Raiden Mei spent two full seconds mentally cataloging every branch of her family tree, but she couldn't find a single trace of an aunt.
"My mother was an only child. She didn't have any sisters," she said, her gaze filled with doubt as she looked at Kiana.
"Impossible. You definitely have one," Kiana replied, completely unconvinced. Give me a break. Look at Sister Acheron's face, then look at yours. Who would believe you aren't related?
"But I really don't!" Mei emphasized again.
"No, trust me." Kiana grabbed her hand and looked at her with utter sincerity. "You really do have an aunt!"
"...Do I?" Seeing Kiana's absolute certainty, even Mei began to feel confused.
"You do," Kiana nodded firmly. "You'll understand once you meet her."
"Then where is she?" A strange, indescribable feeling suddenly welled up in Mei's heart.
An aunt... Do I actually have a relative I've never met? But why didn't Father ever tell me?
"About that..." Kiana scanned their surroundings. "I'm not entirely sure. Logically, Sister Acheron should be nearby. She was the one who warned me you'd run into trouble in the classroom."
"But where is she?"
"Forget it, don't think about it. She has to come back to sleep eventually." Kiana didn't have a way to contact her, so she decided to pull Mei along and wait for the prey to come to the hunter. "Come on, back to my place!"
"She'll definitely be back tonight!"
The bewildered Raiden Mei let herself be pulled through the door—offering no resistance at all.
★ ★ ★
On a distant building, a figure watched their movements from afar.
"Mission log: Unknown personnel has abruptly taken the experimental subject," Bronya's voice carried no emotion. "Motives unclear. However, based on the mention of the Raiden family at the school, it is hypothesized this may be a contingency plan left by Raiden Ryoma."
"Inquiry: Is intervention required?"
"No need for now, Bronya." On the other side of the comms, Cocolia looked at the photo her daughter sent back, lost in thought. "Tell me, what is the best way to make someone fall into total despair?"
"Naturally, it is to let them possess something after losing it, only to snatch it away again. She's just a little girl. Even Raiden Ryoma himself fell; she is no threat."
"Let them foster their bond for a while. That way, the despair birthed in the end will be pure enough!"
"...Bronya does not understand," Bronya finally couldn't help but ask. "What is the point of torturing her like this?"
"You don't need to know, Bronya," Cocolia's eyes darkened. "Just execute the mission."
The transmission cut off.
Cocolia hadn't revealed her entire plan to her daughter, including her intention to trigger a Massive Honkai Eruption. Currently, Bronya believed Cocolia only wanted to observe Mei—a natural Stigma bearer—to find a cure for Honkai syndrome.
At the end of the day, Cocolia still cared for her children in the depths of her heart. She instinctively hid the truth, not wanting them involved in the darkest parts of the deal.
Meanwhile, Bronya stared blankly at Kiana's small rental apartment.
Mother Cocolia... what exactly are you hiding from me?
She didn't know, but she could clearly sense the wariness toward her within the plan. Bronya was confused.
But for Seele...
Just as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a slight weight on her shoulder.
Bronya reacted instantly. She ducked, twisted her head, and reached out to swat away the cold, hard object. She intended to roll backward and summon Project Bunny.
Unfortunately, just as she began her tactical roll, a ruthless, iron-clad hand firmly gripped the back of her neck.
The 147cm tall Bronya was as helpless as a kitten in the 170cm tall Acheron's hand.
"Project Bunny!"
Feeling her neck seized, Bronya called out her mech to force a breakout. However, the usually invincible engine of violence froze mid-reach, as if its systems had jammed.
Amidst her terror, Bronya finally saw the person's face.
Oh.
The woman looked like she was carved from the same mold as Raiden Mei... no, it was the other way around. Raiden Mei looked like her!
Game over. The family showed up.
That was Bronya's first thought. Looking at the resemblance between Acheron and Mei, anyone would assume they were blood relatives. It was simply a matter of one being mature and the other still ripening.
"I see," Xia Yu didn't look at Bronya. Instead, she stared fixedly at Project Bunny before turning to the Silver Wolf of the Urals she held in her hand. "So it's you."
She spoke softly. "Why must it be you... is this a cruel joke of fate?"
"You know me?" Bronya struggled, but the woman's arm was like cast iron. Combined with the feat of neutralizing Project Bunny with a single glance, Bronya knew she had encountered an extraordinary powerhouse. She immediately abandoned the idea of fighting back and tried to fish for information.
