As Ei merged into her body, their thoughts gradually began to connect as well, combining once more into the "Raiden Shogun" who had not appeared before the world in this form for a long time.
Her violet eyes shimmered beneath the light. The breathtaking face that had originally been softened by light makeup now gained a trace of majesty. Beneath the glow, the corners of her lowered eyes gradually took on a cool, elegant shade of eye makeup.
Her hip-length violet hair transformed into a dignified long braid that hung behind her, while the plain kimono she had been wearing changed into the gentian-patterned outfit Ei had worn before—the attire of the "Raiden Shogun."
The slightly open neckline, the close-fitting violet underlayer, the obi bearing the tomoe crest, the asymmetrical sleeves, the exquisite shoulder armor, and the dark-violet thigh-high stockings wrapped around her shapely legs. A bellflower tied with red silk still adorned her right ankle.
"...Haa."
The Shogun slowly opened her eyes and looked down at the familiar outfit she had not worn in so long. A faint smile appeared on her face before she habitually folded her arms, letting the slightly long sleeves conceal the front of her body. Then she lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her foot, flexing her slender ankle.
[How is it? Still familiar?]
Ei asked.
'Mm... It's been a long time since we shared one body. Let me get used to it again.'
The Shogun answered.
That was true. Ever since they returned from Emilia's world last time, the two of them had almost stopped sharing the same body. Ei usually lived by manifesting through Musou Isshin, while the Shogun used her own body. Today was the first time in a long while that they had once again become "two within one body."
She looked up at the night sky, estimated how much time remained before the Test of Courage resumed, then started walking up the stone steps again.
In her current state, she had truly appeared before the world as the "Raiden Shogun," so she instinctively paid attention to certain movements and mannerisms, including her bearing.
After all... those habits had been ingrained in her for several hundred years.
When she reached the grassy clearing beside Chinju Forest, she saw quite a few people gathered there, and most of them were familiar faces. She froze slightly, unsure what had happened. Not only that, what caught her attention most were several figures she had never seen before... Judging by their builds, they appeared to be children. Each wore a different youkai mask, including a hitotsume-kozo, a kitsune, and a kappa. At that moment, everyone was chatting with the children.
"So you're a hitotsume-kozo?"
Yoimiya was crouching down in front of the masked child, asking curiously.
"Uh... y-yes!"
The little youkai called a hitotsume-kozo nodded somewhat nervously.
"Hehe, no need to be nervous. I'm Yoimiya, from Naganohara Fireworks."
Yoimiya first reassured him, then introduced herself with practiced ease.
"Ah—! I've seen Naganohara fireworks from very far away before! They bloomed across the sky. They were beautiful!"
The hitotsume-kozo clenched his fists excitedly as he remembered.
"Huh? Really? Hehe, then it's a promise, okay? Next time, I'll bring some fireworks so we can play together!"
The moment fireworks were mentioned, Yoimiya's interest surged. She nodded happily.
"Really? Thank you so much! Uh... also, may I ask, is this Lord Kaedehara Kazuha?"
Changing the subject, the hitotsume-kozo looked respectfully toward the handsome young man standing beside Yoimiya, dressed as a wandering samurai with a pale braid tied near the end of his hair.
Yoimiya also looked over with interest.
"I am Kaedehara Kazuha, but I'm no lord. I'm merely a samurai who travels from place to place."
Hearing that, Kazuha first gave him a gentle smile, then introduced himself modestly.
"So it really is you... I once saw you wielding your sword in the wilderness... You were facing so many enemies at the time, yet you still remained completely composed!"
The hitotsume-kozo grew excited as though he had met his idol.
"Oh... That must have been when I was leaving Inazuma. It wasn't nearly as impressive as you make it sound. I had to expend quite a bit of effort before I managed to escape safely, and I was injured along the way as well."
Kazuha shook his head and explained.
"...Huh? Really?"
Yoimiya asked curiously. She knew a little about what had happened to the Kaedehara Clan, though not in detail. Back when Kazuha fled, the Tenryou Commission had issued wanted notices throughout the city, and Naganohara had heard about it very clearly at the time.
