《Martial Arts Worlds》


 Chapter 1 River of Reincarnation

    Afterlife, The Fields of Judgment.


    Depressed-looking souls wandered down a colorless road, their eyes filled with regret and longing. They regretted their life choices and longed for a second chance to make things right.


    However, it was toote.


    Currently, they were en route to the chamber of judgment, where a final verdict would be handed down, sealing their fate for eternity.


    They would either go to heaven or be condemned to hell.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In some rare cases, the purest souls had a chance for reincarnation. However, it had been centuries since thest soul had been deemed worthy of this opportunity.


    In the skies of a depressing-lookingndscape, a man wearing ck robes and a hood floated silently, watching over the solemn-looking souls.


    They were walking down a road that was surrounded by rocky mountains, their heads hanging low. The rocky mountains loomed over them like ancient guardians, casting long shadows in the fading light of the day.


    After a short while, they left the mountainside and entered a long, straight road. It led them towards a strange temple that seemed to shimmer in the distance, beckoning them closer.


    Beside the road, a beautiful, flowing river reflected the setting sun''s colors like a mirror. The sound of the river sounded like a luby, as if there were violins ying in the background.


    As soon as the depressed-looking souls saw the river, their eyes glowed with greed and desire. It was the river of reincarnation!


    A soul, looking ethereal with a shimmering glow, stepped closer to the river. He greedily licked his lips, as if he could taste the second chance.


    He didn''t live a good life; instead, it was pretty poor¡ªhe was a loanshark, a con artist, and a thief.


    He had ruined countless families with his deceitful ways.


    Someone like him would never get a chance at reincarnation.


    ''If I just keep walking, I''ll just be condemned to hell!'' He thought to himself as he stared at the river. ''This is my second chance. Reincarnation!''


    As soon as his thoughts ended, the man stepped another step closer to the river. Instantly, his body exploded into a million ethereal pieces.


    As soon as other souls saw that, they looked frightened.


    This was an even more frightening fate than hell¡ªthat man was now trapped in an endless cycle of death. He would continue to be torn apart and regenerated for eternity.


    "Hmph." A man in the sky scoffed while pointing his finger down. "That''s your punishment, insolent soul. A trash like you doesn''t deserve a second chance. Thus, your punishment is a million years of death."


    His voice sounded like thunder rumbling through the clouds.


    Every soul heard him.


    "That''s¡­" A frightened-looking soul gasped in horror. "I-Is that¡­ Death?"


    Death, the man wearing ck rags, stared down with a cold and calctive gaze.


    At that moment, his cold look changed for a moment.


    A soul stepped out of the line, walking towards the river of reincarnation. This soul was different.


    He didn''t look depressed like the others.


    His expression looked serious and deviant, like that of a wild tiger waiting to be unleashed.


    "Is he a fool?!" The souls cried out. "He just saw someone get sentenced to a million years of misery!"


    "Does he have a death wish?"


    "Huh?" Death looked down at the strange soul and frowned. "Every year, when a new batch of souls arrives, there''s always one soul that tries to jump to the river of reincarnation.


    "However, once I punish that one, everyone else usually falls in line and behaves. This is strange."


    Death crossed his arms and vanished from the skies. He then appeared on the riverbed, standing in front of the deviant-looking soul.


    "Are you deaf?" Death pointed his long, slender finger at the soul. "Do you want to die?"


    "I am already dead." The soul said with a cold tone while slowly approaching the river. "I know where my judgment takes me. I''ll fight until the end."


    "Is that so?" Death swiped his hand through the air, and suddenly letters appeared on top of the soul''s head.


    It told the soul''s name, where he was from, the cause of death, and his karma points.


    "Alright." Death looked over and said, "Kiernan Hunter, and you''re from Earth. Yeah, earthlings are usually pretty arrogant.


    "Your cause of death, oh, how surprising."


    Kiernan silently looked at Death. He had stopped walking forward.


    "Old age." Death chuckled. "And your karma points¡­"


    As soon as he saw it, his eyes turned cold. "Oh, you are definitely going to hell."


    He again swiped his hand, making all of the text disappear.


    "You filth think that you can just enter the river of reincarnation?" Death looked angry. "You think you can just escape the punishment?"


    At that moment, Kiernan lunged forward towards Death. He slowly formed a fist with his right hand.


    "Death, a worthy opponent." He said as he prepared to strike.


    "What a foolish individual." Death pointed his hand at him. "Earthlings are the weakest of all twenty realms."


    ''Weakest?'' Kiernan narrowed his eyes, a fire burning within him. ''So, there''re twenty realms. There must be pretty strong people there.''


    "A ten million years worth of training wouldn''t make you a match for me." Death said and at that moment, his palm started smoking. "I don''t want to punish you myself. I am sure the Lord of the Hell has some interesting activities for you."


    As Kiernan''s front footnded on the ground, the ground cracked beneath.


    "Iron Style, Ghost Spring!"


    At that moment, Kiernan vanished for just a moment, but then a dozen identical-looking souls appeared in the air around Death. They looked just like Kiernan, with their hands clenched into a fist.


    ''Afterimages?'' Death frowned as he looked around. ''What is this? If I hadn''t read through his files, I would think that he was from that world¡­ This man''s level of martial arts must''ve reached the peak of Earthlings.


    ''Still, I am Death.''


    The dozen Kiernan''s punched through the air, towards Death, each strike powerful enough to shatter a boulder and crack the earth.


    Death swiped his hand casually, and around him, a transparent mirror appeared, reflecting the Kiernan''s attacks back at them with even greater force.


    "The Mirror of Reflection." He whispered coldly.


    All the afterimages vanished as the mirror reflected their attacks back at them with much greater strength. It was a wless defense mechanism.


    However, a single soul survived, and that soul jumped straight towards the river of reincarnation.


    Kiernan somehow managed to dodge the attack from the Mirror of Reflection, and while Death was rejoicing in his victory, he used that small window of opportunity to jump towards the river.


    However.


    "Pointless." Death pointed his palm at Kiernan, and then several ck chains flew out of his hand and wrapped around Kiernan.


    "Chains of Punishment."


    "Urgh!" Kiernan writhed in pain as the chains constricted around him, tightening their grip.


    The chains coiled around his limbs and even around his throat, squeezing so hard that he couldn''t breathe. It also felt like the chains were burning, bringing even greater agony to the human.


    "Do you see now?" Death asked coldly. "Or do you need more convincing?"


    "Hahahaha!"


    Suddenly, Kiernan startedughing, the sound echoing through the valley in a manic frenzy.


    "Huh?" Death frowned.


    The souls watched the spectacle unfold, some feeling a twinge of pity for Kiernan. They thought he had lost his mind out of despair.


    "You''re pretty strong!" Kiernan shouted, and even though his throat was being crushed by the chains, he still managed to turn his head around to stare straight at Death.


    "Next time I die, I''ll have my rematch with you!"


    "Next time?" Death frowned and pulled Kiernan closer to him. "There won''t be a next time!"


    At that moment, the Kiernan, which was trapped by the chains, slowly vanished. It was as if he was made out of air.


    "What?!" Death eximed in shock, then widened his field of vision and saw a person fall to the river of reincarnation.


    He snapped his head to the left and saw Kiernan slowly fall towards the river, smiling blissfully.


    ''I trapped his afterimage?!'' Death''s eyes shook violently. ''How was his afterimage so real?!''


    ''His afterimage even managed to fool me, Death!''


    At that moment, Kiernan fell to the river and was immediately submerged by the golden water.


    Death moved his chains to the river, but as soon as they touched the water, they evaporated. Even his powers couldn''t break through the powers of reincarnation.


    "That''s bad!" Death eximed. "Usually, those who reincarnate will take a pill that makes them forget their previous memories. However, this man didn''t take anything, so he will remember everything!


    "What''s worse is that every reincarnate receives their own system. It is a way to gift them and help them in their next life!"


    Death quickly swiped his hand, bringing more information in front of him. He wanted to find out which world Kiernannded in.


    [Destination - Martial Arts World]


    "That''s even worse¡­" Death looked paler than usual.

 Chapter 2 Reincarnation

    "Argh¡­" Kiernan struggled to open his eyes. The room was spinning around him, and a bright light assaulted his eyes.


    He heard loud noises, as if there were people cheering all around him. It was very loud.


    As he ced his hands under him, he noticed that he was currently lying on some kind of hard surface. There was also some warm liquid dripping onto his face.


    ''W-what''s happening? Am I reincarnated?''


    "The winner is Jonathan Ackers!" A loud-sounding man''s voice boomed through his ears.


    As Kiernan opened his eyes with great struggle, he noticed a white-clothed referee raising the arm of a young man who was smiling and waving to the crowd.


    Kiernan opened his eyes wider and looked around. He noticed thousands of spectators cheering and pping. They were inside some kind of small stadium with an open ceiling that showed a clear blue sky.


    "Are you alright?" At that moment, someone wearing a doctor''s getup crouched in front of him and checked his eyes to see if he was concussed.


    The doctor snapped his fingers in front of Kiernan''s eyes, and after seeing him react, he nodded.


    "You seem to be alright. Can you walk?" The doctor asked.


    "Where am I?" Kiernan asked with a struggle and touched the back of his head. He touched something warm and sticky.


    Once he moved his hand in front of him, he noticed that it was blood. He was bleeding quite heavily.


    "Hmm, you don''t remember?" The doctor frowned. "A short-term amnesia? Let''s check that out, but for now, let''s leave the stage. The next match is about to start, and we''re on the way."


    "A match?" Kiernan looked at the referee and the other young man. ''I was in a match and I lost?''


    At that moment, the doctor helped him stand and walked out of the stage with him.


    As Kiernan slowly walked towards the exit, he heard a voice.


    "Kiernan, you should give up on martial arts before you get yourself killed!"


    ''Kiernan?'' Kiernan turned to the crowd and saw some young men throwing taunts in his direction.


    They looked to be around 16 or 17 and wore simr martial arts uniforms as Kiernan. They seemed to be from the same school.


    ''I have the same name here?'' Kiernan thought to himself, confused by the situation. ''Also, I was reincarnated into the body of this young man... Who is he? I thought I would be reincarnated as a baby.''


    The doctor grabbed him by the arm and helped him sit down on the nearby chair. He then took his pen, which had a shlight at the end, and started examining his eyes.


    While looking at the bright light, Kiernan also examined the arena, the loud spectators, and the stage, where he was standing just moments prior.


    ''This atmosphere is insane; I haven''t seen anything like this back on Earth.'' Kiernan thought with a racing heartbeat. ''This cannot be on Earth. I must''ve reincarnated in one of those other realms.''


    "You have a severe injury at the back of your head." The doctor said it with a frown. "I''ll get you some healing bandages; those should work wonders."


    ''Healing bandages?'' Kiernan wondered and watched as the doctor left.


    After he left, he touched the back of his head and winced at the pain.


    ''This young man must''ve died, and I took control of his body.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''This is not small damage. Is itmon for martial artists, even for someone as young as this person, to die in matches?''


    A short whileter, the doctor returned and bandaged his head. It wasn''t the same bandage as on Earth.


    Kiernan felt the pain vanish, and the ringing in his ear disappeared suddenly. He also felt like his injury was slowly healing.


    ''Amazing¡­'' Kiernan touched his bandaged head with an amazed expression. ''This world is truly incredible.''


    "That should be enough." The doctor packed up his things and said, "I''ll have to check up on other fighters. Take care and get some rest."


    "Thanks¡­" Kiernan nodded, and after the doctor left, he turned his attention to the current fight on the stage.


    There, two young men brawled with their fists.


    The blood sttered onto the ground as the crowd roared with excitement.


    The atmosphere made everyone''s blood pump with excitement.


    ''This is crazy,'' Kiernan thought.


    It was clear that the fight at the stage could end in deaths, but the crowd was still excited, and the referee didn''t move an inch.


    At the fight, both fighters used every method to gain an advantage over their opponents. They tried to go for eyepokes and low blows.


    However, both still used only their legs and fists. They didn''t use any weapons.


    After a while, one of the fighters emerged victorious. One side of the stadium erupted in cheers. The cheering squad jumped up and down in celebration.


    ''What an insane fight.'' Kiernan stood up and slowly walked out of the stadium. He had to clear his head.


    As soon as he stepped out of the stadium, his eyes were greeted with a view of the bustling city. The sky was clear, cloudless, and sunny.


    The birds chirped and insects buzzed around him as he took a deep breath of fresh air.


    There were young men and women, wearing the martial arts uniform of one of the schools, entering and exiting the stadium.


    Some left with sad expressions after losing their fights, and some celebrated with their friends. Some looked nervous as they awaited their turn to step into the ring and showcase their skills.


    ''What am I wearing?'' Kiernan looked down and saw that he was wearing a white uniform with a white belt tied around his waist and ck flower patterns scattered across the fabric.


    ''Now, what am I about to do?'' Kiernan wondered as he looked around the bustling stadium. He felt lost.


    He had just reincarnated into the body of some unknown young man¡ªhe didn''t even know what he looked like yet.


    ''This kid must''ve had family, friends, etc. I only know his name¡ªKiernan.''


    At that moment, a sharp pain assaulted his head as if he were having a skull-crushing migraine. He grabbed his bandaged head in agony, but he didn''t let out a single grunt of pain.


    Memories flooded inside his mind like a relentless wave crashing against the shore, each one more vivid and painful than thest.


    After a minute of suffering, the pain subsided, and now he had fifteen years worth of memories that seemed familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.


    "I remember everything." Kiernan whispered to himself in shock. "This kid''s name is Kiernan Hunter, as well."


    His expression softened. This young man indeed died in the fight. It was his first fight in the big stadium. He had dreams of reaching the top of the martial arts world, carrying the hopes of his single father.


    However, he drew a bad match-up. He was against Jonathan Ackers, a powerful young man from Irio High. It was a rival school of Kiernan''s High School.


    Kiernan had no chance in victory. The fight went on and eventually, everything turned dark. It seemed like he died, but he couldn''t remember how.


    ''He was talentless. He must''ve trained a hundred times more than his peers, yet he still couldn''tpare to others natural skills and abilities.''


    Kiernan touched his knuckles with his hand and formed a fist. He then turned around and stared at the stadium, where loud cheers echoed.


    ''This is now me.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''I can also feel it. My mind has also turned to that of a fifteen year-old. I feel youthful; there are no more back pains or the pains of being old. I feel alive again.''


    He took a deep breath and let out a long, thoughtful sigh.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The whole world around him suddenly feltrger than life itself. This world should''ve been the ce where he should''ve originally been born.


    Perhaps with a sick twist of faith, he ended in Earth, but eventually, he felt like he had reached his home.

 Chapter 3 Martial Soul

    "Good job, Jonathan!"


    "You''re the best!"


    "Thanks for the support." Jonathan smiled at his cheering fans, then picked up his bag and slowly wiped the sweat off his brows.


    At that moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    His friends, who had finished their own matches, came to give their congrattions.


    "I am surprised that your opponent didn''t die, honestly!" One of his friendsughed. "He took quite a bad fall."


    Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. He didn''t have much of recollection of him. It was easy victory for him anyway.


    "A lucky bastard, that''s all." His friends smirked. "Anyway, our school is doing far better than theirs. Five of us reached the quarterfinals, while only three of theirs."


    "Hmm." Jonathan moved the bag over his shoulder and said, "The quarterfinals are tomorrow, so I am off to get some rest."


    "Rest? Let''s visit the new restaurant that just opened down the street instead!"


    Jonathan checked out the time on his phone and sighed before nodding in agreement.


    With that, they left the stadium with smiles on their faces and headed towards the new restaurant.


    As they walked down a sidewalk with the sun shining above them, a small pebble, barely the size of a coin, flew from the alley and hit Jonathan on the back of his head.


    "The fuck?" Jonathan touched the back of his head with a grim look and turned to the alleyway.


    There, he saw a white-uniformed young man leaning against a brick wall, tossing a pebble in his hand. The alleyway was dirty, with a putrid smell of trash lingering in the air.


    "Did you toss this?" Jonathan asked while picking up the pebble from the ground, anger shing past his eyes.


    "Hey, Jonathan, that outfit¡­" His friend paused. "It is the outfit of Karuza High."


    "Hmph." Jonathan tossed the pebble away and entered the alleyway with his friends.


    "I did, so what?" At that moment, Kiernan turned his head towards the young men, revealing his bandaged face.


    "Oh, it is you." Jonathan frowned and scoffed. "Did you not get enough beating in the arena? Do you want to die? Is that it?"


    "I am¡­ taking revenge." Kiernan smiled and dropped the pebble to the ground. "Revenge for Kiernan and for me."


    "What is this fool saying?" A small-eyed young man said with augh and looked at Jonathan while ridiculing Kiernan. "How hard did he fall on his head? He might''ve gone crazy!"


    "You''re weak." Jonathan said while staring at the bandaged young man with a steely gaze. "I can tell that you think that hard work can ovee talent. Well, you''re wrong."


    "Is that so?" Kiernan smirked and tightened his fist, then pointed it at Jonathan. "Then let''s put it to the test."


    "What a waste of time." Jonathan turned around as he was about to walk out of the alleyway andzily waved his hand. "You guys, cripple him or something. I am too tired to entertain a fool like him."


    "It''s my pleasure!" The small-eyed young man tightened his belt around his yellow uniform, which had patterns of suns. It was the uniform of Irio High.


    "My name''s Kai." The small-eyed young man said with a grin while slowly approaching Kiernan. "I am one of the quarterfinalists in the local martial artspetition. I hope you don''t feel discouraged!"


    "¡­" Kiernan stayed silent and slowly moved to his fighting stance¡ªhis front foot was standing on toes and his back foot was firmly nted on the ground. His hands were positioned in front of him.


    Kai put his arms in front of him, like he was protecting his head. He slowly moved closer to Kiernan, still wearing that same smile on his face.


    He didn''t think this was going to be even a fight. It was going to be a ughter.


    Jonathan stepped out of the alleyway, turned around to look at them, and said, "Kai, finish it quick; I am hungry."


    "No problem!" Kai grinned and then took a long step forward.


    At the same moment, his waist twisted as he threw a powerful straight punch.


    "Iron Style¡­" Kiernan whispered, but then his arm started aching heavily. His eyes immediately shook.


    Iron Style was a very destructive and lethal style. It also puts a great burden on the body. It was a burden that his current body couldn''t possibly handle.


    ''I didn''t know how my Iron Style would do with this current body.'' Kiernan sweated heavily. ''My Iron Style became so powerful that I could use fewer skills the older I got, as my old body couldn''t handle the burden.


    ''I thought this youthful body would be able to handle a few weak skills, but I had underestimated the strength of my own style. For now, I can''t use Iron Style!''


    At that moment, Kai''s punchnded on Kiernan''s block and pushed him a few steps backward. Even though he managed to block the punch, it still hurt badly.


    ''What a powerful punch! How can someone so young have this much physical prowess?'' Kiernan frowned. ''I might''ve underestimated this world a little bit.''


    "Hahaha!" Kaiughed heartily. "You haven''t even awakened Martial Soul yet, and you think you can defeat us?"


    ''Martial Soul?'' Kiernan quickly dug up his memories and quickly realized what he was talking about.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Martial Soul was the heart of the martial artists. It was their source of power and strength.


    It had multipleyers, and the moreyers one awakened, the stronger they would be. The people at the apex of power had abilities that seemed almost god-like.


    At the current moment, Kiernan was at the "Unranked" level. It was for those who hadn''t awakened Martial Soul yet.


    Kai in front of him had reached the middle stage of the Martial Recruit rank. It was a level above Unranked.


    Since he had awakened his Martial Soul, he had be much more powerful and faster. Those who were Unranked were at a significant disadvantagepared to those who had awakened their Martial Souls.


    "Interesting, this world just became much bigger." Kiernan said with a chuckle.


    His arms were already bruising after getting punched by Kai. However, it didn''t seem like it even affected him. Kiernan looked steady as he faced Kai, as if the pain didn''t affect him.


    "You can handle pain well, I suppose." Kai grinned as he hopped around like a boxer, then he moved to a jabbing stance, as if he were about to rain Kiernan with punches.


    "Martial Soul, huh?" Kiernan touched his chest and closed his eyes.


    Something strange was happening inside him.


    At the depths of his soul, he could feel a power awakening.


    His soul peeled like an apple, revealing a bright, glowing orb inside. It was the Martial Soul!


    Kiernan opened his eyes, and his gray eyes were glowing with an otherworldly light.


    "Ahh~ I feel strength flowing inside me."


    Kai''s eyes widened in shock. "T-that''s impossible; he just awakened Martial Soul?!"


    "That wasn''t too hard." Kiernan grinned and reeled in his arm as if he were about to throw a punch. "Let''s see the limit of my current body!"


    "Iron Style, Iron Smash!"


    The punchnded on Kai''s face. Kai was sent flying back, blood spurting from his nose and mouth.


    Kai flew past shocked Jonathan and eventually fell to the ground¡ªhis eyes had rolled back into his skull. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and his face had a massive fist imprint on it.


    "Ow¡­" Kiernan looked at his fist and saw that four of his fingers were broken. "My Iron Style sure is powerful. Even this Martial Soul couldn''t handle the burden."


    Ding, ding!


    At that moment, a strange sound echoed in Kiernan''s ears. It sounded like a church''s bell ringing. However, there didn''t seem to be any churches near enough to produce such a sound.


    [Requirements for the System have been achieved!]


    "What is this?" Kiernan''s eyes widened in shock as strange text appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 4 Karma

    [Name: Kiernan Hunter]


    [System Level: Beginner]


    [Martial Rank: Low Stage Martial Recruit]


    [Age: 16]


    [Level: 1]


    [SP: 0]


    [Gold: 0]


    [XP: 15/100]


    [Strength: 3]


    [Agility: 4]


    [Stamina: 3]


    [Vitality: 10]


    [Charm: 6]


    [Quests]


    [Shop]


    [Inventory]


    [Lottery]


    ***


    ''What is this?'' Kiernan touched the floating interface and it felt like he was touching a cold ss window. The interface responded with a soft glow, disying various options in front of him.


    ''Can others see this?''


    Kiernan wondered, and when he turned to look at Jonathan, he saw his angry face after seeing his friend bleeding on the ground. No one else seemed to be able to see the interface.


    ''Does everyone else also have a system in this world, or just me?''


    Kiernan wondered, but then shook his head.


    ''The former Kiernan didn''t have one, and from his memories, there was no recollection of such things.


    ''This means, I am the only with system. It must''vee because of my reincarnation; I can''t think of another reason for it.


    ''Level 1. This is like a game. I already have 5 experience points. It must''vee from when I defeated Kai. So, to level up, I''ll have to defeat others¡­''


    "You bastard!" Jonathan cried out and dropped his bag on the dirty ground. "I''ll make you pay."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "¡­" Kiernan looked at him silently and then looked at his broken hand. ''I wish I could use Bone Harmony to fix my broken bones. I don''t think I can do it, and it would only worsen my injuries.


    ''Bone Harmony needs strong bones and great control of the body, which Ick because I am still unfamiliar with this body and its limits.''


    Kiernan moved his broken hand behind his back and moved his left hand in front of him. He couldn''t use his dominant hand in its current state.


    Jonathan cried out in anger and rushed forward. He had his arms wide open in front of him as he was going for a tackle.


    ''From my memory, Jonathan uses powerful throws and locks to quickly overpower his opponents.'' Kiernan calmly went through his memories.


    Jonathan shot his hand forward, aiming to grab Kiernan by his jacket. He could tell the difference in Kiernan after his sudden awakening, but he didn''t care.


    While Kai was only at the middle stage of Martial Recruit, Jonathan had ascended to another level¡ªMartial Soldier.


    Meaning he had unlocked the secondyer of Martial Soul, making him even more powerful and faster.


    Now, his throws were lethal, and his locks unbreakable.


    At that moment, Kiernan grabbed Jonathan''s hand and squeezed it hard. Their hands were locked together, both hands squeezing for supremacy.


    Kiernan''s broken fingers were squeezing hard against Jonathan''s hand. It caused agonizing pain to Kiernan, but still, he didn''t show a single look of pain.


    ''This fool!'' Jonathan thought with a scoff. ''I am stronger, and this is perfectly in my field. Locks are my specialty!''


    However, in that moment, Jonathan felt his center of gravity shift suddenly. Kiernan moved his hand down, and Jonathan immediately fell down on one knee.


    "W-what?" Jonathan''s eyes widened in shock.


    Jonathan was squeezing the hand much harder. So hard that he would''ve been able to break Kiernan''s hand. However, for some reason, as soon as Kiernan slightly moved his hand, he perfectly controlled Jonathan''s center of gravity and forced him down.


    Kiernan used absolutely zero strength. He simply controlled Jonathan''s center of gravity to control him like a puppet.


    ''I-I can''t move!'' Jonathan panicked, sweat rolling down his face.


    Kiernan formed a fist with his left hand. Then, his middle finger moved forward from the clenched fist. His middle finger curled up, looking like a hook.


    At that moment, Kiernan punched Jonathan in the forehead, nose, and jaw with the hook-like middle finger. It caused three sharp points of pain to shoot through Jonathan''s face.


    "Iron Style, Triple Point Strike." Kiernan calmly said.


    Jonathan''s eyes rolled up to his skull, and he slowly fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, unconscious.


    [You have defeated a Low Stage Martial Soldier!]


    [15 XP Acquired!]


    "Eek!" Jonathan''s friends gasped in horror and ran out of the alleyway with their tails tucked between their legs. They didn''t even bother to try to help their friends. whoy motionless on the ground.


    "Oh¡­" Kiernan watched as they ran away and sighed. "I would want to defeat them for experience points, but¡­"


    He turned to look at his left hand. His middle finger was entirely purple. It was heavily bruised and broken.


    "Sigh¡­" Kiernan shook his head and then looked at an unconscious Jonathan. "I wonder if killing gives more experience points¡­"


    That thought floated inside his mind before he shook his left and started to walk out of the alleyway.


    "I am not that interested in killing the weak¡­" Kiernan said out loud. "I''d rather find a worthy opponent to test my skills against."


    He then touched his pocket, found his phone, and checked that he had received a message from his father.


    He was asking how the tournament went.


    "Hmm¡­" Kiernan pocketed his phone. "I suppose I''ll go meet my father. I''ll need to get my thoughts sorted anyway."


    ¡­


    Irio, 24 Cloudy Street.


    The wind blew heavily, making the grassdes in the yard dance in unison.


    At that moment, a young man with a bandaged head entered the yard, walking down a short stone path until he reached the front steps. Then he inserted a key in the key hole, opened the door, and entered the house.


    Kiernan slowly removed his shoes and hung his bag on the coat rack by the door.


    As he looked inside the house, it looked familiar but also unfamiliar. It was such a disorientating feeling because he felt like he had lived there for his entire life, but also like this was his first time being there.


    He then heard footsteps, and suddenly a messy-haired man with well-toned muscles appeared from the living room, looking towards the front door. A tired smile appeared on his face.


    "Kiernan, you''re back." Karma Hunter felt a wave of relief wash over him.


    He looked like a tired-looking office man, but based on his powerful-looking muscles, he was also a martial arts practitioner.


    "Father¡­" Kiernan said, and for some reason, he felt heavy emotions wash over him. ''I sure had a lot of pressure, as I didn''t want to disappoint him.''


    "Are you alright?" Karma asked as he saw his son''s bandaged head and the broken fingers, even though he tried to hide them as best as he could.


    "Yup¡­" Kiernan slowly removed the bandage and showed that his injuries were healed. "I also went and purchased some bone healing pills. It is supposed to take around five hours for my fingers to healpletely."


    He was very surprised at how advanced medicine was in this world. However, it also made a lot of sense. In this world, people get injured all the time because of martial arts.


    "Mm, good." Karma nodded roughly and asked, "How did the tournament go?"


    "I lost in the first round," Kiernan said with a long sigh.


    "I see¡­" Karma nodded and smiled with fatigue. "Keep working hard."


    Kiernan nodded and watched as his father returned to the living room to watch a martial arts tournament that was happening on television.


    ''Something is odd with him.'' Kiernan thought as he saw his father sit on the reclining chair. ''I can tell that he is supposed to be immensely strong, but for some reason, he is seemingly tired and weak.''


    Kiernan tried to dig up his memories about whether his father had any diseases or anything like that. He couldn''t find anything that could exin his father''s sudden weakness.


    ''I amcking a lot of knowledge. Kiernan wasn''t a very good student, as he spent all his time practicing martial arts to try to catch up on the geniuses. There is so much he doesn''t know.


    ''This world also has the the world wide web. The greatest source of information.''

 Chapter 5 Karuza High

    In the dimly lit room, Kiernan sat on a chair while facing aputer screen. His nearly-healed right hand rested on the mouse as he browsed through the Inte.


    "I understand a little more about this world¡­" He mumbled to himself. "From the age of 18, everyone would enter a stage of their life that is called the Age of Growth.


    "During that stage, people would experience a rapid increase in power, and their bodies will undergo transformation, allowing them to reach their full potential.


    "I couldn''t find anything about my father''s disease. Maybe he has a hidden injury?"


    Kiernan closed the Inte browser and shut down theputer. The room turned dark as curtains covered the windows, and it was already night.


    He slowly stood up from the chair and rubbed his neck. It was slightly stiff from sitting in the same position for hours.


    And then Kiernan brought out the system interface and looked at it silently for a moment. This system could be a shortcut to even greater power.


    Perhaps he could even reach greater power than in his previous life.


    ''I watched some videos of martial arts tournaments.'' Kiernan frowned. ''This world''s martial artists are crazy. Those at the top have godlike powers. I guess Martial Soul has ess to all sorts of powers.


    ''Right, I was able to awaken my Martial Soul rather easily.'' Kiernan touched his chest and felt his heart beat steadily. ''I guess Martial Soul awakens instinctively. It can tell when the person is ready to advance.


    ''I tried to study about Martial Souls, but even this world''s poption is a little bit lost in understanding them. One word usually came up¡ªinstinct.''


    Kiernan picked up his phone from the desk, slipped it inside his pocket, and walked out of his room in his t-shirt and shorts. He needed to clear his mind, and there was only one way to do so.


    He left the house and entered the backyard. It was modest-looking, with a small garden and a hammock hanging between two trees.


    Kiernan walked over to the tree and ced his fist against its rough bark. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the wind on his back.


    Then he mmed his eyes open.


    Crack!


    A small crack appeared on the tree''s rough bark.


    "Iron Smash¡­" Kiernan touched his fist, which didn''t get injured this time around.


    Since he didn''t swing his fist, Iron Smash only had a fraction of its real strength. It was a type of punch that focused all of the strength at a single point.


    ''I''ll need to condition my body so it can handle my Iron Style.''


    Kiernan moved to a fighting stance and faced the tree. Then he started punching the bark one after another. First, his right fist, then his left fist. It didn''t take long for his knuckles to start to bleed.


    He still didn''t stop throwing punches.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang!


    Kiernan emotionlessly continued to throw punches. It was a boring and painful exercise, but he had done the same training for decades. It had been etched in his memory.


    On the top floor of the house, Karma peeked into the backyard through the curtain.


    He then closed the curtain and sat back down on his bed. He then took a look at the ring on his finger, which was softly glowing like a star in the darkness.


    "Talent is what matters." Karma sighed. "If only hard work could shine as brightly¡­"


    ¡­


    The following morning.


    The birds chirped, and the morning sun''s rays filled the sky.


    Karma walked down the stairs, yawning while scratching his stomach.


    As he went to the kitchen to get a cup of morning coffee, he heard a strange noise, and then he looked through the window. To his shock, his son was still punching that same tree!


    His sweat glistened against his skin as he continued to punch the tree with bloodied fists.


    "He is still going¡­" Karma whispered in shock.


    He knew that his son''s work ethic was second-to-none, but this was ridiculous.


    ''Is it because he lost his match?'' Karma wondered.


    Karma stopped brewing coffee and entered the backyard. The sound of a fist hitting a tree was rhythmic and relentless, echoing through the quiet morning air.


    "Son."


    At that moment, Kiernan stopped punching, picked up his shirt from the ground, and wiped his sweat with it. He then turned to his father, showing his exhausted face.


    Kiernan''s body wasn''t as well defined as some other young men of his generation. However, there was already some muscle peeking underneath the skin.


    He had messy, sweat-glistened ck hair that flowed down his back in tangled waves, and he was a pretty average-looking young man with a normal smile.


    His charm was often hidden, as the former Kiernan always looked serious and even depressed. However, the current Kiernan had a strange glow on him¡ªhe looked confident and carefree, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.


    "It''s morning already¡­" Kiernan looked to the sky and asked, "Do I have to go to the school?"


    "Yes, I had washed your school uniform; it should be in your wardrobe." Karma said and looked at his bloodied knuckles. "Do you need bandages?"


    "Sure, thank you." Kiernan epted some bandages from his father and bandaged them around his knuckles. He winced as he wrapped them tightly.


    "Study hard," Karma said as Kiernan returned back indoors to prepare himself for school.


    At that moment, Karma turned to the tree, and his eyes widened in shock. The tree had two fist-shaped holes in its trunk.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''When he was punching, he didn''t punch randomly, but instead he punched at the exact same point, probably thousands of times!''


    Karma turned around to see his son enter the house.


    ''That needs ridiculous uracy and willpower to do so for the entire night!''


    ''Son, what happened to you yesterday?''


    ¡­


    With the wind on his back and the sun on his shoulders, Kiernan walked down the street with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He was following behind other students from his school, all of whom were heading toward the same destination.


    They all wore simr uniforms¡ªa white polo shirt and white trousers with patterns of ck flowers on them. It looked very nice and neat.


    After a short walkter, Kiernan turned his attention to the school gate''s and to the school buildings thaty beyond. He noticed the bright white sign with the school''s name on it.


    [Karuza High]


    There were three school buildings in total for the sses¡ªthey were shaped likerge rectangles with big windows and brick walls.


    Then, there were some smaller buildings for club activities¡ªmost of them were different martial arts clubs with different styles of fighting, and a few others were for things like the drama club and the school band.


    And then,stly, there was a beautiful open-ceiling stadium that was used for school assemblies and sporting events. It was also where the ranked matches were held to decide the school''s hierarchy.


    In Karuza High and in many other schools, strength mattered.


    Without strength, one wasn''t worth anything.


    ''Who shall I challenge first?'' Kiernan grinned and stepped through the school''s gates.


    Without anyone knowing, a beast had just entered Karuza High.

 Chapter 6 Ranked Match

    A ssroom was bustling with activity as students returned from their short holiday. Some discussed the results of the local martial arts tournament, while others joined their friends in ying games on their phones.


    At that moment, Kiernan entered the ssroom with a backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked around and saw the familiar faces of his ssmates.


    He wasn''t that familiar with anyone, and he wasn''t friends with anyone. Instead, he had an unfortunate role in the ssroom¡ªhe was the bread boy.


    Whenever he was ordered, he had to leave the ssroom to get bread from the cafeteria for his ssmates.


    That was because he was the weakest one in the ss.


    ''1-A, this is indeed the ssroom.'' Kiernan found his seat in the back row and sat down beside the window. It was definitely the best seat in the ss.


    "Yawn¡­" Kiernanzily rubbed his eyes and leaned against his arm as he awaited for the teacher to arrive.


    At that moment, he remembered that the former Kiernan forgot to do homework as he was upied practicing for the tournament.


    ''Aish, I''ll get earful.'' Kiernan looked at the backpack and contemted whether he should try to do the homework, but then he shrugged his shoulders and decided not to.


    He would never manage to do it in time, so he didn''t even bother to try.


    m!


    Suddenly, a hand mmed on his desk. It belonged to a rough-looking young man with sharp eyes and a cold expression.


    "What''re you doing in my seat, you little punk?"


    ''His seat?'' Kiernan looked at the young man and remembered. ''Right, I was forced to change seats by him. His name is Dominic, and he is the eighth-ranked student in the school.''


    ''My rank is 204th, heh.''


    "Do you have trouble hearing, bread boy?" Dominic asked coldly. "I heard that trash from Irio High made you their little bitch in the tournament. Aren''t you embarrassed toe here?"


    A few students nced over to them, chuckled as if it were funny for them, and then returned to whatever they were doing.


    The doors were still open, and students slowly poured into the ssroom. The teacher was nowhere to be seen.


    "Can''t you hear me?" Dominic angrily asked and grabbed Kiernan by his cor.


    "Hands off me." Kiernan''s eyes turned cold, and suddenly the whole atmosphere around him changed. He gave off an aura of a dangerous beast.


    Dominic''s eyes shook, and a few sweatdrops trickled down his forehead.


    "Y-you awakened Martial Soul?" Dominic gritted his teeth and scoffed. "You think you can defeat me with just that?"


    ''Students aren''t allowed to fight outside the stadium.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''That could result in expulsion from the school. That''s why the students either challenge each other to a ranked match or ambush each other outside school hours.''


    "Want to have a go?" Kiernan asked with a cold smile.


    "Huh?" Dominic looked taken aback. "You trash¡­ know your fucking ce."


    "Ranked match, after school." Kiernan said and forcefully removed Dominic''s hand from his cor. "If I want to defeat you, I would rather do it in front of the entire school."


    "You''ve lost your fucking mind." Dominic pped Kiernan''s hand away and coldly red at him. "I''ll ept the challenge. However, don''t you think your torment ends with your defeat!"


    Kiernan yawned again and turned to the window, looking at the clear blue sky. He was humming a song inside his mind as if he hadn''t just challenged one of the strongest students in the school.


    A few students near them heard the challenge and looked at Kiernan like he was a fool. It didn''t take even a minute for the whole ss to be aware of the challenge.


    They all looked scornfully at Kiernan and mocked him.


    A young woman, dressed in a white polo and skirt, sat beside Kiernan and looked at him with a frown. She had pure white skin, like snow, with a cascading ck hair and eyes piercing blue.


    "Rather reckless, don''t you think?" She said with a sweet voice.


    "Hmm?" Kiernan looked at her beautiful face and dug up his memories. ''Julia Karuza, from a lineage that built this school, I don''t recall speaking to her much.''


    "Dominic is a genius." Julia said. "He is only in his first year, and he has already entered the top ten. He is the highest-ranked first year student."


    "A worthy opponent, I suppose." Kiernan said calmly.


    Julia narrowed her eyes. "Why''re you trying to act cool? Your defeat is set in stone."


    Kiernan didn''t answer that and just stared out of the window.


    At that moment, the teacher arrived at the ssroom.


    ''Who is he trying to impress?'' Julia shook her head and opened her school books.


    ¡­


    Karuza High, the Principal Office.


    A small-bearded man sat behind a desk. He had a great aura of authority and power. His body was filled with muscles and power. It was clear that he was an incredibly powerful individual.


    He was the principal of Karuza High, Azer Karuza.


    At that moment, he opened another challenge letter. It was his duty to ept the challenges and ensure that there were referees ready.


    [Dominic Raze [8] Vs. Kiernan Hunter [204] - Challenge]


    "What?" Azer frowned.


    It was rare to see a challenge where the two fighters ranks were so vastly different. It wasn''t even going to be a proper fight.


    "Dominic." Azer was familiar with that name. He was one of the most promising students in a very long time.


    He hoped that by the time he was third-year, he wouldpete in Karuza High''s team at the National Martial Arts Competition. It was a team-based tournament where students from all over the country showcased and fought to be the best school in the nation.


    A team needed three main fighters and two for reserve.


    Azer had hopes of Dominic bing a main fighter during his third year.


    "Kiernan." Azer had no recollection of that name. He quickly checked his files and saw that he had only participated in one martial artspetition, and it was yesterday.


    He had lost in the first round.


    "Hmm¡­" Azer shook his head and stamped the challenge letter. It was officially approved.


    Knock, knock.


    Suddenly, someone knocked twice on the door.


    "Come in." Azer put the files in the drawer and watched as the door opened.


    A small-haired teacher with a rather unhygienic beard entered the doorway with a humble bow.


    "Irio High''s principal has arrived."


    Azer scoffed. "And what the hell does he want?"


    The small-haired teacher sighed and made air quotes with his fingers. "To have a friendly conversation while watching today''s ranked matches."


    "Ranked matches?" Azer asked with a frown. "Why does he want to watch those¡­"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that moment, Azer sighed and rubbed his forehead. ''News sure travel fast. I only received this challenge letter now, but Irio High''s principal has already heard that Dominic will participate in the ranked match.


    ''He knows that he is Karuza High''s rising star and has already tried to poach him to join his school. He is most likely here for an offer to get Dominic to his school.''


    Azer stood up, fixed his tie, and said, "Tell him to meet me at the Ranked Stadium. The ranked matches are about to start shortly."


    "Yes, sir." The teacher said and left the office immediately.

 Chapter 7 Kiernan vs. Dominic

    Ding, ding!


    The school''s bell rang for the final time, signaling the end of the school day.


    The students poured out of the school building and headed straight to the stadium. There were a few ranked matches they were excited for.


    While the stadium continued to get filled with students, on the stadium''s top floor, Azer gazed down at the stage through arge window.


    He was dressed in a fancy ck suit with three buttons buttoned up and a red bow tie. There were also patterns of ck flowers on his sleeves and cors¡ªck flowers were a trademark of Karuza High.


    At that moment, the door opened to the room, and a slick-haired man entered with his chin raised in pride and a smirk on his lips.


    He wore a tailored suit with ck suns embroidered on thepels.


    This man was the headmaster of Irio High, Bernard. His surname was aplete mystery.


    "Azer, my friend." Bernard said, extending his hand for a firm handshake. "Been long time."


    Azer looked at the hand, ignored the handshake, and turned to look out of the window.


    "What do you want, Bernard?"


    "Hahaha," Bernard lowered his handshake and stood beside Azer while looking out of the window. "I heard that there will be some nice matches today."


    "Is it?" Azer raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "I am sure you will be disappointed. Today is just some small matches to decide some student disputes."


    "Oh, is that so?" Bernard chuckled and side-nced at him. "I heard Dominic will be fighting. Is he also fighting for merely a student dispute?"


    "He is fighting against a 204th-ranked student," Azer said calmly. "So, I suppose so. You know the kids; they''ll find any reason to start a fight."


    "Well, have you thought about my offer yet?" Bernard asked with a calm smile.


    "I have, and I have to refuse," Azer said. "That sum of money is not worth it for selling away the most promising student."


    "Is that so?" Bernard chuckled and raised a single finger. "I have another offer."


    "I am not interested," Azer said calmly. "Dominic is the future of Karuza High. With his lead, I am sure we will reach the national stage once again."


    "Only if you defeat us." Bernard hummed yfully. "Only one school can participate in the national tournament as Irio''s representative. It has always been either Irio High or Karuza High.


    "Irio High has been the representative for the past two years. This year, our line-up is even stronger."


    Azer narrowed his eyes.


    "That''s why I have an offer." Bernard looked at him and smiled. "We''ll forfeit the representation match."


    "What?!" Azer eximed. This time, he waspletely taken off-guard.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The representation match was a fight between Karuza High and Irio High to decide which school would represent Irio in the National Martial Arts Tournament.


    It was three-versus-three, and the team that was standing at the end would be dered the winner.


    It was a match that happened only once a year. That''s why both schools practiced for that one match for the entire year, so they had a chance to participate in the biggest stage.


    Even if they didn''t seed in the National Martial Arts Tournament, it was still a great honor to be there.


    That''s why Bernard''s offer was absolutely ridiculous.


    ''He is willing to forfeit the match?'' Azer''s eyes shook. ''Just for Dominic? I know that he will be an important fighter in a few years, but to this extent? Is there something I don''t know?''


    "Oh, the fight ended." Bernard looked to the stage with a smile, where one ranked match had just ended. "The next match should be¡­ ah, Dominic''s fight."


    He then turned to Azer and saw that he was taken aback. "You''ve got time till the end of the match to think about your answer. I suggest you use it wisely."


    ''What should I do?'' Azer gritted his teeth. ''Our line-up this year is weaker than Irio High''s. I don''t think we can win, especially since they have that guy fighting for them.''


    ¡­


    In the stadium''s locker room, Kiernan sat cross-legged on the bench, waiting for his match to start.


    He was quite calm, despite the invisible pressure weighing on his mind.


    ''Kiernan was really scared of Dominic.'' Kiernan thought to himself with a frown. ''However, he was also angry. He got bullied by him countless times, and he wanted to fight back, but whenever he tried, a fear took over him.''


    ''I''ll need to calm myself. I can''t let emotions wreak havoc. Be calm. The fear doesn''t control me.''


    At that moment, the door opened and the match overseer stood in the doorway.


    "The match is starting." The match overseer said.


    "Alright." Kiernan stood up with a smile and left the locker room to head to the arena.


    He was dressed in ck shorts with white flowers printed all over them, and his upper body was shirtless. His hands were wrapped in a white cloth, and so were his feet.


    After exiting the small hallway, he entered the arena with the hot sun glowing in the sky, and hundreds of students and spectators from all around Irio screamed in excitement.


    However, those screams were aimed at a different side of the arena¡ªfrom the other end, Dominic entered the arena with an anger-filled expression.


    His upper body was also shirtless, and he was filled with well-defined muscles that made him look even more intimidating. He wore white shorts with a ck flower pattern, and his eyes were narrowed in on his opponent.


    Like with Kiernan, his hands and feet were wrapped in a white cloth.


    The two students stepped up small stairs until they stepped on the stage. The stage was around thirty meters long and forty meters wide. It was made of concrete, and it didn''t have any fences surrounding it.


    The screams of the crowd faded into echoes of background noise as the two fighters exchanged fiery nces.


    "Dominic, you can do it!"


    "This should be a walk in the park for him. He is facing a 204th ranked student!"


    "Kiernan is apparently 1-A''s bread boy! This will be a ughter!"


    "I don''t think the fight willst even five seconds!"


    At that moment, the match overseer entered the stage and shouted loudly.


    "Today''s challenge match is between Dominic Raze and Kiernan Hunter!


    "The rules are simple¡ªif you get knocked unconscious, pushed off the stage, or surrender, you lose. You''re not allowed to kill your opponent, not in here."


    The match overseer then raised his arm and looked at the two young men.


    "Dominic, are you ready?"


    "Yeah." Dominic cracked his knuckles.


    "Kiernan, are you ready?"


    "Yes." Kiernan replied calmly and moved to his fighting stance¡ªhis front foot''s toes curled up, his back foot slightly behind him, his arms in front of him in an open-palm stance.


    The match overseer breathed in and then swung his arm down. "Fight!"


    Swoosh!


    Dominic didn''t take even a second to think. He immediately rushed in with a quick charge.


    After reaching the range of the attack, Dominic formed a fist. All his strength was focused on a single point on his fist. And then he punched.


    It was a very fast and urate punch.


    Dominic was practicing a martial art called Raze Family Style. It was a style passed down through generations in his family.


    It was a simple martial art with deep meaning behind it. It was a style that focused all strength on a single point. If that point happened to be in the heart, it would result in a fatal blow.


    This time, Dominic focused the point on Kiernan''s nose. He nned to cave his face in and make him pay for this humiliating match.


    The cheers became louder as everyone realized that Dominic was going for the victory.


    At that moment, Dominic''s fist smashed straight through Kiernan''s face. The crowd erupted in a mix of shock and awe as, in their eyes, Kiernan got punched with immense strength.


    However, Dominic''s eyes shook.


    ''Why didn''t it feel like I hit anything?''


    At that moment, the "punched" Kiernan, whose body was slowly falling towards the ground, vanished like it never existed.


    "I am here." Kiernan whispered underneath Dominic''s arm.


    As he was about to get punched, he ducked underneath Dominic''s arm to make a perfect afterimage that made it seem like he was punched when in reality he had dodged.


    It was such a difficult thing to do, as it needed perfect timing. He had to dodge pretty much at the moment when the punch was about tond on his face.


    "Well then¡­" Kiernan grinned and then mmed his palm against Dominic''s face. The hit sounded chilly and crisp, echoing through the stadium.


    Dominic stumbled backwards with a bloodied nose and a shocked expression stered across his face. He had just been hit by someone he thought was an insect.


    The cheers slowly subdued and the stadium suddenly turned quiet.

 Chapter 8 Too Small

    "What?!" Azer''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Huh," Bernard frowned and asked. "Didn''t you say that he was a 204th ranked student?"


    Azer was speechless, but then he shook his head and frowned.


    ''A lucky hit?''


    At that moment, the door opened, and a beautiful schoolgirl entered the room. She had a backpack on her back and a soft look on her face.


    "Oh, ain''t it young Julia." Bernard put his hand on his chest and bowed gentlemanly.


    "Oh¡­" Julia looked at her father and asked, "Did Ie at the wrong time?"


    Azer turned to look at her daughter and asked, "Do you know this Kiernan kid? He is in your ss, isn''t he?"


    "Yes, he is sitting beside me." Julia asked and walked over to the window. "He is supposed to have his ranked match with Dominic."


    She turned to look at the match. She expected to see Kiernan already defeated, but to her surprise, arge screen was showing Dominic holding his bleeding nose.


    "How is Dominic bleeding?" Julia asked with a surprised expression.


    "He must''ve underestimated his opponent." Bernard chuckled. "In Irio High, we would ensure that our students wouldn''t make such a mistake."


    Azer scoffed, but inwardly he thought, ''Was it really a mistake?''


    The crowd was surprised at first, but then they woke back up from their startled state and continued cheering.


    At the stage, Dominic wiped the blood off his nose and gritted his teeth, "Your attack doesn''t hurt."


    ''Of course it didn''t.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''Ick physical strength, and I wasn''t using Iron Style. I became stronger after awakening my Martial Soul, but Dominic is higher-ranked, and he has trained his body to withstand attacks like this.''


    ''I underestimated him, but not anymore.'' Dominic moved into his fighting stance. ''I''ll crush him!''


    He slowly started to approach Kiernan. His feet slowly dragged through the ground as he bit by bit approached his opponent.


    A short momentter, he reached Kiernan''s attacking range. If he moved any closer, he would be within striking distance of his kicks.


    As the two fighters eyed each other, the atmosphere turned tense. It was as if two swordmasters were trying to anticipate each other''s movements. A single mistake would lead to defeat.


    Dominic narrowed his eyes and thought, ''I''ll close the distance with a quick tackle; when he is upied by trying to dodge my tackle, I''ll throw an uppercut.''


    Kiernan looked at him with a calm smile on his face. It was unclear what he was thinking.


    At that moment, Dominic rushed in from a very low stance. He opened up his arms in front of him, and he rushed straight towards Kiernan''s legs. It was obvious to everyone that he was going for a tackle!


    Kiernan quickly sidestepped to the left and dodged Dominic''s tackle attempt.


    ''Got you!'' Dominic screamed and straightened his back slightly, then threw an uppercut punch with his left hand. That attack came straight from Kiernan''s blind spot.


    If Kiernan had dodged to the right, he would''ve punched with his right. It was because his arm would be hidden next to his waist, depending on which side Kiernan dodged.


    Since it was hidden, Kiernan couldn''t see whether he had formed a fist with it or not. As a result, he wouldn''t be able to react to the punch in time.


    As the punch neared Kiernan''s jaw, he slowly backstepped, and the fist narrowly avoided his chin. It almost grazed his cheek.


    ''He dodged it?!'' Dominic eximed and quickly raised his leg, then kicked towards Kiernan''s side.


    Kiernan ced his arm at the side of his body and blocked the kick. Smack. However, the kick was powerful and made him stagger to the side in a single step.


    The crowd cheered as Dominic rushed in with a flurry of punches.


    Kiernan pped the punches away, parrying them so that they would miss his body. His contact with the fists was only a fraction of a second, but it was still enough to redirect those attacks away.


    "Raze Family Style, Hundred Point Strike!" Dominic screamed and continued throwing punches.


    Each punch was aimed at different points in Kiernan''s body. Each one would be enough to bring him down to his knees. Yet, not a single punch managed tond!


    The crowd started to slowly realize. They looked confused. This was supposed to be an easy victory for Karuza High''s rising star, Dominic.


    Howe he struggled so much?


    "Oi, oi, what the hell is this?" Bernard asked with a frown. "Is Dominic sick or what?"


    "No¡­" Julia whispered with a shocked look. "Dominic is going all-out. He just can''t break through Kiernan''s rock-solid defense!"


    "204th ranked student, my ass." Bernard said with a scoff. "Were you hiding a student of this caliber, Azer?"


    Azer''s forehead glistened with sweat. He was the most shocked out of all of them. This didn''t make any sense!


    ''I read through his files. He should be a below-average fighter!'' Azer gulped. ''I can tell that he has awakened his Martial Soul. However, the feeling is very dim. He must''ve done that just recently.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Still, just awakening Martial Soul shouldn''t make him this strong. Dominic is at the peak of Martial Recruit. In a year, he will be able to advance to Martial Soldier.


    ''This should still be a walk in the park for Dominic. He even has his own Raze Family Style. It is very powerful martial arts!''


    At the stage, Dominic sweated heavily, with anxiety boiling up inside him. He was still throwing punches, but not a single onended.


    He was despairing.


    ''W-what is this?'' Dominic looked at Kiernan with a shaky look. ''W-why do I feel so small?''


    As he looked at Kiernan, he imagined an enormous fortress with imprable walls towering above him. It felt like no matter if he punched a million times, he wouldn''t be able to break through his defenses!


    ''If his punchnded on me, I would crumble under the weight of it all.''


    Kiernan thought calmly.


    ''That''s why I''ll ensure that I barely touch his fists when I redirect them away. If I touched for too long, my hands would get injured.


    ''His physical strength is already at a crazy level, but with his martial arts, his strength is doubled. It does remind me quite a bit of Iron Smash. It also focuses all of my strength on a single point.


    ''However, my Iron Smash is way superior. His martial arts are good and all, but in the end, it''s no match for Iron Style.''


    "You fought well, Dominic." Kiernan said with a smile. "However, I suppose this is your limit. This city is too small for someone like me. I am aiming for much higher!"


    Dominic''s eyes shook in shock, and his body froze in horror. He felt like he was staring at a prehistoric beast. His hands were shaking, and his punches turned sloppy.


    At that moment, Kiernan dodged his punch with a sidestep to the right and then threw a punch from a very wide angle. The fist smashed through Dominic''s jaw and sent him sprawling to the ground.


    The crowd turned silent. It was as if the whole world suddenly turned quiet.


    Everyone watched as Dominic dropped to his knees and then slowly fell to the ground in a crumbling heap. The fight ended with a deafening silence as Dominicy motionless on the floor.


    Ding, ding!


    [You have defeated a High Stage Martial Recruit!]


    [10 XP Acquired!]

 Chapter 9 Middle Stage

    "Dominic, what''re you doing!" Dominic''s friend shouted from the crowd.


    He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He thought it was just a bad dream.


    However, Dominic couldn''t answer as he was unconscious. The punch rocked his brain. Even his strong body couldn''t handle the force of the blow.


    "A-ah¡­" The match overseer gulped in surprise and slowly raised his arm. "W-winner, Kiernan Hunter!"


    Kiernan slowly bowed and said, "A nice match."


    After the winner was finally announced, the crowd erupted in cheers.


    A weak person would never receive cheers. That''s how the world is. However, now the crowd had to agree that for someone who hadn''t reached the Age of Growth yet, Kiernan was strong!


    Kiernan left the stage and walked back to the locker room.


    After closing the door and deafening the cheers, he took a seat on the bench and slowly removed the white cloth from his hands. Underneath, his hands were red and raw from the intensity of the fight.


    "System Interface." Kiernan whispered, and the interface opened up in front of him.


    He noticed that he received 10 experience points for his victory.


    ''I received five experience points from defeating another Martial Recruit. I suppose High Stage Martial Recruit gives more points than Middle or Low stage.''


    At that moment, he heard rapid footstepsing from the door. He quickly closed the interface and saw the door open.


    An unfamiliar, slick-haired man entered the locker room with a giant smile. It almost looked like he was beaming.


    ''Who?'' Kiernan didn''t recognize the face.


    "Hello, young man." Bernard greeted him with a bright smile and offered a handshake. "My name''s Bernard¡ªI am the headmaster of Irio High!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Nice to meet you." Kiernan shook the hand and was curious what he wanted with him.


    Before Bernard could state his business, the door again opened, and cold-faced Azer entered the room. The room suddenly turned cold, as if the freezer were left open.


    "Bernard, it''s time for you to leave." Azer said coldly.


    "Come on, I am just wanting to talk with him." Bernardughed and turned to Kiernan. "What an amazing match! You''re only a first-year, yes?"


    "That''s right." Kiernan nodded.


    ''What a monstrous talent.'' Bernard thought to himself with a smile. ''Where did hee from? If he has really lived in Irio for his entire life, howe no one has heard of him?''


    "I told you to leave." Azer said coldly. "You are unwee here."


    "The offer still stands." Bernard turned to Azer and grinned. "However, I don''t want Dominic anymore. Instead, I want Kiernan."


    ''He wants me?'' Kiernan looked disgusted. ''What the fuckery is going on.''


    "I thought about the offer, and my answer is no." Azer said sternly and then looked at Kiernan with a deep look.


    ''I am a failure as principal because I didn''t notice that there was a talent like this in my school. There''s no way I can let him go. In a year or two, perhaps we can defeat Irio High!''


    "Well, I''ll ask him then." Bernard scoffed and turned to Kiernan. "I have an offer for you. Join my school, Irio High. We''ll make you a reserve fighter right away, and you can join us in the National Martial Arts Tournament!"


    ''National Martial Arts Tournament?'' Kiernan looked interested. ''Former Kiernan used to go watch the tournament with Karma. It was the biggest stage for young men to show their skill.


    ''If one seeds in that stage, their future is limitless.''


    ''Line, hook, and sinker.'' Bernard thought as he saw Kiernan''s interested expression. ''No one can resist the temptation.''


    Azer also saw that and felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach. If he lost a talent of this caliber, he might as well resign as principal!


    He opened his mouth, wanting to convince Kiernan to stay in his school, but he managed to speak first.


    "Sounds good, but I''ll refuse." Kiernan said and crossed his arms.


    "W-why!" Bernard stumbled over his words in surprise.


    Azer also looked surprised. He didn''t think there was anyone capable of resisting such an offer.


    "Ah, well, my father wanted me to study at Karuza High. It''s where he studied, so it is a family tradition, I suppose." Kiernan shrugged his shoulders.


    "T-that''s¡­" Bernard gritted his teeth and shouted. "We can offer much better studying conditions at Irio High. I am sure your father would want to also see you on the national stage!"


    "Oh, I am sure he would." Kiernan smiled. "And I would like to stand on that stage as well."


    "T-then." Bernard''s eyes shone as there seemed to still be a chance to get Kiernan to join them.


    "I''ll just participate in the national stage with Karuza High." Kiernan stood up, and even though he was a head shorter than Bernard, his aura was as intense. "We just have to defeat your school, don''t we?"


    Azer looked shocked.


    ''Such confidence!'' He thought while looking at the young man. ''How is he so confident? Is it because he is even stronger than we initially thought? But he is only a Low Stage Martial Recruit¡­''


    "Kid¡­" Bernard''s expression turned serious. "You have no idea who you''re up against."


    At the doorway, Julia stood with a stunned expression. She had followed her father to the locker room and heard everything. She was as stunned as her father.


    ''Who is he?'' Julia thought while looking at Kiernan. ''It was as if he had changedpletely overnight. I remember him being timid, andcking confidence.''


    "You received your answer." Azer grabbed Bernard by his shoulder and said, "We''ll see you in the representation match."


    Bernard pped his hand away, scowled at them, and then stomped out of the locker room.


    After he left, Azer turned to Kiernan and said, "I don''t think we have personally met. My name''s Azer Karuza."


    "Nice to meet you, principal." Kiernan stood up and bowed slightly, showing respect for his principal.


    ''He is strong.'' Kiernan thought as he tried to determine Azer''s strength. ''In Earth, he would be near the top. I don''t think I have met many as powerful as him.


    ''This world is indeed deep. There''s already someone so strong in this small town.''


    Kiernan was surprised because he did some learning yesterday night. He browsed through the Inte and found something very interesting.


    All the countries were ranked using a tier system. The ranks were from Tier 5 to Tier 1. The strongest countries were ssified as Tier 1 Countries.


    Kiernan''s country¡ªNew Rakuya¡ªwas surprisingly only a Tier 4 country.


    ''I wonder how strong the people are in Tier 1 countries!'' Kiernan''s eyes shone with excitement.


    "Now that you defeated Dominic, your rank is now eight." Azer said. "The team needs three main fighters and two reverse. We usually give spots depending on ranking, so top 5 ranked students get to participate in the representation match."


    "So, I''ll need to climb a few more ranks." Kiernan said with a smile.


    "Yes," Azer said. "However, it won''t be easy. Dominic was strong, but the students above him are much stronger. They''ve already reached Martial Soldier rank."


    "I see." Kiernan nodded. ''I wonder how strong Jonathan ispared to those guys. I''ve already defeated a Martial Soldier.''


    "If you train for another year, I am sure you''ll be strong enough to be the main fighter." Azer said. "Then, we can challenge Irio High properly for the seat as Irio''s representative!"


    "Too long." Kiernan said. "That''s too long. I want to participate in the next National Martial Arts Tournament."


    "What?!" Azer cried out. "It is happening in a month, and our representation match is in a week. You don''t have enough time to increase your Martial Soul rank."


    "Is that so?" Kiernan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and entered a state of intense focus.


    In his Martial Soul, something mysterious happened. Slowly, anotheryer started to peel off, and an even more beautiful souly underneath.


    Swoosh!


    A strong wind blew suddenly around the room.


    Azer''s eyes bulged open. "Impossible!"


    Ding, ding!


    [Middle Stage Martial Recruit Achieved!]


    [20 XP Acquired!]

 Chapter 10 Bottleneck of the Weak

    "Haa!" Kiernan breathed out heavily. His body was trembling, and he was sweating profusely.


    "What did you do¡­" Azer said in shock. "Did you just advance?"


    "Yeah¡­" Kiernan struggled to reply. "During the fight against Dominic, I felt strange. I felt like I could unleash much more power than I originally could.


    "Now, I had the same feeling. So, I just pushed through the feeling, and it felt like I was opening a door. Behind that door was a reservoir of power I had never tapped into before."


    ''What crazy instincts!'' Azer eximed inwardly. ''I thought he had advanced just recently, and he was again advancing? What about the bottleneck?''


    Everyone suffered from the bottleneck. It was called the Bottleneck of the Weak. It was what stopped every person from advancing further.


    Some would suffer from the bottleneck for several years. Every day, they try to break through, only to fail. Then, one day, they would wake up and notice that they had advanced when they were asleep.


    The bottleneck worked in strange ways.


    Some would try to brute force through the bottleneck. Some would seed, but almost everyone fails.


    It was impossible to advance if the person wasn''t strong enough to face the bottleneck.


    Now, Kiernan has made aplete mockery of the bottleneck.


    Brr!


    At that moment, Kiernan felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.


    He pulled it out and checked the message. His father was asking whether he wasing home as he was about to finish making dinner.


    "Ah, I''ll have to leave." Kiernan quickly stuffed his backpack with his clothes and slung it over his shoulder.


    "Tomorrow, Karuza High''s team for the tournament will gather in the gym." Azer said. "The team''s coach will also be there. They will train for the uing representation match. You can skip sses and be there."


    "Alright, I''ll be there." Kiernan replied with a smile, hopped off the bench, and headed out of the locker room. He walked past Julia, whose keen eye was on him the whole time.


    "I know I am not wearing a shirt, but watch where you''re looking." He said to her: "I am quite shy."


    "Hmm." Julia walked behind him with her arms behind her and asked, "Who are you?"


    "What?" Kiernan looked at her with a frown. "Kiernan, who else?"


    "Hmm¡­" Julia hummed with a suspicious look. "Are you a skinwalker?"


    "Skinwalker?" Kiernan''s eyebrow twitched. "What''s that?"


    "You know, those creatures that can copy a person''s appearance."


    "I can''t say I am." Kiernan opened his backpack and put a t-shirt on.


    "Were you serious about participating in the nationals?" She asked. "You might''ve defeated Dominic, but there''re different kinds of beasts there."


    "I''ll try." Kiernan said while rummaging through his backpack. He took out his shoes and put them on clumsily while still walking down the hallway as if he were in a hurry to return home.


    "You know the ranks, right?" Julia asked.


    "Ranks?" Kiernan frowned, zipped the backpack, and slung it over his shoulder after putting his clothes on. "Sort of."


    "First, it''s Unranked. It was a rank where you were only days prior. Then, Martial Recruit, where you''re currently. Then, Martial Soldier. It is where the top five ranked students at Karuza High are.


    "Then, beyond that, Martial Fighter. Those are asmon as rice in the nationals. Without Martial Fighter in your ranks, the chance of making it through the first round is slim!"


    "Oh, that sounds powerful." Kiernan smiled in excitement. ''I truly feel like I am 16 years old. I feel so excited, and I am full of energy. I guess my mind has truly immatured to match my current age!''


    Julia sighed. "I have also heard rumors that there is one student who has reached Low Stage of Martial Champion. It is rank above Martial Fighter!"


    "Is that good?" Kiernan asked.


    "It is amazing." Julia said. "That kind of talent can only be found in Tier 1 and Tier 2 countries. It is unheard of in Tier 4 countries like ours."


    "I guess I have some preparing to do then." Kiernan said and then waved his hand. "Anyway, I gotta go. I gotta tell my father good news!"


    Julia watched as the ck-haired young man ran off, his backpack swinging behind him. It was a strange feeling, but for some reason, his figure seemed unfathomable.


    ¡­


    Irio High, ss 2-C.


    Jonathan sat on his chair with an open book on his face. It looked like he was napping.


    A few of his ssmates were cleaning the ssroom as it was their turn. It was also Jonathan''s turn, but instead, he was taking a nap. They didn''t dare to disturb him.


    At that moment, another young man entered the ss and patted Jonathan''s head.


    "Wakey wakey.


    "Mgh¡­" Jonathan removed the book and looked at his friend with a tired look. "Kai, what''cha want?"


    Kai''s face was heavily bandaged. He had several fractures after yesterday''s fight.


    As he looked at his friend, Jonathan, he had to stiffen hisughter. There were three circr marks on his face¡ªone on the forehead, one on the nose, and one on the chin.


    It made Jonathan look pretty silly.


    "I heard some interesting news from Karuza." Kai said. "Dominic apparently lost."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Dominic¡­" Jonathan repeated the name. "He is pretty strong for a first-year. I suppose he lost to higher-ranked ones?"


    "No, he lost to another first-year." Kai said with a serious look. "Apparently, a person named Kiernan defeated him. Is that the guy who also¡­"


    Before he could finish, Jonathan grabbed him by the face and coldly said, "Do not say it."


    "Mm!" Kai mumbled and nodded rapidly.


    Jonathan let go of his face and scoffed. "It was him. It is not that surprising that he defeated Dominic then. I just don''t understand. He is an anomaly. I defeated him in the tournament, so¡­ why is he strong now?"


    "What if he joins Karuza''s team?" Kai asked. "Won''t our team be in danger?"


