The East Blue – Inside Uta's Space
"This Uta…she's hogging Arton all to herself up there!" Nami complained, hands on hips, listening to the song that seemed to fill the entire space. She glanced at her own Diary Copy, noting the ongoing video recording. "That means we don't get any screen time!"
Standing nearby was Kaya, hands clasped in admiration. "She's amazing, isn't she? Uta probably wrote that song based on Shirou Emiya and Sakura, right? It's so lovely. Makes me want to dance along to it."
Carina rested her chin on one hand, thoughtfully stroking it with her fingertips. "Uta really does have a gift. And apparently, just writing a song inspired by Shirou Emiya is enough to get Arton to hit 'record.' Maybe I can write a song or two of my own. If Uta's doing Emiya and Sakura's love story, maybe I'll do Emiya and his sister Illya—some kind of sibling bond song. Or maybe something involving Yae Miko. Then Arton might record me while I perform."
Nami's eyes lit up at the suggestion. She hurried over to Carina. "Want me to dance with you, Carina?"
"You know how to dance?" Carina asked skeptically.
"Well, I'm not really skilled, but I can learn."
"Nah, forget it. I'm not interested in teaching a newbie. Even Kaya's better at dancing than you."
"Hey! Don't just brush me off like that. Are you trying to hog the spotlight alone, just like Uta?"
"Hehe, you hit the nail on the head, Nami."
"You…you vixen!"
"And you're just a thieving cat!"
Watching the two start squabbling again, Kaya tried to interject quietly, "Um, you really shouldn't fight…" But once Nami and Carina were at it, her small voice had no chance of reaching them.
In the end, Kaya could only sigh and step aside, listening to Uta's beautiful singing and admiring the magical scenery of Uta's world, as the two continued to bicker in the background.
After finishing her song, Uta skipped lightly over to the cloud where Arton was resting. When Arton opened his eyes, he saw Uta before him—barefoot, wearing her signature white mini-dress, her eyes curved into happy crescents, and her lips drawn into the cutest little smile.
"Arton, how was my singing?" Uta clasped both hands behind her back, leaning forward with a cheery grin.
"Of course it was wonderful," Arton replied. "But you actually composed it based on the love story between Shirou Emiya and Sakura. Could it be that our Miss Uta is already itching to fall in love?"
Propping both hands behind his head, Arton teased her with a playful smile.
"Oh, don't be silly," Uta giggled. "I was just moved by Shirou Emiya and Sakura's story, so I wrote a song about it. And anyway, if I really did want to fall in love, I don't exactly have anyone in mind."
"What do you mean you don't?" Arton said. "Aren't I standing right here?"
"Ugh, Arton, there you go again."
"But I really do want to be in a relationship with you, Uta."
"Is that so?"
"It is!"
"And Carina, Kaya, and Nami?" Uta asked with a playful tilt of her head.
"Well, I'd like to date them too," Arton answered without a shred of hesitation.
"Oh my gosh…you're probably the only one in the whole world who'd admit that so casually," Uta huffed, puffing out her cheeks. Then she flopped forward onto the cloud next to Arton, and the two of them started playfully tussling.
They only stopped once they'd worn themselves out. Finally, Uta lay there catching her breath.
"Isn't it about time you ended this Uta Space?" Arton said, noticing the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Keeping this entire realm active must be pretty draining."
"Heehee, I'm not that fragile," Uta retorted. "Right now, I could maintain Uta Space for a whole hour if I wanted. Maybe even longer if I don't use any big moves. Didn't you say you wanted to rest your mind? Then just relax here for a while."
Turning onto her side, she faced Arton. He glanced over and met her soft, round eyes, which seemed like they could speak on their own.
"It looks like our songstress has really come a long way," Arton mused.
"Heh heh, all thanks to that 'Elizabeth' template you gave me," Uta said with a smile.
"All I did was provide the template," Arton replied. "Getting to this level was your own doing."
"Or maybe you gave me more than just the Elizabeth template," Uta added cryptically, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. Naturally, she was referring to the "points" system Arton still knew nothing about.
Suddenly, Uta rolled onto her back and gazed at the sky. "Arton, do you think I should hang on to the sheet music for summoning the Sing-Sing Demon? Or should I destroy it?"
"You mean that 'Song Demon King,' right?" Arton asked. "Why destroy it? Couldn't it be good to keep it around in case you ever want to summon it?"
"But that demon king is so dangerous," Uta said, pursing her lips. "Even if I hold on to the score, I can't actually use it. If it ended up hurting you or anyone else, I'd never forgive myself."
When she had first boarded Arton's ship, Uta had secretly brought along the sheet music for summoning the Sing-Sing Demon—behind Igo's back. She'd planned to burn it, but when the time came, she just couldn't go through with it. Deep down, a small part of her wondered if she might want to see that demon king again someday.
Arton turned his head slightly, quietly watching the delicate line of Uta's face. After a long pause, he spoke:
"Why burn it? Uta, don't you want revenge on that demon lord?"