AN: I forgot to mention last chapter that I'm going to be trying to keep the chapters shorter from now on. To be more specific, I'm looking at 20 pages minimum and no more than 35 pages max. This will make getting chapters released faster.
Of course, I can't be sure if I'll be able to stay to this intended path but that's what I'm going to be going for from here on out. And now, let's continue...
Chapter 2: Idol Hearts
==============================={Part 1: Lia}===============================
The sky had started to change color as the group made their way outside the Accord estate, with Cielo leading the way; looking none too pleased about things if the face she was making was any indication.
Sure, introducing Megumin, Yunyun, and Darkness to the rest of her family had gone smoothly, but Kazuma's introduction had been a little more hectic, at first. This was mainly because it appeared her father had sent word ahead to his wife about the guest he was bringing back home and had 'warned' both her and the rest of the family about one of those guests coming along.
Needless to say, Cielo had spent a good half hour keeping the rest of her family from trying to murder Kazuma just like her father had tried to do before. It also didn't help that lord Accord claimed that Kazuma had gotten rather touchy-feely with Cielo along the way as well, though Cielo said that was more about the bumps in the road and Kazuma holding onto her, and Megumin and Yunyun during their turns with him, to keep them from falling onto the carriage floor.
Once Cielo had finally managed to clear the air with the rest of her family, they seemed to show a bit more restraint with Kazuma than her father was doing, though they still kept their eyes on him all the while. The rest of their time there had, more or less, been civil with Cielo showing the gang around her home, a mildly amusing lunch, and Darkness having a little one on one time with lord Accord, due to them both being nobles.
In the latter half of the afternoon, lord Accord had invited everyone to stay with them for the duration of their stay in Veridae and they had planned on accepting, until they discovered that this offer wasn't being given to Kazuma.
"Dad, seriously? Why are you still being such an ass to Kazuma here?"
"Because he ruined all my hard work, daughter. I know that you feel as if you can trust him, but my greater instincts, as both a father and a fighter, tells me that he isn't someone I should be trusting. Please understand, Ciruelto!"
Oh, she had understood alright. Which is why she was going to be joining Kazuma and the others with staying at a hotel; the most expensive one in Veridae at that. And she also warned her father to 'not be surprised' if this decision of hers leads to the pitter patter of little feat here in the not too far off future.
Of course, she was just messing with him, but it served its purpose all the same.
"Cielo, while I thank you for sticking up for me with your father, are you really sure about doing this? I mean, I don't want you to avoid spending time with your family just for my sake here. And... there's also the matter of the money it's going to cost to rent even one room at a hotel in a place like this."
Cielo gave Kazuma a warm, confident smile as she says-
"Don't worry about that, Kazuma. We'll be here for a few days, more than enough time for me to spend with my mother and brother. Besides, if I'm being honest, I think of you guys as my family now, even more so than my blood family. And as for the cost of getting a room at the best hotel in town...?"
Cielo then pulls out a bank card, giving everyone a cheeky, devious grin.
"... Father has been more than kind enough to allow us to tap into the Accord family's vast wealth for ALL of our expenses while we're here, even if he doesn't know about it yet."
Megumin walks up to Cielo, examining the card for a second before looking at Cielo with her own devious grin.
"You said 'all of our expenses' right? Does that also include souvenirs as well?"
"Sure, that shouldn't be a problem... though you'll need to check with me just to be safe as I'll be the one keeping a hold of my father's card here."
"You're father's card? Wow, how did you manage to sneak that off him, Cielo? And what about his password? You do know what that is as well, right?"
asked Kazuma. Cielo looks at Kazuma, and shyly scratches her cheek.
"Well, I suppose father was right about one little thing. Hanging around you has rubbed off on me. For both the better and the worse of it."
"You mean like you learning how to be sneaky with 'borrowing' something without asking?"
inquired Megumin, clearly impressed.
"You could say that. And as for the password? Well, let's just say my father has a simple mind and there's only ONE password he would ever think of using."
"Fisting?"
"Fisting!"
"Sorry to change the topic here, but I was wonder what you and lord Accord talked with each other about, Darkness?"
asked Yunyun, who had been strangely quiet so far since leaving the Accord estate, probably because her attention was more focused on taking in the sights.
"Hm? Oh, nothing special. He was simply chewing the fat about how the Noble's meeting back at the capital went down, from his perspective. He was also inquiring about my father's health as well."
"His health?"
said both Megumin and Yunyun together, getting a nod from Darkness.
"Correct. According to lord Accord, there were several instances when father suffered from a series of coughs while there, one of which was said to be so bad that a doctor was called in to look at him. After a quick check over, the doctor said it seemed to be nothing serious but gave him some medicine to help ease his cough all the same."
After a pause, Darkness stops and looks at Kazuma.
"When this is over, and we've returned to Axel, would it be OK if I take a week or two break so I can head back home and check in on my father. Despite being told his cough wasn't anything serious, I still can't shake this feeling that there may be more to it than that. Like lord Accord wasn't being completely honest with me, if only because of my father asking him to keep quiet about it."
"Sure, that won't be a problem. Take as long as you need, Darkness. I just hope that he... he's doing better than what that story seemed to imply."
After that, Kazuma became strangely quiet, something Cielo didn't fail to take notice of. Kazuma's expression looked conflicted, like he was wanting to say something more but was worried about doing so. Cielo wondered if the others had picked up on this as well.
Just as she was going to ask Kazuma what was wrong...
"Cielo?"
came a voice from not too far off, pulling Cielo from her thoughts to see the owner of the voice, which sounded familiar to her for some reason.
Cielo quickly found the owner of the voice, a girl who had just stood up from sitting in a fancy looking set-up right outside a local cafe.
The girl who had called out to Cielo was wearing a white and dark-blue short dress and a blue long vest and tie. On her right arm was a shoulder plate as well as black long gloves and stockings and a leather belt, gauntlets, and boots.
She also had green eyes, long layered black hair with bangs that reached her hips and had a deeper sounding voice as well.
"Lia? Lia!"
yelled Cielo as she broke away from the others towards the girl at the cafe, who also moved away from the table she had been standing besides, the two of them quickly hugging one another. This hug lasted for a few moments before-
"Well-well-well, now this is a new development we have here. Cielo, you never told us you had a girlfriend waiting for you back home!"
teased Darkness, getting Cielo and the other girl to immediately blush from embarrassment before quickly breaking away from one another. Cielo then yells at Darkness-
"No, it's not... it's not like that. Don't go reading anything weird into this, OK guys. This person here is a very good friend of mine from a few years back. My best friend, in fact."
"You had a best friend back home, huh? Funny, I don't recall you ever having mentioned her before."
said Megumin. Kazuma, for his part, felt that he had heard about this girl, somewhat before but he wasn't sure he was remembering right or not. And also...
'I don't know why, but there's something rather familiar about this girl too. I wonder why?'
