Chapter 31.5 - Concert (1/2)

A/N:

First part of two bonus chapters this week. This occurs a month before Jason starts teaching.

As always, thanks for reading, and enjoy the chapter!

———————————————

"Today's the concert, isn't it?" Jason mumbled to himself as he calmly dodged and parried the attacks of Bruce, Dick, and Tim with a blindfold on.

A trio of batarangs cut through the air behind him. In one motion, Jason caught them and accurately hurled them back with more power, producing sparks as the batarangs clashed against Bruce's metal gauntlets.

"I should probably wrap this up or I'll be late."

Bruce had only just begun to lower his arms from a defensive position when Jason made his decision and locked on to him.

Jason's figure blurred in a burst of speed as he closed the seven meters distance between him and Batman in half a second. Sensing impending danger, Bruce retaliated with a swift elbow strike, but Jason sensed the shift in the air and shifted his weight slightly to his right, bending his right leg into a slight crouch.

The elbow passed by Jason harmlessly. And, in a feat of extraordinary flexibility, his left leg shot up straight like an uncoiled spring, hitting Bruce squarely on his chin, and his body rose into the air.

'One down.'

Bruce's unconscious body hit the ground, but Jason knew he wasn't out of the woods just yet.

Dick and Tim flanked him from both sides, wielding their signature weapons. Dick with his escrima sticks, and Tim with his bo-staff.

Jason bobbed and weaved around their rapid strikes with slight difficulty before he found his opening. Closing his hand around the bo-staff, he pulled abruptly and struck the staff's center, snapping it in half.

Not expecting such a move, Tim could only use what was left of the staff to block the immediate strike from Jason.

The force sent Tim sliding back and leaving two trails on the ground, giving Jason enough room to focus on Dick. He disarmed his stick-wielding foe with a quick one-two combo to the hands with his half of the bo-staff, making him grunt in pain. Jason then struck with a knifehand blow to the neck, followed by a roundhouse kick to the head that launched Dick into the air.

'Two down.'

Sensing an attack from behind, Jason leaned back until his back almost reached the ground, evading Tim's flying kick and grabbing his extended leg. Gripping tightly and using the leftover momentum from Tim's kick, Jason spun once and swung him into the ground face first, producing a loud thud.

'Three down.' Jason turned to the last one. She hadn't moved from her spot and only watched him throughout the whole 20 seconds. 'Cassandra. Bruce and the others, including me, could call ourselves "living weapons," but she was the ultimate example of that among all of us. Without my vision, I won't be able to predict her moves. Unfortunately, this is the only way I can get a challenge from her.'

Taking a deep breath, Jason steadied himself and entered his stance.

Not even a second later, Cassandra rushed at him with ferocity and ruthlessness he hadn't seen from her before. For the first few seconds, Jason dedicated his focus on getting a feel for her fighting style.

He fought with extreme caution. Even one blow could kill him because each and every one of her strikes aimed for a vital spot.

'I got it!'

Going on the offensive, Jason matched Cassandra's ferocity and ruthlessness. Their movements blurred. He only needed one hit and after trading blows for five seconds, he got his golden opportunity. As he threw Cassandra over his shoulder, she spun and corrected her body in mid-air. But that left a momentary blind spot that he exploited and before she landed on the ground, Jason struck with a brutal liver shot.

However, like Jason and the others, Cassandra was no stranger to extreme pain. She ignored it and countered with a swift kick to the face that he ducked under.

'Now!'

Placing his hands on the ground, Jason's legs quickly caught her by the neck and slammed her down into the floor head first.

Cassandra's body laid limp, and Jason finally breathed a sigh of relief, taking off his blindfold.

[I… am speechless. That was just—That was… incredible!] Whitley commented in disbelief. [With a BLINDFOLD on as well? How?!]

"Practice and experience," Jason answered.

'Time to get ready for the concert.'

—————————————————

The crescent moon hung in the pitch black sky, partially covered by clouds.

At the back of the stage of Tokyo Dome, the stage staff and the technicians were busy checking the stage equipment. If one thing went wrong, management will point their fingers at them, and this show was too big to mess up.

In a separate area, B-Komachi and its leading star, Ai Hoshino, were also preparing their last-minute touch-ups.

They wore colorful, eye-catching costumes and had professional make-up artists tend to them. The make-up artist's skillful touch enhanced their beauty to another level.

"Alright! Everyone get ready and double check everything! The show's starting in 10 minutes!" the Stage Manager shouted.

"That should be it, Hoshino-san," said Ai's make-up artist as she put down her brush.

Ai's reflection stared back at her, and she showed her signature smile.

"Thanks, Chika-chan!" Ai said with appreciation before standing up and meeting with her group.

They all stood near the stage entrance and smiled in relief when Ai approached.

"This will probably be our biggest show ever, so let's give it our best! Ready, everyone?" Ai asked with a bright smile.

The six other girls nodded with equally bright smiles.

"Ready!" they answered.

Ai pumped her fist and fixed her attached mic. She imagined Jason, Miyako, and her children waiting for the show to start.

'I'll give you a show you won't forget, everyone!'

—————————————————

Tens of thousands of people gathered inside the Tokyo Dome. Most of them were men wearing B-Komachi merchandise and glowing sticks.

Near the stage and at the very front of the audience, Jason and Miyako, along with the kids, waited with great anticipation.

"This. Is. Awesome!" said Ruby as she sat on Jason's shoulders, giving her the best view possible. "I almost can't believe that Mama gets to perform at Tokyo Dome! Please start already! I can't wait any longer!"

Even Aqua couldn't hide his excitement. His eyes shone with elation as he stood, waiting for the show to start.

Miyako smiled along with them. It was hers and her husband's dream coming to fruition, and she couldn't describe the happiness she felt knowing that it was coming true. All the hard work and struggles they faced culminated in this one moment.

"Well, you won't have to wait longer because it's about to start," Jason said, being able to hear all the way backstage.

Just as Jason finished his words, the lights on the stage darkened. A moment later, the music started and the light shows began.

Posing, Ai stood at the center with her six group mates beside her.

~Anata no IDOL~

~SIGN wa B!~

~Chu~

As Ai winked at them knowingly, Ruby and Aqua, in sync with the music, cheered like it was their last.

""YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!""

Jason, meanwhile, found himself captivated by Ai.

He finally understood why many were saying she was currently the number one idol. Ai's stage presence, her smile, her singing, and her pure expressiveness were unbelievable. It was almost unreal.

Jason struggled to take his eyes off her, like a star he couldn't bear to turn away from.

~Youyaku aeta ne~

~Ureshii Ne~

~Machidooshikute ashi wo battabata shinagara~

Suddenly, his eyes widened as a realization struck him, and he smiled wryly.

'I guess this is what being star-struck feels like, huh?'

Giving in to the atmosphere around him, Jason joined in the cheering.