God knew why Little Pudding was so strong. She was clearly only fourteen, yet she fought like a special forces soldier. Whether it was marksmanship or hand-to-hand combat, she was ridiculously good at both.
Back when Seele was kidnapped, he had gone with Little Pudding to rescue her. He had been ready to make a heroic sacrifice, but Bronya had single-handedly beaten every one of Seele's kidnappers to the ground. His only role had been to carry Seele away like a human tool...
Bronya's Deadly Scissor Kick
When they arrived at the training room, Bronya had already changed into sportswear and was warming up. Seeing Ishiu and Seele enter, she did not stop moving. Instead, she tilted her head at him, signaling him to hurry up.
Ishiu was about to head into the changing room, but seeing that the door was closed, he did not go in. Instead, he patiently waited outside.
As mentioned before, the only children in the Orphanage with Honkai Energy aptitude were girls, so naturally, the ones training here were all girls. There was no way this changing room would have a men's section.
After all, aside from Ishiu, a man unwilling to be outdone by girls, the other boys in the Orphanage had no interest in training here. They did not have the constitution to resonate with Honkai Energy, so no matter how hard they trained, they could not compare to these little girls.
That was why Ishiu was the only boy who regularly came to the Training Ground.
The first time he came here, he had lacked experience and walked straight into the changing room to change clothes. The result was...
There was no need to mention what happened then. In any case, Bronya beat him so badly that he could not get out of bed for three days. He had even completed one of the system's lazy-bastard missions.
After that, Ishiu learned his lesson. Whenever the changing room door was closed, he obediently waited outside.
Sure enough, after waiting a few minutes, the changing room door opened from within.
Two little girls emerged. They looked somewhat alike, but one had red hair while the other had blue hair.
They were twins. The pink-haired one was the older sister, Rosaliya Arlene, while the blue-haired one was Liliya Arlene. One was lively and energetic, if a little silly, while the other was quiet and refined but had a sharp tongue and loved exposing people.
Of course, they were both incredibly cute. And when the twins stood together, they triggered the sisterly bond effect: Charm +999.
"Ishiu! You came to train today too!" Rosaliya, the pink-haired older sister, was as full of energy as ever.
"Yeah. Morning, Rosaliya, Liliya. You two came pretty early too. I thought you'd sleep in," Ishiu said with a smile.
"Hehe, of course! It's training, so naturally we have to be in top condition..."
"Because Mom is coming today, Rosaliya wanted to make a good impression, so she didn't sleep in," Liliya interrupted, ruthlessly exposing the truth before Rosaliya could finish boasting.
"Liliya!" Rosaliya puffed out her cheeks and shyly pinched Liliya's mouth. "Don't say unnecessary things!"
"Okay, okay~~"
"Aunt Cocolia is coming today?" Ishiu asked in surprise. Cocolia had come only a week ago. He had not expected her to return so soon.
"Mhm! Today is the ability assessment test. I'm definitely going to perform well and make Mom praise me," Rosaliya said excitedly.
"Then good luck to you two. All right, I'm going in to change. See you later." Ishiu waved and entered the changing room to change clothes.
After quickly changing, Ishiu went to the Training Ground. He first jogged five kilometers to warm up, then did some stretches before seeking out Little Pudding.
"Come on, Bronya. I'm ready." Ishiu clenched his fists and declared with great vigor, "Today, I'm definitely going to beat you!"
"You should call me Sister Bronya." Bronya glanced at Ishiu, set down the training equipment in her hand, and crooked a finger at him. "Come. Let me see whether you've improved these past few days."
Ding! System mission issued: Defeat Bronya. Reward unknown.
"Then watch closely!" Ishiu grinned, stepped forward, clenched his hand into a fist, and threw a plain but lightning-fast straight punch at Bronya.
Bronya's expression did not change. With quick, light footwork, she shifted to the side, and Ishiu's fist slid past her chest.
That was thanks to her flat chest. If it had been someone bustier, it would not have been so easy to dodge. (Laugh)
Bronya then raised a hand and used a standard disarming technique to seize Ishiu's wrist before forcefully twisting it!
Though she did not use the strange power of Honkai Energy, Bronya's physical strength was nothing to scoff at. Combined with the fact that Ishiu was not particularly heavy, that twist nearly threw him off balance and sent him crashing to the ground.
Fortunately, his horse stance was solid, allowing him to barely steady himself.
"Eat my Destruction Cannon!" With his right hand captured, Ishiu formed a fist with his left. His fist turned into a fierce dragon as he launched an uppercut at Bronya's chin.
