Chain Yokai: Book 1. The Hunter

Yokai..What Are We?

Laura looked away from Sora and pouted. "You're no fun..if I'm gonna make it into the Japan branch like you..then I've gotta show I can make it in tough situations."

"Like I told you before." said Sora. "With your reckless behaviour, they're the ones least likely to take you. It's better if you apply for the local Accademy here."

"But the Yokai Hunter's Academy branch here is ranked 39th!!" said Laura. "And Japan is not only ranked 2nd under the American one, but it's also where Mom weht to school! I have to go!!"

Sora sighed. "I already said I'd write a letter for you...but again I'll say this, the chances of you being accepted are slim.."

Laura stuck out her tongue at Sora. "You'll see, I'm gonna pass with flying colors!! And I'll blow you right off the top spot!!"

Before Sora could say another word, Laura jumped into the air and began leaping from roof to roof like a ninja, occasionally using a chain from her hand to swing to higher balconies.

As Laura continued to dodge and weave in between streets, buildings and electrical lines, she brooded over Sora's words: 'the chances you'll get accepted are slim'

"Hmph." muttered Laura. "I've seen worse odds..I'm the third strongest of the Seven Bridges..they should be begging me to join...I think.."

In truth, from what Laura heard, only two of the Seven Bridges had ever accepted themselves into a Yokai Hunters Academy branch. One of them was in Germany, and the other was in America. Two of the top schools for Yokai Hunters in the entire world. America was ranked first, Japan was ranked second, and Germany was ranked 3rd, while the official Chinese one was ranked 4th.

Yokai Hunters were an elite group of law enforcers specifically trained to deal with yokai. They included both humans and yokai in their ranks, using combinations of magic spells and high tech equipment to deal with aggressive yokai who went out of control..at leat that was the job they were most known for. But they also had other jobs in the dealings with yokai, just as all police departments did more then just arrest criminals.

However, since it took very exceptional drive and talent to become a Yokai Hunter, it wouldn't be surprising if they were short staff, so recruits started out very young, around Laura's age (15 years old). And they started going on missions and payed jobs the moment they started at the Academy, of course they were only allowed on low scale threats.

It was only the Japan and American branches that ever went on high level allerts.

As Laura pondered all of this she landed in front of a tall apartment building and walked through the glass double doors without a single word.

"你 好 Laura." said the man at the front desk. "How was your day?"

"Same old, same old." muttered Laura. "晚 安" (means good night)

Laura pressed her small plastic round key to the sensor on the key pad of the inner door and it opened with a click. She immediately pressed the button for the elevator and boarded it, pressing for the third floor. As the elevator went up Laura began to to rummage through her jacket pocket till she pulled out a slip of paper. It was an address where she was supposed to register for the Yokai Hunter Entrance examinations. Of course, you were allowed to pick which region you were examining for, and the toughness of the exam would vary with what you picked...but supposedly if a prestigous student wrote a letter of recommendation for you like Sora said he was going to do, it earned you an extra credit of about 10 points.

And considering how you needed an 85% or higher to get in to the Japan region..that meant Laura would have to get an 75%.

Laura groaned and drilled her head with her own knuckles. Sora was right, no way was she going to make it on brute strength alone.