THE_LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE
(Vol. 1 Track 5)

[sfx: pulsing music]

Staff: Rubire, you’re up. If you could please get yourselves ready.

Haiji: Alright, understood!

Staff: And once again, please be sure to watch your step. There will be some pyrotechnics at the beginning of the show, it could be dangerous.

Haiji: Mashiro-san and Kurono-san are going to be standing quite close to where they’re set up, right? 

Staff: I’m afraid the stage width somewhat limits what we can do… My apologies.

Mashiro: Well, even if something does go wrong, the worst that’ll happen is me and Kurono end up with our hair singed off.

Kurono: If this turns out like Kachi-kachi Yama ^[1] I’ll have a good laugh about it. 

Mashiro: (laughing) Kachi-kachi Yama! You know that means you’d be the one to sink the ship in the end, right? Could you live with that? 

Kurono: Don’t dare compare Rubire to a sinking ship!

Akane: (murmuring) A sinking ship is right…

Haiji: Hm? Akane-san?

Akane: Nah, it’s nothing. Let’s put on a hell of a show today, yeah?

Mashiro: Ah, y’know, we never do that thing people do before they go out on stage, do we?

Akane: That thing?

Mashiro: Where you all form a circle and go Let’s do this! Alright! Y’know, to kick things off or whatever.

Akane: What, you wanna give it a go?

Mashiro: Nah, sounds like too much effort to me. Just saying I was thinking it sounds like a cute thing to do.

Kurono: Save the idle chatter until after the live. More importantly, it’s already getting dark. Don’t mix up your marks.

Staff: Please stand by!

Akane: Right. Let’s go, yeah?

[sfx: fans screaming Akane’s name, cheering, pyrotechnics boom]

Akane: You’re ready to get this show started, right?!

[sfx: cheering intensifies]

Akane: Today I am your commander, so keep your eyes on me! We are RUBIA Leopard!

[sfx: Answer begins playing, cheering, then a loud crack of thunder, followed by screaming and murmuring]

Haiji: Was that… lightning?

Mashiro: You’re kidding me… We’ve lost power.

Staff A: The breaker’s fried! 

Staff B: You better be joking! … Rubire, if you could follow me for a moment… 

[sfx: heavy rain]

Mashiro: Uwaah… Where the hell do we go from here…?

Kurono: Oi, Mashiro! What are you doing, just standing there?!

[sfx: Kurono shoving a towel towards him]

Mashiro: Woah! A towel…? Hah, you’re always going off on me, but you really do care. Hah!

[sfx: Mashiro drying his hair]

Kurono: Who on earth said it was for your empty head?! It’s for drying off your bass!

Mashiro: You have such a way with words… There I was almost feeling moved!

Kurono: I won’t allow the show to be cancelled for a reason as ridiculous as a broken instrument! Do you have a spare?

Mashiro: Just the one. You?

Kurono: The same, only one…

Mashiro: See? Well, so long as those ones don’t get wet it should be fine.

Kurono: It doesn’t look like the rain will be stopping any time soon. And, even if we were to get the power back online and perform, nothing’s to stop it from short-circuiting again.

Mashiro: It’s all falling apart… What a mess.

[sfx: Haiji running up]

Haiji: I’ve brought some extra towels!

Kurono: We’re already good over here. You and Akane-san can use them.

Haiji: Alright! … Akane-san, please, use this. You’ll catch a cold if you stay wet.

Akane: It’s raining like crazy out there, huh?

Kurono: Akane-san…

Mashiro: Welp, these things happen, not much we can do!

Kurono: Mashiro, you…!

Mashiro: …What are you getting mad for?

Kurono: What do you mean not much we can do?!

Mashiro: I mean there is literally nothing we can do about it, right? It’s rain! We’re a band of musicians, not magicians.

Kurono: Don’t give up so easily! 

Mashiro: I don’t hate this drill sergeant side to you. But this is a special case, isn’t it? If we push ourselves too far and end up hurt, what then? 

Kurono: That’s…!

Mashiro: And it’s not just us. There’s the staff and the audience, we’re responsible for a lot of people right now.

Haiji: Everything you’re saying… is entirely correct, Mashiro-san.

Kurono: …!

Haiji: But, I’m… So frustrated right now! After we worked so hard to add a special additional performance to the tour, and on the last day, too…! I just can’t believe that this is it…!

Akane: (huffs)

Haiji: Hm? Akane-san…?

Akane: (giggling)

Kurono: Akane-san?

Mashiro: Uhhh… You good? Is he in shock or something?

Kurono: There must be something we can do!

Mashiro: And what exactly is something?

Kurono: That’s…! I’ll figure it out!

Mashiro: You’re so irresponsible sometimes!

Akane: (giggling, eventually full on belly-laughing)

Haiji: A- Akane-san?

Akane: This is crazy! What the hell?! Isn’t this amazing?!

Mashiro: Wha… Eh?

Akane: Don’t you see what we’ve got here? We’ve as good as won this!

Mashiro: N- now wait just a sec… Mind explaining to the rest of the class?

Akane: You couldn’t set up this kind of staging even if you tried! It’s all there waiting for us! Who knew something so simple could be so thrilling?! I’ll sing, and you guys play. And with nothing more, this’ll be a performance to last a lifetime, or both us and the fans! Do we have any mics left?

