Chatting about gameplay with Kawaguchi and the others, it wasn't long before Asuka Tsukitake, now changed into a motion capture suit, returned to the set.
"This suit is hideous," she grumbled. "Hey, can we swap this sword for something heavier?"
"Alright, alright, quit messing around and get over there," someone teased.
Looking at the array of sensor balls dotting her suit, Asuka, who resembled some kind of alien, rolled her eyes. She fiddled with the prop dual blades, tossing out complaints left and right. But despite her griping, her professionalism shone through.
Under Tetsu Fuyukawa's amused gaze, she spun her dual blades and headed over to the sword instructors for a briefing. However…
"This girl's physical talent is unreal," Fuyukawa muttered, shaking his head in awe.
Watching Asuka effortlessly twirl her blades into dazzling patterns under the instructors' guidance, leaving everyone stunned, Fuyukawa couldn't help but marvel. Martial arts, boxing, kendo—each demanded muscle memory built through relentless practice. Yet Asuka, with her insatiable curiosity and wide-ranging interests across countless fields, still managed to master kendo to this degree. It could only be described as a gift from the gods.
Fuyukawa was quietly impressed, but trouble brewed as soon as Asuka and Oshima, the motion capture actor playing "Wolf," took the stage.
"You're too slow," Asuka said bluntly.
"What—"
Blocking with her left blade, Asuka slid to Oshima's side with a swift right step!
Her speed was blistering. Before Oshima could react, Asuka's right-hand blade was already resting against his neck!
He couldn't keep up!
The gap in their physical abilities was glaring—whether it was strength or speed, Oshima couldn't match Asuka's intensity.
"This won't do," Fuyukawa said, frowning as the sword instructors stepped in to discuss.
Asuka, looking a bit bored, was clearly not challenged. Her role in the Shiranui Mai storyline required a character with superior mobility and attack power but weaker strength, unable to rely on heavy parries like Wolf. She needed to find openings to strike while being pressured by a boss. This was motion capture, not a movie—Oshima didn't need to match her blow-for-blow, just provide enough resistance to make her movements fluid and natural for capture. But if the pressure wasn't there, her actions lacked the needed authenticity.
"Maybe we should try no-opponent filming?" Fuyukawa mused, eyeing the unnatural torso lines on the computer screen.
Just then, Oshima failed to keep up with Asuka's rhythm again, causing her next dodge to lack full commitment. Frustrated, Asuka slung her dual blades over her shoulder and called out to Fuyukawa below, "Hey, why don't you come spar with me?"
The words stunned everyone on set, their eyes darting to Asuka in disbelief.
Sure, Fuyukawa's physical prowess was one thing, but the whispers started flying:
"Is she… into the team leader?!"
"Man, the team leader's got some serious luck! I'd kill to spar with a beauty like that!"
"A honey trap! Tsk tsk, why didn't I think of that move?"
The crew buzzed with chatter, but Fuyukawa shook his head, spreading his hands. "Sparring with you? Fine, I guess. But I'm swamped lately—I can't be here for every shoot."
One spar with Asuka? No big deal. But with Dave the Diver in its final stages, the Shiranui Mai storyline for Sekiro needing plot and boss design, and the summer game expo looming, Fuyukawa's plate was full. A single sparring session would be a temporary fix at best.
Hearing his refusal, Asuka frowned, thinking for a moment before saying, "You don't have to come every day. Just spar with me once in a while to let me feel that sense of being pressured in a fight. After that, I can handle no-opponent scenes."
"Alright, deal. Give me a sec to change."
With her putting it like that, Fuyukawa didn't argue. Under the shocked gazes of the crew, he headed to the changing room. Sayoko, taking his car keys, scurried off to the parking lot to grab his "backup" clothes.
But somehow, word spread like wildfire. Before Sayoko even returned with the clothes, news of Fuyukawa sparring with a motion capture actor in kendo swept through the company!
It caused a full-on uproar—mostly among the younger female employees.
No surprise there. Though Fuyukawa kept his distance from most female staff, sticking to professional interactions except with Sayoko and Miya Miwano, his good looks, youth, and impressive career made him a heartthrob for many.
"No way! The deputy director knows kendo?!"
"No clue! But last time I ran into him in the elevator, standing behind him… oh my god, you don't know the feeling. Those back muscles, those glutes! Felt like he could knock me out cold!"
"Shh, keep it down! 'Knock you out'? You're too much!"
"Tch, whatever. Who was it sneaking pics of him eating lunch to use as their phone wallpaper?"
"Ahh! Stop it, I'm dying here!"
"Hmph, can't hide it now, can you? But seriously, Sayoko's so lucky. Ever since she and the deputy director got close, her glow's on another level. And, uh, those seem to have gotten bigger too."
"No kidding. I ran into her at the market after work once, and guess what? She was buying a ton of geoduck and oysters! Tsk tsk, they're definitely not slacking in that department."
"Living the dream with a hot, buff guy like the deputy director every night. Ugh, I'm jealous. Come on, let's go see what's happening!"
