Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Bronya’s Confession?

Gazing at Bronya’s expression of utter nonchalance, Lucian couldn’t help but let out a weary sigh.

“Bronya, I’ve noticed you’re acting less and less like a guest here.”

Lucian stood, crossed the small distance between them, and affectionately ruffled her silver-gray hair until it was a complete mess.

Bronya stared up at him, her face a silent, unblinking mask. She raised a small hand, her fingers closing around the wrist of the hand still causing chaos atop her head.

“BOSS, Bronya’s hair is messy.”

Her voice remained as flat and even as ever, her lilac eyes fixed on his.

Looking at Bronya’s expressionless face, now crowned with a bird’s nest of her own hair, Lucian found the sight unexpectedly amusing. A smile tugged at his lips before he quickly suppressed it.

“Ahem, sorry.”

He cleared his throat, attempting to retract his hand, but Bronya’s grip was surprisingly firm.

“Fix Bronya’s hair.”

She released his wrist, her gaze calm and unwavering.

Faced with that deadpan, demanding stare, Lucian felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth. If this kept up, he was fairly certain his facial muscles would cramp sooner or later.

His eyes scanned the room. In this apartment he had moved into mere minutes ago, there was clearly no such thing as a comb.

“Bronya, I don’t have a comb here,” Lucian tried to explain, but she simply shook her head.

“Bronya knows. BOSS can create a comb out of thin air.” Her logic was flawless. “So don’t try to escape, BOSS.”

Lucian was left speechless. Bronya’s uniquely unreasonable attitude left him utterly at a loss. After a moment’s consideration, he could only surrender with another helpless sigh.

“Alright, come here. I’ll fix your hair.”

Bronya nodded, then floated forward, throwing herself directly into his arms.

Lucian instinctively caught her. The girl’s body was feather-light, and she carried a clean, fresh scent, like laundry dried in the sun.

He sat down on the sofa with Bronya in his arms, settling her onto his lap with her back against his chest. In his hand, a comb of crystallized Honkai Energy materialized, glowing with a soft, ethereal light.

The position was undeniably intimate. Bronya’s back was pressed flush against his chest as she sat quietly, as still and pliant as a porcelain doll.

Lucian began to clumsily comb her hair. Bronya’s hair was a strange and magical thing—no matter how smoothly he brushed it, the twin drills would always coil back into their signature spiral shape.

“You shouldn’t just throw yourself at people so casually next time,” he murmured, his fingers working through the silvery strands.

“Only because it’s BOSS.”

Bronya’s voice drifted back, still lacking any discernible inflection, but Lucian thought he detected a subtle undercurrent he couldn’t quite name.

‘Did I really manage to win this girl over?’

The absurd thought surfaced in his mind, unbidden.

He mentally reviewed his daily interactions with Bronya. It seemed he hadn’t done anything particularly special to raise her affection for him. Besides consistently rejecting her attempts at seduction, refusing her excessive closeness, and dodging some of her more… embarrassing questions… that was about it.

‘Wait, could she be a masochist?’he wondered wildly.’The more I reject her, the more she likes me?’

“Done.”

The crystalline comb in Lucian’s hand gradually dissipated into motes of light. He nodded in satisfaction, looking at Bronya’s perfectly restored spiral drills. This physics-defying hairstyle was certainly convenient; a single pass was all it took.

“Mhm. Thank you, BOSS.”

Bronya nodded, then suddenly turned her head and planted a quick, soft peck on his cheek.

Lucian froze solid.

The sensation on his cheek was gentle and slightly cool, as brief as a passing breeze, yet it stirred a tempest in his mind.

By the time his senses returned, Bronya had already turned back around, calmly leaning against his chest as if nothing had happened.

“Bronya,” Lucian’s voice was soft, but his words were direct. “I’m starting to suspect you might have some feelings for me.”

Leaning against his chest, Bronya seemed to stiffen for a fraction of a second before her body relaxed again.

She didn’t answer immediately. Several long seconds ticked by before she finally spoke.

“Although Bronya’s emotional module does show signs of improvement…” Her voice was a monotone murmur. “Bronya only likes Seele. BOSS shouldn’t get the wrong idea.”

“Really? Then why are you still sitting in my lap like this?” Lucian countered, wrapping his arms around her waist with exaggerated intent, a playful glint in his eyes.

He half-expected her to summon Project Bunny 19C, or at the very least, show some sign of displeasure and push him away.

But Bronya did nothing.

