The Deputy Director raged maniacally, "Director Fujiwara, you've changed! You weren't like this before! But don't worry, after you're gone, I'll bring victory back to the Sakura Nation, no matter the cost or the means!"
Even as he spoke, the Deputy Director continued to squeeze the trigger relentlessly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Sparkle stood frozen in shock, unsure how to react. She watched in disbelief as the Deputy Director fired shot after shot, each bullet tearing through Director Fujiwara's body. Yet the man remained standing firmly in place, completely unscathed.
"Wait a minute—you're not Director Fujiwara at all!" the Deputy Director finally realized. "It's you—!!!"
"No, no, no, whether I'm the real Director Fujiwara or not is irrelevant now," Sparkle said, dropping her disguise and reverting to her true form despite the multiple gunshot wounds. She pursed her lips and smirked. "What matters is... you really put on quite a show there, pal. You might have a future as a comedian."
It's worth noting that the Deputy Director's shots had indeed hit Sparkle. However, because he had aimed for her chest, the bullets struck her collarbone, shoulder, and ear instead.
Ignoring her injuries, Sparkle immediately turned her head, hopped lightly, and settled back into the Director's chair.
"Sparkle—!!!" The Deputy Director hissed her name through gritted teeth.
"I'm here, I'm here! No need to shout so loud, I can hear you just fine~" But the voice didn't come from the Sparkle in the Director's chair. Instead, it came from behind the Deputy Director. He whirled around to find the clerical worker who should have been at their post had vanished, replaced by another Sparkle, casually crossing her legs, propping her chin on her hand, and regarding him with amusement.
"Actually, according to our agreement, I came back this time to discuss that big gift with you." This third voice emanated from the doorway. The Deputy Director spun around again to see a third Sparkle speaking while simultaneously locking the office door.
"Actually, I've changed my mind. I suddenly had another idea~" The fourth Sparkle appeared at the window, perched on the sill like a small cat.
"So... you're that desperate to win? At any cost?" The fifth Sparkle pressed close to the Deputy Director's back, so close he could feel her warm breath on his neck as she spoke.
In the blink of an eye, the once-empty office had become overwhelmingly crowded, filled with Sparkles everywhere he looked!
Stunned by this bizarre scene, the Deputy Director froze. Gritting his teeth, he demanded, "This is an illusion, isn't it? This is your Ability—creating illusions to deceive people!"
"An illusion...?" The Sparkle behind him gave a wry smile, then casually opened her small hand to reveal a cute, pink-decorated revolver in her palm. "Isn't it common knowledge that dying in an illusion returns you to reality? So... care to try?"
The pistol twirled on Sparkle's fingertip, coming to rest with its barrel pointed directly at the Deputy Director.
His body trembled slightly. If Sparkle hadn't spoken, he might have considered testing her method himself, trusting his instincts. But now that she had calmly revealed this "way out of the Illusionary Realm," how could he dare take the risk?
Is this truly an illusion? What if... what if this shot actually kills me?
Seeing his reaction, Sparkle smirked, her eyes filled with disdain. "Is that all? Weren't you just boasting about sacrificing anything for victory? And now you're cowering? Tsk, tsk, tsk~"
"What exactly do you want?!" The Deputy Director snarled through gritted teeth, afraid to move rashly.
"Simple!" Sparkle grinned. "Will you make a deal with me? Sell your soul, sell everything you have, and... in exchange, I'll give you a chance to win this war."
"But first, let me see how sincere you are." With that, she brandished the revolver. She flipped open the cylinder, revealing a single bullet inside.
With a flick of her finger, Sparkle sent the cylinder of the revolver spinning rapidly with a whirring sound.
"Russian Roulette—no need to explain the rules, right? It's a simple game. Let's see who has better luck. If you win, I'll help you. If you lose..." Sparkle paused deliberately before continuing, "Well, since this is just an illusion, losing only means returning to reality, doesn't it?"
In truth, the Deputy Director wasn't in an illusionary realm at all. Everything happening at that moment was unfolding in the real world.
Of course, this didn't mean Sparkle lacked the ability to create illusions. The revolver in her hand, for instance, was entirely a product of her illusory powers.
This was a recently discovered application of her ability: Disguise. By manipulating others' five senses, she could make herself appear as someone else. Logically, if she used this ability on an inanimate object, she could make it appear as something else entirely.
In other words, the object Sparkle held was just a steel pen she'd snatched from a desk. But under the influence of her ability, it looked and felt like a revolver. It could even be fired with a gunshot sound and the smell of gunpowder, making it, for all intents and purposes, a real revolver!
Except it couldn't kill anyone.
A slight smirk played on Sparkle's lips. "Then I'll go first!"
Before the words had fully left her mouth, she unhesitatingly pressed the barrel against her chin and pulled the trigger of the 'revolver'.
Click.
After the empty click, she extended the revolver to the Deputy Director standing before her. "Your turn~"
To say the least, far too much had happened in too little time. The Deputy Director's mind was now completely addled.
He couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion. In this state of utter confusion, he was presented with a bargain, a life-or-death game.