Soul Catcher(S) 9

[p001]

Souma: The "Tenrai Wind Festival", sponsored by Tenrai High School, is a year-end tradition where 4 to 5 championship schools in Gunma Prefecture perform a number of songs.
Souma: It's a friendly competition that serves to bring those participating closer. ...on the outside, anyway.
Kamine: On the outside?

Otowa: The audience
Otowa: holds a vote about that concert.

Tokisaka: It's to see which school was able to move more of the audience... the difference in ability becomes as clear as day...
(left): An invitation from the champions!!
Tokisaka: This is the prelude to the competition!!!
(bottom):
Opus 9: Hints of Unrequited Love
Shinkai Hideo

[p002]

Box: Tenrai High School... the winners of this year's national competition...
Box: Which means... that their performance is... even more incredible than ours!!

Box: More incredible than... that sound...?!
Box: What kind of sound would that even be...?!

Box: I wanna hear it...!!
Kodama: Souma, there's hardly any time left before the performance.
Kodama: The section leaders are gathering now to come up with possible song options,
Kodama: and I have to step out, so... I'll leave it to you.

Souma: Let's go, Utebi, Otowa.
Tokisaka: I'll head over to my section's practice session.

Otowa: Hey, aspiring conductor.

Otowa: You come too.
Kamine: Huh?
Souma/Utebi: Huh?

[p003]

Oura: Hold on,
Oura: why is he here.
Box:
Clarinet Section Leader
Oura Megumi

Kido: By the way! Did you hear?
Kido: Otowa quit the band.
Box:
Oboe Section Leader
Kido Miyabi

Kido: ...wait, he's here!!

Kawawa: The tyrant's whims are truly troublesome.
Kawawa: Are even you thinking that you want Kamine to conduct?
Box:
Tuba Section Leader
Kawawa Jinshiro

[p004]

Otowa: Who knows... but at present,
Otowa: I think it would be more interesting that way.
Box:
Trumpet Section Leader
Otowa Satoi

Utebi: Heh.
Utebi: Same here.

Utebi: There's just something about Kamine's conducting!!
Utebi: We should let him do it as soon as possible!!
Box:
Percussion Section Leader
Utebi Tooru
Utebi: Right, Souma?!

Souma: Well, immediately would be impossible, but... I think that someday,
Souma: he will pull us out of our rut and create a new direction for us!!
Box:
Concert Band President
Souma Shunpei

[p005]

(Leader): Even Souma?
(Leader): What the...
(Leader): What's going on...?

Girl: We don't have to listen to
Girl: the ramblings of a softy and an idiot, y'know.

Utebi: Did that "idiot" bit mean me,
Utebi: HUUH?!
Girl: We're gonna be 3rd years next year!! It'll be our final summer!! We wanna go to the nationals, don't we!!

Girl: It's only normal that we'd have skilled leaders to guide us to the nationals!!
(small text): It's the same with Tenrai!
Girl: Even if the universe were to turn upside-down, there's no way we'd have a student conductor directing us in a competition!!
Girl: And an amateur one, at that!!

[p006]

Girl: If you want to be a conductor, why not just do it on your own time?!
Girl: Don't bring us into it!
Box:
Saxophone Section Leader
Karin Yuuna

Box: S...she's seriously pissed!!
Box: Enough that she's getting burned by her own flames...!!

Karin: Plus, are you even aware... that you're becoming a hindrance
Karin: to Tokisaka-kun's practicing?

Karin: You dragging around our ace... is starting to affect the entire section!!
Karin: Lately, Tokisaka-kun has hardly been coming to section rehearsals at all!!
Box: No way!! ...I'm...
Box: the reason the sax section... is having problems...?!

[p007]

Karin: It's your fault... that I can't be with Tokisaka-kun!!

Karin: No, wait!!
Karin: It's not like I want to be with him or anything!!
Karin: It's lonely when he'sNo, it's-!!
Karin: I mean that it's not good that he can't tune up with people who play the same instrument, so...
Karin: Stop making those faces at me!!

[p008]

Kamine: You mean to say that Tokisaka's skill level is falling because of me...?!!
Kamine: So that's why she's angry enough to burn...
Box: Thick-headed
Utebi: Oi, we've got a clueless one over here!!

Karin: Geez! Anyway!
Karin: With Kodama-sensei's conducting, we're just one step away!

Karin: There's absolutely no way we'd be able to contend with Tenrai and other serious competitors when there's a student conducting us!!
Kamine: Tenrai...
Kamine: The previous competition's champion...!
Karin: That's not all!

Karin: They've taken 1st place in the nationals for three years running!! They're the absolute champions!!
Kamine: Three years running?!!

[p009]

Box: Just what
Box: sort of sound are they producing?!

