Mainstream Megasphere – Possibility of Scattering (Chapter 1–5)

Characters

Writer

H.E. Staff

Translation

310mc

Proofreading

jiaimidori

Chapter Index

Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Translation Notes

Chapter 1

Season: ES 2nd Year, Summer

Next day. Passage Arcade…1

—Oi, oi, it’s practically a deserted town here.

Usually there’s at least one or two idols live-streamin’ around this area, so what gives?

This is just wastin’ away Rinne-kun’s grand plan to have a change of pace by bargin’ in and making a mess of someone’s stream…

…………

Sigh, this is so borin’…

Man… Was it that shockin’ to lose against MELLOW DEAR US?

We were up against world-class idols. If anythin’, Merumeru and his unit did a pretty damn good job holdin’ up against them, yeah?2

Sure, the loss was by a huge margin and all, but those guys put up a good fight all the same.

…Well, I guess this just means there’s only a few people like me who can make do with the results bein’ that way.

In reality, you could actually just as much say that that showdown made the gap between us and them even more obvious.

Merumeru and his unit poured in a good amount of effort, but the world’s barrier isn’t lax enough to get through with just that alone.

I guess you can’t really deny that the producer Anzu-chan’s prospects were way too naive in the end.

Either way… That defeat is why all the ES idols are dead silent like they’re in mournin’.

And thanks to that, stayin’ in my room just means bein’ surrounded by that depressin’ air, and I couldn’t take it anymore. My ever-so-precious luck is also gonna run off somewhere at this rate, man…?

Well, then again, I haven’t been able to do any gamblin’ ever since I came to Mega Sphere, so I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Ah~h, I wanna go to a pachinko parlor after so long and get a kick outta a big one…!

Eughh, it’s miserable here too. I can practically hear the crickets…

I was seriously hopin’ to banter with whoever came here for tea, though. What a letdown… Wait, hm?

…Hello there, Amagi Rinne-kun. If it’s banter you want, you’re completely welcome to do so here. ♪

Well, if it isn’t Nagi. It was pretty quiet here, so I thought there wasn’t anyone at first.

…I had nobody to speak to, that’s all. And as for you, I see you’ve been talking to yourself quite a bit.

…It’s said that talking to yourself a lot indicates stress or lack of conversation; is that the case for you, Amagi Rinne-kun?

Yep yep, bingo! I managed to get outta some real depressin’ air that was tirin’ me out, but it’s a bore no matter where I go!

So with that said, how about you and I talk a li’l, Nagi~♪

…Of course. Is there anything you’d like to drink?

Got anythin’ you recommend? Gimme your reccs, as the senior who came here first.

…Then I recommend the coffee. It goes well with the sandwich as a light meal.

Guess I’ll order me some coffee and sandwich as an early lunch, then.

So. Why’re ya all alone here, drinkin’ coffee? You aren’t with Hiyori-chan today?

…Hiyori-kun is in our room.3 I simply dropped by here while I was taking my daily stroll.

…There was something I wanted to think about on my own, you see.

Somethin’ ya wanted to think about, huh…? Bet it’s the next showdown against MELLOW DEAR US, yeah?

…Yes. We, ES idols, suffered a thorough defeat in Dynamic Diamond.

…Not even Anzu-san’s producing skills nor Neo-Six of Song’s fierce battle was a match against MELLOW DEAR US.2

…I was pondering how I’m meant to come to terms with that fact.

How to come to terms with it, huh…?

So, what’s on your mind regardin’ that?

The ES idols miserably lost in the prelude live show, “Dynamic Diamond” — Do ya think those idols have a chance to win in the next performance, “Mainstream Megasphere”?

…I don’t know.

Oi, oi, what’s with the inoffensive answer, Nagi?

How about ya say how ya honestly feel? This ain’t the time to word it in a hopeful way like “I don’t know”, is it?

…I see that you don’t think we have a chance to win against them, Rinne-kun.

As of this moment, we already lost by a huge margin, didn’t we? It’s pretty damn clear there’s no chance we can win by doin’ it normally.

One of the most important rules of Mega Stream is who can get the most “Nice!”s, and the amount of fans directly influences your victory.

