What is a heavenly voice?
It generally refers to the sounds of nature—natural sounds produced by the world, such as the rustling wind, birdsong, flowing streams, or echoes between cliffs.
Compared to earthly sounds and human-made sounds, which both involve the human voice, a heavenly voice represents a higher level of spiritual expression.
However, for Chisato, the "Heavenly Voice" talent he received from the pure love system had a different interpretation:
"Your singing technique improves significantly. When you deliberately infuse emotion into your performance, your singing can move people's hearts and resonate with your audience."
This was a rather vague description.
How much did his singing technique improve?
How much emotion was needed to truly touch people's hearts? None of this was explicitly stated.
This uncertainty left Chisato feeling a bit uneasy. When he first acquired this talent, he hadn't studied it in detail since he had no immediate use for it.
It wasn't until the day of the music festival—when Ikuyo caught a cold and lost her voice—that he suddenly remembered he had this talent while brainstorming backup solutions.
Without hesitation, he dragged Seika to a van to test it out.
Judging from her reaction and feedback afterward, it seemed to be fine.
Even so, Chisato still felt somewhat unsure. People's musical preferences varied.
While his singing had been approved by the store manager, he had no idea if it would satisfy the large audience in front of the stage.
Fortunately, as soon as Nijika signaled the start by tapping her drumsticks three times, the combination of the drum set and guitar as the main melody, paired with the rhythmic bassline, immediately caught everyone's attention.
As the band began playing, the audience quickly quieted down, giving Chisato a slight sense of relief—at least the opening had been well received.
"Until the End of the World," as the ending theme of the legendary anime Slam Dunk, was not just supported by nostalgia; the song itself was of excellent quality.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so widely sung across his past world.
"Alone, wandering through the metropolis..."
"Like an abandoned, empty beer can..."
"If we must explore everything about each other..."
"..."
As soon as Chisato opened his mouth, he fully activated his "Heavenly Voice" talent, pouring emotion into his performance and using his techniques to deepen the resonance of his youthful voice.
He refined every detail, devoting his full focus to the song.
In his past life, he had sung this song a few times at karaoke, but he had never felt this comfortable doing so. It was barely harder than speaking normally.
Only after stepping onto the stage and uttering his first note did he realize that all his previous concerns were unnecessary.
He had no time to dwell on nervousness or other distractions. The moment he started singing, the only thing he heard was the band's performance accompanying his voice.
At that moment, however, the other band members were far from calm.
Chisato stood at the front center of the stage, so the others could only see his profile at best. Nijika, positioned at the back, could only see his back, unable to catch his expression at all.
But the instant he began singing, they all shared the same reaction—shock and delight. Their eyes sparkled as they stared at him, utterly captivated.
If they weren't in the middle of a performance, they would have immediately rushed over, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded an explanation.
He never sang in everyday life—so how was he suddenly this stunning the moment he stepped on stage?
Had he been hiding this from them all along?
And his vocal tone—how could he switch so effortlessly? It was too jarring. He sounded like a completely different person from his usual self.
If this weren't a serious music festival but a casual setting, they might have even suspected that Chisato was lip-syncing on purpose.
From the side of the stage, Seika crossed her arms, her smile growing brighter.
This is how it should be.
You were always the one meant to sing this song—not Ikuyo.
Seika didn't think this out of any personal bias. It was simply the truth.
The lyrics, the overall style, and the emotions conveyed by the song—none of it fit Ikuyo.
From the moment Chisato handed over the fully written and composed song to the band and they began practicing, Seika had sensed a strong feeling of dissonance.
The problem was that Ikuyo's voice just didn't suit "Until the End of the World."
Ikuyo's voice was clear, clean, and full of energy—qualities that allowed her to handle many upbeat songs with ease.
But for this song, those very strengths become weaknesses.
"Until the End of the World" carried a deep, profound sorrow. Ikuyo's voice, with its strong and distinctive girlish tone, clashed completely with its mood.
Seika had noticed this issue early on, and Chisato surely had as well.
He had held multiple discussions with Ikuyo in private, coaching her on adjusting her singing to better suit the song.
During rehearsals, Ikuyo took Chisato's advice to heart, deliberately lowering her voice.
With each practice session, she improved significantly, refining her delivery to the point where even Seika had to acknowledge her effort.
But now, hearing Chisato perform the song himself, Seika finally understood its true charm.
A perfect blend of vocal quality and emotional depth—it was intoxicating.
And this was only the beginning of the song.
Most of the audience shared Seika's feelings.
The moment the boy who had suddenly taken the stage began singing, those who had initially been dismissive of him immediately changed their attitude.
No one spoke. Everyone stood still, eyes fixed on the stage, listening intently.
At the very edge of the crowd stood the Yukinoshita sisters, their reactions contrasting sharply.
After her initial shock, Haruno's widened eyes gleamed with intrigue, her interest growing stronger by the second.
As for Yukino, she was simply and utterly stunned.
Due to the elite education she received as a child, frequently attending piano and violin classes, she usually avoided listening to songs with vocals, preferring classical music instead.
Yet, at this very moment, standing in the live audience, she had no choice but to admit it.
