LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 234: Bronya's Growth
As those blue eyes, seemingly sculpted by millennia, gazed at her, Seele, already traumatized by Kevin from their encounter in the Quantum Sea, widened her eyes, instinctively wanting to switch to her other personality.
But she forcibly suppressed her fear, raising her weapon towards Kevin.
"What are you doing?! You can't defeat him! Let me do it!"
Seele's unusual behavior worried her other personality. She could feel Seele's trembling arm, but Seele, in her conscious state, firmly held control of her body.
"Other me, it's okay. You've always been the one facing him. Seele will grow stronger too. I...I can fight on my own." Seele's voice trembled. The pressure from Kevin was suffocating, but she held on.
Faced with such a stubborn Seele, her other personality grew anxious. She wanted to forcefully take over, but Seele was right. She had grown. She wasn't the little girl who could only cower in the Quantum Sea anymore.
"Idiot!"
While they briefly conversed, Kevin had already landed on the Hyperion's deck, walking towards them. Seele's breath hitched, her newfound courage wavering. Just as her other personality was about to take control, Kevin spoke.
"Seele, it's been a while."
His voice, instead of its usual coldness, held a hint of gentleness. For a moment, Seele's other personality thought she'd misheard. But the oppressive aura surrounding him couldn't lie.
This was indeed the World Serpent Lord.
Her other personality, on high alert, prepared to take control and fight, only to hear Seele respond in a trembling voice, "H…Hello."
"Are you an idiot?! He's from World Serpent! Have you forgotten how he attacked your sister in the Quantum Sea?!"
"But… Seele doesn't sense any hostility from him."
Seele's intuition was correct. After witnessing Ren's self-sacrifice, Kevin's perception of this generation had indeed softened. Or perhaps, Kevin had never truly held hostility towards anyone. It was his concern for the Honkai that forced him to adopt a cold demeanor.
Having witnessed the Previous Era's demise and painstakingly preserved its legacy, only to see the current generation's seemingly childish efforts, it was a testament to Kevin's mental fortitude that he hadn't had an aneurysm.
But now, it was different. He'd finally seen a glimmer of hope in humanity. Though insignificant against the true Honkai threat, it proved that Elysia's efforts weren't in vain. This was his comrade's legacy, one of the few beautiful things Kevin held onto.
That's why he adopted a friendly attitude towards Seele. Unfortunately, for the emotionally stunted Kevin, even his attempts at friendliness were perceived as terrifying.
Within seconds, the Hyperion's alarms blared, and its close-range cannons targeted Kevin. He merely glanced at them, and all the weapon systems froze, deactivated.
"Don't hurt them! They're just ordinary people!" Noticing his actions, Seele tried to stop him, her scythe held between herself and Kevin.
"Don't worry, I just want them to be quiet." Kevin was patient. But Bronya, noticing their proximity, was nearly scared out of her wits. She immediately summoned a drone, aiming it at Kevin.
This was the result of her recent training—the ability to manifest weapons without the Core, a sign that she was being accepted by the Herrscher of Reason's power.
"Let Seele go!" Project Bunny transformed into a motorcycle, carrying Bronya towards Kevin.
Kevin simply sidestepped, avoiding the motorcycle. Bronya drifted in a wide arc, scooping Seele into her arms, putting distance between herself and Kevin.
Fortunately, after the incident with the Herrscher of Sentience, she wasn't as impulsive. She didn't fire, but maintained a hostile stance towards Kevin.
During her time with Anti-Entropy, she had interacted with many people. After Welt was injured, morale plummeted throughout Anti-Entropy. It was all because of her reckless actions. Though no one blamed her, it was the first time she felt a sense of responsibility, the first time she understood the meaning of being the Herrscher of Reason.
She was responsible for others. She couldn't just jump into the Quantum Sea alone like she did in the Sea of Quanta.
"World Serpent? What are you doing here?" Welt Yang, having regained his mobility, walked out, supported by Tesla, to confront Kevin. His face was pale, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
"Herrscher of Reason…no." Seeing Welt in this state, Kevin frowned. He'd initially thought Welt's body, created using the Core of Reason, was breaking down. But upon closer inspection, he couldn't sense any Herrscher energy fluctuations.
He moved swiftly, appearing before Welt before anyone could react, gently touching Welt's forehead.
"Not a clone. The Herrscher Core has indeed disappeared from your body." Ignoring the panicked reactions and Tesla's furious expression, Kevin turned his gaze to Bronya.
To his surprise, there was no trace of the Core in Bronya either. But the power within her was similar to Raiden Mei's in Nagazora—a remnant of the Herrscher of Reason's power.
This was still unexpected. He'd seen Welt retrieve the Core in the Quantum Sea. He had even deliberately let him do it.
Welt was a Herrscher who genuinely fought for humanity. Kevin didn't dislike such people. After the incident with the Will of Honkai, he realized that Herrschers could fight for humanity too. He'd come to Anti-Entropy to try and recruit them again, but it seemed he was a step too late?
Welt saw the surprise in Kevin's eyes, a hint of bitterness in his voice, but he maintained a strong front. He knew he represented Anti-Entropy. They and World Serpent were sworn enemies. Showing weakness would be irresponsible.
"As you can see, I'm no longer the Herrscher of Reason. The Core has been hidden away as a legacy for the next Herrscher. If that's what you're after, you'll be disappointed."
Kevin didn't comment on Welt's flimsy excuse. He glanced at Bronya, then raised his hand, disabling the cloaking device on the World Serpent fleet.
Unnoticed, a small World Serpent aircraft carrier had entered the Hyperion's detection range. This shocked and infuriated Tesla. The technology they'd used was incredibly similar to the stealth tech she was developing.
"Damn it! You thieving bastards!"
She was about to continue her tirade when Welt covered her mouth. He glared at Kevin, his eyes full of hostility. "World Serpent is going too far."
"No. I'm merely returning what belongs to you."
At Kevin's signal, Raven, her expression impassive, landed before them, carrying the still-unconscious Theresa.