White Eagle Republic, Borderlands.
Within the quiet mountains, a streak of blue light rushed through the forest, and the fallen leaves flew everywhere it passed, making quite a racket.
"Xier, slow down, drive carefully."
Sitting in the back seat of a heavy-rigged bunny in the shape of a motorcycle, Bronya quickly recalled.
At that moment, she was carrying large and small bags in her hands, which made her uncomfortable.
Apparently, the two had just returned from a small town dozens of kilometers away and had acquired quite a lot of supplies.
Only listen.
"Don't be noisy."
Xier did not look back. It was fine not to listen to Bronya's words. When she shouted, instead of obediently agreeing, she twisted the throttle as if to speed the bike up.
Her rebellion on one side left Bronya unable to help but say again: "The road here is already uneven, and Bronya feels you should pay attention to safety…"
"Safe."
Xier replied loudly: "When it was your turn to drive the reloaded bunny, you were noisier than me."
"Uh~"
Bronya was choked.
Well, that's true.
Both of them, and more than anyone else, loved racing.
Their skills were quite good, more or less.
So, the person driving felt fine, but naturally it was painful for the one riding in the back seat.
That was a little concerning.
More than ten minutes later.
"Chi~"
The brakes screeched, and with much inertia, Bronya unconsciously slammed into Xier's back.
The latter's slightly curved lips were obviously intentional.
At that moment, the Reload Bunny had stopped at the edge of a dense jungle.
Xier turned around and deliberately raised her eyebrows at Bronya.
The latter was not annoyed either, but shrugged with a somewhat helpless yet affectionate smile on her face.
Immediately, the two jumped out of the bike with familiarity and casually handed over all the packages full of supplies to the Reload Bunny, which had automatically switched into its quantum robot form.
She and she, their bodies gleaming with sensitivity and vigor, moved into the jungle.
Soon, the two arrived at their hideout with an OMI.
The stilted wooden cabin they had been living in for months, where no ordinary person could ever find their direction.
By this time, the surrounding open space had been restored to a much greater extent.
The ground was leveled, the broken stakes left after logging were cleared, and the pits were filled.
There were even plantations around.
Several more wooden houses had been built next to the cabin.
Apparently, these too were the work of the almighty Reload Bunny.
"Huh~ finally home."
Xier had just reached the door of the wooden house, and before going inside, she stretched.
Bronya slightly lifted the corners of her lips… now she loved this life.
No conflicts, no killings, no need to worry about collapse, no need to bite the bullet and shoulder responsibilities and missions.
As long as she was there.
"Good."
After the two entered the house, Reload Bunny reached out a robotic arm and handed Bronya those large and small bags of supplies.
The latter took them and placed them one by one in the small cabinet of the house. Of course, these pieces of furniture were also handmade by the Reload Bunny.
High-precision mechanical craftsmanship, reliable.
At that moment, Xier sat on a more comfortable wooden bed, crossed her legs, and asked: "What's for lunch today?"
"Beet soup."
"Good… cough, fine."
Xier almost revealed her emotions too clearly but quickly restrained herself.
Bronya naturally felt it, but did not expose her.
The two were very busy.
First, they went together to the side shed… a simple kitchen with a fire stove made of wood strips and clay, outdoors.
Then, chopping vegetables and meat, lighting the fire, and adding wood.
"Wait another thirty minutes."
Covering the pot, the two little ones looked at each other's faces smudged with black noses, exchanged a smile, and decided to wash their hands before preparing some side dishes.
This time.
"Buzz~"
"!!!" ×2
Bronya and Xier, who had just prepared to return first to the cabin and then look for some ingredients, noticed a vision not far away that had no signs.
The two simultaneously looked in the direction of the sound source.
In sight, that thing.
"What the hell is that? Bronya, do you know it? What's wrong with you?"
At first, Xier stared at the sudden appearance of the black hole with a vigilant look. She only wanted to ask the "informed" Bronya if she knew what it was.
As a result, she tilted her head, only to find that the latter's eyes were wide open, her expression frightened, and her body trembling incessantly.
