Returning Transcendent Opens an Idol Agency

Chapter 86: Alfi Titor’s Debut Stream

[So what is this?]

[Whoo! New member of MirAIs!]

[Hana sent us here!]

[Noooo! I have school!]

[Just skip?]

[It's starting!]

[Let's go!]

-----AI|IA-----

[Play Steins;Gate 0 - Fatima]

The sound of a clock rapidly ticking down. Piano notes, intermixed with rapid violin notes. Following that, a distorted tone echoed, like a phone call never connecting, with the dial tone being stretched out instead.

The screen turned black, and then numbers began counting down, flickering in and out of existence before showing a figure standing in a wasteland staring at a ruined city.

The upbeat and frantic music continued, and then a male voice started to sing.

This world, a reality just filled with lies...

It's just, a distasteful vision in our eyes...

The scene flickered, revealing modern day Tokyo but filled with nothing more than gray figures, aimlessly moving about.

At the boundary of all time, at the point of no return...

There exists a god that dares to declare fate is unchangeable.

The scene cracked, shattering into glass shards floating in the void. Within those shards, various scenes played out. A burning battlefield with broken blades. A man leaning against a metal capsule, blood staining his otherwise pristine lab coat.

But the lives doomed to fall down, those who were tossed in the dark... Now you know the truth so reach out your hand to just go change it all.

Scenes continued to play out on the broken shards. A young woman with silver hair running across the battlefield. A close-up of a man's faint smile. A woman with crimson hair, falling to the ground.

A delicate white hand reached out, trying to clutch the broken shards. But they vanished, blinking out in a flash of light. And soon after, so did the hand, leaving darkness once more.

We can all go against the tide...

Break down the gate now, make up your mind vow that you'll give them wings to soar away!

Static flooded the screen like snow before showing a familiar capsule with [IA0 - TITOR] emblazoned in gold. After that, a black hole swirled before displaying Project MirAIs.

Light the sky!

The video changed to Hana's first stream, showing her wiping away her tears before letting out a bright smile.

If that very moment, if those words that they say,

If you hold them precious, wishing that they would stay...

The scene cut to a panoramic of Tokyo cityscape, focusing on the clear blue sky. As it did, time seemed to speed by, and the city was ruined, shattered buildings and worn-out streets.

Don't ever take back your hand, reach out and tear down time for brand new MirAIs

A faint image of a wireframe door overlapped the scene before opening, causing the scene to turn into darkness again.

Facing the resistance, facing a cruel demise,

If you have the courage, stand now and then just rise

Golden threads spread out in every direction, like an ominous spiderweb. And at the end of it, there was an orb of blue light, suspended in the void. Earth.

Become the light to start it anew... again...

Countless stars lit up the void, sparking along the golden threads and burning them up.

Dethrone the god... Create a new world...

The golden threads vanished, leaving Earth suspended in the void. But it wasn't alone now. Instead, countless stars dotted the darkness, casting their light upon the world.

And then it all blinked out, leaving just two lines of text.

[Project MirAIs]

[Open the Gate to new futures]

-----AI|IA-----

The text disappeared. In its place, a wireframe chatbox, white and black like from an old JRPG, emerged. On it were the comments of the live chat.

[WHOA]

[The production quality is insane!]

[No way this is just some startup company!]

[Go Hana's kouhai!]

[AAAAHHH! TOO HYPED!]

[Yeah! Overthrow god!]

[Psh. What a waste of money-]

[This message has been deleted by a moderator]

A barrage of comments continued to flow. And then the dark background began to flicker, filling with static.

And music started to play.

[Play: Alfi's BGM (Iced Village Copyright Free - 8 Bit Lofi Hip Hop)]

A soft lo-fi beat with 8-bit synths and simple drum beat. Light-hearted, but also a bit nostalgic and yearning.

[!!!]

[This music...]

[I-I'm not ready for this!]

[What's she going to be like?]

[*I've been waiting for this!*]

The static faded and then a cool looking beauty with silver hair and burgundy eyes emerged beneath the chatbox.

-----AI|IA-----

-----AI|IA-----

[OMG]

[Hana's kouhai... is an onee-san?!]

