But things went beyond Yu Luo's expectations. Heavy-Oni Rabbit 19C's mechanical arm did not stop attacking just because he was holding Bronya. Instead, it came crashing down with a howling gust of wind, intending to smash the two of them below into pulp.
"Hey, Bronya, you can hear me, right?!" Seeing Heavy-Oni Rabbit 19C refuse to play by the rules, Yu Luo was completely stunned. He hurriedly released Bronya from his tight embrace, grabbed her small shoulders, and shook her hard.
"You have warmth, a pulse, and things you want to do! You're a living human, not a robot! Don't let machinery control you! I'll always stay with you, even unto death!" Yu Luo desperately recalled some melodramatic, sappy lines he had seen before, hoping they might have some effect. Meanwhile, he was already preparing to use Emiya's Heroic Spirit Card to flee with Kiana and Mei Raiden.
"You just said she felt like a lump of iron when you held her, and now you're saying she has warmth." The system was deeply dissatisfied with Yu Luo's attempt to rack his brains and deceive a little girl. "A man's mouth is a lying ghost."
"This is tactics. How can it count as deception?!"
Yu Luo had never expected his lousy lines to work, but reality was so bizarre that even novels would not dare write it this way. Bronya actually reacted to his melodramatic nonsense. The crimson in her pupils faded, and for the first time, she spoke words that sounded human:
"Bronya... is human..."
"Ah!!!!"
Bronya suddenly clutched her head with both hands and let out a piercing scream, looking as though she were in terrible pain. Her eyes flickered between gray and crimson, while Heavy-Oni Rabbit 19C behind her froze in place because of this sudden wavering.
Watching Bronya suffer, Yu Luo felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. He truly had not expected those overused lines to have such a huge impact on her. He silently swore, If you can really break free from the machine's control, then I'll never use cheesy lines to fool you again!
Mei Raiden and Kiana barely recovered from the violent impact. They struggled to rise while leaning against the wall and slowly made their way over. Mei Raiden looked worriedly at the confused Bronya and said, "Bronya, hang in there! Don't lose to the machine!"
It seemed Mei Raiden's support gave Bronya strength. Gray gained the upper hand in her eyes. Her face was full of pain, and even her inorganic voice seemed to tremble slightly:
"System completely silent. Awaiting reboot!"
After saying that, Bronya closed her eyes and lost consciousness, collapsing directly into Yu Luo's arms. The enormous Heavy-Oni Rabbit 19C vanished along with the system's shutdown. The red-and-black armor on Bronya's body also disappeared, revealing her original grayish-brown clothes.
"While the system's down, we need to remove the controller on Bronya right away." Kiana took a deep breath. The situation could not have been better. Then, looking at Yu Luo holding Bronya, she shouted angrily:
"Teacher Yu Luo, how long are you planning to hold her?! Mei, come help me support Bronya from behind!"
Yu Luo curled his lips. It really was not appropriate for him to keep holding Bronya, so he did not argue with Kiana over it. He obediently handed Bronya over to Mei and stood to one side to watch.
"Okay." Mei crouched down, held Bronya's upper body in her arms, then turned to Kiana and asked, "What next? Do you know where the controller is, Kiana?"
"Teacher Yu Luo, turn around first!" Kiana pointed at Yu Luo and ordered him arrogantly. "Don't turn back until I say you can, or else..." Kiana shook the Electromagnetic Hand Cannon in her hand, making the threat crystal clear.
"So you're all meek around Mei, but you come down hard on me..." Yu Luo muttered as he turned around. Kiana stared at him vigilantly and asked uncertainly, "Did you just say something?"
"I didn't say anything," Yu Luo flatly denied. "Hurry up and remove Bronya's controller. She might wake up any second."
"Hmph!" Kiana haughtily turned away, and her twin ponytails ruthlessly slapped Yu Luo. Yu Luo sat with his back to the three girls, gazing at the distant scenery while pricking up his ears to secretly listen to what was happening behind him.
