The academy did not celebrate after Ruin disappeared.
There was no victory.
Only silence.
Students whispered in corners. Instructors reinforced barriers around the campus. Even the sky seemed unnaturally clear, as if it were waiting for something to break it again.
Arjun stood in the training field alone.
The Broken Sky fragments floated around him — fewer than before, but sharper. More precise.
More obedient.
"System status," he said quietly.
"Core stability restored.
Autonomy integration: 18%.
Warning: External interference probability increasing."
Arjun exhaled slowly.
Ruin had tested the connection between him and the system.
Next time…
It wouldn't just be pressure.
It would be destruction.
---
Instructor Sebastian approached from behind, hands behind his back.
"You felt it directly, didn't you?" he asked.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
"And?"
Arjun looked at his hand, where faint light pulsed steadily.
"He's not trying to defeat me yet."
Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Then what is he doing?"
"He's preparing the battlefield."
---
A Sudden Disturbance
Without warning, the ground beneath the academy trembled.
But this wasn't like the previous rifts.
No tear opened in the sky.
Instead—
The academy barrier flickered violently.
Alarms rang across the campus.
"Energy spike detected!"
"Multiple signatures approaching!"
Harshil ran into the field, sword already in hand. "Vale! It's different this time!"
Punya and Godly appeared moments later, both unusually serious.
Punya's voice was low. "The energy isn't chaotic."
Godly finished calmly, "It's synchronized."
Arjun's fragments began rotating faster.
"Show me."
The system projected faint light patterns in front of him.
Not one rift.
Not five.
Not even ten.
Dozens.
But they weren't random.
They were forming a pattern.
A circle.
Around the academy.
---
Encirclement
The sky darkened again — but only along the outer horizon.
Thin lines of distortion connected each forming rift.
Like a net tightening.
"Ruin isn't attacking directly," Harshil said.
"He's isolating us," Arjun replied.
The first wave emerged.
Not giant Riftsouls.
Not massive beasts.
Smaller.
Faster.
Sharper.
Each one moved with coordinated precision.
This wasn't chaos.
This was strategy.
---
Controlled Evolution
"Adaptation required," the system whispered.
Arjun stepped forward.
"No," he said quietly.
The fragments slowed.
"This time, we don't just react."
The creatures charged in synchronized formation.
Arjun raised his hand.
Instead of forming a storm—
The fragments split into three controlled units.
Unit One: Defensive orbit around the academy entrance.
Unit Two: Interception arcs above the wall.
Unit Three: Direct assault — with Arjun.
Harshil stared. "You're dividing the system?"
"Not dividing," Arjun replied.
"Directing."
The first clash erupted.
Harshil struck from the left flank, cutting down two creatures instantly.
Punya disrupted movement patterns from the shadows.
Godly created calculated openings with precise strikes.
But the creatures kept adjusting.
Matching their rhythm.
Learning.
---
The Fracture
A sudden pulse shot through the ground.
Arjun