"Ahhh, damn it. So much for that paycheck." Mentally groans a certain white haired devil hunter. As usual, he's walking through the streets of Japan just to find a way to sate this all-encompassing boredom he's having.
Sleeping can only do so much and with his current age of fifteen years old, getting liquor isn't exactly ideal unless the authorities are involved. Granted, he can take them on but it's rather annoying having them constantly bust down your door.
When he arrived on the scene, all the demons were already gone, leaving naught a trace. Nothing was left except their disintegrating bodies. Normally he'd shrug it off, but there's a few problems with that: He only got half the value (which was still a lot, but he'd prefer all of it although it's understandable considering he didn't do the job himself) and there's also someone out there that can effectively clean house like him and it wasn't any of the DMC crew.
Only his twin brother can do manage such a feat with equal effectiveness, except the holes within the demon aren't made by a sword, but bullets. Which rules out Vergil being the culprit considering his distaste for firearms of any kind, save the time they shot down Arkham with Ebony and Ivory.
"Too many unknown variables and not enough answers." Dante's expression furrows deeper in thought. He already looked up the local library to catch up on where he in and considering that this is the same Japan that he knew in his old world (except for a few things in which we'll get to much later on).
(Switch POV)
"I can't do all of this in time!" One Marina Tsukishima freaks out. The good news is that she was already able to establish the music studio that is CiRCLE. Everything was all set up and it was ready to go.
The bad news was that personal matters didn't allow her to get the stage, lights, chairs among other items required to properly prepare the stage. All of the band girls, who would normally be happy to help her out, are busy either doing homework or preparing for what song they're doing.
Everyone whom she pleaded with turned her down because they were busy. Anyone nearby were too busy to answer for her call for help. Just when she was about to give up, she saw him.
Someone with a faded crimson coat with a dark blue polo shirt and black pants with fingerless walking down the street with his hands in his pockets. His hair is colored white and his eyes possessing the bluest of orbs. Alas! Her final chance of setting things right!
(AN: This, but fifteen years old)
"You with the white hair!" The person in question feels his shoulder being tapped by a woman with black hair, red eyes and wearing a black jacket, blue and white striped shirt and blue pants.
"Ah, hello there." The teen politely greets the woman in front of him. She seems to be out of breath and a little jittery from nerves.
"I know that this is out of the blue, but can you please help me?!" He raises an eyebrow at this.
"You see, we're a bit understaffed and we haven't been getting anyone that wanted to take a job, so can you-"
"No." Her words were interrupted by a calm yet firm declaration from the lad.
"Sorry lady, but ya gotta look elsewhere." She seems let down by this, yet nevertheless pressed on.
"But I've gotta prepare for a live show and I can't do it in time! There's setting up the stage, the chairs, unpacking some instruments..." She then goes off to list the various other things she would have to do.
As much as he wanted to deny, the burden placed upon her would be too much. Now Dante felt like he kicked an old woman down the stairs.
"When is the show?" He asks her calmly.
"Tonight! I gotta set it all up tonight and nobody else decided to help me!" She frantically responds back. He could see the desperation written on her face. A small sigh escapes his lips.
"Fine. I'll help you get everything set up." She claps her hands in excitement.
"Wonderful! Follow me!" She then leads the red-clad devil hunter to the front entrance.
"The name's Marina Tsukishima! A pleasure!" The woman reaches out for a hand to shake.
"You can call me Dante." Was his only response as he graciously took said handshake.
Marina fishes out the key to the music studio out of her back pants pockets and opens the door.
"Tada! Welcome to CiRCLE!" Both of them went inside and could see various equipment around. Stage light that needed to be set up, a stack of chairs that needed to be arranged and some boxes that needed to be put in place.
"What'd you want me to do?" Marina blinks at this. With the amount of work that needs to be done, she expected him to complain a little. Dante takes a brief glance at Marina and could see the slightly drained look on her face. Seems she's been trying to do all of this and it's already burning her out.
"You know what, just take a breather. I can tackle all of this." She then blinks once more for a second, then starts to laugh.
"That's pretty funny, you know. If you-"
"Don't worry, just drink a cup of coffee or something." Before she could so much as protest, Dante carries a huge stack of boxes...in both of his hands. She could only gape at how effortless he made it seem.
"Okay, here's the instruments, the extra equipment..." Marina sees how quickly he categorized each box. Fortunately, all of them were going to a really large storage room on the back.
Opening the double doors that led access to the storage room, in a matter of minutes Dante had three stacks of boxes, each of them containing different items.
To her surprise, he then starts throwing the boxes to their designated position. So quickly did he do it that it seemed like the boxes were a blur in midair. Even more surprising was that despite the force required to even throw some of those boxes, since some were rather heavy to carry, none of them landed clumsily or acted out of place.
In less then five minutes, about fifty boxes that had mic stands, knickknacks and other stuff were well-placed. Everything seemed well organized and put properly.
Curiously, Marina opens one of the boxes, which was a small backup speaker and some wires and to her surprise, none of them looked like it has indeed been heavily rattled. She then proceeded to check the others.
The items within the boxes didn't rattle heavily nor there were signs of anything being broken. Dante threw them with such speed and accuracy that wouldn't have been believable to the human eye, yet delicate enough to not heavily mess up said box or its contents.
"Whoa..." Was her only response. At first, she doubted his claims about him being able to do all of this yet seeing him organize over fifty boxes in less than five minutes by himself made her question it.
"Oh, and try not to strain yourself too much this time around." Dante states. On his left arm holds a keyboard while on his right he grips a ladder, holding it upon his shoulder. Marina could only nod her head in shock as he nonchalantly carries both items away.
"He wasn't even trying was he?" She chuckles dryly.
(Some Time Later...)
The manager of CiRCLE yawns as she got herself a cup of steaming hot coffee to reenergize her. Honestly, it felt good getting a break considering how frantic she was. Looking for her temporary worker, she hears the sounds of boots squeaking on the floor.
"Hey, I got you a-" Her words were interrupted when she saw Dante not only cleaning, but also dancing.
Marina could only look in shock as Dante, armed with nothing but a broom is tasked with cleaning the whole auditorium for the concert coming up. She expected something impressive considering his display, but nothing like this.
(AN: Just replace him with Dante, ROFL.)
Marina just watches as Dante moonwalks his way to the opposite side of the stage, whistling a tune and spinning the broom in such a manner that the dust bunnies are getting blown away. With every sweep, dust clears as if they were never there.
He combined his dancing with his cleaning, effectively entertaining himself while doing the arduous task, although considering not a bead of sweat is on his face he doesn't seem the least bit tired.
Despite the large auditorium size, he was able to get it done in less than ten minutes. She could only look as not a single speck of dust was visible to the naked eye. And he did all of this with nothing but a mere broom. Upon seeing his temporary boss, he gives her a smirk.
"Told ya I can do it. Already finished setting up the stage lights among other things." Indeed, they looked ready to go and in prime position. He then walks out the auditorium and comes back with two large stacks of chairs in each hand.
"He's literally finished half the chores in nearly thirty minutes?!" Even with the large work effort, Dante didn't look the least bit exhausted nor was he uttering a word of complaint.
"Oh, I'll take this too." Dante snatches the cup of coffee out of Marina's hand and pats her on the back, setting it down nearby somewhere.
Not even bothering to say a word, she just wordlessly leaves the auditorium, too shocked to say anything.
(Dante POV...)
"Welp, let's get this started." Grinning, Dante pours a small amount of demonic energy into his feet. He then stomps the ground, causing the chairs and cup of coffee to go flying in the air.
Dante then kicks the nearest chair into the farthest corner into the left, landing in its four legs after bouncing like a basketball and unfolding. He then kicks another chair and causes it to crash into several of its kind, simultaneously unfolding and landing properly without any signs of dent or damage.
Another one was kicked into the farthest corner, bouncing off the wall then onto its folded cousins before being unfolded itself and landing neatly next to them.
He then kicks a chair backward, causing it to automatically unfold and place itself in a random spot on the back. Dante then grabs the nearest chair with his right hand and throws it into another chair floating in the air.
In a surprising manner that involves the defiance of physics, the thrown object then starts to bounce off some of the chairs that are hanging in the air. Said chairs then drop to the ground, unfolded and its four legs touching the auditorium floor.
