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"AND THE CROWD GOES WILD FOR... MEDUSA!" The announcer's voice bellowed with dramatic flair, his excitement shaking the very walls of the arena. The crowd erupted into a frenzy, as if they'd just discovered the secret to immortality. Meanwhile, the y/h/c-haired girl stood center stage, trying to process her latest nickname.

It was an improvement, to be fair. The crowd had rejected Crimson Cobra faster than a vegan at a BBQ, Night Viper had been met with snickers about bad fanfiction, and Shadow Fang was apparently "too try-hard." But Basilisk? That one really stung—someone had literally booed at Gunther, yelling, "She's not even a snake, H*tler!"

Now, it was Medusa. A mythological woman who turned all who dared to look at her into stone. The girl couldn't decide if it was empowering or if they were just out of snake names. Either way, she was rolling with it.

Y/n, panting but exhilarated, stood tall in the center of the mat, her bo staff resting against the floor as her opponent, Cara, captain of the Irish team, groaned in pain on her knees. The match had ended in spectacular fashion—y/n's perfectly executed sweep had knocked Cara off balance, and the follow-up strike to her back had slammed her onto the mat with a resounding thud.

The girl's lips curled into a small, triumphant smirk. She tilted her head to meet Cara's glare as the blonde hissed through gritted teeth, "You chipped my tooth, bitch."

Feigning an expression of innocent sweetness, y/n crouched down slightly, her voice honeyed with mock concern.

"Oh no." She paused, letting the silence linger just long enough to be infuriating. "Guess you'll finally have something real to cry about now."

She leaned in as she spoke, her tone dropping to a low, dangerous purr, just loud enough for the blonde to hear. The words were laced with venom, but her face betrayed nothing but warmth to the audience, who were oblivious to the tension brewing.

Extending a hand in mock courtesy, y/n smiled as she helped Cara to her feet. To the onlookers, it was an act of sportsmanship—one of humility and grace.

But the Irish's face twisted in fury, her fists trembling as she struggled to contain herself. "You little--"

The blonde lunged, shoving y/n backward with enough force to make her stagger.

Gasps erupted from the audience. The refs immediately intervened, rushing to restrain Cara as she flailed against their hold, hurling curses in rapid-fire succession.

"You dirty, smug cunt! I'll put you on your knees next time, you sneaky--!"

"Hey! Hey!" The head ref raised his hand, his stern voice cutting through the commotion. "That's enough! Captain Cara, unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. Consider this a warning—next time, it's a disqualification."

Cara snarled, wrenching her arms away from the officials, her face crimson with rage. The crowd's buzz shifted to murmurs, split between scandalized whispers and entertained chuckles at the drama unfolding.

Y/n's expression was a masterclass in controlled innocence, approved by Sensei Kim who gave her a sharp, approving nod. The y/h/c-haired girl pressed her lips into a tight line, her brow furrowed as if genuinely concerned for her opponent's outburst. Her y/e/c eyes, sparkling with faux sincerity, scanned the retreating captain's furious form. 

She took a single cautious step back, her hands raised in a pacifying gesture that screamed, Who, me?

Behind her, Tory approached in mock worry, her brow furrowed as she placed a hand on y/n's shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked loudly enough for the audience to hear, her voice soft with concern.

The moment the cameras turned away, the girls' worried expressions evaporated into matching grins. Tory extended her fist, and y/n bumped it, followed by a subtle, practiced dap.

"Sneaky little fucker, aren't you?" Tory murmured, her grin stretching wider.

"In my defense, I simply do not vibe with peace." y/n replied, her tone smug but soft enough to stay under the radar. "I wasn't sure if she'd take the bait, but man, did she ever."

"She was practically foaming at the mouth," Tory added, her voice low with a note of satisfaction. "Classic Dublin Thunder."

The two exchanged a quick glance, their smirks lingering before they slipped seamlessly back into their roles of serious competitors. y/n adjusted her bo staff, gripping it tightly as the head referee called for the next match to begin, the last one for the day against Maria Alvarez herself.

As the girls made it back to their senseis, nobody needed any words to acknowledge what had just happened. They were masters at this—riling their enemies up and making them unravel, all while keeping their own composure perfectly intact.

For the rest of the crowd, it was another day of spirited competition. For fighters of Cobra Kai, it was another small victory in their ongoing battle of mind games.

A week had passed since the Sekai Taikai had kicked off, and the dojang's reputation had only skyrocketed. They were nearly untouchable, suffering no losses except for the infamous first event against the Iron Dragons—a sore spot for some, but ultimately shrugged off as a fluke.

The tournament wasn't just a series of fights—it was a spectacle. Every match was as much about showmanship as it was about skill. Each Cobra Kai fighter had become a fan favorite, adored (or feared) for their unique strengths and characteristics, making them larger-than-life personas in the eyes of the world.

Known for her jaw-dropping pain tolerance, y/n l/n had quickly become one of the most talked-about fighters. She fought like a tank, taking hit after hit without so much as flinching, often blocking even the harshest bo staff strikes with nothing but her bare hands and knees. She rarely used her own weapon for defense, saving it for devastating counterattacks that came like lightning.

