Chapter 5: Execution Overskill - Lost Sanctuary! Part One!

(Author's Note: In this AU version of AKB0048 I am going to alter the AKB0048's election system to an extent.)

(For example, in AKB0048, there are only places for the Senbatsu members - 10 of them. Where are the Undergirls? Where are the Future Girls? Where are the Next Girls? There's none at AKB0048!)

(As such, I will make it such that in the Election, Nagisa, Suzuko, Megumi, Yuka, Makoto, Rie Kitahara, Yui, Kanata, Sonata, and Orine thanks to their involvement in the Kasumigastar hoo-hah.)

(The Center Novae Election will be another Election altogether, where the top THREE idols based on the Kiraras' radiance will compete for the ultimate position.)

(From Phase Three - Compassion and Honor)

Episode 17 - The New Generation Elections

As Chieri regained her composure and closed her eyes to collect herself, her mind quickly wandered back to the short conversations she had with Chris and Alito after Tsubasa's chastity.

"No, Chieri...Zodiac Corporation and your father ain't the reason why you got so many votes. You got that much votes, because they placed faith in you! Don't you remember the speech that you gave in the Kasumigastar trial?" Chris spoke softly.

"Yeah..." Chieri looked down.

"Your speech is the reason why your fans loved you and why your Kirara shines in the first place! If your speech hadn't been solid, or filled with dedication about your love for AKB0048, then your fans might not being able to support you as much as before and your Kirara won't shine as much! Faith, Chieri. Those fans of yours fans placed faith in you. Faith that you will give in everything to do what you can do - WILL do - to protect AKB0048 and spread the goodwill of music and entertainment to other people's hearts!" Chris held Chieri's right hand with both of her hands. The Icy Maiden's grip might be firm, but it was reassuring.

"Don't let that fear of getting into the Sousenkyo's rankings ruin your dream of becoming the Center Novae, Chieri. Speech or not, as long as we detect the commitment into your work; as long as you do not remember your friends and allies who are by your sides through thick and thin, we will be behind you; just as you did to us, to Alito, and to me!" Chris continued, giving a soft, reassuring smile as she spoke eloquently.

"But my father..." Chieri looked at both the Maidens.

"We will see about that, Chieri. For now, try not to worry too much. We have got it covered." Alito nodded.

"We placed your belief that Alito and I will go through our dark days soon, right? Now use that and believe in us that we will deal with DES and get you and your father back together!" Chris nodded firmly.

A soothing wave of reassurance from Chris's handgrip resonated through Chieri's nerves as she thought about her fans and the faith they had placed upon her before the debut, during the debut, and after the debut.

Chris was right.

Chieri's fans had faith in her because her speech embodied everything that AKB0048 needed to be; to bring music into people's hearts throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, above and beyond all states of existance.

Should her speech not be convincing enough, nor performances leading up to the Sousenkyo not convincing enough, would her Kirara shone for the first time since...since ever?

NO.

The fact that her Kirara shone meant that her speech held truth, radiance, and most of all COMMITMENT.

The commitment to protect her fans, to protect everything she believed in!

As for her father...she believed in Chris and Alito. She had faith that they will do whatever they can to convince her father to understand the side of good, for they knew that her father was not completely evil - just misguided by the unnecessary hatred as compared to DES's officers and soldiers themselves.

Chieri knew that she just had to do her part - becoming the best of the best without losing her sense of self!

After the cheers was over as Chieri stated her intentions for staying in AKB0048 to not let her fans, friends, her dream, and her commitment down, she turned her attention towards Chris and Alito. The two maidens' eyes widened slightly, just as Tsubasa was tilting her head while wondering what was going on.

"Most of all...most of all...it's thanks to Chris and Alito-sempai! The struggles you have gone through, that I can understand! Isn't that what our songs are for, Chris and Alito-sempai? To let you understand the wonders of humanity; to understand that part of Humanity the ability to help others in need without expecting anything, wishing for the best in everyone, and not losing yourself for who you are!" Chieri flashed a bright smile as her Kirara began to glow intensely.

"I know I cannot please everyone, but I will do my very best to convince you all that I will be the best candidate for enter Novae in the upcoming Center Novae Election! Everyone, Chris, and Alito, I won't let down your efforts and the faith you have placed in me!" Chieri beamed as she held up her right hand in triumph, rousing the audience into another round of applause.

