The Hype is Unreal! An Idol Concert!

"Wait, why is Laura here?"

"Because I heard you got lost—still as directionally challenged as ever, I see."

"Look, I just have trouble navigating places I’ve never been to before. It’s not as bad as you're making it out to be."

"Is that so? I seem to recall the labyrinths being a literal hell whenever Lufel’s airheadedness and your lack of direction combined."

I felt a pang of bitterness as that memory resurfaced.

It was a story from back in the other world—a certain ancient labyrinth. I've since reflected on my actions, but at the time... between me charging off wherever I pleased in that complex maze and Lufel wandering toward anything that caught her eye, the result was a total train wreck.

"............Just forget that happened."

"You expect me to forget that? Don't ask for the impossible."

I knew it was an unreasonable request, considering I remembered it too. But from Laura’s perspective—the one who had to work the hardest as the group's sole voice of reason back then—the memory was apparently so traumatic that it left her radiating a sense of profound melancholy.

"Sorry, Laura. It seems the Reima of every world lacks a sense of direction."

"...I see. It's the same here, too. I see..."

Wait, am I really so pathetic that it warrants her hanging her head in despair?

No... surely I was better than that. Or so I thought. Watching the two of them bond over how hopeless I was made me feel completely pathetic. I shot a look toward Shiki, pleading for backup, but she just gave me a slow, pitying shake of her head. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.

"...Wait, where’s Asahi?"

"Asahi already headed to the venue with another friend. Apparently, she won tickets in the lottery."

"Huh... Asahi’s got some luck."

My reaction was a bit blunt, but according to Shiki’s info, the venue for Kushinada’s Shinjuku concert only held about four thousand people. Given her follower count, the odds of winning were supposedly sixty to one.

Shiki had been frustrated because she couldn't secure tickets even with Ayane’s help, yet Asahi just casually won them on her own?

"Well, it doesn't matter now since my best friend hooked us up! Let’s get moving!"

"Roger... so, we have one extra. Do you want it, Laura?"

"I never said I particularly wanted one..."

She replied while looking away, though she’d been stealing glances at the ticket for a while. Fine, I’ll just see if anyone else who likes festivals wants it, I thought, scanning the area.

"In that case, Ba—"

"I also didn't say I wouldn't take it! It’s a rare occasion, after all!"

"You could have just said that from the start. We’ve only got thirty minutes until the show, so let’s hurry."

I dismissed my [Summoned Beast] for the time being. Together with Ayane, Shiki, and Laura, I headed to the venue. Thanks to the special passes, we were led past the crowds to the front-row section usually reserved for staff.

"............Hey, Saaya-san gave these to you, right?"

"Well... yeah."

"Who the hell is she, seriously? Competent people are terrifying."

Between the tickets and my Adventurer license, the identity verification was seamless. I’d never seen a show from such amazing seats before; the pre-show jitters were already hitting me hard.

Thanks to Shiki’s tireless indoctrination, I knew the fan calls perfectly. More than that, I had to face the reality that I was actually starting to become a fan myself. By the time there were ten minutes left on the clock, I was too restless with excitement to sit still.

Then, the ten minutes passed. The entire venue fell into a silence so heavy I could feel the tension radiating from the musicians on stage—the performers behind the drums, guitar, shamisen, and taiko. Then, she appeared from the wings.

Her long, pale-green hair was tied in a side-tail on the right. Dressed in an idol outfit designed to look like glittering shrine maiden robes, she gripped her microphone and flashed a smile in our direction.

"It’s the fiftieth anniversary of the Dungeon Festival. Since I was invited... how about we start with a new song? Listen to... [Sakutsukiyo]."

A momentary silence followed. Then, with a single strike of the shamisen—it began.

The music flowed, buoying her voice. It was up-tempo but not aggressive; a gentle, resonant melody. It wasn't like her debut song Shiki had made me listen to—which was all about "moving forward together." This was different. This was a song about "staying by someone's side."

The crowd was spellbound. More than just hearing it, they were feeling it.

Being part of this space, I understood. This was a song for those working hard, a song of support... but I felt there was more to it than that.

"............Huh?"

The whisper escaped my lips involuntarily as tears began to spill down my cheeks.

I didn't understand why. It wasn't just because the music was good. A dull ache throbbed in my head... something inside me was being stirred, shaken to its core. My heart was filled with a singular, overwhelming thought: I'm so glad. I'm so glad I could finally fulfill the promise.

"...Phew. Yeah. Ehehe. I finally got to sing it."

The song ended, and the silence was instantly replaced by a deafening roar of applause.

For some reason, the sentimentality of the song made time feel like it had frozen. I was so dazed that my applause was a beat late, but I managed to join in.

"Next up is my debut song! [Swaying Furisode, Piercing Katana]! I’m going to give this everything I’ve got, so keep up with me!"

And that was when it happened.

The ground didn't just shake. A tremor erupted—one far more violent and isolated than anything we'd felt recently. A Dungeon was manifesting, tearing through the earth right at the back of the concert venue.

"—Why?"

The mutter came from Laura beside me.

But the words were mine as well. An "Outbreak"—a phenomenon where monsters escape a Dungeon—was happening instantly, something that should have been impossible. And the creature emerging from the rift was someone I knew all too well.

"As I suspected, this is a different world. No matter. My role remains unchanged; I exist only to grant ruin. But... ah... we meet again."

The creature paused.

It paid no mind to Kushinada nearby. It showed zero interest in the thousands of humans packed into the venue. Its gaze was fixed solely on me—and it smiled with terrifying tenderness.

"I am Saiya Volnyuks, the Demon King beloved by the earth, the one who brings forth calamity. Now, human, overcome the trial that is I—or so I should say. But I cannot. One look at you, and I know it is impossible. I cannot control this emotion. Therefore, I shall destroy you utterly."

The creature was a high-tier earth spirit, a monster known in the other world as a [Demon King Seed]. It was one of the [Four Heavenly Kings]—the very first one we had defeated in Mythologia, an existence we were supposed to have ended.

But... this was the one enemy we could never fight in this world.

To be precise, it was the literal embodiment of disaster. You could not fight it in a city, not in a place so closely connected to the earth.

"Now, Hero... my beloved monster. What will you do?"

The question was hurled at me as I stood reflected in her eyes. Then, from the very ground beneath us, dozens of her kin began to crawl.