Alice and Fate’s performance was... well, as spectacular as I had anticipated. Alice leveraged her extraordinary capabilities to the fullest, showcasing a vocal range that was second only to Shiro’s. Fate didn't let herself be overshadowed either, blending her voice seamlessly into a gorgeous harmony.
It seemed that unlike Chronoa and Life, Fate was actually quite a talented singer.
Naturally, the match ended in a victory for the Alice and Fate duo. I felt for Rei and Fia; they simply had the worst luck with their opponent. Their duet, marked by the kind of perfect synchronization only a married couple could achieve, was lovely. Against any other opponent, they might have stood a chance.
With the first round finished, the winners moved on to the next stage. It wasn't a strict tournament bracket, so the match order appeared to be randomized.
At this point, the top contenders for the championship were the Kuro and Shiro duo, whose singing was on an entirely different plane of existence. Trailing them were the Alice and Fate duo with their perfect harmony, and the Isis and Lilliwood duo, who were overwhelmingly strong in terms of visual appeal.
However, after seeing all the pairs perform, Shiro’s vocal ability was simply too overwhelming. Whoever was matched against them in the second round was effectively doomed. Unfortunately, that "cursed" slot went to Aoi and Hina.
Furthermore, Kuro and Shiro went first again, delivering a staggering performance that was every bit as soul-shaking as their first.
“...Aoi-senpai, this is impossible.”
“...For now, let’s just do what we can.”
Much like the Noin and Fia duo in the first round, the two of them stepped onto the stage with expressions of quiet resignation. Then, the song they requested was a title I actually recognized.
Wait, wasn't that song the debut hit of a group that reached number one on the charts only six months before we were summoned to this world?
Isn't this a bit too recent? Even for the Alice Orchestra, surely they—how can they play it!?
Before I knew it, the instruments held by the Alice Orchestra had swapped to guitars and drums, and they were nonchalantly performing the requested song.
Hey, don’t go adding a guitar arrangement during the interlude! Are you actually from Earth?
To be honest, I was more shocked by Alice effortlessly playing the latest song from my old world than I was by Aoi and Hina’s singing, but well... it’s Alice. I should probably just accept it.
Aoi and Hina’s singing was quite good, but they couldn't reach the level of Shiro’s voice. They were eliminated there.
The contest continued smoothly after that until the Top 4 were finally decided.
First, with overwhelming singing power that literally crushed their opponents, was the Kuro and Shiro duo. Next was the Alice and Fate duo, who mastered songs of various styles and advanced without a hitch.
Then there was the Isis and Lilliwood duo, who had completely won over the judge—me—and advanced through overwhelming preciousness. And finally, though they were blessed with their matchups, the Laguna and Falce duo advanced with their stable singing voices.
These four pairs were set to compete in the semi-finals. And the first match-up could be called the "true finals" without exaggeration.
The Kuro and Shiro duo versus the Alice and Fate duo.
“Now then, the semi-finals are finally here! Fate, this is the critical moment!”
Ever since participating in the first round, Alice and Fate had been providing live commentary and analysis from the stage.
“N-No, Shaltan. Let’s stop this. Really, let’s just forfeit... Even if it’s just singing, I can’t possibly fight Shallow Vernal-sama...”
“...God of Fate.”
“Hyaie!?”
“For this match only, I grant you total informality. Challenge me with everything you have.”
“Yes! Even if it costs me my life!!”
Fate had been adamantly refusing to sing against Shiro, but once she received permission to waive all etiquette, she gripped the microphone with a look of absolute seriousness.
And so, the battle between the two top-tier teams began.
Kuro and Shiro delivered their usual overwhelming vocal performance, but Alice and Fate didn't back down. With voices more synchronized than ever, they pushed each other to new heights and delivered a magnificent song.
Once both sides finished, they waited for my judgment. The red flag for Kuro and Shiro, or the blue flag for Alice and Fate.
After agonizing over it for a long time, I slowly raised the blue flag.
“Oh, this is... B-Blue!? It’s blue!! I-I’m quite surprised myself... but we win!”
“W-Wait a minute, Kai-chan!? Explain! Tell me why! Why us!?”
The winners themselves were the most surprised. Fate, in particular, was practically begging for an explanation. I took the microphone from one of Alice’s split bodies and spoke as the entire venue’s attention focused on me.
“...To be honest, in terms of pure singing ability, Shiro is number one. Compared to all the participants, she was peerless.”
“Y-Yeah! Right! Shallow Vernal-sama is the best! If that's the case...”
“However, Kuro couldn't quite keep up with that overwhelming voice. Shiro also didn't seem interested in matching Kuro's pace, so there was a slight sense of dissonance.”
“What!?”
