She merely glanced indifferently at the restless crowd below Her feet, and once again brandished the blade in Her hand.
A silver slash flew out, like a dinner knife cutting through butter, instantly severing a row of traffic lights and street signs nearby.
The metal wreckage crashed down, hitting the road with a piercing sound, immediately causing a wider panic.
"Ah! It's an Akumatized Person!"
"Run!"
People screamed and fled in all directions, and the once orderly street instantly descended into chaos.
"Stop!"
A clear female voice cut through the commotion.
The Ladybug's figure, like a red lightning bolt, descended from the sky, landing steadily on the roof of a bus.
She swung Her yo-yo, precisely wrapping it around a lamppost that was about to fall on a pedestrian, and with a forceful flick, safely placed it in an open area.
"Everyone, evacuate quickly! Don't stay here!" She shouted to the panicked crowd.
When the citizens saw the Ladybug's figure, instead of feeling relieved, they ran even harder.
They were already experienced with such scenes—every time a superhero fought a villain, the unluckiest ones were often not those with superpowers, but these innocent bystanders and unfortunate buildings.
Although the Ladybug could always fix everything with Her miraculous "Miraculous Restoration" afterwards, the pain of being hit and being thrown by shockwaves was very real!
The Ladybug looked at the silver armored person in front of Her, who was exuding a cold aura, and tried to communicate with Her: "Listen! Whatever promises the Hawk Moth gave you, they are all lies! Wake up!"
However, the Riposte was not interested in Her persuasion. Her red eyes scanned the crowd, seemingly searching for something.
To the Ladybug's obstruction, she merely swung Her arm again, and the silver blade cut through a row of guardrails and fire hydrants on the roadside. High-pressure water jets shot into the sky, along with overturned cars, forming a temporary barrier that effectively blocked the Ladybug's path forward.
Having done all this, she pushed off with Her legs, and Her entire body shot into the sky like a cannonball, disappearing among the densely packed rooftops in a few leaps.
"Damn it!"
After clearing all the fallen objects, the Ladybug looked in the direction where the Riposte had disappeared, rubbing Her temples with a headache.
She took out Her yo-yo and looked at the reply Cat Noir had just sent—"Busy, wait a moment"—
She couldn't help but complain: "This stinky cat, even if he's going to mess up, he should at least pick his timing!"
There was no other way; she had to swing Her yo-yo, pull Herself onto the rooftop, and follow the trail of destruction left by the Riposte, chasing after Her alone.
The Riposte's target was very clear.
She might not know where Jaden lived, but she knew Adrien's way home like the back of Her hand. She leaped swiftly across the rooftops of Paris, Her crimson eyes scanning the streets below like a hawk.
Finally, after leaping over several blocks, she saw Her target.
At the street corner, Adrien was walking out of that deserted alley. He said a few words to the Bodyguard in the black car parked by the road, a hint of apology on his face, then opened the car door and got in.
The car restarted and smoothly merged into the traffic.
The Riposte swooped down from above, silently, like a predatory bird.
Adrien had just settled into the car, preparing to continue his conversation with Duusu in his pocket, when suddenly, a strong sense of danger made his hair stand on end.
He subconsciously looked up, only to see a dazzling silver light descending from the sky, rapidly expanding in his pupils.
"Watch out!" He only managed to shout these two words.
The next second, accompanied by a grating sound of tearing metal, the entire car was cut in half by an irresistible force!
The huge inertia caught Adrien, who was sitting in the back seat, off guard. His entire body, along with half of the seat, was flung out, rolling several times on the ground before stopping.
The Bodyguard, because he was wearing a seatbelt, was also scared out of his wits but fortunately was not injured.
Adrien got up from the ground, dizzy, his mind still blank.
He shook his head, and when he saw the person standing in front of him, he instantly understood.
The figure covered in silver armor, with Her right hand transformed into a blade, was undoubtedly an Akumatized Person.
And the family crest embedded in Her helmet immediately made him recognize Her identity.
"Kagami..." he murmured in disbelief.
That Akuma Butterfly that had just flown away had found a new target so quickly, and what's more, it was coming for him.
"Adrien!"
