Haunted Tales

Hey, you guys finally made it!

I was searching for hours. Still didn't see any sign of those three, so I decided to come back.

How about you? Find anything?

Uh, it's kinda hard to explain...

We never managed to find those three, either.

I see... So you came up empty-handed, too.

Well, it doesn't matter! I already came up with a new plan!

Huh? What plan?

Shinobu told me a saying after she got back from studying in Liyue. It went something like... "The something by day becomes..." Uhh, something by night?

"The hunter by day becomes the hunted by night."

Yeah, that's what I said! C'mon, keep up!

Anyway, I was so focused on scaring people last round that those three dressed up as ghosts caught me completely off guard.

But not this time! Oh no! I'll be hiding nearby and waiting for those three to emerge first, then I'll nail 'em with a surprise attack.

You two just gotta keep playing it natural and join the contest. Got it? Okay, see ya later!

Wait, Itto! Ugh, he ran off again!

Well, his plan does make some sense at least... Let's go talk to the shrine maiden so we can join the second round.

Mwahahaha... Congratulations on winning the first round of the Test of Courage.

Now you're one step closer to the dark, messy truth. But is that really a good thing?

Hey, cut the nonsense! What we just saw was super terrifying!

Oh, really? Good to hear.

Hearing the words "super terrifying" is exactly what all us event organizers would like to hear.

Ugh no, that's not what Paimon means! Something mysterious is also happening here, not just the event!

So what? You've heard the stories about the Test of Courage, haven't you?

Everyone who participates in the event faces a variety of emotions.

People are afraid of seeing their innermost fears appear before them, yet they still seek the thrill of experiencing those fears.

So isn't it natural for us to have things in the dark and deathly silent forest to help fulfill that experience?

Just like the grinning monster standing behind you right now, waiting for you to turn around...

Aaaah!!! Really!?

Hehehe... I knew a little trick like that wouldn't be enough to scare you off.

So, congrats on passing this test. The second round of the Test of Courage will begin shortly.

Have you found your partner yet?

Huh? But don't we already have a partner from the last round...?

Yes, your team's outstanding effort certainly won you the last round.

So it's understandable that you'd want to pair up with your previous partner... But unfortunately, you must find a different partner for each round of the event.

If you don't have a partner by the time the next round begins, then...

Yeah, yeah, Paimon already knows! If we don't have a partner in time, then we'll be disqualified!

Let's ask around and see if there's anyone looking for a partner!

Don't freak out, boys! Whatever happens, I'll protect you!

You're the best, Boss!

Heya Traveler, Paimon! I had a feeling you two would be here!

Oh, Yoimiya! You're here too?

Mm-hmm. I was also here for the first round, but I arrived a little early, so maybe that's why I didn't see you.

By the way, I heard you were the winners. Impressive! I eventually found the hidden Dango Milk too, but it was already too late.

Hehe... Actually, Paimon still doesn't know how we managed to find it.

Paimon was just hiding behind him the whole time, and somehow we won!

Traveler, you never told me you were so good at this sort of event... You weren't keeping it a secret, were you?

Anyway, would ya like to pair up with me? We'd be an amazing team! With us working together, the second round will be a piece of cake.

Hehe, awesome! Don't worry, you'll see that being on my team is a blast!

Now let's get out there and win this thing... We'll move faster than a firework shooting straight into the sky! It'll be like WHOOOSHHH and the round will be ours!

So you must be Hitotsume Kozou!

Y—Yes!

Hehe, no need to be nervous. I'm Yoimiya, and I run Naganohara Fireworks.

Oh...! I once saw some Naganohara fireworks... Even though I was watching from a distance, they were still so beautiful, bursting across the sky...

Really? Then the next time we meet, I'll bring some fireworks for us to launch together! It'll be fun!

Wow, really? Thank you very much... And, if I may ask, are you Lord Kaedehara Kazuha?

Yes, that's me, but I'm afraid that I'm no lord... just a wandering samurai.

I've seen you with your sword in the wilderness... You made quick work of many opponents with your amazing swordsmanship.

