With the host’s roar, the New National Stadium, which had been pitch black just a moment before, was instantly set ablaze.
This was not a metaphor, but “ignited” in a literal, physical sense.
The brilliant streamers of light were not fleeting like traditional fireworks.
Instead, they wove together in the air, transforming into majestic, radiant dragons that circled over the heads of the 60,000 spectators.
At this moment, superpowers displayed a breathtaking beauty.
Inside the VIP box.
Jiang Jian Yue sat behind the one-way glass, looking at the fire dragons above with some concern.
Although they had rehearsed many times, she couldn’t help but fear that some accident might occur.
Seated at the long table behind her were the Prime Minister of Japan, the Governor of Tokyo, and several members of the Imperial family.
These powerful figures, who usually looked majestic on TV, seemed somewhat restless now.
From time to time, they stole glances at the young girl with her back to them.
“President Jiang, this opening… is truly ingenious,” the Prime Minister said, wiping sweat from his forehead and searching for a topic.
“It’s just to… save on the electricity bill.”
Jiang Jian Yue did not look back. “Very eco-friendly, isn’t it?”
“Uh… haha, indeed. It certainly fits the concept of sustainable development goals,” the Prime Minister replied with a dry laugh.
‘Are you ready, Missy?’
Meiguan’s voice rang in her mind. ‘The entrance ceremony is about to start. While you don’t need to go down and march in the formation, you can’t escape the final speech.’
‘Ugh.’
As a stirring march began to play, massive holographic projections cast team flags and the nationalities of the personnel above the marching groups.
Of course, the individual participants entered in loose walking formations.
It was different from what Jiang Jian Yue had expected or what was commonly seen in novels, where every team was a single-nation squad.
In this GSAC, it seemed that international coalitions were more common, while single-nation teams were the minority. Among them, the host, Japan, accounted for a large portion.
The last to appear were the three official teams from Japan, and the cheers reached a peak.
Although the outside world knew very little about these three teams, judging by their position at the end of the lineup and their uniforms marked with the Japanese flag, these were undoubtedly the national teams.
Yuki Asahi walked at the very front, dressed in a specialized combat uniform with a serious expression.
He seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up, staring toward that dark, one-way glass.
In that instant, Jiang Jian Yue felt their gazes meet across the void.
“…”
She unconsciously rubbed the Sun Pendant on her collarbone.
The entrance ceremony ended, and the lights in the stadium dimmed abruptly, leaving only a single spotlight hitting the prominent podium on the grandstand.
The noisy sounds gradually died down as everyone waited.
Boom!
A clap of thunder that echoed through the entire stadium instantly tore through the silence.
Bright lightning, carrying the momentum to shatter everything, ripped through the heavy darkness and fell into the spotlight.
After the initial flash faded, Jiang Jian Yue’s figure was already standing beneath the spotlight.
The moment her image appeared on the giant screens, the entire stadium erupted in a mountain-shaking roar of cheers.
Jiang Jian Yue stood before the microphone without any script. Her blood-red eyes swept over the stadium, and the 60,000 noisy people miraculously fell silent.
“I am Jiang Jian Yue.”
Jiang Jian Yue spoke in English, her voice carrying to every corner through the sound system.
“The world is sick.”
“Fear, chaos, and disorder… this is our world now. The appearance of superpowers has caused many to lose their way and driven many others to madness.”
Jiang Jian Yue lifted her chin slightly. “But tonight, here, we are going to redefine the rules.”
“Power is not for rampaging; it is for proof.”
“To prove that the human will can harness this divine curse.”
She paused, a very faint smile curling the corners of her mouth.
“Fight to your heart’s content. For desire, for glory, or simply to prove who is the strongest person in the world.”
“Let the GSAC opening ceremony begin.”
“Now.”
Walking back into the backstage corridor, Jiang Jian Yue’s shoulders immediately slumped as if her bones had been removed.
‘I… I want to die…’
She leaned against the wall, feeling that the single minute just now had exhausted her social energy for a lifetime. ‘Was that too chuunibyou just now?’
The pre-recorded audio couldn’t be changed now—you couldn’t exactly let someone who stuttered go out and give a long speech!
Meiguan added a finishing blow: ‘A little bit, but it fits your current persona perfectly. Look, your real-time support rating online has exploded. I feel like you could run for Prime Minister!’
‘Stop talking…’
Jiang Jian Yue walked quickly into her private lounge, where Kazuki Hanatsubame was sitting.
“Missy, there are only 5 minutes left before Southern Cross takes the stage,” Akimoto Miren reminded her.
“I know.”
Jiang Jian Yue sat on the sofa opposite Kazuki Hanatsubame and closed her eyes.
Vroom—
Her field of vision switched instantly.
Jiang Jian Yue felt as if her soul had left her body and been stuffed into a slightly unfamiliar shell.
This body was a bit fuller than her own (‘Really, just a bit?’ Meiguan chimed in), and long-term training had filled it with vitality.
‘So this is… the feeling of dual-control.’
Kazuki Hanatsubame stood up and stretched her neck.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jian Yue’s original body sitting on the sofa slumped its head like a sleeping beauty.
