Why Not Play in a Band for Life

After leaving CiRCLE, they could finally level up normally by defeating monsters. Shiko primarily boosted her intelligence points. The increase in physical body points was purely due to long-term outdoor activity and training.

Kita checked the ashes. "Nothing dropped."

Shiko had anticipated this. Ryo pressed down on the ground, sensing the area. "There are no monsters like that nearby anymore."

Since they had rested enough, Shiko turned around, preparing to re-enter the hot air balloon.

She was pulled back.

"Why do we still need to take the hot air balloon?" Kita shook her arm. "Now that it's safe and the scenery is so nice, let's walk!"

"Huh?" Shiko looked towards the distant, layered mountain peaks.

In the past, they walked more because it was inconvenient to attack while flying. Now that they could ride a hot air balloon, why would they walk step by step?

"Just to change our mood! You homebodies should really experience the charm of nature!" Stimulated by the new scenery, Kita's sunny disposition began to recover rapidly!

"I'm too tired, I don't want to," Ryo said, already putting one foot into the basket.

Nijika pointed at the heavily laden boxes in the hot air balloon. "What about the luggage?"

"Ah... I..." Before Ichiri could voice an opinion, Shiko pulled her along. "Don't let this beautiful spring day go to waste! Ichiri!" Ichiri noticed Shiko's eyes shining.

Ah, it's sunny Shiko.

Kita crossed her arms and smiled smugly. "See? Even Wu-san agrees!"

"What about the luggage?" Nijika repeated.

In the end, to transport the cargo, the hot air balloon flew at a low altitude. Only Shiko and Kita ran energetically on the ground, following the balloon, occasionally stopping to take pictures.

It's so nice to have energy. Nijika watched the two play leisurely from the shade of the hot air balloon.

Shiko tripped somewhere and fell onto the grass. Before she could even get up, she first looked up and kept apologizing to a patch of empty air.

Suddenly, it seemed like invisible tourists were pushing and shoving around her. Couples and families, dressed in bright clothes, filled the walking path. In such a situation, Shiko lost the mood to admire nature. Her steps slowed, and her gaze involuntarily lowered. Finally, Shiko stopped, her expression blank, and waved towards the hot air balloon. "Pick me up!"

Welcome back to the homebody family, little Shiko.

Although she looked a bit pitiful.

"Ehh-- Now I'm the only one down here--" Kita yelled at Shiko indignantly. Shiko ignored her.

Despite her many complaints, Kita eventually returned to the hot air balloon, and its speed immediately increased. The balloon's shadow swept over the emerald-green meadow, over the sparkling stream, over the low bushes, and over the dense coniferous forest.

"It's a forest--" Even in reality, the few of them had rarely seen such a pristine forest. It was only half a day's journey, but it felt like they had entered another world.

They had left the high mountains behind them, and before them lay an endless green ocean. Rivers were hidden beneath the shade of the trees, and they flew above the jungle.

The only pity was that there were still no signs of animals anywhere they looked.

The altitude gradually decreased, and the wind blowing from the air also became warmer. Looking back in the direction they came from, they saw it was a plateau.

Beneath their feet, the river was faintly visible between the conifers. The sound of rushing water could be heard. So they followed the river's course downwards. In the dense forest, broad-leaved plants gradually appeared, their proportion increasing until the river was completely covered by large swathes of green.

"It feels like coming home." After all, they were children of the plains. Although the forest here was slightly different from their hometown, it was always more familiar than the high-altitude desert. The sky was farther away, the wind was gentler, and large patches of clouds appeared in the sky. These were not ominous signs, just ordinary white clouds.

The clouds were tinged with gold. They welcomed their first sunset on the plains. It was indeed completely different from the feeling on the plateau.

This journey continued for some time. The monsters on the plains were no different from those on the plateau, except there were many more of them, and some looked like plants. While leveling up, the group searched for traces of Roselia.

They encountered rain for the first time. Natural rain. The rain wasn't heavy, but they didn't dare to go into the sky, so they spent the day hiding in a cave.

The river passed by a cliff, forming a spectacular waterfall. At everyone's urging, Nijika bravely tried Water Erosion, and her physical body stats actually increased slightly. Delighted, she ignored everyone else's struggles and pushed them all under the waterfall to rinse them off.

They saw a tree so large it required ten people to embrace it, only to discover it was a disguised monster. However, with a wave of Kita's hand, it posed no threat.

As they advanced, the river gradually grew, from a small stream to a small river, and then to a large river. The water flow was no longer as rapid as it was initially, and it gradually became calmer.

"I caught something! I told you there were fish in the river!" Kita yanked hard on the fishing rod. The thing in the river struggled powerfully, and for a moment, they were evenly matched.

"Make some space for me." Shiko helped, grabbed the fishing rod, and pulled back with all her might. Finally, a monster fish, only half intact, flew into the air, landed squarely on Shiko's gun barrel, and disintegrated into ashes, falling back into the river.

"It really was a monster, huh," Shiko said expressionlessly.

"I thought we'd have an extra dish tonight..." Kita was disappointed.