The Riposte's voice came from beneath the helmet, cold and emotionless, "In our duel, you proved the power of your friendship."
She paused, and the tip of Her sword slowly rose, pointing directly at the bewildered Adrien.
"Now, it's Jaden's turn to prove his friendship to me."
Just then, the Ladybug's figure finally arrived. She landed on the top floor of a nearby apartment building and happened to hear this inexplicable remark, immediately startling Her.
What's going on? Make Jaden... show his friendship to Adrien?
How could these two be involved with an Akumatized Person?
On the ground, Adrien tried to reason: "What are you talking about? Jaden and I are the best of friends, we're brothers! Our friendship doesn't need to be proven to anyone!"
"I don't believe it."
The Riposte said coldly, "I saw it at the fencing club.
The reason you could defeat me was because of the look in your eyes and the strength that carried the beliefs of all your friends.
But I don't believe that Jaden would have such deep feelings for you."
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with fanatical obsession: "So, I want to witness it with my own eyes!
I want to prove whether the friendship between you two is real or fake!
Let's see if he will come to his death to save you!"
Adrien's heart sank when he heard this. This was not something that could be resolved by reasoning.
Moreover, the current situation was extremely unfavorable for him. After the initial panic, many brave onlookers had already taken out their phones, some even starting live streams.
Countless glowing screens, like strange scales, surrounded the area layer by layer.
It was impossible for him to secretly transform now.
At the same time, the online world instantly exploded.
Live videos and photos spread like a virus across major social media platforms,
#ParisNewAkumatizedPerson#, #AgresteSonKidnapped#, #JiMuAndAdrienFriendshipTrial#
and other topics quickly topped the trending searches.
The comment section was even more chaotic.
"Oh my god! Isn't that the super handsome model Adrien?"
"Wait, what did I hear? That Akumatized Person mentioned Jaden?
Is that the handsome oriental guy who was rumored to be with Chloé before?"
"The news above is too outdated! Miraculous Queen (Chloé) and Her knight (Jaden) have long since fallen apart! Now, boys' love is the mainstream in France, okay!"
"Exactly! I've long suspected something was going on between Jaden and Adrien! This Akumatized Person is practically a CP fan leader, actually setting up a life-and-death trial!"
"Ahem, the one above is getting off topic, but seriously, the most critical moments can prove friendship. Why does this sound both chuunibyou and exciting?"
The direction of online discussion, in just a few minutes, shifted from a terrorist attack to an absurd drama about the "divine friendship" between two beautiful young men, watched by the entire nation.
At the scene, Adrien was still trying to stall for time: "What do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do?"
The Riposte sneered. With a flick of Her wrist, an energy-infused metal rope shot out from the side of Her blade, instantly and lightning-fast binding Adrien, who hadn't even reacted yet.
Then, she grabbed the rope with one hand, effortlessly hoisting Adrien up like a rag doll, and with a push of Her legs, prepared to leap into the sky.
Before leaving, she left a message for the "sea of stars" made of cell phones below:
"I hope you will spread this message as quickly as possible through the internet. Within one hour, if I don't see Jaden at the top of the Louvre pyramid, then your Mr. Model will not survive."
Having said that, she took Adrien and, with a few leaps, disappeared into the city's skyline.
On the rooftop, the Ladybug was stamping Her feet in frustration.
She naturally couldn't make a move just now; the crowd below was full of onlookers, and once a fight broke out, any casual swing of the Riposte's sword would cause immense destruction and casualties.
Although everything could be restored afterwards, she couldn't ignore the safety of these people's lives.
She could only watch helplessly as Adrien was taken away.
"Damn it!"
She gritted Her teeth and immediately swung Her yo-yo, following after them first.
In Jaden's apartment, it was still a scene of tranquil normalcy.
The sound of sizzling stir-fry and rich aromas wafted from the kitchen.
On the living room TV, a melodramatic romance drama was playing.
"Waaah... How could he do that to Her... It's so touching..."
Duusu sat on the soft sofa cushion, holding a small bottle of juice in one tiny hand and a small pastry Jaden had just made in the other.
It watched the scene of the male and female leads' separation and death on TV, moved to tears, its two tiny hands busy at work.
