The King of Pop!
The King of Pop! "Honestly, I don't think I can tell you what kind of art you're looking for."
"I wasn't born with any refined taste for high art or aesthetics."
Ting-a-ling~♪
After roughly handling the issue with Halphas, I asked Vanessa to keep an eye on that war maniac. In our family, she was pretty much the only one who could rein her in, so I had no choice but to beg her despite feeling bad about it. Vanessa threw a fit, insisting we just erase her right then and there, but that would've forced Vanessa to risk her life exerting her power in her current state—and obviously, I wasn't about to let that happen. Even if she was the rank 2 demon lord known as the Ruler of Time, as a family member of ours, I had no intention of sacrificing her.
After my repeated pleas finally got her to settle for surveillance duty, I headed off to meet Amdusias, the demon of art, to sort out her deal with Dantalian.
But no matter how I racked my brain, I was a guy with zero connection to art, so... I had nothing to say about anything she might like. My previous life had been crushed under overwork: clock in → work → overtime booze-fest → crash out. That dead-simple cycle was it. My only breaks? Sneaking in mobile games, novels, or YouTube clips during commutes or downtime. Looking back now, I could confidently say I'd lived like a cog in a machine—nothing more.
So I had no choice but to tell Amdusias upfront that I couldn't satisfy her aesthetic sensibilities.
...
No response.
She'd been expecting something from my visit, and realizing I couldn't deliver must've been tough. She'd probably go complain to Dantalian later.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling~♪
"Ah~♪ Contractor of Dantalian. I well understand your sincerity. But~ that capricious one never speaks empty words~♪ Simply show what you know, and it shall suffice~♪"
"Huh? Show it?"
"I know not the details. Even as a high demon, I cannot read a human's past-life memories~♪ Only with a contract could I~♪ We demons cannot read every human memory in full~♪"
Ting-a-ling~♪
"Uh... but if you can read minds, can't you pull memories from that? Dantalian did something similar..."
"That capricious one analyzed by collecting memories from countless human faces~♪ Your power is but a derivative of Dantalian's~♪ To make it simple for you: 'tis like reading a bug's behavior and mind without knowing its entire life~♪"
Ting-a-ling~♪
"Geez. Thanks for the reminder that from a demon's view, humans are just bugs!"
I got it now—mind-reading and memory-reading were separate things. But could I really offer this art demon something satisfying? Art history from school? Ancient Greece to Rome, medieval, Renaissance, modern, all the way to contemporary. I only knew textbook snippets. Gothic style, Baroque, whatever—that probably wouldn't impress an Amdusias living in this era...
That leaves modern art then... Modern art... I never touched fine art, so no clue! Pass on visual arts!
I turned my gaze to Amdusias. Her outfit looked straight out of ancient Greece or Rome—a cleavage-baring dress of thin white fabric slit at the sides, sheer enough to glimpse the skin beneath. Super revealing overall. But with her body in that perfect golden ratio people rave about, it was art incarnate. You could mistake her for a marble statue of a mature yet youthful beauty, fingers gracefully plucking the harp strings to weave mesmerizing melodies that melted away all stress and fatigue.
Harp... music... ah!
Ting-a-ling~♪
"Oh? You intend to teach this body a new music~♪"
"Whew~ Some grim memories from my past life practicing this are flashing back, and I hate it... but it's the best show I can pull off. Hang tight! I'll set the stage and give you something you'll love!"
Ting-a-ling~♪
"Ooooh~ How intriguing~ You dare claim to satisfy the demon of art? Such arrogance~♪"
"...At least in my old world, it was a song by a legend who rewrote music history."
"Most intriguing indeed~ I shall expect great things~♪"
Truth be told, I was only half-confident. It was the pinnacle song I knew, a legendary artist's hit. Since we were unveiling it anyway, I asked if it was cool to gather my kids to show off the boss's majesty. Amdusias didn't mind and urged me to hurry up and show her.
.........
Murmur! Murmur! Murmur!
