Seika's Encouragement

Click, click, click…

With the quarterfinals at last looming close, I walked along the arena corridor toward the waiting room.

Anyone not competing was up in the VIP seats, watching.

The regulars who were competing were resting in their capsules, so…

Unusually, I was alone… or rather, I wasn't.

Farida-san was keeping me company.

She was carrying everyone's sweat-towels and a bit of light luggage for me.

"Sorry about this, Farida-san. Making you do these errands."

"Oh, no, no. Please think of me not just as Luna-san's manager but as everyone's manager.

"Whatever you need, please order me as you like.

"If I can be of use to all of you, that's my happiness.

"After all, I became an entertainment manager because I wanted to see everyone's smiles."

So Farida-san said with a smile. What a good girl…

"In that case, why not really just…"

Ahem. I started to say it, then stopped after all.

"?"

Farida-san looked over with a Yes? expression, ready to hear me out…

"No, it was nothing."

I waved it off.

This girl was cute, an UR with an initial Value of 5000, and such a good girl…

If possible, I wanted to recruit her eventually… that had been on my mind for a while.

What kind of talent she'd have as a Garumon, what her element would be, none of that I knew.

But whether she was strong wasn't the issue. If you asked whether I wanted her as a comrade, the answer was yes.

Still, while she was so absorbed in her work as a manager, it'd be hard, I figured.

I had no intention of making her quit her job, of course, but if she became my Garumon, the need to fight would arise, taking priority over her work.

Patty was managing to balance her reporter work with everything, but she was always getting yelled at by Pamela-san for missing deadlines.

Luna was juggling being an idol and being my Garumon, and the reason she could pull that off was because Farida-san was working hard for her.

If that very Farida-san became my Garumon, who would back up Farida-san's work…?

Thinking about it like that, I hesitated to recruit her.

Or so I was thinking as I walked along…

In the arena corridor, partway to the waiting room, a beautiful girl stood with her arms crossed in a Nio pose.

"You're…"

It wasn't that I didn't know who she was, but running into her so suddenly caught me off guard, and I ended up confirming it on reflex.

"I'm Seika Shikina!"

So she said, throwing out her chest and striking a finishing pose with her arm bent, properly reintroducing herself.

"This is Lightning Production's Seika Shikina-san. The top idol of this world."

"Thanks, Farida-san. It's all right, I remember her well."

A native of Japan around the '80s, 36 years old. Well, since spacetime here was warped, age didn't really matter. She looked a fresh, springy 16.

Her softly fluffy bob was probably unchanged from her time in Japan, but her hair color had turned a beautiful white, giving her a fantasy-style aesthetic that suited this world.

Her breasts were also splendidly large and alluring. To put it modestly, she was a peerless beauty.

… Was she off acting on her own with no Master in sight? Neither Dalido, her supposed Master, nor Austin, who'd been with her the other day, were anywhere in view.

"… Hmph, so you knew and were just playing dumb. It seems you've been afraid of meeting me!"

As she threw out her chest, it bounced with a boing.

"…? Afraid?"

What was she talking about? Even if her personality was a bit cheeky, I didn't see any need to be afraid of a beautiful girl like Seika.

"… My condolences! To think you're going to be matched up against A-Class rank 1 Aldis.

"You who've kept up an unexpected winning streak will here come to know just how high the wall of A-Class is!

"… Fufufu."

So Seika laughed. Aldis was apparently quite strong, but I didn't see why Seika should be boasting on the back of Aldis's strength…

"… No, it's a tournament, so unless your opponent loses, you're going to run into them somewhere. So what?"

"… Wh-what did you say!? I'm telling you, if you're going to bow your head to me, now's the time!"

"… Hm? What are you talking about?"

What had been with her this whole time? I couldn't follow her line of reasoning at all.

"… Seika-san. Naoto-san has an important match coming up, so please keep this brief…"

Farida-san, unable to just stand by, tried to ease Seika away.

"H-hold on. We're almost done!"

She wasn't using her usual snapping tone with Farida-san; she was speaking pretty politely.

