Whether it was the Deputy Director's constant refrain of "make yourself at home" or his offer to show Sparkle intelligence on the Dimensional Rifts, both were essentially attempts to win her over. His ultimate goal, of course, was to recruit this Outsider into their faction.
This could even be seen as a transaction. The Deputy Director's demand was for Sparkle to "treat this place like home." Now that her "home" was being invaded by other nations, wouldn't she feel compelled to lend a hand?
In exchange, the Deputy Director offered something Sparkle was currently very interested in: intelligence on the Dimensional Rifts. This information was his bargaining chip.
Knowing Sparkle possessed formidable infiltration skills, he cleverly withheld the exact location of the Rift, mentioning only the name of the city.
Sparkle tilted her head slightly, poking her cheek with a finger, her expression thoughtful. No matter how she looked at it, this deal was a terrible bargain. The Sakura Nation would essentially pay nothing—just sharing some data—while she would be bound to follow their orders and fight their battles?
But there was little she could do. Sparkle had revealed her intentions too clearly from the start. It was like playing old maid with her hand exposed and immediately throwing out the big joker on her first turn.
The problem wasn't insurmountable. The Deputy Director was trying to get something for nothing, but Sparkle was planning to do the same.
As she considered this, a wistful expression crossed her face. "To think of this place as my new home...? That's not entirely impossible..."
"Really?!" the Deputy Director exclaimed excitedly. "Whatever you need, just name it, and we'll do our best to provide it!"
How could the Deputy Director not be pleased? After all, by simply providing some research data—and they controlled exactly what that data contained—they had secured the assistance of an Outsider. Could there be a better bargain?
"Miss Sparkle, could you tell us more about your original world?" the Deputy Director pressed. This question wasn't particularly important; it was merely a stepping stone. Once they had a basic understanding of her world, they could move on to the next topic: her abilities.
However, as the Deputy Director looked expectantly at Sparkle, he noticed her expression gradually turning peculiar.
Sparkle licked her lips. "My original world? To be honest, I don't remember much about it. After all, I've traveled to so many places..."
As she spoke, her hands slowly rose to caress her face, her lips curling into a wide, manic grin. "But now, the only thing that truly captivates me is the sight of my world's destruction. It was... utterly fascinating, a sight I'll never tire of~!"
"And now, you're asking me to treat this place like my own home? This is... absolutely wonderful~! I've never heard a request that thrills me more~!"
"?!?" The Deputy Director froze solid, his mind reeling.
What the hell?
You destroyed your own world???
And he had just asked her to make herself at home here?
This is bad! Watching the young girl's expression grow increasingly sinister, the Deputy Director realized that Sparkle was far more dangerous than he had imagined. Inviting her to join the Sakura Nation might not be a boon, but a colossal disaster!
"Iai!" The moment this realization struck, the Deputy Director acted without hesitation. With a speed too fast for the human eye to follow, he drew his pistol and fired three shots in rapid succession.
Three shots rang out: one to the head, two to the body, all hitting their mark with lethal precision.
Yet Sparkle merely leaned back slightly, then tilted her head nonchalantly. "Huh? Weren't you just welcoming me so warmly?" she asked, as blood trickled down her forehead, past her right eye, and across the bridge of her nose, creating a gruesome spectacle.
In truth, anyone who had seen Sparkle cradle her face with that signature yandere expression would have realized this wasn't the real Sparkle, but merely a clone. After all, performing such a theatrical gesture in public would be far too embarrassing for the true Mu Heng-style Sparkle. It would be like wearing a full cosplay outfit into KFC and shouting through a megaphone, "Otherworldly encounters, savor the deliciousness!"
But controlling a clone remotely through the internet removed all inhibitions. Thus, any display of madness almost certainly came from a clone, while the relatively normal behavior likely stemmed from the original Sparkle.
As for her claims about her homeland's destruction, they were undoubtedly fabrications. And the Deputy Director, clearly terrified, had swallowed them hook, line, and sinker.
Sparkle, blood still dripping from her forehead, chuckled softly. "Never mind, it's nothing serious. I accept your invitation and appreciate your kindness. Now, I'll patiently prepare a grand gift for this beloved hometown of mine. Look forward to it!"
"Hahahaha!"
As she spoke, her excitement grew, her voice rising in pitch until it culminated in an unsettling, almost chilling laughter. Then, with a snap, Sparkle vanished into thin air, leaving only a white fox mask clattering to the ground.
"Deputy Director... what do we do now?" The clerical worker stammered, his legs trembling uncontrollably. "Have we gotten ourselves into something we can't handle?!"
The Deputy Director's expression was grim, his eyebrows furrowed into a tight knot. "Bad news, more bad news! How much worse can it get?! Damn it!"
"Still, that girl might just be bluffing. She might not be as powerful as she claims..." The Deputy Director's voice trailed off, tinged with doubt. He couldn't shake the memory of the Clone's disturbingly convincing performance, which had portrayed an unpredictable madwoman with unsettling realism.
"Whether or not that thing can destroy the world, she's undoubtedly an extremely dangerous individual!" Frowning, the Deputy Director barked orders at a clerical worker. "In any case, put the Itajō research base on high alert immediately!"
A mysterious entity with completely unknown and bizarre abilities had set its sights on the Sakura Nation. How could they possibly defend against such an unknown threat? He had no idea what she wanted or intended to do, making any effective defense impossible.
The Deputy Director only knew that the Outsider seemed intensely interested in the Dimensional Rift. Issuing this alert was naturally the only course of action he could take at that moment.
