The courtyard thrummed with energy. Hundreds of students stood in rows, their circuits glowing faintly in preparation. Teachers and elders lined the perimeter, their eyes sharp, their presence heavy enough to quiet even the boldest among the new arrivals.
The trial had been announced with little ceremony: "Demonstrate your circuit. Prove your worth. The academy will record, judge, and decide your initial placement."
Simple words. Ruthless weight.
The first to step forward was Akihiko Raizan, heir to the Raizan clan. His presence alone drew whispers—tall, sharp-eyed, his circuits glowing crimson along his arms. With a shout, he released his power. Lightning exploded outward, cracking across the ground, leaving molten scars in the stone.
"Circuit: Raijin's Descent!"
The watching instructors nodded, murmurs of approval rippling through them.
Next was Ayame Yukishiro, her pale blue hair flowing like liquid frost. Her circuit flared along her collarbone, and the air froze instantly. A massive construct of ice shaped itself into the form of a winged beast behind her.
"Incredible…" a student whispered. "She formed a full Beast Construct at seventeen."
The line of prodigies continued. Daichi Sumeragi, fists glowing with magma, slammed the ground and turned the tiles molten. Renji Kisaragi, slender and quiet, conjured a field of shadow that devoured light itself. The courtyard became a spectacle of fire, ice, stone, and void.
Each student stepped forward, revealed brilliance, and basked in awe.
When the name Kurogane Arata was called, the whispers changed tone.
"That's the weak one, right?"
"I heard he couldn't even light a candle with his circuit."
"A shame for the Kurogane family."
Arata stepped forward calmly. His expression was neutral, his gaze faintly downcast. The instructor in charge of his evaluation, Elder Hoshin Seiryo, adjusted his glasses and looked at him as one might examine a dull stone in a field of diamonds.
"Proceed," Elder Hoshin said flatly.
Arata lifted his hand. He let a faint glow flicker at his fingertips—dim, unstable, like a candle about to die. He strained his face slightly, furrowed his brow, then let it sputter out.
The crowd chuckled. A few laughed openly.
"Hah, pathetic."
"Why is he even here?"
"The academy is wasting resources."
Arata stepped back, expression faintly embarrassed, shoulders hunched just enough to sell the illusion. But inside, his mind was blazing with amusement.
Perfect. Exactly what I wanted.
The tests continued until sunset. Students returned to their quarters in groups, chattering excitedly about their performances, alliances already forming. Instructors disappeared into inner chambers, records in hand.
Arata slipped away.
He moved through empty corridors, through courtyards where moonlight fell on abandoned stone, until he found himself alone beneath the academy's western wall.
He closed his eyes.
It's time.
He pictured it—the mask, white with jagged black markings, hiding his voice and aura. The suit, dark and seamless, laced with regenerative fibers born of his imagination, repairing itself from even a shred. Resistant to flame, resistant to magic, resistant to the probing eyes of circuits. He pictured it, believed it, and so it became reality, wrapping him like a second skin.
Then, he thought of the name.
John Merciless.
The words echoed in his skull like a vow. He imagined them written—not on paper, not in air, but in the very records of the academy itself. He imagined that when the list of participants was read again, that name would be there, etched in reality by sheer belief.
And when he opened his eyes, he knew it was true.
When the night trials began—an optional arena where students could display combat ability for extra recognition—whispers spread instantly.
"A new name?"
"Who's John Merciless? That wasn't on the original list."
"Is this a transfer? An unknown heir?"
On the stage, he appeared. Mask gleaming under torchlight, suit black as midnight. His aura… unreadable.
The presiding elder, Takeda Gorin, frowned, circuits glowing faintly in suspicion. "John Merciless… step forward."
He did, silent, unhurried, like a shadow with infinite patience.
A student opponent was chosen at random: Hiroto Kanzaki, son of a general, known for his martial circuit, "Iron Breaker." He smirked as he entered the arena.
"So you hide your face? Coward. Let me be the one to unmask you."
The gong rang.
Hiroto charged, fists glowing silver, intent to shatter the masked pretender in one blow. The crowd roared.
But John Merciless did not move.
Arata's inner voice whispered with calm precision.
Slow. Predictable. Telegraphed in every step.
When the punch came, he sidestepped fluidly, letting the blow pass through air. His gloved hand tapped Hiroto's shoulder—gentle, almost casual. Hiroto froze mid-strike, his body locking. His circuits screamed, collapsing under a pressure none of the onlookers could sense.
Hiroto fell to his knees, gasping, circuits sparking erratically. The match was over in seconds.
The courtyard was silent.
Then the whispers began.
"…What did he do?"
"I couldn't see any circuit activation."
"No, I saw it—just for a second. His eye… glowed beneath the mask."
The name spread like wildfire.
John Merciless.
Later that night, back in his plain room as Arata Kurogane, he lay on his bed, mask hidden away, suit dissolved back into thought. His siblings and instructors would see the academy reports tomorrow: Kurogane Arata—weak, unimpressive. John Merciless—unknown, overwhelming.
And only he knew both names belonged to him.
He laughed softly, muffling the sound in the dark.
Two lives. Two roles. A background no one notices… and a shadow villain that terrifies even the proud. Perfect. The game begins now.
The moonlight caught on his left eye, faintly glowing as though amused with him.
Characters Introduced:
Elder Hoshin Seiryo – instructor, cold and analytical. Headmaster Daigo Rensetsu (introduced last chapter) – Sky Severing Academy headmaster.
Takeda Gorin – elder overseeing combat trials.
Akihiko Raizan – lightning prodigy.
Ayame Yukishiro – ice beast summoner.
Daichi Sumeragi – magma circuit user.
Renji Kisaragi – shadow manipulator.
Hiroto Kanzaki – martial arts circuit, defeated by John Merciless.