Episode 5: Determination Awakens

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The group was enveloped by Alice's brilliant light for a moment. Once the light had faded, the Dark King was nowhere to be seen.

Rino
H-Huh... Where are we...?

Rino
The Dark King isn't here... We were consumed by that light... And Alice...

Alice
Please, protect this world... Rino...

Rino
Alice!?

Alice
......

Rino
No...!? No, Alice! Say something! Alice!

Yuuki
1. "Calm down."

Rino
B-But Alice is...!!

Homare
As he said. Alice is surely just asleep after using so much of her power.

Rino
Homare...?

Homare
I wouldn't lie, would I? I'd be happy if you would trust in my "eye."

Homare
It was a desperate situation, and if we hadn't had her power, we would have been finished... We should thank her.

Hiyori
Pant... pant...

Ayumi
Pant, pant...

Inori
Pant... pant...

Rino
Hiyori! Ayumi! Inori! Are you okay!?

Hiyori
Ahaha... A little shaken, but yeah...

Ayumi
I'm sorry... Me, too...

Inori
I'll be fine with some rest. Just be quiet...

Rino
Everyone... What do I do...

Rino
That's right. Alice told me I needed to awaken this power...! To get the true power of the savior...!

Rino
But, but... I don't know... I don't know how...

Rino
If the Dark King comes again, then we'll all be done for. If things stay like this...!

Yuuki
1. "Let's try our best, Rino."

Rino
Big brother...? Ah... I... I've only been thinking about running away until now...

Rino
But Alice trusted me. She wanted me to protect this world...

Rino
Thank you, big brother. I see now!

Rino
I... I need to do all I can in Alice's place.

Rino
No matter how difficult it was... Alice would surely have kept on moving forward.

Rino
She looked so bright when she said she loved this world... I want to be like her.

Ayumi
Ah...!? The sky is, again...!!

Homare
It looks like the Dark King has found us... It's only a matter of time before the miasma surrounds us here.

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Rino
Ah...!!

Hiyori
The Dark King's voice...! It's coming closer!! What do we do, I can barely work up any strength at all...!

Ayumi
Where... Where are you!? D-Don't come near...!

Inori
Boss, what do we do!? We'll all be destroyed at this rate!

Homare
Hmmm. If we could only do something about this miasma, we might have a chance...

Rino
(I... I need to do something!)

Rino
(... Alice said it earlier. She said I could definitely obtain the true power of the savior.)

Rino
(My friends believed in me, too...! They trusted me! They believed I could protect this world! I need to rise to meet those expectations...!)

Alice
It's because I love this world. I truly love it.

Rino
(Alice. I... I also love this world of yours.)

Rino
(I don't want my adventure with you to end here...!)

Rino
...!?

Rino
What? I feel so warm right now...

Rino
(This sensation... It's what I felt when I was using the savior's power... It's welling up from deep inside me... I can feel my power rising...)

Rino
(Maybe this is what Alice was talking about, the true power of the savior...)

Alice
The source of the savior's power is feelings of hope. The only thing that can resist the Dark King's despair is those feelings of hope, the feelings of never giving up on one's dreams.

Rino
... Ah.

Rino
... That's right. That's what it was all along.

Rino
"The only thing that can resist the Dark King's despair is those feelings of hope, the feelings of never giving up on one's dreams." Alice told me all of that so clearly.

Rino
I wonder why I never understood. Or, no... Why I couldn't understand.

Rino
It must have been... Because I was scared to face the truth. I didn't want to accept that there were things I lacked...

Rino
But... I finally understand now.

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Rino
Ah!! ... The Dark King's voice alone makes my legs feel weak... I can't stop shivering...

Rino
But I can't let things go on like this. I... I...!!

Rino
I won't give up! I don't want to give up!!

Rino
I'll protect this world...! No matter how scared I am, no matter how much I want to run away! I'll do it! Ooooh... Ooooh....!!

Rino
Fire!! Arrow of light!!

Rino
This is the world that Alice loved...! The world that saved my feelings...! The beloved world that she and I both loved as one!!

Rino
If I don't do my best here, and Alice's world ends up being destroyed, it'll haunt my dreams forever... I won't allow that!

Rino
I'll protect this world... And then, in my original world, I'll achieve my dream of being a designer!

Rino
Not because anyone tells me to! But because I want to! I'll achieve my own dream, on my own strength!! I will never give up on my dream!!

Rino
Whether it's Alice's wishes, or my own dreams, I'll never give up!! That is! My unbakeable constipation!! ^[1]

???
... Hey. Did you mean to say "unshakeable conviction" just now?

