Champs-Élysées, at this moment, had already become a stage for a silent movie filled with despair and absurdity.
The battle had fallen into a strange, anxiety-inducing stalemate.
The Stoneheart Man's giant carving knife, with every swing, seemed to cut a gray, insurmountable line of death in the air.
The light wave wasn't too fast to dodge, but its coverage was so wide, and its attack angle so tricky, that Ladybug and Cat Noir, aside from frantically leaping between the obstacles that had turned into stone statues, couldn't find any gap for an effective advance.
"This can't go on, Ladybug!" Cat Noir, with a nimble roll, barely dodged a light wave that completely petrified the roof of the luxury sports car beneath his feet.
He landed on the ground, rolled, and hid behind a statue of a man frozen in a terrified running pose. "That guy is impossible to get close to!"
"I know!" Ladybug's voice came from behind a billboard not far away, a hint of unsuppressable, tense irritation in it.
In his heart, anxiety spread like wildfire.
In the park, Alya was alone, facing those four aggressive and covetous 'love rivals'!
And he was trapped here, playing a meaningless, time-wasting game of hide-and-seek with a deranged 'artist'!
No... I must calm down...
He took a deep breath, forcing the gentle, slightly smiling face of the young man out of his mind for a moment.
He leaned against the cold back of the billboard, his blue eyes, which always shone with determination, slowly closed, then suddenly snapped open!
When he opened his eyes again, the panicked anxiety belonging to Marinette had been replaced by a cold, precise, instrument-like calm belonging to Ladybug.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a cunning, 'conspiratorial' smile.
"Cat Noir," His voice, clear through the yo-yo communicator, reached his partner's ear, "Ready to put on a good show?"
"Woah, woah... Ladybug," Cat Noir peeked half his head out from behind the statue, just catching a glimpse of the familiar fleeting smile on his face behind the distant billboard.
He couldn't help but shiver, "You... don't smile like that... I... I'm a little scared..."
He was too familiar with that smile.
Every time his partner showed that smile, it meant that, besides the enemy, he himself might be in for a lot of trouble.
In the lair.
Hawk Moth sat elegantly in a luxurious, classical armchair.
Beside him, on a small round table, were exquisite French pastries prepared by Nathalie herself, and a cup of clear spring water, still steaming.
On the tablet in front of him, the battle on Champs-Élysées, which he considered uninspired, was being broadcast live in real-time.
He really couldn't muster any interest in this so-called "Stoneheart Man."
Another mediocre soul, easily Akumatized because of that ridiculous, illusory "artistic pride."
Nothing new, and no... utilitarian value.
But he still, as a matter of routine, sent a formulaic, cold warning through the dark psychic link, which only he could perceive, to the gloating Akumatized Person.
"Stoneheart Man," His voice echoed directly in the other's mind, "Stop playing around, be careful!
Bring me their miraculous!"
"Hahahahaha!" Stoneheart Man let out a wild, disdainful laugh, "Hawk Moth! You're too impatient! Don't worry, once I turn these two 'heroes' of Paris into my greatest stone artworks!
You'll see, who in this world would dare to say a single word against my work!"
"Soon! My art will make all of Paris, no! The whole world, witness it! Be shocked by it!"
"..."
Hawk Moth slowly withdrew the connection.
He picked up his water glass and took a small sip.
Another brainless idiot.
He calmly defined the other party in his mind.
Anyway, it didn't matter.
He no longer bothered with the idiot's affairs, merely watching the tablet screen with boredom, as if enjoying a third-rate silent movie that had nothing to do with him.
"Come out! Heroes of Paris!" Stoneheart Man stood atop the bus, arms outstretched, like a cult leader summoning his followers, "Are you only capable of hiding like rats?!"
No sooner had he spoken than the black cat he called a "rat" actually slowly emerged from behind the gentleman's statue!
He raised his hands in a standard, internationally recognized surrender gesture.
On his face was a helpless expression, as if to say, "My skills are inferior, I concede defeat."
"Is... is he surrendering?" Stoneheart Man's eyes gleamed with ecstasy!
"Very good! No problem!
I accept your surrender! Soon! I will turn you into the most exquisite piece in my collection!"
"However..." He looked up and down at Cat Noir's lazy, as if still half-asleep appearance, shaking his head with some dissatisfaction, "You can't be like this!
You need to strike a pose that better fits the theme of my sculpture!
It needs to be full of power! It needs to be full of... the tragic hero's destiny!"
"What about Ladybug?"
A clear, slightly unwilling voice came from behind the billboard.
Ladybug also slowly emerged from the shadows, hands raised.
"Very good! Excellent!"
Stoneheart Man felt like he had reached the pinnacle of his life!
"Both of you are very cooperative!"
"However..." Cat Noir looked at him, and then, with a curious, childlike innocent tone, tilted his head and asked, "If... if we just turn into your statues like this... will it really make your art 'world-renowned'?"
