The next morning comes eventually.

  And with it all the hassle it entails.

  "Get up!" (R)

  Urgh.

  Can someone please kill me for good?

  Yet there's no way to escape my fate, with how determined Relia is.

  She basically drags me onto the exercise field, and once we get there, the only instance of respite for me is when she chases off all the people training here, so no one is going to get too close to me while I'm practicing.

  Not like many would still want that after everyone saw what I did to the horses yesterday.

  "So this is her?"

  "Be quiet, or she'll suck out your soul!"

  I can hear you as well!

  And what's up with this kind of rumor about me?

  Relia, meanwhile, barely pays them any attention and instead goes straight into talking business.

  "Alright, what became painfully clear yesterday is that you have more gaps to close than I can count. But the most grating of them would be your control and coordination; both with your magical abilities as well as your bad excuse for applied self-defense." (R)

  I kinda dread what she's getting to here, remembering her recent measures to beat me into shape, literally.

  A concept I'm not completely sure is effective.

  "So, what exactly does that mean for me?" (Y)

  "That means today we're basically doing the same as yesterday. Running, fighting, draining, until I can be sure you can do any of that stuff on the level an average human being can." (R)

  Ehm, I'm pretty sure "draining" isn't quite a fitting point for that list.

  "But why the running? I already told you, I'm dead. I'm pretty sure I won't build up any stamina. If anything, it's gonna drain what little energy I have left." (Y)

  "You need to train sprinting, not to form your non-existent muscles, even if that would be helpful, but to regain a sensible form of coordination. You are as stiff as a corpse. Which might be a given, but certainly won't allow you to get away from a dangerous situation. Therefore, we need to get you at least to the level that you can run at your top speed for as long as possible. This requires your mental coordination more than anything else. You get that?" (R)

  "Yes. I think so." (Y)

  "Good. And regarding your energy. Please take it as the other part of your training. You're likely to lose control whenever you are literally on your last breath. However, this is exactly when it counts. And don't you worry, that's all gonna be refilled during the draining practice." (R)

  That's kinda the part I worry about the most.

  Then it starts.

  Just as yesterday, I get driven to my limits.

  While they aren't affected by fatigue, I feel how my inner reserves of life slowly deplete, with every healed strain, every wound that has to be remedied.

  This slow drain on my body is anything but nice and takes a mental toll on me.

  That might even downplay it.

  It is not only hard on me to lose it, but there's this ever-increasing ache that I need to quell.

  Still, I persevere through the ordeal.

  Mostly, by trying to ignore the strain, or how often I get knocked down, or get my ribs cracked.

  "This concludes the first part of your training. You can be glad that you are going to have breakfast next." (R)

  Breakfast? But I can't-

  Oh no, breakfast!

  As if to answer my worst fears, Relia lets them bring in a cage.

  Inside, I see something that terrifies me.

  Furred bodies, claws, a slobbering muzzle, and beady eyes.

  "Yep, today you're going to drain dogs. Wasn't quite as easy to get them as some trainers grew quite attached, but who cares?" (R)

  Dogs.

  I wasn't afraid of them, but about the implications.

  I look at the poor animals.

  They aren't very well in shape and look tired.

  The one in the center is even quite sick, while the left one is missing most of its left front leg.

  But while I can see why they were chosen... I don't want to have to kill these animals.

  "D-do I have to do this?" (Y)

  I mean, I get why I need to kill something, but this still feels kinda wrong to me.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Did you pay any attention? Of course, you do! And you'll keep at it till you can do so flawlessly. Or how do you suppose you're going to support a frontline that is going to be overrun by those hairy muscleheads? We need to get you so far that you can, even under duress, only target hostiles. If we get that, you'd be pretty great to have around. If not, you're pretty useless. Aside from that, you'll need every bit of this energy for your training." (R)

  "I, I get this, but why these? I don't want to do this. I like dogs." (Y)

  They are obedient if trained, dutiful, and loyal.

  What isn't there to like?

  I know a soldier has to kill monsters, but these are the complete opposite.

  "How about, because I tell you to? You know, we have this funny thing going on in the army about following orders. I want to see how you fare with different targets, and you're going to do so. And it won't end with this. I'll make you drain smaller and cuter animals until you get it right!" (R)

  "Smaller?" (Y)

  These already feel completely different from before.

  I fear I don't know how to differentiate them as I did with the horses.

  "This particular line of training is something we will continue until you can target a specific insect inside a crawling box. ... Actually, it would be quite convenient if we could sustain you on insects." (R)

  Insects?!

  How am I supposed to figure that out?

  Insects don't even show up to my senses!

  Or... do they?

  I mean, they don't right this moment, but could I focus on them?

  I guess insects wouldn't be quite as bad to kill.

  Even I have already smacked one critter or another.

  Yet killing tons of them might be different from that.

  But right now, Commander Relia seems set on having me kill these dogs.

  And I don't seem to have a choice.

  Or... maybe I do?

  "Can't I try not to take everything they have?" (Y)

  Relia raises an eyebrow at this.

  "If you can. I'll tell you to stop, though you will be responsible in case you fail to comply." (R)

  Gulp.

  Knowing that woman, "taking responsibility" is going to have very direct implications.

  "Alright, get the one in the middle. I don't want to see the others affected. If you can manage, it will survive." (R)

  Damn, so she makes it all dependent on me.

  Focus, Yomi.

  Focus.