    "Hahahah!" Jonathanughed and stood up. "As if. He might''ve defeated me, but there''s no way he would beat our fighters!"


    Jonathan had reached the Martial Soldier rank, and he was only a second-year. In a year, he would reach the Age of Growth and would be a force to be reckoned with.


    However, at the current moment, he was only Irio High''s reserve fighter. There were three people with greater strength than him. They were all third-year students and had reached the Age of Growth.


    ¡­


    Creak¡ªa door opened and closed immediately after.


    Kiernan removed his shoes and hung his backpack on the rack by the door. He immediately smelled the scent of food. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw his father putting utensils and tes on the table.


    The food looked eatable but slightly rough. It was clear that Karma wasn''t that great at making food, but still, Kiernan was hit by a wave of nostalgia.


    It had always been him and Karma. As far as he could remember, his mother was gone.


    He did his best to raise Kiernan with the little knowledge he had.


    "Oh, wee back." Karma said and sat down at the end of the table.


    "Mm." Kiernan took a seat on the table and filled the te with food. "By the way, I won a fight."


    "Oh, is that so?" Karma''s lips curled into an honest smile. "That''s good. Now, eat up; you must be hungry."


    "Mm." Kiernan grabbed a fork and dug into the food with enthusiasm.


    Without him being aware, the two memories started to transform into one. He was turning slowly into just one being¡ªthe past and new memories mixed up together in a perfect mix.


    It also made him stronger.


    There was only one Kiernan Hunter now.

 Chapter 11 The Top of the Karuza High

    Karuza High, the Gymnasium.


    "Yawn!" A silver-haired young man in a white Karuza High jersey stretched his arms above his head and let out a loud yawn.


    At the back of the jersey, the number "1" was disyed in bold ck font.


    "Yo!" At that moment, a blond-haired young man entered the gymnasium with a grin. He wore the same jersey with the number 2 on the back and dragged his backpack behind him.


    The silver-haired young man turned to look at him andzily waved. He had azy look on his face with drooping eyes and a rxed posture.


    "I told you to stop with those video games." The blond-haired young man sighed and scratched the back of his head. "If you had put the same effort into martial arts, you would be Martial Fighter by now."


    "But martial arts are boring." The silver-haired young man saidzily. "Nath, do you know why the coach wanted us here so early?"


    Nath looked at thezy-looking young man and shrugged his shoulders. "No clue. By the way, did you heard what happened yesterday, Ryan?"


    "Hmm?" Ryan raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No. Did it happen after school? After school ended, I went to y games."


    "Of course you did¡­" Nath sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Dominic apparently lost to another first-year. The whole school is talking about it, y''know."


    "Dominic lost?" Ryan''szy look slightly disappeared. "Interesting. I didn''t think anyone from the first year was a match for him."


    "Hehe, Karuza High will be in good hands once we graduate." Nath grinned.


    The door of the gymnasium opened and a man with round belly entered. He was wearing a tracksuit and holding a clipboard.


    "Coach." Ryan and Nath nodded.


    "Good, you''re already here." The Coach said while scratching his head. "Others should be here shortly."


    While the coach didn''t look anything special, he was the coach of Karuza High''s Martial Arts Team. He had been one for ten years now.


    At his peak, he used topete in various big martial tournaments overseas and even won a few of them. He got settled in Irio and ended up bing the coach.


    "Coach Jin, why are we here?" Nath asked. "The training is not supposed to start so early."


    "The principal wants us to meet someone." Jin said.


    "Someone?" Nath frowned.


    At that moment, three figures entered the gymnasium. They looked vastly different from each other.


    One was incredibly muscr and tall, nearing two meters. He also had a buzzcut and looked way older than other students¡ªhe could be easily mistaken for someone in his early thirties.


    On his jersey, number three was in bold ck font.


    Right next to him, a young man nudged his sses up his nose. He looked quite intellectual, but also quite weak. He was short¡ªway shorter than the two and had ck bowl hair.


    In his jersey, number four adorned the back.


    "Sigh." Next to him, a gray-haired young man with hair braided down his back let out a long sigh. He looked quite scary, with tattoos covering his arms.


    A number five adorned the back of his jersey.


    "us, Timothy, and Denton, thanks for being here." The coach, Jin, said with a nod. "Now, all of us are here. The principal should soon arrive with his guest."


    "What bullshit." Denton said and sat down cross-legged on the floor, his tattoos peeking out from under his shirt sleeves. "Couldn''t this meeting have been after school? I had to wake up early for this shit."


    "Denton, watch your mouth." Jin said sternly. "The principal must have good reason to gather us all here."


    "Tch." Denton clicked his tongue.


    "Well, I agree with Denton." Ryan said and yawned. "I only got two hours of sleep."


    "Ryan, that''s your fault for ying sote." Nath said with a chuckle. "You were informedst night that we had an early meeting today."


    "You should study instead." Timothy said and nudged his sses. "Youck intelligence, anyways, Ryan."


    "Shut up, four-eyes." Ryan saidzily. "How does your intelligence help you when you get punched in the face?"


    "True, punching is usually stronger than intelligence." us said in a deep voice. "Except if your sses work as some kind of shield."


    "us, I don''t expect you to know anything about intelligence." Timothy said in a condescending tone. "How many times have you been mistaken as the father of one of the students today?"


    us''s head dropped low. "Those damn security guards. They never recognize me, even though I am already in my third year. Today, they didn''t want to let me through the gate because they thought I was going to kidnap one of the students. They said I looked like someone who would kidnap children. Curse them¡­"


    "They''re just pulling your leg." Nath chuckled.


    Jin sighed and rolled his eyes at the conversation. He had gotten used to them always bickering. But then he noticed a familiar figure walking outside towards the gymnasium.


    "Stand up!" He ordered and faced the door.


    Denton groaned and slowly stood back up. The five young men stood beside each other with their arms behind their backs.


    At that moment, Azer entered the gymnasium with a young man following closely behind him.


    "Thanks everyone foring here." Azer said and looked around at the serious faces of the five men. "I want you guys to meet someone."


    The coach''s and the five men''s gazes turned to the young man beside Azer. He was wearing the school uniform and looked quite pleasant to look at. His ck hair was slightly messy, but it added to his charm.


    There was nothing else quite special about him¡ªhis smile was unassuming, his posture was rxed, and his gray eyes looked calm like the surface of a stillke.


    "This here is Kiernan Hunter, the new eight-ranked student." Azer said. "He defeated Dominic yesterday."


    "Oh." Jin rubbed his chin and scanned Kiernan from head-to-toe. Instantly, a strange look appeared on his face.


    ''He defeated Dominic? Why doesn''t he radiate stronger energy? Does he have lower Martial Soul rank than Dominic?''


    "Nice to meet you all." Kiernan bowed respectfully and looked at the five young men with a deep look. ''These five are the top of Karuza High.''


    "Introduce yourselves." Azer said with a calm voice.


    "Ryan Lee." Ryan said in azy tone. "I am the first-ranked student."


    "Nathaniel Waters, but you can call me Nath." Nath said. "I am the second-ranked student."


    "us Kohn, third-ranked." us said shortly.


    "Timothy Howe." Timothy said and nudged his sses. "Fourth-ranked."


    "Denton Kyles." Denton said coldly with a sharp look. "Fifth-ranked."


    "Kiernan is here to get to know each one of you. In the future, he will be a very promising member of Karuza High''s martial arts team." Azer said.


    "Nice to meet you, Kiernan." Jin walked over to him and offered a handshake. "My name''s Jin Reece; I am the coach."


    "Nice to meet you." Kiernan grabbed the hand and shook it. ''What a powerful grip!''


    "Well, now that we have met, I have some better things to do." Denton said and grabbed his backpack from the floor.


    "Oh, like meeting with your thousand girlfriends?" Ryan said mockingly. "Don''t act like you''re going to ss. We all know you aren''t."


    "None of your business, Ryan." Denton spat out.


    "Denton, behave!" Jin roared out.


    "Fuck off." Denton slung the backpack over his shoulder and headed to the exit.


    At that moment, Azer said. "If you leave, you will be reced by Kiernan."


    Denton stopped in his tracks and turned to him with red eyes. "What did you say?"


    "You heard me." Azer said calmly. "You will be out of the team if you leave."


    "An eight-ranked garbage is recing me?" Denton scowled.


    "Well, you are not really needed, are you?" Azer looked at him with a smile. "If either Ryan, Nath, or us gets injured, Timothy will rece one of them. What''s the chance of two getting injured? Slim to none."


    Denton narrowed his eyes and dug his fingers into his palms, resisting the urge to argue. He knew he was most likely not going to fight in the representation match.


    However, he didn''t care.


    He was on the team because of the prestige. It would open up some doors for him after he was finished with school. He could get a well-paying job in Irio and have a stress-free life.


    "Tch." Denton dropped the backpack to the ground and sat on it.


    "Good." Azer said with a smile. "What about we have a match?"


    "A match?" Jin raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah, three-versus-three." Azer chuckled. "It can be good practice for everyone. Now with Kiernan, we have six people."


    ''Oh?'' Kiernan chuckled. ''That''s why he wanted me to meet them. He doesn''t know the extent of my strength, and he hopes this can shed light on that.''N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 12 Team Red vs. Blue

    "Oh, a match, interesting." Jin said with a smile. "However, we need to put in clear rules. We can''t let out fighters get injured."


    "That''s right." Azer said and raised two fingers. "If you get knocked out of the stage or you''ll get hit three times, you''re out. The winning team is thest one standing."


    "Oh, we''re not following tournament rules?" Jin asked. "In tournament. It is a one-versus-one fights. Whichever side loses a fight has to change to the next fighter, while the winner has to continue to fight.


    "The team that loses all of their fighters first loses."


    "Yeah, I feel like it will be more exciting if everyone is fighting at the same time." Azer said with a smile. "It is also shorter this way. The sses start in thirty minutes, so I don''t want this to drag on for too long."


    "Do you have teams selected?" Jin asked.


    Azer looked at the six young men. He rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner and then smiled.


    "Two teams. Team Red and Blue.


    "In the team red are Ryan, Timothy, and Denton.


    "In the team blue, Nath, us, and Kiernan!"


    ''Oh?'' Jin chuckled. ''On paper, team blue would be better, as it has both second- and third-ranked fighters. However, against Ryan, that doesn''t really matter. Also, Kiernan being on team blue bnces things, as he is only eight-ranked.''


    Crack!


    Denton cracked his knuckles as he stared straight at Kiernan. A fire was burning in his eyes. He could tell that Kiernan was eyeing his position as a reserve fighter.


    ''I''ll show him the true gap between us!''


    "Haha," Nathughed and looked at Ryan. "I don''t think we have fought since our ranked match, have we?"


    "Mm¡­" Ryan nodded in agreement. "Our score is currently 49-0. You haven''t beaten me yet."


    "Go get your vests from the locker room." Azer said. "The match will start in five."


    The two teams went into separate locker rooms.


    Kiernan found an empty locker and stored his backpack inside.


    "Kiernan, here." Nath picked up a blue vest from the bench and tossed it over.


    Kiernan caught it with ease and thanked him before putting it on.


    "So, what''s the n?" us asked as he startedcing up his shoes.


    "Leave Ryan to me." Nath said with a smile. "I''ll try tost against him while you defeat Timothy."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hmm, sounds good." us nodded.


    "And you, Kiernan." Nath closed his locker room with a loud ng. "We''ll leave Denton to you."


    "Alright." Kiernan nodded. ''He was the rude fellow, wasn''t he?''


    "Denton is a practitioner of Taruzhang martial arts. Its main trait is randomness, making him a very unpredictable opponent. You''ll never know what he will try to do next."


    Knock, knock.


    "The fight''s about to start!" Jin''s voice echoed from the other side of the door.


    "Alright, let''s go win this." Nath stood up from the bench and finished wrapping up his hands.


    us and Kiernan followed right after. They left the locker room and saw that there was a small stage in the middle of the gymnasium.


    It wasn''t there five minutes ago.


    It was a portable martial arts stage. It was around twenty meters long and twenty meters wide. It was smaller than the stadium''s stage.


    On the other side of the gymnasium, Ryan, Timothy, and Denton, wearing red vests, walked out of the locker room.


    The two teams met on top of the stage, exchanging fiery gazes.


    Azer took a seat next to the stage. He even crossed his legs. He looked very rxed, with a small smile ying on his lips.


    Jin acted as a referee. He stood with authority, ready to officiate the intense match that was about to begin.


    "Team Red, ready?"


    "Yes!" Ryan, Timothy, and Denton shouted.


    "Team Blue, ready?"


    "Yes!" Nath, us, and Kiernan shouted.


    Jin raised his arm and then swung it down. "Fight!"


    As soon as the words left Jin''s mouth, Ryan and Nath charged towards each other and threw a single punch. Their fists collided with each other, creating a loud smack that echoed throughout the gym.


    "Try to block this with your intelligence!" us rushed in and punched straight at Timothy.


    "Fool." Timothy jumped out of the way and kicked us at the back of his knee. It sounded like it was going to hurt.


    "One hit, us!"


    "Uh¡­" us looked stunned, but then he grinned and charged at Timothy before showering him with punches. Timothy paled slightly and backed off to a safe distance.


    "So, you think you can juste here and take my spot?" Denton slowly approached Kiernan with a cold look. "Know your ce!"


    Kiernan moved to his fighting stance. It was the same stance that he used in his ranked match. It focused on defense.


    Denton''s arms drooped low, hanging in front of his body in a casual manner. His head was also hanging low, and his back was curved. It looked like his whole body had turned limp.


    At that moment, Denton''s leg twitched slightly. It moved slightly up from the ground, as if he were about to throw a kick.


    ''No, it isn''t a kick.'' Kiernan thought quickly and pped randomly in front of him.


    Shockingly enough, his hand connected with something solid. A fist belonging to Denton flew past his cheek, missing him by inches.


    If he hadn''t redirected it away, it would''vended.


    "Tch." Denton clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    First, Denton used his legs as decoys. He wanted Kiernan to think that he was going to kick. When his eyes moved towards his legs, Denton immediately threw a quick punch.


    It almost worked.


    ''It was too obvious.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''That fake kick didn''t have any form behind it. If he had kicked like that, it would have been easy to dodge.''


    Again, Denton''s arms hung in front of him in azy manner. Then his feet started moving in a dizzying blur of motion. His footwork was extremely random and unpredictable.


    ''He wants to confuse me.'' Kiernan frowned. ''I still can''tpletely stop paying attention to his legs. Otherwise, he will just kick at me.''


    At that moment, Denton snapped his fist forward towards Kiernan''s face.


    ''Fake.'' Kiernan put his arms under him and blocked a sneaky knee-kick from Denton.


    Seeing that his sneak attack failed, Denton followed up with his lightning-fast punch, but before it couldnd, Kiernan sidestepped nicely to dodge it. Denton stumbled forward, off bnce.


    Kiernan formed a fist and punched towards Denton''s face. It was about tond, but then Denton suddenly elerated and used the strange footwork to circle around the back of Kiernan.


    ''So fast!'' Kiernan quickly turned around with narrowed eyes. ''Is this the speed of Martial Soldier?''


    "Taruzhang Style, Anarchy!" Denton interlocked his hands. All his power was gathered in his palms.


    Then he pointed his interlocked hands at Kiernan''s torso. He then let go of his hands and struck both of his palms towards Kiernan''s chest.


    Kiernan quickly dropped on one knee and smashed his elbow through Denton''s hands. His hands started bleeding.


    With a loud grunt, Denton stumbled back, clutching his injured hands.


    "W-what?" Jin, who saw that, was taken aback. ''That''s Denton''s most powerful attack, but Kiernan perfectly defended against it by smashing his elbow through Denton''s hands.


    ''Denton gathered all the air around him to his palms to increase his striking prowess. But when the elbow connected, the air that he had gathered dispersed in different directions.


    ''It ended uppletely nullifying his attack!''


    Azer''s eyes widened in shock.


    ''Wait a minute, even Denton is not a match for him?''

 Chapter 13 Natural Fighter

    While the fight between Denton and Kiernan happened on the other side of the stage, a way more fierce fight was brewing between Ryan and Nath.


    Nath slightly lowered his right shoulder and then threw a punch directly towards Ryan''s face. However, when his arm extended, it was as if Nath''s arm started stretching like rubber.


    It was only a little, but that gave Nath a greater reach.


    However, Ryan wasn''t surprised, as he was used to fighting Nath and knew all about his strange physique. He turned sideways and used his shoulder to steer the punch away from him.


    At that moment, Ryan took a strong step forward and moved his entire body from back to front. It allowed his punch''s speed to increase significantly.


    Nath crossed his arms in front of him and tanked the punch. It still sent him sliding backwards, and soon his feet touched the edge of the stage. He was only one step away from falling down!


    Ryan started weaving his upper body around and rushed straight at Nath. With quick steps, he reached the striking distance.


    Without further ado, Ryan started unleashing his powerful jabs. He turned sideways, put his right arm in front of him, and threw a quick right jab towards Nath''s jaw.


    Nath blocked the jab with his forearms. He had been mostly defending so far. However, a small smile yed on his lips as if he wasn''t afraid of his current predicament.


    Ryan''s expression looked dull. He wasn''t happy, sad, angry, or excited. It was as if he were just having a morning stroll.


    He then continued raining jabs against Nath''s arm. It sounded like a hammer hitting a piece of wood. Nath''s expression was calm and collected, with a slight smirk ying on his lips.


    After another Ryan''s jabnded on his block, Nath saw an opportunity and quickly moved his leg towards Ryan''s foot. Strangely, Nath''s leg from knee to foot started stretching slightly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ryan quickly slid his foot backwards, not allowing Nath to stomp on his foot. A grin appeared on Nath''s face.


    He still kept his left arm in a defensive position, but he suddenlyunched a punch with his right. His right arm started slightly stretching, and it looked like a javelin was beingunched.


    Ryan used his quick footwork to dodge the punch, but then Nath''s fist suddenly changed its trajectory and connected with his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down his arm.


    "Ngh¡­" Ryan grunted slightly in pain, but he quickly regained his bnce.


    "One hit, Ryan!" Jin shouted.


    To many''s surprise, it was Ryan who got hit first.


    ''This stretchy bastard.'' Ryan clicked his tongue. ''As soon as I dodged, Nath snapped his wrist to the left, causing his stretchy fist to change trajectory andnd a hit on my shoulder.


    ''Nath has a strange physique that makes his joints very stretchy. It is almost as if his body is made out of rubber. He can extend his arm''s and leg''s length by 5 cm.


    ''He is also a practitioner of Kam Style. A not a very popr style, and it only has a few users in the entire country of New Rakuya. His father happened to be one of them.


    ''It perfectly utilizes Nath''s stretchy limbs as Kam Style focuses on changing the trajectory of attacks.''


    "Lla~" Nath hummed a pleasantly-sounding song. "Ryan, how''s that?"


    "Hmph." Ryan formed a fist, causing his fingers to crack loudly.


    A short distance away, us continued rushing at Timothy with his powerful strikes. He was only punching. He didn''t care at all about defense, which was the main reason he was already hit by Timothy.


    ''This muscle-brain is an easy opponent in this kind of match where hits matter.'' Timothy thought while barely dodging us'' rageful strikes.


    On the sidelines, Azer watched with his arms crossed.


    ''us uses Tiamut Style. It is a style that originates from New Rakuya''s capital city, Tiamut. It is one of the most famous styles in the whole country.


    ''Tiamut Style has two different forms¡ªsoft form and hard form¡ªthey are very different but also very simr. Soft form focuses on evading every attack possible and using quick attacks.


    ''Hard form focuses on tanking every attack. Users of hard forms almost never dodge or try to block. Most people unfamiliar with the style usually think users of hard forms are weak.


    ''However, that is not the case. Sure, you can easilynd hits, but users of hard forms have conditioned their bodies to be as durable as steel.


    ''You can punch them a thousand times, and they might still not go down. Their punches are also extremely lethal. One punch from users of hard form can be the end of the fight.''


    Azer smiled to himself. ''That''s why I put the three hit rule. It is to bnce teams even further. us, in an ordinary match, would destroy Timothy, but with the three hit rule, he can lose.''


    Timothy calmly evaded the strikes. He knew that if he were patient, he would win.


    At that moment, us rushed in with a wild swing, leaving his side very vulnerable. Timothy quickly circled to his side andnded a quick punch to us''s ribs.


    "Second hit, us!"


    A small smile appeared on Timothy''s lips, but then a wild elbow came flying towards him. His eyes behind the sses widened, and then the elbownded on his face, breaking his sses and cutting his skin.


    "Ah!" Timothy stumbled to the ground with a bloody forehead. His broken sses fell to the ground beside him.


    "One hit, Timothy!"


    Jin shouted, but he also looked serious. He was ready to call off the match if it was going to be dangerous. us was known for not pulling his punches, even during training.


    "Shit" Timothy covered his bleeding forehead, but then saw arge shadow loom over him. He looked over and saw us standing over him with a chilly look.


    us reeled in his fist and then mmed it down towards Timothy''s face. Timothy quickly closed his eyes and braced for impact.


    Jin put his whistle in his mouth, ready to call off the match.


    At that moment, us'' fist stopped just inches from Timothy''s face. He then pulled back his middle finger with his thumb and flicked Timothy''s forehead twice.


    "Got you." us said before erupting inughter. "You should''ve seen your face!"


    Timothy hesitantly opened his eyes, and his cheeks were beef-red. "Fuck you, us!"


    "Three hits, Timothy; you are out!" Jin announced.


    Timothy clicked his tongue and stepped off the stage.


    us turned his focus on the fight between Ryan and Nath.


    "Haha, you''re in trouble." Nath said while barely evading Ryan''s punches that had somehow be even faster.


    Ryan didn''t react to thatment and gazed behind him. us slowly walked towards him with a grin on his face.


    "Is that so?"


    Ryan pulled back his fist, then he suddenly turned around and elerated towards us. His initial eleration was insanely quick¡ªhe immediately left Nath in the dust, who was watching the whole scene unfold with wide eyes.


    "Raaah!" us formed arge fist and mmed it towards Ryan.


    Ryan''s leg muscles swelled, and then, like a spring, he jumped over us''s fist. He was like a bird soaring through the air. Then, while mid-air, he mmed his fist straight into us'' face with incredible force.


    It created a terrifying sound. us had managed to deal with all sorts of attacks and never flinched. However, this time, the punch knocked him off his feet, and he fell to the ground with a stunned look.


    "Third hit, us, you''re out!" Jin shouted with an amazed look. ''Ryan''s agility is still as insane as ever!''


    Nath sweated profusely with a smile on his face. "Still as monstrous as ever."


    Kiernan, with a side-eye, saw it unfold. He had to agree that Ryan had impressive physical attributes.


    ''Ryan''s what you call a Natural Fighter.'' Azer thought to himself. ''Natural Fighters don''t rely on techniques and instead fight purely on instinct. They''re stronger when they only rely on their instinct and their immense talent.''

 Chapter 14 Super Acceleration

    "Fucker!" Denton moved at astonishing speed to confront Kiernan at the center of the stage. He unleashed his punches and kicks. They moved in very random patterns.


    If it were anyone else, they couldn''t imagine where the attack woulde from. That''s why Denton was very good in formats like this, where you only needed to hit your opponent to win.


    However, his opponent was Kiernan.


    Kiernan stood his ground and moved his hands in a blur of motion. His hands smacked against Denton''s fists and legs. It made his attacks miss Kiernan by an inch.


    ''That''s it!'' Azer gulped with a dry throat. ''That''s Kiernan''s rock-solid defense. Dominic waspletely defenseless against it!''


    Kiernan''s hands moved like snakes, parrying and deflecting Denton''s every strike.


    Denton''s veins bulged around his forehead. He was fuming in anger. He wanted to smash his fist through Kiernan''s face, but every attack of his missed the target just barely.


    It was incredibly frustrating!


    "Fuck this!" Denton mmed his hands together. A small air bubble appeared between his hands.


    "Taruzhang Style, Anarc¡ª"


    Kiernan suddenly whipped his leg upwards and kicked Denton''s hands. The air bubble burst, disrupting Denton''s concentration and causing his attack to fizzle out into nothing.


    "Argh!" Denton cried out in pain. His hands were red and swollen.


    Kiernan''s arm moved like a snake¡ªhis fist connected with Denton''s nose and jaw¡ªit was two sessful attacks.


    "Two hits, Denton!" Jin shouted with a startled expression. ''Denton is losing? This fool is losing hisposure, but still, this Kiernan is strong!''


    Azer jumped out of his seat. His eyes couldn''t believe it. He was about to see something very special.


    Denton cried out in anger and pain. He rushed towards Kiernan like a mad beast, his arms iling wildly. The right hand slowly turned into a fist. His shoulders slightly rotated, as if he were about to throw a punch.


    ''A punch? No!'' Jin''s eyes widened.


    "Rah!" Denton stopped his punch mid-swing and then dove down towards Kiernan''s legs.


    He was going for a tackle!


    ''Kiernan is next to the edge.'' Jin''s mouth opened round. ''He ns to throw Kiernan off the stage!''


    "You cannot fake me."


    Kiernan stated coldly and mmed his knee into Denton''s face. The impact was brutal, pushing Denton''s head backward with blood spurting from his mouth.


    Jin stared in shock and forgot to speak.


    At that moment, Kiernan grabbed Denton by the cor, swept his legs underneath him, and held him in the air as if he didn''t weigh anything.


    "Wait, he los¡ª" Jin couldn''t finish his sentence in time.


    Kiernan swung his hand and hurled Denton with a powerful throw. He flew off the stage and crashed to the ground, knocked out cold.


    "That''s for your rudements." Kiernan said.


    "Denton''s out!" Jin shouted, sweat drippling down his face.


    Hearing that, both Ryan and Nath halted their fight. They turned to Kiernan with amazed looks.


    "Denton lost¡­" us and Timothy were sitting on the bench outside the stage. They were mostly focused on Ryan versus Nath, but at the final moments, they caught sight of Kiernanpletely destroying Denton.


    "Is he really a first-year?" Ryan thought out loud with a frown.


    Azer''s lips twitched, and slowly, a giant smile appeared on his face.


    ''Kiernan will be the future of Karuza High!''


    "Oho." Nath''s eyes widened in surprise, and he then moved out of his fighting stance. "Ryan, I suppose we need to test this youngling, don''t you think so?"


    "Oh, we''ll put our fight to a pause?" Ryan said with a smirk as he eyed Kiernan up and down. "Me or you?"


    "I am on his team; I couldn''t possibly attack him." Nathughed innocently. "You go."


    Ryan shot forward like a bolt of lightning. His initial eleration was even faster than when he defeated us. His agility was ridiculous!


    Kiernan''s eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly ced his right arm as a block, but Ryan moved past him with insane speed and punched him in the stomach before he could react.


    "Argh!" Kiernan coughed out in pain and quickly jumped away, but Ryan followed right behind him and smashed his elbow at Kiernan''s stomach.


    "Ngh!" Kiernan stumbled backwards with a distorted face. ''It hurts!''


    "Two hits, Kiernan!" Jin shouted with a pale face. ''Is it too early for him to face Ryan?''


    ''Ryan broke through Kiernan''s rock-solid defense.'' Azer thought with a serious expression. ''So, speed is Kiernan''s weakness.''


    ''What atrocious speed.'' Kiernan''s muscles strained as he pushed himself harder. ''Bring it on, then!"


    Ryan smiled slightly. He lowered his stance and put his fist beside his waist. He was going for his fastest strike yet.


    Ryan''s leg muscles tensed and bulged. It was almost like he was having a cramp. It was just his whole body preparing for this strike.


    At that moment, his body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.


    No one in the room was able to see him move. Not even Kiernan.


    It was the maximum speed of Karuza High''s ace, Ryan Lee. It was speed that could even rival those of the Martial Fighter rank.


    If Ryan Lee had trained to the extent of his immense talent and reached Martial Fighter, without a doubt, he would be the fastest high schooler in New Rakuya!


    Kiernan twisted his waist and threw an ordinary punch. It only hit the empty air in front of him. It wasn''t powerful or shy. It was the exact same punch he threw at the tree in his backyard.


    SMACK!


    At that moment, a figure was sent flying across the stage, blood sttering across the floor. Thud. The figure crashed at the end of the stage, not moving an inch.


    The figure had unique silver hair and wore a blue vest. It was none other than Ryan; his eyes rolled back into his head, and his body waspletely motionless.


    "Whooo!" Kiernan let out a long sigh, his fist trembling.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What?!" Jin and Azer jumped to their feet and shouted in shock.


    "Ryan!" Nath rushed to his friend''s side and frantically checked for a pulse. The pulse was steady and strong. "How in the world¡­"


    us and Timothy couldn''t believe their eyes. They thought they were living in a dreamworld.


    Denton, who was stuffing his bleeding nose with paper, froze in shock.


    ''You''re strong, Ryan¡­'' Kiernan thought with an exhausted look. ''You just made one mistake.''


    "That¡­" Jin touched his balding head in shock. "He actually managed to do that?"


    "Do what?" Azer impatiently asked.


    "It looked like Kiernan punched." Jin said. "However, it wasn''t a punch. He ced his fist in front of him."


    "ced?" Azer frowned.


    "Ryan''s Super eleration has one big w." Jin said with a serious look. "It is hard for him to stop. His deceleration can''t match his monstrous eleration, so it always takes him a longer distance toe to aplete stop.


    "Also, Ryan can only use his Super eleration in a straight line. Kiernan noticed that. Therefore, he simply stood in the path of his attack and ced his fist in front of him. Ryan crashed into Kiernan''s fist, knocking himself out."


    "Ah¡­" Ryan slowly woke up, a hazy look in his eyes. "That hurts¡­"


    "Ryan, are you alright?" Nath asked in a hurry. "You got hit pretty bad."


    "Yeah¡­" Ryan, with a struggle, sat back up. "I lost, huh¡­"


    Kiernan fell down on one knee. He was breathing very heavily. It was more exhausting than he expected.


    ''It isn''t just their strength; Martial Soldier''s radiate energy that makes it exhausting to fight them. In this world, Martial Recruit''s aren''t supposed to be able to defeat them.''


    ''I got a long way to go¡­'' Kiernan said, then heard a familiar ding.


    Ding, ding!


    [You have defeated a Low Stage Martial Soldier!]


    [15 XP Acquired!]


    [You have defeated a High Stage Martial Soldier!]


    [25 XP Acquired!]


    [LEVEL UP!]


    [Level 1 ¡ú 2]

 Chapter 15 Karuza Highs Representatives

    In the infirmary, five young men sat in the hospital beds with various injuries sustained during the match.


    "Mh¡­" Ryan touched his aching forehead. "Damn, Kiernan, your fucking punch stings."


    "Actually, I didn''t punch." Kiernan said while drinking a ss of water. "You ran into my fist."


    "Hahaha, that is true!" Nathughed while elbowing Ryan in the waist. "Imagine losing like that, haha!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Stop elbowing me!" Ryan pped the elbow away and rubbed his painful waist.


    "Kiernan, have you lived in Irio your entire life?" Timothy asked while squinting his eyes. It was hard for him to see anything without his sses.


    "I have, with my father." Kiernan replied and took a small sip of the water.


    "Howe none of us knew you, then?" Timothy asked with a frown. "With strength like that, you should''ve made a name for yourself in middle school."


    "I was too nervous to participate in fights." Kiernan said and stirred the water with his straw absentmindedly. "Just recently, I gathered the courage to participate in my first tournament. However, I lost because of nerves, haha."


    "I guess you''re ate bloomer." us said with a rough voice. "You clearly had skills to do well, but your Martial Soul wasn''t awakened, so you couldn''t fully utilize your potential.


    "Now it has, so your talent is catching up."


    "You had a quite tough bottleneck." Nath said with a sympathetic tone. "However, since you cleared the toughest barrier, the following bottlenecks will be easier until you reach a certain level."


    ''I don''t think I have suffered from bottlenecks ever since I awakened Martial Soul.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''I already feel like I am standing on the threshold of High Stage. I can advance soon.''


    The door to the infirmary opened, and Azer, with Jin in tow, entered. They were discussing something behind closed doors while the others were getting their injuries settled.


    "Where is Denton?" Jin asked with a frown.


    "That fool ran off," Ryan said. "Does it matter, though? Kiernan defeated him, so the spot is his."


    "I guess it doesn''t matter," Jin said with a sigh.


    He was feeling sad about Denton''s fate, and he felt like he had failed as a coach. During middle school, Denton was one of the most promising students. His talent was blooming very early.


    However, as soon as he reached Martial Soldier during his second year of high school, his talent hit a rock wall. It made Denton frustrated, and his interest in martial arts vanished slowly.


    He started to skip more training and spent his time on other activities, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and partyingte into the night.


    Jin felt like it was partly his fault. He felt like he shouldn''t have given up on Denton so easily.


    "What happens now?" us asked. "Kiernan, in a sense, defeated Ryan. What will his rank be?"


    Azer and Jin turned to us with serious looks. Based on the ranking system, if a student defeated a higher-ranked student, they would get their rank instead.


    However, Kiernan defeated Ryan in an unofficial match. They couldn''t just give him the first rank.


    "My victory is based on luck." Kiernan said and ced the cup of water on the table. "It hurts me to say, but if he hadn''t used his Super eleration, I would''ve probably lost."


    He wasn''t being humble or anything like that. That''s how he truly felt. It was strange for him to ept defeat, as on Earth, defeat was an unknown concept to him.


    Ryan was a poor opponent for him. His speed made him very formidable and difficult to defend against.


    That was because Kiernan didn''t have his Iron Style. Without it, he only had his rock-solid defense. Ryan was able to use his speed to find cracks in his defense.


    "Whether it was luck or not, it doesn''t matter." Ryan said. "I still lost. Kiernan showed his strength by dominating Denton."


    "us has trained an entire year for another chance in the nationals." Nath said with a heavy look. "We can''t just rece him."


    Azer and Jin exchanged nces. It was a difficult choice to make. They could make us and Kiernan fight for the spot. However, they didn''t really want to do that.


    "We can''t win." us suddenly spoke.


    Everyone turned to look at him with surprised looks.


    "Not with me, at least." us said with a heavy look.


    "What''re you saying?" Nath frowned.


    "A while ago, I had a chance to check on Irio High''s team members having a training match." us paused for a moment, then continued, "I don''t think I can beat any of them."


    "So, you''re saying¡­" Jin crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at us, waiting for him to finish his sentence.


    "If we want to win, we''ll need a wildcard." us said and turned to Kiernan, who was sitting by the window. "While they know everything about me, my style, etc., they don''t know anything about Kiernan."


    "Irio High''s headmaster visited us and saw Kiernan fight." Azer said. "They will know his defense is his strongest point."


    "Good thing that it isn''t my strongest point." Kiernan said with a chuckle.


    "What?!" Azer''s eyes almost popped from their sockets. "Y-you''re saying?"


    "You know the saying: offense is the best defense." Kiernan said with a chuckle. "I have a few surprises for them~"


    us''s lips curled into a small smile, and he then stood up. "I''ll be a reserve fighter."


    "Are you sure?" Nath asked with a soft look.


    He knew how hard us had trained for a chance in the nationals. It wasn''t only one year. He had prepared for three years. This was hisst chance to get on the nationals with Karuza High.


    "I want to get to nationals." us''s fists tightened, and his lips trembled as if he were about to cry. "It doesn''t matter whether I am a main or reserve fighter. I want to be on that stage!"


    Ryan and Nath looked at their strong-looking friend. They had never seen him so vulnerable before. He always looks serious or grins like a fool. This was the first time they saw him shed tears.


    us used his hand to wipe the few tears, and then he turned to Kiernan. "I believe in you. Defeat those fuckers!"


    "I''ll do my best." Kiernan said and grabbed his knees to stop his legs from trembling. ''Ah, I am so nervous. I feel like I am about to puke. This pressure is killing me¡­''


    This had always been Kiernan''s biggest weakness. His nerves. It didn''t matter how strong he waspared to his opponent; he always felt nervous before a fight.


    He had learned to mask his feelings well so his opponents couldn''t see his vulnerability.


    "So, I suppose it is settled." Jin said with a smile. "The Karuza High''s representatives for the following representation match is¡­


    "Ryan, Nath, and Kiernan are the main fighters.


    "Timothy and us as reserve fighters!"


    Azer pulled out his phone and typed something quick. The phones of everyone in the room suddenly buzzed with activity.


    As they pulled out their phones, they opened their school app. There, they saw the rankings of the students change abruptly.


    [1. Ryan Lee]


    [2. Nathaniel Waters]


    [3. Kiernan Hunter]


    [4. us Kohn]


    [5. Timothy Howe]

 Chapter 16 Irio High

    The wind rustled through the leaves of the tree. The branches swayed gently, like a long, graceful dance.


    Under the shade of the trees, right by theke, several people were sitting on the grass with fishing rods in hand, patiently waiting for a bite.


    Karma swung his fishing rod far back and cast his line into the water with a flick of his wrist. He watched as the line floated gently on the water''s surface.


    Brr!


    A man beside him pulled out his phone with a frown.


    "Your wife''s calling you, Luke?" Karma asked with a chuckle.


    "Nah, haha." Luke let out a chuckle. He ced the fishing rod down on the ground and checked what the message was about.


    Surprisingly, it wasn''t a massage. It was a news article that was posted on Irio''s blog.


    It was titled ''Karuza High''s Team Announced.''


    "Oh, Karuza High announced their team for the uing representation match." Luke said and asked, "Karma, isn''t your son studying there?"


    "Yes, he is." Karma said with a smile. "Last night, he talked to me about him participating in a ranked match and winning."


    "Whoah." Luke looked impressed and felt nostalgic. "Ah, I remember those days. The feeling of fighting in the ranked stadium never gets old."


    "Karma, didn''t you say that you were saddened by the cold rtionship between you and your son?" A man on the left said: "So, I suppose everything is good now?"


    "Yeah¡­" Karma sighed. "He carries too much burden on his shoulders. He feels like he needs to prove himself to me. Last night was the longest conversation we had in years."


    Luke opened up the news article and started reading through the team announcement.


    "Eh?" A surprised yelp left his mouth.


    "Is everything alright, Luke?" Karma asked and suddenly felt a tug on his line. He grabbed his fishing rod and started reeling in the fish.


    "Your son''s name is Kiernan, was it not?" Luke turned to him and asked with round eyes.


    "Yes, and?" Karma''s muscles tightened as he felt the fish pulling back harder.


    "Your son is in the team line up." Luke said.


    Suddenly, Karma''s grip on the fishing rod loosened, and it fell into the water with a ssh.


    "What do you mean?" Karma asked in confusion.


    He thought that his friend must be mistaken.


    "Here." Luke turned around the phone so everyone could see the news article.


    Karma turned to look at the phone, and his other friends peeked over his broad shoulders to catch a glimpse of the phone.


    [Team: Karuza High]


    [Main: Ryan Lee, Nathaniel Waters, Kiernan Hunter]


    [Reserve: us Kohn, Timothy Howe]


    "Whoah, your son is only a first-year student, and he is already a main fighter." His friends congratted him with huge smiles. "Why didn''t you tell us that your son was so talented?"


    "Uh¡­" Karma looked speechless.


    ¡­


    Karuza High, 1-A.


    The sun''s brilliant rays filtered through the window''s shutters. The students continued eyeing the clock that slowly ticked down. It was only five minutes before today''s sses ended.


    Julia wrote down thest few notes of the lecture. Her handwriting was very neat and precise.


    As soon as she wrote thest letter, she curiously threw a nce at the seat beside her. It was the window seat, and it was currently empty. It had been empty for the whole day.


    ''Father told me that he nned to take him to meet other members of Karuza High''s team, but it wasn''t supposed to take a whole day. Did something happen?''


    At that moment, every student''s phone buzzed with activity. It was quite loud and annoying, which immediately interrupted the ss.


    However, the teacher didn''t seem to care, as she also picked up her phone to check the news. She knew that today or tomorrow the team''s line up was supposed to be revealed.


    Everyone in the school pretty much knew the team, as Karuza High always chose the top three ranked students to represent them.


    However, a shocking surprise awaited everyone.


    As soon as the students saw the team, they were in a state of shock. There was a name that shouldn''t have been there.


    Julia looked at her phone with its bunny case and gasped.


    ¡­


    Irio High, the gymnasium.


    "Everyone, Karuza High''s team was announced!" Someone shouted while waving his phone around.


    There were nearly thirty young men and women in the gymnasium¡ªsome were punching the bags, some were stretching, and a selected few were sparring in one of the quiet corners.


    "Show me." Jonathan walked over to the person with a towel dangling over his shoulder.


    "R-right away." The person showed him the phone with the news article.


    Jonathan snatched the phone from the person''s hands and looked at the article. "Ryan, Nathaniel, and¡­"


    As soon as he saw the third name, his eyes widened in shock.


    "Jonathan, is everything alright?" A young man dressed in Irio High''s jersey, which was yellow in color, asked nonchntly.


    "Ah, yes, the team was announced." Jonathan handed the phone over to the young man so he could see the list of names himself.


    "Hmm." The young man checked it out and raised an eyebrow. "Ryan, Nathaniel, and Kiernan, who is this?"


    Kai was stretching nearby and heard the name. He almost identally did a split. He knew that name all too well. It still surprised him, as he didn''t expect him to be that strong!


    "He is the one that defeated Dominic." Jonathan said, not mentioning the fact that he also defeated him. It was far too humiliating.


    "Hmm¡­" The young man caressed his chin thoughtfully.


    His name was Leon Silvers, and he was the third-ranked student at Irio High. The eyes were silver like a mirror, and his grayish hair was perfectly styled, as if he had spent hours during the morning to get it to look as good as possible.


    "Kiernan, he might be my opponent." Leon said out loud with a smile. "I thought I would fight us. It would''ve been easy to beat that muscle-brained idiot. Do you know anything about this Kiernan?"


    "No, I don''t¡­" Jonathan said hesitantly.


    At that moment, a nimble-legged figure jumped over the two young men and snatched the phone from their hands.


    "I''ll take this; thank you very much!"


    "Tch." Leon clicked his tongue. "Shura, you could''ve asked nicely."


    Shuranded on her feet with a smile on her face. She had short brown hair that framed her face perfectly and warm hazel brown eyes. Her height was shorter than most, but she had a presence that demanded attention.


    She was also the second-ranked student at Irio High, Shura Young.


    "Mm, let''s see!" Shura checked out the names and smiled brilliantly. "Ryan, Nathaniel, and, oh, a name I don''t recognize. Karuza High has been hiding a talent, it seems."


    "Yeah, the article said that Kiernan is only a first-year student." Leon scratched his cheek, which had signs of a beard forming. "He might be a formidable threat in the future."


    "Howe none of you are training?" A deep-sounding voice echoed from the doorway.


    A young man¡ªwell, it was difficult to call him one as he definitely looked like a man¡ªentered the gymnasium with his yellow jersey in hand. He was tall and muscr, with a confident stride that spoke of power and skill.


    He stood at an impressive 2 meters and 20 centimeters. With his broad shoulders, axe-like shoulders, and piercing gaze, it was hard to imagine that he was only eighteen years old.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He had short ck hair, trimmed short, and a chiseled jawline that gave him a rugged appearance. Eyes were a piercing icy blue that seemed to see right through you.


    As soon as he arrived, the gymnasium quieted down like a library.


    He was the first-ranked student at Irio High, Kang Moon.


    "Karuza High''s team was announced!" Shura offered the phone with a beaming smile.


    "Hmm?" Kang took the phone and used his enormous hand to scroll down. "Ryan, Nathaniel, and¡­ Kiernan?"


    "I just checked." Jonathan scrolled down on his phone and said, "Karuza High''s rankings had changed. us had dropped to fourth, and Kiernan is at third."


    "Interesting." Kang''s eyes looked like they were smiling. "So, they have a trump card."

 Chapter 17 Dazzling Soul

    Kiernan entered his room and flicked the light switch. The room was suddenly enveloped by the warm and inviting light of the overheadmp.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thud. He dropped the backpack to the floor and turned on the fan to help cool down the stuffy room. It was still quite warm, even though summer had already passed.


    "Mhm¡­" Kiernan stretched his limbs and then opened the window to let in fresh air.


    He then picked up his backpack and ced it on his bed. After unzipping it, he saw the jersey inside. It was a beautiful white jersey with ck flower patterns and the number three on the back.


    It was Karuza High''s team jersey. It only belonged to the members of the team, and now Kiernan was in possession of one.


    He took it out and saw that there was one nail on the wall. He hung the jersey from its hood and stepped back to admire it.


    "Right, I was so upied with the team things that I forgot something important¡­"


    Kiernan plopped down on his bed and opened up his system interface.


    He had leveled up. There were ten stat points that he needed to allocate.


    ''Strength, Agility, Stamina, Vitality, and Charm.'' Kiernan interlocked his fingers with a thoughtful look. ''I wonder how this works. I just assign points to one of them, and it will automatically increase my abilities?''


    ''It sounds like a cheat, but I am not going toin.''


    Kiernan had to think this through. Ten stat points weren''t a lot. He also needed more experience points to level up from now on.


    [XP: 0/250]


    It would keep increasing per level, so he needed to think about where to assign his stat points wisely.


    ''Strength is, of course, always needed, but my strength increases with every stage.'' Kiernan thought. ''After reaching Middle Stage, my strength, agility, and vitality had already increased. My stamina and charm didn''t.''


    After receiving his system, his strength was at three, his agility at four, and his vitality at ten. Now, strength was at five, agility at seven, and vitality at twelve.


    ''My strength increased by two stat points, but the effects are already huge. If I put all ten stat points on strength, would I be three times as strong? A terrifying thought.''


    It was a very tempting thought. However, he knew that it would just make his body very unbnced. He decided to distribute the points more evenly among his other stats.


    ''Agility increases my speed, jumping speed, and dexterity.'' Kiernan nodded thoughtfully. ''Stamina is quite low. Only at three points. It hadn''t increased at all. But I feel like this is something I can increase by myself.


    ''I''ll just start going on morning jogs.''


    Kiernan lowered his gaze at the twost stats.


    ''Vitality would increase my endurance, health, and durability. It is something I desperately need to use my Iron Style. So far, the biggest hurdle is to increase my durability.


    ''Iron Style also needs dexterity and strength to control different types of attacks. Without a proper bnce of all of them, Iron Style would be a mess, so I can''t just focus on my durability.


    ''However, I definitely will put some points on that.


    ''Then,stly, Charm. It seems like the most worthless one out of the bunch. I guess it increases my appeal to others somehow, but who cares about that in a fight?


    ''It is surprisingly high, though. Already at six points, and it hadn''t increased even a bit. I am not too sure if that''s good or not, but I guess I am decently appealing?''


    Kiernan tapped his finger against his lip. He thought about it for around five minutes. In the end, he decided to focus on his weakness for now.


    He again opened the system interface and quickly assigned the stat points.


    [Strength: 5 ¡ú 6]


    [Agility: 7 ¡ú 10]


    [Stamina: 3 ¡ú 5]


    [Vitality: 12 ¡ú 15]


    [Charm: 6 ¡ú 7]


    "Ahh~" Kiernan let out an ecstatic sigh. It felt like he was floating on a warm hot spring that had great healing capabilities, and he could feel his body being rejuvenated at every pore.


    It felt like his body had just undergone an even greater transformation than ever before.


    ''This is truly a cheat.'' Kiernan let out a relieved sigh. ''I''ll get stronger with each rank up, but then with these stat points, I can increase my strength even further.


    ''It''s like I can increase my strength twice over, while others only once with their rank up.''


    At that moment, something interesting happened deep within him, in the core of his very being.


    The brilliant golden soul started shaking. Ayer started peeling off, revealing a dazzling new form underneath. This new soul was bigger and stronger than before, pulsating with energy and power.


    "Ah¡­" Kiernan opened his eyes. His gray eyes were golden for a brief moment before they dimmed down back to gray.


    [High Stage Martial Recruit Achieved!]


    [30 XP Acquired!]


    Kiernan had officially entered the peak of Martial Recruit. He was only one step away from reaching the Martial Soldier rank!


    "Whoo¡­" Kiernan breathed in and out. "This strength feels explosive. I''ll need to unleash it somewhere."


    He stepped off the bed and gazed out of the window towards the backyard. He quickly left his room, ran downstairs, and entered the backyard.


    There, the tree with two fist marks stood still strongly, with its roots firmly nted in the ground.


    Kiernan formed a fist and struck the tree with all his might. The tree shook heavily, and the ground cracked slightly underneath. It created a sound that echoed throughout the neighborhood.


    He released a long sigh. The excessive energy poured out of his mouth. If he had kept it inside him, he could''ve exploded due to the overwhelming pressure building up.


    ''I am advancing at such a rapid rate that even my body can''t keep up.'' Kiernan thought.


    He then took a quick nce at his stats. This advancement increased his stats even further.


    [Strength: 6 ¡ú 8]


    [Agility: 10 ¡ú 11]


    [Stamina: 5]


    [Vitality: 15 ¡ú 17]


    [Charm: 7 ¡ú 8]


    ''Even my charm increased?'' Kiernan''s eyebrow was raised in question. ''I wonder why.''


    Without him being aware yet, it was because of the slight transformation in his flesh. While his flesh was slowly turning stronger and more durable, it was also bing smoother and fairer.


    Knock, knock.


    Kiernan almost jumped out of surprise. He turned around and saw his father standing on the doorway with a stic bag in hand containing various fish that he had caught earlier today.


    "I am making some fish; are you hungry?" Karma asked with a smile on his face.


    "Yeah¡­" Kiernan chuckled and nodded. "I am starving."


    Karma nodded with a smile and looked over to the tree. This time, there was a third fist mark. It was somehow smoking.


    "Heh." Karma chuckled and shook his head. "How''s the school?"


    As Kiernan entered the house with his father, he shrugged his shoulders. "A casual one. I met some new people."


    "I heard that you''re going to participate in the representation match." Karma said in a response. "Are you nervous?"


    "A little bit." Kiernan said, but his shaking hand didn''t fool his father.


    He was so nervous that it would definitely keep him awake all night.


    Karma chuckled and ced the fish on the kitchen counter. He acted casual about his son participating in the representation match, but he was very proud.


    Together, they started cutting up the fish and preparing it for dinner. On today''s menu, they would be having grilled fish with a side of roasted vegetables.

 Chapter 18 The Day Has Come

    The day had arrived. The representation matches.


    People waltzed through Irio High''s gates and poured inside the stadium, eagerly anticipating the long-awaited showdown between the two rival teams.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Loud stomping echoed from the stadium. The fervent-sounding crowd chanted Irio High''s name as loud as they could.


    This year''s representation matches were held at Irio High. Last year, it was at Karuza High. Thus, Irio High had a homefield advantage this year around.


    The seats were getting filled with insane speed. A sea of people were cheering for their teams from the stands, with different banners waving in the air.


    In Irio, there were four high schools. They were all participating today.


    Karuza High and Irio High had always been the strongestpetitors, but this year, Kaito High and Sumino High were determined to change that.


    Kaito High and Sumino High were quite new, but they had some good talentsing in the following years. They could be a force to be reckoned with in the future.


    In the stands, students from Karuza High arrived and took their seats in front. They brought their cheering squad with them, who were dressed in school colors and waved their banner enthusiastically.


    Still, no one could beat Irio High''s cheering squad. They filled almost all the seats in the southern section, and their chants were loud and synchronized, echoing throughout the entire stadium.


    Further back, Karma and a couple of his friends took their seats. While his friends drank beer and chatted, Karma sat quietly with a serious look on his face.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He wasn''t in a mood to rx and have a good time like his friends; he was focused on his son''s match.


    On the top floor of the stadium, behind arge window, two men shook hands and exchanged not-so-friendly gazes.


    "So, the day has finally arrived," Bernard said with a chuckle.


    "It seems so." Azer replied with a stoic tone.


    Bernard let go of his hand and said with a smirk. "I saw that you put Kiernan on the team. That''s a bold move. Did you do that to appease him?"


    "What do you mean?" Azer asked with a frown and turned to look out of the window towards the stadium below.


    "Y''know, he said about his desires topete in the national." Bernard rubbed his chin. "You put him in a team so he wouldn''t be dissatisfied, didn''t you?"


    "Heh," Azer shook his head with a smile. "No, I truly believe he deserves his spot."


    "Oh, is that so?" Bernard scoffed. "Well, I have already told my students all they have to know about him. Unfortunately, his defense won''t work against us."


    "¡­" Azer stayed quiet and focused his attention on the stadium. The first match was about to start.


    It was between Irio High and Sumino High¡ªthe second match was between Karuza High and Kaito High.


    The winners of both matches would meet in the finals.


    ¡­


    In Karuza High''s locker room.


    "As expected," Jin said while looking at the mounted television on the wall. "They also didn''t put their main fighters."


    On the screen, Irio High was currently fighting Sumino High. However, strangely enough, Irio High wasn''t using any of their main fighters, and still they were winning easily.


    Currently, Jonathan Ackers was fighting for Irio High, and his opponent from Sumino High was struggling to keep up.


    "We expected that to happen." Nath said with a chuckle. "That''s why, we''ll also send our reserves."


    us and Timothy looked calm and collected. This was perhaps the only match of their third year, as they, as reserve fighters, weren''t needed in the following matches.


    They were prepared to go all-in.


    They would go in this order¡ªTimothy, us, and then Nath.


    Neither Timothy nor us wanted it to go all the way to Nath. They wanted to try to reserve the strength of the main fighters for the final battles as much as possible.


    Also, Kiernan wasn''t chosen as a third fighter because he was still Karuza High''s wildcard. They didn''t want to expose him too soon.


    At that moment, loud cheers filled the arena. It was so loud that even the thick walls couldn''t muffle the sound.


    "Ah, they won." Nath said and then stood up with an excited look. "I guess it is our turn."


    "Good luck," Ryan said.


    us, Timothy, Nath, and Jin walked out of the locker room. It was like they were marching to war.


    Only Ryan and Kiernan were left in the locker room. They turned their attention to the television screen.


    "Nervous?" Ryan asked casually.


    "A little bit." Kiernan replied, but once again, a lie left his lips. He was very nervous.


    It was mostly going to be up to him whether they would win or lose¡ªtheir order in the final would be Nath, Ryan, and then him.


    He was thest fighter.


    A single mistake could cost them the whole match.


    The rules were¡ªif the opponent fell off the stage, got knocked out, was down on the ground for ten seconds, or surrendered, the match was over.


    "It''ll be alright; you''ll know what the opponent''s abilities are." Ryan reassured him.


    Kiernan nodded. He had studied Irio High''s fighters for the past week.


    Irio High never really strategized with their fight order. They would always go with the weakest first and the strongestst.


    Thus, they believed Leon Silvers was going to be their first fighter. He used p-boxing as his fighting style. It was an odd choice, but it had proven effective for him.


    Nath would be his opponent.


    The next fighter for them would be Shura Young. She was a dangerous opponent. She used a martial art called Tri-Mor-Art. It focused on striking the pressure points of her opponents to incapacitate them quickly.


    With a single touch, she couldpletely render one arm useless. It was extremely important to avoid her fingers at all costs. They were her strongest weapon.


    Then, thest fighter for them would be Kang Moon¡ªthe strongest high schooler in Irio.


    He had lived in the streets since he was very young and mastered his martial arts in the dark alleyways of Irio. When he was fourteen years old, he had already participated in illegal fighting tournaments.


    His martial art was street fighting. It would include kickboxing, amateur wrestling, and boxing. However, the most dangerous aspect was his mastery of improvised weapons and dirty fighting techniques.


    In the arena, he couldn''t use any weapons, but Kang Moon was definitely going to do everything to win. He didn''t care whether he had to fight dirty; victory was all that mattered to him.


    At that moment, more cheers filtered through the thick walls. However, it also included booing from Irio High''s fans.


    Ryan and Kiernan saw on television that Karuza High was victorious over Kaito High.


    Timothy handled the first two matches, but then he was starting to feel winded up and decided to surrender, and then us easily won the final match to secure the victory for Karuza High.


    "Its time." Ryan stood up and stretched his arms behind his back.


    Kiernan looked at him briefly and noticed something strange. Ryan''s feet were impatiently tapping against the floor. It was clear that he was also nervous.


    ''Of course he would be nervous.'' Kiernan sighed. ''We''re carrying Karuza High''s hopes on our shoulders, after all. This is also the final chance for the third-years to participate in the nationals.


    ''Ever since Ryan, Nath, us, and Timothy entered high school, Karuza High hadn''t reached the national stage. It must be frustrating. This is the final chance for them.''

 Chapter 19 Quest

    The spotlight fell from the ceiling and illuminated the arena with a brilliant glow.


    The martial arts stage was three meters tall, thirty meters wide and long, with stairs leading up to the tform. This time, the stage had the colors of all participating teams printed on the sides.


    At that moment, the crowd erupted into cheers and apuse as the referee of the match stepped up the stairs and walked to the center of the tform.


    He donned a gold uniform with ck stripes and a whistle around his neck. On his shoulders and on his back, there was an emblem of a fist held high in victory.


    "Wee everyone to the annual Irio''s Representation Tournament." The man said it with a pleasant-sounding voice. "My name''s Rio Harrison, and I am a representative of the WMAF¡ªWorld Martial Arts Federation."


    "As representative of WMAF, I hereby announce the legitimacy of this representation tournament. The winner of this match will represent Irio in the uing New Rakuya''s National Martial Arts Tournament, High School Division."


    The crowd pped, which resembled the sound of a thunderp.


    "Without further ado, in the home corner, Irio High!" Rio shouted loudly and pointed his hand towards the home team''s corner.


    The spotlight moved from the tform to illuminate one of the entrances. The door opened, and amidst loud cheers, Irio High''s team entered the arena, led by their coach, Madigan.


    Madigan had slicklybed-back ck hair with a ck beard to match. He wore a navy blue suit with a white shirt and red tie, looking every bit the part of a seasoned coach.


    Behind him, the three main fighters followed closely behind. The reserve fighters, Jonathan Ackers and a quiet-looking young man, walked behind them all.


    They took their spots on the benches beside the tform. It allowed them to get the best view of the arena.


    The Irio High team wore a yellow martial arts uniform. It consisted of tight t-shirt with yellow shorts with ck stripes on the side. It symbolized the sun and the dawning mornings.


    "And now, on the away corner, Karuza High!" Rio proudly announced.


    The door swung open, and the team, wearing a beautiful white uniform with ck flower patterns, stepped into the arena. They were led by coach Jin, who had abandoned his tracksuit and was now wearing a proper suit.


    This wasn''t just an ordinary practice match where he could wear whatever he wanted. This was an official match, with honor and pride on the line. Everyone had to show their best behavior.


    While they were walking, they were showered with apuse, but then the booing from Irio High''s fans drowned it all out. It was a battle of cheers and boos.


    They took their seats on the opposite side of Irio High. They only brought their towels, some cloth to wrap their fists with, and water bottles. Their coach also had some medicine if they desperately needed it.


    On therge screen in the stadium, both teams''s main fighters were shown¡ªit showed their age, known martial arts rank, and their school.


    To many Irio High fans surprise, there was a first-year on Karuza High''s team. They snickered and mocked them, thinking that Karuza High didn''t have anyone better to send.


    "It''s your son!" Lukeughed and patted his friend''s, Karma''s, shoulder. "Not bad. Did you perhaps teach him your specialty?"


    "No, I didn''t¡­" Karma shook his head. "I didn''t teach him my martial arts."


    "Eh, why?" Luke asked in a surprise.


    "My martial arts are dead-end." Karma said with a sigh.


    "Mm¡­" Luke looked at his friend sympathetically.


    In the arena, Rio blew his whistle and shouted. "Irio High and Karuza High, choose your fighters!"


    "Mhm." Leon stood up and cracked his neck with a smile on his face. "I wonder who''ll be my opponent~"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Good luck, Leon." Jonathan cheered him on with a nervous look. ''Is he going to face Kiernan? I have a bad feeling about him¡­''


    "You can do it, Leon~" Shura excitedly pped her hands.


    Kang sat with his muscr arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked as serious as ever. It was almost like he was allergic to smiling.


    Leon was immediately bathed in loud apuse and cheers. He waved his hand with a smile and slowly stepped up to the tform.


    On the other side of the tform, Nath took a sip of the water, closed the cork, and then slowly stood up.


    "Good luck," Ryan said simply.


    "You can do it." us said with a stern nod.


    Timothy nudged his sses and also nodded. He didn''t need to say anything, and Nath was still able to understand him.


    "Your opponent is Leon; be careful of his y''know what." Jin said and patted Nath on the shoulder.


    "Yeah, I got this." Nath cracked his knuckles and, with a smile, stepped up to the tform.


    Karuza High''s fans started banging against drums and started ying trumpets. This time, they managed to drown out all the loud boos.


    As soon as Nath stepped onto the tform, Leon''s eyebrows rose. "Oho, I didn''t expect to fight you."


    "Haha, sorry to disappoint you." Nath said with a grin. "I am Karuza High''s vanguard this time around."


    Madigan stood with a serious look on his face. He looked past the tform towards Karuza High''s team¡ªor more closely at their newest addition, Kiernan.


    ''Hmm¡­'' Madigan frowned. ''Bernard said that his defense is strong and that he easily defeated Dominic, a former eighth-ranked student from Karuza High.


    ''Still, is that all? Are they nning to use Nathaniel and Ryan to do as much damage to our fighters as possible so it will be easy for Kiernan to defeat the leftovers?


    ''Unfortunately, that won''t help. They cannot defeat Kang.''


    Leon and Nath moved to their fighting stances. Their stances were visibly different. Leon didn''t clench his hands into a fist; instead, they were open as if he were preparing to p.


    Nath, on the other hand, had his hands as if they were mantis'' raptorial ws. It was a unique and quite strange stance.


    ''Karuza High''s n is to defeat me, and then Nathaniel''s job is to damage Shura as much as possible.'' Leon thought with a scoff. ''They underestimate me¡ªI''ll wreck that n.''


    "Ready?" Rio pointed at Leon, who nodded, and then pointed at Nath. "Ready?"


    Nath nodded as well.


    "The match between Karuza High and Irio High..." Rio raised his arm high and then swung it down like a whip. "HAS NOW STARTED!"


    Nath and Leonunched forward like missiles. They met each other in the center of the arena and shed with their attacks. Leon''s p and Nath''s fist smashed against each other.


    On Karuza High''s seats, Kiernan watched the fight unfold with a keen eye. But, at that moment, a strange sound echoed throughout his ear.


    Ding, ding.


    ''Huh?''


    ***


    [Quest Has Activated!]


    [Quest]


    [Rank: D]


    [Mission: Defeat Irio High]


    [Desciption: Be thest team standing. Defeat Irio High and be Irio''s representative for the uing National Martial Arts Tournament]


    [Time limit: 1 day]


    [Reward: Iron Style Pill]


    [Penalty: -10 Charm]


    ***


    ''A quest?'' Kiernan''s eyes widened in surprise. ''Right, I forgot there was a quest tab in the system interface. I just didn''t expect them toe so suddenly.


    ''Reward is an Iron Style Pill; what does that mean?''


    He pressed on it, and surprisingly, a description window popped out.


    [Iron Style Pill: You''re able to use your Iron Style for one whole minute after consuming the pill without hurting yourself. It is one-time use!]


    ''Amazing¡­'' Kiernan''s lips curled into a smile. ''One minute is more than enough to defeat most opponents that stand in my way. But that penalty is quite odd. I lose 10 charm? Since I have 8 charm currently, it would go on negatives¡­''

 Chapter 20 Perfect

    Leon''s hands whizzed forward like a pair of rubber bands. From his wrist to his fingers, his hands pped around with loud swooshes. The ps, ifnded, would leave more than a red mark.


    However, his opponent, Nath, was quick on his feet and stepped around the tform to dodge every blow.


    The area near Leon was off-limits. If Nath tried toe closer, those ps wouldnd with a force strong enough to tear off the flesh.


    ''How troublesome.'' Nath circled around Leon, trying to find an opening, but those hands were as fast as a professional boxer''s.


    In general, pping was faster than punching. Its strength couldn''t match a punch, but its speed was what made it a very formidable threat.


    It was like there was an invisible zone around Leon. If one stepped into the zone, they would be met with a stinging p to the face.


    "Nath and Leon are both Middle Stage Martial Soldiers." Jin said to Kiernan, "Their strength is near equal. In these types of matches, strategy often ys a more important role than raw power."


    "Nath needs to be careful." Ryan said with a serious look. "If he makes a mistake now, he''ll lose."


    ''There''s one weakness I can find.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''Nath could use his kicks to either strike at Leon''s body or at those hands. Legs have a longer range by about 30%.''


    Nath, while dodging those ps, had the same idea. Still, he was hesitant about something.


    Kiernan''s eyes widened slightly. ''Leon must be anticipating a kick. There''s only one clear weakness. It''s like he created that weakness on purpose to lure Nath in¡­''


    Nath realized he had to trust his instincts and go for it. He took a long stride forward and dipped his front toes inside Leon''s zone.


    At that moment, the hand came flying in with a terrifying whizzing sound, as if it were a whip.


    Nath''s eyes widened, and he pulled back. The hand whizzed past him. Its fingers narrowly missing Nath''s face.


    "That''s not good~" Leonughed and started walking forward. His hands moved around him like whips made of flesh. He started to approach Nath.


    Nath quickly backed off, not wanting to get hit by those dangerous hands.


    However, Leon continued walking after him, and soon, Nath reached the edge of the tform. His left leg was already hanging outside the tform.


    "Not good!" us cried out.


    ''Cursed.'' Jin''s face looked sour. ''Nath is afraid of those hands, and Leon knows it. That''s why he started pushing in so he could force Nath to the edge, where he can''t dodge!''


    Nath paled, but he then firmly nted his feet on the ground. His body slightly leaned forward, his muscles tightened, and his eyes locked into one of the hands that moved like a possessed serpent.


    At that moment, Leon stepped an inch closer. This caused Nath to be inside his attacking zone. There was no escaping.


    ¡­


    Karuza High, one week ago.


    "You want me to help you?" Ryan asked with a frown.


    "Yep!" Nath said with arge grin.


    They were all alone in the gymnasium. Today''s training had already ended, and they were about to pack their stuff and leave.


    "Hmm." Ryan dropped his bag to the ground. "I never expected you to ask me for help."


    "Leon is dangerous." Nath said. "His ps are fast. I''ve seen him in a few ranked matches, and his zone is extremely dangerous. You''re the fastest fighter I know; maybe you can help me prepare."


    "Hmm, okay." Ryan raised his hand and pped Nath across the face. It was so fast that Nath couldn''t even see what hit him.


    "Ouch!" Nath touched his red cheek and cried out. "That hurt. I wasn''t ready!"


    "Leon won''t care whether you are ready or not." Ryan said with a smile. "I won''t go easy on you."


    "Mmh¡­" Nath stopped touching his swollen cheek and lowered into his fighting stance. "Come on, then, do your worst!"


    Ryan chuckled. He again raised his hand, and as soon as his hand twitched, it was already in contact with Nath''s face. It created a loud smack sound, echoing through the gymnasium.


