Chapter 3

Yokai Safety Training

The training field was just as unimpressive as the building's exterior. I had hoped Sensei would lead me through some secret underground passage to a hidden, ancient training ground. Instead, we were standing on a plain patch of grass outside the building. Disappointed, I looked at him expectantly.

"What? Not everything has to be supernatural, you know. We’re training here."

"Here? Just on the grass behind the building? What if someone sees us? And where are the cool magical training grounds, like with enchanted dummies or legendary weapons?"

Sensei laughed. "What do you think this is? Some light novel about fighting demons with magical gear?"

"Yes! Exactly! It feels like it..." I muttered, looking down. My hands clenched into fists.

"My best friend was kidnapped by a man you claim is my father. I have no idea if Saki-chan is safe or where she is. You say she won't be harmed, but how can you be so sure? What if she is hurt? How could I live with myself if she was? I can't do anything right now, so yeah, I can only hope this is some kind of story—or even a bad dream—but it’s not! It’s real! I just want my best friend back."

Sensei’s expression softened. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "We’ll save her, I promise. She won’t be harmed. You’ll save her yourself."

"How do you know that, Sensei?"

"Because he needs her alive."

"Alive? For what?" I tried to process his words, but before I could ask more, he was already walking away.

"Wait, Sensei!"

"Come on. If you want to save your friend, you’ll need to learn how to protect yourself against Yokai."

Ahead of us, a rectangular field outlined in chalk was drawn on the grass, with a small circle in the middle. It looked more like a makeshift sports ground than a serious training area.

"Stand inside the circle."

I stepped into the circle as instructed.

"Now, stretch out your hand."

I hesitated but obeyed. Suddenly, he placed a gun in my hands. It was heavier than I expected, and the cold metal felt uncomfortable. It felt like a heavy responsibility in my hands and it made me shiver.

"Ah—wait, is this okay? I-I mean, I don’t know how to hold a gun. Should I even be holding one?"

"Don't worry this gun can’t harm humans—it’s designed specifically to fight Yokai. It can hurt them, stun them, even paralyze them, but it can’t kill them. Every member of the Yokai Safety Association has one of these. Humans don’t have supernatural powers, after all."

"Humans? So... the Yokai Safety Association has human members?"

"Most of them are human," he explained "Long ago, humans were the first to fight Yokai. They were called exorcists and used paper seals and talismans imbued with supernatural powers to fight and seal Yokai. While the exact methods have been lost, these guns replicate the same power to immobilize or harm Yokai. And, since we care for the safety of Yokai too, these weapons can't kill Yokai "

As he spoke, he pulled a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. A row of practice dummies popped up in the field.

" So there are dummies!! Are they magical?" I asked excitedly.

"Nope, just normal practice dummies,"

"Man..." I sulked.

"But they do fall if you hit them with a bullet from this anti-Yokai gun."

"Seriously, you need better names for these things."

"Well, I didn’t name it."

"Who did?"

"The president." He paused, and we exchanged a look. You’d think a centuries-old vampire would be better at naming things.

"Don’t even question it," he said with a sigh. "She named her bat Dracula."

"Wait—she has a bat?!"

"Anyway," he said, steering the conversation back. He stepped behind me and adjusted my arms to hold the gun properly. "Stand straight. Keep your arms steady. To fire, press the safety down. Aim for the target on the dummy, and brace yourself for the recoil. When I say 'shoot,' you fire. Got it?"

I nodded, focusing on the dummy in front of me.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Shoot!"

I squeezed the trigger. The bullet burst out, glowing blue and crackling with electricity. It barely grazed the dummy’s shoulder. For a second, I was almost proud—until the recoil slammed into me. I stumbled backward, nearly falling, but Sensei was behind me and caught me before I hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" he said worried, steadying me.

"Y-yeah. Thank you. I wasn’t expecting that...that was way too intense" I admitted a bit out of it, regaining my footing.

"Don’t worry. Your stance was correct. Next time, lock your elbows slightly to absorb the recoil better. But it’ll take practice—lots of it."

I groaned but nodded. I didn’t want to waste time. I had to save Saki-chan. No matter how much it hurt, I’d keep going.

"Good. Now, let’s do it again. And again. And again."

"What?!" I gasped in horror.

"Yes, or do you want to get killed by a Yokai?"

"No! Okay, fine. Let’s do this!"

And so began the grueling training. By the twentieth shot, my arms felt like they were on fire, and I was drenched in sweat. But finally, finally, I managed to hit the dummy squarely in the arm. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress.

"That’s enough shooting for now,"

"But I don’t want to stop yet!" I protested.

"No it's enough, I'll give you a break, you can sit down and I'll get you something to eat. It has no use too over exhaust yourself."

I sighed and slumped onto the grass. Watching Sensei walk away, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering. Where was Saki? Was she trapped in some underground dungeon, scared and alone? Was she hurt? The thought twisted my stomach in knots.

Something cold and refreshing pressed against my cheek, and I looked up. It was a water bottle.

