Martial Arts System
chapter-153

*SPURT*

The wound on Ichiro's shoulder got ripped open!

His muscles which covered the wound wasn't listening to him anymore!

He can't use Demonic Healing because he is using that to cover the massive wound in his torso.

"RAAA!" Avery madly cried and ran towards Ichiro.

[Ultimate Moon Killing Technique – Moon's Gravity!]

Avery put his hand forwards and thrusted it towards Ichiro's neck.

Ichiro moved out of the way, but then he noticed how Avery's eyes was still locked with his body— it was like he anticipated that move!

"?!" Ichiro turned his head and saw Avery's hand about to pierce through his neck.

[Iron Burst!]

*SWOOSH'

Ichiro did a split-second decision and used Iron Burst to escape his current peril, but he is still in trouble.

[Ultimate Moon Killing Technique – Death Moon]

Avery did all sorts of attacks, all aimed at Ichiro's vitals.

[Steel Edge – Perfect Harmony]

But Ichiro used both his arms and legs to redirect the incoming attack.

But he didn't have the energy to keep doing that. His stomach is completely empty, and he doesn't have the energy to do anything.

And because of that… Avery's attack landed!

*SPURT*

*STAB*

Avery's hand pierced through Ichiro's body, and he tried to push his hand forwards to destroy Ichiro's heart.

But he wasn't planning to let him do that— Ichiro quickly moved his heart out of the way.

"GRRR!" Avery gritted his teeth with frustration, "Can't you fucking die?!"

"Huff… Huff…" Ichiro was panting heavily while his face was drenched in sweat.

"ICHIRO, YOU CAN DO IT!" Rafael and others kept shouting.

While Iceland members cheered.

"D-D-Do you have any regrets in your Martial Arts career?" Ichiro suddenly asked with a fatigued face.

"Hmm?" Avery raised an eyebrow.

"I-I have a lot…" Ichiro took a deep breath and continued, "I-I regret letting my Master down… I regret that I let arrogance cloud my judgment… I-I also regret wanting to die in front of that truck…"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Avery asked with a twitching eyebrow.

Ichiro looked him in the eye, "I wonder… I-I had regrets… B-But I have been trying to get rid of my regrets and live the life I wanted… There were three things I have always wanted to do since I started practicing Martial Arts…"

"First one… I wanted to be able to defend myself if needed… Second, I wanted to use it to protect my loved ones… Third, I wanted to do something meaningful."

"Are those your final words?" Avery asked while his face was as cold as ice.

Ichiro chuckled and started talking, "First, now I need to defend myself against you… Second, I want to protect Azura and Third… I can finally do something meaningful."

"Oh, what's that?"

Ichiro smiled— he couldn't hear the vibrations in the air anymore.

He can even hear Avery, but that means that his transformation is over.

But his transformation didn't seem to disappear.

"I will bet my life on this match… Can you do the same?" Ichiro said with a crazy-looking smile.

"Eh?!" Avery widened his eyes.

Ichiro grabbed his hand and pushed it away from his body.

*SMACK'

Ichiro used his only remaining arm and punched Avery's cheek, which only sent him stumbling backward.

"PFFT!" Avery spat out a few more teeth.

Ichiro's vision was getting blurry, but the memories of his past life surfaced into his mind once again.

-Memory-

"Kurogami-kun, what do you want to do with your life?" His master, Taguchi Juro asked.

He and Ichiro were sitting in the middle of the temple while hundreds of students were watching them.

The sky was dark, and the moon was glowing brightly while stars circled around it.

"I want to do something meaningful!" Ichiro instantly replied.

"Meaningful… Like what?" Juro asked calmly.

"I want everyone to remember my name! I want my life to have some sort of meaning and not be someone who history won't remember."

"How are you planning to do that?" Juro looked at Ichiro's confident posture with a frown.

"Government wanted my help… I plan to help them." Ichiro replied.

"No! As your master, I can't allow you to do something like that! You should be aware of what they are expecting from you!" Juro shouted angrily.

Ichiro scoffed, "So what? If killing few trashes makes the world a safer place, should I not do it?"

"Is this what you want from your life? To be a killer?!"

"If that's what I have to become to fulfill my goal… Then yes." Ichiro replied with a cold face.

Juro gritted his teeth and stood up, "LEAVE THIS PLACE! YOU ARE NOT WELCOMED HERE!"

Ichiro snorted and stood up, "I have nothing left to learn anyway!"

Juro was fuming in anger, but he turned away.

Ichiro has always been his favorite student, but he is going on the wrong path, and he cannot redirect it.

Ichiro snorted and started walking away.

"Don't die, Master. One day, I will come back and take the crown of the World's Strongest Man!"

With those words… He left the temple.

But it was also… The last time he saw his master.

-Memory End-

'It's hilarious… I should have listened to my master… Being a killer didn't get me into the history books… Saving some innocent little girl did… What irony.' Ichiro had a lot of regrets in his life.

But the biggest one was leaving the temple that day.

*BAM*

*BAM*

Avery sloppily punched at Ichiro's block, with almost no strength behind those strikes.

He was also getting exhausted, but Ichiro can already feel his bones breaking.

*SWISH*

Avery's body was also getting shorter! His transformation is over as well!

Soon his 185cm became the normal 175cm.

"NO!" Iceland members shouted with defeated looks.

"YES, TAKE HIM DOWN!" Rafael and others were thrilled.

But then… Ichiro's body started getting shorter, and he became the 185cm tall youth.

But… His body was very skinny and malnourished.

His face was also very skinny, with no signs of his previous handsomeness.

"No!"

Avery was clearly in better shape, but he was very exhausted.

But Ichiro looked like he could die with one touch.

"D-Die!" Avery roared and punched!

Ichiro clumsily took a step towards the left and managed to dodge the punch, but he almost fell down.

"RAA!" Avery did another punch, which will definitely hit!

But Ichiro looked calm.

He smiled and thought, 'I never understood you, Master… But now I do…'

*BAM*

The punch hit Ichiro in the torso, and Avery expected him to fall down and die.

But…

Ichiro didn't even flinch.

"H-How…?" Avery asked with a hoarse tone.

"I thought that my Master was masochist for wanting to use this style… But I gotta admit… It's powerful."

[Juro Style – Body Block]

Ichiro grabbed Avery's shoulder, "You are strong… But you lack the will to win!"

Ichiro's skinny arm started trembling.

"HANDS OFF ME!" Avery roared and tried to crush Ichiro's skinny hand.

But then…

[Juro Style – Body Slam!]

Ichiro used his body and slammed towards Avery's body.

"UGH!" Avery felt pain surrounding his body— he doesn't understand how Ichiro could do that with such a skinny body!

Ichiro smiled and removed his hand from Avery's shoulder.

Avery reeled in his arm and punched towards Ichiro's unguarded face.

But then…

Ichiro smiled and punched as well.

"Y-You are strong… B-But not as strong as I!"

*SMACK*

Avery's punch hit Ichiro in the face, but his fist hit Avery as well.

They both didn't move until finally… One of them fell down…