"Now that's the Chieri we want to see..." Chris nodded.

"Point noted..." Alito simpered.

Their Arcana Core Reactor X-35IS suddenly glowed and their eyes widened in shock.

"Wait...the same thing that happened after I have helped Team Muse and the Nagisa, Sonata, Suzuko, Yuka, Orine, and Kanata ?" Chris wondered.

"A sign of opening up, my lady?" Alito asked.

"To the two maidens that have guided me through my dark days...let our lights guide you through your darkest days' final moments in the times to come!" Chieri gave a warm smile as her Kirara unleashed its glow and infusing it upon the maidens' Core Reactors in the same way that Kanata, Sonata, Nagisa, Yuka, Suzuko, and Orine did with their Kiraras.

"What? Nnnrgh!" Chris and Alito clenched their chest, wincing in pain as their reactor core shone brightly while they nearly collapsed in the floor and breathing heavily.

Steam came out of their ventilation systems, much to the shock of the audiences, but Chris and Alito managed to wave it off weakly as Tsubasa and a WOTA bodyguard helped them up.

"It's okay...just some minor inconveniences with how our body's processing units; no fault of Chieri..." Chris dismissed.

Overdrive Power increase - EXL Skill unlocked.

EXL Skill - Execution Level Skill that unleashes extreme power for the Overdrive Mode's Bar. You will not be able to use the Overdrive Bar for ten minutes after usage so do use it only when necessary.

"Warnings noted..." Chris thought and simpered as she looked at the waving Chieri.

The Icy Maiden and the Maiden of Wind nodded firmly; they were well certain that Chieri knew about the importance of not losing one self and friends in the pursuit to be the best.

Even when Nagisa and Chieri declared their rivalries towards each other, Chris and Alito were able to detect to amount of self-harm towards each other; they only wanted to push themselves further without losing their sense of self and friendship, just as Shiori doing the same for Kanata.

Besides, Chris and Alito were confident that with Tsubasa's help, they can become mediators should the need arises.

After the elections, and after Nagisa and Chieri declared their friendly rivalries to each other...

"Rivalries...To tell the truth, sometimes I thought it's a sure fire one-way ticket to Hell'." Chris sighed.

"But we surely didn't want to tear at each other's head!" Nagisa worryingly shook her head.

"Rivalries are good; they give us motivation, purpose, and aim to be the best. However, too much of a good thing can be bad. You see families torn apart because of such rivalries, lovers between rivalling families having to elope or even committing suicide just to escape what they perceived as 'cruel world', you see friends who are fans of opposing clubs warring against each other, you even see riots blowing out over rivalling CAR BRANDS. Worst...friends can even ended up backstabbing one another, killing one another or even end up driving the person who wanted to prevent rivalries...mad." Chris sighed.

"Competing with each other to see who has the better technology, politics, living environment, qualities of livings, and the likes...Yeah, rivalries are indeed scary at times if not balanced out..." Megumi exhaled deeply.

"Sometimes, we might even cross the line without even us noticing it. So much so that by the time we realized it...Game Over. I mean, it did happen nearly ONCE with the 77th Generation and 76th Generation's Kenkyuseis, right?" Chris frowned.

"All we just want is for people to compete with each other without losing their sense of self, tearing upon each other's hair, or even till a point of renouncing each other's friendship. AKB0048 wouldn't want that to happen, yes?" Alito asked.

"There's a reason why we have you as the mediator should things go awry, right?" Chieri smiled softly.

"I'm sure we can work with one another, improving one another's records while not completely bust our precious bonds and health so high up the ass!" Hazuki nodded. "After all, we all have a common enemy - DES!"

Chris smiled softly. "You know what? I...I simply felt better when I confessed about my worries before it gets too big...Strange, isn't it? Just a simple act of talking to someone about your troubles could offer so much relief, as compared to my parallel self bottling up and unleashing it in a fit of unnecessary extrapolation..."

"Thanks...every one of you. You made me and Alito feel a lot better." she continued.

"Friends should know how to take worries seriously and that it's up to every one of us to speak out our problems. You did yours and we did ours, right?" Chieri simpered as her Kirara shone brightly.

"Choices...Having friends that care...Is this part of what makes humanity...real? It is...right?" Chris sighed happily.