Three more years had passed, totaling eight long years Seiya had spent in the facility. At sixteen, he was now the height of an average teenager, his body more toned, muscles thick yet still slender in build.
Seiya walked through the all-too-familiar hallways, each step heavy and deliberate. The cold air clung to him, his sleep mask tightly secured over his face, concealing his eyes and the scar that marred his features. His black, sleeveless shirt clung to his lithe frame, and a thick chain dagger was coiled around his waist. His bald head, now dotted with the faintest of white strands, had grown out into a buzz cut, a stark contrast to the long burgundy hair he once had.
Over the years, after losing his long hair, its regrowth was slow and scarce. Tiny strands of white began to appear, growing gradually, as though stunted in their progression. Three years after going bald, the only growth he had achieved was a neat buzz cut, shaved close to his scalp and tapering down the side of his face.
Returning from a mission, Seiya made his way to his father's office to report back. However, upon his arrival, he was informed that his teacher had requested to see him at his home.
Seiya did not protest. He had never protested. Without a word, he boarded the bus that would take him to his teacher's house.
Upon arriving, the driver urged Seiya to enter, stating he would wait for him outside.
As Seiya stepped onto the grounds of his teacher's compound, the familiar, biting breeze that had gripped him for years brushed against his skin. He remembered everything to be the same but a subtle difference grated against his senses. The constant pulsation of a heartbeat, which had always echoed faintly in his ears, was now gone.
As he made his way inside the traditional Japanese house, with its sliding doors and veranda, the same pungent scent greeted him, lingering in the air as it always had. Despite the familiarity, one thing was undeniably absent—the faint heartbeat that had once accompanied the smell.
"You're here," his teacher's voice greeted him softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Seated on the floor, his teacher looked worn and weary, dark circles under his eyes betraying his fatigue.
Seiya remained standing, gazing down at the man who seemed far weaker than he remembered. He sighed, expecting the usual oddities and eccentricities from his teacher, but the man remained silent.
After a long pause, his teacher rose to his feet, moving slowly toward a sheathed katana resting nearby. He drew the sword and turned to face Seiya, taking slow, deliberate steps.
"Sei…" The teacher breathed, his voice barely audible.
"We've come a long way, haven't we?" A faint smile played at the corner of his lips.
"To think that I, with all my transgressions, was blessed with a warm-hearted student like you…." His voice faltered, his gaze dropping to the floor.
"No, it doesn't matter now," he added softly, stopping just inches from Seiya.
"Let's put an end to it now."
Without warning, he swung the katana with fierce intent at Seiya but Seiya, despite not being prepared for such an attack, had sharp reflexes.
Reacting with instinctual precision, Seiya caught the teacher's wrist, halting the blade's descent mid-air.
A small smile graced his teacher's face, appreciating Seiya's speed and precision.
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint," the man remarked, releasing the katana. The sword fell into his other hand, and in the blink of an eye, he made a swift slicing motion toward Seiya's torso.
Seiya reacted swiftly, letting go of the teacher's wrist and leaping back. But it was not fast enough. A clean cut appeared along his stomach, a long gash that leaked blood.
"What are you doing? If you hesitate too long, you'll end up dead," his teacher remarked coldly, flicking Seiya's blood from the sword in a swift, dismissive motion.
Seiya, recognizing the gravity of the situation, unwound his chain dagger and prepared to engage in the fight. His teacher's smile softened at the sight, eyes gleaming with approval .
"Alright, here I come!" His teacher declared, taking a sprinting stance before vanishing from sight and reappearing directly before Seiya.
He swung his katana down with deadly intent, prompting Seiya to brace for a counter. But just as the strike seemed imminent, the teacher instead swept Seiya off his feet. Regripping the sword, he angled the blade downward and drove it toward Seiya, aiming to thrust it into him as he fell.
Seiya, catching himself on the floor with one hand planted firmly against the ground, swiftly kicked upward, his foot connecting with his teacher's chin and causing the katana to graze along his leg.
With Seiya's leg under his chin and his head tilted, the man smirked. He gripped Seiya's ankle in a vice-like hold and yanked him toward him, the katana pointing and aiming directly down at Seiya's shoulder. Seiya intercepted the incoming blade with his dagger, but his balance faltered, allowing the sword to pierce and penetrate deep into the flesh of his shoulder.
The two clashed fiercely, their weapons ringing with sparks, each strike sending tremors through the ground. They fought relentlessly, both bearing bruises and injuries, but neither showing any sign of yielding. As they collided once more, Seiya managed to coil his chain around his teacher's neck, stabbing his dagger deep into the man's shoulder as he stomped on the man's foot, to limit his movement. Both struggled to overpower the other, their hands locked in a battle of strength.
With his movements restricted, the man found himself at a disadvantage. A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips as he stared up at Seiya. "I've never used my combat Ability in front of you, have I?"
In an instant after he said that and before Seiya could react, the teacher's palm struck Seiya's forehead. With a force that seemed beyond natural, Seiya was slammed to the ground on his knees, his body pinned beneath the weight of an unseen force. Blood oozed from his wounds as he struggled to breathe, his chest heaving in desperate gasps.
"It's not gravity," his teacher mused, before driving his sword deep into Seiya's chest, penetrating through.
"How empty," the teacher observed with a bemused tone. "Too bad your heart isn't here."
With the sword still embedded in Seiya's chest while he remained pressed down, the teacher took retreating steps, his expression unreadable.
"My ability, you see, is not based on gravity or being able to manipulate it," the teacher continued. "I can multiply the weight of organs in anyone I touch. I've just multiplied yours to the point you can't bear or carry."
Seiya could only wheeze softly, unable to move as his body was held in place by the immense weight pressing down on him.
"Since your heart isn't here, I suppose I should go for the head instead," his teacher mused, his tone calm and calculating. "That should do the trick."
With a slow, deliberate pace, he approached Seiya.
Seiya, battered and bloodied, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, summoned every ounce of willpower to break free, but it was hopeless.
The teacher yanked the sword from Seiya's chest, blood spurting in a violent spray. As the katana was lifted, the teacher prepared to strike again but Seiya, in a final act of desperation, tore off his sleep mask, scratching his face in the process. His gleaming white eyes, once hidden, were now exposed.
"What is that?" The teacher's voice quivered with confusion as he stumbled back, taken aback.
Since Seiya got his new eyes, he had always kept them hidden beneath his sleep mask, concealing them from others to avoid any complications. While everyone assumed he wore the mask due to his blindness and scar, Seiya had a different, far more personal reason for the concealment.
Seiya didn't allow his teacher a moment to recover. With a blur of motion, he surged to his feet, snatching the katana from his teacher's grasp and slicing through the air—severing the teacher's arm cleanly at the shoulder.
The teacher's eyes widened in shock, as he staggered backward, blood pouring from the stump of his severed arm.
"What just happened?" He gasped, pressing a hand to the wound. "Did you stop time? I couldn't see your attack."
Seiya exhaled sharply, steadying himself. The teacher's Ability on him hadn't lessened nor subsided. Despite his resolute stance, he carried the weight of the effect, which proved far more challenging than he had expected.
Noting that Seiya wasn't at all ready to converse, the man smirked, inching forward. "You're not free yet, just because you adapted to the weight," the teacher warned. "I've already touched you, so you're still under my control."
Before the teacher could act, Seiya vanished in a flash, reappearing instantly before him with a brutal, decisive strike. His dagger plunged deep into the teacher's chest, twisting the blade mercilessly.