Dante then grabs a chair with his left hand and also throws said chair, once again screwing over multiple laws of physics and achieving the desired effect of unfolding and dropping promptly on the ground.
Finishing the combo, he then runs towards the nearby wall, jump off said wall and kick down all the floating chairs that seem to be hanging. Some of the chairs immediately unfolded and landed on its four legs. Other bounced like a basketball, jumping onto its fellow kind before unfolding once more.
With one chair left hanging in the air, Dante proceeds to grab said chair and promptly unfold it in mid air, but not before calmly grabbing the floating cup of coffee.
He then reinforces the chair he's using with a subtle amount of demonic energy to make sure it doesn't fall apart.
Eventually, gravity does its work and the chair falls, with all four legs landing smoothly onto the floor with no dent whatsoever. He then takes a small sip of the bitter and hot beverage.
Looking around, indeed that despite the amount of force Dante put in, no dent was shown on any of the chairs. It didn't even look like they were damaged at all, with every single part in place.
Sipping away what's left of the coffee, the Son of Sparda gets up from his chair and takes his leave, seeing a girl with brown hair tied to a ponytail and curvy green eyes looking at him with her mouth slightly open in shock on the way out.
At most, he shared a brief, yet noticeable glance with her before proceeding on his merry way and to look for Marina.
"That was awesome!" Were the only thoughts that went through her head.
The Son of Sparda boredly yawns. Looking at the nearby clock, only close to an hour has passed despite some of the things on the list requiring it to take that long to complete. Seeing the front desk, he made a beeline to his boss.
"Yo. Got those chairs set up for you." Marina just slowly puts the book she's using and just gives him an incredulous look of disbelief.
"Don't believe me? Ask the gyaru chick that saw everything."
"Oh, you mean Lisa Imai?" Dante shrugs his shoulders uncaringly. He just puts down the now empty coffee mug on her desk.
"Thanks for the coffee."
"Marina-san!" Craning his neck, he could see Lisa walking up to her.
"I'll be going in one of the rooms to check if everything's all fine and dandy. Rather not have someone distract me while I work my magic." Before she could get a word in, Dante takes his leave.
"Is it me, or did I see him tense up when Lisa came here?" She shakes her head. It's merely a distraction, nothing more.
"He's hotter than I expected." Lisa grins. From the rumors she heard, they made the guy in question look like someone from a stereotypical biker gang.
"So, did you need help with anything?" Marina shakes her head no.
"Dante's already done everything."
"Oh, Dante's the name of Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome, huh?" Marina raises an eyebrow.
"Some of the other girls had a brief run in with him. Although he scared Rinko and Sayo for a bit because he got wrapped up in a fight. Didn't do anything to them though." Lisa was about to say something else when what Marina said made her stumble a bit.
"Wait, you've already finished everything?!"
"Well, more like he did the work. The stage lights, chairs, extra equipment's been taken care of." Lisa just let that idea process for a minute.
"Oh, speaking of which did you see the way he assembled the chairs?" Lisa mentally chastises herself for not recording it, but whatever.
"He ended up kicking them everywhere and there weren't any dents on them! Too bad I forgot to record it." Marina just smiles and shakes her dead.
"I'm not really surprised considering how he finished the other tasks at hand. Did you try to talk to him?" She asks the gyaru?
"I don't think he wants to talk though." Lisa pouts. His expression didn't change from its bored disposition when they crossed paths.
"You never know unless you try."
A small yawn escapes the lips of the Son of Sparda. That familiar feeling of boredom's coming back once more.
"Right, the chairs are set up, the instruments are in their proper place and all the extra equipment's accounted for and handled. Now wha-"
His senses detected the presence of someone coming his way and backs up quickly, seeing a light blue blue walk by and stop, taking the form of a girl with teal hair, light green eyes and wearing small braids adorned by a pair of yellow bows.
Dante raises an eyebrow.
"Ever heard of personal space? You were gonna bump into me." The girl then puffs up her cheeks.
"No fair, you weren't supposed to move!" The Son of Sparda's eyes look at her blankly.
"I'd rather not be your doorstopper, Ms. Hikawa." He politely addresses. Normally he isn't one to talk to someone in a formal tone, but that's only because it's towards people that's used to his antics or those that he's taken a shining to.
"Ah, so you know my name then!" She smiles giddily.
"I mean, you are an idol and a public figure so it's not really surprising."
"Guess there's a good thing hearing all that chatter after all." He mentally sighs. The name of any of the five girl bands gets passed around quite frequently, be it their names, type of music or whatever.
"Say, you're that boppin' hot guy Aya ran into some time back right?" Her eyes sparkle with interest.
"Depends on what you mean."
"Well, she came into practice a little flustered and talked about you a bit. She was so shy and embarrassed!" The devil hunter shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, much to the teal haired girl's surprise. Normally, most people would be ecstatic to be in his shoes, someone who made a beloved idol (even after a certain failed concert) act in such a manner.
"Thanks for saving her by the way!"
"Don't fret, it wasn't a problem." Dante replies with a modicum of cordiality, casually looking around the room to see if there's anything that he missed at all.
"And Lisa-chi told me about how you set up the chairs! Was it true?" The Son of Sparda casually shrugs his shoulders, neither confirming nor denying her claim.
"It sounds so boppin' awesome! Can you let me-"
"Nope." Dante interrupts her. It's only thanks to his demonic bloodline coupled with years of combat experience that he could do such feats. Hell, he rode a rocket for crying out loud and that was before Vergil lovingly stabbed him through the chest of what was once Rebellion.
"Aww, why?!" She pouts like a child unable to get Halloween candy.
"Sorry, just can't." Was his only reply. He couldn't exactly tell her that his supernatural aspect even allowed him to do something that ridiculous. That and years of constant combat against enemies larger than him.
The teal haired girl didn't understand why Dante didn't wanna teach her, but his expression more or less told her to drop the subject, a hint obvious even for her.
"It's not fair though...He's so confusing too."
From the looks of things, he seems to be aware enough of modern trends and cultures if only because people seem to talk about it so much.
"Yet that's what makes it interesting."
Dante looks out and sees more of the band girls coming in, socializing with each other. He forces down that uncomfortable feeling rising within him and straightens himself up.
"Hina-chan!" The teal haired girl cranes her neck at the source of the voice and see a familiar girl with pastel pink hair and eyes of the same color. This time, her hair ins't tied down in a ponytail but let down, showing the full extent of its length and stopping just by her shoulders.
"Oh, Aya-chan!" Hina hugs her bandmate and wraps her arms around the newcomer rather tightly.
"Can't...breathe..."
"You know she's losing breath right?" A male voice interjects into the conversation. Both girls could see the Son of Sparda with his arms crossed. As if on cue, Aya's face begins to turn red once more and she momentarily got herself lost staring at his face, only to quickly realize she's losing it again and tears her gaze away from him.
"Y-you're here t-too?!" She stammers out. Dante gives a nod.
"Marina was in a bit of a bind so I helped her out." Hina sees the flustered look Aya has on her face.
"Ahahaha! He really is pretty hot, isn't he?!" The guitarist grins at Aya, who shyly nods her head.
Most people would already be having their egos shot up through the roof just having an idol compliment them like this, yet the Son of Sparda's visage remains collected as always.
"I-I can't help it okay?!" Aya pouts cutely at her. She then collects herself and looks at Dante once more, this time without getting herself lost in a haze.
"You all look like a lively bunch." He offhandedly comments, making the pink haired girl chuckle sheepishly.
"Sorry about that. Hina-chan's always a ball of energy." Dante huffs and briefly glance away. He could see more of the band girls popping up.
"Welp, been a fun ride ladies, but I gotta go."
"Aww, can't you stay and meet the rest of the band?! Some of them are pretty curious whenever a description of you comes up." Hina requests.
"Nope. Hope the cute little klutz over here doesn't trip again." Dante bluntly points out, making Aya pout angrily at him.
"You don't need to remind me of that." She mumbles quietly.
Upon seeing more and more people come up, Dante cracks his neck and takes his leave within the room. Last thing he needed to do was stay here and interfere with their business and have him be a distraction to their goals.
