Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken

A/N: Hello, readers and writers. I'm glad you decided to read my story, and, if you are returning, I'm glad you came back. Well, this is the main story I started with 'The Seventh Rave War Prelude'. I do hope you read it if you haven't already, but you don't have to as I'll give a recap in this chapter. I hope you like it, and I hope I can do the story justice. So, without further ado, here … we … go.

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7: A Final Tragedy for the Finest Future

The Festival: Grand Re-emergence pt.1

One beautiful cloudless day throughout Shinjuku, a massive exodus of people was headed for a single destination in the heart of the city, both sides of the street packed full as people headed for the hottest ticket in town: they were all headed for the start of the seventh King of Iron Fist Tournament. The titanic crowd was filled with people of all ages, nationalities, creeds, and quite of few of them dressed just like their favorite participants. As one would expect, this large gathering produced the noise equivalent of a sonic boom, the collective excitement and anticipation in the air palpable beyond belief. To celebrate the start of the tournament after a four-year hiatus, the tournament sponsor, Kazama G Incorporated, was holding a street festival with several streets around the main headquarters reserved for that purpose, and they would need every last one of them.

Not that far away, a single limousine was en route for the festival side, but this particular vehicle had a notable, telling feature: the Kazama G Incorporated logo emblazoned on its rear doors and hood, and in the backseat … was the tournament's sponsor. Quietly, Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu rode together, their hands interlocked, the brilliant pink diamond wedding ring on her hand practically glowing the subtle darkness of the cab. A smile as radiant as her ring across her face, Xiaoyu darted her focus back and forth through both open windows, on her side and Jin's, as she cheerfully gazed in awe of the enormous procession on both sidewalks. Jin, however, had other things on his mind.

Staring out the window into nothing, Jin was deeply lost in thought. He was remembering the four years since the last tournament, how he had merged the Mishima Zaibatsu with G Corporation and its new leader, Lee Chaolan, remembering the work he and Lee had done to restore world to the prosperous state it was in before the wars broke out, and remembering how he'd gained extra support from Rochefort Industries after he relinquished their oil fields back to them. Jin was reliving his last four years with Xiaoyu, how she and Asuka saved him from the Devil inside him, how she helped him stay in control throughout the restoration period, and how … the two of them got married two years prior… But, Jin couldn't forget what was happening to him, how he finally expelled the Devil from his body, an act that was still haunting him as it triggered the slow decline his body, the decline that would soon end his life. Jin couldn't help but recognize that even in the Devil's absence, it still managed to find a way to torture him. With that, Jin remembered just why he was holding this tournament, why he had to speedily organize the event, and why … he had to finally do away with his father, Kazuya, and his grandfather, Heihachi.

Jin eventually turned and looked at his wife, and soon his thoughts centered on her and how much she meant to him. Ling Xiaoyu… she had been right by his side the whole four years, and even before then. Even when he was under the Devil's control, when he was terrorizing the entire world, Xiaoyu still believed in him, and she never gave up on him. Then, when the time came, she was the one who initially enabled him to regain control of himself. More than maybe one other person, Xiaoyu meant the most to Jin.

When that thought crossed his mind, Jin feel himself descend further into sadness. At that moment, he could only dejectedly gaze at her, as she looked out her window, that beautifully innocent smile of hers painted on her face. She didn't even know yet; Jin hadn't enforced himself to tell her. She was unaware that her husband, the man she loved, was going to die, unaware of the tragedy that initiated this tournament.

"Wow, Jin-kun!" Xiaoyu exclaimed elatedly, "Look at all these people, all going to the tournament."

"Yeah," Jin distractedly responded, merely acknowledging her.

Xiaoyu excitedly continued, "It's amazing! I don't think there's ever been this many people going to see this before."

"I bet it is the largest crowd we've ever had," Jin responded, "This tournament's happening at a very prosperous time, the best in years, maybe ever."

"Gee … I wish I was competing," Xiaoyu expressed wishfully.

Jin slightly chuckled as he touched her now-round midsection, "Xiao-chan, you're five months pregnant."

Xiaoyu optimistically explained, "I know … It just would've been nice to compete in front of all these people, that's all… Maybe next time, huh?"

"Yeah…" Jin said as he forced a smile, "… next time."

