The Martial Arts Schools

"I can't believe we're here. Have you seen how many people there are?" Miguel said, sitting in the room reserved for Miyagi-Do Fang.

Hawk looked at the huge TV showing the competitors getting off the buses and, for a moment, saw a familiar face: "No way, is that Dash?"

"He's on TV!"

"Oh my God, hi Dash!"

"He can't hear you, idiot."

"I know that!"

"Then why are you greeting him?"

Johnny looked at his students and shook his head in total disappointment. "I haven't mentioned it, but I think we won't get very far. Most of the competitors are Asian; these guys have the deadliest moves in their blood, like in the movies."

"Forget that." Daniel almost lost a few neurons hearing what Johnny had just said.

"[All martial arts schools, prepare yourselves; the competition is about to start.]"

Everyone watched the message broadcast on TV, and they began to feel nervous.

"The first to compete will be the most recognized school in the recent world tournaments. I suppose that spot will go to Sakura Bushido."

"I don't think so."

"Are you kidding? You saw the world championships at that school's dojo; they all came from China."

"Everyone, get ready to go out."

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, you've waited a long time, but finally, we are here... Martial arts schools from all over the world have trained for more than two years to achieve glory in this mythical Tenkai Senkai. Do you want to know who will be participating?"

"Alright, for a school like this, no introduction is needed. Its members have won world titles and championships that have brought glory not only to them but also to their respective schools! This year, due to certain changes, they will participate in ten pairs, the best their school can offer. You don't need to know who they are if you just remember the dragon warrior, a four-time champion who has brought glory in hundreds of pearls."

The presenter pointed to the entrance and said, "A round of applause for Sakura Bushido, led by the incredible Master Han!"

At that moment, Master Han came out with his twenty students, who lined up on the enormous platform that was empty of a fighting stage and instead had a large mat divided into six sections where the finalists would be selected. Sakura Bushido's uniforms were all black, and they lined up in the center as the top challengers.

"The next dojo won last year's title. Its history is as great as the history of this tournament, and they were among those whose ancient and legendary masters managed to spread martial arts to new generations. Let's welcome the Wing Chun martial arts school!"

Compared to other schools, this one had more students, enough to be potential winners again and bring glory to this tournament. The participants' ages ranged from eighteen to thirty, which could be a problem for younger competitors.

"Jake Kim is the most dangerous fighter in that school. It's said he's South Korean, so I guess he knows us because he hasn't taken his eyes off us since they came out." Devon whispered this to Dash, who was also watching Jake Kim, who was lined up in front of them.

"He's very strong." Dash felt a burning fire when he saw that there were truly powerful competitors.

"From another continent, let's welcome the Wasabi Warriors!"

"A round of applause for Cobra Kai Dojo!"

Dash looked at Danny, who seemed completely different from the one who won the tournament, and that was good. If he were the same as before, everything would indicate he would be an easy rival to defeat in this competition.

"And finally, representing the legacy of a great master from Japan, let's give a warm welcome to Miyagi-Do Fang, led by their two great karate masters, Johnny and Daniel."

The moment they named the last school, everyone stood up when they saw the thirty schools selected from around the world. The most relevant had gathered in one place, and now they were about to fight to find out who would be the champion.

"The people of this country love martial arts." Devon murmured while watching all the people cheering, not for them but because the competition was about to start.

This time was very different from all previous occasions. Here, more important schools were gathered than those Dash had fought before, so Dash hoped to defeat them all without leaving his people behind.

When all the martial arts schools entered, they were assigned places to warm up, and surprisingly, Sakura Bushido was placed near Miyagi-Do Fang.

"Is there anything we need to know before we start beating all the dojos?" Devon touched Dash's hair, which was a bit long, and looked at Master Han, who was reviewing a paper.

"There's no limit to the strength you use. Points are important because with three of them, you win the match, but they must be points that cause pain to your opponent or push them out of the fighting area." This was one of the reasons why some fighters wouldn't continue because they would get injured.

"We got it clear!"

Dash looked at the combat arena and the leaderboard right in front of him.

"Men go first, so I'll support you from the side." Devon said while patting Dash on the shoulder.

"Will you be my pillow if I lose?"

Devon smiled and said, "At least we must fight in the final. It would be embarrassing to come all the way here and be defeated by the locals."

Dash smiled at hearing this, and his gaze began to evaluate all the people who could be a possible obstacle to his victory here.