'Huohuo' certainly didn't intend to just wash her hands of the whole affair and walk away.
However, she felt that for the time being—or at least for today—no one would be foolish enough to harbor any ill intentions before Phantylia was safely locked away in the Shackling Prison.
If anyone truly lacked that much self-awareness, she would gladly show them exactly what happened to those who dared to provoke an Aeon.
With a sharp turn, she departed.
'Huohuo' wove through the crowd toward the opposite street corner to regroup with Qingque and the real Huohuo.
Yet, the moment she arrived, before she could even offer a greeting, Huohuo rushed up to her with tears welling in her eyes.
Her small hands were clenched into fists, waving frantically in front of her.
The poor girl was a flustered mess; she clearly wanted to speak up but lacked the courage. Faced with 'Huohuo', she could only stammer.
The grand speech she had prepared in her head dissolved into a series of helpless squeaks and stutters.
"Waaaah..."
Huohuo had a mountain of things she wanted to say. But when she saw the other party actually lean in to listen, all her resolve vanished.
Ultimately, she could only puff out her cheeks in a pathetic display of frustration, waving her little fists and staring at her double with wide, teary eyes as if she were throwing a silent tantrum.
Tail hadn't intended to pipe up at this particular moment. But Huohuo's spineless behavior—daring only to glare with those big eyes—was simply too much for him to bear.
He had lost count of how many times he'd heard Huohuo muttering to herself; she'd rehearsed that little speech of hers at least eight hundred times. And now that the person was actually here, she'd gone mute.
What did that make all the muttering he'd been forced to endure? A testament to his excellent hearing?
"Gah, I can't take it anymore! You were buzzing in my ear for ages, and now that she's right here, you can't squeeze out a single word?! You're just trying to torture me, aren't you?!"
"Ugh... I—I'm just scared..."
Huohuo crouched down, clutching her head in a defensive posture as she offered a pitiful rebuttal to Tail. It wasn't like she was doing it on purpose.
Just then, a hand reached out and gently patted Huohuo's head. When she looked up, she saw 'Huohuo' smiling at her.
"Look on the bright side," she said. "Your popularity has skyrocketed. Given the work culture where you're from, they definitely won't be sending you out on ordinary field assignments anymore. Doesn't that mean you'll have to see ghosts a lot less often?"
"Huh? Wait... does it really work like that?"
Huohuo blinked, clearly struggling to grasp this peculiar logic.
"Pfft... Yes, yes, absolutely! This Great One reckons that makes perfect sense," Tail chimed in. "And considering the prestige of the lady standing in front of you, they probably won't even fire you. It's practically perfect!"
"Is... is that how it works? Something feels a bit off..."
A look of pure confusion washed over Huohuo's face as she tilted her head, looking first at Tail, then at Qingque, and finally back at 'Huohuo'.
Her tiny brain was clearly having a hard time processing the turnaround.
"Of course it is! I'd kill to be in your position," Qingque added, her voice full of genuine sincerity.
While she didn't know exactly which department Huohuo worked for, she could piece it together from their earlier conversations.
For a job that required secrecy, having your face exposed to the world while managing to keep your employment usually meant one thing: being banished to the logistics department.
For someone like Huohuo, who hated being in the spotlight, wasn't that a dream come true?
"Alright, just think about it—no more dealing with those annoying ghosts. You can just slack off in the office with your favorite colleagues every day. Cheer up! In fact, let me teach you a game for slacking off at work."
"..."
Huohuo desperately wanted to say that even if she were transferred to paperwork, she wouldn't dare to slack off. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to refuse.
Qingque stepped forward proactively, smiling as she reached out to help Huohuo up.
"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Qingque. Currently, I'm managing a business for the Boss. Not long ago, the Boss also used my appearance to get things done, so strictly speaking, we're comrades in misfortune."
"Ah... ah, h-hello... I'm Huohuo. I recognize you... you're the owner of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, Qingque."
Huohuo was nervous, but she quickly caught the key detail. This girl had also been mimicked by Bai Ming. But more importantly, she called Bai Ming 'Boss.'
This meant the entertainment company that had suddenly appeared and risen to dominance was actually Madam Bai Ming's property.
Incredible...
Both of them were so incredible. One had suppressed such a powerful Heliobus with ease, while the other was so young yet owned such a massive enterprise.
Moreover, rumors said she was highly regarded by both Lady Fu Xuan and General Jing Yuan.
They were absolute titans!
Compared to a lowly nobody like herself, it was like comparing the bright moon to a flickering firefly—they weren't even on the same level.
Speaking of which, a famous company like Celestial Sparrow Entertainment must make a staggering amount of Credits every month... word was that the Interastral Peace Corporation was practically tripping over themselves to invest.
Must be nice...
Would Bai Ming open a company for her too, so she could just lie around and count money?
She'd heard Qingque was whisked away by Bai Ming directly. Perhaps she would be taken away from the Ten-Lords Commission in the same way, sparing her from having to write a resignation letter herself.