Her training with Sensei Kim and Yoon had made her impervious to pain—both figuratively and literally. During one of her matches, a rival from Brazil landed a spinning kick to her ribs so hard that the sound made the crowd wince. y/n's response? A shrug and a smirk, followed by a flawless roundhouse kick that sent her opponent flying out of bounds.

It's a different story that she was also caught whining to Kreese after that match about her ribs being shattered potentially as she pestered him to get her ice cream as a reward for her "undeniable awesomeness." 

What no one knew, however, was that the old man—after a solid ten minutes of gruffly grumbling about discipline and war—eventually caved. He'd snuck out to a 24-hour convenience store, returning with a small tub of her favorite flavor.

***

"Don't let it go to your head, l/n," he warned in his usual gruff tone, handing over the treat. "This isn't some free pass to call my hotel room every time you want dessert."

"But you do care," she teased through a mouthful of ice cream, grinning like she'd just won a championship.

Kreese sighed, shaking his head. "Keep it quiet, or every kid in that dojo's gonna think I'm running an all-night snack bar. And if I hear one word about this, you're running extra drills for a week."

She had nodded solemnly, the promise of drills outweighing her desire to brag. But as she savored each bite of the ice cream, the warmth of his unspoken care lingered more than the cold treat ever could.

***

On the other hand, Kwon Jae-sung, the male captain of Cobra Kai was a living weapon. Ruthless, ferocious, and completely unpredictable, he had become the poster boy for the dojo's philosophy. His matches weren't just fights—they were brutal takedowns.

In the two-on-one events against Sweden, Puerto Rico, and Russia, Kwon demolished his opponents in under two minutes each, making it look almost effortless. His kicks were a deadly combination of speed and complexity, often leaving his rivals stunned before they even realized what hit them.

The public adored him for his no-mercy attitude. A viral video of Kwon coldly walking away after a devastating knockout had sparked endless memes, with captions like: "When you finish them before your coffee cools☠️🥶🐍🥋."

Yoon Do-jin was the team's golden boy, famous for his flawless technique and precision. His moves were so fluid and effortless that even some of the world's most iconic martial artists—people who had long retired from the spotlight—took notice.

It was rumored that a few of them had started funding Cobra Kai's stay at their luxury hotel, impressed by Yoon's sheer mastery of martial arts. His calm demeanor and sportsmanlike conduct added to his charm, making him one of the most respected fighters in the tournament.

Tory Nichols was the queen of chaos. Her aggression and unrelenting drive made her a fighter that everyone—opponents and fans alike—revered.

She had earned a reputation for turning the tide of matches that seemed impossible to win. In one notable event, after being cornered by the French team, she fought her way out with sheer brute force, leaving her opponents scrambling to keep up.

The crowd loved her for her raw determination, often chanting her name as she walked onto the mat. Tory had become a symbol of resilience, though her rivals preferred words like psychotic and unhinged.

Lee Byung-san was the team's speedster, earning him the nickname Korean Flash. His lightning-quick reflexes and footwork allowed him to dart around opponents with ease, landing blows before they even knew what was happening.

Off the mat, the boy's gentlemanly behavior had also earned him a massive following. After every match, when swarms of adoring fans approached him, he would politely smile and say, "Psh, I really appreciate the sentiments, but I have a wonderful lady waiting for me back home!"

In a world dominated by over-the-top personalities, Lee's quiet humility was a refreshing change, making him a fan favorite—and the target of relentless teasing from his teammates, particularly y/n/n, who used Mimi's name as blackmail for him to do her evil bidding...

Then there was Park Sun-woo. 

If Lee was speed, Park was strength.

Known for his headbutts, the boy's signature move had become both legendary and infamous. During one match against the Japanese team, Park delivered a devastating headbutt that broke the opposing captain's nose. The crowd went wild, but a rogue fan later tweeted, "Is his head just naturally that big?!" The comment spiraled into memes, and the nickname Megamind was born.

Park, already self-conscious about his head size, had a disastrous haircut trying to downplay his features, eventually settling on a buzzcut. Ironically, this new look only made him more popular. When he broke a bo staff in half with his head during a match, fans started calling him The real Wok. Surprisingly, Park was cool with that one.

Overall, Cobra Kai was the team to beat, battling neck-and-neck with the Iron Dragons for the top spot. Their performances were fiery and ruthless, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that they were there to dominate.

As for Miyagi-Do? They were dying out there. Once revered for their wisdom and discipline, the dojo had become the internet's favorite punching bag. The downfall started when one of their senseis—rumored to be Miyagi himself as he was... well, the only Asian man on the team—was caught on camera furiously karate-chopping an orchid during the cocktail mix. (A video recorded by John Kreese himself)

The clip went viral with captions like:

"Cobra Kai smashes skulls. Iron Dragons crush bricks. Miyagi-Do? Waging war on flowers."

"POV: You're a weed, and Miyagi-do took that personally."

One meme even featured Daniel Larusso mid-chop with the tagline: "Protecting the valley, one leaf at a time."

Either way, the Sekai Taikai was shaping up to be one for the history books—and Cobra Kai was determined to write the final chapters.

They were here to win... no matter what it'd take.

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