"If Bronya had known earlier, Bronya should have ridden Project Bunny and followed behind the pseudo-herrscher. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen into the pseudo-herrscher's trap..."
Bronya never expected that the pseudo-herrscher would be lurking in this area at the mouth of the sewer.
She didn't continue to hide in the subway, greedily plundering the Honkai energy from the zombies, nor did she escape through other subway entrances and exits. She didn't choose to wrap herself up like a cocoon to transform her body and enhance her strength.
Instead, she waited for her arrival near the sewer.
Why did she think she would come here!? How did she know her battle plan?
Bronya was very shocked. She had already told Kiana about the ambush, and in her powerless state, Bronya realized that if she didn't fight hard next, she might really die at the hands of the pseudo-herrscher.
Fortunately, Project Bunny wouldn't be affected by the pseudo-herrscher's poisonous pollen, but Bronya's actions were restricted, so she still had the strength to fight.
The next thing to do was to wait. Although Bronya didn't think Kiana and Mei could offer any real help, one more person could always add a bit of strength—even using Kiana as a taunting unit was a good choice.
There was no way around it: Kiana's naturally loud voice and her ability to act recklessly when overwhelmed with blood made her ideal for taunting the enemy.
However, after dealing with the pseudo-herrscher this time, Bronya began to view this Herrscher with a new perspective.
If she wasn't careful, she could really die...
Sister Bronie hadn't arrived in Nagazora City yet, and Bronya didn't know when she would. While the Golden Courtyard was nearby, in this situation, it was better to focus on using the drill in Project Bunny's hand to drill the opponent into a pile of mud rather than worrying about Sister Bronie's delay.
"Take a deep breath~"
The pseudo-herrscher opened its hands, as if announcing its victory. The surroundings were already covered with flowers, and the purple blossoms dyed the area with a garish hue. The strange purple added to the pseudo-herrscher's evil aura.
Although pink was Elysia's favorite color, the purple of the pseudo-herrscher, which fit its character, was still quite interesting.
Sometimes, Elysia couldn't help but ask Bronie if it would be more interesting if her hair were purple or blue. This question brought back Bronie's memories—some not-so-good memories.
That was, the Herrscher of Corruption in Elysia's shape.
Well, as long as Elysia was happy, a new outfit could bring a lot of freshness.
"Heh, do you think you've won just like that? The drill of Project Bunny can break through the heavens! It will never stop attacking even if I'm weak to toxins!"
How dare it appear before him!
Bronya could now lock onto the enemy and order Project Bunny to attack. The Quantum robot held Bronya in one hand, and with the other, it transformed into a drill, attacking the pseudo-herrscher fiercely.
The pseudo-herrscher stepped back, and countless thorns grew under its feet, forming a thick wall. There were even flower buds growing on it. If anyone dared destroy it, the pollen inside would spread.
Project Bunny might be fine, but Bronya might not be.
Bronya had always been calm and rational, so during a battle, if the opponent flooded her with too much unnecessary information, it would have a significant impact.
No, it should be said that it would trouble her.
Bronya's focus would shift to dealing with the complex battle situation, and the special effects created by Elysia's manipulation of the pseudo-herrscher would overwhelm Bronya's CPU brain.
Looking at the petals on the ground, the thorns growing wildly around, the slight vibrations beneath the ground, and the flower buds about to bloom, Bronya didn't know what to focus on first.
The sheer amount of information meant that Bronya was likely to hesitate in the battle.
In ordinary battles, Bronya wouldn't be in this state. But the pseudo-herrscher had already shown amazing intelligence by luring her into this dangerous trap. So, Bronya had indeed fallen into a state of panic.
Every step she took was driven by the need to decipher the opponent's intentions. She was also constantly on guard for the next potential killing move.
This tempo in the battle... Why does it feel like Sister Elysia's?
That's right. When fighting with Elysia in the Elysian Realm, Elysia also liked to create countless fancy special effects. Hidden within these effects were gorgeous killer moves that could take Bronya down at any moment.
The fighting style of the pseudo-herrscher in front of her was quite similar, but there was still a difference from Elysia. At least Elysia wouldn't set traps and use such insidious tricks against her.
The drill was momentarily stuck, and Bronya began scanning the surroundings for the location of the pseudo-herrscher.
She avoided the thorn wall for the time being, not knowing whether the flower buds would release poisonous pollen. For now, she needed to stay calm and remain where she was to stay alive.
"If all you know how to do is fight like this, you'll be worse than a zombie once you leave Nagazora City! No, no, no, you shouldn't even be able to leave Nagazora City."
Bronya was trying to provoke the pseudo-herrscher, huh?
Elysia looked at Bronie beside her in surprise when she heard Bronya's words.
"Oh? Bronya taunted because she realized the pseudo-herrscher was highly intelligent. She wanted to see if taunting would work. At the very least, she needed Project Bunny and the pseudo-herrscher to collide head-on to assess the pseudo-herrscher's true abilities!"
Bronie felt that Bronya was too serious and hadn't yet realized some inconsistencies in this world.
For example, conducting experiments in a world even she might not understand.
For instance, performing a simple wave-particle duality experiment with light. She would have certainly detected clues.
After all, the Nagazora City fabricated by Bronie wasn't as perfect as it appeared.
But the complex emotions—Kiana's deception, Mei's transformation into a Herrscher—made it hard for Bronya to spare any thought for doubting the world's authenticity.
The pseudo-herrscher's high intelligence frightened Bronya, but it also made her completely believe in the authenticity of the pseudo-herrscher.
"Let Bronya wake up and force Bronya into a desperate situation little by little."
