It was obvious that Luna had something to say, pouting as her eyes glow — but Kongming had no intention of giving her the chance.
Of course, she knew her behavior had been a little abrupt, deviating from the carefully built persona she had maintained over time.
But standing there, watching Luna cling to Luo Mo in his arms... Well, doing nothing wasn't an option either.
Acting overly petty wouldn't work in the long run, so it was better to show her jealousy outright — make a bold move.
Besides, knowing Luo Mo, he probably wouldn't be mad.
On the contrary, he'd just be secretly happy.
And indeed, facts proved her plan had worked flawlessly.
Why would Luo Mo ever get angry over something like this?
He only found it funny — the contrast between Kongming's usual calm demeanor and this sudden boldness was so amusing that he was more delighted than annoyed.
Simply put — the pain of being sandwiched between two jealous girls… was real.
"You little…"
Luna gritted her teeth, her neat little fangs on display. Her temper flared, and she glared daggers at Kongming.
What was this?
Did she think this was some kind of turn-based strategy game?
Since it was Kongming's "turn" in the plot, she just jumped ahead without warning?
Too bad!
She could deal with everything else, but human women? Absolutely not!
So, she went for it — grabbing Luo Mo's other arm and pitifully tilting her head upward to look at him.
When she made eye contact with Kongming, the latter's expression instantly shifted.
Let it be said: women are terrifyingly good at switching expressions on demand.
When it comes to this kind of emotional flexibility, they practically have it built-in.
Irene watched the trio with "kindly" eyes.
Theresa, meanwhile, looked utterly conflicted, glancing between the three like she was caught in the middle of a morality play.
The rest of the group silently turned away.
This wasn't a cute scene anymore — it was a battlefield.
If it had only been one girl in his arms, Luo Mo might've felt something.
If it had been both Kongming and Luna together, he wouldn't have dared move.
But now?
He was completely paralyzed.
Back stiff, sitting perfectly upright, not even daring to blink.
"But seriously, are we solving things this way again? That's kind of amazing. I didn't even know my abilities could be used like this,"
Bronie remarked with genuine admiration. She was fascinated by the way everyone had combined their abilities.
It was happening.
The iconic RPG party synergy moment!
When everything seems hopeless, they pull off a comeback with their unique skill combinations.
Classic!
"Yeah, it was a little sloppy.
But it worked because Kongming had a contingency plan ready,"
Kiana added. Her tone wasn't exactly reverent — and her eyes kept sneaking peeks toward where Luo Mo sat.
But she only dared to glance at him through the corners of her eyes.
"Even so… Boss, with that face you're making, there's no way I can help you. You're on your own now."
She mentally clasped her hands together in apology, while in reality, her upturned lips betrayed her amusement. She couldn't suppress her grin.
"I must point out,"
Irene spoke with a refined tone,
"The script had left a blank spot here. That doesn't necessarily mean it had to be Kongming. After all, there are still two other Theresas unaccounted for — namely, Luna… and Kongming."
The way she emphasized those two names felt deliberate — like a subtle warning directed at the two current offenders.
Her eyes turned to Luo Mo with a faint melancholy.
Clearly, she expected to be compensated for all this later.
After all, the Captain shouldn't be greedy — but he also shouldn't be unfair.
The two women stiffened simultaneously.
But with everyone watching, they were still reluctant to let go of him.
Eventually, though unwilling, they pulled away, each casting sharp glares at the other.
Their eyes locked, and a silent message passed between them:
"You're my biggest rival."
.....
Meanwhile, in the Golden Courtyard.
Mobius's eyelid twitched as she tried to calm herself.
"This… This isn't even the same world system," she reminded herself.
If it were…
Then these powers and magical combinations were just too absurd.
If you tried to explain them using "conceptual logic" alone, it would be far from scientific.
"Waaah~! So cute! Kongming actually got embarrassed…~"
Elysia squealed, her eyes sparkling.
"Ugh, you're seriously annoying.
Weren't you just crying your eyes out because of the tragic script? Now you're acting all cheerful again?"
Mobius rolled her eyes, exposing Elysia's sudden mood swing.
That sparkle in her eyes wasn't just enthusiasm — it might've been leftover tear reflections.
"Well, that's because! The confession between Luna and the Captain was really moving! And the story with Kongming too! Using memories tied to her to call back a lover — isn't that super romantic~? ♪"
"It's like… Like when Eden used her own memories to restore me! Cute girls like me just can't handle this kind of thing~! ♪"
Elysia pouted dramatically, touching her index fingers together in front of her chest.
