by Unknown
“Hey, is he the moody old man that you always complain about Akito?” Asked Taisei. “The one you said has no real exorcist skills and used to defeat monsters by blowing everything up?”
“No!” Said Akito a little too quickly and I could see his face start to turn red. “He’s my...Deeply respected talented superior, and he was kind enough to come to assist us with the fox attack.”
“Right you are Akito!” Said Shinta. “You children are all lucky to have such a remarkable man as your teacher. It's a shame that he never quite got to the same level as Shiki Moriyama, but Akito's a great man in his own right.”
My teacher stood there with his mouth open for a moment (Shiki Moriyama was Akito’s friend who got promoted over him, and since then Akito had developed some strange complex about the guy) before clearing his throat and continuing. “The two men behind him are his subordinates Hugo, and Nina’s older brother.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” said the minion with glasses who I assumed was Nina's bro. He stood up and looked at us all with a huge grin, despite yelling at Taisei a minute ago. “I’ve heard a great deal about you all from my younger sister. I hope we can get along well during our time here. If you have any worries, concerns, or notice anything out of the ordinary, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I may be your superior, but please think of me as your friend, or your super-friend,” he said with a wink.
“Not this again,” I heard Nina mutter as she covered her face with her hands.
“Wow Nina, I didn't know you had an older brother,” said Souta. “I bet he’s super awesome like you too, right?”
“He used to be awesome, but now everyone calls him the super suck-up,” I heard her whisper back.
Hugo also stood up to introduce himself. “I’m Hugo, enjoy being young and cheerful while you have the chance,” he said before quickly sitting down again. I could almost see a dark aura surrounding the man.
“Hey! Why didn’t Shiki come?” Complained Taisei as he poked one of his bruises and winced. “Isn’t he one of your best agents? He promised he'd come help out if we were in trouble.”
“Agent Moriyama is currently engaged with other business,” said Shinta.
“Aww, but he promised that he’d show me the secrets of his S-Chop,” said Taisei.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Nina’s brother. “Agent Moriyama’s S-chop is classified information which only certain elite members are allowed to access.”
“But Akito said that it was just a lightning charm attached to a rubber glo-,” said Souta before Akito cut him off.
“This isn’t the time to talk about Shiki!” Exclaimed Akito. “I brought you all here to talk about what happened tonight, so I would appreciate it if you could all please shut up and listen,” Akito began to frantically write on the whiteboard with the marker. I think he may have been attempting to draw us, but all I could see was badly proportioned stick people. One of them even had cat ears so I assumed he was trying to draw the fox monster. “At exactly six PM this evening our base was infiltrated by a fox monster,” he said while anxiously glancing at Shinta. “Despite taking the proper precautions and installing a barrier, the fox monster managed to obliterate all our defences. Her aim, Daisuke Matsumoto.”
“Duh, we already know this,” said Kiyori as he began swinging on his chair. “Boring.”
“This creature?” Questioned Shinta while glaring at me. “That’s ridiculous. Akito, even you should know that fox monsters only eat humans.”
“Hey, I am human!” I protested.
“Yeah! He’s human,” added Souta even though I had a feeling he didn’t understand what we were talking about.
“That’s what I’m getting to,” said Akito. “As you already know agent Matsumoto perished to the same fox monster over ten years ago. Somehow the fox monster heard of another Daisuke Matsumoto living in this area, and even though they are not blood related, for some reason she thought he would taste the same. I took shelter with Daisuke and Nina in my office, but despite my best efforts she discovered our location. With no other option left, I used a knife to loosen the seals on Daisuke’s back and temporarily unleash his monster powers.”
Akito began furiously drawing a giant stick man with claws surrounded by fire on the board, but everyone just stared at him blankly.
“Wait, did you just say monster powers?” Asked Taisei.
“Hey, what are you talking about Akito?” Asked Souta. “How can Daisuke have monster powers?”
“Maybe he drank too many energy drinks or something,” said Kiyori.
