Chapter 44: "Magical Boys and Their Extremely Confused Mothers"
In which I master transformations, drain my magic, and emotionally bond over sparkly transformations and questionable plot logic.
Airi stood barefoot in the middle of Ryūseikan's courtyard, the morning breeze stirring her pale-gold hair. The sky was clear, birds chirped from the surrounding trees, and her thoughts were considerably less peaceful than the scenery.
"Grandpa," she said, turning toward the mountain of a man standing behind her. "I want to go to school."
Genryūsai Tendō raised one snowy eyebrow and set down the large stone he had casually been using as a table.
"A school?" he asked. "As in classrooms, homework, clubs, and cafeteria food?"
Airi nodded.
"I want to try living normally."
The Elder smiled, although something wistful passed through his expression.
"Normal."
The word hung between them.
"Normal means different things to different people, Airi," he said gently. "For someone raised as you were, it is a little more complicated."
Airi looked down at her hands.
Hands that could shatter wood and stone with frightening ease.
She knew he was right. She had grown up surrounded by martial artists, Ki, hidden conflicts, and people capable of feats most ordinary humans would never believe were possible. None of that could simply disappear because she put on a school uniform.
But neither could the feeling she got whenever she saw groups of students laughing together on their way home.
"Grandpa… I don't want to give up martial arts. I don't want to stop being who I am. I just want to experience other things too. Friends. Classmates. School festivals. Normal problems for once."
Genryūsai chuckled softly.
"You wish to experience the life most young people take for granted."
Airi looked up.
"And there is nothing wrong with that," he continued.
Her expression brightened.
"But you must understand something. A life completely separated from Ki, danger, and the hidden world is not something you can truly have. Your family and your abilities are part of you. There are martial artists, Demons, supernatural beings, and dangerous people in this world. Knowing about them cannot simply be switched off."
Airi lowered her gaze again.
"I know."
Genryūsai stepped forward and rested one broad hand on her shoulder.
"But that does not mean you cannot have peace. Or friends. Or happiness."
She looked up.
"If your heart truly wants to experience school, then you should."
Airi blinked.
"Really?"
"Of course. Once the break ends, we will arrange it."
Her eyes widened.
"If Reina and the others are attending there, perhaps being around people your own age will do you some good."
For a moment, Airi simply stared at him.
Then she stepped forward and hugged him.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
Genryūsai smiled and gently patted her head.
"Just remember, if someone tries to bully you…"
"I put them on the ground."
"Without breaking anything unnecessarily."
Airi grinned.
"Right."
"Good."
For a while, they remained there together—grandfather and granddaughter, two people whose lives had always revolved around strength enjoying one small, ordinary moment.
Maybe Airi would never have a completely normal life.
But perhaps that wasn't what she actually needed.
Maybe she only needed the freedom to choose which parts of normal life she wanted.
Even if one of those parts was homework.
After surviving another day of please-destroy-my-skeleton training at Ryūseikan, I finally returned to the Hoshino residence feeling like every muscle in Kaito's body had filed a formal complaint.
Technically, I was Ren Kisaragi.
According to every official document, mirror, and person outside the small group who knew the truth, however, I was Kaito Hoshino.
Still weird.
Very weird.
I headed straight for the bathroom, dumped my sweat-soaked training clothes into a corner, and lowered myself into the hot water with all the dignity of a warrior returning from a terrible campaign.
"Aaaaah…"
I sank deeper.
"Water. Sweet, non-punching water."
"You look pathetic."
Vhalor's voice echoed through my mind.
I closed my eyes.
"You weren't the one Prasert spent several hours kicking."
"You repeatedly asked him to continue."
"That is completely irrelevant."
For approximately thirty glorious seconds, I thought I might actually get some peace.
Then Vhalor spoke again.
"About Reiji Takamura."
My eyes opened.
"What about him?"
"He is currently stronger than you."
I sat upright so quickly that water splashed over the side of the tub.
"WHAT?"
"Calm yourself."
"I was calm until the giant celestial lion living in my Soul Armament casually informed me that the man threatening my friend can beat me!"
"I said he is stronger than you at present. I did not say that will remain true."
"That distinction is doing wonders for my mood."
I slowly sank back into the water.
"So if I fought him right now?"
There was a short pause.
"You would probably lose."
I stared at the ceiling.
"Oh good. Exactly what I wanted to hear while sitting naked in a bathtub."
The truth was annoying, but not difficult to understand.
Reiji had trained seriously for years.
I had been at Ryūseikan for Five days.
Five.
Entire.
Days.
I had spiritual energy, magic, and Fivefold Ascension, but none of that changed the fact that Kaito's body was still only beginning to develop Ki and adjust to the level of fighting I wanted from it.
