Starforce Warriors

The awakening of superpowers had enhanced the body's individual attributes in a way that completely defied the boundaries of science. With each awakening, the human body took another step toward something beyond human.

For strength-type Awakened like Zhao Guoqiang, the enhancement of their physical abilities brought about by superpowers was the strongest among all types.

The water blade, concealed by the mist and the sound of water droplets, suddenly struck. However, at the critical moment, Zhao Guoqiang relied on his acute sense of hearing to perceive the attack. He had no time to evade and used the bundle of steel rods in his hands to block it.

Ding ding.

Two faint metallic sounds rang out. Two steel rods, each as thick as a finger, instantly showed two half-centimeter deep dents. Zhao Guoqiang's heart tightened. He had already tested the power of the opponent's water blade, and the conclusion was clear. It was not to be underestimated.

His reaction was swift. He immediately threw four steel rods in the direction the water blade had come from.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

The steel rods turned into streaks of black light, piercing through the air like sniper bullets. They shot into the mist, leaving four slowly fading holes in the fog. But the sound that followed in the next instant clearly told Zhao Guoqiang that the steel rods had once again embedded themselves into the rocky ground. They failed to hit any human target.

He did not dare to remain in his original position. He flung six steel rods behind him to ensure that Yoshida Maya's figure was not in that location. At the same time, he backpedaled in that direction to reposition himself.

Chi chi chi!

Four water blades slashed through the air from different angles, shredding the spot where Zhao Guoqiang had originally been. In the blink of an eye, both fighters displayed their combat skills and reflexes to the fullest.

Overall, the situation was not in Zhao Guoqiang's favor. The combination of mist, water blades and the sound of water droplets had turned the entire arena into Yoshida Maya's domain.

Under the influence of water-based superpowers, the mist not only obscured Zhao Guoqiang's vision but also allowed Yoshida Maya to instantly perceive his movements.

Meanwhile, the sound of dripping water interfered with Zhao Guoqiang's hearing, making it impossible for him to pinpoint his opponent's position. This also made the water blades' attacks even more sudden and harder to defend against.

After two to three minutes, two fresh wounds had already appeared on Zhao Guoqiang's arm and right leg. Blood red blood stained his clothes.

Zhao Guoqiang panted heavily as he kept throwing steel rods. Each one shot through the air like a streak of dark light. But since he couldn't locate Yoshida Maya, the steel rods failed to hit their mark.

One after another, the steel rods missed, embedding themselves into the ground. When he had stepped onto the stage, he had carried a large snakeskin bag filled with steel rods. There were five bundles in total, with each bundle containing twenty rods.

Whoosh whoosh.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh.

In the blink of an eye, he had already thrown ninety eight steel rods. Only two remained in his hands, which he gripped tightly.

At the same time, the mist covering the arena seemed to have thinned slightly. Yoshida Maya smiled soundlessly. In his eyes, the light of a fisherman delivering the final strike to a hooked prey flickered with excitement.

He cautiously manipulated the water blades, launching continuous feints at Zhao Guoqiang to draw the Great Xia Awakened's full attention.

At the same time, a water blade slowly condensed in Yoshida Maya's hand. This was the moment. A faint shadow of Yoshida Maya suddenly appeared within the mist. It was as swift as a gust of wind as it charged straight toward Zhao Guoqiang.

Zhao Guoqiang reacted instantly. With a loud shout, he hurled the last two steel rods with every ounce of strength he had left.

Whoosh whoosh!

The streaks of black light pierced through Yoshida Maya's shadow and tore it apart into scattered mist. However, the shadow was not real, it was just a mirage formed from condensed mist. He had fallen for it. Zhao Guoqiang's heart tightened in shock.

In the next instant—

Chi!

A water blade struck from behind like a venomous serpent and stabbed directly into Zhao Guoqiang's left shoulder. Unlike the water blades that had only left shallow wounds on his body before, this half-meter-long water blade pierced straight through his shoulder.

The searing pain nearly caused Zhao Guoqiang to lose consciousness. Yet an unknown surge of strength erupted from somewhere deep within. At the critical moment, he let out a furious roar, twisted his body violently and used his own flesh and bones to snap the water blade lodged inside him.

At the same time, he spread his arms wide and wrapped them around Yoshida Maya's body. Then, he exerted all his strength.

Crack! Crack!

The primal force of a strength-type Awakened burst forth, and several of Yoshida Maya's ribs shattered. Blood gushed from Yoshida Maya's mouth and nose.

In desperation, he unleashed his water-controlling ability without restraint. His superpower surged into Zhao Guoqiang's left arm through the open wound, draining every drop of blood and liquid from within it.

Puff!

Zhao Guoqiang's left shoulder instantly crumbled into a dry mass of dust as it dispersed into the air.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yoshida Maya retreated as he endured the searing pain in his chest. A new water blade formed in his hand and he thrust it toward Zhao Guoqiang.

Zhao Guoqiang let out a furious roar. Instead of retreating, he advanced forward, allowing the blade to pierce straight through his abdomen. At the same time, he slammed his uninjured right shoulder full force into Yoshida Maya's chest.

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking echoed across the arena once more. Yoshida Maya was sent flying backward from the impact.

Puff!

Still midair, he spat out a stream of blood, yet a twisted smile of excitement spread across his face. Even with his chest bones shattered, he still had the strength to fight.

But Zhao Guoqiang, having lost an arm and now impaled by a water blade, could not possibly last any longer. No matter how strong his physical endurance was, he could no longer continue fighting. Yet, in the next instant—

Puff! Puff!

The chilling sound of metal piercing flesh rang out. Yoshida Maya's expression twisted in shock and terror. The steel rods that had been thrown earlier, now embedded in the ground, had suddenly stabbed upward the moment he crashed down.

Four steel rods pierced through his calf, thigh, right chest, and left shoulder, pinning him to the ground like a skewered tuna. The sheer severity of the injuries instantly drained the last of his strength.

Blood gushed from his wounds like a fountain. His body convulsed uncontrollably from the pain. At this point, let alone activating his superpowers, even moving a single finger became an impossible task.

The mist covering the arena dissipated in an instant. The sound of dripping water and the water blades vanished along with it.

On the ground, the mineral water mixed with blood and formed a dark, slick pool. Whether it was the guests in the viewing stands or the spectators in the audience, everyone was stunned by this sudden, brutal turn of events.

Two superpowered fighters lay on the battlefield. One lying motionless, the other still standing.

The one lying down resembled a dissected frog from a biology class, his limbs pinned to the ground and convulsing uncontrollably. Yet, he remained conscious and was struggling with all his might to break free.

The one standing had his eyes wide open in fury, frozen in the stance of his final shoulder charge. Blood poured endlessly from the wound in his abdomen and his left arm was entirely missing from the shoulder down. Yet, despite being on his feet, he had already slipped into a deep coma and was completely motionless.

"Is it over?"

"Is this... a double knockout?"

"This is way too brutal."

The arena buzzed with hushed yet uncontrollable murmurs of disbelief.

A chorus of gasps erupted in both fighters' waiting rooms as well. Even the judges on-site were momentarily at a loss, uncertain how to declare the outcome. Who had won?