Cat Noir's playful remark, "Ultimates, one down!" was like a sudden note struck on a taut string, briefly breaking the heavy, deathly silence in the plaza.
But the fleeting sense of victory vanished quickly, and everyone's gaze refocused on the instigator—Peacock.
The collapse of the giant eagle, that spectacular sight of it turning into dust, seemed to leave no ripple on his face.
He merely looked calmly at the two heroes, whose powers had been restored, with not even a hint of surprise in his eyes; instead, it was more like a slight impatience one feels when a somewhat drawn-out play finally moves to its next act.
"Can't I just... finish things quietly?"
He said softly, his voice carrying a gentle, almost complaining helplessness, as if a child had interrupted his afternoon tea reading.
But beneath this gentleness lurked a chilling sense of command.
As his words fell, the situation on the battlefield changed once again.
The giant python, which had been gently "embracing" Bunnyx in mid-air, received new instructions.
Its massive body relaxed, and its huge tail retracted like a crane boom, causing Bunnyx's body to fall limply from the sky, landing with a "thud" on the hard flagstones.
She let out a pained grunt, struggling to get up, but found her limbs aching and weak; the continuous time travel and the exhaustion from being restrained had drained her last bit of strength.
She could only barely lift her head, watching the unfolding events helplessly with her unwilling blue eyes.
At the same time, the dark panther guarding little Alix also elegantly stood up, moving with silent cat-like steps, walking away from the girl,
returning to Jaden's side, its golden vertical pupils coldly fixed on the distant heroes, like an assassin awaiting orders.
The freed giant python turned its menacing head towards Ladybug and Cat Noir.
"It's coming!"
Cat Noir shouted, swinging his staff, and actively went to meet it.
The giant python's attack method was completely different from the previous giant eagle.
It didn't rely on brute force, but instead used its massive yet flexible body to engage in a dazzling, winding struggle.
The huge snake tail swept like a whip, with a whistling sound, and Cat Noir agilely dodged it with a backflip, planting his staff on the ground, leaping high, attempting to attack the python's head.
But the python's reaction was even faster; its head swiveled, opening its gaping maw, and a foul, stinking gust of wind rushed towards Cat Noir, forcing him to twist his body in mid-air and land clumsily.
On the other side, Ladybug knew that a head-on confrontation was not a good strategy.
While dodging the python's frantic sweeps, which were like something out of "Anaconda," she cast her gaze around, her mind racing, trying to find the key to breaking the deadlock from the chaotic environment.
"Lucky Charm!"
She threw her yo-yo into the air again, praying for an item that could turn the tide.
A flash of light appeared, and what landed in her hand was a small, child's plastic toy trumpet.
"..."
Ladybug looked at the useless item in her hand, speechless for a moment.
Was this what fate wanted her to use to fight the giant python? What a joke?
"Ladybug, watch out!"
Cat Noir's warning pulled her back to reality.
She had no time to think, only stuffing the toy trumpet into her pocket, and with a side roll, narrowly dodged the python's slamming tail.
The hard flagstones shattered under the immense impact, sending debris flying.
She and Cat Noir were completely suppressed by this tireless monster, finding no opportunity to counterattack beyond dodging.
And just as the two heroes were tightly entangled by the giant python, unable to split their attention, Jaden, accompanied by the dark panther, once again, and for the last time, appeared before Chris, who was slumped on the ground.
This time, even the pretense of gentleness had faded from his face, leaving only indifference.
He looked down at this pathetic pawn from the future, his voice calm and unruffled.
"Panther, give him a quick end."
No superfluous words, no final goodbyes.
The command was given, and the panther's body became a blur.
It made no roar, its movements swift and precise, filled with the pure efficiency and beauty of a beast on the hunt.
Black claws arced in the sunlight, a deadly curve, accurately striking Chris's throat.
This time, no silver staff stood in its way.
This time, no red yo-yo bound it.
"Pfft—"
A faint sound, like a sharp object piercing flesh, was heard.
Chris's eyes were wide, all his fear, unwillingness, and regret frozen in the depths of his pupils at that instant, then rapidly dissipating, losing all their luster.
The end of life, clean and swift, without even much blood splattered.
The dark panther completed its mission, its claws not even stained with a trace of blood.
It shook its head, returning to Jaden's side, like a domestic cat that had finished its hunt, quietly crouching down.
Jaden took one last look at the corpse on the ground, as if confirming whether his work was perfect.
Then, without further delay, he turned and walked towards the edge of the plaza, his magnificent attire tracing a solitary, lofty arc in the sunlight.
