So why try test, or dismiss ya stress

On a brother like Grap Lova

Just to impress ya friends? or maybe my man Rob O

But the God is down with I, so that shit don't go, so

Take that ass to the lost and found,

Look for ya style there, you little clown

I'm too busy paying dues, got no time for playing games

More credentials to my name, cause I'm about to get fame

Ya played out game got you thinking you star

But talk is cheap, so you won't get far

InI - "No More Words"

----------------------------------------

It wasn't very long before footage of the fight between the Matsudas and the Gracie school made it's way out of the local São Paulo sphere, and into the wider fighting community. While street fights were far from uncommon in São Paulo, two rival fighting schools, combined with Sean's recent notoriety, and the intervention of a high-ranked boxer caused it to spread like wildfire. So when the fight footage eventually made its way onto Sakura and Elena's feeds, they were immediately worried.

"This is insane!" Elena commented as she watched the fight on her phone with Sakura in their hotel room. "Does everyone have it out for him all of a sudden?"

Sakura shakes her head in disgust. "It seems like it. Poor guy can't seem to get a break. Hopefully that changes after tonight."

"I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more than an appearance at a fight," Elena sighed as she leaned back into the sofa they were sitting on. "He needs to get into an actual tournament to turn the tide in his favor; but I heard a rumor that he was blackballed."

"And it's only going to continue, no thanks to Karin," Sakura groaned. "Between Ken, the abuse from the fighting community, now this... Not even Dan gets this much hate, and he's probably worse than Sean is!"

"To be fair, you have to be a special kind of bad to do worse than a guy like Dan," Elena pointed out. "But you're not wrong." She lazily blew some strands of hair out of her face. "If we were more proactive last night, and stopped that fight before it happened, this wouldn't be happening."

"I wouldn't put it pass Karin to try something, anyway" Sakura replied in annoyance. "What's even up with her, all of a sudden? I thought she was past all this dumb 'I'm superior to you' stuff years ago, when we were in high school together."

"It's honestly pretty bad," Elena said, turning her head to look at Sakura. "But thinking about it now, I can't say I'm too surprised. I didn't say anything back at Sean's house, but I've noticed this trend going for a while."

Sakura gave Elena a curious look. "You did?"

"Yeah," Elena replied "Let me ask you something. Outside of yourself, and maybe Ibuki, if Karin isn't rubbing elbows with other wealthy elites, who else does she typically hang with?"

"Other elite fighters, usually," Sakura answered, unsure where Elena was heading. "Why?"

"Think about it," Elena continued. "You're an elite fighter. Ibuki is an elite fighter. I'm one, plus I'm royalty too, since my dad is the chief of my home region. My point is that she only shows respect to people who are either also part of the elite, or can match her in combat. Sean, with all due respect, is neither, and it's pretty clear Karin's opinion of him is even lower because of his complexion, too."

"But didn't Laura say she worked for Karin?" Sakura pointed out.

Elena shook her head. "She does, but that's not where the double standard comes into play. Laura is a skilled fighter who runs a dojo, and has fought some of the best in the world, including Karin herself. Meanwhile, Sean... well, his reputation speaks for itself."

"I know," Sakura sighed, running a hand through her hair. While she could admit Karin had kept a bit of a snobbish streak even after eating a big slice of humble pie, hearing Elena's observations put all of their past interactions in a different light. Even before they became friends, Karin had attended the same public school she did, but only did so to "observe the commoners," as Karin put it. And even after they eventually became friends, Sakura could recall Karin still treating everyone who wasn't Sakura with contempt and condescension whenever they hung out, including Kei, her best friend. And any time she fought a weaker fighter, she viciously berated them, to the point where some quit fighting altogether after such a brutal dressing down. And don't even get her started on all of Karin's failed suitors... It really made Sakura second-guess Karin's initial change of attitude after their second fight.

"I guess I didn't know Karin as well as I thought I did," Sakura admitted reluctantly. "I honestly thought she changed, but I guess she's a better actress than I gave her credit for."

"Don't feel too bad about it, Sakura," Elena replied. "You're her best friend, no one can't blame you for overlooking her attitude, even if it was unconscious on your part."

"It doesn't change the fact that I should've noticed it, and I should've been less tolerant of her elitist ways. 'Plebeian' this, 'plebeian' that..." Sakura groaned, and sunk into the couch. She always tried to see the best in everyone, but that may have been a mistake the more she thinks about Karin's character.

