129 The Final Selection

Disabled individuals are not an uncommon sight on Sakaar.

Failed gladiators, scavengers who lost limbs for various reasons, wanderers injured after crash-landing here—they are everywhere. Some succumb to their injuries shortly after losing their limbs, while many others equip mechanical prosthetics, struggling to survive on this brutal planet.

Jos had noticed this particular girl before; after all, her appearance was quite eye-catching during the combat selection process. Just imagine: a petite, seemingly fragile girl, unable to move a single part of her body except for her eyelids, forced to rely on a synthesized electronic voice even to speak.

Yet, a person like this actually stepped onto a combat arena. Everyone who witnessed that fight felt a pang of heartache; even on a cruel and cold-blooded world like Sakaar, such a sight was simply too distressing. People couldn't help but speculate whether she was driven by the reward of a piece of bread or some other hidden circumstance that forced her here.

However, her opponent felt no such sentiment. Upon seeing who she was, the opponent burst into laughter and charged at the girl, ignoring the looks of contempt from those around them. Then, the opponent was promptly held at bay by seven missiles, thirteen gun barrels, four arrows, and two large blades held by mechanical arms.

"These are prosthetics. According to the rules, they don't count as weapons."

That was how Angel, the girl in the wheelchair, had answered Jos at the time. She was telling the truth, of course; if even prosthetics were considered forbidden weapons, then a large portion of the population here would be considered disqualified. While under normal circumstances, an idol shouldn't have such things as mechanical limbs, considering the local culture of Sakaar—and the fact that these prosthetics were not only aesthetically pleasing but often doubled as practical, cool, or beautiful accessories—Jos saw no need to ban them.

And so, she exploited that loophole.

In fairness, aside from her inability to move, the girl's appearance was indeed captivating. Coupled with her victory in the first round, there was no reason to eliminate her. Jos had originally intended for her to realize the difficulty and withdraw in the second round; after all, even if she could sing with an electronic voice, could she really stand up from her wheelchair and dance?

Before this thought had echoed in Jos's mind for even a second, he realized he had been far too naive.

Once Angel reached the center of the stage, facing hundreds of spectators who held the same thought as Jos, her wheelchair transformed. Her! Wheelchair! Transformed!

What had appeared to be a high-tech wheelchair morphed into an exoskeleton-like device that instantly encased her petite body. Far from appearing bulky, it reminded Jos of the skin-tight combat suits worn by ninjas specialized in hunting monsters. Jos almost couldn't stop himself from shouting, "Autobots, roll out!"

With the aid of the exoskeleton, Angel had no trouble completing her performance. But Jos couldn't understand why she had waited until she was on stage to reveal this function; if she had used it from the beginning, she could have passed the trials much more easily, right?

"Heh."

At that moment, having finished her performance, Angel let out a scoff through her loudspeaker. Even though it was a flat, emotionless electronic voice, Jos somehow detected a hint of satisfaction, as if a prank had succeeded.

The girl was doing this on purpose! She looked like a "three-no" character (emotionless, taciturn, and mysterious), but her personality was mysteriously wicked!

...

The final selection ended at midnight that day. Six girls who lived up to expectations, along with the already-confirmed Ilson, formed the first batch of members for the Sakaar Idol Project. Even though Jos had grandiosely and with a burst of "chuunibyou" spirit named the group "The Seven Deadly Sins," perhaps due to cultural differences, no one present really understood what he was thinking. But Jos always did as he pleased, and he didn't care for the opinions of others; the naming was decided by his decree alone.

Gluttony: Nina. She would fulfill any request as long as there was food. She was a total foodie, and from the start of the competition to the end, her mind was always on what she could eat next. Both her combat power and her talent as an idol were above average. The only thing was that her "airbags" were a bit too oversized, making Jos itching to test them, though he ultimately restrained the urge to throw his "childhood sweetheart" skill around.

Pride: Quinn. Even when told she had passed the selection and was one of the final winners, her expression remained incredibly arrogant. This demeanor didn't lower her standing; instead, it drew screams of adoration from her fans. She was a girl who was hard to evaluate, but regardless, her looks and abilities were above the norm, and her mysterious combat prowess ensured her success.

Envy: She was a girl who seemed quite unremarkable when not performing, but anyone who watched her perform would never forget her existence. Even using the stage name "Envy," it represented the perfect qualities that others would envy!

Greed: Angel. Although her body couldn't move, with the help of her machinery, she possessed the "talent" for a perfect performance. She won with the second-highest number of votes, trailing only behind Quinn, thanks to her exquisite beauty and unique appeal. Contrary to her doll-like appearance, she was essentially a little devil.

Lust: Ilson. Well, she was just Ilson, that was all!

In addition, the other two selected girls also delivered brilliant performances during the trials.

Wrath: Kelly. A girl who gave Jos a new surprise. She looked like an ordinary schoolgirl, perhaps even quieter, but she possessed a very special voice. This wasn't just about her singing well; she was actually a talent who could perform metal music! While "death growls" didn't exactly help with idol activities, that only applied if Jos were following the conventional rules!

The final member, who received the title of Sloth, was a very thin girl with dark circles under her eyes: Jane. To put it simply, she gave Jos a vibe similar to Umaru Doma or the protagonist of *Watamote*—so lazy she didn't want to do anything at all. The only reason she joined the idol project was that she thought, if she passed, she could spend the rest of her life lazing around and waiting for death. However, the real reason Jos let her join was her results in the first round. If Jos hadn't misjudged, she might have been the strongest person there—so strong that the others combined couldn't even defeat her.