The panther also silently followed behind him, and the figures of master and servant soon disappeared around the corner of the street.
The moment he turned to leave, the giant python, which was entangled with Ladybug and Cat Noir, its massive body suddenly began to turn transparent, like a TV screen with a bad signal, flickering a few times before vanishing into thin air.
The two heroes, gasping for breath, stopped, having lost their opponent.
An unprecedented sense of powerlessness enveloped their hearts.
The crisis, it seemed, was over.
Cat Noir leaned on his knees, breathing heavily. Ladybug also stopped; she looked in the direction where Peacock had disappeared, then at Chris lying on the ground in the distance, her beautiful face filled with self-reproach and frustration.
Bunnyx, lying on the ground, her eyes filled with despair. She whispered, "We lost... we... still lost..."
"No."
Ladybug's voice, though not loud, was exceptionally firm, "It's not over yet."
She straightened up again, her gaze sweeping over Alix, who had reverted to her normal civilian self, and the distant passersby who were still shaken.
She took a deep breath and tossed the trumpet in her hand into the air.
"—Miraculous Restoration!"
This time, the magical light was no longer a vast torrent sweeping across the city, but a precise, concentrated pink beam.
It did not repair the minor damage elsewhere in the city, but accurately enveloped Chris's corpse and the ground around him that had been affected by the battle.
In the soft glow, the fatal wound on Chris's body healed at a visible speed, his shattered organs and bones were reshaped, and his stopped heart resumed its strong beating.
He suddenly took a breath, like a drowning person surfacing, then sat up with a "whoosh."
"What... what happened?" He looked blankly at his hands, then around him, his eyes filled with the confusion of someone just waking from a deep dream.
At the same time, Bunnyx, who had fallen to the ground, also felt a warm energy flow through her body, her fatigue receding considerably, and her physical strength recovering somewhat.
She struggled to her feet, quickly walked to Chris, who was equally bewildered, and pulled him up.
"Don't just stand there! Let's go!" she said decisively.
This time, she didn't hesitate at all, immediately activating her ability.
A brand new "Rabbit Hole" opened before them, emitting a soft and stable glow.
Bunnyx turned back, taking a deep, complex look at Ladybug and Cat Noir in the distance.
Then, she no longer lingered, pulling Chris, and unhesitatingly stepped into the time-space portal.
This time, there were no obstacles. The two instantly vanished from modern Paris.
Watching the time-space portal close, Cat Noir let out a long breath. He walked over to Ladybug, unable to help but exclaim, "Wow, 'Miraculous Restoration'... that ability really is... too overpowered."
"Yes,"
Ladybug responded softly, a hint of lingering fear in her voice, "And it's a good thing it is. Otherwise..."
She looked in the direction where Peacock had disappeared, continuing with lingering apprehension:
"Did you notice? His target was always only Chris.
If he really wanted our miraculous... I'm afraid we would have..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Cat Noir completely understood her meaning.
If the target of those three monsters just now had been them, they wouldn't have lasted until now.
"So..."
Cat Noir's expression became extremely serious,
"In the future, we might often face enemies like him? An enemy... who doesn't seek to seize, but only to destroy?"
"I don't know."
Ladybug shook her head, looking at the empty street, she analyzed,
"However, he left so hastily just now, I guess... it should be that the side effects of the damaged miraculous are starting to act up. He couldn't hold on."
"Hmph, bad guys get what they deserve."
Cat Noir snorted, and his ring once again emitted an urgent warning sound, "Alright, Ladybug, I have to go."
"Goodbye, Cat Noir."
Ladybug nodded, watching him prop himself up with his staff, disappearing among the buildings with a few leaps.
Ladybug was about to leave when her gaze swept over the lonely little figure in the corner—Alix.
She then remembered that she had forgotten about this girl.
She came to Alix's side and said softly, "Alix, it's alright, the bad guy has been driven away."
Alix, however, looked up, her clear eyes fixed on her, and asked a question that made Ladybug's heart skip a beat: "Ladybug... where is... Jaden? Where is Jaden?"
"Ji... Jaden?" Ladybug was stunned.
Oh no! She was so focused on dealing with the villain that she completely forgot about Jaden being transported to an unknown era!
"I... I'll go find him right away!"
A panicked expression appeared on Ladybug's face. Without thinking further, she scooped up the still somewhat dazed Alix,
and swung with her yo-yo, quickly swinging towards the park where Jaden was.
A thrilling supervillain incident thus concluded in a somewhat anticlimactic manner.
