Chapter 33: Concert to Remember

The lights dimmed.

A hush fell over the stadium before the giant screen lit up in a flash of dazzling colors. Smoke rolled across the massive stage, and the sound of roaring fans shook the entire dome.

"ARE YOU READY!?" a booming announcer's voice thundered.

The crowd screamed in unison, glow sticks raised like a sea of stars.

Then, the stage erupted into light.

Luna stepped forward, microphone in hand, her goddess-like voice ringing out:

"Shine through the night, let the darkness fall—

We rise together, stronger than all!"

"KYAAAAAA! QUEEN LUNA!!"

The front rows, packed with male fans waving banners and shirts with her face printed on them, screamed until their throats went raw. Some even cried openly, clutching their light sticks as though they were sacred relics.

"Luna, marry me!" one man bellowed, nearly climbing over the barrier before security shoved him back.

The goddess-like vocalist smiled faintly, tossing her long hair back as her voice soared higher. Every note she sang seemed to pierce straight into their souls.

Beside her, Stella slung her gleaming black guitar, fingers moving with deadly precision.

"KYAAAAAAAA! STELLA, STEP ON ME!"

The chilling solo cut through the stadium, a blend of ice and fire that made the crowd erupt. Stella smirked, eyes half-lidded, like a predator enjoying the thrill of the hunt.

Behind them, Nova slammed the drums, each beat like thunder shaking the floor. Her cool, fierce expression never wavered. Sweat glistened on her forehead, but her rhythm was merciless, commanding the pulse of the entire crowd.

"Nova, I'll die for you!!" someone screamed.

And then, at the far left of the stage, the small figure of Aria bounced in her spot, pink hair tied in cute pigtails. She plucked her bass with such cheerful rhythm that fans melted.

"ARIAAAA! MY WIFE!!"

She blew a kiss, and half the front row collapsed dramatically, holding their hearts as though struck by an arrow.

The group's synergy was flawless, their voices harmonizing, instruments roaring together, lyrics blending into something larger than life.

"Together we fight, together we stand—

Our music is power, hand in hand!"

The crowd roared so loud the sound threatened to break the dome's roof.

But then—

A scream cut through the euphoria.

From the back of the stadium, people began shouting.

"What's going on!?"

"There's something—SOMETHING THERE!"

A low, guttural growl echoed through the arena. It was no normal sound. It was primal, bone-chilling.

"GRRRRRRHHHHHHH!"

The audience turned in confusion—then panic. Out from the shadows poured beasts unlike anything they had seen before.

Dogs—but not normal dogs.

Their skulls were bare bone, glowing eyes burning crimson, teeth jagged like knives. Their bodies dripped with black smoke as though crawling straight out of the pits of hell.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!"

"MONSTERS! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"

The pack lunged at the crowd, tearing through barriers. Security scrambled, but the beasts tore men apart like paper. Fans fled in every direction, trampling each other, the once-cheering stadium turning into a nightmare.

"NO! HELP ME!"

"MY LEG! IT'S BITING MY LEG!!"

"RUN! RUNNNN!!"

Chaos erupted.

Back on stage, the four idols froze in shock.

"W-What the hell is this!?" Nova gasped, standing from her drum kit.

Security guards rushed forward. "Quick! We need to escort you girls out of here! NOW!"

Luna's eyes widened, gripping her mic. "No, wait—the fans! They're in danger!"

But before she could move, one of the skull-dogs leapt from the barricades straight at a screaming fan in the front row.

The man fell backward, raising his hands in vain. "SOMEE!!"

The monster opened its maw—

CRASH!

A chilling guitar riff split the air.

The dog froze midair—then shattered into ash, smitten by Stella's electrifying chord.

The fan sat frozen, eyes wide.

Stella twirled her guitar, smirking coldly. "Tch. Don't lay a finger on my fans."

Another skull-dog lunged toward the stage, claws bared.

Instead of strumming, Stella swung her guitar like an axe, the heavy frame cracking against the beast's skull with a bone-splitting crunch. A ripple of crackling lightning burst from the impact, sending the monster flying back into its pack.

She spun the instrument effortlessly, its steel strings glowing with electricity. "Who's next?"

A second beast leapt—and she ducked low, sliding across the stage floor with perfect rhythm, strumming a distorted riff mid-spin. The soundwave hit like a shotgun blast, and when she came to a stop, she rose smoothly, swinging the guitar into her shoulder like it was both weapon and instrument.

