"Ugh... Good... good morning," the blue-haired young girl mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she greeted March 7th.
"Y-you... you... you're Little Swarm?!" March 7th exclaimed, her mouth forming a wide "O" shape as if she could swallow an entire egg.
"Uhm?" Little Swarm tilted her head, confused by March 7th's shocked reaction.
However, she didn't press the matter further or dwell on it.
Because she could sense another presence in the room—a presence she had longed for day and night.
"Great Creator..."
Tiny blue wings sprouted from Little Swarm's back, and she immediately fluttered into Lumina's arms.
Nuzzling against her Creator's presence, Little Swarm wore an expression of utter contentment, wishing she could stay in this embrace forever, basking in her Creator's tenderness.
Sensing the familiar scent filling her nostrils, Lumina smiled and didn't push her away, letting Little Swarm snuggle against her.
Although the Swarm's bug form was small and its human form was also small, one thing remained clear: the bug form was unhuggable, while the human form was huggable.
This wasn't simply because Lumina preferred beautiful girls and was applying a double standard. It was solely because Lumina wanted to act as a mother and teach Little Swarm the proper way for a "human" to conduct herself.
That was all—there were no ulterior motives.
Seeing this scene, three options simultaneously appeared for the Players:
[1: AHHH YOKAI?!]
[2: Holy moly, a live transformation!]
[3: Let me check her body.]
"So cute! Soft and squishy, just like a little daughter." Little Bear's wounded heart was significantly soothed as he watched the cutscene of Little Swarm's human form reveal.
[New daughter, no need to say more (healed).]
[Seeing even bugs can turn into beautiful girls, I immediately glared at my Little Kitten... Bros, give me ten minutes. I'll interrogate her thoroughly—she will become a Catgirl!]
[Little Kitten might not turn into a Catgirl, but you, my friend, you absolutely can become one, right?]
[Bring on the pain! My heart is already completely warmed!]
With the debut of the Little Swarm in human form, most viewers in the live stream felt healed and warmed, stepping out of the shadows that had lingered.
Many even became overconfident, declaring themselves invulnerable now, urging the pain to come at them even harder—it wouldn't matter...
"Ha ha ha, when the pain comes, you guys better not run." Little Bear watched the boastful comments without a word, shaking his head before focusing on the three options and selecting option three.
"I'm a Stellaron spirit, and you're a Swarm spirit. I became sentient faster, so I'm your senior."
"As your senior, I naturally have to fulfill my responsibilities."
"So, be good and let me check your body!"
Stelle spoke earnestly, her words seemingly reasonable, if you ignored her fidgeting hands...
"Get serious!" March 7th muttered, giving Stelle a playful punch before turning to Lumina. "Sister Lumina, is she... is she Little Swarm?"
Watching the blue-haired beauty nestled in Lumina's arms, March 7th couldn't help but wish she could take her place...
But now wasn't the time for envy. The more March 7th studied the blue-haired girl's features, the more familiar she looked. Her suspicions crystallized:
Little Swarm and this blue-haired beauty had never appeared at the same time!
Therefore, Little Swarm = this blue-haired beauty!
Without a doubt, after March 7th's deduction, this was Little Swarm herself!
"Mm-hmm," Lumina confirmed with a gentle smile, patting Little Swarm's back. "Once your power reaches a certain level, you can naturally choose to manifest in any form." Under Little Swarm's reluctant gaze, Lumina presented her to the group.
"Hmm... she's very beautiful," March 7th remarked, studying Little Swarm from head to toe. Her long blue hair cascaded down to her waist, and her innocent, slightly bewildered expression only enhanced her charm.
Dressed in a lavish blue gown, she looked like a princess untouched by the world, radiating pure innocence and naivety.
"Th-thank you... Great Creator... for your praise!"
Hearing Lumina's praise, Little Swarm was instantly overwhelmed with flattery. Her hands fluttered nervously, unsure where to rest them, as she stammered her gratitude for Lumina's compliment.