"But … I'm sure Miharu will do great in my place." Xiaoyu added.

Jin, recalling something related to Xiaoyu's comment, added, "I did see her training; you taught her well."

"Nah… not really," Xiaoyu happily asserted, "I didn't have to teach her much. She'd been training on her own this whole time. But who knows … maybe I'll teach one of the twins one day."

Jin plummeted back into sorrowful thought when Xiaoyu mentioned the twins. That was another tragic part of this scenario. According to numerous doctors, Jin only had two months to live, well before the twins' due date. Jin would be gone before they were born; he wouldn't see his children, and they wouldn't see their father.

Finally, the limousine came to a halt at the Fighter's Entrance around the side of the festival's Main Entrance, its destination.

"Alright, we're here," Xiaoyu announced.

With that, Jin felt a wash of dread and despair come over him. He still had one thing he hadn't done; Xiaoyu still didn't know about what was happening within him, and he knew he had to tell her. The only question is how. How do you tell someone you care about that you're about to die? How do you tell your expecting wife that you're about to be taken away and that nothing can be done about it? How you do tell someone something that you know will devastate them? That was all Jin had thought about for the past month, and the questions were never more vivid than they were at that moment.

Noticing Jin wasn't exiting because he was lost in thought, Xiaoyu inquired with slight unease, "Jin-kun … is something wrong?"

Broken from his trance, Jin responded, "Huh … oh, um … actually…"

Here goes nothing, Jin thought. This was it; he was about to let it out. But then he looked her in the eyes, 'those kind brown eyes of hers', and the trademark look on her face that said that she was listening… and the words just stuck in Jin's throat like peanut butter on dry bread. He couldn't do it; he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

With an acceptant sigh, Jin relented, "I'm just thinking, Xiao-chan."

Eagerly, Xiaoyu persisted, "Oh really? 'Bout what?"

"Oh … just you and the kids," Jin revealed as he lightly brushed her hair behind her ear.

As she did whenever Jin said something like that, Xiaoyu flashed him a radiant smile, and turned her attention to something else. Jin had to force a smile back as he began to fight himself; suddenly, he felt overcome with emotion, which he understood. If things went the way they were supposed to at the tournament, the worst would be that this would be the last time he would see her in his life, and even in the best case, he would probably be bed-ridden the next few times, meaning he would have to see her in pain every time, a lose-lose scenario as far as Jin was concerned. Realizing this for some time, Jin ventured to something to her.

"Xiao-chan," Jin said.

"Hmm?" she blissfully hummed as she turned back to him.

Jin continued, "Don't worry about the tournament. I'll be fighting for you … and the kids too. And I promise I'll win for you."

With that, Jin lightly planted his lips on hers, locking them in a brief passionate kiss.

"I love you," Jin expressed as they came apart from each other.

"I love you too," Xiaoyu happily returned.

Jin then turned his attention to his children. He lightly placed his hand on Xiaoyu's belly and lowered his head close.

Softly speaking 'to his children', Jin said, "Haku, my son … Jun, my daughter … you two take care of each other… and take care of your mother. Listen to her; do what she asks you to do, ok? And listen to your aunts and uncles too. Go easy on your mother… And always remember that she loves you … and that I love you too."

With that, Jin kissed Xiaoyu's belly. Suddenly, as they had a knack for doing, the twins seemed to react, kicking to the point both Jin and Xiaoyu could feel them.

Overjoyed by their movement, Xiaoyu exclaimed, "I think they were listening."

"…I hope so…" Jin said, "Alright, Xiao-chan, I have to go. Bye."

Jin then grabbed his gym bam, and opened his car door, preparing to depart. Before he could shuffle out, Xiaoyu grabbed his arm, stopping his exit, and pulled him back. As Jin turned to her to see what the matter was, Xiaoyu returned his favor. Placing her hands behind his head, Xiaoyu lightly pressed her lips against his, bidding him farewell with a kiss.

"See ya at the finals. Good luck, Jin-kun," Xiaoyu cheerfully exclaimed as she released him.

"Thanks," Jin said, naturally smiling this time.