"Of course!"
Stoneheart Man answered without thinking, in a tone full of pride and fanaticism, "As long as I turn both of you heroes into my stone sculptures!
Then all of Paris, no! People all over the world will come to admire them! They will understand that I am the greatest artist of this era!"
"Hmm... but," Cat Noir stroked his chin, a troubled expression on his face, "I always feel like... something is missing..."
"Something missing?" The artist was not in a hurry to attack.
He enjoyed this feeling, this absolute dominance of toying with the heroes of Paris in the palm of his hand.
He wanted to hear what interesting opinions this dying kitten could still offer.
"What's missing is... widespread attention."
"Isn't it already getting widespread attention?!" Stoneheart Man, somewhat displeased, pointed to Nadja's team not far away, who were risking their lives carrying cameras to live-stream his entire process.
"Not enough! Of course not enough!" Cat Noir shook his head, then, with a mysterious, operatic tone, said, "Your art is so profound, so... tragic!
Pictures alone cannot convey even a fraction of its essence!
What you lack is a... poet of the abyss, who can provide a soul interpretation for your work!
You lack a... soul speech that can elevate your art into an immortal legend!"
His words were vague, full of deliberately obscure and artistic vocabulary.
Stoneheart Man, this Akumatized Person already obsessed with his "art," was instantly drawn in!
"Poet of the abyss... soul speech of a knight..." He murmured, repeating these two incredibly high-sounding terms, his eyes filled with confusion and yearning, "You... who are you talking about?"
"Of course, it's," Cat Noir and Ladybug said in unison, uttering the name that was enough to ignite the entire scene:
"Jaden!"
"Mr. Jaden?!" Stoneheart Man's eyes instantly burst forth with an unprecedented, brilliant light! "That's right! Excellent!
I... how could I not have thought of that! It's simply brilliant!"
He had already begun to envision the most perfect scene of his life!
The two heroes of Paris, sculpted by him into eternal stone statues in their most perfect poses!
And that mysterious "Mr. Jaden," who had shocked all of Paris with his cold, philosophically profound language in the "Pigeon, Stormy Weather, and many other" incidents.
He stood beside his sculpture, reciting an immortal poem for his work in his magnetic, cello-like deep voice!
Just as he was completely immersed in his beautiful fantasy, and his mind relaxed for a moment—
"Act!" Ladybug's voice was like the coldest command!
Cat Noir hadn't even had time to ask, "What exactly is your plan?" when he felt a sudden tightening around his waist!
Ladybug's resilient yo-yo had already tightly wrapped around his waist!
The next second, a huge, irresistible centrifugal force came from the yo-yo!
Ladybug, like a shot put athlete, threw him, his entire being, like a cannonball, fiercely towards the Akumatized Person still dreaming of the future atop the bus!
"Waaahhh—! You didn't tell me about this!!"
Cat Noir let out a terrified, betrayed, and piercing scream in mid-air!
But he was, after all, a hero of Paris! After a brief moment of panic, he immediately understood his partner's intention!
"Cataclysm!"
On his right hand, the destructive, black energy instantly condensed!
Under Stoneheart Man's shocked and disbelieving gaze, this black "human cannonball" accurately smashed onto the giant stone carving knife in his hand!
"Crack—!"
A crisp, shattering sound!
The carving knife shattered into ashes! A tired, black butterfly flew out from it.
The battle was over.
While the street artist, now purified and restored to his original state, was still bewildered and regretful about his recent actions, Nadja and his team of reporters rushed forward at the first opportunity.
"...Sir! May I ask, what was the reason for your Akumatization?"
"I... I just... wanted everyone to see my work..."
The artist, somewhat aggrieved, picked up from the ground a sculpture made of discarded wire, soda cans, and bicycle parts, welded together, full of post-modern abstract style, "But... but a lady said... my sculpture had no soul..."
"How absurd! How absurd!" A familiar yet arrogant voice came from outside the crowd.
Chloé, arms crossed, walked over with a look of disdain, "This kind of garbage, does it even deserve to be called art?!"
Ladybug looked at this familiar, messy scene and didn't want to stay for another second!
He winked at Cat Noir, then, without hesitation, swung his yo-yo and disappeared between the tall buildings.
Leaving only the poor Cat Noir, alone, surrounded by countless microphones and camera flashes.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the park.
Jaden, Nathan, and Marc had just finished watching the dramatic battle on their phone screens, not missing a single second.
Jaden put away his phone, his face, which always wore a gentle smile, now held a hint of an indescribably complex expression, as if he had just watched a clumsy farce with a sense of helplessness.
Nathan and Marc, beside him, looked as if they had just finished a highly-rated, twist-filled suspense comedy, their faces still showing lingering shock and admiration.
"..."
"..."
After a brief, eerie silence, "Wow..." Nathan was the first to break the stillness.
