Ensemble Stars || Card Battler P7

the after-school duel epilogue 1

 

 

Tsukasa: ......Marvelous ♪
 

Tsukasa: Fufu. I apologize for showing such a disgraceful side of me...... Drinking Onee-sama’s sweet tea helped calm me down significantly.
 

Tsukasa: Aah, how many years has it been since I last cried in front of someone? How embarrassing.
 

Kouga: That’s fine and all~ but......
 

Kouga: Seriously, why were you crying, explain the situation properly. Who knows, I might be able to help ya out~
 

Tsukasa: Haa...... You’re unexpectedly kind, Oogami-senpai.
 

Kouga: Hmph, don’t misunderstand me~?
 

Kouga: I just don’t wanna hear ya make excuses like you couldn’t do your best because you were focusin’ on something else!
 

Kouga: Ya know, I’ve really been lookin’ forward to today’s match.
 

Kouga: I came here to have a match so serious it could fry your brain cells, it wouldn’t be interestin’ if I won because my opponent wasn’t in the best condition~ Besides......
 

Kouga: It’d be like pickin’ on the weak. There’s a bunch of people watching us, so if I show ‘em something like that, they’d all be pretty pissed at me.
 

Tsukasa: Fufu. Everyone must be free, did you all gather specifically to observe today’s duel?
 

Tetora: Ahaha. “Ryuuseitai” just finished up a large job, so I’m on break right now.
 

Tetora: Besides, honestly, I ended up getting pretty into card games ♪
 

Tomoya: Yup, I’ve also gotten into the “Idobato” revival boom~. It’s being adapted into a children’s anime, I watch it with my younger sister.
 

Tsukasa: Fufu. I see, hearing that gives me a somewhat strange feeling.
 

Tsukasa: I began playing it for no reason at all, yet I influenced those around me...... It’s certainly an experience one normally wouldn’t come by.
 

Tsukasa: In any case. It would be bad to keep all of you worrying, so I’ll explain what happened. I’d like to shed light on why I was late anyway.
 

Tsukasa: Umm, you see. I was also extremely looking forward to today’s duel......
 

Tsukasa: Every day, I lined up the cards I bought with my allowance and worked on constructing my deck.
 

Tsukasa: However, I have a habit of focusing too much on one particular thing......
 

Tsukasa: Especially recently, I’ve been focusing so much that I forget to sleep or eat, sometimes even skipping my training.
 

Tsukasa: That was my blunder of a lifetime...... Of course, my parents were exasperated with me, so they temporarily seized all of my cards.
 

Tsukasa: They told me that sometimes I should play childish games, but that I should also refrain from acting too carefree......
 

Tsukasa: Well, that’s why they got mad anyway.
 

Tomoya: Ahaha. So you too get scolded by your parents for such childish reasons ♪
 

Tsukasa: It isn’t something to laugh about, Mashiro-kun.
 

Tsukasa: I spent a lot of time crafting a deck that I definitely thought I could win with.
 

Tsukasa: It’s like talking about a fish that I let go, but it was the greatest deck I ever made*.

 

*T/N: I know, I know, actual Japanese translates to “most satisfying result that I have ever achieved”. Pretty much the same thing though.

 

Tsukasa: However. Unluckily, that deck was confiscated.
 

Tsukasa: I requested many times for them to return it, but my parents are strict...... so they denied me every time.
 

Tsukasa: I really sincerely apologize. I couldn’t keep my promise to challenge Oogami-senpai with my best deck.
 

Tsukasa: I was ashamed and angry and...... that’s why I was crying.
 

Tsukasa: Truthfully, I didn’t think I could face everyone, but......
 

Tsukasa: I thought I should at least~ explain what had happened, so I hauled myself here, late.
 

Tsukasa: However. I have no cards in my hands, so I can’t even fight.
 

Tsukasa: I can’t guarantee that I’ll get my confiscated cards back either...... even if, by chance, I get them back, I have no idea when that will happen.
 

Tsukasa: It would also be difficult to buy new cards to reconstruct my deck.
 

Tsukasa: My household is extremely strict, so I have to submit reports on how I spent my allowance. If they found out I bought cards even after they scolded me......
 

Tsukasa: My parents would definitely become infuriated and perhaps even ban me from playing any card game.
 

Tsukasa: My cards being confiscated was my fault, so...... I don’t mind if it ends up being my loss. If Oogami-senpai would be satisfied with that.
 

Tsukasa: That’s what happened...... I’ll apologize once again: I’m sorry.
 

Kouga: .........
 

