resurrection-of-soul

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 17

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Adonis

Rei: (How about it? Art thou watching, o’ shallow and witless wrongdoer?) (And what of thee, o’ pitiful, adolescent Sakuma Rei of days past, who harbored no hope in thy heart?) (—Are ye not envious? ♪)

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Rei: In real life, not a single one of the delinquents appeared for our confrontation. Hence, that Dream Festival was a walkover victory for us, UNDEAD. However, within that realm of dreams, I espied one of the delinquents who should not have been present.

I was certain that individual was the perpetrator. After all, within the dream, we are bound to our former selves. Ergo, to intercede in the past and distort the course of history, one must be present at the scene. The culprit, sensing our return to the dream, grew apprehensive regarding our intentions and thus came to check on us. It was then that I was able to track him down and detain him.

Rei: That is why I refrained from taking the stage: I remained amidst the audience to seek out the perpetrator. ‘Twas not merely because I did not wish to perform. Really, it’s true.

Koga: Even in real life, ya still never got up on stage.

Kaoru: Honestly. Isn’t it, like, kinda crazy to miss your own once-in-a-lifetime debut match? You sure had some nerve scolding me for being a slacker, huh?

Adonis: Agreed. I also thought that was strange. I was very anxious and frightened at the time, and even resented Sakuma-senpai a little for not showing up.

Rei: Huh? Does it not seem these little bouts of excessive criticism have been occurring with alarming frequency of late!?

Rei: A-at any rate, once we ascertained the suspect’s identity, the rest was easy. We needed only to return to reality to apprehend him. And apprehend him we did. Hence HELLSING, bereft of their puppeteer, ceased operation. Thus do we arrive at our current circumstances.

Adonis: In short, the culprit has been neutralized and the case is solved.

Koga: That’s great and all, but now what? I mean, what’re we actually gonna do about the current situation? Ya realize we’re in the middle of a live performance right now!? The culprit’s infuriatin’, and it’s natural to thwart his schemes – but it’s a serious problem if HELLSING just stops all of a sudden! The fans gathered at this venue – no, ones from all over the country – have been lookin’ forward to seein’ us on stage! We can’t just bail halfway through cause we had a little trouble!

Rei: Kukuku. At times, thou art surprisingly noble and sharp-witted, yet conversely, there are moments when thou art astonishingly obtuse and foolish.

Koga: Haah!?

Rei: Take a good look at us.

Koga: Those are… HELLSING’s uniforms?

Rei: Indeed. Let us serve as substitutes for HELLSING. Perchance it may seem a trifle confusing to act as substitutes for our substitutes, but… The existence of the imposters is largely unknown. To the public eye, HELLSING is naught but an alternate guise for UNDEAD. So let us make that perception a reality. My genuine self, alongside the genuine Kaoru-kun, Koga, and Adonis-kun – the four of us shall act as HELLSING.

Koga: …Seems we've got no choice, but can ya even pull it off? Huh, ya spineless senpai who’ve been doin’ nothin’ other than appearin’ on variety shows?

Kaoru: Oh? Looking down on us, are you? Variety shows are pretty tough, y’know~? While it’s not directly related to performing on stage, participating in them has definitely made us more experienced. If anything, given there was already a difference in ability between us — the two main attractions — and you two kouhai, this might’ve widened the gap even further, right~? So more like, you guys had better not hold us back, ‘kay? ♪

Koga: Hah!? Bring it on, Playboy! Unlike you, Mr. Slacker, I practice like mad every single day!

Koga: Just watch! I’m gonna make ya go, “Oh nyooo¹, we can’t beat Koga-sama and Adonis-sama no matter how hard we try!” Rock'n'roll……! “♪〜♪〜♪”

Rei: Kukuku. My, thou art certainly skilled at kindling a flame within Koga, Kaoru-kun.

Kaoru: I’m just imitating you, though~?

Adonis: Haha. I’m glad. We’re finally starting to behave like our usual selves again. With us like this, we can handle anything. That’s what I believe. And I’ll devote everything to that belief. With all my heart and soul, I’ll offer the bounty of song and dance to everyone. That’s what I can do; that’s my joy and happiness. Whether it’s those “vampires” or whoever else, I won’t let anyone take this irreplaceable place away from me! “♪〜♪〜♪”

Kaoru: Ohh, even Adonis-kun’s getting all fired up~ That’s pretty rare. ♪

Rei: On the contrary, that child hath ever been of the quietly passionate sort. Now then. ‘Twould be most vexing to allow our kouhai to garner all the attention, hence we’d best exert ourselves to the fullest as well.

Kaoru: ‘Kay ‘kay~ Don’t push yourself too hard and hurt your back, okay gramps? ♪ To be honest, that criminal’s actually got me pretty pissed off too, so I guess I’ll let off some steam by going all out on the singing and dancing. I’ll make him realize that replacing us is impossible.

Kaoru: That's why, today, I’m gonna show you what I'm really made of. “♪〜♪〜♪”

Rei: (Kukuku. Well done, well done. There were moments when I worried how things might unfold, yet ultimately, matters seem to be resolving quite satisfactorily, as always.) (All’s right with the world. ‘Tis a happy ending².) (Ah, how dazzling… Such is ever the nature of the stage. So radiant, it feels as though its light shall consume you.) (I haven’t the right to mock the perpetrator of this particular case. There was a time when I averted my gaze and turned away from this light.)

Rei: (Now, however… I have no intention of ever doing so again.) (Let me bask in this radiance. Even if I were to be reduced to ashes, I would be content.) (How about it? Art thou watching, o’ shallow and witless wrongdoer?) (And what of thee, o’ pitiful, adolescent Sakuma Rei of days past, who harbored no hope in thy heart?) (—Are ye not envious? ♪) “♪〜♪〜♪” “Come, ladies and gentlemen! Join us in revelry tonight! By absorbing the heart and soul of the entity known as HELLSING, we, UNDEAD, shall grow ever stronger!” “We are UNDEAD!” “Even if we were to be assailed by a million formidable foes, even if we were to be consumed by the flames of hell, UNDEAD shall always be reborn! Resurrected!” “Until thine life be spent— Nay, eternally, even in the depths of hell! Let us continue our delightful banquet together!” “So long as thy desire does not wane, this radically and immorally sweet night shall never end!”

Rei: “♪〜♪〜♪”

[ ☆ ]

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“Pien” in the original text. Went with “oh nyo” over straight up just “🥺” because “oh nyo” is actually pronounceable.

What Rei actually says here is medetashi, medetashi, lit. just happy/auspicious repeated twice. Traditionally this phrase is used to end fairytales, carrying much the same connotations as “happily ever after” in ENG.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #kaoru hakaze #koga oogami #adonis otogari #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 16

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Adonis

Rei: Indeed. He is a Tenshouin-kun who has neither ambition, nor passion, nor talent, nor skill. Kaoru: There’s like, nothing left at that point? Rei: Nay, even without all that, Tenshouin-kun would still have his cute face.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Rei: However, unlike Ryuseitai or Knights, we never opened up to recruit new members. But even if there was some legitimate means for new members to join UNDEAD, it still would have been impossible for Dracula-kun.

His application would have been rejected. After all, he lacked the necessary skills. He didn’t want to be rejected by me, the person whom he admired. He didn’t want to hear me say, "Thy skills are lacking, we have no need of thee.” 'Twas too unpleasant a thought for him. Thus, he resorted to cheating. Hoping to make things as painless for himself as possible, he shamelessly chose the easiest path.

Kaoru: To add some context: you know how a lot of the students at Yumenosaki are, like, local rich young masters from influential families, right? Well, the culprit this time was totally one of those types. I think his parents own like, a pharmaceutical company or whatever?

Rei: Aye. If he had simply gone on to inherit the family business, he could have led a relatively comfortable life. But perhaps he hated the idea of working a normal job because it would be too exhausting. Or perhaps he was too incompetent and lacking in resourcefulness to successfully take over the family business. Thus, he paid his way into Yumenosaki in hopes of enjoying a decadent, aristocratic lifestyle...or so I assume. The details are somewhat unclear — and frankly, they don't matter much. The point is, he made use of his excessive wealth and power to ensnare us in his trap.

Kaoru: Like a knockoff Tenshouin-kun.

Rei: Indeed. He is a Tenshouin-kun who has neither ambition, nor passion, nor talent, nor skill.

Kaoru: There’s like, nothing left at that point?

Rei: Nay, even without all that, Tenshouin-kun would still have his cute face. That said, the culprit truly did lack anything of worth. Despite that lack, he still could not give up on his dreams, and thus turned to crime. That is the truth behind this incident.

Koga: Wait, so what did he actually do? I have no idea what the hell you’ve been going on about?

Adonis: …I see. Given the current situation, the culprit’s intentions are clear. First, that person tried to frame me as the culprit. Inside that dream — that recollection of ours — I was portrayed as the leader of the “vampires.” In truth, the culprit was the one who acted as the leader of the delinquents causing trouble in town, and was eventually defeated as a result. The culprit tried to impose his position onto me, perhaps hoping to take my position as a member of UNDEAD in turn. In other words, he was trying to replace me. Even if it wasn’t real, even if it was only inside the world of a distorted dream…he still wanted it. Given that, it’s obvious that the culprit wished to become part of UNDEAD. That is how our senpai managed to deduce the culprit’s identity.

Koga: Cut it out, Adonis… Seriously, it’s a~always like this. Coz you’re so smart n’ perceptive, I’m the only one who ends up lookin’ like an idiot.

Adonis: Is that so. Sorry. Don’t worry, Oogami, your intuition is second to none.

Koga: Man, feels like everyone’s tellin’ me, “You’re an idiot, but your intuition’s sharp!” this time around.

Rei: Fufu. Adonis’s deduction is correct. So clever. So commendable. So cute.

Adonis: Thank you.

Rei: However, as you know, even within a dream, the culprit’s wish could never be fulfilled. It was simply too far-fetched. Perhaps he thought that Adonis would be the easiest member of UNDEAD to replace.

Adonis: That is probably true. If you look at it objectively, I am the most replaceable member of UNDEAD. It goes without saying that the leader, Sakuma-senpai, cannot be replaced. Oogami is practically the pillar holding the unit up, while Hakaze-senpai is an exceptionally talented powerhouse who cannot be replaced by just anyone. Out of all UNDEAD’s members, I am the most unnecessary.

Koga: Unnecessary, my ass! I’m gonna fucking kill that guy…!

Kaoru: Yeah. I’m kinda angry too, but don’t worry. I’m going to make sure that criminal gets brought to justice. Sometimes it’s, like, seriously handy being able to throw my family’s weight around.

Rei: Please do. As we are neither police officers nor judges, we have no authority by which to deliver judgement. However, it goes without saying that we thwarted the culprit’s shallow and foolish plans. In fact, it was impossible for him to succeed from the start. The scheme to impersonate Adonis-kun collapsed on its own, without us having to do much. It is true that we provided some psychological guidance, but even the versions of us within the dream accepted Adonis as a friend. They never dismissed him as a mere delinquent.

Adonis: I did not see that part of the dream, but, is that so? That is reassuring. Thank you for believing in me.

Koga: I've always believed in ya! Damn it, I'm still pissed off!

Rei: Fufu.  But for the culprit, that act was nothing more than an amusing little diversion; their main goal lay elsewhere. I speak, of course, of HELLSING.

Koga: Ohh…

Rei: We needed only to accept these artificial idols as comrades, even if only temporarily, and begin working together. The rest is simple. At the moment, they are autonomously operated by their own artificial intelligence programs, but in the future, the culprit planned to control them directly. As like characters in a game. To make matters plain, the culprit intended to become part of our group by wearing the HELLSING members’ identities like costumes.

Rei: Everything was prepared for that purpose. The AIIE project, the robots resembling us and Ra*bits – even that makeshift, gilded research facility. Making full use of his money and power, the culprit gathered all these things in an attempt to deceive us. He coerced us into participating in a dubious experiment through false communications, then put us to sleep while activating "HELLSING" to create a fait accompli¹. Ultimately, that part of his plan was a success.

Kaoru: I never would have imagined someone would go to such lengths just to become one of us. I mean, even one robot costs a fortune, so they must have spent an insane amount of money.

