Assault of the Yōkai

The fog came without warning.

One second, the sea was dark but calm. The next, a thick white veil swallowed the ship whole. Visibility dropped to nothing.

Then shadows twisted and lunged out of the mist, limbs bent wrong, eyes glowing like dying embers.

Yōkai.

Rei’s breath hitched.

These weren’t the demons from the park. They were… monsters. Real one, like something straight out of an anime.

Suddenly, a creature lunged at him.

Rei froze, heart hammering.

A blaze shot past his face, scorching the monster before it could even react. Then Enshin sprinted toward him, eyes darting, jaw tight, shoulders tense.

“Are you okay? You weren’t hurt, right?”

“Hmm… I’m fine,” Rei replied, hands still trembling.

The exorcist gave a small, reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Just stay close, okay?”

Fire burst from his lighter, turning monsters to ash in a blink. Akira leapt forward, sword flashing, cutting monsters apart.

In an instant, the quiet deck was swallowed by chaos—shing! clang! crash!

Steel clashed, sparks flying.

Screams tore through wind and waves. Blood spattered the deck, smoke curled, stinging eyes and noses.

The air thick with iron, burned wood, and sweat.

Shadows flickered, bodies tumbled and rolled.

Every exorcist fought, spells igniting the mist, slicing, burning, clashing.

And Rei… he just stood there.

“I—I have to do something,” he muttered, heart hammering, fists clenched so tight his knuckles ached.

Enshin’s hand pushed him back.

“Don’t. Let the pros handle this.”

“Your master is right,” Itsuki said softly, a small smile on his lips.

“Using your power now would be a waste. Better save it for the tournament, right?”

Rei’s jaw tightened.

“That’s not …”

He stopped.

How could he explain? He wasn’t holding back, he just didn’t have magic. He couldn’t fight… not without revealing himself.

Then a scream cut through the air.

Rei turned his head and that’s when he saw her.

A child.

Frozen near the stairs, eyes wide, breath stuck in her chest. Above her, a yōkai rose slowly.

“Rei , don’t … ” Enshin shouted, but it was already too late.

The young magician threw himself between the creature and the girl.

Then it hit him.

His hands were empty. No gadget. No plan. Nothing.

If the yōkai struck now … I’m dead.

Rei’s eyes squeezed shut. He pressed the girl against his chest, locking her in his arms.

Ready to take the blow. Ready to fall.

A scream.

He opened his eyes and saw the creature body twisted, burning, and turned into ashed.

In front of him, a strange red barrier pulsing. Alive.

“I-I’m alive?!” Rei gasped, voice trembling.

Enshin ran toward him, yanked Rei’s shoulder.

“I told you to stay close!” he shouted, voice cracking, eyes wide.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t think. My body just moved,” Rei stammered.

Enshin exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple.

“What a troublesome kid.”

Itsuki tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Such a heroic magician.”

A card glimmered faintly in his hand, the Ace of Diamonds.

Rei’s voice shook as he spoke. “The barrier… that was yours, right? Th-thank you?”

Itsuki just nodded, and Rei swallowed, relief washing over him. Then his eyes caught a thin line of blood trailing down Itsuki’s index finger.

“Are you… hurt?” Rei whispered, wide-eyed.

Itsuki’s lips curved into a calm, almost lazy smile. “It’s fine. This is how my power works.”

Then Enshin and Akira were already moving, flames and steel cutting through the fog without hesitation.

While they fought, Rei felt heavy.

Useless.

Do I even belong here?

The fog thickened again. The deck had become a twisting maze of shadows and screams.

Captain Tenshin’s jaw was tight.

“Shit… we can’t see a thing.”

Rei scanned the battlefield.

The guards spoke into small earpieces, orders snapping in short, sharp bursts, slicing through the fog. Even trained to move as one, without sight, their coordination fell apart.

Then an idea sparked.

Finally… I can do something. He grabbed his hat and called into it.

“Kaitsuki! Come out!”

“Rei, don’t…” Enshin shouted, but it was already too late.

A small white figure popped out from the hat. Long ears. Round eyes. Tiny wings flapping .

“Master, how can I help you?”

Enshin stared at Rei like he had lost his mind.

“You summoned him now?” he snapped. “Do you have any idea how stupid that is?!”

Rei frowned. He had no clue.

Itsuki leaned closer, smiling thinly.

“Calling this creature in the middle of a Yōkai fight?” , he paused, “They’ll kill him.”

Kaitsuki trembled, spinning in the air.

“Kill me? No, I-I don’t want to die! Master! ”

Realizing his mistake, Rei grabbed the white rabbit and held him close, hugging him as tightly as he could.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t think. I really didn’t.”

Itsuki raised an eyebrow.

“Then why call him? You must have had some idea.”

Rei adjusted his grip.

“Oh… right, Kaitsuki can fly around the ship, detect the yōkai, tell us how many there are and where.”

