Chapter 10 - Mercy

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Y/N stepped away from the group, his focus on the call. "You promise you'll be here?" His voice conveyed a mix of hope and determination. The group stood outside the All Valley Sports Arena, preparing for the tournament.

"Yeah, I'll be there. I might not make the first match but I'll be there for the ones after that," Tory's reassurance brought a small smile to Y/N's face.

"Okay, I'll make sure to make it to the quarters. See you soon," Y/N replied before placing the phone away. He noticed Sensei Lawrence approaching them.

"Do what without me?" Sensei inquired.

"Sensei. We didn't think you were gonna show up," Hawk responded, surprised by his arrival.

"I may not always win, but I never back out of a fight," Sensei assured them.

"Great. Let's sign up," Miguel urged impatiently.

"Not yet. There's one more lesson I have to teach you," Sensei explained. He led them into the building, and they gathered in a circle.

"You've all learned to strike first, to be aggressive, not be losers. I've taught you to strike hard, put every ounce of your power behind everything you do. But I haven't taught you the third rule of Cobra Kai... No mercy, The older you get, the more you're gonna learn that life isn't fair. You wake up one morning feeling great, and then life throws a spinning heel kick to your balls. Takes a big steaming shit in your mouth. You get an F on a test.You get suspended. Your best friend betrays you. You fall in love with a girl, and some other dude comes and steals her away. Your car gets set on fire. Just when you think things are going good everything falls apart. That's how it goes. Life shows no mercy, so neither do we. We do whatever it takes to keep our heads above water. We do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. We do whatever it takes to win! Remember who you are. You're badass. You don't give a shit. You kick ass. You're Cobra Kai," Sensei concluded, rallying their spirits.

"Cobra Kai!" Miguel shouted, the group joining in with fervent cheers.

"All right, guys, let's get down there and kick the shit out of everybody," Sensei encouraged. Miguel began to take out his Gi, but Sensei surprised them by giving all of them new ones instead. 

"Welcome, everyone, to the 50th annual All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship! You love the new mats. All right, let's start by welcoming all the local dojos competing today. From Granada Hills, All-Star Karate, Extreme Martial Arts... We have Krunch Karate, Fighting out of Topanga, we have Topanga Karate! From Reseda, returning to the tournament, we have..." The announcer's voice filled the arena, interrupted by chants emerging from behind. The Cobra Kai contingent emerged from the back, marching in single file, all engaged in synchronized arm movements. Y/N stood second in line, with Miguel leading the charge.

"Cobra Kai! Cobra Kai!" The fervent chant echoed through the room as they made their way toward the mat. Y/N observed Miguel exchanging a look with Samantha.

"Now that's what I call an entrance! And a badass name for a dojo. Let's hear it for Cobra Kai!" The announcer amplified the enthusiasm, and Y/N noticed Moon cheering for Hawk. He took a moment to search for Tory, even if he knew she won't have arrived yet. "And finally, fighting unaffiliated from North Hills, we have Mr. Robby Keene."

Y/N locked eyes with Robby as he dashed past their group.

"All right, folks. Get ready. It's karate time." With those words, the tournament commenced

" With those words, the tournament commenced

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