But its aftershocks were just beginning to stir up a huge wave in another world—the internet.
The citizens uploaded the videos and photos they had taken, along with various sensational headlines, to major social media platforms.
[Shocking! A brand new villain appears in Paris! Terrifying power!]
[Three giant monsters appear at the Louvre! Ladybug and Cat Noir in a tough fight!]
[In-depth analysis: What is the relationship between the new villain and Hawk Moth?]
For a time, the "new villain" spread across the entire internet. His magnificent attire, elegant and cold demeanor, and his powerful indifference to everything,
attracted countless discussions for him, and even... gave birth to a group of twisted "fans."
And the instigator of all this, at this moment, appeared with another face, on the other side of the city.
In a park in Paris, the afternoon sun filtered through the lush leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.
Pigeons leisurely strutted in the plaza, cooing and vying for food on the ground.
Jaden was sitting on a bench, with Mr. Pigeon beside him.
He held a small piece of bread in his hand, tearing it into crumbs, and occasionally tossed them to the ground, attracting a flock of pigeons to scramble for them.
A gentle smile hung on his face, his demeanor relaxed, as if he had been there since morning, enjoying this peaceful afternoon.
Just then, a red figure descended from the sky, landing behind a nearby bush.
A moment later, Ladybug, carrying Alix, ran over, slightly out of breath. She had found a secluded spot midway, quickly detransformed once, fed Tikki some food, and then immediately re-transformed and rushed back.
"Jaden!" She saw Jaden safe and sound, finally letting out a sigh of relief, "Are you alright?"
"Me?"
Jaden looked up, seeing Ladybug, a look of surprise on his face,
"What could happen to me? There was a flash of white light, and I was back here. It's you two who've had a tough time."
His tone was sincere, his eyes filled with gratitude and admiration for the heroes.
Alix, beside him, didn't speak.
She broke free from Ladybug's embrace, walked in front of Jaden, and stared intently at him with her eyes, as if trying to find some flaw on his face.
"What's wrong, Alix?"
Jaden noticed her gaze. He smiled gently, leaning slightly forward to meet her eyes,
"Is there... something on my face?"
His voice was very soft, and in his dark eyes, Alix's small figure was reflected, clear and sincere, showing no impurities.
"No... nothing."
Alix felt a little embarrassed under his gaze. She rubbed her eyes and whispered,
"Maybe... maybe I saw wrong."
That terrifying conjecture was temporarily pushed back into her heart. Peacock's eyes were cold, indifferent to everything, while Jaden's eyes were warm and embracing.
They were different, they must be different.
"Where did you... go just now?" Alix still couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know either,"
Jaden spread his hands, answering with an innocent expression,
"It seems I was transported to a place with many giant ferns, and it felt very hot.
However, hasn't everything already been resolved by the great Ladybug?"
He turned his gaze to Ladybug, his eyes filled with undisguised tenderness and admiration.
"Uh... yes, yes! That's right!"
Under his gaze, Ladybug's cheeks flushed a suspicious red, and she stammered a little, quickly averting her eyes.
"Alright, it's getting late, I have to go back to school for my afternoon classes."
Jaden stood up, brushing the breadcrumbs off his pants. He said goodbye to Mr. Pigeon, then naturally took Alix's hand,
"Let's go, Alix."
"Mm." Alix nodded, letting him lead her.
The two left the park together.
Ladybug stood there for a while, watching their receding figures, a sweet and shy smile on her face.
Then, she also found a secluded corner and detransformed.
Back as Marinette, she hugged her design sketchbook and took another path out of the park.
As she reached the street corner, she "just happened" to see Jaden walking towards her, holding Alix's hand.
"Oh! Jaden!"
Marinette showed an exaggerated expression of surprise, waving her hand and calling out, "What a coincidence! Are you walking this way too?"
Alix, walking beside Jaden, looked at Marinette's clumsy acting and couldn't help but roll her eyes, silently screaming in her heart: Can you be any faker?
"Yes, what a coincidence."
Jaden also responded with a smile, his natural surprise as if they had genuinely met by chance, "Are you going back to school too? Want to walk together?"
"Yes! Yes!" Marinette immediately trotted over and walked on Jaden's other side.
The two quickly started chatting and laughing, from new inspirations in fashion design to recently popular music, the atmosphere was lively and harmonious.
Alix, however, was momentarily lost in thought. By the time she snapped out of it, she found that the two people ahead had already walked far away, completely forgetting her behind.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Alix sighed helplessly and had no choice but to quicken her short steps to catch up... The afternoon classes passed peacefully. After school, Jaden politely declined his friends' invitation to go to the arcade and returned home alone.
