Strike First, Love Later

Amelia Lopez had been fighting for as long as she could remember. But unlike other fighters, her battles didn't end when she stepped off the mat. She had been fighting since the day she was born-on and off the mat, in every aspect of her life. To say her journey had been difficult would be an understatement.

Her first battle was leaving her home behind. Moving to America felt like a fresh start, maybe even the beginning of something better. She found friends, enemies, passions, and even love-the kind she thought would last forever. But fate had different plans. Life changed, and once again, Amelia was forced to move on.

Finding a new dojo wasn't a challenge. Another international student in her class turned out to be the best female fighter anyone had seen-well, until they saw Amelia, that is. The Iron Dragons didn't welcome her with open arms, but once they saw her skill, they had no choice but to accept her.

Her sensei, Wolf, recognized her talent the moment she walked into his dojo. He trained her harder than anyone else, pushing her beyond her limits-except for Axel. They were the ones who took the punishments for their team, the ones who endured every strike when mistakes were made. They stood in the horse stance for hours, leaving behind blood, sweat, and even teeth on the mat. For them, stepping onto the mat meant everything.

But being the best came at a price. Amelia and Axel weren't just fighters; they were captains. That meant the weight of the entire team's failures rested on their shoulders. Every mistake-whether their own or their teammates'-was theirs to bear.

Now, Amelia and the Iron Dragons were heading to Barcelona to face the best of the best. In their saisei's mind, defeat was not an option. But as the competition loomed, questions remained:

Would Amelia come face to face with the ghosts of her past? Would she triumph, or would her own saisei be the one to break her?