Episode 81: Let’s Make a Legend!
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Valentine’s Day was over, and with no particular events until graduation, ordinary days passed by as usual.
“Hello, Kazuma-kun. There’s a shoot this Saturday and Sunday, what do you want to do?”
“I’m going!!!”
“Got it. I’ll let the director know. Oh, and if you’re inviting anyone else, please contact me beforehand.”
“Yes!!!”
Having heard from Seiichi about the tokusatsu drama shoot, Kazuma immediately contacted renowned world-famous individuals like King, Overlord, Sun King, and King Arthur.
He sent them an email saying there was a tokusatsu drama shoot and he wanted them to participate.
Surprised by the sudden email from the Crimson Knight, the famous people from various countries readily agreed, thinking it sounded interesting, and it was quickly decided they would come to Japan.
“Hello, Ema-san! There’s a drama shoot this Saturday and Sunday, what do you think!?”
“We’re managing the schedule for that matter over here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I can participate this time.”
“Is that so… I invited King and Overlord too, though.”
“Hold on a minute.”
Wondering if he’d misheard, Ema rubbed his temples firmly before asking Kazuma again.
“Kazuma-kun. Who did you say you invited?”
“King, Overlord, Sun King, and Arthur, ‘ssu!”
“I-I see… I’ll call you back later. Please stay put until then.”
“Yes!”
After finishing his call with Kazuma, Ema immediately called the United States, China, Egypt, and the United Kingdom to confirm.
As a result, he learned that all the individuals Kazuma had named had agreed and their visits to Japan had been hastily arranged.
He nearly foamed at the mouth and collapsed, but since it was a personal request from the Crimson Knight, they couldn’t refuse now.
While on the verge of going mad, Ema treated the arrival of those Kazuma had invited as top secret and imposed an information blackout.
“Hello, Kazuma-kun.”
“Hello, so what happened?”
“Ah. I’ve confirmed with them… And that they’ve already agreed.”
“Ah, sorry. I forgot to consult you first.”
“…I’m glad you seem to be reflecting on it. We’ll adjust the schedule on our end, so please wait patiently.”
“Understood! I apologize for the trouble, but please take care of it!”
His mouth twitching, Ema hung up the phone.
Tsukimi, who was nearby, offered him tea and spoke to Ema with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“…I’m healthy in mind and body. I even got a doctor’s seal of approval saying I’m a picture of health.”
“Eh? Is that so? You looked like your stomach might be acting up.”
“Thanks to Kazuma-kun, I’m free from illness… I have him heal me with magic periodically.”
“Ah…”
Not needing a full medical checkup was wonderful, but since Kazuma was the source of his stress, it was a net zero.
That said, as long as no unfortunate accidents occurred, Ema would likely live a long life.
In return, he’d be pushed around by Kazuma and end up suffering, but since it was his own choice, he couldn’t complain.
“Ayashiro-kun. Sorry to ask, but can I leave the Japan side to you?”
“Understood. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
“Thank you. I’ll somehow manage the overseas side.”
After taking a legal drug developed by a researcher at Kurashige Industries, Ema diligently worked on handling the overseas arrangements.
With little time left until the weekend photoshoot, Ema worked day and night with an intensity that seemed to shave off his lifespan.
“Doctor!”
“Are you okay, Ema-san! Now that I’m here, you can rest easy!”
“U-ugh…!”
Naturally, when he overworked himself and collapsed, Tsukimi apparently called for Kazuma, a.k.a. the Doctor, and there was a farce where he revived Ema from the brink of death.
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On the day of the photoshoot, Saeki Director witnessed the lineup of renowned ability users—Crimson Knight, King, Overlord, Sun King, and Arthur—and nearly ascended to heaven, but he managed to hold himself back at the last moment.
“President… Is the budget enough?”
“Apparently, they said it’s a friendship appearance, so no payment is required.”
“…Can I do as I please?”
“Within reason, please. Though, from what I hear from the Prime Minister, there’s someone here who’ll go even more out of control than you…”
“I-Is that so…”
Saeki Director, a tokusatsu otaku himself, wondered if there was really someone on this set who would go more out of control than him.
Looking at the assembled personnel, he didn’t think there was anyone like that, but then he noticed one person he had an inkling about looking his way with sparkling eyes.
Yes, it was Kazuma.
Kazuma, known as “The Strongest Civilian” and friendly with King, was fidgeting restlessly.
Seeing this, Saeki Director gulped and felt a sense of unease, but he also began to hope that if he could use him well, he might be able to create a masterpiece that would go down in history.
“U-uhm, well then, regarding today’s shooting schedule, we’ll be filming both a TV special version and a movie version. Since everyone is very busy, we’re planning to shoot all scenes over Saturday and Sunday, so it will be quite fast-paced. Is that alright?”
He was confirming just in case, but they had already agreed on this point, so there was no problem.
Since the filming location was covered by Kazuma’s Space-Time Magic, it was possible to shoot all scenes in two days.
Moreover, even if an incident or disaster occurred in their home countries, Kazuma was prepared to send them back with Teleportation, so staying long wasn’t an issue.
Kazuma was so convenient he was almost like an errand boy, but since he was the one who proposed it in the first place, there was no problem at all.
“W-well then, shall we begin filming?”
