Title: What This Hand Grasped
Characters: Rui, Tsukasa, Nene, Emu, Sakaki, Tom Gray, Veteran Director, Monster (played by Tsukasa), Bard (played by Emu), Hunter (played by Nene), Oohara (Flashback)
| Event Story | Episode 1 ・ Episode 2 ・ Episode 3 ・ Episode 4 ・ Episode 5 ・ Episode 6 ・ Episode 7 ・ Episode 8 |
What This Hand Grasped
Tsukasa
(Because of the hunter's words, the monster confronts itself.)
(-Its very own existence that differs from the rest.)
Hunter
"The monster has transformed into a human and is acting like it's one of you. But not a sliver of its true nature matches up with that of a human."
Monster
"…It's true."
"I like fun things. That's why I'd do anything…including stuff that humans think are dangerous or would hurt others."
"That's how I've always been. Even if I looked like a human, who I am on the inside doesn't change."
"But… That's just who I am."
"How does one change what they are born with?"
Monster
"I…"
"I…didn't ask to be born as a monster."
Sakaki
(Normally, a scene like this would be acted out with overwhelming emotions or by suppressing those, but…)
Rui
-In this scene, I'd like you to act such that you're purposefully withholding your emotions.
Tsukasa
What do you mean by withholding my emotions?
Rui
So… The monster here feels despair towards itself.
It is absolutely unable to escape from its true nature, and it can't change from the very core of its existence either.
It cannot stand as equals with the others even if it wept or flew into a rage.
It understands that fact better than anyone else.
Tsukasa
(The loneliness born from being unable to feel a rapport with anyone… To the monster, this feeling has accompanied it all its life.)
(Although it was resigned to it, thinking that there was no helping it… It still hesitates here.)
Monster
"…It's only a matter of time before I hurt Master or one of the townspeople, anyway."
"Shall I leave the city immediately, under the shroud of this night?"
"But…"
???
"-Hold it."
*Footsteps*
Monster
"If it isn't the hunter… You sure are a hard worker. It's midnight and you're still searching for the monster."
Hunter
"…Yeah, you could say that. And I've just now found its true identity at last."
"After all, no human would walk around without a light in hand on a moonless night like this."
Monster
"……"
*Loads gun*
Hunter
"I'll kill you right here, right now. …I swear on the innocents who were hurt by the hands of monsters."
Monster
"…Hahaha! I see! That doesn't sound half-bad."
"If my death brings about world peace, then I'll gladly pay this price."
*Footsteps*
Bard
"-Wait!"
Monster
"Huh? Master?! Why are you here…?"
Bard
"Why not?! Who wouldn't be worried if they saw that something was wrong with their disciple?!"
Hunter
"…Move aside, please."
"That is not your disciple. That is a monster who is merely pretending to be human."
Bard
"He may be a monster, but this person is my cherished disciple."
"And also…a budding bard who can bring smiles to the people around him."
Monster
"…! I…"
Hunter
"What nonsense."
"Are you able to bear the responsibility for that monster if it were to hurt someone again?"
Bard
"That's…!"
Monster
"…You're right. A normal human might not be able to stop me."
"I can't stop once I think of something as fun. I end up prioritising my desires first and foremost, no matter what."
"So if that happens…"
"You can kill me."
Hunter
"…What?"
Monster
"I'm a monster no matter how you look at me. I can't change that."
"But still…"
"If there's anyone who's willing to accept me despite knowing that I'm a monster,"
"Then…I wish to stay in this place still."
"Like you said, I've hurt people."
Monster
"I thought that I could do anything to them since I wasn't interested in them. After all, we'd never ever see eye to eye. But…"
"Now, my chest warms up when I see humans smile while listening to my songs."
"I started wanting to improve because I wanted to surprise them the next time."
"I…think that humans are lovely."
Hunter
"What's a filthy monster like you spouting-"
Monster
"It sounds unbelievable, but I'm telling the truth."