"She's extremely prideful, and has a massive superiority complex," Elena noted, stretching her arms. "And she inherited both of those from her own family. I mean, she's not evil, and can even be a great person when she wants to be, but her hubris and drive for success makes her feel like she's far above everyone else, and can treat them like dirt."

"But that doesn't explain-" Sakura is interrupted by the sound of the hotel room door slamming open, causing both girls to jump. The girls quickly looked over, and saw both Karin and Ibuki in the doorway. And if looks could kill, both Sakura and Elena would've been cremated instantly. Both girls immediately noticed that Ibuki was wearing a T-shirt instead of her usual dresses to hide the scar Sean gave her the other night.

"There you are!" Ibuki seethed at them as she stomped her way over. "So we're 'catty, racist bitches' now, Sakura?!"

"I guess you two saw Sean's response video," Sakura remarked in a deadpan tone. "Well, if the shoe didn't fit, Ibuki, I wouldn't have said it. Maybe you're not racist, but Karin is a different story."

"I'll have you know there's not a racist bone in my body, Sakura!" Karin retorted angrily. "It's bad enough you and Elena helped those punks make a response, but you two had no right to make such frivolous claims about us!"

"'Frivolous?'" Elena repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "We were there, Karin! We heard what you said, and saw what you did! You repeatedly calling two Afro-Brazilian men 'monkeys' isn't a frivolous claim; you knew exactly what you said and meant. But you claiming that they started the fight, then spat in your face afterwards? That's not just a frivolous claim, that's downright slanderous!"

"I simply called them for what they were!" Karin insisted haughtily, ignoring Elena's second statement. "Only primates would act so uncivilized! That's not racism, that's fact!"

In a flash, Elena was off the couch and right in front Karin, staring down the shorter woman with an uncharacteristically angry expression. Karin was taken aback by the Kenyan princess' reaction. her normally bubbly and friendly personality was replaced with raw fury and hurt; and had Sakura not also gotten up to hold her back, she probably would've slapped Karin's head off her shoulders.

"Listen Karin, I've encountered many racist and xenophobic people in my travels," Elena growled in a low tone, sending chills down everyone's spines. "I've been called every name in the book, but I choose to kill them with kindness, and educate, because reacting with anger and violence isn't my way. But you, of all people, aren't going to look me, a Kenyan native, in the eye and tell me that what you said wasn't racist; especially since it's extremely likely this isn't the first time you've said racist things to people. So is this really the hill you wanna die on, Karin?" She looked down at Karin with a withering glare.

The Kanzuki heiress was shaken by Elena's change in demeanor, but her pride refused to let her back down. "Elena, if I was racist, would I have that punk's sister on my payroll?" she countered firmly. "Would I even consider having you as-"

"Don't even go there!" Elena snapped, cutting Karin off. "You know as well as I do that if I wasn't a princess, or a skilled fighter, you'd be turning your nose up at me, and calling me out of my name, too! There's plenty of racist and xenophobic people out there who have token employees and friends to make themselves look better, but I'm not going to be one of yours! Are we clear?"

Ibuki and Sakura stared at Elena with wide eyes, while Karin slowly backed away from Elena, unprepared for the venom that was coming from the Kenyan princess. None of them had ever seen Elena get so angry, so they didn't know how to react. After a tense stare-down that lasted a few more seconds, Elena huffed, and turned away, freeing herself from Sakura's grip in the process.

"You know what, I'm done," she declared as she headed towards her room. "I've got better things to do than go back and forth with you, since I don't need the wind to tell me you're not going to change your ways anytime soon. I'm going to get my stuff, and then I'm leaving for the rest of the day. maybe my so-called fellow 'primates' will be better company." She glanced back at Sakura. "Are you coming too, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded, glad that she didn't have to try and break up another fight. "I'll go get my shoes."

"I don't believe this," Karin muttered, shaking her head as Elena and Sakura entered their rooms. She looked over at Ibuki, and asked, "Do you really think what I said to those plebeians was racist?"

"Yup," Ibuki responded bluntly, causing Karin to look at her bug-eyed.

"I thought you were on my side!?" Karin shrieked.

"Insofar as getting payback on Sean, yes," Ibuki replied, folding her arms. "But you took it even further than I did. Did you really have to call them monkeys?"

"You saw firsthand how they were acting last night!" Karin said defensively.

