mygo, but Cthulhu

"band?"

Xian Juanxin glanced at her indifferently, then shook her head slightly, her voice clearly showing indifference.

"I no longer have a band, Xia Li. I disbanded that ridiculous Hello, Happy World. Misaki and the others are my important friends now, but that's all. I won't perform on stage with them again, ever."

"…Kokoro, are you serious? You're going to disband the band you care about the most?"

After being silent for a while, Charlotte continued to ask in disbelief. When she saw Xian Juanxin nod expressionlessly, her body shook and she spoke quickly with trembling voice.

"Xin, why is this happening? Don't you love Hello, Happy World the most? Before, when I first came to Tokyo and wanted to disrupt your band, you told me that you would stick with it and would never..."

"So I said, I was too stupid at that time, my head was full of unrealistic delusions, and I didn't consider what the reality was like at all."

Xian Juanxin interrupted her softly, and Charlotte quickly shook her head vigorously.

"Don't say that, Xin. Although I agree that you need to change, you don't have to hate your past self so much. The past you is just as important to me..."

"In the past, Xian Juanxin was nothing but a fool indulging in delusions."

The blonde girl sneered, then raised her hand to gesture towards the control area scene outside the window and raised her voice slightly.

"Look, Charlie, this is the order I've created. In this city, you and I are at the top of the hierarchy. Aside from my friends, everyone else must obey the company's rule. If they dare to disobey, they'll face the same fate as the tens of thousands of dissenters."

"I've already thrown that ridiculous band game you mentioned into the trash along with that ridiculous me. Now, I control violence, power, and profit, and these are the things I care about most besides my friends... They are much more important than the so-called hello, happy world."

"..."

Charlotte looked at her in a daze. The blonde girl in her eyes was completely different from the friend in her memory. Instead, she gradually overlapped with the image of her father. She looked at Xian Juanxin helplessly for a moment, then spoke with a bitter expression and difficulty.

"Kokoro, if you insist that your past self is worthless... then what does it mean to be saved by your past self?"

“…That was just a coincidence.”

After a moment's silence, Xian Juanxin responded softly, and Charlotte couldn't help but open her eyes wide. She stared at her blankly for a moment, then laughed painfully and self-deprecatingly, her voice full of sobs.

"Is it just... a coincidence? The encouragement that blonde girl gave me, the help she gave me, the warmth and motivation she gave me... were all just coincidences?"

"Yeah, it's all just coincidence."

"..."

Xian Juanxin looked at her calmly and answered softly without wavering. Charlotte stood there weakly. She closed her eyes and subconsciously put her hands on the table tiredly, but accidentally triggered the switch of the box, causing it to unfold automatically.

Charlotte subconsciously turned around, and at the same time, Xian Juanxin opened her eyes wide and rushed over. Under Charlotte's unexpected gaze, she quickly closed the box and locked it deeper before relaxing. After a moment, Charlotte's voice slowly sounded.

"Xin, I saw Yumei's information in the box... What's that chip?"

"It's just a replica. I used her brain to create a consciousness with her tears... Of course, I know it's fake."

Xian Juanxin sighed, turned to meet her gaze and answered directly. Charlotte was also stunned for a moment, and after she reacted, her expression became more painful and complicated.

"Heart...you knew it was just a lie, so why did you taint your friend in this way? Didn't you feel pain when you saw that consciousness using Ikumi's appearance?"

"My pain is not so cheap. All I care about is that little bit of comfort."

"You wanted comfort, but you disbanded your band? You knew Yumei cared about Hello, Happy World just as much, but while you were tarnishing her, you also destroyed the things she cared about. Heart, what on earth were you thinking..."

"What does this have to do with you?!"

Hearing her mention Yumei over and over again, Xianjuanxin finally couldn't bear her anger. She gritted her teeth and roared, and her face twisted, staring at Charlotte's astonished eyes.

"Are you a member of my band? I can disband it if I want to. What qualifications do you have to question my decision? And what qualifications do you have to mention Yumei like that?! Do you know her better than me?!"

"...I really don't understand her. Moreover, I find that I don't understand you at all, Xian Juanxin."

After a moment's silence, Charlotte answered softly and tiredly. She stared at the blonde girl for a moment, then slowly exhaled and spoke in a deep voice with determination.

"Xin, you care most about power and violence right now, don't you? You think your Xianjuan Group can rule this city? You're wrong. My company and the Trauma Team both have considerable capital and strength... You're not the only one in power."

"What do you mean by saying this now? You want to stand against me? You were able to control the Sanyuan Group because of my help. It's impossible for you to..."

"I relied on your help before, but now I have truly inherited everything from my father and have sufficient strength."

Charlotte interrupted her, then reached into her pocket to give a signal. Soon an armed hovercraft flew to the edge of the balcony, with all kinds of weapons on it aimed at the Xianjuan Tower, not caring that this was the headquarters of the Xianjuan Group, which made Xianjuanxin's expression even gloomier.

