Paradox Live Stage Battle "RAGE" - Part 3
[sfx: a violent beatdown]Yuto: Don't just lie there and take a beating... what do you have to say for yourself?
Zen: [shuddering breath]
Yuto: Are you still not going to yield? Hah!?
[sfx: Yuto punching Zen, Zen groaning and breathing heavily]
Yuto: Traitors deserve to die. You understand that fucking much, don't you!?
[sfx: punching repeatedly, Zen gagging in pain]
Yuto: ... I thought you, at least, were different.
Zen: [shuddering] ... I'm... sorry...
Yuto: No use apologizing. You... it doesn't mean anything from you. ... don't give me that look. I'll kill you.
[sfx: punch, groaning]
Yuto: [interspersed with punching] I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!
[sfx: train passing by, Yuto screaming]
*
[sfx: Yuto waking up in a panic]
Yuto: --ah!!! [panting] ... a dream...? But why would I have a dream of...? We didn't have a performance yesterday...
[sfx: distant footsteps, door slamming open]
Ryoga: Shut the fuck up, Inukai! What fucking time you think it is!?
Yuto: A-ah! I'm so sorry!!
Kenta: You're interrupting my beauty sleep. You do realize we can hear a pin drop through these walls, right? And at any rate, why are you the only fuckin' one who has a private room, Inukai?
Yuto: Ah... well... I imagine it's... because I'm... the guard looking after you guys, for the time being....
Shion: [yawning] So what's the matter? What's with all that brutal screaming about killing or whatever?
Yuto: I had a drea-- a nightmare... I usually only get them that bad during trap reactions, though...
Shion: Oh?
Yuto: In that dream, I was... I was beating somebody up... someone who was really important to me...
Ryoga: What's with "someone"? Just say who you're talking about.
Yuto: I don't know for sure... but it's someone who was important to me, I'm sure of that much. But I... [covering his face] I was overtaken by this absolute raging anger... I beat him up so badly it felt like I was going to kill him...
Ryoga, Kenta, Shion: ...
Shion: So it sounds to me like you're talking about a memory of some time you got betrayed, Inukai.
Yuto: A memory...? No, no way that's true...
Kenta: I mean, you always totally black out what happens during performances, right?
Yuto: Eh- yeah...
Kenta: But there's a difference between forgetting something and not remembering it in the first place.
Yuto: Eh?
Kenta: I mean, hypothetically speaking, even if you're not conscious when you do something, it'd still be possible for information to be input into your brain as a memory. So, tl;dr: maybe our very own Inukai Yuto murdered his own dear friend in the past!
Yuto: --!
Kenta: If that were true, you'd be way worse than us.
Yuto: I...?
Kenta: [laughs] Why are you taking this so seriously, Inukai-chan?
Yuto: Uh--!
Shion: Shibaken, aren't you taking the joke a bit too far?
Kenta: Hah? Who said I was joking?
Shion: [yawns] I'm tired. Let's not waste more time on Inukai; let's hurry up and get some sleep. We've got such a lovely time to look forward to tomorrow, after all.
Kenta: "Lovely time"? You mean that dumbass community service crap?
Ryoga: Cleaning up trash on the street... tch, what a pain in the ass...
Yuto: Uh-- uh...
Shion: Well! You should get some sleep too, Inukai~. Until tomorrowwwwww.
[sfx: door closing]
Yuto: [sigh] ... those were... my... memories...?
*
[sfx: birds tweeting]
Yuto: Good morning, everyone!
Ryoga: Fuckin' tired...
Shion: ... [sigh] ... wanna go back to sleep.
Yuto: Ah... let's not start off the day on such a sour note, please... The weather is great! Isn't it a perfect day for cleaning?
Ryoga, Shion, Kenta: [loud sigh]
Yuto: One of the conditions for you guys' release from prison is regular community service, after all! So, um, maybe also think of it as a way to ensure you can participate in the Paradox Live... okay?
Ryoga, Shion, Kenta: [loud, unimpressed sigh]
Yuto: And furthermore, if your efforts in the Paradox Live end up being recognized, it's possible that your sentences might be shortened...!
Kenta: Do I have to be part of this conversation?
