Female protagonists from various anime/manga crossovers? They'll all regret it for the rest of

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After saying that, Yamamoto's assistant politely took his leave to find his next target.

Nanami remained rooted to the spot, clutching the gold-embossed business card tightly in her hand.

Akane Kobayashi, standing beside her, was even more excited than she was, grabbing her arm and shaking it frantically: "Oh my god! Nanami! An audition invitation from SKI! And it was the production assistant who personally invited you! Are you about to soar to the top?"

"No...it's not that exaggerated." Nanami's cheeks flushed, and joy seemed to overflow from her chest.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

“However…” Akane Kobayashi suddenly lowered her voice, her face showing some worry, “The voice acting competition for SKI games is notoriously fierce. I heard that for one of their flagship games last time, dozens of voice actresses auditioned for the female lead role, including many well-known seniors.”

The newly ignited flames were doused with a bucket of cold water, and Nanami instantly calmed down.

Yes, this isn't just a school competition; this is a real battlefield. Does a complete newcomer like her really have a chance?

The two found a more secluded corner and pretended to admire the paintings on the wall, but in reality, they were listening intently to industry news.

They overheard people discussing the power struggles within an animation production committee, complaining about a sound director's quirks, and analyzing which light novel author's work was most likely to be adapted into an anime.

"...It seems like Asuka Pictures is about to make a big move. I heard that Director Takahashi is going to personally direct an original theatrical film."

"Shin-suke Takahashi? That 'newcomer crusher'? Which unlucky guy is going to suffer this time?"

"You can't say that. Every newcomer he takes a liking to later becomes a big star. It just depends on whether you have the ability to climb out of his hell."

Asuka Films, directed by Takahashi.

Nanami subconsciously touched her throat, as if she could still feel the suffocating feeling she had when Director Takahashi pushed her to the brink of despair with just one sentence in the recording studio that day.

As the exchange meeting was drawing to a close, Nanami and Akane Kobayashi exchanged contact information and agreed to encourage each other in the future.

Stepping out of the hotel, the cool night breeze of Ebisu brushed against Nanami's face, clearing her head, which had been feverish from the heating.

Looking at the newly saved contact information on her phone, and at the business card from SKI, she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Everything that happened tonight made her truly realize that being a voice actor is far more than just speaking in front of a microphone.

Connections, information, opportunities, competition... each one is like a mountain that needs to be climbed.

And she has only just reached the foot of the mountain.

“But it’s interesting, isn’t it?” she whispered to herself.

……

……

In the ward.

Yuto Itsuki turned off the system monitoring screen.

“SKI’s Masato Yamamoto…” Yuto leaned back on the pillow, looking at the information displayed on the computer, “Production assistant, three years in the industry, good eye, likes to discover promising newcomers, relatively honest, worth getting in touch with.”

He did not interfere in what happened tonight.

He wanted to see how far Nanami could go without his direct "blood transfusion".

He was very satisfied with the result. She did not shrink back or run away, and even knew how to share and unite with her companions.

With her sincerity and unique vocal charm, she won new opportunities for herself.

"You're growing up so fast, Nanami," Yuto said softly.

Suddenly, I felt like an old father watching his daughter grow up.

Yuto picked up his phone, opened an encrypted email account, and wrote a new draft email using the account named "X".

Don't try to imitate the stars in the sky; try to become a unique star yourself.

He put down his phone, and a familiar feeling of fatigue washed over him.

He looked out the window, where the lights of Tokyo's nightscape were converging into a dazzling galaxy, and in a corner of that galaxy, there was a small star that belonged to him, shining brightly.

……

Volume 1: Chapter 122: Emerging Talent

On Saturday morning, Aoyama Nanami had just finished her morning exercise and returned to her apartment when she received a call from her voice acting school teacher.

"Qingshan, the audition invitation and materials from SKI have been sent to the school email. I'm forwarding a copy to you. Prepare well and don't let them down, especially since they've extended a special invitation to the production assistant." The teacher's tone was filled with undisguised satisfaction and anticipation.

"Yes! I understand, thank you, teacher!"

After hanging up the phone, Nanami practically threw herself at the computer and tremblingly opened the email.

The attachment contains detailed information about "Echoes of the Oracle" and the script for the role she needs to audition for.

This is a card game set against a backdrop of mythology and futuristic technology, featuring a grand world view and gorgeous art style.

The role she was auditioning for was named "Tsukuyomi," a young female swordswoman who wields a katana.

The character description reads: Heir to the Moonlight Consortium, taciturn, with an icy exterior, seemingly indifferent to everything. But deep down, he carries a heavy family destiny and guards an important secret.

The script was only three pages long, but every line was full of tension.

This is a character who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and extremely complex.

Nanami's heart pounded with excitement, nervousness, and a little bit of worry.

She knew that this was definitely a role that would allow voice actors to shine, and that's why the competition was so fierce.

But this time, she was not overwhelmed by the pressure. She remembered the advice of her seniors at the exchange meeting and Mr. X's words, "Make yourself a unique star."

She closed the script, opened SKI's official website, and began frantically "catching up on lessons".

