Every time Adam fought a serious opponent, one whose defeat would make him stronger, he knew it.
However, from the moment his battle against Anelez began, he lacked that feeling. He expected everything to change when Anelez used the Solar Form, but... that didnât happen.
Sure, Anelez became much stronger after she used her trump card, but as soon as she realized that she couldnât do anything against Adamâs Nexus, all the intrigue of their fight disappeared quite quickly.
Anelez bet on her superior physical power and flames, but against Adamâs Nexus, it wasnât enough.
Her trump card couldnât even make Adam flinch, so the outcome of their fight became obvious to everyone.
Helasa smiled slyly, realizing that Adam would win very soon, even if Anelez continued to resist for a while. Xander remained silent, as always.
But the real storm of emotions was among the spectators, both the observers standing at the edge of the silent expanse like Helasa and Xander, and the monsters at Izardo who had placed bets. Obviously, many believed in Adamâs victory, and now they could not hide their joy as they realized that very soon their bet would pay off.
"Hahaha! I knew he would win!" Some monster exclaimed, looking at the massive crystal slab through which all the spectators in the arena could see what was happening on the battlefield.
"Well, even if Anelez is a Hybrid, sheâs up against one of the worst opponents she could face."
His friend nodded deeply.
"I agree. Adam Vinter, I doubt that cold growth and some strategy work against him. If he needs a win, heâll go to such lengths that you wonât be able to do anything to him. You wonât be willing to pay the same price as him."
The monsters watching the fight from the arena were quite strong and experienced compared to those watching the events from the taverns. It was obvious to them, especially after the Solar Form stage, that Anelez simply did not understand how to act against an opponent like Adam.
However, some of them were not so quick to jump to conclusions. They didnât know any more than the others, but like everyone else, they saw Adamâs expression. For them, his frown, his puzzled look, was enough to understand that something was wrong.
Step.
Adam moved forward. Everyone held their breath, expecting the final clash between the two fighters. At that moment, it would be decided who would win.
But...
Instead of an attack, all they saw was a thunderbolt tear through the sky with its devastating power, crashing directly onto Anelez.
Even in her active Solar Form, Anelez could do nothing to protect herself. It all happened too quickly, not only for her but even for Adam, who was only a few meters away.
The shards flew off in all directions along with fierce gusts of wind, which were harbingers of the one who had wanted to fight Adam since their very first encounter.
Crack.
Eradaâs foot pushed into Anelezâs back, pressing her deeper into the ground as Adam got a chance to look at her new form.
Now, standing before him was no longer the perpetually dissatisfied child he had met in the arena, but someone completely different.
Her long, lightning-blue hair was now even longer, reaching down to her knees. Light armor similar to Anelezâs covered her body, especially her feet and hands, turning her claws into deadly weapons and her muscles strong and taut like steel cables.
But what interested Adam most of all were Eradaâs eyes. The unusual purple color had disappeared, leaving room for a bright red one, reflecting her thirst for blood.
Eradaâs aura billowed in all directions, a blue flame full of raging electrical discharges ready to destroy everything in its path.
Helasaâs eyes widened in disbelief.
"WHAT?!" She exclaimed and turned to Xander. "What the hell is going on here? Did you know about this? Answer me!"
Even now, Xander did not lose his calm look, continuing to stare ahead.
"What are you talking about?"
"Shit!" Helasa stamped her foot. "Do you think this is funny? Even if itâs Adam, he shouldnât be fighting two Hybrids at once! You need to stop the fight right now and subdue that girl!"
"Why?"
"Argh?" Helasa clenched her fists with a grimace. "What do you mean, why? Do you think this is fair? Do you think itâs worth breaking your word?! You areâ"
Helasa fell silent as Xander slowly turned around.
The moonlight disappeared as darkness engulfed everything around them, emanating from Xander while his cold gaze pierced Helasa.
"Where exactly did I break my word? All I wanted was for my Hybrids to have the opportunity to go through a difficult battle to become stronger. Anelez failed. Thereâs nothing wrong with that. In the future, she will correct her mistakes and become stronger. That is what I believe."
Helasa gulped as a shiver ran through her body. Even though she was a Lord, Xanderâs pure aura was enough to make her heart shrink with fear. A Hybrid of Xanderâs caliber was not an opponent Helasa ever wanted to face.
"What about Erada..." He continued in a low voice. "I suspected she might do something like this, but I wasnât sure. Either way, neither I, nor you, nor anyone else has the right to interfere or stop this battle."
Xander turned toward the silent expanse.
"Now, only the two of them have a say. If Adam is willing to fight Erada, then all we can do is wish them luck and continue watching.
"But..."
His glare darkened as a faint smirk appeared for a moment.
"I doubt that in his condition, he will be able to refuse Erada. They will fight not as a Phantom and Hybrid, but as two beasts, brutally and bloodily."
Helasa bit her lip and turned toward the battlefield. She had nothing to say because Xander was right about everything. She didnât need to have known Adam for many years to understand that, of everyone here, he was the most pleased with how things had turned out.
"You..." Adamâs eyes lit up. "My opponent has arrived!"