The first location was a narrow industrial district.
Even before they arrived, they could feel it.
The pressure.
It wasn't as chaotic as before.
It was focused.
"Stay sharp," Jovian said quietly.
Vital Mirage appeared immediately, its presence steady and controlled.
As they stepped deeper into the area, the distortion became visible. Subtle at first—light bending slightly, shadows stretching just a bit too far.
Then it intensified.
Without warning, the space in front of them compressed violently.
Jovian reacted instantly. "Move!"
They scattered just as the air collapsed inward, crushing the ground where they had stood seconds earlier.
"…That's not random," Lucien said.
"No," Jovian replied. "…It's targeting."
The attack came again.
Faster this time.
Golden Cavalier stepped forward, bracing against the force, its form holding firm as the pressure crashed against it.
Iggy moved alongside him, Phantom Ember flaring, using heat to disrupt the compression.
"It's adjusting!" Iggy shouted.
Jovian narrowed his eyes.
"Then we adjust faster."
Vital Mirage surged forward.
Instead of reacting, Jovian moved to intercept—closing the distance toward the source of the distortion.
Lucien followed, Midnight Sontana slipping through the warped space, avoiding the attacks entirely.
"There!" Lucien called out.
At the center of the distortion—
A fragment.
Floating.
Pulsing.
Jovian didn't hesitate.
"End it!"