Within moments, Tearsman and Adam were tearing through the city.
"|Crush|!" [Tearsman]
Swinging with the back of his axe, Tearsman demolished a house as Adam narrowly avoided the attack.
("He's using a new skill?") [Adam]
After Adam's evasion, Tearsman continued his pursuit.
"|Cleave|!" [Tearsman]
He swung with the edge of his axe, splitting apart a row of housing as Adam ducked under. Adam then retaliated with a slash of his own, which was blocked by Tearsman's second axe.
("He didn't budge?") [Adam]
Adam was by no means holding back. The force of his strike was enough to shake the streets, yet Tearsman remained unfazed.
"You've gotten tougher." [Adam]
Tearsman switched the grip on his axe, hooking it onto Adam's sword while preparing to strike with his second one.
"I almost died to achieve this strength. |Crush|!" [Tearsman]
Adam raised a hand to intercept the axe. Within an instant, Adam felt an immense weight press down on him, causing the ground beneath him to sink.
("Oh, he's really got strong.") [Adam]
With this much power, it would've posed a threat if Adam was struck unguarded. Unfortunately, Tearsman lacked one thing to clear that condition.
"...You withstood that?" [Tearsman]
"Your attacks are too simple, Tearsman." [Adam]
Yanking the axe, Adam pulled his towering opponent down to his height.
"What happened to your flashy style?" [Adam]
Winding his head back, Adam slammed his forehead into Tearsman's nose.
"Ugh!" [Tearsman]
Blood began to pour out, but that wasn't the end of it. Using the momentum of Tearsman reeling back, Adam pulled his opponent back down onto his knee.
"Agh!" [Tearsman]
Continuing from there, Adam released his grip on Tearsman's axe.
"Remember this?" [Adam]
He then placed his hand on Tearsman's abdomen.
"Pressure Cannon." [Adam]
Unleashing a blast of compressed air, Tearsman's axe was unhooked from Adam's sword and found himself blown away into a nearby building. Though it was a powerful blow, Tearsman emerged with minor injuries.
"You truly aren't something to be underestimated." [Tearsman]
He shook off any leftover debris and approached Adam.
"I'm surprised your armor didn't break. It's much better than your last set." [Adam]
"A Supreme Hero's equipment must match their stature. Much like their ability! |Crush|!" [Tearsman]
"I've already seen that." [Adam]
Raising a hand to catch it, Adam felt the pressure grow more than three times its strength than previously experienced.
"Ugh!" [Adam]
The floor rattled as Adam grit his teeth. For a moment, he thought his shoulder might pop out.
("It's so much stronger than before!") [Adam]
"Confused, are you? |Cleave|!" [Tearsman]
Adam was forced to retreat whilst leaning back in order to avoid a mighty slash of the axe. Just from wind pressure alone, it felt like Asil's |Windless Slash|.
("Has the strength of his |Cleave| increased too?!") [Adam]
From then on, Adam was on guard. He observed Tearsman for any noticeable changes, other than his strength.
("...It must be those axes.") [Adam]
From pattern, it appeared that Tearsman only used one axe for each skill. Or it could be a trick into making Adam believe so. There's also the part where the skill's power has risen, so it may be either that it increases by each use of a skill, or increases based on battle duration.
"You look worried there. Finally taking me seriously?" [Tearsman]
"No, I was daydreaming." [Adam]
Tearsman growled.
"I'll make you dream permanently." [Tearsman]
He rushed in blindly, winding up one of his axes again.
"|Crush|!" [Tearsman]
("Now!") [Adam]
Stepping a beat faster than his opponent, Adam struck the side of Tearsman's axe to redirect it. The force cleared what can be considered a neighborhood within an instant. Once that was finished, Adam grabbed Tearsman's wrist in an attempt to disarm him.
"Like I'd let you!" [Tearsman]
Rather than using |Crush| or |Cleave|, Tearsman shifted his grip on the other axe to punch Adam. In response, Adam used the pommel of his sword to block it.
("I don't get enough time to disable him!") [Adam]
Switching tactics, Adam released Tearsman's wrist before slamming a fist into his chin.
"Urgh!" [Tearsman]
He reeled back a moment before grinning.
"Did you really think that'd do any… huh?" [Tearsman]
His vision blurred and his sense of balance went off. Tearsman's legs wobbled as he struggled to stand, much less hold onto his weapons. The man was beginning to feel the effects of a traumatic brain injury.
"Oh, lucky me." [Adam]
As the opportunity presented itself, Adam readied his sword. However, he was tackled the moment he swung.
("What the-?!") [Adam]
"Stop him! [???]
"Protect the Supreme Hero!" [???]
A multitude of low ranking heroes swarmed Adam, momentarily distracting him.
"Get off me!" [Adam]
He tore the heroes off one by one, but more would just throw themselves at him.
"You leave me no choice!" [Adam]
Charging his sword up with lightning, Adam struck the ground. It released a surge of energy that shocked all near him, momentarily stunning them. Seeing them vulnerable, Adam felt a second of guilt for what he must do.
"I'm sorry." [Adam]
Taking advantage of the situation, he cut them all down. Adam grit his teeth knowing that they would've continued to attack him if he chose to spare them.
("Do I still have time? To finish off Tearsman?") [Adam]
He turned to find Tearsman.
("He's gone?!") [Adam]
"|Crush|!" [Tearsman]
Reacting quickly, Adam spun around to block Tearsman's axe with his sword.
"Ngh!" [Adam]
The power behind it was so immense that Adam immediately took off, plowing through several buildings until he tumbled into the main street.
"Urgh…!" [Adam]
Letting out a grunt, Adam shook off the dancing lights in his eyes.