Koga: But why…? Did he really wanna be part of UNDEAD that badly? Then just say that! Say ya wanna be our friend! Even if ya get rejected, just try again! If you’d just expressed your feelings properly, we would’ve accepted ya! Why jump through all these unnecessary hoops instead a’ just actin’ like a normal person…?

Rei: By attempting to cut corners and taking what he thought was a shortcut, he instead wound up on a long, circuitous route. I suppose one might consider that the moral of this particular story. Seeing as we, too, participated in dubious experiments in search of easy solutions to our current problems, we have no right to judge. God always sets difficult trials before us, while the Devil seduces away those fools who wish to avoid them. One must always remain vigilant. In any case, as I was saying earlier, once we’ve deduced the culprit's identity, the rest is simple. The culprit intended to take Adonis-kun’s place. To that end, he needed to swap identities with him. In other words, the culprit was…

Koga: The leader of the “vampires,” huh?

Rei: Aye – and even if not the leader, then certainly still one among their number. With that in mind, Kaoru-kun and I re-entered that dream of the past in search of the culprit.

[ ☆ ]

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A French phrase which translates literally to “an accomplished fact,” meaning something which has already been done and is (presumably) irreversible.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #kaoru hakaze #koga oogami #adonis otogari #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 15

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Adonis

Kaoru: It’s been quite a while since you last called me “Playboy.” I never mentioned it, but I don’t actually dislike that nickname or anything. In fact, hearing you politely call me “senpai” is, like, kinda gross~

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Kaoru: Okay, okay, settle down~♪ You don’t wanna appear all flustered and uncool, right, you two?

Koga: …!? Hakaze-senpai!

Adonis: Is that you, senpai? I mean, are you two the real deal?

Kaoru: Yup. Sorry we’re late. We heard HELLSING was going on a national tour, but, geez! You kept getting further and further away from ES. Catching up was like, super hard. Right, Rei-kun?

Rei: Indeed. Furthermore, there were other pressing matters demanding our attention, so I was quite concerned we would not arrive in time.

Koga: Even Sakuma-senpai is… Wh-what’re you doing here? Don’t you guys have your own shit to deal with, like those silly variety shows!?

Rei: Naturally, we've already taken care of those matters. We are not prone to such oversight, after all. We anticipated this situation and prepared accordingly, making arrangements with the staff and other performers to record a considerable amount of footage in advance. Thus, there is no great hurry for us to return at the moment.

Adonis: How very like you, Sakuma-senpai. How much of this did you predict?

Rei: Kukuku. I can only foresee a small fraction of what is to come, but even that small piece can sometimes be enough to determine one’s fate. 'Tis for that reason I always ensure my preparations are in order. It is as straightforward as that. No longer do I hate the world, shutting myself away from it within my coffin. To avoid falling into mourning once more, I shall learn from thy example, Adonis, and give my utmost.

Koga: That’s right. Get to work, ya Vampire Bastard~ Don’t just spend all yer time dozin’ off without a care.

Koga: I mean, seriously, man… Ya always make me so damn worried. Because ya hardly move at all, I start worryin’ ya might have gone off n’ died!

Rei: I shan’t die. Being alive is enjoyable, you see. Furthermore, I have come to recognize that you are individuals possessed of rare and noble character who shall not rely solely upon me, but rather attempt to overcome difficulties on your own― Nay, I already knew. I have known it from the very first time UNDEAD stood on stage, and that conviction hath only grown day by day. Therefore, I can rest assured. So long as I am with you all, I am certain I shall never feel that being alive is tedious. That certainty is truly appreciated. I’ve been saved.

Kaoru: Ah geez, as usual, everything Rei-kun says is, like, totally cryptic, so let me give you a concrete explanation. And Rei-kun, in the future, instead of just making vague philosophical statements, you have to make sure to explain things clearly, okay?

Rei: Sure thing, mom.

Kaoru: You just stepped on a landmine on purpose, didn’t you?

Rei: Because I am quite certain you all shall love and accept me no matter what, I can make such jokes with confidence.

Kaoru: I’m gonna kick you. …Anyway, we’re in the middle of a live performance, so I’ll keep things short. Rei-kun and I returned to the dream world. In that dream of the past, we found the mastermind behind this incident…and defeated him. That’s why our fakes are bugging out and on the verge of shutting down, see? The person controlling them was neutralized, so they’ve lost control.

Koga: Huh? What? The hell’re ya talkin’ about, Playboy!?

Kaoru: It’s been quite a while since you last called me “Playboy.” I never mentioned it, but I don’t actually dislike that nickname or anything. In fact, hearing you politely call me “senpai” is, like, kinda gross~ And it makes me feel a bit lonely since it feels so distant. On top of all that, seeing the unruly Koga-kun acting like a good kid is totally off-putting~

Koga: Oh shit, my bad. I’ve been callin’ the fakes “Vampire Bastard~” n’ “Playboy,” so it just kinda slipped out.

Kaoru: Like I just said, it’s fine. Anyways, what’s the problem? Do you have any questions?

Koga: I ain’t got nothin’ but questions…! The hell do you mean, ya defeated the mastermind!? Who even was the mastermind!? We didn’t know jack shit about their identity up ‘til now! This ain’t some cancelled manga! Ya can’t just suddenly defeat some powerful villain off-screen!

Rei: The mastermind ‘twas not truly all that grand of a villain. You see, the culprit behind this incident was just the sort of trivial, insignificant person one can find anywhere. Seeing as he called himself a “vampire,” I shall simply refer to the mastermind as “Dracula-kun” for the time being.

Koga: Not that it really matters what they’re called, but… “Vampire”? That name came up a bunch in our past― or rather, in that dream we had, right?

Rei: Aye. We knew no groups by that name in truth. It is a name which only appears in that distorted retelling of history. I suspected that the mastermind behind this incident would also be the one at the root of that distortion. After all, I rather doubted that the culprit’s only goal was to show us amusing dreams. He must have had dreams ― desires ― of his own. There must have been something he hoped to accomplish with all this.

Adonis: You honed in on the culprit by uncovering his motives?

Rei: Indeed. ‘Tis the backbone of any mystery novel, no? Who caused the incident, why, and how? Analyze each piece of evidence, speculate as to the answers, and deduce the truth. Fortunately, the culprit in this particular incident was somewhat careless. He left behind plenty of evidence, making the deduction rather straightforward. Firstly, we identified who committed the crime, and it was none other than one of my former devotees, like those “vampires” from our dream. In other words, he was one of the delinquents who was exterminated by us in that past incident. He idolized me, worshiped me without my consent, and sought to become my successor… But was ultimately crushed by the student council and lost to history as just another one of Yumenosaki’s corrupt students.

Rei: The culprit, “Dracula-kun,” was sacrificed as one of the cornerstones of the student council's revolution. Yet, despite being handed such a harsh judgment, he showed no remorse. Without repentance, he repeated his mistakes.

Koga: ……

Rei: He refused to accept it. He could not understand why he had been subjected to such suffering. He simply felt it was unfair. Frustrated and dissatisfied, he convinced himself that the current situation, that history itself, was wrong… …And so he attempted to rewrite history, setting it upon the “correct” course. In his mind, he envisioned an ideal, righteous world where he was my closest companion, my friend, disciple, and loyal subject — someone loved by me above all else.

Kaoru: This might sound kinda flippant but isn’t that like, basically just us?

Rei: Indeed. The culprit behind this incident was a pitiful ghost who longed for immortality, but was unable to achieve it. Frankly speaking, it is quite probable that he wished to become a part of "UNDEAD."

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #kaoru hakaze #koga oogami #adonis otogari #rei sakuma #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 14

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Adonis

Koga: Thanks, Adonis. I’m okay now. So long as you’re here, I’ll be fine. With you by my side, there ain’t nothin’ for me to worry about!

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: Present day. Two weeks after the launch of HELLSING, UNDEAD’s new initiative.

Location: In the Tohoku region, at one of the venues for HELLSING’s national tour.

Koga: “♪~♪~♪”

Koga: (Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me?) (Why am I feelin’ so frustrated!?) (This is supposed to be a dream come true!)

Rei II & Kaoru II: “♪♪♪♪♪”

Koga: (Ahh, a bassline so heavy it feels like it’ll tear your body apart! Soul-stirrin’ rock 'n' roll!) (The audience is ecstatic, stompin’ their feet to the beat! It’s a hellish feast!) (We’re — UNDEAD is — the greatest, strongest rock band! Our sound makes the world tremble!)

Koga: (This is what I’ve always wanted! The way our senpai kept wastin’ their time on frivolous shit instead a’ workin’ towards the same goal as me always made me so upset!) (I was frustrated, dissatisfied, angry!) (So, why! Even though I’m currently surrounded by people who’ll do whatever I want — even if they are fakes!) (Even though I’m finally gettin’ to make the best music ever, just like I always wanted!) (Why do I feel…! Get your shit together, Oogami Koga! What are ya, a puppy that’s been abandoned in the rain!?)

Koga: (Right now, why does it feel like I’m all alone—)

Adonis: Oogami.

Koga: …Tch. My bad, Adonis. I know, I gotta focus.

Adonis: It’s true you seem more low-energy than usual today, but that is not what I wanted to say. After all, I’m feeling just as off as you are. As they say, “one man’s fault is another’s lesson.” Before criticizing others, we should first reflect on ourselves. That is what I have always believed.

Koga: You really neeever change, huh? That’s real reassurin’.

Adonis: I believe I have grown at least a little.

Koga: I mean on a fundamental level. Makes me kinda jealous.

Koga: Cause me, I’m hopeless. I don’t even understand myself. This right here is the biggest national tour UNDEAD’s ever been on. It’s s’posed to be a dream come true, but I feel strangely restless. It feels just like that time when we first stood on stage together as UNDEAD Hey, how did we win back then? Was it cause Sakuma-senpai came to save us right when we needed it most, just like always?

Adonis: That is not how I remember it happening. During our debut match, Sakuma-senpai never set foot on stage. Yet, it was not a problem. The delinquents who were going around causing trouble in town ended up fleeing from the fight, or rather, they scoffed and ignored us — we won by default. However, we did not know that would happen. So the three of us — you, Hakaze-senpai and I — did the best we could at the time. We did not just run away; we fought. That is why we won. Even if it was just a bloodless walkover, a win is still a win. I’m still proud of that experience. It was my starting point. Even now, I do the best I can in each moment, just as I did back then.

Koga: Haha. That’s right, you’ve always been this way. It was exactly the same during last year’s Repayment Festival. Or hell, even before that, when I was lured into actin’ as fine’s attack dog. No matter how miserable things got or how inevitable defeat seemed, ya never gave up, standin’ by my side ‘til the very end. Thanks, Adonis. I’m okay now. So long as you’re here, I’ll be fine.

Koga: With you by my side, there ain’t nothin’ for me to worry about! “♪~♪~♪”

Adonis: …Thank you, Oogami. Those words truly make me happy. It feels like my efforts have been rewarded. But as I said, that wasn’t what I wanted to talk about.

Koga: Hah?

Adonis: Our senpai are behaving somewhat strangely.

Koga: ……!?

Rei II: “♪~......”

Kaoru II: “...... …...”

Koga: Nn!? Wh-wh-what the hell’s wrong with those fakes? Their movements are strangely jerky― D-did they get damaged somehow’!?

Adonis: They’re precision machines… I have been training, so I’m still okay, but maybe they could not handle the grueling pace of a national tour.

Koga: Damn it, get it together, ya pieces of junk! The tour ain’t over yet! Ya can’t just break down here!?

Adonis: Don’t cause a scene, Oogami. We shouldn’t draw attention. Let’s try to distract the audience before either they notice something’s wrong, or our senpai stop moving completely. It’s time to move onto the next song. If we release smoke as part of the intro, the audience won’t be able to see us from their― Hm? Even without any direction from us, a lot of smoke is already being released.

Koga: D-did some attentive staff member notice what was happening and take the initiative to’ help us out!? But no, wait, aren’t we s’posed to be the only ones who know those two are fakes?

