Kamisato Ayaka was recommended by her brother. Ayato wanted his sister to have fun and relax, not always be so tense—her big brother's got the family covered.
Now that Ayaka's here and without a team, it just so happens the "little yellow-haired one" (Traveler) was recommended by Ayato too. It's as if he unwittingly handed his sister over to Lumine.
Upon learning that Paimon and the Traveler count as one participant, Kamisato Ayaka proactively offers to team up.
["By your side, I can't help but feel at ease. Ah, of course, if you'd prefer to team up with someone else, that's fine too…"]
By your side, she feels at ease—more accurately, by the Traveler's side, right?
Kamisato Ayato is excessively on guard. Something's not right—very not right!
In reality, Kamisato Ayaka is a bit nervous—not about being rejected, but about the possibility of losing composure in the story and embarrassing herself.
That would be a disgrace to the family—she's the face of the Yashiro Commission, after all.
But her courage when it comes to ghosts… isn't exactly robust.
The Yashiro Commission is, to some extent, the "face" of Inazuma, so Ayaka is practically Inazuma's face.
This prophetic book is read worldwide, and if she loses composure, the whole world will see it!
Thinking of this, Kamisato Ayaka's face flushes. It hasn't even happened yet, but she's already heating up.
In the story, the Traveler chooses to team up with Kamisato Ayaka. They need to find "Dango Milk" to complete the first round's challenge.
The three walk along a path in Chinju Forest, with Ayaka telling the Traveler a story.
She recounts a tale from a former retainer: long ago, a wandering samurai walked through a forest at night and suddenly felt as if he'd entered another world, with the surrounding trees watching him.
Readers can't help but imagine it. The fear isn't overwhelming, but it's undeniably creepy, sending chills down the spine.
Great. No one's scared them yet, but they've already given themselves a vulnerability debuff.
Talk about self-sabotage—like bringing your own green onions, ginger, and garlic to meet Hannibal Lecter.
[Paimon, voice trembling: "It'll be fine, right? If some weird thing jumps out, we'll… uh… teach it a lesson!"]
Spending so much time with the Traveler has rubbed off on Paimon—her first solution is to elbow anything that moves. The Traveler, after all, is never scared.
[???: "I'm so full of resentment…"]
The illustration is a distant view: on a quiet, deserted forest path, the Traveler and Kamisato Ayaka stand close together.
Ayaka clutches the hem of the Traveler's clothes. There's no one else around, and the source of the voice is unclear.
Chinju Forest is dark, lit only by fireflies, which, under the psychological weight of fear, start to seem eerie.
This freaks Paimon out, but the Traveler remains unfazed, following the sound's direction.
[Kamisato Ayaka, hurriedly following: "Please… don't go too far from me…"]
Upon closer inspection, they find an NPC hiding in the bushes.
[???: "Ah, I've been spotted? Shh… please, don't make a sound, or they'll dock my pay!"]
This scene leaves readers exasperated. The illustration had built a genuinely creepy atmosphere—Albedo's artistry is top-notch—but now it's ruined.
So unprofessional! Completely unprofessional! Refund! RNM, refund!
The Traveler doesn't bother with the unprofessional NPC and leads Ayaka away to continue searching for the quest item.
As they walk, small fireworks suddenly explode around them, like mini firecrackers.
It's startling because it's so sudden, but it's hardly terrifying.
Ayaka is spooked, slightly curling up to shield herself from the blasts, while the fearless Traveler, unfazed, plays the "lone knight saving the damsel."
See? Now they're holding hands.
Kamisato Ayato closes his eyes, resigned. He knew something was up with those two!
Good thing it's Lumine. If it were Aether…
Lumine pulls Ayaka away, but then Arataki Itto starts causing trouble.
He tosses a beetle in front of the two, kicking up dust that obscures their vision.
With their sight blocked, the two can only vaguely make out Kuki Shinobu's tail swaying, unsure what it is.
Paimon, flying above, isn't affected by the dust but is still scared, urging the Traveler to run.
The Traveler grabs Kamisato Ayaka, and they flee with Paimon as their eyes.
Once their vision clears, they stumble upon Dango Milk by sheer luck. They open a bottle, drink it, and chat.
There's more than one bottle of Dango Milk—only one needs to be submitted, so they can drink the rest.
Ei is stunned. You can just drink it? No need to hand the item to the shrine maiden?
Paimon is stunned too. Suddenly, the Courage Test doesn't seem so scary—it's even a bit exciting.
Lumine notices Paimon's anticipation and wonders if it's time to upgrade their meals. Decision made: she'll have Lucian whip up some otherworldly specialty dishes.
Lumine might be the only one who gets away with mooching off Lucian—everyone else gets mooched by him.
While thinking, Lumine spots, in the background of the illustration, a wild Raiden Ei walking from right to left, stopping at a cliff to gaze into the distance.
How to put it? This scene cracks readers up. Kamisato Ayaka is still sharing her thoughts on the experience, and behind her, their Shogun just casually strolls by.
And she's walking so ordinarily, just… legging it over.
Yae Miko can't help but want to laugh. Ei really is adorably clueless.
Since the story involves her, Lucian forbade her from reading it early.
Miss Fox grumbled and protested but complied obediently, never peeking.
Yae Miko is like that—her tongue may be sharp, but she's reliable, never crossing boundaries, and has high emotional intelligence.
Now, seeing Ei in the illustration, Yae Miko finds her silly-cute, the kind of cute that makes you want to keep her as a pet!
Wait, I'm already keeping her, aren't I? What should I feed her today?
Even with Ei back, Yae Miko hasn't lost her "feeding rights" over Ei. After all, Kujou Sara enjoys feeding Ei too, so they share.
Seeing the Shogun steal her spotlight, Kamisato Ayaka breathes a sigh of relief.
The merciful Raiden Ei, savior of the distressed, arrived just in time.
During this adventure, Ayaka was scared but didn't lose composure—she mostly just covered her face (/ω＼).
There were also cute moments, like closing her eyes when startled, shrugging her shoulders, and tilting her face closer.
Far from losing face, these reactions are a bonus. Everyone loves seeing the refined young lady's slightly frightened, pitiable look.
Shikikan, well done! Finally did something right!
Ayaka fans are practically in tears—they've been fed a feast!
With Ayaka's storyline wrapped up, next comes Kazuha's.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Kamisato Ayaka: About Ayato
"My brother encourages me to relax, but he doesn't approve of me adventuring with Lumine. Is he worried about my safety?
No choice, then—I'll read Lucian's novels instead. That's safe, right?"