Milk-a Pokato’s first mory was of herself playing the violin. Considering that the typical self-awareness begins to establish around the ages of 4 to 5, this implies that she had been playing the violin even before then. Looking back on her proficiency during that ti, it wouldn’t be strange to think that she had perhaps held a violin bow since birth.
Nevertheless, she found herself struggling.
“Squeak—!”
“…This isn’t going well.”
Milk-a burst into a snicker as she stared at the awkward movents of her hands and the strange sound emanating from the violin. Honestly, it was a sound she had never expected to co from her hands. She hadn’t produced such sounds even as a child—back when her hands and fingers were only about a third of their current size.
As she felt a dissonance between the techniques displayed by her mory and the skills she was currently exhibiting, Milk-a carefully glanced at the scientist. The person who had injected her with a suspicious substance, resulting in her current state.
“What exactly happened?”
“You said it wouldn’t matter if you gave up the violin, didn’t you? So it’s a reality now.”
“In other words, because I can’t play the violin, does that an… I’m much better at playing the guitar instead? Is that what you’re saying?”
Milk-a held back the urge to question whether that made any sense as she looked at the scientist, who nodded lightly. Who exactly was this person before her? A scientist from an evil organization, soone who could easily take on several large cities, perhaps even a boss of a formidable organization—a bona fide S-class villain remaining as a re mber in this wicked organization.
This ant the man before her, lean as he was, could be of equal or greater significance than an S-class villain within the organization, which was enough to give her pause.
This was sothing said by a person of such distinction; there was no way she could treat it lightly as a lie.
“…Can I try playing the guitar?”
“Sure. Shall I provide you with a sheet of music?”
“Please.”
Thus, Milk-a picked up the guitar that Eight had brought her. Despite having never touched one in her life, her body rembered how to play it. It was as if she had practiced for decades.
─♬
The mont she started plucking the guitar strings, the Queen of Guitar was born. Upon finishing her performance, Milk-a realized she had beco soone special and could leave her na etched in history.
* * *
When a person begins to learn sothing, that experience builds up in the nerves and neurons. Consequently, the body of a skilled individual undergoes a change in neural structure compared to that of a beginner.
This is precisely why a beginner, no matter how hard they try, cannot even keep up with a skilled person. The techniques of the skilled are manifested through movents from within rather than without. rely mimicking the outer actions a hundred tis would never allow soone to grasp the hidden true motions.
This was the reason Milk-a had beco a master of the guitar instead of being able to play the violin at all. Her nerves and neurons had been completely rewired to reflect those of a guitar virtuoso.
‘Thankfully, there’s sothing similar that I could utilize.’
Though she’d never thought she could replicate such advanced technology from Earth, fortunately, this world housed extraordinary powers surpassing earthly science: superpowers. The gene entity created during the research into these superpowers succeeded in altering Milk-a’s neural structure. She had been the first clinical trial subject.
‘If this were attempted on Earth, they would have imdiately faced ethical scrutiny or imprisonnt for over a decade, unable to even dream of this line of work for the rest of their life, all for not having received authorization for sothing guaranteed to succeed with no side effects.’
Compared to Earth, this world was remarkably convenient. All of those ethical procedures and FDA approvals could be circumvented rely due to soone being a villain. Of course, there were still so limitations in place, but…
“—Now let see if I can recomnd any talented individuals.”
Though Milk-a learned a few things about guitar and rock band sheet music, it wasn’t enough. A rock band is fundantally a cultural chemical reaction, an explosive engagent achieved through the synergy of many.
By oneself, it was impossible to generate a significant response. While there were stars capable of making waves on their own, such talent was not hers.
What could it be? If she had that much talent, there would have been no need to co to , complaining that she wanted to be sothing special. If she could achieve such greatness on her own, then she wouldn’t even need my help. It was precisely because she lacked such talent that she ca to whining.
‘Even without great skill, I can modify things like this. If she just has so perseverance…’
While searching for suitable band mbers for Milk-a, I realized that she had already found all the mbers herself and had even discerned the uniqueness of the band.
Could such determination really arise rely from wanting to leave her na in history? Could she possibly have perceived the band’s uniqueness on her own, sothing beyond the norm in this world?
“Haha— yeah, a band only needs one star.”
