My Sister is Bronya

Because this person was Cocolia, and she also had another identity in this world: the current head of the Qiye Family, and Ishiu's mother.

Chapter 25: Imaginary Space

"No, you are staying home right now. You're not allowed to go anywhere until you've completely recovered. Otherwise, I'll get really angry."

Cocolia walked over to Ishiu, affectionately stroking his head. Then, as if afraid Ishiu would get angry, she quickly explained, "Son, don't blame your mother for being heartless. You almost scared me to death this time. Do you think you can handle a Honkai Beast? I know you're interested in that girl Bronya, but you don't need to prove yourself this way, do you? If you were to die, how could I go on living?"

Ishiu looked speechlessly at Cocolia, who had a doting motherly expression. The Cocolia in this world was even more indulgent towards her child than the one in his original world, to the point where it could be said she was spoiling him rotten.

It had to be said that 'Qiye Ishiu' became such a prodigal scion largely because Cocolia doted on him too much, indulging his every whim since childhood, which led to the current outcome.

However, even though doting mothers often spoil their children, who wouldn't want a mother who truly cared for them, supporting them unconditionally no matter what they became?

Ishiu sighed. After all, he wasn't the arrogant and condescending 'Qiye Ishiu' of the past. He would remember Cocolia's kindness and treat her with respect.

"Okay, Mom, I understand. I'll listen to you."

"Mmm, that's my good boy." Cocolia's face lit up with joy, and she hugged Ishiu's neck, planting a kiss on his forehead.

She didn't know why, but ever since Ishiu woke up from his serious injuries, he had completely changed. His bad habits seemed to have disappeared. Perhaps this was what the ancients called a rebirth.

Wandering on the brink of death could indeed change a person significantly.

"By the way, Bronya... she wants to break off your engagement, and the elders have all agreed. I don't think I can stop this... What do you think?" Cocolia's expression was a little grim, but more than that, she felt apologetic towards Ishiu.

After all, it was she and Bronya's mother who had arranged the childhood engagement. She had always seen Bronya as her daughter-in-law. But now this had happened. Although it was true that her son hadn't lived up to expectations, breaking off an engagement was a sensitive matter. She was more afraid that Ishiu would have other thoughts because of it.

However, to her surprise, Ishiu not only didn't show any signs of unwillingness but nodded quite calmly.

"Oh, then so be it."

"...That's it?"

Cocolia was somewhat surprised by Ishiu's indifferent reaction but didn't think too much about it. Perhaps her son had finally come to his senses?

It was a shame she couldn't make Bronya her daughter-in-law, though.

Afterward, Cocolia chatted with Ishiu about trivial matters for a while before leaving.

As the head of the Qiye Family, she had countless things to handle every day. It was already quite a lot that she could spare time to visit Ishiu daily.

After Cocolia left, Ishiu didn't stay in his room but chose to go for a walk.

Although Cocolia had told him not to go out, she meant not to leave the Qiye Family's estate, not to leave his own room. Otherwise, it would be no different from being imprisoned.

Along the way, Ishiu surveyed the situation of the Qiye Family while sensing the contemptuous gazes from every Qiye Family member who looked at him.

To be honest, Ishiu felt helpless about this situation. He was clearly a good young man of the new era, but now he was carrying a heavy burden, bearing the bitter fruit that didn't belong to him at such a young age.

Ishiu walked all the way to the Qiye Family's training room. This was where the disciples of the Qiye Family practiced techniques for fighting Honkai Beasts. However, it was more about escaping from Honkai Beasts than fighting them, as no martial art could allow one to fight a Honkai Beast single-handedly.

Only by equipping corresponding weapons or mechs could one fight against Honkai Beasts. This was the only way humanity had found to deal with Honkai Beasts so far.

It was morning, and there were quite a few Qiye family members training in the training room. To avoid disturbing each other, they would activate corresponding Imaginary Spaces and fight Honkai Beasts within them through mental projections. This way, even if they died, there would be no real-world consequences.

Those outside couldn't see what was happening inside, only judge by the real-time data from the training room to see the corresponding results.

Ishiu was quite lucky. When he arrived, there was still one Imaginary Space available. He directly sat on a chair, put on the helmet, and activated the Imaginary Space.

Many Qiye family members around saw Ishiu actually trying to challenge a Honkai Beast despite his limitations and immediately started mocking him.

Their words were all about how useless he was, how he was almost killed by a Rush-class Honkai Beast just a few days ago, and how he dared to come to the training room now.

Ishiu ignored all these words. After all, it wasn't him who was killed.

"You talk about Qiye Ishiu, what does that have to do with me, Ishiu? .jpg"

After preparing himself, Ishiu activated the Imaginary Space. The vision within his helmet instantly turned pitch black. When his vision returned, he found himself in a space of over a thousand square meters.

This space was empty, a vast expanse of white. Apart from Ishiu himself, it seemed as if no other living beings existed.

