Joey sat on the locker room bench, tightening his belt with furious hands. His breathing was heavy, his jaw clenched.
Outside, the crowd roared as the moment drew near. But before he could stand up, a calm voice stopped him.
"The guys told me why you came to me in the first place, Joey. And while I'm upset, the only thing I can tell you is: don't fight like this." In the locker room, before Joey stepped into the combat arena, Daniel advised his student. His gaze wasn't that of a sensei expecting victory but of a teacher who knew what was truly at stake.
"Not do it?" Joey asked with a bitter laugh and muttered, "I have no choice. I have to destroy him in front of everyone."
Daniel sighed, knowing he couldn't erase Joey's bitter feelings of hatred toward Max, but he did what his own sensei would have done for him.
"Listen to me carefully. Max isn't just any fighter. He's brutal, Joey. You've seen what he can do. But karate isn't about winning titles or fights. Our karate teaches us to win our own battles in here." Daniel said, pointing to his own heart.
Joey, listening to these words, clenched his fists tightly. "So what? You want me to give up before I even start?"
Daniel shook his head and said, "No. I want you to fight with your head, not your pride. You can't beat him in a slugfest. He's stronger, faster, and right now, he's fighting with a confidence you don't have. If you play his game, if you try to trade blows, he'll destroy you in his own fight."
Joey looked away from his sensei. Every word from Daniel felt like a dagger to his pride. But deep down, he knew he was right.
"Then tell me, Sensei… how do I beat him?" For the first time, Joey set aside his pride and listened carefully to Daniel, the sensei he had never truly taken seriously until now.
Daniel watched him in silence for a moment before answering, "Do what he doesn't expect. Don't seek a close-range fight. Control the distance, move, make him frustrated. Use his strength against him. Don't let him dictate the pace. And above all… don't fight with hate."
Joey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew Daniel was right. But inside, he wanted to beat Max with what he had learned from Georges.
"I'm going to beat him, Sensei. My way."
When Daniel heard this, he shook his head, but he knew there was no reasoning with someone who still didn't understand Miyagi-Do's martial arts.
"Then don't come back."
…
"Are you ready for more karate?"
As he stepped into the combat arena, Joey's thoughts raced.
My whole life, they told me I was destined to be the best. From the first day I stepped into the gym, they told me. My speed, my technique, my strength. It was all there. And Georges saw it.
He took me under his wing, taught me what it meant to be a real fighter. I believed in him like a damn father. He told me I had what it took to reach the top, to become world champion.
And I believed him.
Until Max came along.
Max.
He wasn't stronger.
He wasn't faster.
He didn't even have the aggression I did. But something about Max caught Georges' attention… and not me. It was as if overnight, I no longer existed. I was pushed aside. Georges looked me in the eye and told me that Max had "something special."
Something special?
I was here first! I was the one who gave everything! I am the one who deserves that place!
Today is the day. Today, I'll show Georges that he made the biggest mistake of his life by turning his back on me. Today, I'll prove to Max that he's nothing but a damn replacement.
When the referee gives the signal, there will be no more doubts. No more excuses.
I'm going to crush Max.
I'm going to erase any doubt about who the best is.
I'm going to prove to Georges… that he should have never doubted me.
"Ready? Fight!"
…
"I still don't understand why you hate me. Maybe it's because my current coach told you some hard truths, but that's not my fault!" Max bowed only out of karate formalities and took his stance for the fight.
Meanwhile, Joey stared at Max with hatred burning in his eyes. From the moment he was replaced, he had thought of nothing else but defeating him.
Joey would be the one to start the fight. Nothing was stopping him from launching the first attack—his fighting style was fast and specialized in finishing fights quickly.
Seeing the incoming attack, Max blocked it by raising his defense and immediately countered with strikes aimed at Joey's limbs while shifting into a more defensive stance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As Joey's aggressive blows landed, Max frowned, feeling the pain in his shoulder intensify. At that moment, he momentarily lost focus, something Joey immediately sensed. The wisest choice was to attack Max's stomach.
But Max wasn't naïve—his defense activated just in time, blocking the dangerous strike before stepping back.
On the tournament platform, the two fighters clashed in a spectacular battle that shouldn't have been possible from kids their age. The intensity fired up the audience, who had come precisely for this.
Using two distinct Kung Fu styles, each fighter showcased different techniques and combat strategies.
Max's eyes moved rapidly, analyzing Joey's every move. He had to be aware of every action his opponent took to craft an effective strategy.
A true fighter had instinctive, automatic, and calculated movements—those designed to inflict damage. For Max, using all three simultaneously was something he considered as he formulated a plan in his mind.
With the ability to simulate fights quickly in his head, he used blocks and occasional counterattacks to wear Joey down, knowing he had less stamina than him.
As he stepped back, Max clashed against a kick, and a loud crack echoed through the arena. Both fighters recoiled, pain written across their faces.
Seeing them react in the exact same way, the audience couldn't believe the outcome.
Enduring the pain, Max dashed toward Joey. Seeing him approach, Joey attempted another kick, but Max slid across the floor, swept his lower guard, and sent him crashing to the ground.
On the ground, Joey quickly tried to get up, but Max, anticipating it, immediately leaned in and struck his stomach with an elbow.
"Point!"
When Max heard this, he jumped to his feet, walked back to his place, and frowned as the pain in his body became increasingly troublesome, making his movements more difficult.
Joey, unprepared for that low blow, got up, sweat dripping from his forehead. The first few minutes of the fight had been intense, making it harder for him to block Max's strikes, which seemed to be part of his strategy.
"Ready? Fight!"
The referee saw no injuries on either fighter, so he resumed the match without giving either an advantage from the brief pause.
Joey smoothed his hair and looked at Max with an expression full of emotions, realizing he was facing a competitor with a true fighting instinct.
This time, he opted for a slower pace—he needed to catch his breath and wait for the pain in his leg muscles to subside. That previous hit had truly hurt.
Max wasn't much better off. His calf was already injured from his previous fight, and now using brute strength had been a bad idea, as the pain had returned.
"Now!"
Joey let out a shout and leaped toward Max with a series of kicks, but Max's defensive movements effectively blocked each attack.
As Joey's precise kicks kept coming, to the crowd's astonishment, Max showed no fear. On the contrary, he began dodging them one by one.
Taking distance from his opponent, Max exhaled deeply and extended his hands, shifting into the stance of his new Kung Fu style. He had been saving it for a real opponent, and now was the time to test it.
The moment Max changed his stance, everyone was confused. Nobody knew what was happening… but some understood exactly what that stance meant.