Chapter 4

So what, you tossed me into the pits of hell “just to make sure?” …That’s way too harsh.

Aw, poor Tomo-chin… There, there, lemme give you a biiiig hug.

You shouldn’t spoil him too much, Nito-kun. I’m sure Mashiro-kun will find it valuable to know the worst of the worst.

He is the leader of Ra*bits, the head of your unit, after all.

Are you trying to tell me you put me through hell for my sake?

Of course ♪ But I can’t exactly say I didn’t just feel like being a little mean to you, too, since you’re Wataru’s favorite.

What are you, a child?

I am a child, yes. Within ES, and within the idol industry as a culture.

But one day, my childhood will come to an end. I have to prepare for that day, even if I have to do it alone.

…You’re not alone, Eichi-sama.

Fufufu ♪ That’s right, Eichi—We will follow you, even if to the depths of hell!

You guys are all completely insane, y’know.

Indeed we are. We have ascended to such heights that we can no longer see the faces of the people who crawl upon the earth.

And that is why we occasionally need to find someone who will plant our feet firmly back on the ground.

Guh?! Don’t wrap your hair around me! What kind of emotion is that supposed to express, anyway?!

I’m not telling~ ♪

Think long and hard, children. For us who lack fangs to bare, that is the only weapon we have.

I sure will. I’ll think about it in my own dumb way, so I won’t be used like this ever again.

(…The reason Tenshouin separated me from everyone else in Ra*bits was to see how they’d react without me to act as their role model.)

(As long as I’m around, they tend to use me as a guide because they trust me.)

(They just follow right behind me.)

(Right now, everyone’s being pulled along by Tomo-chin as their leader. But last year, I was the one flying the banner out in front.)

(I can’t help but fall back into that out of habit.)

(And everyone in Ra*bits is a good kid; they won’t do anything unnecessary. You know what they’d do and think under normal circumstances to an extent—)

(So it’d be easy to collect accurate data, and it’d be easy to see how SANCTUARY changed and influenced them.)

(Which is why we were chosen as test subjects.)

(We were only ever seen as convenient tools, not as any kind of threat or even a nuisance.)

(That pisses me off, honestly. I should at least bite back, right?)

(No… That’d just make me feel a little better about things. Instead of letting myself be controlled by one-off emotions like that—)

Tenshouin.

? What is it, Nito-kun?

Since we’ve gone through all the trouble of changing into these beautiful costumes, why won’t we put on a performance? Of course all costs, including the fee for bothering us, will be covered by fine.

Of course. This was my intent from the start. The search for Mashiro-kun was just a secondary goal—

This live was planned from the beginning, to bring an end to the experiment in SANCTUARY.

We would summon back all of the idols in the Kanto region who had already left the park, and we would stand on the stage together as a grand finale.

And under our guidance, the idols who had once been unmotivated would come together, hold hands, and sing and dance happily, all together.

By broadcasting this event to the whole country, we could spread the wonders of SANCTUARY far and wide across the world. And in that way, the series of experiments would once again draw to a close.

Hmph. A happy ending where everyone gets along, huh? That sounds like a total rip-off of Trickstar during the first DDD.

Fufu. They do all of that so naturally, without any careful calculation. That’s what makes them so admirable.

I’ve said this before, but I am a big fan of theirs.

However, Trickstar is too special, too far out of reach for the masses to empathize with them.

That much is clear if you just look at how the other idols reacted to them in Hokkaido.

Trickstar is no longer “the guys next door” to the masses. They are the same as Wataru, who once had no one chasing after him.

……

They are the same as all the Five Oddballs. Of course, the same can be said of fine, who have conquered Yumenosaki and are now known as part of the Big Three at ES.

Those ordinary idols no longer think they can become the next fine or Trickstar.

Now that people have started believing that we’re special, that we’re geniuses, that we are beloved by fate and can make miracles happen—

There aren’t as many who believe they can be just like us, or who even want that for themselves.

That’s what SANCTUARY is for.

Here, anyone can succeed, regardless of talent or lack thereof. They are given a special, happy destiny, and they can feel good about their every success.

Here, anyone can become Trickstar. Anyone can become the protagonist of the story.

It’s only once you come to expect that you might become a valued, respected person, that you might lead a life filled with happiness—

That you can find your motivation. And then, you can move forward, reaching out for that brilliance.

In order to shift the collective consciousness of the masses, we no longer have need for Trickstar.

We’ll turn their miracle into a fun attraction anyone can enjoy.

And that is what SANCTUARY is.

My new revolution.

This is why people don’t like you, y’know. They can’t trust you because you throw away the things you claim to love, like your oh-so-beloved Trickstar.

So what, Nito-kun?

Even after hurting so many people, I continue forward—I have to carry out my revolution, no matter the cost. If I don’t, I won’t be able to make amends with all those I’ve sacrificed.

Hmm… So this is how you justify everything you’re doing—you sociopath.

…I wonder if someday, we’ll be glad it was you who defeated us.

I hope so. I won’t ask for forgiveness; rather, I’d like to thank you for the wonderful gift you’ve given me.

God, I really do hate your guts.

Thank you, Nito-kun.