On the dazzling stage, a graceful figure stood with her arms raised high, bathed in thunderous applause.
Clown Queen Eliza, her skin pale as snow and her charm unmistakable, snapped her fingers with a crisp sound.
Snap!
Behind her, brilliant fireworks burst open, and several towering iron cages appeared through the smoke. Inside each cage loomed massive shadows, as if terrifying beasts were waiting to be revealed.
When the haze cleared, the audience finally saw what was within. For a moment, they were stunned into silence—then erupted into cheers so loud they seemed to shake the sky itself.
Lucian's eyes narrowed. Inside those reinforced cages were savage beasts—baboons, lions, tigers, rhinos... even an elephant.
He recalled that this character hadn't appeared in the original story. But to be the second-in-command of the Circus of Laughs, Eliza clearly wasn't ordinary.
Seeing the animals, Gwen let out a soft, delighted laugh, her voice like the ringing of silver bells.
"Cuz, look! That white tiger's so cute! And that elephant—its trunk is so long!" she said with a bright smile, speaking excitedly to Lucian.
Lucian only nodded, his gaze fixed on Eliza, curious to see what kind of power she possessed.
Grandpa Max propped his chin on his hand. "An animal act, huh? I doubt it's that simple."
If it were just a normal circus performance, any group could do it. But as one of the world's most famous circuses, the Circus of Laughs had to have something far more impressive up its sleeve.
And since the trio had already opened the show, Eliza, as the next performer, would surely deliver something spectacular.
"Really? She looks kinda dumb—just like Gwen," Ben said with a lazy grin. Turns out clowns weren't that scary after all.
The emcee raised the microphone and shouted enthusiastically, "Now, please welcome our Queen of Clowns as she brings you a stunning visual feast!"
The audience exploded into waves of applause, thunderous and endless, echoing through the tent as if it could shake the clouds above.
Lucian sat calmly in the front row, quietly waiting for the Clown Queen's act to begin.
Click!
With a faint sound, every light on the stage went dark, plunging the space into complete blackness.
The crowd murmured in confusion. Then, with a flash, the lights blazed back on—focused directly on Eliza.
Her crimson lips curled into a captivating smile as she turned gracefully, walking toward the iron cages behind her.
The golden stage lights followed her elegant steps, illuminating the massive beasts inside.
"Roar!"
A white tiger suddenly lunged forward, baring its blood-red fangs as it let out a thunderous roar.
The audience flinched, their scalps tingling from instinctive fear—a primal reaction that needed no explanation.
Lucian felt the air tremble with the sound, his eardrums aching from the sheer force of it. Sitting in the front row, they took the full brunt of the tiger's roar.
Gwen clapped her hands over her ears, wincing. "Okay... I said the white tiger was cute earlier. I take it back."
Ben groaned and covered his head, gritting his teeth at the deafening sound.
Grandpa Max, however, remained completely unbothered. Reclining comfortably in his seat with his hands behind his head, he even let out a yawn.
On stage, Eliza stood before the ferocious white tiger, calm and unshaken.
"Good boy~ I'm your master, and you must obey my commands..." As she spoke, her eyes glowed pink, the light reflecting in the white tiger's pupils.
The once ferocious beast instantly turned docile, like an adorable kitten. It let Eliza rub its head without the slightest hint of anger.
"Looks like some kind of enchantment ability..." Lucian murmured to himself. Such psychic attacks were extremely troublesome; the slightest carelessness could leave one vulnerable.
Especially for those with unstable minds, it could be deadly.
The other animals were similarly affected, one after another falling under Eliza's control and beginning to obey her commands.
"Cool!" Ben's eyes widened. "So this is a clown's act? How fascinating!"
Lucian stayed silent, because the main attraction hadn't appeared yet. If Ben saw it, he probably wouldn't be talking like that.
Soon, Clown Queen Eliza guided the massive beasts into a classic circus routine.
She tossed a colorful ball to the baboon, which roared and flung it to the elephant, passing it along from beast to beast in perfect succession...
