Arthur had a thread all along , thread of echo or thread of copy to be more precise.
A rare and dangerous ability. It allowed him to copy another person's Thread. But there was a catch:
He could only copy three at a time… and only through physical contact.
The moment Arthur's elbow grazed Kaizan's shoulder, a voice echoed in his head:
"Thread of Flame... copied successfully."
Eli: "Arthur, you okay?"
Arthur: "Yeah… I feel great."
Kaizan stared at him, stunned. His eyes wide with disbelief.
Kaizan: "What the—?"
Without warning, Kaizan launched forward, sending a barrage of fireballs at Arthur.
Arthur didn't flinch. He twirled his axes, slashing the fireballs apart mid-air. Sparks flew in every direction.
The crowd gasped.
They used to call him Null — the boy with no Thread.
Now he stood tall in front of them.
Kaizan: "You… you don't even know what you did, do you?"
Arthur: "Not exactly. But… I think I just copied your Thread."
Kaizan: "Tch. Don't be ridiculous. That's impossible!"
With a roar, Kaizan fired a concentrated beam of fire at Arthur.
Arthur dodged, barely. His grip tightened. His power was still new, raw and unrefined.
Eli (from the sidelines): "Need help?"
Arthur: "No... I've got this."
He focused, trying to mimic Kaizan's attack. A beam of fire burst from his hand — but it was weak and unstable.
Kaizan (grinning): "That it? Don't get cocky just 'cause you have same thread as me."
Arthur's eyes burned with determination.
Arthur: "Don't underestimate me."
He charged, both axes blazing with fire. Kaizan conjured a sword of flames and met him head-on.
Steel and fire clashed.
Kaizan swung and a wave of flames erupted from his blade but Arthur's axes absorbed the fire, swallowing it whole.
Kaizan pushed forward. Arthur dodged the flaming strike by inches, then countered slamming one axe into Kaizan's sword.
The other axe struck his side with the blunt end.
Kaizan crumpled to the ground unconscious.
Just then…
WHHHHIIIIISSSSTLLLEEEE!!!
Announcer:
"Battle Royale is OVER!
The last 5,000 standing have earned their place in the Wardens Academy!"
Kaizan groaned and blinked. Luckily for him, the whistle had blown just before he was officially knocked out.
Later…
Eli walked over, wide-eyed.
Eli: "What the hell was that? You've got some flashy Thread there."
Arthur: "I think… I can copy other people's Threads. But I don't know how it works. Not fully."
Eli: "You should check the Book of Threads. That might explain it."
Arthur: "Yeah I need answers."
Eli: "Father's gonna be proud."
Arthur: "I don't care about that old man."
Just then, Kaizan limped over — still clutching his ribs, but grinning.
Despite his temper, Kaizan respected strengthand is passionate.
Kaizan: "Hey… that was something.My self Kaizan Phil."
Arthur: "Arthur Cage. That's my brother, Eli Cage."
Kaizan raised an eyebrow.
Kaizan: "Cage? As in… James Cage?"
Arthur: "Unfortunately, yeah. I'm his son."
Kaizan froze.
Kaizan: "You're the son of James Cage one of the Four Spiders of The Web?"
The Web an elite organization even above the Wardens.
They controlled the Wardens, governed the continent's security, and operated in the shadows.
Only the best of the best in wardens were invited to join.
And the four generals at the top? They were called the Spiders.
Arthur's father,James Lee Cage was one of them.