[SEASON SIX: EPISODE FOURTEEN]

Ethan, Tory, and Johnny were back at the original Cobra Kai dojo, training for the semifinal matches of the Sekai Taikai. It had been a while since any of them had set foot there. Now, the two teenagers stood in front of their sensei on the mat, waiting for his instructions.

"This is where it all started. Williams, you were my student. Nichols, I was your first Sensei. I taught you the style of karate that was taught to me. We've been through a lot of Cobra Kai bullshit since then. But none of that matters. Because this is our Cobra Kai. And tomorrow, we're gonna show the world that nobody strikes harder than us. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sensei!" They both responded in unison, nodding their heads in understanding.

"Good. Now let's show these international assholes how we do things in the Valley."

Sensei began their training off with fifty knuckle pushups. As the two started, Lawrence paced around them, observing their form closely.

"Keep going. Fifty more. Fifty more!"

Next, they moved on to punching the dummy stand, each strike fueled by the thought of their opponents' faces.

"Imagine your opponent's face."

The blonde man held up two pads in his hands, steadying himself as the two teenagers took turns striking them with controlled precision.

"Come on, don't be pussies. Let's go!"

Sam and Daniel walked inside the dojo, carrying the pinching machine to help sharpen their blocking and reflex skills.

"Oh, hell yeah. Now we're talking."

Williams went first, swiftly blocking and redirecting each ball that came his way. Nichols followed, matching his precision as she deflected the incoming strikes with ease.

A few minutes later, Hawk and Robby stepped inside with a box of wooden planks.

"All right, it's time to lay some wood!"

Tory went first this time, attacking each wooden board with powerful kicks and punches, breaking them one by one with equal force.

Ethan, Eli, and Kenny, stood on the mat, as the two came at him from both sides. The boy quickly sweep Panye's legs, sending him tumbling to the floor and drove his elbow into the Mohawk boy's chest, forcing him back.

They wrapped up their training by delivering a powerful kick to the practice pad at the same exact moment, the impact echoing through the room.

After a few hours of an intense workout session, he sat on the edge of the sidewalk outside the dojo, lost in thought. Johnny joined him, settling down beside him with a pizza box in hand. He opened the box and offered him a slice.

"Thanks, dad. But I'm not hungry."

"Hey, you worked your ass off. Build those muscles back up. Get some protein."

"I don't think there's any protein in that. And I'm not in the mood for anything."

"Don't tell me you're getting the prefight jitters. You've never looked better." Sensei said, sitting the food to the side and wanted to know what was on his student's mind.

"I feel this adrenaline coming, I guess.... I can't wait to pay back that fucker for what he did to my brother."

"I get it. But you can't go into this fight thinking like that. I should know. I go into every fight thinking like that it's also how I lost to LaRusso in 84. I was a way better fighter. Yeah, sure, maybe he's caught up since then. Almost." The blonde man explained, as the boy chuckled in agreement.

"But he only trained for six weeks. I should have destroyed him. I was too hellbent on revenge for all the shit he pulled. Even though I pulled a lot of shit on him, too, he didn't fight for revenge. He fought to honor everything he'd learned. To show guys like me we couldn't get the best of him."

"Understood. I'm gonna fight to honor everything you, Mr. LaRusso, and even Mr. Miyagi taught me."

"Being your sensei and your father figure is the best thing I've ever done. Do me a favor. Fight for yourself too. To honor how far you've come."

"The day we met, you were wearing Pepto-Bismol as a hat. Right over there." Johnny said, nodding toward the spot as he recalled the moment they  first met.

"A few months later, you're All-Valley champ. Now you're on the verge of a world title. You're Ethan fucking Williams. You earned this. You understand?"

"I do, dad." Ethan replied with a nod of understanding.

"Good."

"Now hand me one of those pizza slices, old man."

Back inside the dojo, Sam was demonstrating the Miyagi-Do drum technique to Tory, teaching her how to use it as an escape strategy in case she ever found herself in a tough situation.

"My dad learned this in Okinawa. It's sort of a last resort."

"Is there a counter to it?"

"Ask the drum." The brunette replied, causing the blonde girl laughed in response.

"Haven't you two gotten your fill of training for the day?" Amanda joked as she and Daniel walked to them.

"Hey, if you love karate, you can never get too much of it. Unless, of course, it's the night before a title fight. You want us to give you a lift home?"

"Uh, no, that's okay. Sensei Lawrence and Robby are gonna give me a ride. But thanks." She replied.

"Okay. It's a big day too, so try to get your rest."

