The pungent smell of alcohol drifted to my nose. Orario has a wide range of alcohol after the Age of Gods—cold mead, beer, wine, cocktails, etc.
"Cheers!"
I saw many bulky dwarves drink everything in their cups in one go. Some of them have fresh wounds on their arms. They might have been summoned by the Loki Familia at the last minute, but their battles had been very intense. The dying resistance of Evilus is still strong even with their remaining executives busy on the 27th floor.
Even so, they came out on top. They cleaned up Evilus' remnants—a reason for great celebration.
As for me? Others might think that I wouldn't take in alcohol. They also knew about my age, which is why I only got this mango juice…
"Cheers."
A sweet and cold feeling traced down my throat.
Beer… I quite miss it already.
I downed a tower of canned beer as entertainment back then. I might not be 19 just like that time, but my mind is!
I picked some salted peas to serve as a snack. The right amount of saltiness completely removes the bitter aftertaste of a beer.
"Ye don't wanna drink?" Brontes-san asked.
"It's alright. This is enough for me."
"If you say so!"
With a pat on my shoulder, he socialized with the other combat smiths. I saw them laugh loudly together.
"Frost."
The coldness of the juice increased with my spell. It briefly froze the mug before melting down. When I downed it again—
"Ah…"
Mango juice is truly the best! No other fruit juice could defeat it!
This time, my chopsticks reached out to a roasted bacon strip. A flavor bomb exploded in my mouth. It has the right ratio of fat, spices, and herbs. Everything is complimenting each other.
"Yo~! You up for a drink?"
Tsubaki-nee placed her arms on my neck. To be honest, this close contact is quite uncomfortable, given her way of dressing. She dresses minimally, barely covering her well-endowed chest with a sarashi. She reminded me of those Amazons, to be honest.
"I'm still a kid."
"A sip or two wouldn't kill!"
"...Fine."
Tempted by the idea to drink beer, I uncapped one of the beer bottles before pouring it into mine.
After pouring it in, I didn't place it in some ice cubes and froze it with my spell instead.
"Whoa. Do that to me too!"
"Alright, alright."
I cast my spell on Tsubaki-nee's beer mug. A few moments later, a frosty mist appeared on top of the beer mug.
"Fuuuuaa..!"
She wore a huge smile as she drank it.
"That was refreshing!"
"Glad you liked it."
Gulp.
The familiar rough feeling traced down my throat. Its coldness made it the best drink ever.
A bitter aftertaste settled in my tongue but was lessened by the roasted pork strip.
"Fu…."
As I drank, a thought went past my mind.
Adventurers are supposedly stronger than normal humans. Meaning, their alcohol tolerance should be better!
Yes, that's it!
"I will re-enact that beer tower, hehe…"
Half an hour later, Nobu's face was on the table. He's in a daze, as if figuring what to do next. His cheeks have a tinge of red in them.
"Mu… Drinking without socializing sucks, yep!"
He was getting bored with the small talks here and there. Sure, his fellow familia members know him. But, he feels that something is missing. Like a missing puzzle piece to complete the night.
A brilliant idea flashed in his mind.
"It's time to bring out the big gun~!"
With a huge smile, he brought out two unidentified things. The others who have a sharp eye noticed him immediately.
"What's that..?"
"A guitar? But it looks different…"
"A metallic guitar?"
Tsubaki had prepared the entire place not only for them but also the Loki Familia. Hence, they occupied The Benevolent Mistress.
More and more people, be it from Hephaestus or Loki Familia, became intrigued by the instrument on his hand. Nobu did not notice this as he is busy tuning the electric guitar.
"Bolt."
A surge of electricity ran through the portable amplifier. It is enough to power it up and not overload its capacitors.
"Alright, everyone~!" He shouted. "To start off the night, here's a special performance~!"
Hum-!
"I present to you…" He wore a stupidly huge grin coupled with his drunk appearance. "Free bird."
