Chapter 3
"Liver...... how to become...... enter”
As soon as I logged out of Tsukuyomi, what jumped into my eyes was Kaguya, searching for something on the PC. The blonde, flashy Princess Kaguya was typing on the keyboard looking incredibly happy, blowing away the lingering vibes from just a moment ago…….
“Wait, huh, why are you still blonde?”
“Eh, no good? Then──ei, ei, ei!”
With every ei, Kaguya’s hair color changed. Green, red, white, stripes, marble, and finally,
“Actually, this is the one ☆”
She returned to her original blonde hair and ran her fingers through it with a smug look. It’s a bit too much impact. Am I still in Tsukuyomi? I have properly returned to reality, right?
“......An alien beyond the scope of understanding”
I stopped caring about everything. Forgetting my anger, I buried my head into my reference books at my study desk.
Ah, even so, Yachiyo’s live performance was the best…….
……I talked to Yachiyo, and even shook hands. With that Yachiyo. There was no sensation or temperature, but my heart certainly felt the warmth of her hand.
※
“Thank you very much—”
I saw off the regular customers of BAMBOOcafe with a smile, and immediately rushed to the customers at another table. While conveying orders to the kitchen, I cleared empty plates, caught every single plate sent flying by Mio-chan who tripped energetically, and tossed them all into the dishwasher. BAMBOOcafe’s famous peak time is as busy as a battlefield again today.
……Ah, it’s calming.
Battlefield or carnage, just not hearing Kaguya’s shrill voice makes me feel younger.
Humming a tune, I got through the peak time and retreated to the staff room. After taking a breather on a pipe chair, I pulled up the contact list on my smartphone.
“Grandpa, it’s me, Iroha—. Thanks for the allowance this month too”
“What are ya sayin’, that ain't enough, is it?”
Grandpa’s voice over the phone seemed to be overcome more by worry than the joy of hearing his granddaughter’s voice. The allowance is put into a separate account from my living expenses and remains untouched. It’s bad of me to do this to Grandpa and Grandma, but this is the only way I can protect my tiny bit of pride.
I explained my circumstances to my paternal grandparents and got them to support my move to Tokyo. They both opposed it at first, but I conveyed how serious I was over and over again until they were convinced.
──If I stay like this, I won’t know why I’m even alive anymore. I want to become a person who can stand tall...... before Mom and Dad.
I knew that Mom couldn't stand up to my grandparents. Mom, who was abandoned by her own parents, truly respects Grandpa and Grandma who took in my young father from an institution and raised him splendidly. I used that. Because if I hadn't, Mom would absolutely never have approved.
“No, I’m truly grateful. It really helps. ......I’ve decided on my career path, so please tell Mom later”
“Me? Well, that’s fine. Is it that recently, ya haven't been talkin’ much?”
“Hmm, she doesn't contact me much. Maybe this is just the right distance. Well then, take care Grandpa. Give my regards to Grandma too”
I put tension in my voice to sound as cheerful as possible and hung up the phone.
──Mom Missed Calls (5)
Then, turning my face away so the screen wouldn't catch my eye, I put the smartphone away in my bag. My averted gaze caught the calendar on the wall.
One day until payday, and before I knew it, the first semester was over.
※
“Alright!”
As soon as I got home from my part-time job, I pasted the summer vacation schedule onto the wall with high spirits. It was a perfect schedule with no room for complaint, with red text for studying and blue text for work filling the squares densely like a puzzle.
“Wh, what is thiiis~~”
And yet, Kaguya complained in a feeble voice.
“What do you mean, it’s a summer vacation schedule. I can’t waste a single day, so disturbing me is prohibited”
“No way—! Play with Kaguya~~~?”
I knew she would come at me like that.
“I’ll kick you out......?”
As I shot through Kaguya, who was clinging to my waist, with a demon-like glare,
“Also, what are those......?”
I also aimed my sights at the pile of junk filling one corner of the four-and-a-half tatami mat room. Plushies of weird characters I’ve never seen, toys I don’t know how to use, things, items, objects that I don’t even know what they are…….
“Props for streaming! Everything is from the 100-yen shop so don't worry!”
“What is streaming? Are you seriously planning to become a Liver?”
“Of course! To win the Yachiyo Cup, I have to become a Liver first. Hey, look. I already started streaming too~~, how is it?”
Kaguya opened the PC screen confidently, showing a poorly made handmade illustration waving eerily.
“Kaguyahho! It’s Kaguya, here from the moon—. I can’t think of anything to do today so this is the end! Bye bye—............hmm? Did this cut off?”
……The second half switched to a real-life image.
“Oi oi oi oi. The inner camera was on at the end, your face was showing!”
I thought the view count was high for the quality, so that’s why. Of course, it seems the listeners spotted her perfectly, and comments like “Inner cam lol”, “The girl from Yachiyo’s live?”, and “Isn't she cute?” were left perfectly intact. Well, it’s too late for that now. More importantly, what bothers me is what’s playing in the background of the video...... what is this dissonance?
“It’s a jingle”
……Jingle? That jingle, intended to leave an impression on listeners with a light melody?
“I made it as an original”
I thought so. Such an anxiety-inducing sound source wouldn't even be available as free material.
“Wait, hold on. How did you make the song... ah, my keyboard! Don’t take it out without asking”
Just as I suspected, it was as expected. My 61-key keyboard that I used to use in the past was poking its face out, half-buried in the mountain of junk.
“Ah, that vibe. Iroha, can you play by any chance? It wasn't going well at all, so please give it a shot, Teacher!”
Perhaps sensing my skill from my reaction, Kaguya swiped the junk sitting on top of it away with a zusa- sound and turned on the power.
“Hah? Why should I do that”
“Pleaaase~~☆”
It’s Kaguya, delivering a perfect wink like she’s used to it. Guh, she just keeps increasing her variation of ways to spoil herself. Ah, objects too.
“In the first place, there’s this thing called chords......”
Resigned, I reached my fingers out to the keys of yesterday, and as I tried to create a melody with my hands,
“Ah......”
Something popped deep in my chest. It was a memory I had locked away for a long time.
“Iroha, enjoy music freely”
Dad’s words. My younger self was laughing. When I played the piano, laughter echoed in the room more than the sound of the instrument. Dad was laughing next to me too. My big brother and Mom were laughing too. Since when did Mom stop laughing?
Surely, since Dad’s funeral. Since that time, Mom rarely showed emotion. Me, crying while seeing off Dad who fit in the coffin like a doll. Mom, whose expression didn't change a bit.
──Hey, why am I crying alone? Is Mom...... not sad?
Suddenly, when I returned to myself, Kaguya’s eyes full of expectation were staring at me.
Before I knew it, music I came to hate. The piano I kept at a distance. Mom’s words that had changed.
──Success without form is truly for a handful. It’s not the time to be having fun. Are you going to play around and waste what your father gave you?
Eei, if I let this become a trauma, it’s exactly what Mom wants. Let’s do it.
My hand trembled for only a moment. Once my fingertips touched the white keys, they ran around the keyboard like a deer released into a meadow.
“Waa......”
Music overflowed.
Not from the keyboard, but from inside me. My fingers won’t stop. One note leads to the next, calling forth the next note. Every time my fingers play the keys, the weight that was bearing down on my heart crumbles away.
“Iroha, amazing! What is this song?”
What my fingers, having destroyed the cage of my heart, scooped up was a melody stored at the bottom of my memories. A song I made when I still liked music.
“La...... La la...... No one can stop──me──I can’t help but──sing”
Kaguya sang along with me.
She grasped the rhythm instantly, felt the melody, and improvised lyrics on top of it.
What a pretty voice. What a beautiful singing voice. A singing voice that moisturizes the cells of the whole body, blowing a spring breeze into the heart.
“Yay!”
When I realized it, I had played the whole song. Goosebumps ran through my entire body. My hands are still trembling, not from fear, but from excitement. It was a performance I could truly think of as fun from the bottom of my heart, for the first time in a long time. It seems Kaguya felt the same way,
“Crazy—, did you make this Iroha? Too amazing!”
Her eyes shining with excitement, clapping her hands, hopping around,
“Iroha, become my Producer!”
