As the magician on stage lowered his wand,

a deafening boom erupted. The strange cloth bags behind him exploded instantly.

At that moment, Baiyi saw it clearly.

Thousands of exquisite doll-like puppets burst from the torn bags, soaring into the air. They hovered motionless in the sky.

Adorable petite bodies, smooth porcelain faces, cracked lips stitched with black thread... and those pitch-black, hollow eyes.

The once clear, cloudless sky was now completely covered by those 'adorable' puppets. The entire area around the stage was engulfed in their overwhelming numbers.

“Aaaaaah!” The sudden explosion sent the more timid children into tears.

Unable to endure the terrifying, gloomy atmosphere, the crying kids ran wildly around the venue.

Fear. Terror. These emotions spread rapidly through the crowd with their cries, infecting countless children trembling under the shadow.

What started as a few timid children crying soon turned into a massive wave of wailing kids.

Not just children—even some weak-willed adults began to flee in panic.

“Ahhh! No! Don’t come near me!”

“Waaah… Mommy… Mommy!”

Cries, running footsteps, and chaos filled the vast square instantly.

Small shouts echoed endlessly across the chaotic plaza. More people, influenced by others, began to run and collide aimlessly.

The scene was utter chaos.

“Hahahahaha!”

“My masterpiece… ahahaha!”

The magician on stage wore a sickeningly ecstatic grin.

His tiny black eyes narrowed slightly, his grotesque smile exaggerated, paired with that sharp, grating laugh.

The very image of a petty villain reveling in success. It was truly nauseating to watch.

Baiyi stood quietly below the stage, arms crossed over his chest. He watched the madman on stage with a perfectly calm gaze.

For now, he had noticed something unusual and wasn’t ready to act just yet.

…

“What the hell is going on!” S3, waiting in a distant building for the perfect moment to strike, realized the entire square had plunged into chaos before she could give the order.

“Who told you to do this! Who is that magician? How dare he disobey orders!”

The girl’s face twisted with rage, her slender hands gripping two gleaming daggers tightly.

What happened? What was the situation now?

“Report, boss! That magician isn’t one of ours. We haven’t moved yet.”

“Not one of ours?” Her subordinate’s words threw the girl into panic. She had thought everything was going according to plan. Her brows furrowed slightly.

“Who? Who is he?”

“I don’t know, boss. But something terrible has happened.”

“What is it?”

Hearing the report, the girl, though still furious inside, knew she had to get to the bottom of this.

Because the situation had spiraled far beyond her expectations.

“Our people disguised as puppets around the stage suddenly lost contact. Right before that strange magician went on stage, we couldn’t communicate through the magic communicators anymore.”

“…”

Magician? That magician again!

The girl slowly turned her head, her gaze filled with fury and malice, locking onto the grotesquely grinning magician on stage.

“Boss… what do we do?” Seeing her expression, the Shadowblade soldier kneeling beside her knew she was ready to act. He mustered his courage to ask.

“Alert everyone! Mission start! Target: retrieve the Platinum Dragon!”