The city was awake.
Not the people.
The tension. The stakes. The watching eyes of factions.
---
Hunters coordinated aggressively, moving in formation to flush out anomalies.
Exorcists reinforced arrays, chanting in overlapping patterns.
Rogue spirits roamed freely, some chaotic, some following subtle guidance.
And above all, observers cataloged everything.
---
> [System Alert: Multi-Faction Engagement – Maximum]
---
I perched on a rooftop, scanning the scene.
A perfect map of opportunity and danger.
---
First, the rogue spirits.
I nudged them with Emotional Grounding, guiding several away from civilians and subtly toward hunter patrols.
> [Rogue Spirit Response: Cooperative]
---
Next, the humans.
Small pulses of Chaotic Signature, carefully timed.
Hunters faltered in formation. Exorcists' arrays misaligned.
> [Multi-Faction Coordination: Disrupted – Success]
---
I moved through the streets, not running, not attacking.
I orchestrated.
Each step, each pulse, carefully calculated.
---
From above, the Authority Enforcer observed.
Not intervening yet. Just measuring, adjusting, predicting.
---
"…Not bad," Mira's voice echoed.
"You're conducting chaos like a maestro."
"…More like juggling knives," I muttered.
---
A hunter lunged from a rooftop, talisman raised.
I anticipated, using Chaotic Signature Burst to distort his perception.
He stumbled. Misfired.
> [System Update: Multi-Faction Response Cataloged]
---
Rogue spirits followed subtle cues, amplifying confusion.
Exorcists tried to stabilize arrays—too late.
---
I paused briefly on a street corner.
"…Okay. Network is holding, influence is visible, multi-faction test complete," I whispered.
> [Status Update:]
— Multi-Faction Strategy: Effective
— Network Influence: Moderate-High
— Authority Awareness: Escalating
---
Above, observers recorded silently.
Authority Enforcer analyzed every move.
And I… smiled.
"…This city isn't ready for me yet."
---