My Sister is Bronya

"..."

Bronya, who had been smiling because Seele's problem was resolved, froze when she heard Ishiu's words.

No one understood Cocolia better than she did.

Having frequently undertaken missions under Cocolia, Bronya knew very well that while Cocolia loved the children in the orphanage, she also harbored great ambition.

If not for this ambition, she wouldn't have become one of Anti-Entropy's leaders.

The preciousness of a Herrscher Core was beyond ordinary people's imagination. Consider this: an ordinary person who becomes a Herrscher gains world-destroying power. The Herrscher Core, which condenses Herrscher power, holds immense importance for an individual or an organization.

Cocolia had schemed for nearly half a year for the Herrscher Core. Although her goal was Seele, Bronya dared to say that while taking care of Seele, Cocolia absolutely had her own agenda.

Therefore, regarding Ishiu's optimistic attitude, believing that Cocolia wouldn't pursue the Herrscher Core now that Seele's problem was solved, Bronya remained noncommittal.

"Ishiu... you... never mind." Bronya wanted to explain, but seeing Ishiu's relaxed smile, she swallowed her words.

She really didn't want to dampen Ishiu's spirits, and she also held a sliver of hope. What if Cocolia was persuaded by Ishiu and chose to give up the Herrscher Core? Could they return to their old lives?

"What's wrong? Bronya, why are you hesitating? That's not like you," Ishiu asked, confused.

"It's nothing. Bronya has things to do. Goodbye." With that, Bronya turned and left.

"Strange Little Pudding." Ishiu watched Bronya's retreating back, shrugged, tore open a bread package, and started eating as he walked.

"Ishiu-gege, so you were here. Seele looked for you for a long time."

Just as Ishiu reached the second-floor balcony, Seele's gentle voice came from behind him.

"Good morning, Seele." Ishiu turned around and looked at Seele, who was walking towards him, his eyes lighting up.

Seele was wearing a new outfit today: a pure white dress adorned with a few blue bows. The hem was lace, and at the waist, a large, deep blue butterfly brooch served as decoration.

On her head, she wore the flower-shaped hairpin Ishiu had given her yesterday. These embellishments made her look both pure and adorable, countless times cuter than that old woman with white hair who called herself the cutest in the world!

"Ishiu-gege, why did you come up here?" Seele trotted to his side, giving him a slightly resentful look. She had wanted to see Ishiu sleeping again, perhaps even play a 'prank,' but unfortunately, when she went to his room, it was already empty. After searching for a long time, she finally found him here.

"I was hungry. I was going to the kitchen to see if there were any leftovers, but I ran into Little Pudding on the way, and she gave me a piece of bread," Ishiu replied honestly.

"I see." Seele glanced at the bread in Ishiu's hand and smiled. "But one piece of bread probably isn't enough for you, Ishiu-gege, is it? Seele just made some pastries. If you don't mind, would you like to try them?"

"Pastries? Of course!" Ishiu's eyes lit up, and he quickly finished the bread in his hand. "It's been months since I last had your pastries. I've really missed them. Yours are indeed the best!"

"Really?" Seele's smile brightened at his words. She knew her place in Ishiu-gege's heart was number one. The saying on TV, "To capture a man's heart, you must first capture his stomach," was indeed true.

"Really, but when it comes to cooking, Miss Mei's is still the best." Ishiu recalled the dishes Miss Mei made. Even though he'd only gone a day without eating them, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

"..."

Seele's smile gradually faded.

"Ishiu-gege."

"Hmm?"

"If you have the chance, please let me meet that Miss Mei."

"Oh, sure, no problem." Ishiu, unaware of Seele's thoughts, happily agreed.

In his opinion, a well-behaved child like Seele and a gentle and understanding Miss Mei would surely become good friends.

Seele led Ishiu to the kitchen, constantly cheering herself on in her heart.

It's okay, Seele. That Mei person is just good at cooking, right? My pastries are also good, and I spent almost two hours making these today. I'm confident in both the taste and appearance. I'm sure I can satisfy Ishiu-gege!

