The match was exactly as Jin remembered.
Hasook and Bolin were knocked out just past the first line shortly after the match began, and Mako soon joined them after stepping over the line, allowing the Armadillo Tigers to advance into their territory.
He located Korra, who was cheering from the Fire Ferrets' side, but with the crowd's voices, nobody noticed her.
Hasook was hit by the Armadillo Tigers' Earth Master and fell toward Zone Three, just one step away from falling into the water.
"Ah, the Water Master has been eliminated," Asami commented, watching Hasook tumble into the water beneath the arena like a ragdoll after a combo from the rival Water and Earth Masters.
Since he fell out, according to the rules, he couldn't return until the second round began, leaving the brothers to fend for themselves.
Unfortunately, Bolin was pushed, and Mako jumped back, perhaps aware that he alone couldn't handle the onslaught of three fresh and energetic Masters.
Thus, the first round went to the Armadillo Tigers!
"Is it just me, or does the team seem out of sync?" Asami had been following the Fire Ferrets, and tonight they weren't performing as expected.
"You're right," Jin noted. He knew Hasook wasn't giving his all, but now that he was closer, he could sense with his Chi Vision that… the Water Master seemed injured.
Well, not exactly.
If his senses weren't deceiving him, it looked like he had recently suffered a dislocation in his right arm, and although it had been skillfully set, it was clear he shouldn't be moving like that. The pained grimaces might not have been obvious with the protector reflecting the light, but Jin could spot them.
"So it wasn't just a tantrum that made him leave the team during the match?" Jin thought curiously.
The beating in the first round seemed to have woken them up, because despite being on the ropes at the start of the second round, they managed to recover just seconds before it ended.
This led to a decisive final third round.
And as soon as Hasook and Bolin were both knocked out by the rival Earth Master…
"What bad luck," Asami said, putting a hand to her cheek, a little confused and surprised. "How did the Water Master stumble?"
Commentator Shiro Shinobi was getting more and more excited:
Now it all depends on Mako! If he goes down, this excellent season for the team will be over.
He dances along the edge of the ring, holding his own in this three-on-one.
It looks like his plan is to make the Armadillo Tigers hit each other!
Mako managed to knock out the rival Water Master while preparing to attack.
And the plan works! They've fallen into the water.
They have no more aces up their sleeves, and Mako goes on the offensive. It's two against one!
Mako knocks out the rival Fire Master with a well-placed hit.
I withdraw! It's one-on-one, a fight between fire and earth!
There's so much dust from the clashing attacks that I can't see where the Fire Ferret is…
Mako leaps through the dust, fist blazing with fire, and knocks the last rival into the water beneath the field.
And he's out! Mako has delivered the match of the season, winning another fight for the Ferrets!
Jin had question marks over his head—wasn't this the match where Korra joined the team?
"Well, my memories are decades old; it's normal that some minor details are mixed up," he comforted himself with that thought, trying to piece everything together in his mind. "No, wait, it's not that Hasook left the team during the match—I think he just didn't show up for the next one?"
That meant Korra would join in the next match, not this one.
"Are you okay?" Asami asked, lightly shaking his shoulder. "You seem distracted."
"It's nothing," Jin shook his head. "I just didn't expect the Avatar to come to the match."
"The Avatar?" Asami looked around in the stands. "Where is she?"
She couldn't deny that she was curious about the next generation, especially given her unforgettable arrival.
"There," Jin pointed to the Fire Ferrets' box. "Dark-skinned, with a ponytail, dressed in Water Tribe clothing."
Asami spotted Korra just as she was talking to Bolin with her arms crossed.
"You know, it's still impressive that you can do that," Asami commented while memorizing the Avatar's appearance. "How do you know she—? Oh, of course, your niece arrested her."
It made sense that Jin knew about her; he had probably told her later.
Asami still found it hard to process that the police chief was Jin's niece.
"If Asami was surprised, I wonder how Korra will react when she finds out about my family connection with Lin," Jin thought with amusement. "I wonder if she's already tried to find out anything about me?"
Even so, given this lapse, it meant Bolin wouldn't be kidnapped tomorrow, but later, so his plan to join the search after dinner became obsolete.
"At least I have the location, monitoring the site will be enough."
And that extra time was perfect for his niece to take care of Buthaka…
"Do you want to end the date here, or would you like to take a walk in the park for some fresh air?" Jin asked.
To be honest, the amount of green spaces in the city was unfortunately low. Too much industry, business, and housing had been crammed into a limited space, and places like the park where Korra roasted fish were rare, mostly intended to impress tourists.
Asami considered it for a moment before nodding at the suggestion to walk.
Normally, people in Republic City tried to avoid places like parks at night—it was too easy to be mugged and robbed, something newcomers learned the hard way.
But with the recent wave of arrests reducing crime, the caution of gangs, Jin's reputation as a fairly powerful Earth Master, his perception skills, and the fact that she could defend herself, her safety didn't seem to be a real concern.