Chapter 23: Strengthened Obsession
The Rising Sun Theater Group is just what it is—simply the Rising Sun Theater Group.
No mysterious, cool objectives, no deep-seated vendetta, just a desire to perform around the world.
Surprisingly, this organization has produced some outrageous characters.
Night Sky was at a loss for how to even comment on it.
Of course, that didn’t matter.
What mattered most to her was that she just wanted to check out the Rising Sun Theater and satisfy her curiosity.
Night Star had no objections.
But before taking Night Sky there, there was one thing she needed to tell her.
“Speaking of which, Night Sky, the wish I made that night wasn’t just to turn into a loli; I also wished for a soft, squishy pillow.”
“Huh? So the Wish Machine turned you into a pillow too?”
Night Star’s expression quickly became subtly awkward, her tone stuttering.
“It did… but it’s a little different from what I imagined. That pillow is… me.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means the Wish Machine turned me into two lolis! Two! The one talking to you right now is one of them.”
Night Sky clapped her hands together, dawning realization on her face.
“Oh~ I see, how magical… just kidding! But why did it turn you into two? Didn’t you just split in half? Are you going to have mental issues now?”
Night Sky grabbed Night Star by the shoulders, shaking her as if she was genuinely worried she might have a mental illness.
Night Star softly explained, “No, no, just think of it as having one soul in two bodies! It hasn’t put much burden on my mind, and it’s given my life a lot more fun!”
“Glad to hear that! It feels like having two bodies has a lot of play potential. Have you ever tried anything… you know, risqué?”
“Ahem~ I haven’t tried anything inappropriate!”
“Sure, sure…”
Moments later.
Night Star casually opened the Theater Door.
Kaguya and the others were also curious about the theater.
So, Night Star led them all inside.
With a shift in perspective.
The group entered the dimly lit theater.
Night Sky and the others scanned their surroundings, taking in the ambiance.
“I have to say, the atmosphere of your theater is totally creepy… Can’t the lighting be a bit brighter? By the way, do you really get audiences here to watch performances?”
Night Sky began to rant.
Night Star awkwardly scratched her head.
“Actually, our theater hasn’t opened to external audiences yet. We should be able to brighten up the atmosphere once we do.”
“Ah, I see.”
Night Sky set aside her complaints about the ambiance and started to observe the details of the theater.
“Putting that aside, your theater has such a traditional vibe, it feels so sophisticated. Watching a performance here must be quite an experience. Can we bring friends to see your shows when the time comes?”
“Of course! We’re very welcoming here!”
Just then, a figure approached—it was Night Lan, waiting at the theater.
Night Sky rushed over upon seeing her.
“This must be the other Night Star, right? I thought you’d also have silver hair and red eyes, but surprise, you have black hair and blue eyes! You look like twins! How fun!”
Night Lan smiled lightly at Night Sky.
“Actually, I’m Night Lan, originally named Night Star Lan. It’s better to differentiate us a bit.”
“Got it! So not only did you split into two bodies, but even the name split too!”
Night Sky and the others took their seats in the audience.
“By the way, what happened to the other theater members? I hope there’s more than just the announcer!”
Night Star Lan sat beside them.
“All the other members went to find the group leader. He’s the one controlled by that overwhelming power, so we need to rescue him.”
“The group leader must be the head of your organization, right?”
“Uh, I guess… sort of?”
Night Star Lan seemed a bit unsure.
Her role in the troupe initially leaned more towards being a mascot.
But as time went on, she started taking on more responsibilities, and now everything about the Rising Sun Theater was practically at her say.
Kaguya, sitting beside Night Sky, seemed to catch a whiff of something.
“There seems to be other presences in this theater.”
Night Star Lan quickly reacted.
“Eypar~ Guqiu~ Come down!”
The next second, a ghost girl and a pigeon swooped down from above the theater.
Eypar floated around Night Star, while Guqiu perched atop Night Lan’s shoulder.
Night Star Lan introduced them.
“This ghost is Eypar, not a member of the troupe—just a pesky ghost I keep around.”
Night Sky tilted her head.
“Eypar? That name feels familiar…”
She vaguely remembered meeting someone named Eypar once—just a passing acquaintance; they weren’t close, and she had no idea what happened to her afterward.
Then Night Star Lan started introducing the pigeon.
“As for this pigeon, she’s part of our troupe, acting as a performance prop. Her name is Guqiu, and she loves French fries.”
Guqiu eyed Night Sky and the others.
“Coo, nice to meet you!”
Night Sky’s eyes went wide.
“No way! The pigeon can talk! Could it be this pigeon can turn into a beautiful girl?”
“Not really…”
Night Star Lan replied.
“This pigeon is just a rather weak Star Eclipse embodiment, entirely non-threatening—no way she can turn into a beautiful girl…”
“Then why can she talk?”
“Don’t ask me, I have no idea, probably not even Guqiu herself knows why.”
So, during the rest of the time, Night Sky and the others wanted to watch a performance.
However, the only one in the troupe who could perform on stage was Night Star Lan.
Fortunately, she had long honed her performing arts skills, and with two bodies on stage, she could put on quite the show.
Even though Night Star Lan felt a bit shy, in front of her new friends, she had no choice but to put on a brave face.
An excellent performer should never fear the audience’s gaze!
…
Meanwhile.
On a bustling street somewhere.
An old man was passionately performing in an open space.
Dressed in a tailcoat with a black top hat.
It was the group leader of the Rising Sun Theater.
Around him were numerous onlookers, drawn in by his performance.
Star Eclipses are hard for ordinary people to perceive, but thanks to Kuro’s integration, this issue was solved.
The Star Eclipse pollution had long been eliminated by Night Star Lan, and Kuro’s fusion hadn’t awakened that feature, so it didn’t cause any mental pollution for the audience present.
A while later.
The group leader’s impromptu performance wrapped up.
The surrounding audience erupted in cheers and applause.
The group leader flashed a grateful smile, bowing slightly to the audience in thanks.
In the next moment.
Under everyone’s gaze, the old man’s figure quickly vanished, leaving behind only a few black feathers floating in the air.
In the blink of an eye.
The group leader’s figure appeared in a deserted high place.
“In this vast world, with countless stages, spectacular performances should not be limited to just one world. I want to bring great shows to people from other worlds—that’s the very meaning of my existence!”
Kuro continued to influence the group leader.
First, it was power.
Then… obsession.
