Stone dust drifted through the ruined plaza.

  Wind howled between shattered buildings while chunks of masonry smoldered where golden force had struck moments earlier. Civilians cried somewhere beyond the smoke, soldiers shouting as they dragged wounded to safety.

  And in the center of it all—

  Vale stood between two Authority users.

  The armored giant lifted his hammer, golden light pulsing along cracked bronze plates. Across from him, the wind-wreathed woman hovered above the rubble, currents of compressed air tearing loose banners and debris around her.

  Both stared at Vale now.

  Measured him.

  Power recognized power.

  The woman spoke first.

  “Another Authority bearer,” she said, voice cutting through the gale. “Which side claims you?”

  The armored man’s voice boomed like rolling thunder.

  “No one stands here without allegiance. Choose.”

  Vale exhaled slowly.

  Of course.

  Power always demanded sides.

  Behind him, civilians scrambled from collapsed structures. Soldiers tried to push people away from the battlefield, but panic trapped many between broken streets and falling debris.

  They didn’t have time for politics.

  Another building groaned as structural supports gave way.

  Vale glanced at the trapped civilians.

  Then back at the two Authority wielders.

  “I don’t have a side,” he said calmly.

  The wind-user’s eyes narrowed.

  “Then you’re in the way.”

  Golden light surged as the armored man took a step forward.

  “Move or be removed.”

  Vale sighed.

  They really weren’t going to stop.

  A child screamed somewhere behind him as rubble shifted dangerously.

  Choice again.

  Walk away.

  Or intervene.

  Protector Authority stirred inside him, responding instinctively to danger pressing in from all sides.

  He stepped forward instead.

  And planted his foot.

  The armored warrior frowned.

  “You misunderstand.”

  Golden energy gathered around the hammer head.

  “I wasn’t asking.”

  The wind-user’s hands snapped forward simultaneously.

  Compressed air detonated outward.

  Two Authority attacks collided at once.

  A golden shockwave and slicing wind pressure raced toward Vale—

  —and met invisible resistance.

  A ripple spread outward.

  Like pressure striking water.

  Dust froze mid-air.

  Debris halted.

  The shockwaves bent.

  Then dispersed.

  Silence fell.

  Even the wind stilled.

  Vale stood unmoved.

  A faint translucent distortion shimmered around him, expanding outward in a growing sphere.

  His voice carried calmly through the stunned plaza.

  “Stop.”

  System text flickered at the edge of his vision.

  [Protector Authority Active]

  Defensive Field Expanded

  Threat Recognition: Multiple Hostile Sources

  Priority: Civilian Preservation

  The field rolled outward, pushing rubble aside gently, stabilizing structures on the verge of collapse. Panicked civilians found falling debris suddenly slowed, impact softened as invisible force redirected destruction.

  Soldiers froze in shock.

  The wind-user stared.

  “What… is that?”

  The armored man lowered his hammer slightly, confusion replacing fury.

  Vale looked at them both.

  “You’re fighting in a crowded district,” he said quietly. “People are dying.”

  The woman’s expression hardened.

  “This city belongs to no tyrant. Collateral damage is inevitable.”

  The armored warrior barked a humorless laugh.

  “Freedom without order kills more people than tyranny ever could.”

  Vale’s jaw tightened.

  Same argument.

  Different era.

  Same bodies beneath rubble.

  Behind him, more civilians escaped as the field stabilized collapsing buildings long enough for soldiers to pull survivors free.

  Vale met both their gazes.

  “You’re both wrong.”

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  Wind flared violently.

  Golden light surged.

  “Watch your words,” the armored man growled.

  Vale didn’t raise his voice.

  “If your fight kills the people you claim to protect, you’re just predators arguing over territory.”

  Silence followed.

  Soldiers nearby glanced nervously between the three Authority users.

  The wind-user’s lips curled.

  “You think you’re better?”

  Vale shook his head.

  “No.”

  He looked at the wounded civilians being carried away.

  “I just know what happens when power forgets responsibility.”

  The two Authority wielders hesitated.

  Not convinced.

  But uncertain.

  And uncertainty saved lives.

  Then—

  A thunderous boom echoed across the plaza.

  Not from either combatant.

  From above.

  Every head turned.

  Three figures descended from rooftops, landing between the factions with controlled force.

  Stone cracked beneath armored boots.

  Dark cloaks bearing the sigil of a broken crown fluttered behind them.

  City Enforcers.

  Authority regulators.

  Their leader stepped forward, tall, silver-haired, presence sharp as drawn steel. A long coat shifted around polished armor, and power hummed beneath the surface.

  Not loud.

  Not explosive.

  Controlled.

  Dangerous.

  Her gaze swept across the ruined plaza.

