Endless Evolution: Last Star

What should you do when your opponent is stronger than you?

Many would choose to rely on their energy and abilities, but Ureyn was one of those who preferred to use another method first — technique.

He wanted to know which of them was better in close combat when it came to pure mastery, because that could allow him to regain the initiative in their battle.

'Alright, Adam. Your attacks and clutches are quite strong, but even compared to me, you are quite young. How long have you been a Phantom? Ten years ago? Five? Hell, maybe even just three. Well, it doesn't matter right now.'

Pushing aside all thoughts unrelated to the fight, Ureyn shook his head and lunged forward. The tree branch he was standing on flew away under the pressure as he quickly found himself right in front of Adam.

Their needles clashed as they had last time, but Adam immediately noticed the changes.

'Something's wrong. This slash is much stronger than the last one.' Adam glanced at the streams of gray wind surrounding Ureyn. 'I see, it's all about his speed. I don't know if he can get any faster, but I have to keep an eye on him.'

However, Adam was not going to back down, not knowing what Ureyn wanted. He decided to use his advantage and leaned forward in an attempt to grab Ureyn by the shoulder.

Thump! Thump!

At the same moment, Ureyn took a step to the side as his palm struck Adam's solar plexus twice, almost simultaneously.

"GRH!" Adam gasped in pain as his eyes widened.

Before he could react, Ureyn grabbed his arm and threw him over himself, mirroring Adam's earlier attack.

With a thud, Adam's back hit the ground as the sharp tip of a long needle quickly approaching him reflected in his eyes.

'ADAM!' Silvana exclaimed, forcibly activating the Stellar Resonance.

The surge of energy and new strength was enough for Adam to roll back. The blade pierced to the right of his head, leaving a long cut on his cheek.

It was the first blood in their battle, and Ureyn was not ready to stop there. He wanted more, and he was capable of it.

Clash. Clash. Clash.

Adam and Ureyn's needles collided, but Adam could do nothing but retreat, occasionally dodging blows.

Ureyn was in no hurry to deliver a critical blow to Adam right away; he understood that it was too risky, so even though he moved faster than the wind, his path to victory was slow but steady.

Every time Adam tried to escape from Ureyn's barrage of attacks, he received a new injury, whether it was a cut or a palm strike to the stomach.

The reason Adam found himself in this situation was simple—he was losing every moment to Ureyn when it came to deciding who would seize the initiative this time. Ureyn knew how to respond to each of Adam's attacks because his mastery was superior.

The last time Adam had felt this way was against the Plague Reaper. He was slightly stronger, but Ureyn's speed and mastery simply surpassed him.

Now, the grim faces of the spectators were covered with satisfied smiles, especially the members of the Gray Needle.

"Good job, Ureyn. It seems it was the right decision to take a few years to practice. Just look at him!" exclaimed an old man with a short white beard.

The man next to him nodded deeply. "Indeed, he finally understood that wind is not something a monster like him should rely on. His needle—that is his true power and nature."

"Hmm..." The woman next to him frowned, one of the few. "But will that be enough? Adam Vinter, this young man is no ordinary Phantom. And don't you find it strange that we first heard about him just a month ago?"

Theories and discussions among the audience continued to grow, while Adam desperately tried to block each of Ureyn's slashes.

"Adam." Ureyn's confident voice rang out. "If that's all you're capable of, then I'm afraid you don't understand the meaning of your needle and the abilities you received from the monster with our genes. I was once in your place. I understand you..."

Before Adam could respond, Ureyn's eyes flashed again as his wind currents grew stronger, making him significantly faster.

He appeared behind Adam as his needle turned into a cascade of gray lines, leaving numerous cuts on Adam's back.

"RGH!" Adam groaned in pain.

The spurt of blood that gushed from his back fell on Ureyn's robe and calm face.

"It took me several years to accept my origin, which I had denied for a long time. Perhaps this will be the solution for you, too."

His words were accompanied by his hand moving straight towards Adam after his needle. All the wind that Ureyn had gathered in his palm in a powerful vortex before bursting out in one powerful burst into Adam's back.

Whooooooooosh.

The impact threw Adam dozens of meters forward. His body slammed into the ground again and again, leaving red spots on the surface and gray grass.

In the end, Adam fell onto a layer of dust, not far from a random rock filling the wind plain.

Even then, there were jeers from the audience; they were sure that Ureyn had already won.

However... at the same time, the silver threads headed towards Ureyn, and they did not come from Gareyn, but from Adam and the two disks on his hands.

Ureyn was alert, but as soon as he took a step forward, he easily cut Adam's threads. For a monster like him, who, like Adam, could cut and pierce anything, it was not a problem.

"Threads, they're not good enough either." Ureyn nodded in confirmation of his words.

He waved his needle, wiping the blood from the blade, and headed towards Adam, stepping on the bloody spots.

"What now, Adam? Your needle isn't powerful enough to break mine. Your threads are no match for the White Thread monsters. In all the years you've had them, haven't you been able to perfect even one thing?" Ureyn asked.

In response, there was a broken chuckle.

"Ha-Ha-Ha, several years? What are you talking about?" Adam got up from the ground before taking a deep breath. "All I had was one year. Before that, I was just a simple man who would have died from a single touch of your aura..."

Then, he grinned, showing his growing enjoyment of their fight.

"I don't know about you, but I always make my own way. It causes a lot of problems, but... it brings unforgettable pleasure when you succeed!"

Adam stretched out his left hand as a small white needle appeared in his grasp.

He was ready to show Ureyn that maybe he had been right all along and had only now made a mistake.