“YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
“”OHHHHHH!!!””
In response to my roaring cheer, the audience chimed in with their voices. In their hands, they clutched sticks of Magilium, which emit light by circulating a small amount of magic, and the colorful Magilium swung around with the cheers of the audience is like a flood of light.
This spectacle was breathtaking every time, and usually my tension would reach a peak…
“Yeah!”
(Damn it, why are you swinging your Magilium so happily too!?)
The presence of the Demon King, who joyfully swings his Magilium while fully covered by a black hood, kept catching my attention. Nevertheless, as I somehow finished my part and switched out with a high-five, Tia activated Missing Talk] just for us two.
[Are you okay?]
[Sorry, I’m leaving it to you.]
Although we can communicate without words, it’s not as if we can explain the situation in an instant. So, if I were to inform Tia about the Demon King now and unsettle her, the stage would really collapse. So, without revealing the truth, I just say that and step back.
Tia, who had briefly given me a skeptical glance, also understands what she must do and what needs to be done on the stage, as she has been an idol for the past few months. The audience reacts to Tia, who swallows everything and starts singing as usual.
“The wind blowing through my hair, my feet naturally bounce. Where should I walk to? You, who leads me by the hand, are a green traveler–“
“”~~~~♪♪♪♪”””
On the stage, the color of the Magilium one holds represents the idol they are supporting. Red is for me, blue for Rain, and green for Tia. With the start of Tia’s part, the spectators holding the green Magilium get energized and start waving their Magilium.
Their perfect movements were somewhat artistic, and Tia’s enthusiastic fans seemed to take pride in learning this intricate way of waving the Magilium…
(You too!?)
At the end of my line of sight, the Demon King was waving the green Magilium along with the other fans. His movements were perfect, and despite the fact that his hood seems to limit his vision, I can’t help but be impressed by how agile he is.
“Let’s find a bright future– Lastly, Rain-chan!”
“Yes!”
Leaving the Demon King, who had perfectly finished the Magilium dance, on stage, Rain, the lead character, finally appeared. The movements of the Magilium become gentler with her soothing voice, and in the audience, the Magilium was slowly swayed from side to side in tune with the song.
“Someday, someday, I dreamed of it. Walking down that road with you. Always, always, I felt it. Going ahead with you–“
As the glowing sticks sway to the right and left, it looks quite fantastic from here. Everyone is enthralled by Rain’s song, soaking their hearts and bodies in the pleasant waves of sound.
Even the Demon King was no exception. I can’t feel any hostility or malice from him, which makes me feel foolish for being so cautious. Just like the other audience members, he sways his Magilium… Even after the show ends and we get off the stage, the Demon King doesn’t attack us.
“Huuuu…”
Entering the dressing room, I let out a big sigh. The tension is different from usual, and the mental fatigue is intense.
“You look very tired, Eda? What really happened?”
“Tia… Well, actually–“
“Hi, everyone! Good work!”
Just as I was about to tell Tia about the Demon King, the door to the dressing room opened and Johnny entered. Johnny looked at Tia and Rain with a smile, but his expression turned slightly sour when his gaze met mine.
“What’s wrong with you today, Eda-chan? You seemed off.”
“Ah, sorry. I’m not feeling too well…”
There’s no way I could say “the Demon King was nearby,” so I just made up something and rubbed my belly lightly.
By the way, even though I have become a woman’s body, I can’t give birth to children. So there is no such thing as health problems related to that in reality, but no one can prove that, so Johnny’s expression softens immediately.
“Ah, I see. It can’t be helped. But I wish it wasn’t today…”
“Eh, is there something happening today?”
“Well, something did happen! Actually, today, someone important from the “church” came to watch your show! So, I wanted you to show your best performance today!”
“Eh, I didn’t hear about that!? …Did I miss something important?”
Upon hearing Johnny’s sudden revelation, Rain lets out a surprised voice. She then looked nervously at us, but both Tia and I shook our heads, implying we didn’t know.
“No, it’s not that. I didn’t say anything so you wouldn’t get nervous unnecessarily. After all, if you knew from the beginning, you would have been nervous, right?”
“Uhh, yes. I think I would have been really stiff.”
“So, Rain-chan, you don’t have to worry. Besides, everyone except Edda-chan was perfect, and we’ve received compliments from them saying it was wonderful. So, actually, after this…”
“Could it be that someone was summoned?”
Hearing Johnny’s vague words, I throw in my comment. It’s not uncommon for powerful people to summon idols, and there are idols who actively engage in such business. However, we are not one of them.
But if it comes to our wishes versus the demands of a powerful person, the world tends to favor the latter. Johnny has his fair share of power as a famous person in the industry, but compared to the important people of the “Idol Church”, which governs idols all over the world, he probably doesn’t stand much chance.
“…Well, yes, that’s the case. The location is a private room in a luxury restaurant in this town. I can only guide you to the front of the room. They want to have a relaxed conversation with you all.”
“A relaxed conversation, huh…”
Hmm, suspicious. If they just want to have a relaxed conversation, they could have just come here. Although non-authorized personnel were not allowed to enter, important people from the church were above that, so it wouldn’t be an issue.
So why prepare a private room? When I try to guess their intention… I can’t really reach a positive conclusion.
“By the way, who was called?”
“All three of you.”
“Huh, that’s quite greedy. But if that’s the case, I’ll go.”
“…Are you sure?”
“Well, I can handle it.”
Upon hearing Johnny’s probing words, I let out a grin.
In reality, I can handle most situations with power. The same goes for Tia, but imagining dirty old men reaching out to Tia makes me feel like I might end the world by accident, so for my own mental health, it’s best if I go. Oh, and of course, letting Rain go alone was out of the question.
“This time, it’s probably someone beyond my reach. I’m going to try to do as much as I can in case something happens though.”
“No, I really can handle it, don’t worry. But… Tia, just in case, could you look after Rain?”
“Got it. Be careful.”
“Ugh, I wish I could help in some way…”
“Hah, don’t be silly. All you have to do is walk straight in the light.”
After gently patting the crestfallen Rain’s head, We were led by Johnny through the town. We arrived at a high-class restaurant with dazzling white walls, and as I followed the waiter’s guidance to the room and open the door…
“……………………..What?”
There, waiting for us, was a man covered head to toe with a black hood, clearly suspicious.