The Chronicles of Ouendan Chapter 10: Episode 10: What Comes to Deaf Ears, an elite beat agents fanfic

Episode 10: What Comes to Deaf Ears

Kazebayashi Residence.

Home of the genius pottery maker, Shizuyama Kazebayashi.

He faces his work, intending to include it into his upcoming Personal Expo.

But there's a small problem....

He has hit a creativity slump! Sitting before him as he raises his hand from a slab of ceramic he messed around with is a goofy doll with arms poised in different positions, one points to its side while the other points to its head.

"IT'S NO GOOD!!!" he cries in frustration.

His manager, meanwhile, stresses over the upcoming Expo, trying hard to hurry Shizuyama along.

"Sensei!" he cries, "There's only a month left until your Expo!"

"I know...." the genius potter grumbles as he stares at his recent failure of a sculpture.

As the small bamboo of his garden decoration drops towards a flat area of stone from the weight of the water spilling out of a small fountain, giving off a rhythmic sound, Shizuyama's inspiration drifts further from the soul of his heart. The goofy figurine looks to be the only entry he will bestow if nothing is done to reawaken his imagination.

Desperate for ideas, he grabs his head and lets out the only shout he knows that will bring about the encouragement he needs to move forward.

OUENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!

Off to the side of the fiasco in progress, three men in black uniforms sit before their own turn tables, crafting their own style of pots.

Ryuta Ippongi, upon hearing the cry for help, turns his head to address the distressed, sensing his need to spring into action.

"What a slump!" Shizuyama cries in despair as the goofy figurine stands before him while taunting him with its emotionless face.

Just when all hope was about to be lost, the Bold Squad appears behind him, shouting "osu" towards his heart. Upon snapping to attention, a sense of desire flows through his veins, filling him with inspiration.

The manager, meanwhile, sits off to the side, trying hard to convince Shizuyama to not surrender to his slump.

"Sensei!" he calls out, "Maybe you should go to the hot springs for a little change of pace...."

Desperate for ideas, he collects his bathrobes and runs down to the locale onsen a few blocks from his location. Upon arrival, the Bold Squad are already inside, preparing to perform their first cheer for the day while he sets up his workshop and begins making shapes out of a slab of clay.

While waiting for a spot at the hot springs, Shizuyama decides to prepare a small cup for the start of his inspiration. Between evening out the sides and looking at his craft book for ideas, the pace of his work seems to be mild and uninventive.

Ima goingu gooruin yori
(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)
Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru
(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)
ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)
Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru
(My heart continues to sound out in concert)

He eventually ditches the craft book as the warmth of the hot springs burns his inspiration like a warm, summer day; expanding the height and width of the clay cup until it resembled a small vase.

notteki na teki kotoba ga dete kita koko wa
(Exciting words came out of me, because this is)
kokoro odoru tokoro da kara
(The place where my heart dances)
oite kanai yo oi tsukitai nara
(I won't fall behind, if I want to catch up)
get up stand up iku shika nee
(I can only go on)
tsukanee yappa kizuita n da
(I don't know, but of course you've noticed)
100% shiawase no ishihyouji narase clap clap
(I intend to be 100% happy, sound it out)
nakama doushi yodooshi tsume konda
(Comrades, we forced ourselves all night long)
appaa na tenshon no shichueeshon
(A situation from upper-tension)

Once the hot spring began to lighten up, Shizuyama picks a comfortable spot near the center where the heat is at its hottest.

HAVE A DREAMIN' guriidingu
(Greeting)
kono ba no kuuki chuushin saakuru tsunagaru bugii
(The air here is centered, a circle, the connected boogie)

While relaxing in his chosen spot, he hears the sound of water splashing a few feet away from him. Turning a curious eye towards it, he sees a young, beautiful woman easing herself into the steaming water while slowly removing her towel.

furiikii kibarazu koko no minna to sono kachi aru kara
(Freaky, without going all out, there is value in everyone here)

"Excuse me for disturbing you," she mutters as though she knew he was staring at her.

Her beauty is too awe inspiring for Shizuyama to say anything other than, "Inspiration flash!"

He rushes back to his room, throws his robe on and pumps up his turntable, "All right!"

