Chapter 39: Bronya

Tonight, St. Freya Academy was destined to have some people struggling to fall asleep. Not everyone can sleep peacefully like Lu Yu. In fact, many girls couldn't sleep on this night.

For example, Kiana, who had just cried, as an outsider, she recalled everything that happened before, and the uneasy feeling in her heart couldn't be calmed for a long time.

And Mei, who was eagerly looking forward to something tonight, was bound to be a loser tonight. The simulation could only happen once a day, and Lu Yu couldn't split himself to fulfill the wishes of all the girls.

Of course, besides the two girls who had a somewhat complicated relationship with Lu Yu, there were other girls in this late night who couldn't sleep.

In the female dormitory of St. Freya Academy, a girl with a bow tied on her head sat on a wooden chair. Under the dim light of the desk lamp, she looked expressionless at a wooden photo frame placed on the table.

In the frame, there was a picture of two girls, a girl with light gray hair and a girl with short black hair with a blue tint. The two girls leaned their faces together, their clear eyes reflecting a sense of warmth.

"Seele..."

The girl with no expression on her face softly uttered a name she would always remember.

The girl gently wiped the photo frame with her hand, her movements were slow, so slow that it seemed as if the item she held was not a photo frame but a priceless treasure.

The girl had an ordinary-sounding name, but she actually had a hidden identity: a spy, or rather, an assassin!

Bronya Zaychik, that was the girl's name, and she also had a code name that once struck fear into people's hearts - Ural's Silver Wolf.

Bronya's life could be considered unfortunate. Having lost her parents at a young age, she was adopted by a certain military organization. After going through extremely cruel training, she became an unflinching killer at a young age.

However, fate is always fair. Even a girl killer with hands stained with blood will have a day to step into the light. Bronya Zaychik was lucky. During one of her missions, her assassination target, Ms. Cocolia, adopted her.

Cocolia was originally a captain from a special forces unit. Because of a Honkai outbreak, she established an orphanage to help the homeless children affected by the disaster. And that's when Bronya Zaychik first met Cocolia. Although Cocolia was targeted for assassination by Bronya, she couldn't bring herself to kill her. Instead, Cocolia adopted the girl who had been tainted with blood and killing.

In the years at the orphanage, Bronya no longer had to carry out assassination missions. She grew up with the other girls in the orphanage. The darkness of her early years and the care and love from the other girls gradually faded away.

In the orphanage, Bronya made many friends. She was no longer a killer but an ordinary and unremarkable girl. She learned to smile and be strong.

Sin Mal, Rozaliya Olenyeva, Liliya Olenyeva, and Seele.

These were friends Bronya cherished, and this also included Sin mal, who had been less friendly towards Bronya.

Bronya knew that Sin Mal was just a somewhat childish girl. Although she could be a bit sarcastic and proud, and sometimes bullied others out of jealousy, Sin Mal's nature wasn't bad. She was simply twisted due to her personality and experiences. Bronya believed that Sin Mal would grow up someday and become as kind as Cocolia.

Rozaliya Olenyeva was lively and lovely, while her elder sister, Liliya Olenyeva, was completely different from her. She was calm and composed, and she liked to make fun of her sister.

Seele was the girl Bronya treasured most at the orphanage. The two of them were as close as real sisters. In this orphanage, the person Bronya cared most about was this lovely girl who called her "sister" with a smile.

For Bronya, those years at the orphanage were the happiest time in her life.

Unfortunately...

The cruelty of fate once again befell Bronya.

Most of the girls in the orphanage were affected by the Honkai power to some extent. As time passed, the Honkai power would eventually consume the other girls in the orphanage.

In the face of this situation, Cocolia chose to conduct a risky experiment. She used one of the girls for research in order to find a way to make the body fully adapt to the Honkai power. And Bronya was the girl Cocolia chose!

If she could save everyone in the orphanage, Bronya didn't mind becoming the subject of the experiment. She really didn't mind because this place was her cherished home, and sacrificing her life for her family was nothing.

However...

Bronya didn't expect that after hearing this news, Seele took her place and forcibly participated in the experiment.

As a result, Bronya lost her beloved little sister - Seele.

During the experiment called X-10, Seele couldn't withstand the power of the stigma and was forever trapped in the Sea of Quanta.

Upon learning of this result, Bronya was driven to desperation, and Cocolia finally reopened the experiment, and then Bronya finally met Seele in the Sea of Quanta.

Meeting Seele in the Sea of Quanta, Bronya desperately tried to save her, but how could Seele bear to let her favorite sister disappear?

In the end, Seele remained in the Sea of Quanta, and after making a promise that she would bring Seele out, Bronya left the Sea of Quanta with a gift from Seele.

After that, Cocolia and Bronya tried many methods to rescue Seele from the Sea of Quanta, but unfortunately, they gained nothing.

When Bronya was in despair, after much deliberation, Cecilia proposed a possibility to her, which was to obtain the Herrscher Core from Raiden Mei and use it as a springboard to save Seele.

...

At first, Bronya didn't agree with Cocolia idea. Destroying another girl's life to save her family was not something pure-hearted Bronya would ever agree to.

But...

In countless days and nights, every time Bronya thought of Seele, her heart would ache as if countless knives were twisting inside her.

Finally, unable to bear the pain of losing Seele, Bronya agreed to Cocolia plan and came to St. Freya Academy.

Bronya really doesn't want to harm Raiden Mei.

During these days of lurking in St. Freya Academy, Bronya has come to understand Raiden Mei. This sister from the Far East is a gentle girl, and no matter what, she shouldn't be the one Bronya harms.

But... she can only do this to save Seele.

Bronya's hand trembled slightly as she caressed the photo frame, looking at the smiling Seele in the picture. The self-blame in Bronya's eyes gradually turned into determination.

"Seele, Bronya will definitely save you back!"

TL/N: Damn, this was a pain to translate. Seele and Cocolia's name keeps getting translated as Himeko and Cecilia. It was so annoying.