"No, talking's fine. Thank you, Farida-san."

I gently stroked Farida-san's side-tailed head and had her step aside.

"… Hau… Naoto-san, you don't have to be so kind to a Garumon like me…"

"I don't think there's any superior-inferior relationship between Garumon and Master.

"If anything, isn't it not all that different from the relationship between an idol and her manager?"

"…"

Farida-san seemed taken aback by my words. She faced Seika anew.

"… Naoto. Don't tell me you've forgotten that you and I have a wager going!

"If Dalido wins, Luna joins Lightning.

"If you win, I join Starlight.

"On those terms!"

"I remember. Isn't the wager still a ways off? … Assuming Dalido wins, that is."

"I'm the ace, you know. Of course he'll win!

"… And what about you? You think you can beat Aldis? Aldis is practically an S-Class Master, you know.

"No matter how strong you are, there's no way you can win!

"… The rule is that if one side loses before the actual match, the side that lost first is the loser, so your defeat is hereby confirmed!

"While the value of your head is still even slightly high before you lose, bow it to me, is what I'm telling you!

"… If you'll come to me with a humble attitude and apologize, then this matter… I'll have Austin call it off, from my end."

"… Ah, I see. I get what you're saying."

Not that I had any intention of doing it.

I could've just shut her down with that, but…

"… Hmm…?"

I thought it over a little.

She'd come all the way here just to throw barbs at me…? With both Austin and Dalido kept in the dark.

It wasn't out of the question, but…

Something was off. I felt like I was missing something.

"Seika-san, would you really make such a proposal to Mr. Austin? If you did something like that, what kind of consequences would you face…"

… Ah, right. I'd only caught on thanks to Farida-san's words. I was slow on the uptake too.

For a Garumon to defy her Master, and by extension, a person her Master had to defer to, simply shouldn't be possible.

Indeed, if she did something like that… what kind of treatment would she face.

"H-hmph. It's no big deal. They need me, after all…"

She broke out in a cold sweat.

… It was showing in her attitude. Her whole bearing told me it wasn't an easy matter at all.

Well, between when Seika and I first met and now, Luna's value was completely different.

CDs… no, records and magic stones, was it. Since the release of Luna's music media, the beauty and high quality of her songs had earned a reputation, and as a newcomer she'd been racking up exceptional sales.

And on top of that, this A-Class Tournament.

With Luna's performance, her popularity had jumped even higher; her already-high sales had skyrocketed; no matter how much they reprinted, the stock kept selling out, an enviable, scream-of-joy state of affairs.

That greedy-looking Austin wasn't one to let the chance to obtain a Luna like that slip away.

"Seika, why would you make such a difficult offer for me?"

"… Hmph, isn't it obvious? Lightning has all it needs as long as I'm there.

"That fly-by-night idol Luna, we don't need her at all, no problem whatsoever!"

So she snapped, slinging barbs.

"… Hmm?"

Taking her words at face value, it would be: a promising newcomer was coming in and threatening her position, so she was getting in the way out of dislike for it.

That logic still held up, but…

Even so…

"Seika, do you really think you can't measure up to Luna?"

"Hahh!? As if that could possibly be the case!

"… Sure, Luna's singing… Setsuna's playing too, I was surprised. It was wonderful. It was even moving, really.

"And on top of that, as a Garumon she's the strongest, a Seraph… beautiful, charming, a wonderful budding star.

"… But my 23-year entertainment career, going back to my Japan days, hasn't been so cushy! There's no way I'd think I can't measure up!"

… She was saying it in earnest.

Well, of course. Seika's vocal ability, her beauty… saying she didn't fall short of Luna wasn't a lie.

… I'd had her songs played for me since then, and they were really, really sticky-thick '80s idol songs.

Honestly, coming from Japan, my image of those was strongly old songs; the agedness was undeniable.

But that didn't mean the quality was low. If anything, Seika's vocal level was extremely high.

Her voice was beautiful enough that she could've passed as an opera singer.

Singing cute idol songs in a beautiful, soaring voice produced a somehow off-balance kind of cuteness that was truly alluring.

