Chapter 30 – Operation: Spoil Miki Rotten

The sound of Miki's broken whisper hung in the air. The brutal training, the crushing weight of her debut, and the terrifying image of the Aegis of Light had finally cracked her dazzling facade. She lay on the floor, a trembling, weeping mess of exhaustion and fear. Aoi, who had designed this whole brutal regimen, looked down at her, her face a cold mask of tactical focus. But I could see a flicker of something else in her eyes, a deep, sisterly worry. She had pushed Miki to this point. It was a cruel but necessary stress test. The real question was, what now? Before either of us could move, a calm, warm presence filled the room. Chiyoko, who had been watching quietly from the kitchen, knelt beside Miki. She didn't offer any empty words of encouragement. She didn't tell her to be strong. She simply placed a gentle, cool hand on Miki's forehead. A soft, violet aura bloomed from her palm, a wave of pure, unconditional comfort washing over the exhausted girl. It was a gentle touch that soothed frayed nerves and quieted the screaming pain in Miki's muscles. Miki's ragged sobs slowly faded into quiet, shuddering breaths. Chiyoko looked up, her gaze sweeping over all of us. Her expression was calm, but her voice held an authority that no one, not even Aoi or me, would dare to question. "This is not working," she said simply. "My power can heal their physical wounds, but it can't heal their mental ones, or exhaustion and stress, Master." She looked directly at me. "Master, with your permission, I'm proposing a new, mandatory training exercise for Miki, from tonight." "What is it?" I asked, intrigued. A small, knowing smile touched Chiyoko's lips. "Operation: Spoil Miki Rotten." And so, the most unconventional and probably most important training session we'd ever had began. Chiyoko took charge immediately. "Akane," she commanded, "run a hot bath. Use my expensive bath bombs, the ones that smell like lavender and vanilla. Homura, dear, could you please warm up some milk with a little honey? Aoi, you and the Master are on massage duty." The team, which had been a grim unit of soldiers just a minute before, sprang into action with a new, gentler purpose. Aoi, looking a little bewildered, knelt by Miki's head. Her long, elegant fingers began to work the knots out of Miki's shoulders with a surprising precision. My hand took Miki's aching feet to knead the soreness from her arches. Miki, still too tired to even protest, just lay there, a soft, confused whimper escaping her as this sudden wave of care washed over her. Akane came back, announcing that a "super bubbly, mega-relaxing bath" was ready. Chiyoko and I carried the boneless Miki into the bathroom. Chiyoko gently washed her hair, her healing aura filling the water with a calming energy. I sat on the edge of the tub and told her stupid, funny stories about my old, boring office job: About how I had a harem of many cleaning ladies, why Kyoko kicked my butt when I "scouted" a bar hotess as potential idols, or how I gave a middle finger to my old manager when I said "I quit!". They made Miki giggle, a weak, watery sound that was the most beautiful thing I'd heard all week. After the bath, Chikoyo wrapped her in the fluffiest towel we could find. I carried her to the couch, which Homura had turned into a nest of every pillow and blanket in the apartment. Akane was there with the warm, honeyed milk. Miki, now clean, warm, and completely relaxed, sipped it slowly, her eyes half-closed. "Now," Chiyoko said, winking at the stern Ao,i "for the final phase." Miki's eyes fluttered open. "More... training?" she whispered, a hint of fear in her voice. "No. Morale support," Aoi announced. It was her version of a pep talk. She projected her tablet onto the TV, showing a screen full of graphs and charts. "As of 18:00 today, ticket resale value for your concert is trending at 400% of the original price. Social media engagement is up 1200% since the release of the music video." She swiped to the next screen. "Pre-sale numbers for the album have already surpassed the lifetime sales of 95% of all debuts from last year." "Based on my data models, there is a 98.7% probability that your concert will be declared a legendary debut." It was the most Aoi-like "You can do it!" in history, and it made Miki's tired eyes sparkle with renewed confidence. "My turn!" Akane yelled, presenting Miki with a massive, freshly opened bag of her favorite, limited-edition potato chips. Homura followed shyly behind, offering Miki a brand-new, fluffy "Uni" plushie, an upgraded version of the one she loved. They were all rallying around her, a real family supporting their star. I watched them, a warm feeling spreading through my chest. It was time for my part. "That's all great," I said, getting their attention. "But I have a special gift for you, too, Miki. Something from a grumpy grandma, to give you a little edge for your debut." "Shut up, host! This is just to... boost the efficiency of her operation tomorrow. This took a lot of my reserve energy, too. Don't expect me to do it again soon." Gemgem grunted. I can feel something like a... pout in its voice. I took out the Black Gem. It pulsed with a quiet, dark energy in my hand. "Your power comes from adoration. Let's give the fans something extra to adore." I hold Miki's main stage microphone, a glittering pink and black custom model she'd brought home to practice with. I held the mic in one hand and the Gem in the other. Focusing my will, I drew a small, controlled stream of the Gem's power and channeled it right into the microphone's wiring. The metal seemed to drink the darkness. A faint, almost invisible web of black energy spread across its surface before fading completely. "It's enchanted," I explained. "It won't brainwash them. But it will amplify every emotion you project." "Your voice will sound more captivating. Your charm will be irresistible. It will take your feelings, multiply them a hundred times over, and broadcast to your audience." Miki took the microphone from me, her hands trembling slightly. She held it like it was a holy relic. The exhaustion was gone from her face, replaced by a look of absolute, blazing power. I looked right at her. "Go out there tomorrow, Miki. And don't just win them over. Conquer them. The love from your fans will become your strength." The room was silent for a beat, and then it erupted. Akane let out a wild roar and hugged Miki from behind, Homura took her front, while Aoi and Chiyoko just smiled and nodded. Miki clutched her new microphone to her chest, her eyes shining with tears of joy and determination. The upcoming concert was no longer her source of stress; it would be her shining stage, her power-up. And she is more ready than ever.