"Cielo, aren't you going to properly introduce us to her?"
asked Yunyun, getting Cielo to nod before taking a few steps to the side then holding her arms out in a presentation like manner as she says proudly-
{Insert Image 1}
"Everyone, this is my best friend in all the world, Lia... well, she's my best female friend that is!"
Lia, upon hearing that little addition, smirks a little as she turns to Cielo and says-
"Hm? What's this? Your best FEMALE friend, huh? Does that mean you have actually made yourself an actual best BOY friend by any chance. It seems little Cielo has been busy since she ran away from home a few months back, hasn't she?"
As soon as Lia had said that, Cielo immediately goes red as she quickly shakes her head, going from saying she doesn't have a boyfriend to saying she does have a boy she considers a best friend, over and over, getting everyone to laugh and giggle at her antics.
Once Cielo had calmed enough to huff and look to the side, Lia laughs at her before stepping forward to address everyone.
"Anyways, I'm Lia, as I'm sure you heard Cielo say before. I am, or was, an adventurer who operated out of Veridae here. My class is Lancer, and my specialty was making barriers to protect both myself and my allies with. People tell me I have a serious personality and a bit of a hard worker at that. Just between you and me though, I can also be a bit lazy from time to time as well. You just need to see the state of my bedroom in order to understand that part of me."
With Lia's introduction done, the girls step forward and introduce themselves in turn, then Darkness ask her-
"If you don't mind me asking, you said that you were an adventurer. Have you left that profession for some reason?"
Hearing Darkness's question to Lia makes Cielo go stiff for some reason. Before Lia, who herself seemed a little tense from being asked that, could respond, Yunyun adds in another question as well.
"You also said your specialty was making barriers. Can you explain how you managed to do that? I wasn't aware that making barriers was a skill the Lancer class had access to."
Lia sweats just a little and just as Cielo was about to jump in and say something, Megumin herself cuts in by saying-
"Before all that, we should let a certain someone have his turn to introduce himself here, right... Kazuma?"
The others take note of Megumin's halted words, also turning their attentions towards Kazuma, who had strangely not introduced himself after the others had finished. When they looked at him, they were quick to take notice of the fact he seemed to have face of recognition upon him, and that he was looking right at Lia.
They then looked at Lia, seeing she had a similar reaction on her face as well, a look of recognition, albeit with a bit more confusion as well.
"I... I know you... from somewhere..."
said Lia, her voice almost like that of being in a trance.
"You too? I'm sure this is the first time we've met... and yet, I can't help but feel I've seen you before as well? Tell me, did you come from...?"
A sudden ringing sound comes from a chime like object hanging off Lia leather belt, making them all jump, and bringing Kazuma and Lia out of their trance like states. After taking a moment to let her mind catch up with the reality before her, Lia curses under her breath before saying-
"Damn it, of all the times I'd be called back by that insufferable... and just when I felt like I was on the verge of remembering something about my past here too."
Hearing Lia say that makes everyone, save Cielo, cock their heads to the side in confusion. Cielo, meanwhile, looks at Lia, asking her if she was alright here. After sighing, Lia says-
"Sorry about that, Cielo. As much as I would like to stick around and catch up with you, as well as get to know your new friends here better, I need to be getting back to the Lodge. I recently got a new hire on for the group and her manager is... let's just say she's a high maintenance type of person."
Lia then does an apologetic bow before breaking away from them, walking off. She does stops after a moment, looks back, and adds-
"Cielo, if you and your new buds here have time, come 'round the Veridae Amphitheater tomorrow. We can hang out more then and actually do some real catching up, alongside other things."
"We will. See you tomorrow then, Lia."
yelled Cielo, getting a smile and a nod from Lia before she turns away and heads off for real this time.
Once Lia was no longer in their line of sight, all the girls quickly turned towards Kazuma, giving him a serious look, especially Megumin and Yunyun who seemed to have a bit of concern, possibly even jealousy present in their eyes as well.
"Well... KAZUMA! Is there something you want to tell us here?"
asked Megumin.
"The look you were giving Lia and, in turn, the look she was giving you too, seems to imply you two have some history with each other. Want to share that history with us?"
said Yunyun and, after a second, they all say to him-
"Well, we're waiting here!"
Kazuma begins to sweat as he begins to back away, the girls moving closer to him as he does this, until he finds himself literally backed into a wall. After a few more moments of suffering under their fear inducing glares, Kazuma finally sighs and says-
"I'm... not really sure, to be honest. Her name isn't familiar to me... and yet, when I look at her, I can't help but feel I've seen her somewhere before. Judging from her reaction towards me, I'm thinking that thought was one she was having as well. I'll need to ask her about that when we see her again tomorrow."
"Actually, that might be a problem here, Kazuma..."
said Cielo, suddenly looking away from Kazuma and the others with a reserved and nervous look on her face.
"What's wrong, Cielo. Why would that be a problem here?"
asked Megumin. After a moment, Cielo finally answers.
"It's because... Lia suffered an injury to her head a little over a year ago, causing her to develop amnesia. She doesn't remember ANYTHING about her life prior to coming here to Belzerg..."
============================{Part 2: Backstory}==============================
"Ah, now that's what I call a good night's sleep!"
said Darkness as she stretches the following morning.
"I'm in complete agreement with you. Think there's enough time to send a letter to whoever's coming from the Crimson Demon village to make an adjustment about the new bedding's we're wanting to get?"
asked Kazuma, getting a nod from Megumin and Yunyun.
"Sure, if you're willing to fork over some serious eris where that's concern, Kazuma. The kind of beds you'll find in use here in Veridae are the best of the best, true 5-star comfort at its finest. And even a single one is said to cost as much as a small house."
said Cielo, making both Kazuma and Megumin deflate upon hearing that; the two of them being very reserved with spending money despite being pretty rich at the moment.
"Darkness, does your family have beds like that back at your Malyais estate?"
asked Yunyun, turning Darkness's attention onto her.
"Not beds of that quality, unless father found a way to cut the price down something fierce. We're pretty rich ourselves but even father doesn't spend THAT much on such items. What about your family, Cielo?"
Cielo shakes her head, saying-
"Not that I'm aware of, though I confess I can't recall what my old bed feels like. If we do have beds like those, they would be limited to family member beds. I seriously doubt the guest rooms would have such luxury present within them."
"Makes me even more glad we decided to use your family's money to stay here then. Anyways, should we be heading to the Amphitheater now?"
asked Megumin, getting Cielo to shake her head again.
"First, let's get some breakfast, then we can go see Lia and continue where we left off last evening."
A while after, following breakfast, the group arrived outside the massive coliseum like structure, marveling at its size and artistry, especially with the design of the columns. Situated close by to it was a smaller building, three stories tall with a look similar to that of a decent sized hotel.
Cielo then walks out a few feet before them before turning back towards them and saying-
"Behold for I present to you the Veridae Amphitheater. In here is where all the great shows that are put on, such as opera or plays and such, are held. And over here, to the side, is the Lodge, where all the performers stay while doing their thing herein."
