NTB48.

  The name meant nothing to Jin. But the sheer force of the chaos erupting around him spoke volumes.

  The shopping mall’s ground floor had transformed. What was once a bustling, but orderly space now seethed with raw, electric energy. Fans – young and old, men and women, abled or not – pressed forward, their faces alight with devotion and their voices a deafening chorus of adulation.

  And then there was Old Man Sid.

  Earlier on, Jin had seen the man rage at his subordinates, curse out black-market thieves, and finish an entire bowl of spicy soup without flinching.

  But this?

  This was something else. Old Man Sid stood frozen, his usual scowl replaced by an expression of pure, unadulterated awe and his eyes wide like a kid on mastsuri. His hands clenched the railing in front of the stage so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

  Jin crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby pillar, watching the spectacle unfold. He dared not drag his friend away. Not when the old man looked like he’d actually combust if interrupted. Besides, the crowd was a living, breathing wall of excitement; trying to fight through it would be like swimming against a tsunami.

  “NTB48! NTB48! NTB48!”

  The chant rose from a chorus of admiring cheers to battle cries, shaking the very foundations of the mall. Even Old Man Sid had joined in, his gruff voice now hoarse.

  After a while, Jin managed to wiggle himself close to his friend. A smile appeared on his face looking at the old man trying to one-up younger fans in their cheers.

  So, this is what it takes to render that old coot speechless. Not a Class B RIFT. Not a stolen boss carcass. Just pop idols.

  After what felt like an eternity of the emcee’s teasing announcements and dramatic pauses, the source of the euphoria finally appeared.

  One by one, the members of NTB48 stepped onto the stage, and each introduction was met with a deafening crescendo of cheers, claps, and wolf whistles. The group was an all-girl idol sensation, and from the words amongst the crowd, they were founded five years ago. Since then, their rise has been nothing short of meteoric. A cultural juggernaut that took the Eastern Eurolasia Alliance by storm.

  Their popularity wasn’t just about the catchy, earworm songs or the precise yet mesmerising dance routines either – though those were a big part of it.

  No.

  What really set them apart was the dual allure: every member was not only a chart-topping performer but also a licensed Player, each with a ranking that made even seasoned veterans sit up and take notice.

  Jin, of course, didn’t recognise a single one of them. But according to Old Man Sid – who had somehow found his voice again – it was Eleana who’d first introduced him to the group.

  “Back when she hadn’t become a Player,” he said. “The lass dragged me to their debut concert. Said I needed to appreciate art. Been hooked ever since.”

  Jin rolled his eyes, imagining the scene. Now, watching Old Man Sid practically vibrate with excitement, Jin wondered if Eleana knew exactly what she was doing.

  ***

  Today’s event was a double whammy. One, the release of their latest album – something Jin hadn’t bothered to commit to memory – the second, a live performance of their greatest hits to celebrate their upcoming world tour.

  The stage exploded into a kaleidoscope of lights and colour as the first notes of their opening number blared through the speakers. The crowd roared in unison, their voices merging with the music in a way that made the whole mall feel like it was pulsing with life.

  “Sakura-chan, I love you!”

  “Marry me, Kaoru!”

  “Be my girlfriend, Nana!”

  The shouts came from every direction, fans screaming their lungs out in the hopes of catching their idols’ attention. Old Man Sid, ever the enthusiastic participant, opened his mouth to join in.

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  “Rino-chan, you’re-”

  Before he could even mutter the rest out, Jin had clamped a hand over Old Man Sid’s mouth.

  “Oi.” Jin scowled. “You’re old enough to be their grandfather. Act like it.”

  The old man mumbled something incoherent against Jin’s palm, but the twinkle in his eyes said he didn’t care one bit. Jin sighed and let go, knowing it was a lost cause. Sure enough, Old Man immediately resumed his chanting, though at least he had the decency to lower his voice to a whisper.

  “You’re so cute, Kaoru…”

  Jin shook his head. “I swear, if you embarrass me, I’m telling any girls you’ve got your tickles on how much of a closet perv you are.”

  Old Man Sid flipped him off without looking away from the stage.

  The performance ahead was a whirlwind of energy. The idols danced with practised precision, their movements so synchronised it was like watching a single, flawless bloom of a rose.

  The music was infectious, the kind of beat that burrowed into your skull and refused to leave. Even Jin, who couldn’t care less about idols, found his foot tapping along. Two songs in, and he was already humming the rhythm.

  But beneath the glitter and glamour, something was probing at his intuition.

  It wasn’t just the sheer volume of the crowd, though that was part of it. It wasn’t just the way the stage creaked every time the idols jumped and twirled around. And neither could he single out the decorations that swayed every time the bass dropped, nor the creaking of the metal supports holding up the massive screens that brought him the uneasiness he was feeling right now.

