Rebellion - The Thorny Path Chapter 3

[shivalries]

Season: Summer

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Location: Soundproof Practice Room



Ritsu: *yawn* ♪

Hey, Su~chan... Once I get all warmed up, I can join your practice session.

I think I heard it while half-asleep, but you wanted a mentor, right?

Tsukasa: Oh? That would be most welcome, but are you alright with that?

Ritsu: Uh-huh. Anija's having a grand old time being a teacher for Trickstar, so I'm just copying him. Plus, the stronger my allies are, the easier I'll have it...♪

I'm a pretty strict teacher, though, little knightling...♪

Tsukasa: Aaah! Oooh...! This is too great an honor! I am so very touched! ☆

To think the ever-sluggish Ritsu-senpai would say something so promising! You are serious, correct? Not the usual fleeting whim?

Ritsu: Yep. Buuut let's get to it before I change my mind, mmkay? It's already starting to sound like a pain.

Show me a quick runthrough first. I'll point out the goods and bads of it...♪

You see, Anzu was worried about you 'cause you seemed a little stuck, Su~chan.

Or something like that... I think I heard her say it somewhere in my dreams...?

I feel the same way as you, Su~chan. Knights may be a bunch of individualists, but that doesn't mean we have to be alone.

We don't have to take care of every little thing by ourselves. At least, I'm of the opinion that the smartest choice is to leave the annoying stuff to everyone else...

The best kind of victory is an easy one. ♪

If you're always this super serious, you're gonna trip and fall even with the lights on, y'know?

Just take it easy~ Life is pretty long, if you think about it. You'd look pretty silly if you rushed through things only to get yourself in an accident, right~? ♪

Though I guess one of the pleasures of being old is watching little kids try to do the impossible. So I'll stick with you here until you can't take it anymore.

Prepare yourself, Su~chan. ♪



You can't stop a sleeper express so easily once it takes off. While you're still off in dreamland, I'll whisk you away to an unfamiliar place.

I'll make sure to toughen you up. I promised Anzu I would, too.

She said I could have some of her blood if we won. A pinky promise...♪

Tsukasa: Onee-sama... You shouldn't make such promises so lightly.

Seeing as it's Ritsu-senpai, you could have waited three days or so and he'll have forgotten already.

Ritsu: Gee, do you think I'm senile...? Come on, just get dancing already.

Maybe I should show you an example first? What a troublesome little toddler you are. ♪

Tsukasa: Very well, let us dance together. One, two, three...♪



Arashi: Oh my goodness gracious me! Look at you two being so chummy! What a pleasant surprise. ♪

Tsukasa: Oh, Narukami-senpai! I was getting concerned since you disappeared for a while... Where have you been?

Arashi: Fufu. Juuust a little reconnaissance. I mean, we should at least know who our enemies are before we have to fight them...

Using every trick in the book before starting the battle is just basic war strategy, you know. ♪

So anyway, I was with Izumi-chan, and we were looking into this "temporary unit" thing that our king put together.

You wouldn't believe how much of a pain that was.

Tsukasa: You were with Sena-senpai...? He doesn't seem the type to enjoy that sort of legwork.

Arashi: Ehehe, Izumi-chan's actually pretty good at that kind of thing. You'd be surprised at how much of a hard worker he is.

You can't survive three years at Yumenosaki with just a pretty face, you know?

And out of all of us, Izumi-chan's known our king the longest... He's a perfect fit for this, right?

But apparently his part of the investigation's dragging along, so he's a little late getting over here.

Seems like His Majesty's roped the head honcho of the Broadcasting Committee into his circle, and it's been absolute hell trying to get any info.

Tsukasa: The Broadcasting Committee... So you mean Nazuna Nito-senpai from Ra*bits?

Arashi: That's the one. Gathering information is the Broadcasting Committee's specialty, so I wish we could've asked them for help...

Having them as enemies is pretty bad news. The info was so well-hidden, it was a whole struggle and a half just to figure out who our opponents are.

But you know, we got a good lead when we asked Makoto Yuuki-kun from the same committee. It's all about the connections, darling. ♪

Tsukasa: Ah, Yuuki-senpai, I see. I'm... rather surprised he cooperated with us, considering how much trouble Sena-senpai has caused him.

Arashi: Well, we pulled a few strings here and there. Seems like he's close with Anzu-chan, so we asked through her...

And like, threatened we'd sick Izumi-chan on him if he didn't cough up the info... Y'know, the works. ♪

Tsukasa: How very violent... While Knights' reputation has somewhat improved, I'm afraid I can't agree with such underhanded methods.

We'll be made into villains again, you know.

Arashi: Don't worry, we took extra care with that. A knight's chivalry is all about fighting fair and square, after all...

Besides, you'd get mad at us again if we did something sneaky. ♪

Well, I think if we leave the rest to Izumi-chan, we'll be totally set.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles... Let's do what we ought to, yeah? [1]



Let's focus on practice while waiting for Izumi-chan to get here.

Judgment's only a week away—we don't have much time to waste.

I've never performed any of these songs before, either... It'll take some time before we can get used to them.

So let's give it our all until our legs give out! ♪

Tsukasa: Ah, yes! That's wonderful to hear! I'll be counting on you, Narukami-senpai...♪


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[1] Quote from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.↑

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