Benzaiten Tsukasa Ebisu/Bond Story

*A biwa priest tries to help people suffering from demons. After praying for seven days and seven months, his voice finally reaches Benzaiten. After several misfortunes, he obtains the melody to repel them. From "Seven Lucky Gods."*

* Chapter 1
* Chapter 2
* Bond Level 15 Talk
* Bond Level 30 Talk

Guiding Melodies

 **Tsukasa:**Welcome, Yumeoji-san!

 **Fumi:**Pardon the intrusion... I wonder how many times I have been greeted at the front gate of Frontier like this.

 **Tsukasa:**But it's the first time that it's just the two of us!

 **Fumi:**Yeah. After all, the purpose of this year's assignment is to enhance our acting skills.

 **Fumi:**Are you ready to become Benzaiten?

 **Tsukasa:**Of course! I'm really excited to be able to play your Benzaiten role.

 **Fumi:**Heh heh, let's head to the rehearsal room then, shall we?

 **Fumi:**This time, I even borrowed some costumes from the school. After the costume fitting, we'll make a plan for our upcoming performance!

 **Tsukasa:****(Benzaiten)**
"Aah—♪"

 **Fumi:**Very good. Now try to use up all the air in your lungs and be confident to attract the audience...

 **Tsukasa:**\*huff\* \*gasp\*...It's a bit hard!

 **Tsukasa:**This costume...has been adjusted, right?

 **Fumi:**Of course, it has been adjusted to your size. However, I know what you are trying to say...

 **Fumi:**The corset around your stomach is surprisingly tight, isn't it?

 **Tsukasa:**You don't say!!

 **Tsukasa:**Did you also have it this tight, Yumeoji-san? Well... At least this should make me look fit since I have been eating out a lot with Misora.

 **Fumi:**Heh heh, I asked for this corset myself for the performance.

 **Fumi:**In the play "Seven Lucky Gods," Benzaiten gives a song to a biwa priest to repel demons, right?

 **Fumi:**There are almost no lines, only singing in high notes along with the biwa. I think in order to highlight her sacredness, it is necessary to emphasize her inhuman characteristics...

 **Tsukasa:**Ah! Did you tighten the corset on purpose so that the audience wouldn't see her belly flaring up while she was singing!?

 **Fumi:**Very perceptive indeed.

 **Fumi:**But since you can't use diaphragmatic breathing, it must have been difficult to sing back then.

 **Tsukasa:**Yeah...! However, it makes me understand why the organizers deliberately chose this character even though she is not the main character.

 **Tsukasa:**Though I only watched the recording of your performance, your Benzaiten had a huge impact on me, Yumeoji-san!

 **Tsukasa:**Even Shiori-san had her eyes glued to the screen...

 **Fumi:**Sh-Shiori!? You watched it with Shiori...!?

 **Tsukasa:**Yup! I was discussing something with Shiori-san when they announced the assignment.

 **Fumi:**I see...

 **Fumi:**Shiori has also been talking about you lately. Thank you...for getting along well with her.

 **Tsukasa:**Don't mention it! I'm the one who's always nagging her to accompany me.

 **Tsukasa:**But you know, after watching it, we both fell silent... I hate to say this but you were on a whole different level.

 **Fumi:**Hearing something like that, it's kind of embarrassing... All I did was trying my best to improve my acting skills at that time.

 **Tsukasa:**Your stage presence was...unbelievable. We even went as far as going to a Benzaiten shrine, determined to surpass you one day!

 **Tsukasa:**We also swore to Benzaiten that we would practice day and night in order to achieve our goals!

 **Fumi:**Oh, if I remember correctly, there are several Benzaiten shrines within the city, right?

 **Fumi:**I also went to one before that performance, but...unfortunately, the shrine was undergoing maintenance so I couldn't get in.

 **Tsukasa:**Whoa! Well then, if you don't mind, why don't we go again on our next day off?

 **Tsukasa:**This way, not only you can see the very beautiful statue of Benzaiten...you can also learn something from the surrounding environment...

 **Tsukasa:**But wait! The person who needs to study should be me since I'm the one performing, right?

 **Fumi:**Heh heh! Either way, it would be great if I could visit the shrine again.

 **Fumi:**I don't have to work this upcoming holiday, so let's go!

 **Tsukasa:**Yay! Heh heh, I need to tell Shiori-san about this ASAP♪

 **Fumi:**(Just as I thought... Ebisu-san really cares about others, and she's easy to talk to.)

 **Fumi:**(I think she's pretty good at breaking the ice. I feel like she's an old friend who I've known for a long time, which makes me feel at ease whenever I talk to her...)

 **Fumi:**(...I can see why Shiori's so attached to her.)

 **Tsukasa:**You okay, Yumeoji-san?

 **Fumi:**Yeah, I'm fine. Well, shall we resume our rehearsal?

 **Tsukasa:**Don't hold back! I'll give it my all as well♪

Hand of the Goddess

 **Tsukasa:**Ah, we're here, Yumeoji-san!

 **Fumi:**Oh, so this is Benzaiten's shrine?

 **Fumi:**I was worried about the weather because it had been raining heavily the past few days... Luckily it didn't cause any damage to the road.

