Chapter 3: The First of Many

“Get used to that feeling, kid. This is what it means… to be a ‘Rockstar’.”

Satisfied with her performance, Ashura grabbed her notebook and clasped it shut. She hopped off the platform and landed in front of the crowd, her blazer flowing coolly with the draft. Standing up straight, the rockstar flashed a sharp-tooth grin at the students, giving a wink as she did. The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar.

“That was amazing!”

“What kind of music was that?!”

“Was that Musica just now?”

“I’ve never heard anything like that before!”

Ashura smiled and waved at the applauding fans. She basked in the praise, relishing in the compliments given to her. As she was preoccupied with the crowd, there were multiple eyes trained on her, interested in this new arrival. Three students in particular watched the bluenette while she continued to interact with her new fans.

A blonde, drill-haired noblegirl stared at Ashura, emerald eyes watching with intrigue at the newcomer. Putting a fan up to her porcelain face, the groupies around her went back to talking amongst themselves, still in awe at the performance they witnessed. One of them turned to their leader, sparkles in her eyes.

“Lady Elzette! What did you think of that girl up there? Wasn’t she amazing?”

“Indeed, Millia,” The golden-haired girl mused, her voice sweet like honey. “I watched the whole thing. The way she carried herself up there was a marvelous scene, I have never seen anyone move like that before.” As Elzette hummed to herself, her thoughts wandered to the girl on the stage. ‘That Musica outburst of hers… although unrefined, it was pure and free. I want to see that again; that beautiful, blue wave~’

In another corner of the cafeteria, sat a dark-skinned boy with a dreaded ponytail. He silently ate his meal as his fellow knights in training chattered amongst themselves about the performance. As Combatica students, they had no real frame of reference for a Musica outburst, but the violet-eyed boy was different. He noticed the burst of Musica from the girl and his eyes fixated on her. Another knight elbowed him, catching the boy’s attention.

“Hey, what did you think of that little show up there, Verso? Pretty cool, yeah?”

“Hm? Ah, yes. It was enjoyable.” Verso neatly cleaned his mouth before putting his utensils down on his plate. “I will admit, the show was rather amusing to watch. That girl though…”

“What’s up, you into her or something?

“No, not that. She just showed off something that interested me, that’s all.” Going into deep thought, Verso began to ponder over Adora. ‘That girl’s magic… that was Musica wasn’t it? I wonder if the professor knows about this one too…’

Finally, in the back of the room stood a single girl, face shadowed by the overhang. Only her piercing yellow eyes were visible from the darkness, and her long white hair was only just able to eek out from the shade. She studied Adora as she hopped off the stage, eyes narrowing at the girl. She crossed her arms and huffed, deciding that she had seen enough before leaving.

The commotion began to calm down a bit, to which Ashura took as her cue to start leaving. The rockstar made her way past the crowd and into the courtyard, leaving the students to talk amongst themselves about the show they witnessed. Once a safe distance away from any prying eyes, Ashura let out a content sigh of relief as she leaned against a pillar.

“Aw man, that friggin’ ROCKED! Seeing everyone all hyped up like that always makes my heart race! How about you, kiddo?” The tomboy crossed her arms as she grinned back at her host. “How was your first concert? Exciting? Fun? Awesome?”

“It was terrifying!” Adora shouted, cheeks still wet with tears. “T-T-That was t-the worst thing I-I ever h-had to experience!”

“Oh, lighten up! It wasn’t that bad, you’re just being a baby about it. We had fun up there, didn’t we?”

“NO!” Adora cried out, stopping Ashura in her tracks. “You had fun. You went up there. You sang something I didn’t even feel comfortable showing anyone yet! All I could do was just… watch. I could only watch; watch as my body was puppeted by some stranger who took over my mind!”

“...That’s an awfully rude way of sayin’ thanks, y’know?”

“T-Thanks…?” Adora’s expression soured as she snapped at the tomboy. “THANKS?! What part of any of this made you think I want to thank you?! I had a perfectly good life! E-Everything was going okay for me up until today! If I just kept my head down, I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way and I could live normally. Why did you have to ruin it all for me?!”

“Ruin? When the hell did I ruin anything!? I just made your life better! You were too chickenshit to actually put yourself out there, so I did it for you. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“And like I told you before, I didn’t ask for you to do that! I wasn’t ready for any of this; I felt like I was going to die up there. But you don’t care about that, you just want to perform regardless of how I feel!”

