Chapter 4

Take this for example. Say there’s an ES idol whose order is to not let others touch their head.

The more you hit their head, then, the more that idol’s unit will be fined.

If that keeps up and they keep getting fined, it’ll be hard for them to win the Qualifiers.

Not just that, but since they’re losing all their funds for their activities, they won’t be able to do anything. At that point, they’re practically out of the competition.

That’s how the L$ system works, after all. If you don’t have L$, you can’t do anything. Or well, in the case of the SS Qualifiers, if you don’t have SSL$.

Righty-o. And when those local idols realized all this, they started taking down all their rivals in the Qualifiers—us ES idols.

I suppose their plan was to reduce the rank and file of their competitors first.

I’m sure they’re into the idea of crushing all us high-and-mighty ES idols to cope with their sorry lot.

Feels great to pummel someone you don’t like into the dirt and make ‘em lick your boots.

For the record, there is only a small fraction of people who are acting so maliciously.

I would ask you to remember that not everyone acts exclusively out of mal-intent, Crazy:B.

Right, right! People inherently do things outta the kindness of their hearts and stuff.

Everyone wants to prove that they’re on the side of justice and make everyone see they’re a good, upstanding citizen.

And that’s why there was so much backlash from the ES idols when they suddenly started getting the snot beat outta them by the local idols.

There’s a whole group of guys out there tryna destroy ES idols with the exposed orders.

A whole group of guys who don’t wanna fight fair and square as idols, and who’re just tryna kick us to the curb like the cowards they are.

How cruel! We will never allow this! We have to get rid of these villains who are doing such dastardly deeds! It’s self-defense! Gyahahahaha ☆

……

The ES idols got to thinking that and now they’re drunk on justice, tryna punish the local idols for their misdeeds.

Once the orders were brought to light, the ES idols were forced to go against their orders left and right, and they got fined out their asses for it…

But they were just tryna cut off the head of the snake before they took too much damage and bled out.

So to say, they started challenging the local idols to live showdowns instead of other ES idols, since we’re all victims here.

Mhm. I heard it’s also happening in Okinawa, but at least in Kansai, the live showdowns are especially important, so they’re encouraged.

If you win one of these lives, you can take all the SSL$ the losing unit has to their name.

And if someone challenges you to one, you’re not allowed to turn them down.

Well strictly speaking, you can refuse. But the rules say you have to hand over half of your SSL$ to the challenger if you do.

If you fight and win, you make a killing! If you lose, it’s insta-death. And if you run away, you’re half-killed.

Crazy shit, right? Well, I’m sure you guys in Knights welcome these rules. Duels and stuff are your favorite party trick, amirite?

In fact, I’d go so far as to say the Administration found out about that and rigged the game in your favor, right?

……

Eh, doesn’t matter. Anyway, with these rules as the whole foundation for the live showdowns, some of the ES idols set out to destroy the local idols.

Once those orders were publicized, they started attacking the local idols just ‘cause they might use ‘em to the ES idols’ detriment.

Kill ‘em dead before they getcha, huh? Or something like that!

The problem, however, is that not all of the units who were defeated were those attacking the ES idols.

Once they received a few blows, the ES idols became paranoid and fearful, to the point where they began to lash out against the local idols who had not yet done anything to them.

There was a possibility that those local idols would come after them. And there was a good amount of cowards who couldn’t ignore that possibility.

Yes. It is beyond foolish; as an idol, I am ashamed.

That so? You grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth, huh? Ya little trust fund baby ♪

……

Some guy with a certain attribute commits a crime. That makes everyone with that attribute look like a potential criminal.

So for the sake of “prevention,” you start takin’ out everyone who fits the bill. That’s how it’s been all throughout history.

Actually, I’d even say it’s the literal cause of most wars in this world.

War… Is it really a war?

It is, isn’t it? As a result of the idols of ES laying waste to the local idols indiscriminately, the local idols, having been a moderate faction thus far, had begun to retaliate in self-defense.

They’ve made good use of the orders to bring the ES idols to their knees and crush them underfoot. The ES idols then showed their displeasure by turning the region into a bloodbath.

And these sad events have culminated in a gap between the two factions that cannot be bridged—

The Kansai region has become a war zone, the streets running red with blood.