"Because both Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai are one and one, whoever wins this match advances. and whoever loses is eliminated."

Kai surveyed the line of Cobra Kai fighters. Elijah stood tall next to Kreese with Tory next to him.

"Defeat does not exist in this dojo does it?" Kreese said to Elijah.

"No Sensei." Elijah replied.

"You have fire inside you, Elijah," Kreese growled, "use it. Let it consume you. There's no defeat in this dojo. Only destruction. Show them what Cobra Kai is made of."

Elijah's jaw tightened, his fists clenching. He nodded sharply before returning to his team, his face emotionless and ready to cause harm.

The referee signalled the start. Robby stepped forward for Miyagi-Do, his body loose and ready. But before Elijah could enter the mat, Tory barged past him, her eyes blazing.

"Tory, what the hell?" Elijah barked.

She said nothing, her focus was solely on Robby and the hurt and betrayal from his night with Zara fuelling her every step.

Robby's expression softened. "What are you doing?"

"Don't act like you don't know." was Tory's last words before she lunged at him with relentless aggression, he dodged and deflected not wanting to hit her. As Tory became more erratic, Robby seized the opportunity and tagged Sam in.

Sam entered the mat with purpose and focus. The two clashed in a flurry of kicks and punches, each countering the other's moves with precision. Kai watched intently from the side with the rest of Tiger Claw, his fists unconsciously curling as he observed Sam's movements.

Sam found an opening, bringing Tory to the ground. But before she could score, Tory slapped the mat and tagged Elijah in.

Elijah charged at Sam with raw fury, his strikes hard and fast. Sam tried to evade, but his spinning kick landed cleanly, sending her stumbling back. The referee called the point for Cobra Kai, and Elijah let out a roar that echoed through the arena. He turned to Kai, giving him a mocking wave with a smug grin.

Kai's eyes narrowed, but he didn't react. Instead, he leaned over to Takeshi. "He fights angry," Kai murmured. "It'll burn him out."

Sam tagged Miguel in, who stepped forward with a calm, measured demeanour. Elijah smirked, flipping Miguel off before walking to the edge and tagging Kwon in with exaggerated slowness.

Miguel moved with precision, his quick footwork and well-timed strikes keeping Kwon off balance. A perfectly executed roundhouse kick earned Miyagi-Do their first point, evening the score at 1-1. Miguel tagged Demetri, and Kwon quickly tagged in Yoon.

Yoon entered the mat with power, but Demetri and Hawk worked in perfect sync to tire him out. They tagged in and out fluidly, wearing Yoon down until Kenny was tagged in for Miyagi-Do. Kenny's agility and speed added to Yoon's frustration, leaving him unable to reach his teammates. Eventually, Hawk re-entered and landed the decisive blow, earning Miyagi-Do their second point.

"That was impressive." Masahiko murmured from where the Tiger Claw fighters were stood.

"Good teamwork." Emiko added. "It will serve them well."

The scoreboard now read 2-1 in Miyagi-Do's favour. Cobra Kai were on the ropes, and Kreese's frustration was evident.

Elijah stepped back onto the mat, replacing Yoon. His eyes were fixed on Miguel, who had been tagged back in for Miyagi-Do. Elijah sneered as he squared up. "How's your back holding up, Diaz?" he taunted, referencing Miguel's injury.

Miguel didn't bite, keeping his focus on the fight. But Elijah's aggression was relentless, and a sharp elbow strike opened up Miguel's defence. A spinning heel kick to Miguel's chest earned Cobra Kai their second point.

The scoreboard now read 2-2. Next point would decide it all. Kai watched intently, unable to take his eyes off it.

"Sudden death." Aramis murmured. "Bloody hell..."

Miguel tagged Robby in, his expression calm but determined. Elijah glanced at Kwon and made the tag, smirking as Kwon stepped onto the mat. Kai noticed that as soon as Kwon stepped onto the mat, Robby's expression changed.

"Robby's gonna want to hurt him." Takeshi said, noting the tension in Robby's posture.

"He let Kwon get into his head with Tory." Rae mused.