Fivefold Ascension could multiply what I already had.
The First Ascension doubled my power.
The Second doubled that again to four times.
Then eight.
Sixteen.
And finally thirty-two at the Fifth Ascension.
But having access to a multiplication system and being able to safely use all five stages were two very different things.
"So how long until I don't get folded?"
"That depends entirely on your training."
"Helpful."
"You wanted honesty."
"I wanted encouraging honesty."
"That is not a separate category."
I sighed.
The faint sensation I had experienced during training returned to my mind.
Ki.
"I'm close," I muttered, looking at my hands. "I can feel it."
"Then continue."
"That's the plan."
I sank farther into the water.
Tomorrow, I would wake up early.
Go back to Ryūseikan.
Train harder.
Get punched more.
Probably regret several decisions.
But I would awaken Ki.
Because Reiji might be Haruki's childhood friend turned white-suited problem, but I was still Ren Kisaragi.
And I didn't lose.
Usually.
After being used as Prasert's favorite training target for several hours, soaking in a bathtub like an exhausted old man, and having Vhalor professionally assassinate my confidence with Reiji is stronger than you, you might assume I went to sleep.
Nope.
Apparently, Ren Kisaragi did not believe in sleep when there was magic homework waiting.
Somewhere between fighting martial-arts monsters and learning to use Fivefold Ascension, I had also started practicing beginner magic.
Illusions were useful.
But what I really wanted tonight was transformation magic.
Why?
Because waking up every morning and seeing somebody else in the mirror remained incredibly strange.
Kaito's family had been wonderful to me.
His life wasn't bad.
But sometimes I missed seeing myself.
My own face.
My own red hair.
The kid I had been looking at in mirrors for thirteen years before waking up in another universe.
Turning back into myself through magic seemed worth learning for that reason alone.
"Vhalor," I said, opening the magic book Sora had given me. "You've been around for a long time. Help me with this."
"Transformation magic?"
"Yeah."
"You possess written instructions."
"I also possess a centuries-old supernatural being who enjoys telling me when I'm doing things wrong."
There was a pause.
"Fair."
I looked down at the spell.
The principle was straightforward enough. The caster held the desired shape clearly in mind, formed the spell correctly, and used Mana to alter the body according to that image.
For me, remembering my original appearance wasn't exactly difficult.
I had spent thirteen years wearing it.
I focused.
Red hair.
My face.
My height.
My build.
Every detail I remembered.
Then I formed the spell.
Mana moved through it.
Light rippled across my body.
And suddenly—
I was Ren again.
Or, more accurately, Kaito's body had taken Ren's shape.
I stared into the mirror.
A thirteen-year-old boy stared back.
Lean.
Athletic.
Sharp-featured.
Bright red hair falling around my face exactly the way I remembered it.
For several seconds, I didn't say anything.
I just looked.
There I was.
My face.
My actual face.
"…Wow."
"You appear younger than I expected."
"I'm thirteen."
"I know."
I narrowed my eyes at the mirror.
"You sounded judgmental."
"Merely observant."
I ignored him.
Then another thought came to me.
What would I look like when I was older?
Sixteen, maybe.
I had never really thought about it before.
I closed my eyes again and adjusted the image.
Taller.
Around one hundred and eighty centimeters.
The same lean build, only more developed.
Longer red hair.
A more mature face.
Still unmistakably me.
I recast the spell.
Light passed over me again.
When it faded, the person standing in the mirror looked like an older version of Ren Kisaragi.
I stared.
"Huh."
Vhalor was quiet for a moment.
"Better."
I grinned.
"Jealous?"
"Of what?"
"The hair."
Vhalor did not answer.
I considered that a victory.
I turned slightly, examining the transformation from different angles.
It felt strange.
Not bad.
Just strange.
Like looking at a future that might have existed if everything had continued normally.
Eventually I smiled at my reflection.
"Not bad."
And if Reiji wanted a fight someday?
Well.
Maybe by then the real version of me would be considerably more dangerous than either of us expected.
You might think successfully transforming myself into an older version of my real appearance would have been enough magical experimentation for one night.
Apparently I hated relaxation.
Next objective:
Wind magic.
Wind had always been one of my strongest affinities back home besides darkness and Death. Now, I couldn't feel death and darkness magic was not beginner friendly. As such, Wind was the best choice.
Pressure.
Flow.
Compression.
Movement.
Air currents.
Those were things I already understood.
So naturally, I assumed beginner wind magic would be easy.
It wasn't.
Knowing how wind worked helped.
It did not magically make the spell perform itself.
I headed into the backyard with the spellbook, still wearing the older version of my appearance, while the evening breeze moved through the plants.
