It was a pity that the middle-aged man’s segment of talking nonsense on stage was quickly coming to an end. This made Ye Xingyao, who felt a conspiracy was afoot, feel quite bored.
‘Normal villains who want to disrupt social order should be a bit more bitter, right?’ she thought. ‘They should tell a sob story about how “you all forced me to do this,” and then pull out some magical gadget to clear the room. Or maybe they should take a hostage to threaten the Human Alliance, demand something, and after a long round of negotiations, the Human Alliance would shoot the hostage while successfully arresting the criminal. Then they’d announce that the Human Alliance has maintained order yet again and will lead humanity toward greatness… or something like that?’
The way this story was going didn’t seem right to her. Or perhaps the guests here were so high-status that they remained as still as mountains even after the host blocked the signal?
Just as she was complaining in her head, Ye Xingyao suddenly saw Qiansui shake his head in her direction.
‘What does that mean?’
Ye Xingyao shook her head back at him, indicating that she had no idea what he was trying to do.
Then, Qiansui nodded.
‘Wait! What exactly did you understand, you guy?’
This reaction made Ye Xingyao so frustrated she wanted to stomp her feet. However, considering this was a fairly important occasion… she decided not to engage in such unladylike behavior.
‘Xiao Yao really is a good girl.’
“Next, please welcome the Behind-the-scenes Executor of this project, Miss Fumier, to deliver the project’s commencement address!”
At that moment, Mite finally finished his speech that had lasted for more than ten minutes. Then, with a near-fanatical expression, he loudly announced the presence of the “Behind-the-scenes Executor.”
Following Mite’s gaze, the rose-red curtains slowly opened, and a young girl who looked a full head shorter than Ye Xingyao’s own sister, Ye Xingling, walked out gracefully.
‘Huh? Are you sure this little girl, who doesn’t even look twelve years old, is the Behind-the-scenes Executor? You’ve got to be kidding me.’
That was likely the impression the young girl named Fumier left on everyone present.
The girl wore a magnificent dress primarily in black and red. The hem was decorated with white lace, adding a touch of exquisite detail to the doll-like girl. A red bow, which seemed a bit large compared to its wearer, was tied at her collar. Beneath the skirt were legs clad in white stockings, and her feet were tucked into a pair of pure black leather shoes.
To be able to perfectly manifest Gothic elements on such a cute little girl — designers really were a terrifying profession.
Ye Xingyao couldn’t help but sigh. ‘Only a lolita character can truly pull off white stockings!’
However, thinking of the mission tonight, Ye Xingyao felt another headache coming on. Even if she was certain something was wrong here, what could she do? She couldn’t contact anyone.
Right now, she was like a Diu Diu Monster with no mana. Having exhausted her sniper ammo, she could only fight with her sidearm; she was just a Light-Containing Level weakling.
“I am not some Behind-the-scenes Executor. Don’t listen to that man adding unnecessary drama. We are merely in a partnership.”
Fumier spoke with a cold face to the murmuring guests below the stage. Yet, even though she showed such blatant disregard for Mite’s pride, Mite didn’t seem angry at all. Instead, he watched her with great interest.
“I don’t have much to say. I’m only here to show my face at the request of my partner. Please, carry on as you were.”
With that, Fumier turned and left the microphone. The decorations on the back of her dress swayed behind her, leaving the guests with a mysterious and elegant silhouette.
Mite wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. He walked back onto the stage with a smile, but before he could speak, Qiansui stood up.
“Oh? Mr. Qiansui? Do you have something to say?”
Mite raised an eyebrow and retracted his smile.
“Hmph, what do I have to say? I should be asking what you have to say! Why have you blocked the signals in this place?”
Qiansui slammed the table and roared in a loud voice.
Ye Xingyao recalled the head-shaking from earlier. What he had probably been trying to convey was, ‘I don’t have a signal either, how about you?’
Well, close enough. For once, she had achieved seamless communication with someone using only body language!
The result was good, regardless.
“Oh? You only just noticed? You people really made me wait a long time.”
Mite seemed to have expected this. A mysterious smile curled onto his lips — the kind of annoying smirk that made one want to slap him across the face with a slipper.
At the same time, Ye Xingyao noticed Fumier, standing behind Mite, show a look of disgust. Although it only lasted for a fleeting moment, Ye Xingyao caught it since she had been admiring the white stockings just now.
‘Uh, that expression probably wasn’t meant for me… Yeah, definitely.’
“What do you mean by this?”
For a moment, Qiansui couldn’t understand why the middle-aged man in front of him could still stand on the stage with such utter confidence. He should have known that those seated here were leaders in the technology industry of Satellite City. It was impossible for the Human Alliance not to be monitoring this place. Furthermore, the Human Alliance had always been strict about signal interference. By his calculations, they should be arriving here soon.
“What I mean is, it’s time for you people working in isolation to see what true power looks like!”
Mite said arrogantly.
Before Qiansui could get up to restrain him, Mite had already taken two steps back to stand beside Fumier. In the next second, the white wall behind the stage shattered with a bang, and a Monster that could be described as humanoid — though much taller than an average person from Zhongzhou — walked out.
Based on Ye Xingyao’s experience, this thing was definitely a Monster. The aura radiating from its entire body, which made it completely impossible to feel comfortable, was nearly certain evidence of its nature.
Moreover, although Ye Xingyao was currently only at the Light-Containing Level, as a Star Elf, she could still sense the Magic Power coming from it.
Meanwhile, Mite began to laugh happily, wearing an expression that suggested the real show was just beginning.
‘This is going to be trouble…’
When the Monster stepped into the light and its appearance became clear, Ye Xingyao’s face turned pale. Some of the people below the stage with weaker mental fortitude even fainted. Those who still had control over their bodies couldn’t help but tremble.
She now knew where all that blood had come from.
This sanity-draining thing was covered in blood, which constantly seeped out from unknown places. The dark, venous color made this “Blood Person” even more terrifying.
Seeing the waiters and security personnel fleeing in all directions, it was clear that these people were indeed unaware and had no way to deal with a Monster.
It made sense; what kind of banquet security was expected to face a Monster? Their wages were meager, so why would they fight a creature that didn’t listen to reason? Did they have lives to spare?
Monsters should be handled by people from the Human Alliance or Magical Girls. At the very least, wasn’t Qiansui still here? What did it have to do with them?
Ye Xingyao looked at Qiansui with a heavy expression, only to find him looking back at her with a bitter smile.