Awakening, Part 3

"Umm…wind," I awkwardly reply. God, this sounds so stupid, talking about what kind of superpower I want with some strange old man. "If this were a video game or an anime…then I'd want a superpower that has something to do with wind."

Mezame smirks. "You know Slayer Hachi, correct?" He asks me.

"Yeah," I answer.

"Then you want to be like him. You want an elemental-class Cursed Ability, you want to control the wind," Mezame explains.

"Nick's got an elemental Cursed Ability?" I ask. "What is it?"

"Ah, I can't tell you that! Revealing someone's Cursed Ability to another without their consent is rude. It's like telling your entire class your best friend's secret that only you were told," Mezame answers.

"Uhh…I see," I reply. Then why do they do that in anime all the time?

"And what would you like to name your Cursed Ability?" Mezame asks me.

"Does it need a name?"

"Not particularly, but it's a formality. It's easier to define and cultivate your Cursed Ability if you know what to call it," Mezame explains. "Your Cursed Ability is a manifestation of your own soul, afterall."

I think for a moment. "Then, um…"Wind Control"...I guess," I sheepishly answer.

Mezame pauses, and stares blankly at me for a few seconds.

"What?" I ask.

"That's…a terrible name," Mezame answers, causing me to recoil.

"Well what else am I supposed to name my stupid superpower?!" I snap.

Mezame sighs. "No, no, it's fine. Who am I to judge someone else's ability?"

"But you already have…" I growl.

"Now, when are you aiming to have your Cursed Ability developed?" Mezame asks me.

"Well I'm trying to go to the next Pro Slayer Exams, so, uhh…like a week?" I answer.

Mezame pauses.

"Ugh, what is it now?" I groan.

"One week?! That's not nearly enough time to develop a Cursed Ability! Even the prodigies of the prodigies can't do that?!" Mezame cries.

"But Nick said that he's waiting for me at the Pro Slayer Exams?!" I cry back.

Mezame's calm demeanor instantly returns. "Slayer Hachi said that?" He asks.

"Uh…yeah."

"And you're sure that you heard him right?"

"Mh-hmm."

Mezame sighs. "Well, if a prodigy of prodigies of prodigies said that, then I guess I have no choice but to believe in you."

Wait…just how impressive is Nick?!

"One week, Luis! In one week I'll have you equipped with the Cursed Ability of your dreams!" Mezame booms. Although he doesn't sound so enthralled with the idea of training me…

Time for the training arc that every protagonist needs!

***

From that point on, training was Hell. Drawing the Cursed Power from within myself was difficult enough, but on top of that I had to manipulate it in an incredibly fast, swirling pattern in order to control the wind around me!

"The method one uses to draw out their Cursed Power differs from person to person, no one Cursed Ability is the same. But after learning how to draw out your Cursed Power, it is no different than moving your arm, you do it subconsciously. Now, when I say drawing out your inner power, what comes to mind!?" Mezame asks.

And so, here I sit, meditating for hours on end. How do I draw something out of my body when I have no clue what it is? Like moving my arm? It's not like this Cursed Power is a limb, it's not attached to my body...or is it? A hidden power within one's self..like a life aura? Sounds like...powers in anime! I focus all of my feelings, I concentrate on my right arm, letting the rest of my body go numb. When I open my eyes... a dark blue aura is swirling around my arm, it feels...powerful!

"Ah-ha!" Slayer Mezame shouts. "You've brought out your Cursed Power! Step two out of four completed!"

I stood up and punched the air with my right arm, still swirling with power, the impact of my arm hurdling the air forward like a cannon, blowing a hole into a tree far in the distance!

"Woah…" I say as I look down and stare at my now much-stronger and far more deadly hands.

***

After a couple of days of training, I was able to produce weak gusts of wind. And after a couple more days, I was able to create a small tornado, but only for a couple of seconds. By the time that the week was up, I had an ability that sort of resembled something that you'd consider "Wind Control." And as I stood at the bottom of the tall hill that the Pro Slayer Organization Headquarters stood on, staring at the small tornado that I had created in my hands, whether or not this could be considered "Wind Control" didn't matter.

It just has to be good enough for today.

Currently, it's September 10th, 8: A.M., an hour before the start of the International Pro Slayer Exams. Every good anime needs an exam arc for the protagonist to test themselves, right? And here I am, standing at the bottom of a large hill. At the submit, the International Professional Slayer Organization Headquarters. For once, Mr. Kittles isn't with me. I'm not sure what I'm getting into today, and it could be dangerous, so I ordered the cat to stay home. I take a deep breath in…then out, as I let the tornado in my hands dissipate.

"Well then…no time like the present. Let's go!"

I may be a little underprepared for these exams. Nick nor Slayer Mezame told me anything about the Slayer Exams, so all I have on me is my phone, keys, and standard hoodie and jeans. I don't even have a weapon or anything. All I have is my Wind Control, which needs to be good enough for today.

I start heading up the hill all alone, with no one else around me, not a single soul in sight in this bustling city.

"Not many people taking this exam, eh?" I nervously ask myself. I guess that's good. The fewer people there is the easier for me, right?

I continue on with my trek up the hill for a few moments, until I spot a short dude in green kneeled down before a girl in pink curled up on the ground in fetal position.

