Chapter 1330 Who are you? Part 1

While gazing at the still visibly stunned Sigma, I continued to make inferences while manually approaching the Iron Meteorite Mirror that was still hanging in the air with us.

「Yes, Elise Jitter Doll. Hmm, I see it now. She appears as the “Diva” before the challengers…… However, how could it be if she was never personally involved with the Orchestra?」

That is because Elise Jitter Doll has never been the owner of a music player in the first place. The main reason why Sternbloom members, Doctor Andrew, and pre-Era of the Gods humans were involved with the Orchestra was that they were the owners of music players for any period of time. And that is the one and only rule that rings true for all of those people.

So, does that mean that every single member of Sternbloom was the owner of the music player at some point in time? Perhaps because the members kept on renting the blasted thing to one another? Well, the possibility of that actually happening is not entirely zero here, but it is actually as close to zero as it could possibly be.

「You see, only those who have previously owned an Orchestra or the music player in the past can be involved with the Orchestra at the current moment, and Elise Jitter Doll herself has never been involved with the Orchestra in the first place.」

「But if that is indeed so, then why does Elise Jitter Doll appear as the “Diva” before us……?」

There, right there! This is it! This is the key element for us to be able to capture the uniqueness of the Orchestra of the Gloomy Melody.

At that time during the battle, Elise’s face was replaced by Elma’s. Normally I would think nothing of something so odd, but in my current circumstances that was realty far from something I would call convincing. Unique Scenarios aim to complete the story of the subject they are connected to, and Unique Monsters are defeated with the help of greater or lesser conviction. Or you need to be moving towards finding that conviction on the go to make it happen.

But if that’s the case here, then it’s too dangerous to reach out towards that screen right now…… There would probably still be a reward, however, I am more than sure that this game is not going to shy away from giving you a bad end ot the quest as it would be to grace you with a good ending. Especially since this is basically a one-time only unique content. So I must be careful because I must have the utmost confidence in my words and actions.

「What exactly is a music player? For what purpose was it created in the first place?」

「…… Answer: Wouldn’t its main purpose be to allow various people to listen to music at their own leisure?」

「Yes, that’s exactly right, Sigma. Its main purpose is allowing others to listen to music. So in other words…… The role of the music player is to “Play the song”. Nothing more, but also nothing less.」

Its main purpose is to take something that was created in the past and is presumably no longer here or intact, and reconstruct it in its peak state into this very time and this very place. Call it being reborn, or even a resurrection, but it’s basically the same kind of concept granting the very same end result. For example…… Yes, Elise Jitter Doll’s song. But since that thing turned out to be an occult object of mysterious properties and unknown principles, can it be really surmised that the only thing that is being revived in the process of its working is the song? And if that’s the case, then what is possibly driving that “Diva” Elise forward? It surely must be something that is not at all related to the person itself…… So could we tentatively define such force as the soul? Wouldn’t that be too much of a stretch here?

「Hmm…… Oh well, we can always figure this all out later. Anyways, I think that a festive occasion requires a proper dress code, don’t you think?」

Of course, my male self does not possess anything that could pass as a formal wear. So in that case I decided to wear something that is as close to formal wear as possible. Yes, that’s right. I used the power of the Holy Grail in a hurry and then donned my trusty bunny girl suit!

「Alright then, Sigma. I know that our battle against the Orchestra is technically over and all that, but does the fact that its over really mean that this is the end of it?」

「Question: Huh? What do you mean by that? I’m not sure I quite follow……」

「Oh, come on now! Shouldn’t it be obvious by now? Don’t give me that! …… After all there is only one thing that you are supposed to do after the concert has reached its end, wouldn’t you agree?」

There you go! I’ll even lend you a hand so that you won’t have to struggle all by yourself.

「You see, I want to see some of Elise Jitter Doll-san’s finer points! So encore! Encore! Encore! Come on now, Sigma! Repeat after me! Encore! Encore! Encore!」

「…… Encore, encore, encore. Encore, encore, encore.」

Come on now, this is it! The last thing that every singer out there needs to do before the curtain calls! So let’s do this thing! And please don’t close the store on us just yet, oh great “Diva”! Wait just a little longer so that we can share this moment!

「「Encore, encore, encore! Encore, encore, encore!」」

I make sure that my voice matches its tempo with Sigma’s and we continue to repeat that one word together over and over and over again. We are technically calling out to the emptiness that fills the space of this bar, but I am sure that something is in here with us. And that it’s right where that mask is currently being placed. So come on out! Don’t be shy and just grant us our wish!

It was then that it happened, right after we have been going at this “Encore!” repetitions for about thirty seconds or so.

「……………」

Just then, small traces of blue-white flames started to appear in the otherwise empty space of the bar.

「Oh. Ooohhh!」

「T-This is……」

A bunch of small flames sway in a windless void right before us, illuminating a dim place and casting shadows all around, while within the flames a contour of a person slowly started to form and take shape.

Now, what appeared out of that mysterious shadowy contour was the appearance of a woman who just so happened to disappear on me last time with a look of utter sadness and regret written all over her face. Yes it was the one and only…… Elise Jitter Doll herself! The only difference between her from the last time and now being that this time around she was wearing a music player on her chest, just like you would do a necklace.