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StorytellerWelcome to the stage of the girls.

StorytellerWhat you are about to see is— her story, with a secret.

StorytellerWhat awaits ahead? Bliss or doom? Until the moment the curtain falls, let us witness together the opera of the dolls.

Doloris...

OblivionisDoloris... Now, it's the night of the awakening.

AmorisShall I wake her up?

TimorisIf you force her to wake up, you might break her soul.

MortisOnee-sama.

OblivionisIt's alright. The moonlight will wake her up.

OblivionisThe moon swallowed by shadows comes back to life, and the poor doll once again takes on a temporal life...

Doloris...!

OblivionisNow, let's begin... tonight's masquerade!

After the Performance

ReporterThat was another breathtaking performance! Could you share your enthusiasm for the upcoming Budokan performance?

SakikoOur mission is to create a dream-like experience for our guests.

SakikoWe would be delighted if you also immerse yourself in the world of Ave Mujica at Budokan next time.

UikaBudokan is amazing!

UmiriIt hasn't been long since our debut.

NyamuEmphasize that it's the "fastest ever"!

ReporterO-Okay. How about you, Mortis-san?

Mutsumi! I... ......

SakikoAs you can see, Mortis is a little shy. Mortis, let's end with a gratitude.

MutsumiThank you very much...

ReporterThank you for your time. I'll take my leave now.

SakikoHave a good evening.

NyamuPhew... finally, I can take it off~

SakikoDon't take it off until you are back in the dressing room. You never know who is watching.

NyamuHuh? Am I getting exposed? Amoris is actually Nyamuchi—

SakikoAmoris

NyamuSo, do you mean that... we are going to keep these masks on forever? It's messing with our faces and numbers.

Sakiko...

NyamuUika from sumimi. Daughter of the great comedian Wakaba and the star actress Minami Mori.

NyamuWe could simply take the masks off to make the whole world notice us.

SakikoAve Mujica does not undersell. First, we need to build a track record, then work on our music—

Nyamu"I liked it yesterday, but got bored of it today."

Sakiko!

NyamuThe world is cruel, and they might get bored if you keep messing around.

Mutsumi...

SakikoI am not going to let this band be just a passing fad.

SakikoI told you. Give me the rest of your life.

UikaSaki-chan...

NyamuHmm...

SakikoI know the proper moment to play my card. We will take the masks off at the best stage and at the best moment.

UikaSaki-chan, wait. Let's go back together.

SakikoUika

UikaI was touched. I realized how much you care about Ave Mujica.

SakikoThat's right. I am entrusted with your lives.

UikaI can't believe how popular we've become upon debut. Saki-chan really is amazing!

SakikoIt's all thanks to you, Uika.

SakikoI couldn't have asked for a better frontwoman for Ave Mujica.

SakikoWas it okay? At that time, you didn't even ask anything.

UikaYes.

SakikoUika, you're surely the type to get talked into buying crystals.

UikaThat was mean~

SakikoEven under the same agency, it must be tough to work as sumimi simultaneously. I'll try not to make it a burden for you.

UikaIt's not a burden, not at all. It's actually quite refreshing... And...

UikaMy dream of being with you forever came true...

SakikoUika...

SakikoExcuse me... ...!

UikaIs it for work?

SakikoYes... See you later.

SakikoHey, pull yourself together! How many times is this now that you've ended up in trouble with the police?

KiyotsuguUgh... You're better off without me...

SakikoStop talking nonsense...! Please sleep properly in the futon.

SakikoPhew...

Sakiko...

Sakiko(Four more songs before Budokan. I need to write at least two songs by this weekend to give Uika time to write lyrics...)

Sakiko(For me, there is no other path left...)

SakikoLooking back, I was truly a happy child.

SakikoSurrounded by loving parents, spending every day playing the piano I adored... Those carefree days truly seemed to sparkle.

SakikoBut those days came to an end when mother passed away.

SakikoFather did his best to protect me... but he simply couldn't recover from that deep sorrow...

SakikoYet, what saved me was—

TeacherIt's the music festival in the afternoon. Let's go to the auditorium.

MutsumiSaki, let's go.

SakikoOkay...

Sakiko...!

SakikoMutsumi, who are those people?

MutsumiThey are seniors who formed a band for the first time in Tsukinomori.

SakikoBand... Mutsumi! We should start a band too!

MutsumiEh?

SakikoA band!

SakikoSoyo Nagasaki-san. I'm glad she's a pleasant person. And then the vocal...

Tomori...

Sakiko...? What's that girl doing, leaning so far over the bridge...?

TomoriAh...

Sakiko!!

SakikoNo, don't!!

TomoriUgh...

SakikoOuch... Are you all right?

SakikoI'm sorry for pushing you... But you mustn't die!

TomoriWhat...?

SakikoYou were trying to die, weren't you!?

TomoriN-No... The wind took the flower I was holding... I just reached out my hand...

SakikoFlower...?

SakikoWhich is more important, a flower or your life!?

SakikoOh, wait... Flowers have life too, don't they...?

TomoriIt was a falling flower, so I think it was already dead.

SakikoDead!? What!?

