When everyone heard the rules, they fell silent. This wasn't new in a mixed martial arts tournament, so it had its advantages and disadvantages. If someone got injured, they might not pass to the next round smoothly; it could even mean their defeat, which was understandable given that this place was filled with the best fighters of their generation.
Devon, who had been analyzing the strongest competitors they might face, looked at her teammates and said, "We'd be lucky if we don't face strong competitors in the elimination stage. Even if we come out victorious, we might sustain injuries that will cost us in the subsequent matches."
Master Han smiled, knowing that everyone was aware of what could happen in this tournament, but he said nothing. This competition was professional; everyone here was a real experienced fighter who had participated in different types of fights and, even better, had won.
"The matches are in pairs, which means there will be six points in total. If we get four points, we win the match, leaving us to let the others win the remaining points." Devon had established a pretty smart plan to use.
In theory, six points were the maximum that could be achieved. If they won four points, there would be no need to exert themselves and waste energy trying to win the remaining points, as it would be a waste of energy.
This wasn't about disrespecting others, but about being smart. It would be enough to pretend to open up and take hits with enough intelligence not to get hurt in the process.
"Everyone here has fortunately learned how to take hits. It won't be easy, but it's not complicated either," thought Dash while warming up.
…
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this event. We're going to have a sensational show. What do you think? Is everyone excited for it to start?"
A presenter stood in front of the crowd and shouted with a booming voice, "Let's start the Senkai Takai tournament!"
Master Han looked at the different mats in the place and, when he communicated with one of the staff, moved the pairs. Since Dash didn't know Mandarin, he personally helped him and Devon, taking them to a corner and saying, "You'll have your match here. Remember, no hitting the eyes, private parts, or the back of the neck. All other hits are allowed. Stop when the red flags are raised, and don't lose concentration with other matches happening beside you."
"Got it." Dash nodded, and Devon, who was also ready to start, did the same.
"Male fighter to the front."
Dash stepped onto the mat indicated to him. In front of him was an eighteen-year-old boy who seemed a bit nervous about the competition.
As he looked at his opponent, a serious expression formed on his young face, and he muttered, "I'll finish you before you feel any pain!"
"Greet each other, ready? Fight!"
As the preliminary match for Dash began, marking his start in this tournament, he took a deep breath and started moving toward his opponent, who was a few meters away from him. This time, using his Kung Fu in every move, he attacked with a kick that hit his opponent's face, who didn't know how to react to this sudden attack.
Bam!
Many weren't watching Dash's match, as there were about ten others happening simultaneously. But those who could see his kick were left speechless at the sudden attack that took down his opponent in no time.
"Point!"
Watching his opponent writhe on the ground with intense pain on his face, Dash looked at him for a few moments before returning to his position, waiting for him to get up. What he had done now was hit the boy's ribs; he wouldn't get up from the ground since the blow had been direct and possibly damaged more than just the skin muscles.
"Don't get up if you can't continue. You'll only have unnecessary injuries to your body." In this tournament, Dash wouldn't hold back. These fights involved not just him but also Devon, so he couldn't afford to be overconfident, much less underestimate his opponents.
"Argh!" The boy got up again against all odds.
Facing this, Dash raised his arms, waiting patiently. This time he wasn't being so aggressive in the second round, so he would wait to see what his opponent wanted to do before making a move.
"Ready? Fight!"
The moment the referee raised his hand, Dash's opponent ran toward him with clenched fists. Following this, a kick went straight to Dash's shoulder, who remained calm.
Bam!
Just before the kick could hit Dash, he ducked, evaded the kick, and immediately gained the advantage through a takedown, finishing the match with an elbow to the stomach as he approached his opponent, who was getting up.
"It's over!" The referee disqualified Dash's opponent, seeing that he couldn't get up from the ground this time.
"Ahhhhh!"
Dash slightly bowed to his opponent on the ground and walked back to Devon, who congratulated him with a handshake.
"Just one more point, and we advance to the next round," said Dash while adjusting Devon's hair so she wouldn't have any problems in her match.
Devon nodded. Now, independently, her opponent wouldn't have a chance to fight in the next round if his partner couldn't recover from the hits he had received. But if for some reason he did recover, if his partner obtained three points, it would result in a tie, and they could even win if they got the extra point added in case of a tie.
But obviously, Devon wouldn't let any points be scored. This fight would be a warm-up.
"Point!"
Dash watched the swift kicks Devon was performing, so he knew immediately that this round wouldn't be a problem.