When Jaden appeared at the library entrance, the heat wave that surged from inside, completely unrelated to the word 'quiet', hit him head-on.
What should have been a sanctuary dominated by the scent of books and tranquility had, at this moment, transformed into an arena filled with hormones, electronic sound effects, and cheers.
In the multimedia reading area on the first floor, all tables and chairs had been pushed against the walls, clearing the central space where dozens of students, three layers deep, surrounded two large gaming setups, making them impenetrable.
On the giant projection screen, two exquisitely designed mechs were unleashing destructive beams of light, each collision accompanied by breathtaking sound effects and bursts of exclamations from the crowd.
He had barely stepped into this noisy vortex when the sharp-eyed Nino spotted him.
"Jaden! You're finally here!"
Like someone who had discovered a savior, Nino squeezed a path through the crowd, grabbed Jaden's wrist without a word, and dragged him towards the center of the battle.
The entire process was smooth and swift, so fast that Jaden didn't even have time to raise any objections.
"Come, come, sit down quickly!" He was pressed into an empty gaming chair that still radiated residual warmth.
A game controller was thrust into his hand without a moment's hesitation.
He looked up, a little bewildered, and met Adrien's excited emerald green eyes, sparkling with delight, from the device next to him.
"Are you ready, Jaden?"
Adrien's face was beaming with a confident smile, perfectly blending the composure of a champion with the anticipation of a challenger.
"...Mm."
Jaden looked at the unfamiliar controller in his hand, then at the expectant faces around him, and finally nodded gently, "Let's go."
His arrival was like a drop of water thrown into hot oil, instantly bringing the atmosphere to a boiling point.
"Wow! It's Jaden! Is the final showdown about to begin?"
"One is Adrien, the new king who just defeated Max, and the other is Jaden, the legendary hidden master! This is going to be a good show!"
"I bet Adrien wins! His combo just now was too cool!"
"Not necessarily, I feel Jaden has the aura of a master, very mysterious!"
The surrounding students chattered away, spontaneously dividing into two camps.
Nino, Kim, and others unhesitatingly stood with Adrien, cheering him on.
Nathan and Marc, on the other hand, silently stood behind Jaden, offering him unspoken support with their gazes.
The girls, meanwhile, formed several small groups, but their focus was not entirely the same.
Alya, with an expression that said, "I knew it would be like this," nudged Marinette beside her and whispered:
"See, Marinette, Jaden, his entrance alone commands everyone's attention."
Marinette's gaze, however, was completely drawn to the figure sitting in the gaming chair.
He just sat there quietly, her expression focused on the screen, the contours of his profile appearing soft yet sharply defined under the kaleidoscopic game lighting.
Her heart, unconsciously, skipped another beat.
On the other side, at the periphery of the crowd, a small group of four girls seemed to have their own 'little secret' about this impending showdown.
Alix, Mylène, Rose, and Juleka were huddled together, Alix speaking in a low voice, as if sharing some earth-shattering gossip.
"...So, that rabbit hero called 'Bunnyx' is really you in the future?"
Rose's eyes were wide as saucers, her face filled with disbelief.
Alix wrinkled her nose, making a disgusted expression: "She said so. But I don't like it at all! You didn't see her image... Oh my god, it's not what I want to be!"
"Then... then did she say what we'll look like in the future?" Mylène asked softly, with a hint of anticipation and nervousness.
"Hmm..." Alix scratched her head, "She seemed to say that she couldn't reveal too much about past timelines, otherwise it would have unpredictable effects on the future."
Juleka, who had been listening quietly, interjected in a low voice, "But... Alix, won't telling us this now affect the future?"
"Who knows!"
Alix waved her hand dismissively,
"Besides, what I'm telling you isn't critical information, just complaining about my future look!
Think about it, big sleeves, I mean tattoos covering my arms, and rings in my ears and nose!
If the price of being a hero is to look like that, then I... I'd rather not be a hero!"
As her words fell, Rose, Mylène, and Juleka all shivered involuntarily.
In their minds, terrifying images instantly appeared of themselves also turning into "non-mainstream bad girls" or "punk girls" in the future; the scene was too vivid, sending shivers down their spines.
