Rest Area
Nakajima Momoka poked her head out from behind the sofa, her cute face full of mischief.
"Hello~ hello, Senior Yūko. Waiting here alone must be boring, right?"
Tōgi Yūko sat quietly on the sofa reading her script and sighed helplessly.
"Not at all."
"So I came to keep you company."
As she spoke, Nakajima Momoka walked around the sofa and sat beside Tōgi Yūko, still wearing her usual carefree smile.
"You really are persistent."
Nakajima Momoka smiled brightly.
"Well, Senior Yūko is the only one here around my age. You're the only person I can really talk to."
Tōgi Yūko closed her script.
She did not accept Nakajima Momoka's attempt at friendliness. Her deep, composed gaze settled on the girl as she said calmly, "I'll give you a piece of advice. If Mr. Kamiyā participates in the recording session this time, then with your current level, there's a very good chance you'll be judged unqualified."
"Really? But I feel like my voice-acting level isn't that different from Senior Yūko's, so I should be fine."
Nakajima Momoka spread her hands innocently.
Tōgi Yūko's slender brows rose slightly.
Nakajima Momoka's sticky, impossible-to-shake-off attitude irritated her to no end.
"Do you always act like this around other people?"
"What's wrong with it?"
Nakajima Momoka looked completely innocent. Paired with her exceptionally cute appearance, it was difficult to blame her.
Tōgi Yūko sharpened her tone.
"You're arrogant and foolish."
"Ehh... that's not true. Everyone likes me."
Nakajima Momoka smiled sweetly as though it were only natural.
And indeed, she was quite likable.
When interacting with senior voice actors in the recording studio, she always behaved like an impeccably polite, obedient girl.
"Then at least keep wearing that mask in front of me too. That way, you won't cause trouble for everyone."
Nakajima Momoka tilted her head and looked into Tōgi Yūko's eyes with a grin.
"Senior Yūko saw through my real personality at a glance, so pretending in front of you wouldn't be fun at all. I may not look like it, but I do want friends. You know~ the kind of real friends who know what I'm actually like and can still tolerate me."
"Sorry. I dislike you."
Nakajima Momoka struck an intoxicated pose, completely unconcerned.
"I've been observing Senior Yūko for so long that of course I know that. That's exactly why I like Senior Yūko and keep talking to you. Your honest side, your cold side, your mature side, and that sharp tongue of yours."
"You..."
Tōgi Yūko was momentarily speechless.
With her personality, she genuinely had no idea how to get rid of this piece of sticky candy.
Nakajima Momoka's expression suddenly became serious. Toying with one of her tied-up golden locks, she said teasingly, "Just kidding. Everything I said just now is actually what I hate most about Senior Yūko."
Tōgi Yūko tightly gripped the script in her fair hands and calmed herself.
Then, no longer hiding her sarcasm, she said, "You hate someone, yet you deliberately move closer to them. What exactly are you thinking?"
Nakajima Momoka replied in a satisfied tone, as though she had achieved her goal.
"Senior Yūko is in a bad mood now, right? That's how I show that I hate someone."
Tōgi Yūko turned her head away and completely stopped responding.
She did not even continue reading the script, lest Nakajima Momoka's interruptions only make her more irritated.
"Hello~ hello, Senior Yūko?"
Nakajima Momoka bent forward, trying to look up at Tōgi Yūko's face from below.
In a hopeful tone, she asked, "Could it be... you're angry?"
She continued pestering her.
"If you keep looking so cold, that Mr. Kamiyā might see you like this later~! You're ignoring me~ Senior~ Yū~ko~!"
Finally, Tōgi Yūko, who had been sitting upright, let out a long breath as though expelling all the frustration in her heart.
Her straight, icy gaze swept across Nakajima Momoka.
"Miss Nakajima, you're very similar to a friend of mine. The only difference is that if you had even one percent of her sense of propriety, I wouldn't dislike you."
"I already told you earlier. Miss Nakajima, you underestimate voice-acting work too much."
"Now I can tell you very directly that your level and mine—and the level of everyone else working in this recording studio—are not on the same level."
"Whether you got this recording job through your parents' connections has nothing to do with me. But at the very least, please show this work some respect."
"Or does Miss Nakajima truly believe her voice acting is excellent?"
"How foolish."
"I'll tell you directly. If Mr. Kamiyā participates in this recording session, then with your current level, there is no possibility you'll pass."
"Riding on the reputation of your parents and feeling pleased with yourself because of it, thinking that means you're exceptionally capable... that's no longer merely foolish arrogance."
"It's arrogance so excessive that it becomes pitiful."
"Excuse me. I'm going to greet Mr. Kamiyā now. Miss Nakajima may do as she pleases."
Having vented everything in one breath, Tōgi Yūko's expression returned to its usual cool composure.
Without looking back, she left the rest area.
At the far end of the hallway, Kamiyā Yuu and Fujiwara Tora could be seen approaching.