He looked at Jaden, his eyes, which always carried a gentle artistic aura, now sparkling with a brilliant light, as if he had discovered a new continent, "Jaden... I really didn't expect it... Your name is now so famous that even Akumatized Persons are specifically asking you to be a 'special guest'?!"
"Yes, yes!" Marc also nodded frantically like a pecking chicken, his face full of excited pride.
"How about it," Nathan's imagination grew wilder, and he became more excited as he spoke, even nudging Jaden with his elbow, "You might as well become a hero in the future!
Anyway, you don't even have to fight, just stand in front of those Akumatized Persons!
With your words and your reputation, you can subdue them!
Then let those two heroes be responsible for finishing things up on the side! This is simply the most perfect, bloodless solution!"
"Right, right!"
Listening to their unrealistic, wild fantasies, the helplessness on Jaden's face finally gave way.
He stretched out his hands and, with a light but firm flick, gave each of the two heads, still immersed in their beautiful fantasies, a gentle tap.
"Pop!" "Pop!"
After two crisp sounds of "friendship," "Ow!" "Ugh!" Nathan and Marc simultaneously clutched their foreheads, looking at him with eyes full of grievance and confusion.
"Oh? Being a hero?" Jaden looked at them, his black eyes, which always carried a gentle smile, slowly permeated with a chilling, bone-chilling coldness, "Being a poet? Is that so great?"
His voice remained gentle and calm, but the undeniable, abyssal pressure contained within it instantly silenced the two who had just been so excited.
"Do you know," he said slowly, his voice as light as the last withered leaf falling in autumn, "how many times Akumatized Persons appear in a week?"
"At this current frequency..." The corner of his mouth curved into a cold, self-mocking arc, "Heh heh... I'm afraid I'd have to run until the year of the monkey and horse to live the peaceful life I want."
The attitude towards this "trouble," hidden beneath his gentle exterior, quietly revealed itself like the tip of an iceberg.
Nathan and Marc were both stunned by this sudden cold aura; they exchanged glances, seeing a hint of fear and the realization that "we seem to have said the wrong thing" in each other's eyes.
"Hmm..." Jaden looked at their frightened, pitiful expressions, and the coldness in his eyes slowly receded, returning to the familiar gentle youth everyone knew, "Never mind, let's not talk about these things for now."
He turned around, his gaze returning to the paintings and manuscripts in front of him: "Didn't you just want me to comment on Nathan's painting and Marc's writing?
"A familiar, faint smile reappeared on his face, "Well, I'll give you my evaluation now."
Under their nervous and expectant gazes, he slowly spoke: "My evaluation is..."
"Better than that abstract 'artwork' on TV just now."
"Just... just that?" Nathan and Marc asked in unison, full of disbelief.
"What else?" Jaden raised an eyebrow, saying in a half-joking, teasing tone, "Do you want me to give you a 'soul speech' full of 'abyss' meaning right here and now?"
"No, no, no! Of course not!" The two quickly shook their heads frantically like rattles.
After a brief awkwardness, Nathan's eyes darted around, and an expectant smile reappeared on his face: "Then... that, Jaden,
"He was a little embarrassed to say, "How about... you try painting too?"
"Me painting?" Jaden pointed to himself, somewhat puzzled.
"Yes! Help us out!" Nathan pointed to the drawing paper in front of him, which was still in the sketch phase, "We feel like this painting... it's just not quite right..."
"I think, if it were you, you would… you would definitely be able to capture the feeling we're looking for!"
Jaden didn't answer immediately; he first turned his head to look at the other side of the park.
Under the giant sycamore tree, Alya, Rose, Mylène, Alix, and Juleka, the five girls, were actually sitting together chatting harmoniously, just as they had agreed.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling their youthful and beautiful faces, creating a picture so lovely it seemed unreal.
Not far away, Manon was also happily chasing a flock of white doves, running back and forth.
Everything seemed so peaceful.
"Alright," he finally nodded.
"That's great!" Nathan clapped his hands excitedly. "Don't worry! We've prepared all the paper and brushes for you!"
"You two came prepared, huh?"
Jaden looked at Nathan's sly smile, a smile that showed his 'scheme had succeeded,' and shook his head helplessly.
He walked to the easel and looked at the painting where Nathan had sketched a rough outline—it depicted Ladybug and Cat Noir fighting side-by-side as hero partners, with an exciting composition and smooth lines; it was a very good piece.
But… "Tear—!"
A crisp sound of paper tearing suddenly rang out! Under Nathan and Marc's shocked and disbelieving gazes, Jaden, without hesitation, tore up the painting they had spent an entire morning working on!
"You… what are you doing?! Jaden!" Nathan was the first to react, almost screaming as he pounced forward. "That… that was my drawing…"
"I don't like it," Jaden's answer was simple and direct, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Huh?" Nathan and Marc were completely bewildered.