"Yeah, they were assholes," Ibuki agreed. "I'm not denying that. But calling them monkeys was totally unnecessary, Karin."

"And insulting their sister wasn't?" Karin countered. Ibuki opened her mouth to retort, but couldn't formulate a counter. Instead, she simply huffed, and looked away, muttering curses under her breath.

A few minutes later, Elena reemerged from her room, now carrying a bag full of clothes. "Sakura, you ready?" She called out. "The Uber I ordered is almost here."

"Yep!" Sakura replied, heading for the door with a small bag of her own. "Let's go!"

Karin huffed at them, and flipped her hair haughtily. "Don't come crying to me when they send you through a wall next!"

"Oh, we won't," Elena calls back as she and Sakura left the penthouse. "Because we were actually taught to have tact and class!"

The girls laugh as they walk out towards the elevator. Karin, enraged, started to chase after them, but was quickly restrained into a full nelson by Ibuki.

"Let me go, Ibuki!" Karin protested, trying to break out of the hold. "I'm going to kill those two!"

"It's not going to help your case, Karin! Let them go!" Ibuki grunted as she struggled to hold onto the young CEO. Somehow, she knew this was only going to be the start of a long day...

----------------------------------------

Back at the Matsuda residence, there were finally some good vibes after seeming non-stop drama. The music was flowing throughout the backyard, and everyone was sitting at a patio table in the middle of the yard, in front of a giant tray of grilled meats and vegetables. The Matsudas and Da Silvas had stacks of meat piled on their place, bar Kinjiro, who generally didn't eat greasy foods, and opted for mostly vegetables. Garlend, himself having to watch his weight for his fight, ate less meat than he would have liked, despite his stomach's protests. As they ate, Garlend told a story about a particular boxing match he had a few months prior to arriving in São Paulo.

"...So the dude was clearly a big fan of Barlog, cuz he was trying to hit me with every dirty trick in the book you can think of right out the gate," Garlend spoke, leaning back into his chair. "Headbutts, crotch shots, you name it. And to top it off, the ref wasn't doing anything 'bout it. I managed to K.O. him in the first round, but if I wasn't blessed with the speed I got, he definitely would've cracked me with a couple dirty shots."

"Are boxing refs usually that dirty?" Fabio asked as he bit into a piece of sirloin steak. "I've heard stories of officials taking bribes and stuff, but I thought that stuff was exaggerated."

"It depends," Garlend said. "In boxing, there's four major international governing bodies that have their own championships and rules, and in the States, there's different athletic commissions and whatnot; but it's usually the 'Big Four' that call the shots, cause that's where the big time money and championships are. Some are more blatant about their corruption than others, though; like the World Boxing Council."

"What'd they do; let people pay off their refs?" Laura asked curiously between bites of pork roast. Out of everyone, Laura had the least knowledge about boxing, and was genuinely curious about its inner workings outside of the combat itself.

Garlend laughed. "If they did, it'd still be fairer than what else happened," he remarked. "The most famous example I can remember is what happened between Roy Jones Jr. and Graciano Rocchigiani for the WBC light heavyweight title years ago. Roy vacated it, and Graciano won a fight to become the champ. But almost immediately afterwards, the WBC broke a dozen of their own rules to give Roy the title back because he changed his mind, and they sent Graciano a letter saying that the publication of his status as champ was a typo, and he was never an official title holder."

"You're joking!" Laura exclaimed.

"They seriously got away with screwing one of their fighters like that?" Luzia asked skeptically.

"Only in their dreams," Leon answered. "Graciano immediately filed a lawsuit against the WBC over the mess, cuz the way he got stripped hurt his earning potential. He won his case, and was awarded about thirty-one million in damages, but took a smaller settlement because the WBC would've gone bankrupt paying the full amount."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"They're extremely lucky he willingly took the smaller settlement," Kinjiro commented. "An honorable fighter should never stand for being a pawn in a corporation's game."

"Yeah, but that's how it is in the competitive fighting world," Garlend shrugged. "It always boils down to money, popularity, or who got connections with the higher ups in any organization. It's shitty, but it's how the game is played."

"Have you two personally ever encountered anything like that?" Fabio asked curiously.

"Not during my climb up the rankings, no," replied Garlend. "But it's only a matter of time before politics and money come into play. Currently, I'm #3 in the WBC, #7 in the World Boxing Org., #5, in the World Boxing Association, and #10 in the International Boxing Federation."

