Akubi Demonspade: The Queen and Her Overworked Producer
One karaoke stream changed everything.
Kenta, a rookie manager at the downtown streaming studio Million Production, is told by the CEO to become the exclusive handler for a streamer named Akubi. Standing at 140 centimeters with a self-proclaimed age of 2000 years, dressed as the Queen of Spades, she speaks in a husky, hyper voice—and when she sings, the world goes silent.
"[excited] So you're my new manager? You're tiny and cute!"
Her very first words leave Kenta speechless. But her streams a
Akubi Demonspade: The Queen and Her Overworked Producer - The Queen's singing voice releases two thousand years of loneliness into the sky.
That's wrong, he thought.
He understood it in his head. And yet — why did his chest ache like this?
Satou Kenta stood in the wings of the specially built stage, gazing out at a sea of over five thousand spectators.
Directly beneath Voice Tower. The 280-meter broadcast antenna spire rose against the afternoon light. At its base, the massive stage was a temporary castle of steel frame and panels. The audience seating was already full, with standing-room crowds spilling out onto the walkways.
(So this is the Million Voice Fest.)
Kenta gripped the tool in his hand. The old burn scar on the back of his right hand glistened faintly with sweat.
"Satou-san, please do a final check on the main mixer."
A voice crackled through his earpiece. "Got it," Kenta replied curtly, and moved behind the equipment rack.
The skills he'd honed in his university's audio club. Back then, he'd thought about nothing but how to deliver a streamer's voice as beautifully as possible. He'd never imagined those skills would come in handy like this.
"All cables are connected. For Akubi-san's mic, I selected a condenser microphone to better capture the overtones in the low range. I've also applied a three-stage limiter."
"Understood. Then let's start the integration test with the Voice Grid."
The Voice Grid. A voice-recognition streaming support AI that automatically analyzed viewers' real-time reactions and fed them back to the streamer. The broadcast of this festival would reach the entire city from Voice Tower's antenna. Concurrent connections had already surpassed a hundred thousand.
(A hundred thousand...)
Kenta looked at the numbers on the large monitor set up beside the stage.
108,432.
The number crept upward, bit by bit.
(Akubi-san, are you watching? This is the number of people waiting for your voice.)
Kenta walked down the corridor leading to the dressing room.
***
The dressing room was a corner of the staff area on the first floor of Voice Tower. A narrow space partitioned off by simple dividers. A vanity table, and two pipe chairs. That was all.
Akubi Demonspade stood before the mirror.
A dress of red and black. A spade emblem gleaming at her chest. Her silver hair shone pale blue under the fluorescent lights. Her small body, just 140 centimeters tall, was — clad in that costume — unmistakably a "Queen."
She was clutching her chest tightly with both hands.
"Akubi-san."
When Kenta called out, Akubi turned around slowly. Her crimson eyes caught him.
"...You reek of sweat."
"Uh, ah, sorry. I was adjusting the equipment."
Kenta hurriedly sniffed his own shirt. Akubi let out a small, quiet laugh.
"I'm joking. More importantly, how's the stage looking?"
"Perfect. I've set it up so your voice resonates as beautifully as possible. The low-range overtones will come through properly too."
"Hmph. You're confident about that one thing, at least."
"When it comes to sound, I won't lose to anyone."
Kenta said it flatly.
Akubi narrowed her eyes just slightly.
"...Hey, Kenta."
Hearing his name called, something deep in Kenta's chest gave a small leap.
"I'm going to sing for real today. The most real song I've ever sung."
"...Yes."
"Because of that clip, my voice died once. But you put me back on stage. So today, I'm taking it all back."
Akubi traced the spade emblem on her chest with a finger.
"As long as I'm wearing this costume, I'm the Queen of Spades. If I take it off, I go back to being just a tiny girl who happens to like singing. ...But today, I'm neither. Today, I'm the me that you believed in."
Kenta tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
(What is this person fighting right now?)
Behind Akubi lies two thousand years of time. A loneliness Kenta couldn't possibly imagine was packed inside that small body.
"...Akubi-san. I'll be watching from the wings. No matter what happens, I'll listen to your song to the very end."
"Of course you will. You're my manager, after all."
Akubi said that, then turned back to the mirror.
***
Thirty minutes until showtime.
Kenta returned to the stage wings.
"Satou-san, look at this."
The tablet the staff member held out displayed the festival's official stream. The comment section was scrolling at an abnormal speed.
'Akubi still hasn't come out'
'How can someone who made discriminatory remarks even show their face'
'Million Pro should be ashamed'
The anti comments were clearly being posted in an organized manner.
"We're blocking them, but we can't keep up. And on top of that—"
Just as the staff member started to speak—
The atmosphere in the venue changed.
The murmuring spread like a wave.
"...What is it?"
Kenta scanned the venue from the stage wings.
The audience's gaze had all converged on a single point.
The staff passage between the stage and the audience seating.
A tall man stood there.
A black suit. Black hair slicked back. Cold gray eyes. A small silver piercing on his left ear caught the afternoon light.
Ryou Kurosaki.
"Yo, Kenta. Nice festival weather, huh."
Ryou approached the stage wings slowly.
"What are you doing here?"
Kenta's voice dropped low.
"I came to watch. To see how your precious Queen goes down."
Ryou pulled an envelope from his inner pocket.
"The Voice Color Association has already been notified. I'm going to release this complete archive on the official stream."
"What...?"
"It's the complete version of that stream from three years ago. The one you were desperately searching for. The original archive that the clip was made from. The context, everything — it's all in here. Once this is released, what your Queen actually said back then will be clear for everyone to see."
