The trio decided that they would head to a café near the train station. Max remained quiet for the walk there as Hitomi and Jin were discussing the difficulties they faced with controlling their internal mana in class.

“You’re really good at it though,” Jin smiled at her. “Your form seemed almost... graceful.”

Easy there now, lover boy, Max thought as he lagged behind them.

“I wouldn’t say ‘graceful’. If anything, I’m quite certain my tutor would be utterly disappointed in my form.” Hitomi shook her head at the thought.

“He was a martial artist from Shanghai who incorporated Tai Chi Ch'üan into his magic, because he said the breathing techniques helped to regulate mana control. I could never really get up to his level, if I’m being honest.”

“Tai Chi’s pretty cool…” Max muttered under his breath without thinking.

“What was that?” Hitomi asked accusingly. “Something you wanna say?”

“I would never have thought of using Tai Chi,” Jin cut in. “I suppose I should read up about it. Maybe it could help me too.”

After a brief silence, Jin finally asked apprehensively.

“Um… Miss Brighton?”

“Hitomi, please,” she requested cheerily. “Call me Hitomi. You don’t have to be so formal. Same goes for you, monkey,” she glanced back at Max, who was looking around in awe of the city.

“No, thank you,” Max said absentmindedly.

Hitomi’s face grimaced in annoyance.

“Uh…” Jin laughed. “Okay... Hitomi… What made you decide to come to Japan, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh,” Hitomi thought for a moment. “It's kind of a long story, but the short of it is that I was chosen as a Scion by my mother’s side of the family. They belong to the Sakurai guild.”

She noticed the question forming on Jin’s lips.

“Yeah, in case you’re confused, I’m actually half-Japanese. And, believe it or not, Chancellor Imiya sent me a personal invitation to Yōsaishima,” she answered before he asked.

“They must have really wanted you in this class. I can see why – you’re clearly well trained.”

“That’s not true at all,” Hitomi said quietly with her gaze to the floor, before looking up with a smile. “But thank you.”

Jin eyed her curiously, but decided not to probe any further.

They came to a halt outside a café that looked out directly onto a main road. It was a quaint little coffeehouse, with soft lighting that looked quite inviting in the fading daylight. Max didn’t bother to look at the name of the place. He was just glad that they weren’t returning to the café the three had gone to on his first day there. The place had only a few customers, which to Max was only another inviting element.

They took a seat at an open booth and a waitress came over to take their order. This time Max understood exactly what was being said. Hitomi ordered two cups of coffee for Jin and Max.

“And what tea would you suggest? I’m in the mood for something with a mild flavour,” she enquired.

The waitress listed some rather fancy sounding tea blends, and it took Hitomi a short while to make a choice.

“It's on me today, boys,” she said when the waitress left.

“I wouldn’t have sat down if it wasn’t,” Max chimed in abrasively.

“No, please, we can pay for ourselves. I’d hate to burden you,” Jin interjected desperately.

“Speak for yourself. If blondie wants to buy us some coffee, she can buy us some goddamn coffee,” Max cut him off sourly.

“But–” Jin started to protest.

“Forget it,” Max cut him off. “Alright lady, what do you want from us? Or more, what do you want from me? I don’t really care what you do with him,” he looked at Jin who lowered his gaze in embarrassment at Max’s consistently poor attitude.

“Firstly,” Hitomi started, “tell me why you lied.”

“I didn’t lie,” Max said sternly.

“When I met you, you couldn’t even do Translation. Now you’re all chummy with the lecturers. I smell something murky about all of it.”

“Miss Bright– I mean, Hitomi,” Jin cut in. “He really wasn’t lying to you.”

“Well, what’s the story then?” Hitomi folded her arms and sat back in her seat.

“I think it's called ‘Psychomancy’?” Max lied quite fluently. “It seems someone’s messed with my memories. Dr Mashima’s been helping me sort it out.”

“So you’re not actually from another world then?” Hitomi asked, annoyed.

“No. Supposedly I was made to think that because someone didn’t like me being a Scion, seeing as I’m not Japanese and all.”

Jin was surprised at how easily Max could put together his cover story, though he didn’t like that Hitomi was added to the list of people that they were lying to, even if it was better that she didn’t end up involved in what was going on.

“I’m foreign too. No one’s bothered me about it,” Hitomi rebutted, clearly suspicious.

“I suppose I was more vulnerable. I don’t think I’m even half Japanese like you are. Not that I can remember anyway. Even the guild that my ring belongs to,” Max held up his hand, “is pretty much nowhere to be found since there’s hardly any members left.”

“What guild is that?” Hitomi asked.

“I’m told it's the… uh... Masa-something guild.”

“Masa what?” Hitomi looked at Jin.

“You mean the Masayoshi guild?” Jin offered tentatively.

“Yes. That’s the one... the Masa– whatever,” Max waved off his inability to remember the name.

“One rarely hears about them these days,” Jin said pensively. “Supposedly they’ve been disbanded for quite some time.”

“You’ve heard of them?” Hitomi asked Jin, taking on a much kinder tone.