Yuto: Mikoshiba-kun! A-ah... but, uh...! If you guys set a good example and be on your best behavior, then the government might give us a budget to allocate to music programs for our rehabilitation program...?
Kenta: Ask me if I give a fuck!
Yuto: Come on, don't say things like thaaat... [sob] Oh, but, if we win--
Shion: CLUB Paradox is on the table... we'll get our hands on that legendary club, right?
Kenta: Depending on how you run it, you could turn a massive profit-- way more than that 10 billion yen from the last round.
Ryoga: And more than that, we could leave our shitty lifestyle behind.
Yuto: S-so how about that? Do you feel more like getting the job done now...?
Kenta: Not a chance in hell, Officer Dumbfuck.
Yuto: I'm begging you guys to at least put in a little bit of effort... u-m, look, I've got some gloves, and plastic bags, and tools here, okay?
Ryoga, Shion, Kenta: [loudest, most unimpressed sigh yet]
Yuto: U-um... well, I'll go ahead and greet the head of the community association, if you guys could please... start moving, please...
[sfx: footsteps]
Shion: [sigh] Well, guess there's no point arguing. Shall we?
Kenta: [sigh]
Ryoga: Tch.
Shion: Ah, what I would give for it to start raining right about now so we could get out of this whole thing.
Kenta: Why don't we just halfass it?
Ryoga: ... tch!
Kenta: ... ah, but it looks like someone's already putting his whole ass into it.
[sfx: bag rustling]
Ryoga: There's trash everywhere! Who the hell keeps throwing their trash around here!?
[sfx: mobs laughing and joking around]
Man 1: Eh? We're out of beer! [crumpling a can and tossing it on the ground] Let's make a pit stop at the nearest convenience store.
Man 2: I want ice cream.
Man 3: Why you acting like a little kid?
[sfx: footsteps]
Ryoga: Oi.
Man 1: Ah?
Ryoga: Y-you... this c-can! You just th-threw it here.
Man 1: Hah? so what if I did? ... oh, are you little boy scouts in the middle of picking up litter?
Man 2: If you are, then you oughta just shut your mouth and get pickin'!
Man 3: Anyway, what kind of asshole takes this whole volunteer thing that seriously?
Ryoga: It's y-your trash, y-you should throw it away y-y-yourself!
Men 1-3: [laughing]
Man 1: [imitating Ryoga] "Throw it away y-y-yourself!" What's with that!? [laughs]
Man 2: You're freakin' out over nothing, man!
Ryoga: I'm n-not freaking out!
Man 1: Then what? Come on, speak properl-- --!
[sfx: Ryoga chucking the can at man 1]
Man 1: The fuck you tryin' to do!?
Ryoga: It's y-your trash.
Man 1: Hah? You wanna fuckin' go?
Kenta: Oh~? A fight?
Shion: What a pain in the ass...
Kenta: Oh, come on, it's fine. Why not let it happen? Better way to pass the time than picking up trash!
[sfx: whistling, Yuto running towards them]
Yuto: Stop! Stop!! Stop!!! You have to let go of those men, Tosa-kun! No fighting! Fighting is bad!!
Ryoga: Shut the fuck up!! I didn't do shit!!
Yuto: If you pick fights here, the freedom you've been working so hard for will be...! You'll all have to go back to prison, you understand that, right!? If that happens, what about the Paradox Live!?
Man 1: Prison, y'say?
Ryoga, Yuto: --!
Man 2: What? You guys are criminals?
Man 3: Society's trash picking up trash, that's fuckin' rich!
Yuto: Y-you guys, too--!
Man 1: Piss off!
[sfx: man 1 punching Yuto]
Man 1: Get 'em, guys!
Men 2 and 3: On it!
Man 1: [cracking knuckles] Pretty sure I've heard more than enough to work with! So!
[sfx: man 1 punching Ryoga]
Man 1: That's for throwing that can at me!
Ryoga: [grunting]
Yuto: Tosa-ku--! [muffled]
Man 2: [covering Yuto's mouth] Shut your damn mouth!
Man 1: I'll let you take a free swing, if y'want. Oh wait! You can't! If a criminal lays a finger on an innocent civilian, then it's right back into the hole with them, right?!
