Joy and gratitude

Natsuo turned to Alan with a smile on his face.

“Thank you, without you we would all have died” he said.

Alan looked away. “I only did my duty.”

Natsuo observed his stumped arm.

“I can try to heal it. William is also wounded.”

Alan’s eyes widened. “Are you really capable of regrowing an arm?”

“I don’t know, I can just try.”

Natsuo transformed his scythe into the guitar form and tuned it.

“Take off the cloth” he said.

After Alan did as he was told, Natsuo played a healing song.

Alan’s arm slowly grew back and, when the song was finished, it was brand new, as if nothing had happened. William’s wound in the waist also healed and the environment where the music arrived was purified.

Alan glanced at his new arm, astonished.

“Your music is truly a miracle” he said, bewildered.

Natsuo put a hand on his shoulder.

“After this, I expect you to come to our every concert.”

Gregory burst out laughing.

“Right! You have to be my fan, though.”

“That will never happen” replied Alan.

At that moment, a golden light poured into the expanse of white dust around them. It was dawn.

“We should go back to the fort to give the good news” said Alice.

“Right! I can’t wait to savor Olive’s drinks!” replied Gregory.

The group set off toward the fort. Natsuo stopped for a moment to watch the sunrise.

“It’s beautiful, right?” said Olive, standing next to him.

“Yes. Especially because it’s over. Everyone is safe now” he replied.

Olive nodded.

“Natsuo” she called him.

He turned to her, waiting for her to continue.

“I really have to thank you. Without you, anything of this would have been possible. I’ve never met someone who was able to influence people’s lives so positively like you. You changed my life completely, you showed me a new version of the world and now I think I really understand what it means to live my life to the fullest.” She brought her hands to her chest. “It’s all thanks to you. You’re my saviour and role model, you’re my everything now. I’ll follow you wherever you go and I’ll always be your singer, Natsuo.”

Natsuo glanced at her beautiful smile, enlightened by the golden light. He felt her words in his soul. Olive was a precious person, always gentle with everyone and ready to give a hand to whoever needed her help. And this extraordinary person was saying that he was her role model, was saying that she would have followed him to the edge of the world and she would have always sang for him.

“Olive.” He tucked a lock of her behind her ear. “Thank you. We’ll stay together forever, I promise.”

Olive’s heart started beating faster and her cheeks reddened.

“Yes, I want that too.”

Natsuo held back a laugh.

“Why are you making it seem like we’re getting married?”

“Oh, er…” She blushed hard and lowered her gaze, embarrassed. “There’s another thing I wanted you to know” she said.

“I’m all ears.”

“I… I love you.”

Natsuo looked at her, taken aback. Wasn’t it… a bit too sudden?

“I mean, you said it’s normal for a fan to love his favourite artist! So, you’re my favourite artist!” she clarified. “I just wanted to make it clear that William is not your only fan and that I was there first.”

“Oh, that!” Natsuo laughed at his naivety. Of course she didn’t mean anything else.

“Well, then, you’ll be my number one fan” he said.

Olive nodded happily.

“Let’s go, otherwise the others will worry!”

Natsuo nodded and they reached the group.

***

Back at the fort, they celebrated the victory against Plague and immediately sent a letter to the headquarters to give the good news to the entire Anti-Silence Unit.

Natsuo was sitting in a corner of the fort’s main room, where the party was. He wasn’t a party guy, unlike Gregory and Olive, who were having tons of fun.

Alice approached him.

“You also don’t enjoy these occasions, I see” she said.

“Not really, I prefer going to a concert, if I have to choose” he replied.

“Predictable” Alice commented.

Natsuo chuckled.

They stayed in silence for a bit, then Alice spoke up:

“I don’t want to seem insistent, but I really thank you for all you have done for us. I still can’t believe that we’re free from the white silent monsters forever.”

“Yeah, it feels strange. I can’t believe that my powers can do all that: it’s crazy.” He smirked. “Also, if you admit that you’re my fan, I won’t think you’re insistent.”

“And I thought you were having a serious conversation.” Alice sighed.

“You’re a bit too insistent, you know?” Natsuo teased her.

Alice rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She paused. “I think… You’re my favourite member of Rockstar Isekai, I really like you.”

Natsuo glanced at her, surprised.

“I didn’t think you would really say that.”

“It would have been a problem if you had told the captain that I’m insistent.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever, my popularity never ends. I even won a frozen heart like yours.”

Alice blushed, embarrassed. “You didn’t win anything at all, idiot!”

Natsuo burst out laughing.

After the party, the soldiers spent the day resting. The mission wasn’t complete yet: they had to purify all of the infected area.

At this point, the Plague’s territory didn’t exist anymore and the previous infected areas weren’t contagious anymore, they were just desolated.

Natsuo had the task to purify all that territory, so they travelled many more days, until every little piece of land of the region of Blossomhyl was back at its original state.

After they completed the mission, Richard More paid Natsuo a handsome reward and organized an official concert, which everyone in the Blossomhyl region could attend, to celebrate victory.

As Rockstar Isekai’s fame increased, also people of other Roselond’s regions learnt that there was a group of people who could defeat Silence.

And that was the reason why Natsuo and the others received an official invitation from the duke of Blueweald.