As if the hole not far away was some kind of cursed reminder.
Xier's face grew even uglier.
More cautious too.
Reload Bunny had manifested.
It was seen holding its two huge robotic arms in front of it, protecting the two girls respectively.
Xier was fine, nervous but not acting too badly.
Perhaps this was what they called — the courage of the ignorant.
Because look at Bronya right now.
"Huhsuhhuh…"
Obviously not in good physical condition, but at that moment she seemed to suffer from asthma, her breathing extremely heavy.
Even though the perception in her legs had long since been restored, at this point, she had to place her hands on the Reload Bunny's robotic arm to stay upright.
Even in this state.
"Creak~"
As if the wheel axle had not been lubricated for a long time, an acid-inducing noise was heard.
From within the dark hole (spatial gate), a man came out.
He pushed a wheelchair, with short black hair and extremely clouded eyes.
He had just appeared.
"Xi, Xier, quickly—"
Bronya unconsciously wanted to make Xier beside her run away.
It was him!
It was that man!!
He appeared before her again!!!
Last time, she had managed to take revenge and allowed herself to lose everything.
So this time—
"Yes, long time no see, Bronya Zaicek."
The uninvited black-haired man spoke first.
At this point, he smiled, looking like a calm elder brother next door.
His eyes glanced at Bronya with the Reload Bunny, and finally.
"Should I say congratulations?"
The black-haired youth asked with a smile: "Congratulations, you've won and lost again, lost and won again, and finally found the 'new Xier'?"
Seeing "No one responded."
"Well, actually that night I deliberately let you descend to that place."
The black-haired youth asked again: "How is it? Do you like my arrangement?"
".
Xier didn't like the person before her.
However, she didn't speak much at that moment.
Because, the other party's phrase "New Xier," another phrase "That night I deliberately let you descend to that place," and—
"Bronya Zaicek?"
This was the first time she had heard the "full name" of the gray-haired girl beside her. (Note: There was no concept of "surname" in the pre-civilization era.)
Honestly, she didn't like this kind of concealment.
But.
"No!"
Just now trembling… well, still trembling all over, Bronya, who was clearly extremely frightened, stepped in front of Xier.
Protecting her behind her.
".
Xier, who still didn't say a word, still felt warmth in her heart.
The other side.
"You don't have to be so afraid."
Black-haired youth… Ling Ke's lips slightly lifted, "at least, not to be used today."
"I didn't come here to vent my anger on you."
He deliberately added, "At least not now."
After saying that, seeing that Bronya still hadn't returned to normal, he seemed a little amused and a little bored, and immediately stopped pressing further.
But.
"Do you remember her?"
Ling Ke let go of his hand from the back of the wheelchair and stepped aside to reveal one of his own.
This movement forced Bronya's gaze to temporarily shift away from him.
Then.
"This—
The person, "familiar."
Looking at the "clothes," one could already guess the identity.
But it was precisely because that identity was guessed, and compared to the other's current state—
Bronya was stunned.
And, with an extremely tangled and complicated mood, that—
"Coco… Mama?"
The subconscious whisper reached the ears of the person involved.
The latter's slow face.
She… Cocolia raised her head indifferently, and only at that moment did she first see the two familiar figures.
"Ah… ah~"
She wanted to lift her right hand to grasp something.
But her sanity had collapsed to the point that she could no longer properly control her own body.
Not even a simple movement of raising her hand could be carried out correctly.
This time.
"Madam Cocolia… the grudge between her and me ends here."
Ling Ke's voice suddenly sounded.
As if the discordant rhythm disrupted the entire development.
Bronya looked at him again.
Immediately, she heard.
"I have delivered her."
Ling Ke said indifferently: "As for how to 'handle' the follow-up, that's your business."
"See you again, Bronya Zaicek, and… 'Xier.'"
He turned around and walked toward the spatial gate, waving his hand behind him indifferently… bidding farewell to the two girls beside him: "I came uninvited and stayed briefly."
"Don't be disturbed… family reunion."