“Hah! First time in my life that I have been called a Fairy by a Human!”

  Elder Korpokkur grumbled nonstop on the flight back home. And unfortunately, I had no choice but to listen to all of it.

  “But you don't seem to hate it, though?”

  "Are you stupid?! Who the hell would want to be treated like that?! I’m a yokai! Not some tiny mythical creature that flutters around granting wishes to kids!"

  I frowned…Which part of that was actually incorrect?

  Let’s see… He was small. He was a supernatural being—by default, made him a mythical creature. He also has magical abilities, specifically his power to control over water. And most importantly, he was literally fulfilling my wish by helping me find a cure for Ruri.

  But I decided not to point that out, since he will undoubtedly be mad. Instead, I just chuckled.

  "The hell are you laughing at?!"

  Our banter carried on the entire way back.

  Once we arrived, I carefully set them down near the pond.

  Elder Korpokkur stretched his tiny arms and sighed. “Listen here… After the treatment just now, your little sister will be stable for about a week before her condition starts getting worse again.

  I froze. My breath hitched as I turned to face him.

  “…The herb needed to completely cure Ruri... How long until you can get it?”

  Elder Korpokkur sighed. “That… I can’t say. It’s rare to find it. And as you know, spiritual herbs don’t grow the way normal plants do. They only appear when a seed absorbs enough natural essence from the land and sky. In other words, …It’s completely random—one out of hundreds of crops might become a spiritual herb, if we’re lucky.”

  I gritted my teeth. “So, it’s impossible after all?”

  “Not exactly! Did you forget? Us Korpokkur is a farmer, you idiot.”

  I blinked. “Wait… are you saying you’re gonna grow one? In a week?”

  “Of course! It’s way better than running around aimlessly searching for it. Sure, we could buy it from a yokai merchant—like that greedy beckoning cat, Maneki Neko—but the prices those felines set are a total daylight robbery. And I’m sure you don’t have money or anything to trade for those herbs, do you?”

  ‘Wait… Yokai have currency? This was new to me.’

  I shook my head and focused on the problem,

  “Still… is it really possible? Growing a plant in a week sounds impossible. And from what I’ve heard, it takes years for a plant to turn into a spiritual herb.”

  “That’s true—under normal circumstances. But that’s where you come in.”

  “...Me?”

  “Yes. That thing you consumed this morning—the Azure Divine Pearl—grants its user a water elemental affinity. Try reaching out your hand and imagine water gushing out from your hand.”

  Without hesitation, I raised my hand, closed my eyes, and pictured a faucet turning on—water rushing out in a steady stream.

  But nothing happened.

  I gritted my teeth and focused harder. A faint chill crept through my veins, pooling at my fingertips. Then—

  *Plop.

  A single drop of water formed at my fingertip… and fell.

  “…That’s it?”

  I was totally disappointed. I had expected a surge of power, a burst of flowing water. Instead, all that effort just for a single drop.

  That droplet struck the cracked soil and vanished almost instantly.

  For a moment, nothing happened.

  Then—

  A pulse of light spread from the spot. Radiating a soft glow, as it slowly rippled outward

  The ground trembled slightly as fresh patches of green grass sprouted from the barren earth, swaying gently as if taking its first breath.

  “What the—?!” I jumped in shock.

  Elder Korpokkur grinned. “Hah! See that?! That’s the power of the Azure Divine Pearl for you! It’s no ordinary spiritual treasure!” His tiny chest puffed with pride.

  I was still struggling to process what just happened. “You mean… that one drop…?”

  “Yep! Unlike most treasures that act similar to magatama that might grant a power boost, this pearl guarantees a new ability. And the power it gives you is Water Creation.”

  I swallowed my saliva. “So, it’s like… A once-in-a-lifetime elixir, huh? Now I feel bad for not savoring it.”

  Elder Korpokkur crossed his arms. “Damn right you should. Unlike water-controlling yokai like Kappa or Umibozu—who need an existing body of water to use their abilities—you can create water anywhere. And this ability doesn’t consume your spiritual energy.”

  My eyes widened. “Doesn’t drain my spiritual energy? How’s that possible?”

