After dropping out of school, I chose to join a girls' band.

Lixi wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion as he looked around, searching for a way out.

"Congratulations, Lixi-chan."

Once again, Yue slowly walked onto the stage from backstage, but this time she wasn't holding that terrifying Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword). Instead, she kept clapping.

"Moon!! You were the one who orchestrated all of this, weren't you?"

Lixi's feelings were extremely complicated, a mixture of anger and confusion. She stood up, wanting to rush up and confront Yue about what had happened.

As a result, the originally solid wooden floor under his feet suddenly creaked and then collapsed, causing Lixi to begin freefall and fall towards the building below.

However, the expected pain did not come. The air cushion placed there at some point had caught Lixi, and her body changed from Yuqiu's school uniform into a set of clothes that she had never seen before but felt very familiar with. Two short sticks that looked like drumsticks appeared in her hands, and a strange cape was hung on her shoulders.

"Lixi-chan has completed her reproduction."

Yue stood not far away and spoke to Lixi.

"This space is completely under your control, Yue."

After what had just happened, Li hope knew perfectly well that everything here was completely controlled by Yue.

"No, as long as you show the corresponding brilliance, the stage will respond to you."

Yue shook her head and repeated what she had said before.

"Then what about these clothes and weapons? And what about this stage?"

Seeing that Yue was finally able to talk to her properly, Lixi asked the questions she was curious about.

"That's a stage..."

Yue originally wanted to say that it was a weapon formed from the brilliance of a stage girl, but then she thought, does Lixi really count as a stage girl?

"That is the weapon formed from your brilliance, Lixi. This stage originally existed to conduct selections and choose the most brilliant one among the participants. Now it is used for the exchange of hearts and determination. As for the clothes you are wearing, Lixi, they serve as proof of victory or defeat. When the cloak falls to the ground, it means you have been eliminated."

"And everything on this stage will change according to the participants' intentions and their brilliance."

As if to prove her point, Yue waved her arms, and the spotlight shone on her.

"So what was the point of all this trouble?"

Li hope felt he still only half understood Yue's explanation and didn't understand Yue's purpose.

Does it sparkle?

The moon asked.

"what?"

Li hope didn't know what Yue was talking about.

The stage curtain slowly fell, revealing the giant screen that displayed a clear image of Li Xigang performing on stage.

On the screen, her figure is clearly visible, wildly waving her arms and striking the drumhead, completely immersed in the rhythm of the music.

"Lixi, do you think you shine? Compared to your sister, do you shine?"

Yue asked again.

"I only finished the performance, how could I possibly compare to my sister..."

Lixi still did not give a direct answer to Yue's question.

"Is that so...? It seems we still have to start... this Revue of Inferiority!"

Yue originally thought that by making Lixi confront her past nightmares and placing her in the position her sister had once held, she could overcome her inferiority complex and truly recognize her own brilliance.

Unexpectedly, Shiina Tatsuki's answer was completely contrary to her purpose.

"Shiina Tatsuki... If you've always been overshadowed by others and unable to shine in your own way, then let me take back your brilliance."

Hinasaki hadn't originally planned to have a Revue with Riki, but since Riki still felt he couldn't compare to Toyokawa Shoko and Shiina Maki, a heart-to-heart Revue was still necessary.

"Huh? Yue, do you mean you want to fight me?"

Although Shiina Tatsuki still couldn't quite understand what Light wanted to do, she could understand the fighting intent behind his words.

"If Lixi understands it that way, then there's no problem..."

A hint of speechlessness flashed in Yue's eyes. She hadn't expected Li hope to interpret her actions so bluntly, but ironically, the other party's understanding was flawless.

When the Stage Begins: Chapter Fifty When the Stage Ends

"Although I've already said it once, let's say it again for the sake of the ritual."

Hinasaki gripped the Mo Dao in her hand, the blade parallel to her body, gently held horizontally in front of her chest. The blade gleamed with a cold light, reflecting Riki's resolute face.

