize the Emperor's throne, that means I will have the authority to impose the Band Dissolution Tax on neighboring small nations, perhaps even launch a Great Expedition and levy the Band Dissolution Tax across all Terra!"

Why were you still obsessed with that damn Band Dissolution Tax?!

Toyokawa Shoko broke out in a cold sweat. She felt that Qianyi was truly a little too persistent, too gravitational, like a black hole that sucked in everything that came close and never let it escape. She even suspected that in another two years, Qianyi might directly enact a law taxing anyone who had ever disbanded a band, then force every former band member to obediently go form a band again.

Wait, would that not include me too?!

I am from the same world as him. There is no way I can escape?

Croak, this is really as ugly as it gets!

I absolutely cannot let him know that I used to be in a band—and that I disbanded one!

"I understand!"

Talulah understood. She had grasped Qianyi's meaning. Since I can impose the Band Dissolution Tax, then correspondingly, I have the ability to enact an Infected Bill, giving more persecuted Infected a place to belong!

To do that, she needed to claim Koschei's ducal position. Perhaps even, perhaps even the Emperor's throne of Ursus!

As she thought that, a desire for power arose in her heart. That longing and pursuit activated the Origin Stone Arts Koschei had left within her.

That voice belonging to Koschei—the voice she hated most—suddenly barged into her mind, attempting to seize control of her body from her consciousness.

"Now! Kiana! Get the television!"

Sensing Koschei's consciousness emerging, Qianyi immediately ordered Kiana beside him to take out the television and open the Undying Black Serpent instance.

With a snap of her fingers, the girl who wielded spatial authority summoned Raiden Mei's television. It appeared at once and landed on the snowfield. Qianyi placed a hand on it, and ripples spread across its surface. Then Kiana released Talulah, grabbed the Dragon Girl, and threw her toward the television. "Get in there!"

"Go, go, go!" After sending Talulah inside, Kiana charged in first with a flying kick.

When FrostNova saw her friend swallowed by that thin black thing, she naturally could not stand idly by. Gritting her teeth, she jumped in after her.

Seeing his daughter go in, Patriot sized up the opening. He figured he could make it through vertically, so he plunged in headfirst.

When they saw all three leaders enter, the remaining Shield Guards and Snow Monster Squad members looked at one another, then crowded before the television and lined up to enter.

The passing Reunion members had no idea what these elite fighters were doing. But seeing the Shield Guards and Snow Monster Squad elites lining up, they assumed something good was happening—perhaps food was being handed out—so they came over to line up as well.

Though Qianyi had no idea why all these people had come, they were already here. He felt awkward telling them to leave, so he let them go in too.

The more people there were, the more strength they had. Strength came in numbers.

By the time Qianyi's arm was starting to ache from holding it up, Reunion's people had finally almost all gone in.

Damn, there were actually this many people in Reunion!

Afraid more people might suddenly appear behind them, Qianyi quickly called Shoko and Artoria over and jumped inside.

???

Inside the consciousness space.

Koschei, who was fighting Talulah while preaching its ideals, suddenly shuddered and began nervously looking around.

"I have an ominous feeling. It feels like there are many consciousnesses nearby that do not belong to Talulah or me, but I cannot see anyone."

"Is it an illusion?"

"Why do you reject me, Talulah?"

Koschei casually swung the longsword in its hand, driving Talulah back step by step as it tempted her. "You inherit the knowledge of the Black Serpent, carry the bloodline of the Red Dragon, stand upon the lands of the Grizzly Bear, and read the history of the Swift Eagle. No one is born to be ruled by others, but they yearn for your rule. They have spent their entire lives waiting for someone like you to rule them. Ursus will tremble for you, while the Infected are merely insignificant sacrifices beneath this great rule. Yet for such insignificant sacrifices, you would obstruct Ursus's march forward, my daughter?"

The way Koschei said it so casually made those insignificant sacrifices sound like nothing more than eating one less slice of bread for breakfast. Talulah could not help feeling horrified and enraged—horrified by the Black Serpent's insanity, enraged that it could call the sacrifices and oppression of tens of millions of Infected insignificant.

"I can do whatever I want! What business is it of yours?!" Shocked and furious, Talulah chose not to listen to the bastard's nonsense and raised her sword to kill Koschei a second time.

"You are my daughter. As your father, I have a duty to guide you back onto the proper path, to set you upon the path of leading Ursus onto the proper course."

"My father was already killed by you!"

"Incorrect." Koschei shook its head. "That was merely your biological father. I, who raised you, am your true father."

"..." Talulah's rage soared. She had thought she was prepared to face Koschei. She had thought that when she faced it a second time, she would remain calm, laugh and chat with her companions, sing songs as she cut off Koschei's head, hang it from Reunion's banner, and have everyone dance the victory-screen dance beneath it while discussing how to loot this cheap old man's coins.

Unexpectedly, she had still overestimated herself and underestimated Koschei.

Just a few words had already made her lose her reason.

"I will kill you!"

"My pitiful daughter. A dead biological father alone makes you so furious, so lacking in self-control. How can someone like you defeat me? How can you stop Ursus from moving forward?"

"Shut up!"

"Your swordsmanship, your thoughts, everything you possess—it was all given to you by me. Instead of using them to repay me, you wish to use the power I gave you to kill me?"

"Shut up! Shut up!"

"My daughter, you have grown up. It is time you learned filial piety. If you continue to be so disrespectful, I will not spare even the friends around you!"

Koschei had already seen Talulah wavering wildly. Even the hand holding her sword had begun to tremble. At this rate, it would soon be able to...