Even if they weren't perfectly in sync, the gap was truly minuscule. In fact, until now, I hadn't even noticed any dissonance, and they had advanced with overwhelming victories.
It wasn't that Kuro was bad. In fact, alongside Alice, her singing ability was second only to Shiro’s.
However, how should I put it? Just because the two best singers pair up doesn't mean they can create the best harmony as a duo; it’s not that simple.
Being good at singing also means that person’s unique character and individuality come out strongly. It’s interesting how that can actually make it harder to harmonize.
“Especially this time, because the opponents were Alice and Fate—a duo that displayed the best harmony I’ve heard—that dissonance felt much stronger than before.”
Coincidentally, because their opponents were a duo with perfect combination and singing ability second only to Kuro and Shiro, the dissonance became more apparent.
“...Since this is a Duo Karaoke Battle, I’ve decided the winners are Alice and Fate.”
“Mmuuu...”
“...Kaito-san, you were listening quite closely. Sympathy Magic probably had some influence, but I see. That’s a reason I can accept.”
Once I finished explaining my reasoning, Fate went silent, and Alice nodded in agreement. Then, before I realized it, Shiro had approached me and spoke in her usual monotone voice.
“...Was my singing ability the best?”
“Eh? Yeah, if it were an individual contest, Shiro, you would have won overwhelmingly.”
“I see. In that case, I have no objection to the judgment.”
“But since it’s a duo battle, you need to match Kuro a bit more.”
“...Hmm, I understand.”
In the case of the Kuro and Shiro duo, Kuro was trying her best to match her partner, but it felt like Shiro was singing while ignoring that effort.
If Shiro had listened to Kuro’s voice even a little and adjusted... the result probably would have been different.
“Ah—everyone in the audience, I’m sure you already know, but just a heads up. Kaito-san is the only one allowed to say things like that to Shallow Vernal-sama. If anyone else made a similar comment, the Gods would come for you. Actually, the moment anyone other than Kaito-san judged Shallow Vernal-sama to be the loser, they would have been killed.”
“True. But well, if Kai-chan says so, it can’t be helped. Shallow Vernal-sama seems to accept it as well.”
Hearing those alarming remarks, I fearfully glanced toward where Chronoa and the others were. Chronoa, Life, Shia, and Heart all had expressions that seemed to say, "Well, I guess that's just how it is."
I'm really glad Shiro is so tolerant.
Anyway, the first semi-final was over, and the battle between the Isis and Lilliwood duo and the Laguna and Falce duo began next.
Isis, singing with all her heart as usual, was radiating an undying cuteness, but... wait?
“...Shaltan. Is it just me, or has the Death King's singing gotten better?”
“It’s just a guess, but... she might have rarely sung before this. She’s been practicing in a small voice while listening to the other duos. She must be improving in a short amount of time.”
...She was so devoted. So incredibly devoted. She was working hard and practicing during the wait? How could every single thing this person did be so precious?
If I wasn't careful, I might have raised the flag even before hearing Laguna and Falce sing.
The following duo of Laguna and Falce also delivered a wonderful song, but in the end, I judged the Isis and Lilliwood team as the winners.
Naturally, there was a proper reason. Having improved her singing level in a short time, and with Lilliwood’s support, Isis’s singing had become strong enough to compete fairly with Laguna and the others.
Finally, the finals... contested between the Alice and Fate duo and the Isis and Lilliwood duo.
Unfortunately, there was a significant difference in the level of their singing. Even though Isis's singing ability had improved and she had Lilliwood's support, it still didn't reach the level of the Alice and Fate duo.
Since I was the judge, the visual aspect was a major factor, but this was a karaoke battle. In the very end, what mattered most was singing ability.
As a result, I raised the flag for the Alice and Fate duo, and their victory was decided.
“It’s over! And so, the winners of the Duo Karaoke Battle are... the duo of me, Alice-chan, and Fate!”
“An unexpected victory... Umm, but since we beat Shallow Vernal-sama, we couldn't exactly slack off... Haaah, well, I guess it’s fine.”
A great round of applause erupted from the venue, and I clapped my hands to congratulate Alice and Fate. It was a truly exciting battle.
Feeling a bit lonely as it came to an end...
“Now then, as the winning duo... we have earned the right to challenge the Provisional Champion, Kaito-san!”
...Hmm? Wait. Did my ears stop working? I thought I heard something strange...
“Therefore, Kaito-san versus the duo of me and Fate... the Special Match begins now!!”
“Eh? Eeeeeeeh!?”
Dear Mother, Father—I thought the Duo Karaoke Battle was finally over, but now I’ve suddenly been forced onto the stage. No, wait, please, just wait a second... because—I didn't hear anything about that!?