Chapter 99: Opening Act
The music never stopped.
If anything, it grew louder.
♪♪♪ !
♪♪♪ !
The orchestra shifted into a slower rhythm before exploding into a powerful crescendo, the pounding drums and screaming guitars washing over the audience like an unstoppable tide. The entire circus pulsed with life as dancers twirled across the grand stage, acrobats descended from shimmering silks suspended high above the canopy, and fountains of brilliant sparks erupted into the air with every beat.
Then...
Shwoom..
The lights dimmed.
One by one, the lanterns surrounding the main ring faded until only a faint glow remained, cloaking the pavilion in anticipation. Conversations quieted. The performers withdrew into the shadows.
An expectant hush settled across the crowd.
It felt as though the entire circus had taken a single breath...and refused to let it go.
Glam!
A lone spotlight pierced the darkness, it fell directly upon the center stage.
She was already standing there.
Nyx of the Hollow Gate.
No grand entrance. No dramatic announcement.
She hadn't walked onto the stage.
She simply... was.
As though she had always existed beneath that light, patiently waiting for the audience to notice.
A flowing black-and-silver gown shimmered beneath the spotlight, each delicate thread catching the light like moonlight dancing across still water. An ornate masquerade mask concealed the upper half of her face, crafted with such elegance that it seemed less like an accessory and more like a crown. Yet despite the mask...everyone could feel her eyes.
Calm, knowing and watching.
Two figures emerged behind her.
They neither spoke nor acknowledged the audience.
They simply stood silent and motionless.
Guardians carved from stone and fire.
Wasabi immediately activated another scan.
Tiny streams of data raced across the display concealed within her sleeve as facial recognition algorithms worked furiously.
"...Got them."
Her voice remained calm, but everyone heard the urgency beneath it.
"...Savage Bodyguards."
A short pause followed.
"...Suriel Gawakuri..."
Her fingers moved again.
"...Ash Junior."
Wei-Wan frowned.
"...Background?"
"...Almost nothing," Wasabi answered.
"...Their records are unusually clean."
She frowned at the display.
"...Too clean."
Fah-Jin quietly added what she had already uncovered.
"...National martial arts champions."
"...Multiple combat sports titles."
"...Decorated competitors."
Brandon slowly rolled his shoulders.
"...So they know how to fight."
Wasabi nodded once.
"...Very well."
No one underestimated them.
Professional fighters with erased histories rarely became bodyguards through coincidence.
They had earned those positions.
Fwoo...
Nyx gently lifted the microphone.
Silence consumed the circus.
Then...She sang.
♪♪♪
The very first note seemed to stop time.
It wasn't simply beautiful, it also reached inside the listener.
♪♪♪
Her voice carried warmth and sorrow together, wrapping around every person beneath the great canopy before lifting them effortlessly into its embrace. Conversations died instantly. Even the performers waiting behind the curtains found themselves listening.
For one brief moment...nothing else existed.
Then—
BOOM!
The drums erupted.
VRRRRNNNN!
Electric guitars screamed to life as the full band exploded into motion, transforming the quiet elegance of her opening verse into a roaring storm of rock and roll.
The audience answered instantly.
"YAAAY!"
"GO NYX!"
Cheers thundered through the pavilion.
FWOOSH!
People leapt from their seats.
♪♪♪ !
Masked nobles abandoned their dignity, dancing alongside travelers, merchants, and thieves alike as the rhythm seized control of the entire circus.
Colored lights swept across the audience.
Confetti burst overhead.
Fireworks exploded beyond the canopy.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Ash-En Circus became absolute chaos.
Beautiful, controlled, and perfect chaos.
Aerin blinked in surprise before laughing.
"...Okay..."
She shook her head.
"...She's incredible."
Champagne couldn't help grinning.
"...'Incredible' doesn't even begin to cover it."
* * *
For a brief moment...even seasoned operatives found themselves captivated.
Almost.
Because Zachia wasn't watching the performance.
His eyes moved constantly, scanning every corner of the crowd with disciplined precision.
Then his expression changed.
"...Where is he?"
