Chapter 156: [Side Story] The Man Called the Overlord
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156: [Side Story] The Man Called the Overlord
After acquiring a life-sized greatsword that grew more impressive the longer I looked at it, I headed toward the cosplay plaza with the two of them.
And my first impression of the place was—
"It's smaller than I thought."
"Why? Did you expect it to be bigger since it's called a plaza?"
"Yes."
"Hehe, you're honest. Actually, there's one other area for cosplayers. This is Venue 1, and the spot right in front of the corporate booths over there is Venue 2."
I followed her pointing finger with my eyes.
Sure enough, I could see a crowd of cosplayers in the distance, surrounded by people holding cameras to photograph them.
"What's the difference between Venue 1 and 2?"
"Hardly any. Except maybe for the bugs?"
If you sit on the grass here to pose, you'll notice a surprising number of praying mantises and grasshoppers.
"Ugh."
Rika, listening beside us, grimaced as if the very thought was horrifying.
LISA, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed.
Is this the wisdom that comes with age...?
"You're not thinking anything weird, are you?"
"Not at all."
I played dumb, turning my head away.
Chatting away, we arrived at the cosplay plaza.
The moment we appeared, all eyes instantly turned to us.
"Whoa, is that greatsword made of aluminum? It looks incredibly real."
"More importantly, isn't his cosplay perfect? It looks like the Overlord himself showed up."
"That's the guy I saw in the changing room!"
The comments poured in, most of them directed at me.
They were mostly compliments, but frankly, I felt a little embarrassed. I had just put a spoon on a fully set table, so to speak.
All I did was show up, and everything was already prepared.
"Isn't the one cosplaying Sophia next to him LISA? Is this a Last Fantasy 7 group cosplay?"
"As expected of a pro. Her teammates' quality is exceptional too."
"How can she be forty with a face like that?"
In that instant, a crack appeared in LISA's poker face.
"Hehe, they certainly love to talk, don't they."
Oh, she's pissed.
Anyway, the moment we appeared in the cosplay area, people who had been photographing other cosplayers came swarming over.
Most of them were carrying DSLR cameras.
I wasn't sure if there was still a demand for those kinds of cameras these days, but they certainly looked to have better performance than a smartphone camera.
"Alright, form a line, please. A line."
Someone appeared and naturally began to direct the crowd.
I asked quietly, "Who's that person?"
"Oh, a volunteer. When too many people crowd around a single cosplayer, they usually step in to manage things. It's a nuisance to passersby if a crowd blocks the way."
"I see."
While we were talking, the camera-wielding otaku had already formed a neat line.
Unlike in the main exhibition hall, the proportion of men here seemed much higher.
It was probably because of Maria—no, LISA—and her rather revealing costume.
"Alright, shall we begin?"
Perhaps because she's a professor, LISA captured everyone's attention with her clear articulation and effortlessly struck a pose.
It was the same one her character makes in the game when casting a spell.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
Flashes erupted from all directions.
The scene was almost like a press conference; it was dizzying just to watch.
"LISA! Can you give us a sexy pose?"
"Sure~"
During the group photoshoot, someone shouted a request, and LISA readily obliged with a new pose.
She brought her arms together in front of her, a pose that emphasized her chest.
Her generous bust, a testament to superior Western genetics, asserted its presence to the surrounding photographers.
...Wait a second, isn't that low angle crossing the line?
I shot a glare at the ill-mannered photographer. Our eyes met through his lens, and with a startled "Eek!" he scrambled away.
Noticing a moment later, LISA kept her bright smile and murmured just loud enough for me to hear, "Thanks for looking out for me. But I'm wearing safety shorts, so don't worry."
"Oh, right."
It seemed her years of experience had taught her how to deal with upskirt photos.
I wondered if I had interfered for nothing, but after that display, I was sure no one else would dare try a low-angle shot.
While LISA's solo stage continued, I started getting countless requests myself.
"Do the Hero's pose!"
"Uh, like this?"
I spread my feet apart and raised the two-handed greatsword to my chest, and the onlookers roared with approval.
It was a pose that looked like it should be protected by copyright, even though I was just holding the sword in a normal way.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
Just as with LISA, a barrage of shutter clicks was aimed at me.
