Milkia Pocatou's first memory was of herself playing the violin.
Considering that self-awareness usually develops between the ages of 4 and 5, it meant she had been playing the violin long before that. Thinking back to how adeptly she handled the violin even at that time, one might believe she was born with a bow in hand.

But now—
Screeeech!

"...It’s not working."

Milkia let out a hollow laugh as she stared at the awkward movements of her hands and the awful, screeching sound coming from the violin. It was a sound she never imagined would come from her own hands. Even when she was a child, her playing had never sounded this bad. Not even when her hands and fingers were a third of their current size.

As she felt the discrepancy between the skill she remembered and the technique she now displayed, she cautiously glanced at the scientist who had injected her with the suspicious substance that had brought her to this state.

"What exactly… is going on?"
"You said you didn’t mind giving up the violin. So that’s what happened."
"So, I’ve lost my ability to play the violin… but became just as skilled with the guitar? Is that what you're saying?"

Milkia looked at the scientist, who lightly nodded, and stopped herself from questioning how that could possibly make sense. Who was this man before her? A scientist from the evil organization, someone who could easily rival or even surpass S-rank villains in importance, despite his frail appearance.

There was no way she could dismiss his words as lies.

"…May I try playing the guitar?"
"Sure. Would you like sheet music as well?"
"Yes, please."

With that, Milkia picked up the guitar that Eight handed her.
Despite never having touched one in her life, her body knew exactly what to do, as if she had practiced it for decades.

─♬

The moment she plucked the strings, the Queen of Guitar descended.
As she finished her performance, Milkia realized she had truly become someone special, someone who could leave her name in history.

When a person begins to learn something,
the experience accumulates in their nerves and neurons. The body of someone skilled is fundamentally different from that of a beginner because the neural structure changes as mastery develops.

This is why a beginner, no matter how hard they try, cannot replicate the movements of an expert. The true mastery is hidden within, beyond what can be seen. Simply mimicking the outer movements won’t reveal the inner techniques that make them work.

This was why Milkia, despite losing her violin skills, became a guitar master. Her nerves and neurons had been rewired to those of an expert guitarist.

‘Thankfully, there was something similar enough to pull this off.’

It wasn’t a technique he had ever imagined recreating, given its complexity, but this world had powers far beyond Earth’s science: superpowers.

By researching these abilities, the genetic structure of Levi-tan was adapted to alter Milkia’s neural network. She had become the first test subject.

‘If I did this on Earth, I’d be locked up for life without any chance of ever working in this field again.’

Not only would the experiment have been labeled unethical, but he would have been sentenced to over ten years in prison just for conducting it without approval, even if it was guaranteed to succeed and had no side effects.

Compared to Earth, this world was much more convenient. Research ethics, FDA approvals, and all those procedures could be bypassed because he was a villain. Though, to be fair, there were still limits he observed.

"—Now, let’s see if I can recommend any talented individuals."

Though Eight had taught Milkia a few pieces of sheet music for a rock band, that alone wasn’t enough. A rock band was about synergy—multiple people coming together to create a powerful, explosive reaction.

A solo performance couldn’t generate the same response. While there were solo stars who could rule the world, Milkia didn’t have that kind of talent.

If she did, she wouldn’t have come to him, whining about wanting to be special. She would’ve just done it on her own. Since she lacked that kind of talent, she had come to him, asking for help.

‘Even if they don’t have talent, I can modify them like I did her. All they need is persistence...’

Just as he was thinking about finding suitable band members for Milkia, he realized she had already gathered them and figured out the key to forming a unique band.

Perhaps there was some merit to someone who had the nerve to come to him for help just to make a name in history. To think she had already, on her own, figured out a concept for a band that didn’t even exist in this world?

“Haha—of course. All a band really needs is a lead star."

The uniqueness of a band, after all, lay in this:
Everyone except the lead vocalist and guitarist often ended up being background figures.
In other words,

She could fill the band with nothing but background characters, leaving her as the sole star.

The first thing Milkia Pocatou did after acquiring her newfound guitar skills was gather her band members. According to the sheet music Eight had given her, she needed at least three other members—bass, drums, and, if possible, piano.

Fortunately, she was the prodigy of the Pocatou family. Even though she had lost her violin skills, she hadn’t lost the connections she’d built during her rise in the music world.

She reached out to contacts she had previously ignored—those she would have never even considered speaking to because their music was beneath her.

"—You want to start a band?"
"Have you grown tired of the violin, Miss?"

Though her acquaintances gathered at her call, they didn’t immediately accept her proposal. After all, this was Milkia, the most famous violinist of her generation. It was hard to believe she was serious about forming a band.

Milkia didn’t bother explaining that she had lost her violin skills and that her new guitar abilities were something she had traded for. There wasn’t enough time for that.

Instead, she played a song. One of the many band pieces she had received from Eight, choosing the one that resonated with her the most.

"—What do you think?"

"…Wow."
"What in the world…?"
"I thought she was just a genius with the violin…."

Seeing her friends’ reactions, Milkia gave a bitter smile. She didn’t bother telling them that her guitar skills came at the cost of her violin abilities. There was no need for that.

Thankfully, after hearing her play, her friends seemed to believe that she was serious about the band.

The problem now was that even with the band formed, they couldn’t perform right away. The issue was Milkia’s overwhelming fame.

If she officially announced that she was forming a band, the Pocatou family wouldn’t just sit by. They’d interfere, try to stop her in any way they could.

"So how are you going to perform? You know they’ll interfere…."
"I know. The family will try to stop me."
"Then how…?"
"It doesn’t matter. Let them try."
"What?"

Before anyone could ask what she meant, Milkia answered.

"The person who taught me said this."

Rock ‘n’ roll is the music of rebellion.
It’s the fluttering of wings against oppression in the pursuit of freedom.
Who cares if her family tried to stop her?

"Do whatever you want."

That was the essence of the music.
And she had been given the means to do it.
Milkia pulled out the mask that Eight had given her.

—A mask that identified her as a member of the evil organization.

"The performance is tonight."
"…Tonight? We haven’t even practiced!"
"It doesn’t matter."

As long as she shined, that was enough.
As long as she stood out, that was all that mattered.
Milkia declared it so.
Thus, the first singing villain revealed herself to the world.

[─Listen to my song!]

Late at night.
When I found Milkia singing loudly on a street corner in front of a building, I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to her song. I hadn’t given her any talent for singing, but she seemed to have been born with that particular gift.

Though loud, her song stirred the hearts of those who heard it. It was so rousing, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was just the music or if some sort of superpower was at play.

"─Scientist!"
"Hm?"

Just then, Aile, apparently having heard the news, rushed over and pleaded with me.

"Please, make me a pill that’ll help me study better too…!"
"No."
"Wh-why not!? You helped that person for free…!"

I let out a short laugh at Aile’s childish complaint, then turned to her and asked,

"That’s because she paid the price."
"What does that mean…?"
"Or are you saying you want to be good at everything without paying any price?"
"Y-yes! If anyone can do it, it’s you, Scientist!"
"Of course. I could do that."

With a villainous smile, I looked Aile up and down. She shuddered at the ominous look in my eyes.

"First, you’re slow on your feet, so I’d have to cut off your legs and give you prosthetics."
"…Huh?"
"Then, your organs are just wasting energy making waste, so we’ll get rid of those. I’ll replace your brain with a new, state-of-the-art chip that’ll remember everything…."
"W-wait—"
"Is that what you want?"
"…No, I made a mistake."

After flicking Aile on the forehead, I once again tuned in to the music coming from outside.

Sitting alone in the lab, listening to the sound of a rock band,
I felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as if I had returned to Earth.