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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 4 Chapter 4 Part 8

「Uuuhh, umm…… I don’t really know how to do this properly, like this? Or maybe like this?」

As Javelin struggled to keep up with Emile Bertin’s movements, she needed to take initiative and guide her properly.

「Easy there, just relax! Just focus on repeating the steps I taught you earlier and you will be fine!.」

After speaking in a low voice, Emile Bertin smiled at the audience and raised her voice.

「Come on, everybody! It’s time to get even more excited!」

At Emile Bertin’s call, the members of the Maid Corps all at once appeared from the wings of the stage in formal dresses, filling the stage with a large number of people at once, and the music gradually faded out.

The scene darkened once more.

Then, a spotlight was shone on a single point on the pitch-black stage.

「…… Everyone, I can’t believe you’ve done such a gorgeous and magnificent job for someone like me!」

Boo-san, played by Cygnet, was also dressed in a party dress.

There was a quiet sound of waves coming from the speakers. It seemed that the scene was taking place outside of the party’s venue.

She looks back at the audience as if staring into the distance.

「Ah, but even so…… For some reason, my heart is still feeling all empty on the inside.」

Saying so, Cygnet slowly extended her arm in the direction of the acoustic chamber.

「I would like to…… be able to meet with Rei-san one last time…… before leaving the Home Port……」

Then, while still in her dress, she lifted up the pendant that she had cherished around her neck, like a memento of sorts.

「Please, Dear God…… Please let me meet Rei-san that one last time……!」

Cygnet suddenly turned around, when a voice sounded from behind her.

Right next to her, under the new spotlight, it was Belfast who appeared on top of the stage..

「Where did you get that stone?」

「This is…… a memento of someone dear to me who was stolen by the Sirens.」

When Cygnet said so, Bel approached her and took her pendant and held it in her hands firmly while saying the following words:

「This is a kind of stone that can make miracles happen.」

「A miracle…?」

Bel nodded her head.

「Yes, that’s right. This blue, transparent stone is a special substance that can project and embody the ‘image’ of the human mind, although there are still many mysteries left unsolved about the specifics of how it manages to accomplish just that.」

Bel held the pendant and raised Cignet’s hand to her chest.

「Believe in miracles…… And pray into the stone. Then surely, your loved one is bound to hear it and answer —— 」

「Pray to the stone……?」

Cygnet then clasped her hands around the pendant as she held it to her forehead, singing her prayers inside of her mind.

It was a little bit different what she would normally do when praying, but she was sure that it was not something that was completely irrelevant, either.

This is because “shipgirls” are built according to people’s thoughts, wishes, and intentions.

And then —— she prayed.

「Dear God…… Please, let me see her! Let me see Rei-san one more time!」

A high-pitched sound resounded from the speakers, and the entire stage was instantly enveloped in bright light.

「Aahh!!」

Even though they could all hear Cygnet’s voice, the audience in the audience seats could not understand what was going on due to the radiant shine.

After slowly turning down the light that was so bright, everyone’s eyes finally got used to the unusual glow on the stage.

「…… Rei-san.」

Right In front of Cygnet, there was Rei-san, played by Hood.

「I’m back, Boo.」

Hood said so and gave her a small smirk.

「Why are you crying?」

「……B-Because…I have always wanted to see you…… But you were no longer here……」

The two, facing each other, slowly approached each other.

—— Maybe it was all but an illusion.

In an attempt to express Boo-san’s feelings, Cygnet made her steps seem especially heavy.

Even if she wanted to check it out right now, she couldn’t get close to her right away because she was afraid that Rei-san would disappear like soap bubbles if she was to touch her.

Was she able to capture the frustrating emotions of the character for the audience to see?

Or maybe that’s what Rei-san, who was a noble character, should do.

She then dared to gently pull her body away from Hood ever so slightly.

「Rei…… -san……」

Hood then grabbed Cygnet’s hand when she tried to withdraw it.