    "Ouch!"


    ¡­


    Irio High''s stadium, present day.


    ''Calm¡­'' Nath breathed in and out. ''The twitch¡­ the twitch¡­''


    Leon inched another step closer, and then one of his whizzing hands twitched slightly and immediately flew towards Nath''s face.


    Nath''s eyes turned red, and he then moved his hand. It wasn''t fast. However, it was urate.


    Grab!


    Nath''s hand grabbed Leon''s wrist. The p was inches away from contacting his face.


    "What?!" Leon''s cried out. ''How did he catch my hand?!''


    "You''re inferior to him." Nath said coldly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Fucker!" Leon moved his other hand immediately, but Nath blocked it with his forearm, locking it in ce.


    This time, Leon''s attack was even weaker and slower. It was because he couldn''t move his body properly from such a close angle. It greatly decreased his speed, so much so that it was easy for Nath to block it.


    "Gooo!" us and Timothy screamed.


    "Crush him," Ryan said with a grin.


    Nath pulled back his head and then headbutted Leon in the face. Crack. Leon''s nose broke instantly, and blood spewed out of his mouth.


    "This is bad!" Madigan cried out.


    Jonathan and Shura were shocked. They hadn''t seen anyone stop Leon''s attack like that before. It was too fast, even for them!


    Nath immediately followed up with a low kick at Leon''s shinbone. Smack. It created a chilly sound, and Leon''s posture immediately crumbled as his knees buckled down.


    Leon coughed in pain, and he quickly stepped back to gain distance from Nath. His left arm was still somewhat free, and if he had enough space, he could still use his superspeed p.


    It was enough to close the gap between him and Nath again, perhaps even the scale of victory for him.


    Nath quickly punched towards Leon''s face. But he had already retreated, barely far enough to be away from the attack.


    At that moment, Nath''s arm started stretching like rubber. His attacking range suddenly increased!


    ''I know you can do that, but I am still too far!'' Leon grinned in victory.


    "Argh!" Nath screamed in pain, and suddenly, his arm stretched even further and his fist mmed into Leon''s face with incredible force.


    Leon coughed out blood and staggered backwards like a drunken man. His brain bounced inside his head like a pinball. This wasn''t supposed to happen.


    ''H-how, his extra range should''ve been only five centimeters; how did he hit me?''


    "I am sorry, but you underestimated me." Nath said coldly and punched Leon deep in the gut. It instantly forced him down on his knees, gasping for breath.


    "My extra attacking range is actually seven centimeters." Nath said with a smile.


    That extra two centimeters decided this match. It was long and straining training, but Nath managed to improve his strange physique during his tireless training regimen.


    "Good night." Nathunched his kick, and like a whip, it struck Leon''s face with a resounding, flesh-smacking sound. Everyone knew that the match was now over.


    Leon copsed on the ground, a nk look on his eyes.


    "The winner, Nathaniel Waters from Karuza High!" Rio announced loudly.


    Cheers!


    Karuza High''s supporters exploded in cheers. It was so loud that the ceiling almost ruptured.


    "Yes!" Jin shouted, pumping his fist in the air. ''Nath also survived with zero injuries. This was a perfect performance by him!''


    "Heh." Ryan chuckled with a smile, but as soon as his gazended on the other side of the tform, his smile slightly vanished.


    Kang sat there with the same look on his face. Nothing had changed in his expression.


    ''It still doesn''t matter if we cannot defeat that monster.'' Ryan frowned.

 Chapter 21 Countdown

    "Yes!" Azer pumped his fist in the air.


    "Hmph." Bernard shook his head. "Leon is sadly a one-trick pony. Without his superspeed ps, he is a pretty average fighter."


    "Quite harsh wordsing from you; he is still your student, isn''t he?" Azer stated, but he was not surprised by his rival''s words.


    "It is called constructive criticism," Bernard retorted. "How can they grow stronger if they can''t handle even that?"


    Azer scoffed. "Well, it looks like my school has the upper hand. Nath is also in very good condition."


    "Hah, if you think that, you''re truly foolish." Bernard simply shrugged.


    On stage, Leon had woken up from his unconscious state and waltzed off the tform with a bloodied face. His nose was facing the wrong way, and he was clearly in a lot of pain.


    "Do you need to see a doctor?" Madigan asked.


    "No, I am good¡­" Leon sat down on the bench and put a towel over his head to hide his face. ''Damn it, I am pathetic¡­''


    "Irio High, bring forth your next fighter!" Rio''s shout echoed from the tform.


    "Shura," Madigan said. "You''re up."


    "Mm~" Shura hummed to herself and excitedly hopped on her feet. She then skipped up the steps and arrived at the top of the tform.


    Without further ado, Irio High''s supporters erupted in cheers. Young men and women waved their banners and gs, creating a sea of school colors.


    "Shura, Shura, Shura, Shura!"


    The echo of her name resounded throughout the stadium. She was an extremely popr person in her school, a fame that even superseded Kang''s.


    She was an inte persona with a massive following. With her quirky and adorable personality, she had captured the hearts of people all around New Rakuya.


    That''s why her nickname was Queen of Irio, Shura Young!


    "Let''s have a good match!" Shura hopped in one spot like an energetic bunny.


    ''Shura Young¡­'' Nath moved to his fighting stance. ''A formidable opponent.''


    "The next match is between Shura Young and Nathaniel Waters¡­" Rio raised his arm high and swung it down. "FIGHT!"


    As usual, Nath made the first move. He dashed to close the distance and threw a quick jab towards Shura''s face. It wasn''t that strong of an attack, but he threw it to gauge how Shura would react.


    Several young men from Irio High booed loudly. They didn''t like that Nath went straight for the face. It was as if it were sphemy to try to hit her beautiful face.


    Shura''s knees bent slightly. It looked like she was crouching. However, then she sprang up like a coil and jumped over Nath with a graceful flip.


    Nath stopped his attack and immediately did a horse-kick backwards. It was one of the most powerful kicks in his arsenal, but Shura turned sideways and let the kick just slide past her with a smile on her face.


    Nath stomped his feet down to the ground. He moved into a horse stance. It was a stance where his bnce was low and his legs were spread wide apart.


    Then he pulled back his right arm and punched forward with all his strength. At the same moment, from his elbow to his hand, his arm started stretching like rubber.


    It increased his range and made his punch even more powerful.


    Shura put her hand forward and ced her slender finger against the iing fist. The punch stopped instantly, unable to move any further.


    ''What?!'' Nath''s eyes widened in shock.


    At that moment, his entire arm turned numb, and he lost control of the arm. It was as if Shura had somehow paralyzed him with just a touch.


    "Oh, your skin feels weird." Shura giggled. "It almost has a rubbery feel to it. It feels so strange~"


    The crowd erupted in shocked cheers. They were utterly stunned. The slender-bodied Shura somehow managed to stop the physically stronger Nath with just a single finger.


    "That was not strength," Ryan said with a serious look. "There''s one pressure point she can use on the hand. Her nail dug into his skin and pressed against the nerve, causing him to lose all feeling in his arm.


    "That''s the power of Tri-Mor-Art, but the way Shura is using it is very masterful. I don''t think even I can do it, even if I train for twenty years."


    "This is bad." Jin said with a serious look. "For the rest of the match, Nath can''t use his right arm!"


    us and Timothy nervously watched as Nath backed away from Shura with his arm dangling beside him. It was like his arm was made of jelly. It was just dangling uselessly at his side.


    ''She reminds me of a certain someone.'' Kiernan thought, remembering a certain man back on Earth. ''He also used pressure points. He was an annoying opponent because I didn''t know how to counter it back then, but now it''s a piece of cake.''


    Shura rushed in and attacked Nath with her fingers. She wasn''t using her fists, but only her fingers. It was still a formidable threat, and Nath had to do everything in his power to dodge them.


    Nath looked grim-faced as he again backed down to the edge. There was a possibility of him doing the same thing to Shura as he did with Leon¡ªgrab her arm and force her into close-quartersbat.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, he quickly dropped that idea.


    It was because it was very unlikely that the same trick would work twice. Also, he was scared of Shura''s close-quarters capabilities. She didn''t need to use any strength to use her Tri-Mor-Art, so it would be even easier for her to use it from a close range.


    The only advantage Nath had was his superior attacking range with his unique physique.


    ''Don''t think, just move!'' Nath''s form became more steady. ''Some times, against opponents like this, instincts are the only way to win.''


    Shura''s two fingers stabbed through the air, heading towards several of Nath''s pressure points.


    In that moment, Nath ducked underneath Shura''s attack and threw a punch with his left hand towards her face. It was thrown from a low stance, which made his posture quite shaky, but there was still great power behind it.


    Shura suddenly spun her body around, which caused the punch to just slide from her cheek and miss herpletely.


    She then looked like she slipped as her feet left contact with the ground, but shockingly, she threw a bicycle kick andnded a direct hit on Nath''s head.


    Nath crashed on the ground head-first with a loud thud. It was a scary sound that left everyone frozen in shock.


    Shuranded back on her feet and moved her hair out of her face, revealing a cute smile. Her agility was insane; it was like she made a joke out of gravity.


    "1!" Rio started the countdown. Nath had to stand up in ten seconds, or he would lose. "2."


    The crowd awaited with bated breaths. Karuza High''s supporters shouted loudly for Nath to stand up.


    Jin, us, and Timothy screamed in unison.


    "3¡­"


    Nath was still not moving.


    "4¡­"


    He was like a frozen statue on the ground.


    "5¡­"


    The blood started flowing from underneath him. It was clear that he was injured, at least.


    "6¡­"


    The screams from supporters of Karuza High turned desperate.


    "7¡­"


    Irio High''s supporters looked thrilled. They were certain that the victory was theirs.


    "8¡­"


    Shura smiled and started waving towards the crowd, thanking them for their support."


    "9¡­" Rio said out loud, and he was about to finish the countdown.


    At that moment, Nath, who had been quiet since the start of the countdown, slowly stood up. It was so sudden that everyone turned to look at him in surprise.


    "Ptui¡­" Nath spat out blood from his mouth and turned to Shura, then wiped the blood from his nose. "I was just catching my breath."


    "Oh~" Shura grinned with a sharp look. "You should''ve stayed down~!"


    "Nath!" us and Timothy cheered him on from the sidelines.


    ''That kick sure hurt; what the hell was that?'' Nathughed to himself. ''What a monstrous agility. She reminds me of a certain someone.''


    He looked towards the sidelines, where his close friend, Ryan, sat with a stoic look on his face.


    ''If I hadn''t fought Ryan daily during our training, I would probably be more shaken.'' Nath looked straight at Shura. ''I have fought bigger monsters than you.''

 Chapter 22 Three Techniques

    Howe Nath has lost 49 times against Ryan? Howe he hasn''t won even a single one?


    Is it because he is weak? No.


    It was because they knew each other too well. Ryan knew each move he was going to make before he even made it. Same with Nath, as he knew everything Ryan was going to do.


    Still, he couldn''t win because, in the end, it all came down to the pure strength of the individual. Ryan, as a natural fighter, had a natural advantage over him.


    That''s why Nath had created a few sets of moves and kept them hidden. It was so he could use them when the time was right.


    His desire was to defeat Ryan at least once before graduation. When that time came, he would use these skills to defeat his rival.


    Now, Nath came to one conclusion¡ªhe couldn''t defeat Shura without them.


    The crowd cheered on as the final showdown began.


    Shura stood confidently at the center of the ring. She didn''t n to make the first move. All she had to do was wait and strike her opponent''s pressure points.


    Nath moved onward. His right arm was still worthless, but still, he was able to use his shoulder. It helped him swing his arm with some force. It was like a whip made out of flesh.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shura sidestepped past the whip of an arm and tapped Nath''s right shoulder with her index and middle fingers. It was only three light taps, but it caused his shoulder topletely paralyze.


    "Shura''s Tri-Mor-Art has againnded!" Rio used his microphone tomentate on the fight from the sidelines.


    Nath felt the numbness spread from his shoulder to the side of his face. But he didn''t care. Instead, heunched his punch with his left. It looked like a desperate attempt.


    Shura moved her head out of the way and steeled her fingers into a thrusting stance. She then thrust her fingers into his exposed side, aiming for a pressure point that would incapacitate him.


    Her fingers neared the pressure point, but at that moment, Nath''s flexible body moved out of the way and dodged her attack. Her fingersnded only on empty air.


    Nath quicklyunched his elbow sideways towards Shura''s face. It was as she expected it, and she immediately backstepped to avoid the blow.


    The elbow missed.


    Nath didn''t look disheartened and pushed on. He again threw a punch towards Shura, who jumped to the side with a swift movement.


    ''His punch has no power because his posture is all messed up because his right side is all numb.'' Kiernan thought with a frown. ''What is he nning?''


    Nath''s body snapped in Shura''s direction. He rushed in and threw an uppercut. Swoosh. Shura pulled her head back to avoid it. Nath immediately followed up with a hook punch, but Shura sidestepped to avoid it.


    It looked useless.


    Shura was calm and collected. She knew exactly how to handle Nath''s aggressive moves.


    Irio High''s supporters sneered and threw taunts in Nath''s direction. He looked like a clown in their eyes.


    Somewhere in the stands, a middle-aged couple watched intently, worried looks on their faces.


    "Leonard¡­" The middle-aged woman whispered nervously. "Our son is..."


    "It''s fine." Leonard, Nath''s father, said it with a stern look. "A while ago, Nath came to me¡ªhe said he wanted to learn new skills to defeat his rival¡ªand he hadn''t used them yet.


    "Trust in Kam Style."


    Shura steeled her fingers once again. This time, she nned to go straight for the head. If she tapped on the head''s pressure point, her opponent would get paralyzed for a whole day.


    "Kam Style¡­" Nath rushed in and grabbed his paralyzed arm''s hand with his left one.


    ''What''re you doing? There''s nothing you can do with your right arm!'' Shura thrust her fingers towards Nath''s forehead.


    "Melody." Nath released his hands and then pped his hands together with a loud p.


    To everyone else, it sounded like an ordinary p. Not too loud nor too quiet. However, in Shura''s ears, it was a deafening thunderp that echoed in her mind.


    It was a technique that Nath made so that it would only affect his opponent and no one else. Otherwise, there would be over a thousand people currently covering their ears and moaning in pain.


    "Ah!" Shura covered her ears tightly, trying to block the strange ringing. She felt disoriented and dizzy. The whole stadium looked like it was spinning around her.


    However, this was only the first part of the technique. There were a total of three parts.


    Nath walked casually towards Shura and then stopped in front of her.


    "What are you afraid of, mydy?" Nath''s voice echoed in Shura''s ears.


    It was like the voice of an angel.


    "Ah¡­" Shura''s face was distorted in pain, and she didn''t know why, but she still answered. "I-I am afraid of heights."


    "I see¡­" Nath snapped his fingers, and it created a strange sound that only Shura could hear.


    The spinning stadium around Shura disappeared, and she appeared on top of a skyscraper. She was standing right on the ledge, a fall of hundreds of meters right in front of her.


    She was immediately frozen in fear. Her face changed color to a pale shade of white.


    "The second phase¡ªFear."


    Shura was struck by a feeling of terror. All her thoughts were muffled by the overwhelming sense of dread.


    Nath moved to a low stance and formed a fist with his left hand. "The final phase, Punch."


    He took a deep breath, and the strength flowed inside him seamlessly and entered his fist. With a powerful burst of energy, he took a single step forward and punched Shura in the stomach.


    The crowd screamed. Irio High''s supporters were screaming for Shura to wake up. They knew she was having some strange hallucinations.


    As the fistnded on her stomach, Shura was woken up from her fear-stricken state. She felt a sharp pain assault her body, and she saw that she was about to fly out of the ring.


    Nath''s fist was still in contact with her stomach, and her feet were about to leave contact with the ground.


    At that moment, Shura quickly stabbed her fingers through Nath''s chest. This time, her fingers went even through the flesh a little bit. The pressure point was hit!


    Nath''s eyes widened in shock, and his body turned limp. He fell to the ground on his knees, and his breathing turned very ragged.


    Shura continued flying because of the punch and ended up falling outside the ring. The crowd roared in disbelief while Rio went to check on her condition.


    "Nath!" Jin jumped to the stage and went to check Nath''s condition. "Are you alright?"


    "A-ah¡­" Nath grunted in pain and tried to move his body, but he couldn''t. "S-she m-managed to lnd a hit. I-I can''t move¡­"


    Jin checked the injury. There was a small stab wound on Nath''s chest. The finger went through his shirt and chest, but luckily, it wasn''t deep.


    However, one thing was clear.


    "Alright, let''s get you checked up." Jin said and patted Nath''s shoulder. "You did great, but you''re done."


    "W-what?" Nath asked in pain and tried to stand up. "N-no, I-I can still keep going."


    "Its alright." At that moment, Ryan walked over to him with a stoic look. "You n to hog all the glory? It''s fine; leave the rest to us."


    "R-Ryan¡­" Nath sputtered weakly and then nodded in defeat. Jin helped him stand up and walked him off the ring.


    Immediately, Nath was showered with cheers from Karuza High''s supporters.


    "Nath¡­" Nath''s mother put her hands close to her chest with a proud smile. "He did it¡­"


    "It looks like his technique wasn''t perfected." Leonard said. "Shura woke up from her fear status because of the pain. If he had mastered the technique, the fear status would''ve been too strong for her to break it.


    "It would''ve prevented her from counter-attacking."


    "Come on, you doofus." His wife elbowed him on the waist. "It''s not time for your teachings. Let''s go check on our son."


    "My bad¡­" Leonard scratched the back of his head sheepishly.


    On Irio High''s side, the mood was solemn. The supporters had grim expressions, silently processing the devastating loss. They only had one fighter left.


    "Shura lost¡­" Madigan grimaced. He never expected that to happen¡ªnot against Nath. If she had lost, he thought it would be against Ryan.


    ''He didn''t even go all-out against me¡­'' Leon thought with a depressed look underneath the towel. ''If I hadn''t lost so pathetically, Shura would''ve won¡­''


    "Hmph." Kang scoffed and crushed his water bottle. "Both are useless. Fine, I''ll do this myself."


    "Kang¡­" Madigan''s grim expression slightly changed, bing a smile. ''Right, we still have Kang. We cannot lose!''


    Kang stood up from the bench and slowly walked up to the ring. There, Ryan was already waiting. As soon as they saw each other, their looks turned into res.


    It was a battle between two of the strongest high schoolers¡ªRyan Lee and Kang Moon!

 Chapter 23 Ryan vs. Kang

    "Yes, haha!" Azer pped his hands with a joyful expression. "I guess our second-ranked student defeated yours."


    "Keepughing; it will soon turn into sorrow." Bernard said with a confident smirk. "Kang is the strongest."


    ''I have heard a lot about Kang.'' Azer thought with a curious look. ''However, he''ll have to face both Ryan and Kiernan for the victory. Ryan, I believe, can contest for the victory. Kiernan''s true strength is still a mystery.''


    Ryan and Kang stood on the ring. Their forms were vastly different. Ryan stood at afortable 180 centimeters, while Kang towered him over at 220 centimeters.


    It was like a child facing an adult.


    "The third match is between Ryan Lee and Kang Moon!" Rio came to the ring after the doctors took Shura away.


    Shura was fine, a little shaken. Her ears were still ringing, but the doctors were taking care of her, so she should be fine.


    "Are both fighters ready?!" Rio asked with a loud shout.


    "Ready." Ryan said and moved to his fighting stance¡ªit was a stance with focus ced on quick strikes and nimble footwork.


    "Ready." Kang replied with a deep voice and moved to an orthodox stance¡ªit was a stance known for its bnce and power. It was also one of the most used fighting stances in the world.


    Rio raised his arm high and then swung it down in a powerful arc. "Fight!"


    Without further ado, Rio jumped off the ring. He could feel with his vast fighting experience that Ryan and Kang were above others in terms of skill and strength.


    "Kang, Kang, Kang!" Irio High''s supporters screamed his name so loudly that their voices turned hoarse.


    Their hopesy on the broad shoulders of Kang, the ace of Irio High.


    "Ryan, Ryan, Ryan!"


    Karuza High''s supporters screamed loudly. They were only one victory away from the nationals. It was almost like they could taste it.


    "Haa!" Kang moved forward like a tank and sted his fists through the air with immense power.


    Ryan used his incredibly fast eleration to evade the punches, and immediately after, he unleashed his lightning-quick jabs.


    Pow, pow, pow!


    His jabs rained on Kang''s arms. However, his defense was hard as rock. It didn''t even make the giant-of-a-man flinch.


    "Haa!" Kang punched with a very wide arc, but Ryan ducked just in time to avoid the fatal blow.


    Kang followed up with a sweep kick, but Ryan jumped over it, and as soon as hended back on the ring, he hook-punched Kang in the ribs.


    It would bring even an adult man to their knees, but Kang simply shrugged it off and pped Ryan across the face with a resounding smack.


    Ryan was sent flying. He bounced off the ground and rolled for a little more beforeing to a stop,pletely winded and dazed.


    "Kang, Kang, Kang!" Irio High''s supporters chanted like a fervent cult.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''What a monster!'' Azer thought from the VIP Room. ''The hook punch from Ryan would put anyone in tears, but it didn''t effect Kang at all!''


    "Hahahah!" Bernard roared inughter. "You see the difference? Ryan might be Natural Fighter, but in my opinion, Kang is more blessed with natural talent and a body to match it!"


    In the ring, Ryan lifted his legs and leapt back on his feet. His silver hair was disheveled, he was sweating heavily, and his cheek was swollen red.


    A single attack from Kang put him in such a miserable state.


    At that moment, Kang came rushing in like a bull, one shoulder in front of him, and rammed into Ryan like a freight train. It was a direct and powerful hit.


    Ryan flew across the air like a ragdoll and roughlynded at the edge of the ring.


    The crowd gasped in shock at the impact.


    Irio High''s supporters were in awe of the strength and chanted Kang''s name as if it were some kind of mantra.


    At the edge of the ring, Ryan stayed down without moving a muscle.


    ''What crazy physical strength.'' Rio said and raised his arm. "1¡­"


    The countdown has begun.


    "Hmph." Kang cracked his knuckles. "Was that all?"


    Before the number 2 left Rio''s lips, Ryan stood back up with his silver hair messily falling over his face. He panted heavily, as if he were out of energy.


    "Fight restart!" Rio shouted, surprised that Ryan stood back up so suddenly.


    Many others would''ve taken those ten seconds to catch their breaths, like Nath did. Ryan also seemed very winded up, as if he couldn''t properly stand anymore. Those ten seconds could''ve been valuable for him.


    "Whew¡­" Ryan pushed his hair back and revealed an exhausted face with a small smile on it.


    Kang again put his shoulder in front of him, as if he nned to push Ryan off the ring in the next attack.


    However, then Ryan took a deep breath and lowered his stance. His leg muscles tensed up and danced like a coiled spring. This was his form for Super eleration!


    ''He is nning to use his Super eleration?'' us looked surprised and nced at Kiernan.


    ''He just discovered a minor w in it a week ago when he got defeated by Kiernan.


    ''It is also not a surprise that Irio High has sent spies to check our training. What if they saw the training match between Ryan and Kiernan? They would know the weakness, and Ryan would lose.


    ''He must also be thinking that, but still, how can Ryan smile and be so carefree about it?''


    Kiernan watched the match with a keen eye.


    ''Ryan, did you really discover a way to counter your weakness?''


    Crack¡ªthe ground underneath Ryan cracked. His muscles were ready to unleash his Super eleration. It was something that pushed his body to its physical limits, and it wasn''t something he could do constantly.


    The whole audience''s gazended on Ryan. Thousands of eyes watched every movement.


    At that moment, Ryan vanished. There was nothing left of him. Not a single audience member managed to see him.


    Kang''s eyes rounded up in surprise. The speed even surprised him. But he still moved.


    He threw a punch in front of him. The punchnded on empty air.


    It wasn''t because he knew how to counter Super eleration. None of Irio High''s "spies" were near Karuza High when the practice match between Ryan and Kiernan happened.


    They''re still unaware of Kiernan''s true strength. They were also unaware of Ryan''s Super eleration.


    Kang still punched for one reason only¡ªhis instincts told him to.


    However, a split second after Kang punched, his instincts were screaming about a mistake. Him punching was a grave mistake.


    Kang''s eyes moved up to the air, and there he saw Ryan moving towards him at an impossible speed, and then his kicknded on his neck with a force that sent waves of pain throughout Kang''s body.


    "Aaargh!" Kang''s cry of pain resounded throughout the stadium. He staggered to the side, hot breath escaping his mouth.


    There was a deep purple mark on his neck, and his shoulder seemed stiff. The kick broke his corbone, leaving him in excruciating pain.


    Ryannded back on the ground with a smile. This was a new addition to Ryan''s techniques¡ªSuper Jump!


    Kiernan''s lips turned into a crazy-excited smile.


    ''Hahaha, I see now. He used his Super eleration to jump instead. It would bring him close to his opponent as fast as just running in a straight line.


    ''Also, while in the air, he can move better than when his legs are glued to the ground, allowing him to throw a kick. It''s also something that no one can expect.


    ''If your opponent vanishes in front of you, usually the first instinct is to throw a punch.


    ''If he had used that in our match, I couldn''t have been able to block it either.


    ''Now, he has both Super eleration and Super Jump. The preparation for each attack is exactly the same. That''s why it will be a guessing game which one he will use.


    ''This is Natural Fighter, huh? He managed to perfectly find a counter to his weakness in just a single week.''


    ''Thank you, Kiernan.'' Ryan thought with a smile. ''Without you, I would''ve probably used Super eleration in this match, and that would''ve cost us the match.''


    "K-Kang is injured." Jonathan stuttered in shock. He had never seen him injured before. ''H-how is Karuza High so strong? It was supposed to be an easy victory for us!''

 Chapter 24 Killers Aura

    "This can''t be happening!" Bernard punched the window, which rattled in its frame.


    "This is the difference between Ryan and Kang." Azer smirked. "Natural Fighter doesn''t only mean that they fight without proper martial arts techniques. It means they adapt and improvise in any situation."


    "You¡­" Bernard looked hatefully at the ring. ''Kang, I have spent a fortune on giving you the best training environment. Do not betray my trust!''


    On the medical wing.


    The doctor fixed up the mounted television. He made it so that it would point down at the patient''s bed, allowing them to watch TVfortably while recovering from the fight.


    "Is this good?" The doctor asked.


    "Yeah, thank you¡­" Nath said with a whisper. He was lying on the bed, and he couldn''t move an inch.


    That was not his main concern for now. His entire focus was on the television screen.


    ''Ryan, you''re truly great¡­'' Nath bit his lip. ''However, how can I defend against both Super eleration and Super Jump? He has be even stronger.''


    "Your ssmate is strong."


    A voice came from the neighboring bed. There, Shura was sitting while holding an ice bag against her stomach.


    "Yes, he is." Nath said with a smile and then looked at her. "How''s the injury?"


    "I''ll survive." Shura replied with a meek smile. "You could''ve gone easy on me~"


    "If I had, you would still be fighting Ryan." Nath said with a wry smile. "Anyway, how long will I be paralyzed? My nose is itching."


    "Well, here~" Shura stood up from her bed and scratched his nose with a mischievous smile. "Is it better?"


    "I might not be able to move, but I can still bite." Nath said with a smile.


    Shura pulled back her hand and innocently smiled. "You''ll be paralyzed for about two hours. How''s the wound, by the way?"


    "Hurts." Nath replied with a grimace. "You poked a hole in me."


    "I am sorry; I truly am." Shura said and bowed in apology. "I don''t usually do that. I''ve learned to control my techniques so I wouldn''t do what I did to you, but at that moment, I couldn''t think about going easy."


    "I understand." Nath sighed. "It was a stressful situation."


    "Anyway, the fight is not over yet." Shura looked over to the television with a serious look. "In times like this, Kang''s very dangerous. He has lived in the streets since he was very young, which helped him develop an aura of some sort."


    "An aura?" Nath asked.


    "Killer''s aura." Shura said. "I don''t know whether he has killed anyone. Not in official matches, as far as I am aware. However, I don''t think he managed to live on those streets without leaving a few corpses behind.


    "When he is on the brink of defeat, his killer''s aura awakens. During that time, he is at his most dangerous."


    Nath looked worriedly toward the television.


    ¡­


    "Haa¡­ haah¡­" Kang breathed heavily and grabbed his broken shoulder with a look of anger.


    The stadium had quieted down. It was like the audience knew that the fight''s ending moments were near.


    ''Still standing¡­'' Ryan breathed out loudly and moved to a low stance, but at that moment, a look of pain surfaced.


    He turned to look at his feet. They were bleeding and bruised. His Super Jump was even more draining than Super eleration.


    He couldn''t use either one of them in this match anymore, and now his speed had also been cut in half. All his trump cards had been used up.


    ''Kang, are you about to lose?'' Kang spoke to himself in the third person. ''I fought my way out of that ce. All I had to do was get to the nationals to pay off my debt. I won''t go back there¡­''


    Kang stepped forward and cracked the ground beneath him. It caused the ring''s floor''s tiles to shatter into tiny pieces. That was his n all along.


    At that moment, Kang kicked up a cloud of dust that came from the shattered tiles. It concealed him from his opponent.


    Ryan squinted his eyes, as he couldn''t see Kang anywhere.


    Instantly after, Kang''srge fist punched through the cloud of dust and smashed into Ryan''s block. Ryan''s block was sessful, but his arms shook afterwards and his feet slid backwards from the force of the impact.


    The cloud of dust cleared up, and then Kang kicked up the shattered pieces of the tile towards Ryan. Those small pieces were like small rocks flying at the speed of a bullet.


    Ryan hid his head behind his block, and he tanked all those immensely quick pieces. Some of the pieces missed, but the majoritynded on his arms and legs, leaving small cuts and bruises.


    This was Kang''s Street Fighting!


    "Haa!" Kang rushed in with a rageful yell and smashed his fist at Ryan''s block.


    Ryan''s body rattled from the force of the blow, and a few grunts of pain escaped his lips. He couldn''t keep blocking forever, or his body would break like ss.


    Kang screamed and smashed his fist at Ryan''s blocks one after another. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow. Eventually, Ryan''s block cracked, and Kang''s fist broke through, connecting with Ryan''s jaw.


    The fist pushed Ryan''s head backward with a sickening crack. It sounded like his neck had cracked in two.


    The crowd jumped to their feet. There were cheers and voices of shock and amazement filling the arena.


    After taking Nath to the medical wing, Jin returned to the sidelines just in time to see Kang''s fateful punch. His eyes widened in shock.


    "No¡­"


    us and Timothy jumped to their feet, clenching their fists. They were screaming inside their minds for Ryan to keep on fighting!


    Ryan stumbled backwards. His eyes looked unfocused and clouded with pain.


    At that moment, Kang rushed in to deliver the finishing blow. His fist flew through the air like a missile of pain.


    Ryan suddenly started falling backward. Karuza High''s supporters hearts sank as they expected the worst. At that moment, he regained his bnce on the edge of the ring, and then he mmed his head against Kang''s fist.


    POW!


    The fist struck Ryan''s forehead¡ªthe forehead was one of the hardest parts of the human body.


    "Ngh¡­" Kang''s face grimaced in pain.


    At that moment, Ryan tensed up his fingers on his left hand, and then he thrust his hand towards Kang''s face. His fingers stabbed into Kang''s right eye, momentarily blinding him.


    "Argh!" Kang screamed in agony.


    ''He went for the eye!'' Jin screamed inwardly. ''However, he didn''t puncture the eye, as he didn''t want to cause permanent damage.''


    Ryan pulled back his hand with a weak smile. He turned to Kiernan on the sidelines and motioned with his mouth:


    "I''ll leave the rest to you¡­"


    Kiernan''s eyes widened.


    At that moment, Kang grabbed Ryan by the head and smashed him to the ground. It was an instant knockout.


    Rio quickly jumped to the ring and pushed Kang away from Ryan. His strength was surprising high; he even managed to push Kang, who was filled with muscle and was almost three heads taller than him.


    He quickly checked Ryan''s pulse. It was steady.


    With relief, he announced. "The fight''s over; the winner is Kang Moon!"


    "Argh¡­" Kang put his hand over his right eye. It was bleeding profusely. ''This fucker intentionally went for my eye, so I''ll be half-blind for my final match. I''ll make those fuckers pay!''


    As soon as the announcement of Kang''s victory was called out, Irio High''s supporters jumped to their feet and started waving their banners. They were in a very festive mood.


    The biggest hurdle¡ªRyan Lee¡ªwas cleared!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Now, there was only one person left.


    Karuza High''s supporters gazended on a single person¡ªKiernan¡ªthe youngest fighter in the entire representation tournament.


    Jin, us, and Timothy turned to look at the ck-haired young man. They were nervous, for an obvious reason.


    "Kiernan¡­" Jin paused, his heart filled with both fear and hope.


    "I know." Kiernan stood up and rubbed his stiff neck. ''Ah shit, I slept in a bad position, and now my neck''s stiff. I''ll probably need a massage after this.''

 Chapter 25 Rendering Edge

    "It''s young Kiernan!" Liam said with an expression that seemed half-drunk and half-nervous. "How harsh to put him as thest fighter! If he loses, all of it will be his fault."


    Karma stayed quiet. His feet were impatiently tapping against the floor. It was clear that he was also nervous¡ªperhaps it was one of the things Kiernan inherited from him.


    "Hahaha!" Bernard shouted loudly in the VIP room. He could be as loud as he wanted, as the outside world couldn''t hear them. "Your school''s ace has been defeated. There''s nothing to worry about anymore!"


    "Oh, Kang is pretty injured." Azer said nonchntly. "His corbone is broken, he can''t really use his left arm and he is pretty much half-blind for this fight."


    "If you had put us, perhaps I would be slightly worried, but not him." Bernard said with augh. "Sure, he might''ve shown promise when he fought Dominic, but Kang will break him like a twig."


    Azer frowned. ''Kiernan¡­''


    ¡­


    Kiernan stepped up the small steps to the ring.


    He was instantly drowned by boos and hisses from the crowd. There were a few cheers from Karuza''s sides, but they were almost inaudible.


    Most of Karuza High''s supporters didn''t bother to cheer. They looked extremely serious. This was a very uphill battle.


    As soon as he arrived on the ring, a strong aura locked onto him¡ªit belonged to Kang, who looked like a mad beast. It didn''t help that his right eye was bleeding profusely, making his appearance look crude.


    Rio appeared at the center of the stage. He looked at Kang and then shifted his gaze to Kiernan.


    As he looked at Kiernan, he couldn''t help but show looks of pity. If he lost now, after amazing performances from Nath and Ryan, he would be a very hated individual in Karuza High.


    Their fans were very passionate, but so were the students at their school. They didn''t take losing lightly.


    ''Sending High Stage Martial Recruit as the final fighter¡­'' Rio shook his head. ''What is Karuza High thinking?''


    He then decided to focus on the match ahead.


    "The final match between Karuza High and Irio High is between Kiernan Hunter and Kang Moon!"


    "Are both fighters ready?!"


    "Ready." Kiernan said and moved to his usual fighting stance. It was again the defensive stance of Iron Style.


    "I am." Kang stated and moved into a throwing-punch stance. It looked like he would throw a punch as soon as the match started.


    Rio gritted his teeth and raised his arm high. This was thest time. He then swung his arm down.


    "FIGHT!"


    All the audience members jumped up from their seats and started cheering loudly. Confident cheers came from Irio High''s side. Desperate cheers from Karuza High''s side.


    "You Martial Recruit trash; you don''t belong here!" Kang screamed and instantly threw a punch.


    "Who is?" Kiernan smiled.


    At that moment, deep inside him, his dazzling soul shed anotheryer. This time, a beautiful, sparkling soul bloomed. It almost looked like a diamond.


    Ding, ding!


    [Low Stage Martial Soldier Achieved!]


    [50 XP Acquired!]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    There were a select few in the stadium who were able to see the change in Kiernan.


    Rio, Jin, Madigan, Azer, Bernard, and¡­ Karma.


    "This young man¡­" Rio''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Son¡­" Karma whispered slowly.


    "What?!" Madigan and Bernard had the same reaction.


    ''Again¡­'' Azer looked thrilled.


    "GO!" Jin screamed.


    Kiernan''s fist flew with a speed that superseded all his attacks thrown previously. It was so fast that it even rivaled Ryan''s speed!


    SMACK!


    His fist sted into Kang''s face, and he copsed down on the ground with a shocked look on his face. Because of his momentarily shocked state, he couldn''t even react.


    "1!" Rio immediately started counting down. "2!"


    Karuza High''s supporters broke out in cheers. They were all looking at each other in shock, asking each other what the hell happened.


    In the medical wing.


    Shura and Nath looked at the television with their mouths wide open. There was another patient there now¡ªRyan¡ªwho looked at the screen with a small smile.


    In the ring, the countdown continued.


    "3¡­"


    Kang shook his head and finally recognized what was happening.


    "4¡­"


    "Enough!" Kang screamed and stood back up with plenty of time to spare. "Argh!"


    "Continue fighting!" Rio shouted and jumped off the ring once again.


    This time, Kiernan moved back to his defensive stance. The rock-solid defense. It was even stronger now that he was a Martial Soldier.


    In the audience, Dominic shuddered at the sight of that. It was something that didn''t disappear from his nightmares. It was the most helpless he had ever felt.


    A few rows behind him, Julia watched the fight with a nervous expression¡ªit was almost like her heart was able to burst through her chest.


    Kang rushed in with a mad look. It didn''t matter to him whether his opponent tried to defend. He would break through.


    He was able to break through Ryan''s defense easily. He nned to do the same.


    Kang''s fist got unleashed. It created so much power that the air in front of the fist exploded. It was the strongest punch he had thrown.


    Whether it was his desire to win or crush his opponent, somehow Kang found a new reserve of strength that hadid dormant inside him.


    In that same moment, Kang started approaching a new level of strength¡ªinside him, his soul started to peel. It was only a little bit, but it was enough to know that he wasn''t far from achieving even greater power.


    Martial Fighter was close to being born.


    Kiernan breathed evenly and felt the approaching danger. That punch was too much for him to handle.


    For his current self, at least.


    ''When they spoke about my defense and how good it was, I almost chuckled.'' Kiernan remembered their conversations. ''It wasn''t anythingpared to my real defense. It is a cheap copy.''


    ''Since I couldn''t use Iron Style, I had to make fake techniques that replicated the real technique as best as I could. It got me this far, but that''s not enough now.''


    "Iron Style¡­" Kiernan shot his hand forward and touched Kang''s fist with the side of his hand. "Rendering Edge."


    Kiernan, using the backhand side, steered Kang''s fist away from him in a fluid motion. His attack wasn''t anywhere close to hitting him.


    It also broke Kang''s posture. He was desperately trying to regain his bnce.


    But then Kiernan stepped forward and smashed his fist into his chest. Pow. The shock reverberated across Kang''s body. He staggered backwards, gasping for air.


    "I-Impossible¡­" Kang coughed in pain, and as he looked at Kiernan, his figure suddenly turned taller and taller. Soon, his figure inside Kang''s mind looked so incredibly tall.


    Kang, since his growth spurt, has never been forced to look someone up. It was the first time in a very long time that he had to look up.


    Kiernan moved back to his fighting stance. He had the same stoic look on his face. However, his knuckles on his hand were bleeding.


    There was still a drawback to using Iron Style¡ªhowever, he chose to use it because Rendering Edge was the technique that taxed him the least.


    During the previous week, he chose a selected few from his vast arsenal of Iron Style. Those skills were weak physically, but he was able to use them withoutpletely breaking his body.


    Rendering Edge was perhaps his greatest defensive skill. It allowed him to redirect his opponent''s attacks away from him. It was what he tried with his fake technique, but it was weak.


    Now, his defense has been raised to a whole other level.


    If Dominic thought his previous defense was scary, this one would be terrifying.

 Chapter 26 The Journey of the Strong

    Everyone in the stadium realized this. Kang didn''t have a clear advantage over his opponent.


    It might''ve been because of his injuries sustained in his fight with Ryan or because Kiernan was simply strong!


    A new fire was lit in the hearts of those who supported Karuza High. There was still hope!


    us and Timothy have not even once ceased cheering him on. There was only one obstacle left before nationals¡ªit happened to be the biggest obstacle in their high school career, Kang Moon.


    Kang screamed and started throwing punches. Each punch caused the air to explode. All of those punches were stronger than any punch thrown by Martial Soldier.


    His strength was inching closer and closer to Martial Fighter territory!


    ''What a monster.'' Jin thought with a sour expression. ''I can feel it; Kang is bing stronger with each passing second!''


    "Come on, Kang!" Leon and Jonathan screamed.


    Madigan''s nails dug into his palms. The defeat wasn''t an option. They had been defeating Karuza High for thest two years, and this year was supposed to be their easiest victory yet.


    They had the strongest team in the past decade. However, somehow this year, Karuza High managed to challenge them for the victory!


    "Iron Style, Rendering Edge!" Kiernan stood his ground and redirected all of those powerful punches away.


    No matter how strong Kang''s punches were, they couldn''t break Kiernan''s defense!


    It was like he was a fortress.


    "Annoying!" Kang''s forehead throbbed with a headache. It was the most frustrating fight he had ever been in.


    Another one of Kang''s punches flew in. This time, Kiernan grabbed it by the wrist, then moved his other hand to Kang''s shoulder and twisted it hard.


    With a swift movement, Kang was put into an standing armlock.


    "Aaargh!" Kang screamed in pain as his whole body screamed in agony.


    The arm that was put into standing armlock was Kang'' broken arm. While the arm wasn''t broken, the shoulder and corbone were. It was the most excruciating pain in Kang''s life.


    "Iron Style, Trap of the Tiger." Kiernan whispered as he applied pressure to the armlock.


    Then, he moved Kang''s arm behind his back, locking it in ce.


    "Aaargh!" Kang screamed as his shoulder was rotated all the way to the back.


    Fueled with rage and pain, he clumsily threw a punch with his right fist over his shoulder. He couldn''t see where he was aiming and felt the empty feeling of missing his target.


    "Your son is freaking strong; what the hell!" Liam shouted in shock.


    Another friend of Karma''s added. "Kang can''t do anything against him. What the hell did you teach your son?"


    "I¡­" Karma didn''t know what to say, but he was feeling overwhelming pride.


    Simultaneously, the whole stadium was lit up in excitement. The fight was nearing its end. Irio High''s supporters screamed at Kang to do something, while others cheered on Kiernan to finish him.


    Jin stood up. He couldn''t stand still. Neither could us nor Timothy, who impatiently fidgeted around.


    ''Don''t rush it.'' Jin anxiously repeated it in his mind. ''A wounded animal is most dangerous when cornered.''


    Kiernan knew that all too well. It looked like he had many choices to finish the fight, but he didn''t rush in to do anything. He was incredibly calm.


    ''What a young man!'' Rio looked excited. ''Anyone else in his shoes would''ve just gone for the victory, but he''s ying it smart and thinking ahead.''


    Kang let out a furious roar. It sounded like an angry lion. He then started straightening his back, ignoring the armlock. It was an amazing feat of physical strength.


    "Interesting." Kiernan twisted his arm, and an audible crack sounded. He broke Kang''s arm.


    "Aaaargh!" Kang shouted with foam pouring out of his mouth, and he immediately kicked backwards. The kicknded on Kiernan''s block and forced him all the way to the edge of the ring.


    "Go, crush him!" Bernard shouted with a mad fury.


    "It was so close¡­" Azer grimaced. ''Should Kiernan have gone for the victory? No, it would''ve been too dangerous. That kick proved that Kang had plenty of strength left in him.''


    Kang prowled towards Kiernan with a crazed look. It looked like he was at the limit of his physical and mental strength, but still, he just wouldn''t go down.


    "Come on, use your defense!" Kang screamed and rushed in while he unleashed his air-exploding punches.


    Kiernan''s expression turned serious, and he unleashed his Rendering Edge. His hands swiftly redirected the punches away, but Kang didn''t stop advancing. He continued moving towards Kiernan, inch by inch.


    ''This is bad!''


    Jin''s eyes shook in a fear.


    ''Kiernan''s defense has only one weakness. If he is at the edge of the ring, he can''t use his movement to escape to safety. If Kang keeps advancing and advancing, he would eventually force Kiernan off the ring or risk getting hit by those punches!''


    ''Checkmate!'' Madigan''s grin looked maniacal. ''There''s no escape!''


    Kiernan''s Rendering Edge continued to throw away those punches, but he noticed that Kang''s legs were still moving towards him.


    Kang realized that there was only one clear way to win this fight¡ªforce Kiernan off the ring.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It wasn''t the most glorious way to win, but Kang had never cared about pride or honor.


    Winning was all that mattered!


    "I apud your strategy, but my victory is certain."


    Kiernan stopped his Rendering Edge suddenly. One of the punches broke past his defense. It took everyone by surprise, especially Kang, who didn''t expect that.


    He allowed the punch toe as near as his face, and then he activated his Rendering Edge with his left hand at thest second and pushed the punch to the side.


    Kang was right in front of him and waspletely caught off-guard. He didn''t n to be this close.


    ''This fucker led me right into his trap!'' Kang''s eyes shrank with his instincts screaming from every pore.


    At that moment, Kiernan moved to his punching stance and unleashed a single straight punch¡ªit didn''t look special, but soon, the air flow in front of the fist drastically changed and the strength of the punch multiplied.


    "Iron Style¡­"


    Kiernan gritted his teeth tight and mmed his fist into Kang''s gut.


    "IRON SMASH!"


    SMACK!


    Kang''s stomach caved in as if he were hit by a wrecking ball. He flew backwards like a shooting star and crashed on the ground on the other end of the ring. He was only inches away from falling off the ring.


    If he wasn''t as heavy as he was, he would''ve lost the fight then and there.


    "So close!" Karuza High''s supporters echoed in unison with frustrated looks.


    "H-he can still do it, right?" us said with a nervous whisper. "That punch was so strong, he should just throw another like that."


    "He can''t." Timothy nudged his sses with a serious look. "Look at his hand, it''spletely broken."


    "W-what?" us turned to look at Kiernan and saw the state of his fist¡ªit was bruised and swollen¡ªmost likely every bone in his hand broke.


    In the medical wing, Nath screamed at the television, even though Kiernan couldn''t hear a word.


    "Are we going to lose¡­" Shura whispered with a sinking feeling. "Kiernan¡­ who is he?"


    "Who knows¡­" Ryan said with a smile. "The fight is over."


    In the ring, Kang tried to climb back to his feet with a startled expression. It was clear that he didn''t know what hit him. It was almost like a car ran him over.


    "T-This cannot be¡­" Kang tried to push himself past his limits, but he noticed that his legs had lost their strength. "N-noo¡­"


    At that moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder. This time, it was the right shoulder, so the pain wasn''t as bad.


    Kang, with a frozen expression, turned around just to see Kiernan stand over him with a stoic expression.


    "No¡­ how could I lose a piece of shit like you¡­"


    "Who knows?" Kiernan said and pushed Kang off the ring. "Many people have asked me that during my journey. I am still unable to give them a satisfying answer."


    Thud. Kang''s body hit the ground outside the ring.


    Whistle¡ªa sound of whistle echoed throughout the quiet stadium.


    "The winner is Kiernan Hunter!" Rio shouted loudly. "As representative of WMAF, I dere Karuza High as victors!"

 Chapter 27 The Winners

    "Ah¡­" Kiernan looked at his broken hand with slight pain. "Martial Soldier still ain''t enough."


    With a sigh, he turned around, and his eyes immediately opened to the sight of his teammates jumping to the ring with tears rolling down their cheeks.


    "You did it!" us and Timothy were shouting in triumph, their voices drowned out by the roaring crowd.


    The audience was on their feet, pping and cheering loudly as they celebrated the team''s victory. It had been a frustrating couple of years for Karuza High''s fans.


    It felt like Irio High''s team was getting stronger with each passing year¡ªthis year wasn''t supposed to be any different, but Karuza High managed to pull a shocking upset.


    Finally, they released their frustrations into loud cheers. It was a surprise that the ceiling didn''t fall apart from the force of their excitement.


    "We are going to nationals!" us excitedly patted Kiernan''s back while roaring inughter.


    Kiernan smiled with relief. His nerves finally began to dissipate.


    This was apletely surreal feeling to him¡ªhearing over a thousand audience members cheering¡ªit was nothing like being back on earth.


    ''I can''t say I dislike it.'' Kiernan thought to himself with a chuckle. ''I wonder if there are bigger stadiums out there.''


    "Is your hand alright?" Timothy asked with a nudge of his sses. His eyes were also red, suggesting that he also shed a few tears. It was also a very emotional moment for him.


    "It will heal." Kiernan said with a smile and then walked off the ring with the two others.


    "Good job." Jin patted him on the shoulder with a giant smile. "You freaking did it."


    "I am d I didn''t disappoint." Kiernan said honestly. It was one thing he didn''t want to do.


    "Get your injured hand checked out; we''ll leave shortly after." Jin eyed the crazy audience and said, "Nationals next¡­"


    Kiernan nodded and headed with us and Timothy towards the medical wing.


    In the VIP room, Bernard fell down on his knees with a shocked gaze. He couldn''t believe what had transpired.


    Azer loosened his clenched fist. He had clenched his hand so tight that his palm had turned a pale shade of white. There were times when he also forgot to breathe.


    "This can''t be happening¡­" Bernard whispered.


    "He is only a first-year¡­" Azer took a deep breath. "I guess the next few years will be Karuza''s time to shine. With Kiernan, I don''t see us losing."


    "Hah¡­" Bernard gritted his teeth and mockinglyughed. "And so what? After he graduates, Karuza High will be back in Irio High''s shadow. One person cannot change the fate of the entire school!"


    "I wonder¡­" Azer sighed. "Nationals, it had been a few years since I was there. I wonder if we have a chance this year."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hahaha!" Bernardughed. "You really think there''s even a small chance of you winning? Dream on, Azer. You know nationals are on a whole other level. If I had to guess, your team doesn''t even make past the first round!"


    "Thanks for the pep talk." Azer took his hat and put it on. "I''ll remember your words."


    Bernard hatefully red at him and watched as he left the room. Immediately after, he copsed on the ground and let out a defeated sigh.


    Karuza High''s supporters, in a very high spirit, started to slowly depart from the stadium.


    The students from Karuza High were proud of their victory and celebrated with cheers and high-fives.


    Dominic looked over to the stage where the fight happened only moments prior. His hands clenched into fists.


    ''Next year, I''ll stand there¡­''


    Julia walked along with other students towards the exit, a sense of happiness filling her heart. It was because what her father said came true.


    As soon as Kiernan was chosen as one of the main fighters, during dinner, he told Julia and her mother about how he was certain that he would be the future of Karuza High for years toe.


    ''Father, you were right¡­'' Julia thought to herself with a smile. ''Father must be happy.''


    On the top row of the audience, Liam and a few of their friends were excitedly discussing the oue of the fight. During the final moments of the fight, they identally spilled their beer all over their clothes, but they didn''t seem to mind.


    Karma stood up from his seat and started heading over to the exit.


    "Karma, already leaving?" Liam questioned.


    "Yeah, I''ll have to make dinner." Karma said with a thoughtful look. "I''ll make Kiernan''s favorite food for when he gets back."


    Liam wryly smiled and wrapped his arm around Karma''s shoulders. "Can wee? I haven''t seen young Kiernan in a long time."


    "I don''t think he would remember you." Karma said with a tired expression and put his arm away. "Also, you''re drunk. I don''t want that stench in my house."


    "Just say that you want to celebrate alone with your son." Liam said with augh. "Anyway, I''ll have work tomorrow; let''s go fishing soon, aight?"


    "Sure." Karma nodded. They then bid farewell and headed in different directions.


    ¡­


    The medical wing.


    As soon as the door opened, Nath hopped off his bed and put Kiernan in a headlock.


    "You did it, what a guy!" Nathughed loudly, causing Kiernan to chuckle and try to wiggle free.


    Kiernan eventually managed to break free and shook hands with Nath instead.


    "Thanks to you two." Kiernan said humbly.


    Ryan slowly stood up from his bed and stretched his arms wide. "Ah, nationals next!"


    "Heyo!" Shura excitedly waved her hand. "We haven''t met, but my name''s Shura. Nice fight!"


    "Oh, thanks." Kiernan nodded towards the bubbly young woman. Her energy was almost contagious.


    Nathid back down on his bed and closed his eyes with relief¡ªit had been an extremely emotional day, and he was grateful for the chance to rx.


    Kiernan walked over to the medicine cab and took out some bone-healing medicine to help with his broken hand. He swallowed a few of them and put them back in the cab.


    Based on the description, it would take a few hours to heal¡ªhowever, his injuries were worse than a normal broken hand, so it might take up to a few days.


    At that same moment, he heard the familiar ding in his ear.


    Ding, ding!


    [Quest Completed!]


    [Reward: Iron Style Pill!]


    A small, round pill appeared on Kiernan''s hand. It was pretty much the same size as the medicine pills he swallowed. However, this pill had a metallic sheen to it, as if it were made out of iron.


    ''This mighte to great use in the nationals.'' He stored it inside his inventory, where it would be safe.


    The door to the infirmary opened, and Jin came in with a thrilled look. He was about to say something, but then he saw a member of the enemy team in the infirmary.


    Seeing that look, Shura innocently smiled and stood up. "I guess I gotta go~ Any idea where my teammates are?"


    "They should be in the neighboring room." Jin said with a nod. "The doctor is there checking up on Kang."


    "Okay~" Shura hopped to the exit, waved goodbye to everyone, and then left.


    "Congrattions everyone!" Jin said with a smile. "We reached nationals!"


    "Ah, I wish we could rx for a week." Nath stretched his arms. "I guess that is not an option, mister coach?"


    "You know it," Jin said. "There are three weeks left until nationals. That is not a lot of time. If there''s a possibility of increasing your strength even a little bit, we need to do it."


    "What''s the n, coach?" Ryan asked.


    "We''ll go to Tiamut''s Training Vige." Jin said. "The nationals are happening in New Rakuya''s capital¡ªTiamut¡ªso we might as well go there early.


    "Tiamut''s Training Vige is a special ce. There will definitely be other teams there, training as hard as they can before the nationals. It is a ce only reserved for teamspeting in the nationals.


    "So we are eligible to go there."


    "Interesting, when will we leave?" Nath asked.


    "Tomorrow morning," Jin said. "We cannot waste even a day."


    "I wonder if Tiamut High''s team will be there." us thought out loud with a curious look.


    "TIamut High?" Kiernan asked. "Is it representative of Tiamut?"


    "Yes, and Tiamut High are the reigning champions." Jin said. "They''ve won thest five years in a row."


    "Whoah¡­" Kiernan whispered in awe. "They''re strong, huh?"


    "This year, they might have their strongest team yet." Ryan said with a serious look. "After all, they have that monster on their team."


    "A monster?"


    "Yes, his name is Johan Yeager, and rumors say that he has reached Martial Champion. That rank is above Martial Fighter."


    ''So, the ranks are following¡ªRecruit, Soldier, Fighter, and then Champion¡­''


    "We should be getting going." Jin said with a p. "Enjoy yourselves tonight; I''ll even allow it if you stay out past curfew. Tomorrow onwards, it will be non-stop training."

 Chapter 28 New Students

    Team Irio High sat solemnly inside their infirmary. This loss meant that they would not advance to nationals. This was their third-year studentsst chance.


    Leon, Shura, and Kang were all third-years.


    The reality was harsh.


    They had to train for three years non-stop to have one chance to qualify. They hadn''t participated in nationals before, as they weren''t strong enough to be part of the main team.


    Except Kang.


    Last year, he was one of the reserve fighters and had the honor topete in nationals. However, he never entered the ring there. It had been his dream to fight there ever since.


    ''The atmosphere is suffocating.'' Jonathan thought as he sat in the corner.


    Leon and Shura sat on the bed together with their lips tightly shut¡ªsurprisingly, even the bubbly Shura didn''t dare to speak.


    Kang was lying on his hospital bed, a towel covering his face. It was still clear that he was awake, as he asionally moved his hand to smash against the mattress.


    At that moment, the door opened to reveal a cold-looking Bernard with Madigan. Madigan was acting very humbly, knowing that he had to make amends for their team''s failure.


    "Kang, sit up." Bernard said coldly.


    Kang removed the towel and sat up. His expression had gone soft. The former arrogance and pride had vanished, reced by a look of humility and contrition.


    It was as if he were apletely different person.


    His right eye was covered in a small, square-shaped patch. It was going to hurt for some time, but the doctor said that it wasn''t going to be permanent damage.


    "All of you¡­" Bernard looked at his students and scoffed. "Failed me."


    Leon and Shura lowered their heads. It was true that they might''ve underestimated their opponents.


    "You''re all expelled." Bernard turned and headed towards the exit, leaving his students in a shock.


    "W-what?!" Jonathan eximed. "Even me?"


    "I don''t need a bunch of weaklings in my school." Bernard said in a cold tone.


    "W-wait, headmaster!" Madigan sweated heavily. "W-we need Jonathan for the next year. Otherwise, our line up is looking very grim!"


    "That does not matter." Bernard turned to him with a sharp eye. "You''re also fired, Madigan. I don''t need any of you. Karuza High can have the next two years¡ªI don''t care. I care what happens after that!"


    "H-headmaster!" Shura cried out. "I-if we don''t graduate, our lives will be over!"


    "I don''t care." Bernard said. "You should''ve won. me yourselves."


    Shura''s beautiful face paled. It was over. Her family was extremely harsh, and if they heard about her expulsion, they would disown her.


    "Bernard, you should have somepassion." A voice came from the doorway.


    Bernard turned to the door with an angry frown. "Azer, what the hell do you want?"


    "I heard shouting." Azer said with a smile on his face. "I was about to go congratte my students. I then came to check on you all."


    "Mind your own business." Bernard said and tried to m the door shut, but Azer stopped him and stepped inside to see what was going on.


    "These sour faces make me sad." Azer looked at the depressed-looking students. They just found out their lives were over. "Well, let''s do this¡ªwhy don''t you alle to my school?"


    "What?" Shura''s and others''s expressions brightened up.


    "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Bernard grabbed Azer by his shoulder. "I told you to mind your own business."


    "You have been poaching my students for years; why can''t I do the same?" Azer turned to him with a look so cold that it could freeze rivers. "Take your hand off me."


    "Ngh¡­" Bernard pulled his hand back. He just felt like he had taken a dip in a freezing river.


    "Can we really join your school?" Shura asked. "But why? You don''t owe us anything. We were your enemies only moments ago."


    "Enemies? Hardly." Azer chuckled and shook his head. "Just because we are rival schoolspeting for the same thing doesn''t mean we have to be enemies. In my opinion, we are justpetitors.


    "Also, letting so many talented individuals''s lives get ruined because of a certain grumpy old man''s tantrum is just in wrong."


    "I told you¡­" Bernard whispered in anger and hurled his fist at Azer. "To mind your own business!"


    "Look out!"


    Azer turned to the fist, stomped his leg over the fist, and pushed it down to the ground.


    SWOOSH!


    The wind blew as if a hurricane appeared right in the middle of the room. All the students covered their heads while all the beds and tables were knocked over and sent flying across the room.


    "Argh!" Bernard furiously growled.


    Azer looked at him in silence. The collision between their attacks was much stronger than anything these students had ever witnessed before.


    ''Bernard and Azer¡­'' Madigan''s lips turned dry as he never expected them to fight each other. ''They once stood near the pinnacle of New Rakuya''s martial arts world.''


    Azer Karuza, age 44, Middle Stage Martial Grandmaster.


    Bernard, age 44, Low Stage Martial Grandmaster.


    "If we fight here, we would put everyone in the stadium in danger." Azer said. "It is time for you to leave. You know that we aren''t allowed to fight outside official matches."


    Bernard trembled in anger. However, even he knew the consequences if they fought here.


    He turned around and stormed out of the infirmary.


    "Sigh¡­" Azer shook his head and patted his hands. "Sorry about that, kids. Bernard usually gets emotional when he loses to me in something. It has been like that since elementary school."


    "You two have known each other since you were kids?" Shura asked curiously.


    "Yes. We have been in the same elementary and junior high schools together. However, at the start of high school, we went in different ways.


    "Bernard moved out of Irio. The next time we met was in the national finals. I happened to win, and since then, we have had this rivalry of ours."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You won nationals?" Leon asked in surprise.


    "Yeah." Azer said with a chuckle. "I brought Irio their first-ever national victory. It has also been their only win ever since."


    "Whoah¡­" Shura whispered in amazement.


    "Was what you said true?" Jonathan asked. "Can we all join your school?"


    "Of course." Azer said with a smile and then saw Kang sitting silently; he hadn''t spoken a word. "What about you, Kang? Are you in need of a school?"


    "And what do you need from us?" Kang asked. "I am not naive. I came from the streets. What''re you after?"


    Shura, Leon, and Jonathan turned to Kang with curious looks.


    "There''s something I need." Azer said with a chuckle. "I''ll need all of you to be training partners to help them prepare for the nationals."


    "That''s all?" Kang asked with a frown.


    "That''s all." Azer said with augh. "There''s no better option for them than the three of you."


    Kang rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine, I guess. As long as I get to graduate, I don''t care."


    "That''s good." Azer said with a smile.


    "W-what about me, mister Azer?" Madigan asked with a humble look. "I am now jobless, so I don''t care what I have to do. Even being a janitor is fine!"


    "Hmm¡­" Azer scratched his chin and patted him on the shoulder. "You can be an assistant coach. You single-handedly turned Irio High from weak to formidable. I can''t let someone like you be a mere janitor."


    "Thank you, sire." Madigan replied with a relieved sigh.


    Jonathan sat nervously in his chair. There was something that nagged him endlessly.


    ''I wonder how he will react¡­''

 Chapter 29 Martial Ability

    "Yawn¡­" Kiernan walked down the hallway with a bag slung over his shoulder.


    Nath and Ryan also looked tired. They just left the infirmary and were immediately hit by a wave of exhaustion.


    None of them seemed to have the energy to celebrate today that much.


    Jin walked ahead and saw the exit door that led outside.


    "Are you ready?" He asked.


    "Yep." Ryan and Nath replied.


    us and Timothy gulped fearfully.


    "Ready for what?" Kiernan asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "For this," Jin said, pushing open the door.


    Immediately, loud cheers entered their cheers, along with the sound of celebration and music. Karuza High''s supporters immediately swarmed them in excitement.


    It was extremely packed, but Jin pushed through the excited crowd without hesitation while his students followed right behind.


    Kiernan let out a surprised whistle. He couldn''t even walk straight without bumping shoulders with the crowd.


    At that moment, a young kid barely managed to squeeze through the crowd with a notebook and pencil in hand. He tried to ask for autographs, but most didn''t notice him and continued to push through the crowd.


    "You want an autograph, kid?" Kiernan noticed him and asked curiously.


    "A-ah, yes, please!" The little kid''s face beamed up, and he offered the notebook.


    "What''s your name?" Kiernan asked as he took the notebook and the pen.


    "Kiernan, we gotta go." us said with a fearful look as he saw the crowd grow thicker. "We''ll get trapped in this crowd if we don''t go soon."


    "A moment," Kiernan said.


    "Jack!" The little kid replied.


    Kiernan wrote something in the notebook, added Jack''s name, and then finished it with his autograph. He then gave it back to the little kid.


    "There ya go." Kiernan said and was about to move on.


    "W-wait!" Jack quickly shouted and asked, "W-what martial arts you used?"


    "Oh, it''s Iron Style." Kiernan raised a single finger, aiming it towards the sky. "It is the strongest martial art."


    "Strongest¡­" Jack whispered.


    After that, Kiernan followed others from Karuza High and eventually reached their transport. Once they were all in, the car''s engine roared back to life and drove off Irio High''s grounds.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­


    The sky over Irio turned orange as the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the darkening streets of the city.


    In Hunter''s residence, Kiernan and Karma finished up the dinner and began cleaning up the dishes together using the sink that overlooked the backyard garden.


    "I forgot to mention, uh, our coach nned us a training trip." Kiernan said.


    During the dinner, he spoke mostly about the tournament and the nationals. Therefore, he forgot about thatpletely.


    "To Tiamut, correct?" Karma asked.


    "Oh, you knew?" Kiernan asked in surprise.


    "Of course." Karma said and put some of the drenched tes in the cab before turning back to Kiernan. "Jin sent the parents a message about it. He needed our permit."


    "Oh, I see. Well, did you?"


    "I did," Karma said and pulled out a few tickets from his backpocket. "We also received tickets to the nationals."


    "Oh, you''reing to watch?" Kiernan asked with a smile.


    "I will." Karma said and then his smile turned sour. "However, these tickets only cover Karuza High''s matches. So, to get the most out of the nationals, you better get far!"


    "I''ll try," Kiernan said with a wry smile. "How hard are nationalspared to the representation matches?"


    "How hard¡­" Karma shrugged his shoulders. "It changes year after year."


    "There will be 256 schoolspeting, and each one is aiming for the victory." Karma said with a sigh. "Of course, it won''t be easy."


    "Interesting." Kiernan said with a smile.


    A short whileter, they finished the dishes and moved over to the living room¡ªthere, the television showed a foreign martial arts tournament taking ce.


    It waspletely different from the representation match''s venue and atmosphere¡ªthe stadium looked like it could host over 100 thousand people at once, and the atmosphere was electrifying.


    Right at the center of the arena, there was an enormous ring¡ªit was hard to call it a ring because it was almost like a miniature town¡ªwith buildings and streets surrounding it.


    The arena for the match was unlike anything Kiernan had seen before.


    However, even though the arena was immensely big, the two fighters blitzed through the streets with incredible speed, and after each attack, the buildings toppled over as if they were made out of paper.


    Their strength was scary¡ªalmost like they were gods or something.


    shes of light surrounded the area as one of the fighters shot beams of pure light from his hands. The other fighter swung his sword made out of light with such force that it created shockwaves strong enough to shatter windows from miles away.


    "Are weapons allowed in these high level tournaments?" Kiernan asked while he and his father sat on the couch, watching the intense fight on television.


    "Man-made weapons aren''t." Karma said. "That light sword is that person''s Martial Ability."


    "Martial Ability?" Kiernan asked, curious about it. It looked like there were still a lot of things he didn''t know.


    "After reaching a certain level, one acquires their Martial Ability." Karma said. "Those abilities belong to five sses¡ªPhysical, Kra, Mindbreaker, Conjuration and Special.


    "That beam ability is Kra¡ªthat ss allows one to release energy from their body. The mostmon use is to release some kind of projectile or beam. There''re also different types of Kra abilities like ability to use fire, lightning, or ice maniption."


    "That sword ability is Conjuration¡ªWeapon Conjuration to be more precise¡ªand that is allowed in tournaments as it is part of a person''s Martial Ability. Conjuration includes the ability to summon weapons or creatures from another world, apparently.


    "Physical ability allows one to have enhancements to their bodies or objects. It is the mostmon type of ability and often involves enhancing strength, speed, or endurance."


