Chapter 22: Concert
A week slipped by in a blink.
By Friday evening, the area outside Madison Square Garden was packed to the brim. Traffic had clogged the streets, cars inching forward like trapped insects.
Young people of every background gathered at the venue, faces glowing with the same feverish excitement. They waved glow sticks and held up support boards printed with "UTA," as if marching toward a grand pilgrimage.
"Mikoto, stay close. Seriously, don't get separated."
Peter Parker pushed through the dense crowd, carving out a path with great effort while calling back to her with obvious worry.
He had specially put on a clean plaid shirt today, and his hair was neatly combed, but it was already soaked with sweat, making him look a little disheveled.
Mikoto followed behind him, her expression as calm as ever, though her brows were drawn ever so slightly together.
She wore a simple white T-shirt and denim shorts, making her stand out among the fans who had dressed up for the event. Aunt May had wanted her to wear a new dress, which she firmly rejected on the grounds that it would restrict her movement.
For her, this was just an accompanying task, and being comfortable was the top priority.
"Relax. I won't get lost."
Her response was short. Her attention was already drifting past Peter's shoulder as she scanned the surroundings.
The air thrummed with a strange charge of excitement. The people's collective shouts crashed together into a tangible wave of noise that hit everyone around them. This shared frenzy tugged at her nerves, giving her an odd sense of discomfort.
"Peter! Over here!"
A bright voice cut through the chaos. Gwen Stacy stood by the entrance, waving both arms energetically.
She wore a hat decorated with Uta's wing-shaped logo, and glittery music-note stickers sparkled on her cheeks. She looked every bit the devoted fan.
Beside her, Harry Osborn waited in a casual suit, hands tucked in his pockets, the picture of a laid-back rich kid.
"You finally made it," Harry greeted them with an easy grin. His gaze swept over Mikoto, and he let out a playful whistle.
"Wow. Parker, your sister looks pretty cool today."
"She's always cool," Peter replied automatically while puffing up a little, as if proudly showing off prized treasure.
Mikoto ignored the exchange and simply nodded to Gwen.
"Come on, let's go in! It's about to start!" Gwen exclaimed as she grabbed Mikoto's hand and tugged her forward before she could protest.
"I promise you, Uta's live concert is something you'll remember forever!"
Harry led the way through a VIP entrance, sparing them the long lines outside. Even so, when they stepped into the arena, Peter still gasped.
The massive circular venue was filled to the last seat. Tens of thousands of heads formed a sea of silhouettes.
Glowing sticks in every color shimmered like a starfield. The blend of chatter, shouts, and anticipation created a roaring atmosphere so powerful it felt like it might blow the roof off.
"Wow…" Peter murmured, stunned.
Gwen had already thrown herself into the frenzy, screaming alongside the fans around her.
Harry patted Peter's shoulder, smirking. "Relax, Parker. Enjoy your youth."
Only Mikoto froze for a moment the instant she entered.
In her perception, the place was a completely different world.
Countless smartphone signals, wireless frequencies, and security-system currents crisscrossed into an invisible web stretching over the entire building.
Deep beneath the stage, the power feeding the lights and sound systems pulsed like a sleeping giant, rumbling with low vibrations. The free-floating electromagnetic waves in the air were distorted by the emotional resonance of tens of thousands of people, resembling a silent storm.
It was even worse than being inside a laboratory packed with high-powered machinery.
Her temples throbbed hard, and she had to fight the impulse to fire off an electromagnetic pulse that would shut down every electronic device in the place.
"You okay, Mikoto? Feeling sick?" Peter noticed her subtle discomfort.
"I'm fine. Just a bit noisy," Mikoto shook her head, forcing herself to adapt to the chaotic "background noise."
Their seats were near the front, close enough to clearly see the stage.
The moment they sat down, Gwen leaned over excitedly and offered several glow sticks like precious treasure. "Here! Limited edition. Harry got them!"
Peter clumsily took one and waved it around, mimicking the fans nearby. Mikoto accepted hers but didn't bother moving it.
She lifted her gaze toward the massive stage. It was built like a fantastical music citadel, with rows of spotlights and LED screens waiting in silence. Everything looked like a standard top-tier, big-budget concert.
But the near religious fervor saturating the air only deepened her suspicion.
These people weren't here just to enjoy music. They looked like they had come to receive some kind of baptism.
Mikoto let her senses sweep over the crowd, searching for any suspicious energy signatures or signs of another "player."
But aside from ordinary bioelectric fields and the chaotic swirl of electromagnetic noise, she found nothing.
If Uta really was an ability user, then she was either extremely skilled at hiding her presence… or her power didn't follow any conventional energy pattern at all.
Just then, every light in the venue cut off at once.
Darkness swallowed the world.
The constant buzz and chatter died instantly, leaving behind a brief, chilling stillness.
A heartbeat later, the arena erupted.
"UTA!"
"UTA!"
Tens of thousands of voices merged into a single earthshaking roar, rattling the entire Madison Square Garden.
A sea of glow sticks swayed wildly in the darkness, as if offering the most devout worship to a god about to descend.
Peter flinched at the sudden explosion of noise and instinctively moved closer to Mikoto. Gwen was already on her feet, shouting with every bit of strength she had.
Mikoto remained seated. Neither the darkness nor the chaos swayed her. Her attention was fixed on the center of the stage.
A pure white spotlight dropped from above, landing precisely at the heart of the platform.
In the beam of light, a figure slowly rose.
A girl with striking two-toned hair — half white, half crimson — stood tall. Her signature wing-shaped hair buns framed her head. A pair of oversized headphones rested around her neck, and her futuristic stage outfit gleamed under the lights. She stood there silently, as if gathering all the light in the world.
She didn't speak at first. She simply opened her eyes.
One red. One blue.
Her heterochromatic gaze shimmered under the spotlight, carrying an inexplicable enchantment. She scanned the sea of adoring fans below and let a gentle, confident smile curve her lips.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."
Her voice flowed through the microphone, clear and resonant. It carried a peculiar sharpness and warmth, enough to quiet the roaring arena in an instant.
"Welcome to my concert."
"Tonight, let's create a world filled with nothing but joy and happiness…"
"A brand new—"
"—New Era!"
[Neutral Faction Player: Uta]
A large white scale lit up above Uta's head, a marker visible only to other players.
"Just as I suspected. Uta is also an otherworld player, just like me."