Originally, Zuko was not Azula's match, and what's more, they had just fought a battle, consuming a lot of stamina, so it was only natural for him to be beaten so badly.
The only thing Kahn admired was that Zuko was tough enough not to surrender voluntarily, but was kicked out of the arena by Azula after being brutally beaten by her.
Zuko had taken some of what Kahn said earlier to heart.
Even Azula was surprised by this; it was rare for her not to mock Zuko after he lost.
Looking at Zuko's originally handsome and adorable little face, now smudged with dirt, his clothes covered in burn marks, and his hair a bird's nest, Kahn couldn't help but laugh uncharitably.
But his laughter quickly died down.
Because Azula waved at him, revealing a 'friendly' smile.
He was next.
In fact, while watching Zuko get pummeled by Azula earlier, he had been observing carefully, and he had to admit, Azula was indeed an absolute genius; her combat power was on a completely different level than theirs.
Comparatively, on the surface, he was weaker than Zuko, but with his familiarity with Firebending and excellent physical fitness, he could be evenly matched with Zuko, and with his many unexpected moves, he could even win.
In other words, the two's'strength' and 'intelligence' were similar, but Kahn's'skill' was higher.
However, the gap in skill between Azula and Zuko was reflected in fundamental'strength'.
Azula's fighting style was not as cunning as her personality; it didn't resemble a woman's at all, and was even more overbearing than a man's.
If Kahn and Zuko's fight was a comprehensive contest of strength, intelligence, and skill, where they countered each other's moves and exchanged blows, then Azula and Zuko's was purely a collision of strength.
Zuko was the one being crushed.
The same Firebending seemed to unleash greater power in Azula's hands; Azula could easily dodge or block Zuko's attacks, or even counterattack directly, while Zuko couldn't parry Azula's attacks at all and could only dodge clumsily.
What surprised him even more was that the flames Azula released were not the normal orange-yellow, but azure-blue flames!
Whether from a scientific or mystical perspective, azure-blue flames are generally stronger than normal orange-yellow flames.
But why were Azula's flames special?
Let's put this question aside for now and return to the battle itself.
Initially, Zuko could still barely counterattack, but once Azula took control of the battle's rhythm, the combat advantage instantly shifted towards Azula.
Soon, Zuko was beaten to a pulp, scurrying around with his head in his hands, his body scorched and tattered, smelling of char, and finally, he was directly blasted out of the arena.
And he, who was only 'one step more skilled' than Zuko, would probably suffer the same fate.
So, I'm destined to get beaten?
But at the same time, Kahn also had some ideas in mind.
After swiftly dispatching Zuko from the arena, Azula waved at him, revealing a 'friendly' smile:
"Hey, it's your turn."
I know, but you don't have to look so eager, your intentions are too obvious.
Kahn grumbled inwardly as he walked onto the stage, and casually asked Azula:
"Do you need a break?"
Azula paused at his words, gave him another inexplicable look, then scoffed:
"...You'd better worry about yourself."
Alright then.
Kahn shrugged indifferently.
Kahn and Azula completed the ritual for combat practice, standing back-to-back, waiting for the countdown.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, recalling the scene of Azula and Zuko's fight, and brewing various combat strategies in his mind.
Although the opponent was strong, it didn't mean he had to get beaten!
I, Kahn, love to say no to those who think too highly of themselves!
"3, 2, 1!"
Begin!
Azula adopted the same strategy as with Zuko, turning around and punching out a meteor-like fireball towards Kahn, then immediately following behind the fireball, charging towards Kahn.
But Kahn did not choose to clash head-on with Azula.
He dodged the fireball by flashing to the left, and with his right hand, he drew an arcing flame forward to block Azula's advance.
"Petty tricks!"
Azula casually chopped through the incoming flame arc with a palm, then blasted out another pillar of fire.
Kahn continuously executed a left roll, dodging the subsequent attack that followed closely.
Azula continued to rush him, but Kahn refused to engage her head-on, continuing to retreat and dodge.
Side rolls, back bends, turns, forward leaps, squats, one-handed handstands, donkey rolls—Kahn used every trick in the book, performing many acrobatic-like movements in the eyes of others, to evade Azula's attacks.
For attacks he truly couldn't dodge, Kahn tried his best to minimize their power before blocking them, thus accumulating quite a few scorch marks and dust on his body, appearing quite disheveled, but in reality, he wasn't really injured.
Didn't expect that, did you? This is my ultimate move—
The escape tactic! Nigero yo!
Azula pursued him while attacking, each strike narrowly dodged by Kahn. Watching Kahn's wild and even somewhat comical movements, she grew angrier and attacked with more force, unconsciously depleting her stamina rapidly.
Zuko watched from the side, dumbfounded, shocked by Kahn's incredibly skillful movements.
He had thought Kahn, like him, would be beaten badly and lose quickly, but he didn't expect that although Kahn was being pressured, he stubbornly held on without falling, instead giving the impression that the two were evenly matched.
Hmm? Something seems off? Can this be considered a draw?
Zuko's mind began to wrestle with the thought.
Azula felt very uncomfortable at this point, or rather, disgusted. She didn't even bother with sarcasm anymore, and directly spat at Kahn with hatred:
"Ha, ha, did your teacher only teach you how to run away? Like a coward?"
She was panting heavily, half from exhaustion, half from anger.
Earlier, when she watched Kahn and Zuko's fight, she didn't feel anything, only thinking Zuko was foolish. But now, fighting herself, she realized just how much Kahn could dodge!
Why practice dodging so well? Are you crazy?!
Azula, however, was wronging Kahn. He hadn't practiced dodging at all; that he could perform like this was something he hadn't even expected himself, purely a natural talent.
Kahn was also panting heavily, resting while keeping a close eye on Azula to maintain distance and prevent her from launching a surprise attack.
His mind was clear: in this round, surviving was victory!
Say what you want, say anything you want. If I confront you head-on even once, then I'm not human.
Frequent dodging consumed a lot of energy; Kahn was very tired at this point, but he was wide awake, unmoved by Azula's provocation, and even retorted:
"Running away is a good ability, at least it keeps you from hitting me."
This counter-sarcasm had a significant effect, and coupled with Azula already being disgusted and irritable, she couldn't help but charge forward again, while Kahn continued to dodge.
With both their stamina dwindling, such a situation was bound to have an end, but at this moment, Kahn saw the path to victory!
Azula was exceptionally talented, and the same Firebending unleashed greater power in her hands; she was far from someone he could confront head-on.
But no matter how strong her talent, she was still just a little girl; her physical capabilities limited her strength, especially the depletion of stamina, which was gradually weakening her, making her moves increasingly chaotic and beginning to reveal openings.
And Kahn's bitter struggle was for this very moment—
I'm not human anymore, Azula!
The moment Azula revealed an opening, Kahn suddenly advanced instead of retreating, dodging Azula's attack by a hair's breadth and grabbing her right wrist.
At the same time, Kahn's long-accumulated strength suddenly erupted; he twisted his body sideways, using his legs, waist, and shoulders to gather all his power into his hands, and threw Azula into the air—
Azula didn't have time to react to Kahn's sudden attack and was pulled by a great force and thrown into the air, but once she realized what was happening, she merely adjusted her posture slightly in mid-air and landed easily.
"What's the use of this resistance—"
Azula hadn't finished speaking when she suddenly remembered something, staring at Kahn standing on the stage, and fell silent.
The place she landed was outside the arena, and they were all very clear about the rules of combat practice.
Kahn, panting, smiled at Azula:
"This is called rational use of rules."
At the same time, Zuko's excited shout came:
"Azula, you lost!"