If you have a question or can't figure something out, just ask.
In the office, Clerical Worker 'Sparkle' stared wide-eyed at the battle report on her computer, feigning shock. "W-what should we do next, Deputy Director?"
The Deputy Director didn't even glance at her. "Just follow orders. That's not your concern."
Sparkle trembled and stammered, "Y-yes, sir!"
As soon as the Deputy Director turned away, Sparkle clicked her tongue in disdain, a look of disgust on her face.
You old geezer, just wait!
You won't tell me? Think my position isn't high enough? Fine, I'll find someone whose is!
Moments after their exchange, a vortex materialized in the middle of the office. The Deputy Director immediately tensed, but his eyes widened in astonishment as a figure emerged from the swirling portal. It was Director Fujiwara himself!
Needless to say, the real Fujiwara had been dead for some time. This impostor was merely a construct, the result of Sparkle's true form having already left Itajō and returned to the city.
Despite the increased security at the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, Sparkle once again infiltrated the building with ease.
Her next step was to subtly cast an illusion on the Deputy Director, making him believe he was seeing a teleportation portal. Then, she revealed another version of herself, disguised as Director Fujiwara and previously hidden nearby.
"Director?! You're alive?!" the Deputy Director exclaimed in shock.
Clerical Worker 'Sparkle' had always addressed the Deputy Director with formal honorifics. Now that he was finally showing her the same respect, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. How the tables have turned, little brother!
Thanks to Sparkle's deliberate performance, Director Fujiwara appeared to be in terrible shape. His hair was disheveled and grimy, his clothes torn to shreds—the picture of someone who had narrowly escaped a fierce battle.
This was only natural. After all, Director Fujiwara had faced three members of the White Eagle Eight. It would have been far stranger if he had returned unscathed!
"Cough... Of course I'm alive!" Fujiwara 'Sparkle' coughed and strode directly toward the Deputy Director's desk—or, more precisely, toward the chair he was currently occupying.
There was no doubt about it: this was the Director's seat in the office.
Seeing this, the Deputy Director scrambled to his feet, even pushing the chair forward to slide it under Fujiwara 'Sparkle's' rear.
Fujiwara 'Sparkle' didn't stand on ceremony. She settled into the chair with a languid sprawl, making herself thoroughly comfortable.
Then, she began spinning a wild tale. "That was a close call! We successfully eliminated the Wizard and the Hunter, but we almost lost everything to Mad Lion in the end. The assassination plan failed, and I barely escaped with my life."
"But..."
She paused dramatically, crossed her legs, and cleared her throat with a theatrical cough. "Ugh, my throat's a bit dry. Ahem..."
"Huh?" The Deputy Director blinked, then quickly recovered. He turned to the clerical worker 'Sparkle' beside him. "Did you hear that? What are you waiting for? Go fetch Director Fujiwara some water immediately!"
Clerical Worker 'Sparkle': "???"
Fujiwara 'Sparkle': "???"
Wait a minute! I'm the one bullying you here! How did you manage to turn this back on me?!
Fujiwara 'Sparkle' immediately snapped, "Hey, leave him alone! He's busy working. You—get me a drink, right now, got it?!"
"Huh?" The Deputy Director looked utterly bewildered. But seeing the Director's face darken, he hastily bowed in apology and hurried off to fetch her water.
A moment later, Fujiwara 'Sparkle' took a sip of the lukewarm water. Ah, refreshing!
She continued, "Mad Lion thought I was dead, but I'm tougher than he imagined. I stubbornly survived. So when the Dimensional Rift closed and everyone was teleported back to the airport, I immediately went into hiding."
"If Mad Lion had discovered I was still alive, he would have come back to finish the job. Besides, I used that time to treat my injuries."
"Originally... originally! I planned to return only when my wounds had mostly healed. But look at what you've done! What exactly are you doing?!" At this, Fujiwara 'Sparkle' jabbed a finger at the Deputy Director's nose and erupted into a furious tirade.
"It's only been a few days! The entire Sakura Nation fleet has been annihilated? White Eagle is already landing troops at our ports?!"
"And what's even more absurd is that instead of deploying troops for defense, you used the Black Box to create this mess of dimensional rifts! What on earth were you thinking?!"
After a long and winding detour, they had finally circled back to the original question, but now the situation was completely reversed.
The once-imposing Deputy Director was now bowing repeatedly before Sparkle, muttering endless apologies.
"Enough with the useless groveling! Can't you say something practical?" Sparkle snapped.
"I'm so, so sorry!" The Deputy Director bowed deeply again before explaining, "I... I had no other choice! Sending our troops and Evolvers to defend would have been futile against White Eagle's onslaught. It was better to lay a trap in advance. With just a handful of soldiers, we could make their entire army vanish!"
"And then what?" Fujiwara 'Sparkle' demanded. "What has changed now that you've done this? All you've accomplished is inciting White Eagle's fury—and possibly the rage of every nation in the world!"
"After this, White Eagle will undoubtedly be on high alert and switch to small-scale infiltrations or airborne assaults. How will you handle that? At this point, you might as well surrender! The Sakura Nation might even suffer fewer losses that way!"
As she spoke, Fujiwara 'Sparkle' abruptly stood up and strode toward the office door. "No, I need to contact White Eagle's leadership immediately. This situation..."
But in the next instant, something neither of the Sparkles could have anticipated happened: a gunshot rang out, piercing Fujiwara 'Sparkle's' chest. The shooter was none other than the Deputy Director himself.
His face twisted into a ferocious grimace, he snarled, "I just... I just... didn't want the Sakura Nation to lose! What's wrong with that?!"
Sparkle: "???"
Wait, is this how everyone in the Sakura Nation operates?