Finally deciding on a beautiful turn, she said something outrageous.
“Hah? Producer? Why?”
“Because because! Right now, the provisional first place in the Yachiyo Cup is a trio called Black Demons, isn't that cheating? Even though Kaguya is working hard alone and is in 8000th place”
Kaguya quickly opened the laptop and showed me the provisional ranking of the Yachiyo Cup. Kaguya, who declared victory so loudly, is currently ranked 8910th. I see, victory is a dream within a dream.
“That’s why, let’s do it together? If I sing Iroha’s song, it’s a guaranteed big buzz! The legend starts from this rundown apartment!”
Don’t call it a rundown apartment.
“Impossible. I don’t have time for composing──”
──Well, maybe not entirely. If it’s just arranging songs I made in the past, even the current me can do it, and it might actually be a good break...... and it was fun.
It is the end if I show such hesitation. There is no way the universe’s best sweet-talker would miss such a huge opening.
“Please, Iroha. I don’t want it to end like this...... I want to make it a Happy End...... okay?”
Tears welling up, sniffing her nose, clasping both hands together, acting out a poor child with incredibly high perfection, she hits me with a super special pleading face.
……No, that. Isn't that cheating?
Absolutely not! I won’t fall for that trick! I told you you could stay here if you didn't get in the way!
Words I should say float into my mind one after another, but.
“If it’s just a little bit, it’s okay......”
From my already KO'd mouth, only such a losing line came out.
※
From there, Kaguya’s rapid advance began.
It’s an obvious story, but being an alien, Kaguya understands nothing about streaming.
Therefore, she does whatever comes to mind, one after another. Following trends, being a copycat, being intimidated, being shy—such words do not exist in Kaguya’s dictionary.
The alien’s thinking is extremely simple,
“The dance in this video is cute~~. Kaguya will do it tooo ♪”
That’s it. There is no time lag between thinking of it and executing it.
“Uhyo~, I did my makeup just like Roka said and my selfie is totally bomb. Yes, upload this too! Might as well upload the NG version that didn't look good at all too~~ ♪”
The selfies Roka taught her,
“Yay, the order from the shop Mami recommended arrived! I’ll just film a video urgently—”
The food report directly taught by Mami,
“Ah—, I don't care about that kind of thing! Settle it properly! Forget it! Forgetting is the most important ability in life! No, I don't want to be someone who says sweet things and doesn't take responsibility! That is Kaguya’s kindness!”
And the advice consultation mimicking Yachiyo.
Do not hesitate to do what you want to do. That was Kaguya’s style.
Mom used to say. The biggest barrier blocking dreams is not a lack of talent, but a lack of aggressiveness.
I don’t know if those words are correct, but,
“Alriiiight, today is a guerrilla singing stream—! Wearing a new outfit—, singing a new song—, the choreography isn't decided until the end but let’s do it~~”
At least for Kaguya, it looked like there were no walls at all.
“Hey—, hey—, Iroha let’s do a singing stream too. Dive into Tsukuyomi together and accompany me~~”
No way. I won’t. I’m going to study. Good grief. The rapid advance is fine, but I want her to hesitate at least a little bit about dragging me into it.
Because──.
“Look, Iroha. I made a keyboard that can do battle and performance at the same time! With this, I can do a game stream while playing for the singing stream. Let’s do it together”
No way, I won’t. I’m going to work.
“Iroha, Iroha! Today I’m making a cooking video. It’s Gapao rice. Just eating is fine so collab with me”
No way, I won’t. Because I’m studying.
“I-ro-ha! Let’s shoot a dance short video together”
No no no no. Studying, going to work.
“Hey hey—, let’s do it. It only takes one minute. Roka said she’d do it too. Right, Roka?”
“Yeah, sounds interesting. Mami will do it too, right?”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it—. What will Iroha do—?”
……See, it turned out like this.
I hated it because I knew it would turn out like this. Because I knew that someday I wouldn't be able to refuse completely. Kaguya’s power to drag in those around her is on a black hole level.
“Shot it—! Look look, Iroha is super cute. Okay, upload this immediately too──”
Okay, stop. This is absolutely prohibited from being uploaded.
Thus, "Kaguya/Iro-P"’s streaming activities, which had aggressively eaten into the ironclad schedule of study and part-time work before I knew it, gathered the attention of listeners day by day, and by the middle of summer vacation, the ranking had risen to 280th place. I think it’s a great fight for a nameless rookie, but,
“Still not enough! What should I do—!”
The greedy Princess does not seem convinced at all. On the leisure sheet spread out on the sandy beach, she is rolling around showing her dissatisfaction in a visible form.
“Ujoujidaai───!!”
Kaguya, Roka, Mami, and I came to the sea. It seems Kaguya went to buy a swimsuit with Roka without me knowing; it was Kaguya’s first swimsuit in her alien life, and Roka seemed to have a new one. Mami and I are participating with the same swimsuits as last year.
“Kaguya, don’t thrash around”
It’s Roka’s styling after all, we can’t let it get messed up. The orange swimsuit that seemed to wear the pouring sunlight itself, combined with Kaguya’s glossy blonde hair tied in twin tails, looked like another sun shining on the beach.
My swimsuit is a pastel green separate type, halter neck. Roka put my hair in a ponytail with ends flipped out, and I certainly thought this hairstyle fit this swimsuit perfectly. Even so, I’m glad the swimsuit I bought last year can be used this year too. I chose something at a price as affordable as possible, barely acceptable for clothes worn at most once or twice a year, but it was still a heartbreaking expense. I’m going to have you work hard for another few years.......
“The singing stream the other day was really good though—”
“Right, Kaguya-chan is good at games and singing”
Ah, don’t spoil her, Mami, Roka.
“Well yeah. I am a ge~nius, songstress after all”
See, she got carried away. It’s as if Kaguya’s extended nose is piercing the cumulonimbus clouds.
“The original song was good too”
“I know right—. Was that the one Iroha made?”
“Iroha, cute and too much of a genius~”
Uh oh, the two’s praise has turned this way. Mami is wearing a girly checkered off-shoulder swimsuit with a light blue flared skirt that she apparently bought with her boyfriend last year, slurping her third plate of yakisoba without knowing summer heat fatigue. Roka is wearing a black one-piece swimsuit with thick braids like her avatar in Tsukuyomi. The large bicolor frills running from the chest over the shoulder to the back are mature and suit Roka well. Last year she wore a lady-like white separate swimsuit with a sheer bolero thrown over it. That suited her too, but in the end, she looks good in anything she wears. Roka, having already completed the hair arrangements for the other three, was busily tying Mami’s hair. She’s making the braids into buns, which looks like it takes quite a bit of effort.
“Ah, that was something I made a long time ago......”
When I looked away from my grinning best friends, my eyes were burned by the ferocious sunlight. I instinctively used the sports sunglasses I had on my head for their proper usage.
The sound of waves, the scent of the tide, and the usual silly conversations exchanged in the dazzling sunshine. The summer sea is fun for the ears, nose, and eyes. It was the right answer to come out to the beach even if I forced myself. It’s the only play time in a summer vacation filled with study, part-time work, and streaming activities. I won’t mention how much sleep time was cut to squeeze out this one day. It would be a lie to say I don't feel fatigue, but if I were to collapse, the fun time would become a painful memory. I braced myself even more.
──A true elite doesn't neglect play! Those who are satisfied with just work are out of the question.
It’s not like I took Mom’s words seriously, but I really think it was good to accept Roka and Mami’s invitation. ......Mom back then looked like she was having fun.
“Gwaa—. But, I still want to win! This isn't enough yet—”
You’re noisy. Don't make a racket next to someone who is feeling fulfilled, alien.
“Roka~ what should I do~?”
“Hmm, looks like you’re already doing quite a lot of things—”
Roka peeked into the smartphone screen, pressing her cheek against Kaguya’s. Kaguya’s ability to sniff out people who will spoil her is top-notch.
“Yes ye—s! I have one, a nice idea. How about Iro-P’s debut stream? By finally unveiling Iroha who has hidden her identity until now, new demand will──”
“Okay, rejected”
Before she finished speaking, I pulled down Mami’s hand which was raised straight up.
