I got to the studio a few minutes before 4 PM. It was in a clean, minimalist building that was a world away from the grimy karaoke dive. The walls were covered with posters of smiling, impeccably polished idol groups.
"Appointment with Kyoko," I told the bored-looking receptionist.
She tapped a few keys. "Studio B. End of the hall on the right."
As I turned, the main door opened, and my two girls walked in.
Miki was practically vibrating with excited energy, dressed in a cute, frilly outfit perfect for an idol-in-training. She saw me and beamed, a dazzling smile that seemed to light up the whole room.
"Master!" Miki whispered, rushing over to grab my arm. "I'm so excited, I think I'm going to explode!"
Aoi was the picture of cool professionalism in a simple, elegant dark blue dress. She gave me a slight, respectful nod, her face a perfect mask of composure.
"Master," Aoi said calmly. "We are ready."
I led them down the hall to Studio B. Inside, a woman with a lit cigarette dangling from her lips and a thunderous expression sat at a small table. Kyoko. She took one long drag, stubbed out the cigarette in an overflowing ashtray, and grunted.
"You're here. Don't waste my time. Who's first?"
"Miki, you're up," I said, taking a chair. "
They both want to go solo," I told Kyoko. "Your choice. Pick one, none, or both."
I gave the girls a wink. "Don't be nervous. She won't bite… probably."
Kyoko's eyes narrowed. Miki stepped into the center of the floor, her nervous energy melting away into a focused, dazzling charisma.
"I'm Miki Aoyama! I'll be singing 'My First Love,' and I have my own choreography!"
She handed a USB drive to Kyoko, who plugged it into a laptop with a weary sigh. A sweet, generic pop ballad began to play.
But the moment Miki started to sing, the air in the room changed.
Her voice was perfect, not just technically, but filled with a captivating, almost unnatural emotion. It was more than talent; this was her dark magic at work.
When singing about love, she was projecting the feeling of a first crush, an obsessive adoration, directly into Kyoko's cynical heart. Her dance moves were sharp, fluid, and utterly mesmerizing.
When the song ended, Miki struck a final, breathtaking pose. Silence hung in the room.
Kyoko was just staring, her cigarette halfway to her lips, completely forgotten. The perpetual scowl on her face was gone, replaced by stunned disbelief.
She'd been in this business for twenty years. She had never seen this.
"Holy shit..." Kyoko whispered.
I chuckled as Miki came back to my side, flushed with triumph. I patted her head. "You did okay, I guess."
"You. Next. Now," Kyoko barked, snapping out of her trance and pointing a shaking finger at Aoi.
Aoi nodded calmly. She walked to the center of the room, her presence cold and commanding.
"Aoi Tanaka," she stated. "I will be performing an original piece. A cappella."
The audacity of it made Kyoko raise a skeptical eyebrow. Aoi took a breath, and then she sang.
The sound that came out of her was breathtaking. A haunting, melancholic melody filled with a profound sense of longing and a spine-chilling undercurrent of power.
Where Miki's song was an injection of sweet emotion, Aoi's was a slow-acting poison. Her dark power manifested differently. As she sang, she subtly pulled on the room's ambition, on Kyoko's desperate need for a star, on Miki's glee, even on my own satisfaction. She focused it all back through her voice, a display of absolute vocal dominance.
When she finished, the silence was even heavier than before.
Kyoko slowly leaned back in her chair. She looked from Miki's dazzling commercial appeal to Aoi's raw artistic power. She looked at me, her expression a mix of disbelief, fury, and something that looked dangerously like respect.
"Where the hell did you find them?" she asked. It wasn't a question. It was a capitulation.
"On the street," I said with a shrug. "So, you taking them or not?"
Kyoko let out a harsh laugh. "Taking them? You idiot. I'm not 'taking' them. I'm signing them. Exclusively. Solo contracts for both."
"Training starts tomorrow morning. Voice, dance, media, the works. These two… are lightning in a bottle."
She pointed at Miki. "You're the face. The commercial juggernaut. We'll have you on every talk show and billboard in the city within six months."
Then at Aoi. "And you're the artist. The critic's darling. We'll have you winning awards and selling out concert halls."
Her gaze landed on me. "The contracts will be ready by tonight. Get them signed. Don't fuck this up for me, Hakuto. This is the big one."
"Success," Gemgem's voice stated in my mind, cool and satisfied. "Their positions are secured. Their fame, and thus their power, will grow. The first phase is complete. Now, for the second."
We left the agency, and the moment the door closed, Miki let out a piercing squeal of joy, grabbing my arm. "MASTER! I can't believe it! A solo contract! It's everything I ever dreamed of!"
Aoi was more composed, but I could see a deep satisfaction in her eyes. "Your guidance was flawless, Master. We are in your debt."
"Time for dinner to celebrate," I said. "My treat. We've got a hunt later tonight."
Their triumphant moods sobered instantly, their expressions shifting from idols to soldiers.
"Ooh, who is it?" Miki's eyes lit up. "Is it someone strong?"
I took them to a quiet ramen shop. As we slurped our noodles, I could feel the energy coming off them. They were on an emotional high, brimming with confidence. Perfect!
"The target is the Star Empress," I began. "Sounds like a strong one. Not a rookie like you," I said, pinching Miki's cheek. "Or a naive one like you, Miss Aoi." I giggled and flicked her forehead. "Brief me about her, Gemgem. That name sounds like a proud brat."
Miki giggled. Aoi flinched, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Magical Star Empress…" Aoi said seriously. "I know of her. Everyone does. She's a monster. She fights alone because no one is strong enough to keep up with her."
"Wow, she sounds scary. And cool!" Miki added.
The Gem's voice materialized, cold and clear. "Your assessment of her personality is not inaccurate. Stand by for analysis."
A wave of information, cold and clear, flooded my mind, organized with chilling precision. It felt like an ice cube sliding down my spine.
Target: Magical Star Empress
Real Name: Homura Saito
Deepest Secret: Homura's immense power isolates her completely. She has no friends and no family. Her power awakened at 16 killed them all. She acts arrogant and aloof to hide a crippling loneliness and a deep-seated terror that her power will one day rage out of control again.
Most Selfish Desire: She desperately wants a genuine connection. Someone who is not afraid of her, who can stand by her side as an equal, and who can help her control the raging celestial fire within her. She craves a partner, not a sidekick.
"Her power is cosmic in nature," Gemgem continued, its voice echoing over the data still ringing in my head. "She channels raw stellar energy. She is, by a significant margin, the most powerful magical girl in this city."
"A direct confrontation would be unwise. Her arrogance and her deep-seated desire for an equal are her primary vulnerabilities. We will not defeat her with force. We will seduce her with the promise of what she wants most."
"Well then," I said after paying for the ramen. "Let's go find her some friends," I smirked. "Akane's personality might be a good fit for this one."
I quickly sent Dark Ruby a message, "Come quickly, Akane. We found you a playmate."
"We move when Akane arrives."