After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

While Ave Mujica was racking her brains on stage to smooth things over for Mortis, Toyokawa Yuu was certainly not idle either.

While directing operations from the lighting control room, he also contacted the talent agency, requesting public relations guidance.

Based on the current results, the effect is quite good.

On Yuu Toyokawa's phone screen, discussions about Ave Mujica were popping up everywhere, clearly indicating that the concert had been a great success.

The wildest girl band in history...

A group of extravagant geniuses, displaying their skills with near-arrogance...

[Judging from the small theater and the performance, could today's concert actually be Mortis's solo concert? The feeling of switching back and forth between the elegance of life and the helplessness of death... I'm already looking forward to the storylines of the other puppets...]

Mortis is working way too hard...

There were certainly dissenting voices, but thanks to the public relations team's guidance, the overall reception remained positive.

"Xiangzi, from the perspective of the musicality you pursue, this concert was indeed a complete mess, but we are a commercial band and do not pursue pure musical appreciation."

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko in front of him, Toyokawa Yuu used rather high-sounding language to cover up his bias towards "Wakaba Mutsumi".

"From a purely results-oriented perspective, we can certainly consider this concert a success."

“Youyu, stop saying things like that. All you care about is commercialization and numbers.”

Toyokawa Yuu, who had always been quite reliable in business, was actually defending a behavior that could easily lead to disastrous consequences right in front of him, causing his brows to furrow deeply beneath the mask.

"That reckless performance just now has already destroyed Ave Mujica's worldview."

"I told you a long time ago, the worldview of Ave Mujica is something that only I can control. Do you know how many words it will take to straighten out this mess?"

The wording gradually became sharper. Matching the chaotic rhythm of "Wakaba Mutsumi" on stage was tiring, but that was not what angered Toyokawa Shoko the most.

The band's performance is not a one-man show; even if Mortis has some flaws, they can be compensated for by other instruments.

But how can Ave Mujica's shattered worldview be restored?

"Really? I think the audience is quite immersed in it. There's even more speculation online about the plot of the future mini-theater, and some people have even started to analyze the characters' traits on their own."

Toyokawa Yuu remained unmoved by Toyokawa Shoko's words, appearing completely in control.

That results-oriented attitude made Toyokawa Shoko feel uneasy.

But in terms of the results, today's performance was indeed a success.

After all, Ave Mujica is a commercial band. As long as the audience is satisfied, that's the goal they've achieved. How they satisfied the audience is not the point of concern.

but......

“But if this continues, Ave Mujica will no longer be a band. The original purpose of the worldview is to allow guests to immerse themselves in the music and appreciate the songs. Let’s not put the cart before the horse.”

Toyokawa Shoko took a step forward, and their breaths became even closer. Toyokawa Yuu could even feel Shoko's warm breath on her.

"Only by establishing a foothold through music can Ave Mujica last, instead of becoming a second-rate band that is popular for a while and then disappears."

"However, even with the best technology, without enough attention, one will fall into the predicament of 'even the best wine needs a good location'."

Toyokawa Yuu frowned at Toyokawa Shoko's accusations. He had never understood why they had to get hung up on the musicality.

He could understand how much Toyokawa Shoko valued the Ave Mujica worldview; if it were him, he wouldn't want the story he created to be haphazardly altered by others.

But musicality...

Does Ave Mujica's musical talent even need to be questioned?

"Are you not confident in your skills, Xiangzi? We are a commercial band, and I hope you can adopt the attitude that a commercial band should have... With the current momentum, it's not impossible for us to perform at the Budokan within a month. After becoming famous, it's not difficult for Ave Mujica to establish themselves based on their skills."

Worldview, musicality...

Based on Toyokawa Yuu's experience, once he started talking to Shoko about these topics, things would never end.

The best approach now is to use Ave Mujica's objective, hard-earned strength to silence any dissent, making Toyokawa Shoko realize that questioning these issues is almost the same as questioning his own skills.

After all, he didn't want to waste time on pointless arguments with Toyokawa Shoko.

What he cared about more was figuring out who was controlling Wakaba Mutsu's body at this moment.

Yuu Toyokawa had already planned it out. As soon as Shoko Toyokawa lost her touch, she could take Mutsu Wakaba for psychological counseling under the pretext of caring about the team members' mental state.

There will be plenty of opportunities to figure things out in time.