Kai leaned forward. "If Robby keeps his head, they'll win. If not..."

The fight began with a fierce exchange of blows. Kwon was taunting Robby, but instead of losing control, Robby channelled his frustration into precision. His movements became faster, sharper.

Kwon launched a high kick, but Robby ducked and countered with a spinning back kick that sent Kwon sprawling. The two rushed towards each other as they both leapt into the air, it was a clean connection for Robby as his flying kick connected with Kwon.

"Point, Miyagi-Do win!

The crowd erupted into cheers as Miyagi-Do secured their victory.

"With the win, Miyagi-Do advances to the tournament of champions!"

Kai couldn't help but smile as he saw Sam rush towards her teammates, pure joy on her face. Although he was happy for her, the idea of Tiger Claw having to go up against Miyagi-Do was getting realer and realer. They had managed to avoid Iron Dragons, Cobra Kai and Miyagi Do so far but Kai suspected their luck was running out.

As the round concluded, Kai made his way out of the arena back to his hotel room to get changed into more comfortable clothing. After, the group were planning on going out for dinner. He stopped in the lobby to speak to Sam, who was currently talking to Miguel.

There was no bad blood between Miguel and Kai anymore, they knew it was just better to leave the past in the past.

"I wonder what sightseeing we can get in before the fight." Kai overhead Sam said as he approached the two.

"Hey Kai, solid fighting out there." Miguel greeted.

"Yeah, you too Miguel." Kai replied. "Great fight against Cobra Kai."

"I'm going to leave you both to it." Miguel quickly said before walking off to where Robby was.

"Hey," Sam said softly, looking up at Kai, "what are you up to tonight?"

"We're going out for a team dinner, then maybe I could come visit your room and we can watch a movie?"

Sam nodded. "I'd like that, I think Devon is going to be in Milo's room later. Kenny's been in his room since he arrived."

"They're together right? Devon and Milo?" Kai asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I'm not sure, Devon said that they've kissed a couple times but they're not anything exclusive yet."

"I see," Kai said thinking, "I feel bad for Milo. He seems like a sweet kid."

"You wouldn't expect him to be Elijah's brother." Sam added.

Kai nodded and as he looked in the distance, he noticed Axel staring coldly at him. "Seriously, what is his problem?"

Sam turned and saw Axel who immediately looked away, she placed a reassuring hand on Kai's arm. "Just leave it Kai, he just can't seem to take a hint."

Kai sighed. "He still thinks he has a chance...which he doesn't. Right?"

"Of course!" Sam said, playfully nudging Kai. "Just because we're complicated doesn't mean I'm seeing other people."

Kai smiled, looking down at Sam. "Good, I wasn't planning on it either."

The Tiger Claw team arrived at a restaurant in the heart of Barcelona. As they entered they heard the music playing in the background and were greeted by the scent of grilled seafood, garlic and fresh herbs. For all seven of them, it was a welcome change from the intensity of the tournament arena, and the team couldn't wait to celebrate their victories so far.

"Tonight," Sensei Yazuko said, his tone lighter than usual, "we celebrate your hard work. But remember - this is just the beginning. We have the tournament of champions now."

The team murmured their agreement as they sat down, Kai took a seat beside Takeshi, while Emiko and Rae shared a section of the table, their laughter already spilling into the air. Masahiko and Aramis settled in at the end, discussing the matches they saw earlier today in great detail.

The food was a feast: paella brimming with seafood, plates of tapas - croquetas, patatas bravas, and Iberian ham - alongside fresh salads and baskets of warm bread.

Emiko raised her glass of sparkling water. "To us," she declared, "to the best team out there. No team worked as well together as we did."

"Hear, hear," Rae chimed in, clinking glasses with her.

Takeshi smirked. "Don't forget the best captain." He nodded at Kai, who rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a grin. "Captains, should I say." he added, smiling at Emiko.

Aramis leaned back in his chair, gesturing dramatically. "I'd like to thank myself for being a wild card."

The table erupted in laughter. Even Sensei Yazuko chuckled softly. "You are certainly...unpredictable."

