When it hits you hard

They were standing there. Mei in black, her hair done up. An unfamiliar katana at her hip. Another woman. Bronya recognised the woman from the reports. Raven. The one Kiana and Mei-nee-san had fought. A member of World Serpent.

'The Bronya is surprised that Mei is willingly working with someone that arranged for Kiana's torture. There is a mental dichotomy that the Bronya does not understand.'

"Uhm. Are you miss Mei?" Seele asked politely.

Mei's gaze switched to the girl. She pursed her lips.

"Rather than trying to fight, can I talk? I think there are things you want and things I want. I know you want to protect people. We I do to. Doesn't that mean we can, well, not fight? Find common things we love instead?"

Seele looked so earnest that Bronya felt a little pride. Even in an awkward situation and meeting someone for the first time, she still wanted to find a path without violence.

There was no time to react. Electromagnetic power manifested. The reinforced concrete pillar was brutally rent from floor and ceiling, the bar of debris launched at Seele faster than the speed of sound. The impact of the blow sent the girl backwards and over the safety rail surrounding the central open area on the Administration level.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

"SEELE!"

Seele disappeared, plummeting into the gloom. Bronya turned ready to run. It was a pointless gesture. The crackle of lightning followed Mei, the woman appearing before Bronya, katana out and pointed at her throat.

"She's a Stigma marked," Mei said, cold eyes not breaking from Bronya's, "A six floor fall will only break her legs and a few ribs. Nothing fatal. I wouldn't risk her death."

Mei glanced over her shoulder.

"Go collect the body."

The woman in the cloak chuckled.

"In a bad mood today aren't we, o-jou-san? Fine, fine. I'll be your little errand girl. Don't waste time with the Herrscher. Seal her and we can gather the other two conscious Stigma."

'Sealing. No. Not the 11th Herrscher. There is more. Unlikely a tool. They would flank the Bronya to give an opening to use a device. Possibility a hidden attribute of Mei's. Allow interference with a Herrscher's abilities. I must proceed with caution. Have a backup plan in the eventuality that the Bronya's Herrscher abilities are interfered with.

Mr Welt always said that the Herrscher of Reason did not find strength from power. It was the ability to deduce the truth. The Bronya will buy time.'

Bronya took a cautious step back. A rippled of light flickered above Mei's shoulders. Hovering red armoured Oni arms appeared. Project Bunny caught the overhead swing of Mei's nodachi blade. Spiderweb cracks started to form along the mechanical hands.

"So weak," Mei muttered. "I'm not even trying."

It wasn't just the mechanical construct's hands that were starting to crack. Bronya could feel little pieces of an internal wall long since forgotten starting to crumble.

"Seele," Bronya hissed, "Seele was trying to stop us fighting. To be a peacemaker. She always hated violence. And you callously toss her away."

"She is weak. Therefore, her resolve is weak. Her ideals are weak. If you cannot back up your goals with force then you are nothing. Durandal taught me that lesson."

More of Bronya's wall was starting to show cracks.

"You're not even trying, are you?" Bronya wondered aloud.

"No."

Multiple Hover Gun's materialised around Mei, launching a full spectrum barrage. Blue light lit up the top level of the mall. The smell of burnt metal, concrete dust and scorched plastic filled the air. As the dust began to settle Bronya could see Mei had transformed further. Red armour covered part of her body, the Oni arms fully manifest, a pair of demonic horns projecting from her forehead.

"Too weak," Mei whispered dismissively.

Bronya smiled. Project Bunny phased out, the nodachi blade colliding with a projected spherical energy field encompassing Bronya. The construct appeared behind Mei and wrapped itself around her. The additional Hover Guns at each level Bronya had manifested shot upwards, blasting an effective chimney of clear air from the ground level to the sixth. Into this cleared hole Bronya had Project Bunny tombstone Mei through the gaps in each level. Meanwhile at ground level Bronya had more Hover Guns ready along with those she manifested at the sixth level. Mei was dragged downward, fired upon by guns at each level. When her body struck the tiled floor of ground level all the energy weapons fired as one, banishing the shadows of the mall and bathing it in coruscating blue light.

