He’s Just Pretending

Thud!

Max's fist brushed Andrew's chin.

"Wow!"

A gasp rose from the crowd.

"Max's arms are a little shorter, Andrew is taller, and his dodging speed is incredible," Devon observed from the sidelines. She had studied Max's opponent thoroughly and understood that Max's only disadvantage here was his age.

Andrew's father wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed with relief.

The journalists present at the scene, however, remained skeptical. Before the fight, they had received an enthusiastic tip claiming Max was using some kind of substance to enhance his strength. Yet, those who had reviewed his fighting history knew how formidable he truly was.

Could Max's missed punch have been deliberate?

Doubts lingered as the reporters watched the combat arena closely, looking for evidence that Max might be a fraud.

Max and Andrew exchanged direct punches, neither scoring points as they attacked and defended each other. They targeted areas where points could be easily earned, but both guarded themselves too well. The fight was thrilling for spectators accustomed to matches ending in under two minutes.

This was why Max's popularity had soared in this tournament. What other one-eyed fighter could deliver such a performance? If the fight didn't feature movie-like attacks, it was bound to end in a spectacular knockout.

The crowd erupted, chanting "Cobra Kai" and cheering for both fighters.

Daniel, watching with only two of his students left in the quarterfinals, felt frustrated. Most of the remaining competitors were from Cobra Kai—a rival he wanted to defeat the right way, just as his sensei had done in the past.

From the first to the fourth minute, the two men fought an evenly matched battle, showcasing their exceptional offensive and defensive karate skills.

By this point, not only the reporters but even Max's daily training partners sensed something was off. With Max's strength and speed, knocking out the "frail" Andrew shouldn't have been difficult. Yet, after four minutes, there was no KO—just Andrew retreating out of bounds as he struggled to keep up with Max.

This wasn't Max's usual style. He had earned a reputation as "The Exterminator."

The journalists speculated that this might be linked to the recent accusations against Max. He had even undergone blood tests to prove he wasn't using drugs.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

In the fifth minute, Max showcased flawless karate techniques, proving to the audience how superior he was compared to the other participants in the tournament.

The spectators were ecstatic, cheering relentlessly.

"KO! Why isn't there a KO?"

"This is exciting, but for Max's level, the fight shouldn't last this long."

"What's Max doing?"

Ryan, watching from the sidelines with his teammates, couldn't hold back: "What are you doing, Max? Finish it already!"

"He won't do it yet..." Miguel murmured. He had overheard a conversation between the coaches and knew Max had been moved by the plea of a desperate father worried about Andrew.

Hawk clenched his fists and smiled confidently as he watched Max in the arena.

"Let's go! Max, let's go!"

"Captain!"

"Come on, Andrew!"

In the open arena, the crowd cheered for every minute of the match, their voices hoarse but energized. Watching a live battle between two karatekas was far more thrilling than yelling at a bar.

Karatekas from other dojos watched intently, their eyes wide with admiration for the fighters' movements—brilliant attacks, defenses, dodges, and counters. It was like witnessing two karate masters in action.

"No way. Andrew is so thin that I could knock him down with one punch. Max has been fighting him for over five minutes? Is he toying with him? Are his fists sore?" Ryan grumbled, bored with the match.

"Isn't it fantastic? Why do you want it to end so soon?" Johnny watched with great interest.

Beside him, Georges held a camera, recording the fight to show future students for their training.

"But don't you think it's odd? With Max's level, this shouldn't be happening. Something feels off, and I don't like it," Ryan insisted.

"There is a problem, but I understand Max." Johnny's gaze was filled with admiration.

Ryan's eyes widened. He couldn't understand what was worthy of admiration here.

"Is your admiration misplaced?"

"Don't you think?" Georges turned and smiled. "If you faced a martial artist with great skills in a tournament, wouldn't you fight for a few extra rounds to refine your techniques?"

Ryan looked at his fist and replied, "No. I'd just hit them until I won."

Georges shook his head and sighed. "That's the difference between ordinary fighters and Max. Newer fighters just think about defeating their opponents quickly and winning the match. Max, however, sees every fight as an opportunity to learn. That's why he keeps getting stronger. Also, Max's diligence, hard work, and eagerness to learn have always stood out. Every young fighter here should aspire to that."

Miguel, listening, looked at Max with admiration, his eyes glowing.

Someone from another dojo muttered, "That's not true at all. He's obviously faking his punches."

"Shut up! You can insult me, but don't you dare insult Max!" Ryan snapped, clenching his fists angrily.

The boy from the other dojo gaped, bewildered. For the first time in his years of fighting, he felt something was truly off.

"Ryan, don't you think something's wrong with this match? Max is throwing fake punches at that poor kid, who's giving his all to win."

Ryan stepped closer to the boy and asked, "So what?"

Intimidated, the boy looked around at the other senseis and asked, "Max is faking punches, so what do the others think?"

"Yes, Max and Andrew have fought for six minutes, and Max has had the absolute advantage the entire time. He could've ended it in the first few minutes, but for some reason, he hasn't. But you also have to consider that Andrew's skills rank among the best in amateur karate circles. Max doesn't need brute strength to win here. He's relying on technique alone. This proves that Max has no flaws in martial arts. He's showing that to everyone, especially those who questioned his skills with baseless accusations."

At that moment, Terry, who had been arguing with the organizers about the false accusations, returned and overheard the commotion.

"But he's throwing fake punches!" someone shouted angrily.

"Shut up!"

"Max would never deliberately lose to Andrew, so stop saying he's faking it. If you keep this up, you'll be banned from this tournament and any future ones."

The karateka slumped back into his seat, raising his face to the sky and wondering if something was truly wrong with the adults in this tournament.