The comments section all think I'm a really good person.

She didn't call Kita Kirihara "Director," but rather "Ahara."

"..." Kita Kirihara knew what she was going to say next.

“We are a part of you,” she said. “I cannot do anything against your will, nor can I say anything you don’t want me to say…”

Therefore, all the objections originated from Kita Kirihara's own heart.

"You can't deny that you want to live."

It was precisely because he wanted to survive that he tacitly allowed Nana Ohba to start the theater; it was a form of self-preservation.

"You cannot deny that you suffer in order to atone for your sins."

Because he has hurt countless people, he chooses to silently endure this pain as a form of self-mortification.

"You can't deny that you are a person, not just a pawn."

That's why we chose to let everyone in the Silver Garden act independently, allowing them as much freedom as possible within the scope of the script.

“Just like now, everything I’m saying is what you want to say to yourself,” Nana Ohba said, opening her arms wide. “And this hug is what you want to give yourself.”

She hugged Kita Kirihara gently, resting her head on his shoulder.

The blonde hair and the director's white hair intertwined, making it look as if she were licking Kita Kirihara's wounds.

However, it could not bring Kita Kirihara any sense of security.

"You long for someone to hold you like this and say to you..."

Kita Kirihara's expression was very calm. She didn't look at Ooba Nana, but stared at the void in mid-air, her eyes completely unmoved.

She picked up where Nana Oba left off, murmuring, "Tell me... it's okay, I didn't do anything wrong."

She did nothing wrong.

All of this is for the final... so that the world can get back on track.

It would allow Saki to break free from the shackles of the world, to escape this hopeless cycle, and to dissolve this endless obsession.

Nana Oba's figure had vanished into black mist at some point, and the weight on her shoulders felt empty. Kita Kirihara remained motionless.

Then, she heard the voice of another character card beside her: "Kitagirihara".

The black-haired demon sat down beside her, their postures identical.

Homura Akemi's familiars, the children from the fake street, began to roam the theater, throwing tomatoes forcefully towards the top of the tower.

The demon spoke, a hint of sarcasm in his voice: "Are you wallowing in self-pity again?"

"..." Kita Kirihara slightly moved his eyes.

"I don't know how to comfort you, I only say hurtful things. Did you really call me over for that?"

Homura Akemi also turned into black mist and disappeared.

154. Go to sleep, God’s name

Saki Koizumi opened her eyes, her mind still foggy. The lingering taste of blood and that strange flavor in her mouth had somehow transformed into a faint sweetness.

Before she could even get a good look at her surroundings, she tried to get up, when a familiar voice came from the side.

Shiori Hachiya yawned and pressed the newly awakened Kamiya back into her dream nest.

"Let's rest for a while, God's Name," the Dream Weaver said, resting his chin on his hand and yawning.

Shiori Hachiya looked unwell.

Although she has always looked sickly, her workload has increased recently, and she has also been spending more time in her dreams, making her look even more tired.

Now, even in my dreams, I show this tired look.

“A dream…?” Koizumi Saki was stunned. She looked around, confused.

Was everything I just saw... a dream?

But that sense of realism...

Saki Koizumi's mind was a mess.

What she didn't realize was that the glitter that [Nana Oba] had just stuffed into her was also influencing her perception.

I subconsciously thought that what I had just seen was a dream, but some doubts still lingered in my mind.

Saki Koizumi turned her gaze to Shiori Hachiya, the Dream Weaver with her black and red dyed hair, who merely raised an eyebrow slightly as she faced the gaze of the Goddess.

Then, a hint of smugness appeared on her face: "I was beaten up by Banana and Hualian in my dream before, and I have been trying hard to find a way to break the spell."

Shiori Hachiya may seem guileless, but even after being utterly crushed in the realm of dreams, she still retains a competitive spirit.

What's more, Aicheng Hualian went directly into the National University and would come over to play with Bee Valley every night when she had nothing else to do...

Therefore, she has been secretly monitoring the movements of Nana Oba and Karen Aijo, searching for a way to infiltrate that stage and restrain their abilities.

Today, she discovered that Saki Koizumi had been thrown out of the theater, so she brought her into her dream to talk to her.

"Intrusion?" Saki Koizumi was somewhat surprised. She asked curiously, "Didn't you receive an invitation from the theater?"