"Ah... let's not talk about this, let's not talk about this!"
Alix also felt goosebumps, and she quickly changed the subject, pointing to the arena ahead, "Let's go watch the match!"
"Mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm!"
The other three nodded vigorously like pecking chicks, desperately trying to shake that terrifying "future" out of their minds.
Just as they refocused their attention on the arena, the duel between Jaden and Adrien officially began.
In the center of the arena, Jaden and Adrien had each selected their mechs.
Adrien once again chose his golden "Paladin," which was both offensive and defensive, with a magnificent appearance.
Jaden, on the other hand, chose a completely different mech, the "Shadow Hunter"—all black, with a more slender and agile frame—a mech characterized by extreme speed and high-burst assassination.
"3-2-1, battle start!"
As the system's cold electronic voice sounded, the match officially began!
The two giant mechs moved instantly on the projection screen!
Adrien's "Paladin" played steadily, raising its huge energy shield immediately and slowly advancing, its beam rifle continuously suppressing with firepower.
Golden energy bullets rained down on Jaden's position.
However, Jaden's "Shadow Hunter" had no intention of taking the hits head-on.
It transformed into a black lightning bolt, moving at high speed through the dense bullet rain with an almost ghostly, anti-physical trajectory. Each dodge was perfectly timed, as if strolling leisurely, easily evading all attacks.
"Oh—!" A gasp erupted from the crowd. This incredibly skillful evasion alone had already impressed everyone present.
"Good reaction speed, Jaden!" Adrien praised in the comms channel, His tone filled with excitement.
"You too." Jaden responded calmly.
Before his words faded, the black "Shadow Hunter," during a dodge, suddenly accelerated and instantly vanished from its original spot!
"Optical camouflage!" Max blurted out from the sidelines.
The next second, the black mech appeared like a phantom behind the "Paladin"! Its high-frequency dagger, gleaming with a deadly cold light, struck directly at the cockpit!
Adrien's reaction was also extremely fast; he spun around abruptly, and his energy shield squarely blocked the backstab!
"Clang—!"
The piercing sound of metal colliding echoed throughout the arena!
They exchanged blows, offense and defense shifting in an instant. The golden "Paladin" was like an indestructible bastion, while the black "Shadow Hunter" was like the most lethal venomous snake, constantly searching for an opportunity for a fatal strike.
However, everyone could see that the situation on the field was subtly shifting.
Although Adrien's operations were flashy and precise, each of his attacks was resolved by Jaden in a more relaxed and effortless manner.
And each of Jaden's counterattacks precisely hit Adrien at his most uncomfortable points, where he needed to concentrate most on defense.
Adrien was gradually drawn into Jaden's rhythm.
Minutes later, after a dazzling series of offense and defense, Jaden seized a tiny window when Adrien's move was spent and his energy shield was retracting.
The "Shadow Hunter" vanished again, reappearing at an incredible angle,
sliding under the "Paladin's" shield, its high-frequency dagger, like the Grim Reaper's scythe, gently yet irresistibly, sliced across the "Paladin's" leg joint.
"Crunch!"
The massive golden mech instantly lost balance, dropping to one knee.
And that fraction of a second of stagnation was enough for the "Shadow Hunter."
The black mech leaped up, performed an elegant spin in mid-air, and the dagger accurately plunged into the seam of the "Paladin's" back neck armor.
"K.O.!"
Huge red letters, once again, appeared in the center of the screen.
The entire multimedia room fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the black mech standing tall on the screen and the golden mech kneeling at its feet, their brains struggling to process what had happened.
He won? Just like that... so easily... he won?
"Holy cow! No way!"
Nino was the first to break the silence, his jaw nearly hitting the floor,
"There's always someone better! Jaden, you've been hiding your skills too well!"
Kim also looked incredulous. He patted the equally stunned Max beside him, exclaiming, "Max... it seems your choice of partner needs to change again."
Max said nothing. He just stared quietly at the screen, complex emotions flickering in his eyes behind his glasses.
His inner pride as a genius was, at this moment, completely shattered.
He had spent a whole year, training relentlessly, to reach his current level of being unbeatable throughout the school.
