Martial Arts Worlds-Chapter 867: Strongest - Part 14

It had turned quiet in the Sanctuary, and the night turned deeper—the heavy smell of corpses was very much present.

"Zzzz…"

Michael was sleeping.

"Mmh…"

Kiernan was also sleeping.

"…"

Samuel and Isaac opened their eyes, looked at each other, and then they nodded and slowly stood up.

They adjusted their eyes to the darkness and saw Kiernan helplessly lying on the ground, on his side, and started approaching him.

In that moment.

Isaac's foot landed on blood on the ground and slipped—he started to slowly fall backwards—but then Samuel caught his hand.

'You idiot!'

Samuel screamed inside his mind and pulled Isaac back to his feet.

'Thank you…'

Isaac mouthed the thank you's and felt embarrassed because he almost completely blew their cover.

Samuel looked angrily at him and then kept walking towards Kiernan, and Isaac followed right behind—they then pulled out knives.

They took these knives from people that died just now.

They kept them hidden from Kiernan and Michael.

In that moment.

They reached Kiernan, and without saying a word, they lunged at him with the sharp blades.

CRACK!

When their knives touched Kiernan, the blades shattered as if they were made of glass.

Isaac and Samuel looked wordlessly at their broken knives with shocked looks and then fearfully turned back to Kiernan.

"…"

Kiernan's eyes slowly opened.

"I…"

They tried speaking, but then Kiernan sliced his hand through their throats, and they started choking on their blood.

Both Samuel and Isaac squirmed on the ground, coughing on their blood, and tried to stop their throats from bleeding so much.

"Y-you…"

Samuel tried grabbing Kiernan, but he just slapped their hand away and walked away, leaving them to die.

Isaac died first. Samuel tried to crawl towards safety but collapsed in a pool of blood before he could make it.

'Well… That was disappointing. I expected more of a fight.'

Bael said mockingly.

'They were weak.'

Kiernan thought.

In that moment, he arrived at where Michael was sleeping and saw that he wasn't fake-sleeping either.

He was fast asleep.

'I don't understand how foolish he can be to sleep so deeply in a battlefield surrounded by enemies. Does he think we're still friends?

'He can't be that stupid.'

Kiernan thought.

'It's because of Satan. He can take control of Michael at any moment. He won't let you kill him.'

Bael thought inside his mind.

'Let's see.'

Kiernan raised his hand and chopped it down at Michael, but then his eyes shot up, and he rolled out of the way.

"Haha!"

Michael punched Kiernan in the chest and sent him sliding backwards until his momentum came to a stop.

"Hmm…"

Kiernan hummed.

The punch was rather strong, but he used Iron Human before the punch landed, so there wasn't much pain.

"It's just us two, huh… Bael's Host."

Michael grinned.

Kiernan moved like lightning, and in an instant, he was right in front of Michael and punched ferociously. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Michael guarded himself, and when the punch landed, the air exploded with a loud crack—wind swept in every direction.

"Why don't you let Bael take control over your mortal body? I've always been wondering who is the stronger one between us!"

Satan-possessed Michael laughed madly.

'I am vastly stronger than him. Don't play around with him. Just kill him already.'

Bael said inside his mind.

Kiernan bolted forward—he was very fast—and his shoulder turned, which created a wide-open weakness.

'A weak point? It looks like a trap. Far too obvious… But I'll enter the trap!'

Michael grinned and punched straight towards his shoulder—his fist cracked through the air like split timber—this would be enough to kill most humans.

In that moment.

Kiernan stopped the punch with his palm and pressed his fingers down on the fist—Iron Fingers and Anatomical Bind.

"Ah!"

Michael dropped to his knees, but he was still wearing that same smile, as if he was enjoying himself.

Kiernan pivoted, and his knee whipped toward Michael's face, but then he bent backward so far his hair brushed the ground.

The knee missed.

"Hahahaha!"

Michael laughed, and then his leg snapped upward from the ground—the heel rising like a drawn blade.

Kiernan caught the ankle and lifted—Michael left the ground entirely—he then got slammed back to the ground.

Booom!

"Hahaha… Ahaha…"

Michael, with a laugh, stumbled back to his feet and took his fighting stance once again, wiping the blood off his lips.

"Not bad… Human…"

'Destroy him!'

Bael shouted.

With a cold look, Kiernan lunged forward, and Michael met his lunge with a punch—but it was never going to land.

