"Yo! You're back? Cocolia's waiting. Go on in." As Bronya returned to their orphanage-fronted base, Raven emerged from Cocolia's office, heading for bed.
They hadn't retreated together. Standard procedure for assassins, especially after a failed mission. Bronya had even taken a circuitous route through the city, partly to avoid pursuit, partly…
She discreetly touched the backpack containing her disassembled sniper rifle.
"You're back so early. Must've slacked off again," she said flatly, staring at her partner.
Her vantage point had been closer to the base than Raven's. Even accounting for a minor detour, Raven shouldn't have been this much faster, unless she'd taken shortcuts. It wasn't the first time; Raven clearly didn't care.
"Whatever. My nose is sharp. Didn't smell any tails, so I came back early! Hey, whose nose is sharper—a raven's or a wolf's?"
Bronya rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue. They were a good team, but their personalities clashed. Years of partnership didn't erase their tendency to bicker.
"I need to sleep. You're going to see Seele, right? Hurry up, go inside!" Raven finally waved her off, but as she passed, she touched Bronya's backpack. "Want me to take this?"
"I can handle my own things. You should worry about hiding your booze better, before Rozaliya finds it again."
"Tch!"
Once Raven was gone, Bronya opened the door.
"Mother Cocolia," she said respectfully.
"Bronya…" Cocolia had heard their exchange. She'd even listened with amusement, but as Bronya approached, she couldn't help but smile.
"Natasha relayed the mission details, but there are a few things I need to confirm. She couldn't see everything clearly."
"I understand." Before Cocolia could ask, Bronya continued, "The car did move on its own. Autopilot is possible, though equipping a sedan with a combat mech AI is unusual, not impossible. But the driver didn't get in, and Natasha didn't find him in the alley."
Cocolia tapped her desk, unsurprised. "So, he simply vanished."
"I think I saw him in the driver's seat through my scope, but the car accelerated too quickly. I'm not sure."
"I see…" Cocolia nodded, not pressing further.
She offered a tired smile. "It's late, Bronya. You must be tired. Go rest. Seele, Rozaliya, and the others are probably asleep. I have some work to do. I'm afraid I have to break my promise about bedtime stories tonight."
Bronya smiled faintly, a rare warmth touching her face. "Mother Cocolia, we're not little kids anymore. Only Rozaliya still wants bedtime stories…"
"It's an old habit…" Cocolia sighed, then paused. "Yes… you've all grown up. So, Bronya, have you ever thought about going to school?"
"Hmm?" Bronya frowned, tilting her head, her twin drills swaying. "School…?"
She'd been about to leave, but this stopped her.
"Yes, normal children your age have been in school for years." Cocolia propped her head on her hand, her tired face softening with a touch of pride. "Fortunately, I had the foresight to teach you all. It might be challenging to start school now, but you won't be completely lost."
Bronya's expression clouded. Cocolia was determined to send them to school.
No, that wasn't the right way to put it. As if school was some terrible hardship or unbearable danger.
Bronya wasn't uninterested in school. She yearned for it, but she wasn't interested. School was for children her age, whether for future prospects or self-improvement.
But she wasn't like them. She might be a child in age, but not in spirit. She was a soldier, trained to kill before she could walk.
She'd been killing since she was three. This was her tenth year.
Closing her eyes, she heard the echoes of her past: the muffled report of a Tokarev pistol, a choked scream, the sickening thud of bone and flesh, the splatter of viscous fluids. She'd crawled out of Siberia's hell, her mind focused on survival, discussing killing techniques with hardened men…
She longed for a normal school life, but her experiences had aged her beyond her years. She no longer had the heart for it.
Speaking of which, she had Raven to thank. She couldn't recall how Raven, several years older, had joined Uncle Maxim's mercenary group, but she was skilled. After Maxim's death and the group's disbandment, Bronya had chosen to follow Raven. They'd accepted the contract to assassinate Cocolia for one simple reason:
The payout was enormous, enough to buy a small island and live comfortably for the rest of their lives…
Wait, that was Natasha's dream. Bronya found that boring…
Well, it was a moot point. They hadn't received the money. The mission had failed spectacularly. Cocolia had anticipated their every move. But she'd offered them a second chance, and allowed them to call her "Mother"…
So…
"I don't want to go to school, but if you order me, I'll obey. But what about our missions?"
