When the final note slowly dissipated into the air, the two overlapping figures on stage froze amidst the torrential rain of light.
There was no immediate applause.
The entire venue plunged into several seconds of absolute dead silence.
It was the blank, frozen state of thought that occurred when one's soul had been completely and utterly pierced.
Then, someone finally took a deep breath, completely exhaling the lingering suffocation in their chest. Thunderous applause erupted like a bursting dam, threatening to tear the roof off the underground base.
In the audience, countless people stood up. Some clapped furiously, some wiped tears from the corners of their eyes with the back of their hands, and others simply stood quietly, unable to calm their breathing for a long time.
And behind the screens, an untold number of viewers expressed their profound awe, relying on deep breath after deep breath to steady their emotions.
Otto wasn't here to compete at all. None of his stage design or choreography was aimed at securing a higher score or a better evaluation from the Judges.
He was simply using this stage to present the exact performance he wanted to deliver to the audience.
A performance to celebrate humanity.
In this performance, everyone saw themselves. The version of themselves struggling in the ruins. The version of themselves praying for a miracle amidst absolute despair.
It was a performance worthy of profound emotional resonance.
In the waiting room, the four of them remained silent for a long time, mirroring the rest of the audience as Otto's performance concluded.
A moment later, Kiana steadied her breathing, gritted her teeth, and delivered her assessment.
"That's so unfair... Actually manipulating everyone's lingering trauma from the Great Eruption to forcibly pull on their heartstrings..." Kiana scratched her head in frustration. "Why is everyone's performance so insanely good?! Can we really still win the championship?!"
"...Since when were we trying to win the championship?" After a moment of deep thought, Shu asked this question. The instant the words left his mouth, he felt a profound sense of absolute clarity, as if his mind had been thoroughly cleansed.
Weren't they just forming a band to kill time and maybe fish for a few compliments?
They weren't carrying anyone's lifelong dreams here. No one was going to drop to their knees, grab someone's hand, and tearfully beg, "Onegai! Please don't leave!" if the band started failing.
More importantly, even if the band actually disbanded, no one was going to say something emotionally devastating like, "You only ever think about yourself, don't you?!"
They would just keep hanging out together and find another group activity to mess around with.
How did their objective suddenly shift from "having fun together" to an intense, inspirational sports anime plot about winning the championship?
What exactly... is our band going to turn into?
"Uh... huh?" Frustrated Kiana was stunned by Shu's question. "Is... is that how it is?"
She instinctively looked at the other two, only to see expressions of sudden realization and enlightenment dawning on their faces.
"Bronya genuinely does not recall 'winning the championship' being part of our original plan... The initial objective of this performance was simply to showcase the results of our training."
"So... the reason we were all so nervous is actually because we misunderstood our own goals?" Mei also figured it out, and the crushing pressure instantly evaporated from her body. "Phew... So I was just putting pressure on myself for no reason... Thank goodness..."
Shu nodded at Mei.
He understood exactly what Mei had been worried about. Having been a "genius girl" from a young age, Mei was long accustomed to living under the spotlight and the expectations of others. Therefore, no matter what she did, she always strove to do her absolute best.
That habit of giving 100% was carved into her bones. Especially in formal settings like this, she would subconsciously pile pressure onto herself to force out her maximum potential.
Wasn't he exactly the same in the past?
Now that she realized the "challenge" they were facing wasn't actually that serious, the self-imposed pressure naturally vanished.
"Then... do I still need to make that special effects video?" Seeing Mei relax, Shu smiled, but then realized another issue.
"Obviously! Of course you have to keep making it!" / "I think we probably still need it..." / "Is Shu trying to slack off?"
The three of them spoke simultaneously, instantly crushing any hopes Shu had of taking the easy way out.
Bronya, in particular, showed no mercy, directly exposing Shu's inner thoughts.
"Sister Sirin and Sister Kallen's performances were both incredibly spectacular. We cannot afford to fall too far behind, can we?"
"Bronya does not need the championship. However, Bronya absolutely refuses to be the laughingstock that drags the entire performance down."
"Even though we don't need the championship, this is still the result of all our hard work, right?"
The three of them offered three different reasons, making Shu feel a bit awkward.
Truthfully, he had already designed nearly half of the special effects sequence. Giving up now meant the person suffering the greatest loss would be him, having just racked his brain for nothing.
"Alright, alright... Since you guys are so motivated, I guess I shouldn't slack off either."
...
"Why are all of you so incredibly motivated?!!"
Backstage, in the waiting room belonging to the team scheduled to perform next, Shigure Kira suddenly snapped out of her trance. Gripping her microphone tightly, she screamed in near-breakdown at the four people around her, who looked incredibly pumped up.
"Huh?" Siegfried turned around, letting out a strange noise of confusion.
"What are you talking about, Kira?" Salome walked over carrying an electric guitar, grinning with a mouthful of shark teeth identical to Sin Mal's, and pulled Kira into a tight hug. "You're super excited too, right?!
"After all, your dream is finally about to come true!"
"What are you talking about?!" Kira shoved hard against Salome, but Salome was incredibly strong. Kira was unable to push her face away from Salome's massive "sins," forcing her to speak in a muffled voice.
"Why are we even here in the first place?!"
"...Wasn't this your dream, Kira?" Shub was dressed like a runaway princess, forming a stark contrast with the highly cyberpunk aesthetic of everyone else in the group.
"Didn't you say that this competition wouldn't deserve its name if you weren't in it?" Cecilia smiled warmly at Kira.
Kira glanced at Cecilia, her eyes momentarily glazing over.
Cecilia was dressed completely differently than usual today. A leather jacket over short shorts, adorned with various complex, jingling metallic accessories that didn't look cheap in the slightest.
Her usually loose hair was tied up into a high ponytail, secured with a metallic hair tie.
Studded wristbands, a leather thigh strap, knee-high leather boots, paired with a crop-top and a small vest—the sight made Kira's heart beat slightly faster.
But that wasn't the point right now!
"I was joking!!" She wailed in absolute agony, glaring at the true culprit, Siegfried. "I never actually intended to sign us up!"
"Ah? Really?! Is that what happened?!" Siegfried scratched his head guiltily, completely avoiding Kira's gaze.