Chapter 11: At the Karaoke
Translated by Vine
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“What a coincidence, Juno. Are those your friends behind you?”
“Yes! They’re my teammates from the practicum!”
Juno introduced each of us.
“Come to think of it, the people behind Ter are his teammates from the practicum, right?”
“Yeah. Let me introduce them.”
Ter also introduced his teammates. A subtle tension filled the air. The first to speak was Ter.
“So you couldn’t come because you had plans on the weekend? You were hanging out with your teammates?”
“Yes! I did think about going with Ter and everyone, but… I wanted to hang out with my teammates.”
“…There’s a guy too?”
“Yes! You know Chrono, right? He helped us a lot during the practicum!”
“Ah… haha….. haaa…..”
I’m intentionally keeping a low profile, but he suddenly turns his attention to me.
Hey, hey, no.
I haven’t done anything yet.
Or rather, I don’t plan on doing anything.
“Chrono… I’ve heard a lot about you. The cadet who controls the infamous berserker Mars, the only one who got an A in the ranged combat practicum. And the biggest contributor to the team that cleared the supposedly impossible boss room──right?”
“…..No.”
I’ve never controlled Mars.
I barely got an A in ranged combat, just scraping by.
And I wouldn’t have been able to do anything in the boss room alone.
So, I’m just a common weakling.
‘So please, just ignore me.’
I understand his aversion to NTR after his regression, but openly displaying hostility isn’t good for my weak heart.
I unconsciously lowered my head and shrunk back, and Mars stepped in front of me.
“Hey. What are you doing, staring at my friend?”
“Huh? Ahaha, I didn’t mean it like that…. I’m sorry if you misunderstood.”
“Apologize to him, not me.”
“…I’m sorry, Chrono.”
“………….Yeah.”
Mars intervened.
I thought she came to end the conflict, but she’s adding fuel to the fire.
After a forced apology, we both took a step back.
Did I mention this before?
“Ter, you often hang out with those two behind you, don’t you? The practicum is over, so there’s no reason to keep hanging out with them….”
“That’s… we just became friends after taking the same classes.”
“Hmmm. Is that so? You kept hanging out with them because you were taking the same classes….”
He must have really wanted to hang out with them, to the point of excluding his girlfriend from his team in a 3-person class, and forming a team with only girls…
“You’re overthinking it, Juno. I haven’t been paying much attention to you lately, have I? I’m sorry if I made you upset. I apologize.”
“….Hmph, whatever. I’m going to hang out with my teammates!”
Let’s go, Mars! Chrono!
Juno linked arms with Mars and me and walked into the karaoke room.
“Wait.”
“….Why? Do you have something else to say?”
No, I was about to go in.
But the protagonist blocked Juno‘s path.
“You’re going to karaoke now, right?”
“….So?”
“Let’s all sing together since we’re here!”
“But….”
Juno glanced at Mars and me.
She seemed to want us to express our disapproval, but
“The more the merrier! It’s always more fun with more people!”
“Ugh…..”
Mars, oblivious, wagged her tail excitedly.
“Th-then what about Chrono…?”
“Can I just go home?”
“………….”
I wanted to escape this chaotic scene.
“Chrono, you’re coming with us, right?”
“…..Damn it….!”
Of course, things never go my way.
In the end, we entered the karaoke room with Ter and his group──and I have a bad feeling about this.
A terrible premonition.
A bunch of apostles gathered together, the protagonist’s heroines all present, and the NTR villain dropped right in the middle?
‘I knew this would happen.’
That’s why I wanted to run and hide, but
“I don’t even know how to sing…..”
“Haha! Then this big sis will teach you!”
“It’s not that easy….!”
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I was half-dragged by Mars. We entered the karaoke room, and as people started singing one by one,
“……Huh?”
I realized something was strange.
*************
Karaoke Event.
In the game, it’s a minigame, basically a rhythm game. Like OSU or Taiko no Tatsujin. Clearing difficult songs gives you achievement rewards and unlocks various Easter eggs. But that’s just an in-game setting. I thought it wouldn’t apply in reality, but──
“It’s imbued with the blessing of Muse, the goddess of music and art?”
“Yeah. So even tone-deaf people can sing decently well using Muse‘s blessing.”
