The deafening roar of the crowd's cheers pierced through the walls of the sports arena, hitting Rin Tohsaka's ears like a physical shockwave.
Outside the Fuyuki City Sports Arena, only one of the many ticket gates remained open. Rin clutched a ticket with a distinctive texture and headed toward the lone illuminated gate.
Beep.
The staff scanned the QR code on the back of her ticket, the faint sound of the machine nearly drowned out by the crowd's noise.
The staff member glanced at the screen, and his demeanor immediately became more respectful. He bowed slightly to Rin. "Welcome, Miss Tohsaka. Please proceed."
Rin's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. As expected, this ticket had been specially marked.
As she stepped toward the entrance, a figure approached her quickly.
Dressed in a sharply tailored dark women's suit, Yayoi Shinotsuka stood before her, holding a folder. Her voice cut clearly through the background noise. "Miss Tohsaka, hello. I'm Nero's manager, Yayoi Shinotsuka. He specifically asked me to wait for you here."
"Thank you," Rin replied calmly, nodding.
On her way here, she'd done her research. The dazzling "Nero" commanding the stage was none other than her mysterious "brother-in-law," Gaio.
His identity as Neon's hottest superstar was just one of his many layers.
"Please follow me," Yayoi said, stepping aside to lead the way with crisp, efficient strides.
Yayoi guided Rin through the VIP corridor, soon arriving at the exclusive front-row section. Staff on either side nodded respectfully to the manager, though their gazes lingered on Rin for a few extra seconds.
"Miss Marin has been really looking forward to your arrival," Yayoi said as they walked, her lips curved in a professional smile. "She made sure to put Ivory Tower as the opening song—it's one she helped create."
Rin's steps faltered slightly, almost unnoticeably.
"I got held up with some family matters," Rin said softly, a faint pang of guilt hitting her for letting Marin down.
Yayoi shook her head. "It's enough that you're here." She gestured to a seat directly facing the stage's center. "Please wait here. I'll let Miss Marin know."
As Rin settled into the plush seat, the arena's lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed everything like a tidal wave. In the stands, only countless glow sticks and fan-lit signs twinkled, like stars scattered across a cosmic void.
An electronic hum flowed through the dark, soon joined by deep, pulsing drumbeats that vibrated through the floor like a heartbeat.
Synthesizer effects swirled through the air, and an electric guitar cut in, the rhythm accelerating like thunder before a storm.
Then, all sound stopped.
Only the slow strum of the guitar and the steady drumbeat lingered, like an undercurrent.
"Immortal temptation takes over my mind…"
A low, resonant male voice emerged from the darkness, each word pounding against Rin's eardrums. The tempo quickened, the voice growing urgent, until—
"I am the storm that is approaching!"
A high note erupted, and blue-red lights split the darkness like lightning.
Gaio stood at the center of the stage, a blue-black electric guitar slung across his body. One hand gripped a standing mic, his silver-white hair already damp with sweat, a stud in his ear glinting sharply. A wild, almost manic grin spread across his face.
He was a far cry from the gentle "brother-in-law" at Marin's house.
The stage's giant screen lit up, displaying the title Bury the Light. Gaio's fingers swept across the guitar strings, unleashing a burst of explosive notes. He roared into the mic: "Provoking black clouds in isolation!"
In the midst of his unrestrained performance, he reached up, slicking his sweat-soaked white hair back.
The silver strands spiked up under the stage lights, forming a bold, hedgehog-like style that made him look colder, wilder.
Rin's heart pounded with the drumbeats, her blood thrumming in her ears.
She instinctively pressed a hand to her chest, her magical crest faintly burning.
"Un…believable," Rin murmured, her breathing quickening as adrenaline made her fingertips tremble.
She could feel each note tugging at her heartbeat—no magical fluctuations, just the raw energy of the music gripping her heart like an invisible hand.
Gaio spun around on stage, slinging the guitar behind his back. Grabbing the mic, he belted out the final line: "Drifting in the ocean all alone!"
The arena erupted.
The front-row crowd surged forward, nearly overwhelming the security barriers.
Rin saw a girl to her right, wearing a fan headband, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, a middle-aged man in a suit loosened his tie, roaring along with the rhythm.
The final drumbeat crashed.
Gaio threw his head back, eyes closed, taking a deep breath.
Then, in a flash, he lowered his head, his sharp gaze cutting through the crowd like a blade!
"AAAAH—!!!"
The screams exploded, the air itself vibrating.
With a wild grin, he dragged the mic stand along the stage's edge, pacing with steps that matched the heartbeat-like drumbeats.
