Leo Substory: Chapter 2 (intro)

[shivalries]

Season: Summer

---

Location: Hallway



Tsukasa: Quickly now, everyone! Hurry up! This is an emergency!

Arashi: Wha— Tsukasa-chan? What's going on, exactly?

Knights aren't supposed to meet today, right? I have a track meet coming up soon, and I need to go to practice.

Well, I'm pretty sure I can get good enough results even without practicing... But if I have the choice, I'd rather go for the top, right?

Plus, if I don't show my face every so often, the other club members will forget what I look like.

Then it'll get harder to interrupt that harmonious club atmosphere, leaving me feeling a little blue.

Ritsu: Auu... Auu, uuu, uhh?

Arashi: Hold on, Tsukasa-chan. I don't mind you dragging Ritsu-chan around, but you should at least give him your shoulder to lean on.

When you're dragging him by the legs like that, his head keeps bumping against the ground.

Tsukasa: My apologies! Come help, Narukami-senpai! You too, Sena-senpai!

Unfortunately, there is no time to wake Ritsu-senpai up, so we shall hasten like a speedy train! Express... ☆

Arashi: Goodness... What happened? This isn't like Tsukasa-chan. Do you know anything, Izumi-chan?

Izumi: Not really. He was talking about Knights' leader or something, but there's no way he's back, is there?

Tsukasa: There is, in fact, a way, Sena-senpai ♪

It pains me so to act upon my own authority without asking permission, but...

I had tasked Onee-sama with finding Knights' leader, who has been missing for quite some time ♪

Arashi: Oh yeah? And then she found him? Really does sound like an emergency, then ♪

Our King, well... Once he disappears, it's quite the challenge to find him again.

The way he up and vanishes has even the police scratching their heads. We've had our share of headaches over that, too.

How did Anzu-chan manage to find him, I wonder?

Tsukasa: I do not know, but I've asked Onee-sama to keep him pinned to the studio for now!

We must go to greet him before he tries to disappear again!

Arashi: Couldn't you have gone by yourself, then? We already know who he is, though I don't mind seeing him, since it's been a while.

Izumi: It's about time we replenish our weapons, anyway ♪

And since we have the chance... Why don't we get him to resign and appoint me as leader of Knights instead?

With a guy who goes missing half the time sitting at the top, we'd have trouble just getting paperwork done to perform, right? That's a toooootal pain!

Tsukasa: That's enough chit-chat, everyone! We have arrived at the studio for our very first audience with the king we Knights serve! Ahh, how exhilarating!

Now everyone, at attention! ☆

---

Location: Studio



Tsukasa: Pardon the intrusion! All members of Knights have now arrived! ♪

Oh, Onee-sama? Ah, my deepest apologies for surprising you when I opened the door so forcefully! ♪

You look a bit lost—but why? Where is Knights' leader?

Ritsu: Hrngh... All that bumping got me wide awake now. I heard something about a leader—is His Majesty back?

Tsukasa: Heh, so you refer to our leader as His Majesty! Which means you have sworn your loyalty to him and regard him with respect! He must be a truly splendid individual... ☆

Leo: Ahhh, it's coming! The inspiration!

Tsukasa: ...Oh, my. What is this? There seems to be a person in here scribbling music notes across the floor and walls with a marker.

An intruder, perhaps? Let us throw him out immediately, shall we? ♪

Leo: Wahahaha! ☆ So that stupid Emperor's been defeated? There's been a revolution?

What the heck? Yumenosaki's gotten interesting while I was gone... ☆

Ah! Don't give me any details yet! The opera begins once all the core cast has made an appearance!

It cannot be stopped! My imagination encompasses the universe... ☆

Wahahaha! ☆ Wahahahahaha! ☆ Wahahahahahahaha! ☆

Arashi: Mmm? Looks like His Majesty's in his own little world as usual.

Tsukasa: Pardon? Er, by "His Majesty", you mean... that inexplicable degenerate is the leader of Knights?

Arashi: Yup. He really did come back... ♪

Come on, Your Majesty! That's enough being weird, you're scaring the newbie! Don't write on the walls, either, okay? The teachers will get mad!

Leo: Hunh? Ah... Ahh! Naru! Been a while! Still giving me the creeps, huh?

