Synchrony, a rare power, manifests as an ethereal whitish aura in only a fortunate few. It unlocks human potential and removes its natural limitations.
This extraordinary gift has enabled humanity to reach new horizons, enhancing physical capabilities by threefold or more, depending on one's mastery and control of the power.
Prospective TN agents, despite their basic level of synchrony mastery, can already destroy concrete, move at high speeds, and withstand powerful impacts. What could they achieve with full mastery of this power?
The answer to this question would take time to unfold, but at that moment, Sven and Ahmed were determined to showcase their current capabilities to the organization's spectators.
Sven advanced towards Ahmed, executing a roundhouse kick with his right leg. The attack sliced through the air violently but missed Ahmed, who used his bent legs to leap powerfully, twisting in mid-air to deliver a devastating sledgehammer strike with his hands together.
The impact was reminiscent of a mighty war elephant slamming its trunk down on its foes with overwhelming force.
"Bastard!" Sven shouted as he raised his arms to block the attack. He felt a tremendous weight bearing down on his shoulders, causing the ground beneath him to tremble. Unable to withstand the force, his defense broke, and the blow struck his head, driving it forcefully into the concrete.
Ahmed quickly adjusted his stance as his feet touched the ground, raising his hands in a claw-like fashion and unleashing a relentless barrage of strikes on Sven’s prone body.
The assault was like a lion finishing off its fallen prey, ensuring its victory.
With each strike, Sven’s body seemed to sink deeper into the concrete, his back ligaments tearing under the relentless force.
"Brother... I'm scared..."
The memory of Sven's reaction tensed his muscles.
At that moment, Ahmed’s instincts took over, and he leaped back without hesitation, avoiding Sven’s rapid counterattack.
Sven surged from the ground with demonic speed, his hand slicing upward like a sword. If Ahmed hadn't retreated and tried to distance himself, the shallow cut on his chest could have been fatal.
"Impressive, you moved your arm so fast that you even cut my skin," Ahmed said, admiring the red-eyed man as blood stained his white robes.
"I didn't expect to face number four on the list so seriously," Sven replied, rising and tearing the shredded remains of his shirt from his torso.
"I'll give you that, Ahmed Al-Farsi. You're a worthy opponent!" Sven's face broke into a menacing grin, revealing a torso marked with scars and cuts.
"Damn, I think I’ve awakened a sleeping beast..." Ahmed thought to himself as he resumed his stance, hands in claw shapes, while Sven prepared his left arm like a slashing weapon.
A second round began as both fighters surrounded themselves with the synchro aura, propelling themselves with full force towards each other.
Facing off, they unleashed a fierce battle that revealed Sven's true style. His arm moved with the grace of a sword, slashing through the air with deadly precision.
Ahmed struggled to dodge each attack while searching for openings to counter with his claws. The relentless pressure from Sven's slashes prevented him from landing the hits he had connected with more easily earlier.
"Hahaha, come on Ahmed, show me more of that millennium style!" Sven taunted, feeling confident as his attacks began to push Ahmed back, leaving a series of light cuts across his body.
"If that's what you want, I'll gladly oblige!" Ahmed retorted, narrowly evading a horizontal cut aimed at his chest and ducking to deliver a low kick aimed at disrupting Sven's stance.
Sven jumped to avoid the kick and swung his arm downward in an attempt to end the confrontation. To his surprise, Ahmed was now holding a manhole cover as a makeshift shield.
"What?" Sven thought as his arm collided with the manhole cover, sending sparks flying from the impact, as though two steel plates had met. In that moment, Sven realized he hadn’t actually pushed Ahmed back.
From the start, Ahmed had intended to reach that spot and use the cover as a shield.
After blocking the cut and halting Sven's advance, Ahmed, still crouched, leveraged his strength to rise from the ground, summoned his strength to push Sven backward with the improvised shield, throw him into the air.
Sven’s expression was one of fury, but Ahmed’s attack was far from over.
Holding onto the manhole cover, Ahmed charged at Sven, and before Sven could land, Ahmed hurled the cover like a destructive disc.
Sven easily deflected the attack and made an upward slash. However, Ahmed appeared directly in front of him, launching his counterattack.
Ahmed’s smile revealed his satisfaction with the execution of his plan. With Sven’s arm extended upward, he was vulnerable to the powerful flying kick that slammed into his stomach.
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Unfortunately for Ahmed, Sven’s right arm was still capable of slashing. Sven’s retaliatory swing carved an X-shaped cut across Ahmed’s chest, sending both fighters sprawling in opposite directions from the force of the impact.
Both men hit the ground, their faces contorted in pain—Sven’s lips spurted blood, while Ahmed bore a deep gash on his chest.
“Kug... damn... I was too hasty...” Ahmed muttered to himself, feeling the burn in his torso as he struggled to rise.
"You’re a tough bastard; you almost had me in trouble," Sven said as he stood up, the last blow clearly affecting him but his demeanor still arrogant. "Hey, don’t tell me you're giving up already."
"More than a king, you’re a fucking demon..." Ahmed replied, standing up. Both seemed eager to continue their battle.
"Flattering me won’t make me go easy on you," Sven sneered, positioning his arms in an X-shaped guard.
"Haha, I expected nothing less," Ahmed said, resuming his elephant guard stance, bending his legs and shaping his hands into a mallet form in front of him.
The two opponents launched themselves simultaneously, intent on ending their fight once and for all. However, this test was not designed to honor individual duels.
Their focus on each other caused them to overlook the approaching silhouettes. Two new fighters, moving at high speed, intercepted Ahmed and Sven mid-flight. With powerful strikes, they sent both men crashing into nearby buildings.