'Not enough for any significant harm. Only a brief reprieve. She may be on ground level but now the Bronya is a valued target due to the danger the Bronya possess. The Bronya must proceed with caution. The Bronya does not know what the sealing tech-'

"-That was the extent of your abilities?"

The katana struck the energy shield. Project Bunny was there a heartbeat later to take the quick barrage of blows. Bronya had sensed nothing. It had been five point two seconds and Mei had already returned to the sixth floor. A quick assessment showed no injuries. Her hair and clothing were even free of concrete dust.

Bronya activated the Time Dilation equipment on her body to put some distance between the two. Rather than time slowing Mei only moved faster, disregarding the temporal manipulation.

"I need a Stigma marked intact. For a Herrscher only the core is needed. And your core is historically easily transferable. There is no concern about damaging it upon extraction from your corpse."

Everything Mei said was the truth. Cold truth. The way Mei was so detached from the actions she undertook left Bronya wondering if the woman she had known, had looked up to, had been a mask all along. That beneath the gentle older sister was this twisted creature.

'The Bronya knows more about Mei than Mei knows about the Bronya. There are details of the Bronya's life that no World Serpent agent could know. Matushka never kept records of the Bronya's past. The Bronya has a plan. It has risks but the Bronya will see it out. There is truth that the Bronya wishes to know. Weakness is strength when wielded correctly.'

Bronya was forced to dodge between Mei's artful slashes as Project Bunny kept protecting against the blows of the Oni arms and the nodachi they wielded. Staying on the defensive, Bronya assessed Mei's attack patterns and strategy. Her opponent was seeking to tire her. Which implied a physical struggle for the unknown sealing technique. The strikes were not lethal in nature but could turn dangerous with a slight adjustment in angle and momentum. Severe tendons. Part muscles. Mei's intent was not lethal but she could adjust to it.

Project Bunny threw off the nodachi's attack and changed forms, missile launchers primed and ready. A fusillade of DEA Raison missiles barraged Mei's position. More of the sixth level was turned into concrete debris and warped rebar steel.

"Enough,"

With a flick of her sword Mei blew away the remaining missiles and kicked up dust. Crimson lightning limned her body. Any missiles that had been close to her were cut apart just by the lightning.

'Her power is on another level and its application is impressive. Mei has spent much time practicing. The is our power gap'

Bronya watched Mei closely. There would always be weaknesses. Openings. Areas that an enemy did not cover. Old habits were beginning to fall into place. A fusion. Between the Herrscher of Reason and a Bronya that only Seele and Matushka knew existed.

"We are done," Mei declared, "The three Stigma marked and you will come with me. If you yield I will give you my reassurance. You will not die, Bronya. Once Project Stigma is complete we will awaken again and be free. That is my final offer"

"The Bronya recalls an expression Idiotka once used. Drunk the cool-aid. The Bronya now sees that you have no depth left. Just a pale shadow imitating an adult. The Bronya now understands how the World Serpent sunk its fangs into you.

Mei-nee…. No. Mei. Mei is weak now."

Mei raised one eyebrow. Bronya kept her face composed. In between breaths Mei was standing beside Bronya, left hand pressed against her chest. Bronya felt it. The strange serpentine energy that invaded her body. Coalesced around her Core. Snaked up and around the connection between the Imaginary Tree and the Core like an anaconda. Then it began to twist and constrict. A dull pain. A minor throb. A painful sting. A pain that took the breath away. An agony that dropped a girl to her knees. A pain so vast it was blinding.

Bronya lay on her side on the ground. Vomit spilled from a corner of her lips. Her body was covered in sweat. Her clothes had returned to the Saint Freya outfit with it's cute Homu bow-tie.

"We are done," Mei declared. "You are now just a human. You can get up or I can break your bones and carry you down to the ground level. Raven will be done with her task collecting Seele and the other two Stigma marked."

