Revue: Stage Girls and Toji no Miko

1: The Training Camp Runs into Trouble

The Dance Recital; a fine arts festival presented through a collaborative effort by the Five Traditions.
Its main attraction: a dance performed in miko attire by eleven select toji.
This year, the girls chosen were as follows: Shidou Maki, Konohana Suzuka, Satuki Yomi, Tsubakuro Yume, Etou Kanami, Yanase Mai, Juujou Hiyori, Mashiko Kaoru, Kitora Mirja, Yamashiro Yui, and Shichinosato Kofuki--

Maki: We're going to do a full rehearsal of the performance now. Ban Tsugumi, you're in charge of the music.
Tsugumi: Right, you can leave the supporting role to me. Ready... Starting the music.
Tsugumi: Three, two, one...
Maki: That's wrong, all wrong! Ban Tsugumi, stop the music! Yume, Mashiko Kaoru, Shichinosato Kofuki!
Maki: You weren't keeping the pace! We're starting again, from the top!
Yume: Ehh~, againnn? I'm bored of this already~.
Kaoru: I thought I'd get a break from dealing with aradama here, but this might be worse...
Kofuki: Hey, how long're we gonna keep doing this for? Isn't this good enough already?
Maki: Until you can deliver a perfect performance for Yukari-sama, of course.
Maki: That's the entire purpose of this training camp. Now, let's keep going...
Suzuka: Wait, Maki-san. It's about time we gave them a break.
Yume: Hooray-! A break-!
Maki: Hold it, Yume! I didn't say we were taking a break yet!
Maki: Suzuka! They still have a long way to go before they're ready! Do you think we have time to stop now!?
Suzuka: That's exactly why we should.
Suzuka: This training camp will last quite some time. They'll need a degree of rest every now and then, won't they?
Maki: But...
Kaoru: We'll still be practicing tomorrow, won't we? Let us rest a minute.
Maki: That's not your place to decide...
Maki: ...Maybe I have been pushing you too hard though.
Maki: We're taking a break, everyone. You can all rest until Yume, Mashiko Kaoru, and Shichinosato Kofuki can manage that performance.
Kaoru/Kofuki/Yume: Ehh~!?
Kanami: Ahh, I'm worn out-.
Mai: We've been dancing all this time, after all.
Hiyori: Maybe it's because we're using different muscles than usual, but I'm feeling a lot more tired than I expected.
Mirja: This seemed likely to happen, so we do have honey lemon slices prepared. Would you all like some?
Hiyori: Honey lemon slices... That would be nice.
Kanami: Thank you, Kitora-san!
Mirja: Yamashiro Yui, please hand them out.
Yui: I'm on it, Mirja-san!
Yui: You can eat these soury sweet honeyed lemons right out of my hands! And you can lick my fingers clean too if you want!
Mirja: Stop that, it's unsanitary.
Mai: Haha... Thank you, Kitora-san. I can make another batch for everyone tomorrow.
Mirja: Good, I'll tell Ban Tsugumi that she won't need to make any more.
Kanami: Nn~! Sweet and sour... And bitter!? Eh!? Why's it so bitter!?
Hiyori: What's this powder mixed in with the honey!? Though... I feel like dancing now!
Mai: ...I think I won't eat any after all.
Mirja: ...That may be for the best.
Yomi: Tsubakuro-san, you are moving your hands incorrectly. Mashiko-san, your body has stopped moving. Shichinosato-san, please do not try to fall asleep.
Suzuka: ...The training camp has only just begun and we're already behind schedule.
Maki: I didn't expect it to be such a struggle. There are lots of minor points they aren't able to keep up with, but...
Suzuka: It's the finishing act, isn't it.
Maki: As toji, they should all be skilled enough for this.
Maki: And despite that, for them to be this this incapable of coordinating their performance...
Suzuka: We still have time before the recital. I'd like to believe they can work things out with enough practice.
Maki: Why now, at a time like this...
Tsugumi: Shidou-san, there's a report of an aradama outbreak in the area...
Maki: We'll all go. You'll join us, Ban Tsugumi.
Tsugumi: That's fine, but it's best if we go quickly. Tsubakuro-san and Shichinosato-san have already rushed on ahead.
Kofuki: Nice timing back there, aradama-chan! I love you for real-!
Yume: I'm glad we got to leave practice, but these are all weaklings, so it's still boring!
Yume: ...By the way, Onee-san. Where are we?
Kofuki: Beats me? All I cared about was chasing down the aradama-chan, so I wasn't paying attention.
Yume: Ehh-!? You're no help at all.
Kofuki: Playing with aradama-chan was bound to be a million times more fun than that lameass dance practice.
Maki: ...Found you! Don't go running off on your own!
Suzuka: Is this a theater? Was there a theater this close nearby?
Giraffe: I understand.
Yume: Wah-!? A talking giraffe!
Kofuki: Is that an aradama too? Should I cut it up to be sure?
Tsugumi: Please wait, Shichinosato-san. I've never seen an aradama with such a close resemblance to a giraffe before.
Tsugumi: We should attempt to gather information on it through communication first. You can cut it up when we're done.
Giraffe: I am not an aradama, so may I ask you toji not to cut me.
Suzuka: It knows what we are?
Giraffe: Yes.
Giraffe: I wish for you to suppress the aradama, so the audition may resume.