Rino
Huh!? That voice...

???
Ahaha! So you really do always misspeak like that! I finally get it.

???
Rino! Aim that arrow of light overhead!! It'll dispel the miasma, causing everyone to recover!!

Rino
Y-Yes! Understood!!

Rino
Alice!!

Yuuki
1. "Use my power, too!"

Rino
Big brother! Thank you!! Hii-yaaaah!!

Inori
What's going on? This light... It's so warm...

Hiyori
Amazing, amazing! My body is getting lighter and lighter...!

Ayumi
Mine, too! With this power...!

Alice
Sorry for keeping you waiting, Rino.

Rino
Alice! I'm so relieved, you're better now!

Alice
Yes, all thanks to you. There's a lot I want to say to you, but first off... Hey, are you listening to me?

Rino
..... Aliiiiice!!!!

Alice
Kyaaaa! D-Don't be so sudden! And don't pull on me! It hurts!!

Rino
Alice, I, I... I was so scared!! But I really tried!!

Alice
... I know. You worked incredibly hard. You did great!

Rino
Sniff, sniff... Ehehe... Thank you!

Alice
Rino, you're great. You obtained the true power of the savior all on your own.

Rino
The true power... Did I? To tell you the truth, I don't really know.

Alice
All you need to do is see for yourself. Take a look at your own body.

Rino
Eh? W-What's going on!? I'm glowing!?

Alice
The source of the savior's power is feelings of hope... You remember I told you that earlier, right?

Alice
Right now, you're overflowing with feelings of hope. Just like a true savior!

Rino
I'm a true savior... Ehehe, it's kind of embarrassing to think about...!

Hiyori
Rino! Thanks for saving us!

Ayumi
Rino, we're all okay now!

Inori
W-Well, I guess I should thank you too.

Homare
Rino, thank you! You were a great help!

Rino
Everyone!! I'm so glad...!

Hiyori
You looked so cool just now, Rino! It's like you were saying, this is what it means to be the savior!

Ayumi
Yes! I admire you so much...

Rino
That's not how it is, though! Hiyori, Ayumi, Inori, Homare, you're all saviors, too!

Hiyori
Ah... Yeah, you're right! I'm gonna do my best, too!

Ayumi
And so will I...!

Homare
Oh, my, so I'm a savior, too!

Inori
... H-Hmph! Well, I guess there's no other choice. I'll help you out for a little longer, too!!

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Inori
Eek!? It's that thing's roar again! W-Where is it!?

Homare
... It seems he's been watching us from close by. Rino, you had best get yourself ready!

Rino
Yes! Dark King! We're more than a match for you now!

Alice
Rino, let's draw him out here! Use all your power to blast through this darkness!

Rino
Got it! Fire! Arrow of light!! Grrrr!!

Alice
More! More power... Hit him with all of your feelings, like before!

Rino
... Yeah!!! To protect this world... I'll use all my power!!

Rino & Alice
Fire!!!

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Hiyori
I-Incredible...!? The world itself is shaking!

Homare
Rino certainly is incredible... I might be able to locate him now.

Homare
... Found him. Rino, the Dark King is right there.

Rino
You're right, I can see a tail in the darkness! Ah, but he's trying to escape!!

Alice
Rino! Seize his tail and drag him out!!

Rino
Yes! ... Wait, what?

Rino
Wait, wait, dragging something of that size by the tail is...

Alice
It'll be fine! With the true power of the savior inside you, you can do anything!

Rino
O-Okay, here goes!! Heave!!!

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Rino
I-It's really working!! But somehow this doesn't feel very ladylike...

Yuuki
1. "You did well."

Rino
Eh!? Y-You think so? Ehehe... If you think so, then I'm glad I did it!

@Yuuki
1. "You're really strong, Rino!"

Rino
P-Please don't say that with such a smile, big brother! It makes me feel conflicted!!

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Alice
This isn't the time to mess around! Everyone, get him!

Homare
Oh, my, that might be troublesome for me... I have to look after Rago, you know?

Rago
Gyao!

Inori
W-Well, for a draconian like me, this is nothing! Leave it to me! Oooh, I've always wanted to say something like that!

Homare
Ah, good, then I'll leave it to you, Inori, and the rest of us will go home.

Inori
Eek!? I-I-I'm sorry! I lied!! This is too much for one person to handle!!!

Homare
Ha ha, it's better to be honest.

Hiyori
It's okay, Inori! We'll do our part, too!

Ayumi
I'll do everything I can!

Rino
Everyone, this is our last battle! Let's combine our powers and go!!

The Dark King had finally appeared. The last battle for Rino and her friends was beginning.