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DEEP IN THE HEART OF THE WOODS, the Cobras drilled with fierce precision. The Sekai Taikai selections were imminent, and the stakes were as brutal as the training itself. Senseis Kreese and Kim's expectations were set impossibly high, and each student knew the demands of excellence weren't just encouraged-they were mandatory.
Kwon Jae-sung, now donning the leader's badge he'd practically ripped from Yoon, understood that the challenge wasn't simply taking the position; it was about proving himself worthy in every moment, especially to those loyal to Yoon. His leadership here meant nothing if it didn't lead to victory on the global stage. He had to play it smart, train harder than ever, and embody discipline, even if that meant occasionally biting back his usual brutality.
During sparring, Kwon kicked his opponent down with a blow to the head, but instead of his usual knockout finish, he stopped, standing over the stunned boy with a look that surprised everyone. "To learn your own way of fighting, you must unlearn everything you think you know," he said, voice steady yet commanding. He added with a smirk, "Also, cover your damn head. No head, no fight."
The class exchanged looks, half-impressed, half-baffled by this oddly restrained version of Kwon. His opponent staggered to his feet, still processing the unexpected shift. But there it was again... before the boy could escape, the raven sweeped his legs and knocked him out with a strong punch. "Pathetic."
From the sidelines, Da-eun watched, narrowing her gaze as she noted his new approach. It seemed that Kwon was borrowing a page from Yoon's playbook, adopting leadership tactics in an attempt to unite the class. She had to admit, it was impressive-perhaps nothing was more dangerous than a fighter who knew when to rein in his fire. She glanced at Kreese, who seemed lost in his own world, an unsettling gleam in his eyes as he observed the session without reacting to the subtle power shift rippling through the class.
As Sensei Kim dismissed the students for a quick water break, she approached Yoon, the ex-leader, hoping for insight. "He won fair and square, Sensei," Yoon admitted reluctantly. "It stings, but... Jae-sung's a force. I learned a lot just by fighting him." There was no resentment in his tone, only the grudging respect a warrior gave to a worthy opponent.
Kwon, meanwhile, chugged from a bottle of cucumber-lemon water. He'd seen y/n drinking it yesterday and-after her stubborn insistence that it was good for his skin and "vital organs or whatever"-decided to give it a shot. He snapped a quick picture of the bottle and sent it her way, waiting for her reply.
He watched his screen for a moment, almost impatiently, until her message appeared.
