By the time Sora and Robin returned to their lodgings, everyone who'd gone to watch the rough cut had already made it back.
As for what Sparkle eventually edited the rough cut into, Sora didn't bother asking.
Deep down, the whole movie had always felt unreliable to him.
Since he'd already repaid Robin's favor, even if the movie crashed and burned, there wasn't much he could do.
Still, based on the others' reactions, the film at least seemed likely to scrape by.
That was fine—just passing was better than a total disaster.
He couldn't let Robin's reputation get dragged down because of him.
Having settled that in his mind, Sora relaxed significantly.
After the rough cut passed internal review—especially with someone on the inside—it was swiftly scheduled for release.
In fact, before Sora realized it, promotional posters for the movie were plastered all over the Cangyan.
The marketing was absurdly grand. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was some timeless masterpiece.
Sora became curious. He genuinely wanted to see how the movie had turned out.
But when he went looking for the director, he discovered Sparkle had disappeared at some point.
Sora stared at the note left in his hand, which held just one line:
"Director Sparkle has taken her curtain call. Now Adventurer Sparkle is off to have some fun, so don't worry about me."
But reading this, then reflecting on Sparkle's past actions…
"Why does this feel like she scammed the producer and ran?"
To Sora, Sparkle's move was classic "take the cash, finish the job, and vanish."
Considering Sparkle's true identity as one of the Masked Fools…
Frankly, running off with money didn't seem impossible at all.
[SPARKLE FILM STUDIO, SPARKLE FILM STUDIO HAS GONE BANKRUPT!]
[THE BASTARD DIRECTOR SPARKLE—SHE TOOK THE CANGYAN'S BUDGET AND RAN!]
That bizarre jingle inexplicably echoed in Sora's mind.
It startled him so badly that he quickly shook his head, trying to banish the tune.
After this incident, Sora became even less optimistic about the movie's fate.
He could only hope that later, while walking down the street, no one would suddenly jump out and shout, "Hey, you—I recognize you! You're the male lead who turned our beloved Cangyan myth into trash!"
If that happened, he'd have no choice but to…
Go back to the Federation and lock himself in his room, quietly making little people.
Of course, when Sora said "making little people," he meant it literally!
He meant creating figures modeled after certain senpais—definitely not anything weird.
Anyway, having completely given up on the film, Sora waited until the movie premiered…
...
Shi Cheng was an ordinary Vidyadhara from the Cangyan Xianzhou.
After shedding his scales and undergoing rebirth, he awoke again here on the Cangyan.
Naturally, upon awakening, he inherited some memories from his previous life.
Within those memories, one short period was vividly etched into him.
It had lasted barely ten days, yet his past self remembered it for an entire lifetime—an enduring regret left unresolved.
In that memory, because he'd been rescued by that person, he'd followed him into battle, fighting together to survive.
He'd lived through the spreading icefields, endured Mount Buzhou's collapse, and even helped suppress Foxians who had lost their sanity at the time.
These memories came from just those few short days, yet even after rebirth, Shi Cheng was still profoundly affected by them.
And within those memories lay his greatest regret.
Recently, however, he'd noticed a film being heavily promoted on the Xianzhou.
The title was simple: Heaven-Mending Creation.
It was Cangyan's most celebrated festival—and the most widely told legend here.
Everyone from five-hundred-year-old grandmothers to toddlers just learning to speak knew the story.
And that story contained Shi Cheng's regret.
So, the moment the movie premiered, he bought a ticket and took his seat in the theater.
The cinema wasn't completely packed—some attendees were like him, others drawn in by the posters…
Either way, they gathered and began watching.
Truthfully, Shi Cheng had chosen this movie partially to find faults.
Because he didn't want his memories distorted, and he especially didn't want that figure portrayed by someone else.
Though he appeared calm externally, inwardly he'd been prepared to tear this film apart.
He intended to scrutinize it closely and condemn it into oblivion.
Yet, as the movie opened and the male lead appeared, Shi Cheng froze.
"H-How is that possible…?"
What on earth?
How could it be this similar—this identical?
"It's as if they're the same person…"
Even after hundreds of years, even after rebirth, he'd never forgotten that face from his memories.
And now, that face seemed to have stepped directly out of his past and onto the screen.
That man who wasn't a general—but who surpassed any general…
That man who left them with a free, open sky, while disappearing without a trace himself…
Overwhelmed by emotion, Shi Cheng instinctively reached forward, as if trying to touch him.
But when he noticed his own hand, he snapped back to reality—he was still in a theater.
He quickly composed himself, glancing around only to realize he wasn't alone—others had made the same gesture.
Not just Vidyadhara who could be reborn by shedding scales—there were also Xianzhou citizens with graying hair and brows.
