"Welcome to... the Test of Courage~!"
As the shrine maiden finally got to the point, the two of them refocused their gradually wandering thoughts on the woman pretending to be mysterious before them.
"You two can treat this as a small trial. After all, many strange and eerie stories always begin with what seems like an ordinary, carefree day."
A carefree day, huh...
She had never seen anyone treat an event like this as part of a carefree daily routine.
"There's no need to be anxious, no need to doubt, and even less need to investigate... From the very moment the two of you stepped into this place, everything was already destined~!"
The shrine maiden continued reciting what sounded like "event dialogue" with tremendous emotion. Did she truly say all this to every participant? Or only to the two of them? Surely she wasn't simply improvising? If that was the case, becoming a shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine was honestly a waste of her talents.
Even so, neither of them interrupted her "performance." They were here to participate in the event, not cause trouble, and neither of them was the sort to deliberately ruin someone else's enthusiasm.
Ayaka in particular listened with genuine interest no matter how absurd the other woman's words became. Perhaps this was simply a habit the Shirasagi Himegimi had developed after years of answering the people's questions. It had become instinctive. No matter how strange, ridiculous, or even boring the subject was... she would always listen patiently.
"Hehe~ For now, enjoy this brief moment of peace, all right~? The first round is about to begin. Have you found your partners yet? Or are the two of you already partners~?"
Perhaps noticing the faint trace of impatience in the Shogun's expression, the shrine maiden gave a charming laugh and finally moved on to something they could actually understand.
"That's right. We came here together as partners."
Ayaka nodded in response.
"Mm—looks like you've already decided, then... The two of you will be partners for the first round. But there's one thing you need to know. You can't have the same partner in every round~"
The shrine maiden explained.
"Huh? Is that so?"
Ayaka froze for a moment.
"It is. That's one of the rules this time. The Test of Courage has three rounds in total, and the two of you will each need to choose three different partners from among all the participants."
The shrine maiden covered her mouth and laughed softly.
Of course, the two of them were far from the only participants. There were many others, divided into several groups, since this was essentially a competitive activity.
"I see... Understood."
The Shogun habitually folded her arms and acknowledged the explanation.
"...Thank you for explaining."
Ayaka also replied somewhat helplessly.
"It's no trouble. This is my duty—to bestow blessings and warnings upon every brave soul willing to accept the baptism of the curse. All right, the competition is about to begin. If there's anything you still need to prepare, you'd better hurry. There are ten minutes left. If you're late for your round, you'll automatically lose~"
The shrine maiden urged them along.
"Do you... say all of that to every participant?"
Before leaving, she turned back and asked the bob-haired young shrine maiden.
"Mm~? Hehe~ Of course not. This is special treatment reserved exclusively for the two of you~"
After all, it was Lady Guuji Yae's idea.
The young shrine maiden smiled charmingly at her.
"...All right."
Her eyes narrowed speechlessly, but she did not pursue the matter further. She and Ayaka then headed to the waiting area. Each group had a different starting point, but every route could reach the central area of Chinju Forest, preventing everyone from crowding together at once.
"I really didn't take that into account... I never expected the three rounds would forbid us from choosing the same partner."
While they waited there, Ayaka gave her a helpless smile, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
At first, she had thought she could spend all three rounds together with Shogun-sama. That alone would have given her a sense of reassurance. More accurately, it was not that she was afraid to go without her, but that anything felt enjoyable as long as she was by her side. But... now there was nothing she could do.
"We're simply unfamiliar with the rules. I didn't expect it either... It's not your fault."
She comforted her.
"Mm..."
Ayaka softly agreed... though she still seemed to be processing it.
"Haa... Ayaka."
Seeing the girl's somewhat dejected expression, she could not bear it and called to her gently.
"...? Shogun-sama?"
Ayaka came back to herself and looked at her.
"Although I won't be able to accompany you for the next two rounds... I still hope you'll enjoy yourself instead of letting my absence diminish the fun."
"..."
Ayaka stared into her eyes.
"After all... you rarely do anything that truly lets you relax, do you?"
She raised a hand and gently brushed aside the girl's neat bangs, revealing glimpses of the smooth, fair forehead beneath.
"Shogun-sama... Mm... I understand. I'll devote myself fully to this event, so please don't worry."
Ayaka raised her hand and took hold of the one against her face, pressing the Shogun's palm against her cheek so she could feel the other woman's warmth.
