Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1752: All Cost Sound (Part 2)

Adam and Zin exchanged no words, yet their intentions were clear with a single glance.

'He can only sustain a few more strikes,' Zin surmised, his gaze narrowing. 'Yes, that aligns. He pushed his newly acquired Nexus beyond its limits. Two or possibly three more attacks, and he will be spent.'

Zin then cast a look towards his own hands.

'Thinking about it, I am in a similar predicament. I can no longer hear Queen Elisa’s blood coursing through her veins; Adam has completely absorbed it. But I can still achieve victory!'

Indeed, Zin had initially resolved to fight solely to hear the heartbeat of Queen Elisa. However, he had come too far to abandon the fight now.

He yearned to win, truly win. Such an intense desire had gripped him for the very first time, and what truly made his heart pound was the uncertainty of whether he could succeed.

Adam leaned forward, initiating his movement with a single step.

Whooooooosh!

A surge of power propelled Adam across the entire arena, until he stood directly before Zin.

Zin understood that Adam's onslaught would conclude in mere moments, yet he refused to simply retreat and evade. Such a victory would leave him utterly unsatisfied.

'Take this!' Clenching his jaw, he aimed a powerful fist towards Adam's ribs.

With breathtaking speed, Adam swung his right leg, deflecting Zin’s incoming wrist.

'Agh?'

Simultaneously, the blood ring pulsed with energy as Adam directed an attack towards Zin's face.

'NO!' Zin cried out internally, jerking his head sharply to the left at the very last instant.

Crack!

Adam's palm struck true, connecting with Zin's left earpiece.

In that exact moment, the cross artifact flared with intense light, and a torrent of blood, akin to a raging river, erupted forth, vanishing from the ring as if passing through a hidden portal.

The golden fragment of the shattered left earpiece whizzed past Zin's stunned eyes. A portion of his weapon, his Hollow Mark, had just been obliterated.

The crimson river continued its destructive path, obliterating everything in its wake, even the formidable walls of the arena and its protective barrier.

Click!

Zin snapped his fingers as he sidestepped the devastating flow.

His face pale, he reached for his left ear, realizing that half of his earpiece had been destroyed.

Now, maintaining control over his sonic abilities had become considerably more challenging.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Drops of blood splattered onto the ground as all attention shifted to Adam. His devastating attack had narrowly missed its intended target. While it had achieved a significant impact, it had not secured victory.

Yet, for an attack of such magnitude, a heavy price had undoubtedly been paid.

'Damn... It looks like this will all be over very soon,' the woman murmured, biting her lip as she observed a thin trickle of blood escaping the corner of Adam's mouth.

Her companion nodded in agreement, her large amber eyes locked onto Adam, unable to divert their gaze.

'Two more attacks, perhaps even just one if he unleunches all his remaining strength.'

Despite the fight’s diminished intensity compared to its earlier stages, the spectators' eyes gleamed with heightened anticipation.

They had witnessed Adam's new capabilities, observed Zin's waning power, and sensed that the current confrontation was rapidly approaching its inevitable conclusion.

As Adam began to ready himself for his next assault, and the hushed murmurs of the spectators filled the air with speculation, Zin's mind worked at an extraordinary pace.

He understood with absolute certainty that he could not allow Adam to strike first again.

'I was just fortunate this time. Had I hesitated for even a fraction of a second, my head would have been severed. Leerna would have been unable to intervene!' Zin exclaimed inwardly, comprehending the dire implications of his near-fatal encounter.

Indeed, the arbiter of this match was a Finger, a being of immense power against whom both Adam and Zin were but insignificant mortals.

Nevertheless, their respective attacks possessed an incredible speed. For Zin, a single, perfectly placed swing was all that was needed to decapitate Adam, as his weapon, sound itself, ensured instantaneous execution.

The same principle applied to Adam's offensive capabilities. While blood, even in its accelerated state, could not match the velocity of sound, Adam's attacks exhibited a subtle temporal displacement.

First, his palm had impacted Zin's left earpiece, and only then had the torrent of blood erupted with its full, devastating force.

Tap.

Recognizing the urgent need for action, Zin carefully removed his damaged headphones and clenched them tightly within his grasp.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

He compressed the earpieces until they were reduced to the size of a tiny, golden seed, reminiscent of the apple seed that represented his Hollow Mark.

Kaerno raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise evident not only on his face but also in Es'aha's expression.

'What is he attempting to do?' she whispered to herself. 'I have never witnessed an attack quite like this...'

Tremble!

The minuscule golden seed began to vibrate, emitting a wave of pure sound.

With each subsequent emission, the waves intensified, while the seed itself became increasingly covered in fine cracks.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Very soon, the entire arena was violently shaking under the impact of the spreading sonic reverberations.

The spectators instinctively covered their ears, unable to withstand the overwhelming auditory assault, yet Zin's visage remained remarkably calm.

With the next powerful sound wave, his seed finally shattered, unleashing all its pent-up energy into his hand. This energy coalesced, transforming into a long, pulsating sound blade, far more potent than any Zin had ever conjured before.

Adam scanned his surroundings before a faint smile touched his lips.

'Huh, all the ambient sounds have vanished...' His gaze shifted, fixing upon Zin's newly formed sound blade. 'Did you hoard all your power for this single, final attack?'

"Just like you. Isn’t that right?"

A tremor ran through him.

Adam’s coat visibly shook as his left glove transformed into a crimson liquid, which then flowed to fill his right glove, empowering it.

"Very well. Let us conclude this encounter right here, right now."

The assembled spectators held their collective breath, their gazes fixed on the unfolding drama. Even Kaerno’s sharp eyes narrowed further.

Victory hung precariously in the balance, with no one certain of the outcome.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zin made his move, raising his hand as Adam became a scarlet blur, darting forward.

In the blink of an eye, Adam materialized directly before his adversary, but Zin had been anticipating such a maneuver.

"This is the end of the line for you, ADAM!" Zin roared, unleashing the devastating sound blade toward Adam with every ounce of his strength.

SLASH!

The arena was rent asunder in an instant. Yet, Adam managed to maintain his forward momentum by skillfully sidestepping the attack, a tactic Zin seemingly hadn’t factored in.

"Huh?"

A subtle smile played on Adam’s lips.

"Did you anticipate some sort of overwhelming offensive from me? You are mistaken; my objective here is entirely different."

Tap.

Adam’s palm made firm contact with Zin’s chest, the rhythmic thumping of his heart audible beneath his touch.

"I gave you my word. I shall grant you an unheard melody."

A sharp glint flashed within Adam’s eyes as his entire essence, his Qi, surged into his palm.

Shock registered on Leerna’s face as, in the very next second, she appeared to Adam’s right, her hand outstretched in a desperate attempt to intervene.

However, despite her status as a Finger, the course of events had already been irrevocably sealed.

Adam’s smile widened, showing no regard for potential repercussions.

"I will bestow upon you the symphony of your own demise."

CLASP!

The immense power of his Nexus and Qi erupted forth, forging a chilling void within Zin’s chest, precisely where his vital heart should have been.