The captain’s eyes widened.

“He can do all of that?”

Rei nodded, his voice shaky. “Yes. But… please, don’t let anyone attack him … please”

The captain didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll handle that. Follow me.”

They all moved, except Akira, who stayed behind to continue protecting the passengers.

Itsuki raised his card, and a red barrier bloomed around Rei and Kaitsuki. Yōkai slammed against it, screeching, unable to reach them.

Meanwhile, the captain and Enshin cut down the yōkai blocking their path, moving with deadly precision.

They reached a reinforced room at the heart of the ship.

The tactical room.

The captain spoke into the ship’s system, voice calm but commanding.

“Attention. New order. Do not attack the white rabbit with a blue mark. I repeat. Do not attack the white rabbit. He is an ally.”

“You can send him now” the captain said.

Rei swallowed, anxious.

“Go, Kaitsuki! But be careful… and come back safe!”

Kaitsuki chirped eagerly.

“Yes, master!”

Then he flew straight into the fog.

Rei put his earpieces in.

“I can see them,” Kaitsuki’s voice echoed softly. “So many…”

Rei relayed the positions, point by point. The captain moved fast, placing markers on a map. Red for the enemies. Blue for allies.

Finally, the chaos began to take shape.

For the first time since the attack started, the fog felt… thinner.

Rei stood still, listening. Watching. I’m not fighting but I’m finally useful.

Then the captain frowned.

“Tch … they’re moving too fast” he muttered.

Too fast. Too chaotic.

Red markers shifted on the map, then vanished, then reappeared elsewhere.

“I can’t keep up,” the captain muttered.

Orders overlapped. Exorcists hesitated. Somewhere on the deck, someone screamed.

Rei swallowed, he could help more.

One hand moved toward his bag, mouth opening, but Enshin cut him off before a word escaped.

“Don’t worry Captain. I know you’ll handle the situation.”

Then his eyes flicked to Rei.

No words, but the message was clear.

If he reveals too much, they’ll see Kaitsuki isn’t a Yōkai but a robot. He could be disqualified or worse.

Rei’s jaw tightened. His fingers curled into fists.

Another report came through the comms.

“Two exorcists injured on the lower deck!”

Rei’s fingers hovered over the tablet.

Enshin, I’m sorry.

He stepped forward.

“I can project the map live on my tablet.” Rei’s voice wavered.

“Real-time tracking.”

Silence.

The captain stared at him.

“…Why didn’t you say that sooner?”

Rei opened his mouth. Nothing came out. So Itsuki spoke instead. Calm voice. Cold eyes.

“He is telling you now.”

Enshin’s eyes flicked to Rei, sharp. He exhaled quickly, offering a quick excuse.

“It drains a lot of energy. If we push too far, Kaitsuki could collapse. So… if we do this ...”

He glanced at the captain.

“We need to finish quickly.”

The captain hesitated, then nodded.

“Do it.”

Rei’s hands shook as he activated the tablet.

“Kaitsuki,” he ordered, “Infrared map.”

The screen lit up then a detailed map spread across his tablet with red dots. Dozens of them. Moving. Hunting.

“This is incredible,” the captain muttered under his breath.

“What kind of magic is this? How is the yōkai sending this info to the tablet?”

Rei froze, unable to offer a credible explanation.

Enshin frowned. “Do you really have time to worry about these

details?”

The captain shook his head. “Right… focus on the orders.”

The commands rang out.

Enemies fell fast.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then the last one.

The fog thinned, then vanished. Finally, sunlight broke through the clouds.

Cheers erupted across the deck.

“We did it!”

The captain turned to Rei.

“Thank you, kid. You were really helpful out there”

Rei shook his head and looked down.

“Thanks… but it was Kaitsuki who did most of the work.”

The captain raised an eyebrow.

“You’re the master, isn’t that the same thing?”

Itsuki clicked his tongue.

“That doesn’t change the fact that Kaitsuki was the one saving everyone, does it?”

The captain stiffened.

“Right …My apologies.”

He crouched slightly, facing the small white rabbit.

“Thank you.”

Kaitsuki puffed his chest proudly.

Rei smiled, then noticed , Enshin wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.

“We won… a little too easily,” Enshin replied, eyes narrowing, jaw tight.

The captain’s expression darkened.

“You think something’s wrong?”

Enshin nodded slightly.

“That fog, It came too perfectly. Like it was meant to hide something… or someone.”

“A diversion,” Capitain Tenshin murmured. “While everyone was focused on the yōkai…”

“Exactly,” Enshin replied. “If they wanted to slip aboard unnoticed, this was the best moment.”

Silence fell between them.

“Then we stay alert.” The captain straightened, shoulders tense, eyes sweeping the horizon.

Enshin’s eyes narrowed, sharp , fixed on Rei.

“Be careful when we land. Whoever planned this isn’t finished.”

The fog thinned completely.

But the unease remained.