"Why haven't you told everyone about this?"
Upon hearing Yuno's words, Leo Ash realized...
The emotions deep within the girl's heart had perhaps become more radical.
In the past, the act of matricide had caused Yuno to have severe self-destructive and self-deprecating tendencies. At that time, Leo Ash had chosen the method of drinking poison to quench his thirst, redirecting her attention to the matter of revenge.
After that, Yuno changed. She became more cheerful, calmer, and more confident.
And at that time, Leo Ash had thought that the problems in her heart might gradually diminish or even disappear due to these changes.
But now, the incredibly sharp-eyed Yuno had clearly shown Leo Ash with facts that he had obviously been overthinking things.
The girl's eyes shimmered with an emotion called hatred, and the killing intent emanating from her now was clearly directed at the absent Cocolia.
Looking at Yuno's expression, Leo Ash walked indifferently into the living room and sat down beside her.
"When did you figure it out?"
"Well, recently, I guess."
Realizing that her aura was a bit too sharp, Yuno shook her head, reined in her emotions, and spoke to Leo Ash calmly. "I actually still vaguely remember my time in Nagazora City. I chatted with that girl before we fought. When she learned that I had killed my mother, she averted her gaze. And later, when Cocolia was mentioned, although her face didn't show much emotion, there was something slightly off about her eyes. Plus, after Cocolia's other adoptive daughter appeared, I thoroughly investigated Cocolia's background and found that she had adopted several underage girls—putting all these things together was enough for me to guess the truth."
[See? I told you she sometimes acts more like a captain than you!]
[Although luck was a factor, you know very well that the girl before you has undergone immense growth in both her mentality and intellect.]
[This woman is terrifyingly capable. I advise the general to take her under your *, to prevent any future trouble!]
*So what exactly does this '*' mean?*
[Of course, I meant 'command.' This system was just looking at the dictionary and typed an asterisk by mistake. You didn't think this system was making a dirty joke, did you?]
*You'd better really be looking at a dictionary. But, you do have a point. Yuno is a talented person to begin with. In the original story, the fact that she could easily take down Theresa twice was not only because Theresa herself was careless, but also because Yuno used her brain when fighting. As a veteran warrior, Theresa wouldn't have missed her vital points when attacking. This means that after Theresa's attack, Yuno had already used her Herrscher energy to protect her vitals. Moreover, risk and opportunity coexist. Yuno, who was already controlled by the Honkai at that time, had become an apostle who dedicated everything to destruction. In that state, Yuno was not careless. On one hand, she protected her vitals; on the other, she pretended to be sad and shed tears, making Theresa think she hadn't completely fallen to the Honkai's side. And in the end, the careless Theresa was successfully ambushed by Yuno and taken down by poison on the spot. If Yae Sakura hadn't been nearby to save her once, she would have been found and killed by Yuno that very night. And by the next day, having failed to find her enemy, Yuno used her evolved abilities to fill the area around the Oath of Judah with poisonous floral scents in advance. She engaged Theresa in close combat and chatted to stall for time, then used the floral scent to poison Theresa again. If Theresa didn't have Yae Sakura's Stigmata, she probably would have really died that time. Even under the Honkai's control, Yuno could fight with her head. So, after regaining her sense of self and confidence, it's only natural for her to become as outstanding as she is now.*
"So, why are you suddenly asking me about this?"
After glancing at Bronya's room, Leo Ash leaned back on the sofa and asked Yuno beside him. "Are you going to kill Bronya to vent your anger?"
"I'm not interested in some poor soul being used as a tool."
Lightly brushing her hair back, Yuno said faintly to Leo Ash. "As long as she doesn't stand in the way of my revenge, she is still a comrade I can trust."
"But, I think you know that's impossible."
Recalling the scenes from the original story, Leo Ash said helplessly to Yuno. "Cocolia may be a piece of human garbage that deserves to go to hell, but no matter how trashy she is, she's still Bronya's adoptive mother."
