The Vibe of This Chat Group Is a Bit Different Chapter 23

God (Yahweh) led Abraham not only to Shechem but also to that Bethel—the Bethel?

The real-world Bethel is an ancient Palestinian city, located about sixteen kilometers north of Jerusalem and about a hundred kilometers north of Israel. The word "Bethel" in Hebrew, Philistine, and Aramaic means "House of God [Body of Christ]."

If it were anyone else, Shoko wouldn't have made these connections. But when Qianyi fights, he keeps shouting "Susanoo-no-Mikoto"—that's the name of the Japanese mythological creator god. Now his parents work in a place like Bethel, steeped in religious significance, and his family owns a classical garden-style house in Ginza, where land is worth its weight in gold...

Holy crap! Could you actually be a god?

Is it too late for me to kneel down and pray for wealth now?

As they chatted, they reached their destination. The place Shoko wanted to bring Qianyi was called STARRY, a classic "box" venue in Shimokitazawa. Walking down the stairs, just as she was about to ring the doorbell, the door ahead swung open on its own. Looking up, it was the shop manager's younger sister—she remembered the name as Ijichi... oh right, Nijika!

"Ohh! It's Shoko! Good evening, here to work today too?" Nijika called out.

"I'm late, is that okay?" Because of Qianyi, Shoko had come a bit later than usual.

"What does it matter? There aren't many customers during the day, coming a little late is no big deal." The sunny girl with the golden side ponytail greeted Shoko, then noticed Qianyi beside her: "Ohh! Isn't this Qianyi?"

"You two... know each other?" Shoko tilted her head.

"Of course, Qianyi and I are desk mates, right!" Nijika explained their relationship.

"A gift." Qianyi handed Nijika one of the five cans of Sugar-free Fanta he'd been forced to buy earlier when the vending machine jammed.

"Thanks." Nijika held out both hands to take it.

"Thanks." A blue-haired girl who had somehow appeared beside Nijika smiled, extending both hands, waiting for the drink to fall into hers.

Her hair was cut unevenly, with strands sticking out rebelliously in all directions, and the front was jaggedly draped over her forehead. Yet the hairstyle suited her perfectly. She wore a white short-sleeved crewneck under a black jacket, a blue skirt from which slender calves emerged, disappearing into black stockings, and leather shoes on her feet. Her frame was thin, giving her a fragile look.

"Here." Since he had five cans, Qianyi didn't hold back.

Greatness needs no words.

"Thanks, I like you." Yamada Ryo said something weird with a straight face. She could sense that this man was a born rock saint!

"Ryo, don't say weird stuff like that!" Nijika, acting as the bridge, introduced the extra blue-haired girl to Qianyi: "She's Yamada Ryo, in the same class as us. By the way, she's the bassist~."

After the introductions, Nijika grabbed Qianyi with one hand and Shoko with the other, pulling them both into STARRY. Finding an empty spot, she said seriously, "Speaking of which, Qianyi and Shoko, can you two play guitar?"

"I thought your band already had a guitarist, Nijika. What, is the practice not going smoothly?" Shoko asked curiously.

"If only that were the case." Ijichi Nijika sighed, slumping weakly onto the table, complaining, "Our band's guitarist suddenly ran off. The show we were supposed to perform might be ruined now. It was such a hard-won opportunity from my sister."

"Is that so? Bands are like that—they come together and fall apart. There's formation, and there's parting. Even if you find a new guitarist now, you probably won't make it in time for the show. My condolences." Shoko expressed helplessness.

"No!" Qianyi suddenly got excited. "This is the time to drag that guitarist back. I know a Box Domain God—I'll find her for you right now! Quitting a band without permission and causing it to disband—I won't forgive that! If I ever become Prime Minister, I'll slap that bastard with a Band Dissolution Tax of ten million!"

Shoko: Holy crap! How could I forget about this!

She immediately grabbed Qianyi, putting all her strength into protecting the unknown guitarist, preventing her from being scared straight to Takamagahara by a sudden ten-million debt in the future.

Speaking of which, would going to Takamagahara still be under Qianyi's jurisdiction?

Wouldn't that mean paying the tax twice?

Yamada Ryo, sipping her Sugar-free Fanta, revealed a knowing smile: "As expected, Qianyi, you're really rock."

"What does 'really rock' mean?" Nijika asked, confused.

"Drinking, smoking, tattoos, fighting, hooking up with high school girls, grooming fans, and demanding friend fees." Yamada Ryo rattled it off.

"No blowing up Tokyo Tower?" Qianyi added.

Yamada Ryo's expression immediately turned serious. She pulled a wet wipe from the table, cleaned her hands, and uttered two words: "Bass?"

