The streets of Karinome were crowded with pedestrians, some strolling with their families, others burdened by work. The church bells rang, marking midday, accompanied by the occasional honking of car horns.

  A little girl was running happily, an ice cream recently bought by her father in her hand.

  However, before anyone could expect it, an explosion shook the street, raising a curtain of dust. Surprised and alarmed, people tried to see beyond the dust, only to see nothing but a medium-sized crater in the asphalt.Invisible to the naked eye, a 3-meter-tall being with grayish skin, bipedal legs, and pointed hands rose to its feet. A roar escaped its 'mouth' (which resembled a jacket zipper) as it raised its arms.

  Two thorns snaked out, their intentions clear: to pierce the poor ice cream girl, who stood frozen with fear, oblivious to her father's desperate cries.

  The thorns drew closer, giving the poor girl the urge to scream. And suddenly…

  Swash!

  A dark blur flashed past the little girl, severing the relentless spikes that were about to impale her. The grayish thorns fell to the ground, showing no signs of moving again.

  "I know Void Echoes are guided by instinct… but attacking a child is just too much" a young male voice complained. Standing before the little girl was a 15-year-old with orange hair, brandishing a large, dark metal sword.

  "Kenji Arata, newly initiated Echo Chaser" the young man declared confidently, addressing both the girl and the being. According to him, he must have looked pretty cool at that moment…

  …If it weren't for the fact that this was one of his first missions, and he was also feeling a bit tired from the lazy Gen'kan's training at that point. Furthermore, despite having awakened his Spirit Weapon, let's just say he still wasn't certain he could defeat a Void Echo again on his own.

  Putting his insecurities aside, Kenji lunged at the creature, fiercely swinging his Tenebris Fang. The blade of the weapon connected with the being's arm, and it raised its other arm, ready to counterattack.

  With little time to spare, the teenager leaped back, avoiding being pierced by the echo of the void. Even so, faster than he could have predicted, he received a powerful blow that sent him flying several meters sideways. A trickle of blood began to seep from above his ear…

  “Damn it… I’ll have to ask the Kans for a Sweet-Sweet candy later…” Grunting, the young man got to his feet, blocking a direct blow from the creature with his sword.

  The boy pushed it back, watching as several spines began to form on the palms of its arms, ready to shoot out.

  And so they did.

  The points extended at breakneck speed toward him, giving him barely a chance to dodge them. Performing coordinated zigzag jumps, and only being hit by two thorns on his shoulder and knee, Kenji swung his Reibuki downward, connecting a cut in the area between the Echo's 'shoulder' and 'neck,' who howled in pain at the impact.

  Even so, the Echo of the Void did not give up. Using one of its hands to withdraw the weapon (causing unpleasant sounds of pain), it grabbed the boy by the arm and threw him backward, making him fall on his back against the edge of the crater. He got up, somewhat sore.

  "Is that all you've got?" Kenji tried to sound confident again, but he couldn't disguise the pain he already felt from the two previous attacks.

  In response to the provocation, the creature began gathering energy in its mouth, which started to emanate a menacing green glow…

  “You won’t do it if I kill you first!” Seeing what it was about to do, the young man started running straight toward the echo, but he didn’t arrive in time. The being fired a projectile of spiritual energy…in the direction of the girl.

  “NO!” Changing the course of his run, the teenager managed to arrive in time and stand in front of the girl. Using his Reibuki as a shield, he protected them both from the attack of the void echo.

  An explosion shook the street, raising a new cloud of dust. The creature waited a few seconds before closing its mouth, then turned around and prepared to leap and attack more people…

  “Where do you think you’re going!?” The being of negative feelings barely reacted upon hearing the voice of the orange-haired young man. Turning around, the boy stood before him, drawing back his sword, then thrusting it forward with force, piercing the creature's chest. A sound of shattering stone made Kenji sigh.

  Core destroyed…

  The void being writhed, but was powerless as the teenager sliced ??it in half from within (even though he was only trying to draw his sword). The echo's remnants quickly vanished into thin air, detaching themselves from reality.

