Band Showdown

After those two loud female vocals, the drums began, followed by the other instruments, creating an extremely strong rhythm that immediately pulled the listener's senses away from the Bremen Town Musicians's music.

A delicate fragrance lingers through the changing seasons.

[The heartbeat is revived here]

First, Tatsuki's voice sang the first two lines, setting the tone for the entire song. The audience immediately understood that this was a love song.

Then Orihime's voice followed, slowly unfolding the beauty of love for everyone.

Everything seen during first love shines brightly.

I also want to spend those precious moments with you.

[Want to see you, love you, separated from you]

[The smiles of that day have faded and vanished.]

I keep making vows, but you are no longer here.

[If only the cherry blossoms could fall on this day next year!]

I really wanted to take a picture with you, but that day will never come again.

The moment the chorus starts, it pulls the listener away from the beautiful moment. It's like being lured in only to be killed. This isn't about beauty; it's about the separation of lovers!

Tears involuntarily streamed down my face. Even though it's a negative song, just like the Bremen Town Musicians's previous love song, why is this song so captivating?

The catchy chorus softens the sadness of parting, transforming grief into longing for a lost lover, and a gentle melancholy and memories well up in one's heart.

It sounds great, much better than the Bremen Town Musicians's style!

When the song ended, the entire audience erupted in cheers. In this city known only by the Bremen Town Musicians, they had heard a different style of music. Faced with this stark contrast, did the Bremen Town Musicians's music suddenly seem so much better?

"Hello everyone!" Tatsuki took the microphone and greeted everyone. "This Sakura Rock is for you. Do you enjoy it?"

"Happy!" This is what the listeners, drawn in by the music style, exclaimed.

"I'm unhappy!" The listener exclaimed, tears streaming down their face, clearly understanding another meaning in the song.

Seeing the enthusiastic response from the audience, Tatsuki pressed his advantage, saying, "We are the BIEACH band, and I am the lead vocalist and back bassist, Arisawa!"

"This is our lead vocalist and backup guitarist, Inoue!" Orihime Inoue took the opportunity to do a short solo.

"Lead guitar, Sawada!" Following Orihime Inoue's rhythm, Tsuna also joined in with a few lines.

"Master bassist, Kurosaki!"

When Ichigo was introduced, Ichigo rushed up and grabbed the microphone, complaining, "You two are going too far! It's hard to hear the bass!"

Ichigo's complaints drew laughter from the audience, and the band's introduction continued in this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

"Keyboardist, Ishida!" After hearing Ichigo's words, Ishida Uryū went even further, practically showing off his skills, which made Ichigo jump up and down in anger next to him.

"Drummer, Chad!" Chad was the honest man he always was; a simple drum solo was his way of greeting the audience.

"We are the BLEACH band, please support us!"

No sooner had Tatsuki finished speaking than an angry voice came from the Bremen Town Musicians. It was the member in the Donkey Head who had just taken the lead vocals. "Who gave you permission to sing in Bremen! There can only be one band in Bremen, and that is the Bremen Town Musicians!"

"Oh? Then why can't it be the BLEACH band?" Knowing that the other party was Fairy Tale Dragon, Tatsuki didn't hold back at all and retorted directly.

The audience looked back and forth, completely unsure of who to support.

To be fair, BLEACH's "Sakura Rock" is really great. The rhythmic sound still resonates in their hearts, but there's always a voice inside them telling them to support the Bremen Town Musicians.

"Since we can't decide a winner, let's have a match!"

A casual voice suddenly rang out, and between the two huge stages, a white commentary booth slowly rose up, with four people sitting on it. The one who spoke was the blonde girl with the bob haircut.

"I knew it! Hirako was just slacking off!" Seeing the person sitting in the middle of the commentary booth, Tsuna knew that Hirako hadn't gone all out to restrain the Animal Band, which was why all of London was caught up in this illusion.

To everyone's surprise, Hirako showed no remorse whatsoever, and even gave Tsuna an encouraging smile as he continued.

"Let's have a showdown! Bremen Town Musicians and BLEACH Band, three songs, and the judges will score to choose the better band. The winner will be Bremen's only band!"

Hirako's suggestion received a warm response from the audience, Hirako took the opportunity to introduce the members of the commentary panel, "I! Hirako Shinji, an absolutely serious music critic."

Then he pointed to the side, "Wolfgang, a connoisseur of Western music!"

Wolfgang waved to the audience with a very mature air, saying, "I am Wolfgang."

"Byakuya Kuchiki, the refined music critic from the East."

Byakuya rose gracefully and bowed in respect, "On the honor of the Kuchiki Clan, I will certainly give a thorough judgment!"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, you little brat who's just there to make up the numbers."

"Hirako! You bastard!"

Hirako used his long hand to press down on Toshiro's furious face and continued, "Does everyone understand?"

"I have a question!" asked a Bremen member wearing Chicken Head. "There are only four commentators. What if a conflict arises?"

"And besides, you all know the people on the other side, right!" the Cat Head added, stepping forward to accuse them.