Ah, that must have been when I was trying to escape Inazuma... It wasn't as impressive as you make it seem. I had to face many trying situations before I was able to leave the islands.

The head of the Kamisato Clan also lent me his assistance at the time. By the way, this is his sister.

Oh, so y—you must be the one and only Shirasagi Himegimi? What an honor...

There's no need to be so formal...

I never imagined I'd ever meet someone as distinguished as you! I must be dreaming...!

Hey, don't you want to go talk to them, too?

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm rather shy...

Really? That's strange, you seemed completely fine when we were chatting.

I'm not sure why, but I feel so relaxed when talking with you, General Gorou.

Actually, I'm the most timid of the three of us. I hid for days the last time someone tossed a stone into the river...

Ah! Sorry for rambling on. It's odd... I'm not normally like this...

It's okay. You can't excel at everything. The important thing is to have the courage to change.

Hey there, chatting away I see... Mind if I join you?

I've never seen a Kappa before.

H—Hello there.

Thank you for bringing so many amazing people to meet us, Itto.

Hahaha! It's nothing! Being the "The One and Oni" means being the best, you know.

Oh — I should mention that, uh, I even have my own gang, and every member has a special title!

Classic Itto... There you go, bragging about yourself... again!

Don't confuse them! Everyone's here for the Test of Courage, not because you brought them here! Half the people here don't even know who you are!

Hey! This is my moment, Paimon! Don't ruin it for me!

Hehe, Itto really isn't as cool as he claims to be.

When it comes to having connections in Inazuma, nobody can beat Paimon and Traveler!

Oh yeah!? Alright, well then let's have a little contest and see who knows the most people!

Sure! Bring it on, Bull-Chucker Beetle Boy!

Ahem... please don't fight. Actually, I think you're both really amazing.

And you also have a great friendship. Just like Lord Kamai and the samurai...

Haha, well, of course—

Boss!!!

Oh, it's the boys!

Darn it! I was so caught up with the youkai that I forgot I was supposed to scare the daylights outta the gang!

Boss!

Ahem... hey fellas, look, I can explain, I—

Boss, we're sorry!!!

Wait, what now?

We shouldn't have ever doubted you, Boss. You were right!

Yeah, the Test of Courage is terrifying! Th—There are definitely ghosts here!!!

I still get shivers just thinking about it... But the thrill was kinda fun...

Oh... uh... hahaha well, I told you it would be an exhilarating experience, but noooo, none of you believed me.

Anyway, no need to be too scared now. Let me tell you what's happening here...

It turns out, there aren't any ghosts here, all the scary stuff you saw was just a little misunderstanding we had with the youkai.

Right?

Ah... Sorry, but I've never seen these three before.

I'm not sure where you've been or what you've seen, but I don't think it had anything to do with us...

Huh?

Huh?

Huh?

H—Hold on, little Youko... You're kidding, right? You know, now's really not the time for that!

N—No, I'm serious. I really don't know what's going on...

But if it wasn't you guys... does that mean there are real ghosts out here!?

Wait a minute, we did meet some lady who was all dressed up...

Ah, that's right! Paimon assumed she was a youkai too, and we even played Akitsu Yuugei with her.

...

*gulp* I—I'm not sure who it was you met...

But we're the only three youkai who wanted to hold a festival here...

Ah! So she was a ghost?

Ah, Boss! Save us!

Calm down! Everyone j—just calm down now!

What's all the noise about?

Hmm? Oh, you're the Tenryou Commission's...

Heizou!

There's nothing to fear. Even if there really is a ghost, all your noise would drive it away.

Itto, you and your gang should go and inform the other contestants about the situation.

Traveler, Paimon, please come with me.

Oh... Okay!

Phew... Paimon somehow feels a little better now that Heizou's here...

Could the rumors be true then? Do strange phenomena really happen every time the Test of Courage is held...?

Please, be careful.

Unease pervades the air, and fear is spreading.

Maybe this is the real Test of Courage...? It's already becoming an unforgettable experience for me.