“Eh—, why—”
“It’s not why, I will absolutely not appear on stream”
“Eh, you are appearing. This fox mascot suit is you, right Iroha?”
“......Guh”
Sharp.
Roka’s beach nails, scattered with shell parts, were tapping kon kon on the smartphone thumbnail.
That’s right. Actually, losing to Kaguya’s pressure, I have appeared on stream several times. But but, it’s just to add liveliness, I’m not talking, and I’m wearing a mascot suit, so it’s safe......
“A, anywa, I won’t appear!”
If it comes to this, there is nothing to do but raise my voice. When I thrust a NO at them with abdominal vocalization learned as hall staff,
“No way—! Appear togethe—r! Make new songs too—! Accompany me too—!”
How selfish. Why are you adding two more demands to someone who is refusing.
“.........Hey, Iroha”
It’s bad, it’s coming. I quickly sensed the activation of Kaguya’s super special move and put strength into my tanden (abdomen).
“At this rate, I can’t win......”
Yes, here it is. Even if you make such a pitiful voice, I don't care anymore.
“Help Kaguya......”
Even if you stare at me with moist eyes, I won’t listen.
“I want Iroha to play for me......”
Absolutely not.
Come on, say it, me. Three, two, one, GO!
“W, well, if I have free time...... okay”
“Yosha—! I’ll stream more and more—!”
Dammit.
Why, can’t I say it. Why, can’t I refuse.
──Asking for favors isn't something to do lightly. Are you okay being pitied, Iroha.
“Easy-roha—”
“She’s Easy-roha, isn't she”
Watching the contrast between Kaguya thrusting her fist to the heavens and me grasping the white sand on the ground, Mami and Roka bloomed flower-like smiles. Hey, it’s not a laughing matter.
“Iroha, you’ve become brighter—”
……Eh, Mami?
“Since you broke up suddenly, it felt like you were going to disappear”
Roka too.
“I wonder what magic Kaguya-chan used. It’s a bit frustrating, but I might have actually started wanting to support her seriously”
While sending a complex gaze at Kaguya playing with the waves at the water's edge, Roka brushed up her hair. Eh, don't tell me......
“Let’s collab”
“Nice~~”
The beauty influencer “ROKA (170,000 fans)” and the gourmet influencer “Mamimami (120,000 fans)”, and Kaguya......?
“Look look, Iroha—! A crab, was in the rocky area. I’ll gather a lot and make an army!”
Is this the time for that? Ah, she’s going to get carried away again.
The alien in question was, as expected, absorbed in what she wanted to do right in front of her.
※
Receiving the backing of two popular influencers, attention on Kaguya/Iro-P skyrocketed.
Even so, I just returned to my days of studying and part-time work.
On the other hand, Kaguya’s streaming motivation seemed to have shot up, and she’s posting weird videos like eating extremely spicy food, eating an entire Ehomaki in one bite challenge, and firing a homemade plastic bottle bazooka at a pace higher than ever before...... she’s just uploading weird videos, geez.
Why not do a normal singing stream? If I ask that, it’s my loss.
“Then, Iroha, play for me?”
It’s decided that she would reply like that. But, if I stay silent, if I stay silent,
“Iroha, today’s dinner is beef stew—. B-T-W, if Iro-P accompanies me for 30 minutes on tomorrow’s singing stream, it will be upgraded to tongue stew simmered for 150 hours but...... what will you do?”
She proposes deals that humanity cannot possibly refuse, so it’s troublesome. Wait, if it takes 150 hours, it won’t be ready for today’s dinner at least!
Good grief, for an alien, isn't she adapting too much? I can’t stand having such a sunny-character Princess Kaguya.
“Everyone—, for today’s singing stream, Iro-P will play for us after a long time—. If the vibes get high, there’s a one-chan chance the mascot suit comes off, so everyone get super hyped okay!”
Don’t insert random MC comments. I am absolutely not taking it off.
Well, playing along with Kaguya’s singing is fun but...... still, entertainment doesn't suit me. Watching Kaguya singing like this from the side as backstage staff is just right.
“Everyone—, do you love Kaguya—??”
Kaguya was sparkling. Shining exceptionally bright even within the glittering Tsukuyomi, entertaining everyone who watched and making them captive. I will absolutely never tell her personally, but I think she was born to be an idol.
Sometimes when our eyes meet,
“Iroha, what do you want to eat today?”
Focus. Look, you missed the entry after the interlude.
“Ehehe, I messed up ☆ Is it a god-tier episode conversely?”
──Truly unfair.
By the way, regarding Roka and Mami, they seem to have been completely taken in by Kaguya, and the three of them gather and diligently do game streams. Of course, since Kaguya knows nothing about games,
“Roka~, Mami~, teach me?”
It goes like that.
I wonder if she didn't ask me because she is being considerate in her own Kaguya way. I gratefully devote myself to studying, but since we live together in a one-room apartment, the voices of the stream can be heard no matter what.
“Right now, what’s popular is, undoubtedly “KASSEN”! It’s a game you can play in Tsukuyomi, but there’s also a mode named KASSEN, and that one is a 7 vs 7 battle royale! What we’re doing today is the SENGOKU mode, basically territory capture...... wait, uwa—, sorry, I died”
Eh, possibly receiving an explanation while playing? It’s not that kind of game, KASSEN.
“Ah— me too”
“Eh—, Roka too?”
Told you so. Well, it has nothing to do with me though.
“Yabai yabai! This is unfair, Kaguya is alone here. Uoh—, it’s hell. Can’t breathe. What is this button? Which one is attack? Which one is attack? Tell me. Something came out. Uwa—, I won”
You won? Too random.
“Oh—!”
“Kaguya-chan has good instincts—”
Like I said, don’t spoil her. Well, it has nothing to do with me though.
Since it has nothing to do with me, the next day I beat my drowsiness to death with energy drinks and immersed myself in studying, when,
“Iroha! Help!”
Suddenly I was hugged from behind and scared to death. What is it, exactly.
“At this rate, Kaguya has to get married”
What happened while I took my eyes off for a moment.
“Like—, I was supposed to be doing a creative cuisine stream—. But marriage proposal comments flooded in—. Since it was annoying, I said if you beat me in a game it’s fine—, and now I’m being super cornered. Iroha fight in my place—”
No no, that development is too sudden.
“Im-possible”
“It’s the one called “SETSUNA”!”
KASSEN’s fighting game mode. Fight one-on-one, the one who takes two health bars first wins.
“In the blink of an eye one bar was taken, and the second one too...... ah, I’m gonna die”
“Are you in the middle of a match right now!”
Crap, I accidentally grabbed the controller. It’s not that. This is just my gamer soul catching fire because I can't forgive throwing the match, definitely not because I want to stop Kaguya’s marriage or anything──.
“Iroha, did you say something?”
“I didn't say anything! Oraa, 68 hits!”
Iro-P kicked about the listeners with a raging 28-game winning streak, and closed the curtain on the chat stream while causing a slight flame war. Now, back to studying. Anyone with complaints can come at me anytime.
While doing such slapstick things, Kaguya/Iro-P steadily raised their provisional ranking in the Yachiyo Cup. What gathers accompanying that is,
“Uhihihihi, so much fuju~. Uhihihi”
Grateful donations from the fans.
Furthermore, fuju~ is a mechanism where the user's pulse and brain waves are detected by the Smart Con, and if the emotion is determined to have moved positively, payment is made from the management. It means she moved that many people’s hearts but.......
“Uhihihi, gold coins gold coins, crunch crunch~~”
She is blatantly getting carried away, this alien.
“You know, Kaguya. Something like this is just easy money after all, it’s unstable”
I give a warning just in case, but,
“But~~, it is legal, is it not~~?”
It is, but somehow it’s irritating~.
“At least clean up the room”
I want her to do something about the streaming junk increasing acceleratingly. The four-and-a-half tatami mat apartment has no place to step, let alone a place to breathe.
“Eh—, impossible—. This room is too small. Let’s move, I found a good property”
“Are you seriously saying that......”
“Super serious! Ah, but, before that──it’s time, Iroha”
“Ah...... yeah”
I know, of course. Or rather, since a few hours ago I’ve been thinking of almost nothing but that.
