Chapter 8 - As Your Rival

........Now that's a surprise.

(What was his name again? There's nothing special about him up till now, but—)

(That kid's fully immersed now.)

.............

(For a moment, I couldn't even breathe.)

(It felt like there's this dense, suffocating atmosphere pouring off the stage......)

(Can that really be... Tsukasa-kun......?)

"—I won't allow it!"

"I want to be by your side! I want to live a future that we share together!"

"So...... I absolutely will not let you give up!"

"If everything really is meaningless, then I'll stay by your side until we discover what matters!"

"That's why—stand up!!"

".....! Bless! The flower's just up ahead!"

"We're.... almost... there...!"

"Oh... It's beautiful..."

"A rose bud so beautiful, it's hard to believe it carries a curse—"

"Come on, Bless! Pull out this flower...... Quick!"

........

"Help me out here! .....C'mon!"

......Ngh.

"Oh no, Your Highness.....!"

"Bless!? Bless, talk to me! We got the flower out.....!"

"Could it be that the curse has already spread completely......?"

"What!?"

"If despair has consumed even his will to continue living, then....."

".....I won't accept this! Not like this, Bless! Don't you dare!"

"You told me once this was over, we'd go to your special place! Row down the river together and share our hearts under the stars on that small island......"

".....You even promised to give me your everlasting love!!"

........Heart.

Bless.....!

"......Forgive me."

Bless.....?

"Bless! Bless!!"

.........

........This can't be how it ends, right?

This is ArcLand we're talking about—I'm sure they wouldn't go for a tragic ending, but...

Still.......

(.....Look at everyone getting worked up. Not that I blame them.)

(This inescapable atmosphere of despair? And what's more—)

(It's all coming from that kid, just lying there in silence.)

(Well, let's see how they handle this—)

"Help us...... somebody!"

"I don't care who! It doesn't have to be God!"

"Whoever's watching us! Please! Lend us your strength!!"

"—Please let us know that you're there!!"

(Wait... Don't tell me.....)

(With this tension, they're turning to the audience—)

—Please stand up!!

?

Get on your feet, Bless!!

You're not the kind of guy who gives up here!!

"I can hear someone.....!!"

"Bless, can you hear it!? Someone's calling for you!"

"They want you here! They're telling you not to give up!"

......That's right! Don't give up!

Please get up, Your Highness!

Don't give up!! Bless!!

(.....What's happening?)

(So bright..... Is that light.....?)

(And beyond the light—)

(There's an audience...)

(I see... I see, the world is still—)

(They still need our shows.)

(My dream isn't over.....)

(Things can't end here, right—Heart.)

Ah.....!

"Bless!!"

"Heart....."

"...Hehe, feels like I'm waking up from a nightmare."

"I'm sorry for being so weak that I almost gave in to the curse."

"Still... when you're here with me, I feel strong enough to take on the world. So—"

"Will you... stay with me from now on?"

"Ah....."

"The rose bud is blooming...! What a wonderful fragrance!"

"—You idiot! You're such an idiot!"

"All your struggles, your anguish..... you could have trusted me with all of them right from the beginning!"

"Heart......"

"...Let's work it out together. How to create a world where everyone can be happy."

"That way—we'll create a real happy ending with our own hands."

"And then princess and the prince will overcome their hardships and live happily ever after with everyone!"

And now—let's reveal this year's grand prize winner.

(......Our name hasn't been called up until now.)

(Which means the result is—either first place or nothing.)

(......We did everything we could.)

(Whatever happens, I'll take it.)

The first place award goes to—

Team ArcLand!

........!

Ah.....!

.........

—Well~ With that being said, congratulations to everyone on Team ArcLand.

Team ArcLand winning the grand prize at their own company's contest looks a bit biased, but... honestly, they delivered the most refined performance.

Especially you, Asahi Genbu-kun. You showed me something quite rare. Thank you.

Not at all! Thank you so much!

(.....Your emotions really isn't something you can easily control.)

(As I thought.....This hurts.)

However.

This time, I'd like to evaluate from perspectives other than just technical completion.

