Kolos was prepared to fight Adam to the end to rid these lands of both the enemy Phantom and the traitor Dayra had become.
It was unclear how justified he was in his desire to kill Dayra, as she had her own reasons for hating Lyrod and opposing him, but it was Kolosās decision, and he was not going to back down even in the face of death.
Well, none of his words mattered anymore.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
With a crack and torn tendons covered in blood, pieces of flesh fell away one by one, unable to hold Kolosās body any longer, perfectly cut vertically.
Two equal parts collapsed to the ground, leaving Kolosās eyes wide open and empty. He didnāt have time to understand what had happened, because he was sure that his wave of flame would destroy Adam, but in the end, he was the one on the losing side.
Even the best surgeon would envy the precision of Adamās cut, because there was no trace of a blade, smears, or damaged parts on Kolosās body; everything was clean and smooth ā a flawless execution.
This was not surprising, because there was no real blade, only Adam and Silvanaās power of imagination and will created this cut.
The last and first time Adam used this ability against Arnoth, it helped him win, but since then, much has changed. He had become much stronger after advancing to the K4 Level, and this had a positive effect on his abilities.
Dayra gulped, unable to comprehend what had happened.
Sure, as a Lesser Elder, she had seen many large-scale battles in her long life, but...
āKolos... He lost in the blink of an eye... I didnāt even have time to notice how it all came to an end...ā
At the same time, Adam raised his head, looking at the dark sky covering these dangerous lands.
"Agh... Great job, I feel as incredible as I did last time..."
Silvana smiled faintly as her spectral form appeared next to Adam for a moment to hug him from behind.
āAlthough, I would like to note that the last enemy was much more worthy of dying from this ability than this one.ā
Adam smiled bitterly as he looked at Kolos.
"Yeah, I guess I agree."
Then, Silvana nodded faintly and left the battlefield as her consciousness returned to her physical body, which was dozens of kilometers away in the Citadel.
Step. Step. Step.
Adam stepped forward, looking at the great lake split in two. Although a minute had passed, the acid had not yet filled the gap that had appeared after the cut.
The scene was enticing, but Adam had started this fight for another reason.
"Hey, heās dead, so... how do I get the seal?"
Dayra shuddered as she ran up to him.
"Iāll take care of it!"
As soon as she approached Kolos, she reached out her hand, her fingers curling over his body.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
Green energy poured out of Kolosās body, condensing in one place until a second seal appeared before Dayraās eyes.
Now she had two, and she could open the gate at any moment.
Normally, this shouldnāt be the case, as the two-seal system ensured Lyrodās safety so that he could calmly absorb the last bit of energy from the dark dream. But if only one of the two Elders was alive, it worked well for Adam, not for Lyrod.
"Good, letās go to the crypt. Itās time to open those damn gates!" Adam waved his hand irritably, remembering how his fist hurt from the first punch.
"Wait...!" Dayraās trembling voice rang out, causing Adam to turn around.
"Hmm?"
Her eyes darted to Kolos for a moment.
"That ability. Can you use it against Lyrod? I mean, you didnāt use your strongest trump card against Kolos, did you?"
Adam scratched the back of his head.
"Actually, I donāt have anything stronger than that cut in my arsenal. Although..." He looked toward the lake. "It would be strange if I had something even more destructive."
Dayra wanted to say something, but Adam stopped her with a gesture.
"Stop panicking, Iāll take care of Lyrod, you donāt have to worry about it. By the time we get to him, Iāll be fully recovered. Moreover, thatās not my only powerful ability."
"B-But... What if you canāt handle it?" Dayra faltered.
Adam waved his hand.
"Well, in that case, Iāll fail the mission and Lyrod will kill me, and then you."
Dayra bit her lip but didnāt say anything.
She had mixed feelings because if she hadnāt joined forces with Adam, she would already be dead. In a way, it was a necessary measure for survival, but it was also her chance to get rid of Lyrod.
Step. Step. Step.
They descended the hill, the Crypt of Ancient Soul visible in the distance. A few more minutes and they would be there.
"Hey, what are you going to do when Lyrod dies? You want to get rid of him not only because you think heās a lucky bastard, right?"
Dayra nodded weakly.
"Sure. My life depends on it now, because he wonāt forgive me for my betrayal. However, I donāt consider myself a traitor."
"How so?" Adam looked back over his shoulder.
Dayra clenched her teeth in irritation.
"I had no other choice. When Lyrod got the chance to dive into the dark dream from the black flash, he gave me an ultimatum: either I become his subordinate in these lands, or he kills me.
"Obviously, in that case, I had little choice, especially considering that Kolos was on his side. Well, you saw it all yourself."
"Yeah." Adam sighed. "He didnāt give up his beliefs until the very end. In a way, you can respect him for that, even though it only led to his death. Thereās nothing to be proud of here."
"About your question..."
Dayra looked at the crypt as her eyes deepened.
"Kolos is gone, so when Lyrod dies, I will be the only Elder at the Corrosive Lakes. I will grow stronger and wait for the First Star to notice me. Once I become Lord, I will try to cross over to the Dark Shore and join the Free End."
Adam nodded deeply.
"Got it. But, Dayra, donāt forget one thing."
"Agh?"
Adam paused as his cold eyes stared at her.
"If I have a mission for you, the same thing will happen to you as happened to Kolos."