At that moment, both occupants of the office wore triumphant smiles. The Deputy Director beamed, delighted to have acquired such a powerful trump card—a game-changing ace up his sleeve. Sparkle's reason for smiling hardly needed explanation.
The object before him, outwardly resembling a "Chibi Sparkle" doll and dubbed the "Super Invincible Spiral Destruction Annihilation Bomb," was, in reality, just a plush toy. Robin had casually grabbed a round, yellow cushion with a "funny face" from her room, sent it to her through the Chat Group, and Sparkle had disguised it with an illusion.
Thus, in Sparkle's eyes, the Deputy Director was now reverently cradling a ridiculous plushie as if it were a priceless treasure, a goofy grin plastered across his face.
"Ha! Hahaha! Victory is assured!"
"..." The Sparkle clones in the office maintained impassive expressions. Meanwhile, outside the Sakura Nation Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, the real Sparkle couldn't contain herself any longer and burst out laughing.
After a moment to regain her composure, the office Sparkle, now under the control of the real Sparkle, waved dismissively. "Well, good luck with that~"
With that, they vanished from the Deputy Director's sight. Staring at the suddenly empty office, he froze, then shuddered violently.
Only now did he realize—hadn't Sparkle been right beside him, disguised as that clerical worker, for who knew how long, without him ever suspecting?
A chilling realization struck him, and goosebumps erupted across his skin.
As time passed, the Deputy Director began formulating a new operational plan centered around the super-bomb, while Sparkle focused on attracting a larger audience for her intriguing spectacle.
Dozens of Sparkle clones materialized on the streets outside, their numbers rapidly exceeding one hundred and still growing swiftly. This was the first time she had created so many clones, and the strain was beginning to show. Beads of sweat dotted her original body's forehead, but fortunately, she remained just within her limits.
Knock, knock, knock! A knock echoed through the modest apartment building on the outskirts of the Sakura Nation's capital. Instead of opening, a cautious female voice called out from behind the door, "Who is it?"
"It's me," a gruff male voice replied.
The door burst open to reveal a young woman who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the man outside. "H-how is this possible?! Dad? What are you doing here? I thought you were..."
"I... I'm not sure myself," the man stammered, equally bewildered. "I just suddenly found myself here, and a voice in my head told me I had to do something..."
As he spoke, the man produced a beautifully crafted square box, approximately fifty centimeters on each side, covered in intricate patterns. Atop the box sat a large, conspicuous red button. "I must entrust this to you," he said. "This... is the Wish-Granting Button."
"Simply make a sincere wish, press this button, and place the box in an open space. After a while... your wish will come true."
The girl took the Wish-Granting Button with a bewildered expression. When she looked up again, her father had vanished, leaving her utterly alone.
She murmured softly, "Can this... really grant wishes...?"
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding across the country. An elderly woman found herself reunited with her late husband, while a middle-aged father gazed upon his son who had died in a car accident, and so on.
Sparkle had deliberately disguised herself as these people's deceased loved ones, handing them the Wish-Granting Button. This made it far more likely that they would make a wish and press the button.
Though it all sounded absurd, the impossible had already happened: deceased loved ones had returned, bearing such a gift. With such a bizarre reality unfolding, what harm could there be in simply pressing a button?
In any other country, the mass resurrection of deceased relatives bearing gifts would have dominated the news within a day. Any halfway competent government would have intervened immediately, given the sheer absurdity of the situation.
But the Sakura Nation was an exception. With almost all of its official Evolvers mobilized for the ongoing war, there was no one left to investigate these strange occurrences.
As a result, vast quantities of Wish-Granting Buttons were distributed, not just in the capital, but across the entire nation.
Even with a thousand clones, this task remained immensely daunting for Sparkle. Fortunately, she wasn't trying to reach everyone. Instead, she focused solely on the most ordinary, unassuming citizens—those leading unremarkable lives.
Approximately a week later, White Eagle regrouped a second wave of troops around the Sakura Nation. Having learned from their previous defeat, they refrained from a direct invasion. Instead, they adopted a strategy of small-scale infiltration by Evolver teams.
Five-person Evolver teams would leap from transport ships under the cover of night, swim ashore, and begin their infiltration operations. Among these teams was one led by Hermit, one of the White Eagle Eight.
Hermit, as his name implied, possessed abilities related to secrecy, invisibility, and concealment. Infiltration was, naturally, his forte.
At the Sakura Nation Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, security was at its highest level. Even a mosquito would be electrocuted at the entrance. Yet to Hermit, the guards seemed like mere formalities. He strolled past them as if taking a leisurely walk, methodically searching each floor until he reached the top and located the Director's office.
The office door stood slightly ajar. Before he could even push it open, a voice rang out from within: "So, you've finally arrived, Hermit. A bit slower than I anticipated. I've been waiting here for quite some time."
Hermit frowned. He was currently invisible. How had the Director detected him?