The waitress brought their order, bowed and went on to serve another table. Max looked at her uniform, and realised that anime artists had a habit of making uniforms seem a lot more sexy than they really were. Though the familiar dullness of the waitress’ uniform was something of a strange comfort to him. There was a beauty in the dullness that he really appreciated in that moment.

“The Masayoshis were really famous back in the day,” Jin continued when the waitress was gone. “One of their leaders was a really famous hero who was instrumental in the fight against the Shikage guild.”

Now there’s a name I recognise, Max thought. They were an issue that Jin dealt with for about two episodes in the anime, despite the fact that they were perfect main antagonist material.

“Daisuke Oda, if I remember correctly, was one of their guild leaders at some point.”

“You mean the war hero?” Hitomi asked.

“Who?” Max enquired sharply.

“He was a master of the sword and an extraordinarily powerful mage. He based most of his magic around his kenjutsu. If you’re tied to them, Max, it might explain why you seem so naturally talented. They boasted some seriously gifted mages in their time.” Jin considered the statement to be an escape from further questions for Max, though a part of him hoped it was a real possibility.

“Though, after Daisuke’s death twenty years ago, the guild’s leaders began to fight amongst themselves and the guild disbanded some time afterwards. I’d imagine that the need to bestow the ring on a Scion must have brought together its remaining members.”

“Well, now none of them are around to say why the ring chose me,” Max added.

“Yeah, and I suppose you also wouldn’t remember who among their members gave you the ring, since you’ve had your memories... tampered with,” Jin added somewhat shakily. It was a little too convenient, but he hoped it would be believable enough.

“Wait,” Hitomi’s eyes narrowed, “you say the ring chose you? What does that mean?”

“That’s what the big guy told me.” Max took a curt sip of his coffee, and he couldn’t hide his surprise.

Jesus, that’s tasty.

“That’s not what I was told,” Hitomi’s eyes looked fixated on something in the air, as though lost in thought. Her fingers tightened slightly around her teacup, but no one really took note. “I was told the guild requested for me to wear the ring.”

“Actually,” Jin affirmed, “I was told the same thing.”

“Hey, maybe I’m special,” Max added with a cocky grin. “That’s just what I heard.”

“Yes, or maybe we just haven’t been fully informed about the nature of the rings,” Jin said gravely.

The group went quiet on this last remark.

“You’re a lot smarter than you look,” Max blatantly admitted, cutting the silence short. “You sure know your guild lore.”

“I can’t really take the credit. My family used to tell me quite a lot about guild history,” Jin said sheepishly. “They wanted me to know how important it is to respect my peers, should I ever take a position in the guild one day.”

Hitomi looked at the two quietly, looking like she wanted to defy what they were saying, but instead she let out a long, relieved sigh.

“I’m sooooooooo glad. I was worried that I let some lying free-loader take advantage of Jin,” she said in exasperation. “If Max were some con-artist with sketchy motives, I wanted to deal with him myself, since I’m the reason you’re stuck with this twit,” she said to Jin.

“Though, I guess, if Jin can vouch for you, I’ll take you at your word,” she added, returning her sour expression to Max.

Damn, that protag charm works fast, doesn’t it? Max thought.

“Uh… no you had nothing to worry about. And you didn’t stick him with me. The ‘twit’ just imposed himself on both of us,” Jin laughed, ignoring Max’s annoyed expression next to him. Hitomi chuckled along with him, nodding her head enthusiastically.

“Well jiggle my testicles and call it a milkshake, Jin made a funny,” Max interrupted flatly. “Fuck you guys,” he added feebly when their laughter continued.

“Though, now that that’s out of the way,” Hitomi continued as her laughter subsided, “I can finally make my request.”

“I refuse,” Max said. “Whatever it is, you can shove it.”

“How can we help you?” Jin asked. “Max will be happy to help too.”

He narrowed his eyes in Max’s direction.

“Hey, I just refused!” Max whined.

I already told you to play nice if you wanna keep staying at our place, he heard Jin think pointedly.

Max sighed, defeated.

“Okay, bimbo brains, what is it?”

Hitomi shot up in her seat.

“Help me practise my mana control!”

“What?” Max asked in disinterested confusion.

“Your control was amazing! It was like you weren’t even trying. I wanna do that too. I need to get better,” Hitomi insisted.

“That wasn’t intentional though,” Max shifted his head between the two. “I just did what I saw everyone else doing. I’m not even sure how it works.”

“I was actually gonna ask you to help me too,” Jin said with a shy smile. “Whoever you really are, you seem to be a supremely fast learner. I would like to improve my skills too if I plan to stand a chance in the tournament on Friday.”

“Yeah,” Hitomi said excitedly. “I wanna toss that spoiled brat Sawada around so much that he throws up!”

“I don’t think we need to take it that far…” Jin said, laughing shyly.

“Look, I don’t know why it comes to me so easily, so I really can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to help you guys. I mean, I’m not really making any kind of effort when it happens.”

“You sound like my old tutor,” Hitomi’s eyes lit up at Max. “Help us! I know you can do it.”

