The Snowwolf Band had fought their way up from the very bottom of the open auditions, carving a bloody path through the competition.
During that time, Shigure Kira had been dragged into several chaotic, bewildering rehearsals. But honestly, she hadn't felt exhausted.
Compared to their usual Valkyrie training, the band rehearsals felt like a literal vacation. In fact, Kira even found herself wanting to practice more.
She initially assumed this completely unserious, joke of a band would quickly be eliminated during the auditions due to her actual singing ability, vanishing seamlessly into the sea of failed contestants.
The only legacy they would leave behind would be a minor urban legend: "I heard there was a contestant in the auditions who sang so terribly she caused physical damage," which would be memed for a month or two before being forgotten entirely.
However, Siegfried was clearly not satisfied with that outcome.
After all the hardships they had endured to get here... how could he accept such an anticlimactic ending?!
And so, Siegfried underwent his umpteenth Shōnen Protagonist Power-Up.
Having never formally studied music theory in his entire life, he locked himself in a room with several thick textbooks. Forcibly suppressing his innate Kaslana genetic defect—"falling asleep instantly when looking at complex information"—he crash-coursed his way into becoming a highly competent rock musician in exactly two weeks.
Then, alongside the equally hyped-up Cecilia, he dragged the entire band directly into the live finals.
People don't feel tired when they're committing crimes. Especially when the culprit is a Kaslana bursting with infinite, stubborn energy.
"Um..."
Rubbing his no-longer-swollen cheek, Siegfried walked back over to Shigure Kira, rubbing his hands together with an apologetic smile.
"If you really don't want to do this, how about... we just run away right now?"
"Huh?" Kira's expression twisted in confusion.
Siegfried gulped, his eyes darting around guiltily, not daring to look at her directly. "There's still time to withdraw! As long as we move fast enough, before security realizes what's happening, we can just hop the fence out back! I guarantee no one will be able to catch us!"
As he spoke, he actually mimed vaulting over a wall, as if he had genuinely planned out an entire escape route.
"Worst comes to worst, I'll just carry you on my back and run! Hey, I'm super experienced at this. It wouldn't be the first time I've carried you while running for our lives!
"You know how fast I am! I promise no one will even see us!"
Shigure Kira: "..."
She took a deep breath, silently raised a hand, pinched Siegfried's cheek, and pulled hard.
"I—Ab-so-lute-ly—Re-fuse!"
"Ow, ow, ow, ow..."
When Kira let go, Siegfried hopped to the side, cradling his throbbing cheek.
Meanwhile, hearing Kira's answer, the rest of the squad exchanged knowing, unspoken smiles.
Kira looked up. The eyes that had been burning with fury just moments ago were now ablaze with a completely different kind of fire.
"I'm not running."
She turned around, her gaze piercing through the walls of the waiting room, looking directly toward the main stage.
Even from backstage, they could hear the tsunami of cheers roaring from the audience.
That was the sound of the stage.
That was the sound... of an idol.
"Siegfried, you idiot. You were right about at least one thing."
Kira's voice was soft, yet every word was crystal clear.
"This is exactly the stage I've always dreamed of."
She reached up and pressed a hand against her chest.
There, something called a "dream" was beating violently, as if trying to tear its way out of her ribcage.
"Ever since I was little, I dreamed that one day, I would stand on a massive stage like this. Wearing beautiful clothes, singing a beautiful song, with everyone watching me, cheering for me, applauding for me.
"Even if it's only for a single moment.
"Even if... I'm only standing up there as a joke."
She turned her head and looked at Siegfried, the corner of her lips curving upward.
"I want to experience it just once... That feeling of being the center of attention. That... illusion of feeling like I am the protagonist of the world.
"So, I'm not running.
"Even if the entire audience laughs at me the moment I open my mouth. Even if the Judges scold me until I cry. Even if I become Arc City's biggest laughingstock for the next ten years...
"I'm still going to stand on that stage."
The waiting room fell silent once more.
Siegfried smiled. He had fully anticipated Kira's answer. They all had.
"Sigh... It seems the legendary reputation of the Snowwolf Squad ends here tonight~" Shub stretched lazily and stood up from the sofa.
"Thanks to a certain someone, our reputation has never exactly been stellar to begin with." A faint smile graced Salome's lips. She glanced helplessly at the grinning Siegfried and sighed.
"But isn't that exactly why everyone is drawn to Siegfried?" Cecilia clapped her hands, laughing cheerfully.
Cheng Lixue sighed, but she didn't offer any rebuttal.
Siegfried stepped forward and placed his hand on Kira's shoulder once more.
"Alright!
"I forgot the first part of the speech, and I forgot the second part too. But anyway... Let's use our performance to set this entire stage ablaze!!"
"YAHOOO!!!"
Shub was the first to roar in response, pumping her fist in the air like a true rockstar.
"For the Snowwolf Squad! For our idol! For... destroying the world!"
"For Kira's dream," Cecilia said softly, her eyes filled with warmth.
"Sigh..." Cheng Lixue offered a rare, extra word. "For victory."
Looking at this group of absolute lunatics, looking at these teammates who were completely willing to go insane alongside her, Kira suddenly felt a burning heat behind her eyes.
"Idiots."
She muttered under her breath, her voice choked with emotion.
"No one asked you guys to come down with me..."
"Of course we're coming down with you!" Siegfried puffed his chest out proudly. "We are the Snowwolf Squad! We live together, die together, and share in glory and absolute humiliation together!"
Kiana rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't suppress the smile creeping onto her face.
Yes. This was the stage she had dreamed of.
Becoming an idol had been Shigure Kira's dream since she was a child. Even now, that dream would occasionally resurface in her heart.
But she knew very well... she had absolutely no talent for singing. As she grew older, that stage felt like it was getting closer, yet simultaneously moving further and further away.
With her status and achievements as a high-ranking Valkyrie, she could easily secure a spot on a stage of this magnitude. But based on her actual singing ability, she felt she could never truly earn the right to stand there.
To step onto a stage like this, relying purely on one's own capabilities... Could something like that truly happen to me? Could such a miracle actually exist in this world?
But it did happen.
The miracle had occurred.
A massive idiot, leading a group of people perfectly willing to indulge his chaotic nonsense, had charged out of nowhere and dragged her all the way here.
They had all fought incredibly hard to give her this opportunity...
Even if this was entirely Siegfried's elaborate prank on her, the fact remained that he had genuinely crammed two weeks of intense music theory. He hadn't suffered any less than she had.
Shigure Kira had to consider whether this would be the only chance she ever had in her entire life.
She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the microphone.
"Let's go.
"Let's... bring this damn show to a perfect conclusion!"