This wasn't Ishiu's first time in the training room. He skillfully called out "Prepare," and a light screen appeared out of thin air in front of him.

It displayed various Honkai Beasts, ranging from Rush-class to Emperor-class. However, there were no Judgment-class ones. It made sense; even in a virtual simulation, a Judgment-class Honkai Beast was not something humans could stop. For humans, Judgment-class Honkai Beasts were like natural disasters. Therefore, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were the highest level.

Ishiu unhesitatingly chose a Ballista-class Honkai Beast. He had challenged a Knight-class last time and found it quite easy, so he decided to take it a step further this time.

After selecting the Honkai Beast, it was time to choose a weapon. There were many types of weapons available on the screen. At a glance, there were over a hundred types of handguns alone, as well as more cannons, laser weapons, grenade launchers, and so on.

There were no restrictions on these choices. As long as you could wield it, you could even choose a hundred handguns.

However, Ishiu naturally wouldn't choose these thermal weapons. He possessed the Seven Nights Assassination Technique, so he had to choose the weapon that suited him best.

(PS: Let me mention here that this world bubble plot won't last long, at most a dozen chapters. Then we'll return. It's mainly to give the protagonist a small cheat, you know (winks))

Chapter 26: Flash Sheath

Without much hesitation, Ishiu quickly selected a plasma cutter from the bottom of the screen.

He actually wanted to use a dagger more, as daggers were more suitable for the Seven Nights Assassination Technique, but there were no daggers in the weapon options.

It made sense. What era was it now? Would anyone really go up against Honkai Beasts in close combat with a knife?

However, interestingly, Ishiu also discovered that among the Qiye family's close-combat techniques, there were traces of the Seven Nights Assassination Technique. But compared to the subtlety of the Seven Nights Assassination Technique, those combat techniques were far inferior. Still, they had a similar essence, like a severely watered-down version of the Seven Nights Assassination Technique.

Ishiu had asked Cocolia about it, but she didn't know much. She only said that a long time ago, before these modern thermal weapons and mechs existed, the Qiye family used a very magical technique to exorcise demons, which was to defeat Honkai Beasts.

However, that technique was very difficult to master. Out of a hundred people, perhaps one could learn it. Even if it was only a superficial level, it was already considered very impressive.

As time went on and the era progressed, this harsh method, which made it extremely difficult to form group combat power, was abandoned.

After all, if you spend decades studying a technique and then die, everything is lost.

But if you develop technology, even if the person dies, their successors can inherit their legacy, allowing technology to develop endlessly.

This was true for laser weapons, and it was true for mechs.

Soon, the scene before Ishiu rapidly changed from a blank white space to an icy, snowy landscape. The Ballista-class Honkai Beast appeared a hundred meters in front of Ishiu.

Although Ishiu hadn't formally dealt with Honkai Beasts, he had reviewed the basic information. A Honkai Beast like the one holding a large sphere in front of him attacked by smashing the sphere at its enemies, its power no less than that of human artillery shells.

Furthermore, depending on the attributes of the Ballista-class Honkai Beast, the spheres it threw had different effects. There were basic explosions, and there was freezing. This one, it seemed, was a freezing type.

Ishiu held his sword in his right hand, casually resting it by his leg, and slowly walked towards the Ballista-class Honkai Beast.

"Boom—!"

Honkai Beasts lacked reason; their sole purpose was to eliminate all living things before them.

The Honkai Beast let out a roar and fiercely hurled the large sphere in its hand at Ishiu.

Its attack was accurate, and its speed and power were considerable. If Ishiu were an ordinary person, this strike would have easily taken him down.

But unfortunately, Ishiu was not an ordinary person.

Watching the cannonball whistling through the air, Ishiu raised an eyebrow. He could have easily dodged it, but this time, he didn't intend to.

His Flash Walk technique had reached a state of perfection, but the Flash Sheath, which he had only recently acquired, still required more practice to be used more skillfully.

Therefore, facing the incoming cannonball, Ishiu held his long sword horizontally, his eyes flashing with brilliance. The next second, he vanished from his original spot.

[Flash Sheath - Four Ghosts' Final Cut]

'Puchi—'

Instantly, an orange blade light flashed, forming a large cross as it pierced through the cannonball.

The cannonball was instantly cut into four pieces. The energy contained within suddenly erupted, and boundless cold air froze the space within a ten-meter radius into ice.

However, Ishiu's figure lightly landed twenty meters in front of where the cannonball had been.

"Still as easy as ever," Ishiu twirled his sword, a smile on his lips. The warm-up was over; now the real show could begin.

At this very moment, outside the Imaginary Space, a considerable commotion was brewing in the training room.

Because Ishiu had entered the Imaginary Space, the other members of the Qiye Family could see the information about him in the Imaginary Space by watching the display panel in front of them.

Upon seeing that Ishiu had chosen a Ballista-class Honkai Beast as his opponent and had selected only a sword as his weapon, the training room erupted.

