Chapter 26: Awestruck Spectacle

A sea of people began to gather in front of a makeshift stage in the middle of town as endless lines of patrons buying from the many ticket booths surrounding the barricaded enclosure condensed through the audience area. "Player characters" of different races, not only from Jihon, but all over the world waited their turns to enter 3K's concert event. Even "NPCs" like Orcs, Nymphs, and Dwarves, also did not pass up an opportunity to witness such a spectacle, and they too paid "Yenis" for a right of entry. In addition to all that, "Dragoons", who are knight builds that ride horse sized flying dragon-like creatures called "Dravians", flew from far off lands and swarmed the skies of Shizuoka, hoping to get a chance to have a glimpse of the famed teenage girl group.

The whole spectacle was a logistical nightmare for the local government of Shizuoka. They were not able to anticipate the amount of fanatics the idol group would bring into their small municipality. Streets were becoming too crowded, and Ostremu and horse carriages were forced to park outside of town. Nonetheless, even if the concert was only treated as a prelude to their celebrated fireworks festival, the immense patronage gained from all this was going to be beneficial for the livelihood of the locals.

"We really did it this time..", said Kanae worriedly while taking a peek from behind the curtains. "It's going to be difficult to pinpoint those cultists now."

A creepily devious smile formed on Kaguya's face. "There's nothing to worry.. Chizuru-sama can see everything.. and I'm here to save her in case something happens."

Kasumi giggled awkwardly at Kaguya with a droplet of sweat. Then, she also took a quick glance at the audience area. "Do you think we should extend the barricades to widen the area, sensei?"

Yoshiki Mizuki gave a nod as she adjusted her cherry colored thigh length yukata over her white swimsuit. "I'm afraid so, Shinazugawa.. but keep your head in the game. I'll handle it."

"That's right, Kasumi. Being the center of all this, we have to keep our focus more than the others..", said Kanae as she thought of the first years' meeting with Hayama a few hours prior.

Earlier that evening, the class of year 2022 was ordered to meet up with their homeroom adviser in his lodging at the resort. Before gathering inside the "not so out of the ordinary" single bed room with a small veranda, the students went inside in intervals by their teams in order to not cause suspicion. Once everyone arrived, one could not help but notice the suffocating atmosphere.

"Tsk. Why did we have to come first?..", asked Jax in irritation. "Waiting for this room to crowd makes my blood boil.. why not come all at once?"

Chizuru gave her hotheaded teammate a whack on the head. "It will cause suspicions. We don't even know who the cultists are. Right, Hayama-sensei?"

"No.. the resort might charge me more for holding a party more than the room can accommodate..", replied Hayama plainly.

Everyone in the room save for Hayama broke a droplet of sweat. It was unknown if it was just hot because of the crowded environment, or if their teacher just made another lame joke.

"Here's the plan..", Hayama kick started the meeting. "Since we are expecting thousands of spectators, you'll all be dispatched separately with your teams except for a few individuals. Spread far and wide, each group'll be designated to a specific area and will be given a task, hopefully covering the entire concert rounds. Keep your guard up at all times.. but keep in mind that you are to pretend as part of the audience."

Shizune raised her hand from the back of the room to her sister's irritation. "But sensei.. if we're all separated, we need some sort of way to coordinate. Opening our consoles will blow our cover. How can we cooperate with our classmates without compromising the quest?"

"Good point, Takenori-san..", praised Hayama, causing Eimi to almost pop a vein. He then glanced towards the veranda. "But we already have a plan for that.. you can come in now, Yanagi-senchou."

Gasps from all over the room, mainly coming from the girls, were heard when Shinsuke entered with his usual bright expression. After that, the third year prodigy proceeded to either shake hands with everyone or tap their shoulders except for his recent teammates, to Himiko's disappointment. It was as if a charismatic politician entered the room.

"I wasn't merely trying to pretend I know all of you because I don't..", said Shinsuke without breaking his smile. To everybody's surprise, they all heard him speak without even opening his mouth. "Judging by all your reactions.. I guess we're all connected now."

Realizing that an overly captivating man was currently in their thoughts, the girls, save for Satsuki and Himiko, whimpered, squealed and blushed in embarrassment and the boys were left wide eyed in shock. Satsuki just laughed it off since she was used to it, and Himiko simply pulled her witch hat down to hide her redness. And Seijurou was as shocked as everyone else, but not because he did not know of his senpai's telepathic magic since he already did.

"With just a slight touch, he already casted wards for his thought projections..", thought Seijurou in awe.

"Got that right, Erida-kun..", said Shinsuke in Seijurou's thoughts, to his kouhai's surprise. "Why do you look so shocked? I thought you already knew we were connected."

"Nothing, senpai.. you're just truly amazing..", answered Seijurou as he shook his head to regain focus.

After the bewildering introduction of his mind bending magic, Shinsuke proceeded to continue with Hayama's little debriefing through thought projection. "The only problem with this type of magic is I can only control this for a certain distance. Expanding its coverage will cost me more magic than it already has.. so your positions will actually be strategically placed in relation to the sensory wards that were placed earlier today."