“Yeah, and so what?! What’s so wrong with me pursuing my passion, huh?! I don’t see you doing that shit! I had to go up there. I had to sing for you. I put your fucking name out there! Not you!”

“I… I…”

“Admit it, the only reason you were able to do anything was because of me! Without me, you’ll just rot away doing God knows what! So excuse me for doing your sorry ass a favor!”

“I HATE YOU!” With a forceful shove, Adora pushed herself back into her body once more, sending Ashura tumbling out. The rockstar glared at her viciously, anger flaring up behind his sapphire eyes.

“Oi, we’re not done here! Don’t you fuckin’ ignore me, brat!”

“Please… Just leave me alone already. I never asked for your help.” Adora’s face was shadowed behind her bangs, but a small tear streaked down her cheek before she ran off. Ashura gritted his teeth for a second before clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“She really, really pisses me off… Why am I stuck with her anyways?”

x-x-x-x-x

Ashura floated behind his host, neither wishing to speak with each other for the rest of the day. As such, the remaining time at school passed by uneventfully. Due to the stark contrast of their personalities, no one could tell that it was Adora who did the impromptu concert earlier that day, to her relief. She stuck to the shadows, avoiding attention until the final bell rang.

The school day came to a close, and Adora got into her carriage to go home, staring forlornly out the window as the academy grew smaller in the distance. Ashura, sitting across from her, refused to look Adora in the eyes; choosing instead to glare out the window. His eyes eventually wandered to his host, but he quickly grew annoyed with the pathetic expression on her face. Before he could snap at the girl, the carriage came to a stop in front of the Rockett Manor; they were home.

Adora quietly gave her greetings to the manor staff before making her way upstairs. She gave some brief instructions to the head maid to have the others leave her alone before locking the door behind her. Making herself comfortable, Adora went to sit on her bed in silence, exhaustion strewn on her face; the corners of her eyes were raw from the constant crying and rubbing. Clutching her legs together, Adora curled up and hid her head in her arms, letting silence fill the room.

As she did, a spectral copy of her sat across from her with a scowl on her face. Ashura crossed his arms as he waited impatiently for Adora to acknowledge him. It was clear that his irritation was rising. The sound of the clock ticking was the only audible noise in the bedroom as the two girls sat at an impasse. Finally, Ashura broke the silence.

“You gonna keep giving me the silent treatment or what?”

“...”

“...Fine then, I’ll talk, since you’re too much of a pussy to start.” Ashura snarled, a glare trained on his host. “What’s got you so afraid of stepping up to the limelight and showing off what you can do? You got a talent for songwriting, and I know you have the ability to sing it out for people too. So why; why hide it away? What are you so afraid of that you can’t even bear to stand up for yourself?!”

Ashura rose to his feet, his ghostly visage standing over his host. Adora was still huddled in a ball, face hidden from him as she remained silent. The rockstar clenched his fists in rage as he lashed out once again.

“What the hell’s the matter with you?! You bite back once in your damn life and then just crawl back into your shell?! Fine then, you wanna play that way, then we’ll play it that way. Your little ‘woe is me’ bit is getting on my fucking nerves. You’re a spineless little coward who’s too scared to even look at her own face in the mirror! You want to write songs for thousands of people yet you’re too afraid to even talk to one! What kinda bullshit is that?!”

“...because…” Adora muttered out, earning another growl from her counterpart.

“Because what?! You gonna make another half-assed excuse that you aren’t ready?! Newsflash, shit-for-brains: No one is ready for when life decides to swing a curveball at you! Just look at me!” Ashura gestured to himself, which had the blue-haired girl before him look up a bit from her arms. “I’m a fucking ghost! A goddamn ghost! You think I want to be like this?! That I wanted to die? That I wanted to be taken away from everything I’ve ever known? That I’ve ever wanted to be stuck with you?”

Ashura went to slam the side of his fist into the wall, only to watch it harmlessly phase through it. He stared at his hand with a mix of horror, loathing, and disgust in his eyes before he shut them. He slowly opened them again, anger filling his eyes once more as he shot back at the girl before him.

“...I never asked for any of this, kid. I just… I just wanted to do what I love again; what I was born to do. What is so wrong with that? And then look at you; you got the passion, but not the drive to follow it. Do you understand how much that hurts to see; to have the front-row seats to someone squandering all of their potential for no reason? Why are you just letting it all go to waste?!” Ashura’s voice rose, his body almost heaving with rage. There was a moment of silence; neither one of them saying a word.