  Silence. That lasted for a few moments along the entire street, until it was broken by the sound of steady applause coming from a clean-shaven man in combat gear who was smoking his third cigarette of the day. He looked like he'd woken up less than half an hour ago…

  “Well, kid, you handled that well. I think you're gaining experience.” The middle-aged man, Genkaro Kan, or as he was nicknamed 'Gen'kan', continued applauding until he stopped. “However… you forgot the number one rule of Echo Chasers” Kenji's master pointed to the girl, who, more than stunned, was disoriented by everything that had happened. The orange-haired young man realized his mistake.

  “Always put the safety of passersby first…” he repeated, scratching the back of his neck. He then apologized for failing, barely managing to catch a Sweet-Sweet candy that the man threw to him.

  “No way, even so, you acted quickly when the echo attacked the girl, so it doesn't matter. Keep that in mind for next time.” With that said, and while Kenji ate the healing treat, Gen’kal approached the girl, placing his hand on her forehead…

  “Barun: Rewriter Illusion!” And with that, the little girl's eyes glazed over for a second before she fell to her knees. The teenager couldn't help but grimace at the scene.

  “What memory did you give her this time?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

  “The first thing that came to mind, though I tried to make it believable: A gas pipe under the street exploded.” Gen’kal explained, getting back up and taking a drag on his cigarette.

  “I still don't fully understand how it works…” the boy sighed, knowing that his master's actions always led to complicated explanations.

  “It’s a technique from the Barun repertoire. It allows you to change the memories of living beings with less spiritual energy than the user. Even so, the memory they believe they experienced is simply the first thing that comes to mind for the one using the technique…” No sooner said than done, the master explained how the technique worked, though the silence at the end puzzled his student…

  …Until he heard a snore, causing a bead of sweat to trickle down Kenji’s forehead. Typical, his master’s narcolepsy had struck again.

  The teenager cleared his throat, waking the man.

  “I think we’re done for now…it’s about time for my afternoon nap.” Gen’kan murmured, scratching his head.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “What? It’s barely…” The orange-haired youth saw a bright sign for a nearby restaurant, making him pale. “9:45 in the morning?! I’m late for school!” And without further explanation, he hurried off, leaving his mentor alone and confused…

  Gen’kan shrugged as he lit another cigarette.

  South Sea High School (9:55 AM)

  “Finally, you’re here, man!” Daichi was the first to see Kenji arrive in the classroom, though he also noticed how tired he looked. “What happened? You’re so bruised. Did a car hit you or something?” he asked jokingly.

  “You could say that” the boy replied indifferently, silently cursing that the kurikura hadn’t finished taking effect yet.

  “At least you’re starting to be on time again. That’s something good.” Airi spoke next, offering a warm smile that clearly masked concern. She approached the teenager. “Does it hurt?”

  “Not really, and I don’t think it will hurt for a while.” Kenji reassured her, though his confidence in his statement clearly confused his two friends. His expression quickly turned serious, which the girl noticed.

  “I-Is something wrong?” Airi asked nervously under his gaze. He simply shook his head.

  (I’m still surprised how easily she forgot about the incident at Sarenade Park)” Kenji muttered to himself, recalling what had happened the other day…

  Flashback Scene

  The wind blew lightly in Sarenade Park as dusk began to fall. Kenji stood alone for a few more minutes in front of his father's makeshift grave, while his sister, Yui, and his mother, Nanami, had already started walking back to the car.

  It was then that a worried voice sounded behind the teenager.

  "Kenji!" Turning around, he saw his friend running toward him, an urgent expression on her angelic face. She reached him.

  "Are you alright?" she asked as soon as she caught her breath, looking at the orange-haired boy with genuine concern.

  "Huh? Me?" Kenji asked, instantly remembering that she had been the first to be attacked by the echo of the void (called "Grown Roots" by Gen'kan). He quickly realized that she still had all her memories intact.