Saeki Director was overwhelmed by the overly extravagant lineup, but if he faltered here, he wouldn’t be able to film a tokusatsu drama that would go down in history.
In that case, he resolved to burn with the otaku spirit hidden in his heart, give his all, and film the greatest tokusatsu drama in history.
An otaku with unwavering resolve could no longer be stopped.
He decided to go through with it, even if he were to be crucified upside down after it was all over.
First, the TV special version. The general plot is that the heroes lose, and a mysterious assassin who has served the government since before the Sengoku period comes to their aid and defeats the enemy.
Unfortunately, the overseas members wouldn’t appear in this story; it would only feature Kazuma and the Japanese government. Therefore, the main cast was comprised of four individuals: Kazuma, Ema, Tsukimi, Momoko, and Sakura Hakanai.
“Prime Minister. It seems the Heroes have been routed.”
“Hmm… It seems this enemy is too much for them to handle.”
“Shall we also lend our aid?”
“It cannot be helped. It is to protect Japan. Call the Shadow!”
“Understood. I will call them immediately.”
And, cut.
The scene ended with Ema and Tsukimi at the Prime Minister’s residence, hinting at Kazuma and the others’ existence.
After that, Kazuma in ninja gear and Momoko and Sakura Hakanai in Powered Suits would appear, defeat the enemy that the heroes couldn’t even touch, and that would be the end.
“The special version is pretty straightforward, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah. It’s about how much we can pack into a one-hour slot. I’d actually like to do more, but that’s something to look forward to in the movie version.”
“I see! Still, Ema-san, you were quite into it!”
“Ahem! I was no different than usual, was I?”
Slightly embarrassed, Ema gave a loud cough as if to cover it up and lightly glared at Kazuma.
“Yessir! That’s right, ‘ssu ne!”
Saeki Director, watching their exchange nearby, naturally wondered if they met regularly, but he decided to feign ignorance, thinking that some things in the world are better left unknown.
“Well then, shall we move on to the main event?”
And so, filming for the extravagant movie version, including the overseas members, began.
Even the lead actors and actresses were, as expected, extremely nervous with this lineup, and their movements were more awkward than usual.
Saeki Director understood how they felt, but with the shooting schedule to consider, he steeled his heart and scolded them.
“What are you doing!? I’ve explained many times that our time is limited, haven’t I!?”
“We’re sorry, we’re sorry!”
“I know you’re nervous. But it’s precisely at times like these that you need to stay calm and act as you usually do! If you do that, you’ll surely shine. Because, isn’t that right? You’ll probably never get to shoot with people of this caliber again.”
“Yes, yes! We’ll do our best!”
There was such an exchange along the way, but filming progressed, and it came time for the most crucial part: the battle scene.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong, Saeki Director?”
“Well, you know, we have such a magnificent cast with King and Overlord, and I was thinking it’s a bit of a waste to just use CG.”
“I see. I’ll go ask Crimson Knight-san if he has any ideas.”
“Huh?”
Kazuma, putting on a one-man show, pretended to consult with the Crimson Knight and returned to Saeki Director.
“Um, so, what did the Crimson Knight say?”
“He said to leave it to him!”
“Is that so~”
Saeki Director, who had already given up on thinking too much, used Kazuma as an intermediary to give instructions to the Crimson Knight and had him create a kaiju.
An incredibly imposing monster was crafted from earth, and Saeki Director, his mouth agape, remained dumbfounded for a while before becoming greatly excited, realizing that with this, they could capture the best scene.
Moreover, since the Crimson Knight was controlling it, it could also perform flashy action scenes with King, Overlord, and Sun King, so it was, in a word, perfect.
“To protect Japan, I too shall sortie! Let’s go, Enma!”
Naturally, Ema also made his appearance, battling the monster Kazuma had created using Enma, which had fought a fierce battle against a super-giant Ibinom.
In the end, the monster Kazuma created combined, and with a simultaneous attack from everyone, it caused a huge explosion, bringing the curtain down.
“Thanks to you all, Japan was saved. Thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it! Call me anytime!”
“If an allied nation is in peril, it wouldn’t be right not to rush to their aid, would it?”
“I couldn’t just stand by and watch this beautiful country be trampled. I’m glad if I was able to help.”
“We can’t abandon a country where there are knights who share our aspirations, after all.”
Ema shook hands with each of the four: King, Overlord, Sun King, and Arthur.
Finally, it reached a grand finale, and the filming for the movie version came to an end.
“These two days were fun, Kazuma! Invite me again!”
“It was a refreshing experience, Kazuma-kun. Thank you for inviting me.”
“I had an interesting experience, Kazuma-kun. Let’s meet again.”
“We’ll also do our best not to lose to the knights in the drama. I’m truly grateful you invited us this time. Thank you, Kazuma-kun.”
“Thanks for coming, everyone! Well then, see you later!”
Thus, the filming of the special effects drama concluded, and after enjoying Japan for a little while, they returned to their home countries.
“Well then, shall we head home too?”
Now that things had settled down, Kazuma said he was hungry and headed home.
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Afterword
I’ve finally surpassed the long-awaited one million character mark.
And with the slice-of-life chapters I wanted to write now finished, it’s the final spurt towards the last chapter. Updates might become irregular, but I would be grateful for your support.
I look forward to your continued support.