"So, there are two warding spells in each of the wards we placed? Is that even possible, senpai?..", asked Eimi while flashing a smug expression at her sister. However, Shizune just let out a sigh with a drop of sweat.

As he read the twins' thoughts, Shinsuke just gave them both an awkward smirk. "Good observation, Takenori-chan.. but yes, we can put as many warding spells in a ward as long as the incantation texts fit. With that said, I'm also directly connected through our resident sensory specialists.. meaning it allows me to monitor the thoughts and actions of everyone present in the venue."

"Holy mother..", Chizuru reacted in astonishment. "Sugoi, senpai! You just put surveillance procedures on a whole new level!"

Kazuma smirked and shook his head in amazement. "So.. this is the power of a hero level mage.. I shall pursue to surpass him someday."

"I'm the same build as him. I should follow his lead..", thought Midorima Natsuko while she stared at her senior in disbelief.

Everyone else was still astounded when Hayama suddenly brought them back from the dream like state. "Now.. your groupings and areas of responsibility."

"Oh.. right.. of course..", whispered Renji as his attention went back to their commander.

"Erida, Kinjou.. you are to be on standby with me right at the dead center..", began Hayama, making the partners nod to him in agreement. "Xi, since both of your teammates have different assignments, you join Igaraki and Mizunoto at the southern position."

Jax clenched his fists and bumped them together. "Alright! Let's kick some ass, boys!"

"Morisaki and Aokishi.. since both of you have your teammates on different designations, join up and guard the north side..", Hayama continued, causing the two melee specialists to exchange high fives. "Takenori Shizune.. it's best for you to join your twin and her team, so all four of you patrol the gates in the west covertly."

"Tsk. Make sure you don't get in my way, onee-chan..", Eimi sneered and turned her back at her sister.

But Shizune just shrugged her shoulders with an awkward smile. "I never intended to, Eimi.."

"Taneda, Ayuzawa.. position yourselves on the roof of the stage. You're vision is key to the operation..", addressed Hayama once more. "In that way, you two are close to Sendou, who has the ground perspective since she'll be performing on stage.. therefore effectively executing full sensory coverage."

Kaguya snickered at her palms deviously, causing Kanae to look at her in disgust. "Yes.. yes! This is all going according to my plans.. soon you'll be mine, Chizuru-sama."

"There you go again, creeping me out..", said Kanae while Chizuru sneezed at the other end of the room as if someone was thinking about her. Then she ignored her hopelessly creepy teammate and turned her attention to her teacher. "Sensei.. what about me and Kasumi? Surely we could still be useful.."

"You and Shinazugawa.. along with Yoshiki-taichou will be on standby to protect the east section..", replied Hayama. "But you three performing up there is the center of all this. Unless Yoshiki-taichou gives you the signal.. keep doing what you do best for the sake of everyone, 3K."

Simple smiles threatened to break out of the three girls' faces. It was as if a surge of confidence pushed through their worrisome expressions when Hayama Akira encouraged them. And just like adorable little girls playing soldiers, they stood straight in unison while they responded. "Hai! Hayama-sensei!"

Screams of die hard 3K fanatics brought Seijurou back to his senses in the current timeline. The snakelike lines from earlier have already gathered as a massive crowd, and he was right in the middle of it. Many were already beginning to cheer wildly in anticipation as if the girls were already on stage, to his annoyance since he was being squashed. Satsuki giggled as he frowned at his current situation.

"You really hate crowds, don't you, Erida-kun?..", asked Satsuki while Seijurou irritatingly dodged slamming bodies around them. "Come on.. try to enjoy a little. It's like a huge beach party."

"I've had enough fun for a day already..", Seijurou answered plainly. He then looked at his partner who was still in her swimsuit with a slight flush. "Anyway.. aren't you cold with what you're wearing?"

"Like I said.. this is the beach, and everyone else's attire's like this..", replied Satsuki in her usual childlike way. "I don't want to look like I don't belong.. and with this crowd? It's actually hot and humid."

"Speaking of odd balls..", said Seijurou as they both looked at their sensei in his "Rasta" hat, aviator shades, tropical shirt, and board shorts. He broke a droplet of sweat with his teacher's disguise. "Isn't that overdoing it, sensei?"

"Let's just say I came overly prepared..", said Hayama without knowing if he was joking or not. "Besides.. it is you both who should worry about the lack of gear."

Looking at himself still wearing the same short pants since morning, Seijurou remembered they left their battle equipment at home base, Hayama's room. Since donning armors and weapons would make them blow their cover, they were ordered to leave everything with the mages of their class. So, if the unthinkable happened, their combat gears would be sent to them through "conjuration wards". However, being reminded of that still made Seijurou uneasy.

"I'm not really so sure about going here unarmed, sensei..", Seijurou blurted out in worry. "Thinking that we're in the middle of a quest.. I feel naked and helpless."

"Well, you are half naked..", Hayama jested this time clearly, causing Seijurou to flip backwards. "The combined magic pool of Midorima-san, Toho-san and Yanagi-senchou is enough to flood a city.. and with Baba-san's 'readily available to conjure through wards' potions and enchanted gear, there's practically nothing to worry about. Besides.. you won't make it past the gate armed."

