Inside the practice hall room of the Takeru family's main house, Ken and his grandfather is standing face to face, about to do the training together but were hit by an unexpected obstacle, because Ken was unable to summon Asanuma. Makoto said
“There's a technique to summon the Yokai from the medium by force, but it's not recommended, as it will worsen the bond with the Yokai in question. Emerging from a medium form requires a lot of energy for the Yokai, and can drastically reduce its time of existence, but this can be reduced by building a good relationship with the Yokai”
Ken's expression turned astonished
"Grandpa means, like a friend?"
Makoto nodded
"So, for now, I guess you just try to repeat to summon him, until it works"
Ken nodded, Makoto then walked out of here, carrying his katana. Before closing the door, Makoto said
“If you can summon him, you can just finish the training for today, and we will continue tomorrow. I hope to hear good news from you tomorrow"
Ken replied
"Okay Grandpa, leave it to me"
Makoto nodded, he then closed the door.
The current time is 8:30 pm. Ken is still carrying out his training, to summon Asanuma. Ken takes off the glove puppet Asanuma from his hand, then lift it with both hands
“Asanuma, come out, I need you. Can you hear me?”
This glove puppet still doesn't budge a bit. Seeing this, Ken took a deep breath. Ken was silent for a moment and got an idea
"If you come now, I will grant your one wish"
Ken said in a pitiful tone. However, there was still no reaction from the glove puppet Asanuma. Ken's expression turned astonished
"Alright, I guess I'll just end this practice here first…"
Ken then walked towards the exit. Not long after, Ken felt something on the glove puppet, soon after, there was an explosion of black smoke, somehow unlike before, where the black smoke just evaporated from the glove puppet Asanuma. After that, only then black smoke began to evaporate out of the glove puppet Asanuma.
Ken who was unfamiliar with this, his expression changed to surprise, until he suddenly took off the glove puppet Asanuma. Ken used both hands to dispel the smoke around him because this explosion of smoke happened suddenly while the glove puppet was still in his hand. From behind this smoke, Asanuma emerged with a fairly large size, 3.5 meters. This time, Asanuma's size was exactly the one Ken saw in his dream. Asanuma's appearance immediately surprised Ken and make him fall, now Ken sat down in his place. Asanuma with a frowning expression looked at Ken sharply
"You called me?"
Ken looked nervous
"Yeah, I thought you wouldn't come..."
Ken then stood up from his fall
"Why is it so hard to call you?"
Asanuma looked surprised
“Not that you already know, you need to tighten your ties with me, or you can call me by force. I can't just come when you call, it takes a lot of strength and stamina. If I'm not careful, my power will just run out when I'm summoned”
Ken's expression turned curious
"Alright Asanuma, I want to build a good relationship with you"
Asanuma looked curious
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“Please, before my time runs out”
Ken was silent for a moment thinking, he then replied
“How about we play catch and throw?”
Asanuma's expression turned astonished
"You can't be serious..."
Ken smiled awkwardly
"Then let's have a chat, you can sit down if you want"
Asanuma then changes over to a sitting position. Ken remains standing, he then crossed his arms, with a curious expression
“When I called you, how did it sound?”
Asanuma replied
“It was like a faint voice…”
Flashback, Asanuma appears to be sitting with his eyes closed, and using his forelegs as a pillow for his chin. He was in a dark room with a wooden floor and surrounded by four fire lamps. Before long a faint light appeared, with a faint voice calling out to him. This voice was Ken's voice, Asanuma then walked through the darkness in front of him, towards the faint light, until this speck of light grew, and enveloped him and his surroundings. Flashback end. Returning to Asanuma and Ken, Asanuma explained that experience to Ken
"But your voice sounds faint, I'm having a hard time reaching your voice in the dark"
Ken looked confused
"Darkness? I don't understand"
Asanuma replied
“I who was sealed within the glove puppet medium was confined in a dark space that appeared to be endless, only lit by 4 flame lamps around me. Only when you called me, a speck of white light will appeared in the distance, as if to guide me. The only way out of there. But your voice is faint, I'm almost lost in the darkness. But with time I think I'll find it easier to find a way out…”
Hearing Asanuma, Ken remembered his grandfather's words if he had to have a good relationship with Asanuma. Ken looks curious
“Did you feel anything while looking for a way out?”
