Juza Hyodo/Épéiste of the Holy Night

Prince in Candyland

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Izumi	We're home.
Taichi	Director-sensei, Masumi-kun, welcome home!
Muku	Welcome home!
Izumi	Kazunari-kun, we bought the stuff you asked for. Can you check if we got it right?
Kazunari	Sure thing! Thanks Director-chan and Massu!
Tsuzuru	Christmas decorations huh.
Kazunari	That's righty! I asked them to buy some~!
Kumon	Eh? That's…
Muku	Woah, it's a nutcracker!
Juza	A nutcracker? So you crack walnuts with this doll.
Chikage	That's right, you put the walnut in here and crack it. But I think this one is for decoration.
Taichi	Heh, I see!
Muku	Oh right, there's a famous story about a nutcracker!
Izumi	Right, there's a ballet about it.
Sakuya	I think I don't know it. What kind of story is it?
Muku	Er, it's about the heroine Clara who receives a nutcracker as a Christmas present.
	But the nutcracker breaks, and Clara uses her ribbon to treat the doll.
	Then at midnight, Clara's body shrinks, and before her eyes she sees an army of mice, and an army composed of nutcracker dolls fighting each other.
Kumon	Hmhm.
Muku	In the end it comes down to a one-to-one battle between the King of mice and the nutcracker, and the nutcracker finds itself in a tight spot!
	Clara helps him out, and the army of toys wins against the army of mice.
	Then, the nutcracker turns into a brave Prince…!
Sakuya	Woah…!
Muku	The Prince takes Clara to his kingdom as thanks for saving him.
	Then in the Prince's kingdom everything is made of sweets, and Clara's time there is dreamlike. Huh, so lovely…
Juza	A kingdom made of sweets…
Taichi	Juza-san is spacing out!
Tsuzuru	Ah-… I bet he's thinking about the land of sweets.
Hisoka	I also want to go to the land of marshmallows…
Chikage	If you go there I feel like you'll never want to come back here.
Izumi	Ahaha, but the land of sweets really makes you dreamy.
Muku	I agree…!
Kazunari	Alrighty then! I'm counting on y'all to help me with decorating tomorrow!
Sakuya	Yes! I'll do my best!
Juza	'kay.
	…looks alright.
Kazunari	It's totally perfect!
Sakuya	Kazunari-san, what about mine?
Kazunari	Oh~! Your decorations look good too Sakusaku!
Sakuya	Ehehe, thank you very much!
Muku	We're almost finished.
Kazuari	Word~! Only this part over here is left… but let's take a break for now.
Masumi	…got it.
Tsuzuru	Then, later.
Sakuya	Yes!
Kazunari	Thanks Hyodol! I'm counting on you to hang 'em in the high spots later!
Juza	Yeah.
	(…when it has decorations, the atmosphere in the longue changes too)
	(Thinking of which, the story about the nutcracker Muku told us yesterday…)
	The land of sweets, huh…
	….

