[SEASON SIX: EPISODE TEN]

The next day in the Sekai Taikai lounge area, Ethan and Sam stood off to one side, deep in conversation. Nearby, Axel lingered beside Zara, who was preoccupied on her phone. Despite acting casual he kept a watchful eye on the couple in front of him, his focus primarily on the guy as he spoke to the brunette.

"I don't know, really. And then that's it, probably."

"Oh man."

"I know."

"I wonder what kinda sightseeing we can get in before the fight. I mean, I know we saw...." She trailed off, her voice fading as Williams's attention shifted. He noticed the tall boy nearby, his gaze fixed intently on them.

"Okay, what's up with that guy?"

Kovacevic realized he'd been caught and quickly averted his eyes, awkwardly looking away to avoid the two.

"The night that you flew home, I ended up running into on him on the beach. And we got talking, and I guess he got the wrong idea and tried to kiss me. I mean, I.... I shut it down. And nothing happened. He knows I have a boyfriend. I guess he's just.... Not taking it super well." The LaRusso girl explained her tone steady but hopeful, as she tried to reassure him that she hadn't betrayed his trust.

"I mean, yeah. I totally get it, but it's clear he doesn't."

Tory sat near the exit, perched on her luggage, holding a bottle cap her mother given her. Her expression was heavy with disappointment, the weight of being eliminated from the tournament clearly written on her face. Robby approached her cautiously, hoping to get a moment to talk.

"Hey. You going back home already? You okay?"

"Pretty far from it." She replied quietly.

"Look, I, um.... I owe you an apology. I should've never let Kwon get into my head. I know better than that. I know you know better than that. The pressure of the tournament got to me, and—" He began, sounding sincerely but before he could finish, she cut him off.

"I can't do this right now. This whole thing just turned to shit. Like everything always does. I never should've let myself believe in any of it."

"Does 'any of it' include me?"

"Not your team." Kwon stated as he walked up to them, adding something in Korean that neither of them could understand.

"It means, uh.... How would you say in American? Lucky bastard. What happened in match yesterday will never happen again."

"It's a good thing I don't have to find out. Lucky me." Keene said, turning to Tory with a reassuring look before walking away.

"Get home safe. Please. See you there."

"Byung-Shin does not deserve to be in the next round. That is my spot."

"I guess you shouldn't have let him kick your ass." Nichols muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. You cost me my spot."

"And what would you have done with it?" Jae-Sung questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Zara would destroy you, then celebrate with your boyfriend."

The blonde girl immediately stood up from her seat and stepped in front of him, getting right in his face.

"Say that again."

"You heard me." He said, before she shoved him back harshly. He cursed under his breath in Korean, clearly wanting to retaliate but someone stopped him.

"Enough!"

Sensei Kim Da-Eun walked up to the two, standing between them, her presence immediately diffusing the tension.

"We are already returning to my grandfather in disgrace. Are you trying to add to our shame?"

"Get your mind right." She commanded, guiding Kwon away to prevent the situation from escalating into a fight.

After his conversation with Tory didn't go as planned, Robby made his way back to where Sam and Ethan were waiting for him.

"Hey, man. How'd it go with Tory?"

"Pretty much how you'd expect it to go."

"Once all the craziness dies down, you guys are gonna figure it out."

"Maybe. Not much I can do until then but give her room. So...." Keene shrugged, his tone reflective.

"In the meantime, we got a tournament to win."

"Damn right we do, bro." Williams agreed, chuckling as the two shared a nod.

"And, I gotta say, all things being equal, but it's pretty sweet knowing that Cobra Kai isn't a threat anymore."

"Attention, Sekai Taikai competitors. All dojos convene immediately in the main lobby, including those who have been eliminated."

All the competing dojos, along with those that had been eliminated, gathered around Gunther and his officials. He addressed the group, announcing the matches for the semifinals and revealing one team had been disqualified for using performance-enhancing drugs during the tournament.