Kiernan slipped under the fist and drove his elbow into Michael's gut.

"Iron Style, Krishna's Elbow!"

The elbow strike rocked Michael's insides, and blood churned into his mouth, and he coughed it all out.

"Aaargh!"

Michael screamed.

'It hurts!'

The real Michael shouted inside his mind, and Satan just responded with "Shut the hell up" and continued fighting.

Michael's attacks were wild and ferocious, which Kiernan effortlessly dodged, and then he lifted his hand—the hand came swinging down like a sword.

Michael put his block in the way to stop the chopping attack.

"Iron Style, Void Chop!"

The hand went straight through Michael's block—as if his hand was not real—and it slashed across Michael's shoulder, leaving a deep gash.

SPURT!

The blood gushed out.

"Ahhhh!"

Michael gritted his teeth in pain, and the real Michael inside the mind was screaming much louder than Satan was.

"What the hell… What kind of host… Have you chosen for… yourself?"

Michael asked with a bloody mouth.

In that moment, Bael took control of Kiernan's mouth, and the smirk grew on the lips until it looked demonic.

"You're bound by the mortality of your host, brother Satan. My host is not a mere mortal—he is the anomaly."

Bael smirked and then disappeared back to Kiernan's mind.

'I don't like you taking control of my body. That better be the last time, Bael!'

Kiernan angrily shouted inside his mind.

'I am sorry… I just wanted to act cool for a moment!'

Bael 'pouted' inside his mind.

"Anomaly… Hahaha… Cough…"

Michael coughed blood, but then he used all the strength that was left in his body, and pushed himself forward.

"Iron Smashing Bolt!"

Kiernan ran forward and drove his fist into Michael's chest, causing the ground to shake beneath them.

Michael's ribs snapped like twigs, and he coughed even more blood.

"Demons hell… This body is weak…!"

Michael gritted his teeth with pain.

"Void Slap!"

Kiernan's hand made contact with Michael's cheek, and his head whipped to the side from the force of the blow.

"Rock n' Roll!"

With a twisting hand, Kiernan touched Michael's shoulder, and his arm spun around—it got dislocated and dangled uselessly at his side.

"Hahahaha… Such… bullshit…"

Michael spat blood at Kiernan, but he even dodged that and whipped his leg at Michael's groin—his feet made contact.

"Iron Style, Ball Crusher!"

CRACK!

"AAAARGH!"

Michael dropped to the ground, unable to stand anymore.

'Holy shit, you're ruthless!'

Bael thought.

'You're a demon, so you're not in a position to criticize me for being ruthless.'

Kiernan thought.

'I am not criticizing… But you would make a fine demon~'

Bael said playfully.

'Save me, Satan, please. I don't want to die!'

The real Michael begged inside the mind.

'You're on your own. I am out of here!'

Satan said, and at that moment, Michael's eyes started shining as Satan flew out of his body, and disappeared elsewhere.

"Ahh… AHHH!"

Michael, who got control of his body back, screamed horribly in pain as he couldn't feel anything but immense pain.

"P-Please… Don't…"

'What happened to Satan?'

Kiernan asked.

'He left him and is most likely going to try to find another host somewhere.'

Bael said.

'Wait, you guys can do that? Why don't you leave me then?'

Kiernan asked.

'Why the hell would I leave? You're the best host I could've asked for!'

Bael thought.

'What if I want you to leave?'

Kiernan asked.

'Then too bad, because I am never leaving. You're stuck with me. Unless I feel like taking over somebody else~'

Bael said with a giggle.

'Tch.'

Kiernan then looked at Michael, who was begging for mercy, and he then looked at the screen.

It had been quiet and dark for a long time now, and it was obvious that two people weren't allowed to leave this place alive.

"It has to be done."

Kiernan touched Michael's forehead.

"Don't… if you kill me… I swear I will hunt you as long as it takes!"

Michael screamed.

In that moment, Kiernan stabbed his finger through Michael's forehead and the brain—it was enough to kill him instantly.

Buzz~ Buzz~

The screen flickered back on, and a smiling man appeared on the screen—he looked truly joyous for some reason.

"Congratulations, Kiernan Hunter. You're the winner of the Devil Ritual. The door will open behind you, which will take you to me, where you will get your prize!"

The man said with a smile.

The screen then went black again, and behind Kiernan, a hidden door appeared that no one had seen before.

The door led to some kind of corridor—the lights, which were dark only moments prior, flickered back on.