Before Marcus could even register that he had missed his target, Elena dropped her hips impossibly low, sliding directly under his center of gravity.

Ippon Seoi Nage. The one-arm shoulder throw.

It is a principle of physics that mass multiplied by velocity equals momentum. Marcus had brought the mass and the velocity. Elena simply provided the ramp.

With a sharp, explosive pop of her hips, Elena launched the two-hundred-and-forty-pound champion off the ground. Marcus flew through the air, his legs kicking uselessly toward the ceiling. The impact when he hit the canvas sounded like a bomb going off. WHAM!

The breath exploded from Marcus’s lungs in a violent rush. But Elena wasn't done. The moment his back hit the mat, she spun on her knee, transitioning seamlessly. She wrapped her legs tightly around his thick neck and shoulder, securing his extended right arm.

She fell back, arching her hips with surgical precision. It was a flawless Juji-Gatame—a cross-armbar.

Marcus’s eyes widened in sheer panic. The pressure on his elbow joint was instantaneous and agonizing. If he didn't tap, his arm would snap backward like a dry twig.

He frantically slapped the mat with his free hand. Tap, tap, tap!

Elena released the pressure instantly and stood up, stepping over his groaning body without a second glance.

Time elapsed: 18 seconds.

The gym was paralyzed. Nobody breathed. Marcus "The Boulder" Vance, the reigning regional champion, was clutching his elbow, gasping for air, having been submitted by a white belt in less than twenty seconds.

Julian Thorne stared at Marcus, his jaw slack. Then, his shock morphed into cold, focused fury.

"Get out of the way," Julian hissed at Marcus, shoving his teammate aside.

Julian stepped onto the mat. He was a different animal entirely. He wasn't going to rush in blindly like Marcus. He was going to use technique, speed, and leverage. He dropped into a low, sprawling Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stance, ready to pull guard or snatch an ankle.

"Time!"