'Sparkle' was still holed up in that old place Elio used to own.
Mainly waiting for Sparkle to show up.
It wasn't like she'd hidden her spot all that well—if soone really wanted to find her, they probably could.
But for so reason, the folks from the Corporation didn't seem to react at all.
Were they really that easygoing?
Under the video she posted, though, so Masked Fool had gone and blown Sparkle's cover.
"Trust , this account's real na is Sparkle—a Masked Fool who lives for drama and a good ti. Got HD pics right here! DM '1' and I'll send 'em."
That was the top comnt, posted by so guy seriously calling himself "Anonymous."
And right below it, a whole flood of replies: "111," "111," "111."
The second most-liked comnt was just a photo of Sparkle.
No idea where it was taken, either. In the picture, Sparkle looked totally out of it—none of that sharp, cunning vibe she usually had.
And then the comnt section got interesting.
"She's this tiny? Isn't she shorter than the scarecrow in my backyard?"
"I'm in love. Anyone know how to get Sparkle's contact info?"
"Bro, chill—she's a Masked Fool."
"Wait, for real? This little girl did all that? I'm a Galaxy Ranger, so don't ss with , or I'll blast you."
"Swear it's true, man. Co down to the tavern and I'll point her out."
"The Masked Fools posted this?? What are they playing at?"
So Masked Fool had jumped out and exposed 'Sparkle's' identity.
Just like that, the comnt section zeroed in on Sparkle.
And what ca with that?
Her own emotional energy points kept climbing, higher and higher. Of course, with the Masked Fools stirring the pot, what started as a halfway-serious comnt section quickly went off the rails.
Aside from those fixated on Sparkle herself, a few… abstract individuals began spawning randomly in the comnts:
"The Yaoshi… sob… my Yaoshi… why are you so beautiful…"
"Is this guy one of the Emanators of Abundance? Can I report him to the Xianzhou?"
"I'm from a world under the Land of Light. I'll help you report it to them."
"So Xipe is this good-looking?? The Family's been keeping this from us? I'm joining, right now."
"Why's the Hunt sitting in a wheelchair?"
"So the Erudition's got a single red eye? I always thought it was just a big robot head. But then again, why would it look human?"
"That's the Erudition's profile, you idiot!"
"I don't care, that's totally its eye!"
No idea where these folks crawled out from, but one thing was clear—they weren't the serious type.
As for anything related to the Preservation? Not a single comnt in sight.
Probably all deleted by the Corporation.
And just as 'Sparkle' was gleefully scrolling through this glorious ss of a comnt section, even making burner accounts to stir up more chaos—Sparkle finally showed up at her door.
-- --
"So this is where the little tanuki's hiding? Pretty damn remote."
Sparkle checked the location on her phone, then eyed the desolate spot in front of her—literally the middle of nowhere.
A dangerous smirk tugged at her lips.
"You'd better be worth the trouble, otherwise… let's just say I'm not the forgiving type~"
She hopped and skipped toward the distinctive-looking house, tossing a red button up and down in her hand.
At the door, Sparkle cheerfully pressed the doorbell.
The mont the person inside opened up, Sparkle knew she'd found the right place.
This girl who looked exactly like her?
No doubt about it—she was the one who posted that video.
"Well, well~ What a surprise."
Sparkle tilted her head, grinning as she circled 'Sparkle', looking her up and down.
Appearance, expression, height—all a perfect match.
And 'Sparkle' was sizing up the real Sparkle, too.
Seeing herself in a mirror wasn't the sa—face to face like this, Sparkle's features were actually pretty delicate.
Even if she was pint-sized like a kid, her deanor and expressions kept anyone from actually treating her like one.
And that red outfit of hers, though a bit revealing, ca off more cute and pretty than anything.
"You got here faster than I thought. Figured it'd take you a few more tries."
'Sparkle' watched the real one grin and inspect her, noticing the red button she was fiddling with.
Sparkle shook her head, still smiling: "Seems you don't know that well after all. If sothing's fun, no matter where, I'll always be the first to arrive."
As she spoke, Sparkle held out the button to her double.
"Hehe~ If you're really , you must know what this button does, right? Wanna press it~? I prepared this little surprise just for you."
'Sparkle' stared into her eyes and pressed it without hesitation.
No explosion—just a soft pop and a burst of confetti.
"A bit crude, little Sparkle~ The controller inside isn't linked to any signal transmitter, and there's nothing explosive in the button past safety limits. This kind of test won't work on ."
'Sparkle' giggled, raising a finger to point at her own eyes.
The talents she'd inherited from those two geniuses weren't just for show.
Such a simple chanical gadget was easy for her to see through—didn't even need to take it apart.
"Tch… boring."
She actually saw through it just by looking? How la.
None of the thrilling guesswork she'd hoped for.
"Then let show you a better design?"
'Sparkle' mysteriously flipped her hand over, producing an identical red button.
She handed it to the real Sparkle.
"What's in this one?"
Sparkle weighed it in her hand, trying to figure out how to dismantle it. But after a few attempts, she realized—even though it looked the sa as hers, this one was way more advanced.
At the very least, she couldn't find any way to take it apart.
"You guess~"
Hearing her double's provocation, a dangerous smile spread across Sparkle's face.
She looked up at her other self, then suddenly reached out, pressed the button hard against the other's ear, and pushed: "You guess whether I'll guess or not?"
But the next mont, sothing unexpected happened.
What was inside wasn't confetti, and it wasn't an explosive, either.
With a click, the button depressed.
A cluster of flas burst from the button, instantly crawling up Sparkle's own arm—without so much as touching 'Sparkle' right beside her.
"Huh?"
The Phase Flas engulfed the real Sparkle, her face utterly dumbstruck, and whisked her away to who-knows-where.
'Sparkle' cracked up, laughing out loud.
The tiny cara hidden in the bell on her necklace had perfectly captured Sparkle's stunned, silly expression.
One day, when she'd turned into Black Swan, she'd have to find a way to turn this clip into a mory and send it straight to Sparkle.
-- --
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