Chapter 75: Goodbye, mother, and my cowardice (4k)

To be honest, Welt, having lived for so long, had never thought that he would one day ride on Benares' back.

His impression of Benares remained at a simple level:

The first time he saw Benares, in her dragon form, she tried to swallow him, but he managed to break free and severely injure her while supporting the Second Herrscher. The second time he saw Benares, the tide of battle had turned, and after being ambushed by Otto, he had to attend the Second Herrscher's feast on the moon. Bella was responsible for welcoming him. By this time, Bella had a human form and was no longer a simple Honkai Beast but more like a pseudo-Herrscher.

His relationship with Benares in his world had always been hostile. Every encounter led to a fight.

Of course, there was no other way. He caused trouble during the Second Eruption, disrupting the plans of the Second Herrscher and eventually leading to her demise. It was understandable that Benares in that world viewed him as an enemy.

But when Welt was actually sitting on Benares' back, he felt a bit surreal.

The former enemy has become my mount... even if it's temporary, Welt couldn't help but feel a mix of complex emotions.

In Chase's world, what kind of development occurred that led me to become the uncle of the Second Herrscher?

Sighing lightly, Welt shifted his gaze to the excited March 7th and Stella.

These two mischief-makers were probably riding a dragon for the first time, and their excitement couldn't be concealed.

"Wow! Chase, this is my first time riding a dragon!" March 7th exclaimed in excitement. "I didn't expect Bella to be a real dragon! I never thought that cute Bella could turn into such a handsome dragon!"

"So handsome!" Stella nodded in agreement.

"You parrot!" March 7th grumbled, discontent with Stella's habit of repeating her words.

Stella awkwardly smiled and touched her head. "Yeah, I feel the same way."

Chase also nodded approvingly. "Dragon Knights are really cool!"

Unfortunately, Bella, in her dragon form, preferred the more agile human form over the massive and clumsy dragon form. Chase's wish to ride a dragon and show off was shattered.

When Chase asked, Bella responded naturally, "Because this way, I can stay closer to my big brother."

Well, the natural attribute did have an inexplicable charm.

Meanwhile, Dan Heng silently crossed his arms, sitting aside, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. It seemed like he was pondering something profound, akin to contemplating matters of world-saving importance. With hands folded across his chest, he immersed himself in deep thought.

It's strange; despite being a dragon, there's no trace of Immortality.

Dan Heng, the former " Imbibitor Lunae," couldn't understand. He could transform into a dragon and have a human form, indicating he should be a dragon descendant. Yet, Dan Heng couldn't sense any hint of this aura from Bella.

Strange. Too strange.

On the other hand, Seele sat quietly, observing the changing scenery below. Although her face lacked expression, her eyes still shimmered with the curious light unique to a "Pirate."

She didn't think too much; she was just curious about new things.

After all, Seele had a clear understanding of her role. She was merely a muscle, and strategizing wasn't her job. Her task was to listen to her companions, point to where to hit, and hit it.

She shifted her gaze to the two people, Chase and Welt, who almost started a fight the moment they met. A rare look of confusion appeared on her face.

It seems that with these two god-like figures around, there's no need for me to get involved.

While Seele was lost in her thoughts, Chase spoke up, "We've arrived at the snowy plains as mentioned by Serval."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned serious.

Stella had some nervousness; it was her first time encountering the Stellaron—or rather, her first time on a mission to recover the Stellaron.

Chase patted Bella, indicating her to continue exploring the surroundings, then said, "Mr. Welt will handle the Stellaron recovery. We only need to deal with unexpected situations, such as clearing any nearby Quantum Beasts."

Chase shifted his gaze to Welt. "Mr. Welt, please guide Bella in the right direction."

Welt sighed, sensing the presence of the Stellaron, and pointed in the direction indicated by Bella.

"Wait, is that Bronya?" Seele suddenly exclaimed.

Chase patted Bella again, and she immediately understood, descending from the sky.

As Bella landed, everyone dismounted from the dragon. Only now did they realize that it wasn't Bronya at all.

"No, this is some kind of residual image." Welt pushed his glasses and explained, "It's a kind of energy residue duplicated by the dimensional rift..."

"So, they've definitely been here, right?" March 7th asked.

Welt nodded without hesitation, confirming.

"In that case, let's catch up!"...

The snowy plains were harsh and cold, with thick layers of snow sinking deeply underfoot. The surroundings featured bare trees without leaves and peculiar ice sculptures.

Chase couldn't stand the sight of these and waved his hand, tearing apart the legion of ice sculptures in his field of vision. The monsters frozen in the ice were powerless to resist and were torn apart by the terrifying and mysterious spatial force. They couldn't even scream. In passing, Chase cleared the path ahead.

"Coach, I want to learn!" Stella, watching Chase's incredible skills, had stars in her eyes and exclaimed with excitement.

"It's innate; I can't teach you," Chase shook his head, "just like your innate skill with that amazing baseball bat."

Stella awkwardly scratched her head, subconsciously feeling that what Chase said made sense.

March 7th stretched lazily, "Wow, it's really cold here."

"After all, we're not in Belobog, no heating facilities, the cold is natural, and we're already close to the [Stellaron]'s location..." Dan Heng nodded, explaining.

"Anyway, let's make the most of our time. The [Stellaron] is nearby; let's find it and recover it first," Chase said, casually taking Bella's hand, who had transformed into human form, and followed behind Welt.