Hopefully those plants had enjoyed their lives.
I opened the book.
Wind Bullet.
A beginner spell.
Compress air into a projectile.
Launch it at the target.
Simple.
At least on paper.
"Okay," I muttered. "Let's try this."
Vhalor spoke from within the Armament.
"The spell formula will produce an effect on its own. Understanding the wind will make that effect stronger and easier to control."
"Pressure difference. Airflow. Compression. Resistance."
I raised one hand.
"Yeah. I know wind."
I traced the spell formation carefully.
Mana gathered.
I compressed the air in front of my palm into a compact projectile.
Then released it.
BOOM.
The Wind Bullet shot across the yard and obliterated a garden ornament.
I froze.
"…Sorry, Miki."
The remaining force struck a nearby tree and sent leaves spinning through the air.
I looked at my hand.
"Not bad."
"Too much force. Poor control."
"Still worked."
"That is not the same thing."
I hated when ancient beings made reasonable points.
I tried again.
This time, instead of simply forcing more Mana into the spell, I concentrated on what the air was actually doing.
The pressure.
The direction.
The way the surrounding airflow would resist the projectile.
How tightly the air needed to compress.
How the shape affected stability.
I traced the spell again.
Slower this time.
Cleaner.
Mana flowed.
WHOOSH—CRACK!
The second Wind Bullet crossed the yard and struck the tree.
A clean section of bark tore away, and a thick branch above it split sharply.
I stared.
Then grinned.
"Oh, yeah."
Now we were getting somewhere.
Magic was more difficult than I had initially expected, but there was something satisfying about it. Every improvement came from understanding exactly what I was asking the spell to do instead of simply feeding it more power.
And most importantly?
The house was still standing.
Progress.
After firing enough Wind Bullets to make the backyard look slightly concerned about its future, I finally ran low on Mana.
Not normal tired.
Everything inside me has gone on strike tired.
So naturally, I performed the most heroic action available.
I dropped onto the couch beside Miki and watched Magical Princess Celestaria X: Galactic Love Turbo.
And yes.
I chose the show.
Don't judge me.
Try spending hours getting kicked by Prasert while wearing ten tonnes and then tell me glitter, friendship, and brightly colored magical explosions don't sound relaxing.
Miki looked over when I entered the room.
Then she looked again.
Her eyes slowly travelled from my face to my significantly increased height.
"…Ren?"
"Yup."
She continued staring.
"You look older."
"Transformation magic."
I dropped onto the couch beside her.
"Totally reversible."
Miki stared for another moment.
Then sighed and picked up the remote.
"At this point, that isn't even the strangest thing you've told me."
"Best mom ever."
I grabbed some popcorn.
She kept glancing sideways at me.
I noticed.
"How am I supposed to explain this if one of the neighbors sees you?" she asked.
"Growth spurt?"
Miki stared at my older face.
"In one afternoon?"
"…Very aggressive growth spurt?"
Her expression told me that answer would not survive questioning.
Halfway through the episode, Celestaria entered her radiant battle form and blasted the villain with a massive beam of sparkling light.
Miki leaned forward.
"I love this part. She's terrified, but she still goes back because her friends need her."
"I know, right?"
Then Celestaria's transformation finished, and her hair somehow became almost three times longer than before.
I pointed at the screen.
"Where did all that hair come from?"
Miki answered without hesitation.
"Magic."
"That explains nothing."
"It explains everything."
I stared at her.
She smiled.
Apparently that was the end of the discussion.
We kept watching.
Strangely enough, it was nice.
No martial arts.
No supernatural conspiracies.
No ancient beings explaining why somebody could currently beat me up.
Just popcorn and an absurd magical-girl show.
Eventually the credits began rolling.
My Mana had already started recovering.
"By the way," I said, "I can cancel the transformation whenever I want. So there won't be any problems with school records or anything."
Miki visibly relaxed.
"Good. Because I was already imagining the conversation with the principal."
I lowered my voice dramatically.
"Yes, sir. My son became twenty centimeters taller overnight. Completely natural."
Miki tried not to laugh.
Failed.
I laughed too.
It was strange.
Living in someone else's body.
Living in someone else's home.
Being surrounded by people who had known Kaito long before they had ever heard the name Ren Kisaragi.
But moments like this made everything feel a little less strange.
I wasn't only training.
I wasn't only trying to get stronger.
Somewhere along the way, I had started building a life here too.
Tomorrow, I would return to Ryūseikan.
Train.
Probably get thrown through something.
Practice magic.
Try to awaken Ki.
But tonight?
I sat on the couch, ate popcorn, and watched sparkling magical explosions with Miki.
And honestly?
I didn't mind.