The Slaughter of 1999, Part 1

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" I cry the second that I wake up, shooting up in bed instantly. I'm in the infirmary of the Slayer Organization. Figures. I attempt to get out of bed, but a wave of pain courses through my entire body, causing me to flop back down to my bed.

"So you're awake," a voice says, and I roll over and bed to face the voice, seeing Nick. "How do you feel?" He asks.

"Like shit," I answer. They know. Everyone saw it, they must know. The Chairman, the Pro Slayers, and Hell, maybe even my family. They know that I'm a demon. Thank God my friends weren't watching my match.

I roll over in bed again, so that Nick can't see my disgruntled face.

"It's okay, Luis. I know," Nick says, causing my eyes to widen.

"Know…what?" I ask.

"That you're a demon."

My widened eyes narrow into an agitated scowl. For a split second there, I was relieved that Nick knew, so that I don't have to be the one to break the ice when the time comes. But if Nick knows without me telling him -and I can't imagine Mikey did either- then how many other people already know?

Before I can ask how Nick knows, he continues. "After your fight against the stalker, I was able to sense the sinister power inside of you grow even stronger, like it woke up from a deep, long nap." Nick lets out a small distressed chuckle. "And to think that the strong Cursed Power I sensed inside of you when we first met was of a demon's."

I'm silent.

"What happens now?" I eventually manage to croak out in the form of a whimper.

"There's a story I need to tell you," Nick continues. "Remember how I mentioned that I won the NYIC when I was your age? This story takes place in the final round of the NYIC about sixteen years ago now. A story that the Slayer Organization desperately tried to clean up, and succeeded in doing so, aside from me, that is. The Slaughter of 1999."

***

Currently, I'm in the midst of entering the first arena in the Pro Slayer Organization Headquarters for the New York Interborough Competition. Much to my surprise, I managed to make it into the final round of the tournament! And what's even crazier is that I'm in the semi-finals!

My opponent is Nick Boras, Slayer Hachi, my rival and squadmate. Except…Nick keeps calling me weak, saying that I'm not strong enough to be his rival…heh heh. But whatever! Nick is a prodigy, according to Pro Slayers. And I can beat a prodigy, then what does that make me? I don't know! Something even greater than a prodigy child! Nick was offered a rare promise by the Chairman of the Slayer Organization, the youngest Junior Slayer ever to be offered a promotion, according to him; that if Nick wins the competition, then he can graduate from being a Junior Slayer in squad duties, and pick his job in the organization.

And now, I was the only one stopping Nick from achieving that potential.

But it's not like I don't have my own motivation to win! You see, my dad's been training me. Training me so that I can prove something to the world!

Oh yeah, I didn't tell you? My dad is a demon. I'm a half demon, Violet Reeves, Junior Slayer Akuma.

My parents named me Violet with no regards to gender because when I was born, they told me that my veins were glowing a bright violet color. The markings of a half demon. My mom knows that my dad is a demon and she's okay with that! So on the battlefield of the final round, I'm going to reveal that I'm a half demon and use my Violet Demon to win this fight and show that demons and humans can come together!

The problem is that I still can't fully control my Violet Demon.

I was always bullied for having a girl's name, and one day, I snapped. I went into a primal demon state and almost beat my tormentors to death. So now, I'm working to control that power. And I promised to myself that the first I'll ever use it…is against my opponent in the final round of the NYIC!

***

I took a deep breath in…then out, the walk onto the battlefield of arena one. Instantly, I scan through the audience until I find my parents, and wave to them excitedly, before turning back to face my opponent, Nick, on the other end of the arena, wearing his usual lightning bolt-designed t-shirt. Nick isn't looking at the audience, he just keeps his eyes deadset and focused on me. Rumor has it that Nick became a Pro Slayer because his parents were killed by demons, so maybe Nick doesn't have anyone in the audience to root for him?

Eventually, Nick and I make it to the center of the arena. Nick scowls at me, as I smirk back at him. The referee goes through the spiel of the rules, the rules that Nick and I have heard twice already now. And then, the ref says; "Let the match begin!"

The fight between Nick and I begins how I expected it would; Nick takes a step back to charge up his Electricity, while I rush right in towards Nick.

My Cursed Ability, Heavy Artillery, allows me to stockpile Cursed Power the more physical hits I land on my opponent. Or in other words: the more I punch Nick, the stronger my punches become. Or I can stockpile that extra strength for later. It's the Demon Cursed Ability of my father.

Basically, I need to rush in and punch the crap out of Nick, otherwise, he'll shock me to a crisp with his lightning or zip away at speeds I won't be able to handle.

I launch my right fist towards Nick, which bubbles with my medium purple Cursed Power. But Nick dodges my attack by electrifying his entire body and zipping away.

Shit, too late!

Nick then zips behind me, jabbing me in the kidney with an electrified spear hand. "Electricity: Bumblebee Sting!" Nick shouts as I spit up a glob of blood. I then pivot my back foot to spin around and aim a Cursed Power Barrier reinforced hook punch to Nick's head, but Nick counters by ducking under my attack, then zips away again, before I have the chance to hit him.

Nick then reappears behind me, landing a second Bumblebee Sting against my side, before zipping away again.

Not good. Nick's already landed two decent attacks on me, while I have yet to stockpile any Cursed Power.

Using his lightning-fast speeds, Nick is able to stab me with a third, and then a fourth Bumblebee Sting. With each hit, I feel my body grow more and more numb, from Nick's paralyzing electric Cursed Power. That's how he fights. Nick zips around his opponents faster than lighting, then reinforces his body with his electric pale yellow Cursed Power, that paralyzes his opponent when he hits them. Nick fights like an assassin.

Nick then gets greedy, and attempts to strike me with another Bumblebee Sting, but this time…I'm ready!

I hear the buzz of electricity come from behind, signaling that Nick is behind me. Swiftly, I spin around and block Nick's Bumblebee Sting with my Cursed Power Barrier reinforced arms, then counter with a flurry of punches of my own. Sure, I could have used my stockpiled strength to enhance my punches, but with a slippery opponent like Nick, my best bet is to store up power while I can, then hit him with one big attack when I can finally land it, that way, Nick doesn't get a chance to recover.

Mine and Nick's fight continues for a while longer, the two of us trading blows back and forth. Nick would stab me with his Bumblebee Sting, I'd counter with a flurry of punches, Nick would shock me with a bolt of lightning, I'd fire back with a powerful punch of stockpiled Cursed Power.

Our fight continues as Nick hops away from me, allowing for the lighting coursing around his entire body to dissipate.

"You have a lot more fight in you than I thought, Violet!" Nick calls to me. "I'm impressed!"

"Well don't worry, I'm not at full power, Nick!" I call back.

"Well neither am I, Violet," Nick smirks.

"Let's go, my rival!"

"You asked for it!"

Nick sticks his hand into the air as the sky above us darkens and storm clouds roll in. Bolts of lightning crash through the sky, as booms of thunder echo across the arena. Nick's knuckles crackle as he wiggles his fingers, before swiping his hand downwards.

"ELECTRICITY: THUNDERBOLT FROM THE HEAVENS!"

A giant bolt of lightning crashed down upon me as if it was sent down to smite me from very heavens itself! From within the lightning bolt, excruciating pain is sent coursing through my body, bringing me down to my knees. Even reinforcing my powerful half-demon body isn't enough to alleviate me from the pain.

 "If this is Nick's true strength…" I grunt, in between getting shocked to a crisp by Nick's mighty lightning bolt. "Then it's time to use that!"