Season 135 — 3rd of Shimotsuki

② Tori-no-ichi festival comes to an end Full of youkai this year as well ⑫ Fallen leaf roasting for the season ㉓ Let's ask an Otherworlder! Exclusive interview on the Animal Spirit Incident

The rumor has been spreading around town: "A chicken defeated the chicken god." A new game, using chickens to draw lots, has become a craze among owners. Making the birds fight each other as a form of fortune-telling goes far back, but this more modern variant does not require any bloodshed. It may be, to be blunt, rather plain to watch, or in more positive terms, pastoral. Some have started betting sweets or pocket change and holding tournaments, but perhaps chickens too can be lucky or unlucky. According to Kirisame Marisa-san, a part-timer caring for the "god-slayer chicken" that started these rumors, "god-slayer's" win-loss ratio after the event

has been roughly 50-50. Perhaps the god herself simply had some bad luck. Niwatarijin is hardworking and gentle, but sure enough, that didn't stop her from pulling the losing lot. She seems to have bet the elevation of chickenkind on the game, so maybe in some corner of her mind she still thought it was better for them to stay in captivity. We tried to interview her, of course, but she was unfortunately too dejected to offer any comment. Kurokoma Saki-san from the Animal Realm, who happened to be available, offered us an Otherworlder's perspective: "Well, the sheer luck of the draw always plays a role. It makes sense, if you ask me. I raise my hat to the inventiveness of y'all in the Human Realm... Oh, but it must be hard

to rise to the top in a place like this... Anyone who's had enough of this unchanging hierarchy should come to the Animal Realm. Chicken or whoever you are." The people enjoying this new trend, humans and chickens alike, seem to have happy looks on their faces. As a half-crow journalist myself, I can't help but think that crows would be much more skilled at it, but... crows might just be too regal beings to be playing around with humans. This is an activity better suited for chickens, who are already used to them. One poultry farm is planning to open a chicken rental service in the near future. Why don't we all take this opportunity to enjoy and take in this pastoral atmosphere? (Shameimaru Aya)

Ms Niwatari, who lost to a chicken

The moment of Niwatarijin's defeat

Ms Kurokoma, who witnessed the events