"Crychic... Does that name have some special meaning?" March 7th murmured the word softly a few times, then blinked her wide eyes and raised her hand curiously. The Synesthesia Beacon hadn't translated the word's meaning, indicating it wasn't a standard 'word' but most likely a fabricated or pieced-together term.
"Ah, Crychic... that's a long story," Caelus sighed dramatically. He slowly walked over to the window, leaning on the sill to gaze out, presenting his back to the world. Faint light filtered through gaps in the shifting clouds, falling upon his handsome face, now tinged with reminiscence and filled with some unspoken, profound emotion. "Within my fragmented memories lies a long and tumultuous apocryphal tale."
"Later generations composed lyrics for that history—" He began to recite, his voice taking on a bardic quality: "Abe muji jinri li, kǔ lái xī kǔ wei liu yi. Kǔ lái xī kǔ mobu xi, Bandori xi Yasaxi."
Little March kept tapping her forehead; her Synesthesia Beacon seemed broken, as she couldn't understand a word Caelus was saying. But his face, seemingly etched with stories, and his gaze, lost in recalling distant times and spaces, still filled March 7th and Serval with a sense of awe, as if they were witnessing a magnificent epic that had unfolded in some unknown place.
Even Dan Heng, hailing from the Xianzhou, perked up with interest upon hearing the poetic structure. He knew his inability to understand the meaning wasn't an issue with the Synesthesia Beacon. The Beacon often struggled to perfectly and comprehensively translate ancient Xianzhou texts and poetry; their beauty could only be truly appreciated by those fluent in the Xianzhou language and script. Therefore, for this kind of composition, incomprehensibility often suggested greater authenticity. It implied an unheard-of heroic saga, and the Nameless were usually drawn to such tales. Dan Heng was no exception. I should ask Caelus about it later!
"Crychic," Caelus continued, pulling himself back from his reverie, "is taken from the 'kǔ lái xī kǔ' part within those lines." Honestly, Caelus thought, MyGO!!!!! not even giving me a glance is a bit unappreciative.
The Synesthesia Beacon still seemed ineffective, yet March 7th understood this sentence perfectly – it was a pun based on sound!
"Using a line from a stirring, soul-shaking epic as our band name... I think it's worthy enough," Caelus declared.
"Mhm! Yeah, that's pretty worthy!" Stelle nodded vigorously, tilting her head up in agreement.
"Aren't we perhaps... not quite worthy of it?" Serval felt tempted but also hesitant. A band that had just assembled, with no reputation yet, not even having played together once – wasn't adopting such a grand name a bit presumptuous?
As for not having heard of the history Caelus mentioned... Setting aside the fact that the Trailblaze team's arrival had attracted many curious onlookers, Gepard had actually stopped by her workshop before leaving. The arrival of off-world visitors wasn't exactly classified information, and Gepard had mentioned it during their casual chat. This was one reason Serval had been so excited when Caelus proposed forming a band. Forming a band with visitors from beyond the stars! Perhaps she could even learn about rock music from other worlds through them – an undeniably irresistible prospect for Serval. So, not knowing the history recounted by an off-worlder? That was perfectly natural, wasn't it?
"It's fine. It's just a name," Caelus finalized with a decisive tone. "I believe the heroes from that epic would surely feel gratified to hear their verses drifting to an alien star."
"Ha! We have a name! So, shouldn't we design matching band outfits next?" March 7th slapped her palm excitedly, eagerly proposing the idea.
"March, rein in your 'pink-haired senior' spirit. Don't let that legendary energy influence you too much," Caelus advised earnestly. "We're a band. Our main activity should be drinking black tea, not focusing our energy on trivial matters like costumes."
"B-Black tea? Um... shouldn't a band be... practicing their instruments?" White Seele asked timidly, looking a bit lost as she offered her own understanding of bands.
Compared to White Seele, Serval, the band's guitarist, felt the urge to retort much more strongly. But before she could, she saw Caelus get up and walk towards the desk where she usually wrote lyrics and composed music.
"Ahem~ Seele is right," Caelus announced, picking up a pen from the desk. He carefully set aside a paper that seemed to hold Serval's inspirations, then pulled a fresh sheet of white paper from the bookshelf and began writing rapidly. Shua shua.
March 7th quickly walked up behind Caelus, curiously peering over his shoulder at the song he was writing down. She murmured, "'Haruhikage'..."
One of the Mask's abilities allowed Caelus to search his memories as if dragging a progress bar with a mouse, but he couldn't make specific memories surface voluntarily. To view a particular memory scene, he needed to know the exact minute and second, or else search slowly around the approximate time. Fortunately, he had only recently finished watching MyGO!!!!!, so finding this song was easy.