“...It is because I am afraid, Ashura.” Adora’s voice cut through the silence like a knife, making Ashura look up. The teenager was still hugging her legs together, yet her head had raised a bit; forlorn, ruby eyes staring back at him. “I am afraid of so many things: Afraid that I am not good enough, that others will hate my music, that I will just make a fool of both myself and my family… I do not want that; not for myself, and especially not for my family. They do not deserve that.

“I always held the belief that if I just kept my head down, nothing bad would happen. That I can live quietly without worrying anyone or getting in anyone’s way. I kept telling myself that these songs were just for me and me alone; my dreams that I can have to myself without needing to live them out. Because if I do not take the risk, then I will not disappoint or hurt anyone – or myself. But…” Adora bit her lip and clutched her legs tighter. “But you showed me that I can do more; that the songs I make are worth something… and that terrifies me. It terrifies me that I can do something like this because I never had to feel this way before!”

Adora looked back at Ashura, tears in her eyes as her mouth trembled. The rockstar saw a fear-filled girl who was given the first taste of stardom in her whole introverted life. It all made sense now; all this excitement was truly too much for a sheltered girl like her.

“Why the hell did I have to be stuck with someone like you… fine, if that’s how it’s gonna be, then there’s only one thing I can do; I’m going to make you burst out of that shell of yours, whether you like it or not.”

“W-What?! Did you not hear what I just said; I cannot do that! T-There is too much to consider, especially with how you act!”

“Well too bad! Start standing up for yourself, start putting yourself out there and taking initiative, do fucking something other than sitting on your ass!”

“B-But what if-” Ashura silenced Adora with a finger pointed at her face, a fierce grin stretching across his face.

“No more what-ifs! Starting today, we’re making you grow a goddamn spine! Just watch; I’ll turn you into the best goddamn rockstar in the world!”

x-x-x-x-x

Adora got up for the day and cleaned herself up. As she put on her school clothes for the day, she jumped slightly and nearly screamed when she saw Ashura sitting at the bed, also in her school uniform. She quickly covered her mouth so as to not alert the servants, calming herself with some deep breaths before relaxing. Ashura rolled his eyes as he put his arms behind his head, uncaring of the girl’s mini panic attack.

“Y-You weren’t a dream… T-T-Then that means everything that happened yesterday…”

“Was real? Sure was; now hurry up and get going. You’re not trying to be late, are you, kid?”

The duo made their way downstairs, with Adora nervously waving to her maids before loading up into her carriage. She fiddled with her hands in the ride to school, glancing up at Ashura curiously. The tomboyish copy of her was staring out the window with her head in her hand, bored out of her mind. Adora decided to at least make some small talk while they were alone.

“S-So… no one can really see you except me. That is a bit-”

“Kid, I’m a ghost. Unless someone has some weird ass psychic powers, they’re not gonna see me. Honestly, count yourself lucky that you’re so introverted; you cling to the shadows so much that no one is gonna notice you talking to yourself all day.”

“T-That is a bit harsh…”

“Am I wrong?”

“No…” The blue-haired girl opened her bag and pulled out her notebook. Her brow furrowed as she saw the torn page of her Focus gone, the perpetrator sitting across without a care in the world. “Right, that also happened yesterday. Ashura, do I really have to go see Professor Truesdale today? C-Can’t we just, I don’t know, NOT see him? M-Maybe if I just pretend that I didn’t unlock my Musica, I can-”

“No can do; I’m not letting you wuss out just like that. You want your guitar back or not, kid?”

“I-I do, but whose fault was it that it got taken in the first place?”

“Heheh, I did do that. That was awesome.”

“You are unbelievable…” The two of them eventually made it to school, with Adora making her way to class and blending in with the crowd. As her lessons began, she quietly wrote down her notes and kept her head low. If she could help it, she was going to be as inconspicuous as possible to avoid being called on. However, it seems like fortune did not smile upon her today.

“Miss Van Rockett.” Her teacher called out, nearly making her jump out of her skin. “Mister Vermillion here seems to have been fooling around too much to understand the lesson. Please stand up for the class and explain the importance of The Soul Trinity instead.”