"Talk about a lack of naming creativity," Manuela commented dryly, causing everyone to laugh.

"Not gonna lie, out of the big 4 boxing organizations, those first three are a pain to not get mixed up," Leon admitted, chuckling. "But Garlend's match tonight is against the WBC's #1 middleweight contender. If he wins, he'll be in line for a title shot."

"'If'?" Garlend repeated disbelievingly, looking his coach up and down. "Leon, you know I'mma be walking out as #1 contender tonight!" The young boxer folded his arms confidently. Leon just rolled his eyes.

"And here we go," Leon replied in exasperation. "Garlend, I keep telling you not to get cocky, man. Pride always comes before a fall."

"And I keep telling you that it's confidence, not conceitedness," Garlend batted back, though there was no malice in his voice. "I'm not saying I'm the all-time best whatsoever, but nobody's been able to lay a hand on me; I'm too fast."

"I believe you," Sean, who was busy munching on a large chicken leg, interjected. "You tore through all those Gracie chumps faster than anyone I've ever seen."

"Yeah, you was a blur, man!" Enzo agreed. "I couldn't keep up with your speed watchin' you! Not even Dee Jay is that fast! How'd you get your speed?"

"I actually gotta thank Leon and my other coach, Sayf, for that," Garlend replied humbly. "I was always quick growing up, but they taught me how to sharpen my reflexes, and increase my speed and stamina. I probably wouldn't be half as good in the ring now without em."

"How long you been boxing for, anyway?" Enzo asked.

"About seven years, come next month," Garlend replied. "I've been boxing since I was twelve, and I went pro at seventeen."

"I thought you needed to be at least 18 to box professionally?" Pedro said.

"There's no age limit for pro boxing," Leon replied as he grabbed another skewer. "Obviously, none of the governing bodies are gonna put a twiggy teenager in the ring with a super heavyweight, but generally, if you've got a good amateur record, you can make a case for being a teenage pro fighter. And Garlend was undefeated as an amateur, so he had an easier time getting pro recognition."

"What about schooling?" Brenda asked. "I doubt your parents would let your career get in the way of your education."

"They didn't, believe me," Garlend chuckled. "But they supported my dream. It got me out of getting in trouble on the streets, at least, which we're all grateful for; and I'm grateful for Sayf and Leon for giving me the opportunity."

"You've got your priorities straight at least," Kinjiro said. "Unlike most of those damn punks at the Gracie dojo. Bunch of undisciplined brats, they are."

"What's the deal with that, anyway?" Leon asked the old master. "Enzo said you and the Gracies were rivals, but I'm surprised it goes that deep."

"That's because I was rivals with the original Gracie brothers," Kinjiro replied. "Before my wife and I immigrated here, Mitsuyo Maeda was a popular judoka and prize fighter in Belém do Pará, where the Gracies were living at the time. He taught their son Carlos judo as a thank you to his father for helping him set up a Japanese community in the country. When the Gracies went back to Rio de Janerio, they put their own twist on Maeda's teachings, and soon enough, Gracie Jujitsu was born."

"I've never claimed to be the first master to bring Jujitsu to Brazil," Kinjiro continued. "But I've always maintained that my jujitsu was based off the original Japanese art, unlike the judo-based style of the Gracies. When I began teaching my style, the Gracies were already building their monopoly on jujitsu, and challenged me. To this day, I'm one of the few to have beaten the original Gracies."

Garlend's eyes widened. "You're joking!"

Kinjiro laughed heartily. "At my age, I have no reason to lie. And they certainly gave one hell of a fight. But I never felt the need to flaunt it around; I just wanted to teach my own style, instead of bending to the Gracies' will. I respect the Gracies themselves, mainly because of what they've done for the jujitsu art form, and because they're legitimate martial artists. But most of their students are a different story. Not all of them are bad, but a lot of them are just spoiled rotten kids who want to cause trouble."

"Not helping things is that the Gracies almost exclusively teach upper class students," Laura explained. "So Jujitsu in general gets a bad rep here in Brazil because of those snot nosed brats doing stupid crap all the time, plus all the crap the Gracies used to pull back in their heyday. It's hard to attract local students because of it."

"How do y'all manage, then?" Garlend asked.

"Tournaments, mostly," Laura explained. "I go around the world competing to promote our style, and handing out packets about our dojo to prospective students. Fabio handles the Brazilian circuit while I'm travelling."

