Mirror Image

I have to wonder why I always end up in these sorts of situation nowadays. Last Friday morning I was an ordinary student with above average grades, and now, on Monday evening, I'm a professional demon hunter about to have a duel with one of my comrades who suspects I might be turning into a demon myself.

“Fukada, I understand why you wish to do this, but I must implore that you-”

“Might be a demon.” Fukada instantly cuts Date off. “Might not be. If not, he's safe. If so, better to kill him now.”

Even I can't argue with that logic, and I'm the person she's threatening to kill. “It's alright, Date-senpai.” I say. “It's just a precaution, right?”

Date's eyes flit between Fukada and me, worry marring her normally cheery face. “Fine. If you both wish to go through with this, then I shall acquiesce.”

And so, Fukada and I made our way out to the sports field, and stood at opposite ends. Date stands between us, and Nishida and Konishi make their way to the edge of the field.

“This duel's purpose is to determine whether or not Kuro Sekigahara is relying on the power of a demon to fight. It will serve as both a trial, and, if nessesary, an execution. Are both participants ready?” Fukada and I both nod our heads. “Then, as squad captain of the Kitaminami Demon Hunters, I, Tomomi Date, shall observe proceedings. Begin!”

Despite the match starting, Fukada doesn't move. She just stands there, holding her staff. I guess since I'm the one on trial here, I need to make the first move. Alright then, here I come, Fukada-senpai!

I manifest my twin swords and dash towards Fukada. Well, I say 'Dash' but I've never really been that sporty, so it's more a slightly pathetic run, but Fukada still just stands there.

“You aren't even going to defend yourself?” I shout at her, though it comes out as more of a wheeze.

“No need.” Fukada says. “Stop holding back.” She stands there, arms outstretched as if goading me into attacking with my full power. I swipe at her, but my swords just clatter against her clothes and bounce off.

“Wha-”

“Test won't work. Fight me. Properly. Try to kill me!” Fukada demands, swinging her staff and launching me across the field. “Afraid? To show us? Your true power?”

She rushes towards me with the intent of following up, and I don't even have the time to activate Mirror Veil before she bats me up into the air, her staff transforming into it's gun form. “You absorbed that demon's power? Then use it! Show everyone.” She levies the gun at me, and gently starts to squeeze the trigger.

She wants me to use the power I got from the Flame Demon? Fine, I'll show it off for everyone to see!

“Mirror Image: Flames!”

~~~

Sekigahara-kun calls out, and he's engulfed in a beautiful flash of light. From within it, a whip made of concentrated fire shoots out, wrapping around Fukada-senpai's gun and yanking it away. The light fades, and Sekigahara-kun drops to the floor, landing perfectly before shooting back up.

His twin swords have combined and turned into the whip that he used to disarm Fukada-senpai, and his mechanical arm is glowing with heat.

“Well, Fukada-senpai? You wanted me to stop holding back, didn't you?” He asks, his voice oozing with a confidence he never had before. “This is it. My Prime Arte.”

A Prime Arte? I don't recall anyone ever explaining that concept to him. A Hunter's signature move, the one that fully encompasses their style of fighting. And he knows intrinsically what it is.

“That's... impossible.” Fukada-senpai says, her eyes wide with shock. “Nobody can... just change... their weapons' form like that!”

“Then I suppose I'm a trendsetter.” Sekigahara-kun shrugs. “Because you can clearly see-”

Before he could finish boasting, Fukada lunged at him, forgoing her weapon and choosing to beat him with her bare hands. “I worked! So hard! And you! Just copied! A demon's! Weapon!?”

“Fukada! Stop this at once!” Date-senpai demanded. “The test is over!”

Fukada-senpai wasn't listening. She was just too far gone, her anger at Sekigahara-kun was understandable, given how much she hated her own Hunter Weapon, but taking it out on him when he couldn't fight back properly was just too mean!

“Fukada-senpai! Stop!” I cried out, unable to stop myself. “You're going to kill him!”

“This is going too far!” Mei-chan joins in, she's known Fukada-senpai and Date-senpai longer than me, so her defending Sekigahara-kun will probably go further than my doing so.