By now, the crowd itself was attracting more people, and dozens of them had gathered to surround us.
So that's why the volunteer had organized a line so quickly.
Once the first row's photo session ended, the second row's began immediately.
The line of people wanting to take our picture was incredibly long.
Perhaps because there weren't many other cosplayers with such high-quality outfits, we were immensely popular.
"Overlord, look over here, please!"
I turned at the sound of their voice.
A few female otaku were there, squealing as they snapped photos of me.
"Ahh! Lord Baou looked at me!"
"You idiot! He was looking at the tree next to you!"
"Since we're on the topic, do you think Baou is a top or a bottom?"
"He's obviously a beastly top."
"No way, he might be a bottom because of his gentle personality. The protagonist is pretty slick, after all."
...My hearing was too good; I could hear conversations I'd rather not.
I struggled to maintain my composure as I struck another pose someone had requested.
While LISA and I were being bombarded by cameras, Rika, in her Samael cosplay, was also getting a fair number of photo requests, though not as many as us.
And while our crowd was a mix of men and women, hers consisted almost entirely of men.
"Do Samael's signature pose and line!"
"Be-Behold! The descent of I, the fallen angel Samael!"
I always knew Rika was pretty, but seeing her in that frilly, Gothic Lolita-style dress, she looked exactly like a Western bisque doll.
Time flew by in a hectic blur until the volunteer directing traffic, apparently deciding enough was enough, shouted out.
"That's it! This is the last group! Please disperse!"
A collective "Aww~" of disappointment rose from the crowd.
The people still waiting in line groaned in disappointment, but their protests were futile.
The silver lining, it seemed, was that they could start taking photos again as long as the cosplayer moved to a new spot.
As the crowd dispersed, we finally had a chance to rest and decided to take a breather at a convenience store just outside the building.
"Wow, it's packed no matter where you go."
"This is nothing. On a hot day like today, we would've been steamed to death inside that building."
Sitting on the terrace, LISA fanned herself with her hand while sipping the cold cola I'd just bought.
"So hooot..."
Rika, meanwhile, was completely drained. Her black, sun-absorbing outfit had left her slumped over with exhaustion.
"So, what do people do for lunch here?"
"Most just get by with something simple, like a bento box or a CalorieMate. Some people even skip eating altogether. It's not like we can go to a restaurant dressed like this, right?"
"That's true."
Pssh!
Japan is relatively tolerant of this sort of thing, but if it happened in Korea, it would blow up online.
As I was drinking the cider I'd just opened, Rika finally lifted her head.
"I want some cider."
"Oh, you want one too? Hold on, I'll go grab it."
"No, just one sip is enough."
She stared at my can of cider with a pleading look.
Ugh, fine.
I handed her my half-empty can, and she took a sip without any hesitation.
Just as I was starting to feel a little pathetic for being the only one making a big deal out of it, LISA chimed in from beside me.
"Isn't that an indirect kiss?"
"Pfft!"
The sudden, blunt comment made Rika spit out her cider.
"Mama!"
"My, why so angry? I was simply stating a fact."
She was clearly teasing her, but LISA met Rika's outburst with a perfectly innocent expression.
While they bickered on the terrace, the convenience store got even more crowded, so we decided we'd had enough of a break and should move on.
"Alright, let's head to Venue 2."
"You mean the area in front of the corporate booths?"
"That's the one. You could say it's the true battleground for the pros."
Fufufu, I wonder what champions await us this year?
Muttering to herself, LISA strode majestically toward Venue 2 in front of the corporate booths.
*
The corporate booths.
As the name suggested, this was where booths set up by various companies were gathered.
From major corporations whose names everyone knew to smaller companies with deep roots in the industry, only the hand-picked 'real deal' participated in this otaku festival.
The 'pro cosplayers' hired by these companies served as their representatives, playing a major role in prying money from the wallets of otaku.
Venue 2, where all these talents gathered, was nothing short of a professional battleground.
And into this arena stepped an unaffiliated man.
His name was Kim Yoo-Sung—the man who would one day be known as the Overlord of Comiket.