  The mid-center dog.

  Isolate it in your mind.

  It's right there.

  Ignore the others.

  No, disregard them.

  They are there, but they're not to be focused on.

  Concentrate just on the middle one.

  Concentrate deeper.

  Deeper.

  Breathe.

  "Whoooooooooo"

  Yes, that's it.

  Just the central one.

  I feel the life coursing through me!

  It feels so warm, coming right from... the... source.

  Oh, no.

  That poor thing.

  It's rapidly draining.

  "Good. Stop!" (R)

  Okay.

  Okay!

  I said, Okay!!

  Damn, why won't it just work?!

  I want it to stop!

  How do I stop breathing?!

  Cutting it off just won't work!

  How about I don't just stop it, but preoccupy it with something else?

  What's the opposite of breathing?

  No, not breathing.

  Inhaling!

  But what's the opposite of inhaling?

  Well, exhaling, obviously.

  But how?

  It's not just pushing air back out, as this isn't even what I'm taking in.

  No, it's magic.

  So the opposite of draining magic would be to push magic out.

  That means to cast something!

  Let it flow in the opposite direction!

  Yes, that sounds about right!

  Though what magic can I even call forth?

  Well, ice.

  Does ice work?

  No time to contemplate that.

  Just act!

  Ice!

  At this, I feel the cold starting to move inside me.

  How it wants to do something, if I gather it.

  This puts my crystal a bit into disarray, as it gets confused.

  This confusion of doing two things at once piles up, and suddenly, my intake flow jumbles up and cuts off.

  "Cough. Cough. Cough!" (Y)

  It also throws me into a violent coughing fit, as I choke pretty hard on the disturbed flow.

  However, the dog... is dead.

  I was too slow.

  Hah.

  "Shuuuuuh" (Y)

  Promptly, green smoke wafts through the air and envelops the creature I just killed.

  Oh damn!

  As predicted, the dog stirs for a second before rising up again.

  It looks far more stable than before, but also obviously dead, to me at least, with its cloudy eyes and sluggish, jerking movements.

  The dogs next to it panic, but can't claw out of the cage.

  I don't know what to do, and look at Relia.

  That look... Is she disappointed or just plain in disregard of the situation?

  "Sigh." (R)

  She walks slowly closer, unsheathes her sword, and plunges it straight into the dead dog's skull.

  From the edges of the hole, I believe I spot flickering flames.

  "It should be clear, but stop doing things you weren't asked to do, which includes creepily raising the dead, as obvious as that should be." (R)

  Yeah, that won't make me any friends here.

  Especially, as killing them seems like the default response from any higher-ups.

  "Sorry. It wasn't on purpose." (Y)

  "I hope it wasn't. Otherwise, I'd also have to question your sense of judgment." (R)

  Urgh.

  That comment struck home.

  I truly don't have a great track record in that regard recently.

  The incident with Commander Antares' horse still comes back to haunt me.

  "Yet as it looks, you just expended the very energy you were supposed to garner. You'll need to replenish this. Can you suck it back in?" (R)

  From the dead dog?

  I have honestly no idea.

  But if it keeps me from having to kill the others.

  I focus on the corpse, its sight with the grievous wound being quite gruesome.

  It makes it hard to look at.

  Yet I need to try to sense its life.

  It was just moving, so is there any?

  I try to sense, I really do, but there's nothing left inside.

  I can't sense any residue inside the corpse at all.

  But wait!

  Not inside, but I think there's something showing up.

  Around it, around me, I believe there is the slightest bit more of something.

  Did energy flow out when it died?

  That's fascinating.

  Incredibly morbid, but fascinating nonetheless.

  But it's already so dispersed that I can't pull it in.

  Though, if it gets released upon death, does this mean I could breathe it in at that moment?

  Did I maybe already?

  It would make sense that I wouldn't have to pull as much if the body already let go.

  "So... Are you going to answer my question anytime soon?" (R)

  Oh shit!

  "I, I don't think I can anymore. I think I was too late." (Y)

  "A pity. That leaves two dogs. Get done with them." (R)

  "What about training!?" (Y)

  "Sure. It looked like you got something figured out. But don't starve yourself. I'd rather deal with dead dogs than you murdering your fellow soldiers. Yet if you can, I want you to drain them to about half." (R)

  "Half? Why?" (Y)

  "To check the long-term effects if you only drain one partially. I feel alright so far, yet still a bit sluggish. Would be good if we could keep you alive on less wasteful terms. So we'll see if this one gets to live through your draining, and after this we’ll feed it back up, till we get to see if there's a limit to its recovery." (R)

  This makes an awful lot of sense, but sounds also a lot like animal cruelty.

  Yet I suppose killing a whole lot of them wouldn't be much better.

  I just feel so bad about it.

  "Whooooo"

  This time, I simply drain both at once.

  However, I think now I have a far better idea about what to do.

  I magically exhale by leading magic out.

  Of course, this makes the inhaling sputter out and sends me into another coughing fit.

  "Okay. That still doesn't look all that secure, but I think we can work with this. These other two dogs will live. Well, as long as their bodies allow them to. But at least, I'm going to have them fed, as that seems to motivate you." (R)

  I suppose that's something.

  "Now tell, what's your current energy?" (R)

  My energy?

  "I think I'm quite well off." (Y)

  "Great. Then there's nothing that speaks against another sparring round." (R)

  Sparring?

  "Gulp" (Y)