"Okay, gather around in the main hall!" Whittier's voice boomed across the gym.
The fighters stopped mid-spar, exchanging confused glances.
Damon, still catching his breath from the sparring session with Ivan, wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and looked toward the exit.
No one knew what was going on because their coaches had already left the room.
"What's going on?" Ivan muttered as he put his towel over his shoulder.
Damon gave a shrug and shook his arms around. His body was still buzzing with energy. "No idea, but I guess we'll find out soon."
Across the facility, in the other gym where Team Chemasov trained, the same thing was happening.
Fighters from both teams paused their sessions, unsure of what was coming next.
Balim Chemasov had also given his team the same instruction.
It was intense as the fighters came out of their rooms and made their way to the main hall.
Something big was about to happen, and everyone could feel it.
As soon as both groups walked into the main hall, Damon saw right away that they were very different.
Team Chemasov was drenched in sweat, their faces flushed, clearly pushed harder than Team Whittier in their training.
Damon's eyes scanned the opposing fighters, but they stopped on the two brothers, Logan and Brian.
Logan, as expected, glared at Damon, his eyes hard and cold, still carrying the tension from their previous altercation.
Brian, on the other hand, gave Damon a quick look that made his face tighten. He then quickly turned away to avoid his eyes.
As both teams lined up, with some space between them, the tension in the room was obvious.
Both teams lined up next to each other, with a clear space between them.
"You've been sparring, you've been sweating, but this is where it gets real. First elimination's coming, and some of you..." he dragged out the words, relishing the tension, "won't make it past this round."
A few fighters moved around on their feet, making small moves that showed how tense they were.
They cracked their knuckles, jumped on their toes, and rolled their shoulders back to relax.
Ronan looked them over, his eyes sharp and calculating. "Now, I know some of you are itching to prove yourselves," he said, his voice lowering but still carrying through the room. "But here's the deal, you better be ready, because the first match is gonna set the tone for the entire season."
Damon kept his gaze locked on Ronan, standing steady, though he could feel his adrenaline spiking.
He glanced briefly toward Ivan, who stood beside him, stone-faced as usual, processing every word Ronan was saying.
From the other team, Logan cracked his neck, shooting a glance in Damon's direction, a smug expression creeping across his face.
Ronan caught the subtle exchange between Damon and Logan, and he didn't miss the tension that crackled in the air between the two of them.
He had seen enough in his career to know exactly where this was heading.
Ronan continued, ignoring the tension building between Damon and Logan. "So here's what's gonna happen," he said, pacing slightly in front of the fighters. "The coaches are gonna do a coin toss, and the winner will get to choose one fighter from their team and one from the other team to fight."
All eyes shifted to the coaches, who were now eyeing each other with a nod of understanding.
The fighters looked at each other, and it hit them hard what was about to happen.
Everyone knew that the matches would be planned out.
Once more, Ronan's voice broke the silence. "For the upcoming rounds, it'll be the same. But here's the twist: the coach of the fighter who wins that round will have the power to choose the next matchup."
The fighters' eyes became more focused. As the knockout rounds began, the pressure began to build.
Ronan glanced over the group once more, his tone firm. "Does everyone understand?"
There was a quiet agreement among the fighters. Some nodded, while others just clenched their hands in a silent way.
The competition was truly beginning now.