On The Stage

Sakura had an sadistic dirty expression on her face as she looked down upon Bazett wanting to toy with her. Then Star slowly with difficulty started to get up from the ground, his fingers found the familiar grip of the guitar resting beside him, his movements labored and strained. Using his free hand, he adjusted his mask, which was about to slip off of his face then covered the deep wound saber's attack made. He spoke with a faint and pained voice, speaking to himself;

"*Huff* *Huff* Hah... Aah, I have—a promise to keep... Guess there is no other way around."

Sakura's gaze shifted at Star seeing him slowly rise from the ground, she extended her arm toward the fallen dark knight behind her seeming to heal him as he started to get back up on his feet slowly too. Star was holding his guitar like an actual guitar this time, from its neck to body. After a deep breath, he slowly started to play a low tempo melody as he slowly sang, his voice still pained and out of breath, barely able to stand;

"Tell me about myself... Who I was, before."

In a swift motion, Sakura raises her hand toward Star, while a tentacle from her gown lunges to stab him. However, it stops mid-air; something blocks it from reaching Star—a wall made of concentrated-mana surrounding him. As he continues to sing without interruption;

"Tell me a story then if not... Please, just talk..."

Sakura sent more of her tentacles at this servant before her, some of them slowly starting to breach the mana wall as she spoke irritated;

"Little pest."

To which Star just continued to sing, as he still played his guitar while the dark knight got ready to charge straightly at him as his sword started to glow again with its dark aura;

"You are here, but silent. Silent, and all quiet. Looking, but not seeing... that..."

The slow guitar melody cuts off. And just as the saber was about to swing his sword radiating with dark magic at him, Star raises his hand, the one he was playing the guitar with, up in the sky and plays a harsh and loud chord echoing all around. Right as he sings his line, he unleashes a powerful blast of energy making the saber and Sakura fall off to the ground. An bright light covers the entire forest; 

"Just a touch is enough to break!"

The surroundings morph and shift with bright light, the forest transforms into a humongous arena. Where Star, himself is standing on a grand stage illuminated by dazzling lights, while the crowd erupts into cheers, screeches, and applause all around the arena. Sakura and the saber find themselves standing in front of the stage, positioned in the middle of the arena, while Star's heavily injured master, Bazett, hovers in the air above as Star starts to play his guitar in a much more rhythmic and fast way causing the ground to shake, still singing;

"My thoughts are losing, sense! The chalice is way beyond, filled! Ohh-oh!"

The sound of the guitar got louder and louder as Star continued to sing. This wasn't like a simple song anymore, more like a chant dressed in melody. Bazett still being above the ground, started to feel a warm burning sensation from where she got stabbed by. Rapidly, her injury began to heal at an astonishing pace. In mere seconds, she found herself almost fully recovered, watching the whole event go by from the sky trying to understand what's happening as her vision is still blurred;

" *Groan* S-Star?.. What? Is this... Where are we?- a, reality marble?.."

She was astonished at what she was seeing and Star's wound also was healed too in the matter of seconds. As Star still continued to sing to his crowd, Sakura summoned seven more towering, shadowy giants to assail him. Also ordering the saber to prepare for his next devastating strike. The stage and arena lights brightened, casting beams that sliced through the giants like lasers, preventing them from closing in on Star as he continued to sing and play his guitar while the whole arena shook harder than ever before;

"Earthquakes, in my head!.. Sirens outside!! How nice its to be with you!"

Saber raised his sword to the air, causing it to absorb and consume the surrounding light. Dark energy radiated from the blade, much denser than before, signaling the preparation for his possibly most powerful move yet. As Sakura fixed her gaze on Star onstage, her crimson eyes began to glow, hinting that she had a trick up her sleeve to make a move. However, her expression quickly shifted to one of confusion and frustration as she realized something was not right, muttering quietly;

"Why... I- I can't... But—there is no way. What is his class?! I don't understand. A-A beast?!"

Sakura's eyes were both filled with fear and anger, as Star was still singing she shouted at saber;

"Kill him!! KILL HIM NOW!"

All the lights in the arena started to flicker, as Star sings his last line and laughs demonically, he plays an specific chord on his guitar with full force;

"Once again, drowned in both blood and sin! In this very house of gold! HAHAHAHAHAH!"

Just as he strummed his guitar, the arena began to fill with a dense, dark red liquid, resembling blood, which quickly flooded the area, sending massive waves crashing toward Sakura and the saber. Saber unleashed his attack toward the waves and the stage, attempting to counter the oncoming deluge. However, the waves proved to be dense and formidable, beginning to devour the massive dark energy beam created by Saber's sword.

Sakura summoned as many shadow golems as she could, hoping their combined strength would be enough to push back the relentless waves. But it was all in vain, despite her efforts, the massive waves of bloody liquid instantly dissolved and melted all of the newly summoned golems upon contact. And then to top it all of Star played all seven strings of his guitar while aiming at the duo creating an massive line of fire. Sakura's eyes became wide open;

"NO! NOO! STOP!"

With this, the beam of dark aura from the saber ultimately fizzled out, and both Sakura and the saber were swallowed by the dense liquid. The waves melted their skin and bones, vaporizing them without even a chance to scream as they drowned in it. Although saber's pain didn't last long and vanished quickly after... Sakura wasn't that lucky. Her body kept on regenerating itself, suffering until the liquid started to melt her vital organs too finally putting an end to her misery.

Star still laughs maniacally on the stage, it was as if he have completely lost control of himself and seeming to like this chaos he was making. Completely unhinged. Bazett watched the whole thing from above, despite her strong resolve, she felt sick witnessing Sakura and the saber's demise. She shouted down at Star, her voice laced with urgency;

"This is enough! They are already dead! Stop it already! Star!"

To which Star just didn't hear at all. Watching the waves dissolve his enemies filled him with a twisted sense of joy. If given the chance, he would relish in reviving them only to kill them again and again, repeating the cycle endlessly. Bazett repeatedly called out to Star, but her voice was drowned out by his laughter. After finally she made the decision to use one of her command spells to stop him forcefully;

"Star! By my command spell I order you! Stop this immediately!"

Suddenly, Star's laughter ceased, and he turned his gaze upward to meet Bazett's above, who was frowning. After a lingering stare exchanged between them, the artificial arena around the two began to collapse, whisking them back to the forest, near the entrance of the cave...