However, in front of people like Adrien and Jaden... who perhaps hadn't undergone much professional training and relied purely on talent, his efforts, which he was so proud of, seemed so insignificant.
Is talent... really more important than effort?
For the first time, he felt a flicker of doubt about his own persistence.
Just as everyone was shocked by Jaden's victory, an unexpected figure suddenly rushed out from the crowd.
"It's Marinette!"
"Wait a minute!" She held up her hand, rushing to the center of the arena.
"Marinette? What are you doing?" Alya stomped her foot in exasperation behind her, trying to pull her back, but couldn't.
"Teacher! Principal!"
Marinette ran to the judges, her face showing a daring courage and determination, "Since it's a selection competition, then I... I also want to challenge!"
"You?" Teacher Caline looked at her with some surprise.
"Yes!" Marinette nodded forcefully, her gaze sweeping over everyone and landing on the calm young man who had just won the match.
There, she saw the light she wanted to pursue.
Then her gaze turned instead to the side, to the true "King of Arcade Games"—Max—who was still lost in self-doubt.
"Student Max," she took a deep breath and said loudly, "Let's have a duel!"
The whole place erupted in an uproar!
Max was also stunned. He looked at the harmless-looking girl in front of him, his eyes full of doubt: "You... play this kind of game too?"
"Do you... understand the rules of the game?" He reminded her out of goodwill.
"Of course!"
Unexpectedly, Marinette answered fluently, her voice clear and confident: "Of course! By defeating opponents, or by picking up randomly generated items on the map, your mech gains upgrades, unlocking stronger skills and weapons! Ultimately, destroying the opponent's mech is the condition for victory!"
Max was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Marinette to understand this game so thoroughly.
What he didn't know was that at home, Marinette was the real "ever-victorious champion."
Her father, Tom, who also loved games, would drag her into battles almost every weekend, but each time, she would defeat him with all sorts of imaginative maneuvers.
"Alright."
Max nodded and sat back down. He wanted to see what level this usually quiet and shy girl could play at.
The match began again.
Both sides selected their mechs. And not long after the match started, Max's expression became exceptionally grim.
He found that he couldn't predict his opponent's actions at all! Marinette's operations simply didn't follow conventional logic!
Sometimes she would charge forward recklessly like a novice, mashing buttons; other times she would use extremely tricky combos that even he had to think about to break.
Her playstyle was full of imagination, wild and unpredictable, yet every move was deadly!
Max's playstyle went from initial contempt, to caution, and then to a steady retreat.
His set of tactics, calculated and rehearsed countless times, precise as a textbook, was shattered by Marinette's completely unreasonable 'genius-style' play.
"Now! Marinette's Triple Spin Kick!"
Marinette named her own move, and on the screen, her mech performed a graceful turn, with dazzling light effects, delivering a triple kick that cleanly sent Max's mech flying, instantly emptying his health bar.
"K.O.!"
"I won!"
Marinette raised her controller high, excitedly jumping up from her chair.
Her face was beaming with an incredibly bright smile.
Her match score, after being calculated by the system, was tied with Jaden, making them the highest scorers of the entire event.
"Wow..."
Nino didn't know what words to use to describe his feelings at that moment.
"I didn't expect... our school, in a single day, suddenly... produced three geniuses?!"
"Was Max... not in good form today?" Kim looked at the huge "K.O." on the screen, his face filled with disbelief.
He rubbed his eyes, as if unable to accept the reality he had witnessed. "He actually... actually lost to Marinette... This is simply..."
"Lost?"
Alya stood nearby with her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow, and corrected him precisely with a tone that was both proud and incredulous,
"Kim, you call this losing? This was clearly a one-sided stomp, okay!"
Before her words even finished, the surrounding classmates also snapped out of their shock, erupting into a discussion even more fervent than any before.
"Oh my god! What did I just see? Marinette... that quiet and shy Marinette, is actually a hidden gaming genius?"
"It's terrifying! I couldn't even clearly see her combo just now!"
"What's going on this year? Our school suddenly has three monster-level players!"
All eyes, all exclamations, were like spotlights, focused on the figure still standing in the center of the arena, still holding her controller.
However, in the center of this commotion, another person was silently forgotten.
