Cleo fired a jab, then a knee. Ethan blocked the fist, but the knee buried itself in his side, stealing his breath.

Ethan's lips peeled back in something between a grin and a snarl.

'I can't keep up with her, shit!'

Ethan thought to himself with a grim expression.

There was not a single moment when punches weren't flying. Cleo kept driving Ethan back, relentless and unyielding.

It took all of Ethan's skill to even stay on his feet, and then, he saw his partner in the tag-team competition, Kitty, shouting at him to change.

While he hated to run away from a fight, Ethan still remembered that this was a team competition.

As Cleo's punch came in, Ethan slipped under her arm and leaped out of the ring. Kitty jumped in his place.

Kitty took her stance. The two girls circled each other. The air felt sharp, as if the two of them were holding swords, waiting for a moment to cut each other's throats.

They were looking for a skip in their breaths. A moment of unstable footing. Anything to get them an instant edge over their opponent.

That moment soon came.

Cleo put her right foot down, but it snapped under her weight, twisting to the side and looking bad, as if her ankle twisted.

In that moment, Kitty lunged in, her fist driving itself forward, and then, a smile crept on Cleo's face.

'A trap!'

Kitty immediately thought, but it was already too late. She was in the middle of the attack and wouldn't be able to stop.

Cleo grabbed her arm, turned her body around, and moved Kitty's arm over her right shoulder.

She then slammed her hips forward, and Kitty flipped over Cleo's shoulder, landing flat on her back.

Cleo brought down her hammer fist at Kitty's face. She rolled out of the way. Cleo kicked in the direction of her roll and smashed the sole of her foot into the side of Kitty's head.

It made her head snap to the side with a sickening crack.

Kitty got back to her feet, blood dripping from her ear, and her legs weren't quite steady.

"Shit…"

Ethan muttered under his breath.

He was panting rather heavily, and it already looked like they might need to change, but he wouldn't be able to last long against Cleo either.

It was looking horrible for their team!

Cleo's low kick came in. Her shin connected with Kitty's leg, just barely under the knee, and Kitty let out a cry of pain before collapsing to the ground.

She held her leg gingerly as tears streamed down her face.

"Do you forfeit?"

Cleo pressed her hand against Kitty's neck. It was almost like she was held at swordpoint. She couldn't change now even if she wanted to.

With a teary nod, Kitty whispered, "I forfeit…"

Cleo beamed with a smile, raised her arms in victory, and left the ring immediately to celebrate with her teammate, Jock.

"The match is over!"

The physical education teacher shouted, and the school nurse took Kitty away to get her leg checked out.

There might be a fracture.

"We did it! We are at the finals of Block A!"

Cleo beamed with a smile.

It was already a very impressive result, but next ahead, they have quite a big mountain to climb.

"You did."

Jock said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?"

Cleo tilted her head in confusion.

"I didn't do anything. I was defenseless against Ethan. I have been thinking about what I can do differently, and I just don't know."

"That's just not true. He is one whole rank ahead of you, and you were able to make him completely exhausted.

"It is a very impressive feat, and trust me, no one else could have done the same that you did if they were the same rank as you."

Cleo said.

She talked with such passion that it warmed Jock's heart, as it seemed like she really meant it.

However, he was still quite embarrassed of his lack of success against Ethan, and it truly frustrated him.

A competitive spirit rose inside Jock.

…

After the end of the Block A matches, Block B matches started, and first, it was Daggan and Snow against Toshiro and Meiyun.

It was quite a long match. The longest one so far. Both teams used all their changes, and in the end, the final match was between Daggan and Toshiro.

In the end, Toshiro overcame Daggan's unpredictable fighting style and emerged victorious in the match.

The second match in Block B was more one-sided, as it was Sophie and Rickord going against Minnie and Markus.

While Sophie and Rickord were rather talented as a team, they weren't a match for Minnie and Markus.

Markus could be said to be either the second or third strongest fighter in their class, and Minnie was talented enough to go against Della and Cleo.

In the end, Minnie and Markus destroyed him and easily reached the finals of Block B.

The next matches were added to the whiteboard.

***

[BLOCK A]

[Lumian + Della vs. Cleo + Jock]

***

[BLOCK B]

[Toshiro + Meiyun vs. Minnie + Markus]

***

"…"

Lumian sat silently on the bench, finishing wrapping up the tape around his knuckles, and then he clenched his fists.

"I didn't think they would make it to the finals, but that is good. I can finally show Cleo that I am stronger than her."

Della said with a lofty smile.

"Haha, I can't wait to see your reaction when she beats you."

Lumian said with a chuckle.

"I will defeat her! I have saved something quite special just for her. I don't think even she is capable of stopping that."

Della said smugly.

"You want to go first then?"

Lumian asked.

"Of course. If you go first, I won't be able to fight a single round, as you'll single-handedly destroy them, you little monster."

Della said with a giggle.

"Fine by me."

Lumian said, crossing his legs as he took the relaxed stance, and at that moment, the teacher came to the ring.

He told the two teams to bring in their first fighters to officially begin the finals of Block A.

With a leap, Della entered the ring and received loud cheers from the crowd and her fellow classmates as well.

In that moment, she saw a person enter the ring, and her eyes turned sharp like that of an eagle.

"You are my opponent?"

Della asked angrily.

"…Hello."

Jock said timidly, rubbing his hands together to attempt to calm himself down.

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