Oswaldo found that crystal, the one that kept turning precious ore into worthless rock.
With the Corporation's resources, it hadn't been hard for him to locate this crystal, buried deep within the planet's crust.
'Just what is this thing?'
According to the imaginary energy scans, while this planet's mineral deposits were being corrupted, this crystal had been continuously absorbing imaginary energy.
And its growth showed no signs of slowing down.
It was practically skyrocketing toward the benchmark of an Emanator's power.
Even though Oswaldo had braced himself for something unusual, he couldn't help his breathing growing heavier at this very moment.
Because...
He could see it.
The crystal before him and the crystal held by that Masked Fool...were almost... almost identical.
It was just that, for some reason, there was a blurred, indistinct mass at the center of this one.
But aside from that one difference, Oswaldo couldn't spot any others.
And whenever Oswaldo gripped the crystal, he could feel the power flowing within it. If he willed it, that amber radiance could vaporize this entire base in an instant.
Moreover, the feeling this power gave off was, without a doubt, nearly identical to the power he'd once witnessed the Diamond wielding.
'Such terrifying power... and with no safeguards at all. Just who left something like this behind?'
Oswaldo was intoxicated by the power, an unconscious smile creeping onto his face.
If this crystal could be used by him, and if its energy peak truly exceeded an Emanator's standard...
Then he...
Just the thought of that possibility made Oswaldo's breath catch for a moment.
Of course, that was just speculation.
He needed to figure out exactly what was going on with this crystal.
So, holding the crystal, he went to find Sparkle.
Although Sparkle hadn't left the base, Oswaldo hadn't been overly restrictive either, granting her permission to roam around the facility.
At that moment, Sparkle was in an indoor garden, watching through the floor-to-ceiling glass as scout units constantly streamed in and out.
A Corporation member stood guard at the garden's entrance, seemingly monitoring Sparkle's movements.
Oswaldo passed by the employee, giving a slight, instinctive nod.
But a flicker of doubt arose in his mind. Had he ordered someone to watch this Fool?
Had he? He seemed to recall... hearing a report from his subordinates that someone had been assigned to keep an eye on Sparkle.
The doubt passed through Oswaldo's mind as quickly as it came, and he didn't dwell on it.
Because right now, his heart was already filled with that 'audacious' delusion.
He was itching to get answers from Sparkle.
"Well, well, if it isn't the busy man~ Did you find your treasure?"
Sparkle lounged lazily on a sofa, fiddling with a toy she'd produced from who-knows-where.
She shot Oswaldo a playful glance, grinning.
"Indeed. A crystal similar to yours, but with power many times greater."
Oswaldo held the crystal aloft, an amber glow blooming from him.
Sparkle reacted swiftly, summoning her power to defend herself.
But forces of the same nature clashed, and Oswaldo's overwhelming intensity ultimately prevailed, forcibly shattering the shield Sparkle had conjured.
"Now, can we have an honest conversation, Miss Fool?"
Oswaldo looked down at the somewhat disheveled Sparkle.
Yet even with her shield destroyed, Sparkle's face showed little panic.
Instead, she clicked her tongue in boredom.
"Tch, how dull. Is that all it is? I was expecting at least some sealed ancient beast, but it's just Preservation's power?"
"Just?" Oswaldo's face split into a wild grin. "This 'just' power is enough for me to crush you here without a sound, Miss Fool. Care to guess if the god you believe in will come to save you?"
"Haaa~ I knew it. You really are a boring fellow."
Sparkle shook her head slightly, sighing.
Watching the instantly inflated Oswaldo, she pulled her own crystal from her pocket.
The two crystals seemed to sense each other, emitting a mutually resonating amber light.
Suddenly, Oswaldo's expression changed dramatically.
He felt it.
The information flowing from the crystal in his hand.
Seeing Oswaldo's face, Sparkle finally couldn't hold back her laughter.
She clutched her stomach, collapsing into the sofa in hysterics.
"Hahaha~ You felt it too, didn't you, mister? We can't harm each other. Not only that, when I'm in danger, I can 'borrow' your power~ Hahaha~ Consider this crystal a gift from Lady Sparkle. After all, whenever I want, I can always 'borrow' it, right?"
Still laughing, Sparkle deliberately stressed the syllable 'borrow'.
Oswaldo refused to believe it.
He immediately unleashed another wave of force, a pure stream of imaginary energy rushing toward Sparkle.
But the moment the energy drew near, a fresh shield shimmered into existence around Sparkle.
And Oswaldo's face darkened.
Because he could feel it—this shield was powered by the crystal in his hand!
The moment earlier, when he'd shattered Sparkle's shield and she hadn't actively activated her crystal, might have been his one and only chance to kill this Fool.
But now, after Sparkle actively activated her power and the two crystals came together, sparking resonance, this safeguard had been triggered.
Now, he couldn't even break the shield anymore.
Standing behind the two, disguised as an employee, 'Sparkle' found it extremely difficult to hold back her laughter upon seeing this scene.
Oswaldo would probably never know that Sparkle's shield breaking earlier had also been an act.
In fact, from the very beginning, Oswaldo never could have used the crystal's power to harm Sparkle.
The reason for the performance was purely Sparkle's own mischievous whim, wanting Oswaldo to think he'd missed his golden opportunity.
And judging by the result, Oswaldo had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
And without a moment's hesitation.
"Hahaha~This is killing me~ I really should show everyone your expression just now. How could it be so hilarious~ Hahaha~ I have to thank you, uncle. You've provided me with some fine entertainment."
Sparkle laughed until tears streamed from her eyes.
Leaning on the sofa armrest, she stood up, wiping her tears as she spoke.
"Sigh... Now that the mystery is solved, I guess little Sparkle should..."
Sparkle's words were cut short.
Suddenly—
BOOM—!!!
A violent roar erupted from outside the window, drawing both Sparkle and Oswaldo's gazes outward.
Then, Oswaldo flew into a rage.
"Damn cowboys!! How did they get in?!"
Sparkle stared out the window in surprise.
She truly hadn't expected this.
Although her other self had mentioned 'adding a little spice' for the locals here, what kind of spice was this? So potent?
Sparkle watched the cowboys outside, bare-handed, tearing apart the Corporation's single-operator mechs.
Her eyes widened.
In her memory, these cowboys were just ordinary folks, pretty average.
Their tech level wasn't high either.
Their combat prowess could only be described as pitiful.
Facing the Corporation's high-tech powered armor, they hadn't just failed to take them down—they'd never even breached their defenses.
But now...
Those heavy mechs were being ripped apart bare-handed by the lead cowboy.
This kind of power...
Could it really have emerged in just a few days?
Just how many tricks did this other self have up her sleeve?
"Fool!! Is this your doing as well?!"
--+--