Chapter 193: An unexpected revelation for anyone.

Noah wasn’t understanding the question he had just heard, and Stella watched him.

"You don’t have to stay so quiet."

Noah felt his body tense up.

"What do you mean?"

"What I asked."

Stella smiled.

"Is your current life better than your previous one?"

Noah didn’t answer, but his mind started working quickly.

’She can’t know that.’

No one knew, since only the goddess and he were aware of it.

Stella continued.

"Though I suppose the answer is obvious."

Noah felt a chill.

"Who are you?"

Stella ignored the question.

"Family."

She took a step toward him.

"Friends."

Another step.

"Girlfriends."

Noah clenched his fists while Stella smiled.

"Fiancées."

Noah stared at her.

"I asked you who you are."

Stella tilted her head slightly.

"Maybe you should add more."

Noah frowned.

"What?"

"Magical girls."

Stella kept smiling.

"You could add more magical girls to your harem."

Noah took a step back, since by now he no longer had any doubt that this wasn’t Stella.

"Who are you!?"

Stella looked at him for several seconds and then answered with a name.

Upon hearing who it was, Noah went completely still, his eyes widened, and for a moment he couldn’t even breathe properly.

’It can’t be.’

Stella was still in front of him, smiling, so Noah reacted and tried to activate one of his abilities, but he didn’t manage to.

Stella vanished from her position and Noah only saw her when she was already right in front of him.

He had no time to step back and she brought her face close to his ear.

"Rest for a while."

Noah tried to move, but nothing responded and his vision began to fade.

’No.’

He tried to activate another ability, but that didn’t work either and the world disappeared.

’...’

"Noah."

A voice reached him from far away.

"Noah."

He frowned.

"Wake up."

He slowly opened his eyes and Sarah was in front of him, so he blinked.

"Mom?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Did you fall asleep?"

Noah looked around and he was sitting in the living room of his house.

For several seconds he understood nothing, looked toward the window and it was getting dark.

’What?’

Sarah spoke.

"They’re leaving."

Noah turned his head.

Emma was near the door with Ava and there were Stella along with her manager.

Noah felt his entire body tense up.

Stella looked at him and smiled with the same smile.

"Are you okay?"

Noah didn’t answer and Sarah touched his shoulder.

"Noah."

He reacted.

"Yes, I’m... fine..."

"Go say goodbye to the guests."

Noah looked at the clock and hours had passed.

’What happened?’

The last thing he remembered was walking with Stella, then that conversation, the question, the voice in his ear and now he was there, at home.

He didn’t remember having returned, or bought anything, or even eaten.

Stella kept looking at him, so Noah stood up slowly and for a few seconds considered confronting her.

Asking her directly, demanding explanations, even attacking, but then he saw his family, all of them just a few meters away.

’No.’

He couldn’t risk it.

If that person really was who she had said she was, Noah didn’t know what she could do and he also didn’t know if his abilities would work.

She had neutralized him effortlessly and had been inside his house for hours.

Noah clenched his teeth.

’Let her go.’

It was the only safe option, so he approached.

"Thanks for coming."

His voice came out firmer than he expected and the manager smiled.

"Thank you for having us."

Stella observed Noah.

"It was fun."

Noah held her gaze.

"I’m glad."

Stella smiled a little more.

"We’ll see each other again."

Noah didn’t answer while Emma opened the door.

"Whenever you want to come back, you’ll be welcome."

"Thank you very much."

Stella left with her manager behind her, so Noah watched them until they disappeared from his sight and then closed the door.

Ava looked at him.

"You’re acting weird."

"I’m tired."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Noah didn’t want to keep talking, so he went upstairs, entered his room, closed the door and sat on the bed.

For several seconds he stayed completely still and then brought both hands to his face.

’Was it true?’

He went over the conversation and the way that fake Stella knew about his previous life, plus the fact that she had told him who she was.

Noah slowly lowered his hands and looked at the floor.

’If that’s true...’

He didn’t finish the thought, because he didn’t want to.

Several kilometers away, Nozomi remained crouched behind a window while Aoi was next to her and Rina kept watch from another point.

The house in front of them belonged to the real Stella Lumina.

Nozomi used some small binoculars and saw that Stella was in a second-floor room.

She seemed to be reading, nothing strange or related to her possible selection as a magical girl.

Nozomi sighed.

"How boring."

Rina answered over the communicator.

"I thought we weren’t supposed to complain."

"I’m not complaining."

"You just did."

"I’m describing the situation."

Aoi spoke.

"That sounded like a complaint."

Nozomi ignored both of them.

They had been watching the house for far too long.

Stella had returned a while ago and hadn’t received any visitors, or used magic, or done absolutely anything interesting.

Nozomi lowered the binoculars.

"Maybe the information was wrong."

Aoi shook her head.

"The Great Mother doesn’t send information without a reason."

"I hope so."

Rina spoke.

"Movement."

Nozomi looked up and two women were walking toward them, but the leader frowned, since one of them was Stella.

Nozomi immediately looked toward the house window, seeing that the real Stella was still inside, so she looked back at the woman approaching.

She was identical, with the same face, hair and voice when she spoke.

"Good evening."

None of the three answered.

Rina brought a hand near her weapon, Aoi did the same and Nozomi stayed calm.

"Who are you?"

The fake Stella smiled.

The woman walking next to her was wearing formal clothes and had the appearance of a manager, but Nozomi recognized her face.

Aoi also recognized her and Rina stopped moving, since that "manager" was one of the high-ranking members of the organization.

Someone they rarely saw directly.

Nozomi slowly lowered her hand and the fake Stella spoke.

"I wanted to thank you."

Nozomi frowned.

"For what?"

"For the information."

"What information?"

"About Stella Lumina."

The fake Stella looked toward the house.

"It was very useful."

Nozomi stayed silent.

That didn’t clarify anything; on the contrary, now she had even more questions.

She didn’t know who that woman was, or why she had Stella’s face, or what information they had actually provided.

Even so, she answered with discipline.

"I’m glad we were useful."

The fake Stella smiled.

"You were."

Nozomi tilted her head slightly.

"May I ask who you are?"

The manager immediately turned toward her and her expression changed.

" respect!"

Nozomi stayed still and the woman took a step forward.

"You should be extremely grateful."

Rina and Aoi exchanged a look while Nozomi frowned.

"Why?"

The manager looked at the fake Stella and then back at the group.

"Because few agents have the privilege of meeting her directly."

Nozomi felt immediate discomfort.

The fake Stella kept smiling while the manager continued.

"The woman in front of you..."

She paused.

"...is the Great Mother herself."

There was silence.

Nozomi stopped breathing for an instant, Aoi’s eyes widened and Rina went completely still.

The fake Stella observed them while smiling.