  Then settled on Vale.

  “So,” she said calmly, “this is what caused the disturbance.”

  The armored warrior scowled.

  “This is faction business.”

  She didn’t look at him.

  “Not inside city walls.”

  Wind Authority spoke sharply.

  “He interfered.”

  The enforcer leader’s eyes flicked to Vale again.

  “And you are?”

  Vale hesitated.

  Attention meant trouble.

  But avoiding attention now wasn’t possible.

  “Vale.”

  Recognition flickered among surrounding soldiers.

  Whispers spread.

  Gate defender.

  Monster slayer.

  Protector.

  The enforcer sighed quietly.

  “Of course you are.”

  She turned to both combatants.

  “You’re finished here. Withdraw before I declare this treason against the city.”

  Tension crackled.

  Neither Authority wielder looked eager to fight Enforcers too.

  The armored warrior spat.

  “This isn’t over.”

  He turned, stomping away through shattered streets.

  The wind-user glared at Vale one last time before launching skyward, vanishing into drifting smoke.

  Silence settled.

  Civilians sobbed in relief.

  Soldiers resumed rescue efforts.

  The enforcer leader stepped closer to Vale, studying him carefully.

  Up close, her presence felt heavy. Not overwhelming.

  But precise.

  Controlled power was always more dangerous.

  “You,” she said calmly, “just interfered in an ongoing faction war.”

  Vale shrugged slightly.

  “People were dying.”

  Her expression didn’t change.

  “That doesn’t make your timing convenient.”

  He frowned.

  “Convenient for who?”

  A faint smirk tugged at her lips.

  “Anyone trying to keep this city from tearing itself apart.”

  She glanced at the stabilized ruins around them.

  Then back at him.

  “Congratulations.”

  Vale already disliked where this was going.

  She crossed her arms.

  “You’re now officially involved.”

  Behind them, Lyn’s voice echoed faintly as she forced her way through soldiers.

  “Vale!”

  He rubbed his temple.

  Of course.

  The enforcer turned to leave, cloak swirling behind her.

  “Report to Enforcer Headquarters by evening,” she called over her shoulder. “We need to discuss what kind of problem you’re going to become.”

  Vale stared after her.

  Lyn finally reached him, breathless.

  “What did you do now?”

  He looked at the ruined plaza.

  At the wounded.

  At soldiers salvaging what remained.

  Then at the city stretching beyond, tense and fractured.

  “Got noticed.”

  Lyn groaned.

  “That’s always bad.”

  Vale exhaled slowly.

  Because she wasn’t wrong.

  And somewhere far beyond city walls—

  Something vast stirred.

  Watching.

  Learning.

  The hunt was getting closer.

  And now…

  Vale stood directly in its path.

  The plaza took hours to clear.

  Smoke lingered long after the Authority users withdrew, hanging low over shattered stone and broken market stalls. Soldiers worked in exhausted silence, forming bucket lines to douse fires while healers moved among the wounded.

  Vale helped where he could.

  Lifting rubble.

  Stabilizing debris with lingering Authority pressure.

  Carrying injured civilians to waiting medics.

  No one questioned him now.

  They simply moved around him, accepting help from the stranger who had stopped the destruction.

  Recognition spread quietly.

  Whispers followed him through the ruins.

  Protector.

  Gate defender.

  Authority bearer.

  Trouble.

  By the time the last civilians were evacuated, dusk painted the sky orange beyond the rooftops.

  Lyn leaned against a cracked pillar nearby, arms folded.

  “You always do this,” she muttered as Vale set down another injured man beside healers.

  He glanced at her.

  “Do what?”

  “Find the worst possible situation and walk straight into it.”

  He shrugged.

  “It usually finds me first.”

  She snorted.

  “That’s not comforting.”

  He flexed sore fingers, exhaustion finally catching up. Protector Authority had drained more from him than he liked to admit.

  Using it against monsters was one thing.

  Against other Authority wielders?

  That felt different.

  Heavier.

  More dangerous.

  A group of soldiers approached cautiously, led by a young officer whose helmet sat awkwardly on his head.

  “Sir,” the officer said, clearly unsure how to address him. “Enforcer headquarters sent us to escort you.”

  Vale sighed quietly.

  “Already?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Lyn groaned.

  “Can’t you pretend you’re busy?”

  Vale shook his head.

  “Authority users breaking districts tend to move priorities.”

  The officer shifted nervously.

  “If… if you refuse, we’re supposed to insist.”

  Vale almost smiled.

  He dusted off his coat.

  “Lead the way.”

  Lyn followed instantly.

  The officer blinked.

  “Only he’s requested.”

  She folded her arms stubbornly.