"Recite this to yourself, keep your mind clear and at peace. Free your thoughts from spirits and ghosts"...

Those were Her Excellency's remarks in the directive. She once said, "There is nothing to be afraid of as long as your conscience is clear."

If only Her Excellency were here. She would get to the bottom of all this in no time.

So is there really a ghost around here?

I'm gonna go look for it. I've never seen a ghost before! Oh, how exciting!

I believe my lord had foreseen this situation...

He has my absolute trust, but given Lady Ayaka is still here, we must get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

Shh... this is one of my usual hiding spots. It's always safe here.

Let me show you a trick. Just cover your eyes, and the scary things will go away...

Uhh, hellooo? Miss shrine maiden...? Strange, she isn't here.

Waaaah! What's this? Look, there's something written in red on the bulletin board!

"Round 3... Item... Hagoita."

Does this mean that the item we have to find in the third round is a hagoita?

The shrine maiden appears to be urging us to finish the third round of the Test of Courage.

But where did she go?

*gasp* Has she been taken away by a ghost!?

Will Paimon be next!? *gulp* Oh, Paimon won't ever leave your side now!

The words are scribbled hastily, but there's no evidence of a struggle. However... aren't there too many words written here?

What did you notice, Heizou?

I believe that the three items chosen for this three-round contest were each selected by the three organizing parties.

The Dango Milk was chosen by the merchant who funded the event, and the fan was chosen by the Yashiro Commission, which provided the staff.

So, does the hagoita, which should have been chosen by the Grand Narukami Shrine, have any unique significance?

Let's worry about that later. The bigger question is, are we really going to join the third round of the Test of Courage?

Paimon would love to win the grand prize, but our safety comes first!

How about we... make a tactical retreat!

I still have my commission to complete, so I'll stay.

Fear arises from mystery, and it's a detective's job to unearth the truth from the mystery.

Huh, Paimon somehow feels a little better after hearing you say that...

Okay then, let's wait for a while.

Maybe the shrine maiden had something to take care of and will be back soon...

Hehe! Look what we have here! Isn't this the fan we're looking for?

Wow, it has such a beautiful design on it. Are those fireworks? It seems to be for some sort of festival!

So now that we've found this fan, does that mean we've won the second round of the Test of Courage? Let's bring it back!

Phew... Thank goodness it's over!

Hmm, wonder if Itto's still out trying to capture those three from earlier. Paimon's a little worried about him... Why don't we have a look around?

Hmm? Is there something else you need to take care of? How about I take the fan back, then?

Thank you~! That would help.

No need to thank me. It's been a blast doing the Test of Courage with you guys! I'd love to do it again!

Phew... this place should be safe.

I can't believe I made it this far. Hey, did I get any taller?

Really? Ah, that's great!

Enough about that. Look! Isn't this the fan we're looking for?

It has fireworks printed on it, so it must be for some kind of festival!

So does that mean the second round of the Test of Courage is over now?

Yep, seems like it. Haha, we've won again!

Great. *yawn* Because I was just starting... to feel sleepy...

Hmm, wonder if Itto's still out trying to capture those three from earlier. Paimon's a little worried about him... Why don't we have a look around?

In that case, I'll take the fan back with me and have a little nap. Just don't stay out here too long...

Ah, this must be the fan we're looking for.

Seems we're the first to find it, too. Our luck's not so bad after all.

Let Paimon see... Oh, it has fireworks printed on it, so it must be for some sort of festival!

Huh... Paimon thought Ayato would choose a folding fan... You know, like the kind Ayaka usually uses.

You're right, this fan doesn't appear to be something my lord would usually use...

Anyway, let's head back now that we've found it.

Hmm, wonder if Itto's still out trying to capture those three from earlier. Paimon's a little worried about him... Why don't we have a look around?

Hmm? Are you planning to stay here? Then allow me to take the fan back.

But remember, you're only one round away from taking home the special prize! Make sure you get yourselves ready and give it your best shot.

You appear to have found a partner. Let's see if you can repeat your luck from the first round.

Though, whether winning should be considered "good luck" or not is debatable, hehehe...

