With his 'Persona' ability fully activated, Caelus perfectly replicated the entire aura of a genie. His normally noble yet detached golden eyes seemed to transform into limpid pools of autumn gold, the shimmering ripples within conveying a resolve and earnestness that felt like they could pierce through Serval's eyes and reach the depths of her soul.
"Could you join my band... forever!?"
Forever...
...ever...
...er...
As everyone knows, rock 'n' roll types tend to be sincere, straightforward, and untamed – potential social dynamos, really. But even someone as passionate and uninhibited as Serval found her bright, surprised expression stiffening upon hearing those words, "forever." Her whole body froze along with her face. She felt the surrounding air, which hadn't seemed particularly cold, suddenly take on a palpable color, becoming unbearably heavy.
An invisible pressure radiated outwards from Caelus, expanding steadily. Dan Heng, amidst his astonishment, sharply sensed this aura. It was familiar! Extremely familiar! It resembled the Pseudo Black Hole Mr. Welt could generate—or perhaps, it was a Pseudo Black Hole from another dimension entirely. Though harmless, once caught in the gravity it emitted, escape would likely be impossible for a lifetime, just like the request Caelus had just made!
"Ah, this..." The shock on her face didn't extinguish the light in her golden eyes. Still fixed by Caelus's genie-like gaze, Serval's sharp features were gradually overcome by panic. She just wanted to find a fellow rock enthusiast to form a band and play gigs with! Why jump straight to 'forever'!?
Mouth agape like a type-C port, March 7th's gaze darted rapidly back and forth between Caelus and Serval.
"A... A proposal?" She roughly grasped the situation, and the confusion on her face instantly twisted into horror. For someone like March 7th, who hadn't had much contact with bands and whose understanding of rock was limited to listening to songs, the word 'forever' most directly conjured images of a marriage proposal.
But Caelus and Stelle were the same person! Their bodies even had that... quantum entanglement thing going on. If they got married, what would happen to the other one? Besides, between the two of them... there might be that kind of relationship. How would that even work?
Her overly active imagination and thought processes once again completed a series of warp jumps, like a hyperdrive kicking in. March subconsciously turned her head, wanting to see Stelle's reaction to Caelus proposing to another woman right in front of her.
The result...
In the next second, her rapidly jumping thoughts jammed like gears grinding against an iron rod, screeching to a halt. Stelle was crouching on the ground, mouth agape in an 'o' shape, wide eyes full of surprise, staring up with an adorably clueless expression at... the space between Serval's legs.
The sheer black fabric clung tightly to the curves of those marvelous legs, winding up along full, rounded thighs until hidden by the hem of her blue skirt. The short skirt blocked the direct line of sight, but it couldn't block... the light.
It was a glow visible only to the two of them in the entire universe!
A treasure chest!
It was a Black Stocking Treasure Chest!
Tiny specks of light burst forth from the gap between the taut black stockings and the skirt hem. Faint, yet causing the light in Stelle's eyes to grow brighter and brighter.
So that's it! That darn Caelus! He planned to use this method to get closer to Serval and then open the Black Stocking Treasure Chest! Hmph, I won't let you succeed so easily! That Black Stocking Treasure Chest is mine!
Having made her decision, Stelle's expression became resolute. However, her current posture – crouching on the ground, peering up under Serval's skirt with eyes gleaming – struck March 7th like a bolt from the blue, leaving her utterly scorched.
Stelle!
STELLE!!!
What in the world are you doing!?
March 7th's composure shattered, morphing into a Bocchi-esque state of chaotic confusion. Generally speaking, Stelle's actions, combined with that determined expression signaling imminent action, would be enough to warrant calling the Silvermane Guards for an arrest. But the situation was unique: your other half is proposing to a cool older sister figure, and you're busy peeking at said cool sister's skirt and black stockings?
Hiss... uh... If you considered them as one person, their actions might almost make sense... like hell they do! Neither of them is remotely normal!
Her head buzzing, March 7th felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of unprocessable absurdity.
[My parallel world self, Brother Caelus, and everyone... what's going on?] Bai Xi was profoundly shaken, her small face filled with bewilderment.
[Wanting to form a band forever is perfectly normal, though? What's Seele finding strange?] A voice, sounding like Caelus-Seele, spoke matter-of-factly in Bai Xi's mind.
[Bands... Is-Is that how it works?] Bai Xi nodded in sudden understanding. More knowledge she didn't know she needed had been acquired.
Feeling as though spacetime itself was bending under the gravitational pressure into an abyss, Serval felt each second stretch into an eternity, until March 7th's exclamation of 'proposal' jolted her awake. She finally began to struggle against being captured by that intense gravity.
