Chapter 39: The Devil’s Tune
<hr>
The Calm Before the Storm
Axel sat in the Helix Academy training bay, cracking his knuckles as he stared at his tournament bracket.
<blockquote>
Axel Mercer vs. Jace Stroud.
</blockquote>
The match everyone had been waiting for.
The prodigy vs. the wildcard.
Speed vs. unpredictability.
Axel exhaled. “Yeah… this is gonna be a problem.”
Tempo sat on a nearby bench, adjusting the tuning pegs on his guitar-axe. His golden eyes gleamed. “Or it could be a party.”
Axel smirked. “You’re way too excited for this.”
Tempo plucked a single note—a deep, haunting blues tone, the sound vibrating through the air like a whispered secret.
“I’ve been feeling something,” Tempo muttered, testing the strings. “Something… different.”
Axel frowned. “Different how?”
Tempo grinned. “Like I’m on the edge of a breakthrough.”
Then—he strummed.
And everything changed.
<hr>
The Crossroads Awakening
The moment the first chord rang out, the lights in the training bay flickered.
The air grew heavy, the temperature dropping slightly.
Axel felt it immediately.
It wasn’t just music.
It was something else.
Something old.
Tempo’s form began to shift, shadows curling around him like smoke, his silhouette elongating.
His usual scruffy fur darkened, his golden eyes flickering like firelight.
The guitar-axe morphed, the polished metal giving way to an older, more weathered wooden finish, the strings humming with an almost eerie resonance.
Stolen story; please report.
A black wide-brimmed hat materialized on his head, tilted just enough to shadow his face.
His tail flicked.
Then—he grinned.
“Looks like I made a deal,” Tempo murmured.
Axel stiffened.
Because for the first time ever—Tempo’s voice carried an echo.
Like it wasn’t just coming from him.
But from somewhere else.
<hr>
The Legend of the Devil’s Tune
Axel stood up. “Okay. What the hell just happened?”
Tempo adjusted the brim of his hat. “Ever hear the old legend? About the bluesman who went down to the crossroads?”
Axel frowned. “Robert Johnson?”
Tempo’s grin widened. “Yeah. Guy sold his soul for the ability to play like a god. Left behind a sound no one could match.”
He plucked another note.
The air shivered.
Axel clenched his fists. “You telling me you just sold your soul?”
Tempo snorted. “Nah. I don’t need to.”
His fingers danced over the frets, unleashing a slow, hypnotic riff—
And Axel felt it.
Deep in his bones.
Like something was pulling at him, dragging him into the sound.
His heartbeat matched the rhythm, his breath syncing to the tempo without him even trying.
This wasn’t just music.
This was control.
Tempo leaned against the bench, his hat shadowing his face.
“I call it my Crossroads Form.”
Axel exhaled. “That’s… unsettling.”
Tempo smirked. “Good.”
<hr>
Match Time
By the time Axel stepped into the Helix Coliseum, the stadium was alive.
This was the match.
<blockquote>
"Axel Mercer vs. Jace Stroud!"
"BEGIN!"
</blockquote>
Jace moved first.
A blur of lightning-infused speed, closing the gap in an instant.
Axel barely had time to react.
Jace’s first strike was brutal, a high-speed kick aimed straight for Axel’s ribs.
Axel twisted at the last second—but the wind pressure alone sent him skidding.
Jace smirked. “Too slow, Mercer.”
Axel wiped his lip. “Yeah? Let’s change that.”
Tempo strummed.
And then—everything shifted.
<hr>
The Devil’s Rhythm
The moment Tempo hit the first chord of his solo, the battlefield warped.
Axel’s entire body adjusted.
Not just faster—smoother.
Like he wasn’t just fighting—he was playing.
Jace lunged again—but Axel was already moving.
He wasn’t just dodging.
He was dancing.
His footwork became liquid, his movements weaving through Jace’s attacks with a flow too unpredictable to read.
Jace’s eyes narrowed.
“Since when could you do that?”
Axel smirked. “Since right now.”
He struck—a rapid palm to Jace’s shoulder, disrupting his balance.
For the first time, Jace stumbled.
The crowd gasped.
Axel grinned.
This was his tempo now.
<hr>
Lightning vs. Blues
Jace adjusted his stance.
The storm around him darkened.
"You think you can outplay me?"
Axel cracked his neck. "Nah."
Then he grinned.
"I know I can."
Jace’s lightning flared, his Storm Wyvern Stratos roaring as the battlefield shook.
Axel didn’t back down.
Tempo’s solo kicked into high gear.
And for the first time—
Jace was the one struggling to keep up.