Martial Arts Worlds
Chapter 523: Praying to the Four Gods

Chapter 523: Praying to the Four Gods

Death Merchant jumped forward, punched through the block of earth, and met with Kiernan’s gaze.

The evil gaze stopped Kiernan’s heart once more.

"Urgh..."

With a finger, Death Merchant stabbed Kiernan repeatedly in the chest, and the blood just kept spraying out.

’I-I am dying...’

Kiernan felt the life draining out of him, his vision darkening as Death Merchant’s face twisted into a cruel smile.

"Death sent me here, just for you. You cannot escape death anymore. You did not deserve reincarnation. It wasn’t for you."

At that moment, a crackling of lightning sounded, and a bolt of thunder came heading his way.

Death Merchant stopped it with his hands and saw a white-blue-haired young man looking at him angrily with intent to kill.

"Hands off my cousin!"

Zeus said angrily, ducked under the Death Merchant’s gaze, and charged at him with an overhead punch.

’Zeus...’

Kiernan took a deep breath of air—since Death Merchant looked away from him, his heart resumed beating—and he was also able to breathe again.

Death Merchant caught Zeus’ punch and kneed him in the chest—the knee kick shattered Zeus’ ribs and made him cough blood.

"Fuck..."

Zeus whispered with blood pouring out of his mouth.

Kiernan ripped the jersey off him, wrapped it around the Death Merchant’s eyes, and lunged towards Zeus.

He put Zeus into a carry, clenched his hand into a fist, and punched at the ground.

The ground collapsed under them, and they started falling towards the floor below them that was filled with forests, lakes, and mountains.

"Argh..."

Zeus groaned in pain, looked towards the broken ground above them, and saw the shadow of the dark-haired man loom over them.

"...Who the hell is that person?"

"Why did you help me, Zeus? You’ve wanted to do nothing more than ruin my chances in the competition."

Kiernan asked with a frown, landed at the floor below them, hidden in the midst of the thick forest, and he then lowered Zeus down to the ground.

"T-This is different... It’s just a competition... This is different... This is a matter of life and death. You might be the bastard who does not carry the name... but you’re my auntie’s child..."

Zeus coughed blood and clutched his waist with a painful gaze—some of the broken ribs were stabbing into his lungs.

"...I appreciate it."

Kiernan waved his hand, and a flask of healing potion appeared in his hand—he put it near Zeus’s mouth.

"Healing potion... You’re also injured, if you haven’t noticed."

Zeus said with a hazy vision and looked at Kiernan’s bleeding chest—the two stab wounds were bleeding profusely.

"I’ll survive. Your injuries are much more severe."

Kiernan said and forced him to drink it—the ribs started to heal instantly, and Zeus felt a sharp pain as his vision became clearer.

"Thanks... We better get moving before he finds us. Try to conceal your aura so he cannot discover you."

Zeus said and stumbled to his feet.

"I am already doing that. However, I don’t believe he is using the aura detection method. I think he is using our life signals to find us."

Kiernan said.

"Really? How do you know that?"

Zeus asked.

"Because that stranger over there is an advent of death. A person from hell. I don’t know how he got to the world of the living, but here he is."

Kiernan said.

"A ceremony... I know there are some dark ceremonies that allow summoning of ancient eldritch beings from other realms."

Zeus said.

"That would explain it."

Kiernan said, nudged his chin, and headed down the forest with Zeus—they believed that there must be an exit somewhere.

...

Above the ground, in the emptying stadium with the streets flooding with people running as fast as they could, Death Merchant looked down the hole.

With his senses, he could tell where his target was going to—he had already put a tracker on Kiernan—and he was never going to be able to escape him.

It didn’t matter if he moved to a whole other realm; he would still be able to find him without any trouble.

The commentator was still hiding in his booth—he kept whispering to the microphone—and the broadcast still showed the stranger.

"W-what will happen to this place now...?

"The World Martial Arts Federation needs some people to save us, or everyone here will die!"

At that moment, a silver staff pierced through the air and stabbed into the ground of the Talent Road.

It cracked the ground and made a loud, echoing noise that reverberated through the entire area.

The eyes of billions of people, all around the world, turned their gazes to the staff.

Those who weren’t all that interested in the Junior Martial Arts Championship turned to the broadcast after they heard what happened.

From friends... families... the internet... the news... There were many ways to find out what was currently going on.

At that moment, a man landed on top of the staff, standing on top of it with one leg while his other leg dangled on the side.

"Death Merchant, the sword of death, and the hunter of souls. Your realm is the Hell, and the land of the living has no place for you."

Pankratios King said with a mighty voice.

"Fallen Angel of the Lord? You have no right to pass judgment on me. I am beyond your control, and I will not be swayed by your threats."

Death Merchant said coldly.

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!

Pankratios snapped his fingers four times—four emblems appeared in the air around him—they were symbols of a cross, a flower, the face of a beast, and a star.

"I pray to the Abrahamic God!"

"I pray to the Fair One!"

"I pray to the Beastfather!"

"I pray to the Starfather!"

"I pray to the Four Gods of the Creation—the god of humans, the goddess of elves, the father of all Animalkin, and the One born from the star."

Pankratios put his hands together, slid them up his chest, and closed his eyes with murmurs and whispers leaving his mouth.

"You, Fallen Angel, have no power to request the Four Gods to send me away. Death has sent me here, and I have come to collect an escaped soul.

"I am just here to do my job."

Death Merchant said coldly.

"Who are you after?"

Pankratios asked coldly.

"Kiernan... Hunter!"

Pankratios’ eyes turned wide in shock.

"Why would you be after him?"

"He is one who does not belong here. He is one who escaped. He is one that must be brought back to face justice!"

Death Merchant shouted.

"...I am afraid that I cannot allow that to happen. I do not know what happened between him and Death, but he is here now. He lives. I will not let you take him!"

Pankratios shouted.