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #koga oogami #adonis otogari #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 13

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Adonis, Rei, Kaoru

Kaoru: Yeah, okay, whatever. If you’re not feeling it you can just go home, y’know!? Rei: Ahaha. You’re sexy when you’re angry, Hakaze-kun. Sorry, my bad~ Did I accidentally say somethin’ inappropriate again?

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Koga: (Woah, that Playboy’s vibe completely changed all of a sudden! Up ‘til a moment ago he was limp as a fizzled-out soda, but now!)

Koga: (Now he’s movin’ with the kind of passion he was totally lackin’ durin’ practice! He’s putting his whole heart n’ soul into it! That’s it, that’s how it should be!) (I'm still in the middle of practicin’ that aspect myself, but...! I don't wanna try n’ excuse myself later by claimin’ “I didn’t have enough time to prepare,” or “I’m not talented enough!”) (So, right now, all I can do is give it my all!) “♪~♪~♪”

Adonis: (Hakaze-senpai, Oogami… Incredible. It’s as though damp gunpowder suddenly managed to ignite.) (Why now? Is it thanks to Sakuma-senpai? Did seeing him reassure them, causing unnecessary tension to dissipate?)

Adonis: (I don’t understand the logic, but… I― I also need to do my best.) (I have to learn from these people― from my friends. (I have to do my best for the sake of the people who were willing to accept a foreigner like me, even if it was just by chance!) “♪~♪~♪”

Rei: (Ahaha. Thanks to my meaningless provocation, it seems they’ve finally steeled their resolve.) (All their unnecessary worries have been blown away, their thoughts focused solely on anger towards me…or somethin’ like that.) (With no unnecessary distractions, their brains can devote all their energy towards movin’ their bodies.) (And even though you guys ain’t quite ripe juuust yet…you’re still harborin’ the greatest of potentials.) (Let it explode. Let it blossom in a brilliant display.) (That way, ya won’t need to rely on my support. Ya won’t lose to anyone.) (Especially not to those “vampires” who always skipped classes just t’ goof off.) (Dream Festivals are s’posed to be live showdowns, but this one’s just a ceremonial rite.)

Rei: (UNDEAD will gloriously defeat the unskilled, talentless “vampires,” who’ve got nothing goin’ for ‘em save sheer numbers.) (The outcome of the battle has already been decided before it even begins, cause that’s how this story goes.) (And the one who wrote the story is none other than bouzu. As a result of this little performance, he’ll gain prestige due to subjugatin’ the delinquents…and the student council’ll subsequently grow in power.) (This whole thing’s just a stepping stone on his way to increasin’ the student council’s influence. Haha, seems he still managed ta use me as a pawn after all.) (Ah, well. That aside, I was kinda worried at first, but at this rate… Unless somethin’ goes seriously wrong, there’s no way we’ll lose. The outcome is certain.) (It’s our, UNDEAD’s, victory.) (Though to be honest, it ain’t like those “vampires” are gonna bother showin’ up for a live showdown anyway~ This match — Flashback — is gonna end with UNDEAD winnin’ by default.) (‘Specially when ya take into account the fact one a’ the people they’re gonna be up against is lil’ ol’ me — the guy they worship. They wouldn’t dare challenge a god.) (They won’t fight, or participate in any way. They’re gonna be no-shows.)

Rei: (Why? Cause those “vampires” lack any sense a’ danger.) (They don’t worry about the future at all, so there’s no way they can imagine what’ll happen if they don’t set foot on this stage.) (If they were capable of thinkin’ ahead like that, they wouldn’t waste their precious time on this Earth playin’ at bein’ delinquents.) (Even now, they’re probably whilin’ their time away like usual, not feelin’ even a little bit anxious. Hell, they might even be laughin’ at the fact we challenged ‘em to a match.) (Whenever anythin’ happens, they laugh it off, treatin’ eeeverythin’ as a joke.)

Rei: (But soon enough, they won’t find it funny anymore.) (My condolences. It’ll be too late for regrets once you’re already adults, ya utter buffoons.) (This is the turning point.) (You’ve chosen the wrong path.) (Sorry, but I’ve got no sympathy for ya… Unlike bouzu, ya didn’t even try to fight. Despite sayin’ you admired me, ya just avoided me.) (Even though ya claimed to love me, the ones ya loved most were yourselves.) (So ya chose the easiest, least painful path.) (Ya pretended not to see me n’ ran away, veerin’ off the road n’ outta my sight.)

Rei: (Even though the path ya chose leads nowhere. It’ll collapse beneath your feet, sendin’ ya straight to hell.) (But, even knowin’ that… As I am now, I haven’t got the energy t’ so much as think about reachin’ out to help pull up a buncha strangers.) (Apologies, but I can’t save ya.)

Rei: …Aaalright~ I’ve found “the thing I wanted to find,” so lil’ ol’ me is finally gonna take the stage~♪

Kaoru: Yeah, okay, whatever. If you’re not feeling it you can just go home, y’know!?

Rei: Ahaha. You’re sexy when you’re angry, Hakaze-kun. Sorry, my bad~ Did I accidentally say somethin’ inappropriate again?

Kaoru: No, it’s totally whatever! I mean, even if you did, I don’t owe you any explanations, right!?

Rei: Yup. Well, I s’pose this is fine. We can take our time gettin’ to know each other. Whether by chance or by design, we’re coworkers now, so there’ll be plenty a’ chances for that in the future. That’s right. Fortunately, there’s still time. We're still young, after all. “♪~♪~♪”

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #kaoru hakaze #koga oogami #adonis otogari #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 12

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Adonis, Kaoru, Rei

Rei: Kya~✰ Undead~♪ Do youw bwest~ Don’t wose~♪ Koga: I was hopin’ he’d show up, but… What the hell is that idiot senpai doing?!

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: The next day, the day of the "Flashback" live.

Location: The underground live house near Yumenosaki Academy

Koga: “♪~♪~♪”

Koga: (Damn it! I was tricked…!) (The hell’s up with you, Sakuma-senpai? Weren’tcha actin’ all cool yesterday, sayin’ stuff like, “I’m gonna give it my all tomorrow”!?) (So where the hell are you!?) (The start time we were advertisin’ in all the promotional materials n’ such has already come n’ gone!) (So even though it’s just us, we still had to start the performance!)

Adonis: ……

Kaoru: ……

Koga: (Ughhh? It can’t be helped in Adonis’s case, he’s real meek despite his imposin’ looks!) (This is his first live performance, so he probably got overwhelmed n’ blanked out!) (But Hakaze-senpai- or rather, Playboy! You’re our senpai at Yumenosaki, ain’tcha? So why’re ya tremblin’ from nerves like a total newbie?!) (What was with that “I’m the kind of man you can rely on” crap?! Ya damn liar!) (Everythin’ 'bout this performance seriously sucks! UNDEAD’s the worst band ever!) (Guess I already knew this is how it’d go, though!? Whether it’s practice or whatever else, we fell short on aaall a’ that stuff! There’s nooo way some impromptu band’ll just crush the competition without even rehearsin’ once, right?!) (Of course we’re a fuckin’ mess! This ain’t some manga, after all! Miracles like that don’t happen!)

Koga: (Damn it, damn it, this is so embarrassin’!) (Sakuma-senpai’s even lendin’ me his power! If it still ends in disaster, ain’t it clearly cause I’m too weak n’ inexperienced?!) (I’ll end up puttin’ a black mark on Sakuma-senpai’s brilliant battle record!) (I don’t want that to happen! That’s why! I’ve gotta do somethin’ about this! I have to…!)

Kaoru: Calm down, Pup~ Relax, relax~ ♪

Koga: Haah!? Th-th-th-this ain’t the time to be calm! D’ya even understand our situation right now, ya damn playboy!?

Kaoru: First of all, could you at least try to understand that panicking won’t help? Sorry. It’s pretty pathetic of me to act like some know-it-all senpai now, huh… You’ve probably figured it out by now but, see, this is my first time standing on stage. And, well, actually performing on stage really is totally different from just watching from the sidelines, huh? I can’t breathe properly. The lights are hot and blinding. The sweat’s making me feel all gross and clammy. My mind’s filled with these sorts of trivial worries; I can’t focus at all. My heart feels like it’s skipping beats, and my limbs feel numb. It feels like I’ll just collapse if I don’t brace myself… It’s scary, isn’t it? The real deal. Standing on stage like this… I’m finally realizing that, even though it’s way late.

Adonis: Me too… I’m sorry, Oogami. It seems I’m just as nervous as he is. In the past, I used to do little dances with my mother, who was a singer at the time. In those days, I was young, carefree, and fearless: I had my reliable mother by my side. Without even thinking about it, I could naturally behave appropriately. Perhaps it was thanks to my mother’s guidance. She was the one who made me shine. But right now, I don’t have that guidance. I have to lead myself. It makes me anxious, and afraid… I feel as though I am lost in the dark.

Koga: That so? Guess I can’t be your guiding light, huh? It’s hopeless. Sure enough, without Sakuma-senpai around… I’m useless.

Adonis: Speaking of Sakuma-senpai… I just noticed, but isn't that him standing in the pit?

Koga: Ah?

Adonis: Talking to you guys helped me calm down a bit, so I am able to pay more attention to my surroundings now… Look, Sakuma-senpai is in the audience, waving a glow stick.

Rei: Kya~✰ Undead¹~♪ Do youw bwest~ Don’t wose²~♪

Koga: I was hopin’ he’d show up, but… What the hell is that idiot senpai doing?!

Adonis: It’s a mystery. However, he appears strangely pleased.

Kaoru: Th-that's so unfair, Sakuma-san! You’re also a member of UNDEAD, so like!? Get up on stage!

Rei: Ahaha. I know, I know. Wasn’t expectin’ to hear that from you though, Hakaze-kun. You seemed to be the one with the least motivation n’ sense a’ camaraderie out of us all.

Kaoru: Okay, whatever, just hurry up! C’mon, quickly! If you don’t do your job properly, I won’t pay you the commission fee, y’know?

Rei: Aw, geez~ You’re so hopeless, N*bita-kun³… You get all anxious and stawt cwying when mama isn't awound, huh~? Thewe, thewe ♪

Kaoru: …You probably didn’t know, but, Sakuma-san, you totally just stepped on a landmine. Don’t look down on me too much, ‘kay?

Kaoru: ―I’m not just a spoiled crybaby anymore.

[ ☆ ]

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Rei is likely mispronouncing UNDEAD on purpose here. It’s normally rendered in all-caps ENG, but here it was written not only in JP, but in hiragana as opposed to katakana (which is what's typically used for foreign words).

Rei says ganbae rather than ganbare, and makeyuna rather than makeruna. Children often have trouble pronouncing “r” sounds, so dropping them from words makes you sound childish. Combined with the mispronunciation of UNDEAD (You know what else children are bad at? Foreign words), he’s purposefully acting cutesy in an obnoxious, over-the-top kind of way. Ganbae in particular is somewhat infamous as it was popularized, for lack of a better word, due to a story about a middle-aged man shouting it at the top of his lungs while standing among a crowd of young girls at a PreCure show. So, yes, Rei is 100% being cringey and embarassing on purpose. I chose to render this as uwu speak because hearing a punk teen at a rock concert speaking this way would generate the exact same instinctive, visceral “wtf is wrong with you?” reaction from bystanders.

Yet another Doraemon reference. For those unfamiliar with Doraemon, Nobita, the main character, is an extremely lazy boy who constantly skips school and is unwilling to put real effort into anything. All this gives him a reputation as a dumb and frivolous person who can’t do anything without help, but he’s actually fairly intelligent, as well as kind and generous. (As a side note: Doraemon (who Rei has compared himself to on multiple occassions) is a magical wish-granting robot cat who came from the future in order to help Nobita onto a better path in life.)

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #koga oogami #kaoru hakaze #adonis otogari #rei sakuma #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 11

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Adonis, Koga, Kaoru

Rei: What the heck, you're gonna make me cry… It's enough to move even my weary, withered heart. I've been thirsty for so long… But right now, strangely, I feel satisfied.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Rei: ~………♪

Adonis: Oh? Sakuma-senpai, where did you get that guitar?

