"Then I won't stand on ceremony," Lingsha said, momentarily startled before smiling and nodding. "Sister Lumina."
Hearing the respectful address, Lumina nodded in satisfaction.
"Oh, by the way, I have a question," Lumina said, glancing at Lingsha, then at Feixiao, and finally at the slightly damaged ground within the arena. Something suddenly occurred to her, and she turned to Lingsha and Feixiao.
"Yes, Sister Lumina, please ask," Feixiao replied, slowly shifting her gaze from the Ambrosial Arbor to Lumina's exquisite features.
"May I participate in the Wardance Ceremony?" Lumina cut straight to the point.
"..."
Feixiao: ?
Lingsha: ?
Upon hearing this question, Feixiao and Lingsha froze, visibly stunned. They clearly hadn't expected Lumina to ask such a thing.
"Uh... I suppose you could," Feixiao stammered after a moment of silence, recovering her composure.
If Lumina wanted to participate in the Wardance Ceremony, she certainly could. The only issue was...
An Abundance Emanator participating in the Wardance Ceremony to bully children... wouldn't that be a bit... well, a bit that?
"Don't worry, I won't use any Path power," Lumina said with a smile, noticing Feixiao's hesitation and understanding her concerns.
Lumina raised her hand and with a gentle flick of her fingers, specks of green starlight slowly coalesced, eventually forming a three-foot-long green sword.
Grasping the sword, Lumina gave it a few simple flourishes before turning to Feixiao and Lingsha with a grin. "At the Wardance Ceremony, I'll defeat all my opponents with this sword alone!"
Lumina sheathed the sword and winked at Feixiao and Lingsha.
"Uh... well, if that's the case, I'll register Sister Lumina's name for the competition," Feixiao agreed, seeing no reason to object.
Though Lumina's millennia of experience would make crushing the Wardance Ceremony's brats child's play, if Sister Lumina was set on it, Feixiao had no reason to refuse.
But when the time comes...
Recalling Lumina's earlier sword practice, a spark of competitive spirit ignited in Feixiao's eyes.
If she relied solely on Path power in combat, Feixiao knew she stood no chance against Lumina.
But if she relied on her martial skills, Feixiao believed she could still hold her own against Sister Lumina.
"What? Trying to defeat me?" Lumina couldn't miss the fighting spirit in Feixiao's eyes. Seeing this, Lumina chuckled softly, crossed her arms, and said, "If that's the case, let's settle this with a proper martial arts duel at the Wardance Ceremony."
"Uh... General Feixiao," Lingsha quickly tugged at Feixiao's sleeve, hoping to interrupt the rising tension between the two women.
The Wardance Ceremony was primarily for children. If General Feixiao herself were to compete, it might cause discontent among the participants.
"Don't worry, we'll just add a special rule," Feixiao shrugged, unconcerned. "If you face me or Sister Lumina during the Ceremony, regardless of the outcome, you'll automatically advance to the next round."
"As for my duel with Sister Lumina, we'll save it for after the Ceremony's finals."
Feixiao completely dismissed Lingsha's concerns, having already devised a solution.
After finishing her explanation, Feixiao turned her gaze to Lumina and smiled. "Sister Lumina, what do you think of this arrangement?"
"Before our final battle, we'll treat each duel as a form of guidance for our opponents."
"Then, when it's finally our turn to face each other, we'll give it our all."
"I have no objection," Lumina replied with a slight nod, expressing her complete approval of the arrangement.
[ Speaking of which, you know how to use a sword? What martial arts do you even know? ]
As soon as Lumina agreed, the System, which had been silently spectating in her mind, decided to make its presence known.
Having observed Lumina for so long, the System knew her battles typically ended with effortless instant kills. When she felt like it, she'd casually wave her Staff and instantly obliterate her foes.
If she claimed to know swordsmanship or any martial arts, the System wouldn't believe it for a second.
After all, given her personality, if she actually possessed such skills, she'd have already flaunted them in front of every beautiful girl she could find.
"Of course I don't," Lumina replied matter-of-factly to the System's skeptical question.
[ ? ]
[ Then you're just going to embarrass yourself out there? ]
Hearing Lumina's predictable response, the System, though it had anticipated this, still displayed a massive question mark on the screen.
You can't wield a sword or use any martial arts. What's the point of going up there? To embarrass yourself and shatter the image of the Saintess in the eyes of the entire Cosmos?
"Don't worry, that won't happen," Lumina chuckled, unfazed by the System's textual mockery on the screen.
Lumina couldn't wield a sword, but she could easily overpower her opponents with brute force. Against opponents like Yanqing Yunli, her keen perception and lightning-fast reflexes would allow her to evade their attacks even without a weapon or using Path power.
After all, physical prowess isn't considered Path power, right?
[ What about Feixiao? Are you planning to lose to her and trigger a defeat cutscene?]
[ Hmm... for others, it might be a defeat cutscene, but for you, it'd probably be a reward, right?]
Recalling Lumina's past behavior toward beautiful girls, the System doubted that a defeat cutscene involving a beautiful girl would truly be a loss for her...
Don't let her get off on it...
What are you thinking? Defeating Feixiao is all about brute force and smashing things with bricks, of course. Lumina, overhearing the System's internal monologue, couldn't help but roll her eyes.
It wasn't that she looked down on Feixiao, but the truth was undeniable.
Even if Feixiao were to regain the Aeon of The Hunt's favor and completely eliminate the effects of her Moon Rage symptoms, she still wouldn't stand a chance against Lumina.
After all, the gap in their strength was immense—a chasm that mere martial prowess couldn't bridge.
Snapping back to reality, Lumina refocused her gaze as the world sharpened into clarity.
Fixing her eyes on Feixiao's face, she smiled. "Feixiao, since we're fighting, how about we make a wager?"
"A wager?"
"Exactly. If you win, I'll grant you one wish."
"And if you lose, you'll grant me one wish."
"Of course. The wishes must be personal, involving only you or me, and cannot involve your faction, other individuals, or anything else."
Lumina said this with a sly grin, making no attempt to conceal her ulterior motives.