[*Holy crap! Is this live?!*]

[*Wait! This wasn't some hoax?!*]

[STEP ON ME PLEASE]

[This message has been deleted by a moderator]

[The user has been banned by a moderator]

The young woman blinked and then looked to the side, frowning. "Papa, is this working? E-Eh?! W-We're live already?!"

[Papa?]

[PAPA?!]

[wait wait wait]

[What Papa?!]

[That voice! HNGH]

[How can a voice be so sexy and adorable?!]

[I can't even-]

[*Holy crap!? IT'S LIVE SUBBED?!*]

"U-Uwa! Sorry everyone! L-Let me fix this really quick... Gah! I need to change too!" The young woman's eyes spun and she frantically reached out, moving the chat to the side. At the same time, she stepped back, revealing her full figure.

[*YO! Why can't I throw money at her yet?!*]

[too... kawaii...]

[Nngh...]

[afejjfonmlakeao]

[Impossible. Sexy and cute. SEXY AND CUTE. HOW.]

The young woman was older than Hana, and she was also dressed differently. If Hana was like the bright sun, the young woman was like the glistening moon.

At first, she appeared to be wearing a white dress shirt. But that quickly faded, replaced by a lacy black blouse with an attached skirt. Long, dark silk thigh-high leggings revealed an 'absolute territory' along with black leather boots. And the outfit was finished off by a pair of black fingerless gloves.

[M-My heart is pounding. Is that normal?]

[Could someone tell me the artist? I need to tip them my life savings.]

[Hnnnnnnnngh....]

[*I don't know how I got here, but I like it.*]

[A-Anyone know a doujin artist? Asking for a friend.]

"Okay. Okay. Calm down, Alfi. You've got this." The young woman placed a hand over her heart and then closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

As she did, the act drew attention to her arm.

Pure and pristine skin. Delicate white fingers, peeking out of those black gloves... and also faint lines along her elbow that showed it wasn't flesh and bone.

[Wait! Robot?]

[Robot waifu?!]

[Alfi? Her name's Alfi?]

[*Relax! You're doing great!*]

Alfi glanced at the chat and then looked more panicked. She turned back and said, "W-What do I do?! They're being too nice! I didn't expect them to be this nice!"

[I TAKE IT BACK! NO DOUJINS!]

[*Argh... On one hand, Rule 34. On other... too cute...*]

[Too nice?]

[Oh. My. God. Clumsy cute robot waifu.]

"W-Why are you laughing?!" Alfi stomped her foot and said, "T-This isn't a laughing matter! J-Just go on? It's fine? B-But... O-Okay. If you say so..." She sighed and turned back to the camera. But then her eyes widened. "Oh no... I forgot to show the room! I'm sorry everyone!" She reached out and tapped something in the air.

The background changed, lighting up to reveal a plain room with steel walls. Fluorescent lights lit up the place, giving it a sterile feel. And the worn-out bed in the corner and the dusty wardrobe in the opposite corner didn't help.

But even so, it didn't feel completely artificial. A cute panda pajama set hung on the wardrobe door and a few worn-out game consoles were haphazardly strewn along the bed, as if Alfi had just jumped out of bed from playing them.

[Another warehouse room?]

[Oi, Titor! Pay your idols properly!]

[MOD: TITOR - I do! But do you have any idea how expensive real estate is here? And the electric bills?]

[MOD: Hana ch. - O-Oh... I didn't know that, Mister John.]

[So what you're saying is we need to throw more money at them?]

[*You're doing great! Don't worry!*]

Alfi stepped back, carefully looking around. And then she sighed. "It looks like everything's finally set up... But I messed up my intro... No. You can do this, Alfi." She muttered to herself and then nodded. "Right. Okay." She looked back up and said, "U-Um... Hello everyone?"

[HI!]

[Hello!]

[*I love you already!*]

[MARRY ME- I mean, hello!]

[Good morning!]

[Ohanayo! Hana sent a bunch of us to say hi!]

Alfi glanced to the side, reading the chat, and then she smiled. "You're all a lot more understanding than I thought you'd be. I'm glad."

[Gah. My heart...]

[That smile's too dangerous!]

[Oh, I'm die. Thank you forever.]

