A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Friday evening, the area outside Madison Square Garden was already swarming with people, and traffic was gridlocked.
Young people of all skin colors gathered here, their faces brimming with the same fanatical anticipation. They waved glow sticks and support signs printed with the word "Uta," as if they were attending a grand pilgrimage.
"Mikoto, stay close to me. Don't get separated."
Peter Parker struggled to carve a path through the crowded throng, turning back to urge her nervously.
He had specifically changed into a clean plaid shirt today, and his hair was meticulously combed, but it was already soaked with sweat, making him look a bit disheveled.
Mikoto followed behind him, her expression as flat as ever, though her brow was furrowed almost imperceptibly.
She wore a simple white T-shirt and denim shorts, looking quite out of place compared to the fans around her who had dressed up elaborately.
Aunt May had originally wanted her to wear a newly bought dress, but she had firmly refused on the grounds that it would be "inconvenient for movement."
To her, this was merely an accompaniment mission; being comfortable was the top priority.
"Don't worry, I won't get lost."
She responded briefly, her gaze scanning the surroundings over Peter's shoulder.
A strange sense of excitement permeated the air, and the clamor of the crowd turned into a physical wave of sound, hitting everyone. This collective frenzy made her feel a slight, inexplicable discomfort.
"Peter! Over here!"
A clear female voice pierced through the noise. Gwen Stacy was standing at the entrance, waving her hand frantically.
Today, she was wearing a hat with Uta's signature wing-bun logo and had shiny musical note stickers on her face, looking every bit like a hardcore fan.
Beside her, Harry Osborn wore a casual suit, hands in his pockets, still maintaining that air of an easygoing young noble.
"You guys finally made it."
Harry saw the two of them and came forward with a smile. His gaze swept over Mikoto, and he let out a whistle.
"Wow, Parker, your sister looks really cool today."
"She's always been cool," Peter puffed out his chest subconsciously, as if showing off a prize possession.
Mikoto didn't bother responding to their conversation, merely nodding to Gwen.
"Let's get inside, it's about to start!" Gwen excitedly grabbed Mikoto's hand and pulled her in without taking no for an answer.
"I'm telling you, Uta's live concert will definitely be something you'll never forget!"
Harry led them through the VIP entrance with practiced ease, saving them the trouble of queuing. Even so, when they actually stepped inside the venue, the sight that greeted them made Peter gasp.
The massive circular arena was packed to capacity, with tens of thousands of seats filled by a sea of people.
Multi-colored glow sticks merged into a shimmering sea of stars, while the buzzing of discussion and shouts of anticipation intertwined, forming a massive wave of sound that almost threatened to lift the roof off.
"Oh my god—" Peter was somewhat speechless at the scale of it.
Gwen had already merged into this ocean of frenzy, screaming along with the people around her.
Harry, on the other hand, had a "long since used to this" expression and patted Peter's shoulder: "Relax, Parker, enjoy your youth."
Only Mikoto felt her body stiffen for a split second the moment she stepped into the venue.
In her perception, this place was an entirely different scene.
Countless cell phone signals, radio waves, and security system currents intertwined into an invisible giant net, covering the entire space.
Deep backstage, the massive currents supplying the lights and sound systems were like sleeping beasts, emitting a low roar. The electromagnetic waves drifting in the air became chaotic due to the emotional resonance of tens of thousands of people, like a silent storm.
This feeling was worse than staying in a laboratory full of high-power instruments.
Her temples throbbed, and she forcibly suppressed the urge to use an electromagnetic pulse to paralyze every electronic device here.
"What's wrong, Mikoto? Are you feeling okay?" Peter noticed her subtle abnormality.
"I'm fine, it's just a bit noisy." Mikoto shook her head, forcing herself to adapt to this chaotic "background noise."
Their seats were in the front row area not far from the stage, offering an excellent view.
As soon as they sat down, Gwen handed over a few glow sticks like they were treasures: "Here, official limited edition, Harry got them!"
Peter clumsily took one and waved it like the people around him. Mikoto just glanced at it and took it, but she didn't wave it.
She looked up, scrutinizing the massive stage. The stage was designed like a dreamlike musical castle, with countless spotlights and LED screens standing ready. Everything looked normal—a top-tier, high-budget commercial performance.
But the near-religious atmosphere of frenzy permeating the air only made the clouds of suspicion in her heart grow heavier.
These people weren't here to listen to songs; it was more like they were here to receive some kind of baptism.
She began to search through the crowd, trying to find any suspicious energy reactions or traces of other "players."
However, besides the bioelectric fields of ordinary people and the chaotic electromagnetic waves, she found nothing.
That girl named Uta was either an expert who hid her abilities extremely well, or—her abilities didn't belong to the conventional energy category at all.
Just then, all the lights in the venue went out with a "snap."
The World instantly fell into darkness.
The continuous buzzing and chatter came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a brief, heart-pounding silence.
The next second, a mountain-shaking explosion of screams erupted!
"Uta—!"
"Uta—!"
The shouts of tens of thousands of people merged into a single name, shaking the entire Madison Square Garden with unrivaled momentum.
The sea of glow sticks swayed wildly in the darkness, like the most devout worship offered to a descending deity.
Peter was startled by this sudden outburst and subconsciously leaned closer to Mikoto. Gwen, meanwhile, had already stood up, using all her strength to shout along with the crowd.
Mikoto remained sitting quietly, neither the darkness nor the clamor affecting her in the slightest. Her eyes were fixed on the center of the stage.
A beam of pure white spotlight descended from above, hitting the exact center of the stage.
Within the pillar of light, a figure slowly rose.
She had striking long hair, half pure white and half crimson, with her signature wing-bun hairstyle. Large headphones hung around her neck, and she wore a futuristic performance outfit. She stood there quietly, as if gathering all the light in the World.
She didn't speak, but simply opened her eyes slowly.
One red, one blue.
Those heterochromatic pupils shimmered with a strange brilliance under the spotlight, as if they contained some mysterious magic. She scanned the fanatical believers below, a naive yet confident smile slowly curling at the corners of her mouth.
"Thank you all for waiting."
Her voice carried clearly to every corner of the venue through the microphone. It wasn't an ordinary speaking voice; her vocal tone possessed a peculiar penetration and infectiousness that instantly quieted the boiling scene.
"Welcome to my concert."
"Tonight, let us create together a... that consists only of happiness and joy—"
"—New Genesis!"
[Neutral Faction Player — Uta]
A large white scale lit up above Uta's head, an indicator visible only to players.
"As I suspected, Uta is also an otherworldly player just like me."