Honkai: Strijder

Three days later, it was overcast.

Cocolia arrived at the snowy plain just 30 kilometers away from the orphanage.

She was accompanied by two agile and capable men in black.

Hidden in the snowy terrain, a Titan force silently concealed itself, ready to engage in defensive or assault operations at any moment.

Further away, a sniper team focused their scopes on the surroundings, prepared to provide pinpoint shots or fire support when needed.

This was the most luxurious lineup that Cocolia could assemble in a short period, given her current circumstances.

Although the technical data of the cold fusion device was still being deciphered, its authenticity and functionality had been confirmed.

To deal with a trader who could provide cutting-edge technology from different eras and appeared to have no traces that could be found, Cocolia had no choice but to bring out this lineup for the sake of safety and to express her seriousness.

The men in black bodyguards brought two wooden chairs, but Cocolia found them insufficient and also prepared a table. She placed some snacks on it and brewed a pot of tea, ready to serve her mysterious guest.

With all the formalities and military readiness in place, Cocolia finally sat down gracefully, patiently awaiting her enigmatic visitor.

"Also, half an hour."

Cocolia took out a pocket watch from her fourth-dimensional cleavage, glanced at it, and returned it to its original place.

And then, she yawned and stretched her body lazily.

"Ah~"

Underneath her close-fitting green military coat, her majestic and voluptuous figure, with its alluring curves, was about to burst forth, accompanied by a seductive and languid sigh that made one's blood boil.

The two adept black-clad bodyguards couldn't help but shift their gaze, then quickly straightened their postures, not revealing the slightest flaw.

This scene was impossible for any man to resist looking at, but as informed individuals, they were well aware of how cunning and dangerous Cocolia, known as the "Witch," was. So, while they might steal a glance, they didn't dare entertain any other thoughts... unless they wanted to meet a miserable end.

Cocolia rubbed away the tears in the corners of her eyes and had no intention of lecturing her subordinates. She had been busy with this irresistible deal for quite some time, and she hadn't had much sleep these past few days.

Once she returned, she decided to have Bronya take care of Rosalia and Liliya, the two troublemakers, and she would retreat to her quiet bedroom and sleep for a whole day.

As Cocolia's drowsiness grew, three small figures approached from a distance, treading through the snow.

"They've arrived? And they're all... children?"

Cocolia squinted her eyes, observing the lineup of the newcomers.

Two little girls, one wearing a white hat and a white furry coat, resembling an adorable white dumpling. The other had a peculiar mix of pink and light purple hair, short hair, a red cape, and red boots. She had a quiet demeanor and an aura like a character from a fairy tale, perhaps Little Red Riding Hood or some kind of princess.

It was possible that these were the girls she was supposed to adopt as part of the deal, or maybe not.

Wait a minute, the girl with the pink and purple hair... Was she Sin Mal? Cocolia had seen her before, she was almost adopted by Cocolia herself. However, due to Bronya's rare display of aversion and the insatiable greed of her despicable foster parents, it ultimately didn't work out.

The last one was a boy, with white hair, leading the way while the two girls followed closely behind. Was he the person in charge of the group?

However, why were there only three children coming? Where was the mastermind behind the scenes? Did they chicken out or were they unable to show themselves?

Cocolia analyzed the situation, but in the face of several children, she instinctively softened her sharpness. Her gaze and expression took on gentle hues, making her appear like a beautiful elder sister radiating with maternal glory—ugh! She meant a gentle and beautiful older sister!

"Little ones, are you here to see me? It's been a long time, Sin Mal."

As they drew closer, Cocolia asked with a gentle smile, devoid of the cunning and sharpness she displayed during negotiations.

At the same time, she prepared four cups of tea.

Although it was possible that they were just children out for a walk and had nothing to do with the transaction, Cocolia preferred to use her tea to entertain the kids rather than the enigmatic trader. It would bring her more joy.

Kiana and Sin Mal remained silent and both looked at Sigurd.

However, Sigurd simply sat down directly opposite Cocolia, picked up his tea cup, and sniffed the faint white vapor.

"Darjeeling, it's of average quality now. It seems your orphanage is indeed strapped for funds."

Sigurd put down the teacup, calmly evaluating.

A twitch appeared at the corner of Cocolia's eye.

Yes, despite her flourishing position in Anti-Entropy, with her private force of Titans and armed troops capable of dominating most small and medium-sized countries, not to mention a few laboratories under her control, she really didn't have much money.

Most of her assets were fixed, and the meager amount of liquid funds left in her hands after supporting personnel and facilities was barely enough. That was why Cocolia's desire to indulge the children with all the sweets, toys, and pretty clothes they liked remained just a wish.

