Jaden slammed the apartment door shut.
The crisp click of the lock served as a double barrier, both physical and psychological, completely isolating him from the external world's noise, disturbances, and complex emotions.
He still felt it wasn't enough.
He walked to the window and tightly closed the thick, soundproof glass panes.
The bustling traffic and city lights outside instantly diminished into a blurry, silent, dynamic oil painting.
But he still felt it wasn't enough.
He picked up the black, high-quality over-ear headphones from his desk, put them on, and pressed play.
A pure piano piece, recorded by his own hand, filled with tranquility and an ethereal quality, flowed into his ears like a gentle tide, completely covering and drowning out all the lingering sounds in his mind—Nathan's exclamations, Alix's teasing, Rose's sweet laughter, Marinette's lovesick giggles.
At this moment, his world was finally quiet.
Slowly closing his eyes, he sank deeply into the soft single-seater sofa.
He needed to adjust; he needed to give himself some time and space. Too much had happened recently, and it was overwhelming.
The memories lost after his second Akumatization flickered in his mind from time to time, like an unfillable, unsettling black hole.
And the scene of painting in the park just now made him realize that he needed quiet right now.
Just as he was about to completely immerse himself in the self-contained and safe mental haven created by the music—a faint yet unusually clear voice, as if calling his name, pierced through the physical soundproofing of the headphones and the sound waves of the music like a ghost, straight into his eardrum!
...Jaden...
He opened his eyes! The black eyes, which usually held a gentle smile, now gleamed with the sharp vigilance of a leopard!
Was it a hallucination?
He swiftly took off his headphones, and the apartment instantly returned to an absolute, reassuring silence.
Holding his breath and listening intently, there was only the city's background noise, muffled several times over from outside the window—the wind, a distant, faint siren, the faint sound of a neighbor's TV... The calling voice was gone.
...Was it just my imagination? He chuckled self-deprecatingly. It seemed he really had been too stressed lately.
He put his headphones back on, once again surrendering himself to this peaceful musical world that belonged only to him.
Meanwhile, on a deserted street, The Evillustrator stood quietly under the dim glow of a streetlamp.
He looked up, his masked face gazing at the rows of identical windows above, some lit, some dark.
Jaden... might already be resting... Marc, standing beside him, looked at his friend's obsessive and frantic demeanor, and pleaded in a worried, pained voice, "Let's... let's come back to find him tomorrow? Okay? Nathan..."
However, The Evillustrator completely ignored him. His penetrating, almost demonic voice, though no longer reaching Jaden's ears, successfully attracted the attention of other residents in the apartment building!
Hey—!
You down there! In the middle of the night! What are you yelling about?!
A window was suddenly thrown open with a 'bang,' and a burly middle-aged man in pajamas poked his head out, roaring down below with anger and impatience.
Exactly! Are you going to let people sleep or not?!
If you make any more noise, I'm calling the police!
Complaints rose and fell from different windows.
The Evillustrator slowly turned his cold gaze from beneath his mask towards the middle-aged man who had first protested, a chilling sneer in his voice: "It seems... you too wish to see your truest 'artwork,' hidden deep within your heart."
He slowly raised his right hand, which was fixed to a drawing tablet.
Hey! What do you want?! The middle-aged man seemed to sense something was wrong, but it was already too late.
A purple light instantly shot out from the tip of the black paintbrush, unfolding a huge canvas of light before the middle-aged man.
Immediately, an absurd and terrifying scene appeared on the canvas: countless nauseating, slimy bills, debt collection notices, and red bank warning letters, like living venomous snakes, swarmed towards a naked, obese man trapped in the center, coiling around him, wrapping him layer by layer until he was completely submerged and suffocated!
In reality, the middle-aged man's face instantly showed the same despair and horror as in the painting.
He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound, only watching helplessly as he was swallowed by the invisible fear of 'debt'!
The Evillustrator retracted his brush and then turned his cold gaze, as if selecting 'artwork,' towards the other protesting windows.
Purple lights shot out one after another, and 'soul paintings' depicting humanity's deepest fears played out before the windows—some feared being fired, some feared betrayal, some feared growing old... When the last purple light faded, the world fell completely silent.
No one dared to peek out of their windows anymore; they all scurried back into their homes like startled quails, trembling as they picked up their phones to dial for help.
