CH 245

“You know, Ed, I’m not saying you can’t drink. You’re an adult, Ed, and there are times when you want to let loose. So I won’t deny that. But I think there’s a limit to everything. How worried do you think I was when you didn’t come back all night after that summons?”

“No… I’m really sorry…”

The next day, in a room at the inn. I, now back to being a man, sit neatly and continue to listen to Tia’s lecture with a throbbing headache. It’s entirely my fault, so there’s no room for excuses.

Well, indeed, if the positions were reversed, I would have started looking for Tia around midnight. The reason Tia didn’t do that is probably because she knew I was actually a man, among other things.

But if by chance I couldn’t turn back into a man… no, what if the other person was a man too, would that pose even more danger? Ah, no good. My head hurts and I can’t think straight.

“So, are you listening, Ed?”

“Yes, I’m listening. My head hurts like hell, but I’m trying to listen…”

“Sigh… you’re really hopeless. If you say that honestly, I can’t get angry anymore.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure. After all, this is just like venting for worrying me all night.”

Looking up at me, Tia gave a wry smile and patted my forehead. Then she handed me a cup from the table, and I drained the water filled in it in one gulp. Ah, the water tastes so good…

“So? Who was the person you met yesterday? If you drank all night, they must not have been a bad person, right?”

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“Well, about that… remember the guy in the black hood among the audience during yesterday’s performance?”

“Black hood…? Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. Was that the person who called us, Ed? They didn’t look that important.”

“That’s right. And by the way, he was the Demon King of this world.”

“What!? What do you mean?”

Tia’s expression suddenly becomes serious. But for me, this is already a settled matter, so there’s no need to be particularly alarmed.

“It’s not a complicated story. Thanks to the black hood… the Demon King Chrome, we now have a clear vision of what we should do next.”

“What are we going to do next?”

With a smirk, I answer Tia’s curious question. The three problems I’m dealing with now – dealing with the Demon King, eliminating the shard of God in the Grand Bishop, and withdrawing from Rainbow Tia… being expelled from the Hero Party and returning home. The brilliant plan to solve all these at once is already in my mind.

“What does an idol do last? A retirement concert.”

Once the task was decided, everything else was quick. Using the connections of Johnny and Chrome, we set the stage and were able to hold a grand retirement concert three months later, inviting the Grand Bishop possessed by the ‘shard of God’.

Why did we invite the Grand Bishop? Of course, to remove the shard. Based on what I heard from Donatella, I figured that if the individual has a clear intention of rejection, it’s possible to expel the ‘shard of God’ from the body.

So after letting him listen to Rain’s song, I had Chrome whisper in his ear something like, “Actually, she couldn’t become an idol because of the three-person system.” And that worked out well.

Indeed, it seems like our faith in the power of Rain’s song, and in Chrome’s words that one cannot become a Grand Bishop unless they truly love idols, has been a huge success. This experience will surely be useful in the future, too.

That shard is now inside me, through the power of the Demon King, Chrome. As for what happened to Demon King Chrome himself…

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

At parting, one of the five people who saw us off was the Demon King Chrome. He’s still wearing that suspicious black hood as always, but no one seems to care because it’s his formal attire… Yeah, the Grand Bishop wore a white hood, too.

To Chrome, I extend my hand with a smile.

“It’s okay. You’ve worked so hard, so you’ll want to see it through to the end, right?”

“Hmm… Let’s make a promise. As long as idols continue to be born in this land, I will keep making them shine as who I am. And when everything is finally over…”

“Come back here. Bring plenty of stories with you.”

After exchanging a firm handshake, I strike my own chest with my thumb. If I weren’t being antagonized by humanity as I was at the end, I could respond like this. Because what I’m aiming for is a happy ending for everyone…

When I shifted my gaze to the side, Tia and the others were exchanging their final words. I approached them and joined in the conversation.

“Really, trying to use me as a substitute for yourself is quite a luxury, isn’t it?”