He wasn't familiar with the [Stellaron], so he preferred leaving such matters to the professionals.

Meanwhile, within the Stigma Space, Sirin silently took out a notebook, grinding her teeth as she wrote and drew.

This grudge, I've noted it down!

Chase somewhat missed Sampo, who had been abandoned by them. Despite his seemingly cheap demeanor, he appeared to possess the innate talent of guiding, looking like someone with considerable experience.

Welt sighed, feeling the aura of the [Stellaron] and followed the direction of the fading traces in front.

He actually wanted to provide more training opportunities for the juniors, but watching the Train Trio battling the creatures approaching from the rift, he couldn't help but reveal a fatherly smile.

Oh well, this might also be a form of training.

...

When the group caught up with the fading traces near the [Stellaron], they coincidentally met Bronya and Cocolia, who had arrived not long ago.

Bronya held her forehead with one hand, looking somewhat pained. Her already dazed mind was now filled with a complex voice, tempting and inducing. Bronya knew it was the murmurs of the [Stellaron].

Cocolia stood by her side, repeatedly saying, "Don't resist, Bronya—accept the shared will!"

In Bronya's already confused mind, some images that the [Stellaron] wanted to convey to her appeared.

"Give up the meaningless struggle and erase all the stale marks of the old world."

"A world without poverty, cold, and pain."

"Embrace destruction, and a new world will be born from the ruins!"

"...No... This is not what I want..." Bronya, at this moment, was like a small boat on a stormy sea. The waves stirred by the [Stellaron] continuously beat against her, making her float and sink in the sea, as if she would be completely submerged by the seawater in the next moment.

Cocolia continued to tempt, "Look at the promised future, Bronya! A world without poverty, cold, and pain; a world where people don't have to beg for survival like prisoners; a world we can protect forever."

"For seven hundred years, we have been trying and struggling, thinking that the light of humanity would guide us to revival. What's the result? We have failed miserably!"

At this moment, Cocolia looked devoutly at the [Stellaron], "Why, when facing an undeniable force, is our first reaction always resistance, blocking our ears, rather than listening to its appeals?"

She then shifted her gaze back to Bronya. At this moment, Cocolia's eyes were void of the love and concern a mother should have, replaced by indifference and emptiness. "That is the deep-seated, indelible delusion and cowardice in human nature. Abandon them, unlock the shackles that bind you! The [Stellaron] will lead humanity to evolution; it will—"

Before Cocolia could finish her words, Bronya suddenly disappeared in front of her. Startled, Cocolia looked around.

"Hehe," Chase, as if possessed by Otto, clapped and praised, "This is quite a good drama. If I were you, Cocolia, maybe I should kneel in front of the graves of the former Guardians and perform a tragic stunt right there, shedding tears of bitter laughter."

"As a Guardian, you rebel first, denying Belobog's long-held belief in 'Preservation,' and turning to 'Destruction,' thinking that 'Destruction' can bring a new life to this world. That's quite interesting." Chase glanced at Bronya, who was surrounded by everyone, continuing to mock, "What's the difference between this and those fanatics in my hometown who believe that 'Honkai' can bring a new life to civilization? Right, Mr. Welt?"

Welt remained silent, a mix of emotions in his heart.

Chase's style, his tone—if he didn't know that he was his student, he would think this guy was another embodiment of Otto. But thinking about it, it made sense. Chase had studied under Otto for some time, learning a thing or two wasn't beyond comprehension.

"Well, you're here after all. I thought this snowstorm could bury you all..." Facing Chase's mockery, Cocolia raised her eyebrows slightly. "Just didn't expect that this cold seemed to freeze your mouths even harder."

But Chase had already shifted his attention away from her. He turned back, inquiring about Bronya:

"Are you okay?"

Bronya nodded slightly. "Thank you; I know what to do now."

She had recognized the reality. Perhaps the Cocolia Rand standing in front of her was no longer her mother. The invasion from the [Stellaron], the temptation from the [Stellaron]—she had felt it all. So she was very clear; her mother was no longer there.

What stood in front of her might be the current Guardian or her nominal mother, but Bronya wouldn't acknowledge it. She wouldn't acknowledge Cocolia, who had betrayed the efforts of the predecessors, joined 'Destruction,' and believed in the new world that 'Destruction' could bring. She wouldn't acknowledge her as her mother.

Her mother had already died in the process of resisting the [Stellaron].

Bronya had made up her mind. She took a deep breath, gave everyone a reassuring look, and walked back to Cocolia. In Cocolia's empty and cold eyes, she said slowly:

"Cocolia, you say the depths of human nature are foolish and cowardly, perhaps not untrue. Adversity can reveal the darkest side of the human heart."

"But you missed those who strive to survive and fight in adversity. I see the radiance in them, on the front lines of the Forbidden Zone, in the lower districts, in the corners you ignore."

"Our ancestors built this city with their own hands, striving to continue civilization amidst the swaying snow. Even if this world is destined to collapse, the path to the end should be paved by humans themselves—"

Bronya slowly raised the gun in her hand, aiming it at her once teacher and adoptive mother.

"Rather than handing our fate to this calamity!"

Bang!

The power of 'Preservation' was applied to the determined girl. Bronya pulled the trigger at Cocolia and thrust the bayonet on the rifle into her.

"Farewell, Mother, and... my own weakness."