Special Episode 7

Hiromi Niwa (Seg. B)

**The Snake Charmer with the Crooked Smile/The Big Four's Banquet** is the seventh Special Episode of the Ousama Ranking: Treasure Chest of Courage Special series.

## Summary

### The Snake Charmer with the Crooked Smile

In the past, before Bebin was Bosse Kingdom's Spy Master and part of the Big Four, Bebin was a mere foot soldier in an elite battle unit for his kingdom.

Despite being injured after partaking in a war, Bebin exercised handstand push-ups, which Mitsumata tried to admonish him from doing, but Bebin was insistent. From then on out, Bebin would rigorously train himself and eventually have a mock fight against Apeas, which he lost against him, leaving him despondent.

Continuing his training, Mitsumata approaches Bebin and suggests he go to the Underworld and be trained by Prince Despa. Hence, carrying a large bag of gold to pay for Despa's services, Bebin heads to the Underworld, but is stopped by two Knights of the Underworld. They refuse Bebin's entrance into the Underworld because he doesn't have a letter of recommendation, but Bebin grovels before them and pleads that they reconsider.

Moments later, the Captain of the Underworld Knights arrives at the scene and agrees to bring Bebin to Despa and take full responsibility for his actions. They later visit Despa at his home, where he was in the middle of giving himself a facial. After briefly inspecting Bebin and sadly accepting his money, Despa agrees to train Bebin. Within Despa's training room, Bebin has a mock fight against Captain, who, in his opinion, was a capable fighter, but didn't believe he'd ever improve past his current skill level. In light of this, Despa informs Bebin that his payment toward his training was insufficient, so he owes him until he makes a name for himself to repay him adequately.

Leading Bebin to his weapons room, Despa promises that one-day Bebin will be able to smile naturally, even when it's a forced one. Bebin then tries smiling, but its awkwardness irks Despa. Taking his serpentine weapon from his wall and gives it to Bebin, noting his narrow-minded and serious personality is holding him back and that taking upon the weapon would help him overcome his flaws. Despa then shows Bebin a mental image through physical contact of his hopes of what he believes he'll one day become. And with that, they begin Bebin's training, but not before Despa mentions that the serpentine weapon was sold separately and needs to pay for it too.

Time passes, and Bebin completes his training with Despa, and after returning to the Bosse Kingdom, he challenges Apeas and wins against him.

In the present, Bebin writes a letter of recommendation for Bojji and entrusts Kage to deliver it to him.

### The Big Four's Banquet

The Big Four are ordered by King Daida that they will handle onsite handling of the castle's renovation. Domas psyches himself up for the task, but Bebin offers to complete the task solely. This prompts Domas to cut in and proclaim that he alone can do it, whereafter Dorshe and Apeas opine they can handle the task single-handily. Before a contentious argument between the four starts, Daida dismisses them and asks Hokuro to speak with him privately.

Afterward, Hokuro invites the Big Four to a night out in a restaurant, where they all had no knowledge that they'd be having it together and find it highly suspicious. A flashback reveals that Daida had asked Hokuro about a way for the Big Four to cooperate with the other. Presently, all of the Big Four members tried to leave and, in the process, caused Hokuro to disrupt one of the restaurant's patron's tables. Said patron disparaged the four as "feeble"; provoking the Four's egos.

The one most upset by the comment was Domas, who tried to fight the patron, but Hokuro stopped him and suggested he arm wrestle him instead. Although Domas is against what he considers a childish game, the patron further provokes him into accepting the challenge. Domas also wagers that he will pay the patron 100 gold coins if he loses, but if the patron loses, he'd get on his knees and apologize. However, Domas loses against the patron, who also wins against Bebin and Dorshe.

When it was Apeas' turn, the patron stepped aside, and it was learned that he was an arm wrestling champion working with Hokuro. Although the Champion was supposed to throw the fight against Apeas, he refused after being offered 300 gold, which would give him a total profit of 600 gold. The news leaves Hokuro devastated, and when it is time for Apeas to face off against the Champion, he astonishingly manages to hold up against him. While Hokuro was with the Champion, the Big Four cross-referenced each other's experience arm wrestling the Champion and learned the best tactic to defeat him.

Eventually, the Big Four meet with Daida again, and when they cannot give a plan for the renovations, an advisor suggests that Sorii handle the plans. This prompts the Four to each take on a different task associated with the renovations and eventually, utilizing their individual skills, set the renovation plan into motion. From Hokuro's assessment, the Big Four work best together in a time of crisis.

## Staff

Script - Tomomi Kawaguchi

Storyboard - Atsushi Takahashi (Segment A) • Yoshimichi Kameda (Segment B)

Episode Director - Yoshimichi Kameda (Segment A/B)

Chief Animation Director - Atsuko Nozaki (Segment A/B)

Animation Director - Ayaka Ofusa (Segment A) • Yi Wan (Segment A) • Yoshimichi Kameda (Segment A) • Hiromi Niwa (Segment B)

## Characters

* Bebin
* Bojji
* Mitsumata
* Dorshe
* Apeas
* Despa
* Desha (Mentioned)
* Kage
* Domas
* Hokuro
* Hilling
* Daida
* Ouken (Mentioned)
* Sorii