Added to the Gacha as Rukkhadevata (Honkai Star Rail)

"Sister Lumina, this is Madam Herta's office. If everything goes as planned, you'll find a Herta Puppet inside."

"It's getting late. Should I head back now?" Asta led Lumina to the office door, glanced at the time, and spoke.

"Alright, Asta, you can go now," Lumina replied with a warm smile, gesturing for Asta to leave.

"..."

Asta remained motionless, her wide eyes fixed on Lumina, as if waiting for something.

"?"

Lumina tilted her head, a question mark forming in her mind. She couldn't quite understand what Asta wanted.

"Lu... Sister Lumina, my... my head..." Asta stammered, her face flushing crimson.

Lumina froze, then realization dawned. She looked at Asta and sighed with amusement. "I just can't say no to you, can I?"

She reached out and gently ruffled Asta's pink hair. "A perfect day starts with a head pat~" Lumina hummed softly, bestowing her blessing upon the pink-haired girl.

"Mmm!" Asta murmured softly, accepting Lumina's blessing. She closed her eyes, savoring the head pat.

Lumina gazed at the pink-haired girl before her, her eyes brimming with tenderness.

She could sense that Asta's feelings for her were more akin to familial affection than romantic love.

Hmm... As for why it's familial, even Lumina didn't quite know (^▽^ )

But it didn't matter. Whatever the nature of her feelings, Lumina cherished them.

Her own affection for Asta stemmed purely from a deep appreciation for beautiful girls, without any ulterior motives.♪

"Alright, Asta, it's almost time. You should head over now."

The head pat didn't last long. Lumina quickly withdrew her hand.

"Mmm, okay," Asta nodded, though her expression hinted at lingering reluctance.

"Then... Sister Lumina, I'll be going now?"

"Mhm."

Lumina waved goodbye, and Asta returned the gesture. Glancing at her phone, Asta's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly turned and scurried away.

"This kind of bond is truly wonderful," Lumina murmured sincerely, watching Asta's retreating figure.

What exactly was their relationship?

We're best friends, as close as sisters! ♪

Lumina cherished this connection dearly.

Lumina pushed open the door to Herta's office and stepped inside.

Her eyes darted around, wide with childlike curiosity as she took in the surroundings. Finding nothing particularly interesting, her gaze settled on the Herta Puppet standing to the right of a massive contraption in the office.

She approached the puppet, extended a finger, and poked its cheek several times. When it remained unresponsive, she whispered, "Herta? Herta, are you there?"

"Herta?"

She called out a few more times, but the puppet remained motionless.

Realizing Herta was likely busy with other matters and temporarily unavailable, Lumina took out her phone and sent a message:

Lumina: I'm in your office, but your puppet isn't moving.

Lumina wouldn't dare take advantage of Herta's absence to do anything strange to the puppet. She prided herself on her professionalism and respect for boundaries. Unless explicitly permitted, she wouldn't overstep.

After waiting for a while and still receiving no reply from Herta, Lumina tucked her phone away.

Lumina gazed at the Herta Puppet before her, reached out, and gently placed her hand on its head, stroking it softly.

"Hmm... not bad," she murmured, savoring the texture beneath her fingertips. Lumina nodded in satisfaction.

[ Didn't you say you wouldn't do anything without permission? ] the System couldn't help but quip, observing Lumina's sudden change of demeanor.

"I said I usually wouldn't," Lumina replied patiently, glancing at the System's message. "Since I'm doing it now, it's clearly an exception, right?"

[...]

"Still, probably because it's not a real person, the texture is noticeably inferior to March 7th and Asta," Lumina mused after a moment of contemplation.

"Hey, had enough groping?"

Just as Lumina finished her mental evaluation, the Herta Puppet abruptly opened its mouth and spoke.

Startled, Lumina looked down to see the puppet had shed its earlier lifelessness, now radiating a newfound vitality and glaring at her with a slightly hostile expression.

"Enough touching. Let's get down to business."

Lumina withdrew her hand, her expression calm and indifferent, betraying no hint of embarrassment.

In truth, Lumina saw nothing embarrassing about the situation. After all, it was just a matter of sneaking a headpat on a beautiful girl while she was "asleep" and getting caught in the act. What was there to be embarrassed about?

"Hmph," Herta scoffed, sensing Lumina's utter lack of concern. She turned her gaze to the massive device beside her and said, "This is called the Simulated Universe. As the name suggests, it simulates universes."

"To put it more precisely, this device is a simulation system designed to study the Aeons."

"So, you want me to be a test subject?" Lumina asked, already grasping Herta's intent.

"Not exactly. We already have test subjects." Unexpectedly, Herta shook her head, her eyes burning with fervor as she stared at the machine. "Having faced the Aeon of Abundance directly, I believe you'd be an invaluable partner."

"Therefore..."

As Herta finished speaking, her gaze returned to Lumina, her expression and tone turning solemn.

"I, Herta, representing Screwllum and Ruan Mei, invite you to join our research on the Simulated Universe."

"Oh?" Lumina was genuinely surprised. She had never imagined that Herta had summoned her here to offer her a partnership. Seeing Herta's earnest demeanor, utterly devoid of jest, Lumina paused for a moment before smiling and accepting.

"I'm no genius," she admitted, "and I might not be of much help."

"But if you truly trust me, I'm willing to contribute whatever little I can."

Herta grinned and extended her hand. "Then welcome aboard."

Without hesitation, Lumina grasped Herta's hand. Joining Herta's team as one of the creators of the Simulated Universe was an opportunity Lumina couldn't possibly refuse. As a partner, she could develop new Curios, Blessings, and even entire modules to... ahem... to enrich the players' experience.

[You were about to say "torment," weren't you? You totally meant to say "torment"!]

"You're overthinking it."

Lumina's expression remained unchanged, betraying no hint of deception or weakness.