“First is a big cleaning—! Oryaaaaa!”
Kaguya shoving the junk to the wall like a bulldozer, somehow secured space for two people and flashed a peace sign at me. That’s not cleaning, you know.
After that, Kaguya changed into clothes easy to move in, did stretching exercises then vocal practice, and after getting psyched up with a mysterious dance,
“Well, shall we go, Iroha”
She leaked a smile as if she couldn't help having fun.
Today is Kaguya’s first solo live. Not the usual singing stream, but a genuine concert where she reserved a live house in Tsukuyomi, ran ads, hired staff, and brought in an audience.
“......Is it really okay for me to go too?”
The accompaniment is Kaguya’s strong wish──Iro-P.
Since I can wear the mascot suit and I’ll be paid a proper guarantee, I took off my part-time job and said OK, but is it really okay for it to be me? At Kaguya’s memorable first stage, for me to be beside her.
As if to melt my anxiety, Kaguya raised the brightness of her smile even more,
“Come. I-ro-ha!”
She thrust out a rock-paper-scissors scissors as if to poke my eyes. Timidly, I also thrust out the same scissors, touched each other's fingers, and then pinched together. Then, a Fox Kiss. The hand sign Kaguya invented. The way to remember is,
“From Peace~, to Snipping~, to Kon!”
That is it.
“Kaguya and Iroha’s signal. The close friend thing ♡”
Apparently.
It was embarrassing, but the tension eased just a little.
Linking fingers, the two of us dive into Tsukuyomi simultaneously. When I opened my eyelids, the dog DOGE who is always with us greeted us energetically.
I wonder how far Kaguya will go. I wonder why I am by her side.
“It is almost time, five seconds to go!”
The staff member’s signal flies out.
The curtain rises.
Frenzy surges in.
I felt like I caught a glimpse of just a fraction of the scenery Yachiyo saw.
※
“Iroha, over here, over here ♪”
Kaguya’s first solo live concert came to a close amidst great success.
Even now, several days later, positive reactions are flying around wildly on social media. As if shot out by that energy, the Kaguya/Iro-P ranking jumped up, and borrowing the aftereffects of that, Kaguya took me out.
“Keep me company for shopping,” she said, linking her arm with mine. After dragging me on various detours, where she finally led me skipping was──.
“Eh, a real estate agent?”
“Hey hey, how about a place like this?”
Don't lump house hunting in with shopping. What Kaguya pointed at with her index finger, which didn't have a nail tip on it, was a confident featured property that the real estate agent had boastfully posted on the main street.
〈Designer Tower Mansion for tasting the ultimate space: 3LDK, Rent 350,000 yen〉
……I felt dizzy. If one lived in a place like this, a human would go crazy.
“Isn’t it niiiice~. Kaguya will pay for it~. Look, even though it’s an apartment, it has a second floor. The second floor will be Kaguya’s streaming room cum bedroom, and you can do whatever you want with the first floor, Iroha. Hey, it’s good, right~. It has an atrium, a system kitchen, a pantry, and a balcony! Plus, it’s the top floor!”
“I feel sick already. We don’t have a guarantor, there’s no way they’d rent to little girls like us.”
I was attacked by dizziness again. For the time being, I tried to pull Kaguya away from the real estate agent…… huh, my feet wobbled. This is strange. My vision is distorting too. I can’t stand…… No way, this isn’t…… property sickness…….
“Hoe? Did you find something—?”
When I realized it, strength had left my knees and I was crouching down unconsciously.
“Are you okay? Iroha, your body is burning hot?”
The cold sweat won’t stop. Kaguya’s worried voice sounded awfully far away.
“......”
When I came to, I was laid out on my usual futon in our usual room.
Why am I at home? I have absolutely no memory of getting from the real estate agent to the house. Did Kaguya carry me, perhaps? She’s strong. No, she’s rich, so she probably used a taxi…….
twisting my neck carefully, very carefully, I saw Kaguya’s back as she stood in the kitchen.
……Her hair has grown. Her straight blonde hair has grown enough to hide her butt. When we first ate omurice here, it was only about down to her back…… hmm?
“Wrong! Crap…… my shift.”
I tried to jump up in a panic, but my body wouldn't lift, as if the futon was clinging to me.
“Iroha, are you feeling rough?”
“I’m fine, I’ll head out right away.”
I tried to act tough to Kaguya who rushed over, but my body really wouldn't move. This might actually be impossible. At the very least, I have to call in to say I’m resting…….
“I already contacted them to say you’re resting from your part-time job. Iroha, just rest.”
“……Eh, Kaguya did?”
“Also, I placed lots of fluffy things around, so get lots of fluffiness, okay.”
“Fluffy? Ah, fluffy is it……”
Looking around with vision that seemed like I was wearing fogged glasses, I saw that a selection of fluffy stuffed animals were besieging the area around my futon.
“……Thanks.”
I hugged one of the stuffed animals and said that. I never expected Kaguya to be this considerate. I was honestly happy.
“Ah, also the hospital! Let’s go to the hospital, together.”
“Eh, hospital? ……No, it costs money so I don’t want to.”
“Leave that kind of thing to Kaguya.”
Kaguya made a biceps pose with her left hand which was holding a ladle. But……. My claws dug sharply into the stuffed animal I was hugging.
“It’s impossible after all……”
With this fever, if things go poorly, being hospitalized is a possibility. If that happens,
“I’ve planned everything right down to the wire…… if I miss several days, I won’t be able to catch up anymore…… then maybe even my scholarship…… won’t be paid……”
Perhaps because my body was weakened, negative images chained together. Even though I knew I was overthinking, I couldn't stop.
“Iroha……”
Kaguya stared at me with moist eyes,
“Why does Iroha have to work so hard all alone like that?”
She leaked a weak voice like I had never heard before in my life.
“Ugh, ugh…… is it Kaguya’s fault? Kaguya made totally unreasonable demands too…… Irohaaa, I don’t want you to diiiiie~~”
No way, you’re crying? In the blink of an eye, a film of tears covered Kaguya’s large eyes, and they began to flow as if washing away her eyeballs. From there on, it was a flood. Various liquids overflowed from every hole that water could come out of.
“Yo-you’re exaggerating…… I’m not going to die.”
“But, in movies and stuff, humans die immediately, don't they! Then they become zombies, get reborn, reincarnate, and set off into space…… Waa, I don’t want Iroha to gooo.”
“How many movies are mixed up in there? It’s going to be okay.”
Kaguya is emotionally expressive, but this might be the first time she’s cried this much.
As expected, I guess I’ll skip studying today too…….
For some reason, I, the sick person, thought that while rubbing the back of Kaguya, the nurse.
﹃Why does Iroha have to work so hard all alone like that?﹄
Kaguya, having stopped crying, asked me that again. Explaining that is very, very difficult. Even more so when delirious with fever. If I try to convey it properly from scratch, I can’t avoid the story about my mother.
“Umm, ummm……”
Seeing me silent, Kaguya agonized over what to say, repeatedly starting to speak and then canceling it. Even aliens get troubled. That appearance was funny, and I felt a little easier. To Kaguya, who was hugging her knees beside me, I spoke bit by bit.
The story of my Dad who died, my brother who left, my Mom who changed, and me who almost got crushed by righteousness. If it were Mom, surely she wouldn't ruin her physical condition like this.
──Health management is the basis of everything. Those who stumble here are lower than any fool.
Actually, I had never seen Mom catch a cold. Mom was more correct, stronger, and more perfect than anyone, and from Mom’s perspective, I always lacked something.
That’s why I chose to leave too. I thought that only when I could accurately trace the path Mom walked, doing what Mom could do, all by myself, could I finally face Mom as an equal.
“……So, if I cover both tuition and living expenses by myself, we finally came to an agreement.”
“You say it awfully simply, but isn't it the case that everyone doesn't do that?”
Kaguya furrowed her brows next to me.
“Mom did that much calmly, and I didn't back down either. I remember clearly when I first woke up here. I had nothing, and no one to rely on, but when I thought that I was going to live by my own power, strength welled up inside me like crazy. Like, I felt lucky…… maybe?”
That day was a truly refreshing morning. Inside the quiet room, thinking that it finally starts from here.