Kouga: ......sorry, but. I gotta head somewhere.
 

Tomoya: What? Why so suddenly, Oogami-senpai...... do you have to head to the toilet?
 

Kouga: Wrong~. I’m gonna drop by my usual card shop for a bit. I’ll be back soon, don’t head home yet, got it~?
 

Tsukasa: To the card shop?
 

Tsukasa: Why? Isn’t the duel paused...... so there should be no reason to stock up on new cards?
 

Kouga: Who the fuck said it was paused? I just thought of somethin’, so sit tight like a good brat.
 

Kouga: Seriously, don’t go and end everythin’ on your own...... I won’t be satisfied until we’ve settled everything properly.
 

Tsukasa: .........?

Ensemble Stars || Card Battler P8

the after-school duel epilogue 2

 

T/N: Aaaaand finished! It was sweet seeing Kouga show some kindness to his juniors. I really believe that when he becomes a 3rd year (which is never, because we're all trapped in eternal hell), he'd make an awesome, almost over-motherly senior. I also want to see more of Kouga and Hinata, because I think out of 2wink, Hinata looks more relatable to Rei, and I want to see more of how Kouga reacts to that.

 

Tsukasa: Chew chew chew...... ♪
 

Tsukasa: Ahh, this is incredibly delicious. Onee-sama is excellent at making sweets, my body and heart feel satisfied ♪
 

Tsukasa: Hm? Ritsu-senpai’s better at making sweets, you say?
 

Tsukasa: Hrm~...... his sweets are certainly delicious, but I don’t appreciate the grotesqueness.
 

Tetora: Munch munch ♪  Anzu-san, these really are yummy!
 

Tetora: Seriously, whoever gets Ane-go as their wife would definitely be happy...... because they’ll get to eat these every day!
 

Tomoya: Eat a bit more cleanly~, Tetora. There’s crumbs all over your mouth.
 

Tomoya: You should learn from Suou. Nah, or maybe Suou should learn from you......
 

Tomoya: You should eat a lot more, apparently sweet foods get rid of stress.
 

Tomoya: My younger sister said that and ate so many sweets that she ended up rebounding.
 

Tetora: Ahaha. Guess your younger sister failed the diet huh~ ♪
 

Kouga: Yo, I’m back, you brats~! Aren’t you all stupidly enjoying yourselves~, hah?
 

Tomoya: Ah, welcome back, Oogami-senpai.
 

Tomoya: Ahaha, that’s a big box you’re carrying. What exactly did you buy a lot of?
 

Kouga: You can tell by lookin’, they’re cards, you see, cards...... What else would you buy from a card shop, what a stupid question.
 

Kouga: Red-haired rich brat, stop your snacking and sit in front of me.
 

Tsukasa: ? By “red-haired rich brat”, do you mean me?
 

Tsukasa: I don’t like that name. I will have you call me by my proper name, “Suou Tsukasa”.
 

Kouga: Hmph, a brat that was just cryin’ like a baby shouldn’t say such cheeky things~.
 

Kouga: If ya want me to address you properly, become an adult that isn’t fazed by anything.
 

Kouga: But anyway, hurry and sit down. Just like we promised, we’re gonna have a duel.
 

Tsukasa: Duel......? But like I explained earlier, I don’t have a deck?
 

Kouga: I know that.
 

Kouga: Listen up close...... this ki~nd older bro will explain everything to you oblivious brats.
 

Kouga: In “Idobato”, or rather card battles in general, there are several different ways to duel......
 

Kouga: Originally, we were supposed to fight with decks we prepared beforehand.
 

Kouga: But this time, there was unfortunate trouble on your side...... so instead, I thought we’d go for another duel method.
 

Kouga: Look here, these are all boosters that I bought...... each pack has 10 random cards.
 

Kouga: Each of us picks ten random packs and those become our cards. 10 cards in each pack and 10 packs means, one, two, three*...... a hundred cards, right?

 

*T/N: Japanese is “hii, fuu, mii (ひいふうみい)”. This is a Japanese way of counting. In Japanese, you can count 1~3 as “ichi, ni, san” but also as “hito, futa, mi”. Japanese learners would be a bit more familiar with the latter as “hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu”. For small numbers (1~10), lots of Japanese prefer to use the “hii, fuu, mii” approach. The full approach is “hii, fuu, mii, yo // i, mu, na, ya // ko, to”.

 

Kouga: Using those hundred cards and the foundation “land cards”, we’ll each have a set amount of time to build our decks.
 

Kouga: We’ll use those decks to fight.
 

