Becoming the Storm

Ch. 11: Planning Problems

With Luz, she was moving like she always had the Yamato.

Swift, skillfully, and mercilessly; practically tearing through the forest before she stopped.

She spun with the sword, before grabbing the handle and pulling it out of the sheath, and performing an X motion with it.

'Now sheath me.' Yamato said to her.

Luz nodded as she spun it and slowly placed it in the sheath. As soon as she did, several trees fell down.

"Easy." Luz said as she stood up. "Can't believe in getting better with you after a few weeks."

'That is thanks to the mix of Sparda blood and your adaptability. You're a quick study, even though you've never wielded a sword before.' Yamato said.

"Yeah... never." Luz said, trying to not think about the reason she has short hair.

That was one memory she never wanted to repeat or think about since she had to stay home for weeks due to the embarrassment.

Putting that memory aside, Luz grabbed the handle and pulled the blade out of the sheath. Not to wield but to speak, "face to face."

"So, anymore powers you think I could pull off?" Luz asked the sword. "And not just the dimensional cut, that's not all I'm interested in."

'Many, but you aren't ready for that yet.' Yamato said.

Luz groaned before she something else came to mind.

"Then how about I practice with Beowulf? I could use that for weaker demons and save you for really tough demons." Luz suggested.

'Very well.' Yamato agreed.

Luz sheathed the blade and made Yamato vanish into her soul before bringing out and donning the Beowulf armored gauntlets and boots.

"Okay, now let's do some shadowboxing." Luz said, bouncing on her feet.

She threw a couple punches and kicks, pretending to fight someone, before throwing a round house to a tree.

BOOM!

The tree shook from her kick, making some leaves fall down to the ground.

'Impressive but we both know you have more power than that. Again and imagine facing an enemy you could face in the future.' Yamato said.

"Alright." Luz said before she pulled herself back as she visualized a past enemy to attack.

Someone she absolutely LOATHED and deserved to her the beating of a lifetime.

(I don't even need to write it, it's was clear who it was.)

"ROOOOAH!" Luz roared before jumping up with Air Hike and spin, coming down with a high kick! "DIE!"

BOOOOM!

The smoke cloud cleared to show the tree didn't fall... it was reduced to splinters and a crater under Luz's foot.

'Impressive, you're using your rage as a good weapon.' Yamato said to her.

"It helps that it's justified." Luz said, breathing heavily but she didn't want to stop now.

Luz wanted to hit more. To DESTROY more. And more she got as Luz went in a rampage through the forest, punching and kicking any tree in her way as her technique improved with every strike.

'The rage is building within her... perfect.' Yamato said to itself, "smiling."

Inside of Luz's soul, "Vergil" was growing stronger from her emotions. Slowly spreading and taking over as another portion of Luz's hair roots turned white.

'In almost a month, her soul has become at least 30 percent similar to "my original self." If this continues, it continue to grow and grow until "my" return to the living world.' 'Vergil' said with a grin.

Everything was going as planned.

But Luz's train of thought and her next attack were interrupted as her phone went off, making her snap out of her rage filled episode to quickly answer it.

"Hello?" Luz asked.

"Hey, Luz, everything okay?" Willow asked, "I'm feeling LOTS of plant issues going on."

"Plant issues?" Luz asked, before silently wincing and glancing back to all the trees she destroyed.

"Yes, I'm sensing they're in pain. Like maybe that rampaging beast from the news is causing havoc in the woods." Willow explained.

"Oh, yeah I remember that. Well, I haven't seen anything." Luz said, lying to her friend.

"Well, whatever is going on, I've got a bad feeling. Maybe you should come back to the house just to be safe." Willow said out of concern.

"Don't worry, Willow, I'm safe." Luz said to her.

"Would you tell that to Amity if I told her this first?" Willow asked.

"...Okay, I'm coming back to stop her from worrying." Luz said, returning Beowulf to her soul.

'Going to have to cut this training session short.' Luz thought.

''Why? Because your friend and girlfriend are worried for nothing?' Yamato asked.

'Yes, I hate worrying the people I care about.' Luz thought as she ended the call. 'They're the whole reason I want to get stronger. To protect them.'

'Strength requires sacrifices.' Yamato countered.

'NOT when it comes to my loved ones.' Luz thought, glaring "at" Yamato.

'Even when they get in the way?' Yamato asked but "he" unintentionally went too far.

"ENOUGH!" Luz screamed, echoing through the forest as birds flew away. "I don't care if you are what I need to get stronger, I will not have you talking shit about the people I care about!"

Somehow, Yamato was feeling weaker as the white hair in Luz's roots was receding and turning black once again..

'No! Her soul is fighting back now?!' Yamato said to itself in shock.

Going untouched by her, Luz headed back to her house as Yamato was still in shock of this development.

It seems that Luz and her connections to the people she cherished more than anything were both a motivation to get stronger AND a deterrent in returning Vergil to the world.

A good thing for Rebellion/Dante but a TERRIBLE thing for Yamato/Vergil.

"He" would need to rethink the plan.