It was just that the idols other than her weren't as high-quality as she was.

The early-era idols were also weak as Garumon, with many having low rarity and low level.

Since they couldn't fight as Garumon, they earned a living by singing and dancing. That was the prototype of this world's idol.

Those low-quality idols had latched onto the style of the genuine idols who came over from Japan.

By singing covers of Seika's songs and dancing in a perky way that mimicked Seika's vibe, they grabbed attention beyond their actual quality and managed to win popularity.

… What that produced were the Lightning idols, who only mimicked Seika Shikina's style and only sang Seika Shikina's covers.

The skill of using that style to make idols out of not-particularly-high-quality Garumon was, indeed, splendid, I thought.

… That was how, with idols becoming popular at events and the like, the existence called idol permeated this world.

As a result, Masters interested in idols increased; among S-Class Masters' Garumon there were beautiful Garumon making idol debuts, too…

And so today's flourishing idol scene in this world came to be.

That Seika Shikina had created the standard of this world's idols was no exaggeration. It was simply fact.

… However, with high-level Garumon now making idol debuts one after another, Seika and the Lightning idol group were being buried.

Lightning had originally been the overwhelming No.1, supposedly.

Then five years ago, Starlight overtook them.

In reality they'd been overtaken much earlier, but they'd been papering it over with various tricks based on past achievements.

It would be more accurate to say that five years ago was when they could no longer paper over it.

Currently being No.2 was also the result of various papering-over… and that papering-over was already starting to lose its effect.

Given this situation, Lightning would, no doubt, want Luna desperately.

A new idol who came over from Japan.

They were surely aiming to acquire Luna and reclaim their throne.

… Such was what I'd heard the previous time I'd talked things over with Farida-san.

Why was such a high-quality Seika Shikina growing stale?

… The problem was clear. No new repertoire was being added at all.

Her repertoire was the roughly 100 idol songs of herself and her contemporary rivals, which she'd brought over from Japan 20 years ago.

… Since then, no new songs had been written.

She wasn't a singer-songwriter, so perhaps it couldn't be helped.

If anything, it was impressive she'd been able to so faithfully reproduce her own songs and her rivals' songs.

Of course, like enka, there could exist a style of singing the same song. A masterpiece is a masterpiece no matter how many times you hear it.

Rakugo has been performing the same routines from the Edo period to the present. So have musicals, so has kabuki.

Perhaps the basis of performing arts is repetition.

But surely it couldn't be helped that the other idols, debuting with new song after new song, looked fresher.

… Whether to take pride in the style of singing the same songs as a traditional performing art and develop it further…

Or to just normally make new songs.

To my poor imagination, the latter seemed easier.

Wasn't that originally the role of the producer?

Wasn't there a problem with Austin's way of leaving everything to Seika…?

So I'd thought, when talking with Farida-san.

When I put all that information together…

"Are you, for Luna's sake, thinking of refusing because Lightning is a no-good agency?"

So I figured.

"Wh-whaaa? No way! What happens to Luna has nothing to do with me!

"It's not like I'm thinking those wonderful songs would all be killed off under Austin or anything like that!

"I'm simply, truly, simply… y-you heard me earlier! Stop reading weird things into it!"

So Seika-san went tsundere.

… You know, this person really was as cute as she looked. Well, I'd had a favorable impression based on appearance from the start, but it just got even more favorable.

"… What kind of agency is Lightning?"

"What kind… it's normal. Normally singing, dancing… and pillow service. Everywhere's like that, isn't it?"

"… Pillow service…"

So that meant pillow business, then…

"… There certainly are agencies like that, but… Starlight is different!

"To begin with, since Master-sama holds authority over the affiliated idols, anything against Master-sama's will isn't possible."

"You mean to say you don't have those kinds of tastes? … Hmph, then all the more reason you shouldn't enter Lightning.

"… Fine. Anyway, since I'll handle that contract somehow, you can…"

Click, click, click…

Just then, I noticed footsteps approaching from behind.

"… Seika, wait."

"Eh?"

