"Hmm..."
Inside March 7th's room on the Astral Express.
Without sparing a glance for the beautiful girl's boudoir, Lumina immediately focused on March 7th, who lay on the bed, once again encased in Six-Phase Ice.
"Miss Lumina, March's symptoms..." Himeko didn't want to interrupt Lumina's diagnosis, but seeing her silent, expressionless face, she couldn't help but feel a surge of worry and fear.
And when worry and fear took hold, they often compelled people to act against their better judgment.
"Hmm... March is fine." Hearing Himeko, Lumina shook her head, a faint smile reappearing on her face. "Just as I thought. March has lost her 'soul,' leaving only her body to function autonomously."
"Lost her... soul?" At these words, Himeko's worry deepened. But seeing the faint smile on Lumina's face, much of that intense concern began to fade.
If Lumina isn't showing any signs of gravity or seriousness, that must mean March is alright, right?
"Lost her 'soul'?" Black Swan examined March 7th's condition, then nodded in agreement with Lumina's assessment.
"Miss March 7th's Remembrance has been seized by someone else."
"Losing one's Remembrance is akin to losing one's 'soul'... Miss Lumina is correct."
When Black Swan saw Lumina arrive on the Astral Express, her first instinct was to flee.
After all, back in Penacony, Black Swan had vowed to stay as far away from Lumina as possible. By keeping her distance, the "embarrassing material" Lumina held over her would be rendered useless.
But Black Swan never expected their reunion to come so soon...
However, since Lumina's purpose here wasn't her, and with Herta present, Black Swan wasn't overly worried.
Seeing Herta's hostile, disdainful, and arrogant expression the moment she entered the room, Black Swan knew she was safe.
Lumina would never dare do anything to me in front of Herta.
"So... Miss Lumina, do you have a solution?" Himeko asked, her gaze fixed on Lumina, pointedly ignoring Black Swan. It was clear she was deeply displeased with Black Swan's "blind box" antics, which had led to the entire quartet of young Trailblazers ending up in trouble.
Thinking about it, it made sense. They had come to refuel, but instead, three of the four youngsters had vanished into Amphoreus without a trace, and the last one was now a giant block of ice...
If it weren't for Black Swan's confident and "no-turning-back" demeanor, Himeko would have blasted her off the Train long ago.
"The solution is actually quite simple." Lumina tilted her head slightly, her gaze piercing through the window to rest on Amphoreus, which glowed with a mysterious light in the Cosmos. "I can sense that March's 'soul' is currently inside Amphoreus."
"We just need to enter Amphoreus, find traces of March, and bring her back."
Lumina made it sound easy, but in her mind, it was even easier than she let on.
Entering Amphoreus, finding March, and bringing her back—those were the steps for an ordinary person.
But for Lumina, it didn't require nearly that much effort.
All she had to do was point a finger at March 7th lying on the bed, apply a few minor techniques, and the problem would be completely resolved.
So why had Lumina said all that just now? Why make it sound so complicated?
Of course, it was all to find a justifiable excuse to enter Amphoreus~
After all, if Lumina had just come out and said she could solve everything—whether it was March's issue or the problems of Stelle and Little Swarm—with a mere wave of her hand...
...how would she ever get into Amphoreus? How would she meet all the beautiful girls inside?
Lumina's gaze drifted out the window toward Amphoreus, her eyes seeming to pierce through every barrier, seeing the various beautiful girls bustling about on their Flame-Chasing Journey.
"..."
Lumina's expression remained neutral, betraying none of her inner thoughts.
But as her gaze lingered on Amphoreus, lost in thought, Herta could guess with about eighty to ninety percent certainty what was running through her mind...
She's definitely fantasizing about meeting all those beautiful girls in Amphoreus...
The thought made Herta feel exceptionally, intensely uncomfortable.
It wasn't the first time she'd felt this way, but this time, the discomfort was far stronger than ever before.
Stronger by a significant margin...
It sparked a dark urge in Herta—a desire to break Lumina's limbs, lock her away in a dark room, and make it so Herta was the only one Lumina would ever see...
This wasn't the first time she'd had this thought.
But this time, unlike before, the thought wasn't immediately stamped out the moment it sparked. Instead, it flickered relentlessly in Herta's mind, its light growing brighter and brighter until it began to cloud Madam Herta's judgment...
"Miss Lumina, are you planning to enter Amphoreus?"
Fortunately, just as the thought started to take hold, Himeko's soft question to Lumina shattered it in an instant. Thanks to Himeko's interruption, Herta's mind remained unaffected...
But once a seed is planted, it will inevitably blossom...
"Yes," Lumina replied, nodding slightly. She had noticed Herta's unease but didn't dwell on it. "Seeing is believing. I'll never find answers just by looking at Amphoreus from the outside."
"Only by entering and investigating can I truly understand what's happening."
"I see..." Himeko fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Miss Lumina, I..."
"Miss Himeko, you should stay on the train."
After a moment of silence, Himeko had started to speak, but Lumina cut her off before she could finish.
"Miss Himeko, please trust in my strength."
Lumina chuckled softly, her expression gentle and calm, yet her words radiated dominance and confidence. "The things in the entire cosmos that can harm me, let alone threaten my life, can be counted on one hand."
No one in the room dared to refute her.
"Herta, what about you?" Lumina's gaze fell on Herta. "Are you..."
"Yes."
Herta knew what Lumina was about to ask and what she was planning. Thus, the moment Lumina uttered the first two words, Herta answered instantly, giving her decision.