As the meal continued, the conversation turned to the tournament. They were preparing themselves for the tournament of champions - a chance where Kai and Emiko could shine. A tournament which would be televised for everyone to watch around the world.

When the team returned to the hotel, most of them were ready to collapse into bed. However Kai quickly made his way to Sam's hotel room. He knocked lightly on her door.

"Hey." Sam greeted, smiling and inviting him in.

The two took no time to settle in together, Kai finding a spot next to Sam on the bed as the two put on a movie. Her room was clean and organised and he expected nothing less.

They settled on a romcom, and as the movie played, they would occasionally have some light conversation. Sam asked about the dinner, and Kai told her all about it.

He ended up staying the night in Sam's room as Devon never returned and woke up the next morning, Sam lying on chest.

"Morning." he said quietly, kissing the top of Sam's head as she stirred. "We have to go downstairs, our teams are waiting for us."

The two got ready quickly and momentarily parted ways to reunite with their own dojos. As Kai stood with the other members of Tiger Claw he noticed Elijah make his way to Robby, shoving him backwards.

"It was a lucky fluke you bastard," Elijah said through gritted teeth, "it won't happen again."

But just before it could escalate. An announcement rang to gather all the teams in the lobby of the hotel. Kai and the others made their way over to the growing circle that was crowding around Gunther Braun.

"My apologies for summoning you all like this," Braun began, his tone grave, "but under the circumstances, it was necessary."

Kai glanced at Takeshi, who raised an eyebrow in confusion. Behind them, Sensei Yazuko's face remained stoic, his arms clasped behind his back.

"The Sekai Taikai has a long and honourable tradition," Gunther continued, "we fight hard, but we fight fair."

His pause was long enough to draw collective breaths of uncertainty from the room.

"That's why I'm saddened to announce that one of the dojos here has tarnished that tradition by cheating."

A ripple of shock moved through the crowd.

"Cheating?" Emiko whispered, leaning toward Rae.

"Who?" Aramis murmured, scanning the faces of the other dojos.

Gunther's eyes were sharp as they fell on one group in particular. "Sensei Ivanov."

The room erupted in gasps and murmurs. The fighters of Tiger Strike stiffened, their faces a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Sensei Ivanov stepped forward, his body rigid.

"Four of your students have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs," Gunther stated bluntly, his voice firm.

Ivanov snarled, his voice laced with fury. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You are hereby eliminated." Gunther declared, his tone unyielding.

"This is bullshit!" Ivanov roared, his fists clenched. "Why don't you come over here and remove me yourself?"

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

Ivanov's glare burned, but he said no more. His fighters looked down, shame plastered across their faces as whispers of disapproval spread like wildfire. Slowly, Ivanov turned, motioning for his students to leave the room.

As the drama subsided, Gunther straightened his suit and took a deep breath. "Replacing Udar Tigra will be the dojo with the next highest point total."

"Wait," Kai muttered, leaning toward Takeshi, "that means..."

"Cobra Kai," Gunther announced.

A triumphant cheer erupted from the Cobra Kai corner. Elijah pumped his fist in the air, smirking directly at Robby.

"Yes!" Kwon yelled, turning to Yoon, who high-fived him with glee.

Of course, Kai thought bitterly, his stomach twisting as he caught sight of Elijah's smirk. He looked over and exchanged a glance with Sam, her expression one of disappointment.

Braun continued. "And on a more positive note, we will now announce the draws for our semi-finals."

Kai straightened himself, eager to hear who he would be up against.

"In our girls' bracket," Gunther began, "the first semi-final will be Emiko Uchida versus Zara Malik."

Emiko's eyes widened slightly as everyone else murmured. These were the two most formidable female fighters, Zara had many more years of experience than Emiko and would be a tough challenge.

"And in the second match, Tory Nichols versus Samantha LaRusso."

Kai's eyes widened, that was a match up that had history.

Gunther shifted his focus. "In our boys' bracket, one semifinal match will be Axel Kovačević against Robby Keene."

"That means..." Masahiko began but he could not finish it.

Kai didn't need Gunther to say it, he already knew.

"And our other semi-final match will pit Malachai Hilton against Elijah St John."