And since MELLOW DEAR US already has fans all over the world, us ES idols can never have enough fans to compare, even if we formed a group.

The very showdown that made that fact wide and clear is none other than the pre-live the other day — Dynamic Diamond.

Yoshihide-kun’s pretty nasty, too. First he makes us painfully aware of the gap between us and our opponent, and now he’s tryna put an end to us one last time.

It’s like kickin’ down a dead body at this point, ain’t it?

…We haven’t died. So that wording doesn’t quite work here.

Huh, you sure? The ES idols are like corpses right now, though.

They’ve lost all strength to keep goin’ after seein’ the overwhelmin’ gap between ‘em and MELLOW DEAR US.

Are ya sayin’ there’s still a chance for us to win even then, Nagi?

…………

As they say, speech is silver, silence is golden. The fact you can’t respond back basically gives the answer.

…Right. As you’d expect, it will likely be a very harsh battle.

…The gap between us and MELLOW DEAR US is evidently clear. What sort of move can ES take here to overturn that gap… That, I wouldn’t know.

…We’ll need a plan. An extraordinary plan that can flip the script over and revive us all from the brink of death.

…That, or if it were her… Perhaps if it were Anzu-san, who had overturned adversities multiple times up until this point — She could be coming up with a strategy to win against MELLOW DEAR US.

I wonder…?

Seems to me that even Anzu-chan, who’s always poured her efforts into her work as the ES idols’ goddess, feels beaten down by this showdown.

Is this really a situation where the Goddess of Victory could smile upon us…?

Chapter 2

(Mhh…)

(No matter how many times I think back on our conversation, I can’t fully grasp where exactly the problem was. I don’t believe I said anything strange…)

(…But Anzu ran off in tears, so I must have messed up somewhere.)

(What on earth did I say to make her so sad…?)

(I was trying to comfort her to the maximum capability — “You don’t have to feel burdened by our defeat,” “Even if we’ve lost this time, it’ll be fine as long as we win next time”…)

(That was me trying to encourage her, nestle close and sympathize with her…)

Hey, Hidaka-kun?

You seem pretty down since yesterday, did something happen?

Yeah, yeah! Hokke~ is acting so weird. It feels like something’s on his mind rather than he’s feeling down, though.

Ahh, no. I was just absorbed in my thoughts.

I was thinking back on my conversation with Anzu, wondering if I might have blurted out something insensitive to her.

Ah—! So that’s what it was!?

As soon as you got back, you suddenly asked me, “Am I actually just as insensitive as you?”—

But even when I asked you where the heck that came from, you just went quiet with a sad look on your face!

Just so you know, at that moment, you were the only one who was being insensitive, ‘kay!?

…And anyway, Hokuto, you sometimes call me insensitive or whatever, but let me just say — You’re way more insensitive, in my opinion.

Ahaha, Hokke~ and Sari~ are the insensitive duo! ☆

Subaru~! What’s with that grin, like you aren’t a part of this! I’m not letting you get away with it, ‘kay? We’re the insensitive trio!

Ehhh~!? Nu-uh, count me out! I don’t want that position~ You and Hokke~ should take the seat by yourselves!

It’s hard to draw the line between whether Hidaka-kun is insensitive or just a natural airhead, honestly.

Alright, this isn’t even important right now, anyway.

So what even happened yesterday? It seems like something you said to Anzu is weighing your mind.

If you can’t make sense of it on your own, then you could talk to us about it, yeah?

…You’re right. I’ve thought it over since last night, but I don’t think I’ll be able to reach a clear answer on my own.

I’d like to hear your thoughts.

The truth is—

Time passes…

Hokuto (Hokke~), you’re in the wrong.

Why…!?

‘Cause it’s clear as day that you basically cornered Anzu by saying all that.

Cornered her…? That’s not what I was trying to do. My intention was to do what’s best at that moment, and encourage her with positive words as much as I could.

Uh, I’m sure that is what you wanted to do, but that doesn’t mean that a logical argument is what would’ve been correct for her, y’know?

…? What do you mean?

Well, I get how Hokke~ feels, as well.

After all, if encouraging someone to do their best when they feel down is the wrong answer, then what would be the right one, yeah?

But the thing is, Anzu was doing her best the whole time.

