Clash with Cocolia (Part 2)

——Love Gate——

Red Feathers floated from the boy's hand. The children who had been gathered around Seele scattered as if they had received some kind of command, while Rosalia and Liliya left on their own, at Cocolia's prompting glance.

"Cocolia, I'm curious, who gave you the courage to face me? The World Serpent?" Sachi made no attempt to hide his disdain for Cocolia.

Perhaps because Seele was next to him, he wanted to be a little more high-profile. What guy doesn't want to show off in front of the girl he likes?

"Xin Kaslana, confidence is a good thing, but you seem to be a little too confident. You are facing the Anti-Entropy ..." Cocolia was provoked by his arrogant attitude, but before she could utter a retort, she felt a weight on her body, and her knees buckled uncontrollably. Anzu, who was next to her, was also affected and forced to kneel on the ground.

Damn it, wait a little longer, distract him, just wait until that time... Humiliated Cocolia clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh.

"Kneel down! Who gave you the right to look down on me?" In Xing's pocket, a black pocket watch emitted a faint red glow.

Wow, that was a really cool move!

P. S.: In the comics, this is exactly what Old Yang did when he first met Sigfried. He looked incredibly cool, didn't he? It was one of Old Yang's rare moments of glory...

"Well done!" Tesla, who was holding Little Te from behind, silently gave a thumbs up. That was so satisfying!

"Xing, Brother Xing..." White Seele was a little scared, afraid that Xing would lose control of his emotions and kill Cocolia on the spot.

"Don't worry, Seele. No matter what, she's still your adoptive mother. I admit she's a qualified mother, but definitely not a good one." Fortunately, the gravity of Star of Eden was removed. He was currently low on health, mana, and stamina, so it was best not to use skills unnecessarily.

If a fight really breaks out, I can just sacrifice a few more lives; anyway, this body has a very high potential.

"Put away your arrogance, Cocolia. If it weren't for Bronya, Rosalia, Liliya, and Seele, I could kill you right now for the innocent lives that have been sacrificed because of you."

I can finally say such cool lines! After being stifled in the Honkai World for so long, I can finally stand up for myself! But it seems there won't be any easy targets to bully later on, so I'll just have to continue developing in secret.

Fortunately, he raised his hand, and the Abnormal Twin Guns floated in his hand. "Seele, wait a moment, okay? I want to ask her a few questions."

"Okay, okay, Brother Xing," White Seele said softly.

Good heavens, Brother Xing seemed to be suppressing his anger just now. Just how many bad things has Mother Cocolia done?

Beside her, the quantumized Black Seele floated in the air with great interest, crossing her legs in a comfortable position, ready to enjoy this drama.

"Next, Seele and I will ask you some questions. Don't lie, Cocolia." Fortunately, using a power that Mortal Tribulation Difficult to Cross, Cocolia was placed under mental restrictions.

"First, answer me, is Bronya Zaychek your daughter, or a weapon in your hands?"

"Of course, she is my daughter." As she said this, Cocolia lowered her head in guilt, not daring to meet Seele's eyes. This was from the bottom of her heart.

"Very good, I think Bronya would be very happy to hear that. Little Te, are you recording? Excellent! Second question, when you were planning to create the Third Herrscher, did you think about Mei, her father, and all the residents of Changkong City? In your eyes, were they all sacrifices in your plan?"

"Yes..."

"The third question is, if, and I mean if, Seele were to return to your side and obey your orders, what would you have her do?"

"Let her and Bronya go together to carry out my orders, let her use her Stigmata... What have you done to me?!" Cocolia wanted to say that she would return to a normal life, but instead blurted out her true thoughts, filled with terror.

"Ha, don't lie~ Seele, it's your turn. Don't be afraid, ask whatever you want. Me, and her, are your strongest support." Xing encouraged White Seele with a faint smile. Black Seele, who was watching the drama unfold, also cheered her on. The girl took a deep breath, her eyes becoming firm.

White Seele looked at the blonde woman who had raised her, then stole a glance at Xing, who was staring at her fiercely. She fearfully moved closer to Xing, hesitated for a moment, then looked at Cocolia with a complicated expression and asked the question she had always wanted to ask:

"Mother Cocolia, why are you doing this? If Brother Xing hadn't stopped you, countless children like Seele would have lost their parents and become orphans, or even worse. You should know that, so why?" Seele asked in confusion.

"For you, Seele, to save you from that world, I need power..."

Cocolia lowered her noble head and said softly, "However, I seem to have lost myself in power."