  By itself, each one of those was a small thing. Inconsequential, most likely. Together, it was the kind of detail most people would dismiss in the chaos of a live performance. Something that was bound to happen when surrounded by a horde of fans like this. But Jin’s instincts that had kept him alive this long were screaming at him of something else. Something that was hidden in plain sight.

  He scanned the area around him. Securities were everywhere, like hawks preying on the crowd for any slight hint of ‘over-excitedness’. One hand touched the stage, and bam, you’d be dragged out by mean-looking men in black suits.

  It couldn’t be, right?

  Jin looked up at the ceiling, his eyes narrowing.

  Something’s off. I can feel it. Cattleya, get ready to-

  A deafening cheer erupted, drowning his thoughts. The crowd exploded as NTB48’s star duo, Rino and Rina, took centre stage for their duet. The other members fanned out as backup singers, their voices weaving into the anthem that had topped Neo-Tokyo’s music charts for months.

  Below, the audience sang along in perfect unison, their voices a single, thunderous wave. Even Old Man Sid was lost in it, rendering his own version in that tone deaf singing of his.

  Snap!

  The sound was faint. Impossible to hear. Worse, it came without warning.

  One second, Rino and Rina were belting the final chorus, their voices soaring over the ecstatic crowd. The next thing everyone knew, metallic shrieks tore through the music as the domed roof above them collapsed.

  And then, it was over.

  ***

  Jin leaned back in his chair, feet propped up on the coffee table as the news replayed the event earlier in the day on the TV screen. The footage was grainy and chaotic – screams, flashing lights, bobbing videos of the twisted wreckage of the stage – but the reporter’s voice was clear.

  “…by sheer miracle, no casualties reported after today’s incident at Neo-Tokyo Shibuya 111 shopping mall. Authorities are calling it a technical malfunction, but investigations are ongoing.”

  He took a swig of his drink and side-eyed Old Man Sid. “You sure know how to dig your own grave, old man. Lucky I had your back. Yours, those girls’. Basically, everyone’s heads.”

  Old Man Sid slid a bottle of wine – one that he kept for at least five years – across the table toward Jin. “That’s my thanks. But seriously, how the hell did you know? One second we’re singing along, and next? Boom. Decorations falling on us!”

  “Decorations?” Jin shrugged. “Metal beams and windowpanes aren’t exactly your typical decorations, Sid. Whatever it is, though, good thing that Catt’s net held on until everyone had evacuated safely. Otherwise, we’d be scraping people off the floor.”

  Old Man Sid turned to the Thousand Year Caterpillar, who was resting on a soft cushion pillow. “Thanks, little earthw-I mean, you pretty caterpillar.”

  Cattleya wiggled, her voice barely above a whisper. “Y-You are welcome, Master Sid. I only did as Master Jin commanded. The thanks are his to receive.”

  Jin waved a hand, dismissing the idea. “Save it. The wine’s thanks enough. And hey, no casualties, no broken dreams. The idols get to keep singing, the fans get to keep screaming, and you, my friend,”–he smirked–“get to keep fangirling like a teenager. That’s all that matters.”

  “Not even any credit?” Old Man Sid asked, his tone went serious. “If you didn’t take off right after you save everyone, you might earn yourself some pretty good fame, you know.”

  Jin’s smirk faded. “And risk blowing my cover before the exam? No thanks. I’ve got two more phases to clear, and I’d rather not do it with reporters camping outside the door. Or worse, the police digging into my past. People are safe. That’s all that matters.”

  Old Man Sid barked out a hearty laugh, raising a toast with his beer. “What a damned hero. Not even a Player yet and you’re already saving the day.”

  Jin replied to the toast. “To the unnamed hero. May he be forever unknown.”

  Old Man Sid emptied a couple more beers, but the solemn expression remained. “You’re right about one thing, though. This wasn’t just ‘technical issues.” His eyebrows furrowed. “There’s more than meets the eye, Jin. Years spent in my work tell me that someone wanted this to happen. And you better be careful out there.”

  Jin didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. The silence between them was enough. Besides, he didn’t need the distraction. Nor the attention. There was only one thing on his mind right now.

  The next phase of the Player Assessment and Evaluation Examination. Scheduled three days from now, it'd be a team versus team battle. Who his team members were would only be made known before the exam started.

  “Oi, Jin. You free tomorrow?”

  “Need something?”

  “Could use your help. Those heaps of paperwork in my office won’t be going away anytime soon.”

  Jin groaned. “Fine. The nights are off-limits, though. Got to get used to Catt’s power. Depends on who I’ll get on the exam day, I might have my work cut out for me.”