Big Duck's Entrance! Proving 8 is Greater Than 50,000!

The next day.

"Mei-sis, you're not mad?"

"Hehe, well, even if I get mad, it won't change what already happened, right? Besides, I already figured that since it's Bronya, she'd do something eventually."

Mei gave a bitter smile and shook her head. With how Bronya's affection toward a certain someone had already broken every scale long ago, there was no way she could have stopped it.

She just didn't expect that with so many people moving into the dorm yesterday, that girl got so spooked she ended up giving herself to Elias overnight.

"But rather than worry about these irrelevant little things, there's only one thing I'm really curious about now. Bronya... how exactly did you end up like this?"

Mei took a deep breath and asked the question with force.

"Ehe~"

"No 'ehe'! Hurry up and explain!"

It wasn't just Mei who was confused. Everyone else in the dorm looked equally stunned.

When Bronya showed up this morning, Kiana even dropped the piece of bread she was holding.

Because the flat duck, who hadn't even hit 150cm before, had suddenly grown to 165cm overnight! And that formerly barren figure now had curves in all the right places.

Her proportions even surpassed Mei's, almost catching up to Himeko!

"Ahem, Bronya is currently undergoing a growth spurt, so she just grew a little quickly, that's all."

"Even Kiana wouldn't buy that! Who grows from a loli into that overnight? You totally used Elias' authority to cheat and grow up, didn't you!"

"It couldn't be helped, Mei-sis. If I hadn't done that last night, Bronya would be gone by now."

"...Okay then."

Mei paused, and then as if recalling something, she covered her face with one hand, clearly shaken.

Honestly, it was just as Bronya said. With her original tiny frame, there was no way she could have withstood Elias, whose body was already comparable to a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.

It wasn't just a matter of whether she could take it or not—

It was a genuine matter of life and death.

Bronya: (That was a battle where I staked my life. But thanks to my evolved body and Elias going easy, I managed to endure.)

"Still feel super jealous—wait no, I mean, that's so unfair! Bronya, you flat-chested loli, using Elias' power to turn yourself into such a mature beauty. I want that too!"

Kiana lay sprawled on the couch, oozing envy.

And it wasn't just her. Everyone in the Valkyrie dorm was currently staring at Big Duck with eyes full of jealous admiration.

"If I asked Papa Elias, would Seele be able to grow up faster too...?"

"That's easy. Just go talk to Father yourself, Seele."

"I also think there's still room for me to grow—cough, I mean, improve."

"Himeko-sensei, didn't you complain just the other day that your shoulders were getting sore again?"

As everyone looked at her with envy, Bronya didn't feel any surge of vanity.

She simply lifted her now prominent chest with pride, elegant and noble like a swan.

"Elias said this is what Bronya would look like in the future, probably around eight years from now. He just used a Herrscher's authority to accelerate my growth. That's all—nothing else was changed."

"T-That's impossible?!"

Smack!

Fu Hua's teacup shattered in her hand.

Her entire body trembled as she stared at Bronya, even her breathing unsteady. Clearly, this had hit her hard.

"Wah—Class Monitor, you scared me!"

"Apologies, Kiana. I was just... a little shocked. Bronya, you really didn't ask Elias to purposely..."

"Absolutely not. Bronya may use accelerators, but she doesn't use modifiers."

"I-I see... How could this be..."

If it were an artificially created body like the ones made for Herrscher Mei or Project Bunny, where the size could be freely customized, Fu Hua wouldn't have reacted so strongly.

But if you're saying this really is Bronya's future form, and it wasn't adjusted but simply accelerated—

The Immortal couldn't accept it.

Flat Duck, are you even human anymore? How could a normal person possibly go from a flat loli to that in just eight years? She'd been alive for fifty thousand years and hadn't changed a bit.

Where is justice? Where is the will of heaven? What about the dignity of this flat-chested immortal?!

"Jingwei, where are you going?"

"I need to find a quiet place to reflect. Ji Xuanyuan, don't come looking for me. I don't know why, but even though my sword-heart was already shattered, it feels like something else just broke."

"I-Is this what's called 'Dao-heart collapse' online? Jingwei, be strong! Try to move on!"

In the end, Fu Hua left without looking back. She couldn't bear to stay in this place a second longer.

"Did I mess up..."

Ji Xuanyuan began to reflect on whether inviting Fu Hua to move into the Valkyrie dorm yesterday had been a mistake.

After all, most people here were packing major assets—and the gap with Immortal Phoenix's life of peace and balance was just too wide.

Bronya had surpassed what Fu Hua gained in fifty thousand years in just eight.

