Oliver stood at the edge of the tournament platform, waiting.
His name hung in the air like a weight.
Oliver Vale vs. Kaio Renner.
The crowd was loud. Too loud. Somewhere above the arena, Kaien Deros watched from the VIP gallery, his expression unreadable. Oliver could feel his gaze like a blade at his back.
Kaio stepped onto the platform with a grin. He was tall, lean, and wore a custom uniform with the golden insignia of House Renner—a prestigious line known for speed-type Cores.
"Hope you're not sore from the last match, mystery boy," Kaio said with a wink.
"I'm fine."
"Shame. I wanted to see what happens when I push someone too far."
Oliver narrowed his eyes. Something in Kaio's tone wasn't playful. It was calculated.
He activated his Core.
The system responded silently.
Core Sync: 42%. Combat Protocol: Passive Assist.
Opponent Energy Signature: Active — Type III Speed Variant. Risk Level: Moderate-High.
Kaio blurred forward before the match even started.
The judge barely managed to shout, "BEGIN!"
Oliver blocked the first strike by instinct. It didn't matter. Kaio moved again—faster than sight—and clipped his side, then again behind his head.
The audience roared.
Kaio was playing with him.
Oliver stumbled backward. His ribs flared with pain. But his expression stayed calm.
Kaio cocked his head. "Come on, Vale. That weird Core of yours didn't save you last time. You think it'll save you now?"
Oliver exhaled.
He didn't activate more power. He didn't shout or glow.
He just moved.
A short step.
Kaio blinked—and Oliver was already in his guard.
One punch. Clean. Not flashy.
But the moment it landed, Kaio crumpled, wheezing.
The crowd gasped.
The scoreboard glitched for a second—then reset.
Kaio staggered to his feet, eyes wide. "What the hell was that?"
Oliver didn't answer.
He didn't even know.
The system responded.
Microburst Technique Activated.
Pressure Zone Analysis Complete. Muscle Memory Assisted.
Kaio Renner: Internal damage—contained. Shock damage—nonlethal.
Warning: Opponent Core is destabilizing.
Kaio yelled and surged forward, energy bursting from his limbs—an illegal overdrive burst.
"Disqualified—!" the judge shouted—
But Kaio reached Oliver first.
The system responded faster.
Oliver's hand moved up. One open palm strike to the chest.
Kaio flew off the platform.
He didn't get up.
Medical drones descended.
Oliver stood still as the crowd erupted in cheers and confusion.
Some were in awe.
Others… afraid.
Later.
Kaien Deros paced the hallway outside the medical wing. Behind the glass, Kaio Renner was unconscious, surrounded by stabilization runes.
A figure stepped beside him.
Dark robes. Masked face.
"Do you see it now?" the masked figure asked.
Kaien frowned. "He wasn't using the Core. Not fully."
"No. That's the terrifying part. He's not drawing from its full source. It's leaking into him. Slowly."
Kaien looked down. "If he loses control—"
"He'll burn through this planet in seconds."
"And if he keeps control?"
The masked figure turned away. "Then your student becomes something no empire can govern."
Elsewhere, in a hidden chamber…
Aria stood alone.
A glowing crystal projected a face from light.
Her contact.
Her faction.
"You're getting too close," the projection said.
"I'm doing my job," Aria said flatly.
"You were assigned to observe. Not to bond. Certainly not to care."
"I'm not some weapon you can aim and forget."
The voice sharpened. "You know what he holds. If the Core awakens fully and he's not aligned with us—he becomes a threat."
"I can change that."
"You have three weeks. Then we act."
The crystal dimmed.
Aria turned away, eyes clouded.