“Who the hell is this girl?!” Kenji mentally cursed himself for not being able to match the little girl’s speed, even though he didn’t know how she was so fast. “Hey, give it back!” he yelled, even though he knew it probably wouldn’t work.

  No sooner said than done, the girl didn’t stop running.

  After turning several corners and passing through various alleyways, the girl seemed to slow down (giving the boy a false sense of opportunity), only to disappear into a gloomy-looking building. A sign on the front read “Kan Family Store,” with dirty windows and some withered plants (possibly an attempt to offer hospitality to customers).

  Still not entirely convinced, Kenji cautiously entered the building, noticing several shelves stocked with convenience items: food, utensils, trinkets, and so on. By then, he felt like the only person in the establishment…until the girl reappeared in front of him, carrying her backpack.

  “Here you go” the girl said, handing the backpack to the boy, who, still cautious and wary, hesitated for a moment before quickly taking it. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Gomen’nasai” he said, bowing in apology.

  “It’s alright…but why did you make me chase you?” Kenji looked at her, still bewildered by the girl’s (seemingly sincere) apology.

  “It was so we could get to know you” The boy jumped at the sound of the new female voice. Turning toward its source, he saw a well-endowed woman with blue hair, wearing a yellowish blouse that failed (or perhaps didn’t intend) to contain the size of her striking breasts, along with sandals.

  “W-Who are you?” The teenager stepped back slightly, half-scared by the new woman (though also nervous about her choice of clothes).

  “Don’t worry. We won’t hurt you. My name is Himori Kan” The woman raised a hand, then bowed. “I see you’ve already met my daughter.” She gestured toward the girl.

  “Saruka Kan. Pleased to meet you” The girl bowed, just like her mother.

  “Saruka went to buy some…secret items my father asked her to get without my consent…” Himori shot a look of barely contained anger toward a nearby door, then cleared her throat. “That’s when chaos erupted downtown, and luckily, you appeared to save her. Thank you.”

  “Uh…you’re welcome?” Kenji scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Receiving thanks from an older woman for something she did without much thought wasn't on her agenda. “Is that why she brought me here?” she asked, pointing at Saruka.

  “Partly,” Himori nodded. “You see, we understand that while you were saving my daughter, you were able to see the being that was causing destruction. That’s not something ordinary people can do,” the woman explained, pointing at the boy. “There’s only one possible reason: You had contact…with a Void Echoes.” The woman stared at the boy intently.

  Kenji blinked several times, unsure what to say in the face of such a supposition. “Void…Echoes?” he repeated uncertainly, unsure of what that meant.

  “Beings with a whitish or bluish appearance. They usually have zippers where their mouths should be, but those are just the most common ones,” Saruka answered. The boy was surprised by the sudden seriousness with which she had just explained.

  “Please be honest: Did you have an encounter with an Echoes?” Himori addressed the boy, still bewildered.

  “How do I know I can trust you?” Kenji was cautious, even though he was already getting used to the strange things that had happened in the last few hours. “How do you know so much about these things?”

  “My father has a small connection with those creatures. He’s a master hunter who dedicates himself to keeping this city safe…though let’s just say his condition and age sometimes prevent him from taking his job very seriously.” Himori pointed to the nearby door. “When Saruka told me what happened, I thought my father would be interested in meeting someone these days with spiritual energy.” “If you want to know what those things are, go ahead and ask him.” He then opened the door and stepped inside, followed by the little girl.

  Kenji’s mind raced. Void Echoes? Spiritual Energy? Hunting these creatures to keep the city safe? He was just a 15-year-old boy; what he usually did was stay up late playing video games or hang out with his friends for pizza. He was sure that didn’t mean messing with strangers or learning about creatures beyond his comprehension…

  Even so, something compelled him to go through that door. Yes, he didn’t understand anything that had happened lately, and a few answers wouldn’t hurt, but still… it all seemed too much to grasp. Sighing one last time, he stepped through the door, ready to meet this ‘master.’

  The next room resembled a typical storage room, with shelves stocked with merchandise, though it also had a certain air of… to a martial arts dojo. Seated in the center of the rug in the middle of the room was an old man with a recently trimmed (albeit vaguely) beard, wearing a dark blue men's Kendo training suit. Brown hair and closed eyes…no, wait, he was asleep.

