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THE CHAOS IN THE ARENA CAME TO AN ABRUPT END as the referee signaled for the match to resume. On one side stood Miguel, his stance calm and collected, embodying the balance and discipline of Miyagi-do. Across from him, Lee's posture was taut, his eyes filled with determination and the fiery aggression Cobra Kai was known for.

The whistle blew, and the fighters began circling each other. Lee moved first, throwing a quick jab aimed at Miguel's ribs. Miguel deflected it with a calculated block, stepping back to create distance. Lee pressed forward, launching a flurry of punches and kicks that Miguel dodged with precision, his movements fluid and methodical.

"Get him, Lee!" A fangirl from the audience shouted from the sidelines, urging him on.

The latino however continued his defensive strategy, weaving and sidestepping, his focus unwavering. Each time Lee advanced, Miguel evaded, letting the Cobra Kai fighter expend his energy. Lee's frustration began to show as his attacks grew sloppier, his breathing heavier.

"You're just running!" Lee spat, swinging a high kick at Miguel's head.

Miguel ducked under the kick smoothly, his eyes calm. "Patience," he muttered under his breath, echoing the teachings of Miyagi-do.

As Lee stumbled slightly from the missed kick, Miguel saw his opening. He lunged forward, delivering a sharp kick to Lee's chest. The impact sent the Cobra Kai fighter sprawling onto the mat, the crowd erupting in cheers.

"POINT! MIYAGI-DO—1-1!" the referee announced, raising his hand toward Miguel.

In the Cobra Kai corner, Yoon grumbled to Sensei Kim, his frustration boiling over. "That point shouldn't even count. If they played fair and deducted a point for fouling y/n, it would still be 1-0!"

Kim's piercing gaze silenced him instantly. 

She stepped forward, her voice cutting like a blade. "What happened to y/n was wrong, but this is the real world, Do-jin. It is not fair. It never will be. Your enemies will exploit every weakness, every mistake. You can complain about fairness, or you can learn to adapt and overcome."

Yoon swallowed hard, nodding. Kim softened slightly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Channel your anger. Focus it. You know what needs to be done. Show them why Cobra Kai is superior."

Lee, still recovering on the mat, extended a hand to tag Yoon in. The moment their hands touched, Yoon somersaulted over his teammate, landing on the mat with a fierce determination. Miguel, meanwhile, jogged back to his corner and tagged out, signaling Demetri to step in for the next round.

The crowd buzzed with anticipation, the match heating up as the score was now tied.

Demetri Alexopoulos hesitated for only a moment before advancing, attempting a kick aimed at Yoon's side. The Korean blocked it effortlessly, his face calm and unreadable. Another kick to his shoulder followed, and again he deflected it with ease.

Demetri spun, attempting a heel kick, but the move was sloppy, lacking power. 

Yoon dodged and countered with a feint that made Demetri flinch and step back. The fear in Demetri's eyes was unmistakable, and Yoon capitalized, lunging forward with a speed that startled the Miyagi-do fighter.

Punches came at the boy in rapid succession, each blocked but just barely. 

Yoon's movements were precise and unrelenting, forcing Demetri onto the defensive. A strong kick aimed at Demetri's chest nearly connected, but Demetri managed to block—though the force made him stumble.

"Demetri, tag me in!" Hawk called, extending his hand. Demetri, grateful for the reprieve, reached out and tagged his friend.

Hawk entered with confidence, starting with a powerful axe kick. 

Yoon smacked it away with a casual strength that left the funny haired boy momentarily stunned. The fight between the two became a fierce exchange, with Hawk's aggression meeting Yoon's calculated counters. As he began to tire, Yoon regained his momentum, his counters growing sharper and more deliberate.

When Yoon closed in for what could have been a winning strike, Demetri called from the sidelines, "Tag me back in!" Without hesitation, Hawk tagged out, leaving Yoon to face a fresh opponent once more.

The two Miyagi-do fighters began a deliberate strategy: tagging in and out frequently, ensuring Yoon never got a moment to rest. 

Yoon grew visibly tired, his punches losing their precision as his stamina drained.