"Y-yes!" The clerical worker hurried out of the office, unaware that another 'Sparkle,' psychologically cloaked, was silently trailing behind him.
If they've already sent in a Clone to scout the situation, how could there be just one?
After the clerical worker left, the Deputy Director slammed his fist on the desk in frustration. "Damn it! Why are the Outsiders in other countries powerful and fiercely patriotic, while ours are all mentally deranged antisocial types?!"
Even as he spoke, a third 'Sparkle,' hidden in a corner of the room, tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed intently on him.
-
At that moment, on a bench about a kilometer from the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, Yamada Shinji, a scar-faced man with a menacing aura, dusted off his pants and stood up.
Although he hadn't extracted detailed information from the Deputy Director, it wasn't a major setback. All he needed to do now was tail the clerical worker. If necessary, he could even impersonate the worker to pry the exact location of the research base out of someone. That shouldn't be too difficult.
The next step was clear: head to Itajō!
Itajō, an ordinary city with no particular distinguishing features, wasn't far from Sakura Nation's capital. Sparkle hailed a taxi by the roadside and said, "To the station."
In the car, she rested her chin on her hand, watching the scenery pass by. Even though Sakura Nation was at war, the city seemed untouched, its streets still bustling with people.
Suddenly, Sparkle remembered a news story from her previous life: a Japanese man, knocked unconscious by a nuclear blast but still alive, had gone straight to work upon waking up. It was almost unbelievable.
Of course, they weren't at ground zero, but even at this distance, the aftershock was still considerable.
This highlighted a stark truth: it wasn't that war itself wasn't terrifying, but that the crushing pressure to survive in this country was so immense that people simply couldn't afford to stop working.
Lost in thought, Sparkle glanced at the driver and suddenly asked, "Driver, what's your take on this war?"
The driver jolted, clearly startled by the unexpected question from his high-profile passenger. After a moment, he replied, "My take? I don't have one, just bewilderment."
"Why did White Eagle suddenly lose their minds and declare war on us? It's not like two leaders dying in that Dimensional Rift was our fault. Anything can happen in those things! Even our own Sakura Nation Bureau of Anomalous Investigations Director died in one."
"But who would have thought White Eagle would use that as an excuse to declare war? What do they even want? This run-down place of ours has nothing worth taking. Even if they win, what would they gain?"
Sparkle fell silent for a moment before pressing, "What about the outcome? Do you think Sakura Nation can win?"
"Haha, look at what you're saying," the driver chuckled bitterly. "Of course I want Sakura Nation to win, but we're up against White Eagle. How could we possibly stand a chance? Instead of pinning our hopes on the newly appointed Prime Minister or those bloated generals, we'd be better off working our tails off while White Eagle hasn't attacked yet, earning some money, and stockpiling food at home."
Without a doubt, the driver's sentiments echoed the thoughts of most ordinary people in the country.
They were clueless about the war's origins, felt powerless to stop it, and while they hoped for their nation's victory, they understood its near impossibility.
In the end, it all boiled down to this: the driver sighed. "Ah... I just hope this war ends quickly, with as few casualties as possible..."
Sparkle fell silent, and the taxi lapsed into an awkward silence.
Time flew by. By the time Sparkle arrived in Itajō, it was already afternoon. As soon as she stepped out of the station, she immediately approached a dark-market taxi driver waiting outside the entrance.
Yes, in any country, busy airports and train stations always attract their fair share of these types.
The unlicensed taxi driver was a burly man. When he saw the scar-faced "Shinji" striding toward him with a menacing aura, he frowned. "You..."
But before he could finish, his expression went blank. He slowly opened the car door and settled into the passenger seat, while Sparkle took the driver's seat.
The Sakura Nation Bureau of Anomalous Investigations had made faster progress than she expected. She now knew the exact location of the Dimensional Rift Research Base, but the place was extremely remote and unlisted on any maps. Taking a taxi there was impractical, so she had no choice but to acquire her own vehicle.
In the capital of Sakura Nation, the Deputy Director addressed the clerical worker before him. "Have all the notifications been sent?"
The Sparkle Clone bowed deeply, nodding earnestly. "Yes, Deputy Director. Every notification has been delivered accurately."
Back in the present, Sparkle felt a sudden wave of discomfort the moment she settled into the driver's seat.
First, the Sakura Nation's driving configuration was the opposite of Dragon Nation's—the steering wheel was on the right!
Second... She wiggled her toes and realized she couldn't reach the accelerator or brake pedals!
"Damn it!" She clicked her tongue in annoyance. After fumbling for the seat adjustment controls, she pushed the seat forward and upward almost to its maximum extent before finally buckling her seatbelt.
To be fair, though she had driven and possessed a license in her previous life, Robin clearly hadn't bothered to get one in this world, mainly due to lack of time (or, more accurately, because she'd forgotten). As for Firefly and Sparkle, they had even less experience. In other words, she was now driving completely unlicensed.
To make matters worse, Sparkle immediately began driving in reverse, a rather challenging start.
Realizing the danger, she swiftly unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed into the back seat, and deployed a Clone to drive. That way, if an accident occurred, only the Clone would die!
Since her destination wasn't marked on the map, she navigated to a nearby location. Once there, she estimated the direction and drove the rest of the way herself, relying on her intuition.
Finally, as the sun began to set, in the middle of a desolate wilderness, Sparkle faintly spotted a heavily guarded research base looming in the distance.