Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

Having witnessed everything, Rencai clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, her cheeks flushed slightly, feeling both unwilling and impressed.

She was unwilling to accept it, but had to admit that the song was too powerful.

Whether it was the music style, arrangement, or stage performance, it completely broke her stereotype of Diamond Stardust as a "sweet idol group."

However, Rencai had no intention of surrendering. She looked at her teammates and said firmly, "It's okay. We still have one song left. We will definitely fight back!"

Soon, it was the turn of the second round of performance of [With Thorns and Without Thorns].

This song still continues their independent, stubborn and passionate style, with catchy tune and tight rhythm. Rencai is more emotionally involved than before, as if all her energy is put into this round of competition.

Bassist Kairei Hachiman and drummer Subaru Anhe are as stable as ever, Momoka's guitar is still sharp and powerful, and Shoko Toyokawa's piano adds a lot to the whole song, with her unique temperament quietly wandering between the melodies.

However, it is a bit regrettable that the style and emotional direction of this song overlap somewhat with their first song.

Although the audience was still waving red glow sticks in response and the atmosphere was not bad, the enthusiasm had obviously dropped slightly compared to before.

It’s not that this song itself is inferior, but the previous song was such a great success that this round didn’t bring any new impact, which caused a little auditory fatigue.

There were also people discussing in the live broadcast room:

[It feels a bit repetitive, although it sounds nice.]

[Actually, you could change to a lighter song; the rhythm is too close to the previous one.]

[What a shame! Their songs aren't bad, but Diamond Stardust and the others give me a stronger sense of contrast. I'd rather support them...]

After both rounds of competition ended, Mizuno Ai, who had rested well, returned to the stage, holding the microphone and smiling, saying, "Everyone, how were the two bands' performances? Did you like them more?"

The audience cheered loudly.

Mizuno Ai continued to smile and said, "Next, it's time to vote~ Everyone can vote repeatedly! First, let's vote for [Diamond Stardust] - if you like them, turn the cheering stick to blue!"

As soon as the words fell, a wave of blue light swept up like a tide, almost covering the entire venue. The scene was spectacular.

Rencai, who was standing aside, looked at the blue light in front of her, her heart sank slightly, and the smile on her face slowly faded.

"Now, please vote for Thorny and Thornless - if you like them, turn it to red!"

When Mizuno Ai announced again, red light immediately lit up, covering a considerable area in the venue, even more than expected.

But no matter in terms of numbers or overall momentum, it is still difficult to compete with the blue wave.

Nina stood there, watching the stark contrast, a sense of loss finally welling up in her heart:

"Ah... I didn't expect that I would lose in the end..."

I have worked so hard for so long and have tried my best, but I still failed.

She lowered her head, feeling a mixture of bitterness, powerlessness, and unwillingness.

Just as her emotions were churning, someone suddenly patted her shoulder.

Rencai raised her head suddenly and met Momoka's gentle and firm eyes. The other party raised the corner of her mouth slightly and said softly: "Silly girl, don't worry about winning or losing. You sang very well, didn't you?"

Rencai was stunned, her eyes slightly red.

An He Subaru, who was standing by, also came over with a smile and said, "Although we didn't win, being able to have so many people hear our song and gain their recognition is already a big win."

"This is not the end. There are still many stages waiting for us in the future."

Renai listened to her teammates' words, slowly raised her head, and finally a stubborn smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She nodded vigorously: "...Yeah!"

At this moment, Mizuno Ai was continuing to announce the summary of tonight's Bang segment in her clear voice on the stage.

"Diamond Stardust gave us a different kind of performance tonight, so it's no surprise that everyone chose them to win. However, Thorny and Thorny's performance was equally impressive, right? Can you all give them a round of applause?"

After saying that, she raised her arms first and led the applause.

The audience below the stage was also moved, and both fans in the blue light area and audiences in the red light area gave warm applause.

"Thank you for your hard work, Nina-chan!!"

"Momoka is so handsome!!"

"Come on, Thornless! Win it back next time!"

