Devon's Speech

The matches continued one after another. On a massive board, the rankings were being updated, with the fighters advancing to the next round placed in order. On one wing were the top male participants who had moved on to the next round, while on the other were the remaining male competitors.

As for the women's division, with fewer participants, only one bracket of the round of sixteen was formed, where contestants were expected to compete for the same trophy.

Now that Max was the only one who had qualified for the round of sixteen, Cobra Kai still had a challenging path ahead if they wanted to have the most students advancing and secure both trophies.

Johnny looked at his circle of more than ten students, all with less than a year of experience, and nodded in approval, pleased they had made it this far.

"Now that our captain isn't here, would you like to say a few words?" Johnny turned to Devon, standing beside him, and asked his star female student in the circle.

Devon stepped forward, closed her eyes briefly, and thought about what Max would say in this situation. Then she began:

"We've come so far. Everyone should know that we don't always get the same opportunity twice in life. Today is a special day. Each of you will showcase everything you've been learning at Cobra Kai, and you shouldn't feel disappointed by a poor result in the qualifiers for the round of sixteen."

"Remember, Cobra Kai is not a place where we train to become mindless hitting machines. Here, we train with purpose—to push our bodies to levels we never dreamed of. We learn values, prepare for life, and understand the measures needed to protect ourselves and those who need us."

She looked at everyone now wearing the Karate uniform with the Cobra Kai logo and nodded with admiration. After a brief pause, she added:

"Even though our school isn't the most recognized, we have won more tournaments than any other. That puts us in a unique position."

Everyone felt excited, ready to give their all in this competition, unwilling to stop until they had left everything on the mat. Many of them hadn't imagined they could feel this level of excitement, and participating in this tournament made all their training worth it.

Devon paced back and forth as she continued:

"We've won past championships thanks to our sensei Johnny, but now it's our turn to bring Cobra Kai back to glory."

"Remember, we fight for ourselves, not for a championship. You're all just starting, so give it your best—and most importantly, have fun." Devon bowed to her teammates.

"Let's go!!!"

"Let's show them our Karate!!!"

Devon smiled, feeling the camaraderie that filled the room. Despite her own mental struggles about this tournament, she resolved to remain calm and focused to claim the prize in the women's division.

Johnny glanced toward where the students of Miyagi-Do Karate were gathering and asked:

"Do you think they're still planning to avoid us now that only two of their students have qualified?"

Terry, standing beside him, smirked slightly and nodded. "More than understanding, they should realize they can't always rely on a star student to win them championships."

Johnny nodded in agreement and, after completing the registrations for the round of sixteen qualifiers, led his male students to their locker room, while Devon accompanied the girls from Cobra Kai to theirs.

"Are you nervous?" a young girl asked the older ones around her.

"You shouldn't be," said Tory, a friend of Devon's who was more familiar with the martial arts school's history. She encouraged the nervous girls: "We have the best girls in our martial arts school. We're new to this—all of us. This is the first time a division for girls has been opened, so we're no worse than the others competing."

Devon smiled slightly at Tory's words and added: "What matters isn't winning, but knowing you've done your best."

At that moment, a girl dressed in a black uniform walked past Devon. Before leaving the locker room, she paused, turned, and asked:

"Do you know if Max will be here to watch the women's division matches?"

Devon frowned at the mention of Max's name. But when she looked over, she saw the only female competitor from Cobra Kai and relaxed. Softening her expression, she replied:

"He should be back soon, but I can't say for sure."

"Many girls in my dojo would love for him to respect their matches. Good luck in the competition," said the girl, who bore no ill will toward anyone in the tournament.

Devon nodded, thinking, I can't help but wonder what Max would think if he knew how popular he is among the girls…

"Alright, let's head to our meeting spot to prepare and get ready in order!"

"Yes!"

At that moment, Devon had only one thing on her mind: winning.