Meanwhile, at a police sub-station in Paris, officers were gathered in small groups, chatting and waiting to go off duty.
Ah, these days are getting more and more boring, a young officer complained, stretching.
Tell me about it! Ever since Hawk Moth, there's a new Akumatized Person every other day. Paris's public safety is so good we're almost out of a job! another officer echoed.
Haha! You might not even catch a thief driving around in a police car!
Where are we going to have fun after work? I heard a new, classy bar opened by the Seine River...
Just as they were discussing excitedly, the red landline, which had been quiet for most of the day, suddenly rang with a piercing, urgent sound! "Ring—! Ring—!"
The office instantly fell silent; everyone wore an incredulous expression.
Finally, the most senior officer sighed resignedly and picked up the phone.
...Hello, this is the Paris Police Department... What?! An... another Akumatized Person?!
Twice in one day?! Are you kidding me?!
...Got it... Understood...
A moment later, he hung up the phone, a strange, relieved expression on his face.
So, boss? What kind of tough character is it this time?
You might not believe it, the old officer cleared his throat, "This Akumatized Person... seems to just be looking for someone."
Looking for someone?
Yes, the reporting citizen said that besides scaring the people who cursed at him in a strange way, he caused no actual damage or casualties.
OK! Gentlemen! The old officer clapped his hands, a relaxed smile on his face. "Since it's just a 'missing person' type of pacifist Akumatized Person, this isn't our concern! Let's continue discussing where to go after work!"
Oh yeah—! The office erupted in cheers of relief.
On the other side, The Evillustrator waited for a long time, but the figure whose soul he yearned to 'paint' never appeared.
He fell into confusion.
Is... is he really not here?
Nathan, Marc pleaded again in a tired, hoarse voice, "Let's go home... Jaden might not have come home tonight..."
Then where would he be?
I... I don't know... Marc shook his head, "Nathan... don't you know where he lives?"
How would I know? I thought you knew!
Then how would I know?!
The two teenagers (one of whom was in his Akumatization form) engaged in a logically incoherent conversation on the street.
Finally, Marc offered a suggestion.
How about... we send him a text message? Or call him and ask?
You, The Evillustrator glanced at him, "Have you ever called him during his rest time?"
...No, I haven't.
Then should I ask other classmates in the group? Marc pulled out his phone, clumsily opened the class chat group, and sent a tentative message: [Marc: Um... does anyone know where Jaden is right now? Nathan needs to find him urgently.]
However, the message sank like a stone. Jaden in his apartment had already set his phone to deep silent, do-not-disturb mode, and the girls in the class group instantly became wary upon seeing the message.
[Alya: @Marc, Nathan is looking for him? What's so urgent this late at night?]
[Rose: Yeah, yeah! Is it something very important? (•ω•)]
[Alix: Tsk, if it's important, say it at school tomorrow. It's very impolite to disturb someone's rest this late.]
Marc looked at the screen full of 'interrogative' replies, his head aching. He knew he had stirred up a hornet's nest, but seeing his friend's relentless determination, he was afraid that not telling the truth would be worse.
He finally gave in, typing out a line with trembling fingers: [Marc: Everyone! Please listen to me! Nathan... Nathan has been dark transformed! He's looking for Jaden right now! He said he wants to 'paint' Jaden's soul! To dissect his inner thoughts! So if anyone knows where Jaden is, please, do not tell him!]
The moment the message was sent, the class group completely exploded.
The Evillustrator also saw the 'betrayal' message on Marc's phone.
He slowly turned his head, his masked gaze falling upon his pale-faced, trembling friend.
Marc... His voice was so cold it seemed to freeze the air. "I told you, don't interfere with me."
And in his distant lair, Gabriel watched the farce unfolding before him, filled with the ridiculous friendship and betrayal of teenagers, utterly speechless—a bunch of kids who were more trouble than they were worth!
Of course, he knew Jaden's address; his vast intelligence network had already thoroughly investigated the mysterious teenager's social connections.
He could have directly hinted the address to The Evillustrator, this still useful pawn, but he couldn't—the ultimate goal was miraculous.
It was about miraculous, not revealing some teenager's inner pain, even if this person interested him greatly, it was nothing compared to his ultimate goal.
Moreover, The Evillustrator's obsession was merely to help his friend break free from confusion, which was fundamentally different from his goal.