After that, Cielo led them into the Amphitheater first, figuring that Lia would already be in there, given the time. A few guards did try to stop them, but Cielo explained the situation which allowed them to proceed. Luckily, it seemed Lia had let the guards know ahead of time. And here they thought Lia would need to be summoned to vouch for them.
One of the guards led them through the guest hall into the massive room that looked like some old timey theater, with thousands of seats, including private viewing rooms built into the walls. And, in the far end of the room, on the massive stage, was Lia giving instructions to some workers while a green haired girl looked to be performing vocal exercises.
Cielo led the others up to the stage before having them take a seat in the front row chairs, waiting till Lia to finish her business. At some point, Lia must have become aware of them being here as she turned to look at them, giving them a smile as well as holding a finger up, silently letting them that she would be with them in a moment. And so, they waited...
After a little more than a minute, the worker finally turned and walked off while Lia turns back to the green haired girl, named Jade from what they heard Lia say, to say something to her before she finally turned her attention to Cielo and the others, hopping down from the stage and moving towards them.
"Sorry about the wait, everyone. We... have ourselves a bit of a problem here. Well, Idol Hearts has a bit of a problem specifically, not me and you guys."
"Don't worry about it, Lia. Is there anything we can do to help you out?"
asked Cielo as she and Lia hugged each other again.
"I appreciate the offer, Cielo, but... hm? Well, actually... maybe...?"
Lia goes quiet for a moment, clearly thinking about something. She then shakes her head and says-
"Let's talk about that in a bit. For now, I believe owe your new friends here a little back-story about me, and us. I would also like to hear about what happened to you after you ran away from home. By the way, thanks for NOT swinging by and saying bye before you left. And here I thought we were friends?"
Lia tries to look hurt as she said that last bit, making Cielo bow while apologizing. After a second longer to play up her being hurt, Lia finally laughs and gives her a smile.
"Relax, Cielo. I was just messing with you. I wasn't expecting you to stop by, seeing as you probably wanted to book it before your dad took notice. Anyways, let's go find someplace more comfortable to sit so we can talk. Hey... Jade, I'm going to be stepping away for a few. Be back in a bit."
The girl named Jade confirms hearing Lia, who then leads Cielo and the others back up the isles before taking them into a side room and from there, up into one of the fancier balcony rooms. Once they had sat down, Lia was quick to ask-
"So, how should we start this off? Should I go first, or do you want to tell me what's been going on with you since you left, Cielo?"
"I believe I'll go ahead and go first, Lia. If only as I feel you'll have less questions to ask us once we're done with our telling."
And with that, Cielo began her explanation; from her unexpected meeting and kidnapping by Verdia to meeting Kazuma and the others, her rescue. Her becoming a member of both the Eris church and joining Kazuma's team. Occasionally, Kazuma and the girls would chime in to add some context, as well as further explaining things about themselves. Soon, Cielo finished her tale, leading Lia to contemplate what she had heard for a moment.
"It sounds like you had it rough early on. But it was because of that you got to meet everyone here, so I guess that means it all worked out at the end of the day. I do have to say though, I can't help but feel that you guys left a few things out back there with the telling."
Everyone fidgets nervously when she says that, something Lia takes notice of and makes her decide to not pursue it. Instead, she just laughs nervously as she says-
"Nervemind that. Anyways, I guess it's my turn now, huh?"
"Lia, I've already told them that you have amnesia, or at least you did when we last talked."
"And I still do, though I occasionally get these quick flashes in my mind, though nothing substantial. Anyways, like Cielo said, I suffer from amnesia. How that happened is... sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself here. I should start from the beginning; how my life has played out since arriving in Belzerg."
There was a momentary pause before Lia began telling her story.
"The first thing I can recall is opening my eyes after traveling to this continent by some unknown means. Wish I could tell you how I came here, why I even came here, or where it was I came from, but due to the amnesia, all that has been lost somewhere deep within my mind. Apart from the clothes on my back, the only other thing I had with me starting out... was this."
Lia then does a double snap of her fingers, causing a strange object to appear out of thin air, hovering before here. She then reaches out and takes hold of it, then shows it off to everyone.
"Amazing, you can call it out of nothing. How did you do that?"
asked Yunyun, getting a shrug from Lia.
"Don't know, to be honest. All I can say is that I can summon it to my side no matter where it is or the distance between me and it. I can only assume it's some kind of special magic, the same kind of magic that makes it so only I can use it in the manner that makes it special and different from other items like it."
"Something that only you can use, huh? So... Lia, mind telling us exactly what that thing is? I'll be honest. In all my years, I have never seen anything quite like that before."
said Darkness.
"It's an electronic keyboard; a musical instrument!"
said Kazuma, getting everyone to look at him with a surprised expression.
"Kazuma, you... know what that is?"
asked Cielo, getting a nod from Kazuma.
"Yeah, those are quite common back where I'm from. Obviously, it's something used by those who have an interest in music. Still though, I can tell that this particular keyboard isn't like others I've seen before. It's clearly got to be a custom job."
"I think it may have been done by the gods, or something. You see, not only can it make beautiful sounds from playing on the keys but playing certain melodies on it can create powerful barriers of various types. Or rather, it did..."
"What do you mean?"
asked Megumin.
"In order to explain that, I need to continue filling you guys in on some things here. Back to what I was saying before, I found myself arriving here in Belzerg, in the city of Axel to be more specific, with nothing but the clothes on my back and this fancy, special item here."
"With some help, I made my way over to the guild where I got my adventurer's card, found myself being made a Lancer. Not long after, I found myself joining a party that had already well established. Normally, they probably wouldn't have approached me, but I had already made a name for myself due to the powerful barriers I could create with this baby. It didn't take long after that for me to get caught up to them, level wise I mean, and we left Axel behind, coming her to Veridae to continue our adventurer's. And it wasn't long after coming here that I found myself meeting Cielo."
Cielo then takes over, explaining how their meeting went while allowing Lia to take a moment to breath and drink some water.
"As I told Kazuma, and I'm sure I told you all as well, my childhood wasn't an easy one. Constantly being bullied by all the local kids for being made to look like I was a boy. On the day I met Lia, I was getting it especially bad from several of the local kids, and even some adults who weren't aware of my familial status. Their words were getting so bad that I was having a serious breakdown, both mentally and emotionally. And then, Lia came running up and kicked all their asses using her magic item."
"You can use those barriers of yours in an offensive manner?"
asked Darkness, getting a nod from Lia.
"In a manner of speaking. It's not so much about being offensive, per say. Several of the barriers I can create have repulsion elements to them. I used those teach those bullies some lessons, scaring them off. Possibly traumatizing them in the process, which I consider a bonus."
"Considering that no one ever bothered me ever again, I would say they got the message."
said Cielo, getting an agreeing nod from Lia, who then continues.
