How To Fight

How To Fight

After we finished eating, I grabbed my jacket and then followed Takeda outside. As he stepped into the snow, I followed him; however, it didn’t take long for Takeda to stop.

“Alright, this is good.”

“What do you mean, this is good?”

“This is where we’re going to fight.”

“On the snow?”

“Why are you surprised? It’s not like the Yuki-onna is going to fight you in an area that you’re suited for. You have to be able to fight it in the cold.”

I gulped as I put my hands up. Besides Rentarou trying to beat me to a pulp, I haven’t been in a fight in my entire life.

“Now come at me.”

When he said those words, I rushed at him. My feet kicked off the ground as I held my fist up high. My boots scrunched the snow, and before I could even tell what happened, I was on the ground.

“Again.” When Takeda said those words, I could feel him glaring at me. I managed to haul myself up before I put my fists up once more. Again, I rushed straight at him, and right before my fists could reach him, I could feel my legs getting swept out from underneath me. As soon as I lost my balance, my face was kissing the snow again. And the only word he said as I let my hands sink in the snow for a few seconds was “Again.”

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How many times has it been? I tried punching him, kicking him, and tackling him, but none of it worked.

I could feel the snow seeping into my jacket. I tried to crawl back up, but my body only quivered as I fell back into the snow. I glanced up at Takeda, and he was looking down at his watch, not paying me any mind as I groveled on the floor.

“Shin, it’s time for a lunch break.”

A break? I got to rest and eat? Thank you, Takeda. I thought you were going to have me fight nonstop.

“But you don’t get to eat.”

“Huh?” I sprang up from the ground at this news. “What do you mean, I don’t get to eat? That’s unfair.”

When I was off the snow, Takeda was already walking inside, but before he entered, he said, “Only people with power decide what’s fair. If you want to eat dinner and prove yourself ready for the next stage of training, just land one hit on me.”