The Sky Severing Academy's library was vast beyond imagination, a cathedral of knowledge spanning multiple floors, each lined with towering shelves that reached for the stained-glass ceiling. Scrolls, tomes, and enchanted books whispered with the secrets of the world, many of them restricted to only the most advanced students—or those with access through rare permissions.
Arata Kurogane sat cross-legged in the center of a circular reading alcove, a pile of books stacked around him like a protective barrier. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by the golden shafts of sunlight that pierced the high windows. He yawned, stretched lazily, and then turned his gaze back to the open tome in front of him:
"Formulas of Absolute Circuit Dynamics" by Eirian Valemont, a legendary scholar from the continent of Aurashia, renowned for her theories on multi-layered circuits and the evolution of awakened users.
Arata had already read every general history book: the rise and fall of empires, the great wars between continents, the legendary families and their courts, the academies that trained circuit users from infancy, and the top-tier individuals who had shaped history. He knew the continents' politics, trade routes, magical zones, and even hidden ruins with dangerous circuits lying dormant.
Yet, while the histories were necessary, the formulas in Valemont's book were the key.
Fascinating, he thought, fingers tracing the diagrams in the book. She theorized that circuit evolution isn't merely linear. It's recursive, self-organizing… almost like consciousness itself. And she even left some of her formulas incomplete—probably she never imagined a user like me would ever try to finish them.
Arata's mind began to simulate the missing steps. He rewrote equations in his mental notebook, adjusting variables to account for multiple circuit interactions, multi-circuit fusion, and the potential for imagination to interact with circuits in a conscious, manipulative way.
He closed his eyes for a moment. If I fully understand this… if I internalize every known circuit, every interaction, every potential amplification… I could literally orchestrate outcomes at the narrative level.
His left eye, Koketsu, twitched faintly. The circuits inside him pulsed with quiet potential. Arata's understanding of circuits had already allowed him to awaken his Soul Circuit, a unique pathway not traditionally explained in any scroll or academy syllabus.
The Soul Circuit, he thought, is different from ordinary circuits. It isn't just a channel for energy. It's… a way to bind reality to one's will.
Right now, his Koketsu was only awakened. It could immobilize beings within a hundred meters, instill murderous intent, or—at its peak—stop a heart. But the true potential of the Soul Circuit went far beyond.
If I master it fully… he mused, I could literally become the plot. Every outcome, every event… I could influence them as if I were narrative itself. But mastery is far away. I need incremental steps.
For now, he had the equivalent of 100% cognitive acceleration. Every book, every formula, every historical record he consumed was processed instantly, cataloged, and simulated. His mind ran thousands of scenarios simultaneously.
Arata's thinking turned to the mechanics of evolution in circuit users. Ordinary users could awaken one or two circuits naturally. Some could artificially induce growth, but limitations were physical, mental, or environmental.
The truth, he realized, is that circuits evolve when a user can imagine beyond the constraints of reality, when logic and creativity intersect.
Stage 1: Awakening – Circuit manifests physically and spiritually. Weak output, limited control.
Stage 2: Integration – Circuit harmonizes with the user's natural body, improving efficiency and allowing multi-circuit synergy.
Stage 3: Expansion – Multi-layered circuits form; the user can cross-circuit energies, combining effects in ways others cannot anticipate.
Stage 4: Soul Circuit Activation – Conscious manipulation of reality. Normally unstable, but in Arata's case, stable because of his imaginative logic.
Stage 5: Mastery – Literal plot-level influence: probability manipulation, reality adjustments, and creation of new phenomena from pure imagination.
He smiled faintly. Most humans stop at Stage 2, some reach 3 with extreme effort. Stage 4… almost unheard of. And stage 5… truly… godlike.
Back to Valemont's book. Each formula described interactions between multiple circuits, detailing variables like energy output, resonance frequencies, and multi-user amplification. Arata noticed patterns she had left vague, noting how she often underestimated the interaction between circuits in users with awakened imagination—exactly his domain.