"But don't we have you, Senior?"
Upon hearing the helplessness in Leo Ash's voice, Yuno suddenly looked at him with a grin. "You're so eloquent, Senior. You managed to trick her into working for Schicksal without a worry. I think if you tried a little harder—getting Bronya not to interfere shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"
"Actually, I have some good news and some bad news for you."
Seeing Yuno instantly shut her mouth, Leo Ash told her the information that could be disclosed.
"The good news is, Bronya thinks Cocolia will continue to cause trouble, so she's decided to help us root her out."
Hearing this news, Yuno didn't jump for joy like Leo Ash had expected. Instead, she remained silent, quietly waiting...
—waiting for Leo Ash to deliver the bad news.
"Alright, the bad news is, Bronya's condition for helping our Far East Branch is to spare Cocolia's life."
"And Branch Commander Theresa has already agreed to her request."
After finishing with the bad news, Leo Ash saw, as expected, Yuno's face contort with ferocity.
From a rational standpoint, Yuno could certainly understand Bronya's love for her adoptive mother, Cocolia.
Any child with normal parents can understand that a child loves their parents in return. No, for some young children, even if their parents treat them terribly, they will find ways to make excuses for them, thinking they must have done something wrong.
*But—that woman caused the Third Eruption, killed so many people, and caused me to become a Herrscher and kill my mother! Rationality—at a time like this, how the hell can I be rational!*
If Yuno wasn't already accustomed to practicing the suppression of her Herrscher Personality with every breath, she felt as if her Herrscher Personality would have broken free and taken over on the spot.
"Senior—are you just going to accept this!"
Yuno looked at the calm-faced Leo Ash and questioned him coldly. "Even if that woman is caught, she will definitely find a way to continue causing trouble. And—she did something equivalent to a massacre, what right does she have to live!"
"Yuno, calm down."
Looking at Yuno's ferocious expression, Leo Ash suddenly pulled the girl, with whom he had never been intimate, into his arms.
"...Senior, what are you doing."
Suddenly being treated this way by Leo Ash, some of the hostility on Yuno's body dissipated. "You don't take me for some easily fooled, love-struck kid who'll forget everything just because a handsome guy hugs her, do you?"
"What I mean is—keep your voice down."
Leaning close to Yuno's ear, Leo Ash whispered to her. "Why do you think I'm telling you this?"
"...Could it be?"
"I'm very sorry for Bronya, but I have no intention of letting that woman go."
"Don't worry, I'm on your side."
Hearing Leo Ash's words whispered in her ear, Yuno gave a bitter smile. "While I'm happy to hear that, if we do this... Bronya will come to resent us, won't she?"
"Ha, perhaps."
After quietly using Phantasmagoria to dissipate some of Yuno's anger, Leo Ash released her and suddenly said with a sneer. "But in my opinion, it's only a 'perhaps.' Bronya will only resent us on the condition that Cocolia surrenders obediently and is then killed by the two of us against orders. But—do you think that woman is the type to surrender obediently?"
At that moment, Yuno recalled the information she had worked hard to gather over the past forty days.
Cocolia, the leader of Anti-Entropy's radical faction, the vermin who initiated the Third Eruption, causing innocent people to be eroded and killed by the Honkai.
Although she was scornfully nicknamed 'the Fox of Anti-Entropy' by the outside world for being overly cunning, in Yuno's opinion—the woman was definitely not right in the head.
Mei's authority was electromagnetism, yet Cocolia planned to use Titans and Bronya's Quantum Mech to capture her.
The person she sent to lead the team in Jiyou was a brainless and gutless little girl, which resulted in the Titan mechs being wiped out by Leo Ash in a single move.