As the three of them walked toward the door, Amanda noticed the hesitated look on Nichols's face, like she wanted to say something.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about the first time I came in here. Sparred with Ethan and made friends with Aisha. Then met Sam at the beach club. It's been a strange couple of years. The toughest in my life. But also kind of the best."

"And when I think about the good parts, a lot of them are because of you guys. You helped me get back into school after all the shit I pulled on Sam. And you let me join Miyagi-Do, no questions asked. And then I bailed on you right before the tournament to fight for Kreese. And now Sam's teaching me the advanced moves of Miyagi-Do. No one besides my mom has ever shown me that much kindness. So.... Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve it."

"Well, I'll tell you what you did. You took every punch that life threw you and you kept fighting. Sure, I didn't always agree with the way that you fought, but.... We all make mistakes. Even me, some would argue."

"What matters is how willing we are to knowledge those mistakes and how we move on from them. And you've done that better than most people." Daniel stated, gesturing toward Sam and her friend.

"You both do."

"Yes, you absolutely deserve some good in your life."

"Just like you deserve to win."

The next day, at the Sekai Taikai arena, the entire Valley filled the bleachers, eagerly awaiting the epic conclusion of the tournament. Sliver and the Iron Dragons took their respective spots on the mat. Johnny stood next to Tory, trying to convince her not to let her opponent get inside her head.

"Ignore her bullshit. Keep your head in the game."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please find your seats. The girls' final match will begin momentarily."

Ethan quickly slipped a card, meant for Sam, into his backpack before walking over to join the two of them.

"Just focus on what you need to do out there and nothing else. Both of you. Don't worry about overall points. Just win your fight. Okay?"

"No." The boy replied, a determined look on his face. He wasn't gonna let his grandfather win a tournament again as his teammates to look at him in confusion.

"No offense, dude. But we're not letting my grandfather buy himself another title."

"He's right. We can close the gap." Tory nodded in agreement.

"Badass."

"Who is ready for karate?" Gunther asked, with the crowd cheering and clapping in excitement.

"Our championship bout will follow the same structure as our semifinals. Three rounds, two minutes each, with unlimited scoring. Knockouts are worth ten points, and if a downed fighter cannot reengage within ten seconds, they will be considered knocked out and their opponent awarded 20 points."

"She cannot match your speed or your skill." Wolf stated.

"And don't let her forget how much real estate you own in her head either." Sliver added.

"The individual title goes to the competitor who scores the most points over these three rounds."

"Nichols, it's go time."

"And now, the final match to determine our female world champion. Please come to the mat, Tory Nichols of Cobra Kai. And Zara Malik of the Iron Dragons. Good luck to you both."

"Let's go, Tory!" Williams cheered, clapping his hands together.

After nearly getting beaten by Zara, Tory and Robby confessed their love for each other, giving her the confidence she needed to secure the victory and become the new female champion. With the match concluded, everyone was given a few minutes to regroup before the boys' championship began.

Ethan grabbed the card from his bag and walked over to where Sam had been sitting, but thankfully, she wasn't there. As he picked up her jacket to slip it inside, a piece of paper fell onto the bleachers. He quickly picked it up and unfolded it, revealing an acceptance letter to Okinawa, Japan.

"Okinawa? As in she's planning to go to a college where Mr. Miyagi lived?" The boy muttered to himself, staring at the letter in disbelief. He immediately hid it underneath the coat and walked away, hoping no one had seen him.

Daniel stepped into the lounge area, searching for a snack, but his gaze shifted when he noticed Sliver staring intently at his phone screen.

"That was some match. Underdog looks down and out but comes back to win decisively."

"Congratulations." The old man replied, before quickly realizing his own mistake and corrected himself.

"Oh, wait. That wasn't your victory. One of your captains got carried off the mat. The other one didn't even show up. That's how Miyagi-Do will be remembered. I'd love to see the look on your sensei's face if he were alive to see me destroy everything you've worked for."

"It ain't over yet." He said, shaking his head confidently.

"Might as well be. Axel's a machine. You saw how he dominated Keene, and he is going to decimate Williams." Sliver stated, as he exhaled his breath mockingly.

"But let's just say you're right, and by some miracle, my grandson pulls it off. See, that's your main problem right there. You rely too much on him. And that'll be Cobra Kai on that podium. The dojo you thought you'd killed once and for all. That's gotta hurt, Danny Boy."

"Actually, it doesn't hurt at all." LaRusso said, leaning forward, and staring him dead in the eyes.

"Haven't you heard? Cobra Kai never dies."

Terry took one last glance at him before turning and walking back into the arena.