2: ...Could This Be Another World?

Maki: All aradama in the area have been defeated. Suzuka, is the spectrum finder showing you anything?
Suzuka: ...No, that should have been all of them just now. However...
Maki: Suzuka? Is something wrong?
Tsugumi: It's not giving any response, Shidou-san. After entering this theater, the spectrum finder didn't react to the aradama at all.
Maki: ...They didn't show up on the spectrum finders?
Tsugumi: Yes, this is a highly fascinating phenomenon!
Tsugumi: Could they be a new variety of aradama? Though, the structure of their bodies was familiar. Which might mean, the aradama have evolved in some way...
Maki: Get a hold of yourself, Ban Tsugumi. ...Suzuka, is what she said accurate?
Suzuka: Yes, I've confirmed it myself. Ban-san is telling the truth.
Maki: So what's going on here...?
Yume: Maki-onee-san! Somebody's fighting some aradama over there!
Maki: Grh, they just keep coming... Move in to help!
??? (Karen): YAAAAAAAHH!!
Aradama: Gyaa...
??? (Mahiru): Wh-What's going on here!?
??? (Hikari): Think about that later. HAA!!
Aradama: GYAAA!
Kanami: Ehhh!?
Hiyori: They're killing aradama without okatana!?
Yui: And they're so cute to boot!?
Mirja: (As it seems, these are not ordinary aradama here... No, that's not what matters most now.)
Mirja: This is no time for you to fool around, Yamashiro Yui! Move to support those girls!
Kofuki: I dunno who you are, but hands off my aradama-chan!!
??? (Karen): Thanks for the help! Those monster looking things came out of nowhere, and we didn't know what to do!
Kanami: We were just doing our job. We're toji, after all.
Kanami: And anyway, how'd you beat the aradama!? That's not an okatana, right!?
??? (Karen): Otakara? [treasure]
??? (Nana): Not treasure, Karen-chan. She said an "okatana".
??? (Juuna): An okatana... Some type of sword? Like the ones you have, right?
??? (Karen): Banana! And Junjun too!
??? (Mahiru): Hey, Karen-chan... These girls, they might have something to do with what's happening...
??? (Hikari): I think so too.
??? (Karen): But, since they're here, that makes them stage girls like us!
Kanami: ..."Stage girls"?
Kanami: Like performers? Does anyone know about them?
Hiyori: Nope, not me.
Kanami: What about you, Mai-chan?
Mai: No, I haven't heard about them either.
??? (Juuna): We're students of Seisho Music Academy. You've heard of that, right?
Yume: Seisho Music Academy? Do you know about it, onee-sans?
Yomi: No, I've never heard of it.
Suzuka: I should be familiar with prestigious music academies, from socializing in those circles...
Suzuka: But the name Seisho Music Academy doesn't ring any bells.
Maki: Maybe it's not all that prestigious?
??? (Maya): I'm not about to let that comment pass.
Karen: There's no Starlight-!?
Kanami: What do you mean aradama don't exist!?
Claudine: So, if I'm understanding this correctly, these girls came from another world?
Kaoruko: Could something out of a fairytale like that happen?
Futaba: You fought them yourself, didn't you, Kaoruko? Those, aradama, you called them?
Kaoruko: ...It might have actually happened after all...
Kaoruko: Which all works out then.
Kaoruko: We've been in a pickle. The audition was suspended thanks to these aradama. Could you defeat them for us?
Suzuka: Audition...? I haven't seen any judges here.
Juuna: It's called an audition, but it isn't like any ordinary audition you're thinking of.
Juuna: Stage girls fight amongst each other, aiming to be the top star.
Kofuki: Hmmm. Well, you don't have to ask. I'll get all the aradama-chan myself.
Maki: Shichinosato Kofuki is right. Defeating aradama is our duty as toji.
Kaoru: Duty's great and all, but... If we beat them all, is that gonna send us back to our world?
Maya: I believe things will work out.
Maya: The giraffe asked for you to suppress the aradama. So, once they are all suppressed, he should send you back.
Maki: Then there shouldn't be a problem. You can leave suppressing the aradama to us.
Karen: ...But, is it really okay for us to make Shidou-san and them do all the work?
Mahiru: I feel the same way. It's not like it's the toji's fault the aradama are here...
Hikari: Besides, this is our audition.
Maya: Which leaves us only one option: we will help suppress the aradama too.
Maki: But, it's dangerous!
Maya: Despite not being toji, we can defeat these aradama, can't we? There should be no issue then.

