"What, do you have a problem?" Frank walked slowly toward them, his hands clasped behind his back as he said, "If you have more martial elites under your command, send them in. I can do this all day."At Frank's words, Pax realized that he was done for—what else could he say? Even Ned would concede his place as boss of the Sunblazers out of fear for Frank!Ashened face, he gave in right then. "Sure. I have no reason to refuse since you've spoken, Mr. Janko."Still, frustration and helplessness showed as Pax turned to Hux Darman and announced loudly, "From this day forth, I, Pax Barzini, will step down as head of the Sunblazers—and Hux Darman will take my place!"Sighing, he then nodded politely at Ned. "Farewell."It was no exaggeration to say that Pax had lost everything—the Four Kings were defeated, and even Ned wasn't on his side.Stepping down on his own was being tactful at this point, as it might be too late if someone else had to make him.Worst of all, he had made a long
"No, no, no—not a chance."Ned's heartfelt congratulations left Hux shocked, and he quickly flashed a smile awkwardly. "I would never have been allowed to succeed you if you refused. If you need anything, just say the word and consider it done."Hux was clearly a people's person, offering Frank assurance and then insisting his loyalty toward Ned in quick succession.Cid hurried over, eager to show his face. "Don't worry, Mr. Janko. My brother will definitely lead the Sunblazers to new heights."Ned smiled and nodded, and finally showed his true colors just then. "Would you happen to be free later, Vicky? I have a reservation at a hotel restaurant nearby. Care to join us? Let's get to know each other…"Pax, who was about to leave despondently, heard him.His eyes lit up right then, and he ran over to them with a fawning smile. "We're still friends even though I've passed the torch to Hux, right? And I'm leaving the country soon anyway… It'll be our last banquet together, so I can
Ned's creased bow eased when Frank agreed to come along. Suddenly, even Pax was less of an eyesore.He did not notice Pax lowering his gaze just then, and his eyes flashed venomously.Even if he was stepping down as the Sunblazers' boss, he would collect his dues before leaving!-Half an hour later, Frank and the others left Sunblaze Dojo and drove to Southtown Hotel located just a block away.As a pretty twentyish waitress poured them wine, Pax was laughing heartily, seemingly not upset that he had just lost leadership over the Sunbalzers. "Hux." He chuckled. "You wouldn't know, but I've been meaning to step down!"Hux could roll his eyes—there was no way he would believe that.Still, he pretended to be curious and asked, "What? Why?"Pax sighed. "You have no idea… It's really not easy managing so many men and such a large turf as a boss, and there's always someone looking to replace you…""See?" Pax exclaimed as he pulled a strand of white hair off his head. "My hair's tu
"Oh, what are you saying, Mr. Lawrence?"Pax then smiled and chugged the glass as everyone watched, and he showed it to them like Frank did. "You really don't trust me, huh?""No way." Frank smiled in turn.With that, all suspicions around the room vaporized, and things turned lively around the table.Cid drank the most as the men clink glasses endlessly, even blurting nonsense that left everyone laughing.Ned's pretty boy valets even started dancing.Though Ned obviously tried to talk chatting up Frank repeatedly, Frank always had an excuse to give him the slip, leaving him exasperated.Then, just as the bottle of white wine was almost finished, Pax burped and rose to his feet, wobbling as he chuckled, "I'm gonna need the washroom.""Wait."Frank stood up as well, drunkenness showing on his face as he smiled. "You can go… after you take off your pants.""Hahaha…" Pax chuckled and looked around pointedly, mumbling, "Are you drunk, Mr. Lawrence? Taking off my pants before I g
"I'm crazy?!" Pax took a couple steps back and whipped out his phone. "Fuck off! You're the crazy ones here!"Pointing at Hux, he snarled viciously, "You bastard! Have I ever mistreated you?!""No," Hux replied calmly even as he glowered."Then why did you have to usurp me?!" Pax shrieked, his eyes wide in rage. "Why?! Why did you have to betray me?!"Hux sighed. "Think about it. If you were in my place, would you really say no to becoming the boss?"Pax froze at Hux's words and sighed after a long while. "No.""Then you have no right to blame me. We always were just colleagues—not partners with fire-forged bonds," Hux said coolly. "What I'm doing isn't betrayal. Only the strong get to lead! You said so yourself.""Hah!" Pax spat. "Strong? You?! You're just a footsoldier with nothing going for you aside from dumb luck!""And dumb luck is still a form of strength. Admit it, Pax," Hux growled."Enough!" Ned snapped impatiently, stopping Pax's hysterics as he glared coolly at the
"D-Dream…" Even before Hux could say 'dream on', he began to see stars and the world seemed to spin around him, as if he was drunk."Guess the poison's kicking in…" Pax laughed smugly as he watched everyone fall to their feet.That was when he turned toward Frank, and his breath left his lungs.Frank was standing there, firmly upright as if he was unaffected, even looking at Pax interestedly in turn."I-Impossible!" Pax exclaimed in panic. "I watched you drink that wine… How are you still standing?!"Frank's strength had certainly left him with an impression, as he soundly defeated the Four Kings.If Frank was not affected by the nervebreaker, everything he did today would be pointless!"The nervebreaker is a potent drug, but I am a master of medicine and have already seen through your tricks." Frank shrugged and pulled a silver needle out of his wrist.He threw the needle, which fell into a pot of seafood soup with an audible clang, abruptly turning its contents black."Hmm
