Laelaps continues to chase after the Teumessian Fox in a pursuit that never ends. It's not only a twist of fate but also a battle of pride. From "Chasing Sirius." 
Laelaps's Nemesis
Rui:Sirius, a shining star in the night sky. It is located where the nose of Canis Major is.
Rui:In Greek mythology, the model for Canis Major is said to be Laelaps the hound.
Rui:Laelaps was destined by the gods to catch any prey.
Rui:Laelaps wasn't just a dog, he was a hound that was created by the smithing god Hephaestus.
Rui:It might make you think of a robotic dog, made of iron, but that is not the case.
Rui:It is also said that the first woman of humankind was created by Hephaestus.
Rui:Hephaestus has the ability to create living creatures.
Rui:Laelaps was beloved by King Minos of Crete.
Rui:By the way, King Minos is a mythological character, but is said to have been a real king.
Rui:He himself makes his appearance in a great many stories, such as "The King with Donkey Ears"—
Rui:Or the story of the labyrinth and the Minotaur.
Rui:In another story, Laelaps became the dog of Artemis and was used as a hunting dog in Crete.
Rui:In both stories, Laelaps was a hound in Crete.
Rui:Following that, Laelaps was taken to Thebes to meet its fated nemesis.
Rui:Those living in this town and its suburbs were afraid of the man-eating Teumessian Fox.
Rui:Laelaps was brought to the land in an attempt to hunt it.
Rui:However, this fox was also given a special destiny by the gods.
Rui:It was destined never to be caught.
Rui:The god Dionysus chose this destiny and sent the fox to the town of Thebes.
Rui:A hunting dog that will always catch its prey, and a fox that can never be caught.
Rui:It was a paradox that both could exist at the same time.
Rui:And thus began, the endless hunt...
Rui:Was it the disgrace of both having an unattainable destiny, or was it desperation?
Rui:I cannot imagine the kind of battle it was.
Rui:However, when I played Laelaps on stage, a feeling of satisfaction, and...
Rui:I don't know how to put it properly, but I experienced a feeling of hunger.
Rui:Satisfaction with knowing I can go all out, but also unfulfillment from never being caught.
Rui:As short as the time was, it was really fulfilling.
Rui:Pursuing the escaping fox with all my might... Devising strategies on how to hunt it down.
Rui:...Then fighting the counterattacking fox. It was passionate and bloody.
Rui:Perhaps Laelaps had those exact same feelings...
Rui:Life as a hound, hunting prey with pure instinct, strength and cunning.
Rui:The inability to fully utilize all of its power as a result of its destiny.
Rui:Such a fateful encounter gave me the opportunity to go all out.
Rui:Thinking about it in this way, makes this story seem fateful.
Hound's Determination
Rui:Laelaps, a hunting dog that will always catch its prey, and the Teumessian fox, a fox which can never be caught.
Rui:Both using the full power they were given by the gods, they chased each other. This didn't last forever.
Rui:Zeus, turned the two beasts into stone to put an end to the chase.
Rui:In Greek mythology, the fate of the gods is absolute.
Rui:Those two who defied it could not be allowed to exist.
Rui:Zeus raised Laelaps to the sky and turned him into a star—
Rui:...This is the origin story of Canis Major, the prelude to our performance of "Chasing Sirius".
Rui:Mine was the part of Laelaps, and Tamao-senpai played the Teumessian Fox.
Rui:Just between us, when I first read the script, I was shocked to find out that in this role, I was to chase and catch Tamao-senpai...
Rui:I got a little worked up.
Rui:I don't mean in a weird way! I mean in the way that my role was to oppose Tamao-senpai!
Rui:You see, until now it was always roles like Otohime and Urashima Taro, superior and subordinate—
Rui:This was our first time as rivals! That's what I meant!
Rui:I didn't mean actually chasing after Tamao-senpai...!
Rui:...Uhm, let's get back to the story of Chasing Sirius.
Rui:Differing from the myth, in our play there are two foxes and two hounds.
Rui:This made the story very different.
Rui:Instead of competing with Tamao-senpai, we worked together against Hanayagi-san and Isurugi-san.
Rui:In the beginning, the combination of me and Tamao-senpai meant we were able to take the lead.
Rui:This was all thanks to the history between me and her! So I was confident.
Rui:But that confidence was shattered by Hanayagi-san and Isurugi-san.
Rui:At first, their movements were unaligned, but they ended up becoming in-sync with each other...
Rui:Trust and bonds, built over a longer relationship than ours. One that comes from being childhood friends.
Rui:I was at a loss when I felt this.
Rui:...So much disappointment. Tamao-senpai's unpleasant experience was because of me.
Rui:Even so, I can't just stay down in the dumps!
Rui:In terms of time, we cannot surpass Hanayagi-san and Isurugi-san's friendship.
Rui:But it is possible for us to become even closer friends.
Rui:This was a huge learning experience for me. I will not let it get me down again.
Rui:That wasn't the only lesson I learned.
Rui:The combination of Hanayagi-san and Isurugi-san was different from ours.
Rui:Not a combination filled with consideration, but a competitive one.
Rui:Their movements came from their rivalry and recognition of each other.
Rui:At that time, I was doing my best to keep up with Tamao-senpai and she held back to match me.
Rui:That's no good. We will never reach the level of those two.
Rui:I can't just run at the heels of Tamao-senpai forever!
Rui:I will catch up, and then...even surpass her!
Rui:I'll do this to give Tamao-senpai the chance of a greater performance!
Rui:My role is Laelaps the hound. Hmm... I want to learn to act more like a dog, but we're not allowed pets in the dorm...
Rui:When I was a child, I wasn't good with big dogs. They're just so big and I'm still afraid of them, even now...
Rui:I know most dogs are good natured, but when I run away, they think I'm playing and chase after me.
Rui:I got so scared... I desperately ran away in tears. It feels strange that someone like me is taking on the hound role.