Handbeat Clocktower

"What exactly is "evil"?"

- Kyle Marlon

Handbeat Clocktower is a song released by Akuno-P on March 30, 2012. It is the seventh song in Story of Evil, following Kyle Marlon as he prepares to confront his mother, Queen Dowager Prim.

Plot
In Castle Hedgehog, Kyle Marlon walks to the top of the Handbeat Clocktower. He questions whether Prim Marlon, sitting and laughing at the top, is a "demon" or his "mother." Walking up the stairs, he speaks of how he once painted a picture of Ney, and how a woman with "evil intentions" created the Seven Deadly Sins, which started everything. Yukina Freesis reminds him that the right path hasn't vanished yet and that the "Story of Evil" has now ended. Kyle claims he will not hesitate to dispense justice, even if he has to turn his blade towards his mother and sister. He then laments of how he is tired of despair and that his heart feels empty. Yukina comforts him, saying that they will pray for the "endless rain" to finally stop.

Kyle then encounters Ney at the top of the tower, possessed by the Demon of Gluttony. Although she gains the upper hand, Germaine Avadonia comes to Kyle's rescue. Kyle believes that one day, when he can laugh at his past suffering, he will write the "true story" of what happened. Arriving at the top of the clocktower, he ponders if Prim, now decaying on the chair, was indeed a "demon" or his "mother."

Composition
KAITO's vocals are utilized for the song, with Kaai Yuki, Kagamine Len, and Kagamine Rin's vocals used as backup. Piano, drums, electric guitar, and a special input from a YAMAHA keyboard to achieve the harp sound are used for instrumentals.

The song begins with the signature lyric, followed by an opening instrumental. At 0.51, the first verse begins, and by 1.13, a variation of the instrumental begins, followed by an instrumental break at 1.24. At 1.36, the second verse begins, and at 1.59, the pre-chorus begins, with vocals from Kaai Yuki,by 2.03, both KAITO and Yuki sing together through the first chorus at 2.21. At 2.44, a brief instrumental break plays until the second verse at 2.55. At 3.18, Yuki joins the song again for the second pre-chorus, by 3.39 the second chorus begins, lasting until 4.02, when another instrumental begins. The "lu li la" melody is sung by Rin and Len in the break until 4.36. The final chorus begins afterwards, sung by KAITO and Yuki until 4.58. The opening instrumental plays until the song's end.

Lyrics
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Heartbeat Clocktower
Heartbeat Clocktower shares a similar melody and arrangement with Handbeat Clocktower, as well as containing similar imagery.

Appearances
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Conceptualization and Origin

 * The song's title references the clocktower Kyle ascends as he prepares to confront his mother.
 * The song is a rearrangement of Heartbeat Clocktower, created for the promotion of The Daughter of Evil: Praefacio of Blue and included in Four Melodies of Evil ~The Daughter of Evil Novel Music Collection~.

Curiosities

 * The song PV is mostly composed of images from The Daughter of Evil novels.
 * Interestingly, both songs maintain a grey gear in their song PV with Heartbeat Clocktower's gear turning blue, representing Gear, and the final silhouette seen with the gear in Handbeat Clocktower being Kyle.
 * When Ney reveals herself in the attire of Banica Conchita, her pose is reminiscent of her concept art.
 * During the song PV, the reflections of Ney and Germaine are seen on the Glass of Conchita, referencing their connection to Banica; similarly, the reflections of Kyle and Prim are seen on the Marlon Spoon, referencing their lineage to Gallerian.
 * In the beginning, four spinning images can be seen: a yellow stair case, a green gear, a red flower and a blue doll; their order matches the order in which the The Daughter of Evil light novels were released.

Gallery
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