Adora blushed in embarrassment as she shakily got to her feet, notebook in hand. It seems that the professor’s ire was directed at a boy with fiery red hair towards the front of the classroom, evident by the smoldering chalk that was indented into his forehead. The others around him appeared annoyed with his antics; this seems to be a common occurrence for that group. Adora took a deep breath before bringing her notebook up to her face and began.

“The S-Soul Trinity is the b-basis for all forms of Magic in today’s world. I-In our understanding of it, we have found three main forms of magical expression; Arcana, Combatica, and Musica. These distinctions are important to understand as each person has an aspect that they belong to, and the one they resonate with the most is the one that their soul is the most in tune with.”

“Thank you, Miss Van Rockett. I am glad there is at least someone here who is paying attention, unlike this lousy slacker before me.” The woman glared daggers into the boy from earlier, who whistled and looked away, refusing to meet the professor in the eye. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she went to continue her lesson.

“Nevertheless, that was an apt description of how The Soul Trinity operates. This isn’t to say that one cannot attempt to train in a sect that isn’t their forte, however. An Arcanist may attempt to learn Combatica spells, although their power output may only end up capping out at 50% of its maximum value, whereas a Combatant can use the full strength of the spell. And the same is true in reverse; only the most skilled of adventurers can wield both to their fullest potential.”

“Teacher, what about Musica?” A student in the back asked.

“That, my boy, is the exception to this rule. You cannot train in Musica, no matter how hard you try. Musica is a special form of magic, granted by the blessings of the Music Goddess Fortissa. You do not get to choose to learn this aspect; it comes to you. Besides, such magic is a rarity amongst spellcasters. Of the thousands of students who attend this academy, only seven are known to have utilized Musica.

“However, for the sake of the argument, let us say that someone does have access to Musica. With the harmonic magic at their disposal, they will be able to wield all three branches of magic as if they were attuned to each school. It is truly a blessed skill, and one you must not take lightly.”

‘Seven students can utilize Musica, huh? Guess that means we’re number Eight.’ Ashura smiled to himself as he listened to the teacher’s magic lesson drone on for another hour. He stopped paying attention to the class as he began floating idly in the air behind his host, lazing around without a care in the world. Adora could only sigh as she continued taking notes, already tired of her doppelganger’s antics.

Eventually class ended and the students began filing out of the room. Ashura was almost expecting some students to look Adora’s way, either neutrally or even a bit mockingly for being a teacher’s pet or some bullshit like that. But no; there was nothing. No one even turned a head to look her way. They seemed more preoccupied either with their own little groups or the main group of kids towards the front of the class. It was as if Adora was nothing more than background character; a nobody whose sole purpose is to fill space.

The girl silently gathered her belongings and made her way out of the classroom. Even when she passed by the seats of the colorful bunch of students from before, not a single one even glanced in her direction. Ashura floated behind her, shock evident in his face. This was the opposite of a rockstar; she was living as a part of the mob!

“Adora.”

“Y-Yes?” The girl muttered under her breath, hugging the walls so as to not be seen by others. Her ghost partner hovered behind her, arms crossed as irritation was etched onto his face.

“I’ve been with you for about a day and a half, and your way of ‘living’, if you can even call it that, pisses me off.”

“W-What? What are you even saying-?”

“You in the classroom, just… existing in the background like some prop. No one talks to you or looks your way, and you make zero attempts to stand out. How the hell do you plan on being a rockstar with that attitude?”

“I-um… huh??” Adora glanced up at her copy, confusion on her face. “What are you even talking about? I am just living my life normally; w-what is the issue?”

“The issue is you doing nothing to stand out! Look, just get your ass over to that music teacher’s room. I’m tired of watching you do nothing all day.”

“B-But I-”

“Oh, shut the fuck up and get a move on!”

“Y-Yes ma’am! Sir? Ashura!”

“Quit worrying about what to call me and just go already!”

“Eep!” Adora hurriedly made her way through the crowd, hiding her face behind her bag as she walked. It was a tried and true technique that kept her out of trouble, and it wasn’t going to fail her today. She made her way to the Music Room, not wishing to grab the attention of anyone in the halls. She eventually made it to the door with the gilded music note and took a deep breath.