"That thing seemed to be injured," Shiko recalled the scene. "It was only half there, and it didn't look like that naturally. It was beaten like that by someone. We shouldn't be far from Roselia."

Upon hearing this news, the group immediately ascended into the air and set up their telescopes to search. They were now on a vast plain, and the mountains had long since disappeared. To the east was a swamp, which was the upper reaches of the river; to the south was a forest; the rest was vast grassland. The river flowed into another large river running northwest-southeast in the distance. Along the riverbanks, there were no signs of any buildings.

"They might not be on the riverbank. Being too close to the river carries the risk of floods, and there are monsters in the river," Shiko searched the area between the forest and the riverbank. The forest had edible fruits and timber, while the river provided a water source. If it were her, she would build a base on the high ground between the two...

The area she was focusing on suddenly emitted smoke signals.

They were really there! The other party had discovered them and was greeting them first! Kita excitedly launched fireworks in response. The hot air balloon accelerated towards them.

They were about to meet Roselia! They were about to meet the band that Miss Niiki and Miss Marina had recognized! While overjoyed, Nijika also felt a surge of nervousness.

Facing them, who couldn't protect Miss Marina, how would Roselia react? She didn't want to face that kind of scene. However, as the captain, she would personally deliver the news about CiRCLE to them. She had to fulfill her responsibility as the captain...

Someone patted her shoulder.

She turned around; it was Shiko. "I'm more familiar with Roselia. I'll talk to them later." Shiko's eyes were calm.

Shiko? Nijika's first reaction was to refuse. Setting aside her mental issues, she wasn't good at interacting with strangers. Even if she was indeed more familiar with Roselia, even so...

"Hey," Nijika looked into Shiko's eyes, "what if you have an episode again halfway through?"

Shiko handed her a baseball bat. "When the time comes, give me a swing."

That would only be counterproductive... Nijika's mouth twitched as she accepted the bat. She'd do her best to look out for them then.

"Thank you."

In front of several cabins built from logs, the hot air balloon slowly descended.

Five girls in performance outfits stood before the hot air balloon.

Chapter 3: Roselia

That evening, Miss Marina suddenly disappeared.

Everyone searched for her. It was said that even the men in black from the Tsurumaki family were mobilized, and Roselia also put aside their preparations for their live performance to help.

However, there was no news for several days. Instead, everyone from Poppin'Party disappeared as well.

But the next day, Risa Imai knew where they had all gone.

Because she—and the entire Roselia—had disappeared.

They had arrived in a pristine plain. Apart from a sky-piercing tower in the distance, there were no traces of humans anywhere, only strangely shaped monsters roaming around. Fortunately, they had also gained superpowers, and the nearby resources were abundant enough. They successfully established a base at the confluence of the rivers.

Due to the terrain limitations, the area they could explore was not large. They did not find any trace of Miss Marina or Poppin'Party. Instead, they found a former teammate of Miss Marina. She taught Roselia how to build sturdy houses, sew clothes from leaves and fibers, identify edible fruits, and also taught them many combat skills. Unfortunately, not long after, she bid them farewell and headed upstream.

A long time passed after that.

On this day, Risa discovered a hot air balloon drifting down from upstream.

"Yukina, look!"

What changes would the arrivals from upstream bring?

Rinko lit a signal fire. During this time, Ako impatiently exclaimed, "Finally, I can wear this!" and took out the performance outfits they had worn when they transmigrated. The outfits, with purple and black as the main colors, were gothic in style. They had transmigrated on the eve of their live performance. After that, they dared not wear these performance outfits, treasuring them and keeping them in dust-proof storage at home, only managing to get by with clothes woven from leaves and vines.

Even Yukina showed a rare smile.

The hot air balloon slowly descended. By then, they had just changed their clothes and went to greet the guests.

Yukina stood at the front, Risa slightly behind her. Sayo was on the other side, while Rinko stood a little further back, with Ako accompanying her.

Five girls—Gray, Yellow, Red, Pink, and Blue—descended from the hot air balloon. Their clothes were simple but clearly the product of civilization, completely different from the leaves Roselia usually wore. Their complexions were also much rosier, indicating they were well-nourished.

However, their spirit and energy were not even as good as Roselia's, who lacked food and clothing, and they did not show the joy of seeing their own kind. Risa suddenly had an ominous premonition.

The two girls with gray and yellow hair stepped forward. The yellow-haired girl avoided their gaze, while the more somber-looking gray-haired girl spoke first.

"We are Kessoku Band."

"We're here to report... Miss Marina's will."

Ten people were crammed into a small room. The room was entirely made of wood, with a simple structure. It was only roughly apparent that the bedsheets were made of leaves and the tables and chairs were constructed from a few logs. There were other things, but Shiko didn't have the mood to look closely. Shiko could barely look at the faces opposite her: Yukina Minato, Risa Imai, Sayo Hikawa, Rinko Shirokane, and Ako Udagawa. They all listened to Shiko's report stiffly, like wax figures.

"...And that's it," she finished, her mouth dry.