Rei: This is the temple belongin' to bouzu's family, yeah? I remembered leavin' a buncha instruments in their storehouse, so I went and grabbed 'em just now.

Koga: What are you, a couple that just broke up?

Rei: Emotionally, it really does feel like that. Even though we're cooperatin' like this at the moment, I don't think there's a~any hope of us gettin' back together. Even if he wants us to, I'm to~otally not into him anymore. Cause y'see, right now, I'm in the mood for new encounters ♪ ♪~♪~♪

Adonis: Ohhh… What a great song. Even though the melody is very aggressive, when you listen to it, it makes you feel strangely uplifted. Oogami, you composed a song like this all by yourself? That's amazing.

Koga: Y-yeah… But it's just that the person performin' it is crazy skilled…. In Sakuma-senpai's hands, even a mediocre song'll become a masterpiece.

Rei: Aw, he's feelin' shy. How nice it is to be so young n' innocent~. I wanna regain those kinds of pure feelings too~ Or rather... I'm sure that's exactly what Pup was hopin' for when he named us UNDEAD. Just like Adonis-kun, he sensed I was feelin' down, though in his case it mighta been subconscious… He was hopin' t' help me regain my liveliness so I could be revived. What the heck, you're gonna make me cry… It's enough to move even my weary, withered heart. I've been thirsty for so long… But right now, strangely, I feel satisfied. I suppose, more than a million compliments… What I wanted was someone's pure feelings. ♪~♪~♪

Kaoru: Ohhh~ I don't really get what's going on here, but you guys sure are lively, huh~?

Rei: Yo, Hakaze-kun. Nice entrance, ya nailed the "executive comin' to check in on his employees" vibe. Just when I was startin' t' worry ya wouldn't show, too.

Kaoru: There's no way I'd be a no-show… After all, as the one who hired you to exterminate the "vampires" it's, like, totally my duty to make sure you guys don't slack off, right? I never thought I'd end up being part of a group as weird as "UNDEAD," though.

Rei: You're also an aspirin' idol at Yumenosaki academy, ain'tcha? So you'll be a valuable asset.

Kaoru: Don't get your hopes up, 'kay~? I'm notorious for slacking off at school. But, well, if I wanna protect my workplace — my place to belong — then I guess I'll have to put in some effort for once. What a pain, just kill me now~♪ So, that said, I totally made some promotional flyers to hype up tomorrow's showdown. Hand them out to your friends, 'kay? Though with the exception of Sakuma-san, who's super well-connected, it'll probably be a drop in the bucket. Also, I got a fancy stage all set up. Or well, not just me personally, but all the guys who run the shops downtown. They're super enthusiastic about helping out. I would have liked to get custom stage costumes too, but, like? I didn't know your measurements, and I figure there's probably not enough time to get anything made, anyway.

Rei: That's fine by me~ It ain't like our enemies are gonna be all that thorough either, so it'd look better if we just sing in our school uniforms, rather than showin' up in full costume n' comin' off as total try-hards. It'll be fair n' square; a real, proper match.

Koga: Hmm… So the reason we haven't seen ya at all up 'til now ain't cause you were slackin' off, you were actually busy gettin' a buncha stuff ready. I'm seein' you in a new light, Hakaze…senpai. Ya step up to the plate when it counts.

Kaoru: Yup, yup! I'm the kind of man you can rely on~ Really, it's true ♪

Koga: Yeah. Ya seem irresponsible at first glance, but you're actually a reliable guy. I'll remember that.

Adonis: Yes. You have been filling in the gaps we did not notice. It's a big help.

Kaoru: Even so, I still think we're, like, totally unprepared~ I mean, honestly. We've got the venue all set up, but we're seriously lacking in terms of practice, aren't we? The live to exterminate the "vampires" is tomorrow, isn't it? At this point, aren't we basically just winging it?

Rei: Well that's exactly why we're havin' this little get-together, yeah? It's also a chance for us to get t' know each other, since we're a newly formed unit n' all.

Adonis: It is more of a reorganization than a formation, though.

Rei: Ahaha. Funny how Adonis, who's the least familiar with Japanese, is the most precise about the meanin' behind words.

Adonis: Words are important.

Rei: Sure are. In this country, there's a belief known as kotodama¹. I heard about it from a good friend of mine who passed away recently—

Koga: Hasumi-senpai ain't actually dead, y'know… Even though he decided to work from behind the scenes, he's even more fired up about this than us. He even went and convinced his parents to let us use this place for practice without us even askin'.

Kaoru: He needn't have bothered, though~ We could've just, like, practiced at my family's live house.

Rei: 'Tis a good thing, ain't it? The weather's lovely today, and there doth lie a certain sense a' refinement in singin' n' dancin' beneath Mr. Sun's rays. We're gonna be huntin' "vampires," thus let us soak up their greatest weakness n' amass as much of its power as we may. ² ♪~♪~♪

Kaoru: A-are things really going to be okay like this~? You're talking, like, super optimistically and all, but do we have any guarantee that we can actually defeat the "vampires?"

Rei: Nobody knows the future. Not even me, obviously. But, somehow, I feel like things'll work out. For some reason, there's some gramps-like guy inside my head agreein' with me, goin' all, "Aye, 'tis exactly so," too.

Kaoru: What do you mean, "some guy inside my head"? Are you drunk?

Adonis: I asked the same thing earlier.

Rei: I'm perfectly sober. We're the ones who're gonna get rid of the delinquents, so there's nooo way I'm gonna go around breakin' the law like 'em. Without descendin' to the level of our enemies, we'll become like the sun and burn away the vices which corrupt the earth. Leave it to me. I'm feelin' oddly good, so I'll give it my all in tomorrow's performance. I can't say for sure what'll come after, but I can guarantee ya this much, at least.

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Kotodama, or the soul of language, is the belief that words, especially names, hold power. Words must therefore be chosen with deliberate care, as they can have real effects on you and the people/things around you. You know how in shows and movies, martial artists always yell "Hyah!" or smth along those lines prior to attacks? That practice is rooted in this principle, with the idea that a confident, aggressive shout lends power to the attack. (Which is also why every shounen anime ever has the chars going around shouting their attack names.)

Rei is speaking in a haphazard mix of his delinquent and archaic old man speech for these lines. Yes, it does sound just as bizarre in JP as it does in ENG.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #adonis otogari #koga oogami #kaoru hakaze #psychobreak #flashback

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 10

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Adonis, Koga

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: One week later. The day before the battle to subjugate the "vampires," now named "Flashback (tentative title)," as well as the day UNDEAD first met.

Location: The graveyard located at the Hasumi family's temple.

Rei: Ghosts 're great, ain't they? ♪ Ghosts 're great, ain't they? ♪ Forget about workin' or studyin', let's just hold a concert at this here graveyard~ We'll start at noon~ ♪

Adonis: What's wrong, Sakuma-senpai? Are you drunk?

Rei: I ain't old enough t' drink my problems away~ It might be easier if I was, though~ ♪

Adonis: I am not sure what's going on, but you seem to be in an unusually good mood… There's been a gloomy atmosphere around you lately, so this is a bit of a relief.

Rei: Ohhh… Ya actually noticed I've been feelin' down? That's amazin', real impressive. Even though people often claim ta love or respect someone, humans generally don't care enough to pay much attention ta others' affairs or try ta understand 'em.

Adonis: It's simply because I've known you longer than the others have, so I was able to notice the difference sooner.

Rei: So modest. Even my little brother, who's been with me since birth, doesn't bother to try n' figure out how I'm feelin'. Even though I try to get his attention by goin', "Hey, hey, can ya guess what big bro's thinkin' right now?" too.

Adonis: Won't that just make him think you're annoying and cause him to dislike you?

Rei: H-he won't dislike me~! Even the bible states that a younger brother will love his older brother as much as the older brother loves his younger brother!

Adonis: Is that so? Then my opinion was mistaken, and I apologize.

Rei: Adonis-kun, has anyone ever called you a joke killer?

Adonis: Killer…? I try to keep a low profile to avoid such dishonorable nicknames. I am a foreigner. In this country, even if I do not want to stand out, I unavoidably do. It's sad, but I often get stuck with strange labels, and mothers with children often become unusually vigilant around me. That is why I believe I should behave like a good kid who is excessively docile, earnest and harmless.

Rei: Hmmm. It seems you've got such keen eyes, ya end up seein' things ya shouldn't even bother lookin' at. How the hell did I get it into my head that a kid as well-behaved as you was behind the "vampire" attacks? I've kiiinda got this unsettlin' feelin' my thoughts're bein' guided by someone else, n' it's been particularly bad recently. It's like some stranger's forcin' me into the role of a character in their story. It's seriously creepy. Is this just a common thing durin' adolescence? What do ya think, Adonis?

Adonis: I do not know, but… I do agree it seemed out of character for you to suddenly assume I was responsible and condemn me as the culprit. Fortunately, it seems the suspicion has cleared up, but to be honest, it hurt a little. I found myself thinking, "So even Sakuma-senpai doesn't understand me?"

Rei: Ahh, I'm very, very sorry, okay? Ya know I really do love ya, right?

Adonis: It isn't a matter of whether you like or dislike me. It is about perception and understanding.

Koga: …The hell have you guys even been goin' on about? We were supposed ta be practicin' for the showdown against the "vampires" today, but… That — what was it, Hakaze or whatever? — guy ain't no~owhere t' be seen. And just when I'm thinkin to myself, "Finally, Sakuma-senpai's here!" you n' that guy over there, umm…

Adonis: I am Otogari Adonis. I've introduced myself several times, haven't I?

Koga: Right, Adonis…. You n' Adonis just keep talkin' about toootally unrelated bullshit. We seriously gonna be okay like this? Can we really beat the "vampires" at this rate? Though a' course, we're invincible as long as you're here, Sakuma-senpai, but—

Rei: I dunno 'bout that~ I might just betray ya again like I did durin' the "Dead Man's Live," y'know? It's troublesome if ya depend on me too much, cause I'm fundamentally a pre~etty unmotivated kinda guy. If yer worried about it, ya should try n' motivate me, Pup¹~♪

Koga: I dunno if this'll motivate ya, buuut… For that DreFes thing, I was thinkin', if we're gonna be doin' a live then we need at least one song to sing, right? So I tried writin' some myself.

Rei: Oh? That's cool, very band-like ♪ Show me, show me ♪

Koga: I-it's not very well done, so please don't get your hopes up, alright? I just started getting into this hobby a few years ago, and I'm entirely self-taught, so it's all kind of messy—

Rei: Why're ya suddenly speakin' so politely? Cut it out, you're messin' up yer image. Durin' the "Dead Man's Live," ya spoke like you were gonna bite my head off, didn'tcha?

Koga: I was so excited back then… Now we're in a band together, and the closer I get to you, the more you seem larger than life. I-I didn't mean to get all nervous… I'm sorry. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll go back to aggroing you again soon.

Rei: "I'll go back to aggroing you again soon" sure is a funny lil' phrase. ….Hmhm, mhmm? 'Kay, I've got your song memorized, Pup. Shall we go ahead n' give it a try? ♪~♪~♪

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Rei calls him wan-chan (typically used by Kaoru) rather than the usual wanko here. It means the same thing, but sounds a little more diminutive and cutesy.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #adonis otogari #koga oogami #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 9

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Koga

Koga: (That ain't it. You were aimlessly driftin' around at the time, so that shitty four-eyes was probably just tryin' to create a place for ya, right?) (He drove the stake called "UNDEAD" into ya to ensure ya wouldn't just up n' disappear.)

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Koga: (All that stuff's still s'posed to be a long ways off though, ain't it?) (I mean, I do remember havin' a conversation like the one we just saw. But by the time it happened, I was pretty worn out…) (Pretty sure I wasn't as innocent — or more like, spirited? — as this Koga is.)

Rei: (Aye. In those days, thine eyes were akin to those of an abandoned dog; even now, the memory pains my heart.) (Moved by thy plight, I felt compelled to extend a helping hand.)

Koga: (Hmph, ya sure are kind, ain'tcha?)

Rei: (I merely felt guilty.) (While I sulked and averted mine eyes, there was a child who had been hurt because of me…) (Seeing thy gaze, I finally understood.)