Bronya pushed herself up to her knees. Her head was swimming. Her body wanted to fall apart. Panting at the pain and exertion she tried to touch the Core of Reason. It was cold. Dead. The 300,000 voices silent. Bronya smirked. Solving this problem fell to her shoulders alone. She could feel the connection was still there. That had not been severed. Running her mind up it Bronya was confronted with a complex knot. An interdimensional twist in the liminal space between realities. She tried to draw on the power. The knot. The 'seal' only increased in complexity.

A katana pressed against Bronya's throat. Slowly lifted her chin until she met the eyes of the Herrscher of Thunder.

"It won't work," Mei warned. "Only I can undo that seal. The more you struggle the more powerful it becomes. Even someone as weak as you cannot break free."

Pieces were falling into place. A new puzzle. A more interesting puzzle. Bronya already knew how to solve it. She just needed the right pieces.

"It's not over until the Bronya wins," Bronya taunted as she got to her feet.

"Fool."

Mei's vertical slash was from navel to neck. Lethal. Enough to end the fight.

An almighty crash echoed around the food court on the ground level of the mall. The table bowed and broke under the impact. Dust was thrown everywhere. The four members of the family huddled behind the bench of a fast-food outlet. One of many that ringed the food court. A cloaked figure slid down one of the support pillars, the claw of their hand digging into the concrete to ablate the descent. At the last moment they kicked off the pillar and landed adroitly on the ground.

"O-jou-sama didn't hesitate," Raven muttered. "Must really want this done quickly. Oiya, the four of you behind the bench, get up now. We are leaving. I only want the kids. If you don't cooperate then Mum and Dad die and the children get to watch. So behave."

A spluttering sound came from the impact crater where the table had once been. A wet coughing noise. Raven glanced over her shoulder.

"This one's pretty tough," Raven muttered. "Makes sense Mei would want to separate them. I'd rate her as troublesome if she joined the fight."

The coughing figure picked itself up slowly from the settling dust. Seele, covered in bruises, blood oozing from a cut on her brow, right arm hanging limply by her side, fixed her eyes on Raven.

"I 'huff' won't let you 'huff' take them. Everyone, stay hidden. Don't try to help. Seele has this."

"You can't even lift a weapon," Raven politely pointed out. "A noble gesture but you're not going to get very far with noble gestures."

To Raven's surprise, Seele nodded in agreement. Stepped over the remains of the table. Raven readied for a melee; claws already extended. Seele instead walked away. Put her back to her opponent. It was foolish. Lethal. But Raven was curious to see what the girl would do.

Seele looked at an intact support pillar rising from the ground level.

'I remember watching a movie where someone fixed their dislocated shoulder by slamming it against a wall. I wonder if that works.'

Feeling the need to test the theory, Seele rested against the pillar. Felt the trill of pain from mere contact between shoulder and concrete. Sucked in a deep breath and threw her right shoulder forward.

Screaming.

Horrific screaming.

Seele collapsed to the ground. Brought up her dinner, coughing between screams and moans. The pain was… not as bad as the X-10 experiments. That surprised Seele. She whimpered and focussed on the pain. Rather than ignoring it, that pain became something to sear away any fogginess in her mind. When she had finished throwing up Seele was ready once again.

'Okay. I'll admit. That was both crazy and bad-ass.'

'Thank you.'

'Don't do that again this century please. I felt that too. And you don't want more mental vomit.'

'Ewwwww'

'Like I said, don't do that again. Now get on with kicking this bitches arse.'

The presence retreated. Selee thought about it again. As she stood the girl couldn't help but start giggling to herself. A manic little laugh. Mental vomit. It sounded funny on the second go. The third. Even the fourth. To anybody who was watching. And that was everybody except those on the sixth because the scream hadn't reached them, Seele looked and sounded unhinged. Their assumption had a kernel of truth to it.

"Oiya, oiya, that was pretty impressive little girl. I guess being Stigma marked makes you something else."

Seele shook her head.

"No," Seele said with such innocent conviction that Raven believed her. "It's because I do what I have to do. And right now I have to protect those people."

Raven nodded her hooded head in respect. She liked this girl.

"What's your name? I know it but I want to hear it for myself."

"Seele. Seele Vollerei."

"German. Gluttony. You do seem like the sort that likes pain. So how did you end up in Cocolia's orphanage?"