An electrifying sound was created by the guitar as soon as Nobu struck it. While the other customers of the tavern became curious as to what instrument that was, his performance began.
The start of the chord progression was strong. It immediately elicited the attention of everyone in this place. When it proceeded to the two-minute mark, everyone was hooked at it.
Some began tapping their mugs on the table in conjunction with the song's rhythm. Their blood boiled at this intense beat. There were no lyrics present, yet everyone could feel the surging fire it contained deep within the song.
By the time it was finished, everyone was exhilarated.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"DAMN!"
"IS THAT EVEN A GUITAR?! THOSE BARDS ARE WAY TOO SOFT COMPARED TO THIS!"
"""YEAH!"""
A standing ovation it was. The drunk men and women heard an electric guitar solo for the first time, and it isn't wrong to say that it is extremely awesome. How hot had their blood boiled through that single song alone..?!
"One more! One more!"
"ONE MORE!"
Soon, the entire tavern was filled with a single request.
"One more! Nya!"
Even some of their waitresses are swept with the mood.
"Another one, you say~?"
Surprisingly, Nobu's voice came out on top despite the noise.
"One more, it is!"
""YESSS!""
This time, he created a small-sized ppdium using frost. With his core's balance, he would not destroy nor fall easily.
He brought out his smartphone and looked for a certain mp3 file. It has the other instrumental that he pre-recorded back on Earth. That was how he played his guitar inside his laboratory.
"Prepared to be thunderstruck by… well, 'Thunderstruck'!"
Nobu removed his right hand, leaving his left hand to dance spiritedly on the guitar.
When the people became used to the rhythm as well as his cue, they began shouting along with him.
Nobu's professional stage player skills were used at this moment. Ensuring enjoyment and controlling their vibe was something that he exhibited at this moment.
After that performance, he moved on to a variety of modern songs. Each of them was unique to their ears. It possessed the will of the modern era—a culture that culminated over several centuries.
For Orario, it is something spectacular enough. More so when the performer is hailed as a prodigy of his generation. He's none other than "Shichi" (Seven) who popularized and spearheaded vocaloid itself.
(A/N: It's a reference to Kenshi Yonezu's "Hachi" when he was creating Hatsune Miku masterpieces like Donut Hole, Matryoshka, and Sand Planet.)
He never showed his face on camera. Still, his talents speaks for itself. Even if he is drunk, the muscle memory would not fail him. To prove this, he blindfolded himself through all that chaos.
While he is in the midst of selecting another song, the main characters for today's celebration arrived.
"Ho..? Things are lookin' lively."
"Seems like it." The prum replied to the dwarf.
Finn saw Raul and others shouting with others.
"One mo—captain?!"
"Everyone's enjoying this night."
"Well… I think you should listen to his performance." He pointed out to the blindfolded man standing on top of an ice podium. "Everyone's rocking it right now."
Their goddess narrowed her eyes until they lit up in realization.
"No doubt… It's an electric guitar! Someone invented it already..?!"
"Electric guitar?"
Their ears perked up as Loki began explaining the 'electric guitar' to them.
"It's similar to a bard's harp, but much better! A god created it and went rock 'n rollin' back in Tenkai!" She said. "As Raul said, it's better to experience it yourself."
"Hm… Aiz. He looks familiar."
"No doubt. He's that knight."
While his golden pupils are currently covered with a white cloth, she would not easily forget his appearance. Their meeting within that single second was not forgotten by her.
"That's why! But… what is he doing right now?"
Contrary to others' expectations, Nobu blurted out another 'special song' of his when his blindfold accidentally fell. His golden pupils shone as he scanned the audience.
"It's… well… a special song. You sure you want to hear it?"
""YES!""
All this time, his special songs did not disappoint them. Tsubaki even participated, leaving him with no choice but to play it.
"Then… I hope everyone enjoys it." He said. "Here is 'Deathly Loneliness Attacks'."
Tapping his strange magic tool, an instrumental began. Though, his electric guitar stood above them.
