A few hours later
Mikazukigumi Practice Area

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

1

Mikazukigumi Member A

Alright, let's try doing the showdown scene with Benkei at the Gojo Bridge again!
2

Tsukasa

Listen

Okay!
Are you ready, Emu...?
3

Emu

Listen

Ready when you are!
I'm gonna dodge all of your attacks!
4

Tsukasa

Listen

Big words!
Then, I'm going to throw everything I have at you!
5

Tsukasa

Listen

Hiyah!
6

Emu

Listen

(Here he comes!)
7

Emu

Listen

(He goes diagonally first, so I need to dodge by squatting... And then I need to jump backwards!)

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

8

Tsukasa

Listen

...!
9

Emu

Listen

(Next, he's gonna start jabbing at me really fast, so I need to twist to my right and...)

Sound Effect: Play

10

Mikazukigumi Member A

Stop there!
11

Mikazukigumi Member A

*Nod*
You two are doing great.
You've basically got that sequence down pat.
12

Mikazukigumi Member A

Which brings me to the finer details...
Tenma, you need to wield your naginata using your feet more instead of just your arms!
13

Tsukasa

Listen

Got it! I'll try improving my footwork.
14

Mikazukigumi Member A

What else is there...?

Sound Effect: Play

15

Kijima

Listen

How are things going?
16

Emu

Listen

Oh, Mr. Kijima!
You guys came too, Nene, Rui...?
17

Rui

Listen

We were practicing over there when we got called over. It's apparently time to show the results of today's practice.
18

Kijima

Listen

Are you two ready, Otori?
19

Mikazukigumi Members

They should be.
They've already been able to memorize the entire fight.
20

Kijima

Listen

Really?! That's great!
In that case, please begin once you're ready.
21

Nene

Listen

Oh, then... Can I start us off?
I wanna go while everything's still fresh in my head.
22

Emu

Listen

Okay! Break a leg, Nene!
23

Mikazukigumi Members

“Over eight hundred years ago, following the defeat of Minamoto no Yoshimoto at the hands of Taira no Kiyomori, the children of Yoshimoto found themselves in mortal danger.”

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

24

Emu

Listen

(Nene's playing Ushiwakamaru's mother, Tokiwa Gozen!)
25

Emu

Listen

(She bravely protects her children by fighting off the agents of the Taira clan who keep pursuing them.)
26

Nene

Listen

“Huff... Huff... Huff...
The Taira clan's henchmen are already here.”
27

Nene

Listen

“These children must live on...
They are to carry the Minamoto clan forward. The line must not be extinguished...”
28

Mikazukigumi Members

“There they are! After them!”
29

Nene

Listen

“I'm left with no choice...!”
30

Nene

Listen

“I was born into a family of warriors. If I must wield a blade to defend these children, then I shall...!”
31

Nene

Listen

“Hiyah!”

Sound Effect: Play

32

Mikazukigumi Members

“Your determination is admirable!
Unfortunately, the Minamoto clan must end here! Prepare yourself!”

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

33

Rui

Listen

“Hiyah!”
34

Tsukasa

Listen

He's so light on his feet...!
He really feels like Kurama Tengu. He's captured how powerful Ushiwakamaru's teacher is.
35

Nene

Listen

That isn't how I was taught to wield a sword. But I guess a tengu wouldn't use one the same way a human would...
36

Emu

Listen

This is so cool! Rui looks like he's flying!
37

Mikazukigumi Members

“No, he's too strong...
R-Retreat! Retreeeat!”

Sound Effect: Play

38

Rui

Listen

“Foolish humans...
Such is your punishment for desecrating these mountains with your filthy footprints...”
39

Rui

Listen

Thank you.
40

Kijima

Listen

Nice work! Now, last but not least...
41

Emu

Listen

Right! Me and Tsukasa!
42

Tsukasa

Listen

We'll be doing the scene where Ushiwakamaru and Benkei face off at the Gojo Bridge!
43

Kijima

Listen

Ah, the climax of this play.
Alright, start once you both feel ready...!
44

Emu

Listen

(Don't worry! You've got a good idea of what Ushiwakamaru's like...!)
45

Emu

Listen

(The Ushiwakamaru from this story loves to have fun, so it's easy for him to forget about what he was doing whenever he finds something that really excites him...)
46

Emu

Listen

(All that's left is for me to really immerse myself...!)
47

Mikazukigumi Members

“Time would then pass... By the time Ushiwakamaru had turned fifteen, he'd become a warrior in his own right. However, he would also have to choose his path moving forward...”

