Chapter 71: The right time
The waiting room was quiet, but the energy was anything but calm. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the massive screen, watching the tournament grounds, where competitors were showing off their Uncos—sharp, controlled, powerful.
Maverick leaned back, arms crossed, watching carefully. "These kids have everything," he muttered. "Resources, training, the best instructors. It’s easy for them."
Amari kept his eyes on the screen. "Maybe," he said, thoughtful. "But that doesn’t mean they didn’t earn it."
Maverick glanced at him, raising a brow.
Amari continued, voice steady. "I respect how they use their abilities. It’s not just about having access to the best—it’s about how they apply it. Skill isn’t handed to you." His eyes followed the competitors, watching their precision, the techniques that clearly took hours of work to master. "You can tell they put in the effort."
Shylo nodded slightly as one competitor unleashed a ridiculous display of strength. "Yeah... you can see the difference between talent and hard work."
Kenneth snorted. "Well, our effort better be enough. ’Cause we don’t have the luxury of losing."
Amari smirked. "Then we better make sure we don’t."
He glanced at his team, watching the way they shifted in their seats—some impatient, some anxious. He exhaled, shaking his head slightly.
"Look," he said, voice steady. "None of this should scare us. We need to focus on everything we’ve worked on. We trained, we fought, we earned our spot here."
He met their eyes, sincerity clear. "No matter what happens, I’m proud of you guys."
Maverick stepped forward, eyes sharp, voice colder than usual. "Proud?" He scoffed. "Amari, we don’t have the luxury of not winning."