The Magical Girl Troupe's performance had concluded. Let's shift our perspective back to the waiting room and see how Shu's group reacted.
The four of them sat side-by-side on the sofa, staring at the screen. Four different faces displayed the exact same expression of profound weirdness.
"This... hiss..." Kiana squinted, her mouth twitching. With a contorted expression, she raised a hand to rub her chin. "Why does this script feel so incredibly familiar?"
"According to Bronya's memory, the prototype for this story is undoubtedly the events we experienced at the Babylon Tower under the Herrscher of the Dream." Bronya stated the painfully obvious truth in an eerie tone.
It wasn't that Kiana hadn't realized it. It was because she realized it that she felt so incredibly uncomfortable.
"Haha... It seems Sirin truly grew a lot from that incident..." Mei laughed awkwardly.
To be fair, Sirin had heavily adapted the story. The narrative barely shared any direct similarities with the actual events, aside from the elements of the HOMU Kingdom, the Demon King, and "Magic."
However... the underlying flavor was simply too strong.
All three of them couldn't help but glance at Shu.
If they weren't mistaken, the prototype for the role played by Seele and Frélle combined was Shu himself. And at the very end, Sirin holding the scepter, draped in starlight and an imperial aura, wasn't even pretending anymore.
That was quite literally Shu.
Shu sighed, feeling a mix of helplessness and amusement.
Throughout the entire performance, Sirin hadn't spared her past self an ounce of dignity. Not only had she fabricated numerous heinous crimes for herself, but she had also designed the Demon King's personality to be incredibly vile and repulsive.
Yet, when it came to portraying his role, Sirin was overwhelmingly protective.
From the fact that they appeared bathed in a holy halo...
To the fact that they didn't take a single step backward despite being bombarded, ensuring that even their battered state looked tragically beautiful and awe-inspiring...
And finally, unreservedly unleashing the most exaggerated, apocalyptic special effects to showcase their ultimate power.
Her dedication was visible to the naked eye. But this very dedication made Shu feel incredibly awkward, and the other three felt the exact same way.
It feels like we're being excessively, overwhelmingly flattered.
However, ignoring the awkward déjà vu, the performance was undeniably spectacular.
The dazzling, realistic special effects, the vivid acting... especially Sin Mal's portrayal of the Demon King. She didn't look like she was acting at all. Every laugh, every swing of her sword, felt like a true-color performance.
Shu genuinely suspected that Sirin hadn't given Sin Mal a specific script. The things Sin Mal said on stage were likely entirely improvised, or simply her expressing her true, unfiltered feelings.
Sin Mal: 'I dunno. They said I could publicly trash-talk Seele and Sirin, so I agreed.'
"Sigh..." After sighing, Shu finally smiled. "That was spectacular."
"What's wrong? Finally feeling the pressure?" Kiana stretched her arms and asked Shu with a grin.
"With opponents this strong, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel any pressure," Shu waved a hand, his gaze remaining on the screen. "Besides, isn't it better for the audience the more spectacular the performances are?"
"And for Sirin, this is a very good thing."
"The fact that she can adapt those events into a script and meticulously perform it for everyone proves that while she remembers what happened, it no longer has any negative emotional hold over her."
Mei smiled comfortingly. "This is truly the best possible outcome."
"That's so nice~" Kiana stretched lazily. "Hmm? Bronya, why aren't you saying anything? Give us your review! How do you think Seele did?"
"Seele is, and always has been, absolutely perfect in Bronya's eyes." Bronya's gaze was as firm as someone reciting a religious oath. God only knows how much absolute conviction she packed into that sentence.
"Uh..."
The other three stared at Bronya speechlessly. They collectively swallowed hard, silently withdrew their gazes, and chose to continue watching the screen without another word.
Bronya sneered internally.
Don't think Bronya doesn't know that Kiana's phone has been recording this entire time.
Everything she said now would become evidence used against her when Seele inevitably punished her in the future.
The fragile alliance between them had long since collapsed. Only psychological warfare and social manipulation remained.
Back on the stage.
Before the audience could fully digest the information-dense, explosive performance of the Magical Girl Troupe, the stage lights abruptly went completely dark.
The chaotic noise in the audience was cleanly sliced off by an invisible knife. The entire venue plunged into dead silence.
Immediately after, a pale, almost freezing spotlight pierced through the darkness without warning, landing squarely on the center of the stage.
Two people stood there.
There were no flashy transformation sequences, no grandiose introductory lines, and they weren't wearing masks.
And those faces were absolutely unmistakable!
"Overseer Otto?!"
"How is that possible?! Why is Overseer Otto here?!"
"Did the Great Eruption never actually happen? Is that why I'm seeing something like this?!"
"The absolute second-in-command of the Fire Moth, right under Lord Shu... is appearing on an entertainment program?! Has this world truly become something I can no longer understand?!"
The man standing on the stage, spreading his arms toward the audience and the cameras, was none other than Otto Apocalypse!
He looked nothing like the man who, just a short time ago, had purple lips and was on the verge of a heart attack. This Otto looked like he could work overtime for three months straight without blinking. He practically radiated vitality.
And standing right beside Otto was the source of his vitality.
Kallen Kaslana.
Both were dressed in classic attire—at least, classic to Shu and the others.
The solemn, classical priest robes looked bizarre on Otto, carrying a terrifying sort of dignity hidden beneath his casual smile.
Meanwhile, the nun habit, which should have appeared tranquil and elegant, radiated an infectious, undeniable vitality on Kallen—a feeling entirely divorced from religion.
An aura called "Revolution."
"Heh..."
Following a classic villainous chuckle, Otto made a downward pressing gesture toward the cameras and the audience.
The clamor and questioning gradually subsided. Everyone's gaze was firmly locked onto the man standing in the center of the stage.
"Good evening, everyone."
Otto's voice carried through the microphone across the entire venue. It was deep, magnetic, and bore an innate elegance and composure, as if he weren't standing on a stage, but attending a grand banquet in the Golden Hall of Future City.
"I am delighted to meet you all on this stage, and I am equally delighted that my appearance has surprised you.
"At the very least, it proves that you haven't forgotten me yet. I am deeply gratified."