"Tag out, Yoon!" Park yelled, his hand outstretched, but as Yoon moved toward his teammate, Hawk intercepted, kicking Yoon's hand away. It was classic Miyagi-do strategy—wearing down their opponent and isolating them from their team.

Finally, when Yoon was visibly out of gas, Miyagi-do sent in Kenny Payne. The younger fighter was strong, though slower than Yoon, but it didn't matter—Yoon was nearly spent. Kenny drained him further with relentless strikes before tagging Hawk back in for the final blow.

Hawk smirked as he entered the mat, his confidence evident. He maneuvered quickly, catching Yoon in a lock that pinned both of the Cobra Kai fighter's arms. With a sudden burst of power, Hawk performed a double kick to Yoon's chest, sending him sprawling backward.

The whistle blew as the referee raised his hand. "POINT! MIYAGI-DO—2-1!"

The crowd roared as Yoon lay on the mat, clutching his chest, the frustration and exhaustion clear on his face. Cobra Kai's corner seethed, but Kim's expression remained stoic, her focus entirely on the next steps. The match wasn't over yet, and Cobra Kai was far from finished.

Without a moment's hesitation, Kwon slapped Yoon's hand, tagging himself in. The crowd erupted as the towering fighter stepped onto the mat, rolling his shoulders with deliberate menace. His sharp eyes scanned the Miyagi-do corner, finally landing on Miguel. His lips curved into a taunting smirk.

Kwon was furious, his usual smoldering anger now stoked into an inferno. 

The unfairness of the day clawed at his mind, not because injustice was new to him—he had seen and lived through it countless times. Watching other kids at school with their happy families, celebrating birthdays and achievements, while he scraped by alone, had hardened him to life's inequities. 

Even in fighting, he wasn't one to play fair. 

Victory was all that mattered. The world wasn't fair, and he had long since made peace with it.

But this wasn't about fairness. His lady was hurt. And Samantha's boyfriend? Well, he was about to pay for it.

Eli—Hawk—tagged Miguel in, and the arena buzzed with anticipation as the crowd leaned forward, sensing the battle's stakes.

"Alright, lets go number two," Kwon sneered, motioning for Miguel to step forward. 

Miguel's jaw clenched, the insult rolling off him, but his focus sharpened. The two squared up, the tension palpable. The referee gave the signal, and the match resumed.

Kwon struck first, launching forward with a double kick that Miguel managed to block, though the sheer force pushed him back a step. Without missing a beat, Kwon followed up with a 360-degree spinning kick that Miguel narrowly sidestepped, the gust of air from the attack brushing his cheek.

Miguel countered with a flurry of punches, aiming to close the distance, but Kwon's legs worked like battering rams, keeping him at bay. The two exchanged a relentless barrage of attacks—Miguel relying on his fists for swift combinations, while Kwon's kicks came with bone-rattling precision and force.

The intensity built as they both dropped to their knees, still striking, blocking, and countering. Miguel aimed a back-knuckle punch at Kwon's face, but Kwon caught his wrist mid-strike, twisting it slightly as their gazes locked in a battle of wills.

"Not bad," Kwon muttered through gritted teeth, his grip tightening. Miguel wrenched his hand free and pushed himself to his feet, trying to regain the upper hand. But Kwon was relentless. As Miguel stepped in to press his advantage, Kwon's sharp eyes caught a fleeting opening.

With the precision of a cobra striking its prey, Kwon pivoted and delivered a devastating back kick to Miguel's chest. The blow landed with a resounding thud, sending Miguel sprawling onto the mat, gasping for air.

The referee's whistle blew. "POINT! COBRA KAI—2-2!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and gasps, as the commentators came alive with excitement.

"Wow! What a comeback! Kwon Jae-sung just evened the playing field, and I don't think Miyagi-do saw that coming!"

"I mean, did you see that kick? It was like a maglev train—no brakes, full power!"

"I hope Diaz's ribs have insurance because that kick was definitely not in his HMO coverage."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially at the edge of our seats here! Two points each! The next point takes it all. Someone call the fire department because this mat is on fire!"

The crowd roared, their excitement mingling with the tension as the announcement echoed across the arena:

"Next point wins!"

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