Chapter 236
The costumes were ready, and we'd grown accustomed to the new instruments.
At this point, refusing to hold a live performance would be nothing short of laziness.
"Only Libertà's outfit is black.""I doubt an assassin should wear colors that stand out too much."
The live performance. To show our gratitude to the spirits who had helped us so much, we decided to hold two consecutive days of performances. When I informed the Spirit King of this, the news spread throughout the spirit realm in an instant.
Since the content would be the same both days, we made sure to let everyone know there was no need to attend both, and now the day had finally arrived.
Everyone was dressed in the equipment we'd made recently, and I was wearing mine as well.
Though what we held weren't weapons but musical instruments, it didn't feel out of place at all.
"A black jacket-mantle with a hood, a black suit underneath, and only the shirt is white.""Technically, Sunlight Silk can be dyed too. Given my combat style, these dark, shadow-blending colors work better. For deserts, I'd want desert camouflage; for forests, woodland patterns—that way, I can make the most of my skill set. Ideally, I'd want at least three more variants.""Desert patterns, forest patterns... and what would the third one be?""Snow camouflage—gear for blending into snowy terrain."
Microphone, bass, drums, keyboard, saxophone, and guitar.Beyond the curtain, the spirits were waiting eagerly for the live performance to begin.
This venue—an incredible one the spirits had built just for us—was designed with our stage at the center, sunken down, with fan-shaped tiers rising outward so everyone could see clearly.
The seating capacity was still being expanded to its limits even now. The spirits kept modifying the venue so aggressively that I wondered just how far they intended to go.
Part of me wanted to ask if they really needed to go this far just for one group of singers, but if they told me even this might not be enough, all I could do was smile wryly.
"Physical and magical defense boosts, speed increase, physical skill damage up, stealth skill effectiveness up, critical damage up, hate generation reduction... with this combination, you end up with this pitch-black look."
Call it full-blown chuunibyou if you want. The Thunder Trio's designs looked like something a villain would wear, but personally, I really liked them.
Even if I've "graduated" from that phase, I still think they're cool.And camouflage patterns? Yeah, those are just plain awesome too.
While I was busy not forgetting that boyish part of myself...
"Amina-chan! It's almost time!!""Okaaay!!"
This time, a spirit working backstage signaled the start of the show. Amina replied, then turned back to me.
"Alright, Libertà! Give us the rallying cry!""Huh?"
Being told to just take our positions felt a bit lackluster, so when the responsibility was suddenly passed to me, I was honestly stumped. After a brief moment of hesitation...
"Alright, let's stack our hands.""Stack our hands?"
I had planned to start with the classic team cheer, but it seemed this world didn't have that concept, so I explained it.
"Ooh, sounds fun!""Let's do it!"
Nel and Amina placed their hands over mine in the center.
"Somehow, this is making me nervous.""It's just a simple synchronized cheer.""Right."
Lady Esmeralda, Claudia, and Ingrid added their hands one by one, their gazes fixed on me. Being stared at by a group of stunningly beautiful girls of different types made me want to blush, but I kept that under wraps.
"Let's show our gratitude to the spirits who've helped us this far, entertain them, and enjoy ourselves too!""Ooooh!!"
A short, spirited cheer to cap it off. No need for long speeches—now it was just about giving it our all.
Amina took the center, I stood to the right, and Nel to the left. Behind Amina, Lady Esmeralda manned the drums, with Ingrid in front of her to the left and Claudia to the right.
Once positions were set, Amina signaled the spirit staff with a wave, and the curtain slowly rose.
As the stage became visible, Lady Esmeralda's drums resounded, and our performance began.
This was the first time we'd revealed these instruments—our mini-lives had been done with lutes and cajóns, the instruments we'd always used.
This was our surprise.
Even familiar songs would transform into something entirely new with unfamiliar sounds.
I could hear the murmurs of surprise from the spirits.
But those murmurs vanished instantly—
"I'M THE CENTER STARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"
—the moment the spotlight hit Amina, revealing her new costume, which only the staff had seen until now.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!"
The unknown sounds and the new costumes made from Sunlight Silk sent the spirits into a frenzy.
No need for buildup—this first song would seize their hearts!
With that determination, my guitar playing grew more intense.
Darkness-san, you're the best.This magic guitar could produce the exact sound I envisioned.
With the lute, I'd felt overpowered by Amina's songs, but this guitar could match her voice.
I could feel it—the powerful resonance it produced.The only downside was having to carefully balance the mana.
Too much would drown out the others; too little would get lost in the mix.I really wanted a mixer, but we hadn't been able to make one yet.
For one, we lacked materials. And secondly, Darkness-san and the other craftsmen were already swamped.Diverting manpower to make something without the materials seemed unreasonable, so we'd put it off for later.
