"Hmm?"
Realizing that the path to reaching Dreamscape Reef, befriending Robin, and forming a close bond with her was long and arduous, Lumina sighed.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Memory Zone Meme "Something Unto Death" trembling nearby. Lumina's eyes gleamed, and a faint smile curled her lips, as if she had thought of a good way to torment it.
In the next instant, Lumina's expression underwent a dramatic shift. Her earlier disappointment and helplessness transformed into icy indifference, as if she were a supreme God dispensing judgment.
Her cold, murderous gaze locked onto Sleepie, causing the meme to tremble even more violently.
After staring intently at Sleepie for a long moment, Lumina slowly spoke, her voice piercing to the very depths of Sleepie's soul: "I told you to hit me, and you actually did it?"
"Hah... hah... (I'm sorry, waaaah! 😭/(ㄒoㄒ)/~~)"
Sleepie dared not speak, ask questions, or argue back. She cowered beneath Lumina, trembling violently.
From the moment Lumina tore through the void, stepping through thin air to confront her, Sleepie had already imagined her fate.
Either way, I'm going to die...
As Lumina observed Sleepie's trembling form, an odd glint flickered in her eyes. Her mind began to wander, imagining replacing the meme before her with someone else...
Ugh... cough, cough. See no evil, think no evil, dwell on no evil...
The images conjured in Lumina's mind sent blood rushing to her head, her entire body trembling, her ten slender fingers trembling slightly.
She shook her head vigorously, immediately banishing the blasphemous, willful, and utterly improper thoughts from her mind.
Hiss... ha... hiss... ha... (sob... sob...)
Sleepie, observing Lumina's sudden shift in expression and subtle movements, remained silent, afraid to speak or ask any questions, lest Lumina notice her and obliterate her with a single slap.
After shaking off the intrusive thoughts, Lumina's gaze returned to Sleepie. As the latter continued to tremble, Lumina slowly said, "You... cough, cough... given your rather... cute appearance, I'll spare your life."
Though Lumina had banished the thoughts, traces lingered. Looking at Sleepie, the "original material," Lumina now found her considerably more pleasing to the eye. The coldness and indifference in her voice vanished completely, replaced by a gentle, almost tender tone reminiscent of her initial appearance.
Lumina conjured a screen, and once Firefly's figure appeared, she pushed it toward Sleepie, saying, "See this beautiful girl?"
"Stab her."
Lumina's words were once again shocking.
Realizing her phrasing was a bit... problematic, Lumina quickly added, "I mean, send her to that place, understand?"
Having issued this command, Lumina prepared to tear through the void and depart.
"Oh, right."
But just before leaving, she paused as if remembering something. A green orb of light materialized in her hand, which she casually tossed at Sleepie. The orb sank into Sleepie's body without a sound or any sign of discomfort.
"Goodbye! If you ever need anything, you can come find me~"
"Hmm... if you can~"
Knowing Sleepie's eventual fate, Lumina had offered it a slim path to escape. Without waiting for Sleepie to respond, she stepped into the void and vanished.
Left alone, Sleepie showed no outward confusion, yet inwardly, it was utterly bewildered.
Sleepie didn't understand the meaning behind Lumina's words. All it knew was that the green orb that had entered its body without causing any sensation was likely a means of surveillance.
Lumina: ?
If Lumina knew what Sleepie was thinking right now, she would crack open its skull to see what exactly was inside.
The green orb was simply Lumina's way of alleviating the intense pain Firefly had felt when she was stabbed. It had no other special effects.
After all, Lumina herself hated pain and naturally didn't want others to suffer it either.
Hmm... unless the pain was something she inflicted herself o( ̄▽ ̄)ブ
But Sleepie remained unaware of this. Desperate to save its own life, it immediately set out to find Firefly, ready to follow Lumina's instructions and stab her!
Sleepie knew Firefly's aura, so finding her here wouldn't be difficult.
Moreover, Sleepie suspected that Firefly had offended Lumina. It planned to stab her multiple times, both to vent Lumina's anger and to impress her, hoping this would please Lumina enough to retract the green orb from its body and spare its life!
-
The Reverie Hotel - Dream, Lobby.
"Hmm, this is a perfect opportunity to observe how Sleepie sends people to Dreamscape Reef."
Seeing the completely empty lobby, Lumina casually found a spot in the void, carefully concealed her aura, and prepared to meticulously observe the method for entering Dreamscape Reef through conventional means.
Tap... tap... tap...
Before long, a radiant young girl with snow-white hair, dressed in a frilly dress, appeared in the lobby.
A delicate, seemingly fragile girl who looked as though a gentle tap could send her into inconsolable tears, her presence in such a sinister environment stirred an urge to cradle her in one's arms and offer her endless courage.
[All this roundabout talk just to take advantage of her.]
"Shut up," Lumina said gently, silencing the voice that had so bluntly exposed her true intentions.
If Firefly truly were a fragile, easily broken beauty, Lumina would have done exactly that.
Lumina wasn't lusting after Firefly's body, nor was she trying to take advantage of her... rather, in this sinister environment, a fragile, powerless, and breathtakingly beautiful girl who seemed like she could be blown away by the slightest breeze had appeared by her side, and Lumina just happened to possess the strength to protect her.
I imagine that in such a situation, most people would step forward, pull her into their arms, and offer close, protective care.
[I think most people would either choose to protect her or just start getting down and dirty right then and there.]
Lumina: ...
Hearing this, Lumina's lips twitched. The logic was sound enough, but you couldn't just say it out loud like that, could you?
Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. After all, such considerations only applied to ordinary, beautiful young girls.
Firefly was anything but ordinary. If you pushed her too far, she'd simply whip out her Sam Transformation Device and instantly purify this sinister environment, transforming it into a fiery sea bathed in the radiant light of a "sun"...