Volume Five: Returning from the Other Shore - Grande Sonata Pathetique (IV)
"The Sonata, Crimson Tears, has begun; let's get started."
"Wait, what's this of yours...?"
"Funeral Music Drama, please don't criticize the name, I have absolutely no talent for naming things."
"Okay, so how many stages are there in a Funeral Music Drama?"
"There are six movements in total. The previous one was the Overture: Veil of Red Haze,' and this is the second one, the Sonata, Crimson Tear Rain.'"
What are the effects?
"The effects of an overture and a sonata are the same: they slowly weaken the body and, to some extent, interfere with vision and sound propagation."
"... It doesn't seem to be of much use."
"The first, second, and fourth movements are all preludes; only the third, fifth, and sixth movements are aggressive."
"Why is it so complicated...?"
"By the way, although Three, Five, and Six are said to be aggressive, they can't actually hurt the lady at all; at most, they can kill all her servants."
"That--"
"So this is when I need you. When we're about to reach the finale, you must buy me some time, even just a few seconds. If I can get ready in those few seconds, the lady will surely die."
How confident are you?
"Ten percent." "..."
"I'm serious. Paradise Lost might be able to withstand some extremely powerful defenses, but the Final Chapter is an inescapable, fatal blow to everything except the mind."
"Can..."
"I've always placed my pure trust in you, and haven't you trusted me in the same way? All I want is your 'complete trust,' even just this once, please believe me."
Blood Rain poured down, weaving a deep crimson beaded curtain between the sky and the earth, stretching endlessly. A faint red glow flowed on the raindrops, like rubies streaking across the sky, dazzling yet eerie.
The beautiful crimson rain curtain was abruptly cut off as it approached a certain area. The blood- Blood Rain crashed against the transparent barrier, but instead of shattering into countless tiny droplets, it clumped together and remained in place, pushing downwards as if trying to penetrate this invisible barrier.
Number 341.
"Yes, madam. What are your orders?"
"Step forward."
"Yes, sir."
A young girl immediately put down the French horn she had been holding, stepped out of the sonic barrier, and was directly exposed to the Blood Mist and Blood Rain.
She inhaled the Blood Mist with her breath, which made her breath weak. Blood Rain fell on her and flowed down her body, soaking her in the blink of an eye.
The Blood Rain, like the red mist, seems to have the effect of weakening those who come into contact with it.
"I don't understand... You, rejoin the team."
"Yes, sir."
The girl immediately returned to the Ten Thousand Person Orchestra, picked up her French horn, and stood at attention. The lady glanced at her again, but there seemed to be nothing else unusual.
(So, does that mean Blood Rain and Blood Mist really have the same effect? Isn't that redundant and meaningless...?)
The lady asked curiously, but her mindset was not as good as usual. If it were her usual self, she would have realized that this arrangement was not for actual combat, but for aesthetics, a prelude to the climax in the musical.
(... Um?)
Although the deep red haze made the sound muffled, the lady could still sense the other person's voice, which was getting closer and closer.
"Finally, they've arrived! I've been waiting so long! My lovely servants, welcome them!"
The orchestra raised their instruments once more, and at the same time, the crimson rain curtain parted, revealing a figure emerging from the swirling red mist! A blood-red Greatsword made of crystals tore through space, transforming into streaks of crystalline light that slashed at the sound wave barrier!
"Has the Blood Prison Space been detonated, making even attacks monotonous? Ye!"
With a wave of her hand, the lady commanded ten thousand musicians to play their instruments simultaneously!
"Waltz, Fourth Movement!"
Under the violent sonic shockwave, Ye flew through the air in a pinkish-red arc, but at the same time, she simultaneously conjured a hollow crystal shield that blocked most of the damage. Just as the lady's attention was focused on her—
Several lithe projections suddenly appeared beside the lady, simultaneously throwing punches at her vital points all over her body. But the lady neither dodged nor evaded; the space around her suddenly fluctuated violently, and all of Givinia's projections vanished into nothingness in a flash—within the barrier of this sound wave, sound filled every corner like water filling a container, a truly all-encompassing defense!
"A Ye!!!"
"Ah, I know!"
I immediately understood what Givinia was trying to say. Her projection had just appeared beside the lady, and before the lady could even make a move, the projection disappeared. Clearly, the lady had used a method of evenly distributing sound throughout the entire space, so that as soon as Givinia's projection appeared around her, it would immediately be unable to withstand it and disappear, without her even having to lift a finger.
Of course, this is just a facade; to put it bluntly... Madam has become more cautious.
While this approach greatly enhanced her defense, it also limited her, turning offense into defense. Compared to her previous arrogant and domineering demeanor when she relied on her trump card of "completely transforming into a spiritual body," she no longer enjoys the process of fighting her destined opponent, but is now truly focused on winning.
Mindset is very important. Even slight differences can cause actions to deviate drastically from their original course. If it were my wife normally, when I played my trump card of Funeral Music Drama, she would surely respond with a grand opera in return.
Now, her changed mindset and resulting caution have, to some extent, limited her actions.
That suits me perfectly.
The Third Movement is about to begin, and this will be the first climax.
Before that, we must peel away this barrier of sound for her!
"Flame Cut Bloodline..."
I unleashed a technique I hadn't used in a long time: countless tiny capillaries emerged from beneath my skin, flowing with scalding blood. The intense heat of tens of thousands of degrees coalesced into a line only a few micrometers thick, forming an indestructible, supreme blade. But I wasn't in a hurry to unleash it for a cutting attack. After all, it was just a thin line, and my wife had plenty of ways to deal with it.
So, after taking inspiration from that Sick Spider, I developed a new skill.
All the blood vessels in my palm kept swirling and coalescing, and within a few breaths they formed a perfect sphere, seemingly only the size of a fist, yet containing millions of blood vessels.
"Let's test its power, the improved version of the City of Spider Cocoons — the Red Spider City!!!"
The blood-red thread left a trail of Blood Flame in the air, hurtling towards the sound barrier. Sure enough, the lady immediately noticed my movement, and at her command, all the musicians unleashed their physical sonic attacks upon it.
Boom!!!!!
The moment the two came into contact, the blood clump exploded, and millions of extremely fine capillaries spread wildly! But this spread was not random; instead, it completely enveloped the sound fortress! The blood clumps and sound waves struggled against each other, making a hissing sound, and hot blood slowly dripped down.
"Cut!"
Sound attacks on a physical level require the medium of air, and temperatures of 10,000 degrees Celsius are enough to ionize the air and affect sound propagation. In this respect, the Red Spider City is a natural nemesis of sound fortresses! Sure enough, after a stalemate of only a few seconds, an extremely noisy sound resounded throughout the world, and the out-of-control sound fortress was forcibly destroyed! Without this layer of protection, the lady and all her subordinates were directly exposed to the outside world!
Now!
"The Third Movement, Symphony - Bloodstained Hell and Flying Flowers!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Does anyone know what the title means?