The SSS-Rank System: From Outcast To Overlord
Chapter 24: The Jack (III)

Chapter 24: The Jack (III)

MIDDLE SCHOOL_ FOUR YEARS PRIOR_

It was Elvis’s fifth attempt for a win, but each time he summoned determination, picking up to his feet although he was batterly injured, he went still sent skidding back to the ground.

His body severed deep bruises, his clothes incinerated from the exposure to fire. He groaned and cursed each time he jottled back to the ground, but his determination armored his weak state, lifting him back up.

He had never lost before. He was king after all, and he wasn’t going to let some dude take that from him.

"Is this the best you’ve got?" His opponent shook his head disappointedly, his hand consequently brimming with fire. "So much for the strongest student around here."

"Shut up!"

"But what’s even more shocking is that they say you’re my cousin." Reyy added. "I never figured a Mathers would be this weak."

"I said, shut up!" Elvis’s mana exploded, anger evident in his eyes. Streaks of shadows erupted in the air, lunging towards Reyy, but with a smirk, he dodged them all, his attacks apparently slow.

Elvis wasn’t satisfied by this, and so he charged at Reyy himself, his shadows surging him forward. He took up a fist, throwing it at him, but Reyy caught it.

With a hard wrench, he twisted his arm and issued a kick to his guts.

And yet again, Elvis collapsed, blood spurting quickly from his mouth.

"These people need a real king, someone who can take absolute responsibility over what happens around here. But you?" Reyy approached Elvis, stomping a foot over his head. "You’re just a weak can of trash."

Elvis gritted, pain surging through his whole. How? How could he let a newbie just show up and take over him? Why was he he too weak now to even lay a hand against his opponent?

"Don’t worry, I’ll help you out." Reyy squatted down, smirking at the satisfaction of Elvis being beaten. "If you acknowledge me as your new King, I might as well find you a position as powerful."

Elvis’s heart jerked forcefully at his words, he almost couldn’t believe his ears. First, this guy shows up from nowhere. And now, he was being forced to acknowledge him as the new King?

"I will never—!" Elvis was starting to groan when Reyy smashed his face into the ground again.

"Don’t sweat it." Reyy said. "Afterall, you are already bowing before your new king."

* * *

Elvis smiled as his eyes met the clear sky, the memories of his past twitching back into his brain.

How could he have forgotten that simple important detail? He was weak. Even too weak to win a fight against the once weakest student in Wisteria.

How could he have discarded the point that Reyy was trying to prove to him four-some years ago? That he was nothing but a weak piece of trash. His position as Jack was a feint one after all.

How could he have been so confident to assume that Michael’s aura was worth challenging? He had only learnt a few things here, that his weakness has always been a fond part of him.

And that his former wins were only self convictions that he was still strong.

Coughing out, blood sprayed from his mouth. He took up himself, summoning his final strength as he struggled to balance his stance. In his eyes, surrender spelt itself freely, but yet, something still brimmed behind him. Something dark... Something eery.

Persistence.

"It has been a while since I felt this feeling of defeat." He managed, his shadow lurking stronger behind him. "I must thank you.... Because you have reminded me to check my sense of self."

As soon as he spoke, his shadow hurled towards the masked student, spiralling with verge and speed as if to murder his opponent. However, Michael blocked, but the force was strong enough to throw him off for the first time.

But yet, he never surrendered to the ground.

Elvis smiled again, knowing he had used up his final chances. The sky met his eyes and blood drippled down his mouth in darker lines. He opened up his mouth to say something, but it didn’t seem like his opponent wanted to hear him give another speech.

Light shone for a second, and then it dispersed under Michael’s shadow as he shot himself at the Jack.

And just then, SLICE! The frey claws within his shadows slashed across his chest, and his heart resounded.

And again, and...no more.

* * *

ELVIS L. MATHERS:

CHARACTERIZATION; Mysterious, Cold, has anger issues but knows how to deal with them.

AGE: 18. Born on November 10.

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS: Cousins with Reyy Mathers. Elvis and Reyy used to be very close in the past, working and training together while sharing dreams to become the strongest horsemen in the world.

However, that all crushed after their rank evaluation with both reading a result of A-rank. While the Mathers’ talent was an hereditary elementary type, Elvis got a kind of talent that made him different from his family: Shadow Manipulation.

This made him criticized and secretly hated among the others, and because his powers crept in shadows where he’d rather lurk, Elvis would rather be stuck in his own abyss where he drowned and survived on the hatred of his family to him.

And because of the talent he harbored, he was completely separated from Reyy, subjected to live his childhood in solicitation.

Over the years, Elvis turned cold. Mysterious. Reserved. In his Middle school years, his becoming king was a coincidental event after which he was directly bullied by the previous king.

When Elvis turned 14, he met Reyy again. However, it was not a joyful comeback as somehow, Reyy has only a bit memories of their childhood.

However, on his scavenge to become the King of his Middle school, Reyy defeats Elvis, his strength seemingly a lot stronger than it was 6 years prior.

Elvis is a simple, hot guy who has no care for the world. And because he is tolerable to every fault, he is often perceived as mysterious.