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shivalries) wrote2024-08-26 03:48 pm
shivalries) wrote2024-08-26 03:48 pm
Gambit - Night Stalker Chapter 6
Season: Winter
---
Location: ES Studio
Izumi: Exactly. "Cide-R" is the pen name Leo-kun works under when providing songs to King Slayer.
Tsukasa: Do you mean to say that Leo-san is working together with the enemy, King Slayer?
Izumi: Looks like you've already pinned them as enemies, but King Slayer haven't really done anything to antagonize us, have they?
We settled everything privately during the last incident, and since then we've both been doing our own thing.
Also, Leo-kun works independently as a composer; his work isn't exclusive to us or anything.
If King Slayer asks for a commission, of course he'd make something for them.
Tsukasa: I now understand how King Slayer has made such incredible leaps and bounds.
Like us, they have acquired the "weapons" that are Leo-san's compositions.
Izumi: Yeah, exactly. You might not fully understand it since you weren't around during the war era, but Leo-kun's songs are powerful weapons that can turn the tide of battle in an instant—rather than any old weapons, they're like artillery.
After getting their hands on a large amount of "real firearms", even those ex-plagiarists of King Slayer attained world fame.
Yet, here I am, still struggling to get my foot in the door...
It was pissing me off seeing Leo-kun get all the glory, so I tried to avoid looking for information about King Slayer.
And that's why I didn't notice anything was off and failed to notify you in time, so... sorry.
Arashi: Oh my, it's rare to get an honest apology out of you.
Izumi: This particular thing is 100% my fault, after all.
Arashi: But even then, normal Izumi-chan wouldn't dare apologize under any circumstances...
Ooooh, but what if... Mmmm? I seeee... So that's the case!
Izumi: What's with that "I know every little thing about Izumi-chan" face, huh? It's actually annoying.
Arashi: Why, I'm your childhood friend! Of course I'd know you like I know myself, Izumi-chan! Ohoho ♪
Right now, Knights and King Slayer are standing at odds with one another.
This is way beyond sending salt to the enemy—Leo-kun's sending them weapons. It wouldn't be strange to imagine he'd get flak for helping the other side. [1]
So, in a rare fit of kindness, you're playing along and making sure Leo-kun takes less of the blame.
Ever since you were little, Izumi-chan, you'd have these incredibly rare moments when you'd become a really sweet person who knows how to be considerate.
Izumi: Like I said, can you not talk like you know everything about me? Tooootally annoying!
Tsukasa: —I've taken another listen to King Slayer's music.
It's so subtle that it would have to be pointed out, but that "Cide-R" character's music does carry a certain quality to it that is similar to Leo-san's.
Though, it's quite a bit more, er... melancholic, perhaps, than Leo-san's usual work.
Izumi: His style changes dramatically with each pseudonym... And yet, there's a certain quirk, a certain flair that he can't quite hide.
At the same time, he's a pure professional when it comes to composing. Whatever people want from him, he provides the best of the best, without fail.
Arashi: Leo-kun's music has been an enormous help to us, too.
No, that's an understatement—the whole reason that we were able to climb from rock bottom to beautifully bloom once more, and gain fame and flattery as one of ES's big 3 is because—
Tsukasa: ......
Arashi: Ah! Of course, it wasn't all Leo-kun. This is also the result of all of our hard work under your leadership, Tsukasa-chan—
Tsukasa: No, er, I mean... You honor me.
More importantly, though, please take a look at this.
Arashi: Hmmm...?
Tsukasa: I looked up King Slayer on my phone, but as I laid eyes on their most recent video upload, I saw something unspeakably outrageous...
What... do you make of this?
—
Location: Stage
Leo: "♪~♪~♪"
Ritsu: "~...♪"
—
Location: ES Studio
Izumi: Wh-What the—? Leo-kun... Kuma-kun?
Arashi: This... isn't a Knights video, right? Tsukasa-chan, you said this was King Slayer's most recent upload, right?
Tsukasa: Yes, or so it appears. I have no memory of this particular stage. And there, standing beside Leo-san and Ritsu-senpai, are not us, but...
K-King Slayer...
Arashi: But, that...
Tsukasa: It's difficult to believe, but I cannot see it as anything else but Leo-san and Ritsu-senpai, for whatever reason, standing onstage as part of King Slayer...
Izumi: So they've defected to King Slayer's side?!
Tsukasa: Th-That can't be... I haven't heard a word of this!
I-I must confirm the veracity of this at onc— whoa?!
There's an enormous amount of calls flooding in right now!
Arashi: Hrm... I bet everyone who watched that strange video started sending inquiries all at once.
Tsukasa: I-I do not have an answer for any of them, though!
Izumi: God damn it! Did Leo-kun drop his phone somewhere again, 'cause he's not picking up!
Arashi: I-I'll try calling Ritsu-chan. He might be asleep at this hour, though...
Tsukasa: Just... what on earth is happening right now?
Izumi: I dunno, but better prepare for the worst...
We might be in deeper shit than we thought.
---
[1] Japanese idiom: 敵に塩を送る "to send salt to the enemy", meaning to help an enemy who is in dire straits rather than taking advantage of their weakness, either out of kindness or as part of a bigger strategy. Normally I'll try to find an equivalent English idiom for Japanese idioms, but since this one was so literal in this context, it was unavoidable. ↑
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 5 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 7 >
---
Location: ES Studio
Izumi: Exactly. "Cide-R" is the pen name Leo-kun works under when providing songs to King Slayer.
