Su Yu rubbed it a couple of times, neither hard nor soft.
As if soothing a little rabbit that had just finished puffing up all its fur and was now in a daze.
"Hey…"
Bronie instinctively shrank her neck, wanting to dodge, yet her body honestly stiffened in place.
She didn't move.
"I never said you had to give up your identity as the Hack Bunny of the Maze City."
His voice rang out remarkably clear in the night wind, carrying a certainty that made people involuntarily want to believe him.
"On the contrary… Kiana and I are in desperate need of the power of that number-one hacker of Arc City right now."
Bronie lifted her eyelids, a flicker of confusion passing through her gray eyes.
Su Yu sighed, the expression on his face shifting from teasing to a kind of helpless gentleness.
"I know what that girl's been up to lately.
"Being a Vigilante, chasing bounties, catching wanted criminals all over the streets.
"She thinks she's hiding it well, even cooking up all sorts of half-baked excuses to explain it away."
"But I know… that idiot… is probably trying to save up money to surprise me with something."
Bronie was stunned for a moment.
So… this guy knew everything.
"I haven't called her out on it."
Su Yu gazed at the dazzling neon lights in the distance, his eyes growing deep.
"Because that's something she wants to do, the value she's found for herself in this world. I don't want to be the adult who spoils the fun."
"But, Bronie…"
Su Yu's voice sank low—a gravity that only ever appeared when Kiana's safety was at stake.
"I'm very worried."
"Her power really is strong—you could even say it's… foul-play level strong."
Su Yu thought of that red countdown hanging over both their heads.
"But she has a fatal weakness."
"It's a… time limit on activation that only I know about."
"If one day she gets carried away, or runs into some clingy bit of trouble, and the time runs out…"
Su Yu's fist clenched soundlessly at his side. "That's a consequence I cannot bear."
"If I can't get there in time, if she collapses in some corner where no one knows…"
The air seemed to freeze for an instant.
Bronie could feel the anxiety radiating from the man before her.
It wasn't an act—it was the bone-deep worry of an owner over his lost little kitten.
"So, I need you."
Su Yu looked back at Bronie, his eyes blazing.
"With you, a top-tier hacker, joining in, the situation becomes completely different."
"You and Kiana—you're simply a match made in heaven."
"You handle the brains. Gathering intel, screening missions, hacking surveillance, taking care of those damned firewalls and alarm systems."
"Kiana handles the fists. Breaching, suppressing, extracting."
Su Yu's pace of speech quickened, carrying the excitement of a game producer designing the perfect level.
"Just think about it."
"You don't need to charge in on the dangerous front line, don't need to risk getting hit by stray bullets at the scene like before. You just need to sit in a comfy gaming chair, with the AC blowing, sipping on Happy Water, commanding that invincible Valkyrie from behind the screen."
"And with your eyes and your brain, Kiana can avoid 99% of the traps and ambushes, resolve fights with maximum efficiency, then safely withdraw before her time runs out."
Su Yu snapped his fingers with a crisp "snap."
"This way, Cioara won't object so much either—after all, you'd just be playing on a computer, not playing with your life.
"Kiana's safe, you get your thrills, Cioara's at ease, and I can finally sleep soundly too."
"Isn't this… a perfect win-win?"
As Bronie listened on, her gray eyes, which had dimmed earlier, gradually began to light up, bit by bit.
The brains? Commanding? Partners?
These words collided and combined in her mind, constructing a picture she had never once imagined.
No longer threading through dark alleys all alone.
No longer, when wounded, only able to hide in a corner and lick her own wounds.
But instead…
The blinking green dot on the screen was the location of that white-haired idiot.
Through the headset came that girl's energetic "Hack Bunny! All done!"
And she only had to tap the Enter key on the keyboard to open every door for her, to clear every path.
It was just like… playing a real-life version of a co-op game.
And moreover, alongside that man who could catch bullets bare-handed, and that woman who could tear apart mechs with her hands.
"…Heh."
Bronie lowered her head and let out an extremely faint laugh.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
That's right.
Just as Su Yu had said.
Her old self had always treated "going it alone" as a badge of honor, treated "not needing anyone" as proof of strength.
Yet she had overlooked that behind such bravado were Cioara's lights left on all night long, every night, and those bloodshot eyes.
If… if there really were a group of reliable companions.
If it really were… just like he said…
Then maybe… that old woman really wouldn't be so hysterical after all?