The band’s uniqueness was that, aside from the main vocalist and guitarist, other mbers easily beca re supports.
In other words, she could fill the band with all supporting mbers except herself.
* * *
After gaining her astonishing guitar skills, the very first thing Milk-a did was search for band mbers. According to the sheet music Eight had handed over, she needed at least three mbers: a bassist, a drumr, and, if possible, a pianist—four companions in total.
Fortunately for her, being a prodigy of the Pokato family, a renowned violinist in the artistic community, she hadn’t lost the connections she had made, even after losing her mastery of the violin.
She quickly contacted acquaintances she knew. Normally, she would have ignored them, dismissing their inferior musical tastes, and would never have considered reaching out to such people.
“—You want to form a band?”
“Miss, are you tired of the violin?”
Indeed, while her friends promptly gathered at her request, they didn’t imdiately accept her proposal. Who was Milk-a? Wasn’t she the most famous violinist in her twenties? It wasn’t sothing they could easily believe—a serious commitnt to forming a band.
Milk-a didn’t have the ti to delve deep into explanations about losing her violin skills, acquiring guitar skills in return, or how this band would be sothing she was dedicating her soul to. There simply wasn’t ti for that.
Instead, she perford a song. One of the nurous band songs she had received from Eight, her favorite.
“—What do you think?”
“……Whoa—.”
“What’s this—?”
“I thought you were only a genius with the violin…”
Milk-a grinned at her acquaintances’ reactions to the song she had just perford. She didn’t ntion that this skill had co in exchange for her violin prowess; there was no need to.
Fortunately, it seed that her friends accepted her sincerity about the band after hearing her guitar skills.
The problem was that, despite forming the band, there was no venue to perform right away. For starters, Milk-a’s fa was far too great. If she officially announced her intention to form a band, the Pokato family would surely intervene. They’d have to take action to hinder her, to assert control.
“How do you plan to perform? You know they’ll interfere…”
“I know. I know they’ll put up obstacles.”
“So how are you…?”
“—It doesn’t matter. Let them interfere if they want.”
“What?”
Before she could even ask what that ant, Milk-a provided her answer.
“The one who taught this said…”
“Rock and roll is music of rebellion. It’s a flutter towards freedom. Such interference from a family is sothing I won’t bother about.”
“Do whatever you want,” she declared.
That is what music is for. And she had received the ans for that as well. Milk-a pulled out the mask she had received from Eight.
─A mask proof of being a mber of an evil organization.
“The performance is tonight.”
“……Tonight? But we haven’t practiced!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
As long as she did well, that was all that counted.
So Milk-a declared. Thus, the villain who sings made her debut to the world.
* * *
[—Listen to my song!]
Late in the evening, I found Milk-a singing loudly on the street in front of a building and couldn’t help but smile as I listened to her sing. While she had never created the talent for singing, it seed she was a natural at it.
Though it was a noisy song, it resonated within people’s hearts as well. Listening made one feel uplifted; it almost felt as if it contained so supernatural power…
“—Excuse , Scientist!”
“Hmm?”
While I was listening to her song, Ayle dashed over to with a request, having evidently picked up so rumors.
“C-can you make a pill to study well…?”
“That won’t work.”
“W-why not!? That person received it without any price…!”
Pausing for a mont at Ayle’s tone, as if she were handing over an item to soone, I faced her and responded.
“Well, that person must have paid a price.”
“W-what do you an…?”
“Or what? Do you want to beco extraordinarily good at everything for free?”
“Y-yes! Surely, if it’s you, Scientist, such a thing would be possible?”
“Of course, it’s definitely possible.”
I wore a villainous grin as I scanned Ayle from head to toe. Whatever she sensed from my intense gaze, Ayle flinched, startled.
“First, since your legs are slow, we’ll have to amputate them and give you prosthetic legs.”
“……Huh?”
“Your organs create nothing but waste, so we’ll remove them, and instead of your dull brain, I’ll implant the latest model circuits so you’ll rember anything…”
“W-wait—!”
“Is this what you want?”
“……N-no, I made a mistake.”
After giving Ayle a light flick on the forehead, I returned my attention to the music coming from outside.
In that small research lab, while listening to rock band music, I felt a long-lost sense of nostalgia, as if I had returned to Earth after a long ti.
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