Chapter 122 Senti: From God Su to Dog Thief Su Mu, Don't You Have Any Self-Awareness?
In the subsequent plot:
Cocolia carried out the X-10 Experiment plan at the orphanage. The initial goal was for Anti-Entropy and the world, but also to ensure the children could survive in this era. After all, born into a world of Honkai, survival is a luxury without power. Once an eruption occurs, ordinary people either die from infection or become displaced wanderers.
During the experiments, Bronya's adaptability to Honkai energy was particularly prominent, and her intimacy with Seele drew the jealousy of Sin Mal. Consequently, Sin Mal pushed Bronya down a staircase and stomped on her legs, causing severe injury. Bronya did not tell Cocolia about this, but Seele, who witnessed everything, was paralyzed by fear and unable to move, leaving her consumed by guilt and self-blame afterward.
Bronya did not know that something was awakening within Seele. It was Seele's second personality, born from her natural Stigma.
["Hehe, but Big Sister doesn't know... when you saw her covered in blood... what surged in your heart was excitement."]
["From that moment, the true 'you' deep inside began to awaken."]
Under the enticement of the second personality, Seele developed thoughts of revenge against Sin Mal. Initially, she tried to use words to persuade her. However, Sin did not take Seele's warning to heart and even insulted her, calling her a weakling who was merely playing a fake "sisters" game with Bronya.
In a fit of grief and indignation, the second personality took control of Seele's body. Seele's eyes turned scarlet, and her entire demeanor underwent a radical shift! She became someone who worshipped violence—extreme and manic. She used the power of the Stigma to exact revenge on Sin.
[The Staircase Revenge Play]— Seele used the Stigma's power to create an endless staircase, pushing Sin down and forcing her to be tortured on the infinite steps...
["How useless. You had such an aura when you were bullying people."]
Seele held a massive scythe, her legs crossed, looking like a queen. She looked down at Sin on the ground with a look of pure contempt, as if looking at trash!
[Wok? (Holy crap?)]
[This blackened Seele is way too cool!]
['Mei's Dog' Super Chat: It's over family, what do I do if I want to be Seele's dog now?]
[With a name like that, how dare you defect!!]
[The contrast in Seele's personality is too much! It's so stimulating, I love it!]
The viewers exploded over "Black Seele's" manic performance. One second a weak, pitiful little girl; the next, she blackens into a high-and-mighty little demon toying with others... The change caught them off guard and served as a delightful surprise! They thought the Azure Sea arc was just about Bronya's past, but they didn't expect a dual-personality character with such a strong contrast.
However. Unlike the audience's delight, this plot caused Seele's expression to change drastically.
"W-What...?" Seeing that manic second personality taking control and ruthlessly punishing Sin Mal, Seele clenched her fists uneasily. How? How? When was I found out? Since when did he know? Why is this secret being exposed? Did Bronya-oneesama know all along?!
Her heart became incredibly restless, and her back was nearly soaked with cold sweat. Does Bronya-oneesama know the things I've done? No... if she knew, she definitely wouldn't want to see me again...
Bronya also noticed Seele's body tensing up, looking nervous. "Seele, are you okay?"
Seele shook her head vigorously. "No, I'm fine! Bronya-oneesama, the 'me' in this game has two personalities. What a novel setting! But... as expected, that violent Black Seele would be hated, wouldn't she...?"
Bronya noticed Seele's tightly clenched fists. Ever since the stream started, Bronya had been observing Seele. Seele hadn't shown much emotional fluctuation earlier, but the moment the hidden personality appeared, she became visibly anxious. Bronya's suspicion was basically confirmed. She was certain Su Mu wasn't lying; Seele had been hiding the second personality from her all along.
This made Bronya a bit angry, but not because of the secrecy. Seele was her family, yet she hadn't noticed this at all. After all, if Bronya had a completely different personality inside her, she too would feel uneasy and afraid to tell those important to her. She wouldn't want them to worry.