As the boys' championship was about to begin, Sam made her way over to Ethan, who stood there with a hesitant look on his face, clearly unsure of what to say.

"Hey."

"Hi, Sammy."

"You okay?"

"What, me? I'm fine. I'm just...." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words and decided to just tell her the truth anyway.

"I saw your acceptance letter in Okinawa."

"Shit."

"And, um—"

"Ethan, I.... I just didn't wanna say anything until after." She interrupted him, but gently he took both of her hands, trying to calm her down.

"Sammy, it's fine. I know we didn't let each other know that we were gonna be in the same place after high school is over. I mean it seems like it'll end up being like that."

"Even though Okinawa is a bit far away from San Francisco University, but I think we can make a long distance relationship work. Besides you sound super pumped about it. And I'm happy for you." The boy said, as the two shared a chuckle with each other.

"I'm really happy."

"I just want what's best for you, you know that."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats." Gunther's voice echoed through the whole crowd.

"And I wanna hear all about it, right after I'm finished kicking his ass."

They shared a kiss, knowing that no matter where they were in the world, they would loved each other no matter what.

"And now.... Our final match of this year's Sekai Taikai! Representing the Iron Dragons, Axel Kovacevic! And representing Cobra Kai, Ethan Williams."

The whole entire crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the championship was about to begin.

"This is what it's all about. Savor the moment. And knock his block off."

"Understood, dad."

"No matter what gi he has on, he's trained in Miyagi-Do. And after what you've done to his friend, he'll be on the defense. But there is no defense for what you are about to do." Wolf explained.

"Would the fighters please come to the mat. Good luck to you both."

The two fighters stepped onto the mat from their respective sides, with Darryl standing in the center.

"Fighters, face me. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Fighting stances."

They turned to face him, and bowed before turning to each other, exchanging bows once more before settling into their fighting stances.

"Fight!"

Ethan struck first with a spinning back kick, aiming to throw his opponent off balance and it worked. As Kovacevic attempted to throw a punch, a jab punch was landed at his chest.

"Point!"

"Nice, Williams!"

"Come on, Ethan!"

He followed up with an aerial kick, but his opponent blocked it by raising both forearms and slamming it down. The second he landed back on the ground, he swung his arm out and missed. Undeterred, the boy took a step forward and executed a 540 kick, forcing his enemy to pivot to evade the attack.

Williams landed on his feet and attempted to sweep the tall boy's legs, but he kept his balance. The Cobra Kai captain quickly regained his footing and lunged forward with a Superman punch. Axel barely blocked it in time, leaving himself vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, someone drove their elbow into him.

"Point!"

The entire crowd leaped their feet, cheering and screaming in support for him.

"Go, Ethan!" His mother called out.

The two exchanged blows and blocks, but Ethan kept pressing forward with relentless punches, determined to break through his opponent's defenses. When he finally did, he landed a powerful front kick to their chest.

Then, by mistake, he threw a punch, allowing the Iron Dragon captain to hook an arm around his upper body. Axel spun him around, attempting to drive his knee into their stomach, but he blocked the attack, broke free from his grip, and slammed his elbow into his enemy's chest for a second time.

"Point!"

He landed a swift back kick, striking Kovacevic squarely and forcing him to stumble backwards on the mat.

"Point!"

The match continued at a rapid speed, with punch after punch and kick after kick. The boy kept the pressure, closing the gap between them with a swift crescent kick, his foot connecting solidly against his opponent's head.

"Point!"

The horn echoed through the arena, signaling the end of the first round. The two fighters stepped back and returned to their respective sides of the mat.

Williams walked over to his other teammates, exchanging fist bumps with Tory and Robby before taking his place next to Johnny.

"Holy shit, Williams. You're on fire."

"Thanks, dad."

"All right."

"First Malik, now Kovacevic? What the hell's wrong with them?" Sliver questioned, glancing at the person beside him.

"Flip his switch before he loses us the whole damn tournament."

Wolf nodded as Axel stood next to him, immediately turning to face the boy.

"You've been trained since you could walk. With every advantage in size, strength, speed, and skill. Are you telling me you can't beat a weak nobody from a nothing dojo? If you waste this opportunity, everything I've given you will be for nothing. If you let him win, you will be less than nothing." He explained.

The horn blared loudly, signaling the start of the second match. The two fighters stepped onto the mat, assuming their respective fighting stances.

"Come on, Ethan. You got this!"

"Ready? Fight!"

The Cobra Kai captain threw a punch, and missed, giving Axel the opening to counter with an attack of his own, forcing him to back up a few steps.