Under the guise of "bathroom breaks," several women slipped into the filming studio. When they bumped into each other at the entrance, there was an awkward pause, followed by knowing grins—the look women share—before they quietly snuck inside. And what they saw didn't disappoint.
"I told you! The deputy director's physique is insane!"
By the wall, watching Fuyukawa on stage in a white T-shirt, gray joggers, and wielding a prop sword, a round-faced girl's eyes sparkled with hearts.
Another woman, dragged along despite her indifference to Fuyukawa, nodded appreciatively. "He's always in suits at the office, all intense and elite. But in casual clothes like this? Total boy-next-door vibe. Pretty easy on the eyes."
As the saying goes, clothes make the man.
Different hairstyles and outfits can transform someone's aura entirely. Normally suited up in formal attire, Fuyukawa's switch to a laid-back white tee and joggers was a revelation for the secretly watching female staff. But while they were thrilled, Asuka was less amused.
Motion capture focused on her movements and reactions, not a choreographed duel with Fuyukawa. Each segment was filmed with fixed moves based on the sword instructors' and her own input. To help her exert herself fully, Fuyukawa wore heavier protective gear than standard kendo armor, which dulled the impact of her strikes. And since the moves were scripted, he wasn't worried about hurting her, allowing him to go all out—especially when parrying.
Several of his powerful slashes left Asuka's hands numb, but it achieved the desired effect. His strength forced her to avoid direct clashes, leaning into evasive maneuvers and precise, lethal strikes. Her kendo skills, especially her signature Niten Ichi-ryū (dual-wield style), were formidable. Her blades danced like butterflies, weaving around Fuyukawa with such grace and precision that even the sword instructors were floored.
While they were stunned, Fuyukawa was ecstatic.
The Shiranui Mai storyline was a bonus for Sekiro—unless it was a complete disaster, it wouldn't tank the game's reputation or sales. But making it not a disaster was easier said than done. Games like The Lord of the Rings: Gollum or King Kong showed how even well-intentioned efforts could flop spectacularly. For Shiranui Mai to shine, the combat system had to be spot-on.
"We can't say yet if it'll be fun, but her deep understanding of kendo is making this combat design process smooth as silk!" Fuyukawa thought.
At this stage, it was too early to judge the storyline's quality, but with the combat design and logic flowing this well, they were off to a strong start.
Still, after a short while, Fuyukawa called a halt to the filming.
No big reason—just that today was about testing Asuka's fit for the role. The Shiranui Mai storyline was still in its early stages, with only a rough plot outline and some boss designs borrowed from other games, needing time to be adapted into Sekiro's distinct "soulslike" flavor.
"Thanks, everyone. Kawaguchi, take her to the contracts department to sign."
"Yes, boss."
Handing off his protective gear and prop sword to a staff member, Fuyukawa watched Asuka and Kawaguchi leave the studio. Drenched in sweat, he plopped onto a bench, chugging water. With fewer eyes on him, Sayoko approached, wiping his sweat with a towel and teasing with a hint of jealousy, "You looked like you were having way too much fun out there, Tetsu-kun."
"Huh?" Fuyukawa blinked, caught off guard by the topic.
Noticing the playful glint in Sayoko's eyes, he took a sip of water, then slyly pinched her soft "peach," whispering, "Wait for me in the car."
"Hmph, no way," she huffed, blushing.
"Be good."
"Fiiine… but you better hurry, Tetsu-kun."
Feeling his grip on her "peach" and recalling his close grappling moves with Asuka, Sayoko's nose wrinkled in a shy pout. She glanced around like a thief, ensuring no one was watching, then leaned in for a quick kiss on his neck. With a mischievous smile, she sashayed off to the parking lot, leaving Fuyukawa momentarily stunned.
"That girl's getting bolder by the day," he muttered, a spark in his eyes. Finishing his water, he stood, slightly hunched, and headed to the nearby shower room.
Without spare underwear, it was just a quick rinse to wash off the sweat. Soon, dressed only in dress pants and a white shirt, Fuyukawa made his way to the underground parking lot amid respectful greetings from female staff. But when he opened the back door of his car, his eyes widened.
Sayoko, who had been in her OL uniform moments ago, was now in her old high school sailor suit. The outfit was clearly a size too small, which only amplified its allure.
Feeling the cold air rush into the car, Sayoko's face flushed red. Sprawled across the back seat, hands gripping the opposite window, her waist arched low, her "peach" in a pleated skirt swaying slightly as she glanced back with a shy smile. "Tetsu-kun… do you like this?"
"You little minx!"
…
"What a guy, sending an underling to deal with me. So lame," Asuka muttered, now back in a black long-sleeve top and hot pants, chewing bubblegum as she headed to her car in the parking lot. Noticing the lot was nearly empty, she frowned, then stealthily pulled a "bouncing black" toy from her bag. After a moment's hesitation, she tucked it back in.
"No idea if there are cameras here. Better wait till I'm in the car."
She was about to slip on her "gear" once inside, but as she passed a black BMW, she noticed an odd vibration. Hearing a stifled yet unmistakable moan, Asuka froze, then took a step back.
"What the…"