She tried, and tried, and tried, and even then couldn’t win.

And then she gets told to just “do her best some more”… if I was in her shoes, I’d feel a little fed up.

…………

Anzu-chan… I didn’t know she was feeling responsible for our defeat all this time… Even though it’s all our fault that we lost…2

I don’t want her to feel so much responsibility. I don’t want her to be sad, and yet…

…But I think that sense of responsibility she feels is ‘cause Anzu is firmly dedicated to her producer job.

It’s ‘cause she takes her work seriously that she must feel so frustrated for failing to achieve good results for all the idols that trusted and followed her.

While it’s true that we, the idols, are the ones who go up on stage and participate in the performances and battles…

In that same sense, Anzu must feel as though she’s been putting up just as much of a fight, as a producer.

So Makoto, saying you don’t want her to feel so much responsibility is basically just looking down on her in the end, isn’t it?

I see… That makes sense. It’s because she dedicated herself to us that she feels that way, right…

Fufu. You were the Student Council President, so you really get how it feels to be the one in charge of many people, huh?

Yeah, more or less.

But I’m still worried… If Anzu was like that yesterday, then she must still be feeling down in the dumps today, too.

…Ah, I know! Let’s go cheer up Anzu together!

Eh? But it didn’t go well when I encouraged her yesterday, y’know? Would anything change if we did it today instead?

Jeez, that’s just ‘cause the way you encouraged her was all wrong, Hokke~!

We don’t have to tell her to do her best or anything, and I don’t plan on saying it either. Let’s just eat tasty food together!

Ahh, yeah, that sounds great! ♪

Yeah, if she’s feeling hungry, she won’t have the energy to feel better in the first place.

I see. It’s like the saying, “You can’t fight on an empty stomach”, right? My grandmother would always make me lots of food whenever I was feeling down, too.

Yup, yup! Alrighty then, let’s head off to where she is! Off we gooo~! ☆

Sound of running footsteps

Woah— Hold it, Akehoshi! Don’t drag me over like that…!

Sound of door bell ringing

…………

…Mm?

Sound of door bell ringing again

There’s no response even when I push the door bell~ Actually, I don’t think I sense anyone inside the room.

Maybe she went out somewhere. We just missed her, then… Bad timing on our part~

But where could she have gone? Did she go somewhere for a change of pac—

Sound of door opening

Huh!?

What’s wrong?

The door opened when I pushed it…!? It doesn’t seem like the door was locked…

Did she forget to lock it? That’s not safe…

Anzu, I’m coming in.

Ehhh!? Hidaka-kun, don’t you know it’s a bad idea to enter a girl’s room without notice!?

I’m not entering without notice. I informed her just now that I’m coming in.

Erm, no, that’s not the problem here…

Sound of walking in

Mm? What on earth…?

What’s wrong, Hokke~?

—Her room is completely empty.

Chapter 3

Several minutes later, in the Producer Room…

—Anzu, are you here?

…………

She doesn’t seem to be here, either.

If she isn’t in her room nor in the Producer Room, then where could she be? I guess the Sphere Stage?

…………

Hey, isn’t this kinda weird?

Huh?

Anzu likes to keep things tidy, so I’m sure that’s why her desk is always clean and tidy too…

But it’s way too clean for someone still in their work hours… Like, there’s literally nothing?

You make a good point. It’s unnatural how there isn’t anything placed on the desk.

…Mm?

What are you all doing here?

Ahh, Tenshouin-senpai’s here.

We’re looking for Anzu. We went to her room, but it was completely empty, so… We figured we may be able to meet here if we came here instead.

…………

I suppose the truth will come out in due time even if I try to hide it, so I’ll let the four of you know.

Anzu-chan resigned from her job yesterday, and left this place.

…What?

Well, I say she resigned, but she was no longer part of ES regardless.

More accurately would be to say that she left Mega Sphere after her producer contract was terminated, I suppose.4

Forget about her position! More importantly, what the hell do you mean by “resigned”!?

What else could I mean except what that word entails?

She resigned. Which means it wouldn’t be strange at all to see her room and desk clean and tidy.

No way… Anzu…

The next day, after Anzu left. The living area…

…………

(She really isn’t here, either.)