    "Mindbreaker is the opposite of physical¡ªit allows the user to manipte the mind and thoughts of others, as well as have psychic abilities such as telekinesis or telepathy.


    "They can also create hallucinations, illusions, and mind control."


    "What about Special?" Kiernan asked.


    "Special abilities are unique powers that do not belong in any other category. It''s obviously the rarest one to have."


    "Did you ever receive your Martial Ability?" Kiernan asked.


    "No¡­" Karma''s mood had a sudden dip, but he then quickly brushed it off and forced a smile. "I reached High Stage of Martial Grandmaster at my prime."


    "How high is that in the rankings?" Kiernan asked and scratched the back of his head. "I really need to check out the ranks."


    "The ranks, from what we know, are¡ªRecruit, Soldier, Fighter, Champion, Master, Grandmaster, King, Legend and Emperor.


    "From what I''ve heard, there are people in the world that have gone beyond Emperor."


    "So, if one reaches Martial King, one receives their Martial Ability?" Kiernan asked.


    "That''s right." Karma nodded. "It is said that once a person advances to Martial King, they''re no longer humans¡ªthey''ve ascended to a whole new realm."


    "Mm¡­" Kiernan nodded thoughtfully, absorbing this new information. He then noticed that the fight had ended on television¡ªthe weapon summoner won¡ªand apparently advanced to WMAC.


    "What is WMAC?" Kiernan asked.


    "World Martial Arts Championships." Karma said and checked the calendar. "It is supposed to happen soon. A few weeks after the nationals. It is where the world''s strongest martial artists go to duel it out."


    "World Martial Arts Championships¡­" Kiernan repeated, excitement building in his voice. "So, the one who wins is the strongest?"

 Chapter 30 Tiamuts Training Village

    Tiamut''s Training Vige looked like a quaint and picturesque haven in the middle of the forest.


    It was a ce enclosed by tall, thick wooden walls that circled the entire vige. Its cozy, wooden cottages were nestled between the trees, with smoke rising from their chimneys on this crisp autumn morning.


    Alongside the wooden cottages¡ªwhich were the temporary homes of the visitors¡ªthere were many training facilities, and to top it all off, there was a sizeable open-ceiling arena where it was possible to spar against opposing teams.


    With all that, there was also a small beach north of the vige. It was used for training and for rxation.


    It was clear that Tiamut''s government had spent a small fortune to build this ce. It was very inviting¡ªalmost like a summer camp¡ªkind of the ce.


    At that moment, the vige''s heavy gates opened, and a bus drove in. It was a small bus. It came to a stop in front of one cottage that was painted bright blue with a white picket fence. It was also leaning against a grassy hill, as if the cottage had grown up from the ground.


    The bus''s door slid open, and people stepped out. They all wore white jerseys with ck flower patterns dripping down the front and back. In their hands, simr patterned and colored bags swung as they took in the sights of the beautiful vige.


    "Whoah¡­" Nath took off his sunsses and watched as vibrant-looking young men and women hung around their cottages, chatting andughing in the sunshine. "This is the famous Tiamut''s Training Vige."


    "It''s beautiful, ain''t it?" Jin said it with augh and looked over to their cottage. "This''ll be Karuza High''s ce for a while. It is reserved for us till the end of the nationals."


    Nath put his arm around Ryan''s shoulders andughed. "Roommates!"


    "Absolutely not." Ryan shrugged off his arm and headed inside. Nath followed right behind with a jokingly hurt expression.


    After us and Timothy stepped out of the bus, Kiernan stepped out into the outside air. It was a very hot and long bus ride to get here.


    They took a train trip to Tiamut¡ªa ce that was only three hours away from Irio¡ªand then straight to the bus station. It took two hours to get from Tiamut to here.


    At that moment, four more people stepped out of the bus¡ªthey were Kang, Shura, Leon, and Jonathan.


    Kang was dressed in light clothing and shorts, while Shura was wearing a long, flowy dress. Leon and Jonathan were both in jeans and t-shirts.


    While Kang, Shura, and Leon came to be practice partners, Jonathan came as a future prospect.


    Jin thought highly of him and was thrilled to hear that he was joining Karuza High¡ªeven more happy than about Kang, Shura, and Leon.


    It was because Kang, Shura, and Leon couldn''t join their team anymore. The team had already been registered with the Nationals. However, Jonathan would most likely fight in their colors next year.


    Jonathan didn''t care about the beautiful vige and looked over to Kiernan. Their rtionship was far from good. He thought Kiernan would be very much against him joining, but he didn''t say a word.


    "Go unpack your stuff, choose your room, and get settled." Jin said to them: "Well, start the training as soon as we can."


    "Yes, coach." Kang, Shura, and Leon echoed in unison.


    After they and Jonathan headed inside, Jin noticed that Kiernan took a seat on the porch and seemed lost in thought.


    "Is everything alright?" JIn asked as he had to know his fighter''s mental state. If they didn''t feel good, it could negatively affect their training performance.


    "Yeah, just enjoying the fresh air." Kiernan said this and put his back against the wooden chair.


    It was a lie.


    Even he didn''t know what was going on inside his body. It was strange. Ever since he met Jonathan again in the train station, his emotions were going rampant.


    He thought he would feel anger towards a person who apparently killed him; however, he didn''t. It was strange.


    ''While me and former Kiernan have now be a single entity, his emotions sometimes influence me in strange ways. It''s like a memory that I don''t remember, but he does and feels anger about it, so then I feel it as well.


    ''He clearly remembers Jonathan. However, he doesn''t feel anger for some reason. I wonder why.


    ''Maybe it''s puberty once again. I am, after all, only sixteen years old. I think, feel, and act like a sixteen year old boy. I only have my experiences and memories that are older than my age.''


    Jin, seeing that he seemed fine, nodded and entered the cottage. Before he could even remove his shoes, the blond-haired Jonathan walked over to him and nced simultaneously towards the porch.


    "Hey, coach." Jonathan said nervously.


    "What is it, Jonathan?"


    "I wanted to speak about one thing¡­" Jonathan let out a deep sigh and said, "Kiernan most likely doesn''t want me here."


    "Uh, why?" Jin frowned.


    "I, uh, defeated him in a tournament a while back¡ªwell, it was barely over a week ago¡ªand we ended up in another fight outside afterwards. I am not ashamed to admit that I lost that one.


    "Our rtionship isn''t the greatest. If it ends up bothering the training, I am willingly ready to leave."


    "Oh, I see¡­" Jin scratched his chin with a frown. ''Sounds troublesome. It''s better to get it settled as soon as possible. Kiernan will be the star of Karuza High for years toe, but Jonathan will be a valuable asset to him.


    ''If they can work together, Karuza High can reach new heights.''


    "Talk to him." Jin said and patted him on the shoulder. "Settle the beef between you two as soon as possible."


    "Alright, I''ll try¡­" Jonathan said reluctantly and stepped outside of the cottage into the porch.


    Kiernan was still sitting on his wooden chair, gazing out to the vige while enjoying the sun''s warm rays on his face¡ªit was also clear that his face had slowly started to mature, with hints of handsomeness sprouting from his features.


    "Uhm, yo." Jonathan awkwardly waved his hand.


    "Hello," Kiernan replied shortly.


    An awkward silence fell between them.


    Tap, tap¡ªKiernan tapped his finger on the wooden chair''s armrest. He had no intention to speak unless he was spoken to first.


    "Uhm¡­" Jonathan scratched his head. "I hope there''s no bad feeling about what happened back then."


    "Bad feelings?" Kiernan looked at him and pointed at the back of his head. "You almost split my skull in half. I could''ve died, y''know."


    "Huh?" Jonathan frowned with a confused expression. "I-I don''t think I did that."


    "What do you mean?" Kiernan frowned. "You forgot that you almost killed me?"


    "No, I mean¡­" Jonathan recalled the events and said, "I threw you to the ground, yes, but you fell on your back. I thought you would stand back up, but after the 10-second countdown ended, you were still lying there."


    "What?" Kiernan''s eyes turned sharp. "Are you lying?"


    "Haven''t you checked the recording of the video?" Jonathan asked and pulled out his phone. He had the video recorded. "My mother usually records my fights, so she sent me the video of our fight."


    Kiernan finally stood up from the chair and went to check the recording of the fight.


    Just like Jonathan said, his throw mmed Kiernan to the ground. It was a powerful throw, but his head didn''t hit the ground enough to crack his skull in almost half.


    Instead, what happened afterwards was the strangest part¡ªthe referee came to check on him, and it was only a quick moment, but the referee touched Kiernan''s head.


    It was a strange part to touch, as they would usually touch the throat to check the pulse.


    The video ended at that point.


    "See." Jonathan said with a smile. "So about what happened after the match, I don''t harbor grudges. So no bad feelings?"


    "Tell Jin that I''ll return tomorrow morning." Kiernan said coldly and headed straight towards the bus, as the driver hadn''t left yet.


    "E-eh, what?!" Jonathan cried out.


    "I''ll have some businesses to take care of." Kiernan''s said.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If Jonathan saw his face right now, he would have a heart attack¡ªhis face looked demonic and filled with rage.


    This time, Kiernan felt true anger¡ªit came from the depths of his very being.

 Chapter 31 Death Night In Irio

    It was night in Irio.


    The street was empty, except for a few stray cats roaming around.


    A crude-looking house stood at the end of the street, barely illuminated by a flickering streetmp. Its front yard looked dead and overgrown. Even the fence''s paint was peeling off in long, curling strips that pped gently in the breeze.


    At the house, the television yed some old ck-and-white cowboy movies that echoed through the dark rooms.


    In the kitchen, a man flicked a lighter to ignite his cigarette. With his other hand, he poured himself a ss of whiskey and took a long, satisfying sip.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On the few walls, there were framed pictures of him during his high school days¡ªhis glory days. Those were long gone.


    "Mhm¡­" Ward muttered to himself and tossed the bottle of whiskey to the sink¡ªthest droplets of the amber liquid trickling down the drain.


    With a cigarette between his dry lips, he left the kitchen with half-closed eyes and saw the television was still open, but he simply waved his hand in annoyance and waltzed to his room, not in the mood to stay awake.


    As soon as he entered his room, he plopped down on his bed with a cigarette still in his mouth. Without bothering to stuff it into an ashtray, he let it fall to the floor and closed his eyes.


    Thump¡ªa strange sound came from the living room. It was almost like the front door just closed shut.


    Ward opened his eyes and listened hazily. His ears perked up. He could swear that he heard sounds that resembled footsteps.


    Before he could think further about it, the door opened. It was strange because he lived alone and no one else had the keys¡ªit could only mean one thing¡ªthere was an intruder.


    "Ngh¡­" Ward sat up on his bed with a violent gaze. "Who goes there?"


    A figure stopped hiding and entered the room¡ªit was a surprisingly pretty young man, wearing a quite familiar jersey. Ward immediately recognized him as a student at Karuza High.


    "Hello, Ward Loose." Kiernan pulled out his phone and showed Irio''s government page. "It wasn''t that hard to find a registered referee. All your information is basically public knowledge."


    "Who the hell are you, brat?" Ward stood up with anger shing across his eyes. "You came to rob me? If so, you waltzed into the wrong house. I don''t hesitate to kill little shits like you."


    "Remember the tournament you refereed a week ago?" Kiernan asked. "The first round: Jonathan Ackers versus Kiernan Hunter."


    "Oh¡­" Ward''s eyes narrowed into a straight line. "I do¡­"


    "You failed to kill me." Kiernan said, but then touched the back of his head. "Well, actually, you seeded."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Ward asked angrily, and he innocently spread his arms wide. "Me, kill? I would never~"


    Kiernan swung his arm and backhanded Ward across his face¡ªit sent him tumbling to the ground with a bloodied nose.


    "Agh, you little shit!" Ward jumped back to his feet with blood dripping from his nose.


    "Just give me the truth." Kiernan said coldly. "I will then give you a merciful death."


    "Hahaha¡­" Wardughed manically. "You think it is easy to kill a person? I have seen what killing does to a person. Want to hear?"


    "I am all ears." Kiernan spread his arms wide.


    Ward slipped one of his hands into his pocket and said. "I am speaking the truth and only the truth now. Hahaha. Yes, I tried to kill you, but it seems I failed.


    "You''re not the first one I did it to. I had done it a couple, maybe a dozen, times. Sure, when a kid dies in a match, the mood turns all sorrowful and shit.


    "However, the interesting part is their opponent. Hahaha. Because they think they killed them. Their innocence is ripped away in that moment, and some quit martial arts altogether because of it, but those who don''t usually end up actually killing another one.


    "Its marvelous. I can create so much mayhem and chaos with just a little maniption."


    "I see¡­" Kiernan nodded. "I didn''t expect it to be your first time. You knew exactly what to do to kill me as cleanly and quietly as possible, so none of the spectators would notice."


    "Thank, thank you." Wardughed. "I am pretty proud of myself."


    "However, I am afraid that I lied." Kiernan showed his fist. "I''ll kill you, maybe cleanly; it depends on how much you struggle. But it will be far from merciful.


    "There is an afterlife, you see, and oh boy, that ce is not a good one for people like you.


    "After you die, say hello to Death from me. I am sure he misses me."


    "You think you can scare me with such words?" Ward asked and moved into a low fighting stance. "Afterlife. Death. h h, none of that shit exists!"


    "You''ll have a nice surprise waiting for you, then." Kiernan said with a chuckle.


    "By the way, are you sure you want to fight me?" Ward grinned and pulled out his phone from the phone. It showed a messaging screen. "I sent a text to the cops. I have priority as a referee. They''ll be here within minutes.


    "You already broke and entered my property. If you attack me, that will be an assault, which I believe I can stretch to attempted murder. You''ll be gone for a long time."


    "A few minutes?" Kiernan''s eyes turned serious. "That will be plenty."


    "You little shit¡­" Ward dropped his phone on the dirty floor and leaped forward. "Kids like you need to learn some respect!"


    "Iron Smash!" Kiernan smashed his fist into Ward''s face and sent him flying across the room.


    Ward''s plump body crashed into a wall, leaving arge dent in the drywall.


    Spurt¡ªKiernan''s hand turned purple and broken¡ªit was also bleeding rather heavily.


    Ward panted heavily and rushed to his drawer¡ªthere, he quickly grabbed abat knife and brandished it towards Kiernan, a crazed look in his eyes.


    "This isn''t a fucking tournament match!" Ward rushed in with the knife. "This is real life!"


    Kiernan grabbed Ward''s dirty bed with one hand, and all his muscles strained as he slowly picked it up.


    "Iron Style, Gaia''s Embrace, weak version!"


    The bed flew across the room and mmed into Ward, sending him crashing into the wall. The bed toppled over next to him.


    "Rgh¡­" Kiernan looked at his arm and noticed that his muscles were bleeding. He had pushed himself too far, even though it was only a weak version of the skill.


    "I am a former nationalpetitor! Don''t mess with me!" Ward, with a mad cry, lunged forward with the knife.


    "A former clearly." Kiernan switched to his fighting style. "You''re unfit¡ªyou must''ve poisoned yourself with cigarettes and alcohol."


    "How dare you judge me?!" Ward swung the knife down, but it missed by an inch.


    Kiernan reeled in his left hand, and it suddenly looked like a sharp knife.


    "Iron Style, Iron Lance!" With a quick thrust, he stabbed his hand through Ward''s chest.


    Blood spurted out in all directions¡ªthe framed pictures on the walls were now sttered with red.


    Kiernan pulled back his hand and stepped back to examine his injuries¡ªall the fingers on his left hand were broken, except for his thumb.


    "It hurts!" Ward dropped his knife and copsed to the ground, clutching his chest in pain.


    At that moment, loud police sirens reverberated from outside. Their blue and red lights shed through the windows, illuminating the room in a kaleidoscope of colors.


    "Hahaha¡­" Ward let out a weak chuckle. "I-I survived¡­ y-you''ll pay for this."


    "You don''t understand." Kiernan forcefully put his broken right hand into a fist. "You''re already dead."


    He then lowered his stance and reeled in his right arm¡ªit was trembling because his fist was broken and muscles were bleeding profusely¡ªbut it still started radiating a powerful aura.


    From his shoulder to the elbow and finally his hand, it looked like his entire arm started rotating like a bullet. Crack. Crack. All his bones, one by one, started breaking.


    "Argh¡­" Kiernan grunted in pain with red eyes. "I created this skill a few days before my death. You''re the first one to see it."


    "A-ah¡­" Ward shakily opened his mouth. "P-police, hurry up!"


    "Iron Style¡­" Kiernan clenched his fist. It caused his entire arm to break. The pain was excruciating, but he still wanted to see the skill through.


    "H-hurry!" Ward screamed hoarsely, hoping for the police to break through the door.


    "Hyperion''s¡­" Kiernan punched forward, and with the rotating power, it smashed into Ward''s chest like a drill of destruction. "Smash!"


    Ward crashed into the wall on the other side of the room. His clothes were ripped open, and there was arge dent in his chest where blood seeped out, staining the fabric.


    [You have a defeated High Stage Martial Soldier!]


    [15 XP Acquired!]


    [The First Kill Achieved!]


    [100 XP Acquired]


    Kiernan stopped moving¡ªhis right arm was entirely broken¡ªit was entirely purple with ck bruising.


    "Whoo¡­" Still, he smiled.


    Boom¡ªat that moment, the front door broke down as police rushed in, guns drawn and shouting orders.


    They checked the kitchen and the living room¡ªboth empty¡ªthen finally moved to the bedroom.


    There, they came across a terrifying sight¡ªthe owner of the residence, Ward Loose, dead on the ground. The assant was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 32 New Heights

    "Ah!" Ward jolted awake with cold winds pping his face. "Wasn''t I¡­ where am I?"


    As he stood up, he saw a nightmarish scene. The dark, deadndscape, with lifeless creatures moving between different areas.


    It was the afterlife.


    "Wee to the afterlife, mortal." Death hovered over the dark gray sky with a chilling look on his face. "You are dead. Follow the others and get sentenced over the deeds of your life."


    "N-no¡­" Ward covered his face with tears rolling down his cheeks. "T-that can''t be¡­ Was he saying the truth?"


    "I won''t say it another time." Death ced his ck nail at Ward''s temple, which caused half of his face to freeze over.


    "W-wait, wait!" Ward stood up and chuckled nervously. "I met a friend of yours! Y-yeah, uh, his name was Kiernan Hunter! He told me to say hello to you from him, haha¡­"


    Death''s facial expression had a drastic change.


    His cold lips turned into an unusual smile. "Oh, did he now? Haha, my friend¡­ How I''ve missed him. Thank you for passing along his greeting."


    "N-no problem!" Ward wiped his sweat and asked nervously. "S-so about the judgment. I might have done a few¡­ bad deeds¡­ So I was wondering if there is a space for me in heaven? Haha¡­"


    "No worries." Deathughed and ced his palm on Ward''s forehead. "To heavens, you''ll go¡­"


    "O-oh, thank you, sir!" Ward smiled blessfully, but for a fraction of a second, his face turned into a look of agonizing pain.


    Ward disappeared in a sh of blinding white light. He was sent to the circle of pain and misery¡ªthis time, he was sent for one billion years.


    Death''s smile froze, and his face morphed into anger.


    "Kiernaaaaaaaaaaan!"


    ¡­


    On Ward''s house, the police took evidence of his death¡ªthere was plenty of blood and signs of a struggle.


    At that moment, a ssy-looking detective stepped over the toppled furniture and saw the destroyed room. There was no doubt that a violent altercation had taken ce.


    "Hmm!" A chirpy-sounding woman followed right behind him and began taking photos of the crime scene. "This looks very personal, doesn''t it? If the aim was just to kill, the assant would''ve used a weapon, but this was done purposely with their bare hands."


    The detective looked at the corpse¡ªit was still warm, but it had turned pale¡ªand he found a strange stab wound on the chest. It had the shape of fourish fingers.


    "Take a taste." The detective said and pointed his shlight at a portion of blood on the ground¡ªit was identified as the assant''s blood.


    "Muh, I hate this¡­" The chirpy-looking woman''s voice turned shaky, and she then crouched in front of the blood, took a small sample with a cotton swab, and then strangely licked the blood off the swab.


    It wasn''t the mostmon method, but the other officers didn''t react. It seemed like this was amon urrence for them.


    At that moment, the woman said, "The person is between sixteen and eighteen years old."


    "That young?" The detective looked puzzled by the revtion.


    "And the person is in the beginning stages of Martial Soldier." The woman continued.


    She had special powers that came from her birth¡ªits called Animalistic Instinct¡ªthere were cases of people being born with animalistic characteristics or abilities.


    It was caused if the person''s mother or father was part of Animalkin. It was a race of people that lived in the Animal Kingdom. They looked humanoid, but some of them had tails, animal-like ears, or even the ability tomunicate with animals.


    "Anything else you can tell?" The detective asked with a frown. It was a start, as there weren''t too many Martial Soldiers of that age frame in Irio, but they needed something more to speed up the process.


    "Uh¡­" The woman blushed and said embarrassingly. "His blood actually tastes good."


    "Good?" The detective frowned. "I thought you hated the taste of blood."


    "Yeah, I do. I mean, who would like the taste?" The woman paused, then nervously admitted, "But his blood... it''s different."


    "If you can taste his blood again, can you recognize him?" The detective asked.


    "Yeah, for sure." The woman almost drooled by the thought of tasting that blood again.


    "That''s decided, then; you''ll taste the blood of anyone that fits the description." The detective said with a cold smile.


    "Eh, everyone?!" The woman covered her mouth in disgust.


    "Everyone."


    ¡­


    The morning dawned over Tiamut¡ªin Tiamut''s Training Vige, the day had already started.


    Young men and women jogged around the vige while others were preparing to start the day inside their cottages.


    At Karuza High''s cottage, Jin walked down the stairs with a sleepy expression. He had to get ready with his training ns¡ªit was going to be a long day of training.


    However, as soon as he arrived at the kitchen, he noticed a figure sitting there¡ªthe figure was bandaging his arm with a pained look on his face.


    His left hand''s fingers were already bandaged, and he had a grimace of pain on his face.


    "Kiernan, what the hell happened to you?" Jin asked in shock. "Jonathan told me that you left somewhere, but what the hell did you do? You can''t get into serious fights before nationals; you might get injured badly!


    "Actually, you''re already injured badly!"


    "Mhm!" Kiernan tightened the bandages around his arm, wincing in pain. "I was training, nothing less!"


    "Training, as if! No one gets that badly injured with training!" Jin cried out.


    "I do." Kiernan turned to him with a determined look on his face. "Days after days, I used to train till my bones broke and my tears turned red."


    Jin was shaken. He expected that Kiernan must''ve trained hard, as it was rare for a sixteen year old to be as powerful as him. However, this was beyond his expectations.


    "Months after months, I didn''t have a single day without having broken bones." Kiernan clenched his teeth. "Years after years, I lived in constant pain just to get strong."


    "I-I understand¡­" Jin said with a shaky look. "However, please follow my instructions from now on, alright? I can''t let you get injured before nationals.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Even though those healing bandages heal your bones, they still need to recover or they will turn fragile and break easily."


    "I understand; I''ll heed your advice." Kiernan stuffed the medicine items back into the cab and sat back down to rest.


    "Good¡­" Jin nodded. "Take a rest for today; I''ll start the training with others."


    "No, I am fine to train." Kiernan said. "I feel like my kicks have turned dull. I need to sharpen them up again."


    "Hmm¡­" Jin scratched his hair and pointed out of the window towards the beach. "Run a fewps around the beach."


    "Oh, the irregr surface will improve my bnce." Kiernan nodded. "Not a bad idea. I''ll give it a try."


    ''He immediately recognized the meaning of that training.'' Jin looked impressed.


    Kiernan took off his sandals, as it would be more effective to just run barefoot. He then bade farewell to the coach and left the cottage.


    After killing Ward, it felt like a massive boulder was lifted off his shoulders.


    His "death" had been weighing on his mind ever since his reincarnation. It was like the former Kiernan wanted to be released from the burden of his past life.


    Now, after getting rid of the torment, he felt light like a feather¡ªit was once again that, unknowingly, his strength continued to rise to higher heights.


    The soul inside him showed signs of peeling off anotheryer¡ªit only needed one more push.

 Chapter 33 The Elf

    Kiernan stepped on the sand of the small beach. It looked like the beach was empty this early in the morning.


    The beach overlooked theke, and the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, casting a warm glow on the water. It was rtively big, around five kilometers long.


    ''Coach said a fewps¡­'' Kiernan looked around the beach. ''To run ap, it''s around four hundred meters, basically the size of a standard running track.''


    As he was about to begin running, the water sshed, and a person surfaced from underneath the water. It seemed like the person had gone for a morning swim, but the strange part was that Kiernan had stood for about a few minutes on the beach, and the person had not even once resurfaced.


    The person left the water, and the strange characteristics immediately stood out. She was a young woman with drenched ck hair and a unique pair of silver eyes.


    While she moved aside her hair, she revealed a face that seemed truly beautiful, almost like a porcin doll. It was as if she belonged to another world.


    That wasn''t all¡ªfrom underneath her ck hair, a pointy ear peeked out, adding to her mysterious and otherworldly appearance. It was clear that she wasn''t actually a human.


    ''Pointy ears and that ethereal appearance¡­'' Kiernan felt his heart race at a strange tempo. ''An elf? This world has elves? I only know them from Earth''s fantasy novels, but there she is standing right in front of me.''


    At that moment, she picked up a towel from the beach chair and put it over her swimsuit. In that moment, the elf noticed that there was a young man staring at her.


    "Do you have a habit of staring at people like that?" She asked with her sweet voice.


    "I am sorry." Kiernan looked away and exined. "It''s my first time seeing an elf. I didn''t think you guys actually existed."


    "It shouldn''t be hard to find out about us." She tilted her head and asked. "Are you actually a bad student, or did you just not pay attention in ss?"


    "Both, I suppose¡­" Kiernan scratched his hair and asked, "Are you participating in the nationals? How does that work with elves? I heard that elves mature at a slower rate than humans, so do youpete in different age categories?"


    "I am not from New Rakuya, so I am notpeting." She said and walked slowly down the sandy beach. "I am here with my grandfather, and to answer your question, elves don''t participate in the human tournaments."


    "So, how old are you?" Kiernan asked ignorantly. Based on her appearance, she looked like she was around eighteen years old.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You really don''t know how to talk to women, do you?" She ced her slender finger against Kiernan''s forehead and tapped lightly. "Never ask a woman her age; it''s inappropriate."


    Kiernan remained silent. He then watched as the pointy-eared elf walked off the beach as she returned to the vige.


    ''If those fantasy novels said anything true, which seems likely, then elves can age to several hundred years old. However, their bodies and minds mature at a slower rate than humans.


    ''An elf can be fifty years old, but they look like a little kid and have the mind of a kid as well. It''s basically the same as my situation.


    ''I have lived for about a hundred years, but my mind has now regressed to match that of a sixteen year old.


    ''Anyway, I thought elves would have silver and gold hair, but she had ck. I guess not everything in those novels came true.''


    Kiernan then stretched out his arms and yawned, feeling the stiffness in his joints as he did so.


    Then, he started running down ap across the beach¡ªhe didn''t know what the coach meant with a fewps, so he nned to run till he couldn''t anymore.


    ¡­


    The elf walked down the vige with her sandals tapping against the cobblestone ground. She was the center of attention wherever she went, captivating the attention of everyone she passed by.


    The young men all turned their heads to watch her go by. It didn''t matter whether they were already standing beside a young woman who would be considered beautiful by human standards¡ªshe was simply in a league of her own.


    ''His soul was quite beautiful.'' She thought to herself as she remembered the young man on the beach. ''A soul that resembled a diamond. I haven''t seen anything like that before.''


    It was the only reason she spoke to the young man to begin with¡ªshe was very used to being talked to by men who were attracted by her looks. There were many wealthy, handsome, and powerful men who had tried to catch her eye before, but all failed for a reason.


    Their souls were empty and shallow.


    She had a special eye¡ªSoul Eye¡ªthat allowed her to take a peek at a person''s soul.


    The soul is the most important part of any martial artist, and she had a direct connection to it.


    While thinking about the diamond-like soul, she arrived at her cottage. It was the biggest cottage in the entire vige.


    As soon as she entered the cottage, she heard a sound of argument.


    "That''s all wrong; put your backs into it!"


    She wryly smiled and entered the living room¡ªthere, a grumpy-looking old man yelled at two young men who were standing on a horse stance. They were sweating furiously, trying to hold a heavy piece of furniture above their heads.


    "Oh!" The grumpy old man noticed her and immediately beamed a smile. "Miri, you''re back. Did your swim go well?"


    "Yes, it did, grandpa." Miri¡ªher real name Muriel¡ªtook a seat and smiled as the two young men suffered. "Hows the training going~"


    "They''re still weak!" Godfred, who was apparently Muriel''s grandfather, shouted, but his ears weren''t pointy like hers.


    He was a human.


    "W-what the fuck is this?" A ck-haired young man stuttered. "Y-you''re treating her quite differently from us, don''t you, old bastard?"


    "Of course, I do." Godfrey looked at them. "It''s because she''s a princess, unlike you worthless scum."


    Muriel smiled cheekily. "Johan, Cadell, do your best~"


    As if influenced by her words, Cadell immediately straightened his back, and it was as if he regained some of his power. Or, it was because he didn''t want to embarrass himself in front of her.


    Johan, on the other hand, dropped the furniture to the ground and said, "Fuck this. We have been holding that for the entire morning. I am hungry!"


    "Tch, you see Miri, we came all the way to New Rakuya to see this kid, and look how he acts?" Godfrey facepalmed and shook his head. "This is the best talent New Rakuya can offer¡ªa whiny kid who can''t perform simple training withoutining."


    "Oh, I can keep holding that shitty piece of furniture for the rest of the day if I want to, but I am hungry and bored." Johan showed a middle finger and headed to the kitchen.


    "That little shit¡­" Godfrey grinded his teeth in frustration.


    "Cadell, you can also stop." Muriel said with a smile.


    "Thank you, miss." Cadell gently put the furniture down on the ground and let out a few sighs.


    Cadell had gray hair, like ash, sprouting from his otherwise dark locks. He was pretty handsome, with a body so toned that it looked almost chiseled from stone.


    "Oh, grandpa, I found an interesting person on the beach." Muriel said with a smile. "He had a beautiful soul."


    Godfred and Cadell, both, turned to her sharply¡ªit was very rare that Muriel was interested in someone. It made both of them very serious.


    "Oh, who is this?" Godfred asked gently from his granddaughter.


    "I didn''t ask his name, but his soul was amazing." Muriel giggled. "I hope I see him again soon. Maybe I can get a deeper look at his soul."


    "Oh, that''s nice." Godfred smiled gently, but inside. ''Maybeing to New Rakuya was a mistake? These humans are all horny and maniptive!''


    Cadell cracked his knuckles with a serious frown. ''Who the fuck¡­ I wonder if that person is still in the beach.''

 Chapter 34 Cadell

    Under the scorching hot sun, Kiernan felt his skin start to burn as he ranps around the beach.


    It was already his fifteenthp, but he could feel his feet starting to blister from the hot sand, and the intense heat didn''t help.


    It was difficult to run in the sand because it was constantly shifting beneath his feet, making each step a challenge.


    However, Kiernan didn''tin. It reminded him of his days back on Earth. Those days felt like a lifetime ago.


    As he was about to start his sixteenthp, he felt something approach him from his right and quickly ced his hand in the way. A ball mmed into his hand.


    "Huh?" Kiernan looked over to the person with locks of gray hair. "What the hell was that for?"


    "Not too bad of reflexes." Cadell said as he walked with his hands inside his shorts'' pockets. "I have a question for you."


    Kiernan frowned and hurled the ball straight back at him. This time, it was flying at much higher speeds. Still, Cadell caught it with a smirk on his face.


    "Did you talk to Muriel, by any chance?" Cadell asked while tossing the ball in his hand.


    "Muriel? I don''t know anyone by that name." Kiernan replied with a puzzled expression.


    "An elf." Cadell squeezed the ball hard as if it were a stress ball. "ck hair, silver eyes, pointy ears."


    "Hmm, that does ring a bell." Kiernan said. "Shortly, a few sentences, why?"


    "It was you~" Cadell chuckled, and at that moment, he hurled the ball towards Kiernan.


    The ball moved at the speed of a high-speed bullet.


    Kiernan snatched the ball from the air before it smashed into his face. The ball was even smoking from the friction of the air.


    If it had hit him, it could''ve been very bad.


    "So, you are not here to have a friendly conversation." Kiernan dropped the ball into the sand.


    "Muriel, well, you see, is someone very close to us." Cadell said while scratching his chin. "She came to us and talked about some weird human trying to get too close to her. She felt really scared."


    "What?" Kiernan''s eyes shook in surprise. "Ah, I had no such intentions. It was my first time seeing an elf, and I only asked a question, nothing else."


    "Haha." Cadellughed coldly. "Are you calling her a liar?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "No, I just think there was a misunderstanding." Kiernan said with a frown. ''Weird, she actedpletely different.''


    "Misunderstanding, hah, that''s what they all say." Cadell approached him with a menacing re. "Leave her alone, ast warning."


    "Fine." Kiernan put his arms up in surrender. "I''ll avoid her; is that fine?"


    "Yes, but I''ll need to give you a reminder of what will happen if you go to her."


    Cadell suddenly lunged forward and threw a casual, straight punch. It was still powerful enough to push all the sand away from him.


    "Iron Style, Rendering Edge!" Kiernan smacked his backhand at Cadell''s fist, attempting to redirect it away. In that instant, he realized his mistake.


    Cadell''s fist didn''t move an inch and instead mmed straight into Kiernan''s chest. The impact sent him flying across the beach, crashing into a nearby tree.


    Crack¡ªthe tree split in half and fell to the sand in two pieces.


    "Cough¡­" Kiernan coughed out blood and saliva. It felt like a truck had run him over.


    This was the strongest punch he had ever felt¡ªboth on Earth and here¡ªthe punch''s strength was near prime Kiernan''s from Earth!


    ''I-Impossible¡­'' Kiernan grinded his teeth in pain. ''I-I can''t breathe¡­ All the air left my lungs¡­''


    "This country sure is weak." Cadell sighed and towered over him. "There''s only one decent talent in this backwater country, and that''s Johan. The rest of you are pure trash."


    "Cough!" Kiernan struggled to breathe, feeling the weight of Cadell''s words crushing down on him.


    "Tch." Cadell crouched in front of him and shook his head. "A beautiful soul, what a joke. So weak¡­"


    "Cadell, I wondered where you went."


    Cadell groaned and rolled his eyes. As he turned around, he saw a ck-haired young man head in his direction while licking an ice cream cone.


    "Johan, what the hell do you want?" Cadell asked with a frown.


    ''Johan?'' Kiernan turned to the ck-haired young man. ''That''s the great genius?''


    Johan had a very pale face, as if he didn''t see a lot of sunlight, with ck eyes and ck hair. He was anky figure with a perpetual scowl.


    "Godfred is taking us to Tiamut to check out the stadium that was recently built for nationals." Johan said and nced at Kiernan briefly. "He told me to go ask you if you want toe, but it looks like you''re busy."


    "No, I am done here." Cadell turned his back on Kiernan and patted the sand off his shorts. "I''m just taking care of some trash."


    "Iron Style, Iron Smash!" Kiernan jumped up and smashed his fist at Cadell''s broad, muscr back.


    "Huh?" Cadell turned around with a frown. "That tickled, the hell you tried?"


    ''W-what, tickled?'' Kiernan''s eyes shrank in shock. ''He is not even that old, maybe in his early twenties, and he is already near my Earth''s strength, which took me over forty years to achieve.''


    The hand, which Kiernan used to throw his Iron Smash, once again broke. It had barely healed, with some bruises left, but it was back in even worse condition.


    Cadell backhanded Kiernan''s face and sent him tumbling down the beach. The difference in strength was too great for anyone to ovee.


    "Cadell, that''s enough." Johan said, stepping in to stop the fight. "You proved yourself, congrattions¡ªnow can we leave?"


    "Fine."


    Cadell saidzily and then looked at Johan''s dark eyes.


    "Also, you didn''t see anything that happened here; do you understand?


    "Godfred and Muriel are here to check out whether you are good enough to join Martial Academia, but I also have the power to reject you if I see fit."


    "I understand." Johan said slowly, but inside he was feeling annoyance.


    "Wait¡­" A voice suddenly came.


    "Huh?" Cadell turned around to see Kiernan stand back to his feet, blood trickling down his face.


    ''What the hell is that idiot doing?'' Johan thought in annoyance. ''If he angers Cadell too much, he''ll get himself killed.''


    "I haven''t lost yet!" Kiernan screamed.


    "What?" Cadell asked coldly.


    "Iron Style, Ghost Spring!" Kiernan took a single step and suddenly vanished.


    "Huh?" Cadell looked around the beach.


    ''A nice technique.'' Johan thought. ''It reminds me of those tricks magicians used to do.''


    At that moment, dozens of Kiernan''s afterimages appeared in the air around Cadell.


    However, there was something strange about them. Each one had a look of pain in their faces, and their legs were broken.


    "Iron Smash!" Every afterimage rushed towards Cadell and threw identical-looking Iron Smashes.


    Cadell crossed his arms in front of his body and tanked the illusionary attacks¡ªhowever, when most of the afterimages attacked, their attacks simply tickled.


    Except for one that punched on his back.


    ''There you are¡­'' Cadell shot his hand behind him and grabbed the throat of one of the figures. Instantly, all the afterimages disappeared, and there was only one Kiernan left.


    "In the end, that''s worthless since there can only be one real body." Cadell said with a scoff.


    At that moment, a figure appeared behind his back and put him under a chokehold.


    "Iron Style, Trap of the Tiger!" Kiernan squeezed hard enough to break any bones.


    ''What?!'' Cadell''s eyes widened, and the person he was holding disappeared like a faint mist in the wind. ''That''s not possible! That fake felt like a real person; how is that possible?!''


    "What an incredible fake¡­" Johan whistled in amazement. "How did he do that?"


    It was perhaps the greatest fake attack in the history. After all, that fake even managed to fool a primordial being, Death.


    "I am impressed." Cadell said and without any difficulty, he broke off Kiernan''s chokehold. "However, you have no physical strength. You are weak!"

 Chapter 35 Level Up

    The sun scorched over the beach.


    Kiernan appeared to be barely conscious, his breathing shallow and irregr, with scratches and bruises all over his body. His bandages had gone loose, revealing badly damaged arms, and his legs were broken badly.


    It was unreal just how broken he looked, and it was clear that he was undergoing pain of immense proportion.


    "Finally, he is down." Cadell patted off the blood from his fists. "I thought I will have to kill him."


    ''He continued to fight Cadell for another half an hour with his legs broken.'' Johan thought. ''What insane willpower, but foolish.''


    "Ngh¡­" Kiernan suddenly groaned and began to rise up once again.


    "Tch." Cadell gave him a menacing re. "If you stand up, I''ll kill you and dump your body into theke."


    Kiernan rose to one knee and put his broken arm beside his waist¡ªit was on a punching stance¡ªit didn''t matter that his body and mind were screaming for him to stop¡ªhe still continued to fight.


    "Iron Style¡­" Kiernan whispered in great pain.


    "Very well." Cadell raised his hand over his head in a chopping stance.


    At that moment, Johan ced his hand over Kiernan''s shoulder and pushed him down to the sand.


    "Argh!" Kiernan tried to stand up, but he couldn''t move an inch. It was like he was trying to fight against gravity.


    Johan, for someone who didn''t look like much of a physical fighter, held immense power that didn''t seem too far off Cadell!


    However, it was different between them.


    Cadell had reached a much higher rank than Johan. They were in a whole different league. However, Johan had such insane physical strength that it narrowed the gap between them.


    "Are you seeking to die?" Johan asked. "Why do you keep standing up?"


    Kiernan didn''t answer. He wasn''t a fool. He knew the immense strength gap between them. It also wasn''t out of foolish pride or a refusal to admit defeat.


    To him, this whole fight was nothing but training¡ªtraining to be so much stronger.


    "¡­" Johan shook his head and walked to Cadell. "Let''s go; this isn''t worth our time."


    "Remember what I said." Cadell shouted out while walking away. "Stay away from her."


    "Hah¡­" Kiernan clutched his injured waist as he tried tough. "Right, I forgot the reason the fight began. It was all because of that girl. I guess the beauty of a woman can really start a war between countries."


    Kiernan sat down on the sand with hot sweat rolling down his face.


    "Whatever." Kiernan stood up with his broken legs. It was excruciatingly painful. "I gotta continue training."


    Without further ado, he started sprinting around the beach. It didn''t matter that his whole body was broken. It didn''t matter that his legs were broken. It didn''t matter that he could barely breathe.


    He ran, ran, and ran.


    Laps afterps.


    The sun moved to the highest point of the sky, then started to descend towards the horizon, casting a golden glow over theke.


    The time continued to fly by.


    Atst, the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving a trail of pink and orange streaks across the sky.


    The light of day faded away, reced by the twinkling stars of the night sky.


    "Haah, haah¡­" Kiernan panted heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He slowly removed his shirt, revealing a bruised body underneath.


    When he reincarnated, his body didn''t have abs or muscles of any sort. The former Kiernan trained hard, but he didn''t do it effectively enough.


    Now, after nearly two weeks, Kiernan had a clear transformation¡ªit also helped that he had advanced all the way to Martial Soldier. It was also helpful that he had a system where he could assign points wherever he wanted.


    He had slightly visible six pack abs now, with muscles barely visible beneath his flesh, a far cry from his previous scrawny frame.


    "Whoo¡­" Kiernan softly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    Deep within his body, the sparkling soul started shaking¡ªanotheryer peeled off like an onion.


    The soul beneath was stronger and more vibrant, a reflection of the physical transformation he had undergone. It looked like a diamond, with sprinkles of light reflecting and refracting through it.


    It was even more beautiful than before.


    [Middle Stage Martial Soldier Achieved]


    [75 XP]


    [LEVEL UP!]


    [Level 2 ¡ú 3]


    "Hah¡­" Kiernan smiled gently and picked up his shirt from the sand. "Time to return, I suppose. I am slowly getting there. It won''t be long before I can fully unleash my Iron Style¡­"


    As Kiernan limped off the beach, there was a figure perched on top of a small boulder, watching his every movement. Kiernan failed to notice that someone was there because the trees were just barely covering it.


    "What a beautiful transformation¡­" Muriel looked at his retreating back with her hands cupped to her chin, a sweet smile ying on her face.


    Their trip to Tiamut was very quick. With her grandfather''s ability, they were able to go to Tiamut and back in less than ten minutes.


    After returning, she said that she was going to walk to the beach, and when she arrived there, she noticed a familiar figure runningps around the beach, seemingly injured.


    She was about to go offer him some help, as with her elven healing capabilities, she could''ve healed him in a matter of minutes. However, something stopped her from doing so.


    It was Kiernan''s indomitable spirit. It was overwhelming like a churning ocean.


    At that moment, a cat jumped onto the same boulder. It was the vige''s cat, who had an uncanny ability to find Muriel wherever she was. Perhaps it was the elf''s natural ability to make everyone around them feelforted and at ease.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Oh, hello, kitty." She said with a smile as she reached out to pet the cat. "Were you also watching?"


    "Meow¡­" The cat meowed and purred while pushing her head against Muriel''s hand, clearly enjoying the attention.


    ¡­


    The night turned darker.


    In Karuza High''s cottage, Kiernan finished taking a shower and changed his bandages for new ones. At this time, there weren''t many spots left where he wasn''t covered in bandages.


    He sat down on his bed, which was right beside a window that saw the entire beach, theke, and the starry night sky.


    And then he opened up his system. There were another ten stat points waiting to be assigned.


    ''Strength, without a doubt.'' Kiernan assigned instantly five points for strength.


    He skimmed through the other options and scratched his cheek thoughtfully.


    At that moment, he assigned the final points¡ªthree to stamina and two to charm.


    With that, his system now looked like this:


    ***


    [Name: Kiernan Hunter]


    [System Level: Beginner]


    [Martial Rank: Middle Stage Martial Soldier]


    [Age: 16]


    [Level: 3]


    [SP: 0]


    [Gold: 0]


    [XP: 20/500]


    [Strength: 17]


    [Agility: 16]


    [Stamina: 11]


    [Vitality: 22]


    [Charm: 12]


    [Quests]


    [Shop]


    [Inventory]


    [Lottery]

 Chapter 36 Two Weeks Left

    In the backyard of Karuza High''s cottage, the young men and one young woman trained under the watchful eye of their coach.


    Ryan and Kang were doing slow sparring, meaning they were moving at slow speeds to focus on technique and precision rather than speed and power.


    Nath was striking a heavy bag nearly, his arms fully extended to their limit. He had one weakness, and that was that he was a worse fighter when his arms were stretched.


    It was because he had focused on fighting in his default state. Thus, Jin made him fight only with his arms stretched to their limit. It was a difficult challenge for him to ovee, as those extra seven centimeters made his arms feel like they didn''t belong to him.


    On the other side of the backyard, Leon sparred against us, and Shura faced Timothy.


    Jin and his new assistant coach, Madigan, who arrived yesterday night, were watching from the sidelines, whispering with each other about the training techniques.


    Meanwhile, on the inside, Jonathan was making the food today. He was on the food duty because he was the weakest person around¡ªusually, the youngest person would be on the food duty, but Kiernan was going to participate in the nationals.


    Kiernan was striking against a wooden dummy. As his legs and arms smacked against the dummy, it sounded like a drum.


    Afterst week''s rank up to the middle stage and level up, his strength has reached a whole new level. Yet he wasn''t satisfied. After all,st week, he lost a fight.


    "Coach!" Suddenly, Jonathan''s voice came from the kitchen, and he hurried to the backyard. "We have visitors!"


    "Who?" Jin asked with a frown.


    After hearing that, everyone stopped training.


    "That person looked like someone important." Jonathan said and then heard footsteps behind him. He stepped aside, and they saw three suited individuals walking towards them with serious expressions.


    "Is everything alright, sire''s?" Jin asked with concern.


    "Yes, is this Karuza High?" The man in the middle said with a deep voice. He sounded and acted like a very important figure with an aura of power and authority.


    "That''s us," Jin said.


    "The tournament bracket has arrived." The man said and handed over a piece of paper to Jin. "The tournament starts next week''s Friday."


    ''We do not have a long time left.'' Jin said with a sigh and epted the piece of paper.


    "We also have a few important people wanting to meet you." The man said, "They''re from Martial Academia. They are here to look out for potentially talented younglings."


    "Martial Academia?!" Jin eximed in shock.


    "Coach, what''s that ce?" Nath asked.


    "It is only the world''s biggest martial arts academy." Jin said with a cold sweat running down his face. "It is a ce where the world''s greatest talents go after high school is over. It''s famous for its ruthless training, intensepetition, and low graduation rate."


    "Low graduation rate?" Ryan asked. "Just how low?"


    "Catastrophically low. I don''t know what is happening inside there, but the expelled students have talked about how their time at Martial Academia was the hardest time of their life"


    Jin said solemnly.


    "It is where geniuses go to thrive, but also to die. If one doesn''t graduate, they might as well quit martial arts altogether."


    "They''re currently talking to students of Magma High, but they will be here shortly." The man said and then bid farewell, as they had a few more schools to go through.


    "So we also have a chance to go to this Martial Academia if we impress their talent scouts?" Nath asked in excitement.


    "Sorry to pour cold water over y''all, but that''s very unlikely." Jin sighed. "This is only a Tier-4 country. I am sure they''re here for only one person¡ªJohan Yeager. Out of courtesy, they''re also checking out other schools.


    "However, I doubt they''re actually thinking that they can find another talent of Johan''s caliber. He is one of the greatest talents toe out of New Rakuya in a very long time, and in Martial Academia, everyone is as talented if not more talented than him."


    At that moment, more footsteps sounded from the inside as the front door opened and closed.


    Jin and everyone else instinctively straightened their backs to stand tall.


    At that moment, Godfred stepped through the doorway and eyed the group with a look of superiority. His aura was like that of a volcano, ready to erupt. It was clear that his strength was far above that of a mere tier-4 country.


    ''This is not a mere talent scout!'' Jin''s hair stood in attention. ''This strength can only belong to one of the professors of Martial Academia. It was said that they have the strength to defeat a Tier-4 country alone.


    ''They''re basically a one-man army!''


    Following Godfred, two more people entered the backyard¡ªone of them was Cadell, and the other was sweet-looking Muriel with a gentle smile on her face.


    "Whoah, an elf¡­" Nath said, his cheeks turning slightly pink.


    Others were as smitten by her appearance, while Shura started to feel self-conscious. She was so beautiful and graceful that seemed like she didn''t belong to this world.


    At that moment, Muriel saw a familiar person and waved her hand excitedly to get his attention.


    Cadell''s eyes turned cold as he saw Muriel do that. He then sent a deadly re in Kiernan''s direction.


    Kiernan looked away and ignored her wave and Cadell''s death stare. He didn''t want to have anything to do with them.


    "Huh?" Muriel stopped waving and dropped her hand, feeling embarrassed and confused.


    This was the first time she had been ignored like this, and she couldn''t understand why.


    Godfred''s muscles tensed as if he were about to burst out. He wasn''t watching their interaction, but he was still able to see everything that was happening in the backyard with his exceptional peripheral vision.


    It allowed him to see everything without turning his head.


    ''How dare he ignore her?'' Godfred''s nostrils red. ''Maybe I should be happy? No, she clearly looks distressed. Humans are truly trash! Wait, I am human as well; how troublesome! I didn''t expect being a grandfather would be soplicated.''


    "Wait, do you know her?" Ryan asked Kiernan. "She was waving at you."


    "No, I don''t." Kiernan replied while looking away. "She got the wrong person, I suppose."


    "Sir, we are honored to have you here." Jin, without knowing what was happening, greeted them with a humble smile.


    "This is Karuza High, correct?" Godfred asked as he scanned the students gathered in the backyard. ''Weak, not a single one in Martial Fighter. They''re going to lose in the first round.''


    "Yes," Jin replied humbly.


    "Well, nice to meet you." Godfred turned around and said, "Cadell, Muriel."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After seeing him depart, Cadell and Muriel followed after him.


    Muriel still turned her head towards Kiernan, pouting enough to make her cheeks look like chipmunks, and then left the backyard with Cadell.


    Jin wryly smiled as he saw theme and go in a hurry. He knew their team wasn''t strong enough to make them interested for even a little bit, but it still hurt.


    ''Our school is not strong, we all know, but I want everyone who hears the name Karuza High to at least remember us!''


    "Everyone!" Jin shouted and waved the sheet of paper in his hand. "Our first matchup has been revealed! Come check it out!"


    Everyone gathered around Jin, who showed them the sheet of paper. There were indeed 256 teams in the tournament. Karuza High was just one of them, but they were determined to make a name for themselves this year.


    "Our first match is against Seisen High School!" Jin announced. "They''re average high school, at best, but so are we. We cannot underestimate them!"


    "Yes, coach!" Everyone echoed.


    "Go back to training; there''s only less than two weeks left!"

 Chapter 37 Reborn

    "Hmph!" Muriel, after arriving back at her cottage, stomped to her room and mmed the door shut behind her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Oh, what happened?" Johan said while sweating heavily as he was holding the heavy piece of furniture above him.


    While others went to check out the schools, Johan was forced to stay behind to train. It irked him to no end, but he knew that they had Martial Academia business to attend to there.


    Cadell sat down on the sofa with an irksome expression and crossed his arms with an angry frown.


    "I can imagine it now." Johan scoffed and looked at Cadell. "This jealous behavior of yours is pretty sad. I know you like her, but do you think this makes her look at you in a positive light? If she finds out, you''ll never date her."


    "Quiet down." Cadell said coldly. "Gotta make sure she doesn''t find out then, right? If she finds out, I''ll suspect that you said something, and then I''ll snap your neck."


    Godfred went over to her door and knocked gently. "Miri, you shouldn''t be upset. Humans are pretty insensitive fools; you should forget about him!"


    "But you are also a human grandpa." Muriel''s voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you also insensitive?"


    "I am different!" Godfred hurriedly said. "I am your grandpa!"


    No other sounds came from the door except the sound of clothes dropping to the floor and the shower turning on.


    "Sigh¡­" Godfred''s head drooped low, and he slowly walked away with a face that seemed like all happiness was sucked out of him. "That fucking brat, I should kill him. No, that would make Miri hate me¡­"


    "I can kill him." Cadell offered with his arm raised.


    "No, we are here with the Martial Academia business." Godfred sat down. "It wouldn''t look good if we killed one of their students."


    "Who cares about what tier-4 country think?" Cadell scoffed. "We, Martial Academia, don''t need any of them."


    "Hey." Johan called out in annoyance.


    "Let''s just forget about it." Godfred said with a sigh. "She''ll forget about him as well soon enough. After all, he is just average even among humans."


    ¡­


    The sky turned dark as a storm rolled in. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and immediately afterwards, rain began pouring down in sheets.


    "Let''s return inside!" Jin shouted while sheltering himself under his jacket.


    Everyone rushed back inside from the backyard, except one person¡ªKiernan.


    "Kiernan!" Jin shouted out. "You''ll get sick;e in!"


    "A moment¡­" Kiernan ced his fist against the wooden dummy. He started doing techniques with lightning speed and precision,pletely focusing on his training.


    The rain poured down around him, soaking his clothes and hair.


    "Iron Style, Rendering Edge." Kiernan shed against the wooden dummy''s wooden frame, feeling the satisfying impact.


    At that moment, he grabbed one of the wooden dummy''s "arms" with his fingers and whispered:


    "Iron Style, Anatomical Bind."


    It felt like he could control the wooden dummy to move as he wished. However, as he continued to practice, he began to notice a strange tingling sensation in his fingertips.


    ''I can''t use that skill much¡­'' Kiernan frowned and mmed his palm against the wooden dummy. "Iron Style, Sceneric Shift."


    With a snap of his wrist, he threw the wooden dummy over his head and then mmed it into the ground, causing the grass to dig up around him in a cascade of dirt and grass.


    At that moment, Kiernan''s body started suddenly changing¡ªthats what it at least looked like to onlookers¡ªit was as if his body soaked up all the rain and he turned into a creature of water.


    "Iron Style, Sea Fall." Kiernan fluidly moved to the wooden dummy, raised it high into the air, and then mmed it back to the ground¡ªhe did a perfect hip throw.


    However, because it looked like he was made out of water, his movements were fluid and graceful. It would be extremely difficult to defend against his throw.


    After the throw waspleted, Kiernan returned to look like a human. Then, he picked up the wooden dummy back to its feet and walked to the porch that had shelter to cover from rain.


    "I am done." Kiernan said to Jin, who watched everything happen.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "W-what the hell was that?" Jin asked himself and turned to Kiernan, who entered the cottage. He hadn''t seen anything like that before.


    ¡­


    The days flew by like a shooting star.


    The students of Karuza High continued to work hard while asionally sparring against former Irio High''s students.


    The sparring matches were usually Ryan, Nath, and us versus Kang, Shura, and Leon.


    Karuza High lost all of the sparring matches. It was because Kiernan wasn''t participating in those fights.


    It made Jin push them even harder.


    Meanwhile, Kiernan was focusing on himself. Jin allowed it, as he wasn''t hurting himself as much anymore. Sometimes, he would give some advice, which Kiernan epted and followed them.


    While they trained hard, both Karuza and former Irio''s students noticed something odd¡ªKiernan was acting rather strangely¡ªit wasn''t just the way he was acting but also the way he looked.


    He was growing taller, his voice deepening, and his hair turning darker. It was as if he was aging rapidly before their eyes. It also caused his muscle mass to increase significantly, and his face matured until he looked more handsome.


    This transformation also showed in his system''s stats. All of them had an increase.


    The strength moved from 17 to 20. Agility turned from 16 to 18. Stamina went from 11 all the way to 15. Vitality didn''t have a change, and Charm moved from 12 to 15.


    Kiernan, before, looked like an ordinary sixteen year-old¡ªnothing special¡ªbut now he looked as if he were in his early twenties. It was a surprising transformation that took everyone by surprise.


    It had been barely a month since he reincarnated, but he already had such a drastic transformation.


    While sitting on the porch, Jin and Madigan looked over to Kiernan, who was punching the wooden dummy, just like he had done for the past few weeks.


    "Puberty?" Madigan guessed.


    "Haha, no way." Jinughed. "No one has such a sudden change just because of puberty. It is something else."


    "What could exin that, though?" Madigan scratched his head.


    "Not sure, but when I look at him, I have a feeling." Jin smiled. "That he is much stronger than we think he is."


    "He is only Middle Stage Martial Soldier." Madigan shrugged his shoulders. "We just found out that our first opponent has a Low Stage Martial Fighter¡ªwe also need Martial Fighter to win.


    "Unfortunately, Ryan is nowhere close to taking that leap to that realm of power. Very unfortunate."


    "Hmm¡­" Jin wondered. "Tomorrow, we''ll go to Tiamut. The starting ceremony will be held at noon, and then the day after that, the tournament officially starts.


    "We prepared as well as we could¡­"


    "Oh, our opponent has Martial Fighter?" Kiernan overheard their conversation and came to porch to get a sip of water.


    "That''s right." Jin said with a serious look. "Their other two fighters aren''t that strong, but that Martial Fighter alone makes this match an uphill battle. We can still win, but it is hard¡­"


    "That means we only need Martial Fighter then." Kiernan sipped on his water.


    "Easier said than done." Madigan said with a wry smile. "Ryan, if he had a few more months, maybe, but it is toote now."


    Kiernan put down his water bottle and cracked his neck. It was as if he took that as a challenge.


    At that moment, his soul had anotheryer forcibly ripped off. The diamond-looking soul started to have other colors peek from underneath its shell¡ªthere were striking shades of purple and blue that glistened in the dim light.


    "Ah!" Jin and Madigan cried out. "Y-you advanced?!"


    [High Stage Martial Soldier Achieved]


    [100 XP Acquired!]


    Kiernan''s blood churned and pumped with excitement. Then, his veins rose from underneath his flesh and started pumping his body with strength and power.


    After that, inside the depths of his very being, anotheryer slowly peeled off from the soul¡ªlike a bandage being slowly ripped off the wound¡ªand as soon as theyer was gone, the diamond soul turned into rays of beautiful blue and amethyst light that danced and sparkled in the darkness.


    "T-that''s impossible!" The coach and the assistant coach shouted. They were seeing something impossible¡ªdouble advancement!


    [Low Stage Martial Fighter Achieved!]


    [150 XP Acquired!]


    "Whoo." Kiernan breathed out heavily and then moved his hair back up, his face looking radiant and devilishly handsome. "Well, it looks like we have a Martial Fighter in our midst."


    ***


    [Name: Kiernan Hunter]


    [System Level: Beginner]


    [Martial Rank: Low Stage Martial Fighter]


    [Age: 16]


    [Level: 3]


    [SP: 0]


    [Gold: 0]


    [XP: 270/500]


    [Strength: 30]


    [Agility: 25]


    [Stamina: 20]


    [Vitality: 27]


    [Charm: 25]


    [Quests]


    [Shop]


    [Inventory]


    [Lottery]

 Chapter 38 Opening Ceremony

    There wasn''t much known about the Martial Soul. Everyone just knew that it was the source of limitless power for martial artists.


    It was known that the Martial Soul could tell when a person was ready to advance¡ªit required the person to have strength, determination, and unwavering belief in themselves.


    Everyone believed that strength was the most important part. Without strength, one couldn''t advance to the next level to gain even greater strength.


    That''s what everyone believed.


    Kiernan, almost mockingly, tore off theyer of the soul with nothing more than his willpower.


    In the past month, his strength has increased at a rapid rate. The Martial Soul would often reach a bottleneck to stop the rapid advancements. The body needed time to adapt to the new power before it could continue growing.


    It was also the reason for Kiernan''s sudden transformation¡ªhe had advanced basically at a weekly pace, which was ridiculous. Now, after giving his body time to adapt, his body was finally able to finish the transformation.


    However, immediately after, Kiernan broke through two bottlenecks in a span of a few seconds. It was unheard of. Double advancement was supposed to be impossible.


    That''s why Jin and Madigan were worried. They wondered what kind of side effects it might cause.


    It wasn''t an unfounded worry, as it could have evesting effects, but they didn''t know about one thing¡ªKiernan was a reincarnator.


    His newly born Martial Soul had difficulty understanding Kiernan''s level of strength because he possessed an unfathomable level of strength back on Earth, and some of that strength traveled here alongside his vast experience.


    His Martial Soul was slowly maturing, trying to catch up to Kiernan. Once it has, his progress will definitely slow down drastically.


    However, the scariest part was that Kiernan hadn''t even entered the Age of Growth. This wasn''t his maximum potential.


    ¡­


    Swoosh¡ªballs of fire flew towards the dark sky and exploded into fiery fireworks.


    Underneath the fireworks, the stadium was packed to the brim, with hundreds of thousands of spectators pping and cheering for the fireworks.


    At that moment, the chairman of New Rakuya''s branch of WMAF appeared on the stage, holding a microphone and smiling proudly at the crowd.


    "Wee to the 222nd annual Martial Arts Tournament of our very own, New Rakuya!" The chairman announced enthusiastically.


    With that, more fireworks exploded in the dark sky. In that same moment, several entrances opened up, and participants from all over New Rakuya swarmed the arena while holding the banners of their very own school.


    In the audience, thousands of cheerleaders and supporters from their schools had gathered to witness the highly anticipated event and support their respective teams.


    In the VIP room at the tallest point of the stadium, many important figures had gathered to watch the tournament''s opening ceremony.


    Alongside them, Godfred sat on the loftiest chair as if he were the most important person around; Cadell sat left of him; and Muriel was on the right.


    "So will the chairman join us?" Godfred asked in azy manner. "After he is done with his speech, of course."


    "He''lle to greet you, of course, and he''ll sit with you to watch tomorrow''s matches." The chairman''s assistant said with a humble look.


    While the position of chairman was important, being a professor at Martial Academia was still higher. After all, he was only the chairman of a branch from a Tier 4 country.


    The ceremony soon ended, and the teams started to head back to their respective housing.


    While walking down the hallway, Nath eximed. "This stadium sure is big. It puts Irio''s stadiums to shame."


    "This is now New Rakuya''s biggest stadium." Jin said. "I heard that in the future, the university and some adult leagues will be fighting here. While this was the opening ceremony for this tournament, it was also the opening of this majestic stadium."


    us looked around the stadium in awe. It was even more glorious than he expected. It was his dream to fight in a stadium like this. Even though he wasn''t fighting per se, it was still a great honor to be a part of it all.


    At that moment, someone bumped shoulders with him, and us immediately fell to the ground.


    "us!" Jin shouted, rushing to help him up, and at that moment, he saw a team wearing purple and ck jerseys walking past them with an aura so strong it seemed like they were invincible.


    ''us got knocked down so easily; I haven''t seen anything like that.'' Ryan thought with a serious look.


    "Oh, my bad."


    The one who bumped shoulders with us apologized. He was an incredibly tall man, pretty much the same height as Kang, with a muscr build, buzzcut, and a stern expression that made him seem intimidating.


    "That''s¡­" Madigan frowned.


    "Yves, you''re so blind sometimes!" A beautiful, hazel-haired young woman came and tugged the tall man away. She was way shorter, barely reaching his chest, but she held herself with a confident air that matched his.


    She also wore the same jersey as Yves, with ck and purple stripes. In the back, they had their school''s name: Tiamut High.


    ''That''s Yves Rechermen and Kara Rousseau¡­'' Jin recognized them in a heartbeat. ''Yves is Tiamut High''s vanguard, and Kara is their second fighter. Only if a team has defeated both of these monsters can they face Johan, their ace.


    ''However, it is unlikely that anyone in the tournament manages to beat these two!''


    At that moment, a cold-looking young man walked past them with his hands inside his pockets. Wherever he walked, everyone turned their heads to look at him.


    It was a person that''s been on multiple magazines and morning showstely¡ªthe great genius of Tiamut, Johan Yeager!


    ''And he is here¡­'' Jin sweatdropped. ''The monster himself¡­''


    ''I can sense it¡­'' Ryan thought as he looked at Johan. ''He is another Natural Fighter. However, we are inpletely different leagues¡­''


    At that moment, Johan, Kara, and Yves sensed something strange¡ªthey turned their heads and saw a ck-haired young man standing still while waiting for others.


    He was just standing, not moving an inch, but their extremely heightened senses were able to sense that something was odd.


    Martial artists, who have reached Martial Fighter and above, could "sense" people''s current martial arts rank just by looking at them.


    They could tell that the young man was only at the Low Stage of Martial Fighter¡ªit was nothingpared to theirs rank¡ªbut he felt much more dangerous than that.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''That''s him?'' Johan frowned. ''No, that can''t be him. He lookspletely different, and he was only a Low Stage Martial Soldier when I met him at the beach.


    ''There''s no way he jumped a whole rank.''


    "Kiernan, are you alright?" Jin saw that he stood absentmindedly. "We''re about to leave."


    "Mm, let''s go." Kiernan nodded, and as he walked away with the rest of Karuza High''s team, a powerful aura attacked him like a tidal wave.


    It was Johan''s aura. He looked like a beast, with eyes that looked like those of a predator. This aura would be enough to put any other student to their knees, but not Kiernan.


    Kiernan walked away, not even turning his head to look back. Soon, he and the rest of the Karuza High team had left.


    "Johan, is everything alright?" Tiamut High''s coach came after noticing that he was missing his fighters. Other students were already waiting outside with their buses.


    "Yeah." Johan scoffed and walked in the opposite direction from Kiernan. It was clear that he was dissatisfied with something.


    Yves and Kara were also confused. They could almost swear that they felt an aura that could rival Johan''s, but they saw no one expect Low Stage Martial Fighter.


    They didn''t think much of it, and then, hand-in-hand, like a couple, they walked away.

 Chapter 39 Strawberry

    "So, why my room, exactly?" Timothy asked in annoyance while nudging his sses.


    He and other members of Karuza High''s team had gathered in his hotel room. It was to spend some time together and watch a few movies.


    Jin told them to rx and not train anymore, so they would be in perfect shape for tomorrow''s matches. Therefore, they decided to order some food and enjoy a night of rxation.


    "We can always count on your room being tidy." Nath said with augh. "You''re a clean freak!"


    Kiernan and Ryan watched the movie that was ying on the television screen. It was an action-packed thriller with lots of blood and gore¡ªpretty much a casual movie to watch with friends.


    Knock, knock¡ªsomeone knocked on the door.


    "us, can you get that?" Nath shouted.


    us, who was nearest to the door, stood up and went to open the door.


    After the door opened, four familiar faces appeared¡ªthey were Kang, Shura, Leon and Jonathan.


    "Oh, hello." us let them in and went back to his seat before it was stolen from him. There weren''t enough seats in the small hotel room anyway.


    There were two beds, one of them upied by Nath alone, and Kiernan and Ryan sat on the other one with their backs against the wall.


    "Hello." Kang greeted everyone awkwardly. This was his first time gathering with others outside of school hours.


