The air felt heavier.
Not just because of the exhaustion accumulating in Crow's body, but because something around him was beginning to change in a way that couldn't fully be explained. The road that had been open now felt narrow, not physically, but in terms of… possibility. Every step he could take seemed already calculated by the two figures in front of him, and for the first time since he emerged from the alley, Crow realized something more dangerous than their strength.
They weren't in a hurry.
They were certain.
The two opponents stood apart several meters, forming an angle that cut across Crow's movement path. No longer aggressively pursuing like before, but locking positions with precision too neat to be called coincidence. The one—the fast type—slightly lowered his center of gravity, ready to move at any moment. The other—the hunter—remained upright, stable, like a pillar that couldn't be moved.
Crow stood in the middle.
His body still swayed.
His breath not entirely stable.
But his eyes—
more focused than before.
(Survival probability: 9%)
(Life stability: 28%)
"Dropping again," Crow murmured softly. "So consistent."
He shifted his foot slightly, not to advance or retreat, but to make sure his body was ready to respond from two directions. He didn't have enough energy for a long fight. He also didn't have enough time to try again and again.
That meant—
the next mistake was the last.
"Subject shows endurance beyond estimate," the hunter said softly. "But significant condition decline."
"Confirmed," answered the fast one. "Simultaneous termination recommended."
Simultaneous.
Meaning they wouldn't take turns anymore.
Crow drew a slow breath.
His mind moved fast, rearranging everything he learned from the previous battle. Their patterns. The way they moved. The way they spoke. Even small pauses in their responses.
All of that wasn't random.
All of that… systematic.
And if it was a system—
then there should be limits.
"Hey," Crow said suddenly, his voice loud enough to be heard, "you never asked one important thing."
No immediate response.
But their attention changed.
Slightly.
"Why me?" he continued. "If this was just about elimination, why me? Why not someone else?"
Pause.
Small.
But real.
(Warning: Subject attempting to disturb opponent focus.)
"Question irrelevant," answered the hunter.
"No?" Crow smiled thinly. "Or you don't have the answer?"
The fast one moved slightly.
More ready.
Sharper.
But Crow didn't stop.
He took one step forward.
A small step.
But enough to trigger reaction.
Both moved.
Together.
Attacks came from two directions.
Fast.
Precise.
Leaving no room.
Crow didn't dodge.
He waited.
Last second—
He raised his hand.
That darkness appeared again.
Deeper.
Wider.
More unstable.
The air around them vibrated hard, like something forced out of its original form. The light around them dimmed, not because the source disappeared, but because something… absorbed it.
(Ability "Rift" — Unstable activation)
(Risk: High)
Both opponents' movements were disturbed.
Didn't stop.
But lost synchronization.
And that was enough.
Crow moved.
But this time—
not to escape.
He advanced toward the hunter.
A move that made no sense.
Yet precisely because of that—
not fully anticipated.
He slammed his body into the hunter with all his remaining strength, forcing the distance to zero. At such close range, great power couldn't be used to maximum.
"If you're stable," Crow murmured softly near him, "I'll make you lose that."
He spun his body, pulling his opponent's position slightly, enough to disturb balance.
But the fast one—
had recovered.
The attack came from the side.
Crow couldn't fully dodge.
A hard impact hit the side of his body.
Pain exploded.
But he didn't stop.
He maintained his position.
Forcing both opponents—
to be in one line.
"Now," he whispered.
That darkness—
expanded.
Not just in his hand.
But around him.
As if space itself… cracked.
(Ability "Rift" — Uncontrolled expansion)
(Warning: Threshold exceeded)
For a fraction of a second—
everything stopped.
Not because time stopped.
But because space—
was no longer stable.
Both opponents didn't move.
Not because they didn't want to.
But because they—
were locked.
Crow stood in the middle of that phenomenon.
His breath stuttered.
His body could barely stand.
But his eyes—
sharp.
He saw something.
Not at his opponents.
But at… a gap.
Between the cracks of space.
Like something that shouldn't be visible.
(Anomaly detected)
(Classification: Unknown)
"What…" Crow murmured softly.
For the first time—
the system sounded… hesitant.
But that moment didn't last long.
Backlash came.
Hard.
As if the world itself rejected what had just happened.
Crow's body was thrown.
Hard.
He hit the ground, his breath completely gone.
That darkness disappeared.
Space returned to normal.
Both opponents stood.
Still intact.
Still stable.
But this time—
they didn't immediately move.
Their gazes changed.
"Phenomenon doesn't match data," the hunter said softly.
"Confirmed," answered the fast one. "Subject no longer in initial parameters."
Crow laughed softly.
Even though his voice was barely audible.
"Yes…" he murmured. "Finally… you realize."
But his body couldn't move anymore.
(Status: Critical)
(Life stability: 12%)
He was almost depleted.
Their footsteps approached.
Slowly.
Certain.
Crow stared at the sky.
Empty.
Dark.
But this time—
he didn't feel afraid.
Not because he was strong.
But because he had crossed that boundary.
And at that threshold—
he saw something.
Something that shouldn't exist.
And that—
changed everything.