The sun began to set, and the collective gaze of the audience gathered as one.
Stepping forward a moment late, Albert projected his voice with a sharp clear of his throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting! To close out the stage that so many groups have brought to life—you all know her, Diva Isha!"
"Waaaaah!" a roar of cheers erupted, and Isha responded with a graceful wave.
An even greater ovation rose in response to her gesture.
"And joining us in place of Saria, the child prodigy of music, is this man. Those of you here today are truly fortunate. You may never have the chance to hear him again—the Holy King!"
A cheer far louder than the last broke out.
The man had hidden his face with a hood at some point. He was using recognition-obfuscation magic as well; his countermeasures against being identified were impeccable.
"And finally! A sudden entry! Our very own Seventh Prince of Saloom, my beyond-adorable little brother who even composed the music for this performance—Lloyd di Saloom!"
"Ooooooh!" the cheers echoed. ...Wait. I had always assumed I was just a sidekick for Saria and Isha, but am I actually that famous?
"Of course you are, Master Lloyd. After showing off that kind of singing so many times, it’s only natural," Grimo commented.
"Indeed. The people have likely begun to realize just how extraordinary Master Lloyd truly is," Jiriel added.
That was a problem. I didn't want to stand out in a weird way... well, I was only playing the castanets this time, so I hoped it would keep me from being the center of attention.
"...Huh? There aren't any instruments."
I suddenly realized the stage was empty.
I had my castanets, but Isha’s microphone and the piano the Holy King was supposed to use were nowhere to be found.
As the crowd murmured in confusion, Albert gave a wink.
"Heh, of course we have instruments—you’re up, Diguardia!"
Albert snapped his fingers. The moment the sound rang out, the stage began to shake.
With a heavy, grinding rumble, the stage split open and the Crimson Golem, Diguardia, rose from beneath the floor.
A grand piano was mounted on its back, and several microphones were integrated into its frame.
...Now that I thought about it, Zerof and the others had modified it into a Giant Instrument.
Looking closer, it was outfitted with an even wider array of instruments than before, and among them were even castanets.
"Heh, I tuned everything just for you guys," Dian said.
"Indeed. I equipped it with a massive number of usable instruments. Command them to your heart's content," Zerof added.
Inside the golem, Dian and Zerof gave a thumbs-up.
Being able to use Diguardia was a wonderful surprise, and the audience was absolutely thrilled.
"Ah—ah—this microphone is excellent. It’s tuned perfectly for me...!" Isha noted.
"The piano as well. Though, for someone of my caliber, the tools hardly matter," the Holy King remarked.
"No problems on my end either," I said.
After all, I was just on the castanets. The two of them gave me flat looks, but I ignored them.
Now then, time to begin the performance... wait, what?
My eyes caught a figure in the audience. It was Saria.
"Why is Saria-neesan here...?"
Wasn't she supposed to be bedridden? Or was I just seeing things?
"Master Lloyd, the performance is starting!"
"This is no time to be looking away!"
I snapped back to reality at the words of Grimo and Jiriel.
Right, focus. I had lost sight of Saria in the crowd anyway.
Maybe it was just my imagination. For now, I needed to pay attention to the music.
—♪
Isha and the Holy King had already begun, quickly working the audience into a frenzy.
I hurried to join in, and the performance began in earnest.
"Hm? This isn't the Magical Song Master Lloyd wrote," Grimo noted.
"It is likely just the opening act. On a stage this grand, it wouldn't do to just play one song and call it a day," Jiriel replied.
Exactly. We were currently playing an arrangement of a Sacred Song commonly used in the Church.
The program was set to follow this with twelve more pieces.
"Heh. As a Majin, Sacred Songs always felt grating, but I could get used to a lighthearted version like this," Grimo admitted.
"Oh! That solemn Sacred Song is being performed with a pop and hard-rock tone! What a magnificent arrangement!" Jiriel exclaimed.
Even Grimo and Jiriel were reacting well.
However, Isha and the Holy King’s adaptability was truly impressive. They had mastered the Giant Humanoid Instrument "Diguardia" in the blink of an eye.
"Does this song have a healing effect too?" Grimo asked.
"Yeah. By listening to the entire set in order, the Ritual deepens, allowing for a much greater healing effect," I explained.
It was essentially a full-course meal of music.
To restore Beal's massive mana, a single song wouldn't cut it. We needed a grand performance lasting dozens of minutes. Since I was doing this anyway, I was treating it as an experimental trial.
"Heh. It's all for the sake of your sister, isn't it? I knew it, Master Lloyd. You're quite the tsundere," Grimo teased.
"Performing for the sake of the wounded Saria-tan... oh, how noble...!" Jiriel swooned.
The two of them were muttering nonsense, but I was busy observing the Holy King's technique.
I see. So this is what an authentic Magical Song sounds like. It was definitely different from my imitations.
Well, I’d be able to reproduce it perfectly soon enough.
—♪
The program proceeded smoothly through the second and third songs.
Far from tiring, Isha and the Holy King seemed to be growing even sharper.
My part was just the castanets, so I was having a relatively easy time, until—
"...!?"
The Holy King's style shifted slightly. A mistake? No, looking at the piece as a whole, it had actually improved.
However, that improvement only worked if I matched his change. The man was improvising an arrangement on the fly. He gave me a quick wink as I stood there in surprise.
"...You've done it now."
I muttered with a wry smile.
This was a challenge from the Holy King.
If I didn't respond, the song would fall apart, and the Spell Formula I had built up to this point would be ruined.
But if I did respond, the Spell Formula would ascend to even greater heights. ...Good grief. I didn't exactly have a choice.
Isha, to her credit, responded immediately. I didn't want to stand out, but I had to follow suit.
—♪
And so, I accepted the Holy King's challenge.
Just as he intended, the quality of the music surged. The audience's reaction was electric.
But no sooner had the song stabilized than the Holy King added yet another arrangement. Isha matched him instantly, and I had no choice but to follow. The spiral of rising complexity continued. It was relentless.
Hey, I get that you’re amazing, but there has to be a limit. Give me a break.
"I-Incredible... To think these three, who have never played together before today, could perform like this... This is truly a masterpiece that should be preserved as a treasure of Saloom... no, the world...!" Albert shouted.
"Magnificent. You are simply too magnificent, Master Lloyd... I knew you possessed talent in swordsmanship and magic, but to show such profound genius for music as well... Sylpha is so moved that tears are blurring her vision...!"
Sylpha and Albert were shouting something, but I could barely hear them over the music.
Honestly, my hands were starting to ache.
Even with Physical Strengthening, striking castanets at ultra-high speeds was no small feat.
Still, the Spell Formula being woven was as vast and powerful as a great river. I could never have achieved this on my own. In that sense, I had to be grateful to the Holy King.
—♪
Finally, the last Magical Song arrived. Once this was over, Beal would likely be restored, and I could take a long break from music.
That was what I was thinking when someone suddenly vaulted onto the stage.
An intruder. Yet, no one moved to stop them. Because this person was the one who was meant to be part of this performance from the start.
"Saria-neesan...?"
Yes—breathless and determined, Saria had ascended the stage.