"Idiot." In that cool voice, Bronya spun her petite body and moved behind Ishiu. She then kicked the back of his knee.
Ishiu reacted quickly, pushing off with his feet and flipping through the air like a swallow. He dodged Bronya's kick and threw another punch while spinning.
This time, Bronya could not evade. She could only cross her arms and brace against Ishiu's fist, but she did not dare block it directly, because...
"Wing Chun - Inch Punch!"
Although she had firmly blocked Ishiu's punch, another wave of force followed immediately. Like an invisible shockwave, it burst from Ishiu's fist and penetrated Bronya's body.
This was one of the few good things Ishiu had drawn from that goddamn system.
It had once caught Bronya off guard when she did not understand its secret, but once she figured it out, Ishiu had never gained the upper hand again.
Bronya had known this was coming. Rather than forcibly resisting the force, she used it to perform a Spinning Top, redirecting the force into her feet through the principle of borrowing strength against strength.
Bang!
Two deep footprints instantly appeared in the concrete floor.
"Come down."
Bronya's eyes flickered. She forcefully lifted the arm blocking Ishiu's fist, then leaned her upper body backward, dodging Ishiu's descending kick with a perfect Iron Bridge.
Then, as if her waist had springs installed, she instantly bounced up from the ground. Her slender, well-proportioned legs moved like spirit snakes, directly locking around Ishiu's neck while he was still unsteady after landing. With a fierce squeeze, Ishiu toppled to the ground like the eldest disciple, completely unable to resist.
Ishiu, defeated.
"I-I surrender! Let go, hurry!" Ishiu quickly slapped Bronya's fair, smooth thighs. Being held between a beautiful girl's legs was quite enjoyable, but only if it was not his neck caught between them.
He felt like he could barely breathe, and his entire face had turned bright red.
Bronya's deadly scissor kick was simply insane.
Ishiu the Leg-Breaker
"Hmph." Bronya snorted softly, her pretty little face faintly flushed. Her sportswear was light and thin, leaving her dressed rather coolly. She wore only athletic shorts on her lower body, exposing her pale thighs. Now that Ishiu had slapped them, the girl felt a little shy.
Ding. Host mission failed. Ding. Congratulations to the host for losing to Bronya in the hundredth challenge mission. Hidden mission requirements achieved—unyielding despite repeated setbacks, losing more with every battle. Received one mysterious gift pack. Ding. Congratulations to the host for obtaining one handkerchief that will never get dirty—PS: He said, what does this little pain in wind and rain amount to? Wipe away your tears, don't be afraid, at least we still have dreams! Ding. Congratulations to the host for obtaining Masochistic Constitution. When struck by beautiful girls, you will only feel pleasure—PS: Ineffective when struck by men.
Damn it!
When Ishiu heard the system's voice in his head, his brows twisted into a deep frown. If the situation had allowed it, he would have cursed that broken system a hundred times over.
What the hell did "unyielding despite repeated setbacks, losing more with every battle" mean?! Was it saying he would never beat Bronya?
And what was that handkerchief that would never get dirty supposed to be?! Did it expect him to use it to wipe away tears every time he lost?
What made Ishiu want to cough up blood the most, of course, was that stupid Masochistic Constitution. Did anyone seriously think that counted as a reward?
Seriously? Seriously?
Fortunately, as long as Ishiu did not choose to extract this type of constitution reward, it would remain stored in the System Space. He did not have to worry about suddenly becoming a masochistic pervert.
"Are you all right?"
While Ishiu was spacing out because of the system, Bronya had already released him and stood up.
"I'm fine." Ishiu came back to his senses and shook his head. Just as he was about to get up, a delicate, fair hand was extended before him.
"I told you already. You still have a hundred years before you can beat Bronya. Just obediently call me Big Sister."
"Don't get cocky too soon. That was only because I made a mistake. One day, I'll definitely win this back." Ishiu curled his lips. Without standing on ceremony, he took Bronya's hand and got up.
"You're still far too weak." Bronya crossed her arms and looked at Ishiu expressionlessly. "You know that strange martial art called Wing Chun, but from what I can see, you only know that one move. Apart from that, your punching combinations, technique, and full-body coordination are bad enough to make people cry. Your reactions are barely acceptable."
Ishiu could not help complaining inwardly. He wanted to learn more too, but that brain-dead system had only given him that one move. What was he supposed to do?
If it had given him the complete Wing Chun martial art, then he would have made Bronya... Ahem. Actually, she would probably still beat him senseless...
