The next morning all the dojo's assembled at the Cobra Kai flagship. The Sekai Taikai bowed to Silver in respect saying "Thank you, Sensei Silver, for offering to host these matches in your dojo on such short notice."
"Offering or demanding?" Daniel LaRusso asked without a smile on his face. A small chuckle left her grandfathers lips "We do have actual tournament regulation mats here, so it really was the only option."
The Sekai Taikai clearly noticed the storm brewing in the room so they announced "We'll begin with the boys. We have invited a local referee to ensure impartiality. First to three points wins. Time to begin."
Looking between The Miyagi-Do's and the Cobra Kai's "Eli Moskowitz and Kenny Payne, please take the mat." The Sekai Taikai ordered.
Eli took to the mat smirking, despite the ferocity in Hawk's eyes Kenny didn't back down. "Face me." the ref ordered "Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready?" he asked.
With a signal to continue from both fighters he stepped back yelling " Fight!"
Almost instantly Kenny ran at Eli with a running kick to the chest with Hawk narrowly sidestepped. Swinging his fist back Kenny tried again, luckily Eli managed to duck under just in time however Kenny's side kick struck him in the chest. "Point! 1-0, Payne." the ref announced.
The two returned to their original fighting stances. "Ready?" the ref asked taking a step back once more "Fight!"
Kenny made three strike kicks that Hawk managed to block before he counterstrike. With a jumping, spinning back kick Hawk struck Kenny down. Sera had to look away, as much as a monster Kenny had become he could still be redeemed.
Miyagi-Do celebrated "Yes!" but the ref shook his head "Out of bounds. No point."
"What? What, are you serious?" Hawk asked. Sera was confused he made contact before Kenny went out of bounds. With a fearful look to her grandfather she spotted the smirk on his face.
Then she realised, he'd paid off the referee to ensure Cobra Kai's survival. A quick glance at Tory signalled she had also figured it out, Tory bent her head in shame.
"Ref, that's horseshit." Johnny Lawrence yelled "He made contact in bounds!"
"No point." the ref insisted. "Back on the line. Ready? Fight!" he yelled.
Kenny kicked before copying Hawks spinning kick. Hawk managed to block all attempts even countering with his own kicks and punches. As Hawk swung his leg to kick Kenny grabbed hi knee turning him and bringing his elbow down full force onto his joint.
Everyone gasped as Hawk went down with a cry. "Come on." Daniel LaRusso yelled out gesturing to the injustice on the mat. "Illegal strike. That's a warning." the referee warned Kenny who just grinned smugly as Eli limped over to his Sensei.
"Warning? He should be disqualified." Daniel LaRusso insisted but Hawk cut him off "It's fine. He just caught me off-guard."
Daniel was worried about the health of his students in Cobra Kai's wrath so he double checked "Are you sure, Eli?"
"No more Eli." Hawk smiled "It's time to uncage the Hawk." He spiked up his Mohawk and strutted back onto the mat his team cheering him on.
"Get back on the line. Ready? Fight!" the referee yelled.
As Hawk went to strike Kenny blocked which exposed Hawk's chest he struck with a punch so hard that Hawk flew backwards. He collapsed to the ground panting and gasping. Sera and everyone else looked on in confusion. "Point! 2-0, Payne." the referee announced.
Johnny ran forward "Hawk! Hawk." he crouched to the ground asking "What's wrong?"
Hawk was still writhing and gasping on the floor like a fish out of water. "I can't. Can't. Can't breathe."
"Can you continue?" the referee asked. Hawk tried to push himself to a standing position but he couldn't. "Where's the medic?" Johnny yelled angrily.
A medic ran over quickly to help the boy on the ground. The ref shook his head raising Kenny's arm "That's a forfeit. Winner, Payne."
"What?" Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang exclaimed. Cobra Kai yelled out in celebration and cheer at Kenny's victory. Kenny smirked at Hawk as he gloated "Looks like you got a new name. Faux-Hawk."