"My apologies for summoning you all like this. But under the circumstances, it was necessary. The Sekai Taikai has a long and honorable tradition. We fight hard, but we fight fair. That's why I'm saddened to announce that one of the dojos here has tarnished that tradition by cheating."

"Whoa."

"Who?"

"Cheating?"

"What?!"

"Sensei Ivanov." He stated, turning to his left to face the stern-looking coach and his team of students.

"Four of your students have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs."

"That's just not right."

"I knew it!"

"You are hereby eliminated."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're hereby removed from our finalists."

"Bullshit!" The man shouted angrily, storming toward him with clenched fists.

"Why don't you come over here and remove me yourself?"

"Sensei Ivanov. Consider yourself fortunate that your dojo wasn't banned forever. Continue this behavior, and that could be arranged easily!"

With that, the breaded man signaled his students, and they silently exited the building together.

"Replacing Udar Tigra will be the dojo with the next highest point total."

"Wait." Deven paused, and realized what was the next dojo was with the highest points under Udar Tigra.

"That means...."

"Cobra Kai."

As the Cobra Kai's celebrated their reinstatement into the tournament, Kreese clapped his hands slowly, a sinister glint in his eyes, and gave a subtle nod in Johnny's direction.

"And on a more positive note, we'll now announce the draws for our semifinals."

One of his officials handed Gunther a sheet of paper listing the matchups for the semifinals scheduled for the following day.

"In our girls' bracket, the first semifinal will be Maria Alvarez versus Zara Malik. And in the second match, that will pit Tory Nichols.... Against Samantha LaRusso. In our boys' bracket, our first semifinal match will be Diego Aguilar versus Kwon Jae-Sung. And our second semifinal match will put Axel Kovacevic against Robby Keene."

"Good luck to all our semifinalists. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the venue." He said bowing respectfully to them before turning around and walking away.

"Axel the Invincible, and Sam-Tory chapter a billion. It's less than ideal."

"You got this, bro. I believe in you." Ethan whispered, offering words of encouragement to his brother.

Moments later, the Miyagi-Dos gathered around bottom of the stairs. The students sat down while the three Senseis stood before them, deep in thought, trying to decide what the next course of action was.

"Screw this horseshit, man. How many do we have to kill that son of a bitch?"

"Kreese is like a cockroach. But he is not one fighting on mat." Chosen remarked.

"Sensei Chozen's right. We have the rest of the day to tune up for tomorrow." Robby said with a nod, before glancing at the other two men for confirmation.

"What's the plan?"

"Knock Kreese's head off his neck, for starters."

"Dad?" Sam asked, noticing the thoughtful expression on her father's face, as if something was weighing heavily on his mind.

"Dad?"

Daniel blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and turned to his daughter with a slightly confused look.

"What?"

"Training? For our final fights?"

"We'll run through the usual stuff." He replied, though the brunette raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of his response.

"Senseis need time to discuss. Go get changed. Uh, meet me at gym, hmm."

The kids stood up from the stairs and headed down the hallway toward their hotel rooms to get change. Meanwhile, Chozen turned around to the face the other two men, intent on talking some sense into them.

"Forget Kreese. Forget Miyagi-san. Sam and Robby face strong opponents. Great pressure. They need guidance. Need Senseis. They need their fathers."

"I will warm them up while you think one of last lesson. But think quickly, or I will pull heads from asses for you." Toguchi said before walking away from the two.

Daniel and Johnny strolled along the beach near the hotel, deep in thought as they brainstormed ideas for the final karate lesson they would teach Robby and Sam.

"Maybe we need to smack them around a bit. Not actually us. Get eight to ten locals. Give them some pesos. Line them up, and let Sam and Robby run gauntlet." He suggested.

"Terrific. As long as the kids are out of the hospital in time for their matches."

"Toguchi's right, man. This is our last kick at the can. Got any better ideas, let me know."

"How about not endangering our captains before they even step on the mat? Come on."