She simply sat motionless in his lap, seemingly stunned by his boldness. It was only when she sensed that Lucian was merely testing her that she slowly turned her head to look at him.

“BOSS, aren’t you going to continue?”

Her voice remained flat, her eyes holding no trace of shyness—only pure, unfiltered inquiry.

Lucian’s hands, which were still around her waist, recoiled as if they’d been burned.

He froze completely, even more rigid than when she had kissed his cheek.

“I’m… new at this, don’t mess with me…” he muttered, the words tumbling out in a flustered stream as a faint blush crept up his neck.

A slight, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of Bronya’s lips. Watching Lucian’s evasive gaze, she continued her assault.

“Actually, Bronya is seducing BOSS right now, too.”

Her words were a quiet confirmation of his fears.

“But BOSS seems… less resistant than before.”

With that, Bronya floated up again, effortlessly leaving his embrace.

The blush on Lucian’s face hadn’t fully faded. He looked at Bronya, now hovering in mid-air, and found himself momentarily speechless.

She drifted down to sit beside him on the sofa, that faint, knowing smile still lingering on her lips.

“Ahem, Bronya, that’s enough…” Lucian coughed lightly, still not quite daring to meet her direct gaze.

But Bronya suddenly said, “BOSS, Bronya does like you.”

She paused, then shifted closer to him, closing the small distance between them.

Lucian froze on the sofa, his breath catching in his throat. He wondered if he had misheard, or if he was experiencing some kind of auditory hallucination.

“…What did you say?”

“Bronya said, Bronya likes BOSS,” she repeated, her tone as calm and steady as ever. She moved a little closer still.

This time, Lucian heard it clearly.

He looked at Bronya, now so close he could see his own stunned reflection in her calm, lilac eyes.

“Why? I haven’t done anything that would make you like me so much, have I?”

Bronya tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely puzzled by his question.

“Does liking someone need a reason?” she countered, her tone laced with pure curiosity.

“I need a reason,” Lucian insisted, “because what you’re saying is too unbelievable.”

“…”

Bronya quietly looked at Lucian, his serious expression mirrored in her gaze. She didn’t try to inch closer again. Maintaining her expressionless face, she seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before finally speaking.

“Because… Bronya and BOSS have lived together for a long time?” she offered, testing the words. “Or maybe it’s because BOSS has the same desire to be needed as Bronya?”

She trailed off. “…Bronya can’t answer.”

For the first time, she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. Those eyes that always stared directly at everything were now slightly downcast, as if she were searching for an answer within herself.

“Then when did you first become interested in me?” Lucian pressed gently.

Bronya’s head was still lowered, but at this question, she lifted her gaze, her eyes settling on his face.

“It was… when the Bronya from another world showed Bronya fragments of their world.”

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

“BOSS, covered in blood, missing an arm, rescued Seele from the Sea of Quanta all by yourself.”

She held his gaze, her expression unreadable.

“From that moment, Bronya started paying attention to BOSS.”

——————

Time rewound to an ordinary night in Changkong City.

Bronya lay in bed. The room was so quiet she could hear the steady, rhythmic sound of her own breathing and the soft thump of her heartbeat.

She had just had a dream.

In the dream, she met herself from another world.

In a pure white, featureless room, Bronya slowly awoke. When she opened her eyes, she saw a face strikingly similar to her own, yet older, more mature.

“Hmm… I thought I’d meet you during the Saint Freya period,” the future Bronya—or rather, the Bronya from another timeline—spoke, her voice tinged with a wistful nostalgia.

“You are… the future Bronya?” Bronya asked, looking at the fully grown version of herself, a trace of shock in her eyes.

“You could say that.” The older Bronya gave a slight nod, a fond smile gracing her lips as she looked at her younger self. “This point in time… you just arrived in Changkong City not long ago?”

Bronya sat up, her silver-gray eyes filled with vigilance and confusion. “Bronya cannot trust you yet. Please explain why you are here.”

“Sigh… I actually used to talk like this…” the older Bronya sighed softly, a hint of self-conscious embarrassment in her eyes. “Proving things is a waste of time. I don’t have much of it.”

“I’ve brought some things you might want to know.”

She didn’t explain further. Instead, she extended a finger and gently touched Bronya’s forehead.

In an instant, countless images flooded her mind—

Bronya saw unfamiliar scenes flash before her eyes. The Third Honkai Eruption, life at St. Freya Academy, Seele’s return, Kiana’s body being possessed by the Herrscher of the Void, Lucian’s death…

The Herrscher of Ice, the Herrscher of Dominance, the Stigma Project, the Final Battle…

Bronya numbly absorbed the massive influx of information, her head spinning from the sheer volume of it.

