Devil’s Music

Gamagin stood on a hill of dark snow, arms crossed, watching a house intently.

"But you know, to say that she's under the protection of Nanael, the signs are too faint. She looks the part, though."

Pyemon stroked his sleek jawline and nodded.

"I heard earlier that the mother suffered from an illness. I wonder what kind it was?"

Gamagin glanced at Pyemon and then let out a chuckle.

"Hah, as if one of the 72 demons would stoop to afflict humans with such lowly acts. Must've been some lesser, trivial demon. Trash that wouldn't even be recognized by name."

"Ah, right. Perhaps Nanael took pity on the ill mother and drove the demon away? Even with her modest strength, it would've been possible, and if the mother conceived while some of that power lingered, it would explain why the child resembles Nanael, within a realm of reason."

"Mm, perhaps so. Otherwise, she wouldn't bear such a resemblance. It must've been too weak of a force to be considered under Nanael's protection then?"

"Indeed. If there were protection, we would've felt it."

"If Nanael's protection was present, she would've appeared before we got this close."

Pyemon smiled wickedly.

"That's the way of angels. Spreading their wings to help but only scattering seeds here and there, neglecting to tend them. And when humans falter, they brazenly blame it on a misinterpretation of God's will."

Gamagin smiled back at Pyemon.

"It's not always so, Pyemon. We, as demons, have no choice but to observe humans since their lives amass magical power. But angels are different. There are many among humans who are weak and need saving, and they expect nothing in return from them. Therefore, angels act differently from us."

Pyemon pouted.

"You sound as if you've turned into an angel yourself."

"Ha, have I?"

"How much sacred power have you gathered?"

Gamagin unfolded his arms and looked up at the sky. Amidst the cold breath of the brilliantly shining stars in the black sky, Gamagin turned back to Pyemon.

"Not enough yet. Actually, I haven't even begun to absorb it, just hidden it away."

Pyemon, as if expecting the response, crossed his arms.

"If you absorb it now, you'll lose that much power. Losing power means drifting further from the throne of the 72 demons. So, you plan to absorb it all at once later?"

"Mm, seems like it. If the power weakens, it'll become harder to conceal."

Pyemon nodded at Gamagin, who was watching the house intently again.

"Do you really think Lucifer himself doesn't know, Lord Gamagin?"

Gamagin, looking at Pyemon's profile, smirked and turned his head towards the house.

"He knows."

Pyemon glanced at Gamagin's side profile and said,

"He pretends not to know. How could he not?"

"Well, I'm thankful he turns a blind eye."

Pyemon unfolded his arms and stepped closer to Gamagin.

"Just be wary of Baal and Gusion, alright? You know that, right?"

Gamagin narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin.

"Baal might be the better of the two. He's at least the type to confront you directly. The problem is Gusion. That monkey despises me."

Pyemon nodded.

"I feel the same. Gusion envies and resents anyone above him in rank, and I receive as much jealousy and envy from him as you do. No, perhaps even more, since the difference in our ranks is just two steps, making him all the more eager to climb."

"Yes, but luckily he's quite forgetful. If he hears something and doesn't find it interesting, he tends to forget about it easily. The moment he takes interest is when it becomes dangerous, so Pyemon, keep your ears open and stay informed."

"Understood, Lord. I'll be careful and listen closely."

After a brief silence between them, as they saw Midori carrying fruit into the house from the window, Pyemon sighed.

"About that child's mother. Nanael's power is nearly depleted. In this state, it's uncertain when demons might steal her soul again. Hm? What are you doing, Lord?"

Pyemon caught sight of Gamagin, who had placed his hand on the snowy ground of the hill and was murmuring something with his eyes closed. Gamagin, bending over, said,

"I leave behind my power in this land. Let no petty spirit feel my power and dare to come near."

Seeing a purple light emanating from Gamagin's hand and seeping into the ground, Pyemon asked,

"Did you plant your power?"

Gamagin

stood up and nodded.

"That girl might be around my child in the future, and if anything unfortunate were to happen to her family, it could affect my child. It's a precautionary measure."

"Mm, I see."

"Let's hide now. We've been here too long. But keep an eye on this land until the child leaves. This place has always been rife with demons."

With a slight bow, Gamagin's form blurred and vanished as he watched the house. The dark hill enveloped in a quiet silence as if nothing had ever been there.

***

The shoot in Japan went smoothly.