[sfx: man 1 punching Ryoga]
Men 1-3: [laughing]
Man 1: What a fucking joke! Even if I whoop your ass there's nothing you can do to fight back! [laughs] But who'd even give a fuck, right? Since you guys are just society's cast-off trash!
[sfx: man 1 punching Ryoga repeatedly]
Man 1: You make a great fuckin' punching bag! Once I'm done with you, I'll give your friends the [imitating Ryoga] s-s-same honor!
Ryoga: [heavily breathing] I'll fucking kill you!
Yuto: No! Stop, Tosa-kun! Stop right there!!
Satsuki: [approaching] Oi! The fuck you think you're doing?
Ryoga: --!
Man 1: Heh? Another one of your little friends on cleaning duty showing up to help?
Man 2: Wait, wait, no, Aniki! T-these guys are from the Suiseki--!
Man 3: --!?!
Satsuki: I said, the fuck you think you're doing?
Man 1: N-nothing at all! Right?
Man 2: We were just, uh, having a laugh, right?
Satsuki: Wailing on someone who isn't even trying to fight back and you're gonna try and tell me you're just havin' a laugh, the fuck's up with that!?
Man 1: S-sorry!
Man 2: Let's get out of here, Aniki!
Man 1: Y-yeah!!
Men 1-3: [running away] We're so sorry!!!
Reo: Aww, they ran away.
Satsuki: Tch! Cowards! I could've spent all day kicking their asses.
Hokusai: Satsuki, we came here today to help clean up. Not to fight.
[sfx: footsteps]
Yuto: U-uhm! Thank you so much for bailing us out of trouble! ... h-huh? Are... are you guys... the guys from Akan Yatsura...?
Reo: Huh? Who're you?
Yuto: Ah...! I'm HANCHO, from GokuLuck! Or, uh, I'm Inukai Yuto.
Reo: Huh? ... Huh? That super scary sadistic prison guard!?
Yuto: Eh?! N-no, today I'm just a civilian! Though I've been told a lot that I have a totally different vibe offstage from the way I am on stage...
Reo, Satsuki, Hokusai: ...
Yuto: Ah... did you guys also come to help with the cleanup effort today?
Reo: Yeah, but...
Yuto: Ah! [clapping hands together] I see! It must be some kind of fate for us to have met up here! If it wouldn't be too much of a bother to you guys, could we maybe clean up together?
Shion: Huh? Hold up, Inukai.
Kenta: Don't go making decisions on your own!
Yuto: Learning how to get along with your rivals is an important social skill to learn, you know! And more than that, if we group up, then we might be able to avoid another incident like the one just now.
Shion: Yeah, but...
Kenta: Hey, Ryoga-chan! You got anything to pitch in with?
Ryoga: ... ...
Yuto: You guys from Akan Yatsura, what do you think? These guys here have to partake in activities like this in order to participate in the Paradox Live! So what do you think? Could you please kindly work together with us from GokuLuck? [bowing]
Reo, Satsuki, Hokusai: ...
*
[sfx: running water]
Reo: Hey, you over there! There's still a lot of trash left laying around. Make sure to do the job properly, okay~?
Kenta: Hah? Where do you get off talking to me like we're buddy-buddy? Nobody's paying attention, it doesn't matter what I do. ... anyway, what are people like you doing bitch volunteer work like this for?
Reo: Because the leader of the community association doing this is an acquaintance of Aniki's. So we're here today as representatives of the Suiseki on Aniki's orders.
Kenta: Hah! So you'll just go wherever you're told-- are you a pet dog? Fucking pathetic!
Reo: Hah? Aren't you the pathetic one here? I mean, just now your friend was getting beaten up and you didn't lift a finger to help him.
Kenta: "Friend"? Hah! Don't lump me in with him. It's got nothing to do with me. I'm not in prison for violent offenses or anything.
Reo: Then what are you in for?
Kenta: Hacking~! I'm under what they're calling "special protection" because I spread a virus into some super important national institutions. It's not like they'd just chuck me in regular prison. I'm a minor, y'know?
Reo: Heeeh.
Kenta: Is that all the reaction I'm getting...?