Swing, swing, sing a song

One thrill aspiring hour later, he presents his artwork to his manager. Dubbed, the Goddess Vase, it represents a beautiful water goddess emerging from a swirling sea of blue and bubbles.

"Sensei, it's wonderful!" the manager shouts in awe and excitement.

Kimajime hazukashigari demo dekiru
(I'm too serious, but I can get embarrassed too)

As quickly as he finished showing off his new creation, another slump drops him back in disarray.

"Hmm...." he mutters, "It's not sufficient enough...."

imajineeshon nozomu tokoro da
(I want some imagination)

"Sensei!" the manager calls out, "Maybe you should try moving your body around...?"

Cha no aida toko no aida tokoro kamawazu botan
(The living room, the little alcove, I don't care where)
hitotsu de odoru kokoro ga
(My heart dances on a single button)

Shizuyama didn't seem sure about the idea, but with another encouraging shout from the Bold Squad, he was more than happy to give it a try, renting out a dance suit and heading off to a nearby dance studio to start practicing.

Shizuyama struggles to get in the mood, but was too focused on the upcoming Expo to do nothing more than a few swings of the arms and legs. But as he listens to the music playing around him, his groove begins to flare up, giving him more courage to throw off his moves with fierce grace and gusto.

Halfway through the lessons a feminized, yet muscular, man casts a cutesy wink towards them.

"Alright everyone," he says femininely, "Excellent, everyone! That's the rhythm!"

Gazing upon his presence bursts Shizuyama's inspiration like an erupting volcano.

"Inspiration flash!" he slaps his trusty turntable onto the ground in front of him and spins it to life, "All right!"

The finished product, Beautiful Muscle Cup, resembles the beefy, masculine biceps with a single arm acting as the handle.

"Sensei! It's so muscular!" the manager gasps with shock.

But it doesn't take long for Shizuyama to topple over the slump and find himself back at rock bottom.

"Still not efficient enough," he hums in thought.

"Try getting some stimulus from the youth!" the manager says in encouragement, further fueled by the trio of youths who shout another douse of inspiration into Shizuyama's soul.

Anxious to develop his next piece, Shizuyama throws on some street clothes and rushes out to a disco club just down the corner from his quiet, peaceful bungalow in the neighborhood.

Gureetofuru egaku sukeeru wa dekaku
(Painting a grateful picture, the scale is huge)
tanoshii mon da eraku derakkusu
(It's fun, a wonderful deluxe)
nerau hima nanka tanjun ni kantan azukete
(The spare time I'm shooting for is simply simple;)
kaunto daun 3-2-1
(leave it to me, countdown 3-2-1)

With permission from the DJ, Shizuyama takes to the turntables, throwing a pair of headphones on and running his hands over the records spinning on top.

At first, no one seemed sure of the sudden appearance of an old man trying to mingle into their generation, but once he started showing off the experience of throwing a party, they were more than happy to bang their heads to the beat of the music he throws on.

nari furi kamawazu muchuu de kake nukero iki
(Not caring about appearance, run through your dreams;)
maite it's like this
(Breathe)
sara ni fukai kandou e mooretsu
(A workaholic moving toward emotion after all)
oh yes kokoro odoru kyou e
(My heart dances toward today)

Shizuyama eventually joins the youth in jamming out to the music playing until another eruption of inspiration bursts from his mind.

"Inspiration Flash!" he shouts as he slaps two slabs of clay onto the records and uses them to spin out his idea, "All right!"

Ima goingu gooruin yori
(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)
Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru
(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)

Off the records comes the latest in his lineup of potteries: the Jet Black Sound Plate; literally a jet black plate with a decorative array of swirls encased within a large circle, giving off a vinyl resemblance.

"Sensei, it's jamming!" the manager says in awe.

With one more shout from the Bold Squad, Shizuyama erupts with more inspiration, quickly manning his ceramic turntable and throwing on slabs of clay to create more artistic potteries for his expo.

