Life Return

Frank felt despair once again. It was just like when he had first joined the training camp, full of confidence as he took part in the training, only to see the results of a guy named Wade. When someone with a strong competitive streak saw another person who was better than him, he would work even harder if the gap was small. But if that person remained so far ahead that he could never catch up, no matter what he did, then despair was the only feeling that could helplessly take root.

And today, Frank once again understood what despair meant. This kid's talent was beyond anything he could compare to. The gap between the trainees had become clear, and it had only been six months since they'd received the Six Powers. Frank had struggled to master Rankyaku and use it freely, while Louis had already developed two advanced techniques based on the basic Tekkai. Even he, arrogant as he was, couldn't help but notice the difference.

"..."

With some effort, he got to his feet and turned to look at the Instructor. The man hadn't looked at him once. Before, he'd been watching Wade; now, he was focused on Louis. Frank understood why the Instructor, who had seemed furious at having his dignity challenged, had changed his attitude as soon as he'd struck Louis. He'd realized the kid had more talent than Frank. Damn, this was how things worked in the real world.

"Give up, Frank."

Louis leisurely took off his suit jacket and tossed it into the crowd. Dylan caught it with one hand. Louis rolled up his sleeves and said softly, "If you get down on your knees and beg, I'll let you off. See? I'm much more compassionate than you."

"Like hell you are!"

Frank suddenly burst forward, his body darting like a cheetah. He was seething with resentment. Everyone looked down on him—Wade, the Instructor, and this brat right in front of him! With that fury fueling him, the pain in his legs seemed to disappear.

"Then don't blame me."

Louis smiled with satisfaction. Frank was so easy to read.

Frank was incredibly fast, charging forward like the wind. Louis couldn't keep up with his speed—but he didn't need to. He only had to keep up with his attacks.

"Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!"

After several exchanges, Louis was unscathed. Frank, who had launched the attacks, took several more heavy blows instead. He spat out blood a few times, then flashed away to put some distance between them, his face deathly pale.

"Huff, huff... Brat, I admit I underestimated you!"

Frank sneered. "You're strong, and your Tekkai training is impressive. But you're not as strong as you think."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Louis said, surprised, "Then enlighten me. What's my weakness?"

"Rankyaku!"

Frank kicked out, sending a Rankyaku slash at him. Louis couldn't even be bothered to dodge. He took the hit head-on. The sharp slash shattered into pieces, its only achievement being to tear his clothes and leave a white mark on his body.

"Rankyaku!"

Louis was about to charge forward, but Frank immediately used his speed advantage to pull away, then launched another Rankyaku.

"Oh! So that's it?"

Louis leaned aside and dodged the Rankyaku. "You're right. Tekkai is unbeatable in defense and close combat, but I'm at a disadvantage against a long-range attacker like you."

"I'll kill you!"

Frank shouted outright. Louis's tone was deeply taunting, as if he didn't take Frank seriously at all.

"I'm afraid you won't manage that."

Louis shrugged and jumped to avoid yet another attack from Frank.

The fight settled into a stalemate. Louis couldn't keep up with Frank's speed, so all he could do was let Frank keep him at a distance. But Frank's attacks couldn't break through his defense; he couldn't even hurt Louis.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Louis dodged another attack, and Frank roared in frustration. He was already badly injured, and he couldn't keep going as long as Louis, who was mostly dodging and only occasionally relying on Tekkai to tank a hit. Even if Louis couldn't hurt him in the short term, once Frank ran out of stamina, defeat would be his only option.

"Are you only going to dodge?!"

"Then I'll stop dodging. I don't like giving people hope only to make them despair. I'd rather make them despair from the start. Frank, you're finished."

Louis stretched out his right hand and hardened it with Tekkai, crushing Frank's Rankyaku. Then he reached his left hand behind his head and took off the hair tie. His black hair fell like a waterfall, reaching all the way down to his waist.

"Hm?"

Frank looked puzzled.

"Boom!"

The ground shattered beneath Louis, and he shot forward like a cannonball, reaching Frank in an instant.

"Not a chance!"

Frank reacted incredibly quickly. In the blink of an eye, he was accelerating again, about to put some distance between himself and Louis.

"What?!"

But he didn't make it. In the next instant, he felt his right leg tighten, and then the world spun around him. He was hanging upside down.

"This is..."

He was utterly shocked. Bending at the waist, he saw what had trapped his right ankle. "Hair?"

It stretched from the back of Louis's head, far beyond its natural length, wrapping around Frank's ankle like a tentacle and leaving him dangling upside down.

"What is that?!"

The Instructor, who had been watching casually, suddenly froze, then darkened with anger.

"What is this?!"

Frank was horrified. Then he kicked out with his free left leg. "Rankyaku!"

At virtually point-blank range, the slash shot toward Louis.

"Useless."

"Smack!"

The slash shattered instantly. Several black tendrils had blocked it in front of Louis.

"How is that possible?! It's just hair!"

Frank was dumbfounded. His Rankyaku had been blocked by hair. What kind of hair was that? Made of diamonds?

"Nothing special. I just used Tekkai on my hair."

Louis spoke nonchalantly.

"Tekkai? On your hair? What are you talking about?!"

Frank had no idea what those two things had to do with each other.

"Fine. Since you won't surrender..."

Louis chuckled. "I'll just have to take you out of the fight."

Several strands of hair gathered into tentacles and writhed like snakes in front of Louis. Then they shot forward in an instant, piercing Frank's chest as easily as the sharpest spears. Frank let out a cry of pain, and the light in his eyes dimmed. Blood poured from his mouth.

"Swish!"

Louis's hair twisted violently, then slammed Frank hard into the ground.

The hair withdrew from Frank's chest and flicked sharply, shaking off most of the blood. Then it began to shrink back behind Louis.

"Instructor, I think the winner's clear."

Louis looked at Frank, twitching faintly in a pool of blood and completely unconscious, then turned to the Instructor. "I won."

"Yes, the fight's over. You won."

The Instructor nodded, then lunged forward in an instant. His finger touched Louis's forehead. Louis couldn't react at all. Finger Pistol—if the Instructor wanted, he could pierce Louis's skull the very next moment.

"But could you tell me? How did you learn to do that? Hmm? Life Return!"