"Mm. I'm not exaggerating. If I hadn't received help from the head of the Kamisato Clan back then, I might never have made it out. By the way, do you know the Shirasagi Himegimi? She is the younger sister of the man who helped me."
Kazuha brought up Ayaka, even though she was not present at the moment.
"I-I know her. The Shirasagi Himegimi is graceful and elegant like ice. Even youkai know of her."
The hitotsume-kozo hurriedly nodded.
"..."
Watching the scene from a distance, the Shogun was somewhat puzzled, but she did not immediately go over. After all, Kaedehara Kazuha was there as well. To be truthful, she did not particularly want to meet him right now. First, it would be somewhat awkward, and second, there was still the matter of those rumors.
As for the little kitsune and... the kappa, those two children were beside Arataki Itto...
"Shogun-sama..."
"...?"
Hearing someone call from behind, she raised her eyes and looked over. It was Ayaka, who walked lightly to her side.
"You're back?"
Ayaka asked softly.
"Mm... You were just..."
The Shogun looked toward the direction Ayaka had come from, somewhat confused about where she had been.
"You were gone for quite some time, and I was truly worried, so I went down the mountain to wait for you."
Ayaka answered quietly.
"I just saw Kokomi off, then spent some time with Ei before coming back up."
The Shogun replied.
"I see... As long as you're all right."
Ayaka visibly relaxed.
"How did you know it was me?"
The Shogun asked with interest.
"Mm? How did I know?"
Ayaka looked confused.
"Looking like this, couldn't I just as easily be Ei?"
The Shogun asked.
"Hehe... So that's what you mean. For Ayaka, who loves you, distinguishing between your aura and Lady Ei's actually... isn't very difficult."
Ayaka smiled as she idly played with the folding fan in her hand.
"Oh? Even if I deliberately imitate Ei, you'd still be able to tell?"
The Shogun asked with a smile.
"Pfft... If you're going to deliberately make things difficult for me like that, then I'll have no choice but to rely on intuition."
Ayaka rested her folding fan beneath her chin and teased her in return.
"..." ×2
Both of them smiled at the same time.
Over the next while, Ayaka explained the series of events that had happened earlier, beginning with Arataki Itto...
In short, Arataki Itto had finally found the three frightening "ghosts" from earlier, only to discover that they were not ghosts at all, but three little youkai—the three children currently wearing youkai masks: the hitotsume-kozo, the kitsune, and the kappa.
The three had not been wandering through the forest to cause trouble or harm anyone. Instead, they were the organizers of this Test of Courage and the original initiators of the festival itself. Most of the mechanisms controlled by youkai power had been created by them, including the Akitsu Yuugei grounds on the beach.
"A festival organized by youkai, but one that humans can participate in as well?"
The Shogun folded her arms and repeated what Ayaka had told her.
"Mm... That's what the little kitsune said at the time."
Ayaka nodded.
"Was she talking about the Mikawa Flower Festival? The festival that youkai used to hold?"
The Shogun asked. Ei had only recently mentioned it.
"Mm. As expected, you know about it... I had some vague recollection at the time as well, so I asked the same thing."
Ayaka nodded.
The answer they received was "yes." The three of them had indeed done all this for the sake of the Mikawa Flower Festival. However, according to the little kitsune, although reviving the Mikawa Flower Festival was truly their dream, they themselves knew that the festival they had managed to create was nowhere near worthy of that name. It could not even be called half of what the original had been.
After all... the age when the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons still existed was long gone, and they were merely a few minor youkai living among the mountains and wilderness. Claiming that their wish was to hold the Mikawa Flower Festival was practically an impossible task for beings with so little youkai power.
"Even so, they still want to use this method to interact with humans? But why exactly?"
The Shogun was somewhat puzzled. Why did they want to approach humans? Why even hold a festival?
"According to them, they often live in the wilderness and are sometimes attacked by monsters. Those monsters steal their territory and food, and sometimes even try to take their lives..."
Ayaka looked toward the childlike youkai in the distance as she explained.
"Later... human adventurers reached the wilderness and drove the monsters away, finally giving them room to breathe."
"So... to those youkai, humans are essentially benefactors."
The Shogun understood, resting a hand beneath her chin as she murmured.