"For, Seele?" Seele trembled, taking a few steps back, her body swaying as if she might fall at any moment. "How could this be? It was all because of me..."

"That's not the right way to think, Seele." Xing quickly helped her up and comforted her, "You're not wrong. In fact, if we trace it back to the source, isn't she the culprit who caused you to fall into the Quantum Sea?"

PS: In the X-10 experiment, it seems Seele forcibly used the power of the Stigmata, which is why she disappeared... Strictly speaking, it doesn't seem to be Cocolia's fault... But what did you mean by forcibly preventing our Seele from seeing Bronya one last time?! And what Cocolia did afterward is unforgivable!

"It started with Seele, and then there were other things involved, right? Cocolia, how does it feel to toy with other people's lives?" Sachi said sarcastically.

"My friend, Raiden Mei, was living the life of a young lady. But you disrupted all of that, causing her father to be falsely imprisoned, leaving Mei with almost no hope for life. If it weren't for Kiana bringing her light, she probably would have committed suicide long ago."

As they talked, Sachi's temper flared up. "Ha, speaking of which, we should thank you, right? After all, if it weren't for your meddling, Mei might not have met us and become our partner..."

If I hadn't intervened, would Bronya have had to burn her biochip again? Would Mei have been Kidnapping? Would Wendy have been killed by Cocolia?

Thinking about all this, Xing felt murderous intent for the first time.

(Because she developed a deep affection for Wendy, Sachi became even angrier at what Cocolia did in the original timeline.)

He had killed people before, but it seems like the people he killed weren't even human.

Is the Herrscher of Erosion, Crimson Prison Beast, considered a human?

Is that bastard King OOO even human?

Is the mentally challenged Waite considered a person?

Those heroic spirits... well, they can be summoned again after they die.

As for Zack, according to You Hui, his original body doesn't seem to be completely dead yet.

"Sachi, Brother Xing, please don't kill Mother Cocolia!" Because of their telepathic connection, White Seele sensed Sachi's overwhelming anger and quickly grabbed his hand, pleading, "Just like Brother Xing said before, no matter what, she is still the mother of me, Sister Bronya, Rosalia, Liliya, Xing, and everyone in the orphanage. Seele can't just watch Brother Xing kill her. Please, Mother Cocolia's life!"

"...I never intended to do that, otherwise how could I go back to see Bronya?" Xing loosened her clenched fists, her usual gentle smile returning. "However, she will probably spend the rest of her life in prison. Dr. Tesla, could you please contact Professor Welt?"

"Hmph, that's exactly what I was waiting for!" Tesla excitedly pulled out her communication device, but then felt something was off. Why did this little guy seem to enjoy ordering her around more and more lately, and so naturally?

Just when everyone thought the dust had settled, Cocolia was kneeling on the ground, suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Xin Kaslana, don't you think all of this is a bit too coincidental? Why would I, as the leader of the Anti-Entropy radical faction, just happen to be here, and be so easily taken down by you? Haven't you thought that all of this is too smooth?"

The time has finally come.

Before White Seele could react, Xing was jolted awake, and the Judah in her hand shone with golden light, binding Xing tightly as she tried to launch a sneak attack.

"Mother Cocolia, give up resisting, you can't beat Brother Xing." Seeing Xing captured, White Seele was relieved, but then she saw Xing's face turn very ugly. He untied the ribbon on his hand and looked at the back of his hand. The two bright red Stigmata had become somewhat dim.

"Ugh!" Black Seele was caught off guard and suddenly deactivated her quantum form. Luckily, she adjusted her posture in time to avoid falling. "What happened? What Honkai Energy inside me?!"

"Honkai Energy Deactivator, Jackal!" She gritted her teeth in anger. Damn it, she'd been tricked! Cocolia, that vixen, was definitely not to be underestimated!

"You filled this room with gaseous Honkai Energy Deactivator before we arrived, and then deliberately delayed to achieve your goal. Cocolia. But, wasn't it a bit unwise of you to offer yourself up here?"

"Yeah, that was definitely a bit unwise." Cocolia resumed her arrogant demeanor, dusted herself off, stood up, crossed her arms, looked down at the group, and said smugly, "I didn't say it was only Honkai Energy Deactivator ~"

Bang!

Then, Tesla to the ground, and White Seele felt her head sink as she fell into Xing's arms.

Lucky & Black Seele: "?"

Cocolia: "..."

Damn, I didn't expect it to have poison resistance. By the way, what's up with this Seele?

Bang!