So, he could only choose a more circuitous, more logical approach.
School... The seductive voice echoed in The Evillustrator's mind again, "Go to school... Go find your teachers... In the school's archives, there must be detailed residential records for that teenager..."
The target was François Dupont High School.
The Evillustrator's actions were swift and decisive—in his dark transformed, one-track mind, Hawk Moth's instructions were the only guide to 'helping Jaden.'
Behind him, Marc watched his friend's back, consumed by darkness, with eyes full of helplessness and despair.
He knew he had to act. Trembling, he picked up his phone and sent another message to the already chaotic class group: [Marc: Everyone! Latest update! Nathan... Nathan seems to have gone towards the school! I know what he's going to do; he must be trying to find Jaden's address at school!]
This message was like a huge rock, once again disturbing the peace in the group.
In Marinette's attic room, the warm yellow light created a cozy atmosphere, but its owner paced anxiously like an ant on a hot griddle.
Tikki! Tikki!
Seeing Marc's alert on her phone, her unease reached its peak, "What do we do? He really went to school! He wants to find Jaden's address!"
Calm down, Marinette! Tikki flew out from the side, her clear eyes fixed on her, "You know where he's going now, don't you?"
I know! But the school is so big! What if I can't find him?
What if he already got the address?!
Then beat him to it! Tikki's voice was firm and strong.
Right! Right! Marinette's eyes rekindled with fighting spirit. "To find Jaden's address, Nathan's only way now is to go to the school and check the student archives!
Tikki, transform!"
At the same time, in the Agreste mansion, as ornate as a golden birdcage, Adrien also saw Marc's message. "Go to school to find an address?"
His brows furrowed, and he instantly imagined the eerie scene of Nathan sneaking into the quiet campus.
Sigh... A lazy sigh came from a pile of cheese, "Can't I just finish this two-week-aged premium cheese in peace?"
Plagg rubbed his round belly, looking resentfully at Adrien.
Sorry, Plagg, Adrien's eyes were firm, "Our friend is in danger.
"Plagg, launch!"
Black light instantly enveloped His body. The next second, Cat Noir pushed open the balcony French window and, like a spirit of the dark night, disappeared into the deep night sky formed by the roofs of the mansion, His target also being François Dupont High School.
Two figures, one red and one black, like swift and silent lightning, simultaneously landed on the school rooftop, which was bathed in silver moonlight.
"It seems tonight's 'night patrol' is unexpectedly 'smooth,' Ladybug."
Cat Noir landed beside Ladybug, His metal staff drawing a silver arc in the moonlight, a teasing smile on His face.
"Stop distracting me!" Ladybug's tone was cold and serious. She crouched on the ridge of the roof, Her blue eyes, like a hawk's, locked onto the empty campus below.
Just then, the figure of The Evillustrator slowly approached from the street outside the school.
"That's Him!" A combative glint flashed in Cat Noir's eyes. He gripped His staff, ready to ambush, but Ladybug held His shoulder.
"Wait!"
"What are you doing?!"
"We still don't know what His ability is." Ladybug's expression was calm and strategic. "From the information I got from the police, His ability seems to work on the 'mental' level. A rash frontal attack would be unwise and could cause big trouble."
Though unwilling, Cat Noir ultimately chose to trust His partner. The two lurked in the shadows of the rooftop, observing every move of the uninvited guest below.
Inside the teaching building, an office light was still on. Caline sat at her desk, organizing tomorrow's teaching materials by the light of a desk lamp—she should have gone home, but temporary teaching evaluation duties kept her there.
Her phone was on the filing cabinet, so she didn't see Marc's urgent message.
In between organizing, Caline couldn't help but smile, a memory surfacing of Jaden's adorable bewildered, confused, and slightly aggrieved look when she made a "shush" gesture to him after school.
"Pfft…" She covered her mouth and chuckled, thinking to herself: That's what you get for Akumatization and "teasing" your teacher last time; I've got it all noted down.
Suddenly, "Dong dong dong"—a polite and clear knocking sound echoed in the silent corridor.
Caline's smile instantly froze. She looked at the office door in confusion: So late, could it be the security guard or a student who forgot something?
"Please come in." She replied in her usual gentle voice.
The door slowly opened, and a figure stood at the entrance. Caline looked at this "person" with strangely pale purple skin and a mask, her eyes full of vigilance, but when the other party spoke, she froze.