Unfortunately, even though Yuu Toyokawa wanted to end the argument, there were always people who made things go against his wishes.

"Xiao Xiang, you and Mr. You Yu should stop arguing. Although it differs from the original plot, it was only revised shortly before the performance. It's unavoidable that some improvisation is added. Xiao Mu has already done a great job."

Seeing that Toyokawa Shoko and Toyokawa Yuu were about to start arguing again in front of her, Hatsune had no choice but to try to ease the tension between them once more.

These two individuals, one in charge of band operations and the other in charge of performance arrangements, are undoubtedly the core of Ave Mujica.

If the two of them parted ways in a fit of anger, Ave Mujica would absolutely fall apart in an instant.

In that case, wouldn't one's final destination be...?

"After all, no one can predict such an unexpected power outage, and there is nothing wrong with Mr. Youyu's remedial measures."

It would have been better if Hatsune Miku hadn't brought this up, because mentioning it made Toyokawa Shoko furious.

The tone, which could barely be considered a question, had become visibly harsh.

Although it was Hatsune Miku who brought up the topic, Toyokawa Shoko's gaze never left Toyokawa Yuu.

"Why do you think we needed to change the script at the last minute? Aren't you in charge of the on-site setup? Why did such a big mistake happen?"

With her amber eyes wide open, Toyokawa Shoko's emotions grew increasingly agitated.

"If you had been more careful and avoided that unexpected power outage, we could have completed the concert as planned, and we might even be on our way to the after-party now."

She might be a bit more polite when she's talking to other people.

However, when faced with Toyokawa Yuu, who had already made her intentions clear and was mutually exploiting each other, she would always subconsciously discard those formalities.

“Assigning some of your work to Hailing not only made her always late for rehearsals and leave early, but also caused this accident... Youyu, you are the one who needs to correct your attitude the most.”

"I don't think Mr. Youyu has a problem with his work attitude."

A slightly cold voice broke the argument, causing Toyokawa Yuu to raise an eyebrow.

He was pretty much used to Hatsune Miku's tendency to speak out of turn, but he really didn't expect Hachiman Kairin to interfere at this time.

Why are you getting involved at a time like this?

"Toyokawa-kun, you don't seem to pay much attention to the importance of these behind-the-scenes tasks, do you?"

Walking up to Toyokawa Yuu, Hachiman Kairin gave him a reassuring look, then looked directly at Toyokawa Shoko.

"Timoris, I told you to use job titles when you're at work, and I am indeed primarily responsible for this accident; it has nothing to do with you."

"Hachiman-kun, if I remember correctly, Yuu gave you the final inspection, right? If this incident wasn't a problem with Yuu's attitude, could it actually be a problem with your ability?"

The moment Hachiman Kairin finished speaking, Toyokawa Yuu and Toyokawa Shoko simultaneously turned their gazes to the girl who had joined the argument.

The simultaneous pursuit of accountability and attempts to exonerate her made Toyokawa Shoko's meaning quite clear.

Since Youyu took the blame for her, she shouldn't jump out and say anything at this time. Does she think she doesn't have enough stains on her body?

But compared to Toyokawa Shoko's questioning, Toyokawa Yuu's excuses made her feel more uneasy.

The code name no longer carries any sense of intimacy, the statement that completely disclaims any relationship and has nothing to do with you... it's as if you're unwilling to even entrust her with the trust of sharing responsibilities.

Escape, shirk responsibility...

Almost instinctively, this was a practice that Hachiman Kairin had always followed when she was in charge of dozens of bands.

But this time, it wasn't just for herself, but also for Toyokawa Yuu who was helping her take the blame.

Mr. Yu entrusted me with such an important task because he trusted me so much. If he takes all the blame for it, who will trust me in the future...?

"It is true that the accident was caused by my negligence, but Mr. Yuu had already proposed remedial measures when the accident first occurred, and you, Toyokawa, approved them."

Hidden beneath the mask, his silver teeth clenched. He's been involved in over thirty bands and witnessed the disbandment of at least twenty, yet he still enjoys an excellent reputation within the industry. This legendary mercenary knows best how to shirk responsibility.

"It was you, Toyokawa, who came to the conclusion that 'only by returning from the brink of death can this performance be saved,' thus placing all the pressure of saving the show on Wakaba, and Wakaba's execution also went wrong."