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48

Mikazukigumi Members

“Meanwhile, in Kyoto, word of a crazed monk attacking people night after night and robbing them of their swords would begin spreading.”
49

Mikazukigumi Members

“And on this fateful night, he would wait at his usual bridge to run into none other than...”
50

Rui

Listen

(So it begins.
I'm looking forward to seeing how they move during this scene.)
51

Nene

Listen

(From what I remember, Ushiwakamaru has to keep dodging Benkei's attacks...)
52

Nene

Listen

(Which leaves such a big impression on Benkei that he feels he can't win and decides to pledge his services to Ushiwakamaru...)
53

Nene

Listen

(They can't just recite their lines.
They have to also move in a way that makes their characters feel true to life.)
54

Tsukasa

Listen

“One last sword to complete my collection of a thousand! Tonight, my vow comes to fruition...!”
55

Tsukasa

Listen

“Drop your katana and leave this place!
Only then shall I spare your life!”
56

Emu

Listen

“Oh, have you no manners?
Put away that dreadful thing and look up to the sky.”
57

Emu

Listen

“See how beautiful the moon is tonight?”
58

Tsukasa

Listen

“What nonsense do you speak?!
If you refuse to surrender, then it is my naginata you shall face...!”
59

Tsukasa

Listen

*Roar*

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

60

Emu

Listen

“Hey, now.”

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

61

Nene

Listen

(Th-That was amazing...
Tsukasa's one thing, but Emu too... She flew so high while jumping backwards...)
62

Mikazukigumi Members

Hey, they're pretty good!
63

Kijima

Listen

Yeah, they are...
64

Kijima

Listen

(But...)
65

Tsukasa

Listen

“Quit fooling around!
You are a mere child... But if you are going to call yourself a warrior, then unsheathe your katana and fight me!”
66

Emu

Listen

“Saying that only makes me want to take you even less seriously. Oh, missed me... Missed again...”

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

67

Tsukasa

Listen

“You insolent little...!”

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

68

Rui

Listen

(She jumped straight over Tsukasa...!)
69

Tsukasa

Listen

“What?!”
70

Emu

Listen

“Hup... There.”

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

71

Rui

Listen

(Ushiwakamaru slips behind Benkei, takes out his fan and forces his opponent to his knees in shock... The decisive moment.)
72

Rui

Listen

(It's supposed to be an epic duel, but to think that they were able to polish it into something so spectacular in such a short amount of time...)
73

Rui

Listen

(I'm glad I chose Emu to be our Ushiwakamaru. She's captured his free-spirited nature marvelously.)
74

Rui

Listen

(That being said...)
75

Rui

Listen

(Something feels a bit off for some reason...)
76

Tsukasa

Listen

That's it!
Thank you all very much!
77

Emu

Listen

(Yes...!
That felt like our best attempt of the day!)
78

Emu

Listen

(I even nailed that big jump I spent so much time practicing!)
79

Emu

Listen

(I bet Mr. Kijima and the others are gonna be so...)

Sound Effect: Play

80

Kijima

Listen

Alright, good performance...!

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81

Kijima

Listen

I wasn't expecting to see such a high-quality first attempt. Naturally, there are things I'd like to teach you moving forward, but you've shown me plenty today...!
82

Kijima

Listen

I was particularly impressed by the showdown between Ushiwakamaru and Benkei in the end there. Your acrobatics were stunning, Otori!
83

Emu

Listen

Really...?!
Hehe. Thank you very much!
84

Kijima

Listen

However, well...
85

Kijima

Listen

It felt a bit bland.
86

Emu

Listen

Huh?
87

Emu

Listen

W-Wait, do you mean we need to improve the way we move during our sword fight?
88

Kijima

Listen

No, that's not what I'm talking about...
Obviously, it's important to put on a compelling sword fight. That can be achieved through practice.
89

Kijima

Listen

What I'm trying to say is that there's something missing from your acting...
90

Emu

Listen

There's something missing...?
91

Kijima

Listen

Yeah...
92

Kijima

Listen

It might be easier to just show you an example.
Next Chapter: What Acting Means