So simple… so predictable, he mused. A normal human wouldn't think to imagine a circuit's effect into reality itself. But that's exactly what I can do.
He recited the formulas aloud quietly, mentally simulating reactions: fire + time + darkness + beast circuits. He could envision new effects, and thanks to the Soul Circuit, he could begin testing them in a controlled environment outside the academy—small at first, just to calibrate.
Every "impossible" combination becomes possible if I can logically simulate it and then manifest it.
Arata had been thinking for weeks about the left eye's true nature. It was not just a weapon; it was a tool of perception and enforcement. He named it Koketsu—"Crimson Seal"—to symbolize the binding of intent to reality.
Koketsu wasn't merely an ocular circuit; it was the node through which he could link imagination, logic, and manifestation.
It's perfect, he thought. And it's just awakening. Once mastered… there will be nothing I cannot do.
The final year of Sky Severing Academy had arrived. Students were nervous, faculty more so. Exams would test control, output, strategy, and mental fortitude. Arata sat among his peers, pretending to review notes, pen poised.
I will participate… just enough to uphold the family's name, he thought. Nothing more. If I dominate, it draws attention. Attention is dangerous. Let them see just a competent student, and the world will assume I am average.
Minor circuit harmonizations that appeared difficult but not extraordinary. Strategic placements in simulations that earned marks but did not alarm evaluators. A few faint demonstrations of Koketsu's power—immobilizing minor projections in simulations for a few seconds—enough to impress teachers without raising alarms.
After graduation… that's when the real fun begins. Anywhere. Anytime. Without anyone suspecting a thing.
Arata's mind wandered forward. Graduation was the real threshold, the moment when his cover could drop and John Merciless' contingencies could begin in earnest.
First target zones: regions with unstable politics and strong awakened users to recruit or manipulate.
Power testing: using Koketsu and full imagination circuits to explore combinations forbidden or unthinkable.
Kurogami Expansion: John Merciless' organization would begin subtle operations globally; Arata would act as strategist and observer.
Persona Coordination: alternating between Arata at the academy and John Merciless in the field, maximizing efficiency, minimizing risk of exposure.
Long-term goal: shape global events subtly until the "plot" bends to his will—using John Merciless for large-scale manipulation while Arata gathers intelligence and perfects circuits.
I have enough knowledge to become both king and ghost of the world, he mused. Enough logic to manipulate outcomes. And enough imagination to make the impossible real.
He leaned back, letting the sunlight wash over his face. Students scurried around him, teachers taught, and the world moved as if ordinary.
And they have no idea. No idea.
The Logic of Arata's Powers:
Soul Circuit: links consciousness to reality; allows manifestation of imagined effects logically consistent with known physics and circuits. Not mastered yet, but already extraordinary.
Koketsu: ocular node, controls range-based effects (immobilization, murderous intent, potential heart stop). Can be expanded in the future.
Imaginative Manifestation: any logically possible action he conceives can be made real. Power scales with focus, calculation, and circuit integration.
Brain Acceleration: 100% cognitive usage; multiple scenarios, calculations, and simulations run simultaneously without mental fatigue.
Circuit Evolution: multi-layered, recursive, synergistic; he can combine circuits and create new ones, eventually achieving reality-bending influence.
Arata's advantage wasn't raw power—it was absolute strategic intelligence coupled with unbounded imagination, filtered through circuits he could consciously manipulate.
The final year exams proceeded quietly, Arata performing just well enough to maintain appearances. Teachers noticed skill but assumed it was the natural prodigy of the prestigious Kurogane family. Students whispered, unaware of the depth behind his calm, calculating smile.
After graduation, he thought, I will be free. Free to test, free to manipulate, free to create the future as I see fit. And no one will suspect. No one will interfere. The world itself will bend to the plot of Arata Kurogane.
The library was silent once more, except for the soft scratching of his pen as he made notes. His mind already raced ahead, simulating years of events, battles, alliances, and betrayals—all before breakfast.
He closed the book, tucked it carefully into his bag, and let a faint smirk curl on his lips.
The real game begins after graduation. And when it does… the world won't know what hit it.