"Put your knuckles on ice; it will reduce the pain, and the swelling won't be too exaggerated," said a nurse as he examined Dash's red knuckles, affected by direct blows.
Although the style he practiced focused on open-handed strikes, he usually used kicks on easy opponents, allowing his to concentrate on reducing damage to his defense.
The other fights were not interesting for Dash; the only ones he focused on were the ones where his opponent would come out tomorrow, and he could say with certainty that this would be a tough fight.
His next opponent's name is Alejandro López, who knows Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is very skilled at executing it in fights. From what he had heard from the people who provided information, things would not be simple.
López, a skilled warrior in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has dominated fights by submitting his opponents. With a strategic approach, he has maintained a solid 95% victory rate over the past five years, even though he usually comes out much more injured than he should in his fights.
"That kid won't be a problem; just stay away from his takedowns, and you could easily win," Santiago was not worried at all about the next opponent they had to beat.
As they walked away from the arena, Dash thought that his focus on the fight was right, but he still felt a bit distant from this type of competition. He had always fought for herself, but now, having a responsibility opened up a much larger space in his chest than he had ever felt before.
But just as they were about to head to their room to pass the time in other ways, a woman in a black suit approached and informed, "Mr. Hale, your sponsor has requested to see you."
Santiago, who was Dash's voice in negotiations, said, "It's about time; the moment has come to meet the source of our opportunities."
They were soon led to a very luxurious room, with wines and liquors everywhere, something that Dash ignored as he had been focused only on the fights since arriving in Japan.
Tap-tap! Tap-tap!
At that moment, footsteps were heard in the distance, and soon a man in his forties, in excellent physical shape, approached, smiling from ear to ear.
"I never thought I'd see you, but after watching the last fight, you've awakened in me the need to exchange words with you." Jack Duquesne looked at Dash as soon as he entered the room and shook her hand.
"You are..." Santiago, who was ignored, looked at the man with a bit of nervousness.
Jack smiled and nodded, "I am the sponsor who chose you. I really wanted to choose a guy with more age, but your look caught my attention a lot. Now tell me, why are you here?"
Dash remained silent for a moment, and after thinking of a response, he said, "Since I was a child, I wondered how far I could go in contact competitions. For this reason, I started training, but the main reason I'm here is for the money."
There was no reason to lie; he was here for money and that foolish bet he made with his father. At that moment, he was angry; he wanted to escape and scream in frustration, but after that feeling slowly faded away.
If he is here now, it's because he made a promise. Se didn't think it would be easy to make money, but now that he's in the right place, he would obviously take advantage of this opportunity. While this doesn't feel right, money has no feelings and would only last for a while.
"Your father has a lot of money; why do you need money?" Jack uncorked a bottle of wine and poured himself a glass.
Dash smiled slightly and said, "I need money, and I wanted to show my father that I can make money with the only thing I know how to do."
"You have a curious relationship with your father. He has a good method, but I still believe that the reason you're here is not just for the money." Jack smiled, staring fixedly at Dash, who seemed perplexed.
"The money your father would eventually give it to you; you're here because you feel stifled..."
Dash frowned; he didn't understand a single word of what Jack was saying, and necessarily didn't want to understand. He had ended up hating people who liked to speak in riddles when they had the answer right in their hands.
"This tournament is private, but it has everything an official tournament could enjoy, so you are not in danger. What you did is foolish, but since you're here, enjoy the journey and fight until you are defeated." After seeing Dash in person, Jack wasn't very interested in talking to his anymore; what he saw certainly disappointed him a bit.
"I have to thank you especially for choosing me to be my sponsor. Fights have always fascinated me, and I will continue until I am defeated." Dash didn't have many words to exchange with that strange man; now what he wanted to do was make some calls and clear his mind.
When Dash left, Jack smiled slightly and said, "Your son is indeed a madman, Frederick, although you're getting him to inherit all your wealth in a peculiar way."
Jack had investigated Dash and was surprised by his age. He researched his family background and found out he was the son of a good acquaintance.
Families with power have a peculiar way of training their descendants; they needed someone capable enough to defend the family fortune, and it is understandable that one of the children takes on that role.
"Let's see how strong your son is; I'll take care of him and see if he can win this tournament..."
...
"I made it to the quarterfinals. How is Devon's mom?" Dash answered a call from his father and responded now with a normal tone in her voice.
To be honest, he didn't hate his father; he understood him perfectly, but he still wanted to move forward and try to see how far he could go.
Frederick on the other side of the call knew exactly where his son was, so knowing that the whole place was normal and that he was not being restricted by anyone, he stopped worrying and said, "Once you finish that tournament, come back as soon as possible. You should know that the chances of success for Mrs. Lee are not very high."
"I understand, I'll be in touch..." Dash hung up the call after saying that, and feeling an incredible pressure in his legs, he decided to go for a walk.
"Where are you going?" Santiago looked at Dash leaving and asked out of sheer curiosity.
"I need some fresh air..."