    Leon and Jonathan joined Timothy¡ªthey had gotten fairly close during the training camp.


    Meanwhile, Shura walked over to Nath and shyly nted a kiss on his cheek, thenid down on the same bed and cuddled up to him.


    "When did that happen?" Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "A few days ago." Nath replied with a smug smile and hugged his new girlfriend.


    It didn''t take even a minute before another knock sounded from the door.


    "Don''t steal my seat." us said roughly and went to open the door¡ªthis time, Jin was standing on the other side.


    "Coach?"


    "I heard that you all have gathered here; it is a good time to talk about the strategy for tomorrow." Jin said and entered the hotel room.


    "Where''s Madigan?" Leon asked.


    "Went to take a shower; we can do this without him." Jin said, grabbed a TV remote, and put the movie on pause. "Let''s get started, shall we?"


    Everyone turned to look at the coach and stopped fooling around.


    "The first match will be against Seisen High School." Jin started with. "It will already be a difficult obstacle to ovee, but I feel like we have hope now."


    Ryan and Nath nced at Kiernan¡ªa young man who suddenly advanced to Martial Fighter¡ªand it took all of them by surprise as his rate of advancement was out of this world, but they were also happy.


    There was a lot of hope.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Their fighters will be Shanta, Rashmi, and Andre." Jin said. "From our intel, they''ll start with Shanta. She should be a Middle Stage Martial Soldier, and so should her twin sister, Rashmi.


    "They''re doable opponents; Nath and Ryan should be able to handle them with some ease. The hard part is Andre. He has reached Low Stage Martial Fighter."


    "So, we''ll start with me, I guess." Nath said. "I''ll try to defeat Shanta, then Ryan will take down Rashmi. We''ll leave Andre for Kiernan."


    "That sounds like a n." Jin said. "Also, I don''t want either one of you to fight more than one battle, if possible. The first day has three matches in total, and we can''t exhaust ourselves.


    "If we can''t defeat Seisen like this, then we don''t deserve to get through the first day."


    "Excuse me." Kiernan raised his arm.


    "What is it, Kiernan?" Jin looked over to the newly-crowned Ace of Karuza High. "Is there something wrong with the n?"


    "Only one thing." Kiernan said. "I''d like to fight Seisen alone."


    "What do you mean?" Jin asked with rounded eyes.


    "Eh?" Nath eximed.


    "Huh?" Ryan gave Kiernan an incredulous look.


    "That''s very irresponsible." Jin said sternly. "What if you''ll get injured? We''ll need your full strength for the battle with Andre. Also, if we somehow make through, you''ll be exhausted for the next matches!"


    "I know my request is wild, but trust me." Kiernan said. "I know what I am doing. Please, just let me do this. For the next matches, I''ll listen to your strategy."


    "Agh¡­" Jin scratched his head and sighed. "Fine. Nath, Ryan, are you fine with it?"


    "Well, I don''t think it is a bad n per se." Nath said and nodded. "I am fine with it."


    "Seisen High School is greatly underestimating us." Ryan said. "They don''t know Kiernan''s true strength¡ªnone of the schools do¡ªand we''ll lose the surprise element if we do this.


    "However¡­ I am sure he has a good reason to do this, so I am on board as well."


    Kiernan nodded to them and then turned to Jin, who unwillingly epted the crazy n.


    "We should just focus on Seisen for the starters, so we don''t discuss our possible second match''s opponent yet, so I''ll stop interrupting y''all. Good night."


    With that, Jin left the hotel room, and Nath unpaused the movie¡ªothers chatted, yed some card games, and enjoyed the rxed atmosphere before their big match the next day.


    Kiernan stood up from the bed and stretched while asking. "I am going to the vending machine, any of you want some drinks?"


    "Lemon Soda!" Nath shouted and saw Shura raise two fingers. "Two Lemon Soda''s!"


    "Water," Ryan said shortly.


    "Beer," Kang said in his usual monotone tone.


    Kiernan, with his hands inside his pockets, left the hotel room and took an elevator straight to the ground floor. There, he aimlessly wandered until he found the vending room in one of the long hallways of the rich-looking hotel.


    He rummaged through his pockets for a few gold coins and then inserted them into the vending machine. It spat out a few drinks and snacks, which he grabbed and put them on a thin stic bag.


    "May I get a drink as well, sir?" A voice came from his left.


    ''Oh, fuck¡­'' Recognizing the voice, Kiernan turned to the pointy-eared elf, whose pure smile brightened up the dimly lit hallway. "Which one¡­"


    "You''ll choose one for me." Muriel said with a yful glint in her eyes.


    Kiernan inserted another coin in the vending machine, chose a strawberry drink, and as soon as the machine spat it out, he took it and tossed it over to her.


    "Strawberry, my favorite." Muriel smiled, popped it open, and took a sip. "How did you know~"


    Kiernan rolled his eyes and walked past her with the stic bag in hand. He wanted to return to the hotel room as soon as possible.


    "Wait." Muriel said and took out a coin before tossing it over to him. "That''s the payment for the drink~"


    Kiernan caught it and turned it around to see that the coin had different faces on each side¡ªthe faces were elven with pointed ears and sharp features.


    ''Can I even use it here?'' He wondered, but decided to keep it as a souvenir regardless.


    "By the way, I have a question." Muriel said with a smile. "How do you like the hair on a woman? Short, long, curly, or straight?"


    "Huh?" Kiernan frowned at the odd question. "Uh, why?"


    "Tell me~" Muriel said teasingly. "Or I''ll have to follow you to your hotel room until you give me the answer~"


    Kiernan pinched his be and answered randomly. "Uh, shoulder-length, I guess."


    "Alright, thank you~" Muriel happily said and hopped away, leaving Kiernan feeling both confused and slightly creeped out.


    ''I wonder if it is toote to move to another hotel¡­'' Kiernan sighed and saw that the drinks were about to get warm if he idled any longer.

 Chapter 40 First Match

    The following morning, people crowded the stadium.


    It was the busiest week of the year in Tiamut as tourists from all over the nation flocked to the city to witness the annual tournament.


    Karma and a few of his friends joined the entrance line, which spanned several kilometers. Luckily, they joined the line very early in the morning and would reach the stands before the first matches started.


    In the arena, the stands looked like a sea of different colors¡ªthe supporters of each school wore their team''s unique colors with pride and excitement¡ªand there was also a support team for Karuza High, which was smaller than the top school''s but just as passionate.


    The excitement was already reaching the ceiling, and a single match hadn''t even started yet.


    In the center of the stadium, there were a little bit over sixty smaller rings. They were small enough for around sixty matches to be held simultaneously.


    As there were too many teams at first, they fought in two different parts¡ªfirst, around 64 matches were held in the smaller rings, and then another 64 matches to finish off the round of 256.


    The smaller rings were used until the quarterfinals¡ªduring the quarterfinals, there was only one ring. It was the biggest ring of them all.


    For many schools, reaching the big ring was the ultimate goal.


    Currently, in the VIP room, the important figures from Tiamut and from all around New Rakuya are gathered to watch the uing matches together.


    Muriel sat beside her grandfather, like yesterday, but today there was something different about her. Her ck hair was cut short. It reached her lower back before, and now it was barely shoulder-length.


    The new haircut made her look innocently sophisticated. She was a mix of beauty and adorableness that captivated all the important figures in the room.


    It wasn''t fair to rate her based on human beauty standards, as her allure transcended that. With her soft, fair skin, soft-looking round eyes, and sweet smile, she was simply enchanting.


    "M-Miri?" Godfred looked at her with wide eyes. "You cut your hair?"


    "Yeah, how does it look?" Muriel showed off her new haircut. She cut it herself and was nervous about how others would perceive it.


    "You look even more beautiful than before, but why?" he asked with a sudden pain in his heart. ''Is this her rebellious phase? First of all, she ran away from her home, then dyed her beautiful silver hair ck and now even cut her famous elven hair, oh god.''


    "I thought it would be a good change." Muriel replied with a cheeky smile and then looked over to Cadell, who was unnaturally quiet. "Cade, how does it look?"


    "Y-you look beautiful." Cadell stuttered nervously, like a young boy, in front of his crush.


    "Yay." Muriel giggled and turned to the arena with a cheeky look. ''Try to ignore me now!''


    ¡­


    Karuza High''s changing room was eerily quiet. No one spoke a word. They were just waiting for the signal to enter the arena.


    They would be fighting in the first 64 matches¡ªin ring number 32 against Seisen High School.


    "In the past twenty years, no team from Irio has made it through the first day." Jin said. "Thest time it happened was with our principal, Azer, who led Irio to their unprecedented nationals victory."


    "That''s horrible pep talk." Nath said with a twitching eyebrow.


    "Haha, I am just saying." Jin chuckled and said confidently. "I believe this year will be the one where we''ll finally make a name for our school¡ªsoon, everyone will know Karuza High."


    "What school was Azer a part of?" us asked curiously. "I didn''t hear Karuza High having any victories."


    "Xaru High." Jin said with an emotional voice.


    "Xaru High¡­" us scratched the back of his head, not ringing bells.


    "It is an old school from Irio that has been demolished." Timothy replied. "It was the most sessful school in Irio and well-known all around New Rakuya, but for some unknown reasons, it was shut down."


    "Why wasn''t Azer part of his family''s school?" Nath asked.


    "He and his father had a big fight a long time ago." Jin said. "It is in the past. After his father passed away, he became the principal of Karuza High.


    "If Azer was part of Karuza High when he was in high school, this school could''ve gotten their first nationals victory. It was his father''s dream. He feels like it is his fault that he took his father''s dream away from him.


    "So, he wants to fulfill that dream. To make Karuza High stand at the highest peak of New Rakuya. That''s this school''s ultimate goal¡ªour goal."


    Beep, beep.


    The sound came from the inte¡ªit was time to go.


    CLAP!


    Jin pped his hands together so hard that the noise echoed through the empty hallway.


    "Good luck." He said to his students. "Win!"


    "Roger!"


    With that, team Karuza High, dressed in their team''s uniform with the white jersey of ck flowers, stepped out of their changing room and entered the arena with over sixty other teams.


    The cheers from the crowd drowned out their nervous heartbeats. It almost felt like the ground shook under their feet as they walked to their respective rings.


    At that moment, hundreds of TV cameras moved around the stadium, sending broadcast signals to every corner of New Rakuya. This was a popr event in the country, and millions of viewers were tuning in to watch the action unfold.


    Two teams gathered in the ring with the number 32 etched on the side. Only one camera pointed in that ring. It broadcast a signal to Irio and to Seisen.


    The two teams settled on their own benches. The referee then raised his hand as a signal to send their first fighters to the ring.


    "Good luck, sis!" Rashmi cheered for her twin sister. She was an average-looking young woman with hazel-colored hair and dimples adorning her bronze skin.


    "Thanks!" Shanta smiled and entered the ring with some initial nervousness. She was a baby-faced young woman with ck bobcut hair and had simr bronze-colored skin as her sister.


    Jin looked towards the ring with an expected look and then turned. "Kiernan, ready?"


    "Yes." Kiernan looked at his hands, which were wrapped in white cloth tape, and nodded.


    With that, he removed his jersey and shirt, revealing his body filled with chiseled muscles. His body was so vastly different from his previous self that he could hardly believe it was his own.


    He stepped up the ring and stopped in front of the referee¡ªhis opponent was on the other side of the referee.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seisen''s coach roughly nodded. They expected them to send Kiernan. ording to their intel, he was merely Low Stage Martial Soldier.


    They didn''t understand how such a weak person was able to enter nationals, but Irio had always been at the bottom of the barrel in terms of power.


    "The match 32 is between Seisen High School and Karuza High!" The referee shouted with his arm raised. "The first round is between Shanta Chakra and Kiernan Hunter!"


    In the VIP room, Muriel had her eyes glued to the screen, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.


    With her, she had a sheet of paper. It had names of the teams, and their fighters. She was wondering which one of the five he was.


    ''So his name is Kiernan Hunter¡­'' She smiled.


    In the ring, the referee stepped aside.


    "Are both fighters ready?"


    "Yes." Shanta moved to her light fighting stance. It seemed like she was mostly focused on movement rather than speed.


    "I concur." Kiernan moved to his casual defensive stance of his Iron Style¡ªit resembled the cat stance, with his left foot standing on toes, his right foot t on the ground, and his arms raised in front of him.


    "Fight!" The referee shouted and swung his arm down.


    The first match for Karuza High therefore began!

 Chapter 41 That Was Challenge

    "Come on, sis!" Rashmi cheered on for her sister.


    "You''ve got this, Kiernan!" us and Timothy shouted on.


    Shanta was the first one to make a move. She nimbly crossed the distance with such quick steps that it wasn''t even clear whether her feet touched the ground or not.


    Her stance was such that it wasn''t clear what kind of martial arts she was using¡ªshe could go for a tackle, punch, or even kick.


    No one knew what she was going to do.


    Except for Kiernan, of course.


    He shifted his stance and center of gravity slightly.


    At that moment, Shanta sprang off the ground and unleashed a spinning back kick towards Kiernan''s head. It was a fast, powerful, and precise kick.


    Kiernan grabbed her leg and mmed her against the ground with a thunderous impact¡ªshe stopped moving instantly.


    "Down!" The referee shouted. "1¡­"


    The countdown started without any hesitation.


    "Sis!" Rashmi cried out in shock.


    Andre''s eye twitched. It happened so fast that even he had a hard time processing what happened.


    "Yes!" Karuza High''s team cheered.


    ''This is good, really good!'' Jin thought with a smirk.


    It looked like Kiernan heeded his advice.


    In the changing room, before the matches, he told everyone another rule that existed in nationals. If a person gets knocked out twice, they will lose.


    It was because there was once a match where two students dualed for half an hour and both got knocked out several times. It was such a bloody fight that both received lifesting injuries.


    Thus, the new rule was created¡ªtwo knockouts were the limit.


    "5¡­"


    The countdown had already reached halfway.


    At that moment, Shanta slowly climbed back to her feet with a taken aback expression on her face. She felt that some of her ribs must''ve broken.


    "Continue!" The referee shouted.


    "Argh¡­" Shanta recoiled heavily, and as she touched her waist, she winced in pain. She knew she couldn''t give up now, but it hurt so much that she could barely stand up straight.


    "Ahhh!" She cried out all her pain and frustration, then rushed towards her opponent with all the strength she had left.


    She started iling her arms around, hoping tond a hit that would turn the tide of the battle in her favor.


    Kiernan effortlessly backstepped and dodged every attack she threw at him. A few punches were near, but he simply moved his head out of the way.


    It continued like this for a while.


    Shanta tried to push Kiernan to the edge of the ring, to have an attempt at pushing him off, but he had learned from his mistakes during representation matches and stayed away from the edge.


    He circled around Shanta to avoid going to the edge. She turned and continued punching at him furiously, but each punch was deftly dodged with ease.


    It was so close, but so far at the same time.


    It was clear to everyone watching the match¡ªthey were inpletely different leagues.


    Kiernan shot his hand forward, and his palm connected with Shanta''s face.


    It sent her sprawling to the ground.


    Kiernan rushed in and punched down, but Shanta rolled out of the way in the nick of time. The punchnded on the ground with a loud bang.


    Shanta, from her downed position, threw a kick, but Kiernan blocked it with his forearm. Then, something strange started to happen to his body¡ªit looked like he was turning to water.


    "Iron Style, Sea Fall."


    Like a water serpent, Kiernan slithered over Shanta, mounted over her, and put his forearm over her throat, cutting off her air supply.


    She gasped and tried to slither out of her predicament, but Kiernan simply changed his center of gravity to shut off all her escape routes. In terms of groundbat, Kiernan was superior.


    With her vision turning dark, she could hear faint shouting from her sister and her coach. They were shouting for her to do something. However, there was nothing she could do.


    Therefore, she quickly tapped on the ground as a sign of surrender.


    Whistle~


    The referee blew the whistle and shouted. "Winner, Kiernan Hunter!"


    Kiernan stood up and stepped away from her downed body. He took his position in the leftmost area of the ring and waited for his next opponent to arrive.


    Shanta, ashamed, left the ring with a disheartened look.


    "I am sorry, sis, Andre¡­" She almost felt like crying as she sat back down.


    "Sis¡­" Rashmi gritted her teeth and hatefully turned towards Kiernan, vowing to get revenge. "I''ll win for us!"


    "Sis¡­" Shanta whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Y-you can do it!"


    Rashmi stepped up the steps to the ring. She red at Kiernan like he was her mortal enemy.


    "Second round, Rashmi Chakra versus Kiernan Hunter!" The referee swung his arm down. "Fight!"


    "You bast¡ª"


    She was about to charge straight at him, but it was actually Kiernan who made the first move¡ªhe closed the distance with one quick leap.


    Rashmi didn''t expect that and quickly put her arms in front of her as a block.


    Kiernan''s right shoulder twisted slightly as if he were about to throw a punch with his right.


    ''Right punch!'' Rashmi quickly focused all of her attention on his right fist.


    At that instant, Kiernan''s right leg propelled itself out like a whip and struck her in the thigh with a loud, flesh-smacking sound. It almost sounded like a baseball hitting the leg.


    Her face immediately reddened in pain, as it felt like her skin was on fire.


    Kiernan threw a quick straight punch¡ªit squarely hit her in the face¡ªand quickly followed up with a hook punch to her abdomen.


    "Ah!" Rashmi coughed out all the air from her lungs, and it was a surprise that she didn''t vomit out her breakfast.


    "Iron Style, Sea Fall!"


    Again, Kiernan resembled some kind of water creature and attacked Rashmi''s legs with a tackle. He wrapped his arms around Rashmi''s legs and brought her crashing down to the ground.


    Kiernan mounted over her and started pummeling her with punches. She panicked and tried to protect her face with her arms, but the punches were so powerful that she could feel the pain rattle her entire body.


    Smack, smack, smack¡ªthe punches continued tond,nd, andnd. It was relentless, and she could feel her body slowly break apart under the force of each blow.


    "Sis!" Shanta screamed.


    ''Shit.'' Andre clicked his tongue. ''That ain''t the power of Low Stage Martial Soldier. It''s the same as mine, isn''t it?''


    ''I thought Kiernan was a striker, but he has shown a lot of grappling skills.'' Jin thought with an impressed look. ''I guess there are a lot we don''t know about him. I don''t even know what martial arts he uses.''


    The referee was on standby, ready to call off the fight if needed. It still looked like Rashmi didn''t want to give up.


    Kiernan switched from normal punches to hammer fists and mmed her in the face. It instantly worked wonders¡ªRashmi''s eyes turned nk white for a moment before her consciousness returned.


    However, the punch clearly had taken a roll on her, as she didn''t even block anymore.


    The blood spilled from her nose and mouth, staining the ground beneath her.


    Kiernan raised his fist one more time, but before he threw it, he stopped. He, surprisingly, stood up and returned to the leftmost area of the ring for some odd reason.


    Even after he walked away, Rashmi didn''t move an inch. She justy there, motionless. and quiet.


    The referee went to check on her. She was still conscious, but she just continued breathing in and out.


    "Do you wish to give up?" The referee said.


    This was something he had seen a few times during his refereeing career¡ªthis happened exactly when one of the fighters lost all their fighting spirit.


    Rashmi had utterly and thoroughly given up. It was because of the immense difference in strength, which she realized she couldn''t ovee.


    "Yeah¡­" Rashmi whispered in defeat, stood up slowly, and left the ring with her head hanging low. She sat down next to Shanta and put a towel over her head.


    "The winner is Kiernan Hunter!" The referee shouted.


    "Yes!" us and the others cheered loudly.


    Kiernan breathed out calmly and turned to look at Seisen High School''s team¡ªthe mood was very low¡ªbut then Andre dropped his towel and stood up with a scowl on his face.


    ''Was that a challenge, fucker?'' Andre thought to himself while looking straight at Kiernan in anger.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It wasn''t that umon knowledge¡ªeven Jin managed to find out¡ªthat Andre''s martial arts focused on grappling and mounted attacks.


    If his opponent got mounted by him, the fight was usually over, as no one could escape from him.


    Andre took that as a direct challenge¡ªKiernan had mainly used grappling and mounted attacks¡ªas if he were challenging Andre to see who was better.

 Chapter 42 Kiernans Grappling

    Kiernan and Andre positioned themselves on different sides of the ring.


    Rashmi and Shanta raised their heads from their slumped states. They failed to do anything for their team, but if someone could help them win this, it would be Andre.


    Seisen High School had been a very mediocre school for a very long time. They asionally had Martial Fighters, but this year had been exceptionally poor.


    They would usually have at least one Martial Fighter and one at the peak of Martial Soldier¡ªin rare cases, two Martial Fighters¡ªnow only one and two at the Middle Stage Martial Soldier.


    It was poor representation by them. However, they were still hopeful. It was because they believed in Andre''s skills.


    They expected the first match to be a walk in the park for them. It turned out to be unexpectedly difficult.


    "The third match¡ªAndre Mathieu versus Kiernan Hunter!" The referee looked at the two, then nodded and swung his arm down. "Fight!"


    Kiernan stepped forward and twisted his waist as if he were about to punch, but Andre quickly tackled straight at his legs and took him straight down to the ground.


    Without any warning, Andre mounted on Kiernan''s chest and pinned one of his arms down, then began to rain down blows on his face.


    Kiernan, with his teeth gritted shut, blocked the punches as best as he could. In the mounted position, he couldn''t possibly use his Rendering Edge.


    "This is not good!" Jin cried out with an ugly expression.


    He warned them not to engage Andre in grappling¡ªit was destined to end in loss¡ªwhat''s worse that Andre already finished his preparations to end the match¡ªhe was in his famous mounted position.


    Rashmi and Shanta cheered him on. Seisen''s coach let out a small smile.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Andre couldn''t get one good hit in. He was throwing punches with his left, but Kiernan managed to parry every single one with his right arm¡ªhis left arm was still pinned down by Andre.


    "Is that all?" Andre asked arrogantly and kept hammering his fist down. "I thought you would be better than that!"


    "Watch what you''re wishing for." Kiernan said and suddenly bumped his hips up, throwing Andre off bnce.


    Immediately, Kiernan pulled back his pinned down arm and put Andre into a triangle chokehold with his legs. His legs wrapped around Andre''s neck like a pair of snakes.


    "Ngh!" Andre quickly ced one of his arms beside his head to stop thepletion of the triangle chokehold. It worked, as he was still able to breathe.


    "Tch." Kiernan clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "Rah!" Andre slowly lifted Kiernan off the ground, mmed him back to the ground, and then tried stomping his head. But Kiernan quickly let go of the triangle chokehold and rolled out of the way.


    Immediately after the roll ended, Kiernan jumped back to his feet.


    "Damn, that was close!" Nath cried out. "I can barely breathe; everything is happening so quick!"


    Andre sprang back to his feet and went for another tackle, but Kiernan suddenly ducked under his arms and attacked his legs. Andre was taken in by surprise and fell to the ground.


    This time, it was Kiernan who sessfully tackled.


    Kiernan mmed down his hammer fist, but Andre moved out of the way just in time. He nned to stand back up, but Kiernan suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him back to the ground.


    Kiernan whipped his leg down as he tried to ser-kick Andre in the head. However, Andre rolled around, covered his head with his hands, and tanked the kick with his back.


    Andre, without any hesitation, kicked Kiernan''s legs out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. Kiernan fell down on his back with a loud thud.


    "Lumberjack''s Backbreaker!" Andre chopped his hand down at Kiernan, but he quickly coiled his legs around Andre''s arm and flipped him over.


    Kiernan sessfully put Andre into a very threatening armlock with his legs. Andre cried out, his face slowly reddening. He realized it was very bad for him.


    "F-fuck!" Andre turned and twisted his body around until he had a small opening. With his free hand, he jabbed his fingers towards Kiernan''s eyes¡ªhe was going for eyepoke!


    Such dirty tactics were allowed.


    Kiernan kicked the hand away, but it gave Andre enough leeway to slip his arm out of the armlock. After managing to escape from Kiernan''s hold, he quickly regained his stance.


    Kiernan jumped back to his feet with a casual expression¡ªit didn''t look like he was annoyed or disgusted by such tactics.


    "Fine, you showed you can grapple." Andre said while breathing heavily. He realized just how taxing it was to fight Kiernan.


    ''Could it be¡­'' Jin thought to himself. ''Is Kiernan a better grappler than Andre?!''


    "I am not a slouch when ites to striking either." Andre switched up his stance to resemble a Muay Thai fighter.


    "Iron Style, Iron Smash!" Kiernan threw his fist with the power of a sledgehammer and punched through Andre''s guard, then straight to the face.


    Andre''s feet slid backwards until he came to stop at the edge of the ring. His nose was bleeding furiously, and his legs were shaking.


    Kiernan used Iron Smash!


    It was usually his trump card to finish off his matches quickly. Now, he used it without knowing whether his punch would end the match or not.


    Now, his hand was bruised. However, the bruise''s color wasn''t as dark, and it looked like he could still use it fairly easily¡ªthe hand didn''t break!


    The hand was clearly injured, but not to the extent that it was broken!


    After reaching Martial Fighter, Kiernan tested a few of his skills and realized that he could use a few more now. The strongest skills were still out of the question, but he could use Iron Smash a few times before his hand broke.


    Andre hopped around like a boxer and then rushed in. He wasn''t feeling that confident anymore. He already got defeated in his strongest area, and from what he had heard from his coach, Kiernan should be a striker.


    ''I''ll just need to exhaust him. It is much harder to grapple when exhausted!''


    Andre reached the striking distance and then threw a series of quick jabs and crosses.


    Kiernan didn''t even use his Rendering Edge and simply parried the punches away with his rock-solid defense. It was as effective as ever.


    Andre lowered his center of gravity and then kicked from low, but his kick soon turned into a high roundhouse kick.


    Kiernan shot his hand forward and grabbed the leg¡ªhe didn''t use his hand to grab it¡ªhe only used his fingers that looked like a w.


    "Iron Style, Iron Fingers." His fingers squeezed into the leg with tremendous strength. He could break the leg with his fingers if he wanted to.


    It was almost like his fingers were¡ªlike the name suggested¡ªmade out of iron!


    "Shit!" Andre cried out in pain.


    The members of Seisen High School paled significantly. They could feel their hope dwindle at visible speed. Even their ace, Andre Mathieu, didn''t seem to be a match for this unknown fighter!


    "Iron Style, Anatomical Bind." Kiernan, with his fingers, controlled Andre''s movements like a puppeteer and forced him down on his knees.


    Andre unwillingly submitted to Kiernan''s techniques and fell down on his knees.


    At that moment, Kiernan clenched his right hand into a fist¡ªhowever, his middle finger curled up into a hook¡ªand then he punched Andre three times in the face¡ªonce in the forehead, once in the nose, and finally at the jaw.


    "Iron Style, Triple Point Strike."


    Andre''s eyes rolled back to his skull, and he copsed on the ground like a pile of foldedundry.


    "The match is over!" The referee jumped to the ring with his arm raised high. "Winner, Kiernan Hunter! The winner is Karuza High!"


    With that, the first match ended in dominant fashion.


    Karuza High''s supporters and members jumped from their seats and screamed one name in their cheers¡ªKiernan.

 Chapter 43 Raimei High

    Kiernan fiddled with his phone while sitting in the changing room with the rest of Karuza High''s members. After their match ended, they returned to their personal changing room to wait for their next matches.


    "Yes, yes, thank you." Jin spoke on the phone and nodded constantly. Then the call ended, and he turned to Kiernan. "Principal told me to say that good job; you did excellent."


    "Mm." Kiernan nodded and moved his thumb across his phone''s screen.


    "What''re you looking at, anyway?" Nath asked, trying to peek at his phone screen.


    "I am learning more about the world." Kiernan said and with a press of a button, the phone turned dark. "Did you know that there are martial artists that have lived several hundred years and have gone to seclusion in some random mountains?"


    "Yeah, I have heard about it." Nath said. "If one bes strong enough, their powerful Martial Souls can extend their lives. Some go to seclusion to find a way to advance their souls even further so their lifespan can be extended even further."


    "Martial Grandmaster is thest rank that is within human limits." Jin said. "Beyond that, they are in the territory of gods. Their lifespans also increase with each advancement."


    Beep, beep.


    Jin quickly checked out his phone and saw something that made his eyes round up.


    "Our next matchup has been updated." Jin said, causing others to tense up.


    "Well, who is it?" Nath anxiously asked after seeing the coach being eerily quiet.


    "I should''ve expected this¡­" Jin scratched his head with a sigh. "Because of our poor performance in the previous tournaments, our seeding for the tournament was quite bad.


    "While the round of 256 was randomized, the next round¡ªthe round of 128¡ªtakes the seeding into ount while deciding the matches. Our opponent is seed 10."


    "Seed 10?!" Others cried out.


    "That''s a team that can contend for a quarterfinal spot!"


    "Yeah¡­" Jin closed the phone and said, "Our opponents are Raimei High."


    "Raimei¡­ Raimei¡­ Raimei¡­" Timothy repeated the name constantly and then eximed. "They just won the Summer Invitationals!"


    Summer Invitationals¡ªa tournament held in the summer with eight invited teams. It was thest tournament before the nationals. It didn''t have as much prestige as nationals, but it was still highlypetitive.


    It didn''t have teams like Tiamut and other top teams¡ªthe invited teams were around 8¨C32 seeds.


    Thus, Raimei managing to win it was still very impressive.


    "This will be the biggest hurdle of today." Jin said with a serious look. "One thing is for sure: no one expects us to win this. That''s why we''ll do the biggest upset of the tournament and win!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What''s the n, coach?" Ryan asked.


    "We''ll focus on the fact that they will be underestimating us." Jin said. "They''ve probably already heard about Kiernan. They will be cautious of him, but you two, they aren''t expecting much, no offense."


    "Ouch." Nathughed. "Well, that ain''t wrong, I guess."


    "How strong are their fighters?" Kiernan asked.


    "All three of them are Martial Fighters."


    Hearing that, us and others breathed in cold air. It was a frightening line up.


    "Their strongest fighter should have reached Middle Stage Martial Fighter by now." Jin added.


    ''If I manage to defeat them all, I will level up¡­'' Kiernan scratched his chin.


    The reason why he fought Seisen all by himself was because one thing¡ªexperience points¡ªit pushed him closer and closer to level 4.


    He only needed 130 more experience points to level up. He believed that if they made it through the day, he would reach level 4 and be even more powerful for tomorrow''s matches.


    ''I already said that I will listen to whatever the coach decides to do.'' Kiernan thought to himself. ''However, I don''t see Nath and Ryan defeating any of them if they are Martial Fighters.''


    "We''ll start with Nath." Jin said. "Use your Triple Technique and try to push your opponent off the ring. You nned to master it during the training camp, did you?"


    "I did," Nath said proudly. It was one of his goals for the training camp, and he managed to aplish it.


    His Triple Technique was now wless!


    "The second fighter will be Ryan."


    Jin said.


    "Your only goal is to injure your opponent as much as possible, like you did with Kang. The rest will be up to Kiernan. It will be extremely tough, but as long as you guys get one of the opponents down, it will be considered a sessful n."


    "I am sorry, guys." Ryan leaned against the locker with a heavy look. "I should''ve reached Martial Fighter."


    ''Martial Soul is ruthless,'' Jin thought to himself. ''Ryan has the talent to reach Martial Fighter, but Martial Soul never allows a desperate man to advance.''


    ¡­


    Raimei High''s changing room.


    "Our next opponents are Karuza High." The coachbed his hair carefreely while looking at himself in the mirror.


    He looked pretty average, and there were a few bald spots in his head, which he was trying to hide with ab-over.


    "They are a very average school." The coach said: "However, they defeated Seisen High School, and they had Martial Fighter. It seems like Karuza High has gotten their hands on a secret weapon.


    "We don''t know much about this Kiernan kid, but he is Low Stage Martial Fighter, at least. The other two are merely Martial Soldiers. This should be an easy victory."


    "Roger~" Arthan said while ying music from his phone, seeming very rxed.


    He had light green hair and a matching set of emerald green eyes. With the body of a dancer and the face of a model, he was the perfect image of grace and beauty. It was easy to mistake him for a woman.


    However, his ears were adorned with a collection of piercings that gave him an edgier look. Also, his voice, deep and resonant, immediately dispelled any doubts.


    He was the ace of Raimei High¡ªArthan Mercury, Middle Stage Martial Fighter.


    "Yawn~" Kalen let out a yawn. He was the second fighter of Raimei High, with a collection of sword tattoos on his arms that counted the number of his defeated opponents.


    In total, there must be close to two hundred small sword tattoos¡ªit made his arms look like the scales of a mighty dragon.


    With his rank Low Stage Martial Fighter, he was already a top ss fighter in his high school circle, but his true strength was rumored to have reached Middle Stage.


    "Agh, my stomach." Thest member, Kornelius, left the resting room while holding his stomach. He was having food poisoning.


    With his brown hair, normal round face, and bright blue eyes, he looked like someone you would see in the streets on a daily basis. However, he belonged to a very wealthy family¡ªAshworth Family.


    Ashworth Family had been living in New Rakuya since the country''s creation. They were one of the richest families in the country. That''s why Kornelius has had the privilege of having the country''s best coaches and nutritionists provide for him ever since his childhood.


    With all that, he finally managed to be Low Stage Martial Fighter. It wasn''t all because of his family; he also had decent talent and a strong work ethic that helped him reach his current level.


    Beep, deep¡ªa sound came from the inte.


    The coach stoppedbing his hair and said, "It''s time. We''ll win, as we, Raimei High, will always do."


    With the insignia of thunder on their jerseys''s backs, the members of Raimei High left their changing room. Their jerseys were ck in color, with blue thunder on their backs. They looked mighty and dangerous.


    Whenever one of the audience members saw the match up, they were certain about one thing¡ªRaimei High was going to dominate.


    The round of 128¡ªmatch 12¡ªKaruza High Vs. Raimei High.


    Begins!

 Chapter 44 Soul Color

    Karuza High, principal''s office.


    Azer impatiently tapped his finger against the desk while he was watching the tournament unfold on the tablet. The second match was about to begin, and both teams walked to their ring.


    "Raimei," he whispered to himself, feeling a tinge of nervousness.


    He didn''t n to go to watch the tournament on the first day, as he had his responsibility as principal. However, if somehow his team reached the second day, he would go there no matter what.


    At this moment, it looked very dark¡ªtheir opponents were the famous Raimei High.


    ''They did already great for defeating Seisen, but this next obstacle might be too tall to ovee.''


    Azer sighed, but he didn''t feel too disheartened. He heard from Jin that Kiernan reached Low Stage Martial Fighter, which was amazing for someone in their first year.


    In a year or two, Karuza High could contend for a quarterfinal spot, which would be amazing.


    That kind of sess could help them recruit young talents from other cities. Usually, if a student was talented enough, they would join the powerhouse of a school, even if they didn''t originate from that school.


    After all, that talent would be wasted at a weak school. Those kinds of talents always dreamed of winning nationals, which would give them unlimited opportunities for the future after they graduate.


    That''s why Karuza and Irio High never had those kinds of talents join because it would be a waste of their potential. However, if they had a few sessful years, they might be able to recruit some talented individuals.


    ''Another year¡­'' Azer snapped his fingers once, twice, and three times.


    It was frustrating for him.


    ''Father¡­'' Azer shook his head and turned his gaze to the tablet. The match was about to begin.


    ¡­


    Karuza High and Raimei High took their ces on their respective benches¡ªon the other sides of the ring¡ªand the stadium continued to howl around them.


    Most of the second round''s matches were about to begin.


    This time, there were more eyes on Karuza High''s match than in the first round¡ªit was because Raimei High¡ªtheir cheerleading squad had plenty of people and some audience members had their eyes on their school as they, as winners of Summer Invitationals, could potentially reach quite high.


    The referee reached the ring. This time, it was an old-looking fellow with a stern expression and a whistle that seemed to have been used one too many times.


    He was a veteran referee, and he was known for his strict adherence to the rules. This was his 33rd nationals as referee.


    "Karuza High and Raimei High, bring forth your first fighters." He said with his voice booming with elderly energy.


    "Alright¡­" Nath stood up andid down his jersey, revealing his well-toned body with somenkiness. He had a smile on his face, but he was nervous.


    This was his first-ever national fight, and it was against such strong opponents¡ªat this moment, he kind of wished that he would''ve fought against Seisen to get rid of the nervousness.


    "Good luck." Jin pped his hands together as Nath stepped up to the ring.


    us and Timothy cheered him on¡ªRyan and Kiernan stayed silent and watched from the sidelines, their expressions unreadable.


    Somewhere in the audience.


    "Oh, they chose Nath." Leon said with a serious look. "However, his opponent¡­"


    "Yeah, Nath can''t win." Kang said simply.


    "Don''t say that!" Shura pouted and shouted loudly. "Nath, you can do it!"


    Jonathan scratched his forehead, nose, and jaw. After seeing the "Triple Point Strike" from Kiernan in hisst match, his face was itching quite badly.


    On Raimei High''s bench, none of them spoke a word.


    Kornelius shook his hands as if they were burning, his lips had a small smile, and he looked very rxed. Then he stepped up to the ring and faced Nath.


    Raimei High''s supporters sted their trumpets and cheered loudly for their fighter.


    In the stadium''s VIP room with Godfred and others, a man with ashen-gray hair straightened his position on his seat as he looked over to that specific ring.


    "Oh, your grandson is fighting." A man beside him said with a thoughtful look.


    "Yes." Gray Ashworth said with his stoic-sounding voice. He was the patriarch of the Ashworth family, one of the richest families in the entire country.


    "Your grandson''s opponent seems quite weak." The man said with a chuckle. "He won''t stand a chance against young Ashworth."


    "Hmph, of course." Gray said with a hiumph. "He has been training with the finest coaches and has ess to the best facilities money can buy."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Oh, your grandson is fighting?" A sweet-sounding voice suddenly came. Muriel looked over to them with her silver eyes twinkling like stars.


    "Ah, yes, Miss Muriel." Gray humbly lowered his head and said, "He is on ring 12."


    "Ring 12¡­" Muriel peeked towards them, and with her sharp vision, she managed to see two people standing on that ring.


    At that moment, her mouth turned into an "O" with her pink lips parted. She recognized one person.


    "Oh, your grandson is against Karuza High, how interesting~" Muriel giggled, and this time, she looked far more interested in the match.


    "That school is nothing; it will be an easy victory for us." Gray said confidently. "This will just be a warm-up for tomorrow."


    "Oh, are you sure about that~" Muriel smiled sly, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I have a thing called Soul Eye; do you know what that is?"


    "N-no, miss." Gray shook his head.


    "I can see people''s souls, and your grandson''s soul is¡­" Muriel looked intensely toward Kornelius. "A little dull. It looks like a rock that needs to be polished. If polished correctly, it could turn into a diamond."


    "That''s not very good~" she giggled. "His opponent''s soul is not much better, but it''s shining through the cracks of the rock."


    "Uhm¡­" Gray, not sure what any of that meant, smiled awkwardly. "So, are you saying that my grandson is in trouble?"


    Muriel giggled and shook her head. "No, your grandson will win. However, Karuza High has a person that he cannot win. A person with the most beautiful soul of them all."


    "What determines the color of the soul, if I may ask, Miss Muriel?" A man next to them asked.


    "I don''t know." Muriel giggled. "However, I have a hunch."


    "Oh?"


    "The color of the soul is determined by how pure one''s martial arts are." Muriel said. "That is just a theory of mine, but those with rough-looking souls don''t truly care about their martial arts.


    "It sounds silly, I know, but that''s what I havee to understand."


    Godfred listened to his granddaughter speak and thought about what she said. Apparently, he had a gold jewel as his soul. It shone brightly and was full of life.


    He hade to understand one thing in his long life¡ªthose who don''t trust their martial arts with their whole being will never truly master them. That''s why he believed what Muriel said.


    "So, you''re saying that Karuza High has a person with a very brilliant soul?" Gray asked and looked over to them. "Who though? The silver-haired kid? Or the one with sses?"


    "No, the one with messy ck hair and a strangely pleasant face." Muriel pointed at Kiernan with a bashful smile. "His martial arts are the purest of them all. I think your team is in trouble."


    ''How much can a single student help their team, though?'' Gray frowned at himself. ''He is only a Low Stage Martial Fighter and his teammates are worthless. It doesn''t matter what color his soul is; there is no way he will win.''

 Chapter 45 Ashworth Family Style

    "The first match, Nathaniel Waters vs. Kornelius Ashworth!" The elderly referee shouted.


    "Are both fighters ready?"


    "Of course." Kornelius shadow-boxed with a confident smile.


    "I am." Nath replied with less enthusiasm in his voice. ''Triple Technique¡­ Triple Technique¡­''


    "Fight!" The referee shouted and swung his arm slowly, as if his joints were rusty.


    "Ashworth Family Style, Spirit Cutter!" Kornelius rushed in, his arms crossed into an "X," and shed both down as if they were swords.


    Nath blocked them with his arms, but then his skin ruptured and blood sttered everywhere. There were two deep cuts on his arms, as if he were cut by a knife or some kind of sharp machete.


    ''He is going all-out straight away!'' Nath thought with a pale face.


    ''Ashworth Family Style is a dangerous style.'' Jin thought with a frown. ''Rumors say that Ashworth used to be a family of assassins and thieves. That''s how they managed to amass their immense wealth. Their style originated thousands of years ago.


    ''Ashworth Family Style is basically a style made for assassinations.''


    Kiernan sat quietly without changing his expression. It was unclear what he was thinking about, but it must be deep based on the small frown on his face.


    "Ashworth Family Style, Spirit Punch!" Kornelius threw an over-shoulder punch and smashed it straight into Nath''s arms.


    Spurt!


    Again, Nath''s arms burst with crimson blood, and it clearly hurt him, but he tried to keep calm and collected. He kept thinking about his Triple Technique, but he didn''t want to miss the timing.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The oue of the match depended on it.


    "Ashworth Family Style, Spirit¡­" Kornelius tapped his hands together¡ªone hand facing upward and the other hand facing downward¡ªand then smashed them straight at Nath''s chest.


    "Unleashment!"


    Spurt!


    Crack!


    The attack sent Nath flying like aet. He was on his way to fall off the ring, but at that moment, his feet grew a few centimeters andnded back on the ground. It gave him enough traction to stop himself at the edge of the ring.


    However, it was looking bad.


    Nath''s chest was bleeding furiously.


    The elderly referee narrowed his eyes. He had a duty to stop the fight if it was going to threaten the life of one of the contestants.


    "Nath¡­" us and Timothy grinded their teeth. It was looking horrible.


    "Oh no¡­" Shura held her hands close to her chest.


    "As expected," Kang said, shaking his head. "The strength difference is vast."


    "Tch¡­" Jin looked at the towel in his hand. He could also end the fight whenever he wished, but at that moment, Nath made his move.


    Nath pped his hands together with a loud smack and then started running forward like a mad man running towards the jaws of death.


    Kornelius raised his arm over his shoulder. "Ashworth Family Style¡­"


    ''Is Nath going to do it?'' Jin''s eyes shrunk. ''Can it work against Martial Fighter?''


    A small air bubble appeared between Nath''s hands, and then he pped them together, which created a strange sound followed by eerie ringing.


    "Melody!"


    Kornelius'' face seemed ufortable. His ears were ringing as if a loud rm had just gone off right next to him.


    "What''s your biggest fear?" Nath asked with an echoing voice.


    "Rgh, why the fuck do you want to know that?" Kornelius angrily whipped his arm down and chopped across Nath''s shoulder.


    "Spirit Chop!"


    Crack¡ªthe shoulder broke and dislocated.


    Nath, while holding his broken arm, backed off with cold sweat running down his face.


    "Oh no, it didn''t work!" Jin cried out.


    At that moment, Nath again pped his hands together. This time, it was so loud that his hands turned red and swollen.


    The ringing was now so loud and wide-spread that even other members of Karuza and Raimei High heard it. It caused their ears to ring as well.


    "Tch, what the hell is that?" Arthan picked his ear with a frown.


    "I wonder what he was up to." Kalen said with a chuckle and rubbed his ear. "Is he nning to turn Kornelius deaf or what?"


    Kornelius'' eyes turned nk for a moment, and he stopped moving.


    "What is your greatest fear?!" Nath screamed out loud with pain etched on his face.


    "Ngh¡­" Kornelius struggled and finally answered. "To¡­ disappoint¡­ my parents¡­"


    Nath quickly snapped his fingers. "Fear!"


    Kornelius saw the stadium spin around him as if he were inside a washing machine. The stadium then disappeared and was reced by a cozy-looking room with firece in the corner, frost-covered windows and a warm, inviting smell wafting through the air.


    It was a room inside the Ashworth family''s mansion¡ªthey lived in Raimei, where it was mostly snowing all year round.


    At that moment, the door swung wide open, and an angry-looking gray-haired man stepped inside.


    Kornelius turned around and whispered. "F-father¡­"


    "You lost in the tournament, huh?" The father raised his hand high and pped him across the face. "What an embarrassment to the Ashworth family! We, Ashworths, don''t lose!"


    "I¡­" Kornelius, with his cheek swollen red, tried to exin. "I-I win next time¡­ I''ll train harder, a thousand times harder!"


    "No, you already made our family lose face; you''re disowned!"


    As those words rang across Kornelius'' ears, he fell down on his knees, tears running down his face. His whole life was falling apart around him.


    "Wait¡­" Kornelius looked around the cozy room and frowned. "The walls are grayish. Didn''t we just get them painted red-brownish? Also, the sofa feels low quality."


    He thought to himself while touching the sofa. It didn''t feel as soft andfortable as it used to.


    "Wasn''t I in the stadium just now?" Kornelius slowly stood back up with a frown. "How did I get in here?"


    The walls and the ceiling started cracking.


    The feeling that something was wrong turned stronger, and then Kornelius grabbed a vase and threw it at the wall. That caused the entire room to fall apart, and he appeared back in the ring.


    A punch was flying in his direction.


    Kornelius quickly grabbed the punch mid-air and twisted it till Nath flipped over to the ground.


    "W-what?" Nath grunted as his back touched the ground. ''H-he destroyed my hallucination?''


    "A hallucination?" Kornelius picked him back up with just one hand and smirked. "There were a few mistakes¡ªyour hallucination manages to make my own memories fight back against me.


    "The room was based on my memories, but I hadn''t visited that room ever since it got repainted. Also, your hallucination can''t mimic the exact touch of the items if I have only a faint recollection of them.


    "Without seeing the wrongly painted walls, I probably wouldn''t have realized that the sofa was all wrong. However, it helped me to see a little bit past the hallucination, so seeing the error in the sofa was easy as well."


    "S-shit¡­" Nath kicked up his legs, but then Kornelius tossed him aside like a piece of garbage.


    Nath rolled and tumbled around in the air and eventually fell to the ground, outside the ring.


    "Winner, Kornelius Ashworth!" The elderly referee quickly announced.


    "Ah~" Kornelius stretched his arms with a smile. "That was unexpectedly difficult."


    Karuza High''s side looked sour-faced. After seeing that Kornelius waspletely stuck inside his fears, they thought Nath would win. However, in the end, the fight ended as expected.


    And the worst thing was that Kornelius wasn''t really injured either. That''s the w in Triple Technique. It had a lot of steps that could fail and only one of the techniques that could actually hurt the opponent.

 Chapter 46 Ryan vs. Kornelius

    "I am sorry, guys¡­" Nath scratched the back of his head, ashamed of his poor performance.


    "You did your best." Jin patted his shoulder and asked, "Need some ice?"


    "I am fine." Nath sat down and poured water on his head to cool himself down.


    While others were upied by the next match that was about to start, Nath mmed himself in the head a couple of times and repeated:


    "Damn it¡­ Damn it."


    ¡­


    "Whew, haha." Gray Ashworth let out a few chuckles of relief. "It looked dicey in the middle, but in the end, the match ended as expected."


    "Hmm, oh¡­" Muriel looked over to the ring and turned disappointed. "It is not his turn yet, huh¡­"


    "Oh, that must be Ryan Lee." A man with dark hair said. "I heard he is a Natural Fighter."


    "Oh?" Gray voiced, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Like Johan?"


    "Yeah, this might be an interesting matchup."


    ¡­


    Ryan stepped up to the stage with a cold look on his face. Each step felt more suffocating as Kornelius'' intense aura was locked in him.


    ''What a monster¡­'' Ryan clicked his tongue. ''If I had only ranked up, I could win.''


    The more despair he felt, the tougher the bottleneck became. However, he couldn''t help but feel despair and frustration at himself.


    The elderly referee looked at the two and said, "Second match, Ryan Lee vs. Kornelius Ashworth. Are both fighters ready?"


    "Always." Kornelius hopped on his feet with a confident look.


    After making it through the first match, he was feeling less pressure on his shoulders. It made his body feel lighter and more agile than it did in the first match.


    "I am." Ryan responded and moved to a very forward stance, with his arms lined up in front of him and his body leaning forward.


    "Fight!" The referee swung his arm down and escaped from the ring.


    "Ashworth Family Style¡­" Like before, Kornelius nned to go straight on offense.


    However, he was slower than his opponent.


    Ryan''s leg muscles tightened a little bit, and he elerated forward with crazy speed.


    Kornelius abandoned his attack and punched widely, but Ryan slid under his arm and jabbed him in the ribs. Pow. Pow. Pow.


    "Oh!" Jin eximed. ''I thought he was going to use Super eleration straight away, but instead, he used only a small fraction of that speed so that he wouldn''t ruin his legs before the fight even began.''


    "Tch¡­" Kornelius backed off with a bruised waist and clicked his tongue. ''He is fast.''


    Ryan stopped moving, turned around ny degrees to face Kornelius, and again charged forward. The ground under him cracked with the force of his speed, sending bits of tile flying into the air.


    ''That movement¡­'' Kornelius frowned. ''He can only run in a straight line?''


    Ryan''s legs whizzed across the ring, and when he reached the striking distance, he whipped his leg at Kornelius'' thigh. The kicknded with a loud smack.


    "Ashworth Family Style, Spirit Punch!" Korneliusunched a powerful cross punch.


    Ryan weaved back and narrowly avoided the blow. He then threw another few kicks thatnded on Kornelius'' legs.


    ''Hit-and-run tactic, huh¡­'' Kornelius scoffed.


    "Haah, haah¡­" Ryan panted heavily, a warm sweat rolling down his face. ''What am I missing? Kiernan managed to advance easily, so why can''t I?''


    Kornelius grinded his teeth andunched a bombardment of punches. Ryan weaved around the punches with his superior speed, but then one of the punches scratched his cheek.


    Spurt!


    It almost looked like his cheek exploded. It was now raptured, showing the raw red flesh underneath. A single scratch turned into a gushing wound, with blood pouring down his face.


    "Ashworth Family Style, Spirit Bombardment¡­" Kornelius smirked.


    ''Wait, what was I thinking?'' Ryan frowned and quickly backed off to the edge of the ring. ''I don''t have to think about anything else. I''ll have to focus on the fight!''


    This was the first time in the entire month that he stopped thinking about advancement. That thinking was the reason for his bottleneck bing tougher and harder to break.


    Now, slight signs of the soul having ayer peel off were beginning to show.


    Each heartbeat pumped his body with greater strength.


    Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.


    ''I think I am ready for that move¡­''


    Ryan moved to his sprinting stance. With his eyes locked on Kornelius, his leg muscles started to bulge with explosive power. He took a deep breath, and the ground under him was cracked by the weight of his legs alone.


    "He is going to do it!" Jin cried out.


    "Go!" us and Timothy shouted.


    Nath dug his nails into his palms, ignoring the pain that came with it.


    ''Ryan''s preparations have been sessful¡­'' Kiernan thought with a smile. ''Kornelius won''t know what hits him.''


    Kornelius thought with a scoff. ''It somewhat looks like the same stance from the start of the fight. So he ns to use his speed to attack me. Unfortunately for you, I already know that you can only run in a straight line. You''re an easy target!''


    Crack!


    Ryan''s legs strained as he pushed off the ground, propelling himself forward with incredible speed towards his opponent.


    Kornelius, without any hesitation, punched forward with all his strength, as if he were able to tell where his opponent was going to be.


    At that moment, Ryanpletely vanished in front of him.


    ''H-he is gone?'' Kornelius'' eyes shrunk. ''Is his speed just so fast that I can''t see him¡­''


    That thoughtsted a single second. It was too long.


    Smack!


    A kicknded on his corbone¡ªthe corbone shattered instantly¡ªthen his body fell down on one knee, struggling to remain conscious as excruciating pain shot through his body.


    "Aaaargh!" Kornelius screamed so loudly that foam poured out of his mouth. It was the worst pain he had ever felt.


    Ryannded back on the ground with a fatigued face. His legs were shaking uncontrobly, as that move had taken everything out of him.


    "Yes!" Supporters from Karuza High erupted in cheers.


    ''He yed him!'' Jin thought with a grin. ''Ryan wanted Kornelius to think that he can only run on a straight line so that his Super Jump has a greater chance to seed!''


    Inside Ryan, his soul showed signs of peeling at an amazing rate. It only needed one final push.


    ¡­


    In the VIP Room.


    "Grandson!" Gray cried out with a pale face.


    "So that''s Natural Fighter." The man with dark hair whistled. "What a tremendous natural athleticism."


    "The fight''s over." Muriel said with a smile. "Neither one of them can continue fighting. It would be foolish because there are more matches toe. I guess it will finally be his turn~"


    ¡­


    The coach of Raimei High used his hand tob back his hair and sighed.


    "We''ll need him well-rested for tomorrow¡­" He grabbed a towel from the bench and threw it on the ring.


    As soon as the towelnded on the ring, the referee blew a whistle.


    "The second match is over, winner Ryan Lee!"


    "W-what?!" Kornelius screamed while holding his left arm. "I haven''t lost yet!"


    "Kornelius, it is fine." The coach said with a sigh. "I know you can beat your opponent even with one arm, but we''ll need you tomorrow at your full strength."


    ''Tomorrow, huh?'' Jin shook his head. ''They''re not even considering us a threat¡­''


    "Damn it!" Kornelius screamed, threw one look of hate in Ryan''s direction, and left the ring.


    Ryan breathed out loudly and grabbed his trembling knees.


    "You too, Ryan¡­" Jin said. "Your job is done; excellent job."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Oh¡­" Ryan nodded with a sigh and slowly limped off the ring. He then exchanged high-fives with others before getting seated on the bench.


    "Ryan Lee has surrendered!" The referee shouted. "Bring your next fighters!"


    All the eyes on Karuza High''s benchnded on Kiernan. Their hopesnded on his shoulders.


    Kiernan took one final sip of the water, then stood up and high-fived with others before going up the stairs to the ring.


    On the opposite side of him, a dark blue-haired young man with tattoos filling his arms was waiting for him with a grin on his face.


    "The third match¡ªKiernan Hunter vs. Kalen Lightning!"

 Chapter 47 The Third Match

    Inside Karuza High''s principal office.


    Azer''s heart began to race as he watched Kiernan take the final steps to stand at the ring.


    It was looking dire.


    ''Kiernan can defeat Kalen, but what about theirst fighter, Arthan? Middle Stage Martial Fighter, and I don''t think Kiernan can go through the first match without a scratch.''


    It felt like the second day spot was slipping away from their hands.


    ''Come on!'' Azer looked at the framed picture on his desk, showing him and his father standing in front of Karuza High.


    His father had his usual smile, but Azer wasn''t smiling. It didn''t look like he was happy.


    The picture was taken only three days before he officially left Karuza High and joined their rival school, Xaru High.


    ''Another year?'' Azer frowned and turned to look at the match on hisptop. ''You don''t want to wait for another year, don''t you, Kiernan?''


    ¡­


    ss 1-A, Karuza High.


    A television was ying the match.


    It was thest day of the ss, and instead of having their usual history ss, they decided to watch the match instead.


    The teacher was seated on the chair and was drinking the coffee he had previously brewed in the morning.


    ''Raimei High, how unlucky,'' the teacher thought.


    Julia and the rest of the ss watched with keen interest. However, they''ve all heard about Raimei High. They were a famous school that was often featured in New Rakuya''s fighting newspapers.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''They need to defeat Raimei and another school to get to the second day.'' Julia''s lips curled down. ''Not happening this year, huh¡­''


    Her father promised to take her to Tiamut for the second day of the matches if Karuza High made there, but it was looking extremely unlikely.


    Everyone in the ssroom was already convinced of Kiernan''s strength and knew that he was pretty much number one in their school already.


    However, Raimei High gained their reputation by crushing talented individuals.


    Talent meant nothing in front of them!


    ¡­


    The stadium grew rowdy as the people all around New Rakuya cheered for their favorites. A few eyes alsonded on the match between Karuza High and Raimei High.


    Raimei High''s cheerleading squad was loud. With their trumpets, drums, and pom-poms, everyone heard them clearly.


    "Are the fighters ready?!" The referee asked.


    "Of course." Kalen smiled and lowered his stance just a little bit.


    The sole of his foot was tapping the ground, as if he were revving his engine before a race.


    "I am." Kiernan moved into his usual Iron Style stance.


    A fortress!


    A few sharp-eyed audience members noticed something strange about Kiernan. It looked like he was a fortress, strong and unbreakable.


    The referee gritted his teeth and swung his arm down.


    "FIGHT!"


    Swoosh!


    With an explosive start, Kalen elerated forward. He didn''t run in a straight line. Instead, in a slightly zig-zagging motion, just like a lightning bolt!


    As Kalen''s feet left the ground, he was suddenly spinning in the air and threw a flying roundhouse kick.


    Kiernan moved his right arm, and Kalen''s leg smashed into his forearm. The kick had great strength behind it, but Kiernan didn''t flinch even slightest.


    ''Weird¡­'' Kalen thought. ''It definitely hurt. This kick of mine can break bones.''


    As Kalennded back on the ground, he raised his leg up and kicked towards Kiernan''s side of the head.


    Once again, Kiernan ced his arm in the way and blocked it before it could do any harm.


    Smack!


    "So, you don''t flinch away from kicking." Kalen retreated a few steps.


    Those kicks were nothing but part of Kalen''s n. He wanted to immediately take control of the fight, so he hoped that those kicks would push Kiernan straight to the edge of the ring.


    Most of his opponents usually dodge those kicks as they could sense the danger on them, but Kiernan didn''t seem to be aware of it as he simply blocked them.


    Kalen looked at Kiernan''s arms, trying to see whether he actually felt the pain of those kicks, but it didn''t look like it!


    ''Very well.'' Kalenunched forward. ''Try to survive my martial arts then!''


    Kiernan looked carefree. He just stepped closer, his body firmly locked in his defensive stance.


    "Raimei Karate, Straight Punch!" Kalen twisted his waist, and as he threw his punch, his arm straightened out like a bolt of lightning.


    Kiernan ced the side of his hand against Kalen''s fist and steered it away smoothly.


    "Iron Style, Rendering Edge!"


    After missing his punch, Kalen lowered his stance. Way down. He went down to the ground and swept his legs towards Kiernan''s.


    "Raimei Karate, Sweeping Ground!"


    Kiernan jumped over the leg and punched at Kalen, but as if he expected it, when the punchnded on his cheek, he turned his head alongside the punch.


    Kalen started grinning, and he then swung his elbow at Kiernan''s face, which seemedpletely unprotected.


    However, using his left hand, Kiernan grabbed the elbow and used his legs to wrap around Kalen''s waist, pulling him down to the ground.


    Like snakes, his legs moved up and wrapped around Kalen''s neck, cutting off all his ess to the air around him.


    "Yes!" Jin jumped to his feet with a gigantic grin. ''This is where Kiernan''s mastery shows. Grappling! He managed to destroy Andre Mathieu, a grappling specialist. Kalen is in trouble!''


    Shocked cries came from Raimei High stands. They didn''t expect to see Kalen in such a bad position!


    However, Raimei High''s coach didn''t look concerned at all.


    ''That won''t work.'' Arthan said with a smile. ''Kalen is, y''see, quite crazy.''


    Kalen stopped struggling. While the legs were squeezing hard on his throat, he couldn''t breathe the slightest. It was also beginning to turn dark for him.


    The referee was ready to call the fight off soon.


    "Dinner? Just for me?" Kalen opened his mouth and said. "Yes, please!"


    With his teeth, as if they had been sharpened by a knife, he tore into the meat of Kiernan''s leg.


    The blood spewed like it was straight from a crimson fountain.


    "?!" Kiernan''s eyes shook.

 Chapter 48 Smash!

    "Hey, what the hell?!" Jin shouted, trying to make the referee stop that.


    However, the referee didn''t move. The bite was sure dirty, but it wasn''t lethal.


    Kiernan quickly rolled out of the way and retreated to the edge of the ring. He looked at his leg that had bite marks and was bleeding.


    The wound looked much worse than it actually was.


    "Hahaha!" Kalen stood back up and wiped the blood off his lips. "Grappling, aye? A bad choice."


    "What the hell was that?" Jin sat back down and crossed his arms. "How can that shit be allowed?"


    "Calm down, coach." Ryan said. "That was a bad move from Kalen."


    "Howe?" Jin asked.


    "He angered Kiernan." Ryan cracked a smile. "He awakened a sleeping beast."


    Jin looked over to Kiernan. To him, it didn''t look like he was angry. Instead, it looked like he was in pain as he kept holding his injured leg.


    However, Ryan was Natural Fighter, so there must be something that no one else was seeing.


    ¡­


    In the VIP Room of the stadium.


    While most of the people there were focused on entirely different matches, Muriel looked at the confrontation between Kiernan and Kalen.


    She couldn''t help but smile.


    ''That beautiful soul is shining more brightly than ever before. I thought he would lose some confidence in his own martial arts, but no, it''s stronger than ever before!''


    ¡­


    "Kalen, Kalen, Kalen, Kalen!" Raimei High''s cheerleading squad chanted loudly.


    Kalen ced his arms in front of him and moved into Raimei Karate''s offensive style. He wanted to go all-out and finish his opponent!


    ''Kiernan must be terrified.'' Arthan thought with a smile. ''That must''ve been a traumatizing experience. It''s not the first time that someone Kalen has fought became terrified after seeing that he would do literally anything to win.''


    "Coach, start packing things up." Arthan said. "The fight is ending soon."


    The coach agreed, and started packing up his backpack.


    "¡­"


    Kiernan silently ced his hand over the wound and whispered. "Iron Style, Tight Binding!"


    The wound started to close in. He was using his leg muscles to close the wound. It worked, and the bleeding stopped.


    "Huff!" Kalen took a deep breath and then rapidly advanced forward. "Raimei Karate, Skull Breaking Punch!"


    The fist speared through the air. It was the strongest punch in Kalen''s arsenal.


    He had stopped counting how much time this specific attack had knocked out his opponents. The number of tattoos in his arms had grown significantly since he first learned the technique.


    It wasn''t far-fetched to say that most of the victories came because of this attack!


    ''Be proud; you''ll be able to be a part of my body¡ªa loser tattoo!''


    The fist was about to smash into Kiernan''s face!


    Squeeze!


    The cheers of the victory quieted down like a dying echo.


    "Iron Style, Iron Fingers."


    Kiernan grabbed Kalen''s fist. His fingers dug deep into his flesh. The fist couldn''t move the slightest!


    ''What?!'' Kalen''s eyes widened in shock.


    Arthan, and the coach looked shocked.


    ''What is happening?'' Kornelius wondered in shock. ''Why is Kalen struggling against him?''


    "Iron Style, Sceneric Shift." Kiernan, controlling Kalen''s center of gravity, lifted him up to the air and moved him towards the ground.


    When Kalen was about to crash on his head, Kiernan suddenly stepped closer with his fist raised high in the air.


    "Iron Style, Iron Smash!"


    The fist smashed into Kalen''s face and mmed him straight to the ground with a thunderous ground.


    The whole ring shook for a moment.


    As Kiernan stepped away, the referee caught a sight of the unconscious Kalen, and without further ado, he blew into his whistle.


    "The match is over; the winner is Kiernan Hunter!"


    "Yes!" Jin, Timothy, and us jumped to their feet in excitement.


    "What a crazy guy." Nathaniel grinned. "It looked like he didn''t use all his strength either, right, Ryan?"


    "Mm." Ryan nodded. "That''s how it has always been, hasn''t it? Have you ever seen Kiernan actually struggle in a match?"


    "Hmm¡­" Nathaniel frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. It always seems like he wins easily."


    "Yeah¡­" Ryan took a deep breath. "I kind of want to see him face a real challenge for once."


    "Well, you don''t have to wait for long." Nathaniel''s expression turned serious. "His next opponent is that monster!"


    ¡­


    Karuza High''s principal office.


    "Yes!" Azer pumped his fist in excitement. "That was starting to look bad for a moment!"


    It was hard to see, but he tried to see Kiernan''s injured leg through theptop screen. Unfortunately, the camera angle wasn''t the best for that.


    ''I hope the damage is not too bad. He needs to be in perfect condition to beat Arthan!''


    ¡­


    1-A ssroom.


    The whole ss cheered upon Kiernan''s victory. Most of them were smiling, as it was shocking that they were able to push Raimei High this much!


    Most of them expected Raimei High to destroy them, but now they were at thest match!


    It was already an amazing aplishment against the tenth seed!


    ''That monster.'' Dominic thought. ''Seriously, where did Kiernane from?!''


    ¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In the stadium''s stands, Shura, and Jonathan cheered for Kiernan''s victory.


    Kang sat with his arm crossed, asionally scoffing and muttering about something.


    "One more, please!" Shura cheered.


    In the ring, Arthan slowly walked up the steps to the ring. At the same time, the medical team moved Kalen away on a stretcher.


    He managed to catch a glimpse of him, and noticed the fist mark on Kalen''s face. It wasn''t easy to make such a mark, which spoke a lot about Kiernan''s insane physical strength.


    ''I must avoid his punches.'' Arthan thought to himself and finally reached the ring.


    "Thest match between Raimei High and Karuza High!" The referee shouted.


    "Arthan Mercury vs. Kiernan Hunter!"


    The area around this ring silenced down. Both teams were holding their breaths in anticipation.


    Raimei High wasn''t anymore thinking that this was just another walk in the park. This was an extremely tense situation!


    The coach of Raimei High grinded his teeth together and shouted. "Arthan, you can do it!"


    ''Shit!'' Kornelius grabbed his hair. ''They shouldn''t have subbed me out. I am sure I could''ve also injured Kiernan, and Kalen would''ve defeated him.


    ''Well, doesn''t matter now. Arthan definitely doesn''t lose to this bastard! After all, he is the only one from Raimei that I actually respect!''

 Chapter 49 Reigning Fallow

    The VIP Room.


    "Well, Muriel, how is the match going?" Godfred asked. "Did Raimei already win?"


    "No." Muriel smiled. "Thest match is happening."


    "Thest match?" Godfred frowned and looked over. "That young man¡­"


    "Kiernan won his previous fight. Now he is against Raimei High''sst fighter."


    "Oh?" Godfrey looked to Gray, who looked sullen.


    It was clear that he was greatly disappointed.


