"There's no such thing as a perfectly flawless person, nor one without selfish desires. Your idealized Sister Lumina is no exception."
As Indifferent Lumina pushed open the massive door, the scene within unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Crunch, crunch, crunch... Glug, glug, glug...
"Heh heh heh, a handful of chips, a swig of cola, heh heh heh, this is the life!"
The scene revealed numerous Lumina figures, but these differed significantly from those outside—more... distinct?
The first sight that met their eyes was Fallen Lumina sprawled on the ground, her hair disheveled and her entire being exuding an aura of decadence. She seemed oblivious to March 7th and the others' arrival. Her left hand kept reaching into a seemingly bottomless bag of chips, stuffing handful after handful into her mouth like a little hamster, producing a constant crunching sound.
Fallen Lumina's right hand clutched an enormous bottle of Interstellar Cola. After chewing the chips, she raised the bottle and gulped down huge swigs, making strange gurgling noises, like some kind of cyberpunk deity.
"Uh..."
No wonder Indifferent Lumina had warned them before opening the door... Sister Lumina was already making such a dramatic entrance!
March 7th and the others exchanged glances, each seeing in the others' eyes a shared sense of shock and disbelief.
"I, the White Emperor, have never tasted defeat in my entire life!"
Just as March 7th and the others were about to question Indifferent Lumina, a booming, arrogant voice echoed across the room.
Following the sound, they saw a crowd of Luminas gathered around one who stood barefoot on a table, towering over them all.
This... well, this White Emperor Lumina was beaming with unprecedented confidence, hands on his hips, his voice dripping with the sorrow of invincibility as he declared:
"Back then, I strolled with my hands in my pockets, oblivious to the meaning of 'opponent'!"
"Even with the Irminsul in my left hand and the Sumeru Star System guarded in my right, I remained unrivaled across the Cosmos!"
As the White Emperor Lumina's declaration of invincibility echoed through the room, the surrounding Luminas' eyes lit up with fervent admiration, and they erupted into applause: "Waaah! Aaaah! White Emperor! White Emperor! White Emperor!!!"
"Lord White Emperor, I'm Little Lumina! I'm your biggest fan!"
"I-I-I... I-I'm... I'm St-St-Stuttering Lumina! L-Lord White Emperor, p-please... please remember me!"
March 7th, Stelle, and Little Swarm: ...
Good heavens, this world must be sick...
As March 7th and the others watched Lord White Emperor and the surrounding Luminas, they were dumbfounded. They never imagined their own Sister Lumina could have such a... such a bold side to her.
As their perspective continued to shift, even more shocking Lumina variants came into view.
There was Emotionless Lumina, Dumb Little Lumina, and even Incomprehensible Lumina (Yandere Edition), whose eyes glowed red and emanated a dark, ominous aura.
The other Lumina variations merely left March 7th and the others shocked. But this one, the red-eyed Incomprehensible Lumina... Though her appearance was identical to their usual Sister Lumina...
But... why are her eyes glowing red?! And why is the surrounding area shrouded in a faint black mist...?
March 7th and the others were completely baffled, and they didn't dare approach to ask. A strange premonition settled in their hearts: if they made contact with this red-eyed Sister Lumina, they might regret it for the rest of their lives...
"Stay away from that," Indifferent Lumina warned them kindly, noticing their gazes. "If you get entangled with that thing, your lives will be over."
"Huh? Is it... that serious?" The trio's hearts were instantly filled with shock.
Ugh... well, okay, it does sound pretty serious.
They glanced again at the red-eyed Sister Lumina, engraving Indifferent Lumina's words into their minds.
"Huh? Whoa!"
The group's voices, neither too loud nor too soft, carried just enough to reach the ears of Fallen Lumina, who was sprawled on the ground, eliciting a startled yelp.
In a flurry of frantic movements, Fallen Lumina hid her chips and cola, hastily tidying her already disheveled hair, somehow making it even messier.
A sunny smile bloomed on her face as she turned to greet the newcomers.
"Oh, it's just you guys. I thought it was someone else."
The moment she saw the visitors, Fallen Lumina's smile vanished instantly. Dropping all pretense, she waved dismissively and flopped back down, resuming her feast of chips and cola, living her perfect cyber-god-like existence.
"Um... Sister Lumina..." Despite knowing this was just one facet of Lumina, March 7th couldn't help but approach and gently remind her, "Maybe you should cut back on the chips and cola? Eating too much can't be good for you."
Hmm...
Fallen Lumina didn't reply. She glanced at the adorable March 7th, then at the tempting snacks in her hands, her cheeks furrowing as if torn between conflicting desires.
Though her face was that of a breathtakingly beautiful girl—one with a cool and gentle aura—under the weight of her conflicted emotions, the word "adorable" gradually gained dominance, eclipsing her cool and gentle qualities.
Almost immediately, Fallen Lumina's furrowed brow smoothed out, a hint of determination shining in her eyes.
Seeing this, March 7th assumed her words had finally taken effect and was about to say more when Fallen Lumina slowly picked up the bag of chips and the can of cola, offering them to March 7th. Pressing her lips together, she mustered all her strength and said:
"Only one chip... and one sip."
Mmm...
Watching Fallen Lumina's expression, March 7th felt as if something had struck her heart. A tingling, electric sensation surged through her body from her chest, and an unprecedented feeling crashed against her soul.
March 7th shook her head, hastily suppressing this unfamiliar emotion. Her gaze locked onto Fallen Lumina's conflicted yet resolute eyes.
Though her words had had no effect—and might even have caused a misunderstanding—March 7th felt no resentment. Instead, a flicker of joy stirred within her, along with... other strange emotions.
"Thank you~"
This was the conclusion Fallen Lumina had reached after much deliberation, and it represented her heartfelt intention. Naturally, March 7th wouldn't disappoint her, wouldn't refuse.
Reaching into the bag, under Fallen Lumina's resentful gaze, March 7th picked up a whole potato chip, slowly pulled it out, and placed it in her mouth.
Crunch!
As the crisp sound echoed, a creamy, milky flavor instantly bloomed on her taste buds, causing March 7th to close her eyes in blissful enjoyment.
"Mmm... delicious!"
"!"