Chapter 1422: Dark Light

Adam always had a loyal ally — Silvana. This was normal for every Phantom, whether they were from the Upper Ring or Lower Ring. The only difference was the time and stage at which a Phantom received his Operator.

But, apart from the countless advantages Silvana had, like most Operators, there was one crucial disadvantage — she couldn’t refuse Adam. She had long ago decided to follow him and accept his decisions. Her task was to support him, and she accepted this role with pride and with all her heart.

The Silver Weaver… or rather, the Desire of Beyond, was a completely different case. On the one hand, he was part of Adam’s mind, and on the other, he was the embodiment of his greatest tragedy and first enemy.

By his nature, the Silver Weaver was not an obedient subordinate. However, he pursued the same goal as Adam — to win.

Perhaps that was why, when Adam used the Silver Weaver’s powers, his attacks were so destructive and reckless.

TREMBLE! TREMBLE! TREMBLE!

A torrent of darkness swept forward, causing everyone to hold their breath. One slash cleaved the surface, leaving a chasm in the silent expanse.

The rocks flew apart along with the raging winds that burst from the ground, fleeing from the darkness just like Erada.

Only after a few seconds could everyone see the consequences of Adam’s attack.

“Agh… Agh… Agh…” Erada breathed heavily, staring at the chasm that had opened before her, with Adam standing at the bottom, grinning widely.

“Alright.” He slung the needle over his shoulder. “That was cool—!”

A stream of blood gushed from his mouth, covering the ground.

Erada’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Adam’s face twisted in pain.

It took her a few moments to understand what had happened, but Helasa and Xander figured it out faster.

“I see…” Xander pondered. “So even in this state, he can’t use the full power of this ability, right?”

Helasa bit her lip. “It seems so. One attack and he’s already suffered internal injuries, although… If Erada hadn’t dodged, their fight would have been over.”

Xander narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Erada. From his point of view, she had only one chance to win. She had to take it.

‘I hope you see that this is your chance and don’t miss it. If you continue to fight him on equal terms, you will surely lose. Your powers are no longer equal, not after he activated that ability.’

Xander wanted Erada to win so she could use the best move possible, but he respected both her and Adam’s will. He wasn’t going to give them any hints or interfere in their fight under any circumstances.

“Grh!” Adam groaned, spitting out a clot of blood. “Shit, why does it hurt so much?”

The Silver Weaver trembled in his hand. “Because you’re an idiot, isn’t that obvious?”

While Adam was recovering from the recoil, Erada had a few moments to think about a plan of action.

‘Right, I’ve become stronger thanks to evolution, but he’s had this power since the beginning of the fight. It’s his trump card, a dangerous one. Each attack requires a lot of strength from him, but my energy is also coming to an end. What… What can I do?’

Erada’s mind was working at its limit. She wasn’t sure she could wear Adam down or win the battle without exhausting herself. If she could no longer maintain her Solar Form, Adam would defeat her without abilities, just with physical strength.

In the end, she came to the only correct decision:

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Electric discharges raged around Erada as energy filled her body. She used everything she had, standing in a fighting posture like a beast. She drew her legs back and placed her hands on the ground, while the tips of her claws dug into the soil.

Xander smiled slightly. He believed it was the right choice.

‘She would hardly be able to win in the next few attacks, her energy would run out. Adam, in turn, would also reach his limit, but unlike Erada, he still had cards up his sleeve. Forcing him to end it right now was her best chance.’

Helasa said nothing, she just lifted her chin and watched their fight from above.

‘This girl… If Adam isn’t careful, she’ll rush past him, rip out his heart, and he won’t even notice. However, it’s unlikely that he won’t understand that she wants to end the fight with this attack.’

Adam smirked. “Oh, someone finally decided to get serious?”

“Enough talk,” Erada growled. “Put all your strength into your next attack if you don’t want to die ingloriously!”

It didn’t take long to convince him.

“Alright, just don’t complain later!”

The Silver Weaver said nothing. He understood that the situation was serious. Still, he needed to tell Adam something.

‘I’m sure you know what to do, but you may not have enough energy. In that case, your body simply won’t be able to hold out, and you’ll collapse to the ground in the middle of the attack.’

Adam nodded, assuming a fighting stance.

“I know. Unlike her, I have an ally who can always help me at a time like this.”

Erada blinked as, for just a split second, she saw Silvana’s spectral silhouette next to Adam. She gently hugged him and touched his chest before disappearing into bright fragments.

At the same moment, Adam’s aura burst forth.

Unfortunately, Erada was too strong for Adam and Silvana’s abilities to do anything against her. Even the Imaginary Cut wasn’t fast enough to overcome Erada’s instincts.

However, Silvana’s energy was a universal aid. The only condition was that Adam had a weapon for which this energy was needed.

Well, that was definitely not a problem.

“W-What…?” Erada’s eyes widened. “Is he really going to do that against me?”

Adam leaned forward as he gripped the hilt tightly with both hands. All his energy surged forward in two streams, while darkness filled the hollow in his needle.

‘Good.’ The Silver Weaver nodded. ‘Show her what no one has ever seen before. Let her try to escape your path!’