"Come on." the two Sensei's worked together to haul Hawk off of the mat. Sera couldn't believe what was happening, from the look of her boyfriends face on the other side of the room he couldn't believe what Kenny had done either.
"We begin our girls' fight." The Sekai Taikai demanded "Samantha LaRusso and Tory Nichols, please take the mat."
Sera looked around anxiously but could not spot her friend anywhere. "Where is she?" Silver demanded to know.
"Dude, she was here, like- I don't know. I mean, she was just here." Kyler insisted confusion written on his and everyone else's face.
"What do you mean you don't know? What happened to Nichols?" Silver insisted his temper getting the better of him as he searched for his champion.
The Sekai Taikai did not understand what the hold up was "Tory Nichols?" the asked.
"Tory's not here. Something happened. She's not out there." Silver sighed "We need a female fighter."
"We have one." his partner insisted. Silver did not care who he trusted his partners decision "I'll let him know"
"Miss Silver." she yelled. Surprised she ran over, bowed and asked "Yes, Sensei."
"Are you ready?" she asked. Sera's eyes widened as she understood what she was saying "Ready to. You want me to fight Sam LaRusso?"
"No." she exclaimed "I want you to defeat her. Or are you too afraid of loosing again?" Sera's eyes widened. She wasn't going to fall for it, not again.
"No, Sensei." Sera insisted. Smirking she said "Then show me."
Sam who was already on the mat examined her as Sera took her place opposite her. As he face was back against her team she gave Sam a wink mouthing the words "Win" to her. Sam got the message and a glimmer of hope shone in her eye, respectfully she gave a subtle nod at Seraphina's sacrifice.
"Face me. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready?" he asked staring between the two female competitors "Fight!"
Sera lunged forward going for an obvious strike on her chest, Sam stepped backwards avoiding the hits. Sam then side stepped the side kick Sera threw at her. Sera had to make it seem real or her team, and her grandfather, would find out she was throwing the match.
Blocking every hit Sera threw at her Sam decided to get a pint so she kicked Sera under the arm making her fall back and cry out in surprise.
"No point. That's shoulder. No point." the ref excused. "What?" the Miyagi-Do's exclaimed.
The ref insisted for the girls to "Keep fighting." they resumed and Sera managed to get a kick in that Sam successfully blocked.
"Point. 1-0, Silver." the ref yelled. Sera was annoyed there was no contact, Sera made sure the kick was slow enough for Sam to block.
"There was no contact." Sam told the ref. He didn't listen instead he ordered "Time out. Go to your sensei."
When the two girls returned to the mat Sera walked up to Sam and whispered in her ear with a threatening smirk on her face. To everyone else it must have looked like she was threatening her to get Sam off her game, but in reality she was giving Sam advise.
"Sam. You're the better fighter. Everyone knows it. You have to make every point undeniable." Sam glared at her playing along with the ruse as Sera stepped back taking her place.
"Ready? Fight!" The referee announced. Sam took her advice and made every pint count.
"Point, LaRusso. 1-1."
"Point. 2-1, LaRusso."
Finally the ref exclaimed "Point. Winner, LaRusso."
"Let's go!" the Miyagi-Do's cried out as Sera walked disappointedly to her corner. She got some comforting taps and a few mummers of "It's okay"
After a short discussion the Sekai Taikai made a decision "We have reached an agreement. As expected, we were impressed with the skills, precision and discipline of the new Sekai Taikai qualifier Cobra Kai."
The Cobra Kai team yelled out in shock and excitement "Yeah!"
"As for our other dojo ,we admired your unusual mix of styles and underdog spirit and we think you could be a unique addition to the competition." With a smile the Sekai Taikai explained "Therefore, we've decided that your dojo has also qualified."
"What?" Silver exclaimed as the Miyagi-Do's and Eagle Fang's celebrated the news.
"Congratulations, everyone. And welcome to the Sekai Taikai."