Smack!With a reverse grip, Frank grabbed Gigi by the ankle and pulled.Even as she lost her balance, she seemed to tumble straight into Frank's arms and was suddenly blushing in embarrassment.Frank frowned, but the blush was an act from the start.In an instant, her face fell as her lips parted, and another blade shot out, boosted by pure vigor as it streaked toward Frank's throat."Hah!" Frank narrowed his eyes and unleashed his pure vigor, knocking the blade away. "I guess I really can't hesitate at all…"Glowering, he seized Gigi by the neck and slammed her against the wall.Bang!"Ahhh…" she groaned in pain, but it somehow carried a hint of sensuality.Any men who heard her would certainly be disarmed, but Frank would not fall for her tricks again.His fingers clenching, there was an audible crack as Frank crushed her neck."Guh…"Gigi's eyes widened as she died in a split second, not understanding how a top Blackrank assassin like her—and a Birthright rank individual
"Dream on! You're the only one dying today!"Frank picked up the bag with one hand and flung it out of the window before appearing beside Pax in a flash soon after."Eh?" Pax stopped laughing as his mouth widened in shock, like a duck seized by the throat.Impossible! Such speed… was he even human?!"Get outta here!" Frank bellowed as he sent Pax flying with a kick."Oof!"The kick was so violent Pax shot through the air like a cannonball, crashing through the hotel windowpane and flying into the distance.Pax almost blacked out right then, but he withstood the pain to regain his senses and realized that he was mid-air after Frank kicked him out of the window."Hahaha!" He laughed maniacally as his mind quickly did the math. "Why, thank you, Vicky Lawrence—you just saved me!"After all, the hotel was about to be blown to kingdom come soon!Even if Pax would suffer some fractures or at worst, get paralyzed after being kicked from this high up, he would not be blown up at the
Frank snorted. "Alright, I'm hanging up. I'm getting started over here soon.""Yeah. Good luck," Jouri replied.Hanging up, Frank looked up at the waterfall overhead, and then at Skyler, who was standing beside him. "So? Is it time yet?""Almost… Now!" Skyler's eyes were glowing even as she stared at her watch."Alright."Frank looked up just as the skies abruptly darkened. "Ah, there it is—the eclipse."The sun seemed to disappear, and the world was suddenly shrouded in darknesses.And beside him, a stone door imbued with the power of the spiritron vein also rumbled as it parted."Got it!" Frank rushed inside without another word as soon as he saw it."Hmph. I'm surprised that you could reach this place." A cold, wrathful voice resounded inside even before Frank got a hold of his surroundings.Looking up, Frank found a youth in a black cossack and sporting grey-white hair, standing upon a cliff as he looked down on him.Frank chuckled. "Hehe. Like I said, I've come to kill
Frank narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?'Crane shrugged. "I don't mind giving it to you straight—members of Torrent are actually… Ahem. A part of Torrent himself."Frank paused. "What's that supposed to mean?""You don't get it, do you?" Crane grinned. "Then let me put it to you this way—every member is a clone of Torrent.""A clone?" Frank gasped in realization."Yes," Crane nodded. "That's why I believe that challenging Crane is just suicide. You have no idea how powerful he is—only death awaits you down that path."Frank smirked. "Oh, but I don't think so."Crane rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever—now listen closely. You will find Torrent in the Mystic Trail, but you would only find that place when the sun and moon coincide, and the entrance is beneath the waterfall south of Horton."As he finished, he snorted coldly. "I have no idea if you can actually do it, but I'm hoping you do kill him… Heh. I'm getting tired of being stuck under his control for so long."Then, waving off
Frank abruptly turned, immediately noticing one of the Cranes crouching, ready to spring forward and blindside him."Got you!" He laughed."Hah! You fell for it!"Just as Frank swung a punch to pulverize that Crane, he suddenly burst into pus that splashed at Frank's face."Damn it!" Frank took a step back, surprised that the clone's presence was identical to the real Crane, and a trap on top of that!"Die!"The Cranes around him each whipped out a dagger, all of them stabbing at Frank at the same time."Get off!" Frank bellowed, unleashing a shockwave that sent all the Cranes flying across all directions."Frank! Above you!" Skyler suddenly shrieked."Yes! I'm right here!" A strange laughter sounded above Frank just as he wiped the pus off his face.Crane was suddenly directly above him, launching an aerial kick straight at Frank's head, and Frank had no time to dodge!"Die!" Crane's smile curled into a twisted angle as he saw that too.He was very confident with this kick
