It's Not a Herrscher's Nest / Which Matchup Is Wrong?

Bronya: "Come to think of it, Kiana the idiot's name wasn't among the answers."

Kiana: "Of course I can't be a spy. Mei's cooking is so delicious, and Auntie Himeko and the others treat me so well. Even if I were a spy, I'd defect."

Perhaps the biggest reason was that everyone knew Kiana didn't have the brains to be a spy.

Himeko Murata: "Haven't you noticed something strange?"

Theresa: "What is it?"

Himeko Murata: "There are only four answers. That means the spy is among us!"

Theresa: "?!!"

The principal looked around at Bronya, Raiden Mei, and Himeko Murata...

Well, well!

She had trusted them so much, yet the spy had been right by her side!

Pardofelis: "Let me interrupt for a moment. Who is this Fu Hua? Is she also a student or teacher at St. Freya Academy?"

Elysia: "I have a feeling she's a pretty girl too, and she somehow feels familiar."

Raiden Mei: "Please don't develop an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward strangers for no reason, Pink Fairy Miss. Fu Hua is our class monitor. If you're planning to make a move on her, you should just give up."

What a joke. Everyone at St. Freya Academy knew that Class Monitor Fu Hua was straight as an arrow.

Your little tricks might work on Mei and Pardo, Elysia, but there was no way you could bend Fu Hua!

Theresa: "Could it be... Fu Hua is Anti-Entropy's spy?"

Himeko Murata: "Probably not. Fu Hua is such a good student, the exemplary leader of our class. How could she be an Anti-Entropy spy?"

Teacher Himeko would not assume the worst of her students.

But the system had only provided four answers, meaning one of the four had to be a spy sent by Anti-Entropy.

Yet Mei, Bronya, and Himeko herself were all familiar companions who even hung out together in the Chat Group.

That made it even more impossible for them to be spies.

Theresa: "Well, well. I never expected Fu Hua, with that honest face of hers, to be a spy sent by Anti-Entropy. I'll expose her the moment I get back!"

Raiden Mei: "Unbelievable."

Himeko Murata: "The more you think about it, the scarier it gets."

Kiana: "Holy shit, the class monitor is a traitor?"

Once all impossibilities had been eliminated, no matter how absurd the fact was, it had to be the truth.

Although everyone regretted Fu Hua's betrayal, they could only accept this sad fact for now.

Bronya: "Bronya chooses D. Anti-Entropy's spy is Bronya."

Correct answer.

Theresa: "?!!!"

Please vote, please send monthly tickets.

Not a Herrscher Nest

Including the principal, everyone turned in unison and stared at Bronya, who had just reported herself by name, with disbelief written all over their faces.

Well, well. Bronya, you had hidden yourself deeply.

Who would have thought you were the spy!

Class Monitor Fu Hua, sorry. We all misunderstood you!

Theresa: "Bronya, if you confess honestly now, there's still room to turn things around. What did Anti-Entropy send you here to do? Speak! Don't make us get rough."

Himeko Murata: "Bronya, we believe you have your own unavoidable reasons. Tell us. Everyone will help you."

Teacher Himeko and the principal played good cop and bad cop respectively. It looked like they intended to shake every secret out of Bronya.

At once, Kiana pulled out the Staff of Homa, Mei drew Sound of Destruction, Theresa took out Judas, and Himeko casually produced a greatsword.

Four weapons were held to Bronya's neck. If she made even the slightest suspicious move, she would be forcibly subdued.

Kiana: "Bronya, you've really hurt us. I never thought you were this kind of Bronya."

Raiden Mei: "Bronya, tell us the truth. Everyone will give you justice. What evil plan did Anti-Entropy send you here to carry out?"

Bronya: "Put your weapons down. Bronya thinks Bronya can explain. Listen to Bronya's excuses."

Damn it.

Was bullying Bronya that fun?

Just because Bronya was weak, did that mean they could bully her however they wanted?

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.

If I ever become a Herrscher someday, I'll definitely get even!

Elysia: "If explanations worked, what would we need laws for? Pardo, when Fire Moth catches a traitor, what sentence do they usually get?"

Pardofelis: "A sentence? What sentence? Fire Moth recommends you just shoot them. Drag them out and execute them like dogs."

Bronya: "..."

Congratulations, Bronya. Reward obtained: cerebral control chip removed, emotional system restored.

A cool, comfortable sensation spread from her head. Bronya held her forehead and felt more refreshed than ever before.

The chip in her brain had really disappeared.

Elysia: "A cerebral control chip? That's truly unexpected. It seems Miss Bronya has a past she doesn't want others to know about. I want to know, I want to know."

Pardofelis: "I don't know why, but Sister Snake immediately came to mind. She wouldn't have put something in my brain too, would she?"

Eden: "If it's Mobius, she might really have... No, she definitely has experience doing that sort of thing."

Bronya: "It wasn't Mobius. It was placed in Bronya's head by Mother Cocolia, and it was also a tool to ensure Bronya would send intelligence back."