Professor Truesdale was looking over the schematics of the instrument the rowdy girl gave him the day before. Honestly, it wasn’t too bad; if anything, it was truly one-of-a-kind. He smiled as he saw the resolve in the girl’s eyes. However, he wondered if she would even show her face today, or if she probably failed and didn’t want to. As he leaned back in his chair and drank his coffee, he heard a light knock on his door.

“Wonder who that is?” He opened the door and found himself looking down at a blue-haired student with ruby-red eyes. “...Miss Van Rockett? Did you need something?”

“N-no, I-I-I mean yes! No, I mean, umm…” The girl fidgeted with her hands, refusing to look at her teacher in his eyes. He was confused by the sudden change in personality, but shrugged it off as he stepped to the side. “O-Oh, thank you.”

“Sit down already, let’s hear what you have on your mind.”

Adora took a seat at an empty desk, looking down at her lap as the professor poured another cup of hot coffee for himself. He sat down across from her, taking a long sip before returning to his student once more.

“So, I assume you’re here to have me reevaluate your prowess for Musica?” The girl perked up, raising her head when she was caught by the question. The professor chuckled to himself as he continued. “I could tell from your face that you wanted me to do that the moment you walked in. Relax; I’ll check your soul right now.”

Truesdale’s eyes were coated in magic as he peered into Adora’s soul. He was expecting a bit more of a jagged signature, but was taken aback by the calm, almost meek nature of her soul. ‘Then where did all that attitude from yesterday go? Was it some sort of magic to give her a false confidence boost?’ He kept these thoughts to himself as he observed closer, smiling as he finally found it: A beating core of Musica, pumping out a steady, even rhythm throughout her body.

“So you really did it, girl. I am impressed, you really did prove me wrong. Congratulations, Adora van Rockett; you are officially a Muse.”

“R-Really?! Oh, thank you, Professor! I-I swear I will not let you down!”

“Haha! You’re quite interesting yourself. Dunno what’s with the sudden switch-up you pulled on me here, but at the very least you show a lot of promise. Speaking of promise, I did say I was going to give this back to you, didn’t I?” He stood up as he grabbed the paper he was holding onto for her, putting it out before him. Adora joyously reached out for it… only for the scruffy man to crush the paper in his hands before burning it up in a flash of fire.

“M-My Focus! B-But why?!”

“Calm down, just watch.” Before the girl could panic even more, Professor Truesdale took a deep inhale. He clasped his hands together, shutting his eyes as a vein bulged from his temple. He then opened them slowly, his eyes glowing with the same orange color of his flames. With one long, smooth exhale, Truesdale slowly stretched out his arms across, a radiant glow shimmering from his hands. A bead of sweat dripped off his brow as he walked towards Adora, holding the glowing object before her. “Take it; give it the form and name you shall call it.”

Adora’s throat went dry; she was at a loss for words. There were many thoughts flowing through her head, but before she could overcomplicate anything, a pair of spectral hands put themselves over hers. She saw Ashura look at her with brimming confidence before nodding herself, ready to take on her calling. The duo reached out and put their hands on the shimmering instrument.

“From the depths of my soul, you shall henceforth be named… Rottweiler.”

“From the depths of my soul, you shall henceforth be named… Rottweiler.”

With a flash, the Focus made itself known; A long, steel neck lined with wires that stretched down to the blue metal base was the core figure. The deep blue was accented with markings that promoted a feral nature of the instrument. However, the most striking feature was the gap at its bottom, giving the illusion of a maw more than a guitar; The Legendary Partner of Ashura had been reborn. A strap magically appeared, snugly wrapping itself around Adora’s neck and letting the guitar hang in front of her.

“Seems like you two are already two peas in a pod. That’s good, a Focus is meant to compliment its Muse, not conflict with them. Now then, I need you to focus your magic into your new instrument to return it to the Aether.”

“O-Oh, okay.” Adora pooled her aura into the Focus, causing it to flicker before harmlessly disappearing in a sparkle of light. She felt the mana from it merge with her as it dissipated. “W-Whoa… That felt strange.”

“You can recall your Focus from anywhere now, as it is a part of you. You will still need a lot of practice before you do anything major, but for now you should be fine. With that being said, I want you to start coming here first thing in the morning; you are a Muse now, which means you are now under my jurisdiction. I can’t exactly have you getting up to mischief without my knowledge, now can I?”

“Eheheh, of course. Ah, I-I really should get going now, though; I do not wish to take up more of your time than I already have!” Adora did a curt, respectful bow before leaving the room, waving to her teacher as she did. The bespectacled man gave a small wave back before leaning back into his chair once more.

