Horror Night Halloween - Epilogue 2

[shivalries]

Season: Autumn

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[Halloween Party Stage: Trickstar]

Ritsu: (Woah… That was close. Ousama just tried to run off again, didn’t he?)

(Looks like Secchan managed to stop him, but I wonder why he tried to get offstage so quickly?)

(But it’s so lovely and fun here. Ahh, I feel so content right now…)

♪~♪~♪

Mao: ♪~♪~♪

Ritsu: …Hey, Ma~kun, aren’t you a little too close? What if we crash into each other, huh~? Are you gonna take responsibility?

Mao: Actually, I’m trying to stick close enough to catch you in the off-chance you collapse again.

You’re still recovering, though I know you’re probably fine right now since you’re all excited and your endorphins are having a party in your head—

But you’ll go right down if you’re not careful. Don’t push yourself too hard, Ritsu.

Ritsu: Well, well, well, aren’t you proud of yourself. Hah, I get it now…making me hold back and forcing me to withdraw - this is your strategy for weakening Knights, huh?

It’s useless, you know. Knights specializes in one-on-one matches like Duel. Each one of us is worth a thousand.

We can spare a member or two. After all, we were able to keep going this time even while I was down, right?

Mao: Why d’you have to twist things around like that… I’m just worried about you.

Besides, did anyone actually say that to you? That it doesn’t matter if you’re there or not?

Sometimes I put myself down like that too. Thinking stuff like nothing would change even if I was gone, that just about anyone could replace me…

Ritsu: I couldn’t find a replacement for you even if I searched the whole world, you know?

Where else would I find such an incredible person who’d always look after me, even though I’m all messed up and a pain in the neck…?

Mao: Right. Looking back, you’ve always been saying stuff like this, huh.

And lately, there’ve been lots of people telling me all these kind words.

Things like, they wouldn’t want anyone other than me…

I might just be something like a little flashlight you can buy anywhere, but there are still people who love that flashlight and recognize it as “Mao Isara”.

There’s no reason for me to keep putting myself down, right?

Actually, rather than being some distant star you can only gaze at, I’m glad to be a flashlight that can stay by someone’s side.

From right next to them, I’ll light up the paths of everyone I love. I can be useful - no matter how dark and cloudy the sky becomes, I can help put their hearts at ease by bringing even a little bit of light to the darkness.

That’s what really makes me happy. I’m grateful to my parents for bringing a hardy and helpful kid like me into the world.

Ritsu: Yeah. You really should be, since you can’t choose your parents, after all… You’re probably one of the luckier ones, Ma~kun.

And even if on the off-chance we’re dealt a bad hand, we can still create our own families, too.

Would it be okay for me to think of you as part of my beloved family, Ma~kun? Or maybe it’d just be annoying and gross coming from a vampire like me…?

Mao: Who ever said you were gross? And besides, I never actually thought you were a vampire, you know~?

You’re just a human with a vampire-like body, right? No, actually, you’re my precious childhood friend.

Ritsu: ……

Mao: Haha. I see, so you really did want to be family.

Thinking back to when we were kids, you were always all alone in that huge house… maybe you’ve been yearning for that kind of relationship.

Ritsu: You’re making it sound like I’m some spoiled little baby.

But, you know, you always shone so brightly to me, Ma~kun. I don’t know how it is now, but back in the day, your family looked as happy as the ones in picture books, right?

You were popular in school too, always drawing people to you. I only ever crouched in a dark corner, so to me, it looked like everything around you was heaven.

I wanted to be part of that brilliance too, I guess.

Mao: Ahaha. What are you talking about? You’re already surrounded by it.

Look around you, Ritsu. Just like you said before, both of us have gained so many more things dear to us now.

They’re all shining so brightly… So sometimes, we might lose each other in that blinding light.

This time around, I got you mad at me, and I couldn’t completely understand you so we wound up having a fight.

But even if I have to take it step-by-step, I want to be able to see who you really are.

So next time you’re troubled over something, you can talk to me, okay? I really was worried when you collapsed, you know?

Ritsu: …Mm. Well, I’m sorry for that. You seemed so busy with SS and all, so I thought you’d hate me if I put even more burden on you.

But you’re a people-pleasing idiot, so there’s no way you’d ever start to hate anyone, huh.

Somehow I forgot about that, even though I should know better than anyone how you’ve always stayed by my side, never once abandoning me.

…Fufu. Next time, I won’t try so hard to keep everything to myself. I’ll talk to you instead, Ma~kun.

Mao: That’d be great. And I’m sure everyone else would be more than happy to help you out, too.

Ritsu: Would they, now… Well, I guess believing it is a good start.

Mao: This goes for the both of us as well. I get scolded a lot for pushing myself too hard, so I should probably take my own advice.

Of course, I have to return the favor, too, for how much everyone’s supported and loved me.

But either way, I seriously gotta give it my all… If we lose, we have to do whatever you guys say, right?

Ritsu: Yeah. Well, seeing how Secchan and the others are now, they probably wouldn’t be too cruel with their orders…not like in spring, when we were completely backed into a corner.

Ousama’s finally returned, Su~chan’s growing up, and everyone’s gotten closer thanks to Nacchan…

We might’ve been tripped up a little by that magazine article, but we won’t let that malice get the better of us.

I believe that Knights can keep moving on, overcoming all kinds of hardships. No-- I’m going to give it my all to make sure that happens.

I’ll open that cold, heavy door…

Mao: Me and Trickstar are just the same. And besides, I’m not that worried about the results of this match.

I’m not completely confident we’ll win, but Knights are our rivals, not our enemies.

I’m sure you won’t give us any terrible orders. There’s no way such rotten villains would be so beloved by their fans, right, Ritsu?

Ritsu: Oh, that was sneaky, Ma~kun. But who am I to say~ No one knows what the future will hold.

So don’t let your guard down, and do your best not to fall into a trap again this time, alright… Ma~kun?

Mao: Alright. At least I’m not worried about you or me, because I already know what we’d command each other to do anyway.

Come on, on the count of three, let’s say it together.

Ritsu: Yeah. One, two…

Ritsu/Mao: “Let’s make up.”



Mao: Ahaha. It feels like we’ve already gotten that wish granted, though. …I’m more worried about the other guys, especially Makoto. Let’s take care and watch over them until the end.

Honestly, you’re all such a handful.♪

Ritsu: Haha. But isn’t that what makes you happy, Mao Isara of Trickstar?♪

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