My Sister is Bronya

"Don't get too cocky, Bronya. Just wait—I'm definitely not losing to you!" An gritted out through clenched teeth, then shot a vicious glare at Ishiu and the others before turning and walking away.

"What's wrong with that An? She always acts like she looks down on everyone. She's so annoying." Rosaliya made a face at An's retreating back and huffed angrily.

She was straightforward by nature, always saying whatever came to mind without beating around the bush. When she said she hated An, she meant it—not like the teasing tone she used with Liliya.

"Alright, alright, don't mind her. That's just how she is. Let's just ignore her." Bronya smiled and ruffled Rosaliya's head, then pulled a handful of candy from her pocket. "Mom gave these to Bronya as a reward. Let's share them together."

Chapter 8: Practicing Flash Step

"Bronya's the best!" Rosaliya cheered, eagerly snatching the candies from Bronya's hand before she could react, then splitting them with Liliya.

"Ishiu, Seele, there's more here." Bronya pulled another handful of candy from her pocket and gestured for Ishiu and Seele to take some.

"Thanks." Ishiu didn't particularly like sweets, but he didn't refuse either. He grinned and took two pieces.

"I'll pass. Ishiu-gege already gave Seele candy this morning." Seele smiled and declined Bronya's offer. "Bronya-nee, you should share it with the others."

"Oh? He gave you candy again?" Bronya raised an eyebrow, glancing at Ishiu with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You really do treat Seele well..."

"Well, since she calls me 'gege,' I have to set a good example as her older brother." Ishiu chuckled. "If you're willing to call me 'gege' too, I'll give you candy as well."

"Give it up. That's never happening. You should be calling Bronya 'nee-chan' instead." Little Pudding seemed surprisingly particular about their relationship dynamics.

"Mmph! Ishiu, you gave Seele candy again and didn't give me any. No fair, I want some too!"

"Hey, hey, don't jump on me! I don't have any candy left—stop patting me down!"

The group dissolved into their usual playful chaos. After the daily commotion, Cocolia left the orphanage—she still had plenty of work to do.

Ishiu, after finishing lunch, turned down the others' invitation to go play at the beach and quietly slipped to the orphanage's backyard hill.

The hill behind the orphanage was usually deserted, so Ishiu didn't have to worry about being discovered. He planned to practice the Seven Nights Assassination Technique - Flash Step he'd obtained earlier.

The skill rewards from the system were like memories forcibly etched into his brain and body—he knew how to use them, and his muscles had the reflexes to execute them without fail.

Ishiu recalled the techniques of Flash Step in his mind, confirmed everything was correct, took a deep breath, and tried running.

At first, his speed wasn't fast, and he wasn't running in a straight line. His feet moved in a somewhat mysterious footwork pattern, making it seem like he was veering left one moment and right the next—his trajectory erratic and unpredictable. Yet his forward speed was anything but slow; in fact, it was even faster than if he'd been sprinting at full power.

As he ran, Ishiu absorbed the various nuances of Flash Step. He wove through the forest, his figure like a ghost, appearing here one moment and there the next—as if he were shrinking the ground beneath his feet.

Eventually, Ishiu was running at full speed. If anyone had been watching, they would have been stunned to see a shadow flickering constantly, barely visible to the naked eye.

The mountain was thick with trees. An ordinary person would have to tread carefully and slow down to avoid crashing into a trunk or tripping over a branch.

But Ishiu had no such concerns. He sprinted at full speed as if on an open road, without a single pause.

The Seven Nights Assassination Technique - Flash Step granted him abilities beyond ordinary humans, vastly sharpening his reflexes.

It allowed him to ignore terrain obstacles and unleash his full power anywhere, without fear of restriction.

Finally, Ishiu's speeding figure came to a halt in front of a large tree.

He had been running at full speed, yet he stopped as if he had no inertia—no hesitation, no stumble. His feet seemed rooted to the ground, stopping just ten centimeters from the tree trunk, his body perfectly still.

"This Seven Nights Assassination Technique is really something. Just the Flash Step alone is this powerful. If I could get the complete technique..." Ishiu marveled excitedly.

He felt that, right now, he could probably beat Bronya—but if she used Honkai Energy, he might still fall short.

Still, that wasn't a big problem. He had only just obtained Flash Step. With hard training and continued refinement of this powerful skill, he was sure he could grow even stronger.

Ishiu had a vague premonition that Flash Step hadn't yet been fully developed. And if he could obtain Flash Sheath as well, the complete Seven Nights Assassination Technique's power would be far more than just one plus one.

Filled with excitement, Ishiu trained in the mountains for three or four hours straight. Only after he had a preliminary grasp of Flash Step—barely scratching the surface—did he return to the orphanage, his body exhausted.

But the moment he stepped back into the orphanage, Ishiu keenly sensed that the atmosphere was off.

The children's faces were filled with panic and worry. A heavy, oppressive feeling hung in the air.

"Ishiu-gege, you're finally back!"

