Aunt?

The rest of the group split up to search for the source of the disaster. Kiana, Sirin, and Mei began their search on one side of the city, while Theresa, Seele, and Bronya went to the other.

They had a simple Honkai energy detector, but it seemed like someone was trying to hide the true source.

The overall energy levels in the city were high, but pinpointing the strongest concentration was impossible.

" Oh, this is such a hard job. Am I the only one who has it so bad every time? "

"Ugh, this is so difficult. Why do I always get the hardest missions?" Raven complained, watching Kiana and the others from above.

She was still will dealing with the Herrscher of the Void, and she really didn't want to face Sirin. The memories of Second honkai eruption were a constant source of fear, but another battle seemed unavoidable.

"Hmph! So my experiment is suddenly pushed forward with no explanation?" Jackal, wearing her mask, grumbled.

It was obvious experiments were the only thing she cared about, and this interruption made her angry.

" Haha, how long has it been since you had contact with the outside world, " Raven said with a smile.

Raven smirked. "How long has it been since you stepped outside?" She gestured towards the bright lights of ARC City, then to the distant Life Sciences headquarters where the explosion happened. "Out there, things are crazy, If you hadn't been hiding in your lab, you'd probably be dead already!"

"So, what exactly happened?" Jackal demanded, frowning. She knew important people ordered this experiment, but rushing it meant the chances of success were even lower.

"Basically, your secret's out," Raven said, her voice dramatic. "Everyone online knows what you're doing. Luckily, the Lord got you that Honkai Source so the experiment could go ahead anyway. That's about it."

...

On the other side of the search, Theresa, Seele, and Bronya huddled around their Honkai energy detector. Something was interfering with it, making the readings unreliable.

Suddenly, a woman dressed in white stood before them. She held her hands clasped gently, and the moonlight made her seem to glow, like a beautiful statue.

She looked at the three of them, especially Bronya, with a smile on her face and said softly,

" Good night, everyone, as you can see, I am Hare, a cadre of the World Snake, and I am here to entertain you three. "

Theresa's eyes widened in shock. "Yatta – no, Cecilia! Why...why are you here? Shouldn't you be..." Her voice choked, unable to finish the thought. This woman looked so much like someone she knew.

She says she's a World Snake cadre, but she's a mystery – no one's ever seen her before. Even though she has Cecilia's face, her white hair and blue eyes, everything else seems wrong. 

But the difference in temperament and clothes between her and Cecilia is also very obvious.

"Apologies, Miss Theresa. Answers will have to wait." The woman's voice has no warmth. "I'm afraid you'll need to rest now."

"Wha–what?" Theresa's startled protest is cut short. Her eyelids grow heavy, no matter how she fights it.

The woman, Hare, smiles faintly and snaps her fingers. Invisible power washes over them. "Sweet dreams," she whispers. "You'll find sleep...and much more."

"And with that, there are no more distractions." Hare's eyes shifted to Bronya, who stood tensely in front of Seele. Her smile remained. "Bronya Zaychik...it's been so long."

Instinct took over. Bronya shielded Seele, not even thinking about the difference in strength. This woman felt dangerous, and protecting her sister was automatic.

"What did you do to principal? And...I've never met you before," Bronya said, her voice steady despite the fear building inside her. Even though this woman resembled someone she knew, it wasn't right. Not Cecilia.

Bronya stared at hare for a while, and she was sure that she had never seen a similar face except at Kiana's mother's house.

But just as the principal said, Cecilia-senpai will not appear here.

So, who is she?

she also looked like she was very familiar with herself.

"Putting Theresa down for a quick nap was easier than expected," Hare mused. "An S-class Valkyrie should have better defenses." She'd carefully placed mental suggestions along the way, and they'd worked beautifully.

A little surprise that this group was so careless, especially when they sensed something was off.

Of course, this kind of dream manipulation only worked if there was no active attack. Trying to mess with their minds while they were alert would be far more complicated. But for now, that wasn't a concern.

"Oh? So, why the sudden interest in Bronya? I don't think we've ever met before." Bronya spoke carefully, trying to mask her fear.

This woman, Hare...she'd stopped principal with a snap of her fingers. Bronya and Seele were no match for her, so they needed to be smart.

" Don't be nervous, Bronya, to be honest, this is not the best time I expected to meet you, "

"Don't worry, Bronya. Honestly, this isn't exactly how I planned to meet you either." Hare's tone was surprisingly gentle, not the cruel voice Bronya had expected.

She tapped her chin in thought, tilting her head slightly. For a moment, she looked surprisingly innocent.

"But family is important," Hare continued. "And as your aunt...well, let's just say it's time we got to know each other."

