"What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun."
— Ecclesiastes, Solomon
Bronya's deep feelings, buried for years, finally received the response they deserved. In this relationship, Sigurd had taken a step toward change. From a new perspective, this girl now seemed remarkably different to him.
At this moment, they sat together on the observation deck that seemed to float between heaven and earth.
Bronya leaned against Sigurd's shoulder as they flipped through Ecclesiastes, a book they had idly picked up.
The surrounding sunlight was exceptionally bright and warm.
"Sigurd, your expression looks weird. What are you thinking about?"
"I'm wondering how many more people, like you, with such calculated intentions, would dare to take advantage of my trust—since there's nothing new under the sun, it's better to be prepared early."
Sigurd squeezed the girl's smooth, soft hand, his eyes half-lidded, and spoke in a tone full of mock seriousness.
Bronya looked up and puffed out her cheeks, her small, flawless face showing a trace of dissatisfaction.
"Bronya didn't do anything bad."
"Say that again?"
Sigurd's voice was calm as he pinched Bronya's soft cheek.
The tall, strong, and handsome young man slightly bent his head, gazing down at the petite and delicate girl.
Bronya, with her cheeks puffed out, lightly punched Sigurd's shoulder, then rolled her eyes and said, "Bronya is unhappy!"
"Shall I treat you to some cake?"
"Bronya is not Kiana!"
"Then no cake."
A slight smile played on Sigurd's lips.
Bronya sulked, noticing the amused glint in his eyes—she should've known. Sigurd loved pulling little pranks and teasing people. But couldn't he go easy on her right after her confession? Not willing to back down, Bronya bit her lip, her eyes suddenly twinkling with mischief.
She tilted her head up and pressed her soft, pink lips against his.
A deep and heartfelt kiss—naturally, it was extraordinarily sweet.
"This is the compensation Bronya wanted for herself. Now, I'm not angry anymore."
After more than half a minute, Bronya, slightly out of breath, kept her face stern, but the affection in her gaze was unmistakable.
Sigurd raised an eyebrow, pulled Bronya against his chest, and wrapped an arm around her slender waist. With his free hand, he continued flipping through the pages of the book, casually reading its contents.
Time, in this moment, felt remarkably peaceful and beautiful.
It was strange—just days ago, they had been nothing more than colleagues, a superior and his subordinate. And now, they could find such incredible warmth in each other.
...
Sweet as it was, there was still work to be done.
After their shared moment, Sigurd took Bronya's hand and began leading her toward the weapon testing floor.
Along the way, a few Cecilia units on routine patrol passed by, each greeting them in turn.
Bronya suddenly frowned slightly.
"The surveillance cameras along the way will capture everything. And Kiana gets along well with all the Cecilia units. If we're seen like this, she'll easily find out, won't she?"
"I'll talk to her about it when the time is right," Sigurd said calmly, squeezing her hand gently as he spoke.
Bronya gave him a sly smile.
"Kiana is definitely going to blow up."
"Stop, I can already imagine that brat throwing a tantrum, rolling on the floor, then tearfully accusing me with her usual elegant words and sweet-talking nonsense."
Sigurd covered his face and let out a weary sigh just from imagining the scene.
Bronya, however, hesitated. After a moment's pause, she spoke slowly:
"Actually... Bronya really can accept keeping our relationship a secret, if it would make things easier for Sigurd."
"There's no need for that."
Sigurd replied succinctly.
Bronya had already taken 99 steps for him—doing everything a girl could and even more.
The final step was Sigurd's to take, a choice he made himself. And with it came the responsibility to face and resolve the resulting challenges.
Bronya turned to look at Sigurd's profile, her delicate face, typically cold and distant, now softened by a gentle smile full of fondness and attachment.
"Alright, I'll listen to you, Sigurd."
The two arrived at the wide, reinforced weapon testing floor. The walls stretched over a hundred meters, lined with an array of heavy weaponry Bronya had designed.
"The firepower setup is decent, but the efficiency and automation can still be greatly improved. Paired with your Little Bunny drone series, one person could form an entire army—is that the idea you're aiming for?"
