No map.
No prediction.
No control layer.
Arjun stood still.
Facing him—
The unknown commander.
Calm.
Focused.
Ready.
"…So this is you without the system," the man said.
Arjun didn't respond.
He adjusted his grip.
Breathing slowed.
"…Then don't hold back," the man added.
He moved.
Fast.
First strike—
Direct.
Arjun reacted—
Late.
The attack grazed past him.
Too close.
"…Still adapting," the man said.
Second strike—
Sharper.
Arjun blocked—
Barely.
The force pushed him back again.
[Suit Integrity: 48% → 44%]
"…He's controlling pace," Arjun realized.
Not speed.
Flow.
Every move—
Planned.
Measured.
"…You're reading me," Arjun muttered.
"…Of course," the man replied.
"…You're predictable without your system."
Silence.
Then—
Arjun moved.
Not to attack.
Not to defend.
He stepped forward—
Wrong angle.
Wrong timing.
The man paused.
"…What?"
Arjun attacked.
Messy.
Unclean.
Not efficient.
The man blocked—
But his rhythm broke.
"…That's not optimal," he said.
"…I'm not trying to be optimal."
Arjun shifted again.
Unbalanced stance.
Erratic movement.
The man adjusted—
But slower now.
"…You're forcing errors," he realized.
"…No."
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
"…I'm removing patterns."
The next exchange—
Changed.
Not clean.
Not precise.
But—
Unpredictable.
The man attacked.
Arjun didn't dodge.
He absorbed—
Redirected—
Countered.
A hit landed.
First time.
The man stepped back slightly.
"…Interesting."
Arjun didn't stop.
He pushed forward.
Breaking rhythm again.
No timing.
No pattern.
Just instinct.
The battlefield—
Shifted.
[Combat Flow: Unstable]
The man's movements slowed.
Not physically.
Mentally.
"…You're fighting without logic," he said.
"…Wrong."
Arjun stepped in—
Close range.
"…I'm fighting without your logic."
He fired—
Point-blank.
The man dodged—
But late.
The blast grazed his side.
[Unknown Commander — Damage Registered]
Silence.
The girl's eyes widened.
"…You hit him…"
Arjun didn't react.
He kept moving.
Maintaining pressure.
No pause.
No reset.
The man stepped back.
For the first time—
Distance created.
"…So that's your answer," he said quietly.
"…When system fails…"
"…You break the game."
Arjun didn't reply.
He raised the rifle again.
"…Temporary solution."
The man's eyes narrowed.
"…But effective."
Silence.
Then—
The system flickered.
[Partial Recovery Detected]
Arjun felt it.
Faint.
The interface—
Returning.
"…There it is," he muttered.
Not full.
But enough.
Minimal map.
Limited prediction.
"…Half system," the girl said.
"…More than enough."
Arjun adjusted.
Not fully back.
But combined.
Instinct + partial system.
The man noticed immediately.
"…You stabilized it."
"…Just enough."
Arjun stepped forward.
This time—
Different.
Not chaotic.
Not predictable.
Balanced.
The system pulsed.
[Hybrid Combat Mode Detected]
The air shifted again.
Now—
It wasn't just a fight.
It was evolution.
Two commanders.
Both adapted.
Both aware.
Both serious.
The next move—
Would decide momentum.
Arjun steadied his stance.
"…Round two ends here."
The man smiled.
"…Now it's interesting."
And this time—
Neither of them—
Held back.