ENJOY ongaku wa nari tsuzukoru
(The music keeps playing)
IT'S JOIN todoketai mune no kodou
(The beat of the chest we would like to deliver)
Kokoro odoru anakooru wakasu
(My heart dances, the encore is heated)
Dance dance dance (Ready Go!)
Ima goingu gooruin yori
(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)
Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru
(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)
ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)
Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru
(My heart continues to sound out in concert)

ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)
Kokoro odoru anakooru wakasu
(My heart dances, the encore is heated)
Dance, dance, dance (Ready go!)
Ima goingu gooruin yori
(I'm going right now, instead of hitting the goal)
Tobi koshi oto ni nori oyogi tsuzukeru
(I clear it, riding on the sound, I keep swimming)
ENJOY (enjoy) IT'S JOIN (it's join)
Koou suru kokoro hibiki tsuzukeru
(My heart continues to sound out in concert)

On the day of the Expo, many of Shizuyama's art is on display, making headline news in no time flat.

Mr. Announcer confronts the famous potter, holding out his mic in order to catch his every words, "Sensei! One word please!"

Decked out in lavish clothing, Shizuyama lowers his head as he thinks up a catch phrase for himself.

"Ceramic...." he mutters before throwing his head back and roaring at the top of his lungs, "BIG BANG!!!"

Yin marches through the thickets of the forest, his eyebrows still floating high as the rays of sunlight expose his wide, pupil-dilated, furious eyes.

"How could I have been so blind...?" he mutters in distraught, "All those years, thinking the reason the Great Suzaku has refused to wrap his Wings around me is because he was too frightened by the betrayal of the cultist village to trust humankind again...when the real reason is because of the survival of one who forced his children to protect him from his wrath.... All those years he has been helping Hope drive the world further into confusion and disorder while calling it an era of peace far better than that of the true Gods...."

He stops as he approached the edge of the forest leading straight into the city. The last time he went there was after the invention of the locomotive, a manmade monster that eats other humans and travels over water to other lands in search of more humans to feast on. So terrified that the monster will find and devour him, he refused to leave the forest, often times pleading with the old leader not to go into the city for fear it will develop a taste for divine flesh after swallowing him whole.

But a man-eating, metal millipede was nowhere as devastating as the Gods even elders claim will condemn him to hell if he does not choose their religion and follow it as they demand. There were so many paths to choose from, so many Gods who will show them mercy, and yet they are only allowed to follow one. And no matter who they choose, another will always be in their faces, demanding they choose their God and their path or face their damnation. All his life he can never figure out why he never has his own God or path for others to follow; why they never come to him personally to tell him where his loyalties lie, or who is most deserving of bringing the world to unanimous peace.

The answer to all of Yin's confusion came in a dream one night. Surrounded by beings claiming to be the true, original Gods, they express their displeasure of the human's selfish views of their might and mind, and will cast the ultimate punishment on all humankind if they don't stop acting on their beliefs and return to their righteous sanctuary. Fearful of such an outcome, he tries to spread it to the people the same way they have done to him, but they refused to listen to him, believing him to be cursed by the devious minds of the devil, and demand he stop following them for the sake of the Gods they claim are the true original ones.

It wasn't until Hope revealed its true colors by killing the only man, who may as well be one with the original Gods, that Yin finally vowed to make them known; surrendering his body as their vessel to channel their powerful emotions and command him to cast them on whomever or whatever they consider a threat to their very existence. And it will be this power that will forever end the poisonous spread of false religions claiming to be the rightful guide to unanimous peace.

Before he could continue towards the edge to see just how disastrous the denizens of Hope have conjured up, three shadows emerged from the wall of trees, walking neutrally into the darker parts of the forest. Yin's eyes widen as a single ray of sunlight casts over the hair of one of the shadows, causing a red outline to shine over the top of its head. Only one person could emit such a molten glow.

"He shows himself.... The demon child from the village that deprived the Great Suzaku of his Wings!" he seethes as he turns and marches after the trio, clutching the flag tightly as it trembles, "Once again, he has tarnished the minds of humankind with the corruptness of Hope, turning them further away from the true path of the Gods."

Not a second after he begins trailing after them did the targeted shadow suddenly sense his rising negativity, forgoing his original plan of going deeper in the direction in front of him and walking away from the other two shadows, leaving them there to question his nonchalant retreat before seeing Yin marching through them at a hasty, yet calm pace, his eyebrows stretched high like wings ready for takeoff.

The moderately slow chase lasts for a couple hours before the sight of sunlight signals an opening in the forest.

