Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 857: Hurxo and Valthorn families

A man with short brown hair and broad shoulders announced the official status of the combat.

Before calling their names and accepting bets, observer No. 8, took a few steps forward, lowered the cases to the ground, and returned to his spot.

Without saying anything, the man looked around, the noblesʼ looks of curiosity amused him as much as the two formidable fighters waiting for him to act.

”Khm.”

The man coughed, silencing the last whispers in the crowd.

Then, he looked at the girl and then at the young man, announcing in his powerful, bright voice.

”Ms. Giselle Hurxo and Mr. Diron Valthorn, I see the moment of your battle has finally arrived. What will be the stakes?”

Diron didnʼt bother to answer, Giselle did instead as she looked sternly at the insolent observer.

”As always - one twilight coin. Be professional, notify the administration, and let us start as soon as possible.”

Without further ado, Giselle walked over to her case, opening it with a wave of her hand. Diron snorted irritably, his massive chest rising at his sigh, but he didnʼt say anything and followed her lead.

If it were up to his will, he would have left their nexuses on the ground. Diron wished it would be a part of their battle, for whoever ended up with the weapon first would have a serious advantage.

Upon hearing her menacing order, the man nodded deeply, a slight smile remaining on his face.

”Ms. Giselle you are as stern as usual, but this time there is no cause for concern. I did all the paperwork on the way here.”

The man waved his hand, stepping outside the arena. After all, a fight between two K3-Phantoms was dangerous for anyone who wasnʼt protected by the barrier.

”Equip your nexuses, give me one coin each, and wait for the command to start the fight. Then, I and all gathered will wait for the winner to be determined.”

Giselle and Diron looked at each other and nodded slightly. They were not friends or comrades, but they were not deadly enemies either. They could work together if they needed to, for a very short period.

Wasting no time, Giselle pulled from her case a rapier with a long thin blade, cold vapor emanating from the sharp edge before Giselleʼs keen eyes.

Her fingers clenched tightly around the flat hilt, the guard like a blue petal covering her hand, frost rippling across her delicate skin.

Whoooooooosh.

With a wide swing, Giselle left a trail of cold vapor on the ground before returning to her stance.

Diron shook his head, he saw no need for this display. After all, they had one purpose - to fight.

Despite his appearance, Dironʼs nexus was considerably smaller than Giselleʼs. His arms disappeared into the case, returning with two gray, stone-like knuckles tightly seated on his hands.

He sighed heavily, set the case aside, and stood in front of Giselle.

The fighters were ready, so the man, the observer nodded deeply and approached them one by one taking one twilight coin from each of them.

Clutching the coins he received tightly, the man proclaimed:

”Ms. Giselle of the third great family, the Hurxo Family, and Mr. Diron of the second great family, the Valthorn Family, have decided to clash in the duel!”

Without wasting a second, the manʼs hand disappeared under his vest, emerging again with an iron lighter.

”Ms. Giselle has three twilight coins, while Mr. Diron has four twilight coins! For one of them, this fight could be the final one!”

Click.

Jerking his hand, the man opened the lighterʼs lid, an unusual green flame rushed out.

”Once I extinguish the flame, the fight will officially begin. This isnʼt the first time youʼve fought, so I wonʼt repeat the rules.”

Giselle and Diron narrowed their eyes staring intently at each other.

The tension increased with every heartbeat, no whispering or talking was left, everyone in the hall was silent waiting for the observer to end their painful anticipation.

Even Adam forgot about his hunger. He was curious how the two new K3-Phantoms would fight, and whether they would use the Global Gene.

ʼThat guy, I think his name was Spiro.ʼ Adam mused, rubbing his chin, ʼThe water streams around his hands, is that an effect of his nexus, his ability, or is that his attribute controlled by the Global Gene?ʼ

With a focused look, the manʼs hand twitched.

Giselle and Diron noticed it. Moments before the metal lid covered the blaze they assumed battle stances.

”Begin!”

At Giselle and Dironʼs exclamation, they simultaneously burst from their spots.

Frost energy condensed on Giselleʼs rapier, coating the blade like a blizzard moving at her will.

Diron kept up, the space around his wrists distorted as one stone shard after another seemed to appear out of nowhere, quickly joining his arms to work as weights.

A second before colliding, Giselle stopped abruptly with a swing of her rapier from bottom to top.

A wave of ice crystals rose up in front of Diron, about to engulf him like an avalanche of a million spikes.

However, it seemed he was ready for it. No sooner had the wave risen high enough to hide Giselle from his gaze than he took his foot back, clutching his right fist tightly to attack.

His black eyes would have flashed if they could, instead the darkness inside thickened, curling up like whirlwinds, the kind Adam saw from Katrin. He used the ability.

An amber glow covered his body as Diron rammed forward, smashing everything in his path.

Giselleʼs eyes shone brightly, she raised her hand creating eight massive ice blades above her.

At Dironʼs next move, the crystals rained down on him in a hail.

A smirk glimpsed on his face, his knuckles shaking vigorously. Diron clenched his knuckles tightly before smashing his fists into each other.

Dozens of stone shards flew off in all directions. He had no control over their trajectory, but there was no need to.

The shards destroyed Giselleʼs crystals in a moment, closing in on her.

Her gray eyes went wide as she abruptly swung her rapier several times deflecting the shards.

”Hah, looks like Iʼll win this time!” Diron exclaimed with a joyful expression.

Suddenly, a blue glint showed in the corner of his eye when Giselleʼs silhouette trembled.

In a heartbeat, four Giselleʼs appeared around him, distinguishing who was a replica and who was the real one was possible, but Diron didnʼt have time for that.

Diron gulped watching as the four figures simultaneously tore towards him, their rapiers pointing at him.

”Fuck...”

Then, the real Giselle mixed with replicas pierced Diron from four directions, leaving behind only deep, ice-covered wounds.