"… What are you talking about, hmm? Seika."

"…! Austin…!"

Seika hadn't noticed, and her shoulders gave a startled twitch.

It was Lightning's producer, Austin.

"… Well, well, if it isn't Naoto-senshu. Quite a splendid winning streak, hmm?

"I hadn't thought you were such a strong Master.

"My, my, that was indeed dangerous.

"… However, thanks to that, I've been spared. Angel Luna… truly splendid.

"She'll shine even more than she does now once she joins Lightning. And of course, Setsuna Akai too. Keeping her on the support side is far too wasteful. She should be marketed in a much grander way as an idol duo.

"Fufufu… ways of marketing that Starlight cannot do are possible at our place.

"Naoto-san, please look forward to it. You'll awaken to new charms in Luna!"

Austin's overly self-confident manner irritated me.

"…"

Seika was looking down, gritting her teeth.

… Ah.

No matter how cute and alluring a Garumon might be… if she was happy under her Master… I figured I shouldn't take her away.

If the Master loved the Garumon, and the Garumon trusted the Master, and was being made properly happy…

Making a Garumon unhappy was the one thing I felt I shouldn't do.

But…

"Austin-san.

"I-isn't it, isn't it a bit early to decide that I'm going to lose? I-I think that even I, if I do my best, just might be able to beat Aldis-senshu somehow!

"Sure, Aldis-senshu is strong. He's far above someone like me. I might not measure up. I might lose…

"But if I do my best… I'm sure my Garumon will win for me. Probably!"

I acted as un-confidently as I could.

With the acting skill I'd been honing through daily image-play… No, that was just fun and not all that useful.

"… Oh-ho, yes, just so! Yes, yes. Do your best. Of course, I'll be cheering for you!"

Austin looked at me with obviously contemptuous eyes.

… Ah, this guy really did seriously think there was no way I could beat Aldis.

Whether it was that Aldis was that strong, or that he was completely underestimating me… either way was fine.

"…"

I looked into Farida-san's eyes.

… From here, if I spoke up, he might get suspicious. But if Farida-san, who was assumed to know nothing about Garumon Battle, brought it up…

"…"

Our eyes met. She… gave a faint nod.

"Th-that's right! Naoto-san is incredibly strong! He absolutely won't lose! There's no way he could lose!"

… Now, had she caught on properly? So far, just as I'd hoped.

"E-eh, ah, u-um, yeah! That's right, thanks, Farida…"

I acted relieved, as if my anxiety had been eased.

"Yes, there's no way he'd lose to someone like you! We could even bet on it! Right? Naoto-san!"

"Eh? Bet? Y-yeah…"

"Yes! If you're going to say that much, let's bet on it! Our Luna against your Seika! Let's fight over them in a Garumon Battle!"

"Eh, ehh…"

I made my eyes go wide, blinking back and forth.

This was acting. If anything… I felt like hugging Farida-san! She'd perfectly spoken on my behalf for what I wanted to say! Incredibly capable! Splendid!

With my own comrades, this level of mutual understanding wouldn't be strange, but she'd only met me a little over a month ago…

Aaah, geez, I felt like kissing her.

"Hey, Naoto-san, didn't you say so? That since you're such a strong Master, when you win the championship, you'd make me yours too… It was my first time, you know… fufufu…"

So Farida acted bashfully.

E-ehh? What was she talking about? I genuinely blinked my eyes.

… No, this was acting. Acting that I was so love-drunk my judgment had gone to pieces.

I hoped that to Austin, it'd look like I was a guy who, wanting to have sex with the beautiful Farida-san, had wooed her with flippant boasting.

… If it were too obviously fake, he might get suspicious, but…

"H-hey, hold on, betting Luna. We can't do something like that…"

"Why not? You can win, can't you? You said so, didn't you? Was it… a lie?"

"I-it wasn't a lie! It wasn't a lie! I-I can win!"

"Then there's no problem, is there?

"… If Seika-san would come to our place… it'd be better for her under a Master like Naoto-san, who understands… so many things…"

So Farida-san wheedled cutely.

