No Magic, Big Trouble !

Rei froze, his stomach twisting as his eyes locked on the glowing screen.

MP : 0

No… not now. Not here.

A dry, shaky laugh slipped out before he could stop it.

“Ah, ha… guess the sensor’s broken.”

Kazuto stepped forward immediately, voice sharp, eyes narrowing as he pointed at the watch.

“Don’t play dumb.”

“You really think the organizers didn’t check these? It’s obvious. You don’t have magic.”

The words hit like stones.

Rei’s mind spun, panic curling in his stomach. His fingers twitched at his sides, gripping nothing.

Say something. Anything.

Before the fear could swallow him—

“Hm ... that’s strange. Mine’s at zero too.” Itsuki said, calm as ever, lifting his wrist.

Akira followed without hesitation.

“Same.”

Kazuto’s glare cut sharp.

“…What?”

Zero. All three.

Rei blinked. Then he stared at his wrist

Wait… seriously? Is the watch really broken?

Kazuto’s eyes narrowed, voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief.

“That’s impossible!”

After all, what were the odds that all three of them would have broken watches?

Rei swallowed hard, forcing his voice steady.

“Well… if two others have the same reading, sounds like a malfunction to me.”

Murmurs spread again, doubt replacing certainty like fog rolling over a field.

Then a firm voice cut through the noise.

“This is not a malfunction.”

The organizer stepped forward.

“As you should know, there are three types of energy. Human.

Demonic. Divine.”

He held the watch high, letting everyone see it.

“These devices only detect human magical energy.”

Kazuto’s eyes widened, then he pointed directly at Rei.

“That means, he’s a demon!”

Itsuki tensed, a faint aura flaring, the air around him crackling slightly.

Rei snapped back, leaning forward, glaring with frustration.

“So what is it? First I’m human, now I’m a demon? Pick one and leave me alone.”

A few nervous laughs rippled through the crowd.

Akira spoke calmly, hands clasped loosely, voice steady.

“So… do you call me a demon too?”

Kazuto answered immediately, voice cutting.

“No. That’s different. Everyone knows the Tenshin family has divine power. But those two—”

“Enough.”

The organizer raised a hand, voice firm, stopping the argument like a blade.

“Regardless of their energy type, all registered candidates are valid. Beside half-yōkai are allowed in this tournament. This matter is closed.”

He turned away, leaving a trail of murmurs behind him.

Rei let out a slow breath, finally feeling a little lighter. He wasn’t exposed. At least not yet.

He glanced at Itsuki, then Akira.

“…Thanks.”

Itsuki smiled lightly while Akira nodded, quiet but reassuring.

Then a loud, booming voice rolled across the arena, shaking the stone walls and filling Rei’s chest.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 36th Magic Tournament!”

The crowd erupted, a wave of shouts, whistles, and cheers

crashing over the arena.

Rei flinched.

Not from fear this time, but from the rush of excitement.

“Let’s start with the candidates from Sapporo!”

Ten young exorcists stepped forward. Confident. Focused.

The announcements kept coming, one after another:

Sendai. Fukuoka. Okinawa. Kyoto.

Each group moved across the arena like fast-forwarded clips in a movie. Rei barely had a second to take it in.

“And finally… Tokyo!”

Rei’s chest tightened.

He stepped forward with Itsuki, Akira, and seven others, his heart hammering.

It was huge.

Endless walls rose around them. Screens floated in the air. The crowd’s energy pressed on him from all sides.

This is real, I’m really here.

The presenter’s voice cut through the chaos.

“And now, let me introduce the judges of the tournament!”

Rei barely listened, eyes scanning the arena looking for a familiar face.

Where is Enshin?

“There is His Highness, Aurelios Mahōjima, Prince of the island!”

“Kurogane Ishikawa, heir of the Tokyo Bureau!”

“And finally … Enshin Yosuke, Tokyo’s greatest strategist!”

Rei froze.

He spun around and saw him, calm and smiling, sitting at the judges’ table.

“What?!” he couldn’t believe it.

Itsuki snorted, amused.

“Why the face? You didn’t just find out he’s a judge, right?”

Rei scratched his cheek, laughing awkwardly.

“Ahaha… yeah. Guess he forgot to mention it.”

Akira gave a small, quiet smile.

“That’s totally his style.”

“But that was an important info!” Rei groaned, shaking his head.

The presenter’s voice rose again.

“And now, let the first trial begin! All candidates, approach the crystal.”

At the center of the arena stood a massive blue crystal, its glow soft , humming like it was alive.

“The first trial is simple. You must follow Sarutobi Haruto.”

A man stepped forward, short brown hair framing sharp, alert eyes. He wore a light brown haori over a dark top, loose hakama tied at the ankles, and tabi sandals.

Clearly dressed to move fast.

Rei blinked.

“We just follow him? That sounds easy.”

“If you think it’s that simple, you’re naïve.” Itsuki laughed, sharp and amused.

