The city never slept.
Even now—when an invisible war raged above its rooftops—the streets below remained alive with traffic lights, distant sirens, and unaware pedestrians.
And above it all…
I hovered.
Watching.
Calculating.
Enduring.
---
The pressure was unlike anything I had experienced before.
Authority Enforcer's presence alone warped the flow of the battlefield. Its golden chains no longer attacked recklessly—they moved with precision, anticipation, and cold logic.
Hunters adjusted their formations faster.
Exorcists refined their arrays mid-combat.
Rogue spirits reacted erratically, torn between fear and instinct.
And the unknown entity…
It watched me.
Learning.
---
> [System Alert: Cognitive Load Approaching Threshold]
Recommendation: Adaptation Required]
"…You don't say," I muttered under my breath.
Mira's voice surfaced, steady but serious.
"Rei. Your current method is no longer sustainable."
I knew that.
I could feel it in every pulse of Chaotic Signature, every forced adjustment of Emotional Grounding, every environmental nudge that took more effort than before.
My influence wasn't failing.
It was being outpaced.
---
A golden chain snapped toward me without warning.
I twisted mid-air, barely avoiding it, the energy grazing my spectral shoulder. The impact sent a ripple through my form—painful, sharp, real.
"…That's new," I muttered, teeth clenched.
> [System Note: Spiritual Integrity Reduced – 3%]
Authority Enforcer didn't pursue immediately.
It adjusted.
Calculated.
Prepared the next strike.
---
The unknown entity moved then.
Not rushing.
Not attacking.
It stepped onto a rooftop across from me, its form flickering between solid and spectral. Its gaze locked onto mine, unreadable.
For the first time, I felt something unfamiliar crawl up my spine.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"…You're not here to kill me," I said quietly.
The entity tilted its head.
No denial.
No confirmation.
Just intent.
---
Mira's voice dropped to a whisper.
"It's forcing evolution. Just like the system."
That word echoed in my mind.
Evolution.
---
Another chain lashed out.
I reacted instinctively—Chaotic Signature surged outward in a wide pulse.
Too wide.
Hunters below staggered violently.
A rogue spirit lost control and slammed into a wall.
An exorcist nearly collapsed before stabilizing their array.
> [Warning: Influence Spillover Detected]
"…Damn it," I hissed.
This was the problem.
My abilities were strong—but blunt under pressure.
I was forcing control where precision was needed.
---
The unknown entity moved again—faster this time.
It appeared behind me.
I barely reacted in time, dispersing my form into mist as a strange energy blade sliced through where I had been.
I reformed several meters away, breathing hard.
"…Okay," I muttered dryly.
"Now I'm officially annoyed."
---
Something clicked.
Not suddenly.
Not dramatically.
But subtly—like a misaligned gear snapping into place.
I stopped trying to control everything.
Instead…
I listened.
---
The city wasn't chaos.
It was patterns.
Fear flowed like currents.
Intent left echoes.
Conflict created pressure points.
I didn't need to dominate the battlefield.
I needed to ride it.
---
> [System Notification: Insight Gained]
New Concept Unlocked — Chaotic Flow]
Description: Instead of forcing influence, Rei may now align with existing chaos, reducing cognitive and spiritual strain.]
I blinked.
"…Wait. That's an option?"
Mira sounded almost amused.
"You were trying to be a conductor. Now you're learning to be the music."
"…That's poetic," I muttered.
"…And mildly terrifying."
---
I closed my eyes.
For the first time since this battle began, I stopped pushing.
I let the chaos breathe.
Rogue spirits moved—not guided, but encouraged.
Hunters didn't hesitate unnaturally—they made small, human mistakes.
Exorcists adjusted arrays imperfectly, like people under pressure naturally would.
And Authority Enforcer's chains…
They slowed.
Not because I disrupted them—
—but because its predictions no longer matched reality.
---
> [System Update: Chaotic Flow — Active]
Spiritual Consumption Reduced]
Influence Efficiency Increased]
"…Oh," I murmured.
"That feels… better."
---
Authority Enforcer reacted immediately.
Chains realigned, attempting to recalibrate.
But the timing was off.
For the first time since it entered full assault mode—
It missed.
---
The unknown entity froze.
Just for a fraction of a second.
But I saw it.
> [Observation: Unknown Entity — Prediction Error Detected]
My eyes narrowed.
"…So you can bleed too."
---
I didn't attack.
I drifted backward, letting the city's natural chaos carry me.
For once, I wasn't drowning in it.
I was floating.
---
Mira's voice softened.
"This is only the beginning, Rei. Chaotic Flow will grow. And when it does…"
"…I won't just survive," I finished quietly.
"I'll change the rules."
---
Below, the city continued its unaware rhythm.
Above, Authority Enforcer recalculated.
The unknown entity watched with renewed interest.
And I—
I smiled faintly.
---
> [Status Update:]
— New Ability State: Chaotic Flow (Early Stage)
— Authority Enforcer: Prediction Accuracy Reduced
— Unknown Entity: First Recorded Miscalculation
— Rei Evolution: In Progress
---