Since most of the shooting took place in the forests of Akita Prefecture, it did not attract people's attention, and every day, until late at night, the shooting continued, with Midori sharing warm bento boxes she brought from home, making the staff smile through the cold weather marathon for two days. Three days passed in a flash, and the couple who came to pick them up at the airport shed tears as they held Shizuka's hand and said their goodbyes for a long time. Ryosuke and Midori repeatedly took Geon and Byungjun's hands, asking them to take good care of Shizuka. Geon reassured the worried couple and finally boarded the plane, ending the short trip to Japan. Back at school, Shizuka and Geon returned to their usual routines, but Fantagio did not. The production team stayed up several nights to finish the editing at the level Lin wanted, and after several requests for re-edits, the teaser for Shizuka's music video was finally released on Fantagio's website five days after returning from Japan.

Japan's Asahi Newspaper.

It was late at night, but the reporters who hadn't finished the morning edition's editing were busily moving around the office, signaling the urgency of the deadline. Yuuna, a female reporter in her fourth year at the newspaper, was editing her article on Japan's nuclear issue until the deadline when she saw her friend Momoko, who had transferred to the entertainment section last year, staring intently at her laptop screen without having found an article to write yet.

"Momoko, haven't you found anything to write yet? It's an hour until the deadline."

Momoko didn't seem to hear Yuuna and kept staring at the laptop screen. Frustrated, Yuuna reached out and touched Momoko's shoulder, causing Momoko to startle, pushing up her round glasses and shouting.

"Huh? What?"

The loud voice made the other working reporters look up, and Yuuna, feeling sorry, slightly bowed her head and whispered.

"Why are you talking so loudly!"

Momoko took out one earphone, giving an awkward smile, as Yuuna asked incredulously.

"What were you so focused on that you didn't even hear me calling?"

Momoko handed one earphone to Yuuna and pulled up a chair next to her.

"Sit down. It's Fantagio's homepage. Looks like a rookie is debuting."

Yuuna, sitting down and plugging in the earphone, said nonchalantly.

"Fantagio is nothing special except for Kay. They seem to have some popular singers in China, but it's not for international markets. If we write about this, the chief will scold us."

"It's strange. The video starts with a snow-covered mountain, and it feels more like Japan than China."

"So, they filmed it in Japan, then."

"Anyway, I was just about to watch it when you called me. Let's watch it together."

"Ah, I'm also pressed for deadline. I'm busy!"

"It's just a teaser video, a little over 1 minute. Let's just watch this."

"Fine, start it quickly."

Momoko pressed the spacebar on the laptop, and the paused video started. Yuuna, not hearing any sound from her earphone, tilted her head and said.

"I think this earphone is broken?"

Momoko, putting her index finger to her lips, said.

"Shh, listen carefully."

Yuuna focused on the faint sound coming through the earphone.

"Is this.. the sound of stepping on snow?"

The video showed a woman's bare feet walking on a snow-covered mountain. The camera, showcasing the beautiful feet stepping on the cold snow, gradually moved up to the white, milky calves. From the knees, a white dress with lace appeared, and as it continued to rise, the camera captured a woman with long hair and a pale face with minimal makeup. The woman was smiling as she climbed the mountain filled with snow. The atmosphere of the mountain, with heavy snow hanging on the bare branches, was very mysterious. The woman, seeming to enjoy the vibrant sprouts emerging from the snow, looked at a dark space framed by two large branches as if it was an entrance.

The woman paused her steps and looked into the dark beyond before crunching through the snow, pushing aside the hanging branches, and stepping into the forest. Watching the mysterious scene, Yuuna whispered to Momoko, who was intently watching.

"It kills the atmosphere. But doesn't this woman look Japanese?"

"Yeah, she's definitely Japanese. If she's Chinese, she must be of Japanese descent."

The two then saw the woman walk through a dark cave and arrive in a vast space with a hole in the ceiling letting in light, looking around the mysterious area with a bright expression. In the center of this enchanting space, surrounded by forest moss and small birds flying around, stood a black piano. The light coming through the hole in the ceiling reflected off the black piano, making it sparkle. The woman, with a bright smile, ran to the piano and caressed its shiny body. The camera closed up on her face as she touched the piano's cold surface with her eyes closed, smiling. The screen then moved away from her twinkling eyes.

When she opened her eyes, the black piano had disappeared, and instead, a man in a black shirt and suit with black wings on his back was seen turning around. The woman, surprised by the sudden appearance of the man, was captured by the camera, and her eyes were zoomed in on.

In the reflection of the woman's eyes, the man was smiling brightly, turning towards her and reaching out his hand. Yuuna and Momoko simultaneously removed their earphones and stood up, exclaiming.

"Oh my goodness!! It's Kay!!!"

All the reporters, previously focused on their deadlines, turned their attention to the two suddenly standing up.

>

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