Winter vs August, Part 2

"That's always how you've fought, Winter," August monologues as he reinforces his entire body with red Cursed Power, using it to yank his arms and legs free from Winter's ice, shattering it to pieces. "You always hide from everything, whether it be in combat or in life. You hang back and freeze your problems so that you don't have to deal with them! You froze my clones, just like how you froze the relationship between you with me and our mother! And now…they'll snap from the cold!"

"Mother abused us…brother…" Winter trembles.

"Tch," August grunts. "I'll show you how a true half-demon fights."

***

"Are you my mommy?"

Winter was born from a test tube at around five years old, physically, that is, just like her older brother, August. Famien figured that it would further speed up her research and development of genetically-engineered half-demons if they were born already able to comprehend certain concepts.

But despite this, Winter still never spoke. So when Famine heard Winter's first words, it came as such a shock that Famine dropped her piece of heavy machinery that she was holding to the ground, before rushing over to Winter, wide-eyed, and grabbing her frantically in her arms.

"You spoke, you finally spoke?!" Famine cried. "So you're not a failure, after all! Finally, I managed to create the first two members of my half-demon army."

"So you are alive after all, eh?" August asks with a mocking laugh.

"I was…a failure…?" Winter softly asks. Despite never saying a word until she was nine years old, Winter was still able to comprehend human speech.

"Well…when you put it like that, it sounds so harsh," Famine chuckles as she peers away from her daughter, before turning back to her. "Yes, Winter, I am your mother. And because of that, I have certain rules for you. You must spend every waking moment training to unlock your half-demon powers, just as your brother did. August was able to use his Flesh Clones since birth, and his half-demon form mere months after!"

"Well I am pretty great!" August laughs.

"I was considering scrapping you as a failure, Winter, but now that you can talk (unlike the others…)...oh my, how things have changed!" Famine swoons, causing Winter's body to tense up.

"I was…going to be killed…?" Winter softly says to herself.

"If you can unlock your half-demon powers, Winer, then I'll grant you the right to have my motherly love!" Famine exclaims.

"But don't get comfortable!" August snaps as he aims an accusing finger at Winter. "I'm still the favorite child here!"

Winter's eyes light up as she blushes. "R-right…mother!" She happily replies.

***

The fight between August and Winter resumes when August charges Winter. As August runs, he places his Cursed Power Barrier reinforced left hand to underneath his right armpit. When August removes his Cursed Power Barrier reinforced left hand, two more muscular arms grow from underneath his original right arm. And once August is standing directly in front of his sister, he launches his triple-fist punch towards her, each muscular arm and shoulder bubbling with red Cursed Power.

"Flesh Clones: Juggernaut!"

"Cryokinesis: Silver Grip!" Winter replies as she swipes her hand downwards, freezing the air before her, and forming a shield of ice in between her and August. But Winter's Silver Grip is futile, as August smashes through Winter's shield of ice with ease, before punching Winter in the gut with his Juggernaut. Winter's eyes widen as she doubles over and spits out a glob of blood , before being sent flying backwards due to the force of August's punch, landing on the ground in a cloud of dust dozens of feet away.

"How's that feel, Winter?" August spits with a smirk.. "That's the true strength of a half-demon!"

"Don't forget…mother said that I'm stronger than you…" Winter grunts as she pushes herself off of the ground, causing August's smirk to melt into an annoyed scowl.

"That's a lie…" August growls. "MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT!"

Winter's eyes widen.

August's eyes widen as he gasps and covers his mouth with his hands. "I'm sorry, mother, I didn't mean that!" August pleads as he drops to the ground on his knees in fear.

"Is this how a child should feel when he thinks of his mother?" Winter asks as she peers down at her trembling brother. "Fear?"

"Would you rather have a strong soldier who betrays you, or a slightly not-as- strong soldier who'll follow your every command…?" August growls as he slowly peers up at Winter.

"RED DEMON!"

"WHITE DEMON!"

