The miko's disappearance added an even more eerie layer to this round of the Test of Courage. Combined with earlier suspicions about that woman...
Paimon couldn't shake the feeling that they had encountered something sinister!
"The Miko Sister's gone! D-did she get snatched by a ghost?!" Paimon looked at Lumine fearfully. "Am I next?! Waaah, Lumine, I don't want to be separated from you!"
Lumine patted Paimon's head reassuringly.
Heizou: "The handwriting is rushed, yet there are no signs of a struggle nearby. It's certainly strange. But isn't there a bit too much writing?"
Lumine: "Heizou, have you noticed anything?"
Heizou: "I've been thinking—the three items used in the three rounds of the competition were likely chosen by three different factions. The merchant sponsoring the event picked Dumpling Milk, while the Yashiro Commission, which provided the staff, chose the fan."
"The hagoita must have been selected by someone from the Grand Narukami Shrine. Could it have some special significance?"
Paimon remained worried.
"Forget the significance for now! Do we really have to go through with the third round of the Test of Courage? I'm interested in the legendary grand prize, but I think our safety comes first!"
"Let's... um... strategically retreat!"
Heizou: "My quest isn't over yet, so I'll stay. The unknown breeds fear, and uncovering the truth within it is a detective's duty."
Lumine: "We can't give up halfway!"
Seeing that neither of them would budge, Paimon had no choice but to compromise.
The trio decided to first visit the spot where they had first encountered the woman, hoping to find clues they had overlooked before.
On the way, Paimon remarked, "By the way, the third round's delicacy is supposed to be Fried Tofu, right? But there aren't any signs around here, and I don't smell any Fried Tofu in the air."
One of Paimon's greatest joys in participating in the Test of Courage was the food. The delicacies sponsored by Yuna were clearly crafted with utmost care, their flavors simply divine.
Yesterday, Paimon had devoured all the braised meat, eating one piece every few moments.
And now... the Flying Lavender Melon Radar was malfunctioning.
Hearing "Fried Tofu," Lumine immediately thought of Yae Miko. The final Judgment item for the third round was chosen by the Grand Narukami Shrine, so the food probably was too.
Perhaps Yae Miko had already taken all the delicacies.
Setting aside their food concerns, the group arrived at the spot where they had first encountered the woman and began meticulously surveying the area.
They eventually found a nearby tree with a branch bent downward, as if it had previously held a heavy weight. There were also traces of scorching in some areas.
These clues, however, didn't reveal much, so the group continued their search.
Just then, Hitotsume-kozō, the Kitsune, and the Kappa—the Little Yokai Trio—arrived and joined the search party.
They had received word from Arataki Itto about the incident. Since it concerned Akitsu Yuugei by the beach and the descriptions suggested either a powerful Vengeful Spirit or a formidable great yokai, they knew they were dealing with no ordinary threat.
The Trio split up to investigate different areas. They separately found fragments of light-blocking cloth, spent firework shells, and... a residual powder that caused dizziness with just a whiff.
"I think I know what you encountered," Heizou said, voicing his deduction. "She didn't use any extraordinary powers. What you saw were just magic props."
"First, the Test of Courage had already created a tense, eerie atmosphere here."
"When you first encountered the Little Yokai Trio and got startled, your nerves were naturally on edge. Meeting a mysterious woman afterward would only amplify that tension."
"Overcome by anxiety, she hyperventilated, inhaling a large amount of the Sedative Pollen she had scattered beforehand, causing dizziness. At that moment, she pulled down the blackout curtains and lit the so-called Ghost Fire, creating an eerie and terrifying spectacle—that's roughly what happened, right?"
Kitsune: "So, she was just bluffing?"
Paimon, furious: "Damn it! How dare she trick me?!"
Heizou: "But there's still a question. The person who commissioned me to investigate this matter was indeed trapped on the beach by some kind of extraordinary power."
"This couldn't be achieved with mere props... But if she truly possessed such power, why would she bother preparing so many props?"
Heizou pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up.
"I've figured out the identity of the woman you described. Let's head back to the beach and see what we can find."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what Heizou meant.
However, trusting that Heizou wouldn't deceive them and knowing that the truth awaited them at the beach, they hurried back.
The three small yokai tried to follow, but Heizou stopped them.
"I need you to go back and tell the others not to panic or waste their time searching the forest. The truth has surfaced. It's time to end the unnecessary panic and wait for the Test of Courage to conclude."
-
At the beach.
Yuna held a plate of fried tofu, her small mouth puffed out as she ate.
"Lady Guuji, are we really doing the right thing?"
Yae Miko finished a piece of tofu, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction. "Everyone in Chinju Forest is panicked because of Chizuru. It would be such a waste to hide these delicious fried tofu."
The miko beside her, the one who had hosted the Test of Courage earlier, also held a plate of fried tofu.
"Chizuru's inner turmoil needs to be resolved," Yae Miko said between bites. "The Traveler is the key to that. Hehe, and of course, the little one's cooking is essential too~"
Yae Miko ate with elegant grace, yet her speed never faltered.
Yuna and the miko each finished their portions, while Yae Miko devoured the rest.
Having devoured the last bite, Yae Miko stood up and stretched languidly. "Come now, little one. It's time to reveal the truth."
-
Beside Akitsu Yuugei.
Heizou had already revealed the woman's true identity.
The woman was a tsukumogami, a small yokai born from an inanimate object—in this case, the hagoita (battledore) that would be sought in the Third Round Test of Courage.
Long ago, during the Mikawa Flower Festival, a samurai and a great yokai forged a deep friendship. They vowed to meet every decade to spar, drink, and play together.
Alas, a mortal's life is too fleeting. By their final reunion, the samurai had grown frail with age.
The woman, also known as Hanyuuda Chizuru, was the tsukumogami that had materialized from the hagoita used by the samurai and the great yokai during their Akitsu Haneasobi games.
After recounting the story, Chizuru sighed:
"From 'something to look forward to' to 'something to regret'—all within a mere few decades. Lord Kamai's appearance remains unchanged, yet the dear friend before him has grown old and withered. The joy of reunion eventually boils down to the bitter poison of regret."
"They say the bystander sees clearer, but witnessing all this has taught me a cruel truth: every regrettable event was destined to happen from the very beginning—"
"We and humans have different lifespans and natures, yet we share the same land, drawn to each other, only to part ways in haste."
"When the dream fades, all that remains is enduring longing and inconsolable pain..."
"If even wise, mature great yokai suffer so, how much more agonizing must it be for innocent, gentle little yokai to face such partings?"
Heizou fell into deep thought, while Lumine's expression froze slightly.
She... could understand Chizuru's feelings...