One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The Watchers moved as one.

Not like a group of fighters—no.

Like a single entity.

Like they shared a mind.

The first one lunged at me, faster than humanly possible.

I barely managed to dodge, twisting my body just in time.

Its clawed fingers sliced through the air, missing my throat by an inch.

Before I could counter—

Another one was already behind me.

Too fast.

I had no time to think.

Just react.

I threw myself backward, barely dodging a shadowy blade aimed for my spine.

Shira wasn't standing still either.

I saw her dagger flash as she struck at one of them—only for her blade to pass right through its form like mist.

Her eyes widened.

"They're not normal!" she shouted.

I grit my teeth.

No kidding.

An Unfair Fight

The Elder didn't move.

He simply watched.

As if this battle was nothing more than a test.

A trial.

Something we had to survive on our own.

"Tch," I clicked my tongue in frustration.

Fine.

If he wouldn't help—then I had to figure it out myself.

I dodged another strike, barely keeping up.

The Watchers weren't just fast.

They were predicting our movements.

Every attack we made, they dodged before we even finished swinging.

It wasn't natural.

It wasn't fair.

And then—

I felt it.

A cold whisper against my mind.

Faint.

But there.

Like something was watching me from the inside.

My heartbeat spiked.

The vision.

The connection.

I understood.

"They're inside our heads!" I shouted.

Shira glanced at me, confused.

"They're reading our movements before we even make them! That's why they're always a step ahead!"

Her eyes widened in realization.

"Then how do we fight them?"

I exhaled sharply.

There was only one way.

We had to stop thinking.

Fighting Instinct with Instinct

I closed my eyes for a brief second.

And when I opened them—

I moved.

No hesitation.

No thought.

Just pure instinct.

I twisted my body and struck before my mind could even register the attack.

And for the first time—

The Watcher didn't dodge.

My fist connected with its chest.

A shockwave rippled through the air.

The creature stumbled backward, its form flickering.

It worked.

Shira saw it too.

She grinned.

"Alright," she muttered. "No more overthinking."

She dashed forward, her movements erratic—unpredictable.

And her blade found flesh.

The Watcher howled, its form flickering like a glitching shadow.

But the others didn't hesitate.

They rushed us all at once.

Seven against two.

No time to think.

Just move.

Just survive.

And so—

We fought.