Several Titan Mech burst through the wall and rushed in. Fortunately, they handed White Seele to Black Seele and then picked up Lobster Doctor and burst out of the door. "These few pieces of metal are nothing to worry about. Let's get out of here first. Even we can't withstand absorbing Honkai Energy Inhibitor for a long time!"

Damn it, if I weren't in such a bad state right now, this piece of junk would be completely useless to me.

Arriving outside the snow-covered house, Xing let out a deep breath, looked at the Titan Mech surrounding them, and snapped his fingers dismissively, causing them to self-destruct.

Sorry, mechanical beings are not worthy to be enemies with me, Xing.

"Interesting. You seem to be able to hack into the programs of these mechs with ease." A deep, hoarse voice rang in everyone's ears, reminiscent of the breath of a venomous snake.

Upon hearing the sound, sure enough, the masked man wearing the same black trench coat he never wore and carrying a tattered umbrella—well, the Gray Serpent, who didn't seem to be human—appeared.

"Hello, Xing Kaslana, nice to meet you. I am one of the executives of World Serpent, Gray Serpent. This should be the first time you have heard this name. Has Natasha mentioned me to you? According to my information, the two of you are as close as siblings."

"Spying on others is not a good thing, uncle." Xing was on high alert, ready to pull out the Heavenly Fire Judgment for a powerful attack at any moment.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Just kill him already!" Cocolia yelled at him from behind Gray Serpent.

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Cocolia, our deal is only to help you subdue Xing Kaslana, not to kill him. That would be such a waste and a pity." Gray Serpent turned and gave her a cold look. "Get your position clear. To a serpent, his value is far greater than yours."

"You?!" Cocolia was so angry she almost choked.

"I apologize for the spectacle, Xing Kaslana." The Gray Serpent bowed slightly to him. "With the utmost sincerity, I invite you to join the World Serpent. I guarantee you will no longer be coveted by the Jackal, and you will become World Serpent member of equal or even higher rank than her. You will also gain what you desire most—power. In the World Serpent, you will become a true Fusion Warrior, I swear in the name of the Lord."

This is a natural Stigmata bearer who has inherited the power of two Flame-Chasers at the same time, plus the Vishnu factor, so the potential is limitless!

PS: World Serpent's intelligence network knows all of Sachi's transformations from God's Blessing Anthem to Cloud Ink Dan Xin, except for certain special ones. Regarding the Divine Key possesses, excluding Jizo-Mitama and Mortal Tribulation Difficult to Cross, there's also the recently acquired Heavenly Fire Judgment: Oath of Protection.

Unfortunately, Otto had not yet established a cooperative relationship with World Serpent at this time...

Oh, right, they're still investigating the sudden disappearance of Thousand Worlds. They're wondering how the doll Kevin disappeared.

"A very tempting promise, but I refused. There's an old saying in Shenzhou: 'Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.'" Xing decisively declined. However, becoming a true Fusion Warrior —does that mean the Elysian Realm? I'll think about that later when I'm stronger; it's too early to go there now.

"Hmm, that's the answer I expected, but it's alright, 'Snake' will always keep its doors open for you." The Gray Serpent showed no regret or anger, remaining quite calm.

"Then, shall we carry out Jackal's request first? After all, you are her most important test subject."

As soon as Gray Serpent finished speaking, several identical black figures stepped out from beside him and injected a strange solution into their bodies.

In a matter of seconds, the bodies of the group underwent a dramatic transformation. They Polymerization two, and three enormous, giant-armed monsters appeared on the ice field, letting out a deafening roar towards Xing.

Xing was stunned, staring in disbelief at the familiar Honkai Beast. "This, this is?!"

The Gray Serpent that first appeared did not inject the solution. He casually raised his arms and introduced to Xing: "Artificial Emperor Class Honkai Beast, Ashvatta α, Ashvatta β, and Ashvatta δ. Oh, right, we should thank Ms. Cocolia for her contribution, although she is unaware of her contribution to them."

Three Ashvatta, some blue, some pink, and some a mix of light and blue, pounced on the four of them, and a battle was about to break out!

——Love Gate——

In the initial timeline of the Honkai Branch World, two white-haired girls sat on a sofa, intently manipulating the handles in their hands.

"Moon, you're doomed to lose this time!"

"That's not necessarily true, Kiana! Yue won't lose!"

Beside the two engaged in fierce combat, a white-haired doll with a distressed expression is cleaning up the snack bags and drink bottles they left behind.

Author's Note—

However, I still feel that the Traveler's combat strength is a bit of a mystery...