In 'Robin's' view, if it hadn't been for Sparkle's promotion, this "Hachimi Song" never would have spread so rapidly.
But to Sparkle, given the "extra ingredients" 'Robin' had mixed into the lyrics, the thing would have eventually saturated the Interastral Network even without her help.
Naturally, this viral "Hachimi" craze caught the attention of several factions.
Ordinary people didn't feel much of anything.
However, certain Pathstriders—those with a bit more sensitivity—could sense the power of Harmony hidden within the vocals after looping the track a few times.
At first, the Interastral Peace Corporation treated it as a serious matter. The IPC's internal Audit Department even placed a direct call to Sparkle to demand an explanation.
But later, once the IPC managed to parse the power hidden within those songs, they felt a mix of relief and pure, unadulterated exasperation.
"You're saying you went through all this trouble—even abusing your authority as a Vice Director—just to push this?"
"You caused this much of a scene just because you wanted to use the power of Harmony to make some nonsensical, abstract meme go viral on the web?"
The strength of the Harmonic Tune itself wasn't high, and it couldn't exactly be classified as a memetic virus.
Even if left completely alone, those who heard it would eventually drift away from its influence naturally.
Even in the worst-case scenario, the only real symptom was a sudden urge to scour the internet for different versions of "Hachimi" to listen to.
That was it.
"You did all this for that? Are you out of your mind?"
The auditor responsible for contacting Sparkle really couldn't keep it together; the words just tumbled out.
"You made such a massive stir, especially considering you've been hanging around the Simulated Universe Space Station so brazenly lately."
"Everyone knows those Geniuses over there kicked up some terrifying commotion recently. And now you're telling us you were just playing around with some abstract pop culture trend?"
The fact that he didn't start cursing on the spot was a testament to his remaining sanity.
Then... Sparkle just started giggling.
Why did she do it? This exact reaction was the whole point.
Ordinary people chased meaningless things for joy.
Powerful people assumed there was a conspiracy, so they spent their time shadowboxing with the air and launching grand investigations—only to find there was no conspiracy at all.
It was done on this scale purely because it was fun.
To Sparkle, the reaction at the moment the truth was punctured was simply exquisite.
She actually regretted not being there to see the auditor in person; she was missing out on the chance to savor that look of total mental collapse.
She hung up the phone and turned to 'Robin,' her face bright with an eager smile.
"Oh~ my dear bestie, it looks like I simply must head back to deal with those pesky auditors~"
"...You call that 'dealing with' them?"
'Robin's' lip twitched. It wasn't like she hadn't heard the phone call just now.
Whether Sparkle was rushing back to "deal with" them or because she couldn't wait to go and gloat over their expressions, 'Robin' knew exactly what was going on.
"Aiyee~ that's a form of dealing with it too! Though, you did give me an idea. Maybe I should try opening an account and have some real fun online."
It wasn't that Sparkle didn't have accounts, she just never cared about "managing" one.
But looking at this experience... it seemed like it could be interesting. If she got the chance later, she'd give it a shot.
With that, Sparkle didn't wait for 'Robin' to reply. She turned around and went skipping away.
--+--
Meanwhile, far away at HQ, Diamond was already starting to feel a headache coming on the moment he heard the auditors had gone looking for Sparkle.
Based on his understanding of the Masked Fools, that girl would definitely be racing back.
In all likelihood, she was going to cause a scene right in their department.
Still, this matter could be viewed as large or small. The IPC's top brass currently held a delicate attitude toward Sparkle.
Some felt this Masked Fool needed stricter surveillance, while others felt someone like her could be a useful asset if handled correctly.
Take this incident, for example.
While it looked like a prank at first glance, was it really that simple? How would The Family react? Would Penacony be dragged into it? Would the IPC have an opening to reach back into Penacony, and so on?
Diamond had a headache because he felt he had slightly underestimated how flighty a Masked Fool could be.
The thought of what the Strategic Investment Department's reputation would become—a department that used to be so orderly—made him feel utterly exhausted.
The IPC released a report declaring the "Hachimi" song harmless.
While it did lean toward being harmless, they could have dealt with it if they really wanted to. Exactly how much Sparkle's status influenced that outcome was hard to say.
However, just because the IPC didn't care didn't mean other factions were indifferent.
The strongest reaction, naturally, came from The Family, who followed the Harmony.
At first glance, the Harmony hidden within this ridiculous "Hachimi Song" didn't seem different from their own.
But if one truly used Tuning to sense its meaning, they would discover a fact that left The Family fuming.
The Harmony hidden in those vocals was, without a doubt, a Harmony that highlighted Order.
This was diametrically opposed to The Family's stance, which treated Order almost like an arch-enemy.
Compared to the IPC, The Family—as believers in Harmony—saw much more.
The Tuning in those voices was clearly exalting Order, attempting to turn Order into a fundamental component of the Harmony rather than just a few assimilated notes.
Add to that the recent behavior and attitude of the Galaxy Rangers... New grudges and old scores were piling up.
The Family felt they had been silent for too long, leading the world to believe that just anyone could step on their toes.
They were already frazzled because previous events had caused the resonance of Order to shift; now, someone had jumped out to arrogantly spread this "different" Harmony.
The Family could accept almost anything, but when it came to faith, they had to make a move.
Would they let some unknown mastermind behind the scenes rewrite the Harmony they believed in?
Or would they find that person and annihilate them with thunderous force, demonstrating The Family's might to the universe and serving as a warning to the Galaxy Rangers?
Without question, The Family chose the latter.
That said, they first had to find out who was behind it.
Consequently, The Family dispatched envoys to Penacony, hoping to gather intelligence amid the prosperity of the Planet of Festivities.
Simultaneously, they sent people directly to Amphoreus.
That was where the initial incident regarding the resurrection of Ena the Order had occurred.
Though the actual site was the Geniuses' space station outside Amphoreus, the station wasn't easy to board. They could only start with Amphoreus first.
While they were at it, they could also try to pull Amphoreus into the symphony of the Harmony.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL