Mother...
I lost.
I like the air humming with energy
My quickening pulse expands outwards
Take in a deep breath
And all I see now is straight ahead
No one can take my place
A path only I can walk
Even those tears will all begin to sparkle
That's why when I raise my hand high, there's power in my palm
I'll head straight for tomorrow without hesitation
In just the blink of an eye
I'll make the story of my dream come true
Even if it's hopeless and far from my grasp
I'll never give up
Sounding the bamboo beat that's mine and mine alone
Yoyo.
Hey.
Oh? You're still the only one here?
Yeah, everyone's so late.
Maybe they're all waiting for Satorin or something.
The first years sure are good friends.
And we're the only second years left.
Come on, now.
The lax attitude is like a tradition for us.
Maybe I'll tighten things up a bit around here...
...as team captain! - You'll never pull it off.
Is it possible that everyone's
motivation's gone down because of the tournament the other day?
Because we lost?
Yeah.
I'm sure they're fine.
I mean, this is pretty much how our team's always been, right?
Well, Tama-chan losing was a surprise,
but she didn't seem especially different yesterday.
You think so?
More than that, the one I'm worried about is that guy.
That guy?
Hey.
Oh, this guy.
Oh, it's just you two?
You guys are hopeless...
Sensei, get changed and lead our practice!
Sure, when everyone gets here...
Aw, he's totally out of it.
Sensei, so what if we lost the tournament?!
So what?
My neck was on the line is what.
There are still plenty of tournaments left!
We will save your neck, Sensei!
Ooh, Kirino, so dependable!
Sure, the last tournament had all kinds of shocking things in store for us,
but our team has come together in a nice way right now,
so we still have a chance!
You're right.
We had bad luck with our opponent this time, too.
We can win in a tournament if that Rin Suzuki's not there, right?!
Wow, that is so not positive...
At any rate, we won't get anywhere if we just don't do it!
Shall we do it?!
Let's do it!
Excuse us.
You're late!
I'm so sorry!
I lost my glasses in the classroom and...
We all helped look for it.
Where's Tama-chan and Miya-miya?
Tama-chan's on cleaning duty.
Miya-miya said she suddenly had to go work.
That Fancy Shop?
I didn't know she was still doing that.
She wasn't, but the owner collapsed,
so she said she was helping out, even though it was on short notice.
I guess there's no helping that.
All right, let's begin!
Go get changed, on the double!
There it is! There's the high stance!
"Fancy Shop" "MuMu House"
Men!
Pardon me for being late.
All right, time for a short break!
Ah, you're here.
Yes. Pardon me for being late.
Tama-chan!
Want some tea?
No, thank you. I'm going to limber up.
Sensei, is it easy for my opponents to score head strikes on me?
Well, I think your opponents might think it'd be easy...
Ishida-sensei. Ishida-sensei.
The principal would like to see you.
Please come to the principal's office.
What could it be about?
Maybe they're moving up the firing.
It's too soon!
I'll go see what he wants.
Yuuji, I'm counting on you to be Tama's opponent.
Right...
I'd forgotten how much time there is after school...
Really?!
Toyama and lwasa, sir?
Yes, it seems they got into a brawl with students from another school
and then ran away.
Another student got caught in the middle and received minor injuries.
I'm planning to suspend them for a while,
but they're members of the kendo team, aren't they?
R-Right...
When problems like this arise, it's just, you know...
Some people think the sports team should also be held responsible.
What do you mean by that?!
Both of them... especially this Toyama-kun...
It seems they've had a certain predilection for violence, too.
It's been suggested that the kendo team be suspended for about a year.
You can't do this! The others aren't responsible for this!
I know, I know. It's not like this has been decided yet.
This makes no sense!
What those two did and the kendo team has nothing...
I know the kendo team has been active and taking the initiative lately,
so I really do think this is unfortunate...
But these two haven't participated in any tournaments this year, have they?
Were they both really still members of the kendo team?
Men!
Tama-chan, are you not feeling well?
No... Why?
Nah...
It's nothing.
I wonder what our teacher got called in for.
Beats me.
But I doubt he's getting fired on the spot.
Yeah, true. We've got some momentum going right now.
Maybe they'll actually increase our budget or something!
Don't get carried away!
Doh!
Was that a valid strike?
That was incredible, Dan-kun!
When did you learn to do an evading body strike?!
I sort of picked it up while I was helping Miya-miya practice.
Your center of gravity is low, so you must have good stability for strikes.
I see.
I'll tell Miya-miya about it later, too!
Men!
Don't joke around, Yuuji-kun.
Sorry.
At any rate, we still have a couple days here,
so think about what you want to do as a team.
It's easy for him to say think about it, but...
Who is extracurricular activities for anyway?
Bamboo Blade, Episode 23. Currently on-air to rave reviews!
Thank you very much!
Whew! It's over!
I guess Miyazaki-san never did make it.
Kirino. Saya.
- Yessir? - Yeah?
I need to talk to you.
Stay behind for a bit.
What's this, sensei? Is this about your debt?
You guys go home. No need to clean today.
Okay, see you again tomorrow.
Yeah!
Goodbye!
Good... bye...
So that's where you put Braver.
Yes.
Hold on a second.
Then, they expect us to shut down our team because of those two?!
For a whole year?!
That's right.
That's not acceptable!
Why?! Everyone's working so hard, so why should we have to do that?!
Because that's what the school says.
That's messed up! That's so unfair!
Saya!
Sensei, has that already been decided?
We can still do something about it.
Toyama and lwasa haven't been in any official tournaments since spring.
Nor in any practice matches.
If we say that those two had quit the team already,
the kendo team will be unrelated to this.
Did they turn in their resignations?
No...
Practically speaking, they've been as good as gone anyway.
In other words, it means throwing those two under the bus, right?
It means lying, right?
If we do that, the school can be convinced not to act against the team.
Either way, it won't change their punishment.
Those two won't complain.
But...
...is it really okay to settle it that way, sensei?
I'm not the one who's going to make the decision. It's you, Kirino.
What?
This is a problem involving your team.
You, the team captain, should decide.
But you're our advisor!
That's why.
What?
Extracurricular activities exist for you students.
I'll inform the school of whatever course of action you think is best.
Make your decision by the day after tomorrow.
Suspend the team...
...or pretend that the two weren't members.
I'll let the first years know after that.
"Fancy Shop" "MuMu House"
Then, see you tomorrow.
Tama-chan.
I still think you're acting weird.
How?
I can't really say how, but...
I can tell.
Because I've watched you for a long time now.
I don't know how to say this...
I thought you'd changed lately,
but it's like you've reverted back.
Back to how you were before you joined the team.
But...
...this is how I am to begin with, so...
I'm sorry. I have to go help out at home.
Damn it! Start!
Damn it!
I can't do...
...anything right.
I guess I'll go home.
Miya-miya!
Dan-kun!
What are you doing here?
I went looking all over town!
Trying to find you!
Miya-miya, you shouldn't lie.
But...
Has practice become more onerous because you lost against Carrie?
Yes, it has.
Because I can't win, even after all the practice I put in!
Then, you just have to keep at it until you do win.
I'll help you, too,
so let's go back to attending practice again starting tomorrow.
I've learned how to execute an evading body strike.
I'll teach you how to do it, too.
Miya-miya?
You don't understand.
What?
Someone like you,
who's talented and capable of doing anything, could never understand!
There are some things you can't do, no matter how hard you work at it!
If it's an opponent that I can't win against, no matter what,
then there's no point for me to do kendo!
Miya-miya!
Miya-miya...
You know, Toyama-kun...
...he never did anything good.
He never cleaned or tidied up, either.
And all he ever did was bully the girls and the other kids.
Honestly, there's a part of me that felt so much better when he went away.
Iwasa-kun was never any help, either.
And all the other boys quit, too.
Even when we went to tournaments and stuff, they never cheered for us.
I think they brought this on themselves this time.
I figured something like this would happen eventually.
You're right.
What?
After Tama-chan and the others joined
and Toyama-kun and lwasa-kun stopped coming,
practice became really fun for me.
It's horrible to say this, but to be honest, I was relieved.
If they came, they definitely would've ruined the atmosphere
and I wouldn't have known what to do.
And I sort of got used to how things were...
I was trying to ignore the fact that those two were there...
I was the same way.
Probably, no one will be upset.
And there's also the reason that we should make it possible
for Tama-chan and the other first years to compete.
But is it okay to do it that way?
To pretend like those two weren't part of our team...
That's a lie, after all.
Kirino...
"Simplicity and Fortitude"
Doh!
T-Tama-chan...
Men!
Doh!
Men!
Doh!
What is going on here?
W-Wait...
That is enough!
Stop!
Yes, sir.
Did something happen?
Nothing has happened.
You seem terribly different today for nothing to have happened.
Yuuji-kun said the same to me, too.
How am I different than usual?
Somehow... it seemed as though...
...you were in a rush to win.
But I would lose if I were to take too long.
Tamaki, why don't you set aside the sword for a time?
What?
Thinking back, you have spent all your time on kendo
ever since you were old enough to know what you were doing.
Both your swordsmanship and your heart make me proud.
But there is no reason for you to force yourself to continue kendo.
Neither your mother nor I would want you to do that.
Kendo...
I don't know anymore...
"Kendo Dojo"
"Resignation Notice"
"Tamaki Kawazoe"
I'm calling the star rise
The wishes begin to sparkle in the twilight
Shooting stars, come down into my hands
Barefoot by my window, looking up at the night
Sleepless, alone with the moonlight
What I did during the day flickers before my eyes
I'm the only one spinning my wheels and I still feel impatient
I'm calling the star rise
I close my eyes, listening to my heart
I want to meet the me that I haven't gotten to know yet
I'm calling the star rise
The wishes are sparkling brilliantly
Shooting stars, come down into my hands
Hello. Yuuji here.
It seems our kendo team is having a bit of a crisis
and I feel like I should do something, but...
People say things like "What can Yuuji possibly do?"
Or "Yuuji's too cocky for his own good,"
or "Yuuji should just go till the fields at his grandpa's in Furano,"
and things like that behind my back.
Sure, I'm Yuuji,
but Yuuji's thinking in his own Yuuji way.
He's doing his best.
Yuuji gets it done when he puts his mind to it, too.
Next time in Episode 24, I'd like for you to look forward
to seeing Super Yuuji in "The Sword and the Way."
To seeing Super Yuuji in "The Sword and the Way."