"You know my mother?" Bronya couldn't hide her surprise, the word 'aunt' forgotten. If this woman was related... did that mean there were answers about her past?

She had high expectations for a mother she had never met before, but was also afraid of being disappointed.

From the beginning, she lived in an orphanage and forgot the existence of her biological mother very early.

There, no one remembered their biological mother, except for Cocolia, a mother. She thought she didn't care at all, but when others mentioned it, her heart felt a little sad.

"Well then! Alexandra is a brave woman. She didn't abandon you on purpose," Hare said firmly, her voice full of conviction.

Bronya froze. What did this mean? What truth lay in those words? This woman, this aunt, knew things... but now wasn't the time to unravel that knotted past.

Stopping the disaster, protecting Seele, that took priority.

"So, how did you become my 'aunt' exactly? And why do you look just like Cecilia, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie?" Bronya took two deliberate steps forward.

Curiosity about her mother battled with the urge to launch a surprise attack while they talked.

"The 'aunt' thing? I was just trying human speech patterns. After all, as Alexandra's close friend, I figured it was the least I could do."

hare stepped back, avoiding Bronya's hand that she wanted to stretch out, her smile not diminishing.

"And be careful. Get closer, and you might get more than a conversation for your trouble."

Alexandra? So that was her mother's name.

Bronya stopped her advance. The air around Hare buzzed with dense Honkai energy, and even the slightest movement brought a sharp sting.

She subtly pulled her hand back, trying to hide the pain. Eyes still locked on Hare, she took a closer look.

Those soft blue eyes hid a flicker of pink, one more way Hare was different from Cecilia. There was a strange quality to them, not the clear determination of a Valkyrie, but something...lost, confused.

"You're not human? Then what are you? And why are you stopping us?" Bronya's voice was steady despite the questions swirling in her head.

"That's a story for another day," Hare replied. "Let's just say a topic like this needs better timing." A teasing smile, almost playful, spread across her face. "As for the reason I'm stopping you..."

hare paused for a moment, then smiled teasingly like a girl, as if hesitating or directly declaring, " This road... is blocked? "

"Couldn't you have mentioned that earlier?" Bronya aimed her gun and fired, frustration making her voice sharp. She lunged forward, not giving Hare a chance to react.

A flash of movement, and Hare held a shimmering spear. It deflected the bullet with a harsh metallic clang, sending it careening off-course.

She still looked at Bronya with a smile and did not take the initiative to attack.

Yet, Bronya felt a surge of unease, a sense of danger that was out of proportion to the situation. A quick glance behind her revealed the impossible – Seele was gone.

"When did...?" Bronya's voice trailed off. This had to be a dream, but she didn't remember the exact moment it started.

"So you've figured it out," Hare said. "If friendly conversation isn't your style, then battle it is."

"You've got to be kidding me." Bronya stared in disbelief as the seemingly fragile woman in front of her suddenly donned heavy armor, her weapon transformed into a formidable combat spear.

Bronya knew she was trapped in someone else's dream. There was no escape, only desperate defense. Her legs ached from constant dodging, but at least her legs are very flexible now.

Although she is being tortured by the opponent, her fighting skills are also improving...

Still, this was embarrassing. She, the future Herrscher of Reason, was barely holding her own in hand-to-hand combat! If anyone ever found out... It was so humiliating! A tinge of bitterness washed over her.

"If only..." Mid-dodge, Bronya found her mind drifting to Kiana. If Kiana was here, she'd smash through this with brute force. Bronya's lips twitched with reluctant humor.

Looks like she'd have to ask Kiana for some Close combat tips later.

"When will this–" A flash of steel cut off her thoughts. No time for distractions! Bronya gritted her teeth, ready for the next wave of attacks.

...

Life Sciences Pharmaceutical company headquarter, ARC city Industrial Zone,

Crumbled concrete and twisted metal littered the ground, echoes of past explosions still hanging in the smoke-filled air. Yet, amidst the wreckage, a fierce battle raged.

Kevin massive sword, a blur of silver in the dim light, smashed down. It met the spear's point with a deafening clang, the shockwave rippling outwards and forcing the wielder back. Their feet carved a deep trench into the ruined earth as they struggled for control.

Fu Hua, eyes narrowed in concentration, gathered her Taixu Sword Qi. With a roar, she unleashed a surging palm strike towards Kevin. The air crackled and warped with the force of her attack.

Kevin was lightning-fast. A twist of his body, a shift of his blade, and the sword lay horizontal, intercepting the blow.

The impact resonated through the metal, a hairline crack appearing in its once pristine surface. He was driven back, landing several steps away, but his stance remained unbroken.

One against two, yet Kevin's eyes held no fear, only a steely determination. The wreckage of the Life Sciences building was their stage, and this fight was far from over.

