Crossover: The Problematic Deity of Arcadia

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Staring at the coin wedged perfectly and hearing Kanao's innocent little comment, both Shinobu and Kanae exchanged awkward glances.

What just happened?

With a strange expression, Shinobu muttered, "Hey… Kanae, isn't tossing a coin at a shrine supposed to be some kind of fortune-telling?"

"Ah—yeah, I think I've heard that too…" Kanae replied, but clearly had no idea what else to say.

Right then, Ryo stepped forward, picked up the coin, and placed it into Kanao's hand. He gently patted her head and said, "Nicely done, Kanao. With skills like that, you'll definitely make a great wife someday."

Kanao looked up at him blankly and nodded. "Mm."

"…This kid," Shinobu sighed, smiling helplessly.

She probably doesn't even know what being a wife means…

Kanae chuckled, choosing not to dwell on the little incident. She turned toward the torii gate up ahead and said with a bright smile, "Ah, the festival's already started!"

Beyond the red torii gate, a stone path stretched forward, lined on both sides with rows of vendor stalls. The scent of sizzling food drifted through the air as the stall owners shouted to passing visitors:

"Fried tofu! Crispy and hot!"

"Candied apples! Come try one—perfect for kids!"

"Dango! Sweet, chewy, freshly made!"

"Buckwheat noodles! Hungry? Come get a warm bowl of soba!"

Ryo glanced around. Aside from the usual goldfish scooping, shooting games, and riddle booths, most of the stalls were food-related.

"Huh… seems like most of it's snacks and street food."

"Which means dinner's handled!" Kanae clapped her hands happily. "Mr. Ryo, would you like a bowl of soba?"

"Sure."

He agreed without hesitation.

"I'll grab two bowls, then. You guys look after Kanao for me, okay?"

"Wait—Sis!"

Shinobu called after her, only to see her big sister already darting toward the third soba stand. She sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"Every year, seriously… She has to get soba at the festival, like it's tradition or something."

Just then, she felt a tug on her hand. Looking down, she saw Kanao holding onto her.

"Ah, sorry," Shinobu said, quickly taking Kanao's hand back in hers. Only then did she realize that Ryo was holding Kanao's other hand.

Wait a minute…

This setup—weren't they just like Kanae earlier? Is this… a family of three enjoying the festival?

Ryo tilted his head toward Shinobu. "Something wrong?"

"N-No! Nothing at all!" She quickly shook her head, trying to brush away her thoughts. Desperate for a distraction, she blurted out, "Were you looking at the shrine just now, Mr. Ryo?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "This shrine… it's for a demon god, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is! The festival this year is to celebrate the birth of that god."

Shinobu, being familiar with the local traditions, nodded confidently. But then she suddenly remembered something and looked a little uneasy.

Ryo… wasn't he technically a god too?

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I shouldn't have brought you here so casually… It was all because of my sister's whims—"

"Huh?" Ryo blinked, surprised. "Is there something wrong with this place?"

"…Eh?" Shinobu was stunned for a second before realizing she'd been overthinking.

She laughed. "I thought gods weren't supposed to visit each other's shrines."

"That's not really a rule. As long as it doesn't involve conflicting faiths, most gods won't go out of their way to cause trouble."

He paused and then suddenly chuckled.

"Though I guess that was a dumb thought… This shrine doesn't actually have a god."

"…Huh? What do you mean?"

"There's no god here. There's a little faith, sure, but not nearly enough. If a divine being was born from it, even you, Shinobu, could probably beat them."

Ryo seemed to be in a chatty mood today.

Shinobu listened quietly, and when he finished, she smiled. "You sound pretty relaxed today, Mr. Ryo."

He blinked again, then gave a wry little laugh. "…Yeah. I guess I am."

She hesitated, then asked gently, "Is life in the Divine Realm… really that hard?"

"It's not tiring exactly," he said, shaking his head. "But the pressure is insane."

"Don't let how things look here fool you. Back where I come from, I'm walking a tightrope every single day."

"There are tons of gods and demons watching me—some are curious, some mean well, and some… don't."

"The ones with bad intentions might act at any moment. If not for a certain senior returning recently, things would still be pretty grim for me."

Ryo wasn't exaggerating.

In Little Garden, his community [No Name] was in a precarious spot. The Ouroboros Demon Lord Alliance was constantly watching, afraid that Arcadia might rise again.

If it weren't for people like Shiroyasha backing him and Black Rabbit—who seemed weak but was secretly a high-tier god—guarding the frontlines, Ryo would've had a really rough time.

That's part of why he had taken the risk to participate in Perseus's trial: to bring Leticia, a powerful elder, back to strengthen the group's standing.

"I see…" Shinobu looked worried but clearly didn't know how to help.

Still, she tried her best to be supportive. "If it ever gets too overwhelming… maybe you could come here to take a break?"

Ryo turned to look at her, falling silent for a moment. Then he smiled.

"Yeah. Since I'm already here, might as well enjoy it."

Right on cue, Kanae came back with two bowls of soba. "Here you go~ Ryo!"

He took the bowl from her, and the four of them sat at a small table nearby, chatting and sharing the food. Afterward, they each got a stick of candied fruit and wandered off into the heart of the festival.

Soon, they found themselves gathered in front of a goldfish scooping booth.

"That one, that one, that one's super cute!" Shinobu pointed excitedly at a plump, round goldfish.

"Okay~" Kanae calmly adjusted her breathing, then swiftly scooped the fish up in one go.

"Whoa… nice catch," the booth owner muttered with a half-laugh, half-crying expression.

All the best-looking goldfish were getting snatched up—he had every reason to feel heartbroken.

Ryo stood to the side, smiling as he patted Kanao's head and watched the sisters playing around.

Then—he twitched.

His ears perked slightly as he picked up some distant voices.

"Big bro! Big sis! Look! Goldfish!"

"Slow down, Nezuko! Grab Shigeru before he runs off!"

Ryo slowly turned his head in the direction of the sound.

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