──Who knew the in-game settings would override reality?
It’s simple.
You choose a song like in a normal karaoke.
But each song has a ‘difficulty’ and ‘performance style,’ allowing for ‘scoring.’ If you don’t have an instrument, a microphone is fine. Then, you sing or play along to the music, accumulating points. The higher the score, the stronger the blessing’s effect, creating a performance like a live concert.
“Well… that’s true….”
That’s how it was in the game too. I can use Taiko no Tatsujin as an example. As your score increases, the number of mascot characters dancing backstage increases, and if you get a full combo, it’s like a festival.
I thought it was just an in-game effect, but…
…With divine intervention, the effect becomes reality.
“Do you have any instruments you can play? We have Taiko drums and a keyboard as standard.”
“Well….”
There was one song I could full combo on Master difficulty. I did it for the achievement and the Easter egg, which made things much more convenient. I’m confident I can play that one song perfectly──but it’s a death metal song.
‘And a pretty hardcore one at that.’
I wondered if it was okay to play it in a place where the majority are girls, but──come to think of it, there’s no reason not to. I can get the achievement and the Easter egg, which is good for me. And if the other heroines are scared off by it and turn back to the protagonist, that’s even better for me.
“Well, if you can’t decide, you can sing with me.”
“Huh?”
“….What? Got a problem?”
“Um…..”
Why is Mars so close?
I subtly moved away and handed the karaoke machine to Mars.
“You can sing first if you want.”
“No, that’s not what I meant….. Haaa, you’re so frustrating.”
Mars clicked her tongue and stood up, as if exasperated by how much she had to spoon-feed me.
I’m telling you I don’t want to eat, but you keep trying to force-feed me.
“Fine, I’ll sing first!”
She tapped on the machine, and it flashed. The machine transformed into an electric guitar, and Mars slung it over her shoulder and shouted,
“I’m here, bastards!!!!!”
Ziiiiiing!!!
The characteristic sound of an electric guitar echoed through the amplifier. She then launched into a passionate metal song, perfectly suited for her, and Muse‘s blessing began to rewrite reality.
“This is… Muse‘s blessing?”
A sandy desert under the scorching sun. The salty sea breeze and the sound of crashing waves.
“Rock & Roll, you bastards!”
‘So this is…’
If I remember correctly, this scene appears when you play a hard song and get a B rank. I remember that if you increase the combo, raise the score, or increase the difficulty, more people are added, and a backstage appears.
“So, how was it? My skills?”
“Good.”
“Hahaha! Of course! I’m probably the best singer here!”
“Uh……”
Wait, isn’t that a provocation──
“─I can’t let that stand, Mars.”
“Huh? Got a problem? Prove it with your skills.”
“….I accept your challenge.”
“Oh my.”
Minerva immediately took the bait. Merck also raised his hand, seemingly amused.
“I’ll join too! I’m a pretty good singer myself!”
The number of participants increased.
“Hmm… then I’ll join too.”
“If Juno is joining, then I will too.”
Everyone agreed.
I wanted to quietly excuse myself, but…
“Then me too.”
Unfortunately, because of the mission, I couldn’t back out.
“What, Chrono? You kept saying no, but you secretly wanted to do it, didn’t you?”
“…I can’t back out when everyone else is doing it.”
And since the mission was demanding, I had to resort to my secret weapon.
“The title is….”
Detroit Metal City.
Song title──SATSUGAI (Slaughter)
“Keyboard, Master difficulty. All Perfect mode.”
“………….”
“…..?”
Mars narrowed her eyes.
“You said you’ve never been to karaoke before.”
“….I only played at home.”
“You lied again! You bastard!”
“Gah──wait, I tapped out! I tapped out, you bitch!!”
If you strangle me, it’s not cute, it’s attempted murder.
Finally freed thanks to Minerva‘s intervention, I gasped for breath and drank some water.
“Thanks. I thought I was going to die.”
“…………”
“…..Huh?”
I put the water bottle down, and Minerva was still looking at me. She then said to me…
“Do you perhaps know about death metal….? No, never mind.”
“………Ah.”
Minerva‘s setting. On the surface, she’s a refined Paladin, but in reality, she’s a crazy clubber obsessed with death metal.
…..Should I cancel?
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He got another one