Under the pretense that our live shows would keep evolving, we'd resorted to relying on instinct for sound balancing.
"~!!♪"
The one thing we absolutely couldn't do was overshadow Amina's singing. The one thing we absolutely had to do was elevate it.
Keeping those two things in mind, the first song came to an end.
"Everyone!! How was that?! We played and sang with our new instruments!!""AAAAAAAAAMAZIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!"
The unfamiliar sounds, now known to be delightful, had the spirits' faces alight with smiles, already waving their glowsticks after just one song.Yeah, I'll ignore the Spirit King in the front row, losing his mind for now.
How he secured that seat, I'll set aside.And the woman next to him, equally excited—I'll leave that be too.
"Today and tomorrow, I'm gonna sing a ton! A whoooole ton! So let's all have fun together!!""YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!"
For now, I'd enjoy this live to the fullest.I love rhythm games too, after all!!
"Alright! Next song, here we gooooooo!!""HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!"
With Amina's cue, the next song began—an upbeat track, into which I wove the guitar's melody. From the intro to the verse, pre-chorus, and chorus, the spirits' excitement kept rising.
And for them, we had a gift.
I exchanged a glance with Claudia.She nodded, understanding, and the others caught on too.
Now came the instrumental break—where the instruments took center stage.Amina's singing stopped, and the moment we began playing—
The powerful sound of Claudia's saxophone reverberated through the venue, stunning the spirits. The sheer force of her breath, combined with her movements, made it seem as if the spotlight had temporarily shifted from Amina to her.
A refined touch, you could say.Layering surprise upon surprise, while Claudia held the crowd's attention, the interlude ended, and Amina belted out her voice as if refusing to be outdone.
Though it might have seemed like a sudden rival had appeared, Amina was still the star. Our performance refocused on hyping up the atmosphere.
Still, every few songs, we'd shift the spotlight—sometimes to the guitar, sometimes the sax, sometimes the keyboard—keeping the energy high.
"I'm having so much fun! How about you guys?!""SO MUCH FUUUUUN!!"
Going full throttle from start to finish wasn't feasible. Even with our stats, fatigue would eventually creep in. Lady Esmeralda, who was moving the most, was already wiping sweat during this MC break.
"Okay! Before the next song, Libertà has something he wants to say to everyone!"
During this little break to keep the energy up, I borrowed the mic from Amina and stepped forward.
"Hey there, I'm Libertà—Amina Fan Club Member No. 2, but somehow called the president."
A light jab to liven things up, drawing some laughter before I turned serious.
"The reason I took the mic this time is simple: I want to express my gratitude to every spirit here."
This live might already be our way of thanking them, but I still wanted to say it out loud.
At the word "gratitude," the spirits glanced at each other, but they kept listening.
"Our arrival in the spirit realm was pure chance. Amina held a live, contracted with three spirits, and to escape, we used the spirit corridor—which led to the Spirit King inviting us here. Even so, the spirits welcomed us warmly."
As I summarized our journey, I thought about what to say next.I'd never given a speech of thanks in front of such a crowd, not even in my past life.
The weight of their gazes wasn't hostile, but it still made me nervous.
"And after an audience with the Spirit King, we promised to hold this live. Along the way, countless spirits helped us. Even the clothes I'm wearing now—when I asked for help to grow stronger, so many spirits pitched in."
But I had to say it.This was something I absolutely had to convey.
"Not just the spirits here, but so many others—"
I straightened my back, meeting their eyes squarely.
"Thank you. I'm truly grateful to be standing here."
The moment I said it, the venue fell silent.
Had I messed up? Had I killed the live's momentum? But—
A thunderous cheer erupted.
"Thank you too!!!""Thank you for giving us so much joy!!""Thank you for this amazing time!!""President!! You're the best!!"
Their gratitude echoed back.A "President!" chant swelled.
"President! President! President!""Hey now, everyone, Amina's the star here. Save those chants for her!""The president's blushing!!""Who knew he had such a cute side?!""How about singing a song right now?!""I'm not singing!!"
It took some effort to calm them down before I returned the mic to Amina.
"Hey, everyone!! Do you wanna hear Libertà sing?!""Wha—?!""YEEEEEEEEES!!!!"
The moment I handed it over, Amina betrayed me.
"Then let's cheer for him!!""Amina-san?!"
The energy I'd just suppressed flared back up, and the "President!" chants returned.
Amina smiled sweetly as she passed the mic back. I shot her a half-lidded glare, but refusing to sing now would just kill the mood.
With no other choice, I resigned myself.
"LISTEN TO MY VOICEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
And so, in reckless abandon, I sang.