At the moment Sam and Devon returned to the center for the final showdown, if any would do what was needed to win.
"Ready? Fight!"
Imitating her father's posture in that tournament, Sam defiantly looked at Devon, who walked back and forth without raising her guard.
As far as Sam knew, the kick she was about to use was called Mae Geri, a front kick in understandable terms, but it involved a jump and therefore added final power.
"Won't you get tired if you don't move forward?" Devon measured her distance and began taking small jumps while watching Sam, who didn't move a muscle.
Just when Sam thought she needed to change her tactics, Devon advanced toward her. As she prepared to jump and deliver a kick to her opponent's face, Sam also launched a high kick.
Devon's kick was one of the ones she had practiced the most for months, so immediately, as everyone was excited to know which kick would land first, they were left astonished.
In a single moment, Sam's kick, carrying momentum, was countered with a powerful clean kick from Devon, sending her to the ground.
"Point, winner!"
As everyone witnessed these incredible kicks executed by each of the competitors, the audience erupted in cheers, and those waiting for a winner began to shout. Dash, who saw how Devon had handled the fight, felt incredibly happy. He had never thought he would be in a situation like this, and all he did was run towards her and congratulate her.
"The champion of the women's division, Devon Lee!" shouted the announcer, immediately handing Devon her trophy as Dash embraced her with excitement.
"Mr. Kim, do you have room for another trophy in your hands?" Devon smiled as her eyes teared up and handed her trophy to the one who had taught her martial arts.
"I'll try not to drop them..." Mr. Kim said with a more evident smile on his face. He was not someone who showed his emotions frequently, but today was a day to celebrate.
In an instant, both had emerged as winners, even if they had faced many difficulties along the way. No one is given prizes these days, so if the students of Sakura Bushido have won both championships, it's because of the effort put into each day of training.
Perhaps many don't understand this; they may think it's the Dojo's work that does a good job teaching. However, any Dojo is not better than another, even if you consider their teachers. What truly matters is the student's dedication to continuous learning, and that is unchangeable.
Amidst the celebrations, Devon walked toward Sam, who was with her father, and said, "It was an incredible fight, but I don't think this is the best version of you or me. I'll be here next year, so it would be a real luxury for us to face each other again, stronger than ever."
Daniel smiled at Devon's humility and said, "Well, I can't be sure of that since it depends on Sam, but we'll find out in the next tournament."
Sam, who had been crying until recently, looked at Devon and asked, "How long have you been training?"
"A little over half a year. It's not much, but I worked so hard that I don't remember anything other than school, karate, or Dash wanting to go to China..." Devon, who was about to leave, stopped upon hearing a voice.
"What's happening in China?" Daniel was surprised to hear that. Is Frederick's son going to China to study?
"He's going to a Kung Fu tournament. It will be in a few months, so I guess he won't have much time to recover, or maybe he will. I'm not very sure."
"Well, Mr. LaRusso, it was a pleasure to meet you, and it's truly an honor to know that you've never given up on the things you're passionate about." Devon bowed slightly to Daniel, who could only smile at the words of this girl who once seemed an unstoppable competitor.
With the tournament over, the name of the previously unknown Dojo spread by word of mouth, and many who had become interested in Karate thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to send their children there.
But Dash had a much more exclusive idea about the Dojo he wanted to run. Quantity is often not good, and he didn't plan on training someone who wouldn't belong to Sakura Bushido for the rest of their life.
Daniel LaRusso is an example of his idea about the Kung Fu that his Dojo would impart. Many would learn Karate, and others would train in different disciplines before fully mastering the Kung Fu taught after completing the guide classes.
As Devon approached her parents, who gave her a gift, Dash signaled to them, as they had agreed to go for a meal after the tournament had ended. But unexpectedly, the parents of each champion made a proposal that left at least Dash speechless.
"First, we'll make a stop at the hospital so that both of you are thoroughly examined. We can't go to eat until you are properly taken care of."
"That's an absolute no for me..."