S1 Main Story/Prologue 2

**Overload**, is the third introductory chapter of the main story of **Sakuragawa:Starlight Festival**.

## Summary

As Embers' last live finishes, the aftermath of the event starts on a harmonious tone, and later reveals to be completely dissonant.

## Transcript

[Stage, Chronosis Livehouse, Koshimitsu City, Nakanohara Ward, Amanoshima]

(Around this point, Embers performed all of the songs that they all planned out for the final performance. The crowd continues cheering on, drowning out the miniscule voices of discouragement.  Several lights fill up the rest of the venue, akin to a firefly field.)

Crowd: \*incomprehensible cheering\*

Embers Members: Thank you for coming to our final performance!

Azure: Hang on, everyone! I'd like to say something out here!

Mangetsu: Wait what-

Yorumi: E-Eh?!

Audience Member 5: Hang on wtf-

Audience Member 6: Was this in the setlist for today?

Audience Member 5: No?!

Audience Member 6: Oh boy.

Fortuna: Hm?

Reaper: ...Take it away, Azure!

Azure: ...Ahem!

Azure: Thank you, for supporting Embers for the last six years!

Azure: It's been a really wild journey with everyone here, from the day that we started out as Embers.

Azure: We had our hurdles to jump across, whether it is within ourselves or the entirety of us. Alternatively, from the beginning live to this year's concert tour!

Azure: We may have been disqualified in forming at the Aura Royale Festival for this year, but regardless, we managed to keep on going up until today.

Yorumi: (They didn't say anything about me and Tohru sabotaging bands..!?)

Azure: And this, we owe it to the entire crowd out there for being able to lift our spirits up, when we needed it the most.

Azure: I'll repeat it again, thank you for supporting Embers over the last 6 years!

Crowd: ...!

Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

*(The members of Embers bow before exiting the stage, as the crowd continues to cheer. As all of the members enter the dressing room, a staff member approaches the band.)*

[Backstage, Chronosis Livehouse, Koshimitsu City, Nakanohara Ward, Amanoshima]

Fortuna: Oh?

Yorumi: Ah...

Mangetsu: Yo wassup, Yukizawa-san!

Hikaru: Good work out there today, members of Embers.

Reaper: Thank you for letting us use the venue for our final live today, Yukizawa-san.

Hikaru: You're welcome. I have to ask, did Azure-san ad-lib the parting speech?

Reaper: ...I think they did.

Azure: Pfffff, I ad-libbed the whole speech.

Mangetsu: Well, that's a tendency of Azure's.

Hikaru: Very nice work out there, Azure-san.

Azure: Thank you! Just drop the "-san" outta my name though, haha.

Hikaru: I would like to inform all of you of a few things, which is coming from the Tenbashi Band Association.

Embers Members: Hm?

Hikaru: Thirty minutes from now, all members of the audience except for the fifty of the audience who bought a limited performance ticket will leave the venue. In those thirty minutes, use the time to relax, eat and drink, or reflect on today's performance. Once thirty minutes has passed, meet up at the front counter to see those members.

Hikaru: During the event, the line-up as follows is Fortuna-san, Reaper-san, Azure-san, Yorumi-san, and Mangetsu-san.

Hikaru: I apologise if this is a different line-up than usual, but I needed to accommodate the changes for the other two.

Azure: Wait.

Azure: How come though?

Y+M: ...

Reaper: That's...

Hikaru: The fan meet-up should take about thirty minutes. After this, everyone except those two can exit Chronosis Livehouse.

A+R+F: Okay!

Azure: ...

Azure: (But why those two?)

*(The band now enter the dressing room. Hikaru waves at the band, before the closes on him.)*

Hikaru: Okay, good.

*(Ruruka approaches the Chronosis Livehouse staff member.)*

Ruruka: Are you done relaying our message, Yukizawa-san?

Hikaru: Oh- I have, Hijiri-san.

Ruruka: And did you say anything about what will happen after this hour has passed?

Hikaru: No...?

Ruruka: Okay.

