Endless Evolution: Last Star

The one who suffered the most injuries was the closest to defeat. It often worked that way, but Adam was not one to fear wounds or pain.

He had long understood and accepted them as an integral part of battle, so the bloody cuts on his back did not bother him at all.

On the contrary, for him, it was something like a warm-up to understand whether his opponent could really give him a fight or whether it would soon end with a few precise blows.

Adam didn't do it on purpose, it always happened naturally, just like now.

Now he had the opportunity to learn a little more about his opponent, not from stories from Gareyna or Nollura, but from Ureyn himself and from his true self.

And... it became clear that during the few years Ureyn spent inside his mill, he decided to rethink what his power should look like and what was really important. He had a choice between his wind and needle, and in the end, he decided that he should follow the same path as the others from the Gray Needle.

After all, it was the main power of a monster like him, practically his essence.

Or maybe he was wrong and he had actually been doing everything right from the start?

In any case, that wasn't what Ureyn was thinking about right now, because Adam's other words had shocked him to the core.

'What? What did he say?'

Ureyn thought as Adam's words repeated themselves in his mind over and over again.

'He was able to reach this level in just one year? No... That can't be, he's lying!'

But, before Ureyn could get angry, he gritted his teeth in the realization that Adam was most likely not lying.

'No, considering his smile and facial expressions, there's simply no point in lying to me about this at a time like this. He's telling the truth. Shit, he came here to fight in the String Duel, but which one of us is the real monster?'

Then, his gaze turned to Adam's second needle, which caught not only his attention.

'What is that? A second needle? I've never seen anything like it before. Some have paired needles, but they are still part of a whole and completely identical. But these two needles are different...'

As Nollura said, there had been no battle between a Phantom and a monster in their lands for a long time. Sure, sometimes Phantoms came to the Forgotten Mills, but it rarely turned into any kind of conflict or deadly combat.

That wasn't the point.

Adam's abilities were very rare, even compared to many other Phantoms. Sure, it was all because he had killed a monster that was unique in a way, and at that moment, the Silver Weaver was just that.

Nollura gulped, looking at Adam's needle with a tremor.

In her long life, most of which she had spent at the Forgotten Mills, she had never seen a Phantom who used abilities similar to those of the monsters in this territory.

'This needle, it seems to combine the features of the Gray Needle and White Thread. Why is it so bright and where are its blades?'

The spectators exchanged glances, their smiles quickly fading as they realized that Ureyn would not be able to win easily even if he made another successful attack.

"What an unusual needle, and he has two of them?" The old man scratched his beard.

"Damn, Phantoms, their paths of evolution are truly unique."

The woman arrogantly raised her chin as she looked at Ureyn. "Either way, I think Ureyn will find a way to win. He has accepted that his power is his needle and not the wind. I can see it in his eyes, so he will be fine."

The other members of the Gray Needle nodded in agreement. The White Thread members watched silently, assessing Ureyn and Adam's actions. They were reserved and believed it was too early to jump to any conclusions.

But...

On the Black Cut side, things were a little different.

"Hahaha! Just look at that smug face!" exclaimed the man with spiky red hair. "As soon as I saw him, I knew I would like him."

"Yay! Finally, someone interesting has arrived!" The girl with pigtails jumped up as her unusual eyes with black sclera and white pupils stared at Adam with secret admiration. "Two needles! And he even used threads, incredible!"

Norax glanced in their direction, but returned his gaze to Adam and Ureyn. He also had something to say about their fight, but for now, he decided to watch and see what would happen next.

Step.

Ureyn stepped forward, looking at the cut threads lying on the ground.

"What now, Adam? Your threads turned out to be too weak."

In response, Adam shrugged, his smile still on his face.

"Well, I decided to use them to test my theory right away. If our abilities really have a lot in common, then your needle must be too sharp for my threads to hold up. As you can see, I was right."

He waved his hand carelessly.

"Don't worry. Even if my threads can't stand up to your needle, I have something to show you. You can be sure of that."

Ureyn shifted his gaze to the second needle.

"Is it one of those things?"

"Yeah, and Ureyn..." Adam smirked. "Put up a block. Right now."

"Agh?"

Ureyn was puzzled as Adam swung his needle, leaving a thin white line hanging in the air.

Ureyn had only a fraction of a second to react to this unfamiliar attack, but all his instincts told him he had to block it — now.

CLASH!

In a heartbeat, Adam was right in front of Ureyn as their needles collided with each other.

Although Adam's needle was much smaller, it was Ureyn's face that contorted in intense pain.

The impulse passed through Ureyn's body, throwing him back dozens of meters, and his wind couldn't protect him from the multitude of cuts that simultaneously covered his hands, flooding the ground beneath him with crimson stains.