English
Indonesia
Chinese (Simp)
Japanese
Korean
Spanish
Portuguese
French
German
ArabicHonkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 22
Chapter 22: BOSS
Gazing down at Lucian, who was mere inches beneath her, the haze of confusion in Bronya’s eyes rapidly dissolved, replaced by a deep sense of bewilderment. Her gray eyes blinked once, twice, as if her mind was struggling to process a stream of data that defied all conventional logic.
Then, it clicked. She finally comprehended the exact nature of her position—sprawled atop Lucian, so close she could count the individual lashes framing his eyes.
“…”
Bronya’s lips parted, her expression a perfect mask of neutrality, but no sound emerged.
Lucian felt the delicate weight on his chest vanish. With her hands braced against the mattress, Bronya pushed herself up, executing a clean, practiced flip that moved her from on top of him to the space beside the bed.
Of course, Bronya’s legs were paralyzed. She couldn’t have moved very far on her own. She came to rest beside Lucian, her river of silver-gray hair fanning out across the white sheets, her silence absolute.
The two of them lay side by side, a small, respectable gap between them, neither willing to disturb the quietude that had settled over the room.
After a long moment, Lucian turned his head, his gaze falling on Bronya’s calm, statuesque profile.
“Need any help?”
Bronya’s eyes shifted, locking onto his. They remained fixed for two full seconds before she replied, her voice as level as a frozen lake. “Bronya can handle it herself.”
As she spoke, she raised one hand. A moment later, the faint, high-pitched whir of mechanical systems activating echoed from the corner of the room. Project Bunny, which had lost its connection to Bronya during the previous night’s ordeal, materialized its translucent outline once more by the head of the bed.
The ethereal construct silently lifted Bronya from the sheets, suspending her dozens of centimeters in the air. She adjusted her posture mid-flight, settling into a seated position as she looked down at Lucian, who was still lying on the bed.
“From now on, Bronya will follow your instructions.”
Lucian propped himself up on his elbows, rubbing the lingering tightness from his neck. “There’s no need to be so formal, Bronya.”
“I just need your help when it’s necessary, and…” He paused, his fingers closing around the white stocking still looped around his neck. He carefully removed it, his gaze settling on Bronya’s face. “…please stop trying to strangle me with your stockings.”
For a fraction of a second, Bronya’s gaze flickered, a hint of something unnatural—perhaps embarrassment—flashing through her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, her expression reverting to its usual impassive mask.
“Bronya will be mindful.” Her tone was clipped, businesslike. “As long as you keep your promise. To bring Seele back within a year.”
“Of course,” Lucian affirmed, his voice sincere. He nodded, then his expression grew more serious. “What about Cocolia? What’s your plan?”
“Bronya will report the mission as completed.” Bronya commanded Project Bunny to phase into invisibility, leaving her hovering in the air, her legs dangling lifelessly. “Then, I will request to remain in Changkong City to observe the subsequent effects. She is unlikely to investigate further.”
“Good. Do you have a place to stay here?”
Bronya shook her head.
“Alright. Let’s find a place for you to settle in first.” Lucian swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked to the window, checking the position of the sun. It wasn’t too high yet; he still had some time before school. “There are a few short-term rental apartments nearby. I’ll help you find one.”
“There is no need for the trouble. Bronya can handle it herself.”
“Bronya has already investigated. Within a two-kilometer radius of this apartment, there are three Schicksal surveillance points.”
Lucian’s movements froze. He turned back slowly, a look of disbelief spreading across his face. “What did you just say?”
“Your identity is very special,” Bronya stated, her voice devoid of emotion. “Schicksal’s Overseer personally arranged for you to come here, and simultaneously deployed numerous eyes to monitor you.”
“Because of this, Mother Cocolia sent Bronya to assassinate you. She intended to use your death to escalate the conflict between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.”
Lucian’s breath caught in his throat. His eyes narrowed.
Otto was monitoring him?
For the past few years, he had lived as an open book under Otto’s watch. Logically, the Overseer should have lost all interest in him long ago, content to continue his daily descent into his Kallen-fueled fantasies.
That damn Otto… he definitely knows something.
“I understand,” Lucian said, his voice tight. “In that case, Bronya, find your own place to stay for now. I need to get to school.”
Suspended in the air, Bronya gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
“Understood, BOSS.”
Lucian had just taken a step away from the bed. His footfalls paused, the halt so brief it was nearly undetectable. His brow arched slightly.
That form of address…
He glanced back at Bronya. The girl’s eyes were as calm and unrippled as still water.
Lucian offered no acknowledgment of the title. He simply walked into the living room, got dressed, grabbed his schoolbag, and left the apartment.
Stepping out of the building, the cool morning air washed over his cheeks, clearing some of the chaos from his thoughts.
“BOSS…”
He murmured the title aloud, a bitter smile unconsciously tugging at the corner of his mouth. The sense of familiarity the word brought was too intense, stirring an indescribably complex emotion in his heart.
He used to call Otto that, too. Thinking about it now felt deeply, deeply awkward.
He shook his head, forcefully pushing aside the irrelevant sentiments. The intelligence Bronya had provided was what truly demanded his attention. Otto had actually placed agents in Changkong City specifically to monitor him…
“That old fox… what in the world is he scheming?”
Lucian retrieved his sunglasses from his bag, put them on, and adjusted the frame on the bridge of his nose before walking in the direction of St. Freya Academy.
————————
Arriving at the academy, the lively scene spread across the campus grounds reminded Lucian that today was the school festival.
Stalls set up by the various classes were already bustling with activity. The air was thick with the savory aroma of takoyaki and yakisoba, mingling with the excited chatter and laughter of students.
He instinctively started toward the main school building, but before he had taken more than two steps, a familiar figure rushed out from around a corner, nearly colliding with him.
“Whoa! Sorry, sorry!”
It was Kiana. She was back in her school uniform today, her white-and-blue hair tied into its usual twin braids. She was panting heavily, fine beads of sweat dotting her temples, as if she had been running a marathon.
“Kiana? What’s wrong? Why are you in such a rush?” Lucian asked, steadying her by the shoulders.
Kiana looked up. Seeing it was Lucian, her anxious eyes brightened.
“Lucian! You… why are you only here now? I thought you weren’t coming today!”
“Huh? But I thought we had the day off?”
“I sent you a ton of messages this morning, but you didn’t reply. I thought you were still asleep.”
Kiana’s words made Lucian freeze. He instinctively reached for his pocket, only to find it empty. He remembered leaving in a hurry this morning; his phone was probably still sitting on his nightstand.
“…Sorry, I forgot my phone.”
“Forgot it?”
Lucian began to explain, but Kiana’s brow furrowed. She looked at him, her expression puzzled.
“That’s not right…” Kiana’s voice was hesitant. She stared intently at his face, as if trying to see past the dark lenses of his sunglasses and into his eyes. “You’d never forget your phone. And…”
She leaned in a little closer, her nose twitching slightly as she took a small sniff. Her brows knitted together even tighter.
“You smell… strange. It’s not your usual shower gel…”
Her blue eyes narrowed, pinning him in place.
“What were you doing last night?”