On the way out he sees Marina talking to Kokoro and Kanon. Marina stops her conversation and glances at the crimson coated devil hunter.
"Thanks for helping me!" Dante merely nods his head and pushes his way out towards the door.
Unsurprisingly, some of the band girls passed by Dante and gives at most brief glances towards him. He could feel their stares, yet opted to ignore it. There's other agenda to plan for, after all.
"All this because I visited Hazawa Cafe and kicked those guys' ass?" Sparda's youngest son yawns. While meeting the band girls wasn't the most surprising thing on his list, the fact that he sees them more and more often is confusing him if by a little bit.
Minutes pass by as he casually walks down the streets of Japan once more. In contrast to the somewhat quiet neighborhood he lived in back when he was in his shop, the atmosphere seemed to be a little more livelier here, especially with the area he's in now full of people his current age.
Playing pool back in the house or watching VanossGaming videos are fun, but there was always this refreshing feeling of having to go outside and see the sights, be it in an urban or more surrounded by nature.
As the Son of Sparda walks, he sees an electronics shop displaying a flat screen TV. Narrowing his eyes, he watches closer.
"Hmm, seems like that person's struck again." For a short while, the Son of Sparda's caught news of people dying. Not that's not really anything new, but Dante's come across a few of the sighs himself.
Blood was everywhere. Bodies were mutilated in a rather gory manner and their limbs were twisted unnaturally, as if forced.
Some people rule it out a suicide, while others claimed it was by someone else.
"...Police claimed that from the holes in their bodies, it looks like they've been shot multiple times. Some of the victims had their neck snapped 180 degrees, limbs torn and broken among dozens of gory injuries." Understandably, some of the people around him that were also watching got a little sick.
"Eh, I've seen worse than this. Is it a demon though?" Dante's mind rifles through all the demons he's killed over the years.
"No, almost no demon I know uses guns except Trish, and she's back in my old world." Considering that even with the calls that he gets, the body count still continue to pile up so it's not a demon.
Hell, most demons, especially the lower class ones prefer to be left alone, even though they look down on humans. Doesn't mean they'll think twice about gunning for his head, though.
It's only the higher level ones like Argosax that actively does something that puts all of humanity in danger, and he's pretty sure that demons with such immense power wouldn't really care about who they murder. Even then, most humans aren't perceptive enough to see a demon in disguise and as much of a prick as they are, doing something like this would just eventually expose them.
"If this was someone who didn't care about who they murder, then civilians and those with a clean record would be in the list. A lot of them are people who aren't saints themselves." Dante pauses to collect his thoughts.
"Been trying to figure out some answers, yet haven't come up with anything. First there's a brutal serial killer, then there's someone doing my job for me along with that holy energy I felt. Too many questions. Library hasn't done me much except find out where I am."
It may be him being paranoid, but considering all the trouble he goes through no thanks to his demonic heritage, something's going on. Seems like the idea of the supernatural is more common here albeit it's more hidden to the public eye save for the select few that came to him whenever there's a demon that needed its head cut off from its body.
Shaking his head, Dante takes his leave and ignores the comments fellow viewers have said. However, as he walks by he felt someone bump into his side.
Craning his head, he sees a girl with black hair tied in long twin tails. She wears a black blazer along with a dark blue skirt along with black tights. Her bangs cover her left eye.
"Oh, hello there." She greets him politely, complete with a smile. Dante finds himself giving her a small, charming grin.
"Sorry 'bout that." He replies soon after.
"No, if anything I should be the one to apologize. I was just petting this one over here." She points her finger at a kitten.
To both of their surprise, the small feline walks up to Dante and rubs itself on his foot, much to his surprise. Small purrs could be heard from it as it rubs its head on the left side of his boot.
Crouching, Dante gently pets its head, making the purrs even louder.
"That's rather adorable." Admits the devil hunter. The black haired girl chuckles at the sight.
"Aww, it likes you." Said cat then climbs up to Dante's arm and jumps on the top of his head, before curling up into a ball and laying there, using his hair as a makeshift bed. He merely shrugs his shoulders and runs a finger on the top of its body.
"This yours?" She shakes her head.
"No, I found it wandering the street. I gotta say, I've never seen it so affectionate before." Dante raises an eyebrow in confusion.
"Most people who approach it either gets angry or runs away. We're one of the few who even allows us to touch it."
"Way to feel kinda honored." Admits the Son of Sparda as he continues to scratch the chin of the small kitty on the top of his head.
Both black and white haired teens just give each other small, yet analytic glances, trying to discern the nature of the other.
"His eyes, they're brimming with power." She notes. Despite the bored countenance he shows, she isn't fooled. The black haired girl could already tell that his arctic orbs are the pair of those who has witnessed much in his life, despite his age of being a teenager.
"I'm probably keeping you busy, so I'll talk to you later." With that, Dante continues on his path forward to wherever he's in the mood for. The black haired girl just watches as the Son of Sparda gently drops off the kitten to a safe side of the street and pats its small head before taking his leave to wherever he's in the mood to go at the moment.
"Hmm...Quite interesting indeed."
Going back to our badass devil hunter, he's busy trying to gather his thoughts in order once more.
"That chick with black hair, who was she? She wasn't a normal human, yet she doesn't have an ounce of demonic blood within her." One thing did come to mind, however.
It's a city that has a phenomenon known as a spatial quake. He isn't exactly sure what's happening over there, but rumors speak of that they're not natural, but caused by someone-or something else. It wouldn't make sense for earthquakes to happen quite frequently.
Of course, his first instinct would be that it's a demon. Except he hasn't gotten any calls from that city whatsoever. There's also where most of the brutal murders took place as well.
"Gotta get some answers and fast. Hopefully I can find what I'm looking for soon enough. May as well head on home too." Making sure no one's looking, he slips into one of the alleyways, summons Cavaliere and revs on to home, ignoring the alarmed cries of the pedestrians as he revs up the accelerator and takes the freeway.
"WOOHOO!!"
(Some Time Later...)
The Son of Sparda couldn't help but let the small smile escape his lips. Every time he goes home from his activities, this place he bought no thanks to doing a little saving and doing overtime on some demon hunting work.
It always made him feel proud to see the fruits of his efforts come to bear, to come so far from the days when he had to financially rely on his partners that not only did he have to ask money from but also drain him of what little money he has left because of his frivolous activities.
True, for him to earn such a large amount of cash made it seem effortless, yet it all came from years of experience fighting for his life. He may have earned this much cash in a short time, but the profession he employed himself in amounted to years upon years of myriad demons crying for his blood and the struggle to survive against the supernatural.
Every time he sees the sight of his beloved casa made him grin ever wider.
He kept his excitement mostly contained, yet was unable to keep himself from grinning as his motorcycle approaches the uphill incline. His motorcycle kept its wheels on the ground with little effort, running across the concrete.
A few turns to the right, a roundabout and a small trip through some greenery later, he sees the efforts of his work. To show what happens when an experienced devil hunter like him puts everything he's got and more into his job.
Granted, it was a gift given to him by his...consistently mysterious benefactor, paid out of his own pocket, but still. He put in the effort to actually get a place like this.
Behold, his new place to call home. Resting atop a promontory looking some mountains and giving him a free view of a large body of water in front of him, it gave him no small amount of pride.
"Seeing this place never gets old. Actually glad that I got kicked out of the last apartment I lived in. Made me realize I can't depend on old habits anymore." In his old world, he was able to at least keep the house, but without the essentials like electricity, water among other things. In here, the landlady realized how much of a slob he was and kicked him out with little hesitation. She came down hard, fast and brutal.
Luckily enough, despite the supernatural not being as common here, (at least in the public eye since thanks to that tree his oh so loving dumbass of a brother set up) there were some demons that were pretty powerful enough that handed him several suitcases worth of bills. They gave him much more than what he charged.
"Also helps that I actually tried to limit collateral now." He rubs his hands and vaults over the gate, grinning at the sights in front of him. Planted trees were everywhere. From the typical green to even some containing cherry blossom, the place overall gives the area a natural vibe to it.
While he normally wouldn't care or bat an eye about admiring the architecture of the house he currently resides in, even he feels impressed with how everything looked. It made him feel like he's by himself in contrast to the apartment he last lived in, where people were everywhere.