    Being the part of the Ashworth family, losing wasn''t an option. Thus, that family had been spending quite a fortune on Raimei High to make it strong enough to allow future Ashworth family members to have a chance at the nationals victory.


    It was still busy developing, and there was a long way to go before they would see the results of their investment, but still, they won the Summer Invitationals!


    They should''ve had a rather easy journey to the quarterfinals, but now, in the round of 128, they were about to lose?!


    That couldn''t possibly happen!


    ¡­


    "Are both fighters ready?" The referee asked.


    "I am." Kiernan moved to his Iron Style stance.


    While on his stance, he looked at his right hand, which showed slight bruising. He was still able to use it, but after a few more Iron Smashes, it would break.


    "Yeah." Arthan moved into his Raimei Karate stance.


    He was also a practitioner of Raimei Karate. It was the most famous style in Raimei and had been taught in Raimei High since its founding days.


    "Alright!" The elderly referee shouted and swung his arm down. "Fight!"


    Both fighters charged forward. They met at the center of the ring and immediately smashed their shoulders together in a fierce sh.


    "Raimei Karate, Shoulder Crash!"


    "Iron Style, Iron Human!"


    Offense versus defense!


    The exchange ended in a tie, but both looked like they were injured in the exchange.


    Arthan stepped away and felt like his shoulder got slightly bruised. It felt like he crashed into a brick wall!


    ''Yep¡­ Iron Human is too much for me¡­'' Kiernan gritted his teeth.


    Iron Human allowed him to make his body as durable as steel. However, his current body wasn''t strong enough to handle the intense impact of the collision.


    To do that without getting injured, he needed a much stronger body!


    After shaking off the pain, Arthan rushed it and started raining down punches.


    "Iron Style, Rendering Edge!"


    Immediately, Kiernan responded with his ultimate defensive move.


    The scene shocked everyone on Raimei High''s bench. Every punch was missing Kiernan''s body by mere inches!


    Kiernan''s defense was smooth, strong, and unbreakable!


    Arthan tried to be more tricky with his punches and began to change trajectories, but still, it was as if he could see the future. Kiernan effortlessly redirected every punch away.


    ''Rock-solid defense!'' Jin grinned. ''Try to break through that, brats!''


    The nightmarish defense that everyone back on Earth feared had made its grand debut.


    Arthan panted heavily, his tongue pping out of his mouth, and he looked like he was about to faint at any moment, but he didn''t stop throwing punches.


    However, it felt like he was trying to hit someone who wasn''t even there.


    ''Our strength can''t be this far apart!'' Arthan screamed inwardly. ''Why can''t I hit that bastard?!''


    The punches turned sloppy, and in that fraction of a second, Kiernan saw an opening and punched through that opening.


    The fist smashed into Arthan''s face and sent him sliding back.


    He didn''t use any Iron Style technique to punch.


    It was simply an ordinary straight punch.


    Kiernan rushed forward and clenched his hands into fists, then he started throwing punches. A storm of punches!


    "Iron Style, Reigning Fallow!"


    The fists came from every angle, and their trajectories were ever-changing. It was impossible to defend against!


    Arthan lowered his body and hid himself behind his arms, but those punches kepting relentlessly, each strikending with an unyielding force.


    This was a unique technique Kiernan created to counter Rendering Edge''s rock-solid defense. If there came a day when he had to fight someone who also used Iron Style, he knew how to defeat that person!


    Thus, of course, this technique was impossible to defend against someone who didn''t have anywhere close to the same defensive capabilities as Kiernan!


    Arthan looked pathetic. He was just hiding behind his arms, hoping that the onught would eventually stop.


    The bruises covered his arms and face, a testament to his inability to protect himself.


    A silence filled the Raimei High bench and among their cheerleading squad. It was like their world was breaking apart right in front of them.


    They were about to lose in the second match of the first day.


    What humiliation!


    ''Are we really about to win?'' Jin stood up with his body shaking in excitement. ''Tenth seed of the Nationals are about to lose to us!''


    Timothy and us cheered for Kiernan.


    "You were saying?" Ryan looked at Nathaniel with a smirk. "Challenge, huh?"


    "What the hell is this strength?" Nathaniel asked with his eyes shaking. "This is impossible!"


    In the stands, Karuza High''s fans looked stunned. They forgot to cheer as they were too shocked at the scene that was happening before them!


    "K-Karma¡­" A friend of his said. "Your son is a monster."


    "Come on¡­" Karma clenched his hands into tight fists. "Son, do it!"


    Back in the ring, the referee put the whistle closer to his mouth. He was going to end the fight at the first moment he saw a sign of danger.


    Arthan didn''t have any fighting spirit left. He was exhausted and could barely keep standing on his feet.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His defense was also nonexistent. His arms were just on the way, but there was no tenseness in his muscles. It was way too easy to just punch through.


    At that moment, Kiernan punched past his arms and mmed his fist into Arthan''s stomach. The punch rocked his organs and left him gasping for air.


    With that, his eyes rolled back to his skull, and he slowly copsed on the ground.


    The referee immediately blew on the whistle.


    "The match is over!


    "The winner is Kiernan Hunter!


    "Karuza High qualifies to the next round!"

 Chapter 50 Special Match

    Karuza High''s principal office.


    "Yes!" Azer eximed, jumping up from his seat in excitement. "That''s how you fucking do it!"


    The door then mmed open, and excited-looking teacher Mr. Johnson entered the room with a huge smile on his face.


    "Did you watch the match?" he asked.


    "Ahem." Azer cleared his throat and sat back down. "Yes, I did."


    "To think that Kiernan is only first-year and already defeated tenth seed school!" He said in excitement. "Won''t we be able to fight properly for quarterfinals when he is third-year?!"


    "Maybe, maybe¡­" Azer looked at the teacher. "Mind ordering me two train tickets to Tiamut? I''ll go watch their matches personally."


    "There is still one match today, don''t they?" The teacher asked.


    "Yes," Azer said. "However, Kiernan isn''t losing to anyone today."


    "Mm!" Mr. Johnson smiled and went to order the tickets.


    ¡­


    As soon as the match ended, Kiernan stepped off the rings and was immediately surrounded by the excited members of Karuza High.


    "Good job!" Nathaniel excitedly patted him on the shoulder. "We just defeated tenth seed school! Fuck, this is something that we will talk to our grandchildren about one day!"


    "Alright, alright." Jin pped his hands. "Calm down. This is not the end yet. We have one more match left. If we win that, we''ll be officially on the second day of the nationals.


    "In my opinion, that is something to be much more proud of!"


    They all nodded, and after taking their stuff, they returned back to their locker room.


    As they sat down around the locker room, most of their phones were ringing with messages of congrattions and support.


    "Close your phones." Jin said with his arms crossed.


    "But my family is calling me." us said.


    "Doesn''t matter. They''re distraction. We must focus on ahead." Jin said.


    "I am not fighting anyway, so why?" us asked.


    "Because you might disturb Kiernan and the rest." Timothy nudged his sses. "You can talk to them once we''ve returned to the hotel."


    "Ah, you''re right." us closed the phone and pocketed it.


    After getting seated, Kiernan checked his interface. He was only painful five experience points away from leveling up!


    ''Almost¡­'' Kiernan took off the white tape from his hands and stuffed them inside his backpack.


    "Do we know our next match?" Ryan asked.


    "Waiting." Jin waved his phone. "They''ll send me email once it has been confirmed."


    At that moment, his phone started vibrating as messages after messages came to him.


    With a smile on his face, he started replying to the messages.


    "Did you get the matchup?" Nathaniel asked.


    "Ah, no¡­" Jin shook his head and kept typing.


    "Hey, we couldn''t reply to our family, but you can?" us called out. "What happened to no distractions?"


    "I-I am not doing anything." Jin slyly said.


    "Yes, you are, liar!"


    Jin rolled out his eyes and then saw that Kiernan didn''t seem to be busy with anyone; thus, he walked to them and said.


    "Kiernan, can you help me with something?"


    "Sure, what is it, coach?" Kiernan asked.


    "Can I get a picture with you?" My daughter is a big fan," Jin said.


    "Hah!" us pointed at him andughed.


    "Eh, sure." Kiernan nodded.


    Jin sat next to him and put the phone in front of them. With his thumb, he pressed the camera button and smiled.


    Click.


    The picture was taken.


    "Thanks; my daughter will love this." Jin patted him on the shoulder and then pocketed his phone. "Alright, everyone!"


    Everyone looked to him.


    "Our next line up." Jin put his hands on his waist. "What should it be?"


    "Nathaniel, me, and Kiernan." Ryan rubbed his neck. "Let''s take it safe. We''ll try to stay injury-free."


    "Mm, sounds good." Jin nodded in agreement.


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door, and as the door opened, a match official walked in and nodded to everyone.


    "Karuza High, was it?"


    "Yes, that''s us." Jin stood respectfully.


    "There is a problem with the next match." The match official said. "Your opponents are Konoha High, but their previous match was very¡­ tough on them. They want to do a special match."


    "What do you mean, tough on them?" Jin asked.


    "Two of their fighters got heavily injured." The match official said. "And they cannot participate."


    "That''s why they have reserve fighters, don''t they?" Ryan said. "Why don''t they use them?"


    "They could, but they suggested a special match instead." The match official said. "Every team can suggest the special match, but their opponents must also agree to it."


    "What is this special match?"


    "One-versus-one." The match official said.


    "Why should we?" Nathanielughed. "In an ordinary match, we can easily defeat them now that they have to use their reserve fighters."


    "You have every right to decline." The match official said. "You don''t have to ept it."


    "It''s a request made out of desperation." Jin said. "We''ll refuse."


    The match official nodded.


    "Wait." Kiernan suddenly said and stood up. "Why don''t we ept it?"


    "Huh?" Jin looked over to him in confusion.


    "Ryan, and Nathaniel is still not fully healed from the previous match." Kiernan said. "It''s a dangerous match for them."


    "Hmm." Jin touched his chin.


    "Well, let''s leave this match to our ace." Ryan leaned back. "Kiernan, don''t get injured; do you hear me?"


    "Heh." Kiernan smirked and turned to the match official. "We''ll agree to the special match."


    "Alright." The match official nodded. "The match will start in 10."


    ¡­


    Konoha High''s locker room.


    "They epted the special match." The coach said as he looked at his phone.


    "Huh, they did? Are they fools?"


    "No, they defeated Raimei High." The coach said. "In their minds, they''ve already survived the biggest obstacle. They don''t treat us as that much of a challenge."


    "Yeah, I heard they have a monster in their team." A reserve fighter of Konoha High said. "He apparently destroyed Arthan of Raimei High."


    "Yes, even in one-versus-one, they have a big advantage." The coach said. "However, it''s not always the strongest person that wins!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The coach turned around to look at the young man at the corner of the room and smiled.


    "Aurel!"


    "Yes, coach?" Aurel looked up with his round eyes.


    "Are you ready?" The coach asked. "Remember the n?"


    "Oh, yes." Aurel stood up, standing about 160 cm tall.


    He was shorter than an average high schooler, but it didn''t diminish his aura even slightest.


    Aurel of the Konoha High was taking the stage. The person who single-handedly saved Konoha High from humiliation!


    In the representative match, their rival school won the first two matches. Then, miraculously, Aurel won all three matches, leading his team to victory.


    The coach, and the reserve fighters smiled. With him on their team, they can win!

 Chapter 51 Hero of Konoha

    The stadium was as loud as ever as the round of 64 was about to start!


    Schools from all around the New Rakuya stepped out of their locker rooms and headed to their rings. The fans cheered in excitement.


    After arriving at the fifth ring, Karuza High took their ces on their benches and watched as their opponent, Konoha High, took their spots in their bench.


    Their bench looked quite empty as two of their fighters weren''t here. They were in the medical room getting treated for their serious injuries.


    In the spectator stands, a few eyes came to check on Karuza High, as they had already started to make a name for themselves after defeating Raimei High.


    "Are you ready?" Jin asked.


    "Yes." Kiernan wrapped his hands with the white tape and nodded. "What should I expect from my opponent?"


    "Your opponent is a young man named Aurel," Jin said. "I don''t know why, but he has the title of hero of Konoha."


    "Hero of Konoha?" Nathanielughed. "What kind of cheesy nickname is that?"


    "Well, we know that Konoha is quite simr to Karuza." Jin said. "They''ve been weak school for a long time, but Aurel changed that."


    Ryan and Nathaniel turned to Kiernan. It sounded a lot like their current situation.


    At that moment, the referee took her spot in the ring. She was one of the few female referees in the tournament, and while she was pretty new to the job, she had already proven herself to be fair and impartial.


    "Fighters,e to the ring." She said.


    Kiernan and Aurel stood up, stepped into the ring, and took their ces.


    "This is a special match!" She shouted.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "One-versus-one. Whoeveres victorious out of this fight will have a ce in the second day of the nationals!"


    "Good luck to both teams!


    "May the best fighter win!"


    The spectators in Konoha and Irio were on the edge of their seats. Every household, every television, and every radio tuned in to witness the battle.


    "Aurel, are you ready?" She pointed at the short, young man.


    "I am." Aurel gave a confident nod.


    "Kiernan, are you ready?" She pointed at the ck-haired young man.


    "Yes." Kiernan moved into his Iron Style stance.


    "Let the fight begin!" She swung her arm down. "FIGHT!"


    Without further ado, she hopped off the ring, leaving the two fighters to face off against each other.


    Kiernan mmed his foot on the ground, cracking the floor, and immediately crossed the distance between them.


    "Iron Style, Reigning Fallow!"


    Without a second of hesitation, the storm of punches came raining down on Aurel.


    "This move is what defeated Arthan!" Nathaniel shouted.


    Aurel''s expression turned ugly as he kept backing off to the edge of the ring. However, Kiernan followed after and kept punching mercilessly.


    The coach of Konoha High and the reserve fighters looked extremely serious.


    With his extended arm, Kiernan punched straight, but then Aurel jumped straight ahead. It looked like he was going to jump into the punch!


    However, at that moment, Aurel ducked under the fist, slid between Kiernan''s legs, and appeared right behind him.


    Now, it was Kiernan standing right on the edge of the ring!


    The advantage had changed!


    "This is bad!" Jin cried out. "Aurel is going to push him off!"


    Aurel, as soon as he slid between Kiernan''s legs, jumped back to his feet and kicked Kiernan in the back with all his might.


    "Yes!" The coach of Konoha High grinned.


    However, all the smiles vanished as they noticed that Kiernan didn''t flinch at all.


    "Iron Style, Iron Human¡­"


    Kiernan looked slightly in pain, but he then turned around and looked straight at Aurel.


    ''I kicked him. How did he not move?'' Aurel was amazed by Kiernan''s strength and fortitude.


    "Whoo¡­" Kiernan moved to his Rendering Edge style.


    Aurel stepped back and didn''t approach him.


    They were just standing there, looking at each other, neither making a move. It made a few spectators frustrated and screamed to their television for them to make a move.


    "Aurel is not moving." Jin said.


    "During the downtime between matches, he must''ve watched Kiernan''s match with Arthan." Ryan said. "He doesn''t want to attack against Kiernan''s rock-solid defense!"


    "Yeah¡­" Nathaniel nodded. "Aurel wants for Kiernan to attack. He knows that if he attacks, it will be worthless against his defense, and will just give Kiernan options to defeat him!"


    "He doesn''t want to give Kiernan any control over the match." Jin clicked his tongue.


    ''Good.'' The coach of Konoha High nodded. ''Kiernan''s defense is extremely scary. I don''t think even I could break it!''


    At that moment, everyone looked at Kiernan as he moved. He didn''t take any steps. Instead, he lowered his arms and looked more rxed.


    He stopped using the Rendering Edge stance!


    "Kiernan is not nning to stay on defense!" Jin cried out.


    "So, he is not the type of fighter that likes to wait." Ryan rubbed his chin.


    "Kiernan, be careful!" Nathaniel cried out.


    Aurel narrowed his eyes, but in his mind, hundreds of scenariosyed out of how the fight could go.


    That''s how he became the hero of Konoha!


    While in terms of martial arts and strength, he was pretty average.


    He had reached Low Stage Martial Fighter, but if he fought someone in Martial Soldier rank with only martial arts, he might lose!


    However, he had an amazing mind that allowed him to "y a video" in his mind that allowed him to predict how the fight would y out.


    While he didn''t have a lot of time to scan Kiernan''s martial arts during the downtime, it was enough!


    It was enough to "guess" what Kiernan would do.


    However, that ability of his idea had one big w. If he didn''t know the full capabilities of his opponents, it could lead to a devastating miscalction.


    Kiernan cracked his neck, and then, shocking everyone, he stabbed his fingers through the ground. It was like his fingers were spears, plunging deep into the cement.


    "W-what is he doing?" Jin asked in shock.


    "Iron Style, Gaia''s Embrace." Kiernan coldly said, and then every eye in the stadium turned to that ring.


    Hundreds of thousands of people watched in awe as the ground began to crack and split open beneath Kiernan''s feet.

 Chapter 52 Main Event

    Half of the ring got split in half. The cement was breaking and cracking.


    With his fingers stabbed into that cement, Kiernan let out a loud howl, and he then lifted the broken half of the ring in the air.


    Aurel was still standing on that broken half of the ring, watching in shock as Kiernan was also lifting him up!


    "Haaaa!" With a loud scream, Kiernan threw it away.


    It flew for about ten meters before crashing on the ground. That half of the ring just shattered, and Aurel fell to the ground, a shocked expression on his face.


    The audience''s jaws were dropped in shock. What the hell did they just witness?!


    "What the hell?!" The referee was also staring wide-eyed.


    She had never seen something so ridiculous in a high school match before!


    The audience slowly started pping, and soon the whole stadium was cheering for that amazing show of strength.


    It was the sickest thing any of them had seen during a high school match!


    "Wooow!" Nathaniel and the rest of Karuza High jumped and cheered with loudughter escaping their mouths.


    "What the heck was that?" Jin touched his head andughed with disbelief.


    Konoha High''s side was deadly silent. They were looking at Kiernan like he was some kind of demon king!


    ¡­


    The VIP Room.


    "My ring!" The chairman eximed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hehe," Muriel giggled so hard that her shoulders were shaking. "Hahahaha!"


    ''What was that?'' Godfred looked serious. ''What is up with that young man? Is he possessed or something?''


    Cadell''s expression looked ugly.


    ¡­


    In Tiamut High''s locker room, they were watching the match through the screen.


    "That was sick!" Kara jumped to her feet and tried to stab her fingers through the ground but couldn''t. "How did he do that?"


    Yves raised an eyebrow at the screen.


    Johan, with his arms crossed, looked at the screen with a small smirk on his face. It was a pretty entertaining move; he had to admit that.


    ¡­


    Shock, amazement, and excitement filled the stadium.


    The referee touched her earpiece and said, "What will I do? Based on the rulers, Aurel is out of the ring, but seriously, is that move allowed?"


    She heard a voice in her earpiece.


    "Alright." She nodded, and then she stepped up to the ring¡ªwell, to the half of the ring.


    "The winner is Kiernan Hunter!" She shouted. "Karuza High advances to the next round!"


    Konoha High''s bench was sullen and eerily silent.


    At the ground, Aurel''s eyes shook, and he slowly stood up, then walked back to the locker room. While it was something that he could argue against, saying something like that attack was illegal, he didn''t dare to.


    He never had a chance to win either way.


    "Yes, haha!" Karuza High''s bench cheered with almost tears falling out of their eyes.


    They made through the first day!


    It was the first time that happened in Irio''s history since the historical run of Xaru High back in the day.


    It had been a long wait, but Karuza High was finally able to prove themselves as a strong contender!


    As Kiernan was about to walk off the ring, the referee tapped him on the shoulder.


    "Excuse me, I received a word from match officials." She said.


    "Oh?" Kiernan turned to look at her. "What is it?"


    "That move is therefore banned!" She ced the finger against her lips. "Please, these rings are expensive. Don''t want you breaking them."


    "Alright." Kiernan chuckled and then stepped off the ring, and as soon as he did, the Karuza High members rushed to congratte him.


    Ding, ding!


    [You defeated Low Stage Martial Fighter!]


    ''So, that counted as my victory. Nice.'' Kiernan smiled.


    [LEVEL UP!]


    [Level 3 -> 4]


    Jin looked at the destroyed ring and wryly smiled. It was a big mess to fix.


    ¡­


    In the locker room, they started packing up their things, getting ready to head back to the hotel after a long day of intensepetition.


    At that moment, Jin received a message, and this time it wasn''t from his family. It was from the match officials.


    "Hey, everyone." He said.


    Everyone stopped packing and turned to their coach.


    "Every match for today has concluded, except one." Jin said. "They saved this one to be today''s main event."


    "Huh?"


    "Tiamut High vs. Easton High." Jin said with a serious look. "Thest match of the round of 64!"


    "Tiamut High¡­" Ryan frowned. "Johan Yeager."


    Kiernan remembered the person he met on the beach and narrowed his eyes.


    "Do you guys want to watch this match before leaving?" Jin asked. "It''s not every day you get to watch the strongest high school team fight before your eyes."


    "Heck yes!" us said.


    "Easton High is no slouch." Timothy nudged his sses. "That will be an interesting match."


    "You can''t pay me to miss this match!" Nathaniel said with a grin. "Let''s go."


    "Youing?" Ryan asked Kiernan.


    "Yes." Kiernan nodded, and with that, they left the locker room, and once they arrived at the spectating stands, they found their seats in the middle of the row.


    Few eyes moved to them as they wore their team jerseys. Most of them immediately recognized Kiernan and whispered between themselves.


    They could still remember that shocking scene of him lifting up the ring.


    At that moment, the stadium''s lights dimmed down, and the crowd erupted into cheers and apuse.


    An announcer stepped up to the ring. It wasn''t any of those smaller rings. It was the biggest ring in the stadium.


    It was the ring where quarterfinals and onwards would be held. Yet, they were now using it in the round of 64, which told a lot about how big this main event was.


    "It is the main event time!" The announcer shouted. "We have a treat ahead of us!"


    The audience roared louder than ever. There were a lot of Tiamut''s citizens among the audience, and since their team was fighting in the main event, they were especially excited.


    But beside that, every audience member, it didn''t matter where they came from, wanted to see Johan Yeager fighting.


    They had been left unsatisfied as he hadn''t fought in a single round yet as his powerful teammates had dominated thepetition.


    "Please, wee both teams to the ring!" The announcer shouted. "Tiamut High, and Easton High!"

 Chapter 53 The Last Match of the Day

    Through the east entrance, the members of Easton High stepped into the stadium amidst loud cheers.


    The section where Easton High''s fans were seated was a sea of blue and white, waving gs and pom-poms in support of their team.


    Their jerseys were emzoned with their school mascot, a whale, which was white in color, and the rest of the jersey was a vibrant shade of blue.


    It made people think of the ocean on a sunny day with whales jumping in and out of the water.


    Easton was a coastal city¡ªa city of fishermen.


    As they waved their hands, they eventually reached their bench. It was right by the big ring that happened to be the biggest one any of them had fought in.


    "What in the world is happening?" Nico looked around the crowd.


    He was the third-ranked student at Easton High.


    "I didn''t expect us to fight in the Big Ring." Dennis said with a nervous chuckle.


    Dennis was the second-ranked student at Easton High. Their school was rtively strong, and they''d always been Easton''s representatives in the nationals.


    However, they weren''t strong enough to reach the quarterfinals.


    Thus, they never expected to be fighting at Big Ring and to be spectated by millions and millions of people.


    It wasn''t far-fetched to say that they were all extremely nervous!


    "¡­" Markus, the strongest student of Easton High, tied hisces and kept doing breathing exercises.


    It was a way to calm his nerves, but it barely helped as the roaring of the crowd kept tickling his ears.


    ''We''re just side characters in this fight to show the entirety of New Rakuya the true strength of Tiamut High, but I want to win against those arrogant bastards!''


    Markus finished tying his shoes.


    The coach of Easton High, Marc, stood behind the bench with a look so serious that it made it look like he had never smiled a day in his life.


    It wasn''t because he couldn''t smile. It was because it wasn''t time to smile.


    They were only one win away from reaching the second day of the nationals, but they encountered the biggest obstacle in the entire tournament.


    The amazing Tiamut High that was everyone''s favorite to win the tournament!


    ''What a shitty luck with the bracket!'' Marc thought.


    Easton High''s reserve fighters sat silently at the bench. They had always dreamt of fighting in the Big Ring at the nationals, just like it was a dreame true for every aspiring young man.


    While they weren''t going to fight, they were quite jealous of their main fighters. However, they knew that winning was pretty much impossible.


    Even so, the reward in itself was having millions of people watching you.


    At that moment, the cheers became almost deafening. The Easton High immediately knew that the main characters of this fight entered the arena.


    Through the south entrance, Tiamut High''s members and their coach stepped through amidst roaring cheers.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the front, Johan walked confidently. They were all wearing jerseys of ck and purple with their school logo emzoned on the front.


    With Yves and Kara following closely after him, the two reserve fighters walked alongside their coach.


    Their reserve fighters were already so powerful that they could easily be the ace of some powerful school, but at Tiamut High, they were only able to reach as high as a reserve fighter.


    It was because the three main fighters were simply far too powerful!


    As they took their spot by the bench, the coach of Tiamut High, Marquise, touched the corner of his mustache and smiled knowingly.


    ¡­


    At thementator''s booth, two men took their spots with looks of excitement.


    "Hello everyone, after hours of exciting action, we''re finally down to the final match of the day!" Chris Chang said.


    It was a name that almost everyone recognized immediately. He was a former professional fighter at New Rakuya''s fighting league and now a poprmentator for the matches.


    "Tiamut High versus Easton High!" His comentator, Luca Pop, said with excitement. "And we have a treat in our hands,dies and gentlemen!"


    They were mostly going tomentate on the Big Ring matches only. Localmentators had covered the previous matches.


    "The referee is heading to the ring. The match is about to start!" Chris said and took a morefortable spot at the chair in front of the microphone.


    ¡­


    The referee stood at the center of the Big Ring.


    The crowd started to finally slightly calm down.


    "Thest match of the first day of the nationals!" The referee shouted. "Tiamut High and Easton High, please send your first fighters!"


    At the Easton High bench, Nico adjusted his headband as he stood up. He took a deep breath and stepped into the ring, feeling the weight of his school''s expectations on his shoulders.


    "You can do it, Nico!" Marc pped his hands loudly.


    ''My ass.'' Nico thought sarcastically as he reached the ring. ''I am just Low Stage Martial Fighter. I am facing Middle Stage Martial Fighter, Kara or Yves.''


    At the Tiamut High''s bench, Yves surprisingly stood up, and after wrapping his hands with white tape, he stepped up the stairs to stand opposite Nico.


    "The first fight is between Yves Rechermen versus Nico Lupin!" The referee shouted. "Are both fighters ready?!"


    "Yes!" Nico shouted, and he kept bouncing on his toes.


    "I am." Yves formed a fist with his right.


    The referee raised his hand and then swung it down.


    "FIGHT!"


    Nico lunged forward with a powerful punch. The punchnded at Yves'' chest. He didn''t bother to even dodge it!


    ''This fool is using Tiamut Style''s hard style. Thus, he won''t dodge no matter how many punches I throw at him. That makes him prone to injuries!''


    He had only one n to his match¡ªinjure Yves as much as possible!


    At that moment, Yves pped Nico across the face. It was resounding and left a red mark on his cheek.


    Nico coughed out blood, and a couple of his teeth flew out. The p sent him sprawling through the ring, and he already almost fell off!


    "Shit!" Marc''s expression turned ugly. ''While hard style users are prone to injuries, on the other side of the coin, their attacks are dangerously powerful!''

 Chapter 54 Yves Strength

    "That must''ve hurt!" Chris Chang shouted to the microphone. "Yves released the explosive power of his muscles that he''d trained since childhood!"


    "Yves is not only strong; he is also fast!" Luca Pop cried out.


    At the crowd, Nathaniel had a chill run across his spine.


    "The speed of his p was as fast as Leon''s!" He cried out.


    "But ten times as strong." Ryan said with a serious look. "Yves is a certified monster."


    ''Yet, Yves cannot keep throwing those ps constantly like Leon.'' Kiernan thought. ''He has a big frame. Throwing those powerful ps and punches takes a toll on his body.''


    "I have a question for you, Kiernan." Jin said. "How would you deal with that p?"


    Ryan and the rest also looked over. They were also quite curious since, among them, Kiernan was the greatest defense fighter.


    "Easy, go closer to him." Kiernan said. "Yves'' limbs are long. Those ps are only effective if the person is standing farther back. If you''re right in front of him, he''s not a threat at all."


    "I am sure he has a few more tricks up his sleeve," Jin said. "To counter those whoe close to him."


    "Of course," Kiernan said. "A bear hug, perhaps."


    "Bear hug?" Ryan asked.


    "Yes¡ªthose whoe too close will be met with a bear hug. With his strength, he could easily crush their ribs."


    "How would you deal with that?" Nathaniel asked. "It sounds like a serious threat."


    While they were talking, us was thinking. He was also hard style user, and Kiernan''s words made him feel enlightened.


    It gave him a few more ideas to use in the fight.


    "Yves is a dangerously quick opponent." Kiernan said. "He can put you under a bear hug in a fraction of a second. If you are not careful."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "How would you counter that?" Jin asked. "I''ve tried to think ways, but I can''t seem toe up with a foolproof n."


    "I don''t know others, but I would¡­" Kiernan showed his fist and smirked. "Punch him."


    "P-punch?" Jin looked stunned. "Don''t you also need space to throw your punch?"


    "Nah, the punch I would use is special." Kiernan ced his fist against Nathaniel''s shoulder. "Iron Style, Iron Fist!"


    SMACK!


    Nathaniel''s body trembled in pain, and he almost fell of his chair, but his friend, Ryan, caught him just in time.


    "Ouch, that fucking hurt!" Nathaniel rubbed his shoulder in pain.


    ''How did that even hurt?'' Jin thought with wide eyes. ''There was no swing to it.''


    "I didn''t use all my strength in that, but you can tell how." Kiernan said. "I ce my fist against Yves'' chest, and use that."


    "What if it doesn''t work?" us asked. "Yves has trained his body since he was very young. I think he can tank that punch and put you in a bear hug."


    "It doesn''t matter how much he has trained his body; this punch attacks his insides." Kiernan said. "It will definitely make him stagger."


    "Will it really be that simple?" Jin wondered out loud.


    "Well, if there is a chance, I would like to show all of you." Kiernan said with a smile. "I kind of want to fight this Yves guy."


    ¡­


    At the ring, Nico finally climbed back to his feet, but his mouth was bleeding profusely.


    ''Everything is dizzy. Fuck!'' Nico shook his head, but everything around him was spinning.


    He could see his coach and his teammates screaming about something, but he couldn''t hear anything except that constant ringing.


    At that moment, Yves stomped his feet down right in front of him and looked coldly down at him.


    ''You really think I am weak enough to go down like this?''


    Nico gritted his teeth and put his right arm into a harpooning stance.


    "Fishermen Style, Great Whale Hunt!"


    The harpoon-like hand struck Yves in the chest, but instead of piercing through, his fingers broke in impact, leaving him in excruciating pain.


    "Argh!" Nico screamed. ''Is his body made out of steel? This attack usually should''ve gone through that flesh!''


    At that moment, Yves'' arms closed down and he wrapped them around Nico in a bone-crushing bear hug.


    Nico struggled to breathe, feeling the pressure of Yves'' arms squeezing tighter and tighter. He was being squeezed against his broad chest and felt like his back was cracking!


    "The bear hug!" Jin cried out. "Kiernan, you were right!"


    ''The strength of Yves'' body is stronger than I expected.'' Kiernan thought and looked at his fingers.


    ''If I use Iron Lance in my current state, I don''t think I can pierce his flesh either. Well, I don''t n on using it either because it will most likely break my fingers.''


    "Time to go to sleep." Yves squeezed even harder, and Nico''s body started to break.


    A bloody cough left his mouth as he closed his eyes, sumbing to the pain.


    Marc gritted his teeth and tossed the white towel on the ring as a sign of surrender. It was obvious that Nico was severely outmatched in the fight.


    "The towel has been thrown!" Chris Chang shouted.


    "The first match is over!" Luca Pop added.


    "Match is over!" The referee came back to the ring and forced Yves to let Nico loose.


    Nico copsed on the ground, and he was barely conscious. Barely conscious enough to keep coughing.


    Without a moment of hesitation, the medical team rushed over to Nico and took him away on a stretcher.


    The crowd erupted in cheers, and Tiamut High''s fans chanted Yves'' name.


    "Good job~" Kara pped her hands with a sweet smile.


    "¡­" Johan didn''t react and just kept sitting with his arms crossed in front of his chest.


    "Bring your next fighter!" The referee shouted over to the Easton High''s bench.


    "Dennis, your turn." Marc said with a serious expression.


    Dennis turned his head over to him with wide eyes. "Are you serious? You didn''t see what happened to Nico? Let''s fucking forfeit!"


    "We''re not forfeiting!" Marc replied immediately. "We''re carrying the pride of Easton on our backs. We won''t embarrass our beloved city like that!"


    "Tch¡­" Dennis gritted his teeth and hesitantly made his way up the stairs.


    Yves looked at the young man briefly, but then he turned around and stepped down the stairs.


    "Eh?" The referee watched as Yves left. "Where''re you going?"


    "Sorry referee, but Yves is surrendering." Marquise said with a chuckle while touching his mustache.


    "Eh?"


    Easton High, and the rest of the stadium was equally surprised.


    Why would Yves surrender?


    He didn''t get injured!


    "Ah, my turn~" Kara jumped to her feet with a smile.

 Chapter 55 Sea Steps

    "A shocking development!" Chris Chang shouted. "Yves surrendered!"


    At the crowd, Nathaniel frowned and asked. "Coach, why would they do that?"


    "Hmm¡­" Jin frowned. "I think it is for a show."


    "For a show?"


    "Millions of people are here to watch one person fight¡ªJohan Yeager¡ªand if Yves wanted, he could''ve won the match single-handedly.


    "But that will leave many people unsatisfied.


    "Thus, Tiamut High will show all of the member''s strength before showing the main character¡ªJohan Yeager."


    "You think Kara will also surrender after her match?" Nathaniel asked.


    "Definitely," Jin said.


    "That''s risky." Timothy said and nudged his sses. "What if Johan identally loses? It is possible. He might, who knows, fall off the ring!"


    "It is the pride of the strongest." Kiernan said. "Everyone knows they''re a stronger team. They n on showing why they''re strongest as well."


    ¡­


    At the ring.


    ''Thank god I don''t have to face that monster.'' Dennis thought with a relieved look. ''I didn''t really want to get all my ribs broken!''


    Kara reached the ring and stretched her hands out with a smile stered across her beautiful face.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''She is the user of Tiamut Style''s soft style.'' Dennis thought. ''Opposite of hard style, she will mostly dodge and evade attacks.''


    "The second fight is between Kara Rousseau and Dennis Howlman!" The referee''s voice boomed across the stadium.


    The crowd cheered loudly.


    "Are the both fighters ready?!"


    "I am!" Dennis shouted.


    "Yep~" Kara responded with a confident smile.


    The referee brought his arm down.


    "FIGH¡ª"


    Before the T was uttered, Kara blitzed across the ring, and high-kicked Dennis in the face.


    He didn''t have time to reach.


    The kick sent him flying across the ring, and he barely stopped at the edge, but his head was hanging down off the ring.


    "Fast!" Chris Chang shouted from thementator''s booth.


    ''What crazy speed.'' The referee thought and jumped off the ring.


    At the crowd, Ryan narrowed his eyes.


    "Kiernan, how would you deal with that?" Nathaniel asked with a sly smile.


    Ryan also looked over. He wondered whether Kiernan had the answer to that as well.


    Kiernan crossed his arms and said. "Kara''s speed is different from Ryan."


    "How''s so?"


    "First of all, Kara is faster." Kiernan shrugged his shoulders. "It''s because of the rank difference. If Ryan were Martial Fighter, I believe he would be faster, but at the current moment, she is faster."


    "Can you defeat Kara the same way you did with Ryan?" Timothy asked.


    "No," Kiernan said. "Kara has greater control of her speed. She is also clearly able to deelerate much faster."


    "What do you mean?" Jin asked. "I thought Kara used Ryan''s Super Jump to close the distance and kick Dennis in the face?"


    "No." Ryan shook his head. "Kara crossed the distance by running. She was able toe to an almostplete stop as soon as she wanted to, and when she did, she immediately kicked Dennis in the face."


    "Doesn''t that reduce her power?" Jin asked. "Ryan''s Super eleration and Super Jump are so powerful because of the momentum that he gathers from his speed."


    "That''s right." Kiernan said. "She doesn''t want to use the power from the momentum because it makes her predictable. I guess that''s what they taught her at Tiamut High."


    "Now, how would you deal with her?" Jin asked.


    "Because she has to stop before throwing her attack, there is a fraction of a second where she is vulnerable." Kiernan said. "However, that''s when things get tricky."


    "How so?"


    "What if Kara suddenly uses the momentum of her speed to throw an attack?" Kiernan asked. "It would make her very unpredictable. If she manages tond even a single punch with momentum behind it, I would lose."


    "Oh, that''s right!" Jin caressed his chin. "How tricky!"


    "The speed is also your weakness." Ryan said. "Could it be that Kara is the weakness of your martial arts?"


    Kiernan''s eyebrow twitched, as if he were annoyed by thatment.


    "Of course not!" He said. "My martial arts is not that shallow."


    "¡­" Ryan narrowed his eyes.


    For a moment, Ryan felt like he was starting to finally get understanding of Kiernan''s true skill level, but after hearing his words, it again felt like he was barely touching the surface.


    ¡­


    "Cough!" Dennis jumped back to his feet and mmed his fists at the ring before standing back up.


    ''That speed took me by surprise, but no longer!''


    Kara bounced on her toes with a small smile ying on her lips.


    ''Y''know, I learned fighting at sea!'' Dennis licked his lips, and his footwork changed.


    With few random steps, his body started to look like it was falling back and forth. It made him look like a drunken sailor.


    "It''s Sea Steps!" Marc grinned. "The fishermen of Easton have to sail through the dangerous waters of the World Sea. To be able to walk on the deck of a ship that is constantly moving requires a unique skill set.


    "They call it the Sea Steps, and Dennis learned it from his father!"


    "Oh? I think I''ve heard about this." Kara looked excited, and then she charged forward but came to a sudden stop in front of Dennis.


    Then she kicked her leg up and whipped her leg towards him.


    With the Sea Steps, Dennis'' upper body moved randomly down and happened to evade Kara''s dangerous kick.


    "Oh?" Kara eximed in surprise.


    "Fishermen Style, Great Whale Hunt!" Dennis harpooned his hand forward towards Kara.


    It was the same technique that Nico used, but he was foolish. It was never going to work against his extremely trained body.


    However, Kara was different.


    While she had been training her body, in the end, she had a female physique that made her physically weaker. It was an undeniable fact.


    Thus, she was not going to be able to tank attacks like Yves was!


    The hand came flying straight at her, but as it was about to pierce through her, her back arched backwards, and the hand flew over her head harmlessly.


    "?!" Dennis looked down at Kara, who dodged the attack with insane flexibility that seemed out of this world.


    With a smile, she grabbed Dennis'' arm and wrapped her legs around his torso, flipping him over onto the ground with surprising ease.


    She moved into a mounting position and pinned him so that he couldn''t move at all.

 Chapter 56 Main Character

    "Dennis is pinned down!" Luca Pop shouted. "What will he do now?!"


    The crowd cheered, but quite a few of Kara''s fans felt extremely jealous at Dennis, wishing they could be in his position.


    "Sea Steps!" Dennis tried to use Sea Steps to shake Kara off, but he couldn''t really use his feet; thus, it was a worthless attempt.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''d like to show you something." Kara left the mounting position to the shock of many.


    It was a good position to be in, as Dennis couldn''t really do anything!


    As Dennis quickly jumped back to his feet, Kara flipped over and started doing a handstand, but her legs suddenly moved, and she kicked Dennis almost in the face, but he barely managed to put an arm in the way.


    "Oh?" Kara flipped herself over again and moved with her insane speed once again.


    ''She is about to kick again!'' Dennis quickly used his Sea Steps and started to move his upper body randomly.


    SMACK!


    At that moment, Kara''s whipping kicknded on Dennis'' thigh, and he immediately copsed down on his knees.


    "Your Sea Steps is weak!" Kara grabbed him by the head and kneed him right on the face. "You forgot about protecting your legs!"


    SPURT!


    Dennis'' nose broke and blood spewed out.


    ''Fuck!'' Dennis gritted his teeth. ''I forgot my father''s warning!''


    ¡­


    A few years ago.


    At the deck of a ship that was sailing through tall and deadly waves.


    "No, no, no!" Darmen shouted, then grabbed his stick and smacked Dennis in the leg. "Your legs are your weapons. Don''t forget that!"


    "Argh!" Dennis rubbed his thighs. "I am trying, but it is hard!"


    The fishermen watched on the sidelines with amused smiles.


    "Of course it is hard, but do better!" Darmen shouted. "If you get kicked on your legs, it will be harder and harder to use Sea Steps!"


    "I understand¡­" Dennis looked at his own legs. "I will keep trying my best."


    "I know you want to be Easton High''s main fighter one day." Darmen said to his son.


    "However, don''t forget that you will be fishermen in the future. The World Sea is a dangerous ce!


    "It is infested with pirates, and if you want to make a living out here, you''ll need to master Sea Steps. After all, you might encounter pirates, and they won''t let you leave without a fight!"


    "Isn''t it the navy''s job to get rid of those pirates?" Dennis asked. "What the hell are they doing?"


    "Sigh¡­" Darmen grabbed his head. "They can''t be everywhere. Pirates have killed a couple of my friends. To survive here, be strong!"


    "I''ll try my best¡­"


    ¡­


    ''I am failure!'' Dennis thought as he barely evaded Kara''s quick kicks. ''There was one warning I had to listen to, and that was to make sure that I wouldn''t forget to protect my legs!''


    He was sure that he was going to get an earful from his father.


    At that moment, Kara''s low kick came crashing down, but Dennis blocked it with his arms. He put all his focus on protecting his legs; thus, he forgot one important thing.


    Kara''s fist came flying and smashed into his face.


    The blood spewed as Dennis staggered backward and then copsed on the ground, but he was right by the edge of the ring and identally fell backwards off the ring.


    Thump!


    Hended outside the ring.


    "The winner is Kara Rousseau!" The referee shouted and again jumped to the ring.


    "Argh¡­" Marc shook his head but still pped his hands.


    It wasn''t as one-sided as the first match, but still, he doubted that they were able to see any of Kara''s real strength.


    "Yes!" Kara excitedly waved her hands towards the excited crowd.


    Her very own fanclub was cheering loudly, holding up signs with her name on them.


    "Your turn." Marc turned to Markus. "Show them what you got!"


    "¡­" Markus stood up and walked up the stairs to the ring.


    When he stood opposite Kara, he immediately moved to his fighting stance.


    "The third ma¡ª"


    "Wait a moment." Kara raised her hand with a smile. "I''ll surrender. It is time for the main character to make his entrance~"


    With that, she hopped off the ring, and all the eyes at the stadiumnded on Johan, who, to their excitement, stood up from his seat and walked towards the ring.


    Everyone exploded in cheers. It was so loud that the ceiling almost shook from all the excitement.


    "I can''t believe it!" Chris Chang shouted. "Tiamut High again surrendered, and now theirst fighter, Johan Yeager, is going to fight for the first time in these nationals!"


    ''They''re really trying to destroy us, huh!'' Marc thought with a frightened expression. ''Wait, maybe Markus can push Johan off the ring? We might be able to do the greatest upset in the nationals history!''


    "The third and final match!" The referee shouted in excitement.


    Even he could feel the excitement surging through the stadium. It was no wonder. They were about to see Johan finally fight!


    "From Easton High, Markus Klein!"


    "¡­" Markus punched the air.


    "From Tiamut High, Johan Yeager!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers.


    "Are both fighters ready?!" The referee asked.


    "Yes!" Markus shouted.


    "¡­" Johan nodded.


    "FIGHT!" The referee swung his arm down.


    "It is honor." Markus said. "I, Markus Klein, offer my challenge."


    Without answering back, Johan turned his gaze down to the cement ground, and to everyone''s surprise, he jabbed his fingers through the cement.


    "?!" The referee''s eyes bulged out. ''Wait, is he¡­''


    The crowd went silent as they all remembered that one incident that didn''t happen too long ago.


    At the VIP Room, the chairman cried out and tugged his chair. "Don''t do it. My ring!"


    "Haha," Godfred shook his head. "Kids."


    At the crowd, Jin''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Kiernan, that is¡­"


    "¡­" Kiernan stayed silent, but he narrowed his eyes.


    At the ring, Johan took a deep breath.


    "Was this how you did it?"


    CRACK!


    The cement ring started cracking, and then, with his muscles bulging beneath his flesh, Johan let out a might scream and lifted the ring up, but it started cracking and crumbling into pieces.


    "A-ahh!" Markus, who was standing on top of the ring, screamed in horror as it crumbled beneath him and he happened to fall outside the ring.


    "It broke¡­" Johan looked at the destroyed pieces of the ring. "When he did it, it managed to stay intact. His control was better¡­"


    The whole stadium went silent.

 Chapter 57 Superhuman

    Everyone were speechless.


    The referee looked at the destroyed ring and gulped.


    He then touched his earpiece. "What will I do? Does that count as win? Markus is out of the ring, yes, but I mean seriously, what could he possibly do in that situation?"


    A voice came to his earpiece.


    He nodded.


    "Alright then."


    After the conversation was over, he raised his hand and shouted.


    "The winner is Johan Yeager!


    "Match has been won by Tiamut High, and they will advance to the second day of the nationals!"


    The crowd erupted in cheers, and everyone started chanting Tiamut High''s name. However, some only chanted Johan''s name.


    Easton High''s members looked dispirited. They were utterly andpletely destroyed in the match.


    "Yes!" Kara excitedly pped her hands, and Yves, beside her, kept his mouth shut, but he also smiled.


    "Good~" Marquise touched his mustache and chuckled. "One step closer to the championships."


    With that, the match ended, and the two teams left through the east, and south entrances.


    As soon as the teams vanished from the sight, the crowd also started to disperse while excitedly talking about the oue of the match.


    The scene of Johan Yeager lifting up the ring was still very vivid in their minds. The difference between Johan''s and Kiernan''s lifting the ring was the size.


    Johan Yeager lifted up the Big Ring, while Kiernan only did so at the smaller ring. Thus, in the minds of many, Johan''s feat was greater.


    However, those who thought so were amateurs in terms of fighting knowledge.


    ¡­


    While walking out of the stadium, Nathaniel looked at the stars above andughed.


    "Johan copied what you did. Why?" He asked out of curiosity from Kiernan, who was walking right beside him.


    They were heading straight to their hotel, which was only a walking distance away.


    "I don''t know." Kiernan shrugged his shoulders.


    "Could you also lift that Big Ring?" us asked out of curiosity.


    "Yes," Kiernan replied.


    "Haha, is that factual or your pride talking?" Nathaniel teasingly elbowed him in the waist.


    "Factual," Kiernan said. "Also, Johan''s lifting the ring was crude, zero control, just brute strength."


    "Huh?" Jin looked over. "What do you mean by that? Isn''t it all about physical strength?"


    "Hardly," Kiernan said. "This Johan. He''s just a wild brute, no technique at all.


    "That''s because he is Natural Fighter." Ryan said while walking behind him. "Not only that. He has a unique physique like Nathaniel. It''s called Superhuman Physique."


    "Superhuman Physique?" Kiernan raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, that physique increases his muscle mass and durability. It pretty much gives him superhuman strength. It also gives him limitless endurance."


    "What is that shit?" us scoffed. "That is some cheat code!"


    "I thought so." Kiernan chuckled.


    "Hey, guys!"


    At that moment, Shura, Leon, Kang, and the rest walked over to them. They tried finding him in the stadium, but since it was so crowded, they decided to wait outside.


    "Congrattions for reaching the second day~" Shura said with a sweet smile.


    "Good job." Leon waved his hand and pointed at Kang. "He''s been sulking the whole day."


    "Howe?" Jin raised an eyebrow.


    "It''s because if we had reached the nationals, we would''ve lost to Raimei High, at least." Shura said with a smile. "That angers him."


    "Hmph." Kang scoffed.


    "Are all of you hungry?" Jin asked. "We can order some food to the hotel."


    "Yes, please!" Nathaniel rubbed his stomach. "I am starving. It has been a long day!"


    ¡­


    Inside the hotel room, while others were stuffing their stomachs with food, Kiernan was outside on the balcony on a phone.


    "Good night, father." He said.


    "Good luck for tomorrow." Karma''s voice came from the other side.


    After the call ended, Kiernan pocketed the phone and rubbed his neck.


    "What a long day. Right, I leveled up¡­"


    "Interface."


    After opening the interface, he noticed that he had 10 stat points to assign. It made him think about today''s matches and whether he wascking something.


    ''Vitality. I need it. This kind of format needs good vitality, especially now that the iing matches are going to be so much harder.


    He quickly decided on what to assign the points.


    [Vitality: 27 ¡ú 32]


    [Strength: 30 ¡ú 33]


    [Agility: 25 ¡ú 27]


    ***


    [Name: Kiernan Hunter]


    [System Level: Beginner]


    [Martial Rank: Low Stage Martial Fighter]


    [Age: 16]


    [Level: 4]


    [SP: 0]


    [Gold: 0]


    [XP: 45/1000]


    [Strength: 33]


    [Agility: 27]


    [Stamina: 20]


    [Vitality: 32]


    [Charm: 25]


    [Quests]


    [Shop]


    [Inventory]


    [Lottery]


    ***


    ''Hmm¡­'' Kiernan looked at the interface thoughtfully.


    ''Zero Gold. I''ve never tried adding some gold to the interface. It is this world''s currency, and maybe the shop will open once I''ve put some gold?


    ''I wonder what the shop has to offer.


    ''This lottery also doesn''t work.''


    He tried tapping the lottery button, but it just didn''t open.


    Out of curiosity, Kiernan took his wallet out, grabbed a single gold coin, and touched the interface with it.


    Shockingly, the gold coin got sucked inside the interface!


    [Gold: 1]


    ''What about now?''


    He tried opening the shop, but it still didn''t work.


    ''Maybe I need something else to open it.'' He patted the back of his head. ''I hope there will be some good stuff on sale.''


    At that moment, the balcony''s door opened.


    "Close." Kiernan quickly whispered under his breath.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even though no one could see the interface, he closed it out of reflex.


    "What''re you doing here?" Ryan asked from the doorway.


    Kiernan showed his phone. "I had a call with my father."


    "How''s your father?" Ryan sat on another chair by the balcony.


    "Nothing much." Kiernan said. "He is proud, I think."


    "My phone has also been ringing all night." Ryan said and showed his phone that kept ringing.


    "All my rtives are calling me to congratte."


    "I feel like my ears are about to fall off if I keep listening to them one more second."


    "That''s good though, no?" Kiernan said. "It means they''re proud."


    "Yeah, but the job is not finished, right?" Ryan said with a smirk.


    "True that." Kiernan looked towards the sky. "Do we know who is our next opponent yet?"


    "We''re supposed to find out tomorrow morning," Ryan said. "I hope it is a good opponent."


    "Mm¡­" Kiernan nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 58 Asshole

    It was deep in the night, and inside one of the dark rooms, Kiernan''s eyes fluttered open, and he stared straight at the ceiling.


    Snore~


    He heard the loud snoring and turned to the side, where us was sleeping on his own bed.


    They happened to be roommates for this trip¡ªNath and Ryan were in another room down the hall¡ªTimothy and Jin had their own rooms.


    They drew straws, and those straws determined their room assignments for the weekend.


    If there was enough space in the hotel, they all would''ve had their own rooms, but since it was the nationals weekend, all the hotels were packed.


    ''I can''t sleep.'' Kiernan grabbed his be, shook his head, and stood up.


    With sleepy steps, he went to the bathroom and started washing his face before looking himself in the mirror.


    Snore~


    The loud snoring pierced through the thin walls.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Haaah¡­" Kiernan shook his head, left the bathroom, grabbed his team jersey, and as he put it on, he grabbed the room keys before leaving the room.


    With hands inside the jersey, he called an elevator, and once it arrived, he stepped through and pressed the ground floor.


    It was five in the morning, and the sun would rise in about an hour.


    He couldn''t sleep even for a moment.


    It was because he couldn''t stop thinking about today''s matches. The nervousness was almost consuming him whole.


    After the elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened, and he stepped through.


    Instead of heading outside, he wandered down a hall and reached the hotel''s gym, which had all sorts of exercise equipment that he could use to distract himself.


    There was also a TV mounted on the wall. It was currently showing some foreign martial arts tournaments happening.


    ''Right, that world championship tournament was about to start soon too. In a week, if I recall correctly.''


    He thought so briefly before sitting down on the bench and taking some white tape from his pocket to wrap around his knuckles.


    The TV was pretty quiet, but some words reached his ears.


    "Macarena''s dancing fighters are giving D.x.D run for their money. The Tier 2 division is heating up¡­"


    Ignoring the rest of the match, Kiernan stood up and started punching the bag furiously, envisioning himself in the ring with hispetitors.


    At the bag, Johan''s, Yves'', and Kara''s face popped out. When he punched at the bag, the face kept changing.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    "The bag is not a good match."


    A voice came.


    "?" Kiernan turned around, and an annoyed look appeared. "You¡­"


    Muriel smiled with a tilt of her head. She looked quite different from her previous self. She was now wearing all-ck clothing with a skirt, tights, and a strange cor around her neck.


    It made her look very gothic, as if she were on her rebellious arc.


    It also made her look strangely appealing to the people around her.


    She also had ck lipstick on with ck eyeliner under her round, pale silver eyes.


    "What is it that you want?" Kiernan asked as he punched on the bag again. "Why aren''t you sleeping?"


    "Elves can stay awake weeks." Muriel hopped over to him while looking at Kiernan''s fist punching the bag. "What about you?"


    "What does it look like?" Kiernan punched the bag again. "Training!"


    "No matter how much you train, you can''t defeat Johan." Muriel said.


    Kiernan stopped punching the bag and stopped it before it was about to m into his face.


    "You came to tell me that?" Kiernan turned to look at her. "Why are you really here? You cut your hair shorter.."


    "Oh, you noticed?" Muriel touched her hair with a smile. "I cut it just like you liked it. How does it look?"


    "I asked you¡­" Kiernan punched at the bag so hard that it ripped off the chain. "What do you want?!"


    Muriel''s smile vanished.


    "Do you want to know what I think?" Kiernan asked.


    Muriel didn''t say a word and just kept staring at him.


    "I think you like the attention." Kiernan tightened the white tape around his knuckles.


    "You like manipting people. Cadell, especially. Y''know he ispletely infatuated with you, and you like to make him jealous by flirting with other guys.


    "You''re expecting me to fall heels over you just because you changed your hair for me. You want me to fight for you. It gives you satisfaction."


    "¡­" Muriel stayed silent.


    "The way you dress¡­" Kiernan looked at her up and down. "You''re screaming, ''Please give me attention''. Your parents didn''t give you attention, right? So now you want the world to notice you."


    "That obvious, huh?" Muriel said.


    "If I had to guess, you ran from home, didn''t you?"


    Kiernan said and saw a slight change in her expression, and she looked away, avoiding his gaze.


    "Thought so. This Godfred fellow is just someone that is housing you while you''re on the run from your parents. How did you manage to make him help you?


    "A sob story? Did you manipte him as well?"


    "No¡­" Muriel shook her head. "He is a friend of my parents. I''ve known him his whole life. He was more than willing to help me without any maniption."


    "Wow, lucky you." Kiernan looked at her pointy ears. "Elves are not thatmon. I''ve seen everyone look at you. It isn''t only because of your pretty looks, but elves must sell for a lot of money."


    "What''re you trying to say?" Muriel asked, feeling uneasy.


    "Godfred had no other choice than to take you in. If you kept running away on your own, some humans would''ve found you and sold you into very.


    "He is a good man, this Godfred. You should appreciate him more."


    "Silence." Muriel said coldly. "I love him like grandfather. Don''t think that all my feelings are fake!"


    "Heh¡­" Kiernan smirked. "I guess I hit the sore spot. I am sorry. I know you''re fond of him; I just wanted to rile you up a little bit."


    "You''re asshole." Muriel turned around and stomped away in anger. "Asshole!"


    Kiernan removed the white tape from his knuckles and tossed it into the trash can.

 Chapter 59 Tyler Karnage

    With the engine roaring, a ck car carrying the members of the Karuza High drove down a street.


    It was an hour before today''s matches would officially start.


    However, with a car, it was much slower than just walking because of the traffic that gued these streets.


    "Why did we take a car anyway?" Nathaniel asked as he looked out of the window. "It''s traffic hour."


    "If we had gone walking, we would''ve been ambushed by your fans." Jin said. "We would never make it to the stadium like that."


    "Fans? We got fans?" Timothy asked as he nudged his sses.


    "You gotta remember one thing." Jin looked into everyone''s eyes. "We''re now in the top 32 of the nation. More eyes will be on us than ever before."


    At that moment, it dawned on them.


    They reached the round of 32. It meant that there were only 32 teams left in the tournament, and they were among them!


    They had already defeated 224 different schools!


    Ryan sat with his arms crossed, but then side-nced next to him, where a ck-haired young man was sleeping soundly.


    Kiernan, as soon as he entered the car, just took his ce by the window seat and started napping.


    It seemed like he didn''t get good night''s sleep.


    ''No wonder. us'' snoring must''ve kept him awake all night.'' Ryan thought.


    Within Jin''s pocket, his phone started buzzing with messages.


    As he retrieved his phone from his pocket, he opened it and went straight to the notifications.


    "Everyone, we now know our first match of today." Jin said.


    Everyone stopped talking between themselves and turned to Jin.


    With a slight flinch, Kiernan''s right eye opened slightly, just enough to see Jin.


    "It is Liberty High." Jin said. "15th seed of the tournament. They have one High Stage Martial Soldier, one Low Stage Martial Fighter, and one Middle Stage Martial Fighter."


    "I''ve heard about them." Timothy said and nudged his sses. "They did well in Summer Invitationals. I think they ced fourth."


    "Oh, no problem yet." Nathaniel grinned and leaned on the seat. "We already beat Raimei, who won."


    "Don''t underestimate them." Jin said firmly. "I''ve heard stuff about their strongest fighter. A troublesome stuff."


    "What kind of stuff?" us asked.


    "You all know about Combat Forces, right?" Jin asked and saw some of them nod. "They''re part of the Police Force that specializes in martial artist-rted crimes."


    "They consist mostly of former professional fighters that decided to put their strength to good use in a different way."


    Timothy said as he knew quite a bit of Police Force. He also thought about joining them once he''d finished graduating.


    "Well, Liberty High''s strongest fighter, Tyler Karnage, had already been recruited by them. He is barely eighteen years old!"


    "That''s rare, no?" Timothy asked. "They rarely recruit anyone."


    "A year ago, Liberty High was attacked by a group called the Supremacists. They attacked the school with one goal in mind: to kill everyone."


    "I know about that!" Nathaniel shouted. "That was big news a year ago. Everyone talked about it. They failed, didn''t they?"


    "Yes, while the news didn''t specify it for some reason, they were stopped by one student, and that was Tyler!"


    "I heard the Supremacists are incredibly strong." Ryan said. "How did Tyler stop them?"


    "The Supremacists that attacked that day were the weakest of the group. They attacked Liberty High to prove themselves. Tyler was able to defeat them all on his own, but not without any injuries.


    "I heard it took him eight months to make a full recovery.


    "Without that incident, I believe he could already be High Stage Martial Fighter."


    "Sirs, we''ve arrived." The driver suddenly said as he drove into the stadium''s underground parking lot.


    It was reserved for the staff and the fighters.


    "Kiernan, we''ve arrived." Ryan shook Kiernan awake, not knowing that he had already been awake.


    "Mm." Kiernan nodded and stepped out of the car. ''Tyler Karnage, huh.''


    ¡­


    In Liberty High''s locker room.


    Tyler slowly wrapped his knuckles with the white tape.


    At that moment, the coach put his hands on his shoulders and asked. "How''re you feeling, Tyler?"


    "Well." Tyler said, and finished wrapping his knuckles. "Who will be our opponents?"


    Isaiah and Cole looked over. They were the second and third fighters of the Liberty High.


    While they couldn''t hold a candle to Tyler''s strength, they were both skilled fighters in their own right.


    The coach took his phone out and stepped to the front of the locker room so they could all see him clearly.


    The two reserve fighters stayed silent on their benches and looked over. They were merely Middle Stage Martial Soldiers.


    The Liberty High was quite strange in that sense. There were times when their school was strong, like now, and could potentially reach the quarterfinal spot in the nationals.


    However, sometimes they were among the worst in the nation.


    Liberty High was also the only school in the Liberty region, so they didn''t have to do any representation matches so far.


    Thus, they had to solely rely on getting good talent.


    It was looking dire for them, as in the past ten years, they haven''t made it to the second day eight times out of ten.


    With a lucky strike, Tyler happened to arrive at their school.


    It wasn''t far-fetched to say that he was the heart of their school''s martial arts circle. Their sess was solely on their shoulders.


    The coach looked at their opponent on the phone and narrowed his eyes.


    "Karuza High will be our opponents."


    "Karuza High?" Isaiah frowned and then remembered. "Oh, the school that defeated Raimei High?!"


    "Correct." The coach said. "While two of their fighters are weak, they''ve got a monster in their midst. Kiernan Hunter. I heard that he is only Low Stage Martial Fighter, but his real strength is much higher than that!"


    "Well, they''re not the only school with a monster." Cole said carefreely. "We have Tyler."


    ''Kiernan Hunter.'' Tyler rubbed his neck and smiled. ''He sounds like a worthy opponent.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 60 Powerlessness

    At the stadium, the crowd had gathered, and it was already so loud that the walls were shaking.


    In the middle of the stadium, sixteen rings were set. They were slightly bigger than yesterday''s.


    Whether it was watching from home or straight in the stadium, the tension started rising as the time for the first matches of the day to start!


    Within all four entrances, teams started walking towards the rings. They were all immediately showered with apuse.


    In the crowd, Azer and Julia looked towards one team, who was walking towards their ring and adorning their school uniform with beautiful ck flowers.


    "Why didn''t you meet them before their match?" Julia asked.


    "I didn''t want to disturb them." Azer said. "They need to be focused on their match."


    "Mm, I see." Julia looked towards Karuza High members and whispered. "They seem different¡­"


    "How so?" Azer asked.


    "The strongest teams of the nation have an aura of some sort." Julia said. "Whether it is out of confidence, they don''t seem as weak as before."


    "Oh." Azer looked over. "It is because Kiernan."


    "Kiernan?" Julia looked at her father and tilted her head.


    "Yes." Azer nodded. "When they are with him, they feel strong because of him. Their trust in his strength gives them confidence that they didn''t have before."


    "I feel the same." Julia said. "Whenever I watch Karuza High''s matches, I never have confidence. Sorry. But now it is different."


    "Haha, I know." Azerughed. "Our school is usually the underdog, but no longer."


    ¡­


    In the VIP Room.


    Godfred eyed the pointy-eared woman beside him and asked. "Muriel, w-what''re you wearing?"


    Muriel didn''t answer and kept ring through therge window. She was still wearing her ck fis shirt, a skirt that reached her thighs, tights, and ck leather boots.


    It made her look very rebellious.


    ''Oh no, she has reached that age.'' Godfred felt like crying knowing that it was going to be much harder to raise her.


    ¡­


    After reaching their bench, Karuza High members sat down and started taking off their hoodies to reveal their Karuza High jerseys underneath.


    With Karuza High written in bold ck letters at the front, the ck flowers adorned the sleeves, the back, and even the cor.


    On the other side of the ring, Liberty High''s members were seated down, wearing their own team jerseys in bright red and white, with Liberty High emzoned across the chest.


    After receiving a confirmation on the earpiece, the referee of the match entered the ring and blew the whistle.


    The same blew of the whistle resounded from every other ring in perfect unison.


    "Karuza High and Liberty High, bring forth your fighters!"


    Crack!


    Nathaniel cracked his knuckles and stood up. "I''ll go ahead!"


    "Good luck!" us cried out.


    "Mm." Jin nodded. "You can do it."


    With quick steps, Nathaniel reached the top of the ring.


    He didn''t really feel nervous, even though he knew that every eye in Irio was glued to him. It should be the most nervous moment of his life.


    Yet he felt strangely calm.


    On Liberty High''s bench, Cole stood up and headed up the steps to the ring.


    "Cole, you know what to do!" The coach shouted.


    Isaiah pped his hands.


    "The first fight is between Nathaniel Waters and Cole Nick!" The referee shouted.


    Cole hopped on his toes. ''I must help Tyler. I''ve yet to win a single fight in the tournament. This can''t continue like this!''


    It had been a tough tournament for him.


    Tyler and Isaiah mostly took care of most of the fights while he''d been nothing but a package.


    Last night, he was scrolling through social media and reading stuff from Liberty''s citizens. It was embarrassing, to say the least.


    Everyone was ming him!


    ''I am just not as talented as Tyler. What the hell do they want me to do? I shouldn''t be standing on the national stage, but everyone else happened to be too weak to take my spot as a third-ranked student!''


    Cole gritted his teeth and stared at Nathaniel with hate.


    ''His rank is lower than mine. He doesn''t deserve to be standing here either!''


    Nathaniel took a deep breath and moved into his fighting stance.


    "Are the both fighters ready?!" The referee asked with a shout.


    "Yes!" Cole shouted.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I am," Nathaniel replied.


    With a loud scream, the referee swung his arm down.


    "FIGHT!"


    Cole rushed forth and started punching as if his arms were machines.


    Smack, smack, smack!


    Nathaniel kept pping the punches away while retreating backward. It didn''t take long for him to reach the edge of the ring.


    Cole''s feet left the ground, and he twirled around before throwing a devastating kick.


    With his knees buckling, Nathaniel lowered his body, ducking under the kick just in time.


    The kick grazed the top of his head.


    Nathaniel quickly stood back up and retreated away from the edge of the ring.


    "Is that all you can do? Run away!" Cole chased after him and kept throwing the punches.


    Smack, smack, smack!


    pped. pped. pped.


    All the punches were pped away.


    ''This is bad.'' Nathaniel thought with an ugly expression.


    ''I am barely able to defend. What would Kiernan do in my situation?


    ''Who am I kidding? He would use his rock-solid defense to make Cole whimper in despair. If I were him, I wouldn''t have to do a single step of retreat.


    ''Then, when Cole gets exhausted, he would punch, and that would be the game over.''


    With his heart beating like a drum, Nathaniel suddenly stopped retreating.


    ''He stopped moving? Fool!'' Cole increased the speed of his punches.


    ''Rock-solid defense!''


    Nathaniel moved his hands forth and wanted to p the punches away, but he missed a couple of the ps.


