Rise Of The Elemental Hero

Festival Fiasco 2

Shiro knew he had to act, but Korin yanked him back just as another figure stepped forward— Yuki stood there trembling but determined. "I can help!" He shouted.

“I'll help too” , Shiro said standing up

"You’re not ready!" Rena and Korin shouted at the same time.

"I have to try!" Shiro said as his hands glowed with weak Air energy, and he struggled to contain the storm, his power barely doing anything.

The man's cold voice cut through the storm. "We don’t have time for this. If we don’t stop him now, he’ll destroy this place."

Shiro continued and didn't give up.

"I won’t let him hurt anyone," Shiro said, his voice steady.

Rena’s eyes widened, realizing Shiro’s intent. “If you’re going to do this, be careful! Focus on your air element; use it to calm the storm!” she shouted loudly so he could hear.

Taking a deep breath, Shiro summoned all his willpower, channeling his air energy. “Breathe! You can control it!” he said to himself.

The winds howled around them, but Shiro felt his energy connecting with the boy's. He concentrated, feeling the chaotic elements start to stabilize.

“Come on!” Shiro urged, feeling the energy shift. “We can do this together!”

With Yuki’s help, they formed a united front, surrounding the boy with their combined energy, pushing back against the chaotic storm.

Rena ran to save the girl while the man continued to support them, creating a firewall to protect the people running away nearby

“Keep going, Shiro!” Yuki encouraged, his voice strong. “You’ve got this!”

As the storm began to settle, Shiro's determination burned bright. He could do this. He had to do this.

“Let it go!” Shiro shouted to the boy, reaching out. “Let us help you!”

With a final push, the elements began to calm, the winds easing, and the earth settling. Shiro felt a sense of relief wash over him as he realized they were making progress.

Suddenly, the boy’s power erupted one last time, but this time, instead of chaos, it was a burst of light—a flash that shone so bright on them.

Shiro closed his eyes against the brightness, and when he opened them again, he saw the boy on the ground, his body trembling but the storm of power around him had vanished. They had done it.

As Shiro neared the boy, he heard him crying.

“It wasn't me--it was him! Not me” the boy said, referring to no one near.

Rena and the man came forward, as they heard what he said.

“Who was it? “ The man asked, “who is behind this??!” He urged.

“Jun, don't pressurize him,” Rena advised.

He was on the ground trembling, afraid to raise his head high. Shiro looked at him slightly, he had no idea who he was but he felt something.

******************************

Shiro stood at the center of the grand council hall, feeling the weight of every protector’s gaze on him. The room was quiet, too quiet, as the council members sat in their high-backed chairs, each radiating authority.

Cora,as usual sat at the head of the table, her hair draped over her shoulders. Her expression was calm, but her sharp eyes seemed to dissect him piece by piece. Rexar also look have him a look, his golden eyes gleaming with suspicion as he leaned back lazily, fingers tapping on the arm of his chair.

"So, Shiro," Cora began, her voice steady but carrying the weight of centuries, "you stopped the elemental disturbance last night."

Shiro shifted nervously under the pressure. "I… I didn’t do it alone."

Rexar gave a low chuckle, the kind that hinted he was waiting to catch a lie. "Of course you didn’t. It’s a miracle you even managed to keep standing, let alone interfere with a force that powerful."

Shiro clenched his fists. "I tried because I had to. If I didn’t do anything, people could’ve been hurt."

Rexar raised a brow, unconvinced. "Trying without knowing the outcome—some would call that foolishness, not bravery if you ask me."

"Enough," Alaric said, silencing Rexar with a glance before turning back to Shiro. "What you did was reckless, yes...you could have been hurt, But it wasn’t without merit."

"Luck," Rexar muttered under his breath.

Alaric ignored him, leaning forward slightly. "You say you didn’t act alone. Who else was involved?"

“The instructor, Rena helped me, and..." Shiro hesitated for a moment, then spoke honestly. "I... couldn’t have done it also without Yuki, a friend. He stepped in at the right time."

Cora gave a small, approving nod. "Good. At least you understand that strength lies in teamwork."

"Or in knowing your limits, Cora" Rexar added, eyeing Shiro with a smirk. "Which he doesn't seem to grasp yet."

Zerix’s temper flared, but he forced himself to stay calm. “He did what any of us would have done. He wasn’t just going to stand there and let things get worse."

Rexar leaned forward, his golden eyes glinting. "And what if he had failed? He could’ve made the situation worse, Zerix"

Cora raised a hand, cutting off Rexar’s next words. "That’s enough, both of you! Shiro, your actions showed courage, but courage alone will not carry you forward. Experience is just as important."

"That boy is an Advanced student, his powers are really strong, you could have been hurt" Liora added.

"I understand," Shiro said quietly.

Cora gave him a measured look. "Good. But know this—whatever caused that disturbance is not over. There are things stirring beneath the surface that we don’t fully understand yet. Any other thing you'd like to let us know??"

Shiro's mind drifted back to how the boy looked at him like he knew him but he didn't feel the need to let them know, so he nodded in disapproval.

The council then rose, signaling the end of the meeting. As they walked out, Rexar gave Shiro one intense last look.

Korin, who had been standing by the door throughout the meeting, strolled over to Shiro once the council members left. "Well, that went better than I expected."

Shiro exhaled, finally relaxing. "If that was better, I don’t want to see worse."

Korin grinned. "Come on, hero. Let’s grab something to eat before they change their minds and call us back in."

“ I'm not a hero,” Shiro chuckled as he followed his Frid out of the hall, but the weight of the council’s words still stuck on his mind.