Chapter 2: Black Santa's Dream
Joul and Krampus' Dorm Room
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.....Senpai?
You hit your head, um, are you okay?
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Krampus:(embarrassed face)
This is so embarrassing... I just wanna drop dead...
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| 2 options
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| He isn't injured that badly....!
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The body is fine, but the emotional scars may never heal....
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Um, I apologize for making a rude remark before. I promise, I won't tell anyone about... what we saw.
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Krampus:(angry face)
R, really...?
You'll take it your grave, do you swear?!
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Waah, Y-Y-Y-E-E-S-S-S,
I-I-I-I-P-R-O-M-M-M-I-I-S-S-S-E...!
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Senpai! Stop, stop!
There's no need to shake Shirou-san so violently!
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Krampus:(surprised face)
ーというか, ヨウルがいるじゃないか。
なんだ、 お前の運れか?
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Let me reintroduce you all. This is Krampus-senpai, a third year.
We're roommates.
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Senpai, these are my friends from Shinjuku.
They're here for the Departure Ceremony.
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Krampus:(sad face)
Oh, you're Youl's friends?
Ah, he mentioned you guys the other day...
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| 2 options
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| Nice to meet you, I'm Player.
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Actually, we met a little bit ago...?
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Krampus:
Hn? Then, these two...
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I'm Motoori, a second year student at Shinjuku Academy.
And this is--
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Ryouta:(angry face)
N-n-nice to meet you!!
I'm, I'm Ryouta Yakushimaru!!
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Ryouta and I were classmates back in junior high.
He's been talking about you a lot, Senpai.
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You helped me out of a tight spot yesterday!
I wanted to thank you!
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At the time, Maria-chan and I couldn't have gotten away on our own--
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You were super cool!
Just appearing outta nowhere, mopping up the bad guys and leaving with barely a word...
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You're like, a hero!
So, please sign an autograph for me!
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Krampus:(surprise face)
A-a-autograph?!
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Krampus:(sad face)
Really, I just happened to be passing by. See, I was coming back from the rental store in Kabukicho to return some DVDs...
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Krampus:
There's no need to thank me like this... It's just good that you're okay.
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Krampus:
...Hah. Me, a hero.
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Krampus:(grin face)
..................Hm.
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....なるほど。
確かに、 ごろつきなら撃の迫力だな。
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But, why go all the way out to Kabukicho...?
There are closer rental shops around here.
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Krampus:(surpise face)
N, no, that's... because I was going to borrow these.
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As he said so, Krampus gestured to a massive pile of DVDs labelled Rental-Only.
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Looks like... a bunch of old super sentai shows?
I don't remember seeing any of these air on TV.
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Krampus:
No, these haven't been on TV for years. Some of 'em are 40 years old.
These are the shows the defined the tokusatsu hero genre.
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Krampus:(angry face)
I had to search all over Tokyo for these babies,
and I finally found them in Kabukicho!
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Krampus:(embarrassed face)
I couldn't believe it when I finally stumbled on them.
My whole body was shaking, and I couldn't hold back the tears.
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No, I understand completely. I've had similar experiences while browsing old book shops.
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You must've searched for a long time...
You sure are passionate.
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Krampus:
Yeah, these are great shows after all. Let me explain....
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Krampus:(grin face)
It didn't rely on CGI, everything had to be done with special effects!
They had to employ a lot of ingenuity and creativity.
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Krampus:(sad face)
Things like camera angles, wire acrobatics, sometimes admittedly dangerous stuntman work...
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Krampus:(angry face)
It may be a genre staple nowadays, but they didn't have anything like robots or mecha!
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Krampus:
Of course, those aren't necessarily a bad thing altogether.
Modern shows have their own strengths and charms.
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Krampus:
But I especially wanted to see this show,
just look at this scene--
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Krampus continued to rattle off trivia and tokusatsu history for around five minutes before someone finally spoke up.
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S-senpai, stop, stop!
I can't follow any of this!
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Krampus:(surprise face)
Hm? Aah! S-sorry, I get too worked up once I get started talking about tokusatsu.
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ホントに特撮ヒ-ロ-物が好きなんですね。
なんか、 ビリ ビリ好きなのが伝わつてきま したよ !
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Shirou:(awe face)
How amazing... It did run a bit long,
but it is fascinating to learn so much about a culture I know nothing of.
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| I understand.
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Shirou was into it because he's just as bad...
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...I'm aware. When it's a subject you're passionate about, it's only natural to be talkative.
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But... sorry if it's troublesome at times.
I'll try my best to curb myself.
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But, it's fine right?
A Santa that's into kid's shows I mean.
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Like you can tune into the kids' wavelength and pick out a good present for 'em, right?
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Krampus:(sad face)
....Nn?
I don't give out presents.
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Shirou:(awe face)
You don't?
You're here at this school learning to be a Santa, right?
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N-n-no way!
Are you gonna be a reindeer?!
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| 2 options
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| He does have wonderful horns.
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Is the Santa getup just cosplay..?
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Aah, sorry, sorry, you don't go to this school so you wouldn't know,
but there's more than one "Santa" department.
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In addition to the "Santa" and "Reindeer" training programs--
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There's also the "Black Santa" program...
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Krampus:(embarrassed face)
.......
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Ooh, "Black Santa" like Ded-sensei's other personality?
I think I get it!
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| 2 options
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| He's definitely scary enough.
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I'm convinced...
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Shirou:(awe face)
Wait please, I've never heard such a thing.
There's such a thing as a "Black" Santa?
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Oh yeah, before, we met both kinds of Santas.
