After a restless night, it was time for the first event. Kai found it hard to get sleep, the nerves of tomorrow getting to him. He was nervous for what was to come, he was determined to prove himself on a world stage. Karate meant everything to him, this was a tournament that would give him and his dojo the recognition and respect they deserved.

The arena buzzed with anticipation as bright lights flooded the stage where all the fighters from all over the world sought to make a lasting impression. The mats gleamed as spectators and sponsors filled the stand. Braun was stood in the middle, all the dojos surrounding him as he spoke.

"Welcome, to our first event of the Sekai Taikai!" his voice boomed, echoing through the massive arena. "I hope you are all well rested and ready for a new and unique competition."

A pause.

"We call it, the Captain's War."

Kai looked at Emiko who stood next to him with her headband on, determination etched over her face.

"We told you how important your captains will be. So let's see how well you protect them. Four dojos take the mat. Only one will be left standing. If you hit the mat, you're out. If one of your captains hits the mat, your entire team is out."

It was an interesting challenge, and Kai had full faith that Tiger Claw would be fine. They were cohesive as a team, working as a team was something Sensei Yazuko had made them all practice - it was a big part of training since the six fighters didn't have much experience all together.

A dramatic pause followed as screens displayed the randomly assigned groups. Kai looked at the board and saw the groups. Group A had Falchi Della Notte, Iron Dragons, Cobra Kai and Miyagi Do. Kai raised his eyebrows, the first challenge already pitted Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai together.

For Tiger Claw, they were in group B where they were up against Dublin Thunder, West End Warriors and Tiger Strike.

"They copied our name, let's show them that they're just a cheap copy of us." Takeshi said, half-joking when they saw the name of the Russian dojo.

Kai smirked. "Let's do it."

Group A was up first and before she stepped onto the mat, Sam looked over and made eye contact with Kai who gave her a reassuring smile. She knew he was rooting for her, and she would be rooting for him.

Miyagi Do huddled together, Kai presumed they would protect their captains and play it defensive. His eyes scanned over to the Cobra Kai fighters who were currently talking tactics.

"We take Miyagi-Do first," Elijah said to his team, "they're the weakest."

"Let them come to us," Kwon added, "then we take the other dojangs."

Tory interjected. "That won't work, I know them. They're going to protect the egg."

Elijah scoffed. "Protect the egg my ass, even if we don't take them out they'll get slaughtered by the other dojos."

"We need to attack, break their front line and get to the captains." Tory continued.

"Shut up, just stay out the way and try not to fall." Kwon retorted.

As the teams finished their final preparations, the Braun called for the round to start.

"Ready?" he called. "Begin!"

The match erupted in chaos. Cobra Kai, led by Tory, charged forward and went straight for Miyagi-Do captains.

"Fuck!" Elijah cursed, leaving him no choice but to follow Tory.

Demetri stepped up for Miyagi-Do, but his confidence wavered as Elijah came at him with a fierce spinning kick. He hit the mat hard, and Miguel shouted. "Demetri's out!"

Kai watched as Cobra Kai went straight for Miyagi-Do whilst the other two dojos battled it out. It was chaotic, there was no teamwork nor communication. It was each fighter fighting for themselves, Miyagi-Do's original plan of protecting their captains had disappeared.

Sam and Robby held their positions, defending against relentless assaults. Yoon was currently up against Hawk.

"Forget about him, go for their captain!" Kwon ordered in Korean.

Yoon charged for Robby but was taken down, at the same time Tory had dispatched Devon. Kai's eyes were glued on Sam, she was holding her own.

"Lee's out! Hawk protect the captains!" Johnny barked from the side.

Hawk charged for Elijah but it was no use as Elijah landed a swift blow to Hawk's torso, knocking the wind out of him and sending him straight to the ground. Elijah hovered above Hawk, relishing in his pain. Hawk looked up, only to see Elijah spit on him.

"Fuck you Mohawk." Elijah snarled before returning to the fight.

It continued until Robby was taken down by Kwon, momentarily distracted by Tory. Kai noticed this distraction and shook his head, because of it, Robby had let his team down.