"Not exactly," Xia Yu shook her head, a flash of pity in her eyes. "I promised her I would check on you to see if you were doing well. But you..."
"Who did you promise?" Stunned, Bronya's eyes widened. "Which acquaintance asked you? Why didn't she come to see me herself?"
She quickly sifted through her memories. Someone who would ask "if she was doing well," combined with this woman's strength, suggested a friend rather than a foe.
But the problem was, she didn't have many friends. The sisters in the orphanage were her entire social circle. Who else was there?
Bronya's eyes turned to Project Bunny. Her loyal knight was currently motionless, as if its connection had been severed.
Could it be... but that's impossible... that's the Sea of Quanta...
"A pity that this thing is here," Xia Yu followed her gaze, her voice indifferent. "This is the gift she gave you. If I killed you, she would find out one day. I don't want to make her sad."
She let go of Bronya, allowing her to fall to the roof. "Begone. Get as far away as possible. If I see you near Mei again, the bond between that child and me won't be enough for me to forgive you a second time."
Would Bronya leave? Obviously not.
This was the art of "playing hard to get." Bronya was practically going to thank her for the trauma!
"Is it Seele?" Bronya reached out toward Xia Yu. "Did Seele ask you to check on me?"
"You still have the face to mention her name?" Xia Yu turned back, looking at her with cold disdain. "While she was terrified in the World Bubble, going hungry and cold, she was still wondering how you were doing in reality."
"Wondering if you were happy. Wondering if the orphanage made it through the hard times. Wondering if her sacrifice bought you anything. Wondering if the other children's illnesses improved."
"And you?" Xia Yu looked down at the collapsed Bronya, delivering a verbal lashing. "You didn't cherish what she sacrificed for you. Look at what you're doing. Persecuting an innocent girl!"
"Even this—this is the last gift she gave you, hoping it would protect you while she was gone. And you use it for this? Are you worthy of that girl's devotion?"
"Move. I don't want to see you again!"
She made a move to walk away.
"Wait! What happened to Seele?!" Bronya lunged forward, grabbing Xia Yu's leg and clinging to it. "Please, if there's no news of Seele, I..."
Clearly, the description of Seele being cold, hungry, and terrified had completely shattered Bronya's composure.
"Seele? She's in a very bad way. What good end can there be after being marked by a Serpent? Are you satisfied now?" Xia Yu looked at her coldly. "This is all thanks to you people."
"If not for you, how could a girl as pure as her end up in a place like that? Now, even maintaining her own existence has become a problem!"
"What?!" Bronya was trembling all over. After all these years, to finally hear news of Seele, only for it to be this...
"What exactly happened to her?" she asked instinctively.
"An ordinary human falling into the boundless Sea of Quanta—how did you think she would maintain her existence?" Xia Yu said harshly. "She's just a weak girl. She doesn't have the immense power that the Serpent or I possess. If not for the gaze of such powerful beings upon her, she would have long since been washed away and erased by the endless information of the Sea of Quanta."
"And I, because of the trouble with Mei, had to leave the Sea of Quanta. I had to stop observing her. Now, only the Serpent can help her. I expect she has already become one of the Serpent's pawns."
"I just didn't expect that the person she begged me to watch over—even at the risk of her own total erasure—would be you!"
In truth, Seele was fine. She had the protection of Kevin Kaslana. It was precisely because Kevin cast his gaze upon her that she could drift safely in the Sea of Quanta for so many years.
But Bronya didn't know that. It wasn't like she could go ask Seele herself. She was at the mercy of Xia Yu's storytelling!
"It was me? I harmed Seele?" Bronya's entire spirit collapsed. She slumped on the rooftop, her eyes vacant, muttering incoherently.
Uh oh. Did I go too far? Did I break the Bronya?
Xia Yu's lip twitched. She wondered if Bronya was really this fragile.
The answer was no. After ten seconds, the girl looked up at Xia Yu.
"What do I need to do for you to take me into the Sea of Quanta?"
She didn't doubt the truth of the words. The fact that Project Bunny was a gift from Seele... almost no one knew that. Those who did, like Mother Cocolia, wouldn't spread it around. This person hadn't recognized her—she had recognized Project Bunny.
Even if there was only a sliver of hope, Bronya would not give up.
"...For that girl's sake, I will give you one chance." Xia Yu tossed a few pieces of paper to her. "Find these people for me."