That scumbag on stage, despite his personal moral standards being incredibly low, had a singing voice that was undeniably excellent—so excellent that it was hard to believe.
"...Until the end of the world, I will never part from you."
"On countless nights, I have made this wish."
"Time that never returns, why does it shine so brightly?"
"..."
The song reached its climax.
Chisato had no way of precisely determining how much emotion was needed to trigger the resonance described in his "Heavenly Voice" talent.
All he could do was give his utmost, pushing his vocal techniques to the extreme within his full range of control.
There are always certain voices so outstanding that the moment you hear them, something inside you awakens and resonates with them.
"...Striking down my weary heart."
"A faint longing on this tragic night."
The first half of the song ended, and the instrumental interlude allowed the other band members' performance to fill the gap.
Chisato lowered his microphone momentarily to catch his breath.
And at that very moment, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
Compared to the nearby stage, where a veteran singer performed for an audience several times larger, the applause and cheers for this unknown band were even louder!
In an instant, this small stage, fueled by such an electric atmosphere, drew gazes from all directions.
Many who were initially unaware of the performance followed the sound and gathered, causing the audience in front of the stage to grow denser and denser.
Seeing the crowd waving their arms and cheering wildly, Chisato finally felt a weight lift from his heart.
Judging by the situation, there was no need to worry anymore.
The power of music to move people was not limited to the audience below the stage—it affected the four other band members on stage as well.
Among them, Ikuyo had the most dramatic reaction.
At first, she had been overwhelmed by the disappointment of squandering the hard-won opportunity she had been waiting for.
Her emotions had swung from despair to devastation.
But now, as she listened to the deafening cheers, staring at the figure standing tall at the center of the stage, her once sorrowful eyes filled with tears—not of regret, but of joy.
Everyone...
This is wonderful...
Thank you, Suzumiya-kun... really, thank you...
Holding the microphone, Chisato steadied his emotions and resumed singing.
"People always chase after superficial answers..."
"Until the End of the World" was never a song that blatantly praised hard work, passion, or positivity. Even just reading the lyrics made this clear.
The song conveyed a strong sense of reality—that effort did not always lead to the desired outcome.
The very first line set the tone: "Alone, wandering through the metropolis, like an abandoned, empty beer can."
A person struggling alone in a vast city, facing setbacks, burdened with an inner sorrow they might have no one to confide in—this song captured that loneliness and uncertainty right from the start.
This undertone of negativity built up until the chorus erupted: "Until the end of the world, I will never part from you."
Even in the face of hardships, there was no need to fear, because there were things—or people—worth holding onto.
Even if continuing might end in failure, the dream must never fade, not until the world itself ends.
With its beautiful melody, flawless lyrics, and uplifting message of perseverance in the face of adversity, this song resonated deeply with those chasing dreams in the big city.
And among the crowd at this music festival, most had faced struggles in life, work, or family.
This song, in an unspoken way, gave them a push forward, offering them the strength to keep going.
Putting this into words might seem exaggerated.
But experiencing it in person, hearing such an emotionally stirring song live, left no room for doubt in the hearts of the audience.
Otherwise, why would concert tickets for top singers sell out in an instant every year, with resellers driving prices sky-high?
And why would so many people still be willing to pay those exorbitant prices?
The reason was simple—when an outstanding singer performs an outstanding song, the impact it has on people is powerful beyond words.
On stage, Chisato continued singing, unfazed by any outside distractions, becoming more composed as the performance progressed.
The other four members of Kesshoku Band had transitioned from their initial nervousness to sheer excitement, and now, they too had become calm and collected.
They were drawn into the music, forgetting the earlier stage mishap, and were now playing with their full hearts, perfectly complementing his voice.
Each of them had a singular focus—to make this performance as perfect as possible.
Soon, the four-minute performance came to an end.
Chisato put down the microphone, lowering his hands to his sides. The other four members, slightly breathless, returned from their immersion in the music to reality.
Only when Chisato led them in a bow to the audience did the crowd finally snap out of their trance, shaken awake from the lingering echoes of the performance.
There was no need to describe the applause and cheers. Some people in the crowd even began chanting in unison.
At first, it was chaotic, but it quickly synchronized into a loud, organized call:
"Kesshoku Band! Kesshoku Band! Kesshoku Band!!!"
The highest form of praise.
Originally, Chisato had planned to pick up the microphone and explain that Ikuyo had been unwell earlier.
But seeing this overwhelming response, he knew there was no need.
"Thank you all for your incredible support. Kesshoku Band will be performing here again at 7 PM tonight. We hope to see you all then. Thank you—truly, thank you."
After saying this, Chisato bowed once again, holding his posture for a full thirty seconds, only rising when the cheering began to subside.
The goal had been achieved. Though there was still time, he decided to lead Kesshoku Band offstage early, choosing not to perform a third song.
In the crowd, hearing the disappointed sighs and repeated chants of "One more song!" as the audience clamored for an encore, Haruno leaned close to her sister's ear, raising her voice to be heard above the noise.
"Yukino, you can go back by yourself. I just remembered—I have something to take care of."
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