Barbie Strikes (Part 1)

Clang!... Clang!... Clang!...

Each peal of the bell seemed to strike directly against people's hearts.

It was as though something colossal slumbering somewhere was being awakened. But no one knew where this giant thing came from—an abyss, another world, the sky, or the depths of every person's own heart?

Everyone in Twisted Waist City heard the sound. No matter where they were or what they were doing, they all stopped and began searching for its source.

Boom!... Boom!... Boom!...

Before the bells had stopped, drums began to sound.

They were like the footsteps of that colossal creature, drawing closer step by step. Everyone could see its vague, indistinct silhouette in their minds, yet no one could make out what it was.

Many people realized that the bells and drums seemed to be coming from every electronic device around them. Some came from computer speakers, some from airport announcements, some from televisions by the roadside, and some from their phones' speakers. Yet whenever they leaned closer to listen, they found that the sound was not coming from there. Looking more carefully, it seemed to come from the sky overhead, from the air around them. The source seemed to be everywhere, yet the sound was incomparably uniform.

This wasn't a sound from the real world!

—That thought flashed through many people's minds.

More and more instruments joined in, and then a melodious female voice began to sing. There were no lyrics, only a soft hum, but to everyone who heard it, it sounded like an incantation summoning terrifying monsters and abyssal demons, making them anxious, frightened, and panicked.

Some people even found the humming familiar. It resembled "Super Princess," also known as "Sugar Princess," a massively popular song that had spread widely online and consistently ranked near the top of charts around