Because of these actions, Yuno could even see in Schicksal's intelligence database that 'due to Cocolia's actions, Anti-Entropy's reputation stank twice after the Third Eruption and the Jiuyou Disturbance.' Oh, the latest intelligence was that Schicksal's diplomatic staff had already made a move, furiously denouncing Anti-Entropy for 'not doing any work fighting the Honkai, then launching a sneak attack after we dealt with Chiyou. How can you be so shameless.'
It could be said that due to Cocolia's operations, the reputation of her organization was now just a little better than utterly foul.
Such a woman who screwed over her teammates internally and had zero achievements externally, Yuno saw no cunning in her, only thick-headedness and a diseased brain. If Cocolia hadn't sent people to attack Schicksal's key personnel, Theresa, she would have seriously suspected that Cocolia might be a mole sent by Schicksal.
However, none of that mattered.
In Yuno's view, Cocolia's style of action was all about being thick-headed and brainless. In that case, it was highly unlikely she would surrender without a fight. If she resisted, that was resisting arrest. Resisting arrest—then Yuno would have a reason to kill her on the spot.
The thought of this truly made Yuno feel—fired up.
To be honest, even if Cocolia surrendered obediently, Yuno would definitely kill her, even at the cost of disobeying orders. Revenge had become one of her reasons for living, and when her enemy appeared before her, it was impossible for Yuno to control her killing intent. However, if there was a way to do it without disobeying orders, that would certainly be better.
At this moment, Yuno was already thinking about how to provoke Cocolia and find an opportunity to kill that damned bitch.
Seeing the negative emotional fluctuations on Yuno's body completely disappear, Leo Ash said no more and walked towards Bronya's room.
Watching Leo Ash's retreating back, Yuno didn't stop him. After the excitement, Yuno quickly calmed down. And once calm, she naturally realized that Leo Ash had appeased her with just a few simple sentences.
Although Bronya was also a smart child, in Yuno's opinion, no matter how smart she was, she was just a poor kid with a chaotic mind. From the time he was being chased by Yuno in Nagazora City, Leo Ash had demonstrated his professional agent's skill of speaking to people in their own language and to ghosts in theirs. So now, Senior should be able to use that mouth of his to put Bronya at ease.
*Bronya, I'm very sorry, but your mother must die. Even if you come to resent me for it, I will definitely kill that woman!*
..
Inside the room, Bronya had actually heard the commotion outside long ago. But the girl, who had just chosen to betray her own kin, had lost the habit of constantly observing her surroundings that she had developed as a special forces soldier.
Helplessness towards her adoptive mother, confusion about the future, longing for her adoptive sister, guilt towards her comrades...
At this moment, Bronya truly felt that having damaged emotional circuits might not be such a bad thing. If her emotional circuits hadn't been healed by Abyss Flower, perhaps now she...
—wouldn't be in so much pain.
The Russia military had trained her in exquisite killing techniques, but it had not trained her heart to be completely cold and unfeeling. Even to this day, Bronya still felt that Cocolia had been the sunlight in her life, bringing her endless warmth.
But now, having recognized her mother's 'demon' side, Bronya realized just how insane Cocolia's actions were.
The girl, in immense pain, tried to recall those beautiful memories of the past. But when she did, she found that most of these memories were related to the girl who had already gone missing.
Seele Vollerei. The girl who always called her 'Big Sister' and followed her around had disappeared completely after being quantized in an experiment she participated in to take Bronya's place. And who caused that experiment?
At this moment, the girl, with a heart full of sorrow, simply could not avoid that fact. It was Cocolia's experiment that had led to all of this.
"Alright, I can't be bothered to knock."
Forcibly opening the room door, Leo Ash tossed the doorknob he had twisted off to the side and looked at the stunned Bronya. "As expected, you're crying."
"Brother Leo Ash..."
Watching the young man sit down on her bed so naturally, Bronya picked up a handkerchief to wipe away her tears and pouted at Leo Ash with dissatisfaction. "It's wrong to barge into a lady's room."
