Songs in the Void: A Multiversal Score

Scattered Chery Blossoms Universe, Human World, Japan, Tokyo. 

"So, let me get this straight." Rhea, having calmed down immensely after hearing that Tatsuo might have a way to cure her husband, said with a shuddering breath. "You can use something called... [Purification Magic], is that right?" 

"That's right.' Tatsuo replied. "But I want to stress this. In fact, I can't stress it enough." 

Tatsuo then paused to take a deep breath. He then looked around the living room of the Alaverus Estate. 

Currently, everyone living in the mansion, James, his two peerages, Rias, her peerage, Sona, her peerage, Leona, Cassiel, who Tatsuo just met, Ravel, her peerage, Venelana, Grayfia, Kuroka, Kunou, and Ophis, as well as the visitor from Kyoto, Yasaka, and Rhea were all staring at him with anticipation and hope. On top of that, Rhea and Sona were sitting in front of him while holding each other's hands for support while James, Sona's Fiancé sat on Sona's other side while holding her other hand. 

'Hmm... I kinda thought Serafall would be here for this.' Tatsuo thought to himself while looking at all the faces hoping for good news from him. 

"*Sigh* I've never actually used this magic on anyone with a disease before." Tatsuo continued. "So, I'm not sure if it will work. But the description of the magic that I read said that it can purify curses, malicious energies, or unnatural materials. And from what I can tell, a disease would count as... unnatural materials." 

Hearing that, everyone in the room stopped to consider what Tatsuo said. The first to react was Scáthach. 

"Well then, I believe we should test this magic of yours." Scáthach said calmly. "Then, should the tests turn out positive, we could attempt the same on the Sitri Clan Head." 

"That's probably the best idea. Tatsuo replied with a nod of his head. "But how would we test it? I'm mean, I'm sure we could come up with curses and malicious energies to be purified with little effort. There are a lot of mages here, after all. But how would we get a disease to try and purify?" 

"That should be simple enough." James replied with a shrug. "I mean, there is a hospital in this town, right? Let's just test it on some sick people." 

Immediately, Tatsuo snapped his head in James' direction with an enraged expression on his face. At the same time, his aura burst out and [Dragon Fear] was activated. Though, after the long hours of [Energy] control training, Tatsuo managed to only affect James with his outburst. 

"Hey, don't look at me like that." James said while raising his hands disarmingly. "And please put that aura away." 

However, Tatsuo ignored James' words and just continued to stare at him. 

"*Sigh* Look I know you're not okay with experimenting on people, having been a test subject yourself..." James said in the most soothing voice he could muster. "But you said it yourself. If it doesn't work, it shouldn't do any harm, right?" 

Hearing that, Tatsuo began to calm down. Though, it was clear that he was not happy that James suggested using human experimentation. At the same time, he could not deny James' suggestion... even if he did not like it. 

"*Sigh* Fine." Tatsuo muttered. "Even if I don't like the sound of it, I know this is the best suggestion." 

*Smack!* 

"Ah! What was that for, Mom?" James asked in a dumbfounded tone while rubbing the back of his head. 

"Try being more sensitive next time." Leona said harshly. "Even if what you suggested was a good idea, think about who you're suggesting it to." 

"*Sigh* Yeah, you're right." James replied. He then turned to look at Tatsuo. "Sorry, Dude. I was just thinking about Sona. I didn't mean to take it there." 

"Yeah, I know." Tatsuo replied. "I'm sorry, too. I kinda overreacted." 

Though he said that, it was still obvious to everyone in the room that Tatsuo was not in the best mood. But no one knew how to cheer him up. Aletia just hugged him while Tio rubbed his back. Meanwhile, Kunou, Maria, and Kokoa looked at him with concern, wanting to do something for Tatsuo, as well. 

"I will go and prepare the items and the curses and malicious energies to be purified." Scáthach said calmly. "I will let you know when everything is ready. For now, perhaps you should take some time to rest, young dragon." 

"*Sigh* I think I will." Tatsuo said with a nod. 

Tatsuo then stood up, with Aletia and Tio following him closely. Then, they headed to the elevator and made their way up to the room the three of them were provided. 