  “To put it simply… It absorbs natural spiritual energy from your surroundings. All the energy of the land and sky, meaning it’s a pure spiritual energy of Nature. Or you can call it, Pure essence. Just a single drop of it can accelerate the growth of any plant—and guarantee it turns into a spiritual herb.”

  I was happy but trying to keep my excitement in check. “Then… that thing was really precious to you, wasn't it? As Korpokkur can also control water but not create it…”

  Elder Korpokkur let out a long sigh.

  “Sigh, stop reminding me of it, Human. Of course, it was precious… the ability to create water with pure spiritual energy anywhere. It was the perfect tool for us farmers. And if she can consume it.”

  Elder Korpokkur glanced at the young Korpokkur beside him.

  “I don’t doubt that she can be strong enough to repel or even subdue Yokai who likes to bully and steal our herbs…”

  A heavy silence followed.

  “But like I said before—the most precious thing to us… is her. She has the potential to lead our kind someday. That Divine pearl is worthless compared to her life.”

  I watched as he gently patted her head, his usual grumpiness replaced with quiet fondness.

  After a pause, I nodded. “…Alright. I won’t bring it up again.”

  Elder Korpokkur huffed, shaking off the somber mood. “Good. Now, let’s get to work.”

  “We need seeds, right? What kind of plant?”

  “I believe it’s called Dokudami, it’s—-”

  “Wait—Dokudami? Ah, that thing is common around here. I’ll get some later.”

  “Right, and I need you to produce that water again. A full glass of it, if we want to hasten its growth. Watering it twice a day is essential, but since the rate at which you create it is very small, once a day is enough.

  “A Glass full?! But It took me a while just to make one drop…”

  “Heh, not my problem. It’s your own fault for having low control over your power. Besides, this is for your little sister isn’t it? Try your best, Big brother~”

  His impersonation of Ruri felt horrible and disgusting to my ear. When he saw my sour expression after hearing him, he laughed and jumped back into the pool

  Geez, he had an unmatched talent for getting under people’s skin.

  “Raisen, Hikage… let’s go. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”

  With a gust of wind, I vanished into the forest.

  As I weaved through the trees, my mind ran through the list of tasks ahead.

  Find a Dokudami seed.

  Hunt some Yokai for Raisen and Hikage’s food—and make myself stronger.

  Scout the area for any trace of that damned Kappa.

  And create a glass of… what was it again? Pure essence?

  I exhaled slowly, my breath blending into the cool night air.

  “...This is gonna be a long night.”

  “Hikage! Come from the left, on count of three! One, Two, Three–!”

  Hikage shot forward in a blur, his claws glinting in the moonlight before raking across our target. A hollow screech tore through the air as it flapped its wings in panic.

  Tonight’s prey was a Furaribi—a bird-like yokai with a dog’s face, its entire body wreathed in flames. I had spotted it by chance while searching for Dokudami, its eerie glow flickering through the trees. Too distracting to ignore.

  A quick check on the internet gave me the basic information about it.

  Furaribi were often found near riverbanks, and the most information I found was about its appearance, and their habitats. That’s all... No weakness, nor any hint of its power.

  But that was fine... I preferred learning through battle.

  Raisen, Hikage, and I launched a coordinated ambush, disorienting the Furaribi before it could react.

  With a burst of wind, I surged forward, my arm shifting into a sickle mid-stride. I swung for its swan-like neck—

  *SLASH!

  —but the blade barely dug in.

  Furaribi shrieked and lurched away, its flaming wings flapping wildly.

  “Tsk. Too shallow!”

  I pivoted, ready to finish it off with another attack.

  Then I noticed the change in my surroundings.

  Countless burning feathers floated in the air around me, scattered in every direction by its frantic wingbeats. Hundreds of embers suspended in the night, forming a fiery mine between us.

  When I try to force my way through—

  Fssh!

  A searing pain shot through my arm as a feather brushed against my skin, scorching it instantly.

  “Gh!” I hissed as I clenched my jaw, holding down the pain.

  The Furaribi kept flapping, shedding more and more of those cursed feathers as it fly away. If I let it escape, this hunt would be wasted..