As soon as they saw him, several children rushed over, clustering around him like he was their pillar of strength, chattering nonstop.

The girls babbled all at once, none of them getting to the point. It took Ishiu a while to piece together what they were saying.

Apparently, not long ago, Bronya had accidentally fallen down the stairs. She seemed to be seriously injured and had been rushed to a nearby medical facility. Seele, Rosaliya, and the others had gone with her, while the remaining children stayed at the orphanage, anxiously waiting.

"Ishiu-gege, is Bronya-nee going to die..." A little girl, only seven or eight, clung tightly to Ishiu's clothes, her face pale.

This was an orphanage. Many of the children had lost their parents for various reasons, so the concept of death was more vivid for them than for anyone else.

"It's okay, don't worry. Bronya isn't that fragile. She's our big sister—she won't die." To comfort the little girl, Ishiu reluctantly acknowledged Bronya's status as "big sister" for once, then spent a good while soothing the children until their anxiety settled. Only then did he have the chance to head to the hospital.

At the hospital, Bronya was in surgery. Outside the operating room sat a row of familiar faces.

"Ishiu-gege!" Seele looked up from the bench when she saw him. Ishiu noticed her eyes were red like a rabbit's, with tear streaks still fresh on her face.

The moment she saw him, tears spilled from her eyes again.

She threw herself into his arms, clutching the front of his shirt as her warm tears soaked through the fabric.

"Ishiu-gege, Bronya-nee... waaah..."

"It's alright. I know everything." Ishiu gently patted Seele's back, whispering the most soothing words he could into her ear, over and over.

And Seele, as if she needed to pour out all her emotions in his embrace, cried for a long time before her sobs finally subsided.

Chapter 9: Rage

"Alright, stop crying. If you keep crying, you won't be pretty anymore." Ishiu gently rubbed Seele's little head and said softly, "Bronya will definitely be fine. We have to believe in her."

"Mm..." Seele nodded with a hint of sobbing, then gently pushed Ishiu away, turning her face aside in slight embarrassment to wipe her tears.

Ishiu sighed, reached into the System Space, and pulled out the handkerchief that was supposedly never meant to get dirty, handing it to Seele.

He hadn't expected this thing to come in handy at a time like this.

"Liliya, what exactly happened? How did Bronya suddenly fall down the stairs?" Ishiu looked at Liliya and asked.

At this moment, outside the operating room, there were five or six children from the orphanage. To Ishiu's surprise, An was among them. The reason he chose to ask Liliya was because, aside from Seele, she was the most reliable of the kids here.

"I'm not too sure either. After we came back from the seaside, we were about to take a bath and eat. I was in the bathroom with Rosaliya at the time when we heard a noise outside, and then we found Bronya had fallen from the second floor to the first." Liliya's expression wasn't great either.

"But An was there at the time. She said Bronya accidentally missed a step and fell."

Hearing this, Ishiu couldn't help but frown. To be honest, he had doubted Bronya falling down the stairs from the very start.

Because he knew what Bronya was capable of. Even if she jumped from the third floor, Ishiu believed she wouldn't get hurt, let alone the second.

Yet she ended up in the hospital just from falling down the stairs—no matter how he looked at it, something felt off.

Ishiu turned his head to look at An, who had been sitting silently in the corner the whole time.

"You... you did something to Bronya, didn't you?" Ishiu walked up to An and said in a low voice.

It was just a guess, but it was the most likely possibility. The so-called truth was simply the one possibility left after eliminating all the impossibilities.

At least in Ishiu's eyes, An was definitely the prime suspect right now.

An slowly raised her head. Her eyes seemed to hold a myriad of complex emotions, but in the end, the corners of her mouth curled up, revealing her signature shark-like teeth.

"Are you interrogating me?"

"That's right." Ishiu nodded without hesitation.

"Hahaha, fine! Since you're asking so sincerely, I'll graciously tell you—I did push Bronya down. What are you going to do about it?" An laughed loudly. She directly admitted to harming Bronya, catching even Ishiu off guard.

"You... why did you do this?" Ishiu pressed his lips together, struggling to restrain his anger. The look in his eyes as he stared at An had already turned icy.

"Why? Simple. Because I can't stand her. Is that reason good enough?" A manic grin spread across An's face. She spread her arms wide, sweeping a provocative glance over everyone present, though hidden deep in her eyes was a profound jealousy that ordinary people couldn't detect.

"Bastard! Why are you so evil?!" Rosaliya had always been hot-tempered. Seeing An admit to pushing Bronya down the stairs, she immediately exploded and lunged at An, as if ready to fight to the death right then and there. Fortunately, Liliya managed to hold her back in time.

"Do you know the consequences of what you've done?" Ishiu asked coldly.

"Consequences? I never think about consequences when I do things." An shrugged indifferently.

"You... Sister Bronya was so good to us. Why did you do this to her?" Seele's tears, which had just stopped, threatened to overflow again. She looked at An, tears glistening in her blue eyes.