Anyway, I will now reveal the item you'll be searching for in the second round of the Test of Courage.

It's... a "fan."

A fan? You mean like the thing we use to keep cool when it's hot out?

Correct. The fan was personally selected by the Yashiro Commissioner himself, and has been placed somewhere in the Chinju Forest.

There will be signs to guide the way, but beware, the darkness that lurks in the forest is drawing nearer.

Mwahahahaha... Remember, if you can't go on any further, you can always give up and live to see another day.

We'll never give up! Let's go!

Have you found a partner yet?

*snoring* Huh? Ah, you found me...

Hey, Sayu! Are you here for the Test of Courage, too?

Yes... *yawn*

She looks like she just woke up... No wait, she's actually trying to fall asleep!

The Test of Courage is too scary, so I keep my eyes closed to not feel scared.

But as soon as I close my eyes, it's really easy to fall asleep...

During the first round, a big bull-headed beast leaped out of nowhere and scared me half to death, so I ran and hid behind a tree.

I closed my eyes and tried to hide for a while, but it was really dark and I fell asleep... By the time I woke up, the round was already over.

A big bull-headed beast... Wait, that sounds like Ushi!

Now, no one wants to partner up with me for the second round.

Oh, poor Sayu... Wait, but why would you join the Test of Courage in the first place?

Oh, because I heard that being frightened causes you to grow taller...

What kind of silly idea is that!? That's just a load of baloney!

I wasn't sure if it was true, either, but since I heard it could help people grow taller, I decided to give it a shot...

Well, Sayu doesn't have a partner yet. Should we team up with her?

Really? You're willing to be my partner?

Great... But please keep an eye on me, and don't let me fall asleep again.

It's pretty scary here, but I'm going to face my fears this time.

Hey there! Congrats on winning the first round of the Test of Courage.

Thoma! Wait, were you also a contestant in the first round?

I sure was! But I couldn't shake this constant feeling that someone was secretly following me the entire round.

He didn't seem to be from the Yashiro Commission, and I was concerned that he might be out to stir up trouble at the event, so I tried to capture him.

I didn't expect him to run so fast. I gave chase for a while, but I couldn't keep up... and before I knew it, the round was over.

Hmm, is there a chance he wasn't there to cause trouble? Maybe he was just trying to scare people.

Coming all the way to the Test of Courage to scare people? Well, I guess the world is full of all kinds of weirdos...

Anyway, I'm gonna be sure to show everyone my abilities in the second round.

Oh, Paimon remembers you once mentioned that you like kaidan...

Yeah, that's right. Once I really get into it, you might find me to be your toughest competitor.

Haha, I'm only kidding, of course. I'm not here for the prizes, just to have fun.

My lord has granted me a rare vacation, so I'd rather spend my time relaxing than worrying about some contest.

Speaking of which, have you found a partner yet? Would you like to pair up with me?

Really? Thank you.

I can't guarantee we'll be able to win the second round, but I'll do my best to help. Let's give it our best shot!

So, made up your mind yet? Do you wanna team up with me?

Hehe, awesome! Don't worry, you'll see that being on my team is a blast!

Now let's get out there and win this thing... We'll move faster than a firework shooting straight into the sky! It'll be like WHOOOSHHH and the round will be ours!

Oh, will you pair up with me for the Test of Courage?

Really? You're willing to be my partner?

Great... But please keep an eye on me, and don't let me fall asleep again.

It's pretty scary here, but I'm going to face my fears this time.

Haha, want to team up with me?

Really? Thank you.

I can't guarantee we'll be able to win the second round, but I'll do my best to help. Let's give it our best shot!

Wow Itto, you really captured them!

Seriously, why didn't you run when I told you?

What're you saying... We couldn't abandon you!

Yeah, that's right! So just get on with it... If you're gonna eat us, then you'll have to deal with all three of us!

We won't back down, even if... even if we're already in your stomach!

Who said we were going to eat you? Wait, are you the ghosts of something tasty?

And Itto, why're you so quiet all of a sudden?

