Endless Evolution: Last Star

Well, that also meant that those techniques were effective against them as well.

Nessa wouldn\'t be able to take on some monster like Thunder Demon or Bladeclaw Beast in such a grab, they were too big and their body structure simply wouldn\'t allow Nessa to do so.

However, Snow Follower was the perfect target for her grab and subsequent knee strike right into Snow Follower\'s spine.

Had Snow Follower\'s place been taken by a human or Phantom, it would have been the end of their fight. Nessa\'s kick was powerful enough to break Snow Follower\'s spine in two and fold him in half, however... it wasn\'t that simple.

Crackle.

Snow Follower\'s arms tightened around Nessa\'s neck. Sharp, short claws dug into Nessa\'s skin, releasing multiple streams of blood while she struggled to breathe.

Turning around, Nessa faced Snow Follower\'s cold gaze. The monster was still in her grip, his spine was broken as was his jaw that dangled from side to side held only by white bandages, but... there wasn\'t even a hint of weakness in Snow Follower\'s gaze.

"Bastard..." Nessa struggled to mutter, feeling that just a little more and Snow Follower would actually choke her.

"You\'re the one who is trapped, not me. Don\'t you dare look at me like that...!" Nessa said through gritted teeth before her leg came into motion again.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

Time after time, Nessa\'s knee slammed into Snow Follower\'s back, intending to completely shatter the monster\'s bones, but not a single emotion appeared on Snow Follower\'s face.

\'No... no... no! If it continues like this...\' Nessa internally muttered while everything in front of her eyes went dark, her body urgently needed access to oxygen.

\'I can\'t lose like this!\'

Nessa\'s eyes went wide as she grabbed Snow Follower\'s wrist and with a sharp forward motion, broke Snow Follower\'s arms.

Then, Nessa spun around, plunging her foot into Snow Follower\'s stomach, the whistling wind accompanying her high-speed kick.

Snow Follower\'s eyes went wide as the impact threw him back. He still hadn\'t been able to reach his target.

"It\'s something to do with the temper tantrums that happened before, isn\'t it?" Adam asked casting a glance at Magnus.

The corners of Magnus\'s mouth lifted as he nodded.

"Yeah, you\'re right." Magnus nodded, "When she fought you she wasn\'t at the limit of her strength. I think you noticed that her muscles were tighter and her instincts sharper. Only in a deadly fight, a beast can show all that it has."

\'Hmm...\' Adam looked ahead thoughtfully, \'But... This has nothing to do with Resonance or anything like that, does it? Roughly speaking she\'s just in her combat mode right now, nothing supernatural.\'

Then, Adam glanced at Snow Follower, who seemed to have received wounds incompatible with life. At least, with broken wrists, spine, and jaw, it was impossible to continue fighting any further.

"He can regenerate? It was clear from the look in his eyes that such wounds are not something he fears." Adam asked with genuine interest.

Magnus chuckled evilly.

"Not really. However, Snow Followers are quite durable. Just watch."

Nessa was breathing heavily, hot steam coming out of her mouth while her heart beat rapidly. This period went hard on her, though she barely received any wounds, aside from her broken nose and the cuts on her neck.

\'It\'s okay... I can win... After these wounds, he won\'t be able to keep fighting at the same level. I\'m really good enough for it.\' Nessa said to herself, taking a deep breath.

Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.

Coming from the Snow Follower\'s side, a loud cracking sound was heard, causing Nessa to turn around.

"Holy shit..."

Nessa\'s eyes went wide in disbelief.

The Snow Follower rose up at a strange angle, while his upper body was tilted towards the ground as it should have been due to his broken spine.

However... something was wrong.

Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.

Snow Follower\'s muscles and joints made a strange, slightly eerie sound, forcibly putting the broken body parts back into place.

If Snow Follower had a wide cut on his chest, he wouldn\'t be able to heal it, after all, he wasn\'t a regenerative monster, but... putting the bones back into place or straining his muscles to stop the bleeding, well, it was quite possible for him.

"Damn, that\'s impressive." Adam said.

Snow Follower leaned forward, raising his gaze. The fact that he was able to \'fix\' his spine in such a way showed not only his unique abilities but also his supreme control over his entire body.

Then, Snow Follower abruptly stretched his arms forward, they turned into a blur and when Nessa blinked, Snow Follower\'s wrists were already in place.

There was only one part left for Snow Follower to fix - his jaw.

Crack.

He grasped his jaw with both hands, with a few movements sliding it into place. It seemed that his body was not a complex mechanism, but a simple constructor that was really hard to break.

"Nessa, don\'t worry."

Suddenly, Magnus\'s voice rang out.

"Perhaps interfering in your fight isn\'t very fair, but I don\'t care. Unlike you, this bastard has gone through hundreds of people like you who lost their confidence over one bad episode."

Magnus grinned widely, stepping up to the microphone with a crazy gaze.

"You\'re doing well my girl. Just keep up the good work. The tougher the situation, the stronger you get. That\'s how you\'ve always won so you\'ll win now. Keep breaking him until the arrogant bastard is dead!"

Magnus\'s voice echoed throughout the hall, quickly reaching Nessa\'s ears.

Oddly enough, it gave her real confidence. A satisfied smile appeared on Nessa\'s face as she took a fighting stance. Her muscles grew tighter even more, like carved steel and her instincts strove to get better every second of this deadly battle.

Snow Follower narrowed his eyes, he obviously didn\'t like Magnus interfering, even though it was just words, but moral support was important. Especially for someone whose strength depended upon their current condition.

"Wow, I\'m amazed."

Adam uttered with a wide-eyed look at Nessa.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?" Magnus glanced at him puzzled, but the smirk remained on his face.

"Are you encouraging her or is this your cunning plan?" Adam asked with a wave of his hand.

Magnus sighed, shrugging as if he had to explain something trivial.

"Look, you probably think I\'m a monster in human form, but I\'m not, at least if to others I may be a monster and a tyrant, but not to Nessa. Even the greatest bastards and villains have those they truly care for, otherwise... they\'re just idiots pretending to be villains, with no goals, ambitions, or principles."

Magnus\'s gaze was deep and serious.

"FATHER!!!" Nessa exclaimed like a little girl.

Her face was red with embarrassment.

"Oh, I didn\'t turn off the microphone..." Magnus said baffled, scratching his cheek.

Step.

Snow Follower took a powerful step forward, drawing attention to himself before swinging his arm.

At his will, the katana half submerged in the floor shook violently before heading towards him.

Soon, Snow Follower\'s hand firmly gripped the hilt of his weapon, showing that it was now for real.