kscans

Chapter 885 - Ri-na Amaba

—To capture people's attention.

She knew everything necessary to accomplish that.

Catch their eyes with movement. Catch their ears with her voice. And catch their hearts with her radiance.

The first two were indispensable techniques, but it was the third, the ultimate and absolute, that formed the foundation for determining her 'maximum potential.' In other words, an idol's combat power—

—a status that, in a way, was brutally straightforward, known as 'fame.'

"Whoa…?!"

Just by walking, she drew countless gazes. Just by passing by, she elicited reactions as if they had witnessed a miracle. All of it was due to her overwhelming presence, something that naturally drew the eye.

And the tangible fact of her massive fanbase chained together to form her confidence.

She stood from her seat and began to walk alone through the bustling crowd.

Just that—with nothing more than that, the girl, who never doubted she could capture every single one of the hundred-plus pairs of eyes in the venue, did exactly that.

"…[Anhelmia]."

As she collected the hundred-plus gazes upon her small frame, receiving them as lightly as if they were feathers, she murmured the key phrase to open the stage, a faint smile on her lips.

In that instant, an overflowing illusion filled the banquet hall all at once.

Her one-of-a-kind star magic painted everything necessary for a live stage.

There was no sound. Yet from the incredibly realistic 'depiction,' everyone who witnessed the phantom heard the auditory illusion of a spotlight clicking on. They felt the explosive pressure of vibrant fireworks coloring the sky.

And so, she walked through the midst of the utterly dumbfounded crowd.

"Okay, eyes on me."

Atop a large tree stump—no, on a platform that had transformed into a small but splendid 'stage' before anyone realized it, Ri-na spoke, her voice not particularly loud.

With a hint of listlessness… but with a gesture so terrifyingly refined that no one could think of anything but the word 'cute.'

She placed a single index finger to her small lips.

"""""──────────…""""""

And so, the girl who had majestically seized the attention of every single person present in less than thirty seconds, smiled. Adorably, innocently, yet bewitchingly.

The sound of someone collapsing in the midst of the silence was surely just an unfortunate accident. In any case, no one could be bothered with such trivial matters.

Why, you ask? It's simple.

"You were all good. Now then… —raise your hand if you want to hear me sing."

Everyone, as one, shot their hands skyward with enough force to tear their arms off, desperate not to miss this miraculous opportunity that had suddenly descended upon them. To desperately stitch this angel's whim into the present moment, they joined together in a chorus of welcoming cheers, forming a collective frenzy.

For example, in a corner of the banquet hall.

"Eh, scary…"

For a certain young man, a former commoner who had lived his life far removed from 'idols' and 'live concerts,' it was enough to make him recoil in simple shock… but that was that.

For a celestial being accustomed to the passion of her fans, and for a true top idol who stands in that position precisely because she has met every expectation placed upon her…

"Okay, I get it. I will."

…the fervor and the pressure were nothing more than a pleasant breeze at her back.

Once again, without a sound, the lights went down—or rather, darkness filled the space in place of light, and even the flames that had illuminated the area moments before were extinguished.

An illusion of darkness.

A moment after the miracle of star magic, which deceives the five senses of all things, made the impossible possible,

"This is a secret live performance, you know?"

From pitch black to dim twilight. Within a field of vision just clear enough to make out one's surroundings, a single, brilliant spotlight shone down on one point.

It was as if to say, 'As long as you can see me, that's all that matters.'

"Your admission ticket is… sharing this secret."

On the one and only shining stage, 'Ri-na Amaba,' clad in a glittering idol costume and bathed in light, appeared through the smoke, a microphone in one hand and a mischievous smile on her face.

And then, scattering an undeniable 'demand' as well.

"What you see of me during this event… is a secret from everyone, okay?"

Her light blue eyes were fixed on a single point.

"""""──────────"""""

"Huh?"

And then, as over a hundred pairs of eyes turned toward the dumbfounded young man, and after confirming that the absolute rule of 'sharing a secret with their favorite idol' had been carved into the hearts of every fan who understood the situation…

"Fufu… okay. Then, the first song."

The demonic girl, whose charm was no less than that of a certain saintess, tossed a radiant crystal ball she had somehow acquired into the air—and from it, a melody line overflowed.

What began, of course,

"[Mystic / unfaiR]."

…was a solo live stage by a certain top idol,

a performance that, for those who knew, was an object of envy, and for those who did not, a stroke of unimaginable luck.