Homecoming, Part 1

And there I stand, hands on my hips, wind rustling my half-white, half-black hair as I stare across the glistening water at the steadily nearing silver structures of the city before me, a gleaming smile on my face.

"Luis, please get down from there!" My dad wines as he pops his head out of the ferry window and peers up at me. From behind him, I can hear the muffled shouts of one of the boat attendants, telling my dad that he is not allowed to open the windows. "You aren't allowed up there!" My dad pleads.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I sigh as I roll my eyes. And as my beaming smile returns, I turn back to face the city standing before me, which is now even closer than before.

"I HOPE EVERYONE IS READY BECAUSE LUIS TRAMONTANA IS BACK IN NEW YORK CITY, BABY!"

You guys already know me, so I shouldn't really need to introduce myself. But, it has been about a year and a half since we spoke, so I suppose it's customary for me to do so. My name is Luis, Slayer Fūjin, seventeen years old. Nice to meet you.

I've changed just a little since you've last seen me. I've grown taller, I'm about five-eight now, because -if you remember- according to my dad, I don't have his height due to me suppressing my demon abilities for years. I've also gotten waaaaay more jacked as a result with my intense training with my dad, too. I'm lookin' good! Talk about a glow up from that dorky fourteen year old you once knew!

I've gotten a little bit of a…uh…design upgrade, too. Mostly from my clothes getting shredded and me having to armor myself up also as a result of my training with my dad. Instead of sneakers, I have on high silver armor boots with small platform soles and light blue highlights. They go up to my thighs, with a silver and light blue extension that covers my knee caps. Under them, I just have on my usual blue jeans. I still have that same black belt tied around my waist to tuck my katana away, who's scabbard is now wrapped compelled up in a ragged blue cloth. I have a matching silver shoulder pad with light blue highlights on my left shoulder, which has a matching silver strap going down to the left side of my hip. Above the strap, I've ripped my hoodie completely off, wearing a sleeveless navy blue shirt with my dual navy blue sweatbands on my wrist. On the other side of the strap, on the left side, I still wear the rest of my hoodie -hood included- with the black sleeves rolled down fully this time. I just need my right arm fully exposed for what I can do now, if you catch my drift.

"Luis...are you even listening to me?" My dad cries.

"What?! Oh…sorry," I stammar, my dad's words knocking me out of my daydream. I giggle and rub the back of my head and neck. "It's just…I'm so excited to see everyone! Ya'know?!"

My dad replies with a warm smile.

Eventually, the ferry docks and I hop off of the roof of the ferry, landing onto the dock with ease. I get a lot of weird glances and scared looks from the civilians passing by, and the ferry crew. Whatever, I just look like your average teen Pro Slayer.

I then sprint out of the ferry terminal, excited to reach home. My dad struggles to keep up, dragging our luggage with him and calling after me.

After I rush out of the ferry terminal, I kneel down and place a hand to the dirty floor. "Finally…I'm home…" I softly say to myself with a sad smile.

I hear my dad panting as he jogs up to me.

"Man, for a demon you sure are weak-bodied!" I say.

"Shut up, I'm old," my dad pants as he places his hands on his knees. "I'll still kick your ass," my dad smirks, causing me to blush and recoil.

"I'm still growing, alright?! You've already reached your peak!" I snap as I turn away from my dad and rub the back of my neck again, causing my dad to laugh, as if he's won this bout.

"So what now, Luis?" My dad asks. "Want to go home?"

"You can go drive, I want to go see my friends now," I answer. "I made them a promise that I'd go see them again after I've mastered my demon powers. Plus…it's been a while, and I want to see if I still know the way to our dorm house by myself!"

My dad nods. "Very well. I'll give your mother and sister my regards," he says.

"Thanks," I reply, and the two of us head our separate ways, me to the bus, and my dad to…probably a different bus, I guess. I begin walking to the bus, which very, very soon evolves into a full-speed sprint. I'm just a little pent up at the moment.

Eventually, the bus arrives at the terminal and I hop on, taking it to a familiar stop. Once there, I hop out and walk a little bit until I find myself standing outside of a familiar looking house. My Slayer dorm house. Inside…everyone is waiting for me.

"Jeez, I haven't seen them in so long. What should I say? I'm sure they didn't forget my or anything, but… what if they don't care that I'm back? What if they've… moved on? Friendships can die in less than a year, especially if you don't see or talk to each other, period..." I sadly say to myself as I peer down at the floor. I then take a deep breath in…then out, and face my dormhouse again with a confident scowl.

"What the Hell, I made a promise and I'm gonna keep it!" I boom. "I at least owe them that much!" Brimming with new confidence, I step up to the front door and grab the doorknob. And when I open the door and step inside, I see…

"NO ONE I RECOGNIZE?!

 "Oh…who the heck are you?" Some kid -looking like a fourteen year old- asks as they peer at me from the kitchen table.

"He looks like a Pro Slayer," chimes in a different kid.

"Who the Hell am I?! Who the Hell are you?!" I cry as I point to the first kid.

"Um…I'm Slayer Nanto…?" The kid answers.

"And why are you in my dormhouse?!" I cry.

"Huh? What are you talking about, I've never seen you here before! This is the dormhouse of the Slayer Iandam Squad, and you're not in our squad!" The kid answers.

"No no no, this is the dormhouse of the Slayer Hachi Squad!" I reply.

"Isn't he dead?" The kid asks, causing my body to tense up.

"Kid, what the Hell happened here?" I ask, my voice growing shaky.

"After Slayer Hachi died, the rest of his squad got promoted. And so, this dormhouse is now used for our squad, sorry," the kid answers.

"Oh…thanks…" I sigh as I slink out of the house, causing the kid to raise an eyebrow at me.

I got rid of my phone a year and a half ago because I wanted no one to be able to track or contact me during my training. Focusing on my demon powers was my number one priority. I just figured that when I'd get home, I would go back to my old dormhouse and everything will be right again. I guess not. I was stupid.

"Guys…where are you…?" I sigh.

But my sulking is interrupted when I hear a scream echo from a couple of blocks down, followed by a feral roar, causing my demon-enhanced ears to perk up.

"I should just go get them, it's their job to protect this area now," I grumble as I jab my thumb over my shoulder, pointing back to my ex-dormhouse. "Wait, what am I saying?! I'm a Pro Slayer, and that demon sounds so far away, there's no way those kids didn't hear that without demon-enhanced senses or Cursed Power Sensing!" I then exclaim. "I'm on the case!" I boom as I charge towards the location where I heard the demon.

After a brief run, I make it to the scene of the crime, where I see a woman cowering and crying behind an overturned car. Surrounding her, a swarm of demons engaged in combat with two Slayers.

"Woah, are these demon attacks nowadays?! I know that the portals between words grow continuously, but in a year and a half?! This is ridiculous!" I cry.

I watch the two Slayers battle it out with the demons. One Slayer in a green suit fights by teleporting around via wormholes, kicking the demons and flinging knives their ways. The other, in a yellow suit, fights by attacking the demons with an iron-cloaked body. When I recognize the two Slayers, my eyes widen as a beaming smile spreads across my lips.

"Grover! Jamie!"