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Chapter 16 - Sampo — “This Kind of Fun Needs Director Sparkle Herself”

"Re… rebel?"

Young Clara took critical emotional damage.

As the shining star of the Robot Settlement,

the ultimate object of faith for the Clara Protection Association,

and the ambassador of peaceful coexistence between humans and machines—

she had never been exposed to such high-level discourse before.

The moment Seele finished speaking—

Clara crashed.

Her ears turned bright red, and just above them—

white steam actually began puffing out.

A classic case of anime white-haired loli system overload.

Off to the side, Evan froze as well.

He gave Seele a strange, almost haunted look.

"…Rebellion? Did Natasha agree to this?"

"Huh?"

"I'm rebelling against the Supreme Guardian. Why would I need Natasha's permission?"

Seele planted her hands on her hips and fired right back.

"Evan—don't tell me you're chickening out?"

This scene, viewed from Evan's angle—

he had to admit something.

Seele's figure was… genuinely impressive.

That confident, striking silhouette stood out sharply against the frozen wasteland.

In a place like the Underworld, producing a talent like Seele—

was honestly a blessing for Belobog.

"Tch. Me? Scared?"

"But dealing with Supreme Guardian Cocolia… the real problem is—"

The Stellaron.

And Bronya Rand.

The Stellaron had existed on Jarilo-VI for seven hundred years.

At first, it was a weapon used to annihilate the Antimatter Legion.

Now?

It had become the very thing dragging Belobog into hell.

Over time, the Stellaron was no longer a mere object.

It developed self-awareness.

No one knew which generation of Supreme Guardian it began whispering to—

but by the time Cocolia inherited the title and learned the planet's true fate…

The outcome was already sealed.

Geomarrow output declined.

Energy reserves dwindled.

The planet—this city—had no future.

Crushed by despair, Cocolia became the Stellaron's perfect nourishment.

And so—

she fell.

[Affirmative.]

[Probability of successfully overthrowing the Supreme Guardian: below 30%.]

"…Hey!"

Svarog immediately followed up with a cold calculation.

But then, new data appeared.

[However, due to the emergence of a new variable—]

[This calculation is for reference only.]

Seele's gaze snapped toward Evan.

"So?"

"How confident is your plan?"

"…About ten percent."

"Big brother… Seele姐姐… what are you talking about?"

Evan didn't answer Clara.

He stood up, brushed the snow from his clothes, and looked toward the passage behind Svarog.

With his current strength, combined with Seele—

even Cocolia's 'Mother of Deception' form wouldn't be unwinnable.

After all, he wasn't just a Pathstrider.

As a Treasure Hunter, his Path energy supply was far more sustainable.

The real headache—

was how to deal with the Stellaron itself.

If that thing detonated improperly, it could take the entire planet with it.

One wrong move—

and Jarilo-VI would be finished.

Then Seele looked at Evan, her expression unusually serious.

"I don't care what your plan is."

"I'll protect you—until you finish it."

Evan shook his head helplessly.

Yeah, right.

Your real concern isn't me.

It's Bronya.

But that explanation could wait until they reached the Overworld.

Meanwhile—

somewhere nearby, a familiar cold-legged uncle hummed cheerfully.

A self-proclaimed director, announcing the opening act of his newest production.

But now—

a cross-galaxy communication device hovered in front of him.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"Take a look at what I, your beloved Sampo, just discovered today!"

"Aha!"

"This guy is actually planning to overthrow the ruler of this city!"

"Hahahahaha—this is priceless!"

On the other end—

"Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~♪"

A cheerful BGM kicked in, making Sampo shiver despite himself.

Then—

a strangely dressed girl with twin ponytails appeared.

Her footsteps echoed—

tap, tap, tap—

sending chills down Sampo's spine in this already freezing world.

"…Tch."

That twin-tailed menace—

Sparkle.

"Heyyy~ Belobog?"

"Isn't that the place you asked me to retrieve your mask from?"

"Didn't we agree to trade in Penacony?"

"Still hanging around here, huh? That's rare for you~"

Sampo spread his hands helplessly.

The moment she appeared, he knew it.

She was here for one thing only.

Fun.

"Tsk. Sparkle, you're really not honest at all~"

"O great Lord of Laughter, my script has developed a variable."

"Sparkle—don't tell me you're not curious enough to see it for yourself?"

"Ahhh~?"

"Then let the great Sparkle take a look personally."

"A planet that even you, Sampo, felt the need to visit in person…"

"Just what kind of fun could it possibly hold~?"

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