An epic battle was fought above the skies of the amphitheater.
A war so overwhelming, even the Gods would’ve felt defeated before the battle began.
The Geese Apocalypse honked, bit, and slapped the Valkyries senseless until they all fell inelegantly from the sky like counterfeit shooting stars.
A few of these honking abominations even managed to breach the Valkyries’ last defensive lines and charge at the Phantom Choir.
The largest of them locked onto Melodina, making the purple-haired fairy yelp in fear and surprise.
But it wasn’t until the goose smacked her on the bum and sent her spiraling toward the amphitheater floor that a truly blood-curdling scream escaped from her lips.
At that moment, the loud laughter of the five fairies echoed through the Seventh Training Room, making the students pause their training and glance around in confusion.
"Hahahaha! I can’t stop laughing. She got geese-slapped!" Doh held her belly as she guffawed.
"I’m going to be rich!" Reh said. "I’m going to sell this video to the other fairies who hate Melodina!"
"Karma is a b*tch, yoh~" Mii giggled. "Making Alex the Singing King is worth it. We are witnessing history in the making, sisters. A legend is about to be born!"
"Omo, you’re right, sis," Fah commented. "I feel like I don’t need therapy anymore. Watching this is so soothing, it cured everything I didn’t even know was wrong with me. I probably wouldn’t need therapy for the next hundred years."
"This time, it will be Melodina who needs some therapy," Sue chuckled like a witch. "This is what a real Battle Choir is like!"
"Alex really brought the apocalypse." Doh sighed after laughing so much. "To think that he would weaponize geese in a Battle Choir? Who in their right mind would do that?"
"Our boy does." Sue grinned. "He may sing like a garbage disposal eating rocks... but damn it, that’s our King!"
The other fairies looked at her and began cackling like witches as well, fully enjoying Alex’s singing voice, which they now gave a perfect score of 100 points!
While the five fairies were enjoying the suffering of others, Melodina found herself surrounded by geese, all of which were regarding her like she was half-dried dog excrement that had the audacity to be stuck to the bottom of their webbed feet.
The biggest of them honked loudly, as if asking Melodina for her last words.
"How can this happen?" Melodina wept bitterly. "This is not what I signed up for."
She could still accept a loss if it had been a real Battle Choir against someone singing a song truly worthy of the theme.
A battle of wits, a battle of wills, a battle of songs!
But this wasn’t a battle song.
The young man wasn’t even singing a song!
Melodina couldn’t accept such an outcome.
No. She refused to accept it!
She looked out over the battlefield and watched, helpless, as her Valkyries were reduced to particles of light, their dignity and valor trampled under the relentless charge of the goose army.
Nearby, her Phantom Choir screamed in fear, desperation, and powerlessness as the furious geese descended upon them without mercy.
It was at that moment when Alex’s song finally came to an end, putting a fitting conclusion to the Battle Choir, which would be remembered for many years to come.
Technically, he didn’t break any rules.
In fact, his win in the Battle Choir was more legit than his win in the Singing King and Queen challenge.
No one, not even the Headmaster, could find fault because this was indeed the essence of the Battle Choir.
"I refuse to accept this!" Melodina shouted. "I want a rematch!"
She thought that Alex would deny her, but the young man just smiled and said, "Sure."
Melodina looked at the handsome young man, who casually flipped his hair as if he were in a heavy-handed shampoo commercial.
For a brief moment, she thought that she was the one in the wrong and truly didn’t understand that any means that could be used to win a war must be used.
This wasn’t just a normal singing battle anymore.
It was a battle where someone’s pride was on the line.
The geese army slowly faded away, but before they did, Alex gave them all a respectful bow.
All the geese then saluted Alex, as if telling him that they would fight for him anytime as long as they heard his tone-deaf summons.
The members of the Phantom Choir gripped their instruments as if they were weapons, feeling humiliated by their defeat.
They had once been proud musicians too.
Masters of their craft who had ultimately fallen to jealousy as they envied the talent of others who far surpassed their own.
This had transformed them into evil spirits who wished nothing more than to destroy talented individuals and make them unable to become the stars that would reign over the world.
"Let’s start," Melodina declared, pointing at Alex with determination.
"I’m ready when you are," Alex said, holding the orb in his hand.
For the finale, he chose the song called "Endless Leveling Online".
Yes. It was none other than the theme song of the game, which Alex loved very much.
It was a song that Astrea sang during the Cultural Festival Arc.
Melodina shouted. This time, she sang alongside her Battle Choir.
