Why play in a band if you don't form one for life?

……

One song after another. Hua Lian was completely unable to leave Roselia's world. He could only take a short break during the intermission, and then immediately return to that fantastic and magnificent illusion.

Under the stage, the blue glow sticks formed a starry sky. When the last song ended, the blue lights waving in all directions brought Hua Lian back to reality.

"Thank you." On the stage, the five people finished their curtain call and then relaxed.

"Wow - Shizi, these light sticks are so luxurious -" Lisa looked at the sea of light that filled the entire bar with nostalgia. The bar was full of Shizi - to be more precise, puppets with Shizi's appearance. The puppets were all controlled by Shizi, holding light sticks. Shizi alone created the momentum of hundreds of people.

Shizi crossed her arms proudly. This mechanism took her a lot of effort, and each fluorescent stick consumed a jade slip.

“There are so many choices... I can’t choose one at all…” Yili looked around blankly, not knowing what to choose.

"So beautiful..." LOCK stared blankly at the sea of light around her. Even if it was fake, she sincerely envied Roselia because they could perform with such support.

Shizi patted LOCK on the shoulder: "RAS will have it too."

"Can we have it too?" LAYER said with some joy.

"Of course." Shizi snapped his fingers, and the blue sea in the room changed color instantly. The surging green light illuminated everyone's face.

"Okay, then we have to perform even better!" CHU?'s face was completely devoid of the previous regrets. The green light reflected in her eyes, and she was already full of fighting spirit. "Go on stage!"

Shizi cheered by waving glow sticks.

Hualian hadn't recovered from the shock of Roselia yet. In a blink of an eye, RAS, dressed in modern clothes and styles, had already stepped onto the stage, and the lights were on.

Shizi was very excited. Will the first song be a new song?

Deng.

Shizi's face fell.

Deng.

Hua Lian was a little surprised. This prelude had a Japanese feel. She looked to the side and found Shizi with a painful expression on his face. He seemed to want to run away immediately, but he didn't dare to really move. His feet were glued to the ground, and his fingers were stiffly tapping in the air.

I don't know what she was knocking, but it seems that she must have engraved this action into her soul.

She leaned closer and heard Shizi muttering, "EXIST, why is it EXIST... Guaah, I don't want to listen to this..."

She didn't understand. But she didn't care. She turned back and started to enjoy RAS's music again.

RAS' stage style is completely different from Roselia's. Roselia completely relies on her own strength to conquer the audience, while RAS uses everything they can - the stage, the environment, the lighting - to make their music tangible and project it into reality. Moreover, in terms of pure technology, they are not inferior to Roselia!

Although she was a little hesitant at first, Shizi soon got excited and shook her head to the rhythm. Hualian felt very happy when she saw her doing this, but she didn't dare to imitate her. Shizi grabbed her head and said, "If you want to shake it, just do it! Look, they are shaking it themselves!"

As "EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'" reached its climax, the five people on the stage were immersed in the performance and dancing. PAREO and LOCK were completely different from their usual selves - one kept swaying back and forth, making all kinds of exaggerated movements at will, and the other closed her eyes, with her right hand flying on the strings. The others were also swinging wildly, their emotions were released without reservation in the form of music, completely dominating the entire stage!

The song stops, but the drums continue. The lights come into focus.

Shizi reacted. Are they going to introduce the members? Roselia had skipped this part before, but as a part of the ritual, RAS is not bad.

"Although we all know each other, since this is our first live, let me introduce the members first!" CHU? held the microphone and pointed at LOCK, "First, Guitar——LOCK!"

LOCK lifted up the guitar, put it behind his back, and played it with his backhand! This move made Kita's eyes widen, and Hua Lian, who had never been in a band, almost couldn't hold back her exclamation! The unbridled melody of the guitar and the strong visual impact that came with it made her completely unable to hold back and raised her light stick high!

"When did the light sticks come?" She suddenly realized. On the side, Shizi said with tears in his eyes: "Okay, okay, Hualian, you are also fallen..."

"Eh——what does R fall mean…"

CHU? was very satisfied. "OK, OK, perfect, thank you." She pointed her finger at MASKING again, "Drum, MASKING——!"

This introduction seemed to have untied something. The drum beats of MASKING immediately became manic and passionate, stimulating Hua Lian's heartbeat like bullets. The blood in her body rushed, and she gained infinite power!

"Excellent! The next——!"