"Charlotte, you want to fight me? You have no chance of winning. Let this hovercraft go now. I can still pretend nothing happened."

"But everything has already happened, whether it's your change or the distortion and chaos of this city... I should have discovered it a long time ago, but I have to admit it now."

Charlotte sighed lightly, walked straight across the balcony and entered the hovercraft. She turned around and stared at Xian Juanxin coldly. Her cold voice penetrated the engine sound and entered Xian Juanxin's mind, making the latter clench his fists.

"Xin, since you think your company is powerful enough to rule this city, then I will make you understand that only war can determine the ownership of all this... From this moment on, the Sanyuan Group will declare war on the Xianjuan Group."

"…You're going to regret this, Charlotte."

Xian Juanxin gritted her teeth and responded slowly, while Charlotte just shook her head. The hovercraft took her away quickly, and at the same time, the calm voice of the employee sounded in the blonde girl's headset.

"Master Xianjuan, our laser weapons are ready to fire at any time. As long as you give the order, we can immediately shoot down this hovercraft."

"No... let her go. The Sanyuan Group is no smaller than us. The death of the person in power won't make them any easier to deal with. At least I know Charlotte better. It would be better for us if she were alive."

Xian Juanxin sighed, an indescribable complex emotion spreading in her heart. She gave an order to her subordinates, then closed her eyes, feeling her heart beating faster due to nervousness.

The war between companies is about to begin... This is not in her plan, however, she must try her best to deal with it all. She must not let the Xianjuan Group be defeated, otherwise everything she has now will be gone.

...Yes, she must not lose. She must win no matter what means.

Chapter 365 Misaki's Decision

"Charlotte…why on earth would you do this?"

As the call was connected, Ozawa Misaki asked anxiously, full of incomprehension, and the girl sighed tiredly, and was silent for a while before slowly speaking.

"Misaki, if I could help it, I wouldn't initiate a war, but I simply can't accept the change in her heart...Apart from you, she only cares about violence and power. This is the only way I can defeat her."

"So you want to start a war? Do you know what the Xianjuan Group and your company are like now? Your war will affect the entire city, and countless people will die!"

Misaki Ozawa continued to raise her voice in annoyance, and Charlotte didn't speak for a long time. When Misaki almost thought there was a problem with the signal, she heard Charlotte's weak voice full of bitterness.

"Misaki... I just want my old heart back. I know this will cause unimaginable casualties, but this is all I can do, isn't it?"

"So, you're going to sacrifice the lives of so many innocent people to fulfill your selfish desires? What's the difference between you and Xuanxuanxin? No, in this respect, you're even worse than her!"

Misaki gritted her teeth and held the phone tightly, while Charlotte on the other end closed her eyes silently and nodded tiredly.

"Yes, you're right. Perhaps I've become ugly and horrible... But I must do my best to regain my old heart. In this cold world, this is all I care about."

"Misaki, I know you must be disgusted with me now, but I need to tell you one thing. Kokoro specifically kept Ikumi's body because..."

"Sizzle,"

Following a burst of noise, Charlotte's voice was suddenly interrupted. Misaki couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and a familiar calm voice came from behind her.

"Misaki, at this point, do you still think you can change Charlotte's mind?"

"String Roll Heart...you are ready, right?"

Misaki Ozawa turned her head tiredly and met those calm golden eyes, and the girl nodded calmly. At the same time, a large number of military hovercrafts and drones flew out of the String Scroll Tower, making Misaki understand the reason why the signal was interrupted.

"Yes, I'm ready, and so is the Xianjuan Group. We will never surrender without a fight. Charlotte will soon realize her recklessness and stupidity, and we will win this war."

"Kokoro, can't you just try to talk to Charlotte again? Your war will affect everyone in Tokyo."

Misaki spoke quickly and pleadingly, but the blonde girl shook her head expressionlessly, her voice cold.

"Negotiation is no longer possible. She has been blinded by her pathetic delusions of self-righteousness. The only thing we can do now is to attack with all our might until she and her Sanyuan Group are completely defeated."

"But……"

"Hello, Xian Juanxin."

At this moment, the device next to it suddenly projected the smiling face of Tamade Chiyu. She smiled and waved to the blonde girl, who also realized something and frowned.

"Jade Hand Zhiyou, I knew you wouldn't just sit there and watch... You're here to ask for benefits from me in exchange for your joining, right?"

"You're truly worthy of me. You guessed my intention right away. Yes, the contract has already been sent. As long as you agree to the terms, I will stand on your side. Otherwise, I will join forces with the Sanyuan Group to attack you."

Tamade Chiyu smiled and nodded slightly, and Genmaki Shin's artificial eye flashed, and Misaki also spoke quickly.

"Xin, if war is unavoidable, we must at least resolve it as quickly as possible. Promise Miss Zhu Shou, so that we won't be attacked from all sides..."

"I decline your offer, Tamade Chiyu."