    Thus, Cole''s fistsnded on his chest, causing Nathaniel to stumble backwards.


    "This is bad!" us cried out.


    "Why did Nathaniel stop moving? This wasn''t like him." Timothy thought out loud. "He would keep retreating while trying to find that one weakness."


    "¡­" Ryan narrowed his eyes. ''That fool. You really think what Kiernan is doing is that easy? No, you know it is difficult¡­''


    Nathaniel gritted his teeth in pain and stumbled back.


    ''I hate this. I hate this feeling of weakness. I hate my way of fighting. It makes me feel so powerless!''

 Chapter 61 Abandonment

    Cole''s punchnded on Nathaniel''s shoulder and sent him stumbling backwards.


    The wave of pain coursed through his veins like a raging river.


    Nathaniel jumped away to a safety distance but noticed that Cole just chased right after.


    He didn''t n on giving him even a second to catch his breath.


    ''What would Kiernan do in my ce?'' Nathaniel kept thinking. ''What would he do?!''


    Cole''s punch came suddenly andnded right at Nathaniel''s nose.


    SMACK!


    ''Fuck it!'' Nathaniel grabbed his hands together.


    It was the starting motion for his Three Technique move!


    Cole''s eyes widened suddenly, and he immediately plucked his ears with his fingers.


    CLAP!


    Nathaniel grabbed his hands tightly together and was about to walk over to Cole to do the second phase, but then Cole''s fist came flying at him.


    "?!"


    SMACK!


    The punchnded on his face and sent him sliding to the edge of the ring.


    ''He covered his ears so he wouldn''t get influenced by my move?!'' Nathaniel thought in shock.


    "This is bad!" Jin said out loud. "He knows the weakness of Nathaniel''s attack!"


    "How though?" Ryan frowned.


    "You fool!" Cole screamed to Nathaniel. "I spent thest night checking every team''s videos that were still left in the tournament.


    "I saw you do this same against Raimei. I saw that your opponent immediately started covering their ears, so I knew that it must be something to do with noise!"


    ''Shit!'' Nathaniel''s expression turned ugly.


    "That''s what the weak must do!" Cole shouted. "We must work harder!"


    Smack!


    Another fistnded at Nathaniel''s face.


    ''My strongest weapon has been defeated!'' Nathaniel almost choked on his own words. ''This is bad!''


    Karuza High''s fans in the crowd seemed unnaturally quiet. They weren''t cheering like the other schools.


    While they wanted to cheer for Nathaniel to give him energy to fight back, it was clear to everyone that it wasn''t matter of energy.


    It was a matter of fighting spirit, which Nathaniel really didn''t have any.


    ''Why is this happening? I wasn''t feeling nervous, so why¡­'' Nathaniel gritted his teeth. ''I thought I was confident in my abilities, but I guess I was wrong.''


    Jin grabbed the white towel and said, "I don''t want to look at this anymore¡­"


    With a toss, the white towelnded on the ring.


    "The match is over!" The referee shouted. "Winner is Cole Nick!"


    "E-eh?" Nathaniel looked stunned and turned to the coach with a look of betrayal. "W-why?"


    "Hmph." Cole stepped back and returned to his corner.


    With his lips trembling, Nathaniel stepped down from the ring and plopped down on the bench before putting a white towel over his face.


    "Coach Jin, why did you do that?" us asked angrily. "Nathaniel could''ve still had it!"


    "¡­" Jin looked at Nathaniel. "What the hell were you doing?"


    Nathaniel didn''t answer and kept looking down at the ground.


    "Nathaniel did his best, coach," Timothy said.


    "No." Ryan suddenly said. "Nathaniel wasn''t giving his all."


    "E-eh?" us and Timothy looked surprised.


    "How do you n on winning if you abandon your martial arts?" Jin asked and touched his chest. "The Martial Soul won''t help those who abandon theirs."


    "H-he abandoned Kam Style?" Timothy looked thoughtful.


    "He tried to copy Kiernan like a fool," Ryan said. "When he tried to use his Three Technique move out of desperation, it was the only time he used Kam Style in the fight."


    Nathaniel gritted his teeth and said. "I am sorry, but I just didn''t have faith in Kam Style¡­"


    "That''s why you were weaker than normal." Jin said. "Martial Soul didn''t give you any power."


    ¡­


    In the VIP Room.


    "That guy''s Martial Soul turned really ugly." Muriel said while leaning against her arm. "It looks like he suffered from abandonment."


    "Who?" Godfred asked.


    "Karuza High''s fighter." Muriel pointed to that ring. "The one who is hiding under that towel."


    "Why do you keep paying attention to that weak school anyway?" Cadell asked with slight anger.


    "I want to see Kiernan lose, that''s why." Muriel replied with a re.


    Godfred looked surprised. ''I thought she was fond of him for a moment. I guess youngdy''s mind changes quickly. That''s good, though. That young man is just trash talent from a weak country.''


    "Abandonment is a serious issue." Godfred said. "It is guing the martial arts world more and more. Those who don''t trust in their martial arts anymore will lose all their strength."


    ¡­


    In the crowd.


    "Oh no, they lost the first fight." Karma''s friend said.


    "¡­" Karma looked at Nathaniel with a deep look. ''Abandonment¡­''


    With his left hand, he touched his chest and felt his Martial Soul faintly. It felt weak.


    ¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Back in the ring.


    "Karuza High, bring your next fighter!" The referee shouted.


    Ryan stood up and rubbed the back of his head as he made up the stairs.


    us and Timothy cheered for him. It was an important fight.


    If Ryan lost, Kiernan would have to fight through three people to advance to the round of 16.


    It sounded very difficult because they were quite a bit afraid of Tyler, who seemed to be a monster at the same league as Kiernan!


    "The second fight is between Ryan Lee and Cole Nick!"


    The referee shouted and looked at the two fighters.


    "Are both of you ready?!"


    "I am." Cole hopped on his toes. ''Ryan Lee, his speed is dangerous.''


    "Yes," Ryan said, looking Cole straight in the eye.


    "FIGHT!"


    The referee screamed and swung his arm down as if it were a sword.


    Without even a wasted second, both fighters lunged forward with full force.


    With their fists clenched, they swung their arms and shed their fists together.


    Spurt!


    As a result of powerful blows, both fists started bleeding.


    "Argh¡­" Cole groaned slightly.


    Ryan didn''t make a single voice and instead whipped his leg at Cole''s thigh.


    SMACK!


    It was a flesh-resounding sound that echoed far and wide.


    ''Was that a kick or whip?!'' Cole thought with a look of anguish.


    Ryan''s right arm twitched, and then dozens of jabsnded at Cole''s face.


    The jabs were so fast that Cole didn''t even see them before theynded on his face.


    ''It isn''t just his running speed. His punches are fast as well!'' Cole thought with blood flowing from his nose. ''This guy is a freak of nature.''

 Chapter 62 Morning Sun Art

    Atst, Karuza High''s cheerleaders received their much-needed energy boost, and they started to cheer for Ryan with the banners flying high in the air.


    At the Liberty High bench, Isaiah kept a close eye on Ryan.


    ''Crazy natural athleticism. If he were Martial Fighter, I don''t think anyone in these high school circles could match him in terms of speed.''


    Tyler wasn''t that interested in the ongoing matches.


    He felt like they were just opening acts before the main event.


    ''I am sure he is thinking the same.'' Tyler looked to Kiernan. ''We, the aces, are carrying our school''s hopes on our shoulders. We''re very same in that regard, Kiernan!''


    At the ring, the flurry of punches kept pummeling Cole till he was bruised and bloody. Their supporters were cheering loudly, their voices blending together in a cacophony of support.


    ''I must make him use his Super eleration!'' Cole thought. ''Even if I get defeated, he can''t use his speed in the next match, and Isaiah will have easy victory!''


    He''d seen that Ryan''s body couldn''t handle the immense stress of Super eleration.


    "Rakuya Style, Cheetah''s Lunge!" Cole suddenly ducked under Ryan''s fist and tackled his legs out from under him.


    "?!" Ryan quickly kneed Cole in the waist and made his arms loosen around his legs.


    With a quick flip, Ryan broke free from Cole''s tackle and flipped back to his feet.


    "Argh!" Cole touched his injured waist that had a deep bruise mark. ''In that split second, he managed to react to my tackle and kneed me in my ribs?!''


    "Whew, that was close!" us touched his head andughed. "How did Ryan react to that?!"


    "Natural Fighter," Jin said. "The principle of his ''martial arts'' is instincts. While there aren''t really any techniques, the instincts make him move."


    ''Not yet. I am not defeated yet!'' Cole stumbled back to his feet. ''I must make him use Super eleration!''


    "¡­"


    Ryan stayed silent, and to everyone''s surprise, he moved to a sprinting stance.


    "What?!" Jin cried out. "No, don''t!"


    ''Super eleration!'' Cole grinned and immediately ran towards Ryan.


    ''Super eleration''s strongest weapon is its momentum. If I go close enough, the Super eleration won''t be able to damage me as much!


    ''I''ll tank the attack, no matter how much it hurts!''


    ''Ryan will still be damaged from Super eleration!''


    At that moment, Ryan smiled and lunged forward. It was a quickunch, but nowhere as fast as with Super eleration.


    It was a trap!


    "?!" Cole looked scared. ''He didn''t use Super eleration? It was just ordinary eleration!''


    Ryan jumped off the ground and kneed Cole in the face.


    SMACK!


    The sound of contact sounded horrendous.


    Cole''s head got pushed back, and he stumbled like a drunken man.


    ''Hah.'' Kiernan smiled.


    ''Ryan is well aware of Super eleration''s weaknesses. He guessed that Cole must''ve also found out some of those weaknesses like he did with Nathaniel.


    ''Thus, Ryan tricked Cole intoing closer and then did a quick sneak attack. While it was only ordinary eleration, it was still so fast that Cole couldn''t do anything to defend against it.''


    With his nose bleeding furiously, Cole wasn''t in the correct state of mind, as his brain was also trying to process the shock of the unexpected attack.


    The knee attack really took a toll on him.


    Ryan suddenly grabbed him by the jersey and hurled him away.


    Without Cole understanding what was happening, he flew off the edge of the ring andnded outside with a thud.


    After a moment of silence, Karuza High''s cheers turned much louder than before.


    "Yes!" us and Timothy pped their hands loudly.


    Jin clenched his fist with a grin.


    Nathaniel finally looked up and whispered. "Amazing as ever¡­"


    At the crowd, Azer and Julia pped their hands.


    "Great job, Karuza High!" Azer shouted.


    "Natural Fighters sure are scary." Julia said. "I wish he was more interested in martial arts."


    "What do you mean?" Azer asked from his daughter.


    "Oh, you don''t know?" Julia asked with a giggle. "Ryan is also a professional video game yer. To him, martial arts are just some exercise for him."


    "Oh, really?" Azer said in a surprise. "I had no idea."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yeah, if I have to guess, Ryan might quit martial arts once he has graduated." Julia said. "Which is shame because I truly think he has a talent for greatness."


    "The match is over!" The referee shouted. "Winner is Ryan Lee!"


    Without a second of waiting, Isaiah stood up and made his way up to the ring.


    He didn''t want to allow Ryan even a moment to catch his breath, even though he looked like he was far from being exhausted.


    "Ryan Lee vs. Isaiah Kelley!" The referee shouted. "The third match!"


    Isaiah raised his fist high.


    Ryan shook his legs as if he were trying to get them ready.


    "Are both fighters ready?!"


    "Yes!" Isaiah screamed.


    "I am," Ryan replied.


    "FIGHT!"


    Isaiah made the first move.


    He crossed the distance and punched.


    Ryan dodged to the side.


    Isaiah followed after him and threw another punch.


    Ryan smacked his forearm against the side of the punch and steered it away from his body.


    "Morning Sun Art!" Isaiah pressed his hands together. "Dawning Light!!"


    He thrust his fingers forward and stabbed them directly at Ryan''s chest.


    It was a shallow wound, as Ryan immediately retreated backwards. If he hadn''t moved, the damage could be much worse.


    The coach of Liberty High nodded.


    ''Isaiah is from the Morning Sun''s temple. As he lived among monks, he learned their fighting art of Morning Sun Art. He had conditioned his hands to be as durable as knives.''


    While others would be worried of his hands, Ryan charged forward and unleashed his punches with full force.


    Isaiah stood on one spot, moved into a horse-standing stance, and tanked all the punches without making a sound.


    "Morning Sun Art, Pain of the Morning!"


    Spurt!


    Instead, it was Ryan''s fists that started bleeding.


    ''Crazy. His body is as strong as steel!'' Ryan thought and retreated a couple of steps. ''That''s some impressive body conditioning.''

 Chapter 63 Ryans Desperate Move

    With a lunge, Ryan keptnding punches at Isaiah''s unbreakable body. It felt like he was trying to strike a boulder!


    "Heh!" Isaiah straight punched ahead.


    Ryan side-stepped to dodge the punch and immediately low-kicked Isaiah in the thigh.


    While the kick sounded dangerously damaging, Isaiah just grinned and stormed forward.


    Isaiah mmed his right arm at Ryan and sent him flying like a cannonball.


    Ryan tumbled and rolled across the ground, but before flying off the ring, he smashed his feet on the ground and rolled to the side to forcefully stop his momentum.


    Again, it was an amazing show of natural athleticism from him!


    "Some people sure are blessed with natural talent!" Isaiah said with a grin and punched straight at Ryan.


    Ryan rolled out of the way and saw Isaiah m his fist at the concrete ground.


    CRACK!


    The ring cracked slightly.


    "However, howe you''re so weak?" Isaiah asked. "You''ve wasted your talent, haven''t you?"


    With a lunge, he crossed the distance to Ryan and started raining his punches down.


    Ryan raised his arms to block the blows, feeling the impact reverberate through his body.


    "Are you feeling regret?" Isaiah asked. "Your team''sst fighter, Kiernan, sure is amazing. He carried all of you this far, and now that you need to help him, you''re dragging your feet.


    "Are you feeling regret for not training harder?"


    "Heh¡­" Ryanughed in pain. "Maybe."


    ¡­


    A few months ago.


    With the moon high in the sky, it was quitete in the night.


    Within Lee residence, inside a dimly lit room with the only lighting from aputer screen, Ryan''s fingers were flying across the keyboard.


    At theputer screen, a shooting game was in full swing, and Ryan''s intense focus was evident in his furrowed brow and narrowed eyes.


    Knock, knock!


    Someone knocked on the door, and as the door opened, a middle-aged woman peeked inside.


    "Ryan, shouldn''t you be at bed?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.


    She was Ryan''s mother, Ruby Lee.


    "After this game," Ryan said, his eyes still glued to the screen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You have training early tomorrow, don''t you?" Ruby asked. "The representation match is not too far away."


    "Aha."


    Ryan, barely responding, pressed hard on the mouse and emptied a whole magazine in the enemy yer.


    "You need to work hard." Ruby said fondly. "I know you can reach the nationals."


    "Eh, who cares, honestly?" Ryan said. "We can''t win the representation match. Even if we do, we will lose in the first round at the nationals. A waste of time."


    "Don''t say that." Ruby crossed her arms angrily. "You just have to believe in yourself and put in the effort."


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ryan waved his handzily. "I''m not going to waste my time on something that''s doomed from the start."


    Ruby shook her head and left the room with the door closing behind her.


    ¡­


    At the present time, Lee Residence.


    Ruby and her husband, Louie, watched the fight happening on television while sitting on their cozy couch.


    Below the couch, sitting on the carpet, Ryan''s little sister, Mia, kept fidgeting her toes while staring intensely at the television.


    "Cmon, son!" Louie kept moving his body reflexively, as if that was going to help his son dodge his opponent''s punches.


    Ruby kept flinching whenever a punchnded on his son''s body.


    "Boom¡­" Mia quietly whispered under her breath and punched forward. "Brother¡­"


    ¡­


    Ryan kicked his leg up and threw a high kick, but Isaiah jumped backwards to avoid it.


    The stadium was so loud.


    There was shoutinging from the crowd, from both benches, and Ryan could barely understand a single word.


    ''Ah, I hate this.'' Ryan thought in pain. ''I hate fighting. It is so painful. Why would anyone like this? ying video games is so much better¡­''


    At that moment, he side-nced in Kiernan''s direction and saw him staring right at him.


    ''Don''t look at me like that, bro.'' Ryan sighed heavily. ''You''re making me push past my limits. I''m already exhausted enough as it is. I just want to go home and y games.''


    Isaiah, with a grin on his face, started running back at Ryan.


    "Alright, damn it."


    Ryan crouched down on the ground and moved into his sprinting stance.


    At that moment, his leg muscles started twisting and cramping as if his body were rebelling against him.


    The eyes of the nearby onlookers widened as they all realized what he was about to do.


    This time, it wasn''t a trap!


    "You can do it!" Jin screamed.


    us and Timothy screamed as well.


    Nathaniel clenched his fists hard.


    ''Super eleration!'' Isaiah stopped moving and went into his horse-standing stance.


    "Morning Sun Art, Pain of the Morning!"


    Below Ryan''s feet, the concrete ground started cracking.


    CRACK!


    Ryan gritted his teeth hard enough to crack them, and then with a lunge, he vanished from everyone''s eyes as he moved so fast that only a handful of people were able to see him in the arena!


    Only those who''ve reached a state of heightened awareness were able to catch a glimpse of his lightning-fast movements.


    ''Jump or running?'' Jin wondered.


    That''s what everyone was thinking.


    What would Ryan choose?!


    ''Where is he?'' Isaiah wondered.


    At that moment, below his field of vision, someone mmed into his waist and pushed him back with incredible force!


    "?!" Isaiah looked down and saw that Ryan was pushing him back!


    Because of that strong push, Isaiah inched closer to the edge of the ring, only one short step away from falling.


    "Super Tackle!" Ryan screamed and tackled at Isaiah''s chest, trying to make him fall!


    "He didn''t use Super eleration or Super Jump!" Jin cried out. "He had created the third technique, Super Tackle!"


    ''Instead of punching, he intentionally stayed under Isaiah''s field of vision so he wouldn''t be able to see him before it was toote.''


    Kiernan thought to himself.


    ''This is a very desperate move.''


    Isaiah firmly rooted his feet on the ground and screamed. "That won''t work!"


    Within that instant, Isaiah stopped moving.


    "Shit!" Ryan screamed.


    It felt like he was trying to push a tree!


    No matter what, Isaiah wasn''t budging an inch!

 Chapter 64 True Strength

    Isaiah mmed his hands on Ryan''s shoulders to stop his tackle.


    "How pathetic." Isaiah said with a grin. "So, you came to the conclusion that you can''t defeat me, so you tried to push me off the ring?"


    "Just go down, bastard!" Ryan screamed and kept mming his body against Isaiah''s chest.


    "Haha, as if!" Isaiah raised his fist high. "I can''t let Tyler do all the work. I still have to bother Kiernan, y''see!"


    "You don''t get it, do you?"


    "Huh?" Isaiah frowned, wondering what he meant by that.


    "In this match, we were just the opening act!" Ryan shouted and suddenly wrapped his arms around Isaiah''s body.


    "We shouldn''t dy the main event any longer. After all, everyone wants Kiernan versus Tyler!"


    "?!" Isaiah''s widened in shock.


    With a scream, Ryan ustered every bit of his strength and lifted Isaiah off the ground. Then, with a desperate move, he started falling off the ring with Isaiah in his arms.


    "No!" Isaiah tried to keep his contact with the ring, but it was no use.


    Thump!


    Both young men crashed on the ground outside the ring.


    "The fight is over!" The referee shouted. "It ended in a tie!"


    Karuza High''s and Liberty High''s supporters eximed at the same time.


    It wasn''t supposed to end like this!


    Liberty High supporters looked quite disappointed, as it was supposed to be an easy victory for them!


    However, they swallowed the bitterness and started to cheer for Tyler Karnage, the hero of their city!


    It was bing extremely close, but their faith in Tyler never ceased. He was the ace of their school and had never let them down before!


    ¡­


    At Lee Residence.


    "Ah!" Ruby eximed.


    "Good job!" Louie pped his hands loudly.


    "Why''re you cheering, dad?" Mia asked. "Didn''t brother lose?"


    "No, your brother did amazing!" Louie shouted with a grin. "If he had lost, Kiernan would''ve had to fight two Martial Fighters back-to-back. One of them, Tyler, is especially strong!"


    Ruby prayed with her hands. "I hope they can pull off the win."


    "Oh, I see!" Mia turned back to the screen. "Next fighter is Ryan''s friend?"


    Louie leaned closer to the television. "If Kiernan wins this, Karuza High will be in the top 16 of the nation!"


    ¡­


    At the crowd.


    "It is time," Azer said with a serious look. "Ryan did amazing."


    "I am¡­" Julia looked at her shaking hands. "Nervous."


    "Top 16 in the nation is only one win away." Azer took a deep breath and looked at the open ceiling towards the sky.


    Somewhere else in the crowd, Karma''s friends were cheering for Karuza High.


    "Karma, it is time for your son!"


    "Oh shit, I am so nervous!"


    "¡­" Karma nodded without making a sound.


    While he''d been trying to act calm, his trembling legs weren''t fooling anyone as they kept tapping the ground in a nervous rhythm.


    ¡­


    All the eyes at Karuza High''s benchnded on Kiernan.


    It was a very nervous moment.


    They knew that if Kiernan lost, the citizens of Irio would be very disappointed.


    After all, they had given them hope of reaching the top 16 in the nation. If suddenly they lost, it was clear that the amount of disappointment would be overwhelming.


    us and Timothy were too nervous to speak a word.


    ''I would like to say something, but¡­'' Jin gritted his teeth. ''I am failure as coach. I don''t want to identally say something wrong and ruin Kiernan''s concentration!''


    "Alright, I am off." Kiernan suddenly stood up and put his fist near Nathaniel. "Watch me."


    Nathaniel looked at the fist and then at Kiernan. After seeing his look, he nodded firmly and bumped his own fist against Kiernan''s.


    As he turned around, Kiernan slowly walked over to the ring.


    While he was making his way over to the ring, Ryan was walking back to the bench, and as they walked past each other, Ryan gave Kiernan a confident smile, silently wishing him luck in the uing match.


    With slow steps, Kiernan arrived at the top of the ring, and at the same moment, Tyler arrived at his spot.


    When the two looked at each other, the tension in the ring was palpable.


    ''This match is insane!'' The referee thought. ''I want to watch it immediately. Not because I am a fan of one of the teams, because, as a martial arts enthusiast, I want to see who wins!''


    "Thest match between Karuza High and Liberty High!" The referee shouted.


    "Kiernan Hunter vs. Tyler Karnage!"


    "I, Tyler Karnage, challenge you." Tyler moved to his fighting stance.


    "Challenge epted." Kiernan moved to his defensive stance.


    "Are the both fighters ready?!"


    "Yes!" Tyler shouted.


    "Of course," Kiernan replied.


    "FIGHT!"


    ¡­


    Liberty, at the lounge of the Police Force.


    Dozens of the police officers stopped whatever they were doing and turned their attention to the television screen.


    "Cmon, Tyler!"


    The chief of the Police Force watched from the top floor.


    After recruiting Tyler to their Combat Force, they started teaching him their very own martial arts.


    It was called "Force Combat."


    It was one of the oldest styles in New Rakuya history, spanning centuries of tradition and discipline.


    ''Tyler is a true monster.'' The chief thought.


    ''While injured, he still wanted to learn Force Combat, and after just a couple of months, he learned the basics.


    ''While still green, he''d already learned some of the advanced techniques. I don''t think there are many people in the nationals that can defeat him in martial arts skills.''


    ¡­


    Crack!


    With a lunge, Tyler left behind the broken cement ground.


    ''What a powerful eleration.'' Ryan thought. ''Stronger than mine, that''s for sure.''


    "Force Combat¡­" Tyler arrived within the attacking range. "Criminal Onught!"


    The fistsunched forward like bullets.


    "Iron Style, Rendering Edge!"


    With the sides of his hands, Kiernan smacked Tyler''s fists away. It was a battle of defense and offense!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Like a relentless machine gun, Tyler kept throwing and throwing punches without a break.


    However, Kiernan''s defense was imprable!


    "That''s it¡­" Nathaniel smirked. "Rock-solid defense!"


    "Haha, shit!" Tyler grinned. "You''re truly amazing. This is truly frustrating. I am inches away from hitting you sometimes, but they keep missing!"


    Swoosh!


    With a sidestep, Kiernan moved to Tyler''s nk. It was such a smooth and fast move that no one expected it!


    ''He stopped defending and is going for offense?!'' Ryan looked shocked. ''This isn''t the same Kiernan that we know. He usually stays on defense till he discovers a weakness!''


    "Iron Style, Majestic Lacerator!"


    Swoosh!


    With his fingers that were as strong as knives, he cut through Tyler''s chest and left five deep, bleeding wounds that would scar Tyler for life.


    Spurt!


    The blood spewed out like a fountain.


    "?!" Tyler looked shocked.


    Kiernan looked calm and said, "Sorry, I got a little bit bored of defense. I don''t mind offense for a change."


    "T-this is!" Jinughed loudly. "Kiernan''s true strength!"

 Chapter 65 First Level

    The first blood was spilled!


    ''What a pain,'' Tyler frowned. ''It feels like I was truly cut by knives.''


    However, the pain was only momentarily as he shrugged it off.


    "Alright then." Tyler straightened his back, and his fists clenched tighter.


    The crowd roared around them in excitement.


    "¡­"


    Kiernan leaned slightly forward, but then he elerated forward a small distance to cut their distance even closer.


    Tyler steeled his body and breathed out calmly.


    "Force Combat, Steeled State of Mind!"


    The institution of Police Force taught him a few skills to calm himself down during the heat of the battle.


    It was easy to get swept by the emotions and start making mistakes. Such things weren''t allowed when dealing with criminals.


    ''What will you do now?'' Tyler stayed strong in his fighting stance.


    ''I will create a few openings to lure him, and then I will do a chopping strike to dislocate his shoulder!''


    Tyler quickly created his n.


    With a few changes to his fighting stance, he created a few minor openings for Kiernan to take advantage of.


    However, they were cleverly nned traps by Tyler.


    ''Kicks, punches, tackles, locks, or grappling, do your worst!'' Tyler smirked.


    Kiernan stepped closer to the attacking range. He saw one of the openings and punched towards it.


    ''Got you!'' Tyler quickly grabbed the arm and twisted the arm behind Kiernan''s back, locking him in a ce.


    "Force Combat, Criminal Cuffing!"


    "Oh no!"


    A few exmations echoed from Karuza High''s bench while Liberty High''s members looked ecstatic.


    ''I have so many options now!'' Tyler thought while standing behind Kiernan, holding his arm tightly. ''What should I do now?''


    "You''re thinking too much." Kiernan said, and then suddenly yanked his arm out of the lock. "You''re giving so much time to escape the locks!"


    ''How did he do that?'' Tyler paled. ''I held his arm in a perfect armlock, but he easily shrugged it off!''


    Kiernan''s fists came raining down andnded a few hits on Tyler''s face before he put his arms in the way.


    Smack, smack!


    ''Wait!'' Tyler looked at his hand and noticed that it was sweaty. ''This is not my sweat. It is his? Wait, he used his sweat to make his hand slippery to be able to slip away from the lock? Is that even possible!''


    "Iron Style, Water Skin¡­"


    Kiernan''s hands were covered in a thinyer of water, making them look shiny and slippery. It was his sweat that he had used to create the effect.


    ''Whatever, I don''t have time to think about that now!'' Tyler moved back to his fighting stance. ''I already managed to trap him once. I can do it again!''


    With that, he again started changing his fighting stance to add a few openings here and there to trick Kiernan into making a mistake.


    Tyler still nned to dislocate his shoulder with a well-timed chopping strike.


    Kiernan rushed forward, and his kickunched before smacking against Tyler''s raised thigh.


    The kick sounded like a thunderp.


    ''Good, keep attacking, and fall deeper into my trap!'' Tyler carefully and calmly let Kiernan keep attacking.


    Without hesitation, Kiernan kept pushing forward and started throwing straight punches. They were pretty simple and easily predictable attacks.


    Smack, smack!


    While pping those punches away, Tyler kept moving closer and closer to the edge of the ring.


    Liberty High members kept screaming for him to hold on while Karuza High members cheered on their fighter.


    ''Will it be really this easy?'' The coach Jin wondered. ''It feels like Tyler is wanting to go to the edge of the ring¡­''


    At that moment, his eyes widened in shock.


    ''That''s exactly it!'' Jin paled. "Don''t, Kiernan, you''re falling into a trap!"


    Maybe because the crowd was cheering too loud, it didn''t look like Kiernan was able to hear it as he kept pushing even harder.


    At that moment, Tyler''s feet reached the edge of the ring.


    The hearts of Liberty High supporters were already on their throats. They were begging for Tyler to hold on tight and not fall out of the ring.


    Another one of Kiernan''s punches came flying in.


    ''That''s it!'' Tyler quickly used his forearm and pushed Kiernan''s arm away topletely miss his body.


    At that moment, hundreds of eyes widened in shock as they saw that Kiernan was standingpletely defenseless in front of Tyler.


    ''Checkmate!'' Tyler raised his right arm high and chopped it down. "Force Combat, Justice Chop!"


    The chop came down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Smack!


    Suddenly, Kiernan ced his forearm in the way and pushed the chopping strike away harmlessly like it was nothing.


    "?!" Tyler''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Iron Style, Void Chop!"


    With his whip-like right arm, he smashed his chop into Tyler''s left shoulder and made it crack like a twig.


    Crack!


    "Argh!" Tyler''s mouth foamed in extreme pain, and he quickly pushed Kiernan away before moving away from the edge of the ring.


    His left arm was hanging beside his body, limp, and useless. He couldn''t use that arm even slightly as his shoulder was dislocated!


    "Your tricks aren''t too bad." Kiernan said coldly. "However, you''re way too obvious."


    ''He saw through it all?'' Tyler thought in pain. ''Instead of me trapping him, he was trapping me all along. Cursed!''


    "Yes!" Jin cheered with a grin stered on his face. ''I should''ve known. Kiernan falling into a trap? Hah, why do I feel like that is impossible?!''


    "Haha¡­" Tyler straightened his back, put his hand on his left shoulder, and pushed it back into ce with a crack.


    "Argh!"


    "¡­" Kiernan rubbed the back of his neck. "Only warm-up, huh?"


    "Y''see¡­" Tyler, with his finger, stabbed the side of his head. "This is where the real fun begins!"


    "Force Combat, Level 1!"


    Within his body, the blood flowed faster and stronger, which, in return, started to turn his flesh a bright shade of red.


    "This is the ultimate technique of Force Combat, and why it is such a well-known style."


    Tyler punched his hands together.


    "Force Combat originates from tier 1 country, Justd. It''s where the whole principle of justice was created and where Police Force was first established.


    "It is also the birthce of Force Combat!


    "While it has a total of ten levels, and I''ve only learned the first level, this alone makes me already much stronger than I was before!"

 Chapter 66 The Storm

    ''Level 1?'' Kiernan moved into his defensive style. ''Intriguing.''


    "Haaaa!"


    With blood pumping strength into every muscle, Tyler let out a howling cry, and then when his strength was about to explode, heunched himself forward with a speed that he hadn''t been capable of before.


    The strength was beyond the ordinary capabilities of Middle Stage Martial Fighter!


    At the current moment, there was barely a couple of people in the entire nationals that could be able to put up a good challenge!


    "Iron Style, Iron Palm!"


    With a palm of his hand, Kiernan smashed Tyler''s face with incredible force, knocking him to the ground.


    With blood spurting from his nose, Tyler gritted his teeth, and jumped back to his feet.


    With a loud scream, he charged at Kiernan and started throwing red-fisted punches.


    He wasn''t holding back in a single punch!


    "Rendering Edge!" Kiernan redirected the punches away and stood like a mighty fortress.


    Nothing was breaking his imprable walls!


    "The rock-solid defense!" Timothy screamed.


    "Go Tyler!" Isaiah screamed.


    Tyler''s tongue was flying out of his mouth, and he was drooling like a little child as he threw punch after another with his entire might.


    Yet not a single one of the punches managed to break the walls of the fortress!


    At that moment, Kiernan stepped closer and fully closed the distance between the two. That took everyone by surprise.


    "Iron Fingers."


    He ced his hands behind Tyler''s neck and grabbed him from the nape of his neck, effectively holding him with his Iron Fingers.


    Tyler started smashing his fists at Kiernan''s chest, but from such a close-range, the strength of the punches were pathetic.


    With Iron Fingers, he moved Tyler''s head back and then moved his own head further behind.


    "Iron Style, Iron Bell!"


    With his forehead, he smashed into Tyler''s face with a powerful headbutt!


    Crack!


    Tyler''s nose cracked, and he stumbled behind while clutching his face in pain.


    Kiernan ced his fist at Tyler''s chest.


    "Iron Fist!"


    SMACK!


    With a flesh-resounding smack, Tyler slid backward with a bloody cough. It felt like he was hit by a freaking sledgehammer!


    "Argh¡­" Kiernan looked at his fingers that were badly bruised.


    It looked like he was using too many Iron Style skills, and his body couldn''t handle all of that.


    ''Gotta give it to Tyler. Without my Iron Style, it is truly difficult to fight him.''


    ¡­


    At the crowd.


    "He''s strong!" Julia eximed while holding her hands over her mouth.


    "Mmh." Azer nodded. "Tyler with his Force Combat is very impressive, but to think our Kiernan is still able to hold the advantage!"


    A few rows away, Karma''s friends were eximing over every punch, kick, and dodge. It felt like they were more nervous than the two fighters in the ring.


    "Come on¡­" Karma impatiently tapped his feet on the ground.


    ¡­


    Irio, Lee Residence.


    Through the slightly open window, they could hear screamsing from the nearby households.


    "Louie, can''t you close the window?" Ruby asked. "It looks like the others are also watching the match¡­"


    Louie closed the window quickly and immediately returned to the sofa to keep watching the match.


    Mia kept weaving her head side-to-side, as if she were the one dodging the punches on the television.


    "I can''t seriously watch this." Ruby looked away from the television and covered her ears.


    "Come on, you must!" Louie said in excitement. "Our son''s school is winning!"


    "What if they lose?" Ruby said and bit herself on the lip. "I can''t see my son disappointed again."


    "Come on!" Louie turned his wife''s head back to the television. "You see by the bench?"


    The television barely showed the two opposing teams'' benches, and there, Ryan was currently cheering with his teammates.


    "Mmh¡­" Ruby interlocked her fingers, and her body barely stopped shaking from nervousness.


    If they now lost, it would be so disappointing!


    That''s the burden of hope.


    ¡­


    Tyler wiped the blood off his nose and, with a scream, rushed straight at Kiernan.


    With a snap of his wrist, he threw a punch, but as soon as Kiernan started to redirect it away, he whipped his leg around in a swift kick to the ribs.


    "?!" Kiernan coughed in a slight pain and slid slightly to the side.


    Tyler''s kick to the ribs was very effective!


    It managed to bypass his Rendering Edge defense!


    "Shit!" Karuza High members all paled at the same time.


    "Aaaah!" Tyler, with his tongue pping out of his mouth, grabbed Kiernan by the cor and threw him to the ground with a loud thud.


    With a hammer fist, he smashed it down, but before it couldnd, Kiernan rolled out of the way and wrapped his legs around Tyler''s neck.


    Then, with a roll to the side, Kiernan forced Tyler on the ground on his back and pinned his arms down with his knees.


    SMACK!


    Kiernan mmed his fist into Tyler''s face with a loud smack.


    "Cough!" Tyler coughed out blood and yanked one of his pinned arms before throwing a punch with it.


    However, Kiernan easily pped the punch away and smashed his fist into Tyler''s cheek with a sickening crunch.


    The crowd''s cheers turned deafening as they all realized that the finishing moments of the match were here!


    ''This is not good!'' Tyler thought as another punchnded on his face. ''Really bad!''


    Within his memories, the faces of the evil Supremacists surfaced in his mind.


    When he fought them, he was very afraid, but eventually he overcame the fear and defeated them.


    Back then, he was also in an equally disadvantageous position.


    He should''ve died back then, but he overcame the losing position and won!


    "No!"


    Tyler kicked his knee up andnded a powerful blow at Kiernan''s ribs.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kiernan doubled over in pain, and Tyler swiftly pushed him aside as he escaped the mounted position.


    Swoosh!


    With his leg, Tyler kicked Kiernan across the face and sent him sprawling on the cement ground.


    All of the cheers from Karuza High quieted down.


    "Rgh¡­" Kiernan, with a bloodied mouth, flipped over and slowly struggled to get back on his feet.


    "Whoo!" Tyler moved his tongue out of his mouth, looking like he was barely conscious.


    "I see." Kiernan straightened his back with a cold look on his eyes. "Some half-assed techniques aren''t enough to beat you."


    "Huff!" Tyler rushed forward like a wild beast.


    It didn''t look like there was much of humanity left in his beast.


    With his increased blood flow, he was now having a head-splitting headache and heavy fever that started to make him delirious, but still, he was now stronger than ever before!


    Kiernan shoulder-charged at Tyler, stopping him in his tracks.


    "Iron Human!"


    "Tch!" Tyler grimaced and kicked his knee up at Kiernan''s face.


    However, Kiernan sidestepped the knee, brought his fist forward, and mmed it deep into Tyler''s face.


    "Iron Smash!"


    SMACK!


    With a broken nose, Tyler let out a painful howl.


    "Iron Style, Roundhouse!"


    The roundhouse kicknded on Tyler''s neck, and slowly, he started to slowly fall towards the ground.


    Everything around him seemed slowing down.


    This was the worst pain he''d ever been.


    No one was cheering anymore, and just kept watching as Tyler kept moving closer to the ground without moving a muscle.


    "Iron Smash Storm!"


    The relentless punches pummeled Tyler to the submission. It sounded like a thunderstorm was raging in the arena.


    When thest punch finishednding, Tyler copsed to the ground with his eyes rolled back to the skull.


    "The strongest¡­" Ryan whispered.


    With that, Karuza High''s supporters jumped from their seats and screamed till their voices turned hoarse.


    Kiernan stood still while being showered with the cheers. He turned his gaze to the sky, a single sigh leaving his mouth.


    A sigh of nervousness.


    With that, he raised one arm high, a slight smile forming on his face as his teammates jumped to the ring in celebration.


    A slight distance away, after they finished their match quickly, Tiamut was already walking off the stadium.


    By chance, Johan looked over to Kiernan and smirked. "I hope you make it through. I want to fight you¡­"

 Chapter 67 New Rakuyas Top 5 Youth

    The locker room''s door sted open.


    "Whew!" Timothy and us plopped down on their benches with their cheeks still flushed in excitement.


    Jin scrolled through his phone''s messages and said, "The principal said good job to everyone. We''ve now reached the round of 16!"


    "Yes, mom."


    Ryan finished his phone call and, in exhaustion,id down on his bench and gulped down the water bottle as if he hadn''t drunk anything for a week.


    "We''re now in the top 16 of the nation!" us eximed. "That''s like insanely good!"


    Kiernan entered the locker room with a towel wrapped around his shoulders and drank some water while listening to everyone''s excited talks.


    Beep, beep!


    At that moment, Jin received an urgent message.


    With a frown, he read it through.


    "Apparently the next matchups are announced by thementators." Jin said and pointed at the television. "Keep the eye on the television."


    "It looks like the most anticipated phase of the nationals is soon upon us." Ryan said. "This is thest match before the big ring matches. If we make through this, we''ll be in a match that is watched by everyone in New Rakuya."


    Gulp~n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    us and Timothy gulped nervously even though there was slim to no chance of them actually fighting in the big ring match because they were reserve fighters.


    However, it was still a shocking thing to think about!


    "I received another message." Jin smiled as he said it and turned to Kiernan. "You''ve been summoned."


    Everyone turned to Kiernan in surprise.


    "Me?" Kiernan pointed at himself. "Why?"


    "You''ve been selected to be part of New Rakuya''s Top 5 Youth."


    "What?!" Others eximed in shock.


    "What is that?" Kiernan asked.


    "The top five most impressive youths in the nationals receive the honor of being part of New Rakuya''s Top 5 Youth.


    "It is basically a team that represents the best of our nation''s younger generation," Nath carefully exined.


    "It means you''ve been officially recognized to be part of the top 5 in this generation!"


    "A team, huh?" Kiernan crossed his arms. "Who do we fight?"


    "Nobody." Jinughed. "It is just an honorable title to be part of that team. You''re expected to meet them all at the chairman''s chambers.


    "You''ll meet the other youths that are part of that team. This is an amazing honor, and the first time anyone from Irio has received this since Azer''s days!"


    "Should I go there now?" Kiernan asked as he stood up.


    "Yes." Jin headed to the door. "I''ll take you there. You all, prepare for the next match!"


    "Yes, coach!"


    After they left the locker room, they headed to the upper floors of the stadium, and there they came across a door that was tightly shut.


    A few voices wereing from inside.


    "That''s it." Jin said, and stopped walking. "I can''te there with you. Once you''re done there, you can find us back in the locker room."


    "Alright, coach." Kiernan walked to the door and knocked on it twice.


    It sounded like the voices died down.


    The door opened, and a tall, broad-shouldered bodyguard stood on his face.


    "Name?" The bodyguard said with a deep, raspy tone.


    "Kiernan."


    The bodyguard nodded and stepped aside.


    As Kiernan entered the room, he noticed that it was already quite crowded.


    A quite a few were watching the ongoings of the stadium through the wide window while four young men were standing straight while shaking hands with the chairman.


    "Ah, you must be Kiernan; stand alongside these other youths." The chairman said.


    Kiernan nodded and walked next to the others, who turned their heads to look at him as well.


    "So, these are the best five youths that New Rakuya has to offer?" Godfred said from his seat and scanned everyone thoroughly.


    "Yes, sir." The chairman humbly rubbed his hands. "I hope they don''t disappoint you."


    Cadell looked over with not-so-impressed look, and when he saw Kiernan, a scoff escaped his lips.


    Next to them, the sweet-looking Muriel crossed her legs and adjusted her hair without bothering to give five of them a single look.


    "Introduce yourselves," Godfred said.


    On the right side, the ck-haired young man said coldly. "Johan Yeager, Tiamut High."


    When he said his piece, the few men inside the room nodded with approval. They were also from New Rakuya, and Johan was their country''s pride and joy.


    After all, even Martial Academia''s professor came to seek this young man out, which was a great honor to them!


    "Kasimir Kerr, Ambrossa High." A brown-haired young man with a slight fade said.


    He looked like he would definitely turn out to be a handsome man in the future, as he, as eighteen years old, already started to look quite mature for someone of his age.


    "Ermenrich Kanyon, Kanyon High." A tall, muscr boy with blond hair said.


    "Anara Redwood, Kurogami High." A girl with short red hair said.


    She had full lips with a small nose and bright blue eyes that looked like the ocean''s depths. It didn''t seem like she was a girl that cared that much about her looks, but nheless, she was pretty one.


    A few eyes went to thest person that hadn''t introduced himself yet.


    "Kiernan Hunter, Karuza High." Kiernan said with a quiet sigh.


    The chairman pped his hands with a fond smile.


    "You five were chosen as New Rakuya''s Top 5 Youth because you''ve impressed us the most. I hope this honor shallst you a lifetime."


    "It looks like the new matchups are about to be selected." Godfred looked towards the big screen by the stadium. "Why don''t you watch them with us, and then you can return back to your schools?"


    ''Karuza High. Karuza High. Karuza High.'' Johan looked at the screen with a cold look.


    As if he was telling with that look that if he didn''t get what he wanted, he would pick a fight with that screen!


    Chris Chang''s voice resounded across the stadium as the first matchup appeared on the screen.


    "With the first match, we''ll have Tiamut High versus Henderson Academy!"


    "Tch¡­" Johan looked angry.


    "Ohoho." The chairmanughed while rubbing his belly. "Young Johan, did you forget to wear your lucky socks today? That''s a tough 4th seed in the round of 16."


    "Hmph." Johan crossed his arms in frustration.


    "The second matchup will be!" Chris shouted, and two names appeared on the screen.


    With excitement, he shouted.


    "This one will have two newly crowned Top 5 Youths of New Rakuya!"


    "Oh?" Godfred crossed his arms.


    "The second match will be between Karuza High and Ambrossa High!"


    ''Ambrossa?'' Kiernan looked with a side nce to the side. ''With his school?''


    "¡­" Kasimir rubbed his neck and turned to Kiernan. "Let''s have a good match."

 Chapter 68 Karuza High vs. Ambrossa High

    With the door opening, Kiernan returned back to the locker room but came across some sour-looking teammates.


    "What happened?" he asked.


    "Didn''t you see our next matchup?" us felt like crying crocodile tears. "Ambrossa High, cursed!"


    "Are they any good?" Kiernan asked.


    "Good? Better than that." Ryan scratched the back of his head. "They''re the third strongest school in the nation, spearheaded by Kasimir Kerr!"


    "Yeah, I met that guy. He was among the top 5 youths." Kiernan sat down and took a sip of the water. "I expected him to be good."


    "That''s not all¡­" Nathaniel, still slightly depressed about thest match, said. "If we win, our quarterfinal match will be against Tiamut High."


    "It''s not looking good." Timothy nudged his sses. "They''re opponents that are beyond our league for now."


    "Don''t talk like that." Jin stood up and pped his hands to make such thoughts go away. "We''re already among the best in the nation. We must push through!"


    Everyone nodded and checked the time on the television. It was about forty minutes before the start of the next match.


    While they were focused on the television, Jin sat beside Kiernan and leaned closer to whisper.


    "Do you think you can advance?" Jin asked with a wry smile. "That would be pretty useful right now!"


    "Sorry, coach, but I ain''t feeling it." Kiernan said. "Middle Stage is still some distance away."


    "Alright, that''s very understandable." Jin chuckled to himself, then stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Gather your strength. We''ll need you at your best."


    ''I guess I''ll go get some fresh air.''


    Kiernan slipped his hands inside his pockets and left the locker room.


    A short walkter, he stepped out of the stadium''s side entrance and leaned against a pole that held the ceiling overhang above the entrance.


    With the fresh air caressing his face, he was able to see a sea of people near the front entrance of the stadium.


    Since it was quite packed already, not even half of them would be able to find seats inside, so they were mostly watching through the big screen outside.


    "Hands off me!"


    "?" Kiernan looked over and saw a young man hold an arm of an older, well-dressed woman, trying to stop her from leaving.


    It looked like they were having an argument.


    "Come on, it was just once." The young man scratched the back of his head in annoyance.


    "Once? As if!" The older womanughed angrily. "You had five women in your hotel room! That''s not how first-time cheaters act!"


    ''Oh, lovers quarrel?'' Kiernan crossed his arms over his chest and kept observing the scene.


    "Sigh, whatever, go." The young man turned his back on the woman and waved his hand. "I''ll need to prepare for the uing match."


    "Ah?" The woman stomped on the ground angrily and screamed. "Fine, go you bastard! I never want to see you again!"


    With that, the young man walked over to Kiernan and caught sight of him.


    "Oh, it''s you." Kasimir scratched the back of his head. "Enjoyed the show?"


    "Yes, it was like watching drama." Kiernan shrugged his shoulders. "I wish I had some popcorn with me."


    "d you enjoyed it." Kasimir yawned, and approached the entrance.


    "Shouldn''t you go after her though?" Kiernan curiously looked at him.


    "Why should I? She is bothersome, making a scene like that." Kasimir shook his head and opened the door. "I am sure she wille back, begging. She always does."


    "Right." Kiernan rolled his eyes. "I guess I am too young to understand theplexity of rtionships."


    "Yeah, you''re only sixteen, aren''t you?" Kasimir said. "Impressive talent, I must say."


    "Thanks."


    "You shoulde to Ambrossa High when I leave," he said. "This school will be at loss without me."


    "Oh, you''re praising yourself highly." Kiernan smirked.


    "Of course." Kasimir spread his arms wide. "I am carrying this shitty excuse of a school after all. Like you''re doing with Karuza, another school that is way over its head."


    "I am quite fond of this school." Kiernan said, and side-eyed him. "Don''t talk badly about it. It might upset me."


    "Hmm~" Kasimir turned around and entered the stadium with the dooring to close behind him.


    Kiernan slipped his hands inside pockets again and softly whispered.


    "Interface¡­"


    When the holographic interface appeared before him, he opened the inventory and took out a small pill.


    It was the Iron Style pill.


    ''Maybe I am forced to use this next match.''


    Kiernan tossed it up into the air and caught it before itnded on the ground.


    He then slipped it inside his pocket, turned around, and entered the stadium.


    ''Just in case¡­''


    ¡­


    The stadium''s lights turned bright, and the attention of the spectators turned to the rings.


    There were only eight rings left, as there were only sixteen teams left topete for this year''s championship!


    Within the lights, the remaining teams entered the stadium and arrived next to their respective rings.


    While the number of teams had drastically decreased, the excitement in the audience had only increased.


    "Only sixteen teams left!" Chris Chang''s voice reverberated through the speakers. "Who will advance to the quarterfinals? In the round of 16, eight teams would get eliminated, while the remaining eight would move on to the next round!"


    At the second ring, Karuza High members sat on their benches, but they couldn''t help but look at their opponents.


    The members of Ambrossa High wore purple jerseys with a menacing dragon logo on the front. It was their pride and joy, as apparently, thousands of years ago, Ambrossa was protected by a guardian dragon.


    The truth of the matter was never rified, but they believed wholeheartedly in the legend.


    "Nathaniel, are you ready?" Jin patted the young man on the shoulder.


    "I think so," Nathaniel said.


    He wasn''t as confident as he was in the previous round.


    "Trust in your martial arts." Ryan whispered to him. "It has gotten you this far, hasn''t it? The more you trust in it, the stronger you will be."


    Nathaniel slowly stood up with a nod and headed up the stairs to the ring.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Kam Style¡­'' With a deep sigh, he arrived at his corner of the ring.


    By Ambrossa High''s bench, a young man with dead-looking eyes stood up. He slowly removed the earbuds from his ears that were sting with heavy metal music.


    It was surprising that he hadn''t gone deaf.


    "Aight~" The young man made his way to the ring and faced Nathaniel with a dead look.


    The referee was a bushy-bearded man. He looked at the two contenders and roughly nodded.


    "The first match between Karuza High and Ambrossa High!


    "It is between Nathaniel Waters and Xenon Haworth. Are both fighters ready?!"


    "Yes¡­" Nathaniel moved to his fighting stance and breathed deeply.


    "Mm¡­" Xenonzily nodded.


    ''He is Martial Fighter.'' Nathaniel thought. ''I am going to get beaten to the pulp, aren''t I?''

 Chapter 69 Water Strike

    "FIGHT!" The referee shouted before jumping away to the safety.


    Xenon''s light green hair billowed around him as he made the first move.


    Through the shoulder to the fist, Xenon''s punchnded directly against Nathaniel''s block, and the strength of the punch was enough to make him slide backwards.


    Skid~


    With feet sliding across the cement ground, Nathaniel barely managed to stop himself before he fell off the ring.


    His arms were already trembling in pain, and he doubted he could block another heavy punch like that anymore.


    The difference in their physical attributes was scary.


    ''If I only had Kiernan''s rock-solid defense, I could''ve redirected that punch away¡­''


    However, as soon as that thought came to his mind, he shook his head and pped himself on the cheek.


    ''I can''t think about other people''s martial arts! I must focus on Kam Style! Come on!''


    Xenon came rushing in, his fists flying like a whirlwind.


    The punches pushed Nathaniel to the side. He kept backing off, but Xenon chased after him, and his fists keptnding on his blocking arms.


    Smack, smack, smack, smack!


    They circled around the ring¡ªone kept punching while the other kept dodging and blocking.


    Ambrossa High''s coach watched the match with crossed arms.


    ''All Xenon must do is reserve his stamina,'' he thought. ''Karuza High is a weak school. Without their ace, they wouldn''t have reached nationals, let alone the round of 16.''


    ''I must stop his rampage or I''ll lose!'' Nathaniel ignored blocking for a moment and punched forward.


    The punch was about to be too short, but then his arm started stretching like rubber andnded on Xenon''s shoulder.


    "?" Xenon backed off further while shrugging off that punch like it was nothing.


    The sudden increase of the arm took him slightly off-guard, but the punchcked strength anyway.


    Nathaniel rushed forward andnded a low kick at Xenon''s shinbone. It seemed like a pain-inducing kick, but Xenon didn''t change an expression.


    ''Kam Style!'' Nathaniel grabbed his hands together and pped them. "Melody!"


    A sharp ringing noise attacked Xenon''s ears, and he stumbled backward, finally showing a hint of difort on his face.


    "What is your fear?" Nathaniel asked.


    "Hmph!" Xenon''s fist shot out and smashed into Nathaniel''s face with a force that sent him flying across the ring.


    Thump!


    He crashed on the ring right by the edge, his mouth bleeding and nose facing the wrong way.


    That punch was a disy of pure power and anger!


    ''Kam Style failed¡­'' Nathaniel gritted his teeth. ''As I expected, it is too weak¡­''


    Karuza High''s bench was cheering him on, but it was out of desperation. They were also realizing the vast gap between the two fighters.


    It was far too obvious for everyone that was watching.


    "Down!" The referee shouted after Nathaniel stayed down on the ground.


    "1!"


    ''What to do?'' Nathaniel looked ahead at the sky. ''The Three Techniques, my trump card, have been failing me constantly.''


    "2!"


    At that moment, he remembered one technique that his father had been trying to teach him since he was very young.


    Sometimes when he returned from school, he saw his father punching a tree in the backyard.


    It seemed nothing out of the ordinary, but that was because of his untrained eye. In fact, the technique was very special.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "3!"


    ''I don''t even know how to do it, but I''ve seen him do it thousands of times¡­''


    Nathaniel started to slowly stand back up.


    ''Fuck it. If I fail, I''ll lose this match.''


    "4¡­" The referee finished with, and saw that the young man was back on his feet. "Continue!"


    "Kam Style, Water Strike." Nathaniel spread his legs wide and ced his arms to his side.


    ¡­


    Ten years ago.


    Waters Residence, in the backyard.


    By the tall tree that was standing against the fence, a middle-aged man ced two hands against the bark, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.


    Boom!


    The tree shook, and two handprints appeared against the rough bark.


    "Father, what was that?" The young Nathaniel asked while swinging on the tire swing in the backyard.


    "That''s Water Strike, my son," his father said and picked up his jacket from the grass ground. "A technique my father taught me, and one day I shall teach it to you."


    "Mm~" The young Nathaniel looked away from the tree, no longer interested as he was busy licking the ice cream cone.


    ¡­


    At the present time, Waters Residence.


    "Husband¡­" Nathaniel''s mother whispered. "You taught him that?"


    "No¡­" Her husband shook his head as he stared at the television. "I thought about teaching him once he has reached the Age of Growth¡­"


    "Won''t he hurt himself?" The mother said worryingly. "When you started learning it, you kept breaking your hands."


    "It''s out of desperation." Her husband said in pain. "Nathaniel iscking faith in his martial arts, which is why the abandonment happened. Now, he is trying everything to fight back, even if he risks hurting himself."


    The father and mother quieted down and kept their eyes glued to the television. The decisive moment of the fight was about to begin.


    ¡­


    At the stadium.


    Xenon raised his fist high and then started running towards his opponent.


    ''I can see your stance.'' Xenon thought with a smirk. ''Thest-ditch effort. However, it won''t be working on me!''


    With his runing to an end, he rotated his shoulder and threw the punch like it was an arrow shot from a bow.


    "Wood Arts, Heavy Punch of Falling Tree!"


    SMACK!


    The punchnded squarely against Nathaniel''s chest.


    Everyone thought that the fight was over and that Nathaniel was going to fly off the ring.


    However, after merely taking a single step back, Nathaniel screamed and mmed his hands against Xenon''s chest.


    "Water Strike!"


    The tremors of Xenon''s attack rippled through Nathaniel''s body, and then using Water Strike, he concentrated those tremors back at him!


    SMACK!


    "Ugh!" Nathaniel got pushed back another step.


    Xenon gritted his teeth heavily and took a single step back while suffering through the pain.


    At his chest, there were two deep, red handprints that made his chest feel like it was on fire.


    "Wood Chopping!" Xenon smashed his chopping hand at Nathaniel''s shoulder and dislocated it.


    "?!" Nathaniel coughed in pain.


    Smack!


    Then, Xenon smashed his leg at Nathaniel''s thigh and made it bruised and swollen.


    With his free hand, Xenon grabbed Nathaniel by his cor and smashed him to the ground with a ground-shaking thud.


    The fist then came flying down and smashed into Nathaniel''s face.


    ''Water Strike wasn''t enough to take him down?!'' Nathaniel coughed out in pain and quickly jumped back to his feet.


    It was looking horrible for him.


    His legs were shaking, and his body was barely able to stand straight.


    "Nathaniel!" Jin cried out and held the white towel tightly in his hand.


    If need be, he would forfeit the first match immediately, but seeing the look in Nathaniel''s eyes, it was clear that he still wanted to fight.


    "Argh, it hurts¡­" Nathaniel teared up because of the pain, but still, he pped his hands together.


    "Melody!"

 Chapter 70 On Fire

    The sharp ringing attacked Xenon''s ears once again.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Tch!" Xenon clicked his tongue in annoyance and smashed his fist across Nathaniel''s face.


    "Ptui!"


    Nathaniel coughed out blood, but after stumbling for a moment, he gritted his teeth again and pped his hands together.


    "Melody!"


    "Argh!" Xenon covered his bleeding ears.


    "What is your greatest fear?" Nathaniel asked as he stepped closer.


    "Fuck off!" Xenon whipped his leg into Nathaniel''s ribcage.


    SMACK!


    With the fleshy contact, Nathaniel stumbled to the side with a look of agony on his face.


    However, again he pped his hands together.


    "Melody!"


    "Argh!" Xenon sprang forward like a lion and smashed his fist into Nathaniel''s guts. "Stop doing that!"


    The punch sent Nathaniel''s breakfast straight back to his throat as he doubled over in pain.


    "Melody¡­"


    p!


    Weakly, he pped his hands together again, but the power of Melody was much weaker than before.


    Xenon''s fists came raining down,nding across Nathaniel''s face and body with brutal force.


    "Coach, you must stop this!" us shouted. "He is getting killed out there!"


    "Shit¡­" Jin raised his towel-holding hand.


    "Don''t." Kiernan suddenly said. "If you do that, you''ll ruin Nathaniel''s future."


    "What do you mean by that?" us asked with a frown.


    "Because his trust in Kam Style will forever be gone if he sees you interfere now," Ryan replied calmly.


    "You must allow Nathaniel to make his own decisions regarding this match."


    "Damn¡­" Jin lowered his arm and put the towel back on the bench.


    Xenon didn''t give Nathaniel a moment to rest. He kept pummeling down till he turned all bruised and bloodied.


    It was a brutal beatdown.


    "Whoo¡­ huff!" Nathaniel breathed heavily while desperately blocking the punches.


    Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack!


    It hurt like hell.


    At that moment, Xenon''s right fist came flying straight at him.


    The referee ced the whistle between his lips, ready to call off the match.


    However, then, Nathaniel tilted his head out of the way, letting the punch slide past his cheek.


    Xenon quickly raised his left arm to defend against any iing punches if necessary.


    Nathaniel quickly grabbed his hands together, gathered the nearby airflow, and then ced his hands right beside Xenon''s left ear.


    "MELODY!"


    With a p, the airflow dispersed in one direction. Straight into Xenon''s ear. The sound that was created was so high-pitched that Xenon turned deaf for a moment!


    However, the ringing in his head was so loud that he couldn''t do anything but stand still in shock.


    "What is your greatest fear?" Nathaniel asked coldly.


    "Drowning¡­" Xenon replied unwillingly.


    Snap!


    Nathaniel quickly snapped his fingers.


    Within Xenon''s vision, he appeared at the depths of the ocean, the water surrounding him, suffocating and overwhelming.


    He started pping his arms around, trying to swim back to the surface, but it felt like he had concrete weights tied to his feet.


    He kept falling deeper and deeper into the darkness of the ocean.


    Tears started to form in his eyes as he realized that this might be the end.


    At that moment, an illusionary figure appeared before his eyes. It looked like a man made out of water.


    It was Nathaniel.


    He ced his hands at Xenon''s chest and shouted.


    "Water Strike!"


    BOOM!


    The two hands smashed into his chest and sent him flying through the water like a ragdoll.


    At that moment, the illusion cracked and shattered all around him.


    Xenon opened his eyes and saw that he was flying across the air.


    Within a second, he realized what was going on and quickly flipped around beforending safely on the ground.


    His feet were right by the edge of the ring.


    He was extremely close to falling off!


    "Argh, shit!" Xenon touched his chest that had more red handprints.


    Karuza High members cheered loudly.


    "That was sick!" Timothy shouted. "Nath modified his Three Techniques to include Water Strike at the end, making the technique far more powerful!"


    "It was a genius move." Jin nodded in approval. "It seems like the Water Strike was always included in the Three Techniques, but since Nath didn''t know how to use it, he didn''t include it."


    "¡­" Nathaniel remained still, a heavy look on his face.


    "Look¡­" Ryan looked serious. "Nathaniel''s arms¡­"


    When the others turned to look at Nathaniel, they noticed that his hands were broken from the wrist. He couldn''t use his hands anymore today!


    "Water Strike is much harder to use than I thought!" Jin''s expression looked ugly.


    "You bastard." Xenon shook his arms and approached Nathaniel. "Your martial arts are weak!"


    "No¡­" Nathaniel lowered his arms and raised his right leg. "This martial arts is a style for the weak. The Three Technique was created to defeat the strong."


    "You failed," Xenon said coldly.


    "No, I seeded," Nathaniel said. "How many punches can you throw anymore?"


    "¡­" Xenon looked at his trembling arms and clenched them into a fist. "Enough to defeat you!"


    With that, he lunged forward and mmed another one of his heavy punches straight at Nathaniel''s chest.


    SMACK!


    Nathaniel coughed out blood and copsed on his knees, but then Xenon grabbed him by the throat and hurled him across the ring.


    When hended back on the concrete ground, he rolled a couple of meters further, making his jersey torn.


    "Rah!"


    With an angry yell, Xenon mmed his feet into Nathaniel''s face, causing him to ck out.


    Nathaniel''s head snapped back from the force of the impact, and with his eyes closed, he copsed on the ground.


    "Down!" The referee shouted. "Since this is the second time Nathaniel has been knocked down, he has lost the match!"


    "The first match goes to Ambrossa High¡ªwinner is Xenon Haworth!"


    "Hmph!" Xenon limped back to his ce, but he was greatly winded up.


    "Nath!" Jin jumped to the ring and checked whether Nathaniel was alright.


    Besides all the bruises and the broken hands, he would survive.


    ''That''s good, but those injuries¡­'' Jin sighed. ''This will be hisst match of the nationals¡­''


    The medical team came with a stretcher and took Nathaniel away.


    Ambrossa High''s supporters were in a festive mood. They already overcame one obstacle and were only two wins away from the quarterfinals!


    The mood among Karuza High was solemn.


    "Bring your next fighter!" The referee ordered.


    Jin patted Ryan on the shoulder and said, "Your turn."


    "¡­" Ryan, without saying a word, stood up and made his way up to the ring.


    ''I think I am on fire.'' Ryan touched his chest with a smile. ''It''s so hot. I feel like I am burning!''


    At that moment, he realized what was going on inside his body.


    The martial soul was slowly showing signs of peeling. Anotheryer started to peek from underneath it. Theyer of Martial Fighters!


    ''I am on fucking fire.'' Ryan coldly turned to Xenon and cracked his neck. ''I feel like there''s nothing I can''t do.''

 Chapter 71 Ryans Plan

    "Come on, Ryan!" Timothy pped his hands loudly.


    "¡­"


    Jin sat with his arms crossed, deep inside his thoughts.


    ''Xenon is breathing heavily. However, there is still a long uphill climb ahead for Ryan to make it through. If he doesn''t defeat Xenon¡­''


    Jin side-nced next to him, at Kiernan, and sighed heavily, knowing that Kiernan would need to defeat three people to advance to the quarterfinals if Ryan now loses.


    It was already going to be hard enough even if Ryan lost because there were two more stronger opponents after Xenon.


    The referee took his spot at the ring and shouted. "It is time for the second match!"


    Xenon breathed heavily, but he still moved to his fighting stance.


    Ryan tightened the white tape around his knuckles and slowly moved to his fighting stance. The two fan crowds roared in anticipation as the two fighters locked eyes with each other.


    "Xenon Haworth vs. Ryan Lee!"


    "Are both fighters ready?!"


    "I am," Xenon said firmly.


    "Yes," Ryan said.


    "FIGHT!" The referee swung his arm down as if it were a sword.


    Xenon screamed and made his first move. With his right arm, he did a sweeping hook straight towards Ryan''s face.


    Easily, Ryan moved his head out of the way and took a few steps back to stabilize his stance.


    Without stopping, Xenon lunged after him and started throwing punches with the intention of hoping that at least one of them wouldnd.


    There wasn''t any clear technique behind those punches, and it looked like just a desperate attempt to hurt his opponent, but with his Martial Fighter physique, those punches were dangerous!


    Ryan kept backing off, but when he was about to reach the edge of the ring, he used his insane eleration to circle around Xenon and surprised him with a few punches to the torso.


    ''So fucking fast!'' Xenon turned his head around and sent his high kick flying towards Ryan''s face.


    Ryan quickly ducked underneath the kick and did a couple more steps to increase the distance between the two.


    Xenon, with a raging fury, closed the distance immediately and entered a heated confrontation with Ryan.


    His punches and kicks came without any warning, pushing Ryan closer to the edge, but he couldn''t keep him there as Ryan immediately used his insane eleration to escape the dangerous zone.


    ''I guess that won''t work.'' Xenon thought with an ugly expression. ''I wanted to corner him so it would be easy to defeat him, but I think I must do this the hard way.''


    ''Good¡­'' Jin thought to himself. ''Ryan, you know what your strengths are. Don''t let Xenon get rid of your strengths.''


    It was obvious what Xenon was nning to do. He wanted it to be impossible for Ryan to use his Super eleration and Jump.


    Those were his most dangerous weapons, and without them, Ryan would honestly be weaker than Nathaniel!


    ''What more do you need?'' Ryan thought to himself while touching his chest. ''Peel already, goddammit!''


    Yet, the martial soul was misbehaving. It wasn''t peeling off theyer even though it clearly wants to!


    ''I need to stay close to him!'' Xenon thought and rushed after Ryan.


    ''With me close to him, he can''t use his Super moves because he needs time to charge them up!''


    Ryan calmly moved back to his fighting stance, knowing exactly what Xenon was thinking, and as soon as his opponent reached the attacking range, he threw a quick low kick.


    Smack!


    The low kicknded on Xenon''s thigh, but the damage wasn''t anything crazy. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    "Hmph!" Xenon kept moving forwards and shot his fist forward, whichnded against Ryan''s right forearm.


    SMACK!


    With a loud smack, Ryan winced at the impact.