  I tried slashing down the floating feathers to reduce its number and create a path, but they were too light, drifting around my strikes like weightless embers.

  ‘This is really annoying…’

  This is what I lack… I lack ranged attacks.

  I could try throwing Hikage or Raisen, but if they get caught by the feathers, it will only hurt them.

  Throwing stones could work, but gathering them would take too long.

  That left only one option.

  “Raisen, Hikage! Come!” I called them to my side, a plan forming in my mind. “We’ll blow it away.”

  I remembered how they had dispelled the rotten scent from Ruri’s leg back at the hospital.

  If there’s no strong wind around, you just have to create one yourself.

  “Here we go. On count of three, one.. two… three!”

  I leaped into the air, directing spiritual energy to my legs, and delivered a powerful wind-infused kick. Raisen and Hikage spun in sync beside me, their tails whipping around to generate a powerful gust.

  A cyclone erupted around us, scattering the floating embers in every direction.

  The path was clear.

  “Hikage come!”

  In a swift motion, Hikage transformed into a sickle in my grip. I kicked off the wind current, launching myself straight at the Furaribi.

  It screeched, sensing danger, and desperately flapped its wings to scatter more feathers.

  But it was too late.

  I crossed my arms to shield my face, bulldozed through the remaining burning feathers, then slashed its neck.

  *SHNK!

  The Furaribi’s head separated cleanly from its body.

  Its flaming corpse tumbled down, crashing onto the rocky riverbank below. Blood splattered across the stones, sizzling on impact.

  I landed smoothly beside it, patting down the burning flames on my clothes.

  Even in death, its body continued to burn.

  “What in the world…”

  I grabbed its legs—one of the only parts not engulfed in flames—and without hesitation—

  YEET

  I tossed its corpse into the river.

  A sharp, sizzling hiss filled the air as the fire smothered beneath the water’s surface. For a moment, silence returned.

  Then—

  Fssssshhh…

  Its flame has been completely extinguished.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  I pulled the corpse back onto dry land—only to watch in disbelief as the flames reignited almost instantly.

  “What the… It’s burning again?! How are Hikage and Raisen supposed to eat this?”

  Frowning, I thought for a moment before an idea struck me.

  I tossed the body back into the water, waited until the flames extinguished, then yanked it out—

  Immediately right after I took it out from the water, with one swift motion with my hands that had been transformed into a sickle, stabbed its stomach and cut it open—”

  “Tsk! Come on!”

  With a grunt, I forced the blade deeper, carving through flesh until I finally reached my prize.

  A core magatama of Furaribi.

  The moment I pulled it out, Furaribi's body stopped burning.

  “Here you go, Raisen, Hikage. Enjoy.”

  Without hesitation, they pounced, tearing into the fresh meat.

  I exhaled. That was the fifth hunt tonight. And after all this, I could really feel the difference.

  My sickle isn’t as sharp as before, even Raisen or Hikage’s sickle were way sharper. I can’t even decapitate Furaribi.

  Right after I got re–awakened this morning. I had my body checked thoroughly, there wasn’t a single trace of the Daitengu’s energy left in me. Which means it has been long exhausted.4

  “So, this is my strength without it… damn, I’m so weak.”

  Just like an athlete stripped of his doping, the difference was painfully clear.

  I glanced at the bloodstained magatama in my palm. My eyes narrowed as I swallowed my saliva.

  Truthfully… I was still hesitant about taking it. But after pondering for some time, I sighed, shook my head and dunked it into the river, washing it clean.

  Right… beggars can’t be choosers.

  I need strength to take out that Kappa.

  Without a second thought, I threw the magatama into my mouth.

  The moment it shattered between my teeth, a rich, smoky flavor filled my senses—

  ‘It’s sweet’ As I thought to myself, then I reached into my pocket, pulled out the other four magatamas from my previous hunts and continued eating it one by one.

  A gentle glow crept through the hospital window, painting soft gold across the sterile white wall as the first light of dawn stretched over the horizon, its warmth nudging the world awake.

  Ryohei’s mother stirred as the sun’s quiet embrace touched her face, her eyelashes fluttering open. A deep, satisfying groan escaped her lips as she stretched, the motion sending tiny pops and crack down her stiff spine. Sleeping on the cramped couch all night had left her body sore.

