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Decaying Eminence
Chapter 5 (As one bridge is formed, another falls)

Chapter 5 (As one bridge is formed, another falls)

Sheu and Moto lay on the ground behind Nawick, injured from the intense battle. Nawick towers over Najo, lightning crackling around his raised arms. It appears to be the end.

As Nawick brings his hand down to strike Najo, his hand stops a mere inch away from Najo's heart. Moto, with a burst of strength, lifts Nawick from behind and suplexes him into the ground. The move only buys them a little more time. Furious, Nawick gets up and grabs Moto, throwing him next to Najo.

Nawick: "I don't know why you're so eager to die too, but fine, have it your way."

Najo is speechless at what Moto just did.

Moto: "If you're scared of potential, then you should be terrified of me because you're looking at the strongest right now."

Najo looks at Moto, his declaration speaking to Najo's competitive nature.

Najo: "Well, you'll have to beat me first, pipsqueak."

Moto coughs. "I hit your dad more."

Najo: "Well, I hit him harder."

Nawick: "Are you two dense? You're about to die and you're making jokes!"

Moto, still speaking to Najo as they lay on the ground, says, "Not hard enough."

Nawick: "Stop ignoring me!"

He raises both hands, lightning crackling around his arms. Right as he is about to strike, a loud, deep thunder roars from the distance. Nawick freezes, an expression of terror on his face. He recognizes that distinct sound—thunder roaring with raw power and authority.

Nawick turns his head, trembling, and he sees his father, Ginimbi, approaching. Ginimbi, well-groomed and exuding authority, speaks with a commanding presence.

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Ginimbi: "You dare keep my heir from me, Nawick?"

Najo and Moto look up, and among Ginimbi's men, Drake steps forward. Earlier, when Najo rushed and left the others behind, Sheu asked Drake to go get Ginimbi, knowing they would likely be unable to defeat an adult alone and that Ginimbi would be interested in knowing his grandson lives. Najo realizes Moto was buying time for Ginimbi to arrive. A second later and things would have gone differently.

Nawick is backed into a corner; he cannot talk his way out of this one.

Ginimbi: "Answer me!" he demands, as lightning thunders from his robe.

Nawick shouts back, "Why are you so opposed to giving me your empire?"

Ginimbi: "You're still on about that? I told you, you're weak. The wealth gathered through 17 generations would be taken right out of your hands."

Nawick: "How could I be strong when you never trained me? You only paid attention to Nigel."

Ginimbi: "Don't you dare speak his name. I know what you did, yet I still kept you."

Nawick: "Defending your favorite even after death, yet you treat me like one of your guards."

Ginimbi: "You don't possess the storm. You never had the birthright to begin with. Regardless, I still gave you everything. I let you have your own henchmen and didn't even track you like I do everyone else. You're not only an ungrateful fool, but you're a danger to the family. And I'll die before I let the family name go to nothing."

Ginimbi banishes Nawick from the country.

Nawick: "Where will I go, huh? To the cultists in Zen or the hellscapes of Gehen?"

Ginimbi: "You're a man, figure it out."

Najo, despite his disdain, saw the deep sadness in his father's eyes. For a moment, he felt bad for him, and that image was burned into his memory.

Ginimbi approaches Najo and introduces himself. He asks Najo to show his lightning. Exhausted, Najo manages to create a spark in his forearm. Ginimbi's old face lights up.

Ginimbi: "Yes, this is it."

Ginimbi has his people provide medical care to Najo and his friends, and tells Najo that he's going to live with him in the Lightning Village. Najo asks that his friends come too. Ginimbi agrees, giving each of them houses to stay in. Naomi decides to stay at a separate house because the main house brings back memories of Nawick.

Ginimbi enrolls them all into the elite school. Moto is in awe at how quickly he just moved up. As the sun sets, he sits with Sheu, looking forward to their first day at the elite school.

Meanwhile, Nawick sits on a rock, a little over 5 kilometers outside of Nyika. A tall, lean man with short blond hair, dressed in white and yellow clothing, walks up to him.

Man: "I know that look. Having a bad day, are we?"

Nawick: "Who cares," he mutters.

The man chuckles and shows Nawick his emblem, the letters M and D.

Nawick: "Who are you?" he asks.