"Is that so? But, Bronya thinks that no matter which Seele it is, it doesn't matter." Bronya shook her head and gripped Seele's hand. She could clearly feel Seele's palm was drenched in sweat and trembling from fear. "After all, Seele did it to avenge Bronya. Even if the method was wrong, how could Bronya blame Seele?"
Seele's eyes widened. She asked blankly, "Bronya-oneesama doesn't hate that scary Black Seele? She might use Seele's body to do bad things... even so, is it okay?"
"Of course it's okay," Bronya said with total gravity. "If Seele wants to do bad things, Bronya will criticize her severely and order her never to do them again. If that bad Seele does something unforgivable, I will face it together with her, because Bronya and Seele are family!"
Looking at Bronya, Seele's nose wrinkled, and tears began to slide down her cheeks. "Thank you, Bronya-oneesama... I-I'm so happy..."
"For a long time, I wanted to tell Bronya-oneesama, but... I was afraid you would hate me, so I kept it from you. But Bronya-oneesama says she can accept Seele no matter what... I'm just so happy... Sorry, I'm like a child, I can't control my tears..."
Bronya used a handkerchief to wipe Seele's face and then tapped her nose. "I really can't do anything with a crybaby Seele. But then again, letting a little sister act spoiled is an older sister's duty."
Seele lunged forward and hugged Bronya tightly. "Bronya-oneesama, I love you the most!"
An awkward cough rang out at an inopportune moment. Pardo Felis looked at them with a very helpless gaze. "Sister Bronya, Seele, are you two suddenly acting out a 8:00 PM prime-time soap opera? What's with this feeling that I'm the only outsider here?"
Pardo looked at them helplessly. Can you two pay attention to the situation? We're live! If I hadn't been quick enough to cut the mic and camera, you'd be acting out this deep sisterly love drama in front of the whole world!
"S-Sorry! Pardo-oneesama! Seele was too impulsive..." Seele's face turned bright red as she bowed in apology.
"It's fine, it's fine... Sigh, though I don't know what happened, Brother Su Mu told me beforehand to keep a close eye on you two during the stream..." Pardo waved it off. "But it looks like things are resolved? Brother Su Mu should be at ease now."
This sentence startled Seele. "What? All of this... Brother Su Mu arranged it?"
Bronya ruffled her hair. "Yes, if it weren't for Su Mu, I probably would have been kept in the dark forever... I really have to thank him for this." Precisely because of this opportunity, Bronya was able to understand Seele's true heart.
Seele's expression became peculiar. She asked tentatively, "I remember Brother Su Mu is a game writer. Bronya-oneesama, how much does he actually know about Seele? To even know things like this..."
"Sorry, Seele, I'm not sure either. Everyone has secrets; if Su Mu doesn't want to say, I won't force him." Bronya looked apologetic. "However, Bronya can guarantee to Seele that Su Mu is a good person. He would be happy to be friends with the other Seele too."
Seele nodded, but her curiosity toward Su Mu did not diminish; if anything, it grew deeper. Seeing the two finish their conversation, Pardo resumed the stream.
"Ahem... Sorry everyone, I accidentally kicked the camera over! You can see the stream now!"
[Scared me, I thought Pardo was snatched by a ghost!]
[I thought Can kicked the camera over; it wouldn't be the first time.]
[But Pardo didn't bring Can today, right? Can Can's tiny body handle such a massive scapegoat?]
The viewers didn't mind, and the stream continued. In the subsequent plot, Seele learned that Bronya was to participate in the dangerous X-10 Experiment. She realized the plan might result in Bronya's sacrifice, so she sought out Cocolia and revealed the power of her Stigma. She would take Bronya's place in the X-10 experiment.