“No no no, I’m telling you that’s not lucky! Even by alien research standards, that Mom is crazy dangerous weird!”
I think exactly as Kaguya says. If I were the one hearing the story, I would think so too.
But──.
I dug my claws into the stuffed animal again.
“To Kaguya, it’s……”
“Eh?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Why am I talking about this? I must be quite delirious from the fever.
“……I see. Well then, let’s eat food, take medicine, and sleep.”
Saying that, Kaguya ran noisily to the kitchen, and on the way back, returned carrying a tray with careful steps.
“Today’s menu is Green Onion Miso Ginger and Egg Rice Porridge (Ojiya). First, you mix the bonito flakes, finely chopped green onions, and grated ginger like hell. Pour piping hot boiling water in there. The stock comes from the bonito flakes so minimal seasoning is OK. Next, lightly wash the leftover rice with water, then throw it into hot water with a little Hondashi dissolved in it. Before putting in the egg, if you stir the pot in the opposite direction──”
Hey, I want to eat quickly. It’s too long for an explanation given to a sick person.
“There are two eggs in it. It’s hot so blow on it fu-fu before eating.”
“Hot.”
As per Kaguya’s warning, the egg rice porridge was hot enough to burn the tip of my tongue, but,
“……Super delicious.”
The rest of my tongue felt it was delicious enough to melt.
“Riiiiiight?”
It’s heavy, heavy. Shining a smile that was too heavy to show a sick person, Kaguya struck a mysterious pose.
※
﹃For everyone’s sake, wan-wan-o! It’s the loyal dog Otako, in charge of the official commentary for the Yachiyo Cup. I’ll fulfill my duties energetically today too! It’s the Yachiyo Cup feature this week as well; check the official site for the provisional top four! Is your fave in there? Well then, here is the announcement of the top three. Third place, the healing idol Yukumo Nukumi! Second place, the high-spec elf, Telerili Teatotate! And, running solo just as predicted. A glorious First Place, Black Onyx! Is it already decided with these three? By the way, there is a team outside the rank zone that is exploding up the charts. Does everyone know──﹄
“Man—, Black Onyx is overwhelming huh~~”
Mami’s house, where the four of us gathered for the first time in a while.
Mami, sitting in a single-person rattan chair, stopped the Tsukuyomi official news playing on the monitor and tossed the remote control aside.
“Hmm, this gap in the final stage is a bit tough.”
Roka, occupying the three-person sofa at length, looked up at the ceiling as if raising a white flag.
“Mu—, what should I do—!”
Kaguya, who was soaking in the bathtub alone, scratched her head in a half-naked state with just a single bath towel.
Do not be surprised, wondering what kind of getup this alien is wearing in someone else's house. Even though it is Mami’s house, this is inside the virtual space Tsukuyomi. It is inside the home of the gourmet influencer ﹃Mamimami﹄. We actually planned to gather in real life, but considering my physical condition had just returned, we hurriedly changed it to Tsukuyomi.
“Man—, Black Onyx is strong, huh~~. Well, naturally. It is Mikado-sama after all.”
By the way, the landlord Mami is a fan of Mikado, so she looks satisfied alone, dangling a fishing line into her prized fishing pond.
“Mami you traitor.”
“Just so you know, I’m pushing Kaguya as my second fave too—”
“No way—, make it just Kaguya—”
“Don’t splash the water. The fish will run away.”
“Dammit—, come out Mikado! Fight me—”
“Ah, isn't that good? How about a game showdown, Kaguya VS Mikado?”
“As expected of Roka, that’s it!”
That’s not 'it'.
“It’s decided that it’s impossible, there’s no way he’d accept. The other side is a top pro gamer, you know? The status is different.”
Kaguya is selling well too, but naturally, there is still a difference like mud and clouds in popularity and gaming ability.
“But~! The Yachiyo Cup will end, you know? Someone might come to pick me up~!”
Ah. There was that setting, wasn't there.
“If you’re coming, come quickly~, take me home~~”
“Ah—, she’s saying mean things!”
It’s now, now. Come now, comrades from the moon. You’re late, what are you slacking off for.
“……Hmm? Is someone coming to pick up Kaguya-chan from Tsukiji?”
“Wow—, running away from home—?”
Oops, I shouldn't have. I spoke boldly in front of the two of them. Too careless. Now, how should I gloss over it? While I was thinking that,
“Wah, you startled me!”
A scroll icon suddenly appeared before Kaguya’s eyes. It’s mail. Since the majority are spam or advertisements, Kaguya rarely read emails since appearing in the Yachiyo Cup, but,
“……Eh, isn't this”
Perhaps having a premonition, Kaguya immediately opened the mail and leaked a voice of astonishment.
Then, she stared at me with strangely glittering eyes.
“Iroha……”
What?
“I-ro-ha……”
What, you’re scary?
“Iroha, you said it, right. That the pro gamer-sama has a different status……”
So, what about it?
“……You said it, right?”
Wait, you’re lying, right? Hey, stop it. I had a bad feeling. There is no way that man, who loves new things, would overlook Kaguya’s existence. There was a high possibility he would do something like this. That’s why I didn't show Kaguya information related to Black Onyx. Even earlier, I tried to extinguish the fire immediately. And yet…….
“Thee—en, I can’t refuse, right! A challenge from a superior pro gamer-sama! I caught a big one, all riiight!”
“Kaguya-chan! Because the fish will run away!”
Kaguya, having a massive catch, shook off Mami’s restraint and dived into the fishing pond in her bath towel.
﹃Message from BlackonyX Mikado Akira
Nice to meet you Kaguya-chan! I’m Black Onyx’s Mikado Akira. Congratulations on 1 million fans! This is a proposal from here, but how about Mikado VS Kaguya: Tale of the Bamboo Cutter Battle in KASSEN? If Kaguya-chan loses…… I guess, marriage with me? If we lose, I’ll listen to any request. Let’s hype up Tsukuyomi together!﹄
It’s over…….
※
﹃The event of note is beginning! The champion Black Onyx has declared war on the supernova Kaguya/Iro-P who has risen at an unprecedented speed! And an unexpected marriage proposal! The KASSEN betting their fates is about to begin right now, here at the Tsukuyomi Special Stadium!﹄
The battle between Kaguya and Mikado, decided instantly, appeared before me carrying a massive signboard like ﹃The Bamboo Cutter Battle of the Century﹄. Inside the packed venue, the former pro gamer commentator Otsuko Terukoto and the color commentator Loyal Dog Otako are delivering speeches to hype things up from the monitor seats.
﹃There is only one hour left until the Yachiyo Cup result announcement, right.﹄
﹃Depending on the result of this match, could there be a reversal for Kaguya/Iro-P!?﹄
﹃The rule is SENGOKU﹄──
Wh-why did it turn out like this……. I, wearing my usual fox mascot suit, was standing still.
In the sky above, a gigantic transparent-bodied Leptocephalus──larvae of eels or moray eels──was swimming, twisting its body gently like rising smoke. That’s nice—put me on and take me away too—.
“Awawawawa……”
Sidelining Mami who looked like she was about to froth at the mouth from excitement, I heaved a deep sigh. By the way, Kaguya was,
“Not~ yet~?”
Like that, looking dissatisfied toward Black Onyx who hadn't appeared yet. Without knowing how I felt, she was annoyingly normal.
Just as Kaguya tried to start playing with the dog DOGE, the rock wall at the top of the venue exploded.
﹃They’re here! It’s the Black Demons (Kuro-Oni)!﹄
From the gaps of the shattered rock fragments, I could see Mikado riding a Tiger Bike, falling while fighting a giant Oni. ──I see, so that’s the setting for today. By the way, a Tiger Bike is a bike that sprints with a tiger grabbing the front wheel with its left and right front paws and the rear wheel with its left and right rear paws, a vehicle where you ride on the tiger's back. ……Did you understand the meaning? Sorry, I don’t understand either.
Mikado tackled the Oni while still on the Tiger Bike, and just before impact, kicked the Tiger Bike and leaped. Floating in mid-air, Mikado drew a sword from a club-shaped weapon. A flash. No, many times. The Oni’s body was carved up at a speed the eye couldn't follow. In the next moment, they burst and were launched into the venue’s sky as flashy fireworks. What remained was Mikado landing in the venue, and Rai and Noi who came from behind him. It’s the pre-match entertainment.