Sigurd asked, casually lifting a massive Gatling gun with ease, his hand stroking one of its thick barrels.
Bronya nodded.
"In addition, Bronya wants to increase the proportion of laser weapons and crowd-control equipment to lighten the load and improve tactical flexibility."
"And then, with your black armor, you'd focus on controlling the high-powered ballistic weaponry for precise strikes?"
"Yes, that's the general idea. But I'll need you to plan the overall configuration to maximize effectiveness. Also, the upgrade workload is enormous, so I'd like to apply for swarm assistance."
"Sure. Once it's done, your battlefield suppression capability will be fully unleashed. For the next large-scale operation, you might even achieve strategic-level impact."
Sigurd patted Bronya's head in encouragement.
Then they got to work.
Sigurd spent several hours completing Bronya's upgrade plan before leaving the room. The remaining tasks required Bronya's personal expertise, supplemented by the swarm assistance. There wasn't much left for him to do, so he decided to focus on other matters for the time being.
...
After finishing some experimental work, Sigurd returned to the floor, only to be greeted by a small fist flying toward him.
Boom!
He caught Bronya's punch with one hand, the force of it blowing his hair back slightly. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Combat training?"
"Yes. Bronya hasn't made progress in martial skills for a long time. I thought this would be a good way to relax my mind."
Clad in her sleek black armor that fit like a second skin, Bronya's slender figure and graceful curves were fully displayed before Sigurd.
He felt a warmth in his lower abdomen.
But he quickly brushed away the inappropriate thought—Bronya was busy with serious matters, and here he was, distracted.
How unbecoming.
Shaking his head internally, Sigurd composed himself and said seriously, "Understood. Come at me again."
"Ha!"
Kicks and punches flew as the black-armored girl moved like a dark, dazzling shadow. Each strike came with the sharp sound of air being sliced, landing in rapid succession toward Sigurd.
Thanks to his superhuman physique and keen perception, Sigurd easily parried every move, offering commentary as he went:
"Decent strength and good speed. Your accuracy is impressive. But your combinations lack fluidity. Against a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, you'd lose your rhythm too easily. Focus on refining your follow-through."
"Your kicks aren't as polished as your punches, leaving them as a potential weakness. Pay special attention to this."
"Strategically, you're ruthless—commendable. But you're still too impulsive, likely due to your habit of relying on overwhelming firepower. If you ever have to engage in close combat, remember to conserve your stamina."
"Wait... why are you only targeting my lower half?"
He raised his hand, catching Bronya's small, delicate foot as it aimed for his abdomen. His expression darkened slightly.
Bronya deactivated her helmet's mask, blinking innocently.
"It's just a tactical choice."
"...You're just messing with me, aren't you?"
"You saw through me."
"And you admit it?"
Sigurd tugged Bronya closer by her foot, then flicked her forehead lightly with a finger.
Bronya maintained her neutral expression but stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Mischief."
Sigurd chuckled, pinching her nose affectionately.
Then Bronya took advantage of the moment, jumping up to wrap her arms around Sigurd's neck.
She leaned in close, her warm breath brushing his ear as she whispered:
"Sigurd, Bronya missed you. Even being apart for just a little while feels unbearable."
"..."
Unlike Kiana's impulsive attempts to tease him, Bronya's ability to control her emotions put her on another level.
Her affectionate words carried a different kind of power.
Sigurd had to admit, Bronya's tender, devoted demeanor was both adorable and captivating.
Yet, he suddenly realized he didn't want anyone else to see Bronya in her fitted black armor.
This possessive feeling, now more vivid after their relationship had deepened, startled him.
The next day, Sigurd redesigned Bronya's black armor.
He compromised slightly on its extreme agility requirements, adding decorative plating and embellishments to obscure her figure from others.
Of course, it didn't matter if she wore it in front of him.
The additional attachments also provided increased defense and firepower boost, compensating for the minor agility reduction.
As a finishing touch, Sigurd synced the redesigned data to other suits of black armor, modifying the designs for Kiana, Seele, Wendy, Raiden Mei, and the others as well.
Not that he considered all of them his—but who knows what the future might hold? It was best to prevent any unnecessary annoyance down the line.
<+>
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