"...///"
Seeing the girl's intimate gesture, she blushed and looked away, though she still did not pull her hand back, allowing Ayaka to keep holding it.
"Hehe... Shogun-sama, you were the one who brought this up, yet you're the first to get embarrassed..."
Seeing her flushed cheeks, Ayaka affectionately leaned against her. She was half a forehead shorter than the Shogun, which created the perfect difference in height, allowing her head to rest comfortably against the other's shoulder, especially in the crook of her neck.
It was even more comfortable when she wrapped her arms tightly around the Shogun's waist. Shogun-sama's body was slender, soft, and wonderfully warm—the exact kind of warmth Ayaka's naturally cool body needed most.
"Haa... Your body is still this cold..."
The Shogun naturally wrapped her arms around Ayaka as well. Feeling the coolness of the girl's skin even through their clothing, she frowned and gently rubbed her hands back and forth along Ayaka's back and arms, as though trying to share her own warmth.
"That's because I use Cryo..."
Ayaka made a rather chilly joke.
"...Then doesn't that mean I shouldn't touch you?"
The Shogun smiled inwardly upon hearing it and followed along with a teasing retort of her own.
"Huh?"
Ayaka did not understand at first.
"I'm afraid I might shock you, because I am the Raiden 'Electro' Shogun."
She made a similarly terrible joke.
"Pfft~ That's true... But even if that really happened, I still wouldn't let go. Because I want to hold you."
Ayaka buried herself in the crook of her neck and answered in a muffled voice.
"Truly? Even if you were hurt?"
She tightened her embrace slightly, her eyes complicated as she asked.
"Mm... Even if you left me covered in wounds, I still wouldn't let go."
Ayaka murmured firmly while clinging to her.
"Silly girl... How could I ever bear to hurt you?"
Her voice softened as she gently chided the girl.
But at that moment, she remembered what she had done when she lost control before... and guilt once again welled up inside her.
Mwah~
As though sensing that she had begun blaming herself again, Ayaka immediately cupped her face without another word and kissed her on the lips.
"Mmph~"
The Shogun's body instinctively trembled, and she even took half a step backward, only for the more assertive Ayaka to follow immediately, refusing to let the woman in her arms escape. The Shogun's eyes grew misty from the kiss, and her body softened slightly.
Neither of them knew how long they kissed in the forest... When they finally parted, a faint glimmer of moisture still lingered on their lips. Naturally, both of their faces had turned red.
"...You... did you just...///"
The Shogun covered her lips, blushing so deeply that she began to stammer.
"I'm sorry, Shogun-sama. I know that was rather presumptuous of me, but... Ayaka couldn't hold herself back. Your first kiss... Ayaka has taken it for herself now///"
Although even she felt that she had gone too far just now and had originally intended to wait longer, she could no longer concern herself with that. Opportunities like this were rare. And considering the situation with Sangonomiya Kokomi, it was safer to claim the first kiss of the person she loved while she had the chance.
That way, nothing else mattered. That's right... no matter how close Sangonomiya Kokomi got in the future, it would make no difference. The first kiss belonged to Ayaka.
"///"
The Shogun was still covering her lips in overwhelming embarrassment. It was the first time she had ever shared such a serious kiss, and her innocent mind remained dazed for a while. She sat down on a stone platform to compose herself.
"..."
Ayaka carefully sat down beside her again and tentatively reached out.
"...!"
But the Shogun instinctively flinched away, almost as though frightened.
"..."
Ayaka's heart trembled, and she lightly pursed her lips.
"Shogun-sama... I'm sorry..."
She apologized softly.
"Why are you apologizing...? You've already kissed me... What use is apologizing now?"
She muttered in a subdued voice.
"Do you... hate me now?"
Ayaka asked cautiously.
"..."
Yet the other woman merely shook her head in silence.
"..."
Ayaka quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then slowly raised her hand again, wanting to caress the Shogun's averted face with her palm. This time, she managed to touch her, and the Shogun did not pull away again.
"...I'm simply too timid when it comes to things like this..."
She turned her head to look at the girl, lowering her eyes as she murmured.
"That's not your fault... It's all right. Shogun-sama only needs to enjoy it."
Ayaka rested her forehead against hers and spoke softly.
"D-Don't say such ridiculous things...///"
She quietly protested.
Just as I thought, she's not restrained around me at all! She even keeps pushing her luck more and more~!!