Chapter 94 (True): Killer Queen
On stage, the straight-man's rock anthem, "I'm in Love with My Car," with Dave on lead vocals, had just ended. During the sound check, when Kira had heard him sing for the first time, he had been absolutely stunned. His metallic scream was a dead ringer for Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor. Having him sing this car-loving song was a match made in heaven.
At the time, Kira had rushed up to him, his intense gaze frightening Dave so much that his voice had instantly become soft and completely non-threatening.
It was Jodo who had explained that Dave's Quirk was "Rage." Normally, he had a rather gentle personality, but the moment he got excited, he would transform into someone capable of screaming his lungs out on stage. His voice would switch to a rock tenor, and his mastery of his instruments would become even more proficient. Because of this, he handled almost all of the high-pitched parts of their songs.
Jodo had also told Kira about his own Quirk: the ability to instantly master any weapon he touched. To put it simply, it was "Weapon Proficiency."
It sounded impressive, but it was basically just having the product manual downloaded directly into his brain. He knew how to operate it, but he didn't have the instincts or the physical strength to back it up. He was like a glass cannon with maxed-out skill points but only one point in strength and stamina; he wasn't much use in a real fight.
However, his Quirk also applied to musical instruments. Makoto Hibikiya had seen this in him back in the day, which is why he had personally taught him how to play the guitar, piano, and other instruments, hoping Jodo would become his successor. Jodo had not disappointed him and had quickly mastered them all.
While Makoto himself was proficient in eighteen different weapons—er, instruments—his greatest specialty was still the piano.
"The next song is called... 'Killer Queen'."
Hitomi Mishima took the microphone stand. As she passed Kira, she smiled and cheered him on. "I'll be rooting for you!"
Yoshikage Kira nodded. Holding the microphone, he stood in the darkness, waiting.
The atmosphere in the crowd gradually settled down. Makoto Hibikiya took a deep breath, and his fingers touched the piano keys.
"She keeps Moët & Chandon in her pretty cabinet..."1
"Let them eat cake,' she says, just like Marie Antoinette..."2
"A built-in remedy, for Khrushchev and Kennedy..."3
"At anytime an invitation, you can't decline..."4
"Caviar and cigarettes, well versed in etiquette..."5
"Extraordinarily ni6ce—"
Many people believe this song was written about the film star Marilyn Monroe. But after an immortal creature named Araki gave this name to a character in his manga, the meaning of the song changed forever in the hearts of many.
From then on, Killer Queen would always represent... a certain pink cat.
"She's a Killer Queen! Gunpowder, gelatine..."
"Dynamite with a laser beam!"
"Guaranteed to blow your mind..."
Another voice emerged from the front of the piano. A gentleman in a pale green suit stepped forward, holding the microphone, and as if describing his dream lover, he sang of her irresistible charm.
Like a bard, Makoto Hibikiya slowly told the audience the many tales of this Killer Queen—she was elegant, well-spoken, but the moment she met a merchant from the East, she would transform into a graceful geisha...
And Yoshikage Kira, from the perspective of a pursuer, one who had experienced her firsthand, sang of his deep affection for this Queen, revealing her ever-changing forms. Even knowing all her flirtatious deeds, he was still unable to escape this sweet trap.
"She's a Killer Queen! Gunpowder, gelatine..."
"Dynamite with a laser beam!"
"Guaranteed to blow your mind..."
"Anytime!"
The moment Kira appeared on stage, he caused a commotion in the crowd below. Among the thousands of spectators, it was impossible for no one to have watched the U.A. Sports Festival two days ago. They instantly realized that the person standing on stage was the runner-up from the festival—the one who hadn't even appeared at the awards ceremony.
"Eh? Isn't that the guy my bratty son beat in the finals?" Mitsuki Bakugo was surprised. While she hadn't watched the entire festival, she had watched the final match and clearly remembered the Howitzer Impact that Katsuki had unleashed.
"So this is why my bratty son was so depressed... Looks like it was a huge mistake not bringing him," Mitsuki said, feeling a little sorry for Bakugo. But she quickly forgot about it and started screaming along with her friend Shoko next to her. "And... this kid is actually pretty handsome!"
Momo had gradually been immersing herself in the atmosphere, but her kimono was too restrictive for her to move much, so she could only sway to the rhythm.
Suddenly, she spotted Kira on stage. In her shock, she heard the rip of her sleeve tearing, but she paid it no mind and cried out, "Why is Kira-kun on stage performing!?" ...Can he see me in the crowd?
Tsuyu was also dumbfounded. "Kira-kun... he's in the band? I never would have guessed..."
Uraraka turned to Kyoka Jiro, looking for an answer. "Kyoka-chan, did you know Kira-kun was going to be on stage?" She saw the stunned, wide-eyed look on Jiro's face and gave a wry laugh. "Okay, looks like I asked a stupid question. You didn't know either..."
If the others were surprised by Kira's sudden appearance, Jiro was in a state of shock so deep she was unable to pull herself out.
She had already known that 'soul' was holding a tribute concert for Queen. In fact, the score for "Killer Queen" had been restored by her father. He had even personally coached Makoto Hibikiya on the song. Jiro had overheard some details about it from her father, which is why she had been so interested in this performance.
She had come here with the intention of being a critic, to judge their performance. But she had been surprised the moment 'soul' had taken the stage, because this was completely different from what her father had set up... Still, despite her shock, Jiro quickly began to enjoy the atmosphere, pumping her fist in the air along with the music.
She knew that the 'soul' band would never have been able to make these changes on their own. As she enjoyed the show, she had been wondering just who the genius was that was guiding this team from behind the scenes. She had even secretly wondered if it was Present Mic. But she had never, ever imagined that it would be the highly respected president of her own class, Yoshikage Kira.
And judging by his familiarity with the song, it was highly likely that he was the one who had rearranged the entire show!
After "Killer Queen" ended, the DJ who had been providing real-time commentary finally came to his senses and shouted:
"LISTENERS! WE HAVE A SURPRISE GUEST ON STAGE! I'M SURE SOME OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE ALREADY RECOGNIZED HIM! IT'S YOSHIKAGE KIRA FROM THE U.A. HIGH HERO COURSE! I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S HERE, BUT JUDGING FROM HIS OUTFIT, I'VE LEARNED A LOT! I'M GOING TO MAKE A BOLD PREDICTION AND SAY THAT HE'S PLAYING THE ROLE OF THAT LEGENDARY ROCK CHAMELEON, DAVID BOWIE!"
After his frantic introduction, the DJ began to silently curse the event organizers. They had hired him, but aside from the names of the band members and the setlist, they hadn't told him anything else. If it weren't for his deep professional skills and ability to improvise, he would have made a huge fool of himself.
But he was also curious. Why would a student who had just finished the Sports Festival suddenly appear here?
Kira's decision to wear this suit to sing this song was, in fact, a very deep reference. Just as the DJ had said, he was playing the part of David Bowie.
Not only was he one of the most influential rock stars of the 20th century, but he was also a talented actor. His role as the alien in the film The Man Who Fell to Earth was the prototype for the JoJo's character... Killer Queen. Of course, the members of 'soul' couldn't possibly have known this connection.
In their eyes, Kira's insistence on performing this song was simply to prepare for the next one.
In the world where Kira had once lived, there was one great regret among music fans: the song that David Bowie and Queen had collaborated on had never been performed live, existing only as a composite music video. And now, Yoshikage Kira was going to be selfish, just this once, and fix that regret.
He lightly snapped his fingers.
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