Tomori...

Sakiko...It seems I misunderstood. You weren't trying to do anything like that...

SakikoShe stopped me as I was about to leave, and invited me to her home to tend to my injury.

SakikoWhen I found the songwriting notebook in her room, my heart truly raced with excitement.

SakikoI still believe that our encounter at that time was destiny...

Sakiko—♪

Tomori...

Sakiko"Song About Wanting to Become a Human"... These truly are wonderful lyrics...!

SakikoI apologize for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Sakiko Togawa.

SakikoWhat's your name?

TomoriTomori...

SakikoTomori-san... won't you start a band with me?

SakikoStarting now, we are a band... We'll play music together and our destinies will become one!

Mutsumi...

SakikoAfter that, every day was truly wonderful. Practicing in a studio for the first time, going to karaoke...

SakikoI even did things like shouting my heart out from the pedestrian bridge.

SakikoAll of those exciting days eventually found their way into that song.

TomoriThis...

SakikoWhat is this...?

TomoriThis is the first time I've written lyrics.

SakikoI understand. This is...

Sakiko......

Tomori、Taki、Soyo、Mutsumi!

SoyoSaki-chan, are you okay?

Sakiko"Haruhikage" is... our song, isn't it?

SakikoI will write music worthy of Tomori's lyrics.

CRYCHICHaa... Haa...

TomoriThank you... very much...

Sakiko(Uika... you came to see us...!)

Sakiko(...? Father?)

TakiHuh? What's with this reaction!? They don't understand anything about Tomori's songs!

TakiI'm blocking them.

SoyoTaki-chan, it's better to mute than to block.

Sakiko(What happened to father?)

Kiyotsugu Togawa

SakikoFather, have you arrived?

Kiyotsugu TogawaWe can't live together anymore.

Kiyotsugu TogawaSakiko... please be happy.

SakikoWhat...?

Mutsumi...?

SakikoGrandfather! Where is my father? You know, right?

SadaharuThat one is no longer with Togawa. He took responsibility for the fraud and quit.

SakikoFraud...?

SadaharuIt's a loss of 16.8 billion yen.

SakikoNo way...!

SadaharuIt was bad luck. Forget your father and become my daughter. You're Mizuho's memento. I don't want you to have a hard time.

Sakiko...!

SadaharuSakiko! How is a sheltered person like you going to survive?

SakikoI ended up rushing out... But at least I was able to bring along the memento doll.

SakikoIs here... father's new residence...?

Sakiko! Empty beer cans...

KiyotsuguUgh...

SakikoFather! Wake up, father!

KiyotsuguMmm...

SakikoHe's breathing... Thank god...

SakikoAfter that, I was simply desperate. I had to earn money to cover our living expenses. I had to somehow make things work in Father's stead...

SakikoI know I'm asking for the impossible. But please, would you hire me?

Store Manager"Even if you say that, we can't hire junior high school students. What about your parents? What are they doing?"

SakikoThat's...

Store Manager"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. I'm so sorry."

SakikoOkay... Sorry for bothering you.

SakikoThe balance is almost gone... Even if I deliver more newspapers... it's only a drop in the bucket. At this rate...

MutsumiAre you really going to quit?

SakikoMutsumi, did you know? The tuition at Tsukinomori is very expensive.

MutsumiWhat about CRYCHIC?

Sakiko...

SakikoI'll find time for it somehow. Don't tell anyone yet.

SakikoI don't want to... cause any trouble or worry for the members. I absolutely don't want to quit CRYCHIC...!

SakikoI have to make this work. I have to... I have to—!

SakikoI finished earlier than expected. I can still make it to practice.

SoyoCan you come today?

SoyoCan you come today?

Soyo

Soyo

3303-6761-0110

Sakiko? Who could that be...?

SakikoYes... this is Togawa. What...?

SakikoWhy do you need alcohol...?

KiyotsuguSakiko... I'll do my best...

SakikoFather...

Soyo

SoyoEveryone's waiting.

SoyoWhat's wrong?

SoyoIf something's wrong, I'll listen.

Sakiko...

Sakiko(I can't... take anymore...)

SakikoI came today because I have something to say.

SakikoI am quitting CRYCHIC.

Taki...!

Soyo、TomoriEh?

TakiSeriously, isn't that a bit irresponsible?

TomoriBut Saki-chan, if you're not here...

SakikoCould you please not talk like a spoiled child? Tomori, you need to practice more than anyone else. What have you been doing all this time?

SoyoWait...! Let's talk this out! After all, we've had so much fun getting to where we are... Mutsumi-chan, you think so too, don't you?

Mutsumi...

MutsumiI... I've never thought being in this band was fun, not even once.

SakikoBut... it felt like my chest would tear apart.

SakikoIf only I could have told them the truth. If only I could have told them I wanted CRYCHIC to go on.

SakikoI hurt everyone. So... this pain in my chest is my punishment.

SakikoWaaaaahhh...

Sakiko(All I have left is, Ave Mujica.)

Sakiko(That's why the Budokan must be a success. There's no turning back now.)

Sakiko(I want to forget everything as soon as possible...)