The next challenge Alex selected was Battle Choir.
Battle Choir was a bit different from the Singing King and Queen Challenge, where the challenger technically only needed to sing and move the judges.
In this challenge, the participant would be sent to an ancient amphitheatre where a single voice could shape the battlefield.
The objective of this challenge was to overwhelm a magical enemy choir using vocal resonance, rhythm control, and emotional projection.
In short, one’s singing voice could manifest anything.
A weapon, a monster, or even tools that could assist the challengers in fighting an entire Phantom Choir.
A magical ensemble formed of echoes, regrets, and spectral voices from fallen singers.
Alex must become a one-man choir, matching and overpowering the spectral group in both strength and harmony.
He must fight his enemies using purely vocal prowess by singing a song.
This challenge wasn’t just about power.
It was about emotional clarity, vocal control, and defiant individuality that could overcome all odds.
A battle of wills, a battle of songs—it was the Battle Choir Challenge!
"It’s been a year since someone had last dared to challenge the Battle Choir," a fairy with purple hair said smilingly. "Human, I will say this now: Countless students have suffered trauma and injuries after taking this challenge in the past.
"Some took years to recover, but others were scarred for life. If you are just doing this for fun, I advise you to take a step back and leave this place. This is not a challenge that just anyone can attempt without the determination to win."
Alex looked at the arrogant fairy and remembered what the five fairy judges of Singing King and Queen had told him before he took the challenge.
"The name of that b*tch—errr, judge is Melodina Ariawing," the red-haired fairy named Doh stated. "She is the most arrogant among the fairies because no one has won against her Battle Choir for the past decade."
"That’s right!" Reh, the orange-haired fairy commented. "But if it’s you, she and her Phantom Choir won’t stand a chance!"
"However, you should also be careful," the blonde-haired fairy, Mii, warned. "We already know your singing prowess, and we believe in you, but she’s no pushover either. You should go all out from the start to make sure she won’t stand a chance."
"Unlike Singing King and Queen, Battle Choir doesn’t care whether you are tone deaf or summoning the dead," the green-haired fairy, Fah, added with a smirk. "The more powerful the person’s singing voice and willpower, the more powerful your manifestations will be."
"We will be rooting and cheering for you," the blue-haired fairy, Sue, promised as she patted Alex’s cheeks. "Remember. You don’t need to hold back. Beat her in her own game!"
This brief recollection allowed Alex to focus once more on the purple-haired fairy, Melodina, who was clearly looking down on him.
"Start the challenge already," Alex said. "I want to see just how strong your Battle Choir is."
"Haha... famous last words," Melodina sneered. "Do not forget, human, that I have already given you a warning."
Once she was done talking, the fairy tossed an orb to Alex with a flick of her wrist. Like before, this orb could pull any song from his memory and play its instrumental.
"Well, then. Are you ready?" Melodina raised her hand and summoned a choir of musicians who weren’t able to let go of their regrets of failing in their craft.
They wanted nothing more than to destroy other talents and make people realize that all of them were failures!
That was the reason why the Battle Choir was the most dreaded challenge in the Seventh Training Room.
For some, the challenge left such a deep scar that they abandoned music so completely that they never again picked up an instrument or sang a single note.
Alex and the Phantom Choir sized each other up. The tension in the air was so thick and heavy it felt like tropical humidity.
The five fairies watched the battle through a magical crystal ball, their eyes filled with worry. What if they had accidentally sent the young man to his demise because of an impulse? Wouldn’t they have to bear the guilt for the rest of their lives?
Though, if the young man did end up too traumatized to ever touch music again... that didn’t sound bad at all. They’d have a merit equivalent to saving the world!
"Will Alex really be fine?" Doh asked her sisters.
"Trust him," Reh answered. "Mii, are you sure that the magic crystals are recording?"
"They are." Mii nodded. "All we need is to support him."
"Always be ready. As soon as that b*tch makes an ugly face, we must zoom in!" Sue looked excited.
Fah looked at the crystal ball as if their lives depended on it.
All the fairies kept their eyes peeled. When Alex grabbed the orb and thought of the song that he had chosen for the Battle Choir, the fairies instinctively sat a little straighter.