However, before they could ask anything else, they saw that Jaden had already replaced it with a brand new, pure white sheet of paper. He picked up the most ordinary sketching pencil, and his black eyes, which always held a gentle smile, instantly became incredibly focused and profound.
He stood there quietly, contemplating for a moment, then moved—the tip of his pencil flew across the white paper.
It wasn't Nathan's delicate tenderness, nor Marc's narrative tension.
Jaden's brushstrokes were domineering, aggressive! Every line seemed to carry a cold, controlling power that wanted to crush the entire world underfoot!
Soon, a vague but oppressive figure appeared in the center of the paper.
It was a tall, slender figure dressed in black tights, with smooth and explosive muscle lines, but His face was shrouded in deep shadow, revealing only a pair of beast-like eyes that gleamed with cold green light in the darkness—
Not Adrien's sunny, teasing green eyes, but a deeper, colder green, containing endless destruction and madness!
He held a small, red figure tightly in His arms in a possessive, protective stance!
That red figure was Ladybug! Her back was to the viewer, showing only her iconic dark blue pigtails and red and black tight-fitting battle suit; she seemed injured, leaning weakly in the black figure's embrace.
And around them, the entire world was a desolate, ruined landscape: shattered buildings, cracked earth, a gray, lifeless sky! Countless black, ominous butterflies fluttered and circled around them, as if singing a doomsday anthem!
At the very top of the painting, above the gray sky, a giant, blurry hand formed of shadow controlled countless invisible threads connected to the desolate scene below, as if all destruction originated from it!
Nathan and Marc were completely stunned, even forgetting to breathe—what a powerful scene, filled with the aesthetic beauty of despair and destruction.
But Jaden's creation was not yet finished. He switched to a darker pencil and drew a protective circle around the two embracing figures, composed of pure black energy, as if it could devour all light!
It was Cat Noir's Cataclysm!
But in this painting, this power was no longer used for destruction, but for protection—
Protecting that single, vibrant, fragile splash of red in His arms! As if, as long as He could protect her, He wouldn't care if the entire world was destroyed!
Just as Jaden was completely immersed in his creation, adding the most fitting doomsday colors to this tense painting, the five girls on the other side finally couldn't contain their curiosity.
After exchanging glances, Alix, the boldest, led them as they quietly walked towards him.
When they saw the oppressive painting taking shape, they, like Nathan and Marc, were completely stunned by the powerful and desperate emotions in the image, not daring to make a sound to disturb him, only standing quietly behind him, waiting.
And Marinette, who had just rushed back from the Akumatization scene, saw the strange sight of everyone gathered behind Jaden from afar.
Her heart tightened, and she hurried over. The moment her gaze fell on the painting, her heart skipped a beat—the black figure in the painting was tightly embracing a girl wearing the same battle suit!
She instinctively wanted to retort, "She and Cat Noir are not like that!"
But her gaze suddenly froze—the slightly upturned black hair of the "Cat Noir" in the painting, subtly revealed in the shadows, was so familiar… She slowly looked up, at the side profile of the young man intently wielding his brush.
On the other side, Cat Noir, who had finally escaped the onslaught of reporters' cameras and microphones, found his friends after detransforming elsewhere, rubbing his face, which was stiff from smiling.
Nino, Kim, and Max were waiting for him at the park entrance.
"Hey! Big model! You're finally here! If you didn't show up soon, we would have thought those crazy female reporters had devoured you alive!" Kim laughed in his usual playful tone, patting his shoulder.
"No choice, our Adrien is Paris's star model after all," Nino also chimed in with a smile.
Adrien sighed helplessly, just about to say something, when he suddenly saw a large crowd of people, three deep, gathered under that familiar giant sycamore tree not far away!
And, he knew all those people!
"Eh? Isn't that… Jaden?" He pointed curiously in that direction. "What… what are they doing?"
"Looks like… they're watching Jaden paint?" Nino squinted, trying to discern what was happening at the center of the crowd in the distance. "It's a bit far, can't see clearly."
"This is when my professional equipment should make an appearance!" Max smiled proudly, pulling out a palm-sized hovering robot—Marc!—from his backpack, which always contained all sorts of strange gadgets.
Marc's electronic screen-like face flashed a playful smiley expression, and then its miniature propellers on top of its head began to spin rapidly, emitting a faint "buzzing" sound, and it flew vertically into the air.
Like the most loyal scout, it silently glided above the crowd, aiming its camera at the easel.
A moment later, Marc flew back, hovering steadily in front of Max.
"Report, sir!" Marc said in its mechanically synthesized yet unusually lively voice. "Reconnaissance complete! Target subject Jaden is engaged in artistic creation!
The image is extremely impactful! Do you require further action? Over!"
"He's painting, huh…" Adrien stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"So… should we go take a look?" Kim suggested.
"Go! Of course, we should go!" Nino threw an arm around Adrien's shoulder. "But, we need to be quiet, don't disturb his creation!"
"OK! OK! Understood!"