The apartment was quiet. He took off his coat, casually tossing it onto the sofa, then walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
The ingredients in the refrigerator were still fresh. He took out some vegetables and meat, skillfully washing and cutting them.
The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the kitchen window, casting a long shadow of him.
The sound of chopping and running water formed a simple yet warm everyday symphony.
It was as if the peacock who, that morning in the Louvre square, indifferently commanded monsters and decided the fate of others, was merely a phantom in the TV news, unrelated to him.
The soup in the pot was bubbling, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the fresh sweetness of vegetables filled the small kitchen.
Jaden held a ladle in one hand, gently stirring the pot, while his other hand rested on the counter, supporting his body in a subtle posture.
The aroma of the dishes should have been appetizing, but at this moment, it felt like a heavy blanket, making him feel a little breathless.
Just as he was about to turn off the heat, a sudden emptiness, as if from the depths of his bones, swept through his entire body.
The scene before him began to sway slightly, and the flames on the stove seemed to split into double images.
The hand holding the ladle uncontrollably trembled slightly, and a few drops of hot soup splashed onto the back of his hand, causing a slight sting, but also making him instantly sober up a bit.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the surging dizziness.
Indeed, it was still a bit much. Simultaneously driving four soulless emotional monsters, with one of them also having to maintain a blockade on space-time, this consumption was far greater than he had anticipated.
"Jaden!"
A high-pitched voice, choked with tears and strong reproach, rang in his ears.
A cluster of indigo-blue light emerged from beneath his clothes on his chest, condensing into Duusu's small and delicate form.
This mini peacock miraculous no longer had its usual elegance; its large eyes were filled with moisture, and its tiny wings flapped anxiously.
"You've overused your power!" She flew in front of Jaden, her tiny body glowing faintly with worry.
Seeing her on the verge of tears, a warmth and guilt rose in Jaden's heart.
He freed a hand and gently, tenderly stroked her small head with his fingertip, comforting her almost exploding emotions.
"There, there, don't worry."
His voice was very soft, carrying a calming power,
"Didn't you say? As long as the power within me still exists, it can counteract the damage caused to me by the broken peacock miraculous.
At most... it's just a matter of sleeping a few times and recuperating properly to recover, isn't it?"
He paused, then added: "Besides, I only used some 'puppets' without souls. Compared to real emotional monsters, the consumption is already much smaller."
As he spoke, he dished the last plate of food, placing it on the dining table along with the other dishes he had prepared earlier.
Four dishes and one soup, home-cooked meals, yet they were colorful, fragrant, and delicious, appearing particularly warm under the evening light.
Duusu heard his explanation, but showed no sign of being reassured.
She was still in a flustered state, flying around his cheek like an anxious hummingbird.
"But that's summoning four emotional monsters at once!" Her voice rose,
"Even if they don't have souls, and are just pure projections of your emotions, this intensity of energy output... even a holder of a complete peacock miraculous would absolutely not be able to do it! This is too much of a burden on you!
So, so you absolutely cannot use the peacock's power again during this period!"
"I know, I know."
Jaden looked at her, acting like a little busybody, and agreed with a chuckle.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, extending his palm for Duusu to land on.
"I'll definitely be careful next time, okay?" he promised.
"Not next time, it's always!" Duusu tapped his palm with her tiny hand to emphasize.
"Okay, okay." Jaden agreed verbally, but in his mind, he was replaying today's battle.
Soulless emotional monsters were indeed completely different from those in the original story.
He recalled the plot; those emotional monsters with souls, even when directly hit by Cat Noir's Cataclysm,
often only developed cracks and went out of control, but would not be directly erased.
The "puppets" he created today were essentially an extension and shaping of his own power, more like pure energy bodies.
They lacked independent will and emotions as their "core" and "skeleton," so when facing Cat Noir's power, which represented pure "destruction," they were as fragile as paper encountering fire, collapsing at a touch.
This was both an advantage and a disadvantage.
The advantage was relatively low consumption and absolute obedience to commands.
The disadvantage was limited strength, but as a tactical means, it was sufficient.
As he pondered, Duusu stirred in his palm, her tiny nose sniffing the increasingly rich aroma of food in the air.
Her lips uncontrollably curled up, and she mumbled, "But... it really smells good..."
Jaden smiled, just about to give her some small pieces of food,
Meanwhile, in the center of the apartment living room, the air began to distort in waves, like heated glass.
A dark purple rift, its edges shimmering with ominous light, silently opened.