"Teacher, good evening."
This voice—it was Nathan!
"Nathan?!" She stood up in disbelief. "You… you've been Akumatization?!"
She instinctively reached for her phone and finally saw the missed message: […Nathan has been Akumatization! He wants to "paint" Jaden's soul!…].
Caline's heart sank.
"Teacher," The Evillustrator's voice was cold and emotionless, "Please tell me Jaden's address.
I'm here to help him, to help him open his heart and escape his suffering."
Caline looked at her student, twisted by darkness, her heart filled with sorrow, but her gaze instantly became firm and stern.
"I cannot do that, Nathan." Her voice was gentle but carried the authority of a teacher.
"Everyone has the right to keep secrets. You cannot, for the sake of your own 'understanding,' arbitrarily expose wounds that others do not wish to show."
"I told you, I'm helping him."
"But you're using the wrong method! Nathan!"
"I don't care if it's right or wrong!" The Evillustrator's tone grew impatient. "Anyway, I must help him today! Teacher, if you're unwilling to help me, then I'll just have to do it myself!"
He slowly raised His right hand, fixed to a drawing board. The tip of His black paintbrush glowed with a chilling purple light, aimed at Caline!
A purple light shot out, enveloping her entire being. The canvas of light unfolded again—this time it was no longer personal fear, but the shattering of grand ideals:
The familiar classroom had no laughter, only cold arguments and tearing; Marinette and Chloé pulled each other's hair; Alya and Alix argued endlessly; Adrien and Kim wrestled together; Jaden sat alone in a corner, watching indifferently;
Caline stood at the podium, trying to stop them, but an invisible hand gripped her throat, preventing her from speaking. She could only watch helplessly as her ideal class turned into a ruin of hatred.
"This is only temporary." The Evillustrator said expressionlessly, looking at the teacher, who was trapped in a mental nightmare and covered in pain.
He then walked directly to the metal cabinet where student files were kept, pulled open a drawer, and began to flip through them. He quickly found the file labeled "Jaden" and took out the paper recording personal information.
Just as He turned to leave, a frivolous and teasing voice came from the window above His head: "Hey! I say, peeking at other people's secrets isn't what good kids do!"
The next second, two figures leaped in through the window, landing steadily in front of Him. Ladybug, with Her spinning yo-yo, stared at Him, and Cat Noir pointed His metal staff directly at Him!
However, The Evillustrator only gave them a cold glance from under His mask: "I'm not interested in you.
Nor do I wish to waste time with you two 'heroes.'" With that, He turned decisively and sprinted towards the door.
"Eh?!" Cat Noir looked at the figure, faster than a rabbit, and was completely bewildered.
Cat Noir remained in His cool attacking pose, staring blankly at the office door, which The Evillustrator had casually pulled shut.
He… He just ran away?
He blinked, His emerald green cat eyes filled with an expression of "I've seen it all now."
During His time fighting Akumatized Persons in Paris, He had seen villains who clamored to destroy the world, cried out for revenge on society, or were deeply immersed in art and unable to extricate themselves, but He had never seen one so clear-headed, so decisive, and so uninterested in them, the two heroes, that He just turned and ran without even a glance.
Just then, a red figure flashed past Him like a ghost.
"Don't let Him get away!" Ladybug's voice was filled with unprecedented urgency and panic. Her figure shot out of the office like an arrow from a bowstring, chasing after The Evillustrator's retreating back.
But The Evillustrator had already anticipated pursuers. Without looking back, He flicked His paintbrush, which glowed with purple light!
"Whoosh—! Whoosh—! Whoosh—!" Several beams of purple energy, like sentient vipers, precisely blocked all of Ladybug's paths forward.
Ladybug's pupils contracted sharply. Her body instantly reacted with an instinctive response beyond its limits:
An almost back-breaking iron bridge move dodged a purple light that flew past Her nose;
A mid-air side flip, twisting Her body, avoided a beam that brushed Her ankle.
She dodged clumsily and perilously—she knew too well that she absolutely could not be hit by this purple light! Once her deepest fears about her true identity were "painted" out and made public, she would be completely finished!
And The Evillustrator had no intention of getting entangled. After delaying them with the beams, His figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
"The Evillustrator!" Hawk Moth's angry and cold voice echoed in His mind, "What are you doing? Get rid of that Cat Noir!
