I couldn't think of a chapter name so I just went ahead and put that. Woohoo. Some-what fits with the last part of the chapter. Also, I unintentionally made this chapter 500-600 words longer than usual. Just over 3000 words this time. Woohoo. Hopefully this addresses some problems? Maybe? I dunno, tried my dangity best. Enjoy.

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Once Kyte arrived in the waiting room, he saw the other S rankers staring at him. A few had mocking faces, others had faces of pity, and about two or three merely smirked. Kyte quickly walked through the room to the door.

“What an idiot.”

“Hahaha, making Terris his enemy, who the Hell does he think he is?”

“A little brat, that’s what he is.”

The other elevator door opened the same time the middle door did. Terris and Azali simultaneously walked out, and both their auras were completely different. Terris had an ice cold, deadly air surrounding him as he walked back to his seat. Azali had a confused atmosphere around her. Her feelings were a little muddled, mostly because she’s talked with Terris before. She’s even sparred with him, so watching Kyte about to kill Terris, although she had no idea how that would be possible, some-what shocked her.

“Chasing after a piece of trash...what has Ms. Wux gotten herself into?”

“Don’t say that too loudly, you idiot.”

“Right…”

Azali caught Kyte in her sight as he opened the door to leave. She quickly made her way across the room and, after hearing several comments about what occurred, she began to feel a bit at a loss. On one hand, Terris was someone that she respected. However, the two of them weren’t friends. On the other, Kyte was her first real friend that didn’t make her feel like she was the daughter of the leader of Sector 31 but a normal girl. Although their meetings had been brief, she enjoyed her time with Kyte.

After Azali left the room, she looked to her right to see Kyte quickly walking down the path. He had already moved quite a bit away from the waiting room’s entrance.

“Kyte!”

Azali called out to him, however, he didn’t stop walking. Seeing that, Azali felt a little dejected. She removed that feeling from her heart and sped up to catch Kyte. From an outward perspective, it was like the two of them were having a fast-walking race which looked some-what comical...The two of them traversed a small distance away from the entrance of the stadium before Azali was a few feet away from Kyte.

“Kyte, why aren’t you stopping?!”

Azali quickened her pace, reached her hand out, and grabbed Kyte’s arm. Kyte stopped walking but he tried to move his arm out of Azali’s grip. Unfortunately for him, Azali was a legit S ranker. Her pure physical strength was actually greater than Kyte’s. That fact made Kyte feel a bit dejected himself.

“What do you want?!” Giving up, Kyte turned to look at Azali.

Seeing Kyte’s angry expression, Azali was stunned for a split second before she continued.

“I...I wanted to see you, is there a problem?”

“You-, you what?” Kyte slightly wavered, but he pushed that light feeling down.

“I know that you’re probably feeling mad about what happened, so...I wanted to see you.”

“Wanted to see me, huh? For what? To call me an idiotic brat?!”

“What? No! I would never call you that! I would never call you any bad names just because you made a mistake!”

“-! A mistake? Azali, you do know that I was going to kill that man? In cold blood, I was going to kill him!”

“I know that! But you didn’t kill him. He’s still alive and walking around. You didn’t kill him!”

“So what? Now he hates me, just like everyone else does! Even you should hate me now, so why are you even here?!”

“Because I don’t hate you! I...I don’t even care about that guy anymore! Everyone around me thinks of me as this perfect girl on an unreachable pedestal just because I’m the daughter of David Wux and being an S rank at sixteen years old. Everyone thinks like that, except for you! Well, and my father and mother...but that’s different. I’ve never felt like I’ve actually had real fun with another person in a long time. Even I’m confused why, but I enjoy the time I spend with you. Just because you almost killed someone because you weren’t supposed to won’t make me hate you. Besides...even I have done things that I regret.”

“...How do you know I don’t think of you like that?”

“Because you don’t care about a person’s status. Just because their social status is higher than yours doesn’t make them stronger than you. That’s the feeling I get from you, anyway…”

“Well, you are right about that. I have absolutely no social ranking at all. Now, thanks to what I just did, I’m certain the other S rankers will try to stop me from getting one. I honestly don’t care though. Social ranking? What do I need that for? At the end of the day, true power is what counts. However, I’m starting to think a bit differently about everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Having a high social ranking grants you plenty of extra power. Various connections and help just because you have the backing of powerful people. It’s not that bad of an idea-”

“Don’t try to do that, please!”

“Uh...why?”

“You don’t have to have a social ranking to be powerful. Did you already forget what you said before? True power is what counts.”

“-Ah...I'm such a hypocrite.”

“Don’t say that.”

“What. Don’t say what? That I’m a hypocrite? Do you even know how many people I’ve killed? Have you ever held the lives of innocent people in your hands? Have you ever had the innocent staring at you with eyes filled with terror and shock, as if they’re looking at a monster? Even if I was a normal human not too long ago, I still look at them as mere ants! Am I still human? Do I have to care anymore?! Am I being forced to kneel to a moral obligation to spare livestock?!”