“That kid sure is interesting… I hope she ends up getting along with the others. Despite that meek personality of hers, if she keeps up that cocky attitude she showed the first time, I think she’ll fit right in. Only time will tell though.” Truesdale took a long sip from his mug before flicking his finger at the door, closing it shut as a new arrival stepped through the door. “Don’t you think so too, Mister Class President?”

x-x-x-x-x

Adora was smiling to herself as she walked through the halls with a spring to her step. She really did it; she not only proved to her music teacher that she could be a Muse, but also got herself a Focus! Her dream instrument that has been in her head ever since she was small was now hers to control. She began to daydream about all the possibilities of what she could do with it, taking out her notebook with her latest songsheet that she was working on. In doing so, she failed to notice the person that was walking towards her, causing them both to collide.

“Oof!”

“Tch!”

Falling on her behind, Adora quickly gathered her fallen bag and papers before turning to the person she bumped into. “I-I’m very sorry! I-I was not paying attention to where I was going and I spaced out and I just happened to-”

“Silence; your incessant chattering is going to do worse for my head than your collision already did.” Adora looked up to see a golden yellow eye glaring daggers at her. Even with half of her face covered by her snow-white hair, Adora could tell that the girl standing over her was incredibly irritated.

“S-S-Sorry! I-I will be leaving shortly-”

“Stop.” The other girl stopped Adora dead in her tracks, which got her to look at her better. A set of fox ears, a fluffy white tail, and a stern glare; the realization made Adora’s blood run cold. This was Sylvia Myst; daughter of Duke Kairos Myst and a member of an incredibly high-ranking noble family. “A baron’s daughter such as yourself should know better than to leave such a miserable excuse of an apology. Prostrate yourself.”

“A-Ah, y-yes ma’am!” Adora fearfully got on her hands and knees, bowing her head and covering her face. Her eyes were filled with tears as she was subjected to the humiliating position. “I-I-I d-deeply apologize f-for my actions, M-Miss Myst. I-I swear it sh-shall not h-happen again… P-Please forgive m-me.”

“What an awful stutter… hm?” Sylvia noticed a piece of paper by Adora’s hunched form, eyeing it curiously. “What do we have here?”

“E-Eh?” Adora’s head perked up, only for her to pale in horror as she saw what Sylvia had in her hands; the kitsune girl was holding her newest song! “N-No, please! G-Give that back!”

“A songsheet? From some rabble…? What are you even hoping to accomplish, a lowly baron’s girl like you?” Another icy glare sent a chill down Adora’s spine as the other girl regarded the sheet once more. “Such intricate formatting… wasted on a nobody like yourself. I will be taking this with me; it is better suited for one with talent than one without any hope of it.”

“T-That’s not true…!”

“What are you implying?” Sylvia stared at Adora, peering into her soul. Her eyebrow raised a bit as she saw the Musica formed within her soul, a steady beat pulsing through her magic reserves. “No way… Musica? That would explain why you would have this in the first place. But such a paltry amount of it and you think you can pull off something like this? Do not make me laugh, girl. I will be taking this sheet; if you think you deserve this, then come take it from me in a musical duel. But I doubt you would ever do something as foolish as that, so I shall only say it once; know your place.”

Adora’s heart felt crushed; she didn’t know how to respond. A protest meekly tried to form on her lips, but a cold gaze from the fox girl shut her up. Her hair hung low, bangs covering her eyes as she began to sob quietly. Sylvia said nothing as she walked past the groveling girl, stowing away the parchment she’d taken. Her presence cut a line through the crowd, making them disperse as she sauntered away, leaving a crying Adora in her wake.

Tearfully, the indigo-haired girl hurriedly gathered the rest of her belongings from the floor. Bystanders looked on in pity, while others moved around her. Eventually the crowd of students went back to their routine, with Adora shakily getting to her feet and walking away from the scene. She began to pick up her pace as she began to melt into the crowd, wishing to disappear from sight. All the while, her spectral companion watched with disappointment as she followed suit.

Adora ran to the courtyard and curled up in a ball by a pillar. She made sure she was alone before breaking down, crying and heaving quietly as her body shook hard. As she did, Ashura stood before her, looking down in disgust.

