Ch.115115. Two Villains in Black and White (5)

I pick up the microphone and choose a song.

Hmm…

The songs I used to sing with friends back in school probably wouldn’t suit me now.

Back then, I sang in a male key.

But do I even know any songs now?

Hmm.

I’ve heard plenty of songs.

There is one I listened to before and during my Eden mission.

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“It’s a pop song?”

“Yes. It’s one I like.”

The instrumental begins.

The guitar builds up gradually,

3, 2, 1.

“There’s a fire—”

As I sing…

Why are they looking at me like that?

Hmm.

I’ll just keep singing.

With emotion.

Pouring in the feeling of betrayal.

Well, I’m not the one who was actually betrayed.

But if it were to happen.

If someone were to betray me, the emotions I’d feel, the wounds.

The wounds I would have received if there had been no betrayal.

I believed in love.

Capturing the feeling of the speaker who transforms despair into anger.

I’ll convey it to you.

“Wow…”

“Wow…”

“…Elise, do you have your phone?”

“No, Blanc, do you?”

“Next to you.”

“…Quick, record this.”

Blanc is recording me.

…I would have told her not to.

Really.

This is embarrassing.

She said she wouldn’t record.

So this is what betrayal feels like.

Ah, I can put more honest emotion into it now.

What is this rising anger?

Isn’t this what they mean when they say—

“…Even if I die, I have to record this.”

“Blanc. I really hate to agree with you, but you’re right this time.”

The song gradually reaches its climax.

The peak.

And then, the conclusion.

The release of emotion.

But my emotions aren’t released.

“…Both of you. You said you wouldn’t record.”

“…Eli, do you know about the cloud?”

“My cloud? Upload it to the Association cloud first. Before I die.”

“If we share it one last time before dying, wouldn’t that be a good death?”

“Yes, we’ll have done our duty before departing. Everyone will give us at least one flower. Ah, but I’m a monster, so I won’t die easily. Farewell, Blanc.”

“Elise…? If I die, you die too…”

“Ah.”

“…We had fun, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

“Haha… I guess so.”

They’re striking some strange poses.

“What are you talking about… Sigh. Delete it right now, Blanc. You too, Eli.”

“The upload is already complete! Surrender, Vine! The great Lady Blanc is about to post your video to the magical girl group chat!”

“…What?”

“Haha! Vine! If you threaten us even a little, all these beautiful, cute, and adorable scenes will be sent to the magical girls!”

“Eli. If you threaten with that…”

…Group chat.

If it spreads there.

Wait, if it’s the group chat, wouldn’t Arin be there too…?

Eh…?

“Blanc…! It worked! Her killing intent has subsided a bit…!”

“…I wasn’t actually planning to post it to the group chat.”

…Right, better to compromise.

“The video you took today. I’ll let you keep it as long as only you and Eli see it.”

“That was the plan.”

“…If it gets shared anywhere, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Then… can I record more?”

“…As long as you don’t share it.”

If I can reduce my embarrassment through a reasonable compromise…

That’s better.

Eli looks at me with an expression of someone who just escaped death.

Then she starts looking for the next song.

“Next song! Sing another one! Yay!!”

“Eli… we came here to sing together. Did you come just to watch me sing…?”

“Hmm…? Of course I came to watch you sing and to sing myself!”

…Is this right?

“Eli…”

“Come on, what song will you sing next?”

…With her looking so expectant.

Sigh.

My anger from earlier has already faded.

And the camera seems to be properly focused on just me now.

“…Fine, I got it. I’ll sing. That’s what you want, right?”

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The title is fitting, isn’t it?

Since I am.

An enemy of magical girls.

“We all pretended…”

Wanting to be a hero.

That’s right.

Me, Eli.

Boss too.

In the end, what we all wanted was to save the world.

I don’t even need to put emotion into it.

Nevertheless, I’m a villain to people.

I’m already a villain, so why bother pretending otherwise?

Ha, don’t make me laugh.

“…Wow. Hup.”

Blanc gasps in admiration but covers her mouth.

She doesn’t want her voice in the video?

That dumbfounded face is quite a sight.

Well… it’s not like I haven’t seen that face before.

Pfft.

I saw that expression a lot when collecting energy.

Especially when evading the increasingly clever magical girls.

Finding ways to improve energy efficiency, methods to stir emotions.

The energy from incoming magical girls was quite good too.

With that experience, it’s no wonder I tried to bring in a magical girl to use for energy extraction.

Well… that magical girl did turn to our side under the pretext of corruption.

Right.

Civilian?

Even if they call me a civilian now, I’m an ex-villain.

And someone who will become a villain again.

If it’s to achieve my ideals.

With the final lyrics, the song ends.

Letting the lingering feeling last.

“Phew. How was it? Blanc? How was it, Eli?”

“…Wow.”

“Isn’t this a low-key song…? But why can you sing it so well…?”

Well.

I do have a higher voice.

In this body, I can produce a high female voice.

But with memories from when I was a man, I know how to produce lower notes.