Finally, Jin slid out the car, waving one last time to Xiaoyu, and, after a light slam of the door, the limo drove off. As the sound of the car got fainter and fainter, Jin's state seemed to go with it as he felt himself fall deeper and deeper as the realization got clearer with each passing second. A mere moment later, it became almost too much to bear. Jin absently dropped his bag at his side, and buried his face in his hand as the full impact of what had just happened slammed into him and then hung over his head.

At that moment, another limousine was headed toward the Fighter's entrance of the festival. In the front seat, a rather old man named Sebastian was behind the wheel, but the more interesting party was his passenger. Seated next to Sebastian was a young boy, a six-year-old with black hair and was tall for his age. Upon his head was a pair of motorcycle goggles ... just like his master. As one would expect of someone his age, the young boy excitedly peered out his window, fascinated by the throngs of people all traveling in the same direction, and was shifting around in his seatbelt to get a better look.

"Hey, Kyou, take it easy; sit down," Hwoarang said to his young charge as he peered over his shoulder through the window partition.

Trying to protest, Kyou excitedly responded, "Yes sir, but there are just so many people, and …"

Before the young boy could finish, Hwoarang shot him a very serious look, the same look a parent would give a child that meant they mean business. Kyou knew that look and what it meant, and instantly he sat still in his seat. He was smart, and he knew not to mess with his master especially after the incident when he first came into Hwoarang's care. Seeing all of this, Lili, who was seating across from her 'bodyguard' Hwoarang, couldn't help herself, and start giggling. She tried to hold it in, even putting her hand over her mouth, but the bobbing of her shoulders gave her away, and Hwoarang saw.

"What's so funny, Princess?" Hwoarang asked.

Still trying to hold back her laughter, Lili pulled out a small compact mirror from a pocket in her white Victorian-style dress, and handed it to him.

"Look at your face," she exclaimed through her giggles.

Not sure what was so funny, Hwoarang flipped open the mirror, and saw the look he'd just given Kyou was still on his face. Immediately, he knew the look; it was the saw look he'd gotten numerous times when he'd step out of line with his former master.

"Geez…" Hwoarang expressed with slight frustration as he handed the mirror back to Lili, "I even got the old man's look."

Not long after that, Lili quickly stopped as she saw Hwoarang's most recent descent, her laughter turning to concern. She'd seen this cycle a lot lately whenever he came into memory. First, Hwoarang was happy about the memory, then came the desire to relive it, followed by the awful remembrance that he couldn't again, and finished with the still-present mourning of the loss; it was continuous wave from nostalgia to sadness. Lili hated to see Hwoarang go this over and over again. She had to do something, and quickly she tried to take his mind off it.

"Tramp?" Lili said, calling Hwoarang by her name for him.

"Lady?" Hwoarang responded with his other name for her, the corresponding moniker to his own.

"I'm sorry," Lili said.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Hwoarang asked, "For what?"

"I'm apologizing in advance…" Lili explained, "…for beating you should we meet in the tournament." When he kept his eyebrow raised out of disbelief, she continued, "I hope you didn't think that just because you're my favorite bodyguard that I'll take it easy on you."

Hwoarang gave a slight chuckle and responded confidently, "Don't take this the wrong way, but … dream on, Princess."

Lili chuckled herself before persisting, "You really shouldn't underestimate me, Hwoarang. I've seen all your moves before, and you're not the only one who's gotten stronger this whole time."

"Maybe, maybe not," Hwoarang retorted, "Just because you've seen everything I've shown you … doesn't mean you've everything I can do."

"Oh?" Lili said sarcastically.

"Yeah," Hwoarang continued, "I've got a few tricks up my sleeves nobody's seen, not even…"

Hwoarang stopped cold as the next words seemed to get stuck in his chest, but Lili already knew what he was about to say.

Finishing the sentence in her mind, Lili thought, "Master Baek Doo San."

Hwoarang again went through the cycle, and fell into a particular memory. He mentally relived the training with Baek those past few years, as more of a partner than a student at this point. Still, he remembered Baek passing down his final knowledge including several techniques that he'd kept hidden. Hwoarang could still hear Baek's words as clearly as if he were sitting right there.

---

"That was good. Now, do it again," Baek instructed.

As he performs the technique again, Hwoarang asks, "Master, what gives? What's with all these new moves all of a sudden? And why all this extra training?"

"Because…" Baek explained, "These are probably these are the last times I'll train you…" As Hwoarang stopped dead at the statement, Baek continued, "These are my very last lessons; I have nothing else to teach you."

