"Shogun-sama... are you all right?"
As soon as the two returned, Ayaka immediately stood and went to the Shogun's side, looking at her with concern.
"...I'm fine. It's just... I embarrassed myself."
She lowered her eyes, looking somewhat ashamed. Losing like that in front of Ayaka was still rather embarrassing, even if the person she had lost to was her own mother.
"How could you say that? Shogun-sama was already incredibly impressive. Ayaka couldn't even follow what was happening during the fight just now. You were truly amazing."
Ayaka immediately shook her head in disagreement. Having sparred with the Shogun herself in the past, she knew better than anyone how strong the woman before her truly was.
"You really think so?"
She asked.
"Of course. I truly do."
Ayaka answered.
"Haa... You're so good to me."
She sighed, somewhat mentally exhausted, yet still unable to keep herself from marveling at Ayaka's kindness.
"Hehe~ It's only what I should do."
"Since when did you become so concerned about saving face?"
Ei returned the two Amenoma Kageuchi to the weapon racks in the distance, then walked over to the Shogun and teased her.
"...And since when did you become so unwilling to let me save face?"
The Shogun gave her a practiced roll of the eyes as she asked. Ayaka had been watching right there, yet Ei had shown absolutely no consideration for her feelings during their spar.
"I've always been like this... I've never changed."
Ei smoothly sat back down on the tatami and smiled at her.
"...Dense woman~!"
"—!"
Ei finally snapped upon hearing that. She shot to her feet and looked around for something she could use. Her eyes first landed on the geta beside her foot, and she was about to pick one up before her heart softened at the thought that it might hurt the girl's bottom too much. Then she noticed a light novel lying at the edge of the table. Her eyes lit up. She grabbed it in one hand like a paddle and immediately chased after the brat across from her!
"Raiden Shogun, get over here!"
"!"
The Shogun immediately and expertly hid behind Ayaka, using the girl like a shield between herself and Ei, leaving the Shirasagi Himegimi caught helplessly in the middle.
"Get out here. Is your bottom itching for a spanking?"
Ei tried to get around her, but Ayaka stopped her.
"L-Lady Ei, please don't do this... Please don't resort to violence..."
Left with no choice, Ayaka was forced to side with the Shogun, doing her best to restrain the woman before her and calm her anger.
"Exactly. Trying to spank me the moment we disagree... W-What kind of behavior is that?"
The Shogun added fuel to the fire from behind her.
"What kind of behavior? Then what kind of behavior is hiding behind someone else the moment trouble starts?"
"S-Shogun-sama... please say a little less—"
Exhausted, Ayaka turned and admonished the woman behind her.
"Ayaka, do you still want to be with her in the future?"
Ei suddenly relaxed her grip with complete composure, folded her arms, and asked coldly.
"Eh? I... um..."
Ayaka instantly trembled. All of her confidence disappeared, and she immediately began to hesitate.
"If you still want to see her, then why don't you move aside now?"
Ei asked cunningly.
"Ayaka, don't listen to her threats. She's lying to you."
The Shogun was starting to feel nervous too. Afraid that Ayaka might genuinely step aside, she softly warned the girl in front of her.
"Shogun-sama..."
Ayaka glanced at her, conflicted.
"I mean what I say."
Ei spoke coldly.
"Ugh..."
Ayaka's face went pale as she pressed her lips together.
"I-It's all right. If that really happens... I'll just go to the Kamisato Estate myself..."
Seeing this, the Shogun genuinely became afraid that Ayaka would move aside. She hurriedly grabbed the girl's hand and spoke in a fluster.
"..."
Ayaka looked back and forth between the troublesome mother and daughter in anguish. In the end, she bit her lip and looked toward Ei.
"I-I'm sorry, Lady Ei. Even so... I won't move."
She spoke through clenched lips.
"..."
Ei froze slightly, then helplessly exhaled.
"I knew you'd do that... Fine..."
She shook her head and turned as though she intended to leave. The moment both of them relaxed their guard, however, a flash of lightning carried her behind the Shogun. She wrapped an arm around the girl's waist, hauled her over, and pinned her directly onto the tatami.
