Trusting Again - Part 1

My parents died in an accident when I was still very young. The truth is that I wouldn’t even remember their faces if it weren’t for the family photos we had at home.

It was supposed to be a family trip, a small escape from monotony to spend some time together, but a truck crashed and caused a huge disaster, taking many lives with it. My older sister and I were lucky to survive.

My sister… Akane Kisaragi was her name.

She was always very reliable. Even when our parents died and we had to survive on our own, she never gave up and always took care of me, protecting me and feeding me in any way she could.

She started with part-time jobs to earn money, supported by the neighbors who watched over me while she worked tirelessly, and eventually she discovered her talent as a hunter thanks to her strong control over mana.

Akane became a hunter at a young age and formed a team of great friends who always supported one another. No matter the monster or the problem they had to face, they always found a way to push through. Thanks to her work as a hunter, we were finally able to live a somewhat more dignified life.

However, hunters are always exposed to danger, and I learned that in the worst possible way.

“I… lost my sister ten years ago,” I added.

Yu, who until now had remained silent while listening to my story, finally spoke.

“The Kyushu disaster, right?”

“…Yes,” I replied, still on the verge of tears.

We both lived in the Kyushu region, which had been rebuilding after the long-past incident with the dragon and the monsters. However, ten years ago that region once again became a fierce battlefield.

A mysterious man known only as the Beast King attacked the region with a massive army of monsters under his command. No one knew who he was, and no one thought it was even possible to control magical beasts like that; the only certain thing at that moment was that they had to fight him.

The battle was anything but easy according to the academy’s reports and books. The entire region fell into chaos, and the hunters were forced to retreat due to the sheer number of monsters and the power of the Beast King, eventually having to evacuate everyone from the region.

I was evacuated too, but my older sister had to stay behind. It was her duty as a hunter to remain there and hold the line to ensure the escape of as many people as possible.

Barely less than a third of Kyushu’s population survived, and the last thing I heard about my sister was that she fought alongside her team until the very end, defending the civilians.

That day I lost the only family I had left.

“That’s why I wanted to become a hunter… I wanted to fight those things to avenge her, that’s why I enrolled in the academy… But it was a mistake.”

Even if I could keep up with the theoretical classes, the physical tests were the real problem. Mana was something essential for hunters, allowing them to enhance their abilities and attack from a distance; it was what set them apart from civilians and what allowed them to fight for them. And even then, I was never able to control it.

Theory dictated that we had to control the mana in our surroundings and shape it however we wished, but I could never do it. Mana never followed my guidance and, eventually, I started falling behind more and more people.

After insisting to the teachers for a long time, they finally allowed me to use firearms, but even with that consideration, my performance was always worse than that of my classmates, who practically already mastered mana.

That was when they started bothering me constantly, and the rest is history.

“I… wanted to avenge my sister. I wanted to be like her, but…” I said with a trembling voice. “It was all for nothing.”

No matter how hard I tried, I never achieved the results anyone expected. My teachers looked at me with pity, my classmates made fun of me, and I slowly lost all motivation to keep going. I thought that maybe during the internship I could learn something, that I could really improve, but I didn’t feel any better than before.

“I’m pathetic, I know…” I said before burying my face into my knees again.

The only thing I wanted now was to fade away. Even if I disappeared, I’m sure no one would miss me. I’m nothing but a burden.

Yu didn’t say anything even after I finished telling him my story, and instead, I heard footsteps. I thought he had gotten tired of me and walked away, and I felt like I was about to break into tears again, but then I felt his warm hand on my head, gently caressing my hair.

“Then let’s show them what we’re made of.”

Still not understanding the meaning of those words, I lifted my gaze. There he was, smiling with such a warm expression that it almost seemed to tell me everything would be okay.

“It’s true, you might not have talent for controlling mana… but who cares!?” he exclaimed. “You have the courage needed to be a hunter! You’ve put yourself in danger to save others and you’ve shown me that, in your own way, you have skill.”

“I…”

“Listen, it’s true that you’re still a little green. There’s still a long way to go, but under the right guidance you won’t just become a great hunter, you can become one of the greats.”

Hearing such words was something I never thought could happen. Even the teachers advised me to look for alternatives to becoming a hunter. No one believed in me… except for Yu right now.

It’s hard for me to believe it’s true; after everything I’ve been through, it’s hard to believe I could really become a great hunter, but the confidence with which Yu says it and his so sincere gaze… they give me a little bit of hope.

“And of course, I’ll be your guide from now on. There may be better ones out there, but since you’re my intern, I want to contribute in my own way.”

“…Are you serious?” I asked, my voice still shaking. “Really… can I become a hunter like my sister?”

“Of course!” he responded, absolutely convinced.

Hearing such genuine support and such confidence finally made me break into tears. I felt that everything I had held inside until now escaped in the form of tears. I didn’t care if someone heard me; right now I just wanted to let out everything I had been holding in.

Yu approached me and helped me stand up, wiping my tears as well.

“It’s almost time for the introductions. How about we go and teach those idiots a lesson?”

I still didn’t understand what he meant. He seemed to have something in mind, but I couldn’t figure out what it could be. Even so, I nodded at his words.

I may not understand Yu, but even so, I wanted to trust him. The only one who truly believes in me.

After my silent response, Yu smiled and the two of us headed toward the academy’s training grounds, where today’s main event would take place.

I don’t know what awaits me today, but if there’s even the slightest chance that I can move forward after all this, then I’ll take that chance.