Exposed and restrained by Cocolia, "Bronya" showed no trace of panic. On the contrary, she smiled charmingly, her lips curling into a bewitching grin as she did the opposite of what was expected—reaching out to hook her arms around Cocolia's neck and locking eyes with her affectionately.
"Hehe~ Mother is truly sharp. Your daughter merely slipped up with a single careless remark, and you caught the flaw right away. And…"
As she spoke, "Bronya's" alluring eyes narrowed slightly. The moment Cocolia had embraced her, she could clearly sense that the Path energy within her had been restrained by another peculiar Path.
This power was utterly unfamiliar—something she had never encountered before, even as a Masked Fool. Combined with the information she had gathered from that so-called noble…
"Mother has actually stepped onto the Path of Causality… How truly—surprising!"
The moment her words fell, the chandelier in the Supreme Guardian's office shattered, plunging the room into darkness. At the same time, a flash of cold light streaked through the air.
"Whoosh—!"
A jade-red dagger sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, aimed directly at Cocolia's face.
The blade tore through space, splitting the air in its path, and grazed Cocolia's cheek.
Despite being prepared for a sudden attack, Cocolia was still momentarily slowed. In the brief moment she dodged, the impostor had already broken free from her restraints.
Jarilo-VI was different from Earth—it lacked a satellite like the "Moon" to reflect light during the night. The faint starlight alone was far from sufficient. Thus, with the chandelier destroyed, the office was now shrouded in complete darkness, so pitch-black that one couldn't even see their own hand in front of their face.
However, this was no obstacle for Cocolia. Though she had not received a direct "blessing" from Yun Fan like Qingque, who had been elevated to an Emanator, her gaze upon him had still transformed her. Now walking the Path of Causality, she had already surpassed the vast majority of Pathstriders.
Channeling Path energy into her eyes, the darkness before her instantly dissipated.
Feeling the faint sting on her cheek, Cocolia's brows furrowed slightly.
"Tap—!"
With a light step on the floor, a spear of ice materialized in her grasp. In the next instant, its tip gleamed coldly as it pointed straight at "Bronya's" chest.
"Who are you, really?" Cocolia's eyes glinted with frost. Leaving aside the fact that this intruder had attacked the Supreme Guardian's residence and wounded her, the mere act of impersonating her daughter Bronya was unforgivable.
"Hehe~ I never expected the ruler of a backwater planet to possess such strength, let alone tread the most mysterious Path of Causality. This is quite the surprise for Sparkle~ Haha~"
"Bronya" giggled, her body gradually enveloped in a crimson glow. With a blink, her pale green eyes transformed into cherry-red plum blossom pupils.
As the light swirled around her, several ethereal dreamfish emerged from within it. At the same time, the valiant Iron Guard uniform she had been wearing dissipated like flames, reverting to Sparkle's original attire.
Facing Cocolia's hostile gaze, Sparkle smiled faintly before performing a slightly exaggerated bow. "Sparkle, at your service, Supreme Guardian~"
"Sparkle? Another off-worlder?" Cocolia's frown deepened. These past few days… there had been far too many extraterrestrial visitors.
"Are you with the IPC?" she probed, hoping to extract some useful information.
But who was Sparkle? A devotee of Elation, a member of the Masked Fools—a group universally recognized as lunatics across the cosmos. Cocolia's little tricks were transparent to her.
As for being exposed earlier… Sparkle didn't care in the slightest. The moment she responded, she had already prepared for her identity to be revealed. After all, she was extremely curious about the "matter" Cocolia had mentioned.
"Haha, no need for the probing, Supreme Guardian. My identity isn't some shameful secret."
"You may call me—a Masked Fool." With that, Sparkle removed the fox mask from her hair and slowly placed it over her face. In an instant, her aura shifted dramatically, the power of Elation surging forth.
Harmony receded; Elation emerged. At this moment, she was truly Sparkle.
Faced with this display of provocation, Cocolia had no intention of indulging her. However, just as she prepared to mobilize her Path energy to punish the intruder, a voice suddenly echoed in her ear:
"Cocolia, Sparkle is here for the Stellaron. Simply provide her with the information she seeks—there's no need for conflict. Leave the rest to me."
"Understood, Lord Yun Fan." Cocolia immediately recognized the voice's owner. Responding respectfully, she silently dismissed the ice spear in her hand and turned her gaze back to Sparkle.
"Hm?" Sparkle was puzzled by Cocolia's sudden change in demeanor, but if a fight could be avoided, she was more than happy to oblige. After all, combat was hardly in line with her philosophy of Elation.
"Fool, state your purpose," Cocolia demanded after a brief silence.
"Oh? What do you mean, Supreme Guardian?" Sparkle tilted her head slightly, her expression unchanging.
"Hmph!" Cocolia crossed her arms. "Fool, I've already shown considerable goodwill. Do not play games with me. Speak your intentions plainly."
"Hehehe…" Sparkle paused, then let out a low chuckle. Behind the simple Inari mask—where Cocolia couldn't see—her lips curled into a wide grin.
"How intriguing, Supreme Guardian. Sparkle finds you more and more fascinating~"
Removing the mask, she tilted her head and posed her question:
"I came for the Stellaron. I hope the Supreme Guardian will enlighten me."