"Mm, indeed. But then again, I was already beating up little girls when we first met. Why would you think I'm some kind of rule-abiding good person?"
At this moment, Leo Ash looked at Bronya as if she were an idiot and almost laughed out loud. "I was an agent before. People in this line of work have to be flexible. Hearing a little girl crying in her room, I had to hurry in and help distract you, so you wouldn't be so sad."
[No, are you sure someone who knows how to be flexible would say something so awkward?]
[Why does this system feel... What the hell????]
[Why is it actually working???]
Watching the sadness on Bronya's face gradually disappear, Leo Ash wasn't actually surprised.
*System, I hope you understand one thing. Bronya just betrayed her own family and is currently in a state of confusion and grief. At a time like this, if someone shows her the most sincere care and kindness, it's quite easy to help her break free from her sadness to a certain extent.*
[Oh, cut the crap. This person is a top soldier from Russia. What kind of tragic world hasn't she seen? How could a few words from you possibly...]
[Did you use Phantasmagoria????]
*How could I? She doesn't have Yuno's deep-seated hatred. Why would I use Phantasmagoria on her? System, you still don't understand humans that well. While comforting Yuno, I was already thinking of a script specifically for Bronya based on her past. The reason Bronya has such deep feelings for Cocolia is, to put it bluntly, because the strict training of the Russia military made her heart yearn for the 'love' of others. It is precisely because she felt love from Cocolia that Bronya came to respect her adoptive mother so much. And now, this girl who lacks love and is in pain, feeling the care from others at this time, the bitterness in her heart will naturally be alleviated to some extent by this care. Also, I think you've forgotten one thing. I'm currently wearing the Title: Cold, Handsome Man. Although I haven't activated the Poker Face special ability, the other ability allows my charm towards the opposite sex to be further enhanced on top of the original foundation. Usually, this thing probably has no effect on this little girl, but now that she has let down her guard, these charm points obviously make it easier for me to enter her heart.*
[I see... Sometimes I feel that you thinking so much about these things without even realizing it is a bit scary.]
*I told you, please call this the survival instinct. She is also one of the chosen ones, and one of the future three Herrschers. With the day of Finality's arrival possibly being brought forward, I not only have to push myself, but I also have to push everyone else along with me. In order to survive, even if it means using such methods to get close to the heart of an injured girl, I will not hesitate in the slightest.*
[Well said! So you're already on the bed, finally ready to listen to this system and go for the duckling's be—]
*Yuno is still outside. I also hear Kiana and Mei's voices, so they're most likely studying next door. You really haven't changed at all—you were deliberately acting so shocked, trying to distract me from your true intentions and lure me to my death, weren't you!]
[Ehehe, take a guess.]
[This system will just watch and see just how far you're willing to go for survival.]
*How far I'll go... Heh, sometimes, honesty is the best weapon.*
"Brother Leo Ash."
Looking at the young man before her who she found increasingly endearing, Bronya suddenly took a deep breath and said to Leo Ash, full of apology. "I'm sorry about what happened in Nagazora City."
"Although I don't really care about it, I'll accept your apology for now. As a return gift, let me tell you a little secret."
Moving closer to the girl's small frame, Leo Ash whispered in Bronya's ear. "The chip your mother implanted in your brain actually has a backdoor that can control your body's actions."
?????
Upon hearing Leo Ash's whispered words, Bronya recoiled in disbelief. She had thought these were words Leo Ash was using to drive a wedge between them. But when she fled from Leo Ash's side like a startled rabbit, she looked into his eyes and saw a hint of sincerity in them.
"I know this is hard for you to accept, but think about it yourself—isn't this kind of approach very much in line with Cocolia's style?"
Bronya, whose heart was already bitter, made her judgment the moment she heard this sentence. If Cocolia truly loved her adopted sons and daughters, she wouldn't do something like this to hurt them.
