Celestial Rendezvous 5

Yuzuru: Tori...!

Tori: ...! Hey, what makes you think you can call me that?!

Yuzuru: That was just your imagination, sir ♪

But please do not get distracted. You must not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the enemy.

You are still inexperienced, hm? What a handful you are. I would appreciate if you try not to make too much work for your servant.

Tori: Huh? Huh? Why are you lecturing me?

Yuzuru: Suicide attacks are the tactics of the weak. As the heir to the Himemiya house, you have no need to resort to such foolish endeavors.

A gentleman should conduct himself with more elegance. Even on the battlefield he should stand above the base.

What you lack due to inexperience, Yuzuru will compensate for. For that purpose I will remain by your side... sir.

Yuzuru: You said before that you did not want to carry the weight of my life.^[1]

But there is no need for you to bear that weight. If you’ll allow me... I simply ask to stay by your side of my own volition.

Whenever it suits you, you may use me however you please: as a convenient pawn, a tool, even your dog... You have the right to do that.

But we are in the middle of a performance; I shall say no more. We should concentrate... sir ♪

Tori: Um, yeah. I don’t get it, but sure.

Tori: Sorry I made you worry... I’m fine now. I’ll never make you regret sticking with me.

But hey, can’t you at least try being more straightforward and nice about things?

Yuzuru: If I spoil you too much, you’ll just get carried away with it.

Eichi: (Fufu. Yuzuru is supporting Tori well. Serving under someone really does change you...)^[2]

(I’m not in a position where I can help them, either, so I’m glad they were able to make a recovery.)

Itsuki-kun. I apologize; I underestimated the two of you.

The sovereign of Yumenosaki Academy still stands strong. I didn’t expect to fight back so hard against you. ...Still, we are the ones who will win in the end.

You clearly did your homework, studying the essence of fine’s sound and fine-tuning yourselves accordingly...

You’ve tightened the thread around us and tangled us together. It’s unbelievably polished; all of this requires considerable ingenuity.

However, weakening us will not make you stronger.

If you only act in response to fine’s performance, then in the end it will be nothing but fine’s performance.

This is fine’s show. You ghosts of the past will remain unacknowledged, vanishing into a mist without affecting reality in the slightest.

The outcome is clear: you will be nothing but a set piece that adorns our path to total supremacy.

Shu: You all talk incessantly, don’t you?

How unpleasant. How dare you mix impurities into my art—into Valkyrie’s sublime oeuvre.

Have you still not realized it? You are already caught in the spider’s web.

How pitiful. You wandered onto a stage which lacked a protagonist and mistakenly believed yourselves to be it.

It seems that fine is nothing more than a group of clowns.

We’re adapting to you, you say? Do you not understand what that entails?

To be perfectly attuned means that we have complete control over every part of you.

You are mere puppets, and we the puppeteers pulling your strings.

I considered allowing you to dance upon them a little while longer to entertain the audience, but to be honest, you’ve become quite tiresome.

♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪

Eichi: (The melody changed...?! No, this is entirely different! It’s something far more serious!)

(It’s like an extension of fine’s greatest performance, one of an even higher dimension...?!)

(It’s something even we haven’t grasped—an evolved version of ourselves, that which we’re still searching for!)

(Have you really found it, Itsuki-kun?! At the end of abnormal speculation and devoted pursuit, at the end of practice and discipline and obsession, at the end of talent and insight?)

(That’s not humanly possible, is it...?)

Shu: Have you already forgotten? You who treated us like monsters.

You, who treated my irreplaceable friends like beings removed from humanity! You scorned us, toyed with our lives, destroyed us all for the fun of it...!

I will never forget, no matter what noble cause you invoke! Every night, I shall appear in your dreams and whisper my reproach into your ear!

You, who called us the Five Oddballs...!

You will regret stealing our youth, even when you stand upon death’s door! Listen well to the voice of my indignation...!

I will never allow you to look back upon your days of youth as good memories!

A shame for you, Tenshouin Eichi! That you would resort to despicable threats and intentionally beckon us onto the stage!

That you would lay bare the unknown state of Valkyrie!

You wanted your peace of mind, did you not?

Though you may have been the sovereign of Yumenosaki Academy—the great “Emperor”—to me you will never be anything but an insignificant, powerless foe!

You wanted peace of mind, yes? To think, “This is all he’s got? It was a waste to be cautious,” yes?

To chase away your fears by securing a conclusive victory within your own domain, yes?

Non! That will not happen! I won’t allow it to!

If you so desire it, then I shall teach you who the true top idol is at Yumenosaki Academy!

Shu: Allow me to remind you! Each night, when you see us in your nightmares! You will be cursed for all eternity, no matter how many times you are reborn!

We shall be your perpetual tormentors! Kakakaka... ☆