The private dressing room backstage at Madison Square Garden completely shut out the deafening roar of the crowd outside.
Uta removed the enormous headphones hanging around her neck and casually tossed them onto the vanity, which was covered with bouquets of flowers and congratulatory cards.
Then she sank into the soft sofa.
The dazzling world-famous songstress who had seemed to possess limitless energy onstage was gone.
In her place was a girl with unmistakable exhaustion written across her face.
She closed her eyes.
The tens of thousands of ecstatic, blissful, intoxicated faces from the concert continued to linger in her mind.
The overwhelming emotions of her fans had deeply satisfied her.
But at the same time, they left her with a faint sense of emptiness.
Bang!
The dressing-room door was suddenly pushed open.
A blonde woman in a sharp business suit and high heels stormed inside, wearing an enormous, thoroughly professional yet unmistakably genuine smile.
“My superstar! My darling! Your performance tonight was nothing short of a miracle!”
Sophia Miller, Uta’s manager, opened her arms and gave her a huge hug, immediately surrounding Uta with the scent of perfume.
“I just saw the preliminary numbers. The online livestream broke the record again! Wall Street is practically buzzing about your commercial value!”
Sophia spoke as rapidly as a machine gun.
As she talked, she took a tablet from one of her assistants and swiped through the various charts displayed on the screen.
“The European tour invitations are already booked through next summer. Paris, London, Berlin… They’re practically blowing up my phone! Where should we go next? How about Los Angeles? Hollywood has already reserved the best dates for us!”
“Sophia.”
Uta didn’t open her eyes.
Her voice was somewhat languid, still carrying the huskiness left behind by her performance.
“Yes, darling?”
“I want to stay in New York for a while.”
Sophia’s rapid-fire speech came to an abrupt halt.
The smile on her face froze for a moment.
“Stay in New York? Why? Our promotional cycle here is already over. We should strike while the iron is hot and start the next leg…”
“I haven’t had a chance to explore the city properly. This is my first time in New York.”
Uta opened her heterochromatic eyes and calmly looked at her manager.
“I want to take a break.”
Meeting Uta’s unquestioning gaze, Sophia immediately swallowed every business plan she’d been about to propose.
She knew perfectly well that the girl standing before her was the company’s absolute core—the goose that laid the golden eggs.
Every request Uta made had to be accommodated.
The company’s board of directors had issued a strict order long ago:
Uta’s personal wishes came first.
“Of course! Of course you can!”
Sophia’s expression instantly switched back to one of overflowing enthusiasm.
She sat down beside Uta and affectionately put an arm around her shoulders.
“You absolutely deserve a break! You’ve been working too hard lately. You should relax properly. There are so many fun places in New York—the luxury stores on Fifth Avenue, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty… Do you want me to arrange a guide for you? Or perhaps a private party?”
“No need. I’ll just explore on my own.”
Uta shook her head.
“Okay, okay. Whatever you say.”
Sophia immediately nodded.
“There’s one thing you have to promise me, though. New York isn’t exactly safe at night. There are all kinds of unsavory lunatics lurking in those back alleys. Just recently, the New York news was even reporting on two naked perverts running through the streets!”
She gave Uta a stern look.
“You have to be careful. If you go out, bring bodyguards with you. At least two! I don’t want anything happening to my precious girl.”
“Got it.”
Uta answered absentmindedly.
Sophia continued nagging her about various security precautions for several more minutes.
Once she was satisfied that Uta had “listened,” she finally stood up.
“Get some proper rest. I’ve already arranged your room at the Plaza Hotel—the Presidential Suite on the top floor. If you need anything, call me at any time. My phone is on twenty-four hours a day.”
She blew Uta a kiss before bustling out with her assistant.
Her voice could once again be heard outside, already directing her staff.
The dressing room fell silent once more.
The laziness and exhaustion gradually faded from Uta’s face.
In their place was a deep, tranquil calm that seemed completely at odds with her age.
