At the street corner, Alain peeked out furtively from behind a mailbox, scanning his surroundings. After confirming there was no danger, he slowly emerged.
'Made it safely.' He looked at the sign pointing toward the bustling stadium ahead, and as Alain gazed into the distance, he indeed saw a vast, circular building.
The stadium was built in a large open area. Fortunately, there wasn't a single Mita in sight around the open space.
This must be an area the Mitas had searched earlier. They've probably all moved to the other side of the city by now, right?
Alain let out a sigh of relief and slowly walked toward the stadium. There were no guards at the entrance, so he could enter the building unimpeded.
But after pushing open the main doors, he found that, in contrast to the silence of the empty streets, the inside of the stadium was quite noisy.
...
He raised his guard, listening carefully to the source of the sound.
It was the accompaniment of a rather energetic pop song, mixed with the poor-quality audio of Kana Hanazawa's voice. (Kana Hanazawa is the Japanese voice actress for Mita.)
Amidst it all, Alain could hear cheers drowned out by the music, like countless Mitas screaming for someone...
At this point, Alain already had an idea of what was going on.
He averted his gaze for a moment, then walked toward the door from which the sound was coming.
As he drew closer, the cheers and singing grew clearer, as if a fog were gradually lifting. By the time he stood before the sliding door, he could even feel the vibrations from the clamor of the people behind it.
'No way...'
This might be the worst-case scenario, Alain thought with a sigh.
He cracked the door open slightly, and his eyes were met with a chaotic dimness.
Through the dark silhouettes, Alain could generally make out that the interior was incredibly spacious.
The stands rose and fell like waves, packed with countless Mitas.
The Mitas in the audience held colorful glow sticks. Even though their foreheads were already glistening with sweat from the heat of the dense crowd, they tirelessly shouted words of support.
A matrix of neon lights awakened like an exploding nebula. Laser beams of crimson, indigo, and fluorescent purple pierced the darkness, weaving a flowing net of light in the smoke and slicing the audience into countless dancing fragments.
...
Alain fell silent. There had to be at least a thousand of them in the stands. Finding a little one less than 150cm tall among them? It would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Not to mention the risk of his identity as a player being discovered.
'Just give me a break...'
'Sorry, Miluo, your knight can't come find you this time. Just enjoy your concert...'
Alain thought, planning to head back to the streets and reconsider his options.
The next moment—his gaze inadvertently flicked toward the figure on the stage, and his shoulders suddenly stiffened.
The idol stood backlit atop a rotating pillar, her pale pink microphone stand reflecting the afterimages of the neon lights.
When her slightly juvenile voice burst forth, the thousands of glow sticks in the audience instantly transformed into a flowing river of stars.
Her high notes, nimble as a lark's, seemed to gather immense energy, shattering Alain's previous thoughts to pieces.
Right... He had thought the worst-case scenario was Miluo being lost in a crowd of a thousand spectators, making her impossible to find.
But Alain now realized that his self from a few seconds ago had been far too naive, completely failing to anticipate an even worse situation.
'Everyone! Thank you for your support!'
The song ended. On stage, her indigo-blue short hair, adorned with a sparkling hair accessory, glittered under the neon lights.
She wore a pink and white blouse with light blue lace at the collar and cuffs. Below, a deep pink pleated skirt paired with the delectable wrapping of white stockings formed her zettai ryouiki.
Her loafers danced across the stage, like a fluttering pixie.
'I hope that everyone, in the future, can—'
Holding her pink microphone, she wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and offered her gentlest smile. Her petite frame erupted with powerful energy.
'Always stay by Miluo's side and support Miluo! Okay?'
The idol aimed her microphone at the crowd, and the Mitas shouted back in unison with their loudest voices,
'OKAY!!!'
The powerful sound wave made Alain's ears ring and his head ache.
'...Maybe I should just leave.'
'Sorry, Miluo. Your knight is really about to make a run for it—'
'Ah!'
Just as Alain was about to gently close the door and escape this troublesome place, a voice from behind made his whole body go rigid.
...
He understood what had happened. He slowly turned his head, his eyes becoming utterly lifeless in that instant.
A drop of sweat trickled down Alain's forehead, clung to his chin, and was about to fall, reflecting the wide-eyed, stunned expression of the Mita holding popcorn.
She was a pigtail-type Mita, which, to be honest, was a first for Alain.
He suddenly noticed that after her initial shock at seeing him, the Mita's expression turned to one of utter delight, as if all the best things in life had just happened to her at once.
'I-I can't believe it!' The girl, carrying her popcorn, quickly walked up to Alain, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
'I'd heard a player had appeared in the city. I thought I'd missed my chance by coming to the concert... I can't believe it!'
Alain silently ate a piece of her popcorn, staring at her ecstatic expression.
'It's true! I made the right choice! Is this my lucky day? To actually meet—'
'Alright, my Mita, calm down.' Alain ate another piece of her popcorn. It tasted pretty good.
'Ahh~ The player is so sweet!'
She cupped her cheeks, unable to hide her blush. 'If you like eating so much, why don't you eat me first! No, I mean! Player, could I please go on a date with you?'
'Yes. But now is not the time.' Alain's gaze grew profound as he looked out at the distant city sky. 'I still have many things to take care of.'
'Oh... so it'll have to be next time?' She seemed a little annoyed. 'Alright then...'
'Yes. Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going—'
'Hey! Sisters, look! I found the player!'
The moment Alain turned to leave, he heard her shout behind him.
He turned his head stiffly, like a zombie, and saw... the pigtail Mita was excitedly shouting to someone inside the venue.
The cheering in the stadium halted for several seconds, as if time had stopped.
And then—
The sound of footsteps, like a tidal wave, came rolling toward Alain.
He calmly estimated the distance, then let out a light breath and said with a resigned smile, 'Can't escape. I'm toast.'
______
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