Bronie gave advice, asking Elysia to continue playing with her prey.
"No! How can I refuse the invitation of a beautiful girl! Since Bronya has prepared something interesting for me, how can I miss it?"
Okay, that's Elysia's style.
Although that's what she said, she still had to act.
The Pseudo-Herrscher folded her hands over her chest and gradually emerged from the blooming buds. It felt like a video special effect that couldn't keep up with the era, leaving Bronya at a loss for words.
Although this method of appearance was rustic, Bronya didn't dare to be careless. Who knew if there was a trap in the spot where the other party was standing?
"Low-level provocation? Naive. I still control the situation, and yet you dare to bark without knowing your own limitations?"
"Hey! Bronie, don't add extra lines to this little guy!"
Elysia couldn't help but complain. As soon as she stood up, the Pseudo-Herrscher started talking, as if she had been designed that way.
More importantly, those words weren't even said by Elysia.
"Don't you think this is cool? And as a villain, it's better not to bother with meaningless whitewashing, right? From the beginning, this Pseudo-Herrscher was meant to be an out-and-out bad guy!"
"Yes? Is that so?"
Elysia hadn't expected this setting.
"You're overestimating yourself. You'll understand when you see the drill of Project Bunny!"
"Huh? Instead of avoiding, you're choosing to approach?"
"If I don't get close, how can I beat you so badly that your mother won't recognize you?"
Bronya held her breath and slowly advanced toward the Herrscher before her.
"Wow, Bronie, our Bronya can say such cool lines!"
"I guess she learned it from Homu's Bizarre Adventure. It seems the current situation isn't putting too much pressure on her. She's really confident in the strength of Project Bunny..."
To be fair, the combat power designed by Bronie for Project Bunny was truly outrageous. After all, Vill-V had also participated in its design, making its actual combat capabilities far superior to those of the newly born Herrscher.
And Bronya was well aware of this.
Even if the Herrscher were given an entire day to develop, Bronya would still be confident.
"Confidence is a good thing, but if you ignore me, I'll be unhappy~"
Elysia muttered to herself while simultaneously controlling the Pseudo-Herrscher to attack Bronya.
The Pseudo-Herrscher's attack methods were actually quite monotonous.
Other than randomly germinating plants from seeds, she primarily spread toxins.
She wasn't a character built for strong frontal combat.
Although the seeds could be fired at high speeds, making them as lethal as bullets, they were too fragile. Even if they were shot out, ensuring they germinated still required a certain degree of luck.
Against Project Bunny, she had almost no chance in a direct confrontation. She might not even be able to break through its shield.
But...
The power of life.
Especially the power of plant growth—now that was formidable.
Elysia controlled the Pseudo-Herrscher as she grabbed a handful of seeds and threw them at Bronya.
Bronya immediately recognized their properties.
These seeds could germinate rapidly, and in the process, they would generate immense force, destroying objects from within. So, when the seeds weren't fired as projectiles but instead scattered deliberately, Bronya knew what the enemy was trying to do.
She wanted to destroy Project Bunny from the inside through rapid seed germination!
Would it work?
Bronya didn't know. But since her opponent believed it would, she certainly wasn't going to let her succeed so easily.
She activated a defensive barrier, but there were always one or two seeds that slipped through the gaps.
So, Bronya decided to use the wind pressure generated by her drill to blow them all away!
"By using the ultra-high-speed rotating drill, coupled with the arms rotating in the opposite direction, I can generate a powerful wind pressure between them—and grind all your seeds into powder!"
To be honest, this move was pretty terrifying.
Elysia pointed at the screen and looked at Bronie.
"Did you teach her this? I've never seen it in the Elysian Realm!"
"That's a good idea. Honestly, I was fooled. How do you break the situation?"
Bronie's eyes lit up.
Wasn't this the God of Sharan?
It was a technique used by the Pillar Men in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2!
But Bronya's version was an upgrade.
"It's like a turn-based game. Project Bunny is indeed powerful, but what if I create extremely tough and thin vines? Look at its drill—it's practically a ball of yarn now!"
Elysia was sharp. Bronie hadn't expected her to think of such a countermeasure.
"Back then, Mobius often had us go out to capture Honkai Beasts. I still remember the principle of using softness to overcome hardness. But even so, the raw power of Bronya's Armored Bunny is still terrifying~"
Bronya soon realized that Project Bunny's drill was slowing down significantly. At the same time, spider silk-like vines had begun accumulating around it.
Noticing Bronya's change in expression, the Pseudo-Herrscher smirked smugly.
"A big guy is a big guy—nothing but brute strength and no brains. So that's all there is to it~"
"That's right, that's it! And your next line is: 'What!?'"
"What!?"
Elysia was puzzled as to why Bronya had predicted her reaction.
Just then, the drill in Project Bunny's hand suddenly launched forward!
"It's actually a drill that can be fired!?"
Elysia never saw it coming, but she quickly reacted, instructing the Pseudo-Herrscher to evade.
However, while Elysia was entirely focused on the drill—now less than ten meters away—Kiana had already rushed in at full speed.
"Let go of Bronya!"
"Kiana!? Why are you here so fast!?"
A baseball bat struck the Pseudo-Herrscher's head, causing her to lose her chance to dodge.
At that moment, Bronya's drill attack followed through, destroying most of the Pseudo-Herrscher's body!
From a distance, Mei witnessed this unbelievable scene.
"So Kiana is actually a psychic? She can even teleport... Compared to my control of lightning as a Herrscher, that seems way more powerful..."
For Mei, beyond the shock, there was also a sense of envy.
Perhaps, one day in the future, she would also awaken abilities as astonishing as Kiana's.