Felecia was shocked but Adam wasn’t.
While she struggled with the sudden drop in power, he was already analyzing.
He had wanted this.
That was why he pushed her to go all out first.
Among everyone in the manor, Felecia had the highest star power.
She was the perfect test subject for Disable.
He wasn’t concerned that it hadn’t reduced her star power by twenty-one like William’s inversion had done to him.
William’s power had been unstable.
And unstable power always burned hotter, as they were the most extre.
But this was controlled.
A clean reduction of ten star power.
Adam was more than satisfied with that, because right now even if soone surpassed him by ten star power.
He could still fight them.
That alone was a massive boon.
Felecia roared and ca at him again.
Adam moved lightly.
Even while thinking, he dodged her blows with ease.
Each punch tore through the air, but lacked its forr weight.
"Do you want to keep going?" Adam asked calmly.
Felecia answered with a punch.
Adam didn’t even use Judgent this ti.
He parried it with his bare hand.
Her crimson aura flared, pressing down on him.
But the oppressive force of Blessed Purgatory now felt like a warm wind.
"I’m not done yet!" she snapped.
She pushed forward again.
But there was frustration in her movents now.
It was disheartening.
To feel yourself made helpless without being able to fight back properly.
Adam understood that feeling all too well.
His mind flashed back to his battle with William.
That will be the last ti.
He slipped past another punch and closed the distance, as his palm shot forward and slamd into Felecia’s abdon.
He didn’t overdo it but the impact folded her slightly, as her eyes rolled back and her crimson aura flickered out.
Felecia collapsed onto the cracked floor and silence fell over the training room.
****
Ivy’s mouth slowly fell open.
Felecia... had lost.
And it was not a simple loss, she had been knocked out.
Ivy knew Felecia’s true capabilities.
The woman was a combat monster.
Yes, she drank too much.
Yes, she was chaotic.
But that was a side effect of her physique.
And it was worth it.
Blessed Purgatory turned her into a battlefield beast.
And yet, she had fallen.
The beginning of the fight had looked even.
There had been a constant back and forth.
But toward the end?
It beca completely one-sided.
Ivy swallowed and turned toward Redy expecting shock.
Instead, she found her grinning from ear to ear.
A wide, satisfied grin.
Ivy almost flinched.
Why does she look proud?
Before Ivy could speak, Redy did.
"Let’s take the two of them to the sick bay."
Ivy blinked.
"The two—?"
Then she glanced at Scott.
Still half-buried in his crater.
She had been too shaken from the spar that she forgot, Scott had passed out earlier. After calming down she moved to haul him up.
Scott looked dazed.
anwhile, Adam had already picked Felecia up.
He carried her carefully, despite the cracked floor and scattered debris.
Redy stepped closer and took Felecia from him smoothly.
"I just left your room," she said casually.
Adam shrugged.
"Nothing would’ve changed if you stayed."
Redy arched a brow.
"Fair point."
There was sothing unreadable in her eyes for a mont.
Then she shifted her tone.
"We’ll talk later. Okay?"
Adam nodded once.
"Sure."
Redy turned and Ivy followed, dragging Scott along as she glanced periodically at Adam.
The training room was now left in silence, as Adam stood alone for a few seconds before he turned and walked out.
****
Scott opened his eyes slowly, to a white ceiling, sterile scent and soft humming.
This was the manor’s sick bay.
There were no doctors or healers here, just machines, automated scanners, recovery pods and herbal-infused bandages that accelerated healing.
One of those bandages was wrapped around his head.
He touched it and winced.
"...She could’ve gone easy on ," he muttered.
"I did."
Scott flinched.
He turned his head to see Felecia lying on the bed opposite him.
Scott blinked.
"What are you doing here?"
Felecia sighed and rubbed her temple.
"I’m human, you know. I can get injured."
"I know that," Scott said quickly. "I ant, who beat you up?"
Felecia’s eye twitched.
"I didn’t say anyone beat up."
Scott stared at her.
He knew what a beaten martial artist looked like and Felecia currently qualified.
She exhaled slowly.
"It was Adam."
Scott froze.
"Which Adam?"
Felecia turned to him slowly.
"How many Adams do you know?"
Scott opened his mouth, then closed it.
Right.
He leaned back carefully.
"So... he surpassed you?"
The words ca out quieter this ti.
Felecia clenched her fists.
It stung.
The fact it had happened too fast....
She unclenched her hand and swung her legs off the bed.
"I need a drink."
Scott didn’t stop her.
He was too busy trying to understand how Felecia could have lost.
There was only one conclusion he ca up with.
He’s a monster.
Scott leaned his head back against the pillow.
"I’ll have to put in more effort," he muttered.
His eyes then drifted shut.
And a mory surfaced.
Flas, screams and bodies burning.
His hand clenched unconsciously.
The air around him heated slightly before settling again.
He had to get stronger.
****
Felecia made it back to the manor kitchen without saying a word.
The house was quiet, as she walked straight to the fridge, opened it, and grabbed a bottle.
With a flick of her finger, the cap popped off and she took a long swig, as the burn slid down her throat.
Usually, it helped.
Today.
It didn’t.
She leaned against the counter and closed her eyes.
The spar replayed in her mind.
Adam catching her punch, bare-handed.
Her star power dropping.
Her physique suppressed.
She let out a low laugh.
"What am I good for now?"
Another gulp and this ti it tasted worse.
Not because of the alcohol.
But because of the thought sitting in her chest.
For the first ti in a long while.
She felt... replaceable.
A mory surfaced without permission.
A small boy ran toward her with ssy hair and a bright smile.
"Mama! Look!"
He held out a drawing.
It was a terrible sketch of her and him standing side by side.
At the top, written in crooked letters.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Her fingers tightened around the bottle.
The kitchen blurred for a second, as she drained the rest of the drink in one go and set the empty bottle down before she reached for another.
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