Hmm... I have a weird feeling that I've seen these three somewhere before...

Ah, I know! These are all creatures from the Ultimate Youkai Field Guide that granny used to show me!

There's Youko, Kappa, and Hitotsume Kozou! They're all youkai.

It sure took you long enough to notice.

Well, we recognized you right away! You're an oni, aren't you?

According to legends, oni are grouchy, extremely strong, and crush other youkai into balls to eat them up!

Pfff! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Who came up with that!?

Besides, you're the ones people are scared of! Hiding behind bushes and scaring people off the road, what are you trying to do here?

Don't think I didn't see you! ...Following him around and conjuring up all sorts of weird, scary stuff.

Aha, so it was you three!

No, we weren't trying to scare anyone. We were just trying to, uh...

...

...

Really? You're not mad?

Even though you scared the daylights out of Paimon a few times, it doesn't seem like you were doing it on purpose.

Anyway, let's hear your side of the story and Paimon will decide whether or not to forgive you!

Ahem, well, the truth is... we were planning a festival.

One hosted by the youkai, but humans are also welcome to attend.

You mean, the Mikawa Flower Festival?

Ah, the festival that Ei mentioned!

Mikawa Flower Festival... huh, that does ring a bell.

Ah right, it used to be hosted by the top youkai. I heard it was supposed to be a lot of fun... I mean, not as fun as my Almighty Arataki Great and Glorious Drumalong Festival, but still...

Yes, the Mikawa Flower Festival is our aspiration... But we know that our festival doesn't deserve that name.

The times of Hyakkiyakou are long gone, we're just a bunch of little youkai living in the wilderness.

As you can see, we lack the necessary youkai powers to put on such a grand festival.

But... we're determined to still reach out to humans and express our gratitude.

Huh? Gratitude? What do you mean?

Mm-hmm. You see, we live in the wilderness and are frequently attacked by monsters.

They would come and stir up trouble on our land, forcing us to hand over our food... Sometimes they would even get rough and leave us injured.

But later, many human adventurers came into the wilderness and drove off the monsters, allowing us to live in peace.

Ah, I get it now. You wanna repay the favor, but your powers are too puny!

Hey, don't let it get to ya. You might be a bunch of pip-squeaks, but you're all solid youkai in my book!

So are you the ones who set up the Akitsu Yuugei game on the beach?

Yep, that was us! Have you tried it yet? Isn't it fun?

We drew inspiration from the legendary Akitsu HazuraHaneasobi. It took a lot of youkai power to set it up.

After that, we didn't have much youkai power left, so we set up some stalls in the forest to add to the festival atmosphere...

We were just following you to see your reactions.

Is the Akitsu Yuugei really that important? Why did you spend all of your youkai power to build it?

Paimon would have taken Traveler for a big meal if you had set up more food stalls!

Really?

To be honest, we've never met a human before, so we had no idea what you would like...

We focused on building the Akitsu Yuugei because of a legend we heard.

Ah, I know the one!

It's the story of youkai meeting a human during a festival hundreds of years ago.

The Mikawa Flower Festival is meant to bring happiness to all who attend, and Akitsu HazuraHaneasobi is a symbol of friendship.

That's why, when we decided to hold the festival here, setting up Akitsu HazuraHaneasobi was our first priority.

Unfortunately, the real Akitsu HazuraHaneasobi has been lost to time. What we created is a version of the game we heard about from a wandering merchant, so we changed the name to Akitsu Yuugei.

We heard that someone had been trapped in Akitsu Yuugei.

Yeah, but that wasn't us!

We have no idea what could have gone wrong!

We closed Akitsu Yuugei a while ago and carefully checked it for any issues.

But, we didn't find anything wrong with it... Maybe it was just some strange mishap caused by our unstable youkai power at the time.

Hmm, they don't look like they're lying, and believe me, I know a liar when I see one! Maybe it really was just an accident.

After that incident, people stopped coming to the attraction.

Later, a human man with blue hair appeared and walked around the area...

He had a piercing gaze, I almost felt like he could see us.

But then he turned and quickly left without saying anything.

