The moment the entity shifted—
The pressure changed.
Riser felt it first.
Not around him.
But inside.
A faint vibration—
Syncing with the shard in his hand.
"...It's speeding up."
Lyra adjusted her stance.
"...So is it."
The entity flickered again.
Faster.
Less predictable.
Before, there had been a pattern.
Now—
It was breaking.
Riser exhaled slowly.
"...Figures."
The ground beneath them stretched further into the void.
But now—
It wasn't forming as smoothly.
Small fractures appeared.
Unstable.
Lyra's eyes narrowed.
"...The path is reacting too."
"...To the fight?"
"...To us."
The entity vanished again.
This time—
No sound.
No warning.
Riser's body moved on instinct.
He ducked—
A ripple tore through the space above him.
Not just air.
Reality itself bent slightly.
"...Tch—"
He rolled to the side.
The shard burned faintly in his palm.
Then—
A pulse.
Stronger than before.
[System Notification]Resonance Alignment: 12% → 19%Phase Interaction Window Expanded
Riser blinked.
"...That's new."
Lyra didn't look away from the shifting darkness.
"...Use it."
The entity reappeared.
Directly in front of Lyra.
Its hand already mid-swing.
She didn't retreat.
She stepped in.
CLASH—
For a split second—
Her blade met something solid.
The entity flickered violently.
Lyra's eyes sharpened.
"...Now!"
Riser moved instantly.
His strike followed hers—
Perfect timing.
The shard reacted.
A faint glow—
Not bright—
But focused.
His blade cut through—
Deeper than before.
The entity staggered.
Its form distorted again—
More unstable.
A faint sound escaped it.
Not quite a scream.
But—
Something close.
Riser landed lightly.
"...We're getting somewhere."
But the entity—
Didn't fall.
Instead—
It split.
Lyra froze for a fraction of a second.
"...What?"
The single figure—
Became two.
Both flickering.
Both unstable.
Riser's expression dropped slightly.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The system reacted immediately.
[System Warning]Entity Behavior Change DetectedPhase Duplication ActiveThreat Level: Escalating
Lyra shifted her stance.
"...We divide."
Riser shook his head.
"...No."
She glanced at him.
"...They're not fully stable yet."
Riser continued.
"...Splitting weakened them—for now."
Lyra understood instantly.
"...We take one down first."
"...Exactly."
The two entities moved.
Not together.
But not separately either.
One advanced.
The other—
Vanished.
Riser's grip tightened.
"...Behind."
Lyra reacted immediately.
She pivoted—
Blade already mid-motion—
CLANG—
The second entity reappeared—
Blocked at the last moment.
But the first—
Was already moving.
Riser stepped forward—
Intercepting it.
Their movements synced naturally.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
The shard pulsed again.
Riser felt it clearly now.
The timing.
The moment—
When the entity became real.
"...Now."
He struck—
Impact.
Lyra followed—
Her blade cutting through the same instant.
The entity's form shattered—
Not into pieces—
But into fragments of light.
Gone.
One down.
But—
The second entity—
Changed.
Its flickering stopped.
Completely.
Riser's eyes narrowed.
"...That's not good."
Lyra's voice was calm.
"...It stabilized."
The entity stepped forward.
For the first time—
Fully solid.
The air grew heavier.
The pressure—
Increased sharply.
The system flickered.
[System Alert]Phase Stabilization CompleteNew State: Anchored EntityThreat Level: High
Riser exhaled slowly.
"...So now we can hit it."
Lyra's grip tightened slightly.
"...And now it can hit us."
The entity moved.
This time—
No flicker.
No delay.
Fast.
Too fast.
Riser barely raised his blade in time—
BOOM—
The impact pushed him back several steps.
"...Okay—"
He steadied himself.
"That's definitely stronger."
Lyra moved in immediately.
Her strike precise—
Targeting its core.
But—
The entity blocked.
Easily.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...It's learned."
Riser stepped beside her.
"...Then we adapt faster."
The shard pulsed again.
Stronger.
Then—
Something changed.
The system responded.
[System Notification]Resonance Alignment: 19% → 27%New Function Unlocked (Partial)Phase Interference Available
Riser blinked.
"...Phase… interference?"
He didn't question it.
He moved.
The entity charged again.
This time—
Riser didn't dodge.
He stepped forward—
At the exact moment—
Their attacks met—
The shard flared.
For a split second—
The entity flickered.
Not by its own will.
Forced.
Lyra saw it.
She struck.
Clean.
The entity staggered.
Riser followed—
His blade cutting through—
A direct hit.
The entity's form cracked.
For the first time—
Real damage.
Riser smirked slightly.
"...Got you."
The entity stepped back.
Its gaze—
Locked onto him.
Something changed again.
Not its form.
Its intent.
Lyra felt it immediately.
"...Be careful."
Riser didn't respond.
Because he felt it too.
This fight—
Was far from over.
And somewhere—
Beyond the darkness—
That presence—
Was no longer just watching.
It was waiting.