Staff: Y- yes! There are two each for the band, and four for vocals!

Mashiro: Huh? Why so many?

Staff: Well, this morning, Iwahara-san suddenly requested we stock up on spares. He had us prepare acoustic guitars and a contrabass as well. They’re being brought here now.

Haiji: Oh! I did think there were an awful lot of things in the car. There were all sorts of things crammed in there… You don’t mean to say…?!

Kurono: With an acoustic guitar, if it comes to it, we can perform even without power!

Akane: I get it now. This is what Iwarahara-san meant meant by create an environment where you geniuses can work comfortably. We have everything we could ever need!

Mashiro: Now wait a minute, an acoustic guitar is one thing, but… Eh, a contrabass? You’re not really suggesting I play that thing, are you?

Kurono: You’re telling me you can’t play anything but electric bass?

Mashiro: If it really comes to it, I’ll figure it out! I’m smart like that! … But, seriously, there’s no way we can get through a whole two-hour show like that!

Akane: And? Where’s Iwahara-san?

Staff: He’s taking charge, working towards restoring power to the venue.

Mashiro: But still, if only we could do something about the breaker…

Staff: Actually, we have a backup generator on standby, beneath the venue itself.

Kurono: A backup?! You mean to say the rain was anticipated…?

Mashiro: (laughs) That’s impossible! The weather forecast for today said it would be perfect sunny skies! And it was totally clear during rehearsal too, right? 

Staff: Iwahara-san says that the power is almost up and running! He’ll signal when they’re ready, so we’ve been instructed to kill time on stage until then!

Mashiro: And of course he’d ask us to do the impossible…!

Haiji: I can still play the drums! I won’t have a mic, so it might be quieter than usual, but… 

Staff: If we hook up one of the mics to the venue’s UPS^[2], we should be able to connect it from afar!

Staff: Connect it, then as soon as the generator is up and running, we can play the first two opening songs. After that, if we squeeze in an acoustic performance, then maybe…!

Kurono: During that time, maybe they’ll be able to restore the power!

Akane: Alright! While we wait, let’s go put on a show. 

Mashiro: (laughs) You’re such a gambler sometimes!

Akane: Let’s just call it adapting to the circumstances. The crowd have been waiting and waiting, they must be hungry for some excitement by now. Does it look like we have any other choice? 

[sfx: Akane running onstage, speaking over mic]

Akane: Aah… It’s really not stopping, is it?

[sfx: crowd murmuring, some cheering]

Fan: Akane-sama’s back! 

Fan: Are they going to leave…?

Akane: What’s wrong, you guys? What’s up with that pathetic excuse for a cheer? We’re going off-script today. This is an adlibs-only special performance! Get ready, don’t get thrown off your rhythm, and follow me!

[sfx: raucous cheering]

Akane: RUBIA Leopard Third Tour: Battle Cry! Here on the final day, for our final performance, our triumphant return. RUBIA Leopard… are back!

[sfx: more screaming, cheering]

Akane: Alright, that’s more like it! Keep that volume going! I have a little reward for you all.

[sfx: cheering continues]

Haiji: Hello again! 

[sfx: fans screaming Haiji’s name]

Haiji: It’s all thanks to your encouragement that we can be up on this stage again! Thank you all!

Akane: Let me introduce, on drums, Haiji!

[sfx: Haiji drumming, crowd cheering]

Akane: Next, I’ll drag that pretentious playboy out here with my bare hands if I have to. Are you ready? 

[sfx: Haiji playing a walkout beat, crowd cheering]

Akane:  Oh, here he comes!

[sfx: fans cheering for Mashiro]

Mashiro: (shushing) … I’m back!

Akane: On bass, Mashiro!

[sfx: cheering]

Akane: Oh, c’mon, you guys! You can do better than that! No way we can get the show started like this!

[sfx: fans cheering for Kurono]

Akane: Next up..! Hey, you were supposed to wait a bit longer before walking out.

Kurono: I’ve already kept you waiting long enough.

Akane: On guitar, Kurono!

Kurono: And, on vocals…!

Mashiro: The king of RUBIA Leopard… Akane!

[sfx: fans cheering (loudly) for Akane]

Akane: Today we’re gonna show you the ace up our sleeve. We’re…! Ah, shit, the mic died. 

Haiji: There’s a spare one over near, near me!

Kurono: Akane-san, here you go.

Mashiro: Oh, the rain’s getting lighter!

Akane: (laughs) We almost looked like real idiots there, huh?

Mashiro: You’re not wrong, but I’m still surprised!

Haiji: (gasps) Guys, look! Over there!

Kurono: That light…!

Mashiro: That’s Gan-chan’s signal, right?

Akane: I was thinking it was about time. Alright! Starting now, I’ll be showing you all some real magic. 

Mashiro: Uwwah. You serious, your highness?

Kurono: Are you doubting Akane-san? 

Mashiro: Of course not, I would never! 

Akane: I’m a sorcerer. And I’ll prove it to you, right now. Let’s do this! Swear your allegiance to us for the night! RUBIA Leopard, Answer!