“Just a moment ago I was a ‘CoNmaN wIth uLteRioR mOtiVeS’,” Max mimicked her mockingly.

“Come on, Max, let bygones be bygones,” she dismissed his argument. “I wanna be at my best on Friday.”

“Bygones!” Max cried, putting his hand to his face.

“I don’t really wanna hurt anyone too badly,” Jin raised his hand and looked at his own ring. “But I do wanna do my best and see how I stack up against everyone else.”

“Fine,” Max finally conceded. “But I want you to know that I highly doubt anything I say will be of any use to you.”

They agreed to stick around in the training room for longer the next day when classes were over, and use the space to practise more.

All the while, they weren’t aware that they were being watched from a few booths away by a girl with long black hair, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, who just couldn’t curb her curiosity.

***

Akiko had made dinner by the time Jin and Max got home. She was visibly unimpressed at the sight of Max still being there, but, surprisingly, she had made him something to eat too.

Jin wanted to see Hitomi off, as it had been dark out by the time they left the café, but she insisted she didn’t want Max anywhere near her place and went off on her own.

Upon entering the house, Max didn’t have to be asked to take his shoes off for once.

“You’re still here?” Akiko said with folded arms as the two walked into the kitchen.

The TV was playing a show she enjoyed watching.

“Yes, but I’ll let Max explain that,” Jin said, taking a seat at the dinner table. “Akiko, if you're not watching TV, please turn it off.”

“I’m watching!” Akiko quickly turned and took a seat at the chabudai in the centre of the TV area with a pouty expression.

“Oh my god, is that...” Max walked closer to the living room area. “Is that anime?”

“Yes?” Jin answered confusedly. “Is that unusual? I thought you liked anime.”

“I do,” Max said, watching in wonderment. “I just never expected to see it here, I guess.”

“Shhh!” Akiko cut them off. “Things are getting serious.”

“You can’t keep holding me accountable for her mistakes!” a handsome boy with dark blue hair said on the show. “I’m not her, and you can’t keep making me feel like I am.”

“Ugh,” Max quickly turned away. “It’s a shojo drama.”

“Do you have some kind of problem, squatter?” Akiko glared up at Max from her large hippo-themed plushie cushion.

“Uh,” Max smiled feebly. “No. No problem at all.”

“I’ll have you know that Wished Upon is an amazing story, and if you knew what’s good for you, you’d SHUT UP!” Akiko fumed.

“Uhhh,” Max stumbled back warily, “of course, Akiko. My mistake. Shoujo’s are just too much for my heart to handle sometimes.”

Jin laughed. It was good to see someone giving Max as much of a hard time as he gave everyone else. Max sat at the dining table, turning in his seat to face the television again.

“Max,” Jin said sternly, “I already have to educate one younger sibling, do I need to teach you proper manners as well.”

“What am I doing now? I took my shoes off,” Max whined.

“Don’t sit at the dinner table if you wanna watch TV,” Jin chided. “We have the chabudai for that.”

Max turned to face the food on the table.

“I always wondered what those were called,” he said. He curiously eyed the spaghetti that Akiko had prepared. “Hey, nice! Some food I can enjoy.”

He smiled and looked up to see Akiko’s head quickly swing away from his direction. He eyed her curiously, and decided it would be better to do nothing short of idolising the food she’d made for him.

“Maybe this time actually finish all the food you’re given,” Jin said, dishing their food onto their plates.

“Alright, get off my ass already.”

Jin shook his head and waved a finger at Max, who didn’t understand what Jin was doing until he pointed at Akiko, who was again glaring at Max.

“I mean,” Max said, quickly glancing at Akiko and back at Jin, “stop giving me a hard time. I haven’t uh... had much of an appetite these days,” he lied unconvincingly. It was enough for Akiko though, who turned back to watch the rest of her show.

“Anyway, you don’t use chabudai where you come from?” Jin asked curiously, starting to eat his food.

“No, we normally just lie in bed and watch videos on the internet,” Max said, digging into his food more cheerily than ever before.

“Oh, you mean like NippoNippo?” Jin asked absentmindedly.

“Like what?”

“It’s this internet site where people post videos of themselves, or animals, or clips from TV shows. A video sharing site, essentially.”

“You talking about YouTube?” Max asked rather animatedly.

“‘You’ what?”

“No, never mind. That website just sounds similar to something we have back home.”

The extensiveness of the reality of this world was far more than Max had imagined. What was it in a story that gave it so much life? Did the creator of Mahō No Gakusei consider adding all these intricacies to his story? Did he think of a YouTube simulacrum? Is that what Max was seeing here? Just an entire recreation of the actual Japan as it was in his world? Or was all of this something of its own?

He realised that once he got back to his world, he would need to find answers. The fact that he got to this world at all must have meant that, to some extent, magic had some effect in his world. Did the author know this when he penned the story of Mahō No Gakusei? His brain was flooding with questions, so he didn’t hear Jin calling out to him.

“Max!” Jin snapped his fingers in his face.

“Sorry,” Max looked up. “Were you saying something?”