Ruruka: I'll be outside to prepare the tasers.

Hikaru: Got it.

(The bodyguard leaves to go outside, to inform the rest of the agents. As the lime-haired staff member simply nods, he sits down.)

Hikaru: Sigh...

Hikaru: I'll prepare the front, and then...

Hikaru: Try to come up with a plausible thing,

...

**-30 Minutes Later-**

[Dressing Room, Chronosis Livehouse, Koshimitsu City, Nakanohara Ward, Amanoshima]

Hikaru: Hello again, members of Embers!

Mangetsu: WASSUP!

Reaper: Oy, shut up Tohru!

Mangetsu: Hell no, Ibuki.

Azure: Pfffffff-

Hikaru: Only the limited ticket holders remain in the livehouse now! You can come out to meet them!

Embers Members: Yes!

Azure: Welp, time to meet that one girl who posted online about manging to buy the last one!

Fortuna: Oh?

Azure: Anyway, let's go!

[Front Counter, Chronosis Livehouse, Koshimitsu City, Nakanohara Ward, Amanoshima]

*(The rest of the band exit the dressing room to go to the front counter, and go to their respective spots. Once the fans start coming up, the gifts that a few fans brought start piling up. Hikaru manages some of the gifts into a few boxes before labelling it, so that it's easier to locate them. Momentum continues, until the last person in line comes in, looking at the vocalist.)*

Yumeko: Uh, hi!

Azure: Oh! So you're the girl who posted online?

Yumeko: Yeah..! Oh my god.

Yumeko: It's a honour to meet you up in person, Azure-san!

Azure: Heh, same!

Yumeko: Wait what?!

Azure: The guitar covers that you make on Nicorin Douga and RikRok are amazing! You take all of these riffs that Reaper composed and played it really well! And the way you improvise on it adds a greater richness on the timbre that has been established!

Yumeko: T-Thank you!

Reaper: You really like this girl, huh?

Azure: Yep!

Yumeko: No seriously, thank you! I started playing the guitar because of all of the songs that you make! And, found an ambition that I want to pursue!

Azure: Oh, nice! I wish you the best for your ambitions!

Yumeko: Thank you! I have to go now, so, good luck with your future endeavours!

*(The teal-haired fan waves at the band, before leaving the venue.)*

Hikaru: Is the last person done?

Mangetsu: Seems like that girl's gone now!

Hikaru: Alright.

Hikaru: Again, good work today, members of Embers. Everyone except for Yorumi-san and Mangetsu-san can go home and rest up today.

Azure: Wait wh-

R+F: Thank you very much!

Reaper: I'll go from here, Makoto and Yukari. See ya later!

Fortuna: Me too. Tomorrow, I'm preparing my tutor business anyhow.

Azure: Okay, see ya then!

Mangetsu: Welp-

Yorumi: Oh no...

Hikaru: Yorumi-san, and Mangetsu-san... Or rather, Nanjou-san and Isonokami-san.

Hikaru: Please follow me outside.

Y/Matsuri: Okay...

...

[Backstage, Chronosis Livehouse, Koshimitsu City, Nakanohara Ward, Amanoshima]

M/Tohru: Is it an easier way to go home or something? The traffic's thick as hell by now!

Hikaru: ...Mm..

Azure: (Wait.. Where are they going?)

Azure: (Eh, let's follow them with silence. I'm an expert in doing that.)

Tohru: Yukizawa...san?

Hikaru: It's nothing.

Tohru: Why can't we bring our gifts though?

Hikaru: They'll be delivered to your houses or apartment rooms. It will be sealed inside a box. The Tenbashi Band Association will make sure that they'll arrive as soon as possible.

Hikaru: The area that you will go outside and go home from doesn't have a lot of congestion, so it's easier that way.

Tohru: Ah, thank god!

Hikaru: (...Managed to avert their suspicions.)

Azure: (An easier way of going home so that we don't have to deal with traffic, sounds good!)

