Aim Higher and Higher!

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1

Kohane

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The world's biggest music festival...
2

Slade

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Wait, Lasting ECHO Fest...?
You guys are gonna be performing there, Taiga?!
3

An

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I've heard the name before.
4

An

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But the only thing I know is that it's a really, really big music festival...
5

Ken

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It's a festival where artists from all around the world gather to perform.
6

Ken

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Top-level musicians from every genre you can imagine. Rock, jazz, classical, street and even traditional folk. It takes place over three days and three nights.
7

Toya

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Three days and three nights...?!
8

Taiga

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And we're not being figurative.
It's three days of nonstop music.
9

Taiga

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Everyone there, the artists and the crowd both, is going to sing and play until they have nothing left to give.
10

Kohane

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That sounds like such an amazing festival...
11

Cedric

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Yeah. The lineup for SONIC NOTES was pretty honestly ridiculous...
12

Cedric

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But Lasting ECHO Fest is in a league of its own.
13

Akito

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Yeah, I've heard...
Only the best of the best in the entire world get to perform at Lasting ECHO Fest.
14

Taiga

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That's right.
15

Taiga

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The sheer number of sponsors, artists and people who come to watch...
16

Taiga

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No other event comes close to even touching Lasting ECHO Fest. In other words...
17

Taiga

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Getting to sing there is proof that you're one of the world's best.
18

Akito

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One of the world's best...
19

Kohane

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...
20

Kohane

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(Lasting ECHO Fest...)
21

Kohane

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(An event that's even bigger than the one we just experienced.)
22

Kohane

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(People from all over the world are going to come and watch.)

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23

Kohane

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I want to perform in it...
24

Kohane

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I thought something after seeing you two perform today, Taiga.
25

Kohane

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I want to sing like that...
I want to grab our audience's hearts and light a fire under them.

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26

Kohane

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I want us to turn the world upside down with our music.
27

Kohane

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That's what it means to stand on top of the world!
28

An

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I thought the same thing!
29

An

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I want to perform at the biggest event in the world and get the crowd going more than anybody else...
30

An

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Then we can say that we're standing on top of the world, right?!
31

Toya

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Our goal seems much clearer to me now as well.
32

Toya

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To stand on stage, sing and create that level of excitement.
33

Akito

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Sounds like we're all decided.
34

Akito

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All that's left is for us to keep running until we get there.
35

Akito

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I don't care how unprepared we are. It's happening. We're gonna stand on top of the world!
36

Cedric

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Sounds like we have the same destination in mind.
37

Kohane

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Huh?
38

Slade

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We feel the same way!
How could we not after seeing that performance?!
39

Cedric

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Right. It reminded me of the first time we ever saw RADder sing.
40

Cedric

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I felt just as excited...
No, my heart was racing even faster.
41

An

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You guys too...?!
42

Taiga

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I like your guts. Well...
43

Taiga

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Go and give it your best shot.
44

Taiga

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Oh, but...
I can also reward your guts with a bit of good news.
45

An

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Good news?
46

Taiga

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Like I said, only the best of the best get to appear at Lasting ECHO Fest.
47

Taiga

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Honestly, we're mostly going because we got lucky.
48

Slade

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Really...?
49

Taiga

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I'm sure they've got a bunch of criteria for who they pick, but...
Either way, you guys aren't even on their radar.
50

Taiga

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However, you still have a chance.

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51

Toya

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What do you mean?
52

Ken

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A little while before this year's festival, they decided to start looking for up-and-coming new artists who are hot right now. Sort of a “focus on the new generation” type of deal.
53

Ken

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So, they've decided to open one slot per genre. The young artists who are chosen will get to perform as the opening acts...
54

Ken

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And yeah, I mean on the main stage at Lasting ECHO Fest.
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An

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So basically, if you can prove you're the best in your genre, you get to perform in the festival?
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Akito

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Wait, how do they decide who's the best?
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Taiga

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For street music, that slot will be reserved for the winners of a certain event.
58

Slade

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A certain event?
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Taiga

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RUSH BEATS.
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Taiga

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It's a tournament where young artists like you will be competing for a chance to perform at Lasting ECHO Fest.
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Taiga

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It takes place here in the United States, but anyone is free to enter as long as they're of a certain skill level.
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Taiga

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Doesn't it sound like a golden opportunity?
63

Kohane

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...!
64

Taiga

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We're going to get the crowd going more than anyone else at Lasting ECHO Fest. We'll be the ones standing on top of the world...
65

Taiga

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If you want to fight for that title, then come and get it.
66

Taiga

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Win at RUSH BEATS and then come and stand in our way.
67

Taiga

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That is, if you can.
68

Kohane

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Us performing at the world's biggest music festival...?!
69

Slade

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We're not gonna let this chance slip, are we?!
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Akito

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No way!
Not if it means a shot at standing on that stage.
71

An

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Yeah. And...
72

An

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The view from up there is probably what lies beyond Aunt Nagi's dream.
73

An

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So, we have to go...!
74

Cedric

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Which makes us rivals.
75

Toya

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It is a tournament, so it is likely we'll face off against each other.
76

Toya

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However...
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Toya

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If that slot is on the line, then we can't afford to lose.
78

Slade

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That's what I like to hear!
And there's no way we're gonna let you guys walk away with it!
79

Akito

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Hah. Alright, challenge accepted.
80

Taiga

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Heh. Ah, youth.
81

Ken

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Yeah, but I like your guys' moxie.

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82

Kohane

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I want us to turn the world upside down with our music.
83

Kohane

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That's what it means to stand on top of the world!
84

Ken

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Man. This feels kind of nostalgic, huh?
85

Taiga

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Nostalgic? It's making me want to crawl out of my skin.
It's like someone's making me look at a mirror.
86

Ken

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Haha. Yeah, I get that.

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87

Taiga

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They're really trying to reach the same place as us.
88

Taiga

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But we're not about to let them play through.
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Taiga

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They may be aiming for the same goal, but we're going to get there first. Yeah?
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Ken

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Yeah.