"Er, hehe..." Serval forced a couple of laughs, trying to change the atmosphere. She then adopted the posture of a cool rock 'n' roll big sister, gently advising, "Forming a band is definitely okay."
"But 'forever'... Little Brother Caelus, you can't just throw words like that around lightly. You have to say them with the determination to take responsibility for someone's entire life. Hmm, you should say that to the girl you actually like, okay?"
"Mm-hmm! I know." Caelus nodded in agreement, maintaining his bright, gentle smile. He opened his arms wide, as if to embrace everyone.
"So, let's all form a band together, forever!"
"That's right! That's right!" Stelle shot up from the ground like a firecracker, her eyes fixed on Serval, filled with longing and hope. "Let's all form a band forever!" She absolutely had to get the Black Stocking Treasure Chest before Caelus did!
The strained smile Serval had managed to maintain completely shattered. She couldn't hold it together anymore. Why was there another one talking about 'forever' right off the bat? What was wrong with young rock fans these days? Was she getting old? Was she out of touch?
Faced with such a heavy invitation, Serval wasn't sure how to respond. A flat rejection felt too harsh, but gentle words didn't seem to be working either. Just as Serval was at a loss, a voice like heavenly music drifted over, rescuing her.
"Please don't mind them. These two often say strange things. It's best to just ignore them." Dan Heng felt like he had just used up his entire year's quota for sighing.
"No, no, no, I'm not saying strange things! I'm serious!" Caelus immediately adopted a solemn attitude.
"Serious! Totally serious!" Stelle nodded repeatedly. "Me too!"
The interior décor of the mechanic shop was quite unique. Tools lay scattered on the workbench, cool gear mechanisms turned on the walls, and a spiral staircase led to the second floor, which served as the 'living space' after repair work was done. On the second floor was a semi-open room containing instruments like guitars, a drum set, and a keyboard.
"Let's form a band!" Caelus picked up a guitar that only had four strings.
"Are you... serious?" Seeing Caelus's confident declaration juxtaposed with him muttering, 'Why is this guitar missing strings?', Dan Heng's expression turned peculiar.
"Of course!" Caelus stated firmly, then turned to the cool older lady. "Serval, how many people does your band need?"
Secretly relieved that Caelus was no longer fixated on 'forever', Serval smiled and said, "It's a bit embarrassing to say, but my keyboardist went off to join the army, and my drummer is the current Silvermane Guards' secretary, so she rarely has time and can only occasionally join for a performance."
"So, right now, the entire band is just... me." Serval scratched her cheek, looking slightly awkward.
"No problem, we have enough people!" Caelus waved his hand grandly and started assigning roles. "March, you'll be the guitarist and lead vocalist."
"Huh? Me?" March 7th pointed a finger at herself, her expression screaming disbelief, like she'd just been asked to fight Sukuna. "But I don't know how to play guitar at all!"
"You can learn!"
"How could I possibly learn in such a short time!?"
"Why not? Hey, March, have you heard of the Four Heavenly Kings of legendary guitarists?" Caelus's gaze on March 7th was blazing, like discovering jewels hidden in desert sand.
"Legendary guitarists? Four Heavenly Kings?" March 7th looked utterly confused, then shook her head blankly.
"Look here." Caelus held up his hand, counting on his fingers.
"Legendary vocalist and guitarist, ultimate single-core processor player, Yui Hirasawa. Your goofy energy is very similar to hers."
"Second legend, Kita Ikuyo. Cheerful, lively, full of energy – your attributes overlap completely."
"Next heavyweight contender, Chihaya Anon. You both have pink hair, are equally cheerful, and possess great social skills and proactiveness."
"These three legends practically started learning guitar from scratch and reached performance level in an incredibly short time."
"Fourth, Kawaragi Momoka... hmm, your academic level is the same as hers."
"Also, the fifth Guitar Hero also has pink hair, which just proves the buff pink hair gives guitarists, y'know!"
"And you, possessing attributes from all these legendary guitarists, your BUFFs are maxed out! You can absolutely do it!"
Caelus slowly raised his hand and placed it solemnly on March 7th's shoulder, his expression filled with unwavering faith and trust. "Even if you don't believe in yourself, believe in the me who believes in you!"
"..." March 7th blinked her exceptionally clear, blue-purple gradient eyes.
Weren't there Four Heavenly Kings? Why were there five names?
Although she had no idea who these legendary guitarists Caelus mentioned were, they all sounded incredibly impressive. March 7th looked down at her own delicate hands, held open before her. A dawning realization flickered in her eyes.
Could it be... Do I really have a talent for guitar?
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