Chapter 374 - 375: Seikan Hikou ~Kira~

Chapter 374: Chapter 375: Seikan Hikou ~Kira~

The viewers were eagerly waiting for the new concert to begin, only to discover that the episode had already ended.

The Stage had always been excellent at cutting off episodes at the worst possible moment.

So the viewers were forced to wait another seven whole days.

Unfortunately, just when everyone thought the concert was finally about to begin, the scene cut away yet again.

More precisely, the new episode opened on Athrun’s side.

PLANT was currently approaching a change of government.

PLANT’s colonies resembled hourglasses hanging in space, with mirrors at their narrow centers to reflect sunlight.

At the bottom of each hourglass colony lay an ocean dotted with islands.

The reason the Archangel had been able to obtain enough water at Junius Seven was that colony had possessed a sea like this as well. Water was the one thing they had never lacked.

And Athrun was currently on "April First," the capital of PLANT.

More precisely, Aprilius One.

—All PLANT colonies were named after months.

But "April First" was admittedly a rather funny name.

Athrun was driving an electric car across one of the islands.

Quiet residential neighborhoods surrounded him. A pleasantly humid breeze brushed through his blue hair, making the bouquet beside him sway as well.

Under the artificially regulated subtropical climate, everything here felt exceedingly pleasant.

And yet, for some reason, Athrun found himself thinking of the horrific scenes he had seen online.

After driving for a while, Athrun reached a broad garden in an upscale residential district. He turned into a private driveway and stopped in front of a mansion.

A camera mounted on the gatepost identified the vehicle, and a green indicator lit up.

"Identity recognized. Please present credentials."

A synthesized voice prompted him in a gentle female tone.

AI technology was very common in PLANT.

But precisely because of that, the powerful AIs in the four G-series machines had become a nightmare hanging over the researchers’ heads.

"Identification number 285002, Athrun Zala of the Le Creuset Team. I have an appointment with Lacus-san."

"Confirmed. Please enter."

After the AI completed its comparison, the gate opened.

Athrun drove straight inside.

While waiting for the butler to announce his arrival, Athrun remembered the first time he had visited this mansion.

Not long after he turned fourteen, his father had unilaterally informed him that he and Lacus were engaged.

At the time, Inori had not yet debuted, and the most famous songstress in all of PLANT was Lacus.

The revelation that the national songstress would become his fiancée had nearly stunned Athrun on the spot. Still dazed, he had come to the Clyne residence.

Just like back then, Lacus appeared at the top of the staircase.

Light pink hair, fair translucent skin, and that soft smile blooming on her face.

Compared with back then, she had barely changed at all.

But...

Athrun himself had changed.

He had already changed after his mother died, and now he had changed again.

Was this prince-and-princess kind of life really what he wanted?

He felt deeply uncomfortable.

"Welcome, Athrun!"

"Haro, Haro, Athrun—"

Lacus slowly descended the stairs, surrounded by a group of colorful Haros bouncing around beside her.

"Sorry, I’m a little late," Athrun said.

"Oh? Were you?" Lacus smiled, then lightly ran over and took Athrun by the arm.

"Never mind that—the concert is about to start."

"Eh? A concert?!"

He had not heard anything about Lacus performing today!

And indeed, it was not Lacus’s performance.

Lacus pulled Athrun into the room and switched on the television.

Athrun understood instantly.

Whenever Lacus brought him in front of the television, it meant one thing—

"Ohhh!"

"Inori-san!"

"Wah!"

Cheers from the venue burst through the speakers.

That was right.

Yuzuriha Inori.

The songstress who had debuted only a year ago.

A month earlier, Athrun and the others had thought of her as "the popular PLANT songstress second only to Lacus."

But now, to anyone who knew the truth, she was basically an absurdly powerful demon king.

Having your hatch pried open and then getting stabbed left one hell of a psychological scar.

"A red Astray? Ah... that should be the Gold Frame after a repaint..."

Athrun had no idea what she was thinking.

Not long ago she had been "slaughtering" ZAFT, and now she had turned around and started holding a concert for ZAFT.

—Wait, wasn’t she on the Archangel?

Why was she at a concert?

And judging from that scenery... North Africa?

The intro began, sounding like a light and easygoing song.

"The water shimmers, and rings of wind spread~"

"Across our touching fingertips, a blue current flows~"

"Simply gazing into each other’s eyes, loneliness falls away faster and faster~"

"I love you so very much~"

"OHHHHHH!!!"

A wave of screaming erupted below.

"Seikan Hikou. It’s a brand-new song that was just released!" Lacus rattled off the information like an expert.

At the venue, when Inori formed a heart with her hands and sang "I love you so very much," the crowd below erupted in cheers.

Perhaps to match the style of the song, Inori had not worn her Goldfish Outfit. Instead, she had changed into something purer and cuter.

The red Astray danced through the air in a circle, then set Inori down in the center of the stage.

Heart-shaped lights scattered around her.

Those hearts were projected into the air.

"Like transparent pearls, tears drift through the universe~"

"Even if it ends in tragedy, I still want to walk onward with you~"

"Riding a shooting star, I dive straight toward you~"

Another blown kiss.

Some people in the audience could not take it anymore and simply toppled backward.

"In the deep-blue starry sky, we are like fireworks~"

"From my heart, an arrow of light shoots forth~ Kira~"

"Ugh..."

This time it was even worse. Even Lacus nearly collapsed.

Athrun, however, remained perfectly calm.

Because he suddenly remembered something Lacus had said.

—It was a love song, but it was also not a love song.

Athrun did not fully understand what she meant, but he vaguely felt as though he was beginning to grasp it.

The song continued.

Accompanied by the lively dance, the audience became completely entranced.

Lacus’s songs were beautiful, but Inori’s songs were love songs that struck straight at the heart.

Coordinators were rational, not emotionless. Among hot-blooded young people, this kind of love song naturally hit much harder.

Singing beneath the feet of a Gundam, Inori drew nearly every gaze in the venue.

[Ohhh, this old man is about to switch teams.]

[So cute.]

[Release an album immediately!]

[Athrun, you have no heart.]

[Everyone can be moved except Athrun, right?]

[There’s absolutely none of that emotionless-girl vibe onstage.]

[Idol business mode.]

[Lmao, "business mode."]

[What a lively sixteen-year-old girl.]

"Thank you all so much for coming today~"

"Ohhh!"

"Then, the next song—My Boyfriend Is a Pilot!"