Section 0010 Where is this? CosPlay
Damn it! What on earth is happening! Where am I? A young man's voice echoed in a secluded alley, accompanied by his groans, as a harsh sound of metal scraping filled the alley.
Only faint sounds of noise from outside the alley could be heard, and there was no response from the surroundings
"I can't believe it, Lin Mo, you look absolutely amazing today. You actually kept such a set of armor to yourself. The one you had before is nothing compared to this one; it looks so real. You should have taken it out long ago. Later, when Sister Yan talks, you must tell me where you ordered it from, so I can get a set too. Our chances of winning today have definitely increased a bit." The magical girl dragged "Lin Mo" along, running without looking back, chattering away.
The cosplay teams that have reached the finals of the Xiu Bo Yuan Animation Festival today, following two rounds of selection two months ago, are all elite among the elite. In preparation to compete for the championship prize, which includes an iPad 3 and other awards totaling nearly 100,000 yuan, the contestants are all eagerly gearing up.
The person clad in black armor looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, his eyes wide open, wearing a bewildered expression as if he had lost something important. He slumped down to the ground, his gaze aimlessly returning the strange flute to the hidden compartment of his chest armor. The metallic egg in his hand seemed to be slightly warm, its surface faintly shimmering with traces of golden light, yet the person in black armor remained oblivious to it.
Cosplay is not merely a simple imitation of a character's appearance and actions; more importantly, the performer must vividly bring the character and the anime storyline to life. It is essential not only to resemble the character but also to capture the essence, in order to gain the unanimous approval of the discerning judges and audience. The keen eyes of anime fans are not easily deceived. Performing live on stage is far more demanding than the performances of movie and television stars, as there is no director to call "CUT" and redo; it is entirely a one-shot deal.
The person dressed in black armor was completely oblivious to the voices and footsteps that appeared in the alley. Suddenly, a pair of hands clasped around his wrist, pulling with a force that startled him. He raised his head and was first met by the sight of a pair of well-proportioned and slender legs belonging to an unexpected visitor. Looking further up, he saw a cornflower blue robe enveloping a gracefully curved figure, with the edges of the robe embroidered with a six-pointed star pattern and exceptionally elegant designs. A beautiful girl with black hair, wearing an exquisite crown, came into view before the man in black armor.
Where is this place! The person dressed in black armor seemed to regain some clarity and strength, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, their gaze fixed on something not far away, a golden object partially hidden among a pile of chaotic and inexplicable debris, shimmering and reflecting golden light in the sunlight
In the alley, a strange and eerie long flute sound echoed, again and again. Disappointingly, no phenomena occurred; this prolonged flute sound did not bring the man in the black armor what he desired. Reluctantly, he played it over a dozen times, yet the alley remained desolate and quiet, save for the occasional crisp chirping of birds flying overhead, which intermittently responded to his melody.
On the third day of the anime festival, the international CosPlay super competition organized by the hosts brought the event to its peak
This set of dark steel secret armor is undoubtedly real, isn't it? Is there even a fake version? Those wearing black armor seem at a loss for expression, merely allowing the magical girl to drag them forward. Their minds remain foggy, still unable to process everything around them. What are those large and small iron boxes with black wheels that contain people? Red, white, silver, black, of various sizes and lengths, suddenly filling their vision. Moreover, why are the clothes of the people on the street so strange? And those tall buildings, what material is the road made of? How much stone must have been used? The lights flashing above the doors of the houses on both sides of the road, are those magical signs? This is too extravagant! Are wizards really so worthless?
Why haven't Lin Mo and Qi Fei arrived yet? They wouldn't mess up at this moment, would they? Could there be some kind of conspiracy? In the background of the competing teams, a Tauren performer, carrying a prop long-handled double-bladed axe, stared at his phone and muttered to himself.
The 8th China International Animation Festival held at the World Trade Exhibition Center attracted countless animation enthusiasts from both China and abroad. On this day, animation transcends age, gender, and profession, serving as a spiritual feast for everyone.
The adornments on her body do not adhere at all to the strict dressing standards of the magical profession, but instead appear chaotically mismatched. It is well known that the self-proclaimed noble and extraordinary wizards are the most concerned with rank and tradition, with few deviants among them. How could there be a magical girl dressed so incongruously, and she seems rather young as well. Just looking at her, she is adorned with a variety of exquisite magical accessories, giving the impression of great power. However, these exquisite magical items, along with the staff in the girl's hand, which does not reveal any specific magical affinity, show not a trace of magical energy. This is truly bizarre, leaving the person in black armor in a state of stupor.