“I was saying we should probably buy you some clothes. If you keep borrowing mine, I’ll run out of stuff to wear.”

“I don’t got any money though.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jin said reassuringly. “It's on me.”

“No, no, please. I really don’t want any handouts,” Max whined.

“You just had free coffee!” Jin complained.

“If you’re gonna take us to a cafe, its only right that you offer to pay. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gone in at all. Them’s the rules.”

“Well, conveniently enough, the academy did offer to provide me with funds to pay for things you might need,” Jin said with a disappointed sigh. “But I turned down the offer.”

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“You said no? Why would you say no to free money?” Max exclaimed, blinking slowly.

“I don’t want to insult my family by accepting charity when we’ve got all the money we need. That money should go to someone who really needs it. And you just said you don’t want handouts,” Jin added accusingly.

“I don’t want handouts from you. I’ll gladly rip off the academy if they’re doling out free cash.”

Jin sighed. Maybe Max was right. He could just consider it a salary for dealing with Max every day for the next few weeks.

“Fine. I’ll let them know I’ll accept the compensation. But then we’re not spending the money on pointless crap. We’ll spend it on the things you actually need.”

“Yeah yeah, you know you can be a real stiff sometimes,” Max nodded annoyedly. Though after a minute, he couldn’t help but cynically smile to himself.

The solutions just fall right into place, huh? Max thought amusedly.

Akiko turned the TV off and stood up to stretch. She walked up to the corridor that led to her room before coming to a halt.

“Oh yes,” she said to the two. “Nii-chan, something came in the mail today. It said it was for Mr Tenebri so I put it in the guest room.”

“Thank you, Akiko,” Jin smiled.

“It better be the last time he gets a package sent here. We’re not housing freeloaders,” she said bitterly, walking off to her room.

“A package? No one knows that I’m here though,” Max said, putting down his fork.

“It's probably from the academy,” Jin finished his food. “I asked that they provide you with a uniform.”

“Crap, I gotta wear a uniform now too?” Max cried. “Man, these rules suck every inch of the ass.”

“Max,” Jin cut him off from going any further.

“Sorry,” Max spoke with a calmer tone. “I’ve always hated wearing uniforms. I was hoping I’d get through uni without needing to ever wear one again.”

Max finished the remnants of his food, got up, and walked to the guest room as Jin picked up the dishes to put them in the sink. In the room, there was a box next to the futon with the Yōsaishima Academy name on it, written in Japanese. Max opened the box and took out the uniform, laying the pants down on the futon and holding up the blazer.

“Well, I doubt it will look as cool on me as it does on the anime hero,” he muttered to himself.

“The who?” Jin’s voice suddenly came from behind Max.

“Uh... no one. I was thinking of that red-headed moron. He’s an asshole, but he sure fills out the suit,” Max was prattling on.

“I’ve heard you say something like that before,” Jin said sternly, walking up to him. “What’s that about? Who do you keep referring to as an anime character?”

“It's just a phrase we use,” Max put the blazer down on the futon alongside the trousers. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just... something I say.”

“Look, I know that I’m supposed to be watching you for Chancellor Imiya, but they don’t need to know everything. You don’t have to hide anything from me. If it's truly important, it stays between us,” Jin said with a concerned expression.

“Listen...” Max stammered, pausing for a moment. “I don’t even know if it would make any sense, okay? It's just that… certain things happen in your world that seem to confirm my hypothesis. There’re just too many coincidences for me to deny what’s been going through my mind since I first came here.”

“What hypothesis?”

Max scratched his chin, and paced in deliberation. He quickly peeked down the corridor to see if Akiko was within earshot, closed the door to his new room, and sat down on the futon.

“What is it?” Jin asked determinedly.

“I think… Okay more, I’m pretty sure… you’re the hero of Mahō No Gakusei.”

Jin stared in puzzled silence.

“I don’t understand. Isn’t that an anime show? I’m not a voice actor.”

“No, I mean you are literally Jin Akira, from Mahō No Gakusei.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, what does that mean?”

“I’m pretty sure this world, your world, is not real. Or maybe it is. I’m not sure. Somehow, this world is connected to Mahō No Gakusei, the anime show.”

“You are not making any sense, Max.”

“Are you dense? I’m saying I think this is an anime world! Like a story construction manifesting itself into an alternate reality.”

“That’s not possible. This world may not be the same as the one you’re from, but it is no less real,” Jin said with increasing frustration. Max had suggested some ridiculous ideas, but this? This was going too far.

“The people here are real. The air you’re breathing, this house you’re in, me standing here talking to you. It's all real.”

“I’m not questioning the corporeality of it all. All I’m saying,” Max frantically got to his feet, pacing once again, “is that I watched a show in my world called Mahō No Gakusei. The main character’s name was Jin Akira. He went to a magical school that looked exactly like Yōsaishima with the… uh… the unnecessarily large classroom and the fine-ass lecturer who has the gift of the peaking mountains,” Max used air quotes to exaggerate his description of Mashima’s chest.