"News flash, LaRusso. The world's a dangerous place. They can handle it. What the hell you think we've been teaching them?" Lawrence questioned, his tone firm but confident.

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself these days." LaRusso admitted, with a hint of doubt creeping in his voice.

"I opened up Miyagi-Do to help these kids defend themselves. And now it's just been one fight after another. Maybe defense only is just bullshit. Maybe we're not supposed to be here."

"Wanna doubt everything Miyagi taught you? Go nuts. Don't tell me you're actually thinking of backing out at the finish line."

"Look, Miyagi-Do was never about tournaments."

"Unbelievable. I should've known, as soon as the shit hit the fan, you'd pussy out."

"Oh. There's the asshole I know." He remarked and nodded in disbelief.

"Kreese never fails to bring him out, does he? To guys like you and him, everyone's a pussy."

"No, not everyone. Just you. Biggest pussy I ever met."

"Call me pussy again, see what happens." Daniel stated, stepping right in his face.

"I've called you pussy 1,000 times. You don't do shit." Johnny said, shoving the man in front of him backwards.

"Well, you've caught me on a pretty shitty day."

The two men dropped into fighting stances, ready to face off, but before things could escalate, a familiar person called out to them, stopping them in their tracks.

"Woah, woah!" Ethan called out, causing the two Senseis to turn toward the boy.

"What the actual fuck are you two doing?"

They sat down on the sand as Williams paced back and forth in front of them, wanting to understand what was going on between both his teachers.

"Alright, I'm not walking away until one of you tells me what's going on."

"It's fine with me. It's a topless beach."

"Dude, I'm serious. I thought you guys were done with this shit."

"We were. But we never really are, I guess." Daniel shrugged his shoulders in response.

"LaRusso just found out his Sensei isn't who he thought he was. And I just found out mine is exactly who I thought he was. And I'm never getting rid of him."

"That stinks. But the fact is that you guys turned a bunch of bullied kids into one of the most badass dojos this world has ever seen. Okay? Sure, you two taught some things that Kreese and Mr. Miyagi taught you, but you guys added a whole new style to it. I mean, geez. Did that old war veteran turn a wimpy, skinny little kid into an All Valley champion in six months? Did he even fix me when I broken my back?"

"Not a chance." Sensei replied and shook his head.

"Right. I mean, did Mr. Miyagi take every single one of those kids from the Valley when Cobra Kai come back? Did he use the legendary crane kick to run my grandfather out of the Valley?" He asked, his words making Lawrence glance over at the man next to him, the statement beginning to sink in.

"Alright. Are you the two of you gonna let your issues with your Senseis get in the way from doing what you need to be doing as of right now? And going in there and being the best Senseis I know y'all can be, and doing in there to help us win this tournament?"

"Hell no." Johnny declared, pushing himself up from the sand with determination.

"He makes a good point."

"Damn right he does. What do you say we hit the gym and get Sam and Robby ready to win this?"

As he lifted Daniel up to his feet, an idea for a final lesson for Sam and Robby sparked in his mind.

"I got a better idea."

The next morning, back at the Sekai Taikai arena, it was now time for the semifinals. All of the competing dojos gathered around the large mat, while Gunther and his officials stood on a stage, explaining the rules and regulations for the penultimate matches.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Sekai Taikai Tournament of Champions. Welcome, competitions, to the semifinal round of the Sekai Taikai."

The two captains of each dojo practiced their attacks with one another, preparing themselves mentally and physically for their upcoming fights.

"Each dojo will retain the points they have accumulated thus far. Each match will consist of three two-minute rounds with unlimited scoring and no stoppages. One point for a hit. Ten for a knockdown. And should anyone score a knockout, that's worth 20. So it's still anyone's tournament to win. Because at this stage of the tournament, no deficit is too large to overcome. Best of luck to you all. And may the best dojo win."

Moments later, after Kwon and Zara completely dominated their opponents in their matches, it was time for the second boys' semifinal match with Robby facing off against Axel, the reigning Sekai Taikai champion.

