Chapter 64: The Machines Fall
The AI Combat Challenge was reaching its peak.
One by one, the students faced brutal, adaptive AI warriors.
Some succeeded.Some failed.But only the strongest would move forward.
And now—Rei Kurogane's battle had begun.
Rei vs. The Adaptive Killer AI
💥 BEEP! 💥
🔹 FIGHT START.
The AI moved first—instantly.
💥 A supersonic punch shot toward Rei's ribs.
But Rei didn't dodge.
🔥 He moved INTO the attack. 🔥
💥 WHOOSH! 💥
✔ Instead of avoiding it, Rei used the snake's flow, twisting just enough to redirect the force.✔ Instead of retreating, Rei closed the gap, cutting off the AI's attack range.✔ Instead of reacting late, Rei had already predicted the next move.
💥 CRACK! 💥
His fingertips struck a weak point in the AI's elbow joint.
The AI's arm locked up for 0.3 seconds.
It wasn't much—but it was enough.
🔥 Rei moved instantly. 🔥
💥 WHOOSH! 💥
✔ He weaved like a serpent, flowing past the counterattack.✔ His eyes locked onto the AI's movement core.✔ His strike landed with perfect precision.
💥 CRACK! 💥
The AI's leg twisted unnaturally.
It tried to adapt.It tried to counter.
But Rei wasn't following a pattern.
🔥 He had erased hesitation. 🔥
The AI's systems overloaded, struggling to track him.
💥 BOOM! 💥
Rei's final blow landed—a perfect panther strike to the core.
The AI collapsed instantly.
💀 FIGHT OVER. 💀
The Aftermath – Shock Across the Academy
💥 Silence. 💥
Then—the crowd erupted.
Student 1 (stunned): "HE BEAT IT?! THAT FAST?!"Student 2 (grinning): "That AI was supposed to be impossible to predict! How did he do it?!"Student 3 (whispering): "That wasn't even a fighting style… It was something else…"
🔥 Rei had proved it. 🔥
He wasn't the same weakling from before.
And from the sidelines—
Kozuki Renjou grinned.
Kozuki (muttering): "Hah… Not bad, Kurogane."
The Final Results – Who Passed, Who Failed?
✔ Rei Kurogane – Passed.✔ Souta Arclight – Passed.✔ Akari Kisaragi – Passed.✔ Ryoma Takeda – Passed.✔ Renji Aoyama – Passed.✔ Daichi Kagura – Passed.
❌ Several top students FAILED.
💥 Many were eliminated, unable to withstand the AI's relentless pressure.
The academy's elite was now smaller than ever.
The Final Fight – Kozuki vs. 10 AI Warriors
Before the challenge could end, one final battle remained.
🔥 Kozuki Renjou. 🔥
But the academy knew one AI wasn't enough.
So they gave him ten.
Student 1 (whispering): "T-TEN?! They're insane!"Student 2 (grinning nervously): "This might actually be interesting…"
Magnus Valeford's voice echoed across the battlefield.
Magnus:"This will be the final match of the AI Combat Challenge. Kozuki Renjou will face ten AI warriors at once."
The entire room went silent.
Then—
💥 BEEP! 💥
🔹 FIGHT START.
🔥 10 AI warriors rushed forward at once. 🔥
Their attacks were perfectly synchronized.
💥 One went for a high kick.💥 One attacked with a spinning elbow.💥 Another fired a rapid barrage of punches.
A normal human would be dead instantly.
But Kozuki?
💀 He didn't even move. 💀
Then—
💥 BOOM! 💥
🔥 He vanished. 🔥
10 Seconds of Absolute Destruction
✔ Second 1:💥 Kozuki appeared behind one AI, snapping its head backward. CRACK.
✔ Second 2:💥 He dodged three attacks, twisting midair—then kicked one AI so hard it exploded on impact.
✔ Second 3:💥 He weaved through a barrage of strikes, laughing, then shattered an AI's knee with a single touch.
✔ Second 4-5:💥 Three AI warriors collapsed instantly—unable to react.
✔ Second 6:💥 Kozuki grabbed two AI heads at once and slammed them together. BOOM!
✔ Second 7-8:💥 The last few tried to counter, but Kozuki wasn't even there anymore.
✔ Second 9:💥 The final AI stood alone, scanning desperately for him.
✔ Second 10:💀 Kozuki reappeared behind it.
Kozuki (grinning): "Too slow."
💥 BOOM! 💥
The AI exploded into scrap metal.
The Aftermath – Kozuki's Total Domination
💀 10 AI warriors.💀 10 seconds.💀 No injuries.
The room was dead silent.
🔥 Kozuki had just destroyed them like they were nothing. 🔥
Even Magnus Valeford—a man who never showed emotion—
Paused for a moment before speaking.
Magnus (calmly): "…Fight over. Kozuki Renjou wins."
No one said anything.
Because at that moment—
💀 They all understood. 💀
🔥 Kozuki Renjou wasn't human. 🔥
🔥 He was something far beyond that. 🔥
The Final Announcement – The International Stage Awaits
As the AI Combat Challenge ended, Magnus spoke one last time.
Magnus:"With this, the final preparations are complete. The students who passed will now represent Aether Academy on the world stage."
🔥 Aether Academy was going international. 🔥
And as the students left the battlefield—
Rei clenched his fists.
Because now—
🔥 He wasn't just chasing Kozuki.🔥 He was chasing the entire world.