I want Ishiu's stomach to only hold memories of me!

However, as Seele, full of confidence, pushed open the kitchen door, all her emotions vanished in that instant.

Because she saw that the pastries she had placed in the insulated container in the kitchen had already been taken out by two people, who were devouring them with gusto.

"Liliya, eat slower. I saw that piece first."

"Mmm... Denied. Rosaliya has already eaten five pieces, while Liliya has only eaten three. Rosaliya should be the one to eat slower."

"Mmm... Liliya, aren't these pastries made by Seele? Is it okay for us to secretly take them out and eat them?"

"It's fine. Because Rosaliya smelled the aroma and came over, and you ate first, Liliya can only be considered an accomplice."

"Ah! Liliya!"

Although the pink-haired loli and the green-haired loli were chattering non-stop, their mouths were equally busy stuffing pastries. Seeing that the pastries in the insulated container were about to be finished by these two, Seele finally reacted.

"Rosaliya... Liliya..."

In the small kitchen, a voice that seemed to drift from hell caused the two who were feasting to freeze. They then mechanically turned around and saw Ishiu with a wry smile, and beside him, Seele with a bright smile.

"Mmm!"

Whether it was an illusion or not, Liliya and Rosaliya felt that Seele had become terrifying at that moment. Her eyes seemed to have turned red, and a chilling aura seeped from their pores.

"Are my pastries... delicious?"

"Wuwuwu!..."

Sensing the invisible pressure, in a daze, Seele's figure suddenly appeared as tall as a giant in the eyes of Rosaliya and Liliya. The waves of killing intent that assaulted them scared the two into hugging each other and trembling.

Of course, in the end, Seele didn't sacrifice the two gluttonous brats to the heavens. After all, Ishiu was still present, and no matter how angry she was, she couldn't do anything that would damage her well-behaved image.

However, Liliya and Rosaliya were clearly terrified by Seele's earlier display and hadn't recovered yet. When Seele walked over, they retreated, shrinking into the kitchen corner, hands covering their heads, squatting on the ground and continuing to tremble.

Their current state could be simply summarized as: weak, pitiful, and helpless, but incredibly gluttonous.

"Mmm... only two pieces left..." Looking at the mess in the insulated box, Seele felt a bit dejected at the sight of the only two remaining intact pastries.

"It's fine, two is enough," Ishiu waved his hand dismissively and casually picked up a pastry, taking a bite.

"Mmm~~ Delicious! Just as expected from pastries made by your own hands, Seele."

Seeing Ishiu's satisfied expression, Seele felt a little better. She pursed her lips and whispered, "If Ishiu-gege likes them, Seele can make pastries for you anytime..."

"Mhm, thank you, Seele then." Ishiu picked up the last pastry. It was a green bean cake shaped like a heart. Before even taking a bite, the fresh, sweet aroma alone made one's mouth water.

"Oh right, Seele, you haven't eaten yet, have you?" Ishiu took a bite of the green bean cake and, as if suddenly remembering something, asked Seele.

"I've already had breakfast. These pastries were made especially for Ishiu-gege, so it's good that you ate them," Seele said quickly.

"That won't do. You woke up early this morning to make pastries, how can you not try them?" Ishiu said, ignoring Seele's protests. He brought the half-eaten green bean cake to her lips. "Here, you take a bite too, it's very delicious."

"...If... if Ishiu-gege insists..." Seele's face flushed. Looking at the green bean cake with a bite taken out of it, she hesitated slightly, then with a blush, lowered her head and gently bit where Ishiu had bitten.

"Alright, Seele, you play here at the orphanage for now. I have something to do and need to go out," Ishiu casually popped the remaining half of the green bean cake into his mouth, clapped his hands, and prepared to leave.

"Mhm, Ishiu-gege, take care. Be careful on the road," Seele said, tidying up the plates and the pastry crumbs that Liliya and Rosaliya had scattered all over the table, while giving Ishiu a sweet smile.

