Chapter Text
Barcelona had been a blur of flashing lights, roaring crowds, and distant, unreachable eyes.
There were no tragedies or deaths on the mats of the Sekai Taikai, only absolute, undeniable dominance. Cobra Kai had won the tournament as a dojo, sweeping through the international roster. Kwon had crushed Axel in a brutal display of precision, and Tory Nichols had outmatched Zara, securing her place at the very top of world karate. Miyagi-Do had collapsed under its own internal friction, failing to reach the finals and getting disqualified near the bottom of the scoreboard.
For Robby Keene, Barcelona was supposed to be the place where he finally fixed things with Tory. But fame was a wall thicker than any ocean. Tory and Kwon had been vaulted overnight into global superstardom.
"Tory! Just give me five minutes!" Robby had called out through a crowded hallway in Spain, taking a step toward her.
"Excuse me, sir, step back," a suited manager had immediately interjected, placing a firm hand on Robby’s chest. "Miss Nichols has a live interview with Sports Illustrated in three minutes, followed by a brand fitting."
Tory had turned her head, her eyes meeting Robby's for a fleeting second, filled with exhaustion and something unsaid. "Robby, I—"
"Tory, we have to move now! Nike representation is on line two!" her handler urged, pulling her away into an elevator.
They never got their moment. They never talked.
When the tournament closed, Tory boarded a private jet to South Korea to begin her global press tour, while Robby boarded a commercial flight back to the Valley, silent and alone.
Months passed in the San Fernando Valley. Without a trophy to show for their trip to Spain, Miyagi-Do was dying a slow death. The dojo’s prestige had evaporated, and the legacy Daniel LaRusso had built was practically non-existent.
That was until Samantha LaRusso decided she refused to lose.
"It’s about integrity, Dad!" Sam declared in the dojo, surrounded by local reporters and karate committee members. "Terry Silver manipulated the referees at the All Valley. Cobra Kai’s foundation is built on fraud. Tory Nichols didn't earn that title legally, which means her valley championship is illegitimate. The Valley's honor belongs to Miyagi-Do, and I am demanding a formal rematch!"
"Sam... are you sure about this?" Daniel asked quietly on the sidelines. "Tory is in Asia. She’s signed with major global brands. She’s not going to fly back for a local Valley match."
"That's the point," Sam whispered back, a bitter, confident smile touching her lips. "She won't show. And when she forfeits, the title comes back to where it belongs."
She didn't count on Devon Lee.
Sitting in her room, watching Sam’s televised press conference, Devon slammed her laptop shut and pulled out her phone.
Devon: "Sam is holding a press conference right now claiming your All Valley title is fake because of Silver. She called a local rematch for this Saturday to claim the Valley champion title by forfeit because she knows you’re not even in the country. She thinks you’re too busy to care."
A minute later, her phone buzzed.
Tory: "Tell me where and when."
The day of the match arrived at the Valley's exhibition arena. The bleachers were packed with spectators, reporters, and local dojo students. Samantha stood in the center of the mat in her crisp Miyagi-Do gi, stretching with absolute composure.
In the back row of the stands, Robby sat in a hoodie, staring at the empty red corner.
"She's not coming, Robby," Demetri muttered next to him. "Tory is currently on billboards in Seoul. She lives in a different world now."
Robby didn't answer. He just couldn't take his eyes off the floor.
Down on the mat, Sam stepped up to the referee. "It's time. She's not here. Call the forfeit."
The arena announcer—an old-school announcer who had always openly favored Cobra Kai—stepped up to the center microphone. He cleared his throat and looked at his watch, then up at a member of the star and at the crowd with a slow, rising grin.
"Ladies and gentlemen..." the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers. "Entering the arena... the undisputed the Sekai Taikai World Champion!"
The heavy side doors of the arena slammed open. The entire building fell dead silent.
Walking down the center aisle was Tory Nichols. She walked with an aura of pure, unshakeable greatness. Wearing a custom black-and-gold Cobra Kai warm-up jacket, dark designer sunglasses, and flanked by two tall security guards, her presence commanded the entire room.
Sam’s smile instantly vanished. Her breath hitched, her hands trembling slightly. "No... no way..."
In the stands, Robby stood straight up, his heart pounding. "Tory..."
Tory stepped onto the canvas, her cold, lethal gaze fixated directly on Sam. "You wanted a match, LaRusso? Here I am."
The announcer gripped his microphone tighter, his voice dripping with pride:
"Representing Cobra Kai... the first and still only female All Valley Champion, a fierce professional fighter, and the absolute pride of this Valley... the Queen Cobra herself!
TORY NICHOLS!”
The crowd exploded.
Sam retreated to her corner, her chest heaving, eyes wild with panic. "I don't get it... How did she even know?"
Amanda looked at her daughter, shaking her head softly. "You underestimated her, Sam. You assumed she wouldn't care."
They all turned their heads toward the red corner. Standing right beside Tory were Devon Lee and Kenny Payne, holding water bottles and towels, acting as her corner team. Devon caught Sam's gaze and gave her a cold, knowing nod.
"We can still stop this, Sam," Daniel said quickly. "We can call it off right now."
"No way," Johnny interrupted, stepping up with his arms crossed. "You made a massive scene in front of the press, LaRusso. You can't back out now."
The referee blew his whistle.
"Fighters to the center! Standard All Valley rules. First to three points wins. Keep it clean. Bow to each other... fight!"
Tory didn't rush. She stood her ground, analyzing Sam with effortless superiority, settling into a flawless Cobra Kai stance.
Sam was unraveling. Overwhelmed by the crowd chanting Tory’s name, Sam charged forward, attacking blindly with a sequence of jabs. Tory slipped under Sam’s wild punch, pivoted, and unleashed a devastating side kick straight into Sam’s chest, lifting her off her feet and sending her crashing hard onto the mat.
