Requiem - Lux aeterna Chapter 21
May. 27th, 2020 11:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesSeason: Winter
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[Repayment Festival Stage]
(A few minutes later)
Leo: "...Alright! So, that's what Requiem's all about!"
"In short! The three members who aren't graduating each took turns as the King in their own performances in Repayment Fes! All authority rested in their hands as they battled for your votes!"
"Wahaha! I bet you were all thinking that Knights seemed so different today, doing all these new things one after another~!"
"This is what was going on the whole time! Surpriiise~☆"
"Though, Requiem was meant to be a battle for deciding the next King, so we did consider telling you all from the start!"
"That would've made it more likely that the new King would be the one most favored by the people, after all!"
"But Knights is a unit geared for battle! There's no point in having a weak King, no matter how the world longs for them!"
"We can't have our ruler going down in one hit! I wanted to choose a King who'd last through the toughest ordeals, who could forge a kingdom that would stand the test of time!"
"So as a test of our true skills, we fought fair and square, idol to idol! It was quite the heated battle, and to be honest, I can't even tell who won!"
"No, not even that— it's more like I'd be happy to confer the crown to any one of 'em! I'm proud of you all for holding on and fighting until the end with all your strength!"
"I shall bestow my praises upon you! Now, my people, gather round!"
Izumi: Acting all high and mighty, huh? ...Well, I guess you don't have much time left as the King.
Go ahead and enjoy your final moments of glory. …Even if the crown might've been nothing more than a burden to you.
Leo: That what you really think? You seriously think I'm the kind of guy… who'd push a heavy burden I never wanted onto these cute kids?
Izumi: ...Am I wrong?
Leo: Nah, I can't really deny it! I'm sick of being "Ousama" already!
I've always wanted to hand it over to someone more suited for it! To return to being a normal, carefree citizen with no responsibilities and just write all the songs I want!
But! I've already come this far with the crown sitting on my head!
I'll do what needs to be done. Not just for me, but for you guys too, who believed in me and stayed by my side!
It's my great pleasure to step down from the throne! And this time, I won't run away, but bring my era to a close with a satisfied smile!
"So with that! It's time for the results~! Thanks to Sena being selfish, we don't have enough time for everything, so we've gotta hit the ground running!"
Tsukasa: "It really is taking much too long... At this rate, the day will be over before we finish."
"I'm certain our guests have their own matters to attend to as well. I could not bear to make them sit still and watch us for so long."
Leo: "Wahaha! Oh yeah, huh? Then maybe we should leave the real coronation for another day?"
"We'll get a ginormous place for it and have a celebration with such pomp and splendor, it'll leave a mark in history!"
"But that's a whole other thing! Tomorrow's another day, after all! Right now, I'm curious about the final scores of Requiem! Who's gonna be the new King, I wonder~?"
Tsukasa: ......
Leo: "Ah, I mentioned it earlier, but I'll say it again just in case: the one who becomes King will be able to give one, absolute order to each of their knights!"
"Depending on what that order is, though, things might not turn out the way you want them to..."
"So if that happens, sorry! I'll take full responsibility, so you can send me off to the guillotine or wherever if you want!"
"Spit on me! Throw stones at me! I'm the one who brought this upon us, so I won't complain!"
"Wahaha! So anyway, it's time for the results! Okay everyone, make your guesses— let's have some fun, at least... ☆"
"Alright, here we go! Start the countdown! 3, 2, 1—"
"Ta-daaaah~☆ And here we are!"
Tsukasa: ......!
Ritsu: "Mm~… So that's how it is. I kinda expected this."
"But how embarrassing... Even though I'm the eldest, I came in last."
Leo: "Yup! As you can see, third place goes to Ritsu Sakuma!"
Ritsu: "...Can't say I'm not disappointed, but... I guess it's fair."
Leo: "By the way! Let's take a quick look back at how these three performed as Kings!"
"It's all my personal opinion in the end, but just hear me out!"
"Naru went in the same direction we always have, but with even more beauty and intensity!"
"While maintaining the basic themes that have defined Knights up 'til now, Naru pushed us to compete with each other, reach greater heights, and evolve even further!"
"Suo~ went in a completely different direction! Barely even a nod to our precedence and tradition!"
"Brand new songs, and brand new outfits— he threw in a ton of stuff we'd never seen before!"
"I mean, you could still tell it was Knights 'cause it was us singing and dancing up there!"
"But with all these strange things thrown in one after another, I'm sure it left our long-time fans pretty confused!"
Tsukasa: "Ngh... I'd thought it would work, but I wasn't able to tie it all together. It appears I'm still not fit to lead everyone."
Leo: "I don't see what's wrong with it, though? I like it! I was happy to make lots of new songs, anyway!"
"But you know, this wasn't exactly the easiest task for a new student who's still getting his bearings!"
"I should make it a little more accommodating next time, huh!"
"But I think it's awesome that you had the courage to go at it with all your strength! That's more than enough for a first step. ♪"
Tsukasa: "T-Thank you. I'm honored. …Ngh, it's still quite frustrating, though."