***

"GAHAHAHAHAH!" August cackles as he kicks Winter in the ribs again, causing the girl to split up a glob of blood as she's sent flying across the room, her back slamming into the wall with a painful 'crack!' "This is so much fun!"

"AUGUST!" Famine booms as she enters the training room. "What did I say about you tormenting your sister again?!"

"But mother, Winter still can't enter her half-demon form!" August explains as he exits his half-demon form before turning to face his mother, who storms over to him.

"You always said that the powers of half-demons awaken once they come in contact with powerful demons, but despite always clinging to you, WInter's still so weak! I thought that it brought shame to-"

But August is interrupted when Famine aims a hand at him. Famine's pointer finger morphs into a kraken tentacle which flies over to August, wrapping around August's throat and hoisting him off of his feet. August kicks and flails in protest.

"Did I say that you can hurt your sister without my permission…?" Famine growls as she brings August directly into her face.

"N-no…mother…" August weakly croaks out, hardly able to speak due to Famine's grip.

"THEN WHY DID YOU DO IT?!" Famine roars.

"I just…thought…" August stammers, but before he can finish, Famine flicks her tentacle outwards, tossing August into the wall behind him, his back slamming into it painfully.

"I expected more from you, my favorite child," Famine sighs as she pulls her glasses off and pinches the bridge of her nose. Famine then puts her glasses back on as she struts over to Winter. "Don't forget that you are only made for my use."

Famine then kneels before Winter, and helps the girl to her feet. "Oh, poor things," famine coos as she dusts her daughter off. "Did your big brother bully you again?"

Winter nods as she wipes the tears from her eyes and the snot from her nose on her sleeve, attempting to keep in the tears, to stay strong before her mother. Whenever Famine isn't around, August torments Winter relentlessly. But with her mother around, Winter feels safe again. She can feel happy.

"But I heard from August that you still can't enter your half-demon form, despite awakening your ice powers?" Famine then asks as she drops the caring inflection in her voice as her smile melts into a scowl, causing the tears welling up in Winter's eyes to begin springing down her dust-covered cheeks.

"N-no-" Winter stammers, but before she can finish, Famine swiftly shoots a hand out and palms Winter's head, slamming Winter into the ground in a cloud of dust with one mighty swing.

"DON'T FORGET THAT YOU WERE CREATED FOR MY SAKE, WINTER!" Famine booms. "Let this be a reminder to you of the pain you'll feel if you don't awaken your half-demon form soon!" With a huff, Famine brings herself to her feet and storms out of the room.

Winter continues lying face down on the ground in a daze until she feels something weakly hit her ribs. Slowly, Winter strains her torso off the ground and peers up, seeing a blood-soaked August weakly king her.

"If only you weren't born," August sneers. "Then mother would love me more…"

***

"HAHAHA!" August cackles. "Despite being stronger than me you can still only use your half- demon form?! Winter?!"

"It's because I'm stronger than you that I can only use my half-demon form!" Winter replies. "I have the emotions of a human, I can feel joy, unlike you!"

"THE ONLY JOY I NEED IS FROM MOTHER'S PRAISE!" August bellows.

After August and Winter both resume their demon forms (August in his full- demon form, and Winter in her half-demon form), the fight continues as swipes a hand downwards, freezing the air before her and forming her Crystal Turrets.

"Cryokinesis: Crystal Turrets!"

"Flesh Clones: Endless Stampede!" August shouts as he creates dozens of clones, who reinforce their bodies with Cursed Power before charging Winter.

Winter's Crystal Turrets begin firing volley after volley of icicles, picking off August's clones one after another. But August had created too many clones for Winter to deal with. "Cryokinesis: Ocean of Ice!" Winter shouts as she touches her hand to the floor, freezing the entire ground around her and August. August's clones then begin to slip and fall on the ice, but then come up with the bright idea to use their Cursed Power reinforced blows to shatter the ice, chucking hunks of ice Winter's way, while also continuing on towards the half-demon.