novelraw Chapter 74: To Become a Star You Must Burn
Chapter 74: To Become a Star You Must Burn
’Something different...’
’You... It’s you, isn’t it?’
A metal fist rained down on the boy again and again, reducing him to a bloody pulp of flesh and bone.
The dark sky over Concord began to lighten, signaling the imminent arrival of dawn.
’I broke you so many times, but you always got back up.’
’Your hands were cut off, your head smashed, your bones broken, and your heart crushed to a pulp...’
’I can see it in your eyes. More than anything in the world, you want to give up and forget this day as the worst nightmare.’
’And despite that, you get back up again. But...’
’Who are you... No.’
"...But why?"
He whispered the question, watching the boy return once again.
"Cause... To become a star, you must burn!!!"
The boy’s eyes shone.
"...Your hands are still shaking, you idiot."
"What I do is more important than what I think about it!!!"
"...Idiot."
The braid shot upward and split the boy’s head in two.
’To become a star, you must burn... Yes, you’re right.’
’When you’re burned out, you have two options: to fade away, leaving not even ashes behind, or to shine so brightly that others are blinded.’
’Then why am I different? When they turned me to ashes, I rose, just like you, and shone... Shone so brightly that I burned everything away. Even those who never, ever deserved it.’
’So, am I the one who was never meant to shine?’
’The one who was meant to quietly fade away and remain Nobody from the very beginning.’
’And the one who is truly worthy of shining...’
"THE STAR!!!"
"THE STAR!!!"
"THE STAR!!!"
The arena, filled with thousands, cheered.
Looking around, Mr. Nobody saw everyone rising from their seats, shouting that name.
No one was looking at him anymore.
He had become nothing but darkness, against which the real star shone.
Staring at the jubilant faces in the stands, a strange sense of detachment came over him.
It seemed as though what was happening was related to what had recently occupied his mind... But he just couldn’t remember what exactly it was.
"...And there’s something symbolic about that."
"W-what?!" shouted the boy who had returned.
"I’m asking who the hell are you, anyway?"
"THE STAR!!!"
"THE STAR!!!"
As if a single organism, thousands of people screamed, barely letting them speak.
"I-I’m Santi!" the boy in the once-white suit, now completely soaked in his own blood, shouted excitedly. "S-Santi Mi..."
"...Just a crybaby." The scythe shot upward and split the boy’s head in two. "Come here and let me beat the shit out of you, pussy."
"I-I won’t give up!!!" The boy shouted, lunging at him with his sword raised.
With his first strike, Mr. Nobody resorted to Paymax’s trick and broke the boy’s arm. But even so, Santi didn’t drop the sword and continued to hold it in his broken arm.
Although the movement should have affected only a small part of his body, a wave of involuntary spasms ran through his entire body.
"..." He grabbed the boy by the collar and rammed his forehead into his nose.
Blood poured from his nose, and tears welled up in his eyes again.
"N-no way!" With his eyes shut tight, Santi swung his arm in a wild swing.
His fist struck Mr. Nobody in the jaw, intensifying the feeling of disorientation.
It was the boy’s first successful attack.
"YEEES!!!"
"YOU CAN DO IT!!!"
"COME ON!!!"
The stands simply erupted in cheers.
It was as if they sensed something.
Mr. Nobody’s lip began to bleed. For a moment, he lifted his mask and...
"Tch!" Blood mixed with saliva spat right into the boy’s face. "Is that all?"
*Thud!* His metal fist struck the boy in the jaw.
Santi staggered, but Mr. Nobody grabbed him by the collar again and kept him from falling.
"Come on! I’ve already seen what you’re made of, so show me what this piece of meat is really capable of!"
"Aargh!!!" Santi screamed and punched him in the face again.
Tasting his own blood on his tongue, Mr. Nobody smiled.
Then they started trading blows.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
It turned into a complete slaughter. Almost without stopping, they beat each other with all their might.
However, it seemed the stands didn’t even notice that the boy was also taking hits in return.
They cheered, shouting his name.
"THE STAR!!!"
*Thud!*
Mr. Nobody found himself unconsciously glancing at the faces in the stands, all while still taking and landing blows.
*Thud!*
The people in the VIP box were merely clapping in support, but you could see in their eyes that they were rooting for the boy.
"Come on, The Star!!! Shine!!!" Only Marie, who had been acting strangely earlier, was cheering for the boy with shining eyes. She was so excited that it seemed as though stars were actually shining in her eyes.
*Thud!*
Despite their own defeat, every contestant in a white suit cheered for the boy with their shouts.
*Thud!*
Absolutely everyone was shouting as if they were fighting alongside the boy themselves. As if one boy were fighting for all of them.
Was there really anyone who was rooting for him, and not the boy?
’Hardly... But maybe that singer? Though she seems crazy, and we don’t even know each other.’
*Thud!* A powerful blow struck his jaw again, causing his head to snap back.
He felt something crack.
"..." Mr. Nobody’s gaze drifted down from the sky and caught on something interesting.
The people in the upper rows. These were the ones he actually knew.
’Tasha and her brother...? After what I did, it’s no surprise she’s rooting against me. But as for them...’
Mr. Nobody’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Punish that damn villain, The Star!!!" Her glasses flew off, revealing crimson eyes. Kuronuma raised her fist and screamed with all her might toward the arena.
Was there really anyone at all... who was on his side?
Was there anyone who truly believed he was worthy... of winning?
"Ohh..." Looking at the girl, a strained sigh escaped him.
’Uncle... So this is what you meant?’
With a lost look, he glanced at his opponent.
His face was smeared with blood, and his expression looked strange. Instead of the recent fervor and refusal to give up, there was... what seemed to be fear.
"You..." Mr. Nobody tried to say something, but couldn’t.
Raising his hand, he realized blood was coming from his mouth.
’...What?’
Slowly lowering his gaze, he finally understood why Santi had that look on his face.
"Kha..." He let out a disbelieving smirk, causing even more blood to spill from his mouth. His legs began to buckle... But that was hardly surprising.
The boy’s sword was buried in his gut.