……

When the last drum beat of "DRIVE US CRAZY" ended and RAS's performance finally ended, Hua Lian felt not only exhausted but also relieved. It was as if all the unexplained depression and anxiety in her heart were released with the violent melody.

"Ha...ha..." She held the light stick in her hand and looked at the stage with satisfaction. The five people on the stage were obviously the same. They just showed off their skills crazily, and the various incredible playing methods made Hua Lian even unable to find words to describe them.

"Ha...ha..." LOCK looked at her companions around her, her face flushed. She didn't remember much about the performance just now, only the joy of being immersed in the music lingered in her heart for a long time.

"The band..." she suddenly started, and the others looked at her, "Zun is awesome-!"

This dialect made everyone laugh. Hua Lian finally felt relieved. Lock had just become a different person to her. "Little Lock," she called over, "you were so handsome just now——"

"Hey..." Hualian's enthusiastic look also scared LOCK a little, "Thank... Thank you..."

"LOCK, are you from Nagoya?" LAYER asked.

"I'm from Gifu." When talking about things related to reality, LOCK lowered his brows and didn't want to talk too much.

"Master Chu?, how was my performance?" Pareo waved to Chu?. Chu? did not hesitate to praise: "Perfect, Excellent,"

"Unstoppable!" Suddenly, a cheering voice from behind PAREO interrupted the conversation.

"Hey!" CHU? glared in that direction.

PAREO turned around and almost bumped into Shizi: "Wow...you're already up."

This time, Shizi finally wore the solid color T-shirt she had been waiting for for a long time. Her face did not show any fatigue from the long call, but was full of energy: "You guys have been showing off for so long, I can't wait."

"Me too." Liang took the stage with his bass.

"Although we two don't seem to have any skills to show off..." Kita added sadly. She and Hongxia came on stage together.

"It's good enough—" MASKING stood up and made room for Hong Xia, "By the way, where are the people from Yili?"

Shizi stepped aside.

From behind her, a cardboard box with "Perfectly Ripe Mango" written on it slowly moved to the LOCK position.

Chapter 5: The Tragedy of Final Separation

"..." LOCK tried to poke the cardboard box. From inside, there was a sound of frightened creatures, and a faint question: "Who is outside..."

"...Xiaoyili?" LOCK asked hesitantly.

The box shook violently when it heard this: "No, no, no, I'm not Goto Ichiri. I'm just a box of mangoes..."

"Is this rock music?" Hua Lian whispered to PAREO who had already stepped off the stage.

"That's right." PAREO's expression was very calm.

Lisa came closer and tried to see Yili's pink sweatpants through the gap under the box: "It's Yili...right?"

Everyone looked at Shizi, expecting an explanation.

Shizi stepped forward in panic, held onto the box, and looked at Yazi: "Oh my God, Yazi, how did you turn her into this?"

"Ya Zi doesn't know how to transform!" Ya Zi stepped back in confusion.

"Then," Shizi lowered his head and looked at the cardboard box again, "Yili, have you done anything that will be punished by God?"

Xiduo couldn't hold it in any longer: "It was you who put her into the box..."

Shizi stiffened for a moment, put his fists to his face, and made a cute expression: "Hey, jiu mi!"

"What is that..." Kita's eyelids twitched.

Shizi didn't answer. He turned around and went to the keyboard. He raised one hand and adjusted the settings with the other: "Everyone - let's light up -"

“Ignore…” Kita’s eyelids twitched again.

Shizi was halfway through shouting when she found that the keyboard settings had been completed and had become what she was used to.

Hong Xia just sat down behind the drums: "Just now I saw that you seemed to be going to show off for a long time, so I helped you to get it done."

She raised her drumsticks and started beating: "Okay, ready - one, two, three, four!"

The few people who were performing crosstalk just now suddenly got into the mood, the lights swayed, and the music started again!

The keyboard sounded first, "Time Flows, Triangle Days and Nights"!

The band's stage style at the end is different from the previous two. There is no need for complicated costumes or dazzling lights. All you need to do is use the instruments in your hands to play your own voice and let your soul collide and merge with others. Sound is just music. It will not turn into light, electricity, or a fantastic scene. But it is this simple and plain energy that touches the soul and moves with the sound waves.

“(Guitar Hero does play much better in a cardboard shell.)” Chu? thought, “(What’s the principle?)”

"(Kitao's guitar playing has improved a lot since the last time I heard it.)" LOCK looked at Kitao, "(He's practicing very hard.)"