Of course, the initial difficulties had passed, and with the passage of time, everything would improve. Cocolia firmly believed that she would eventually be able to let the children enjoy all the treats, toys, and beautiful clothes to their heart's content.

After a brief psychological setback, Cocolia immediately understood that the three children before her were not unrelated individuals; they were probably the people she was supposed to meet.

"Using children, huh? The people behind you have even less integrity than I imagined."

"There are no people behind me. I am the person you're supposed to meet. And by the way, you're not qualified to say such things."

Sigurd glanced at her, indifferent but stating the facts as he continued:

"You're not a good person."

"It's true that you genuinely love children, and your love for the orphans in the orphanage is also genuine. If you had to make a choice between those children and your own life, I believe you would make a touching choice that only a mother would make."

"But you're also a woman who has experienced too much and lacks a sense of security to an extreme degree. You stubbornly believe that only absolute power and status can protect you and the children. For that, you can, no, you will go to any lengths... including using your own children."

"Naive to the point of stubbornness, ignoring right and wrong. Ordinary people might think it's putting the cart before the horse, but you will walk this twisted path without wavering. That's who you are, Cocolia."

The two men in black listened, their faces tensed. They had never seen anyone openly comment on Cocolia like this before.

The two children were confused, lacking the experience to understand the description clearly and outline Cocolia's image.

Only Cocolia herself felt a chill run down her spine.

If he had only mentioned her height, weight, age, recent experiences, or even her choice of underwear today, she wouldn't have been too surprised. A powerful organization would undoubtedly have formidable intelligence capabilities, so it was not surprising.

But Sigurd didn't talk about those specific details. Instead, he provided a profound and accurate personality analysis of her based on her life experiences—a level of insight she had never considered and couldn't refute.

It was as if she was a character in a fictional work, and the other party had read the precise set of her character traits.

This indicated that the person behind the scenes not only knew her intelligence but had also conducted long-term and in-depth observation and analysis of her.

In terms of intelligence alone, Cocolia believed she was at a definite disadvantage. Similarly, it proved that the other party had deep ambitions, and she couldn't take it lightly.

"No matter what you want to talk about, isn't it insincere to converse through children?"

Cocolia's smile faded, and she spoke with a touch of coldness.

Sigurd sighed.

That's why he preferred conversations with someone like Otto. Otto would think more, but he wouldn't show it. Instead, he would test and verify with interest and composure, unlike Cocolia, who immediately launched a verbal counterattack.

This only made her appear more insecure.

"I've already told you, there are no people behind me. It's just me. The technology is mine, the message was written by me, and your intelligence was gathered by me. If you ask me who I am, I will tell you that I am a genius, as even Otto Apocalypse himself admitted... a genius."

As soon as the word "genius" was uttered, numerous small silver-gray spheres appeared in the surroundings, each the size of a palm. They floated in the sky for several kilometers, densely filling Cocolia's field of vision.

Then, three kilometers away, sparks of lightning appeared in a circle on the ground, revealing the presence of the Titan troops hidden in the snow.

Immediately after, the floating orbs in the sky transformed simultaneously, and a mini black tube protruding like an extended camera emerged from the body of each sphere.

Then, numerous red lasers pierced through Cocolia's Titan guards. These massive robots, which had remained motionless on the ground before, were now completely immobilized.

In Cocolia's communication device, she heard some static, followed by complete silence, indicating that the outer sniper and support teams had also been disabled.

In the brief moment of upheaval, the two black-clad bodyguards instinctively reached for their guns to defend themselves. Before Cocolia could stop them, her vision blurred, and she lost sight of Kiana and Sin Mal.

The next second, she heard the sound of two burly men falling to the ground behind her.

Cocolia turned around and saw Kiana's silly and adorable smiling face on one side, and An with a wide grin, displaying a villainous expression of perfect health on the other.

At this point, in a fleeting moment that lasted less than a breath, Cocolia believed that her heavily guarded lineup, which she thought was enough to withstand the attacks of two double-digit A-rank Valkyries, had been completely defeated.

"Ah~"

Casually, Sigurd took a sip of his tea, as if nothing had happened. As he expected, the taste was noticeably inferior compared to the fine tea that Robbins had once offered.

Cocolia stared at him, her throat dry, and asked, "Who are you, really?"

"Just call me Sigurd, that will do. Miss Cocolia, I came to find you to discuss a potential collaboration. Are you interested in learning more?" Sigurd's throat moved slightly as he nodded.

Surrounded by countless floating orbs—autonomous defensive armed units—aiming laser cannons that could penetrate Titan robot defenses, could she shake her head?

Are you kidding? Cocolia was just a weak woman without any power!

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