  “WAKE UP, DAD!” Himori shouted angrily, startling Kenji and Saruka. Even so, the old man woke up slowly, yawning.

  “Sorry, sorry. What’s wrong?” the man scratched his head, looking lazily at his daughter.

  “(He looks like an adult version of Daichi)” Kenji thought, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

  “This is the boy we told you about, Father,” the woman nodded toward the boy. “We believe he has the ability to use spiritual energy.”

  The man looked Kenji up and down, only to rub his eyes with his arm.

  “Bah, I already told you I don’t want apprentices. I’m perfectly fine still,” the man muttered audibly, stirring a bowl of incense.

  “Apprentice?!” Kenji repeated to himself, stunned by his supposed position, one he hadn't chosen.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “Father! You're getting old, you're lazy, a slacker, a complainer, and you never stop smoking that weird weed!” Himori began listing his flaws, holding up a finger for each one, until she heard a soft snore…

  “AND YOUR NARCOLEPSY IS A NIGHTMARE!!!”

  Saruka calmly approached her grandfather and nudged his shoulder. The man woke up, smiling at the sight of his granddaughter.

  “Hello, Saruka, how are you today?” The old man greeted the girl casually, and she returned the greeting sweetly. The older woman simply crouched in a corner, ignored.

  It was then that the man turned his gaze to Kenji again, speaking in a more serious tone. “I don’t think my family has introduced me. My name is Genkaro, but I’m usually called Gen’kan or Gen. And you, kid?”

  “Kenji Arata” the young man raised his hand, still uncomfortable with the familiar scene.

  “I understand from my daughter that you’re able to perceive spiritual energy. Have you had any encounters with an Echo lately?” Gen lit his cigarette, looking lazily at the teenager.

  “W-Well… yesterday I was chased by one and it left me with a wound,” Kenji said, showing his already healed scar.

  The eyes of the three present widened at the sight of the wound.

  “Clearly it was done by an Echo’s hand” Himori said, sitting up and then looking at her father.

  “What happened next?” Genkaro asked.

  “Last night, while I was walking home, the same being appeared before me. It tried to attack me, but a strange, bright energy emanated from my wound, and suddenly a sword appeared in my hands,” Kenji continued. The man’s eyes widened even further.

  “So you’ve already formed your Reibuki,” Gen’kan remarked, rubbing his chin with his hand.

  “Rei…buki?” the teenager repeated, confused by the word.

  “Reibuki is the name given to an individual’s spiritual weapons. They are basically manifestations of your soul through spiritual energy,” Gen’kan explained.

  “Spiritual energy? What’s that?” Kenji asked, scratching his head in confusion.

  “It’s energy that all living beings possess, since it’s essential for life, even if it goes unnoticed.” “Saruka explained,” Hinmori added, concentrating in her palm and generating a bright orange light.

  “However, there are those who possess a higher level than average, and that’s why this energy manifests,” Gen’kan explained, exhaling cigarette smoke toward a window. He continued, “Normally, this energy can be developed with Tamawaza, an art that consists of consciously controlling and using it.” Quickly, the old man concentrated energy in his arm and, grabbing a nearby chair, lifted it with one hand as if it were nothing, earning a scolding from his daughter.

  “Of course, nowadays people might consider them ‘powers,’ when it’s something much deeper. In any case, each person’s Tamawaza is shaped by their individual characteristics…” The old man stopped speaking when he noticed Kenji trying (without much success) to mentally take notes on all the information he was saying.

  “I think it would be better if I showed you what I’m trying to explain,” Genkaro said, scratching the back of his neck before turning around. In front of him, Himori had placed a bag full of popcorn, while Saruka held a bucket of water. The man raised his palm, from which a strange, glowing blue energy began to gather.

  “Nako: Blue Flame Spiral!” he exclaimed, and a barrage of blue flames shot from his hand, striking the bag and causing it to explode, sending popcorn raining down.

  Kenji stared, speechless, as Saruka threw the water from the bucket to extinguish the burning remains of the bag. She also took the opportunity to eat some of the remaining popcorn.

  “What you just saw was a Spirit Energy Expulsion in the form of an attack. Once you learn to control it, you can do several useful things,” Gen’kan explained. He generated a second flame to light another cigarette.