"Dazzled by the brilliance, lost on the stage. Hinasaki, keyboardist of an unnamed band! If I cannot see the light, then I will cut down the fruit without light."

At the same time, the spotlights on the stage seemed to receive the guidance of her words, and the beams of light converged from all directions, focusing on Yue. Her figure appeared even more majestic and mysterious under the light, and she exuded a dazzling and dignified aura.

"In short, this is like a declaration of war before two armies clash, isn't it..."

Although Shiina Tatsuki, who had never seen the stage play, could not understand the meaning of Tsuki's words, she roughly understood what Tsuki was saying based on her own understanding.

"Under the stage lights, lost souls wander in. Shiina Tatsuki, drummer of the nameless band! I want to continue this band's journey with Hikari."

Shiina Tatsuki imitated Tsuki and recited the lyrics clumsily. Although it was rather awkward, it still received a response from the stage. As she recited the lyrics, many spotlights turned around and shone their beams on her.

As the two finished singing their lyrics, the background music of the wid-screen baroque played by Shiina Tatsuki began to play. Accompanied by the rousing drumbeats, Hinasaki lowered her body and charged forward, her katana slashing at Shiina Tatsuki with unstoppable force.

Despite not having much physical training, Shiina Ritsuki seemed to have mastered combat skills on the stage without any instruction. Her body reacted spontaneously, and a strong instinct led her to dodge. A gleaming blade slashed past her, taking a few strands of hair with it.

"Dong dong dong..."

Shiina Riki could feel her heartbeat like a drumbeat ringing in her ears, and hot blood surged through her body with each heartbeat. She gripped the two sticks in her hands tightly, feeling the power within her body tilting towards her.

Yue's blade was as cold as ice, sharp and piercing. Li Xi's nerves were taut. Although Yue said this was just a stage, she dared not gamble on the consequences of being hit, whether it was the ease with which she chopped down the wood or the way it had just cut her hair.

However, perhaps it was this extreme fear of facing life and death that inspired Shiina Tatsuki's courage. She did not back down, but instead straightened her body even more firmly, her purple eyes fixed on Tsuki's every move.

"あなた分かりますか? (Do you understand?)"

Although the two had just clashed once, only about a minute had actually passed, and the wid-screen baroque being played in the background had just finished its intro and entered the lyrics section.

"Eh? What do you understand..."

Shiina Tatsuki was taken aback by Tsuki's sudden, song-like question, and his previously maintained defensive stance relaxed slightly. Tsuki seized the opportunity, his figure swiftly rushing towards Tatsuki, the Mo Dao in his hand flashing with a cold light, slashing down with an aura that seemed to want to cut him in two.

Li hope realized something was wrong. She had been distracted by the lyrics and by the time she came to her senses, Yue's attack was already in front of her.

"Bang—" Qi Ersan Lin Si opened the umbrella.

Lixi swung his two sticks, one striking Yue's blade from the side to deflect Yue's next attack, while the other struck Yue's wrist holding the sword in an attempt to launch a counterattack.

Tsukimiya remained calm and composed in the face of Riki's counterattack. Her eyes were as calm as ever. She lowered her body, her feet firmly planted on the ground, and twisted her body to the side with elegance and grace. Her wrist smoothly dodged Riki's counterattack from behind, and she even had time to sing the second verse.

"ルールが分かりますか? (Rules, do you understand?)"

Her attack, accompanied by the lyrics, came at Lixi again, but Lixi's movements were as fast as lightning. She was agile, her toes lightly touching the ground as she quickly retreated a few steps, her movements as graceful as a dance as she dodged Yue's attack.

"wi(l)d-screen baroque, 歌って踊って胜い合いましょう (come sing, dance, you fight for me)"

Shiina Tatsuki also noticed that with each of Yue's songs, her offensive seemed to become more intense, which reminded her of the rules about the stage that Yue had introduced before, that the stage would respond to their emotions and performances.

