Rise of the Nadir: Coracao Arc

Coracoa, a place that will one day be known as the birthplace of divas Madoka and Kagura. But amidst this calm town a storm is brewing, a storm of sad ballads.

Characters

 * Ikazo - A twenty-six year old, veteran singer for . He's had a number of mild sized hits in the last few years, but has vastly fallen from his former glory days as a number one singer. The introduction of Madoka, a new singer at his label, brings with it much needed competition and a source of inspiration for him. He begins to release a series of chart topping singles that overshadow her debut, much to her chagrin.
 * Madoka - A nineteen-year old recently debuted singer. She is also signed to and became a singer in rebellion to her rich parents upbringing. While talented, she is like a rough gemstone and needs much polish. Her debut plans are ruined when Ikazo upstages her and his string of successes continue to overshadow her work. In addition, she is later revealed to be a very insecure person, contrary to the appearance that she normally portrays, and obtained plastic surgery prior to her debut. Her family disowned her as a result of this and after nearly ruining her life after a drinking party. Ikazo offers her a hand and slowly becomes a friend, teacher, and lover to her. He helps her to build confidence in herself and as a result, she begins to pour much needed "heart" into her songs, bringing her numbers slowly up the ranking. She later steals Ikazo's last song lyrics due to pressure and releases the song as her own. Ikazo realizes what she has done, but does not reveal the truth, instead he releases his version of the song and it easily beats her version on the charts. Learning much needed humility, Madoka apologizes to him and he forgives her, stealing her first kiss in the process. Their romance is short lived as prior to her love confession to him. He is found dead in an abandoned alley way.
 * Kagura - A street musician, she has respect for Ikazo and thinks of him as an older brother figure. She doesn't care too much for the Chart Wars that the major labels go through and sings only because of a promise she made. Ikazo's constant meddling into her affairs grows her love for music and though she never admits, her own feelings towards him. Knowing of his immense attraction to his muse, Madoka, she dismisses her feelings for him as more admiration than actual love.

Songs

 * "I Love You" The final song written by Ikazo as a confession to Madoka. She steals it in hopes of finally beating him, but is defeat by his true version of the song.
 * "Lost in a Wayward Storm" - A song that Kagura wrote and performed at Ikazo's funeral. It marks the her first official song debut into the charts and the song itself makes an impression on Mihli, who will later use it at every funeral of an Imperial Blade.

Terminology and Locations

 * Coracao - Sky Island where majority of the arc takes place.
 * Song Charts - Weekly ranking list of most popular songs.