The next to leave was Scáthach, who took the stairs to reach her own room to prepare as she said she would. Then, when Scáthach disappeared to the second floor, James cupped his face in his hands. 

"*Sigh* Now I really feel like a dick." James muttered. "I didn't think that all the way through before I opened my mouth." 

"It's not just your fault, James." Sona said softly trying to be strong for James, despite the anxiety she was feeling over her father's situation. "If it wasn't for us... For my father, you would have never had to say that." 

James could only shake his head in response. The fact of the matter is he said something he shouldn't have. And nothing would change that. He would just have to think of a way to make it up to Tatsuo later. 

"*Sigh* Being friends with lancer finally caught up to you, huh?" Mizore said in a disappointed tone. 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Cú Chulainn asked in an irritated tone. 

"Oh, come on, Lancer." Moka said while putting her hand on her forehead in an exaggerated show of disappointment. "Everyone knows exactly what she's talking about. I mean, look at how Tsubaki is looking at you." 

Reaching that point, Moka pointed at Tsubaki, Cú Chulainn's girlfriend, causing him to turn his head to look at the beautiful young woman who was sitting next to him. And when he saw the expression she was wearing, one filled with pity, he felt as though he had been pierced by an arrow. 

"James finally caught your disease." Moka continued after seeing that Cú Chulainn had seen Tsubaki's expression. 

"What disease?" Cú Chulainn asked, sounding a bit unsure if he wanted to hear the answer to his question or not. 

"Foot to Mouth Disease." Mizore said, picking back up. "Honestly, I didn't think it was contagious." 

That caused everyone in the room to chuckle a bit, despite the somber atmosphere. Even Sona and Rhea smiled slightly. Meanwhile, things did not stop there. 

"Well, I knew it was contagious." Moka said with a nod. She then turned to look at Mizore. "Although Lancer's case is quite severe, you have it, too. Mizore. I mean, you tend to stick your foot in your mouth a lot, too. It's just not as bad. Plus, if we're fast, we have a chance to control the outbreaks." 

"Wha...?"" Mizore gasped while turning to stare at Mizore with an expression of absolute betrayal on her face. 

And that was the straw that completely broke the gloomy atmosphere, as everyone, other than Mizore, started to laugh. Meanwhile, Mizore lunged at Moka in an attempt to punish her for her betrayal. Yet, Moka was able to slip away from the diminutive Yuki-Onna's grasp. 

Now that the atmosphere was looking better, Venelana, with a mischievous smile on her face turned to Leona. 

"On top of all that, are you really the one to lecture James about being inconsiderate, Leona?" Venelana asked. "I mean, you kinda need to apologize to him for something, right? You probably should apologize to Cass, too, now that I think about it." 

In response, Leona could not help but flinch... hard. At the same time, almost everyone turned their attention onto Leona, curious to know what she would need to apologize for. 

"Alright, fine." Leona grumbled after feeling the stares for a few moments. She then looked at James, who was gazing at her with curiosity and a bit of amusement and continued. "Look, let me start off by saying that I wasn't trying to hurt you when I did this, okay, Sweetie?" 

In response, James nodded his head in understanding. 

"Well, remember when I told you about what your dad said when you told us about the chat group you were invited to?" Leona asked while slightly averting her eyes. She then continued after James nodded again. "Well, I kinda made it all up. Actually, Cass said that he trusted you and that we should trust you, too. Since all though you like to joke around, you know when it's okay to do so." 

"That's what I figured." James replied with a third nod. 

"Look, I'm sorry I lied, Sweetie." Leona continued, seemingly having not noticed James' reply for the moment. "But I just thought it would be funnier that way. And since I really thought you were lost in your--- Wait, what? That's what you figured?" 

"Yeah, that's right." James replied. "I mean, Dad has never dismissed anything I've said if I said it in a serious tone. Well, unless I was actually joking when I did that. But he can always see through that stuff. So, I figured he was on my side." 

Leona could not respond to that immediately. Instead, all she could do was open and close her mouth like a fish out of water. 

"Besides, after all this time, I think I can tell when you're up to something, Mom." James continued. "I mean, that glint in your eyes is pretty obvious by this point." 

