Chapter 73: The Grand Finale

“No, no, this cannot be.”

Eliminated-at-Light-Speed shook his head in denial.

He, too, seemed utterly shocked by the Demon God’s perfect rendition.

“Dost thou finally possess ears that hear? Behold, this is the caliber of an active idol.”

At the Demon God’s mockery, the spirit shook his head even more violently.

In the meantime, the machinery of the Authority whirred into action.

The voting switches rose once more before the rows of petty spirits.

[Participants, please place your hands forward.]

[We thank the audience for their careful deliberation.]

[Please press your buttons now.]

The automated announcements proceeded with mechanical precision.

No matter how one looked at it, the structure of this Authority was remarkably well-defined.

The Demon God had been inwardly impressed since the moment the power was first invoked.

“Eliminated-at-Light-Speed, tell me. Didst thou devise this Authority thyself?”

Though he looked dangerous, the spirit didn’t strike the Demon God as particularly intelligent.

– Th-that… of course I did.

“?”

‘What is this?’ the Demon God wondered.

‘Why is he stuttering?’

However, Eliminated-at-Light-Speed immediately turned his gaze toward the audience.

The atmosphere was markedly different from before.

“…….”

It was silent.

The petty spirits, who had been cheering wildly for the evil spirit’s performance, were now exchanging uncertain glances.

– Surely, you lot… aren’t thinking of…?

“…….”

– Do you know how many performances I’ve put on after summoning you here?! Do you intend to betray me now?!

His roar echoed through the hall, followed by a long period of silence.

– It’s a fake.

– Plastered with correction.

– Now that I’ve heard a real song, I can finally tell the difference.

Surprisingly, these whispers began to flow from the petty spirits.

The demonic aura contained within the Demon God’s song had stripped away the evil spirit’s deceptive influence.

The spirits, who had been held captive by a malevolent energy, finally regained their senses.

The purification of their ears had led directly to the purification of their souls.

– He deceived us.

– I never wanted to watch a performance like this in the first place.

– Why am I even here?

They had awakened from the illusion of the fake audition.

– I don’t want to hear another note!

– Yes! I want to leave this place!

– Let us out! Let us out!

The petty spirits soon realized that the way to their freedom was right before their eyes.

Click.

One spirit was the first to press a switch.

Clack. Click.

The sound of switches being pressed began to ripple through the hall.

That sound echoed with an eerie clarity within the performance hall.

It sounded like the footsteps of a jailer walking down a corridor to deliver a death sentence.

“Eliminated-at-Light-Speed.”

The spirit’s dark red form was visibly fluctuating.

His agitation was being laid bare for all to see.

– What? Why?!

“Let me ask thee one thing.”

The reason the Demon God had come all this way.

“The masterpiece… it does not exist, does it?”

He had come seeking a song that could serve as the title track for his next album.

– Ha! That’s right! If such a thing existed, I would have sung it during the contest!

It had been nothing more than a false rumor designed to lure people in.

“As I suspected.”

Then the key to everything was the composer still collapsed on the stage, Lucio Moreira.

The Demon God stared at Lucio for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

He would let the Authority annihilate the evil spirit and then lead Lucio out.

The process appeared to be proceeding smoothly.

Click, clack, click.

The switches continued to rattle.

The evil spirit’s flickering became even more frantic.

– Ha.

“?”

– Haha… Guest-nim.

“What is it?”

– You aren’t actually feeling relieved, are you?

Eliminated-at-Light-Speed swept his arm out, pointing toward the stage, the editing room, and the sound booth.

– This space is still within my Authority!

The Demon God narrowed his eyes, wondering what the spirit intended.

The “on-site accident” happened not where the spirit pointed, but in the audience seats.

Boing!

Three petty spirits were suddenly launched into the air.

It was the “Flying Chair,” a staple of old variety shows where chairs with springs were installed in front of a pool.

Whenever a wrong answer was given in a quiz, the chair would launch the person sitting in it into the water.

– Aaaah!

– I’m flying!

– Farewell!

The three spirits screamed as they were catapulted out of the performance hall.

[Audience members, please remain calm.]

[An unexpected accident has occurred on-site.]

[The situation is currently being brought under control. Please remain in your seats.]

The automated announcement droned on.

[And please continue your voting.]

The Demon God looked back at the evil spirit.

“To think thou wouldst use such a method.”

