The afternoon sun shone over Aqualis Village, warming the cobblestones and the roofs of small houses. Children ran through the streets, vendors shouted prices, and the smell of fresh bread floated from the market.
Ocean Counter walked quietly toward the village square, adjusting the strap of his satchel. His brown eyes flicked to the subtle ripples in the air — nothing unusual for him, but anyone else would have been blind to it.
A sudden vibration shook the ground. Birds scattered, and the villagers stopped mid-step. A faint, dark mist formed near the edge of the square, twisting unnaturally.
"Another anomaly?" Ocean murmured. He could feel the disturbance — not fully part of this reality, not bound by the village's laws, not bound by any system.
The mist solidified into an entity: vague, shifting, and abstract. Its presence caused buildings to shiver, street lamps to flicker, and probability itself to collapse in small chaotic bursts. This was no ordinary threat.
A merchant screamed as his cart toppled, apples rolling across the square. Children froze, unsure what to do.
Ocean Counter sighed softly. "Again?"
He stepped forward, small and calm, as if walking to meet an old friend. The entity lunged at him, pouring all its energy, all its rules, all its frameworks into a single strike — everything meant to destroy him instantly.
And… it failed.
Ocean raised a finger, just once. The chaotic mist collapsed inward, rewinding, redirecting itself, and then dissipated entirely. Not a single apple was harmed, not a single child touched. Even the buildings remained untouched.
The villagers blinked. "What just happened?" one muttered.
Ocean adjusted his satchel. "Nothing to worry about," he said calmly, smiling faintly. The air stilled. The birds returned. The market resumed its normal bustle.
To anyone else, it had been a passing breeze, a minor tremor, a trick of sunlight.
To anyone who could see the invisible, Ocean Counter had just defeated a being outside all systems and rules — effortlessly, casually, without anyone noticing.
And far away, something flickered in the void. Kiyo Jian, or a presence like it, was still watching, intrigued by the boy who always "loses," yet never actually loses.
Ocean Counter continued walking, calm and unbothered, blending perfectly with the ordinary life of the village.