Max sat quietly in the gaming chair.
He didn't move or speak, just stared blankly at the "K.O." on the screen, which seemed to be mercilessly mocking him.
Those two letters were like two red-hot branding irons, searing Her heart .
A year of effort.
Three hundred and sixty-five days and nights, countless nights of forgetting food and sleep.
He gave up club activities, gave up time to go out with friends, and poured all his energy into data analysis, tactical research, and operational training for this game.
He thought that effort could make up for everything. He thought that as long as he put in enough sweat, he could stand at the pinnacle of this field.
Then, reality gave him one loud slap after another.
He lost to Adrien, the rich young master with a superior family background, brilliant talent, who seemed to do everything with ease; he could accept that.
He saw Jaden easily defeat Adrien with a free-flowing operation that he couldn't understand; he could also understand that.
Because Jaden always had an inscrutable mystery about him.
But... he actually lost to a girl who rarely touched a game console, seemed gentle and weak, and only had fashion design on her mind—Marinette.
Moreover, it was in a way where he had no power to retaliate, a complete crushing defeat.
At that moment, Max felt that the fortress he had built over the past year, named "Effort and Confidence," was mercilessly crushed into dust by a heavy tank called "Talent."
It turned out that everything he was proud of was so vulnerable, so... insignificant in front of true genius.
However, when he felt everyone's gaze subtly fall on him, he still forcibly suppressed this dark emotion, powerful enough to swallow a person, down deep inside.
He slowly stood up, took off his glasses, meticulously wiped them with a cloth, and then put them back on.
When he looked up again, a calm and proper smile was on his face.
"I'm very happy,"
He said to everyone, his voice a little dry, but exceptionally clear,
"that our school has stronger players than me. This means we can win greater honors for the school."
He turned his gaze to Marinette, nodding at her, his demeanor impeccable.
"So, Marinette, congratulations. You can go with Jaden to participate in the city-level championship."
After speaking, he took one last look at the arena that once belonged to him, but now seemed incredibly dazzling, then turned around, put on his backpack, and silently walked out of the library without a word.
His figure, under the bright sunlight, appeared a little desolate.
But no one noticed what kind of breaking heart was hidden beneath his calm mask.
"Wow,"
Adrien looked at Max's departing back, then at the still somewhat excited Marinette next to him, and couldn't help but exclaim,
"I really didn't expect, Marinette, that you had this side to you."
And Jaden, at this moment, walked up to Marinette.
He looked at her bright, sparkling blue eyes, shining with excitement, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Well," he extended his hand and said to her in a solemn and serious tone, "we will be partners from now on."
"Par-partner—!"
These two words, like honey carrying an electric current, instantly struck Marinette's heart!
A "boom" went off in her head, and brilliant fireworks exploded.
Countless pink fawns were madly running an obstacle course in her little heart!
She felt her cheeks burning, her palms sweating. She wanted to scream, to spin around in place, to hug Alya and declare this the happiest day of her life!
But, no! In front of Jaden, she absolutely had to maintain a lady-like image!
She forcibly suppressed the surging ecstasy within her, tried hard to straighten her back, and gently grasped Jaden's outstretched hand, forcing out what she believed to be her most proper and reserved smile.
"Yes, yes, partner." She felt her voice floating. "Ye-yes, partner."
She repeated the word over and over, as if to engrave it into her soul.
Seeing this, the principal stepped forward, cleared his throat, and made the final official announcement in a loud voice:
"Alright, students! I now announce that the final players representing our academy in this year's Paris City 'Ultimate Fighting Championship' are—Jaden and Marinette!
Let's give them a round of applause and look forward to them bringing glory to the school!"
Warm applause erupted once again.
The principal nodded with satisfaction and left with Teacher Caline.
Before leaving, Teacher Caline even specifically walked up to Jaden and Marinette, smiled, and offered a few words of encouragement before turning to depart.
Since the main protagonists had been decided, there was no need for the other students to linger.
Nino and Kim walked with their arms around each other's shoulders, discussing where to go for another three hundred rounds of battle;
Nathan and Marc quietly slipped away; Adrien also smiled, wished Jaden and Marinette "good luck," and then left with a flourish.