Honestly, it’s not that difficult.

Still, I can’t produce a male voice.

The lowest range I can manage is just the mature female alto.

“Well. Anyone can do it with practice. Isn’t that something everyone can do?”

“Um… I don’t think so. I might be able to hit low notes, but I couldn’t sing that well… Ah, the video… need to back it up…!”

“What backup? I won’t insist you delete it.”

While Blanc is backing up the photos in a daze, Eli says:

“Vine… wow. If I’d known, we should have come to karaoke together more often…”

“Why? We can come again later.”

“Will you sing for us again?”

“Hmm… we’ll see?”

“I’ll be good. I’ll be really good… okay?”

“Alright, fine. Let’s come again.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And since we’re here, am I the only one singing? You sing now too.”

“Hmm… I don’t know many songs.”

“Don’t make excuses.”

“Heeeng…”

I hand the microphone to Eli and take my seat.

Eli sings a cute song.

But from my memory, that was a theme song from some animation…

And that animation had a magical girl as the protagonist, right?

Hmm… well, that’s possible.

“Blanc, what are you doing…?”

“Ah… just chatting with the Association Director.”

“…You didn’t send the video from earlier, did you?”

“No… not that. I’m getting scolded for releasing the seal and going outside without permission.”

“…You’re getting scolded?”

“Well, something like ‘you should have at least said something before leaving.’ It’s not really a reprimand… just surprise? It doesn’t matter much. Still, you’re a magic user who can use abilities.”

“Someone like you could probably subdue Eli with one finger.”

“I’m not that kind of monster.”

“You definitely are that kind of monster… it was always so hard to keep up with your growth.”

“Well… I was the one who followed you.”

As we chat just between ourselves, Eli seems annoyed.

“Hey! Hurry up and sing the next song. Hehehe… what song should I make you sing next… Ah, this one.”

…Wait.

She’s going to make me sing such a cute song?

Look, even Blanc is surprised.

“Elise…? Suyeon…? Is this right…?”

“Yes, it is. I want you and Vine to sing a duet!”

We sang for quite a while after that.

Well…

It started feeling more like my concert rather than singing together, so I forced them to sing too.

But it was fun.

Afterward, we went to the arcade.

Well… what would you expect in an arcade at a shopping mall?

Lots of claw machines, fighting games, or shooting games. Well… that kind of stuff.

A game where you shoot zombies and escape from somewhere?

Well… would that be more interesting than actually dodging real bullets?

It would be like a doctor watching a medical drama, or a fighter pilot riding a roller coaster.

So we just played the claw machines several times.

“Blanc…! This machine is strange…! It must be rigged…!”

“Well… people who can win will win anyway. But a large store like this probably wouldn’t blatantly rig it.”

“No! It just drops it right at the entrance…!”

“Hmm? Vine, step aside. I’ll get it for you.”

“Suyeon…?”

“Just… like this, along the wall. Yap.”

Whirr—

Thud—

Clunk!

“…How did you do that…?”

“Just skill. Here, this is what you wanted, right?”

Eli hands me the plush she just won from the machine.

“Grr…”

“You were hanging around here because you wanted it, right? Here, it’s a gift. Hey, Blanc. Want me to get one for you too?”

“Hmm? Sure! I want that pink mushroom over there!”

“That one? Hmm… pick something else. That position is too difficult.”

“Then that one.”

“Hey. Don’t just pick the difficult ones. Just get the same one as Vine.”

Eli wins another one in one try.

…Why is she so good at this?

“Thanks! It’s cute. Can I take a picture?”

“Sure. Go ahead. Ah, that one’s easy. I’ll get that one too.”

We ended up winning plushies from several machines.

We practically cleaned them out, returning home with our arms full of plushies.

It’s a secret that we ended up getting a third white whale plush because Eli insisted that it would be a couple item if only two of us had it, which was unacceptable.

Back home, we placed the plushies on our respective beds.

Then I noticed an alert on my phone, which rarely rings.

Blanc

– (Photo)

– We see each other every day, so why wasn’t Vine in the chat? I invited you and Eli to the family group chat here hehe

Crybaby

– ???

– whyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlywhyyouonlyiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogotoiwanttogoto

Blanc

– Calm down, Vine is here too

– And Eli

Crybaby

– …?

– Ah!

The mysterious gibberish in the chat has been deleted.

Pfft.

Tap, tap tap…

I want to post a message too.

Taking a photo of the whale plush I won earlier, click.

Me

– (Photo)

– Cute, right?

And one for the poor Crybaby.

Me

– (Photo)

– This is a gift.

“Vine! Let’s go take a bath! Hehehe… in the warm water…”

“What are you saying, Eli.”

I was only in my underwear.

Covering myself with my fingers. In the mirror.

Ah, she didn’t see, right?

I should delete this.

There’s a number 5 floating next to it.

Well. That’s probably because I read it.

I quickly delete it and send another random photo.

“Vineee!!”

“Yeah yeah. Get out.”

Sigh. I need to wash up.

She’ll probably make excuses to touch me again.