Asanuma answered
“I feel that I am between the outside world and the world of my restraints, even though I am still looking for a way out with the guidance of your voice. I guess this is why if I look for a way out for too long, my strength will run out”
Ken rested his chin with his hand
"I see, I think I'm starting to understand the connection of all this"
Before long, Ken appeared to remember something
"Earlier, you mentioned the dark room, what exactly is this room?"
Asanuma answered
"I don't know, maybe that's “the real form” of this sealing"
Ken's expression turned curious
"Do you feel trapped there?"
Asanuma appeared to hesitate for some reason
“I also feel that way… but what I feel more is a feeling like being between sleeping and awake, and if I'm in a state of depletion of energy, strength, or stamina, I'll fall asleep instead. Weird feeling…"
Ken remembered again that his grandfather said that Yokais don't actually sleep, but after being sealed, this affected them. Ken thought to himself
“This sealing somehow even affects their biological factors, it's weird…”
Ken looked at Asanuma curiously, Asanuma then took a sitting position. Ken said
"Alright, before your energy runs out, let's do something"
Asanuma's expression turned curious. Ken looked around and found a display rack of melee weapons, such as spears, swords, and shields. Ken then walked to this display rack and began to choose weapons.
Ken made his choice, he then took a spear from this weapon rack, and check it out. After making sure, Ken walked back to Asanuma, who is still in a sitting position. Seeing Ken made Asanuma grinned
“Good choice of weapons, What attack technique are you going to use?”
Ken's expression turned astonished
"Technique? I'm just going to make this spear a throw-and-catch toy because ordinary weapons aren't long enough"
Asanuma looked surprised, he mistakenly thought that Ken would invite him to fight training
"You're still thinking about that huh?"
Ken smiled awkwardly
"Yeah, what else can I do now anyway, hahaha"
Hearing this, Asanuma looked reluctant.
Ken turned and looked towards the opposite end of the practice hall. Ken entered a stance to throw the spear. Ken throws this spear with all his might, Asanuma immediately moves quickly, causing a strong wind, and scratches the floor. Asanuma then bit the spear to catch it, but his jaw bite was too strong and crushed the spear. Ken looked surprised when he saw it. Asanuma stopped in his tracks
“Gosh, this spear is so weak”
Ken replied
"Isn't it because you bit it too hard..."
Ken looked at Asanuma curiously, Asanuma looked back with a surprised expression. Ken said
"You're not tired, are you? How much longer will you have until your stamina runs out?”
Asanuma replied
“Things like this don't really affect my stamina, except when I attack with my strength”
Ken looked curious
"What's your power like?"
Asanuma replied
“Most of it is physical strength, which includes my claws and bites”
Ken looked doubtful
“It's a pity that such power cannot be practiced in this hall. I don't want you to destroy this place"
Asanuma replied
"Of course…"
Before long, Ken appeared to realize something
"Is the power contained in each Yokai different?"
Asanuma replied
"Yes, exactly as you said"
Hearing this appears to make Ken curious
“Did you feel any changes in you after being sealed?”
Asanuma replied
"It's more of a strange feeling. One of the things I found strange that happened to me after being sealed, was sleeping, but I eventually got used to it. Before, I didn't need it, but now I need it to recover my strength and stamina”
Ken's expression turned curious
“Is this need for sleep bothering you?”
Asanuma replied
“Not at all, I like it, and I think other sealed Yokai tend to like it too, the pleasure of sleeping… Perhaps, this is the only thing a Yokais must have liked in their sealing period”
Hearing this, Ken appeared even more curious.