I woke up in the resting room.
Remembering my victory, I tried to raise my arm into the air, but the pain stopped me.
But it's fine — I'm going to Australia. I looked at the TV that was broadcasting the event and checked the list of those who qualified. I hadn't missed Joseph's fight.
While waiting for his match, I looked around the room to see if I was alone. That's when I saw someone staring at me — it was Alice, with several bruises on her face.
She was glaring at me. Well, I did mess up her face.
She walked up to me and said,
"You and I will settle this once we've both become cultivators."
"What are you talking about? You lost. And anyway, the better one won — little hippie," I replied.
She stared at my throat like she was about to jump on me, but held herself back and went back to her bed.
The final match was Joseph's. He was up against Karachi Foué, who also used a sword. It was going to be a swordsman's duel. Both stood face to face, watching each other as the referee signaled the start of the fight.
They began walking toward one another.
Five meters… four… three… two…
Joseph drew his blade and slashed toward Karachi's throat. At the same time, Karachi launched a strike at Joseph's ribs.
Karachi stopped Joseph's blade with his bare hand, and Joseph blocked Karachi's strike with his sheath. Right after that, Joseph attacked again using his sheath — Karachi parried.
Seconds passed. Joseph kept aiming at Karachi's vital points with just his sheath. His right arm, the one holding his sword, was still being held by Karachi.
While Joseph kept attacking, suddenly his head was knocked back — a rising kick had landed right under his jaw.
Karachi grabbed his head, headbutted him, and slashed brutally at his liver.
Joseph was dizzy, blood coming from his mouth. But finally, his right arm was free — and he slashed toward Karachi's skull. Karachi blocked the attack.
Joseph kicked Karachi in the knee — it landed. Karachi tried to hide the pain, then launched a series of sharp, powerful strikes.
Joseph was under pressure, parrying everything, trying to think of a lethal move to create an opening. He couldn't hold out much longer.
The hits he'd already taken hurt so much that his whole body was shaking — but he hid it from his opponent.
Then, fast, he launched a strike toward Karachi's head.
Karachi blocked it effortlessly and said,
"Looks like the rat has run out of tricks."
He smiled, thinking victory was his…
But right then, a jolt of pain hit his lower belly.
Joseph, still smiling, had just rammed his sheath into Karachi's stomach, then raised his leg and delivered a spinning kick to the side of his neck.
Karachi's eyes turned white. He had lost consciousness.
Joseph, breathing heavily, watched him fall to his knees, then sheathed his weapon and walked away.
The referee ended the fight — and with it, the tournament came to a close.