"From that day forth, me and Cielo became best friends. In fact, I recall you asking boss Dorin if you could join the party once you were able to get your adventurer's card."
Megumin ask who Dorin is, being told that Dorin was the leader of the party Lia had joined back in Axel. After that, Lia's features grow darker as she gets to the big moment.
"Not long after, a month or two I believe; came the day that would change my destiny forever. We accepted a quest, one that seemed all easy-peachy for us. The kind that we had done a hundred times before. Hunting down some Scarlet-back Kobolds that had been attacking travelers and had last been seen roosting inside a cave. Little could we foreseen what we were about to encounter."
"What happened?"
asked Yunyun while Cielo reaches out and takes Lia's hand into her own, giving it a comforting squeeze, one Lia returns while flashing Cielo a soft smile. Lia then returns her attention to the others.
"Finding, and killing, the Kobolds was easy. Exactly what we had expected. But as we were leaving, we heard a 'ping' like sound coming from behind us. Curious, we all looked back and saw a humanoid figure had just appeared in the middle of the room. It had grayish colored skin with cracks all over it, smoke coming from those cracks. The only other physical feature it had was glowing, purple-colored eyes and claw like fingernails."
Hearing Lia say that this creature had smoke coming from the cracks on its body made Kazuma and the others take glances at one another, Lia's words causing them all to think of the same thing-
'Was it... some kind of Entropy?'
"Lia... did this creature... did it make you feel any sort of primal fear? Did you feel as if your life was being sucked out of you just by being near it?"
asked Kazuma, his question catching Lia off guard. Cielo tells her that they can explain what the meaning behind that question another time. For now, they just need to know if what was happening was related to Entropy.
"I... did feel some kind of fear from looking at it and I suggested we not try anything to it, instead I felt we should run from it. My party agreed with me as we turned to make a quick exit. But just as we approached the entrance, we found the way being blocked by a wall of smoke. We looked back, seeing the creature was looking at us, with a terrifying intensity to it. With there seemingly being no other choice before us, we decided to engage the mysterious creature and hope we didn't regret that choice."
"I used my divine relic to create defensive barriers around my party as they charge at it. I also used another set of barriers to try to trap the creature to make attacking it easier. But it cut through my barriers like they were flimsy paper. One moment, my friends were going at it. The next, they were all down on the ground, dead. It then looked at me before coming for me. Without thinking about it, I raised my divine relic up like a shield, an act that saved my life by tanking the hit. There was a blast of intense light and I found myself being sent flying back into the wall of smoke. My head then began to hurt, and everything went dark."
Cielo cuts in, explaining the next bit for Lia.
"The local guild, taking notice that Lia and her team were late in returning, sent another team out to check on them. They found Lia laying on the ground unconscious with blood around her. There were no sign of her party members remains nor any sign of that creature. They brought Lia back to Veridae so she could be examined and recovered."
Lia, having taken another drink of water then clears her throat before jumping back in.
"As you can see, I made a full recovery... more or less. The only lingering injuries I still suffer from is my amnesia, which I believe may have something to do with the creature though why it only effects my memories from my life before Belzerg I don't know. My voice can also grow weak if I spend too much time talking. I never went out on another adventure after that. Given what had happened, I was too scared. Even my divine relic, which was supposed to be indestructible from what I can recall, had been damaged by the creature's attack. While it can still make beautiful musical sounds. It no longer can make barriers... at least all the time. And in the few instances when it does make them, they will only last so long as I'm still playing the tones connected to it; sometimes not even that long."
As Lia talked, Kazuma found himself becoming lost in thought, for one specific reason here.
'That's twice now she's used that word, Divine Relic. Does Lia know she's been calling it such? Regardless, I think I know where it is she comes from now. As such, there's only one was to know for sure here...'
"Anyways, with my days as an adventurer over, I struggled to find something new to dedicate my life towards. Little could I have known what was awaiting me. One day, while partaking some pastries from a local cafe, I found myself absentmindedly singing a little tune to myself. By chance, a music manager for the famous Idol Hearts happened to also be there as well. Upon hearing me, he approached me and offered me a job, said I had real some real talent there. The next thing I knew, I had joined Idol Hearts, as both a performer and a potential successor for the man, who was the manager for the group but was getting on in years and was looking for someone to pass the reigns off to. The rest, as they say, is history."
Once Lia had finished, the girls chatted amongst themselves for a moment before Cielo asked-
"Speaking of old man Chiroma, is he still doing his managerial thing with you guys?"
"Yes and no. He's recently begun the transition of power for him being in charge to having me assume his manager duties. Because of that, I've had less time for being an on-stage performer. Once he fully retires, my time in the forefront will more or less be over. Honestly, I don't really mind that though."
"Why's that, Lia?"
asked Yunyun. Before Lia could reply, Kazuma speaks up and ask her while speaking Japanese-
["Is it because you prefer being a proper musician as opposed to some eye candy idol, Lia?"]
["Yeah, I was never into the glamour or glitz of the idol life. Being a proper musician, that was always my... dream?"]
Everyone, except Kazuma, blinks in shock at hearing Lia not only speak Japanese but doing it rather fluently too. Lia was the most shocked of all as she hadn't intended to speak in another language, mainly because she didn't know she could. It had just happened without thinking about it.
"Lia, you... you know Japanese?"
asked Cielo, getting a confused shrug from Lia.
"I... I don't know. I've never done that before. What does this mean. Kazuma, did... did you and I know each other before?"
Kazuma shakes his head, saying he wasn't sure about all that, but when she absentmindedly said the word 'Divine Relic' twice, he suddenly found himself having a hunch, one he wanted to test. It seemed his hunch was indeed spot on.
"But how did you know her calling her magic item a 'Divine Relic' meant she came from Japan, Kazuma?"
asked Megumin.
"Remember Mitsurugi? That guy with the magic sword we encountered not long after the incident with Verdia? That sword of his was a Divine Relic and he, like me, was originally from Japan. Seeing as Lia also has a Divine Relic, I'm assuming she also came from Japan."
"So, I'm from a place called Japan then, is that what you're saying, Kazuma?"
asked Lia, making her also wonder if perhaps this meant she did know Kazuma from back then as well, even if she still couldn't quite place it all together yet. Kazuma shrugs, saying-
"You MIGHT be from Japan, or one of the neighboring lands. The fact you know Japanese at least does imply you have some connection to Japan. Sorry I can't be more helpful here, Lia. Perhaps the next time we see Chris, we can ask her if she can get in contact with Eris for us and have her check in on Lia's past. Who knows, maybe Eris can provide a little memory restoration for Lia here as well."
Darkness nods, saying that was a good idea; that they should definitely talk to Chris about this once they see her again. Once that was done and out of the way, Cielo then looks at Lia and ask-
"OK, let's leave all that aside for now. You said before there was something you wanted to talk to us about. Wanna go ahead and tell us what it is you wanted here?"