*But... wasn't Seele already hurt by Mother's experiments?*
Before Leo Ash exposed Cocolia's actions, Bronya could hypnotize herself into believing firmly in whatever Cocolia did. But now, with Cocolia having done so many rotten things that Bronya had seen with her own eyes, all the vile deeds that woman had committed in the past now became factors pushing the girl to question her adoptive mother, forcing Bronya, who could have chosen to continue running away, to face reality.
Her brilliant mind and accurate judgment had now become the blades with which Bronya stabbed her own heart.
[...How spectacular.]
[On one hand, you use your skills and words to get closer to the girl, and on the other, you use the truth to break her defenses a second time.]
[Because the girl's defenses towards her adoptive mother are broken a second time, it becomes even easier for you to take advantage of the opening.]
[This trick might not have the same effect on others, but this little girl... Heh, precisely because she's a smart person, you only need to say one-tenth of the content, and she'll be able to imagine the other nine-tenths herself.]
*If you could, I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it sound like I'm doing something evil. Sometimes, making people face reality ahead of time does hurt the victim's heart. But with preparation, the knife Cocolia stabs into her heart won't hurt her as deeply.*
Looking at the self-destructing Bronya, Leo Ash said nothing more to the system and instead chose to move closer to the girl's body.
"Whether any of this is true, whether I've deceived you, the future will prove it. As for now, do you know what you should be doing?"
"...Contact Mother Cocolia immediately?"
"Contact my ass!"
Hearing Bronya's puzzled words, Leo Ash lightly chopped Bronya on the forehead with the side of his hand. "There's no rush for this matter. What you should be doing now is, to put it bluntly, eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink, play games if you want to play games, watch movies if you want to watch movies."
"Cocolia might have once been a light in your life, but now that this light has dimmed, you don't need to be all dramatic over a false light."
"She created a Honkai Eruption and indirectly killed a bunch of people, conducted human experiments and directly harmed orphans, engaged in infighting and screwed over her teammates, and sent people to launch sneak attacks while Schicksal was fighting the Honkai—this bitch hasn't done a single decent thing from start to finish. She should have been arrested long ago."
"Her feelings for you aren't love, but domination. That woman was never worthy of being your mother from the very beginning, understand?!"
"Although the Bronya still has reservations, but..."
After hearing this string of words from Leo Ash, Bronya suddenly let out a breath of relief, and much of the sadness and helplessness on her face dissipated. "I have to admit, Brother Leo Ash, some of what you said is indeed correct."
Completely unaware of Leo Ash's inner thoughts, Bronya suddenly felt a strange emotion budding in her heart. Although they were only three years apart in age, she felt a sense of—a senior's warmth from Leo Ash?
*Now that I think about it, he really is a bit like that. Brother Leo Ash is like a doting old father, nagging on and on for so long... He's usually so quiet, yet today he's so earnestly trying to make me see reality. To worry so much about a former enemy, Brother Leo Ash is such a fool. But... the Bronya doesn't dislike this kind of fool.*
[Haha! She bought it! She really bought it!]
[Looks like what you said was right, Host—little girls really are easy to fool!]
*Is there any possibility that I was telling the truth? A piece of trash who sends her adoptive daughter to be a human experiment really doesn't deserve to be their mother. But... the way this little girl is looking at me seems a bit off.*
[Hehehe.]
*Hey, don't just go silent on me.*
[Hehehe.]
*Hehe my ass. Forget it, I'm ignoring you.*
*The problem on Bronya's side is temporarily resolved. In the future, even if she is controlled, she won't be as hurt. She will only be more disappointed in Cocolia after my prediction comes true. At this point—even if I kill Cocolia, she probably won't have too many complaints. All the groundwork has been laid. Yuno has been placated, and Bronya has been tricked silly and is already disappointed in Cocolia in advance. Now, as long as that woman dares to show her face, I must seize the opportunity... to completely bury this cancer of humanity!*
.....