"Stop! Stop this!" Braun's voice boomed out as the tension was rising. "Get ahold of yourselves. Everybody off the mat now! Or this tournament-"

But he could not finish his sentence as he was knocked out clean by Sensei Ivanov. Chaos erupted as all the dojos charged onto the mat, fights breaking out left right and centre.

The air was charged with the sounds of shouting, the clatter of strikes and the chaos of bodies colliding. Braun's fall had triggered an eruption - a brawl that spread like a wildfire across the floor of the tournament hall.

Miguel and Robby, their faces set with fierce determination, charged forward as the Cobra Kai fighters converged on them. Elijah, Kwon, Yoon, and a handful of others lunged with primal fury, their eyes wide and unrelenting. The exchange was brutal, a flurry of punches, kicks, and shoves that defied any notion of technique. The hall became a storm of noise and motion.

After he was knocked down by Axel, Kai immediately got back on his feet and started fighting with the Iron Dragons captain. Axel's eyes were cold as he lunged with a kick the Kai narrowly blocked. The two fought without hesitation, each strike calculated but carried out with raw power and emotion. They were an even match up and Kai was battered and bruised as he jabbed, swept, and ducked, responding in kind to Axel's attacks.

Even Sensei Yazuko, a usual picture of control, found himself drawn into the madness. He darted through the bodies to assist Chozen. The older, battle-hardened Sensei grappled with the aggressive Sensei from the Swedish Polarslaget.

Sam's attention snapped as the female captain of Dublin Thunder, charged at her.

"Pathetic! You think you belong in the finals?"

They clashed in a flurry of strikes, the noise of their blows swallowed by the chaos around them. Sam's vision narrowed, focusing solely on her opponent as she blocked a high kick and retaliated with a swift counter. Her body moved on instinct, ducking under a wild punch and driving her fist into her opponent's midsection.

On the periphery, Emiko watched with wide, shocked eyes. This all out brawl was on the verge of triggering her, bringing back traumatic memories but she was not going to let it beat her. Right now, she couldn't handle zoning out. She needed to focus.

"Stay focused, Emiko!" Takeshi shouted, making sure she was ok whilst simultaneously dodging an opponent. She nodded, steeling herself as she sprang into action, dodging and weaving, making her way over to Rae who was currently preoccupied with some other fighters.

Robby, his hair damp with sweat, spun around as he elbowed Yoon in the chest. The Cobra Kai fighter stumbled back, only to be met by a quick, vicious jab from Miguel. Elijah countered quickly, trying to land a blow on Miguel but was stopped by Robby.

Tory noticed and was making her way over to try help Robby but was stopped by Zara.

"You're mine Nichols!"

Zara's strikes were quick, catching Tory off guard and forcing her into a defensive position. But Tory wasn't going to back down without a fight. She fully focused herself, fending off Zara's blows skilfully as Zara never looked like she was going to back down.

In that moment, a roar erupted as Axel's fist connected with Kai's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. The air sucked out of Kai's lungs as he fought through the pain, one arm propped up, his breathing ragged. Fuelled by anger, he landed a kick on Axel which sent him stumbling back.

Meanwhile, Hawk and Demetri found themselves pairing up, as they had done many times before. They manoeuvred through the chaos. Hawk, with his aggressive style, took the lead, striking first and pushing their opponents back, while Demetri, more defensive, protected their backs and created openings.

Masahiko and Aramis, however, were stuck in the middle of a much messier fight. The brawl was unlike anything they'd experienced before - there was no time to think, only to react. They were forced to fight off multiple opponents at once, and while their fighting styles were a perfect match - Masahiko's unyielding defense and Aramis' unpredictable attacks - they were struggling to regain any control over the situation. It was a sheer test of endurance, and neither of them was willing to back down. But as the violence spiralled out of control, they both began to feel the weight of it. Masahiko grimaced as a punch landed hard on his ribs, and Aramis stumbled after getting knocked off balance by a strike from behind.

Rae, watching this unfold, tried to keep her distance from the bloodshed. She wasn't the type to enjoy these brutal, uncontrolled brawls. She hated seeing the violence spiralling beyond any sense of control, beyond the purpose of martial arts. She glanced around, looking for an opening to escape the madness, but her eyes kept darting back to her teammates. She couldn't leave them behind, not even as she struggled to maintain her composure in the chaos.

Devon and Kenny were faring better in their battle. The two of them fought in sync as they outpaced their opponents. But Devon's focus was divided. She was constantly scanning the stands, searching for Milo. She couldn't shake the thought that he might still be out there, caught up in the madness. Her and Kenny rushed up the stairs, the other fighters quickly following. They tried to keep them at bay whilst Devon frantically looked for Milo.

When she finally caught sight of him - huddled underneath a row of seats, hiding and panic etched all over his face - her stomach dropped. She rushed over to him, kneeling beside him, her voice soft.

"Milo, it's okay. You're safe now." she whispered, pulling him into a calm embrace as he trembled in fear. His breathing was shallow, rapid, as panic took hold of him.

Kenny kept a watchful eye, fending off anyone who came too close. Devon's focus was fully on Milo who kept rocking back and forth, his breathing erratic and unable to say anything. Devon held him before she kissed him. It snapped him out of his trance as he kissed her back.

Milo, slowly calming down, looked up at her, his eyes still wide with fear but less frantic. "Thanks," he said quietly, his voice shaky.

"You're ok now Milo," Devon said, "let's get out of here."

She glanced over her shoulder to find Kenny, who gave her a quick nod, signalling that he was ready. Together, they led Milo out of the chaos - Kenny watching their backs and covering them as Devon, hand in hand with Milo, lead the way.

