I never knew that the day would have arrived right in front of me. But it has arrived. After I ate the Infinitum crystal, a huge burst of water blew out all over the place. The pond, the fire hydrant, the sewage, all of it were bursting. I could feel the power. I could feel the life. All of this wouldn’t have happened if I stop thinking about living in this world.

It happened few years back. Who would know that all these times those guys were just using me because of my ‘usefulness’. They only come to me when they need me. They never come to me when I need them. What kind of friend are they? I hate them so much. They don’t know how I feel. They don’t know how much I have been through. All they know was that they are satisfied about themselves. How selfish can a human be…

I got transferred to this school when it was the 4th year. Before that, I was in a boarding school. I received 3 years of painful stories. My seniors bullies me. They always pulled a prank on me just because of my body. How stupid can they get. They called me fat and many other insults that exist in this world. I was tortured by them. Humiliated in front of the whole school. I became their toy. They played me as much as they like. They broke me.

When I was almost at a lost of where to go, I still remember that I have a friend that still believes in me. But he wasn’t in this boarding school. But all I know was that he would never leave me. His name was Yin Kirin. He was my best friend in the whole world before I met the others. Because of him I stay put. I endured all the hardships. I finally get to see him when we had a midterm break.

“How you been doing, Hosuke?” Yin asked me.

I lied to him, “I’ve been fine as always.”

Yin can totally tell that I was lying even if I faked my own smile. I don’t know how he did that. He was not a wizard who uses Investigation like Rulend does. Maybe it was just too obvious.

Yin grabbed my arm tightly and said, “Don’t lie to me, Hosuke. I think I can guess what happened.”

I started tearing up and hugged him. Yin patted me on the back. It wasn’t a declaration of love or anything messed up. It was just a friend who needs a shoulder to cry on. Yin was that friend who provided the light during my darkest moment.

“It’s okay, buddy. Let it all out. Tell me everything.” Yin softly talked to me as I was still crying.

After wiping the tears from my face I told him everything about my life in the boarding school. It was surreal. How different the world here compared to the world inside that locked cage called boarding school. I’m like a bird stuck inside a cage. I want to get out of that cage. It was all in due time. I just have to finish my 3rd year and it will be done. That’s it. I have enough of that stupidity.

‘If only I have magic’. That was the word that I kept on saying whenever I was attacked by those idiots. I could of fight them back or at least defend myself. But I was defenceless. No one even bats an eye to help me out. They just stood innocently not wanting to get involved in it. No one wanted to help me. Nobody.

Months have passed and I finally got through that 3 years of painful life. They took away my 3 years and I will never have it back. Yin was glad that I decided to transferred to his high school for the rest of my high school level life. It was the best decision to be honest. I never would have realised how a normal school like this would be far more greater and better. The people there are not stupid idiots. They all cared for each other even though at times they would fight. That’s a normal thing.

It was then during the school holiday was when I finally met, White. Back then, Zone was one of my friends that I still remember, he introduced me to White who I think I saw him back in middle school. Why? Because most of us right now are from the same middle school. But when it was time for high school, most of the people I know went their separate ways.

“Oh it’s you. I never knew you would have the same problem as I do.” I said to the short guy named, White.

He was really short. He looked like a final year middle school student for a 3rd year high school student. We met because we somehow understand each other, that was what Zone said unless he used his Cheat on me. But I believe he didn’t used Cheat. Because he is now the leader of Stardust. A group where I can call...home.

White then said to me, “You know, having no talent does not mean we are nothing. It means we can be anything. What do you want to be?”

I stuttered and didn’t know what to say. I opened my mouth and what I said was, “I wanted to be acknowledged.”

I didn’t know why I said that to someone I had just met. Why would I say something so private to him. Maybe because he understands me. Maybe because he know how it is. But surprisingly enough, he wasn’t in a boarding school like mine. He was just a normal high school student. But after I started to know him more, I can finally see how bad he went through. Even in a far more better world than that bird cage, there was still someone who was suffering. It was him.

He didn’t have any friend back when he started middle school. People called him weird. People called him outrageous things. It made me bit my lips when I hear him said all of those to me. Here I thought, outside the bird cage was a better world. But instead, it was a world filled with toxicity. They only cared about how good you are with your talent. They never cared about anything else. They see White as a delusional kid who will never obtain anything because he was a nobody.

But what did made White changed? He changed so much from the course of his young life to today. He changed because he learnt something important. It was the importance of his life. He wanted to find the reason why he lived. He wanted to know why he was born into this world. He knew he wasn’t born just to be a nobody. He knew one day he will do something remarkable to his life. He knew he will become something. He knew he will be fine. He was strong. Very strong.

I was very jealous of him. He had a strong heart unlike me. He is as stubborn as its gets. He never wanted to stay down even when people said so. He was far more mature than any of us even if he was the most childish one among all of us. He was the best in both world. I don’t know how he do that. Amazing. Someone like him, exist.

It was at that moment when I realised that this could be the start of something. Something so good that I will totally miss if I didn’t meet all of them. It was weird. Coming from someone with no friends at all. He managed to gather all these interesting people I now call best friends.

At first he was all alone and always become a shadow to one of his friends that supports him. In my eyes, they were the original Stardust. The Original Trio. It was a two good old friend that White used to have. It all starts to fade away once they were slowly separated from each other and that made him lonely again. But that was probably the spark that made him change.

He hooked up with Blax who were a new guy that transferred in during middle school. Then he took in Rulend who got separated by his partner. After that, he helped out Haz who no one truly understands his crazy world. When high school started, he met up with Rider and Lore who were outcast to the society because of their obnoxious interest. He hooked in Zone who had Cheat and believed that the people only became ‘friends’ with him because he was ‘useful’. He rekindled his relationship with Airi who were once just his old acquaintance and classmate that was different back in middle school. He even asked Yin to be apart of us. Then he met me who had so much painful stories.

He kept gathering all these great people into one place where they can call home. After I joined in the circle, the juniors started to come in. Kaym, Kin, Nif and Serena. Even all of the juniors were in one way, different than normal people. They are not weirdos as what people calls it. They are an amazing people that I know so well.

It was at this day, was where I finally, reincarnated. I will become what The Sea God had become and that was to be thankful to my friends. I must support them in any way I can. I will be the reincarnation of The Sea God. I will make sure nothing bad happens to my friend. I will be acknowledged by them.

It started raining when I realised that I fainted from the burst of Infinitum that was unleashed before me. It was also when I realised that the shrine was already destroyed. Blax hold on to me. Disabling me from running towards the destroyed shrine. I was a little angry. But it probably happened because The Sea God was no longer inside the shrine.

The Sea God was inside me now. The Sea God became an Infinity crystal so that he can continue to be helpful to the fisherman’s family. I would be surprised if the fisherman was actually my ancestor but who knows right? Anything can happen.

“What now?” Blax asked me.

I simply answered, “Now, we win The Magic Duel.”

Blax had that smile ever since we found that crystal. I never would have known if he didn’t told me about this. Maybe Rulend did look up something very deep into my real family. I will never know because Rulend can sometimes be mysterious about his ways. In any case, I hope White got some good news for us today because I have one now. I also hope those three idiots can persuade Airi to join us. I wonder what was going on with them?

TO BE CONTINUED