Endless Evolution: Last Star

It was true that Ureyn was not ready for battle against Adam, he did not expect that he would have to leave his mill today and that it would be destroyed.

However, like any monster in the Forgotten Mills, he understood how the String Duel worked. If Phantom came to fight him, then he had to possess the same abilities, or very similar ones.

Up to that point, that was exactly how it had been.

Adam's threads, needles, and cut were a reflection of the main power of each of the three factions. As Ureyn showed, this was not something unique, because he, too, could use several powers at once — cut through his wind and needle with techniques. However, white threads were not available to him.

But his example also showed that combining several powers was ineffective. As soon as he fully accepted his wind and abandoned the techniques of the Gray Needle, he not only brought Draug's wrath upon himself, but also focused entirely on one path.

However, what did Ureyn see now?

Lightning.

"This is..." Ureyn faltered. "This isn't right. What does this mean?"

However, no one was going to give him any answers, because no one had them, since even Adam was using this power for the first time.

"Hmm." Adam turned around and looked at his wings. "Apparently, I can't fly with them, although at this level, I can almost fly without any other means, I just need energy."

"However." He leaned forward as his wings pressed against his back like a diving eagle. "I'm sure I can use them for something else."

Tremble.

A tremor ran through his body as Adam turned into a blur.

In the next instant, he crossed the arena, crashing straight into Ureyn, who was not prepared for it, in a flash of lightning.

"No!" Ureyn exclaimed, gathering all the wind in front of him to block Adam's rush, but it wasn't enough.

Adam's calm eyes rose as their gazes met amid the electrical discharges.

"Come on. Ureyn, you stopped an invisible slash with your wind. That was impressive, but do you really think that will work against furious lightning?"

Whoooooosh.

Adam swung his sword as a lightning blast threw Ureyn into the air.

Before he could realize what was happening, Adam soared above him, plunging his foot into Ureyn's stomach.

"GHA!" Ureyn spat out a mouthful of blood from the direct strike that seemed to punch a hole through him.

The impact threw Ureyn sideways, causing his body to slam into the ground again and again in a series of random somersaults.

Adam remained suspended in the air, without even needing to direct energy to his feet or create a platform. The pure power of his wings was enough to keep him above the ground, looking down on the battlefield.

Each of the spectators had their own favorite, and for many of them, it had changed several times during the fight, but Nollura was one of those who had rooted for Ureyn's victory from the very beginning.

"No, what kind of power is that?" Nollura gasped in horror as she watched Ureyn struggle to get up from the ground.

There was only one place she could get the answer, so she turned to Norax, who was watching the fight with obvious enjoyment.

"Hah, what do you expect from me, young Arachne? I'm sure your hearing is no worse than mine. You heard what Adam said, that sword, the outcome of all his battles, that power belongs to him, a human, no... a warrior named Adam Vinter."

"But... What does it all mean?"

At that moment, Adam flapped his wings again, crashing down on Ureyn in a devastating thunderstrike. A multitude of torn clouds gathered into a storm, covering the lands of the Forgotten Mills, like harbingers of defeat for one of the two fighters.

"Shouldn't his Phantom abilities be much stronger? This isn't right... How can you possess such power when you're holding a weapon for the first time?"

"Well... You're wrong about that."

"Agh? What do you mean?"

Norax's eyes narrowed for just a moment, but he became serious as he watched Adam unleash his attacks on Ureyn again and again. Adam's eyes were deep and cold, attacking with force and undisguised cruelty, while Ureyn used the wind blades. He tried to restrain Adam, but his wind was not enough.

"Adam said that this sword is the embodiment of all his battles, but I'm sure a young man like him started fighting long before he became a Phantom. Sure, not with monsters, but in the struggle for survival. He's not from a wealthy family, and he's not the heir to an influential faction, I know that." Norax said firmly. It wasn't a guess, he knew much more about Adam than most people here.

A shiver ran through Nollura, bringing with it a chill.

"Does that mean Ureyn will lose?"

Norax did not answer that question.

Step. Step. Step.

Ureyn ran to the side, clutching his right shoulder. One of Adam's attacks had caught him, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

'Shit! Shit! Shit!' Ureyn cursed inwardly as he looked back—Adam was already lunging toward him.

'Am I really going to lose? Is this really going to happen? Even after I got my wind back?'

THUNDER!

The deafening thunderstrike made Ureyn look up to see thunderclouds gathering directly above the battlefield.

This was the final sign for Ureyn.

'Now, either I show everything I'm capable of and defeat him, or he'll just kill me like a predator chasing its wounded prey!'

Ureyn was ready for defeat, but not to be someone's prey. That was not his way.

Crack.

With dust flying, Ureyn stopped abruptly, deftly blocking the sword blade that swept past his eyes.

Adam jumped aside, ready for the next strike, but Ureyn's shout stopped him.

"Enough!"

Ureyn spread his arms as the entire wind around him rushed toward him in powerful streams, shaking the ground like raging currents and massive bursts of energy.

"Show me what your lightning can do, what all your battles can do! In return, I will give you all my wind!"

For the first time since the arrival of the Dual Demon Sword, Adam was on guard.

The wind around Ureyn was wild and menacing, each stream like a myriad of blades cutting through the earth.

After a few moments, Adam nodded as his wings opened wide, sending electrical discharges through the air.

"As you wish. Your element against mine."