Or hit Ladybug! Their miraculous are within reach!
As long as you hit them, their most feared secrets will emerge, and their true identities will hold no secrets for me!"
"No time!" The Evillustrator retorted impatiently in His mind, "My goal has always been only one—to help Jaden!"
Far away in His lair, Gabriel almost jumped out of His luxurious armchair.
This disobedient, single-minded idiot! He felt that the Akumatized Persons He encountered were harder to manage with each generation. The previous ones at least pretended to obey, but this The Evillustrator didn't even bother to pretend!
"I warn you! If you don't do as I say, I will take back the power I granted you right now!" Hawk Moth's voice was full of menace.
"Take it back if you want." The Evillustrator challenged indifferently, "Anyway, I'm going to help Jaden, and no one can stop me."
Gabriel was so choked up He couldn't speak. Of course, He couldn't really take back the power—He knew Ladybug and Cat Noir would never let this Akumatized Person with strange abilities go unchecked. A direct confrontation was inevitable.
As long as The Evillustrator's paintbrush grazed them even once, He would have a chance to learn their true identities.
Ultimately, Gabriel forcibly suppressed His anger and decided to wait and see.
In the office, Caline finally awoke from the mental nightmare filled with arguments and despair.
"Teacher! Teacher! Are you alright?!" Ladybug's concerned voice rang out.
Caline shook her groggy head. Looking at the two Guardians of Paris before her, her fear was replaced by a teacher's sense of responsibility: "I… I'm fine… You two, hurry!
Hurry to Jaden's house! Nathan took his home address and is going to find him!"
"We know!" Ladybug said with an apologetic look, "But Teacher, we don't know where Jaden lives…"
"I'll tell you!" Caline immediately pulled out Jaden's file from the disarranged archives. "The address is here!"
The two heroes exchanged a glance after seeing the address, then leaped out of the window without hesitation, disappearing into the vast night.
Watching them leave, Caline let out a long sigh of relief.
She leaned on her shaky legs, picked up her phone, opened the class group chat which was still flashing with panicked messages, and sent a message in a calming yet authoritative tone: [Caline: Students, please do not panic.
I understand what just happened. Ladybug and Cat Noir have taken over the matter.
Please stay home and do not go out. Trust our heroes, everything will be alright.]
And that ordinary apartment building, at this moment, had become the eye of the storm.
The Evillustrator walked directly towards that closed apartment window, which belonged to Jaden.
He did not choose to use violence to break it.
He raised His right hand, which was fixed to the black drawing board.
The tip of the paintbrush gently traced a perfect rectangular path on the cold glass.
There was no loud crash of shattering glass, no piercing screech of metal frames deforming.
That section of the window He had traced, along with its frame, simply vanished into thin air.
As if it had been gently, yet irrevocably, erased by an invisible, giant eraser.
Leaving behind an absolute black void leading into the dim interior.
A… strange, quiet stripping of existence.
He silently stepped into that private space that should have belonged to Jaden… Inside the apartment, all was peaceful.
Jaden was quietly curled up in the soft single sofa, sleeping soundly.
His black over-ear headphones still faithfully isolated him from all external disturbances, weaving him a secluded, stable dream with tranquil piano music.
His handsome face, always bearing a gentle smile, now, in his sleep, was slightly furrowed. As if even in dreams, something was bothering him.
The Evillustrator stood before him, watching him.
His face, hidden by the dark mask, showed no discernible expression.
But from His slightly rising and falling purple chest, it was clear that His heart was not calm at this moment.
It was this face… this troubled face that could not even relax in sleep… He had made up His mind!
He would end this suffering!
He would use His paintbrush to completely "paint" out the root of this suffering from the depths of Jaden's soul!
And then, completely erase it!
He slowly raised His paintbrush.
"Clang—!"
A crisp sound of metal colliding with a hard object suddenly came from behind Him!
A thrown soda can accurately hit the back of His head, interrupting His nearly completed "masterpiece"!
The Evillustrator's movements suddenly froze!
He turned around, His eyes beneath the mask coldly looking beyond the black void of the window He had just "erased."
Two figures, one red and one black, stood silently there, in a posture of wary protection.
It's Ladybug and Cat Noir!