Then, when she slowly places her hand on her cheek, Cygnet’s eyes open wide.

Even when she touched her, it was an unmistakable figure of Rei-san.

When she thought about it, her emotions gradually rose up and overflowed.

When Cygnet hugged Rei-san, Hood gently received her, and the two hugged each other in the center of the stage —- At that moment, the music that could be heard coming from the speakers was a happy ballad congratulating the two friends at finally being able to reunite with one another, playing across the entire theater.

「You’re such an idiot…… Boo.」

「Geez…… No more, Rei-san…… Promise me that you will never leave me again…… That you will stay by my side forever…..」

「I won’t leave you ever again, Boo……」

Immediately after reaching the denouement, a loud round of applause erupted from the audience seats.

Before the curtain came down, many of the shipgirls who had seen this reunion scene could not hold back and began to stand up.

「H-Hey, what are you doing!?」

Amazon, who had been watching the situation in the Sound Room in a rough manner, called out to the radio.

「It’s a change of schedule! Don’t lower the curtains, just turn off all the lights at once! Then shine a spotlight on them and attend the curtain call!」

Hearing Elizabeth’s reply, who was watching the situation from the side of the stage, Amazon immediately gave instructions to the Destroyer shipgirls who were handling the lighting around the stage.

The stage went all dark without warning.

Still, the applause did not stop at all.

After a short pause, the stage lit up again, and all the cast members gathered together in the center of the stage.

As the representative, Hood raised his voice with all her might.

「——-Today, thank you very much for watching our Royal Navy’s faction stage play titled “The Noble and a Maid”!!」

Cygnet also wiped the sweat from her forehead and bowed in a whirlwind of applause that seemed to drown out her voice.

The maids in party dresses that solidified the surroundings also curtseyed together and looked around in excitement. And while the audience was still surrounded by thunderous applause, the Royal Navy’s stage play, which had been so full of happenings, somehow came to a successful end.

* * *

Each faction’s competition was held in the auditorium next.

Despite the fact that the voting has ended, Mikasa and Enterprise, the representatives of their respective factions, were still in the audience seats, exchanging opinions on various programs they were able to witness.

「—— Oh, Bismarck-dono, why are you still here?」

For some reason, looking at Bismarck, who had just returned to the audience, Mikasa stroked her chin and made a strange face.

「The stage play ended some time ago, you know? And it was a really magnificent performance! You should have stayed here to witness it to the end.」

「It’s okay, I was watching it to the end, too.」

Saying that, Bismarck sat next to Mikasa and Enterprise.

「Here, I will wait with you for the results of the voting.」

Even so, in Bismarck’s mind, it was as if she already knew the outcome of the voting.

She never thought that the Royal Navy would be able to actually recover from that disastrous situation.

「…I am actually the most amazed at the unexpectedness of the Royal Navy’s Queen.」

That was Bismarck’s honest evaluation.

「But, I wonder if the script is going to score them a victory. Perhaps our faction should have been a little more particular about the script instead of focusing only on the visuals.」

As Enterprise said so, she heard a voice that was coming not from the theater’s speakers, but from the speakers installed throughout the entire Home Port.

「…… Erm, the results of the votes for each faction’s program have been decided just now, so let me announce them to you all really quickie, nya ——」

Listening to Akashi’s voice, Mikasa burst out laughing.

「Well, we are not going to concede defeat that easily, but…… Well, the outcome seems to be more or less decided at this point.」

「Yes, that’s right. But to be honest, I don’t think it’s actually a laughing matter.」

Bismarck muttered to herself like that, putting her hat back onto her head.

「Oh well, it cannot actually be helped that the Royal Navy, a faction which made everyone feel so many emotions after overcoming so many tribulations, would emerge victorious this time around. If we have another chance next year, I think we will make a comeback eventually.」

As Enterprise said so, Akashi’s voice echoed across the Home Port once more.

「Here are the results, everyone! The most interesting performance of this School Festival —— 」