“Don’t you get it!” Yelled Itsuki from behind me. He jumped up and angrily pointed in my direction. “He’s not really human! He’s an Obake, and has been all along. We’ve all been lied to!”
“Is that true Daisuke?” Asked Souta.
“No! This is ridiculous, there's no way that I can possibly be an Obake!” I protested. “Come on guys,” I said while desperately looking at Kiyori, Souta, Taisei, and Nina. “You all know me, you should know that there’s no way that I could be anything but human.”
Taisei also stood up to protest. “Daisuke’s right, this has to be a mistake!”
“Taisei,” I was honored that my friend was standing up for me.
“I mean, look at him guys,” said Taisei. “He clearly has the spiritual power of a termite!”
“But I saw it,” said Nina. “Daisuke was like a wild, uncontrollable animal with powers far beyond our own.”
“That’s impossible!” Said Kiyori. "The only thing wild and uncontrollable about Daisuke is when he let one off during school assembly."
Akito coughed. “I haven’t finished yet, so if you could kindly sit down Itsuki, and I'll continue.”
Itsuki’s mouth opened like he was about to launch another angry tidal wave of accusations against me, but one glare from Akito was enough to silence him and he quickly sat down fuming. If Itsuki’s eyes had the power to set things on fire, I would have been burnt to a crisp already.
Akito turned back to the board and continued. “I took Daisuke on as my student because he showed high spiritual potential and a willingness to learn. I didn’t realize that there was anything out of the ordinary until I received the belongings of the late Kousuke Matsumoto. Inside were notes and research all dedicated towards controlling and domesticating Obake. As you may know, the Matsumoto clan once attempted to control and utilize Obake over a century ago, but every attempt failed and the research was cast aside. From his belongings, it appears that Kousuke Matsumoto devoted the remaining years of his life working on that project. I studied the materials and thought nothing of it, until I discovered abnormal marks on Daisuke’s back which resembled the research. I took pictures of the marks and compared the two, and there was no denying that there is a connection.”
“Taisei! The projector please,” he commanded.
Taisei hobbled away and came back with a projector from the kitchen. He plugged it into the wall and handed the cord to Akito before returning to his seat.
“What I’m about to show you,” said Akito while plugging the cord into a small digital camera and glancing nervously at Shinta. “Is the undeniable evidence that Daisuke is the result of Kousuke Matsumoto’s monster research.”
I could feel my heart beat wildly in my chest as I stared at the screen, and everyone in the room was silent as Akito fumbled with the camera buttons. At last the camera beeped, and loaded to show us all a picture of a shirtless Taisei taking a selfie.
“Whoops,” said Taisei. His face turned red and he slowly slouched in his chair. “Don’t know how that got there,” he muttered.
“Is this a joke Akito?” Asked Shinta. “Are you trying to waste my time?”
“No please, if you could just wait a moment,” said Akito as he frantically scrolled through the pictures on the digital camera. Photos of Taisei and Kiyori having a water fight flashed up on the screen. There were also a few shots of Kurumi training, and a video of Taisei trying to ride a
bicycle while standing on the seat.
“My phone battery was flat,” muttered Taisei. "I didn't have a choice."
“Here! Here! Here it is!” Cried Akito when he found the photo of my back. “It may look like scars,” he said while pointing to my old wounds. “But it’s actually carefully planned seals and exorcist charms which have been placed under his skin. There are at least seven charms in all which suppress all monster functions such as spiritual power, memories, growth, metamorphose, and give Daisuke the appearance of an ordinary teenage boy growing at a steady rate. Look here,” he said while pointing to a jagged scar near my shoulder. This scar controls spiritual power. Tonight I temporarily broke the seal with a knife, and although he did not revert back into an Obake, Daisuke did change into a monster like state and attacked the fox monster, as well as the window, the wall, and my pot plants,” he said.
“Akito, are you certain that this boy is what you say he is?” Asked Shinta.