"What the Hell are those two doing…?" I grumble to myself under my breath.

I continue walking up the hill, hoping that the two will ignore me. Once I get close enough, I pick up the pace, hoping to speed past the two of them without saying anything. But when I hear a light sob escape the girl's lips, I can't help but to wince. I peer around to see that the girl is indeed crying, though she isn't so much as crying, more of just whimpering, very sadly...it's sort of hard to watch. And That's when I make the mistake of locking eyes with the boy.

"Hey, you!" He calls to me, causing me to sigh. "I need your help!"

The boy looks to be my age with pale skin, green eyes, covered in freckles, and ginger hair which sticks out wildly to the left. The boy is dressed in all green, and when I say "all green," boy, do I mean all green. A green wind fleece, with white stripes going down the sleeves, black sweat shorts with matching green stripes going down the sides, camo long johns, and white track shoes with that same color of green stripes. As well as a matching green sweatband around his forehead. Attached to his shorts, are blue pouches on top of a white cloth wrap around his thighs, that look like something a ninja would wear. He reminds me of the protagonist of a certain manga about Ninjas.

But that isn't the craziest thing of all. You want to know what it is? This kid is even shorter than me! I mean, I may be 5'5, but I at least have some height. This boy in front of me is 5'2, 5'3 max!

I pause and turn to face the dude. "By any chance, is your favorite color green?" I sarcastically ask.

"Heck yeah it is, matches my eyes!" He answers. "Wait, no, that's not what's important right now." The boy then clears his throat, before placing both fists on his hips. "My name is Grover Bradshaw! And you're looking at, drumroll please.... dadadadada...DA! The next Chairman of the Professional Slayer Organization!" The boy -now known as Grover- booms.

I flinch at Grover's…sheer enthusiasm and boldness. "So that's what's important now?" I sarcastically ask Grover as I raise an eyebrow at him and palace a hand on my hip, clearly looking unamused.

"Ah, no, you're right!" Grover cries, before turning around and kneeling back down to the girl curled up in fetal position on the floor.

"I am going to die, I am going to die, I am going to die…" I girl sobs over and over.

"Aye, Ella, get up already!" Grover grunts as he tries hosting the girl -now known as Ella- off of the ground, who refuses to budge.

Ella, like Grover, looks to be my age as well, and like the two of us, is also pretty short. Though she is a girl. Ella has long, straight brown hair which covers her left eye. The eye that I can see was wide and watery, and looked cutely innocent, kike a puppy. Ella's wearing a pretty standard schoolgirl uniform, with her white shirt, pink bow, flowery pink skirt, baggy black stockings, and oddly masculine brown dress shoes, that look like a pair I can find at my local Men's Wearhouse.

"Is this your sister or something?" I ask Grover, while motioning to Ella. "Because I do know how to make a younger sister stop crying if you need my help." I menacingly crack my knuckles.

"Nah," Grover answers. "Ella here is my pal from school. I've had my Cursed Power since birth so I got pretty good in sensing it in others, so when I sensed Cursed Power inside Ella, I decided to drag her to the Pro Slayer Exams, but now…now she's chickening out on me," Grover sighs.

"Well that's because you're forcing her to do something that she doesn't want to do," I sneer. I'm one to talk. "Why don't you just let Ella go home? She clearly doesn't want to be here." Chickening out? I don't blame Ella, because truthfully, I'm still scared as Hell. Nick didn't just say that I'd meet him again if I pass the exams. He said that I'd meet him again if I survived them. I'm trying to take that as one of Nick's shitty quips, and burying the thought of the exams being lethal deep down, but it's not working out too well.

"Because being a Slayer is the coolest friggin' job EVER!" Grover answers. "Well either way, come on, bud, mind helping me help Ella fulfill her destiny and become a Slayer!?" Grover enthusiastically asks.

"What are you, an NPC giving me a side quest?" I sigh.

But still, I can't just ignore Grover's request after striking up small talk with him. I glance down at Ella, and she peers back up at me, with tears in her eyes, like a wounded puppy. I can feel my chest tighten as my hands grow calmly. Even while sobbing her eyes out, this girl is cute as Hell.

"Hey, so…" I begin to say, causing Ella to perk up. "You want everyone you love to die?" I ask, causing Ella to shriek. Ah, shit, is that not how Nick started up his speech with me. "Uhh…I mean, we're all gonna die one day, so…may as well make it look cool?" I continue, causing Ella to grow even paler. I'm…not too good at pep talks. Damnit, why am I even helping these two? I suck at talking to people! I guess I just pity Ella since we're all in the same boat right now.

"Listen" I continue, sounding more assertive this time. "I don't like it either, I'm scared as hell! I don't want to die...but I also don't want people to care about dying either, so if I have to man up and protect them, then so be it! It's up to the strong to protect the weak! With great power comes…" I didn't have time to finish my badass speech before Ella interrupts.

"Thank you" Ella says, showing me a smile that almost melted my heart. Even her voice itself was cute and raspy. "You're right, I need to protect my mom and my brother!" A new look of confinement appears over Ella's face, washing away the tears. Ella then pushes herself off the ground, before holding a hand out to me. "Ella Calia, nice to meet you!" She says.

I smirk and take Ella's hand. "Luis, likewise!" I say. When I realize just how sweaty my hand is, I blush.