"This close-up... Mihoyo's definitely up to something with Lumina!" Little Bear exclaimed, letting out a bear-like roar as the game zoomed in on Lumina's changing expression.
[Where are all those people who said she was invulnerable? Still think she's invulnerable now? (Laughing emoji)]
[Based on my experience playing countless games and seeing countless story arcs, Nahida's absolutely right. There's definitely something wrong with Lumina. Otherwise, they wouldn't give her such a dramatic close-up.]
[Great, we're fighting Lumina! We're doomed!]
[My waifu could never have any problems! (Hmph) Even if she did, she'd never hurt me. Whatever's wrong will ultimately benefit me!]
[Trust me, our Mom wouldn't harm us, would she?]
Although the close-up practically screamed "something's wrong" on Lumina's face, most players still refused to believe it. They insisted it was just Mihoyo misleading them for a dramatic twist later, not evidence that Lumina was deliberately scheming or manipulating events like a chess master.
"Don't worry, I don't think it's a big deal."
"Two Emanators, one Pseudo-Emanator, and the Cosmos-conquering Galactic Baseballer—that's us!"
"No matter how powerful the Abyss is, with us here, I can't see how we could possibly lose."
Though they didn't know exactly what Lumina was planning, Little Bear was confident she harbored no ill will toward the Astral Express. He didn't need to worry about that.
[We'll win! We'll definitely win!]
[We can't lose! It's impossible!]
Reading these comments, Little Bear remained silent. He steered Stelle over to March 7th and Little Swarm in the room and initiated a conversation.
"Do you think Nahida and Sister Lumina's relationship might be a bit strained?"
"But I thought they didn't even know each other?"
Recalling Nahida's earlier confrontation with Lumina, Stelle suddenly noticed something odd. She scratched her head in confusion, perplexed.
"I don't know... Maybe Nahida misunderstood something?" The quick-witted March 7th admitted she was clueless.
"No matter how you look at it, Sister Lumina saved us. That much is undeniably true."
"But... when Nahida questioned her, Sister Lumina didn't deny anything," Stelle pointed out, hitting on a crucial point.
If Nahida had genuinely misunderstood something, Lumina—even if bound by some special circumstances preventing her from fully clarifying the situation—could have said at least something, right?
By remaining completely silent, wouldn't that imply she was tacitly admitting to the accusation?
Hearing Stelle's critical question, the room fell into a sudden silence.
"Hmm..." Little Swarm glanced at March 7th, then at Stelle, tilting her head slightly.
"If we have questions, why don't we just go ask the crea... go ask Sister Lumina?" Little Swarm suggested.
"Oh, right..."
Upon hearing Little Swarm's suggestion, Stelle and March 7th both looked suddenly enlightened.
If they couldn't figure it out themselves, why not go straight to the source?
Even if they probably wouldn't get much information, they might still uncover something they couldn't have figured out on their own.
"Hmm... Come to think of it, is this really Sister Lumina's home?"
Only after sorting through all the questions did March 7th finally have time to examine the room.
The walls, ceiling, and floor seemed to be constructed entirely of wood, radiating a vibrant, natural energy that made the space feel incredibly comfortable.
The interior was strikingly simple. Aside from three beds, there was nothing else in the room—it didn't feel like a place where someone actually lived, but rather a temporary setup for specific tasks.
"Well, okay, this definitely doesn't look like Sister Lumina's residence."
After thoroughly inspecting the room, March 7th couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had hoped to see some traces of her beloved Sister Lumina's daily life...
The disappointment was fleeting. March 7th quickly regained her composure and strode to the door, pushing it open with a flourish.
"Wow! It's so beautiful!!!"
Beyond the threshold lay a breathtaking garden, a tapestry woven from flowers of every hue, creating a scene of otherworldly beauty.
Hearing March 7th's exclamation, Stelle and Little Swarm crowded forward to take in the sight. They nodded in agreement, clearly sharing her awe.