Leo: "Mhmm! But it was bad all around for Rittsu, huh! He chose to just do the same things we've always done!"
"There was nothing new! No changes, nada!"
"Boring! Seems like the audience had enough of it too, so it makes sense he'd be last place!"
Ritsu: ......
Leo: "However! Looks like you're aware of that, too, so I'm sure you can put more of yourself into it next time, right?"
"Forget about what everyone else thinks! Make a kingdom for Ritsu Sakuma alone!"
"That's what I wanna see! Set a stage, not for Rei Sakuma's little brother, but for Ritsu Sakuma!"
Ritsu: "...Yeah. I know. I played it a little too safe, and that was a pretty dumb move. I was too scared to show more of myself, but..."
"The idol stage is the very place where you can be yourself, right."
"It's kinda funny that I've spent so many years at Yumenosaki without realizing that."
"But because everyone called out to me, acknowledged me, and gave me their love..."
"...Because they made me so happy, next time I'll try my best to be the idol known as Ritsu Sakuma."
"I want to be loved for expressing exactly who I am, after all."
Leo: "Yup! Good boy, that's the spirit! Keep at it, Ritsu Sakuma! Enjoy life as it comes!"
"...Oh, whoops! Sorry to our dear guests who I've just left sitting there, but as you can see from Requiem's results, Tsukasa Suou, who shook the stage with his explosive unpredictability, is—"
"...Not the winner! Instead, our victor is the one who led us to greater heights: Arashi Narukami!"
"Yup yup, it makes sense! Anyone who saw it would say you dazzled the most, and besides, you showed off all the best sides of Knights!"
"Congrats, Arashi Narukami! The new King will be you~!"
Arashi: ......
Leo: "Da-dadada~☆ I now confer to you this crown! Hot damn, finally I can give this thing away!"
...Wahaha. It's pretty hard to refuse when I make such a big deal out of handing it over to you in front of everyone, isn't it?
I'm sure none of you'd wanna do anything that'd make the fans upset, right?
We Knights used to go on bloody rampages, earning the ire of everyone around us.
The other idols were supposed to be our comrades, but instead they resented us, and in the end we couldn't succeed in DreamFes any longer.
The very last people we had left to rely on, the only ones who would still love us... were our fans.
They found us and gave us their love, and thanks to that, we were able to stay alive.
That's why we can't break their trust. All the boys and girls out there— they're our real rulers, in the truest sense.
As their knights, we can never betray them.
Isn't that right, Arashi Narukami? ...You will accept this crown, won't you?
---
< Lux aeterna Chapter 20 || Masterlist || Lux aeterna Chapter 22 >
---
[Repayment Festival Stage]
(A few minutes later)
Leo: "...Alright! So, that's what Requiem's all about!"
"In short! The three members who aren't graduating each took turns as the King in their own performances in Repayment Fes! All authority rested in their hands as they battled for your votes!"
"Wahaha! I bet you were all thinking that Knights seemed so different today, doing all these new things one after another~!"
"This is what was going on the whole time! Surpriiise~☆"
"Though, Requiem was meant to be a battle for deciding the next King, so we did consider telling you all from the start!"
"That would've made it more likely that the new King would be the one most favored by the people, after all!"
"But Knights is a unit geared for battle! There's no point in having a weak King, no matter how the world longs for them!"
"We can't have our ruler going down in one hit! I wanted to choose a King who'd last through the toughest ordeals, who could forge a kingdom that would stand the test of time!"
"So as a test of our true skills, we fought fair and square, idol to idol! It was quite the heated battle, and to be honest, I can't even tell who won!"
"No, not even that— it's more like I'd be happy to confer the crown to any one of 'em! I'm proud of you all for holding on and fighting until the end with all your strength!"
"I shall bestow my praises upon you! Now, my people, gather round!"
Izumi: Acting all high and mighty, huh? ...Well, I guess you don't have much time left as the King.
Go ahead and enjoy your final moments of glory. …Even if the crown might've been nothing more than a burden to you.
Leo: That what you really think? You seriously think I'm the kind of guy… who'd push a heavy burden I never wanted onto these cute kids?
Izumi: ...Am I wrong?
Leo: Nah, I can't really deny it! I'm sick of being "Ousama" already!
I've always wanted to hand it over to someone more suited for it! To return to being a normal, carefree citizen with no responsibilities and just write all the songs I want!
But! I've already come this far with the crown sitting on my head!
I'll do what needs to be done. Not just for me, but for you guys too, who believed in me and stayed by my side!
It's my great pleasure to step down from the throne! And this time, I won't run away, but bring my era to a close with a satisfied smile!
"So with that! It's time for the results~! Thanks to Sena being selfish, we don't have enough time for everything, so we've gotta hit the ground running!"
Tsukasa: "It really is taking much too long... At this rate, the day will be over before we finish."
"I'm certain our guests have their own matters to attend to as well. I could not bear to make them sit still and watch us for so long."
Leo: "Wahaha! Oh yeah, huh? Then maybe we should leave the real coronation for another day?"
"We'll get a ginormous place for it and have a celebration with such pomp and splendor, it'll leave a mark in history!"