"Disgusting…" Skyler murmured through her hand.Despite being skinned and scalped, the women were all still alive and singing to the music that was playing despite their anguish."Talk about a terrible fetish."Frank was scowling too—why were all the members of Torrent such sick deviants? It seemed like his plan to wipe them out was absolutely correct!"So, you killed my clone?"The lanky man on the couch slowly turned to level his bloodshot eyes at Frank.His lips were wet with bed as they curled upward into an eerie smile."Clone?" Frank narrowed his eyes."Hehe. It's a sage art."Crane shrugged as he stood up and wiped the blood off his lips. "It's only natural that you don't understand… Still, you deserve praise. If you can kill my clone, that means you're not just slightly stronger than Ghost."Naturally, the man was none other than the real Crane.Still, as Skyler studied him from a corner, even she could notice the strange twitch of his fingers, and his veins were pro
Even as Crane ran, he was looking over his shoulder, his heart pounding. "No… I won't win in a one-on-one!"No, as long as I get back to my real body… we can do this together!" He frowned, having seen how Frank sliced off the pinkies of those hood rats. It hence quickly dawned on him that Frank was not just slightly stronger than Ghost, as Torrent had put it!"Almost there!" He gasped when he saw the signboard of Pegasus Showtown in the distance. "As long as I get there and rendezvous with my real body, that brat will lose—"That was when he turned and saw that a shadow had caught up with impossible speed."What?!" Crane's eyes almost popped out in bewilderment. "What speed is that?! Are you kidding—"Even as he spotted the shadow, the shadow turned into a youth with an impassive visage.His fist outstretched, he was clearly punching toward Crane's forehead!"Argh…"Even as Crane looked on, the youth's punch slowed down by tenfold, but his fist kept closing in.Then, whe
Seeing Skyler sigh, the tattooed thug presumed that his extortion worked.He strode up, grabbing Frank's shoulder. "No one's gonna help you, boy. Pay up, or you're not leaving.""Exactly! You're not getting away!" the crowd of hood rats hollered. "Last chance."Frank's eyes were cold and fixed on Dani, however. "Are you going to intervene? If you do, you can keep that check. If you don't…""Ugh. Fuck off! I don't care!" Dani spat, her expression smug as she folded her arms before her chest. "Who do you think you are to threaten me?!""Exactly! Pay up, and you can leave!""Yeah! Ten grand, at least!""You probably don't know my boss Wyvern, but when he's here, you won't get away with just ten grand!"Even as the crowd closed in, Frank shook his head. "Well, you had your chance. Don't blame me for what happens next.""You're giving us a chance?! Hah! Who—argh!"Even before Dani could finish gloating, Frank was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her viciously by the wrist."Arg
"Five grand?! Did you hear that?! He just threw five grand!""Must be a rich kid coming here for a secret rendezvous, out of prying eyes? Those types are the easiest mark!""Fuck! And Dani got one of us… It hurts me more than losing at the races!"Frank could hear the buzz around him but ignored it as he strode past the men flanking him and headed toward the street that stank of blood."Stop!" A big tattooed man grinned sinisterly as he intercepted Frank.As his buddies encircled Frank as well, Frank snorted—it seemed that they took his reaction for a sign of weakness and thought that he could be cowed.The tattooed man rubbed his chin as he leered at Skyler's voluptuous figure, chuckling. "Look, boy. I'm short on cash, so let me take a loan. I'll pay you back some other day, how about that?"His friend laughed. "Exactly! You just gave Dani five grand, and we won't ask for more… just four, how about that?"Skyler scowled in turn and glanced worriedly at Frank beside her—was he
Frank himself had just stepped out of the nightclub when his eyes narrowed."Blood," he murmured, his nostrils twitching."Blood?"Skyler sniffed the air, puzzled. "I can't smell it.""It's from the opposite street… I smell the blood of over a dozen people.""A dozen?!" Skyler did a double take.He could identify the number of people who were killed?! That was just ridiculous!"Come on, let's take a look."Just as Frank led the way toward the source of the stench, a woman suddenly came up, catching Frank off guard and throwing herself into his arms."Hmmm?" He looked down to see that she had thick makeup, average looks, and a rather pudgy belly."Argh! He touched me!" she pointed at Frank and shrieked even before he realized what was happening."What?!" Skyler was staring at the woman too, mystified."Oh, sister! You just didn't see it!"The woman kept hollering, pointing at Frank's face. "Your boyfriend grabbed my ass! Is that how you teach him manners?!""Teach him ma
Wyvern screamed even as he clutched the stump that was his hand, screaming so shrilly one might mistake his voice as inhuman."Oh, just shut up." The lanky man glowered and launched a kick, reducing Wyvern into puddles of blood and pieces of innards, splattering all around the lobby. "Argh!!!" the devilish lady screamed as she watched the carnage unfolded."Another sound, and you'd end up just like him." The lanky man turned and frowned at her impatiently."Hngh…" The devilish lady promptly clasped a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she trembled."What the hell?!"Outside, Wyvern's lackeys heard the screams and ran inside, looking for him. "Hey, where's Wyvern?!"However, the lobby was too dimly lit for them to notice the blood and guts scattered around the walls, and they only sensed that terrible stench."Hngh…" The devilish lady was too scared to speak, and tears trickled out of her eyes."Fuck!"One of the lackeys strode up and seized the lanky man