"Finally! Feels like I'm at peace here!" He whistles a happy tune while nonchalantly walks around the front yard of his newly acquired place.
*meow*
Dante cranes his neck and sees the familiar kitty in front of him, sitting in front of his door and looking at him. A smile graces his lips as he puts his eyes in front of a retinal scan in front of him. The sound of a lock being undone could be heard shortly after.
"Must be a long way from home, huh?" The kitten just stares at his arctic orbs and occasionally licks its paws. A small part of him wanted to just leave it there, but his conscience told him otherwise. That and there weren't any missing posters of the cat around.
Dante just smirks good naturally and opens the door to his place.
"Wanna come in?" The kitty didn't hesitate and runs inside his place. His smile still plastered on, the shuts the door as the locks reactivate once more. Crouching down, Dante allows the cat to rest atop his head.
"Probably hungry right now." Dante takes off his gloves, washes his hands and takes out a fish from the fridge. Upon seeing the fish, the kitty on top of him sits straight up and lays its eyes on the treat in front of him.
Ignoring his gesture, he takes out a knife and effectively cuts the whole fish in a matter of seconds, making sure to grind the bones to edible levels. Fishing out a bottle of olive oil in the kitchen, he heats up the pan to medium high and pours enough to cover the pan, but not too much.
Letting it sizzle for a brief moment, Dante adds the now chopped fish into the pan, letting it sizzle for a minute and making sure every part is all cooked and ready to go. The whole time, the cat doesn't keep its eyes of the pan, yet doesn't make any movements to claim the food in front of it.
While whistling a tune, he brings out a plate and puts the now cooked fish on top of said plate. He then opens the dishwasher, noting that it's full of unwashed dishes from the past.
"Probably should wash it." After putting the pan away, the devil hunter opens the fridge and sees a box of leftover pizza. Putting that on a separate plate, he microwaves the food and lets it wait for a brief two minutes.
It passes shortly enough and he takes out the plate full of pizza. Bringing both the plates of pizza and fish together, Dante goes upstairs a couple floors and finds himself in front of a room with a screen the side of one they'd use in movie theaters, complete with black leather reclining seats.
With two plates of steaming food upon his hands, he nonchalantly walks down to the front, kicking a table and causing a TV remote to start flying.
Dante puts the plate of cooked fish next fo him, to which the kitten proceeds to jump down his head and goes to town on. Pressing the power button to the screen, he sees a video of VanossGaming playing Garry's Mod.
As he relaxes and eating his plate of leftover pizza, he couldn't help yet despite the empty feeling he has outside of battle, being here gave him a sense of peace and calm. From the looks of it, the cat's chill enough as well.
His old world's shop is good and all, but the place he lives in currently is a testament to years of demon killing. One where he doesn't need to rely on Lady or Patty to clean up after his mess. If only they could see him now.
"Home sweet home." Were his only thoughts, smiling all the while.
(A Few Hours Later...)
"The concert's tonight." Were the thoughts of one Ran Mitake, walking down the streets with the rest of her band. In spite of their quirk and eccentricities, they stayed by her side ever since.
"You hyped up for this concert, Ran?" Asks one Tomoe Udagawa, grinning excitedly at her. Her response was a small nod to the head.
"Of course, let's do our best. Time to show our audience what we're made of."
"Ran, have you been getting along with Minato-san?" Ran raises an eyebrow at Moca.
"Why do you care exactly?" The lead guitarist opens an eye and looks at one of her childhood friends with that same sleepy gaze as usual.
"Lisa-san's told me about how you two started to work well together lately. It's so nice that your yelling doesn't interrupt my nap time~" The rest of the girls laughed, much to Ran's chagrin.
"I still wonder how you can fall asleep standing up." Admits Himari. Moca could be standing on the edge of a cliff just mere centimeters away from falling down and yet she would still be able to fall asleep without worry clouding her mind.
"It's part of Moca-chan's charm after all~" She replies back with a peace sign.
"Himari-chan, I still got some cake leftover from today. You want some?!" The pink haired bassist looks at Tsugumi and crushes her in an affectionate hug.
"Thank you, Tsugu! I've been wanting to try it out when I saw it!"
"Ah, be careful Hii-chan. You might end up gaining weight again~" The bassist pouts at Moca, who remains unfazed.
"Actually, I think she gained about-" Himari puts a hand in front of Tomoe's face before she could say any more.
"Don't you dare say it! I'm still mad at Moca for eating a whole box of donuts while I was on a diet." Himari interrupts.
"Now that I think about it, how come you don't gain any weight at all even while eating all those sweets?" Wonders Tomoe. Ran snorts.
"Knowing her. she'll say it's part of her charm."
"Fufufu. You know me so well, Ran~" She was about to say something else, only for her words to die in her throat the moment she caught sight of a specific someone.
A certain teen clad in a crimson coat and pants, as well as white hair. His immense height made him taller than almost everyone in the crowd and the small wind from the night sky makes his long coat billow slightly. Only difference is that his outfit doesn't make him look like a cowboy, instead the clothes he wore resembled that of Aya's description.
Some people were asking him for some directions, from the looks of it.
"Ran...isn't that the guy we met at the cafe?" Tsugumi asks her. All chatter between Himari, Moca and Tomoe immediately cease.
"Whoa, what?! Where is he?!" It didn't take long for all of Afterglow to catch sight of the guy in question. He then turns around and all five girls get to see a glimpse of his levelheaded expression, complete with those arctic blue eyes.
"Oh, that's the hottie you were talking about earlier~" Moca speaks a little too loudly. The lad in the red coat briefly glances back at the band girls, making all of them tense while Ran glares at Moca for being too forward.
Tomoe whistles, impressed. "Damn, Ran you met him?!" She could only nod her head.
"He's like Kaoru-senpai!" Himari squeals in excitement. Moca's smug grin makes its way to her face.
"Fufufu...Nice job, Ran. Why don't you go talk to him?" Ran turns to glare at Moca.
"I don't care about getting his attention."
"Your face says otherwise." Tsugumi adds with a sheepish smile.
"Watch and learn. Moca-chan will show you how it's done."
"No, let's not bother him. We've got somewhere else to be-" Tomoe stops talking the moment Moca walks away from the group and goes up to the crimson coated lad.
The ivory haired girl slowly gets closer towards the person in question, with the rest of her band not too far behind her.
"It's pointless trying to be sneaky." Moca tenses.
"I knew you were coming the moment you laid your eyes on me." He turns around, where Moca gets a closer view of his face. He gives her a brief once-over, his eyes landing on her sleepy face.
"Damn. Is she high or did she drink a little too much?"
"So what does Yamabuki's #1 customer want with a guy like me." Was his question, not stopping his walk.
"Oh, nothing. Just someone out on her nightly walk."
"Really. Weren't the five of you looking at me like I'm a piece of meat?" He amusedly asks her. He's used to such stares from girls in this world, so he's rather indifferent to it.
"Ran wasn't descriptive about how much of a hottie you looked. I like what I see~" Moca grins.
"Is that right? Suppose it goes the same to your tsundere of a friend over there?"
"Of course. Sorry if she gave you a hard time." He shrugs it off.
"It's no trouble. We barely said anything to each other." To his surprise, he finds his arm being grabbed by Moca.
"How about I properly introduce you to my band? I'm sure the others would be excited to talk to you~"
"Nope. I've got a full schedule today so I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your offer."
"Aww, not even for a girl like me~" Moca smiles that smug smile of hers. The lad clad in crimson gives her a small smile and yanks the guitarist off her feet, carrying her bridal style.
"Wha-" A gloved hand touches her lips, making the lead guitarist blush up a storm. The rest of Afterglow just watches with their jaws wide open.
"Oh, seems even someone like you can get flustered. Isn't that adorable." He remarks cheekily with that charming grin of his. Moca, for once, doesn't say anything and just looks at the taller teen in front of her, with the compliment making her blush even more.
The mirth in his eyes disappear and gets replaced with those arctic blues that were once staring at her, both sapphire orbs laced with concern. For some reason, seeing that made her blush all the more obvious.
"Just go to your friends, I'm sure they're waiting."
"What about you?" Moca asks.