Kouga: This method depends a lot more on luck, but past world championships have used it many times.
 

Kouga: When you think of card battles, the fundamental point’s really...... how you make use of the deck you have, ya know.
 

Kouga: It’s kinda like a strategic game of reading and tryin’ to outwit one another. Still, what deck you end up building...... is also important.
 

Kouga: While battlin’ on who can construct the better deck, you’re also comparing exactly how well your opponent will be able to fight......
 

Kouga: This method should also be “just right” for testin’ out each other’s strengths, yeah?
 

Kouga: Well, if ya wanna fight with prepared decks then it’d be my victory though!
 

Kouga: I made it so if ya choose to fight with this method, it’d be more of a fair fight!
 

Kouga: Givin’ my all against a brat’s not exactly adult-like anyway~?
 

Kouga: It wouldn’t be interestin’ if I just smashed a weakling to bits, it wouldn’t even be a game~?
 

Kouga: That’s why...... with this method, we’re gonna duel. Got a problem with that, huuuuh?
 

Tsukasa: Oogami-senpai...... You really aren’t an honest person.
 

Tsukasa: Fufu. Choosing to fight fairly is a splendid endeavor that matches a knight’s spirit. I’m a bit moved.
 

Tsukasa: Thank you for your kindliness. With you, I feel like I can have a splendid duel.
 

Tsukasa: When we first met, I called you a cheater...... I sincerely apologize for that.
 

Tsukasa: I take it all back, I’m really glad that you’re my opponent ♪
 

Tomoya: No, no, this guy’s really does kind of cheat. Hinata said something like that......
 

Tomoya: If it looks like he’s about to lose, he’ll make his “own” rules and win, even if he has to break official rules.
 

Tetora: Ahaha. That’s why we’re here, to referee and survey everything the duel.
 

Tetora: We didn’t come here just to watch~, Oogami-senpai ♪
 

Kouga: Hinata, you bastard...... I don’t break the rules in a serious fight, ya know~!
 

Kouga: Hinata also has sticky fingers, he “cheated”, so I was just returnin’ the favor! Really!
 

Tsukasa: Fufu. Let’s cut the talk and get right to the dueling, shall we. I’ve gotten really excited ♪
 

Kouga: Sure~. I’m ending it when the sun sets though, I gotta head home and take Leon out for a walk~......
 

Kouga: Is 60 minutes to construct our decks good enough for ya?
 

Tsukasa: I don’t mind. Let’s have a fun, fair duel that abides by the rules ♪
 

Tsukasa: Even if you were kind to me, I definitely won’t hold back in this duel! I’ll be observing your skills, Oogami-senpai ♪
 

Kouga: Haha, that’s the spirit~! I’ll beat ya up so bad, even your parents won’t be able to recognize you...... ♪
 

Tomoya: Alright, then let the match begin! Good luck to the both of you~, I’m looking forward to a great match ♪
 

Tetora: Bow in front of God! And to each other!*

 

*T/N: In Japan, it’s common in matches (particularly sports matches) to say and do this. A form of respect and showmanship.

 

Tetora: Card battle, readyyyyy...... gooo ☆

Ensemble Stars || Cinderella's Grand Stage P1

cinderella’s grand play prologue 1

 

T/N: I don't know how fast I'll be with this, so if anyone wants to take over, just tell me and I'll happily leave it up to you. I also have no idea why I'm translating this so early. I'm liberally translating, which means not everything will match with the original Japanese text. But it'll mean the same thing, so it should be fine.

 

Mao: Vice president, I finished the paperwork. If there’s anything else that needs to be done, I can quickly get to it.
 

Keito: I see. Your effort really helps. Other student council members just leave when they’re done.
 

Keito: In any case, I can’t endorse working long hours. Motivation levels would drop and so would efficiency rates.
 

Keito: Though ideally, I would like to finish up all the paperwork by the end of today. But nothing can ever be ideal.
 

Keito: Isara. The “School Festival” will begin soon. The days leading up to it are sure to be more busy than today, so you might even need pull all-nighters.
 

Mao: I know that the student council’s work is wide-ranging, so I’m prepared.
 

Mao: Regular people will also be attending the “School Festival”, so if you include routine duties such as patrols, there’s simply not enough hands in the student council to go around.
 

Keito: I am aware of that. The student council is still getting its bearings, so we might even face trouble at the event prior, the “Eve Festival”*.

*T/N: Did some research and seems like this is the festival where Band Ensemble took place. Just FYI.