Tōgi Yūko walked over and gave Kamiyā Yuu an elegant bow like a refined young lady.
"Director Kamiyā, I'll be relying on your guidance again this time."
Her outburst had left Nakajima Momoka frozen in place.
Only when she saw Tōgi Yūko greeting Kamiyā Yuu did she finally come back to her senses and bite her lower lip.
She had clearly intended to greet Kamiyā Yuu too.
Yet when she saw Tōgi Yūko walking beside him, chatting and laughing as they went, she somehow could not make herself move.
Her expression shifted unpredictably.
"What the hell? Just because she's my senior, she acts like she's so amazing. How is she any different from those people?"
Tōgi Yūko's words had pierced her heart like needles.
The accusation that she relied solely on her parents' accomplishments was her one true sore spot.
Ever since entering the voice-acting industry more than a year ago, she had heard that accusation constantly.
But she had used her own abilities to refute every rumor and criticism.
Now, Tōgi Yūko's forceful rebuttal had struck the great bell inside her heart.
Nakajima Momoka could tell that Tōgi Yūko had not spoken merely out of irritation.
She had looked down at her with genuine pity from a position far above her.
Exactly as her words had implied.
"Her eyes are different from those people's. Completely different."
Nakajima Momoka folded her arms and watched Tōgi Yūko disappear beside Kamiyā Yuu.
Refusing to concede, she muttered softly, "Then I'll prove it to you too. Let's see who the pitiful one really is."
Why had she gone out of her way to talk to Tōgi Yūko in the first place?
From her perspective, Tōgi Yūko was the complete opposite of herself.
Nakajima Momoka was extremely popular in the recording studio, and veteran voice actors often praised her performances.
Tōgi Yūko, on the other hand?
Although Nakajima Momoka had heard about her accomplishments, Tōgi Yūko always sat alone, silently studying her scripts.
Aside from exchanging greetings when meeting someone for the first time, she barely interacted with the other voice actors.
Nakajima Momoka herself could not clearly explain what sort of feeling had driven her to speak to Tōgi Yūko.
But she knew with certainty that it was not because she liked her.
And Tōgi Yūko had sensed that as well.
...
"Mr. Kamiyā, these are the voice-actor profiles."
Inside the recording studio, a staff member from the music studio cooperating with Sunrise Company handed Kamiyā Yuu a sheet containing the voice cast information.
Many characters were appearing in 'Twilight of the Knights'.
The major characters alone included Merlin, the twelve Knights of the Round Table including Artoria, Mordred, and others.
Kamiyā Yuu had also considered the issue of how many Knights of the Round Table should appear in the novel.
In legend, the number varied wildly, from twelve to fifteen and even as many as one hundred and fifty.
Twelve was the most widespread and classic version.
Therefore, only twelve Knights of the Round Table appeared in the main story of the novel.
Mordred belonged to the second generation of the Round Table and would not appear until the later stages of the story.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Kamiyā Yuu flipped through the cast list.
Most of the voice actors were young, first-rate performers who had been in the industry for more than three years and had voiced characters in several popular anime.
These younger voice actors had always formed the backbone of the anime voice-acting industry.
Their rates were reasonable, and their abilities had already survived the industry's harsh selection process.
There were also several veteran voice actors with considerable seniority.
Their circumstances were largely the same as those of the younger performers, except that because they had remained in the industry longer, their official voice-actor rankings pushed their fees noticeably higher.
Unless a specific character had special casting requirements, few animation studios were willing to hire these major veteran voice actors.
The least experienced names on the cast list were Tōgi Yūko and another rookie voice actor marketed around the fact that she was still a high school student.
Kamiyā Yuu knew Tōgi Yūko's situation very well.
He had given her professional guidance in both 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' and 'Fate/zero'.
Her dignified, heroic voice was extremely well suited to tough female characters like Saber.
Calling this cast list a luxurious voice lineup would not be an exaggeration in the slightest.
"Nakajima Momoka..."
Kamiyā Yuu held the cast list and frowned thoughtfully.
Among everyone listed, this rookie voice actor promoted under the gimmick of being a high school student was the only one he had barely encountered before.
He did not know the exact level of her voice acting.
The sound director from the music studio walked over, laughed, and explained, "Miss Nakajima is the daughter of Ms. Nakajima Chika. She's been learning voice acting from her mother since childhood. Over the past year, she's also voiced roles in several anime and received fairly good feedback. There shouldn't be any problem entrusting her with the role of the heroine during her childhood."
Kamiyā Yuu thought for a moment and rubbed his chin.
"Do you mean Ms. Inoue Chika, the one who voiced the male lead in 'Moonlight Samurai'?"
Nakajima's surname had presumably changed according to the Japanese custom of taking a married surname.
"Mr. Kamiyā knows her too?"
"Yes. After all, that was a very famous anime ten years ago. Then I'll look forward to seeing what this rookie voice actor can do."