"Oh, I got some errands to run. Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again." He gently puts her down and pats her on the top of her head. Moca couldn't even retort back and just looks at him akin to a puppy begging for a treat. It's pretty cute with her sleepy eyes.
Seeing Moca's friends coming, he turns around and walks the opposite direction, giving a small wave.
"Moca!" Ran calls. All four of them walk up to her.
"You're blushing!" Tsugumi notes. Himari grins slyly.
"Aww, is someone a little nervous?" She teases.
"M-Moca-chan doesn't get nervous!" She denies, looking away shyly. Despite her teasing nature, she has no experience with boys prior to her meeting with the lad covered in a crimson coat.
"So you know how it feels, huh?" Ran grins at her.
"I bet you want him to carry you like that." Adds Tomoe. To the satisfaction of all the girls who's been mostly at the receiving end of her teasing, she for once couldn't even defend herself.
Payback is indeed satisfying, isn't it?
(Marina POV)
"Dante really pulled through on this one." Marina smiles at seeing the immense crowd in front of her along with the line.
The crowd is cheering amongst themselves, with everyone just talking about who's their favorite band and other stuff. Overall, the spirits were high and the crowd patiently waited for their star performers.
As she was watching the crowd, at the corner of her eye did she see a familiar crimson blur. To her surprise, she catches sight of Dante holding a bag over his shoulder.
Upon their eyes meeting, he puts a finger on his lips and making gestures to not tell the girls about what's going on. Marina smiles and gives him a thumbs up. He then also gives her a "come here" gesture, to which she complies and wonders what does he have to say.
Eventually, the crowd settled into their seats. Silence blanketed the area, anticipating its performers. Seeing now that everyone's taken their seat, she takes her place on the backseat, where the rest of the girls are waiting.
"How's everyone doing tonight?" She asks some of the girls.
"Excited! We're about to make more people smile than ever before!" Kokoro exclaims.
"Roselia is ready to showcase their talent." Replies Yukina stoically. All the others gave their assent as well.
"Hmm, I wonder if he's coming here..." Aya ponders.
"Something wrong, Aya-chan?" Hina asks her. The pink haired girl shakes her head.
"Nothing! Let's get on with the show!"
"That's the spirit! Just try not to stutter too much this time, alright?" The leader of Pastel*Palettes could only nod her head. It's a habit she's working hard to shed, albeit one that takes quite a while to get used to. At least she has her friends every step of the way.
Meanwhile, a certain Son of Sparda stands in the back corner of the live house, his arms are crossed and waiting for the songs they're about to bust out.
A few moments later, Marina bursts out from the curtains.
"Good evening, everyone!" On cue, the crowd starts cheering loudly.
"How's everyone doing tonight?!" A bunch of responses came around, mostly positive ones. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dante and their eyes momentarily lock in a moment of understanding. He smirks and puts a finger on his lips.
Already knowing what he has in mind, she continues with the show, albeit not without giving him a grin of her own.
"Here's Poppin' Party everyone!" Replacing Marina were five girls wearing bright and flashy outfits.
"Ah, the one who like chocolate cornets and the bakery owner." It's not really surprising for a rather colorful group to come together.
"Shining bright like a star, indeed. Their clothes alone already make it stand out."
"Hi, everyone! We're Poppin' Party, here to give you a sparkling and heart pounding show! Hope you enjoy!" They then ready their instruments. The lights in the music studio go dark except for the stage.
[Poppin' Party - Poppin' Shuffle]
POPPING! PAPPING! Motto atsuku
Odorenai no wa kimi dake janai
Yume migachina dake dayo
(POPPING! PAPPING!)
Okitara getsuyō no asa kigaete gakkō
Eki de orita minna to kinyō no tsuzuki
CLAPPING! CLAPPING! Sono te wo agete
JUMPING! STEPPING! Nori okurenaide
Gonin sorotte POPPING! PAPPING!
Mittsu nara beta♪ onpu de hanechae!
Odoritsuzuketara kimi ga waratta
Tsugi no yasumi jikan ni suteppu motto hoppu kitto atakku!
Kyōshitsu wo dete rōka wo nukete
Kimi no temae de sutoppu sotto tatchi yappa atakku!
Getsuyō no asa wa kinyōbi no tsuzuki
POPPING DANCE! Oikakete
PAPPING GO! Itsumademo
Matte! Datte! Chotto! Kiite!
Odorenai no wa kimi dake janai
Yume migachina dake dayo
Gogo no yasumi jikan ni wa okujō ni ikō
Dare ni mo barenai yō ni sono doa wo akete
CLAPPING! CLAPPING! Machikirenai yo
JUMPING! STEPPING! Rizumu oikakete
♪(Otamajakushi) ga POPPING! PAPPING!
Mittsu narande haneteru haneteru!
Odoritsuzuketara shaffuru biyori
Sora no ichiban chikaku dama tte motto rasshu kitto atakku!
Kaze wo kanjite kami wo hodoite
Kimi ni tsutaeru kama tte dasshu yappa chotto sutoppu
Ano watagashi wo oikakete mitai
POPPING DANCE! Oikakete
PAPPING GO! Dokomademo
Matte! Datte! Zutto! Koko de!
Tate yoko naname te wo nobashitara
Donna keshiki ga mieru no?
Itsutsu no oto ga POPPING! PAPPING!
♪(Otamajakushi) ga haneteru haneteru!
Odoritsuzuketara kimi ga waratta
Kane ga naridasu mae ni suteppu motto hoppu kitto atakku!
Kōsha karadete kōtei nukete
Kimi no temae de sutoppu sotto tatchi yappa atakku!
Owaranai uta wa ashita e tsuzuku
POPPING DANCE! Owaranai
PAPPING GO! Ashita e to
Yume no ichiban chikaku dama tte motto rasshu kitto atakku!
Yūhi ga nobasu kage wo mitsumete
Kimi ni tsutaeru kama tte dasshu yappa chotto sutoppu
Owaranai uta wa ashita e tsuzuku
POPPING DANCE! Owaranai
PAPPING GO! Ashita e to
Matte! Datte! Zutto! Koko de!
Tate yoko naname te wo nobashitara
Donna keshiki ga mieru no?
(POPPING! PAPPING!)
[Song End]
Predictably, all of the people within the live house cheered their hearts out, letting them know just how much of a fun time they were having. Only Dante was the only one who didn't cheer, although he did aptly pay attention to how they played their music.
"From the looks of it, they're one of the more inexperienced ones of the group. They do have a lot of heart though." Despite their rookie status, they still are more than capable of forming a decent enough track that sounds that gives off a cheerful and energetic j-pop vibe, with their flashy outfits and energetic leader reflecting off that.
Even though he didn't join in on the clapping, he can understand why the people enjoyed it. Their passion rolled off in waves, resonating with the crowd and making them feel just as energetic as the rest of the band.
"Here's our next song!" Announces the star headed leader of the band.
[Poppin' Party - Melancholic]
Zenzen tsukamenai kimi no koto
Zenzen shiranai uchi ni
Kokoro ubawareru nante koto
Aru hazu nai desho
Sore wa buaisō na egao dattari
Sore wa nichiyōbi no higure dattari
Sore wa tesuto bakka no kikan dattari
Sore wa kimi to yū na no merankorin-nisuto
Teatari shidai tsuyoki de butsukatte mo
Nannimo te ni wa nokoranaitte omoikonderu
Chotto gurai no yūki ni datte
Chicchaku natte fusagikonderu
Watashi dakara
Zenzen tsukamenai kimi no koto
Zenzen shiranai uchi ni
Kokoro ubawareru nante koto
Aru hazu nai desho
Zenzen kizukanai kimi nante
Zenzen shiranai shiranai mon
"Nē nē" janai wa kono egao
Mata nemurenai desho
[Song End]
"Huh. Cover songs are a bit of a given, but didn't expect Vocaloid to be added into the mix." He first heard of it when some of the kids that his nephew and his girlfriend raised listened to some of their songs on TV. Even his normally rock favoring nephew got into it, although whenever he teased Nero about his tastes in music, he ended up getting stabbed in the chest with Rebellion.
"Worth it." Grins the Son of Sparda, smiling a little at the fond memory. Hey, in the house of Sparda, beating the shit out of one another's been a family tradition. One started by him and his twin brother.
