Fractal Plane: Beyond Public Eyes

Chapter 16 - The True Power of an Idol

1

Yui Kimura blinked repeatedly. Above the field, the sphere from her Armament shone like a kaleidoscope, commanding everyone's attention.

"Prismatic Reverb?"

She had never known about that ability, but something clicked within her as she focused on her staff and her earnest wishes to save her new friend. If what she can infer from Kazuki was correct, then that prismatic sphere there was the representation of her weapon responding to her deep desires.

With today being a day of unexpected happenings, she had no idea what to expect. Instead, she gripped her staff and hoped for the best.

"Arata, is this what you were waiting for?"

"We still have to figure out what it does!"

He cut off his speech to roll out of the way of a powerful strike from the Render of Bounds. More wings headed his way, and he deflected some of them with his shield while sidestepping the remaining ones.

"W-w-what it does?"

Kimura gave the sphere a good look. She had only blurted out the name of the ability. It was all something instinctive. For a moment, the staff resonated with her, and that's that.

There was never any tutorial or a guide to instruct her on how to control that thing or make it do anything. There was no magical spirit or anything to teach her.

As she looked at it dumbfounded, the sphere only spun slowly and gathered magical energy from the surroundings. Contrary to her expectations, there were no particle cannons of any sort being fired off. That would have made more sense.

It was a pretty sphere that's ultimately useless. Her magical energy all gathered into a decoration that hung for all to see. Its outer vibrance was without peer, but it all amounted to nothing in the long run.

Was this the true reflection of her heart?

How frustrating! Right after I made that big speech, too.

Wasn't that the truth?

Kimura knew it better than anyone else. The fact was that idols were the biggest liars in the world. No other job required one to put on an outward façade to hide the emptiness and the insincerity inside. It was all part of her identity.

Even the house of mirrors from a few days back reflected her fake and ever-transformative nature.

Kimura tried to clench her fists while holding onto the staff, and she gritted her teeth in both frustration and despair. She squeezed tight and shut her eyes, squeezing droplets off them.

No, that can't be it.

"My true desires..." she whispered to herself while setting her sights on the sphere once more. Memories flashed back one after the other. Her numerous run-ins with the guy fighting for her life, her many performances, the first meeting with the Render of Bounds, and finally, a memory hidden within the depths of her heart.

2

"What is it that I want to do? What will make me happy?" repeated the young Yui Kimura, tilting her head.

She paused her reading and stared at the extravagant room she's in before returning her attention to the one who originally asked the question, the pretty lady who brought her to this home as her caretaker.

It felt strange and sudden to be asked such a question, and she was in no way prepared for it. Not after spending so long in the hospital and the rather long trip that they had just gone through.