“He fights in a class tournament like you’re about to. He was a loner, just like you. He spoke just like you do. Everything about him was practically a carbon copy of you, despite how somewhat generic he was,” Max added unnecessarily. “No offence.”

“But…” Jin argued, not able to buy what Max was selling. “This world is real… I’ve seen anime, this isn’t anime. There’s no humans flying mechas. There’s no androids fighting aliens.”

What, has this dude only seen the normiest of normie shit? Max thought. Those all sound terrible.

“This is just Japan. Normal Japan, where we have schools, malls, festivals, crime, poverty, suffering. We’re just a normal city in a normal world.”

“With magic,” Max added solemnly.

“Magic is normal!”

“I’m not saying this isn’t a real world. I’m just saying that maybe it's been modelled after something I’ve seen. Or, who knows, maybe the writer has seen this place and decided to write a story about it…” Max unconvincingly tried to justify the weight of his claim. “With a... peculiarly accurate depiction of your life thus far.”

“You cannot expect me to accept this ridiculous notion right now,” Jin responded passionately. More so than Max ever expected from him.

“Don’t you think that maybe you were wrong and that, to some extent, magic does exist in your world? It's more likely that you’ve seen some mage’s prediction of things as they may have played out. At best it means the creator of this…” Jin held out his hand, shifting it around as if struggling to say the words. “‘Mahō No Gakusei’, is seeing the future of this world somehow.”

“Any other solution makes more sense than your suggestion that this world is somehow an anime world, created by some person in your ‘real’ world,” he went on. “There’s just no spell in existence that could possibly justify the claim you’re making.”

“Only two days ago you were saying that you didn’t know of a spell that lets people travel between dimensions, yet here I am,” Max retorted.

“I still haven’t fully accepted that part of your story yet, Max.”

“Look, I’ll give you this much. Not everything is the way I saw it. Firstly, I don’t think you met Hitomi half as early in the anime. Also, you never really got into any fights until the tournament, so that convenience store situation kind of made me question my theory. But I mean… look around you,” Max gestured at their surroundings.

“Things just conveniently happen that make your life easier. Take for instance, you just met a girl. You don’t gotta win her over like everyone else. No, she just puts her trust in you from the get go! That doesn’t just happen to normal people. And, no offence, man, you’re not ugly in the slightest, but you’re no fucking Adonis either. So, Hitomi just throwing her loyalty at you, it's just unreal.”

“Even more than that,” Max continued. “I drop in from out of nowhere and you just get paid to house me? The school takes me in, doesn’t ask me for ID? Doesn’t even ask me to sign a goddamn application? What kind of school works like that? Most certainly not any school in real fucking life. I practically had paperwork shoved up my ass for a week just to get considered by my university.”

Max paused for a moment, before shrugging off the intensity he just displayed.

“But, it is how the typical anime works. Things will just go smoothly for you. The hero’s life is always just somehow made easier until the time that actual conflict arises. Hell, as soon as the conflict is over, some poor sap will probably fix everything for you in the aftermath. This world is a little too well aligned to the tropes and conveniences of anime stories. The real world just doesn't work like this.”

Jin closed his eyes and pushed his index finger and thumb against the bridge of his nose. There was no part of him that could believe what Max was saying.

He knew too well that this couldn’t be some fake ephemeral world, somehow controlled by the whims and fancies of an author. While things may have seemed convenient from Max’s perspective, Jin was far too familiar with the pains of reality. And he was certainly no anime hero… he was no hero at all.

“But… then again,” Max continued, “you’re right. We’re not completely disconnected from reality. Not necessarily everything just falls into your lap. I mean you haven’t even really spoken to Natsuno properly yet,” Max added, immediately regretting ever uttering the words.

“Natsuno? I knew you mentioned her name before,” Jin said, gritting his teeth. “What does she have to do with this?”

“Uh,” Max choked, with a panicked expression. “Nothing…”

“No, I remember,” Jin’s voice started to show signs of real anger. “I remember what you said. You said the hero of Mahō No Gakusei’s love interest was someone named Natsuno. That he kept calling her name whenever there was trouble. Is that true? Was that Miss Haruki? As in Natsuno Haruki?”

Max shrugged, but then after he thought for a moment, he added, “I mean, it took one look at her face when I first saw her for me to recognise her from the show. The animators did a remarkable job… Or the god of this world did a remarkable job. I don’t know, this is hurting my head.”

“How am I supposed to believe any of this?” Jin asked angrily. “If you’re saying that things have changed, clearly there was a change in the path of the future you saw. Clearly this... other Jin, this other Yōsaishima, is not the same as the world you’re in now.”

“It's close enough to convince me. And I’ll admit that while I may have fucked some things up, I’ve been hoping to steer you onto the path of the other Jin, so that things will, at the very least, go smoothly. Maybe that way I can get back home faster, but you haven’t been making the same decisions.”

“Is that why you asked me to focus my attention on Miss Haruki? You have no guarantee that me making the same decisions as this person in this anime you saw will somehow make things easier for you, or lead to the same outcomes. This is not a story, this is real life. These are real people, Max. Things don’t just play out the way you want them to.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I still think it's worth a try.”