"You think too much," Sensei said softly, sitting down beside me.

"How did you know?"

"Come on, you made the most sorrowful expression I've ever seen. Looking all gloomy and sad. "

He ruffled my hair, and despite myself, I smiled faintly. "Don’t worry. We’ll save Saki-san. That’s a promise."

"Thank you, Sensei. But... is it really okay for you to act like this? I mean aren't teachers supposed to be, you know, strict and professional?"

He smirked. "Wait—are you telling me you’re actually a stickler for rules, Chouko? That’s unexpected."

"You’re so mean, Sensei!"

"I’m just trying to cheer you up. Don’t worry, we’ll save her. But for now, let’s focus on making sure you’re ready."

"Right! Let's go back to shooting!"

"We will continue to train your shooting aim, but first you have to do exercises to boost your strength."

"My... strength?"

"Yup. You can’t fight Yokai—or run from them—if you’re weak. Three laps around the building. Go."

"What?! Nooooo! Sensei please!!!Anything but running!"

"No buts. A Yokai won’t stop chasing you just because you tell it too." He ran towards me, and I yelped, running without thinking.

Nooooo! Please, anything but that!" I groaned, dragging my feet as dread filled me. My physical fitness was… well, let’s just say it wasn’t great. Running three laps sounded like pure torture.

"No excuses, Chouko. A Yokai won’t stop chasing you just because you ask nicely."

Before I could protest further, he darted toward me.

"Ah—Sensei! No! Pleeease!" I screamed, instinct kicking in as I turned and ran, my legs moving before my brain could catch up. He wasn’t even running full speed, just close enough to keep me moving. But I felt like I was dying all the same.

By the time I collapsed on the grass, gasping for air, my entire body ached.

"I h-hate r-running, S-Sensei," I wheezed, clutching at my sides.

"You did better than I thought," he said, crouching down beside me. His tone was warm, almost proud. "You’re not exactly an athlete, but you gave it your all. That’s what matters. You can rest and go home now."

"Wait, but I thought we're saving Saki-can today..!." My voice was filled with confusion and disappointment.

Sensei’s expression softened. "Wait. You thought we were going to save her today?" He said surprised

"Well… yes," I admitted, my shoulders slumping. "Isn’t that why we’re doing all this?"

He let out a deep sigh, sitting down beside me. "Chouko, if I let you run off to rescue her right now, you’d just end up getting kidnapped too. You’re not ready. You don’t understand how dangerous Yokai truly are."

"But Sensei, you said you’re half-Yokai! And the vampire lady and all the others I met at the association—they’re Yokai too, right? They didn’t seem bad. Some of them were scary, sure, but not evil. So why did that Yokai attack me? And why is the Timekeeper doing all these terrible things? What are you hiding from me?" My voice grew more desperate with every question.

Sensei didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gazed out at the horizon, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he spoke.

"I’m not hiding anything from you, Chouko," he said, his voice quieter than before. "You’re right—most Yokai aren’t bad. They’re a lot like humans, really. But just like humans, some can become twisted by hatred or pain. Smaller Yokai can lose their minds entirely, turning into dangerous creatures. And higher-ranking ones, like your father…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Some of them hold onto old grudges against humanity. They let that hatred consume them."

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling inside me. "Don’t call him that," I said sharply. "Don’t say he’s my father. I don’t care if it’s true—he abandoned me! He left me at that orphanage to fend for myself. And now he’s taken the only family I have left. Saki-chan… she’s everything to me. I’ll never forgive him for this. He’s not my father. And I swear, I’ll stop him. I’ll save her, no matter what it takes!"

I thought Sensei might argue, but instead, he studied me quietly for a moment. His expression was unreadable.

"You really think you can do that?" he asked finally. There was no mockery in his tone, just seriousness. "You think you can take down one of the strongest Yokai out there?"

I hesitated for just a second, but then I stood my ground. "I don’t care how strong he is. I will save Saki-chan. I’ll never give up. Never."

For a moment, Sensei was silent. Then, slowly, he stood up, tipping his hat low enough to cover his face. When he raised his head again, there was a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Alright," he said with a chuckle. "If you’re that determined, I guess I’ve got no choice. I’ll make sure you can do it."

I felt a wave of relief and determination as I nodded back at him, matching his smile. But then he glanced at the sky, his expression shifting.

"That’s enough for today, though. The sun’s almost down."

"Wait, what?!" I spun around, realizing the sky had turned a deep shade of orange and red.

" The headmaster is totally going to kill me! I'm sorry sensei I gotta go!!!" I turned on my heels ready to run but before that I turned around. "Thank you very much Natsuki sensei!" I gave him a big bright genuine smile before I took off..

"Nakahara Sensei!" he called after me, "It's still Nakahara Sensei for you!" He yelled after me as I ran but he was smiling.

As I ran, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Even though the road ahead was terrifying and uncertain, for the first time, I felt like I wasn’t alone. Sensei believed in me. And maybe, just maybe, I could believe in myself too.