"Is... is this Paradise?!"
Following Indifferent Lumina's lead, the group soon arrived at a building. Stepping inside, the sights and scenes that unfolded before their eyes far exceeded March 7th and the others' cognitive capacity, leaving them frozen in place.
Outside, Sister Lumina was a unique, singular being. Yet here, dozens of them appeared before them—a veritable handful. Roughly calculated, there were probably several dozen Sister Lumina instances. Familiar faces, familiar figures, familiar auras—there was no doubt: these were all Sister Lumina.
Calm Sister Lumina, joyous Sister Lumina, angry Sister Lumina, Sister Lumina with hearts in her eyes... In a single glance, March 7th spotted several distinct versions of Sister Lumina.
In the end, March 7th's gaze lingered on the Sister Lumina with hearts in her eyes.
Her crimson cheeks, disheveled hair, and sakura-pink lips gleaming with a crystalline sheen betrayed her exertion. Each ragged breath caused her chest to rise and fall in rhythmic motion. Her long, slender legs stood straight and firm, while her restless fingers clutched the hem of her pristine white dress. She resembled a pure-hearted saintess on the verge of corruption, desperately clinging to her virtue with futile resistance.
March 7th and Little Swarm couldn't tear their eyes away. They would gaze for a moment, look away, then steal another glance, repeatedly caught in this cycle, their faces flushed crimson. Sister Lumina in this state seemed to possess an overwhelming charm that left them utterly captivated.
Stelle, however, was far bolder. The moment she saw Sister Lumina in this state, her eyes lit up with an unprecedented intensity.
If not for some inexplicable force interfering with her phone's camera, Stelle would have taken countless photos—every angle, every detail, every inch of Sister Lumina's heart-eyed expression.
But that was just a wishful thought. The camera was utterly useless... Stelle's gaze remained fixed on the heart-eyed Lumina, as if trying to etch her image into her mind for eternal contemplation.
"Ugh..."
Sensing their gazes, the already flushed cheeks of Heart-Eyed Lumina, her eyes sparkling with love, grew even rosier, as if they might bleed at any moment.
"..."
Witnessing this sight, both March 7th and Stelle felt a primal urge rise within them... Even Little Swarm harbored some blasphemous thoughts.
"Keep staring, and you'll be collecting our corpses soon," Indifferent Lumina coldly interrupted, her words as frigid as her demeanor.
Indifferent Lumina cast a brief, detached glance at Heart-Eyed Lumina, a flicker of strangeness in her eyes.
"Don't waste time. We're almost there."
"Follow me."
After that fleeting look, Indifferent Lumina withdrew her gaze, ignoring the myriad Lumina variants around them, and continued leading the group forward.
"Um... Sister Lumina, are all these...?"
"Are all these Sister Luminas real?"
By the time they arrived here, Teasing Lumina had already carried the dazed Lumina away to an unknown location.
Even though Indifferent Lumina seemed particularly unapproachable, March 7th couldn't contain her curiosity. Clutching her skirt, she scurried over to Indifferent Lumina, her gaze fixed on the flawless, pale profile covered in frost. In a small voice, she asked:
"Is it real or fake?"
"Whether it's real or fake depends on you," Indifferent Lumina replied without even glancing at March 7th, her expression unchanging. "If you believe it's real, then it's real. If you believe it's fake, then it's fake."
"Uh..." Hearing these ambiguous words, March 7th tried to make sense of them, but found herself utterly baffled.
Scratching her head, she pressed on: "What does that mean? Real is real, fake is fake. How can something be both real and fake, or fake but real?"
Hearing this, Indifferent Lumina continued walking, but her head swiveled around, revealing her full face to March 7th. In a chilling tone, she asked, "In your memories of Lumina, have you ever seen me display such emotions?"
"Um... no," March 7th replied.
"So, do you think I'm real or fake?" Indifferent Lumina turned her head back to face forward after receiving March 7th's answer, asking coldly.
"Um..."
March 7th didn't answer immediately, lowering her head to ponder. Indifferent Lumina didn't press for an answer, continuing to walk while she waited.
After a moment, March 7th slowly raised her head, gazing at Indifferent Lumina's exquisitely beautiful profile.
"I think you're all real! You're all Sister Lumina!"
Indeed, as Indifferent Lumina had said, March 7th had never seen such an expression on Sister Lumina's face before... Yet, the familiar feeling in her heart wouldn't lie.
Whether it was Teasing Lumina, Indifferent Lumina, or even the absolutely impossible heart-eyed Lumina—a version March 7th could never imagine Sister Lumina actually showing—in March 7th's heart, they were all real.
After all, no matter which version of Sister Lumina...
They were all just so stunningly beautiful!
"Is that so?" Although Indifferent Lumina's expression remained unchanged, March 7th could clearly detect a hint of pleasure in her voice.
Before March 7th could ask why so many Luminas had suddenly appeared, Indifferent Lumina preempted her with a question: "Little March, what kind of person is Lumina in your mind?"
"Hmm... Perfect, gentle, strong, and a little... motherly..." March 7th answered, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Is that so?" Indifferent Lumina nodded, glancing at Stelle and Little Swarm. "And what about you two? What kind of person is Lumina in your impression?"
"Hmm... Like a trash can... No, even more reliable than a trash can, more perfect than a trash can," Stelle replied earnestly after a moment's thought.
"..." Everyone present couldn't help but feel a bit speechless at Stelle's response.
Still, ranking Lumina's reliability and perfection above that of a trash can was likely the greatest honor Stelle could bestow in her own eyes.
Knowing Stelle's peculiar nature, Indifferent Lumina shifted her gaze to Little Swarm.
"Ugh..." Little Swarm immediately felt uneasy under Indifferent Lumina's cold gaze.
She pressed her lips together, clutching the hem of her dress. A rosy blush crept across her cheeks and ears, making her head drift to the side. Her eyes darted about, avoiding Lumina's piercing stare.
"L... Lumina-sis, she's... she's my... Mother..."
Under the group's watchful eyes, Little Swarm's soft, angelic voice drifted through the air, reaching everyone's ears.
"Ugh..."
After uttering those words, Little Swarm's already flushed cheeks deepened to a crimson hue, as if they might bleed at any moment. Overwhelmed by shyness, she lowered her head, her gaze drifting into a distant daydream. Afraid to meet anyone's eyes, her small hands fidgeted helplessly, clinging to her dress for a sliver of courage.
"There's no need to be shy. Simply speak boldly about the impressions in your heart, the thoughts in your mind," Indifferent Lumina said with a nod, accepting the answer.
Seeing Little Swarm turn back around, still without any hint of shyness, Indifferent Lumina reassured her, "Well... personally, if I had a daughter as lovely as you, I... would be incredibly happy."
"R-really?! Really?!"
Hearing this, Little Swarm's head snapped up, her innocent eyes instantly brimming with pure delight.
Mmm...
Then, as if realizing she had let her emotions get the better of her, she quickly lowered her head again.
"This is merely my personal opinion," Indifferent Lumina added.
"Mmm..."
Little Swarm hummed softly, still keeping her head down, but she was no longer as shy as before. A faint, almost imperceptible smile bloomed on her face.
Mmm... At least, that's what Little Swarm thought.
Whether it was Indifferent Lumina, Stelle, or even March 7th, they all saw Little Swarm's smile clearly...
Little Swarm: Huh? つ﹏⊂