Compared to the gloomy atmosphere of the Commission, a bright office building would be much better for her mental health.
It would be perfect! Then she could just stay indoors every day and do absolutely nothing.
Hehehe...
But then again, she probably couldn't handle being a boss.
She wasn't eloquent like Miss Qingque. Even if she were given a company to run, she'd probably ruin it. If she ended up going bankrupt, she wouldn't be able to pay it back even if she sold herself.
Ugh... maybe she should forget it.
Huohuo's expression shifted rapidly between joy and disappointment as she spiraled into these unrealistic fantasies.
Even without reading her memories, 'Huohuo' could guess from the strange looks on the girl's face that she was lost in some bizarre daydream.
Qingque didn't mind; she understood that introverts often had the most vivid inner lives. Besides, Huohuo was adorable, so even her sillier antics came across as charming.
'Huohuo', however, wasn't going to let her off that easy. She raised a hand and gave Huohuo a light flick on the forehead to snap her out of it.
"Ow... wh-what was that for?"
"Snap out of it. What are you thinking about with that weird face?"
At those words, Huohuo realized how strange she must have looked immersed in her fantasies. Her face turned bright red instantly.
"N-nothing..."
"Fine. Here, this is for you."
'Huohuo' casually pressed the newly crafted command Flag into Huohuo's hands.
"Eh? For me?"
Seeing something being handed over, Huohuo reflexively reached out to take the banner, which looked anything but ordinary. She had seen it clearly—this flag had been fashioned from a piece torn right off that massive Heliobus.
Before Huohuo could even process the gift, Tail, behind her, lost his cool.
"You're just giving it to her?!"
He stared at the banner as if it were some world-class delicacy. If it weren't for the seal, he would have lunged forward to devour it then and there.
"Mr. Tail! No snacking!"
"Hey! What do you mean?! I am a Great Heliobus, I don't need to 'snack'!"
"You were practically drooling just now."
"Liars! You're the one drooling! I was just surprised, alright? Surprised! I have zero interest in some random Heliobus from who-knows-where!"
Watching Tail bicker with Huohuo, 'Huohuo' thought for a moment before speaking up.
"So you're not interested? That's a shame. I was thinking that for Huohuo's sake, I'd let you have a little taste to strengthen yourself."
"Ahem—"
Tail's grand boasts were cut short by a violent coughing fit. When he spoke again, his voice was noticeably softer.
"But then again... looking at it from another perspective..."
"Pfft..."
Qingque, standing to the side, couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Hey! Don't laugh!" Tail tried to intimidate her, but unfortunately, Qingque wasn't afraid of him—at least not in his current state as a literal tail.
Just then, 'Huohuo' lightly brushed her finger against the Command Flag. A wisp of golden flame was drawn out, dancing on her fingertip. She extended the flame toward Tail.
"Here. This bit is for you."
"What's this? Just a tiny bit? That won't even get stuck in my teeth!"
If he wasn't so intimidated by her, Tail would have bitten her hand off by now. Was she playing with him?!
Huohuo saw that Tail was clearly annoyed and moved to comfort him, but then 'Huohuo' spoke with a smirk.
"I'm more worried that you won't even be able to stomach this much. If you can handle it, I'll give you as much as you want. Don't say I didn't warn you, though—even if this thing is a Heliobus, it's not something you can just merge with on a whim."
"Ho? Challenging me, are we?"
Tail was suddenly intrigued. Since being split apart, he had been weak for countless years. He rarely got to eat anything, let alone another Heliobus to supplement his power.
For a Heliobus, devouring their own kind was the fastest way to grow stronger. That was why he was so hungry for the fragments within that banner.
Tail believed that with his willpower, devouring a masterless fragment would be child's play.
With a confident smirk, his flames expanded into the shape of a fox and swallowed the wisp of golden fire in one gulp.
As the modest power merged into his body, Tail looked triumphantly at 'Huohuo'.
"Hmph, watch closely, little girl. I'm going to swallow this trophy whole and—AAAAAAAGH!!!"
Mid-sentence, Tail suddenly felt a surge of incredibly pure Destruction intent erupt within him, accompanied by a blinding golden light.
That refined power felt as if someone had poured the fire of a sun directly into his gut. Even as a Heliobus, Tail felt the agonizing sensation of being incinerated.
"AAARGH—IT'S BURNING! WHAT IS THIS?! GAAAAAH!!"
Tail let out a howl like a cartoon character, his usually steady flames thrashing wildly. Streaks of golden light flickered through his ghostly green fire.
Huohuo jumped in fright, looking frantically at her double.
"Don't worry. I only gave him a tiny bit. The burning will pass in a moment."
True to 'Huohuo's' word, after about ten seconds of screaming, Tail's struggles weakened. He panted, his voice shaking with lingering shock.
"Wh-what kind of monster-crap was that? It nearly scorched my soul..."
"The destructive power of a Lord Ravager. Do you still want to eat?"
"???"
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL