Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - Trister (Part One)

At the main entrance of the venue, where a handshake event was being held, a Big Figure arrived.

Selena's appearance initially caused a sensation, but his subsequent words poured cold water on his fans.

"It is with great regret that we inform you... this year's Gray Starling Song Festival has to be cancelled."

An awkward silence lasted for a moment, and then, unsurprisingly, everyone voiced their strong dissatisfaction.

"What? What did you say? I came all the way here to see this!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I was so busy attending the handshake event that I didn't even go inside!"

"Do you know how long our family waited in line!?"

"Explain this to me clearly!!"

"Are you organizers brain-dead?!"

"Screw your suspension!!!"

Faced with increasingly harsh insults, Selena took a deep breath.

"Quiet down, all of you."

With a single, deep sound, all other sounds were silenced.

His authority as a high-ranking officer of the Grey Starlings was on full display at this moment. Although he could only act subservient in front of Fisher and others, he had no reason not to be intimidated by these ordinary people.

"I will explain what needs to be explained. Although those of you who have been outside may not have noticed, the venue was attacked by terrorists just minutes ago. The riot started in the backstage area, which is located underground and under the audience seats. The inside should be a battlefield by now."

He paused, then lowered his head slightly.

"It was our fault for not being able to detect and prevent this terrorist attack beforehand, but what's done is done. In order to prevent further harm, we, the organizers, have made this difficult decision—the Gray Starling Song Festival must be cancelled. Everyone inside the venue has already evacuated through the main entrance. Please follow the instructions of the staff and leave in an orderly manner."

Despite this, the people present—especially the purple-haired girl and the fans of the band Rebel Jingdao—were still in complete chaos.

"But I haven't even shaken Lord Sinan's hand yet!"

"I haven't bought the new album yet!"

"We haven't been insulted by Xiao Wu yet!" "We haven't been trampled on by Lady Ye yet!"

Something strange seems to have gotten mixed in.

A new disturbance has now arisen.

"Please, please follow the staff's instructions in an orderly manner... uh? Wait--"

"Get out of the way!!!!!"

A group of fans, mainly otaku and Metal Party, broke through the crowd—but they didn't rush to leave first. Instead, they turned and ran towards the venue, or more accurately, towards the stalls filled with venue-limited CDs that had been left behind because they didn't have time to leave.

"How can I leave before I've even bought the limited edition CD?!"

"Faith! This is faith!!"

"To hell with this terrorist attack! It can't stop our love!!!"

"Buy! Buy! Buy! Buy! Buy!"

Little Ying was stunned by this surreal sight.

Wow, I'm so incredibly charming!

"Haha~ As expected of me! I really am a born superstar! So--"

We absolutely cannot let our fans down!

"Miss Si Nan!? Please don't—"

"Shhh, everyone! Your idol, Lord Sinan, is here! Shop till you drop! If you buy now, you'll also get a limited-edition autograph from the scene of my terrorist attack!"

"Yay!!!!(^o^)/""""""""""

Xiao Wu was running along the outermost passageway of the venue. Through the windows, she could see the streetlights outside. Even though it was underwater, it felt just like a real night sky. Were the city planners out of their minds?

"Casey... Casey... Tsk! Where the hell did she go?!"

They disappeared in such a short time, they must have hidden somewhere, right? But finding the enemy has always been Xiao Wu's weakness, not to mention that the other party is someone whose general characteristics she only knows and has never actually seen, making it even more difficult to find them.

"Looks like the audience all left because of that lame excuse of a terrorist attack... That means we don't have to worry about getting anyone else involved."

Xiao Wu's mind raced. What if Casey had slipped outside? Perhaps the idea that "the enemy must be inside the venue" was just a mental trap?

Thinking of this, Xiao Wu immediately quickened her pace and launched a flying kick at the outer wall in front of her.

"Table 46 - Scorpion Tail!"

Dust and debris flew everywhere, and a large hole was kicked in the sturdy exterior wall, letting in the bright light from the streetlights outside. Although it was very bright, it gave off a strange sense of coldness.

Speaking of which...

Xiao Wu looked at the window in the corridor.

There's clearly no need to cause any damage, since we can just go out through the window.

"... Who cares?"

She smacked her lips, then leaped through the hole in the wall and landed outside the venue.

The room seemed deserted, but her keen hearing detected a commotion at the other end of the hall. Were people leaving from that direction? Good, saves me the trouble of...

"Well?"

Her keen intuition caught sight of something, and when she looked up, she saw a figure flash by on the high rooftop of the racetrack.

Is it there?

She leaped into the air, easily jumping dozens of meters high, and landed steadily on the roof. The racetrack was constructed as a huge, hollow, flat cylinder, with an open center, so the roof was also a ring shape. Apart from some ventilation ducts and maintenance ladders, there were no other obstacles on it. She could see someone watching her from the other side of the darkness. The distance... was a bit far, but catching up to the other person wouldn't be difficult for Xiao Wu.

However, Xiao Wu became wary at this moment. If the other party didn't want to be discovered by her, they should have run away quickly. Instead, they were standing here waiting for her. If the other party wasn't out of their mind, then this must be a trap.

Xiao Wu hates all these roundabout things.

"If you want to kill me, then come on over. Don't just stand there guarding!"

Upon hearing Xiao Wu's impatient shout, a smile seemed to appear on the other person's face, which was hidden in the shadows. The person politely gestured "please" and then strolled to the other end of the roof, seemingly without any sense of tension.

The invitation was remarkably peaceful, not like a challenge to a fight, but more like inviting a friend for a walk; the other person's aura was so reassuring.

"...?"

Confused, Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not immediately draw her gun and fire. Who knew what kind of trap was hidden there? She also followed the man's steps, walking towards the other end of the roof, while steadily closing the distance between them.

Just as the distance closed to less than twenty meters --

"I've long admired your name, Miss Xiao Wu, a heroine among women. I hope we can get along amicably."

The other person spoke first.

It was a very gentle voice, like a spring breeze, making one feel indescribably comfortable. However, the voice was subtly somewhere between male and female, possessing both feminine softness and masculine clarity, making it difficult to distinguish between them, and it also had a hazy, ethereal quality.

"I can't accept your flattery, and I have no intention of getting along with you."

"But I am your supporter."

"... Ha, is it now fashionable to chat before taking action?"

"This isn't just idle talk; 'wanting to communicate with you more in the limited time'—that's just my personal wish."

"I'd rather you pounce on me like a mad dog right now, so I can smash your head in."

"But I would die if I did that, and your kindness would make you feel guilty."

"..."

"To say that such behavior is 'harmful to others and not beneficial to oneself'... seems a bit arbitrary, but it would be great if we could resolve the issue through calm and peaceful communication."

"Pshaw, if language could solve problems, the world wouldn't need fists."

"That's the tragedy, isn't it?"

"I can't find any point in your nonsense. Are you just stalling for time? Besides, I don't even know your name!"

"Oh dear, it was my oversight; I didn't even give my name first."

At that moment, the man happened to walk up to a searchlight mounted on the roof.

Bright lights illuminated its true form.

He... she... he?

Let's just call him "he" for now.

Xiao Wu frowned deeply. Although she had seen all sorts of people before, this was the first time she had ever met someone so androgynous, even more so than the organization's Leader.

His face possessed the features of both a "handsome man" and a "beautiful woman"—his smooth skin, rosy lips, and deep-set eyes were all exquisitely beautiful, with every line of his face rendered with remarkable gentleness. He had long, beautiful hair, the ends of which were elegantly pinned back, further enhancing his gentle demeanor. He wore a robe reminiscent of that of a priest in an ancient temple, adorned with simple yet powerful patterns that, at first glance, resembled... a planet?

As for his physique, it was difficult for Xiao Wu to see clearly because of the loose robes covering his body. There was nothing covering his neck, so his Adam's apple was not visible, but since there are many men with inconspicuous Adam's apples, this cannot be used to make a judgment.

In the end, he couldn't even figure out if the person in front of him was male or female.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Xiao Wu. My name is Trister."

Trister?

"That's a name that sounds pretty unpleasant."

"I agree, but if you say that, about three billion people will be very unhappy about it."

"..."

What the heck is 3 billion? And--

"Are you a man or a woman?"

"I believe that if you stand independently and look at society from the outside, gender is not a necessity, so it doesn't matter."

"Well..."

No, no, no, it's obviously very important, isn't it?

Seemingly sensing Xiao Wu's thoughts, Trister gave her a friendly smile.

Xiao Wu felt even more annoyed.

"Enough with the small talk. What are you really up to? This is the second time I've met such a refined opponent. The guy who chatted with me for ages before the last fight is long gone."

"I believe that language contains power. Why must we resort to violence when things can be resolved through peaceful communication?"

"Stop spouting that idealistic nonsense! Do you have to use that line before you even start a fight? You've said the same thing three times already!"

"I want to communicate more because it's with you," Trister said with a wry smile. "Because you're the only truly good person in the group, a truly kind person, and the one most likely to listen to me patiently."

"If you think that way, you're sorely mistaken. Putting everything else aside, patience is something I lack most."

"The truth is often the opposite of what you think!"

"Tsk..."

What's wrong with this guy?

He's been rambling on and on since just now.

Is he truly mentally ill, or is he buying time for someone else? Or perhaps both?