  “What happened there? What was that you kicked? Why couldn’t I see it? What were those roots that came out of the ground?” At that moment, the golden-haired girl began asking a barrage of questions, which increasingly overwhelmed Kenji, since he didn’t know how to explain the whole echo thing to her (and she probably wouldn’t believe him).

  Luckily for the orange-haired teenager, his teacher was smoking nearby, so the moment the questions started pouring in, he made a small sign with his hands.

  “Barun: Rewriter Illusion!”

  Instantly, Airi’s body fell sideways onto the grass, limp, startling Kenji.

  “Airi!” The boy knelt down to check on his friend, relieved (though confused) to find she was breathing. She seemed to be asleep.

  “Don’t worry, she’ll wake up in a little while” Genkaro reassured the young man, who just stared at him, bewildered.

  “What did you just do to her?!”

  “The same thing I did with your mother and sister: I changed their memories so they wouldn’t ask unnecessary questions.” The older man took a drag on his cigarette.

  “Change their memories…?” Kenji repeated, confused. “And…what memories did you put in?”

  “The first thing that came to mind: An army of rabid squirrels chased her all the way here, where you scared them off.”

  “That…is ridiculous.” A bead of sweat trickled down Kenji’s neck.

  “Well, excuse me for not having the best imagination!” the master complained indignantly. “Anyway, it’s better than having the memory of how an invisible creature almost killed her.”

  End of Flashback

  Kenji dismissed his thoughts, focusing instead on the possibility that his friends would continue asking him questions…

  …Although they didn't, as a scream from a classmate drew everyone's attention.

  "I'm serious, Hanae!" Yoshiko Nakaraki waved her arms, emphasizing her statement. "There's a ghost in the school basement!"

  The brown-haired girl frowned, clearly not believing the other girl's words.

  "Ghosts don't exist…it's obvious." Always logical, Hanae refused to believe her.

  “But it’s true! The other day I snuck out to check out the rumors, and a stack of boxes suddenly fell over!” Yuna Kukisana stood by Isamu’s side, while both girls waved their arms clumsily.

  “Maybe it was just the wind, or one of the boys gave them a scare” Hanae remained logical, much to the frustration of her companions. They both sighed, giving up on trying to convince her.

  “What’s wrong?” Airi approached her companions, confused.

  “Hanae doesn’t believe us when we say the school basement is haunted!” Yoshiko exclaimed, giving Hanae a dirty (though comical) look.

  “Do you really think they’re ghosts?” the blonde girl questioned, though a hint of insecurity in her voice betrayed her unease about the news.

  “Of course!” Yuna nodded, convinced of her theory. “There was no one else there when we got to the room, and suddenly things started flying all over us!”

  However, before they could continue filling the poor girl's head with rumors, Professor Sunako entered the room, asking everyone to take their seats and open their history books.

  “As you may already know, 215 years ago, in 1790, a civil conflict erupted in the nation of Arcania, laying the groundwork for a fierce war, which would later be known as the Arcanian War.” All the commotion was caused by the revolutionary uprising that a group of people instigated in an attempt to seize power and overthrow…” The teacher continued with the same explanation as the previous class, causing some students to begin dozing.

  Kenji’s mind was elsewhere, repeating the story Yoshiko and Yuma had told earlier. He shared Hanae’s reasoning, though he also had a bit of imagination (not to Airi’s level, for example). He didn’t believe a ghost was the cause of what happened to the girls.

  “(What if it’s an echo of the void?)” the boy thought, but quickly shook his head at his own hypothesis. “(No…maybe it’s one of the boys playing a prank on them.)”

  “Arata, are you paying attention?”

  “Y-Yes!” The teenager was surprised to hear Sunako calling his attention. He decided to put his thoughts aside and concentrate on the class.

  One hour Later…

  Sunako’s lesson was, in Kenji’s thoughts, more boring than usual. With a yawn, he prepared to go out into the hallway and join his friends, before noticing the absence of certain girls with brown and blonde hair.

  “Where’s Hanae?” the orange-haired boy asked.