It wasn't a gentle light portal like a "rabbit hole," but rather more like a wound violently torn through reality.
His smile slightly faded.
Duusu also sensed it. Her small azure body stiffened, and her azure pupils revealed obvious fear.
She let out a terrified shriek and instantly shrank back into Jaden's embrace, only her eyes showing, staring fixedly at the center of the living room.
"Is... is it that bad guy from last time?" Her voice trembled.
Jaden patted his chest reassuringly and whispered, "You guessed right."
He looked up at the living room, his eyes calm: "If you're scared, you can still go back into the accessory now."
"No!"
Duusu immediately shook her head, her voice still trembling but unusually firm,
"I... I've slept long enough! I don't want to go back!"
"Alright then." Jaden nodded, saying no more.
Just at this moment, a mix of warmth and fear,
A low, authoritative voice emerged from the rift, carrying a hint of imperceptible displeasure.
"It seems we're not too late."
As the words fell, two figures slowly walked out of the distorted light and shadow.
Leading the way was Hawk Moth, dressed in a deep purple suit with a silver mask on his face.
As soon as he appeared, the temperature of the entire room seemed to drop several degrees. His eyes sharply scanned the small apartment,
When his gaze fell on the steaming home-cooked dishes on the dining table, his sight paused for a moment, seemingly somewhat unexpected.
Following behind him was Nathalie, dressed in a sharp black suit, her face stern.
She still held her unchanging tablet, and the gaze beneath her glasses was calm and sharp, like the most precise instrument,
Scanning, recording, and analyzing every detail in the room.
She nodded slightly in Jaden's direction, a formal greeting of sorts.
Jaden looked at these two uninvited guests, without the slightest surprise on his face. He even unhurriedly picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, savored it carefully, and then slowly spoke after wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"You've arrived right at dinner time."
He said, his tone as relaxed as if he were entertaining two old friends who had scheduled a visit,
"If there's anything important, we can talk after dinner. Standing is so tiring, please, sit."
His posture was one of extreme relaxation, a composure that completely disregarded the other party's power and threat.
Hawk Moth's masked brow furrowed slightly. He was clearly uncomfortable with this absurd scene of "inviting the villain boss home for dinner."
He was here to "question," to "exert pressure," to re-establish dominance, not to attend a warm family dinner.
But Nathalie, behind him, touched his back with an extremely subtle movement.
The displeasure in Hawk Moth's eyes receded somewhat. He was silent for a moment, then still walked to the dining table as instructed, pulled out a chair, and sat down in a stiff yet dignified posture.
His sitting posture was that of a host, not a guest at the table.
Seeing this, Jaden also sat down leisurely. Nathalie pulled out the chair next to Hawk Moth and also sat down with a straight posture.
Duusu peeked her small head from behind Jaden's collar, trembling as she watched everything unfolding.
A supervillain, an ice-cold female assistant, and her holder, the three of them sat around a small dining table like this.
On the table were steaming rice and home-cooked stir-fries.
The incongruity of this scene was so strong that her processor was almost crashing.
For a moment, a strange silence fell over the room.
Only the occasional clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the subtle sounds of chewing food.
Jaden ate unhurriedly, as if truly enjoying his dinner.
Nathalie also picked up her bowl and chopsticks, eating with standard and efficient movements, as if merely completing a task to replenish energy.
Only Hawk Moth sat there motionless. A bowl and chopsticks were placed before him, but he didn't touch them.
He was like a silent statue, only using his eyes to scrutinize the composed young man opposite him.
This meal continued for several minutes in a silent power struggle.
Finally, Hawk Moth could no longer contain himself.
He dropped his regal pretense, and though he hadn't touched his chopsticks, he leaned forward slightly, breaking the suffocating silence.
"I'm very curious."
His voice was deep and devoid of emotion, as if stating a fact rather than asking a question,
"At the Louvre, you clearly had the opportunity, one might even say, you were certain to obtain Cat Noir and Ladybug's miraculous.
Their energy was almost depleted, leaving them virtually defenseless.
But why... did you kill an unrelated person from the future?"
His words were filled with cold accusation.
He was questioning Jaden why he didn't focus on "important matters."
Facing this belated questioning, Jaden did not stop his actions.
He picked up another piece of braised pork soaked in sauce, put it into his mouth, slowly chewed and swallowed it, doing all this before wiping his mouth with a napkin, raising his head, and meeting Hawk Moth's judgmental gaze.
"Important matters?" He chuckled lightly, repeating the phrase, his tone carrying a clear hint of mockery, "Who defines what 'important matters' are?"
