The afternoon sun bathed Aqualis Village in warm gold, but not everything felt ordinary. Ocean Counter walked home from school, satchel bouncing lightly. Children ran past him, and the smell of baked bread from the market filled the air.
Then the air shifted.
A strange ripple shimmered near the village edge — subtle at first, almost like a heatwave, but odd in its effect. Birds scattered, the ground trembled faintly, and a low hum vibrated through the air.
"Another anomaly?" Ocean murmured, tilting his head. He could feel it — something from outside all systems, all frameworks, like Kiyo Jian's presence had returned, testing him.
A figure emerged from the distortion. Not fully formed, not fully part of this reality. A humanoid silhouette, shimmering with abstract energy, impossible to categorize.
Ocean's brown eyes narrowed slightly. "I wondered when you'd show up," he said softly.
The entity—silent, cold, and alien—lashed out. Reality itself seemed to bend around its attack: laws of physics twisted, probability collapsed, and frameworks tried to erase him.
But Ocean Counter didn't flinch. One step, one small flick of his hand, and the attack crumbled into nothing. The ground stopped shaking, the distortion vanished, and even the humming faded.
The villagers nearby saw only a gentle breeze stir the leaves. Children laughed, oblivious.
The entity recoiled. "Impossible… everything I am… everything I can touch… cannot affect him!"
Ocean tilted his head, calm as ever. "I told you," he said quietly. "You won't harm me."
He didn't need to attack. His mere presence, his control over the world's subtle threads, was enough. The being tried again, pouring every ounce of abstract force into a single strike — and again, it failed, collapsing harmlessly.
Ocean Counter sighed faintly. "Persistent. But futile."
With that, the figure shimmered, distorted, and retreated. The anomaly closed, leaving only the quiet streets of Aqualis.
To the villagers, nothing had happened. A faint breeze stirred the market stalls, and children continued laughing.
Ocean Counter adjusted his satchel and continued home. Another "ordinary" day. Another anomaly neutralized. Just another morning for the boy who always loses… but never truly loses.