Kamiyā Yuu smiled and handed the list back to the sound director.
Sitting beside him, Fujiwara Tora grinned.
"Kamiyā, we'll leave the voice-acting review to you this time. No need to hold back on our account."
"As you said, they're all reliable voice actors. It feels like there won't be any need for me to step in."
Kamiyā Yuu shook his head with a smile.
The recording soon began.
This time, they were recording dialogue for the second promotional PV of 'Twilight of the Knights'.
Most of the participating voice actors only needed to deliver a single line for their characters.
This PV would be used to build hype before the anime aired.
At that time, the voice actors would also need to appear at events and interact with the audience.
In any case, Kamiyā Yuu did not really understand the whole mess of promotional activities involved.
Apart from major events, Yosuganosora Animation Studio usually handed such matters over to the operations department or dumped them onto sound director Shindō Tsukasa.
...
"One day, you will draw the Sword of Selection and become the Eternal King. Then you will lead Britain to prosperity. Wherever the sun shines shall belong to the territory of the British Empire."
A veteran voice actor delivered the line of Artoria's mentor, Merlin, in an aged and resonant voice.
The complicated emotions and sense of expectation contained in the line fit Merlin's character perfectly.
After finishing, the veteran voice actor stepped away from the recording microphone.
Nakajima Momoka, who had already been waiting nearby, glanced toward Tōgi Yūko, who was seated to the side of the studio studying her script.
When their eyes met, Nakajima Momoka gave her a provocative look.
After preparing her emotions, she stepped forward and murmured in a youthful voice,
"This is my... destiny."
The instant Nakajima Momoka finished the line, the sound director called out.
"Cut."
Nakajima Momoka froze.
She looked toward Tōgi Yūko again, but received no response.
Tōgi Yūko simply kept her head lowered over the script, as though she had already expected this outcome.
Tōgi Yūko understood Nakajima Momoka's problem better than anyone.
Why?
Because before she had met Kamiyā Yuu, her own voice acting had remained stuck at exactly this stage.
On the other side of the recording studio, the sound director asked Kamiyā Yuu for his opinion.
"Mr. Kamiyā, does something feel off?"
"Mm~ Miss Nakajima's voice acting itself is acceptable, and her voice is also very good. But there's a lack of emotional investment."
Kamiyā Yuu carefully considered Nakajima Momoka's performance before nodding seriously.
"It feels like she's telling someone else's story rather than actually being the character herself."
"Then let's try it one more time."
The music studio's sound director nodded and spoke into the microphone.
"Nakajima, please do it again."
He was an old acquaintance of Nakajima Momoka's mother, and this collaboration had also been arranged largely through him.
Nakajima Momoka exhaled lightly and adjusted herself before continuing.
"This is my... destiny."
A brief silence followed.
On the other side of the studio, the sound director nodded toward Kamiyā Yuu.
"You're right. There is that kind of feeling."
"Miss Nakajima, try putting more emotion into it. Imagine that you yourself are the character in the animation."
"It's not simply sadness. Emphasize the heaviness of it, along with the resolve to accept it without hesitation."
Nakajima Momoka bit her lower lip.
Being stopped twice in a row had already disturbed her composure.
Then she remembered what Tōgi Yūko had said earlier, and unwillingness surged through her.
"This is my... destiny..."
She glanced around.
The veteran voice actors who had greeted her before were each looking down at the scripts in their hands.
Their silent lack of reaction made her increasingly anxious.
Wasn't this exactly what Tōgi Yūko had said would happen?
Kamiyā Yuu spoke through the microphone.
"Miss Tōgi, you understand Saber's characterization fairly well. Could I trouble you to demonstrate it once for Miss Nakajima?"
Tōgi Yūko put down her script and nodded.
"Of course."
She stood and walked over to another recording microphone.
Without even looking at Nakajima Momoka's expression, she murmured,
"This is my... destiny..."
Nakajima Momoka's gaze changed slightly.
With the same line, she could indeed hear the difference between her performance and Tōgi Yūko's.
Yet she could not explain exactly where that difference lay.
Her emotions immediately became a complete mess.
On the other side of the recording studio, the sound director widened his eyes slightly in surprise.
Just as Kamiyā Yuu had said, they were the same words.
Yet with different voice actors performing them, they produced completely different impressions.
And he was certain that the difference did not come merely from their voices.
The sound director scratched his head and praised,
"As expected of Director Kamiyā. Even your understanding of voice acting puts me to shame."
Kamiyā Yuu smiled.
"I'm only giving my opinion as best I can."
The sound director spoke into the microphone.
"Nakajima, do you understand now?"
Nakajima Momoka tightly grabbed the skirt of her dress with both hands, then slowly released it.
"Please let me try one more time."
"This is my... destiny."
She tried recording the line again.
However, because her state of mind had been thrown off, the result was actually worse than her very first attempt.
After a brief silence, the sound director's instruction came through the studio.
"Continue."