"I also teach some of the online courses," Fabio added. "Makes it easier to bring in the international students who can't afford to travel here."

Garlend nodded. "Leon and Sayf do the same thing. Leon mostly handles the boxing courses, while Sayf does more of the MMA and philosophical stuff."

"Speaking of, I'm kinda curious about your fighting style," Sean interjected. "You're a boxer, but your fighting stance is a lot like mine."

Garlend raised an eyebrow. "You mean my Philly Shell?"

"Is that what it's called?" Sean asked. "It looks almost identical to mine."

"Really, now?" Garlend's curiosity was now getting the better of him. He had seen Ryu and Ken in action, but hadn't paid close attention to their fighting style. "Let me see."

Leon sighed, and shook his head in annoyance. "Garlend, c'mon..." he groaned, thinking his trainee was about to start more trouble.

"Will you chill, man?" Garlend replied smoothly as he got up from the table. "I ain't that eager for a fight. I just wanna see what he's working with." He glanced back at Sean. "That is, if you up for it."

Sean merely shrugged. "Eh, ain't no harm in it, really," he replied, also getting up from the table. Sean walked around a bit to get in front of Garlend, and immediately got into his fighting stance.

Garlend observed him for a few moments, before replying, "I can see why you'd think my stance is based off Shotokan, but it ain't." The boxer then shifted into his own boxing stance, shifting his feet and torso slightly, and tucking his arms between his waist and chest. "The Philly Shell's based on techniques from old school boxing. Tailor made for slipping, parrying, and counter-punching." He bobbed and weaved to emphasize his point.

Sean looked at Garlend's stance curiously, before trying to mimic the Philly Shell himself; positioning his arms similarly. "Like this?"

"Almost," Garlend replied, walking closer to Sean. "Your body's gotta be more tight and compact to use it properly." He grabbed a hold of Sean's left shoulder, before stopping himself. "Hang on, you orthodox, or southpaw?"

"Eh, doesn't matter," Sean replied. "I'm ambidextrous."

Garlend nodded. "Ight. So basically, you got the arm placement down for the most part, but the key of the Philly Shell is being tucked in, so you can slip and shoulder roll hits, and force your opponent to overextend when trying to punch you." He backed off a bit, and assumed his stance once again. "So whichever shoulder you're using for your lead, in this case, my left, your chin should be tucked into it, and you should be leaning at a slight inward angle like this."

"Got it," Sean said, and twisted and tucked in his body to mirror Garlend's stance better. "So, like this?"

"Yup!" the boxer confirmed, reaching out to adjust Sean's right hand. "Just move your rear hand up a bit more under your chin... and boom! That's a basic Philly Shell!"

Sean glanced down at himself, and nodded approvingly as he began bobbing and throwing light jabs.

"That kind of defense doesn't seem practical," Fabio commented as he watched Sean. "You're essentially leaving your head wide open!"

"The key to the Philly Shell is reflexes," Leon replied as he took a bite out of a chorizo sausage. "Like Garlend said, it's designed for counter-punching. You're either parrying with your rear hand, or you're slipping and rolling off punches with your shoulder, and then striking while the opponent's defenseless." He swallowed before continuing, "But I'll tell you straight up, that kind of defense ain't for everyone. With the Philly Shell, it requires great athleticism, because you always gotta be moving, and quick enough to react to any punch thrown your way. Only a few have mastered the Philly Shell to its fullest potential; like Pernell Whitaker, James Toney, and Floyd Mayweather."

"Would it be a practical defense for an MMA fighter, though?" pressed Fabio.

"It'd require some slight adjustments, but definitely," Garlend said. "It's good for blocking kicks, especially high ones. But nonetheless," he turned back to Sean. "If you want to seriously consider adding the Philly Shell to your repertoire, you should look up a boxing trainer who can teach you how to use all the proper blocking techniques."

Sean looked at Garlend quizzically. "Why would I need to know other styles?"

"Cuz even if you do have the knack for the Philly Shell you still gotta learn the fundamentals first, just like any other style," Garlend replied. "And not only that, knowing other forms of defense can save your ass in a fight if you get caught lacking." Garlend then went back into his fighting stance. "For example: Mayweather versus 'Sugar' Shane Mosely. In that fight, Floyd was using the Philly shell, his hands were too low... BOOM! He got tagged hard." The boxer whipped his head back exaggeratedly to emphasize his words.

