Luis vs August, Part 3

"That's right, the control room…" I sadly say as I stare at the ground. "But I thought that was only a dream? And a one-time thing?"

"Apparently not," my demon replies, and subsequently, I hear footsteps come from behind me and stop beside my jail cell, just out of sight.

"Why am I here?" I ask.

"It seems as if -just like our first meeting- your demon powers awakened in resonance to the half-demon that we see before you, August," my demon explains. "Although…this one is different from the Black Demon. His body is…unnatural, to say the least. The Red Demon's powers seem to come from the cells of a demon that have been implanted into his body when he was young, a fetus."

"Who created him?" I ask.

"I don't know," my demon answers. "I am you, remember? What you know, I know. And vice versa."

"Then how come you knew all of that about August's body?" I ask as I raise an eyebrow at my demon.

"I simply made an inference," my demon answers. "You very well could have done the same. Well…considering I made the inference, it seems that you did as well."

"Well put me back in control!" I snap. "I need to kick August's ass so that he can give me some answers!"

My demon pauses

"GHAHAHAHAHA!" He then laughs. A loud, hideous laugh.

"Me put you in control?!" My demon laughs. "Don't make me sick! This is only the second time that you have come to the control room, and only the second time that you've been in chains! Why would I surrender this rare opportunity to you?"

And then, as my vision grows dark…I hear footsteps as my demon begins walking towards the couch. And as my eyes fade to black, my demon takes a seat…

***

Everything looks foggy. Like looking at the world without your glasses. Or like turning on a filter on your phone. This feels like how I felt with Daniel. My body's still moving…but I'm not controlling it. Like I'm watching a first person movie. It's happening again, isn't it?

The veins in the right half of my body glow a medium blue, hair on the right side of my head turns white, my right arm and fist, and ankle and foot, turned into a scaly, black claw. The whites of my right eye turned black, my eye turned an even darker shade of blue, and my pupils turned white.

My Blue Demon mode.

***

"Shit, Luis, come on…" Nick groans as he rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Chairman, we should end this fight before things escalate!" A group of Slayers plead to the Chairman in the Skybox above the arena. "Remember the Slaughter of 1999?!"

"How could I forget?" The Chairman replies. "We used everything in our power to cover that mess up then executed the half demon responsible."

"And what if it happens again?!" A Slayer cries. "They could kill the audience!"

"Slayer Kurāken's Project August and Project Winter were only created to combat demons using the supreme power of half demons," the Chairman begins to explain. 

"This is a test for both August and Fūjin. If August can stop Fūjin's rampage, then he's proved his worth as the Organization's secret weapon, and we'll execute Fūjin like another demon dog. If Fūjin kills August, then he proves that the original is better than the copy, and he's the secret weapon that we need."

***

With a roar, Luis involuntarily charges August while preparing a sinister dark blue Wind Blade.

"Hmm…" August sighs. "So you can only use a half demon mode? Your demon form is incomplete. I'm disappointed."

August brings his three left arms up and reinforces them with Cursed Power to block as Luis slashes his Wind Blade down, carving a deep gash in August's "real" arm and slicing the two mutated arms clean off, exploding in blood.

"Just as I thought, you're a strong one, Blue Demon!" August cackles. "A true test of my worth!"

August spawns an army of Flesh Cones and sends them charging Luis, who counters with his katana and wind attacks, slicing straight through the clones with ease, before charging August again, his clones not fazing Luis in the slightest. August watches Luis tear through his clones with an excited grin.

"If Fūjin learns to control his Blue Demon power…" August begins to say. "Then he can truly become the ultimate life form!"

Luis's Wind Blade clashes against August again, carving right through a couple more of August's extra limbs, but August is able to counter with a mighty Cursed Power Barrier reinforced punch, the two engaged in combat.

"I wish we could keep playing together forever, Blue Demon!" August laughs as he's pierced through the chest by Luis's katana, before countering with a powerful hammer blow, bubbling with red Cursed Power. Blood drenches the bodies of the two half demon boys. "But my mother is up there watching the two of us fight. And if I lose to you, she would be heartbroken, and her dreams crushed. And then I will be killed. So for the sake of my mother, for the sake of my life…" August continues.

"I need to crush you instead."

August summons a few more clones, and then soon, a clone army. The clones rush towards Luis, but are instantly defeated by a powerful Hurricane Slash from Luis.

August spawns a second wave of clones, and soon, Luis finds himself overwhelmed by August's clone army.

"FLESH CLONES: ENDLESS STAMPEDE!"

August's clones swarm Luis, who attempts to counter by spawning a giant tornado around his body, but August's clones manage to break through, punching, kicking, beating, firing, and even biting Luis with a multitude of feral Cursed Power attacks.

And after a few moments, Luis collapses to the ground with a feral roar, as his Blue Demon form reverts back into his regular human state.

Defeated.

***

"Huh, A-Austin, right? What are you doing here?"

