Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Bronya woke up. This time, she was really awake.

She opened her eyes in a daze and saw Raiden Mei looking at her worriedly. Glancing out the window, she realized it was already broad daylight.

That was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

So that's what exists within the Stigmata Space? Why make students face such things? What kind of suffering did the students of ARC City endure to encounter such a terrifying ordeal?

Bronya was filled with guilt. She hadn't truly trusted those around her.

Cocolia's actions had left deep scars, and Noldrei's malicious modifications had intensified that cruel control.

Even though Noldrei repeatedly emphasized that he had never controlled her, Bronya didn't trust his words.

Who knows if you're telling the truth? What if you, that bastard future person, planted a backdoor in my body, just waiting for me to screw up?

"How was it? I heard Kiana changed the program for entering the Stigmata Space. You were an assassin before; surely you could easily pass the willpower test, right?"

Raiden Mei wanted to ask more about what the Stigmata Space was like.

"I..."

Bronya trailed off. She had been blasted out the moment she entered, confronted by the materialized form of her own cognition.

It wasn't that Bronya was incompetent. She had been on the battlefield, seen all sorts of bloodshed. She believed she could remain calm in those situations. A simple willpower test should have been a piece of cake.

But reality was different. The space told her straight up that it was an illusion, everything a reflection of herself.

During her verbal sparring with Silver Wolf, Bronya became increasingly anxious about finding Seele. She thought about being used by Cocolia, about trying to turn Raiden Mei into an artificial Herrscher. She thought about being controlled by the evil future person and turned into a pony.

Now, being strung along by Rita with the promise of Sea of Quanta travel, Bronya felt her future was bleak. She didn't even dare to voice her true thoughts.

As Silver Wolf relentlessly attacked her weak points, she also guided Bronya to doubt her relationships with those around her. As a double agent, Bronya was naturally sensitive to this, and her increasing anxiety caused her to pass out on the spot.

If it weren't within the Stigmata Space, they might have witnessed the unique spectacle of Silver Wolf verbally destroying Bronya.

Fortunately, modern medical technology was advanced.

Raiden Mei looked at Bronya with concern. Bronya was pale, her forehead covered in cold sweat, even her fingertips trembling uncontrollably. It was as if she had seen something terrifying, similar to how Kiana looked after her time in the Stigmata Space.

But back then, Mei had been overwhelmed by chaotic genetic information. She wasn't sure if Bronya was experiencing the same thing.

"Mei-senpai, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... Bronya, I... I... Please don't blame me..."

Bronya clutched Raiden Mei's hand nervously, tears welling up.

If Seele knew about all the bad things she had done to reach the Quantum Sea, she wouldn't be able to face her friend again. Would Seele still accept her as a friend then?

Thinking of this, the wound Silver Wolf had opened felt like it was being exposed to the scorching sun.

What's up with your little sister?

When did I, Raiden Mei, get wronged again?!

Raiden Mei was also full of questions, but she still comforted Bronya, "It's okay, it's okay. It's all over. Look, I'm fine now, aren't I? How many stages did you pass in there?"

"Um, uh... Maybe... not many. My head is a mess, I don't remember clearly."

Bronya glossed over the topic.

Silver Wolf's attack had put immense pressure on her.

Bronya recounted what she had done to Raiden Mei under Cocolia's orders, which clearly dealt another blow to Mei.

Mei was already struggling with the fact that her father had tacitly approved of the experiments on her. Bronya's confession made her question life even more.

But Raiden Mei was a good person!

"It's alright, it's all in the past... Aren't you very regretful now, Bronya?"

Raiden Mei even comforted her in return.

The two upstairs were confused.

"Should I expose the embarrassing fact that she didn't even pass the first stage? And... why?! Even if Mei slapped her a couple of times and then accepted her apology, that would be fine. Mei just accepted it like that? No punishment at all?"

The white-haired Tuna didn't understand. The people of the Far East were a bit of a mystery to her.

When she had taken Raiden Mei's place at school, she had just punched and kicked the bullies. Something like this was unthinkable to her. [Likely a reference to a specific anime/manga trope or situation]

Noldrei didn't understand either. He was still shocked that Bronya had been filtered out on the first level. This was his chosen pony, the person he had put in charge of ARC City's security!

And then? She just… failed?

"I thought she could last a bit longer in the Stigmata Space, but she was so quick... Kiana, is the first stage you set too difficult?"

Noldrei sighed, almost doubting his judgment.

"No way, plenty of ordinary people passed! Could it be that she materialized some incredibly strong mental barrier?"

Kiana never doubted her test. She believed cognitive tests like this were easy to break through if you seized the opportunity.

This kind of thing could be overcome with intuition!

The Kaslana bloodline gave Kiana a unique way of thinking, and she wasn't wrong. As long as you bravely crossed the first line, you could improve synchronization with the Stigmata battlesuit.

But no one expected Bronya to stumble at the very first hurdle.

Who could she complain to about this?

"It's not like I deliberately made her fail. The genetic information in the Stigmata is constructed based on the user's cognition. As long as the mirroring is set up correctly, it's impossible to fail against yourself."

Kiana had experimented many times in the Stigmata Space. To make absorbing genetic information easier, she took these things very seriously.

She shrugged and said helplessly, "Gotta git gud, Bronya!"