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Aurora felt like she was going to throw up. Losing to Cobra Kai in the Captain's War had been a blow, but there wasn't time to dwell on it. The tournament moved on to the individual competitions, and now it was her turn to step onto the mat.
Her opponent was a girl from Falchi della Notte—a compact, sharp-eyed fighter who radiated confidence. As Aurora stood across from her, the girl smirked, her stance already light and bouncy as if she couldn't wait to start.
The announcers voice boomed through the speakers. "Ready? Begin!"
The girl struck first, launching a rapid series of kicks aimed at Aurora's torso. Aurora dodged and blocked, her feet gliding over the mat as she tried to find an opening. The girl was quick—blindingly so—and Aurora realized she wasn't going to win this fight on brute force alone.
The girl feinted to the left and came in low with a sweeping kick. Aurora leaped over it, twisting mid-air to deliver a counter kick that just grazed the girl's shoulder. She landed gracefully, but her opponent recovered almost instantly, rushing her with a punch that Aurora barely deflected.
     "You're quick," the girl said with a smirk, circling her.
Aurora returned the smirk, adjusting her stance. "You have no idea."
The girl lunged again, this time aiming for Aurora's legs, but Aurora sidestepped, grabbing the girl's wrist mid-strike and twisting it. The girl grimaced but spun out of Aurora's grasp, countering with a high kick that Aurora ducked under just in time.
From the sidelines, Aurora heard Daniel's voice. "Stay focused! Look for her rhythm!"
Aurora narrowed her eyes, taking the advice to heart. The girl's movements were precise but predictable—every attack followed a slight twitch in her shoulders. Aurora just had to time it right.
The girl came at her with a flurry of punches, trying to back Aurora into a corner. Aurora dodged, sidestepped, and parried, watching for her moment. When the girl's shoulder twitched again, Aurora anticipated the roundhouse kick that followed. She ducked under it and countered with a powerful spinning kick of her own, connecting squarely with the girl's ribs.
The girl stumbled, her breath hitching, but she recovered quickly, charging forward with a roar. Aurora braced herself, letting the girl close the distance. At the last second, Aurora dropped low, sweeping the girl's legs out from under her. The Falchi fighter hit the mat hard, but Aurora didn't stop there.
She sprang up and delivered a precise, controlled strike to the girl's chest, forcing her to stay down. The announcer's voice cut through the cheers of the crowd.
    "Winner: Worthington!"
Aurora straightened, her chest heaving as she stepped back. The girl sat up, clutching her side, but there was a grudging respect in her eyes as she nodded at Aurora.
Aurora returned the nod before walking off the mat, her teammates rushing to congratulate her.
Miguel was the first to reach her, his grin wide as he grabbed her shoulders. "That was incredible!"
Aurora smiled, her earlier nerves melting away. "Thanks. Let's just hope I can keep it up."
From the corner of her eye, she spotted the girl from Falchi della Notte standing by the edge of the mat, watching her with a calculating expression. Aurora couldn't tell if it was admiration or something else entirely, but she didn't let it bother her.





Aurora watched anxiously as her teammates took their turns in the individual matches. Each bout felt like an eternity, and the pressure in the arena was palpable. Demetri fought valiantly but was taken out by a well-timed counter. Sam held her ground for a while before her opponent managed to sweep her legs out from under her. Eli put up a strong fight but ultimately lost to a Cobra Kai fighter in a match that came down to the wire.