"Damnit," I grunt. "Let's try that again!" I shout. "Wind Control, Cursed Power Emission!" Again, I fire off a blast of raw Cursed Power towards Nick, failing to turn it into wind. Nick sighs as he sidesteps my attack with ease, which explodes into the rocky wall behind Nick.
"Is that all you've got, Luis?!" Nick shouts as he electrifies his entire body before zipping over to me, striking me with an electrified spear-hand while passing. I've expended too much Cursed Power using my emissions, so I'm unable to activate Sensing. "Sure, you've created new techniques, such as your Air Control, or your Wind Control Stage Two. But as someone who's fought Ace and met King, two of the enemies that we will be facing in a mere couple of days, you're not strong enough as you are now to even land a scratch on them!"
Nick zips away from be, before zipping back, striking me with an electrified kick this time, and causing me to stumble forwards a few steps. "You think I don't know that?!" I shout back. "Time and time again, everytime I stick my neck out, I fail miserably! What's the point, why am I even here anymore?! I'm no Pro Slayer!" This time, when Nick zips by me, I nick him with my Cursed Power reinforced blade, as I catch an electrified jab in the gut, causing me to double over. I quickly recover.
"Think back to the day we met!" Nick shouts over the buzz of electricity and the howling winds. "You were powerless to do anything to protect your family! They would have died if I didn't show up, you included!" Nick roars. "You think your measly amount of strength you have now is enough to protect your family?! Demons are stronger than this, you know!?"
"I know that!" I desperately cry, slicing Nick with a shallow cut from my katana as I'm hooked by an electrified elbow. "I'm trying, I really am! I just don't have the strength to do this!"
"If you want to get stronger, then you'll need to surpass me!"
My eyes widen for a split second, before glossing over with rage.
I don't care if I have almost no Cursed Power left, I'm doing this anyway.
Quickly, I emit every last remaining droplet of Cursed Power that I have into the atmosphere, forming a net of Cursed Power. Blood explodes from my nose as I do so, and I begin to grow lightheaded. "Air Control!" I shout as I sidestep an electrified spear-hand from Nick. "By emitting my Cursed Power into the atmosphere, I can feel the air itself moving around, probably because I'm so attuned with the wind. Thanks for the idea!" I smirk. At first, Nick looks shocked, genuinely shocked, but recovers soon after, zipping towards me again.
This time, I thrust my palms into the ground, using a gust of wind to send me flying into the air above Nick, dodging an electrified jab. My head grows even hotter and fuzzier as more blood squirts from my nose. "And this…" I begin to say as I aim my left palm at Nick while chambering my right hand. Wind begins swirling around my right hand, as I stockpile Cursed Power into it. "IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE LEARNED FROM YOU!" I roar as I thrust my right palm forwards, while chambering my left hand. But just as before, rather than firing off a beam of wind towards Nick, all I manage to do is shoot a measly ray of Cursed Power his way. "Dammit…not enough," I wine as Nick brings his arms up to block, effortlessly blocking my attack. "No…I'm not done yet!" I roar as wind begins swirling around my palms.
"WIND CONTROL: SPIRIT STORM!"
The wind around my palm then begins to fire outwards, forming a spiraling beam of wind like a sideways tornado, or like a ranged version of my wind blade, which hugs my Cursed Power beam, wrapping around it as it flies towards Nick.
"What?! A two part atack?" Nick cries.
I let out a roar as my Spirit Storm blasts into Nick, who's too busy defending my Cursed Power beam to block my second attack.
"IS THIS STRONG ENOUGH TO LAY A SCRATCH ON KING AND ACE NOW?!" I roar.
Nick, in turn, grits his teeth as he digs his heels into the ground, my Spirit Storm slowly pushing him back. Wait.
I'm pushing the strongest Pro Slayer back.