Before Misaki could finish, Genmaki Shin spoke indifferently. The black-haired girl was stunned for a moment, and Tamade Chiyu shrugged without surprise and smiled casually.

"I knew you wouldn't agree. Goodbye, Xian Juanxin. I believe you will regret not agreeing to my conditions sooner or later."

The projection soon disappeared completely, and only then did Misaki react. She clenched her teeth and raised her voice in disbelief.

"Xin, why did you reject her? Even if your company is the largest in Tokyo, the Sanyuan Group and the Trauma Team combined are enough to fight against your army. Don't you want a quick victory?"

"Even if I go to war with both companies at the same time, I won't necessarily lose. Moreover, the conditions proposed by Tamade Chiyu are too greedy. If I agree, then the Genjutsu Group will become her vassal. I can never accept such a thing."

The blonde girl responded calmly and softly, then took out a tablet and quickly planned the attack routes of all the troops, then turned and walked quickly forward.

"Misaki, go find Kanon and Kaoru now. I'll be very busy from now on. You should also try not to leave the String Scroll Tower. Only in this way can you be safe..."

"What about my classmates? What are you going to let them do?"

The next moment, Misaki's serious voice sounded behind her, and the blonde girl sighed and looked back at her with a calm expression.

"Of course, let them do what they want. They can't wait to kill the company's enemies. I can't stop them, right?"

"Then I want to join them."

As Misaki responded softly, Genmaki's brows suddenly frowned. She stared at the girl for a moment, then sighed a little irritably.

"Don't be willful, Misaki. This is a war, not a game. You must stay in the Scroll Tower..."

"If you don't agree, I will kill myself right now."

Misaki answered without hesitation, and at the same time unfolded the thermal cutting knife of her prosthetic body and pointed it at her throat. The skin of her throat was burned bit by bit by the extremely high temperature, but the black-haired girl didn't care about the pain and stared at Genmaki Kokoro indifferently.

"Misaki, you know that I developed your prosthetic body, right? I've already readjusted the permissions..."

"is it?"

Misaki sneered and pushed the blade slightly forward, cutting her throat a little. The blonde girl was shocked to find that the underlying code she left behind was not triggered. Even though it had threatened Misaki's life, the prosthesis was still working normally, as if all her previous debugging was in vain.

"...I clearly locked the control, how did you do it?"

"I don't know. I just found that ever since I used Sian Westin, these prosthetics have gradually merged with me, and I now have the senses they provide... Now it seems that I won the bet. Even you can't control them remotely anymore."

Misaki explained softly, and Genmaki couldn't help but frown, sighed, and tried her best to persuade him.

"Misaki, why do you care about that?

Those girls? They are just consumables after all. Now is the time for them to play a role, and they are also full of expectations for it..."

"They are human beings, Xian Juanxin. They are not expendable. They are just poor people who have been brainwashed by you."

Misaki interrupted her coldly, then raised her voice with unwavering determination.

"Since they call me captain, I must protect them. I can't change their fanaticism, so I must at least fight alongside them. I can't just hide in the String Scroll Tower like this."

"...Well, since you insist so much, I'm afraid I have no choice but to agree."

After a moment of silence, Genmaki nodded tiredly, and Ozawa Misaki looked at her for a moment and then put down the blade. The blonde girl hurriedly walked over and used magic to heal her wound, and Misaki silently looked at her worried expression, and after a moment she suddenly spoke softly.

"Charlotte told me that your purpose in keeping Yumei's body wasn't pure... Is that true?"

"……of course not."

Genmaki's movements paused for a moment, then she shook her head vigorously without hesitation. Misaki didn't want to explore it anymore at this point, so she just sighed.

"Well, I hope what you said is true... although I can't remember how many lies you've told me."

Chapter 366 Plan Failed

"The war has begun."

Staring at the chaotic sky filled with drones not far away, Bai Lu Qiansheng spoke slowly and calmly. Her mind was filled with all kinds of noisy sounds, the panic of civilians, the tension of soldiers, and the fanaticism of the girls of Hanasaki River. They tore at her consciousness, and she had long been accustomed to this pain.

"But it doesn't matter. Soon, the world will return to silence, all the chaos will disappear, and this city and everyone in this world will fall into a sweet dream."

She gave a relaxed smile, then turned to look at her two surviving friends, her voice soft and gentle.

"Eve, Maya, are you ready?"

"I'm ready, Qiansheng, I will always be with you."

Eve nodded without hesitation, and Maya couldn't help but hesitate at this moment. She turned her head to look at the chaotic city at a loss, and looked at her friend blankly and painfully, her voice sobbing.

"Qiansheng... Is this really the only thing we can do? Is this world... really hopeless?"

"Yes, Maya, I really want to comfort you, but I can't lie to you. There is no hope in this world anymore. Everyone is just repeatedly destroying everything that others have, leaving cold ruins piled up all over the high-rise buildings."

Bailu Qiansheng responded seriously, and at the same time raised his hand to gently wipe away the tears on Maya's face.