"Huh? Oh, right... that. It's nothing big, really. I was wondering if any of you would be interested in helping out Idol Hearts with performing some songs for our upcoming show here in six days."
"EH?"
Kazuma and the girls all shouted. Lia goes on to explain how they had recently lost two of their girls, one who's voice had gone out and wouldn't have recovered in time for the show and because another of the girls had found herself a boyfriend... and a different use for her mouth, if you know what I mean.
While they had hired on a new girl, she was untested where these kinds of big shows were concerned, and Lia wanted to have a few extra voices in the rotation just to play it safe. Once she was done, she asked Cielo if she would be interested in helping her best bud out and doing a performance or two.
"Please, Cielo, pretty please here. I know being on the big stage was something that made you nervous, but I also recall you telling me that you were curious about trying out the performance life yourself, before you ran away. And, you do have an incredible singing voice as well..."
"I... I don't... well, I guess I can, if it's to help you out, Lia. But will there be enough time for me to get ready for the coming show?"
Lia nods, saying that with her there, that would not be a problem. Lia then turns to the others and ask if any of them have any singing talents. Yunyun immediately turns the offer down, saying she didn't have it in her to do something like that, especially with a crowd of thousands looking at her.
Megumin also shakes her head, saying without hesitation-
"I don't sing. My music is the sound of making things explode!"
Megumin then looks at Kazuma, wondering if he would step up and offer his assistance as she knew he could sing, if only in his native tongue. She did consider speaking up on his behalf but decided to throw him out there like that was going too far. Plus, seeing as Kazuma wasn't saying anything, she would respect his decision here. Lia lets out a sigh and goes to say something to Cielo when Darkness suddenly says-
"Say Kazuma, why don't you do it? We all heard you sing a little ditty in your homeland's language when we arrived here so we know you can... sort of sing here. Why not help Lia out?"
Lia quickly looks at Kazuma with hope in her eyes while the others, especially Kazuma, go stiff.
"Um... I don't... I'm not really all that good. Besides, won't the crowd be upset if they don't have a cute girl singing for them?"
Lia quickly stands, leaning forward over the table to grasp Kazuma's hands with her own.
"You can sing though, right? Please, let me hear you sing something, Kazuma."
Kazuma was nervous as hell at her actions. But he was also someone who didn't have the heart to tell a cute girl no and so, with great reluctance, he spun a little ditty in Japanese for her, making her join in as she seemed to know the song he was performing. Once they had finished, Lia's eyes sparkle as she says-
"That was great, Kazuma. A little work needs to be done, sure. But I can help you with smoothing out the rough parts. So please, lend me your vocal talents as well."
"I...I... alright, I'll help you, Lia. But just so we're clear, I'm not going to be dressing us as a girl for this performance. Is that alright?"
"Ah, and here I was hoping we could see Kazuma in a dress. Please, don't ruin that fantasy here, Kazuma."
teased Darkness, getting Kazuma to glare at her. Lia, for her part, shakes her head and says-
"Don't worry about that, Kazuma. While Idol Hearts is currently a group solely made up of female performers, there's no rule that says there can't be any male performers as well. We just haven't had any guys come along who wanted to join us... at least, not as a performer. Don't worry, I'm sure the duet I'm going to have you and Cielo do together will be great."
"Duet?"
said the girls, Megumin especially being caught off guard by those words while Cielo seemed taken aback by it. Lia nods before saying-
"Yes, I think I shall have Kazuma's part be a joint performance with Cielo as it's something we haven't done before. I'm sure everyone will love it too. Don't worry, I'll make sure to write the best song I can for you two to perform together. Something really... passionate, that speaks to the heart."
Those words make Kazuma and Cielo blush as they look away, though allowing momentary glances towards one another which Megumin doesn't fail to notice. Because of this, Megumin catches everyone off guard by rashly saying aloud-
"I've changed my mind. I'll join the performance as well, but only if I can have a duet with Kazuma too!"
And thus, another competitive fire had been awakened.
========================={Part 3: Cielo's Question}=========================
After accepting Lia's request, the rest of the day had been spent with the trio of Kazuma, Cielo, and Megumin taking the stage as Lia, and several of the other regular female members, working with them to help them get ready for the big performance which was currently six days away.
Not having anything better to do, Darkness and Yunyun had watch their training from the audience seats; Darkness having a field day by heckling them for their 'bad performance', mainly Megumin who had to be restrained more than once from 'punishing' Darkness by unleashing her Explosion.
Yunyun had asked if any of the girls helping out with getting the trio prepared was this new girl they had heard about, something Cielo was also curious about as well. Lia's response was to tell them no; that the new girl preferred to train on her own unless needing to prepare for any group acts. As such, they probably wouldn't get to meet her for another couple of days, but they may get lucky before then.
It was now the day after, the first full day of training which had been spent with helping Cielo regain her singing voice while helping Kazuma refine his and seeing if Megumin actually had one to begin with.
During the lunch break, Megumin had asked if Cielo had really planned on joining Idol Hearts at any point in the past, prior to her running away to join the Eris church. Cielo said she had toyed around with the idea, had even participated in a few minor shows, but her dream of becoming a priestess was just too strong for her to ignore, hence her ultimate choice with leaving home back when she did.
Later that afternoon, around 4pm to be exact, Cielo had stepped out to have herself a little break, having finished her retraining in order to get the 'rust' out of her system. For her break, she had made her way over to a nearby cafe and was currently enjoying a tea and a pastry.
"Anyone ever tell you that you drink tea like a girl?"
said Kazuma as he came walking into view while Cielo was busy sipping her tea. Once Kazuma had taken a seat opposite her and she had placed the cup down, she gives him a comical stare before saying-
"Well, it's a good thing I'm a girl then, huh Kazuma? Care to share the meaning behind your words?"
{Insert Image 2}
Kazuma chuckles as a girl comes walking up, asking him if he wanted anything. After a quick look over of the menu, Kazuma makes his order before turning back to Cielo and says-
"Oh, nothing big really. I couldn't help but notice how you choose to hold your cup when you're drinking. All dainty and refined like, especially the way you extend your pinky finger whenever you go take a sip."
"Is there something strange about doing it this way?"
asked Cielo, curiously, as Kazuma just shakes his head before saying-
"Not really. Like I said, it's a very refined way of doing it. Very... British of you!"
"British?"
When Kazuma didn't respond, Cielo sighs before taking another bite of her pastry, then taking another sip of her tea once she had swallowed. She then decides to change the topic.
"So, how's your vocal training going, Kazuma? The fact you're here means either you've finished up or Lia decided to let you have a quick break as well."
"Your answer is the former. Lia said I'm about as good as I'm going to get here. In any event, it's tomorrow when the real challenge is going to be coming along."
Cielo nods her understanding as the girl from before returns, bringing with it Kazuma's tea and pastry. As he begins eating, Cielo says-
"Yeah, starting to learn the movements for our duet, as well as start memorizing the song Lia's going to write for us tonight. Gotta admit, that makes me a little nervous here."