The person wearing a black armor revealed a hidden inner compartment from their chest, pulling out a strangely shaped flute, trembling as they brought it to their lips
Ah! Lin Mo, what are you doing here? Why are you just sitting there? Hurry up, we are going to be late!" A clear female voice accompanied by light footsteps appeared in the alley, and her gaze swept through the alley before quickly approaching from a distance.
A young man stood up unsteadily; if there were anyone in the alley, they would be astonished to see a figure enveloped in dark armor standing there. The peculiar design of the armor exuded an artistic beauty infused with exotic style, and the subtle, mysterious patterns contained an infinite enigma. The enormous sword, nearly as tall as a person, positioned behind him would likely capture the attention of countless onlookers.
Naruto, World of Warcraft, Saint Seiya, Sword Art Online, One Piece, and even the domestic animation Kuiba, each presented a spectacular cosplay combination on stage, showcasing self-made high-fidelity equipment and makeup, along with various dazzling poses, igniting the cheers of countless anime fans at the super stage and in front of the book area at the main exhibition area of the Anime Festival in Hangzhou's Xiu Bo Yuan
"Lin Mo! What are you doing? Hurry up and come with me. If I hadn't overslept my nap today, I would have joined everyone earlier. I didn't expect you, who is never late, to be delayed as well. Fortunately, I ran into you; otherwise, if something important was missed, just wait and see how I would deal with you." The magical girl glared playfully yet reproachfully at the person in the black armor, pulling on their arm without any hesitation, as if they were old acquaintances.
With a clatter, the person in the black armor removed their helmet, revealing a head of long black hair and a youthful face in their early twenties. They wiped away a trace of dark red blood that had spilled from the corner of their mouth and leaned heavily against the wall, greedily gasping for air.
It is an object approximately the size of an egg, entirely golden, resembling a metallic material. The surface is covered with countless symbols the size of sesame seeds, seemingly engraved there by nature, and faint electric patterns occasionally flicker across the surface, disappearing without a trace. This golden, egg-shaped metal evokes an inexplicable sense of familiarity in the person clad in black armor, as if this metallic egg possesses a life of its own
The person dressed in black armor staggered a few steps forward, picked up the object, and examined it in their hand
The young girl held a slender staff in her hand, adorned with an unknown gemstone that sparkled with twinkling flashes of light
In one hour, it will be our turn. Wasn't it agreed that we would gather here at the start of the competition? Attendance has already been taken, so why are they still not here? This is a major live broadcast event. Ding Tuo! Hurry and speak to the host, let us move our lineup to the back. If Lin Mo and Qi Fei are late, all our preparations will be in vain. With just the few of us, we could make a fool of ourselves. A dwarf, holding an exaggeratedly large firearm, complained while drinking mineral water. Upon closer inspection, it was a stout young man, no taller than 1.5 meters, dressed as a dwarf, standing next to a nearly 2-meter tall minotaur. The contrast in height was striking, showcasing his natural advantage to the fullest.
The person clad in black armor was completely unprepared; the magical girl possessed considerable strength. However, being encased in armor weighing several hundred pounds is not so easily moved. Nevertheless, he found himself involuntarily following the girl out of the alleyway
This is ? The person in black armor stared foolishly at the girl in front of him, unable to distinguish whether she was a sorcerer, a high-level mage, or a magic apprentice.
"Alright, alright, Ding Tuo, Qian Jie, you two stop moving around, be careful not to mess up the makeup again. I will go speak with the host. You two quickly call Lin Mo and Qi Fei's phones until you get through. For this performance, we must succeed and cannot afford to fail." The makeup artist in charge of this group hurriedly took out the equipment to retouch the makeup for the dual-bladed axe Tauren and the gunner Dwarf.
Gold coins! Gold coins! The person wearing a black armor looked around for a while and then shouted hoarsely.
Near and far, large and small, the visual impact brought by a myriad of strange and peculiar things overwhelmed the noble dragon knight's mind
Oh my! What kind of world is this
A metallic glove, armed down to the fingertips, struck against the red brick wall of the alley, applying a bit of force, causing red brick dust to fall.