The Dark Sea wasn't far from the Grand Narukami Shrine. Since Reisen Riou wasn't a Shogunate samurai, he parted ways with the Tengu General at the Kanjou Commission's gate.
After registering, he and the mikos prepared to return to the shrine. The Narukami Grand Festival was still in prep, but everyone seemed rushed, for reasons unclear.
Reisen Riou was curious about his sudden draft but knew some things weren't for him to pry into. Plus, he had a score to settle with Anko Kanno for knocking him out and dragging him to the battlefield.
What a move—clubbing him and tossing him into war. If the front hadn't been confirmed safe, he'd have thought she held some deep grudge. Safe or not, it was no excuse. Officially, his Ritou Shrine guardian status outranked her senior miko role by half a tier.
Strictly speaking, her stunt was insubordination (though his "superiority" wasn't absolute).
But Anko wasn't in her assigned dorm.
Reisen Riou interrogated seven or eight junior mikos before learning she was at the banquet hall.
Fuming, he stormed there to confront her.
But when he found Anko, he was stuck. She'd ducked behind Yae Miko, the Grand Narukami Shrine's chief priestess.
The hall wasn't just hosting Yae. The Electro Archon, who should've been patrolling Inazuma City, was there, with Raiden Ei at her side.
The doors were inexplicably open. Reisen Riou got nabbed the moment he arrived—when Yae beckoned, how could he refuse?
Glancing at the head table, he noted Inazuma's top brass was nearly all present, save the Tri-Commission heads and General Chiyo of the Oni.
Reisen Riou didn't dare act out. Glaring at Anko, he took the lowest seat—a last-minute cushion—under Yae's teasing. He wasn't alone; other youkai mikos and samurai sat similarly.
The bigshots' talk centered on the recent Dark Sea invasion, led by Raiden Ei, with others listening.
Nothing new—scoffing at the Dark Sea's "losers," vowing to crush them next time, claiming they'd suffered badly. Standard post-battle bravado.
Then, junior mikos set small tables with dishes before Reisen Riou.
The bigshots continued, Yae now leading, discussing the festival. The Dark Sea's hasty invasion went unnoticed by most civilians, except a few Kanjou Commission villages.
The festival proceeded smoothly elsewhere. Yae griped that modern junior mikos were too martial-focused, lacking skills in rituals, hospitality, or promotion.
She used "Budo Miko" as an example—not to dunk, but to praise.
"Look at this girl—strong in martial arts, adept at rituals, and solid at hospitality."
Reisen Riou, at the low seat, twitched. If you weren't eyeing Raiden Ei, I might buy it.
Anko's martial and ritual skills? Sure. Hospitality? She was on his level—clueless. Ritou Shrine only gained local fame with Ritou's town magistrate's help.
After her knockout stunt, Reisen Riou was convinced Anko's people skills were worse than his. How else could she pull such a reckless move?
He thought this but kept it mental, recalling past "mind-read" scares. This time, he threw in random thoughts mid-rant.
It worked—no bigshot seemed to notice his inner grumbling.
By the end, Anko was hyped as the new miko archetype.
Raiden Ei beamed—until she noticed her special desserts were gone, all in Yae's mouth.
"…"
As the two nearly brawled, Raiden Makoto stepped in, smoothing things over. No fight broke out.
The bigshots' camaraderie was tight, Reisen Riou noted.
Next, a chatty Kamisato girl took over. Reisen Riou glanced around—only he, a few human Vision-wielding Shogunate generals, and nearby Okuzume were male.
Unlike his eavesdropping, these guys were pros, sitting stone-faced, eyes down, minds blank.
Reisen Riou realized he was courting death, gawking at bigshot gossip. He mimicked the samurai—eyes on nose, nose on heart.
Boring, but time flew in this meditative state.
The private banquet soon ended.
The Raiden sisters, Okuzume, and a few human samurai left first. They had much to do, and the Narukami Grand Festival was reportedly starting tonight.
Wasn't it days away? Reisen Riou wondered, too scared to ask.
He turned to vent on Anko.
But this irked his direct boss, Yae Miko.
As Ritou Shrine's guardian, Reisen Riou answered to two entities: the Kanjou Commission for faith and festivals, and the Grand Narukami Shrine for shrines and youkai. Yae, the shrine's chief priestess, was his top superior.
"Enjoyed the gossip, hmm?" Yae purred.
Reisen Riou gulped. Karma hits fast.
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