  With a slow, drowsy turn of her head, her eyes landed on the corner of the room—where a small figure sat nibbling on a snack.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming. But as she rubbed her eyes and focused, reality struck like a lightning bolt.

  "Ruri?!" she gasped, bolting upright. "You're not supposed to walk yet!"

  Panic fueled her movements as she rushed across the room, scooping Ruri into her arms and carrying her back to the bed.

  But instead of looking troubled, Ruri giggled, kicking her legs playfully.

  "It's fine, Mom~ I feel kinds of better!" she chirped.

  Still stunned, her mother hesitated before quickly reaching over to the button near the bed, pressing it to summon a nurse.

  A few minutes later, the door slid open with a soft hiss. A nurse stepped in, her eyes widening at the sight of Ruri sitting up in bed, her legs swinging over the edge as if the past few days of pain had never happened.

  "You… you shouldn't be able to move so easily," the nurse muttered, quickly regaining her composure. "Hold on, I'll call the doctor."

  She hurried out, her shoes tapping briskly against the linoleum floor.

  Ryohei’s mother sat beside Ruri, still stunned. The warmth of her daughter's small body in her arms had felt real, but the logical part of her mind refused to believe it. Could recovery really happen this fast?

  A few moments later, the nurse returned, holding a phone to her ear.

  "Yes, Doctor. She’s awake and moving… Yes, completely fine. No signs of pain," she confirmed.

  After a pause, she nodded. "Understood. I’ll take her in for a scan right away."

  She turned to them with a professional smile. "The doctor will be here soon, but he wants us to do a scan first. Just to make sure everything's okay."

  Ruri’s mother let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and nodded.

  A wheelchair was brought in, and despite Ruri’s protests that she could walk just fine, her mother insisted on helping her into it. The nurse guided them down the hallway, their footsteps echoing in the quiet morning as they made their way to the scanning room.

  Outside, a small electronic sign indicated that another patient was currently inside. The nurse gestured toward the nearby waiting area.

  "It'll be a few minutes," she said kindly. "Please wait here."

  Ruri hummed happily, swinging her legs a little as she sat in the wheelchair, while her mother sat beside her. The air in the hallway was cool, filled with the faint scent of antiseptic and the distant murmur of nurses and patients beginning their day.

  Her mom started to get curious about the melody she hummed, “New song? Where did you learn that?”

  Ruri turned to her mother, eyes twinkling with excitement.

  "Mom~ Ruri had a nice dream last night!" she announced.

  Her mother smiled, grateful for a distraction from her swirling thoughts. "Oh? A dream? What kind of dream?"

  Ruri leaned forward, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.

  "Big brother came to the hospital last night!" she said, grinning. "But it was kinds of weird… Big brother's hair was all shiny—like silvery–white! And his eyes were glowing red, too! Oh! And he had a cute little fairy with him! They cured my legs and even sang a lullaby to me!"

  Her mother blinked; her expression unreadable for a moment. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh it off or take it seriously.

  Still, she chuckled softly, brushing a few strands of hair from Ruri’s face. "That sounds like a wonderful dream, sweetheart. Maybe the fairy really did help you get better."

  "Mmhm!" Ruri nodded eagerly, wrapping her arms around herself as if savoring the lingering warmth of the dream. A soft, contented smile played on her lips. "And the song is the lullaby the fairy sang to me."

  With that, she closed her eyes and began to hum once more, her voice carrying the same gentle, melodic tune. As she swung her legs, the notes floated softly through the hallway, weaving a sense of tranquility, her mother can’t help but smile.

  Then, the nurse stepped forward. "We're ready for you now."

  With one last glance at her daughter’s bright face, Ruri’s mother took a deep breath and stood, pushing the wheelchair forward.

  In the examination room, the doctor stared at the scan results, his brows furrowed in disbelief.

  “I can’t believe this… her leg was still in bad condition but not as severe as before... What happened? Did someone tamper with her medication?”

  Scientifically, this shouldn’t be possible. And yet, the scans didn’t lie.