"Up next, our second boys' semifinal, Axel Kovacevic of Iron Dragons versus Robby Keene of Miyagi-Do."

The boy turned around face to his three Senseis, hoping for some advice from them, on winning the match.

"This is everything you've been working for. You earned it."

"Breathe, focus, stay centered. Give him everything you got."

"And then you give him more." Chozen stated, before adding something in Japanese to his statement.

"Yeah! Come on!"

"Yeah, Robby!"

"Let's go, bro!"

The two fighters stepped onto the mat, bowing first to the referee and then to each other before settling into their fighting stances.

"Ready! Fight!"

Keene lunged forward, aiming to deliver a combination of kicks, followed by swift jab but his opponent skillfully every move. No matter how hard he tried to land a hit, Axel effortlessly blocked and dodged each attack. Even Daniel quickly noticed his student, struggling in the match.

"His defense is on point. Robby can't get through."

"Axel!" Sensei Wolf called out, prompting the boy to turn toward him. The man then said something in Chinese, his tone calm yet commanding.

"Attack!"

Now fueled by aggressive, Axel landed a side kick to his opponent's side. they exchanged a flurry of blows and blocks before he twisted their right arm and slammed his fist into their stomach, earning the first point.

"Point!"

"Shit. His offense is even better."

He followed up with a series of precise strikes, culminating in a brutal hit to the long haired boy face, forcing him to spit out blood as he staggered backwards.

"Two points!"

"Defense, Robby!"

Robby took a deep breath, shifting into a defensive stance as a series of attacks came his way. He blocked each one with the best, he could and attempted to land a punch, but Kovacevic grabbed both of his arms, locking him in place and preventing any further movement.

"Are you going to keep defending or are you going to fight?"

The Iron Dragons' captain forcefully shoved him over toward the edge of the mat where the Cobra Kai's stood watching. Kwon and a fellow teammate caught Keene, gripping him tightly to keep him from moving. Suddenly, Jae-Sung drove his elbow into his side, causing him to groan in pain and the crowd gasped in complete shock.

"Hey!"

"Come on!"

"Is bullshit!"

"What the hell?" Ethan exclaimed, rushing toward his brother to help him. However, Axel intercepted him, shoving him to the ground before he could get close.

"What is he doing?

"What is this?"

"What's your problem, huh?"

"Stop. Stop this!" Gunther shouted, his voice cutting through the crowd as he tried to grab everyone's attention and defuse the escalating tension.

"Get ahold of yourselves. Everybody off the mat now! Or this tournament—"

Before he could finish his statement, Sensei Ivanov blindsided him with knockout blow. Chaos erupted almost instantly as the competing dojos charged onto the large mat. Fights broke out left and right, with Miyagi-Do caught in the middle, unsure of how to react amidst the pandemonium.

Sam darted through the chaotic crowd, weaving between fighters as she searched for Robby, Tory and even Ethan. Deep down, she reassured herself that her boyfriend could handle himself, but the worry still gnawed at her.

"Get off him! Robby! Tory! Ethan!"

Her search came to an abrupt halt when a sharp kick struck her in the back. She spun around, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto the female captain of Dublin Thunder, who stood there with a smirk, clearly the one responsible.

"Pathetic. You think you belong in the finals?"

"Let's find out."

The two girls got into a fighting stance before clashing in a flurry of strikes, the noise of their blows echoed throughout the chaos around them. Her vision stayed focused, as she blocked a high kick before retaliating with a swift counter. She ducked underneath a wild punch and drove her fist into her opponent's midsection.

Yoon gripped Robby by his shoulders, holding him in place as Kwon delivered a series of brutal punches. Tory spotted what was happening and rushed over to intervene, but before she could get to them, Zara stepped in and shoved her to the ground.

"You're mine, Nichols!"