"Miyagi-Do captain down. They are out!"

Kai noticed a disappointed Sam curse before she stormed off the mat to where the rest of her team were.

"Falchi della Notte is out! Now only Cobra Kai and Iron Dragons remain." the announcer declared.

It was only Elijah, Kwon and Tory left whereas Iron Dragon had a full team. The plan was to go straight for the captains but as they charged Iron Dragons' front line went to the ground before walking off, leaving just their two captains.

"We'll take the big bastard," Elijah said, "Tory take the little girl."

But as they charged it was to no avail, the two Iron Dragons captains took both Tory and Elijah down simultaneously. Kai watched in shock, they had made it look easy, they made Cobra Kai looked like they were beginners.

"Cobra Kai captains down! The Iron Dragons win!"

As cheers erupted, Kai blocked it all out, preparing for his group to go onto the mat. They huddled with their Sensei in the middle, their gis pristine.

"We work as a team and we protect our captains. Talk to each other." Sensei Yazuko instructed his students.

They all nodded, each and every one of them focused on the task ahead.

"Let's show them what we're made of." Kai said, giving his team a nod.

The announcer raised his hand. "Begin!"

Tiger Claw moved as one, a seamless wave of precise strikes and disciplined defences. Masahiko and Takeshi took the lead on the front line, while Kai and Emiko held back, guarding their team. Orders and information came in quick Japanese as each team member made sure their teammates were aware of what was around them and what was going on.

Dublin Thunder came in swinging, their fighters scrappy and fast. Takeshi sidestepped a wild punch and countered with a sharp kick, sending the Irish fighter to the mat. The occasional fighter would pierce Tiger Claw's front line but one Tiger Strike fighter managed to do so, going straight for Kai. Their fighters were aggressive, using brute force to overwhelm. One of them landed a solid punch on Kai's ribs, sending him stumbling back.

Kai quickly regained his balance and countered. "Over here! They're on me!" he told his team and Aramis quickly came over to protect him.

Tiger Claw refocused, their movements sharper and more precise. Rae and Emiko coordinated a quick takedown of two Dublin Thunder fighters, while Takeshi swept the legs of another.

"Dublin Thunder are out!"

It was only Tiger Claw and Tiger Strike left with the UK dojo knocked out very early on. Tiger Claw still had all six of their fighters whilst Tiger Strike only had their two captains.

"Takeshi, Masahiko you're with me on the guy, Aramis, Rae and Emiko you go for the girl." Kai instructed his team who listened to their captain.

The Russian captain charged at Kai, throwing powerful punches. Kai weaved around him, his strikes calculated. Finally, Kai found an opening, landing a spinning kick to the Russian's chest and sending him to the mat.

The buzzer blared. "Tiger Strike are out! Tiger Claw win."

Kai cheered and celebrated with his team, in unison all six turned to their Sensei and bowed and Sensei Yazuko bowed back, pride in his eyes. It was a flawless first victory. Kai looked over to Miyagi-Do and even though Sam was still disappointed from her round, she smiled at him. Kai smiled back, giving her a quick wink before he and the others stood by Sensei Yazuko, ready to watch the other groups.

Once all the groups had finished, Kai found Sam by the side, gazing out at the empty mat. Her face was a mixture of frustration and disappointment. He approached her quietly, his body aching ever so slightly from the first fight.

"Hey," Kai said softly, "you alright?"

Sam looked over, her expression easing slightly at the sight of him. "Not really. Robby's head isn't in the game. I can see it, Miguel can see it. It's Tory. He left the hotel room last night. And he knew that she was talking to Kreese."

Kai leaned beside her, folding his arms. "I noticed too. I assume him and Tory are on the rocks. It's affecting his focus. That's dangerous, especially with teams like the Iron Dragons around."

Sam sighed heavily. "They're insane. Did you see how their captains dismantled Cobra Kai? And they didn't even break a sweat."

Kai nodded. "Yeah, they're a serious threat. But we reckon we can match them. Give them a proper fight. We all trust each other on the mat, we work as a team, it gives us an edge."