Jaden, who was cooking, listened to its exaggerated sobbing and shook his head with a chuckle, raising his voice: "Duusu, stop watching those melodramatic plots.
Those stories are just melodramatic for the sake of being melodramatic, there's no substance to them at all."
"But it's really too touching... I just can't help it..."
Duusu sniffled, and just as it was about to retort, the TV screen suddenly flickered, switching to an emergency news broadcast.
"...Breaking news, our station has just received a report that a new Akumatized Person, 'Riposte,' has appeared in the city and has kidnapped the famous model Adrien!"
The news anchorwoman reported with a serious expression,
"The Riposte announced to all citizens of Paris from the top of the Louvre pyramid, demanding that Jaden arrive at the scene within one hour.
Otherwise, she will publicly execute the hostage, Adrien.
She claims this is to witness the friendship between Adrien and Jaden, to see how Jaden will choose. Our station will continue to provide you with follow-up reports."
On the TV screen, there was also a high-definition video taken by a passerby, showing Adrien tied up and suspended in mid-air, and the Riposte's cold voice clearly came through.
"Plop."
The pastry in Duusu's hand dropped onto the sofa.
It instantly flew to the kitchen, stopping beside Jaden's shoulder, its voice filled with anxiety: "Jaden! Jaden! A new Akumatized Person has appeared!"
"Hmm, I know."
Jaden's reaction was surprisingly calm. He continued to stir-fry the vegetables in the pan unhurriedly,
"The Ladybug and Cat Noir will handle it, don't worry."
"But... but that person kidnapped Adrien!"
"With the Ladybug and Cat Noir there, he'll be fine."
"But he also mentioned your name! He said he wants to witness your friendship with Adrien!"
Duusu was almost on the verge of tears.
Upon hearing this, Jaden's movements finally paused.
"What?"
He turned off the stove, put down the spatula, untied his apron, and quickly walked back to the living room.
He picked up his phone from the sofa and unlocked the screen.
As expected, the entire internet was already completely flooded with this matter.
All sorts of sensational headlines, accompanied by photos of Adrien being kidnapped, bombarded his eyes.
The memory of the internet is like this; it fades quickly, but as soon as it's brought up again, all those old accounts will be dug up.
Speculations about the Riposte's motives were varied. Some said she was a fanatical fan of the "Miraculous Queen," who, out of love, turned to hatred and wanted to destroy those around Jaden if she couldn't have him;
Others said she was an extreme admirer of Adrien, using this method to prove that Jaden was not Adrien's true friend at all;
Even more outrageous, some people swore that the Riposte was actually jealous of Jaden and Adrien's "divine love," which is why she staged such a big drama.
Jaden looked at these absurd remarks with a calm expression.
"Jaden, do you want to go?" Duusu whispered in his ear.
"No need to go."
Jaden casually tossed his phone back onto the sofa, His tone still calm, "The Ladybug is there. As for Adrien's safety, there's absolutely no need to worry."
He walked to the window, looking at the city's night view outside, a cold smile playing on his lips, "His precious father, would he just stand by and watch the Riposte kill his only son? Unless he's truly insane."
He analyzed to himself, but then His tone shifted.
"However... there's always a 'what if.'"
He narrowed his eyes, "What if? What if this guy called 'Riposte' acts too fast and is a little too heavy-handed when she strikes... then Adrien really will be reporting to heaven."
Troublesome.
These two words floated in his mind.
He picked up his phone, without the slightest hesitation, and directly found the number annotated as "Gabriel" in his contacts and dialed it.
The call connected very quickly, almost on the first ring.
Hawk Moth on the other end seemed to have already anticipated his call. Gabriel's calm voice came through the receiver, without any discernible emotional fluctuation.
"Is there something, Jaden?"
Jaden walked to a quieter corner, his voice equally calm and unwavering, as if stating something completely unrelated to himself:
"Your son has been captured by an Akumatized Person."
On the other end of the phone, there was a brief, deathly silence.
A few seconds later, Gabriel's voice finally sounded again. This time, his voice finally carried a hint of deliberately feigned shock and urgency:
"...What? Captured? What exactly is going on?"