Chapter 134: Cloning, Transforming, Perfect Acting, Who Else Could it be But Sparkle?
One Hour Earlier, Belobog.
The number of Shadowkhan and Fragmentum monsters launching indiscriminate attacks within the city had decreased, as Cocolia was gathering dark power and Stellaron energy for her final battle. The Fragmentum, which had begun to encroach on the Commercial Street, had even receded. The remaining shadow ninjas were easily mopped up by the combined forces of the Silvermane Guards, Wildfire, and the automaton soldiers led by Svarog.
BOOM!
With a heaven-and-earth-shaking roar, the residents of Belobog simultaneously looked up towards the north. Everyone could see a crimson-gold cross of light rising from the ground, dozens of miles away. That was the "Skyfire Unsheathed" that Caelus had unleashed after Stelle had stepped onto the Path of Preservation, combining the Flame of Preservation with the Fire of the Sun. The flame tore through the rolling sea of dark clouds as if to purify the world.
"What's happening in the north?"
"The sun! Is that the sun?"
"Has the Sun God descended?"
"Qlipoth bless us!"
Some citizens began to whisper amongst themselves, while others clasped their hands together and prayed towards the pillar of fire. In Belobog, the flame that allowed people to resist the cold was a symbol of the Preservation. That flame, tearing through the sea of clouds, was, in the eyes of many, a sign that an Aeon had answered their prayers and was saving them. But some residents were also terrified and uneasy.
The Silverwing's voice rang out at the perfect moment through the broadcast equipment, reaching every corner of the city. "Everyone."
"The traitor Cocolia has fled Belobog. In the snow plains, she has awakened the evil power given to her by the Antimatter Legion, attempting to once again cast the shadow of destruction upon us!"
Hearing this, countless citizens were filled with panic, fear, and burning rage. Not a single person doubted the Silverwing's words. Ancient texts had recorded the scene of the apocalypse descending seven hundred years ago—a sky filled with darkness, identical to the one now. This was a secondary reason, as only a few people knew of this. The main reason was that the darkness covering the sky was just too dense. Even ordinary people with no special abilities could easily sense the hair-raising malice and evil aura within it. What else could it be but the great enemy that had tried to destroy the world seven hundred years ago?
Other than the Antimatter Legion, there was no other answer!
"But there is no need for any of you to panic!" As countless people felt a chill run down their spines, the Silverwing's voice rang out again. "Everyone, do you see that flame? That is our hope!"
"It comes from the heroes from beyond the sky, who were framed by Cocolia! They are helping us fight against Cocolia, who has thrown her lot in with Destruction!"
"It is those warriors who are bearing this burden for us, burning themselves to dispel the long night and bring us the light!" The clear, uplifting voice inspired the people. The Silverwing winked. Tee-hee, praising myself this much is a little embarrassing. I've got to step it up! I'm so good at this!
She wondered if Super Granzort had the ability to power up based on the "light" in people's hearts. If so, a few more words from the Silverwing might just be enough to bring out its Shining Form.
The current Supreme Guardian, the Silverwing, was also temporarily serving as a war correspondent, informing the citizens of the battle's progress when necessary. She had no choice; the commotion from the battle between the Madou Kings, the Engine of Slaughter, and Cocolia was just too huge. Mountains collapsed, the earth shattered, lightning flashed, and darkness and flame clashed. If she let the citizens' imaginations run wild, it might lead to rumors of the apocalypse, causing riots.
This continued until Cocolia was cut down by the "Sever in a Single Strike," a brilliant cross of light rose in the sky, and the aftershock of the explosion reached even Belobog, dispelling the darkness that roiled in the heavens. The whole process took only a few dozen seconds, a scene that defied the laws of nature, like a miracle. The people of Belobog hadn't seen such bright sunlight for generations.
The moment the sunlight shone down again, thousands of Silvermane Guards, in silence, pushed their exhausted bodies to stand up, and together they looked towards the silver-haired girl with her hair dancing in the wind, standing proudly at the highest point of Qlipoth Fort. It wasn't just the guards; more and more citizens also cast their gazes upon her.
Adjusting her tone and emotions, the Silverwing raised her lance and declared loudly:
"Everyone, rejoice!"
"For the triumphant return of the heroes! For your perseverance! For the survival of Belobog! For our future!"
"We are victorious!"
At Bronya's rousing cry, countless citizens, guards, people from both the Overworld and the Underworld, all shouted and cheered, reveling and venting the joy in their hearts!
"All hail the Supreme Guardian!"
"All hail Lady Bronya!"
"All hail the heroes!"
"The brave! Are immortal!"
Many emotional citizens even knelt towards the north and began to kowtow.
As the cheers echoed endlessly, a pleased smile curved the Silverwing's lips. After the victory, there were indeed many things to be done in Belobog. But would it be difficult? Not at all.
The truth about the Stellaron and the Eternal Freeze was only known to a few people in the Overworld and Underworld, special individuals like Serval, Natasha, and the other Seele. Cocolia's betrayal and her power were blamed on the Antimatter Legion, with the Shadowkhan as material evidence. In this way, the people's resentment would be directed at Cocolia herself, not the office of the Supreme Guardian. Add to that "Bronya's" performance in the fight against the evil Cocolia, which all the citizens had witnessed firsthand. And with the seed crops that would solve the food crisis, Belobog would welcome a monumental Supreme Guardian. The trailblazing team's glory and contributions in defeating Cocolia would not be diminished in the slightest.
