Adam was supposed to go to the top of the spire to use the teleport and return to the Citadel, but instead, he had to go to another place.

Whoooooooosh.

A gust of wind blew past, ruffling Adam's black hair.

He had to agree to fight the young man and woman. He didn't want to, but they were too insistent.

Each spire had a chamber where the Phantoms could hold training sparring matches. Initially, that was what the young man and woman were going to do, but Adam decided it would be best to fight outside the spire.

The Gamma Division personnel were surprised by this decision, but they had no right to interfere with Adam or any other Phantom.

"Hmm? Those two... they just arrived at our spire, but they're already causing so many problems." The woman who had met Adam earlier shook her head as she watched the scene from the top of the spire.

The man standing next to her nodded deeply. "Yep, they're new to the Tarnished Lands. Not long ago, Adam Vinter was like them, but since he became a K4-Phantom, he's gained experience."

"But why did he decide to go outside?" The woman touched her chin thoughtfully. "Our chambers are strong enough to withstand almost any damage."

"Hah, I think it's because he's not going to spare them." The man chuckled. "He doesn't show it, but they get on his nerves. I understand him. He wanted to go home, and they're getting in his way, even though they don't realize it."

The woman smiled bitterly. "They have good intentions, but that doesn't help when, to Adam, they're nothing more than annoying kids."

"Well, let's see how long they last."

"Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow. "Do you think they don't stand a chance?"

The man shrugged. "Obviously, Adam will lower his power level so he doesn't accidentally kill them. Also, he's still weakened after his tough battles. He woke up much earlier than we expected, but it will all be over quickly."

...

At the same time, Adam stood in front of the young man and woman. Their faces were serious as ever, and they appreciated that Adam had given them this opportunity.

"We're ready!" The young man exclaimed as a sword with a wide green blade appeared in his hand.

"Yes!" The girl jumped aside as a large bow appeared in her hands.

Adam nodded slightly.

'I see. They work in tandem, he in the vanguard and she covering him. It's a simple but effective tactic. Well, if they were on the same level as me, I'd have to be wary, but... Hah, what chance do they have?'

Step.

Adam stepped forward as his entire aura burst forth.

It was only a small fraction of his peak form, but it was enough to make them flinch.

The young man and woman gulped, staring at the black and white flames billowing from Adam in all directions.

"Oh, I completely forgot. I have to lower my power to your level..." Adam scratched the back of his head. "Let's see..."

Unlike Damien or other high-level Phantoms who often trained others, Adam didn't know how to lower his power.

It was different from when he hid his aura to remain invisible; it was a deeper and more complex process.

To do this, he had to temporarily seal his own power so that he didn't have free access to it.

"Hmm, how about this?" Adam thought as he imagined all his power as one large orb.

Then, he mentally reduced it to a third.

Strangely enough, it worked.

Most of his aura dissipated in an instant as the powerful pressure no longer caused the girl and the young man to tremble.

Adam opened his eyes slightly as he changed his aura several times to match his power level to the two Phantoms in front of him.

"Is that enough?" he asked.

The young man nodded deeply. "Yes, Mr. Adam. Is this your first time fighting someone weaker than you?"

"Well..." Adam scratched his cheek. "Something like that. I've never had to lower my power before, but it turned out to be easier than I thought. Let's begin."

"Sure!"

Adam tossed a pebble high into the air as all eyes turned to it. As soon as the pebble hit the ground, their battle would begin.

Tap!

The pebble bounced off the surface.

Whoooooooosh.

At the same moment, the young man lunged forward as a multitude of roots burst from the ground. They headed toward Adam, binding his arms and legs.

"Let's go! We'll show them what we're capable of!" The young man exclaimed as his sword glowed brightly.

"Yes!" The girl replied as she aimed her bow at Adam. She would shoot to finish him off after the young man's attack.

Adam could use his abilities to free himself from the roots without increasing his power level, but he saw no need to do so.

"Hah, so this is how Damien felt when we fought?" Adam thought as he looked at the young man. "They think they have a chance, even though I can see all their moves."

Crack!

Adam tensed his muscles as he tried to break the roots. To his surprise, he couldn't do it. Now that he was a K3-Phantom, he couldn't do it as easily as he could with his full power.

"I see. Well, I have another solution."

Step.

The young man appeared in front of Adam, preparing to bring his sword down on him.

Instead of dodging, Adam just smirked and raised his leg.

Stomp!

He put all his strength into the stomp as cracks ran across the ground.

"Agh?"

Before the young man could realize it, the stone slab rose from the ground due to Adam's impact, like a wall standing in front of him.

"No! I have to attack from the other side!" The young man exclaimed inwardly as he jumped to the side.

Clutch!

Suddenly, Adam's hand clamped around his throat. He tore at the roots, putting all his strength into one spot.

"What?" The young man's eyes widened as Adam threw him to the ground.

He tried to get up, but the long needle was at his throat in the same moment.

"I'll help!" The girl shouted as she fired.

The bright arrow, like a green star, headed toward Adam, who just grinned and reached out his hand.

His energy, like a shroud, covered his hand as he caught the arrow mid-flight.

Whooooooosh!

The shockwave receded as Adam slid several meters across the ground, but the arrow did not reach him. The tip stopped right in front of his eyes.

"Hah, not bad, but that's not enough."

He pointed at the girl.

"You lost."

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