Rei narrowed his eyes, nerves fluttering, but determination settled like armor over him.

“Yeah… you’re right. I’m ready.”

The crystal pulsed.

A sharp flash of blue light swallowed the arena, and for a heartbeat, the world vanished beneath Rei’s feet.

Then he landed on rough stone.

Cold air bit his skin as the wind tugged at his clothes, heavy with pine and damp earth. Trees rose along jagged cliffs, roots twisting through dirt and stone, the wild spreading far ahead.

Sarutobi Haruto cracked his neck and glanced back at them.

“Alright kids, Let’s go.”

He started running .

At first, the pace felt easy, almost casual. Then the pace picked up, fast and relentless.

The ground shifted under them, dirt and stone sliding, uneven and harsh, while dust-choked air made every breath feel like fire.

Speed and terrain, both against them, every step a fight.

At one moment, a candidate stumbled, hands on knees and another collapsed.

“Candidate 12 and 41, eliminated”

Rei clenched his jaw, sweat streaking his temple.

This is already brutal…

Then Sarutobi’s steps changed.

Small, sharp hops, zig-zagging as if dodging invisible dangers, every landing precise, deliberate.

And suddenly the examiner stopped.

Without a word, he just stood there, motionless, gaze scanning everyone as if waiting for something to happen.

Rei frowned, confused, so he stopped.

His friends followed his example. But another candidate rushed past them and the instant his foot hit the ground—

BOOM.

A dull explosion blasted him backward. Not deadly, but enough to rattle him.

“Candidate 35 eliminated.”

Rei’s eyes widened.

Mines? Seriously?

Sarutobi smirked, tilting his head like it was all a game.

“Didn’t notice, huh? Explosive talismans are buried in the ground. Sense them with your magic… or boom.”

Rei groaned silently, tension crawling up his spine.

Then Itsuki leaned closer, a card glowing faintly in his hand.

“If you want, I can make you walk on one of my barriers.”

Rei shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“No need. I know where the traps are.”

“…What?” Itsuki blinked, suprised.

Akira stared, a flicker of admiration crossing her face.

“Oh… it’s rare for an exorcist to develop magic sight this young.”

Well, of course, he couldn’t actually see the traps. But every step the examiner took was burned into his memory.

So, he started moving.

Not running, not walking, but almost dancing, each foot landing exactly where Sarutobi’s had.

Precise. Fluid. Sharp turns, light hops. Like a show.

In a flash, Rei crossed the minefield, landing beside Sarutobi, who looked at him with genuine surprise.

Then Akira and Itsuki reached the finish line effortlessly, their magic sight guiding every step.

Behind them, most candidates moved cautiously, unsure where the hidden talismans lay, silently hoping they wouldn’t set one off.

Sometimes, no luck—BOOM!

Others used their powers to glide or jump over, like Itsuki with his power.

Then after a moment, Sarutobi tapped his watch sharply.

“Those who haven’t passed yet are eliminated. The rest, move on.”

A wide ravine yawned before them.

No bridge. Just empty space and three thin ropes stretched across, swaying in the wind, barely holding.

Sarutobi stepped forward, calm as ever.

“Ok, the trial’s simple. You just cross the ravine in fifteen minutes.”

Without a pause, he stepped onto the ropes. Feet light, steady, moving as if walking on solid ground.

Not a wobble, not a slip.

He reached the other side with a casual glance back.

“Your turn,” he said, voice easy, teasing.

Easier said than done.

Murmurs rippled through the candidates.

“How are we supposed to cross with just a rope?”

“If we slip… that’s it. Dead.”

Rei eyes wide.

“Fifteen? Will I have time?” he whispered

Itsuki flicked his card.

A glowing bridge shimmered into existence. Then he glanced at Rei, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips.

“Need a hand this time?”

Rei shook his head, jaw set.

“I’ve got this.”

He grinned, tossing a smoke orb at his feet.

Thick clouds swallowed him, hiding every move. And when the haze cleared, Rei reappeared, floating just above the ropes ,boots glowing softly like tiny thrusters.

“Oh, you can fly?” Itsuki asked, amused.

Well of course not.

The trick ?

In the smoke, Kaitsuki appeared in stealth mode, completely invisible. Thin wires, almost like hair, wrapped under Rei’s arms, pulling him up.

The wires alone couldn’t lift him, so he added mini boosters in his shoes.

Rei’s mind raced, but his face stayed calm.

Perfect. The illusion worked.

No time to test it, but right now, it seemed to hold. He prayed it would stay that way. Because if it failed …

Then—

SNAP!

A wire snapped.

Rei’s chest tightened.

Shit… the boosters alone won’t hold me!

And he was right. His boots flickering like a dying engine then the glow disappeared completely.

He struggled to stay steady.

Itsuki’s eyes widened, he shouted.

“Hold on!” as he shifted his barriers, trying to reach him in time.

For a moment, time seemed to pause.

Then Rei fell.