Adamâs Nexus had many abilities, one for each ring, but he understood that against Anelez, using anything other than the fifth ring was useless. She would either block his attack or dodge it. It would be no trouble for her.
However, the fifth ring did not give Adam any complex abilities, but it made him stronger and allowed him to use the energy of his Nexus as a destructive force, even with a simple punch.
As with the Dual Demon Sword and white spires, this was an ability that Anelez knew nothing about. She had heard of Adamâs Nexus, but he had only used its full power against the Silver Weaver.
In fact, the only person who had seen Adamâs Nexus in its full power was Silvana, because she had gone through all the trials at Hollow Spire Island with Adam.
Gulp.
Anelez gulped, looking at Adam, whose Nexus, five rings, had turned into armor and red threads covering his body.
A shiver ran through her body as her instincts told her to go on the defensive. Perhaps many Hybrids would not listen to their gut, especially after activating the Solar Form.
For Anelez, that wasnât a problem. The Solar Form changed her attitude, but not her mind.
She jumped back and crossed her arms in front of her, ready for any attack, even the most powerful one.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Blood dripped from Adamâs shoulder while his cold eyes fell on Anelez.
"So even after fully accepting her nature as a wild beast, she is capable of such decisions? Hmm, is that her strength or her weakness?"
Adam preferred to follow his path to the end. If he were in Anelezâs place, he would have already tried to launch multiple attacks on his opponent. Anelez, in turn, had just made the most pragmatic and correct decision.
With a slight sigh, Adam shook his head.
Whoooooosh!
He disappeared as Anelezâs eyes darted to the side. With difficulty, but she noticed his movements. She knew where the attack would come from.
"I see!" She exclaimed inwardly, stopping Adamâs fist with her palm.
But...
BAM!
Adamâs foot slammed into her side with such force that one of her ribs cracked.
"GHA!" Blood spurted from Anelezâs mouth. Her pupils trembled in incomprehension at how Adamâs kick could carry such weight.
"What?" Adamâs arrogant voice rang out. "Did you think that just because you were stronger and faster than me a moment ago, you could easily block all my attacks? You know, just like you, I have trump cards that can make me very strong, albeit at a high price."
BAM!
His fist slammed into Anelezâs face.
Despite the blood gushing from her nose and the sharp pain, her attention was focused on the small orb hovering in front of Adamâs fist.
âNo!â She exclaimed internally as the amber eye in her chestplate glowed.
A split second before the explosion, a protective barrier covered Anelez, shielding her from the destructive flames.
Still, the impact was strong enough to throw Anelez aside and inflict several wounds on her.
Adam paused, watching Anelez as she tried to get up from the ground. His energy was quickly draining, but something was bothering him.
He couldnât shake the feeling that had been haunting him since the beginning of their fight.
âTsk. Anelez, is she hiding something? If so, what...?â
...
Helasa smirked as she watched Adamâs progress. Although they had only met recently, it was obvious that she wanted him to win.
"The Solar Form, right?" She clicked her tongue with a haughty gleam in her eyes. "It seems thatâs not enough to overcome Adamâs abilities. I donât know any more about him than you do, but something tells me thatâs not all heâs capable of."
Xander nodded deeply. He didnât deny Helasaâs words, even though her comment was offensive.
"Anelez made a mistake. However, thatâs not all. Sheâs full of strength, and theyâre both wounded."
"Hah, it seems you still believe in her. I wonât argue that the way she approaches her fighting is impressive. She calculates every outcome, or rather... she tries to."
Xander shook his head. "Thatâs exactly what I want Anelez to understand. Will she be able to do it? I donât know, but..."
Obviously, Xander wanted to continue, but for some reason, he stopped abruptly.
This intrigued Helasa.
"Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow, but Xander wasnât going to explain anything.
âDoes he know something, or did he just figure something out?â Helasa thought, biting her lip. âBut what could it be?â
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Adam and Anelezâs fists collided, her claws digging into his armor on his wrists and shoulders, preventing her from wounding him as easily as before.
But it was obvious to everyone that after Adam used the fifth ring, Anelez was in a difficult situation. She could no longer overpower Adam with her physical strength, and her fire was ineffective against him.
âShit! Shit! Shit! I have to do something, right now, or heââ
A precise punch to her stomach interrupted her thoughts. Everything went dark before her eyes, but at the last moment, a new wave of energy rushed through her body as she jumped aside, breaking free from his grip.
"Gha... Gha... Gha..." Anelez breathed heavily, staring at Adam. He stood calmly in the distance, exuding a powerful, confident aura.
âYou almost won,â Silvana said. âI watched her closely throughout the entire fight. If she could, she would have knocked you to the ground long ago and torn your face apart with her claws. Sheâs trying, but youâre too fast and too strong.â
Adam nodded but said nothing. He agreed with Silvana on everything except that he was almost victorious.
He knew what victory felt like, and that feeling was still very far from him in this fight.
Step.
Deciding to end it all, Adam stepped forward, clenching his fists tightly. Anelez stood in a fighting stance, waiting for his attack.
Then...
THUNDER!
A clap of thunder erupted across the silent expanse, drawing all attention to itself.
With a deafening thunderbolt, something crashed into Anelez, pinning her to the ground with a painful crunch as if the earth beneath her had broken, along with her bones.
All Adam could see were Eradaâs bright eyes carrying only one message:
"I arrived to win."