At the center of the Burbank Convention, the main stage was a vortex of screaming fans and flashing cameras.
A massive crowd had formed a tight circle around a single individual cosplaying as Gojo Satoru.
"Oh my god! I'm dead! Gojo Satoru, I love you!" "Karina! Please step on me!" "Karina! You're literally more Gojo than the real guy! Marry me!" "Look at those legs! How is she so tall?!"
The roars from the cosplayers and tourists below the stage were deafening. Hundreds of people were swarming the stage for a glimpse of the cosplayer named Karina.
Karina's reputation in the community was legendary. A Ukrainian national who had recently moved to California, she was a striking beauty with a statuesque height and a facial structure that seemed carved by a master artist. Most importantly, she was a rising star on TikTok and Twitch; though her accounts were relatively new, she already commanded millions of followers who tuned in to see her gender-bent transformations.
"Thank you all for coming... I am so excited to be here!" Karina responded to the crowd with a wide, confident grin. Her English was clear, but she peppered her speech with a few Japanese and Chinese phrases she had picked up, showing her deep love for the culture.
At that moment, Leo Vance and his entourage were moving from the backstage area toward the main floor. Strangely, the entrance was deserted, every single attendee seemed to be glued to the central platform dozens of yards away.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Manager Miller, the person in charge of the Celestial Peak event, adjusted his tie with a hint of embarrassment. He leaned in to explain the situation to Leo.
"Right now is the featured cosplayer segment, Director Vance. The person on stage is Karina. She's a bit of a phenomenon in the global cosplay community. She's Ukrainian, independent, and incredibly famous for her masculine transformations. She's actually a woman, but her Gojo Satoru is considered the gold standard by many fans."
The cast of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 listened, intrigued. They weren't part of the "pro-cosplay" circle, but they could see the raw charisma radiating from the stage.
"Karina?" Leo mused. The name rang a bell from his past life, a titan of the hobby. He watched as Karina finished her set, making way for the next guest.
"Heno Hana! I love you!" "Sister Hana, you're my queen!" "Her Miwa Kasumi is so perfect!"
Heno Hana walked onto the stage, her blue hair and sharp suit perfectly replicating the "Useless Miwa" aesthetic. Beside her, a rather comical photographer was darting around like a shaman performing a ritual dance, rolling across the floor to get the "low angle" shots, which made the audience burst into laughter.
Leo's lips quirked into a smirk. "Are photographers all this... theatrical now? You've organized a lively show, Miller."
Manager Miller's forehead broke out into a cold sweat. He was a Celestial Peak employee, and the man standing in front of him was his big boss. If Leo was dissatisfied, his career was over.
"Please don't misunderstand, Director! That photographer is a social media influencer who specializes in 'meme-worthy' photo poses. It's all part of the entertainment value."
Noticing the man's panic, Leo patted Miller's shoulder. "Relax. We're just here to have fun today. Treat us like ordinary tourists."
Miller wiped his brow, sweating even more. Ordinary tourists? Beside Leo stood Maya West, Tiffany, Della Rose, Cecilia, and Liza. This was the single highest concentration of female star power in Hollywood history. And then there was Leo Vance himself, the man who currently accounted for 80% of all entertainment traffic on the internet.
If anything went wrong, it would be a global scandal in minutes.
On stage, Karina and Heno Hana decided to do a combined pose.
Click-click-click-click! The sound of shutters firing was like a machine gun. The two cosplayers performed a "Kabedon" (wall-slamming), Karina pinned Miwa against a prop wall, extending a long, elegant finger to hook her chin. The sexual tension was palpable, and the audience erupted into wolf-howls and screams.
["The visuals are too strong! Even if the real Gojo Satoru showed up, he'd be stunned!"]
["I bet even Leo Vance would only win 2nd place in a Gojo lookalike contest if Karina was his opponent! Hahaha!"]
Leo heard the jokes from the crowd and didn't mind. However, his eyes drifted toward a group of male Gojo cosplayers to his right. They were all grumbling with envy.
Leo looked at their "styling." There was a 5'4" Gojo. A Gojo with a neon green wig. A Gojo whose blindfold looked like a dirty gym sock. They all sounded like they were from different parts of the country:
"I'm the best Gojo! My Texas accent makes him more rugged!" one shouted. "Shut up! I'm the New York Gojo! I've got the attitude!" "Forget them! My SoCal surfer Gojo is the true vibe!"
Leo's lips were about to twitch in amusement when his eyes suddenly narrowed. His "Six Eyes" intuition, honed by his improved physique caught a jarring movement in the crowd.
He saw a greasy, middle-aged man pretending to push his way toward the front. In reality, his right hand was hidden under his jacket, holding a phone at a specific, low angle. The camera lens reflected a tiny glint of light.
The man was a voyeur, and his target was a beautiful girl in a black dress cosplaying as Nobara, standing just a few feet ahead of him.
The playful atmosphere of the expo vanished for Leo in a heartbeat. The "Honored One" had spotted a curse in the crowd.
Plz Drop Some Power Stones.
For Advance/Early Chapters:
patreon.com/Shadownarch_