"What is this?"
Adam gulped.
āIs that really Ramilo?ā
His mind understood that it was definitely Ramilo and that it was all a result of his transformation, but his eyes couldnāt believe it.
āNot only has he changed, heās lost his tail, but his claws and muscles... Shit, how strong is he now?ā
Ramilo slowly turned around, his large blue eyes reflecting the figures of Adam and Alexia.
"Look closely. This is not what I wanted to show you when we first met, but... this jester left me no other choice."
āI see...ā Adam nodded inwardly. āNot only has his appearance changed, but his temper too, right? Although if he had continued to crack jokes in that form, it would have been even more frightening.ā
Alexia said nothing; like Adam, she was shocked that Ramilo was capable of such a transformation.
"Alright, Zargos, itās time to finish this. In a couple of minutes, weāll be leaving the Primal Lands, and I donāt want to attract attention in the Dead Lands."
Zargos had no objections. He just spread his arms wide, while crimson flames burned brightly, reflecting in his amber eyes.
"Go ahead, attack!"
Crack!
A piece of the stone plate flew off to the side as Ramilo dashed forward. In the shadows, he found himself right in front of Zargos at tremendous speed, who, despite the complexity of the situation, did not stop smiling.
A flash ran across Ramiloās claws as frosty, blue energy ran through his hand. It wasnāt an ability, he was following the rules, but the force of this attack would be enough to cut Zargos to pieces.
Still, Zargos did not dodge.
"Good! Now thatās speed!" Zargos exclaimed, putting his hands up in front of him.
The blue claws collided with the crimson barrier, but Ramilo had already disappeared, attacking Zargos from behind.
"You should have left when I gave you the chance!" Ramiloās claws headed straight for Zargosās neck.
Zargos spun around, throwing Ramiloās wrist aside. The ice claws whizzed right past his eyes.
"I came here with a specific goal, and I will achieve it! Youāll see! Iāll get what I want!"
Ramilo frowned. He said nothing more as his pupils narrowed, switching into full hunter mode.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
For the next few seconds, Ramilo and Zargos exchanged an endless series of attacks. But, whereas before Zargos had easily landed direct strikes on Ramilo, leaving painful burns, now everything was different.
Zargos struggled to react to Ramiloās attacks. Sometimes, he didnāt have time to block or repel his strikes, which resulted in new scratches on his shoulders or chest. Still, Zargos had a chance to win because he didnāt let Ramilo hit his face or neck ā his most vulnerable spots.
"What do you think?" Adam asked, watching their fight closely. "Even without their abilities, these two are so strong. If Vaarh or I were between them, in a second weād be nothing but meat cubes, cut with laser precision."
Silvana smiled bitterly.
"Donāt be so dramatic. If some K0 or K1 Phantom saw your fight against Vaarh, he would have the same reaction."
Adam narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah, but thatās not the point. Thereās always someone stronger, they say. But... do you believe that Damien could find himself in the same situation? That there is someone in this world so strong that Damien would be afraid to get close to them?ā
Silvana fell silent because the answer was obvious. Even power had its limits, and until Adam approached that limit, he didnāt have even the slightest chance of stopping the World Wipe.
What could he do in the face of the First Star and Last Star?
Crack!
Ramiloās punch threw Zargos back, but he stood firmly on his feet without flying several meters.
"Thatās not all!"
The next moment, Ramilo appeared right in front of Zargos, about to grab him by the head and end their fight.
That was his mistake.
Despite the risks, Zargos stepped forward, dodging the sharp claws at the last moment. Blood gushed from his neck, but the flames quickly turned it into a slight scar.
"Now itās your turn! You, scary, old cat!"
Clutch!
Zargos grabbed Ramilo by the neck, squeezing his trembling muscles. Ramilo couldnāt escape, all he could do was watch as the crimson flame ran down Zargosās arm, ready to burn him to ashes.
The only option for Ramilo was to use his abilities, but... could he break the rules?
He had a decision to make.
Tap.
Suddenly, Zargos slapped him on the shoulder and leaned forward.
He whispered something, audible only to Ramilo, that made Ramiloās eyes widen in shock.
The next moment, instead of burning Ramilo, Zargos threw him forward, straight toward the earthworm head.
Ramiloās back slammed into the stone plate, leaving a large burn mark on his chest.
He didnāt try to get up, although he surely could have if he had put all his strength into it.
Step.
Adam and Alexia raised their heads only to see Zargosās amber eyes, full of victory and curiosity.
He had achieved his goal.
"Shit!" Adam exclaimed as he tried to run away.
"Freeze."
The flaming chains grabbed Adam, preventing him from moving.
His duel with Zargos was over, which meant he could now use his abilities against Adam, who didnāt stand a chance. They were on different levels.
"You! You donāt dare do that!" Alexia exclaimed and lunged at Zargos with a flurry of punches.
With a slight smirk, he blocked each of her punches with one hand before grabbing her wrist.
Alexiaās eyes widened. She couldnāt believe she hadnāt even managed to scratch him. He had treated her like a child!
"As I said before, I will not harm you."
Whooooooosh.
He threw her to the side as she fell next to Ramilo.
Then, Zargos grabbed the flaming chains, lifting Adam like a sack.
He turned over his shoulder, giving Ramilo one last look that held several meanings.
Puff!
With a fiery puff, Zargos disappeared.
He had achieved his goal.