“What the fuck was that, Adora?! Why’d you just let her walk all over you like that?!” The rockstar got no response as the girl just kept crying uncontrollably; her emotions were too high for a proper conversation, it seems. Ashura clicked her tongue as she shot a glare to the side, thinking on what to do next. “Who does that bitch think she is? Who cares about some shit like Musica or whatnot; Rock n Roll is all about you, not some magic bullshit.”

“M-M-Muh-My s-shong…!” Adora managed to utter through her tears. “T-T-That wuh-was s-shupposed t-to be f-for m-me only!! A-And she t-t-took it a-away, and I can’t do anything about it!!” She sobbed harder, which angered Ashura greatly. Sylvia Myst had no right to take away someone’s passion, no matter who they are!

“...That fox bitch mentioned something about a Music Duel, right? Something about it being the only way to get back your song?”

“Y-Yes? W-W-Wait, are you-”

“Good.” Without warning, Ashura dove into Adora’s body, causing the weeping girl to sit up straight as the two souls swapped places. Adora’s sobbing immediately ceased as she wiped her eyes, opening her blazar as her hair flared out. The girl stood up and marched towards the school once more, now on a warpath towards her rival.

“Let’s go give that bitch Sylvia a show.”

x-x-x-x-x

Sylvia Myst was sitting at her desk, unconcerned with the orbiters around her. She was more engrossed with the songsheet she took off of that baron’s girl from earlier. For such an unremarkable person, the song itself was quite extraordinary. If someone with true talent for Musica played it, no doubt it would be powerful. Honestly, she was doing that girl a favor; if she tried to play this, she would rip her body apart before it could even finish.

“Milady, are you alright? You have done nothing but stare at that parchment all day.” One of her followers asked. The kitsune girl’s gaze landed on her for a moment, sending a chill up the girl’s spine. She let out a cool sigh before putting the paper down, resting her chin into her hand.

“It is nothing. I was just curious on how to play this sheet, was all. I have trouble believing that a lowly girl like her could write something like this. But, all the more reason to play it; a good challenge to further mine own prowess.”

“We have no doubt of your skill, Lady Myst! Do you plan on performing this later then?”

“Hmm… that is a good question. I guess it all depends on if that puppy wishes to come to me for her song back. If that happens, all I need to do is demonstrate the gap between us. Not only will I succeed, that girl will understand where she belongs; looking up at me.” The fox girl giggled coldly, thinking about the heartbroken expression she left her victim in. “If she couldn’t handle even this, then she had no place at all being a Muse in the first place. Simple as that.”

“How cruel~!” Her gaggle of maidens all laughed as they began to gossip amongst themselves, with Sylvia opting to return to the page she had taken. However, before she could analyze it further, a loud bang shuddered the room. The white-haired fox jumped slightly as she immediately shot her head in the direction of the noise. Her eyes widened as she saw a familiar head of royal blue force her way into the classroom, having slammed the door open. She raised her head, bangs parting to reveal a set of burning, sapphire-blue eyes.

“So this is where you were hiding, eh foxy?” An arrogant smirk stretched across her face as she sauntered into the room, confidence oozing from every step. “Honestly, you made me work my ass off to find out where you were hidin’; your lil’ groupies back there wouldn’t tell me for a good bit, but I managed to get my answer. Now then, I believe you got something that belongs to me, don’t ya?”

“You… You are that pathetic little dog I put in her place earlier. What are you planning, you mutt?” Sylvia stood up, deciding to confront the newcomer. To her surprise, the other girl also began to walk towards her, meeting her in the middle of the classroom. Her yellow eyes met sapphire as she glared at the challenger. “Back down, before you do something you will regret.”

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing. Give me back the songsheet or else.”

“You seem to have a death wish, don’t you? You really want to challenge me to a Muse Duel; to be broken before the entire student body? Are you truly that foolish?”

“It sounds like you’re just making a bunch of excuses for me to not beat your ass. Cut the small talk, princess; I’m taking back my song AND I’m gonna put your ass into the ground! So come on; let’s duel.”

The kitsune snarled, anger flaring up within her as Ashura’s taunts wormed their way under her skin. The cocky girl smirked, glad that her taunting managed to shake the ice queen. Balling her fists, the air around Sylvia grew cold as her visible eye began to glow with golden Musica.

“Such garish bravado; who do you think you are, mutt?”

“I’m the Greatest Fuckin’ Rockstar in the World, bitch.”