– The space itself belongs to me. Those rascals were raising their hands too high to press the switches. They were very easy to spot.

The evil spirit’s vote count stood at 99.

The Demon God’s vote count was steadily climbing, but now that three spirits had been ejected?

No matter how many votes he received, he would top out at 97.

– Phew… I thought I was a goner. I thought I’d die by my own Authority. Damn it, who knew such a talented guest would show up?

The evil spirit completely regained his composure.

His flickering form settled into a steady glow.

– Uahahahaha! Guest-nim, what will you do now? Did you think you would win? As if! How can you beat the production team?! Auditions have always been about vote manipulation! Haven’t they?

He leaned in and whispered softly.

– Now, Guest-nim is mine as well.

Having escaped annihilation, the evil spirit declared the Demon God’s doom.

“Sigh.”

Truly, a creature of malice.

No matter how lighthearted he acted, his essence was that of an evil spirit.

He was never going to accept his crisis obediently.

“Good grief.”

The Demon God stretched his interlocked fingers outward, cracking his knuckles.

– Why? Are you going to try and use brute force? It won’t be easy with the restraints on you, you know.

The spirit was right.

If he resorted to raw power, the resulting aftermath would be unpredictable.

However, was there even a need for that?

The Demon God looked at the well-structured nature of the Authority once more.

“Brute force? This Demon God is quite the refined gentleman, I’ll have thee know.”

– What?

The spirit was dumbfounded.

A man who had kicked down the front door and entered with such violence was calling himself a gentleman?

“Authority [Audition]. In a refined manner, I propose the addition of more voters.”

– ?

The evil spirit couldn’t understand.

This was an isolated, abandoned hall. Only the Demon God had arrived here. There were no additional people to add.

“Over there. Look at that man and woman trembling in fear.”

The Demon God pointed toward the main entrance.

Originally, this hall was the spirit’s domain.

It should have been sealed tight, but the Demon God had shattered the entrance.

“Director and Writer, why do you linger there?”

PD Ko Myeong-seok and Writer Yang I-ju had hesitantly crept inside at some point.

“Well… we couldn’t just keep filming the outside forever. And we were worried because Sun-woo hadn’t returned for so long…”

“Hmph. Worried, are you? How courageous. Thou wilt remember none of this when thou wakest, but I commend thee nonetheless.”

The automated announcement rang out again.

[Adding additional voting personnel.]

– What?! No!

The evil spirit screamed in shock.

But regardless of his protest, a low humming sound vibrated as the voting cylinders rose in front of the two humans.

Clack, clack!

The PD and the writer pressed the buttons without a second’s hesitation.

“Sun-woo, you really are a phenomenal singer.”

“I was already a fan, but now I’m a devotee!”

Two of the three vacant seats were now filled.

It was 99 votes to 99 votes—a tie.

– To slip away like this… No! No!

It was becoming impossible for the spirit to absorb the Demon God.

“Is that something a creature like thee should say? Furthermore, I am not ‘slipping away’.”

– What?

The Demon God let out a low chuckle.

At that moment, the evil spirit felt a surge of extreme terror and ominous dread.

The very emotions the Demon God always bestowed upon his enemies.

“Look at that fellow. Our eyes met just a moment ago.”

– Who?

The Demon God pointed a finger.

At its end was a man groaning on the floor.

Lucio Moreira.

“Thou art resisting well. I like thy spirit. Thou, too, wilt forget this when thou wakest, but I commend thy will.”

“Kughhhh…”

He possessed a powerful inspiration forged through countless psychic explorations.

And he possessed the will to refuse to write a song for an evil spirit.

Lucio Moreira had not given up his resistance.

While he fought for his soul, he had listened to a song imbued with a divine aura right beside him.

He had successfully managed to regain consciousness while still under the spirit’s influence.

[Adding additional voting personnel.]

Zzzzing—

A voting cylinder rose very slowly in front of the collapsed Lucio.

– N-no. This shouldn’t be happening. No. No!

The evil spirit’s face turned pale.

“Wast thou perhaps too confident? Thou shouldst have ejected ten more spirits while thou hadst the chance.”

As the Demon God threw the spirit’s own words back at him.

Click.

Lucio pressed the switch with a trembling hand.

And then he immediately lost consciousness again.

“Thy work is done.”

Thus, the long voting process came to an end.