"Sister Lumina said she's somewhere in this garden," March 7th said. "Let's go find her!"
March 7th and her companions stepped out of the house, closing the door behind them. As they gazed at the otherworldly garden, they began their search for Lumina.
"Sister Lumina... Mmmph!" March 7th soon spotted Lumina's figure in a gazebo-like structure nestled within the garden.
But just as March 7th was about to approach and greet her, she noticed Nahida standing before Lumina. She immediately clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her words.
March 7th glanced at Stelle and Little Swarm, her eyes darting back and forth frantically, conveying a silent message.
March 7th swung her eyes up, down, left, and right, as if signaling something to Stelle and Little Swarm.
Naturally, Stelle and Little Swarm didn't understand March 7th's cryptic signals. They exchanged bewildered glances, both seeing confusion reflected in each other's eyes.
But this bewilderment was short-lived. Just then, Stelle and Little Swarm noticed Nahida standing before Lumina, the two engaged in conversation.
Shifting their gaze back to March 7th, they saw her give another meaningful look. Suddenly, they understood what she was trying to convey.
The trio glanced around furtively and spotted a hiding spot relatively close to Lumina and Nahida. They crept over, their movements as silent as shadows.
Crouching behind the cover, they eavesdropped on Sister Lumina and Nahida's conversation.
"I've located Phandrea's position," Nahida said.
Inside the pavilion, Nahida cast a fleeting glance at the trio's hiding place, but ignored them completely. Instead, she kindly raised her voice slightly, ensuring they could clearly hear what she was saying.
"Mm, you've been a great help," Lumina replied, forcing a smile and nodding, barely managing to suppress the strange, unsettling feeling churning inside her.
Lumina vowed to herself that she would never again experience the sensation of talking to herself like this.
But for the sake of the unfolding story, she forced herself to endure the strange, uncomfortable feeling and continue acting flawlessly, revealing no cracks in her performance.
"If you have any plans, feel free to execute them. I won't interfere," Lumina said.
"Hmph."
Nahida scoffed at Lumina's seemingly generous words, as if seeing through her true intentions.
"Remember what I said earlier?"
"I understand you better than anyone else. You can deceive anyone, but you can't deceive me."
"I know. That's why I haven't concealed anything from you." Even facing Nahida's aggressive demeanor and hostile words, Lumina felt no resentment. Instead, she nodded slightly, saying softly to acknowledge her understanding.
"Good."
"You'd better understand that." Nahida scoffed coldly, her distrust of Lumina unwavering.
"To borrow your earlier words, I understand you better than anyone else... So, there's no need to worry," Lumina chuckled softly, placing a hand over her chest, her entire being radiating sincerity.
"...!" Nahida remained silent, her eyes fixed intently on Lumina's.
"Fine, do as you please. I couldn't care less. You can do whatever you want."
After a moment, Nahida averted her gaze, uttering a dismissive remark with a hint of petulance.
Abandoning the subject, Nahida turned her attention to the concealment behind which March 7th and the others were hiding. Her voice flat, she said, "Stop eavesdropping. If you want to listen, just come out and join us. We're discussing matters related to Phandrea."
"...!"
Her words hung in the air, but the ones hiding remained still, as if Nahida had merely imagined their presence.
"If you're not coming out, then just squat there and listen."
Seeing their reluctance, Nahida chose not to press the matter, respecting their decision.
"Ahaha, ahaha! We didn't hear a thing! We didn't hear a thing!"
After Nahida's second remark, the trio hiding behind the cover slowly emerged. March 7th, slightly embarrassed, added, "We didn't say anything either. Even if you heard everything, it doesn't matter."
Nahida gave March 7th a speechless look. With that level of intelligence, a single piece of candy could fool her for life...
Shaking her head, she didn't dwell on it. Only after the trio reached the pavilion did Nahida continue, "Phandrea's main body is physically weak, but her spiritual power is exceptionally strong. To kill her completely, it's best to use spiritual energy."
