The Truth

Ugh… that hurts.

Enshin’s eyes fluttered open.

Pain shot through his ribs. He pressed a hand against the bandages.

His body was wrapped in fresh bandages. Cuts cleaned. Burns treated. Good work.

He groaned.

What… happened? Oh right. The demons…

Exhausted. Muscles screaming. Every movement reminded him of the fight.

Shit… how did the red-masked man cancel my magic?

If he could nullify it on a large scale… that would be a disaster.

Lost in his thoughts, he slowly realized he was in an unfamiliar place.

Where am I?

He blinked, scanning the room.

Posters covered the walls, showing famous illusionists in action and anime illustrations of fantasy worlds.

A stack of manga leaned against a bookshelf, colorful covers showing monsters and epic duels.

Gadgets were scattered across the desk and floor : small mechanical arms, coiled wires, tiny cogs, tools of every shape and size.

And then… his eyes landed on Rei.

The boy was asleep at the desk, head resting on one hand, elbow propped up. Like he had just nodded off mid-thought.

Enshin stared at the young boy.

His mind flashed back to the battle with the demons.

He had been powerless. Completely. Helpless.

While Rei… unflinching. Clever. Fearless.

A faint smile tugged at Enshin’s lips.

Saved… by a kid.

But confusion lingered.

Who was this boy?

Could he be a half-yokai? Or just an ordinary human with extraordinary skill?

And that yokai rabbit… why was it helping him?

So many questions. So many doubts.

But one thing was certain : this was no ordinary boy.

Enshin shifted slightly, testing his ribs. A sharp ache shot through him.

“Ugh… it really hurts,” he muttered.

Rei stirred at the sound, blinking awake. He’d been dozing lightly at his desk.

“Oh! Mister… you’re finally awake. Are you… okay?” His voice trembled a little.

“You can call me Enshin.”

The injured man gave a small shrug.

“I’ll live. Don’t worry about me. But you…?” He scanned Rei, concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine! Not hurt at all,” Rei said, rubbing his eyes.

Enshin’s eyes narrowed, a flash of irritation crossed his face.

“You know that was incredibly stupid! You could have died!” he snapped, voice sharp.

Rei blinked, then shrugged.

“I know… but what was I supposed to do? Just watch you get killed?”

Enshin groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead.

“Yes! You were lucky your little bluff with the police worked. What would you have done if it hadn’t scared them off?”

Rei chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

“Ahaha… I’m not sure. But I’d like to think I’d find something.”

Enshin exhaled slowly, feeling both exhausted and amazed.

His eyes softened for a moment, then narrowed again, trying to process the sheer audacity, and courage, of this boy.

He shook his head.

Unbelievable.

A tense silence hung between them. Enshin shifted, clearing his throat, eyes flicking to the boy.

“So… do you believe in magic?”

Rei’s eyes sparkled.

“Of course I’m a magician!”

Enshin raised an eyebrow. “I mean… real magic. With yokai and exorcists… like in manga.”

He gestured toward the shelf stacked with colorful volumes.

Rei hesitated, frowning. Memories flickered behind his eyes . Adults and classmates scoffing when he insisted magic was real.

Then he met Enshin’s gaze, serious now.

The young boy remembered the incredible battle he had witnessed just moments ago.

“I… I believe in magic. Real magic,” he said, nodding firmly.

Enshin curved his lips in a small, teasing smile

“Oh … really? Why?”

Rei took a deep breath. His voice trembled.

“When I was little… my mom took me to a magic show. I loved it. But … but after the show, in the parking lot a monster attacked us.”

Enshin stiffened at the word monster.

“My mom… she tried to protect me. She got hurt,”

Rei continued, flinching at the memory.

“But then… the magician stepped in. He saved us.”

He hesitated, fingers tightening.

“He used fire magic. Real fire. The monster ran away.”

Enshin’s jaw tightened.

“A monster attacked you?”

He paused, eyes narrowing.

“And that ‘illusionist’… he was actually a fire mage?”

What an incredible story… if it is true.

Enshin’s gaze hardened slightly.

“What happened to your mother?”

Rei hesitated.

“She wasn’t badly hurt,” he said. “But… since then, she goes to the hospital a lot.”

