Lost in the fog

Itsuki blocked a strike, eyes flicking to Rei, curiosity sparking.

“I wonder what’s he pulling out this time?”

With a flick, Rei pulled his hand from his pocket , and placed it on his face.

Sunglasses.

Itsuki’s eyes went wide.

“Really? In this fog?”

“Won’t that make things even darker?” Akira frowned.

But Rei adjusted the frame calmly.

“Trust me. These glasses will show me the real yōkai.”

“But first …”

He paused, a smirk tugged at his lips. Then he tipped his hat.

“Kaitsuki, come in.”

A shadow stirred inside the hat, and the white rabbit hopped out, landing softly on the ground, light and precise.

Itsuki’s eyes widened, realization flickering.

“Wait, like on the ship? Kaitsuki is going to guide us, right?”

“Exactly,” Rei replied confident as ever

“But the glasses, I still don’t get it,” Itsuki admitted, brow furrowed.

Rei tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“Kaitsuki sends me the map, Blue dots are us, red dots are the real yōkai. Everything else, nothing.”

Akira’s eyes widened, a mix of awe and relief flashing across his face.

“So, we won’t be blind anymore,” he whispered. “That … that’s brilliant.”

Itsuki let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.

“I can’t believe this guy, always one step ahead.”

Rei smirked, letting a few seconds tick by as the map flickered to life across the lenses of his glasses. When the display stabilized, he straightened, eyes gleaming.

“Okay guys, follow me.”

Kaitsuki darted a quick glance around the fog. His sensors flickered, heat, motion, the faintest traces of presence , he scanned everything.

Rei led the way, whispering commands.

“Akira, left. Real yōkai.”

He pointed to a dim heat mark glowing in his thermal display.

“Nothing ahead. Keep moving.”

Step by careful step, the trio pushed through the fog, weaving between shadows that seemed to reach out.

The fog kept getting thicker, swallowing everything around them until they could barely see a thing.

Akira’s voice cut through the haze.

“Good thing we’ve got Rei.”

They moved through the fog, striking and dodging as the yōkai lunged from every side.

SZZZT!

Steel met claws, sparks flashing and dying right away.

Then the clash stopped, and silence fell over the fog like a wall.

No more footsteps. No more signal.

Rei was gone.

Akira’s eyes darted around, his chest tightened.

“Rei? Where are you?” he shouted, panicked.

“I’m right here, to your right!”

“No, left!”

What a dilemma! The same voice coming from two directions, and with all this fog, there was no way to tell where Rei really was, or if either voice was even him.

Akira’s grip tightened.

For the first time, doubt slipped in, leaving him completely lost without Rei’s guiding.

Then a small shape bounded from the shadows.

Kaitsuki.

“Follow me, I’ll take you to him.” it urged.

Itsuki’s eyes narrowed, sensing something off, and without thinking twice, he snapped a barrier around the white rabbit.

The creature was trapped.

“What are you doing?” Akira snapped.

“It’s a yōkai,” Itsuki said, voice steady.

“Yes, but it’s Rei’s yōkai!” Akira shot back.

“I know. But it’s not him,” Itsuki replied firmly, confident.

Akira frowned.

“What? How can you tell?”

“The real one, has no aura.”

The Kaitsuki inside the barrier twitched.

“Liar! He is the illusion, not me!”

Akira froze for a heartbeat, then his eyes sharpened as he scanned the creature. And he saw it. A faint red glow wrapped around it.

With a swift motion, Akira struck.

CLANG!

Steel flashed through the fog.

The false Kaitsuki split apart, crumbling and dissolving into mist, leaving nothing behind. It really was just an illusion.

Silence.

Then another Kaitsuki hopped forward, pretending again it was the real one. But this time, Akira didn’t trust him right away and checked his aura first.

No glow.

Nothing came from the white rabbit, just like Itsuki said.

“He really doesn’t have an aura… how strange.” he muttered

Seeing it was real, Akira let out a slow breath, shoulders finally dropping.

The white rabbit zipped through the thick fog, sharp and precise, guiding them to his master.

Then they spotted Rei, surrounded by a few other candidates who looked panicked, eyes darting, unsure what to do next.

A sheer wall of rock shot up in front of them, blocking the way.

They couldn’t move forward, and the crystal wasn’t there. Did they miss it with all this fog?

Rei tilted his head when he saw his robot.

“Finally, Kaitsuki. Can you scan the area and find the crystal?”

The little rabbit flew in a wide circle, tracing a path from their starting point all the way to the base of the mountain. But when it came back, his voice crackled

“Master, I’m sorry. I didn’t see the crystal.”

Before Rei could think of a plan, yōkai lunged from the mist, sharp claws slicing the air.

The trio fought back immediately. The clash was quick, brutal, and real. SWOOSH! CLANG!

Rei hit the ground, rolling to the side, and drew his dagger instinctively to protected himself.

Once Akira finished off the attacking yōkai, Itsuki reached out to help him up. But Rei stayed on the ground, eyes locked on something above.

Akira tensed.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” he asked, concern sharp in his voice.

Rei smirked.

“No, I think I know where the crystal is.”

Itsuki and the other candidates froze, anticipation hanging heavy in the air.

“Where?”

He pointed straight up.

“All the way up there!”

They tilted their heads, following his finger, and saw it. A faint, icy-blue glow flickered high above, barely visible through the dense fog.

So far. So distant.

“Hum… are you sure it’s up there?” one candidate whispered, doubt lacing their tone.

“Master! Let me check!” Kaitsuki’s voice chirped excitedly.

He lifted off, flying straight toward the peak, climbing higher than ever before.

“Master you’re right,” the rabbit’s voice bubbled with excitement.

“The crystal, it’s at the top.”

The words spread quickly through the fog and panic followed.

“No way! The crystal is really up there?” ? “How are we supposed to reach it?”

“I don’t have enough mana!” , “Can we even climb with our hands? I’m too tired…”

“Eight minutes left, this is impossible!”

Akira groaned, shoulders slumping.

“Even with Itsuki’s healing, I’ve used too much power. I can’t make it.”

Itsuki’s brow furrowed, thinking fast.

“If it’s not too high, maybe I could make a staircase with my barriers but it won’t hold all three of us.”

Rei’s eyes sharpened and turned to Itsuki.

“Take Akira. I’ll handle this.”

Itsuki hesitated.

“You’re sure?”

“You know me, I always have a plan” Rei replied, calm and confident as ever.

Itsuki glanced at Akira.

“Okay, we’ll wait for you at the top.”

Akira nodded, still panting. Then the two began their climb, disappearing slowly into the fog.

A sudden shadow loomed above.

Kazuto hovered effortlessly, standing on his spinning blades, metal gleaming, smirking down at Rei.

“Hmph, a guy without magic? You’ll never make it to the top. This time I win.”

Rei’s eyes flicked up.

The top seemed untouchable, the crystal mocking him from afar.

And time was running out.