"You don't need to call me 'Great Creator,' you know. Just 'Sister Lumina' is fine." Watching Little Swarm's adorable reaction, Lumina felt a wave of warmth and healing wash over her.
She reached out, gently stroking Little Swarm's soft blue hair, kneading it gently as she spoke.
"Crea... S-Sister Lumina..."
Feeling the warmth on her head—a warmth more comforting than anything in the world—and obeying this command more precious than any other, Little Swarm finally managed to say the words.
Little Swarm would never refuse her Creator's words, nor would she ever question them.
She would unconditionally believe every word her Creator spoke and would unconditionally dedicate everything she had to her Creator.
"Mmm~ You're such a good girl." Seeing Little Swarm's unwavering obedience, the tenderness on Lumina's face deepened even further.
"Ugh..." Witnessing this tender scene, March 7th couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy, wishing she could take Little Swarm's place and experience Sister Lumina's gentleness.
"Little Swarm, are you feeling any discomfort?"
Aware of their audience, Lumina kept her affection restrained, withdrawing her hand after a brief pat on Little Swarm's head.
"N-no, I'm perfectly fine," Little Swarm replied, nodding vigorously like a chick pecking at grain to emphasize her perfect health and lack of any problems.
"That's good," Lumina said, nodding in satisfaction. Once she confirmed Little Swarm's well-being, she fell silent.
"Now that you've settled your affairs, answer the question I asked earlier," Nahida said, breaking her long silence once the group seemed to have resolved their immediate concerns.
"That Phandrea's Clone is, at best, a Pseudo-Emanator. How could it have beaten you so badly, considering you're also a Pseudo-Emanator? If Lady Lumina hadn't healed you, you'd likely have been bedridden for months."
Nahida, her face filled with curiosity and seriousness, asked Little Swarm earnestly, "Hmm..."
Little Swarm paused, tapping her finger against her lips in thought as she struggled to recall the details. After a moment, she remembered. "Hmm... When I completely destroyed the Abyss Heart, I used all my power."
"After unleashing all my power, that woman appeared and ambushed me."
"I wasn't paying attention and had no strength left to defend myself, so I took her full-force attack with my bare body."
Little Swarm recounted the events in meticulous detail.
"Eh? Was that Abyss Heart really so tough that it took all your strength to destroy?" March 7th asked, scratching her head in confusion.
"No, using just one-tenth of my power would have been enough."
"Huh? Then why did you use all your strength?"
"To destroy the Abyss Heart completely, quickly, and without leaving any room for error."
March 7th scratched her head, still puzzled by Little Swarm's explanation, but received an utterly matter-of-fact response:
"So why did you need to use all your power?!"
Hearing this, March 7th remained confused.
"To destroy the Abyss Heart."
"Didn't you say one-tenth of your power would be enough?"
"Yes, that tree's heart was very fragile. Even less than one-tenth of my power could completely destroy it."
"Then why did you...?" March 7th trailed off, at a loss for words, unable to comprehend Little Swarm's thought process.
If you knew one-tenth of your power would suffice, why did you use your full strength?
"Because I wanted to give it my all, leaving no room for error!" Little Swarm tilted her head, her face radiating innocent earnestness, as if baffled by March 7th's inability to grasp her reasoning.
Oh... Little Swarm remembered now. The Great Creator had once mentioned that March 7th was a bit foolish.
With this realization, Little Swarm finally understood. If March 7th is foolish, then her endless questions about "why" make perfect sense now...
"Sigh..." Nahida sighed, resting her forehead in her hand as she watched the pair.
Oh no... Not a single member of this main group is reliable... I doubt their combined intelligence even reaches ten points.
Hmm... Stelle, in her normal state, contributed the majority of those 10 points.
As for Stelle in her abnormal state, March 7th, and Little Swarm, the three of them combined probably owe us a few points.
"Little March, Stelle, I'm entrusting you with the task of taking care of Little Swarm," Lumina said with a shake of her head, her tone tinged with helplessness as she addressed March 7th and Stelle.
