"How are you feeling? From what I see, your opponent seems pretty good at keeping his distance," Max asked as he approached his best friend. He knew that Ryan's only real enemy was his temper—beyond that, Ryan was such a well-rounded fighter that it was clear he'd make it to the professional stage someday.
"I'll be fine. Just wait and see." Ryan was buzzing with excitement, bouncing from side to side, knowing his moment in the spotlight had arrived.
As Jack descended from the platform after winning his match, Max couldn't help but smile. He had a favorable impression of this unaffiliated competitor, whose name coincidentally matched one of Max's past opponents. Jack was undoubtedly a good fighter, but in real competitions, his arrogance—a detestable overconfidence—seemed to shine through. Still, Max suspected there was more to Jack's behavior than met the eye, especially in this tournament.
"He uses his karate in an unusual way..." Max muttered. While he didn't agree with using martial arts to humiliate others, he wasn't Jack's master to teach him how to act. Besides, Max sensed that something deeper motivated Jack's actions in this competition.
For now, Max set aside his thoughts about Jack and focused on Ryan, whose next opponent seemed to harbor some hidden animosity.
Max glanced over at Brian's coach and immediately knew they were up to no good. This realization concerned him, though he didn't voice it.
"Max, we've got to face each other in the finals," Ryan said with a grin, determined to make it happen.
"You've got to win first," Max replied with a smile, handing Ryan a cold water bottle to keep him hydrated.
Max and Ryan's performances had captured the audience's attention, sparking curiosity about Cobra Kai, a dojo that was dominating the tournament.
"I'll win," Ryan said confidently.
As Jack's match concluded, the tournament progressed with several other competitors. However, the fight that mattered most to Max was Ryan's upcoming match, which would precede the highly anticipated semifinals.
The other quarterfinals wrapped up quickly. As expected, Hawk and Robby secured victories with their impressive combat skills. The final quarterfinal was Ryan's, a match everyone had been waiting for.
"Let's go, Ryan! I know you'll win!" Max cheered as his friend nervously climbed onto the platform.
As Ryan stepped up, he caught sight of his opponent, Brian. Instinctively, he knew this would be a tough battle.
"Bow! Ready? Fight!"
Ryan smiled as a fiery determination lit up his eyes. While he might not have been the best martial artist in the tournament due to limiting himself to certain styles, his skills were strong enough to keep him competitive. He was determined to prove himself once again.
"Ryan, focus and don't get hurt!" Max yelled from the sidelines, worried about history repeating itself.
The crowd, observing both fighters' stances, grew louder, eager to see how the match would unfold. This time, there was no clear favorite, making the anticipation even greater.
"Stay sharp, kid," Johnny muttered, his concern evident.
As the fight began, Brian wasted no time, launching a powerful horizontal kick with his right leg. His devastating strength was apparent.
Ryan quickly realized that stepping back wasn't an option. Instead, he sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack. Brian pressed forward, closing the distance and testing Ryan's defense with a series of strikes.
Just when Brian thought he was gaining control, Ryan countered with a sharp downward strike from his right hand, landing a solid blow to Brian's face.
Thud!
"Point!"
Ryan had secured the first point, but as he landed, his injured left leg throbbed in pain. He couldn't ignore the discomfort, which made him uneasy about the rest of the match.
Getting back into his stance, Ryan's nervous expression caught Brian's eye, and a smirk spread across Brian's face.
"Fight!"
As the match resumed, Brian immediately targeted Ryan's injured leg with another kick, which Ryan blocked with his forearm. However, Brian quickly spun and aimed another kick at the same spot.
To Max's dismay, Brian seemed intent on exploiting Ryan's injury, relentlessly attacking the same area. Ryan struggled to dodge the onslaught, his frustration growing.
In a desperate attempt to counter, Ryan threw a kick with his injured leg. Brian caught it effortlessly and delivered a brutal elbow strike to the same spot.
"Ah!"
Ryan let out a cry of pain, dropping to one knee. Brian stepped back, smirking as he glanced toward the Cobra Kai students, as if mocking them.
"Point!"