3: A Shared Resemblance

Tsugumi: Shichinosato-san, there's aradama on our 9 o'clock. Did you notice them?
Kofuki: The hell, what is this place, aradama-chan heaven!? Bring it on! Just try and keep up!
Tsugumi: Don't mind me; go all out.
Kaoru: Look at them go-. At this point, can't we just leave everything to those two?
Nene: Nene!
Kanami: You know we can't do that! So long as aradama are here, they're causing problems for Karen-chan and the others!
Mai: That's right, Kaoru-chan.
Mai: And besides, if we don't get back soon... I'm sure Sayaka-chan and the others will be worried sick.
Maki: Worried, huh...
Suzuka: ...You're losing focus, Maki-san.
Maki: Does it look that way?
Suzuka: There's no other way of looking at it. Wouldn't you ordinarily be leading the charge against the aradama?
Suzuka: But there are three concerns causing you to falter. Will we be able to go home? How is Yukari-sama reacting to this?
Suzuka: And also... about the dance performance.
Maki: ...I can't hide anything from you, can I.
Suzuka: I'm simply worried about the same things you are.
Suzuka: Since we have this opportunity, I'd like to ask these girls for their opinions on our performance. What do you think?
Maki: Ask them?
Suzuka: Yes. Their lives revolve around the stage, don't they? They should be able to offer us valuable insights.
Maya: The closing act of your dance isn't coming along well?
Maki: That's right. Aside from the very end, we can bring it together with few mistakes.
Maki: But, no matter how many times we rehearse it, we never manage to synchronize the end.
Maya: ...
Claudine: It isn't as if your bodies stop moving, is it?
Claudine: From watching you fight with the aradama, each of you should have more than enough basic physical fitness, so all that's left is for you to practice.
Maya: ...Are they not losing sight of their direction?
Claudine: What do you mean by that?
Maya: Assuming the toji are also special students, there isn't a chance they would receive an utterly useless curriculum.
Maya: In which case, their dance must also be treated as an extension of their everyday life.
Maki: An extension of our usual life...
Maya: That's right. Shidou-san, you've been attempting to deviate from your ordinary selves, have you not?
Maki: ...You've hit the nail on the head, Tendou Maya.
Maki: In focusing too heavily on acting as miko for our dance, we've lost sight of being toji.
Maki: ...A theater pro really does see things differently. I'm glad I asked you.
Claudine: I could have told you that much...
Suzuka: (As expected, Tendou-san made a convincing argument. Though... I wonder what has Saijou-san looking so bothered?)
Suzuka: (Her hostile attitude toward Tendou-san seems somewhat familiar...)
Yume: Hmmm. Hey, Yomi-onee-san?
Yomi: What is it, Tsubakuro-san?
Yume: Does Clau-onee-san remind you of anybody? She feels really familiar for some reason...
Suzuka: Oh my, you had the same impression, Yume?
Yomi: ...That would be Konohana-san, wouldn't it? Though she hasn't acted like that for a long time.
Yume: Ehh, Suzuka-onee-san, did you used to be like that?
Yomi: Yes. Just like that.
Suzuka: (...Ahh, so that's what it was.)
Suzuka: Saijou-san?
Claudine: What? It's true that you need to practice. I haven't said anything wrong either.
Suzuka: ...I'm not here about that. It's difficult, isn't it? Following after another.
Claudine: What are you talking about?
Suzuka: There's someone who's captured your attention, isn't there?
Claudine: ...Not really.
Claudine: There's only someone I'm going to surpass. Without fail.
Claudine: Oh, right, about getting opinions on your performance. Since you have the chance, why not ask all of us?
Suzuka: Of course, we will--
Tsugumi: Shichinosato-san, here comes another wave. We may need to break out the flag for this one. [Referring to a flag Japanese fishermen will hoist after catching a huge haul]
Kofuki: Was that supposed to be a joke!?
Kofuki: And besides, they're all mine! Nobody's taking them from me!!
Maki: Suzuka! Yomi! Yume! We're moving in too!
Yomi: Understood.
Yume: It's boring fighting these weakling aradama though.
Suzuka: Now that's how Maki-san ought to be.
Suzuka: You've started acting like an elite guard again.

