Devil’s Music

Gamagin removed his sunglasses and looked at Amdusias, who shuddered slightly as their eyes met. After observing him for a moment, Gamagin asked, "Is it settled? Why?"

Trembling under Gamagin's intense gaze, Amdusias was quiet until Pyemon spoke up, "Lord Gamagin, even if he's a high-ranking demon, this one barely made it onto the list of the 72 demons. How could you expect him to answer that?"

Gamagin put his sunglasses back on and nodded, "Ah, my apologies. Go on, speak."

Once Gamagin’s eyes were covered, Amdusias regained some composure and said with a still trembling voice, "Throughout human history, less than ten musicians have been able to channel up to four emotions in their music. The moment they infuse their music with a fifth emotion, it has the power to move humans."

Gamagin twitched an eyebrow, "Move? What do you mean?"

"Just as it sounds," Amdusias continued, "The music can manipulate humans as the composer intends. It could incite wars, prevent them, make someone fall in love, or even hate. In extreme cases, it can command humans to kill each other."

Pyemon shrugged and whistled, "Close to becoming a demon or an angel, then?"

Amdusias nodded gravely, "It elevates them to the status of a demi-god. That’s why both demons and angels see them as a threat. They introduce variables into the ongoing affairs of the human realm."

Gamagin crossed his arms, still seated, "Variables... So, the angels around this child must also be aware of this."

After noticing Gamagin’s attentiveness, Amdusias nodded quietly, and Pyemon smirked, "Let them try, we won't sit idly by either."

Amdusias looked frustrated, "It's not the angels that are the problem. What about the highest-ranking demons? What if those above you, Lord Gamagin, start to act?"

Pyemon’s face turned serious, "Hmm... Baal, Agares, and Vassago are the problematic trio...”

Gamagin shook his head, "Baal is fine; he’s not one to do things behind the scenes. Agares just needs to be stopped from implanting immoral thoughts and manipulating the child to his will. Vassago is mild-mannered, if anything, he’d come to me first to discuss matters. The real issue might be Kushion."

Pyemon clenched his fist, grimacing, "That monkey bastard! I’ll handle him."

"Don’t be careless; he might be lower in the ranks, but that's only in terms of power, not cunning. You never know what he might pull."

"Ha, but he's also quite forgetful," Pyemon chuckled, "If deception and distraction don’t work, we’ll overpower him."

As they continued their discussion, Amdusias spoke up, "What will you do about the angels?"

Gamagin removed his sunglasses and looked up at the clear sky, where winter clouds drifted by. He murmured softly, "I guess I’ll have to negotiate with Michael."

"So, it’s just about reaching an agreement with Michael?"

Pyemon patted a still skeptical Amdusias on the back and laughed, "Are those guys even demons? Unlike the disobedient demon brats, if Michael agrees, that’s the end of it. So let’s worry after they disagree. Look!"

Pyemon’s remark drew all three demons’ attention to the stadium. The crowd, packed into the stadium, rose in unison, creating waves of red and white.

"Goal!!!!!!!!!"

Alexis Sanchez, having sprinted to the right corner of the goal, leaped up, one hand raised in the air, roaring in triumph.

"Wowowow!!! I did it!!"

Sanchez cheered, jumping into the crowd, which screamed with joy.

"I knew he could do it! I believed in Sanchez!"

"You're our hero!!"

"The best, simply the best!!!"

As the score tied at 2:2, the onlooking Geon raised his arms in elation.

"Yeah!!!! That’s it!!"

Only when they drew did Geon, caught in a headlock by Kevin, start laughing.

"You monster!! What even are you!"

Shizuka also cheered joyfully, "We’re even now!"

Kevin high-fived Shizuka, adding, "It’s just the first leg, and the next one is at Barcelona's home ground, so it'll be tough, but tying with FC Barcelona means Arsenal is ready to soar higher!"

Caught in the headlock, Geon smiled, "There’s still time, about 11 minutes left."

"Huh? Are you saying Arsenal might even win?"

"Hehe, well, who knows? But it’s too early to call

it a draw."

"You greedy thing! This is already incredible!"

"Ha, let’s see."

An excited Byung-jun threw his empty beer cup to the ground, shouting, "My treat! Bring more beer!"

Byung-jun, already flushed from four beers, laughed as he saw the crowd jumping excitedly in the stands.

"Hyung, how much would it cost to buy beer for 60,000 people?"

"What?"

Byung-jun, startled, reflexively did the math.

