The performance by the duo of Isis-san and Lilliwood-san began. Just as Alice and Fate-san had promised, Lilliwood-san was an exceptional singer. Her resonant, sweeping voice was a perfect match for a ballad like this.
However, Lilliwood-san seemed to be focusing entirely on supporting Isis-san. Rather than taking the lead, she adjusted her vocals to perfectly accentuate Isis-san’s performance.
As for Isis-san’s singing itself... well, she wasn't exactly what I’d call a master vocalist. Her voice was beautiful, of course, and she was certainly better than your average amateur. But—leaving aside the "disasters" that were Shiro-san, Chronoa-san, and Life-san—Laguna-san’s team had been superior in terms of raw technical skill.
And yet... here I was. Even though the opposing Blue Duo hadn't even set foot on the stage, I was already struggling to keep my hand from reaching for the red victory flag.
The sight of Isis-san clutching the microphone with both hands, singing with every ounce of her soul, was just too precious. My brain was on the verge of short-circuiting as the thought "Can't we just let Isis-san win already?" looped endlessly in my head.
She was simply too adorable. Because I could feel how much effort she was putting into it, her less-than-perfect technique actually made the performance feel more genuine and endearing.
In terms of pure visual impact, she was the undisputed champion of the night so far.
When Isis-san finished her song, a hearty round of applause broke out. I couldn't help but notice that a fair number of people were subtly backing away from the stage—likely out of habit due to her aura—but Isis-san looked genuinely delighted regardless.
"Hmm, that was quite good. It felt like the Death King didn't have much experience, but the World King’s support kept everything perfectly balanced."
"I agree. Plus, the judge this time is Kaito-san. He’s usually a softie, but he’s notoriously weak when it comes to Kuro-san and Isis-san. A half-hearted opponent won't stand a chance. By the way, he’s always so strict with me! Why is that?! I’m your adorable girlfriend, you know!"
"Well, you are Shaltan, after all. It’s only natural."
"Even Fate-san is being mean to me?!"
Setting aside the question of whether I was biased or not, it was certainly true that any average opponent would find it impossible to overcome the sheer angelic charm Isis-san brought to the stage.
"Now then, let's introduce our Blue Duo! Will she be able to make a hundred friends? No, no—this person’s friends easily exceed a hundred thousand! Is this what they call true charisma? The First Fairy King, Raz-san!"
"Yes, I'm here!"
"And her partner is the current ruler of the historic Arclesia Empire! Her hobbies include horse riding and chess! Recently, she’s been showing a more human side, which has really boosted her rating in Alice-chan’s book! It’s Chris-san!"
Raz-san and Chris-san? That was a surprising combination. Were they close? Well, Raz-san was such a social butterfly that she probably got along with everyone she met.
Come to think of it, Chris-san was an acquaintance of Kuro’s. If that was the case, it made sense that she would be on good terms with Raz-san, who was a member of Kuro’s Family.
"Chris-san! Let's do our best together!"
"Hehe... Yes, let's give it our all."
The two exchanged a few brief words on the stage. As Chris-san looked down at Raz-san—who was small and energetic, clutching her hands together—her gaze was remarkably gentle. I could tell they genuinely enjoyed each other's company.
The song they chose was a bright, upbeat track. Coincidentally, much like the previous pair, Raz-san took the lead while Chris-san provided the vocal foundation.
Raz-san used every inch of the stage, flying around energetically as she sang. It was, in its own way, incredibly cute.
"This is excellent. The pop melody is a perfect fit for Raz-san’s voice. And Chris-san is doing a wonderful job as well. Her singing is stable and textbook-perfect."
"In terms of raw talent, this is a very close match. It’s a real toss-up. Now then, Kai-chan, which flag are you going to raise?"
This was a difficult judgment to make. It had turned into a battle of cuteness. There was Isis-san’s straightforward, earnest performance that tugged at the heartstrings, and then there was Raz-san’s lively, innocent charm.
They were neck and neck. This was easily the hardest decision I’d had to make so far.
After agonizing over it for a long while, I finally made my choice and raised the flag.
"Oh! Kaito-san has chosen... Red! That means the duo of Isis-san and Lilliwood-san takes the victory! By the way, Kaito-san, could you tell us your reasoning?"