Who wouldn't suffer a mental breakdown?

(Come to think of it, I think I've grown a little too these past few days. I was planning to share this good news with Jingwei, but now... maybe I better not.)

Even though Ji Xuanyuan was an ancient person, she understood social grace. You don't rub salt in someone's wounds.

That's just not right.

As a side note, before leaving, Fu Hua also used Fenghuang Down to tamper with Rita's perception—now, in Rita's eyes, Big Duck was Bronya's older sister.

"By the way, where's Elias? He's not still sleeping, is he?"

Mei looked around and, not seeing him, glanced toward the bedroom in disbelief.

No way Bronya wore him out, right? No way! Absolutely not! She and Himeko once teamed up against him and still got completely wrecked!

"Sigh~ Elias woke up early. He took Project Bunny and said he wanted to try adding more functions using his authority. He should be in the training room now."

Bronya let out a sigh as she spoke.

Even though she had evolved from Flat Duck to Big Duck, she was still no match for Elias.

When she woke up dazed this morning, she found herself curled up in his arms. All the pain from the night before had been healed by the Herrscher of Rebirth's authority. After enjoying a nutritious breakfast personally cooked by Elias, he left.

She felt happy, completely pampered.

But that only made her feel more frustrated!

Big Duck wanted to be the one on top.

"Don't worry, Bronya. We'll get stronger. One day, we'll wear Elias out instead."

"Mm. Mei-sis, Bronya believes it too."

As the two girls reaffirmed their resolve—

"I'm back."

Elias returned to the dorm.

While installing new functions for Project Bunny 19C, he had also trained himself hard. Drenched in sweat, he had vented the leftover energy from last night through combat.

Theresa would soon be in for a surprise when she found the St. Freya Academy's training simulator completely overloaded.

"Elias!"

The moment he walked in, Big Duck ran up to him and greeted him with a hug—same as always. But she wasn't the same flat-chested loli anymore. This move now had significantly more impact.

Elias petted her head dotingly,

Last night, he had accepted the gift known as Bronya.

After all, a Flat Duck delivered straight to your mouth—of course you're going to eat it~

"Told you you'd grow up, Bronya. Didn't you bet against me back then? What was the deal again?"

"If Bronya didn't grow up, Elias would be responsible for Bronya. But if Bronya did grow up, then Bronya would take responsibility for Elias."

She answered without even half a second of hesitation.

"Oh right, that's the one. Hehe, then by our agreement, you owe me now, Bronya."

"Mm! Bronya will honor the bet!"

"Ha~ Someone sure seems happy about losing. But speaking of bets, I really miss the House of the Hearth."

Elias' expression softened in nostalgia. He truly loved that little orphanage in the Siberian town.

He loved the sweet, well-behaved girls who lived there. Loved the big dining table where they all ate together. Loved the piano he'd played so many times. And of course—he loved that warm hearth.

(Though that flame's probably gone out now... what a shame.)

"Mm... Bronya misses home too."

She looked wistful as well. The Valkyrie dorm might be warm and cozy, but for her and Seele, the House of the Hearth would always be their true home.

"...Then let's go visit."

Elias suddenly said seriously. The moment the words left his lips, Bronya lit up with surprise.

"Eh? Really? We can?"

"Yup. And as it happens, the new features I installed on Project Bunny might come in handy. Come on, Bunny—show off your new skills."

With a snap of his fingers, he gave the command.

"At your command, Master Elias! Henshin!"

The Homu-sized Project Bunny transformed in a flash of blue light, shifting back into its quantum mecha form. It could now freely shift between biological and mechanical modes.

The next second, before everyone's amazed eyes—

Project Bunny 19C's armor began transforming and reconfiguring. Several previously-invisible components emerged from quantum space, linking up with the frame in perfect synchronization.

A few seconds later—

A sleek, high-tech fighter jet stood complete.

"Whoa—so cool..."

Big Duck's eyes sparkled.

"Inspired by the Decepticons from Transformers. But it's not just a jet—depending on the modules installed, Bunny can also transform into a supercar. And on her own, she can become a motorcycle too."

Elias proudly patted the machine's frame.

Though the fighter only had seating for two, they could squeeze in a third by sacrificing a bit of legroom—so Seele could come along too.

Not to mention, it came equipped with stealth tech that even Schicksal's satellites couldn't detect, and its launch speed beat any supersonic jet on the planet.

Bronya could fuel it for about an hour using her own Honkai energy, but Elias' Honkai reserves were so deep he could power it indefinitely.