“Dammit, Max!” Jin fumed. “This is not a damn anime! This is my life you’re talking about here! I’m not some tool for you to use at your convenience because I remind you of someone you saw in a show that you couldn’t even be bothered to finish. Have a little consideration.”

“I’m not saying you’re a tool. I’m just saying that maybe, if we try to follow the story as it–”

“This is not a story!” Jin cut him off.

“You have no guarantee that this is reality either!” Max retorted.

“Oh, you want reality? My parents are dead!”

Max’s eyes widened at his words.

“W… What?” he stammered.

“Oh, is that too real for you? Did you not know that? Was that not a part of my story? Or was it just so boring that it didn’t even matter to you?”

“Jin, I–”

“My reality is that my parents are dead,” Jin cut Max off. “And if what you’re saying is true, then I have to accept that my parents were killed on the whim of some... writer. Or some person who I will never see. Some person who I can never meet. Because, somehow, your world is the only reality that exists, and this world, where I spent weeks – months – wishing for my mother and father to come back home, is apparently not real enough for you.”

It was quite clear that Jin’s pride was forcing back tears.

“If you’re right, then my parents’ death was a convenience that somehow led to me being in Yōsaishima Academy, cause that’s supposedly where our story takes place. That makes their death my fault. And you know what? Even if you are right, even if all that were in fact the case, it still makes this no less a reality than you give it credit for.”

Max stared at Jin in stunned silence. In the stir of all the events taking place around him, between the confusion of being sucked into a different world and hoping for Jane’s safety, he simply took advantage of the fact that Jin’s family was never around. He never questioned it, because he ignorantly assumed it was common for Japanese youth. At least, it seemed that way in anime.

“If you wanna go back so badly that you have to use me, fine.”

Jin’s fury seemed to subside into a quiet, bitter anger, though Max was unsure who this anger was directed towards.

“But don’t ever… ever… tell me that this, right here, right now, is not reality. Because it is to me, even if it doesn’t mean a thing to you.”

They stood facing each other quietly, the tension casting a heavy blanket over the atmosphere. Max wanted to say he was sorry, but he knew that that wouldn’t have been enough.

He wasn’t aware of it, but he was using Jin, even if he hadn’t meant to. His reliance on the kid, his expectation that Jin would always just do what Max needed him to, it was no better than just outright using him.

“Nii-chan,” Akiko’s voice came from the now open room door. “What’s going on?”

Jin looked back at her, and his expression slowly became calmer.

“Akiko, sorry” he said quietly, almost sadly. “We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“Are you okay? Did this barbarian do something to you?” she asked, though with more worry in her voice than the anger she had on her face.

“No. No, he didn’t do anything, Akiko,” he forced a smile at her. “I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“You know you can talk to me,” Akiko said feebly. “I know I can still be a real brat sometimes, but I’m here for you. So please, talk to me if something bothers you.”

Jin smiled and nodded his head. Max glanced out of the window opposite the entrance of the room, feeling the heavy weight of guilt pressing into his chest.

“Actually,” Jin took the opportunity, “I must apologise for not having consulted you first. But, if it's okay with you, I’ve been asked by the academy to let Max stay at our place for the rest of the year.”

Akiko looked at Max and, with some difficulty, she stammered out, “If it’s okay with you Nii-chan, it's okay with me.”

“Thank you, Akiko,” Jin smiled. “I really appreciate it.”

“I do too,” Max said after a brief pause, when it seemed no one was sure of what to say in the heavy silence. “Thank you, Akiko.”

“Just remember,” Akiko said, watching Max coldly. “You may act tough, but I don’t care who you are or where you’re from. If you do anything to hurt my brother, I’ll make you wish you never stepped foot in this house!”

“Akiko,” Jin was about to chide her.

“It's fine,” Max cut him off. “If I do anything of the sort, you have my consent to make me pay for it.”

Jin looked at Max with a pensive expression, as Akiko solemnly nodded her head.

“I’m gonna go to bed now,” she pointed at her room. “Come say goodnight when you’re done here, Nii-chan.”

She closed the door, leaving the room in another thick silence.

“I… uh… I better go do that,” Jin said after a while.

“Yeah, I guess you should,” Max said stiffly.

“We’ve got classes early in the morning so… make sure you get rest.” Jin made for the door.

“Jin–”

“I’ll see you bright and early,” he left quickly and shut the door before Max could get in another word.

Max looked down at the uniform laid out on his futon. There was still a pin that needed to be attached to the blazer, as well a dark red tie in the box, the same shade of red that made up the patterns on the blazer.

It was true, this really was reality. How else would he have recognised that look of exposed, deep-seated pain burned onto Jin’s face?

***

“Whoever that young man is, he’s dangerous.”

Imiya’s words echoed in Jin’s head as he attempted, in vain, to force himself to sleep. He had been sure to see his sister to bed before making his way up to his own room, fighting the urge to let out a scream of despair.

