Signs of War, Part 2

Also meanwhile…

"The Second Human-Demon World War, eh?" Jamie asks.

"So that's what they're calling it," Austin replies. "That's what they're calling the biggest battle of our lives."

"What's the First World War?" Grover asks.

"When the first ever half demon defeated the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and created Hell," Austin answers. "You know, like how the story they always told us as kids."

"I didn't think I'd ever have to see war in my lifetime…" Jamie sighs.

"The part that gets me is that both Pro Slayers and Junior Slayers alike will be fighting in this war," Grover adds. "It just feels…so unfair for those kids."

"It's unfair for us too," Austin sneers. "I don't wanna die."

"We won't die!" Jamie shouts as she jumps up and slams her hands on the table. The Slayers are currently reading in their new base of operations now that they no longer have their dorm house; Grover's house. "This war is the perfect chance to show off how strong we are and achieve our goals! So we can't die!"

"You're right!" Grover replies. "This is it! My big breakthrough to become the next Chairman of the Slayer Organization!"

"And this is an excellent chance to show off my inventions to the world," Austin smiths as he does the anime glasses guy thing again.

"What's up, Hachi Squad?!" Ralph booms as he enters Grover's house, with Ivy and Lycan in tow

"You called them over?" Jamie asks.

"Yup!" Grover answers. "I wanna know what everyone's role will be for the war!"

"Well I'll be part of the shooter squadron, so no surprise there," Ralph answers. "So my job is to be stationed at one of the portals to Hell and snipe the demons that appear as the first line of defense."

"Yeah, me too!" Austin replies.

"I'll be the second line of defense, since I'm part of the attacker squadron," Jamie answers. "So I'll be going head to head with the demons that slip past the shooter squadrons."

"Sorry, but it looks like you'll be getting no action then!" Ralph laughs.

"I'll be in the attackers squadron too, with Lycan," Ivy adds as she motions to Lycan standing next to her.

"What about you, Grover?" Jamie asks, causing Grover to pout.

"Transport Slayer…" Grover mumbles.

"The Hell is that?" Ralph asks.

"TRANSPORT SLAYER!" Grover snaps. "I transport medical supplies, and equipment, and what have you between squadrons! It's stupid! I'm not even gonna be doing any fighting!"

"You have one of the most important jobs, Grover," Austin replies. "As a supporter."

"Don't care!" Grover snaps.

"You'll be working a lot with Ella, then," Jamie adds. "She's a Medical Slayer.

"Speaking of Ella, where is she?" Ivy asks.

"She's with Luis, I dunno what they're doing though," Grover answers with a shrug.

"They're researching Ella's new eye ability," Jamie answers. "With Daniel, too?"

"So what job did Luis get?" Lycan asks.

"He's a "special ops Slayer," whatever that means," Grover answers. "Daniel too."

"I believe the Chairman explained that special ops Slayers are Slayers that will be dispatched to fight powerful opponents, such as the Four Horsemen of the Nine Circles," Austin explains.

"WHAT?!" Grover cries. "Why did Luis get that job and not me?!"

"Again, Grover, because you're valuable as a supporter," Austin sighs.

***

"So what did this eye of your's do, Ella?" Daniel asks.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Ella answers. "But it allowed me to heal a wound from Luis that I previously wasn't able to before opening this eye."

"So it has something to do with amplifying your Cursed Ability?" Daniel suggests. "Or maybe it's also a healing ability? Or maybe even something to do with rewinding wounds."

"Do you have any ideas, dad?" I ask as I turn to face my dad.

"Hmm…" my dad mutters in response while clutching his chin, lost deeply in thought.

Currently, the four of us are searching through the library of the Slayer Organization Headquarters, but we have yet to find any info on Ella's special new eye.

"The only thing that I can think of is that Ella is a Demon Kin," my dad answers.

"And Ella awakened her Demon Kin Cursed Ability in her time of need?" I ask. "Like how I was able to learn Extend-o-Blade while already having my Wind Control Cursed Ability?"

"Precisely," my dad answers.

"Well, maybe we should test it out," I saw, before turning to Daniel. "Stab me."

"Are you sure?" Daniel answers as a shadow sickle slithers out of Daniel's shadow and wraps itself around Daniel's wrist.

"Yeah, why not," I reply. "We have Ella to heal me."

"Alright, if you say so," Daniel replies as he makes his way over to me.

"Wh-what are you guys trying?!" Ella stammers.

Daniel stops in front of me.

"Y-you don't need to go that far just to test out my new eye!" Ella cries.

"Ready?" Daniel asks me.

"Ready," I answer with a small nod.

And then…Daniel thrusts his hand forwards.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!" Ella cries.

A mere second before I'm pierced by Daniel's Shadow Sickle, Daniel's shadow blade dissipates back into his black and dark gray Cursed Power. So instead, Daniel simply punches me in the gut by accident, causing me to double over.

"Oh, sorry Luis," Daniel apologizes.

"Don't worry…I asked for this…" I grunt from my place writing in pain on the ground.

"So…what happened?" Daniel asks as he turns to face Ella, ignoring me groaning on the ground in agony.

"I-I don't know," Ella answered. "It's just…I didn't want you to stab Luis, so you didn't. LIke how when Luis died, I didn't want him to so he didn't."

"Demon Kin Cursed Abilities are powerful, after all, just look at King's Black Prism," Daniel replies. "It's possible that your eye ability there has the ability to almost control the events that transpire around you."

