Blue Archive story · Volume 5, Chapter 1, Episode 23
Vol. 5 Ch. 1 Ep. 23: Elaborate Lies
1 scenes, 147 lines
1. Part 1
147 lines
Sensei! Someone's fainted on the ground.
"Yukari?!"
"Ugh. There's no end to these monsters."
You two just don't give up, do you?
Shuro...
"...Shuro. This ends now."
We're taking Yukari home.
...Hah.
Haha.
Hahahahaha!
You're annoying. Really, really annoying.
You know, I think I've heard of this before.
The famed Sensei of Schale who can solve any problem.
They're a nosy busybody who can't help but meddle in every conflict that arises in Kivotos.
You've always fixed everything in the past, so why not now? You ran valiantly here with Nagusa, thinking you could snap your fingers and save Yukari.
Really? Really now?! Just one more pen stroke, and the conclusion of the story will finally be mine.
I'm on the last page, and you think you can stop me now? Yup. I'm aggravated. Annoyed. It's hilarious.
You're hilarious, Sensei. Your entertainment knows no bounds.
But I think what's really, really, incredibly hilarious is you. Nagusa.
...Stop it.
"Give Yukari back"? Do you of all people think you have the right to say that?
You think you're the hero of this story, Nagusa? You really believed you could ride in on your white horse and fix everything.
How disgustingly delusional can you be?
Did you get a cute little motivational speech from your friends?
Let me guess what they said. Ah! "Only you can save Yukari! Please!"
But why would they say something like that?
After all, you're the coward who couldn't save Ayame.
Oh. It all makes sense. You're still lying.
Did you tell them the truth? The reaaal truth about what happened out in the Great Snowfield?
"Nagusa, you don't have to listen to this."
Actually, you do. In fact, Sensei, you should too.
Look at Nagusa. She stands so proud now, finally ready to be a leader! A few nice words, and she thinks she can save the world.
But in reality, she's a weak-willed idiot who just can't seem to stop lying!
Do you remember? Nagusa? Because I do!
You came back. You tried so hard to save Ayame. And you failed, failed, FAILED!
Let me see your right arm. Stretch it out as far as you can, and we can see what it looked like when you lost hold of Ayame.
I guess little Nagusa is too much of a coward to have reached her.
Never forget what you are. You're an imposter, sinking your claws into Ayame as if her excellence would be your salvation.
What were we talking about again?
Ah, yes. Your right arm.
...I said stop.
Show Sensei your useless, shriveled arm. You see, Sensei, her arm was consumed by the spirit realm when she tried to reach into it to save Ayame.
So brave, so admirable. Not. The second adversity struck, you ran away as fast as you could.
I didn't... No...
Shush. I'm still telling your story.
I remember clear as day what Ayame said to you, after she became a Phantom Fable.
Do you remember it too, Nagusa?
Shut up! Shut up!
"You were never my friend, Goryou Nagusa."
That moment was so wonderful. I'll remember it forever.
She believed in you for a split moment, Nagusa. She really believed you were going to save her. Can you blame her for telling you the harsh truth when she realized how useless you were?
I'm totally on her side honestly.
Just imagine if it had been someone else there.
Someone else, anyone else could have stopped it from happening. They could have saved Ayame.
Don't you think so?
"Your words are poison, Shuro!"
Please don't interrupt me. I, Yabuki Shuro, the bard of ghost stories, am talking.
"Mmph?!"
There we go. The ghosts will keep you quiet.
You be good over there, Schale's Sensei.
Sensei!
Back to the topic. You, Nagusa. All of this is because of you.
Did that hurt your feelings? You think that's a little unfair? Hm?
I'll prove it to you.
My tome will expose all truths.
(I was born with expectations on my shoulders.)
(To rise above each and every one of them was my duty.)
(I smiled under the weight of their anticipation.)
My name is Kadenokouji Yukari.
The heir to one of Hyakkiyako's oldest and most honored families.
Uphold the Kadenokouji name.
Such has been my duty since the moment I was born.
...I know that.
That is my sole purpose in life.
But...
Then I met Nagusa.
She taught me how to pursue a life that I wanted, not the one that was given to me!
Yes! I wanted to join the Hyakkaryouran with Nagusa!
You were misled, Yukari...
I deserve neither your admiration nor your pride.
I was a fraud.
Every day I donned a mask and performed as was expected.
Everything you knew of me was a lie.
And because I lied...
Because I created this persona of Nagusa, all so I could selfishly stand by Ayame's side...
That's why Yukari sought to join the Hyakkaryouran. Because she believed in me.
Good, good. You're getting it, Nagusa. Everything you touch dies.
A better person would have grabbed Ayame from the spirit realm. Saved Yukari before it was too late.
All this, because you were an idiot who thought you had the right to stand next to Ayame.
Look at the flames around you, and know that they're here because you tried to step out of line.
Don't ever forget that.
I am culpable...for all of it... This is my punishment for dreaming...
I've ruined the Hyakkaryouran. Hyakkiyako itself.
My existence...was a mistake...
"Na...sa...!"
Boooring. Subdue Nagusa.
"...!!!"
Ahhh. Much better.
She was a shell of a person to begin with. It was easy to turn her into a ghost.
You'll be my favorite little pet forever, Nagusa.
*sigh*
And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the conclusion!
Heehee, Aha, Ahahaha.
How wonderful. Excellent!
I'm satisfied. Everyone has learned their place.
Everything went exactly to plan.
I will say, it took much less than I expected to make everyone turn on each other. Sowing the seeds of distrust among humans is just too easy.
And look at Sensei! Renowned throughout all of Kivotos, but nothing but a pawn to me.
Do you like my Ghost Stories, Kokuriko?
Now comes the fun part. Curse and hate each other! Cut down your fellow students and obliterate Hyakkiyako!
In my version of the Hundred Ghost Stories, Hyakkiyako burns to the ground. Kokuriko, I've achieved perfect elegance!
Now to receive my Katashiro...
"...!!!"
Huh?!
Look at you. You're all banged up and bruised from trying to resist.
What're you even trying to do here? Rescue Yukari?
The gleam of hope in your eyes disgusts me.
How dare the powerless have hope? You're not like us. I could kill you in an instant, Sensei.
"...!"
Stop it! You idiot!
You're still trying? Stop! Moving!
Do you have no brain? Are you just plain stupid?
Or are you just that desperate to save Yukari?
"...HYAAAH!"
...I'm utterly baffled.
Do you still not understand the situation?
If not for Yukari, I couldn't have made the Faceless Katashiro currently destroying everything Hyakkiyako students know and love right now.
She hated everyone so much, wished for freedom so badly, she created a monster.
Your stupid misconceptions of this stupid little student are making you believe in a lie.
Yukari was never a good person. She manipulated you into helping her revive the Hyakkaryouran.
That's all humans do! Lie! Lie! Lie!
They're no heroes. You're injured beyond compare. But you just soldier on relentlessly, determined to save everyone.
Why are you trying so hard to save some worthless, lying idiots? Why?!
"You're right. They're liars."
"They were terrified of the truth."
"Because of that, they lied to benefit themselves."
Do you still not understand the situation?
I knew you'd see it my way!
"...You're right."
"But why does it matter?"
...What?
"Is it really that bad to lie?"
"To be a hypocrite at times?"
What is this nonsense...
"It's not nonsense. It's common sense."
"All of these things are just ordinary."
...What?