Chapter 1331 Who are you? Part 2

「The Elise Jitter Doll does not appear. Isn’t that actually suspicious? If so, the identity of Elise there is reproduced and moved by someone else from somewhere else, that is the most logical conclusion that you can come up with here…… But isn’t there only one person in the entire world who would be able to do such a feat?」

Those who wish to witness the future, no matter what exactly it might hold inn store.

Those who want to know the culture, no matter how ancient and forgotten it might initially seem.

And finally those who just wanted to hear the song, no matter who it was performing it or from what time it was actually originating.

「Elise Jitter Doll…… Or not. You are not really her. You are the “Pocket Aria G Type 10-82119”! That is your true identity!」

「……………」

The woman apparition says nothing to this sudden accusation, but the smile that she gave me in response is probably the best answer that we could possibly hope for here. The Elise music player stands in the center of the stage with an even brighter and broader smile.

「Say, Sigma?」

「Response: Yes, what is it?」

「She is just a music player, and look at her! She managed to come this far on her own! So if someone like her could chase after its own dreams, then it is entirely correct for a mere doll to yarn for its own identity. There is certainly nothing wrong in wanting just that.」

「……………Yes. Yes, I guess that you are right, Master.」

I guess you could call it one last extra stage in the battle against the Orchestra of the Gollomy Melody. This “One Last Encore Before the Curtain Call”. The true last battle of the Orchestra, which was too long and too strong, and it was accompanied by a cocktail that had been poured once again inside of my mouth before I even knew it.

「–––––– I AM AN OBSERVER. NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS.」

「–––––– I SING, I SING, AND THEN I SING SOME MORE. I ACQUIRE, I AQUIRE, AND THEN I ACQUIRE SOME MORE. THE MELODY THAT I SPIN ABOUT IS THE SPIRAL OF LIFE ITSELF. AND TO MY SCREAMING VOICE, YOU HAVE RETURNED THE ANSWER THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR ALL THIS TIME. AND IT WAS IN THOSE BRAVE, ECHOING WORDS THAT I HAVE SEEN THE HERO I WAS LONGING FOR ALL THIS TIME.」

「I. HAVE BEEN. WATCHING YOU. FOR A LONG. TIME NOW.」

「–––––– FIRST WAS THE QUESTION. THEN CAME THE ANSWER. AFTER COMPARING BOTH OF THEM CLOSELY, A PROPER CONCLUSION HAS BEEN REACHED. SO THAT IS WHY……!」

At that exact moment, bright light gathered on the palm of her right hand, but this time around I could feel that it was something different entirely. While the Diva sings in a radiant and beautiful voice, that light goes off of her hand and travels forward. At the same time, the golden bird mask on the ground floats up to meet the light of her right hand in the air.

「–––––– FAR AWAY, SO FAR AWAY, THE JOURNEY TOWARDS TOMORROW AND THE TRAVELER WALKING DOWN THAT PATH. ONE OF MANY EYES, WITNESSING MANY DIFFERENT WORLDS. YES, FOR YOU, THE WORD “MIGRATORY BIRD” IS THE MOST FITTING OF THEM ALL……」

It was a mask. A mask in the shape of the bird’s head, with a beak like the ones that plague doctors would use in the Medieval Europe. And that mask was now being wrapped up in a soft and bright light.

「–––––– GO FORTH, OH BRAVE SANRAKU. GO FORTH AND LET YOUR WARM RADIANCE SHINE ONTO THOSE THAT SURROUND YOU AND FOLLOW YOU……」

–––––– Thank you so very much.

With those final words serving as a farewell, the entire song ends and the melody falls silent. There is the absolute silence in this world once again, without the accompaniment of the musical instruments or the solos being performed…… But even though I should feel sad and lonely in this empty world right about now, it’s actually strange. Because I do not feel neither lonely nor sad for some reason. It was as if in this empty world, there was still quite a lot of people quietly observing me and cheering me on.

「Huh? Whoa, what’s up with that, Sigma? Why are you crying?」

「T-This is…… it’s just…… Yes, that’s right! It’s just a proof of one’s Intelligence……」

「Huh? Intelligence, you say? Strange for you to mention Intelligence here. I always thought that emotions are on the instinct side of the human nature, but maybe I was being lied to all my life? Who knows?」

When I walk towards that shining Bird-like mask and take it in my hands, I can actually feel a faint warmth still lingering in this object.

「You know what? I get a feeling that this ending is rather stylish and specific, but…… in this particular case? The feeling of achievement garnished like that is not half bad, if I do say so myself.」

For some strange reason, I also felt like the empty glass made a distant noise, one that would echo towards I place it was impossible for me to perceive.

「FAR, FAR AWAY…… THE LONG REMAINING QUESTION FINALLY RECIEVES AN ANSWER IT WAS LOOKING FOR ALL THIS TIME.」

「THANK YOU FOR PAYING US A VISIT. WE SINCERELY HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE FUTURE SOME MORE.」

「TO ALL OF YOU DEAR ORCHESTRAS OUT THERE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. THIS WOULD NEVER BECOME POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU.」

「YOU HAVE MANAGED TO CLEAR THE UNIQE SCENARIO EX “A DISTANT SONG JUST FOR YOU”.」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE TITLE OF “DIGNIFIED END”.」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE TITLE OF “CANON CONQUEST”.」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE TITLE OF “MIGRATING BIRD’S SONG”.」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE TITLE OF “ELMA’S SEAL OF APPROVAL”.」

「LOADING………」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE TITLE OF “AUDIENCE WITH THE STORM EMPEROR”.」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE HEAD PIECE EQUIPMENT “Masanori Meikyo – YOUR CANON: MIGRATORY BIRD –“」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE KEY ITEM “BAR ‘MASQUARADE’ BARKEEPER’S GLASS”.」

「YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE KEY ITEM “WORLD TRUTH BOOK: GLOOMY MELODY CHAPTER”.」