"What the hell? Is this guy an idiot? He actually dared to choose a Ballista-class Honkai Beast as an opponent. Although dying in the Imaginary Space doesn't affect reality, you still get killed mentally once. Isn't he afraid of death?"

"Yeah, and look at him, he only chose a sword. What's the point? Does he think he can kill a Ballista-class Honkai Beast with just a sword? It's laughable."

"Forget it, I think he's just seeking attention. You all know what a useless young master he is. If he weren't the family head's son, he would have been expelled from the family long ago. I really don't know how such a wise and mighty person as the family head could have such a useless son."

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, and some even set up betting pools. Of course, they weren't betting on whether Ishiu could defeat the Honkai Beast, but on how long he could last inside.

Some bet on five seconds, some on seven seconds, and some even said three seconds.

But no matter what, not a single person was optimistic about Ishiu.

Just then, Bronya arrived at the training room.

She didn't have any missions today and had intended to train in the training room. However, upon entering, she saw a crowd gathered, seemingly discussing something.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked, walking over curiously.

Seeing Bronya arrive, the Qiye Family members immediately bowed respectfully and greeted her.

If Qiye Ishiu was a character despised by everyone in the Qiye Family, then Bronya was someone revered by all. She was the most outstanding figure among the younger generation. Not only was she cute, but her personality was also kind. Almost everyone who knew her liked her, which contributed to her extremely high popularity and status within the family.

It could even be said that a significant reason why Qiye Ishiu was looked down upon by so many was his engagement to Bronya.

Thus, human jealousy is always a terrible thing, no matter the time.

Through the explanation of the Qiye Family members, Bronya learned that Ishiu had come to the training room and had directly chosen a Ballista-class Honkai Beast as his opponent. It was no wonder these people were gathered here; they were likely waiting to see a spectacle.

Bronya frowned slightly. Although she didn't have a good impression of Ishiu, she greatly admired Cocolia. If Qiye Ishiu hadn't pestered her relentlessly before, she wouldn't have developed a dislike for him.

Now, seeing everyone waiting to mock Ishiu, she wasn't in the mood. Shaking her head, she was about to leave when she suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and asked, "Oh right, how long has he been in there?"

"It seems like... almost two minutes."

The Qiye Family member who spoke showed a look of surprise on his face.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Honkai Beast Arrives

In the Imaginary Space, Ishiu was having a grand time playing with the Ballista-class Honkai Beast.

Yes, playing.

With Ishiu's current strength, it would only take a few breaths to easily deal with one Ballista-class Honkai Beast.

But to familiarize himself with his moves, he waited for the Honkai Beast to throw the sphere at him, and then he would act, responding with various methods and techniques.

During this process, his understanding of Flash Sheath improved at rocket-like speed. Of course, this was also due to his mastery of Flash Walk.

Ishiu played with this Honkai Beast for half an hour, and only after experimenting with all his moves did he, with satisfaction, swiftly dispatch it with a few slashes.

The people outside were already dumbfounded. They never expected that the useless young master could survive against a Ballista-class Honkai Beast for a full half hour, and even pass the trial!

"Quick, quick, look! He, he's challenging a Chariot-class Honkai Beast again!"

The information on the screen changed rapidly. Ishiu's opponent had now become a Chariot-class Honkai Beast.

Honkai Beasts of this level, while not yet considered natural disasters, were absolutely not to be underestimated. The appearance of each Chariot-class Honkai Beast represented a brutal war.

Fortunately, the Qiye tribesmen's worldview hadn't been completely shattered today, because a few minutes later, Ishiu voluntarily withdrew from the battle against the Chariot-class Honkai Beast.

This outcome brought them both relief and a hint of regret.

When they looked at Ishiu again, their gazes had changed.

In any world, capable individuals always earn respect. The former Qiye Ishiu couldn't, but the current Ishiu could.

In reality, Ishiu was also feeling quite frustrated. After defeating the Ballista-class Honkai Beast, he had confidently challenged the Chariot-class Honkai Beast. He had thought that with his current strength, defeating a Chariot-class Honkai Beast wouldn't be difficult, but reality had slapped him hard.

It wasn't that the Chariot-class Honkai Beast was outrageously strong; in fact, Ishiu could still handle it. It was just... its sheer size. It was nearly thirty meters tall, almost half the height of an Ultraman.

With such a massive size difference, even if Ishiu's skills allowed him to completely dominate the Chariot-class Honkai Beast, it only needed to stand there motionless, and he couldn't break its defenses at all.

To be honest, at nearly thirty meters tall, Ishiu wielding a one-and-a-half-meter katana was undoubtedly like tickling it. Even though he had slashed relentlessly, he had only managed to make the Honkai Beast bleed a little.

So, what was the point of fighting?

Ishiu emerged from the training room, feeling dejected. But someone he hadn't expected was blocking his path.