Added to the Gacha as Rukkhadevata (Honkai Star Rail)

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Lying is for Puppies



Ding-ding-ding...

As Lumina watched March 7th depart, her phone rang. She pulled it out, read the message, and tapped a quick reply:

[Stelle: Where are you? I need to talk to you.]

[Lumina: I'm at the platform. You'll see me when you get here.]

[Stelle: Okay.]

Stelle went offline.

Lumina pocketed her phone, her gaze returning to the starry expanse of the galaxy as she waited for Stelle's arrival.

[ "You're such a player..." ] the System muttered.

Even the System was slightly appalled. Lumina had just finished a heartfelt conversation with March 7th and was already preparing to cozy up to another cute girl.

[The Saintess, outwardly pure and flawless, is secretly a notorious lesbian mastermind.]

"A player?" Lumina chuckled at the System's accusation.

"What does it even mean to be a player? Confirming feelings with one girl and then flirting with another? That's being a player."

"But me? Am I a player? No way."

This wasn't a virtual game with teleportation. Stelle wouldn't arrive for some time, leaving Lumina plenty of time to banter with the System.

"Are March 7th and I lovers? No."

"Are March 7th and I in a romantic relationship? No."

"March 7th and I are just friends. Our conversation earlier was simply due to the sadness of parting."

"As friends, exchanging gifts is perfectly normal, right?"

Lumina explained her relationship with March 7th logically and convincingly.

"What about Stelle? It's the same. We're not lovers, there's no romantic tension between us—we're just friends."

"Besides, she was the one who approached me first. What does that have to do with me?"

Lumina adopted an innocent demeanor, appearing almost like a victim.

[You...]

The System found itself utterly without grounds for rebuttal.

Lumina's words were entirely true, leaving no room for argument. How could it possibly accuse her of being a "player" when she hadn't done anything wrong?

[Just you wait. The day you slip up, I'll record every detail!]

Though unable to refute Lumina's logic, the System couldn't resist its snarky retort.

"Heh." Lumina chuckled dismissively, unfazed.

At most, I've held their hands and ruffled their hair. I'm not flirting or pursuing romantic relationships with them. How could I possibly mess up?

-

Stelle quickly arrived at the platform, glancing around until she Lumina.

Observing the crowd's reverent gazes fixed on Lumina, Stelle straightened her posture and strode confidently toward her.

In full view of everyone, she approached Lumina from behind, reached out a finger, and gently tapped her shoulder.

"You're here! ♪"

Feeling the touch and sensing the familiar presence behind her, Lumina turned with a smile.

Her eyes drifted to the Astral Express in the distance before she turned back to Stelle with a gentle reminder:

"The Astral Express is about to depart. Ask me anything you want now."

"Will we meet again?" Stelle nodded, voicing her question.

"Of course! The Astral Express's next stop is Penacony. We'll see each other there, but it won't be too soon."

"What exactly is a Stellaron?"

Lumina paused to consider her words before explaining:

"On the interstellar routes forged by Trailblaze, certain substances disrupt the flow of Imaginary energy. They take the form of Stellarons, continuously infecting adjacent worlds and spreading."

"So, the Stellaron is also known as the Cancer of All Worlds."

Noticing the worry in Stelle's eyes, Lumina added reassuringly, "Don't worry. The Stellaron within you is very stable. There won't be any problems."

"Mm," Stelle nodded. After a moment of silence, her lips twitched as if she wanted to say something but was too shy or afraid to speak.

"You want to ask about me, don't you?" Lumina saw through her unspoken question, her gaze drifting outward to the stars scattered across the Milky Way.

"My story..." Lumina sighed softly, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

"..." Stelle opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came.

"How about this?" Lumina lowered her head thoughtfully, then smiled faintly. "We'll meet twice more—once at the Space Station and once on Penacony."

"In the far future, if we ever meet a third time, I'll tell you my entire story. How does that sound?"

Lumina placed her hand over her chest, her gentle expression leaving no room for doubt about the sincerity of her words.

"Really?" Stelle's eyes sparkled as she stared at Lumina in awe.

"Pfft." Lumina couldn't help but chuckle at Stelle's slightly dazed expression.

The genuine smile that blossomed on her face quietly claimed a place in Stelle's heart...

"Of course it's true♪"

Lumina regained her composure and gave Stelle a soft smile.

At this point in the story, from the player's perspective, the screen faded to black, transitioning into a cutscene...

Lumina gazed out at the cosmos, reaching out her hand to grasp a bright star.

"Look at all the stars in the universe. Each one of those shining points corresponds to a planet."

"And on each of those planets, how many forms of life might exist?"

"Even on the same planet, once you've passed someone by, you might never meet them again in your entire life."

"Let alone across the vastness of the universe."

"Meeting even once is a rare stroke of fate."

"Not to mention three times." Lumina shook her head, lowered her hand, and stepped closer to Stelle.

"Given such an improbable coincidence, I'll consider you a close friend."

"And naturally, I'll share my story with you."

"But since you don't believe me, let's settle this the old-fashioned way." Lumina stopped before Stelle, extended her pinky, and gave her a gentle smile. "Liar's a puppy," she said. Stelle stared at Lumina, momentarily stunned. Then she sighed, wearing an expression of exasperated resignation, and extended her own pinky to hook it with Lumina's.

"Liar's a puppy," she repeated.

As the words were spoken, a flash of green light erupted from Stelle's pinky.

A ring materialized on her finger.

Noticing the puzzled look on Stelle's face, Lumina winked at her.

"It's for you~♪"

Lumina's Ring

Rank: Four-Star

Upon obtaining Lumina's Ring, the storage capacity for Light Cones and instruments in your inventory is permanently increased by one thousand slots.


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