The pattern broke.
Ethan felt it the moment they stepped onto the next street.
Not one presence.
Not two.
Multiple.
Layered.
"…This is different," he said quietly.
Lena stayed close.
"…How many?"
Ethan focused.
Carefully.
"…Four."
A pause.
"…No… five."
That alone was enough.
Kai didn't slow.
"…Good."
Ethan glanced at him.
"…Good?"
Kai's tone stayed calm.
"Better to face it now than later."
Not helpful.
But true.
The air tightened.
Not sharply.
But gradually.
Like a net closing.
"…They're setting up," Ethan muttered.
Lena's grip tightened slightly.
"…Same as before?"
Ethan shook his head.
"…No."
Because this time—
It felt coordinated.
Deliberate.
Structured.
They weren't just attacking.
They were executing.
A plan.
Figures appeared.
One ahead.
Two to the sides.
One behind.
And—
One he couldn't feel.
"…There's a null-type," he said.
Kai nodded slightly.
"Yes."
That made it worse.
Because now—
His sensing wasn't reliable.
"…Stay close," Ethan said.
Lena didn't hesitate.
The central figure stepped forward.
"…Subject confirmed. Secondary present. Observer present."
Kai smiled faintly.
"Polite."
The figure ignored him.
"…Engagement begins."
No countdown.
No hesitation.
They moved.
All at once.
The side attackers rushed first—
Fast.
Ethan reacted—
Pulling Lena back—
Shifting position—
But already—
The formation tightened.
"…They're cutting off movement," he said.
Kai's voice came calmly.
"Then don't move randomly."
Ethan clenched his jaw.
"…I know."
But knowing—
Wasn't enough.
The null-type entered range.
And instantly—
Everything dulled.
Ethan felt it.
His connection—
Weakened.
Blurred.
Unstable.
"…They're stacking effects," he muttered.
One suppressing.
One pressuring.
Others coordinating.
Perfect setup.
The first strike came—
From the side.
Ethan turned—
Blocked—
Barely—
Another from behind—
He shifted—
Too late—
The impact grazed him.
He stumbled forward.
"…Ethan!" Lena called.
"I'm fine," he said quickly.
But the pressure kept building.
They weren't giving him space.
No reset.
No pause.
"…You're being overwhelmed," one of them said.
Ethan didn't respond.
Because they were right.
This wasn't a duel.
This was containment.
"…Then I break it," he muttered.
He pushed forward—
Toward the weakest gap.
The front.
But the leader stepped in.
Blocking it instantly.
"…Predictable," they said.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"…Then I change it."
He stopped.
Completely.
The attackers paused.
Just for a moment.
"…What is he doing?" one of them said.
Ethan inhaled slowly.
Then—
He reset.
Not the fight.
Himself.
His breathing slowed.
His focus narrowed.
He stopped reacting to everything.
And chose—
One point.
The leader.
"…There," he muttered.
Lena felt the shift.
"…You're focusing."
"…Yeah."
Because spreading out—
Was killing him.
The leader stepped forward.
"…You've identified the center."
Ethan didn't respond.
Because now—
He moved.
Directly.
Not away.
Not defensive.
Forward.
The side attackers moved to intercept—
But Ethan didn't hesitate.
He slipped past the first—
Redirected the second—
Minimal movement—
Maximum intent.
The null-type closed in—
Ethan felt the suppression spike—
But he didn't rely on it.
Not this time.
Baseline.
Control.
Only that.
He pushed through.
Closed the distance.
The leader raised their hand—
Prepared—
But Ethan didn't attack directly.
Instead—
He disrupted position.
Stepped inside—
Forced adjustment.
Broke alignment.
The formation—
Cracked.
Just slightly.
"…Formation compromised," one of them said.
Ethan didn't stop.
Because this was the moment.
He turned—
Redirected another attacker—
Pulled Lena through the opening—
Moved out of the center.
The pressure shifted.
Less direct.
Less overwhelming.
"…He broke the structure," Lena said.
"…Barely," Ethan replied.
Because they were already adapting.
Reforming.
Faster this time.
Smarter.
"…They're adjusting," he muttered.
Kai's voice came calmly.
"Then adjust faster."
Of course.
Ethan exhaled slowly.
Because this wasn't over.
Not even close.
The attackers repositioned.
Wider this time.
Less tight.
More flexible.
"…They learned," Lena said.
"…Yeah."
Which meant—
This would only get harder.
The null-type moved again.
Closer.
Stronger suppression.
Ethan felt it immediately.
His control wavered—
Just slightly—
But enough.
The leader attacked.
Fast.
Clean.
Ethan reacted—
But slower—
The strike landed.
Direct.
He was thrown back.
Hard.
Pain shot through his side.
He hit the ground—
Rolled—
Forced himself up.
"…Ethan!" Lena shouted.
"I'm fine," he said.
But his breathing wasn't steady anymore.
His control—
Was slipping.
Not gone.
But strained.
"…You're reaching your limit," the leader said.
Ethan wiped blood from his lip.
"…Not yet."
But it was close.
Too close.
He looked around.
The positions.
The movement.
The pattern.
And then—
He saw it.
A flaw.
Small.
But real.
The null-type—
Couldn't maintain full coverage while moving.
There was a gap.
Brief.
But there.
"…That's it," he muttered.
Lena looked at him.
"…What?"
"…The weakness."
He exhaled slowly.
"…When I move… stay behind me."
She nodded.
No hesitation.
Ethan stepped forward again.
The attackers moved—
But this time—
He wasn't reacting.
He was guiding.
He baited movement—
Pulled attention—
Shifted angles—
Forced the null-type to reposition—
And in that moment—
The gap opened.
Ethan pushed.
Fast.
Focused.
Clean.
His connection surged—
Not wide—
Targeted.
Precise.
It slipped past the null field—
Just for a second—
And hit.
The leader froze.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Ethan moved—
Closed distance—
Forced them back.
The formation broke.
Completely this time.
"…Retreat," the leader said.
The others pulled back instantly.
No hesitation.
No resistance.
Just gone.
Like before.
Ethan stood still.
Breathing heavy.
Control—
Barely holding.
"…That was close," Lena said.
Ethan nodded.
"…Too close."
Kai approached slowly.
"…You're learning," he said.
Ethan exhaled.
"…I almost lost."
Kai shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"You adapted."
That—
Was the difference.
Ethan looked at his hand.
Still steady.
Barely.
"…Next time," he said quietly.
"…I won't cut it that close."
Because now—
He understood something important.
Not every fight could be controlled perfectly.
But every fight—
Had a weakness.
And finding it—
Was the only way forward.