"What does? The training itself or the fact we'll have to perform in front of a LARGE audience here in less than a week?"
"Both, if I'm being honest. At least you have it easy, Kazuma. You only need to prepare yourself to do two performances, one with me and one with Megumin. I also have to prepare myself for the big final number when all us girls have to come out and do a whole song and dance number for the audience."
Kazuma laughs at that, which makes Cielo roll her eyes before finishing off the last of her cake.
"Yeah, that is true... maybe.'
"Maybe?"
"Lia says that if, and I do mean a big IF here, I do well with my training over the next few days, then she may consider going ahead and adding me into that big final performance as well."
"So, you could be made to suffer with the rest of us, huh? That could be... interesting."
"No kidding, which is why I should consider sucking just a little bit over the next few days. By the way, Lia said that if she can't get Megumin into a workable state before our rehearsal tomorrow has finished, then she'll have to drop the duet between Megumin and myself in favor of us having a second performance together in its place."
Hearing that makes Cielo grin, just a little bit.
"Bet Megumin wasn't happy to hear that. Not one bit!"
"I'd agree with you about that if she knew that was a possibility. Lia said she won't alert her to that potentiality until sometime tomorrow, if she's still struggling at that time."
"... Is Megumin still having trouble finding her voice?"
"You could say that. Megumin, as we both know, is a very strong willed and proud Crimson Demon. As such, she is being... rather difficult with her teachers. Wanting to change her lines on the fly, in order to add a little Crimson Demon flair to the words. There's also her having two left feet with her dancing."
This time, it was Cielo who laughed as she imagined Megumin trying, and failing, with dancing. She then sees how Kazuma was drinking his tea, basically copying how she had been drinking it, making her give him a coy smile.
"Has anyone ever told you that you drink your tea like a girl, Kazuma?"
"But of course, for I am such a dainty lass, a proud child of ye old Britannia!"
Kazuma's words make Cielo giggle a little bit. After that, there was a short moment of silence as Kazuma worked on finishing off his pastry and having a few more sips of his tea. During this time, Cielo starts to debate a topic that has been on her mind for a while now.
She recalled being told by Soketto that there would be no need to rush with talking to Kazuma about this topic. But Cielo felt that this was as good a time as any, seeing as they were alone at the moment. After a few more moments to think about it, she decides to go ahead and talk to Kazuma about this matter.
"Say, Kazuma. Is it OK if I grill your brain here for a moment? To ask you... a hypothetical question?"
"Shoot."
After taking another moment to embolden her resolve, Cielo ask her question.
"In this question, we have a boy and a girl. The girl has a big dream and is well positioned to see that dream come true. But there is a catch connected to her dream. That catch is that she can't ever marry as an aspect of her dream forbade such a relationship from happening. It does however allow her to have children, so long as she's given birth before a certain point of time."
Kazuma nods, confirming his understanding so far, so Cielo continues.
"Now, this girl has a guy that she trusts. Probably the only guy she feels she'll ever trust. She decides that she wants to ask him if he'll be willing to play the role of the father, to help her have a child or two within the set time period she's allotted to have children in. Do you think if she were to ever ask him, he would say yes?"
Once Cielo had finished, she nervously begins to have doubts about what she had just done as Kazuma takes a few moments to think about her question. Finally, he gives her a response.
"I can't think of a reason behind why he wouldn't take her up on her offer, Cielo. I mean, apart from the fact he would see it as a chance to get his dick wet..."
"KAZUMA!?"
Cielo shrieked out, can't believing he would say something like that aloud, outside while sitting at a cafe at that.
"... He would also feel very honored to be asked to help her with such a task, especially if they were close friends. The only problem I can see with her request of him would come if he was already in a relationship with someone else. In that scenario, she would also have to talk to and get the OK from the guy's partner."
"Yeah, I guess you have a point there..."
Cielo then goes quiet, realizing that she hadn't thought about that particular detail. Sure, that wasn't an issue in the here and now, but she wasn't wanting to start a family at this point either. She was thinking that maybe she would want to start here in five years or so, but would that be too long of a wait?
As Cielo debates this thought internally, she fails to take notice of Kazuma's eyes locking onto her, waiting for her to say something more. When she doesn't, he decides to take the initiative and say-
"Was the girl in your hypothetical scenario you, Cielo? And am I the guy?"
"Eh? Kazuma... h-how did you know?"
"It wasn't that hard, when you think about it. I already know about your desire to become the next high priestess of the Eris faith, Cielo. I also know that position doesn't currently permit its holder to be married, but does allow the status of being a parent, so long as you gave birth within a certain time frame before accepting the role. With all that already known, the rest was easy to figure out."
Cielo looks at him for a few moments more before letting out a sigh, then shakes her head before.
"Yeah, you have a good point. Sorry for trying to be cryptic there, Kazuma."
"Don't worry about it. I completely understand. And... it means a lot to me that you would choose me to be your partner for something like that and like I said, depending on what my relationship status is when you do decide to ask me... by the way, when do you think you're going to want to start making a family, Cielo? I mean, I don't mind helping you out right now, if you wanted. But, if I'm being honest here, I don't think either of us are ready for that yet. Not just because of our ages, but our current level of maturity."
"I know, neither of us are at a point in our lives were having a kid together would be a good idea."
Kazuma nods in agreement, then leans forward.
"Anyways, like I said, I am willing to help you whenever you're ready to become a mother. But depending on my relationship status when that day comes, it won't be me you'll need to talk to, but whoever it is I'm with at that time, if anyone. And with that factor considered, you may find yourself having your work cut out for you there."
"I know. I'm not looking forward to that when the time comes, depending on the who. I wonder if I should have a little private chit-chat with the others, ask them what they think about this?"
Cielo once again thinks back to what Soketto had said, about the timing of this question and a realization comes over her. What if it wasn't about asking Kazuma this question, seeing as she just had and all. What if her words had been meant for talking about this topic with Megumin and Yunyun, as Cielo knew both had an interest in Kazuma as well, from what she guessed anyways.
"Well, if you do decide to have a talk with them. Better leave out the whole having talked to me beforehand part. After all, that could have bad things coming in response."
Cielo agreed to that statement. After a moment, Kazuma says in an absentminded way-
"I wonder though... why is it a high priestess can't be married but is allowed to have kids, so long as she's had them within a set amount of time? I wonder if Darkness or Chris might know about that topic. Cielo, have you ever asked Clerica about that topic before?"
Cielo finds herself blinking from Kazuma's question, the realization coming over her that she never actually had asked about the why there. She wondered why she never had. Before she could respond...
"Excuse me, am I right in assuming you are lady Accord Ciruelto, a member of the party that was responsible for defeating several of the Devil King's Generals?"
