Chapter 278 278: Shido Tawawa War (Part 1)

January 1st, the first day of the new year.

The first shrine visit of the year was called hatsumode.

For the people of this country, it was a very important occasion. Many even lined up outside temples and shrines on the night of the thirty first.

Needless to say, for a shrine, this was also the busiest day of the entire year. Even Tengu City was no exception.

The first prayer of the new year.

Replacing old amulets.

The shrine's special exorcism arrows.

The cute kimono worn by visiting girls.

And the beautiful shrine maidens.

In short, a shrine on New Year's was the liveliest and most distinctive it would be all year.

Especially right now...

"Everyone, please line up properly when praying. Smoking and photography are prohibited inside the shrine."

A cute shrine maiden with blue hair and a four leaf clover hairpin was maintaining order in the line. (TL:saw this from miles away~ Yumetsuki my friend probably disguise around here somewhere~(laugh))

"There's warm amazake over here. If you're feeling cold, come have some... glug glug."

A shrine maiden with night colored hair was handing out warm amazake to the visitors while also taking little cups for herself and happily cradling them in her hands as she drank.

"You're not allowed to sneak drinks, okay? That was already your sixth cup, right? Even amazake can make you drunk. It really can."

A cute shrine maiden with green hair, wearing her usual sulky expression, was trying to stop her.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Stop hitting on the shrine maidens! What do you even have in your heads, cockroaches? Caterpillars? If there's a next time, I'll make you regret being born into this world!"

A shrine maiden with red twin tails and a black ribbon was venomously lashing out at the boys trying to flirt with the shrine maidens.

"Should I hand him over to the police? Or I can deal with him on the spot."

A doll like shrine maiden with white hair was pinning down a man who had tried to get handsy, using a level of professional grappling that looked military grade.

"Ahh! Everyone's outfits are so cute! If I get to see this many adorable shrine maidens right at the start of the year, my luck this year is definitely going to be top tier!"

Even so, that still didn't stop the yuri monster shrine maiden with violet hair, beautiful as an idol, from harassing everyone.

"H-hello... an exorcism arrow? O-okay... h-here..."

"Oh my, being able to receive an exorcism arrow from such a cute shrine maiden means your luck this year is bound to be full to bursting! You might even have... p-e-a-c-h-b-l-o-s-s-o-m luck!"

The little shrine maiden with light blue hair, encouraged by the rabbit puppet on her hand, passed over an exquisitely made exorcism arrow to a visitor.

"Kukuku! I see, so this magical artifact that has lost its guardian power must now be destroyed? In that case, let my power cast it into the flames of hell!"

A shrine maiden full of chuunibyou energy was collecting the old amulets from visitors after a year of use.

"Blessing. Here is your new amulet. Please keep it safe."

A pair of twin shrine maidens with identical faces were handing out protective charms for the new year.

Jingle jingle!

And of course, among all of this, there was also a shrine maiden wearing a celestial crown, draped in a chihaya, holding kagura bells, dancing a sacred kagura for the New Year's ceremony.

That graceful dance added a sense of purity and blessing to the bustle of the new year.

_____________

Around noon.

"Fuaaah... I'm exhausted..."

After all the chaos, Mikoto, still in her shrine maiden outfit, too tired to even remove her celestial crown or chihaya, collapsed straight onto the tatami.

Yesterday, after rescuing Nia, everyone had brought her back to the shrine. Thanks to emergency treatment using medical Realizer equipment brought over from Ratatoskr's underground facilities, Nia had safely pulled through.

Then, after Nia woke up, Mikoto hadn't closed her eyes even once before starting the New Year's purification prayers on New Year's Eve, then the New Year's festival itself. She had worked straight through the night and all the way until now.

"Ah, sorry, Miko-chan. You all ended up this tired because of me."

Nia, dressed in sportswear, said apologetically. Because of her injuries, she wasn't wearing shrine maiden clothes today.

"Not at all. If anything, the fact that we couldn't send you to Ratatoskr's underground facility for treatment was completely because of my selfishness."

Mikoto shook her head apologetically.

By all rights, Nia should have been sent to Ratatoskr to recover. However, without the other Spirits's help, there was no way Mikoto alone could manage the shrine during New Year's operations.

And as for the option of simply not opening the shrine for New Year's...

(Honestly, I don't even want to imagine what would happen to a shrine that didn't open for New Year's.)

So in the end, as a compromise that wouldn't interfere with Nia's treatment, everyone had simply moved their whole base of operations to the shrine.

"Ahh, if you put it like that, I don't even know how to respond."

Nia scratched her cheek awkwardly.

When she apologized to someone and got apologized to in return, it made her feel weirdly embarrassed and guilty.

"Ah, right! Look at this—Oppai Kagami Mochi!"

Suddenly, Nia grabbed a mikan orange and placed it on the side of Mikoto's chest as she lay on her side on the tatami.

With Mikoto's full breasts and the little orange placed on top, it really did look just like New Year's kagami mochi.

"Nia!"

Hearing what Nia called it and seeing the little orange resting against the side of her breast, Mikoto's face instantly turned red.

"Haha, Miko-chan's boobs really are amazing. Ahh, I never thought I'd get to recreate one of Himura-sensei's masterpieces. As expected of Miko-chan. Boy, this is a rare sight, you know. You'd better take a good look."

Nia said with a grin.

"Mm."

However, the response she got from Shido sounded like he was completely somewhere else mentally.

"Hm?"

Mikoto, who was trying to push away Miku, who wanted to eat the "kagami mochi", turned her head and looked at Shido in confusion.

If it were the usual Shido, she felt he should be blushing and flustered by now.

"Um, I'm going back out to maintain order."

With that, he stood up and walked out.

"That's weird. I thought that one would definitely work."

Looking at the little orange that had rolled onto the tatami, Nia said in confusion.

"Could it be... the boy isn't actually a big boobs fan?"

"What are you talking about? Even ultra herbivore Shido isn't going to be completely uninterested in girls."

Mikoto glanced at her own chest and said.

"No... maybe Shido likes the flatter type. Maybe that's actually his strike zone."

Kotori lowered her eyes to her own chest and said. (TL:heh)

"There's no way. Darling definitely likes girls with fuller figures, right? Ah, as for me, I love both the full and the petite ones."

Miku said while lifting her breasts with both arms.

"Regrettably. Since Shido chose me as his girlfriend, that proves he likes flatter girls."

Origami said in total seriousness.

"Eh?"

Sensing that the mood had turned strange, Mikoto turned and looked around the room.

"Wait..."

Kotori also noticed it. At some point, all the Spirits had gathered there, completely focused on listening to their conversation.

"Ahem."

Noticing that, Nia smiled the smile of someone who had just found the front row seats to a show.

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