"Th-this is different…"
Facing Kaede's merciless evaluation, Rurikawa Tsubaki's lips trembled slightly, her pretty face flushed red as she didn't know how to explain.
What happened at night, how could that possibly be linked with everyday things? Those two are completely different situations!
She started to suspect Kaede might think that ever since they joined, they'd seen sides of him that were completely unlike his usual dignified self, embarrassing sides, so Kaede kept trying to make up for it elsewhere, to somehow reestablish his dignity as the student council president.
But honestly, if that was what Kaede was trying to do, that goal seemed hopeless.
After all, they basically saw Kaede's embarrassing sides every single day. No matter how much he tried to regain his authority, it was impossible to overwrite the deeply ingrained image they already had of him.
"..."
Without saying anything, the long-haired, straight-black-haired beauty, Usui Makoto, who had somehow gotten dragged into the topic, pressed her slender, shapely legs, wrapped tightly in black pantyhose, together and quietly watched her two friends, Kaede and Rurikawa Tsubaki, talking, feeling entirely innocent in all this.
After all, last night it was Kaede who had called her over. They went several rounds before finally resting, and she had slept at Hikigaya-kun's house all through the day until the afternoon.
So how did things end up sounding like she'd begged to join in herself?
What were they even comparing here? Who fainted longer? Who held out better? Who submitted more completely?
Weren't they all just bullied by Hikigaya-kun?
Still, remembering the humiliating state she had shown in front of Kaede and Tsubaki, Usui Makoto wisely chose to stay silent. Otherwise, next time, Kaede would just make her take the lead again.
Tsubaki was a bit embarrassing herself. A noble young lady, yet not only did she serve as Hikigaya-kun's lover, she even pulled her own maid into helping, and she also supported Kaede and Makoto so they could carefree assist Hikigaya-kun in expanding his harem.
Kaede wasn't much better, clearly Hikigaya-kun's childhood friend, yet despite losing to Iris and the others, she still called for a car from Tsubaki's family in the middle of the night just to rush over and "help."
In truth, though, all three of them were just as embarrassing. Makoto herself wasn't in any position to talk.
Back when she first visited Hikigaya-kun's home, she'd actually been thinking of asking him to treat Kaede better so she wouldn't get hurt. Who would have guessed that not long after that, she'd end up doing that with Hikigaya-kun right in the student council office.
She had never imagined that she'd develop that kind of relationship with Kaede's childhood friend, and lover, Hikigaya-kun. Even more unexpected was that Kaede would actually allow it. Not just her, even Tsubaki accepted it too.
Though she didn't dislike being in this kind of relationship with Hikigaya-kun; in fact, it let her become lifelong friends with Kaede, and even get close to people like Tsubaki, who were genuinely good friends.
Of course, the process of becoming friends had been… a little unusual. And her condition lately had also been off. She couldn't help spacing out during class, and even while bathing or trying to sleep, her mind drifted to Hikigaya-kun.
She, a proud disciplinary committee member, how had she fallen this low?
Was it her own problem? Or did all girls eventually become like this?
It seemed even fellow disciplinary members like Sakurai Hana and Asai Saki-senpai were often thinking about Hikigaya-kun too, they just didn't have the chance to visit his house in the middle of the night like she did.
Sigh… Those disciplinary committee girls had said they wanted to "punish" Hikigaya-kun, but in the end, all of them had been punished by him instead.
Thinking back on all of that, Usui Makoto subconsciously touched the black collar around her neck, an object that brought both pleasure and torment, and her emotions grew increasingly tangled.
["The concert is about to begin!"]
[9]
[8]
[7]
[...]
Just as Usui Makoto was lost in her conflicted thoughts, the lights in the concert venue suddenly dimmed, and the giant screen on stage began a countdown.
As the numbers ticked down, the entire stage started to transform.
A soft blue glow spread across the stage.
Streams of water began appearing throughout the audience area, with gorgeous, rare deep-sea fish swimming within them.
The breathtaking visual effects made it feel as if the entire audience had been submerged under the ocean.
Countless schools of fish emerged from every corner of the seats, flowing along the clear blue currents toward the stage.
Then, an overwhelming tidal wave surged down from the dark night sky, scattering the massive schools of fish.
The audience at the open-air concert instinctively gasped and tried to dodge the oncoming wave.
But they soon realized that none of them were getting wet. The audience area was covered by a faint blue light barrier that blocked all water flow. The fish gradually faded away along with the currents.
At that moment, three graceful and slender silhouettes appeared in the center of the now ocean-themed stage.
