“What.”
Aventurine and Topaz watched the once magnificent headquarters building collapse in a storm of fire and glittering energy.
Their expressions resembled the Trailblazer’s classic hands-on-head look of complete disbelief.
IPC headquarters had just exploded.
What.
The headquarters of one of the most powerful and influential organizations in the entire universe had been destroyed just like that.
Meanwhile, Kai remained completely captivated by the lingering brilliance of the explosion.
Her face shone with delight.
That firework had been incredible.
Now she understood why Aha once blew the Astral Express in half and why Sparkle carried around a mutually assured destruction button.
Apparently, blowing things up was a proud tradition of the Elation.
Like Aeon, like Emanator.
Aha had blown up the Astral Express.
As Aha’s foremost Emanator, Kai turning an IPC headquarters building into fireworks seemed perfectly reasonable.
Hehe.
It took Aventurine and Topaz a long time to recover from the sight.
Kai skipped toward them.
She lifted her chin proudly and pointed toward the distant building, which was still launching brilliant streams of light into the sky like an enormous firework launcher.
“Well.”
“What do you think.”
“Isn’t a firework made from IPC headquarters beautiful.”
“There is no need to thank me.”
“Please enjoy the show.”
“I promised to show you fireworks, so naturally I had to keep my word.”
“Kai never lies.”
Aventurine and Topaz stared at her.
She had blown up their headquarters.
Now she expected gratitude.
Was there no law in this universe.
Unfortunately, the IPC practically wrote half those laws.
That was not the point.
Their headquarters was gone.
Both Aventurine and Topaz had spent enough time inside the IPC to understand what kind of organization it truly was.
The corporation claimed to carry out the will of Qlipoth, but that noble mission had never stopped certain departments from committing terrible acts in the name of profit and expansion.
Sometimes, the IPC’s hypocrisy made it more infuriating than openly destructive factions.
At least an obvious villain rarely pretended to be a hero.
The Marketing Development Department deserved particular criticism.
So did Oswaldo Schneider.
Still, Aventurine and Topaz had worked for the corporation for years.
They had formed connections there.
Not with the institution itself, but with the people inside it.
The people who had given them opportunities.
The colleagues who shared their ambitions.
The subordinates who had trusted them and worked at their side.
Now that the headquarters building had been destroyed, it was impossible to imagine how many lives might have been lost.
Topaz raised a trembling hand and pointed at Kai.
“Why would you do this.”
“Even with Director Diamond protecting everyone, an explosion like that could have killed countless employees.”
Aventurine’s expression had become cold.
“I thought you were merely mischievous.”
“I believed that beneath all those games, you might still have decent intentions.”
“It appears I was wrong.”
“What you have done is almost as vile as something Oswaldo Schneider would do.”
Kai raised an eyebrow.
That was brutal.
Aventurine must have been genuinely furious if he was comparing her to Oswaldo Schneider.
Despite their accusations, Kai did not become angry.
…
Instead, she smiled.
“I know you will not believe me.”
“However, that second firework had nothing to do with me.”
“I did place explosives throughout the building, but they were only small gifts.”
“The IPC handles countless dangerous operations across the universe.”
“I assumed you might eventually need specialized demolition charges.”
“So I donated a few.”
Kai spread her hands innocently.
“I was not the person who detonated them.”
Topaz glared at her.
“If you did not trigger them, then who did.”
“That would be your beloved Director Diamond.”
“He personally activated every explosive.”
“Hehe.”
Aventurine and Topaz were struck speechless.
Kai watched their stunned expressions with growing amusement.
“How ironic.”
“Diamond is an executive of the IPC and an Emanator of Preservation.”
“He wanted nothing more than to protect the corporation.”
“Yet with his own hands, he transformed this magnificent building into one of the most beautiful fireworks in the universe.”
Kai looked back toward the burning headquarters.
“What exactly did he preserve.”
“Perhaps the Path of Destruction would suit him better.”
“Hehe.”
“That is impossible.”
“You are lying.”
Neither Aventurine nor Topaz believed her.
They assumed that Kai was still playing with them.
An Emanator of Elation would undoubtedly enjoy turning them against Diamond and watching their confidence collapse.
Their thoughts were written plainly across their faces.
Kai sighed.
“What a shame.”
“I am telling the truth.”
“After all, Kai never lies.”
She glanced toward the ruined headquarters and released a mournful sigh that failed to hide her delight.
“It was such a wonderful building.”
“What a tragedy that it is gone.”
“I suppose I will need to choose another location for the fireworks next time.”
Kai gently patted Aventurine and Topaz on their arms.
“There is no need to be too upset.”
“With the IPC’s financial resources, I am certain you can rebuild it quickly.”
Silence.
What comforting words.
They felt so much better.
Not.
That had not been sympathy.
It had been mockery.
Open and completely shameless mockery.
“Kai will be leaving now.”
“I will come back and play with you again.”
“Goodbye.”
Kai gave them a playful wink.
Brilliant blue light appeared within her eyes.
She slowly walked to the edge of the rooftop.
Then, without hesitation, she leaned backward and allowed herself to fall.
The arrogance of it was infuriating.
Aventurine and Topaz wanted to stop her, but they understood the difference in power between them.
They could do nothing but watch as Kai’s body dissolved into countless blue particles and vanished before reaching the street below.
Once he was certain that she had left, Aventurine immediately pulled out his terminal and contacted Diamond.
“Director.”
“What is the situation at headquarters.”
Diamond’s exhausted voice came through the connection.
“I protected the employees.”
“The explosives were designed to cause limited harm to living beings.”
“Most personnel escaped with minor injuries.”
“The headquarters building itself is another matter.”
“It is almost completely destroyed.”
“The Marketing Development Department suffered the worst damage.”
“She placed at least three hundred devices in that section.”
“There is barely anything left.”
Aventurine and Topaz both released the breaths they had been holding.
The building could be replaced.
The important thing was that the employees had survived.
Topaz hesitated before cautiously asking the question that mattered most.
“Director.”
“You were not the one who triggered the explosives, were you.”
Silence.
A long sigh came through the terminal.
Neither Aventurine nor Topaz needed a clearer answer.
Diamond’s silence was as good as a confession.
Their eyes widened.
Kai had been telling the truth.
Diamond really had caused the explosion.
It was clear from his tone that he had not done so intentionally.
Even so, the fact remained that an Emanator of Preservation had personally activated the devices that destroyed IPC headquarters.
Topaz and Aventurine fell into deep thought.
Director Diamond.
The Ten Stonehearts.
All their talk of safeguarding the IPC.
What exactly had any of them preserved.
◉◉◉◉◉
Save to library!