“Let's fucking goo, thank you, everyone, for your passion, we are Flaming Skulls, see you soon.”

In a medium, normal-looking bar, the atmosphere was at its peak. Music, dancing, drinking, just a bunch of people in skimpy outfits having fun, while listening to really good underground bands that are yet to get their names heard.

That is for sure the case for the band called Flaming Skulls. Industry professionals would call them a rock group but they themselves say that they are a passion group that has grand dreams, like any other upcoming band. Unfortunately for them, they are still waiting for a chance, a chance that will get them on the main stage.

A chance that will soon arrive on the doorstep of a band consisting of a singer who is also a guitarist, a second guitarist, a drummer, a bassist and a keyboard player.

Ding, ding

When you read soon, the meaning was actually now.

“Hmm, a mail?”

The so-called leader of the band with a stage name of Blaze and who looks similar to our own Shiba Ryo has pulled up his phone and checked the mail.

“Anime? Nexus Animation, what in the world…”

Seeing the confused look on their leader, second-in-command with the stage name Locket and Blaze’s childhood friend asked a question, “Bro, what is wrong, you look like you have eaten a fly”. In his typical fashion, he also took a shot at his friend earning him laughter from the other band members and a glare from Blaze.

“We got a job offer, to make an anime openi…”

“Wait, wait, really, let's do it boss, so from who is the offer, ‘CrazyHouse’, ‘Kyoto Studio’, or maybe?”

The drummer of this band is someone who you would call an otaku and of course, he is familiar with anime openings and studios that make anime.

Seeing the excited look on the drummer’s face, Blaze plainly answered him.

“Nexus Animation, do you know them?”

“Who the duck are they”

An expected answer, even with all that promotion, not everyone in this world is going to know them.

Hearing what they were saying, Locket again asked, “Putting aside who are they, are we going to take it, to be honest, we really need an opportunity and this might be it, what is the call boss.”

With his question silence veiled the group, everyone waited for the answer from Blaze, they trusted him and his decisions, with them willing to go to Hell for him if necessary.

“From what is written here, they want to negotiate with us, they did write that they are a new studio and that they are working on a big project, also their HQ is in Kisato…”

Again, the drummer interrupted Blaze, “Wow, wow, they are in Kisato, that’s then like the only anime studio that is here, we need to do this guys, let's frickin go, Kisato power.”

Locals living in Kisato are extremely loyal to this place and to them, there is not one town that is better than Kisato, a city of dreams they call it.

Blaze again glared, this time at the drummer.

“I wanted to say, we don’t have anything to lose, I will answer them positively, tomorrow is the meeting, me and Locket are going to go.”

…

From the moment I was born, music was my dream, my goal. I never thought that I wanted to be the greatest, to write the best-ever song but I just wanted it to be a big part of my life, to always be with me.

That is why, even with a big opposition from my family I, alongside, my childhood friend Locket and some other guys created a band. Flaming Sculls, a cheesy name, but to me it is the coolest name ever.

Three years we have spent singing and performing – we improved, we got the crowd going but we still miss something, something that is going to propel us to stardom. Maybe we finally found something like that.

I was thinking of that, while me and Locket were standing in front of a black building. This should be the HQ of Nexus Animation.

Taking a deep breath, I rang a bell and a couple of minutes later, an older gentleman welcomed us inside.

I didn’t get his name, probably because I was too nervous but I did understand that he is the scriptwriter and the director for their up-and-coming anime they are working on, that should be the anime we are supposed to do the opening for.

The director took us inside their office and we saw a couple of people inside working on something. They all had a glint in their eyes, eyes filled with determination. Locket looked impressed; I also could understand them. A bunch of people probably working for their dreams. 

No matter if we are working towards different goals and having different professions, I understand and respect them. Fight!!!

While I was deep in thought, without even realizing we entered the office of the CEO of Nexus Animation. A young man who was sitting at the desk was waiting for us, looked like he was in his twenties and he also looked extremely sharp, donned a black suit, with a small smile and a confident face.

I took a gulp and without even having a chance to say something, the young man in front of us introduced himself.

“Welcome gentlemen, my name is Kira Rowe and I am the CEO of Nexus Animation. I am really glad you accepted our call, did you have any trouble finding our studio?”

The conversation started with pleasantries. As a defacto leader, the band decided I would be the one negotiating, a job more suited for an agent, something we currently don’t have.

“Nice to meet you Rowe-sama and thank you for having us here. As Kisato locals, we didn’t have any problems finding this place. Let me introduce ourselves, you can call me Blaze and the person beside me is Locket. We came in the name of Flaming Skulls, to negotiate.”

Good, good, that was a good start. I didn’t stutter and I said everything with no problem. Maybe I was born to be a businessman. 

Opening stuff out of the way, he invited us to sit down, served us some tea and the talk could begin.

To not bore you with all the boring stuff, this is what they wanted from us. They not only want us to write and sing an opening for their new anime, but they would also like for us to write and do an ending song.

That wasn’t a problem for us. Actually, that might be even better, as we will be the only band working on this anime, so if we do well people might remember us.

Now, when it comes to compensation, this is where we had a kind of dispute, as with all the benefits we would potentially get, I still felt they didn’t offer us enough money.

After voicing that to the CEO, he just looked at me for a couple of minutes and then opened his mouth…

“Hmm, not enough you say, then what about this…”

He took a contract and wrote something on it and showed it to us, and oh boy my eyes almost jumped out of their sockets.

“Are you serious about this…”, said Locket who looked like he saw a ghost.

On the contract he wrote – “2% of the revenue their new project will generate.”

Of course, we knew this anime could flop but if it didn’t, not only we would promote ourselves, but we would also earn enough to use it to improve our equipment and other stuff that would help us.

I looked at the Locket at the same time he looked at me and with our child-friends-like telepathic powers we decided what our answer was going to be.

I turned to look at Kira Rowe who was leisurely sitting in his chair with a small smile, just looking at us, probably already knowing our answer.

“Let's hope we will have a fruitful cooperation, so when should we deliver you the finished songs?”

And just like that, a band called Flaming Skulls got their opportunity, an opportunity that will let them grab their dreams and finally put them on the path of accomplishing them. 

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