Imiya was right, Max was dangerous, though clearly not in the way that the Chancellor or Mashima thought he was. Max was a threat to the natural fabric of this world. His being there was unwarranted, unnatural; a potential blight on the natural order of things.

Yōsaishima, an anime world? How could that be? What did that make Max? What did it mean about the world he was from? Was Jin truly nothing more than a cartoon character, made to suffer purely for the entertainment of people like Max? Jin couldn’t bring himself to accept the theory.

It didn’t make sense. It was enough of a stretch to buy that Max was somehow transported to ‘another world’. But it was another thing entirely to suggest that this world was some ephemeral design under the hand of some strange being in some strange world where, supposedly, maybe even ironically, magic didn’t exist.

His thoughts circled back to his meeting with Yōsaishima’s Chancellor.

Jin wasn’t a naturally fearful guy, but even he felt discomfort in the presence of Kitsuro Imiya. Not because there was anything particularly menacing about the man, but rather he couldn’t help but wonder what the Chancellor was capable of once they were better acquainted. What it meant was Jin would need to be extra careful, and that any step out of line, especially if it was something Max did, could result in Jin being more of a bother to his family. It was always safer when the authority figure didn’t know you by name. It made it that much easier to stay out of trouble.

“I must apologise for putting the burden of responsibility on you, Mr Akira,” Imiya had said politely, after gesturing for Jin to take a seat.

“I’m sure Akira can handle it.” Mashima was standing behind Jin. “Right?”

“What is it that you need me to do?” Jin asked curiously.

“Mr Tenebri,” Chancellor Imiya spoke with what looked like a very warm smile, “has requested to join our academy.”

“Yes, I am aware,” Jin confirmed.

“He has also requested to take up residence in your family home for the remainder of the year.”

Jin put his palm to his forehead. He knew full well that Akiko was not gonna be happy about being stuck in a house with Max for an entire year. Though luckily, it was only until Jin could help Max make it back home, wherever that was, and Jin decided that he would need to do whatever it took to speed that process along.

“We’ll, of course, contact your family about the matter,” Imiya went on.

“That won’t be necessary, sensei,” Jin stopped him with a raised hand. “I’d really rather not trouble them. I will speak to them myself.”

“Very well,” Imiya nodded. “So will you then agree to take on the role of observer?”

Jin looked at the Chancellor askance, before looking at Mashima, who was smiling reassuringly.

“What would I be observing?” Jin asked cautiously.

“Mr Akira, have you ever heard of the Masayoshi guild?” the Chancellor asked.

“Yes, I’m familiar with them.”

“Then you know that they’ve disbanded?”

“Yes, so I’ve heard.”

“And, are you aware,” the Chancellor paused, his tone becoming more foreboding, “that your friend holds a Scion ring with the crest of the Masayoshi guild?”

“I’m not familiar with their crest. Though, is it strange that he has their ring?”

“The Masayoshi guild does not have a Scion ring. They were founded nearly a century after the creation of the rings.”

Jin remained silent, waiting for the Chancellor to continue.

“You see, I don’t know who that young man outside is, and while it may seem that he is honest, or that his intentions are noble, he is also very dangerous. He’s an unknown element in a situation where we cannot afford to be blindsided.”

“So you want me to… keep tabs on him?” Jin looked at both the Chancellor and Mashima yet again.

“If anything suspicious occurs around him, if he exhibits any unusual behaviour, perhaps even if he uses unusual forms of magic, I would like you to report to Mashima-sensei as soon as possible.”

“So I just have to keep an eye out then?”

“Yes. Compensation will be provided for Max’s requirements, though what happens with the funds will be left to your discretion. And if Mr Tenebri proves to be more than you can handle, please report back and we shall have him removed. Constrained even,” the Chancellor’s eyes narrowed. “If that be necessary.”

A tension-filled silence had ensued, before Jin finally got up to his feet.

“Okay, I will help you, but... compensation won’t be necessary.”

“As you wish, Mr Akira. If you change your mind, do contact Mashima-sensei and she will provide you with the necessary funds. Please let our guest know that I would like to see him.”

Jin was about to leave but stopped just short of the door.

“You’re sure there’s not even a chance that the ring might actually belong to the Masayoshi guild?” he asked. “If it's true, it would make a lot of sense regarding Max’s natural talent.”

“I wouldn’t completely rule it out,” the Chancellor smiled. “But I think, with observation, the answers will reveal themselves in due time.”

Jin nodded.

“Just one more thing. I still don’t think compensation is necessary, but can you please send over a uniform for Max? His current attire makes commuting somewhat uncomfortable.”

The Chancellor nodded with a slight chuckle.

“We will do so, Mr Akira. You just do us a favour and try to be careful. Like I said, whoever that young man is, he’s very dangerous. Don’t ever forget that.”

Jin made his exit. He had considered letting them know about what unique abilities Max had already exhibited, but decided not to. He remembered the aggressive manner in which they had originally acted when they first attempted to apprehend Max, and decided that he would give it time first; either for Max to prove himself honest, or for the Chancellor to be proven right about how dangerous he was.

