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"Damn it all!"
A thunderous crash echoed through the wilderness.
Under the moonlit sky, a massive boulder that had stood proudly until moments ago was now reduced to a pathetic pile of rubble.
"Now, now. Getting so worked up isn't good for the mind or body, Gizagiza-kun."
"Who the hell are you calling Gizagiza?! ...Tch. Forget it. Just tell me already—why did you bring me back from the dead?"
"Well, to be honest, I didn't exactly intend for it to happen quite like this..."
Scratching his head, the Holy King continued.
"The 'Song of Summoning' I used is a Magical Song that manifests beings deeply connected to the target through mana. This time, I intended to bring an enemy with a deep bond to Lloyd-kun over to our side, but for some reason, you were the one who showed up. ...Actually, this technique isn't supposed to work like this. A kid like him should only have grudges against classmates or maybe some nasty adults. I just wanted to gather information from whoever I called forth, but for a Demon to appear... He really is quite a handful, that Lloyd-kun."
So are you, Guisarm muttered to himself.
When a Demon was destroyed, they were reduced to particles, usually taking hundreds of years to reform. The Holy King claimed his technique used mana to create a Manifestation, but it should have been impossible to restore someone so perfectly.
Furthermore, whenever he even thought of defying the Holy King, his body would immediately start to dissipate into mist. He was clearly under some kind of "Binding."
(But what is this... this overflowing power...?)
A boiling torrent of strength surged within him; he was fundamentally different than he had been before. He felt as if his soul was mingled with something else. Memories that shouldn't exist were there.
(An academy, flames, a Bow of Light...? Ugh, my head is splitting...!)
There were likely other Demons mixed inside him.
...Well, considering that brat, it wouldn't be surprising if he had killed quite a few of them.
"Are you alright? Since my Magical Song draws on the power of God, even I don't fully understand parts of it. This is my first time resurrecting a Demon, so if anything feels wrong, let me know right away, okay?"
"...I'm fine for now. No problems."
"Hmm, if you say so... Oh, come to think of it, I wonder if she's doing okay. You know, that Glasses Girl from the concert."
"Huh?"
"She performed so beautifully, but I'm worried... I hope she hasn't been adversely affected by my presence..."
The Holy King murmured with a solemn expression, leaving Guisarm to tilt his head in confusion.
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And so, preparations for the Saloom Outdoor Live Fest officially began.
Despite Albert's initial concerns, the populace was surprisingly enthusiastic. As soon as the proclamation went out, they dove into festival preparations. The city was a hive of activity—new stalls were being built, massive shipments of ingredients and decorations were changing hands, and musicians were flocking in from other countries. I heard the inns in the castle town were already fully booked.
That said, I was too buried in my songwriting to have the luxury of going out to enjoy the festivities. I think Dian-niisan and the others mentioned they were going to participate. It seemed like Diguardia was being mobilized... I was curious about that, but I had to stay focused here.
"It's done...!"
I let out a weary breath as I looked at the sheet music before me.
Through all the trial and error, the song was finally finished. Listening to various styles of music for inspiration had helped the ideas flow, so the change of pace hadn't been a bad thing after all.
"Whoaaa! I can feel the masterpiece just by looking at the score! To think of Saria-tan and Isha-tan performing this... Ah, I feel like I'm ascending to heaven!"
"Then go ahead and stay there. Just don't bother coming back down. That aside, I must say this is a magnificent piece, Master Lloyd."
I nodded at the praise from Jiriel and Grimo. Even by my own standards, this song was quite well-crafted.
"But Master Lloyd, it’s good that it’s finished, but haven't we spent a bit too much time on the composition?"
"He is right. We have no idea when the Holy King might return. We must prioritize resurrecting Beal."
"Oh, right. Was that why I was doing this?"
I had completely forgotten, but I’d originally set out to write this song to restore Beal. There was still time before the Fest began. I could probably just tell everyone it was a rehearsal and use that as cover to get the restoration over with.
"Still, that Holy King hasn't shown himself once in the past week."
I had been on guard, thinking he might attack again, but maybe he really had just gone home. I wanted to have a proper, serious battle with him once I’d restored Beal... Well, I could always just go find him myself. There was no need to worry about it for now.