Her attacks were quick, catching her opponent off guard and forcing her into a defensive stance. But Nichols wasn't going down without a fight that easily, she blocked her hits skillfully as Malik had no intentions of backing down against her.

Meanwhile, Hawk and Demetri found themselves teaming up amidst the chaos. Eli took the lead, going on the offensive and striking first, driving their opponents back with swift, decisive moves. Alexopoulos, on the other hand, stayed defensive, guarding their backs and creating openings for his friend to exploit. Together, they maneuvered through the crowd like a seamless unit.

Sensei Wolf now faced off against both Johnny and Daniel. The tall man smirked as he assumed his fighting stance, confidence radiating from his every move.

"Two on one. This might actually get a good workout."

"Work this out, motherfu—"

Before the blonde man could finish speaking, a kick struck him in his mouth, causing him to stumble backwards.

Across the mat, Ethan was locked in a fierce fight against Axel when he was suddenly pushed back. Feeling someone's back against his, he turned around and realized it was his brother, Robby.

"Let's kick some ass, brother."

The two exchanged a quick nod before turning their attention to the opponents surrounding them. Working in perfect sync, they combined defensive maneuvers and sharp offensive strikes to fend off anyone who dared to challenge them.

As the chaos around them began to subside momentarily, Keene's glazed and his expression became worried as he noticed Zara mercilessly attacking Tory.

"You're weak!"

"Go, I'll cover you." Williams said firmly, positioning himself to block any incoming attacks. His brother hesitated for a moment, then nodded his head.

"I own you one."

"Don't worry about it."

Without another word, the long haired boy darted toward Nichols and Malik. He grabbed her and threw her off the blonde girl.

"Get off her!"

The female Iron Dragons captain pushed herself up from the ground, her eyes narrowing as she looked between them, focusing on him with disbelief.

"You'd really choose her over me?"

"It's not even close."

Kwon delivered a swift kick to an opponent charging at him, then quickly spun around and executed a powerful spinning back kick on another attacker rushing toward him. He shifted his focus to a familiar figure ahead, who was locked in combat with a member of the Iron Dragon.

"Keene!"

The Koran boy made his way over to him, before knocking him enemy down to the ground with a harsh kick and followed up by slamming his foot into their back repeatedly, ensuring they stayed down.

"Robby!" Sam called out, rushing over to help her fellow teammate. But as she reached him, Jae-Sung intercepted her with angry kick, knocking her down to the mat.

Axel noticed this and immediately dropped Ethan to the floor. Fueled by anger, he charged toward the captain of Cobra Kai, grabbing him by his gi, and drove his knee forcefully into his back.

The two exchanged blows and blocks, each other trying to gain the upper hand. Kovacevic threw him over before landing a powerful kick to his opponent that send him flying back against a camera. Kwon groaned in pain as he hit the ground, a scream of frustration escaping his lips, blood pouring down from his nose.

He smiled evilly when he noticed Kreese's eujangdo lying down on the mat. Grabbing it, he flipped it around so that it was upside down in his hand before pushing himself to his feet.

Letting out an angry yell, he lunged forward at his enemy, delivering a series of kicks, but all of them were blocked.

"Kwon! No!" Daniel shouted, pushing through the crowd as he rushed toward them, trying to make them stop.

As Kwon attempted to land the final blow with the knife, jumping in the air, Axel countered it by kicking his leg, causing him to fall to the ground, with a scream of pain. He landed on the mat on his stomach, the eujangdo pressed inside his chest.

Everyone stopped at the sound of the loud scream. They gathered around the boy, lying there motionless on the floor, a pool of blood spreading next to him.

"Kwon?" LaRusso kneeled beside him, turning his body over to reveal a knife stabbed straight into his chest, where his heart once was.

"He's not moving."

"It's Kwon."

"Was that a knife?"

"That's a lot of blood."

"Cut the feed!" Gunther called out urgently, his voice rising in panic before realizing the tv camera was still on.

"Cut the feed, now!"

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SEE YALL ALL IN PART THREE!!!