Chapter 8
"N-No… Impossible….. How could I fall for such a trick…?"
"Yes—we got him! That Nido guy is totally knocked out from the sleeping grass now!"
"Haah… when my sword went flying, I really thought that was the end… But it looks like we managed somehow."
But we can’t waste time now. Let’s free Heart from that cave and head straight for the summit!
"Right!"
(—Things are looking good so far.)
(The audience is with us the whole way. They’re laughing, crying, getting nervous right along with the story.)
(Now all that’s left… is the finale.)
(…This feels just like back then.)
(The fate of the whole show rests on me, the leading role…)
(No. That’s the wrong way to think.)
(I have the honor of crowning the success of this show.)
(I can cast a spell that lets this story shine in everyone's hearts forever. That’s not just a privilege of the lead role, it is my duty.)
(That’s why—)
(…Amazing.)
(Before I knew it, I was part of the story.... and the last scene had arrived.)
(This isn’t the same play they showed during rehearsal at all.)
(For it to change this much in a day… no, in a single moment… it must be—)
".....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 closes his eyes*
Bless.....?
"Bless! Bless!!"
"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!!"
That voice…?
Wait… was that meant for us…?
Prince, don’t give up!!
Wait, wait—!
Don’t give up here!
"I hear voices...."
"I can hear someone.....!!"
.......
(…..So radiant.)
(The whole stage… it’s revolving around Nene-chan—)
“Please lend us your voices! Louder!”
“We have to cast away Bless' despair!”
"Bless, can you hear it!? Everyone—everyone is calling your name!"
"They want you here! They're telling you not to give up!"
"Bless!!"
“Bless..… please!!”
"Heart....."
“…I heard so many voices.”
“Was it you who called out to me, Heart?”
“No. Not just me.”
“The whole world raised its voice for you.”
“…The whole world…..”
"...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?"
"—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 the princess and the prince will overcome their hardships and live happily ever after with everyone!"
<Ah.....>
<Nene-chan… she became Princess Heart just now…..>
<I’m so happy…..>
<I’m so happy for you… Nene-chan…!>
......
(So this is it—)
(The strength you’ve all been holding.)
Two weeks later
Mm…! Truly, Asahi-san and his team delivered a splendid performance from beginning to end!
Right, right! It was all like wa-wa-waaa! then fwish-fwish—pap-poooon! You felt that too, right!?
It was polished to perfection from the very first performance—yet each time I watched, the visuals grew sharper, new things revealing themselves. Truly, a production brimming with fresh wonders every time.
One thing’s for sure… everyone was incredible.
Though—
Our own performance wasn’t anything to scoff at either.
One glance at the comments during Emu’s after-party told me everything I need to know. Our audience praised us just as highly!
There are even requests for an encore run already… It’s truly humbling.
Hehehe, aaand—ta-ta-taa!
When you look up Nene-chan’s name now, sooo many posts show up!
Ah… that’s a little embarrassing…
Embarrassing? Nonsense! Your name has resounded across the land! Let me read a few aloud for you!
Eh!? Why!?
Let’s see— "That girl who played the princess, Nene Kusanagi, she was so amazing ! I was moved to tears at the end!"
Wh—!
Oooh! Me next, me next! "The princess of that ArcLand show is Nene Kusanagi, and the prince is Tsukasa Tenma! Gotta remember that!!"
That’s enough already!
Hah hah hah! Time to etch that deep into your memories!
“I’ve totally become a fan of Nene-chan! Does she have her own account somewhere!?”
One could argue it’s time you created a proper public profile. Considering your only account right now is that rather foul-mouthed gaming one—
Why do you even know that!?
Just drop it already! I check everything myself every day!
Hm? Is that so?
Well… yeah. I want to see what people thought.
And…? How did you feel, reading their thoughts?
…Well.
I'm happy.… and it made me feel like all that effort was worth it.
And also—
Thank you for believing in me.
As friends, believing in one another is only natural!!
That’s right, Nene-chan! We're a baggage deal, after all!
I think you mean "packaged deal".
Hehe.....
I think… this performance helped me believe in myself more than ever.
That I can overcome whatever tries to stop me.
That I can spread my wings and step into the world.
Nene-chan…
So—
I’m counting on you all from here on too!
"Yeah!"
.........
Phew… another flawless run, right up to closing night!
Yeah! Oh, by the way, the wrap-party’s at the usual place, right?
Yep. We were thinking of heading out now, and… Asahi-kun? Is something on your mind?
Ah… sorry. I was just thinking.
Something bothering you about the show?
If something’s bugging you, feel free to tell us. We’ll put it to use next time.
No, it’s not really that. Just…
—Sorry. Mind if I come to the party a bit late? I want to look back on a few things.
…Got it. If you want some time alone, that’s fine with us.
I’ll let the organizer know you’ll be late.
Thanks. I’ll see you later.
……
(There was so much to learn from this performance.)
(Even though it was our first all-newcomer performance, everyone really put their strengths to work.)
(And yet—)
(…Should I be satisfied with this?)
(The environment I’m in, the companions I have… they’re more than I could ask for.)
(Even so…)
(The show I dream of, "a show that unites the world", won’t come so easily.)
(First, I need to become an actor capable of embodying that vision.)
(And to reach that—)
(Maybe I need people who can push me that hard…?)
(People who’ll push back and challenge me for the sake of the show, who’ll scold me when I need it.)
(…But then—)
—Well now. What seems to be the matter?
Huh…?
Closing night went off without a hitch, yet you look awfully gloomy.
Sakaki-san… you came to see it?
Haha, well, I was one of the judges, after all. I came to see both closing nights.
More importantly… you look like something’s weighing on you.
If you’d like, I can lend an ear.
Actually—