"Why'd the boss call us all?"
"Dunno. He chatted briefly with the Romani folks, then said gather in an hour for some 'performance'?"
"Performance?"
"What's a perfomance, kiddos? Whatcha Daddy doin'?"
"Dunno~ Somethin' like singin' or dancin', I guess."
"““Wheee~♪”””
Nice, the kids gathered perfectly. If we're doing this, everyone together! Start flashy, end explosive!
I didn't want to waste this legendary song and dance on just Amdusias. Better if my family and the orphans we took in enjoyed it too.
I'd practiced the song and choreography to death in my past life. Dragged to those hellish company dinners with that scumbag boss and department head, forced to perform at year-end events. Even paraded me out like a circus act for clients' execs—still grinds my teeth thinking about it. Ironically, those ass-kissing dances and songs were shining now.
Spent an hour quick-rehearsing with the Romani tribe, teaching the instrumental. Simple but unique beat—I figured it'd be tough, but these wanderers who'd lived life through music and dance mastered it instantly. Genius-level.
Shame this era lacks T-shirts for perfect costuming, and the shoes didn't have that signature click, but after a few run-throughs, it was solid enough. Hats? Our mafia-inspired fedoras from the suits we all wore.
Time to go.
Click!
!!! Clack! Clack! Clack!
I deliberately amplified my shoe clicks, striding slowly onto the stage. Lighting: sunset rays through the windows. Backlit by the glow, I tipped my hat, cocked my head about 70 degrees. Crouched low, one hand toward my crotch.
The legend's signature pose.
Too~♪ Too-doo~♪ Too~♪ Too-doo~♪ Too~♪ Too-doo~♪ Too~♪ Too-doo~♪ Too~♪ Too-doo~♪ Too~♪ Too-doo~♪
!!! Hips thrusting to the 4/4 beat. Knees bending and straightening in rhythm, launching into the song's iconic dance—the one that never existed here, the one that reshaped Earth's pop history.
Whoosh~♪ Hah! Whoosh~♪ Hah! Whoosh~♪ Hah! Whoosh~♪ Hah! Whoosh~♪ Hah!
"She was more like~♪ a beauty queen from a movie scene~♪"
"I told you I don't care~♪ but what's this all about~♪"
!!!
And so I unveiled his song and dance to my family and Amdusias. The work of the legend hailed as the King of Pop!
.........
Doo-doo-doo!~♪
"Ho!-"
Doo-doo-doo!~♪
"Ho!-"
From the opening, the audience was speechless, entranced by my dance and song.
Now the highlight!
The legendary moonwalk—sliding feet back while appearing to glide forward!
Doo-doo-roo~ Doo!~Shhh—
"Gasp!"
"No way!"
"He's walking forward... but going backward?!"
"Waaah~ What is that, Daddy!-"
"Holy crap!"
Ting~
Amdusias dropped her harp in awe at this climax that looked like forward steps but pulled you back.
I hit the moonwalk again. My family gawked, jaws dropped, drool forgotten, mesmerized.
Past-life me, dragged to those shitty dinners for talent shows—immortal grind paying off today!~
Since I'm reborn in this world, maybe I should've just become a dance idol? I'd rewrite history as a superstar singer-musician.
.........
"How was my stage?"
...
"What? Why's everyone like that?"
...
WAAAAAAAAH!!!~~~
"Encore! Encore! Encore!~"
"Kyaaah~♥ Boss was so cool! One more time!~♥"
"Boss is the best!~"
"Teach me that walking trick!~"
"Daddy so coooool!~"
Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!~ As expected of the King of Pop! A true legend!
Damn right! Pop music legend—myth beyond legend!
But Amdusias...
Grab!
"Eh?!"
"Y-y-you! My contractor! No! No! I declare you my master!- You've shown new art! Contract with Amdusias right nooow!!!~~~"
...
"Huh?"
The usual harp-strumming, song-singing Amdusias grabbed both my hands, stammering her declaration of me as her master!
The King of Pop indeed!