She snapped her eyes open, finding herself still lying in that pure white mental space, with the older Bronya standing quietly before her.

“This is… your timeline?”

“Yes.”

“But what does this have to do with Bronya?” Bronya’s brows furrowed, her wariness not entirely gone. “Why did you show this to Bronya?”

The older Bronya looked at her, speechless, a complex, indescribable emotion swirling in her eyes. Bronya recognized it instantly. It was disdain.

“Why are you so stubborn…” her future self muttered, then suddenly grabbed Bronya, pulled her into a hug, and vigorously ruffled her hair. “Pay attention! Lucian! You have to protect him!”

Bronya, dazed from the aggressive hair-ruffling, frowned and tried to break free from the embrace. “Let go of Bronya…”

The older Bronya released her but kept her hands firmly on her shoulders, shaking her slightly.

“So, did you understand or not? I packaged my entire memory for you. You didn’t only notice Seele’s return, did you?”

“I…” Bronya’s voice was uncharacteristically hesitant. Her future self had guessed right; she had indeed only focused on the part about Seele. Avoiding the intense gaze, she made an excuse. “It’s too chaotic, too much information…”

“The point!” the older Bronya almost growled through gritted teeth. She cupped Bronya’s face, forcing her to look up. “The point is Lucian!”

Bronya, her face held firmly, was forced to meet the turbulent emotions in the other’s eyes.

“When he rescued Seele, when you thought everything was getting better, when you finally started to acknowledge your feelings for that idiot…” Her voice cracked. “He died right in front of you. You couldn’t do anything. Pay attention, you fool.”

As she spoke, the older Bronya’s body grew increasingly transparent. Her fingertips began to dissolve into points of light, her voice becoming intermittent.

“So while he’s still alive…”

Her grip tightened for a final, desperate moment.

“Win him over!”

——————

“Bronya discovered that BOSS craves validation deeply, like a fragile child on the inside.”

As she spoke, Bronya moved closer to Lucian again, climbing onto him and straddling his lap, her knees on either side of his hips.

“But BOSS also holds a desire to protect many people. You blame yourself for not saving more during the Changkong City Honkai outbreak.”

Her face was inches from his.

“So, Bronya does like BOSS a little.”

Bronya cupped Lucian’s face with both hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. She could see his eyes were wide with shock and a touch of panic.

“Although it doesn’t compare to Seele, and Bronya might leave BOSS when Seele truly returns…” Her voice was a low, serious promise. “For now, Bronya really wants to rely on BOSS. And also wants BOSS to rely on Bronya.”

Saying this, Bronya, still holding Lucian’s face, leaned down and kissed him.

Her cool tongue tentatively probed his lips, parting them with surprising ease.

Bronya closed her eyes. Her hands on his cheeks tightened slightly, her fingers trembling almost imperceptibly.

Lucian’s brain short-circuited.

In that moment, he had a sudden, deep realization. He had always thought of Bronya as too capable, a self-sufficient machine.

But in reality, she was just a girl.

A girl who, after losing Seele, felt that life had lost its meaning. A girl who forced herself to live on for another’s sake, groping through the darkness, clinging to him—this single, flimsy straw.

Her outlandish tests and provocations… perhaps they were just her clumsy way of confirming if this straw was strong enough, if it was willing to bear her weight, if it could be a place she could lean on, just for a little while.

She wasn’t a cold robot who had sacrificed her emotions to save Seele. She was a girl who had been forced to become strong because she had lost everything she valued.

This is what he thought, a beautiful, tragic story he constructed in his mind. But he was completely mistaken.

In reality, Bronya was merely acting on emotions imprinted upon her by a future self, a mission she was programmed to complete.

“…”

Lucian was silent for a long moment. Then, he wrapped his arms around Bronya’s waist and responded to her kiss.

When Bronya finally pulled back slightly for air, a thin, glistening strand of saliva connecting their lips, Lucian didn’t let her escape.

His arm around her waist tightened, anchoring her to him, preventing her from floating away. His other hand moved to cradle the back of her head, his thumb stroking the soft skin behind her ear.

Bronya’s eyes fluttered open. A flicker of genuine panic appeared in those always-calm lilac depths.

“If you ever feel tired,” Lucian whispered, his voice low and steady, “you can tell me everything. I’ll always listen.”