After a quick discussion, the four big boys, like secret agents preparing for a covert mission, tiptoed towards the area that had already gathered quite a few "spectators."
Meanwhile, Jaden slowly put down his paintbrush.
The final touch of deep darkness, representing despair and protection, was added by him to the corner of the painting. The entire painting was complete.
He quietly gazed at the work before him, as if the black figure in the painting was himself in another time and space.
"Wow…" Nathan let out a long breath, his eyes, which always held a gentle smile, were now filled with astonishment and disbelief. "Jaden… I really didn't expect it… you're quite good at this painting thing!"
"More than just not bad…" Marc muttered beside him, His eyes still immersed in the immense emotional impact of the painting, unable to extricate himself. "This… this is simply… a masterpiece…"
"But…" Nathan regained his composure, looking at Jaden with a scrutinizing gaze, tinged with a hint of worry. "Aren't you a bit too pessimistic, you guy?"
"I just…" Jaden was about to retort, but before he could speak, a chorus of exclamations, crisp as nightingales, unique to young girls, mixed together, came from behind him!
He instinctively turned his head, and his whole body froze.
He saw that, at some point, people had filled the space behind him!
Alya, Rose, Alix, Mylène, Juleka… the five girls who had just been chatting not far away, were now looking at his painting with astonished expressions.
And Marinette had also returned! She was standing at the back of the crowd, while little Manon was tightly holding her hand, trying hard to squeeze through the gaps in the crowd to get to the front.
Marinette's large blue eyes were now staring unblinkingly at the black-haired, ruthless figure in the painting who was embracing Ladybug, and on her small face, which always carried a hint of shyness, there was a suspicious, dreamy pink bubble… Even more outrageous, behind that group of girls, Adrien, Nino, Kim, and Max, the four big boys, were also curiously craning their necks to look over!
"You… you guys… when did you get here?!" Jaden's always calm face showed an expression close to "shock" for the first time.
His turn also startled Nathan and Marc, who were still immersed in the world of art!
"Holy cow!" Both of them simultaneously jumped back a step. "When… when did so many people come?!"
"We've been here the whole time," Rose replied first with a giggle, her bright eyes like two twinkling stars. "We came over when you were painting."
"Yes, that's right! You paint so well!" Alix also agreed generously, her gaze at Jaden filled with undisguised admiration and praise.
Different people offered different opinions.
"Hmm… not bad, I guess…" Kim stroked his chin, offering his rather uninspired opinion.
"Don't interrupt!" Nino immediately nudged him with his elbow, signaling him not to ruin the pleasant atmosphere.
And Max's robot, Marc, dutifully performed a comprehensive scan of the painting with its high-precision camera.
"Analysis report generated!" Marc said in its mechanical voice, very seriously. "Conclusion: This painting is full of pessimistic heroism, with bold composition and strong emotions, but… there is a 97.3% deviation from the actual hero image! Conclusion: This work does not conform to mainstream heroic values."
Just then, Adrien, who had the most authority on the image of "Cat Noir," finally noticed something amiss in the painting.
He pointed at the black figure in the painting, full of destructive aura, and said, "This… doesn't seem to be Cat Noir, does it? His hair… isn't black."
"Oh, you just don't get it!" Nathan immediately stepped forward, explaining with the air of a "professional." "This is called fan art! Understand?
Art comes from life, but it is higher than life! The Cat Noir here, of course, was created spontaneously, inspired by Jaden, who is right beside us!"
Jaden listened to their chaotic discussions, full of their own interpretations, and smiled gently, somewhat helplessly.
"But speaking of which," he looked at Adrien and the other three, "how did you all end up here?"
"Oh, oh! Almost forgot the important stuff!" Adrien slapped his forehead, finally remembering their purpose for coming. "I have a modeling shoot at a studio nearby this afternoon."
"We're here to cheer on our buddy!" Nino, Kim, and Max said in unison, in a tone full of brotherly loyalty.
They planned that as soon as Adrien finished his boring photo shoot and gained some precious "free time," they would immediately drag him off for an exhilarating game.
"So that's it," Jaden nodded. He glanced at the sky; the sun had already begun to set in the west, painting the clouds on the horizon with a warm, orange glow.
"Well… it's getting late, so we'll take our leave," he said politely to the four boys.
Then, he turned around and looked at the seven girls on the other side who were still watching him with various meaningful expressions.
"Well, everyone," he also gave a gentle smile with a hint of apology, "I should be going back too. Today, I was very happy to chat with you all."
"Mm! See you next time!" Rose gave him a sweet smile that could melt winter snow.
"Nice painting! Keep up the good work!" Alix gave him a cheering gesture full of encouragement.
Mylène and Juleka also mustered their courage and smiled faintly at him; their smiles, though still a bit shy, were full of sincere friendliness.
Alya just gave him a knowing smile, her eyes seeming to say, "You worked hard today."