The thunderous impact echoed across the area as two more figures emerged beside Ryota, swiftly grabbing the rabbits he had been holding.
"This year's rookies are strong but naive!" exclaimed the woman who had struck Sven. With orange hair, green eyes, and sharp features, she wore a military uniform consisting of camouflage pants, leather boots, and a white top that showcased her toned muscles.
Her holographic display identified her as Leila Mahmoud, number five on the list.
"It was as easy as taking candy from a baby," remarked the man who had struck Ahmed. He had gray hair cut military-style and blue eyes. His outfit was similar to Leila's, but he wore a sleeveless shirt that revealed his muscular, tattooed arms.
His holographic display named him Moleman Daniels, number nine on the list.
Without hesitation, the two retreated with their companions—the individuals who had taken the rabbits from the incapacitated Ryota, who could only weakly curse at them.
"Haha, that was too easy," laughed a bratty girl with blonde bobbed hair and a pink lace dress. At about 15 years old, she ran alongside Leila. She was Beatriz Oliveira, number 19 on the list.
"Sorry, better luck next time," said the other figure with a shy demeanor. She had shoulder-length black hair, round glasses, and wore an office suit. The screen above her head introduced her as Helen Sharp, number 20 on the list and Moleman's partner.
Their attack had been well-orchestrated. They had followed Sven stealthily from the beginning, waiting for another group to make the first move before ambushing them at the perfect moment.
Their strategy effectively sidelined Sven and Ahmed from the test.
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Minutes before Sven and Ahmed met...
"Unless they are monsters, the best plan is to wait for an opportunity, see who reveals their rabbit, and then attack in an organized manner to secure it," Angelo’s voice echoed during his conversation with Nova.
"Is that what we should do?" Nova asked.
"No," Angelo replied immediately.
"Oh?" Nova was puzzled by the blonde’s response.
"We wouldn’t know when our combat might be observed by others, especially if most groups decide to hide and wait for their chance," Angelo explained, pausing for emphasis. "This means we could also be caught off guard, even if we strike first."
It was clear: If most groups chose to hide and wait, the competition would boil down to who could make the final move to secure the rabbits.
If the group that revealed their rabbit lost, the victors would still face those who had been waiting, ready to strike once the battle had exhausted their opponents. Ultimately, it would come down to who could deliver the final blow.
"That’s a pretty underhanded strategy, don’t you think?" Nova said, his tone edged with annoyance.
"Yeah, well, let me know when the world decides to play fair," Angelo shrugged indifferently. "Or would you prefer to fight everyone else and let someone smarter take the prize?" he added.
"Of course not. I said it was petty, not that I won’t do it. It just pisses me off that you’re right," Nova sighed, looking away. Despite his reluctance to team up with Angelo, he recognized the value of using his strategic mind to avoid direct confrontations and secure the rabbits more easily.
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Currently...
Leila Mahmoud and Beatriz Oliveira's group sped down the street, trying to escape the chaos.
Simultaneously, Moleman Daniels and Helen Sharp began their retreat, each heading in different directions to create confusion and evade any remaining threats.
Everything unfolded within seconds, and neither group anticipated that their actions were being observed by five others.
In front of Leila Mahmoud and Beatriz Oliveira, a young man with white hair appeared at high speed, cloaked in the synchro aura. His blurred silhouette solidified just in time to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to Leila’s face. Though she managed to block the kick, the force sent her crashing violently against a building’s windows, propelling her inside and causing destruction to the furniture within.
In the chaos, Nova gave Beatriz a quick shove, sending her flying into the air and away from the scene.
“What’s the saying? It’s no crime to steal from a thief!” Nova remarked with a half-smile.
“Damn rat, were you waiting for this?!” Leila’s furious shout echoed from the building she had been thrown into.
“I actually wanted to see the end of the fight, but yes, I’d have preferred not to intervene,” Nova said as an explosion erupted inside the building. He quickly raised his guard and saw a furious Leila emerging at high speed to confront him.
“I’m going to make you regret this!” she screamed.
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Meanwhile, Leila’s group was intercepted. Three figures appeared in front of Moleman Daniels and Helen Sharp, halting their advance.
Lars Andersen, number six on the list, Elara Fallbrook, number 17, and Katya Ivanova, number seven, who was not carrying Othar at the time, faced them.
“But you left number two. What are you doing here?” Moleman asked, eyeing Katya.
“The odds of her leaving were 25%. She was just waiting for her partner to be at a disadvantage before making her move,” Elara said with a smile, then turned to Katya with a gentle expression.
“Isn’t that right?” she asked.
“How do you know that?” Katya asked, surprised that Elara seemed to know her plans. Had she been observed all this time?
“It wasn’t hard to deduce. Your demeanor suggests you wouldn’t let your partner’s missteps ruin your plans to become an agent. Abandoning him would be equivalent to losing,” Elara explained, her expression showing a hint of uncertainty as she tapped her lower lip in thought.
“Or, well, maybe that’s just a guess,” she added playfully, sticking out her tongue and winking at Katya.
“Anyway, those statuettes are mine, so don’t interfere,” Katya demanded, her annoyance evident. She was clearly at a numerical disadvantage if she wanted to take down not only Moleman and his companion but also Elara and Lars.
“Sorry, friend, but one of those rabbits belongs to us, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Lars said, stepping forward towards Moleman.
“You and me, military man. I’ll finish you off quickly,” he said in a serious tone.
“Haha, Lars, don’t get too excited. According to my calculations, there’s still one more person left to enter the fight,” Elara said with a mischievous smile.
“Who’s the bastard who interfered in my fight?!
I’ll kill him!”
Sven’s voice roared across the street.
The king has awoken! The first trial reaches its climax! Don’t hesitate to place your bets!