Chronoa-san and Life-san’s song finally came to an end. Honestly, how should I even describe it? To put it mildly, it was "hell."
Both Chronoa-san and Life-san had inherently beautiful voices. Chronoa-san’s was dignified and sharp, while Life-san’s was gentle and soft. However, they hadn't made use of those fine natural gifts in the slightest.
If I had to put it into words, it was as if dissonance and dissonance had undergone some mysterious chemical reaction, transforming into something even more ghastly. It was the first time in my life I had ever experienced the sensation of wanting to throw up just from listening to a song. If possible, I would have preferred to go my entire life without knowing that feeling.
I didn't understand how it had turned into such a disaster. More importantly, I couldn't fathom why Chronoa-san and Life-san wore expressions of utter triumph and accomplishment after unleashing a performance that could only be described as a massacre.
Could it be that they didn't realize how terrible their singing was? I suppose since they were Supreme Gods, very few people would ever have the courage to look them in the eye and tell them they were awful.
"That was a god-awful song. A pig's squeal would be more artistic."
""...Eh?""
Well, I stood corrected. There was one person who would say it with total nonchalance. It was actually frightening to see how genuinely shocked Chronoa-san and Life-san looked.
Apparently, they really did have confidence in their singing. If that was the case, then perhaps Shiro-san was uninvolved in this particular catastrophe?
"Oh? At this moment, a message has arrived from the pinnacle of the God Realm, Creator God Shallow Vernal-sama. I shall read it aloud: 'In my name, I hereby forbid the God of Space-Time and the God of Life from performing songs for others from tomorrow onward.' ...Or so it says."
""Shallow Vernal-sama!?""
A formal prohibition order had been issued in the name of the Creator God herself. Since it specified "from tomorrow onward," I wondered if she was considering the possibility of them winning their way through the bracket today. No, in all honesty, I didn't think there was a soul alive who could sing worse than those two.
"Now then, with the punchline neatly delivered, let’s move on. Come on, Fate-san, take out your earplugs."
"It's incredible, isn't it? I have to wonder what set of circumstances leads to a karaoke contest looking like a scene of collective food poisoning."
"It was a tragic incident, to be sure. Well, pulling ourselves together, let’s introduce the blue team... the only parent-child pair in this contest! We have the maid of the Ducal House of Albert, Lunamaria-san, and her mother, Noah-san—the former top-class adventurer once known as the 'Bloody Princess'!"
Oh, the next pair was Luna-san and Noah-san. But wait, was it just my imagination? The highlights in Luna-san’s eyes seemed to have vanished. Even though the first hell had concluded, she looked like she was about to march into an even deeper one.
I wondered what was wrong. Was there something special about this pair as well?
"Let’s have them sing right away. The title is: 'Falling in Love ☆ Lovely ☆ Vampire'!"
"──!?"
I felt like I just heard a song title that made my head throb. And weren't "Falling in Love" and "Lovely" a bit redundant?
Feeling a different kind of shock than before, I turned my attention to the two on stage as they began to sing. This was... painful to watch.
The singing itself was fine. Technical skill-wise, they were leagues ahead of the previous duo. But the song... how should I put it? It sounded like the opening theme to a children's anime that aired on Sunday mornings. It was an incredibly bubbly, "kyapi-kyapi" sort of song.
Since Noah-san had a small, child-like stature, the song didn't feel entirely out of place for her. However, seeing Luna-san do it... it was hard to watch without feeling a sense of secondhand embarrassment.
Luna-san looked like she was on the verge of tears, her voice trembling under the weight of a super-dreadnought-class sense of shame. It was a sight so pitiful it almost made me want to cry for her.
I see. So that was why she had such a haunted look when she walked out. Noah-san must have been the one to choose the song, and Luna-san had been unable to refuse.
This was a truly miserable battle. On one side, you had a tone-deaf duo for whom the word "dissonance" was an understatement. On the other, you had a pair that made you feel like you were witnessing something you shouldn't see. In a sense, it was a messy fight where no one really won.
Finally, the song ended, and it was time for my judgment. I looked at the flags in my hands and then stole a glance at Luna-san on stage.
Noticing my gaze, Luna-san shook her head with every ounce of strength she had left, her face nearly wet with tears. Her silent plea was as clear as day: "Please, I’m begging you, do not let me advance."
"...The winner is blue! The Lunamaria-san and Noah-san duo wins! By the way, since the reason for the loss is too obvious to state, I won't bother asking for the judge's reasoning this time."
...I’m sorry, Luna-san. I just couldn't let you lose. Even if I was the only one who had to suffer through it, I couldn't subject the rest of the audience to that first massacre of a singing voice a second time.
Apologizing in my heart to Luna-san as she collapsed in despair, I cleared my mind and prepared for the next match.
If possible, I really hoped the next one would be a high-level performance rather than another tragic struggle.
"Now for the third match! For the red team... here they come! The heavy favorites! A person whose voice very few have ever heard, and of course, this is her first public singing performance! Creator God, Shallow Vernal-sama! And her partner is our very own Underworld King, who rarely sings but boasts immense popularity for the voice she reveals on special occasions! Kuromueina-san!"
