“I realize you are wondering how you will pay me back. We shall start finding that answer tomorrow.”

“Yes, Miss Satomi. Thank you, Miss Satomi!”

Shizuka watched her new student run upstairs, just as Astrid walked in with two huge slices of pie.

That night, Shizuka viewed more videos. Of course, she found her students. And there were contemporaries—other competitors and classmates, both successful and not so successful. And, in sometimes blurry, sometimes black-and-white footage, were performances of her predecessors and mentors, as well. There was even an old clip of Mr. Grossmueller.

Shizuka had told Lan that she had never really needed the Internet. She had told Katrina that even in Tokyo, her life had never encountered technology, anime, and video games.

But she was not being completely honest, was she? Of course she had known about the Internet.

There was another reason, wasn’t there?

Yes, amongst all the musicians, composers, and players recorded here, Shizuka Satomi’s music was absent. And yes, in many ways, this might seem devastating.

But Shizuka thought of the day she had first met Katrina in the park. Listening to Katrina play Schradieck, of all things, reminded Shizuka of a yearning, a hunger that she had felt even before her last appearance onstage.

That even before Tremon, or contracts with Hell—Shizuka Satomi had been alone.

It hurts to lose one’s music. However, it is far worse to play a music that one can never share.

But now?

Shizuka thought of her last soul and the music she played. That soul was fast asleep in the bedroom down the hall.

Thanks to that soul, Shizuka Satomi’s music might never be alone again.

Charity? Tremon was an idiot for even suggesting it.

Shizuka would teach Katrina Nguyen everything she could, give her whatever she needed to realize her music, her voice.

And Shizuka would never forget her, even when the seventh student was gone.

Shizuka thought of the game that Katrina had told her about, The NetherTale. It was set in a Hell with a non-killing route, in a Hell where a player might actually make friends.

Such a sweet idea, wasn’t it?

But that was not how one saved souls, especially when the soul one was saving was one’s own.

Shizuka listened to Katrina’s video. She found the original soundtrack to The NetherTale. She went back to Katrina’s video once more.

She laid her head on her pillow and turned off her lights.

In the honesty of darkness, the Queen of Hell listened, and listened again.

14

Crap!

Katrina woke up, washed up, and rushed downstairs. Astrid had breakfast ready. It was sort of like sushi, but stuffed with pickled mustard greens, raclette cheese, and German liver sausage.

“Miss Satomi is already waiting. She said please eat, but don’t dally.”

Katrina tried to stuff the breakfast sushi lengthwise down her throat.

Astrid pushed her into a chair.