Plaza Showdown: Melody vs. Mayhem
Just a music-loving youth.
"Aaaah! Why the hell did I do that! I must be out of my mind!"
The moment I got back to the mansion, I rolled around on the bed, tearing at my hair.
Now that some time had passed and I'd had a chance to think it over, what I'd done was utterly insane.
Blinded by anger, I'd boldly declared in front of all those people that I'd perform. My introverted nature hadn't gone anywhere, and the thought of enduring all those stares smack in the middle of the plaza hit me with a wave of belated anxiety.
"Uwaaaah... so embarrassing..."
Luna leaned against the doorframe, watching my pathetic tantrum—which was wrecking the soft bedsheets—with a look of pity.
"Riiiia~, come on, enough already. She didn't even accept the bet; you were the one who suggested it first. So why are you freaking out now?"
"But, but...! How could I just sit there listening to that noise!"
I kicked off the blanket and jumped up, shouting, but the energy drained out of me fast, and I flopped back onto the bed like a puddle.
Amused by the sight, Luna chuckled and came over, plopping down on the edge of the bed.
"Don't worry too muuuch~. Out of every sound I've heard in my life, yours was the best, Ria. You've got every reason to be confident, right? I'll even help you out from the sidelines~."
"...You, Luna?"
"Yup. There's no way a grand mage's ears could be wrong~?"
That casual remark hit me right in the chest for some reason.
I peeked out from under the blanket, just my eyes showing, and looked at her.
Yeah, it wasn't like I had to sing or anything—just pluck a few strings like always.
With a grand mage's endorsement, what did I have to fear?
"...Phew. Alright, got it. Guess I should get back to practicing."
I hugged my guitar close and steeled myself.
Imagining how I'd crush that guy's arrogant nose tomorrow.
......
The next morning, the door burst open, and Luna's chipper voice rang out.
"Ta-daaa~! Ria, check thiiiis~!"
What she shoved right in my face was a palm-sized, sleek mana stone plate.
"Luna? What's that?"
"You'll see once you try it. Here, stick it on the bottom of the guitar body?"
Following her instructions, I fixed the metal plate to the lower part of the guitar body.
And the moment I lightly plucked a string like usual...
Ziiiing───!!
"Whoa!"
An enormous sound—impossible to believe came from the guitar's body—filled the entire room.
Luna struck a triumphant pose, hands on her hips, as I stared at her with wide eyes.
"Ta-da~! Behold, the sound amplification magic tool! The plaza's pretty big, right? If you want the folks in the back to hear your playing, you need something like this~."
Magic really was the best in this all-purpose world!
Even though I'd figured a grand mage could pull it off, I still marveled at it, inspecting the tool from every angle before beaming at Luna.
"Luna, thank you so much! With this, I'm totally confident."
"Ready? Then let's head out. Your outfit... that mage robe you're wearing should be fine. It'll look more professional that waaay~."
I stepped out of the mansion, resolve firm.
Well, it was just a light "don't get nervous, play well" kind of resolve.
......
By the time we reached the plaza, it was packed with onlookers who'd heard the rumors.
And in the central clearing stood that flashy guy from yesterday, decked out in his gaudy performance robes, holding a grotesquely huge and complicated mana instrument.
The moment he spotted us, he flashed a sleazy grin and taunted.
"Oh ho, I figured you'd chicken out, but you actually showed? You didn't spend the night bawling your eyes out from fear, did you?"
I calmly set down my guitar case and shot back.
"Couldn't run—the noise from your playing kept me up all night. We could just have a music duel, but why waste breath trash-talking?"
My bold retort made his face flush red and purple.
He stomped up onto the prepped stage for no reason.
"Talkative brat! I'll show you what real skill looks like!"
As he laid hands on his massive mana instrument, the plaza's mana began roiling wildly.
Kwaaaang──! Kkiiieeeek───!!
Not music so much as cannon fire—the deafening blast engulfed the plaza, with flashy mana sparks erupting around the instrument.
But to my ears, it was just the instrument screaming in agony, a cacophony of dissonance.
The whole time he played, the disorganized noise stabbed mercilessly at my eardrums.
