Frank stood opposite him, in his advanced form. His left arm darkened to amethyst purple, jagged spike protruding from his shoulder and elbow like a demon's broken blade. The air around him vibrated subtly, warping as Tenebris leaked with controlled savagery, "Relax your grip," Frank said, tone calm but firm. "Kiyohime's Vengeance isn't about strength. It's about speed and emotion. The fury of a rapid, merciless spirit. Let the blade move before you think."
Seijuro inhaled slowly, the silver training sword cold in his palm. Sweat dripped along his jaw, hair tied back loosely the way Ruma insisted, "If you pass out again I need to see your face clearly, not dig through that mop."
He lowered his stance. Frank nodded approvingly, "Begin."
Seijuro surged forward, "Dragon Stance: Kiyohimes Vengeance!"
His body blurred, once, twice, the blade flashing through the air. The first slash cut through the hologram, then the second, third, fourth. His arms burned instantly, muscles screaming, but his mind was steady,
The movements wanted rhythm, not force! A flowing river, not hammering steel!
"Faster!" Frank's voice cracked like thunder.
Seijuro's strikes grew sharper, quicker, almost invisible to the untrained eye. He felt Tenebris gather around his feet, feeding into each movement. A new heat flooded his chest,anger, grief, determination, memories of Ren, of his mother crying into his shoulder, of that demon's smile. The slashes doubled.
The hologram didn't just flicker, it shattered, glitching apart as Seijuro delivered the final blow with a roar.
He staggered back, chest heaving, vision trembling at the edges. Frank's smirk returned, proud, but reserved, "You finally understand the pulse," Frank said. "But understanding isn't mastery. You have the rhythm, now refine it until it becomes instinct. Again."
Seijuro swallowed a groan. Of course he would say that.
By the time afternoon settled, Seijuro sat in meditation outside the training halls, knees aching, lungs still raw from Kiyohime's Vengeance drills. His Tenebris pulsed weakly beneath his skin, thin, shaky threads of black vapor that fizzled instead of flowing. Frank said it was because of the trauma he still carried holes in his soul where fear and grief once tore through him,
Think of it like a cup with cracks. You pour power in, but it leaks. Not forever, but until you heal.
Frank told me, sometimes when I push myself too hard, and the memories would return, Ren… mom… dad… and those things return. Today was supposed to be rest, but an hour of extra training should be fine as long as Ruma doesn't find out.
However, something caught his eye,
WARNING! RESTRICTED AREA!
Restricted?
He quietly slid through the metal corridor toward the restricted training arena. He found a narrow maintenance hatch, squeezing inside and crawling up to an observation ledge. From here, only half the hall was visible, but enough.
The arena below glowed with blue neon circuitry along the floor, humming with Tenebris amplification. Cherry blossoms drifted in from the open sky vents above like falling confetti. Frank rolled his shoulders, corrupted arm gleaming like obsidian under dim light. Lisa tightened her gloves, cybernetic braces hissing with pressure. She spun her spear around playfully. They didn't know he was watching.
Seijuro held his breath.
Lisa blurred first, a streak of silver and wind. Frank blocked with his mutated arm, sparks flashing as their blades met. Tenebris collided like thunder, rippling across the arena so hard Seijuro's teeth rattled. He nearly fell off the ledge.
They moved faster than thought. Faster than reason,
Is this the level of Captains?! I can't see them! Frank said it would "break me mentally" to witness power far beyond myself. That! Bastard!
Sweat beaded down Seijuro's neck. He couldn't look away. Lisa flickered behind Frank, her spear aimed for his neck, "Dragon Stance: Orochi's Snare."
Frank slammed his corrupted arm down. The entire room fractured. Black cracks webbed across the arena, serpentine and living, like fanged shadows chasing blood. A shockwave tore into the floor, cherry blossoms whipping into a violent storm. Lisa was swallowed instantly, thrown across the hall into a crater of shattered tiles. The barrier dome overhead flickered dangerously. Seijuro's heart lurched. His legs trembled, fear, awe, envy tangled into something electric,
One day… one day, I want that strength.
Frank breathed out slowly, Tenebris fading like steam. Lisa stood, wiping dust off her coat with mild annoyance more than pain, however she still wore her smile, "I hate that move," she muttered,
"And yet you always ask me to use it," Frank teased.
Lisa nudged him with her elbow. Then her eyes flicked upward, directly to where Seijuro hid. He froze. Lisa smirked, "You can come out now, Seijuro."
He nearly slipped off the beam crawling down, cheeks burning as he landed awkwardly in front of them. Frank raised an eyebrow, not angry, but amused in that infuriating way, "You're not supposed to watch this level of sparring yet. Sneaking into places you're not meant to be, I thought you would learned your lesson, young Seijuro." Frank said,
"I… wanted to see what's possible," Seijuro muttered, gripping his sword. "I want to reach that level. I want to master the Dragon Stance, all of it."
Frank studied him, first stern, then slowly smiling with something akin to pride,
"You will," he answered. "But not until your heart stops leaking power like an old faucet."
Lisa flicked Seijuro's forehead, "And next time, ask."
Seijuro nodded sheepishly. His legs trembled, not just exhaustion, but inspiration burning wild inside.
Later that evening Ruma found him limping toward the cafeteria, hair damp, eyes distant, "You watched something you weren't supposed to. Do you have a habit of going into places you're not supposed to be in? she said flatly, she could always tell,
"I… learned a lot. And no, you're the second person to say that."
Ruma sighed and handed him a bottle of water, fingers brushing his lightly.
"Then learn this too, power without recovery is suicide. Try to read the signs next time too."
He looked at her, and something warm tightened in his chest. He blushed again, quickly looking away. Ruma hid a tiny smile and walked off, coat swaying behind her. From the doorway, Frank watched with a grin, "You like her."
"Captain Frank…"
"No point denying it. Even Tenebris can't hide that shade of pink."
Seijuro groaned. But as he drank his water, exhaustion fading, the memory of Orochi's Snare burned bright behind his eyes. Seijuro swallowed hard. He wanted it. Ren's face flashed in his mind, broken and distorted, that monster's voice echoing,
Good thing you'll die before you regret it.
Seijuro tightened his grip on his sword, "I'll master them all," he whispered, "And then I'm coming for you…"
Frank heard him. His smirk softened into something proud, almost fatherly,
"You will," he said. "But not alone."