In Jin’s bed, as he lay thinking about the meeting, he realised that he wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. Imiya was right. Max was undeniably dangerous. Yet something about Max’s behaviour made Jin feel that there was a sincerity behind the cruel facade he presented to those around him. It was as if, through his consistently rude attitude, there was something more genuine in his nature than in any smiles or sentiment that had been offered by the academy’s leader.

It was clear to Jin that it wasn’t what Max had said about Yōsaishima that bothered him so much. It was the fact that he hadn’t thought about them in a long time. He didn’t allow himself to, and when Max said what he said, all the worst thoughts that had been locked away came rushing back, his guilt following as if it had been lying in wait.

He ended up not sleeping at all, seeing the first rays of sunlight float through his window blinds. Strangely though, he was not tired in the slightest.

***

I got greedy, the now captured criminal, Itsuda Yamori, thought.

Should have stopped at the second joint. At least I’d have had some cash. Now… Itsuha is gonna be pissed.

Sitting at the back of the police car, the assailant couldn’t help but fear for his life. He had heard some really dark stories about the suffering of those under the watch of the Counter-Magic Department of the Yõsaishima Police Force from some gambling buddies.

Supposedly, even criminals who performed mere petty crimes involving magic would get an unwarrantedly brutal beating with an anti-mana baton. For those who committed crimes like murder, the welcome party was a lot worse, with large groups of CMD units punishing perpetrators with all kinds of anti-mana torture, making sure to heal their victims before they were sent to trial to hide the punishment they had prematurely endured.

Anti-mana weapons were notoriously debilitating to the magic-capable. And now, after he had scorched a man over practically a pittance in cash, Itsuda knew that he was going to receive a very warm welcome when he got to the Yōsaishima Counter-Magic Crime Holdings. He had gotten lucky and spent a night in general lockup, albeit with anti-mana cuffs on for the duration of his time there. Anything was better than the images conjured up by his trepidation.

“Two kids tripped you up, huh?” the officer driving the car asked mockingly. “That Yōsaishima Academy sure does breed some talented mages.”

“Though I’m sure any old geezer on the street with a little bit of mana could have taken out this coward,” the other officer added with an ugly laugh.

Itsuda sat silently and wallowed in the fear of his fate. He decided it was better that he savour the ride over, as it might be the last semblance of peace he would get until his trial. Therefore, it was better to let the officers lash him with words. As long as it was only words.

“All that power and you choose to use it by knocking over some kombini? Your kind really is pathetic. Do you know what some of these people without magic would give for even just a little bit of your power?” the driving officer went on, turning his head slightly to face the rear so the criminal could hear him over the chatter of their communication devices.

“From what I hear, you’re not a fan of the ma-deki, are you?” the other officer added.

“Hey! Watch it,” the driving officer reprimanded his partner. “We don’t use that term in this car.”

“Just checking this coward’s resolve,” the officer smiled menacingly, looking at the backseat. “So what is it, scum? Ya lose all that drive yet?”

Itsuda remained silent.

I refuse to take the bait he thought, hoping it will help avoid making his welcoming party any worse.

“Are little fire balls really the extent of your power?” the passenger officer asked, his face still holding that malicious smile.

“What would you do if you had something that gave you… a little boost?” The passenger reached into his pocket, and took out a wooden amulet. He held it up to the back seat.

“Maybe... something like this?” the passenger teased, letting the amulet dangle on its string. The rune on the amulet was unlike anything that Itsuda had ever seen. He wasn’t particularly educated, but he had seen enough to know arcane symbols when he saw them.

“What is that?” the driver asked, the anger in his voice rising. “Where did you get that?”

“You are starting to annoy me,” the other officer said coldly, quickly reaching for his standard-issue mana-phaser pistol and pressing a dial that turned the light green glow that shone from the inlaid pattern rising from the grip of the gun to the end of the barrel to a fatal crimson.

A high-pitched whistle of sorts emanated from the gun, its pitch rising quickly as energy manifested at the end of the barrel in a crimson mass, before the passenger pulled the trigger, instantly killing his partner. A large splash of blood spurted against the driver’s side window as the now dead officer's body slumped against the door. Itsuda screamed at the sight of the practically decapitated driver, but a gesture from the treacherous partner very quickly silenced him. The steering wheel was now moving itself as the cruiser slowly turned to the side of the street and came to a halt.

The traitor officer turned and smiled at the criminal more confidently and horrifically, his face dotted with spots of blood.

“Now, as I asked. You still got some spark in you, or are you better off dead as well?”

Itsuda looked at the dead officer and frantically shook his head.

“I still got spark! Just get these cuffs off of me and I’ll show you!” Itsuda lifted his cuffed hands.

“That won’t be necessary just yet. First, I have a little favour to ask. I want you to send a message for me.”

A few moments later, the cruiser drove off, leaving Itsuda standing on the pavement, uncuffed and now holding a magic-enhancing amulet. He looked at it in his hand and could feel more power coursing through him than he could ever have dreamed of. Perhaps now, he could finally do right by Itsuha. He smiled at his luck, and made his way back into the light of the city, once again a free man.