A faint smoke rose from below, while people collapsed to the ground, powerless.

The stage was blindingly bright, yet the light illuminating the outside was far too weak.

Amidst the sinking darkness, countless shadows tangled together in a chaotic mess.

This… something was definitely going wrong.

Almost at the same time I came to that conclusion, Alice shouted beside me.

"Yuria! Sabrina! Hold your breath for a moment! We're getting out of here right now!"

Without hesitation, Alice firmly tucked both me and Sabrina under her arms.

It felt like we were nothing more than luggage, but this was an undeniable emergency. There was no time to fuss over minor details.

Even if we looked a bit ridiculous, it was better to get out of here as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, thanks to my countless past experiences, I managed to keep my composure. I obediently took a shallow breath along with Sabrina.

"Hhup!"

"…!"

"Here we go!"

Tat-tat!

After taking about three steps for momentum, Alice leaped powerfully upward.

Her leg strength was unbelievable. I barely had time to blink before the ceiling was right in front of us.

Well, she was someone strong enough to stop a moving car with pure physical power, without any magic.

Carrying two kids under her arms was probably no different from holding a couple of stuffed dolls.

Besides, all that massive amount of food she consumed must have been to maintain this body.

Thinking about it that way, I suddenly felt grateful for all the times she stuffed her cheeks full of food.

"Coming through…!"

Swoosh!

Kicking off the ceiling and walls several times, Alice slipped through the exit without a single obstacle in her way.

With one knee bent, she slid effortlessly through a small gap in the doorway before it could completely close.

Wait, she moved that fast, and yet not a single person got brushed by even a strand of fabric?

Her physical abilities were beyond amazing—something a weakling like me could never hope to imitate.

As I dangled from her side, I clapped my hands in admiration.

Then, I suddenly made eye contact with Sabrina, who was also clapping in the same rhythm as me.

Hmm… Lately, it felt like we were somehow syncing up more and more. Was it just my imagination?

"Haha… Thanks. I'll set you down now. This area seems to be free of gas, so it should be safe to breathe."

"Ah, yes! Thank you!"

"…"

Hoo-ha, hoo-ha.

I took deep breaths, filling my lungs with fresh outside air, savoring every bit of it.

Of course, the area outside the auction felt warmer than inside, so it was less like stepping out and more like walking into another indoor space.

"Aaargh! Someone collapsed! It's toxic gas!"

"Move! Everyone, get out of the way!"

"Don't block the path! Hurry up and get outside!"

While we were regaining our composure, it seemed the people inside had finally grasped the situation.

The exit of the auction had erupted into utter chaos.

No wonder—people had suddenly inhaled the gas and collapsed unconscious.

Instinctively sensing danger, they were frantically trying to escape, a perfectly natural reaction.

But with all other entrances and exits locked for security, everyone was pushing and shoving, fighting to squeeze through the only available exit.

If Alice hadn't been here, we might have been stuck inside too, trapped in that crowd with no way out.

Just imagining it was enough to send a chill down my spine.

"Ugh… At this rate, people are going to get hurt!"

Watching the scene unfold, Alice's face twisted in frustration as she muttered to herself.

She was right—if this continued, the stampede would end up being more dangerous than the gas itself.

Some fixers stationed nearby were struggling to control the situation, but...

Perhaps because none of them were particularly famous or influential, the chaos showed no signs of settling down.

‘Wait a minute… Where’s Victor? If anyone could calm this mess down, it’d be him.’

A sudden thought struck me, and I glanced around.

But the familiar sight of his spiky blond hair was nowhere to be found.

Given what we discussed at the restaurant earlier, Victor should have been well-prepared for a situation like this. So why…?

‘Victor is a top-tier fixer among top-tier fixers. He wouldn't just let his guard down and leave his post for no reason. That means…’

There had to be something preventing him from protecting the Enigma Auction.

No matter how I looked at it, that was the only possible conclusion.

But even if I sensed something was off, it didn’t change what was happening in front of me.

The auction exit was still a warzone, and the number of casualties was only increasing as time passed.

Perhaps Alice had also realized the gravity of the situation.

With a serious expression, she took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions.

Then, after glancing at both me and Sabrina, she spoke firmly.

"Both of you, stay close and don't go too far. And Sabrina—I’ll lend you my communicator. Contact Raven and update him on the situation. Then, get in touch with your brother, David, too."

"O-okay! I-I mean, yes! I'll do that!"

Alice's sharp, commanding tone left no room for hesitation.