The voltage of the venue rises. For this, he is a man who will do anything.
﹃Black Demons! Descendiiiiiiing────!﹄
Welcomed by grand cheers, the three members of Black Onyx appeared.
Today, do I have to win against these men……? At this late stage, I couldn't get very positive about it.
“Hi, thanks for accepting the match.”
“Umm I, I’m a f-f-fan”
To Mikado who greeted us, Mami, who clearly couldn't see the situation, spoke up. Mikado glanced at Mami for a moment,
“Mami, sorry but I can’t go easy on you today.”
And, he winked. He probably guessed the name mostly from the username. Mami, having been shot through, floated ﹃!?﹄ all over her face and spun around like a top just before stopping, then fell over. ……Eh, she fell!?
“Mami, are you okay!?”
I showed various gourmet photos one after another to the fallen Mami. Ramen, Chicken Over Rice, Biryani…… no good, she won’t wake up.
“Hey what do we do~?”
Kaguya asks while plucking a decorative rice ball from Mami’s avatar and eating it. Don’t pluck. Don’t eat. Don’t spit it out just because it has no taste. What should I do…… it’s sudden and bad of me, but I have no choice but to ask Roka…… hey don’t go for the melon bread too.
While I was thinking such things, a giant Tamatebako (treasure box) fell from the sky. Th-this is surely……!
“Ta-da—! Did you call—?”
Yachiyo…… It’s Yachiyo……! Jumping pyon out of the Tamatebako, Yachiyo appeared in a refreshing battle outfit.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!?!?”
“Ehehe, let’s definitely win, okay.”
Striking a pose cutely, Yachiyo smiled brightly.
Crap, I might want to win.
﹃Match Start!﹄
The sound of a conch shell echoed, and finally, the KASSEN with Black Onyx began.
SENGOKU mode is a three-on-three, best-of-three match, Black Onyx’s specialty.
The circular KASSEN stage is divided largely into left and right, with Team A’s base, the Castle Keep (Tenshukaku), on the right edge, and Team B’s Castle Keep on the left edge. Starting from the encampment in each other's Castle Keep, the game is about who can take down the opponent team’s Castle Keep first.
Between the left and right Castle Keeps are three paths; the upper path is the Top Lane, the middle path is the Middle Lane, and the lower path is the Bottom Lane.
The opponent’s Castle Keep cannot be taken down from the start; you must head to the Towers (Yagura) located at the Top and Bottom respectively, defeat the mid-boss Ushioni, and occupy them. When a member of your team occupies a Tower, a "General Drop" (Taisho-otoshi) appears in front of the opponent’s Castle Keep, and if you drive that into the Castle Keep, it’s a victory. In other words, ideally, you split into members aiming for the Castle Keep and members capturing Towers to start, coordinate with allies to efficiently take down Towers, and form a shape where you can drive it into the Castle Keep the moment the General Drop appears.
Stocks──lives are three. If an ally occupies either Tower, a jump pad appears at your own Castle Keep, and even if you die, if you use that you can head to the occupied Tower in about ten seconds.
Countless neutral minions are placed on the ground, and you need to deal with them as well as the players. If attacked by minions, your HP decreases, but conversely, if you defeat them and fill your gauge, you can fire your special move, the Ult. Since it takes time to defeat minions, you can ignore them, but there is also a method to open up the game by defeating as many as possible and spamming special moves. This area largely depends on the situation and the player’s preference.
Now, I ignited the jet engine on a giant black goshawk, and Kaguya on her own weapon, the hammer, and rode them to the Top Lane. Yachiyo rode a Mikoshi (portable shrine) carried by Sacabambaspis, commonly known as the Sacaban-Mikoshi, and headed to the Bottom Lane. First, it’s a march divided into two and one, according to theory.
The Helper Yachiyo that appears occasionally in KASSEN is basically designed so that her power fluctuates depending on the skill gap between the teams. This time, since Kaguya and I are weaker than Black Onyx, a buff should be on Yachiyo’s abilities too. She has the highest probability of surviving even alone.
In the strategy meeting before the start, the leader Kaguya gave us the grateful strategy of,
“Go gaaa— and shutatata──! Then ba—ng!!”
So for the time being, I watch Black Onyx’s moves via the map location info. This is…….
﹃Uh-oh! Black Onyx is Trident! It’s Trident!﹄
Top, Middle, Bottom, the strategy of advancing one person in all three lanes, Trident. Since one person needs to respond to multiple enemies, it is a move that cannot be selected unless you have the confidence to kill completely even in a many-against-one confrontation.
“We are completely being underestimated.”
“Ehh~~~?”
Countless arrows flew from below, and Kaguya and I canceled flight mode and fell. There are high-speed ones that can fly and medium-speed ones that proceed on the ground for rides for movement; the high-speed ones will receive a total attack from the countless minions on the ground if you proceed to a certain extent, so you need to get off. Medium-speed ones can be ridden anywhere without particular restrictions. Kaguya and my rides are high-speed. Yachiyo’s Sacaban-Mikoshi and Black Onyx’s Tiger Bikes are medium-speed.
As we were falling while sweeping away the minions near the landing point, I heard a gunshot. It came! I stopped attacking the minions and hid behind a nearby rock at maximum speed. The gunshot aiming at us is approaching. I connected both ends of my weapon, the twin swords, transformed them into a boomerang, and threw it from behind the rock. I jumped out seeing the opening where the opponent dodged! I immediately retrieved the dodged boomerang with the installed wire, transformed it into a one-handed sword, and slashed. The opponent also reacted instantly, leading to a locking of swords, and sparks flew.
“You, you’re Iroha, right.”
“I am not.”
It’s Mikado Akira. Being in Tsukuyomi, news of his exploits entered my ears whether I liked it or not, but I wonder how many years it has been since we exchanged words like this.
An eel-shaped bullet was fired from behind me, sniping at Mikado. It’s Kaguya’s Eel Cannon. Mikado broke the stalemate with me and evaded.
“Iroha—!”
“Ah, hey.”
Don’t say it! ──Ugh.
In the gap where I looked at Kaguya for a moment, I was pummeled by Mikado’s club.
“That skin is easy to hit so it helps—, Will you not regret keeping it on? Let’s get serious.”
Is this as far as it goes? This mascot suit has a large hit box. I made up my mind and took off the mascot suit.
“Just as I thought, it is Iroha.”
“How do you know my avatar.”
“Big Brother sees through everything──just kidding.”
Attacks unleashed while talking are dodged while talking.
“Eh, Big Brother!?”
Kaguya, who was adding attacks little by little in time with me, stopped her hands and looked at me with an expression of astonishment.
﹃Uh──oh, a shocking confession!! Mikado and Iro-P were siblings───!?!?﹄
The exaggerated commentator’s voice reaches my ears. I can tell the buzz of the venue as if holding it in my hand, but I can’t turn back anymore. Mikado──Sakayori Asahi. I approach the Tower while engaging my brother. Yachiyo is facing Noi in the Bottom Lane.
“Come to think of it, Mom was worried. You should at least contact her.”
“I have my own order of things here too!”
“Uryaaaa~~~! Uwaaa”
“That’s Mom’s teaching too, right? You take everything seriously one by one, that’s why things get tense. Mom is waiting for rebellion, you know.”
“I don’t care! Don’t butt in!”
Mikado switches his voice chat from streaming to internal communication and attacks while lecturing me. It was Kaguya who got beaten back and was teetering midway. I wanted to think through a rebuttal carefully, but the Ushioni reached us in the blink of an eye. We wanted to defeat it first, but,
“Ku!”
“Gwaaaa~~”
Hindered by the rubble created by the map destruction, we couldn't move as we pleased. Mikado drew a sword from his club and activated his Ult, accelerating super-fast. The Ushioni was defeated in an instant.
“Do it more skillfully, like me.”
Switching the voice chat back to streaming, he winked along with a signature line. His composed attitude is annoying, but there was no room for complaint regarding his handling.
﹃Instant kill~~!﹄
Damn it. There is a little distance between the Tower and the Ushioni. I have to catch up to Mikado before the Tower is occupied.