Hearing this response, Taoxiang raised the corner of her mouth and patted Rencai's shoulder lightly and whispered: "Did you hear the audience's voice? Even if we lose the game, they will continue to support us, so don't get discouraged."

Rencai's eyes were slightly hot, but she tried to straighten her back, and with a grateful smile, she bowed deeply to the audience.

Lost... Hoshikawa Taku looked at the scene and just sighed slightly, without any big change in his emotions.

It was not unexpected for him that [Thornless] lost the duel.

After all, there is a huge gap in the fan base of the two sides, and Diamond Stardust has carefully prepared a trump card, so it is not surprising that they won.

It was like a young green boy challenging the sect's genius. The fact that he lost in a decent manner was beyond many people's expectations.

It's impossible to challenge someone of a higher level, right?

After all, they don’t have a system, and the only ones who have a system are themselves.

Speaking of the system, Taku Hoshikawa subconsciously glanced at the system interface.

[[Thornless] Band Main Quest: Battle against Diamond Stardust on a large stage.]

[The mission has completed its phased objectives. Settlement will be made after the concert.]

It seems that we have to wait until the concert is over before we can get the reward, but Taku Hoshikawa is not in a hurry.

He turned his eyes away from the system and saw the members of [Thorns and Thorns] who had just finished their performance walking down from the stage.

They had almost gotten over their emotions and accepted their failure, but after seeing Hoshikawa Taku, their expressions suddenly became a little depressed, and Nina was even a little afraid to look at Hoshikawa Taku.

"Mr. Xingchuan, I'm sorry. You gave us such a good stage, but we lost..."

Not only Rencai, but everyone else also showed some degree of guilt on their faces.

Even Hachiman Kailing and Toyokawa Shoko are the same.

Hoshikawa Taku trusted them so much, but the results were not satisfactory, which made them feel very guilty.

"Hey, hey, why are you all making those expressions?"

Hoshikawa Taku looked at them and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. You've done enough."

Hoshikawa Taku smiled and rubbed Nina's head. "Especially you, Nina. You've received very good reviews both online and offline. Everyone says you have a bright future."

"...Really? Don't try to comfort me. We both lost..."

Renai gave a wry smile, but her mood didn't improve.

"Why would I lie to you? In fact, I never thought from the beginning that you would win in the first duel."

Hoshikawa Taku shrugged and explained with a smile, "After all, your current fan base isn't comparable to Diamond Stardust's. You standing on the same stage with them is essentially just trying to scam them and ride on their popularity."

"It's safe to say that most of the audience is not optimistic about you, believing you're just a stepping stone that Diamond Stardust can easily kick away."

"But that's not the case. Your performance conquered the vast majority of the audience and won their respect. Instead of feeling like you failed, everyone recognized you even more."

“When the sun rises, forget yesterday.”

"Even if Diamond Dust is the 'winner' this time, it doesn't mean you are losers. In the eyes of the audience, you are already qualified challengers. You can continue to challenge Diamond Dust until you become their true rival."

Listening to Hoshikawa Taku's explanation, the haze in the girls' eyes gradually dissipated, and the unwillingness in their hearts slowly turned into new fighting spirit.

Rencai clenched her fists and said, "That's right, we've just started. We'll definitely win next time!"

At this time, Diamond Stardust and his group, who had thanked the audience for their support and delivered their acceptance speeches, also walked down from the stage.

The two sides bumped into each other in the backstage passage.

Nina thought for a moment, then took the initiative to walk over and bowed to Kondo Hina.

"I lost this time. I admit that you are stronger."

After saying this, Renai raised her head, looked at Kondo Hina, and said in a firm tone, "But we will definitely win next time!"

Kondo Hina chuckled and raised her hand to pinch Nina's face: "You, as always, refuse to admit defeat... But it doesn't matter, I'll be waiting for you to challenge me next time."

After saying that, she walked around Renai and went straight to Momoka.

Unlike the domineering attitude she displayed in front of Nina, Kondo Hina now looked a little shy and awkward, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Um... Momoka-senpai, was my performance today... okay?"

Taoxiang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and praised: "You performed very well, I am impressed."

