Collapse Iron: Today's mount is the female protagonist.

Page 64

Yes... Siberia.

Qi Shi, who was in Bronya's consciousness space, was somewhat surprised, because this was not a normal world bubble, but a world presented after human intervention.

He looked toward a corner of the world, where the white-haired, mature beauty who was the cause of this situation gazed at Bronya with gentle eyes for a moment before turning away, the remaining energy ripples slowly dissipating.

Qi Shi immediately understood the situation.

Is it Mistelin?

Unexpectedly, their wandering around the World Bubble didn't alert Kevin, but instead caught Mistelin's attention.

At the same time, he also sensed the power gathering in Bronya, but he did not stop her, because he was sure she meant no harm.

Mistelin Shaniat.

It is not a descendant of the Shaniat family, nor even human.

In essence, she is the crystallization of the Stigmata of the Shaniat family, or rather, she is the first 'successful' newborn in the Stigmata Project.

During the Second Honkai Impact, Cecilia was 'born' due to the brief connection between the Stigmata Space and reality, which allowed her to act in reality.

(This is another ethical dilemma that Honkai Impact 3rd loves to see: the superposition of ancestors and daughters.)

Having the same appearance as Cecilia, Mistelin, as a newborn, possessed the power and experience of countless heroic souls of Shaniat from the moment she was 'born'.

She was born and chose to integrate into the human race, yearning to become a 'human'.

But unlike the holy blood of Shaniat that saved the world, as the first 'Form' being, she carries a deadly poison in her veins.

Just as Kevin disregarded the sacrifices of humanity, and only a very few people could survive in the Stigmata Project, Mistelin was burdened with the curse of the Stigmata. Without exception, everyone who came near her would wither and die because of the 'activation of the Stigmata,' which caused her great pain and self-doubt.

The turning point in Mistelin's life was meeting Bronya's mother, Alexandra.

Chapter 104 Mother...

Therefore, Mistelin naturally harbored no ill will toward her friend Alexandra's daughter.

That power was actually activating the stigmata on Bronya's body.

And this space she influenced, presented itself to Bronya as follows:

In the desolate landscape, Bronya spotted a small wooden cabin. Before she even reached it, the door suddenly opened, revealing a mature, white-haired figure.

The assassin girl stood there, stunned.

"Huh? You're back?"

The woman spoke as if they were very familiar with each other. She was beautiful, with her eyes crinkling when she smiled. She had long, beautiful silver-gray hair, with two low, spiraled ponytails draped over her shoulders. Her pregnant belly was prominently swollen, giving her a mature and gentle air.

Bronya's words were stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She stared blankly at the woman opposite her.

Even though she had never met him before, her heart was churning, and her nose involuntarily stung with tears. It was as if the answer was being told from the depths of her blood and from the bottom of her heart. Even though they were separated by time and space, she recognized this kinship that could never be severed.

"Mother……"

Bronya murmured as she looked at the beautiful, mature woman with white hair.

"You came home exceptionally early today."

"I've already told you not to worry about me. Even though I'm pregnant, I'm not incapable of doing anything."

Alexandra continued speaking gently.

Bronya was overwhelmed with emotions, but her assassin's instincts also made her notice the strangeness in the other person's words and demeanor. His gaze wasn't directed at her, but rather at someone standing to the side, as if there was an unseen person standing there.

Qi Shi's figure came to her side. Although he was reluctant to reveal the truth, he finally told the gray-haired girl the truth in a soft voice.

"She's just a phantom from my memory; she can't react to you."

"Everything presented here is a memory of your mother being with another person before you were born, during the second collapse of Siberia in 2000."

In 2000, after several failed attempts to integrate into humanity, Mistelin, filled with pain and doubt about her life, met Alexandra, who was pregnant and had unexpectedly become a Stigmata Awakener, and they became acquainted.

Their time together helped Mistelin overcome her self-doubt and emerge from her confusion. Alexandra even helped her, who didn't have a name at the time, by giving her the name Mistelin.

In the years that followed, she accepted and faced herself, taking Misterin as her first name and Schariac as her last name, and lived on as Misterin Schariac. She had her own will and a mission to complete.

The two became incredibly close friends, living together in a desolate place far from human habitation.

However, the good times didn't last long. Alexandra's pregnancy foreshadowed the end of everything. In order for her unborn daughter to be born safely, she asked Misterin to transfer her own Stigmata. Although Misterin was extremely sad, she still obeyed her friend's wish and completed the Stigmata transplant.

In the end, this mother sacrificed her own life to save her child's.

Bronya lowered her eyes slightly, clutching Qi Shi's clothes tightly, and continued to watch everything unfold before her eyes without saying a word, this biological mother she had never met before.

What is it like to have your own child?

"Hmph~ So curious? You might have your own children in the future."

"Don't make fun of me. You know my body doesn't have that function."

"That's not necessarily true. After all, who knows what the future holds? Maybe in the near future, you'll meet someone you love and who you're willing to have their child with."

The scene before her changed, with Alexandra's time with another person constantly appearing before her eyes, including intimate conversations and scenes of them describing their future together.

Until...the day of parting arrived.

Just as every beautiful fairy tale is destined to have a tragic ending, Alexandra sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her swollen belly. When she spoke to another voice, the voice had lost its usual gentleness and was trembling with difficulty.