(I just couldn’t get myself to believe what Tenshouin-senpai said yesterday, so I tried going around on foot to look for her instead…)

(I’ve searched everywhere I could go in Mega Sphere, but Anzu was nowhere to be found.)

So what Tenshouin-senpai said really was true after all…? But why—…

Mm? Over there is—

Uu… uuu… sniff…

This just can’t be true… Why didn’t she tell us anything…?

Tell me it’s anything but this…! This is just too muuuhhchh… Sobs…

…………

…Crying won’t help anyone here, y’know?

Sena-senpai, there is no need to put it that way… Narukami-senpai, please feel free to use my Handkerchief.5

Huh, it’s rare to see all of Knights gathered in one place. Narukami seems to be crying, but is there something wrong?

Ahh, Hidaka.

Ermm, that’s… just a little something in relation to Onee-sama…

You’ve all already heard about it…?

Hmm, so that must mean you guys in Trickstar know about it, too — About how Anzu quit being a producer.

Yeah, we learned about it yesterday.

But don’t spread this around to other people, alright? It’s risky to have the ES idols in disarray.

That’s gonna be impossible. It’s already spreading like wildfire across all of Mega Sphere~ It’s gonna basically become common knowledge by tomorrow, I bet.

…………

(I suppose so. That means the ES side is going to be thrown into more and more chaos.)

(Does Tenshouin-senpai know about this…? I’m not up for it, but maybe I should report to him just in case. I’d also like to hear his thoughts about what we’ll do from now on.)

There’s nothing we can do if it’s already naturally spread to others, but at least try not to attract people’s attention on purpose with conspicuous acts.

Knights gathering to have a grave discussion is already conspicuous enough, just to let you know. Right, see you.

Sooo~ annoying. I’m trying really hard to keep myself calm here. But Naru-kun’s this much of a mess~

You can’t blame me for that…! I can’t stay calm when things are like this!

I’m so upset at how powerless and worthless I’ve been that the tears just keep coming… Why didn’t I ever provide support for Anzu-chan…?

…………

I feel the same, Narukami-senpai. I could not even protect one single person important to me… I’m a disgrace as a Knights member.

Even though Anzu-chan has saved us so, so many times…

After all, because of Knights’ traits as a unit, we tend to have many bloody battles. It was the same in Requiem.6

If we went by what Leo-kun thought up, who knows how we would’ve turned out…!

That’s exactly why Leo-kun had Anzu-chan come up with the details, right? Because if it’s her, she would surely make it a gentle world’s battle epic.

Mhm. And what’s more, Anzu achieved exactly that, just as I had hoped. She turned the story that I wrote with my blood into one written with red ink!

Ahh, yeah, that totally happened, didn’t it?

And Anzu smells nice, just like Ma~kun. A person with tasty blood is proof of a good person~♪

Exactly. Onee-sama was always such a kind person from the very beginning.

Those whom we must always serve are Anzu-oneesama, and our Fans who have exchanged love with us Knights.

I never once expected that we would lose a piece of that… It feels as though a hole has opened wide in my heart…

And she was so unreliable at first, too.

She’d bring the most unthinkable things as refreshments, and she could barely express her feelings well. I’d keep needing to scold her several times, like, “Quit being such a mess!”7

But… Anzu genuinely faced those issues and fixed her mistakes. …I showed her just how much I approve of her determination, but now you’re telling me she gave in here?

…Yes. Exactly. We’ve all been saved by Anzu-chan in all these different ways…

Yet we couldn’t do a single thing for her when she was suffering! I’m so frustrated with myself…! Even though this would’ve been the perfect chance to finally repay her for every little thing she’s given us!

But now, Anzu-chan is no longer anywhere in Mega Sphere… It’s simply too much for me…

Chapter 4

—And that is what had happened.

I see. …Thank you for looking into it for us, Sengoku.

so anzu-san returned back to the [ground]…

…Now that I think about it, Anzu seemed to have a lot more worries on her mind ever since we came to Mega Sphere.

(When Neo-Six of Song had all that chaos happening, I thought she was just panicking over Ayase-senpai…)8

(But was this constantly weighing on her mind back then, too…?)

