UNIFIED W

Chapter 6: Rejected

After the announcement, the audience cleared the arena.

The world had just witnessed something beyond the bounds of possibility, and people were eager to see more—especially from Kai and his team.

Zeru tried to stand on his own two feet and pushed Kai's arm off him.

"Let go of me. I can stand on my own, Kai."

"Are you sure, Zeru? You were injured at the end."

Zeru gave Kai a quick, angry look.

"Huh, I can stand on my own."

"If you say so."

Kai could sense Zeru's frustration, knowing he desperately wanted to prove himself and show everyone his true potential.

But the moment was ruined for Zeru, and worst of all, he was saved by someone who's an outcast.

Although Zeru was frustrated and angry about the situation, May suddenly became very talkative with Kai, happy that they had won phase one and moved on.

"No offense, but who would have thought that you'd save the team, Kai?"

"I'm as surprised as you guys. I don't know how I did it; the power just came to me when I needed it most."

May moved closer to Kai and gave him a big smile.

"You have the wind attribute, the most powerful attribute in the world."

While Kai and May were talking back and forth, Zeru was staring at Kai with intense eyes the whole time before interrupting them.

"May, the only question you should ask Kai is how he's able to use an elemental attribute without a crystal inside his body."

"Maybe he's a member of the Wind Clan. We don't really know much about them..."

Suddenly, Zeru burst out laughing.

"HAHAHA. Kai, a member of the Wind Clan? Let me tell you something: Kai lived in Buur City before we took him into our clan. He never left Stage One in his entire life."

Kai was confused, as he had never seen Zeru talk or act like that. It was as if he were a whole new person.

'I shouldn't tell anyone about the vision I saw a while ago until I'm sure of what it was.'

While Kai was lost in thought, Zeru was heading out.

"Tell Grandfather I'll be home late tonight."

After that, Zeru left the arena.

Kai and May discussed where they should meet before the second phase began, and soon after, May also left the arena.

Kai was the only one left in the arena, and he wondered what his path would look like now that he had powers.

***

Zeru was walking along a road near his house, trying to avoid people as much as possible.

But the city was as lively as ever after the first phase of the test, with people drinking and dancing outside, enjoying the night.

Zeru moved into a quiet area, away from all the noise and disturbance, and suddenly stopped.

"You can come out now."

"Very well, then. You got me."

"Why are you following me?"

A man stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself to Zeru.

"It takes skill to notice my presence, and you spotted it so easily. You're truly living up to your reputation around here."

The man was in the dark, wearing a long black cloak. His face was hard to see due to the large hood covering it entirely.

"I'm not in a good mood, so for your own sake, leave me alone."

The man in the black cloak raised his hands in the air and acted a bit scared to tease Zeru.

"Ay... Take it easy with the threats. I could leave right now, but know this: I have all the answers you're looking for."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm someone who has eyes and ears everywhere in this world."

Zeru didn't know what to say or believe, as he had never encountered a situation like this before.

"I'm sure you have many questions, especially about what happened in the arena today."

Zeru's eyes widened as soon as the man in the black cloak finished talking.

"How did...?"

"I watched the match with my own eyes, and I still can't believe what I saw today."

Zeru took a few steps toward the man in the black cloak.

"Kai lived his whole life without powers, and suddenly he can use them. The worst part is that it had to be the wind attribute."

"You didn't want him to have powers."

"Any power would be fine, but not the wind attribute. I hate the Wind Clan with every cell of my body."

"The man in the black cloak started laughing out loud."

"HAHAHA... Is that so? Let me tell you something: I'm not entirely sure about the situation yet, but one thing is for certain: the boy has a connection to the Wind Clan."

Zeru couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Ever since he saw Kai use his newfound power, he's refused to believe that Kai has any connection to the Wind Clan.

"What do you mean by connection?"

Zeru didn't get an answer, as the man in the black cloak was long gone, leaving Zeru standing alone in the dark.

***

Kai entered his home, where he was welcomed by none other than the Fire Clan leader himself.

"What an outstanding performance you put on out there today, Kai."

Kai went inside the house and bowed his head to greet the Fire Clan leader.

"Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me, coming from you."

"With your newfound power, the team will have more chances to win the test and secure the ultimate prize."

"I will do my best."

Kai was finally happy that everyone around him relied on him, rather than seeing him as dead weight.

But the only person Kai wanted to be happy for him was angry and frustrated that he had gained powers.

The Fire Clan leader approached Kai and placed a hand on his head.

"Focus and win this, Kai. We'll celebrate big afterward."

"Yes, sir. You can count on me."

Before Kai could say another word, Zeru entered the house, looking far from cheerful.

"Welcome home, Zeru."

".........."

He didn't even respond to Kai, instead he started a conversation with his grandfather.

"I'm sorry I let you down. It won't happen again."

"It better not. You embarrassed us, Fire Clan, today. Good thing Kai was there."

As soon as the clan leader said that, Zeru lowered his gaze, feeling ashamed and unsure of what to say.

Zeru went up to his room, but before he could enter, Kai confronted him.

"Cheer up, Zeru. We've got this, you and I."

"You and I, you say?"

Zeru turned toward Kai, his eyes glowing with rage.

"Remember this Kai, you will always be weaker than me, whether you have powers or not."

Zeru went into his room, while Kai stood outside, feeling tearful and regretful.