Of all the national universities, only Bee Valley is somewhat related to the stage.

Upon hearing this, Shiori Hachiya's expression became somewhat embarrassed: "It's probably because I'm currently..."

She had already decided to bid farewell to the stage completely during her last farewell concert.

She even had a serious revue session with Nana Oba in her dream. Although it ended in a crushing defeat for her, Shiori Hachiya didn't feel much resentment or lingering attachment.

She stood up next to Saki Koizumi and stretched: "...There's no reason for me to stand on the stage anymore."

When she raised her hand, her top was a little short, so it revealed a bit of skin around her waist and abdomen.

Compared to other heroes, Shiori Hachiya rarely gets injured.

As a former idol, she has excellent physical strength and figure. At least her stomach is not flabby due to lack of exercise, and she still has relatively clear abs.

Therefore, Shiori Hachiya would never have such horrific scars on her body.

On her fair waist and abdomen, a corner of the huge laceration could be vaguely seen.

“…Hachiya.” Koizumi Saki called to her, a look of worry on her face, “What’s that on you…”

Shiori Hachiya was taken aback. She followed Saki Koizumi's gaze downwards and smiled, "It's nothing."

She even casually lifted her shirt, appearing completely unaffected.

But Saki Koizumi saw it—

— A huge "T"-shaped wound.

The T-shaped wound started in the center of Hachiya's chest, almost tearing Hachiya Shiori's upper body apart.

But she is still active.

"...When was this?" Koizumi Saki asked, sitting up from the soft cushion, a little nervous.

The Dream Weaver also sat down, crossed her legs, and tilted her head slightly as she recalled: "It was probably the end of the Revue with Banana."

Looking back now, the revue probably wasn't over yet.

After that day, Shiori Hachiya had a T-shaped scar on her chest where Nana Ohba had stabbed her.

The wound was growing bigger every day, but it didn't hurt at all.

They're about to devour Shiori Hachiya.

"Is this a curse..." Koizumi Saki felt a pang of regret; she hadn't even noticed it all along.

This was her dereliction of duty, whether it was failing to notice Ahara's problem or not paying attention to Hachiya's physical condition...

“You shouldn’t take on everything yourself,” Shiori Hachiya said. “Besides, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for me.”

She pressed her hand to the very center of the wound, and understood.

This is the positionzero that Nana Ohba won in her revue match.

The center point of the stage.

The opponent didn't take away Shiori Hachiya's brilliance; they simply stuck the knife into the [positionzero] spot, leaving a mark that constantly reminds Shiori Hachiya:

Always be mindful of your position, no matter when or where.

For Shiori Hachiya, she should have abandoned her obsession with the stage, but as expected, the lingering resentment in her heart continued to expand this T.

"What will happen when it completely devours you?" Upon hearing this, Koizumi Saki knew that this was not a wound in the ordinary sense, but rather Shiori Hachiya's own wish.

This wish will always remain in Bee Valley's heart.

But... will it affect the normal life of Bee Valley?

"Who knows? I might change my ways and return to the stage...maybe?" Shiori Hachiya said with a grin, naturally changing the subject. "Let's not talk about me, let's talk about you."

"mine?"

"What did you see on the banana stage just now?" the Dream Weaver said. "Try to remember it, and try not to forget it."

"...What do you know?"

“I don’t know anything, after all, I don’t have a penchant for prying into other people’s inner world. It’s just… in a place like the stage, every detail has meaning,” the Dream Weaver explained. “I don’t know what you saw, but seeing how distraught you looked, I couldn’t help but offer a few words of advice.”

Shiori Hachiya is such a talkative person.

Perhaps because he spent more time wandering in his dreams, the fool also acquired a bit of spirituality.

Saki Koizumi could no longer distinguish which side was the dream.

"Sleep, sleep, God's Name. Time flows differently here than in reality. Once you've rested and adjusted your mindset, it's perfectly fine to face a new and terrible day." The Dream Weaver coaxed her like a child, then pulled out a pillow from somewhere and placed it under Koizumi Saki's head.

Saki Koizumi gazed at her without saying a word.

The latter responded with a smile that looked energetic.

Behind her, in the world of dreams, countless shadows surged. Crimson fire blazed on the horizon and at the edge of her vision.

It seems that both the dream and the dream weaver are teetering on the brink of collapse.

155. Fenggu and Qianshi