"Alright, old man." Most elders tended to be stubborn, and Jackie couldn't do much about that—he could only go along with it.
Holding an orange-colored Squid Khan mask in one hand and leading Jade with the other, Jackie said as they walked, "Jade, you need to be more careful. Don't scare old people like that."
"Then can I scare Uncle instead?"
"No!" Jackie said firmly.
"Oh..." Hearing that, Jade's enthusiasm immediately dropped.
"Alright, let's head to District 13. We need to store the masks there," Jackie continued, shaking the mask in his hand. "Besides, there's a surprise waiting for you today."
"Really?" As if recharged, Jade's excitement returned in an instant.
But...
District 13.
"Good evening, my friend. Happy Halloween." A tall, muscular man dressed in a black suit and wearing a red bull-patterned mask strode toward them.
"It's been a long time, Mr. Toro. I'm glad you could join us for Halloween this year," Jackie said with a warm smile.
"Hahaha... I hope next year, you and Jade can come to Mexico to celebrate Día de los Muertos with us."
"Oh, Uncle, don't tell me the surprise is that annoying tagalong again?" If the Bull Warrior was here, that could only mean that the tagalong was too. Jade immediately pouted.
Looking around, Jade asked, "Bull Warrior, where's the Genius Kid, Paco?"
No sooner had she spoken than a short man in a black tank top and a black-and-gold wrestling mask rushed out, patting his chest proudly. "Oh, Jade! I'm the second-best wrestler in Mexico—right after the Bull Warrior! Wanna take on the runner-up of the Mexican Wrestling Championship?"
Since Paco was asking for trouble, Jade wasn't going to show mercy. "Bring it on, kid! I'm not scared of you!"
"Stop, stop..." The Bull Warrior stepped in helplessly to stop them. "...Don't do that. Someone's going to get hurt."
"Someone? Are you talking about me?"
"Uh..." Wasn't it obvious? The Bull Warrior had seen Jade's moves before—Paco's skinny arms and legs wouldn't last two minutes.
But of course, he couldn't say that aloud. Paco's fragile pride gave him enough headaches already. "No, no, I'm just reminding you—never forget the rules of Mexican wrestling..."
"You think the runner-up of Mexican wrestling would lose to a little girl?" Paco scoffed, clearly oblivious to reality. How should one put it? Weak but overconfident.
"Oh no, I don't think that's what the Bull Warrior meant. I know you're a big name in the wrestling world..." Jade said with a more mature tone than Paco's, then added, "Alright, let's not dwell on that. We should focus on tonight's Halloween costume contest. And I believe the winner will be me."
"You think my mask isn't fun enough?"
"Of course not. The one you're wearing looks like a ski mask. There's no way you'll win a Halloween contest with that."
"Hahaha... Alright, there's not much time left. We'll be heading out soon for the trick-or-treat games... let's go," Jackie said, signaling everyone to get ready for the night's event.
As Jackie and the group walked off, Paco's fragile ego took another hit. Watching them go, he sighed in defeat. "Looks like this Halloween isn't my day."
Until he noticed the orange mask on Jackie's desk. "This mask... looks even scarier than Jade's..."
...
Uncle's Rare Finds.
Holding a thick grimoire, Uncle murmured to himself, "The foundation of all creation in this world lies in the balance of yin and yang, from which the root of all supernatural forces is born—the white energy symbolizing yang, and the black energy symbolizing yin."
Indeed, ever since the Eight Demon Sorcerers had been resealed, the black chi representing yin had stagnated like dead water. Compared to their predecessors, threats like Daolon Wong or the Masked Demons were mere trifles.
While this peaceful state was a blessing for humankind, to a grand wizard like Uncle, such calm could only mean one thing—tranquil silence before the coming storm.
"This magic circle belongs to the Immortal Sorcerer—it's a prophetic spell..." Following the notes in the grimoire, Uncle began to chant the ancient incantation written beside it.
Suddenly, as he sat cross-legged at the center of a glowing green magic circle, Uncle's entire body shuddered violently, trembling uncontrollably as waves of spiritual energy surged through him.
In a trance, Uncle felt his soul leave his body—as if he could see the entire world? No... the entire Earth–Moon system! All shrouded beneath a towering, colossal shadow.
The world was collapsing. Humanity's proudest scientific weapons were utterly powerless. Countless people perished beneath the feet of gigantic beasts, and all of San Francisco was reduced to rubble!
"Aiyah!!!" Uncle screamed in terror. In an instant, he awoke, tossing the grimoire aside and gasping for breath. Sweat poured uncontrollably from every pore on his body.
"Uncle, what happened?!" Dressed in a bee costume for Halloween, Tohru burst into the study after hearing the scream, shouting in alarm.
"I... I'm fine. Quickly, Tohru, call Jackie—we're in big trouble!" Uncle said, ignoring the sweat streaming down his forehead, his face filled with panic.
"Tarakudo and his Shadowkhan Army are just the harbingers of the backlash of dark chi! They're merely pawns meant to distract us!"
"The true force behind the black chi—the most powerful demon—is coming!!"
...
"Uh, Uncle? You called at the right time—I was just about to—wait, what?! Another warning?! Are you sure?!" Jackie exclaimed in confusion, running down the sidewalk while clutching his phone. "But the Oni Mask this time has already been worn by someone! Uncle, I need you to make that solution to remove the mask!"
"Aiyah! Didn't you say you already secured it?! How could you lose it when it was right under your nose?!" Uncle's voice suddenly rose in frustration.
"Aiyah... one bad thing after another! There's no helping it now! Jackie, find the person wearing the mask! Tohru and I will immediately begin making the removal solution!"
Beep!
As soon as Uncle hung up, Jackie focused, ready to search for Paco.
"Hey! Step away from my friend!"
Following the shout, Jackie turned and saw the Bull Warrior standing off against Tarakudo. Beside them was Paco—his entire body now orange, with sharp limbs.
"Sir, I'm no longer your lackey! I am Paco—the Dark Destroyer!"
"Oh? A god? Kid, you've got no right to call yourself that!" The words had barely left his mouth when—
BOOM—!
A series of sharp explosions erupted. Enhanced by Honkai energy, Liver's pure physical speed turned him into a raging gale.
The surrounding Squid Khan soldiers didn't even have time to react before the immense force pierced through their bodies, bursting them into trails of black smoke.
In the next instant, Liver—wearing the Ninja Khan Oni Mask—appeared beside Paco. His supersonic fist slammed directly into the Squid Khan mask on Paco's face.
BANG!
The street trembled violently.
Paco's body shot out like a cannonball, trailing a line of crimson blood as he crashed through a storefront dozens of meters away, shattering it with a deafening crash.
Rumble!!
"Gentlemen... or as you'd say—Happy Halloween."
Hearing that familiar voice, the stunned Jackie finally snapped out of it. Seeing that unmistakable figure before him, he couldn't help but cry out:
"Liver!"