  To be sure, he ordered additional tests—another scan, bloodwork, anything that might explain the anomaly. He even checked the CCTV footage outside Ruri’s hospital room, to check if someone had been tampering with her recovery.

  But they found nothing.

  No one had entered or left during the night.

  The possibility of a rare spontaneous recovery crossed his mind. Could her immune system have suddenly kicked into overdrive? Was there an unknown factor accelerating her healing?

  Yet, even after exhausting every possible avenue, the results remained the same.

  No abnormalities. No hidden substances. No scientific explanation.

  Still, he had to be cautious.

  “How was it, Doctor? Is Ruri alright?” Ask her mother.

  The doctor sighed, rubbing his temples.

  "Seventeen years of experience… and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this." He exhaled, then managed a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, ma’am. Ruri is alright. She hasn’t fully recovered yet, but given time, she should heal on her own.”

  He gently unwrapped the bandages on her leg.

  The bruising had lightened significantly—only a faint purplish hue remained at the center of the wound. The black veins, however, were still visible.

  A misdiagnosis? A miracle? He didn’t know anymore.

  For now, all he could do was clean the wound again, wash it with sterile saline, and rewrap it carefully.

  But even as he worked, a thought lingered at the back of his mind.

  Something about this recovery was unnatural.

  And he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  A figure of a girl sighing as she glanced at the empty desk beside her, then threw her look at the window with a gloomy expression, “He didn't come to school again today…”

  Within that empty classroom, she felt the daily school was pretty boring. All her classmates had already gone home, she was the only student remaining. Feeling lost on what to do.

  “I guess I’ll go back home.”

  Hikari's mind was full of things during her trip back home.

  ‘Ryohei was absent the day before and today too, I’m worried… should I go visit his house?’

  She shook her head, ‘No… it’s too far, going there will make me return home late. Father wouldn’t like that.”

  She pulled out the second volume of her favorite novel, holding it up against the setting sun.

  “I finally finished reading it, but he’s not even around to talk about it…”

  She sighed, her mind flashing back to the two annoying boys who had pestered her all day.

  “I wish our school trip would be different this time. And if possible, I’d like to stay far away from those two…”

  Their semester was coming to an end. Soon, they’d have final exams, and after that—the school trip.

  Before she realized it, she was already standing in front of her house.

  “I’m home~”

  “Welcome back Senior Sister!”

  A short figure dashed toward her—Yukari, her junior disciple, waving a talisman paper in her hands.

  “Oh?” Hikari raised an eyebrow. “You’re unusually energetic. Did something happen?”

  “Look at this! I finally did it!” Yukari threw the talisman forward and chanted excitedly.

  “Spirit of the world, create boundaries for… um… boundaries for…”

  She swallows her saliva, fumbling over her words before continuing.

  “Boundaries for the beginning.”

  “Let no evil force in, and let no sounds escape.”

  “From inside, the secret remains hidden!”

  Once her chant was over, the air shimmered, followed up with a bright flash that bathed the whole house. But instead of turning black and white, like a Monochrome–like world. It turned Sepia, a world with faded browns and yellows. Just like an old photograph.

  “Whaaat?! This is bugged! Why is it turning brown?!” Screamed Yukari in frustration, yet her voice echoes.

  Hikari giggled,

  “Your chanting is wrong. It should be—’Let no malevolent force in, and let no sounds escape.’ ‘From within, the secret remains hidden.’ You said evil instead of malevolent, and inside instead of within. Which is a word for another chant. Specifically, a chant that makes your voice echoes”

  Hikari shook her head, amused.

  Hikari made a little laugh. “No, you passed. And it seems that you’re mistaken, what I told you to learn was a barrier spell.”

  “But isn’t this a chant for barrier??” Said Yukari confusedly

  “Yes, but it's different kinds of barriers. This is an isolation barrier, used to isolate sound from either within or beyond the barrier, just like what I used during our first meeting in the cafe.”

  Hikari takes a talisman paper and shows her how it's done.

  “What I told you to master is a simple protection barrier, and not this one. This spell is slightly more difficult than the simple protection spell.”

  Yukari’s face lit up.

  “Ohhh! So, I’m not dumb after all! I thought I was just terrible at this!”