Yawata Kairin crossed her arms and lowered her eyes, no longer looking at Toyokawa Shoko, but the subtext of her words was quite clear.

The cause of the incident was indeed my fault, and Yuu Toyokawa, who chose to trust me, also bears responsibility, but the situation at the time was not beyond repair.

We are not the ones who squander our last chance to salvage the situation.

With these words, he not only absolved himself of ultimate responsibility, but also pulled "Wakaba Mutsumi," who had been silent for a long time and had been vaguely forgotten about the dispute, back to the center of the battlefield.

What are they doing...?

Yutenji Wakana, who remained silent throughout and maintained an innocent demeanor, stared dumbfounded at the argument that was taking place in the lounge.

It's hard to understand. Didn't we start by discussing Mutsuko's rambling? How did the topic veer off to this point?

The two engaged couples, who were the core of the band, were arguing and couldn't reach an agreement. The person who caused the performance accident remained silent. Someone who was originally not responsible jumped into the eye of the storm. The person who wanted to mediate the fight started a new argument as soon as they opened their mouth. And me, who should be tied to the band and should be the one to stand up and calm things down at this time, shrank to the side and dared not say a word.

This band is truly a complete scourge in every sense of the word. What kind of hell have I tied my life to?

All eyes turned back to "Wakaba Mutsumi," who hadn't spoken for some time.

"I don't aim for stop-loss orders; I want profits beyond that. That's your approach..."

Holding a pink guitar, "Wakaba Mutsumi" slowly spoke under everyone's gaze.

Upon hearing "Wakaba Mutsu's" statement, Toyokawa Shoko gritted her teeth and turned her head to the side.

She did say that.

However, "Wakaba Mutsu" did not utter the last few syllables. Only her lips moved, and her voice stopped abruptly as if someone had choked her.

The indifferent golden gaze began to become empty, as if "Wakaba Mutsu" was not watching what was happening in the lounge.

And in fact, it is indeed the case.

No, saying that will hurt Xiang...

Within the mental space, with the help of Metis, Wakaba Mutsumi finally regained control and pressed down on another version of herself.

Instead of immediately trying to snatch the guitar, he reached out and grabbed Yu Mu by the throat.

[You'll only hurt Xiang... I don't need you anymore.]

A pitch-black shadow appeared behind Wakaba Mutsu, as if death had materialized.

A strange look flashed in her golden eyes, and Ruoye Mu announced a certain ending in a detached tone.

Originally, she needed this new student, Wakaba Mutsu, to understand Toyokawa Yuu, but if she would hurt Sho, then she wouldn't need her.

Auspiciousness is a kind of insurmountable boundary.

Looking at the dark figure that appeared behind Ruoye Mutsu, Yu Mutsu's expression did not change at all, as if it had been welded onto his face as a mask, and he was just struggling silently.

[Wait...wait, Xiaomu, are you really going to use this? It can't be that serious.]

Metis huddled in the corner of the sofa, instinctively feeling fear as he watched the enormous shadow loom behind Wakaba Mutsu.

This is the thing that caused so many "Wakaba Mutsu" to be discarded.

Compared to Yu Mu, who was already pinned down and choked by Wakaba Mu, Metis was more afraid of the dark figure.

Maybe she's just being a little mischievous; she might not be that bad.

However, as her assistant, she couldn't go against Wakaba Mutsuki's wishes, and Wakaba Mutsuki never had any need to listen to her advice.

The shadowy figure's hair spread out in mid-air, like a giant net.

Metis could only stare blankly as yet another "Wakaba Mutsu" disappeared before his eyes, its last action being a hand outstretched towards him as if pleading for help.

Metis, already cowering on the sofa, shrank even further, no longer daring to look in that direction.

Will there come a day when even I...?

Grabbing the guitar that had fallen to the ground, Ruoye Mu slowly breathed a sigh of relief as she regained control of her body.

"Auspicious..."

A soft, indifferent sound, like the crisp, melodious sound of a freshly ripened cucumber, rang out in the lounge.

The familiar tone of voice made Toyokawa Yuu's eyes narrow.

Has Ruoye Mutsu returned? What about the "Mutsu" from earlier? And what about Metis, who appeared briefly before?

No, don't panic, everything is still in the plan.

It is enough that Metis's existence has been confirmed.