The title of her song was Unstoppable, and it reminded Alex of the popular song sung by the artist named Sia back on Earth.
Radiant light descended upon Melodina.
Her size increased to that of a human woman. Not only was she bigger, she was also arrayed in battle armor.
It had been many years since she had personally fought against challengers.
The Phantom Choir poured their souls into their instruments, playing a powerful song that transformed the fairy into a warrior who could cut down even Demigods.
Behind her, other warrior fairies appeared, ready to fight for their honor and pride.
Melodina didn’t attack Alex right away. Since she was the Challenger this time around, she allowed the young man to also summon his fighters.
Alex smiled faintly as he summoned a drum set used by drummers in bands back on Earth.
This time, he wouldn’t be singing a song but playing an instrument.
Rainbow clouds gathered behind him, forming a person.
It was none other than Astrea Nocturne herself.
She was the Singing Queen of Frieden Academy, as well as the singer who sang the theme song of Endless Leveling Online.
Alex’s drums thundered as his Queen started to sing.
(A/N: I posted the chorus of this song on Youtube. It’s called "Endless Leveling Done Right". For the full song, please join the discord server!)
Astrea’s angelic voice spread in the surroundings, manifesting the power of the Arcanas, who were the deities of the world.
"In the Fool’s first step, the journey calls,
A path unwritten, fate enthralls.
The Magician whispers, ’Shape your way,’
With will and wonder, night turns to day."
"The High Priestess holds the key,
Secrets hidden in mystery.
The Empress grows the world anew,
While the Emperor builds a throne so true."
The Fool, the Magician, the High Priestess, the Empress, and the Emperor appeared in front of Alex and charged at Melodina and her Fairy Warriors.
They clashed across the skies of the amphitheater and fought tooth and nail with each other.
At first, Melodina assumed she could easily defeat the Fool. After all, he carried nothing but a wooden staff and wore the plain clothes of a common traveler.
But no matter how many times they clashed, the staff didn’t break. Instead, it pushed her back with surprising force.
Then, the chorus of both songs were played, drastically increasing the combat prowess of each participant.
Astrea continued to sing with passion, and soon, the chorus of the song and Alex’s drumming reverberated through the surroundings.
"Endless leveling, rise and fight,
Through the Arcana, claim the light.
Fate’s a game, a deck in play,
Through the cards, We find our way~"
But of course, it didn’t end there. As Astrea continued to sing, more powerful deities appeared and clashed with the Fairy Warriors, pushing them back with each clash.
"Justice waits, her scales are clear,
The Hanged Man sees, but holds no fear.
Death’s not the end, just a door swung wide,
A Rebirth forged in stars’ divide."
"Temperance sings in balance true,
While the Devil tempts with shadows new.
The Tower falls, the past erased,
And from the rubble, stars are traced."
The Major Arcanas of the Tarot Cards came to light, fighting alongside Alex and Astrea, whose song had manifested a portion of their powers.
The five fairies, who were watching the battle, no longer laughed.
They were already familiar with Astrea, but this song shook their very core.
"Hey, aren’t those... the Deities of this world?" Doh asked, looking at the summoned beings who were now fighting against Melodina.
"Yes," Reh replied in a solemn tone. "This song is able to materialize their divine forms."
"... Just how?" Mii’s eyes widened in shock. "Is this even possible?"
Fah was speechless because she thought that she was actually looking at the Deities of their world, which only a handful of mortals were able to meet.
However, she was also wondering if they were real or not.
Sue was doing her best to stay calm.
After meeting Alex, she felt like a frog at the bottom of a well, seeing the vast sky for the first time.
None of them—including Melodina, who realized who she was fighting against—had expected that the young man would be able to call forth such divine personages to fight for him.
As the last verse of the theme song of Endless Leveling Online started, Melodina was struck and sent flying toward the floor.
However, her Phantom Choir stopped playing and caught her, not wanting the fairy to get hurt any longer.
After catching the fairy, they looked at Astrea Nocturne, who finished singing the final chorus, making them understand that they had lost this battle before it even began.
"Endless leveling, rise and fight,
Through the Arcana, claim the light.
One more battle, one more day,
Through the cards, we find our way..."
The melody faded, and the Major Arcanas disappeared one by one.
However, before doing so, they gave Alex a glance, as if remembering the face of the human who had called upon a sliver of their power and manifested their divine presence for a mere challenge.
A/N: To those who didn’t know, this song is real, and is the theme song of Endless Leveling Done Right. One day when I have the time, I’ll create an AMV for it.