Are you really sure?

“Yes, I’ve made up my mind, Mistelin. As a mother, I cannot abandon my daughter, if I must have a reason.”

"Because... I love her deeply."

"Let's call her Bronya from now on, Bronya Zaychek. She'll definitely be a wonderful and lovely child in the future."

Bronya pressed her thin lips together tightly, her petite figure standing still as she listened silently to her mother's gentle voice.

It didn't take long to see everything. Alexandra's life was short, or rather, her existence in Bronya's life was so brief.

He could only watch silently until the figure in front of him completely disappeared.

Bronya clenched her fists. Despite her emotional wounds, a constant stream of sorrow echoed within her. Her nose stung, and large tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks like beads.

Countless years later, she finally learned what kind of person her mother was, what her mother looked like, and realized that her own life had been bought with her mother's life and all her love.

Why does it hurt so much? The emotionally wounded girl clutched her chest, where a sharp pain was throbbing. No matter how she tried to calm herself down or muster her usual rationality, she couldn't escape the grief.

"She is a great mother."

Qi Shi gently placed his hand on the other person's head, his movements tender as he stroked the hair and softly comforted him.

But then he changed his tone.

"But don't be too sad. We can travel through time and bring your mother back from the brink of death."

Bronya, still immersed in grief, stopped crying abruptly. A question mark slowly rose above her head. She didn't even react immediately, and only after a long pause did she ask the question.

"Can we still save my mother?"

Time travel? Are you serious? Is such a thing even possible?

"Of course I'm serious, and this is my promise to you."

As if sensing Bronya's disbelief, Qi Shi smiled and patted the duck's head.

What you know is just the tip of the iceberg of my power.

Bronya looked at the genuine expression on the other person's face. Despite the seemingly unrealistic words, she believed them wholeheartedly. Perhaps it was because the other person had never disappointed her, no matter what or when.

She suddenly realized that choosing to become Qi Shi's lover was truly the best decision she had ever made.

If this could save her mother and also save Seele, she truly couldn't repay the gratitude in her heart, nor could she imagine that she could usher in such a happy scene.

"Thank you, Qi Shi. Bronya cooperates with you in any position, even the third one..."

"Say that once is enough!"

Before Bronya could finish her absurdly rambling words, Qi Shi interrupted her.

Chapter 105 Reunion

As the scene before her vanished, a force gathered around Bronya, causing her to let out a muffled groan.

Bronya clutched her chest, where it felt like a scorching fire was burning. And it wasn't just her chest; the power surged throughout her body, the violent flow of energy forcefully breaking through any obstacles, causing the girl's body to tremble slightly from the pain.

"Don't be afraid, this means the sacred mark within you has been activated."

Seeing this, Qi Shi spoke up to comfort her. The girl clutched his clothes, breathing heavily. His presence calmed her heart, and even her pain seemed to lessen.

Bronya pursed her lips, and after a short while, the activation of the power was finally completed. The intense pain that was about to engulf her body disappeared, and a holy mark appeared on her fair and slender back. The ring-shaped mark had unfolding rhombuses around it, radiating azure light, blending into her smooth and beautiful skin, adding a touch of peculiar beauty to the girl's back.

Bronya breathed a sigh of relief after getting through this experience.

"It seems to be completed. After activating the Stigmata, your control over Honkai energy will become much more effective, and your strength will enter a period of rapid growth," Qi Shi said with a smile.

Bronya nodded gently, not asking any further questions. She already understood a little about the origin of this stigmata; it must have been done by a friend her mother used to know, the one she had seen talking to her mother in the image.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard a cracking sound, and looked up. The sound came not from her surroundings, but from the sky. This was just the beginning; the next moment, more sounds and cracks appeared in the sky.

After all the tasks were completed, the world began to collapse.

Cracks appeared in the barrier of the world bubble, and surging quantum energy poured in, devouring everything and instantly turning the place into a world wreckage on the verge of collapse.

The quantum erosion was blocked by the bracelet that Qi Shi gave Bronya, and a faint light film enveloped her body, allowing her to remain safe in the shattered world.

But not only is there the danger of the world collapsing, but the commotion here and the energy gathered by the awakening of the Holy Mark have attracted countless quantum and imaginary monsters.

The moment the world shattered, countless ferocious monsters poured in through the cracks, or even emerged from the corrupted and assimilated world. The only life here became the target of all the monsters.

The sight made Bronya's pupils shrink, and she immediately summoned her Heavy Bunny to defend against the enemy, but so many monsters were completely beyond her capabilities.

The world collapsed immediately after the Stigmata was activated, resulting in this perilous situation. It's unexpected that Mistelin left no protective measures after helping to activate the Stigmata.

But thinking about it, the reason is understandable.

In that Feathered Rabbit's eyes, Bronya, who could freely traverse the Sea of ​​Quanta, must have already grown into a Valkyrie capable of standing alone.

This time, I only noticed her presence because I wanted to tell her about her mother and, incidentally, activate the holy mark within her.

But she didn't expect that Bronya was actually just a low-level B-rank weakling, and that she relied on Qi Shi's power to traverse the Quantum Sea.

However, the outcome was similar; Qi Shi would not stand idly by and watch Bronya fall into danger.