"There are five commentators in total, and the remaining one is, of course, the audience!" Hirako's words once again ignited the enthusiasm of the entire audience.

"As for our acquaintance with the BLEACH band? We only talk about music. Don't you Bremen Town Musicians have any confidence?"

Hirako's words pushed the Bremen Town Musicians members to the brink. If they admitted that their music was inferior to BLEACH's, there would be no point in even comparing them; their Illusion would simply become ineffective.

"What a joke! Let's compete! The Bremen Town Musicians is always the best!" Dog Head stepped forward and roared.

Receiving a nod from his companions, Tatsuki responded in kind, "BLEACH band accepts this challenge!"

"Then let's decide the order of the performances. Ladies and gentlemen, which band would you like to hear perform first?" Hirako asked loudly.

At this moment, a voice from the audience's hearts began to resonate, and they shouted in unison, "We want to hear the Bremen Town Musicians's songs first!"

The Bremen Town Musicians members all had smiling faces under their hoods. If they struck first, they would surely win over the audience with their excellent songs. What chance did the BLEACH band have?

However, Tsuna were not discouraged at all by singing later. After listening to Tsuna's song, they had absolute confidence.

"Then it's decided. The Bremen Town Musicians will sing first, followed by the BLEACH Band. Bremen Town Musicians, what songs would you like to sing?" Hirako also served as the host.

The Chicken Head was the first to step forward and say, "We're going to sing my personal theme song, ' The Rooster's Desperate Life!'"

"Then, please welcome him!"

The entire city center suddenly went dark, then the lights on the Bremen stage came on, and a person Chicken Head stood at the very front of the stage, and the music started.

It was Bremen's signature style, low and somber, until the musician in the Chicken Head began to sing. The whole song was about how he was going to be stewed by his master because of the upcoming festival. The story was brief, the emotions were empty, and it couldn't support a complete song at all. Only those under the Illusion could seem to enjoy listening to it.

In the commentary booth, all four commentators were scratching their heads in embarrassment. Even though they were under Illusion, they had come to their senses amidst the Sakura Rock, and now listening to the Bremen Town Musicians's songs was incredibly annoying.

"So we've been listening to this kind of stuff all this time?" Ichigo was speechless; it was the first time he'd ever felt that a song could last so long.

After finally getting through the theme song of "Chicken Head," the Bremen Town Musicians didn't receive the cheers they had imagined. After listening to "Sakura Rock," the audience had developed a certain level of appreciation, and they only clapped sparsely, without any enthusiastic cheers.

Watching the scene unfold, Chicken Head was on the verge of going berserk, but Tatsuki didn't give him any time to interact with the audience, directly stealing everyone's attention.

"Everyone! Next up is BLEACH! We're about to perform a rock song called Rolling Star!"

This time, Chicken Head didn't even have a chance to say a few words. The commentators immediately muted the Bremen Town Musicians, and the lights came on for BLEACH's stage.

All the beams of light focused on Tatsuki alone, and accompanied by the light guitar music, Tatsuki's soft singing began the performance.

[Want to live the life you see in your dreams]

[In a peaceful world where there are no arguments, day after day]

The drumbeats that ignited the audience's enthusiasm quickly began, and several other band members immediately joined in, presenting the audience with an upbeat and rock-infused song.

[I can't take it anymore]

[You must say what you want to say]

[A bus stop at dusk on the way home]

Say goodbye to the receding figure in the sunlight.

The most striking contrast is that BLEACH didn't instill negative emotions in the public; instead, they slowly unfolded their story before the audience, immersing everyone in their songs.

Hirako, sitting on the platform, cupped his face in his hands and looked at the stage where Tsuna and the others were with a smile. He had been a little flustered when he first appeared in this Illusion world.

But Hirako quickly adjusted his mindset and began searching for a way to break the Animal Band's control. He discovered that with his Illusion abilities, he could slightly influence the world created by the Animal Band.

Using this ability, Hirako has secretly sneaked backstage at the Animal Band, thinking about how to disrupt Animal Band performance and awaken the audience members trapped in the illusion.

Before Hirako could even implement his plan, Tsuna and his friends' Sakura Rock had already drawn everyone's attention.

Realizing that Tsuna was preparing to defeat the Animal Band head-on, Hirako, instead of just giving up, decided to put on a show. He used Illusion to create a stage where the two bands could directly communicate through music.

Hirako himself, along with some of the strongest viewers, were brought in as judges.

Now that Tsuna has come up with a solution, Hirako decides to Hirako Tsuna, and also get some entertainment. It seems his choice was right; this is the kind of song people can listen to.

(P. S.: These two chapters were written on a whim. I've been getting a bit tired of writing battles lately, so I wanted to give you guys a change of pace. I'd also like to recommend some of my favorite songs from Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Bleach! and Bleach.)

The plan was to finish it in two chapters, but I didn't expect to finish it. I didn't want to save my emotions for the next day, so I should finish this part tonight. It will be quite late when I post it, so you don't have to wait. You can read it tomorrow.

(And I can also boost my word count for tomorrow, perfect!)