"Now this... this feels like the real deal. The Underworld King is already famous for songs like 'Small Story' that was a huge hit a century ago, and Shallow Vernal-sama's singing is bound to be perfect. They’re the favorites to win the whole thing."
"By the way, I’m the one who wrote and composed the song!"
"...I didn't know that. Shaltan, how many names do you actually have?"
"I stopped counting after a thousand."
"Small Story"? I felt like I’d heard that somewhere before... Ah, I remembered. That was the song Illness-san had been singing. So that had been Kuro's song all along.
And Alice... you again. You’ve really left your mark in too many fields. You definitely did that just to make money. Since patents existed in this world, it wouldn't be surprising if there were copyrights as well.
However, with the nearly almighty Shiro-san and a famous singer like Kuro, this duo really was the one to beat.
Shiro-san and Kuro prepared with quiet, dignified movements. Then they began to sing—and they were incredible.
Wait, what? No, they were too good. It wasn't even music anymore; it was more like a high form of art. It was simply breathtaking. Especially Shiro-san. Her voice felt like it was echoing directly into my soul—an overwhelming, ethereal sound. Tears actually came to my eyes, and it wasn't even a sad ballad.
I honestly couldn't find the words to describe it. Even though she was just standing there singing, her presence was so immense that I couldn't look away for a second.
Before I knew it, the song was over, and a heavy silence fell over the hall. After a long pause, the room exploded with thunderous cheers and applause.
"That was... unbelievable. It was truly a divine voice. I feel like I’ve just been shown a glimpse of a higher plane of existence."
"As expected of Shallow Vernal-sama. Honestly, can't we just declare her the winner right now?"
Even Alice seemed unable to hide her genuine shock at Shiro-san’s singing. It was, quite literally, on a different level. I started to feel sorry for the duo that had to follow that...
"...Right, my apologies. It feels a bit cruel to make them go now, but let’s have the blue team perform as well. She’s the town’s kind doctor with the face of a sister, and she has experience singing hymns! Fia-san! And for her partner... can she even sing in that armor? Since it's made of magic, I suppose it won't muffle her voice... it's the Noin-san duo!"
"Noin, this is no good. We can't win after that."
"The criteria isn't just singing ability, so the possibility isn't zero."
Stepping up to face the Shiro-san and Kuro duo were Fia-sensei and Noin-san. However, in the wake of that divine performance, they both looked a bit cowed.
Since the judging criteria was based on my personal preference, it wasn't strictly about technical skill. However, I didn't think a mediocre song could possibly overcome the impact I’d just felt.
As I was thinking that, the instruments held by the Alice Orchestra changed. A koto and a shamisen? Wait, was it going to be a Japanese song?
Now this was interesting. If it was something like a Japanese folk song, the melody would be unique, and it would be familiar to me.
But as Alice began to play and the melody started, Fia-sensei’s face suddenly went pale with panic.
"Wait, what is this? What is this song!? Noin! I told you to pick a mainstream song! I’m hearing music I’ve never heard coming from instruments I’ve never seen!"
"I... I thought it was a famous song..."
"Isn't that just because it was famous in the world you came from, Noin!? Oh, for heaven's sake, I shouldn't have let you choose!"
...This was a disaster. Before we even got to the quality of the singing, only Noin-san actually knew how to sing it. I recognized the tune—I couldn't remember the name, but I’d definitely heard it at summer festivals back home.
It was a famous song, but only in Japan. To Fia-sensei, who was born and raised in this world, it was complete gibberish.
In the end, the performance finished with only Noin-san singing while Fia-sensei stood there in confusion. I quietly raised the red flag.
"The song choice wasn't bad in itself, but it’s no use if your partner doesn't know the lyrics."
"Was it a song from Kai-chan's world? In that sense, it was actually a great tactical choice... By the way, Shaltan, can you sing that one?"
"With ease."
"Shaltan, you really are something else..."
Fate-san looked a bit exasperated at Alice’s claim that she could even sing Japanese folk songs, but she seemed to find it too much effort to argue and moved the conversation along.
"Now, let’s get back on track and move to the next round. For the red team... I haven't heard this person sing either, so her skill is a total mystery. If anything, her image color is usually blue, but today she appears for the red team! Death King, Isis-san! And her partner is someone famous for viewing song as a dialogue with nature. When it comes to singing, the Spirit Race is second to none, and their leader is bound to be a master! World King, Lilliwood-san!"
"Hmm, the Death King is a wildcard... but the World King is a legendary singer, isn't she?"
"Yes, the Spirit Race performs beautiful songs every year at the Hero Festival. Their leader surely possesses talent worthy of her status. This should be a treat."
The next to take the stage was the "Good Friends Duo" of Isis-san and Lilliwood-san. As Isis-san walked up, she caught my eye and gave me a tiny, bashful wave with a sweet smile. She was adorable.
Dear Mother, Father—The karaoke contest is proceeding through a series of wild ups and downs. Chronoa-san and Life-san’s singing was a shock, but the biggest surprise of all was still Shiro-san. That person really is—simply too much of a cheat.