The sudden voice brings Kazuma and Cielo out of their talk, making them turn to see a well-dressed man, clearly someone who works for someone of high standing; either a noble or a royal. She gives him a nervous response.
"Ah... yes? Is there... something I can help you with?"
The figure reaches into his coat pocket, pulling a letter out and handing it to her.
"By the order her noble excellence; the Duchess of Kessex, I was asked to deliver this letter here to you and, in turn, deliver your response to her ladyship as soon as possible!"
=========================={Part 4: Invitation}==========================
"To the party under the joint leadership of Dustiness Ford Lalatina and Accord Reuentahl Ciruelto; I, the lady Belzerg Shining Spear Aberlina, the Duchess of Kessex, hereby request you join me for a morning get together. During this time, I would like to hear of your tales regarding how you and yours managed to defeat so many Generals of the Devil King's forces. You will also join me for lunch as well. Please respond with haste to my call!"
Once Darkness had finished reading the letter having been sent, she sits back in her chair and lets out a sigh.
"Well, this is certainly going to be a problem for us."
said Cielo, agreeing with Darkness's reaction to the message. Lia also seemed to understand while Kazuma, Yunyun, and Megumin, on the other hand, looked confused over why they were seeing such a reaction. So much so that Megumin decides to ask that very question.
"Is receiving an invitation from the Duchess really such a bad thing?"
"You could say that. Word on the grape vine is that she is a very snooty snobbish woman, even for someone of noble and royal blood."
said Lia with Cielo quickly following that up.
"She's used to getting what she wants, all the time at that. If she sends for you to have a meeting with her, there is no option to turn her invitation down. The meeting with her is mandatory, without exception. I guess we should be thankful she's letting us decide when we'll be meeting with her."
"I doubt she'll accept just any day though. Most likely, she'll be expecting us to meet with her tomorrow. Damn it, I knew she was still hanging around Veridae, but I was hoping she wouldn't take notice of us being here. Guess that means our fame had really started to get out there, even amongst the noble and royal circles."
Darkness then buries her head into her hands as she starts grumbling something no one could make out. As she does this, Kazuma decides to ask a question.
"I know this is going to be a dumb question here to ask, but why does this Duchess girl think Darkness and Cielo are the joint leaders of the group? I know we have no specific leader here, but... I thought it was widely accepted that I was the leader?"
"It probably has to do with Darkness and Cielo both being nobles. Darkness's family is the most influential noble family and Cielo's family is the wealthiest. Because of that, the Duchess probably believes they would naturally be leading the party as, from the point of view of someone like her, there's no way two noble ladies would be taking orders from 'a filthy commoner.' No offense there, Kazuma."
said Lia, getting a "No problem!" in response from Kazuma. After a moment, Yunyun ask-
"Can't we tell her that several of our members are currently training to perform with Idol Hearts here in five or six days? I'm sure she would understand out situation then, right? Be willing to wait till after the show is over before we meet with her?"
Cielo shakes her head while Darkness turns her head to look at her and says-
"I doubt it, Yunyun. I know she is a big fan of Idol Hearts..."
"She's never missed a performance we've put on before so I would say so."
Lia quickly throws that in, getting a nod from Darkness before she continues.
"Anyways, I'm sure she may be willing to work with us due to this prior commitment, but to expect here to wait till after the Idol Hearts show...? She CAN be patient, but not THAT patient."
"Then what should we do?"
asked Megumin, making Darkness close her eyes while leaning back in her chair. After a moment to think about it, Darkness finally makes a decision.
"OK, here's what we'll do. We need to write a reply so I'll inform the Duchess of our situation; telling her we can't meet with her tomorrow due to these commitments, but we can meet with her the day after tomorrow, though our available time will be limited. Would that be OK with you, Lia?"
Lia nods before saying-
"It's going to have to be, seeing as we don't have any other choice here. If you all can come back here after you have lunch with her, I'm sure we can make up for the time lost in the afternoon hours."
"Alright then. I better get to writing a response letter to the delivery boy. He is still waiting outside, right?"
asked Darkness, getting a nod from Cielo.
Darkness then gets to writing the response letter. Once done, she personally leaves the others to hand the letter off to the delivery boy. As she walks away, Cielo says to the others-
"Well, all we can do now is continue training and await a response to our response... oh yeah, hey Darkness. Make sure to let the delivery boy knows which hotel we're staying at should he not get back around here till after duck begins to fall."
"Gotcha!"
Once Darkness had left the room, Lia leads the others back into theater hall to continue their training for the day.
========================={Part 5: Like Oil and Water}=========================
The sound of Megumin's voice harmonizing throughout the room brought a smile across Kazuma's face. She had certainly shown some of that stubborn Crimson Demon pride here this day. Where most would have probably given up before now, she had stuck to her guns and powered through it all like a trooper and here now were the results of her stubborn nature.
Kazuma couldn't help but wonder if her being stubborn and refusing to give in was due solely to her Crimson Demon pride, or if maybe she was feeling some of that competitive spirit here, not wanting to lose out to Cielo with having a duet number to perform with him?
As Cielo and Yunyun joined Lia on stage to congratulate Megumin, Kazuma instead makes his way over to the food cart. Sure, he could risk ruining his appetite for dinner later, especially seeing as dinner was around an hour away, but Kazuma was confident that a little snack wouldn't hurt him any.
Once he reached the food cart, Kazuma took a moment to look over the spread before him.
'Hm, this all looks rather good. I wonder which one... say, what's this one?'
Among the spread was one particular pastry that drew in Kazuma's attention like a magnet. The look of it alone made it look divine. While he didn't know what it was nor what it tasted like, he just knew that he had to try it. And seeing as there was only one of these pieces left, all the more reason to try it now.
"OK, my tasty looking friend, prepare yourself for a one-way trip to food heaven!"
Kazuma then reaches out to claim this scrumptious looking treat only to find himself suddenly being pushed out of the way with enough force that he was sent falling onto the floor... hard.
"Sorry guy, but I'm calling dibs on that piece."
After taking a second to recover from the rough landing, Kazuma sends a glare up to the person who had rudely pushed him away, seeing the girl holding the very pastry he had been planning on eating in her hands before she looks at him, gives him a smug look, then pops the whole thing in her mouth.
"What the hell, lady. Pushing me out of the way like that, and all so you could take that little number. And I'm sorry to break this to you, but I was here first so doesn't that mean the rule of dibs say that it was MINE by right?"
It then occurs to Kazuma that there was something very familiar about this girl. He couldn't help but feel he had seen her somewhere before. But, from where exactly?
"And I'M sorry to break this news to you, kid. I am a goddess. That's right, you heard me correctly, a GODDESS! And, as such, I always get first dibs on anything and everything. Now what do you have to... say, don't I know you from somewhere?"
'What? Now she's saying she's a... I know who this bitch is now.'
Kazuma then slowly gets back onto his feet, all the while the girl makes damn sure he was aware of her eating, and enjoying, the pastry she had taken from him. Once she had finished, she brings her fingers to her lips, making loud smacking sounds before taking notice of his agitated face.