﹃Yachiyo in the bottom lane also defeated the Ushioni!﹄
! Yachiyo……!
﹃Uh-oh! A counter from Noi! It’s a rapid-fire slow! Yachiyo can’t move!﹄
﹃It’s a 1-frame grace technique, but she won’t stop!﹄
This is bad. Even if it is Yachiyo, unless we go help, she will be crawling on the ground forever. But, right now we have to stop Mikado……! If one team occupies both Towers, the match ends in a Called Game defeat at that moment.
“Ugh! Noi-cha, stalling was the aim huh~ giehh”
﹃Noi has occupied the Tower!﹄
At the same time as learning from the commentary that the bottom lane Tower was occupied, Yachiyo disappeared from the map, indicating she was defeated by Noi.
“A huge pinch already!? Ouch!”
“Movement is linear! Interpretation matches!”
“Ve! I said that hurts, seriously.”
In the opening where I struggled to deal with the minions, Kaguya was taken down by Mikado. I immediately slashed at him too but…….
﹃Both Towers occupied while maintaining the Trident! It’s a Called Game! Brilliant!﹄
……The first round ended all too simply. We had no good moments.
“Sorry~, I was in slug state the whole time.”
“No no, Yachiyo is the strongest……”
Normally, Kaguya and I, having the numerical advantage, should have defeated Mikado and occupied the Tower, and had Yachiyo take down the Castle Keep. Because we struggled, Yachiyo went to take the Tower and her opening was exploited. It’s my fault.
“Fuffuffu……”
Ignoring me feeling down, Kaguya looked at the sky and was chuckling darkly like a villain.
“Hey, about Mikado right—”
……What am I going to be dragged into this time.
﹃The second round has begun and naturally, Black Onyx continues with the Trident!﹄
Just like before, Kaguya and I head to the Top Lane. Yachiyo heads to the Bottom Lane. I spot Mikado on the Tiger Bike and slash at him.
“Where is Princess Kaguya?”
“She went back to the moon.”
On the map, Kaguya and I are displayed at the same location. However, only I am reflected in Mikado’s field of vision. ﹃The hammer class Kaguya shouldn't have stealth skills,﹄ Mikado must be pondering this while crossing swords with me.
“Ah, above!”
“Yotto.”
Kaguya, who was riding a Leptocephalus in the sky, activated the jet propulsion of her hammer and headed toward the Bottom Lane.
﹃If you fly at a certain altitude or higher, interception from the ground can be canceled!﹄ That was the story I heard from Kaguya earlier.
“Rai, Top Lane! Follow! Noi will get beaten.”
Seeing Mikado’s opening, I moved in a straight line to the Tower. Kaguya, please……! After hearing the audio of the two engaging Noi over voice chat a few times,
﹃Kaguya, occupied the Tower!﹄
﹃It is a disturbance taking advantage of the fact that the 2D map lacks vertical information.﹄
﹃Giving it melon bread lets you ride it www First I’ve heard of it ngo www﹄
I didn't know that either; while I was dumbfounded, my vision spun around gurun.
While being blown away in a tailspin, I realized I had taken an attack from Mikado, and the Tower was occupied in the blink of an eye.
“Just one step short, huh.”
I could only glare at Mikado, who looked down on me like a king.
When I respawned near our Castle Keep, a triumphant voice chat flew in from Kaguya.
“……Sorry.”
The first thing that came out of my mouth was inevitably an apology.
“Daijobu! We’ll definitely take it back!”
“Iroha! You’re cool but~, Yaccho and Kaguya are with you too! Rely on us──♪”
Yachiyo’s voice followed immediately. That said, even if I head there at top speed, I won’t make it before the settlement. There is nothing more I can do.
“……Win this!”
“Roger dodger understood served~~~ ☆”
Kaguya and Yachiyo engaged Mikado, and then,
﹃What a surprise—! The Kaguya Iro-P team strikes back—! Kaguya’s scheme worked~!﹄
““Yaa~~~y!””
I watched Yachiyo and Kaguya high-five without a sense of reality. ……We really won one match, against Black Onyx.
“……Kaguya, you’re amazing.”
The words just slipped out. Kaguya’s sharp ears caught the words I didn't even intend to convey, and she broke into a bright smile.
“Because I want to win, with Iroha!”
﹃It’s a fierce battle! Each has acquired a Tower, and Kaguya Iro-P is heading from the jump pad to the Tower!﹄
﹃Waiting there is a one-on-one duel with Mikado!﹄
The third match. Leaving Rai and Noi to Yachiyo, Kaguya and I headed to Mikado.
“You’re late.”
“Why here? If you went from Middle to the Keep, you would have won, wouldn't you?”
“Black Onyx, you see, has to let everyone dream.”
We stopped glaring and clashed with Mikado. Kaguya and I were able to coordinate much better than in the first match. Even so, we couldn't quite push through that last step.
──After Dad passed away, Big Brother started staying home a lot. He quit soccer, which he had been doing forever, and at home, he would either read books or play games. Whenever I was clashing with Mom, he would come immediately and stand in the line of fire. Even though his personality used to be much more cheeky and reckless like a brat, he became quiet and calm. Just like Dad.
Before I knew it, Big Brother came to like games, became a pro, went to Tokyo, and I was alone at home with Mom. I knew he was active under the name Akira, so I watched his streams occasionally. Leaving aside various things, I liked watching my brother succeed. Big Brother started his activities as Mikado Akira in Tsukuyomi, met Yachiyo, and since then has been supported by Yachiyo the whole time──and during that time too, Big Brother continued to polish his skills.
I can’t win. I spit out those words like a piled-up sigh.
Screaming a strange cry like "Gya~", Kaguya rolled next to me and immediately stood up again.
“Dammi~t~! But I’ll win!”
Kaguya laughed, her eyes shining. ……I remembered a little about when I used to play games with my brother.
“If we win, you’ll listen to our request too, right?”
Watching Mikado nod at the question, Kaguya and I split into two hands and started running. We climbed to high ground and launched an attack from the sky. In my hands is Kaguya’s hammer. In Kaguya’s hands are my twin swords.
“Weapon swap! Hah!”
Throwing weapons in a circle around Mikado and swapping them, we destroyed his footing and cornered him in front of a pillar. Now! I thrust one half of the twin swords, with the wire still extended, vigorously behind Mikado. The anchor at the end of the wire is stuck into Kaguya’s hammer.
Kaguya tried to attack Mikado but missed, embedding the hammer into the ground, and is trying hard to pull it out──pretending to.
In reality, she fixed the hammer to the ground and pushed it in firmly so the anchor wouldn't come out.
﹃Because he deliberately ignored Iroha and kept coming forward, Mikado surely thinks she is High-Ego Kaguya-chan!!﹄
Kaguya always observes the opponent well, and to win, outsmarts them.
﹃Because I want to win, with Iroha!﹄
She is very smart, and strong.
“Game set.”
Just as Mikado was about to deliver the finishing blow to Kaguya. I pulled out the twin sword stuck in the pillar, wound up the slack wire all at once, and tightened it around Mikado, restraining him.
“Wire on a hammer……? The decoy was Kaguya-chan!”
The strategy was quite rough, and most of it was thought up while fighting. But, I’ve even changed Kaguya’s diapers so──
“I know what Kaguya thinks, I’m telling you!”
The sword I swung down cut Mikado in two.
“……You can do it if you try.”
Big Brother smiled quietly, as if he had hoped for this from the beginning.
……Even though he was saying nothing but provoking things, being treated with that attitude suddenly, I don't know what to do.
Hearing Mikado’s voice, I exchanged hand signs with Kaguya who came running in joy and high spirits.
We get on our Rides and aim for the Castle Keep. Since Yachiyo took down Rai and Noi in a double knockout, the only ones surviving now are me, Kaguya, and Mikado. Since Mikado is starting from respawn, if things go smoothly, we won’t be overturned.
“If Iroha gets in danger, Kaguya will save you!”
“If Kaguya messes up, I’m leaving you behind—”
“Why!?”
“Ahaha.”
Somehow it was funny and I laughed. Seeing me laugh, Kaguya had tears in her eyes and was happy. ……Weirdo.