"I fucking made it!"

The next instant, the sky boomed, and Kiana made her dazzling entrance.

Seeing Kiana arrive like a hero, Talulah was overjoyed and called out her teammate's name. "Kiana!"

"Koschei, your ambitions end here, at the hands of Kiana Kaslana!" Kiana pointed her sword at Koschei and delivered the incredibly cool entrance line she had prepared long ago.

But the next moment—

"Ahhh!!!"

An enormous commotion suddenly came from the sky. Kiana looked up to see countless figures plummeting from above.

"Talulah! We came to save you!" FrostNova shouted.

"Leader!" the Shield Guards shouted.

"Leader, we came with Big Sis to help you!" the Snow Monster Squad members cried.

People fell from the sky like dumplings, horrifying Kiana, Talulah, and Koschei alike.

No, why were all of you here?!

"Not good! Kiana, run!" Knowing that even as a Red Dragon, being crushed beneath this many people would not feel good, Talulah wanted Kiana to use her spatial authority to take them away. But when she turned around, she found half of Kiana's body already inside a Space Gate.

You bitch!

Luckily, she had looked. Otherwise, Kiana really would have escaped.

She grabbed Kiana by the ankle. "Take me with you!"

"My Space Gate can only transport one person at most!" Kiana kicked her legs desperately like a rabbit, trying to shake off Talulah's grip. "I am not familiar with this world's space. Taking someone with me could cause problems."

"Is that so?" Talulah nodded, then violently yanked backward. "I do not believe a word of it! If you will not take me, then do not leave! We die together!"

"Hey! Is it really okay to settle personal scores at a time like this, just because I beat you up earlier? Why are women like you so narrow-minded! One of us could survive!"

"Then let me run. If you let me run, I will forgive you for beating me earlier."

"Really? If I give you the portal, you will forgive me for beating you before?"

"Kiana, we are friends. How could I possibly not forgive you?"

"But! I refuse! What Kiana Kaslana loves most is saying NO to people who think too highly of themselves! I opened this portal. If anyone runs, it will be me!"

"You bitch!"

Talulah flew into a draconic rage and yanked Kiana out of the Space Gate.

If I cannot live, neither can you!

Then let this storm rage even harder!

Amid one splash after another, Reunion members fell from the sky and buried Kiana, Talulah, and Koschei like dumplings, piling into a small mountain that grew taller and taller.

When Qianyi, Shoko, and Artoria came down, they found people covering the ground beneath their feet. There was not even anywhere to land.

It was a complete mess.

Fortunately, Patriot and FrostNova were there. They stabilized the situation in no time. Yet soon after things settled down, unrest arose among the group.

"There are two Talulahs?!"

Amid everyone's bewildered expressions, two figures stood surrounded by the crowd.

They had the same stern silver hair, imposing Dragon Horns, and valiant faces. Yet one had firm eyes brimming with a victor's joy, wearing an utterly silly expression; the other had icy eyes, radiating arrogant pride while carrying a trace of seductive feminine charm.

Seeing Koschei dare to take on her appearance, Talulah became furious. She stepped forward with her sword and cursed, "Koschei, you old bastard! You dare impersonate me to fool people? Die!"

The other Talulah did not answer, openly drawing her own sword to meet her. The two Talulahs clashed, impossible to distinguish as real or fake. What a fierce fight it was!

One was a Red Dragon Drac hybrid, while the other was an immortal who had survived for a thousand years. Two swords, two Red Dragons—this was no ordinary battle.

Kiana stood to one side and did not dare interfere. Seeing them fight, she truly could not tell real from fake. She wanted to draw the Void Spear to help, but feared injuring the real one.

As the two fought fiercely, Toyokawa Shoko called out, "Stop! Stop! Let Artoria and me determine which one is real."

Artoria stepped forward and used her Fairy Eye, looking at this one and then that one. After a moment, she raised her head and shook it at Shoko. "I cannot tell. There are too many people around, and their malice is all mixed together, so I cannot distinguish them."

For a moment, Reunion's ranks erupted into noise.

"Even Lia's Fairy Eye cannot tell them apart. What do we do?" Shoko looked toward Qianyi, the group's pillar of support.

"Leave it to me."

Qianyi understood that at a time like this, what they needed was not the correct decision, but someone who could make a decision. Otherwise, Reunion might split apart over this. If things dragged on, people might even later question whether Talulah was truly Talulah or merely Koschei in disguise.

He stepped forward, ordered both of them disarmed, then smiled slightly at them.

Talulah brightened. "Qianyi, you recognized that I am the real Talulah, right?"

Qianyi continued smiling.

Talulah's smile froze. "...You recognized me, right?"

Qianyi smiled faintly, clapped his hands, and said to everyone behind him, "Someone, hang both of them up and beat them!"

What did it matter if they could not tell which one was real?

Just beat them both up!

Since they could not tell which one was the enemy, they would beat them both up!

A simple and brutal solution.

After all, Qianyi's side had healing skills, and the Divine Key Abyss Flower in Kiana's hands possessed the authority of creation and could heal as well. As long as they did not kill anyone, they could basically heal them back up. But—

I am the one getting hurt!

Realizing her teammates had decided to give up on identifying her and simply beat up friendly forces directly, the Red Dragon tried to awaken their conscience. "Do not give up so easily! Are we not comrades who fought together? How can you abandon me so casually and carelessly?! Try harder!"

"I think this one looks like Talulah." Kiana nodded and offered her assessment.