"Oh, what's wrong with you, kid? Please tell me you aren't going to start crying because I took this little number from you now. How about I do you a favor and let you treat me to some fancy little bubbly here in a bit. What do you say?"
Back at the stage, the girls were in the middle of talking about stuff when they're drawn from their conversation by a loud sound of stuff falling onto the ground from over by the food bar. Turning their attention to the source of the noise, they find Kazuma standing beside a blue haired girl, both appearing to be trying to strangle each other.
{Insert Image 3}
Immediately, they rush over to pull those two apart, then restrain them as they immediately try to go at each other again.
"Kazuma... Aqua, what the heck are you two doing?"
yelled Lia, half angry at their sudden conduct with one another and the other half being both confused and a little worried about what had just gone down. Aqua was the first to respond, her shoddy memory finally catching up with current events.
"Lia... and all you other girls here too, don't get near this psychotic hikki-NEET. He's nothing but trouble and bad news. It's because of him that I found myself being trapped down here on this hick world."
"Don't listen to her, everyone. She's the real problem child here. I don't know why you're here, you useless, brain dead goddess of toilets, but do me and my friends a solid here and stay the hell away from us."
"What did you call me?"
And like that, the two of them had broken free from the others and started trying to kill each other again. After another moment of getting them off each other, Lia asks them to explain themselves, about how they know each other.
Not surprisingly, Aqua went first, telling her side of the story. Once she was done, Kazuma explains things from his POV, though Aqua tries to cut in multiple times in order to 'correct' him, though everyone ignores her. Kazuma, for his part, avoids telling them about his death, instead framing it like it was some kind of experiment gone wrong. Strangely enough, Aqua didn't bother to correct him there, for some reason. Once Kazuma had finished, Cielo summarizes their words to clarify it all.
"So, in a nutshell, Kazuma ended up in some sort of accident, which caused him to appear before Aqua. She was supposed to gift him with some sort of special power, or a Divine Relic, but ended up sending him before he had a chance to finish..."
"I didn't send this NEET early. He chose to leave before he finished choosing his item. In other words, everything is all his fault. As a goddess, there is no way I could ever be the one at fault here!"
"And how was I supposed to leave without you making it possible to begin with, Aqua? Tell me that?"
Aqua just turns her head away, refusing to respond to his understandable question. Cielo sighs before continuing.
"Anyways, Kazuma found himself arriving in Belzerg while Aqua kept at her job till her brother sent her down here for some much-needed personal growth experience alongside with the new girl who's joined Idol Hearts. Is that correct, Aqua?"
"Sounds about right, I guess. Anyways, like I said before. If you value your lives, your sanity, and your virtues, then all you girls should stay as far away from this perverted NEET as much as possible. Please trust in my judgment for I am Aqua. Yes, the goddess Aqua; she who is worshiped by the Axis faith. You'll thank me later!"
All the girls give Aqua a deadpan look; Lia then letting out a sigh while mumbling "This again, Aqua?"
Yunyun leans in close; Megumin and Cielo following suit as Yunyun ask-
"Kazuma... is she... is Aqua really a goddess?"
"Hell no! If anything, she's more of a witch with power over water and healing magics. Don't let her words fool you. While my time with her was brief, thank Eris, I can say with total confidence that she didn't do anything that could even be considered partially worthy of being a goddess."
"Say that again. I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN!"
screamed Aqua as a vein pops over her eye as she once again tries to grab Kazuma. However, Megumin gets in between her and Kazuma, making Aqua stop.
"Look, if you had any role in bringing Kazuma here to Belzerg and, by extension, into our lives, then I thank you. But... if you ever try to bring any harm onto him, you will make an enemy of us so whatever beef you two have with each other, I ask you to drop it, let it go, and move on with your lives."
"AND WHY SHOULD WE?"
yelled both Kazuma and Aqua together. Lia lets out an exasperated sigh before saying-
"Please, both of you. Just give it a rest, if only for the duration of the current performance schedule, alright. I don't want any drama with one of my special performers and the manager of our newest recruit."
Aqua looks at Lia, asking her if she was being serious about Kazuma joining in with the performances. When Lia confirms it, Aqua groans, then mumbles to herself.
"Terrific, now this shows going to suck. Whatever, just as long as he stays away from me, then I won't make any issues."
"For once, we agree on something."
After another moment, Aqua walks off, heading off behind the stage. Once she was gone, everyone looks at Kazuma with Cielo saying-
"So... anything else you want to tell us about her... and maybe you as well?"
"Just do yourselves a favor and stay away from her, alright. She may look like a grown girl, but that mature body hides the brain of a three-year-old who's believes she's perfect in every way. From what I know about her, she doesn't know the meaning of the word 'responsibility.' If you give her the chance, she'll find some way to screw you over."
"To bad Darkness had to miss out on this. I wonder what she would have said if... oh, speak of the faithful."
Darkness, who had been called to the entrance of the Amphitheater just before all the drame had begun, finally returns during Cielo's words, getting them all to look at her.
"OK everyone, here's what's going to happen. The day after tomorrow, we will be meeting with the Duchess of Kessex and spend the morning telling her about our exploits against the Generals, followed by a lunch with her. We'll be able to come back here so Kazuma, Cielo, and Megumin can continue their training for the big show. Will that be OK, Lia?"
"Yes, that should be fine. Not like we have a choice, considering who's made the request. Anyways, I think we should call it for today, you guys. Tomorrow, we'll begin the duet training, getting you all fitted for your outfits, and I should have the songs finished and ready for you three to start memorizing."
Kazuma, Megumin, and Cielo nod before saying their goodbyes to Lia and, along with Darkness and Yunyun, leave to head back to the hotel for the night.
Meanwhile, Aqua enters into 'Harp Song's' dressing room, finding her partner trying on different dresses. Aqua storms over to a chair at takes a seat, huffing all the while.
"I heard the commotion outside. Did something fun happen?"
"Fun? Hardly, underling. All I'm going to say on the matter is this. Don't ever let yourself get involved with dealings with any annoying hikki-NEET's. Guys like that are nothing but a headache."
"And what did he do to earn such a harsh response from you?"
Aqua tells her partner what had happened and what he had said to her, making 'Harp Song' laugh which annoys Aqua even more.
"He called you the goddess of toilets, huh? Even if I haven't met this guy yet, I can't help but think I'm going to like him. Hell, maybe we could even become best friends!"
"Don't even... ugh, I don't know why but I feel that the day you two meet is the day will be the day the shit really will hit the fan...!"
============================={to be continued...}=============================
Image 1: Cielo holding out her arms in a sideways 'V' shape as she introduces Lia.
Image 2: Cielo holding her tea cup all 'dainty' like as Kazuma grins at her.
Image 3: Kazuma and Aqua trying to strangle one another as everyone tries to pull them apart.