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Chapter 17 - The Human Ornament

Dallas Cowboys Stadium. First Quarter. Time: 10:20.

The catastrophic failure of the Armbar had silenced the home crowd and shattered the image of their newly acquired "legal weapon." But the fight was far from over.

Levi stood over the writhing figure of Jon "The Bone" Tavares, a victor who had just proven that Diamond Form was not just a shield against impact, but an offensive weapon against manipulation.

Instantly, the second specialist, Khabib "The Eagle" Nurmagomedov—the undefeated wrestling expert—rushed the line. He ignored the ball and the broken body of his comrade. His eyes, hard and focused, fixed on Levi's center of mass.

The Eagle's Takedown.

Nurmagomedov was a master of leverage. He didn't aim for a tackle; he executed a textbook, lightning-fast double-leg takedown, wrapping his arms around Levi's waist and hips, driving his shoulder low.

Levi's body instantly lost its kinetic stability, the principle of leverage overcoming the raw strength of the Diamond Form. He felt his feet lift, and his $230 \text{ lb}$ frame tilted toward the muddy turf, about to be slammed onto his back. This was the ultimate wrestling maneuver, designed to stun and immediately transition into a submission hold.

The situation was critical. A successful slam could compromise his neck or lead straight to a devastating ground-and-pound, or worse—a choke.

Yet, a primal, reckless laugh escaped Levi's throat. "You think you can slam me?"

"Can you hold me?!"

[SKILL ACTIVATION: CORE STRENGTH LIBERATION!]

Levi's abdominal and lumbar muscles—now fortified to 50x density—exploded with catastrophic force. He didn't execute a counter-throw; he simply used sheer, absolute core power to defy the physics of the takedown.

He wrenched his body upright, reversing the axis of the rotation. The action was so sudden and violent that Nurmagomedov—the master of the takedown—lost his footing, finding himself instead inverted and pulled tightly against Levi's back.

The champion wrestler had failed the takedown and had become Levi's 180lb Human Ornament, locked around Levi's waist in a perfect, parasitic embrace.

The Choke and the Sprint.

Nurmagomedov, a champion whose dictionary did not contain the word 'surrender,' instantly adapted. He wasn't focused on the end zone; he was focused on survival and victory. He instantly transitioned to his most dreaded finishing move: the Rear Naked Choke (RNC).

His forearm secured Levi's throat, the pressure rapidly cutting off the carotid artery flow and the oxygen supply.

[CRITICAL WARNING: REAR NAKED CHOKE DETECTED.]

Levi's vision narrowed, the field lights blurring into streaks. His face began to turn a deep, alarming crimson.

System! Can I endure this?!

[SYSTEM FEEDBACK: Hardness cannot defeat Asphyxiation. However, Host's neck musculature has evolved to Diamond-grade, offering temporary resistance. WARNING: Loss of Consciousness within 15 seconds.]

He felt the dizzying onset of oxygen deprivation, but the arrogance of the Diamond Form rejected physiological failure. "You want to choke me? Dream on!"

He didn't attempt to peel the arms away—a waste of precious seconds. His strategy was simple, insane, and pure Levi: ACCELERATE!

Levi slammed his cleats into the muddy turf, unleashing his full 50x attributes. He became a red, running, human cannonball, dragging the world-class wrestler across the midfield line.

The commentary booth went ballistic. "He's choked! His face is turning purple! But he's running faster than ever! He's carrying the King of Wrestlers on his back!"

Nurmagomedov was stunned. His choke, which could fell a bull in seconds, was failing against this accelerating, moving diamond. He felt his arms sliding against Levi's steel-tight muscles. He was clutching a moving piece of ordnance, not a man.

The Human Shield Tactic.

Time: 10:25 AM. Levi cleared the 40-yard line.

Nurmagomedov tightened his grip, roaring in primal desperation. He couldn't let Levi score.

BAM!

The final MMA champion, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, the most physically powerful of the trio, rushed in, executing a low tackle aimed directly at Levi's destabilized knee.

Levi, using a fraction of a second's worth of peripheral vision, executed a violent, lateral shift of his hips. The Human Ornament became the Human Shield!

Coleman's full-speed impact missed Levi's knee entirely and slammed into The Eagle's lower back and ribs.

"AAAAHHH!!!" Nurmagomedov shrieked, the most horrific sound of the game. He was betrayed by his own teammate. The shock of the impact on his core instantly loosened the RNC.

Levi seized the zero-point-one-second opportunity. He spun out of the lock and, using the last of the momentum, flung the semi-conscious wrestler like a 180lb shot put toward the pursuing Cowboys safety.

The safety was wiped out by his teammate (the Human Weapon). The path to the endzone was clear.

Levi ran the final 20 yards with unmatched speed. TOUCHDOWN!

The Final Humiliation.

Levi spiked the ball and walked back to the two defeated champions. Nurmagomedov lay prone, covered in mud, his face a mask of despair. He had exhausted his professional dignity and his legendary technique, only to become Levi's "Ornament of Glory."

Levi stood over him, his voice low and contemptuous. "How was that, Wrestling King? Was that the most unique touchdown of your entire career? You were carried across the finish line on my back."

Nurmagomedov, defeated in body and spirit, could only cough up a mix of mud and acid. The humiliation was absolute.

The Aftermath and the Kiss.

Dr. Sophie Vance, seeing the touchdown, screamed and charged the field, instantly running past the broken bodies. She checked Levi's throat and elbow. Finding them intact, she turned her rage onto the opposing sideline.

"This is football, not your blood sport!" she yelled at the Cowboys' owner's box, her voice shaking with fury. "You tried to use illegal chokeholds and joint locks for permanent injury! I will submit this footage and your illegal UFC contracts to the FBI!"

Sophie's fierce defense, combining her medical authority with protective loyalty, became the perfect counterpoint to Levi's savage display.

Levi smiled, watching her fight for him. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off the ground, silencing her protest.

"Woman, stop stealing my spotlight," he murmured, lowering his head and kissing her forehead in front of the entire stadium. "This is my battlefield. Watch your husband handle the rest."

He set her down and returned to the midfield, the score now $7:0$. The third MMA champion, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, was their last, desperate hope. The coach was screaming a new tactic at Coleman: "Forget the joints! Use the coldest weapon! The spikes!"

The assassination attempt was far from over.

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