She raised a hand and lightly swiped through the air before her.
A blue interface that only she could see silently appeared.
[Neutral Faction Player: Uta]
[Current Total Reputation: 1,000,000 points]
One million.
That was the amount she’d accumulated over six full months after holding ten world tours.
According to the system’s evaluation, every successful performance that affected tens of thousands of people could earn her 100,000 Reputation points.
It was the most stable and efficient way of earning Reputation that she’d discovered so far.
Use her singing to bring happiness to the world, and receive rewards in return.
It sounded fair.
And it fit perfectly with her ideals.
But Uta knew it was too slow.
Her gaze moved away from the Reputation total.
Her mind returned to the scene she’d witnessed during the concert—the one girl in the middle of the frenzied crowd who had remained absolutely clear-headed, along with the conspicuous shield emblem radiating a soft green light above her head.
[Guardian Faction Player: Misaka Mikoto]
A Player from the Guardian Faction.
Uta had been in this world for more than half a year.
This was the first time she’d encountered someone like herself.
She had originally thought she was the only “anomaly.”
“Guardian…”
Uta gently tapped the armrest of the sofa with one finger, a playful smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
According to the system’s explanation, Players of the Guardian Faction were responsible for maintaining the world’s stability and protecting life.
That meant they would inevitably become involved, either actively or passively, in the various “events” occurring throughout this world.
And “events” often meant massive amounts of Reputation.
That was far more efficient than holding concert after concert.
Staying in New York and taking a break was merely an excuse.
Her real objective was to see what kind of “surprises” this Guardian named Misaka Mikoto could bring her.
Uta’s thoughts shifted.
The system interface changed to the Bond Summoning list—the one she checked countless times every day.
She ignored the unfamiliar names at the top and expertly scrolled downward.
Eventually, two names appeared before her.
Names that made her heart skip a beat every time she saw them. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
[Red-Haired Shanks — Reputation required for summoning: 15,000,000]
[Monkey D. Luffy — Reputation required for summoning: 10,000,000]
Fifteen million.
Ten million.
Two astronomical figures.
They weighed heavily on her heart like two insurmountable mountains.
She stared at Shanks’s familiar portrait.
Against her will, her mind conjured the man’s hearty smile and the distant silhouette of the Red Force sailing away when he had left.
She still remembered crying and shouting that she would use her singing to create a new era where everyone could be happy.
An era that would make him proud of her.
And then there was Luffy.
That idiot wearing a straw hat, always grinning as he talked about becoming the Pirate King.
They had raced together.
Gotten into trouble together.
Stood together before the sea and made promises to one another.
She missed them.
At the same time, she wanted to ask Shanks why he had abandoned her.
One million Reputation.
It wasn’t even one-tenth of what she needed to summon Luffy.
If she relied solely on concerts, how long would she have to keep singing?
Five years?
Ten years?
She couldn’t wait that long.
This world was filled with pain, sorrow, and conflict.
She had already seen far too much of it through the news and the Internet.
The “New Genesis” she wanted to create required greater power.
It required greater speed.
She needed Reputation.
An astronomical amount of Reputation.
Uta closed the system interface, and the room seemed darker without the blue glow.
She stood and walked toward the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside was New York’s dazzling nighttime skyline.
Countless skyscrapers towered overhead, while rivers of light flowed endlessly through the streets below.
The city resembled a colossal steel beast crouching in the darkness, overflowing with both vitality and danger.
In the eyes of ordinary people, this was the world’s financial center.
The city of dreams.
But to Uta, it was an enormous hunting ground filled with “events” and “opportunities.”
And that Guardian named Misaka Mikoto was the best guide she had discovered in this hunting ground.
“Misaka Mikoto…”
Uta softly repeated the name.
Her red-and-blue heterochromatic eyes reflected the countless lights of New York outside the window, shining with the gleam of a hunter.
“Let’s see what kind of fun you can bring me.”