Liam Nakamura was running late from his dojo after an intense practice session. His final match in the Global Karate Championships was only two days away, and he wanted to be fully prepared.
Liam was obsessed with martial arts. He loved competing in different styles, pushing himself to his limits. When he wasn't training, he enjoyed reading manga, novels, and watching anime. His favorite series was about a martial artist named Baki, who kept fighting stronger opponents through sheer hard work. Liam liked how it showed that effort and talent could overcome experience, though he always felt it would have been better if the main character had more than one love interest.
As Liam jogged home, he suddenly heard a woman screaming for help. He turned toward the sound, which came from an abandoned construction site. Without thinking, he ran toward it and saw three thugs cornering a terrified girl.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Liam shouted.
One of the punks sneered, "Mind your own business, kid, unless you want to get hurt."
"You picked the wrong day to play hero," another thug added, pulling out a knife.
Liam clenched his fists. "I said, leave her alone."
The first punk charged, swinging a sloppy punch. Liam dodged and countered with a sharp roundhouse kick, dropping the thug instantly. The other two glanced at their friend, now whimpering on the ground, and decided to attack together. One grabbed a metal pipe while the other slashed with his knife.
Liam ducked under the swing of the pipe and swept the attacker's legs, sending him crashing down. As the last thug lunged, Liam stepped back, drove his fist into the thug's stomach, and followed up with a knee to the face, knocking him out.
After ensuring the punks were down, Liam turned to the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Th-thank you... I'm fine now," she replied shakily.
Liam smiled, trying to comfort her, but before he could react, pain shot through his side. He looked down to see a knife sticking out of his body, held by the same girl he had just saved. She twisted the blade, but Liam managed to smack her away, causing her to lose her grip on the weapon.
Liam was stunned, struggling to understand what was happening. A tall figure stepped out from the shadows. It was Arata, Liam's rival in the upcoming championship match.
"Arata... why? All this, just for the championship?" Liam asked, blood dripping from his side.
Arata smirked. "It's not just for the title. She started liking you, and I couldn't let that happen."
Liam glared, rage burning in his eyes. "You're insane."
The thugs, slowly recovering, complained, "Boss, he hit us hard. You better pay us extra if you want him dead."
"Just finish him off," Arata ordered.
The three punks rushed Liam, but Liam ripped the knife from his side, ignoring the pain. "I won't die here!" he roared.
With a desperate charge, he slashed at the thugs, cutting them down before they could react. Their bodies fell, blood pooling beneath them. The girl screamed in horror, clutching onto Arata.
Arata raised a gun, aiming at Liam. "You should have stayed down."
A gunshot echoed, and Liam felt another wave of agony as a bullet tore into his stomach. He fell to his knees, coughing up blood, glaring at Arata with fading eyes.
Arata approached, ready to fire again. But with the last of his strength, Liam hurled the dagger. The blade missed Arata, who laughed. "Is that all you got?"
Suddenly, a loud creak echoed above them. Both Arata and the girl looked up in horror as a massive steel pipes falling down, its release rope was cut by Liam's thrown knife, detached and came crashing down.
They screamed, but it was too late. The steel pipes smashed into them, ending their lives instantly.
Liam, lying in a pool of his own blood, managed a weak smile as he heard the crash. "Guess I won't get to be the champion this time... Fine. I'll become the strongest martial artist in my next life, so I won't have to die like this again..."
With that final thought, his vision went dark, ready for his next journey.