"But, master…" Hwoarang responded in protest.

Baek, continuing, took Hwoarang by the shoulders, and spoke sincerely, "Now, this doesn't mean stop training, but … you've learned well… You are quite a handful, but I couldn't have asked for a better student. I'm proud of you, Hwoarang…"

---

Still lost in thought, Hwoarang silently slumped back into his chair as he replayed the memory in his mind. At that moment, the limousine pulled up across from the Fighters' Entrance, and the lone fighter standing there, wearing his black and white karate gi, was none other than Jin Kazama, his face covered by his hand. Seeing an opportunity to take Hwoarang's mind off things, Lili decided to point it out.

"Well, it looks like your old friend Jin is the first one here," Lili expressed.

Hwoarang only distractedly responded, "Hmm … oh yeah … Kazama … right."

Shocked by the reaction, Lili thought to herself, "Whoa … Hwoarang didn't even notice Jin… You're really hurting, aren't you?"

Jin hadn't moved; he was practically frozen in the position he'd arrived in. He hadn't even noticed what was happening around him. By this point, a crowd of festival-goers and fans had begun to gather near the Fighters' Entrance, separated only by the guardrails leading to the actual entrance into the festival. Hoping to see their favorite fighters and just generally excited, many of them were shouting, taking pictures, conversing loudly, and generally acting as a crowd would, all in anticipation of the fighters' arrival. Then, everyone (with the exception of Jin) noticed the limousine parked not that far away, and the whole crowd turned their attention to it.

Slowly, Hwoarang emerged from the back of limo to a roar of cheers and several female shrieks, and, with Hwoarang holding the door open, Lili emerged right after to another round of cheers including several particularly loud ones from the guys in the crowd. A hail of flashbulbs followed shortly after as what seemed like every camera went off trying to get a picture of the pair heading to the entranceway. Despite the uproar, however, Jin remained frozen in place, oblivious to who had just arrived.

"Yo, Kazama!" Hwoarang called out.

Needless to say, that got Jin's attention.

"Hwoarang…" Jin responded as he turned in the direct ion of the call.

Dressed in his 'biker' outfit, Hwoarang wore a sleeveless vest, a pair of dual-strapped fingerless gloves, and his trademark motorcycle goggles perched on his head, a pair of leather chaps covering his blue jeans and the tops of his steel-toed boots. Not wasting any time, Hwoarang headed right for Jin; Lili however wasn't in as much of a hurry. Having become quite popular in the Tekken fighting community, Lili reveled in the attention she received from the crowd; she smiled and waved to those further back, she stopped to take pictures, and even signed several autographs especially for a group of girls who were dressed in the exact same attire as her. Hwoarang had other things on his mind however.

"Well, it's been awhile, Kazama," Hwoarang started.

Unsure of what to say, Jin merely agreed, "Yeah … I guess it has been."

"You forget to pick up a phone or something?" Hwoarang asked, regarding their lack of contact.

Unsure of how to proceed, Jin cautiously explained, "I didn't think you'd want to hear from me of all people … especially … right now."

"… Honestly," Hwoarang responded with a slight air of sadness as he looked away before turning back, "… anything would help."

Again unsure of how to proceed, Jin modestly stammered, "I'm … sorry, Hwoarang. I know it's … hard to lose …"

Seeing Jin's difficulty and tired of hearing him struggling, Hwoarang conceded, interrupting him, "Ah, don't worry about it. Besides … I know I'll always have you to beat up, Kazama."

Jin sank just a little lower with that comment; Hwoarang didn't know either.

"…Yeah, right..." Jin responded, trying to play the assertion off.

"Master Hwoarang! Master Hwoarang!"

Jin and Hwoarang spun around to see the young boy jump out of the back of the still-parked limo and come running down the sidewalk toward them, a large gym bag perched on his back.

"You forgot your bag, Master," Kyou said as he stopped at Hwoarang's side.

"Thanks, kid," Hwoarang responded as he took the bag and placed the bag aside.

Noticing the large figure looking at him standing next to Hwoarang, Kyou asked in a whisper, "Is that Mr. Jin Kazama?"

Seeing the glimmer of fear in the young charge's eyes, Hwoarang kneeled and whispered back, "Yeah, he's the one."