'Of course he could see through that.' Everyone else thought. 'he's the exact same kind of person.' 

"Anyway, I forgive you.' James said calmly. "Just, how 'bout not lying for the sake of the bit. I mean, I don't want you to be the type to do anything for the sake of the bit like the Joker." 

"Senpai is scary enough when he goes into Joker mode, anyway." Issei muttered. "I mean, do you remember the story he told us about putting the tips of his swords in Baraqiel's mouth and asking him if he wanted him to help but a permanent smile on his face. I got some serious Dark Knight flashbacks." 

{BGM: "Nocturne in E-flat Major (Op. 9, No. 2)" – Frédéric Chopin} 

Before the conversation could continue, the sound of piano music echoed throughout the entire house. And this was not just any piano music. Instead, it was accompanied by pulses of [energy] that floated along with every note. 

"Is that... a piano?" Rhea asked in a confused tone. "Did someone leave a stereo on and forget to turn the volume down, or something?" 

"No, this isn't from a recording." Venelana said while closing her eyes to enjoy the music. "Plus, I know you can feel the magic in the melody, Rhea." 

"You're right." Rhea replied, also closing her eyes to enjoy the music. 

"But where is it coming from?" Irene asked curiously. "It's a flawless... No, perhaps even better than flawless rendition of Chopin's Nocturne. And the magic in the notes is quite calming." 

When they heard Irene's explanation, everyone realized that the mood, even though it had been lifted by Mizore's and Moka's little skit, there was still some anxiety left. Yet, the longer the music played, the more that anxiety seemed to recede. 

"Oh, that's probably Tatsuo." James said off-handedly. "I mean, I think I mentioned that he was a pretty good pianist, right?" 

"Pretty good?" Venelana asked as her eyes snapped open. "If you call this pretty good, then all the great composers throughout history are little more than amateurs." 

"More important than that, his ability to imbue his magic into his music is quite impressive." Evangeline said. "*Sigh* It truly relaxes the mind." 

"I want him in my peerage." Venelana said as she stood from her seat. "I missed out on Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, I don't wanna miss out on him, too." 

"Seriously, Mom?" Rias said while shaking her head. "he's not even from our world. Do you really think he would agree to join your peerage?" 

Hearing that, Venelana looked as if all the wind was taken out of her sails. Then, she slumped back down into her seat while looking at Rias with an aggrieved pout. 

"Why do you have to keep shattering my hopes and dreams, Rias?" Venelana said while puffing out her lower lip. First, you refuse to share James with me. Then, you shatter my dream of having a world class pianist in my peerage. Why? Don't you love me anymore?" 

Rias wanted to roll her eyes at her mother's antics at first. However, when she mentioned not sharing James with her, she just could not hold back. As a result, the mother-daughter pair began to bicker, as they usually did. Meanwhile, everyone else, having gotten used to Rias and Venelana's usual song and dance all but ignored them and started talking among themselves. 

Everyone except for Issei, that is. Instead, he was glaring at James with jealousy in his eyes. However, that only lasted until Asia pinched his waist and began to twist. Then, Issei's cries of pain and plea for forgiveness also sounded out through the mansion. 

After that, a few hours passed. All the while, the sound of Tatsuo playing the piano echoed throughout the Alaverus Estate. And with every song Tatsuo played, Venelana's desire to have him in her peerage as her personal pianist grew. Yet, she also knew that it was not possible that Tatsuo would accept her offer. 

On a side note, Tatsuo's Void Dragon bloodline was too far up the totem pole for the [Evil Piece Reincarnation] to even work. So, all of Venelana's anguish was for nothing. Though, she had no way of knowing that for the time being.

*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!* 

However, in that time, Scáthach managed to prepare everything needed for the [Purification Magic] test. So, she made her way to the guest room where Tatsuo, Aletia, and Tio were staying before knocking on the door. 

"I apologize for disturbing you." Scáthach said in a much softer tone than usual. Clearly, she had been affected by the magic in Tatsuo's music, as well. "But everything has been prepared. Are you ready to begin testing?" 

It took a few moments for Tatsuo to respond. However, before he did, he finished the song he was playing, "Arabesque No. 1" composed by Claude Debussy. 