Ugh, feels like something's leaking from my ears.
Probably just my imagination.
I endured the ear-torturing racket and quietly waited my turn.
The strings under my fingers thrummed with tension in the cooling air.
When his performance finally ended, the crowd applauded in awe at the overwhelming mana output and... grand? sound.
"Heh. See that, kid? That's real music!"
The guy, panting heavily after finishing, shouted with smug confidence.
The plaza still hummed with the lingering noise of his mana echoes.
I calmly took out my guitar and replied.
"The duel just started, and you're already claiming victory? You're in a real hurry."
I gave a quick glance to Luna, who was watching with keen interest beside me.
"Luna, if you would."
"Got it~."
No sooner had I spoken than Luna snapped her fingers lightly.
The filthy residual mana blanketing the plaza vanished in an instant, like magic—well, it was magic, applying the cancellation principle from her recent research.
"...Huh? The mana's gone?"
"Wait, she didn't just push it out with other mana—she straight-up erased it? Is that even possible?"
A few nearby mages started murmuring in shocked voices.
The plaza's atmosphere flipped in a heartbeat.
Luna, basking in the stares, cleared her throat with an "Ahem!" and gave my back a light shove.
"Go get 'em~?"
With her encouragement, silence fell once more.
I steadied my shaking heart and climbed the stage.
The stares prickled like needles, but as soon as I gripped the guitar neck, my fingers miraculously knew what to do.
Zing──.
Riding the amplification tool Luna had attached, a clear melody spread to every corner of the plaza.
I wove in subtle notes amid a fitting chord progression, gifting this world a tension and release they'd never heard before—pure music.
"Huu..."
They say the beginning's the hardest.
Strangely, the more I played, the tension melted away, and I could savor the now, this moment.
How long did I go on? Not wanting to overdo it, I stopped.
As the final note's echo faded into the air, a heavy silence descended on the plaza once again.
This was the third time I'd seen this familiar scene.
Every time I finished playing, they all froze like they'd rehearsed it. Embarrassed, I scratched my head and waited for reactions.
Then, a single pair of small claps broke the quiet.
That sparked it—an explosive cheer that shook the plaza.
Way hotter and more fervent than after that guy's set.
This should be enough.
I looked down at the man staring up at me blankly from below the stage.
"Judging by the crowd's reaction, looks like I win. What do you say?"
Deep down, I was hoping for it.
A third-rate villain meltdown, screaming "This doesn't count!" or something.
Figuring a prideful performer from this world might refuse to admit defeat to the end, I was prepping my next line.
But suddenly, he stormed up onto the stage and grabbed my hand by the chin.
"Huh...?"
As I startled back, I caught tears welling in his eyes.
His face was filled with emotion—like he'd lost the world... no, discovered a new one.
"Beautiful...! To think such intricate, exquisite music exists in this world!"
"......Huh?"
His reaction was 180 degrees off-script, leaving my mind blanking out.
Gripping my hand tight, he pleaded in a desperate voice.
"Please, kid... no, Master! Teach me your music! Everything I've done till now wasn't music—it was garbage!"
"......Wh-whaaat?!"
Luna's laughter exploded across the plaza as she rolled on the ground, clutching her stomach.
The plaza buzzed in an instant at his sudden about-face.
Even the folks who'd been cheering moments ago gawked at the scene.
All those hot stares pinning me at once made my face burn.
"U-um, could you let go of my hand first! Mister—no, sir? What's with the sudden—?!"
I tried yanking free in a panic, but he clung like I'd saved his life.
"No way! I can't let the master who awakened me from ignorance slip away! Please, teach this ignorant fool your profound music!"
His earnest cry, dripping with sincerity, echoed through the plaza.
This wasn't the refreshing revenge drama I'd scripted in my head.
I'd dreamed of vanquishing the villain and striding off like a cool protagonist, but reality had me stuck in the plaza's center, grabbed by some random guy as the spectacle.
Glancing sideways, Luna was now on the ground, tears streaming as she wheezed.
No help there—she looked like this was the best fun ever.
Luna, please stop laughing and help me...!