His voice came quietly through the comms.
"...I lost Ragnarock."
Every member of the team instantly snapped back into full alert.
Daito's gaze swept across the audience.
"...Everyone."
His tone remained calm.
"...Eyes open."
Wei-Wan pushed deeper into the shifting crowd, carefully weaving between dancing guests.
"...Too many bodies."
He clicked his tongue.
"...Too much movement."
Fah-Jin climbed onto a maintenance platform overlooking the performance ring, searching from above.
"...Negative."
"...No visual."
The music intensified.
The lights flashed faster.
Smoke cannons burst around the stage, flooding sections of the audience with drifting white clouds while performers rushed through the crowd carrying flaming batons.
FLASH!
FLAME!
Visibility collapsed.
It was perfect cover.
Champagne sighed dramatically.
"...Forget this."
Before anyone could stop him—
SWISH!
He slipped effortlessly into the moving crowd.
Fwoo....
One graceful turn.
Bump...
One accidental bump.
A nobleman's jeweled watch disappeared.
CLICK!
Another step.
A merchant's coin purse vanished into his sleeve.
Fwoosh!
A graceful spin beside a dancing couple.
Tsk!
A necklace quietly unfastened itself.
His hands moved so naturally they seemed to disappear entirely.
No hesitation, no wasted motion and no witnesses.
Because every victim remained completely absorbed by Nyx's performance.
Daito noticed immediately.
"...Champagne."
Before the thief could answer—
FWOOSH!
Daito appeared beside him.
Grab....
One hand firmly caught Champagne's wrist.
"...Stop."
Champagne looked down at the stolen valuables before giving an innocent smile.
"...Relax."
He shrugged.
"...I was going to give everything back."
Daito didn't release him.
"...We're not here for that."
A brief silence.
Then Champagne sighed theatrically.
"...Fine."
With astonishing speed—
SWISH....
The watch returned to its owner.
FWIP....
The necklace slipped effortlessly back around another guest's neck.
TAP.....
The purse found its way into its owner's pocket.
Within seconds...
Every stolen item had been returned exactly where it belonged.
No one noticed and no one suspected a thing.
Champagne spread his arms proudly.
"...See?"
He flashed a grin.
"...No harm do—"
He stopped.
Daito had vanished.
"...Huh?"
At that exact moment, Zachia's voice exploded through the communication channel.
"...Movement!"
Every operative turned.
There, only for an instant.
Ragnarock.
His towering frame appeared between two spinning dancers, partially illuminated by flashing stage lights.
He was close and far closer than before.
Then—
FWOOSH!
He disappeared.
Not by teleportation nor by illusion.
Simply by moving with terrifying efficiency through the confusion of the crowd.
Wei-Wan reacted instantly.
"...He's advancing."
Fah-Jin leaned farther over the railing.
"...Direction?"
Zachia pointed through the sea of dancing bodies.
"...The stage."
Everyone followed his line of sight.
At first...they saw nothing.
Only performers, guests, and colored lights.
Then it became obvious. The crowd itself was opening. Not intentionally not even dramatically.
People unknowingly stepped aside one after another, creating a narrow, constantly shifting path that led directly toward Nyx.
A path only trained eyes could recognize.
Daito silently appeared beside the others.
His expression had become colder than before.
"...He's making his move."
Aerin's hand settled on the concealed hilt beneath her gown.
"...So do we?"
There wasn't time to debate.
If Ragnarock reached Nyx first...everything changed.
Daito nodded once.
"...We have no choice."
His eyes never left the stage.
"...Move."
High above the roaring audience, Nyx continued singing as though nothing around her had changed.
Her voice remained flawless.
Her breathing never faltered.
But during the chorus...for less than the blink of an eye...
Her gaze shifted.
First toward the approaching shadow moving through the crowd.
Then toward Daito's team.
Premonition, not surprise but prediction.
She knew.
Every hunter had finally revealed themselves.
And beneath the dazzling lights of the Ash-En Circus...The stage was no longer a place for entertainment.
It had become the opening act...of a battlefield.
To be continued...