Qianyi nodded in response: "Bass."

The next moment, their hands were tightly clasped together.

Watching the two god-kin inexplicably reach a consensus and act like siblings, Shoko and Nijika's expressions darkened: "Shoko, change of plans. Let's separate them today. They're too dangerous."

"Agreed."

Chapter 46: Children, I'm Really a Good Student

Qianyi and Yamada Ryo were finally separated.

The two of them chatted like long-lost siblings, covering everything under the sun, but in the end, they were cruelly torn apart by the evil hands of the Great Demon King Toyokawa Shoko and the Demon Lord Ijichi Nijika.

If they hadn't forcibly pulled them apart, the two probably would have found three incense sticks on the spot and sworn to live and die together.

That remark made Shoko's eyelids twitch wildly.

If her guess was right, Qianyi was Susanoo-no-Mikoto. If he swore brotherhood with Yamada Ryo, wouldn't that make Ryo the mother of all Japan?

But the scariest thing wasn't that—it was that she finally realized this world wasn't ordinary. It was a world of gods and demons with supernatural forces.

In a world like this, with supernatural powers and the existence of gods and demons, she had chosen to play in a band?

She should have gone to the card shop next door back in the day to build decks and play cards.

"We'll part ways here."

After seeing Shoko onto the train, Qianyi turned toward another one. Just as he turned, a small figure unexpectedly collided with him from outside his line of sight.

"Ah!"

Feeling like she'd hit an iron tower, the gray-haired, pink-eyed girl stumbled backward, losing her balance. Just as she was about to fall, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, giving her support and restoring her balance. It all happened in an instant, almost unreal, followed by a rustling sound—the notebook in her arms had fallen to the ground.

But she didn't immediately pick it up. Instead, after steadying herself, she strained to look at the train Xiangzi had boarded as it pulled away from the station.

That was Xiangzi just now, wasn't it...

"Sorry!" Because the girl was too short, combined with a blind spot in his vision, Qianyi hadn't noticed her at all.

He crouched down to help her pick up the notebook that had fallen on the ground, and happened to catch a glimpse of the open page's contents—Foam, hey, listen to my voice, a voice that cries out, I'm right here, using sound instead of blood, shouting at the edge of the world, I am the little mermaid, the little mermaid with no way back, the little mermaid who has turned into foam...

"No, that's—" Takamatsu Rin instinctively tried to explain when she noticed someone had seen her notebook, but Qianyi spoke first: "Is this the cry of your soul? Your shout at the edge of the world?"

"Huh?" Takamatsu Rin froze.

"No, nothing. I just think you remind me of a friend of mine." Qianyi closed the notebook and carefully placed it into the gray-haired girl's arms. "If this is the cry you want to send to someone, then sing it out. Convey it to the one you want to reach. Goodbye."

"Um... wait! Please, wait! Can you tell me? Your name." Takamatsu Rin suddenly called out to Qianyi, who had only taken a few steps. She held out the notebook with both hands, her voice trembling: "Even just your surname is fine! Please!"

Qianyi turned around, looking at the cute girl who resembled a penguin. Though he found it a bit odd, he still took the Stag Beetle Notebook she offered, wrote his name on a blank page, and handed it back: "My name is Qianyi. Nice to meet you."

"Um... I... my name is Takamatsu Rin. Please, please take care of me!" Rin had no idea where she got the courage or nerve, but somehow, she felt that the person before her was warm and gentle, making her want to reach out without thinking.

"Rin, huh? That's a cute name. Looking forward to meeting you again."

Qianyi waved goodbye.

???

Friday → Monday.

Today was a clear, sunny day. As usual, Qianyi went to class to listen, but by the second period, something unusual had already happened.

I want to eat Mei-flavored instant noodles: Hey, everyone, big trouble!

Lower District Flying Head Barbarian: Has that guy Otto finally decided to make a move? I knew him paying so generously before was a trap to fool us! Let's go, hit him!!

Talulah: Let's go, brothers, raid his place!

Steel Prison Big: Calm down, everyone.

Steel Prison Big: Kiana, first tell us what exactly happened. Did Otto do something?

I want to eat Mei-flavored instant noodles: No, it's worse than that!

Steel Prison Big: ?

How could it be worse? Did Otto kill Raiden Ryoma right in front of Mei, then say to her, "You may have lost your father, but you still have me," shattering her mental defenses and turning her into a Herrscher on the spot?

Or did he capture you, forcibly stuff the Serenity Gem and a ton of Honkai Energy into you, forcing you to become a Herrscher?