"So, what do you say?"
Su Yu extended his hand, palm facing up.
It was an invitation.
"Want to consider my proposal, Bronie?"
"Join us, become the Honkai Impact 3rd production team's… Chief Security Advisor, and Kiana's exclusive navigator."
Bronie lifted her head.
She looked at the man before her.
Just ten minutes ago, in an almost insane manner, he had crudely shattered all her pride and her disguise.
And now, here he was again, in the most equal of postures, giving her a reason she couldn't refuse.
For the first time in her life.
She felt that her ambition, her skills, even her own awkward little private feelings, had all been completely and utterly respected.
"…Tch."
Bronie turned her face away, sniffed hard, and held back that pathetic little bit of moisture welling up in her eyes.
She reached out and slapped that broad palm hard.
"Snap!"
Crisp, loud.
"This is what you said, remember."
Bronie put the goggles back on, hiding the light flickering in the depths of her eyes.
She tilted up her chin, restoring that cocky, arrogant, all-conquering look.
"This Hack Bunny's appearance fee is very expensive, you know."
"If the pay and benefits are too low, or that white-haired idiot won't follow orders… I'll file a complaint against you, Boss."
"Deal."
Su Yu smiled like a fox that had just stolen a chicken.
He stood up, patted the dust off his pants, and pulled Bronie up along with him.
"By the way, there's one more small request."
Su Yu raised a finger, pressing it against his lips, making a "shh" gesture.
A glint of slyness flashed in his eyes.
"About our meeting tonight, and about us reaching this partnership…"
"Please, whatever you do, don't tell Kiana."
Bronie was stunned. "Huh? Why?"
"Because…"
Su Yu scratched his head, and the expression on his face turned somewhat subtly tender.
"Isn't that girl secretly building up her efforts, wanting to give me a big surprise?"
"If I tell her now that I actually know everything, and that I've even recruited her cheat program…"
Su Yu spread his hands.
"Then wouldn't all her hard work these past few days, all those little schemes, be for nothing?"
"So…"
He blinked.
"I'll just pretend I don't know anything, and keep on being the foolish Senior Brother who's kept in the dark.
"And when she finally slams the gift down on my desk, asking for praise with a smug face on…
"I'll just take care of being startled out of my wits."
Bronie looked at him.
Looked at this man whose eyes were full of that white-haired, freakishly strong girl, this man who racked his brains to protect that trivial little "surprise."
The wind blew across the rooftop.
Bronie suddenly felt a bit of an ache in her teeth.
So this was an adult's love?
It really was… so childish.
So much trouble.
But also… so enviable.
"Haah…"
Bronie let out a long sigh.
She fished a piece of bubblegum out of her pocket, unwrapped it, and stuffed it into her mouth.
With a "pop."
A pink bubble burst in the night.
She looked at Su Yu, then glanced once more in the distant direction that belonged to Kiana.
The corner of her mouth curled into a smile that was both helpless and relieved.
"You and that white-haired girl are exactly the same."
Bronie shook her head, delivering her final verdict on this pair.
"Both of you are out-and-out… idiots."
Not long after.
At the back door of Raven's, Su Yu and Bronie returned, one in front of the other.
Su Yu walked ahead, while the gray-haired girl he'd just recruited followed behind, hands stuffed in her pockets, kicking at the pebbles underfoot.
Right at that moment, at the edge of Su Yu's vision, that familiar red-and-black System interface popped up once again.
A tarot card emitting a cold blue glow slowly rotated in the void, finally locking into place.
On the face of the card was a full moon scattering its clear light across a tranquil night sky.
Beneath the moonlight, two winding little paths led off into the distance, as if hinting at the end of confusion and exploration.
[COOP RANK UP!]
[Arcana: THE MOON]
[Character: Bronie]
[Rank: 1 (Contract Established)]
[System Reward:]
[Cyber Ghost's Blessing: The studio's network firewall level is upgraded to "Military Grade." Any unauthorized access will be met with reverse-tracking and a data-overload strike.]
[Navigator Protocol: When Kiana executes infiltration or combat missions, if Bronie is present (or remotely connected), Kiana's pathing efficiency increases by 50% and her trap-avoidance rate increases by 80%.]
Su Yu withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
This deal wasn't a loss at all.
Not only had he resolved a potential headache, but he'd also found the strongest external brain for his own little Paramecium.
