Mad Party - Mad Hatter Chapter 6

[shivalries]

Season: Autumn

Location: Track Field

(The next day)



Izumi: "Attention!"

"Our red-and-white showdown, Mad Party, will soon begin! I sure hope you've prepared yourselves."

"We're gonna do a final check over the rules sent over HallHands. Clean out those ears and listen up! Got it?"

Arashi: First Tsukasa-chan, and now Izumi-chan with the big, flashy speeches... I know you've been in the same unit together, but really, why are you two so similar in such weird ways?

Tsukasa: Please do not call it "weird"... I truly am trying my very hardest as a leader.

Sena-senpai only won the right to speak when he soundly defeated me in rock-paper-scissors. Still, to think this would turn into a competition between Knights members...

I can only hope this helps everyone grow so that we may all perform together...

Leo: Right? No hard feelings if you win or lose! Plus, it'll make the auditions all the more exciting to look forward to.

Tsukasa: Indeed. Sena-senpai may appear to be out of control, but it remains true that this is an effective approach to achieving our goals. We must give it a try.

Either way, all we "White Knights" need to do is win.

Izumi: "You there! Pipe down!"

"Maybe you hate the fact that I'm the one up here right now, but I won fair and square, remember?"

"I don't care if you're the King, Kasa-kun—talking during my speech is forbidden!"

Tsukasa: Ah, my apologies. I did indeed slip into idle chatter.

Breaking our own rules is hardly the example I wish to set for our juniors. You have my full attention.

Izumi: "Good, as long as you get it ♪"

"The rules are simple. The juniors have been split into two teams: the Red Knights and the White Knights."

"The alumni and the Yumenosaki trio have also each been assigned to these two factions—"

"One that will rise to alumni standards, and one that prioritizes overall harmony."

"The Red Knights backed by the alumni, or the White Knights backed by the current students? We will prove, here and now, who has the superior approach ♪"

"So, as for how we'll decide on a winner... we'll be doing impromptu performances—guerilla lives—all around campus."

"We'll gather fans during the competition period, and then, on the final day, we'll perform simultaneous S3-level concerts. Whichever team has a bigger audience at the final performance is the winner."

Tsukasa: (raising a hand) Excuse me, I have a question.

Izumi: "What? Got a problem with my explanation?"

Tsukasa: No, not with the explanation.

I only wonder—is it truly necessary to have unofficial performances be what we use for publicity? I do believe that with the way Yumenosaki is now, we could very well make every performance an S3—

Izumi: "Isn't it obvious? That wouldn't be 'mad' enough."

Tsukasa: ...Pardon?

Izumi: "A 'mad hatter' prefers to do things in offbeat, nonsensical ways—they challenge taboos, and distance themselves from the mainstream..."

"This is the philosophy behind the fashion of Underland. Why restrict ourselves with school rules and DreamFes and all that?"

"I let you have S3 for the final day since you insisted on it, but I wouldn't have minded if everything from beginning to end was unofficial."

Tsukasa: Erm... This all seems to lean far too much on one's personal interpretation of "mad"...

Izumi: "Alright already. I answered your question, didn't I?"

"Anyway, it's almost time for the contest to begin. I hope you're all ready."

Leo: I am! I'm itching to get singing already!

I've been looking forward to performing with our cute little newbies ♪ C'mon guys, let's do our best as a team!

What d'you say to performing in front of the fountain first? Tons of people will see us! We've gotta get the ball rolling toward the final day's concert~☆

Izumi: Wai— Leo-kun?! You're already leaving?!

Uh, that's all for the rules, everybody! The White Knights can go ahead and start too!

Tsukasa: Well, they're already off, it seems.

Let us White Knights proceed to pre-performance preparations.

No need to rush; we can do as many performances as we like during the period. That's the special feature of Mad Party.

Haste makes waste, as they say. Let us aim to begin our first performance after the Red Knights finish theirs.

Arashi: So, what you mean is that we bide our time preparing, then snap up all of the Red Knights' audience.

I like it! Let's go snatch that win with our wily ways ♪

Ritsu:: Yeah. If we win, we won't have to split Knights into separate groups.

I'll help make the best out of this situation. I'm not really in the mood to split up any more units, after all...♪

Tsukasa: Thank you. I'll do my best as well—this is a good chance for me, too, to hone my skills against my seniors.

Now, let us begin preparations. We White Knights shall have the last laugh!

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