Tokyo: Bubble, but the system is Sengoku.

"Alright, the test is finished."

"Everyone else can train on their own when they have nothing else to do. Sato and Hiroyuki, you two come with me."

Chiba's deep voice broke the silence of the scene.

"yes!"

With Chiba's words, the previously noisy scene returned to order.

As the boss here, Chiba has absolute authority.

He is a man of his word, and imposing in his presence.

Sato saw this and, like the others, silently lowered his eyes.

......

Following Chiba to the club's office, Chiba carefully reviewed Sato's physical data.

"Although you are quite talented in sword drawing, your physical foundation is still a bit weak."

"Just like I said before."

Chiba spoke frankly, with a hint of admonition and warning.

Upon hearing this, the boy nodded cautiously.

That's why he came here.

Generally speaking, a truly arrogant genius might be dissatisfied, but Sato was not. At this moment, he was not only not dissatisfied, but even filled with excitement.

Although he did not defeat Hiroyuki Sanada, his abilities were indeed recognized.

Being mentored by Chiba means that the filming of Shadow Legion will go more smoothly, and the sensation it causes after airing may be even greater.

"I understand, training can begin anytime!"

Sato, his excitement undiminished, said...

Hearing Sato's words, Sanada couldn't help but glance at Sato's wrist, which he had hit.

No problem, the red mark has turned pink, it must still hurt, right?

He really is a pervert...

Sanada muttered to himself.

"Um."

Chiba nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

At least his attitude and personality are very good.

only......

"I called you here because I have some bad news."

"Toei is determined to develop animation, and the budget for 'Shadow Legion' has been reduced by another 10%."

"Another drop!?"

Unlike Sato, who was still somewhat doubtful, Sanada was quite dissatisfied.

This is clearly not the first time.

As for Sato, he himself did not have access to these information channels, but after a brief moment of thought, he understood.

Whether it's the entertainment industry or anything else, everything is about cost-effectiveness. If the return on investment is low and you can't make money, you'll naturally have to cut back, or the project might even fail.

Of course, while sword and spear films are gradually declining, it's not as dramatic as some other films have been.

Even though sword and spear films are gradually declining, they won't completely disappear all at once; trends change slowly.

However, Toei's strategic adjustment is real, and its impact on Sato is obvious.

First, it's certain that he'll earn less money afterward; second, the budget for action scenes will also be reduced.

The reduced budget actually exacerbated the problem, since action movies that can be filmed in one take and then rehearsed once are very rare.

Often, even a small action requires repeated filming and refinement; at least most of the martial arts films that you can name are filmed this way.

However, starting production is expensive, and insufficient funding means a lower margin for error and insufficient precision in crafting, which leads to a vicious cycle of "no audience leading to no money, no money leading to a decline in quality, and a decline in quality leading to no audience."

This was definitely a big problem, and even the usually generous Sanada was frowning at this moment.

The atmosphere in the office has cooled down considerably.

"In short, I will communicate with the higher-ups. During this time, Guangzhi, you should have them practice more and get a feel for things before filming starts."

Chiba's expression was solemn.

"yes!"

Sanada stood up straight, like a soldier obeying orders.

"As for Sato, you still don't know enough moves. Even if you can get past the first two moves in one go, there's no time for you to hone the rest."

"Keep it up!"

Chiba sighed inwardly.

If it were the peak period for sword-fighting films, Toei wouldn't have invested in any animation. They wouldn't lack funds, and even if they did, they could easily find investors. Sato was simply born at the wrong time.

"no problem."

Sato agreed as well.

He couldn't change the general trend of the times; all he could do was adapt and work hard.

Moreover, he had long anticipated the decline of sword and halberd-themed films.

Do your best in what you're supposed to do, keep practicing those few tricks, and continue to improve your acting skills so you can reduce the number of retakes.

As for what to film after "Shadow Legion," and whether my acting skills will be sufficient, those questions can only be addressed as we film.

Chiba, seeing Sato's unwavering resolve, wondered whether he didn't understand the gravity of the situation or simply had confidence in himself.

However, he couldn't possibly take care of everything for Sato. He had to walk his own path, and the person on the other side wasn't his son. The rest was up to Sato himself.

"I've said what I needed to say. Now I'll arrange a training plan for you."

"If you don't have a job, the training plan is once every two days; if you have a job, it's once every three days. Once you've finished your workday, don't do any extra training on your own."

"I will adjust the training volume for you based on the situation."

"Don't practice on your own. If I find out, you're out of here, understand?"

Chiba's words carried an unusual sternness.

He even repeated "Don't do extra practice" twice.

"I see."

Sato lowered his eyes and replied.

Actually, Chiba was overthinking it.

He understood the principle that too much of a good thing is bad.

High-intensity training involves constantly pushing the limits of the human body.

Pushing your limits sounds amazing, but if you fail to do it, your body will break down.

Many geniuses have perished here.

He didn't know if his cheat ability could be salvaged, but he wasn't a masochist and had no interest in ruining his own body.

He's here to study, endure hardship, and train so he can earn money.

It's not about pursuing some lofty martial art or exploring the pinnacle of physical achievement.

Therefore, preserving one's life is still the most important thing.

"That's enough for you."

Seeing Sato's seriousness, Chiba stopped there and continued, "Finally, there's the training for action scenes."

Finally, Sato, who had heard the key point, perked up his ears.

"I'm short on time lately, but I can teach you for an hour each day."

"The rest is up to you to learn from Hiroyuki and the others."

Despite being busy with funding matters, I still managed to spare an hour.

Sato showed no dissatisfaction, but silently lowered his eyes.

"thank you."

As he spoke, the boy felt even more eager to try it out. He wanted to drag Chiba to the arena right away to test his cheat ability.

Chiba, as if knowing what he was thinking, then said, "Let's go now."

"yes!"

Sato's voice grew louder, but despite his excitement, his face remained composed.

......

"Bang!"

Sato was struck in the stomach again, and he knelt on one knee, his wooden sword trembling as he supported himself on the ground, his face pale.

Sweat kept sliding down his cheeks and then dripping onto the floor.

"An hour has passed."

Chiba looked at Sato, sheathed his sword, and stood still without taking a breath.

"Thank you for your guidance."

Sato stood up and said.

Although his body was pineapple-shaped, the boy was filled with excitement.

As it turned out, training with Chiba was very effective.

The increased comprehension allowed him to master the third move at least 30% faster than when he practiced on his own. With the teacher's help combined with his increased comprehension, this progress was considered quite average.

However, this very ordinariness was enough to make Sato overjoyed.

At this rate, he can learn the third move much sooner, enough to counteract the budget cuts.