Seele, with her simple, kind, animal-like nature, found it hard to understand how someone who was supposed to be a friend from the orphanage could commit such a vicious act against another companion.

"Heh, because I just can't stand her. And all of you too." An glanced at Seele, the contempt in her eyes almost dripping out. "You can't do anything, you're far worse than me, yet you shamelessly stick by Bronya's side, laughing and chatting with her... Seele, out of all these people, I hate you the most. All you do is act cute and play innocent. When something happens, you just cry. Weak, cowardly, useless... those words were practically made for you..."

"Enough!" Ishiu roared, cutting off An's venomous tirade.

But Seele was already stunned speechless by An's words. She had never imagined that in An's eyes, she was such a person.

"What? Are you all hating me now?" An looked at the hostile gazes directed at her and couldn't help but grin. "Good. I love seeing that look in your eyes. But what can you do about it? Don't forget, aside from Bronya, I'm the strongest here!"

"You think you're strong?" Ishiu said coldly, out of nowhere.

"Of course. I'm way stronger than you useless lot!" An lifted her chin arrogantly.

"Is that so?" Ishiu clenched his fists and stared coldly at An. "I believe you'll take that back soon enough."

"You want to fight me?" An glanced at Ishiu and turned her head in disdain. "Don't be ridiculous. You're just a man. Do you really think that training with Bronya for a few months makes you worthy of fighting me?"

"You can try." The moment Ishiu finished speaking, he threw a heavy punch straight at An's stomach.

A flicker of contempt flashed in An's eyes. She didn't take Ishiu seriously at all, so she casually reached out a hand to block his fist.

But Ishiu's figure flickered slightly. When he reappeared, he was already at An's left side, his fist raised high. Under An's stunned gaze, it slammed hard into her face!

An never expected Ishiu to be so fast. Caught off guard, she only felt a sharp pain in her cheek. The next moment, her entire body was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing heavily onto the ground five or six meters away.

Everyone present was frozen in shock, dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events.

"I never hit women, but today, you're the first." Ishiu's voice rang out. He clenched his fist and stared coldly at An, who was struggling to get up from the ground, clutching her cheek in disbelief.

"That punch was for Bronya. An! I'm not stopping until I've beaten you until you cry today!"

Chapter 10: Time Stop

"You bastard..."

The look of shock on An's face slowly faded, replaced by a killing intent that filled the air.

She had never been a good person. She came to the orphanage for Bronya's sake. Aside from Bronya, she didn't care about anyone. But now, she had been sent flying by someone she considered insignificant. The humiliation was enough to drive her mad.

"You've pissed me off!" An let out a low growl. A dagger suddenly appeared in her hand, and she charged at Ishiu.

Ishiu's expression remained unchanged. Even with An wielding a weapon, he wasn't afraid. Using Shadow Step, he activated Flash Walk and rushed toward An as well.

The distance of seven or eight meters was crossed in the blink of an eye. Seele and the others didn't even have time to stop them; all they could do was watch as the two clashed.

"Flash Walk—Shadow Moon."

Ishiu let out a low shout. Just as he was about to make contact with An, his body suddenly turned into a shadow. An couldn't pull back in time and thrust her dagger forward, but it only pierced empty air.

An's expression shifted instantly. What kind of ability was this?

But she had no time to dwell on it. Ishiu-gege's figure had already appeared silently behind her.

[Wing Chun - Inch Punch!]

Ishiu rapidly drove his right fist forward. The punch tore through the air, producing a thunderous crack.

If this had been before he obtained Flash Step, Ishiu would never have been able to land a punch with such power.

But after acquiring Flash Step, he had gained not only the footwork of the Seven Nights Assassination Technique but also a mastery over various forces and full-body coordination. Now, he could easily channel all the strength in his body and concentrate it into a single point.

"Don't... underestimate me!" An's eyes snapped wide in an instant. The shark-like teeth in her mouth glinted coldly. Then, in the next second, without any visible action on her part, her figure abruptly vanished from Ishiu's sight.

It was a disappearance without any warning, utterly abrupt, as if she had never been there at all.

Ishiu froze for a moment. His fist struck empty air. But before he could react, a prickling sensation like a blade at his back surged over him like a tidal wave. Before his mind could process it, his body had already lunged forward on its own.

Pfft—!

The sound of a blade sinking into flesh rang out. Ishiu felt a searing, burning pain at his waist. Fortunately, his dodge had been timely—the dagger hadn't fully pierced his body, but it had carved a deep gash across his lower back.

"Ishiu-gege!" Seele and the others, seeing Ishiu stabbed by An who had suddenly appeared behind him, all erupted in fury. They looked ready to charge over.

"Don't come over!" Ishiu gritted his teeth against the pain. As he fell, he used Flash Step to adjust his posture, nimbly rolling on the ground before springing back to his feet at top speed, putting distance between himself and An.

"Hiss..." Ishiu glanced back at the deep knife wound on his waist. Crimson blood was gushing out like flowing water. He wasn't afraid of being hurt—he was just puzzled. How had An managed to suddenly appear behind him?