It had to have been the showdown against MELLOW DEAR US. As the producer, she might have felt responsible for the ES idols’ loss.

…No, I shouldn’t just assume what Anzu is feeling however I like.

The one thing for sure is that Anzu-anego had a lot weighin’ on her mind.9

I’m so pathetic. How did I never notice that Anego was sufferin’…

…It’s understandable that you hadn’t noticed.

Anzu-dono has always been such a reliable figure. …We never once could have imagined that she’d disappear from Mega Sphere.

Yeah. We had all relied on her so much that the possibility never once popped into our minds.

That just goes to show how much trust she gained from us. …I’m another person who’s been saved multiple times by Anzu.

yes, chiaki used to trouble anzu-san a lot in the past~

Are you referring to when he requested her to rewrite a project proposal from scratch?10

There was also a time when he collapsed from a whole buncha burdens he put on himself, and then got nursed back to health by her, right?11

…You should seriously apologize to her at least once, Morisawa-senpai.

W-Why’re you all talking about my side only!? She’s looked after you guys plenty of times too, hasn’t she!?

…Yeah. I feel like I used to rely on Anzu-anego over every single thing when we first became part of Ryuseitai.

Mm, indeed. And in fact, it is because she has been here with us that we have been able to perform various activities, as we are now.

Yeah, true. …I also owe her a lot for making me so many different kinds of yuruchara.12

Ah, another story about the olden days? …Hold on, Midori-kun. That’s what you remember?

Ehh, what else was I supposed to mention…

i am very earnest, so i have never caused her [trouble].

if anything, i would always thank her for her constant hard work with “good girl, good girl”~♪13

…I was already aware of this, but we really have relied on her time and time again, haven’t we?

This is so pathetic, realizing how precious she was only after she disappeared.

If only I had kept my eyes on her more often, maybe then…

Here he goes again, this guy…

The same goes for the rest of us; we all did not realize in time, Morisawa-dono.

Yeah. …I’m aware.

But as Nagumo said… As someone who calls himself a hero, it frustrates me that I never once noticed she was suffering.

…………

UGAAAH~!! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!

What’s wrong, Tetora-kun!? Why did you suddenly yell so loudly…?

It just ain’t me to sit here and talk ‘bout this stuff!

I’m gonna look for Anzu-anego!

Look for her…? But Anzu-san isn’t in Mega Sphere anymore, right?

From what Shinobu-kun heard, it sounds like all her personal belongings aren’t in the Producer Room anymore, either…

Isara-dono and the others said they tried searching for Anzu-dono in Mega Sphere, but could not find her.

It’s a different story if we could follow her trail and search for her on land, but…

We’re all locked up in Mega Sphere in a sense.14 It won’t be easy to get ourselves a way out of here.

Exactly, so where do you even plan to go searching for her?

…I know.

I know all’a that!

But I can’t stand the thought of just cowerin’ back and mopin’ around here!

…Nagumo.

Besides, how are we even sure that Anzu-anego went back down!?

Did anyone see her leave? She might actually be hidin’ somewhere in Mega Sphere all along, you never know!

Isara-senpai and the others may have looked for her, but they didn’t check every corner of Mega Sphere, did they?

You… may be right there, but…

…ufufu. i [agree] with tetora.

we may be surprised to find out that anzu-san is just playing [hide-and-seek]~♪

she might be waiting for us to find her even now.

Shinkai-senpai…!

…………

…Yeah. Nagumo and Kanata are right.

Morisawa-senpai? Don’t tell me you too—

Aaalright! Ryuseitai will now commence operation: Search for the missing Anzu!

Ossu! That’s way more like Ryuseitai alright~♪

Aight then, I’mma search the sports field!

I’ll try searching every corner of Mega Sphere Tower! Kanata, I’m entrusting you with the Passage Arcade!1

got it~♪

Then I shall ask the staff members!

They may know something about her whereabouts.

Ehhh? Are you all serious…?

Yeah, dead serious! Come on Midori-kun, you’re joinin’ us!

Uuu, don’t pull me by the arm…

With how you guys are now, I bet you wouldn’t stop even if I objected, would you… I’ll give in and help out, I guess.

……I’m also worried about Anzu-san, anyway.