[Dead.]

[orz]

Alfi's eyes widened and she panicked. "N-No! Don't die! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

[Too... cute...]

[*She's so pure...*]

[Don't panic! It's just an expression!]

[How is she even cuter than Hana? I don't even...]

"O-Oh. It's just- Right. I should've realized it." She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry. I guess this is a bit more overwhelming than I thought it'd be- W-Wait? There's twenty thousand people watching?! U-Um...!" Alfi quickly bowed, a perfect ninety degrees. "I-It's a pleasure to meet you all! I'm Alfi Titor! P-Please take care of me!"

[...]

[...TITOR?!]

[O-Oi? Extorting your own daughter, Titor!?]

[MOD: Titor - She asked for it, not me. So be nice. Or else.]

[MOD: Hana ch. - Yes! Please be nice to Alfi nee-chan!]

[Nee-chan?!]

[Dammit! I've gotta fight Titor to win Alfi's hand in marriage?]

Alfi raised her body and glanced at the chat. Quickly reading it, her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No! Papa didn't force me to do anything! This was my idea! And um..." She poked her fingers together, looking down at the ground. "Hana looked like she was having fun, so I wanted to try to be an idol too. Was that... so bad?"

[*if this is a dream, don't wake me up*]

[No! It's fine!]

[We're sorry! Don't be sad!]

[Argh! I take it back! I'm sorry, Titor!]

[You're perfect! Calm down!]

[*Go! Alfi! Go kawaii Alfi! gah, I'm melting~*]

"O-Okay. I'll... I'll do my best to calm down. And thank you, Mister Wkppp. I'm grateful for your support." Alfi smiled. After reading the chat, it seemed like she was starting to relax. "Now... I don't want to waste your valuable time, so should we get started? Let's see..." She reached out and tapped something in front of her, causing a window to appear.

[Alfi Titor (Titor Prototype Alpha)]

Age: 18 (physical)

Birthday: December 21st

Height: 168 cm

Job: Retired Combat Automaton, Trainee Idol

Affiliation: MirAIs Generation 0

"My basic biography. Um... I hope you won't think too poorly about me. I wasn't too sure what to put. Hana helped me out, so I think it's right, b-but if anything's weird, please don't think about it too hard."

[ROBOT WAIFU! WE HAVE A ROBOT WAIFU!]

[She's legal!]

[MOD: Titor - And I know where you live.]

[Scary...]

[MOD: Beta - Father. Stop being a helicopter parent.]

[MOD: Titor - ...Fine.]

[Beta best girl!]

[Wait. Alfi... Alpha? The mod in Hana's channel?]

Alfi fiddled with her dress, muttering. "What else was I supposed to say...? O-Oh! Right!" She nodded and said, "As you can see, I'm... not entirely human." Alfi held up her elbow and then said, "I hope... I hope that doesn't scare you. I'm new to these emotions and to interacting with people other than ki- fighting them, but I hope I can learn with you all!"

[It's okay! You're human to us!]

[Android, robot, human... You're still cute!]

[*Ooooh. So she's a real 'AI'!*]

"Um, next... Oh!" Alfi nodded and said, "I'm also a Trainee Idol! I'm not as good as Hana in dancing or singing, but I'm going to do my best! I-I've also prepared a song to sing at the end of my biography information. H-Hopefully it goes well..."

[Hnnngh.]

[One second she's cute, then she's sexy... I can't handle it!]

[She's gotta be acting. Right? No girl's this perfect. Can't be.]

[*Note to self: move to Japan.*]

"After this should be... Right, likes and dislikes." Alfi muttered and tapped the air in front of her. The status screen with her information vanished, replaced by a list.

Likes:

Papa

Beta

Hana

Hot chocolate

Video games

Pandas

Dislikes:

Fighting

Blood

Seeing people hurt

[MOD: Titor - Goddammit! Betty! I told you to edit the list!]

[MOD: Beta - And upset my cute Eldest Sister? Never.]

[MOD: Hana ch. - Oh come on, Mister John! It's cute!]

[Argh... do we beat up Titor or worship him for such a cute daughter?]

[Titor is too strong.]

[She dislikes fighting? Then that scene in the MV...]