"He got hurt, had to clinch, BUT," Garlend threw his hands up into a traditional defensive boxing stance. "His hands came up as soon as he got hurt. He knew he was in trouble, and those hands went up instinctively. Had he kept trying to use the Philly Shell in that moment, he likely would've gotten knocked out. That's why having the fundamentals is crucial, regardless of your martial art."

Sean nodded as he took in Garlend's words. "Papa and Ken always told me the same, so I see where you're comin' from."

Garlend grinned, and lightly tapped Sean on his arm. "Once you get that Philly shell down, combined with your current work, you'll be mashing fools in no time."

Sean just shrugged apathetically. "I need to find a tournament or organization that'll let me fight, first," he replied. "I keep getting laughed out of every single one, even when Ken does try to help me get through the door."

"Those tourney organizers'll come around in time, man" Enzo spoke up. "Forget about 'em, and whatever crap Kanzuki might try. Right now, since we got everyone here, we may as well really get some charme vibes goin' on!"

Enzo quickly grabbed his aunt's phone, which was hooked up to the nearby bluetooth speaker, and quickly began scrolling through Spotify, until he found the song he wanted, and hit play. Instantly, Lil Mosey's "Blueberry Faygo" began blaring out of the speaker. Everyone except the American guests audibly groaned as Enzo began singing along to the song.

"...Three more millions when you ask how my day go, poured up a four, now that's blueberry F...ack!" Enzo was interrupted by Laura wrapping him into another headlock from behind.

"O-kay, I'm officially cutting that crap off!" Laura declared, snatching the phone from Enzo's grasp with her free hand. "This is a mumble-free zone!"

"Dammit, Laura, quit bein' a hater!" Enzo groaned as he tried to get loose. "That's song's fogo!"

"More like fogo de lixo!" Laura snarked as she looked for a new song to play. "If we're gonna do charme the right way, we need some classics... Aha! here we go!" Laura instantly hit play on a song she recognized.

"...It's the remix to Ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen..." This time, Garlend and Leon let out groans as well.

"Oh hell naw!" Leon exclaimed. "You gotta switch that; I can't listen to Kells the same no more!"

"What?" Laura asked with genuine confusion. "It's a good song!"

"Nah, I'll listen to Michael Jackson before I listen to R. Kelly again," Garlend said, waving his hands. "At least Mike had plausible deniability."

"I agree," Sean replied, walking over, and swiping the phone away from his sister. "Which is why I'm picking the songs, cuz I got the best music taste in the family!"

"Said who?" Laura said indignantly. She tried to reach for Sean, but he managed to stay out of her reach.

"Said I," was the Ansatsuken fighter's reply, glad he could avoid Laura's monster strength for once. "And I know how to really get the charme vibes going, like so!" A quick few taps on the phone later, the opening notes of "Anything" by SWV and Wu-Tang Clan began to play.

"Finally, something good to dance to!" Manuela said as she got out of her seat to dance. The rest of the table seemed to agree, as everyone else, sans Enzo, who was still in Laura's headlock, quickly followed suit. Sean simply gave his sister the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster.

"Like I said, best taste in the family," Sean gloated as he joined everyone else. Laura rolled her eyes, and finally let Enzo out of the headlock. The capoeirista immediately stood straight, and rolled his neck.

"Finally," Enzo groaned. "Freedom from the jaws of death!"

Laura ignored the snide comment, and just watched Sean in silent concern as he danced with the others. He was all smiles, but Laura could tell it wasn't entirely genuine. Enzo noticed her expression, and asked, "You okay?"

Laura sighed in uncharacteristic worry, and replied, "I'm just worried about Sean. He was already down pretty bad, but this smear campaign by Karin isn't going to do him any favors. I'm worried he's gonna sink deeper."

Enzo shook his head. "Nah, his time's gonna come real soon; I can feel it," he countered. "Plus, he's got us as family to keep him from going off the deep end. Sean's definitely been going through it the last couple years, but we're gonna help him pull through, no question."

"Still, I'm..." Laura's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell coming from inside the house. Her expression shifted from concern to incredulity as she looked towards her home. "What in... who's at our house now?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was Kanzuki herself," Enzo said. "Want me to go check it out?"

Laura shook her head. "If it is her, then a round 2 is the last thing you need. I'll go see who it is; you go join the others."