If it’s the two of us, we can go anywhere. I felt like that.
﹃Mikado is also heading to the Kaguya Team’s Castle Keep—!﹄
“Watch from here! Kaguya’s big performance!”
I watch over the victory of Kaguya, who climbs the Castle Keep while kicking away minions──
“Yaaay, victory confirmed───!! ……”
It was supposed to be, but Kaguya flew up into the sky along with flames. Hmm? Explosion? Didn't it explode?
﹃Ah—! Rai’s landmine trap────!﹄
Due to Rai’s parting gift, Kaguya easily lost her remaining life. I-Impossible! That idiot! Just as I understood the situation and tried to run up the Castle Keep,
﹃Mikado rushes!﹄
In the end, Mikado, super-accelerated by his Ult, kicked everything aside and arrived at explosive speed,
﹃Reversal—! It’s decided. The winner, Black Onyx──!!﹄
What was thrust up at the Castle Keep in the end was the fist of Black Onyx Leader, Mikado Akira.
※
“A──h! We lost! We looooostaaaaah!”
“Wait, Kaguya calm down.”
Floor, wall, her own head, legs, stomach; Kaguya writhes while hitting everywhere she can hit. I understand the frustration, but I want her to stop hitting her body.
“Because because, we lost! It was Kaguya and Iroha, but we lost! It was so frustrafuuuun!”
What did she say at the end? I heard “fun” and “frustrating” mixed perfectly perfectly.
“Iroha, Kaguya, good work! It was just a little bit more huh~~, Yaccho was also frustrafuuuun☆”
Stop it, Yachiyo. That won’t catch on.
“But you know, you two. There’s no time to be depressed. From now is the long-awaited announcement time.”
……Announcement?
“That’s right, little girls!”
A yellow ripple ran through the space, and FUSHI, who jumped out from inside, jumped onto Yachiyo’s shoulder.
“Did you guys forget why Yachiyo joined as a helper? It was to hype up this event until the very last minute of voting time!”
“Voting…… right, I forgot.”
“Don’t forget!”
Sorry, FUSHI. Actually, I forgot too. Right, the original purpose of this KASSEN is──.
“Very much a great cause~~ ☆”
Yachiyo, who was supposed to be in front of my eyes just a moment ago, was floating high in the sky. Multiple spotlights caught that figure, like a ray swimming elegantly in the sky.
“It was a ve~ry fun KASSEN. And, just now! Voting for the Yachiyo Cup has closed—. FUSHI, tally please!”
“Oka—y. One, two, san, su, five, seis, sieben, yeodeol…… Ding! Tally complete.”
“Then, announcing the person who will collab with Yaccho—!”
Yachiyo receives the scroll that was spewed nyoki out of FUSHI’s mouth.
At the same time, a giant screen appeared in the night sky. While all users of Tsukuyomi watched, bar graphs stretched out. Continuing, the names of participating Livers were announced from the bottom up at tremendous speed.
“The winner of the Yachiyo Cup is~~ ☆”
Yachiyo tried to hype up the announcement energetically, but the result was self-evident to most users. It was just a confirmation task waiting for the coronation of the absolute king.
And, that name which everyone expected was carved onto the screen.
──2nd Place Black Onyx - Newly Acquired Fans: 1,014,221
……Eh, 2nd place?
“Which, means!?”
Kaguya, who was crouching down sulking, looked up. She grabbed my hands and swung them around bun bun.
“Iroha, did it appear!? Did the name appear yet!?”
“Sorry, I wasn't looking. But probably……”
“Probably?”
From now, it will appear.
“The winner of the Yachiyo Cup is~~ ☆”
The one remaining bar graph continues to stretch even more. What pushes the graph up are countless words. Words of various thoughts gather like a meteor shower and push the graph up endlessly. Are those…… feelings from the fans?
﹃Somehow, those two are nice!﹄, ﹃Maybe I’ll push them—﹄, ﹃Cute!﹄, ﹃Singing is crazy good—﹄, ﹃I feel happy looking at this girl﹄, ﹃A dangerous rookie has appeared﹄, ﹃32:01 Guardian Deity Iro-P entrance was too funny﹄, ﹃Inner cam﹄, ﹃42:21 The moment I became a fan﹄, ﹃Dying in a genius way﹄, ﹃I like Kaguya’s smug face﹄, ﹃Fell for her smile so I’ll support Kaguya﹄, ﹃It’s good that she can say thanks for the meal even with spicy food﹄, ﹃The episode where we saw the bond between the two﹄, ﹃The indescribable cuteness of the two﹄, ﹃Just the two standing side by side makes me happy﹄, ﹃From above!﹄, ﹃Go—, Kaguya!﹄, ﹃Finish it, Iro-P﹄, ﹃They went for it—!﹄, ﹃Yaaay—!﹄, ﹃Tears came out﹄, ﹃Sorry, Mikado-sama. Just for today, I’m here﹄, ﹃Amazing—﹄, ﹃These two are the best﹄
──1st Place Kaguya/Iro-P - Newly Acquired Fans: 1,017,106
The loudest cheer of the day exploded.
I didn't understand what was happening. Pushed by the overwhelming sound pressure and frenzy, strength left my knees and I crouched down, and,
“Eh, even though we lost, eh…… Y……Yaaaaaayyyy!! Did iiiiiitttttt!”
I looked up at Kaguya’s big jump, launching up in my place.
※
“Congratulations, Kaguya-chan, Iroha.”
I wonder how long I was dazed. Until Mikado Akira said that right in front of my eyes, my consciousness had flown away. It seemed he came over here bringing Rai along. The crowd of people on the path they must have come through was parted like Moses.
What is a win? The ones who won were us and…… ah, but we lost the KASSEN…….
“Geh, crap, marriage!”
Kaguya raised her voice as if she had forgotten until just now. Of course, I had forgotten too.
“With this, I can’t say I won.”
“Hmm? Oh? Ah—……”
“Well, I didn't intend to force a marriage originally anyway.”
“I know right! Kaguya knew too!”
Liar. You definitely believed it.
“So, we’re going to go to our fans.”
Perhaps satisfied seeing the bewildered faces of Kaguya and me, Mikado Akira and Rai turned their heels and logged out. They are probably returning to their 19 million fans. ……Come to think of it, Noi isn't here, but that’s probably it; she got bored and went home first.
The victory or defeat of the Yachiyo Cup is competed not by total number of fans but by the number of fans newly acquired during the period. Between Black Onyx, whose domestic fans were almost saturated, and us who started from zero, the difficulty of acquiring one vote must be completely different.
Even so, Black Onyx, who snatched a close 2nd place without complaining, seemed to demonstrate what it means to be a king through their actions.
“Both of you~. Well dooone~~ ☆”
Yachiyo, having finished the results announcement, took off her official expression and came down. No matter what face she makes, Yachiyo is Yachiyo, but I still can’t believe she is here in front of my eyes like this. I want to talk but my voice won’t come out properly.
“You did it, didn't you, you genius who relies on luck.”
“Hmm—. But, I was no good at all. How can I move shubaba like Yachiyo?”
Compared to that, Kaguya is……. Amazing. Including the part where she grabbed FUSHI, who was talking smack, and started juggling him like a soccer ball; somehow, she’s just amazing.
“That is well, the Tamamo-no-Mae of daily effort I guess~~, or the Whimsical Water Strider Road I guess~~”
“Hah? Isn't Yachiyo always just winging it?”
“Nn-n. Yachiyo is indecisive and a bad guy~~. Yachiyo thought that Kaguya is strong because she is Kaguya.”
“She’s saying absolutely nothing—”
Hey, use honorifics.
“Now theeen, from here on, hard developments might be waiting as we head toward the climax. Will you watch this story until the end? Are you ready to be tossed about by the rough waves of fate—?”
“Oh—!”
Certainly, this isn't the end. Rather, it starts from here. There are many things we have to do for the collaboration live with Yachiyo. That probably won’t be just fun things; there will likely be painful and difficult things too. Even so, let’s do our best.
Kaguya and I, interpreting Yachiyo’s words as encouragement of that level, innocently thrust our fists up toward the night sky of Tsukuyomi.
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