"Welcome to AQUA MARINA's concert~ Sorry for keeping you all waiting~"
"AYLA! AYLA! AYLA!"
"The purest and cutest Lady Elusi has appeared!"
"Elio is the most adorable in the world!"
As Elio, Elusi, and Ayla, the three mermaid songstresses, finally took the stage, the audience, who had long been waiting, barely had time to savor the immersive opening spectacle before bursting into cheers for their idols.
Actually, those fish and waves from before hadn't been special effects at all.
Since Elio, like Iris, was a goodwill ambassador for human–demihuman relations, her influence across both groups was immense. She could easily call on many magic-using demihumans to help her create such a large-scale magical performance.
Of course, it wasn't actual summoning, just borrowing some fish from a nearby aquarium for a cameo. After all, the aquarium was owned by none other than the mermaid princess Meroune's company.
The level of immersion from this audiovisual experience far surpassed any 4D movie. Even audience members seated in the farthest corners could feel completely enveloped in the performance. No wonder the concert tickets were selling for sky-high prices online.
In addition, the mermaid songstresses' songs were surrounded by layers of magical amplification, making their singing even more captivating and enchanting than usual.
While the crowd's full attention was drawn to the stage, Iris and the others gracefully entered through the VIP passage and sat in the center of the frontmost row with Kaede, Komachi, and the rest to enjoy the concert.
Meanwhile, Lala slipped away to sit beside Kirisaki Kyoko, waiting to ask for her autograph as soon as Elio and the others finished a song.
She was an ardent fan of the magical girl Kirisaki Kyoko, the type who watched every episode on TV without fail.
Though she didn't really know what she'd do with the autograph, she'd seen a lot of kids collecting them, so she figured she should have one too.
"So beautiful... as expected of world-class mermaid songstresses. The live sound is so much better than TV. Forget about those band vocalists, even professional singers can't compare at all…"
When the song ended, Ijichi Seika gazed at the three glowing mermaid singers on stage and sighed deeply.
With voices like that, even if you gathered every human singer together, they still wouldn't beat them.
Of course, mermaid singers were on a completely different level anyway, so no one was really comparing.
"By the way, Nijika, did you see your friend Hachiman? Didn't he say he'd come to the concert? Or did we take up so many seats that his ticket got bumped?"
Seika turned to her younger sister, Ijichi Nijika.
"Yeah, where's Hikigaya-kun? He promised to come watch the concert with little Sakura."
Tohsaka Touka looked around curiously while calming her restless little sister, Tohsaka Sakura, who seemed agitated that her father wasn't around.
If their dear "little brother" could get them into the concert, how could he not show up?
Didn't he say he was here to help backstage? The mermaid singers were already performing, what was he still busy with?
"..."
"..."
Hearing Seika and Touka's questions, Nijika and Minami, who both knew about Hachiman's invisibility ability, blushed slightly, glancing at the ever-smiling Iris but keeping silent.
Given the mermaid singers' relationship with Hachiman, there was no way his ticket would be missing.
If their seats were super-VIP, then his must have been ultra–ultra–ultra-VIP, the most comfortable spot imaginable.
Still, with how stable and flawless the mermaid singers' voices were, he was probably not holding them from behind right now.
With that possibility ruled out, even they weren't entirely sure where exactly Hachiman was at the moment.
Iris, who clearly knew the truth, didn't plan on telling them either.
———
"Glub! Glub!"
"Phew~ Meroune, Elio and the others sing so beautifully."
By the coral pool on the ocean-themed stage, Hachiman leaned against the pool's edge, admiring the gentle, flowing movements of Elio, Elusi, and Ayla with sincere praise, but Meroune didn't reply.
Leticia and Sylpha, the two elves, sat in the pool on either side of Hachiman, leaning against his chest. Occasionally, they'd pick up fruit from a floating plate, their soft pink faces flushed, feeding him pieces of fruit in turn.
Princess Meroune, as usual, didn't join their play. Her long pink hair floated in the water, hiding her smooth white back.
———
Under the protection of MON Squad and Lycoris, the mermaid songstresses' concert went smoothly without a single issue. With all safety concerns eliminated, Hachiman was able to enjoy Elio's performance up close from the pool on stage.
He had to admit, watching a concert while lying in a little pool onstage had a unique charm.
If only he could hold Elio during a live band performance the way he held Nijika after theirs, it'd be perfect.
Too bad Elio wasn't a shy, anxious girl like Bocchi-chan. Her coordination with her group was flawless; him joining in would only throw them off instead of helping.
He couldn't risk ruining such a massive show. But privately, that'd be another matter.