  “Then request me too.”

  The officer looked helplessly at Vale.

  Vale shrugged.

  “She comes.”

  The soldier, wisely, didn’t argue.

  They moved through districts Vale hadn’t yet seen.

  And the deeper they went, the clearer the truth became.

  The city was holding together by willpower alone.

  Barricades blocked certain streets.

  Patrols marched constantly.

  Citizens eyed strangers with suspicion.

  Arguments broke out over food distribution.

  More than once, Vale saw soldiers dragging rioters away.

  Authority scars marked buildings across multiple districts.

  Fights weren’t rare.

  They were routine.

  Lyn noticed too.

  “This place is falling apart,” she murmured.

  “Yes,” Vale said quietly.

  “And people are pretending it isn’t.”

  Ahead, the city’s central district rose, cleaner and better guarded. Tall stone structures surrounded a fortified complex where banners bearing the broken crown symbol fluttered.

  Enforcer Headquarters.

  The escort stopped at the gates.

  Two guards stepped aside immediately.

  “They’re expecting you.”

  Of course they were.

  Vale entered, Lyn sticking close despite the nervous looks soldiers gave her.

  Inside, the atmosphere shifted.

  Calmer.

  Disciplined.

  Controlled.

  Authority users moved through corridors with purpose, their presence unmistakable even without visible displays of power.

  Vale counted at least six in passing.

  Each one strong.

  Stronger than the two fighting earlier.

  Interesting.

  They were led into a circular chamber lined with maps, supply reports, and tactical boards. At the center stood the silver-haired enforcer leader from the plaza.

  She didn’t look up immediately.

  Instead, she finished giving orders to an officer beside her.

  “Reinforce District Four. If they clash again, isolate both sides.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  The officer hurried out.

  Only then did she turn toward Vale.

  And Lyn.

  Her gaze flicked briefly to Lyn, then back.

  “You brought company.”

  Vale answered calmly.

  “She’s not leaving.”

  The commander studied Lyn a moment.

  Then shrugged slightly.

  “Fine.”

  She gestured toward a table displaying a large map of the city.

  “Come look.”

  Vale stepped forward.

  Colored markers dotted districts.

  Red zones.

  Yellow zones.

  Barricades.

  Food shortages.

  Conflict zones.

  And beyond the walls—

  Monster migration patterns.

  The commander crossed her arms.

  “This city is dying.”

  Blunt.

  Honest.

  Vale appreciated that.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because,” she replied, “Authority users think they should rule it.”

  She pointed at different districts.

  “Iron Crown controls the military.”

  Another.

  “Freewind Circle controls unrest.”

  Another.

  “Merchant Consortium controls food and supplies.”

  Her finger tapped the center.

  “And we,” she said calmly, “try to stop them from killing each other.”

  Lyn frowned.

  “Why don’t you just arrest them?”

  The commander almost laughed.

  “Because each faction could start a civil war tomorrow if pushed.”

  Silence settled.

  Vale studied the map.

  “Monsters outside. Authority war inside.”

  “Yes.”

  “Not sustainable.”

  “No.”

  She met his gaze.

  “And then you arrived.”

  Vale frowned slightly.

  “I didn’t plan that.”

  “No,” she agreed. “But you changed things.”

  She gestured toward reports stacked nearby.

  “Refugees are talking. Soldiers are talking. Authority users are talking.”

  Her tone sharpened.

  “An unknown Authority bearer appears, protects civilians, and neutralizes two faction leaders.”

  Vale crossed his arms.

  “That wasn’t the goal.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  She leaned slightly forward.

  “Perception matters.”

  Silence stretched.

  Then she said:

  “So now everyone wants to know one thing.”

  Vale already knew the question.

  Still, he asked.

  “What?”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly.

  “Which side you’re on.”

  Vale exhaled slowly.

  “None.”

  Her expression didn’t change.

  “That answer won’t hold.”

  Behind them, thunder rolled faintly beyond city walls.

  A reminder.

  Threats were gathering.

  Inside and out.

  The commander straightened.

  “You don’t have to choose today,” she said calmly.

  “But soon, you will.”

  She stepped past them toward the chamber exit.

  “Until then…”

  Her voice carried back.

  “Try not to start a war.”

  The doors shut behind her.

  Lyn stared at Vale.

  “…You always end up in the middle of everything.”

  Vale looked again at the city map.

  At red zones spreading.

  At monster movements tightening.

  At fractures widening.

  He already knew.

  War was coming.

  The only question—

  Was whether the city would survive long enough to face it.

  And deep beyond the walls—

  Something vast shifted again.

  Watching.

  Approaching.

  The hunt was no longer distant.

  It was coming.

  And Vale stood directly in its path.