During that battle, they'd only been a few decades old; now, they were elderly and white-haired.
Yet the figure on-screen remained forever young.
Having gathered himself, Shi Cheng quietly watched.
To him, the ticket price had already been worth it the moment he saw that familiar face.
Even if it was just an actor, even if it wasn't really him—just seeing that face again once was enough to ease the burden he'd carried.
Now, he no longer felt the desire to nitpick.
He only wished to walk through that memory again—reliving those days of despair, unforgettable for a lifetime.
Scene after scene passed.
Shi Cheng noticed certain differences from his memories.
Clearly, these were deliberate changes—streamlining the story to maintain pacing.
Familiar events unfolded before his eyes…
"Heaven-Mending fails. The sky is falling."
"The Vidyadhara are wiped out. Fangyuan falls."
"All peoples gather, marching toward Mount Buzhou…"
Humorous moments were sprinkled throughout, the kind that made you smile involuntarily.
Then the icefields spread, Mount Buzhou collapsed, and the story reached its final moments.
"Even if I die, I'll become a fiend!"
On-screen, Bolue bared sharp teeth, cursing bitterly. "I'll watch every last one of you get swallowed! I'll wait for you to join me!"
In the next instant, a blade flashed—his wolf-head hit the ground, rolled twice with a dull thud, and stopped.
At that moment, Mount Buzhou fully collapsed, darkness flooding over everything again.
Honestly, by this point in the film, Shi Cheng wanted to leave.
What happened next—he knew better than anyone.
He'd spent his previous life regretting and blaming himself for what followed. Now it was about to play out again.
Yet, his body refused to move.
He'd forgotten why he'd come—now he only wanted to see it through.
Amid the collapsing Mount Buzhou, a figure slowly rose.
Three glowing medals were in his hand.
He inserted the first. "The HUNT is the road we walk now, guiding our path forward."
Then the second. "ABUNDANCE is the mistake we made in the past, reminding us of lessons learned."
The third medal should've been FINALITY, yet Sparkle had replaced it.
"Standing in the present, comprehending the past—these will ultimately forge our future!"
He inserted the third medal.
The entire theater went silent.
Only the scanning sound of medals echoed.
Shi Cheng softly whispered the next word along with the Sora on-screen, relying purely on memory:
"HENSHIN!"
Blinding brilliance burst forth, lighting up the entire theater.
When the glare faded, the figure gleaming silver-white appeared before them.
And Robin's singing erupted simultaneously!
♪We rise together as our destiny unfolds♪
♪We face the darkness and our trials are yet untold♪
High above, Sora nodded slightly. Flames ignited across the land—truly worthy of the name Cangyan.
Eventually, the flames formed a massive axe, gripped tightly in his hands.
♪Through the shadows of despair♪
♪Oh, in silence, hopes we share, woah-woah♪
♪To chase our dreams that we've declared♪
Sora raised the blazing axe, swinging it down fiercely.
In that instant, chaos seemed to split apart, giving birth to the universe.
As the scene faded, a rift appeared, revealing the starry sky beyond.
Witnessing this, Shi Cheng felt fulfilled.
He knew he couldn't watch further—because what followed was…
Yet, something different unfolded on-screen—something unexpected:
Instead of fleeing, everyone rallied behind him for a final fight.
Shi Cheng's heart swelled, no longer wishing to critique.
He just wanted to savor this new, triumphant ending for as long as he could.
The theater lights came up, but no one moved.
Aside from the music overhead, the theater remained utterly silent.
No one looked like they'd quite returned to reality yet.
Only when applause finally erupted did they jolt awake, as though startled from a dream.
Shi Cheng's eyes were red, but a smile lingered on his face.
He didn't need to say anything else. In his heart, he'd already given the movie its score.
Full marks.
...
"Something huge just happened! Something huge!"
Hotaru burst into the hotel, completely flustered.
"Whoa, what's the rush?" Sora asked lazily.
He lounged in a recliner nearby, savoring his afternoon tea.
He looked relaxed. Even though today was the movie's release day, he wasn't nervous at all.
He'd already set his expectations—no matter how spectacularly the film flopped, it wouldn't shake him in the slightest.
Besides, Titania was out today, so no one was around to pester him.
Naturally, Sora planned to savor this leisurely afternoon.
He eyed Hotaru's panicked state. "What happened? Why are you freaking out?"
To anyone unaware, they'd think the hotel was under siege.
"Sora-san—we… our hotel's been blocked off!"
"Huh?!"
Sora bolted upright, staring at Hotaru in confusion. "What did you just say?!"
Their hotel had been blocked off?