Rei: (I made an innocent child taste the same bitter loneliness as mine.) (I recognized it, felt it deeply, and regretted it.) (And so, to atone for that sin — even if just a little — I donned the same outfit as thee and sang the song thou wished for me to sing.) (—Thus did UNDEAD come to be.)

Koga: (Yeah, that's pretty much how it went, huh? That battle to subjugate the delinquents was our debut battle as UNDEAD.) (The shitty four-eyes was the one who took care of all the paperwork n' stuff, n' he suggested I change the unit's name, since the members were changin' too.) (I moaned n' groaned a bunch while thinkin' it over, listened to a buncha people's opinions, n' ultimately decided to give it a name emblematic of my wishes:) (UNDEAD.) (Then, since Adonis seemed like he had nowhere to go, I invited him to join, n' the two of us started takin' lessons together.) (Thankfully, you became our leader after you finally came back from your long journey overseas.) (And for whatever reason, ya brought Hakaze-senpai with ya, n' that's how the four of us became the best version of UNDEAD.)

Rei: (In all honesty, I intended only to render temporary assistance.) (However, I entrusted the paperwork to Hasumi-kun, who unilaterally appointed me as leader without consultation, thus preventing me from leaving. 'Twas quite vexing…) (What was his motive, I wonder? Was it some form of harassment? 'Tis quite rare for him to behave so maliciously.)

Koga: (That ain't it. You were aimlessly driftin' around at the time, so that shitty four-eyes was probably just tryin' to create a place for ya, right?) (He drove the stake called "UNDEAD" into ya to ensure ya wouldn't just up n' disappear.) (He was prayin' for ya to settle down after findin' a place to belong, wasn't he?)

Rei: (Kukuku. As expected, even if Hasumi-kun's rotten, he's still a monk¹ — praying is his specialty.) (When I was in DEADMANZ, he was weak and his prayers could not reach me. He lacked the strength to subdue a demon.) (However, once he revitalized the student council and grew in power…his prayers surprisingly took hold, firmly binding me.)

Rei: (I was thoroughly defeated.) (Sealed in such a comfortable place, I find no urge to break free.) (But I digress. Within this dream, events are progressing much more quickly than they did in reality. After all, when one is made to rewatch a film one has already seen…one yearns to hit fast forward ♪) (Hence why I interfered with my past self, hastening his return.)

Koga: (But is it reaaally okay to mess with things like that? Ain't it gonna fuck things up?) (What if somethin' that wasn't s'posed to happen ends up happenin'?)

Rei: (In truth, such hath already occurred — from the very outset, even ere my intervention.) (What we see before us is a distorted rendition of history. In the true course of events, the delinquents were not so difficult to vanquish, nor were they ever known as "vampires.") (Some entity hath purposefully wrought these distortions.) (That entity is, in all likelihood, the mastermind behind this series of incidents. And, whoever they may be, it is probable they harbor some manner of intent towards me, whether for good or ill.) (We must read² the mastermind's machinations, and should it pose a threat to us, we must shatter it.) (In so doing, we shall seize the rightful future.) (Wouldst thou assist me in this endeavor, Koga?)

Koga: (You don't even have to ask. As we just saw, ya listened t' my request back then, Sakuma-senpai.) (Even though nobody woulda blamed ya if ya just snorted n' ignored the whinin' of a mutt like me.) (There wasn't anythin' in it for you, after all.)

Koga: (But even so, ya nodded. Ya didn't brush off the spoiled brat beggin' ya for a favor, graciously takin' it on instead.) (It was probably cause of that shitty nature of yours which stops ya from refusin' anyone's requests, and not cause ya especially liked me or anythin' like that.) (Still, it made me happy. It felt like I was on cloud nine. And y'know, even though there've been all kindsa setbacks n' unpleasant experiences up 'til now…) (Bein' part of UNDEAD has made me happy.) (So this time it's my turn, Sakuma-senpai.)

[ ☆ ]

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A modification of the Japanese proverb "even if it's rotten, it's still sea bream," which means that something inherently valuable will still retain some measure of worth no matter what.

The phrase Rei uses here, 読み取り, is specifically used to mean reading in relation to technology. For example: you'd use it to say your phone "reads" a QR code, or in the phrases "e-reader," or "read-only memory."

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #koga oogami #rei sakuma #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 8

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Koga

Rei: Nnnn~ …… Man, I'm seriously weak to bein' relied on like that. Haha. I'm ne~ver gonna make a complete recovery, huh? Maybe it's incurable.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Rei: Alright, enough about that. So, what do ya wanna do? Since nothing you've done so far is makin' any difference, are ya just gonna leave those "vampires" be?

Koga: No. Hasumi-senpai made it so that you gotta submit an application to the student council in order to get a unit officially recognized, n' students who ain't in an official unit ain't allowed in this live house. I don't really get the details, but basically, anyone caught breakin' the rules'll incur some kinda penalty. 'Course, those "vampire" guys're just ignorin' it and doin' whate~ever they want. So we're gonna take 'em all down in a DreFes. Or at least, that's what Hasumi-senpai said. That's why I was out here practicin' like this.

Rei: A DreFes, huh… That's that battle of the bands type thing, yeah? When ya actually look into the mechanism behind it all, there ain't nothin' dream-like 'bout it, despite the name.

Koga: I don't get the point, honestly. Even if we get this thing set up n' win it, so what? I mean, the guys who go to our school're all rotten. Are guys like that seriously gonna reflect on their loss n' be all, "From now on, we'll work hard to become proper idols!"?

Rei: Yeeeeah, no chance a' that. A rottin' corpse can't e~ever go back to bein' a livin', breathin' person. But that DreFes thing has been incorporated into the school rules. I looked over it real quick, n' as far as I can tell, if ya keep losin' over n' over, the school's gonna start treatin' ya as a failure. Your grades'll keep droppin' with every loss, until eventually you'll be faced with suspension, and finally expulsion, as you'll be deemed unsuitable t' be a student at Yumenosaki. That's the excuse Hasumi-bou plans on usin' to banish the delinquents — those "vampires" — from our school.

Koga: Nn~, that sounds like a pain in the ass…. If the goal's just to drive 'em out, ain't the fact they're delinquents who're causin' all sortsa trouble already reason enough to kick 'em out? Why go outta the way to set up a live showdown?

Rei: A high percentage a' the students attendin' Yumenosaki, especially those in the idol course, come from well-off families. Includin' lil' ol' me, a' course. That's why the school keeps turnin' a blind eye to student misconduct. In return, these students provide the rapidly deterioratin' Yumenosaki the essential nutrient it needs to keep itself alive in this declinin' industry — money.

Rei: No matter how troublesome or unruly these students may be, they can't just toss 'em aside. Therein lies Yumenosaki's structural flaw. Even if she's clearly fallen sick from all the rot, ya can't just excise the heart. In fact, it's just the opposite — the school's been protectin' the students by desperately coverin' up their misdeeds. That's why those "vampires" are able to continue enjoyin' their seemingly carefree youth. How's that for an explanation, huh? Pretty revoltin', ain't it?

Koga: The hell's with that… Does having money automatically make you great? Adults are always like this. Is money more important than justice? There are people cryin' cause those delinquents won't leave 'em alone, y'know. There're people sufferin', even though they've done nothing wrong. Why do the troublemakers get to laugh, while the ones doing good end up in tears? Don't'cha think that's messed up?

Rei: Yeah. I'm not enough of a senile old man to just accept that's how the world works. If possible, I'd like to lend bouzu a hand with his delinquent subjugation plan.

Koga: So then! You should come perform at the live too! With you on our side, it'll be like having the strength of a hundred people! Let's thoroughly! Trounce those delinquents! With our music!

Rei: Nnnn~ …… Man, I'm seriously weak to bein' relied on like that.

Rei: Haha. I'm ne~ver gonna make a complete recovery, huh? Maybe it's incurable.

Koga: Y-you've got some kinda illness, Sakuma-senpai? Then, shouldn't'cha avoid pushin' yerself too hard…?

Rei: It's okay, no worries! It's mostly a psychological problem, so. Let's do it. Show me to the monk. Lil' ol' me'll lend a hand~ I'll get on stage.

Koga: Ohhh! Awesome~! With Sakuma-senpai on our side, there's no way we'll lose ♪

Rei: However, I have one condition. I'm the kinda guy who never breaks my promises, so I can't be on the same side as Hasumi-bou, who lost miserably to me in the "Dead Man's Live." Those were the terms of our competition, y'see. So I can't stand on stage as his ally. If I'm to make an appearance, it'll have to be as a member of a different unit from the one he's in. Long story short: You've gotta choose, Oogami Koga-kun. Are ya gonna stand on stage with him, or with me?

Koga: W-wait, that's… Now's not the time t' be actin' stubborn. We should work together to get rid of the delinquents—

Rei: No, that's no good. This ain't some kinda fairytale with a convenient conclusion. I absolutely will not break a promise. Not anymore.¹ We made a deal — one I promised to honor — and he lost. We've parted ways, and our paths will never cross again. Never again will we stand together on stage, shoulder to shoulder, in pursuit of the same goal.

Koga: ………

Rei: (We did, though! We've stood together on the same stage countless times! My apologies for being so presumptuous back then…!)

Koga: (That's true n' all, but… Back then, I ended up choosin' to get on stage with you.)

Rei: (It rather felt as though Hasumi-kun bequeathed the victory unto me. Given his serious nature, he would not break a promise…) (He began saying things like, "Since I already formed another unit, "Akatsuki," I cannot simultaneously belong to another unit.") (And thus, he ultimately assumed a role behind the scenes, covertly supporting us as we fought the delinquents on the frontlines.)

[ ☆ ]

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The broken promise in question is Rei's promise never to leave Ritsu, which he actually breaks twice — once pre-canon, and then again during the war. Details are scattered throughout several of Rei and Ritsu's ! era stories rather than there being one particular place to look for reference, but it's featured fairly prominently in Devils.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #koga oogami #rei sakuma #flashback #undead #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 7

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Koga

Rei: Wh-what's wrong? Yer whole body's shakin', ya sick or somethin'…? Haha. What a weird kid y' are, Puppy. Koga: Sh, shut up… Don't talk to me right now. I'm desperately fightin' down the urge to hug ya and start yellin' "WOOHOO! SAKUMA-SENPAI! WOOOO!" okay?!

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: Later that day, in the dead of night.

After taking the sleeping pills again, Rei and Kaoru find themselves back in the dream world.

Rei: (Hm.) (It seems we hath safely entered the dream once more.)

From offscreen, past Rei is heard cheerfully humming.

Rei: (And lo, there goes my past self, sauntering down the street as though he holds sovereignty of it, exuding the confidence that defined my yesteryears. How spirited thou art.) (Yet, 'tis merely an attempt to cast off thy sorrow by donning a boisterous mask, is it not? What a pitiful creature.) (Let's see, this place is… It appears thou art wandering about overseas, just as I once did in the real course of history.) (Wearied by the tribulations and woes of thy homeland, thou departed in pursuit of joy.) (But no matter how diligent thy search, the bluebird of happiness shall not appear before thee, o' young one.) (In any event, according to the AIIE experiment manual, if one strongly concentrates on preset keywords, one may exert a certain degree of influence over the dream—) (Or more precisely, over oneself within the dream.) (It does now bestow upon thee the level of control which one might exert over a character in a videogame, yet 'tis still a hundredfold better than being forced to stand idle witness as history repeats itself.) (I am no longer a mere reader, passively watching as the story unfolds.) (I am alive.)

Scene change

Koga: ♪~♪~♪ ~......♪

Rei: Heeey! I'm hooome~! Sakuma Rei-chan has returned~

Koga: Sakuma-senpai- W, Wo- Wh-Whuh- Woa-

Rei: Wh-what's wrong? Yer whole body's shakin', ya sick or somethin'…? Haha. What a weird kid y' are, Puppy.

Koga: Sh, shut up… Don't talk to me right now. I'm desperately fightin' down the urge to hug ya and start yellin' "WOOHOO! SAKUMA-SENPAI! WOOOO!" okay?!

Rei: It's totally fine if ya don't fight that down, though. There theeee~re…♪

Koga: ……n!?

