Idol Gunner [Yuri Villainess LitRPG]

None of the monsters followed them out of the underground city, which was a blessing. Completely spent, both physically and mentally, the girls were in no condition to fight anymore. Kana lay on the ground, heaving as she looked at the red sky of the Monster Dimension. Her mind kept raising the question of whether it was even valid to call it that now.

Surely, this place had a different name. It deserved a proper designation. Something better than just being called the place where the monsters lived. Well, where monsters and a single human lived. She looked at Nobuko as her own words came back to her. That is what she was, and that is what Akiko was. Just human.

Shoko stood beside Nobuko, healing some minor wounds she had suffered. Her first order of business had been to take care of Megumi and Jina, who had been the worst off. The latter was now resting beside Kana, while the former had completely disappeared. Megumi Ishida, having faced the absolute terror of everything that had happened, had run off the moment she reached the surface.

The Fluorescent Angels were talking to the Nozoki Neko girls. Marie was still in disbelief at her survival, which Saturn had facilitated. Kana hadn’t really had a plan, after all. Some part of her brain had convinced her that the fall was survivable, but she never ended up finding out if that was true. Saturn and Shoko had shown up to save them at the opportune moment.

The shield of the Vanguard Class and some quick movements from the healer’s side had gotten them out of the rough. They must have been sent by Nobuko and the others once they realized that Kana had run off to get Marie. In the end, then, everything had worked out for them. The only loss that today had wrought had been those three girls and Yuko Suzuki.

Why Yuko Suzuki, though? Kana stood up with some help from Jina, and closed her eyes. The cold wind of this world was still as calming as ever. With that peace, she could think. Yuko had been important to Akiko, or at least that’s what it had looked like. For the longest time, it had felt like Yuko was one of the only two people that woman cared about. But that was clearly not true.

Yuko had died. She had been killed by her apparent best friend with no hesitation at all. It sickened Kana. Especially now that she had vowed to stop lying to herself, it made her want to throw up. She was capable of a lot of things, but she was not capable of that. Kana was different, after all. To imagine Marie or Jina in the same situation was unbearable.

“We need to leave.” She declared, looking at Nobuko. At some point, the two of them had ended up becoming the de facto leaders of this little group.

Nobuko nodded, and the others agreed with them. The leader of Ruby Passion Jr. had been the last ally Kana had ever expected to rely on, but here they were. Desperate times.

“Get out, call your managers, and go back home. I’ll report it to the Coalition when I get back.”

“Why?” Atlas asked while helping Jina stand up. “We can do it together if we’re gonna report it to them. You don’t need to go out of your way for this.”

“Yeah.” Neptune agreed.

“It’s not out of my way. Let’s stop pretending already.” They started walking to where the gate was. “The Coalition is run out of Lilac Shower, and every single one of you knows it. I just need to go back to work and tell this woman I know.”

“Taira?” Kana asked.

“Yeah. You know her? Well, I guess she did talk to you at Hiroyama. And she was there that day at the beginning. Anyway, she’s Tanaka’s go-to for handling Coalition work. Kicked her out of her position, and then made her his little servant girl.”

“You sure you want to tell me all that?”

“Ugh, just stop it.” Nobuko sighed. “You probably get all this from that guy of yours anyway. What’s his name? Yamabashi something? Taira told me about him, too. Imagine working with your ex like that. Real fucking courage on that woman.”

“Yeah, just…imagine.” Jina coughed, getting closer to them with Atlas’ help. Even injured, she couldn’t stop herself from looking at Kana with devious eyes. “Turns out it just runs in the office.”

Kana gritted her teeth. “Another fucking word and Atlas will have to princess-carry your ass. Shut up.”

“Do not do that, please…” Shoko moaned from the back, having now moved on to healing herself.

_____________

19:26

Velvet Beats, Nozoki Neko, Ruby Passion Jr. and Fluorescent Angels Return

When they finally managed to reach the gate and get out, they were surprised to find Aiko Taira waiting for them on the other side. With her were the other two idol groups who had entered the competition. The confused members of THE POP-JO ran up to the girls after looking at their injuries, while the remaining, nameless group breathed with relief and took their leave after some time. They were going to take the train, apparently.

“Where’s Akiko?” Taira asked, walking to them with her arms folded. She had a quick pace, which felt uncharacteristic of this woman. For months, there had been a carefully curated image of control that everyone saw. This evening, she was nothing but an impatient mess. “Where is she? Where’s Yuko?”

“Taira-san…” Nobuko stopped her in her tracks, putting her hands on her shoulders and pulling her aside. “I’m gonna need you to stay calm.”

The two of them stepped away, and the others were left to themselves. One by one, as the managers of the groups arrived to pick them up, they left over time. Hiromi and Hanae took over the duty of getting THE POP-JO caught up with the happenings, while Nobuko did the same elsewhere in the ruins. Soon after that, the Fluorescent Angels also left in their car.

It wasn’t long, then, before Marie was left sitting with Kana and Jina. Resting on the floor, leaning against a cracked wall, the three of them sat in silence for an extended period of time.

Marie was the one who spoke first. “Thank you.”

“I don’t care.”