"I'll do anything it takes for you to believe me. If you need me to atone for my sins, then I'll even hand over an eye or a leg to you."
"So please… Please give me this chance."
Bard
"I-I beg you too! Please!"
Nene
(…The hunter also has their own beliefs on justice.)
(They wouldn't falter so easily. That's why-)
*Loads gun*
Hunter
"Why, I can't do that."
Bard
"Th-The gun…?!"
Hunter
"A leg or an eye in return? The idea that that's all it takes to make up for everything is ridiculous."
"-Perish."
*Gunshots*
Monster
"Guh…!!"
Hunter
"You're not going to dodge? I got your leg this time, but the next shot's going for your heart."
Bard
"S-Stop! He'll really die…!"
Monster
"…It's okay, Master."
"I'll take all the bullets needed for her to believe me."
Hunter
"…!"
Monster
"Go ahead and kill me. After all, having me dead is as good as attaining peace."
Hunter
"You…"
"…Show me your leg. I'll patch up your wound."
Monster
"Huh…?"
Hunter
"I don't know if monsters have hearts. Neither do I know if you've seriously turned over a new leaf."
"So I'll stay in this town for a while."
"Till the day I finally discern how true those words are."
Monster & Bard
"……!"
*Music*
Bard
"♪———— ♪————"
"-And thus, comes the end of the monster's tale."
Monster
"Nobody knows if the monster who couldn't change was able to continue living peacefully among the humans after that."
"Its story may not have ended with a panacea and a happily ever after."
Bard
"But one thing was for certain-"
Monster
"The once lonely monster no longer exists."
*Clapping*
Veteran Director
Hmm… This was rather…unexpected.
Sakaki
Agreed. To be honest, I thought it'd fall right smack in the middle of the entertainment territory.
Tom
"The objective seems to be to create a fairy tale that can also be enjoyed by adults."
"I think he managed to depict the lonely and self-centered monster's growth and the kindness of the people who got caught up with it very realistically."
Veteran Director
That's true. However, if this were to open in Arcland-
Tsukasa
…Mm? Looks like the critics are getting pretty heated.
Nene
Yeah. I can't catch what they're talking about though…
Emu
-Ahh! They're giving the "come here" signal!
Rui
Looks like they've reached a verdict. I'll be right back.
*Footsteps*
Veteran Director
Alright. Sorry to keep you waiting. Allow us to begin with the director course critique.
Rui
Please, and thank you.
Veteran Director
First of all, the show's detailed psychological portrayal was very well-received.
While it retains the fairytale-like setting, it thrusts the loneliness and struggles born from an illogical reality to the audience-
This is where the assessment becomes widely split.
Rui
…I see.
Sakaki
Frankly speaking, some parts that are just a tad bit too graphic to be shown in Arcland stood out.
The material itself was interesting, but way it was prepared was still half-baked, so to speak.
Rui
I understand.
Tom
"-There were certainly many areas that had been unbalanced."
"But I liked it. It was serious, it had passion, and it was very interesting."
Rui
"…Thank you."
"I was truly able to learn a lot thanks to this workshop."
"Although I was unable to balance the audience's expectations sufficiently this time-"
"I will definitely make use of this experience for my next show."
Tom
"Hehe, there's no need for you to fret, in my opinion."
"Your show is born from your life's long journey."
"And today's show was a wonderful creation packed full of all the days you've lived thus far."
"And you should accumulate more and more depth after this. I look forward to see where you'll go, Rui."
Rui
"Yes. I'll do my best."
Tsukasa
That expression should mean that he got a satisfying result!
Nene
…Yeah.
Sakaki
……
Sakaki
That Kamishiro kid… He understood what I was saying.
Director Oohara
Yeah. Apparently he wants to get into stage directing in general-
So you two will probably bump into each other someday, since that's your main area of expertise.
Sakaki
…Nice going, Kamishiro.
Things are looking interesting thanks to you.