I want to eat Mei-flavored instant noodles: It's that Chi You, who's been sleeping near Shenzhou for a long time, has awakened. Then Otto came to St. Freya Academy hoping we could deal with it. But I remember Chi You should still be asleep at this time. Something feels off. Maybe Otto's pulling strings behind the scenes, but I can't be sure, so I wanted to ask you all for advice or help.

Just as Kiana finished sending the message, the Dimensional Chat Group panel suddenly popped up.

Task: Defeat the suddenly awakened Chi You.
Content: The Judgment-class Honkai Beast Chi You, which should have been dormant—is its sudden awakening a conspiracy of Schicksal or a scheme of the World Serpent? Either way, it signals a crisis (opportunity to unlock subsequent hidden tasks).
Time Limit: Thirty days.
Player Limit: None.
Reward: Due to maintenance of the Dimensional Chat Group, specifics cannot be disclosed for now. Rewards will be doubled based on updated content afterward.

Oh wow, a task with a hidden mission, and double rewards to boot.

Steel Prison Big: Looks like we'll need to mobilize everyone this time.

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: But I'm still in class.

Maple Sugar Commander: I'm in class too.

Steel Prison Big: I'm also in class, but no choice. Xiangzi, Wutina, skip class.

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: No, no, that's just—

Steel Prison Big: Based on my gut, this Chi You task might just be the beginning. Who knows how strong the enemies we'll face later are? Better to have everyone participate.

Steel Prison Big: Since the three of us are all in class, let's roll dice to decide. If we roll a one, we skip one class to help out. With our strength, if we're fast, one class period should be enough to deal with Chi You. Then we'll decide whether to stay based on what happens next.

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: Fine... if I roll a one, I'll skip class.

Steel Prison Big: dice.gif

Qianyi sent a dice emoji. The six-sided die tumbled through the air, its four faces flashing past like shooting stars, before finally landing on the side with six dots.

Lower District Flying Head Barbarian: It's a six.

Talulah: Sigh, some people can't come because of class. Students sure have busy schedules. Is this the trouble that comes with peace and happiness?

I want to eat Mei-flavored instant noodles: With three people missing, we might have to play it safe.

Just as everyone thought this mission might be short three key members, Qianyi posted in the group.

Steel Prison Big: I rolled a six—what luck. That's six times a one. No choice, I'll have to skip six classes.

Honkai Impact 3rd, full assault!

Maple Sugar Commander: ?

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: ?

Chapter 47: Otto: Where Did These Beggars Come From?

The white Costa Firenze let out a deafening roar as it sliced through the waves.

This Italian-style luxury cruise liner, roughly 323 meters long and capable of holding over 5,000 passengers, was designed for billionaires, international superstars, and political and business heavyweights. Riding such a vessel made one completely forget they were away from land—it boasted multiple themed restaurants, museums, art exhibition spaces, and classic Italian cafes.

To ensure passengers enjoyed a lavish experience, the ship also featured luxurious sea-view suites, a pool, and a cinema.

When Qianyi and the others arrived at St. Freya Academy, the cruise liner was already waiting for them at the port. It was a specially approved ride from Otto to show his generosity, tasked with transporting the Honkai Triumvirate and the Dimensional Chat Group squad to Jiu You in the East China Sea.

Beyond generosity, there was another reason: this mission was high-level, involving a Judgment-class Honkai Beast, leaving no room for carelessness.

"The bread here even has jam filling! Can I take some?" Seele rubbed her hands together like a fly, staring at the waiter with hopeful eyes. If the waiter said yes, she'd immediately whip out a sack and sweep all the bread off the table.

"These utensils are all silver—this must be the kind of royal tableware from Victoria's court." Talulah studied the cutlery in her hands.

"Talulah, get with the times. Silverware's long been worthless. Look at these champagne bottles on the table—each one's worth at least 200,000 yen." Qianyi shrugged, pointing it out.

Just as she was about to open a bottle and pour everyone a glass, Xiangzi jolted, her hand holding the champagne trembling slightly.

This one bottle is worth several months of my salary?!

"Can I swipe it?" Xiangzi felt her moral compass sinking again.

"Xiangzi, taking it openly won't work. But you can pretend you're about to drink it, then sneakily pack it into a group red envelope and send it to someone. We'll split the proceeds later when we're back." Qianyi offered advice. In truth, he'd already swiped a few game consoles from the ship, planning to fill up his room later. He was just quick and professional about it, so no one noticed.

"You're Kiana, Mei, and Bronya's friends, but could you not be so blatant right in front of me?"

Mutsuhisa Himeko, the mission captain on site, looked at this bunch of God-kin who were either stealing food, swiping utensils, or pocketing champagne, and she could barely hold it together.