"Just answering the audience's applause. It's no big deal, is it?"
Huai Shi sighed regretfully. "But being so deranged that you have to smash the concert hall too—that's rather impolite. It's heartbreaking."
"The so-called art should end, Huai Shi."
The ruler stepped forward, against the descending lightning, and told his enemy, "Before the Lord of Ashes brings down annihilation—
Fight me. Let us decide victory and defeat!"
"..."
Huai Shi said nothing. He merely turned back and looked toward that gloomy world—the hell and battlefield illuminated by fire and thunder, and the torn strings one after another.
Gradually, they lost their response.
Yet he could not help but chuckle.
From that instant onward, a low, mournful melody rose once more beneath his fingertips, gathering boundless lightning and surging mightily toward the Sword of Burning.
"End? Who said that?"
He raised his right hand. Around his wrist was a silver chain, with an amber gemstone set upon it. "As for instruments, I still have another one right here!"
In that instant, nourished by the Source Matter of the Calamity Musician, the ancient cello began to play again.
This was Huai Shi's most precious treasure!
The low notes of the strings echoed.
So lonely, yet so resolute, it spread its wings, soared above the Sky Dome, and called out to all things.
It took control of the broken strings and played a new melody!
Forcibly reconnecting everything that had lost its link.
Using this rhythm as its lead, it reforged the cycle of all phenomena!
Bear witness to me, Teacher—
Crack!
Under the forced interference of the ultimate intent, every discordant resonance exploded from within Huai Shi's shell, tearing fresh wounds across that body.
Then another, and another!
Until every discordant note from the Soul Sacrifice Master had been forcibly erased and