The arena roared as the announcer called the next fighter. A man built like a tank stepped into the ring, grinning confidently at the sight of his opponent — a woman, calm and small in stature compared to him. She walked forward silently, katana sheathed at her side, her expression sharp, unreadable.

The man laughed. “This is a joke, right? Sending a little girl against me?”

The bell rang.

In the same instant, steel whispered. Her blade flashed like lightning, her body moving with inhuman precision. A single strike cut the air, stopping just short of his throat — yet the impact of her movement alone sent him crashing to the ground, knocked out cold by the sheer shockwave of her technique.

The crowd froze, silence heavy for a moment before erupting into cheers. She didn’t celebrate, didn’t even look at her fallen opponent. She simply sheathed her katana, eyes cold, posture straight, and walked out of the ring as if nothing had happened.

⸻

Minutes later, the “demon of the ring” looked completely different.

She sat cross-legged near a vending stall, nervously nibbling on a taiyaki snack, eyes darting whenever a group of people passed by. The cold killer aura was gone, replaced by a nervous, almost puppy-like energy. She muttered to herself, cheeks puffed out as she chewed, “Ugh… why are there so many people staring… I just wanted a snack…”

“THAT WAS AWESOME!!!”

Her whole body jolted at the booming voice. Saw Paing crashed into view, practically glowing with excitement, grinning ear to ear. “You knocked that guy out with one move! One move! I’ve never seen something that badass in my life!”

“W-Waaah!” She almost dropped her food, clutching it to her chest like a shield. “D-Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Saw Paing threw back his head, laughing like thunder. “Sneak up? I was louder than a parade! You’re crazy strong, huh? I like that!”

Before she could respond, another voice cut through the noise. Calm, precise.

“Is this who you’ve been yelling about, Saw Paing?”

She turned to see Kaolan Wongsawat approaching, his sharp gaze scanning her. He frowned slightly. “Someone this young… and already fighting here?”

Her eyes widened. Then, with a small pout, she asked, “How young do you think I am?”

Kaolan tilted his head thoughtfully. “…Nineteen?”

She huffed, cheeks puffing slightly. “I’m twenty-five. Same as you.”

That earned her Kaolan’s full attention, his brows raising slightly. Saw Paing, meanwhile, exploded in laughter. “BAHAHAHA! You do look kinda like a kid! No offense!”

“Ehh?! R-Really…?” she squeaked, hiding half her face behind her snack. Kaolan didn’t reply right away. His sharp gaze lingered on her, and for a brief second, the usually composed Muay Thai champion actually looked… intrigued.

“You carry yourself with more discipline than most fighters I’ve seen,” he said at last. “But to see that kind of technique in a tournament like this… at our age… it’s unusual.”

She tilted her head, still nibbling at her snack. “So what, you’re saying I’m some kinda rare Pokémon or something?”

Saw Paing burst into laughter so loud it echoed down the corridor. “P-POKÉMON?! HAHAHA! She’s amazing!!” He clutched his stomach. “Kaolan, you gotta admit, she’s different!”

Kaolan, ignoring Saw Paing’s antics, stepped closer, his tone steady. “I underestimated you. That won’t happen again.” His eyes sharpened with something that wasn’t mockery—it was respect.

That made her freeze mid-bite. Respect. From Kaolan Wongsawat.

“…Uh,” she mumbled, cheeks warming. “You don’t have to make it sound so dramatic. I just… trained a lot, that’s all.”

Kaolan gave a small nod, almost like a bow. “Training alone doesn’t create that kind of precision. You have something more. I’ll be watching you.”