"Clara the Stellaron Hunter, I don't know what purpose brings you inside the Interastral Peace Corporation, but now, whatever your goal may be, you won't be able to carry it out."
Diamond's gaze fell upon the pink button in Clara's hand. An intuition told him that if that thing were pressed, the IPC might suffer irreparable damage.
"I've already alerted IPC security and the Ten Stonehearts. Today, not even a fly will leave the Interastral Peace Corporation!"
"If you surrender quietly now, I'll put in a good word for you."
"The main gate?" Clara couldn't help but find that amusing. "Who told you I'd be leaving through the main gate?"
Clara swung her long legs casually, the "absolute territory" of her skirt peeking subtly. She tossed the pink button into the air a few times, catching it, watching Diamond grow visibly tense with each toss.
"Really curious, aren't you?" Sensing both Diamond's and Topaz's attention fixed on the pink button, Clara said with a playful grin.
"Really curious what this thing is, and what will happen to the Interastral Peace Corporation if the button is pressed, right?"
"Beg me. If you beg me so well it pleases me, I might tell you~"
"..." Watching Clara's utterly relaxed demeanor, Diamond narrowed his eyes, not daring to act rashly. His hand, hidden behind his back, signaled to Topaz.
Seeing this, Topaz's eyes gleamed with focus, her attention fully locked onto the pink button.
"Alrighty~ Fine~ Even though you didn't beg me, I'll be magnanimous and tell you anyway."
"Who makes me so understanding and considerate~ Heehee." At this, Clara even closed her eyes, basking in self-admiration for a moment. Then she wiggled the pink button in her hand and said cheerfully:
"This, I call it the [Clara Brand All-in-One Interastral Peace Corporation Self-Destruct Device.]"
"As the name suggests, just press this button, and the entire IPC will go BOOM in an instant, blown sky-high."
Clara even imitated Kafka's classic pose, striking a somewhat exaggerated posture.
"..." Diamond's expression instantly turned grave upon hearing this. He detected no signs of deception—everything she said was likely true.
If that button were pressed, the Interastral Peace Corporation would be reduced to rubble...
"Geez, don't look at me so seriously. I'm just a little girl, you know." Feeling Diamond's and Topaz's stern gazes, Clara put on an act of being frightened.
"Tell you what. You two strip naked, kneel on the floor, and praise me a bit."
"Say 'Miss Clara is the cutest in the universe,' 'Miss Clara is peerless in all the world.' If you praise me well enough to my satisfaction, and then revoke my bounty, maybe I'll consider letting the IPC off the hook."
"After all... I am a very understanding little girl." Clara flashed the same adorable, innocent face she had shown Topaz earlier, looking as harmless as any sweet child.
Diamond paid no mind to Clara's words, his focus entirely on the button in her hand.
Topaz looked at Clara, at this girl who had seemed like a little angel just moments before but now stood as a demon, and said coldly:
"Do you know how many employees would lose their lives if the Corporation exploded?"
"Oh." At this, Clara seemed to remember something, lightly patting her own head.
"You don't have to worry about that. I'm very considerate."
Topaz: ...
You're about to blow up the company, and you call that considerate?
"Relax, just one shot, only one shot. I'll blow it up and be on my way." With a cheerful, smiling expression, Clara uttered words that sent chills down Diamond's and Topaz's spines.
"Now then, please enjoy the most spectacular fireworks display of this century." Having said that, Clara tossed the button high into the air right in front of Diamond and Topaz.
"Now's my chance!" Topaz's heart leapt. In a flash, she darted forward and snatched the button out of the air.
"Well done." Diamond couldn't help but praise Topaz upon seeing this.
"Mmm..." With the button snatched away, Clara didn't show any panic. Instead, she put on a pitiful, dejected face.
"Sister Topaz, you promised to protect little Clara, didn't you?"
Seeing Clara's expression now, Topaz's heart clenched, and she felt a wave of flustered guilt.
"That's not it, I..."
"Snap out of it!" Sensing that Topaz was once again falling under Clara's influence, Diamond roared, dispelling the power Clara had exerted on Topaz.
He then enveloped Topaz in a shimmering golden shield, protecting her within.
Coming back to her senses, Topaz glared furiously at Clara. This creature—the bounty poster was right. She was a complete demon wearing human skin!
"Mmm... Sister Topaz, did Clara do something wrong...?" Sensing Topaz's angry stare, Clara put on a wronged expression, looking as if she might burst into tears any second.
"Hmph, Clara of the Stellaron Hunters, surrender. The button is in our hands. You have no chance left." Diamond snorted coldly, unaffected by Clara's innocent act.
"But, uh, who told you I only had one button?" Upon hearing this, Clara produced another pink button from who-knows-where.
The moment Clara revealed the button, Diamond's form blurred into an afterimage. In the next instant, the button in Clara's hand was now in Diamond's grasp—clearly, he had been prepared.
"Ooh, not bad. Shows you have some brains." Seeing that Diamond had anticipated her backup plan, Clara looked genuinely surprised, but that was all.
Then, Clara took out yet another pink button, a smug, challenging look on her face as she taunted Diamond.
"La la la~ Bet you didn't expect that~ I've got more."
But Clara's smug expression didn't last long. The button in her hand once again found its way into Diamond's possession.
"Hmph, give up. You have nowhere to run."
"Geez, with that expression, you make me seem like the villain here." Clara sighed. Wouldn't it have been easier to just let me blow the place up? Now you're making me out to be the bad guy.
Well... actually, I guess I am the bad guy.
"But then again..." Under the watchful eyes of both Diamond and Topaz, Clara produced another button.
"Ta-da! Bet you didn't expect it~ I've got another one."
Diamond, Topaz: ...
Diamond took a deep breath. It was clear she was dead set on destroying the Corporation.
He crushed the buttons in his hand, his gaze resolute as he stared at Clara.
"As long as I'm here, your schemes will not succeed!"
Hearing Diamond's declaration, Clara looked at him with a strange expression.
"Um... I don't think I mentioned this, but the buttons have a self-check function."
"That means if a button gets damaged, then all the bombs I've planted inside the Corporation will activate simultaneously."
"In other words, you just pressed the button yourself."
Diamond: ???
...
Clara: Regarding [Emanator of Preservation] Diamond
Just look at what he's preserved?
He's better suited for [Destruction] than [Preservation].
…
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