"Are you alright, Adam?" [Krino]
("Yeah… just dazed.") [Adam]
As he picked himself off the ground, Tearsman arrived through the destructive path Adam came from.
"You almost had me back there. I don't know what magic you used to disrupt my sense, but it won't happen again." [Tearsman]
Without a doubt, Tearsman was furious.
"This is so stupid. Just use your |Blinding Slash Arts|." [Astos]
("It takes a little time to set up, and this guy has already seen it before. I don't think I'd get an opening any time soon.") [Adam]
"Then why didn't you do that when he was staggered? That was your moment." [Astos]
("I was trying to save mana, and besides-") [Adam]
"Shut up! He's attacking!" [Krino]
"|Crush|!" [Tearsman]
Snapping back to reality, Adam braced his sword against Tearsman's falling axe.
"Hrngh!" [Adam]
He fell to one knee as the weight burdened him. Tearsman then stashed one of his axes to grab Adam by the throat.
"|Purge|!" [Tearsman]
Adam felt something get drained from his body. It wasn't his strength, or his mana. Not even the |Divine| energy he stole from other heroes. However, it made it so that Adam went limp.
"Adam? Adam!" [Krino]
As Tearsman stared at Adam, Rage filled him.
"...Astos, you villain!" [Tearsman]
Just for the moment, Tearsman lifted Adam to eye level.
"You come into MY home!" [Tearsman]
He then slammed Adam into the floor, causing what remained of the paved stone to shatter.
"Guh!" [Adam]
"You harm MY people!" [Tearsman]
Sprinting to the nearest structure, Tearsman rammed Adam into it.
"Ugh!" [Adam]
"And you believe I'd just let you LIVE?!" [Tearsman]
Tearsman threw his axe into the ground, propping up the flat backside. He then spun as fast as he could, stopping upon throwing Adam's head onto the axe.
"Agh!" [Adam]
Tearsman refused to stop there. Drawing out the axe he had just holstered, Tearsman intended to use the environment as his chopping block.
"Die." [Tearsman]
Activating |Cleave|, Tearsman brought down the axe.
"That is enough." [Adam]
Lifting his hand, Adam caught the axe between his fingers. Such an act led to a long path of devastation within the city due to the power of |Cleave|. Even so, Adam was unharmed by it.
"Huh?!" [Tearsman]
He felt himself get pushed back as Adam stood, his facial expression showing almost no emotion. Seeing his position, Adam sheathed his sword.
"What're you-" [Tearsman]
"Begone." [Adam]
With a flick of his finger, Tearsman was launched out of sight. In the end, it was just Adam, still holding the axe.
"Is this what you wanted, Kind One? If you'd like, I can still kill him." [Adam?]
Words forced themselves out of his lips, as if someone was controlling him.
"This feeling… Askyros? I thought most of your soul vanished…!" [Adam]
"Kind One, despite what has happened… I am still me." [Adam?]
They spoke using the same mouth, as if it was a mad man trying to reason with himself.
"Askyros, why have you-" [Adam]
"Kind One. I will keep it brief. Resolve yourself." [Adam?]
"...Resolve myself? I killed people! I went against my friend's advice! I came here to stop the Temple's tyranny! What do you mean "resolve myself"?!" [Adam]
Adam's body let out a deep sigh.
"What that man cast on you was the removal of willpower. Such a thing would have no effect on someone steadfast. You lack… resolve. Did you think taking the life of another is considered resolving yourself?" [Askyros]
"I…" [Adam]
His voice trailed off as he thought about it.
"You haven't accepted the choice you've made yet. Do you feel… guilt?" [Adam?]
Adam's eyes watered up.
"Of course I do… Heroes don't kill. How can I become a hero with all the lives I've taken?" [Adam]
"You speak as if the lives you've taken are a great amount." [Adam?]
"Is it not?! How can you say that about the lives of others?!" [Adam]
"Take a look around." [Adam?]
Forcing Adam's body to turn, Adam was able to observe the streets run red with blood, and the uncountable corpses of heroes that littered it.
"Kind One. Do not mourn their losses. For there will always be more." [Adam?]
Adam felt almost repulsed from the sight, yet Askyros' words made him realize achieving his dream of becoming a hero would not be as clean as it seemed.
"There is not much time. The decision is yours. Resolve yourself and kill, or die and fade into mediocrity." [Adam?]
Once those words exited his lips, control was returned to Adam.
"Astos!" [Tearsman]
Hearing his alias, Adam turned to see Tearsman's arrival. From the looks of it, the flick given by Askyros left a large dent in the helmet.
"How many times will you try to humiliate me?!" [Tearsman]
Reaching out, both his axes returned to hand.
"I don't know where that strength of yours came from, nor what it was. Just know that it won't happen again!" [Tearsman]
As the Supreme Hero approached, Adam closed his eyes. Slowly taking a certain stance, Adam hovered his hand over his sword.
"Wait, that's…!" [Tearsman]
Immediately recognizing that stance, Tearsman froze. He expected Adam to strike, but nothing happened.
("He's… not attacking?") [Tearsman]
Watching cautiously, he could see Adam was deep in contemplation.
("...There will always be more, huh.") [Adam]
Those words resounded in him, allowing him to find it. His resolve.
"|Blinding Slash Arts: Single Point Draw|." [Adam]
Drawing his sword faster than ever, there wasn't even a flash. It was as if someone had skipped a frame in a video, and in that instant, Adam cut. Cut through not only Tearsman's armor, his flesh, his divinity, and all that remained behind him. Thus, giving birth to a new skill. |Lightless Slash Arts: Cutting Resolve|.