Reo: Sure is! Call it what you want, you're just shirking the responsibility right in front of you. I'm not gonna act super impressed about that. Oh, wait, let me guess. You wanted me to be like, oh, wooow~! That's sooo cool! Are you like a genius hacker~?, or something like that right?
Kenta: --!
Reo: Lemme tell you something. You're not going to win like that.
Kenta: Hah!?
Reo: Running around thinking, "I'm unique, I'm not like them at all"... acting like that's gonna get your ass handed to you on stage in record time.
Kenta: ...
Reo: If you can't believe in your friends standing beside you, your vibes aren't gonna be real either. Rapping just for fun isn't going to cut it in the Paradox Live. If you're going to half-ass it, you might as well default, you kn--
Kenta: I ain't half-assing shit!
Reo: Oh?
Kenta: ... unlike those guys, I don't have a regular prison sentence. "Special protection" is just the excuse name the government came up with. I'm probably going to be in prison for the rest of my life. That's why rap is the best weapon I have. I'll use my own flawless theories to run circle around my opponents and bring them to their knees. I'll demolish everyone who stands in my way with my skills, and earn my freedom. That's my lot in life.
Reo: Hmm~?
Kenta: Is that really all you've got to say?
Reo: If that's the case, then first things first! Here you go!
[sfx: Reo shoving a plastic bag at Kenta]
Kenta: --!
Reo: Alright!
Kenta: Heavy...
Reo: Nothing to do but to do it, right? Take this bag of trash over to the collection point over there.
Kenta: Hah?! How stupid are you!? Did you listen to a word I said!?
Reo: I did. And what about it?
Kenta: You're supposed to actually process audio information in your brain, not just let it echo inside your ears, you little shit! [shifting the bag] The fuck should I listen to trash like you?
Reo: Oh? And you were talking about yourself so seriously just a minute ago! Oh, could it be you're in your rebellious phase~?
Kenta: Hah? Who the fuck you think you are!?
Reo: Shibaken~!
Kenta: I don't wanna fucking hear that from you, you piece of shit little brat!
Reo: Huh!? You're the one who's a little brat! You're younger than me but you're not cute at all!
Kenta: Shut up! This has nothing to do with age!
Reo: Doesn't it?
Kenta: Shut up, you fucking brat!
Reo and Kenta: [both growling]
*
[sfx: running water]
Shion: Ah... I'm exhausted... it doesn't have to rain, but couldn't it at least be a bit cloudier...?
Hokusai: ... alright, that should do it. Let me do the sunny areas, uh... what should I call you?
Shion: Just Shion is fine.
Hokusai: Shion, then. Go under the bridge, you can separate the trash I've already picked up. The sun shouldn't hit there as directly.
Shion: Hmm... you certainly are an odd one, aren't you?
Hokusai: Hm?
Shion: You're not acting surprised at all at the sight of me. There aren't many people like that.
Hokusai: Ah...?
Shion: Usually, people get flustered and avert their eyes, like they saw something they weren't supposed to. Either that, or they stare like I'm some kind of rare animal.
Hokusai: You mean... because of your skin?
Shion: Indeed. I was born like this. Though that's not the only thing about me, I suppose. [sigh] ... well, I suppose being avoided isn't the worst thing. It's worse when people get in my business about it. Some follow me around and gawk like stalkers, but even they're better than the weird perverts.
Hokusai: ... it doesn't bother me at all. I've seen animals like are like that, too.
Shion: So I'm like an animal, huh?
Hokusai: Uh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that.
Shion: It's fine.
Hokusai: ... I have my own things, that I don't have any control over and that that led to me being treated badly, as well.
Shion: Is that so? Would never guess from looking at you.
Hokusai: ... my father is in prison.
Shion: Mm?
Hokusai: ... and he's... probably not leaving there alive.
Shion: So he's...
Hokusai: Mm. Because I was the son of a death row prisoner, everyone avoided me when they found out.
Shion: Hm... I see.
Hokusai: ... so that's why, since I know what it's like to have nowhere to belong, I try not to judge anyone.
Shion: [laughs]
Hokusai: Mm? Did I say something odd...?
Shion: No, not at all. ... well, I'll just take your word for it. I'll go make myself busy over there.
[sfx: Shion walking away]
Shion: Masaki Hokusai... [laughs] What an odd fellow.