He couldn't believe it. He rushed to the window, pulled the curtains aside—and froze.
He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and checked again. No hallucination.
Outside was a huge crowd, so tightly packed that they practically sealed the entrance shut.
The sight was so shocking that Sora staggered back a couple steps.
"W-What's this about?"
Was he seriously getting mobbed on the Cangyan?
Did helping Robin earlier come back to bite him?
But these didn't look like the Flame Prison enforcers.
Still not convinced, Sora took another peek—only to see even more people.
"What's going on?!"
"It's the movie—the movie—"
"Don't tell me it was so terrible that people came here furious!" Sora blurted, cutting Hotaru off.
Was his acting that bad—so far removed from the Xianzhou's image that they'd gather here to cause trouble?
But that made no sense—he'd literally been playing himself!
Did he not know himself well enough?
"No! The opposite—it's too popular! That's why they're crowding the entrance!"
Sora dug a finger into his ear, skeptical. "Come again? What did you say happened with the movie?"
He must've heard wrong. It sounded like Hotaru was claiming that flop of a movie had become a massive hit.
Yeah, right.
Besides Robin, no one else in the entire cast was even a professional actor—how could it possibly succeed…
"You're kidding…"
"I'm not! Look!"
Hotaru shoved her phone in front of him, displaying top headlines from the Cangyan network.
Out of the top ten trending topics, at least three involved Heaven-Mending Creation.
The most eye-catching one sat firmly at number one.
Sora remained unconvinced. He tapped into it and scrolled through the comments.
[It's a movie based on a myth, but unexpectedly good.]
[Seriously, the characters were vivid, and that whole bit about past, present, and future—I can't forget it.]
[I'm not even from the Cangyan, and I still loved it.]
[Speaking as a Vidyadhara, this movie actually helped fulfill a regret from the previous generation.]
[No wonder—I was surprised by how many elderly people were in the theater.]
Fresh comments poured in relentlessly, quickly burying what Sora had just read.
He stood frozen in disbelief.
Only when Hotaru reclaimed her phone did Sora finally mutter, stunned, "The movie…really blew up?"
"Yeah! Why would I lie about this?"
"…Huh?"
Sora tilted his head, and that familiar sense of absolute bewilderment washed over him once again.
What the hell is happening?!
My name is Hoshigaki Sora. I never, ever expected the flop movie I starred in would actually blow up.
And not just a little popular—it was popular to an absurd extent…
At first, he'd suspected Hotaru and the others were just comforting him.
But Titania definitely couldn't be bribed!
So when Titania returned, swaggering with her usual "I fear nothing" confidence, Sora finally believed: the movie really had surpassed all expectations.
No—surpassed everyone's expectations.
Titania wore a triumphant grin.
"Heh heh. You didn't show up at any premieres—just sit there and watch me demolish you in support ratings!"
Only after asking around did Sora learn what Titania had been doing all day.
She'd gone theater-hopping to promote the film personally.
As the saying went: whatever it takes!
To surpass Sora in support ratings, Titania had decided to canvass for votes herself.
Her strategy was inspired by Hotaru and the others.
Back when Sora's body had gone missing, they'd joked that Sora's dolls could buy support.
So Titania had positioned herself outside theaters premiering today, exchanging dolls she'd crafted personally for votes.
"With the massive premiere crowds, thousands of stone figurines—I gave away all of them!"
"This time, your support ratings are absolutely doomed!"
Titania looked certain of victory. This round, she was definitely crushing Sora beneath her feet!
She confidently opened the support ratings site on her phone.
But the moment the data loaded, her eyes widened.
"H-How is this possible?!"
On the support ratings, Sora was actually ahead of Titania by several percentage points!
That couldn't be right—she'd worked so hard canvassing. How could this happen?
"Did you rig the votes?!" Titania demanded, feeling betrayed.
Sora glanced at the comments and spotted something buried there.
[That big sister who recommended this site said all the actors are staying at "Yuelai Hotel."]
[Yeah, I asked the front desk, and they confirmed the male lead is really staying there.]
[Thanks to that kind big sister—but I'm still voting for the male lead…]
Sora's mouth twitched. Now he finally understood why their hotel had been mobbed.
So the leaker was you?!
Titania had been fuming, but after hearing Sora's explanation, she froze in place.
"You mean…the people I got to vote…ended up voting for you?"
"So, I actually pulled votes for you?!"
Sora shrugged silently, confirming the truth.
That was exactly what had happened—he wasn't lying.
Realizing this, Titania looked as though she'd been struck by lightning. Slowly, she sank to her knees, her entire world drained of color.
She'd unintentionally helped—and even funded—her sworn rival?!
