Although a Test of Courage required a certain number of mechanisms to frighten the participants, some of them occasionally came across as strangely comical. She could not tell whether whoever had arranged them had done so deliberately, or whether their sense of aesthetics was simply that peculiar.
For example... the things currently floating before them, wreathed in ghostly flames... were Lavender Melons.
Whoosh...
The burning Lavender Melons appeared intermittently in midair, occasionally even teleporting between the two of them or above their heads. Overall, if the objects themselves had been replaced with something more atmospheric, the effect would certainly have been much better than it was now. As things stood, simply looking at those Lavender Melons completely ruined the mood.
"Are these... Lavender Melons?"
Completely unafraid, Kokomi raised a hand and touched the food floating in front of her, her tone somewhat uncertain.
"They should be..."
The Shogun answered.
"Whoever designed this setup certainly had a... creative imagination."
Kokomi offered a tactful assessment of whoever had come up with the challenge.
"I think you could just say what you really mean."
The Shogun narrowed her eyes and plucked one of the Lavender Melons out of the air, holding it in her hand.
"I couldn't possibly do that. What if the person responsible is hiding nearby to supervise things? Wouldn't I offend them?"
Kokomi smiled and shook her head with some concern, though it was difficult to tell whether she was serious or merely teasing.
"...You really do think about a lot of things."
"I suppose it's a habit... But now that you mention it, there are no strings tied around this Lavender Melon, nor are there any other mechanisms. So how exactly is it flying?"
Kokomi instinctively rested a hand beneath her chin and began pondering the matter. A trace of doubt entered her clear, spring-like voice. She was a rational person, so in situations like this, her first instinct was to consider the mechanism behind it rather than assume some ghost or monster was responsible.
"It's youkai power."
The Shogun answered.
"...Youkai power? Ah, now that you mention it, there does seem to be a faint trace of youkai power on it."
Coming back to herself, Kokomi noticed the slightly strange aura lingering over it. What's going on?
While thinking about it, she continued walking alongside the Shogun until they reached a clearing deeper within the forest. Moonlight had difficulty reaching this place, making it dimmer than outside and giving the atmosphere an even eerier quality.
Click! ×N
At that moment, several statues carved in the shape of tanuki ahead slowly turned toward them, their gazes fixed directly on the pair. In an instant, every statue was staring at them.
"...This is much better than those Lavender Melons."
Kokomi offered her assessment, then took the initiative to reach out and pat the head of the tanuki statue before her, her gaze probing behind it and through the shadows.
"Mm—there should be a mechanism somewhere. Found it... Look, Shogun-sama. There's a bearing here."
After finding it, Kokomi looked up and called the Shogun over to see.
"..."
The Shogun silently walked over and glanced at it, then turned her gaze toward the back of Kokomi's head.
"What's wrong? Ah... Could it be... we're not supposed to touch these?"
Seeing the Shogun's expression, Kokomi looked puzzled. Then, realizing something, she immediately withdrew her hand and stood up.
"Aren't you scared?"
The Shogun asked.
Her reaction and Ayaka's were practically two opposite extremes.
"As the Divine Priestess, I occasionally have to handle exorcisms as well. Aside from that... I'm a fairly rational person by nature, so things like this don't particularly affect me."
Kokomi explained.
So that's how it is...
No wonder... From beginning to end, Kokomi had never shown the slightest difficulty dealing with any of this. If anything, she had looked completely at ease.
"Ayaka isn't like that. At a time like this, she'd already be hiding behind me in fear."
Remembering the adorable way Ayaka had kept hiding behind her and following along before, the Shogun could not help smiling.
"These things... depend on the person. Perhaps Miss Kamisato enjoys fanciful ideas and has a more vivid imagination, so she's naturally more sensitive to ghosts and similar things. That also means Miss Kamisato still possesses a rare and precious childlike innocence."
Generally speaking, people with richer imaginations were more easily frightened...
