Whispers of the Yokai

Chapter Two: The Contract

The silence of the room was broken by the incessant drumming of Mio's fingers against the wooden desk, each tap a silent testament to his growing frustration. The spiky brown hair that typically gave him an air of defiance now seemed to wilt under the weight of his desperation. He glanced through the window at the setting sun, its fading light mirroring the dwindling hope within him.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, his mismatched eyes – one blue, one green – scanning the open textbook filled with the lore of Sento warriors and Oen spellcasters. The words blurred together, meaningless without a way to spark the spiritual energy coursing through his veins.

'There are two main types of exorcists: the Sento and the Oen. The more common type is the Sento, who use their inner spiritual energy to enhance their physical abilities. They rely on powerful tools like melee weapons and talismans to rid the world of Mononoke.

In contrast, the Oen possess the ability of spellcasting. They harness their spiritual energy in a different way than Sento - creating spells to immobilize Mononoke or erect protective barriers. While they may not possess the same physical strength as Sento, they have the advantage of forming contracts with yokai to fight on their behalf.

Yokai are categorized into different groups, including animals and humans. Each yokai is also ranked on a scale from 1 to 5 according to their level of danger. Most animal yokai fall into the harmless grade 1 category, but there are exceptions such as the mythical twin tailed azure tiger, the nine tailed fox, and the Leviathan that fit in Grade 5.

Human yokai are remnants of the deceased whose lingering emotions prevent them from fully passing on. They are not easy to come across as most vanish within a short time, but there are those whose intense feelings of resentment and animosity bind them to the physical realm and transform them into Mononoke.'

Mio slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the quiet room like a gavel sentencing him to mediocrity.

"Still no luck?" Sayuri's voice, imbued with warmth and gentle humor, floated towards him from behind.

Mio spun around, his chair creaking in protest. Sayuri lounged on his futon, her violet eyes twinkling with amusement. He hadn't heard her come in.

"How long have you been there?" he grumbled.

"Long enough to watch you nearly set that poor book on fire with your glare," she teased.

Mio rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny."

Sayuri sat up, her long purple-black hair cascading over her shoulders. "Come on, Mio. You can't force it."

"Watch me," he muttered, turning back to the desk.

Sayuri sighed. "You're impossible."

"I prefer 'determined'."

A soft thud made him look back. Sayuri had flopped dramatically onto the futon, her long hair spread over his pillow like a halo. His heart skipped.

"Fine," she said, "kill yourself studying."

Mio's gaze lingered on Sayuri for a moment too long. He quickly averted his eyes, hoping she hadn't noticed.

"I'm not killing myself," he retorted. "I just... I want to be there for you. To protect you."

Sayuri's smile was soft, yet behind it, Mio sensed the unspoken fear that haunted them both: the gap between their abilities only seemed to widen with time.

"Hey, have you heard about Gentleman's Shield?" Sayuri asked, changing the subject. Mio's ears perked up, recognizing the name from a headline on the newspaper his grandfather would read.