She watched all the game trailers that the company had released in the past and carefully analyzed their voice acting style and character development tendencies.

She discovered that the company disliked overly formulaic voices; they sought a uniqueness that was "unexpected yet reasonable."

After finishing these tasks, she reopened the script for "Tsukuyomi".

Instead of rushing to practice, she took out a new notebook and began writing a character biography for the role.

Why is Tsukuyomi so taciturn? Because the secret she carries makes her unable to trust anyone; her 'coldness' is a disguise for self-protection.

"What is her fighting style? Clean and efficient, a single, fatal blow, so her battle voice lines cannot be passionate, but should be extremely calm."

When will that gentleness be revealed? Perhaps when she sees a stray cat? Perhaps when she is with the only person who can make her let her guard down?

She didn't read a single line of dialogue for the entire afternoon, but she wrote five full pages of character analysis.

She even set her own code of conduct for today based on the character's setting—"Tsukuyomi Experience Day".

She tried not to talk to anyone for a day, kept her back straight while walking, and deliberately stared blankly into space when looking at things.

When she went to the convenience store to buy a discounted lunch, she only nodded indifferently in response to the clerk's enthusiastic "thank you for your patronage".

As a result, when she passed by the apartment building, the landlady stopped her and asked her with concern if something was wrong.

This slightly awkward "role-playing" made her realize that true "coldness" is not about being expressionless, but about having a strong sense of control that keeps all emotions inside.

Over the next few days, she completely immersed herself in the world of "Tsukuyomi".

She practiced in front of the mirror how to express complex emotions with the most subtle glances and the curve of her lips.

She repeatedly studied the subtext of each line, trying to use different breaths and pauses to express the character's inner struggle.

Her Kansai dialect used to be her biggest obstacle.

But now, she has discovered that in order to completely master every pronunciation detail of standard Mandarin, her control over her breath and oral muscles has far surpassed that of ordinary people.

This gave her a unique advantage when creating the repressed tone of "Tsukuyomi".

……

The audition day arrived as scheduled.

The location is in an office building in Shibuya.

Nanami arrived half an hour early, and her heart still skipped a beat when she pushed open the door to the waiting room.

Seven or eight girls were sitting in the small waiting room.

She had seen each of them in voice actor magazines or in the end credits of anime.

Some are rising stars who have gained momentum in the past two years, some are established actors who have already played several leading roles, and one is even a senior she greatly admires, known for her versatile voice.

Everyone was quietly looking at their scripts, but the atmosphere of unspoken competition made the temperature in the room drop several degrees.

If this were Nanami from the last Asuka Film Audition, she would probably be sweating, her legs weak, and starting to question her life choices right now.

But now, she simply calmly found an empty seat, took out her script, and sat down.

She took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked around at these powerful "enemies".

She no longer felt fear, but rather a sense of excitement at meeting a worthy opponent.

"Next up, Ms. Aoyama Nanami," a staff member announced as they entered the room.

coming.

Nanami stood up, bowed slightly to the others in the waiting room, and walked into the recording studio.

In the recording studio, three people were sitting behind the mixing console.

The man in the middle is the game's producer, a shrewd-looking man in his thirties.

On the left is the sound director, and on the right is the person in charge of the original project; both of them have serious expressions.

"Ms. Aoyama, please begin, starting with the battle lines." The sound director's voice came through the headphones.

Nanami walked to the microphone, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze had changed.

No longer the nervous newcomer, but the aloof swordsman "Tsukuyomi".

"Where the moonlight reaches, all is annihilation."

Her voice wasn't loud, it could even be described as soft, but the chilling killing intent emanating from it was like a materialized blade, instantly piercing through the headphones and reaching the hearts of the three judges.

The sound supervisor raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Noise, disperse."

She rendered those four simple words with a great deal of nuance.

Next are the lines from the daily routine.

"...Your concern is unnecessary."

A typical arrogant line.

However, Nanami did not handle the situation using the common "stubborn but soft-hearted" approach.

Her voice remained flat, except for a very brief pause at the end of the sentence, and a faint breath.

The producer, who had been leaning back in his chair, unconsciously leaned forward.

The three-page script was read quickly.

Nanami took off his headphones and bowed deeply towards the control room.

"Thank you teachers."

"Hmm..." The sound director picked up the intercom. "Ms. Aoyama, one last question. In your opinion, what does the character Tsukuyomi desire most?"

This is a question that wasn't in the script.

Nanami paused for a moment, then answered without hesitation, "It's 'ordinary.' She longs to be like an ordinary girl, running freely in the sunlight, instead of forever bearing the fate of being bound by the moonlight."

There was a few seconds of silence in the control room.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Please go back and wait for further notice."

Stepping out of the recording studio, Nanami felt like she had run a marathon.

She didn't know what the outcome would be, but she had already revealed her entire understanding of "Tsukuyomi" without reservation.

……

The three days of waiting for the results were long and agonizing.

She used part-time jobs and practice to numb herself, but her mind kept replaying every detail of the audition.

On the evening of the third day, an unfamiliar number called.

Nanami's heart was in her throat as she pressed the answer button.