"To be honest, I was very torn. Both teams were spectacular. Choosing between Isis-san and Raz-san’s vocals was nearly impossible. However, the deciding factor was the support provided by Lilliwood-san and Chris-san. While Chris-san was very skilled, Lilliwood-san’s ability to elevate her partner was on another level, and that’s why I gave them the win."
"I see! Thank you very much. I’m actually shocked you gave me such a logical and sensible answer."
"Hey..."
Regardless, Isis-san and Lilliwood-san officially advanced to the second round. It was truly unfortunate for Raz-san and Chris-san; against any other opponent, they likely would have swept the round.
The first round of the Duo Karaoke Battle continued smoothly after that. The Earth Group, Aoi-chan and Hina-chan, sang a few tracks that were very nostalgic for me, managing to defeat the royal sibling duo of Princess Amalie and Prince Orchid.
Next, Lilia-san and Sieg-san performed. While they lacked any flashy gimmicks, their singing was steady, refined, and professional, securing them a win over the duo of Acht and Eva.
In another surprising turn, Anima and Caraway-san stepped onto the stage as a team. I wondered when they had become such good friends. While neither was a professional-level singer, their powerful, heartfelt delivery won over the crowd, allowing them to defeat the red-haired twins, Eta and Theta.
As for the twins... well, Eta was actually quite decent, but it seemed Theta wasn't used to singing at all. Her pitch was all over the place. Still, it was much easier on the ears than the "hellish" performance by Chronoa-san and Life-san.
The biggest shock, however, was seeing Illness-san pair up with Pandora-san. Had they simply been the last two people without partners? It was a bizarre combination, but they were surprisingly well-synchronized and managed to pull off a decisive victory.
The first round progressed until we finally reached the very last match. Appearing as the Red Duo were Rei-san and Fia-san, the husband and wife pair. After they finished a beautiful duet, the final team finally took the stage.
"All right! The final duo of the first round is... me! Alice-chan! And—"
"Can I just quit now?"
"Wait a second! Fate-san, we haven't even started yet! Please, work with me here!"
"It’s such a hassle..."
The final pair was none other than Alice and Fate-san, who had been serving as our hosts.
I wasn't sure what to expect. Alice was undoubtedly a master performer; she was likely the favorite to win the whole thing. The problem was Fate-san’s complete lack of motivation. Since this was a duo competition, it didn't matter how good Alice was if Fate-san refused to sing.
Alice looked at Fate-san—who was currently lounging on a cushion floating in mid-air—and put on a thoughtful expression. She set down her microphone and whispered something into Fate-san’s ear.
"Wait, really? Is that actually how it’ll go?"
"It will. I guarantee it."
"Ugh... fine. Then let's go with this."
Fate-san reacted visibly to whatever Alice had whispered. After a moment of consideration, she held up one finger. Alice shook her head and showed Fate-san all five fingers on her hand.
Fate-san shook her head in return and held up two fingers. Alice shook her head again and held up four.
It was clearly a negotiation. Eventually, both of them held up three fingers as a sign of agreement. Fate-san finally floated down from her cushion and grabbed a microphone.
"I guess I have no choice. I'll put in a little bit of effort, then."
"Oh! This is a rare sight! It’s been tens of thousands of years since Fate-san got serious, hasn't it?"
"No... recently I had to get serious for the first time in twenty thousand years because Shallow Vernal-sama gave me an order involving Kai-chan..."
"The fact that it took twenty thousand years to get to that point is impressive in its own way."
It seemed Fate-san was actually going to try. The Goddess who never lifted a finger unless it involved Shiro-san had officially declared she would get serious.
Twenty thousand years, though... It was so typical of her. Still, my expectations were high.
Dear Mother, Father—The performances of the other two Supreme Gods were catastrophic, but I wondered how Fate-san would be. Since Alice chose her, surely she must be good. But more than that, I couldn't stop wondering about what kind of deal Alice had struck to get her to cooperate. What sort of conditions could she have offered?
Serious-senpai: "Wait! What about the duo of me and Heart?!"
???: "You lost. It was a pretty bad performance, honestly. There isn't a single decent singer among the Gods, is there?"
Serious-senpai: "You're cutting our entire segment?!"