During the experiment, Seele met the "other her" within the Stigma for the first time. These were memories etched tens of thousands of years ago—power left from the Previous Era, recording eternal hatred for the Honkai. Under Seele's will, the X-10 plan succeeded—or so it should have. Because she couldn't withstand the power, Seele's body began to quantum-ize, eventually breaking through the subatomic level and vanishing from the world forever.
Although Seele didn't die, she became permanently stuck in a quantum state. She could no longer touch Bronya, and Bronya could not touch her. Unable to accept this, Bronya threatened suicide to force Cocolia to let her undergo the experiment too. During the experiment, Bronya entered the quantum level and met Seele, receiving a gift—Project Bunny 19C—and making a promise to bring Seele back to the real world.
In the summer of 2013, the girl named Bronya lost many things. Her legs were completely destroyed by Honkai energy; without an exoskeleton, she couldn't even move. A part of her brain was burned out; from then on, she could no longer feel joy or smile. And she lost her most important person, Seele. Only this sadness, she refused to forget until she saw Seele again.
To find Seele, Bronya and Cocolia tried many things, but all in vain. Finally, they placed their hopes on another Stigma holder—Raiden Mei. In February 2014, to awaken the power in Mei's body, Cocolia staged an "artificial" Honkai eruption at Chiba Academy in Nagazora, with Bronya tasked with retrieving the awakened Mei. Unfortunately, while Mei awakened successfully, the plan was disrupted by a white-haired girl named Kiana Kaslana. Simultaneously, Bronya was recovered by the Far East Branch, and the three joined St. Freya Academy together.
The story of the Azure Sea ended there. This arc supplemented the pasts of Bronya and Seele, as well as the events of the "Third Honkai Impact." It also allowed the audience to see that Cocolia wasn't as purely evil as she appeared—though even so, her crimes against Bronya and Wendy remained unforgivable.
[Sigh, parting with someone important in that way is too cruel.]
[Knowing the other person is alive but being unable to meet—just thinking about it is painful.]
[I seriously suspect Old Thief Su Mu has some trauma; the characters he writes get more miserable one by one!]
[Su Mu's heart is too dark! I see his true face now! And to think I once called him God Su!]
The viewers were full of righteous indignation, condemning the dog thief. To use Senti's words: "Heh! From God Su to Dog Thief Su Mu, the Old Thief really needs to reflect on why so many people want to send him razor blades! Does he not have a shred of self-awareness??"
As the game returned to the level interface, Seele looked at Bronya. "Bronya-oneesama, do you think... the 'us' in the game can meet again?"
Bronya nodded. "Of course. After all, Bronya and Seele made a promise, and she will definitely keep it."
Pardo, combining the info from Chapter 9 Interlude, analyzed: "Mhm... the Eye of the Deep is a place connecting to the Sea of Quanta, right? If they can enter it, maybe they really can see Seele again."
After clearing the Azure Sea, Main Story Chapter 10, Under the Deep, was officially unlocked. Pardo didn't waste time. she knew that within the Chapter 10 plot lay the key to Bronya and Seele's reunion!
The story picked up from the Chapter 9 Interlude. After calming the commotion caused by Gray Snake, the crew of the Hyperion voted to head to Cocolia's location. En route, the ship detected a strange Honkai energy reaction. Theresa and Bronya went to investigate and encountered a pair of sisters—
The older sister, Rozaliya. Pink hair, wearing a pink off-the-shoulder dress over white, a white glove on her right hand with a spiked rose, and a black glove on her left with a pink palm. The younger sister, Liliya. Pale blue hair, wearing a blue-themed dress, with a blue ring on her right wrist corresponding to Rozaliya's pink ring.
Most strikingly, both had horns and tails, though the colors differed and the horns were symmetrical. They held greatswords that defied their size, surrounded by slain Honkai beasts and Zombies. Bronya recognized them as members of the Cocolia Orphanage, but their changes were too great—those horns and tails were not something a normal girl should have.
[Hmm??]
[I remember these sisters are the new characters this version, the Vodka Girls, right?]
