Narukami Island.
Itto and Yuna still hadn't found the three strange fellows.
"Weird... where did they run off to?" Itto scratched his head, then glanced back to realize Yuna had fallen far behind.
He quickly ran back. "Yuna, what's wrong? Why didn't you keep up?"
Yuna rolled her eyes at him. "Let's go back. The second round of the Test of Courage is about to start. If we can't find them, let's just forget about it."
"Right, right, right! Look at me, almost forgot the time! Yuna, you won the first round, you know? I heard if you win three times in a row, you get a special prize..."
The two arrived at the miko's location to find a crowd had already gathered. Yoimiya was weaving through the crowd, seemingly looking for a partner.
Yoimiya quickly spotted Yuna. Her eyes lit up, and she jogged over.
"Yuna, you're participating in the Test of Courage too? Have you found a partner yet?"
Yuna froze. She and Lumine had won the first round together—didn't Yoimiya know? That can't be right. Did the organizers not inform her?
Yoimiya could read Yuna's thoughts just from her expression. After all, Yuna was remarkably easy to understand.
"You didn't know, did you? The team compositions change every round in the Test of Courage's three games. Only those who win all three rounds get the mysterious grand prize!"
Seeing the confusion in Yuna's eyes lessen, Yoimiya continued, "Right now, only you and the Traveler are eligible. The Traveler just teamed up with Sayu. So, what do you say? Team up with me! I've participated in the Test of Courage many times—I guarantee I'm experienced!"
Yoimiya's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Faced with such earnestness, Yuna couldn't possibly refuse and immediately agreed to team up with her.
As for the Boss beside them...
He was still eagerly preparing to scare people.
With their team formed, Yuna and Yoimiya entered the Test of Courage venue in Chinju Forest.
"Yoimiya-nee, who did you team up with last round?"
Yoimiya was older than Yuna; they had known each other since childhood. Whenever they were together, Yuna always called her "Yoimiya-nee."
"It was Ayaka," Yoimiya replied, a hint of embarrassment in her voice as she recalled her performance in the previous round.
In the past, Yoimiya had participated in the Test of Courage purely for fun and the lively atmosphere.
This time was different. The grand prize included Yuna's renowned delicacies. The first-round prize was rumored to be mini cakes and other sweets, and many participants had been drawn in by Yuna's creations—including Yoimiya herself.
It was just a shame that they were always one step behind. She and Ayaka hadn't managed to find even a single cupcake.
You see, even if you made a reservation with Yuna, you'd have to wait a long time in line. After all, the Shogun and the Lady Guuji were ahead of them.
Yuna's expression was a little strange.
"Most of those were taken by Ei. It's surprising you managed to outmaneuver her at all."
Come to think of it, Yuna hadn't been walking particularly fast when she was with Lumine and the others. They had strolled along leisurely, yet they still managed to find two cupcakes, including the largest one.
Could Ei have deliberately left them behind?
Or is Lumine just naturally lucky?
Whatever. We'll find out soon enough.
"Yoimiya-nee, let's go! This way first—the food this time is meat dishes!"
Yuna, as the food provider, naturally knew what the prizes were.
The delicacies she had prepared for the Test of Courage were meticulously crafted over many days.
The second-round prizes were cured meats that could be stored for a long time.
The key to victory, however, was a fan.
Yuna described the preparation method for the cured meats in detail, making Yoimiya's mouth water profusely.
"Let's go, let's hurry! We absolutely have to snag one this time!"
-
Meanwhile, on the other side, Lumine, Paimon, and Sayu were cautiously exploring a path.
Sayu, lost in thought for a moment, suddenly couldn't find Lumine and Paimon. She called out urgently, "The path... the sign is over here! Come back!"
For some reason, they were encountering an unusually high number of strange occurrences this time.
Sayu's eyes widened as she spotted a Lavender Melon right in front of her!
"Hmm, from this angle, Paimon really does look like a flying Lavender Melon..."
To Sayu's right, Paimon stomped her foot in annoyance. "Hey! That's not me! That's a real Lavender Melon!"
Paimon finished speaking, then realized something was wrong. How could that Lavender Melon be flying?
No, it wasn't just that one Lavender Melon. There were several flying Lavender Melons all around them!
"Waaah! Lumine!"
Paimon shrieked and dove behind Lumine, not even daring to peek her little head out this time.
"Don't be scared, Paimon. None of this is real," Lumine said, patting the little one's back. But for Paimon, who had recently been knocked unconscious by a strange woman, this reassurance did little to calm her nerves.
Still, Paimon eventually flew out from behind Lumine.
The re-emerged Paimon twitched her tiny nose. "Lumine, do you smell something?"
Sayu: "I smell it too! It's the aroma of braised meat—the kind Yuna makes."
Lumine took a deep sniff. Sure enough, a savory meat scent filled the air.
By this point in the Test of Courage, everyone was starting to feel hungry, and the savory aroma of meat only intensified their hunger.
Drawn in by the delicious scent, Paimon completely forgot about the Lavender Melon hovering beside her and started sniffing around, searching for the source.
"Over here!" Paimon exclaimed, discovering a treasure chest hidden beside a stack of hay. The meaty fragrance emanated from within.
Lumine opened the chest to reveal a small pot. Lifting the lid revealed several pieces of intensely fragrant meat simmering in a shallow broth, its deep, glossy brown color utterly enticing.
Lumine and Paimon were even more thrilled than when they'd found the fan earlier, and Sayu, now wide awake, leaned in with her small head.
Whether by coincidence or design, there were exactly three pieces of meat in the pot, steeped in a minimal amount of broth. The dark, savory sauce looked irresistibly appetizing.
Paimon produced three pairs of chopsticks. Lumine used her chopsticks to skewer the meat, and they each took a piece.
Paimon wolfed down her portion in a single bite, the braised meat exploding with flavor in her mouth.
The meat was tender yet retained a pleasant chewiness, the fibers separating effortlessly with a gentle bite, sliding smoothly down her throat.
The rich, robust braising sauce struck the perfect balance of salty and savory. The fat slowly melted between her teeth, leaving no greasy aftertaste, only a lingering richness and utter satisfaction.
Though the meat was slightly cooled, it did nothing to diminish the taste.
"Wow, this is so delicious!" Paimon exclaimed, her eyes narrowing with pure bliss.
Sayu and Lumine also devoured their portions with gusto, making contented slurping sounds.
-
Some time later, Yoimiya and Yuna arrived at the scene. Seeing the opened box, Yoimiya was deeply disappointed.
They had caught the scent from afar and rushed here with high hopes, only to find someone had beaten them to it.
Waaah...
"Yuna, quick! Let's hurry to the next spot! I must get my hands on some braised meat today!"
Yoimiya grabbed Yuna's hand and dashed back, preparing to explore another path.
Although the food had been provided by Yuna, even she didn't know exactly where the Yashiro Commission members were hiding.
But...
If Yoimiya-nee couldn't find it this time, Yuna would make her a fresh batch when they got home.