“It’s not a substitute. Rather, I was a stand-in all along. Besides, if it’s you, Elizabeth-chan, you can become a far greater idol than me, right?”

“Hmph! Of course! I will make my name resound throughout the world so much that no one will remember you!”

The one who replaced Tia was Elizabeth. There was no one more suitable than Elizabeth, both in terms of ability and mindset. She will surely aim for the top of the idol world with Rain ‘seriously’. The two people who accompanied her were relieved to return home as well.

“Ah, I’m nervous. Can I really take the place of you, Onee-sama…?”

“No no, it’s not just about being able to do it.”

And my replacement was that girl who has always been following me as one of the ‘Iris’. Because she liked me and imitated me so much, the difference in direction from the other two became pronounced, so this time we decided to take her in.

By the way, the remaining two have temporarily stopped their activities, but since we were able to safely extract the shard of God from the Grand Bishop, it’s likely that the rule of ‘It has to be a trio’ will be retracted by the beginning of next year.

Initially, they were planning to find a third person through Johnny’s introduction, but depending on the situation, there might be a path to re-debut as a duo. Well, that’s up to them.

“You’re better at singing and dancing. Where’s the part that makes you anxious?”

“That’s not the point! Besides, while I’m okay with singing, I’m still far behind in terms of hyping up the venue and intense movements. I’ll work even harder from now on, and one day I’ll surely catch up!”

“Oh, keep it up. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yes!”

When I pat her on the shoulder, her expression shines brightly. Her moist eyes are truly attractive, but from now on, I hope she will work hard as the one being looked at.

“Even so, you’re really quitting easily. The position you guys are in now isn’t something you can get if you want it, you know? Do you know how many kids have cried because they couldn’t make it that far…”

“I’m sorry, Johnny-san. But this was our decision from the start.”

“That’s true, you said it from the start. Well, it’s okay. You guys have done your duty well. If you ever change your mind, please let me know anytime. Next time, instead of being the ‘best pawn’, I’ll polish you as a ‘moderate gemstone’!”

“Haha, even if it’s us, we’re only ‘moderate’?”

“Of course! A little while ago it may have been higher, but now we’ve seen Rain-chan.”

“Ah, well, can’t be helped.”

Of course, if Rain is in front of you, the best standard will explode. I return a wry smile to Johnny’s wry smile… and Rain quietly approached us.

“Eda-san… Tia-san… I…”

“Keep going, Rain. You can stand on your own now. No, you should have been able to do it on your own a long time ago. So even if we’re gone, you’ll be fine.”

“That’s right. Your voice, Rain-chan, will surely reach beyond the world. So please take good care of your favorite songs from now on.”

“…If I hadn’t met the two of you, no, the three of you including Ed-san, I would probably be back in my country village by now, helping my mom. It’s thanks to you, Ed-san, Edda-san, and Tia-san, that I was able to stand on such a brilliant stage! So, so… Thank you very much!”

Ping!

–Condition met. 10 minutes remaining until return.

These must be words of graduation. It’s a sign of Rain’s determination to walk on her own feet, rather than relying on us. ah, there’s nothing happier than this. It’s a sign that Rain is stepping on us and climbing the hill.

“See you, Rain.”

“See you.”

Then it would be a lie if we didn’t start walking too. Turning our backs to the people who came to see us off, we melt into the night town. Then, from behind, I heard Rain’s singing voice that I’ve heard so many times before.

“Someday, someday, I dreamed. Walking that path with you. Always, always, I felt it. Going forward with you…”

“Ah, it’s really a good song.”

“That’s right. That might truly resonate beyond the ‘world’, don’t you think?”

“That would be great. If it’s Rain, she might do it.”

I, who have returned to being a man, enter the back alley holding hands with Tia. In the place where Rain was once feeling down, there is no longer a crying girl.

–Three… two… one… Executing world transfer.

Even though the song should have ended long ago, Rain’s song was echoing pleasantly in our ears until the moment we disappeared from the world.