Chapter 9: After the Rite

After the showdown, under the name of “bestowing the blessing of a peerless drinker”――
from early afternoon until the sun went down, a full six hours.
Misaki did nothing but keep pouring sake for the oni and tengu who lined up endlessly.

In the grand hall of Aiha’s mansion.
Having finished changing, Misaki appeared with a slightly worn-out expression on her face.

“Misaki-san, good work!”
Yuka hurried over with quick steps and cheerfully praised her.

Misaki let out a sigh as she sat down in the seat that had been prepared for her.
Suzuran quietly stepped closer and poured sake into Misaki’s glass.

After draining it in a single gulp, Misaki said with a look of exasperation.
“One glass, I can understand. But most people line up over and over again.
…What are they even thinking?”

“Hahaha, you of all people should understand, Misaki-san.”
Yuka said with a laugh.

“What I’m talking about is how lining up wastes time, that’s all.”
“…Oh, that kind of thing…”

Just then, Aiha casually wandered over.
“Well done, Misaki.”

The moment Misaki lifted her face, she snapped back with a voice edged with irritation.
“You tricked me, didn’t you?”

Aiha showed no sign of remorse, grinning broadly.
“What a terrible way to put it.
You were the first to drink your fill of the new sake, and I even treated everyone to the finest brew, ‘Reihō Takaosan,’ didn’t I?”

“…Well, I mean, that part’s true.
But! What was that last thing—the ‘Misaki Sake Rite’ supposed to be!?
No one told me about that!”
Misaki shot back.

“I believe I did explain it, didn’t I?
Was it not simply that you were too absorbed in the sake to catch it?”
Aiha tilted her head in an exaggerated way.

“…That’s…”
Misaki had no words.

“Wow, Aiha-chan, you really do have a silver tongue…”
Yuka chimed in with a laugh.

Then, as if something had just occurred to her, Yuka looked up and asked,
“By the way, what was the sake you drank at the very end like?”

Misaki gazed at her glass and let out a small smile.
“—It was like getting punched in the head from the inside. It was incredible.”

“…I’m never drinking that…”
Yuka’s head was shaking side to side before she even realized it.

Aiha burst into hearty laughter.
“That sake is something even among the tengu, only those who pride themselves on being heavy drinkers sip little by little.
Downing it by the glass is something only a reckless youngster would ever do.”

“You’re the one who made them do that, Aiha-chan…”
Yuka slowly edged away from Aiha.

“Among the oni, hardly anyone even knows that sake.
Even the previous Shuten-dōji turned pale after the very first sip. ——Delightful. Truly delightful.”

“…Ugh…”
A raw, unfiltered sound slipped from Yuka’s mouth.

“All right! Let’s eat!”

Giving up on everything, Yuka declared cheerfully.