Her long ears twitched, and a soft blush crept up from them.
No matter what expression she wore, she was always ridiculously cute.
"Memories… But I only have paint… Can I use color to restore Elysia too?"
Little Griseo bit her finger as she looked up at Elysia, her soft face radiating a different kind of cuteness altogether.
"Maybe… but no yellow! That shade belongs only to him, Luo Mo~ I'll stick with pink, okay?"
Elysia gently guided the little girl, teaching her step by step — a true candy-floss-style older sister.
Luo Mo, if he knew, would surely chide her for spoiling the child like this.
----
As Irene had mentioned, in the game's draft notes, the placeholder was blank — not describing Kongming at all. Yet even without writing them down, Irene had trusted the Captain implicitly. The blank spot… was reserved for the last Theresa — Luna. For the other Theresas, there were still possible rescue routes. But for Luna, Irene held no grand expectations. She advised the others not to hope too much.
Still, they insisted on trying.
"Red moon little girl… I will build a bridge for your sake. Please, cross through the dream fog, return here beneath the moon…"
Sirin softly recited the incantation of the Fading Dream on the rooftop.
Maybe fate wouldn't favor her this time; the next flash of white light revealed only emptiness.
Luna… didn't appeared.
The Captain clenched his hair in frustration — the sensation of failure weighed heavily on him.
Irene exhaled a quiet sigh and reluctantly explained:
"Luna not only didn't vanish into nothingness — she made the choice to say goodbye permanently. It was her decision."
This was the fundamental difference between Luna and the other Theresas.
This wasn't vampires, Ether, or magical artifacts.
This was something deeper — a choice of heart and resolve.
Yet Kongming did leave behind another plan — and because of that, she had avoided crossing paths with them.
So they were free to pursue the plan themselves.
Although they lacked enough Ether fragments to locate the narrow rift in the world, they still held a handful of pieces retrieved from this phase world.
Pinpointing Luna's position remained uncertain — but if the Hallowed Ferryman intended to ignite the Ether Anchor, then being in this world during that moment might give them the chance to intercept.
If they formed that rift between worlds —
if they could leverage enough cause-and-effect —
they might tightly unify the phase worlds into one.
Thus, the Ferryman's moment to burn the Ether Anchor …
must happen at this moment.
So they gathered, without debate.
They moved collectively toward the point in time and space where the Ferryman most likely acted — the same time he first appeared along the shoreline.
---
In Theresa's mansion.
"How should I explain…? This does feel kind of familiar. After all, the script still leaves a lot unsaid — No margin for error on the path we're following — You can't fully describe it!"
The Herrscher of Sentience sighed, shifting in her seat.
But when Fu Hua glanced at her from the corner of her eye, she immediately corrected herself.
"However… Sirin, you almost sound like a Magical Girl now, old stubborn one."
"…No."
Fu Hua replied steadily.
Was she lucid enough to realize how vast their memory differences truly were?
She'd never seen that Kongming — how could one witness her like that?
"So… maybe only asking the all-around expert Luo Mo could help.
Luo Mo... what about you weave a net through the gap? Then let Sirin follow through?"
The Herrscher of Sentience proposed a suggestion.
Since she'd basically arrived at the idea.
"It might still be difficult after Honkai ends.
Ellie said Griseo's projection fading almost caused trouble —
I can't confirm whether that's an example of Honkai letting go."
Luo Mo shrugged and said, "Honestly, I don't think Honkai or the system have anything to do with this—yet they won't stop blocking my path." He sighed, "It's just interference from Honkai."
"Heh, that's great—another reason to fight Honkai. And yet you still won't let Old Timer become a Magical Girl?"
The Herrscher of Sentience clenched her fist and whispered coldly in displeasure.
Fu Hua unconsciously nodded, then blinked in surprise.
"Wait… why me?"
She hadn't expected this assignment at all!
"School lessons… they're such a hassle. And magic and transformations… do I really need to go through the Magical Girl process?"
Senti said, arms crossed, eyeing the others with disdain.
"But… we still need it."
The Herrscher of Sentience answered firmly.
"What… what are you talking about?"
Fu Hua hesitated, unsure if she'd missed something.
"Magic is really helpful?"