“Kyte…”

“I don’t even know anymore! This...transition between a normal, less-physically capable human to this mighty and powerful form. I don’t even have the same skeleton system anymore! Am I still human?! My bones aren’t even bones, they’re metal from a different fucking dimension! A few months ago, I wouldn’t dare think about healing broken and shattered pieces of my skeleton in mere seconds. Or would I dare think that I would have the ability to destroy entire cities with my own, independent strength. What the Hell am I? I wasn’t born with this power like you Gifted. That’s right, I got this power only a few months ago! The Hell am I supposed to think? I’m not some hero that upholds all the good moral obligations in the world just because I have the power to do so. Why should I? The world has only brought me sadness and despair, what else should I give back? I don’t give a damn about this world-”

“Shut up.”

“...What?”

“I don’t care if you care about this world or not. You don’t have to. The only thing you need to care about is the people that you’re close to. Those innocent civilians you talked about? What about them? You don’t have to save them from harm. You don’t have to do anything. If they’re in your way, move them! In fact, if anything is in your way, destroy it! The only thing holding you back right now is that you’re too weak. You keep thinking that you’re being forced to uphold these…’obligations’? I don’t know what that words means, but I have a pretty good guess. All you need to do is follow your heart. If you don’t have a heart, then follow your own moral standards. No one will stop you. If you have enough power...no one can stop you. T-that’s what my father told me anyway, ahaha…”

“...I see.”

Kyte faintly smiled, reached out his hand, and grabbed Azali’s arm. He pulled her close and into his embrace as he tightly wrapped his arms around her.

“Wha-what’re you doing-”

“Thanks, Azali. I need a bit more time to sort out my own thoughts. I’ve only been pushing everything to the back of my mind. Also...I just had the sudden to urge to hug you. Just go with it.”

Kyte lightly chuckled as he felt Azali move her arms and return his hug. Although she isn’t in love with Kyte, she didn’t think hugging him was too bad. In fact, this was the first time she hugged someone in a long time. Kyte was also the only person she’s hugged that wasn’t part of her close family. Once she reached a certain age, hugging others just naturally left her. So, this was quite a surprise.

Kyte released his arms from around Azali, and she did the same as well. Making eye contact, both of them smiled.

“Oh, Kyte.”

“Hm?”

“What do you mean you got your power a few months ago?”

“-Ah...That…”

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me. It doesn’t really matter, anyway. So, I think you should go see your friends. I’ll, um...go uh…”

“Just come with me. I know you have nowhere else to be.”

“...Thanks.”

“No problem.”

________________________________________________________________

I wonder what was wrong with Rose once I returned?...

Before Kyte was going to open the door to the waiting room, he felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning around, Kyte saw David standing behind him.

“M-Mr. Wux.”

“Kyte. Come with me.”

David grabbed Kyte’s arm and the two of them disappeared without a sound.

Kyte felt like he was flying at mach speed when David jumped off the ground. He couldn’t see what was going on around him because everything was moving too fast. Eventually, after about ten seconds, it stopped. Kyte’s feet touched solid ground, though his legs felt almost like jello. He was able to stand, but barely.

“Mr. Wux...why and where did you take me?” Kyte asked, a little out of breath.

“Well, someone wanted to meet with you. This should have happened after the tournament, however, this person insisted on meeting you. I can’t say no to a higher rank, can I?”

“A higher rank?”

“Follow me. He’s inside.”

David began walking toward a large door. Kyte had just noticed the surroundings, and he noticed that everything was very...clean. No specks of dust or smudges anywhere. The floor was a pearly white and it extended behind Kyte to form a balcony. Kyte caught a small glimpse over the balcony; he saw the whole stadium from an obviously high place.

Must be the giant castle-like building in the middle.

Kyte followed David through the doorway. The doors were gilded, and the inside of the giant room Kyte entered had a multitude of different objects that were gilded. The furniture, which were numerous throughout the room, were all red. A large, circular, thick, red carpet was in the middle of the room. The furniture was perfectly and symmetrically situated around the circle. There were a lot of chairs, and one long couch.

Sitting on that one couch was a young looking man, probably in his mid twenties. His hair was a deep blue, and it was short enough to cover half of his forehead. An aura much more powerful than David’s surrounded this man. However, instead of being a majestic aura, it was more calm and sharp.

David leaned a bit closer to Kyte and whispered:

“Don’t let his looks fool you. He’s actually more than a hundred years old.”

“What?...”

More than one hundred? He looks like he’s twenty or something.

David led Kyte closer to the man, and when they were several steps from him, David stopped. It seemed like only when David stopped did the man even look up to see who entered.

“I’ve brought him, Mr. Wake.”

“Good. You can go ahead and sit down now, Mr. Wux.”

“Thank-you.”

David sat down on the couch, though not close to the young.

The moment the man looked at Kyte, Kyte felt as if he was being suffocated. He couldn’t move or breath because the pressure from just the man’s gaze was frighteningly powerful. Kyte felt a calm energy moving throughout his body, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Hmm...So, you’re Kyte?”

“...”

“Oh, right, sorry, hahaha.”

The energy within Kyte disappeared, but the man still stared at him. Kyte let out a sigh of relief before replying:

“Yes, sir.”

“...David, were you lying to me?”

