Part-287

  James couldn’t help but smile at that. Ryan was right. Over the past few months, James had learned firsthand that raasn’t enough in Judo. Timing, precision, trol—all of these mattered far more than brute strength. Even though he had grown stronger, especially with the enhas from his mysterious system, he khat nothing could repce the need for solid teique.

  As they tio s the board, Ryan’s face grew more serious. His finger poioward another name, **Tejgaon High**.

  “That’s the real challenge,” Ryan said quietly. “We faced them st year, and we barely won. 4-3. Only reason as that their main pyer got injured in a previous match.” He leaned closer to James, voice dropping to a near whisper. “This year, they’re solid. Probably one of the teams that’ll make it to the finals.”

  James frowned. He hadn’t known how close the team had e to losing st year. The ejgaon High sent a ripple of tension through him, even though they wouldn’t face them until ter. He hadn’t asked much about st year’s tour—he hadn’t been a part of the team back then, after all. But now, with the stakes climbing higher, he felt a suddeo know more.

  “Wait,” James asked, l his voice, “ce did we finish st year?”

  Ryan smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes. “We lost in the semifinals. To the reigning champions.”

  James blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realized Banani High had e that far. “So, we nearly made it to the finals?”

  “Yeah,” Ryan said, his voice filled with a mix of pride and resignation. “We fought hard, but they were the better team. It’s something we’ve made peace with, though.”

  James nodded, his mind drifting. They had e so close st year, only to be stopped by the best team iour. The thought both motivated and uled him. This year, things could be different—this year, they had the ce to go all the way.

  ---

  An hour passed in the blink of ahe matches from other schools kicked off in the background, and the stadium was soon filled with the sound of shuffli, the thud of bodies hitting the mats, and the referee's sharp whistle signaling the end of each bout.

  Banani High’s first match was about to start. Jatrabari High stood on the opposite side of the mat, their pyers tall and muscur. They looked imposing, but there was an uainty in their eyes, a telltale sign that Ryan’s earlier assessment had been correct. Physically strong, but not much experience.

  James stretched his limbs, feeling his muscles loosen up. He rolled his shoulders back, taking a deep breath as the familiar surge of adrenaline coursed through him. There was always a certain calm before the storm, a moment of focus before the battle began. The trick was holding onto that calm in the midst of the chaos.

  Ryan, standio him, gnced over with a grin. “Ready?”

  James nodded. “Always.”