4: The Star We Sought

Mirja: After all that, it seems the amount of aradama appearing has decreased.
Yui: I think so too, Mirja-san!
Yui: If we keep up the pace, we'll be back home in no time... Wait, we can't!!
Kaoru: What's wrong with going home?
Kaoru: You want to stay in this aradama infested theater production from hell forever?
Yui: But still! The lovely ladies from Seisho! I still need to cozy up with them!
Hiyori: ...Do you listen to yourself talk?
Kaoruko: Lovely ladies, you say. Well, that's only a natural reaction.
Futaba: Don't flatter yourself.
Kanami: I get what you mean, Yui-chan.
Yui: Kanami-chan! I didn't think I had an ally here!
Kanami: Everyone from Seisho, their movements are so beautiful. Right down to their fingertips; it's so precise!
Yui: ...That's not the kind of ally I was looking for!
Karen: Stage girls are evolving every day!
Karen: Even when fighting aradama, you can't forget about the stage!
Mirja: That's an interesting perspective, Etou Kanami. Unlike Yamashiro Yui's.
Mirja: Everyone from Seisho acts with such finesse, though their fundamental movements are all different.
Mirja: Is there something like schools of swordsmanship within theater performance?
Hikari: ...The difference in our fields of expertise?
Juuna: It might be something like that. Isurugi-san, swordfights are your specialty, aren't they?
Futaba: Yeah, I don't plan on letting anyone show me up when it comes to a swordfighting scene.
Mahiru: For me, it would be the baton?
Nana: The toji girls are the other way around, right?
Nana: There's differences in the details, but the way they move their whole bodies are all tuned for using a sword.
Mai: The way we move our bodies is tuned for using a sword... You mean our fundamentals are the same?
Mai: ...I wonder if that could help us improve our dance performance?
Karen: Dance performance?
Maki: I'll explain that.
Karen: The toji are dressing up as mikos for a dance!?
Junna: You're all so athletic, so it should be a real show seeing you all moving together.
Nana: Yeah, yeah. I wish I could be there to see it.
Karen: Put on the show for us here!
Maki: If we want your opinions, the best way would be to practice in front of you.
Yume: Ehh!? We're doing it now!?
Maki: Tendou Maya. It might still be far from complete, but will you watch our performance?
Maya: That's an important responsibility. Because it's incomplete, that's all the more reason for you to need our opinions.
Hikari: What do you mean?
Claudine: They can't seem to get their closing act to come together.
Karen: Why do you know that, Clau-chan!?
Claudine: I heard it from them earlier. They said they wanted advice on how to improve.
Hikari: ...Why didn't you tell us?
Claudine: We were going to, but then the aradama arrived. Anyway, let's move things along. Start your performance.
Karen: That was so intense!
Junna: Agreed. Getting to see it up close, you get such a sense that those okatana are the real thing.
Futaba: When it comes to the dancing, that's Kaoruko's field, right? You want to help them out?
Kaoruko: You say that, but wasn't that closer to a combat demonstration than a dance?
Kaoruko: I don't have a single bit of advice to offer.
Nana: A combat demonstration... Ah, maybe that's why the just the last part felt different?
Maki: That's it! Please, tell me more! What is our performance missing?
Karen: It's hard to say exactly what... When you're swinging your okatana, it's like it's filled with emotion?
Karen: It's like a real dance performance then.
Hikari: It must be because you have a clear image of a target in mind.
Nana: Aradama, right.