  Kenji’s head was about to explode, mostly surprised by the technique the older man had just used.

  “Who… What are you?” the young boy asked, astonished by the old man’s recent display of power.

  “Gen’kan, although in my day I was known as ‘Blue Flame Master.’ I’m an Echo Chaser, partially retired, if I may say so,” the man smiled as he leaned back, his back to the guests.

  “An Echo Chaser?” Kenji questioned, though showing more curiosity about the matter.

  “They’re people designated to hunt down Echoes before they cause any serious harm. My father was one of the highest-ranked Chasers… or rather, the last top-class one,” Himori said, scratching the back of her neck and looking sadly at her father.

  “Until those damn Echoes became too many. My comrades’ pride prevented them from leaving and saving their lives. Idiots…” Gen’kan snorted, still with his back to the group. Even so, his daughter and granddaughter knew he hated remembering those days.

  Kenji stayed put, lost in thought. People who hunted Echoes—so this whole thing was something deeper than he remembered? Glancing to the side, he saw little Saruka trying to clean up the mess from the earlier demonstration.

  Remembering the danger of that very day, and the fear in the girl’s eyes when she was attacked by the Echo that morning, still lingered in the teenager’s mind. What if it were his friends in that situation? What would happen to them? And his family?

  His mother, Yui,

  His friends, Airi…

  “Train me.”

  The boy’s reaction caught the family’s attention. Himori blinked, and Saruka began to smile. Gen’kan turned to get a better look at the boy as he looked up.

  “You said that this energy could be developed, and that echo chasers hunt echoes, right? I don’t really know what I’m getting myself into, or why I have this kind of energy to awaken a spirit weapon. But I know one thing: I refuse to let my loved ones be in danger because of those creatures. If there’s a way for me to become strong and protect my family and friends, then… I ask you to train me.”

  Kenji finished speaking, his eyes blazing as he stared at Gen'kan. He was truly motivated.

  The man listened intently to the boy's words, murmuring something unintelligible.

  "You're determined, kid, I recognize that." The man lay back again, turning his back on his family and the young man. "Unfortunately, I repeat my initial answer: I'm still fine, and I don't need an apprentice wanting to become a hero, even if you are promising." He declared, making a dismissive gesture with his hand.

  The orange-haired young boy froze, clenching his fists at the man's refusal. However, before he could protest or insist, another, smaller voice spoke.

  "Please, Grandpa..." It was Saruka, who had approached her grandfather and touched his shoulder. “He truly has the spirit to follow in your footsteps, and he wants to protect the people he cares about…”

  “…He’s just like his dad…please, don’t let him end up like him…” The little girl finished, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

  A silence filled the room, with Himori approaching to stroke her daughter’s hair, and the disheveled young man unsure what to do, but feeling the little girl’s pain. After a few moments, an audible sigh came from the older man. He turned, looking at his granddaughter and reaching out to take one of her tears.

  “Don’t cry, Saruka, it’s okay…” Gen’kan comforted his granddaughter, while Himori watched the scene with a small smile. The little girl ended up soiling her grandfather’s shoulder, something he didn’t really mind.

  Soon, Gen’kan turned to look at Kenji, who was still standing there.

  “So you really want to become an Echo Chaser…” The man looked seriously at Kenji. Kenji nodded, making Gen’kan scratch his head. “You start tomorrow, at five in the afternoon, right here. We’ll see if you truly have what it takes to be an Echo Chaser.” The man yawned, but still kept looking at Kenji. “I’m warning you: I won’t be easy just because you’re the only apprentice I’ve ever had. You’d better be ready to train with the idea of ??sacrificing your life in every fight…” He couldn’t finish his speech, as sleep overtook him. A snot bubble began to inflate from his nose, making everyone present fall backward.

  Even so, Kenji thanked the family for their hospitality and the opportunity to train. After saying goodbye, he headed home, already mentally preparing for tomorrow’s training.

  His journey to becoming an Echo Chaser had begun.

  Well! That concludes Chapter 4. Again, I promise to resume my weekly posting schedule every Saturday.

  What challenges will Kenji face now that he begins training under Gen'kan's tutelage? What will be the next Void Echo they will encounter?