Huh....?

"I want to watch this one more time with with an actual audience." Another show gave me that exact feeling.

Therefore—

Wonderlands x Showtime. Let's have you perform too.

.......Eh?

......!

You could say it's a Special Recognition Award.

Originally, the best group was supposed to get a two-week run, but the higher-ups decided to split it cleverly.

Um... does that mean...?

We get to have our own performance here—

Is that the right way to understand this?

Yeah, that's right.

The whole point of this contest was to give outside troupes a chance to shine anyway.

Oh, right. You there, what was your name again?

Me? Um..... T-Tsukasa Tenma, sir!

Tenma-kun, got it.

Well, that's all from me. I'll give the mic back.

—Taking Sakaki-san's comments into account, I'll announce the results once more.

The recipient of the Special Recognition Award is Wonderlands x Showtime.

Despite being a small troupe of just four members, they showed us an expansive world through everyone's wonderful passionate performances.

This is an irregular arrangement, but Wonderlands x Showtime and the ArcLand team will share performance rights. We'll contact you with details later.

...Hey, so this basically means...

We got a tooootally wonderhoy result, right!?

—Yeah...!

We seized a new stage with our own hands. Right, Tsukasa-kun?

.........

.........

—Of course we did!!!!

After all, we gave it everything we had and put on the greatest show!

Says the guy whose eyes are getting a little red.

We put so much into this, of course he'd have tears of joy.

Oh, Tsukasa-kun!? Do you need a tissue!?

Argh, enough! Let me have this moment!

—Ahem. Listen up, you guys.

We're going to give the actual performance everything we've got too!!

"Yeah!"

Alright guys, bye-bye!

Practice is going to be intense starting tomorrow. Everyone should get proper rest today at least.

Yeah. Especially Tsukasa—you've been constantly moving during practice lately, so make sure you rest, okay?

Yeah, of course! See you later!

...Phew.

How strange. The sunset looks unusually vivid today.

(...The whole day passed in the blink of an eye.)

(I still can't shake off the afterglow, but—)

——Tsukasa-kun!!

Hm!? That voice—

Asahi-san! What brings you here? You're still in costume...

Yeah... I wanted to talk with you, Tsukasa-kun, but our post-show meeting ran long, so I rushed over to find you.

You came all this way...! I really appreciate it!

No, I'm the one who should be thanking you!

Today's show was absolutely incredible. Nene-chan's singing and Emu-chan's action sequences have both improved, and Rui-kun's direction was so bold and daring—

I was so drawn in, I actually forgot I was watching acting and found myself rooting for you.

And also—

I'm really glad I got to see your performance today, Tsukasa-kun.

Huh?

Ever since I first saw the Phoenix Wonderland night show, I thought you were a captivating and skilled actor. But...

After seeing you act today, it hit me.

I—I don't want to lose to you.

...........!!

Asahi-san... you feel that way... about me...?

That's right.

There's something about your acting that gets my heart racing in a way I can't explain.

"What kind of face will he show next?" "What will he come up with?". Those thoughts keep running through my mind.

That anticipation excites me, but—

It makes my chest burn just as much.

Asahi-san.....

—I'm honored.

What you described just now... that sensation in your chest... I believe it's identical to what I've felt from the day we first met, Asahi-san.

To me, you've always shone so brightly it was almost blinding. So—

I'm truly happy that we could finally stand on the same stage.

And from now on, I'll keep running forward with everything I have, alongside my friends.

As someone worthy of being your rival, Asahi-san.

—Absolutely.

For our next performances, let's both give it everything we've got.

Of course!

(...My chest feels so warm.)

(Asahi-san sees me—as his rival.)

(Then I'll run even faster.)

(To be worthy of being his rival, and to push each other to greater heights.....!!)

(...I have a feeling he's going to grow so much more. I'm sure of it.)

(I wonder why I'm so sure. Is it because I'm witnessing his growth right before my eyes? Or could it be—)

And from now on, I'll keep running forward with everything I have, alongside my friends.

Friends, huh.....