[Tallying is complete.]

[The Guest has received, out of a total of 100 audience members…]

The announcement signaling the finale began to play.

– Nooooooo—!!!!

The evil spirit’s scream of despair tore through the air.

The result was displayed.

[A total of 100 votes! The rankings have been overturned!]

“Oh.”

A perfect score of 100!

Beyond 99 out of 100—it was 100 out of 100.

– Aaaaah, no! Please spare me! I don’t want to disappear like this!

The spirit flailed desperately.

“High-spirited when winning, yet pathetically weak when cornered. Thou art truly easy to read.”

– Please, please!

The Demon God kicked away the spirit as it tried to grab his ankles.

[Con! Gratu! Lations!]

[How do you feel about your victory?]

It even asked for a victory speech.

The structure of this Authority was truly impeccable.

“Well, is this not the natural outcome?”

Because I cannot lose.

I am a Demon God, and I am an active idol.

[And finally…]

The systematic Authority now moved to its final stage.

[We will proceed with the award ceremony following the change in rank.]

[The winner is the Guest. The Guest is awarded the winner’s prize.]

Since the structure was so rigid, even the master of the Authority could not escape its logic.

[The prize is… the Eliminated Participant.]

– U-uaaaah— No! No! Stop!

The spirit’s body began to unravel.

The form that had mimicked a human curled into a sphere.

It grew smaller, like an apple.

Then smaller still, like a macaron.

“Thou lookest quite appetizing.”

– Don’t eat me! You’re a being of lofty status! You can survive without eating!

“That is true.”

– Then please…

“Chomp.”

The Demon God snatched it up and popped it into his mouth.

Munch, munch. He savored the flavor.

Gulp.

“Delicious.”

Spiritual power surged through him as the spirit was annihilated.

Simultaneously, the sound of cracking chains echoed from behind his back.

The Demon God appreciated the sound with satisfaction before looking around.

The environment was also undergoing a transformation.

Click. Clack.

The lights went out one by one.

Swish—

The red carpet dissolved into thin air.

The space was slowly reverting back to its state as a dilapidated, abandoned hall.

The master who sustained the Authority had been consumed by that very power.

The structure of the Authority [Audition] was collapsing.

It would never appear again.

“Is it there?”

The Demon God leaped up to the editing room before it could vanish.

Swoosh—

His gaze swept over the interior.

Even though it was a space created by power, it functioned exactly like a normal editing room.

The monitor of the editing PC was still powered on.

Without even needing to search, the file he wanted was visible on the desktop.

The title of the video was simply: ‘Original.’

The Demon God played the video.

[Fade In]

A participant named ‘Instant-Elim’ had challenged the audition with zero preparation, relying entirely on his looks.

He was eliminated at light speed due to his disastrous singing and dancing.

As a side note, his dancing was even worse than his singing.

“Now that I think of it, he did not dance during that song earlier.”

After his elimination, the spirit didn’t think of honing his skills but instead fell into a life of hedonism.

When his money ran out, he was returning to his hometown when he saw the abandoned hall and trespassed while heavily intoxicated.

He had died after falling while shouting curses at the top of his lungs.

[Fade Out]

“As I thought.”

The Demon God descended from the editing room without a trace of lingering attachment.

“T-take me… with you…”

Lucio Moreira regained some semblance of consciousness and reached out a hand.

“What art thou saying? Of course I intend to conscript thee. Thee, in thy entirety.”

Whether from exhaustion or the weight of the Demon God’s words, Lucio fainted once more.

Heaving Lucio Moreira onto his shoulder, the Demon God turned his attention to the sleeping PD and Writer.

‘They should at least have something to show for coming here, should they not?’

Now that the evil spirit was gone, the paranormal phenomena had vanished.

That would be problematic for a horror variety show.

It wouldn’t do for this body to appear in a program with no results.

“Ah, wait. There is an excellent solution, is there not?”

“…….”

The petty spirits, who hadn’t been able to leave and were waiting for the Demon God’s judgment, trembled.

“You lot. I shall let you go.”

– Thank you!

– We will live quietly until we fade away!

– Thank you for purifying our ears! We shall depart now!

“Wait a moment.”

– ????

The Demon God curled one corner of his lip upward.

“Before you depart, there is a task you must perform for me.”

A horror show featuring nearly a hundred petty spirits was about to begin.