He looked down.

“Doctors don’t know what it is.”

“I see,” Enshin replied.

But his thoughts raced.

If the monster was real…

Then she might be infected by Yōki.

Something no regular doctor could ever cure.

Enshin’s gaze hardened.

“Can I… see her?” he asked quietly.

“She’s at the hospital right now,” Rei replied softly.

Enshin paused, then added,

“Now that I think about it… there’s no one at home? If your father saw a stranger, injured, in his son’s room… he’d be surprised.”

Rei waved his hand.

“Don’t worry about that. We’re alone. My dad is on a business trip. He won’t be back for a week.”

“I see.”

A heavy silence settled between them.

Neither moved. Neither spoke.

Enshin’s eyes softened for a brief moment, then narrowed.

So this kid has no power…

I can’t invite him to the tournament…

His thoughts drifted back to the rabbit.

But then… how did he summon a yokai?

Enshin opened his mouth to speak—

Grrrrrr.

His stomach growled loudly.

“…Tch.”

Rei froze.

“Oh! You haven’t eaten, right? Wait here! I’ll make something fast!”

Before Enshin could answer, the boy was already out of the room.

Silence returned.

Enshin exhaled slowly and reached into his coat.

He pulled out a cigarette, then his lighter.

Click.

He leaned closer to the open window.

What an intriguing boy

He smoked in silence, lost in his thoughts.

BOOM!

A sudden crash from the desk made Enshin flinch.

Smoke spiraled upward, curling around the scattered gadgets.

The rabbit hovered above the desk, ears twitching, eyes glowing softly.

Enshin blinked, heart skipping a beat.

Wait… the yokai just appeared? Without Rei summoning it?

Even stranger, it didn’t pop out of the hat like it was supposed to.

He froze for a moment, trying to make sense of it all.

But then a small, sharp smile tugged at the exorcist lips as he glared at the rabbit.

“…Perfect timing. I wanted to have a word with you.”

The rabbit tilted its head.

“Talk? About what?”

“Why are you following that kid?”

“Because Rei is my master.”

“I know that,” Enshin snapped.

“But why? How can he summon you?”

The rabbit blinked. “Summon?”

“Yes. Invoke. Call you.”

“Oh.” The rabbit nodded. “Because he made me.”

Silence.

Enshin’s cigarette slipped from his fingers and fell out the window.

“…He WHAT?!”

“He made me,” the rabbit repeated. “So I must follow master’s orders.”

Enshin’s thoughts exploded.

Made you? Is Child? Then Rei is a Half-yōkai? No ... wait ... what?

He coughed hard. Pain flared. A sharp taste of blood.

The rabbit panicked.

“Oh no you hurt . I need to call Master Rei?!”

“No … wait.”

Enshin shook himself, trying to focus.

Something caught his eye behind the rabbit.

A long, thin appendage dangled strangely.

A tail? I don’t remember seeing that before…

Enshin squinted.

“…Come closer.”

The rabbit floated nearer.

The exorcist narrowed his eyes.

“…Come closer.”

The rabbit floated toward him, ears twitching.

He reached out and grabbed the strange appendage.

At the end… something familiar. A cable.

A USB cable.

Enshin lifted his gaze and saw the other end plugged directly into the rabbit’s back.

He yanked the cable free and immediately froze.

“…No way,” Enshin whispered, his voice barely audible.

The rabbit spun around, ears flaring, front paws pressed to its cheeks, as if caught in an awkward moment.

“Oh no, Mister! Where are you touching?!” it squeaked, voice high and panicked.

Enshin blinked, momentarily speechless.

“Sorry … But .. You’re… you’re a robot?”

“Yes,” the rabbit said flatly. “What else would I be?”

Enshin facepalmed.

“…I’m an idiot.”

He looked up again, eyes sharp now.

“Wait. You’re saying Rei BUILT you?”

“Yes. His parents wouldn’t buy a real rabbit. And Master Rei says every magician needs one.”

Enshin stared.

This kid had no magic.

But he had something else.

And suddenly, Enshin understood.

If magic could be canceled…

Then Rei might be the most dangerous weapon of all.

I need him at the tournament.