A week passed in the blink of an eye.
By Friday evening, the area outside Madison Square Garden was already packed with people, while traffic had ground to a complete standstill.
Young people of every background had gathered there, all wearing the same feverish look of anticipation.
They waved glow sticks and signs emblazoned with “Uta,” as though they were embarking on a grand pilgrimage.
“Misaka, stay close. Don’t get separated from me.”
Peter Parker fought his way through the packed crowd, clearing a path as he went while repeatedly glancing back to remind her.
He had deliberately changed into a clean plaid shirt that day, and he’d even combed his hair neatly.
But by now, his shirt was soaked with sweat and he looked rather disheveled.
Misaka followed behind him, her expression as indifferent as ever, though her brows were faintly furrowed.
She wore a simple white T-shirt and denim shorts.
Compared with the meticulously dressed fans around her, she looked completely out of place.
Aunt May had originally wanted her to wear a new dress, but Misaka had firmly refused on the grounds that it would “make it difficult to move around.”
As far as she was concerned, this was merely an escort mission.
Comfort came first.
“Don’t worry. I won’t get lost.”
Her response was brief, but her eyes moved past Peter’s shoulder, surveying her surroundings.
There was a strange sense of excitement permeating the air.
The roar of the crowd had practically become tangible, crashing over everyone like waves.
This collective frenzy made Misaka vaguely uncomfortable.
“Peter! Over here!”
A clear female voice cut through the noise.
Gwen Stacy was standing by the entrance, waving frantically at them.
She was wearing a hat decorated with Uta’s signature wing-shaped hair ornaments, and there were glittering musical-note stickers on her face.
She looked every bit the hardcore fan.
Beside her, Harry Osborn wore a casual suit with both hands in his pockets, still carrying himself with the effortless confidence of a young heir.
“You finally made it.”
Harry smiled as he approached them.
His gaze traveled over Misaka, and he gave an appreciative whistle.
“Whoa, Parker. Your sister looks pretty cool today.”
“She always looks cool.”
Peter instinctively puffed out his chest, as though proudly showing off his sister.
Misaka couldn’t be bothered with their conversation.
She merely nodded at Gwen.
“Come on, let’s get inside! It’s about to start!”
Gwen excitedly grabbed Misaka’s hand and pulled her inside without giving her a chance to object.
“I’m telling you, Misaka, Uta’s live concerts are absolutely unforgettable!”
Harry took them through the VIP entrance with practiced familiarity, saving them the trouble of waiting in line.
The enormous circular arena was packed to capacity.
Tens of thousands of seats were filled with a sea of heads.
Glow sticks of every color formed a glittering sea of stars, while the hum of conversation and excited cheers intertwined into an enormous wave of sound that seemed capable of tearing the roof off the building.
“Whoa…”
Peter was so stunned by the spectacle that he could barely find the words.
Gwen had already been swept up in the frenzy, screaming along with everyone around her.
Harry, meanwhile, wore an expression that practically said he’d seen this a hundred times before.
He patted Peter on the shoulder.
“Relax, Parker. Enjoy your youth.”
Only Misaka stiffened for an instant the moment she entered the venue.
To her senses, this place looked completely different.
Countless cellphone signals, radio waves, and the electrical currents running through the security systems intertwined into an invisible web covering the entire space.
Deep beneath the stage, the enormous current supplying power to the lights and sound equipment rumbled like a sleeping giant.
The electromagnetic waves lingering in the air had become chaotic under the emotional resonance of tens of thousands of people, resembling an invisible storm.
This was even worse than being inside a laboratory packed with high-powered equipment.
Her temples throbbed.
She forcibly suppressed the urge to release an electromagnetic pulse and shut down every electronic device in the entire venue.
“What’s wrong, Misaka? Are you feeling sick?”
Peter noticed her subtle change.
“I’m fine. It’s just loud.”
Misaka shook her head, forcing herself to adapt to the chaotic “background noise.”
Their seats were in the front section, not far from the stage, giving them an excellent view.
The moment they sat down, Gwen eagerly handed over several glow sticks.
“Here. Official limited-edition ones. Harry got them!”
Peter awkwardly accepted one and waved it around, imitating the people around him.
Misaka merely glanced at hers before accepting it, but she didn’t wave it.
She raised her head and studied the enormous stage.
The stage had been designed like a fantastical musical castle.
Countless spotlights and LED screens stood ready for the performance.
Everything appeared perfectly normal.
It was a top-tier commercial concert backed by an enormous budget.
Yet the almost religious frenzy permeating the atmosphere made the doubts in Misaka’s heart grow heavier.
These people weren’t here simply to listen to music.
It was more like they had come to undergo some kind of baptism.
She began scanning the crowd, trying to locate any suspicious energy signatures or traces of another “Player.”
But apart from the bioelectric fields of ordinary people and the chaotic electromagnetic waves, she found nothing.
That Uta was either an expert who had concealed her abilities exceptionally well…
Or her ability simply didn’t belong to any conventional category of energy.
Whoosh!
All the lights in the entire venue suddenly went out.
The world instantly plunged into darkness.
The continuous hum and chatter abruptly ceased, replaced by a brief, heart-stopping silence.
The next second, an earth-shaking roar erupted.
“Uta—!”
“Uta—!”
The cries of tens of thousands of people merged into a single name.
The sheer force of their voices seemed to shake Madison Square Garden itself.
The sea of glow sticks swayed wildly in the darkness, like the most devout worshippers offering their prayers to a god about to descend.
Peter was startled by the sudden eruption and instinctively moved closer to Misaka.
Gwen, meanwhile, was already on her feet, shouting with the crowd at the top of her lungs.
Misaka remained quietly seated.
Neither the darkness nor the noise affected her in the slightest.
Her eyes were fixed firmly on the center of the stage.
A pure white spotlight descended from above, precisely illuminating the middle of the stage.
Within the column of light, a figure slowly rose.
She had strikingly long hair divided into pure white and crimson-red halves, with her signature wing-shaped hair ornaments perched atop her head.
A huge pair of headphones hung around her neck, and she wore a futuristic performance outfit.
She simply stood there, seemingly gathering all the light in the world around herself.
She didn’t speak.
She merely opened her eyes slowly.
One red.
One blue.
Her heterochromatic eyes shimmered beneath the spotlight with an otherworldly brilliance, as though they contained some mysterious magic.
She swept her gaze across the frenzied crowd below, and a bright, confident smile slowly appeared on her face.
“Sorry to keep everyone waiting.”
Her voice traveled clearly through the microphone, reaching every corner of the venue.
It wasn’t an ordinary speaking voice.
There was a strange penetrating quality and infectious power to her tone, instantly silencing the previously boiling crowd.
“Welcome to my concert.”
“Tonight, let’s create a world together—a world filled with nothing but happiness and joy…”
“—A New Genesis!”
[Neutral Faction Player — Uta]
A large set of white scales appeared above Uta’s head.
It was a marker that only Players could see.
“As I thought…”
Misaka’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“My guess was right. Uta is another Player from a different world, just like me.”