Ha-ha-ha! ♪ You aren’t honest as always, Takamine! ☆

Then let’s go! Ryuseitai, ready for action~!

Nearly an hour later. In a corridor in Mega Sphere Tower…

(Mm~… Anzu-anego wasn’t anywhere around the sports field…)

(Morisawa-senpai and Shinkai-senpai messaged me ‘bout their findings, but it looks like she wasn’t there either.)

(All that’s left is Shinobu-kun and Midori-kun, but… At this rate…)

…………

No! It’s too early to lose heart, Nagumo Tetora!

You can’t give up just yet! I’m not givin’ up here while there isn’t any concrete proof that Anego went back down to the ground~!

…Yes, I’m aware.

…? That voice…

(NiceP seems to be on his phone…?)

(And he’s talkin’ about Anzu-anego, I think…)

I thought if it’s her, she would be able to overcome this obstacle and show me a scenery I’ve never seen before.

Those expectations must have become a heavy burden on her inside.

Of course, I had kept in mind her feelings and responsibility. But even then, I thought that as long as it’s her…

No. Excuses will not change the fact that she left this place.

Right now, I simply have to fulfill my responsibility as the one who pulled the trigger.

…Yes. I will prioritize holding the ‘Mainstream Megasphere’ event as I had planned. And for that…

—I’ll request the presence of a new producer from the ground.

……!

(Request the presence!? Did he just say “request the presence”!? That means he’ll call for someone to replace Anego, right…!?)

(This is seriously bad…!)

Chapter 5

In this chapter, Akatsuki are discussing Anzu’s disappearance and their worry, when the door bell rings.

The door bell rings

—Mm? Hold on. Sounds like someone’s here.

Ossu, Taishou! Hasumi-senpai and the others, as well!

Ah, Tetsu? Why’re ya in such a panic?

Umm, have you seen everyone else in Ryuseitai!?

The members of Ryuseitai, is it? I believe I caught sight of Sengoku and Takamine together a while earlier…

Did something happen to them?

No, nothin’ like that…

However, you look to be in a panic. That must mean you could not contact them through your ‘smar-to phone’, correct?

Smart phone…?

AAAAAAH~!! I could’ve just done that!!

You didn’t realize that?

Haha… I was so shocked that I completely forgot.

Good grief, you gave us a scare for nothing…

But there’s no doubt that something must’ve happened for him to panic that much, right~?

You’re right about that. …Oi, Tetsu. The hell happened?

Ermm, the truth is…

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Prologue

Possibility of Scattering

Mini Talks

Translation Notes

1. ↑ This is the French word of passage. Passage refers to the shopping arcades that were built in Paris.
2. ↑ Neo-Six of Song is the unit that went up against MELLOW DEAR US in Dynamic Diamond. The members are Makoto, Koga, Mayoi, Izumi, Ibuki, and HiMERU.
3. ↑ Since the start of July, each unit has been living with their unit members in a room in Mega Sphere’s Star House.
4. ↑ As of ES Year 2, Anzu is no longer affiliated with P-Association, the Producer Association in ES. Read more here.
5. ↑ Tsukasa can speak English fluently, so instead of saying foreign words in their typical spelling (katakana), he says them in English. The words in italics are all the words he says in English rather than Japanese.
6. ↑ Referring to Requiem, Knights’ Repayment Festival (Graduation) story.
7. ↑ Referring to Anzu and Izumi’s relationship in the early days of Yumenosaki Era; one instance of this can be seen in Izumi’s Mini Events from ! Era.
8. ↑ Referring to the scene Midori appears in Dynamic Diamond, when he saves Mayoi and Raika from falling off of a tower.
9. ↑ Anego means “big sister”. It’s a respectful way to refer to a woman older than the speaker, or to refer to an elder sister.
10. ↑ One of the biggest instances of this was in Supernova.
11. ↑ Referring to Hero Show.
12. ↑ Back when Midori was a first year, Anzu would often make him yuruchara merchandise to encourage him; a story that mentions this is Tough Guy, and a story where he’s motivated thanks to her is Pirate Festival.
13. ↑ Kanata says this when he pats her on the head.
14. ↑ This was explained in Sailing Ceremony.