Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1738 1738: Sound Bomb

With every bite Zin took from his apple, the arena's sounds would vanish, and he'd gain a surge of speed, almost like teleportation.

This was the common understanding among the spectators after Zin took his second bite.

However, the reality was more complex.

Zin wasn't truly eliminating the arena's sounds. Instead, he momentarily replaced them with the sharp crunch of his apple. This gave him absolute dominion over all displaced sound, as it had nowhere to go but him in that fleeting instant.

While sound itself wasn't inherently dangerous, Zin's control over it, amplified by his energy, transformed it into a potent weapon.

Each sound wave acted as a conduit for his energy and the sounds now under his command, making his physical strikes significantly more devastating than if he relied on energy alone.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The very air vibrated as Zin's fist slammed down onto Adam.

Adam had no chance to evade, only the instinct to defend.

"How much energy did he pour into that punch?!" Adam's thoughts raced as he raised his needle. "Damn it! You want to test our energy reserves? Fine! I'll give you everything I have!"

Adam recognized their parity and knew his star energy alone wouldn't suffice to counter Zin's sound-wave-enhanced punch.

Whoooooosh!

As Adam channeled ancient energy, a purple flame snaked along his black blade, depleting a substantial amount of his reserves.

Zin's eyes widened briefly, but it was too late for him to halt his attack. Regardless, he was confident in his strike.

BAM!

A thunderous shockwave erupted through the arena as Zin's fist met the black needle.

Adam's grip faltered, the purple flame struggling against the relentless onslaught of sound waves.

"SHIT!" Adam cursed internally, meeting Zin's icy stare. "That's not enough!"

BAM!

The remaining sound waves shattered the purple flame, and the sheer force of the impact sent Adam crashing deep into the ground.

A plume of dust billowed upwards as Zin floated above, observing the aftermath.

With his punch delivered, the sounds flooded back into the arena, allowing him to perceive every single noise. He could discern the breath of the furthest spectator if he focused.

Therefore, the sudden absence of sound from below caught him completely by surprise.

"Hmm? Was that truly enough? Did I really win?"

Zin felt a sense of bewilderment. While he had faith in his abilities, he wasn't so arrogant as to believe he had defeated Adam with a single blow.

Whoooooosh!

Before Zin could comprehend the situation, a shadow darted through the dust cloud, appearing directly before him.

"Agh?"

Zin looked up at Adam, who hadn't exhaled since his fall. He was deliberately holding his breath to avoid detection by Zin. While Zin could sense his heartbeat, he had no intention of lethal force, as it was against the rules.

"Gha…"

Adam finally took a deep breath, his shadow falling over Zin. His gaze flickered towards his apple. He needed just one more bite to escape this.

BURST!

An incredibly potent purple flame erupted, engulfing Adam's right arm and his needle. He had committed all his remaining ancient energy to this final assault.

"Yeah, your punch was strong, but I can hit hard too!!!" Adam bellowed, unleashing his needle towards Zin.

Zin was out of time. The red apple dangled before his mouth as he turned to face the purple-flame-wreathed black needle.

His eyes widened, a flicker of fear igniting within them at the overwhelming power descending upon him.

However, just as the ancient energy was about to tear him apart, Zin's arm twitched, his fingers trembling.

Only Kaerno, Garzo, Es'aha, and a select few others registered this near-instantaneous movement from Zin.

Crack!

Instead of biting, Zin brought the apple before his chest and clenched it tightly, his fingers crushing its edges!

Numerous fractures spiderwebbed across the apple's surface, emitting a distinct crunching sound that Zin's abilities amplified tremendously.

Like before, Zin drew in all the sounds of the arena, but with so many cracks appearing simultaneously, this power was instantly unleashed outwards.

Whooooooosh!

The unleashed sound waves violently shoved the amber flame aside. Adam's face contorted in shock as he stared at the fractured apple.

In that apple, he saw only the impending sound bomb, and he was directly in its path!

BLAST!

The final, most potent sound wave slammed into Adam, propelling him away. The ground shook, and cracks spiderwebbed across the arena walls.

"GHA!!!" Adam roared, spitting a mouthful of blood as the sonic blast sent him hurtling towards the arena's edge, its damaging effects continuing.

With each surge of his heart, Adam's body erupted in fresh lacerations, his very bones groaning, on the verge of shattering under the pressure of the intense vibrations coursing through him.

SLAM!

His back impacted the wall with a resounding crash as the sonic wave propelled him violently against the stone structure, causing his muscles to seize and his veins to stand out prominently.

"AGH!"

Barely pulling through the explosive sound assault, Adam crumpled to the floor, his body trembling.

"Gha… Gha… Gha…" He gasped for air, using one hand to push himself up from the ground.

This was Zin's moment of triumph, or perhaps… not?

Thump.

Zin dropped to a single knee, cradling his damaged apple. Though not completely obliterated, the extent of its ruin was akin to having consumed more than half of it.

'Rgh, that was more perilous than I anticipated, but… but I managed it!'

A wave of inner elation washed over Zin before his gaze settled on Adam, who was laboriously attempting to rise from the earth.

'He's expended all his ancient energy. What else do you possess, Adam?!'

Zin remained unaware, yet he harbored a distinct aversion to discovering the answer.

Bam!

Adam’s fist struck the ground powerfully as he pushed himself upright. Though his body was partially drenched in blood, his gaze remained serene. Gradually, his eyes shifted from the verdant clock, fixing upon Zin as dark streams of energy flickered before his vision.