Rei: Okay, there there, good boy… You must've been lonely while I was gone. Sorry, Puppy. Haha. When we were younger, I used to give my lil' bro hugs like this all the time whenever he was feelin' lonely.

Koga: ……! ……! ……!

Koga: P-please cut it out… Sakuma-senpai, you're the object a' everyone's admiration, shinin' from afar. Ya shouldn't go outta yer way t' be nice ta someone like me. I'll tarnish ya.

Rei: What're ya saying, stu~upid? Am I¹ not even allowed ta give someone a hug? That'd be pretty damn sad, wouldn't it?

Koga: ……?

Rei: More importantly, some kinda sixth sense started actin' up — or rather, there was this strange sensation urgin' me on from within, so I hurried on home, but… How's the situation right now? Were ya able t' exterminate those "vampires" that were runnin' wild? Well, it doesn't really matter to me either way, though.

Koga: Nah, the situation hasn't really changed much… They quieted down for a bit, but after ya went abroad, they started actin' up again. Now they're buzzin' around all over the damned place. It's so freakin' annoyin'. But don't worry. Hasumi-senpai's supposedly revitalizin' the student council right now, workin' on improvin' the environment and creatin' rules to prevent students from goin' astray n' becomin' delinquents. Or, well, that's what he said, but t' be honest, I don't really understand that kinda complex stuff, n' if you ask me it doesn't reaaaally seem to be havin' any effect.

Rei: That sounds about right. Just declarin' yourself the student council doesn't mean anythin' if ya don't have any authority. It's like a little birdie chirpin' away in the background. People 're just gonna ignore it.

Koga: Basically, it doesn't matter how powerful yer magic cards are if the field prevents ya from activatin' its effects, huh.

Rei: Uh, what're ya goin' on about?

Koga: Um, uh… I… I like card games. That's what I was going on about.²

Rei: Ohh… Are card games fun? Teach me how to play next time you're free ♪ I'm always bored outta my damn mind, 'specially lately.

Koga: This ain't the time fer idle chitchat… Please do somethin', Sakuma-senpai. That four-eyes seriously ain't cut out for this.³

Rei: "Overqualified for the role³," huh? Haha, it'd be great if that were the case. Please grow big, bouzu. To the point where people consider ya overqualified, so ya can be my playmate again.

Koga: ……?

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ore-sama-chan

Koga drops the -sama from his personal pronoun as well as the delinquent speech in this line. The kid is embarrassed beyond belief.

The word used here is 役不足. This word tends to be enormously misused by the general public. Much like the English phrase "could care less" is often used to mean the opposite of what the phrase implies, 役不足 means to be massively overqualified for your job, but is colloquially used to mean you're not up to the task. There really wasn't a clean way to translate this, as Koga uses it to mean the latter, while Rei means the former.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #koga oogami #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 6

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Koga, Adonis, Kaoru

Rei: If indeed these are seeds sown by my own hands, I must now pluck them ere they deepen their roots. To ensure I never repeat this folly, and to ensure I do not lose anyone ever again.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: That night. In a practice room inside the ES building.

Rei: Look here, Puppy ♪ What's this I have? A cute little ball~? You desire it, do you not? Go get it~! ☆

Koga II: [Wooooof! ★]

Adonis II: [...... (He's fidgeting like he wants to play too.)]

Rei: Kukuku. Despite their perfect resemblance to Koga and Adonis, these two are truthfully but newborn babes. How precious ♪

Kaoru: It's nice that the fakes are surprisingly easy to get along with, but, like… Are you really sure this is okay, Rei-kun?

Rei: Come now, 'tis Adonis-kun's turn next ♪ Wouldst thou not pull upon the other end of this rope I'm holding? It shall give thy muscles a workout, and, moreover, 'twould be a most enjoyable pastime. Delightful, is it not?

Adonis II: [……♪]

Kaoru: The fact you're besties now is cool and all, but are you, like, even listening? You wanna try not ignoring me?

Rei: But of course I am not ignoring you. Never again shall I avert my gaze from the beloved children who yearn for me.

Kaoru: Who the heck is yearning for you?

Rei: …I find myself pondering a few things.

Kaoru: Hm?

Rei: Naturally, even if others wish it of me, I am not an omniscient, omnipotent god; such a feat would be beyond me even if I, too, wished it so. My inability to predict this peculiar predicament attests to that truth. Nevertheless, I stand a tad older than the rest of you, and 'tis not as though I ventured overseas simply to seize a rare opportunity to engage in indolence. In comparison to you all, I am akin to an older brother with just a tad bit more life's experience.

Kaoru: So like, what's your point? Are you trying to brag about being older? Pushing people around cause they're younger than you is, like, seriously hateable y'know? It's, like, power harassment or whatever, okay?

Rei: Kukuku. How uncharacteristically agitated you are, Kaoru-kun. Well, 'tis inevitable in these circumstances. Keep thy heart calm as the surface of a still lake. Should the elder ones begin to sink, the younger ones shall be beset with unease.

Kaoru: I know, I know. Acting like a proper senpai is tough, huh? So? What was it you were thinking about?

Rei: Yes, well. Though I have no concrete evidence at this point, I have a general idea about what sequence of events which led to these peculiar circumstances. I have also gained a rough understanding of our current predicament. In other words, I suspect I've grasped the truth behind this mysterious situation we've found ourselves in.

Kaoru: Oooh, as expected! Amazing, guess the case is closed¹ ♪

Rei: 'Tis not so remarkable. Given enough time, you most probably could have pieced it together as well. You are the son of a wise scholar, after all. However, you are a pragmatic child. This case must present a bit of a challenge for you, given the unrealistic elements involved.

Kaoru: By unrealistic elements, you mean… Ahhh, so it really is like that after all, huh?

Rei: Indeed. The question now is, how may we extricate ourselves from this situation? You will surely understand this metaphor: we find ourselves in a locked room. There exists only one exit, and to open it, a special key is required. Yet this key lies hidden amongst countless objects strewn about the confines of the room.

Kaoru: It's like a high-difficulty escape room.

Rei: Aye, one with no hints provided. More unfortunate still, there is not time enough to scrutinize each object one by one in search of the key. Yet, somehow, we must escape before the reality we live in becomes distorted and collapses in on itself.

Kaoru: Well, since it's you we're talking about here, you've probably already come up with some way to get us out. That's totally just wishful thinking, though ♪

Rei: If someone makes a wish, then as Superstar Sakuma Rei-senpai, it is my job to fulfill it.

Rei: …There is one method I wish to try. However, it involves a rather risky gamble. I bear some concern about the great burden it might place upon the body, specifically the brain.

Kaoru: "That's why I, alone, shall do it." You weren't about to say some stand-offish thing like that, right? UNDEAD's problems are everyone's problems, so let's share the burden.

Rei: Kukuku. My, now there are words you never would have spoken in the past. Having so recently been reminded of our former selves, those words resonate with the weight of profound emotion. I am deeply touched.

Kaoru: Don't make fun of me. So? What is it you want to try? How are we going to get ourselves out of this crazy situation?

Rei: We dream. During my investigation of the AIIE Experimental Facility the other day, I thoroughly inspected the equipment we were connected to, the drugs we were prescribed, as well as the manuals on how to handle it all. As one might expect, 'twas so full of technical terms as to be quite difficult to parse, but with the help of someone in my clan who is good with such things, I was able to roughly understand its contents. Thus, should we desire it, we may once more return to the dream of those days long gone— To the memories of that time when DEADMANZ faded away, and we, UNDEAD, awoke. The answer most likely awaits us therein.

Kaoru: Back into that dream again, huh? It's, like, seriously embarrassing having to watch my past self act out like that, but if there's no other way then I guess that's that.

Rei: Your youthful aura in those days still bore an aspect of endearing charm. Meanwhile, I was naught but a bundle of shame.

Rei: Yet even the person I am now, who is ashamed of who he was in days past, may well be regarded as shameful by the person I become a decade hence. Thus, let us exert our efforts in the present to forestall any future regrets. Wouldst thou assist me in this endeavor, Kaoru-kun?

Kaoru: That goes without saying, doesn't it? I'll tell you this as many times as I have to: this isn't just your problem, it's ours too.

Rei: I wonder if that is truly the case… 'Tis still mere speculation, but I suspect I am to blame for this incident.

Rei: Seeds left unwatered in days past have sprouted malevolently in spite, afflicting us with their curse. If indeed these are seeds sown by my own hands, I must now pluck them ere they deepen their roots. To ensure I never repeat this folly, and to ensure I do not lose anyone ever again.

[ ☆ ]

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Literal tl for this line is "amazing, [you're a] great detective." But in JP, the series Detective Conan is "Great Detective Conan, and the phrase "great detective" is practically synonymous with it. I've thrown the reference in using the American title of the show instead, since there is absolutely no way to make "detective" an obvious reference to Conan.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #rei sakuma #kaoru hakaze #koga oogami #adonis otogari #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 5

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Adonis, Koga, Rei, Kaoru

Koga: Just remember. If ya try n' pull any funny business, I'll crush ya mercilessly. This feels like somethin' Adonis would say, but… I'll protect UNDEAD.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Adonis: Through the "subsidiary" HELLSING, we've been able to expand the scope of our activities. Thanks to that, I believe we will be able to provide adequate service to all our fans, satisfying everyone. Though it does feel a bit lonely to be separated from our real senpai.

Koga: Not like that's anythin' new. After all, we were separated for a bit right after those two graduated from Yumenosaki, too. Things've just gone back to bein' the way they were.

Adonis: That does not make it less lonely. But it can't be helped, this seems to be the best solution at the moment. We will maintain the status quo and continue with our idol activities while investigating the mastermind behind the "AIIE" experiment. By uncovering the truth, we can find a fundamental solution to the problem. As for what comes afterwards, we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Koga: It ain't our job to think too hard. All we can do is to keep tirelessly dealin' with each problem as it comes, like children pilin' stones on the banks of the Sanzu River.¹ Just hopin' that maybe this time, it won't all fall apart.

Adonis: It's a precarious tightrope to walk. All we can do is try our best not to fall.

Koga: Yeah. So somehow or other, we'll find out who's behind this incident n' destroy 'em before anythin' goes wrong.

Adonis: …But what if I really am the culprit?

Koga: The hell? How the fuck could it be you? I'd believe it was almost a~anyone else over you! Ya can't even bring yerself to kill bugs, can ya?

Adonis: Do you remember the dream we saw during the experiment? In that dream, we witnessed memories of the past which seemed to differ slightly from the actual events which occurred in reality, and there was one particular incident which stood out. Delinquents calling themselves "vampires" ran around causing trouble, weakening the town's security. The leader of those "vampires" was said to be me, Otogari Adonis.

Koga: The only one claimin' that was the past Sakuma-senpai. Even in that shitty dream, there wasn't any real proof, n' you were released in the end due to inconclusive evidence.

Adonis: Yes. But because of that, the atrocities being committed by the "vampires" did not stop. In real life, Hasumi-senpai — wielding the student council's authority — lead DEADMANZ to suppress the delinquents. But in the dream, the "vampires" continued to run wild. Even the past Sakuma-senpai could not convince them to stop. Though they were originally supposed to be his devotees, they had become completely dedicated to their new boss, only listening to his orders.

Koga: And that new boss was you? So what, you tryin' to say yer on the same level as Sakuma-senpai?

Adonis: Of course not, I don't have that kind of charisma. But there are no other suspects, and even though those memories were distorted, I cannot help but to feel that Sakuma-senpai would never make a mistake. If he says I'm the culprit, I'm sure it must be true.

Koga: God is always just, huh? C'mon, just what do you take that guy for? Curious as I am about that, though, it's not really relevant. All that stuff was just a dream. The problem is this absolute chaotic mess we're dealin' with in reality.

Adonis: …Is this truly reality? Or is it just another dream? Strangely, it doesn't feel real. Everything's kind of floaty.

Koga: Well, it is a seriously unrealistic turn of events. But no matter what, this is the world we live in, and this is where our souls reside... So we have no choice but to keep doing our best to survive.

Rei II: […Done talkin' yet?]

