WebNovels

Chapter 20 - Trials by Fire

The city of Karveth burned under the onslaught of battle. Every street, alley, and rooftop became a stage for the unrestrained power of the 10 Kings and Queens of Kurogami. The first wave of duels—Reiji, Selara, and Kael—had already set the tone, shattering expectations with evolved circuits and devastating techniques. But the others were far from done.

John Merciless observed from above, standing on the tower like a god surveying his chessboard. His hands rested lightly on the hilt of his black slime sword, the faint glow of Koketsu in his left eye watching every movement, calculating, predicting. Every move by his subordinates had been designed, every opponent strategically chosen, and yet the thrill of watching them push past limits brought a rare smile beneath the mask.

Aika had begun her duel against Fumika Saegusa, the barrier master of the Circuit Guardians. The first exchanges were tense, filled with calculated blows and magical blasts. Fumika's barriers could crush a squad in moments, yet Aika's illusions made the battlefield almost impossible to navigate.

"Try and find me," Aika whispered softly, a teasing lilt in her voice, while the shadows around her twisted and stretched into impossible geometries.

Fumika's eyes narrowed. "I don't need to find you. I just need to strike the right spot."

Aika laughed lightly, a sound like wind over shattered glass, and her illusions warped the battlefield again. Fumika struck with precision, collapsing an illusionary wall—but Aika had anticipated this. She had already moved, unseen, leaving only traces of her afterimage.

The battle dragged on, Fumika growing frustrated, throwing barrier after barrier. But each attempt fed Aika's power. Her circuits began integrating more fully with her illusions, evolving her form. The shadows and walls became extensions of her body, moving independently, attacking with precision while she stood completely still.

With a sudden motion, Aika phased through Fumika's defenses, her hand piercing the barrier's core with a delicate flick. Fumika staggered, unprepared for the evolved precision of Aika's circuit integration.

"Checkmate," Aika murmured softly, as Fumika fell to her knees, unable to move for several heartbeats.

Ryouji had been locked in brutal hand-to-hand combat against Tetsuya Kurohane. Each strike shook the street, sending debris flying. Sweat and blood coated their forms, but neither gave an inch.

Ryouji grinned, face battered, and thought aloud, "You think you can match me with technique alone? Let me show you chaos."

He unleashed a sudden burst of circuit energy, integrating his anti-matter circuits fully with his nervous system. His punches became impossible to predict, each strike sending anti-matter tremors through the concrete.

Tetsuya struggled, barely blocking the attacks, but the force began overwhelming him. Ryouji adapted mid-combat, evolving further. His reflexes synchronized with his circuits, and every move now anticipated Tetsuya's reaction before it happened.

With a final, devastating combination, Ryouji landed a punch to Tetsuya's chest, sending him skidding through a wall. He stood over him, chest heaving, laughter low and vicious. "Don't worry—I won't kill you. Not yet."

Lysandra faced a duo of Guardians, relying on her magic and martial arts. She danced between attacks, fluid and precise, yet for the first time, she struggled. Her circuits hadn't fully integrated, and she felt herself faltering.

"Keep calm," she whispered, almost to herself. "Just one step at a time."

The Guardians sensed the falter and pressed harder, cornering her. Lysandra gritted her teeth and pushed past the pain. Her form began to shimmer as her circuits fully integrated, granting her fluid speed and strength that left her opponents reeling.

A swift combination of strikes and magic sent both Guardians sprawling, and Lysandra stood, chest heaving, a smile of satisfaction on her face. "That's better. I like it when they fight back."

Daichi had the most unconventional approach. Calm, collected, and almost playful, he used misdirection and clever traps rather than raw strength. His opponent, a master swordsman named Haruto Shimizu, underestimated him.

"Why so serious?" Daichi said with a teasing grin, sidestepping a lethal blade with almost casual elegance.

Haruto's strikes were precise, fast, and deadly—but Daichi evolved mid-fight. His circuits integrated with his agility, enhancing his reflexes and spatial awareness. Every movement became unpredictable, leaving Haruto chasing shadows.

With a single swift motion, Daichi disarmed him, leaving the swordsman on his knees, breathing heavily. "You fought well. But playtime's over."

Emiko faced two opponents simultaneously—an elemental pair, controlling water and earth. The attacks were relentless, and she struggled at first, pushed to the very edge of her endurance.

"You're going to have to do better than that," she said with a calm, almost mocking tone, deflecting water with martial arts precision and shattering earth constructs with sharp, fluid movements.

Her circuits began to integrate, enhancing her perception and reaction speed. Now, she could anticipate elemental shifts before they occurred. In one motion, she disarmed both enemies simultaneously, leaving them stunned and exhausted.

"I said… better," she murmured, the faintest smirk on her lips.

Takeru thrived on chaos. Surrounded by Guardians who tried to contain him, he laughed loudly, flames and shadows swirling around him like a living storm.

"You're all boring me," he shouted, igniting a ring of fire around himself and dashing into the fray. His circuits flared, evolving mid-combat. The fire became extensions of his body, each movement unpredictable, each strike devastating.

By the end of his duel, the Guardians were left scorched and battered, struggling to stand. Takeru's laughter echoed across the battlefield.

Mirei fought with elegance and precision, relying on a combination of long-range energy manipulation and hand-to-hand combat. At first, her circuits struggled to integrate fully. Her opponent, a deadly sniper named Kaito, pinned her with concentrated energy blasts.

Mirei adapted quickly, evolving as she synchronized her circuits. Her attacks became faster, her dodges sharper, and soon she turned the battlefield into her stage. Every energy blast reflected, deflected, or absorbed with perfect precision. Her opponent could not recover.

"I said… try harder," she whispered, a smirk playing on her lips.

Haruma was the wild card. Aggressive, relentless, unpredictable. His opponent, a beast circuit user named Raizo, was fast and brutal. The two collided, fists and claws clashing in a spectacle of sparks and debris.

Haruma's circuits evolved mid-combat, increasing his strength and resilience. Every strike pushed Raizo back, eventually overwhelming him. Haruma laughed loudly, reveling in the chaos.

"Is that all?" he shouted, standing over the falling opponent.

"As the Kings and Queens pushed their bodies to the edge, circuits evolved. In extreme combat, circuits integrate fully with the user, reshaping the body, amplifying natural abilities, and granting forms that reflect the type of circuit. Some struggled before evolving, some adapted effortlessly, but all gained a surge of power that left their enemies stunned. This is the path of the awakened, the evolution of circuits in those willing to push beyond limits."

By the end of the night, all ten Kings and Queens had emerged victorious. Some bore injuries, some had sweat and blood on their masks, and some evolved fully while others had barely managed to adapt under extreme duress. Each one, however, carried the unmistakable aura of dominance and arrogance—their personalities shining through even in exhaustion.

John Merciless observed from above, face hidden behind the mask, eyes flickering with faint Koketsu light. Perfect. Every King and Queen now stronger, every circuit evolved or pushed to its edge. Karveth's strongest cannot stop what is coming. This is only the beginning.

The battlefield fell into a tense silence, smoke rising, streets cracked and scorched, magical wards flickering in failure and recalibration. The night had tested the Kings and Queens, and they had passed—but the true storm, John Merciless knew, had yet to arrive.

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