"I'm a worthless god…I'm a worthless god…"
With her confidence shattered, Titania shuffled into a corner and gloomily drew circles on the floor.
Once she quieted down, the others began discussing with Sora whether they should keep staying here.
Considering the movie's exploding popularity, even more people would probably flood in over the next few days.
And with crowds this large, who knew what trouble might break out?
"Don't worry, I've already arranged things with the Cangyan authorities."
Just as they were talking, Robin returned and announced calmly.
Earlier, she'd secretly gone to the premiere. Sora might not care, but how could she miss the first movie they'd made together?
After watching, she'd noticed many people immediately bought tickets for a second showing, realizing something unusual was happening.
Sure enough, within just hours, the film exploded like a bomb, instantly igniting the once-peaceful Xianzhou.
Robin quickly went to the General's Office to discuss countermeasures and had returned with a solution.
"The Fearless General said the General's Office has extra rooms—we can take shelter there. Staying at this hotel isn't feasible anymore."
With that, Robin effortlessly solved their "crowded entrance" problem.
"I have some experience handling these situations. If you're unsure about anything, just ask."
After all, Robin was a singer famous throughout the galaxy.
She'd weathered countless fan crises before—she knew exactly how to manage them.
In comparison, Sora truly looked like a complete amateur.
"Guess I really am causing you trouble," Sora said.
"What are you saying? Between us, how can you talk about 'trouble'?"
Watching Sora and Robin's casual exchange, Fenille's eyes narrowed slightly.
If things continued like this, it could spell trouble…
So, she lightly nudged Titania, who was still sulking in the corner.
"What?"
"Look over there. Don't you have any thoughts about that?"
Titania followed her gaze, puzzled.
She tilted her head. "Thoughts about what?"
Sora and Robin were chatting pleasantly, smiling warmly…
"Oh, I see now!"
Titania suddenly sprang up, revitalized!
Fenille blinked, bewildered. What exactly did she "see"?
"You wanted me to notice how smug Sora looks right now, so later I can repay today's humiliation a hundredfold, right?"
"I understand perfectly!"
Bang!
The sudden noise drew everyone's attention. They turned, only to see Fenille's forehead pressed against the wall in frustration.
Sora stared blankly. "Uh, what happened?"
Was she testing how solid the wall was?
But they were about to leave anyway—why test it now?
"Nothing," Fenille said flatly.
She took two deep breaths, finally calming the turmoil inside her.
Glancing at Titania, who was still beside her, she suddenly felt that the road ahead would be very, very long…
...
"Heh heh heh~~"
A ship cruised leisurely through space, piloted by none other than Sparkle—who had fled the Cangyan early.
She hummed along to Robin's soundtrack, sailing through the boundless starry expanse.
As for how the movie ultimately performed, she wasn't even interested enough to check.
What truly mattered to her was the entertainment she'd had while filming.
Especially the pleasure only a select few could experience: watching Sora redo a scene countless times, only to ultimately choose the very first take.
But now filming had wrapped, leaving her without amusement, so she'd decided to travel far and wide in search of fresh fun.
"This time I filmed a Xianzhou heroic myth… How about checking out the Denizens of the Abundance next?"
Sparkle pondered her next source of entertainment.
Having just finished a movie for the Xianzhou, why not try making one about the Denizens of the Abundance?
Maybe that would lead to some wonderfully bizarre chemistry.
With her mind set, she quickly identified a star system where the Denizens of the Abundance were active and accelerated toward it.
However, she hadn't anticipated encountering far more than just the usual Denizens of the Abundance.
There were other presences mixed among them as well.
"Oh-ho. Now this… this is really something…"
Sparkle stared in genuine surprise.
She recognized the Jishu—a Denizen clan already weakened among their kind—with their oxen bodies, hairless skin, human faces, and horse legs.
Behind the Jishu stood Rahu, Devourer of Worlds, a weapon of ABUNDANCE. The healed scar across its abdomen was glaringly evident.
Nearby stood Denizens resembling birds, yet not entirely avian, each with a single horn upon their head—the Gudiao.
Then there were the Zhuhuai, creatures bearing a mix of human, ox, pig, and goose traits, their four eyes glinting eerily.
Leading this diverse assembly from the front were the wolfman-like Borisin, clearly orchestrating something.
Yet strangely, Sparkle detected a faint aura of Heliobus emanating from those Borisin.
"Hee~hee~hee."
She chuckled quietly, recalling someone particular.
"So the Lord Ravager, Phantylia, has secretly gathered so many Denizens of the Abundance here…"
"Just what exactly are you planning?"
Now things were truly getting interesting…
---
T/N: i forgot what the format we did for music, can someone remind me? did i bold it or??