[*A cute and sexy gamer robot girl? I'm in.*]

Alfi read the chat and then lowered her head. "S-Sorry, Papa. But... it's true. I care about you more than anything else in the world... W-Wait? Cute? Me?!" She looked back up and blushed before shaking her head. "I'm not cute! Beta's cute! And Hana's cute too! Much cuter than me..."

[Gap moe... too strong...]

[send... help...]

[t34gewd]

[p;i'/]

[You're cute! super cute! cutest! cutecutecute!]

[MOD: Titor - ...I think I underestimated Alfi's power...]

Alfi huffed and tossed her hair. "W-Whatever. I-In any case, I should explain my list. Papa... Ah. You all know him as John Titor. He's the one who made me and protected me all this time, so I care about him the most. After that is Beta, my cute and really smart younger sister. She's the one who made this dress for me, actually." Alfi smiled and spun, twirling her skirt. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

[MOD: Beta - ...Father is correct. Eldest Sister is too powerful]

[MOD: Hana ch. - Alfi nee-chan super cute!]

[I can't take so much sugar this early...]

[Is this what heaven feels like?]

[*Why does her voice feel like injecting sugar in my heart?*]

Alfi stopped and said, "Next is Hana... She's my senpai in being an idol, so I look up to her a lot. And she's also always bright and cheerful." She smiled and said, "I didn't realize it until recently, but she makes me happy by being like that."

[MOD: Hana ch. - (^_^) You make me happy too, Nee-chan!]

[Why is someone that sexy so damned wholesome!?]

[Beta! This person here! ^]

[This user has been banned by a moderator]

[MOD: Beta - Understood.]

[MOD: Titor - O-Oi! Didn't you just tell me not to be a helicopter parent!?]

[MOD: Beta - Yes.]

[Wow. Miss Beta is savage.]

[W-Why do I feel like the journey for Alfi's hand is a boss rush...?]

"What else... Um... I like hot chocolate. It's warm and sweet and makes me feel nice inside. And video games are fun too. It makes me feel like a normal person playing them."

[Normal person...?]

[Alfi-chan...]

[T_T]

Alfi glanced at her list and said, "Now to dislikes... I guess they're all the same, really. I just... don't like fighting. Or seeing people hurt. I've... done a lot of both in the past. And even Papa-" Her voice hitched and she shook her head. "I-I mean... Um... No. Don't cry, Alfi. You promised not to cry. It's different now. And Papa's watching..."

[<3]

[:heart:]

[Don't cry!]

[MY HEART CAN'T HANDLE THESE FEELS!]

Alfi brushed her eyes and said, "M-Moving on!" She waved her hand, clearing the list and bringing up another one. "Next... hashtags." She glanced at the list and then let out a wry laugh. "Sorry for being so plain..."

Streams - #AlfisLive

Fanart - #AlfiArt

Fan Name - ???

Fan Mark - Clock

"Um... if you have any suggestions, I'm open to hear them."

[AlfiIsLife! For streams!]

[That!]

[Yeah! AlfiIsLife!]

[Ooh! And for fan name, we're Alfi's!]

[We're Alfi's!]

[Right! Alfi's!]

Alfi blinked. "AlfiIsLife? Um... sure? And you want me to call you all Alfi's? Are you... are you sure? I... I don't want you to get the wrong idea... I mean... Are you okay with me?"

[!!!!!!!]

[WAIFU GET?!]

[YES! ALL YOURS!]

[TAKE MY EVERYTHING!]

[MOD: Titor - Holy crap.]

[MOD: TITOR - My god.]

[MOD: Beta - As expected, Eldest Sister.]

Alfi read the chat. But when she did, it exploded with activity and turned into an illegible blur, causing her to miss everything. She blinked and said, "U-Um... Well, if you're that happy about it... Okay? Ah, and my fan sign is a clock because of my Papa. You don't mind, right? It's... I want to keep at least something of him here."

[Yes, queen!]

[No problem!]

[Of course! We respect father-in-law!]

[MOD: Hana ch. - XD]

[MOD: Titor - OI!]

[MOD: Beta - How funny. To think they are worthy of Eldest Sister...]