"But neither Lady Lumina nor I possess such abilities."
"Therefore, we either drive her back into the Abyss or seal her away."
Nahida rested her chin in her hand, presenting two possible solutions.
"Which method do you think would be better?" Lumina asked.
"A third option: kill her." Hearing this, Nahida lifted her head and replied with a completely expressionless face.
"Um... Nahida, didn't you say that neither you nor Sister Lumina have any spirit-based attacks?"
March 7th glanced at Nahida, then at her own Sister Lumina. The more she looked, the more she realized how strikingly similar they were...
It was as if they had been copied from the same face. Even March 7th, focusing solely on their appearances, couldn't discern any significant differences...
"Mm-hmm, we don't," Nahida nodded, spreading her hands as if stating the obvious. "But I said it's best to use spirit-based powers to kill her, not that spirit-based powers are the only way to kill her."
"Ugh... Okay, okay, we get it—you're super strong," March 7th stammered for a moment, finally understanding Nahida's point.
She's just bragging about how incredibly strong she is, able to ignore weakness mechanics and deal Weakness Break damage with sheer force...
"Nahida, do you have a plan?" Lumina asked, nodding at Nahida's explanation without hesitation, as if utterly confident in her abilities.
"A plan? Of course I have one," Nahida nodded, outlining her strategy: "Now that I know Phandrea's location, the five of us can just go and take her down directly."
"Um... isn't that a little... a little too hasty?" Hearing Nahida's somewhat bold plan, March 7th couldn't help but recall the trauma Phandrea had inflicted on her. She felt it would be better to take a more cautious approach, rather than rushing in recklessly.
"Hasty? What's hasty about it?" Nahida countered.
"Five Emanators ganging up on one? And you're telling me we need to 'proceed with caution'? If word got out, we'd be the laughingstock of the universe!"
Nahida planted her hands on her hips, her face a mask of exasperation.
Let's not even mention myself and Lumina. Little Swarm is a genuine Pseudo-Emanator, and March 7th and Stelle can temporarily wield the Power of The Emanator through their rings.
Do the math! We've got five Emanators on our side!
Whether it's ethical or not is another matter, but there's definitely no need for careful deliberation here...
"Hmm... you might be right," March 7th murmured, finding Nahida's words surprisingly logical. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded in agreement.
"Wait a minute, Stelle and I aren't Emanators..."
"Besides, we couldn't even beat her four-on-one before, and we almost got wiped out..."
But March 7th quickly realized: she and Stelle weren't Emanators at all. And even when they had the advantage of four against one, they had still been defeated. It was always better to play it safe, right?
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Nahida said, as if suddenly remembering something. "From the moment we stepped into the rear mountain, we were trapped within a dream realm created by Phandrea."
"All your subsequent actions—using the power in your rings to attack, defend, and so on—were all carried out within the dream. In reality, you didn't perform any of those actions."
"That's why, even when you unleashed the power Lady Lumina stored in the rings, Phandrea could still toy with you effortlessly."
Nahida, her face earnest, stared wide-eyed and began spouting utter nonsense with complete sincerity.
"R-really?" March 7th scratched her head, a hint of foolishness in her eyes.
Even though Nahida claimed it was a dream, the sensation of the Emanator's power flowing through her body had felt far too real.
"Just check the energy in the ring, and you'll know," Nahida suggested. Knowing she couldn't easily dismiss someone as intelligent as March 7th, she directed her to examine the ring's remaining power.
"Huh, there's absolutely no sign it's been used at all..."
March 7th sensed the energy within the ring, confirming Nahida's claim. Not a trace of depletion could be detected.
"Ugh... This Phandrea is terrifying. How can it create dreams so incredibly realistic?"
With Nahida's claims verified, March 7th swallowed hard, her fear of Phandrea deepening considerably.