My best guess is those are the real ones, brought along by Lifemaker just like Evangeline, which would imply (seeing how one of the Karin and Kuros in the fanservice hugging panel have ‘normal’ faces unlike the others)
I agree.
Lifemaker can use people, even immortals, as puppets. This would lend more credency to the theory she’s using the real Rakan, Albireo, Nodoka and Yue, but on the other hand only makes you question further why she ever loses at all if not because she takes convenient falls for the plot’s sake.
We saw her (disguised as Nagi) take control of Jack and Eva at the end of the Magic World arc, where Negi and Asuna defeated MotB after a fashion. They were simply frozen in place and could not move around much.
As to MotB, she never really loses. The physical body she possesses at any one time may get defeated, but she never does.
As to Asuna…yeah, that’s a mystery to me.