Meanwhile, the chaos in the arena showed no signs of slowing down. Tiger Claw's members were all caught up in it, fighting tooth and nail. There was no strategy anymore, just pure survival instinct. Everyone was in it for themselves, throwing punches, blocking attacks, and trying to stay on their feet.

Sensei Wolf was now facing off against Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. The tall, imposing Sensei smirked, wiping a thin trail of blood from the corner of his lip as he sized them up.

"Two on one. Might actually get a good workout." he teased, the corner of his mouth twitching with a grin.

Johnny stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Work this out-"

But before Johnny could finish his sentence, Wolf sent him straight to the ground with a strike.

Meanwhile, across the arena, Miguel and Robby were still taking on Elijah, Kwon, and Yoon. Their combination of both offense and defence had been working well, but the Cobra Kai fighters were relentless. Robby saw Tory in the distance and with a swift kick, he took down both Yoon and Kwon. Their bodies fell, sprawled on the mat.

Robby, seeing Tory on the ground being pummelled by Zara, charged forward without hesitation. His heart pounded as he launched himself at Zara, grabbing her and flinging her away from Tory with a raw burst of strength. "Get off her!" he yelled, eyes blazing.

Zara scrambled to her feet, eyes locked on Robby, her voice cold and venomous. "You'll really choose her over me?" she spat, eyes narrowing.

Robby's jaw clenched as he stood by Tory, who was breathing heavily. "It's not even close," he replied, his voice low and steady.

Takeshi had joined the fight against Axel, coming to Kai's aid. Both of them were getting tired now and as he saw Axel land a hit on Kai his instincts took over. He surged forward and the two Tiger Claw fighters attacked in unison, their strikes coordinated to put Axel on the defensive. Axel's defence was strong, but Kai and Takeshi's combined attacks were enough to send him back.

A sudden movement caught Kai's eye. He turned just as Sam, who had been engaged with the Dublin Thunder captain, broke away from her fight. She moved with purpose, eyes on the figure charging for Kai, using a roundhouse kick to send him sprawling away from Kai.

"Thanks." he muttered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the fight.

"Anytime." Sam replied, turning and facing the surging tide of opponents coming at them.

He was fighting alongside Sam when he realised Takeshi was getting overwhelmed, he rushed over to help his best friend yet again. Everything around him was beginning to blur into an indistinct roar, the clash of bodies, shouts of pain and rage, and the crackle of strained voices blending into a single, relentless noise. Kai had been fighting with everything he had, and that meant he was getting tired. Each movement, each blow felt harder than the last.

Axel just wouldn't leave him. When was this going to end? What did Axel want? Kai dead? Unconscious?

Kai was sending strike after strike at Axel and was just about to land the decisive strike when he noticed something.

Kai's heart stopped as he saw Elijah's eyes trained on Sam, murder simmering in his glare. Without a second thought, Kai surged forward, pushing past the fighting bodies between them. He threw a punch that connected solidly with Elijah's jaw, stopping him mid-step. The force of the blow sent Elijah sprawling back, but he recovered quickly, his eyes full of fury and his body thrumming with violence.

"You're dead!" Elijah spat, his voice low and vicious.

Kai sent a powerful kick that sent Elijah flying into the camera. As him and the camera crumbled he let out a scream filled with fury, rage and anger, blood pouring from his nose.

"Fuck!" he yelled, every emotion consuming him.

He looked up and saw Kreese's eujangdo right in front of him. It was fate. It was meant to be. A sadistic smile crept onto Elijah's face as he grabbed it and stumbled up.

His target was clear, he headed straight for Kai. He was going to kill him.

"Elijah! No!" Daniel shouted from the distance, noticing the weapon the boy had in his hand. His eyes widened as he started to push his way through the fray towards Elijah.

"Kai Hilton, you are a dead man." Elijah roared.

Kai looked at him, Elijah was a psychopath. He would actually kill Kai if he had he opportunity. Kai's silence in the face of the threat made Elijah's smile deepen, it made him happy to see the fear in Kai's eyes.

Kai knew something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. He readied himself, his breathing steadying, muscles coiled and prepared to react.

He couldn't see the knife, he was only focused on defending the strikes and kicks Elijah was sending his way.

But then he noticed it, and panic seeped through every bone in Kai's body. Elijah's face twisted into a triumphant sneer as he took a step forward, the knife reflecting the arena lights. He lunged at Kai, the knife slicing through the air with lethal intent. Kai's instincts roared to life. He dodged the strike quickly taking a step back.

It had all gone too far.

As Elijah jumped into the air to land the life-ending kick and strike on Kai, the Hilton's instincts flared up as he blocked with his own kick. Elijah's balance was completely lost as he fell, he couldn't catch himself as his body thudded to the ground.

Elijah's scream echoed through the hall, sharp and raw, as he lay motionless on the ground. His blood pooled around him, dark and spreading. The air grew still, the fighting halted, and every eye turned to what had just happened.

Kai's breath caught in his throat as he stared at Elijah's body, blood pooling out from where he had fallen. His heart pounded with the weight of the moment, the consequences pressing down on him. It had been self-defence, but the truth of it hit him with a force he'd never anticipated.

He didn't want to kill. He didn't want this.

"He's not moving..."

"That's a lot of blood..."

"Something's wrong."

Kai's hands were shaking, the adrenaline leaving his limbs trembling. He looked down at his hands, the blood already drying on his knuckles and there was blood on his headband. He felt the weight of what had just happened crash over him.

He couldn't move, couldn't speak. He just stared down at the scene, his heart shattering into a million pieces.

Elijah St John was dead.

And Kai Hilton had killed him.