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Krampus:
"Black Santa" is a different thing than the traditional "Santa"
It's a Santa Claus that punishes naughty children.
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Krampus:
Scaring kids straight, in order for them to change their ways.
It's a "necessary evil" sort of existence.
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Krampus:(angry face)
Previously, Ded Moroz-sensei played this role...
And recently, the number of bad kids is on the rise.
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Krampus:
A few years back, he suffered a back injury from overwork.
Although there are few applicants, that is why the "Black Santa" department was established.
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Krampus:(sad face)
ま、 体裁もあり、基本はス力ウ卜方式。 公にはしていない。
それでも、 入学案内にも記されている立派な学科だよ。
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I see.
It sounds like an interesting department.
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Ryouta:(mad face)
ガタガタ雲えろ悪ガキどもおっ !
黒いサンタさんがオシオキしてやるっ! ダダダダダダダッ!
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一みたいに、 ジエド先生は銃を構えてたけど、
クランプス先輩はちょっと違うみたい? 爪だったし。
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ブラックサンタにも、 いろいろいるからね。
校長先生とまったく同じってわけじゃないみたいだよ。
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「無償の贈り物を与える存在」 が,
色んな異世界に存在するように--
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「幼子に懲罰を与える存在」 もまた、
色々 と存在するというわけか...
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Krampus:(sad face)
……そうだな。 大体どこの世界にも、
似たような伝承は存在するら しい。
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Krampus:
ある世界では不定形な霊体の一族が。
別世界では、 藁を纏った赤鬼の-族が役を担ってきたように。
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Krampus:
「悪い子」 が居る限り、 それを懲らしめる存在も必要になる。
オレの-族も、 代々生業としてきたことだ。
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Krampus:
オレの演じる 「黒」 と、 ジエド校長先生の 「黒」は、
全く の別物ではあるが……本質は同じってことさ。
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Krampus:
クリスマスの晩に活動する、 「影のサンタ」 。
出身地によって、 仕打ちの内容は様々だが--
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Krampus:
プレゼン トを配るに値しないと判断された
「悪い子」 のところに出向くのが、 オレのー族の生業さ。
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Krampus:(grin face)
灰袋で叩いたり、 ムチを打ったり、
袋に詰めて地獄の絶望を昧わわせたりとな。
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な, なかなかにインパクトのあるオシオキですね。
それは確かに、 子供に影響がありそうだ。
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Krampus:(angry face)
とにかく ドギツウ~~いオシオキを与え、
無理矢理にでも改心させるッ !
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Krampus:(angry face)
それでも聞き分けのねえガキは、
お説教だけじゃ済まされねエ ! !
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Krampus:
カラーンカラ一ン……なんて` 鐘の音が聞こえてきて,
オレ様のこの爪にガリッとやられちまうかもなア ! ?
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Krampus:(angry face)
あの悪ガキどもの恐怖に震えたあの声 !
「ゴメンナサイ」 を連発するあの泣き顔 ! !
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Krampus:(grin face)
ああ~~、思い出すだけでゾクゾクきちまう ! !
たまんねエ快感だぜエ!?
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Krampus:(tasty face)
HYAAAAHAHAHAHAA!!!
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一ひっ ! ? ビックリした!
こ、 これがその姿なのか……! !
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| 2 options
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| He suddenly changed?!
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What happened to the nerdy guy from a second ago?!
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僕を助けてくれた先輩! こういうテンションだったよ !
コワモテのヒ-ローみたいな感じでさ!
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今はまた元の先輩に戻ってるけど...
校長先生と同じで、 1人2役とか?
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Krampus:(hoodless neutral face)
今し方、 「演じてる」 と言っただろう?
つまり…… 「演技」 なんだよ。
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Krampus:(hoodless neutral face)
オレには、 校長のような2つの人格は存在しない。
かといって、 素でブラックサンタできるほど度胸も無い。
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Krampus:(hoodless sad face)
今のは、 オレなりに研究して作り上げた「超ー極悪人」の演技。
生まれもったこの顔と、 あの演技で「悪い子」を脅す。
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Krampus:(hoodless neutral face)
そしてこの 「神器」 で, 無理矢理恐怖を植え付け、
二度と悪いコトをしないように改心させる。
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Krampus:(hoodless sad face)
それが、 オレの仕事だ。
最も、 神経使うし喉も枯れるから.....
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Krampus:(hoodless sad face)
基本的に、 ブラックサンタの活動時期にあたる
12月にのみ、 演じることにしてるんだけどな。
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先輩、 12月が近づく と毎朝かかさず基礎トレ一二ングをして、
台本の読み込み、 発声練習もしているんだよっ。
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Krampus:(embarrassed hoodless face)
あ、 あまり言うなヨウル!
.....まあ、 プロだから当然のことだ。
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Shirou:(awe face)
発声練習まで……。
そこまで来ると、 まさに「役者」 という感じだな。
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まるで、 映画俳厘さんみたい……。
うん、力ッコいい! すごく力ッコいいですよ!
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特撮を見てたのは、 その研究の一環でもあるのか……。
なんか、 ストンと腑に落ちたな。
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あれ?でも真似してたとこって、
悪役の部分じゃなかつたような...
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Krampus:(embarrassed hoodless face)
そ, そのことには触れるなツ !
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Krampus:(sad hoodless face)
...まあ, そうだよな。
確かに、 おかしいよな。
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Krampus:(sad hoodless face)
ブラツクサンタと言えば、
子供から見たら 「善」 ではなく 「悪」 の存在だ。
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Krampus:(sad hoodless face)
生まれながらにして、
「悪役」 側の存在であるこのオレが--
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ヒーローに、 憧れを持ってるなんて。
