Help me

After lunch, I lay down on my bed, looking at my arm with one question in my mind: How do I even start training? I looked at the lines on my arms, as if they were going to reply by glowing or speaking, as they did before. I need to learn how to make you work… if I don’t, not only will I die, but I might harm the people around me too. However, there was no response; the only thing I heard was the clock ticking in my room.

When I glanced at the clock, I saw that it was four o’clock. If it's at the same time as last night, then dinner is around nine. So I have five hours left?

“Dammit!” I ruffled my hair on the bed as I screamed to myself. I can’t train by myself… wait… I can’t train by myself! Takeda never said I had to train by myself!

Upon that sudden realization, I sprang out of bed. I threw open the door and ran down the hall to reach Yukimura’s door. I can just ask her for help. However, when I grabbed the doorknob, I realized it wouldn’t be that simple.

I was immediately met with a doorknob colder than the snow outside. When I saw that it was locked, I knocked on the door, and somehow it was colder than the doorknob. Why is it so cold?

A long silence filled the hall before I knocked again, and when I did, I heard the shuffling of feet. It took a few seconds of stumbling noises before the door opened, and when it did, I realized something: This must’ve been how the Ice Age felt.

Mist emerged from the door as it opened until I saw Yukimura in the doorway. She had her katana out, with her Onmyoji robes on, and instead of being straight down, Yukimura tied her hair in a ponytail. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

“Shin, do you need something?” However, I was too busy staring at her to respond to what she was saying. “Shin, are you okay?” That’s what I wanted to ask you. However, my mouth didn’t work in that moment; I was too stunned. That was until Yukimura poked me with her finger. It was ice-cold to the touch, but that sensation was enough to break me out of the trance I was in.

“S-S-So cold.”

“Sorry… It’s just that you… weren’t responding.”

“You don’t have to apologize, that’s my fault. But why are you and your room so cold?”

“Oh, that’s because I was training.” I could see that. Her blade looked nearly frozen over; she was gasping between words, and her eyes had bags underneath them.

“You’re the type to cram the night before a test, aren’t you?”

“N-No!” Her once serious face broke into a slight blush when I asked that, and when it did, it made me smile. “W-Why are you here?”

“I was going to ask… actually, you should go get some rest before the fight starts.”

“No. Say what you were going to say.” I was going to leave and ask someone else for help, but after seeing Yukimura asking me so adamantly, I couldn’t refuse.

“I was wondering if you could train me. Not like train me, train me, but maybe like showing me a few steps on how to control my power. If not, it’s fine, you don’t have to push yourself.”

“I wouldn’t have to push myself to do that. Come in.” Yukimura is inviting me into her room? I know it's her hotel room, but still! Life is amazing.

“Shin, stop dozing off, or else I won’t help you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I followed her inside the room, and it was completely different than mine; in fact, it didn’t look like a room at all. A standard hotel room would have a clock, a window, a TV, and a bed, but this room had neither. It was only a plain room that was bigger than mine, and colder too.

I held my arms so as not to freeze to death, but I could already feel my fingertips numbing and my body shivering. “Y-Y-Yukimura… this is your room?”

“No. I only separated the space with this talisman.” She revealed to me two talismans. One had the kanji for layer, and the other had a symbol of a house. “Then, I used this talisman to bring the training room that I used to train in here.”

“T-Then, if the space is separated, why was the door so cold?”

“Oh, that’s because there’s a tiny gap in the space, so I could still hear if something happens outside. But that causes mana to leak out, and that must be why my room was cold when I opened the door.”

“I see, I see. So you had to leave this space to open the door… and that stumbling noise I heard must’ve been—”

“Anyway! You said you need my help, but what do you need, Shin?” When Yukimura said this, her slight blush returned— cute.

“Right, I do need help. I was wondering if you know a way to activate my arm. I did it once before when Rentarou tried to fight me after I woke up in the infirmary, but I haven't been able to use that mana since.”

Yukimura walked closer to me and examined my arm. “Can you recall exactly what happened in the infirmary?”

“Yeah, I think so. I woke up, and immediately after, Rentarou thought I did something to Hinako, so he punched me. That made me have a nosebleed, and then when I blocked Rentarou’s attack, mana erupted from the arm. It was so much that it knocked him out the window, too.”

As I told Yukimura the story, her concentration rested solely on my arm. “I think I have an idea.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Just stand right there.” Yukimura said this as she took a few steps back, raising her sword to her chest.

“Wait, what are you doing with that sword?” However, she didn’t respond to my question; she only started to lunge at me with her sword. There wasn’t enough time to dodge; she was moving too fast. I could only hold up my hands to try to block her attack.