[No matter how I try, I cannot understand] (Doushite mo boku ni wa rikai ga dekinai yo)
I cannot comprehend the pain I feel now. Has my heart been pierced too?
[It hurts! It hurts!] (Itai yo itai yo)
Furina's voice seemed to carry a sobbing tone.
[I don't understand this!] (Konna no shiranai yo hitori ni shinaide)
[Don't leave me alone!] (hitori ni shinaide)
My heart is the only one I have…
The scene changed. Peruere pointed her sword at Crucabena, her expression dark as she glared at her opponent.
The screen flashed, and the red background appeared again. This time, the black figure was Peruere.
[Just destroy my body, tear it apart, do with it as you please.]
After Clervie, it was her turn to defy this "fate."
[No matter how I call out, how I struggle, how my eyes swell from crying.]
The same scene, the same imagery—Peruere's black shadow splashed ink.
But this time, the ink was more like the wind stirred by a swinging blade, the wind of defiance.
Yet, in the end, the defiance seemed to fail. Peruere collapsed in the ruins, the scene returning to normal, her longsword falling beside her.
[You still hold me tightly, never letting go.]
It was Clervie's smiling face, but this time, her smile revealed exhaustion, maintained only with all her strength as she tightly embraced her.
She, too, held her tightly.
[That's enough!!]
In the ruins, Peruere clenched her teeth, resolute in her determination.
Under the "curse," she found her "salvation."
Amid the ruins and ashes, it was a song of defiance! A song in the ashes!
The battle ended, and the defiance triumphed, but her "heartbeat" seemed to have stopped.
Peruere looked up at the blue sky, no longer bound by a "cage."
Her expression was calm and serene, devoid of the joy of victory.
In this tranquil scene, Furina's voice seemed to come from close by, her singing soft, like a whisper in the ear.
[Hey, if I had a heart]
[How should I go about finding that thing?]
The screen flashed to a close-up of Clervie, with a white background, as if it were a "memory."
[You, with a slight smile, said]
Clervie's smile was still so gentle as she pointed to Peruere's "heart."
["That thing, it's right here."]
The screen darkened, and the accompaniment ended. The audience thought it was truly over this time, wiping their tears.
But the screen lit up again, showing Clervie once more, smiling. Yes, she was smiling, but tears streaked down her face.
She cried silently, without a sound—truly a voiceless cry.
Her finger lifted, this time pointing to her own "heart."
At that moment, Furina's voice rang out, unaccompanied, a soft a cappella.
Her voice was low and gentle, as if whispering secrets to the audience.
["That thing, it's right here."]
Then, blood splattered.
The screen went dark.
"No…" Overwhelmed by emotion, Arlecchino unconsciously murmured a single word, her hand lifting slightly before lowering again.
Her voice was soft, but with the sound from the screen gone, those around her still heard it.
The ever-calm "Knave" didn't shed tears, but who could say she wasn't heartbroken?
How many years had it been since she felt such sorrow? Lucian, oh Lucian, meeting you is truly my fortune…
Rosalyne, perhaps the closest among the Harbingers to the "Knave," saw her in this state and quietly schemed.
Next time she brought gifts for the children, she'd bring a cake for her too.
But for now… Sigh, let me have my moment of sadness alone.
Behind her veil, Columbina's eyes remained closed, and she didn't turn to look at Arlecchino, seemingly uninterested in it all.
She sat quietly and elegantly in her seat, waiting for the screen to continue.
The darkened screen displayed text: The Song in the Ashes · Complete
Song: "Kokoronashi"
Performed by: Furina
Lyrics: Lucian
Music: …
Art: …
Then followed the names of all the "heroes" involved—the production team.
Was it really over this time? Uncertain, let's keep watching.
The audience didn't dare leave, fearing Lucian had another "sneak attack" planned.
And so, they were toyed with by Lucian. Just when you thought it was over, there was an easter egg. But when you expected an easter egg, there was none.
After the credits rolled, it truly ended—no more easter eggs. The audience had simply watched all the names.
At the back of the theater, the Fatui Harbingers and those with "employee tickets" sat together.
The theater was pitch black, so naturally, no one noticed those seated at the very back.
Rosalyne placed her hand on her chest. My heart is the only one I have, but I can no longer feel its "beat."
She, too, had been drawn into the song, feeling the same sorrow.
If I could abandon everything, would living with a smile become easier?
If I could forget everything, would living without crying become easier?
She had abandoned everything, forgotten everything, let flames destroy and tear her body apart, yet she hadn't lived more easily.
Yes, I'm always smiling. Yes, I no longer cry.
Is it because everything became easier? No, it's because my "heart" no longer "beats."
It stopped, along with the hourglass, in the past I abandoned and forgot.
But after seeing the story Lucian wrote, she had gradually come to accept her current self, finding some peace.
As the story's protagonist, Arlecchino remained seated, watching the rolling credits.
Arlecchino didn't move; she was still processing her emotions.
Furina's song this time moved her even more than the last, and it was harder to let go.
Rosalyne had found peace—had she? Perhaps she had too…
Beside her, Columbina, the "Damselette," seemed to glance at the "Knave" before standing up.
She turned to face the Archons behind her, her veiled eyes seemingly fixed on Furina.
Furina felt the gaze. With three Archons beside her, she wasn't afraid.
I promised to teach the Electro Archon how to cook Lucian's favorite dish. If you mess with me, big sister Raiden won't let you off.
"Lady Furina, your singing was astonishing. Please allow my presumption, but let me thank you on behalf of everyone for your performance," Columbina said, her voice gentle.
"Guh—? Ahem, thank you for your praise, Harbinger of the Fatui," Furina replied. The odd sound at the start was because she was secretly crying.
She was trying hard to control her emotions, so she only choked up.
But Columbina's sudden address caught her off guard, and she hadn't caught her breath, resulting in a high-end singing technique—a "brake note."
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Furina: About the "Knave"
"Her story… sigh, as an Archon, I'll forgive her 'rudeness.' I won't fight her."