"You're not like this, Miguel," murmured Sam, who had witnessed how Miguel nearly lost the match against his opponent and, in response, adopted a fighting style that didn't represent him as a person at all.
When Miguel won the match, he looked in Sam's direction. Without any expression, he stared at her for a few seconds while holding an ice pack against his shoulder.
"I should disqualify him, the damn cheater!"
Miguel's grandmother, who had little understanding of what had just happened, argued with a man next to her, who claimed that Miguel had been overconfident, which led to him losing a point for the first time in the competition.
In contrast to the confusion, Sam had clearly seen Miguel land a hit on Evan, yet Evan seemed unaffected. It was worth noting that Miguel's strikes were far from weak—she knew this well, having personally witnessed some of his training sessions, which he had performed as demonstrations just for her.
"With this, he's in the quarterfinals. I hope the blows to his right shoulder aren't too severe, so he can keep fighting," said Amanda, who knew her daughter's ex-boyfriend well enough to prefer that he fought uninjured rather than stubbornly continue while hurt.
Even though Sam was at odds with Miguel, she agreed with her mother. She had seen the good side of her boyfriend and hoped that, somehow, he could realize how martial arts had negatively influenced his behavior.
"He won't stop until he can't stand or until he loses the match…" Sam knew what Miguel was aiming for in this tournament: a confrontation with Robby, someone he despised due to a misunderstanding. She couldn't fix this alone. She had explained her side of the story, but Miguel seemed unwilling to understand what had really happened.
But no one is perfect in this world. At the very least, Sam had been mentally preparing herself to handle her boyfriend's potential defeat in the best way possible, hoping for the best outcome.
…
"I'm fine; it's just that his kicks were tough, even after I blocked them…" Miguel reassured Johnny, who was worried about the bruises on his left shoulder.
"Then, how's your right leg?"
"A little sore, but nothing I need to pay much attention to…" Miguel didn't want to make a big deal out of these injuries, which were normal in this kind of competition.
Emerging victorious was what truly mattered. If everything had been easy, this victory wouldn't have felt as meaningful in the tournament.
Looking at the upcoming matches, Jack and Robby were in the same elimination bracket as Max, so unless Miguel faced one of his friends, he believed he wouldn't have trouble advancing.
Max's next opponent had already been decided: Alex. He was someone Max had to worry about if he wanted to face Jack in the semifinals, who was his next target to beat before reaching the finals, where he might encounter one of his friends.
In contrast to the boring matches of Robby and Jack, who dominated their opponents with ease, Max and Miguel became the tournament's standout stars for their thrilling and extended bouts in the arena.
Robby and Jack's overwhelming victories were enjoyable to watch, but many hoped they would face at least some competition as they advanced, which hadn't happened yet.
"I'm afraid the quarterfinals won't go so well for Ryan…" Johnny analyzed Ryan's next opponent and frowned slightly, realizing it was unlikely he'd make it to the finals.
Ryan's opponent came from a relatively unknown martial arts school, but its students were some of the best in the tournament, second only to Cobra Kai, whose members were advancing without issue.
"He'll manage…" murmured Max as he caught his breath and mentally prepared himself for his next fight.
Max pondered this question when he lost a point: "What does it feel like to lose in a match?"
He hadn't experienced much after the death of his parents. During that time, he'd always wanted to know what it felt like to be hit, to be defeated in a match.
But so far, no one had officially beaten him in a tournament.
"Well, my turn has come." Ryan couldn't contain his excitement—it was his moment to step into the quarterfinals.
He wouldn't lag behind his teammates. Definitely not. Now was the time to prove he was ready to give it his all.