Mao: Sorry...... I’m partly responsible for this mess, so if there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it.
 

Keito: Hmph. It’s the result of your strong faith. Easily apologizing would only reduce the value of an apology, no?
 

Keito: Whatever. You can accomplish most things skillfully, so even if you don’t wish for it, I’ll work you hard.
 

Keito: Thoroughly investigate exactly what we’ll be exhibiting during the “School Festival”.
 

Keito: The idol course currently decides on which units perform based on their grades, but what we exhibit is sure to increase in the future.
 

Keito: Investigate, analyze which ones deserve to appear, summarize the results, and put the summary into a box.
 

Mao: Roger~. Then I’ll begin working on that right away.
 

Keito: (Hmm. Leaving it up to Isara gives me peace of mind.)
 

Keito: (Originally, it was supposed to be the student council’s job to create advertisements or pamphlets for the “School Festival”, but we currently don’t have the capability to undertake such tasks.)
 

Keito: (It can’t be helped, I’ll leave that up to the Broadcasting Committee...... I’ll also need to appropriately designate a multitude of tasks to others. Really, it makes my head hurt.)

Ensemble Stars || Cinderella's Grand Stage P2

cinderella’s grand play prologue 2

 

 

Kiryuu: I’m coming in~. Is Hasumi-danna* here?

 

*T/N: Appropriate translations include “sir” and such, but I thought I’d just leave in the Japanese for once. Sounds a bit more natural.

 

Keito: Hrm, it’s Kiryuu. As you can see, I’m busy, but I can at least listen to what you have to say. What happened? Make it short.
 

Kiryuu: Nah, it’s not anything important, but. Ah~...... the “School Festival” is coming up soon, yeah?
 

Kiryuu: I was wondering what “Akatsuki” was going to do. If we’re participating, then we should decide what to present.
 

Keito: Without question, Akatsuki will also participate. Yumenosaki Academy’s incredibly lively right now, and......
 

Keito: The “School Festival” being close to a Dream Fest “S1” makes it an important event to participate in.
 

Kiryuu: I see. Then we’ll have to brainstorm what to showcase.
 

Keito: Sorry. I’m so busy with student council duties that I’m in no position to think of such things. It might be my problem, but I’m troubling Akatsuki as a whole.
 

Kiryuu: Don’t worry about that. The student council’s important to you, so neither Kanzaki or I would ever complain.
 

Keito: I see...... The student council has a lot of tasks to do for the upcoming festival, so I’m sure that all my time and effort will end up being spent on the student council during the days leading up to it.
 

Keito: So if possible, make it something that doesn’t require a lot of advance preparation.
 

Kiryuu: So lives are out.
 

Kiryuu: Most students in the idol course would be doing lives anyway, so it might actually be better to walk a different path.
 

Kiryuu: Though we won’t know the results until we try. We might even get roped up into helping the student council if there aren’t enough members to get all the work done.
 

Kiryuu: You know, it’s fine if Akatsuki doesn’t participate?
 

Kiryuu: The “School Festival” might be a big event, but unlike Dream Fests, we’re not fighting over who’s superior.
 

Kiryuu: Calling it a game feels a bit wrong, but the aim of the festival is to have fun together.
 

Kiryuu: Not participating won’t put a scratch on Akatsuki’s name. So there’s no need to push yourself to participate, see?
 

Keito: If possible, I’d like to avoid backing out. If Akatsuki - the champions until just recently - didn’t participate, it would be a blight on the “School Festival”.
 

Keito: It’s important to participate in these kinds of things.
 

Kiryuu: Haha, understood ♪  In short, it’s fine if we gather together and figure out what to present, right.
 

Kiryuu: Since you’re busy, I’ll pick something appropriate for you.
 

Keito: Appropriate...... it bothers me, but truthfully, that would help. I’ll leave the theme up to you. Is that alright?
 

Kiryuu: Sure, I don’t have any other work anyway. But don’t complain about it, the stuff I come up with might be too manly for you.
 

Keito: U-Understood. I’d like you to avoid straying too far from the beaten track. But I was the one who assigned this to you. So I won’t take it back.
 

Mao: Um~ vice president? Sorry for interrupting your talk. I finished looking over this, could you double-check it?
 

Keito: Good work. I can handle the rest on my own. Isara, return to your classroom.
 

Mao: Got it, then I’ll take my leave~ ♪  If any more work comes in, please contact my smart phone.
 

Keito: Let’s see. Isara’s in charge of the student council work and Kuro’s handling Akatsuki. With this, it should be possible to make it through the “School Festival”.