The balance changed.
Not completely.
Not instantly.
But enough.
Aarav felt it.
That slight distortion in the air—
Not from the system.
From something else.
"…It's still here," he said quietly.
The Prime unit didn't respond immediately.
Its movements slowed.
Just slightly.
"…External interference… increasing," it said.
Mira stepped closer.
"…Is that helping us?"
"…Yeah."
Aarav's eyes sharpened.
"…But not directly."
Because the presence wasn't fighting.
It wasn't protecting.
It was—
Disturbing.
The Prime unit moved again.
Faster than before.
But not perfect.
Aarav saw it.
That delay.
That small misalignment.
"…There."
He moved.
The strike came—
He stepped aside—
Cleaner this time.
The follow-up came—
He shifted—
Just enough.
"…You're slower," Aarav said.
"…Correction delay detected," the unit replied.
The air flickered again.
The interference grew stronger.
Closer.
Like it was focusing.
Inside the observation room—
The screens became unstable.
"…The signal is increasing!" an analyst shouted.
"…It's interfering with system processes!"
Veer's gaze remained fixed.
"…No."
"…It's interacting with them."
Back on the street—
Aarav stepped forward again.
This time—
More confident.
More certain.
"…You're losing control," he said.
The Prime unit didn't respond.
But its movements—
Tightened.
More aggressive.
More urgent.
"…Execution priority raised."
It attacked.
Fast.
Sharp.
Aarav reacted—
And this time—
He didn't fall behind.
He matched.
Step for step.
Strike for strike.
The rhythm changed.
Not perfect.
Not chaotic.
But—
Broken.
Mira watched closely.
"…You're keeping up."
"…No."
Aarav exhaled slowly.
"…I'm moving ahead."
The Prime unit struck again.
Aarav slipped past it.
Countered.
A clean hit landed.
The unit moved back.
Further than before.
"…Error accumulating," it said.
The system flickered violently.
[ S T A B I L I T Y C O M P R O M I S E D ]
"…It's working," Mira said.
"…Yeah."
Aarav stepped forward again.
"…But not enough."
Because the interference—
Was unstable.
Unpredictable.
Temporary.
The Prime unit stabilized again.
Slower this time.
More cautious.
"…Adapting," it said.
"…Of course you are," Aarav replied.
"…Then we push further."
The air shifted again.
Stronger.
Closer.
For a moment—
The distortion appeared.
Clearer than before.
Almost—
Visible.
Mira's eyes widened.
"…Aarav…"
"…I see it."
Aarav's expression changed slightly.
"…You're not just interfering anymore."
A pause.
"…You're aligning."
The air pulsed.
A response.
The Prime unit reacted instantly.
"…External alignment detected."
Its presence intensified.
More aggressive.
More focused.
"…Correction priority: absolute."
The pressure surged.
But this time—
Aarav didn't step back.
He stepped forward.
"…Let's see which one wins."
Because now—
This wasn't just his fight anymore.
It was—
A collision.
Between the system—
And something beyond it.