Devil’s Music

Chapter 100: The Leopard That Lost Its Fangs

Tim Burton's mansion in Washington.

Tim Burton, watching football in front of the TV, looked at Johnny Depp sitting next to him and said, "Is the EPL more interesting than La Liga this season?"

Johnny Depp nodded and took a sip of beer on the table. "Even though Chelsea is dominating, Tottenham is chasing with a fierce momentum. La Liga is a league where two or three teams take everything, so I think the back-and-forth in the EPL is more interesting."

While taking a sip of beer, Tim Burton asked, "Have you seen the Manson music video?"

Johnny Depp replied as if it was an obvious question, "How many views does it have now? Modern people with electronic devices can't avoid watching it. It's killer, isn't it?"

Tim Burton chuckled and said, "I told you, he'll capture K in an angle. He's shining brighter than any actor. Maybe not in acting skills, though."

Johnny Depp laughed, pointing to himself, "You have to be at my level in acting skills, right?"

As Tim Burton wandered around looking for the golf club again, Johnny Depp quickly stood up and said, "I'll get more beer! You want more?"

Tim Burton's response seemed unimportant as he watched Johnny Depp rush to the refrigerator. Smirking, Tim Burton turned his gaze back to the TV. It was halftime, and he enjoyed watching the stylishly shot commercials with his usual sense of aesthetics. Sitting on the sofa with hands spread out and legs crossed, Tim Burton's head tilted with interest.

Johnny Depp approached with four beer cans in his hands and asked, "What is it?"

When Tim Burton pointed silently at the TV, Johnny Depp turned his gaze to the TV screen. On the TV, the face of a roaring leopard against a black background was displayed. The sharp expression of the leopard seemed ready to attack at any moment. Johnny Depp, while placing the beer on the table, couldn't take his eyes off the screen.

"Ah, quite fierce expression. But why doesn't it have teeth?"

Listening to Johnny Depp's words, Tim Burton examined the leopard's mouth closely. There were no fangs in the wide-open mouth. After a moment, the leopard disappeared, and the screen blacked out. As if it were a broadcasting accident, a slightly prolonged silence flowed, and a black-and-white footage suddenly played.

A camera capturing chaotic scenes shook from side to side. People were raising their hands, shouting for someone, headbanging. While a rock band passionately performed on stage, and in a moment when the audience was excitedly slam-dancing, gunshots rang out, and screams filled the air. The black-and-white screen continuously trembled, revealing the tense atmosphere of that moment.

A person in the crowd pulled out a gun and began shooting at the performers. The scene of the musicians being shot was mosaic-covered, but the screams and people running, combined with the wildly shaking camera, created a highly tense scene. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, with intense expressions, were staring at the TV as if being drawn into the screen.

The scene switched, showing someone being carried away on a stretcher. It was a long-haired man with a beard, and as the rescue team loaded him into the ambulance, he extended his arm outside the bed. The screen blacked out again, and white letters appeared on the screen.

"December 8, 2004. We lost the fangs of the leopard."

The letters scattered as if dissipating, and again, white letters appeared.

"And November 8, 2017."

The screen transitioned to a space that seemed like a practice room. Someone was playing the drums with precise beats. The drummer, with a permed hairstyle covering his face, lowered his head. After a few seconds of drumming, the drummer picked up a black hat from the side, wore it backward, and raised his head again.

Johnny Depp, watching the TV, stood up suddenly, shouting while pointing at the screen, "Vinnie Paul!!! It's Pantera!!!"

Vinnie Paul, gesturing towards one side, started playing the drums again. On the beat of the drums, a groovy bass guitar joined. As the screen turned to the right, a skinny man with a full beard wearing a black hat backward appeared, playing the bass guitar.

Johnny Depp, twirling the empty beer can in his hand, shouted, "Rex Brown!!!"

As the drums and bass played a groovy tune, the roar of someone erupted on the screen.

"Yeeeeaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

An incredible roar, like the cry of a leopard, burst out, making the beats of the drum and bass faster. The screen shifted to reveal the vocalist, a man with a shaved head and a razor necklace hanging around his neck. Still not stopping the roar, he closed his eyes, leaned backward, and continued roaring while looking at the ceiling.

Johnny Depp, pointing towards the TV as if the sound wasn't coming out, said to Tim Burton, "Ph, Phil··· Phil Anselmo!"

The screen blacked out again, and a close-up of a razor-shaped necklace around someone's neck appeared. Even with the symbol of the deceased Dimebag Darrell, the razor necklace filled the screen. When it seemed to be displayed to the fullest, the camera pulled back, revealing the person wearing the necklace. A white neck was exposed, and a sky-blue shirt was visible. Wearing a black coat over the shirt and leather pants, the person's face was the only thing not revealed.