  Hikari chuckled. “Your execution was rough, but the fact that it worked means you have talent.”

  “Yosha! That means I can go out, right?!” Yukari practically bounced on her feet.

  “Tomorrow, I’ll take you wherever you want. But for tonight’s training—”

  She put her bag down in her room and started flipping the manual book for Onmyouji apprentice. But Yukari interrupted her with an eager gleam in her eyes.

  “Senior Sister, can I be selfish for once?”

  Hikari narrowed her gaze. “About what?”

  “For tonight's training… Can it be a practical lesson? Like… going outside and facing an actual Yokai?”

  “I don’t think you’re ready for that yet… besides—”

  “Please, please, please, pleeease!” Yukari clasped her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement.

  After a long, tired sigh, Hikari relented. “Alright, fine... We’ll go after midnight. But stay close to me, and do not wander off.”

  “Aye aye, ma’am!”

  *Bonk!

  Hikari whacked her head with a rolled-up paper,

  “I mean—yes, Senior Sister!”

  “Good. Now go take a bath while I make dinner.” She smiled and shoo her away, As Yukari scampered off with a mischievous smile and ran to the bathroom.

  At first, Yukari had been just another disciple under her care, a stranger living in her home. But now… she felt like a real little sister.

  Something she had always wished for.

  Humming softly, she set to work preparing their meal.

  Meanwhile…

  Ryohei let out a frustrated groan, slumping into his chair as he finally finished making his third cup. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

  “Gah! I’m spent!”

  Another day where Ryohei spent his whole day researching more information about his target, scanning the river area to locate his target and finally at home, he had to create another glass of pure essence, meant for growing the spiritual herbs.

  His whole body was drenched in sweat. The rate at which he can produce water is one drop every two seconds, and that still takes a lot of his focus. Yesterday the time he took just to create a single glass of it took exactly 2 hours and 46 minutes.

  “Sigh… Finally done for today's portion.”

  His breathing was ragged, his vision blurry from exhaustion.

  Despite not consuming any spiritual energy, this technique is mentally draining.

  Ryohei stretched his arms with a yawn and shuffled toward the bathroom, peeling off his damp shirt along the way. The cool air against his sweat-soaked skin sent a shiver down his spine, but the thought of a warm bath quickly washed away the discomfort.

  As the water filled the tub, steam curled into the air, carrying a comforting warmth that seeped into his tired muscles. He sank into the bath with a sigh, letting his head rest against the cool edge of the tub.

  Almost three hours for just a single glass…

  He exhaled sharply, watching the ripples spread across the water. I have to make it even faster…

  Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing, trying to recall the sensation of spiritual energy flowing through him. The process of creating that water drained him faster than any battle he’d fought so far. But if he could master it—if he could provide Elder Korpokkur with enough water to grow those herbs—then Ruri’s cure would finally be within reach.

  Outside, the front door clicked open.

  “Ryohei, I’m home!”

  It was his mother.

  But Ryohei barely heard her, sinking deeper into the bath, the warmth lulling him into a haze of exhaustion.

  Ryohei’s mother stepped inside, rubbing her stiff shoulders with a tired sigh. She had spent the entire day at the hospital with Ruri.

  She glanced around. The house was quiet, bathed in the dim light of the afternoon.

  “Ryohei?” she called again. But the house was quiet with no sign of him replying.

  “He must be resting.”

  Her gaze landed on the desk, where a glass of crystal-clear water sat, faintly glistening under the light.

  She picked it up, tilting it slightly.

  The water was oddly pristine—clearer than anything she had ever seen. A cool sensation radiated from the glass, strangely inviting.

  The moment it touched her lips, a chill spread through her body—not cold, but sharp, tingling at the edges of her senses.

  It wasn’t just refreshing, it was invigorating. Almost intoxicating.

  Before she knew it, the glass was empty.

  She set it down with a satisfied sigh.

  Then—

  A single shiver ran down her spine.

  She froze.

  Something felt… different.

  She can’t stop her fingers from trembling as she pressed a hand to her chest, her heartbeat was not quite right.

  Her breath hitched. As the world spun around her.

  And then—

  She collapsed onto the couch as she slowly blacked out...