"How many do you think will advance?" From the audience benches, Ryan, who had secured his spot in the Round of 16 the day before, posed this question as he watched his friends prepare to fight tooth and nail for their place in the tournament.
Max, standing beside him and watching Devon, murmured, "At least half of those fighting now. There are many good fighters like Hawk, Devon, Tory, Miguel, and a few others with real talent."
Many students from Cobra Kai who participated in this tournament had won at least two matches before losing. Those who hadn't lost had already qualified for the Round of 16 after countless bouts.
At this point, most of the men had already secured their spots, but a few matches still needed to be held today.
The remaining fights were for the women's division, as some competitors still needed to qualify.
This explained why the final day of preliminaries drew an even larger audience.
"It's true that Miguel is strong, but there are other fighters in this tournament who could beat him." Ryan seemed to recognize that while Miguel was a formidable competitor, there were still impressive fighters who remained undefeated.
"And then there are those guys who resent us..." Speaking of this, a hint of bitterness and frustration crossed his face. "What did we ever do to those people for them to hate us so much?"
"I don't know, buddy." Max, with his more mature perspective, understood that grudges could exist, but taking them to the extremes Daniel had was something Max found excessive.
Of course, Max's simple thoughts were rooted in his limited understanding. But if Daniel had already had his revenge, why was he still clinging to the rivalry he had with Cobra Kai so many years ago?
"But with only two of his fighters, they won't get far. One of them was even defeated by you at that party," Ryan teased, noticing Daniel arriving with his family to watch the matches.
Meanwhile, as the new day of matches resumed, announcements for martial arts schools were made one after another.
"Devon Lee vs. Ana Smith!"
Devon adjusted her black headband to secure her hair and walked toward the blue mat just a few meters away.
Johnny approached her and gave her a nod. "Watch your kicks; don't overdo it. Maintain your distance, and you know how to handle the rest."
"Got it, Sensei!" Devon nodded seriously, then made her way to the mat.
The referee looked at the two female competitors and said, "You know the rules. Three points to win. Ready? Bow to me. Look at each other. Bow!"
"Fight!"
Devon sized up her opponent, a slender girl, but never let her guard down. As the match began, she took the initiative with long-range kicks.
"Hiya!"
As Ana's shout faded, she stepped forward to close the gap between herself and Devon, but the sudden kicks forced her to retreat.
Overwhelming her opponent, Devon maneuvered with ease and, after a few more kicks, landed one squarely on Ana's head. Ana stumbled back after the blow.
"Point!"
After scoring the point, Devon stepped back, glanced at Ana on the floor, and said, "If you're going to cry over such a light hit, get out of my sight!"
Ana looked up, clearly angry. She knew the girl before her was typically kind, but Devon's demeanor had completely changed once the match began, leaving her confused.
"Are you okay?" The referee asked Ana, who had stood up and was asked to show her face before continuing the match.
"I'm fine..." Ana replied, glaring at Devon with renewed determination, angered and eager to redeem herself.
"Ready? Fight!"
As the referee's words faded, Devon's strategy shifted suddenly. She stepped forward, abandoning her powerful kicks. When a punch aimed at her face, she adjusted her stance, raised her defense, and, gaining control at close range, clenched her fist and struck Ana in the stomach.
"Hoo..."
Ana exhaled sharply, knowing this blow marked the end of everything she had trained for. She hated losing this way but was up against this year's defending champion.
"Point!"
Watching Ana's labored breath, Devon reflected on the rarity of finding well-trained female fighters with extensive experience.
The only times she had lost were during practice sessions, which were completely different from the matches here.
"Let's end this quickly..." Devon thought as she reset her stance in her corner.
Ana, unwilling to give up, launched into an offensive flurry without much consideration.
"Ready? Fight!"
Devon exhaled deeply, then dashed toward Ana with a straight kick that missed intentionally. She used her left hand to block Ana's side attack, and for a moment, they engaged in a more exciting exchange.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Devon, with a calm expression, dodged Ana's punches, and this continued for several minutes until Ana began to show signs of exhaustion.
When Devon realized she might be demanding too much, she tried to appreciate her opponent's effort. She wanted to give them the chance to feel a proper fight, hoping they'd return stronger next year.
But knowing the match was dragging on, Devon threw a feint punch. As Ana raised her guard to block, Devon pivoted and delivered a decisive kick instead.
"Stop!"
"Point! Devon Lee wins!"
After landing the final blow, Devon didn't immediately return to her corner. Instead, she approached Ana, offering her hand to help her up. "You'll do better next year. I'll be waiting for you."
Ana had no words. She simply watched Devon's back as tears welled up, murmuring, "I'll see you next year..."
As Devon stepped off the mat, she noticed Samantha watching her match and gave a faint smile.
From a distance, Samantha averted her gaze, knowing Devon hinted she had been waiting for her to compete. After all the disputes Daniel stirred with Cobra Kai, everyone had hoped the perfect karateka's daughter would join the women's division. But that never happened.
"Well done, Devon. Want a drink?" Terry congratulated her as she approached.
Devon shook her head and asked instead, "How's the men's division going?"
"We're doing well. Many have won and are about to qualify for the Round of 16, though some have lost..." Mr. Kim responded. It was normal in competitions, and as their teacher, his role was to keep their spirits high.
Devon said nothing more, sitting down to watch the matches before her next fight. With two divisions, the preliminaries were just the beginning; the real tournament would start in the Round of 16.