Once Nijika found a proper vocalist, he could have her, Ryou, and Bocchi-chan come over to Tsubaki's mansion for a jam session.
"Master~"
After a long performance, the pink-haired mermaid princess surfaced, arms wrapping tightly around Hachiman's neck. Her pure, rosy face bloomed with a radiant smile.
"The concert's nearly over. Since Lady Iris hasn't planned anything tonight, does Master have any particular desires?
"Swimsuit theme? Lingerie theme? Or maybe an idol theme?"
"Though I'm not as capable as Lady Iris, I can still gather quite a few pure, lovely mermaids to sing for Master."
She knew that Master Hikigaya had some interest in a few of the idols from the agency, he just didn't want to force them.
But while humans might not know him, plenty of demihumans did.
Within their mermaid tribe alone, there were so many eager to meet their beloved Master. But she knew exactly what those mermaids were thinking, and without his consent, she wouldn't let them near him. After all, Elio and her group were already the most exceptional mermaids there were.
"Thank you, Meroune, for your kindness, but there's no need for that. Iris knew I'd be visiting the Ijichi household tonight, that's why she didn't schedule anything."
"If you and Lala have time, though, see if you can research ways to awaken your bloodline and gain control over magic."
As Hachiman looked at the radiant Princess Meroune, whose beauty rivaled that of a lotus rising from clear water, he brushed aside her wet pink hair clinging to his shoulder and lightly bit her soft, tender cheek while speaking.
For demihumans, the chance of awakening a bloodline was quite low. Many had only basic racial traits, like vampires who merely had fangs, weren't sunlight-immune, but were heat-sensitive. For a mermaid princess like Meroune to have never awakened her bloodline was rather odd.
In a simple monster-girl world, that might be fine. But in a world as complex as this, with even magical girls existing, he figured it was worth properly studying how to trigger a bloodline awakening. Even a one-time awakening would do.
Once Meroune awakened hers, he could complete a mission and acquire the ability "Awakened Mana Essence." That would likely help weak succubi like Sakurase Shino transform into full-fledged ones.
His elves, mermaids, and dragons would all grow far stronger under that effect. In short, Awakened Mana Essence was extremely useful for demihumans, and with so many around him, he definitely had to get it.
Hmm… speaking of which, why hadn't Ursula finished her preparations yet? How long was she going to take before their decisive battle?
He could hardly wait to defeat the confident, smug Ursula. Make her admit defeat, show her "defeat CG," and reclaim her Servant Collar.
"Yes, Master."
Meroune nodded obediently, wrapping her arms around his head and resting it against her chest, quietly savoring the warmth of his skin.
Truthfully, she didn't care much about awakening her bloodline. She had lived fine for so many years without it. It only meant she couldn't walk on land in human form, which was inconvenient but manageable. She still had some means to protect herself.
But the sincerity in Master Hikigaya's concern reached her heart directly.
She had always wondered why everyone liked clinging to him so much, why they loved lying against his chest during rest.
She used to think it was just their imagination. But now that she'd experienced it herself, she realized how vast the difference was between simply looking at him and actually touching him.
Whether being held by him or holding him herself, it was a blissful experience either way.
Ah… what would she do from now on? Just watching from afar could never satisfy her again…
Seeing the blushing Meroune, her face glowing like sunset, utterly enthralled by their "Savior," Leticia and Sylpha finally relaxed.
Now that the mermaid princess Meroune had essentially joined their ranks, there was no need to worry about any more bystanders.
"Leticia, stay here and assist. I'll report our status to Princess Iris."
Sylpha took a deep breath, pushed Leticia toward Hachiman's side, then stood, wiped herself dry, donned her forest guardian gear, and patted her burning cheeks before heading toward the stage to report to Princess Iris amid Leticia's startled cry.
Though her "duties" were rather embarrassing, they were still legitimate tasks. After completing close protection, she had to give her report.
Otherwise, Princess Iris would have no idea what exactly they were doing during their "protection."
Below the stage, at the very center of the ultra–VIP front row—
"I see… So the President was on stage… and Meroune has finally begun to change as well… Excellent work, Sylpha."
"As for this bloodline awakening… In a world without ambient mana, forcing one is harder than turning a regular elf into a high elf."
"For the President to go through such lengths… he must have something in mind. I'll ask Lala later if she knows any special method to increase the success rate. Once I have results, I'll consult the President."
Watching the closing moments of the concert, Iris listened to the invisible Sylpha's whispered report, occasionally nodding. Clearly pleased with her subordinate's efforts.
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