Kenta's fingertips went cold.
"You... are you serious? You of all people should know that was a malicious edit."
"That's exactly why it's worth releasing. If people see the complete version, they'll understand the clip was edited. But here's the thing, Kenta. The world runs on the impression of those three seconds. Even if they see the full version, it'll end with 'See, she's still calling people liars.' It'll only widen the wound."
Ryou's gray eyes weren't smiling.
"Your Queen is going to taste the moment her voice, her words, are denied by the world — on stage, today. That's the reality of a world ruled by numbers and results."
Kenta clenched his fist.
(Damn it... this guy again.)
Ryou's methods were always the same. Crush from the front. With logic, with numbers, with reality.
But.
(I'm not the me from back then anymore.)
Kenta raised his head.
"...Fine. Then release it. But I have a condition."
"Oh? A condition?"
"If you're going to release the complete version, play it on the stage screen at the same time. In front of every spectator and every viewer."
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...What are you thinking?"
"You said it yourself. If people see the complete version, they'll understand the clip was edited. Then let's reveal it in front of as many people as possible. The true meaning of Akubi-san's words."
"Are you serious? If you play that on the big screen, your Queen will be exposed even more cruelly."
"Even so, she won't run. Akubi-san will overturn everything with her own voice, her own song. I believe in that."
Kenta's voice wasn't trembling.
Ryou stared at Kenta for a while.
"...Interesting. Fine, I'll take your condition. I'll handle the Voice Color Association myself. The complete version will be simultaneously released on the stage screen. Right before showtime."
Ryou pressed the envelope against Kenta's chest.
"Take it. This is the complete version."
Kenta took the envelope.
Ryou brought his face close to Kenta's ear.
"...Kenta. Next time, I'm coming to crush you for real. Your past, that little girl's secrets — I'll expose everything and make sure you never return to this industry. The boss has decided."
"The boss...?"
"Kurosaki Reiji. The head of Nocturne Entertainment. If he moves, your whole agency disappears from this industry. Be prepared."
Ryou said only that, then turned his back.
"Enjoy today's stage while you can. Your Queen's last moment in the spotlight."
Ryou disappeared beyond the staff passage.
Kenta stood frozen, still gripping the envelope.
(Kurosaki Reiji...)
The president of Nocturne Entertainment. Ryou's superior.
(It's not just Ryou. A much bigger enemy is moving.)
A cold chill ran down Kenta's spine.
***
Five minutes until showtime.
The venue lights slowly dimmed.
The audience's murmuring shifted into a silence mixed with anticipation and unease.
Kenta watched the large monitor from the stage wings.
Concurrent viewers had surpassed a hundred and fifty thousand.
(Ryou's announcement is drawing more viewers.)
The advance notice of the complete archive release. It had spread across the internet, and curiosity-seekers were flocking in.
"Satou-san, video output to the screen is ready."
"...Please go ahead."
Kenta looked at the center of the stage.
The dark stage.
At its center stood a small figure.
A red and black dress. Silver hair.
Akubi Demonspade.
She stood quietly, microphone in hand.
(Akubi-san...)
Kenta called her name in his heart.
That's when it happened.
The giant screen on the stage flashed white.
'—Thank you for watching my stream today. But there's something I want to talk about, just for a moment.'
Akubi's voice from three years ago.
The venue stirred.
'You know, I always believed. That everyone who watches my stream likes me. But... I guess I was wrong.'
The Akubi on the screen was looking down.
'The staff member I trusted was selling my personal information behind my back. You know, humans are all liars.'
In that instant, the air in the venue went taut.
Those three seconds from the clip.
But what was playing now was the complete version, with the context before and after.
'...Sorry. Forget what I just said. I'm just a little tired. Thank you for listening to the end today, too.'
The Akubi on the screen said that and gave a small smile.
The video stopped.
The venue was wrapped in silence.
The spectators were confused.
(That's right. This is the truth.)
Kenta stared at the screen.
Those words came from a wounded heart, right after being betrayed by a trusted staff member. She wasn't denying all of humanity. And immediately after, she said "forget it" and smiled, saying "thank you."
(With this context, anyone should be able to see how distorted the clip was.)
But.
"See, she's still saying it after all."
"She did call people liars. That's a fact."
"Does she think an apology fixes everything?"
Voices rose from the audience.
(Ryou was right.)
Even with the complete version, the world runs on the impression of those three seconds.
"How can someone who made discriminatory remarks show their face here!"
"Get out!"
"Liar Queen!"
The jeers spread like a wave.
Kenta bit his lip in the stage wings.
(Damn it... at this rate—)
That's when it happened.
Akubi gripped her microphone.
Her small body straightened at the center of the stage.
She looked out over the audience.
And then.
"...Shut up."
Her voice resonated through the venue.
A husky voice. Overtones layering over the low range — her voice alone.
Just one word.
And with that alone, the atmosphere in the venue changed.
The jeers stopped.
"What do you know about me? Three seconds of a clip? Edited words? And with that, you think you understand all two thousand years of me?"
Akubi's voice, through the microphone, echoed from Voice Tower's speakers across the entire venue.
"Fine. I'll let you hear it. My real voice. My real song. Everything about me that you think is a lie."
Akubi closed her eyes.
Silence.
And then, she began to sing.
***
The first note pierced through the venue.
Low.
Deep.
A heavy sound, as if resonating from the bottom of the earth.
Kenta felt every hair on his body stand on end in the stage wings.
(This is... Akubi-san's real song.)
Hu
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