𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄 / 𝐀𝐱𝐞𝐥 𝐤𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜

1

The Sekai Taikai. The words echoed in my mind, carrying equal parts pride and dread. Ever since our dojo, the Iron Dragons, had earned its place in the tournament, this moment had felt both surreal and exciting.

I tightened the straps on my gear bag as we walked toward the towering arena. It was sleek and modern, with sharp angles that made it look more like a fortress than a venue for martial arts. The sheer size of it was enough to make my stomach churn, but I kept my head high.

“We’re here,” Axel said, his voice brimming with confidence. He adjusted the strap of his bag, his usual swagger on full display. “Iron Dragons, stepping onto the world stage.”

Zara walked beside him, her expression unreadable as usual. She didn’t need words to command respect—her calm, focused energy did that on its own. She glanced at me and gave a small nod. “This is it, Y/N. Everything we’ve trained for. Don’t overthink it. Just fight.”

I nodded back, even though my heart was pounding in my chest. It wasn’t just about me—it was about us. Our dojo. Our team. Axel, Zara, and I had been through hell to get here, pushing ourselves to the brink during every training session. Now, standing at the doors of the Sekai Taikai, it all felt worth it.

The lobby buzzed with activity as we entered. Fighters from all over the world crowded the space, their uniforms marked with the symbols of their dojos. Some were stretching, others warming up with shadowboxing or drills. A few glanced in our direction, sizing us up.

“Let them stare,” Axel said under his breath, his voice low but sharp. “They’ll know who we are soon enough.”

The main hall was even more impressive. Banners from dozens of dojos hung high above the arena, each bearing their insignias in bold colors. The polished floor reflected the overhead lights, and at the center of it all was the main mat where the battles would unfold. The sheer scale of it took my breath away.

“Intimidating, huh?” Axel said, nudging me with his elbow.

“No,” I lied, straightening my shoulders.

“Good.” He grinned, clearly enjoying the spectacle. “Because the Iron Dragons don’t get intimidated. We intimidate.”

"Focus, Axel," Zara said, her tone firm but not unkind. She was already scanning the room, her sharp eyes cataloging potential threats. “We’re here to win, not show off.”

We approached the registration desk, where a stern-looking official handed us our badges. As he did, I couldn’t help but notice the other competitors milling around. Their movements were precise, their confidence unshakable.

“Team Iron Dragons,” the official said, checking us in. “You’re in Block C. Matches start in an hour. Be ready.”

Axel took the badges and handed one to each of us. “Block C. Let’s make it ours.”

We went to our spots as everyone else did we went in line formation as also we had to here from announcer

"𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 , 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘀, 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗮. 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗶 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗶 " The announcer says through the microphone

𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴

"𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀" he continued saying