Mahiru: So then, why isn't the last part going as well?
Claudine: ...It's because they can't get their mental images aligned, isn't it?
Claudine: Just looking at Maki and Suzuka, there's force behind Maki's movement, but Suzuka's was more delicate, wasn't it?
Suzuka: Delicate? I wasn't intending to restrain myself...
Claudine: I'm only talking about the difference I felt between what you two were picturing. Maki imagined cutting down an aradama, and...
Maya: Konohana-san had returning her sword to its sheath in mind.
Claudine: Well, that's about it.
Maki/Suzuka: ...
Junna: So, to sum it up, at the very end of this dance performance, you can't unify what you're all expressing?
Karen: Yeah! That's it!
Kanami: Our mental image, huh. I think mine is staying on guard.
Mai: I think that's mine too.
Hiyori: I picture striking down my enemy.
Yui: I imagine ending everything with a big group hug!
Kaoru: Can't we just imagine taking a break, since it's done?
Hiyori: You two... Are you not going to take this seriously?
Aradama: GGGGAAAAAOOOOOO!
Hiyori: Tch, aradama!?
Suzuka: Oh my, and a rather large one at that.
Claudine: C'est pire! ...Could it not have given us a little more time here!?
Karen: Why are you two acting so calm when there's that giant monster aradama!?
Maya: Its size has nothing to do with this. They can at last see their performance taking shape.
Maya: Once this aradama is defeated, their dance can be completed.
Maki: Right, so let's go!

5: A Time We Surely Shared

Giraffe: You've done well, toji. The audition will resume.
Karen: If the audition's resuming... That means we took out all the aradama?
Kanami: Now we can go back home, Hiyori-chan!
Hiyori: ...Can we really go back though? I don't even remember how we got here in the first place...
Mai: Come to think of it, just how much time has passed since we came here?
Kaoru: It might be like Urashima Tarou when we get back. [a fairytale about a man who spends time in an underwater kingdom and finds a century has passed when he returns]
Karen: Hey, Kanami-chan and them can get back fine, can't they?
Giraffe: Of course, I will dutifully return them home.
Maki: That's good to hear.
Maki: ...Before we go, could we show you our performance one last time? I want you to see the final act with all of our minds focused on the same mental image.
Maya: We would be glad to.
Karen: Cause we'll get to see an even better performance than before!
Hikari: ...I can't wait.
Nana: And this time, I'll be sure to take some good photos of it.
Juuna: Is there any way we could exchange the pictures?
Mahiru: I wonder if we would have time to print it out?
Claudine: Why don't we just test sending it to them now?
Futaba: Test it... Do our phones work the same as theirs?
Suzuka: They look to be the same. Daiba-san, would you mind sending me the data?
Nana: Sure thing. Here, point your phone this way.
Kaoruko: Anyway, how much time do we have left?
Giraffe: They leave right now.
Kanami: Right now... Wait, huh? This is, the boarding house...?
Hiyori: It was a dream?
Mirja: Was that dream about fighting aradama in an underground theater, by any chance?
Mai: I had the same dream too!
Kaoru: Was it a dream?
Nene: Ne-?
Yui: Don't tell me... Those theater cuties were all a figment of my imagination!?
Suzuka: No, I don't believe it was a dream.
Yume: Ah! Suzuka-onee-san! Is that picture the one Banana-onee-san sent you?
Suzuka: That's right. I still have it, right here. Look.
Maki: The advice they gave us... It won't go to waste.
Maki: First, we're all going to synchronize our mental image of our performance! After that, we're going to practice!

