"Having the winner of the male division, it all comes down to the female division waiting for us in a few moments!" shouted the tournament presenter, pointing to the winner.
Under the platform where the fights had taken place, Dash looked at Devon and asked, "Are you ready?"
Devon nodded, looked Dash in the eyes, and said, "I'll bring that trophy back!"
"I'm waiting for that calmly!" Dash was confident that Devon would win; she had been brutal in the fights, and observing Sam's level of Karate, he really didn't understand how she had managed to make it to the final.
The incredible surprises for the audience made everyone amazed at how incredible contact sports could be, which had been consumed much less frequently over the years and had been replaced by other, more brutal martial arts.
"She'll win, I'm sure of that..." Dash thought as a doctor checked the wound on his forehead, which had started bleeding again.
Sam, who had stepped onto the platform, looked at Devon seriously. After positioning herself in her corner, she gave her opponent an indifferent look, showing that her thoughts were calm.
Devon had acquired a new vision for this fight. She had been furious since Dash was unexpectedly attacked, and now she was about to unleash all that anger. The likelihood of losing to Sam, who wielded a unique combat style similar to hers, was low in her eyes. Still, she wouldn't let her guard down for a moment.
"Look at me, Bow."
"Look at each other, Bow!"
Sam and Devon greeted each other. Then, the referee initiated the fight.
"Fight!"
As the fight began, the audience was ecstatic, and the support for this match was divided regarding who they wanted to win.
Taking advantage of her speed, Devon took a step forward and initiated the fight with a quick kick to Sam's side.
Thud!
Sam blocked it, but the blow left her arm sore. Just as she wanted to advance, Devon kicked again in the same spot, causing Sam's previously recovered leg injury to hurt even more.
"Ah!"
"Point!"
The referee, seeing the pain on Sam's face, awarded a point to Devon. This point was not usually given, but considering the effective blows that had been delivered to the leg twice in a row, he had no choice but to grant the point.
The strategy Devon had adopted for this fight left Sam with few options. She wanted to engage in close combat, but she was concerned that exactly what had just happened would occur. Now, her only chance to do something in this fight was to be faster.
When the referee saw that Sam was ready, he nodded and shouted, "Ready? Fight!"
This time, Sam took the lead, quickly approaching Devon, who assumed a defensive posture and received the blows quite easily.
At this point, Devon's expression was fierce, and she looked at her opponent with no mercy, giving it her all.
"Now!" When Sam thought she had the advantage, she launched a kick to Devon's face. However, Devon, alert to unexpected attacks, raised her guard and received the blow.
"No point, block!"
But at that very moment when the referee mentioned that there was no point, Devon, who had been attentive from the beginning, slid and knocked Sam down, hitting her on her only supporting foot.
"Thud!"
And as if that weren't enough, Devon advanced and planted a straight punch to Sam's stomach, who wanted to get up quickly from the ground.
"Point!"
Dash, in the distance, was stunned. Apparently, he hadn't been the only one who had improved by leaps and bounds in martial arts. It seemed that Devon wasn't much weaker than he was, at least in a combat demonstration.
The young face of Sam was twisted in pain. In the next second, she got up, but at that moment, her father's voice sounded behind her.
"Time, take some time, please!"
Daniel, on the other side, clenched his teeth at how hard the fight was for his daughter Sam. He couldn't keep watching as she was struggling in the fight and immediately requested time to emotionally support her and give her that fighting spirit she needed.
"She's very strong, Dad!" Sam said as she limped towards her father.
"Strength is not only in the physical. Remember perfectly that the chances of winning are only in the heart. Do you remember how I won my first tournament?"
Sam nodded and said, "I remember that kick perfectly..."
"Then, you can try it..."
Daniel hoped his daughter would win, but as she ended up injured in her leg, he had no choice but to wish her the best luck to do what she did best.
"Remember to clear your mind!"
On the other side, Devon had returned with Dash and Mr. Kim, who immediately said, "Finish the fight with a double front kick. She probably won't be able to advance towards you with her injured leg, so take advantage of that and knock her down!"
Devon nodded and said, "She's not so bad; it's just that the injury to her leg is much more painful than she can endure and limits her movements."
"That's not your problem. All you should worry about is winning the fight, even if you have to be cruel. That's how martial arts are in tournaments where everyone's pride matters. What you need to do is not despise your opponent and always go all out, even if they are weaker than you."
Devon nodded. She knew that's how Dash had described her a long time ago. She could be aggressive but would never be cruel to people. That was something she couldn't help, but she also had to know that within an official match, it was a mistake to show mercy, especially in a final where she could still lose.
Looking at Daniel talking to his daughter, Dash signaled Devon and said, "Hey, do you remember the kick we analyzed recently from Daniel LaRusso?"
"With which he won his first tournament?" Devon nodded, showing that she remembered.
"I have a slight feeling that Sam will try to replicate that kick. Do you know how to counter it, right?" Dash asked, giving his friend a cunning look.
"With a faster kick!"
"Go for it then!"