"Beer at 8 pounds a cup… that’s about 10 dollars and 34 cents in US dollars… times 60,000… about 624,000 dollars? In Korean won, that would be about 700 million. Wow, that’s a lot."

Shizuka looked at Geon nervously, "You’re not thinking of spending 700 million won on beer, are you?"

Kevin also looked at Geon in shock, but Geon just smiled, "What I've gained from this game is worth more than 700 million won. Please, Brother Byung-jun."

Byung-jun, perhaps spurred by the alcohol, stood up spiritedly, "Why not? When else will I get a chance to buy drinks for 60,000 people? Okay, then I'll take care of it. Wait here!"

He strode off toward the stadium’s snack bars, greeted by a female attendant who wasn’t unfamiliar with Asian faces.

"Hello, may I help you?"

Byung-jun looked around and asked, "Is the manager here by any chance?"

The sudden request for a manager made the female attendant uneasy. Often, employees came to complain about issues with sales in the stadium.

"Um... may I ask why you’re looking for them?"

"Oh, I’m just here to buy some beer."

"Oh? You can just order beer here."

Byung-jun pulled out a black check card issued to executive-level employees at Fantagio. Unlike a regular credit card with a limit, this card allowed unlimited payments up to the amount it contained. Holding the card, Byung-jun grinned.

"60,000 cups of beer, please?"

The attendant, initially puzzled by his request, hesitated before asking, "Um... 60 cups?"

"No, 60,000 cups."

"What?????"

As Byung-jun laid the black card down in front of her, the attendant backed away, stammering.

"I, I’ll get the manager!"

A flustered manager came running out barefoot, and Byung-jun chuckled as he paid 700 million won in one go.

‘Never thought I’d see the day I’d swipe 700 million won all at once, haha, feels great.’

After the payment, Byung-jun carried a bundle of food the manager had packed as a courtesy down the corridor.

"Wowowowowow!!!!!!!"

Hearing the stadium roar as if it might collapse, Byung-jun quickened his pace. He ran to the entrance of the stadium, dropping the food he was carrying when he saw the scoreboard.

"Did they, did they actually come from behind?"

His eyes caught Mertesacker lying in front of FC Barcelona’s goal, with Arsenal FC players piling on top of him. Fans near the entrance were going wild.

"See that? Did you just see that?"

"Yeah!! That’s our captain!"

"Overlapping in injury time! Who would have thought the last defender, Mertesacker, would come up for a header! We won, we really beat FC Barcelona!!"

As fireworks shot up in the stadium, with no more than 20 seconds left, it was clear that Arsenal had secured a comeback victory. Ecstatic fans shook with tears streaming down their faces as they hugged each other tightly, shouting Arsenal’s chant at the top of their lungs.

We love you Arsenal, we do?!

We love you Arsenal, we do!

We love you Arsenal, we do!

Oh Arsenal, we love you!

As the final goal was scored, Shizuka, who had thrown her arms around Geon unknowingly, was teary-eyed. Geon, startled at first by her embrace, soon began patting her back to console her. A fan who couldn’t calm down pointed at the big screen above the stadium.

"Wow!! Look at that!!"

The crowd’s attention gathered on the words displayed on the giant scoreboard.

‘Kay is treating! A beer for everyone in the audience!’

"Ahahahahah!!!!! Finally, I get to taste a beer paid for by Kay!"

"Wow, buying beer for 60,000 people, how much would that even cost?"

"Almost half a million pounds, right?"

"Wow! That’s more than my salary for ten years, amazing, so generous!"

"Wow, I’m so happy, I could go crazy! Drink up! Pour it out!"

As the whistle for the restart of the game blew, the Barcelona players, seemingly giving

up on the game, kicked the ball from the center circle straight to Arsenal’s goal.

As Petr Cech, wearing headgear, caught the ball, the whistle for the end of the game blew, and the stadium turned into a veritable festival.

"Yaaaay!!!!! We won!!"

"We really beat Barcelona? Can you believe it?"

"Amazing! Amazing! To think I'd live to see such a game!"

"Nobody’s going home tonight! Everyone, come to my place! It’s on me!"

As Arsenal players lined up and waved to the audience, tears started streaming down their faces, starting with the hero of the last goal, Mertesacker.

The fans, responding to their greetings, began to stand and applaud, and soon even the Barcelona fans joined in.

Turning to the always supportive fans, Mertesacker clenched his fist and raised his hand high in the air.

"Thank you! Thank you! We love you!"

>

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