Wherever he went, the screams grew louder. Fans reached out frantically, desperate to touch the air he passed through. Rin felt that if he gave the word, these people would throw themselves into fire for him.
He was like an unchallenged king surveying his devoted subjects. After circling the stage, he stopped at its very front.
The mic stand slammed onto the metal platform with a thud.
The arena fell silent, holding its breath.
Gaio said nothing. He moved.
Stomp! Stomp! Clap!
His movements were sharp and deliberate, a simple rhythm that pulled everyone in.
He did it twice.
Then—
Stomp! Stomp! Clap! Stomp! Stomp! Clap!
The entire arena—tens of thousands of people—moved like puppets on strings, stomping and clapping in perfect unison!
The screams gave way to a heavy, thunderous roar that shook the floor, dust falling from the ceiling, the lights trembling overhead!
Under Gaio's simple two-move lead, the arena transformed into a raging beast, stomping the ground with wild abandon!
From her VIP seat, Rin felt the floor quake beneath her, the vibrations threatening to tear her eardrums.
Stomp! Stomp! Clap!
The heavy rhythm pounded against her chest like a drum.
Her cheeks flushed unknowingly, her fingertips tapping lightly on her thigh. Her legs, clad in black stockings, subtly swayed to the beat of the clap.
For thirty seconds, the entire arena trembled.
Suddenly!
Gaio's grin widened, radiating absolute control.
He gripped the mic, his bright, primal voice bursting forth like sunlight piercing clouds: "Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise! Playing in the streets, gonna be a big man someday!"
"You got mud on your face! You big disgrace! Kicking your can all over the place!"
His rich, soaring voice replaced the stomping, carrying a visceral power that electrified the crowd like a current!
As he thrust a fist toward the audience, shouting, "Singing!!"
The stomping and clapping morphed into a tidal wave of sound: "We will, we will rock you!"
"We will, we will rock you!"
The fans sang in fervent unison, their voices merging into a flood that filled the arena, breaking free of its confines and soaring to the heavens.
Rin felt like a small boat caught in a storm, overwhelmed by the immense power of the collective voices.
Her fingertips tingled, her heartbeat seemingly gripped by the unified chant.
For a moment, she forgot why she was even here.
"We will, we will rock you!"
The fifth wave of the chant hit like a solid wall, reverberating through every inch of the arena, lingering in the steel framework.
Gaio gripped the mic stand tightly!
Like an invisible baton, his gesture silenced the deafening chant, leaving only the stomping and clapping to fill the space!
Tens of thousands of eyes locked onto the figure commanding the stage, their fervor almost irrational.
He took a deep breath, his chest rising, his low, raspy voice—rich with story and strength—thundering again, each word like a hammer striking the crowd's eardrums: "Buddy, you're a young man, hard man! Shouting in the street, gonna take on the world someday!"
"You got blood on your face! You big disgrace! Waving your banner all over the place!"
The rhythm tightened, the drumbeats urging like war drums!
Gaio raised his arm, fingers splayed toward the roaring crowd, as if commanding an army to charge: "We will, we will rock you! Singing it NOW!!!"
That "NOW" was the spark igniting the fuse!
BOOM!!!
A wave of sound—wilder, more unified, and more intense than ever—poured from tens of thousands of throats, shaking the very earth: "We will, we will rock you!"
"We will, we will rock you!"
Rin's heart was gripped and kneaded by the terrifying resonance.
She could feel the frenzied shouts from all around her, the collective mania crashing against her rational defenses like a tsunami.
At first, her lips moved unconsciously, following the melody and rhythm. "…we will…"
Her voice was faint, like a sigh, instantly swallowed by the deafening roar, barely audible even to herself.
The next line. "…rock you…"
Her voice grew slightly louder, tinged with a tentative rasp, like a current stirring beneath ice. Her cheeks burned hotter, the tingling in her fingertips spreading.
The next! "We will…!"
Her voice rose, no longer hesitant, carrying a strength she hadn't expected. It burst from her throat, blending with the roars of the fans around her.
The fervor was shattering her prized composure.
The final line!
As Gaio's electrifying "Singing it NOW!" rang out like a command, with the crowd's energy peaking, Rin's chest heaved, adrenaline surging to her head.
Forgetting her status, her restraint, her purpose, she poured every ounce of emotion into a final, piercing shout, her clear, powerful voice erupting unexpectedly: "ROCK YOU!!!"
Her cry, fueled by unleashed passion, cut through the thick male voices ahead like a blade, echoing sharply in the VIP section!
On stage!
Gaio, poised to unleash the final explosive note, locked eyes through the dazzling stage lights and the surging crowd, landing on the red-clad girl in the front row!
