Of course. Here is the English translation of this poignant and pivotal chapter, capturing the emotional weight and the sense of transition.
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Four months had passed since the day Sai first felt the Echo. Four months during which days and nights had merged into an endless cycle of training, falls, and victories, where fear, pain, and fatigue had become part of his new "self."
Today, Grandpa looked especially tired. His movements were slow, his hands trembled, his face was pale, his back slightly bent. Sai noticed it immediately.
"Grandpa… are you unwell?" he asked cautiously.
The old man nodded quietly.
"Yes… Sai, soon I will be gone. When I am no longer here, do not forget me. Nor the words, nor what I taught you."
Sai froze. It was as if cold water had rushed through his veins.
"I… won't forget," he said quietly, his voice trembling.
Grandpa smirked, smiling slightly, though the laugh was weak, almost hoarse.
"Do you remember what I told you before? Ah… I taught you, little one, so you would survive. And now I see you have already grown up."
Sai clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and his voice became firm:
"What are you even talking about? You taught me so much. I used to be afraid of everything—monsters, shadows, Rifts… everything. Now… at least now I can fight them, I can stand under your protection, and sometimes even parry a blow."
"Hm…" Grandpa smirked. "Is that so?"
"Yes," Sai nodded. "You made a man out of me. From that child who trembled at every shadow, who was afraid of everything, who just wanted to survive… now I can meet fear face to face. I can live and fight."
Grandpa laughed quietly. "Even an old man can teach a thing or two. And to be honest… I'm glad I saw this."
Sai sat down beside him, putting a hand on the old man's shoulder. "You did more than just teach me strength. You made me stop being a child. I stopped being afraid of the darkness. I can breathe, at least a little more calmly."
Grandpa nodded. "And that is the most important thing. Everything else—training, strikes, struggle… they are just tools. The most important thing is you."
Sai felt something tighten inside him. The fear was still there, but now he understood: fear is not the enemy, but a marker that you are alive.
"Okay, Grandpa…" he said quietly, "I won't forget."
"I know," the old man replied, smiling softly. "I see it in you."
---
Grandpa took a heavy breath and suddenly made a sharp gesture with his hand:
"Alright, enough tears. Listen. I am sending you to the Academy of the Inner Reaches."
Sai looked up, surprised.
"The Academy? Already? But… I'm not yet…"
"Everything is already prepared," Grandpa interrupted. "I've prepared you. Four months—and you are no longer the boy who trembled at every rustle. You can control the Echo, you can fight, you can make decisions even under pressure."
Sai took a step back, surprise shifting to doubt:
"I'm still not ready."
"And is anyone ever ready?" Grandpa smirked. "No. You will grow there. You will fall and get up again, but now you have a tool that most lose immediately."
Sai lowered his gaze. "I… don't want to disappoint you."
Grandpa slapped his palm on Sai's shoulder. "You can't. You are no longer a boy, Sai. Now you are a warrior who understands the price of fear and the strength of control."
Sai took a deep breath. "And still… I will miss you."
"Me too," said Grandpa, smiling quietly. "But look at it this way: you are not leaving alone. I have put a part of myself into you, a part of my strength and a part of my knowledge. You will grow. And if something happens… a part of me will be nearby."
Sai smiled through a slight sadness. "Thank you… for everything."
"Ha!" Grandpa laughed. "Even an old man can make you cry. But these are not tears of weakness. They are tears of strength."
---
After that, Grandpa led Sai to the training yard.
"Today," he said, "we will conduct the final serious test of your connection with the Echo. You can already defend yourself, but can you attack and use your power when the opponent is stronger than you?"
"I will try," said Sai, clenching his fists.
"Try?" Grandpa smirked. "No. You will do it."
And the training began.
The Echo manifested as never before: a black shadow, springy, living its own life, moving in sync with him.
Every movement Sai made—a strike, a jump, an evasion—was mirrored by the Echo.
Grandpa watched, smiling, but his eyes were sad. He knew that soon this would be his only connection to the boy.
Sai felt that the Echo was no longer just a protector. It was a part of himself. And the more he controlled the shadow, the more he understood: this was trust, not domination.
"I can," he said quietly, in response to Grandpa's silent gaze. "I can stand my ground. I can fight. I can live."
"That's it!" exclaimed Grandpa, and for the first time in a long while, his laughter sounded free, without fatigue. "Now go. The Academy awaits."
Sai looked at him, nodded deeply. "I won't forget. Never."
Grandpa placed a hand on his shoulder. "And know this: I believe in you, even when I am no longer by your side."
Sai stood, feeling the weight of those words, but something new was growing inside him—a strength that was not just a weapon, but a part of him.
And for a moment, amidst the quiet wind and the rustling grass, Sai understood: his childhood was over, and he was ready for the real world.