After a while, the person picked up the guitar placed beside them.

Looking at the guitar appearing on the screen, Tim Burton, with a shocked voice, said, "White Falcon? No way..?"

The man with the White Falcon on his shoulder started playing. The guitar sound reverberating from the TV was the genius guitarist Dimebag Darrell's. The sharp picking, giving the illusion of being struck all over the body, pierced through the minds of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Startled, Johnny Depp dropped the empty beer can to the floor.

The camera, illuminating the lower part of the man playing the guitar, blacked out again. After a while, the screen displayed the face of the leopard without fangs seen at the beginning. Whether it was CGI or not, the leopard's face distorted more and more savagely. Gradually, sharp teeth emerged where fangs should have been. The emerged teeth extended down below the jaw, almost reaching the neck.

The screen blacked out again, and red letters, as if tired, appeared on the screen.

"The leopard with fangs has returned!"

As the letters scattered, the screen blacked out once more.

Once again, as the screen focused on the band and Phil Anselmo soared while letting out a roar, Vinnie Paul played the drums with dynamic movements, and Rex Brown played the bass guitar, bending his head so low that his long hair touched the ground. As the band's music gradually intensified and the guitar's introduction played again, the camera swiftly swept from the head of White Falcon to the guitar body, finally revealing the guitarist's face.

Kei filled the screen with dynamic guitar playing, and soon Kei's face was close up. After meeting the camera with an expressionless face, Kei smirked after a few seconds.

The screen blacked out again, and white letters appeared on the screen.

"November 8th, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio."

After the scattered letters disappeared, new ones emerged.

"Thirteen years later, at the very place where the fang was lost, the legend is reborn."

The screen turned black again, and the whistle sound signaling the start of the second half of a soccer match was heard. Johnny Depp, who was watching the screen without taking a breath, suddenly exhaled as if he had forgotten to breathe and then hastily took a rough breath.

"Ah!! Huk, huk!! T, Team!! W, was that Ke, Kei just now?"

Looking at the TV broadcasting the soccer match with a vacant gaze, Team Button mumbled.

"This guy got into trouble again···"

Glancing at the half-empty beer on the table, Johnny Depp said, grabbing a new beer he brought.

"Why does he cause accidents every time he goes somewhere? The guy who said he would study···"

Johnny Depp, looking at Team Button with a surprised expression, suddenly stood up.

"Ah!!! T, Team!!! Where's the PC?"

Team Button looked at Johnny Depp, who had stood up, with an expression of disbelief.

"Why do you suddenly need a PC?"

Johnny Depp, rolling his feet nervously, shouted.

"The ticket!! The ticket!!! We need to book it!! Quickly!!! Where is it!?"

Team Button, with a puzzled look, asked while looking at Johnny Depp.

"Where is it?"

"Me, me! Phil Anselmo!!"

"Haha, wait a moment."

A deep and tough male voice came through the phone for a moment, and then Kei's voice flowed again.

"Hello? Johnny?"

"Oh!! Kei!! It's me!!"

"Yeah, I know. Still in Washington?"

"Uh, yeah! No, it's not that!! Just saw the ad."

"Oh, I saw it just now too. It was the first broadcast, so everyone gathered to watch."

"The, the best!! I was really shocked; my heart almost stopped!"

"Haha, I didn't know you were a Pantera fan."

"What are you talking about? Pantera is like a god to people my age, a god!"

"Haha, Philip. According to you, he's a god, haha."

After the voices of the men resonated from the phone for a while and Kei's voice flowed again.

"Shall I switch to the others next to me?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah!!!"

"Who should I switch with?"

"Me, me! Phil Anselmo!!"

"Haha, wait a moment."

After the voice of the thick and tough man came through the phone, a moment later, the voice of Kei came again.

"Yeah, Johnny."

"Yeah! Sorry, but can you get me some tickets?"

Team Button, who had been listening, raised his hand and tapped Johnny Depp, then Johnny Depp said again.

"Oh! Kei!! Can you also get tickets for me and Team? Just two!"

"Haha, I already reserved VIP seats. I guess our director has already sent them to Team Director's place?"

"Oh, really? Haha. As expected, Kei. Thank you!"

"Haha, not at all. See you that day, Johnny."

"Yeah! I'll definitely go!"

After listening to the voices of the men through the phone for a while and Kei's voice flowing again, Johnny Depp and Team Button, who had been listening, jumped up and gave each other a high-five.

>

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