"But that's a whole other thing! Tomorrow's another day, after all! Right now, I'm curious about the final scores of Requiem! Who's gonna be the new King, I wonder~?"
Tsukasa: ......
Leo: "Ah, I mentioned it earlier, but I'll say it again just in case: the one who becomes King will be able to give one, absolute order to each of their knights!"
"Depending on what that order is, though, things might not turn out the way you want them to..."
"So if that happens, sorry! I'll take full responsibility, so you can send me off to the guillotine or wherever if you want!"
"Spit on me! Throw stones at me! I'm the one who brought this upon us, so I won't complain!"
"Wahaha! So anyway, it's time for the results! Okay everyone, make your guesses— let's have some fun, at least... ☆"
"Alright, here we go! Start the countdown! 3, 2, 1—"
"Ta-daaaah~☆ And here we are!"
Tsukasa: ......!
Ritsu: "Mm~… So that's how it is. I kinda expected this."
"But how embarrassing... Even though I'm the eldest, I came in last."
Leo: "Yup! As you can see, third place goes to Ritsu Sakuma!"
Ritsu: "...Can't say I'm not disappointed, but... I guess it's fair."
Leo: "By the way! Let's take a quick look back at how these three performed as Kings!"
"It's all my personal opinion in the end, but just hear me out!"
"Naru went in the same direction we always have, but with even more beauty and intensity!"
"While maintaining the basic themes that have defined Knights up 'til now, Naru pushed us to compete with each other, reach greater heights, and evolve even further!"
"Suo~ went in a completely different direction! Barely even a nod to our precedence and tradition!"
"Brand new songs, and brand new outfits— he threw in a ton of stuff we'd never seen before!"
"I mean, you could still tell it was Knights 'cause it was us singing and dancing up there!"
"But with all these strange things thrown in one after another, I'm sure it left our long-time fans pretty confused!"
Tsukasa: "Ngh... I'd thought it would work, but I wasn't able to tie it all together. It appears I'm still not fit to lead everyone."
Leo: "I don't see what's wrong with it, though? I like it! I was happy to make lots of new songs, anyway!"
"But you know, this wasn't exactly the easiest task for a new student who's still getting his bearings!"
"I should make it a little more accommodating next time, huh!"
"But I think it's awesome that you had the courage to go at it with all your strength! That's more than enough for a first step. ♪"
Tsukasa: "T-Thank you. I'm honored. …Ngh, it's still quite frustrating, though."
Leo: "Mhmm! But it was bad all around for Rittsu, huh! He chose to just do the same things we've always done!"
"There was nothing new! No changes, nada!"
"Boring! Seems like the audience had enough of it too, so it makes sense he'd be last place!"
Ritsu: ......
Leo: "However! Looks like you're aware of that, too, so I'm sure you can put more of yourself into it next time, right?"
"Forget about what everyone else thinks! Make a kingdom for Ritsu Sakuma alone!"
"That's what I wanna see! Set a stage, not for Rei Sakuma's little brother, but for Ritsu Sakuma!"
Ritsu: "...Yeah. I know. I played it a little too safe, and that was a pretty dumb move. I was too scared to show more of myself, but..."
"The idol stage is the very place where you can be yourself, right."
"It's kinda funny that I've spent so many years at Yumenosaki without realizing that."
"But because everyone called out to me, acknowledged me, and gave me their love..."
"...Because they made me so happy, next time I'll try my best to be the idol known as Ritsu Sakuma."
"I want to be loved for expressing exactly who I am, after all."
Leo: "Yup! Good boy, that's the spirit! Keep at it, Ritsu Sakuma! Enjoy life as it comes!"
"...Oh, whoops! Sorry to our dear guests who I've just left sitting there, but as you can see from Requiem's results, Tsukasa Suou, who shook the stage with his explosive unpredictability, is—"
"...Not the winner! Instead, our victor is the one who led us to greater heights: Arashi Narukami!"
"Yup yup, it makes sense! Anyone who saw it would say you dazzled the most, and besides, you showed off all the best sides of Knights!"
"Congrats, Arashi Narukami! The new King will be you~!"
Arashi: ......
Leo: "Da-dadada~☆ I now confer to you this crown! Hot damn, finally I can give this thing away!"
...Wahaha. It's pretty hard to refuse when I make such a big deal out of handing it over to you in front of everyone, isn't it?
I'm sure none of you'd wanna do anything that'd make the fans upset, right?
We Knights used to go on bloody rampages, earning the ire of everyone around us.
The other idols were supposed to be our comrades, but instead they resented us, and in the end we couldn't succeed in DreamFes any longer.
The very last people we had left to rely on, the only ones who would still love us... were our fans.
They found us and gave us their love, and thanks to that, we were able to stay alive.
That's why we can't break their trust. All the boys and girls out there— they're our real rulers, in the truest sense.
As their knights, we can never betray them.
Isn't that right, Arashi Narukami? ...You will accept this crown, won't you?
---
< Lux aeterna Chapter 20 || Masterlist || Lux aeterna Chapter 22 >