Without waiting for Hawk Moth to reply, he continued speaking, leaning back in his chair, hands clasped on the table, adopting a casual posture.
"That so-called 'Timetagger,' although he's a Akumatization product of your future self, the Akumatization method was a bit too crude. More importantly,"
Jaden's gaze slightly narrowed, a hint of coldness emanating from it, "He teleported me, unprepared, to an unknown, dangerous era. I need to settle this score with someone."
His tone was calm, yet it revealed an unyielding principle.
"My principle is very simple," he said slowly, looking at Hawk Moth, "I always repay a grudge. He made me uncomfortable, so I won't let him off easy.
That's fair, isn't it?"
"Fair?"
Hawk Moth's voice rose slightly, the expression beneath his mask surely displeased,
"Ridiculous personal vendetta! And what you did, Ladybug still saved him with her 'Miraculous Restoration'!
That Bunnyx also successfully took him back to the future! Your so-called 'revenge,' everything you did, ultimately became useless!
You just wasted valuable energy for nothing!"
He paused, his gaze becoming even sharper, as if to pierce through Jaden's body and discern his current condition.
"And, using the peacock miraculous to simultaneously create four monsters, the harm it caused to your body... I presume you're already deeply experiencing it now, aren't you?"
His words, rather than being concerned, were more of a warning and a reminder—to remind Jaden,
He was just a fragile mortal using a damaged miraculous, and his reckless actions would only accelerate his own destruction.
Hearing this, the smile on Jaden's face deepened. That smile was filled with undisguised, sharp mockery.
He extended a finger and gently shook it.
"And what does that have to do with you?"
A simple sentence, like a resounding slap, landed on Hawk Moth's face.
This sentence clearly drew a line: My body, my power, my way of doing things, are none of your concern.
I am not your subordinate, much less your tool. We are merely... collaborators.
The air pressure around Hawk Moth suddenly dropped, causing Duusu, who was peeking, to shrink further into Jaden's collar.
Just as the atmosphere was about to ignite, Nathalie, who had been silent, spoke.
"Mr. Jaden,"
Her voice was calm, objective, as if reading a report,
"I believe Mr. Hawk Moth means that your physical condition and power are core assets for achieving our common goal.
Investing this valuable asset into actions with zero return and non-primary objectives, from a strategic perspective, is an irrational misallocation of resources.
This will directly impact the success rate of our subsequent plans."
Her words re-packaged Hawk Moth's emotionally charged accusations into a calm, purely "strategic review."
She didn't accuse Jaden; she was merely stating a cold, hard fact—his actions were "inefficient."
This seemingly helped Hawk Moth, but in reality, it was a more sophisticated form of pressure. They were putting on a show, a drama of "caring for a partner but prioritizing efficiency," attempting to use this method to persuade and guide Jaden's behavior, making him more "controllable."
As Nathalie's words fell, the atmosphere at the dinner table did not ease; instead, it became taut, like a bowstring pulled to its absolute limit.
This confrontation, disguised as "dinner," had already revealed its true intentions.
Jaden looked at the two, who were playing off each other, and the knowing smile on his lips slowly widened.
He put down his chopsticks with a soft "clack," which echoed clearly in the silent room.
"Alright."
He spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable sense of finality, "Dinner is over, and the conversation should end now."
He stood up, looked at the two still seated, and in a gentle but unrefusable tone, issued his dismissal: "I am very tired today and need to rest now. Both of you, please go back."
He didn't even use the word "leave," but rather "go back," as if they were not from the same world.
Hawk Moth's eyes narrowed slightly. He sensed the other party's unyielding composure, and the absolute sense of detachment hidden beneath his politeness.
He knew that any further verbal pressure or probing would be futile.
He slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow under the light, bringing a sense of oppression to the cozy little apartment.
"I hope next time you make a move,"
He walked to the rift, turned around, and finally said to Jaden,
"You can clarify your purpose. Obtaining Cat Noir and Ladybug's miraculous is not only for me but also for your own health."
Nathalie, standing nearby, also rose, adjusted her glasses, and added in her formulaic, unruffled voice:
"Gabriel's meaning is also that clarifying the primary goal can maximize your operational efficiency and reduce unnecessary physical wear and tear, which aligns with the common interests of all three parties."
The two, one after the other, one firm and one gentle, delivered their final "advice," and then, without further delay, turned and stepped into the dark purple spatial rift.
The rift closed silently behind them, as if it had never appeared.