And Marinette… she was still immersed in her own world, her face still wearing that infatuated, dreamy smile.
"Brother Jaden, are you leaving?" Only Manon tugged at his sleeve, her face full of reluctance.
Jaden squatted down, gently stroked her head, and said in a doting, gentle tone, "Yes, see you next time, my little princess."
Under the little girl's regretful and lingering gaze, Jaden, Nathan, and Marc turned and left together.
Seeing that the "protagonist" had left, this "girls' gathering" that revolved around him naturally had no further reason to continue.
The quartet of Rose, Alix, Mylène, and Juleka also politely bid farewell to the remaining three and left together.
On the empty grassy area, soon only Alya, Marinette, and Manon remained.
Alya looked at her best friend beside her, who was still infatuatedly giggling at the direction Jaden had left, and finally couldn't resist reaching out a finger to lightly tap Marinette's smooth forehead: "Hey! Snap out of it!"
"Ah?! Wh-what is it, Alya!" Marinette was completely jolted awake by the tap.
"I was about to ask you what you were doing just now!" Alya said, crossing her arms, looking at her with a speechless expression.
"I… I wasn't doing anything…" Marinette's face instantly flushed red! She couldn't possibly tell Alya that her mind had just enacted an entire epic of forbidden romance about her and Jaden playing the roles of the cool and deeply affectionate "Cat Noir" embracing and protecting each other in a doomsday ruin, could she?!
If… if Jaden really was Cat Noir… how wonderful would that be… This thought struck her like lightning again!
No, no, no! Marinette! Get a grip! That's impossible! She quickly shook her head vigorously.
"Oh, right!" As if remembering something, she quickly changed the subject. "Just now… while I was away, nothing happened here, did it?"
"Don't worry," Alya said, a cunning glint in her eyes as she looked at her. "Not only did nothing happen, but I also took care of everything for you."
"Really?!"
"Of course," Alya's lips curved into a meaningful smile. "Do we really need to say more about our relationship?"
Marinette looked at her best friend, who always managed to solve her problems at critical moments, her heart filled with sincere gratitude and appreciation.
And as Alya enjoyed this gratitude, that small, sweet sense of guilt in her heart quietly deepened a bit.
Just as the two were having this conversation on "different channels," Manon, who had been neglected for a long time, finally became unhappy! She stomped her little feet, her face full of grievances.
Just then, a familiar figure in a sharp suit walked quickly towards them—it was Nadja, there to pick up her daughter.
On the way back, the energetic little girl chattered away, telling her mother all about meeting the gentle, artistic, prince-like Jaden brother in the park today.
As Nadja listened to her daughter's innocent words, her bright eyes, always full of wisdom and insight, narrowed slightly.
On the other side, Nathan looked at Jaden and Marc beside him, who seemed to have reached some kind of "men's understanding" but had different expressions.
The wildcat-like curiosity in his heart finally completely overwhelmed the slight trepidation brought by Jaden's cold gaze just now.
The three of them walked side by by side down the tree-lined path, bathed in the golden sunset.
The autumn wind carried a hint of chill, stirring up fallen leaves that swirled around their feet.
"Hey, Jaden," Nathan finally couldn't hold back. He gently nudged the handsome young man beside him, who had been silent since earlier, with his elbow, "Why did you... leave so quickly?"
"Hm?" Jaden's gaze slowly retracted from the distance. He looked at Nathan beside him, a gentle, questioning expression on his face.
"I mean," Nathan's expression was so matter-of-fact, yet so full of the sentiment of "disappointment," "didn't you see? The way those girls were looking at you just now?
It was practically... practically like they were about to devour you whole!
And you just walked away so decisively?"
"The way you are today," he said, scrutinizing Jaden up and down with a puzzled tone, "is not like your usual demeanor at all!"
"Oh?" Jaden's lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile, "Then, in your eyes, what should my demeanor be like?"
His voice was still gentle and pleasant, like a melodious cello.
But in the depths of his black eyes, that cold, dangerous aura slowly seeped out again.
Marc felt the change in this aura almost instantly!
He looked at the bizarre harmony formed by Jaden's gentle smile on his face and the cold chill in his eyes, and an alarm bell rang in his heart!
He was about to reach out and pull his friend, who was still oblivious and recklessly testing the waters of death beside him—but he was stopped by an imperceptible wave of Jaden's hand.
And Nathan, the artist lost in his own world, was completely unaware that he had already stepped on the tiger's tail.
He continued to babble on, in a tone full of longing and "you're not right today": "Of course! You should care for everyone as usual!
Treat everyone around you with your gentle, egalitarian gaze! Just like... just like at the party at Marinette's house last time!
That was when you were most normal!"
"Oh? Care for everyone, you say?" Jaden's smile deepened.
"Then," he slowly extended his hand, under Nathan's gaze, which was filled with terror and "why me again," "I'll start by taking good, good care of you right now."