Kokomi did not make fun of her. She merely used her own understanding and reasoning to offer Ayaka a graceful excuse, even though Ayaka could not hear her. Perhaps she was sneezing somewhere right now?
"Mm?"
At that moment, Kokomi's sharp eyes caught sight of something tucked into a crack between the rocks in a distant corner. She froze briefly, then walked over by herself, crouched beside the rock wall, and pulled the object out.
It was a traditional fan painted with a pattern of fireworks...
"Did you find something?"
Seeing what she was doing, the Shogun followed and bent forward with her hands resting on her knees, asking softly.
"This should be it, right? The item that shrine maiden asked us to find."
Kokomi handed the fan to her.
"These are... fireworks?"
The Shogun took it and murmured as she looked at the beautiful pattern.
"Mm, it has a very festive feel to it. This should be the right one."
Kokomi stood and nodded.
Besides, the shrine maiden had originally said that the item they needed to find was a fan. Everything matched perfectly.
"Finding this means we've won the second round, doesn't it? Should we take it back and report to that shrine maiden?"
Kokomi suggested.
"That's our only option. Let's head back first."
"All right..."
And so, the two retraced their steps. However... along the way, the Shogun heard voices coming from somewhere in the distance...
"Run—!"
"Hahahaha! Go on, run! Now you've got nowhere left to escape!!"
"Waaah—!"
Indeed, something resembling a chase was taking place somewhere in the distance. Judging by the voices, there were children involved, while the other voice sounded like... Arataki Itto?
Assuming she had not heard wrong...
"Did something... happen over there? Should we go take a look?"
Kokomi stopped as well and asked curiously.
"Haa... I'll go see. Kokomi... take the fan and find the shrine maiden. Otherwise, we'll run out of time."
The Shogun looked toward the source of the noise and sighed softly before making the suggestion in a gentle voice.
"Understood. Please be careful."
Kokomi did not object, though she still remembered to caution her before leaving.
"Mm... I'll be fine."
The Shogun nodded and was just about to leave...
"S-Shogun... Mio..."
Hearing the person behind her call out, she stopped once more and turned around. What entered her sight was Kokomi standing beneath the moonlight, ethereal and wrapped in a veil of silver radiance. There was a faint hesitation in her expression. One foot moved forward, only to retreat again.
"What is it?"
The Shogun asked.
"...I won't be participating in the third round."
Kokomi said.
"...Why? Are you heading back?"
The Shogun turned and walked over to her, plucking a tiny piece of fluff that had drifted down onto Kokomi's forehead.
"Mm... Gorou should have the boat prepared by now as well."
Kokomi gazed at her, quietly watching as the Shogun removed the bit of fluff that had fallen from the sky.
"You won't stay a little longer?"
"...(shakes head) I'd like to, but... there are still matters on Watatsumi Island that require my attention, so..."
"...If it's work, then there's nothing to be done..."
The Shogun had not expected Kokomi to leave so soon. She had barely been here at all...
In that case...
She glanced once more toward the direction where the voices had come from. Conflict flickered in her eyes for a moment before she sighed, abandoned the idea of going there, and walked back in front of Kokomi.
"Come on. I'll go with you."
She gestured for Kokomi to follow.
"Mm? You're not going over there anymore?"
Kokomi froze, looking puzzled.
"No. The Yashiro Commission is overseeing this place, so I doubt anything serious will happen. If you're leaving, I'll take you to the harbor."
After glancing over the forest, the Shogun shook her head and extended a hand toward the girl.
Shogun-sama has become a little more proactive... Kokomi had originally intended to simply say goodbye and return to Watatsumi Island, treating everything that had happened today as a small interlude. She had never expected... the Shogun to make the rare decision to draw closer to her on her own.
Seeing the Shogun like this made Kokomi feel quietly reassured... As expected, Shogun-sama really did love her, didn't she?
"...Mm... All right."
With a warm smile, Kokomi raised her hand and took the Shogun's, then left together with her through the forest exit.
Come into my arms, Shogun-sama.jpg