Noah vs Sara.

Noah stood in place, ready for his next fight. He was calm and steady, having noticed the skill level of the other fighters and feeling unimpressed.

Sara stood in front of him, her usual cold expression on her face, her mashates on her back. She took them off and prepared herself.

The referee gave the signal, and Sara rushed toward Noah with all her speed. Closing in, she swung her right mashate, but Noah sidestepped and countered with a punch.

She managed to dodge and attempted to stab him with her other mashate, but it didn't pierce Noah's shirt fabric.

Taken aback, Sara found herself in a moment of confusion, and Noah seized the opportunity to land a punch on her right eye.

"That was an amateur mistake, Sara," he commented.

Sara jumped back and stood ten meters away. "What are those clothes made of?" she asked.

"Good fabric, haha," Noah replied with a hint of sarcasm. He took his T-shirt off and threw it away. "Alright, you can come at me now," he declared.

She smiled and rushed forward, every slash of hers was swift and precise. However, Noah's footwork allowed him to evade all her attacks, moving like a snake.

Sara struggled to land a hit, and Noah closed in, starting to have his fun. The stalemate continued, with both parties either avoiding injuries or Sara occasionally getting hit.

"I guess my technique can handle a peak rank 4 with no problem," Noah commented.

Sara was confused but didn't get distracted as she had last time.

"It's time to finish this," he said, parrying her attack with his wrist and delivering a heavy punch to her nose. She leaned back, struggling to maintain focus as he landed another punch on her left arm, disarming her. Noah grabbed her arm, closed the distance, and delivered heavy punches all over her upper body.

The fast attacks and the one-sided fight made onlookers believe it was an entirely different battle from the close combat they had witnessed earlier.

Sara fell onto her back, her body aching, her face swollen, and blood oozing from her nose and mouth.

Noah approached her and placed a pill in her mouth.

A heavy silence enveloped the area. No one uttered a word; everyone was in shock from what they had witnessed.

"Good fight," Noah commented.

Sara sighed, "You were just playing around the whole time, weren't you?" she inquired.

"Well, I came here to test my new technique; I'm a swordsman, after all," Noah replied.

The audience and the other fighters overheard him, and shock and disbelief filled the room.

"Haha, we lost to someone who was just toying with us," Lily laughed, though her laughter was laced with anger and frustration.

"If his palm technique is this incredible, I wonder what his sword skills are like," Jones pondered.

"I need to write about this," a reporter stated.

Noah helped Sara to her feet. "If I can offer one piece of advice, it's to engage in real-life battles. I've noticed a common theme among the fighters here: you get angry easily and get distracted. In a life-and-death battle, making those mistakes could cost you your life," he advised as he left, grabbing his T-shirt and exiting as if he no longer cared about the place.

Sara followed his figure as he left, saying, "Well, I guess that's enough tournaments for me. I'm going to the army," she declared.

Jones smiled, "I refuse to be humiliated like this again. To the army," he declared.

The audience fell silent and then erupted in shouts.

"NOAH! NOAH! NOAH!"

Monica followed Noah with a big smile. "That was too cool, master," she praised.

"You need to show off to build a reputation," he said.

"We have a tournament in Great Lakeside State in two days, and two more in New Albion, with a final one in Skyride City. We have a full two weeks of events," she mentioned.

"Two weeks of training. By the way, how is our friend doing?" he asked.

"Well, he's still causing trouble in the High Plains Republic. Assassins and other gang leaders are after him all the time," she replied.

"Tell the people you hired to keep an eye on him and let him suffer a few more days. After I finish my training, I'll deal with him as well," he said with a smile.

Noah embarked on a tour, going from one big event to another, steadily building his reputation and refining his techniques. After two weeks of intense training and competition, he returned to Skyride City for his final tournament.

This particular tournament was special, featuring only 32 of the strongest competitors from all over the Union of liberal States (ULS). Noah had to defeat a formidable opponent just to secure his invitation.

"Hello, famous star. How's everything going?" Clara asked over the phone.

"Everything's going great. How's life in the military, General?" he inquired.

"Well, life is fun. Thanks to you, we have Sara, Jones, and Marta as well. You're embarrassing tournament fighters all over the country," she joked.

"No need to blame me for their weaknesses. I'm just focusing on my training," he quipped.

"Yeah, I know, but I called you because we need your help," she said, turning serious.

"What's the matter?"

"We've discovered that Scarface is actually under the command of James Jebson, the president of New Albion State. He was sent to Skyride City to create chaos and amass power over the years," she explained, pausing briefly to let Noah digest the information.

"Now we have a significant mob under the city, and we can't launch a military attack, as it would cause panic. I thought of you because you have experience dealing with gangs," she added.

Noah understood the gravity of the situation. "Alright, I'll send you Ted, one of my men. He knows the city's gangs well. Cooperate with him to formulate a plan, and once I finish my training, I'll join you for the attack," he suggested.

Clara smiled and said, "Perfect, thank you."

"No problem, we're friends," he assured her.

Afterward, he called Ted and ordered him to assist. Ted, who was still enjoying his time in tournaments, promptly returned to fulfill his mission.