Recalling how she could survive Yue's fierce attacks despite not knowing how to fight, Shiina Tatsuki became even more certain that the battles on this stage depended not only on their skills, but also on their performances, emotions, and even the brilliance Yue had mentioned.

If that's the case...

Shiina Ritsuki suddenly changed her usual defensive stance, taking firm steps and staring intently at Hinasaki in front of her.

"The performance ends with flowers falling away"

Looking at the unwavering determination in Shiina Riki's eyes, Tsuki finally smiled, but her attacks did not falter.

Shiina Tatsuki didn't dodge or evade this time, but met Yue's attack head-on without hesitation. The moment she showed her determination, the stage's blessing came to her. She held the two sticks, and her body had never felt so light. Every defense and attack was filled with her inner determination and strength. Her goal was very clear: to beat Yue, who had dragged her to this strange place, and then ask him what he wanted to do.

"What's next? What's next? What's next?"

あなたはドコへ? (where are you going?)"

On stage, Yue and Lixi met like two raging torrents, each movement seemingly carrying the force of thunder.

"Next, of course, we'll be performing with the lights... and everyone else!"

The long-handled broadsword in Yue's hand slashed through the air, leaving white streaks in its sharp light. Li Xi, on the other hand, used his double sticks to precisely meet each of Yue's attacks, nimbly dodging the opponent's blades.

Their battle, synchronized with the rhythm of the background music, resembled a magnificent dance, yet it was filled with tension and excitement. Yue's offensive was like a tidal wave, one wave after another. Shiina Tatsuki barely managed to defuse the opponent's attacks with the help of the stage and her unwavering determination, demonstrating amazing fighting talent and reaction ability.

The battle between the two was extremely intense, and a tense atmosphere filled the stage. A giraffe that had appeared out of nowhere in the audience was watching their every move closely.

"This is the brand new stage I've been looking for!"

Although Shiina Tatsuki realized that determination and emotion would affect the stage's response to her, she was ultimately no match for the battle-hardened Hinasaki. Even though the two were currently evenly matched and fighting each other, it was not a long-term solution.

Finally, in the midst of the fierce battle, Shiina Riki gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Yue's attacks became more and more intense. If the initial attacks could only be described as continuous waves, the current attacks were like a raging storm, making it almost impossible for her to resist.

Despite her efforts to maintain her resolve and will, in the midst of the fierce battle, Yue managed to suppress Shiina Riki by using her skills and even stronger emotions. Looking at the increasingly radiant Yue before her, Shiina Riki's mind wandered.

"It's no use... I can't hold off Yue anymore... I'm no match for her..."

Just as Shiina Tatsuki was about to give up, the song, which had been in the interlude, entered the chorus, and Tsuki's voice rang out on the stage once again.

"キラめきがどうした (So what if it shines brightly)"

“退屈だその程度か (Is this all the boring I can do?)”

"Kouほどにもないな(the name is not worthy of the name)"

"Escape" (as a reason to escape)

"No one is enough"

Even though it was just lyrics, Shiina Tatsuki felt that Yue was mocking her. The anger that was about to be extinguished in her heart was reignited. She gripped the sticks tightly, and her fingertips turned white from the force.

However, mere anger on stage was not enough, because Hinasaki was now calling out to the stage with an even brighter light, and the stage responded with the moon's brilliance. The two weapons clashed once more, and Riki's two short sticks were knocked away.

"Is this all there is to it? Shiina Tatsuki, is this all the brilliance you can achieve?"

"Here, you don't need to worry about skills or talent; you just need to show your determination and brilliance. But I didn't expect you to be only this good?"

Moon's eyes revealed her disappointment with Shiina Ritsuki. She hadn't expected that on a stage where only character mattered, Shiina Ritsuki's performance could only be described as mediocre, barely satisfactory, and still far from the perfection she sought.

"Down the stage, it's still the stage"

Yan艉だけじゃ足りないの (Only lines are not enough)