Sam glanced at him, a faint smile forming. "I wish I had that confidence. Right now, I feel like Miyagi-Do's holding on by a thread."

Kai nudged her gently. "Hey, you're Sam LaRusso. You've been through tougher fights than this. Trust me, you'll figure it out. It's only the first round. Elimination doesn't start until tomorrow afternoon."

Her smile grew, genuine this time. "Thanks, Kai. I needed that."

"Anytime Sam, I'm always here for you. Even if I'm not on your team."

Their eyes locked, and between them were so many unspoken feelings. Slowly, almost tentatively, they leaned in and kissed. It was brief but filled with emotion, leaving them both breathless. It felt right, that's all Kai could describe it as. Like it was the thing he was missing.

As they parted, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the moment. Kai glanced over and saw Rae, frozen a few feet away. She had been talking to her brother Masahiko in the distance but had clearly seen everything.

Kai exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "This is going to be a problem."

"Why?" Sam asked, her eyebrows raised.

Kai sighed, it was time to tell her everything. "Back in Japan, when I went to the training camp. I met Rae, we got along well and yeah I thought I liked her for a bit, but that was until well...you."

Sam looked at him, unsure what to say.

"We never did anything, because I left back to Okinawa but I guess she thought something was going to happen."

"And it didn't because you remembered everything again..." Sam said quietly.

Kai nodded. "Yeah...I guess she just feels disappointed. I've got to go deal with this, sorry Sam."

And with that, he made his way out the arena and into the lobby where he saw Rae.

"Rae." Kai said quickly, making his way over.

Her eyes were filled with hurt. "What the hell, Kai? With her? Are you serious?"

Kai kept his voice calm. "Rae, let me explain-"

"Explain what? I thought we had something. This explains why you've been avoiding me." Rae's voice trembled, a mix of hurt and frustration.

"Rae, Sam and I have history," Kai began carefully. "It's complicated, but what happened was a moment. You and I...what we had at camp-"

"You mean nothing?" Rae interrupted, her voice breaking.

Kai shook his head. "It's not like that. What we had was real, but it was friendship, it never got to be anything more. You're one of my closest friends, Rae. I don't want to lose that."

Rae's shoulders sagged slightly, the anger giving way to vulnerability. "You don't get it, Kai. You were my person at camp. And now you're kissing her like I never mattered."

Kai stepped closer. "You did matter. You still do. But Sam is...different. I don't know where it's going, but I know it doesn't change how much I care about you as a friend. Please don't let this ruin the team. We need you."

Rae hesitated, she knew what Kai was saying was right. She did have feelings for him but nothing ever happened between the two of them. And now with Sam back in the picture...well there was nothing she could do.

"Fine."

Later that night, Kai sat in his room, flipping through channels on the TV when a soft knock came at the door. He opened it to find Sam, her cheeks flushed.

"Hey," she said shyly, "I needed to get away for a bit."

Kai stepped aside, letting her in. "Takeshi's out with the others. We've got the place to ourselves."

He patted the spot next to him, signalling for Sam to come lie with him. "You want to watch a movie?"

"Sure."

Sam settled onto the bed as Kai put on a movie. They sat close, their shoulders brushing as they watched. Eventually, her head rested on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped around her.

He didn't know how much time had passed but he felt himself relax and soon enough, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The sunlight creeping through their blinds woke Kai first. He blinked groggily, realising Sam was still asleep beside him. He smiled softly but tensed when their bathroom door creaked open, revealing Takeshi.

Takeshi stood in the doorway, eyebrows raised. "Otosan wants us downstairs for breakfast."

Kai opened his mouth to respond, but Takeshi continued, "When I got back last night, you two were already asleep. It was mean to wake you up. You lovebirds."

Sam stirred awake during the conversation, her eyes widening in realisation. "Oh crap! We slept through the night?"

She scrambled to find her phone, revealing missed calls and messages from concerned teammates. "I've got to go!"

She scrambled out of bed and gave Kai a quick kiss on his cheek before leaving the room.

Kai could do nothing but watch her in amusement before he turned to Takeshi.

"You're playing with fire."

Kai shrugged.

"Yeah maybe, but it's worth it."