Adam and Zin didnât exchange plans with each other, but they understood everything with just a glance.
âSo you can only manage a few more attacks?â Zin thought, narrowing his eyes. âYeah, that makes sense. He pushed his new Nexus to the limit of its power. Two or three more attacks, thatâs his limit.â
Then, Zin glanced at his hand.
âCome to think of it, Iâm in the same situation. I wonât be able to hear the blood of Queen Elisa flowing anymore, Adam has completely absorbed her blood, but at least I can still win!â
Sure, Zin had decided to fight with only one goal in mind: to hear Queen Elisaâs heartbeat. However, he had gone too far to give up now.
He wanted to win, for real. Such a strong desire had come over him for the first time, and what made his heart race was the fact that he didnât know if he could pull it off.
Adam leaned forward before taking a step.
Whooooooosh!
In a rush of blood, Adam swept across the entire arena, ending up right in front of Zin.
Zin knew that after a few of Adamâs attacks, it would all be over, but he wasnât going just to run away and dodge. He wouldnât be satisfied with a victory like that.
âTake this!â He clenched his jaw, aiming a fist at Adamâs ribs.
In a swift movement, Adam swung his right leg, knocking Zinâs wrist aside.
âAgh?â
At the same moment, the blood ring trembled as Adam attacked Zinâs face.
âNO!â Zin screamed inwardly as he jerked his head to the left at the last moment.
Crack!
Adamâs palm slammed into his left earpiece.
At the same moment, the cross glowed brightly as a thick stream of blood, resembling a raging river, burst forth, flowing out of the ring as if through a portal.
The golden fragment of the left earpiece flew past Zinâs shocked eyes. A part of his weapon, his Hollow Mark, had just been destroyed.
The river of blood continued its path, destroying everything in its way, even the sturdy walls of the arena or the barrier.
Click!
Zin snapped his fingers as he stepped aside.
With a pale face, he touched his left ear, realizing that half of his headphones had been destroyed.
Now, it was much harder for him to control his sound.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Blood dripped onto the ground as all eyes turned to Adam. His attack had failed. He had achieved something, but not victory.
However, for an attack of such power, he had to pay a heavy price.
"Damn... Looks like itâll all be over very soon." The woman bit her lip as she watched a trickle of blood flow from the corner of Adamâs mouth.
Her friend nodded. Her large amber eyes couldnât tear themselves away from Adam.
"Two more attacks, maybe even just one if he uses all the strength he has."
Even though the fight was no longer as intense as before, the spectatorsâ eyes had never shone so brightly.
They saw Adamâs new abilities, that Zinâs strength was running out, and that this fight was nearing its logical conclusion.
As Adam prepared for his next attack and the spectators whispered and speculated, Zinâs mind was working at full capacity.
He realized he couldnât let Adam attack first again.
âI just got lucky this time. If I had hesitated even for a split second, I would have lost my head, and Leerna wouldnât have been able to save me!â Zin exclaimed inwardly, realizing the gravity of the situation.
Sure, the judge was a Finger, a monster with immense power against which Adam and Zin were nothing.
However, their attacks were too fast. All Zin needed to do to sever Adamâs neck was a single, precise swing, since his weapon was sound, everything would happen instantly.
For Adam, this was true as well. Sure, the blood wasnât as fast as sound, but Adamâs attacks had a slight delay.
First, his palm smashed Zinâs left earpiece, and only then did the river of blood burst forth in full force.
Tap.
Realizing he had to do something, Zin took off his broken headphones and clenched them tightly between his hands.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
He squeezed his headphones until they were the size of a tiny golden seed, resembling the apple seed that was his Hollow Mark.
Kaerno raised an eyebrow. Not only was he surprised, but even Esâaha was.
"What is he doing?" she muttered to herself. "Iâve never seen an attack like this..."
Tremble!
The golden seed trembled, releasing a sound wave.
Each successive wave grew more powerful, while the seed became covered in cracks.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Very soon, the entire arena was actively shaking from the spreading sound waves.
The spectators covered their ears, unable to bear it any longer, while Zinâs face remained calm.
With the next sound wave, his seed shattered as all the energy surged into his hand, transforming into a long, trembling sound blade, far more powerful than any Zin had created before.
Adam looked around before smiling faintly.
"Huh, all the sounds have disappeared..." His gaze turned to Zinâs sound blade. "Did you save everything for a single attack?"
"Just like you. Isnât that right?"
Tremble.
Adamâs coat trembled as his left glove turned into a stream of blood, which filled the right one with power.
"Sure. Letâs end this right here and now."
The spectators held their breath as even Kaernoâs gaze grew sharper.
No one knew who would win.
Without hesitation, Zin raised his hand as Adam turned into a bloody blur.
In a heartbeat, Adam found himself right in front of his opponent, but Zin had been expecting this.
"This is the end, ADAM!" Zin exclaimed, unleashing the sound blade at Adam with all his might.
SLASH!
The arena was split in two in the blink of an eye, but Adam was able to keep moving forward because, unlike Zin, he had mustered the patience to step aside.
"Agh?"
Adam smiled.
"Did you expect a devastating attack from me? No, I came here for something else."
Tap.
Adamâs palm pressed firmly against Zinâs chest, feeling his heartbeat.
"I will keep my promise. I will give you a sound you have never heard before."
A glint flashed through Adamâs eyes as all his energy surged into his palm.
Shock clouded Leernaâs eyes as, in the next instant, she appeared to Adamâs right, reaching out her hand to stop him.
But, even though she was a Finger, everything had already been decided.
Adam smiled, without a thought for the consequences.
"I will give you the sound of your own death."
CLASP!
The sheer power of his Nexus and energy burst forth, creating a void in Zinâs chest, right where his heart should have been.