After copying the song in the young man’s mind, the orb rose up and shone faintly.
An upbeat and lively song started to play, prompting the Phantom Choir to also start playing their melody.
Melodina looked down on Alex haughtily as she hovered above her Phantom Choir. She was looking forward to a one-sided slaughter, which she had continuously refined over many years.
A devastating melody erupted from the Phantom Choir and manifested countless swords that were sent flying straight for Alex.
This time, Alex didn’t only plan to sing.
He planned to sing and dance as well!
As the upbeat music played in the background, the young man sang and danced the opening lyrics of the famous song called Soda Pop by the Saj* Boys.
(A/N: If you still haven’t heard the song, go search for Soda Pop by Saja Boys.)
"Don’t want you, need you
Yeah, I need you to fill me up
Got a feeling that, oh, yeah (Yeah)"
"You could be everything that
That I need (Need), taste so sweet (Sweet)
Every sip makes me want more, yeah!"
Melodina, who was smiling earlier, flinched so hard it was as if she had been punched by an invisible fist at point-blank range. And that fist belonged to a seasoned martial artist who was also invisible.
Alex’s singing voice, which was similar to the merging of a banshee’s cry, a broken trumpet, and the honk of a goose dying with regrets created a powerful shockwave that repelled all the magical swords that the Phantom Choir had created.
"Did you see that?!" Doh laughed. "Did you see how hard that b*tch flinched?"
Roh chuckled. "Is it just me or does Alex’s singing voice sound not so bad right now?"
"It’s still bad," Mii replied with a smile. "But seeing the horror on Melodina’s face offsets it perfectly! As long as I can see that face, it’s worth listening to this sh*t!"
"Hahaha!" Fah cackled. "Go Alex! Go Alex! Go Alex!"
"It’s payback time, b*tch!" Sue gave Melodina the middle finger.
The five fairies didn’t know why, but they felt happy at the sight of others suffering!
Alex’s song didn’t sound so terrible anymore! In fact, it felt like the song of an angel who was sprinting to the restroom in order to take a dump!
"You bastard, are you joking with me?!" Melodina roared in anger.
Her Phantom Choir was performing a classic, which was called the Ride of the Valkyries.
The opening melodies manifested countless swords, which was usually enough to end the battle right away.
But not only did Alex’s singing created a shockwave that repelled all the swords, she and her Phantom Choir also received emotional damage from that damnable singing voice!
Alex’s opener not only put a stop to the Phantom Choir’s momentum, it also made them stop playing for a brief moment as they stared, in utter disbelief and bewilderment, at the young man who was dancing and moving his shoulders like a pro.
"What are you all looking at?!" Melodina shrieked. "Fight him!"
At her nagging, the Phantom Choir broke out of their daze and continued playing.
This time, winged warriors, similar to war angels, appeared and dived in, wanting to annihilate the hateful young man whom they had deemed as their enemy.
The Phantom Choir had finally summoned the Valkyries to battle, and they all flew at Alex like harpies about to hack him to pieces.
But Alex wasn’t fazed. Oh, no, he wasn’t fazed at all.
He was simply enjoying his performance. He then started on the chorus of the song like it was the most normal thing in the world to do.
"You’re all I can think of.
Every drop I drink up.
"Cool me down, you’re so hot
Pour me up, I won’t stop
Answering his will, white clouds rose up behind Alex, forming a formidable army.
The hundreds of Valkyries who were about to hack the tone-deaf young man to mere bits froze mid-air as they stared in horror at the creatures that the young man had summoned.
Countless white geese appeared behind Alex and looked at the Valkyries with naked contempt.
The biggest of them all honked once, sending his message to the Valkyries.
"So all of you chose death."
That was all the goose said before flapping its wings to lead its comrades to battle.
The Valkyries were proud and powerful warriors.
But seeing their opponents, they felt as if they were experiencing Ragnarok all over again.
The Valkyries regained their fighting spirit and clashed with the geese that numbered in the tens of thousands, blocking up the light of the sun and casting a dark shadow in the Phantom Choir’s and Melodina’s hearts.
The sky darkened under a storm of honks.
Feathers flew like shrapnel.
And in that moment, the Valkyries realized the horrifying truth...
It was Ragnarok all over again.