"You two..." The Evillustrator's voice held a cold fury, as if his "sacred ritual" had been disturbed. "You're really... persistent, aren't you!"
"We can't just stand by and watch you harm an innocent citizen," Ladybug's voice was equally cold.
She gripped her yo-yo tightly, her body already in the highest state of combat readiness!
"Harm?!" The Evillustrator let out a low, cold laugh, filled with sorrow and confusion, as if he had heard the biggest joke. "I'm not harming him! I'm helping him!"
He pointed to the young man behind him, who was still frowning in his sleep.
"You simply don't understand! Jaden is troubled! He's in pain!
And I just want to help him escape that pain in my own way!"
"By forcibly tearing open other people's memories like this?!"
Ladybug's voice suddenly rose several octaves! Her eyes flashed with angry flames!
"Understanding others' hidden memories might 'comprehend' his pain! But that is absolutely not 'helping' him!
You're just satisfying your own ridiculous, self-righteous 'good intentions'!"
"Exactly!" Cat Noir coldly echoed from the side. "What if that thing is a hellish nightmare that he never wants to recall again!
What you're doing, how is it any different from cruelly rubbing salt into his wound?!"
"I don't care about any of that!" The Evillustrator's voice became incredibly hard! Incredibly... fanatical!
"Do you know?! Ever since Jaden and I became friends!
I've never seen him like this before! That kind of sadness, that kind of pain... it's practically overflowing from his eyes! I can't just sit by and do nothing!"
"If you insist on stopping me..." His brush tip once again pointed at the two heroes in front of him, the purple light flickering like a venomous snake's tongue. "Then don't blame me for being impolite!"
In the lair.
Gabriel, watching this confrontation filled with "justice" and "fanaticism," which he found utterly ridiculous, curved his lips into a sinister, expectant smile.
He decided to add the most crucial dry fuel to this already burning flame!
"Exactly..."
His whisper, like that of a devil, quietly resonated in The Evillustrator's mind. "They are stopping you!
They simply don't understand your great kindness, your selflessness for your friend!"
"So, attack them!"
"As long as your attack hits them! The deepest pain and fear hidden beneath their feigned strong, heroic masks will once again manifest in this world!"
"By then, I'll know who they really are!"
Hawk Moth was already impatient!
The Evillustrator issued his final warning.
However, there was no hint of retreat on Ladybug and Cat Noir's faces!
The battle was about to begin!
"Whoosh—! Whoosh—!"
Two purple light waves, like cannonballs fired from a barrel, instantly shot towards the two heroes!
Ladybug and Cat Noir reacted just as quickly! They were like two nimble butterflies dancing on knife edges, leaping and dodging in the small apartment room cluttered with various furniture!
"Bang!"
Cat Noir's staff precisely knocked away a vase that The Evillustrator had drawn and controlled, which was flying towards Ladybug!
"Clang!"
Ladybug's yo-yo also entangled a desk lamp that was about to smash into Cat Noir's head, and she violently flung it against the wall!
For a moment, the entire apartment, which should have been a peaceful haven, was in a mess because of them!
Just then!
The Evillustrator seized a fleeting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Ladybug and Cat Noir, in order to dodge a huge bookshelf he had overturned, were momentarily suspended in mid-air, unable to exert force!
Now!
A purple light, thicker and swifter than any before, fiercely blasted towards the two heroes, who could no longer avoid it!
However!
Just at the critical moment when that destructive mental energy wave was about to hit them!
"Buzz—!"
A dull, strange hum, like an ancient bell being struck, suddenly echoed in the air!
A translucent, emerald-green energy shield, patterned with hexagons like a turtle shell, miraculously appeared in front of the two heroes!
"Boom—!"
The purple light wave crashed violently against the emerald-green shield!
No explosion.
No shockwave.
That eerie light wave, capable of revealing anyone's deepest fears, was completely absorbed by that seemingly thin green shield!
Neutralized! Vanished into thin air!
"...? !"
The Evillustrator was completely dumbfounded.
He couldn't understand anything that was happening before his eyes.
What... what was that?!
On the other side, in the lair.
Hawk Moth's face, originally filled with ecstasy and anticipation beneath his silver mask, instantly froze!
Then, it turned into extreme, disbelieving... astonishment!
"What... what's going on?!"
"Turtle Shell Protection?!"
"How is this possible?!