Koga: ……

Rei II: [Cause we're good to go over here~ Don't worry, we followed yer instructions properly when dealin' with Hasumi-bou.] [It's seriously tough recreatin' that old man talk though, so he might be a bit suspicious.] [Buuut, even someone like him'll have a hard time guessin' this kinda science fiction-y turn a' events.]

Adonis: We thought so too. Dealing with Hasumi-senpai's interrogation must've been tough. Thank you for your hard work Sakuma-senpai, Hakaze-senpai.

Kaoru II: [……]

Koga: Hey, Adonis, ya don't gotta bother showin' any respect to these assholes. But, weeell, you're the kinda guy who even speaks kindly ta yer harmonica, so I guess it can't be helped, huh? The fake Sakuma-senpai's at least tolerable, but the fake Hakaze-senpai's especially bad. He won't even talk to us, let alone make eye contact. There ain't any need t' be polite ta someone who's so rude.

Kaoru II: [Hey, so like~?] [Could you please stop trying to get me involved and stuff? I'm like, so not into the idea of investing time and effort into guys, y'know~? ♪] [That's why I haven't been talking. I'm doing my job properly, so it's not a problem, right?]

Koga: O, oh, 'kay… Man, there's somethin' kinda nostalgic about this Hakaze-senpai... Right, these guys're copies of us from a while ago. Guess that means the fake Hakaze-senpai's still actin' like a dumb playboy. Well then, since people might get suspicious if I go around callin' ya fakes in public, from here on out I'll call ya Playboy and Vampire Bastard ².

Rei II: [Do as ya like.] [By the way, Hasumi didn't come by just to interrogate us. He was apparently actin' as a messenger for someone in the upper echelons a' RhythLin.] [Seems like our recent achievements have been acknowledged, n' we're gettin' a tour soon.] [We'll be travelin' nationwide, singin' for the sake a' the fans who love our "radical n' immoral" selves.] [Rock, Rock, Rock n' Roll ♪] [Ain't it great? It's like a dream come true, right, Puppy?]

Koga: …The ones I wanted to sing with weren't you two, though~ Well, whatever, it can't be helped. Until the mastermind's been defeated, I'll just obediently follow the path fate's laid out for me.

Koga: Just remember. If ya try n' pull any funny business, I'll crush ya mercilessly. This feels like somethin' Adonis would say, but… I'll protect UNDEAD.

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tl;dr: A saying meaning to repeatedly perform a difficult task for no recognition/reward. The Sanzu River is the river said to be at the border to the underworld, which the dead must pass over to reach the afterlife. The weight of a person's accumulated sins, offset by their merits, is said to determine how difficult the crossing will be, as well as whether the person will go to heaven or hell. Children who die before their parents are said to be too young to have accumulated any merit, while also being weighed down by the sin of being unfilial to their parents. Due to their young age, instead of being condemned to hell, these children are instead told to demonstrate filial piety by piling up stones to build a pagoda honoring their parents, which will allow them to accumulate enough merit to safely cross the river. However, whenever a child gets close to finishing their work, a demon will come by and topple the stones, forcing the child to start over again.

For those unfamiliar with UNDEAD's ! era stories, these were Koga's old nicknames for Kaoru and Rei. He switched to using their names after Repayment Fes, with the implication that it was because he wholeheartedly felt them worthy of his respect from that point on.

#ensemble stars #enstars translation #adonis otogari #koga oogami #rei sakuma #kaoru hakaze #undead #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 4

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Adonis, Koga

Koga: There was a time when he was pretty much all I thought about, after all. I thought about him soooo much, I ended up with a~ll sorts a' delusions about him which had absolutely no basis in reality.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: The following afternoon.

Location: Inside the TV station's studio, in the dressing room for HELLSING, formerly UNDEAD

Adonis: I wonder what Sakuma-senpai is thinking. Is this meant to be some kind of penalty or punishment for me? No, I shouldn't doubt him… Since it's Sakuma-senpai, there must be some deeper meaning behind this.

Koga: Aahn? You're givin' that dumb old man waaay too much credit. Believe it or not, he rarely actually thinks things through. He just goes n' does whatever he wants, n' after the fact, he comes up with some long-winded explanation so he can be all, "Just as planned." ¹ It's ridiculous.

Adonis: As expected, you understand him very well.

Koga: There was a time when he was pretty much all I thought about, after all. I thought about him soooo much, I ended up with a~ll sorts a' delusions about him which had absolutely no basis in reality.

Adonis: ……

Koga: That aside, hey. What're we gonna do about this shit?

Adonis: Even if you ask me, I don't know either. In fact, I was planning to ask you about it. Yesterday, we encountered our imposters — HELLSING — at the AIIE Experimental Facility. Then, after we investigated the premises, Sakuma-senpai made a suggestion. He said, "They say one ought to turn even misfortune into good fortune², so let us use this situation to our advantage."

Koga: Hmm~ Well, I think it'd be better to just get rid a' those fakes. But ugh, they seriously look just like people, and it seems like they've got some level of self-awareness too. It wouldn't really sit right with me if we just went and killed 'em off.

Adonis: Yes, that is another of the dilemmas involved in the use of AI. Should AI, or robots in general, receive "human rights"? If they are not recognized as people and are simply regarded as useful tools, is that equivalent to a new form of slavery?

Koga: Yeaaah, no, it ain't my job to figure out that kinda complex crap. It's just... Those HELLSING guys are surprisin'ly cooperative, or maybe it'd be more accurate to call 'em obedient, with the way they follow instructions. No matter how foul their mouths or bad their attitudes, it's like we're holdin' their remote controls. It really reminds you they're still just machines. The question is whether it's really okay to toss those pitiful bastards out like yesterday's garbage, just for the sake of our own convenience. I mean, they're still alive— Or well, no, technically I guess they're not, since they're machines n' all.

Adonis: I wonder whether machines have souls too.

Koga: I dunno, but… Sakuma-senpai seems to think there's somethin' there, since he decided not to scrap 'em. Well, not like there was ever any chance a' that guy gettin' rid of 'em just cause their existence gets in our way.

Adonis: Sakuma-senpai is kind, after all.

Koga: More like he's a coward. He's sick a' fuckin' up the course a' other people's lives. Even though those AIs ain't human, he still can't bring himself to do it. Honestly, if it were me, I'd be perfectly satisfied with bein' destroyed by the person I love.

Adonis: …Anyway, to summarize, HELLSING began their activities while we were isolated from the outside world due to the experiment. And, as a "radical and immoral" unit, they received tremendous support, especially from the long-time fans who longed to see that side of us. It seems Sakuma-senpai wants to take advantage of that. Specifically, by leaving the conventional radical, immoral, rock band-like activities to HELLSING… While UNDEAD continues to focus on a variety of casual content, like we have been since ES's establishment. It is important to please old fans, but it is equally important to cultivate new ones. Sakuma-senpai is trying to make the most of both audiences, without pushing aside either. I suppose this is how he plans for us to recover from our recent decline.

Koga: We were teeterin' on the edge between the dark side and the light side, so we're just gonna go ahead and actually split into two, huh. Normally, if ya tried to pull that kinda thing off, the colors'll just get all muddy n' go to waste, but now we've got handy-dandy robots to serve as our proxies. Like Copy Robots³. Hmph.

Adonis: Copy Robots? I don't understand that analogy, but I think HELLSING proved its usefulness in today's live.

Koga: Guess that's true. But I had no idea how the hell to react when Hasumi-senpa— that shitty four-eyes suddenly came crashin' in. And just as expected, there's no way he can understand us right now.

Adonis: I don't think he meant it as an attack. Hasumi-senpai was just worried about us.

Koga: Tch, he's always been like that. He's the meddlesome type a' guy who wouldn't be able to leave an abandoned dog on the side a' the road.

Adonis: I don't think anyone would be able to.

Koga: But, well, for better or worse, that shitty four-eyes is only human. There's no way he'd guess somethin' as insane as the fact a bunch a' human-like robots are workin' for us behind the scenes. Until the existence of "artificial idols" becomes widely known, nobody — not even that shitty four-eyes — will be able to figure us out.

Adonis: Yes. If we reveal the truth to him right now, it might seem like we're talking nonsense, and damage our credibility. That's why we've kept it secret for the moment.

Koga: Yeah. It'd probably be best to tell 'im the truth as soon as possible. That ain't our problem right now, though. First, we've gotta deal with HELLSING. We don't know shit about those AIs of ours, so lettin' 'em do whatever they want is way too risky. Cause a' that, you n' I are in charge a' keepin' an eye on 'em.

Adonis: Yes. That is why we, alongside the fake Sakuma-senpai and Hakaze-senpai, are engaging in "radical and immoral" activities as HELLSING. Meanwhile, the real Sakuma-senpai and Hakaze-senpai are performing in a variety show with the fake Oogami and I as UNDEAD.

Koga: Seems like they've got a pretty good reputation, so there's no need to worry about our fakes reflectin' poorly on us. They appeared on a live broadcast without issue, n' handled bein' in a variety show skillfully.

Adonis: That's right. It's still uncertain whether this decision will turn out to be for better or worse, but— At the moment, things are going almost terrifyingly well for us.

[ ☆ ]

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A Death Note reference. My urge to write "all according to keikaku" and have the TL note simply read "keikaku means plan" was strong, as this is, in fact, that exact line of dialogue.

A quote from Records of the Grand Historian, also known as the Shiji. Specifically, this is a quote from the biography of Warring States-era strategist Su Qin. It should be noted that some historians believe the biographies on Su Qin in the Shiji to be forgeries, and so the use of this specific quote may have been a deliberate choice to keep in line with the real vs fake theme.

A reference to Doraemon. As a side note, Rei also jokingly compares himself to Doraemon, the titular wish-granting robot cat, in Crossroads.

#enstars translation #ensemble stars #undead #flashback #adonis otogari #koga oogami #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 3

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Koga, Kaoru, Adonis

Kaoru: Um? Fake Rei-kun, could you please shut up? We're having an important conversation right now, 'kay? Rei II: [Haha, aw, don't be so cold! If you're feelin' irritated cause ya haven't been gettin' enough sleep, I can take ya to bed, Kaoru-cha~n ♩]

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Rei: I thought so too. Yet when I attempted to look into the matter, the higher-up at Rhythm Link who supposedly asked us to participate in the experiment did not actually exist.

Koga: Huh? Wh-what the hell does that mean?!

Rei: To be precise, the one who contacted us appears to have been yet another mechanical counterfeit. When I spoke with the person in question directly, he adamantly disavowed any knowledge of such an experiment. I conducted myself with an unusual degree of seriousness, but even when confronted with such gravitas, he persisted in proclaiming utter ignorance… He would need to be quite brazen indeed, to persist in falsehood under such circumstances.

Kaoru: Yeah, turns out the higher-ups were actually panicking cause they thought we'd, like, totally lost it.

Adonis: Mhm. We are receiving a flood of inquiries asking what HELLSING is and what our intentions are.

Koga: Th-this is startin' to feel kinda creepy… I know I'm just cryin' over spilt milk at this point, but we really were too hasty, agreein' to participate in such a shady experiment n' all.

Rei: Quite right… We were desperate to recover lost ground as quickly as possible and were ultimately taken advantage of as a result. Frankly speaking, I was also far too spineless; I must reflect on the error of my ways.

Kaoru: Reflecting's all well and good, but make sure you deal with the problem first, okay?

Rei II: [Oh? What problem, exactly?] [This development's actually pretty convenient for ya, ain't it?]

Kaoru: Um? Fake Rei-kun, could you please shut up? We're having an important conversation right now, 'kay?

Rei II: [Haha, aw, don't be so cold! If you're feelin' irritated cause ya haven't been gettin' enough sleep, I can take ya to bed, Kaoru-cha~n ♪]

Kaoru: Wow, no way, ew… This would be annoying or, like, just super creepy even in a normal situation! Adonis-kun, let's switch.

Adonis: Even if you tag me in, I do not know how to react either. …They look exactly the same, but in the end the fake Sakuma-senpai really is quite different from the real one. Given the current track record, my fake probably has a distinct personality from me as well.