"Wuah—!!"
The Shogun let out an adorable shriek as her whole body toppled backward with a thump.
"You thought I'd give up that easily? Unfortunately for you, I'm very stubborn."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ei straddled the waist of the woman beneath her, then mercilessly pinned both of her struggling arms against the floor. Restrained beneath her, the Shogun's face went pale as she continually twisted her delicate body, but it accomplished nothing. Ei held both her arms down with her hands. Even though the Shogun's legs were free, it was difficult to dislodge the woman sitting atop her, and the more she struggled, the weaker she became.
"Wait—Haa..."
By the time Ayaka reacted and started to turn around, she already felt that it was too late. Faced with the scene before her, she could only raise her folding fan over her eyes and turn her gaze away.
"Ugh—! You're so heavy..."
After struggling a few times, the Shogun began to lose strength. Her white-stockinged legs gradually pressed together as she looked up at the perfectly composed Ei and complained.
"Do you admit you were wrong?"
Ei ignored her nonsense and went straight to the point.
"No—"
"—!"
At once, Ei moved a hand as though she were about to pinch her bottom.
"Wuah~ I-I was wrong..."
Seeing that the situation had turned against her, the Shogun immediately changed her answer.
"You... Haa... Haven't you been getting more and more mischievous lately?"
Ei pinched her cheek.
"I'm about the same... I was like this before too."
With her cheek being pinched, even her words came out somewhat muffled...
"..."
Ei exhaled, then looked toward Ayaka, who was still covering her eyes with her folding fan and refusing to look in their direction. She could not help smiling before turning her attention back to the girl beneath her.
"(Treat her well.)"
She gave the quiet instruction.
"(You don't have to tell me...)"
The Shogun puffed out her cheeks at her.
"You'd better."
Ei got up and restored her freedom. The Shogun breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat upright, pulling her kimono collar back into place before it could slip any farther. She felt rather exhausted from the little spectacle the two of them had just created. Perhaps this was simply what an ordinary day looked like when she and her mother had nothing to do in Tenshukaku. She rather liked it.
...
After that, the two finally stopped making trouble. If they kept it up, Ayaka would not be able to take much more of it—and not in that sense.
The Shogun personally brewed tea for Ei and Ayaka. Ayaka tried to stand and make the tea for her instead, but the Shogun rejected her with the same reason she always gave: "You're the guest."
As the three chatted, the purpose behind Ayaka's visit today happened to come up. Usually, Ayaka came simply to see the Shogun, but today she had sensed that the girl had not come for such a simple reason. She had clearly arrived with something in mind.
"Actually, it's about the Akitsu Festival."
Ayaka revealed her purpose.
"...The Akitsu Festival?"
The Shogun froze. Does she mean that event the Yashiro Commission has been preparing these past few days? I heard there was some kind of Test of Courage too. I don't really know much about it, though Ei probably does.
"Yes... Preparations have been underway recently, and it will officially begin tonight."
Ayaka nodded.
"Mm—the Akitsu Festival, also known as Akitsu Yuugei, is a traditional Inazuman event passed down from long ago. Back then, all manner of youkai were still alive. It was very lively, with many different activities."
Ei rested her chin on one hand as she reminisced about the past. She and Makoto had often gone there together, so her memories of it were still quite vivid.
"That's right, just as Lady Ei said."
Ayaka quietly answered from behind her folding fan. She had also looked through some information about it beforehand.
"I see. Then you came today because...?"
Having understood, the Shogun looked at the girl in confusion.
"Oh... Well, I came today because I wanted to invite Shogun-sama to go... enjoy the festival with me tonight. ///"
By the time she reached those words, Ayaka could no longer suppress her embarrassment, and her face turned red. Her folding fan concealed it from view, but the implication in her gaze was unmistakable. Her eyes shyly drifted aside, carrying all the bashful affection of a sheltered young lady speaking to her beloved.
In truth, she was actually very busy that day, but she had deliberately cleared her schedule so that she could spend the evening enjoying the festival with the Shogun.