This was the "truth" that would give everyone a bright future.
"Mother, you can rest in peace now, can't you?" In an inaudible whisper, the Silverwing gazed at the northern horizon. Honestly, after serving as the captain of the Silvermane Guards for so long and gaining a deep understanding of the predicament Belobog faced, she had come to understand this Cocolia. Regarding the Stellaron, every generation of Supreme Guardian had chosen deception. Passed down from generation to generation, seven hundred years of it had piled up into despair. If not for the arrival of the Express, Jarilo-VI might really have been destroyed in a dozen or so years, a few decades at most. It was a limit of destruction that could not be reversed, no matter how hard they struggled. The Silverwing could understand, to an extent. But Cocolia had put on the Tarakudo Mask. After that, there was nothing more to be said.
"Brilliant! Brilliant~!" A slightly fawning voice, accompanied by crisp, loud applause, came from behind her. "This play was truly brilliant! Old Sampo is in absolute awe!"
Like a member of the audience who had just seen a spectacular scene and was overcome with excitement, Sampo walked onto the rooftop of the castle, where only the silver-haired girl stood. "A master is a master, truly impressive!"
After escaping from "Sparkle," Sampo had come to the Overworld. If you can't beat them, run away! With a master like her around, his script in the Underworld was definitely a no-go. But Jarilo-VI was his home turf. Couldn't he just switch stages?
Just as Sampo was conceptualizing his character in the Overworld, he suddenly realized something was wrong. There was another "Bronya" up here! This "new captain of the Silvermane Guards" was almost identical to the one in Sampo's memory. It didn't take Sampo even a second to reach a conclusion. It was obvious. Sparkle had taken over both stages!
After all, not just any Masked Fool possessed the ability to freely transform into others. Creating myriad faces was one of Sparkle's signature abilities. Cloning, transforming, perfect acting, who else could it be but Sparkle? Sampo, who had been somewhat skeptical of her identity before, was now even more certain.
Well, it seemed there wouldn't be much of a role for him in this play. Sampo found a corner in the Overworld and settled down. He didn't approach the Silverwing at the center of the stage; he didn't think he could fool Sparkle if he got close. As long as the master didn't come to mess with him, it was a good thing. Why ask for trouble? Crouching in a corner, silently watching the master's performance.jpg
Sampo was truly blown away by the master's performance. The two plays—the battlefield at Everwinter Hill in the far north and the one in Belobog city—were perfectly coordinated, one link after another. Old Sampo couldn't help but applaud. This act was truly a masterpiece! At the climax of the performance, how could there be no applause? Sampo, who had derived immense Elation from the play, felt he should show his appreciation. This was proper etiquette for an "audience member."
The Silverwing's expression remained composed from beginning to end. "Ohoho~ Thank you for the praise~!" A voice as enchanting and flirtatious as a siren's issued from the Silverwing's cherry lips. At the same time, she no longer suppressed the Elation in her heart, and the corners of her mouth curled up wildly.
The moment she sensed Sampo, the Silverwing had raised her hand to the bowtie voice changer. She had taken it out using Raven's body, adjusted it to Sparkle's voice, then taken it back through her system space. "...However~"
With her back to Sampo, the Silverwing tilted her head back, her fair, jade-like fingers lightly tapping her chin, perfectly replicating Tingyun's famous neck-tilt pose. Her pink pupils emitted a fluorescent light, like the plum blossoms in Sparkle's eyes.
"Sam~po~, you didn't just come here to offer applause, did you~? What's wrong~? Are you afraid I'll play Belobog to ruin~?" The Silverwing blinked her big, bright eyes, putting on a pitiful act. "How could a kind~ and cute~ Miss Sparkle~ do something like that?"
"The ultimate evil villain~ has already been defeated by the 'heroes,' you know~!"
"Hehe, Master, you...!" Sampo scratched his head, sweating profusely. If he was 99.9% sure of her identity as Sparkle before, he was now 120% sure. That tone, that gesture, it was definitely Sparkle, no doubt about it! "Miss Sparkle, are you preparing for the curtain call now?"
Sampo hadn't just come to offer applause. He was mainly worried that Sparkle would pull another big stunt. The Elation this master sought... Sampo didn't dare to compliment it. He suspected... no, he was certain that the dark power that had shrouded the planet had Sparkle's hand in it. And that strange mecha imbued with dark power was also very likely something she had brought to this planet. This kind of Elation, which involved madly dancing on the edge of world destruction, was another ironclad proof of her identity as Sparkle! The battle at Everwinter Hill had made Sampo's heart pound in his chest. One wrong move and Belobog and this planet would have been done for! This was his old stomping ground; he couldn't let it be destroyed by this unscrupulous master.
"Curtain call? Of course not~ But the Elation to come is off-limits to viewers, you know." The Silverwing held a finger to her lips, tilting her head and looking flirtatiously at Sampo, her smile gradually becoming dangerous. "Or perhaps, you'd like to participate?"
"Ahem, no, no! No need to participate."
"Master, you continue your business. Old Sampo has some things to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave."
The situation was not good. Run! Sampo ran to a small alley in the city. Seeing that no one had followed him, he breathed a sigh of relief. For now, it seemed Jarilo-VI was not in danger. But...
"Elation that's off-limits to viewers?" Sampo was very interested, but he didn't dare to investigate further.
Just as Sampo was pondering, he suddenly heard a commotion from the direction of the main street's city gate. He looked over and a smile spread across his face. "The protagonists have returned."
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