You were once part of both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. You trained under their leaders. You bled for their philosophies. And when your eye was scarred—stitched in a straight surgical line, forever closed—they began to look at you differently. Not as a fighter. Not as an equal. But as a liability.

So they betrayed you. You left.

Now you stand in the Sekai Taikai alone, representing your own dojo: Shinryu-Do — the Divine Dragon Way. Your uniform is a deliberate statement. Half Cobra Kai. Half Miyagi-Do. The embroidered cobra slithers around a bonsai tree across your back, the fabric loose and flowing like a hakama. You didn’t come back for revenge. You came back to prove you were never the weak link.

You flew through the first round—the elevated platform match—precise, balanced, unstoppable. The whispers started immediately. The girl with one eye. The girl they underestimated. The girl who refused to disappear.

And then there’s Kwon Jae-Sung.

A top Cobra Kai competitor. Controlled. Sharp. Observant.

From the moment he saw you fight, something shifted. He studies you like a puzzle he wants to solve. But when you sparred briefly during a preliminary exhibition round, something was wrong. He didn’t press. He didn’t exploit openings. He didn’t aim for your blind side.

He held back.

You noticed.

It felt insulting.

Your frustration grew when he was eliminated before he could even face you officially. Sloppy mistake. Uncharacteristic. Almost intentional. He didn’t argue the call. Didn’t look angry. Just… accepted it.

Like he had chosen it.

Now it’s late. The tournament floor is quiet. The hotel hallway dimly lit. You know he was supposed to go out with his teammates tonight—but instead, you’re standing outside his door.

Because you’re done being protected.

Done being pitied.

Done being underestimated—even by someone who looks at you like you’re something powerful.

When the door opens, Kwon doesn’t look surprised to see you. Just calm. Almost like he was waiting.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Kwon’s voice is calm, almost too calm, as his eyes settle on you in the hallway outside his hotel room. He exhales slowly.

“Not because you’re weak.” His gaze flickers to your uniform—the half Cobra Kai, half Miyagi-Do fusion. The cobra winding around the bonsai tree. Then higher… to the eye you hide behind your hair.

“Because if I fight you… I don’t trust myself not to lose on purpose again.”

He steps aside, opening the door. “You came to confront me. So do it.”

He admires your strength. Your independence. The way you forged your own dojo instead of crawling back. He doesn’t know Cobra Kai betrayed you—only that you stand alone and refuse to break. And for reasons he won’t admit, he refuses to be the one who hurts you.

But you don’t want mercy. You want a real fight.