"Everyone here has a transformation spell to change clothing. Why can't you? You're the villain role, and I'm not the hero? If you act this way, you'll never keep up with the times! So hurry up and learn the Magical Girl transformation!"
After saying this, the Herrscher of Sentience jumped up from the couch and walked off in a huff—clearly distancing herself.
Fu Hua sighed in resignation and rubbed her temple. She felt a tick in her rational self twitching—perhaps she'd been unrealistic in expecting anything different.
"Ah, this…"
Kiana was alarmed at the Herrscher's exit—
she couldn't keep up with the class monitor's authority anyway!
Although, the class monitor had quite a lack of fashion sense—since she lived by the moonlit lakeside.
Still, whenever Kiana saw Brownya in her magical-girl form, or the glimpse of Kongming 's finale — the class leader's style definitely hadn't progressed.
It made her wonder: were these two hopeless for the future?
Meanwhile, Fu Hua and Kongming still hoped Luo Mo's gestures were simply caring, not meant to doom them.
This thought— Kiana internally giggled at how ridiculous it was.
-----
On the shore…
Anchored at the beach was a dilapidated warship emanating low spiritual energy.
Though ravaged by time, the vessel still gave the group an uncanny sense of familiarity—like a faded Hyperion, faint but not erased.
Irene guided them easily, but midway they spotted Delta and Kasumi under attack.
Suddenly, the Ferryman's voice echoed over a loudspeaker with dire news:
Before they arrived, he'd forced Delta and Kasumi to ingest a drug — which could enhance combat ability on a wide scale but also had a lingering toxin.
By the time the countdown ended, they reached the ship — too late to intervene.
They were forced to choose: save the two poisoned teammates or face the Ferryman directly.
Preparing antidotes to neutralize the toxin was an option—but they'd need to split the team to act simultaneously.
For Kasumi, that meant being used like a weapon—someone who sacrifices herself by nature.
Realizing this, a faint panic crossed her expression.
"I… will still be abandoned?"
Though stoic, her eyes still held fear.
Delta, a true warrior, had escaped the raging snows by fighting.
She believed endless battle could numb the pain…
Yet when she heard that foolish name whispered in her semi-conscious mind, she woke instantly.
Her eyes locked on Kongming —she blamed her for everything, for being the annoying magical-girl rival.
Though her face remained cold, a single spark of warmth flickered inside.
Thanks to Luo Mo's effort and the group's teamwork, they managed to still rescue both of them.
And reached the Ferryman's lair at last.
Faced with his ultimatum, the Captain chose to not abandon anyone.
----
At Theresa's mansion…
"That Ferryman… Seriously—why do you even work for him?"
Kiana all but shouted, glaring fiercely at Delta and Kasumi.
They used the lives of their teammates to threaten themselves—it made no sense.
"Exactly!"
Bronya nodded earnestly.
"Feels even worse than Su Lu's drama in the company."
Luo Mo frowned slightly—he often sensed meaningful undercurrents in her words, though he had no proof.
"I certainly could do something like that—but there's still a clear hint. That Ferryman isn't shallow."
Kasumi lifted her tea cup to partially hide her face and spoke softly:
"I might be considered a tool…
but I've had that thought too.
Once… more times than I'd like to admit."
She let out a resigned sigh—two pink strands of hair framing her face.
Elysia and that junior young miss were honestly overenthusiastic—too enthusiastic, even.
"...What are you staring at? Of course I won't forget the little sister matter. But I'm not going to keep fading away like she did."
Delta said, arms crossed tightly, ponytail firm and resolute.
"Understand? Let's just stay vocal."
Bronie teased cheerfully, bringing laughter from the group.
Kallen watched the whole drama play out but felt a sudden clarity despite the emotional chaos.
Thanks to their own passion and struggle, she began seeing deeper truths.
"So… the Ferryman intentionally made you glance at him as a message to Luo Mo?
There are many ways to stretch time and strategy… but no need to emotionally harm a teammate like this to make the plan work, right?"
"There must be a rational way to avoid later regrets… Though it might be cruel, it doesn't have to hurt the team."
She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again—touching her heart.
It was easy to suspect the truth:
If the Ferryman were truly cruel, he wouldn't manipulate them like this.
But if he weren't cruel… then he wouldn't have forced a magical fight.
There was only one reason: he intended to set the current condition in motion.
To hand Delta and Kasumi over to the Captain and the rest of their group.
It may not make sense to anyone else—but it was the only answer that fit.