Martial Arts Worlds-Chapter 328: High

While falling off the ring, Zachary's panicked eyes turned blank, but in an instant, they turned lively again.

He immediately reached his leg towards the edge, took a foothold that was barely there, and managed to pull himself back up just in time.

"?!"

Kiernan's eyes widened in shock.

"Fuck off!"

Zachary slapped Kiernan across his face and sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Unbelievable! Zachary is still in the match after an impossible-looking save! How the hell did he do that?!"

"Again, the fight continues! Both of these young men are truly exceptional, and they aren't stopping no matter what!"

The commentators shouted among the roaring crowd, their voices echoing throughout the stadium.

"Shit!"

Jonathan and Dominic exclaimed at the same time as their bodies were lifted slightly off the bench.

They were ready to jump up in celebration, but again, they were thrown back down onto the bench as miraculously Zachary saved himself!

"So close!"

Julian grabbed his white hair in frustration.

"…"

Kiernan climbed back to his feet, then looked at his hands, his misty vision clearing up, and he noticed that his fever was calming down to its usual temperature.

However, that death-inducing fever left its mark on his body, and his organs were quite damaged as a result of all of that.

'The fever calmed down… why? It can only mean that Alabaster can use only one ability at a time. He couldn't stack blindness and that fever, so now that the fever is gone, he used another ability!

'However, he didn't use that ability on me.'

Kiernan looked at Zachary, whose eyes were dark with rage.

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.

'I've noticed that Zachary is rather clumsy with his muscular body. That movement before was something that he shouldn't be capable of doing…'

It nagged him that there was something really wrong about this.

At Montclair High's bench, Alabaster looked puzzled as he looked around him, wondering where the hell he was.

'I was in the ring… falling off, but now I am here?'

He frowned and then looked to the ring, where, to his surprise, Zachary was still standing like a muscle giant.

'I am there… what?'

Alabaster pulled out his phone, took out a camera app, and used a selfie mode, then pointed it at himself.

To his surprise, Alabaster's rough visage stared back at him with a confused look.

'He used that Overcontrol technique on me that he mentioned to me a while back. But why… you don't trust that I will be able to win?'

His teeth clattered in fear, and he looked at 'Zachary' on the ring, pleading for him to change their consciousness back to normal.

However, 'Zachary' on the ring ignored his gaze and instead looked at Kiernan with a cold, calculating expression.

"You've sure made this difficult. A bastard like you should've gone down like a good boy, but you keep annoying me. It will be dangerous, y'know, for your life."

Alabaster, in Zachary's body, said.

"Alabaster, I assume? You can take control of other people's bodies?"

Kiernan asked.

"Yes, those of weak mind. It was easy to get control of Zachary because of his fear towards me, which weakens his mind to my control.

"I tried to get control of your mind, but I couldn't. You do not fear me or death, and so I could not manipulate you in the same way."

Alabaster said.

Kiernan shifted his stance back to his unbreakable defensive stance.

"You'll be fighting me from now on, I guess. You might be stronger than me in your original body, but what about in this one?"

He said.

"Haha. A problem with Zachary is that he couldn't understand the power he was wielding. He wasn't using this body to its fullest potential.

"I am different, I know how to harness this power."

Alabaster said and shifted to a new form—Bulwark Style's stance.

"We, people of Bulwark, have learned to unlock the full potential of our bodies."

He said.

"You're from Bulwark? I've heard stories about your kind. However, aren't Bulwarkians supposed to be… muscular?"

Kiernan asked.

"What you've seen is nothing but a fake. Alabaster, and everything you know about me is just a fake."

Alabaster said, and then he flexed his fist.

The power of his muscles wrapped around his fist, and then he punched forward, sending a shockwave throughout the surrounding area.

Kiernan crossed his arms, and the shockwave launched him through the air, but he swiftly flipped and landed perfectly on his feet.

"W-was that a freaking shockwave?! How much strength does Zachary have to create such an amazing attack?!"

"These two young men sure are special, and they keep surpassing us, two veterans with decades of experience in this field!"

"It is rare to see something like this even in college-level tournaments in New Rakuya, let alone in high school nationals!"

Sabbath watched with a sharp look.

'This isn't Zachary. That was definitely Bulwark Style. So, Alabaster took control of his disciple's body to end this fight by himself?

'He sure has zero competitive spirit, but one thing is for sure, Alabaster is Bulwarkian, so that is one thing that is real about him.

Zachary, who was stuck in Alabaster's body, was shocked at the power of his body, which he didn't even know existed.

'I… could've been capable of doing that?'

Alabaster breathed deeply and cracked his fingers with loud popping sounds.

"You see? This is the true might of this body. You never stood a chance, but I must applaud you. I never underestimated you, but I never thought you would push us this far."

"…"

Kiernan sighed, straightened his posture, and closed his eyes. He looked like he was doing a standing meditation.

At that moment, the martial soul inside him started peeling off. It happened instantly, as if someone just yanked it out.

Below the layer, a sparkling martial soul shone brighter than anything else in the world. It was beautiful, glowing with all sorts of color—amethyst, blue, silver, and hints of gold.

It was the most beautiful soul.

[High Stage Martial Champion Achieved!]

Aura, stronger than ever before, drifted through the stadium, radiating unbelievable power and majesty.

"He… ranked up?"

Alabaster's eyes shook.

"High Stage Martial Champion as a seventeen-year-old…"

Sabbath whispered to himself.

"Through the years… I've mastered the mysteries of the human body that you can't even comprehend. I've transcended mortal limitations once and embraced the true essence of strength.

"I might not be at that level yet in this new life, but I will get there one day, and I shall show you the glimpse of my hidden power."

Kiernan said, and from below his flesh, steam started rising, and his muscles ballooned up as if they were inflated with air.

His gray, deep eyes turned silver, and his black hair turned even darker, as if someone spilled ink on it.

"Iron Style, High Human."