However…
His gaze swept over another tarot card in the list that was still in a darkened state—[XVI. The Tower].
That was the card corresponding to Cioara.
Its current status showed: [Locked (Prerequisites Not Met)].
It seemed that to fully win over this former mercenary, now bar proprietress, simply handling her daughter wasn't enough.
He'd have to wait for the right opportunity.
"Hey, Senior Brother."
Bronie's somewhat impatient voice came from behind.
"What are you grinning at the air like an idiot for? It's kind of creepy."
Su Yu came back to his senses, reined in his smile, and turned to push open the back door of Raven's Bar.
"Nothing, just thinking… about how to savor the sight of a certain someone apologizing in a little while."
Inside the bar, jazz music flowed lazily.
It was the peak of business hours; though the place wasn't packed, it was a good deal more than half full.
Behind the counter, besides that familiar figure, there was now an additional small-statured one—standing on a little stool, wearing a server's uniform that had obviously been resized smaller.
Theresa Apocalypse was wiping a table with a deeply aggrieved look on her face, the motion so fierce it was as if she were trying to scrub away the disgraceful history of her unreliable grandfather.
The sound of the door opening rang out.
Cioara's hand, mid-cocktail, paused slightly.
She lifted her head, her gaze cutting through the dim light to land precisely on the two who walked in, one behind the other.
The professional smile on the face that had been chatting with a regular instantly vanished, replaced by a visible stiffness.
It was a complicated expression—worried, angry, yet also relieved.
Bronie's steps slowed.
She lowered her head, fixing her gaze on the tips of her shoes, as if trying to stare a flower out of those tactical boots.
That all-conquering swagger she'd had on the rooftop was completely gone; right now she was just a chicken-hearted bunny who'd run away from home and gotten caught.
The air was a little frozen.
The surrounding noise seemed to be sealed off by the low-pressure atmosphere over here.
Su Yu sighed.
He reached out and lightly patted that gray head.
"Don't forget what you promised me."
He lowered his voice, his tone gentle but brooking no objection.
"Don't make her worry… right? My Chief Security Advisor."
"Snap."
Bronie awkwardly batted his hand away, though the force was very light.
"I know already!"
She muttered under her breath, the tips of her ears faintly reddening.
"I'm not a kid anymore, stop reminding me over and over… honestly, so naggy."
She took a deep breath.
Bronie raised her head and, with the heavy steps of someone marching to their death, shuffled step by step up to the bar counter.
Cioara stood there, still holding that long-handled bar spoon, her gray eyes quietly watching her, without any expression at all.
Bronie's fingers twisted together.
She opened her mouth, her voice as small as a mosquito's whine.
"Um…"
"I'm sorry."
She turned her face away, not daring to look Cioara in the eye, her gaze drifting toward the liquor rack beside her.
"I made you worry…"
She paused for a second.
As if making an extremely difficult decision.
She gritted her teeth and squeezed out from deep in her throat that title she rarely ever spoke aloud—one carrying a touch of embarrassment yet incomparably precious:
"…Mom."
The hand holding the spoon trembled.
She looked at this child before her—a child who, though wearing an awkward face and bristling with prickly spikes all over, had at this moment truly lowered her head and obediently apologized.
In that instant, all the rage, anxiety, and panic that had been churning inside her for three days melted into a pool of warm water.
This was her weak spot.
It was the one and only weak spot in this world that she wanted to protect no matter what.
But she was Cioara.
She was the former Raven.
She wouldn't rush over and bawl her eyes out like an ordinary mother, nor would she say anything sentimental.
She just took a deep breath, struggling to maintain that bland look on her face, even though the frost in the depths of her eyes had already thoroughly melted.
"…Mm."
Cioara responded flatly.
She raised her hand and pointed at the black apron hanging beside the bar.
"Since you're back, don't just stand there.
"There are a lot of customers tonight; Ah Qiang took the day off, and we're short-handed."
Her tone returned to that proprietress's brisk efficiency, but listen closely and you could hear a trace of trembling hidden within it.
"Go change your clothes—don't let me see you in that sneaky getup."
Bronie's head snapped up.
She saw the trace of tenderness in the depths of Cioara's eyes that hadn't quite been hidden.
"…Oh."
This time, she didn't argue back, didn't talk back, and didn't spout any chuunibyou lines about "going to save the world."
She obediently picked up that apron and turned toward the changing room.
Her steps were considerably lighter.