Austin looks up from his place counting money at the cash register to see Jamie -a classmate of his- stroll over to him.

"Jamie…right?" Austin asks. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm working."

"Working, huh?" Jamie asks as she perches on a seat in front of Austin. "How does a middle schooler become a bank teller?"

"I'm smart," Austin answers. "I score better than the majority of high school students on exams, and so, I can get an internship wherever I want. This one pays the most, and so, here I am."

"Why are you working?" Jamie asks.

"Money," Austin answers. "I need it. A lot of it."

When Austin says that, he frees his left hand from its current task and gingerly touches it to his right arm, causing Jamie to raise an eyebrow at him.

"You always do that when you're nervous or upset," Jamie comments.

"Do what?" Austin asks, as he goes back to counting money.

"You touch your right arm," Jamie answers. "A lot."

"I'm not nervous or sad a lot," Austin grumbles.

"So you admit it!" Jamie exclaims.

"Admit what?" Austin asks.

"That it's your nervous tell!"

Austin sighs. "I do it when I'm uncomfortable. So what? It's just weird that you were able to notice that."

"I've always been good at reading people," Jamie explains.

"What are you doing at a bank all by yourself, anyway?" Austin asks.

"Withdrawing money," Jamie answers. "Just like you, I have a job."

"You do?" Austin asks, his interest peaked. "What is it?"

"Haha! So I mentioned money and now you're interested!" Jamie laughs.

"Anyone would be interested in how a middle scholar has so much money that they need to go to a bank," Austin replies as he rolls his eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" Jamie asks as she leans in close. Jamie then peers down and motions to Austin's arm. "I'll tell you my job if you tell me what's under that sleeve."

A blush creeps across Austin's face as he jumps backwards. "No way!"

"It pays a lot," Jamie whispers, causing Austin to sigh.

"Fine," Austin spits. "Follow me."

Austin then begins strutting away from his post, and Jamie follows excitedly. Austin leads the girl around back and then into a storage closet, where he closes and locks the door behind them.

"Eh, in here?" Jamie asks.

"Yeah," Austin answers as he rolls up his right sleeve, exposing his right arm which is covered in bandages. "No one can see."

Austin then begins to unravel the bandages, and when he does, Jamie's eyes widen. For underneath all those bandages, is a mechanical arm.

"Woah…" Jamie marvels. "How did this happen?"

"Illness," Austin answers. "My dad died from it. I was able to get my arm euthanized before it spread."

"Oh, I'm…sorry to hear that…" Jamie replies as she turns away and frowns.

"I made it myself," Austin answers, causing Jamie to perk up.

"Wait, seriously?!" Jamie asks. "That's…so cool!"

"Cool?" Austin asks. "It's not cool, it's weird and embarrassing and creepy."

"Are those your words, or other people's?" Jamie asks, causing Austin to turn away and sigh again. "You know…you really are good at reading people. I was in elementary school, in the gym, the coach forced me to use the locker room, and that's where everyone saw. I was bullied non-stop after that."

"That's terrible," Jamie frowns.

"So what about you?" Austin asks. "Where'd you get the money from?"

Jamie leaps up and grabs Austin's hands, causing him to blush and recoil. "Get off of me," Austin says, trying hard to keep his composure.

"You're…a genius, Austin!" Jamie explains. "They would love you where I work, they need that brain of yours! Have you ever heard of the Professional Slayer Organization?"

Austin's eyes widened. "You're…a Pro Slayer?" He asks. "I thought you had to be in high school?"

"Don't you have to be an adult to work in a bank, anyway?" Jamie smirks.

"Point taken," Austin replies.

"You do have to be in high school to become a Pro Slayer, that's why I'm not one yet," Jamie explains. "I get paid to train within the organization, and when I'm ready, I'll enter the Pro Slayer Exams. I've got a Cursed Ability and everything!"

"Why you?" Austin asks. "Why do they train you?"

"Well, uh…I've always been a strong kid," Jamie sheepishly answers as she turns away and blushes. "I've always been embarrassed by it. Girls should be small and weak, you know? What kind of guy would want to marry a girl bigger and stronger than him? I was so strong, in fact, that my dad used to gamble on me in underground boxing rings. I've kinda gotten used to the thrill of fighting, so I figured that if there's a legal way to make money from my strength, and more importantly: use it to help people, then of course I'll do it!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Austin replies. "Do they pay well?"

"Great!" Jamie answers.

Austin shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"I can see if I can get you an internship there…" Jamie continues, causing Austin's eyes to sparkle from behind his glasses.

"R-really?" He asks. "That would be great, thank you."

"No problem!" Jamie replies. "We can become Pro Slayers together!"

"Yeah…" Austin answers.

"Well then…see ya'!" Jamie turns to exit the closet, but before she can walk away, Austin pipes up.

"Oh, and Jamie?" He asks, causing the girl to pause.

"Yeah…" she answers.

"I like strong women."