They circled around each other, moving quick on their feet, each trying to anticipate the other's next move. Then, Ethan lunged forward with a kick, only for the tall boy to caught his leg, and forcefully shoved it down.

He had no time to recover as a punch was sent his way. He blocked it just in time, and for another to follow. Quickly reacting, he ducked underneath his opponent, repositioning himself so now the two of them were facing opposite directions from when they started.

Williams retaliated with a kick, but Kovacevic countered it with his own. Pivoting swiftly he drove his heel straight into their chest, making him to stagger backwards.

"Point!"

The fight had reached a new level of intensity, with both boys exchanging rapid punches and strikes. The boy swung his arm out, and the Iron Dragon captain caught it, locking it into place before slamming his fist into the enemy's stomach.

"Point!"

Then he yanked his leg up, striking their ribs. Axel quickly spun around and executed a crescent kick, snapping it across his opponent's face.

"Point! Point!"

Kovacevic flipped into a cartwheel, closing the big gap between them. He went to throw a punch, but it was blocked. Then he attempted to strike with his elbow and missed.

The Cobra Kai captain threw his own punch, and the tall boy ducked underneath it and rushed forward. Ethan turned around just in time for him to straighten up and for the enemy to land a kick straight into their chest.

"Another point!"

The Iron Dragon captain executed a cartwheel swipe knife kick, his foot crashing into their face and sending him falling down tumbling to the mat. His headband slipping off his forehead as he hit the ground.

Johnny instinctively took a step forward, wanting to rush over and help, but before he could, Robby and Tory grabbed his arms, holding him back.

"Knockdown! Ten points!"

Williams barely managed to pull himself up just as Axel charged at him with his fist raised. Suddenly, the horn sounded, signaling the end of the second round.

Kovacevic paused, then slammed his hand back into his palm before giving the boy one last glance and walking back to his side of the mat.

Ethan quickly grabbed his captain headband, and made his way back over to his other teammates, his breathing heavy.

"It's okay, man."

"You're alright."

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I.... I thought I had him, but he just caught me off guard." He muttered, panting as he shook his head.

"You did have him."

"I did."

"And then he had you. That's how fights go. That's how life goes. We all get our asses handed to us sometimes. There's gonna be more where that came from, I guarantee it. On and off the mat. But I've never known anyone who could take a shit-kicking and fight harder like you."

"Thanks, but...." The boy managed to crack a chuckle and glanced over at the scoreboard, noticing he was down by ten points.

"I'm way further behind on points. I don't know if I have the energy to make it up for lost time in one more round."

"Who gives a shit about the score? Points are for pussies. Just go out there and give them the best two minutes of karate you got. Everything you learned. Every lesson. Every win. Every loss. Leave it all on the mat. Go all in!"

"Got it?"

"Yes Sensei." Williams replied and went to put the captains headband back around his forehead, but Johnny grabbed it and tossed it to the side.

"Screw this headband." Lawrence said, taking his black headband off and wrapping it around their forehead, looking him straight in the eyes.

"You're Cobra Kai."

He realized what matter which gi he wore or which dojo he trained in, deep down inside, he'll always be a true Cobra Kai at heart.

The boy smirked cockily as he stepped onto the mat, cracking his neck with confidence before setting into an aggressive fighting stance.

"Kick his ass, Ethan!" Lois shouted loudly. Suddenly, the entire crowd jumped up to their seats, chanting and clearing for him.

"Yeah, Ethan! You can do it!"

"Come on!"

The two fighters took their positions as Darryl stepped to the center of the mat, where the final round was about to begin.

"Ready? Fight!"

Axel charged forward with a kick, but missed as his opponent sidestepped out of the way. He quickly spun around, attempting to land another hit, but Ethan ducked it just in time.

They exchanged blows and blocks until he went to throw a punch. The Cobra Kai captain swiftly knocked it away before executing a hash punch to their face, causing blood to trickle from his nose.

"Point!"

Williams unleashed a flurry of kicks, forcing his enemy to retreat back. The tall boy did his best to block them, but a final kick broke through his defenses.

"Point!"

"That's it. That's it!"

"Come on!"

Kovacevic lunged forward, both his fists ready. They exchanged rapid punches, their movements  like a blur in the blink of an eye. Then, his opponent's leg snapped up, striking him in the chest.

"Point!"

"Good, good, good! Good!"

Ethan pivoted slightly, turning his back as if preparing for a roundhouse, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"There it is!" Wolf shouted.

"He leaves himself open for the roundhouse when he pivots. If targeted correctly, it can be broken."

"Now! Now, now!" Sliver called out, his voice sounding desperately.