The usual soft and playful air around her was completely gone—what remained was pure authority and charisma.

It was so intense that Sabrina, startled, could only nod repeatedly in agreement.

But perhaps Alice found her reaction adorable.

She suddenly dropped the stern facade, flashing a bright smile at both of us before dashing toward the exit.

Then, in an ear-splitting voice, she roared at the top of her lungs.

"EVERYONE, STOOOP MOVING!!"

After all, a voice was nothing more than sound waves created by vibrating vocal cords.

And with vocal cords as strong as her arms, Alice's voice rang out like a megaphone blasting at full volume.

It was a force so overwhelming that even those gripped by fear and panic couldn't help but freeze.

Once she had their full attention, she raised one arm high and shouted in a calm yet firm voice.

"Stay calm! Pushing and shoving will only slow things down! Follow the fixers' instructions and evacuate in an orderly manner! Everyone will get out safely!"

"W-wait… Who are you to start giving orders…?"

"This is a direct order from Double Number Fixer Victor—to protect everyone at this auction. If you refuse to comply, we will have no choice but to knock you out and save you by force."

Alice lied so smoothly, not even a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Her unwavering gaze burned as she looked over the tangled mess of people at the exit.

Perhaps it was the sheer intensity of her stare—the kind that promised she would break arms and legs if necessary to get people out safely.

The ones who had initially resisted her sudden intervention hesitated, then slowly began following her orders.

After all, they had seen Victor in the hotel earlier, and the other Fixers, who had been trying to minimize casualties from the start, quickly backed Alice up, guiding people toward the exit.

Phew, at least now there wouldn’t be a disaster at the exit.

As I quietly watched Alice take command, her voice cutting through the chaos, Sabrina furrowed her brows in frustration beside me.

"Yuria, what do we do? Raven’s not answering! Something must have happened!"

"…!"

Raven wasn’t answering now of all times?

He specifically told me to contact him if there was an emergency. Well, guess what? This is an emergency!

I crossed my arms, lost in thought.

Victor was missing. Now Raven too. My instincts about this situation were spot-on.

That meant we needed to alert David and Reine immediately.

I formed round bear ears with my hands over my head—a silent signal to Sabrina to contact David instead.

Thankfully, she understood right away and started dialing him.

"H-huh? My brother’s not answering either…?"

"…."

David wasn’t picking up either?

If it were just Raven, maybe I wouldn’t think much of it. But David, too?

There was no way David, who had been out on a date with Reine, would suddenly go radio silent.

A strange unease settled in my chest. I quickly pulled out Echo from my pocket and asked directly,

‘Echo, is the hotel's communication being jammed?’

[ Yes. A strong interference signal is currently flooding the hotel. Any electronic device relying on radio waves will likely be unusable. ]

Jamming signals, huh…

Just a few minutes ago, we were using the electronic auction system just fine.

That meant the interference had started around the same time the suspicious smoke filled the auction hall.

So that was why we couldn’t reach Raven or David.

And it also explained why no external support had arrived despite all the commotion.

Heh, but I bet whoever planned this mess has no idea that I have Echo—something completely unaffected by their interference.

Smirking inwardly, I prepared to send a message through Echo.

But then—my fingers froze.

I had just realized something crucial.

I can't send a proper message asking for help because of that damn curse.

Even if I managed to get the message through, it would be meaningless.

Raven and David wouldn’t even be able to tell where we were.

This was a huge problem.

Some sort of communication-blocking curse seemed to be affecting me.

Even if I bypassed the jamming and sent an email, it would be useless.

Worse, if anyone discovered Echo’s ability to ignore hacking attempts, it could lead to even more dangerous misunderstandings.

That meant… the best course of action right now was—

I clenched Echo tightly in my hand, lost in deep thought.

But unfortunately, there was no time to keep thinking.

Because just then, a new commotion erupted at the exit Alice was controlling.

"Aaargh! My—my shoulder!!"

"Kyaaah! S-someone got stabbed all of a sudden!"

"Tch! Stay calm—please, stay calm!"

What the hell just happened?!

I whipped my head toward the noise—just in time to see Alice forcefully pinning down a struggling person.

Was another incident unfolding over there?

Sabrina and I watched anxiously as the chaotic scene unfolded.

Then, Alice suddenly tightened her grip, choking the struggling person unconscious before urgently shouting to the nearby Fixers.

"Be careful not to inhale too much gas! If you breathe in too much, you’ll lose your sanity and start attacking those around you!"

It was an absolutely shocking revelation.