    Xenon''s punches rained down, but Ryan quickly moved his hands to either parry or block them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK!


    Ryan''s arms started to get bruised after blocking a few of those punches, but he didn''t change his strategy.


    He kept blocking and parrying.


    ''What is he nning?'' Xenon wondered, but he still kept punching because it was hurting Ryan more.


    Ambrossa High''s fans were cheering louder and louder with each passing second. They were realizing that the second victory was at the tip of their fingertips!


    Karuza High''s supporters, whether they were inside the stadium or back in the Irio, were losing hope with every passing second.


    It wasn''t looking good!


    ''It seems like it is the time¡­''


    Ryan thought to himself and did a few steps back while shaking his arms to shake off the pain.


    Whether he noticed it or not, his feet reached the edge of the ring.


    Xenon''s eyes brightened when he saw that while Karuza High''s supporters paled even further.


    ''Fool, he forgot to keep his eye on the spacing!'' Xenon immediately rushed forward. ''The match is mine!''


    When Xenon stepped closer to the edge of the ring, Ryan suddenly shoulder charged at his torso, causing their bodies to collide with a powerful force.


    Xenon barely flinched and was about to grab Ryan by his shoulders to toss him off the ring, but at that moment, Ryan circled past him, moving seamlessly like a skilled dancer.


    He didn''t stop there.


    Ryan, with his arms moving alongside his legs, started running away from Xenon, getting further and further away from the edge of the ring.


    However, in just a couple of seconds, he had run to the other side of the ring!


    "What the hell?!" Xenon turned around, standing on the other side of the ring.


    There was now the whole ring''s distance between the two as they were both standing on the opposite sides of the rings!


    At that moment, Xenon realized that this was all part of Ryan''s n!


    ''He lured me here so that he can use his insane eleration to run past me and increase the distance between us two so he can use his Super moves without me interrupting him!''


    Karuza High''s bench started cheering loudly.


    ''That''s great!'' Jin thought with a smile. ''It is time for Ryan''s Super moves!''


    "Whoo¡­"


    With a deep breath, Ryan moved into his sprinting stance, his legs bent and ready to explode off the ground.


    The muscles in his legs were twisting and cramping, pumping more strength into the soles of his feet.


    Slowly, the martial soul deep inside his body started peeling off!


    CRACK!


    The ground underneath him cracked.


    This was about to be the fastest attack Ryan had ever done!

 Chapter 72 Fastest Attack

    "Shit!"


    Xenon took a step forward with the intention of closing the distance between him and Ryan, but then he immediately stopped himself.


    ''No. If I get any closer, I will have less reaction time to defend myself against Ryan''s attack. I mustn''t move as there is about thirty meters between us.


    ''Even with his insane speed, he shouldn''t be able to attack me without me noticing!''


    That''s what he truly believed.


    When he was watching Ryan''s matches, his opponents were always rather close. A mere distance of ten to fifteen meters was a piece of cake for Ryan to close in an instant.


    However, now the distance was twice as big!


    ''That might be the wrong move on your part, Ryan!'' Xenon steeled his body. ''You were desperate to increase the distance between us so you could do your Super moves, but you forgot about a very important part: the distance is now too big!''


    ''It doesn''t matter whether he will do Super eleration or Super Jump. I will still see through his moves!''


    Within Ryan''s legs, his muscles strained as if they were run by engines. His thighs were swelling with muscles, the veins on them bulging out in response to the pressure.


    "Argh!" Ryan gritted his teeth with warm sweat rolling down his face.


    It felt like his entire body was on fire!


    The martial soul slowly peeled, as if an olddy was slowly peeling an apple.


    The pain was excruciating, but Ryan refused to give up.


    It was because he knew what was happening.


    The next threshold of strength that he''d been craving so much!


    ''Give it to me!'' Ryan screamed inwardly. ''STRENGTH!''


    Atst, the martial soul finished peeling, and anotheryer of strength appeared below. A new wave of strength swept across Ryan''s body like a tidal wave.


    A few people managed to sense the change inside his body.


    Xenon was not one of them.


    "This is bad!" Ambrossa High''s coach screamed. "Xenon, watch out!"


    "Advancement? Here?" Kasimir raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Interesting."


    "Ryan¡­" Jin whispered to himself before blooming into a smile. "You did it!"


    ''I can tell that something is different with him.'' Kiernan wondered. ''Did he also advance?''


    "Come on, bring it on!" Xenon hopped on his toes, taunting Ryan.


    Because of all the roaring crowd, he couldn''t really hear his coach''s words of caution. To him, Ryan was still that weak Martial Soldier.


    "Be careful what you wish for¡­"


    Ryan whispered coldly, and with the ground cracking under the weight of his legs, he exploded off the ground and vanished from everyone''s eyes.


    ''Where?'' Xenon opened his eyes wide. ''I can''t see him anywh¡ª''


    All his thoughts came to a halt as a fistnded on his face.


    SMACK!


    Xenon''s head got thrown backwards, his vision turned ck immediately, and the rest of his body crumbled to the ground.


    The referee jumped into the ring and shouted. "One!"


    "Whoo!" Ryan, still in his punching motion, looked silently at Xenon before standing back straight.


    He nced at his legs and saw that they were bleeding. It almost looked like his veins had ruptured based on how his legs were bleeding.


    His thighs were purple, bruised heavily. It was already a miracle that he could stand straight!


    "Two!" The referee kept doing the countdown.


    Yet, Xenon wasn''t moving an inch; his eyes were closed, and his mouth was slightly open with his tongue sticking out slightly.


    Ambrossa High''s supporters were as quiet as a cemetery.


    On the other hand, Karuza High''s supporters were cheering so loud that the chairs under them were shaking.


    Timothy and us were standing, cheering in excitement.


    "What do you think, Kiernan?" Jin asked. "Can you defend against that speed?"


    "Hah¡­" Kiernan scratched the back of his head. "Once I''ve unlocked the True Iron Style, then yes."


    ''True Iron Style?'' Jin frowned. ''What is that?''


    "Three!" The referee looked at the unconscious young man and checked his pulse to be sure.


    It almost looked like he was dead because he wasn''t moving an inch!


    However, the pulse was still there.


    "Whew¡­" the referee let out a sigh of relief. "Four!"


    Ryan slowly moved back to his corner, rubbing his aching legs, and tried to catch his breath even slightly.


    "Five!"


    "Come on, Xenon!" Ambrossa High''s coach shouted. "Stand up!"


    "Yawn~" Kasimir let out a yawn and looked at the young man beside him. "Wind, get ready."


    "Oh, I am." Wind, a faded-haired young man, finished wrapping the ck tape around his knuckles.


    "Six!"


    Ambrossa High''s supporters looked bleached as if they had lost all blood from their faces.


    "Seven!"


    Karuza High''s supporters were all smiles.


    "Eight!"


    "Nine!"


    "Ten!"


    With that, the referee blew into the whistle.


    "The winner of the second match is Ryan Lee!"


    "Yes!" Timothy and us clenched their hands into fists.


    ''One obstacle is down¡­'' Jin nodded his head. ''However¡­''


    When he looked towards Ryan, the state of his legs was worrying. They were shaking, bleeding, and bruised like they had been through hell and back.


    The medical staff came with a stretcher and took Xenon away.


    Before the referee could say another word, Ambrossa High''s next fighter, Wind, jumped into the ring, his body feeling light as feathers.


    Wind had a faded haircut with hazel brown eyes and a square-shaped face. Including his tall,nky body with long limbs, he was clearly not a strength-type fighter.


    "The third match is between Ryan Lee and Wind Reed!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The referee looked back and forth between the two young men.


    "Are both of you ready?!"


    "Of course!" Wind smiled with his white teeth.


    "Yeah¡­" Ryan breathed heavily and lowered his stance slightly to reduce the pressure on his legs.


    It was already hard for him to stand straight, let alone move!


    "Fight!"


    The referee swung his arm down and then jumped off the ring.


    Wind slowly approached Ryan, his hands open in front of him in an open-palm stance. It looked like his stance was from karate.


    ''All I need to do is injure him to help Kiernan!'' Ryan gritted his teeth, did a step forward, andunched his punch.


    GRAB! Explore more at empire


    Without any warning, Wind grabbed the punch, pressing his fingers against Ryan''s fist.


    "?!" Ryan''s eyes widened.


    "Reed Aikido, Weight of the World."


    Thump!


    Ryan''s eyes widened as it felt like a sudden weight fell over his shoulders, and he crashed down on his knees without him being able to do anything.


    It was like he wasn''t in control of his body, but Wind was!


    "Reed Aikido, Fist of the Southern Point!"


    With his free hand, Wind mmed his fist repeatedly at Ryan''s face. It was so many punches that it sounded like a drum solo.


    "Cough!" Ryan coughed out blood, and slowly his eyes rolled back to his skull.


    With that, he copsed on the ground and didn''t move another inch.


    "Your turn." Wind pointed straight at Kiernan. "Come up."

 Chapter 73 Aikido

    The referee quickly checked Ryan and motioned for the medical staff to take him away as well.


    He wasn''t going to wake up any time soon!


    After the medical staff came with the stretcher and took Ryan away, Wind made his way to his corner and waited for his next opponent to arrive.


    Again, the change in the mood had shifted.


    Ambrossa High was celebrating as if they had already won while Karuza High''s supporters were solemn-looking.


    "Kiernan." Jin patted him on the shoulder. "Don''t get grabbed by your opponent. I am slightly familiar with Reed Aikido, and it is not something you want to mess with."


    "Alright." Kiernan stood up, and after taking a short sip of the water, he walked up the steps to the ring.


    "You can do it, Kiernan!" Timothy and us screamed.


    ¡­


    At the spectator stands.


    "This is looking horrendous." Azer thought with an ugly expression. "Wind Reed and Kasimir Kerr are both insanely talented individuals."


    "Quarterfinals are so close¡­" Julia thought out loud. "I can''t bear to watch."


    Azer crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers. He wasn''t in a mood to talk anymore, but instead put all his attention on the ring.


    ¡­


    Inside private Irio''smentator''s booth.


    "Ladies and gents, the time hase for Karuza High''s final fighter to make his stand!" Graham spoke into the microphone with a serious expression. Continue reading on empire


    He''d beenmentating for all of Karuza High''s matches so far. At first, he thought it would be a short job.


    He thought he would only have tomentate one match, maybe two if Karuza High was lucky with their matchup.


    But against all odds, they were already at the round of 16, fighting for the spot at the quarterfinals!


    It was unprecedented!


    He was a small-timementator, usuallymentating some second-rate league matches, but now, he was making a name for himself as the view count for the broadcast had skyrocketed!


    Every single household in Irio was currently watching!


    "Karuza High''s ace, Kiernan Hunter, had been absolutely magnificent throughout the whole tournament. It wasn''t far-fetched to say that he''d been carrying the whole team!


    "He was just elected to be part of New Rakuya''s Top 5 Youth, which was an incredible honor, and he is only the second person ever to receive that honor from Irio.


    "The first one was, of course, the great Azer Karuza, who led Xaru High to Irio''s first-ever championship!


    "Now, Kiernan is facing the biggest obstacle in his martial arts career. Wind Reed, and if he gets through this formidable opponent, he will be facing another Top 5 Youth, Kasimir Kerr!"


    Graham took afortable position in the chair, but when he looked at the screen where the match was about to soon start, he could only wonder how in the world can Kiernan win?!


    ''This is looking bad.'' He thought. ''However, reaching the round of 16 is already an incredible achievement, and Kiernan is only a first-year student! With him, the next years will only get better and better!''


    ¡­


    "The fourth match is between Wind Reed and Kiernan Hunter!" The referee shouted. "Are both fighters ready?!"


    "Of course." Wind returned to his karateka stance.


    "I am." Kiernan stood in his usual defensive stance of Iron Style.


    "FIGHT!"


    "Ah, I am not much of a runner, so." Wind rubbed the back of his neck and started slowly walking towards Kiernan.


    It was almost like he was just having a morning stroll!


    "I never understood the fighters that are rushing." Wind said with a smirk. "Isn''t that right, Kiernan?"


    "I agree." Kiernan started walking and soon met Wind at the center of the ring. "I am in no rush."


    "Heh¡­" Wind stared intensely into his eyes.


    The two young men stood at the center of the ring. Not even a distance of a meter between the two. However, neither of them was making a move.


    After ten seconds of waiting, Wind''s eye twitched slightly, and he shot his hand forward. It looked like he wanted to grab Kiernan by his jersey!


    "Don''t let him grab you!" Jin screamed.


    Smack!


    Kiernan pped Wind''s hand away.


    Crack¡­


    "?!" Wind looked at his hand and noticed that his thumb was broken!


    When Kiernan pped the hand away, he grabbed Wind''s thumb without him noticing it and broke it!


    "You nasty motherfucker¡­" Wind''s back was instantly covered in a cold sweat.


    "Come on, grab me." Kiernan reached out his hand forward as if he were doing a handshake. "I promise I won''t break your hand."


    "Tch!"


    Wind used his other hand that didn''t have a broken thumb and squeezed on Kiernan''s hand.


    ''You fool! Now that I''ve grabbed you, I can control you like a puppet!''


    Wind grinned through pain and started shifting Kiernan''s center of gravity, but after a moment of trying, Kiernan wasn''t moving an inch!


    "Huh?!"


    "Iron Style, Anatomical Bind." Kiernan squeezed on Wind''s hand.


    Wind immediately dropped down on his knees with a shocked expression stered across his face.


    Shocked exmations came from everyone that watched the match.


    "Huh?" Kasimir slowly stood up with a serious expression. "I thought he was a striker. Howe he is better than Wind at aikido?"


    ''Kiernan¡­'' Jin gulped. ''Seriously, what the hell is your style?!''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kiernan mmed his feet across Wind''s legs, sweeping his legs from underneath him, and then lifted him above his head.


    Wind, with a shocked gaze, looked below him at Kiernan, who was effortlessly holding him above his head with only their hands interlocked.


    "Iron Style, Sceneric Shift!"


    With that, Kiernan tossed him down to the ground, and Wind smashed into the concrete ground headfirst.


    It was over.


    The referee jumped into the ring and shouted. "One!"


    "Don''t bother." Kiernan walked past the referee and rubbed his shoulders. "He won''t wake up from that one anytime soon."


    "?!" The referee went to check on Wind and noticed that he was out cold!


    The match that everyone was anticipating and expected to be a long and gruesome one ended so unexpectedly and quickly!


    "The match is over!" The referee shouted loudly. "Winner is Kiernan Hunter!"


    The cheers from Karuza High''s supporters were deafening.


    It was unbelievable!


    ''I''ve been miscalcting his strength.'' Kasimir crossed his arms with narrowed eyes. ''I must recalcte and reassess this young man''s abilities. Kiernan Hunter, I apud you!''

 Chapter 74 Monster of Adaptability

    "Unbelievable!" Graham shouted into the microphone. "Kiernan had done it. The matchsted only 44 seconds, and yet the talented Wind Reed had been defeated!"


    After shouting for so long, he took a sip of the water bottle, gathered his thoughts, and again started speaking to the microphone.


    "I don''t think anyone expected this from Kiernan. Very impressive Aikido abilities. This was Wind''s weakness.


    "Wind is a one-dimensional fighter. All he knows is Aikido taught in his family. When he encounters an opponent that is more skilled in aikido, he is weak and easily defeated!


    "However, let''s not celebrate too early. Karuza High has to win one more fight to advance to the quarterfinals, and the opponent is feared Kasimir Kerr.


    "I would say that Kasimir is the smartest fighter in the entire tournament, so it will be interesting to see which will win¡ªbrute strength or intelligence!"


    ¡­


    When the medical staff arrived, they took Wind away.


    After returning back to his corner, Kiernan cracked his knuckles and waited for his next opponent to arrive.


    Before that, Jin moved over to him and said, "Good job."


    "Thanks, coach." Kiernan said and nced at Kasimir, who was getting ready to enter the ring. "What do you know about him?"


    "He is High Stage Martial Fighter," Jin said. "A very formidable opponent, but his strength relies on his intelligence."


    "Intelligence?" Kiernan raised an eyebrow. "I didn''t take him as an intelligent fighter."


    "Well, the looks can fool you," Jin said.


    "He is a monster of adaptability. I am sure he has already adapted to your striking prowess by watching videos of your matches, but you''re a tricky opponent to him.


    "You know grappling and aikido, which Kasimir might have a harder time adapting to, but do not put all your trust in those. You need to be ever-changing with your style, or Kasimir will adapt and crush you."


    "So, I must use mixed martial arts." Kiernan hopped on his toes and nodded. "I can do that."


    "Watch out for his kicks," Jinstly said. "I heard he had broken many poor young men''s legs before."


    "Alright." Kiernan said, and then focused his attention on his opponent.


    At Ambrossa High''s bench, the coach whispered something in Kasimir''s ear before he made his way up to the ring.


    The referee was already waiting at the center of the ring with a few sweatdrops rolling down his face.


    "Thest match between Karuza High and Ambrossa High¡ªthe winner will advance to the quarterfinals and will be ranked among the top 8 best schools in the nation!


    "Kiernan Hunter vs. Kasimir Kerr!


    "Are both fighters ready?!"


    "Yep~" Kasimir smiled and waved his hand over to the crowd, receiving cheers and apuse.


    "I am." Kiernan moved to his defensive style that had already be famous around the nationals.


    "FIGHT!"


    The referee roared and then leaped off the ring to give space to the two fighters.


    Kasimir started walking slowly towards Kiernan, his eyes very closely following every move. It was like he was analyzing his opponent''s every detail.


    However, when he was only about three meters away from Kiernan, he stopped moving.


    A few eyebrows rose.


    He had already walked this far; why stop before reaching his opponent?


    "I''ve already calcted my chance of breaking your defenses." Kasimir moved to his fighting stance.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "The chance of me defeating your defenses is zero percent."


    "So, you won''t make a move, no matter what?" Kiernan asked.


    "Obviously," Kasimir said as if it was obvious. "You will either attack me, or we will stand here all day, but if my calctions are correct, I am sure you aren''t a patient person."


    "Your calctions are correct." Kiernan moved out of his defensive stance and stepped towards Kasimir.


    "Alright, I shall attack then."


    ''Don''t fall for his tricks, Kiernan!'' Jin screamed inwardly.


    ''In all his matches, Kiernan had been the one controlling the pace of the fight, but with just a few words, Kasimir is in control.


    ''Kasimir had perfectly understood Kiernan''s personality and knew exactly how to manipte him. I would like to tell Kiernan to snap out of it, but I know he isn''t foolish enough to fall for Kasimir''s tricks.


    ''I will just watch for now¡­''


    Kiernan carefully moved forward. His right leg was slightly ahead, as he was keeping his left leg back, ready tounch his kicks if need be.


    Kasimir kept close eye on every twitch of a muscle, every shift in body weight, and was prepared to counter any move made by Kiernan.


    ''Well, let''s see how you''ve adapted to my striking.''


    Kiernan thought to himself, and then, with his left leg, he stepped forward andunched a powerful roundhouse kick towards Kasimir''s head.


    The feet moved past Kasimir''s face, the toes almost touching his nose, but ultimately, the kick missed!


    "Oh?" Kiernan stopped his kick and took a step back.


    ''What happened?'' Jin frowned. ''I thought the kick was within the attacking range, but it still didn''t reach him?''


    Kasimir kept a calm expression.


    ''Kasimir has perfect understanding of my reach.'' Kiernan thought.


    ''What confidence as well. If his calctions were even slightly wrong, I would''ve smashed my feet across his face.''


    Kiernan lowered his center of gravity slightly and smirked.


    ''However, he can''t win with just defense. I am sure he is aware of my Reigning Fallow, but I don''t believe he has adapted to that. No one can!''


    With a long stride forward, he entered deep inside the attacking range. There wasn''t any hesitation in going on offense!


    The tension between Ambrossa High and Karuza High''s supporters grew.


    "Iron Style, Reig¡ª"


    "No, you won''t!" Kasimir suddenly ducked andunched himself at Kiernan''s legs.


    With a sessful tackle, he wrapped his arms behind Kiernan''s legs, and took him down to the cement ground with a perfect takedown!


    ''Oh?'' Kiernan''s back crashed against the cement ground. ''He is aware of Reigning Fallow''s preparation phase. Thus, before I can even throw one punch, he nned to stop my move.''


    "Oh!" Jin cried out. ''But isn''t Kiernan extremely good at grappling? Was that a smart move by Kasimir?!''


    Kiernan put his hand against Kasimir''s chest, nning to shove him off the top of him, but after a moment of trying, he couldn''t move him at all!


    "Haha, this is the biggest difference between you and me!" Kasimir raised his fist high. "The physical strength difference between High, and Low Stage!"


    Kiernan''s eyes widened in a surprise.


    Without further ado, Kasimir''s hammer fistnded at Kiernan''s face, making blood gush out of his nose.

 Chapter 75 Raging Engine vs. Rendering Edge

    After a moment of being taken aback, Kiernan quickly wrapped his legs behind Kasimir''s back and pushed him close to his chest.


    With his arms, he quickly started wrestling with Kasimir; both tried to put each other into a headlock.


    Their arms twisted and tangled like spaghetti noodles.


    With his free arm, Kasimir pounded his fist against Kiernan''s side, trying to break his ribs, but because of Kiernan''s tight hold on his back, Kasimir''s blows had a weaker effect than normal.


    However, the strength difference was still there, and slowly a bruise began forming on Kiernan''s side.


    "Argh!" Kiernan grunted and rolled in pain.


    "Kiernan, you must break loose!" Jin screamed urgently.


    Timothy and us were pale-faced. They hadn''t seen the ace of their school be in such a bad position before!


    "Huff, huff!" Kiernan breathed heavily, and then his jersey shirt started to slide off his body, revealing the toned body underneath.


    At that moment, the sweat started to roll across his body and made him look like he was made out of water.


    "Iron Style, Water Skin!"


    Kasimir, who was trying to grab Kiernan''s arm, suddenly felt his hold loosen as his hand just slid right off Kiernan''s arm.


    ''He is slippery? What?''


    Because of that, Kiernan quickly moved to his side, then elbowed Kasimir in the chest, freeing himself from his grappling hold, and immediately jumped back to his feet.


    He escaped the mounted position!


    Karuza High''s supporters let out simultaneous sighs of relief and continued cheering.


    "Huff¡­" Kiernan tossed his jersey off the ring, standing with his upper body naked, only having his shorts with ck flower patterns on.


    "Huh?" Jin rubbed his eyes. "What the hell was that? Kiernan used his sweat to make himself slippery? How is that even possible¡­ Can anyone control their bodies to that extent? Also, he is only a sixteen-year-old kid¡­"


    Kiernan advanced forward and whipped his leg at Kasimir, but from his kneeling position, he quickly raised his block and deflected the blow.


    Smack!


    Kasimir jumped to his feet and put his palms, outstretched, in front of him.


    ''I don''t know what the hell he did.'' He thought with a frown. ''Is grappling the move? I wasn''t expecting him to escape like that. I need to move on to the n B.''


    Kasimir clenched his hands into fists as he moved into a striking stance.


    ''Now it is striking?'' Kiernan formed a fist with his right and advanced forward. ''What is his n now?''


    "Iron Style, Reigning Fallow!"


    This time, Kiernan was able to unleash his punch.


    With random trajectories, his punches came at Kasimir from all sorts of angles, immediately pushing him back with each strike.


    Kasimir''s hands moved, pping and parrying some of the punches away, but most of the punches stillnded across his face and body.


    However, with his High Stage physique, his body was able to tank most of them, but still, the difference between them wasn''t big enough for him to be able to ignore all the damage!


    Thus, damage started to spread across his body like a fever!


    They moved across the ring, and it surprised many to see Kiernan so dominantly controlling the fight!


    Most of them expected Kasimir to be on the offense, as in the eyes of many, Kiernan was more of a defensive fighter!


    "Kasimir, what are you doing?!"


    "You were doing good at grappling, so why don''t you try another takedown?!"


    "Why are you just staying on the defensive, you fool!"


    "You''re higher-ranked than your opponent; overpower him!"


    Ambrossa High''s supporters sounded desperate and very frustrated.


    "¡­" Kasimir''s eyebrow twitched in irritation, and then, his right leg muscles twitched for a split second.


    ''Fine. Have a taste of my kicks!''


    "Savage Style, Kick R'' ave!"


    The right leg swept across the ground and headed towards Kiernan''s exposed left leg. This was one of Kasimir''s trademark attacks and had been able to break legs more than once!


    "Iron Style, Firefoot!"


    With a sliding footwork, Kiernan circled around Kasimir, leaving behind afterimages that looked just like Kiernan, then arrived at his right nk, and then smashed his fist into Kasimir''s side with a powerful blow.


    Crack!


    The rib cracked!


    "Ragh!" Kasimir coughed out blood and stumbled to the side with a heavily bruised side.


    The pain spread throughout his body like a wildfire!


    ''A miscalction!''


    Kasimir coughed in pain and quickly distanced himself from Kiernan.


    ''I didn''t think his footwork was so slick to be able to move to my nk like that!''


    Again, Kiernan''s ever-evolving fighting style caught him off guard. However, it still felt like that style was all the same.


    He wasn''t just using random techniques that he''d learned. It was all part of the same machine¡ªthe machine of Iron Style!


    While he was a monster of adaptability, he''d been able to adapt against many powerful opponents and eventually ovee them.


    However, when he thought he''d finally adapted to Kiernan, he realized he had only scratched the surface of what he was truly capable of.


    ''Yet, I can see the bottom of the endless ocean that is Kiernan Hunter. I can see it!''


    With his sharp gaze, he noticed that Kiernan''s legs were shaking, and his fists seemed shaky. It looked like he''d been injured by his own attacks!


    ''His body can''t handle the burden of his own style. That is the ultimate weakness of Kiernan Hunter. I can adapt to him, and I will. I conquer it all!''


    Within the depths of Kasimir''s mind, the engines were roaring as his body continued to adapt to that of Iron Style.


    Pushing the pain to the farthest corners of his mind, Kasimir stepped forward and licked the blood off his lips.


    ''I''ve adapted, and now I will conquer!''


    He kicked off the ground andunched himself forward like a missile.


    Enough of defense!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Enough of counterattacking!


    Enough of grappling!


    It was time for offense!


    "Savage Style, Raging Engine!"


    With arge grin, his fists exploded off his body, smashing through the air and heading directly towards his opponent.


    "Rendering Edge!" Kiernan smashed his foot on the ground, and with a scream, the side of his hand mmed against Kasimir''s fist.


    Raging Engine vs. Rendering Edge!

 Chapter 76 Quarterfinals

    The fists kept flying against Kiernan''s perfect defense!


    In the eyes of many, Kiernan looked like a mighty fortress. A fortress that had never been able to be breached!


    However, Kasimir''s fists were relentless and powerful. A few of them passed the first line of defense, heading towards Kiernan''s face, but before they couldnd, Kiernan moved his head out of the way.


    When that happened, a few cracks appeared in the fortress walls. It was the first time that had happened!


    It wasn''t impossible to break his defenses after all!


    When the Ambrossa High saw the punches almostnd, they screamed in excitement and could barely sit still.


    "Impossible!" us''s voice shook. "Kasimir can break through Kiernan''s rock-solid defense?!"


    ''Kasimir keeps adapting at a scary rate.'' Jin looked more serious than ever before. ''The longer Kiernan is on the defensive, the greater the chance that Kasimir will break through!''


    Everyone watching from Irio felt like they had fallen into an icy pit of despair. They could almost taste the quarterfinal spot, but now it seemed like a distant dream slipping away.


    In the eyes of many, Kiernan''s defense was what led them this far in the nationals. Without that defense, the team was vulnerable and exposed.


    "I can see it!" Kasimir grinned with his eyes widening as if he were on drugs.


    In his vision, it seemed like he was able to see more openings in Kiernan''s defenses. The mighty walls of the fortress were crumbling right before his eyes!


    "This is the famous fortress that everyone has been talking about!"


    Kasimir grinned and punched towards one of the openings.


    "In the end, I will conquer it all!"


    The punch was heading towards Kiernan''s face, but before it couldnd, a hand came from nowhere and grabbed it, stopping Kasimir mid-swing.


    "You all¡­" Kiernan, holding the fist, looked at him coldly. "Underestimate me."


    With his left leg, he swept Kasimir''s legs from underneath him, and he started falling towards the cement ground.


    "Iron Smash!"


    Kiernan''s fist mmed into Kasimir''s face and pushed him down to the ground with a flesh-breaking sound.


    Kasimir''s eyes shook, and he quickly kicked, but it onlynded against Kiernan''s right forearm.


    The kick was perfectly blocked!


    With thest bits of his fighting spirit, Kasimir flipped backwards to his feet, and with a final burst of energy, he rushed straight at Kiernan.


    "Raging Engine, the Last Gear!"


    With the entire power of High Stage Martial Fighter, he punched ahead.


    Each punch packed an incredible amount of power!


    "Rendering Edge."


    Kiernan stepped ahead, and his hands encountered the fists of his opponents.


    Smack, smack, smack!


    The hands and fists collided!


    The mighty fortress walls, which showed signs of cracking, started to heal like they were never damaged at all.


    That wasn''t all.


    The walls became taller, thicker, and stronger than ever before!


    "?!" Kasimir panicked as he noticed that the previous openings weren''t there anymore!


    ''Where did they go? No, could it be that Kiernan intentionally created those openings to lure me in so he could throw that punch? No, that can''t be!


    ''I''ve adapted!


    ''I think I''ve adapted to his style¡­


    ''No¡­ he fooled me.


    ''He let me believe that I''d adapted, but I never did. To give me false confidence. A false confidence of the possibility of victory!''


    When that realization dawned on him, his punches turned sloppy and weak. Thest bits of his fighting spirit left his body.


    Kiernan jabbed one of his fingers at Kasimir''s throat and cut off his air supply.


    If he wanted to, he could''ve crushed his windpipe, but he wasn''t nning to kill his opponent.


    Kasimir fell on one knee, holding his throat as he had difficulties breathing properly.


    At that moment, Kiernan grabbed him by the shoulder and kneed him towards the face, but Kasimir barely hid his face behind his block.


    However, the knee still pushed through his block and hit him square in the nose, causing blood to gush out.


    ''Shit!'' Kasimir stumbled back and barely was able to remain standing, but his legs then turned to jelly, and he fell down on his buttocks.


    "Knocked down!" The referee shouted. "One!"


    ''Knocked down? Me?'' Kasimir gritted his teeth and wanted to stand up, but his body was fighting against that idea.


    With theck of fighting spirit, his martial soul was taking control of his body slightly to make him stop fighting and ept defeat.


    ''No!'' Kasimir screamed inwardly. ''How could I possibly lose? I have been carrying this shitty school for years, and I refuse to lose now!''


    However, his martial soul could tell that all his words were fake.


    While Kasimir was trying to fool himself, the martial soul knew the truth. He didn''t want to fight any longer.


    This was his third year at Ambrossa High, and it was bing increasingly clear that he was not cut out for this brutal world ofbat andpetition.


    He was incredibly talented, but he''d always been more interested in studies; that''s why he was also ranked among the top students in the nation.


    However, this world cared more about the strength of the individual. Thus, Kasimir had been put under torturous training since he was very young.


    Because of hisck of interest in fighting, his fighting spirit was weak!


    "Six¡­"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Without knowing, the countdown was already at six!


    "Seven!"


    ''Shit.'' Kasimir looked towards the orange sky. ''I guess this is it.''


    "Seven!"


    "Nine!"


    "Ten!"


    With that, the whistle rang throughout the stadium.


    "I-Impossible¡­" Ambrossa High''s coach copsed on the ground. "W-we lost? N-no, we should''ve beenpeting in the grand finals, not losing before the quarterfinals!"


    Tears rolled down Jin''s face while the two reserve fighters sat silently on their bench, unable toprehend the impossible situation before them.


    They had made it.


    Quarterfinals!


    "Huff¡­" Kiernan put his hands on his waist and looked towards the audience.


    After trying to remember his father''s seat number, he finally spotted him in the crowd, sitting next to his friends, who were celebrating as loud as they possibly could.


    Kiernan raised his hand and waved.


    In the crowd, Karma just smiled and waved back.


    "Kiernan!"


    At that moment, us and Timothy jumped on his back and surprised him with a big bear hug.


    "You''re the fucking greatest!" us screamed loudly. "Quarterfinals, fuck yeah!"


    Kiernan smiled and moved his gaze over to the screen that was hovering above the stage, showing the matchups for the quarterfinals since all of the round of 16 matches had ended.


    [First Match: Karuza High vs. Tiamut High]

 Chapter 77 Born or Made

    Knock, knock.


    After knocking on the door a couple of times, Jin and the rest of the Karuza High members entered the medical bay.


    It was a private one with only two beds upied.


    "Ah, sup~" Ryan waved from the bed; his legs were badly bandaged. "We were cheering you from here."


    "Fucking hell, Kiernan!" Nathughed and sat up on his bed. "You know what you just did? Somehow you got us to the quarterfinals!"


    Kiernan wryly smiled and sat down on one of the free chairs.


    "How''re you doing?" Jin asked the two bed individuals.


    "Ah¡­" Nath showed his bandaged arms. "We''ve received medicine, but my hands are not in good condition."


    "Well, my legs¡­" Ryan touched his bandaged legs. "I can''t walk properly yet, but we''re getting there. I guess I can''t use my legs in the quarterfinals, but I have other trump cards up my sleeve."


    Jin, hearing that, sighed loudly and said, "Right, about that. I had a talk with the medical staff, and they didn''t give you two permission to participate in any of the matches anymore."


    "What?" Ryan and Nath simultaneously eximed in shock.


    "W-what the hell does that mean?" Nath asked. "We can''t participate in the quarterfinals? That''s bullshit!"


    "We''ve fucking fought all the way here, and now that we can finally fight at the big ring, we are not allowed to?!"


    Ryan shouted angrily.


    He was fuming with his face turning red.


    "It''s not my call." Jin was equally frustrated. "The tournament organizers don''t want a scandal. If you two push yourselves, the damage might be permanent. They don''t want that."


    "Those cowards!" Nath punched at the bed with his eyes tearing up. "We can finally fight with everyone in New Rakuya watching, but now the opportunity is being taken away from us."


    "What does this mean regarding the next match?" us asked. "Will we forfeit?"


    "Obviously not." Jin said and crossed his arms as he looked at the two reserve fighters. "We have reserve fighters for a reason. us and Timothy, you will fight in their stead!"


    "W-what?!" us eximed. "We will fight in the big ring."


    Timothy looked very nervous and removed his sses to rub his eyes.


    Their hearts were beating against their chests.


    As reserve fighters, they were going to fight in the big ring, watched by every soul in New Rakuya.


    When the representation matches ended, they thought they wouldn''t fight in any more matches and thought that their high school career was over in that regard.


    Now they were going to fight in the quarterfinals of the nationals!


    "As always, Kiernan, we have to rely on you." Jin said.


    "I am not going to lie. Winning is pretty much impossible. us and Timothy are only there to slightly try to damage Yves, but if we want to advance to the semifinals, you must defeat all three of them."


    "All three¡­" Ryan sighed. "Yves, Kara, and Johan. You must defeat two monsters before facing the strongest high schooler of New Rakuya."


    "Still." Jin stood up and patted Ryan''s and Nath''s shoulders. "We''ve made Irio proud. All of you have made your families proud."


    "When will the quarterfinals start?" Kiernan asked.


    "In an hour," Jin said. "We will be the first match of the quarterfinals. Get yourselves ready; it will be the hardest battle any of you have ever faced."


    Kiernan stood up and headed to the door.


    "Where are you going?" Ryan asked out of curiosity.


    "Some fresh air." Kiernan waved his hand and left the medical bay.


    While walking down the long corridors, he couldn''t help but think about his days back on Earth.


    The starting days of his martial arts career.


    ''Those old fucks at the dojo used to think that I would never make it as a fighter. Well, they would never be able to imagine where I am right now.''


    Kiernan looked through one of the windows that showed the entirety of the stadium with nearly a hundred thousand spectators waiting for the quarterfinals to start.


    ''They always preached about using martial arts only for self-defense and not forpetitions.''


    Kiernan thought and shook his head with a wry smile.


    ''I never saw eye to eye with that philosophy. However, back on Earth, I neverpeted. I still listened to their shitty philosophy.


    ''However, it is pretty funny to me that killing was fine, butpetitions were a big no-no.''


    Kiernan chuckled to himself, and looked at his hands that were still stained with blood from the previous match.


    ''When I left the dojo, I honed my style to be the instrument of destruction. When I traversed through the battlefields and every shitty corner of the Earth, my style became clear.


    ''The style of assassination.


    ''I killed so many.''


    Kiernan clenched his hands into tight fists.


    ''Maybe this is the ce where I always belonged. A ce where my philosophy thrives.''


    "Well, hello there."


    A voice came from behind him.


    Kiernan slid his hands inside his pockets and turned around.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You have a habit of sneaking behind people?"


    "¡­" Johan looked straight into his gray eyes.


    "Was there something you wanted to say to me?" Kiernan asked and leaned against the window behind him.


    "Curious about one thing." Johan stepped closer, and it almost looked like he was growing taller.


    "About what?"


    "Are you also a monster?" Johan tilted his head and looked closely at Kiernan''s features. "I can''t quite tell."


    "A monster?" Kiernan raised an eyebrow. "You must borate."


    "Were you born as a monster or made into a monster?" Johan asked. "If you tell me the story of how you gained this strength, I will tell you mine."


    "What if I don''t want to tell?" Kiernan asked. "To a stranger."


    "I won''t tell anyone." Johan promised and showed his pinky. "Pinky swear?"


    "Hah¡­" Kiernan crossed his arms. "Why do you want to know so much?"


    "You''ve intrigued me." Johan lowered his hand. "I want to know more about you. Your martial arts rank is¡­ pathetic, but your real strength, your martial arts, is powerful. I want to know how you became like this.


    "Were you born as a monster, or did you make yourself into one?"


    "Sigh¡­" Kiernan scratched the back of his head. "My story might disappoint you."


    "I doubt it." Johan crossed his arms. "Tell me anyway."

 Chapter 78 75 Years Ago

    75 years ago, Earth.


    Within the deep mountains, a dojo was built inside the thick forest with tall, wooden walls that echoed with the sounds of training warriors.


    At the yard of the dojo, the white-clothed students punched air, their teacher observing their every move with a watchful eye.


    The teacher was carrying a wooden staff, and at that moment, one of the students had a slightly wrong punching stance.


    "Wrong!" The teacher smacked the staff at the student''s knee. "Fix your form. Your form is ugly!"


    "Y-yes, sensei!" The student breathed heavily, pain radiating from the spot where the staff had struck.


    Inside the dojo, while others trained diligently, a young man used a cleaning brush and scrubbed the tatami mats until they glistened under the harsh fluorescent lights.


    "Kiernan!" A senior student stepped over the tatami mats, his expression angry. "Where is my bokken?!"


    "Huh?" Kiernan looked up at the senior student and smiled innocently. "I don''t know. Did you misce it?"


    "You little shit!" He grabbed Kiernan by the cor of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. "I know you''ve been taking it without my permission!"


    "I wouldn''t dare, senior brother!" Kiernan eximed with an innocent look. "I swear, I have no idea where it is!"


    "As if!" The senior brother tossed him down to the ground and pointed at him with a shaky finger. "If you don''t return it by tonight, I will use you as my punching bag!"


    "Tch¡­" Kiernan watched as he left and then tossed the cleaning brush away. "If I told him where it is, he would kill me¡­"


    A couple of hours passed, and when the orange sky passed, the night fell over the mountains, and the dojo turned silent as the students finished their evening training session.


    Within the darkness, Kiernan jumped over the dojo''s walls and ran deep inside the thick forests, the branches cutting into his skin like knives, but he didn''t care.


    After running for what felt like hours, he reached the entrance of a dark cave. It seemed abandoned, and there weren''t any wild animals near the ce.


    It was like they were all afraid ofing here.


    "Alright then¡­" Kiernan gathered his courage and entered the dark cave.


    The dark cave wasn''t that long, and he soon reached the end.


    However, when he reached the end, he saw a sleeping creature there¡ªit was a massive, brown-furred bear, with sharp ws and loud snores emanating from its mouth.


    Behind the bear, a wooden bokken, looking like an ordinary sword, was leaning against its bulky body.


    "You dirty thief¡­" Kiernan licked his lips.


    For the past month, Kiernan had been stealing his senior brother''s bokken to learn swordsmanship.


    With the bokken, he''d retreated deep in the forest to train, but yesterday, he encountered this heavy-looking bear.


    Frightened, he ran away, but he happened to drop the bokken.


    This morning he went to look for it before his senior brother had woken up to retrieve it but found out that this bear had stolen it!


    Kiernan carefully neared the bear. He didn''t dare to breathe as he attempted to grab the bokken back from the bear.


    However, when he reached his hand towards the bokken, the bear turned sides and identally collided into him.


    The bear''s eyes jumped open, and it immediately started snarling like there was no tomorrow.


    "Oh shit!" Kiernan gulped.


    The bear swung its heavy-looking arm and pped Kiernan across the face, sending him tumbling to the ground.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The p left a burning sensation on Kiernan''s cheek as he scrambled to get back on his feet.


    "I am sorry, senior brother, but fuck your bokken!" Kiernan roared and turned around to head out of the cave.


    However, after one step, he let out a deep annoyed sigh.


    "However, if I don''t bring that shit back, I will be his punching bag. Thest time I was one, he broke my ribs."


    Kiernan rolled his eyes, but he feared his senior brother more than this angry bear.


    Thus, he turned around again and looked at the bear in annoyance.


    "Why don''t you give it back to me? You can''t even use it with your big, clumsy paws!"


    "ROAR!"


    The bear didn''t seem to like his words and started to growl even louder.


    After another growl, the bear started running on all fours towards him.


    Kiernan jumped out of the way, propelled himself off the cave''s wall, and mmed his feet at the bear''s side.


    "Sidekick!"


    "Growl!" The bear swung its arm at Kiernan, but he ducked underneath it and jabbed his hand into the bear''s side.


    While the bear''s body was durable enough to take the hit, it still caused it to stumble back a few steps.


    "You''re not too bad of a training partner, I must say!" Kiernanplimented with a grin.


    "Growl!" The bear roared loudly and attacked yet again.


    The moon shone over the mountains, and the hours flew past.


    After many hours, the sun peeked behind the horizon, casting a warm glow over the mountainside.


    Inside the cave, the bear was sprawling on the ground, fast asleep with disheveled fur.


    "Huff¡­"


    Leaning against the cave wall, Kiernan held the bokken in his hand with deep w marks across his right arm.


    "ws¡­" Kiernan looked at his injured right arm and then looked at his hand.


    "Wouldn''t it be cool if I were able to cut through human flesh with my fingers just like the bear? I haven''t heard about such a style of fighting before.


    "While the bear was clumsy with no technique behind its strikes, it was still able to cause catastrophic damage to me with its ws.


    "If I had those ws and my techniques, I could be deadly as hell."


    Kiernan looked at his hands andughed.


    "Yeah, I''ll make my body into a weapon."


    ¡­


    "So, that''s your story?" Johanughed.


    "Barely." Kiernan shrugged his shoulders. "That''s where I got the idea of my style from. Back then I was just a junior student of some shitty dojo in the mountains.


    "I was there another couple of years before I moved out from that mountain."


    "I see. You wanted to make your body into a weapon." Johan scratched his chin. "You must''ve started very young then. Why did your parents allow that?"


    ''I can''t possibly tell him that story happened in another world.'' Kiernan wryly smiled. "A family-owned business, you could say."


    "Hmm, I see." Johan nodded.


    "Well then, why don''t you tell your story now?" Kiernan asked, and checked the time on his phone. "We have another forty minutes to waste."


    "Sure."

 Chapter 79 Monster

    Eight years ago, Tiamut.


    A young Kara sat on a sandpit, building a messy-looking sandcastle. It was barely holding together.


    The rest of the yground was filled with children and their parents.


    "What are you building?" A young-sounding voice came from behind her.


    "Sandcastle!" Kara excitedly said and turned around to see a boy with bored-looking eyes.


    "Want to help?"


    "No." The young Johan said. "It''s childish."


    "Childish?" Kara pouted and handed him a small red bucket. "You just don''t know how to make one!"


    Johan looked at the red bucket, took it, and crouched next to her.


    "Just put sand in the bucket, and then what?"


    "Make a tower!" Kara excitedly taught him. "Right there!"


    Johan filled the bucket with the sand and then ced the bucket upside down on the sandpit so that the sand inside the bucket would form a perfect cone shape.


    However, when he removed the bucket, the cone shape copsed.


    "Hehe." Kara giggled. "It''s not that easy now, is it?"


    "Still boring." Johan dropped the red bucket, stood up, and patted the sand off his trousers.


    At that moment, the bell dinged from some distance away, and the parents left with their children, only leaving the two of them here.


    "Where are your parents?" Johan asked.


    "At work!" Kara patted her small hands at the sand cone. "They always workte."


    "I see." Johan turned around, nning to leave.


    "What about yours?" Kara asked curiously with her round, big eyes.


    "Home, probably." Johan kicked at the sand. "I don''t really care."


    "Mm¡­" Kara nodded thoughtfully and continued building her sandcastle.


    However, at that moment, a rowdy crowd of middle schoolers came to the yground; some started ying basketball while others ran around screaming andughing.


    One of the middle schoolers ran across the sandpit and kicked down Kara''s sandcastle.


    The sandcastle crumbled apart into a pile of sand, leaving Kara in shock and disbelief.


    "My sandcastle!" She looked hurt and turned to the boy who kicked at it. "Why did you do that?"


    "It is just some stupid sandcastle!" The ck-haired boyughed. "You should have built it stronger if you wanted it tost!"


    Johan looked at the broken sandcastle, looked pissed, and turned to the boy.


    "Apologize to her."


    "Huh?" The boy turned to him and scoffed. "What did you say pipsqueak? Why would I?"


    After hearing themotion, the boy''s friends walked over to him and asked what was going on.


    "I happened to kick that stupid sandcastle down, and they''re acting like it is the end of the world!"


    Hearing that, his friendsughed.


    Kara looked at her destroyed sandcastle, tears forming in her eyes, and started picking up her small buckets, wanting to leave the yground before she burst into tears.


    Johan walked past Kara, his hands tightening into fists.


    "I said apologize!"


    "Huh? You''re loud!" The boy kicked Johan down to the ground.


    Johan fell over the crumbled sandcastle, feeling angrier than ever before, and then he got back up and dusted off the sand from his back.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You still want to fight, pipsqueak?" The boy cracked a smirk.


    Kara looked up at Johan with teary eyes and said, "Let''s leave; I don''t want to be here anymore¡­"


    "Apologize!" Johan screamed.


    "Tch!" The boy swung his fist, but Johan dodged it and stepped one pace closer to him.


    With his tight right fist, Johan reeled it far back, and then without any warning, smashed it into the boy''s stomach.


    The boy''s eyes immediately widened like saucers, and he was sent flying backwards with a pained expression on his face.


    He flew off the ygroundnding in a heap on the grassy ground.


    His friends looked frightened to the core. The boyy motionless, gasping for air.


    "M-monster!" His friends looked at Johan as if he were some kind of monster, and then they all ran away.


    "Yeah, I know¡­" Johan looked at his fist that was still trembling and then fearfully turned towards Kara, expecting her to look at him like some kind of monster.


    However, Kara''s eyes were shining in excitement.


    "Wow!" She eximed. "How did you do that? You punched, and boom, that sound was so loud!"


    "Eh?" Johan looked at her in surprise and shrugged his shoulders. "That happens when I punch."


    "Amazing!" Kara jumped to her feet with a smile. "You know martial arts?!"


    "No¡­" Johan shook his head. "Not really."


    "I heard they opened a new martial arts dojo at the mall. Maybe we should check it out!"


    "We?" Johan raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah, I want to be strong!" Kara showed her arms, trying to show muscles, but it only looked cute as her arms were thin and delicate.


    "I don''t know if I should¡­" Johan sighed and sat down on the sandpit. "I''ve been called a monster since I remember. Even my parents¡­"


    "Why would they call you with such rude remark?" Kara tilted her head in confusion.


    "Someone of my age shouldn''t be able to punch the way I do." Johan hugged his legs.


    "Apparently I have some condition that gives me a superhuman level of strength. The doctors say that it is a blessing, but my parents call it a curse¡­"


    "What do you think?" Kara asked with a smile.


    "I don''t know¡­" Johan shook his head.


    At that moment, Kara handed him her soft-looking hand and smiled. "Let''s find out together, shall we?"


    Johan looked at the hand and said. "I don''t think we should touch hands. I might identally break your hand."


    "Hehe." Kara still grabbed his hand and shook it with a sweet smile. "I trust you won''t break it."


    "¡­" Johan looked at her round eyes and said. "You''re strange."


    "Eh?" Kara scratched the back of her head. "I am?"


    Johan slowly stood up and dusted off the sand. "Where was this martial arts dojo?"


    "At the mall! Let''s go!"


    ¡­


    Johan and Kiernan stood silently in the corridor, facing each other with their backs against the wall.


    "It sounds like I was born as a monster, and you were made into one." Johanughed. "I am looking forward to our match, Kiernan."


    "Me too." Kiernan said, and watched as Johan walked away.


    When he had walked away, he checked the time on the phone and saw that it was ten minutes before they had to walk to the big ring.


    The phone was already buzzing with messages as his teammates were asking where the hell he was.


    "Hmm~" Kiernan pocketed the phone and started heading back to the locker room.


    Within the same pocket, he could feel the Iron Style pill rolling between his fingers.


    ''Push me to my limits, Johan Yeager, and I shall show you my peak.'' Kiernan smiled.

 Chapter 80 Karuza High vs. Tiamut High

    The lights fell over the ring at the stadium.


    There was only one ring left¡ªthe big ring¡ªand it was almost three times as big as the small rings that had been used so far.


    Instead of multiple matches at the same time, from the quarterfinals onwards, only one match would be fought at a time in the big ring.


    At therge screen that was hovering over the big ring, the two teams that were about to fight were disyed for everyone to see.


    It was extremely loud at the stadium because the fan favorite, Tiamut High, was going to fight at the first quarterfinals match!


    ¡­


    At thementator''s booth.


    "The first quarterfinals match is upon us!" Chris Chang shouted into the microphone.


    "There are a total of four quarterfinal matches, and that will conclude the second day of the nationals.


    "Tomorrow thest three matches will be held¡ªthe two semifinal matches and finally the grand finals¡ªhowever, now we will decide the semifinalists!"


    "And we will start with a banger." Luca Pop said with a smile. "In the purple corner, the favorite to win it all, Tiamut High, and their superstar, Johan Yeager!"


    "Their vanguard, Yves Rechermen, hasn''t lost to a single fighter in this tournament yet. He is the shield of Tiamut High, and to get through him, one must be ready to push themselves to the absolute limit, as he is infamously known for his imprable defense.


    "The second fighter, the sweet Kara Rousseau, the fastest fighter in the tournament. People usually underestimate her because of her petite frame, but looks can fool you.


    "She had fought in three matches so far in the nationals, and she had won them all with rtive ease. Last round, she fought another Middle Stage Martial Fighter, but won without a scratch.


    "By the way, she is also Middle Stage Martial Fighter, but it is clear that her real strength is above that.


    "Andstly, Johan Yeager, the superstar from Tiamut High, a young man who might be New Rakuya''s first-ever person topete in the World Fighting League, where the best of the best fight.


    "After all, he has already been invited to Martial Academia, which is the doorway to the World Fighting League!"


    Luca Pop finished introducing Tiamut High and took a quick sip of the water.


    "And their opponent is not as well-known, but slowly making a name for themselves, Karuza High from Irio!


    "We''ve just received worrying news for them. Apparently two of their main fighters, Ryan Lee and Nathaniel Waters, will be unable topete in the quarterfinals!"


    Luca Pop nodded at his words and continued with. "Their two reserve fighters, us Kohn and TImothy Howe will take their ces in the uing match."


    "It''s not looking good for them." Chris Chang said with a serious tone. "However, the ace of their school, one of New Rakuya''s Top 5 Youth, who advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Kasimir Kerr, is expected to be an extremely formidable opponent!"


    "Kiernan Hunter!" Luca Pop shouted, and that name resounded in the ears of everyone watching.


    "Yes, keep an eye on that young man." Chris Chang said. "While his rank is merely Low Stage Martial Fighter, he''s been able to cross the boundary of ranks with his impressive martial arts skills."


    "Yves and Kara might taste their first defeat of the tournament." Luca Pop said. "This might go all the way to the final match between Kiernan and Johan, but it will be an extremely difficult thing to do."


    "Yes, the two reserve fighters of Karuza High can only try to damage their opponents slightly. Once again, Karuza High must rely on their ace, Kiernan Hunter, to win."


    ¡­


    The music started ying across the stadium.


    The crowd started to turn rowdy as the two entrances opened up, and two teams stepped out into the stadium, wearing their proud colors.


    Tiamut High wore purple and ck, while Karuza High wore white and ck with flower patterns across their backs, sleeves, and pants.


    They made their way to their bench while the audience roared around them.


    The referee was already standing at the big ring. He was one of the senior referees and was given the honor to be the referee for the first quarterfinals match.


    "I can''t believe we''re about to fight at the big ring." us said with his legs shaking.


    "This might be our most proud moment or most embarrassing." Timothy said with a long sigh. "Just try not to lose in the first second of the match!"


    "Aha¡­" us looked past the ring towards Yves. "I''ve seen the videos of Yves'' fighting. I learned most of Tiamut Style''s hard style by watching him."


    "Oh, you''re fighting your idol?" Timothyughed. "Don''t be soft now."


    "Nah." us cracked his knuckles with a grin. "I want to smash his face."


    Beside the two, Ryan and Nath were seated, still mostly bandaged, but they were given permission toe to the bench to watch the match.


    While looking around, they again felt a sour taste in their mouth.


    Fighting in the big ring of the nationals was many a young man''s dream. It had been Nathaniel''s for a long time now.


    While Ryan hadn''t cared that much, now that they were both here, he didn''t want anything more than to participate in the match.


    "The first quarterfinals match!" The referee shouted. "Is between Karuza High and Tiamut High!"


    Hearing his words, the crowd started to calm down a little bit.


    "Bring forth your first fighters!"


    "I guess it is me?" Timothy started to slightly stand up.


    "Mm." Jin nodded. "You''ll start."


    At Tiamut High''s bench, Yves cracked his neck and was about to stand up, but at that moment, a hand pressed him back down to the bench.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "?!" Yves turned to the young man next to him and asked. "Johan, what is it?"


    "I will fight first." Johan said coldly and stood up.


    "Eh?" Yves'' eyes widened in shock.


    Kara and their coach, Marquise, were equally shocked.


    "I want to fight him at full strength." Johan looked straight towards Kiernan with a fiery gaze.


    When the crowd saw Johan stand up, they started screaming in excitement. They couldn''t believe it!


    They were fearing that they might not see Johan fight as Tiamut High would crush Karuza High, but now it looked like he was going to be the vanguard!


    "J-Johan is going to fight!" Timothy felt light-headed. "I am going to lose in one second!"


    Jin gulped with a pale face. "They''re nning to crush us like this? How ruthless!"


    At that moment, a ck-haired young man stood up, which shocked them all.


    "K-Kiernan?" Ryan whispered in shock.


    "Leave this to me." Kiernan cracked his knuckles and approached the ring. "This is between me and him."

 Chapter 81 Weaving Blast

    At thementator''s booth.


    "I can''t believe it!" Chris Chang jumped from his seat. "The two aces are going to battle in the first match!"


    "Is there some kind of rivalry between the two?" Luca Pop guessed. "It''s not like Johan to fight at the first match unless he wants to fight Kiernan at his full strength!"


    "I guess we''ll find out soon enough," Chris replied with a grin. "One thing is for sure¡ªthe quarterfinals will start with a bang!"


    ¡­


    At the crowd.


    "Johan Yeager¡­" Azer narrowed his eyes. "A talent that was rare even during my lifetime. I wouldn''t have been able to defeat him during my high school days either."


    "So, this quarterfinals match will be decided in the first match." Julia said with a worrying tone. "Johan Yeager is Martial Champion, isn''t he?"


    "Yes, Low Stage Martial Champion," Azer said. "The gap between High Stage Martial Fighter, and Low Stage Martial Champion is immense."


    "I heard the bottleneck is extremely tough." Julia said. "Which is why most high schoolers never reach that rank during their school days. They usually need a couple of years during the Age of Growth to get through the bottleneck."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It will be a tough fight." Azer crossed his arms. "It will be the hardest match of Kiernan''s life."


    ¡­


    At the big ring, Johan and Kiernan had already taken their spots at their very own corners.


    The referee used the side of his hand to swipe off the sweat from his forehead. Even he was quite excited for this uing match.


    However, he was also worried.


    These two fighters had aplished the impossible and were the only ones during this nationals to actually destroy the ring.


    He hoped that it wouldn''t happen again.


    "The first match¡ªKiernan Hunter vs. Johan Yeager!"


    The crowd could barely stand still.


    Over half of the stadium was cheering for Johan and Tiamut High. After all, they were currently at Tiamut, so the home team had a significant advantage in terms of the amount of supporters.


    Karuza High''s side was small, but still loud.


    ¡­


    At VIP Room.


    "How interesting." Godfred rubbed his chin. "This is the first match of the nationals that actually interests me."


    "Ho, ho, ho." The chairmanughed while rubbing his belly. "This is a pleasant surprise. There is no better way to start off the quarterfinals!"


    Cadell leaned against his arm and looked towards the match with a narrow smile.


    He hated seeing Kiernan keep winning and winning.


    After doing some research, he found out that Karuza High was ranked among the weakest in the entire nationals, so he thought that Kiernan would lose quickly, but he kept winning!


    Somehow he had reached all the way to the quarterfinals!


    ''Johan, if you lose, don''t even think about joining Martial Academia!''


    At another seat, Muriel looked down towards the match and kept watching without making a sound.


    She looked like a rebellious teen with her all-ck clothes, but she was still extremely beautiful with her elven features and the pointy ears that peeked through her ck hair.


    "Muriel, you''ve been quiet." Godfred looked over to her. "Is everything alright?"


    "Yes." Muriel replied shortly and crossed her legs. "I just want to return home."


    "Home? You mean Elf Kingdom?" Godfred asked worryingly.


    "No, that isn''t my home." Muriel shook her head. "I want to return to the academy¡­"


    "Hmm¡­" Godfred nodded and touched his granddaughter''s hand. "Shall we leave after these quarterfinals?"


    "Mm¡­" Muriel nodded.


    "U-uhm, but what about semifinals and grand finals?" The chairman asked in a hurry. "There are still some very talented kids here!"


    "We''re only here for Johan Yeager," Godfred said. "I hope this match shows enough of his talent. That''s all we need to see."


    The chairman, disappointed, but still nodded with a slightly forced smile.


    ¡­


    "Are both fighters ready?" The referee shouted.


    The crowd quieted down, but they were readying themselves to erupt in cheers at a moment''s notice.


    "Yes." Johan didn''t have any fighting stance and just stood still.


    "I am." Kiernan moved to his defensive style.


    "I am honored to referee this match," the referee said and then swung his arm down. "Fight!"


    "Argh!" Johan exploded off the ground and raised his fist into a throwing stance.


    Kiernan sprang off the ground and met his opponent at the center of the ring.


    The crowd roared in excitement.


    "Kiernan!" Jin and Karuza High''s members stood up.


    They couldn''t stand still anymore!


    Without any technique and only brute strength, Johan threw his punch with all his might.


    It was a punch that not a single high schooler had been able to handle before.


    Kiernan moved his right arm and touched Johan''s fist, but then his hand slithered across Johan''s arm like a snake.


    "Iron Style, Weaving st!"


    The hand reached Johan''s face, and it then turned into a fist.


    The fistnded at Johan''s face with a force that stopped him in his tracks.


    SMACK!


    When the crowd saw that, they quieted down immediately.


    The first one to get hit was Johan!


    When Kiernan retrieved his arm back, Johan stood still with a cold look in his eyes.


    It didn''t really look like the attack did anything, not visibly at least.


    ¡­


    At thementator''s booth.


    "Unbelievable, Johan got hit!" Chris Chang screamed.


    "What a strange technique by Kiernan!" Luca Pop shouted.


    "At first, it looked like he was nning on doing his famous defensive technique and redirecting the punch away, but instead, his arm moved around Johan''s arm like a snake and reached out towards his face before punching!"


    ¡­


    Crack!


    With an audible crack, Johan formed another fist and sprang off the ground in one fluid motion.


    Kiernan moved his hands in front as he moved back to his defensive style of fighting.


    Johan reeled his arm way back, and then, as his left foot stomped on the ground, he swung his fist forward with all the force he could muster.


    He wasn''t holding back!


    "Rendering Edge!"


    Kiernan smashed the side of his hand against Johan''s fist, but he couldn''t move it an inch!


    "?!" Kiernan''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Argh!" Johan smashed through his defenses and rammed his fist deep into Kiernan''s stomach!


    The mighty fortress of Rendering Edge crumbled apart!

 Chapter 82 Re-Karate

    The punch sent Kiernan flying to the edge of the ring.


    However, luckily the ring was bigger than the smaller ones, and he was barely able to stop himself before falling off.


    Kiernan fell on one knee and touched his stomach. He could feel the pain throbbing through his body.


    All the air had left his lungs, and he could barely breathe!


    "Ragh¡­ shit!" Kiernan coughed out in pain, and with a grunt of pain, he barely stood back up.


    "I-Impossible!" Timothy cried out. "Kiernan''s defense was broken!"


    "So, that''s his weakness." Jin''s expression was very ugly. "Overwhelming power. If he can''t redirect the punch away, then his defense is worthless."


    The heavy nket of defeat settled over the group as they realized their chances of winning were slim.


    This was different from when Kasimir seemed to be able to break through his defenses.


    This was just utter and absolute power disyed by Johan.


    At Tiamut High''s bench, smiles appeared on everyone''s faces.


    "Good." Marquise, the coach, twirled his mustache. "Don''t allow him to do his techniques, and just break through with your absolute strength."


    "Johan¡­" Kara, with a smile, pped her hands. "You''ve got this!"


    "¡­" Yves stayed quiet, but he knew better than anyone how strong Johan''s punches were.


    Since there wasn''t anyone else in their school that could spar with Johan as they would go down with a single punch, Yves ended up being his sparring partner because of his impressive durability.


    He had taken more than a thousand of those punches.


    Most of the time he wasn''t able to stand back up.


    Near the ring, the referee was about to start the countdown if Kiernan didn''t move soon, but at that moment, the young man sprang back up on his feet, surprising everyone in the audience.


    "Huh?" Yves looked surprised. "He is actually able to stand back up even though he was hit by Johan''s full power punch?"


    "Good!" Johan shouted. "If that was everything you had, I would''ve been very disappointed!"


    "Hah!" Kiernan wiped the drool off his lips. "You almost had me!"


    At the moment when the punch contacted, Kiernan used Iron Human to tighten his muscles to absorb the impact of the punch.


    However, since his previous self hadn''t conditioned his body that well, his Iron Human was quite weak, but still, it helped him to survive that punch.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If he hadn''t done that, the punch might''ve knocked him out!


    "Heh!" Johan outstretched his hand and motioned for his opponent toe at him again.


    "Iron Style, Fire Rush!"


    With explosive eleration, Kiernan exploded off the ground and headed towards Johan, but before he reached the attacking range, he kept changing his trajectory to confuse Johan.


    The footwork was very strange as he kept moving in zigzagging patterns.


    Johan kept moving his head back and forth, trying to keep an eye on Kiernan.


    However, at that moment, Kiernan reached the attacking range, and Johan immediately swept his arm towards him with wild haymaker punches.


    As soon as the haymaker punches were about tond, Kiernan vanished from his sight with his strange footwork that didn''t really make any sense to him.


    "Where?" Johan turned his head to the front and saw Kiernan standing right in front of him.


    "Iron Smash!"


    Kiernan''s fist mmed deep into Johan''s gut and pushed him back a couple of steps.


    "Urgh!" Johan coughed in pain and smirked. "That punch was not too bad!"


    "I-Impossible!" Yves cried out. "His punch managed to push Johan back? He has Superhuman physique, and I''ve never been able to push him back with my punches!"


    Marquise stopped twirling his mustache as his eyes turned serious.


    "This kid can''t possibly be equal to Johan. I don''t believe it."


    Johan cracked a smile and punched ahead with such force that it was beyond what a high schooler should be capable of doing.


    Kiernan clumsily dodged the punch, weaving to the side barely, but then Johan kicked his leg up and followed up with a roundhouse towards his face.


    "World Equilibrium!" Kiernan pulled his entire body back while the roundhouse kick missed his face barely.


    The roundhouse kicknded on the ground and created a small crevice across the ring.


    ''What the hell is that kick?!'' The referee thought with a pale face. ''If that hadnded, would that cut off Kiernan''s head?!''


    "That was close!" Kiernan thought, feeling a rush of relief.


    "Interesting technique!" Johan admitted. "I thought your stance was so poor that you wouldn''t be able to dodge, but with that technique, you bnced yourself out perfectly."


    "Yeah!" Kiernan raised his leg. "Roundhouse!"


    Johan also whipped his leg out and smashed his leg against Kiernan''s with his very own roundhouse kick.


    The two roundhouse kicks collided with a loud smacking sound, echoing through the stadium.


    Crack!


    "?!" Kiernan''s face morphed into pain. ''I think a part of my leg just broke!''


    "Your technique is superior, but your strength is way below mine." Johan said, then grabbed Kiernan by his cor and tossed him across the ring.


    "Also, don''t forget, I am also Natural Fighter!" Johan jumped off the ground.


    Kiernan, after rolling across the ring, came to a stop and then turned his head to the air above him. There he saw Johan falling towards him.


    Johan formed a fist with his right and punched down to the ground.


    Kiernan rolled out of the way as Johan''s fistnded with a thud, creating a small crater in the ring.


    The crowd''s jaws opened wide. They had never seen a high schooler do such immense damage to the ring like Johan had just done!


    "This is insanity!" Nathaniel cried out. "How can his strength be so insane?!"


    "A monster¡­" Jin looked serious.


    Johan grabbed a handful of broken pieces of the ground and hurled them straight at Kiernan.


    Those broken pieces flew with speed that could rival a bullet!


    "Sweeping Catch!" Kiernan caught them from the air and crushed them under his grip. "Nice try."


    "Heh!" Johan lifted his leg and stomped on the ground.


    The whole ring started shaking.


    At that moment, Johan kicked himself off the ground and extended his arm into a powerful punch.


    "¡­" Kiernan stood still and steeled his body for the impact.


    He was nning to tank the punch.


    "Don''t, Kiernan!" Jin screamed. "That is suicide. Please dodge!"


    "Oh?" Johanughed and smashed his fist into Kiernan''s chest.


    A look of pain shed across Kiernan''s face, but at that moment, he smashed his palms at Johan''s chest.


    "Re-Karate!"


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