“Gold coins! Gold coins!” The person in black armor looked around for a while, then shouted hoarsely at the top of his lungs.

Only the faint, distant sounds of noise from outside the alley could be heard; there was not a single response from the surroundings.

The person in black armor pried open a hidden compartment in his chest armor, revealing a secret inner pocket, and pulled out a strangely shaped flute, trembling as he brought it to his lips.

A bizarre, haunting, sharp and lingering flute sound echoed through the alley, again and again. Disappointingly, nothing unusual happened; this lingering flute sound failed to bring the person in black armor what he wanted. Unwilling to give up, he played it over a dozen times, but the alley remained cold and deserted, except for the occasional crisp chirping of birds flying overhead, sometimes echoing his tune.

The person in black armor looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, his eyes wide and bewildered, as if he had lost something important. He slumped to the ground in despair, aimlessly stuffing the strange flute back into the secret compartment in his chest armor. The metal egg in his hand seemed to be slightly heating up, faint golden light flickering along the runes on its surface, but the person in black armor didn’t notice.

“Hey! Miles Lincoln, what are you doing here? Sitting around like a fool—come on, hurry up, we’re going to be late!” A crisp female voice, accompanied by light footsteps, appeared in the alley. Her gaze swept the alley as she quickly walked over from a distance.

The person in black armor was completely oblivious to the voice and footsteps in the alley. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed his wrist, and a tugging force pulled at him. The person in black armor was startled, looked up, and first saw a pair of well-proportioned, slender legs. Looking further up, a cornflower-blue robe draped over a curvaceous, graceful figure. The robe’s lapel was embroidered with a six-pointed star and elegant patterns. A beautiful black-haired girl, wearing an exquisite mage’s crown, came into the view of the person in black armor.

The girl held a slender staff in her hand, inlaid with an unknown gemstone that sparkled with flecks of firelight.

Who is this? The person in black armor stared blankly at the girl in front of him, unable to tell whether she was an archmage, a high-level mage, or a magic apprentice.

Her attire didn’t follow the strict hierarchy of mage professions at all; instead, it was a chaotic mess. You know, mages who pride themselves on their nobility are the most particular about rank and tradition, and it’s rare to see anyone so unconventional. How could there be a magical girl dressed so oddly? And she seemed far too young. Judging by all the exquisite magical accessories she wore, she looked quite impressive, but neither these beautiful magical ornaments nor the staff in her hand—whose type was indiscernible—emitted the slightest magical fluctuation. It was just too strange, and the person in black armor fell into a daze again.

“Miles Lincoln! What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and come with me! If I hadn’t overslept during my nap today, I would’ve already met up with everyone. I never thought you, who’s never late, would be running behind too. Luckily, I ran into you! If you mess up something important, just see how I’ll deal with you.” The magical girl glared at the person in black armor, half teasing, half scolding, and pulled him along without the slightest courtesy, just like an old friend.

The person in black armor was completely unprepared. The magical girl was surprisingly strong, but wearing armor that weighed hundreds of pounds wasn’t so easy to drag. Still, he couldn’t help but follow her out of the alley.

“Who would’ve thought, Miles Lincoln, you look absolutely awesome today! You actually hid a set of armor like this? Your old set is nothing compared to this one—it looks so real! You should’ve brought it out sooner. Later, tell me where you had it made, and I’ll get one too. Our chances of winning today just went up a notch.” The magical girl dragged “Miles Lincoln” along at a jog, chattering nonstop.

This Xuansteel secret armor I’m wearing is the real deal! Is there even such a thing as a fake one? The person in black armor didn’t even know what kind of expression to make, letting the magical girl pull him forward. His mind was still foggy, unable to process everything around him. What were those big and small iron boxes with black wheels carrying people inside? Red, white, silver, black—big and small, long and short—suddenly filling his entire field of vision. And why were the people on the street dressed so strangely? And those tall buildings—what were they made of? The road surface—how much stone would it take to pave something like that? The houses on both sides of the street had flashing signs above their doors—were those magical signs? How extravagant! Are mages so cheap these days?

Oh my god! What kind of world is this?

From near and far, big and small, the visual impact of all these strange and wonderful things overwhelmed him. Even a noble dragon knight’s mind couldn’t keep up.

The 8th China International Animation Festival, held at the World Trade Exhibition Center, attracted countless anime fans from China and abroad. On this day, anime transcended age, gender, and profession—a spiritual feast for everyone.

On the third day of the festival, the International CosPlay Super Contest organized by the hosts brought the event to its climax.