Rustling sounds came from behind him, followed by Mei Raiden's embarrassed and angry voice. "Kiana, why are you taking off someone else's clothes again?!"
Again?! Yu Luo immediately caught the key point, but before he could think it over, Kiana's voice had already reached his ears.
"We didn't see any external controller during the earlier battle, so the controller can only be on Bronya's body. Taking off her clothes will make it easier to look for it." Kiana spoke with perfect righteousness, but recalling how she had matter-of-factly said she liked girls that night, Yu Luo felt that the truth was definitely not so simple.
Then the sounds stopped again. Kiana was probably searching Bronya's naked body for the controller. Yu Luo could not help imagining the scene, and his nose immediately itched. He quickly raised his head to look at the sky. Luckily, Kiana and Mei Raiden were focused entirely on Bronya and did not notice anything strange about him.
"They say I can't peek, but they're not guarding against me at all," Yu Luo complained inwardly to the system. "Do those two really think I'm harmless?"
"Maybe you're just a shut-in. You've got the heart of a thief but not the guts." The system spoke with a straight face. "If someone surnamed Long were here, he'd have started building a harem already. Believe it or not?"
"I'm respecting them, not lusting after their bodies! Why are you saying I've got the heart of a thief but not the guts?!"
"If you're not lusting after their bodies, you're a eunuch!"
Yu Luo was bickering with the system to distract himself when Bronya's voice rang out from Kiana's side. Only, the voice sounded extremely strange:
"Ah... ah... such a strange feeling... inside my body..."
"Found it! This must be it. Please endure it for a moment!" Kiana cried out in delight, and Bronya's voice became even stranger:
"Mmh... ah..."
"Kiana, are you done yet?! Don't grope someone else's body!" Mei Raiden shouted in embarrassment and anger. Yu Luo listened from behind with a black expression. The implication had practically run right over his face, and he said speechlessly:
"Pervert Kiana, what exactly did you do to Bronya?! She's underage. That's illegal!"
"Your mind is full of filthy thoughts, and you're supposed to be a teacher!" Kiana retorted unhappily. Then she said in delight, "Done! She's fine now! Don't turn around!" As she spoke, she once again fiercely warned Yu Luo's back.
Yu Luo could only continue sitting on the abandoned robot, boredly counting the scattered mechanical parts on the ground while listening to the rustling sounds of clothes being put back on.
"All right, you can turn around now." After a while, Yu Luo finally heard the words he had been waiting for. As though granted a pardon, he turned around and saw Bronya standing quietly there. Her face was still expressionless, but that cold, detached feeling was gone.
"Bronya, how are you feeling? This white-haired pervert didn't do anything strange to you, did she?" Yu Luo asked Bronya with concern, while also taking the chance to viciously jab at Kiana. Kiana instantly bristled and said indignantly, "Who are you calling a white-haired pervert?!"
"Bronya doesn't know how to answer that question." A faintly puzzled expression appeared on Bronya's face. Combined with her petite frame, she looked like a little kitten, instantly stirring Mei Raiden's maternal instincts. Mei Raiden pulled Bronya into her arms and stroked her head with her right hand.
"It's all right. Big Sister is back to protect you. From now on, you won't have to be anyone's weapon carrier ever again."
Bronya turned her confused gaze toward Yu Luo. Yu Luo smiled in relief and nodded. "I told you, I'll stay with you until death."
Bronya's gaze passed right over Kiana. Her voice was still inorganic, but it was no longer a mechanical command. It was something she wanted to say herself. "Sister Mei, Brother Yu Luo, Bronya is willing to obey your commands."
"No, that's not right. From now on, no one will command you. You only need to follow what your heart tells you." Mei Raiden smiled, showing a gentleness Yu Luo had never seen before.
"Bronya's own wishes? I think... I may understand a little what 'I' means." Bronya nodded thoughtfully, and the two drill-like ponytails behind her head swayed with the motion.
Before you continue