'She's not wrong. You're a glutton for punishment. I think several of your ribs are broken. Your shoulder is screwed up. Fractured leg bones and your arms aren't much better. Maybe a concussion. Though you're normally this foolish.'

Seele ignored her other self's commentary and focussed on something important.

"You knew I was an orphan?"

"We watch everyone."

The banter between the two was such a juxtaposition between the violence going on upstairs. That banter was interrupted by a flash of blue light that illuminated everything. Seele shielded her eyes. Something hit the ground nearby. Glancing over her shoulder, Seele saw Mei standing in a pillar of laser light for the briefest moment. She looked bored. Then flickered away.

'I need to get to Bronya-nee-san soon'

'One crisis at a time. This Raven is your goal right now.'

'No. Protecting the family is.'

'Same difference. Break her in two and the family is safe.'

'You think I can?'

'How wild do you want to get?'

Seele didn't like the idea of going crazy. When she let her other half loose things became complicated. Velliona liked violence. Liked hurting things. Seele didn't want that. She just wanted the family safe.

"My family were from East Germany. I think. Matushka never told me everything. Only that she found me in a village in Siberia. Everyone else had been killed by Honkai beasts. She saved me. Took me in."

Seele sighed slowly. She looked to the family of four cowering in the shadows. This was the right thing. She had lost everything. Hers was a found family. A forged family. That was why she struggled so hard. To protect others from the same fate as her unknown dead family.

Raven's body language shifted for a moment.

"Your family was in Siberia during the 2nd Honkai Incursion?"

"Yes."

"I was young. My brother too. We nearly died from the radiation. But something happened and we survived."

Seele smiled warmly.

"You have a brother?"

Raven shook her head.

"He died. Gray Serpent saved me. World Serpent took me in. Fed me. Clothed me. Taught me the art of killing."

"You feel indebted to them?"

Raven's laugh was dry.

"No. I've repaid that debt long ago. But once you start down the life of a mercenary it's hard to give it up. And the pay is too good. I take these two children in and I can feed and clothe my own family for months. Orphans just like those at Cocolia Orphanage."

'She has a family too. People she wants to protect. We all want to protect something. If only we talked rather than fought.'

Raven set her shoulder. Seele understood and tried to shift into a fighting position. Her body ached and her shoulder was molten pain. She focussed on the pain. It had helped before. But it was stifling her now. An impediment. As Seele pushed it to the corner of her mind the pain began to fade, pinned within the dark confines of her awareness.

"Was World Serpent behind my kidnapping?" Seele asked.

There wasn't a need to check the body language. Seele knew already. It was the confirmation that mattered.

"3 million was a fair price for you. Cocolia had been collecting children with latent Honkai energy control. Jackal theorised that their bodies were closer to expressing stable Stigma genes. We sent some mercs to collect you. Didn't factor Cocolia coming to personally end our business exchange. After that it was decided that Cocolia was too dangerous. A former Spetsnaz with Anti-Entropies backing. Best to leave her alone and let them bankroll their own experiments. We would pick through the leftovers later."

Another bark of dry laughter.

"Which we did. Cocolia hit a dead end after Nagazora and the failure of Mei. So when she used Bronya to claim Wendy we reached out again. Offered our knowledge and services. She could experiment on the Herrscher in exchange for whatever data she had. You may not believe it but Cocolia still wanted to save you all those years later."

'Raven thinks Cocolia saved your crying baby arse. Now isn't that interesting. Looks like the danger noodles are fallible after all.'

The voice was proving distracting. Seele shook off the commentary and tried to focus on what was important. Her look was pleading.

"You have a family. You've lost family. Siberia was horrible. Can't we find another way? Do more people have to suffer? Why not just take some blood? They're a family. A family we both lost. Do you want to be like the Honkai. Taking away families? Aren't we better than that?"

Raven shrugged.

"I stopped caring about those sorts of morale's long ago. You and I… I understand you, Seele Vollerei. I respect your struggle. But in the end it's the strong that win. And World Serpent are the strongest. They will protect my family. Schicksal doesn't give a shit and Anti-Entropy are weak. O-jou-sama is right about one thing. It always comes down to might."