And the quartet of Alix, Juleka, Mylène, and Rose exchanged glances.
It wasn't that they didn't want to go up and talk, but they keenly sensed that the current atmosphere was entirely Marinette's "highlight moment."
If they crowded around now, not only would they not be able to speak, but they would also become a huge third wheel.
"We... should move to another place and act at a more suitable time."
Alix mouthed silently to the other three. The four immediately reached a consensus and also quietly left.
Upstairs, Chloé, who had been observing with cold eyes, took everything downstairs in.
She looked at Marinette, who had been acknowledged as a "partner" by Jaden, and a trace of cold jealousy and disdain flashed in her beautiful blue eyes.
"Partner?" She sneered to Sabrina beside her in an almost inaudible voice, "Heh, don't be happy too soon. Next, they probably won't have much time to be 'together.'"
After speaking, she took out her phone and quickly typed on the screen.
[To Hawk Moth: There's someone here whose heart is badly broken. I think he might need your 'assistance.']
[Hawk Moth: I have already... sensed it.]
The message was almost an instant reply.
[Hawk Moth: Soon, this place will become a new battlefield.]
[Chloé: Very good.]
She curled her lips in satisfaction.
[Chloé: Remember, try to... be quick.]
After sending the last message, she put away her phone and haughtily tossed her head at Sabrina: "Let's go, Sabrina. This boring play should end."
...Outside the library, the sun was warm and gentle.
Jaden, Marinette, and Alya walked together, side by side, on the school path dappled with golden light.
Alya, with extreme "tactical intent," walked in the middle, separating the two, and played the role of "assistant."
"I say,"
She put one hand on each of their shoulders and said in a matter-of-fact tone,
"Since you two are partners now, in these last few hours before the championship begins, you really need to work together well and cultivate some chemistry!"
As she spoke, she frantically winked at Marinette, her meaning more than obvious: Idiot! I've created a perfect opportunity for you to be alone with him for a few hours! Go for it!
Marinette understood, of course!
Her heart was pounding like a drum, her face desperately trying to maintain composure, but her eyes, fixed intently on Jaden, had long betrayed her inner desire.
"Ye-yes!"
She nodded vigorously, afraid Jaden would refuse, "Ri-right! We need to build chemistry!"
Jaden looked at the two girls beside him, each with different expressions, and simply smiled gently.
He turned his head and looked at Marinette, his black eyes filled with soft light.
"No problem," he said, "I'd be happy to."
"Boom—!"
Marinette felt her brain, once again, being blasted into a blank by a bomb of happiness.
The fawns in her heart were no longer just bumping around; they were practically dancing a fierce tango in her heart!
But under Alya's stern gaze of "if you act foolish, you're dead," she still forced herself, abruptly turning her head to the other side,
pretending to look at the scenery by the roadside, but on her face, red enough to drip blood, hung a foolishly happy smile that she couldn't hide.
However, this sweet fantasy of a young girl was soon mercilessly torn apart by a harsh, inhuman alarm sound.
"Warning! Warning! Game start! Scanning for new players!"
The three stopped simultaneously, looking up in astonishment.
Ahead on the street, a huge, futuristic, silver-gray equilateral triangular mechanical object was floating in mid-air, slowly advancing towards them! Its three corners were flashing with ominous green light.
And in its very center, a huge circular hole, like the pupil of a cyclops, continuously emitted grid-like scanning beams in all directions!
A passing pedestrian was unfortunately caught by the green light.
He didn't even have time to let out a gasp before his entire body instantly digitized, turning into a shimmering golden experience orb, which was sucked into the circular hole with a "whoosh"!
"Experience +10! Level up! About to reach Level 2!"
An excited, electronically processed voice came from inside the triangular object.
"Hahahahaha! Level up! Level up! I'm unstoppable!"
In the core control room inside the mechanical object, a figure dressed in a black-based, neon-green geometric patterned jumpsuit was frantically manipulating the virtual control panel in front of him.
He wore sharp, insect-like, compound-eye-like neon-green tech goggles on his head, and the green energy core on his chest flickered with his rapid breathing.
His face was filled with a pathological, extremely excited frenzy.
He was Max after his Akumatization—"Gamer."