The Opening

In just half an hour, the first male fights had ended, and everyone was waiting to see who their next opponents would be.

As the group gathered for an inspiring speech, Max looked at Devon's ponytail and, noticing her ribbon headband, said, "Amazing hairstyle, you look more intimidating that way."

"If you let me tie your hair, you'd surely look just as intimidating," Devon replied, glancing at Max. She felt nervous about him fighting with his hair covering his vision, believing it would hinder him.

"First, you'll need to qualify for the real final fights. That means fighting until the tournament reaches the final classification, and it's important not to show your best moves," Johnny said as he looked over the match list, noting how his students were arranged.

"So, who's up first in this second round?" Devon asked Johnny, who nodded, causing a desperate look to form on her face.

"We'll go in order when they call us. That means everyone will fight, and if we lose here, we won't even qualify…" Miguel, standing nearby, seemed worried. He wanted to make it to the finals and show the audience everything he had learned so far.

"That's correct. Don't show any weakness and take advantage of every opportunity to score points," Johnny advised, just as someone from the organization approached.

"Devon Lee will face Ann Berker!"

"Max Jones will face Orlando Lastró!"

"We were called at the same time. Will you be okay without my supervision?" Max wiped the sweat from his face, teasing Devon.

"I'll finish faster than you again. Want to bet?" Devon smiled enthusiastically. She couldn't wait to face someone other than Max and see how far she'd come.

When Devon stepped onto the mat, the referee brought them together. After bowing to each other, the match began.

"Oh, here I go again…"

This time, it wouldn't be as simple as the last round. She now faced an opponent who was at least three years older than her, so she had to be cautious not to take heavy hits.

Recalling each of her kicking techniques, Devon assumed the standard karate fighting stance, adapting it slightly, and provocatively smiled.

Her opponent smirked, realizing she was facing someone younger. As soon as the match began, Ann charged at Devon with a grin. But the moment Ann made her move, Devon shifted her weight, pivoted her hips, and in a fraction of a second, landed a swift kick to Ann's face.

Ann, who had taken the initiative, desperately tried to raise her guard, but Devon's kick wasn't just fast—it was powerful, breaking through her defenses.

"Point!"

Resetting her stance, Devon, whose heart was racing with excitement, wasted no time. Once she got the green light to move again, she closed the distance between her and Ann with front kicks.

Ann's face flushed from the blow, and a natural fear crept into her fighting spirit, causing her to instinctively retreat.

After two front kicks, Devon noticed Ann nearing the boundary line of the mat. She leapt forward and struck her opponent's shoulder with a push kick.

"Ah!"

"Point!"

Spinning quickly, Devon returned to her position. Her serious expression sought her opponent's gaze, and she smiled when their eyes met.

"Back to the center!" The referee, surprised by Devon's kicks, noted how unusual it was to see so many kicks in a karate match since most fighters trained for close-range combat.

"Just one more point…" Devon clenched her fists. She could sense her opponent's fear and had no intention of letting up.

"Fight!"

When the referee signaled the match to continue, Devon advanced with a kick. But noticing Ann pivot and throw straight punches, Devon slid through her opponent's strikes and landed a clean blow to her chest.

"Point!"

Realizing she had won, Devon smiled with joy. Not being hit even once made her feel better than she initially expected.

"Well done, Devon! You've used the element of surprise incredibly well!" Johnny approached her with a towel, handing it to her as she wiped away some sweat.

"What about Max?"

"He's got it handled."

…

On the other side of the mat, Max stood with his opponent.

"Face me. Bow!"

"Face each other. Bow!"

Max looked at his rival and clenched his fists tightly. Orlando, an eighteen-year-old with the build of an adult, was so big that Max had to be careful—a single hit could send him flying out of the ring.

"Ready? Fight!"

When the referee started the match, Orlando found it amusing that they had paired him against a kid. He advanced slowly.

"Let me take it easy on you!" Orlando said, aiming a long kick at Max. The casual effort behind it was strong enough to knock Max out if it hit a weak spot.

Thump!

As Max dodged the first kick, his eyes widened. Spotting an opening in Orlando's leg, he twisted his body and delivered a powerful kick.

The force of the kick was something even Max hadn't anticipated. He assumed his rival's size would make his blows feel like gentle taps, so he didn't hold back.

BAM!

"Now!"

But as his kick landed on Orlando's upper leg, the larger boy collapsed, rolling on the ground and clutching the impact site.

"Step aside!" The referee pulled Max back, who stood frozen, stunned to see the big guy go down with a single kick.

"Was one kick enough?"

Witnessing the scene, Max froze on the sidelines, unsure of what to do.

Wouldn't they disqualify him for this? In karate, hitting too hard could lead to disqualification.

This wasn't the first time Max had surprised his opponents like this, but this was an official tournament, and he needed to consider the rules.