"...This is the letter she left for you, along with a gift." Nijika handed over a carefully preserved letter and five light spheres in a wooden box. The others didn't move, only Yukina reached out to take them. Nijika felt her hands trembling slightly.

Nijika stood up and waved to the members of Kessoku Band. "Let's go out first." The group fled as if escaping, leaving the heavy atmosphere behind.

Stepping outside, they discovered the air in the wooden house was even more stifling. Kita suddenly crouched down. "I... I don't want to stay here anymore."

As Kessoku Band, who had narrowly escaped thanks to Miss Marina's desperate protection, what right did they have to seek refuge with Roselia, Miss Marina's proud band?

"This is just running away," Ryo said mercilessly.

"That's right, it's running away," Kita looked up, but her eyes dared not meet Ryo's. "Senpai Ryo, aren't you okay? Living here with a clear conscience?"

"...The more, the better."

"What?" Kita looked at Shiko, who had spoken.

Shiko clenched her fists tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "If we want revenge, we need to unite everyone's strength. We alone are not enough. So, even if it's unbearable, we have to..."

Shiko took out paper and a pen. "At least let's get an autograph and a photo from Roselia first!"

Another Shiko suddenly appeared. For a moment, everyone was surprised and involuntarily burst into laughter. With this laughter, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

"The premise for thinking about these things is that Roselia doesn't kick us out," Nijika said, hands on her hips. "Let's just wait."

"How could Roselia possibly kick us out? No one would be that heartless to their fans," Shiko expressed her dissatisfaction with Nijika's misunderstanding.

The wait was longer than expected. No one spoke. Ichiri quietly walked to the river to listen to the water. The others wandered around nearby. Ryo hugged her bass to the side and started playing, only realizing after a long time that she was playing HOPE, so she stopped. Kita squatted on the ground, burning a pile of grass with fire and playing with the ashes in her hands. Nijika watched the others. Shiko, sensing the atmosphere was off, quietly asked Ichiri. Ichiri didn't know how to explain and couldn't lie. In the end, Nijika managed to fool Shiko into quieting down for a while.

The door opened. Only Yukina walked out.

Yukina had long, purple-silver hair and golden eyes, her expression perpetually stern and imposing. In music, everyone from the girl band party regarded her as an authority; for Roselia, she possessed the charisma of a monarch.

Nijika stepped forward.

"What are your plans?" Yukina asked directly.

Nijika looked at everyone and replied firmly, "We'll join forces with Roselia, find Poppin'Party, and then avenge Miss Marina and Miss Niiki!"

Yukina's expression revealed no reaction. She nodded. "We'll have a formal introduction at dinner."

"Also, she is..." Yukina looked at Shiko, whose demeanor had changed drastically compared to before.

Nijika's expression was complex. "Uh, her situation is a bit special and needs to be explained slowly."

"I see," Yukina said, looking closely at Shiko. "Then please make yourselves at home in all the rooms. Dinner will be at sunset."

Yukina returned to the door. Through the wooden door, she could hear Ako's crying. She closed her eyes, let out a breath, and stepped into the room.

The "dinner" consisted of wild vegetables and fruits dug up nearby, along with a pile of cookies and other snacks. The table was a large round one, not originally big enough for ten people, so they had to squeeze in. The two bands sat on opposite sides, Risa next to Shiko, and Nijika next to Yukina.

Shiko had recovered and was quietly listening to Yukina speak.

"...And that's how it is. Since Shiko can build vehicles, rivers will no longer be an obstacle for us. We'll set off tomorrow to find Poppin'Party," Yukina announced the plan.

No one objected.

"Then let's introduce our members. We are Roselia."

"Guitarist, Sayo Hikawa." Sayo stood up and gave a slight bow to everyone. She was a girl with slightly wavy, cyan-colored long hair and green eyes, her aura similar to Yukina's. "Please take care of me."

"Bassist, Risa Imai." Risa had brown hair and green eyes, a calm expression, and greeted them with a smile.

"Drummer, Ako Udagawa." Ako had purple spiral twin tails, her already red eyes were even redder than usual, like a wilted kitten. Hearing her name, she finally looked up and nodded weakly.

"Keyboardist, Rinko Shirokane." With long black hair and gray-purple eyes, Rinko sat next to Ako. She gave a slight nod to Kessoku Band before looking down to attend to Ako.

"And our vocalist, Yukina Minato!" Risa, mimicking the MC's introduction style, preemptively announced Yukina's name, slightly easing the atmosphere.

"We are Kessoku Band," Kita said, standing up. "We haven't had a formal live performance in reality yet."

"Guitarist, Hitori Goto." Hitori fidgeted nervously, leaning closer to Shiko.

"Bassist, Ryo Yamada." Ryo simply nodded.

"Drummer, Nijika Ijichi." Nijika stood up and bowed.

"Keyboardist, Shiko." Shiko took a beat to react before nodding.

"And guitarist and vocalist, Ikuyo Kita." Nijika's introduction only made Kita blush slightly. She bowed and sat down.