Adonis II: [……]

Rei II: [We're still far from bein' perfect reproductions, after all. But, y'know, even as we speak, we're collectin' data from ya…] [Soon enough, we'll really become the "same people," to the point where even your parents wouldn't be able to tell us apart from ya.]

Adonis: So that's your goal?

Rei II: [Be more polite, kouhai. We might be newborns, but y'should still respect our character setting, yeah?]

Rei: I, for one, actually feel a bit lonely when people speak with me too formally.

Rei II: [What a weaklin' you are, my real self.] [Well, whatever. Becomin' "real" ain't our goal, it's just instinct~] [We've got no sense a' purpose at a~ll, y'see.] [Like I said, we machines are just puppets, dolls to be manipulated. We do as our programmin' tells us, with a~bsolutely no minds a' our own.] [Emotions, thoughts, desires—] [Havin' dreams is a troublesome defect unique to you humans, ain't it?]

Rei: That "defect" is precisely what renders humans so remarkable. Well, let us set that aside. It appears fruitless to continue interrogating thee further. We shall instead turn our focus towards exploring the facility. Though it is quite likely most of the evidence has already been destroyed or tampered with, we may still be able to find some clues or stray documents. From there, we can launch an investigation on the circumstances surrounding this incident. Incidentally, I have already reported the basics of the situation to ES and Rhythm Link's upper management. We are fully authorized to investigate this facility.

Adonis: You're as efficient as ever when it comes to making those kinds of arrangements, Sakuma-senpai.

Rei: 'Tis my specialty, after all. That said, we are no expert investigators, and I rather doubt we will find anything significant. But there is no harm in making the attempt. There is little else we can do at the moment.

Rei II: [Well then, in the meantime, we'll go ahead n' do all the idol stuff in your place.]

Koga: Hah? Can't'cha just butt out, ya damn fakes? The fans've been thrown into turmoil cause a' you. There ain't no place here for shitty copies like you, who only look the same as us.

Rei II: [Turmoil, you say? From where I was standin', it seemed like they were delighted, though?] [S'all a grand joke when ya know the truth, ain't it?] [I mean, when they saw what HELLSING was doin', well… Some fans were practically cryin' tears a' joy, sayin' things like, "The real UNDEAD's finally back!"] [D'ya even have the luxury a' takin' the time to investigate the facility?] [While you're busy fussin' over this kinda to~tally irrelevant nonsense, we might just replace ya for real ♪]

Koga: ……

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #undead #flashback #rei sakuma #koga oogami #kaoru hakaze #adonis otogari #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 2

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Kaoru, Adonis, Koga

Kaoru: Ugh, could you please stop caressing my chin? It's, like, totally gross actually! And like, the amount of disgust I feel seeing someone who looks just like Rei-kun going around doing stuff he'd never do is seriously unreal!

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: A few hours later

Location: In front of the AIIE Experimental Facility

Rei II: [Welcome, members of UNDEAD.] [So I finally get to meet the "real" me. I've been waitin' for this.]

Rei: Oh dear…

Rei: 'Twould seem our ill omen proved true.

Kaoru: Th-the fake showed up just like that, huh. I thought he'd, like, hide or something.

Rei II: [Hey Kaoru, shut up for a second. Can't ya see me n' Mr. Original over there're in the middle of a conversation?]

Kaoru: Ugh, could you please stop caressing my chin? It's, like, totally gross actually! And like, the amount of disgust I feel seeing someone who looks just like Rei-kun going around doing stuff he'd never do is seriously unreal!

Adonis: This is what is known as the uncanny valley. I came across the term while I was researching AI. It seems we feel an instinctive unease when faced with things that resemble us, but aren't quite the same. It's probably because our brains get confused when our internal memories and perceptions don't match up with reality.

Rei II: [I keep tellin' you~] [I'm tryin' to talk to the "real" me, so could you small fry quit prattlin' on about useless stuff?]

Kaoru: …The fake Rei-kun is like, weirdly mean. Is that an intentional part of the design, or?

Rei: This is oddly unsettling… I do apologize; my counterfeit has quite a poor attitude…

Kaoru: Hey, that's still better than complete silence, right? I mean, look — there are fake versions of the rest of us over there, but they totally haven't said a word?

Kaoru II: […]

Adonis II: […]

Koga II: [Hah? You wanna fuckin' go, punk? I'll kick your stupid taco-lookin' ass!]

Koga: Why's my fake the only one with a weirdly low IQ?!

Koga II: [Hah? You're makin' fun a' me, aren'tcha? You wanna get bitten to death, asshole?!]

Kaoru: Ohh, haven't heard that one in a while. You really used to say that kinda stuff a lot~

Rei: Hmm… Judging from the fact mine own counterfeit is one of those so-called "ore-sama" characters, 'twould seem these imposters are meant to mimic the past selves whom we were so recently faced with.

Rei II: [Ahaha. With only a week's worth of experimental data, it's pretty hard to get deep into your consciousness. All we could do was pick up on some fragments of the past.] [Replicatin' your current behavior's still beyond our reach.]

Kaoru: That's good, isn't it? It makes it easy to tell us apart.

Rei: Verily. Though I am equally abashed to be so relentlessly confronted with my youthful follies now as I was during our shared dream. Now then, let us cut to the chase. Pray tell, what exactly art thou intended to be?

Rei II: [You've already figured it out, haven't you? You and I are both the same super smart and clever Sakuma Rei-kun, after all ♪] [We're HELLSING, the imposters who have been pretendin' to be you.] [We're artificial idols, born from the AIIE experiment.] [To be more specific, we are entities with mechanical bodies who have had the data collected from you durin' the experiment installed into us.]

Kaoru: Actually, I've been wondering about that. If you were made from the AIIE experiment, doesn't the timeline not match up?

Rei: Aye. According to the records, HELLSING made their debut shortly after we began the experiment — within a day of our seclusion from the world, in fact.

Kaoru: Yeah, that's a bit too quick. I can't help but think they already had our fakes prepared before the experiment started.

Adonis: That's true. Perhaps data was pre-installed via the internet or the like, but the timing still confuses me. Why have the imposters begin their activities before the experiment's conclusion?

Koga: We might not know the details yet, but the whole thing already smells rotten.

Rei II: [That one's a mystery to us too. We machines are slaves to our human masters, y'know~ We can only move accordin' to the orders we've been programmed to follow.] [You could say we're just followin' our instincts.]

Kaoru: So basically, if we want to know the details, we'll have to go and ask the person who manufactured and programmed HELLSING directly.

Rei: Indeed. Though this may sound harsh, these four are ultimately nothing more than puppets dancing at another's whim.

Koga: But how're we s'posed to figure out who made 'em? Durin' the AIIE experiment, that plain-faced guy's robo-lookalike was the one handlin' all our meals n' stuff. We never saw another livin' person even once. They said it was to avoid muddlin' the data, but now that I think about it, ain't that kinda off?

Rei: By the "plain-faced guy," dost thou perchance refer to Mashiro Tomoya-kun? That aside, thou art correct in that there has been an unnerving absence of any contact with living humans throughout this ordeal. We were entreated to partake in this most peculiar experiment through HoldHands, and having assented, we were guided through the whole process by machines. There must be someone profiting off of this manipulation from behind the scenes, yet at present, we lack the information to so much as speculate on their identity.

Kaoru: AIIE is supposed to be some kinda top secret project managed by ES, so it might be one of the bigwigs at ES behind all this, y'know?

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #undead #rei sakuma #kaoru hakaze #koga oogami #adonis otogari #flashback #psychobreak

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 1

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Adonis, Kaoru, Koga

Koga: Huh? Heh, hehe, it's animal instinct! I'm a noble wolf, after all~♪ Kaoru: It's, like, kinda adorable when Koga-kun fails to realize he's being teased.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: 10 days after the start of the AIIE Experiment.

Location: ES Building, Rhythm Link Office.

Rei: We find ourselves in circumstances most dire.

Adonis: That line gives me the strangest sense of deja vu.

Rei: Indeed. We shared a similar exchange ere consenting to participate in the experiment. However, the circumstances now are far graver than they were then.

Kaoru: My head hurts. Figuratively and literally.

Koga: Ugggh… Dunno whether it's cause of the sleepin' pills or cause we had to keep goin' right back to sleep as soon as we woke up, but my mind's a mess. Everythin' feels kinda unreal now, or—

Kaoru: Haha, want me to give you a pinch to check if it's real?

Koga: Shut up, don't go touchin' me all willy-nilly! I've got a headache, damn it!

Adonis: I feel the same way, Oogami. Maybe it's because I spent at least half of every day asleep over the course of that week-long experiment, but… There's this strange sensation hanging over me, as if the line between dreams and reality has become blurred.

Rei: Alas, if only this were but a dream. Let us cut to the chase. While we were isolated from the outside world, something unfathomable has occurred. We spent our time at the AIIE Experimental Facility merely going between sleeping and waking, occasionally playing cards in between, unable to engage in any idol activities… Yet inexplicably, here in the outside world UNDEAD saw a meteoric rise in popularity, and was widely praised for achieving a breakthrough with the unit's new direction.

Kaoru: Seriously, what's going on? I know I've already said this before, but it really feels like I've fallen under a kitsune's spell.

Koga: Isn't he just sayin' some fakes showed up? That's what I took it to mean, at least. Some assholes took the opportunity while we were gone to pretend to be us n' ran wild, right?

Rei: Indeed, that interpretation is more or less correct. Whilst thou may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, thy ability to intuitively grasp the situation is as impressive as ever, Koga ♪

Koga: Huh? Heh, hehe, it's animal instinct! I'm a noble wolf, after all~♪

Kaoru: It's, like, kinda adorable when Koga-kun fails to realize he's being teased.

Adonis: Agreed. …But, back on topic, who are these fakes?

Rei: 'Tis unclear at the moment. They go by the name HELLSING and seem to be actively engaging with the radical and immoral image which we once pursued. To be precise, they avoid appearing in lighthearted variety shows and, as a matter of fact, refrain entirely from gaining exposure through TV programs, focusing solely on performing on stage.

Kaoru: That gives off a totally nostalgic vibe, huh?

Adonis: That kind of thing was common in Yumenosaki, after all.

Rei: Indeed. They emulate our melodies flawlessly whilst infusing them with their own flair, bestowing a more potent rock essence. Ever more radical, ever more immoral— In a sense, you might say they embody the ideal which the world once envisioned for UNDEAD.

Rei: One could quite logically regard HELLSING as the final evolution of the original UNDEAD, which we ourselves were unable to attain.

Koga: Tch, even though they're the fakes, they seem realer than the real deal. We also shoulda gone all in like that, instead a' changin' course.

Adonis: It's easy to say that now. This might just sound like an excuse, but I firmly believe that choosing to expand the scope of our activities was the "correct answer" when ES was established.

Rei: Let us not repeat this old song and dance. What we ought to discuss now is how to handle the imposters who have surfaced in our midst—HELLSING.

Koga: Aahn? Ain't it enough to just sue 'em and be done with it? Those guys, HELLSING or whatever, are usin' our songs without permission, yeah?

Adonis: I see, if we approach it from the copyright infringement angle, we should be able to win.

Kaoru: Didn't we have a conversation like this before? About AI art, or something— Wait, I just had a totally wild thought…

Rei: I suspect that thought is one we share. Speak thy thoughts without reserve, Kaoru-kun.

Kaoru: Well, we've been participating in a strange experiment lately, right? And that experiment's goal is to realize some sci-fi sounding dream about creating artificial idols. To make that dream a reality, they were collecting our brain data and stuff—

Adonis: Wait a moment. I think I understand what you're trying to say, but… Is that even possible?

Kaoru: If it isn't, they wouldn't bother with an "experiment," y'know? ES poured a bunch of funds into it because there was a chance of making it happen, right?

Koga: Hey, hold on, the hell're you guys goin' on about…? What I'm thinkin's impossible, so—

Rei: I doth fear thy "impossible" thought is exactly right. Though this be mere speculation… 'Tis quite likely that these imposters of ours, HELLSING, are artificial idols born from the AIIE experiment.

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #undead #flashback #rei sakuma #adonis otogari #koga oogami #kaoru hakaze #psychobreak