The Sparkle plush Doll bomb, of course, didn't have any "single-use" setting. After all, it wasn't even a real bomb; every word the doll spoke was remotely controlled by Sparkle herself.
Though she had lost her memories of the Hermit, the established facts remained unchanged: one of her clones had been destroyed, two others were still manifested, and the Sakura Nation person in White Eagle had shouted the detonation code.
No matter how she looked at it, this couldn't be a coincidence. Anyone with half a brain could deduce that someone had likely attacked this place moments ago, killing one of her clones and forcing the Deputy Director to activate the "bomb."
"Is it the Hermit?" Sparkle murmured. "So, his ability can actually erase my memories of him?" This also implied that the Hermit might still be lurking somewhere in the office.
After all, the Hermit's ability only made others forget him; it didn't turn them into idiots.
While others might unknowingly fall prey to the Hermit, Sparkle was different. Losing a clone wouldn't affect her directly; instead, it would alert her to the anomaly.
In a sense, the Hermit was powerless against Sparkle. On the battlefield, no matter how many of her clones he destroyed, it was meaningless; Sparkle would never expose her true self to the front lines.
A stealth attack was equally impossible. The Hermit simply couldn't locate Sparkle's real body.
Finding a single person in a city of millions was like searching for a needle in a haystack—an almost impossible task. And with Sparkle spending most of her time disguised when operating in public, how could he ever find her?
These thoughts flashed through Sparkle's mind in an instant. In the end, she decided to bring this drama to its climax: she would let the bombs continue detonating.
If she had misjudged everything, well, the Deputy Director himself had issued the detonation order. She wouldn't be to blame. When the time came, she would simply reveal herself, mock him mercilessly, and forcefully execute her plan to coerce the Sakura Nation into surrender.
But if she was right, it meant she had definitely hinted at a "deal" with the Hermit. After witnessing the devastating results of the bombing, she was confident he would surface on his own to continue negotiating their "deal."
"Fifty seconds left~ Still no song request? If you don't choose now, you'll miss your chance~" The Sparkle plush Doll chirped sweetly, gently swaying its head.
In stark contrast, the Sakura Nation person in White Eagle was frantically trying to disarm the bomb, barking wildly, "Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"
His frantic behavior naturally drew the attention of nearby pedestrians. Many White Eagle residents turned to stare.
"What's that foreigner doing?"
"What's wrong with him? Does he have rabies? Should we move away?"
"Don't worry, I've got a gun. If he tries anything, I'll shoot him down before he can get close!"
"No, no, no! I'm moving away because you have a gun, okay?!"
"Forty seconds left~ Since you're not requesting a song, I'll just play one at random~ Hmm, let me check... what's the hottest track on this planet right now?" As the Sparkle plush Doll spoke, background music began to play, accompanied by a soothing and exceptionally beautiful voice.
"We rise together as our destiny unfolds~"
It was Robin's new song, "Hope Is The Thing With Feathers," from her recent concert. Playing her own music meant she wouldn't have to worry about copyright issues (wrong!).
The moment the music started, the Sakura Nation person felt a sudden wave of relaxation:
"Wow... this is actually really good..."
"Wait! The bomb's about to explode! What good is good music now?!"
But less than five seconds later, he realized he had no time for music.
Clutching the bomb, he began pacing frantically. Should he throw it far away? But this thing could obliterate an entire nation in an instant! Unless he could hurl it off Earth, tossing it anywhere else would be pointless.
Attempt to disarm it? That would be like trying to cut open a grenade with a knife—a sure way to speed up the explosion and get himself killed.
Meanwhile, back in the Sakura Nation, the Deputy Director was tearing at his hair in desperation. "What do we do?! What do we do?!"
This bomb was his trump card. If it detonated now, how could he possibly negotiate with White Eagle? No, how could he negotiate with the White Eagle military?!
"Oh... oh right!" The Deputy Director finally noticed the 2.5(lol) Sparkle clones in the office and blurted out, "The bomb is about to explode! Quick, think of something! Is there another deactivation code?"
"Hmmmm~~~" One of the Sparkles poked her cheek, her face scrunched in thought. Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, she clenched her left fist and slammed it into her right palm. "I remember!"
"What is it?!" The Deputy Director's eyes widened, relief flooding his face.
The Sparkle swung her legs slightly and shrugged. "Oh, right! I forgot to mention earlier—the deactivation code only works once. It won't work a second time."
"Hck—" The Deputy Director nearly choked on his breath. This was more than just a rollercoaster; his emotional journey had taken him from hell to heaven and back to hell again.
Fortunately, he didn't have a heart condition. Otherwise, that shock might have killed him.
Even so, the Deputy Director clutched his chest, pointed a trembling hand at the girl, and sputtered, "You...! This...! I...!"
While the two were talking, the countdown at White Eagle headquarters was nearing its end.
"Ten seconds left! I'm about to explode~" the Sparkle Plush Doll chirped. "Any last wishes before the grand finale?"
The Sakura Nation Person stared blankly at the "bomb" before him, his eyes hollow and lifeless. He mumbled, "A wish...?"
"If... if this war hadn't happened, I'd probably be sitting on the couch with my wife right now, watching TV..."
"If... if only I could watch TV with her one more time..."
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
As the Sakura Nation Person trailed off in despair, the Sparkle Plush Doll's countdown reached zero. Just as he squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for death... nothing happened.
The doll waved her tiny hand. "Alright~ Since you've made such a simple wish, I won't explode. And I'll even be kind enough to grant it for you~!"