Gabriel and Pride trained together for a month, pushing themselves to the limit... Throughout their training, Pride violently beat up Gabriel over and over. But, Gabriel didn't yield. With each time Pride knocked her down, she got stronger and stronger...
"Hah..." Pride knocked her down again, and she got up.
"More...!" And she got faster.
"Come on!" And she got stronger.
"
With pleasure." And so did Pride. Together, they both got continuously stronger. Their fists clashed, generating an enormous shockwave that pulverized the area around them.
Pride grabbed Gabriel by the arm, attempting to throw her. But... She didn't move a single inch. "Is that all you've got?" Pride smirked, "
Don't get to cocky!" Pride put in even more strength than before, kneeing Gabriel in the stomach, sending her flying.
But she didn't even flinch, "I can tell your still holding back, Pride!" Gabriel flew forward at unfathomable speeds, delivering a punch straight to Pride's face, knocking him into the ground, violently caving it in.
"Our month of training is almost over... So, you can go all out against me. I'm ready for it!" Gabriel shouted out, "
You think that..." Suddenly, a wave of shadows erupted from the ground. "
But you haven't seen all of my power." He said, emerging from the ground.
"That's right... So, show me. I'll say it as many times as I need to, but I'm ready for all of your strength. We didn't spend a full month training together for nothing... I didn't ask you to be my teacher for nothing, Pride." Gabriel said firmly, "It's the time!"
Suddenly, faster than she could possibly react, various cuts and gashes appeared all across her body. "Huh!?" Pride's eyes turned completely black, various black markings appearing across his body. 10-tendrils sprouted from his back, each with a scythe-blade on the end.
"That's the form you used when we first fought..." Gabriel said, her wounds healing, albeit very slowly. "
Stay on guard." Pride dashed forward far faster than before, slicing vertically. Gabriel bent backward, dodging the attack as she slid across the ground, creating distance.
"
You won't escape!" Pride's tendrils chased after her, "I wasn't trying to escape in the first place!" Gabriel pressed her hands together, forming a katana made of light. "Did you seriously think after all this time that I'd try to run away again!? HERE I COME!!"
Pride's eyes widened as Gabriel faced him head-on, "
What!?" He was surprised by her determination, but... "
You've come a long way! Alright, I'll meet your challenge!" He was proud of what she had become.
Their blades clashed violently, sending ripples throughout the fabric of space and time that the entire Pride ring could feel. Pride began to swiftly push Gabriel back, "Damn it, I still haven't surpassed him...!!" Gabriel thought to herself as her feet dug into the ground. She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists around her blade.
"
It looks like I win again, Gabriel." Pride said, sounding slightly disappointed. "NO...!! I CAN WIN-" Gabriel shouted out, still holding on. "I DIDN'T PUT MYSELF THROUGH HELL...!" Gabriel slowly pushed Pride back, her stance shifting.
"
What the hell-"
"FOR NOTHING!" Suddenly, Gabriel's power skyrocketed as she began to push Pride back. Her eyes went bloodshot as her hands violently bled from how hard she was clenching her blade. "
This is... extraordinary..." Pride thought to himself.
Gabriel's wings sprouted out as her power continued to grow, but so did Pride's. It was a battle of who could grow faster than the other, "Pride...!" Gabriel thought to herself, "I'm... Not... Going to... LOSE!"
Golden light shot into the air as Gabriel propelled herself forward, "
You really are extraordinary, Gabriel Artensia..." Pride thought to himself as Gabriel's blade dug into his torso, cutting him in half cleanly.
"Hah... Hah..." Gabriel breathed heavily, tumbling forward as she fell onto her knees. "Pride...?" Gabriel called out, getting back onto her feet. "Are you still alive...?" She turned around to see Pride's body completely severed in two.
"
Yeah, I'm still alive, Gabriel."
His blood was pitch-black, creating a puddle beneath his body as it poured out. "Good... I hope you stay alive for a little longer, then." Gabriel said, smiling down at Pride. "
This isn't going to kill me, Gabriel. I'll simply revive once this body dies." He said.
"Really? Well, that's even better then." Gabriel said, sounding genuinely happy. "
Haha! You make it sound as if you would actually care if I died!" Pride said, laughing as his eyes returned to normal.
"I would care, Pride," Gabriel said bluntly, sitting down next to him. "
Huh. That's weird. Even though I supposedly put you through hell?" Pride asked her, twisting his head to look at her.
"Of course. You helped me get stronger, along with showing genuine concern for my safety... You also encouraged me to keep moving forward, Pride." Pride's eyes widened. "Thank you, Pride. I never thought I'd feel this way about someone who I thought was previously sketchy..." Gabriel said, chuckling.
"
Is that so...?" Pride asked, chuckling along with Gabriel. "Yep." Gabriel said, "How long does it take for you to revive?" Gabriel asked, "
That depends on a lot of factors. But at least, it takes a year for me to revive." Pride said.
"Ah... So it'll be a while until I get to see you again, then?" Gabriel asked, "
You thought you'd see me again? Hah, how foolish." Pride said, "It is foolish for me to think so, yeah. But still, it would've been nice." Gabriel said, running her hands gently through Pride's hair.
"
Yeah, I guess that it would've been nice, huh..." Pride said, shadows rising from his body as his flesh slowly dissipated. "
It looks like it's happening, Gabriel. I don't have much time." Pride said. "Mind spending it with someone like me, then?" Gabriel asked.
Pride chuckled, "
Hah... Of course, I wouldn't." Pride said as they both looked into the air, staring at the sun of the Pride ring. "Hey Pride." Gabriel said to him, "
Yeah?" He responded.
"Again, thank you for training me," Gabriel said.
"
It was my pleasure, Gabriel Artensia." Pride said, "Heh, just start calling me by my first name, dumbass." Gabriel said as Pride's body continued to dissipate into the air, "
Alright... I'll keep that in mind." He said, both of them staying silent for around 30 seconds.
"
Hey, Gabriel." Pride spoke up.
"Yeah?" She responded swiftly.
"
I'm really proud of you." He said to her, smiling.
"Huh...?" Gabriel's eyes widened, very surprised. "Your what...?"
"
I'm proud of you, is what I said. When you first asked me to train you I didn't think you'd come far. I thought you were spoiled. You were born with great healing abilities and never had been in a real fight... But I was proven wrong. You pushed yourself harder than anybody I'd ever seen. Whenever I knocked you down, you got up and came back faster. Whenever I broke or twisted a limb, you worked with that until I healed it. And now, your even stronger than me..." Pride said, Gabriel staying silent the entire time.
"I..."
"
You've worked really hard, Gabriel. And I really am proud of what you've become, and I'm proud that you were my student." Gabriel looked down at Pride, "...I don't think... Anybody has ever said that to me before. Not even my supposed mother..." Gabriel said.
"
Really? Uh... I'm sorry about that." Pride said, his body continuing to dissipate into the air.
"
That's... Really sad..." Pride's body completely disappeared, leaving behind
two daggers that honestly were to large to be called daggers.
"...Yeah, it is." Gabriel stood up, picking up the daggers. She examined them, seeing an inscription on the back of each blade. "Dawn..." For the white blade. "Dusk..." For the black one. "Is this a gift...?" She thought to herself, cutting a hole in space, putting the blades into a pocket-reality, closing the portal afterward.
She turned to the gate where she met Pride as it began to slowly open. "Nobody... Had ever said that to me before." Gabriel's eyes watered slightly, causing her to bite her lip to hold back her tears.
She looked at the gate where the party met Pride as it slowly opened, a wave of air knocking down multiple rocks and trees. "...."