: New Blood

"You, my friend, are in my shrine."

Shock and confusion hit Inosuke like a tidal wave. He couldn’t fathom how he, a mere human with no Rayler blood, could enter a sacred shrine.

"H-how?" he stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

The man, seemingly nonchalant, took a sip of tea and raised a finger as though delivering a profound revelation. "Easy... You were badly beaten, fainted next to my shrine, and—woolah!—you ended up here. Get it?"

Inosuke blinked in confusion. What the man said made no sense. But, sensing that asking more questions would only lead him further down a rabbit hole, he decided to steer the conversation in another direction.

"So, why am I here?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration.

"I don’t know," the man replied casually, almost shrugging.

Inosuke’s eyes widened in exasperation, and he nearly fell off the bed. He had hoped for something more solid, something that might explain his strange situation.

"At least tell me this: Why did you send me down there in the first place?" Inosuke asked, already anticipating a nonsensical answer.

"To be honest," the man said with a playful grin, "you’re the one who jumped. I just wanted to see if you would really do it or if you were just acting."

Inosuke sighed, rubbing his temple. "Well, if that’s the case, I’d like to go home now. My little sister must be waiting for me."

The man ignored Inosuke’s request and continued, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Inosuke’s form. "You seem weaker than anyone I’ve ever seen. No, your body’s well-built, but there's something off about you. What’s your deal?"

Inosuke sat up, stiffening. "I’m just a human with no special powers. But I’ve trained my body to become strong, even if I’m not the tallest guy around."

"I see..." The man observed Inosuke closely, as if trying to figure him out. "Well, today’s your lucky day!"

The man suddenly jumped to his feet, arms raised in excitement. Sparkles erupted from his hands, filling the air with a mystical glow.

Inosuke watched with a raised eyebrow. How old is this guy?

"You’ve earned the chance to win something special!" the man declared, shifting into an overly enthusiastic salesman mode. "But first, you need to enter the competition!"

Inosuke’s confusion deepened. "What competition?"

The man smiled, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "If you defeat me in a game of chess, I’ll grant you a wish."

Inosuke frowned. "And what’s the catch?"

The guardian’s smirk deepened. "Smart one, aren’t you? There’s always a catch. Defeat me in chess, and I’ll give you exactly what you want."

Inosuke’s mind raced. He had to admit, the idea of gaining powers intrigued him. He was desperate to save his sister. But challenging this strange being seemed like a risk—one he wasn’t sure he could win.

"Fine," Inosuke said, standing up and accepting the challenge. "Let’s play."

With a flick of the man’s wrist, a chessboard appeared on the table between them. Inosuke was handed the white pieces.

The man grinned. "Please, go ahead. You have the first move."

The game began, and with every move, Inosuke felt the weight of the situation. The odds were stacked against him—his opponent was the guardian of this shrine, after all. The pieces moved across the board like soldiers on a battlefield, and with each passing moment, Inosuke could sense the guardian’s confidence growing.

"Why do you keep fighting when you know you're going to lose?" the guardian asked with a laugh, moving his knight to a powerful position.

Inosuke’s eyes narrowed. "Because if I don’t, who will? My sister needs me. I’ll do anything to save her."

With those words, he made a bold move, pushing his queen across the board and placing the guardian’s king in check. The man responded, but Inosuke was relentless, moving his pieces like a calculated machine. Each move brought him closer to victory.

The guardian's face shifted from amusement to genuine concentration, but it was too late. With one final strategic play, Inosuke declared, "Checkmate."

The guardian let out a delighted laugh. "Well, I’ve lost fair and square," he said, rising from his seat and snapping his fingers. A piece of paper appeared in midair.

"Fill this out," the guardian said with a grin, handing Inosuke the paper.

Inosuke took the paper and read it over. It asked for basic information—name, occupation, skills—and he quickly filled it in, his mind focused on the prize. He handed it back to the guardian.

The guardian waved his hand, and the paper burst into flames, vanishing into thin air.

"Wait, nothing’s happening," Inosuke muttered, scanning his body for any sign of change.

The guardian chuckled. "What did you expect? A flashy transformation? Nah. You’ve already gained your powers. In addition, I’ve given you something that will help you on your journey."

Inosuke's body began to glow faintly.

"Wait, what’s going on?" Inosuke asked, his heart racing as the light grew brighter.

"Simple," the guardian said with a mysterious smile. "You’re going back where you came from. And remember, you’re no longer the ordinary human you once were. Good luck, Inosuke."

Inosuke’s body glowed brighter, the same light that had taken him to the shrine earlier. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the guardian’s sight.

The guardian watched the area begin to crack and break apart as the shrine started to crumble. "We’ll meet again, Inosuke," he murmured, disappearing into the fading light.

Inosuke awoke, finding himself lying on the ground where he had collapsed earlier. He sat up, scanning his surroundings. "I really have arrived..." he thought, his mind still reeling from the strange events. There was no sign of the shrine anymore.

"Well, that’s weird," he muttered to himself.

He rose to his feet and began walking home.

Inosuke arrived at the mansion—once grand, but now rotting with age. He paused outside for a moment, taking in the sight of the home that had once been filled with life.

Entering, he climbed the stairs and made his way to his sister’s room. She was lying in a wheelchair, a drip hooked to her arm. Her lifeless eyes gazed out at nothing, and Inosuke’s heart ached.

He walked over to her, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead before kissing her softly. "I’ll save you, I swear," he whispered, his voice heavy with promise.

He turned and left the room, retreating to his own. The bed creaked under him as he collapsed onto it, exhaustion weighing him down.

Inosuke stared at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting back to the guardian and the powers he’d gained. His body felt different now, almost... normal. The pain he had been carrying for so long was gone. It was as if a weight had been lifted off him.

But even as he lay there, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something more had changed within him.

A faint blue glow flickered on his forehead for a moment before vanishing, unnoticed by Inosuke.

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