"Looks like I'll need to request time off from Theresa again. Reason? Let's call it a family visit. Seats are tight, so Seele—you'll need to sit on my lap."

"Okay, Papa Elias. But won't that make it harder for you to operate the jet?"

"No worries—Bunny can fly herself."

Technically, if Bronya reverted to her Flat Duck form, Seele wouldn't have to squeeze.

But understanding people as well as he did, Elias had no intention of suggesting that. Who wouldn't want to show off their more mature self to their loved ones?

And as expected—

Big Duck couldn't wait to strut her cool, grown-up onee-san self in front of Sin Mal, Rozaliya, and Liliya.

"Everyone strapped in? Alright then—countdown, three, two, one! Project Bunny 19C, fighter mode—takeoff!"

The next second, Honkai energy flared into shimmering blue particles from the thrusters. The jet shot into the sky and vanished into the horizon, flying toward Siberia.

...

Siberia Region.

Inside the House of the Hearth Orphanage.

Not much had changed since the day Elias left. The girls continued to live peaceful, stable lives.

Thanks to Elias' past guidance—and perhaps because they had all experienced the pain of losing family once before—these girls were more mature than their peers and fully capable of caring for themselves.

And with the ample income Elias earned as a mercenary funding their lives, the girls of the House of the Hearth enjoyed a standard of living that was relatively well-off for the region.

Even when troublemakers came knocking—

Sin Mal would chase them off without hesitation.

Once a brash, arrogant girl always declaring herself "your boss," Sin Mal had since learned how to protect her family and shoulder responsibility. Though her mouth was still as sharp as ever, she'd grown a lot.

"Sin Mal, breakfast's ready! Come eat."

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming, your boss'll be right there."

"By the way, Rozaliya and Liliya broke another bed again. Seriously, how do they even manage that? Those frames are solid as rocks."

"Tch~! Probably trying to practice some new dance routine for when Father gets back. Your boss suggests they lose some weight first—if they keep eating like this, they'll be walking meatballs. When Father returns, he won't even recognize them."

Sin Mal shot a sharp glance toward the twins seated at the far end of the table. Without Elias around to keep them in check, they ate whatever they wanted. In just a year, they'd put on two or three extra layers.

If they weren't fellow members of the House of the Hearth, she would've kicked them out long ago for being walking rice-wasters.

"No way! Even if Rozaliya turned to ashes, Papa Elias would still recognize me in an instant!"

"Ugh, this idiot again. Someone take her to a doctor and check if there's any hope left for her brain."

"Sorry about Rozaliya, it's my fault. I must've stolen half her IQ when I was born."

"Eh? Don't be sad, Liliya! It's not your fault you took my IQ—wait, that sentence makes it sound like I'm the idiot! Damn you, Liliya!"

As usual, the twin sisters of House of the Hearth performed their classic comedy act—dumb older sister and snarky little sister—earning bursts of laughter from the other girls at the table.

Even Boss Sin Mal cracked a grin.

"Alright, alright. The hearth fire looks a little low. You two—go add more wood."

"Leave it to Rozaliya! / Leave it to Liliya!"

The girls dashed off to the storage room, grabbing some dry kindling and tossing it into the hearth.

Everyone gazed at the warm, glowing fire with softened expressions—but also a hint of melancholy.

"If only Papa Elias would come home soon..."

"Yeah. A year feels so long. I miss Papa..."

Rozaliya and Liliya warmed their hands and sighed.

Though the fire at House of the Hearth had never gone out, it wasn't the same as when Elias had been here.

It no longer warmed the entire home, and it could be snuffed out by a gust of wind or a splash of water.

"What're you two whispering about? Hurry up and eat! Leave the Father-searching mission to Bronya and Seele. Though... they've been gone so long without calling. Don't tell me they found Father and decided to keep him to themselves?"

Sin Mal gnawed her thumbnail suspiciously.

"Eh?! Is that true? That's so unfair!"

"Liliya thinks it's very possible."

"Grr! We need to get to the bottom of this!"

Rozaliya leapt to her feet in a panic and dashed to grab the phone to call Bronya. But in her usual clumsy fashion—she stepped on some firewood.

"Oww!"

"Hey—careful!"

She tripped and fell straight into the hearth.

"Rozaliya!"

Everyone panicked—but what they saw left them stunned.

The flames in the hearth moved like they were alive—gently wrapping around Rozaliya without burning her in the slightest.

"The hearth fire... it's not burning her."

"This strange phenomenon... could it mean..."

And just then, with the creak of the door—

A voice echoed through the orphanage, bringing tears to every eye.

"Everyone—I'm home!"

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