“Get ready to go on!” the manager shouted at the door.
The lift rose slowly.
The ear-splitting cheers pierced through everything, growing louder and louder.
Jiang Jian Yue controlled Kazuki Hanatsubame to stand in the center position.
To her left was MASU, and to her right was the cross-dressing Kokoro, Saori Saiyonji, who looked completely miserable.
Since their debut, Momo had always focused on being a “listless idol”—and she wasn’t acting.
“Kazuki, is your condition really okay?” Saori Saiyonji asked in a low voice, his eyes full of concern.
“Of course.”
Kazuki Hanatsubame turned her head and revealed a standard, flawless smile—the “Idol Mode” she had just rehearsed countless times in her mind.
“You have to do your best too, Momo!”
Saori Saiyonji shuddered.
For some reason, that “Momo” gave him goosebumps all over. He felt as if today’s Kazuki Hanatsubame… had a different person inside.
Before he could think further, the lift reached its destination, and the spotlights hit.
The music started.
It was a fast-paced electronic dance track called Starlight, a song that was both cute and upbeat.
“Everyone—good evening—!”
Jiang Jian Yue controlled the vocal cords to let out a sweet shout that could instantly melt any otaku’s heart.
‘Are you kidding me? I’m going to throw up!’
‘What is this move? A wink? Am I supposed to wink at the camera? Me?’
Although her inner self had already collapsed into a mental version of the painting The Scream, her body executed every movement with extreme honesty and precision.
She had chosen this herself.
Furthermore, because of Jiang Jian Yue’s monstrous physical control, Kazuki Hanatsubame’s dance moves today were more powerful than ever before.
“One, two, three, let’s go!”
Jiang Jian Yue did a high leg lift, her skirt fluttering, followed by a difficult series of consecutive spins.
Singing was no problem for her, but dancing was a bit difficult for a 40-year-old veteran like her.
Every dance move felt like it was rapidly stripping away Jiang Jian Yue’s “shame barrier.”
Her original body lying in the back was currently overheating, sweat pouring off her in drenching amounts. (It was sweat.)
The song entered the interlude of the chorus, which was the segment for everyone to interact by acting cute.
According to the choreography, the center needed to perform a series of adorable actions, commonly known as “service.”
Jiang Jian Yue looked at the approaching jib camera and could only bite the bullet. First, she made a heart with both hands and placed it next to her cheek.
“Chuu~”
Then came the cat paws.
“Meow~”
Finally, a turn and a look back, with a finger placed on her lips for a blown kiss.
“I love you all~”
Perfect expression management, while her stiff soul roared. This extreme contrast gave Jiang Jian Yue an unprecedented sense of shame, akin to mental schizophrenia.
Beside her, Saori Saiyonji’s heart grew more alarmed as he danced. As someone with maximum intuition, he could clearly feel that the Kazuki Hanatsubame next to him had no “emotional” fluctuations at all.
She was like a robot controlled by a precise program. Every smile of hers had the exact same curvature of the lips, and every blink was calculated.
‘What on earth is going on…’ Saori Saiyonji wondered while keeping up with the movements. ‘Could it be that Kazuki… is possessed by something?’
‘Is it a ghost?!’
The song ended.
They held their final pose.
Jiang Jian Yue controlled Kazuki Hanatsubame to stand in the center of the stage, her chest heaving as sweat slid down her cheeks.
She held her right hand high, pointing to the sky with a radiant smile as if she had seen hope.
The stadium erupted in thunderous cheers, and countless glowsticks merged into a sea of green.
“Thank you, everyone!”
As the lift slowly descended and the stage blocked their view, the smile on Kazuki Hanatsubame’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a deathly silence of total despair.
‘It’s finally over.’
Inside the lounge.
Jiang Jian Yue’s original body snapped its eyes open, panting heavily as if she had just finished a marathon.
She grabbed a bottle of ice water from the table and gulped down half of it.
“So this is what it feels like to be an idol?”
Jiang Jian Yue slumped on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. “So tired.”
‘You did great, Missy.’
Meiguan teased with malicious joy. ‘That “Chuu” just now was definitely too cute. I almost wanted to record it.’
“Shut up. Talk when you’re actually capable of recording.”
Just then, the door was pushed open.
The real Kazuki Hanatsubame was led in, supported by staff members. Her eyes were dazed, and her memory of what had just happened seemed blurry.
“Did… did I do it?” she asked weakly.
“You did.”
Jiang Jian Yue regained her cold expression and stood up to straighten her slightly messy dress. “It was perfect… you can… rest now.”
“Thank you… Lady Jiang!” Kazuki Hanatsubame was moved to tears. She only remembered having a very long dream where she was omnipotent.
Jiang Jian Yue said nothing more and turned to walk out of the lounge.
The corridor was empty. She leaned against the wall, let out a long breath, and covered her burning face with her hand.
“I’m never… doing that again for the rest of my life.”
‘At least no one knows!’
If Jiang Jian Yue knew that Chapter 15 would depict this content in a peculiar way in the future, she would surely be filled with regret.