The chased emerges first, the shadow washing away to reveal Ryuta as he comes to a stop upon realizing he is standing in the middle of a path between the walls of the forest, and a 30ft ravine leading to the savage river below.

"Here is where your corruption ends, slayer of the Gods," booms a voice from where he fled from. Turning his head slightly, he sees Yin leave the comfort of the trees, staring daggers into his heart while stabbing the flag into the ground with each two steps.

"Only by casting the ultimate punishment upon you will the Great Suzaku finally understand my just and rest his severed Wings upon my shoulders as clearance to the original Gods that I am ready to aide them in their quest to bring true peace to the world."

Ryuta turns sharply towards Yin, his frown tightening in frustration, "You haven't changed at all, old man; always hiding in the forest while calling everything you hate a sin to the Gods!"

"The Gods have been angered by the changes that occurred after the accursed Hope spread into the naïve minds of humankind," Yin preaches, rather calmly given the harshness in his eyes, "Encouraging them to steal their power and use it to craft Gods they claim will bring better peace if we cast aside that which we have obeyed since the beginning of time to pledge allegiance to the religions they create."

His eyes widen, giving off a more traumatized, helpless sight that instills more pity than hatred, "Now the world has fallen into confusion, where humankind cannot choose what Gods to follow, prompting them to steal the knowledge of other lands in order to create their own Gods to help them pave their own paths-"

"Like what you're doing right now?" Ryuta interrupts, gaining a more widened, traumatized glare from Yin, "You couldn't cope with the onslaught of non-Shinto or Buddha religions once Japan allowed them to be taught. So you created your own Gods based on a single nightmare depicting their true forms and powers, and claimed all other religions were false accusations created by humans to wipe away the existence of the Gods you claim are the true original deities of the universe."

Yin's entire body begins to tremble as he struggles to disbelieve the facts pouring into his head, "It wasn't until after you stumbled into my village and mistook a stupid game of Shogi between my grandfather and one of the Fire Birds as a Game of Knowledge that you snapped under stress and destroyed my village; claiming the final wrath of Suzaku has been casted upon us while vowing to use the Wings you stole to return order and obedience back to the ones you think are the true bringers of peace; believing yourself to become some great messiah that even the original Gods will pledge loyalty to every waking second!"

"ENOUGH!!!" Yin roars, swinging his flagpole at Ryuta as he jumps out of his way and lands dangerously close to the edge of the ravine.

The Bold Leader stares at the shadows casted over the cliff while the irate elder marches closer to him.

"I am the savior of the Gods!" he exclaims, his eyebrows now straight into the air in sheer rage, "I am the last human being who knows their true divinity, and I will see to it that all who breathes the divine air of the heavens think of nothing but obeying the judgments they cast upon them from the moment they are brought into this world to the day they wither away like the very plants they step on."

He arches his arm back, poising the flagpole like a spear aimed at Ryuta's heart, "Their fury fuels within me, giving me the power I need to drive this flagpole through your heart and end your tarnished life, taking with it the last spark of Hope keeping humankind from returning to their divine hands!"

A sudden sound of a snapping twig cuts the thickness of the wrath spiritually burning throughout the ravine. Ryuta eyes the source to see Kai standing an inch from sunlight, dressed in his modern Ouendan uniform, staring in horror at what was going on. It was obvious he was alerted to a sense of dread coming from the ravine and rushed over there to see what was going on.

Yin slowly twists his head around to see what was causing such a distracting noise. Ryuta grits his teeth in hesitation; Kai has worked so hard to draw his support away from Dancho, preventing him from being sent into the city at the first grasp of the flag. If Yin so much as saw him wearing something that wasn't the usual black samurai-like uniform representing the old squad, he'll be so devastated by the betrayal he'll go running behind his little brother and begging him to get rid of Kai, gratefully handing control of the squad to him once the "disaster" has been dealt with.

Not wanting that scenario to take flight, Ryuta grabs the flagpole and attempts to tear it out of his hands. Startled by the force, Yin whips back around and jerks the pole out of his hands, instilling his own force that flung the attacker clear off the edge of the ravine.

Kai's eyes widen in horror as he rushes out of the shadows of the forest in a vain attempt to catch Ryuta before he fell to far out of reach only to be stopped by a backswing that slaps the foot of the flagpole across his face and sends him spiraling to his side.

