Chapter 338: There’s Another Fake Beyond the Fake

The video continued playing.

Zoroark had successfully locked onto Aurelia’s location.

Black mist rose around its body and it transformed into Selene.

"Heh heh. My synchronization rate with the Boss is already close to one hundred percent now. Even my psychic signature changes along with the transformation."

Zoroark struck Selene’s signature hands-on-hips pose, then flicked its curly hair.

"I refuse to believe I’ll get exposed instantly again this time!"

At that moment, Aurelia was standing by the beach with a mango smoothie in her hand.

But instead of drinking it, she simply stared at the smoothie as though she’d fallen into some strange, complicated state of mind.

Zoroark sprinted toward her from behind.

Then—

It leaped straight onto Aurelia’s back and wrapped both arms around her neck.

"Big Sis! So you were here!"

"I’ve been looking for you forever!"

"Why are you standing here spacing out all by yourself?"

"Did you miss me so much you couldn’t even walk anymore?"

Aurelia’s body stiffened.

Then she slowly turned her head.

"You..."

"When did you get back?"

Zoroark’s sudden shaking nearly made the smoothie slip from Aurelia’s hand.

She hurriedly steadied it with her other hand.

"Honestly, why are you being so reckless...?"

"Didn’t you just go buy ice cream?"

Zoroark froze.

Ice cream?

What ice cream?

Zoroark’s brain began operating at full speed.

Oh.

I get it.

The Aurelia in front of it had to be testing it.

Aurelia could sense psychic signatures, after all.

Maybe she’d already realized this wasn’t the real Selene and was deliberately saying something like that to bait it into making a mistake.

"Oh, come on."

Zoroark released her, circled around to Aurelia’s front, and struck another Selene-style hands-on-hips pose.

"It’s so hot today that I already finished it!"

Aurelia blinked.

Then she took out some League currency and handed it over.

"Here."

"Go buy another one."

"Don’t eat it so quickly this time. You’ll get a headache."

Zoroark stared down at the money in its hand.

Its entire brain went numb.

What is happening?

Has Young Miss Aurelia seen through me or not?!

And even if she hadn’t—

Why would Aurelia give Selene cash?

Ever since Zoroark had started following Selene around, it had never once seen either sister actually use cash.

"B-Big Sis..."

Zoroark swallowed.

"You..."

"You seem a little different than usual today."

"Different how?"

Aurelia reached out and pinched its cheek.

"If anything, you’re the strange one."

"How many times have I told you?"

"You’re supposed to call me Big Brother."

"Why are you calling me Big Sis again?"

Zoroark nearly reverted to its true form from the sheer shock.

"C-Call you what?"

"Big Brother."

Aurelia answered without even hesitating.

Zoroark felt its entire worldview beginning to collapse.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Iono]: Wait, wait, wait! What did I just hear?! "Call me Big Brother"?! Aurelia wants Selene to call her Big Brother?!

[Liko]: But Aurelia is definitely her big sister! Have all of us fallen into some kind of illusion created by the livestream? Ugh... My brain can’t keep up anymore!

[Skyla]: No, seriously, doesn’t anyone else think this Aurelia has felt weird from the very beginning? My Master taught me that the scariest thing during a performance is when an actor suddenly changes the script!

[Diantha]: Skyla, you’ve finally started using your brain while watching the livestream. Mommy is very proud.

[Skyla]: M-Mommy?! Master, isn’t a master-disciple relationship enough?! (°ー°〃)

[Diantha]: Oh my, slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue~ I’ve just been spending too much time with Elaria lately.

[Mallow]: I’m running out of brain cells. How many people here are actually real right now?! Zoroark is fake. Aurelia is fake too. Doesn’t that mean there are just two fakes standing on the beach trying to out-act each other?!

[Lana]: Zoroark went fishing, only to bite the hook itself and drag the fishing rod into the ocean too.

[Iris]: I have a bold theory. What if the fake Aurelia is actually Selene herself?

[Cilan]: That... Might be a little too bold.

The video continued playing.

The viewpoint shifted to Selene.

Selene was crouched beside the fountain in Cinnabar Island’s central plaza, licking a lemon-flavored lollipop while chatting with the livestream audience.

"Everyone, I’ve already sent Zoroark to find Big Sis."

"But you all know what Zoroark is like."

"Useless at getting things done, number one in the world at adding its own scenes."

"So I’m giving it half an hour."

"If it still hasn’t come back by then, I’ll personally go over there!"

The comments instantly flooded the screen.

"WAIT, AM I SEEING THINGS?! WHY CAN I SEE TWO CEO SELENES?!"

"WHEN DID CEO SELENE LEARN DOUBLE TEAM?!"

"TWO SELENES! DOUBLE THE CUTENESS! DOUBLE THE HAPPINESS!"

Selene froze as she read the comments.

"What do you mean, a double?"

"Don’t make things up!"

"My psychic talent might be amazing, but I haven’t learned how to create clones yet!"

The comments started pouring in even faster.

"WHICH ONE IS REAL, THE ONE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR THE ONE BEHIND IT?!"

"ONLY CHILDREN CHOOSE! I WANT BOTH!"

"DON’T BE GREEDY... ALSO THE CEO IS ONLY TWELVE! GO GET ELECTROCUTED AT AN ELECTRIC-TYPE GYM!"

"I’M KIND OF A HOMEBODY, SO CAN I HAVE GYM LEADER IONO ELECTROCUTE ME?"

"OMG! NOW YOU’RE EVEN PICKING WHO DOES IT?! TURN UP THE VOLTAGE!!!"

"STOP SPAMMING! CEO, LOOK BEHIND YOU!"

Selene frowned.

"What’s behind me?"

"You guys can’t just trick me into turning around because you’re bored."

"I’m a professional streamer. I’m not falling for something that obvious..."

That was what she said but the comments had become so dense she could barely read the screen anymore.

In the end, Selene couldn’t resist.

Holding up the livestream drone, she turned around.

And found herself staring directly at her own face.

Silver-white curls.

A red left eye and golden right eye.

There was even a faint ring of melted ice-cream foam around the corner of the other girl’s mouth.

The two stood beside the fountain—

Staring at each other in complete silence for nearly five seconds.

Selene stepped forward.

Then planted both hands on her hips.

"Zoroark, weren’t you supposed to be looking for my sister?"

"How did you get back so quickly?"

The other Selene blinked.

Her expression carried a naturally airheaded innocence.

"Zoroark?"

"What’s that?"

Selene frowned.

Then she used her psychic power to scan the "Selene" in front of her.

And the psychic signature she sensed really was completely different from Zoroark’s.

Selene pulled the lollipop from her mouth and slowly walked a circle around the other girl.

"...You’re really not Zoroark."

"Then who are you?"

"And why did you turn into me?"

The other girl lowered her head and nervously twisted her fingers together.

"I-I just thought you were really cute..."

"So I wanted to be like you..."

"Ohhh~"

Selene deliberately drew out the sound.

An expression of sudden understanding appeared on her face.

"So basically..."

"You’re my fan?"

The other girl tilted her head again.

"Fan...?"

"What’s a fan?"

Selene froze.

Then she placed one hand over her chest and took half a step backward.

"Damn it..."

"I never thought the day would come when I’d actually get charmed by myself."

"This level of cuteness..."

"Could this be my ultimate form?"