“No, you kinda should!” Jina exclaimed. “That was insane, what you did. Going straight in and trying to fight Akiko like that. Are you dumb?”

“Did you hear that, Iwata?” Kana chuckled. “Ohara thinks you should have just died.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Marie whispered. “Even I think I should have died. But, well, surviving is not all that bad. Would’ve been hell if you died protecting me or something.”

“If she was going to die protecting you, then she would not have done it.” Jina rested her head on Kana’s shoulders, without any tantrums from her side. “Isn’t that right?”

Normally, it would have been a quick reply. The girl should have been correct. It was a no-brainer that Kana would not have put her life on the line if she actually believed she would die. But at the same time, it wasn’t completely true. At least not in this situation. Not when Akiko Hara was involved with someone she respected and loved to a certain capacity.

Marie Iwata was a good person. Even someone as cynical and realistic as Kana had to accept that. When she saw truly good people, she felt like they deserved good things to happen to them. She might have lied to herself earlier, but that’s why she had actually gone through with saving Sanada, hadn’t she? In the end, that entire complex plan had been pulled off just because Kana didn’t want to see that girl suffer any more.

She was glad that she could think that. There was happiness in being able to admit something that should have been so obvious. Kana Minami was capable of loving people, after all. Those who had felt it would surely agree. She even had a girlfriend!

“Isn’t…that right?” Jina raised her eyebrows, with a small smile on her face.

“Shut the fuck up. Don’t put your head on my shoulder!” Kana pushed her off, flushed. “A-and call Yamazaki-san already. We gotta get out of here.”

“Ahh…” Marie shook her head and pulled Jina to her side. “Here, here, Ohara-san. You can rest your head right here.”

“Wah, so much kindness.” Jina sighed. “See, this is what friendship looks like, Kana! As for Yamazaki, I didn’t call him. I mean, it’s not his job to be driving us anymore. I tried calling Naomi-san, but she won’t pick up. Do you think Kelsey asked her to block my number?! Also, I tried calling Yamada, but he said that he is busy with some work and apologized. Do you think Kelsey asked him to block our requests!?”

“Is she really that bad? Maeda?”

“Don’t listen to her, Iwata. You’ll end up believing that everyone in this world is either a mob boss or a clown.”

“Seems like an interesting world…” Marie yawned.

“See!? I told you that I am n-”

“Marie!”

Jina was interrupted by a familiar, mature voice. Nanoka Iwata, now standing in front of her car, had her hands in her pockets. Wearing white pants with a green, sleeveless turtleneck, she was the absolute picture of beauty. One look at her mother, and Marie ran straight into her arms.

Everyone looked at them for a moment, but then decided to give them some peace and quiet. Marie had gone through something particularly bad, after all. Way worse than the others, at least. Kana wondered just how suffocating and claustrophobic it must have been in that fleshy prison. She could still conjure up images of Marie’s hand trying to break free.

Now, at least, wrapped in her mother’s arms, she felt like she had some comfort. The girl did not cry, but her expression suggested that she wasn’t that far off from it. For now, she controlled herself and remained buried in her safe haven.

“You girls!” Nanoka called out to Kana and Jina after Nozoki Neko had been assembled. “I’ve got an SUV. Wanna get in? I’ll drop you home.”

“Uh…” Jina hesitated for a second, but Kana did not. She helped Jina stand and accepted the offer.

But before they could make their way to the car, a sudden call out from Nobuko stopped them. Marie, Hiromi, and Hanae got inside and waited while Kana and Jina stayed to talk. Aiko Taira was accompanying Nobuko, which meant that this was probably quite important.

Nanoka, standing beside the two, also decided to participate. “Taira. Been a while.”

“Yes, Iwata-san.” Taira gulped and turned to Kana. “Some things you need to know. I didn’t tell the others, but…this is fine. Um...Kenji Tanaka is missing.”

“What the fuck?” Kana rolled her eyes. “What happened?”

“No idea. He’s just gone. Apparently Sachiyo is gone, too.” Nobuko explained, shrugging. “Nobody knows what happened. There’s nothing in the cameras, either. That’s what Taira-san says, at least.”

“Uncle-Niece bonding time or something?” Nanoka suggested.

“I…wish, Iwata-san.” Taira shook her head. “We don’t know what’s going on, but we can’t reach either of them. Their phones are turned off, and Akiko and Yuko weren’t answering, so we were on high alert. And now…all of this.”

“All of what? What happened?” Nanoka asked.

“Quite a bit, Iwata-san!” Jina spoke up. “We’ll tell you on the way.”

“Coalition’s got a lot to deal with, too. I’ll try to hold a meeting about it as soon as possible.” Taira stressed. “Also, Kana, if you get in touch with Yamazaki, then please tell him to call me. I know it’s a difficult time, b-”

“It’s nothing difficult. I’ll tell him.”

“She isn’t talking about you.” Nobuko shook her head.

“What do you mean?”

Taira trembled. “Yamazaki. He won’t pick up. After everything that happened, he-”

“What happened!?” Kana snapped. “Stop speaking in riddles. What the fuck happened to him?”

“Y-you left earlier in the day, so you don’t know.” She turned her gaze to the ground. “This morning…”