Axel glanced toward the crowd, his eyes landing on Sam with an apologetic look, before shifting his focus back on the fight. He dropped down to the ground, attempting to sweep his leg from underneath them.

The Cobra Kai captain jumped in the air, attempting to land a 540 kick, his foot slammed against his enemy's face.

"Point!"

"Yes!"

"Let's go!"

The tall boy staggered a bit but kept his ground, pushing forward once more only to miss his opportunity. The two traded kicks, both of them striking harder than the last, then Williams landed a axe kick into their face once again.

"Point!"

They grappled, each struggling to take control of the fight. Ethan grabbed his opponent's gi, pulling him towards him before slamming his knee into their stomach.

"That's a point!"

In response, Kovacevic latched onto their gi, bringing him down on the mat. However, the enemy quickly landed back on his feet. He immediately got up from the floor, as a kick came toward him, he reacted instantly, blocking it using both hands.

The two boys exchanged a flurry of kicks, neither of them able to land a clean hit, until the Cobra Kai captain struck their leg, catching him off guard. Wasting no time, he followed up with another hit to the right shoulder and attempted a leg sweep, forcing him to stumble back.

Williams stood up just as a punch was coming his way, he grabbed him before slamming his knee into their stomach and then landed a kick into their side.

"Two Points!"

Then in the blink of an eye, he quickly executed a flying tornado kick, launching him backwards across the mat.

"Point!"

"That's right!"

"Come on!"

"Yeah!"

Ethan knelt down, taking a moment to take his breath before surging forward and landing a scoot tornado kick. His leg crashed into his opponent's cheek, forcing him straight down to the ground as the horn sounded, signaling the end of the final round.

"Knockdown. Winner!"

The whole crowd erupted into cheers. Within a few seconds, his family and friends rushed onto the mat. Johnny approached him first, pulling him into a tight hug.

"You did it! Hell yeah!"

"Fantastic. Mr. Miyagi, would be so proud of you, Ethan."

"Thanks, Mr. LaRusso. I know he would be."

Next up were Tory and Robby, followed by the rest of his friends and family, all congratulating him. Finally, there was only one person left, Sam. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, chuckling with happiness.

"I knew you could do it."

"I had all of you cheering me on. That's my source of strength, including you, Sammy." He stated, as the two shared a quick kiss before turning their attention to Gunther and his officials.

"May I have your attention? What an absolutely thrilling conclusion. Please join me in congratulating our girls' and boys' champions, Tory Nichols and Ethan Williams of Cobra Kai!"

Everyone cheered and clapped in applause as the two captains held up their championship trophies at the same time.

"Yeah!"

"Yes!"

"This leaves us only to declare our overall dojo champion. But we cannot do that. Because, for the first time in our long and storied history, the Sekai Taikai ended in a tie!"

They all gasped in shock and turned their attention to the scoreboard, realizing it was a tie in points between Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons.

"What does that mean?" Amanda whispered, glancing over at Daniel and Johnny, concern evident in her voice.

"Fortunately, we have a protocol in place for such an occasion. A winner must be proclaimed. Per tradition, our overall champion will be determined by one final match between the dojos. To be fought by their senseis!"

"They've just given you your last chance. Don't blow it."

Lawrence stepped off the mat and walked over to Elizabeth and Lois, who were pushing Laura around in a stroller.

"Well, that was big twist."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"You worried?"

"No. Because I know what I signed up for. But are you?"

"Why should be he worried? It's just karate. What's the worst that could happen?" Sliver asked, before baby Laura caught his attention. He kneel down in front of her and waved at her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ethan questioned, stepping in front of his little sister protectively.

"I can't come over here and see my new born granddaugh—" Terry started, but was interrupted when Williams twisted his hand backwards, causing him to groan in pain.

"Now, now. That's not a nice thing to do to your grandfather, Ethan."

"You may have earned that title only because we're related by blood, but you're nothing more than a selfish rich prick, who thinks he above everyone else. So I suggest you get out of here before I kick your ass myself." The boy snapped, releasing his grip on their hand.

The old man rubbed his arm to soothe the pain, made one last glance at all of them, and then turned, walking toward the exit of the arena.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE AND LEAVE ANY FEEDBACK YOU GUYS HAVE :)

I REALLY DEEPLY APOLOGIZE FOR THE TWO WEEKS DELAYED OF THIS CHAPTER!!!

SEE YALL IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!

LATER!!!

ETHAN AND SLIVER HAD THIER FINAL INTERACTION WITH EACH OTHER!!!

PEACE OUT EVERYONE!!!