Chapter 197: Shirou and Jeanne's Song
Human beings have an innate ability to perceive music; one could say that everyone is a genius at music, but this talent is often lost as they grow up.
Even as babies, people fall asleep faster when listening to lullabies sung by their parents or the reading of poetry. Humans are born with the gift of enjoying the rhythm and beauty of sounds.
A person with a good voice, after training, can find songs that suit them and become a popular singer.
There are also professionals who apply this talent to speaking, giving soul to characters in animations and radio dramas, known as voice actors who live in the 2.5 dimension.
Jeanne's youthful voice is very charming. Although she usually adopts a fierce and intimidating tone, she is cool when the situation calls for it and extremely cute at other times.
Her vocal range is wide, and as a Servant, her breath control is impeccable. One could say she possesses the talent to become a professional singer with only a little specialized training.
While there was no time to find a teacher now, the song Shirou chose did not require much technique; all that was needed was to convey a youthful feeling.
Shirou was to perform the majority of the song, with Jeanne only singing the chorus part, which consisted of just two lines. However, these were the central lines of the song and would be repeated several times.
It needed the sweet voice of a youthful girl to sing in harmony with Shirou's male voice, creating a chemical reaction-like sublimation that elevated the song to a new level. As comrades who had been through life and death together, Shirou and Jeanne had no issues with coordination.
After an hour of practice, the music competition for the afternoon was about to begin. Visitors who had finished lunch returned to the school to watch, and the crowd remained large.
After all, in yesterday's promotional push, the ethereal voices, like hymns, were even more popular than the delicious cuisine.
Around 3:00 PM, Shizuka Hiratsuka, who had already changed into a snow-white evening gown and looked as beautiful as a white lily, took a deep breath, her face slightly flushed, and bravely walked onto the stage.
"Shizuka~! You're so cute~!"
"Shizuka~! Go for it~!"
A group of elderly fans cheered enthusiastically from below the stage, some even brought shakers or waved their hands.
Encouraged, Shizuka Hiratsuka and Martha, who was possessing her body, adopted their most serious demeanor and sang the local song with deep sincerity.
Shizuka Hiratsuka's singing, which was almost devoid of technique but full of deep emotion and devotion, conveyed an extraordinary sense of power when performing songs related to inspiration and faith. It was like punch after punch landing on people's hearts.
It possessed a soul-stirring power. People around her were simultaneously clapping and wiping away tears, releasing all the recent hardships and pain they had endured, feeling their bodies and minds healed.
Observing this, the Catholic priests felt that not inviting her to become a nun was an injustice to their faith.
"Shizuka, our lovely girl, you sang absolutely wonderfully! This is for you." A man in his seventies, dressed formally and wearing a hat, politely presented a bouquet of flowers to the woman. Although the flowers weren't expensive, they were flowers he had picked and arranged himself from his garden, representing the heartfelt sentiment of the elderly fans.
"Thank you," Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled and accepted the bouquet from the gentleman, thanking him.
The enthusiasm was truly difficult to refuse, so she sang two more songs. She only left the stage after being urged by the staff backstage.
Her spectacular and unique interpretation of the songs won the admiration of everyone, and the regret of more older ladies.
Following her, the other contestants displayed their own talents. A girl from the Chiba School who had studied music when she was little went up and sang "Hélène," and Erina went up and played a piece on the violin.
Yes, that was the world-famous song "Je m'appelle Hélène" that dominated the French music charts for twenty-five consecutive weeks.
A French classic.
"There's a girl in the village named Hélène, beautiful and kind, with a pair of beautiful blue eyes and long black braids..."
Well, actually, it's the song "Hélène, je m'appelle Hélène~."
At the side of the stage, a fixed tripod camera was filming all the performances. The few middle-aged men were the film crew from the TV station.
"Wow, that previous one was incredible. I never expected to hear such a heavenly voice here. I got goosebumps."
"Don't just stare blankly. Did you record it properly? I wish I had known there was such an excellent singer; we should have brought all the sound equipment," the man in the hat said to his colleague while filming.
"It's fine, the stage's sound system is fully functional. But yes, it was truly beautiful," the colleague said, giving a thumbs-up.
"Although the subsequent performances have been rather standard, the first one is enough. Is she really a teacher who brought students here for an exchange program? Couldn't she actually be a famous singer from over there? With a voice like that, she would have been discovered by a music company in Europe, released records, or sent to a talent show, and surely become an instant hit!" the bearded man asked, stroking his beard.
"I don't know about that, but I'm certain a record company will come looking for her after this episode airs," the cameraman in the hat said, manipulating his camera.
"What a shame, if she were French, she would definitely be the next superstar. She's very beautiful, too, but her singing is almost too sacred, making men hesitant to approach. If I were ten years younger, I would definitely go up and propose to her," the bearded man vowed confidently.
"Haha, you better deal with your wife first," his colleague joked.
Just at that moment, Shirou, who had changed into a gray and black vest suit backstage, walked out holding a guitar.
Behind him walked a silver-haired girl in a gorgeous short dress. Her fair skin matched the blue dress well, with multiple layers of ruffled lace and a bow tied at the back with long tails trailing behind. The black stockings covered her thighs revealed by the short skirt, and she wore blue high heels.
This attire perfectly showcased the silver-haired girl's good figure and youthful cuteness, though she didn't seem to like it much herself.
"What's with this flimsy clothing?!" Jeanne said, blushing and looking conflicted. Shouldn't a dark, mysterious, or gorgeously witch-like outfit suit her more?
"I think it suits you very well. It's beautiful, and very cute," Shirou said, looking at the silver-haired girl. Honestly, when Jeanne walked out of the dressing room, the first time he saw her in this outfit, he was so stunned by her beauty that he stared.