Seijurou's reluctance to go about the operation without his armor and shield was still there but eased off a little, all thanks to Hayama-sensei's words. His style of fighting never really needed weapons to begin with. Defensive instincts and fire damage were his go to tactics. What made it even better was he could move more freely without the heavy Orcish steel.

However, his uneasiness could never truly vanish since he was already used to battling with all that metal, most especially that he enchanted his armor with enhanced armor skill and health points. He may have felt faster without it, but one accidental hit could take his meager life force. On the other hand, his enchanted armor may have slowed him down a little before, but it made him a true defensive tank.

Seijurou glanced towards his curious looking partner. "Kinjou, is it about to start?"

Never in his entire life that Seijurou thought his own voice could surprise him. His realization of not getting an answer from Satsuki came shortly after he heard his voice echo from the passing sea breeze. It was suddenly eerily silent. The thousands in attendance stood silently in their places.

Seijurou approached Satsuki quickly without thinking. "Kinjou!? What's going on? This is no time for jokes, come on!"

But Seijurou knew from the back of his head that no one was kidding around. As he saw his partner's eyes staring blankly towards a far of place, he realized something awful had happened. He continued to shake Satsuki's shoulders to make her snap out of it for a few more moments but to no avail. The next thing he did was call for his immediate superior, which was the most reasonable thing to do at the moment.

"Hayama-sensei! Over here! Kinjou's in trouble!..", exclaimed Seijurou but instantly realizing the unthinkable as his commander did not even flinch. "Sensei! Please.. help Kinjou.."

Hayama stood motionless like a statue, a husk of a once powerful man. As his student approached him with inexplicable horror, he remained expressionless behind those aviator glasses.

Seijurou found himself alone in the midst of a sea of people in a dreadful circumstance. "What in the world is going on?!"

Translation Notes:

Dravian – a flying horse sized reptilian similar to the appearance of a wyvern, but some are scaled and others are feathered. Its wing span is about the length of two horse carriages. It might seem fearsome but actually has a temperament close to that of a horse. And fortunately for tamers and "Dragoon Builds", it doesn't breathe fire and is a "fishy-tarian" (a fish eating herbivore).

Monogatari Concepts:

Jihonian Idolism – due to the nation's warlike culture, many searched for ways to kick back and relax whenever they can. Since the most prominent form of entertainment is the duel, which is still all about violence, performing artists who take the stage to dance, sing or both is a breath of fresh air from all the blood and gore. It is said that this practice stemmed from warriors worshipping the goddesses of the "Revered Seven" to give them joy and strength to face another day of battle. Some soldiers still actually bring small holy figurines to war. Nowadays, talented teenage girls take the stage to offer the same service in the deities' stead. The modern fanatic soldier will usually bring his or her favorite idol's figurine to battle.

Character Description:

Fukuoka Kanae – the headstrong member of the idol group, 3K. She may give you an impression that she's the leader of the group, but it's just really her personality. Her "big sister" image is not only projected through their group but to the entire class as well. Even for someone used to facing large crowds, her confidence in herself is still a cut above the rest, as seen how she addressed her classmates during the Shizuoka quest debriefing. All this indicates an incredibly strong and domineering personality.

Most would consider Kanae mature for her age, but don't tick her off because she can get really violent when she tries to whip someone into shape. Underestimating the capacity of a woman's battle abilities irritates her the most. So, when you make her feel that you see her as just an adorable little girl, be prepared to get a beating of your life. Well, that's just really how she shows that she cares, tough love.

Just like her teammates with the nature of their dual personas as idols and soldier students, Kanae is a very hardworking girl. Juggling her time between studying, training, and performing, she gives her best in all that she does. She isn't considered as one of the talented ones in class, but keeping relatively decent grades amidst all the idol activities shows just how much work she puts in everything.

Kanae's fighting style is a stark opposite of her image as an idol. Her build is a "Norse Shieldmaiden" reminiscent of Michael Hirst's Queen Lagertha of the hit TV series, "Vikings". The difference is (to avoid copyright issues) she ingests the "berserker mushroom" like Jax, transforming her into a dual hand axe wielding "berserker" whenever the need arises. When not in battle or performing, she is usually seen in her school uniform or in trendy clothes.

Outgoing, serious and mature are Kanae's prominent traits, but she does have a cute and lovable side. Although not shown very much yet, she does have this conservative and innocent side as seen how she gets creeped out by Kaguya's fantasies. She doesn't understand what love and infatuation means yet, so she can get really red in embarrassment without knowing why whenever she sees a handsome man like Yanagi Shinsuke. I probably will try to show more of this side of hers in the succeeding chapters.

Kanae stands at 154.5cm and weighs (this would make her flush too without understanding why) in at 43kg. She has chest length blonde hair (tied to a single braid in battle and gets spiky in berserk mode), emerald eyes, and small but adorable facial features. She is considerably leaner (but still ladylike) compared to her teammates being a warrior herself. Even if she's still underage, her favorite thing is drinking ale and mead with her parents (and she's got quite a tolerance too).