Pointless Death Game 11

Koga: The both of ya, huh. What, you want me to say ohh, ‘cause you’re 2wink? Huh?

Yuuta: Yep. We’re gonna show off our own style and take the crown at the Qualifiers.

And then, we’re gonna dominate at SS and show the world that we really are the best idols!

To see everyone in Japan cheering us on as the best kids in the whole wide world from his TV—

I wonder what kinda look Dad would have on his face. Fufu.

...Well, that’s besides the point. We’ve already checked your mate, so why don’t I play story time with my brainless senpais who don’t know anything. Bless your hearts~

Koga: ......

Yuuta: I’ll keep it simple. You’ve probably all guessed it by now, anyway—the Qualifiers in Chuugoku are a sham.

The results were already fixed way before it ever started. So the only thing left was whether those results would appear sooner or later.

As for the Administration’s plan: only the idols they liked, only the idols they found convenient to them, were allowed to play an active role in this. You know, on stage, on TV, stuff like that.

But there’s not enough resources to go around in Chuugoku, like stages or program slots. So the Administration decided they didn’t want any of the idols they deemed expendable to use what little they had.

And just like that, we’re isolated in god-only-knows-where.

But we’re able to let the world know that we’re here in Chuugoku through the videos they let us upload regularly.

OasisTube doesn’t have much more purpose than letting people know we’re alive and kicking, and compared to the idols who actually get to perform on the stage and on the screen, we barely get any SSL$ from it.

And on top of all that, we want to help out our friends in the desert, so we’re blowing all of our SSL$ on that.

We’re forced to buy Desert Coins even though they’re not really necessary to win.

At this point, even if they let us go, there’s no way to turn things around.

Here in Chuugoku, the Administration’s faves are the ones who get to work normal, and the ones who get to win.

And they’ll come out of it with a visible track record of their earnest efforts.

Meanwhile, we’ve been branded as crappy idols who just slacked off the whole time and just made some videos every once in a while.

Everyone will just know us as nothing more than some idols who wasted their time in a luxury hotel, drowning in decadence.

Even if Hakaze-senpai or them said they were trapped in some unknown desert, no one’d believe them; that’s just insane.

They might even claim they were just sightseeing in the Great Tottori Desert. No, if the evidence is manipulated to make it look like that, it’s the end for us.

They’ll insist we’re just terrible idols who spent all our time messing around without any ambition. That’s already been decided.

And the only thing that’ll be left from Chuugoku is the fact that the idols who worked hard had their efforts reflected in their reputation. And our reputation will hit rock bottom.

Koga: Why would that happen...? We’ve been goin’ as hard as we can in this insane situation, and we ain’t given up even once.

Yuuta: Yeah. But the only ones who know that are standing right here. Even if you try to defend yourself, you’ll just look shameless.

Koga: ......

Yuuta: We were set up, senpai. The Administration made us dance however they saw fit, and the proof is in the pudding. That’s all there is to it.

Koga: So why are you so calm, Yuuta? If that’s all true, why ain’t you pissed the hell off?

N’ we don’t even know who they are, either. We’re just bein’ humiliated for their own convenience...

We’re faced with an ending where all our fans who believed in us and supported us are completely let down.

Yuuta: That’s because—2wink has another card up our sleeves.

Koga: ...?

Yuuta: We aren’t actually in the same spot you guys are.

Adonis: What do you mean, Yuuta?

Yuuta: Well, aren’t you curious why I know so much about what’s going on behind the scenes?

It’s ‘cause I was briefed before all of this happened. I was actually in contact with Gatekeeper back when he gave me the secret orders.

I secretly switched places with Hinata-kun and pretended to be him when we met up.

And I got to hear the secret orders which can ooonly be given to the leader of a unit—

I pretended to be the leader, Hinata-kun, and got them instead.

Koga: Why? What’s the point in that? Just another dumb game you’re playin’?

Yuuta: Oh sure, it was lots of fun, but it did have meaning too. Hinata-kun has a different goal in life than I do right now—

If I’d left it all up to him, it would’ve been pretty inconvenient for me.

Actually, I had to take an unnecessary detour this time around because of that guy, too.

Koga: That guy...? Are you even the type to call your own brother that?

Yuuta: For sure, lately. ...Anyway, when I was given the secret orders, Gatekeeper gave me a certain proposal along with it.

He said if we cooperate with him, he’ll help us out—but just us.

The Administration already decided we’re worthless and that we’d be framed and tossed into the pits of hell.

But if we worked with Gatekeeper, we could be saved.

Obviously I made the deal. We can’t end up like that.

And so. I’ve been working under Gatekeeper’s direction to put my senpais in UNDEAD back in their graves.

Adonis: Us...?

Yuuta: Someone else must’ve made some kind of deal with Gatekeeper. He asked for me to specifically get rid of UNDEAD for them.

And I was given a weapon just for that purpose: the secret orders.

Sakuma-senpai got the secret order to completely obedient to aaaanything 2wink says.

So that’s why I ordered him not to talk to UNDEAD.

You guys aside, there was a good chance of Sakuma-senpai seeing through us right away.

I didn’t want him to get in our way or spoil our fun.

So I shut him down. I knew he wouldn’t have obeyed if I’d told him to drop dead or something, but if it’s just to stop talking? Well, that’s easy enough.

Rei: ......

jp proofing: Moricchiichan
eng proofing: Soph