"Yeah, I'm ready." Tatsuo's voice replied from the other side of the door. 

A moment later, Scáthach heard the sound of the keylid being flipped down. Then, the sounds of three sets of footsteps could be heard approaching the door before the door as opened and Tatsuo stood before her with Aletia and Tio close behind him. 

"I'm feeling a lot better now." Tatsuo said with a slight smile on his face. 

"Very well." Scáthach replied before turning around. "Follow me down to the training room. We shall conduct the tests there." 

After speaking her piece, Scáthach did not wait for a reply. Instead, she started walking towards the elevator. Seeing that, Tatsuo, Aletia, and Tio exchanged glances before Tatsuo shrugged his shoulders and they followed her. 

Not long after that, Tatsuo, Aletia, Tio, and Scáthach were in the training room on the third basement level. In the middle of the room, there were several items, a sword, a pocket watch, and a steak knife placed on a long table. And from what Tatsuo could sense, the three items had some pretty serious negative energy coming off of them. 

"I'm kinda curious to know where you got these things from." Tatsuo said while glancing at the three items. "But I think I'll pass." 

"Something tells me that would be for the best." Tio said while covering her mouth with her hand fan. 

Aletia only nodded in agreement while wrapping her hands around Tatsuo's right arm. 

Ignoring the three's reactions to the three items, Scáthach walked towards them. When she arrived, she pointed at the three items in turn. 

"You should start with this one." Scáthach said while pointing at the sword. "It should be the easiest to cleanse. After that, move on to the watch and finally the steak knife." 

Tatsuo wanted to ask why the steak knife, the item that seemed the most mundane, was the most cursed. However, he decided it would be best for his mental health to just let it go. Instead, he, too, approached the three items, with Aletia and Tio following him at a bit of a distance. 

When Tatsuo arrived in front of the sword, he looked it over, assessing exactly how much power he would need to [Purify] the item in front of him. Then, once he was done with his analysis, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. 

"Alright, here I go." Tatsuo muttered. 

With that, Tatsuo began performing hand signs that no one present recognized. Even so, Scáthach watched Tatsuo's every move like a hawk, committing it all to memory for further study in the future. And with every hand sign he made, a symbol made of his magic power was formed in front of him. Then, after a few moments, when the final hand sign was created, all the symbols combined into one. 

After that, Tatsuo raised his right hand above the combined symbol. He then channeled a large amount of [Energy] into his palm. And finally, he slammed his hand down, the symbol in its line of descent, onto the sword. 

*Hum~~~~~~~~!* 

*Hiss~~~~~~~~! * 

However, the sound that was produced by the collision was a strange one. Instead of a smacking sound, or even a metallic sound, a strange hum reverberated through the training room. 

At the same time, a dark cloud was ejected from the sword. Yet, as it passed by Tatsuo's hand, which was still in contact with the sword, it quickly lightened in color, turning clear before dispersing. 

After a few moments, there was no more of the dark fog, more than likely the curse or malicious energy present in the sword, being expelled. Tatsuo then took his hand off the sword and looked it over once again. 

"Well, I think I did it." Tatsuo said once he was satisfied with the result of his analysis. Then, he picked up the sword and turned towards Scáthach. "Wanna take a look for yourself?" 

Stepping forward, Scáthach, without hesitation, accepted the sword from Tatsuo before examining it herself. 

"Very well done." Scáthach said as she tossed the sword away, the sword landing perfectly on a weapon rack hanging on a wall. "Now, if you are not too fatigued, let us move on to the rest." 

Without a break, Tatsuo did just that. However, by the time he finished with the steak knife, he was almost completely out of [Energy]. Even so, he was successful in removing the curses and malicious energies from all three items Scathach prepared. Now, the only thing left was to use it on those with diseases. 

Unfortunately, they would probably only be able to try it on mundane diseases, as Tatsuo doubted that anyone with a supernatural disease would allow them to test his [Purification Magic], even if they could guarantee no harm would befall the test subject. 

Even so, it would be a few more hours before they made their way to Kuoh's hospital. Until then, Tatsuo decided that he would get his homework for the Winter Break out of the way.