Heart to Heart

As I approached the Yuki-onna, her head turned violently from one side to another. It was like she was searching for something. But a few seconds later, she said, “I found you.”

I looked in the same direction she was staring, and she was looking at Rentarou, Hinako, and Yukimura. She extended her arm toward them, and the ice shards around her began to lock onto their location.

I need to hurry! Run, feet, run!

“Die Onmyoji!” The Yuki-onna closed her fist as she said those words.

“Wait!” The Yuki-onna slowly turned her head toward me after I screamed out.

“Who are you, horned boy?”

“My name is Yasura Shin, and—”

“Never mind, I remember you from earlier. You were the Onmyoji who held Yui.”

“Yes, I was holding Yui.” Maybe we can have a conversation after all.

“Then die!” Or not. The Yuki-onna proceeded to send the ice shards toward me, and there wasn’t enough time to dodge out of the way. I could only put my two arms in front of me as I braced for impact. Maybe Yukimura was right; maybe it is impossible to talk things out.

However, a few seconds passed, and I was alive. I looked up at the Yuki-onna, and she seemed just as confused as I was. The only evident thing was that my right arm was glowing once again.

“What did you do, Yasura?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“Why is his mana radiating from you?”

“His mana? Who are you talking about?”

“Shuten-doji.” When she said that name, the mana in my arm began to swell. Why does that name feel so familiar?

“Shuten-doji?”

“Yes, the only Oni in history to become a Kishin, Shuten-doji.” The Yuki-onna’s eyes widened as her icy glare pierced my soul. “Did he send you here to harm my children?”

“No, I don’t even know who that is.”

“Then it was Nurarihyon… Even more reason for you to perish.” The Yuki-onna raised her hand again as she sent more ice shards flying at me. I pointed my arm at them and fired a beam of concentrated mana from my arm.

“Again, no! I don’t even know who those people are. We were sent to kill you by the Onmyoji Organization. But—”

“But nothing. That means you are working with Nurarihyon. He did say he would send your people to kill my children… All because I didn’t join his stupid war!” She raised her hands as she shouted. Several clusters of ice formed and condensed in the air before they rained down like meteorites.

You’re not giving me any choices here. I bit my right hand before using the mana within it to help me dodge the Yuki-onna’s attack. However, I saw one of the clusters flying off course from me. It was going toward the Yukinkos.

I placed my arm behind me and used the remaining mana in my arm to propel myself to where the Yukinkos were standing. I need to make it on time! A few seconds before the cluster was going to collide with them, I was able to grab it. As my arms pushed it back, I could feel my legs being shredded by something. But that pain doesn’t matter. I need to make sure they don’t get hurt!

The weight I was pushing against began to lessen as the mass of the ice decreased. As the size dwindled, I could clearly see tiny blue particles leaving the cluster and going into my arm. With every particle, my arm grew redder, and it shone the brightest it ever had after the entire cluster was gone. Was that mana?

However, I didn’t have the time to think about it. Even though the ice cluster was gone, my body still dropped into the area where my legs were being slashed. This is going to hurt a lot.

For a moment, it felt like every part of my body was being ripped open from hundreds of slashes. But thanks to the slashes, blood poured out of my body, which allowed me to heal until I landed in the center of the Yukinkos.

My vision was blurry. I couldn’t see much around me. I could only make out dozens of tiny heads crowding around me. Crap… I used too much blood. My body felt heavy, but despite the weight, I still struggled to get up. When I stood up, I tried to refocus my vision on the woman before me. After a few seconds, my vision cleared, and I could see the Yuki-onna’s astonished face.

“Ch-Children, back away from that boy. He and I need to talk.” As she commanded, the Yukinkos scattered away from me, leaving only her and me in the middle of the snow village. “Why did you protect them?”

“Because I don’t want to kill them.”

“Even though you were sent here to?”

“Yes. I thought you and the Yukinkos were going to be terrifying monsters hellbent on killing humans. But you guys are just one family trying to live together.”

“Wrong, I am a monster. But I don’t mind being a monster to protect my children.”

“But why are you killing innocent people? They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Well, that’s because of Nurarihyon.”

“Who is that?”

“He’s a powerful yokai. One who’s plotting to go to war against all humans in Japan. And he’s also the one who said that he’d send humans and Onmyoji to come to kill my children and me. Ever since that day, it has been my duty to kill anyone who travels up this mountain. And I will continue to do so to protect them.”

Is a war happening? I could feel my body shaking at the mention of it, but I can’t be scared now. Before I worry about that, I need to handle the woman in front of me. “So, if you and your children are somewhere secluded and out of harm’s way, you wouldn’t harm anyone else?”

“Correct. However, relocation wouldn’t work; we can’t survive temperatures higher than those on this mountain. That is why I built a village for my children and me to reside in.”

Relocating them won't work? Dang it, that was the only idea I had. But she isn’t opposed to not killing people. All she wants is to live safely with her children. In that case… I need to ask Hinako something. “Yuki-onna, I have an idea, but I need the help of one of my friends to carry it out. Do you mind if I talk to them for a bit?”

“I do not mind, Yasura… However, if you try to deceive and attack my children, I will kill you in the most gruesome way I know. Do you understand?”

“Yes, and don’t worry, we won’t harm any of you. I promise.”