"NO!! Who is playing Haruhikage?! My one-click talent is equipped! I will hunt down her soul!" Upon hearing those three words, as if receiving some signal, Stelle immediately became agitated. In that instant, her face twisted into a near-ferocious expression, as terrifying as a fierce demon.
"What's wrong with you now?" Stelle's sudden outburst startled not only March 7th but even Dan Heng, who had remained quiet until now.
"Ehe~" Stelle made a pose, hitting her head with her fist and sticking her tongue out cutely. "Hearing the song title just made me feel like doing that."
Seeing Stelle and Caelus periodically descend into weirdness was nothing new anymore. In fact, Caelus managing to write down the musical score was perhaps more surprising to Dan Heng.
Left speechless and amused by Stelle's antics, Serval looked at the sheet music Caelus had produced. "Is this a song you wrote, Caelus?"
"No," Caelus declared with righteous gravity, "this is the former glory of Crychic. Since we've decided to use this name, we have a duty to make this glory resonate across this planet!" He sounded like a bard determined to spread an epic to distant lands, making the heroes' names known throughout the world.
"Is that so... I understand!" Inspired by the determination radiating from the young man, Serval nodded firmly. Caelus must deeply revere the heroes of that epic.
"Then let's use this song, 'Haruhikage,' to sound Crychic's first note!" She would absolutely not let this legacy be tarnished! She had to perform it in the most perfect state possible!
"Yes, I believe in you! Let us sing of the immortal heroic spirits!" As Caelus said this, he mentally reviewed the faces of these heroic spirits, deliberately skipping over Soyo-chan. Apologies, but he suffered from a condition that made him burst out laughing whenever he recalled Soyo's face.
"Alright then, let's practice together!" After looking over the score, Serval eagerly grabbed her guitar. Her fingers flew across the strings like lightning, striking up a cheerful, exciting rhythm.
"Wait, wait!" March 7th started to bounce to the rhythm but realized she was holding a guitar. She quickly raised her hand to stop Serval's intro.
"Miss March, do you have any further questions?" Caelus coughed lightly, standing in the bassist's position.
March 7th naturally slipped into character. "Teacher Caelus, I can't read the sheet music at all."
Stelle chimed in from behind the drum kit, "Can't read +1." Speaking of which, she remembered seeing a Devil Fruit called the Oto Oto no Mi in the system shop, capable of turning any body part into a musical instrument and granting temporary musical knowledge. Maybe... I should activate it?
"Huh?" Serval was dumbfounded. March 7th had suggested the name, proposed costumes, and seemed more enthusiastic than anyone. Serval had assumed she was just being modest, but she really didn't know how to play? Couldn't even read music? A 100% pure-gold beginner?
"Not a big deal," Caelus waved it off. "Just try following Serval's rhythm for now. I believe in both of your talents." Caelus suddenly realized he probably didn't know how to play bass either. But no worries~ He knew how to put on a show!
"Ah, this..." March 7th hesitated.
"It's not a real performance anyway, just our first jam session to see how well we sync up! Improvisation is rock 'n' roll~!"
"Makes sense!" Serval nodded. Yes, this is rock 'n' roll! "Let's make the world rock!" With that, she struck her strings again, launching into the exciting guitar riff.
"Let's get hyped~!" Stelle, who had been eagerly rubbing her fists, started pounding forcefully on the drum kit.
With things having reached this point, hesitating any longer wouldn't be the March 7th way. She immediately mimicked Serval's movements, fumbling with the strings.
Feeling several pairs of eyes on her, and with Seele urging her on mentally, White Seele scrambled behind the keyboard.
"..."
Though they were only standing face-to-face, the world seemed split in two. Dan Heng stood in the other half, utterly silent. He could only describe this jam session with four words: absolute, utter pandemonium.
March 7th was randomly strumming her guitar while stumblingly singing unfamiliar lyrics – zero technique, all emotion! Stelle was indeed well-suited for drumming; she hit them with such force that Dan Heng worried she'd break the kit any second. Then there was White Seele behind the keyboard, perched on a small stool, looking completely helpless but swept along into pressing keys. The girl tilted her head, eyes squeezed shut, cautiously tapping the keys as if they were red-hot iron rods.
Serval was the only normal one.
As for Caelus? He had already started doing what a bassist should do – performing backflips, the bass spinning along with him, surrounded by dazzling, eye-catching lights. He achieved what millions of bassists could not: stealing the audience's attention from the lead singer and guitarist.
The tones, devoid of rhythm and coordination, were like mismatched puzzle pieces forced together – noisy, roaring, sheer chaos!
Dan Heng could only remain silent.
So, why exactly did I stop Stelle and Caelus from messing with the Everwinter Monument earlier? Being arrested by the Silvermane Guards for vandalism and thrown in jail would have been better than being forced to listen to this demonic howling here!
THIS is true torture!
Or perhaps... I should have just been left to rot to death back in the Box of Solitary Confinement?
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