Arashi: Mnaagh? THAT'S the first thing out of your mouth? You wound me!

Leo: You're getting all wiggly and it looks funny! I love you—adore you! ☆

Ohh, Rittsu and Sena are here too! Been ten and two thousand years since I saw you two! At least it feels like it!

Doing well, my Knights? ♪

Tsukasa: Er...?

Leo: Oh, there's a guy I don't know here! Wait a moment! Lemme think who you are!

There must be a clue somewhere—something that'll make my ideas take flight! And the opera begins... ☆

Maybe you're an alien?! Ucchu! This is a space greeting I made up but I guess that's not relevant right now, huh? Wahahaha! ☆

Wait, wait, that doesn't matter right now! Outta my way! I'm in the middle of writing something incredible! Come bear witness to the birth of a masterpiece!

Rghh! I have to write on the walls 'cause I don't have any paper! But the strange feeling of writing like this is kinda stimulating somehow! ♪

Makes my shoulders all stiff, though! Somebody gimme a massage, quick! I'll turn that feeling into a melody, too!

Tsukasa: E-Er...?

Arashi: Leave him be, Tsukasa-chan. Our King's always been one of those extreme artistic types, you know?

Once he's in the composing zone, he'll even forget to eat.

I don't think he'll come back to his senses for a while ♪

Tsukasa: I-Is that so? I'd really hoped I could say hello to our leader, though...

Izumi: Is it really that necessary? It's not like he listens to anybody, anyway.

Not that I'm one to talk, but it's a total disaster trying to get him to cooperate with anything. Kinda fitting for the head honcho of Knights, if you ask me ♪

By the way, his physical abilities are beyond incredible, and his dancing's nothing short of superhuman.

He likes to mix up the choreography when he feels like it, so we can't take advantage of that during performances, though.

He's also not a bad singer, but he doesn't often sing because, I quote, he "doesn't like to sing things himself".

Tsukasa: What?! Why is such a useless— Pardon, such a person so lacking in respectable virtues appointed as our leader?

Leo: Oh, huh? What the heck am I doing at Yumenosaki? Somebody tell me! No, stop—don't say anything!

Let me think! There's a melody hidden in there somewhere... ☆

I remember now! You guys are having a concert tomorrow! All of you in Knights! ♪

Izumi: Sorry? What do you think you're doing, randomly showing up one day and telling us to perform?

Leo: Well, Anzu's already taken up the task! It's her reward for telling me about everything that happened at Yumenosaki while I was gone.

Though I did tell her she didn't have to and I could fill in the gaps with my imagination...

But she just went on talking, and I heard it all! I can't let that debt go unpaid—and besides, it sounds fun! ☆

Wait right there! I'm writing something right now, and it should be ready for tomorrow!

The melody's already done, and with the variable of that newbie guy thrown in, this is shaping up to be something interesting!

Wahahaha... ☆ It's come, it's come—inspiration!

Arashi: Yes, yes, His Majesty does what His Majesty pleases. With the songs you create—with our new weapons, we can destroy all before us ♪

Still, don't forget to eat and sleep, okay? We can't have you passing out on us now.

Anzu-chan, he might be a bit of a handful, but could you look after him for us?

Looks like things are going to get busy very soon... ♪

Ritsu: Heh heh. It's been a while since... No, it'll be the first time for us to perform with our full lineup ♪

Izumi: Excuse me? I haven't approved anything about this performance yet!

Well, guess there's no reason to refuse. Now that the King's back, Trickstar and those other fools won't be acting so snooty anymore ♪

Tsukasa: W-Why are you all agreeing?! I cannot keep up!

Though I must admit it's fascinating to see the rather fragmented Knights exhibit such a strange sense of unity...

O-Onee-samaaa? What do you suppose I do?

Leo: Hey you, shape up! A knight must be bold and proud! Despicable yet daring! Ugly and yet beautiful—ahh, this all sounds so cliche!

Forget all that! Just act like you never heard it!

You can relax, Newbie! Leave your heart to your senses and your body to fate, and slowly untangle yourself from it all!

Ahhh, words aren't enough! I need music!

In any case! Prepare for battle, my Knights!

Now, just for fun, let's turn this chessboard on its head! I won't let anybody say no to me—for I am the naked king! Wahahaha! ☆

---

< Chapter 1