It wasn't long before large numbers of people began coming to the Chinju Forest!

And visitors were playing Akitsu Yuugei again. It was wonderful.

"A human man with blue hair"...?

It must have been Ayato.

Now that you mention it, the fan that Ayato chose is the same kind that's used at a festival... Do you think that he knew about the youkai when he decided to hold the Test of Courage here?

Oh, so my bro Ayato is here for the Test of Courage, too?

Or maybe he's here to catch Onikabuto... Ha, had I known that, I would have brought the one I caught a few days ago to battle him!

Wow, Itto's still clueless about who Ayato really is...

It's alright, no need to tell him for now.

Well anyway, seems like all the strange things we saw earlier were caused by these little youkai, not ghosts. What a relief...

And now that we know what was happening, the Test of Courage doesn't seem that scary after all!

Hey, you want to hang out with humans, right? I totally get that.

After all, we youkai are becoming a rare breed these days. If all we do is isolate, we'll only feel more lonely. So, why don't you let this oni do ya a favor, hmm?

See, I'm a youkai too, right, and I'm already a natural in human society. I bet there's not a single person in Inazuma who hasn't heard of Arataki "The One and Oni" Itto!

Hahaha! C'mon, let's go! I'll show you around!

Now that Paimon doesn't feel so scared anymore, maybe we can walk around the area?

The youkai said they wanted to host a festival, but Paimon was too busy having the bejeebers scared out of her to pay any attention until now.

Come to think of it, Paimon remembers seeing some festival-related items on the beach... Let's head over there and take a look. Maybe we can help out!

Wait! You're the strange lady we met before!

...Oh, it's you two again.

I have to say, I'm impressed by your willingness to approach me after last time. You're much braver than I thought.

But I'm not going to let you off the hook so easily this time. If you don't leave, I'll—

Hmph! Nice try, but you don't scare us anymore!

We just met your fellow youkai, and they told us everything!

Huh? Fellow youkai?

That's right! You're another little youkai who lives in the wilderness, aren't you? We just met Youko, Kappa, and Hitotsume Kozou!

So which type of youkai are you? Let Paimon guess... uh... hmm, actually Paimon has no idea what you are!

Anyway, it doesn't matter. We're on our way to play Akitsu Yuugei, care to join us?

Akitsu Yuugei, again that game...

How could this be happening now? All I needed was a little more time, and I could...!

Huh? What's the matter? Are you not feeling well?

Oh! Maybe you're hungry? Or maybe you didn't sleep well? You look pretty exhausted.

Don't worry. Itto has already taken your fellow youkai to meet some new friends! Everyone will get along just fine.

Yeah, so there's no need to worry. C'mon, let's go play Akitsu Yuugei!

We'll see who can finish the game the quickest. The loser will have to grant the winner a wish!

Oh, it's starting! Get ready!

Amazing! You cleared all the elemental cubes so quickly.

Hehe, Paimon thinks we got this in the bag! Alright, it's your turn.

...Okay, watch and learn.

No way, she hit every cube in one shot and finished even faster than you, Traveler!

Uh, Paimon's head is spinning after watching that! Did you see how she did it?

Even if the rules have changed a little, I would never lose to amateurs like you.

Oh right, you're a youkai... You're the ones who created Akitsu Yuugei.

No wonder you were so good... Anyway, we'll keep our word; you can make a wish now.

But before you say anything, we won't do anything that's clearly impossible or harmful to others.

A wish, huh? Then I wish...

...that we never cross paths again.

Wait, what? But didn't we just have a great time together?

That's precisely why...

Don't ever come near me or speak to me again.

Surely that's a wish you can fulfill, right?

This is my final word of warning. If I ever see your faces again, I will, uh... I'll steal your souls!

Scared now? Good, then don't come here again!

Uhh, Paimon doesn't get it... Did we do something wrong?

Maybe she just wants to be left alone.

Fair enough... But Paimon had a lot of fun playing Akitsu Yuugei with her! It would be great if we could see her again.

Anyway, let's go see how Itto's doing!