Kondo Hina's eyes suddenly lit up, and a hint of joy flashed across her face: "Then... do you agree that I should be your successor?"

Taoxiang laughed and patted her shoulder: "Of course I agree. You have already agreed."

Today is an unforgettable day for Kondo Hina.

Not only did he win the duel on stage, forcing the usually stubborn Renai to admit defeat in front of her, but he also gained the recognition of his favorite and most admired senior and was officially recognized as the successor.

Perhaps, this was even the best day of her life, a day like it that would never come again.

She looked at Taoxiang with fervent eyes, her tone unable to conceal her excitement: "So... Taoxiang-senpai, can you sign an autograph with me? And take a photo with me!"

As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and pen like a magic trick, handed it over, and pointed at the phone case and said, "Sign here!"

Taoxiang couldn't help laughing, took the pen and signed her name carefully.

When taking a photo, Kondo Hina hugged Momoka directly and pressed her whole body against her.

“We want to take pictures too!”

Seeing this, the other members of Diamond Stardust rushed over and surrounded Taoxiang.

"Hey, hey...I haven't agreed yet!"

Although she said this, Momoka couldn't hide the smile on her face. She even put her arm around Kondo Hina's shoulders and let everyone take pictures of her.

She and her former teammates hadn't gotten along so harmoniously for a long time, and Taoxiang's sense of loss from losing the game was also diluted a lot at this moment.

The girls got along harmoniously for the first time in a long time, and the atmosphere was cheerful and warm, as if the tense and fierce confrontation just now had become a thing of the past.

As for Rencai, she was forgotten aside, like "a piece of trash on the side of the road", and no one cared about her.

But when Kondo Hina was hugging Momoka, she deliberately gave her a meaningful look, with a hint of smugness and provocation in her eyes.

She even deliberately hugged Taoxiang tighter in her arms, as if to declare her sovereignty.

Damn it! Taoxiang clearly belongs to me, how could I let them take her away!

Seeing Nina gritting her teeth, An Hesuba smiled and pulled her over.

"Okay, okay, stop looking like you're biting me. Since we have such a good opportunity, let's take a photo together!"

All the members of Thornless and Diamond Stardust crowded together, and Taku Hoshikawa took a precious backstage group photo of them.

The girls’ smiling faces, sweat and stubbornness are all captured in the picture.

Nina was squeezed in the middle of the screen, and she secretly made up her mind that it didn't matter if she lost today, next time, she would never lose to Kondo Hina again!

Chapter 308: Want to start a game?

After [Diamond Stardust] and [With Thorns and Without Thorns] left the stage, Mizuno Ai returned to the stage to perform again.

Each of her songs and dances was carefully prepared. She firmly controlled the rhythm of the stage and kept the atmosphere in the venue high.

With only thirty minutes left in the concert, Mizuno Ai smiled and said to the audience, "Seeing all these bands and their teammates' wonderful coordination has really touched me. So, in these final moments... I'd like to welcome my teammates!"

As soon as he finished speaking, soft lights rose on both sides of the stage, and Mizuno Ai's former teammates appeared one by one.

The scene instantly erupted in warm cheers!

Most of the audience sitting in the audience are die-hard fans of Mizuno Ai, the kind of fans who have liked her for at least half a year.

Although their favorite is Mizuno Ai, they are also very familiar with Mizuno Ai's teammates, and many people even support various CPs.

Mizuno Ai specially invited these old teammates to the stage to sing and dance together, which greatly boosted the sentimentality of the group.

They smiled at each other, and the familiar tacit understanding remained.

The dance steps are light and the singing is clear, as if they are back to the days when they performed on the same stage.

On and off the stage, countless fans were deeply moved, and the barrage section was filled with tears and saying "My youth is back".

At the end of the song, Mizuno Ai panted, gently wiped the sweat from her forehead, and smiled brightly at the audience: "Although we no longer belong to the same agency, we are still good friends. I hope there will be opportunities for collaboration in the future!"

She walked towards her teammates on the stage one by one, gave them sincere hugs, and responded to their warm wishes.