  “She was tired of hearing about the ghost, so she went down to the basement with Yuna and Yoshiko to show them that nothing was wrong” Tsubasa replied, arms crossed and leaning against the wall.

  “And Airi?”

  "In the bathroom” Daichi answered, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his headphones on.

  The three boys settled down to wait for their classmates. Kenji took a moment to reflect on his schedule, having training with the Kan family after school.

  “Man…how boring. So…were you guys just messing around or did you make any progress?” Daichi asked suddenly, earning a confused look from the rich boy and Arata. “You know…with the girls.” Both boys blushed, Ayami looking away and Kenji scratching the back of his neck.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Tsubasa muttered curtly.

  “Man, it’s obvious there might be something between you and Hanae. I’m pretty sure she feels something too.” The lazy boy slapped his forehead, already used to the millionaire’s reaction. He quickly turned his attention to the other. “What about you, Kenji? Any progress with Airi?”

  “I… I ran into her at the park the other day. We chatted…” The teenager replied, recalling that day, clearly not giving details.

  “Well, that’s something, I guess.” Daichi shrugged, looking up at the ceiling.

  “What about you, Okabe?” Tsubasa asked, now looking at him. Daichi just sighed.

  “Not really, I saw her at the supermarket when I went to get coffee for my mom. I didn’t get a chance to say hi.” Then he added, “Besides, it’s hard to have a conversation when Mr. Party Pooper comes along and looks at you like you’re a criminal about to rob someone.” He emphasized his metaphor by pointing at Kenji, who frowned.

  “We’re talking about my sister.”

  “Anyway, man! You know me, and you know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.” The guy with headphones grumbled.

  “Overprotective big brother mode” Kenji muttered, making his lazy friend sigh in resignation.

  It was then that the boys heard a soft tinkling sound. They saw the open window, with a wind chime moving in the breeze.

  “Uh… I didn’t know they’d put one of those up.” Daichi muttered, quickly ceasing to pay attention to the decorative object.

  Tsubasa also stopped looking at the object that had made the noise. However, Kenji remained staring at the window…

  …Because right there, perched on the frame, was a small mouse with brown fur, an eye patch over its right eye, and a bell tied to its tail, staring at him.

  “I’ll be right back…” The orange-haired boy moved away from his two friends to approach the window, leaving them confused.

  “Is that you…” Kenji looked at the one-eyed mouse, trying to remember its name. “…Omoto…?”

  “Otomo” the mouse corrected the boy, albeit curtly. “I thought that old geezer had told you my name.”

  “He did, but only once, and not at the most appropriate time…” The teenager rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “Anyway… what’s going on?”

  “An echo from the void. 200 meters from here. Class: Breeze, 150 Soul Cash.” The animal explained, though it quickly added, “It’s in this building.”

  Kenji’s eyes widened at Otomo’s statement. However, before he could ask anything else, a familiar voice rang out in the form of a frightened scream.

  “YOSHIKO!?”

  “Was that Airi!?” Daichi jumped at the scream, followed by Tsubasa.

  “She came from over there!” With that, both companions ran off, leaving Kenji and the mouse alone. The orange-haired boy only felt a cold sweat trickle down his temple.

  “(Damn it…! Why here!?)”

  The boys ran in the direction the scream had come from. When they arrived, they found Airi tending to Yoshiko, who had scrapes on her arms and legs and seemed quite dazed.

  "What happened?" Kenji asked, alarmed, earning a worried look from the blonde girl.

  "I was coming out of the bathroom when I found Yoshiko staggering down the hallway. She fell to the floor and seems to have a fever..." Airi described how she had found the girl she was currently tending to on the floor.

  "Where are Hanae and Yuna?!" Tsubasa asked, only to receive a mumbled answer from the half-conscious girl.

  "Hanae...Yuna...they're still in the basement."

  END OF CHAPTER...

  Alright! Here's the chapter. Just a quick note: for now, there's no new omake (Sorry).

  I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you next week!

  Next chapter: Whispers in the Dark...