"You get three chances. If you win even once, I''ll consider it your victory," Ebony Fox stated calmly. "You cane at me one-on-one, or as a group."


    The trainees exchanged condescending smirks. Ebony Fox was unbelievably arrogant. If they couldn''t win with so many of them against one, they''d be apleteughingstock.


    "Deal," they agreed.


    The first to step up was a tall, muscr man. He was renowned in military circles as the ''Divine Fist,'' having taken first ce inst year''s live-fire field training and single-handedly captured the ''enemy'' leader. He was undefeated in his unit.


    Sending him out first was partly a gesture of chivalry-a way to show they weren''t ganging up on a woman—and partly a strategy to end things quickly so they could get a new instructor.


    "I''ll go first," the man said, stepping forward with his chin held high. His eyes, fixed on Ebony, were filled with a killer instinct. "Go all out, instructor. Don''t hold back."


    Ebony set her water bottle down and strolled forward. "Let''s see whose techniques are more effective-your old instructors'' or mine."


    As the signal was given, the trainee clenched his fists and charged.


    Ebony Fox didn''t move. Just as his punch flew toward her, she arched her back, her hands shooting out to grab his left leg. With just a fraction of her strength, she heaved.


    The trainee didn''t even have time to process what was happening before he found himself airborne. A split secondter, he mmed onto the ground with a sickening thud, the impact rattling every bone in his body.


    Everyone stared, dumbfounded. They hadn''t even seen how she''d done it. One moment he was attacking, the next he was on the ground. Was it a trick of the light?


    The trainee himself was stunned. He


    couldn''t believe he hadn''t even withstood a single move. He must have been distracted; she must have gotten in a lucky shop He was a hand-to-handbat champion. There was no way he could lose to a woman!


    "Again!" he roared, forcing himself up through the pain, determined to reim his honor.


    Ebony merely smirked and beckoned him to continue.


    What followed was a symphony of


    fter


    thuds, grunts, and the sound of bodies hitting the dirt. Finally, Ebony Foxzily retracted her leg kicking the trainee square in the shoulder. He went flying,nding in a heap in the dust, too hurt to get back up.


    First round: Ebony Fox wins.


    "Who''s next?" she asked, dusting off her hands. Her gaze swept over the remaining trainees, her voice utterly calm, as if the fight had been nothing more than a simple warm-up.


    Watching theirrade writhing on the ground, none of the others dared to face her alone. This woman was the real deal! For the second round, they decided to attack all at once. There was no way they could lose now.


    They were wrong. It was just as one-sided. Using the same simple techniques she had been trying to teach them, Ebony Fox systematically dismantled their coordinated attack. Within ten


    minutes, all of them were scattered across the ground, groaning in pain and disbelief.


    "Tsk." Ebony Fox picked up her water bottle and unscrewed the cap, a scornful smile on her face. "It seems your male instructors'' techniques aren''t all that impressive after all."


    The trainees stared back, their arrogancepletely shattered.


    "You still have one more chance..." Ebony Fox began, but her words trailed off as her gaze fell upon a small figure standing at the edge of the field. Her sharp eyes instantly softened.