The first few notes dropped. It was quite calm, a setter for its following rhythm and theme. His fingers danced as he strum the guitar's strings. Then his voice began singing.
tekitou ni ikite mo iki wa tsuzuku.
(You'll breathe on, even if you just live just doing whatever works.)
dareka ni yorikakari ikite iru;
(Living depending on someone else;)
sasae ga kiete mo iki ga tsuzuku—
(Even if your support disappears, you'll continue to breathe—)
—tsugi no yoridokoro ni mi o yoseru.
(—becoming dependent on the the next thing.)
Every song has a cultural context. There are some modern songs that would not be fully appreciated by people in Gekai, thus Nobu carefully chose what he would play. He chose songs that has a universal meaning—that even the adventurers of Orario could empathize with it.
He manifested the emotions contained within this song through his masterful playing; the rest is up for others to understand.
…
The younger sister who was ruthlessly abandoned by her big brother as soon as she could not catch up to his steps. He acted as if she was not his family, his receptor of love and care changing to the incarnation of beauty.
"What..?"
Her tail became slightly lifeless as she continued to listen.
…
The talented blacksmith hails from the bloodline of those blessed by spirits. Due to his ancestors' wrongdoings, their family's blessings were cut off. His existence was the sole miracle that was produced after centuries—an anomaly, perhaps.
His final friend sacrificed herself during his escape from his country. As a result, he got nothing but himself until Hephaestus herself brought him in.
"..."
In the corner, he continued isolating himself… yet he could not bring his attention away from that song.
…
The one who abandoned justice, leaving wrath and revenge to dominate her mind. The infamous adventurer-turned-criminal who single-handedly obliterated many Evilus bases and executed their gods—a crime heavy for mortals. Nevertheless, a single question remained inside her.
Was it worth it?
For the life that her comrades saved with their lives… is she living a worthy life, her ideals remaining the same?
'No…'
At the end of her revenge, she felt nothing but emptiness. It did not change her dearest friends' deaths. Her current self was "repulsed" by her goddess—her hands stained with blood.
Her revenge did not save her friends nor did it make her heart lighter. It only added another entry to her list of sins.
The song talked about cutting off bonds and straining herself due to the said act. Something that perfectly describes her current situation.
'How ironic.'
…
A weakling gets everything taken away from them. Struggle as they might, they will lose everything. They cry whenever something bad occurs. They whine when their strength is insufficient in the face of their hurdle.
They simply… despair.
Only the strong has the authority to take from others. They protect what's theirs and not end up in a crying mess. Their power could prevent any form of regrets holding them back in the future.
If they do end up being lonely due to strength, then so be it. There's no need for them to socialize with the weak, for they would just abandon him one day.
Just like what happened in the past.
"...Tsk. Comparing loneliness to poison is outright stupid."
The werewolf would not admit it—
"Only the weak admit weakness to others."
—that he is resonating with this song.
…
"Everyone."
The sword princess is surrounded by many people. They came from varying races, but they have one thing in common—they use their strengths to protect others. In other words—
A Hero.
Standing at the forefront was a black-haired man. He practiced his sword while she and her mother is watching. He seemed quite embarrassed whenever someone watches him do so, but her mother's coaxing is powerful enough for him to concede.
It is the days she felt at ease. Everyone is still here.
She was with her parents as they spent the day peacefully.
Unfortunately, it ended badly. The looming darkness took everyone dear from her. She was the only one left behind.
When she woke up, she found herself in a strange place—the dungeon. She was all alone until the Loki Familia found her. Even with that, she could not bring herself to form emotional connections as she sought for one thing that might bring them back—power.
'What… is that…?'
Briefly, her golden pupils met with the boy's own. It is extremely similar to hers yet different at the same time.
If her loneliness almost caused her to break, his was enough to drive him crazy. It's as if he saw his beloved people dying in front of him… over and over again. He was helpless to change their fate.
