Endless Evolution: Last Star

Having regained his wind, Ureyn changed dramatically, practically becoming a different person. There were many reasons for this, the main one being, of course, that he felt his victory was close.

Initially, he had to adapt as he did not expect to have to fight Phantom in the String Duel today. He simply accepted reality as it was.

The ability to adapt to the situation was something that every monster learned at the beginning of their journey. Those who were not able to do so were long dead.

Adam had actually helped Ureyn return to his former self, and now, when he was faced with the arrogant, talented monster Ureyn, the Grim Wind, he had nothing to oppose him with.

But... was that really the case?

Was Ureyn right, and did Adam now have no chance when Ureyn started fighting again with his wind?

Crack. Crack. Crack.

A fearsome thunderstrike from the sky showed that Adam was not going to give up, not now.

Immediately, Ureyn jumped aside, not understanding what was happening.

"What...? What is that?" Ureyn frowned, trying to make out the object hovering above the ground.

The audience was also interested in this question, as all eyes turned to a single point.

Adam's defeat was imminent, few doubted that, but perhaps the unknown object would change their minds.

Step. Step. Step.

With a confident stride, Adam headed toward the object before grinning widely and reaching out his hand. He grabbed the hilt tightly, pulling the long sword out of the embrace of thunder and lightning.

Strangely enough, Adam had never held a sword in his hands before, not a needle, no matter how it looked, but a real sword with a hilt and a long blade.

With a single swing, Adam cut through the wind, allowing everyone to see the Dual Demon Sword.

The dark blade trembled with blue electrical discharges running along its edges, the guard in the shape of demonic wings emitted a menacing aura, and the white crystal at the base of the blade showed that this weapon was hiding something.

Ureyn clenched his jaw. He was sure he had completely understood his opponent, but Adam had once again found a way to surprise him.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing at the Dual Demon Sword.

"Hmm?" Adam smirked as he raised the sword. "You're asking about that? Isn't it obvious that it's a sword?"

Ureyn waved his hand in irritation.

"I can see it's a sword! Why do you have it? Are you saying that you've actually been a swordsman all this time? What about your threads, needles, and that devastating cut you created with your Operator? Doesn't that mean anything?"

In response, Adam shrugged and waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, this sword..."

He pointed the Dual Demon Sword directly at Ureyn, causing him and the audience to tense up.

"Now, this will be the first time I've ever used it."

"Agh...?" Ureyn's eyes widened in disbelief.

Silence.

The audience exchanged glances, as if trying to confirm that they had heard Adam correctly.

How could he be so carefree?

Fighting against Ureyn with a weapon he had never used before?

It took years, decades of practice to master the sword!

A multitude of questions and indignation erupted in their minds, but no one dared to voice their thoughts aloud, hoping that it was just a bad joke from Adam, and that was all.

Suddenly, loud laughter rang out from the side:

"Hahahahaha!" Norax laughed, struggling to contain his emotions. "Boy, I'm starting to like you more and more!"

Adam smiled and slung his sword over his shoulder.

"Although, Ureyn, your question helped me understand one thing."

"Hmm? And what is that?" Ureyn narrowed his eyes.

"Well, my cut, as you correctly pointed out, is my shared ability with my Operator. My threads are powered by another entity living in my inner space, my needles come from my initial gene, that is, from the first monster I killed, to some extent. Even my Nexus is the result of my desire and genes."

Then, Adam raised his sword, allowing the faded light of the sun to fall on its dark blade.

"So what do I have personally? What did the Phantom named Adam Vinter receive for his long battles and difficult trials, besides experience and strength? Well, I think the answer is right in front of me. This sword... It is the embodiment of what I received for all my battles."

Ureyn became alert as he instinctively took a step back.

"What are you getting at? This sword is the embodiment of all your battles? Even if that's true, what does that even mean?"

With a calm expression on his face, Adam sighed, slowly lowering his sword to the ground.

"It means that this weapon, to one degree or another, contains all the power from the events that helped me overcome my journey in just one year. I'm sure you and many others think that using a new weapon against such a dangerous enemy as you is simply useless."

Ureyn nodded weakly. Oddly enough, he agreed with this position. He was sure that no matter what this strange sword was capable of, if Adam didn't know how to use it, he would not be able to defeat Ureyn's wind.

"You would all be right, but unfortunately for you, Ureyn..." Adam's voice lowered as the atmosphere changed abruptly, becoming tense. "During my journey as a Phantom, I learned many new things, but I only learned one thing—how to fight."

In a heartbeat, Ureyn's pupils narrowed as he was the first to understand the meaning behind his words.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Electric discharges ran through the Dual Demon Sword as the white crystal filled with the power of lightning, blue and destructive, unwilling to stop at anything.

At the same moment, under the shocked gaze of many monsters, electric discharges headed towards Adam's body, forming an exoskeleton along his arms, legs, and chest, as well as condensing at his back, creating two majestic wings that immediately spread wide.

"I hope your wind isn't afraid of thunderstorms, Ureyn."