"Phew... Done."
In the Cosmos, Lumina looked at the surrounding planets, now fully repaired, and nodded with great satisfaction.
Although Polka Kakamond's surgical scalpels had caused her no harm, for the fragile planets nearby, it was like slicing melons and vegetables—one slice, one planet.
As a result, during their battle, nearly all the stars in the vicinity had been shredded by Polka Kakamond.
Fortunately, this was a Dead Zone, and the celestial bodies within were all Dead Stars, showing no signs of ever having harbored life. If any Life had been accidentally harmed, it would have been a minor inconvenience.
Even though they were just Dead Stars, Lumina, adhering to her principle of treating all things equally, repaired every last one of them after her battle with Polka Kakamond concluded.
She then infused the Dead Zone with a wisp of her power as an Abundance Emanator.
Perhaps in a few dozen or a hundred Amber Eras, this Dead Zone would once again blossom with a new kind of vitality.
"Abundance Emanator...?"
Trapped nearby within a thin green membrane, Polka Kakamond stared at the Path power Lumina had just unleashed, feeling utterly bewildered.
Not the Aeon of The Elation, but the Aeon of Abundance?
Impossible. Why would the Aeon of Abundance be interested in someone like me?
But the power this woman named Lumina is releasing is undeniably the power of Abundance...
An Emanator's power... not an Aeon?
But if she's not an Aeon, how could she exist outside the perception of the Knowable Domain? And how could she defeat me so easily?
Polka Kakamond spiraled into self-doubt, suspecting she might have been hypnotized by the Aeon of The Elation and was currently dreaming...
"I'm not the Aeon of Elation, and certainly not the Aeon of Abundance. I'm just a passing beautiful girl," Lumina said, turning her gaze back to Polka Kakamond after restoring the surroundings to their original state.
Though Polka Kakamond remained silent, Lumina could sense that she still believed her to be some kind of Aeon.
Well, it's understandable, Lumina thought. Someone capable of assassinating Rubert, the man who started the Emperor War, ends up being defeated so easily by someone else. It's only natural to assume that person must be an Aeon, right?
"Ahem?"
"You should be grateful. Grateful that, for now, I only see you as a bargaining chip."
"So I won't do anything to you, nor will I drag you before Herta."
With a flick of her delicate hand, Lumina dispelled the green membrane imprisoning Polka Kakamond.
While Polka was still dazed, Lumina pulled out her phone and took a series of 360-degree photos of her.
After finishing, Lumina waved dismissively at Polka Kakamond, signaling that she was free to go.
"You can leave now. I'll find you again if I need you."
Polka Kakamond: "..."
Looking at Lumina, then at the phone she was now fiddling with, Polka Kakamond already understood what Lumina was planning.
Considering the so-called "bargaining chip" and her mention of Herta just now...
She probably plans to use my photos to trade for something from Herta, doesn't she?
Polka Kakamond was sharp; she instantly understood Lumina's intentions.
Is she someone that little one Herta called for? Polka Kakamond muttered inwardly, feeling a headache coming on at Lumina's appearance.
She's not an Aeon, but an unknown entity from within the Knowable Domain... yet she doesn't seem to be causing any harm to it...
If Lumina truly posed no threat to the Knowable Domain, Polka Kakamond could relax a little.
But that only proved she wouldn't harm the Domain now.
If, in the future, that little one Herta decides to explore beyond the 'circle of knowledge' again, with this unknown entity named Lumina obstructing me, I'll be completely helpless against Herta...
At that point, my Knowable Domain will inevitably be destroyed by her...
Polka Kakamond rubbed her forehead, vexed.
But now was not the time to dwell on it. After one last glance at Lumina, her figure dissolved into pixels and vanished on the spot.
Lumina paid no mind to Polka Kakamond's departure.
Her earlier words—"I'll be looking for you again if I need anything"—hadn't been a bluff. She had meant it.
Before, Lumina had left a trace of her aura on Polka Kakamond. This way, no matter where Polka Kakamond went, Lumina could effortlessly summon her whenever needed, without wasting time locating her through some other means.
Lumina stood in the void, her head bowed, her hair falling loosely around her face. Her fingers tapped continuously on her phone screen, organizing the photos she had just taken.
"Done!"
Herta must be desperate to get back at Polka Kakamond after that humiliating defeat.
I wonder what kind of bargaining chip Herta will offer in exchange?
Lumina put away her phone, musing to herself.
If Herta can't come up with a good bargaining chip by then, she can't blame me for making a few demands of my own.
Lumina could already picture the scene: Herta, dressed as a maid, repeatedly calling her "Master" while waving eagerly.
Ahem...
Realizing her thoughts had taken a slightly perverse turn, Lumina cleared her throat and snapped back to reality.
She glanced around. Seeing no trace of anyone else, she pinpointed the Space Station's location.
With a swoosh, her figure vanished from the spot.
-
Herta Space Station, Herta's Office.
Stelle and Screwllum had long since departed, leaving a lone Herta Puppet staring at the Simulated Universe Device.
She wasn't observing its contents, nor was she fiddling with its controls. She simply gazed blankly at the device before her, looking exactly like a doll that had been shut down.
But that wasn't the case. The vibrant intelligence in her eyes revealed that Herta's consciousness still resided within this puppet.
So why would Madam Herta, for whom every second was precious, be standing here lost in thought?
The answer was unknown.
No one knew what was truly on Madam Herta's mind.
Perhaps she was pondering the Polka Kakamond incident, or perhaps she was planning her next cosmos-shaking endeavor.
Of course... she might also have been worrying about someone who had been gone for so long without sending a single word.
