"What are you staring at?" Feeling Diamond's murderous glare, Clara shot back with clear annoyance.
"You were the one who pushed it yourself. Setting aside the facts, aren't you the one at fault here?"
"You..."
"Me what? I was only planning to scare you all." Seeing Diamond's expression, Clara let out a cold snort.
That was a lie. Even if Diamond hadn't played the fool, Clara had hundreds of ways to press that button and blow the Interastral Peace Corporation sky-high.
But since someone was willing to take the blame for her, well, little Clara wasn't about to be polite~
"Who knew you'd be such an idiot, grabbing the button and just destroying it outright."
"Well then, all the bombs in the IPC have been activated." Clara spread her hands, putting on an utterly innocent expression.
"You!"
"You what? The bombs are all on timers. If you start retrieving them now, you should still make it." Clara kept up her verbal assault on Diamond without pause.
"But if you just stand here glaring at me, your beloved IPC will be needing a new address today."
"Hah..." Diamond took a deep breath, understanding that the main issue now wasn't the girl in front of him, but the bombs hidden within the company.
Diamond could sense it—an invisible force gathering in every corner of the corporation. If they were all allowed to fully coalesce and then detonate...
Even the IPC, built from the finest construction materials in the universe, would be reduced to rubble on the spot.
"Topaz, keep an eye on her." Leaving those words, Diamond departed from the office.
Topaz: ???
Wait, Director, shouldn't you be sending me to defuse the bombs? Asking me to watch Clara... you really have too much faith in me...
Just from the fact that Clara could alter her perception without a sound, Topaz knew she was completely outmatched. If Clara wanted to leave, a hundred of her probably couldn't stop her...
"Big sister Topaz, it's just the two of us again~" Watching Diamond leave to deal with the bombs,
Clara didn't seem bothered in the slightest. She flashed a sweet smile and waved at Topaz.
Seeing this, Topaz didn't speak. She huddled tightly inside the protective barrier Diamond had set for her, not daring to step out.
She'd already made one huge mistake. If she left the barrier now and got influenced again, the trouble would be immense.
Now she just had to wait for Diamond to clear all the bombs from the IPC. As for Clara... there was nothing she could do about her. A stalemate was the only option.
Thinking this, a stone appeared in Topaz's hand, which she gripped tightly.
Seeing Topaz turtled up under the barrier, Clara gave a slight smile, and instantly the whole room seemed to brighten.
"Big sister Topaz, I know what you're thinking. But I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed."
"The Interastral Peace Corporation is definitely going to become fireworks~ So, Diamond, he's doomed to fail."
"But don't worry, sister Topaz. I, Clara, am a super understanding, absolutely invincible, universe's number one cutest, lovely girl." Clara placed one hand on her chest and the other on her cheek, unable to resist a narcissistic remark.
"So~ I won't hurt a single soul."
"..." Hearing this, Topaz didn't respond, simply watching the self-absorbed Clara quietly.
Topaz had figured it out by now. When dealing with Clara, you couldn't trust a single word she said.
The best approach was to say nothing at all.
Seeing Topaz ignoring her, Clara's eyes welled up with tears, looking like she might start dropping little pearls any second.
"..."
Watching Clara's act, not a single ripple stirred in Topaz's heart. Free from Clara's cognitive influence, Topaz's mind was perfectly clear.
She knew everything Clara was doing right now was an act. The tears were fake, the pitiful look was fake, the cuteness was fake...
Well... okay, the cuteness was probably real.
Thinking this, Topaz took another careful look at Clara's appearance and couldn't help a silent sigh of admiration.
From any angle, Clara's looks were flawless, without a single blemish.
What a shame. Gorgeous on the outside, but rotten to the core inside.
"Meow~~~ Like what you see, big sister Topaz?" Feeling Topaz's gaze, Clara let out a cat-like mewl and struck a matching pose. The sheer cuteness of it almost made Topaz spit blood on the spot.
Clara's face was full of shyness, her body wiggling bashfully.
"If it's for sister Topaz, Clara can fulfill any request you have~"
"Little Clara..." Hearing those words, Topaz's mind instantly painted a picture of a future with Clara.
But just as her foot was about to step out of the barrier, she caught herself, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
"..." Topaz took a deep breath, looking at Clara with renewed caution.
"Sigh." Her plan a failure, Clara let out a disappointed sigh.
"Big sister Topaz, you know? In all my endeavors, what I like most is saying 'no' to those self-important types."
"And what I hate most... is others saying 'no' to me."
"So, sister Topaz." With a flick of her wrist, a baseball bat appeared in Clara's hand.