Now that the chip had vanished and her brain had returned to normal, she would no longer be controlled.

Himeko Murata and the others exchanged glances. Once they understood that Bronya had her own unavoidable reasons, they silently lowered their weapons.

Himeko Murata: "Bronya, we misunderstood you. It's all that Cocolia's fault."

Theresa: "Exactly. What kind of mother treats her own daughter as a tool? That's too awful!"

Bronya: "Mother Cocolia, she..."

Bronya wanted to say a few words in Cocolia's defense, but she did not know how to begin.

After all, what Cocolia had done was truly excessive.

But at Cocolia's orphanage, Cocolia had cared for homeless orphans and truly given them a mother's love.

Yet in pursuit of power and status, she had also treated her own daughters as test subjects and tools.

Cocolia was simply too complicated. Bronya could not understand which side of her was the real one.

Kiana: "Wait, look! Black Bronya!"

Everyone turned their eyes to the screen and saw Bronya transformed beyond recognition.

In the footage, Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya were gathered together when a command suddenly came through, changing Bronya's colors.

Red patterns spread across her face. Her pitch-black armor was packed with weapons, making her look especially terrifying.

"Bronya, my daughter. Highest-priority command: capture the Third Herrscher!"

Cocolia's order arrived, causing Bronya to lose control directly as she slowly aimed her weapon at Mei.

"Yes, Mother."

With the help of Titan mechs, Bronya overwhelmed Mei with sheer firepower and knocked her to the ground in an instant.

Piloting her black exoskeletal weapon, she aimed its cannon at Mei and Kiana, who lay on the ground, and slowly moved forward.

"Mother, Raiden Mei has been captured. Only one target remains."

Bronya aimed the cannon at Kiana's head, then suddenly sensed something unusual happening around her.

Anti-Entropy's radar detected Schicksal forces rapidly approaching.

"Hmph. You're lucky. All forces, return."

Under Cocolia's orders, Bronya and the Anti-Entropy mechs took Mei away. By the time Himeko Murata arrived, only Kiana was left lying on the ground.

Pardofelis: "Wait! Wasn't that woman named Cocolia trying to capture Herrschers? Why did she let Kiana go?"

Kiana: "Because I hadn't become a Herrscher yet. But Cocolia, you dared to snatch Mei away from me? Just wait."

Himeko clenched her fist and silently muttered to herself.

I'll remember this grudge!

Theresa: "So Anti-Entropy had already set its sights on my students, and on Raiden Mei no less. They really don't take me, the principal, seriously."

Pardofelis: "Well, Bronya hid among you for so long, and none of you realized she was a spy."

She really did not know how Theresa had managed to be principal.

At Fire Moth, forget spies. Even if a rat snuck in, it would end up on Mobius's operating table the next day.

Himeko Murata: "Now that you mention it, could there be other Anti-Entropy spies besides Bronya?"

Raiden Mei: "I think so. The quiz just said there were quite a few spies at our academy."

Bronya: "Don't look at Bronya. Bronya truly knows nothing."

Bronya said that she was just a tool and had no idea which important figure Anti-Entropy had sent to St. Freya.

Theresa: "Himeko, you're overthinking it. I've managed St. Freya Academy for so long. If there were that many spies, I would have discovered them long ago."

Himeko Murata: "True. Maybe the quiz was exaggerating, and Bronya is the only spy."

Raiden Mei: "Exactly. You almost made me think Anti-Entropy's leader had come to our academy to work as a teacher."

Theresa: "Hahaha, Mei, that cold joke isn't funny."

What a joke.

Who was Anti-Entropy's leader? That was Welt, the First Herrscher who had participated in the Second Honkai War.

If such a great figure came to the Far East Branch, how could her little St. Freya Academy possibly accommodate him?

And if another Herrscher showed up, wouldn't there be far too many Herrschers here already?

This was a Valkyrie academy, not some Herrscher nest.

Which Match Is Wrong?

Pardofelis: "Um, shouldn't you really be more concerned about Sister Mei? She was captured by a very vicious woman."

Pardo did not know whether it was an illusion, but these people seemed completely unconcerned about Mei being captured. Their attention was entirely on the spies.

Bronya: "What's there to fear? Sister Mei is someone who lived into After Honkai."

Raiden Mei: "Pardo, calm down. You have to know that I'm holding the script now."

Mei was completely unfazed.

The original her had been too cautious and had failed to seize the advantage of knowing the script.

If the current Mei had been there, forget Cocolia capturing her. Even if the Finality itself came, she would have gone up and slapped her.

Pardofelis: "People who can live into After Honkai really can do whatever they want."

Himeko Murata: "That's only one reason. Bronya is a good child. I don't believe she would truly remain indifferent and let Mei fall into Cocolia's hands."

Elysia: "But wasn't she controlled by the chip?"

Bronya: "Bronya believes that Bronya's feelings for Sister Mei will never lose to a mere chip."

The scene changed again. Bronya immediately raised her head and saw the bound Mei, as well as Kiana rushing over.