"Kevin, this has to stop!" Fu Hua's voice cut through the din of battle, her usual calm demeanor replaced by rising exasperation. "This plan of yours... it won't achieve anything. Why are you so insistent?"

She still didn't understand the meaning of the other party's insistence on doing this. There was no need to implement this plan at all.

"Senior Fu Hua, hold on!" Durandal called out, her gaze flitting between Fu Hua and their opponent.

Kevin remained airborne, his face an unreadable mask. He moved with an unsettling grace, seemingly unaffected by the intensity of the fight.

Durandal gritted her teeth. "These Valkyrie suits... they're a hindrance at this level," she realized. Technology still struggled to keep pace with the power they faced. This wasn't like the Game, where their Valkyrie suits offered a decisive edge.

Fu Hua had the advantage of her stigmata, the rapid healing keeping her in the fight. Yet, the core of her power, the sword heart, was beyond her. It left her best techniques unreachable.

Worse still, this was Kevin. One of humanity's strongest warriors – and she could sense the vast depths of power he kept carefully in reserve.

Fu Hua's mind raced. A full-on fight here? The destruction would be unimaginable. The Taixu Sword God's power unleashed in a city… not many would survive the aftermath.

Right now, they could at least limit the damage. But a desperate, all-out battle...it could rival the Honkai disaster they were desperately trying to prevent.

" I'm in good health, but Kevin... he's very strong. Even with all his strength, i can't win, and there are many casualties caused by his full strength. " Fu Hua said bluntly,

Unlike the second Honkai Impact, which can be used without any scruples in the snowy plains, in such a densely populated metropolis, it is not feasible to use all one's strength.

"So what do you suggest?" Kevin's reply cut through the air, clipped and cold.

He shifted his stance, the greatsword held unwaveringly towards them. "My resolve is clear. The Stigma Project is non-negotiable."

" Kevin... Even if you delay us, there will be others to solve this disaster. Why not let us solve it as soon as possible..."

Fu Hua still tried to persuade him. Both of them were a bit straight and couldn't understand the meaning of Kevin's insistence on stopping him.

"... Then sit down and talk, that's fine, but you are not allowed to participate in this Trial. "

Kevin's expression softened slightly. This was just a warm-up for him. It didn't matter to him whether he wanted to fight or not.

Familiar power fluctuations came from Hua's body, and the successor also had a power as bright as a star.

If they continue to fight, they will destroy the entire city.

...

30 minutes and still counting… the Honkai energy is about to explode.

Kiana and her team frantically search the endless sea of people, desperate to find the source of the disaster. "Where is it?" she gasps, her eyes darting from side to side.

It feels impossible to locate the tiny Honkai source with just her eyes.

Kiana wishes this was as easy as solving a crisis in a game. But in the real world, things are far messier; there's no guarantee that simply fighting a battle will magically fix everything.

Right now, she doesn't even know how to find the Honkai source in the first place.

A feeling of powerlessness emerged from her heart, and a sense of doubt in her heart couldn't help but arise. Time passed by minute by second, and she was inevitably filled with anxiety.

Dread pools within her. What if she can't find it? Every second that ticks by brings her closer to the unimaginable – millions of lives lost. She was worried that this time she would make the same mistake in training again.

The memory of her past mistakes haunts her. Back then, a smile and an apology to Teacher Himeko was enough to ease the sting of failure. But this time, the stakes are unimaginably higher. If she messes up now, the guilt will crush her.

Doubt gnaws at her. Can she really find the Honkai source? She has no confidence, no plan… but she has to try.

She gritted her teeth. When she was in the same situation as the [Sky Ranger], she understood that the other party's perseverance was such that she would try her best to do what she could in times of disaster. This was a very difficult thing to do.

Even though the [Sky Ranger] was seriously injured, she could squeeze out every ounce of strength and formulate a clear and effective plan, but she was still far behind in terms of belief.

"No," she whispers, shaking off the doubts. "I can't give up. I have to do this!"

Sirin sighed, a headache starting to pound. "I'm a Herrscher, the Herrscher of the Void! Yet, all I can sense is this growing wave of Honkai energy… no clear source, nothing to pinpoint." She closed her eyes, clenching her fists in frustration.

Secretly, she had hoped this mission would prove her worth to her mother. Enough with the constant praise for other people's kids! But now…now things were way more complicated than she'd imagined.

Mei stood beside her, silent, her lips a thin line. She remembered how awful it felt in the game – wounded, terrified, sometimes even dead.

But worst of all was that helpless feeling, watching Kiana in danger and being unable to do a single thing.

If it came down to it, Mei would rather fight, even risk everything, than be a useless bystander again.