Oura: Calm down a bit, Karin.
Oura: Conducting aside,
指揮以前に
Oura: Tenrai is just too strong!

Oura: If the Three-Time System were still around, we'd have a shot when Tenrai took their break, but...
(right of Kido): Aughh...
Kido: They're gonna participate next year, too. Why couldn't the decision to get rid of it have waited a bit longer!!

(right): Tokisaka Hibiki's Concert Band Info Corner
(body of panel):
The Three-Time System (shortened name for the Three Consecutive Years of Participation System) is a policy whereby groups who have participated in the national competition for three consecutive years are asked to abstain from participating the following year, in order to give other groups a chance.
As it was abolished in 2013, Tenrai High School, which participated in the nationals for three consecutive years, can also participate next year.
Tokisaka: It is currently November 2013 for us.

Karin: Don't blame it on the circumstances, Megumi, Miyabi!!
Oura: Isn't it your way of thinking that's wrong?

[p010]

Girl: Don't fight, now~ Music is supposed to be fun, you know~
Karin: Kasumin, sorry, but could you please shut up!!
Kasumi: Kaay!
Box:
Flute Section Leader
Fukikoshi Kasumi

Souma: ...This is going to take a while.
Kawawa: Yeah...

Box: Perhaps...
Box: the concert band has a giant wall...

Box: A giant chasm standing in the way...
Box: of their thoughts... and feelings concerning the national competition...

???: How was the meeting?

[p011]

Kamine: Exhausting.
Tokisaka: Figures.

Kamine: I'm... gonna go out for a bit.
Tokisaka: Where to?

Kamine: Tenrai High School's concert band.
Kamine: I want to hear... what they're like!

Tokisaka: Ooh! I'll go too!
Kamine: No! You've got practice!!
Kamine: I mean, it's my fault that your section's rehearsals are doing badly!!
Tokisaka: ? They're not doing badly.
Tokisaka: Did Karin-senpai tell you that?

Tokisaka: That's just because she places a lot of importance on section rehearsals.
Tokisaka: It's nothing to worry about.
(left of Karin): Hmph.
Kamine: R...right.

???: Sounds fun.
???: Count me in, too.
Kamine: Wha?

[p012]

Kamine: Seriously...?!
Otowa: Because you guys seem like you're gonna do something interesting.

Kamine: ...It's reassuring to have more people!
Karin: Ka~~~~~
Karin: mi~~~~~
Karin: ne~~~~~

Kamine: UGYAA! Karin-senpai!!
Karin: You're dragging Tokisaka-kun around with you again, aren't you!!
Karin: Tokisaka-kun is my... I mean, the section's key player, you know!

Tokisaka: Sorry, since he doesn't know Tenrai that well... I'm going to serve as his guide.
Karin: Er!!
Karin: Err...

Karin: A... alright!! Then
Karin: I'll come too!!
Kamine: WHAAA?!

[p013]

Karin: T...to observe!! If you're wasting Tokisaka-kun's time,
Karin: I'll bring him back here right away!!

Box: The sax section's problems...
Box: I don't understand them at all... just what are they...?!
(above Kamine): NUUUOOOO
Tokisaka: I'll carry your bag, senpai.

[p014]

(sfx): Peek

Karin: ...I'm getting nervous...
Tokisaka: The concert hall must be down there.

Kamine: Wow, both sides are lined with soundproof rooms!
Kamine: There's a piano and audio equipment in each of them, too!

(sign): Welcome, members of the Takekaze High School concert band!
Kamine: ...Huh? What's with this sign?

Tokisaka: They're having a joint practice session.
Tokisaka: There are two bands playing music together.

[p015]

Box: What was that just now...?

Box: It's like a waterfall... like the sun... no, like a rainbow across the sky.
Box: Like a rainbow that's been shoved down your throat...

Box: What is this...?!

[p016/017]

Box: Even though this sound is being produced by humans...

Box: It's as if it's coming
Box: out of thin air...!!

Box: What in the world is this?! I've never felt something like this before...
Box: It's incredibly
Box: refreshing!!

Karin: ...We shouldn't have come.

[p018]

Karin: How could we possibly compete... against a band that produces such refreshing music...?!

???: Ah! It's Kodama-sensei!
???: So this is where she went!

Box: Even Kodama-sensei's heart appears conflicted!

Box: They... have a conductor directing them, too...?!
Box: What sort of teacher could it be...
Box: They're incredible...!!

Box: If I could
Box: produce a sound like this too someday, then...!!

(sfx): Clap clap clap clap
Teacher: ...Well now, what excellent conducting!
Teacher: But what a bold decision this is,

[p019]

Teacher: for Takekaze High School to have you, a student,
Teacher: conducting at next year's competition!
Boy: You flatter me.

(left): An unexpected rival?!

(bottom): Next time, an unexpected development in the recon visit to Tenrai?!