This short encounter was cut short as Nobu focused on the guitar once more. Though, it fueled his performance further as he incorporated his own experience with this song.
In the end, his performance ended with another round of applause.
The smell of gunpowder assaulted my nose. Burnt corpses littered Tokyo's desolate streets.
"This..?"
My head ached for a moment. I remembered myself playing my electric guitar inside Benevolent Mistress. Then… I don't remember anything else. Did I black out?
How the hell did I arrive in this place?
{Target M located. He is currently hiding inside one of the enclosed voids.}
"Inside the venue itself? What a clever plan."
I heard someone familiar speak. When I looked at him, I was stunned.
"That… was me?"
Memories of this scene entered my mind. I also went inside my memory palace to better recall it.
This is one week before the Culling Game? I remember it..!
The Shinjuku incident settled down. Satoru Gojo was sealed inside a cube in the hands of Suguru Geto. This is my third round, hence I knew some specifics. For once—
"I need to visit Tengen along with them." I heard the armored man speak.
If I did not come with Itadori's group, Tengen would not entrust the back seal to others. In the last round, Tsukumo Yuki and Choso were left behind to guard Tengen. Meanwhile, Itadori, Fushiguro, and Yuta left for the Culling Game.
"...There's no other choice but to enter honestly." He made his decision. "Please."
{Affirmative. Tracking Itadori Yuuji's signature…}
I looked upwards and saw a small star glimmer. Of course, I knew its true identity more than anyone else.
The orbital satellite, Laplace. It is directly operated by her.
{Coordinates locked. The target is mobile in the Ginza district.}
Abruptly, my vision was twisted. It changed into a scene where the armored man was killed. In his dying moments, he saw the visage of the man who could turn everything over.
The scene froze. It turned into a sea of gray until it became his laboratory's room. The white-haired man looks dazzling if not for his unkempt hair and dull eyes. He held a handgun in his right hand and was about to aim it at his jaw.
"...You came."
"Huh..?"
Am I too drunk to dream of my future memories?
The man—my future self—made eye contact with me.
"Having a cheat is really different. You still have your future ahead of you. The opportunities to reverse our mistakes."
"Huh..?"
Why am I dreaming of a dramatic version of myself?
"Anyways, you seem to experience a cultural shock in this world."
"Uh… yeah."
"You placed yourself in a presumably difficult situation."
He suddenly shifted the topic of our conversation… or at least that's how it was to me.
"Remember Filvis' emblem? The wine cup with grapes around it. Whose god do you think it belongs to?"
The image of the emblem flashed on top of his hand.
"...Dionysus."
Dionysus, the god of wine and pleasure. In the original myths, he was a banished son of Zeus. His other noticeable fields included… insanity and madness.
Many times, the correlation between my world's myths and this world's deusdeas proved to be true. Hephaestus is an honest god of smithing, Loki is the god of trickery, and Freya is the goddess of beauty.
Meaning, Dionysus' personality ought to be troublesome.
"I got his attention?"
"Most likely, you did. However, you would have been in a dangerous spot nevertheless." He casually said. "Meddling with Evilus, going after the cause of Astraea Familia's deaths… One slip-up and you're dead. You understand how many interests are intermingled in that matter."
Astraea Familia's death is a piece of classified information inside the guild. That alone is a huge red flag. There's also Evilus whom the top familias of Orario took fifteen years to defeat.
"Wake up."
"..!"
"You're no longer in the future… where you're constantly in danger. You have to remove that bad habit."
While I received the memories of my future self, I could not say that we're the same. In the end, I can only empathize with those memories as they did not happen to me personally.
This mirror image of myself… is my ideal self, yet it is not. I want to undo the mistakes and regrets he has.
"Make use of this god-given opportunity. Become stronger to change our futures."
…
"I will."
To shape the future myself and change that bad ending.
"Good luck." He paused for a moment before he smiled. "You're in for a surprise after the status update."
Bang-!
The moment the loud sound of the handgun resounded, I found myself staring at an empty ceiling.