Ishiu casually ruffled Seele's hair and then turned to leave the kitchen.

As soon as Ishiu left, Rosaliya and Liliya, who had almost recovered, suddenly felt the temperature in the kitchen plummeting rapidly.

Then they saw Seele put down the plate, walk to the kitchen door, and gently close it.

She then turned around and gave them a cute smile.

"..."

Danger! Rosaliya & Liliya! Danger!

After leaving the orphanage, Ishiu hailed a taxi on a nearby road and, after an hour's journey, arrived at the animation company he had visited before.

This time, however, he didn't barge in. He stood at the entrance and waited for a moment before a young woman approached him.

"Hello, Mr. Ishiu. Madam Cocolia asked me to bring you over."

"Mhm, lead the way," Ishiu nodded and followed the young woman into the company. They walked all the way to the underground parking lot, took a hidden elevator, and descended to the underground factory.

Following the young woman through a series of twists and turns, Ishiu walked for quite some time before finally arriving at the door of an office.

"Madam Cocolia is inside. Mr. Ishiu, you can go in yourself." After completing her task of guiding him, the young woman turned and left.

"Hoo..." Ishiu took a deep breath and patted his cheeks. He had already adjusted his emotions on the way here. Although he didn't know what expression to wear when facing Cocolia, a conversation between mother and son was necessary.

(PS: The first chapter of 4,000 words is here. There are two more chapters today. Brothers, if you have monthly votes, throw them out. It's the end of the month, please help me secure a spot on the new book rankings!)

Chapter Eighty-Eight: Take Care, Goodbye

Ishiu no longer hesitated. He knocked on the office door, waited a moment, then grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open.

Entering the office, Ishiu immediately saw Cocolia sitting behind the desk. There was a hint of fatigue on her face, and faint dark circles under her eyes. He didn't know if she had slept at all last night, and her hair was a bit disheveled.

Their gazes met across the room. Both of their expressions were somewhat complex. Cocolia looked guilty, while Ishiu looked helpless.

Neither of them spoke, and the office fell into an eerie silence for a moment.

After a long while, Ishiu let out a sigh and walked briskly towards Cocolia. To her surprise, he poured her a cup of hot water.

"Mom, drink some hot water. You look exhausted. You didn't sleep last night, did you?" Ishiu asked with some concern.

Although he was angry at Cocolia for scheming against Raiden Mei and causing countless people in Changkong City to become displaced, seeing Cocolia's tired appearance couldn't help but soften his heart.

Even if she was the biggest villain in the world, the greatest antagonist, she was still his mother.

So, one thing at a time, he still cared about Cocolia's health.

"Mhm... I was busy dealing with the matters in Changkong City last night... The remaining residents of Changkong City have been safely resettled in other cities, and follow-up work is underway. The government will do its best to ensure these millions of people can find new homes as quickly as possible." Cocolia rubbed her temples, picked up the cup Ishiu handed her, and took a small sip of hot water. A warmth flowed from her throat throughout her body, and she felt a bit better.

"Changkong City..." Hearing the name again, Ishiu's eyes became somewhat dazed. He remembered the married woman who had rented the house to him and Kiana. He had met her child, a very cute little boy who used to call him "gege"... Unfortunately, he hadn't found their family that night...

"Mom, do you regret it?" Ishiu looked at Cocolia and asked, word by word.

"Regret it?..." Cocolia was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't regret it. I never regret anything I've done, even if it was wrong! My only regret is that I didn't handle this matter well and didn't anticipate the Herrscher of Thunder's premature outbreak, leading to insufficient preparations."

"What if I told you I've already resolved Seele's problem?" Ishiu stared intently at Cocolia's face, wanting to see even a hint of remorse, even a tiny bit, to prove that his mother wasn't purely an antagonist.

But unfortunately, he didn't see the expression he was looking for. Cocolia's face didn't even show a trace of surprise.