Poppin' Party left the stage, getting replaced by Hello, Happy World! not a moment too soon by Marina's calling.
"A marching band dedicated to spread smiles around the world. A noble goal to be had, indeed."
"Hey, everyone! We're Hello, Happy World! Our goal's to bring smiles across the world, but let's start with you all first! Happy!"
"Lucky!" Adds the purple and orange haired girls.
"Smile!" Continues the pink mascot and blue haired ones.
"YAY!!" The crowd cheers along with Kokoro with the last line, clearly feeling the happy vibe she's giving along.
"Kid's got heart. That earnest belief to make the world smile makes everyone believe in that dream with her." Even with the naiveté of her goal, Dante can't deny that in her own way, she brings light to those who are in need of it, although it's taken to somewhat unrealistic expectations even with someone of her stature. Then again, the word "unrealistic" rarely happens in his vocabulary.
"Here's our first song!"
[Hello, Happy World! - Egao no Orchestra]
Tokimeki! Meki! Hazumasete
Hajimeyō! Ōkesutora~♪
Boku no hidarite wo tsunagu kimi no migi no te ni wa
Kirari nagareboshi
Sē no de, kakedasō~!
Boku no migite to tsunaida kimi no hidarite ni wa
Pikari kira meite
Sē no de, de kita! Manmaru sumairu♪
(Kirakira kirakira) Hoshi no rizumu
(Pikapika pikapika) Te wo narashite
(Kirapika kirapika) Kizuna no iro chikyū no iro
Onaji nanda!
Tsunaida te wo (Hai! Hai!)
Tsunaide ko! (Hai! Hai!)
Ōkina wa ni natte (Wawwawwa!)
Nikoniko kao (Run♪ Run♪)
Sakaseyō! (Run♪ Run♪)
Sekai wa hitotsu ni naru
Bokura de tsukuri dasō yo!
(Sumairu! Sumairu!)
Fesutibaru da!
Kuyokuyo nante shinaide?
Hajimemashite no toki fuwari go aisatsu
Sē no de, niramekko!
Wahaha to koe ni dashitara
Kochokocho kusugutchae!
Dokiri hajikeru yo
Sē no de, pīsu! Iei! Iei! Iei!
(Fuwafuwa fuwafuwa) Atatakakute
(Dokidoki dokidoki) Yokan no oto
(Fuwadoki fuwadoki) Hitomi no iro uchū no iro
Onaji nanda!
Kokoro awase (Jan! Jan!)
Odori daso~! (Jan! Jan!)
Minna wo makikonde (Dodon! Don!)
Karada hazume! (Ran! Ran!)
Hachamecha de (Ran! Ran!)
Sekai wa akaruku naru
Nani mo osorezu ni yukō
(Sumairu! Sumairu!)
Hai tenshon!
Kimi wa hitori janai yo
Yūki wo dashite goran yo
Bokura to issho ni
Kōshinda! (Makenai)
Bōken no (egao de)
Māchi wa zokuku~~! (Ikunda~!)
Tsunaida te wo (Hai! Hai!)
Tsunaide ko! (Hai! Hai!)
Ōkina wa ni natte (Wawwawwa!)
Nikoniko kao (Run♪ Run♪)
Sakaseyō! (Run♪ Run♪)
Sekai wa hitotsu ni naru
Bokura de tsukuri dasō yo!
(Sumairu! Sumairu!)
Fesutibaru da!
[End Song]
After the first song's end, much of the crowd got hyped up. It's as if Kokoro herself passed some of that radiant energy towards the group of people that were cheering for her. Dante's lips twitch for a bit, although he kept it together.
Like Poppin' Party, they seem to be also a bit of a rookie, yet they too make up for it with passion. It's also J-pop, but more happy and a bit eccentric.
From the sound of it too, only the drummer had any prior experience with instruments while the orange haired girl seems to get by enough by playing something similar. The rest aren't as experienced, in contrast to Poppin' Party, whose members (except for the lead vocalist) all have played an instrument prior to joining the band.
"Kinda surprising she decided to fly around, but that seems fitting of her. Not surprised if she's gonna expect her band to play while free falling."
"Here's our next song!"
[Hello, Happy World! - Dragon Night]
Koyoi wa hyakumannen ni ichido
Taiyō ga shizunde yoru ga otozureru hi
Owari no konai yōna tatakai mo
Koyoi wa kyūsen shite shukuhai wo ageru
Hito wa sorezore "seigi" ga atte,
Arasoi au no wa shikatanai no kamo shirenai
Dakedo boku no kiraina "kare" mo
Karenari no riyū ga aru to omōnda
Dragon Night, Dragon Night, Dragon Night
Koyoi, bokutachi wa tomodachi no yō ni utaudarou
Mūnraito, sutārīsukai, faiābādo
Koyoi, bokutachi wa tomodachi no yō ni odorunda
Koyoi wa hyaku mannen ni ichido
Taiyō ga yoru ni asobi ni otuzureru hi
Owari no konai yōna tatakai mo
Koyoi wa kyūsen no akashi no honō wo tomosu
Hito wa sorezore "seigi" ga atte
Arasoiau no wa shikatanai no kamoshirenai
Dakedo boku no "seigi" ga kitto
Kare wo kizutsuketeitanda ne
Dragon Night, Dragon Night, Dragon Night
Koyoi bokutachi wa tomodachi no yō ni utau darō
Conguracchureishon, guracchureishon, guracchureishon
Koyoi, bokutachi no tatakai wa "owaru"nda
Dragon Night, Dragon Night, Dragon Night
Koyoi, bokutachi wa tomodachi no yō ni utaudarō
Mūnraito, sutārīsukai, faiābādo
Koyoi, bokutachi wa tomodachi no you ni odorunda
Dragon Night, Dragon Night, Dragon Night
Koyoi, bokutachi wa tomodachi no yō ni utaudarō
Mūnraito, sutārīsukai, faiābādo
Koyoi, bokutachi wa tomodachi no yō ni odorunda
[End Song]
In contrast to the normally energetic vibe that came with their song, this one was a little more quiet. Then again, with how charismatic Kokoro can be, it would've driven the crowd into a frenzy.
"Didn't recognize that song, but it's probably a cover, if we're going by the same pattern as the first band." He didn't hear it from any of anime he watched nor does he recognize it from any of the music preferences he chooses to listen to.
"Someone's having a fleeting time in front of her fans." Dante notes, seeing how a bunch of girls have heart eyes for the purple haired girl who seems to be misquoting Shakespeare, although none of the girls give much less of a damn. It took awhile, but the group of fangirls were able to calm themselves, but not without great effort.
"Wait, are her fans even realizing that half the things she said are somewhat inaccurate Shakespearean quotes?"
"Alright, next up is Pastel*Palettes!" Announces Marina. On cue are five girls with greatly different hair colors and styles.
"Oh, I get it. Their band name's a good fit because of difference in hair color and personality. Least they're breaking the typical mold of an idol for including musical instruments and not just singing and dancing."
"H-hello. Please enjoy our show!" Unlike the last two being more energetic in their intro, Aya still seems like she's having trouble putting herself out there even with having experience doing concerts in the past.
"Still a klutz as always I see. Least the audience like how cute you can come off." Some of them even replied with, "awww's" and a couple even had the crimson vigor that us blood flowing down their noses.
"Huh, and here I thought the nosebleed effect only exists in anime."
[Pastel*Palettes -Tenka Toitsu A to Z☆]
Kiyosa to tadashisa de kokorozashi takadaka
Toki ni wa daitan sengen bishibashi!
Arasoi wa zettai dame wa wo motte tōtoshi to nasu
Iron wa gozaimasenu bushidō!
Kokoro ga kumotta mama ja dare mo sukuenai
(Tanomo!)
Gatten ☆ akirametari kujiketari wa
Arumajiki koto desu!
(Sessē no sessē no yōi yoi!)
Maire! A to Z! A to Z! Tenka wo
A to Z! A to Z! Torimasu
Apparena jinsei kokon tōzai kake
Ai (Hai!) yume (Hai!) sasagemasu
A to Z! A to Z! Nakama to
A to Z! A to Z! Tsunaide
Nippon zenkoku e todokeyō
Watashitachi wo!
(Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!) x2
Omoiyari kome kome reigi wo tsukushimashō
Ichidō kimetara saigo yarikire!
Uso wa zettai tsukanai wa majime ni shinken'na desu
Fukutsu no seishin moeru bushidō!
Ichigoichie no kiseki daiji ni shimasu
Gatten ☆ fuan naraba anzuruna desu
Omakase kudasai ne!
(Sessē no sessē no yōi yoi!)
Kakugō! A to Z! A to Z! Zenkoku
A to Z! A to Z! Seīhada!
Tamashī no koe wo ongaku ni yado shite
Ai (Hai!) yume (Hai!) kanademasu
A to Z! A to Z! Mainichi
A to Z! A to Z! Yūsha wo
Nippon zenkoku e kakageyō
Watashitachi wo!
"Masumasu bushidō ga minagitte kimashita!"
"Kakkoī!!"
"Jibun mo atsuku narimasu!"
"Ima no watashitachi muteki ne"
"Uu~! Dokidoki shite kita..."
"Sore de wa mairimasu!"
Pasupare nyūkon! Bān!!!!!
Honmono no bushi ni itsuka naru sonohi made
(Tanomo!)
Gatten ☆ ibaranomichi dekobokomichi
Gamushara ikimashō!
(Sessē no sessē no yōi yoi!)
Maire! A to Z! A to Z! Tenka wo
A to Z! A to Z! Torimasu
Apparena jinsei kokon tōzai kake
Ai (Hai!) yume (Hai!) sasagemasu
A to Z! A to Z! Nakama to
A to Z! A to Z! Tsunaide
Nippon zenkoku e todokeyō
Watashitachi wo!
(Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!) x2
[End Song]
"Wonder how my doc's gonna react when he finds out I got diabetes from listening to a song that has a lot of sugar in it along with seeing their outfits." The Son of Sparda deadpans.
"That aside, it's pretty impressive enough. At least the audience is melting at the cheer cuteness of it all." He swore he heard or saw the sounds of the people watching and listening passing out from their seats, especially the hardcore idol fans.
Everything about them reflects the sugary vibe they had, plus the whole low-key "moe" pandering going on. All the girls are pretty cute that it makes all the crowd go crazy (with some more than others).
"There's always a small part of a fandom that makes an impact big enough that can cause people to have a bad reputation of it."
"Here's our next song!"
[Paste*Palettes - Secret base ~kimi ga kureta mono~]
Kimi to natsu no owari shōrai no yume ōkina kibō wasurenai
Jūnen go no hachigatsu mata deaeru no wo shinjite
Saikō no omoide wo...
Deai wa futto shita shunkan
kaerimichi no kōsaten de
koe wo kakete kureta ne "issho ni kaerou"
Boku wa terekusasō ni
kaban de kao wo kakushi nagara
hontō wa totemo totemo ureshikatta yo
Ā hanabi ga yozora kirei ni saite chotto setsunaku
Ā kaze ga jikan to tomo ni nagareru
Ureshikutte tanoshikutte
bōken mo iroiro shita ne
Futari no himitsu no kichi no naka
Kimi to natsu no owari shōrai no yume ōkina kibō wasurenai
Jūnen go no hachigatsu mata deaeru no wo shinjite
Kimi ga saigo made kokoro kara
"Arigatō" sakendeita koto shitte ita yo
Namida wo koraete egao de sayōnara setsunai yo ne
Saikō no omoide wo...
Ā natsuyasumi mo ato sukoshi de owacchau kara
Ā taiyō to tsuki nakayoku shite
Kanashikutte sabishikutte
kenka mo iroiro shita ne
Futari no himitsu no kichi no naka
Kimi ga saigo made kokoro kara
"Arigatō" sakendeita koto shitte ita yo
Namida wo koraete egao de sayōnara setsunai yo ne
Saikō no omoide wo...
Totsuzen no tenkō de dōshiyō mo naku
Tegami kaku yo denwa mo suru yo
Wasurenaide ne boku no koto wo
Itsumade mo futari no kichi no naka
Kimi to natsu no owari zutto hanashite
yūhi wo mite kara hoshi wo nagame
Kimi no hoho wo nagareta namida wa zutto wasurenai
Kimi ga saigo made ōkiku te wo
Futte kureta koto kitto wasurenai
Dakara kōshite yume no naka de zutto eien ni...
Kimi to natsu no owari shōrai no yume ōkina kibō wasurenai
Jūnen go no hachigatsu mata deaeru no wo shinjite
Kimi ga saigo made kokoro kara
"Arigatō" sakendeita koto shitte ita yo
Namida wo koraete egao de sayōnara setsunai yo ne
Saikō no omoide wo...
Saikō no omoide wo...
[End Song]
Much like Hello Happy World, the song they used contrasted the normal vibe their song had. While the crowd cheered, it had a subtle undertone of melancholy within it.
"If I don't return, you must run. By yourself, alone. Change your name. Forget your past and start as someone else...A new beginning."
Even with the context of her words, she knew she wasn't gonna make it. She knew her death would come and still she risked her life searching for his twin brother.
"Yet her death is what started the rivalry between my brother and I. How we took her death was different. God, she'd be crying if she knew all the times Vergil and I tried to kill each other." Dante realizes where his train of thought was going and shook his head.
"Why did I think of that?" Dante asks himself confusedly. While the song was playing, he could still smell wood burning, the sky blackened with smoke...along with the last cries of his mother as the demons that would hunt for him and his twin brother would eventually come for their life.
"Least he and I get along now. Just hope you're safe out there, bro."
From the looks of it, some of the more hardcore idol fans were close to just jumping onto the stage to greet their idols, only to be stopped thankfully by the people around them.
"Here we have Afterglow!" The usual cheers came around and out comes the usual number that is five girls.
"Nice, she's flying red and black." Unlike the past bands girls who wear similar outfits albeit with minor changes, all the girls of Afterglow wears entirely different style of clothing based on their preferences. Nevertheless, it still seems to fit the rock-like theme they got going for them.
"Seems Chestnut's a little nervous over there." Dante notes, seeing how a little tense Tsugumi looked. Despite that, she didn't seem like she'd let her nerves get the better of her. It's understandable to have the pressure of playing in front of a large audience, but the key is to not let those emotions cloud one's judgement.
"We're Afterglow and we'll let our music do the talking." Their leader speaks confidently, causing the crowd to cheer.
"Hope she can back that up."
[Afterglow - Hey-day Capriccio]
Extreme & Emergency Now!
Kimyō kiteretsu montāju de
Attōteki kowasa tenpatte
But! Atashira de misshon kaishi
(Senaka zokuri nodo wa karakara)
"Mushaburui desho?"
(Yana kan ataru ki ga shita yokan)
Kokoro wa mō hazādo ranpu tenmetsu!
(GAME OF TAG) Yabasa misuterī
(GAME OF TAG) Nanatsu no fushigi
Kikisemaru etosetora
Yume ka utsutsu ka mikiwamete yuke
(GAME OF TAG) Daitan futeki
(GAME OF TAG) Turibashi riron
Adorenarin nomihoseba
Kanaderu yukaina kapurichio
(chan♪)
High tension & Attention please Yeah!
Mayoi konda yo danjon Loser!
RPG tsunda... nakineiri Ah~
Owaru furagu tatchatteru yo...
(Memari kurari ase wa daradara)
"Kaze nano kana...?"
(Agaru sagaru tachimachi yuragu)
Saigi shin de furimawasarete yuku
Fura... fura... fura...
(No! No! Don't look back!)
"Creeping...Creeping..." Ooooh...
(No! No! Don't look back!)
"Creeping...Creeping...Creeping..."
(Kyaaaah!!!)
(HIDE AND SEEK) Panikuri memorī
(HIDE AND SEEK) Nanatsu no fushigi
Todoroita arakaruto
Risei wa porori ochite yuku dake
(HIDE AND SEEK) Uso ka makoto ka
(HIDE AND SEEK) Gishin angi de
Takamari wo shinjireba
Kanaderu miwaku no kapurichio
(GAME OF TAG) Yabasa misuterī
(GAME OF TAG) Nanatsu no fushigi
Kikisemaru etosetora
Yume ka utsutsu ka mikiwamete yuke
(GAME OF TAG) Daitan futeki
(GAME OF TAG) Tsuribashi riron
Adorenarin nomihoseba
Kanaderu yukaina kapurichio
(chan♪)
Sobietatsu kurayami wa yoru no matenrō
(Terrified! Horrified!)