However, Jaden did not see that the moment they turned, Hawk Moth curved into an irrepressible, triumphant smile. And Nathalie's lips gently curved upwards.
Their plan had succeeded.
In the apartment, along with the suffocating dark aura, the tense standoff also disappeared. The room returned to silence, with only the unfinished meal on the dining table still steaming gently.
"Jaden…"
Duusu cautiously flew out from behind his collar, his large eyes still showing remnants of fear, but more so, concern for him.
"Are you… alright?"
"I'm fine, Duusu."
Jaden snapped back to reality, the coldness and detachment he showed to his enemies instantly melting into tenderness for the spirit.
He held out his hand, letting him land in his palm, "Don't worry."
He pulled out a chair, sat back down, picked up his chopsticks, and picked up a small, soup-soaked ball of rice, bringing it to Duusu's mouth.
"Come, let's continue eating."
Duusu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the aroma of the food.
He opened his small mouth, ate the ball of rice, and his tiny cheeks puffed up with satisfaction.
Master and servant, under the orange-yellow light, quietly shared this belated dinner.
After dinner, Jaden skillfully cleared and washed the dishes, then walked into the bathroom.
As the warm water cascaded over his body, the forcibly suppressed fatigue surged like a breaking dam.
He almost relied on sheer willpower to finish washing up, then collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, at the other end of Paris, deep within the Agreste mansion.
In a vast, empty circular room filled with futuristic technology, soft white light streamed down from the dome, illuminating the floor-to-ceiling window in the center.
The dark purple spatial rift opened again, and the figures of Gabriel and Nathalie emerged from it.
As the rift closed, Gabriel raised his hand and placed it on the butterfly brooch on his chest.
"Miraculous Restoration."
With a whisper, his dark purple suit dissolved into countless specks of light, and the silver mask disappeared with it, revealing his handsome but always somewhat gloomy face.
He reverted to his Gabriel form. The purple butterfly kwami Nooroo flew out of the accessory, circling in mid-air.
On the other side, Nathalie also expressionlessly raised her hand and gently took off her seemingly ordinary black-rimmed glasses.
The moment the glasses were removed, an Akuma Butterfly flew out, fluttering its wings, and soared towards the dome, merging with the thousands of white butterflies.
"Nooroo, return to the accessory."
Gabriel issued a cold command to his kwami,
"Unless I summon you, you are not allowed to hear, see, or perceive anything."
Nooroo had a confused expression, but still, under her master's command, she transformed into a beam of light and returned to the brooch.
After doing all this, Gabriel seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and he looked at Nathalie beside him.
"Is it over?" Nathalie asked, her voice as calm as ever, but if one listened closely, a subtle hint of anticipation could be detected.
"It's over." Gabriel replied, his deep blue eyes gleaming with a nearly frantic excitement, "And… it went very smoothly."
"He… didn't suspect anything?" Nathalie asked again.
"Suspicion?"
Gabriel sneered,
"Why would he suspect? Everything went flawlessly.
He used the peacock miraculous not because of my enticement, nor because of my coercion, but because he was forced into a desperate situation by a 'Hawk Moth' from the future, a third-party force, and had no choice but to use its power.
From his perspective, I am merely a 'collaborator' who came to demand accountability and probe after he used the power. How could he suspect?"
His voice was filled with the triumph of someone with all the pieces in place. He considered himself to have directed this play flawlessly.
"What's more…"
Gabriel walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the deep night outside, his tone filled with emotion,
"As expected… of someone with the qualification to 'Rewrite' everything. After using such immense power, simultaneously driving four emotional monsters,
he only felt fatigued, and didn't collapse directly like Emilie… He even had the energy to cook and engage in a verbal confrontation with me.
It's truly… perfect!"
Nathalie watched Gabriel's almost ecstatic excitement, and her gaze behind her glasses softened.
"Originally, we were struggling with how to devise a perfect scenario that would force him to use the peacock power without him suspecting us."
She slowly said, "Now, the opportunity has presented itself."
"Indeed!"
Gabriel turned around, his face alight with uncontrollable ecstasy,
"We truly have to thank that foolish Timetagger! And also the future Hawk Moth!
They joined forces to give me this enormous gift! They forced Jaden to use the power of the peacock."
His plan, at that moment, finally completed its most crucial step.
"Nathalie,"
Gabriel took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down,
"I'm going to rest now. For our grander plans in the future, we cannot be overly fatigued now. You as well."
With that, he walked with light steps, leaving the secret base.
Nathalie stood rooted, watching Gabriel disappear at the end of the passage, his upright back filled with a long-lost vitality and hope.
The corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
Her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to noon today.
When he saw the "Timetagger" defeated by Ladybug's scheme and the Akuma Butterfly purified, Gabriel turned off the monitoring screen.
He was about to order the detransformation.
But just then, the monitoring system suddenly blared an alarm, and the screen lit up again, showing the Louvre plaza.
The moment he saw the image, Gabriel stumbled towards the screen, staring intently at the scene.
He saw it.
He saw the young man who should have been teleported away—Jaden—descending into the center of the plaza in a magnificent and eerie form he had never seen before.
That dark blue peacock suit, those shimmering light-feathered fan screens… "Peacock…"
Hawk Moth's throat emitted an inarticulate sound. His body trembled slightly from extreme shock.
Because in this world, the only person who could possibly use the peacock miraculous… was that young man!
On the screen, Jaden, with an elegance bordering on defiance, admitted that he had sealed the "Rabbit Hole."
Then, he plucked feathers and created three grotesque emotional monsters.
At that moment, the air in the base seemed to have been sucked out.
Hawk Moth stared blankly at the screen; he forgot to breathe, forgot to think.
All the previous disappointment, frustration, and unwillingness were, in that instant, replaced by a much larger, much more fervent emotion.
That was… ecstasy! The kind of ecstasy that could make one's soul burn, upon seeing the stairway to heaven!
The plan had not failed! No! The plan… had succeeded in a way he had never anticipated, a more perfect way!
"Haha… Haha!"
He first laughed softly, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Soon, the laughter grew louder and more uncontrollable, eventually turning into a hearty, unbridled roar that echoed throughout the entire secret base!
"It succeeded… it succeeded! He used it! He finally used it!"
He immediately detransformed, almost sprinting through the secret passage back to his design studio upstairs.
His gaze instantly fell upon the portrait of Emilie on the wall.
Emilie in the painting, with golden hair and blue eyes, smiled gently and serenely, as if quietly gazing at him.
"Emilie…"
He reached out his hand, gently caressing the painted face through the air,
"Do you see? Hope… I found true hope!"
Subsequently, his emotions reached an extreme high, needing an outlet for release.
He quickly walked to the stereo, turning on a pre-set, stirring classical symphony.
The music instantly filled the entire room!
Gabriel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then, he danced to the music.
It wasn't an elegant waltz, nor a restrained ballroom dance.
It was a completely self-released, passionate, and ecstatic solo dance!
He spun and leaped in the spacious studio, the tails of his suit tracing graceful arcs in the air.
He spread his arms, as if embracing the beautiful future that was about to arrive.
He even casually grabbed a jacket draped over a mannequin, threw it over himself, then dramatically flung it open, his movements full of theatrical tension.
He adjusted his collar and cuffs, not out of meticulousness, but as a powerful movement within his dance.
Then, like a victorious general returning from battle, he rushed out of his room.
He ran to the second-floor staircase, and to the empty hall, he exaggeratedly waved his hand, as if accepting the cheers of thousands of spectators.
Then, he did something unimaginable to anyone who knew him—he plopped down on the smooth stair railing, leaned back, and with a joyful whoop, slid all the way down from the second floor!
In his mind, he constantly envisioned the blueprint of the future.
The hope of resurrecting Emilie was no longer a distant dream, but a reality within reach!
He was still immersed in beautiful fantasies when he steadied himself, looked up, and saw Nathalie standing before him, her face filled with bewilderment.
Nathalie had just finished handling some company matters and was about to report to him.
But as soon as she entered, she saw the meticulous Gabriel, who valued elegance above all else, sliding down the stair railing like a child.
She didn't understand. What on earth was wrong with Gabriel now?
"Gabriel…"
She tentatively spoke,
"Even if… even if the plan failed, you don't have to… be like this, do you?"
In her eyes, this was a crazy act of self-abandonment after losing emotional control.
However, Gabriel looked at her, and a smile bloomed on his face, more radiant and more unsettling than ever before.
He took a step forward, placed his hands on Nathalie's shoulders, his blue eyes astonishingly bright, staring intently at her, and asked in a mysterious and excited tone:
"Nathalie, do you see it?"
"See… what… failure?" Nathalie was even more confused.
Gabriel shook his head, his smile deepening.
"Failure?" He softly repeated the word, then declared in a tone filled with boundless joy:
"No, Nathalie.
What you are about to see and smell is not the scent of decay after failure. It is… the fragrance of success!"
Gabriel's handsome face, slightly distorted by ecstasy, was, at that moment, deeply etched into Nathalie's memory.