"I know. Bronya already told me. You've truly grown up, Ishiu..." Cocolia looked at the boy sitting opposite her. His face still had a touch of childishness. At his age, he should be living a carefree life like the other children in the orphanage. But after only a few months apart, when he reappeared before her, Cocolia found that she almost didn't recognize her own son.

He had changed, but not in personality. He had changed in strength.

He had become so strong that it was almost unbelievable. When she saw Ishiu's destructive power on the surveillance feed, she had a vague feeling – the fledgling bird would eventually fly to the sky.

Ishiu was no longer the child who needed her protection. He had grown to the point where he could solve problems that even she couldn't handle. In Changkong City, if it weren't for him, the number of people who remained there would have been at least thirty percent higher.

He even snatched the Herrscher of Thunder from his own hands...

Cocolia sighed, suppressing the emotions in her heart. She looked at Ishiu calmly. "Ishiu, I know what you want to say. You've come to persuade me to give up on Raiden Mei, haven't you?"

"Yes." Ishiu nodded. He wasn't one for beating around the bush, and he didn't have the mood to play games with Cocolia. He decided to be direct. "Mom, you said the reason you wanted the Herrscher Core was to save Seele. Now that Seele is fine, can you...?"

"I'm very sorry, Ishiu." Before Ishiu could finish, Cocolia interrupted him.

"...Why?" Ishiu stood up from his chair. He had intended to question Cocolia fiercely, but halfway through standing, he sank back down weakly. He ran his fingers through his hair, scratching it with a hint of frustration, his voice barely audible.

"Because I am the leader of Anti-Entropy," Cocolia said sternly. "Ishiu, do you know what a Herrscher represents? We can't just let her run wild. No one knows when she might erupt. So, the best course of action is to control her and extract the Herrscher Core."

"But it's because of you! You turned Mei into a Herrscher!!!"

Ishiu finally lost it. The emotions he had been suppressing since yesterday erupted. He slammed his fist on the table, his eyes seeming to burn with fire.

"Yes, I did it. So what?" Cocolia met Ishiu's furious gaze directly. Though her heart ached, she stood her ground. "On the path to fighting the Honkai, sacrifice is always indispensable. If there's a way to save more people, why not sacrifice a small portion of them?"

"Including those who died in Changkong City? And the many more who lost their homes, their family, friends, lovers, and classmates?" Ishiu gave a bitter smile.

"I've seen far more deaths than that on the battlefield against the Honkai," Cocolia said calmly. "Ishiu, war is cruel. Even without my influence, when the Honkai descends, they would still be displaced and driven from their homes. If I give up now, wouldn't their sacrifice be in vain?"

"Mom, you're wrong. No matter how terrifying the Honkai is, it shouldn't be an excuse for us to harm humanity." Ishiu's gaze towards Cocolia grew increasingly disappointed. "You say sacrifice is indispensable, and I agree with that. But the premise is that this sacrifice must be voluntary. If someone wanted me and Seele to sacrifice ourselves for world peace, would you agree?"

"I..." Cocolia's lips trembled, leaving her speechless.

People are all like that. No matter how brilliant their reasoning or philosophy, when it concerns them directly, no one can remain an impartial observer.

Raiden Mei and Changkong City had nothing to do with Cocolia, so she could sacrifice them without batting an eye in the name of 'the greater good.' But Ishiu and the children in the orphanage were different; they were Cocolia's soft spot, untouchable by anyone!

"Mom, I'm begging you, please? You can still stop now. I'll go apologize to Mei for you. And for those who died in Changkong City, I'll bear this sin with you. Even if you fall into hell, I'll stand by your side." Ishiu pleaded with Cocolia, truly not wanting to see her continue down this wrong path.

Perhaps Cocolia saw further ahead than him, perhaps he was short-sighted, but regardless, the future was the future, and the future could be changed. A thousand years was too long; he only cared about the present and the people in it.

"..." Looking at Ishiu's hopeful eyes and listening to his heartfelt words, Cocolia's heart trembled fiercely. She almost agreed, but at the last moment, she said nothing.