Juza	….
	…? What's this place?
	(It's dark so I'm not sure, but I feel like the bed and the book shelf… and everything else also looks huge)
	(And what's up with this outfit…?)
???	Go!
Juza	!?
	(What the? All at once, troops have started running to that direction)
	(Are those toy soldiers?)
???	Ah…!
Juza	…Director?
Izumi	Ah, Juza-kun!
Juza	So you were here too Director. What the hell is happening?
Izumi	I don't get it either. Before I realized I was here…
Juza	Seems like the toy soldiers are fighting something.
Izumi	Are those… mice?
Juza	Those are some huge mice. They're as big as us.
Izumi	Could it be, that we have shrunk--.
Soldier A	You little…!
Izumi	Ah! That soldier, a mouse is attacking him…!
Juza	…!
	*hits*
Izumi	Amazing, Juza-kun!
Juza	Hey, you alright?
Soldier A	My deepest apologies...! Against the army of mice, we are superior and--.
Soldier B	Uwah!
Juza	What was that?
Izumi	What on earth… that mouse, it's particularly big! It's defeating the soldiers one by one!
Soldier C	Aahh!
Soldier D	L-Let's retreat for now!
Mouse King	…are you the commander…?
Juza	Ah? Commander…?
Mouse King	Hm, I'll finish you right here right now!
Izumi	Juza-kun, watch out!
Juza	!
	*hits*
Izumi	(Juza-kun is fighting that huge mouse as an equal…!)
Mouse King	You brat…!
Juza	Hah!
	*hits*
Mouse King	Fu, too naïve!
Juza	!?
Izumi	!
	(The mouse is now behind Juza-kun! What to do! I have to get its attention somehow…)
Mouse King	Take this!
Izumi	Juza-kun!!
	You little!
	*throws*
Mouse King	Ugh!? What was that!? Something flew at me…
Juza	Hah!
	*hits*
Mouse King	Guaah!!
Izumi	You did it!
Mouse King	C-Curses on you…! Retreat…
Izumi	(That's great, the mice are withdrawing…)

Juza	Director, are you hurt?
Izumi	I'm fine. And you Juza-kun, are you alright…?
Juza	Yeah. It's 'cause you helped me.
Izumi	Ahaha, I looked for a way to draw the mouse's attention, so on the spur of the moment I threw my shoe.
Juza	That caused it to flinch, and I was able to defeat it.
Soldiers	Prince--!
Soldier A	Prince, are you hurt!?
Juza	?
Izumi	Are they talking about you Juza-kun?
Juza	Me…?
Soldier B	Nothing less from our Prince! You beat such a great mouse in no time at all!
Soldier C	Splendid! Prince!
Juza	No, I was able to win thanks to her help.
Izumi	Eh, I didn't do anything--.
Soldier A	So that's how it was…! Well then Prince, invite her to our kingdom!
Soldier B	I'll tell the head chief to prepare a reception.
Soldier C	Come, this way!
Izumi	E-Eh?
Juza	H-Hey…
Izumi	Woah…!
Juza	Is that… the land of sweets Muku talked about…!?
Izumi	That's amazing, Juza-kun! Look, there's a chocolate river!
Juza	!
Izumi	And these… look like cotton candy flowers. And that's a tree made of cookies!
Juza	Over there is a house made of biscuits.
Izumi	It's as if we're inside a picture book…!
CHOICE 1: Want to try some? [+] Izumi Want to try some? Juza Right. Izumi Then… ah! How about those fruits. They look delicious right? Juza Agreed. I'll get some for us. There… got it. Izumi Thank you! Let's split it in half… here you go. Juza Yeah. Let's eat. Izumi Let's eat. Juza …! It's good…! Izumi It really is! It's crispy, and the cream inside is sweet…! Juza It's the first time I've tasted such a candy. A tree made of sweets huh… that's amazing.
CHOICE 2: Which one interests you the most Juza-kun? [+] Izumi Which one interests you the most Juza-kun? Juza Let's see… that caramel cabin, no, that tart statue, or the waffle tree… I can't choose, everything looks delicious. Izumi Ahaha, Juza-kun, your eyes are sparkling.
Izumi	Ah, is that… a castle?
Juza	…it's huge.
Izumi	It sure is imposing. Is it all edible too…!?
Juza	This world is like a dream…
	…?
Omi	Hm? Juza, you are up.
	You were sleeping so soundly, so I didn't wake you up.
Juza	I was sleeping…?
	…so it really was a dream.
Omi	You woke up just in time. I was just baking scones. Today we have cream scones.
Juza	…!
Omi	You'll surely have some right Juza?
Juza	Yeah.
Omi	Haha, I thought you would say that. Then I'll call everyone.
Juza	(The Prince, of Candyland huh…)
	(I feel like it was a good dream. I want to dream it again)

Hoshiko