"Controlling space and time…" Ella mumbles to herself.

"I'd like to throw my hat in the ring, actually," my dad then says as he takes a step forwards. "Ella, how would you feel if I stabbed Luis?"

"EH?!" I cry.

"Um…I wouldn't like that very much…" Ella answers.

"Luis, stand up," my dad orders.

"I don't like where this is going," I grumble, but I push myself up to my feet regardless.

My dad draws his katana and aims its top at me. I cautiously stare back at the edge of my dad's katana blade. My dad's katana lingers there, trembling with regret.

"I can't do this," my dad sighs as he thrusts his katana into Daniel's hands.

"So you want me to do it?" Daniel complains.

"You were going to stab Luis with your shadow blade," my dad replies.

"This is different," Daniel explains.

"Don't I have a say in this?" I ask.

"No!" Daniel and my dad snap as they turn to face me.

"Alright, I'll do it…" Daniel sighs as he walks over to me again. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be…" I sigh.

"Please don't do this…" Ella whimpers. "I don't have enough confidence in healing Luis' wounds…"

"Perfect," my dad sinisterly replies. "So you really don't want this to happen."

Without another warning, Daniel thrusts my dad's katana forwards. And much to my surprise -and Daniel's too- it pierces my gut.

"OH!" Daniel yelps as he yanks my dad's katana out of my stomach and stumbles backwards.

"Seriously…Ella?" I grunt as I double over and clutch my stomach, which has blood pouring out it.

"What?!" Ella cries. "I didn't want it to happen!"

"I'll take that," my dad says as he plucks his katana out of the trembling Daniel's hands. "Once last test, Luis. Are you ready?"

"You trying to kill me…?" I grunt as I turn to face my dad.

My dad's katana begins bubbling with light green Cursed Power which my dad then swings towards me, extending the blade of his katana outwards as he does so.

"NO!" Ella cries, and as she screams, the Cursed Power bubbling around my dad's katana dissipates, and it instantly retracts back to its usual length.

"Hmm…" my dad mutters as he stares at his retracted katana blade, before turning back to Ella. "I believe I know what your eye does."

"What is it?" Daniel asks. Ella's too busy frantically healing me and I'm too busy bleeding out to reply to my dad.

"I believe that Ella's new eye…has the ability to negate Cursed Power," my dad answers.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Daniel asks.

"Ella equally didn't want us to stab him, but while you were able to stab Luis with my katana, when you attempted to do so with your Shadow Sickle, your Cursed Power dissipated and you punched Luis instead. If Ella's eye gave her the ability to control the events around her, then you shouldn't have been able to punch Luis regardless," my dad explains.

"I see…" Daniel mutters. "Let me try one more thing."

"This better not involve stabbing me!" I snap as Ella retracts her hands away from my stomach, my wounds having been fully healed up.

"Ella, I take it that you don't mind if I use my Cursed Ability here, correct?" Daniel asks.

"As long as you don't hurt Luis again, no," Ella answers, as a Shadow Sickle slithers out of Daniel's shadow and wraps around his wrist.

Nothing happens.

"Focus your Cursed Power into your left eye, Ella, then look at my Shadow Sickle," Daniel orders.

"Um…okay…" Ella replies as pink Cursed Power begins bubbling around Ella's left eye. Ella's left eye then widens, as a rush of orange and red Cursed Power bursts out of her eye. Daniel's Shadow Sickle then dissipates back into his black and dark gray Cursed Power.

"See what I mean," my dad says.

"Luis; your wind, please," Daniel orders. "But don't use your demon powers."

"Uh…sure…" I reply as I hold a hand up, and a small tornado begins spiraling around in my palm.

"Ella, if you will," Daniel orders again.

"Sure thing," Ella replies as pink Cursed Power begins bubbling around her left eye again. But this time, there's no rush of orange Cursed Power. Nothing happens. "Hmm…" Ella mutters.

"What's the matter?" My dad asks.

"When I focus my Cursed Power into my left eye, it's like I can…see every individual molecule of Cursed Power," Ella answers. "And it enables me to shut off Daniel's Cursed Power, but not Luis'."

"Luis was only using his wind after all, not his demon Cursed Power," Daniel adds.

"So perhaps Ella's eye only works on the Cursed Power of demons," my dad suggests.

"But how does that work with Mikey's Flames of Destruction?" Ella asks. "I wasn't able to heal Luis' wound until my new eye awakened, and then Mikey's flames extinguished."

"Well the black Flames of Destruction are a demonic fire from the pits of Hell, afterall," Daniel answers. "As stated by King."

"Well there you have it, Ella, you're a Demon Kin now!" I exclaim. "What are you gonna name your second Cursed Ability."

"Hmm…" Ella mutters as she puts a hand to her chin, thinking for a moment. "Demon Seal!" She finally answers at last.

"I like it!" I reply. "So dad, what's your job in this upcoming war?" I then ask I turn to face my dad.

"A Special Ops Slayer," he answers. "Such as yourself and Daniel."

"So how come you got to be away from the Slayer Organization for so long without being fired?" I ask. "When I went away for our training, I was fired right off the bat!"

"I asked the Chairman to position me at Hell's Jaw," my dad answers. "I was called a "Guard Slayer," I warned other Slayers and civilians to keep away from the mountain range, and protected the people who didn't heed my warning from demons."

"Does the Chairman know that you're a demon?" I ask.

"No, I was able to keep that part a secret," my dad answers.

"Unlike me…" I sadly reply.