The moment the announcement echoed across the crystal halls of the Resonance University, a chill rippled through the Soul Sync dorm.
"Stage Duel Requested."
The words floated like runes across the shimmering plaque by the entrance. Beneath them, a band name carved itself in golden flame:
"Crimson Vow."
Lyra stared, unsure if it was a prank, a mistake—or just the universe reminding her that peace was temporary.
"What's a Stage Duel?" Rin asked, already tightening the straps of her drum gloves like she was ready to brawl.
"It's like a music battle," Kai muttered, pushing off the wall. "Two bands perform back to back. The professors rate both performances. Points get awarded based on impact, technicals, audience sway…"
"Someone clearly thinks we're easy prey," Rin grinned.
"They're not wrong," Kai said flatly. "We've barely practiced."
"We're still new," Lyra added, trying to steady her breath. "Do we have to accept?"
"No," said VIVA, materializing with a gleam of cool sapphire. "But rejecting a formal duel challenge from a recognized band this early would mark you as unworthy of standing. Your reputation score will drop. Some professors may withhold Music Points."
Yuu had been silent all this time, eyes fixed on the glowing invitation.
He stepped forward.
"We accept," he said softly.
And that was that.
—
The Dueling Room was a beast of its own.
A colossal circular stage hovered in a vacuum of stars, two halves split by an invisible axis. Floating platforms orbited above—observation decks for professors, students, and curious spirits from other worlds. Everything pulsed with magic, rhythm, expectation.
Crimson Vow was already there.
Four silhouettes dressed in rich crimson and black waited, instruments gleaming. At the center stood their lead—Seraphine, a dark-haired beauty with a voice so precise it was said to cut silence clean in half. She looked like a queen and carried herself like one, her eyes sweeping over Soul Sync like they were children playing grown-up.
"First duel?" she said, her voice a breathy melody. "How charming."
Rin took a step forward, but Lyra grabbed her wrist.
"We'll speak with our music," she said, heart pounding so hard it blurred her thoughts.
"Fine," Seraphine replied, smiling thinly. "Prepare to be heard—and forgotten."
—
Crimson Vow went first.
Their set was immaculate. A blend of dark pop and classical fusion, layered harmonies so tight even the air didn't dare waver. Seraphine's voice soared over stormy violins and synths, the kind of sound that demanded reverence and got it. Lights danced. Chords crashed like waves. By the end, even Kai looked begrudgingly impressed.
They finished to thunderous applause from the floating galleries.
Then the center of the stage pulsed, inviting Soul Sync forward.
Lyra stepped into the light. Her band followed.
She could feel their nerves. Rin was bouncing slightly. Kai's fingers tapped an anxious rhythm. Yuu was... calm, but there was tension in his stance like a wire pulled tight.
"We just play?" Lyra whispered, adjusting her mic.
"No," VIVA said in her mind. "You sing your truth. The first time you did, you earned 40 MP. Do it again. All of you."
The music began—soft at first. Yuu laid down the synth base, a cosmic ripple like moonlight over water. Kai followed, layering gentle guitar—hesitant but real. Rin entered last, brushes over drums, creating a heartbeat.
Lyra opened her mouth.
And told them everything.
Not in words, but in voice. Pain. Loss. The betrayal that burned. The loneliness. And then—hope. The fragile thing she found in their broken chords and mismatched souls. Her band.
One by one, the others joined in—Rin's voice raw, honest. Kai's backing harmony hesitant but sincere. Yuu's synth carrying them like a cradle of light.
It wasn't clean.
It wasn't powerful.
It was human.
When it ended, there was silence.
No cheers. No applause.
Just quiet.
Seraphine stared down at them like she was trying to understand how something so unrefined made her chest ache.
Professor Aria stood, her hair like a stormcloud of violet.
"Crimson Vow: 96 points," she said.
"And Soul Sync…"
A pause.
"Fifty-six."
Crimson Vow's smugness flickered.
"Individually," VIVA whispered to Lyra, "you each earned ten MP. Not a victory, but... recognition."
The floating plaque shifted. Soul Sync's band crest glowed faintly brighter. New students in the crowd whispered their name.
It wasn't much.
But it was something.
They left the stage, sweat-drenched, exhausted, hearts pounding.
"Well," Rin said, "we got wrecked."
Kai nodded. "And yet… that was the most alive I've felt in months."
Lyra smiled.
"We lost," she said, "but we were heard."
Yuu gave a rare nod.
VIVA shimmered beside them, proud and quiet.
The duel was over.
But the war to make the world remember their sound had only just begun.
END OF CHAPTER 12