Kyou whispered with concern, "He's pretty big, Master; you think you can beat him?"

Hwoarang chuckled a little, and replied in attempt to ease his student, "Don't worry; I know I can beat him, and I'm gonna do it again too. Wish me luck, and, uh … take it easy on the old man in there, okay?"

"Yes, Master Hwoarang," Kyou replied obediently.

"Alright," Hwoarang said with a smile.

This was almost too much to bear; Jin saw the interaction between Hwoarang and Kyou as another reminder of what he was missing. It was as if he were being punished. Still, he couldn't help but wonder: Was that what it would have been like? Would talking to his kids have sounded like that? Sadly, he would never know. Nevertheless, a smile found its way to Jin's face. After all … Hwoarang of all people was the one who started this train of thoughts.

After a fair amount of time basking in the attention of the crowd, Lili managed to pull herself away for a moment, and happened to glance over at Hwoarang and Jin. That's when she saw the look on Jin's face. As Jin watched Hwoarang talking to his student, an amused but pained expression was painted on his face as if watching it hurt him. With that look, Lili remembered exactly how this tournament came to be, why this tournament was happening, and why they were there in the first place.

Bidding his student farewell, Hwoarang jokingly said, "Now, get outta here before someone thinks you're in the tournament."

Kyou simply replied with a smile, "Good luck, Master Hwoarang."

Kyou, as a sign of respect for teacher, placed a fist in his palm and gave Hwoarang a short bow. Sending his student off, Hwoarang slowly rose to his feet, and rubbed the top of the boy's head, ruffling his hair. With that, Kyou turned and ran back to the limo just as Lili came walking toward Jin and Hwoarang.

"It looks like you're taking good care of that boy," Jin said as he turned his face away.

" … I'm not sure," Hwoarang admitted, "I'm really just … wingin' it, y'know."

Just then, a female fan in the crowd, causing them both to look in her direction, shouted at them, "I love you, Hwoarang!"

"Looks like you have your share of fans as well," Lili said as she arrived next them before suggesting, "Why don't you go say hi?"

Jin and Hwoarang snapped in her direction as they said in unison, "What?!"

Not explaining herself, Lili quickly convinced (read: shoved) Hwoarang to move in their direction. Not really understanding the gesture and having no real desire to go, Hwoarang simply shot Lili a look of confusion, and walked to the group of fans including one girl who had her hair dyed red like his and wore a pair of goggles on her head like him. With Hwoarang out of earshot, Lili turned back to why she'd come over.

"How … How are you doing, Jin?" Lili asked as sympathetically as she could muster.

Jin could only reply in a downtrodden, slightly fatigued tone, "I don't think … I could be more miserable."

Struggling to find her words, Lili stammered, "Well … everything's going's to be …"

"No, it won't be…" Jin resigned, "...but thank you for trying."

"…"

Lili was stuck; there was nothing she could say, and nothing was coming. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait in silence long.

"Hey, Princess…" Hwoarang shouted to them.

That's when Jin and Lili looked over toward him; needless to say, he needed help. From their point of view, either Hwoarang got too close or his fans had gotten a little too excited, but he needed to be saved. Giving a look to both Jin and Lili that said 'Help me', Hwoarang was essentially being 'mobbed' by fan girls, with the girl that was dressed like him actually having her arms wrapped firmly around his neck.

"You better go save that boyfri-- er, uh, I mean, bodyguard of yours." Jin suggested, managing to throw a good-natured barb in the middle.

Lili gave him a slight push for his jest, and agreed, "Yeah, let me get him outta there."

Hurrying to breaking him free, Lili rushed to Hwoarang's aid. Soon, all the fighters began arriving one by one, and, with them, the crowd of onlookers and fans grew and grew. Not far away was Miharu Hirano, wearing a long-sleeved kung fu shirt with a grey undershirt, long black shorts that hung just above her knees, a red sash around her waist, a pair of red fingerless gloves, and red tennis shoes. Walking toward The festival, Miharu quickly tried to calm herself, forcing herself to walk forward instead of run in the other direction, and, as she did in these situations, was on the phone getting some encouragement from her best friend, Ling Xiaoyu.