The fans in the front row screamed—not just in fear, but in wild, frenzied adoration.

Meanwhile the fan who was rescued by her, shaking, pressed his hands together as if praying. "Th-thank you, Queen Stella!!"

The other skull-dogs snarled, their red eyes snapping toward the stage.

"Girls, move! We'll handle it!" the security shouted again, trying to push them backstage.

But Nova slammed her drumsticks together, eyes blazing. "Like hell I'm just gonna run! These bastards crashed our show!"

She pounded the drums with a speed and force that shook the air—each beat sent sonic shockwaves shaped like glowing, rotating circles, almost like magic shields. The soundwaves expanded outward, knocking back several skull-dogs, then hardening into protective barriers that blocked claws and fangs.

"Stay behind me!" Nova barked, fierce and cool, as though she was born for battle.

Meanwhile, Luna raised her microphone, her voice ringing louder, higher. This time her melody wasn't just sound—it wove golden threads of light that descended onto the crowd, wrapping around fans like a protective embrace. The panicked screams turned into chants, the fear in their eyes shifting to awe. Every note carried divine weight; the skull-dogs staggered as though dragged down by invisible chains, their very souls quivering.

"Fall… before my song." Her words resounded, and the monsters stumbled, slowed, as if the world itself bent to her voice.

All three were holding their ground—but Aria remained strangely quiet, still holding her bass.

"Aria, play something! Help us out here!" Nova shouted.

But Aria only tilted her head, her pink hair swaying as her innocent smile lingered.

"I am already helping Nova. You'll see," Aria muttered, as she suddenly disappeared behind the curtains, almost as if she was a ghost and Nova knew among all four of them, she was the most dangerous one and whoever her target was...she had to wish them luck.

Meanwhile—

At the perimeter of the chaos, hooded figures stood in the shadows.

One raised his hand. "Drive them into a frenzy. Make sure the fans scatter. No survivors in the middle rows."

Another nodded. "Yes, Lady. The mission will be a success."

Their movements were precise, coordinated—it wasn't a random attack. This was planned.

A hooded woman lowered her voice, smirking under her mask. "Heh. The rival brand won't be able to recover after this massacre. This concert will be their grave."

But then—

"...Is that so?"

The hooded woman stiffened. She felt… a hand on her back. Cold, gentle, yet terrifying.

Slowly, she turned around.

Her breath caught in her throat.

A pair of eyes stared at her. Bright, yet empty. Pink hair framed the face of a girl so cute, so delicate—yet her presence was suffocating.

"A-A… Aria…?" the woman stammered.

Aria smiled sweetly. "Shh. No need to panic. Just do exactly as I say."

The hooded woman's body froze. Her limbs stiffened, her mind clouded. She was a puppet now, strings pulled by the pink-haired bassist.

Aria gently touched her head, eyes glowing faintly.

"Let's see… who sent you…"

The hooded woman trembled as Aria whispered names under her breath, extracting them from her very soul.

"…Ah. A rival music label. How cruel of them. How cruel of them to kill these innocent people."

She giggled lightly, though her words were as cold as death. "How cruel of them to hurt our innocent fans… just for business."

The hooded woman tried to scream, but her mouth would not move.

Aria's smile sharpened, voice dropping into something colder.

"And for that… you should pay."

POP!

The woman's head exploded in a burst of blood and ash.

The nearby hooded figures froze in horror.

"What—what just happened!?"

"She—she killed her without touching her!!"

Aria stepped forward, her bass hanging loosely at her side, her pink hair swaying like the wings of a fallen angel.

Her eyes gleamed with something dark, something merciless.

"I am Aria," she introduced herself softly, almost playfully. "The cute one, remember? The harmless, pink-haired bassist?"

She tilted her head, her smile widening into something terrifying.

"But to you…"

She began walking, each step making the hooded figures retreat instinctively.

"…to you, I will be your grim reaper."

The next hooded figure tried to run, but Aria's eyes flashed. Her body locked in place, frozen in terror.

Aria's footsteps echoed closer and closer.

The concert, the chaos, the screaming fans—it all blurred into the background.

All that remained was the pink-haired reaper, hunting her prey while the other members were repelling the skull dog attacks on their fans.