219 Chapter 220 - Deux Ex Machina (1/2)

Chiaki’s whole-hearted performance perfectly displayed the female general’s inner conflict and tugged at the audience’s heartstrings.

Seiji inwardly praised her performance.

This was the first time he had witnessed her formal performance. Surprisingly, she had blasted his expectations out of the window!

He wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about what would be considered professional-level acting. But in his eyes, Chiaki’s performance was on that level: it was just as good as the acting in a television show or movie performance.

After some inner struggle, Wakamei Touhou finally chose to attack.

She faced almost certain death resolutely as she led her squad in an ambush against the strong Ice Kingdom squad defending the prince.

After a fierce battle between both sides, only the red-haired female general and the Ice Prince remained standing.

The two lovers finally met again, but the times and people had changed.

Wakamei was pained as she recalled her naïve and innocent past self, as well as the cruel battles she had been through, and cried as she requested the Ice Prince to destroy the artifact and thus end the war.

The Ice Prince refused.

He had the artifact after all, and as long as he could bring it back home, it would be the Ice Kingdom’s victory.

The two of them dueled against each other in single combat. In the very end, the female general personally slew the Ice Prince.

She won and obtained the artifact.

But her heart and body were both laced with injuries.

The previously gentle girl, transformed into a cold general after years of bitter war, grit her teeth as she destroyed the artifact, the culprit of the war between the two countries, and the cause of many sacrifices.

This action of hers was doubtlessly a betrayal of her country! It was a cruel betrayal of all her comrades that had fallen in battle just for the sake of this artifact.

Standing amongst the crowd of corpses, the red-haired general reminisced about her past.

This was the most tearjerking part of all.

Chiaki’s monologue as the female lead, who had received such an impact to her body and soul, was extraordinarily moving!

Seiji could hear Mayuzumi, who was beside him, crying softly, as well as Saki sniffling. Some other audience members seemed to be making similar sounds of sorrow.

The red-haired general let her hair down and sang a slow, final verse as she danced elegantly.

Compared to the beginning, her voice was slightly hoarse, and her dance steps were purposefully clumsy.

However, it gave the audience a sense of… indescribable beauty.

The sounds of crying and sniffling grew louder.

The female general suddenly tripped and fell on the ground.

Of course, the song and dance stopped because of this.

”If I can go to a better, more beautiful world after death, I hope that I’ll be able to dance once more with you there…”

After speaking that last sentence, she smiled faintly, picked up the prince’s sword, and stabbed it into her own chest.

The lights gradually dimmed

The curtains slowly closed.

The story was over.

At least that was what Seiji and the audience believed.

Nobody left their seats. Everyone was waiting for the curtains to open back up again so that they could give their vigorous applause to all the drama club actors and actresses.

However, when the curtains opened up again, they didn’t see a row of high school students as they expected.

Instead, they saw the backdrop of the first scene again!

The red-haired girl walked out just like the first time, but with a confused expression on her face.

”I clearly already died… why…”

”Because you made a pure wish, young maiden.”

A goddess appeared.

The actress was… Anya Saigenji!

Seiji was shocked by the drama club president’s extravagant appearance and serious expression.

There was no helping it—it was just far too much of a contrast from the impression he had of her… honestly speaking, he almost spat out his drink!

Luckily he managed to restrain himself and not bother anyone else.