The underground concert hall swirled with colorful lights, and the roar of voices buzzed with energy. Many in the crowd waved glow sticks in rhythm with the song of the bunny-eared girl on stage, their screams and cheers mixing with the deafening music, only serving to intensify the frenzied atmosphere.
It's coming, for some reason, Shan suddenly had this premonition.
Just as this thought rose in his mind, the music on stage entered a frantic tempo, a dense beat, with the singer's voice soaring upwards, that passionate emotion climbing like a peak, gradually reaching its climax.
So fiery and enjoyable, so carefree and extravagant, so spent in sweat and life, Shan stared blankly at the girl onstage, as if seeing some primal, fierce life force bursting from her soul.
He would probably remember this feeling and scene for the rest of his life.
Just as he was about to raise his hand and join the audience in shouting and cheering for her, a loud bang reverberated throughout the venue, and the concert hall plunged into darkness, with the once-luminous stage now pitch-black.
Before Shan had time to think, he saw the lights of various personal terminals light up in the darkness, but the performance was ultimately interrupted, and the bunny-eared girl on stage, exhausted, leaned on the microphone in front of her, her spirit seemingly vanished after her performance was cut short.
But things were far from over, or rather, they were just beginning.
At the entrance of the concert hall, several individuals wearing dark red ghost masks stepped in, holding sturdy baseball bats in their hands, smashing all equipment in sight wherever they passed, and beating any onlookers they encountered.
Screams of panic rose in the concert hall, people ran in all directions, and some tried to resist, but the moment they noticed these people wearing ghost masks, they would swarm over, knock them down, and warn them not to try to fight back.
"Break it up, all of you!"
These people yelled viciously, sending many spectators fleeing in a hurry.
Soon, the underground concert hall emptied out, and Shan too moved toward the main entrance with the crowd, though not quickly, his gaze covertly sizing up these aggressive uninvited guests.
"Hurry up, these are the 'Ghost Face Gang,'" someone whispered to a companion, and then quickly pulled them away.
The Ghost Face Gang? Was there really a gang in Academy City? Shan couldn't help but feel puzzled and baffled.
At this moment, that group wearing ghost masks had surrounded the stage, and the leader of the pack was approaching the lead singer, bunny-eared girl Dominica.
"Quick, quit dawdling!"
Shan wanted to take another look when suddenly, a Ghost Face Gang member struck his back with a baseball bat, causing him to stumble forward and then frown as he regained his footing.
Slashing Blade Sequence 4, Shan estimated the assailant's strength, feeling his Transcendent Core within him stirring, his Magic Power gradually intensifying.
Although young, to enroll on a full scholarship as a gifted student, he was a genius who had stood out among countless peers, reaching the strength of Spirit Particle Sequence 5 before even entering the academy.
"You want to resist?"
Sensing Shan beginning to gather Aijieka particles, the Ghost Face Gang member let out a chill threat and then plunged his hand directly at Shan's neck.
A blue Crystal Barrier formed in an instant, shielding Shan, but it only blocked the first strike. The gang member's wrist glowed with dark red circles, and as he pounded his fist once more, those circles slammed against the barrier, instantly corroding and shattering it.
Before Shan had the chance to dodge, he was grabbed by the neck, a surge of pain and suffocation hit him, and he was lifted off the ground.
With one hand on the attacker's arm, Shan's other hand spread open as a Sharp blue Light Saber gathered. Just as he was ready to wield the sword, a heavy baseball bat smashed down upon his face, with a loud clang, like hitting a baseball.
Dark red blood flowed, the Light Saber, no longer guided by conscious thought, dissipated like quicksand, and Shan was thrown aside, tumbling across the ground toward the entrance.
The remaining spectators, not yet fled, were now deathly silent with fear, all hastening toward the exit, stepping over the young man as they went.
Inside the concert hall, the leader of the Ghost Face Gang looked down at the bunny-eared girl, Dominica, kneeling on the floor from exhaustion, one hand pressed against her face as he slowly lifted her. She struggled continuously, but her punches and kicks against him were as though they struck an iron board, immovable.
"Dominica," he said her name slowly and sinisterly, then let go of his hand, allowing the bunny-eared girl to kneel back down on the floor.
A mocking laugh came from beneath the mask, and he stood up, looking down at the girl who was gasping for air while clutching her chest.
"I warned you, you either sign the contract I offer you or stop singing for good."
"Do you think hiding out here for a concert will help you scrape together enough money for an album?"
"Impossible, did you ever consider that even if you did manage to scrape it together, without any media promotions, how many people would even know about it?"
"Every big social media sensation you see has the backing of countless teams, it's no longer the era when just singing well gets you fame."
He spoke word by word, while the other members on the stage tried to intervene but were knocked down by the Ghost Face Gang members. The remaining two also didn't dare to move at this point and could only watch the scene in agony.
"Do you know how vast the Federation is? Each Star Domain has billions, tens of billions of people, and there is no lack of girls with pleasing voices. Surely, you don't think you're special, do you?"