Planeshifter: Volume 1: Chudai Akaya

Chapter 4: ENCOUNTERING AN ENIGMA

CHUDAI: And who are you?

The man smiles.

MAN: My name is Kinoto Kanshi. I assume you don't know what I mean if I say "Planeshifting," right?

CHUDAI: No, I don't. But uh... I feel like you're kinda dodging the question...

KANSHI: Nevermind who I am, you'll figure that out soon enough. I stopped you so I could give you an invitation. One to join a prestigious school-

CHUDAI: If you aren't gonna tell me who you are, at least tell me what "Planeshifting" is!

KANSHI: Oh, alright. That would probably be for the better I guess.

Kanshi stands up and goes into a dramatic pose.

KANSHI: You've heard of those Abilities, right? The ones where people give themselves shots that make them more powerful in some aspect? Although they're highly unstable, most people nowadays get them immediately after birth and go back every few months to get the ability renewed. My own little sister got one, one where she's slightly faster than average.

CHUDAI: Yeah, I know them. My parents got one for my sister, and they tried for me. I guess My body is stuck in the past, because no matter which one they tried, it didn't work.

Kanshi smirks a little bit.

KANSHI: Now I know for sure. See, people like me are different. We are born naturally with special powers called "Planeshifting Abilities," or just "Planes" for short. They are much more powerful than the artificial ones inside your sister's body. As an example, due to my Visual Plane, I can change the color of an object or the amount of light hitting it. This may seem small, but- (he pauses to make the tree above them darker, and then brighter) see?

Chudai was astonished.

CHUDAI: W- woah!

KANSHI: Now, I have reason to believe that you, Chudai Akaya, are a Planeshifter. Someone who manipulates planes. There are a few reasons for this. One is your fight earlier. Most Planeshifters have really fired-up bodies, that make athletic events easier. A second reason might be... have you had any strange experiences lately?

CHUDAI: No... well, actually, I broke a glass earlier. It went flying across the room, and then the pieces started melting. I thought that was really weird.

KANSHI: Yeah. From that description, I'm pretty confident that you can use the Telekinetic and Fire Planes. Now the third reason I believe you can access planes. You had spectators at the fight, correct? I was there, in the crowd. One of my Planeshifting abilities, the Life plane, can give people Planeshifting energy in times of crisis. While it only works on those genetically predisposed to having Planes, I'm fairly certain it worked on you. You may not have been able to access your planes previously, but I think you can now. I don't know if that would've happened without me.

Chudai backed up.

CHUDAI: Even if you're telling me the truth, what do you want me to do? Why should I believe you, anyway?

KANSHI: Well, I believe that you are fit to become a fully-fledged Planeshifter. Be warned, you'll have to see and do stuff that would be against what you probably want, but in the end, you'll be saving the world! The whole reason I came here was so give you an invitation to the Japan Planeshifter Academy, or JPA for short. For free. I'll pay for all of your materials. And you can train with me specially, like be my apprentice. Others may see you as strange at this school though, most of them have known their path as a Planeshifter for most of their lives. Someone who hasn't might be weird to them. You'd also be joining mid-year, even though it's been less than a month since the year's start.

CHUDAI: What's the process like to get in though?

KANSHI: There is a test. Most students take it at the start of the school year, but a few take it mid-year, like you will. This Friday.

CHUDAI: I still don't know...

Kanshi starts walking towards Chudai, and kneels down.

KANSHI: Chudai, even though I just met you, I want you to be a Planeshifter. If you take this path, you will hurt bad people, capture ability abusers, and probably save a lot of people. I can't guarantee that you'll make it out unscathed. There's a certain amount of risk that you have to accept. But you're also making friends, many of whom you'll have for life, and saving those you hold dear to you. Chudai Akaya, would you please become a world-class Planeshifter under my guidance?

NARRATOR CHUDAI: In this moment, there was so much telling me not to say yes. But on the inside, everything that he said deeply resonated with me. It was a leap of faith. I would be so mad at myself for any other outcome.

CHUDAI: I'll do it.

KANSHI: (standing up) Yes! I knew you would say yes. Okay. Meet me at Izu City Station, on Friday at noon. This form is for parental consent, but it says nothing about Planeshifting. Market this to your parent as a prestigious private school. See you Friday!