Besides the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous in my possession, and the Ladybug and Cat miraculous on those two... how could there be other miraculous users in Paris?!"
During his time in Paris, he had akumatized countless people!
But apart from this green "turtle" that suddenly appeared tonight, the other legendary miraculous holders had never shown up!
The Evillustrator instinctively looked out the window!
He saw a mysterious, unfamiliar figure in green armor standing silently on the rooftop of the apartment building opposite!
He was finished.
The Evillustrator realized this instantly.
With that green "turtle" capable of completely defending against his attacks, lurking outside.
Since he was destined to fail tonight... then!
Before failing, he would achieve his initial and only goal!
A look of resolute, frantic madness flashed in his eyes!
He whirled around! He fiercely aimed the paintbrush, still imbued with purple energy, at Jaden, who was still peacefully asleep on the sofa, completely unaware of everything happening around him!
"No—!"
Ladybug's eyes showed a terrified, desperate expression!
Everything happened too fast!
A purple light instantly shot from the brush tip! It hit Jaden's body without any obstruction!
The young man, who had been frowning tightly in his sleep, his expression instantly turned wrong!
His body began to twitch slightly! His face showed an expression of extreme pain and struggle!
The Evillustrator did not stop there!
To prevent interference from the two heroes behind him!
He slammed the paintbrush onto the ground!
"Buzz—!"
A larger, translucent light canvas, like a stage curtain, instantly rose from the ground!
Enveloping both him and Jaden, who was now trapped in a mental nightmare!
The next second, the light flashed and vanished!
The light canvas, along with the two people inside, disappeared from the spot as if into thin air!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were instantly stunned.
They completely failed to understand what had just happened.
Where did they go?!
How were they supposed to get in?!
And on the rooftop of the distant apartment building.
The mysterious, green figure, after confirming that he had completed the "mission" from the future, slowly transformed into a green light and disappeared into the vast night.
It was as if he had only specifically come to make an appearance, save someone, and then, having accomplished his task, he departed, his achievement and fame hidden deep... Meanwhile, on the other side.
In a quiet massage parlor filled with ancient Eastern charm.
Master Fu slowly de-transformed.
Wayzz, the small green turtle kwami, flew out from the bracelet on his wrist.
"Master!" Wayzz's voice was filled with lingering fear. "Did we... did we change that terrible future?"
"Hmm," Master Fu's face showed a complex expression, full of weariness and solemnity. "We successfully prevented the 'worst' outcome... but it was only 'prevention.'"
Just over ten minutes ago.
He was still in his massage parlor, leisurely enjoying a peaceful cup of tea before bed.
However, a white, unstable energy spacetime rift suddenly tore open in front of him without any warning!
A red-haired girl he had never seen before, dressed in a blue and white rabbit-eared combat suit, poked out half of her extremely anxious head from the spacetime rift!
"This is bad! Master! Something big has happened!"
Master Fu looked at the girl who clearly came from the future, the miraculous holder of the Rabbit miraculous. Although his heart was filled with shock and doubt, his tone remained absolutely calm, as befitting a Guardian.
"Speak slowly, child. Although your tone sounds urgent."
The girl from the future—Bunnyx—forced herself to calm down a little.
"Master!" Her voice still held an uncontrollable, trembling fear. "In the spacetime station... all... all the spacetime rifts have... have turned into an impenetrable, pure... white screen!"
"What?!"
This time, even Master Fu couldn't remain calm!
And Wayzz, beside him, was so anxious he was circling in mid-air!
All spacetime turned into a white screen?!
This meant that an unprecedented, massive disaster, capable of overturning the entire timeline, was happening, or about to happen!
"We must leave immediately!"
Master Fu immediately made the most decisive and resolute judgment!
He opened the mysterious gramophone that concealed all the miraculous!
He first took out the Rooster miraculous ring, which represented "sublimation"! He bestowed upon himself an extraordinary sense of smell, capable of precisely tracking any target he wished to track!
Then, from an extremely secret, small box, he took out a black cat hair that he had secretly "borrowed" from Plagg!
He placed the cat hair on his nose and sniffed lightly!
Instantly!
Countless, complex, chaotic scents of Paris were completely filtered out by him!
Only a clear, single, black "scent thread," filled with the aura of destruction and calamity, extended infinitely in his perception!
And the end of that line... was precisely Jaden's small apartment!