Crossover: The Problematic Deity of Arcadia

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At the Goldfish Stand

The summer night was filled with laughter as crowds in colorful yukatas gathered around the goldfish scooping stall.

People nibbled on snacks, their eyes following every graceful move of Kanae Kocho as she scooped another goldfish out of the water.

Every time she caught one, a round of gasps and applause followed. The crowd was clearly impressed—and a little competitive. 

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

A little boy, maybe seven or eight years old, squeezed through the crowd, his eyes lit up with excitement.

Ryo, standing nearby, felt a tiny nudge against his leg.

It wasn't rough—just the harmless push of a small body trying to squeeze forward.

Seeing this, Ryo casually shifted to the side, clearing some space for the kid.

It was enough for the child to slip through, but not quite enough for anyone bigger.

Right on cue, a gentle female voice came from behind:

"Sorry to bother you, sir. Would you mind letting us through?"

Ryo glanced down.

The voice belonged to a teenage girl with soft, pretty features. Her long black hair framed her face, and she wore a pale pink yukata.

It was Nezuko Kamado.

Ryo recognized her instantly and smiled, stepping aside. He even held out an arm to shield her from the jostling crowd.

That smile caught Nezuko off guard—her cheeks turned pink as she looked down and murmured, "Thank you."

She quickly stepped forward and grabbed her little brother's collar before giving him a firm flick on the forehead.

"Shi-kun! How many times have I told you not to run off like that?"

"Ow! That hurts!"

Tanjiro's younger brother, who had been inching closer to the goldfish tub, now clutched his head and whimpered in pain.

Seeing him tear up, Nezuko immediately softened and rubbed his forehead with a sigh.

"No more running off, okay? You hear me?"

She glanced toward the goldfish stand, her lips pressed in a small line.

"The money's for Father's treatment. You remember that, right?"

"…Yeah." Shigeru looked up at her, then back at the goldfish stall, his voice barely above a whisper.

Watching them, Ryo let out a soft chuckle.

"Hey, kid. You wanna give it a try?"

"Yeah!!" Shigeru responded immediately, eyes sparkling.

But Nezuko tugged him back. "Shigeru! Don't bother strangers."

Ryo laughed and handed him a few extra scooping nets. "It's fine. I've got more than I need, and I'm not gonna use them anyway. Let him have some fun."

"Huh? But—" Nezuko hesitated, about to decline. But before she could finish, her little brother had already grabbed the nets with both hands.

"Shigeru!"

He shot her a sheepish smile, pretending not to hear.

"You little—!"

Nezuko tried to take the nets back, only to see Ryo casually walk away.

That surprised Nezuko.

She hesitated. Then she gave the nets back to her brother.

"You can play, but only these nets. That's it. Got it?"

"Got it!"

Grinning from ear to ear, the boy took the nets and trotted off toward the crowd.

"I'm gonna grab my big brother so we can all play together!"

"Hey! No running off again!" Nezuko called out after him—but he was already gone.

Luckily, she soon spotted her father and older brother in the crowd, so she relaxed a little.

"This kid…" she sighed, then turned back to the goldfish stand to wait.

Her gaze drifted back to Ryo and Kanae. She couldn't help but watch them curiously.

Nearby, Kanae was squatting by the tub, watching the fish swim lazily as she spoke.

"By the way, Ryo-san… what color goldfish do you like?"

As she said that, Ryo noticed the stall owner shooting him a pleading look—the kind that screamed "Please have mercy!"

He chuckled.

"Red, I think. I like fiery colors."

"Is that so…"

Kanae nodded thoughtfully, then turned to ask her sister, "What about you, Kanao? What color do you want?"

Kanao glanced at the water, then silently pulled out a coin. The stall owner visibly winced.

"Flipping coins again, huh…"

Shinobu pinched her forehead, looking at the colorful goldfish and thinking for a moment.

"Let's go with gold this time."

Kanao tilted her head, then nodded.

"So, red and gold it is," Kanae said, turning to the stall owner. "Excuse me, could I get a few more—wait, huh?"

She paused.

There were still two bagged goldfish in front of her, neatly wrapped. She stared at the owner, confused.

The man shoved the bags into her hands and folded his hands together like he was praying to a god.

"Mercy, ma'am! I'm just trying to make a living!"

That got the whole crowd laughing.

Seeing no way out of it, Kanae sighed, left the money for the extra nets, and picked up the bagged goldfish along with Shinobu and Kanao.

With all the fish plus the bonus fish food, their hands were completely full.

Eventually, the group managed to squeeze their way out of the crowd and into the open street.

Ryo raised a hand and waved—and just like that, the bags of fish vanished from their arms.

Kanae blinked. She turned toward Shinobu and realized her sister's hands were suddenly empty too.

A thief?!

That was her first instinct—but when she turned, she saw Ryo smiling.

"Where'd the fish go?" Shinobu asked, blinking in confusion.

Ryo just chuckled. "I moved them to the Butterfly House's pond."

Kanae looked impressed. "That's… really convenient."

They had been planning to head home soon, weighed down by all their stuff, but now they could stay out and enjoy themselves a bit longer.

Kanae smiled. "Kanao, is there anything else you want?"

Kanao hesitated, then slowly took out another coin.

"Again?" Shinobu let out a half-laugh, half-groan.

Ryo smiled and reached over to ruffle Kanao's hair.

"She probably likes everything. How about we try one game at a time?"

Hearing that, Kanae turned to her sister, eyes sparkling.

Shinobu, already sensing where this was going, checked her coin purse. After counting the coins, she let out a long sigh and muttered:

"Alright. We can try them all—but just three tries each, understood?"

"Kanao! Big Sis Shinobu's finally not being stingy!"

"Mhm!"

"You two…"

Shinobu's eyebrow twitched in irritation, but Ryo just laughed at the scene.

Then suddenly, his expression changed. He raised his hand and caught something—no, someone—grabbing his shoulder.

"Huh?"

The man behind him was just as surprised.

Ryo turned, still holding the stranger's hand, and found himself face-to-face with a man with deep red hair and a pale, gaunt face.

The man gave a warm smile. "Ah—my apologies. I just wanted to thank you on behalf of my children."

He gestured behind him with his free hand.

Ryo turned and saw Nezuko standing there with a bag of goldfish in hand, looking slightly exasperated. Behind her stood three boys and one woman—clearly her family—all watching with soft smiles.

Realization clicked.

"Oh, I see."

So this man was Nezuko's father—Tanjuro Kamado. In the original story, he had passed away due to illness.

But now, while still clearly sickly, he was very much alive.

"I'm Tanjuro Kamado. Those two kids just now are mine. Thank you for giving them the nets—they had a great time."

As he spoke, he pulled out an old coin pouch.

"I'd like to repay you, if you don't mind."

Ryo waved his hand. "No need."

"I insist… it doesn't feel right to accept something for nothing."

Before he could finish, Ryo cut in with a grin.

"Then let's do it this way."

His lips curled into a smile as he said:

"You're from the Kamado family, right? If you really don't want to owe me, then show me something in return."

Tanjuro looked puzzled. "Show you…?"

"Yeah. Let me see the Hinokami Kagura—the Dance of the Fire God."

Tanjuro froze.

.

.

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