<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“If you let us past, <em>you</em> can stare at <em>our</em> bottoms!â€ Akiko just about had enough breath to laugh at Kazumi’s comment.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Nice try. Afterwards!â€ was the reply that came back, although Akiko couldn’t see who said it. They were very nearly back at the shrine now, and they were only a short distance behind the men, who were constantly looking back, and going just fast enough to stay ahead. They also looked quite tired, and even with what Akiko was sure was the kami’s help, she was very glad that they were almost back to the shrine.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The men went round a corner ahead of them, and a cheer went up, Akiko assumed from people waiting at the entrance to the shrine; moments later her guess was confirmed.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We have to pass them before the steps.â€ Mrs Tanaka was behind Akiko, and sounded very determined. “Far too narrow on the way up.â€ The old woman’s stamina had astounded Akiko, but her competitive spirit was, by now, a bit less of a surprise. She looked around, and there were a number of nods.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Make them fight for it, at least.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Sei-no. Yosh!â€ Akiko shouted, and they all put all their strength into it. Akiko could have sworn she felt a touch of fire on her back, as they caught up to the back of the men’s mikoshi, and then started moving forward. The men, startled, looked sideways, and for a moment Akiko was looking straight at Akira, for the first time in a while. His eyes dropped, then he blushed, and lost his rhythm for a moment, stumbling. Akiko grinned to herself, and the women made it further forward, the front of their mikoshi drawing level with the men’s.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Unfortunately, they were on the outside, the men having quickly taken the shrine’s side of the road. The entrance was getting closer, with shouts of encouragement from the waiting crowds, and if they could just pull ahead, maybe they could block the men, and get onto the steps first…</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yo-sha!â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">With a shout, and what sounded like groans, the men started to pull ahead again, and although Akiko tried to accelerate she just didn’t have anything left. Neither, it seemed, did the other women, and the men pulled ahead further as Akiko realised that the women were giving up. <em>We’d need to jump over them now,</em> she thought. She was vaguely aware of a stirring from the dragon, but didn’t risk making further contact. The Aramitama was not as careful about injuries as she would have liked.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The men were cheering and shaking the mikoshi violently as they climbed the steps, sure that they were going to win.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Are we going to let them gloat like that?â€ Mrs Tanaka asked. “All together now: Yo-sha!â€ Grinning, Akiko joined in the shouts, as did the others. Maybe they could drown them out, even if they couldn’t beat them. Kazumi started shaking their mikoshi as well, and everyone else joined in, to much cheering and applauding from the sidelines.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko assumed that only she saw the waves of light shaken from the mikoshi, and that only she saw the kegare being burned from the spectators as it flowed over them.</p>