In the dim light, Rin's flushed cheeks, her lips still trembling from her shout, and her usually icy eyes now blazing with fire—all were caught by Gaio's superhuman stage awareness.
His wild grin widened into something even more brazen, unrestrained!
"ROCK YOU!!!"
His final, all-out roar was like a boulder dropped into a lake, sparking an even wilder echo, only to be abruptly silenced by his commanding gesture!
The shouts of tens of thousands stopped, leaving only heavy breathing and the lingering thrum of racing hearts in the air.
Gaio's chest rose and fell, sweat dripping along his chiseled jawline.
His wild grin remained, now tinged with the satisfaction of a king who'd tamed a beast.
He scanned the crowd again, his gaze sweeping over every roaring section.
His eyes were no longer sharp like blades but warm, as if admiring the flames he'd ignited, still burning brightly.
The stage's harsh spotlights softened, taking on a hazy golden glow, like a molten sunset.
Blue and purple lights flowed from the stage's edges and ceiling, weaving a dreamlike ocean that drowned out the earlier frenzy.
In this shift of light and shadow, Gaio raised a hand, running his fingers through his defiant silver hair, tousling it roughly.
The once-sharp, spiked strands became messy, fluffy, with a few locks falling gently over his forehead.
The simple act was like shedding "Nero's" wild armor.
He bent slightly, slinging the blue-black guitar back over his shoulder, no longer a charging warrior but a traveler ready to share a story.
When he looked up, his gaze toward the crowd had changed completely.
The piercing sharpness was gone, replaced by a calm, gentle warmth—the true essence of "Gaio," Marin's brother-in-law.
His slender fingers brushed the guitar strings.
No more explosive notes, but a clear, soothing, faintly melancholic chord progression, like a moonlit stream, instantly calming the crowd's racing hearts.
He leaned into the mic, his voice no longer a tearing roar but a low, gentle, magnetic rasp, like a whisper in your ear: "I'm trying to keep my head high…"
"Ano hikari wa mou mienai…" (That light is no longer visible…)
"Dare no sei demo nai kedo…" (It's no one's fault, but…)
"Ushinau bakari ja no more…" (Losing everything is no longer enough…)
"Nani ka hitotsu tarinakute…" (Something's always missing…)
"Naite mo waratte mo chigakute…" (Crying or laughing, it's never enough…)
"Been slowly losing my grip on my life…" (I've been slowly losing control of my life…)
"But now I'm moving forward somehow…" (But now, I'm moving forward, somehow…)
His voice flowed like a clear spring, washing over every heart in the arena.
The song's first half carried introspection, confusion, and the relief of letting go.
No longer a flame to ignite emotions, but a breeze to soothe souls.
The frenzied atmosphere miraculously settled, replaced by an immersive calm. Tens of thousands of glow sticks stopped their wild waving, swaying gently to the rhythm, forming a tender sea of stars.
In Rin's chest, the fire ignited by We Will Rock You was quietly extinguished by this gentle melody.
Her boiling blood cooled, her rapid breathing steadied, the heat in her cheeks faded.
The earlier frenzied shout felt like a distant dream, leaving her slightly dazed and even a bit embarrassed—had she really been swept up in that collective madness? The burning in her magical crest subsided, her heartbeat returning to its familiar, rational rhythm.
But as the song reached its climax, Gaio's voice rose with resilient strength: "You're making me stronger!"
"Seida jiyuu ga!" (The blocked freedom)
"Ima hakidasu!" (Now bursts forth!)
"Kurikaesu kono koe ga!" (This voice echoes, asking)
"Who I am!"
This time, the crowd's chant wasn't a wild roar but a gentle, resolute stream.
The voices flowed softly through the arena, merging into a resonant ocean.
This tender resonance slipped through Rin's defenses.
Her shoulders relaxed, her gaze following the figure on stage, now singing softly without his earlier wildness.
His calm, gentle eyes aligned with the warm, caring "brother-in-law" from Marin's house.
A strange emotion stirred in Rin's heart—a surprising sense of understanding.
Watching his radiant starlight under the gaze of thousands, her eyes softened.
"Maybe… this is his charm," the thought crossed her mind.
Then, a more absurd, unfamiliar thought surged unbidden: How on earth did Marin manage to capture this man's heart?
The thought was sudden, sharp, tinged with a bitterness that startled even her.
Rin quickly cut it off, her fingers tightening unconsciously, nearly tearing her stockings.
P.S. The three songs are Vergil's theme Bury the Light, which many readers asked about, so I wrote it in today. The second is We Will Rock You by the legendary rock band Queen, and the third is Who I Am by Milet.