[It's totally a boss rush!]

Alfi nodded, smiling. "You're all too nice. It makes me happy... but I'm worried too. There are plenty of better girls to follow or meet out there. And I won't ever see any of you in person, so..."

[That's fine!]

[I love you anyway!]

[Even if it's just one-sided, love is love!]

"O-Okay. Um... then one more thing before I finish off with my song and reading the comments. Bear with me a little longer, okay?" She reached out and tapped her list, changing it again.

[My Wishes]

See Hana perform live at Tokyo Dome

Help Project MirAIs become bigger

Make Papa proud

Make everyone watching have a better day

[So wholesome...]

[Why is she so selfless?!]

[Wish for yourself too, Alfi!]

Alfi smiled and said, "I don't really have any big dreams like Hana. Really, I don't have many dreams for myself at all. I just... want everyone to do well. To see Hana's dream come true. To help Project MirAIs become bigger to help more people. To make my papa proud... and to make you all have a better day for sharing your time with me. That's all."

[Alfi...]

[Dammit UTube! Get better! Monetize faster!]

[Why! Won't! It! Take! My! Money!]

[*Oh no. Is... is this why people simp? I'm... starting to understand...*]

Alfi nodded. "Okay!" She tapped the list again and said, "Enough of that. Now... I don't want to keep you all here longer than you have to. I'm happy so many of you showed up to see me, but you should take care of yourself first, you know? So I'll just leave you with this last song." She reached out and tapped the air.

A wave rippled through the background, turning it into a forest clearing with buildings in the distance, long reclaimed by nature.

Alfi placed her hands over her chest and took a deep breath, calming herself. Then, with a serious expression, she said, "It's been... a long journey to reach this point. And the 'me' who I had been until now... is different. I have a lot of words and feelings I want to convey to a lot of people. But if I did that, we'd be here forever. So... I'll just put them all in this song. A song of a broken world." She smiled and said, "I hope my heart reaches you."

[Play The Weight of the World (JP)]

Music started. Soft and reverberating piano notes, accompanied by shimmering sounds, almost like cicada but a bit more artificial.

A beautiful and somber melody.

And then...

Alfi's voice. Quiet and delicate, gentle and bare. In that soft tone, she began to sing.

My salvation slowly fades

And my body rots away

As the sky... turns into endless night

Slowly time draws to a halt

All of it, just my fault

My eyes... blinded my own light

It's a cruel curse... placed... down upon me

Retribution for all of my endless sins

Your... wish... that I destroyed

Now karma makes me pay the price again... For how long, and til when?

So someone please tell me why

Ah, even so I still just can't cry

Singing now a song for times that can never be...

So someone please tell me how

Ah, even if I can't recall now

Was I like this always or have I changed?

All alone now I just wonder if you'd be proud of me...? In your dreams...

Alfi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting as a brief musical intermission played out before the next part of the verse. And then she continued.

Green as far as I can see...

Stained with red and misery

As the wind... carries a gentle breeze

Rusted words and faded hopes

Wishes scattered like a rose

And death... calling for everything

This is the curse... That... I brought about

Never-ending pain for breaking my own vows

Still... I... pray for a time

To pay you back for everything you gave, hoping memories just won't fade

So, two of us here and now

Ah even if I can't recall how

I will sing of love wrought within this tainted world

So, all that we have right now

Although it's just lies and more cruel doubts

I'll still wish to spend more time here with you...

Even so I'll give you up and let you leave to be free... Without me...

A soaring orchestral solo. And then, as it finished, the song stripped down to just piano and Alfi's voice.

So, two that have become one

Ah, so much pain as my heart's undone

And a song of times that I know will never be

So, staying to watch you leave

Ah, praying happy you'll always be

Even if there's not a trace of me left

So even if my heart breaks

Ah, even if my life's wiped away

As who I am now becomes just a memory

So never you dare look back

Ah, even if happiness you lack

Know that I'm still here praying for your soul

Let my tiny wish turn into a star to light the way...

"I wish that..."

The song slowly wound down to an end. With the fading instruments, Alfi opened her eyes. Smiling, with tears running down her cheeks, she bowed her head and said, "Thank you for watching. And good bye for now."