What Sustains the Unchanging

Lilja: (—Gingaza's ‘Macbeth’ has had its premiere.)

Lilja: (I am fair and beautiful That is who Lilja Kurtbay is. And—)

Lilja: (—I am fair and foul, and I am foul and fair. I am the one in the spotlight who grabs people’s hearts.)

Lilja: ‘It's still here. It remains on my hands. The terrible smell. The foul stain of blood…...’

Lilja: 'I wash, but it won't come off, the scent won't go away......! Neither all the perfumes in Arabia nor Gallic soap can hide the stain on my hands!'

Lilja: 'Those men are under the earth, and will never appear in this world again. And yet my hands are dirty, stained...... Ah......!'

Lilja: 'My dear, I've had enough, I've had enough! No, no, no......!'

Lilja: 'Noooooooooooooooo!’

(The actors, the excellent stagehands, and the packed audience all gasped at the end of the greedy yet beautiful Lady Macbeth.)

Koyomi: (The way she washed her hands was a tough act. It was as if she was digging her nails into her beautiful skin and tearing it apart with her own fingers.)

Koyomi: (Her clean, unstained hands were stained with blood and even smelled of it. I was a little regretful that I had been so captivated by her.)

Koyomi: 'Neither the rich nor the beautiful can escape the journey to death. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow—creeping at this slow pace, day after day, until the very end of time.'

Koyomi: 'Then, the yesterday that we look back on is a light that illuminates the path to death. It continues to burn, refusing to give up, until the day when foolish men turn to dust.

Koyomi: '......Out, out! A fleeting light! Life is a walking shadow, a pitiful actor.'

Koyomi: 'On stage they rant and rave, but once the curtain falls, there’s just silence. It's a tale full of sound and fury, nonsense from a fool's mouth.’

Koyomi: 'In their lifetimes......there is no meaning at all.’

Iruru: Wow, after seeing something so amazing, my spine straightens up. It was even better than I imagined.

Nikako: I'd re-read 'Macbeth' before we came, but even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn't take my eyes off the play......

Iruru: Yeah, it was so tragic that I wanted to look away, but before I knew it I was drawn into it.

Daikoku: How did you like it, my Master?

Hatsumi: ......It was a cramped, boring, cliched play. I just don't share the same tastes as those guys.

Hatsumi: Lilja's raw ego shows an extraordinary beauty, but in the end, it doesn't change the fact that she is trapped in the cage of tradition.

Shigure: Well, it was certainly a great play, but......from Shigure's point of view, it was depressing and exhausting.

Nikako: Huh? But Shigure-chan, you were crying the whole time, weren't you? The handkerchief I lent you was soaked through.

Shigure: Well, I guess that's to be expected from someone with a discerning eye, isn't it?

Shigure: ......Why didn't I watch it from a seat further away!?

Daikoku: There's nothing to be embarrassed about…...isn't it a child's job to cry?

Shigure: Please don't treat me like a baby!?

Nikako: Speaking of which, I wonder if there's a Saint-Claud Guide undercover agent among the customers......?

Iruru: Heh heh heh, could it be me~?

Shigure: If that's the case, it's strange that Eden wasn't chosen, isn't it?

Shigure: Well, it might be because someone is holding them back.

Daikoku: What a coincidence...... I can think of someone who deserves to be penalised too.

Iruru: Alright, let's not fight here. I was the one who made the joke, so I'm sorry~.

Hatsumi: ......

Tetra: Even though it's not your thing, it seems you had some thoughts about it.

Tetra: This is the true power of an old fashioned theatre troupe. They didn't abandon tradition, but they also didn't give up on innovation. Do you understand their resolve?

Hatsumi: I never intended to underestimate them. I also appreciate their formal, familiar plays.

Tetra: It's good old fashioned, orthodox theatre. It's destined to disappear as the times change. It's truly a fleeting light.

Hatsumi: But people can't move forward if they're obsessed with the past.

Tetra: So, did that look like stagnation to you?

Tetra: Perhaps the traditions that Gingaza has inherited are the resolve to continue performing, even if the winds of change blow against them.

Hatsumi: If they’re resolved to resist the winds of change, then we at Eden are the same.

Tetra: Yeah, you're right. Eden moves forward, and Gingaza moves through space. Our paths may be different, but the passion we put into our performances is the same.

Hatsumi: That's right......

Shiori: ......sob sob......

Hatsumi: Huh?

Shiori: ......You did it, Koyomi-chan. You kept your promise......

Shiori: You performed to the best of your ability, even for me...... Thank you, thank you......Koyomi-chan......

Hatsumi: ......

Hatsumi: ......Heh.

Daikoku: Is something wrong......?

Hatsumi: No, it's nothing.