Endless Evolution: Last Star

Several people, aside from Kalyso, sensed Adam and Midgar’s auras, and, oddly enough, among them were two monsters Adam already knew.

"Their auras... That K4-level power is impressive, even frightening, but they’re still no match." Blafor remarked as the battle between Adam and Midgar began.

Ergander hovered beside him, his hands behind his back, looking pensive.

"Does it even matter? This young man returned from the Dark Field! Huh, even you and I wouldn’t have dared to do that!"

Blafor nodded deeply, his eyes narrowing.

"Indeed. To be honest, I thought that guy was dead. How long was he out there? Sixteen hours? How on earth was he able to come back after spending so much time out there?"

In response, Ergander shrugged as a kind smile spread across his face.

"Who knows? If he survives this battle, we can ask him about it."

"Hmm?" Blafor turned around. "Do you really think he stands a chance? Ergander, my friend, this is a K4-Phantom fighting a Viscount! No matter how talented he is, I’ve never seen a K4-Phantom capable of defeating a Lord at that level!"

"I know."

Ergander didn’t deny it. Of the two of them, he was the overly optimistic one.

"But, in the Hollow Lands, he defeated a young man whom many monsters considered one of the strongest First Circle Monsters. Many even agree that he was most likely the strongest."

"Pffft. That still doesn’t change anything. The difference between that monster and a Viscount is huge!" Blafor waved his hand dismissively. He didn’t agree.

"Huh, but since then, Adam has gotten stronger. Even before he set out for the Gray Sea, his power level had increased significantly. When I met him, he was strong enough to defeat many Barons."

Blafor narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Adam.

"Wait a moment... You’re right. When I saw him for the first time, his aura was different. And... that’s the problem. If he went to the Dark Field to evolve and managed to find what he was looking for, shouldn’t his aura be significantly brighter?

"I’ve met many K4-Phantoms who stopped at the barrier whose auras were more powerful than his. Although, I think their talent and desire to win are at a lower level."

A glint flashed across Ergander’s eyes.

"I think the thing is, that’s not his full power. We’ll just have to watch and hope it’s an interesting fight."

"Huh, you want him to win, right?"

"Of course. Who doesn’t like it when an underdog wins?"

Then, a shiver ran through Blafor as he looked suspiciously at his friend.

"Wait... Ergander, don’t tell me you’re going to help him. I get that you like this kid, but I’m not going to declare war on the Befallen Crown because of him!"

Blafor’s fears made sense. Midgar might be just a Viscount. As Ascended Lords, Blafor and Ergander could kill Midgar in a few attacks. For them, it would be easy.

But the Befallen Crown would find out about it, and then they’d be in trouble.

No other organization in the world cared as much about its reputation as the Befallen Crown. They would track down and kill Blafor and Ergander to make an example of them.

For Adam, this wasn’t a threat, since the Befallen Crown had been trying to kill him for a long time.

Tap.

Ergander touched Blafor’s shoulder.

"Relax, my friend. If it’s Adam’s fate to die here, then so be it. I merely said that I believe in his victory and want to see an interesting fight - nothing more. Also... regarding his aura. I think you’re worrying too soon."

"Hmm?"

Ergander smirked, pointing at Adam. In the distance, dozens of kilometers in every direction, other monsters were watching the battle, but none of them would intervene.

"I think this is only a fraction of his aura, maybe not even half. I’m sure that soon we, and everyone else, will see what his true power is. You can’t lose so quickly after returning from the Dark Field!"

And so, the battle against Adam and Midgar began.

Ergander, Blafor, and the other spectators were so far away that neither Adam nor Midgar could see them. At that moment, however, they were focused solely on each other.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

One attack after another, the gray dragons and Adam’s blue threads, led to the inevitable outcome: Midgar was the first to inflict a serious wound on his opponent.

Blood trickled down Adam’s wounded shoulder as several spectators nodded deeply. They had expected exactly this outcome, and some of them were impressed that Adam was still alive.

But... the moment Adam’s Operator appeared behind him, everything changed.

SLASH!

The massive crystal blade sliced through the sky and came crashing down on Midgar, who could never have expected such power from Adam.

"What the...?!" Midgar’s eyes widened in disbelief as the colossal blade hurtled straight toward him. It was like trying to slice a fly with a two-handed sword, but Adam’s precision was enough to pull it off.

At the last moment, Midgar crossed his arms in front of him, enveloping them in dense gray energy to protect himself. It was the best he could come up with on such short notice.

The crystal blade was unstoppable, and soon it collided with Midgar, marking a turning point for him in this battle.

SPLASH!

Blood gushed from his hands, and the impact sent him flying to the side.

At the same time, the crystal blade struck the rocky plain, sinking halfway into the ground. Cracks spread across the surface as the entire area shook as if in an earthquake.

Adam, for his part, simply smiled and touched Silvana’s hand.

"Now, I can show you my true aura, Midgar."

With a bright flash, Adam’s aura pillar trembled and grew large enough to swallow the rift beneath him.

This aura was unlike anything Adam had ever displayed before. If Zin or any of his opponents had seen it, they would have been both frightened and impressed. They would have felt proud that Adam had once been their opponent.

And they would all have realized what fate awaited Midgar at that moment.