"All right, I won't waste any more words. Let's begin today's training." After saying that, Bronya began teaching Ishiu some combat experience and techniques.
And so, under Bronya's instruction, two hours quickly passed.
"Ishiu, Sister Bronya, you're still training?"
Rosaliya, Liliya, and Seele seemed to have finished their Honkai Energy practice for the day and came over to Ishiu and Bronya.
"Of course. I don't want to be surpassed by you girls." Ishiu was covered in sweat from training, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered. Just as he had said, he did not want to be protected by these little girls if danger ever came.
Though that seemed normal in this world, since only women possessed the ability to wield Honkai Energy while men did not.
But Ishiu was still a grown man. He did not want to become some useless fool who could only stand in the back and shout encouragement when danger arrived.
"You've got plenty of ambition, but you'll never surpass Bronya." A trace of satisfaction flashed in Bronya's eyes, but her words still showed no mercy as she poured cold water over Ishiu.
It was not because she wanted to crush his confidence. Rather, she knew better than anyone that Ishiu's determination to become stronger would not be extinguished so easily. On the contrary, the more cold water she poured on him, the more he would grow. That was the art of provocation.
"Tch, don't say it so absolutely. What if I really beat you someday?" Ishiu said with a curl of his lip.
"If one day you really can defeat Bronya, then Bronya will call you Big Brother." Bronya's lips rose slightly, though Ishiu could not see it from his angle.
Give him a stick, then give him a sweet date. Bronya might be young, but she already understood the method well.
"You'll call me what?" Ishiu teased automatically.
"Big Brother." Bronya did not think much about it and answered instinctively.
Ishiu's eyes lit up. He raised his brows at Bronya with a shameless grin, then laughed loudly. "Ahh~~ Not bad, not bad. Just as expected of my good little sister."
Bronya's mouth twitched, and the expression vanished from her face in an instant.
"Sister Bronya is angry." Watching from the side like a spectator, Seele immediately observed a moment of silence for Ishiu.
She had spent the most time with Bronya and Ishiu, so she understood very well what consequences Ishiu's frequent death-seeking behavior would bring.
Hopefully, Sister Bronya would not break Ishiu-gege's legs this time...
The girl prayed~~
Perhaps Seele's prayer worked. In the end, Ishiu did not receive Bronya's beating. The reason was simple: Cocolia had arrived.
Cocolia, age unknown, was one of Anti-Entropy's leaders. She was beautiful, and though her personality was somewhat forceful, she became exceptionally gentle whenever she faced the children of the Orphanage.
The children in the Orphanage were mostly orphans Cocolia had picked up from all sorts of places. She spared no effort in showering them with affection. Although she did not spend much time with them, her kindness toward them was absolutely genuine.
That was why the children in the Orphanage respected and loved Cocolia greatly, calling her Mom.
Of course, Ishiu was not included among those children.
Although Cocolia had rescued him from the ruins of war and treated him wonderfully, he found it difficult to call a beautiful, sexy older sister who looked at most twenty-eight or twenty-nine "Mom."
After all, he had already been twenty-one in his previous life.
Still, he respected Cocolia deeply. There was no question about that.
Cocolia
Cocolia had come today for the children's monthly Honkai Energy control test.
Aside from their necessary daily practice, the children in the Orphanage who could wield Honkai Energy underwent regular monthly tests to see whether they had improved. First place received Cocolia's reward, so the little girls worked especially hard each time to meet her expectations.
Thus, at Cocolia's call, the little girls of the Orphanage obediently lined up in two rows before her.
"You all look quite spirited today." As always, Cocolia wore her green military uniform. She wore light makeup, her lips were vivid and full, and the fitted uniform outlined her nearly perfect figure.
Looking at the little children before her, a gentle smile appeared on her face. "I wonder if you can give Mom a surprise today?"
"Mom, just watch! I'll definitely take first place today!"
"Me too, me too! Rosaliya is so dumb, so first place will definitely be mine."
"No, no, first place will definitely be mine."
The little girls immediately began chattering noisily. Cocolia did not stop them. Instead, she watched their playfulness with a warm smile, as though the fatigue from days of work had been swept away by their smiles.
"All right, quiet down a little." In the end, it was Bronya, the eldest among them, who spoke up to stop the commotion. Cocolia's gaze toward her grew even more satisfied.
Among all these children, Bronya was the one who made Cocolia feel the most reassured and proud. Whether in strength or temperament, Bronya was nearly flawless.
"Then let the test begin."
Before you continue