The atmospheric pressure in the bar instantly rose back up.
That suffocating, oppressive mood vanished without a trace.
Even Theresa, who had been pretending to wipe tables while actually eavesdropping the whole time, let out a long sigh of relief, and the rag in her hands was finally no longer being abused.
Cioara watched Bronie's back disappear behind the door curtain, and the corner of her mouth finally curved up into an extremely faint arc she couldn't control.
It was a smile of relief.
Su Yu pulled out the tall stool in front of the bar and sat down.
"So, should I congratulate you two—mother and daughter—on making up?"
He teased with a smile.
Cioara turned around and took a bottle of whiskey down from the liquor rack.
"Cut the chatter."
Though she said this, the cold hardness from before was already gone from her tone.
"What do you want to drink? It's on me tonight."
This was a token of thanks.
Though she didn't say it outright, Su Yu understood.
"Then I'll have an Old Fashioned."
Su Yu didn't stand on ceremony either.
He watched Cioara expertly add ice, pour the liquor, and stir—the motions smooth and flowing, carrying a unique rhythmic beauty.
"By the way."
Su Yu asked, seemingly casually.
"Where's Sister Eden? Did she head back?"
Cioara's hand paused, then resumed stirring.
"Someone that busy—how could she ever stay around in this little dump of mine for long?"
She pushed a glass of amber-hued liquor in front of Su Yu, the fragrance of orange peel wafting through the air.
"Announcements, rehearsals, and all those social engagements she can't turn down… her time is counted by the second."
Cioara wiped her hands and leaned against the bar, looking at Su Yu with an amused glint in her eyes.
"On the contrary… the fact that she could carve out time to come out and have a secret rendezvous with you, and even stayed here for so long—if that got out, it'd be enough to make the entertainment section of all Arc City explode."
Su Yu let out a wry laugh and picked up the glass for a sip.
Sharp pungency and sweetness intertwined on the tip of his tongue.
"Sister Cioara, stop teasing me.
"You know full well that Sister Eden just treats me as… well, an interesting junior."
Or maybe the kind of "little animal that needs to be fed"? Su Yu silently added in his heart.
"Hmph, a junior?"
Cioara gave a light snort, her gray eyes narrowing slightly, exuding a worldly-wise shrewdness.
"Who knows.
"I really have no interest in whatever the relationship between you and that woman actually is."
She turned around and tidied the bottles and jars on the liquor rack, speaking with her back to Su Yu:
"But… if one day you really do get exposed, hunted down by that crowd of crazy fans, and you urgently need a bodyguard…"
Cioara tilted her head and gave Su Yu a meaningful look.
"For Bronie's sake, I could actually consider giving you a 20% discount."
Su Yu shook his head helplessly.
This mother and daughter… were simply tsundere cast from the very same mold.
Clearly they wanted to say "you can come to me if you need anything," yet insisted on dressing it up as a business deal in roundabout fashion.
"Speaking of which…"
Cioara's voice rang out again.
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
"How exactly did you manage to convince that stubborn-as-a-mule girl?"
No one knows a daughter better than her mother.
Cioara knew all too well just how difficult Bronie was to deal with.
She was the sort who took neither soft nor hard approaches—once she'd fixed on some stubborn principle, not even nine oxen could drag her back.
Su Yu swirled the glass in his hand, watching the ice ball spin within the amber liquid.
"Secret."
He blinked, putting on an air of mystery.
Cioara was stunned for a moment, then gave a relieved laugh.
"Fine, I won't ask. Everyone has their own secrets. As long as the result is good, the process doesn't matter."
She looked at Su Yu, and there was a degree of trust in her eyes that hadn't been there before.
"I trust Eden's judgment. On the contrary… if even the person picked out by that woman who's picky to the extreme were to slip up…"
Cioara shrugged, her tone relaxed.
"Then there'd probably be no one in this world worth trusting at all."
The bar door was pushed open once more, and a new customer walked in.
Bronie, having changed into that server's uniform with the bunny pattern on it, came out of the changing room with an awkward, ill-at-ease air, holding a tray in her hands, and began clumsily clearing tables under Theresa's guidance.
Cioara watched that scene, her eyes brimming with tenderness.
Su Yu raised his glass and offered a toast to Cioara from afar.
"To trust."
Cioara also raised the shaker in her hand, polished to a gleaming shine, and lightly clinked it against the rim of his glass.
"To… this damned peace."
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