“Yes,” nodded Akito. “Without a doubt.”
“By god,” whispered Nina as she covered her mouth with her hand.
I was also in shock as I gazed at the photo on the screen. The evidence was undeniable. The damage done to the house, Grandpa’s monster research, Nina’s testimony, and Akito’s explanation.
The evidence was overwhelming and there was only one conclusion.
Grandpa had obviously transformed me into a super exorcist.
It made perfect sense. Way more sense than Akito’s stupid theory about me being an Obake. What monster would want to endure exams and homework? Grandpa had obviously enhanced me with amazing spiritual powers and named me after his dead son because he knew that the fox monster would come hunting for my heart. When the time came, I could use those super powers and he could get his revenge. Akito had just unwillingly followed Grandpa’s plan. Akito obviously had no idea what he was doing, and stabbing the seal had just released too much of my mega awesome exorcist powers at once.
I knew I was right, so I told my theory to everyone despite Nina’s brother telling me to shut up and sit down every time I paused for breath.
“Wow, that’s amazing,” said Souta once I was finished.
“Hey, is that true Akito? Can you really turn someone into a super exorcist?” Asked Nina.
“There’s no such thing as a super exorcist,” said Nina’s brother.
“That’s because I’m obviously the first one,” I said.
“I think you might be in denial Daisuke,” said Akito. “I know that this is a very difficult time for you-"
“You just can’t handle the fact that I’m a super exorcist!” I said. Shinta and his minions didn’t believe me, but some of my friends were beginning to come over to my side.
“Wow,” said Souta while gazing at me in awe. “It’s the first time I’ve met a super exorcist.”
“You have to be kidding,” said Itsuki. “Don’t tell me you actually believe this idiot. He’s clearly an Obake. No one can transform like that and still be human. You saw it too, right Nina?”
“But it was dark Itsuki,” said Nina. “And everything happened so fast, I only saw him for a moment. Maybe Daisuke is right.”
“I don’t know what’s up with you Itsuki, but Daisuke’s theory makes more sense than him being an Obake,” said Taisei.
“Yeah, Daisuke’s my friend!” Added Souta. “And I don’t make friends with monsters!”
“That’s because he’s clearly trying to trick you,” Itsuki protested.
“Stop your bickering!” Yelled Shinta. “The boy is a monster and that’s the end of it!”
“I’m not a monster, I’m a super exorcist!” I yelled back.
“Monster!” He roared.
“Super exorcist!”
“Monster!”
“Super exorcist!”
“Monster!”
“Super super super exorcist!” I yelled back.
“He’s a monster Akito,” said Shinta. “And he has an attitude problem, he needs to be destroyed!”
“By all means sir,” said Nina’s brother. “Let me do it. I would be more than happy to send this terrible monster back to the merciless hell that he came from."
“Please don’t splatter me with innards again,” said Hugo.
“You must reconsider,” said Akito. “He’s the perfect result of the monster pet project, destroying him would destroy any chance of recreating these results in the future. Just think about how many Obake you could destroy if you capture and train other Obake to do it for you. It’s like killing two Obake with one charm.”
“You’re not seriously going to kill him are you?” Asked Nina to her brother. “I never thought that you would stoop so low.”
“Stop it,” hissed Nina’s brother under his breath. “You’re making me look bad in front of Shinta.”
“Please don’t kill Daisuke!” Said Souta. “He’s my buddy!”
“And, like, wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you found out later that he wasn’t really a monster?” Added Nina.
“Yeah, what they said!” I yelled. “And I’m a super exorcist!”
I put on my best sad face, and so did Souta, Nina, and Taisei behind me. Kiyori sat there staring into space until Taisei elbowed him in the stomach. He then crossed his arms and pretended to look angry. I think I caught sight of Itsuki dragging his finger across his throat as a hint to kill me.
Unlike Akito, their puppy faces didn’t seem to phase Shinta, and he glared at me sceptically like he was trying to determine my worth.