~~~

I can feel my consciousness fading. It's like every time Fukada hits me, she gets stronger. If I don't do something, I'm pretty sure she really will kill me.

Well, nobody will blame me if I rough her up a bit, given the circumstances. Maybe Nishida will, but if I didn't do something just because she won't like it, I'd probably be forced to stop breathing, too.

Fukada's so preoccupied by beating the crap out of me, she doesn't notice my open palm against her stomach. I'll try to hold back, if only because I'm genuinely worried this could instantly kill her at full power, but, like most things, I'm not sure if I have any real control over this power yet.

“G-Gun mode... overheat...” I force the words out between punches, and feel an intense wave of heat building up in my mechanical hand as it changes form.

Thinking about it, there's a distinct similarity between my hand and Fukada's weapon. The heat builds up before being fired out towards the sky, and sending Fukada with it (I hope that's the case at least, since there's a non-zero possibility I just accidentally incinerated her.)

I guess Fukada made the mistake of thinking that the only change was within my swords. I've already practices with Mirror Image by myself, and using it changes everything about me. My weapons, the capabilities of my mecha-arm, and even my personality is altered to fit with the powerset of the demon I'm mirroring. That's what makes it my Prime Arte, I guess.

When did I even learn that term? Am I siphoning off of the Demon's memories too? Does that mean she's already fought another demon hunter?

Wait, oh, crap! Is Fukada okay? I look around, and see that Date is already tending to her, while Konishi and Nishida rush towards me.

“Sekigahara-kun, are you alright?” Konishi asks as soon as she sees that I'm lucid.

“What the hell was that?” Nishida, on the other, hand, is less concerned. Not exactly surprising.

I look down, and see that my whip has turned back into it's normal form, my swords are laying on the floor next to each other, I guess it got knocked out of my hand when Fukada tackled me.

“I... Is Fukada-senpai alright?” I can't actually say what I just did, because I don't fully understand it. I really am concerned about Fukada, though, and I hope Nishida doesn't think I'm just trying to change the subject.

“We've still got Auntie Kato.” Nishida tells me. “She'll be fine, unless you killed her.” I whip my head towards her, and she immediately backpedals. “I-I'm not saying you did! That was supposed to be reassuring, idiot!”

“You need to get better at reassuring people then, idiot!”

“D-Don't call me an idiot! Idiot!”

In the midst of our argument, Konishi lets out a giggle, and we both turn to her, annoyed.

“You two are so similar.” She chuckles. “It's kind of cute when you act like your mad at each other.”

““We are mad at each other!”” The pair of us shout in unison

~~~

“I'm getting real sick of being called here every damn day.” Kato mutters, despite the fact she was already healing Fukada's injuries, and turns to me. “Ever since you joined up, I've had to put my life on hold. I expect compensation for this somewhere down the line, kid.”

I'm not sure how often the team needed healing before I joined up, but maybe I am some sort of bad luck charm for them.

“By the way, since you're here, Date, you got every question on your math homework wrong.”

“Wahaha! I have no need for petty calculations or meaningless percentages!” Date announces. “What purpose could such things mean to a demon hunter!?”

“If you don't study, you could get held back a year, and the powers that be would have to take the club from you, for a start.” Kato said with a sigh. “Though I guess Mei takin' over wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.”

Date lets out a low grumble, before heading over to Fukada's desk and taking her homework from Kato's outstretched hand.

“So, what happened this time? Another thrall?”

“Fukada and I were fighting.” I admit. “I got a new power, and it's kind of... well, it's...”

“He absorbed a demons power.” Konishi said. “And he can use it to fight.”

“Ah, I see why Fukada wouldn't take too kindly to that.”

“It also lets him change his weapon's form.” Konishi muttered in a quiet voice, as if that were worse than using a demon's power. Upon hearing this, Kato looked at Fukada's unconscious body with a deep sadness, before letting out another 'ah.'