The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The announcement that the Taekwondo Club was being trained by a retired special forces soldier struck everyone like a bolt from the blue.

For a group of students whose experience barely extended beyond basic self-defense techniques, the idea of a special forces veteran guiding their opponents was almost unimaginable—a symbol of ultimate mastery hidden beneath ordinary appearances.

Given such expert tutelage, it was hardly surprising that the Taekwondo Club members’ abilities had surged so dramatically in a short time.

“It’s over. We don’t stand a chance now,” one member of the Free Combat Club muttered, his voice heavy with defeat.

“If Max were still the one facing Zane, maybe we’d have a shot. But with him out…” another whispered, trailing off.

The Free Combat Club members exchanged glances filled with quiet despair, their eyes flickering toward Nova with a shared, unspoken thought: *With Nova stepping in for Max against Zane, how could we possibly win?*

Truthfully, many of them had already surrendered to hopelessness.

Maxwell slammed his fist onto the table with a frustrated thud. He hadn’t anticipated that Zane would secretly hire a hidden master to coach the Taekwondo Club’s fighters.

Veins bulging on the back of his hand, he lowered his voice to a firm whisper, “Just do your best.”

As the club’s leader, those words were the only comfort he could offer, even though the outcome of this tournament would determine the very survival of the Blake Group.

“Max, we’ll give it everything we’ve got!” came a chorus of determined voices.

“We’ll fight for the club’s honor until the last breath.”

Despite knowing the odds were stacked against them, the members shouted with fierce resolve.

Suddenly, a female voice cut through the tension, sharp and clear: “What exactly are the conditions for the club to win?”

The room stiffened instantly. Nova’s gaze shifted toward the scoreboard positioned at the judges’ table in front of the stage.

The numbers told the story plainly: the blue zone read “1,” while the red zone showed “9.”

No further explanation was needed. Blue represented the Free Combat Club, red the Taekwondo Club, which was pulling far ahead.

Just as everyone was about to scold Nova for asking such a question at a critical moment, she quickly pieced the situation together herself. “Each club sends 51 members to compete. Every match won earns one point, except for the leaders’ duel, which is worth 50 points.”

She paused briefly, eyes sharp with clarity. “The match I’m taking over for Max is that leaders’ duel. So, that fight is the key to victory, right?”

Maxwell stepped closer, nodding. “Exactly. But don’t let it overwhelm you. Stay calm.”

With this scoring system, the entire tournament’s outcome ultimately hinged on the duel between the two club leaders.

Even though most believed Nova would lose, the members fought fiercely—not just for the win, but to demonstrate the Free Combat Club’s overall strength. This was crucial for recruiting new members in the future.

Students cared not only about the final duel but also about individual performances. The club with more victories would be perceived as stronger overall, which was vital for attracting fresh talent.

Everyone was convinced that Nova’s defeat was inevitable; the Free Combat Club’s downfall was a foregone conclusion. And if their individual match records were poor, recruitment would suffer badly.

“Ugh, recruitment is going to be a nightmare this year,” Caleb muttered gloomily. “All the new students will flock to the Taekwondo Club.”

His words carried a subtle blame toward Nova. Julian shoved his shoulder sharply. “Enough with the complaining!”

Meanwhile, Nova remained unshaken. She leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, a faint smile playing on her lips as she observed the unfolding drama with quiet confidence.

“Zane, our battle ace! Make history! Kick that insolent Nova right off the stage!”

“He’s going to crush her!”

As Nova stepped onto the stage, her eyes scanned the opposite side, landing on a young man in a blue shirt standing near the Taekwondo Club’s waiting area.

His presence was strikingly different from that of any student.

There was no doubt—this was the hidden master who had been training the Taekwondo Club members all along: the retired special forces soldier.

A cold, bloodthirsty smile curved Nova’s lips as she fixed him with an unmasked glare filled with deadly intent.

The man in blue was Jordan Cox, indeed a former special forces operative. From the very beginning, he had been pulling the strings behind the scenes like an invisible puppeteer.

Suddenly, Jordan sensed a gaze filled with blatant contempt. Looking up, his eyes met Nova’s—cold, merciless, and provocatively challenging.

The icy chill in her stare made Jordan shudder, as if a blade had been pressed to his throat, suffocating him.

That raw, unfiltered killing intent felt terrifyingly familiar, dragging him back to moments when death had stared him down on the battlefield.

He had only experienced this once before—during a special mission facing a world-class mercenary assassin.

And now, he was confronted with it again, reflected in the eyes of a young woman.

Jordan’s composure shattered instantly.