UNIFIED W

Chapter 45: Irregular, part 10

A month had passed since Zeru received the healing crystal. His powers were growing at a pace that didn't make sense for a human.

Doctor X stood among the scientists, observing Zeru's rapid development with a faint smile. Everything was proceeding exactly as he intended.

Meanwhile, while Zeru trained relentlessly in the secret lab, Arthur's forces moved carefully on Perigo Island, securing a small portion of the uncharted territory.

Obstacles and setbacks slowed them at every turn, yet they were ready for anything, except the bunker Commander Blade had discovered in the middle of nowhere.

He moved cautiously around the bunker, his eyes taking in every detail. It was clearly the V clan's. Inside, supplies, rations, weapons, and uniforms lay scattered, a silent trace of those who had once occupied it.

Frustration weighed on Commander Blade as he thought of Prov Island. Confronting Thomas directly would have been simple enough, if only he could. With his small unit, he continued searching for clues about the V Clan's outside team.

Meanwhile, in Stage 1, Von City had been stable for a time, but rebellions against the new leaders were growing, and the city was no longer safe.

King Prime VII received the reports and wasted no time, dispatching military units to Von City before the unrest could erupt into full-scale war.

The last thing King Prime VII wanted was for the Earth and Magma clans to exploit the chaos and strike Von City while it was defenseless.

News kept coming, one grim update after another, and King Prime VII felt the weight of the world pressing down. His hands ached from gripping the arms of his throne.

Then, suddenly, everything stopped. Silence filled the hall. For the first time in hours, he let himself lean his head on his arm and breathe, letting the quiet press against him, even if only for a moment.

The king's throne sat in a vast, shadowed hall. Stone pillars stretched toward a ceiling covered with intricate paintings. Along the walls, enormous statues towered, their heads nearly touching the lofty roof, staring silently down at the hall below.

Stone statues of past kings stood along the walls, their faces so detailed it felt as though they followed every movement on the throne. The hall glowed in purple and gold, the colors of the Wind Clan giving the room an air of authority.

In this world, every color carried meaning, especially for the seven clans. Purple belonged only to the royal family and the Wind Clan, who had no need for armbands to show which clan they were part of.

Their identity was clear simply by wearing the color. Instead, they dressed in luxurious purple garments, making them impossible to miss with their striking blue eyes and white hair.

The V Clan marked their members with two types of armbands, the official color being light green.

Anyone without one was considered clanless, whether outcast, thief, or banished, and all of them wore gray-green armbands that set them apart.

The Water Clan wore deep blue armbands, flowing like calm water. The Magma Clan's bands burned black and dark orange.

Brown armbands mark the Earth Clan. Yellow marks the Lightning Clan. Red marks the Fire Clan.

***

The peace and quiet were broken by a knock at the large doors.

Taro entered the hall and informed the king that someone from HQ wanted a private audience.

Shortly after, a woman walked in. Taro closed the doors behind her and took his position outside, leaving only the soft click of her heels on the marble. She paused before the throne, then lowered her head to bow.