[They're in the banner, yeah... but for some reason, they look so familiar?]
[Half pink, half blue, with horns...]
[Holy crap, isn't that Assav?!] (Assav/Aswang is a local name for the beast Asshu-bo).
The Captains in the chat were no strangers to that creature; after all, they saw it in the Memorial Arena all the time. Asshu-bo was an Emperor-class Honkai Beast that appeared in Siberia in 2000, divisible into the "Son of Dawn" and "Son of Night"—hence known as the Twin Honkai Beast!
[Oh my god, did an Asshu-bo cultivate into human form? Are those two girls turned into humans from the beast?]
[Hey, hey, that's impossible! Didn't you see Bronya recognizes them? You think Cocolia is raising Honkai Beasts in an orphanage?]
[They're likely like Theresa, modified with Honkai Beast genes to gain the power of Asshu-bo, which gave them those traits...]
[Here we go, the classic trope: to defeat the Honkai, you must become the Honkai, right?]
In the subsequent plot, the audience's guesses were confirmed. They were a pair of girls who dreamed of being idols. During the four months of being hunted by Schicksal, they were attacked by beasts. While they were unconscious and heavily injured, Cocolia injected them with Asshu-bo genes, saving them and giving them the power to fight.
The sisters were also very entertaining. Rozaliya was a total airhead who couldn't even remember the character names in her own scripts. She called the Deep End an "Undersea Garden" and saw it as paradise. She loved to beautify reality, but was constantly exposed by Liliya. Liliya was calm, stoic, and loved to tease and roast her sister. She hated moving and loved to take Rozaliya down a peg.
The "No-Brain" and "Unhappy" combo acted like a comedy duo, making the viewers laugh.
"Those two idiots... Sigh, those are exactly the kind of things they would say." Seeing the dialogue, Bronya helplessly clutched her head. Those two had been the troublemakers of the orphanage since long ago. Mentioning them made her a bit annoyed. "Those two idiots dragged you away to be their 'Gold Medal Manager'... and yet they still haven't debuted from training for some reason..."
Seele spoke up for them: "Bronya-oneesama, Rozaliya and Liliya are working hard... they aren't far from their official debut!"
Bronya snorted. "Hmph, I hope so. They've wasted so much of Seele's time; I'll have to give them a proper lesson next time I see them!"
It had to be said, the Arinyeva sisters were incredibly popular with players, especially with the brand-new mechanic added for them. When both sisters are in the team, their attack patterns change, allowing them to fight as one. Rozaliya's ultimate has a completely different effect when Liliya is present. Seeing the twins raising their swords and attacking together made many Captains cry out "AWSL" (Ah, I'm dying of cuteness)! Especially since Liliya was an A-rank, she was easy to pull while going for Rozaliya.
As a "pretty girl" game, Honkai 3rd truly satisfied different tastes. Su Mu remembered when the "Vodka Girls" were released; the moment he saw Rozaliya's white stockings... he took out his paycheck card immediately. I'll pull, okay! I'll pull! Especially the Halloween skin—it looked plain from the front, but once you turned it sideways... wuhu, that angle was something only those who know, know. Lolicon behavior? No, as a Captain, I love all Valkyries equally. Problem? No problem!
Back in Pardo's stream: Pardo learned from the plot that the Arinyeva sisters were sent by Cocolia to receive Theresa's group. Under their guidance, the group safely entered the Deep End—a city built on the seabed. It was an artifact of the Previous Era. Though weathered by time and looking somewhat dilapidated, the glory of the Previous Era was still visible.
Looking at the magnificent Undersea City, the viewers became curious about what happened in the Previous Era. Void Archives, Abyss Flower, Oath of Judah, Moonlight Throne, even the predecessor to Himeko's Vermilion Knight armor—they all came from the Previous Era. If the Previous Era was so powerful, why was it eventually destroyed?
END OF CHAPTER
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