"If the soft approach doesn't work, then Clara will just have to get rough~"
"It might hurt a bit~ I hope sister Topaz will forgive me. But don't worry, the pain is just for a moment, it'll be over quickly~"
Seeing the baseball bat appear, Topaz's expression shifted slightly. The stone in her hand began to glow.
"I am..."
Thwack!
With a solid thwack, Diamond's protective shield shattered in the next instant, and Topaz was knocked out cold by the bat, collapsing to the floor.
Looking at the unconscious Topaz, Clara put the baseball bat away, placed her hands on her hips, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Generally speaking, transformation sequences shouldn't be interrupted."
"But rules... are meant to be broken~"
"So, sorry about that, sister Topaz. Blame yourselves for having such long transformation chants, you Stoneheart Ten."
Clara hoisted the fallen Topaz over her shoulder. Just as she was about to leave, she spotted
Numby, who, despite its fear, had mustered the courage to stand up for Topaz.
Looking at the little creature before her, Clara couldn't help but reveal a somewhat wicked grin.
"Hehehe, little piggy, don't be afraid~"
Thwack!
...
Outside the Interastral Peace Corporation
"Big sister Herta, what a coincidence, we meet again~"
Herta, on her way to her starship to leave, suddenly heard Clara's voice.
"Clara, you...?!"
Herta had been about to ask, weren't you turning yourself in? How are you out so fast? But seeing the unconscious Topaz slung over Clara's shoulder and Numby dangling from her other hand, she was instantly dumbfounded.
Had Clara's beastly instincts taken over, wanting to...?
Thinking this, Herta spoke to Clara with utmost seriousness:
"Clara, stop this. The place is surrounded by their people."
Clara: ?
Hearing this, Clara tilted her head in confusion.
"Though I don't know what you're thinking, I'm sure it's not what you imagine."
Clara gently placed both Numby and Topaz on the ground and stretched lazily.
"Whew, so heavy. Sister Topaz really needs to go on a diet."
Herta: ...
"So, why did you stop me?"
"Didn't I say I'd invite sister Herta to watch some fireworks? I'm here to keep my promise~"
Fireworks? Though puzzled, Herta didn't ask further. "When does it start?"
"Thirty seconds." Looking at Topaz, who was slowly opening her eyes on the ground, Clara grinned.
"Sister Topaz, don't worry, I mean no harm. I just wanted to invite you to watch some fireworks."
"..." Knowing there was nothing she could do, Topaz didn't utter a word.
"Ten seconds left, sister Herta, sister Topaz, please direct your attention to that super imposing, high-end Interastral Peace Corporation~"
The Interastral Peace Corporation... Hearing that, Herta was startled, a possibility dawning on her.
"No way..."
"Three, two..."
"One."
As Clara's count ended, the ground trembled. In that moment, the Interastral Peace Corporation transformed into the most beautiful fireworks display.
"..." Staring at the scene before them, Herta and Topaz were instantly stunned.
After the fireworks bloomed, they slowly coalesced into the form of a chibi Clara, making the already famous Clara even more renowned across the universe.
And the Interastral Peace Corporation would remember this day forever.
...
"You... you, you monster! Do you have any idea how many people could have died because of this?!" After the explosion, a recovered Topaz pointed a trembling finger at Clara.
"Sister Topaz, I told you, no one died. Not even a single injury~" Clara spread her hands, an image of innocence.
"Who asked me, Clara, to be such a good person~"
"..." Hearing this, Topaz remained silent, but her eyes still burned with rage.
"Alright, sister Topaz, the fireworks are over. Time to go back to sleep~" A baseball bat reappeared in Clara's hand as she spoke cheerfully to Topaz.
"You..."
Thwack!
"And little piggy, can't forget about you~"
Thwack!
After Topaz went down, Clara gave Numby a good thwack too.
"..." Witnessing the scene, Herta couldn't help but take a step back.
"Hmm? Sister Herta, what's wrong? Did Clara scare you?" Seeing Herta retreat, Clara tilted her head, a questioning look on her face.
"No, no, no, not at all." Herta quickly shook her head in denial.
"I should really..."
Thwack!
…
Weapon Introduction:
[All Beings Equal Baseball Bat (Clara Exclusive)]
Strikes the back of the head with a one hundred percent chance to induce a state of dizziness
(ignores shields, phantoms, etc.)
Have you heard of the Unthinking Strike? It was the pinnacle of the great Clara's martial prowess, the symbol of ultimate power.
But he said, that strike might not be unattainable!!!
And then he got knocked out cold.
…
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Give power stones please I survive solely off of number go up.