 **Tsukasa:**Yeah. Maybe it was because I prayed to Benzaiten to make the rain stop.

 **Fumi:**Benzaiten is the goddess of water, right?

 **Tsukasa:**Yup! Although she is well-known for her excellent traditional art skills, she is also good at controlling the water flow.

 **Tsukasa:**So I sought her for that reason...

 **Fumi:**You look serious.

 **Tsukasa:**Ah, yeah... After all, I'm going to perform as this goddess, so I can't help but think about it.

 **Tsukasa:**To be honest, I think it's kind of presumptuous to "help someone while standing on a higher ground"...

 **Tsukasa:**If it were me, I would stand side by side with that person and hold their hand tightly while trying to solve their problem.

 **Fumi:**Sachi Honjo's "Arise All You Sons"...

 **Tsukasa:**Huh!?

 **Fumi:**Ah, sorry about that... This assignment gives us a lot more time to spend together, don't you think?

 **Fumi:**I wanted to get to know you better, so I went over some of the stages you have been performing on.

 **Fumi:**Among them, there's "Arise All You Sons"...

 **Tsukasa:**So you watched it.

 **Fumi:**Yeah. It's about a girl who joins the cheerleading club to encourage her sick brother by winning the national championship...

 **Fumi:**Your performance back then was truly outstanding.

 **Tsukasa:**I was very impressed with that stage too. I love everything about it!

 **Tsukasa:**Come to think of it, I felt that my acting style was more suitable for playing characters who actually exist, so...

 **Tsukasa:**It was a little strange that I was recommended for this goddess role, Benzaiten.

 **Fumi:**Are you concerned about the decision of the organizers?

 **Tsukasa:**Not really... I can't help but wonder if I am really qualified to play this goddess with such feelings.

 **Fumi:**I also questioned myself whether I was really capable of interpreting such a fair and just goddess.

 **Fumi:**However, I later learned that there was another side to Benzaiten, and from that point I was able to deepen my interpretation for this character.

 **Tsukasa:**Another side?

 **Fumi:**Her envious side.

 **Tsukasa:**From that side? I thought you were a person who had never experienced this kind of emotion before!

 **Fumi:**Don't be silly. I'm a human being too, so I also admire...and envy others.

 **Fumi:**So, instead of just looking at her sacredness, you might also want to explore her other aspects.

 **Fumi:**After all, you're quite compassionate—

 **Fumi:**—But anyway, let's wash our hands and go to the main sanctuary. Otherwise we'll stand at the entrance all day.

 **Tsukasa:**Hahaha, yeah!

 **Tsukasa:**So... I need to explore other aspects...

 **Fumi:**Bow twice, clap your hands twice, and bow once more... There are still people lining up behind us, so let's finish our prayer quickly.

 **Tsukasa:**You're right. Let's make way for the one behind us... Please come up—

**Girl:**T-Thank you...

 **Fumi:**(That girl, she's crying...!!)

 **Fumi:**(I wonder what happened. But I shouldn't stare at her like that...)

 **Fumi:**...Let's go, Ebisu-san.

 **Tsukasa:**......

 **Fumi:**Ebisu-san?

 **Tsukasa:**Here, take my handkerchief.

**Girl:**Huh...!?

 **Tsukasa:**It's okay. You don't have to return it, so wipe your tears first, okay?

 **Tsukasa:**I don't know what to say, but...I believe you wouldn't just cry over nothing!!

 **Fumi:**......

 **Tsukasa:**Well, that was a nice break... I was able to deepen my interpretation, and I hope it will lead to some new breakthrough.

 **Fumi:**I did find one though.

 **Tsukasa:**What!?

 **Fumi:**Benzaiten is a goddess who guides people, but she also easily gets jealous. She understands human feelings, both their kindness and bitterness.

 **Fumi:**She will not turn a blind eye to those who suffer... No, she cannot turn a blind eye to one.

 **Tsukasa:**So...

 **Fumi:**Heh heh, that means you just have to be yourself.

 **Fumi:**You will become the Benzaiten that only you and you alone can be. I'm very much looking forward to it!

 **Tsukasa:**If so, then...I can't let you down!

 **Tsukasa:**No matter how much trouble it will cause me, no matter how much suffering I will have to face...I will still reach out my hand.

 **Tsukasa:**I'll work hard to become the best Benzaiten I can be!

 **Tsukasa:**Yay, the super very exciting special assignment! This time the assignment is "to improve the skills of the performers through the roles that had a great response in the past".

 **Tsukasa:**Heh heh! When I told Shiori that my assignment would probably be with Yumeoji-san, she was as happy as I was.

 **Tsukasa:**But I made one huge mistake! I guess it's because I often hear about Yumeoji-san from Shiori-san. I've heard so much about Yumeoji-san that I—

 **Tsukasa:**—I called her "sis"! Haha, I'm blushing even now... Surprisingly, she just laughed!