The young musician, Totsuka, won unanimous agreement from everyone.
Immediately afterward, the tense, thrilling rhythm challenge began.
Totsuka took off his headphones and approached the elderly NPC with a solemn expression. He dropped to both knees, looking ready to kowtow at any moment. "Sir, I'm ready!"
Dressed in garish colors, Rhythm Master · Evil Tone Old Ghost looked at the man before him and nodded with interest.
He casually took out a pitch-black cube made of metal, decorated with elegant patterns and lines that gave it an artistic look.
It was a music box.
It was also the elderly NPC's "weapon," and it was bound to his soul.
"Then let us begin."
Evil Tone Old Ghost gave a sinister grin and tossed the black music box into the air. It hovered there, then abruptly let out a piercing, mournful shriek in a woman's voice!
The shriek rose and fell, lending an eerie, sinister air to the surroundings...
???
The young musician froze for a moment, baffled by the strange shriek.
The KEY Guild players behind him were also stunned.
What the hell was that?
"Hmm?"
Seeing the man remain motionless, Evil Tone Old Ghost seemed somewhat displeased. "What's going on? Didn't you say you would kowtow to the beat?"
"Huh?"
Young Totsuka froze again. "Did that just now count as music?"
"Fool, what are you questioning?"
Evil Tone Old Ghost snorted. "This is the most popular song in the Evil Princess Civilization, collected by yours truly. If you hadn't met me, you would never have been worthy of encountering music like this in your entire lives. Listen closely and learn!"
???
Listening to the female "shrieks" rising and falling around them, young Totsuka and the KEY Guild members behind him all looked bewildered.
It sounded like a ghost howling!
And