“No, Mr. Wake. Even I wasn’t able to find out what it was.”

“I see. Kyte, would you mind showing me that black stuff you control?”

“...Why?”

Suddenly, an enormous pressure smashed onto Kyte. He immediately fell to his knees from the surprise and he could barely breath.

“It wasn’t a request, it was an order. Now, show me.”

“Why do I..have...to show you?”

The man stood up and kicked Kyte directly in the face, making him fly to the side and smash into a wall. The wall shook but remained strong under the powerful impact. Kyte felt like all the bones in his body were shattered, and his jaw was loosely hanging from thin strips of skin and muscle. He then felt his body being lifted and brought back to his original position.

The man watched as Kyte’s injuries quickly and visibly healed. Kyte’s hanging jaw fixed itself and the missing pieces of flesh appeared. Small cracking sounds were heard as Kyte’s bones put themselves back together.

“Oh, so his healing ability definitely wasn’t a lie. You don’t see that everyday. Usually it’s only Medics that can do that, though not to this ability. I’m slightly impressed. The only thing I’m not impressed with is his lack of discipline. Then again, he’s only had a few months, I can’t blame him. The new ones are always a pain in the ass to deal with. Don’t worry kid, you’ll know how to take orders soon enough.”

The man knelt down on one knee and said:

“Now, I’m going to ask one last time, ok? Show me your black light.”

“You know...I was kinda...forced into GG. I don’t give two shits about you, Sonic.”

The demanding look in the man’s eyes quickly changed into anger and killing intent.

“It seems like you’re asking for death, kid.”

“What I really want to ask is when you’ll shut up?”

A boom resounded through the room as the man kicked Kyte straight in the stomach. Blood sprayed from Kyte’s mouth as he flew backward toward the door. David quickly appeared behind Kyte and caught him before he possibly smashed through the door.

“What are you doing, David?!”

“Mr. Wake, you do realize you’re within my Sector, correct? GG law states that Sector Leaders hold absolute authority within their Sector, unless an Emperor rank or higher enters the Sector. Last I recall, you’re only at the King rank.”

Wake’s eye slightly twitched when he heard those words. He quickly hid his extreme displeasure, but the frown on his face revealed much of his inner feelings.

“Mr. Wux, I hope you know you’re making a mistake.”

“We were never friends to begin with, Mr. Wake. Besides, the Rayth family has already signed an agreement with my Wux family over the situation. You can’t do anything about it anymore.”

“You...Fine. It was a waste of my time coming here. Wish that we don’t meet again, Kyte.”

Wake’s figure instantly vanished without a sound. David laid Kyte down on the carpet and watched as Kyte’s completely destroyed chest and stomach quickly healed. The blood on the carpet and floor moved toward Kyte’s body to be absorbed again. A full minute later, Kyte turned his head over and coughed a few times to clear his throat.

“Thanks, Mr. Wux.”

“...”

“Mr. Wux…?”

“..Pfft HAHAHAHAHA! That was great! I can’t believe you did that! Hahahahahaheheheh...oh man that was the best thing I’ve seen in a while..hahaha…”

“Uh...um….what?”

“Sorry..haha...I couldn’t hold it in any longer..heheheh…”

“M-Mr. Wux...I don’t..”

“It’s alright, kiddo. When a good show is put in front of me, I can keep my stoicism for only so long.”

“You mean…”

“Of course. What, did you think us guys above S rank didn’t have personalities or something? Some of them are a bit dull though. The Core is quite a dangerous place.”

“Um...I feel like I have to apologize…”

“No worries, Kyte. That guy’s main reason for coming here was for a contract that allowed the exploration of a new...ah, I can’t say. You’ll learn of this when you enter the Core.”

“Oh...So, is it fine then?”

“Of course it’s fine! I wouldn’t want my daughter’s boyfriend to get in trouble!”

“B-boyfriend? Mr. Wux, I think you’ve misunderstood something-”

“Hm? What? I can’t hear you over my awesomeness!”

“...”

“It was just a joke.”

“Right...So, what now?”

“You’ll return to your Branch’s housing and wait for tomorrow. Oh, don’t worry about what you did today. You didn’t kill the guy, unlike me. Hate to say it but I was a pretty ruthless person before I met my wife. Anyway, you want me to take you or do you want to walk?”

“Uh, I’ll walk, sir.”

“Hahaha, alright.”

Kyte saw a small mischievous smile form upon David’s lips, but he chose to ignore it because he didn’t know why David would smile like that. That could be his natural smile for all he knows.

“Also, I have someone to show you the way out, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.”

“Thank-you, Mr. Wux.”

“Now go. I actually have some business to take care of.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kyte walked to the opposite door, and before he opened it, he looked behind to find that David was gone. Turning back, Kyte opened the door and walked out of the room.

The person leaning against the wall outside the room was, of course, Azali. When she saw Kyte walk out of the room, she quickly walked up to him.

“You’re the person Mr. Wux sent?”

“Yup! Hello again~.”

“...Well, that’s fine. No harm done. Come on, show me the way out of this place.”

“No problem.”

Azali winked and began to walk down the hall. When she noticed that Kyte didn’t speed up, she slowed down to walk by his side.