… So damn cute. My nose went totally slack.

"E-eh, eh, … y-yeah. Then, let's go with that…"

"! Alright, I heard that! So, Austin-san, let's contract! That we'll completely bet Seika-san and Luna-san on this match. If Naoto-san wins, Seika-san becomes Naoto-san's Garumon and gets affiliated with Starlight!"

"… Hoh."

"… W-wait, hold on… Farida-san. Then if we bet, if we bet… it's-it's okay, right? That, which you'd said before that you didn't want to do…"

"… I-it can't be helped, then. I'm still scared, but… it's all right. That, too…"

I gave a sloppy grin. What the heck was that?

I'd imagined shaving, but what was Farida-san imagining? Asking would be sexual harassment, though.

"Y-yeah. Then… I'll bet. I-I'll do my best, but… if I can't, comfort me, okay?"

"Fufu, it'll be all right. Naoto-san is so very strong, after all…"

So Farida-san patted me good-good.

I let myself go slack and grinned.

Wasn't this too obviously fake…? I was anxious.

But if I were them, I'd think there was no way such a wimpy, pathetic Master could win.

… Still, the anxiety of whether he'd really go for an act like this was, in a nice way, giving the impression that I was trying to cover up my anxiety about the next match, adding a touch of reality.

"… Kuha…! Very well. Let's bet. Heh-heh, how frightening. To think Seika might be taken from me if I lose."

… He took the bait! Austin was grinning and grinning.

But I still couldn't relax, worried he might pull a last-minute reversal and say actually never mind.

Maybe, by not hiding that anxiety, I was producing a nice sense of reality…?

"Yes! Brace yourself!"

"E-erm… um, no, after all… but…"

I stammered ambiguously, mid-act of maybe I should call it off after all,

"Now, let's hurry and contract."

"Of course!"

And the two of them, in their respective positions as my representative and Dalido's representative, mutually staked Luna and Seika against each other… and actually did it.

… Haaaah…

I was tired… this kind of negotiation was the most exhausting…

Farida-san had done a splendid job. Truly an able manager.

"It's all right now. With this, the contract absolutely cannot be reneged on.

"If they renege, the conditions are met on the spot. Seika Shikina-san is Naoto-san's."

But I was tired and slumped down.

"… Naoto… why…"

Seika was looking at me with a sad face.

"Kuku, kukuku. How interesting. Naoto-san, you're the type who'll ruin himself over a woman, hmm? Ahaha."

Austin laughed.

"… So are you. I'd be perfectly satisfied ruining myself for the woman I love. How about you?"

I got up and brushed off my knees.

"… Hah?"

"Seika. With this, you're mine. From here on, that cheekiness of yours… I'll dote on you plenty, so look forward to it."

I gave Seika's forehead a poke and smiled.

"Eh, eh?"

Seika blinked, eyes wide.

"…? What's with him… has he gone mad?"

Austin still didn't seem to understand just how great a thing he was about to let go of.

"… I used my mental energy needlessly, but my morale is full.

"This match, I'm winning."

"… Yes!"

Accompanied by Farida-san, I headed for the waiting room with a light step.

"… But, what I wanted you to do… you really understood it, huh.

"Thank you, Farida-san."

"Of course I understood… you don't intend to lose to Aldis at all in normal times, but then suddenly that anxious attitude. It was unnatural.

"… You'd been favorable toward Seika-san when we'd talked about her before, and from this conversation just now I could tell you'd taken a liking to her too…"

"Yeah, yeah, amazing. A dim person couldn't pull this off. Truly an able manager."

I patted Farida-san good-good.

"… Ehehe. But, even acting… being able to act as Naoto-san's woman made me happy."

… Huh, Farida-san's affection level was also quite high? Before I knew it.

This might mean recruiting her wasn't far off after all…

If Seika joined my comrades, the question of how to handle the manager role would need rethinking too…

Oh, it might be a good thing.

"Alright, it's about time. I'll go win."

"… And on that occasion, it'll be that, yes?"

"What is that!?"

My knees buckled.