"Hey~ Miss me?"
As Madam Herta stared at the Simulated Universe Device, lost in thought, a flash of green light erupted behind her. A white-clad figure materialized directly behind the Herta Puppet.
She reached out, gently placed her hand on the Herta Puppet's head, and began to ruffle its hair.
"Sigh... Herta, where's your main body right now?"
"I kind of miss your main body's head. Ruffling it feels countless times better than this puppet's."
Feeling the touch of the hand, Lumina sighed in resignation.
While it was still incredibly pleasant, compared to the puppet, Lumina preferred Herta's main body.
Though both the puppet and the main body were Herta, in Lumina's eyes, there was a subtle difference between them.
Alright, the difference was actually quite significant.
After all, one was a real person, the other a doll. They were completely incomparable.
"..." Feeling the familiar hand on her head, Herta inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "You're back."
She swatted Lumina's hand away, turned around, and scanned her from head to toe. Seeing no wounds or injuries, she asked, "So, what did you do to Polka Kakamond?"
Hearing this, Lumina didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she gave a mysterious smile. Then, she raised her hand, fingers pressed tightly together, and made a swift slicing motion across her own pale neck.
Her action answered Herta's question without a word.
I slit Polka Kakamond's throat.
That was the message Lumina conveyed.
"You killed Polka Kakamond?" Herta stared, utterly unconvinced.
A million times unconvinced.
Though Herta didn't know what Polka Kakamond looked like, someone with that level of power—and a woman at that—couldn't possibly be unattractive.
Even if she wasn't Lumina's type of "beautiful girl," she had to be close.
How could Lumina possibly slit the throat of someone like that?
After a moment's thought, Herta crossed her arms, lowered her gaze, and looked at Lumina with utter exasperation.
Are you trying to fool a child?
Her puppet might be modeled after her younger self, but you couldn't judge a person's character by their appearance alone.
Madam Herta was furious that Lumina was treating her like a child.
And when she got angry, she would...
"Fine, don't tell me. See if I care."
"I'm starting my experiment. If you have nothing else, you can leave."
Herta huffed, ignoring Lumina completely. She turned her attention to the Simulated Universe Device, projecting her consciousness into it to "resume" her research.
Lumina wasn't surprised.
Experimenting with the Simulated Universe, huh? The device is just idling. What exactly are you "experimenting" with?
While Lumina didn't know the intricacies of the Simulated Universe Device, she understood the basics. She could tell at a glance that Herta wasn't actually conducting any "so-called" experiment.
She's waiting for me to speak.
Waiting for me to apologize and beg for her forgiveness.
Naturally, Lumina had no intention of playing along with Madam Herta's script. Instead, she reached out her mischievous hand and placed it on Herta's head, ruffling her hair.
"You—"
"I beat the crap out of Polka Kakamond because she disrespected you."
Feeling the warmth on her head again, Herta was about to explode.
But before she could get a word out, Lumina's statement cut her short.
"Huh? You beat the crap out of Polka Kakamond?"
Hearing this, Herta froze, her hands halting mid-air. She turned to Lumina, her expression one of genuine surprise.
Compared to the idea of Lumina slitting Polka Kakamond's throat, a severe beating seemed far more plausible.
And deep down, Herta had been hoping for exactly this outcome.
Having just been bested by Polka Kakamond, Herta regretted not going with Lumina earlier. If she had, she could have witnessed Polka Kakamond getting thrashed.
After Lumina finished beating her up, I could have snuck in a kick while she was down.
The thought alone was incredibly satisfying...
But that wasn't the main reason.
The most important thing was what Lumina had said:
"I beat the crap out of Polka Kakamond because she disrespected you."
Though Herta was loath to admit it, she couldn't deny that Lumina's words had warmed her heart. A flicker of gratitude sparked within her. If not for her pride and her desire to avoid showing her "ugly side" to Lumina, Madam Herta would have thanked her profusely...
"Yep, I beat the crap out of Polka Kakamond, and I even took a photo of her afterward." Sensing Herta's intense gaze, Lumina withdrew her hand from ruffling Herta's hair and nodded with a wide smile.
"A photo?" Hearing this, Herta's eyes lit up. "Where is it?" she demanded eagerly. "Quick, show me!"
A picture of Polka Kakamond after a severe beating perfectly fulfilled Herta's deepest desires.
Her first wish was to thrash Polka Kakamond herself, to vent her frustration over the losses caused by the invasion—the complete shutdown of the Simulated Universe and the Scepter.
Her second wish was exactly as she'd mentioned in the Simulated Universe: to plaster Polka Kakamond's photo on the most prominent section of the network, letting the entire Cosmos see.
Let everyone get a good look behind the mysterious veil of Genius Society #4, Polka Kakamond.
"Well..." Lumina fidgeted, suddenly hesitant. "I went through hell and high water to get this photo of Polka Kakamond."
"However, since it's you, Madam Herta, I suppose I could make an exception..."
"..." Herta knew Lumina well. The moment she heard that tone, she knew Lumina was up to no good.
But she was still incredibly curious about the photo of a beaten-up Polka Kakamond.
"What's the condition?"
So, Herta decided to hear Lumina out and see what scheme she was cooking up.
"Herta, you know me. I'm not a particularly greedy person." A smile flickered in Lumina's eyes as she spoke. "So, the condition I'm proposing won't be too outrageous."
Lumina paused, observing Herta's expression.
Herta stood with her arms crossed, waiting for Lumina to state her demand.
Seeing this, Lumina dropped the pretense and laid out her terms.
"I want you to obey one of my commands, unconditionally."