Honkai Simulator: I'm Really not Seele!

Lunelle quickly gave up dwelling on the fact that she had somehow been exposed under the watchful eyes of the three major families.

But what she didn't realize at this moment was that, after Raiden Mei and Kiana witnessed Bronya embracing her so openly and unreservedly, an inexplicable emotion welled up within them.

Originally, neither Lunelle nor Seele should have had any connection to them. They were, in essence, complete strangers. Yet now, an odd sense of loss gnawed at them, as if something precious had been stolen away before their eyes.

Before Lunelle herself could grasp the gravity of the situation, the already awkward atmosphere had escalated into something akin to a battlefield of emotions.

Kiana, who had always been at odds with Bronya, found herself deeply displeased. Watching that ever-stoic little duck boldly "stealing" a hug from such an adorable girl in broad daylight—it made her itch with irritation!

How could she just let Bronya monopolize such a cute creature like Lunelle all for herself!?

Unacceptable!

After all, she was from the noble and glorious Kaslana lineage! No—she was from the legendary "Knight" family of Kaslana!

And yet, here she was, having to witness such an envy-inducing—

No, no! This shameful display was happening right in front of her eyes!

This cannot stand!

"Bronya! Let go of that girl!"

Kiana charged forward, determined to pry the clingy duck off Lunelle during the New Year's speech. But before she could get close, the quantized Heavy Armored Bunny suddenly materialized before her, its black muzzle pressing directly against Kiana's face without the slightest hesitation!

"Seele is Bronya's most precious sister!"

Bronya's voice was as cold and emotionless as ever, yet the barely concealed murderous intent within her words was unmistakable.

"If stupid Kiana dares to interfere with us sisters again, Bronya will have Heavy Armored Bunny teach her a lesson."

Despite her usual monotone delivery, the air around Bronya was heavy with an undeniable threat.

Everyone knew it. The only reason Bronya had even agreed to participate in this reckless Anti-Entropy mission in Nagazora City was to rescue her beloved sister, Seele, from the Quantum Sea.

And now, she had finally found Seele.

From a purely logical standpoint, there was no reason for Bronya to continue entertaining this tedious undercover act alongside Kiana and the others.

However, after spending time with them, Bronya had grown fond of Mei Raiden and Kiana. Especially since she had once made a promise to Seele—not to take a life.

Otherwise, with her assassin's instincts, the moment Kiana made a move to separate her from Seele, Bronya wouldn't have just aimed her gun at Kiana's face—she would have pulled the trigger without a second thought.

"W-wait! Everyone, calm down! No fighting, okay?"

Lunelle, caught in the middle of this chaotic standoff, frantically waved her hands in protest.

"Bronya, I think this 'Seele' sister you keep talking about… I'm not her, right? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"

"I'm really not Seele! I swear! QAQ"

The air grew thick with tension, as if the smell of gunpowder had seeped into the very room itself. Afraid that her third and fourth wives would actually come to blows over her, Lunelle desperately repeated her denials, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

Unfortunately for her, her voice—soft, delicate, and heartbreakingly similar to Seele's—made her words sound utterly unconvincing.

Bronya, who had been poised to strike a moment ago, suddenly lowered the barrel of her weapon upon hearing Lunelle's insistence.

Hmm? Did her third wife actually believe her for once?

But while the gun was no longer aimed at Kiana's face, Heavy Armored Bunny did not return to its quantized state. Bronya simply kept her unreadable gaze locked onto Lunelle before gently flipping her over in her arms.

And there it was—

A face that was identical to Seele's.

A delicate, breathtakingly lovely face, framed by the same sea-blue hair. Those striking azure eyes, pure and deep like the vast ocean. And to top it off, her height was identical to Seele's.

Emmmm...

Little Duck: And you still say you're not Seele!? Do you take Bronya for a fool!?

If Bronya's emotional module weren't damaged, she probably would have pulled out a mirror, shoved it in Lunelle's face, and demanded an explanation right then and there.

But despite Lunelle's repeated denials, they weren't entirely useless.

Because, while she did look almost exactly like Seele, Bronya's keen eyes picked up on a few inconsistencies.

For instance—

Although Lunelle had experienced some rather rapid developments in certain areas during her simulation training, her current physique was only at the "budding lotus" stage.

And that… that was nowhere near the overwhelming scale of Seele's magnificent proportions, which far exceeded that of a typical girl!

Moreover, through direct contact, Bronya could sense something peculiar—

Despite three years passing, Seele's adaptability to Honkai energy should have improved. But compared to their time in the orphanage, this Seele—no, Lunelle—felt strangely lacking in that regard.

With all these inconsistencies piling up, Bronya's sharp mind quickly pieced them together.

She furrowed her brows slightly, staring at Lunelle's modest chest in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Lunelle secretly exhaled in relief. Whew… lucky me! My small chest actually saved me this time! If I had Seele's proportions, there would be no escaping this!

Now that Bronya had finally realized the truth—that she was not Seele—surely she would let her go, right?

Or so Lunelle thought.

"Call me 'sister.'"

Bronya, her face still blank and unreadable, uttered those words in a monotone voice.

Lunelle froze. Her brain short-circuited.

"…Eh??????"

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

This isn't right!

Wasn't the misunderstanding supposed to be cleared up!?

Why was this little duck still refusing to let her go!?

Korrrraaaaaaa!