Cocolia smiled. "It's not unrelated. The school you, Seele, Rozaliya, Liliya, and Sin will attend… is Chiba Academy."
"Huh?" Bronya raised an eyebrow, a light dimming in her eyes. [I see… that's good. Just treat me as a tool…]
"What about Natasha?"
Cocolia tilted her head, a playful smirk appearing. "My, my, I thought you two didn't get along. Well, she is like an older sister to you…"
"That's not it," Bronya interrupted coldly. "If my purpose at Chiba Academy is to monitor Raiden Mei, you won't leave Natasha idle, will you? Does she need to attend as well? She could blend in easily."
"One person is enough to monitor Raiden Mei. Besides, she's already been seen, her voice might be recognized. It would be risky for her to attend Chiba Academy."
"Fine." Bronya left without another word.
Cocolia stared after her, her mouth slightly open, as if about to speak. But her words remained unspoken.
She chuckled. She'd grown soft these past two years, almost reverting to her…
No. She wouldn't allow herself to become weak.
She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and looked at the photos on her desk.
Natasha's blurry, haphazard surveillance photos. The figures were still recognizable.
Her gaze fell on Raiden Mei, then she shook her head. Just a little girl. If not for the Gem of Conquest implanted within her, Cocolia wouldn't even bother.
She had more efficient ways of dealing with Ryōma. This was a deliberate provocation.
Let Ryōma think Cocolia was a reckless brute, resorting to assassinations and kidnappings.
Her true plan was already in motion.
"The Gem of Conquest…" she murmured, her eyes narrowing. "Easily within reach. Now, the Gem of Serenity… that needs to be addressed."
But this thought brought a frown to her face.
After a moment, she ran a hand through her golden hair, her gaze shifting to the second figure in the photos.
A man in a suit, posture seemingly relaxed, but subtly shielding Mei, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
The "driver," as Natasha and Bronya called him.
Cocolia traced his blurry face with her fingertip, more excited than when looking at Mei, or even the Gem of Conquest.
He was the one who'd defeated Natasha twice!
Anti-Entropy relied heavily on mechs, not Schicksal's established Valkyrie system, despite possessing the technology for artificial stigmata. But artificial stigmata were just inferior imitations.
Natasha was different. She was a true stigmata awakener, the only one among Cocolia's adopted children.
Cocolia knew Natasha's skills. Direct confrontation wasn't her forte, but she was above average among Schicksal's A-rank Valkyries. Combined with her decade of experience as a mercenary and her ruthless tactics, even S-rank Valkyries would struggle against her.
Natasha was why Cocolia dared to operate in the Far East. Schicksal's branch here had an A-rank and a former S-rank Valkyrie!
Yet this man had defeated Natasha twice.
Not just defeated, but utterly outmatched her in a few moves, even while holding back.
Forget about "Natasha having more tricks up her sleeve." Cocolia knew better. Losing was losing. In battle, a decisive victory was all that mattered. And given Natasha's mercenary instincts, while the first loss could be attributed to carelessness, the second one… there were no excuses.
She'd been defeated before she could even react.
Moreover, Natasha, as a stigmata awakener, possessed superhuman physical abilities. Being overwhelmed so easily meant this man was exceptionally strong.
Perhaps… a rare male stigmata bearer?
With Natasha and him, she'd have a force rivaling Schicksal's Far East branch.
Adding her mech forces… she'd surpass them…
The thought brought a smile to her lips.
…
A choked sob escaped her throat. Was it from the pain? Every cell in her body ached, the warmth draining from her right wrist, leaving her adrift in the cold night.
But there was a faint warmth, like an embrace. She wanted to see the person's face. She knew it was someone important, but she couldn't see clearly.
Then, a voice, seemingly her own, whispered, "Michael-Onii-chan, forget Seele…"