Nightborn Evolution

Kairo stood in front of a full-length mirror in the hideout, his fingers clenching and unclenching. He could feel the difference in his body after absorbing Goro's strength—his muscles were denser, his stance felt more stable, and there was a newfound resistance in his bones.

He threw a quick punch at the air.

Faster. Stronger.

The sensation was intoxicating.

But it also came with questions.

He turned to Lena, who sat on a crate across the room, lazily spinning a knife in her fingers. "What do you know about Nightborn evolution?"

She arched an eyebrow. "That's specific. Why?"

Kairo hesitated. He wasn't ready to tell her about the absorption ability yet, but he needed more information. "I just… feel different after the fight. Stronger."

Lena smirked. "Well, yeah. You fought like your life depended on it—because it did. People either grow in battle or they die."

Kairo frowned. Was that all it was? Or was his system evolving him in ways normal fighters couldn't?

Before he could ask more, a notification buzzed on the room's wall screen.

[ Blood Trials Update: New Challenger Accepted. Match begins in 12 hours. ]

Kairo's next fight was set.

Lena stood up and stretched. "Guess you don't get much of a break, huh?"

Kairo took a deep breath. He had won one match, but the Blood Trials weren't going to get easier. In fact, they were about to get much, much harder.

Twelve hours later, Kairo stood inside the preparation room, wrapping his hands with reinforced combat tape. The roar of the arena could be heard through the walls, but he tuned it out.

Lena had managed to pull some info on his opponent.

Dante "The Butcher" Renzal.

A former military enforcer turned underground fighter. Fast, brutal, and unpredictable.

"You should be worried," Lena said, leaning against the door. "This guy doesn't just fight—he breaks people. He's put more fighters in the hospital than anyone else in the Trials."

Kairo smirked. "That supposed to scare me?"

Lena rolled her eyes. "No, but it should warn you. Don't try to overpower him—you won't win that way."

Kairo nodded. "Got it."

A loud chime signaled it was time.

The door slid open, and Kairo walked into the arena.

The stadium lights were blinding, the crowd screaming with excitement. Kairo blocked out the noise and focused on the man standing across from him.

Dante Renzal was huge, almost as tall as Goro but leaner. His body was covered in scars, and razor-sharp metal claws extended from his gauntlets.

His grin was sharp and predatory. "Fresh meat, huh?"

Kairo didn't reply. He just raised his fists.

The announcer's voice boomed.

"BEGIN!"

Dante moved first—faster than Kairo expected.

The moment the fight started, the Butcher was already in his space, slashing with his claws in rapid, brutal arcs.

Kairo barely managed to dodge the first swipe, feeling the air cut just inches from his skin. The second slash came immediately after, forcing him to lean back.

Dante grinned. "You're quick. Good."

Then he kicked Kairo hard in the chest.

Kairo staggered back, coughing as pain shot through his ribs.

Too fast.

Goro had been a brute. Dante was a killer.

Kairo needed a different approach.

He activated Phantom Step, his body blurring as he sidestepped another incoming slash. He countered with a sharp punch to Dante's ribs.

Nightborn Strike!

A burst of dark energy exploded from his fist, landing a solid hit.

Dante grunted but didn't fall. Instead, he grinned wider.

"Nice trick," he said—then headbutted Kairo straight in the face.

Pain exploded through Kairo's skull as he stumbled back. Blood dripped from his nose.

Dante didn't let him recover.

He lunged again, his claws aiming for Kairo's throat.

Kairo's instincts screamed.

Move!

He dodged—barely—but Dante's claws still sliced across his shoulder, leaving a burning wound.

The pain was sharp, but something else happened.

[ System Alert: Foreign Energy Detected. Attempting Adaptation… ]

Kairo's eyes widened. His body reacted, muscles tightening. The pain in his shoulder dulled almost instantly.

Adaptation?

Dante frowned, noticing the sudden shift. "What the hell—"

Kairo didn't give him time to think.

He launched forward, driving his knee into Dante's gut. As the Butcher staggered, Kairo spun and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of his head.

Dante's body twisted from the impact, and he crashed onto the arena floor.

The crowd roared.

Kairo didn't stop. He leapt onto Dante, fist raised, ready to end the fight—

But Dante suddenly caught his wrist.

Kairo's eyes widened.

Dante grinned, blood dripping from his mouth. "Not bad, kid."

Then he yanked Kairo forward and smashed his forehead into his face again.

Kairo saw stars.

He fell backward, gasping for breath.

Dante stood up, wiping the blood from his lips. "That all you got?"

The fight wasn't over yet.

Kairo groaned as he forced himself up. He was bleeding, tired—but he wasn't done.

His system notifications kept flashing in the corner of his vision.

[ Adaptive Response Activated. ]

[ Analyzing Opponent's Attack Patterns. ]

His body felt… different. Like it was learning. Adjusting.

He smirked, wiping the blood from his mouth.

Dante frowned. "What's so funny?"

Kairo launched forward, but this time, he wasn't just attacking—he was reading Dante's movements.

The Butcher swung at him—Kairo dodged by a hair. Another claw strike—he sidestepped, just before Dante even fully committed to the attack.

Dante's eyes widened. "What—"

Kairo's fist slammed into his gut with full force.

The impact sent a shockwave through the arena.

Dante staggered, coughing up blood.

Kairo didn't let up. He grabbed Dante's arm, twisted it, and then—

CRACK.

The sound of a bone snapping echoed in the arena.

Dante screamed as his arm bent unnaturally.

Kairo drove his knee into Dante's face, sending him crashing onto the ground.

The arena fell silent.

Then—

"WINNER: KAIRO VOSS!"

The crowd exploded with cheers.

Kairo stood over his fallen opponent, breathing heavily. He had done it again.

But more than that…

He had evolved.

And this was only the beginning.