Mid-performance, Eliza flipped onto the white tiger's back, leaping through several blazing hoops before landing with perfect poise. The audience erupted in wild cheers, excitement peaking to a frenzy.
No one there had ever seen someone command such creatures—not cats or dogs, but ferocious giants—subdued within seconds, bowing to the clown girl's charm.
Endless cheers and clamor filled the air, deafeningly loud. Lucian frowned slightly, lost in thought.
Merely controlling beasts wasn't the real concern—what if Eliza could manipulate humans too...
After a moment, Eliza bent down, ending her performance amid thunderous applause, and silently exited the stage.
The host, dressed in an elegant suit, reappeared before the crowd.
Gripping the microphone tightly, his face alight with excitement, he shouted, "Next up is the star attraction of our Circus of Laughs!"
"He is also the King of our Kingdom of Laughter, the heartthrob of the clown world, the man who makes you laugh until you cry—Zombozo~~"
As he said the name, the host stretched out the syllables, pouring all his fervor into it.
Boom!
A massive burst of multicolored streamers erupted from the stage. Amid the swirling confetti, a rotund clown gradually came into view.
His eyes were deep as an abyss, his nose a round blue bulb. He wore an ornate magician's hat, like a fusion of magician and clown.
His arms were studded with blue beads, embedded tight and faintly exuding an eerie aura, as if hiding some unspeakable and profound secret.
"Hello everyone, I'm Clown Zombozo!" He bowed politely, then straightened with a wide grin. "Welcome to the Circus of Laughs! If you're looking for fun, you've come to the right place, heh heh~"
The audience roared, nearly shouting themselves hoarse, eager to witness the headliner's brilliance.
The previous acts had already dazzled them. As the star of the show, Zombozo had to be even more spectacular, right?
When Ben saw Zombozo's face, a chill crawled up his spine. That deep blue nose, those monster-like eyes... it felt like he might charge over and swallow him whole. It was terrifying.
He pretended he needed the restroom, left his seat, and headed outside for some air...
Soon, Zombozo began his performance.
Bullfighting with cars, vanishing acts, a cutting-in-half routine... he had the crowd roaring with laughter, cheers rolling nonstop.
But Lucian was unmoved. To him, these were just dry jokes. Watching Zombozo on stage, he saw nothing but a buffoon putting on airs.
His gaze swept left and right, searching for the machine that absorbed joy—the Psyclown.
In the original story, Zombozo used the Psyclown to siphon everyone's joy, amplifying his own power and leaving them dazed and empty, filled only with sorrow.
Back then, Zombozo had set it on the stage, secretly draining the audience's energy.
But after watching for a long time, Lucian still couldn't find the Clown Machine. If he could destroy it, this Zombozo wouldn't be able to make much trouble.
Soon, people around him began acting strangely, laughing foolishly and drooling.
Lucian had wanted to act immediately and subdue Zombozo, but he hadn't found the Psyclown yet, and Eliza was still lurking in the shadows, watching.
Moreover, he wanted Ben to defeat Zombozo himself and overcome his fear of clowns.
After a split-second calculation, Lucian left his seat and sprinted to the backstage area.
Switching to XLR8, he struck downwards.
Thud!
A faint green light flickered, but compared to the laser-filled stage, it drew no attention.
Looking down at his pitch-black claws, XLR8 rasped, "Alright. This time, the transformation was correct."
In the next instant, he became a blue afterimage, sweeping past the front rows. In a blink, he carried off Gwen and her grandfather, racing far away.
Zombozo's bell-like eyes widened for a moment. He felt a gust of wind rush by and then vanish.
He chuckled, paid it little mind, and turned back to the packed audience, continuing his absurd yet deadly performance...
Inside the Rustbucket, XLR8 had already brought the two back.
Thanks to his timely rescue, Gwen and Grandpa Max didn't keep grinning like fools. They were only a bit worn out, and a short rest would set them right.
XLR8 tapped the Omnitrix on his chest, reverting to his original form. He stepped out of the car, planning to find Ben first...
...
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