Enzo nodded, and walked over to the small dance circle, while Laura headed inside to see who was at their door. The young capoeirista held his arms out as he approached everyone, and shouted, "Alright, clear the dance floor! Let the master show you how to really get down!"

"'The master'?" Manuela guffawed. " Boy, please! You can barely do a two-step!"

"You're one to talk, Manny!" Enzo retorted, using his personal nickname for his sister. "You can't hold a torch to me!"

Manuela walked over to her brother until she was face to face with him. "You wanna bet? Why don't we put that claim to the test right now?"

"Oh shit!" Fabio exclaimed. "We're about to have a dance off up in here!"

"And I know the perfect song for one, too!" Sean said, pulling out his mother's phone once again. A few taps later, the music switched to "Apache" by the Incredible Bongo Band. The result was instantaneous: The Da Silva siblings stepped back, and began breakdancing, attempting to outdo one another as a dance circle quickly formed.

"Yeah, let's go Manny!" Luzia cheered.

"Knock her out the box, Enz'!" Sean shouted.

As the dance off got into full swing, Laura reemerged from the house, this time with Sakura and Elena in tow. The returning visitors had expected the Matsudas to be in a mood, but were genuinely surprised to see them all dancing, along with Garlend.

"What brought this on?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Oh, we were just having an impromptu family lunch right before you two came back," Laura said nonchalantly. "Sean just put on some music, and I guess Manuela and Enzo decided to have a dance off."

"They're really good," The capoeirista remarked as she watched the siblings dance. "I saw some of Enzo's dancing last night, but he's really cutting loose now."

"Mhm, a sibling rivalry will do that for you," Laura remarked. "They're always trying to outdo each other. Anyhow, let's go join the party; I'm sure you two didn't come back to just watch."

The girls nodded, and quickly joined the dance circle with Laura. "Mind if we join in?" Elena asked the rest of the Matsudas with a cheerful smile, surprising everyone. Enzo and Manuela quickly stopped dancing when they realized who showed up.

"You're back already?" Pedro asked in confusion. "I thought you two were supposed to meet Enzo and Sean at the store later?"

Elena's smile gradually faded, before settling into a small frown. "I know, but I just had a bad argument with Karin, and I just couldn't stand being around her any longer."

"Can't blame you for that, knowing what we know," replied Fabio. "You're both more than welcome to hang with us. Plenty of music and barbecue to go around."

Elena's smile quickly returned, and she nodded appreciatively, before diverting her attention to Enzo, Sean, and Manuela. "I'm glad to see you guys are okay, too. Me and Sakura saw footage of that brawl from earlier."

All of the Matsuda's eyes widened in surprise. "Dammit!" Manuela cursed. "I saw people filming it, but I didn't think it'd spread that fast. Where'd you two see it?"

"Shoryuken retweeted it on their feed; that's how we saw it," Sakura spoke up.

"Figures," Sean groaned.

"Don't even sweat that, Sean," Garlend reassured, patting Sean's back. The girls gave the boxer a curious look, before their eyes widened in realization.

"Hey, you're that other fighter that helped them out!" Elena exclaimed. "Are you one of their friends?"

Garlend laughed. "Not quite. I was just passin' by when I saw them get surrounded by that goon squad, so I jumped in to even the field. They invited me over after the dust settled." He extended out his hand for a handshake. "Name's Garlend Jones, by the way."

"As in the American boxer?" Elena asked as she shook his hand. "You're pretty far from home. Here for a fight, I assume?"

Garlend nodded. "Yeah, a sanctioned fight. Sean and Enzo said they were going with a couple others, so I take it that'd be you and your friend?"

Elena smiled. "Correct! I'm Elena Sironka, and that's my friend Sakura Kasugano," she replied, gesturing at her fellow fighter.

"Pleased to meet you!" Sakura greeted, bowing politely.

Garlend's eyes widened at the revelation. "Oh shit, for real?!" He looked at Sean and said, "You didn't tell me you had connections like that!"

Sean just shrugged, trying to play off the pride swelling inside him. "They helped us clap back at Karin's video earlier, like I told ya. I've known Elena for years, but last night was my first time meeting Sakura in person."

"Crazy," Garlend said, grinning at the two women. "I'm a big fan of both of y'all, so it's an honor to meet ya."

"Likewise," Sakrua said, returning the grin. "By the way, is it too late to join the dance battle?"