The faint sound of a body hitting rock and the sense of a burning soul extinguishing to mere sparks snaps the large Ouendan's eyes back open as he jerks his head up to the shadowy line of the ravine, trying desperately to sense any movement only to get nothing but fading life.

"The last of Suzaku's wrath has been carried out," Yin mutters as his eyebrows flutter back to their original, elderly posture, "Now he will know how reliable I am to his children and bless me with his Wings."

"The last of Suzaku's wrath!?" Kai snaps as he springs to his feet, "He hasn't done anything to invoke his wrath! You had no right to-!"

"He is the last survivor of the devil's village that tore off the Wings of Suzaku," Yin said as he turns in the opposite direction of where Kai stood, and prepares to journey back into the forest, "He was going to use the Wings to drag the world down another path to disorder; they all were. It was vital that I carry out the last of his wrath to rid the world of all who want to use the powers of the Gods to turn the world into a nightmare they consider to be the one true future of peace."

"Is this how you want to end your life!?" Kai exclaims, "To force the entire world into believing nothing but your nightmares and accept you as a savior who miraculously saved them from living the rest of their life in fear and stress!? Even if, by some miracle, you save them from a world-shattering disaster and made them bow to you as the only God in existence to bring them true peace and harmony, the moment you pass away, they'll waste no time going back to following the path their religion of choice takes them down!"

"True Gods never die," Yin states, turning to face Kai in time to see his face twist into a frustrated snarl; never taking his eyes off for even a second to gander at any changes in his appearance, "They are immortal, infallible, and more powerful than the Gods you were poisoned into believing. They are the one true reality that will wash away all sinful religions and show the world what true peace is all about."

His eyes widen again as they struggle to maintain goodness and just, "Once the Great Suzaku relinquishes the last of his blessings upon me, death will be nothing but a futile threat spat by even the most powerful of demons! All knowledge of hope, encouragement, and religion will be cleansed from the minds of humanity, leaving only one path and one future; the future of loyalty, righteousness, and obedience towards the only being who can save them from the hells they created!"

"Even if you do obtain the powers of the Gods, humankind won't just simply turn to you for guidance and support!" Kai exclaims, "There are still organizations out there who know how to maintain peace and harmony without demanding loyalty or respect from those they respond to!"

"Can such cults save the world from a disaster threatening to end its existence?" Yin preaches, gaining a shocked blink from Kai, "When diseases and plagues ruin their lives, will they simply call upon the folly methods of those who claim they can save them from anything? They can fool humanity to stick by their side all they want. But when such a disaster strikes with devastating force, Hope will abandon them, laughing like the evil sin it was as humankind struggles to call upon their manmade Gods to save them only to realize that they are figments of their feeble imagination!"

Kai's body trembles in disbelief as Yin turns to face the forest, "When that day comes, I will descend from the heavens and end the disaster before it even touches our lands, revealing the foolishness the world has accepted for allowing the corrupt sin of Hope sway them into believing they have the power to conquer anything. All of the universe will be so horrified by the realization of Hope's true nature that they will destroy it and drive away anyone responsible for allowing it to flourish for so many years, forever swearing their loyalty to the one true vision of the Gods!"

Yin lowers his head, casting a shadow over his distraught eyes, "It is time for you to decide where your place will be, Doumeki Kai. Will you continue to turn the world against the true divinities of the Gods only to be exiled by the very people you poisoned into siding with you for peace; or will you continue to serve them as this squad was originally made to follow, and be welcomed into their divine salvation?"

He begins to head into the shadows of the forest, "Make your choice now, Doumeki Kai. For when Suzaku spreads his Wings and carries me to the heavens, the real process of riding the world of all that troubles it will begin. And I will not hesitate to point out the denizens responsible for prolonging the suffering humankind has struggled so hard to believe was the peace they had waited so long to accept."

Kai just watches as the shadows wash over Yin's aging, frail body, dropping to his knees as he struggles to cope with the realization that his promise will be broken no matter how hard he tries to maintain it.

End Note:

There was a line missing from the translation of Kokorou Odoru, so I had to use Babel fish to figure out what that line meant.