"Great attack, Luis. I blocked your cursed Power Emission, leaving me open to your Spirit Storm attack. A two turn, Cursed Power lag attack, Nick smirks through clenched teeth. "But…" Nick then continues as his entire body begins crackling with electricity. "I'm the strongest Pro Slayer, so sorry, Luis, but I can't let you besmirch my good name!" Nick's electricity then explodes, sending bolts of lightning flying in every direction, causing both my Cursed Power Emission and my Spirit Storm to dissipate, as well as shocking me in the process.
"It…wasn't enough…" I softly whimper as my smoldering body begins crashing to the ground. "It wasn't enough." But then, before I can fall to the ground, Nick reaches out, and catches me, bracing me with both arms.
"Good job, Luis," Nick says to me, with a genuine smile. "You've gotten stronger." For a split second there, it feels like I'm faced with…a proud father. I then frantically shake my head from side to side. Nick's just happy as a teacher to see his student getting stronger. That's all. "Pride in me" is a whole different beast.
And then…I slip unconscious. While the storm overhead slowly dissipates.
***
I shoot up in bed, gasping for breath. Looking around, I can see that- "I'm in my room?" Not my dorm room, but…my bedroom? My bedroom back in my house, with Mr Kittles, and my mom, and my sister. I notice that my katana is lying against my bedside. And I'm still wearing my blood, sweat, and rain stained clothes from my training with Nick.
Confused, I throw the blankets off my body and attempt to stand up, but when I do so, a wave of pain shoots across my entire body, forcing me to lay back down.
"Yeah…I'm not going to let that stop me," I grunt as I stand back up.
Exhausted, I hobble out of my room and into the kitchen, where I can hear laughter. When I turn the corner, I see something that I haven't seen in a long while. My mom…smiling and laughing. Quickly, I duck behind the corner to observe her, with a smile on my face. But when I see who my mom is talking to, my eyes widen.
"Stop hitting on my mom!" I snap as I limb into the kitchen, causing my mom to cover her mouth and blush as Nick begins laughing.
"Couldn't you have stayed in bed longer, kid?" Nick asks, only half joking. "The adults are talking.
I roll my eyes and snort. "There's only one adult here, and it isn't you," I grumble, before turning to face my mom. "Mom, Nick kicked my ass during training, how are you letting him sweep you off your feet like this?!" I whine.
"I am not being swept off my feet!" My mom snaps, causing Nick to sulk. "And yes, Mr Boras here told me about your training, I'm very flattered that you'd go to such lengths to protect me and Gabby!" My mom swoons.
"Please, just call me Nick," Nick replies. That smooth bastard. I hate guys like him. Tall…handsome…girls love 'em.
I blush and look away. "Well someone's gotta…" I mutter under my breath.
"Ew, you stink like Hell!" Gabby says as she passes by me, causing me to roll my eyes yet again. Gabby then walks over to Nick, stopping before him.
"Oh?" Nick asks as he peers over at Gabby.
Gabby pauses for a moment, glaring at Nick.
"What's she doin'?" I ask myself.
"MR SLAYER HACHI, SIR, I'M A HUGE FAN, CAN YOU PLEASE SIGN THIS?!" Gabby cries as she thrusts a pen and paper into Nick's hands, causing the man to laugh.
"Another Grover?!" I recoil.
"Sure, anything for a fan!" Nick replies as he signs Gabby's paper, before handing it back to her. A huge grin spread across Gabby's face as she holds the paper up to see.
"Mr Bor-er…Nick, has been telling us about your time as a Pro Slayer while you were…incapacitated," my mom continues.
"Yeah, so who's Ella and when do we get to meet her?" Gabby asks as she elbows me in the rubs.
I blush as I turn back to face Nick. "Stop telling everyone my business?!" I cry, causing Nick to throw his head back in laughter.
"You can't not tell your family things, Luis!" Nick says, before standing up, sliding his chair back in, and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It was lovely to meet you, Ms Tramontana, and you, too, Luis' sister-" Nick begins to say.
"Gabby-" Gabby cuts Nick off, still grinning.
My mom smiles at Nick's pretty words.