Chapter 44 – Midnight Duel at the Floating District
The Floating District shimmered above the city like a city of glass and lights suspended on the wind. Towers rose into the night sky, their foundations connected by luminous bridges that pulsed with faint energy. Biro Kael stepped onto the nearest bridge, fragments humming softly, his senses alert. Something about tonight was… different. The rifts here were stronger, more erratic, and Lyra walked beside him, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light, sword strapped to her back, aura barely visible but undeniably present.
"The Floating District isn't like the streets below," Lyra whispered, her gaze scanning the buildings. "Rifts appear and vanish in moments, creatures move faster, and… some hunters here aren't friendly. We'll need to be careful."
Biro nodded, fragment pulsing faster, as if in agreement. "I can feel it. The energy is chaotic, but alive… aware." He stepped lightly on the bridge, instincts guiding him, fragment responding with subtle warmth. Every motion, every sound, every flicker of light registered in a complex, unspoken pattern.
Ahead, a faint distortion shimmered across the tallest tower. The rift was small, but intense—a volatile F→D-grade, feeding off ambient energy. "That's our first target," Biro said, pointing. The fragment pulsed in his palm, ready. "But there's something else… I can feel another presence."
Lyra's lips tightened. "Another hunter?"
Before they could act, a shadow detached from the darkness of a nearby bridge—a figure, tall, lean, and radiating faint golden aura. Talent: Mythic. The system panel activated briefly in Biro's mind, a warning:
[System Panel – Unknown Hunter Detected]
Power Level: Unknown, High Threat
Behavior: Aggressive / Challenging
Recommended Action: Caution
EXP Reward: Major
The figure stepped forward, blade glinting faintly under the night lights. "So… you're the new fragment child everyone whispers about," the stranger said, voice low and amused. "I've been waiting for someone… interesting."
Biro tightened his grip on his fragment. "Who are you?" he demanded. The fragment pulsed aggressively, alerting him to subtle shifts in the stranger's energy.
"Call me Zaren," the hunter replied, eyes glimmering. "I hunt rifts… and anyone who thinks they can keep up." Without further words, he leapt, blade swinging in a wide arc toward Biro.
Instinct, fragment, and survival intertwined. Biro rolled, fragment flaring to shield him, a faint translucent wall deflecting the strike. Sparks of raw energy scattered across the bridge as Lyra lunged at Zaren's flank, blade flashing. The hunter was fast, but Biro's fragment responded instinctively, guiding movements, creating openings, predicting his opponent's strikes with subtle nudges.
"You've got potential," Zaren said, sidestepping Lyra's attack, blade slicing through the air. "But instincts only take you so far. Talent matters too."
Biro's heart raced, fragment pulsing wildly. "Then I'll show you… instincts AND fragment power." Concentrating, he expanded the fragment into a luminous barrier around him, then pushed it outward in a controlled pulse. Zaren staggered, surprised at the raw energy, his eyes widening as he sensed the fragment's dormant omniversal potential awakening.
Lyra took advantage, striking with precise coordination, pushing Zaren toward the edge of the bridge. Sparks flew as blades clashed, fragment energy crackling faintly around Biro. Each strike, each dodge, each release of fragment energy strengthened the bond between him and Lyra—a silent understanding, a perfect rhythm forming as if they were one in the heat of battle.
Zaren grinned, backing off slightly. "Not bad… not bad at all. You've grown since the academy. But let's see if you can survive a rift-enhanced attack."
From the nearby tower, the rift flared violently, creatures spilling forth: two wolf-like spawns, eyes glowing orange, moving faster than anything Biro had faced before. The hunter paused briefly, smirking. "Don't just survive… kill."
Biro's fragment pulsed, instinct sharpened, and he released a controlled burst, striking one creature mid-leap. Lyra's sword cut through the other, the energy dispersing into the night. The fight was chaos, but Biro's instincts and fragment guidance kept them alive, each movement deliberate, precise.
Finally, Zaren stepped back, raising a hand. "Enough for now. I wanted to test you… you're stronger than I expected. Keep honing that fragment. We may meet again."
With a swirl of shadows, he vanished, leaving Biro and Lyra on the bridge, breathing heavily, fragments pulsing with residual energy. The rift shimmered faintly, then collapsed silently.
Biro looked at Lyra, heart still racing. "That… was intense."
Lyra nodded, gripping his hand briefly. "But we survived. Together."
The Floating District was quiet again, the night deep and full of promise. And Biro Kael felt it—fragment pulsing, instincts alive, and the thrill of hunting monsters intertwined with the growing spark of connection to Lyra, and the countless challenges yet to come.
The night had tested them, but it had also shown them something more: power, instinct, and companionship were stronger together. And the city, with all its hidden rifts, would never run out of trials for the fragment child.