"Mm-hmm! We'll take good care of her!" March 7th and Stelle nodded in unison.
Although they didn't know why Lumina couldn't care for Little Swarm herself, March 7th and Stelle certainly had no objections.
Seeing their expressions, Lumina smiled faintly, noticing the lingering confusion in their eyes but choosing not to explain.
While March 7th and Stelle weren't exactly reliable, Lumina wasn't particularly counting on them to care for Little Swarm properly. Yet, this was the best option for the child.
Previously, Little Swarm had remained in her fist-sized insect form, likely never having become a passenger on the Astral Express.
Now, in her human form, she could officially become a Nameless, embodying the spirit of Trailblaze.
Though Little Swarm possessed the powers of Propagation and Abundance, she neither believed in nor followed these Paths. Becoming a Nameless Trailblazer was, for her, a perfectly viable choice.
Moreover, with reliable individuals on the Astral Express, Little Swarm would surely be well cared for.
"Though we've just faced a life-and-death situation, I don't want to dampen your spirits, but we must discuss the Abyss problem," Nahida said calmly, her gaze shifting to Lumina.
"Why did you arrive so late?"
"With your power, you should have sensed the barrier the moment it appeared."
"Yet you only arrived when everything was almost over. Why?"
Nahida's tone carried a hint of suspicion, a subtle accusation, as if she had uncovered something.
"I encountered some trouble on my end," Lumina replied, showing no irritation at Nahida's suspicious and accusatory tone.
"Oh? What kind of trouble? Would you mind elaborating?"
Nahida seemed unconvinced, her voice hinting at deeper suspicions.
"Hey, hey, Nahida, are you misunderstanding something?"
Seeing the awkward tension between her beloved Sister Lumina and Nahida, March 7th quickly stepped in to mediate.
"I'm not misunderstanding anything," Nahida replied, shaking her head. "I simply find it... too coincidental that Lady Lumina arrived at precisely the right moment."
"Why couldn't she have come earlier? Or later?"
"Why did she arrive exactly when she was needed?"
"Are you implying I've been watching from the sidelines, quietly waiting for an opportunity?" Nahida's meaning was crystal clear, and Lumina understood it perfectly.
"I never said that."
"Hey, Nahida, Sister Lumina saved us after all. Isn't this a bit harsh...?"
Hearing Nahida's blunt words, even March 7th, who had fought alongside her, couldn't help but frown.
"If Sister Lumina had arrived any later, we would have died there..."
Stelle and Little Swarm remained silent, but their glances at Nahida clearly betrayed their displeasure.
"Um... I apologize. I didn't mean to sound so harsh." Realizing her tone had indeed been a bit sharp, Nahida quickly apologized.
"In any case, I understand exactly what you're thinking and what you're trying to do, better than anyone else.
"You can deceive anyone, but you can't deceive me.
"So, I urge you to give up now. Don't force us to become enemies."
However, after apologizing, Nahida's tone seemed to become even sharper...
"..." Lumina lowered her head slightly, saying nothing and falling into silence.
"Do as you see fit. I'm going to search for traces of Phandrea."
Knowing she couldn't escape a scolding from March 7th and the others, Nahida made a hasty retreat, slipping out of the room before anyone could open their mouths.
"Sister Lumina, don't take Nahida's words to heart. She must have misunderstood something," March 7th quickly reassured her, noticing Lumina's silence.
"I'm fine," Lumina replied, shaking her head. Her familiar smile returned as she glanced at the time and said, "You all should rest here for a while. I have some matters to attend to."
"I'll be in the Eternal Garden just outside. Come find me if you need anything."
With that, Lumina left before March 7th and the others could respond, mirroring Nahida's hasty departure.
As she turned away, her back to the group, Lumina's smile vanished instantly. Head bowed, she seemed lost in thought.
From the Player's perspective, the game thoughtfully zoomed in for a close-up of this moment.