Chương 74: The NEW Stardancer Adventures! Issue 105!

"Boss! We've got trouble!" Satou Minato, oyabun of the proud and honorable Satou-gumi looked severely at the goon who had just barged into the yakuza family's mid-afternoon snack time.

"What is it, Suzuki?" he said, with the undertone of 'you'd better have a good reason for this interruption', a half-eaten American-style doughnut in one hand.

"The circular from the shopping street business association just came out," Suzuki said, holding up a piece of paper and pointing at it.

"They say we won't be carrying the mikoshi this year!"

"What? -!" Satou exclaimed.

"Those ingrates! For decades, the Satou-gumi has been carrying the mikoshi on our shoulders, just as we carry the responsibility for the protection of this neighborhood from those bastards from the Hoshigawa-kai! Every year I help carry the mikoshi! My father helped carry this mikoshi! My grandfather helped carry this mikoshi! Our honored founder my great-grandmother helped carry this mikoshi!" He fixed Suzuki with a glare that promised retribution.

"Who thinks they're man enough to take our place and carry the kami to bless our neighborhood?"

"Uh, let me check, I didn't get that far…" Satou let out a sigh as the other members of the Satou-gumi laughed. Classic Suzuki, such a flake. Good thing he was reliable in a scrap and loyal to the family…

"Oh, shit…"

"What was that?" Satou demanded.

"Uh… it says 'Local cosplayer groups'," Suzuki said, face pale. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The laughter stopped. Everyone knew what it meant when someone was talking about 'local cosplayer groups'. Eyes turned towards their Oyabun.

"You know, every year we've been carrying the mikoshi on our shoulders," Satou said contemplatively.

"I think this year we all deserve a break. Just go to the matsuri and enjoy the fruits of our labor, trying out all the good food, put money into our local businesses…"

"Great idea, boss!"

"Always wanted to just enjoy the festival with my girl!"

"Let someone else sweat for a change!"

"Wasshoi! Wasshoi!" Standing at the side of the route the mikoshi was taking, the Satou-gumi watched as a bunch of little girls that barely came up to their chests lifted the heavy mikoshi on over their heads since most of them were too short to carry it on their shoulders, hands glowing with whatever bullshit there were using to carry the shrine. All the locals pointedly ignored the glowing spear, the scythe, the naginata, the western-style sword, and the metal kanabo with the big axe head at the end…

even those bastard cops standing on the opposite side of the street. Obviously, as this was a cosplay group, those things were obviously props and not real weapons. Really, it was enough to disgust a law-abiding pillar of the community like him, the way these… ugh, cosplayers got away with carrying such obviously dangerous weapons just because they were small and cute. In his grandpa's day, the Satou-gumi had the decency to pay the cops a bribe to get away with it!

Still, he kept his thoughts to himself as his grandchildren cheered and waved little green lightsticks, as if the ''Local cosplayer' cosplaying as that Magical Girl who went all international was actually the real thing. Little Kana and Haruto were having fun, and for that he was willing to keep his mouth shut.

"Aw… I hoped they were going to use the dragon to carry the mikoshi on its back…"

"Suzuki, be quiet." Everyone made sure to not stare directly at the transparent woman that occasionally flickered into view, sitting on the mikoshi's little veranda and waving her hand like the old queen of England. Still, a part of Satou felt proud to see the familiar shape of great-grandmother's knife sheathed into a ghostly obi, being stroked fondly by transparent fingers…