"Pop!"
Another perfectly accurate, "caring" flick to the forehead!
"Ow—! Again?! Why only me! Why not Marc?!" Nathan clutched his poor forehead, letting out a furious protest filled with injustice!
"Because Marc isn't as talkative as you," Jaden's reply was light and airy.
"Actually... actually... I wanted to say something too..." Marc mumbled weakly beside him, in a voice smaller than a mosquito's.
"Hm?"
Jaden's gaze, carrying a hint of dangerous amusement, slowly drifted towards him.
"..."
Marc instantly became like a duck with its neck squeezed, swallowing all the words he wanted to say! He even instinctively recoiled, pulling his neck back.
Jaden looked at their cowardly expressions and finally couldn't help but sigh.
"Tell me," his voice returned to its usual gentleness, "what exactly is wrong? Is it related to that painting?"
"Um..." Nathan rubbed his forehead and carefully took out the apocalyptic-feeling painting Jaden had just finished from his art tube.
He looked at the black figure in the painting, full of destruction and protection, and then at the young man beside him, who, though gentle at the moment, always inadvertently revealed a cold aura, and his brows furrowed tightly.
"Jaden..." He looked at Jaden's deep black eyes, which seemed a little lost in the afterglow of the sunset, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. He could only awkwardly comfort him, "It's... it's nothing... I just think... it's... just a painting, you... don't overthink it."
However, Jaden's heart was a tangled mess.
Yes... it's just a painting... The composition of that painting was indeed a fictional scene full of chuunibyou and tragic heroism, a blend of countless anime and movies he had seen in his previous life.
But for some reason, when he saw Nathan's sunny and positive painting of Ladybug and Cat Noir partnering up in the park, an inexplicable, uncontrollable sense of irritation and displeasure surged within him.
That's why he tore up that painting without hesitation.
He clearly wanted to paint a cooler, more aloof "Cat Noir" based on himself, but why, when he actually started painting, did he produce such a pessimistic and destructive apocalyptic scene?
His mind was in a jumble.
"Jaden," Nathan looked at his furrowed brow and distressed expression, and finally couldn't bear it anymore, "How about... we go for a drink first?"
"Forget it," Jaden shook his head, "Don't you two still have things to do?"
"For a good brother, what's a little something!" Nathan threw an arm around his shoulder and said loudly in a tone full of "brotherly love," "And don't forget!
You!
Just now! You ruined one of my paintings! That was the result of my entire morning's work! You have to compensate me!"
"Right! Compensation!" Marc also, for once, mustered his courage and loudly echoed!
"Then... alright."
Finally, under the irresistible "enthusiasm" of his two friends, the three of them walked into a nearby dessert shop.
As an "apology," Jaden treated them to the shop's most expensive, complex layered chocolate lava cake.
Sweets truly seemed to have the power to heal hearts. Wrapped in the overly sweet, warm chocolate sauce, Jaden's jumbled emotions in his heart seemed to be temporarily soothed.
After bidding farewell to his two friends, he returned to his apartment and sat quietly by the window alone, looking at the sky outside, lost in thought.
And at the corner of the street where the three of them parted, Nathan and Marc were walking side by side.
"Ah..." Nathan suddenly let out a long sigh.
"What's wrong?" Marc asked, somewhat puzzled.
"I always feel," Nathan's face showed a worried expression completely different from his usual innocent and carefree personality, "that Jaden... seems to be hiding something from us."
Marc also fell silent, and he nodded: "Yes... He... He seems to have many... secrets..."
Just as these two sincere young men were feeling distressed and worried about their friend's untouchable, mysterious inner world—they didn't notice a black, ominous Akuma Butterfly silently hovering and dancing like a ghost in the shadows behind them.
In his distant lair, Gabriel's face showed a cold, interested smile.
That painting, that artwork that astonished all onlookers, he had seen it too.
Full of destruction, pessimism, and that obsessive love to protect the unique, even if it meant being an enemy to the whole world.
Although it was just a painting, from his perspective as the only "director" who had personally witnessed the birth of "Eternal Winter and Information"... how real that painting was.
What a pity... what a pity that his Akuma Butterfly couldn't get close at all!
But now... the opportunity has come.
Those two simple-minded young men, distressed and conflicted by their friend's secret... they were simply the perfect substitutes!
The black Akuma Butterfly, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, silently flew towards the introverted, black-haired young man who was more easily affected by emotions!
It landed and merged into Marc's notebook, which was filled with worries about Jaden!
"Do you want to know your friend's secret?" Hawk Moth's seductive, cold voice directly echoed in his mind, "The source of his pain... you want to help him share it, don't you?"
"No!" Marc looked up, his green eyes, which always carried a hint of shyness, now glimmering with an unexpected, unyielding strength, and he loudly refused internally, "Good friends share secrets with each other!
I trust him! One day, he will tell us himself!"