"Relax, Miharu-chan; you're going to be fine," Xiaoyu supportively said, trying to untangle the bundle of nerves knotting up her friend's stomach.

"I don't know; I'm really starting to doubt that," Miharu anxiously responded through the phone.

Continuing to encouraging her apprehensive companion, Xiaoyu cheerfully said, "Hold on a sec. Just take a deep breath, and you'll be okay."

"No, I won't be okay," Miharu responded quickly, explaining further, "I'm not like you, Xiao-chan; I'm freaking out here!"

Sympathetic to her friend's concerns, Xiaoyu continued, "Don't worry; you're just having … 'first-tournament jitters'. And don't freak out; that just makes them worse. Now, listen to me. Just remember your training and just focus on who you're fighting for.

Just as she stepped across the street from the entrance, Miharu replied, "Right… I'm fighting for you."

"Not just me, but for Hayashi too," Xiaoyu added, trying to give Miharu a little more encouragement.

"Of course; Hayashi-kun," Miharu verbally remembered.

"Right," Xiaoyu concluded, "Now, go on and do your best. I know you'll be great."

Miharu finally took a deep breath and relented, "Okay… Thanks, Xiao-chan."

"Anytime," Xiaoyu gleefully granted.

Miharu, her courage now somewhat restored, finally concluded the call, and slowly crossed the street. Meanwhile, Jin was greeted by another welcome presence: his fellow Co-CEO and uncle, Lee Chaolan, wearing a violet vest with a mustang's head on its back over a black mesh shirt, black pants, and a black belt with several leather straps on the sides.

"Ah, Jin-san; there you are," Lee cordially greeted his nephew, "I should've expected you to be the first one here."

"There sure is a lot of people here, Lee-sama, definitely more than I can remember for the others," Jin openly observed.

"What can I say? I'm good at marketing," Lee explained, "It wasn't even that difficult actually. So many people watched the last tournament, and it had such an impact including the birth of our company, Kazama G Incorporated. And with all the work we've done to turn the world around, the interest was already there; I was merely singing to the choir at this point." Lee then turned his attention to the reason he'd actually approached Jin, saying, "…But enough about that; I'm more concerned about something else. How are you holding up, Jin-san?"

Jin replied with slight dejection, as he'd done all day when one of his associates brought the subject up, "Barely. It's all hitting me at one, Lee-sama. I mean I knew I would be leaving, but … I just didn't know that when the time came … that I'd be leaving behind so much so soon… I never thought I'd be … happy."

Placing a hand on his nephew's shoulder, Lee sympathetically relayed, "I really am sorry, Jin-san. It's a terrible fate you've been dealt, and I know it must be overwhelming to bear to say the least. If there was something I could say I would … but I will say that you are hosting this tournament for a reason, to do one last thing before your time."

Jin clenched his fist as he resolutely replied, "You're right; I need to focus on the task at hand. If I don't deal with my father and grandfather now, I won't be there to stop them from going after my family. I can't let that happen."

"And I'm right beside you," Lee offered, "If you need anything, if I can help in anyway, call me and I'll make it happen."

"Thanks, Lee-sama," Jin said before realizing that Lee had approached him alone, "By the way, where are those personal bodyguards of yours?"

Just as he asked, Jin and Lee were taken off guard by a growing argument between two of the fighters, both from the USA, one with tall, blond hair and the other with a large, rotund body. Paul Phoenix, who was wearing his red karate gi and having his hair styled upward as it usually was, and the newcomer Bob, who was wearing a red shirt, brown suspenders, black gloves, and blue jeans, were shouting at each other about the last tournament, with Marshall Law, who was wearing black kung fu pants, a pair of black nunchakus on his hip, and a red towel on his neck, fixed between them to hold them back.

"Come on, you two," Law said as he struggled to keep the two large men separated, "Save it for the tournament."

Bob shouted to Paul, as he pressed against Law, "You won't be so luck this time! I'm gonna knock that hair of yours flat, Phoenix!"

Paul then shouted back as he too pressed against Law, "Then, bring it on, Meatball, and I'll roll you again just like last time!"

Lee, more than a little mortified by the altercation, could only roll his eyes as he let out a sigh.

"Let me break them up before they squash Marshall," Lee relented as he slowly walked over to diffuse the situation.