Iki wo nomu setogiwa de sā, furikiru yo!
(Ekisaito!)
Tachimukatte Strike!
(Genkaiten rinkaiten moromoro toppa shite!)
Enigmatic night...Ha!!!
[End Song]
"Huh. I kinda dig it." Admits the Son of Sparda, mostly because of it having that rebellious feeling. It was more alt-rock than the pop-like sounds of the last three bands. To the surprise of no one, the crowd cheered for the performance of Afterglow, except for him of course.
"They'll eat up anything these days. They are good though, so it's understandable."
"And here's our next song!"
[Afterglow - Don't say "lazy]
Please don't say "You are lazy"
Datte hontō wa crazy
Hakuchō-tachi wa sō
Mienai toko de ashi suru ndesu
Honnō ni jūjun chūjitsu
Honrō mo jūjū shōchi
Zento yōyō da shi...
Dakara tama ni kyūkei shichau ndesu
Kono me de shikkari misademete
Ikisaki chizu jō shite
Chikamichi areba sore ga ōdō hashoreru
Tsubasa mo areba jōtō
Yaba tsumewareta guru de hoshū shita
Sore dake de nanka tassei kan
Daiji na no wa jibun kawaigaru koto
Jibun wo aisanakya hito mo aisenai
Please don't say "You are lazy"
Datte hōtō wa crazy
Nō aru taka wa sou
Mienai toko ni kakusu ndesu
Sōzō ni isshou genmei
Genjitsu wa zettai zetsumei
Hatten tochū da shi
Dakara fui ni hazureru ndesu
[End Song]
"What was the name of the original band? Something Tea Time from another all girls school not far from here. Don't make as much of an impact as the others though." Like the band girls participating in CiRCLE, they too consisted of five girls playing a specific instrument. Their lack of exposure is mostly justified since most of their performances are for school based activities, unlike the band girls whose band responsibilities don't have any relevance to their school.
"Although I'm starting to sense that the all-female schools around here have a tradition for having their names to be so long." Some of the crowd was surprised that Afterglow would play such a song, but nevertheless their performance was impressive enough to make them cheer once more.
"Last but not least, we have Roselia!" To Dante's surprise, their standing ovation was slightly louder compared to the other bands, which was still impressively loud.
Out of all the outfits of the bands, Roselia's was arguably the most identical along Hello Happy World, further symbolizing they're all in the same singular goal of being the best.
"We are Roselia. Are you fully prepared to devote yourself to us?" The crowd cheered wildly as they let their love for the band be known and show their support the only way they know how. Dante's expression became blank upon hearing the words of their leader.
"Wow, I didn't know a cult meeting's in session."
"Here's our first song. We hope you enjoy."
[Roselia - Neo Aspect]
Utsukushiki inochi no enrei
Tsumugareta shirabe umare yuku michi
Believe me this is the right way.
Akari wa doko e kieta? Taguri yoseru yō ni
Nobasu te wa nani mo tsukamenai mama
Ikitsugi mo umaku dekizu
Hieta kuchibiru damarikomu
Into (darkness... darkness...)
I feel (loneliness... loneliness...)
Your voice... kokoro no uragawa ni fureta setsuna
(Find a way... Find a way...)
I know (loved one... loved one...)
Mō ichido tsunagō te wo
Kitto kuyashiku tte nasakenaku tte
Namida shita tte koko ni iru yo
Tobira wa akete oku kara
I hold you...
Beautiful prouder
So, Beautiful braver
So, Beautiful brighter
Hokoritakaku (kanadetai)
Ah... on stage
Sing away! Sing away!
Miseyō aratana sugata wo
Wo wo wow...
Kikoenai furi wo shite
Furimukazu ni ita
Kanjō ni tsubusarenai yō ni to
Shirazu shirazu no uchi ni
Nomareteku ishi usuredasu
I will (go ahead... go ahead...)
This is (destiny... destiny...)
Your eyes... hitomi no uragawa ni tomoru sekai
(Find a way... Find a way...)
You know (brightness... brightness...)
Mō ichido hajimeyō ima
Kitto tsuraku tatte modokashiku tte
Tsumazuita tte soba ni iru yo
Tobira wa akete oku kara
I got you...
Yume ni sotte kotoba ni sotte
Omoi ni sotte kake agaru wa (todoketai)
Ah... on stage
Only one! Only one!
Megurō anata no kimochi to
Oto tsubu wo hitotsu zutsu dakishimeru yō ni utau no
Sonzai Stay alive... Stay alive...
Shunkan Stay alive... Stay alive...
Tsuyoku kanjitai yo anatatachi wo
Kitto kuyashiku tte nasakenaku tte
Namida shita tte koko ni iru yo
Tobira wa akete oku kara
I hold you...
Beautiful prouder
So, Beautiful braver
So, Beautiful brighter
Hokori takaku (kanadetai)
Ah... on stage
Sing away! Sing away! Utae! Wo wo wow...
More! Sing away! Sing away!
Miseyō aratana sugata wo
Wo wo wow...
[End Song]
"Good, she's not full of bluster after all." Dante did have to hand it Roselia. Their use of gothic rock serves as a testament to prove that they're the best of the best of the girl bands. Dante ignores the cheers of the crowd and merely looks on ahead, arctic orbs keeping his eyes peeled on the stage in front of him.
He could feel a slight buzz of electricity coming from the case, or rather, the case that held what he has in mind. He had to resist a small smirk.
"Almost there..."
"We present to you our final song for this evening."
[Roselia - Tamashii no Refrain]
Watashi ni kaerinasai kioku wo tadori
Yasashisa to yume no minamoto e
Mo ichido hoshi ni hikare umareru tame ni
Tamashī no rufuran
Aoi kage ni tsutsumareta suhada ga
Toki no naka de shizuka ni furueteru
Inochi no yukue wo toikakeru yō ni
Yubisaki wa watashi wo motomeru
Dakishimeteta unmei no anata wa
Kisetsu ni saku maru de hakanai hana
Kibō no nioi wo mune ni nokoshite
Chiri isogu azayakana sugata de
Watashi ni kaerinasai umareru mae ni
Anata ga sugoshita daichi e to
Kono te ni kaerinasai meguri au tame
Kiseki wa okoru yo nando demo
Tamashī no rufuran
Inoru yō ni mabuta tojita toki ni
Sekai wa tada yami no soko ni kieru
Sore demo kodō wa mata ugokidasu
Kagiri aru eien wo sagashite
Watashi ni kaerinasai kioku wo tadori
Yasashisa to yume no minamoto e
Anata mo kaerinasai aishi au tame
Kokoro mo karada mo kurikaesu
Tamashī no rufuran
Watashi ni kaerinasai umareru mae ni
Anata ga sugoshita daichi e to
Kono te ni kaerinasai meguri au tame
Kiseki wa okoru yo nando demo
Tamashī no rufuran
[End Song]
"I have got to get back to watching Evangelion again when I got time. Actually prefer their version over the original. Gives it more of a rock-like vibe to it." Dante nods his head in approval. Even he had to admit it was kinda catchy, especially with the modern touches done with the song.
The crowd screamed their hearts out as the cover song from Evangelion was finished. Guess many people from the audience watched the show, or at least the music touched their hearts so deeply.
"Thank you for your time. We hope for you all to continue your devotion towards us."
"...yep, I'm in a cult of fanboys of fangirls."
Some of the people could be heard chanting the word, "senpai", making Dante raise an eyebrow.
"Quite popular, are they?" Silence reigns over them once more as Marina comes out.
"Thank you so much, we hope you had a fun time!" Everyone cheers for the performance of the bands. All of the people didn't immediately leave, merely talking amongst each other about the performances of each band, which one is their favorite that type of thing.
The stage lights are off and so are the main lights. Dante's smirk returns at full force as he props himself off the wall he's been leaning in for nearly the past hour, grabs his instrument case and walks up to the stage, with the lack of lights not causing anyone to notice him.
"Let's see if I still got it."