Martial Arts Worlds - Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Crushing, Kickboxing and Adrian
“I am challenging you to a duel, five days from now!”

Neal shouted.

‘Where the hell did this bastard gain this confidence to challenge me? How humiliating that a weak piece of shit like him thinks that he can beat me.’

Travis gritted his teeth.

“Haha, Travis, you’ll win the match with your eyes closed!”

“Yeah, you got it easily!”

His friends laughed.

‘Of course I got it, morons. Whoever thinks otherwise is just delusional and idiotic.’

Travis thought to himself and then looked around at the classmates for reactions.

Surprise, ridicule, and a few impressed looks were all he saw.

The few impressed looks came from a few quieter kids in the classroom, who were somewhat in the same boat as Neal, but one of those looks came from Katherina.

It angered him.

“Fine. I’ll accept your challenge.”

Travis said and cracked his knuckles.

There was no way that he would refuse an open invitation to beat up Neal in front of the entire school, and it had been some time since he had participated in the ranked matches.

“…”

Neal turned back, pushed off the nails from his chair, and sat back down in silence while sensing all the gazes at him.

It was the first time for so many people to look at him. He was usually a shadow, with even teachers barely remembering him.

‘I’ve now done it…’

…

While the school was underway, Kiernan arrived at the beautiful-looking kickboxing gym in the heart of the city.

It was where Travis learned his kickboxing, and Kiernan believed that it was also the place where he became the person he was today.

Kiernan entered the well-maintained kickboxing gym and saw that all the equipment was in pristine condition.

“Hello~ Are you here to register for the monthly apprenticeship?”

The short-cut-haired woman asked from behind the front desk, and when she saw Kiernan, she was impressed by his physique.

It was clear that he was someone that wasn’t foreign to fighting.

‘I must get him to join! He looks like he can handle himself well in a fight!’

“No. I am here to meet this kickboxing gym’s owner.”

Kiernan said with a smile.

“O-owner? Why exactly?”

She asked with a furrowed brow.

“Well, you see…”

Kiernan leaned close to her and, with a smile, said.

“I am here to crush this kickboxing gym. Therefore, I’d like to challenge the owner to a match.”

“?!”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

The concept of crushing dojos and gyms wasn’t unprecedented—it was something that rival gyms and dojos would do to show their superiority over others.

It was how the gyms and dojos would make a name for themselves and gain a reputation as the best in the business.

However, it was the first time that it was happening to them!

With an unfriendly look, she headed to the upstairs office to get the owner.

“Someone is here to crush my gym? Who the fuck dares!”

An angry, deep-sounding voice came from upstairs that was loud enough to rattle windows, and then heavy steps came down the stairs.

When the buzz-cut-haired owner of the gym saw Kiernan, he scoffed.

“A child is here to crush my gym? The youngsters of this generation sure get bolder and bolder with each passing year!”

“Are you going to keep wasting your breath in words, or are we going to fight?”

Kiernan asked and walked over to the mat, cracking his knuckles.

“Very well, brat! Remember my name, Adrian, because I’m going to make sure you never forget it!”

Adrian shook his shoes off and entered the mat shoeless.

‘No shoes? I see. I already know what he is attempting.’

Kiernan took off his hoodie, tossed it off the mat, and moved into his defensive stance of Iron Style.

A black fortress with towering walls appeared behind him, casting a looming shadow over Adrian.

‘What is this?’

Adrian’s eyes shook, but he then shook it off and focused on the match.

The displeased-looking woman acted as referee and raised her arm high, counting a few seconds in her mind, and then swung it down.

“FIGHT!”

Adrian rained punches down on Kiernan.

“Rendering Edge!”

With only his right arm, he pushed back the punches, and with his iron-hard palm, he thrust it towards Adrian’s face.

“Iron Style, Iron Palm!”

SMACK!

The palm struck Adrian in the face, and he stumbled backwards, blood trickling from his mouth. A few of his teeth broke!

“Master!”

The woman cried out in shock.

“Argh!”

Adrian lunged and shot forward with his punches, but they got deflected with ease. Kiernan’s defense was too much for him.

It felt like he was trying to punch at a robot who had a million arms to defend itself!

At that moment, he realized that Kiernan was an absolutely perfect defensive fighter. It was something that he hadn’t even seen professional fighters do.

Quickly, he followed with a front kick towards Kiernan’s chest, but instead of using the sole of his feet, he used his toes.

‘This is why he isn’t using his shoes. This technique is something you can only do shoeless. A toe kick can deliver a much more precise and targeted strike into a fatal area…’

Kiernan quickly grabbed his kick from the ankle, and then with his thumbs, he stabbed through the flesh surrounding his ankle.

“Aaaaah!”

Adrian yanked back his feet, but with only one foot, he couldn’t keep up his balance and fell down to the ground.

‘Low-quality martial arts. I’ve seen much more evolved versions of kickboxing, and I must say that this version is one of the worst.

‘I shouldn’t be surprised. If the people of this country are weak, of course their martial arts are as well.

‘However, this visit was still worth it. I now know what level Travis’ martial arts are, and I can plan accordingly for Neal to beat him.’

Kiernan picked up his hoodie and headed to the exit.

“Master, are you alright?!”

She ran to Adrian’s side, who was clutching his bleeding ankle, but with frightened eyes, he watched as Kiernan left.

“W-when did a monster like him arrive in Sirkus?”