Not long after, Jin was surprised by a hand on his shoulder, and quickly turned to see who it was. Standing next to him, wearing a very familiar white headband in her hair, a vest with cords ties to the sleeves and back, shorts, and knee-high, boot—like, open-toe sandals, was his cousin Asuka.

"Asuka-chan," Jin exclaimed with surprise as he didn't even hear her approach, "When did you get here?"

"Just now," Asuka replied before getting closer to him and saying quietly, "No matter what happens, I'm gonna help you with this."

"Thanks…" Jin said and then, deciding to ease some of his own tension, added, "But things could get pretty nasty. You think you can keep it up?"

Asuka lightly punched her cousin in the arm, and replied with a scoff, "You kidding! Someone's gotta make sure you don't screw things up."

Just across the way, an enemy of Jin had noticed his presence. Miguel Rojo, clad is a long fur coat, a white shirt that exposed his chest, and black, pinstriped dress pants, had spotted the object of his rage, and, once there, his eyes didn't wonder. Without hesitation, Miguel extracted his switchblade from his pocket and deftly flicked it open. He was now close enough to do what he wanted to do four years earlier.

Miguel then brought up all his feelings of pain and fury, and it wasn't long before he was ready to execute. He could practically taste Jin's death at his hands. He could to see it happen in front of him; he could see the fatal strike … the rush of red afterward … Jin's body falling and hitting the cold ground. Miguel couldn't help but start trembling with anticipation as he became ready to act.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Miguel ran toward Jin… The sea of fighters around parted, getting out of Miguel's way… Jin turned in time to see Miguel coming, but not quick enough to react… This was it; Miguel was close enough now…

…

…

…

"SHINU!!!"

THUD! In a flash of red and black, Miguel was knocked backward to the ground in an action almost too quick to see. Not a single person in the area was looking away now. Completely taking off-guard by the swift rejection, Miguel quickly sat up to see who or what hit him. Standing over him was a man wearing a red and black armored suit, a cape, and a metal emblem of a lion on his chest, holding Miguel's knife in his hand. He especially notices the man's blue eyes and skyward-spiked blond hair.

"On time as always…" Jin complemented, "Lars."

Lars Alexandersson then asked as he flipped the knife around in his hand, "Mister … Rojas is it?"

"It's Rojo, you idiot," Miguel growled back at him.

"Well, Mr. Rojo," Lars calmly replied, "you know the rules: There are no concealed weapons in the tournament…"

Lars then quickly threw the knife down, effortlessly planting it in the ground at Miguel's feet.

"I trust you'll dispose of this properly," Lars finished.

Livid at being turned away by interference, Miguel angrily yanked his knife out of the ground and jumped to his feet.

Pointing at Jin, Miguel snarled, "You got really lucky just now, but this dog (points at Lars then back at Jin) won't be here next time. Mark me: I will kill you, Jin Kazama!"

As Miguel stormed off in the other direction, Lars turned to Jin and said, "Well … it seems not everyone has received you restoration efforts openly, sir."

"Obviously…" Jin said, "I'm not surprised though. Thanks, Lars; you're always there to cover my back."

"That's my Job," Lars plainly replied.

Finally, music from inside the festival grounds could be heard, causing the crowd to start cheering as it signaled the beginning of the festival. All the fighters then faced the gate as it began to slowly open.

The Announcer voice then rang out, "All combatants, you may now enter the 'Tekken Matsuri'. So, say farewell to your loved ones, and kiss your faces goodbye because this is The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7."

Taking the cue, the fighters began to proceed inward. Jin, however, stood still. This was it, no turning back, nowhere else to go but forward. He reflected on his past fights from his fight against Ogre in Tekken 3, then against Heihachi and Kazuya in Tekken 4, to Jinpachi in Tekken 5, and Azazel and Kazuya in Tekken 6. Now, more than the other times, more than ever before, he was fighting for something far more important. This would be his last fight, his destiny. Finally, with Asuka and Lars beside him, Jin took a deep breath and stepped forward.

End Chapter

Next Time: "There will be casualties … but I think I can live with that."

A/N: And part 1 is a wrap; part 2 is coming soon. I hope you liked it. Now, if you did, I'd like you to please visit my profile page; I have a special request for you all that pertains to this fic. Thanks again for reading and I hope you come back soon. And as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.