Pareo closed her eyes, distinguishing the sound of the keyboard, with a puzzled look on her face. Such playing skills, such playing habits... She opened her eyes and saw CHU? also looking at the instrument with her.

"CHU? Sir... this..."

On the stage, Shizi was completely different from her usual self, dancing exaggeratedly with her whole body.

Rocking back and forth, kicking, and spinning.

"Ah, that's right." CHU replied. This performance is exactly the same as PAREO's performance just now!

As if she had noticed the two people's gazes, Shizi looked over proudly and winked at PAREO. PAREO suddenly realized: she did it on purpose. She was also showing off her skills, but the way she showed off was different from PAREO's.

Hua Lian was not so professional that she could not tell the difference, but she could see the clue from Shi Zi's actions. She glanced at PAREO's reaction and laughed secretly.

However, Shizi's state soon changed again. He exuded a rock-solid aura and his playing style changed drastically again.

"Eh..." Linzi covered her slightly red face. She could see that Shizi was imitating her style.

In different songs, Shizi keeps changing his style.

Sometimes, LOCK can hear Ichigaya Yusaki in the piano music.

When the next song started, LAYER murmured to herself, "Is this a little thrush?" She had heard Afterglow's live performance before.

Afterwards, Shizi carried the shoulder-mounted keyboard and while playing and dancing, PAREO's eyes sparkled: "Little Eve!"

Sometimes, Shiko's style would change so much that even CHU?, who is well-versed in a wide range of music, could not recognize who it was. Only Shiko herself knew that it was Toyokawa Shoko or Ebizuka Satoshi.

"It's getting late, the next song will be the last!" Kita announced after singing "If I Could Become a Constellation".

Hua Lian's face showed regret. So soon? She hadn't heard enough. The light stick in her hand had become five, corresponding to the five members of the Ending Band. If the Ending Band had a unified cheering color, she would be relieved, but the Ending Band seemed to have never thought of this.

"It's been a long time indeed." CHU? glanced at his timer. "It's been more than two hours since the live started. There's also a celebration party afterwards. It's about time."

"Then please listen! Starlight!"

Hua Lian's heart skipped a beat. She almost forgot that this was a new song Shi Zi had just written. It had the same name as the drama that changed her life, a song that was like fate.

Still the sound of the keyboard.

This time, Shizi finally returned to her own style. The notes weaved pictures under her fingers, and the scenes were like weeping, tragic and persistent. Kita performed them with a sad voice.

That is the story of goddesses guided by the starlight.

They forged a pure friendship amidst confrontations, arguments, and disagreements.

But in the end they were forced to separate and could never meet again.

Since when, Hua Lian's expression stopped changing.

Since when, the glow stick in her hand stopped waving.

I don't know when, two lines of tears rolled down from my eyes.

When the ending trembled, Shizi looked at Hualian. The others seemed to realize something and surrounded Hualian.

"Have you remembered?" Shizi stood in front of the crowd. Hualian listened to her and asked as if she had expected it.

She forced a smile and wiped away her tears.

"Yeah." She murmured, "I remembered... everything."

Lisa brought out a plate of cookies: "If you're sad, it's better to eat some dessert~"

"Come on," Shizi took Hualian's hand, "Let's go to the dinner table and talk slowly."

Karen nodded and walked out of the bar with the others to Yukina's room. Originally, they would eat at the bar, but if the live and celebration party were held in the same place, it would lack atmosphere, so they changed it to a room closer to the kitchen and which the owner himself agreed to.

After entering the room, Hongxia, Lisa and MASKING who had left earlier just pushed the food carts in. The first two pushed the main dishes, and the cart of the second one was full of desserts. A glass of iced sour plum soup was placed in front of Hualian. Hualian sat upright in her seat, facing everyone, sorted out her mood, and began to reminisce.

Karen's ability is related to time. After entering the wilderness, she has been wearing the uniform that appeared with her ability and that she wore in an underground stage half a year ago, and she also wears a cavalry sword called "Possibility of Puberty". The uniform is always spotless, and the things hit by the cavalry sword will become chaotic on the timeline, either returning to the state of a few years ago, or evolving to the appearance of a few years later.

She saw everything at that time.

Her sword accidentally collided with Xiaoguang's dagger.

Perhaps, at that moment, she had slashed at destiny itself. A glimpse of the future slowly unfolded before her eyes.

She saw that after they finished performing "Starlight" together, Xiaoguang would leave her and return to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and go back to London.

"No." She shouted at that time.

The rapier broke with a sound.