“He might also be useful for….. Making things explode?” Added Akito.
Shinta’s face remained dead serious but I could see his eyes light up after that last comment, and his mouth began to twitch like he was trying to suppress a smile. “Fine,” he said. “If what you say about utilizing this monster is really possible, then the creature lives, for now.”
Chapter 3
Apparently two teenage girls showing up in the hospital (one with a damaged face) looked suspicious, so the police came to headquarters to investigate. Shinta refused to let me out of my chair, so his minions shoved me into a closet and pushed a wardrobe in front of the door. I was trapped, and everyone else had to pretend that the damage had been a gas explosion next to a box of fireworks.
“Yeah, we were just all studying,” said Kiyori to the police. The officers had a hard time believing Akito's story and decided to interview everyone. “And then it was just like. Bang.”
“Yeah, bang,” added Taisei.
“And KABOOM!” Cried Souta dramatically.
It was my only chance to escape before Shinta changed his mind. My mouth was taped shut, so I jumped in my chair to move it closer to the door. I planned to kick the door to get the officer’s attention, but the chair tipped over and I fell on my face.
“What was that noise?” I heard the officer ask.
“Its,” said Souta like he was attempting to save me, but he quickly became quiet and didn’t do anything. It was exactly what he did when we fought monsters.
“Cockroaches,” said Nina’s brother. “Giant ones...in the walls...and maybe the floors. We’ve been trying to kill them for months but they just keep coming back stronger than ever.”
“Yeah, they’ve evolved into like these super strong mutant roaches,” added Taisei. "They’re like teenage mutant ninja roaches, but smaller, and not actually ninjas."
I thought there was no way that anyone could believe his terrible excuse. I was certain that the officer would come dashing to my rescue, but to my disappointment he just cleared his throat and said he was done. I spent another thirty minutes with my face against the floor until Shinta came back for me.
Hugo and Nina’s brother carried my chair back to the kitchen. I thought they would at least give me a snack, but instead they placed a lamp on the table and directed the light into my eyes. I felt like I was trapped in a police movie as Shinta and his lackeys began writing observations.
“Hair, messy,” muttered Ni
na’s brother. “Clothes? Probably haven’t been washed for a few days.”
“Personality, optimistic,” wrote Hugo. “Like he hasn’t had all his hopes and dreams crushed by life.”
“Hey!” I protested.
“Don’t you think this is a little excessive?” Asked Akito as he moved the lamp away from my face. “I’ve taught him for months. He’s clearly not capable of harming anyone in his current state.”
“Stand down Akito,” said Shinta. “I’ll take it from here. You and your students can wait outside.”
Akito screwed up his face and looked like he was about to protest before he quietly left the room. As horrible as my situation was, I had to admit that it was funny to see Akito being told what to do for once. He would finally know how the rest of us felt. I even started laughing until Shinta pulled out a pin and jabbed my right hand.
“Hey, that hurts!” I protested and tried to struggle against the ropes, but Hugo held my hand down. Shinta pulled out a piece of yellow paper and held it against my hand. I watched as my blood began to seep into the paper.
“No doubt about it. This is definitely monster blood,” said Shinta as he held the paper up to his face to get a better look.
“What! How can you even tell?” I asked. I couldn’t see anything strange about it at all.
“It glimmers in the light,” he said.
“It glimmers in the light,” I mocked in a melodramatic voice. I thought I would get a few laughs from Shinta’s minions, but the two of them just sat there staring at me blankly. I thought that was the worst they could do, but that’s when the endless questioning began.
“Do you have the urge to consume human flesh?” Shinta asked.
“No,” I said.
“What animal can you transform into?”
“I can’t transform into anything!”
“When was the last time you ate someone?”
“I’ve never eaten anyone in my life!”
“Repressed memories,” muttered Nina’s brother as he took notes. “Inflated self-confidence, inability to comprehend the truth. Clearly in denial.”