"Shirou only says nice things," Jeanne muttered awkwardly. However, the fact that the boy's eyes lit up was precisely why she hadn't changed out of the dress.
Because of this outfit, the silver-haired girl looked somewhat adorable even when she made an attempt at a fierce expression.
"Ooh, Jeanne is so cute indeed!" The principal clapped her hands below the stage, feeling satisfied with her careful choice of clothing.
Shirou, holding the guitar, stood in front of the microphone stand, with Jeanne standing by his side.
Once again, in front of the people of Paris, on the stage of the Paris Branch School, Shirou, with Sanson possessing him, held not the ropes of the guillotine this time, but a guitar.
And this time, their farewell needed to be a grand one, with the approval of everyone.
"Are you ready?" Shirou asked the silver-haired girl next to him.
"Well, I'm just here to hum a few lines for you," Jeanne said, crossing her arms.
Shirou lowered his voice, aiming for the more steady and mature baritone of an adult man.
Strumming the strings, he began to sing. Words rich with deep emotion poured out from Shirou's mouth. The magnetic and soulful voice touched everyone present.
I want to thank death, for its patience, As if cast under a spell, awe-inspiring yet elegant; I want to thank a friend, who knows me better than I know myself, Greeting him, whether drunk or in childhood, thanks to him.
I want to thank all the women, especially my wife, Full of happiness, tinged with a little sadness, I only take half of it, A glance at my enemies, who curse me even today, without them, I would be bored, so I thank them too. I place my hand on my chest, saluting you, I accept this joy and these tears, and keep them for myself.
The guitar strummed.
"And-the-winner-is: la-vie, and-the-winner-is: l'amour."
Shirou, with his deep, world-weary voice, and the girl's sweet voice sang the line in unison: "And the winner is: life, and the winner is: love."
Jeanne harmonized with the line in her original youthful voice: "And the winner is life, and the winner is: love."
Shirou and Jeanne leaned forward toward the microphone, singing this single sentence together in harmony.
It was like the older, experienced generation and the newly born generation completing a legacy, with the elderly person about to leave the world in their final moments non-violently conveying the wisdom of their entire life for the young person whose life was just beginning to hear.
The audience fell into silence. Even the reporters and cameramen were captivated at this moment, quietly listening to the people on stage singing and playing.
The boy on stage seemed like a magnanimous elder with rich experience, singing about his life with a profound voice, which was also tightly intertwined with everyone's life.
Of course, Shirou alone would not have achieved this effect. It was only because he felt Sanson's inner emotional state.
In his life, he personally executed nearly three thousand people, and the number of people involved in his work was several times that. At the time, he understood death more deeply than anyone else, respecting and revering the cessation of life.
In addition to performing executions, he was also responsible for recording the last words of important individuals. The words of a dying man are good. He had listened to the heartfelt final words of thousands of people, understanding that even the most heinous criminals had pitiable aspects.
Moreover, even in modern times, the law is still not perfect, and miscarriages of justice still occur. This was even more true in the era Sanson lived in; he did kill innocent people.
But without evidence, he could not save them. Once the court delivered a verdict, he, as the executioner, could only carry it out, but he couldn't help but feel guilty.
He sympathized with these people, so he researched with his doctor friends, eventually developing the guillotine.
The purpose was to ensure that beheadings could be completed with a single, quick cut, rather than being botched by a misplaced strike or getting stuck on a bone, which would cause the person more pain before death.
To allow the condemned to embark on their journey to death in peace, they should be sent to the afterlife without pain.
Sanson's noble family, in addition to their hereditary work as executioners, also studied medicine. Due to his work, he gained a profound knowledge of the human body. As a pro-commoner figure, he would treat the poor for free and distribute medicine when he was head of the family.
He was fair and upright. Although his profession as an executioner made him unpopular, he was also known as the "Great Sanson" by some for his acts of charity.
Now, possessing the boy, and using his strength, he used music to express his inner feelings to the people of Paris.
This was a final farewell to the departed Uncle Emperor Louis and the finally relieved Queen Marie.
The song was written and performed by the French actor and singer Gérard Darmon. It would be a particularly fitting piece to use at the funeral of an open-minded person.
Like Louis XVI's speech before his death, his oath to God, in his final moment, he forgave everyone in the world, thanked all the good people he had met, and blessed all his compatriots in the country he loved.
This song was like the final chant of the soul of an old man lying in a coffin, at the last moment before burial, bidding farewell to the world.
"Is there anything you want to say to everyone, Sanson?" Shirou asked Sanson, who was watching everything in the mental landscape.
"Just say that one phrase now!" Sanson told the boy in his mind.
Shirou nodded, understanding, and shouted loudly: "Vive la France (Long Live France)!!"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh!!!" Although they didn't understand why the sudden surge of passion, the young people who had become fans raised their fists and cheered along. French people inherently do not lack this kind of passion and impulsiveness.
"Yay~! So cool!" The girls screamed.
"Encore, encore!"
"...What should I do?" Erina covered her red and hot face on the side. She suddenly realized that the boy, who had become a bit more mature, would grow up into a type she would absolutely adore.
The cameraman in the hat said excitedly while filming: "Hey, did you hear that? First, the female teacher's heavenly voice, and now, a deep, heartfelt performance that transcends age from the high school boy and girl."
The bearded man said excitedly: "It looks like our show is guaranteed to be a hit this time!"
"We should contact our boss right now and have them arrange an interview with them and start the promotion."
"Mhm! Let's do that!" the bearded man agreed.
Since that strange illness began to spread, they hadn't felt this kind of work enthusiasm in a long time. Everyone who felt the excitement began to move.
However, the boy on stage was still completely unaware of the fate that was about to befall him.
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