Seele shook her head.

"You're wrong. It's not strength. I… I… I refuse to believe that. Bronya isn't strong only because she was born that way. Only because of some training. Bronya is strong because she has friends she cares about. I'm… I'm not strong but I can still fight. Because I have Bronya-nee-san. And Kiana. And Rosaliya. And Liliya. And even Matushka."

"You'd fight for your enemy?"

"She still loves us. For me that's enough. She can become a better person. Anyone can. We all make mistakes. I want people to be brighter. I think people can be better tomorrow than they are today."

Seele extended a hand.

"Don't you want to be better tomorrow than you are today? For your family?"

A third bark of laughter.

"You really do believe. Don't you? It's a nice sentiment. You're better than most of us from the East. But that kindness will only get you killed."

Raven drew a bow out from under her cloak. Seele knew what it meant.

'Guess the power of friendship didn't work after all.'

'We had to try.'

'You had to try. I wanted her butchered. Or oozing down my scythe's blade. Stop wasting time. Get ready to fight, idiot.'

Seele wasn't ready to give in yet. She kept her ground. Balled her hands into fists. Readied for a fight. It was Raven's turn to put her back to the girl. The mercenary stalked towards the family.

"You've got guts, Seele Vollerei. But there is no way you can win. Even if you hadn't fallen and broken those bones. Even if your arm wasn't a mess. You're too nice to fight properly. I've been killing longer than you've been alive. I've killed children younger than you. I won't kill you. Jackal wants you. But you and the kids are coming with me."

Seele felt the slap behind those words. But she held her nerve. That wellspring of need that always bubbled up in these moments of crisis appeared. Seele could never articulate it. Like she had told the twins. It just happened sometimes and you couldn't explain it. When she had been trapped in the Sea of Quanta the Serpent had asked her many questions. None she could answer. To Seele it was as natural as breathing. She had a desire and made it manifest.

Reaching out with her good arm, Seele concentrated and willed what needed to be done. Something to protect the family. To put walls between them and Raven. Silvery-blue chains erupted from the floor and ceiling of the food outlet, forming a barrier between the mercenary and her prey. Raven didn't appear concerned. She continued her slow walk forward. Holding out the bow, she muttered something and the weapon began to ripple and warp, going hazy and uncomfortable to look at. Blinking away tears, Seele saw it had become a rifle. Hefting the weapon, Raven looked down the sight and pulled the trigger. A sizzling beam of light was ejected. Seele couldn't explain how she knew, but she did, she knew that this was a weapon of pure death. A single touch and…

… The beam of light fizzled against the chains.

Now Raven paused. Turned to look at Seele. Even beneath her hood Seele could see the surprised expression. Those magenta eyes were wide. The first time Raven was genuinely caught off-guard.

"That. Is. Not. No… it can't be."

The rifle rippled in that uncomfortable way like it was bleeding heat. It returned to a bow. Raven gripped the string and pulled it back, an arrow materialising.

"You are a dangerous one, Seele Vollerei."

The arrow was loosened. Seele did her best to move. It was an attack design to ruin her good shoulder. There was just enough time to twist a little. Let the arrow punch through the flesh above her clavicle. It hurt. Not at much as resetting her dislocated shoulder. Seele shunted the pain to the same corner where the rest was trapped. Pressed her hand against the wound. She couldn't afford for it to be too bad. Only a little blood was leaking. Lowering her hand, Seele looked at the blood coating her hand. Her vision turned cloudly with tears. Shunting the pain aside was one thing. Having to give in to violence hurt her far more.

'Stop day-dreaming you idiot. Or you'll end up a pincushion.'

'I… this… I feel a little strange.'

'It might be, I don't know, blood loss! Stop being a masochist and go behead this bitch.'

Seele looked up. Raven was notching another arrow. Seele tried to force back tears. Clenched her teeth. Summoned her scythe from wherever it slept when she didn't need it. That had Raven taking a cautious step back.

"Just what are you?" she muttered.

"Someone who wants to protect families."