"Point! Red corner! One-zero, Nichols!"
Sam pushed herself up, her head pounding as the crowd chanted "Cobra Kai!" and shouted at her not to be a coward. Desperate, Sam rushed in with a spin-hook kick, but Tory dodged it effortlessly. Capitalizing on Sam's opening, Tory launched a high-speed combination—a roundhouse feint followed by a brutal spinning back kick right into Sam's ribs.
"Point! Red corner! Two-zero, Nichols!"
Up in the stands, Hawk and Demetri watched in awe. "Dude, Tory could’ve knocked her out in five seconds. Why isn't she ending this?" Hawk muttered.
Robby, standing beside them, kept his eyes on Tory. "Because she doesn't just want to win. She's making Sam suffer."
Down on the mat, Sam called a timeout and scrambled to her corner. "Dad, I can't find an opening! I want to end it" she gasped.
Daniel tried to give instructions, but Amanda interrupted softly. "Sam... you asked for this. You called her out in front of the whole Valley. Now you have to face the consequences."
When the referee called them back, Tory began to toy with Sam, dodging every desperate strike by fractions of an inch, making Sam look completely amateurish. Blinded by humiliation, Sam swung a wild high punch.
It was exactly what Tory was waiting for.
Tory exploded into motion, executing a breathtaking aerial combination. Suspended in mid-air, she feinted high before snapping a brutal, spinning jump-kick straight through Sam’s defenses.
CRACK.
Tory’s heel drove directly into Sam’s face, shattering her nose. Blood sprayed into the air as Sam flipped backward, slamming face-first onto the mat.
Tory landed lightly in a perfect, stoic Cobra Kai stance, not even glancing down as blood pooled beneath Sam.
The referee rushed over, checking on Sam, who was sobbing weakly, completely unable to get up. The referee stood up, looked at the medical team rushing in, and raised Tory's hand.
"Match over by Knockout!" the announcer boomed into the microphone, his voice echoing with absolute triumph. "The winner, the first and STILL only female All Valley Champion... TORY NICHOLS! The title stays right where it belongs... with the Queen Cobra !”
As the referee raised Tory's arm, she didn't celebrate immediately. Instead, she slowly lowered her hand, adjusted her black-and-gold jacket, and turned toward the blue Miyagi-Do corner.
The Miyagi-Do bench was in total disarray. Medical staff were hovering over Sam, who was sobbing painfully with a heavily bleeding, broken nose. Daniel was on his knees beside his daughter, looking equal parts heart-broken, furious, and defeated.
Tory took a few calm, deliberate steps toward them.
She stopped right at the border of their corner. Holding Daniel’s furious gaze without a single hint of hesitation, Tory bowed—a slow, flawless Miyagi-Do bow. But there was no respect in the gesture; her eyes remained locked onto Daniel's the entire time, shining with a sharp, mocking, smirk-filled arrogance.
It was a silent message: Your legacy ends here.
Daniel gritted his teeth, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, but he couldn't say a word.
Satisfied with the silence she had forced upon them, Tory turned away, dismissive of Miyagi-Do entirely.
She walked toward the center of the mat and faced the stadium. Stretching her arms wide, she executed a sleek, perfectly disciplined bow to the four corners of the arena.
The crowd went wild.
"TORY! TORY! TORY!" the audience chanted, their voices shaking the bleachers. Banners were waved, flashes from press cameras lit up her face, and the entire arena stood to applaud the undeniable champion of the Valley—and the world.
After the final bow, the arena erupted into complete chaos as fans poured down from the stands onto the mat. People were desperate to get close to the new global superstar, clamoring for photos, autographs, and a single word from the champion.
A group of young girls in karate gis, accompanied by their parents, pushed through the front line. Tory’s razor-sharp, cold posture instantly softened the moment she saw them. She crouched down to their eye level with a genuine, warm smile.
"Are you the champion Tory?" one of the little girls asked, her eyes wide with awe, holding up a marker and a Sekai Taikai poster. "The world champion?"
"I sure am," Tory answered softly, taking the marker. "And what's your name?"
"Mia," the girl beamed. "I want to be as strong as you when I grow up! Your kicks were amazing!"
"Thanks, Mia," Tory said, signing the poster with a flourish before handing it back. "Keep practicing every day, okay? Don't let anyone tell you that you can't win."
"Can we take a picture?" another little girl piped up, clutching her father's hand nervously.
"Of course," Tory smiled, pulling both girls closer for the parent's camera. "Say Cobra Kai!"
"Cobra Kai!" the girls cheered together as the flashes went off. Tory hugged them gently, showing a soft, protective side reserved only for those who truly looked up to her.
From the other side of the stadium, Robby came sprinting down the steps, pushing past officials and spectators in a frantic attempt to reach her. "Tory! Tory!" he called out over the deafening roar of the arena.
He managed to get within twenty feet of the center mat, but the suffocating crowd formed an impenetrable wall. Every time he tried to squeeze through, excited fans shoved him back, completely oblivious to him. He caught a brief glimpse of Tory laughing with the children, but her eyes never drifted in his direction.
"Security, clear a path!" a stern voice echoed.
Before Robby could break through, a squad of tall, suit-clad security guards stepped in, gently forming a tight perimeter around Tory to push back the swarming crowd.
"Great job with the kids, champ, but we have to move now," one of the guards said, gesturing toward the back exit.
Tory nodded, standing up and giving one last wave to her young fans and the chanting crowds of the Valley. Surrounded by camera flashes and cheering supporters, she was escorted straight down the private tunnel leading back to the lockers.
Robby stood frozen at the edge of the crowd, watching the heavy doors shut tightly behind her, left once again with no chance to say a single word.