*(Hikaru stops walking, approaching the exit door.)*

Hikaru: From here, you two will be able to go home more easily. I can't open the door for you though, because I'm showing you an another route from here, so..

Matsuri: Oh.. Thank you, Yukizawa-san!

Tohru: Man, you really saved us here from the traffic!

Hikaru: You're welcome. I'll get going...

Hikaru: ...Azure-san?

Azure: Ah, hey, uhhhhhhhhhhh-

Hikaru: I didn't expect that you'd come too...

Tohru: What are you doing here? I thought you'd go with the others!

Azure: Just got curious, eheh.

Matsuri: Ahaha...

Tohru: Welp, we're going first!

Azure: What? Lemme-

*(The keyboardist opens the door and pulls the bassist's arms, before heading outside. Surrounding by a different light and several fences, as well as a truck and a van. As the truck opens up, the brightness of the light temporarily blinds the former members. Hesitantly, Azure slowly walks backwards.)*

[Outside of Backstage, Chronosis Livehouse, Koshimitsu City, Nakanohara Ward, Amanoshima]

Matsuri: W-W-What?!

Tohru: What the hell-

Matsuri: Uuuuuuu...!

Azure: Okay, what is going on-

Ruruka: ....

Ruruka: Nanjou Matsuri and Isonokami Tohru...

Ruruka: As stated by the notice given today, you have broke Terms 1 of the TOS. You both have a cumulative total of 10 sabotages, resulting in your band's disqualification for the Aura Royale Festival.

Azure: (Wait.. Is that why-)

Tohru: OY!

Tohru: WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE RULES, OKAY?!

Matsuri: T-Tohru..!

Tohru: I thought that this was the easier way out of the traffic, not some shitstorm like this! What the actu-

Ruruka: ...He is not to be reasoned.

Ruruka: Collect them both!

Kenta: Roger!

Mayuzumi: R-Roger!

TBA Agents: ROGER!

Azure: (HANG ON WHAT-)

*(Quickly, the agents forcibly pin Matsuri and Tohru down into the ground.)*

Matsuri: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OW!

Tohru: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU-

Azure: Huh...?!

Matsuri: PLEASEEEEEEE! SOMEONE!! GET OFF ME PLEASE...!

Tohru: AZURE, YOU'RE OUT HERE SOMEWHERE RIGHT?! COME OUT FOR GODS' SAKE!

Azure: Wh-

Azure: What do you mean by-

*(The agents continue pinning them down, extending the pain for the duo.)*

Tohru: OW WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS FOR?!

Matsuri: \*sniff\*

Matsuri: Please...! Make.., it stop!

Matsuri: Someone.. Someone help us..!

Tohru: AZUREEEEEEE

Ruruka: Huh?! Who?! Anyway...

(Ruruka and Kenta take out the tasers.)

Matsuri: Make it.. S-

**\*ZAP\***

M+T: **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!**

Azure: ..!

Azure: Oh to hell with that!

*(Azure exits the front door, meeting resistance from Mayuzumi.)*

Mayuzumi: Please! Azure, don't get involv-

*(The aforementioned agents tranquilise the electrocuted members, silencing them before shoving them into the truck. Azure immediately tries to get into the truck, despite meeting resistance by the guards. Eventually, Ruruka looks at the desperate vocalist.)*

Ruruka: What are you doing here, Yosu- Azure?!

Azure: What about you?! Why are you subjecting them to this?!

Ruruka: Would you like to know what goes underneath then?!

Azure: Of course I do!

Ruruka: Sigh... Come with me to the van then.

Ruruka: Agents! Pack up in rapid succession! We will be going to Harmonia Skyscraper asap!

TBA Agents: ROGER!

*(Some of the agents take the fences and equipment into the truck, before closing the van. In the meantime, Ruruka takes Azure into the van, along with a few other agents.)*

Azure + TBA Agents: ...

Ruruka: We'll be going.

Mayuzumi: (...)

Mayuzumi: (Can I quit now?)

*(The bodyguard starts the engine and drives the van to Masayoshi Ward's landmark.)*

Azure: Hah...