Unpopular opinion, but In The End was a terrible choice to finish this gig with.
Like, a song about futility and isolation.
That was something to play early, rile the audience, and build from there. Konrad would've swapped it with Black Parade. End on a high note, screaming about saviors and heroes.
But too late now.
Well, not everyone understood the lyrics anyway.
In a twist of fate or blatant espionage, Yuki's old band picked the same song and completely butchered it. The way they played it was angry, punk, like a rebellion against—what exactly?
They couldn't capture the feel of the original.
But of course, the audience lapped it all up regardless.
No competing with a loyal fanbase. Not with Konrad's head in the gutter.
"It starts with—"
"One thing, I don't know why, it doesn't even matter how hard you try—"
Yuki churned out the words in Japanese, Kaede singing the melodious parts in English. Talking off-beat while keeping the rhythm was harder than singing along, after all.
"It's so unreal, didn't look out below, Watch the time go right out the window—"
Konrad's riffs were simple in comparison. Too simple.
It gave him time to think.
The dragoness said they wouldn't leave the building. Was there something that could scare even her? Someone who attacked an angel bare-handed without thinking?!
And why the vagueness? If she wanted to keep it a secret, why mention it before their last song?!
"I had to fall to lose it all. But in the end, it doesn't even matter—"
Nothing confirmed that his theory would work. An untested, complex spell that took a lot of time and mana to cast. If they failed—no, let's say they succeed on the first try. What then?
What would happen to the crowd? And Yuki-san.
She was Lucifer's tool and target, rapping like there's no tomorrow.
"Things aren't the way they were before. You wouldn't even recognize me anymore—"
Rather fitting for her situation.
Did Lucifer plan this from the start? Send her his way, to help him with his regeneration?
They could be walking right into a trap right now.
"I've put my trust in you, Pushed as far as I can go, For all this, there's only one thing you should know—"
What an eerie parallel.
As the final motifs on the key came along, the audience broke out in cheers as usual.
Not as much as they did for Pink-hair-san, but this was already a win for them. Their rendition was better in Konrad's mind. And these so-called pros didn't humiliate them, either.
With this, he met his goal to protect Yuki's future in music.
Well, if she survived the evening.
"What an unexpected twist," the manager took to the stage, celebrating. "The same song, huh? Now, you should have an idea about each band's performance. Let's see the results."
Konrad had no time for that. He grabbed Kaede's arm, yelling into her ear in the cacophony.
"What's out there?!" he demanded as the owner held up his sound-o-meter for the crowd.
As if the outcome wasn't already obvious.
Come on, they had more pressing matters at hand.
The dragoness slipped off the stage with him, pulling her phone out. Midori-kun watched them with narrowed eyes, but stayed behind. Their rivals didn't pay them attention, either.
Hoshi-san and his band climbed on the stage only to immediately clash with Yuki, but—
"How sure are you of your theory?" Kaede asked, her voice serious.
A little too late for that question, in Konrad's opinion.
"Going off on a hunch," he admitted, clutching his guitar. "But we can experiment on the Demon Lord's time trap with all the mana we've got, so—"
"No, we have to go. Now."
She turned her phone, and Konrad gulped.
Then, stared in confusion.
"W-what am I looking at?"
He recognized the place on the screen, a park near the Underground Club. Packed.
And if he thought the crowd in here was huge, even more pink-wearing girls waited outside. But what? They watched the show on their phones, with random kids running between them.
Okay, so there was, in fact, a broadcast.
Then what—
Wait. Who did all those children belong to?
It was late autumn, already dark. No parents nearby.
"Imps," Kaede lowered her voice as they reached the green room.
Konrad had no experience with kids, but that sounded a bit harsh.
"Summons. Disposable artificial workforce. Little mana, little skill—big explosions if you rig them like that," she explained. "And knowing Lucifer, he didn't send them here to watch."
They looked like plain old children to him, but—
Shit. He could already see the headlines.
'Massacre: terrorists blow up the Underground Club.'
Or something like, 'Foreigners murdering innocent children in downtown Tokyo.'
Yeah. Even if they beat them, the cost would be terrifying.
Impossible odds, like this band battle was from the start.
"W-wait. But even if my theory works, what'd they do to this crowd?!"
And especially to Yuki-san.
Kaede stared at the ceiling before answering.
"Dunno. I'm their target, so—they'd no longer have a purpose with me gone," she didn't sound convincing. But what else could he do? "They'd have to admit defeat and stand down."
"Right."
So he had to get them out of here without leaving the building or letting the crowd exit.
Otherwise, they'd make a target out of everyone. Or sneak in once the doors open, and—
"Sup?" Maou tapped his shoulder, and Konrad almost went interplanetary.
Fuck.
And yeah, what to do with the Demon Lord?!
Liked it or not, he had to take him to Kasserlane, too.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Yuki-san asked as well, looking bummed out. "You guys disappeared."
How much could he tell her?
No, well, it was her life on the line, and only her help made their escape possible.
"We've a situation," Konrad said, going out on a split-second decision. "Remember when I told you how my mana recharges? And that it'd let us return home?"
She nodded, face unreadable. Midori-kun was rather upset, though.
"Hey, told you I'm not going back there," he grunted, arms crossed. "And it's impossible anyway."
"It's possible," Konrad claimed without much confidence. "And, uh, you know what's outside—"
"We have to act now," Kaede agreed. "And you can do whatever you want from Kasserlane, too. But you've got to help us out first."
Yeah, Konrad wasn't exactly sure about that part, but he'd worry about that later.
"So, uh, we won in a sense, then?" Yuki-san asked, her mismatched eyes wide and hopeful. Still, there was something sad behind them. "That's it? You're, like, going home?"
Yeah. He felt bad, too, but this was the best possible outcome for everyone involved.
If—
"Listen," he said, taking her hand. "It's a very complex spell, and I'm not even sure if it'll work."
"Hey, don't ignore me," the Demon Lord protested, but Konrad did exactly that.
"Nobody can come in or leave this venue while I cast it, and it'll take a while."
"They're playing encore," Kaede pointed out. "You'd better hurry."
Konrad shook his head.
"That's like five minutes. I need at least ten," he estimated.
"Make that fifteen," Midori-kun grunted, a little less hostile.
"Oh? You want me to buy time?" Yuki-san grinned. "Makasete. I've yet to get my fill, anyway."
Wait, why was she so eager now?
And what was she planning?
Konrad could only hope that getting her involved wasn't a huge mistake.