On the day the dance performance would be shown to the public.

Maki: (Everything's gone well so far... All that's left is the closing act... It'll be fine.)
Maki: (We've shared our mental image, like the stage girls suggested.)
Maki: (All we need is to...!)
Cheers: HURRAAAAHHHH!

6: Collecting Suzudaru Cats!

Karen: There really are some things besides aradama that're different between our world and yours, Kanami-chan.
Karen: You still have the Tokyo Tower, right? And it's still red like it's supposed to be, right?
Kanami: Yep, it's still red alright!
Hiyori: I wonder why things are different. Aradama and okatana don't exist...
Hikari: Starlight, which has been performed countless times around the world, doesn't exist...
Mahiru: Ah, that reminds me. I wanted to ask you something. Does Suzudaru Cat exist in your world too?
Mai: Suzudaru Cat? Hmm, I haven't heard of it. How about you, Kanami-chan?
Kanami: I've never heard of it either.
Mahiru: I don't believe it~... A world without Suzudaru Cat...
Hiyori: What kind of cat is it?
Yume: Hey, hey. What're you talking about?
Karen: Yume-chan, Yomi-chan. We were just talking about how, isn't it weird how some things are different between our worlds?
Mahiru: Ah! It's Suzudaru Cat! So you have it in your world after all; thank goodness~.
Yomi: What do you mean, Suzudaru Cat?
Mahiru: Eh!? You're holding it right there~.
Yume: Huhh. So this thing's called Suzudaru Cat?
Yume: It dropped off of an aradama just now.
Mai: An aradama?
Kanami: That's Suzudaru Cat...?
Kanami: Woww... It's too cute, Mahiru-chan! There's this sort of unexplainable charm to it!
Mahiru: Isn't there? Suzudaru Cat has that kind of cuteness you just can't describe-!
Mahiru: Ahhh, I'm glad I found someone who can understand Suzudaru Cat's greatness~.
Karen: I'm happy for you, Mahiru-chan.
Mai: You like those kind of mascot characters, don't you, Kanami-chan?
Kanami: Yeah, I love them!
Kanami: Hey, Tsubakuro-san, Satsuki-san? What was it like when you got that Suzudaru Cat?
Yume: Just before the aradama I killed dissappeared, it was like, poof!
Yomi: I can't say it will be the same for all aradama, but that's what it was like with the one we defeated.
Kanami: Cool, so while we suppress the aradama, we can also collect a bunch of Suzudaru Cats!
Mahiru: Defeating aradama means getting Suzudaru Cats...!
Mahiru: Etou-san! If it's alright with you, do you think you could... share some of the Suzudaru Cats you find?
Kanami: Of course! I'm not about to take them all for myself! Let's share them with everyone! Hiyori-chan, you're fine with that too, right?
Hiyori: I-I never said I wanted any, did I?
Kanami: But they're so cute. I know I'll come to like them soon enough.
Hikari: Mr. White is even more amazing though... [mumbled]
Hiyori: Did you say something, Hikari?
Hikari: ...I didn't say anything.
Kanami: Come on, let's go ask everyone to start collecting Suzudaru Cats from the aradama!