This powerful trust, based on pure friendship, actually resisted the Akuma Butterfly.
"Hmph, foolish, meaningless trust."
Gabriel let out a cold, disdainful snort. Since this black-haired young man's will was so firm, then... he would change targets.
The Akuma Butterfly flew out of Marc's notebook, tracing an elegant yet deadly arc in the air, like finding a sweeter, more alluring pistil, and flew towards the red-haired young man—Nathan—who was currently deeply powerless and self-reproachful due to his friend's secret!
"I... I always feel," Nathan said to himself, with a sense of powerlessness he didn't even notice in his voice, "that Jaden... he must have encountered something very unhappy today... That painting... that painting is a reflection of his inner self..."
"If... if only I could do something for him..."
The Akuma Butterfly found its home. Like a tired bird returning to its forest, it gently landed on the tip of Nathan's sketch pencil, which he gripped tightly in excitement, and merged into it!
"Do you want to do something for him?"
That cold voice, like a devil's whisper, sounded again. This time, it aimed at Nathan's fragile heart, full of artistic sensitivity and kindness!
"You don't want him to silently wallow in distress and vexation alone anymore, do you?"
"Who?!" Nathan suddenly looked up, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.
"Your friend is in pain, and you are powerless." Hawk Moth's voice was like the most precise surgical knife, dissecting the softest, most fragile part of Nathan's heart, "I can give you power.
To give you eyes that can see through his soul, to give you a paintbrush that can depict all his pain.
Only then can you truly help him."
"Nathan! Don't listen to him!" Marc's heart sounded an alarm as he saw his friend's eyes instantly become confused and wavering!
He grabbed Nathan's arm, urgently pleading, "This... this is a trap! He's using you! We should trust Jaden! Not in this way..."
"But... but I..." Nathan looked at Marc, his eyes, which usually held a gentle smile, now filled with painful struggle, "I... I can't do it!
I can't just watch him be so sad and do nothing!
Marc! Do you understand?!
I just... I just want to help him!"
"Exactly," Hawk Moth's voice carried a victorious, bewitching smile, "You just want to help him.
What's wrong with that?"
The next second, a purplish-black, ominous energy, like living ink, erupted from the small sketch pencil, completely engulfing Nathan's body!
"No—!" Marc's eyes reflected this desperate scene!
"Nathan—!"
When the black energy slowly dissipated, what appeared before Marc was no longer his familiar, gentle, art-loving friend.
A "creature" full of bizarre artistic sense took his place: his skin was a sickly pale purple;
His iconic medium-length red hair became even more voluminous, dynamic like burning flames;
He wore a dark beret, seemingly made of shadows, and a dark decorative mask covering the upper half of his face;
He wore a white top with irregular black stripes, paired with dark purple skinny pants;
And his right hand, once used to depict beauty, was firmly fixed to a black high-tech drawing tablet, connected to a paintbrush whose tip glowed with an ominous purple light!
"I..." He slowly looked up, his expression obscured by the mask, but his voice became incredibly strange and cold, "I am... The Evillustrator."
He fixed his gaze on the terrified Marc: "Don't be afraid, Marc."
The Evillustrator's voice was devoid of emotion, "I won't hurt you.
I just... want to try out how amazing my brand new 'paintbrush' is on you first."
He slowly raised his right hand, bound by the drawing tablet, and aimed the purple-glowing paintbrush at Marc, who was paralyzed with fear!
"No... don't..."
The next second, a purple light shot from the pen tip. It caused no physical harm, but it conjured a translucent "canvas" made of pure light in front of Marc!
The Evillustrator's hand danced rapidly on the drawing tablet, and a dynamic, emotionally charged, eerie painting immediately appeared on the light canvas: it depicted a lonely, small, black-haired young man (Marc) standing in the center of a huge, empty stage, with countless blurry, dark spectators below, all eyes focused on him;
He wanted to speak but couldn't make a sound, he wanted to escape but his legs were heavy, and a suffocating "social anxiety" engulfed him like a tide!
In reality, Marc's body suddenly went limp, his face showing the exact same pain and fear as the young man in the painting!
"Look..." The Evillustrator looked at his "masterpiece," letting out a satisfied, cold sigh, "So this is your deepest fear?
What a... sad 'painting' full of weakness and helplessness."
He retracted the paintbrush, and the light canvas dissipated. Marc finally broke free from the mental quagmire, gasping for breath, drenched in cold sweat!
"You... you..."
"Now..." The Evillustrator ignored him, turned around and looked up, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the Parisian sky, looking in a specific direction.
"Jaden..." His voice echoed through the entire street via supernatural power, "Where are you?!"
"I already possess the paintbrush that can depict all your pain! I already possess the eyes that can see into the depths of your soul!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming to 'paint' your soul! I'm coming to reveal the greatest masterpiece hidden in your heart, named 'Sorrow'!"
"So, come out! Don't hide in the shadows alone anymore!"