Tsukasa: Do you mean to say that Leo-san is working together with the enemy, King Slayer?
Izumi: Looks like you've already pinned them as enemies, but King Slayer haven't really done anything to antagonize us, have they?
We settled everything privately during the last incident, and since then we've both been doing our own thing.
Also, Leo-kun works independently as a composer; his work isn't exclusive to us or anything.
If King Slayer asks for a commission, of course he'd make something for them.
Tsukasa: I now understand how King Slayer has made such incredible leaps and bounds.
Like us, they have acquired the "weapons" that are Leo-san's compositions.
Izumi: Yeah, exactly. You might not fully understand it since you weren't around during the war era, but Leo-kun's songs are powerful weapons that can turn the tide of battle in an instant—rather than any old weapons, they're like artillery.
After getting their hands on a large amount of "real firearms", even those ex-plagiarists of King Slayer attained world fame.
Yet, here I am, still struggling to get my foot in the door...
It was pissing me off seeing Leo-kun get all the glory, so I tried to avoid looking for information about King Slayer.
And that's why I didn't notice anything was off and failed to notify you in time, so... sorry.
Arashi: Oh my, it's rare to get an honest apology out of you.
Izumi: This particular thing is 100% my fault, after all.
Arashi: But even then, normal Izumi-chan wouldn't dare apologize under any circumstances...
Ooooh, but what if... Mmmm? I seeee... So that's the case!
Izumi: What's with that "I know every little thing about Izumi-chan" face, huh? It's actually annoying.
Arashi: Why, I'm your childhood friend! Of course I'd know you like I know myself, Izumi-chan! Ohoho ♪
Right now, Knights and King Slayer are standing at odds with one another.
This is way beyond sending salt to the enemy—Leo-kun's sending them weapons. It wouldn't be strange to imagine he'd get flak for helping the other side. [1]
So, in a rare fit of kindness, you're playing along and making sure Leo-kun takes less of the blame.
Ever since you were little, Izumi-chan, you'd have these incredibly rare moments when you'd become a really sweet person who knows how to be considerate.
Izumi: Like I said, can you not talk like you know everything about me? Tooootally annoying!
Tsukasa: —I've taken another listen to King Slayer's music.
It's so subtle that it would have to be pointed out, but that "Cide-R" character's music does carry a certain quality to it that is similar to Leo-san's.
Though, it's quite a bit more, er... melancholic, perhaps, than Leo-san's usual work.
Izumi: His style changes dramatically with each pseudonym... And yet, there's a certain quirk, a certain flair that he can't quite hide.
At the same time, he's a pure professional when it comes to composing. Whatever people want from him, he provides the best of the best, without fail.
Arashi: Leo-kun's music has been an enormous help to us, too.
No, that's an understatement—the whole reason that we were able to climb from rock bottom to beautifully bloom once more, and gain fame and flattery as one of ES's big 3 is because—
Tsukasa: ......
Arashi: Ah! Of course, it wasn't all Leo-kun. This is also the result of all of our hard work under your leadership, Tsukasa-chan—
Tsukasa: No, er, I mean... You honor me.
More importantly, though, please take a look at this.
Arashi: Hmmm...?
Tsukasa: I looked up King Slayer on my phone, but as I laid eyes on their most recent video upload, I saw something unspeakably outrageous...
What... do you make of this?
—
Location: Stage
Leo: "♪~♪~♪"
Ritsu: "~...♪"
—
Location: ES Studio
Izumi: Wh-What the—? Leo-kun... Kuma-kun?
Arashi: This... isn't a Knights video, right? Tsukasa-chan, you said this was King Slayer's most recent upload, right?
Tsukasa: Yes, or so it appears. I have no memory of this particular stage. And there, standing beside Leo-san and Ritsu-senpai, are not us, but...
K-King Slayer...
Arashi: But, that...
Tsukasa: It's difficult to believe, but I cannot see it as anything else but Leo-san and Ritsu-senpai, for whatever reason, standing onstage as part of King Slayer...
Izumi: So they've defected to King Slayer's side?!
Tsukasa: Th-That can't be... I haven't heard a word of this!
I-I must confirm the veracity of this at onc— whoa?!
There's an enormous amount of calls flooding in right now!
Arashi: Hrm... I bet everyone who watched that strange video started sending inquiries all at once.
Tsukasa: I-I do not have an answer for any of them, though!
Izumi: God damn it! Did Leo-kun drop his phone somewhere again, 'cause he's not picking up!
Arashi: I-I'll try calling Ritsu-chan. He might be asleep at this hour, though...
Tsukasa: Just... what on earth is happening right now?
Izumi: I dunno, but better prepare for the worst...
We might be in deeper shit than we thought.
---
[1] Japanese idiom: 敵に塩を送る "to send salt to the enemy", meaning to help an enemy who is in dire straits rather than taking advantage of their weakness, either out of kindness or as part of a bigger strategy. Normally I'll try to find an equivalent English idiom for Japanese idioms, but since this one was so literal in this context, it was unavoidable. ↑
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 5 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 7 >