Tekken 7 (Recreation) - Heihachi VS. Kazumi

August 28, 1965...

It was a rainy and miserable night, at the Mishima Dojo... as the storm rages outside, the, at the time, young Mishima, Heihachi... was in the dojo, doing some exercises, just to gain some distraction from the sorrow, that currently was his beloved wife, Kazumi... for weeks now, an illness plagued the female Hachijo's well-being, but no matter how many times he called the doctor or he himself tried to come to a proper diagnose of her condition, it was to no avail. And even more confusing, sometimes, Kazumi's health would gradually improve, for a short period of time and then, completely out of nowhere, would her condition turn for the worst again, for no explainable reason whatsoever...

But this wasn't the worst part... not only did the Mishima's wife suffer from a sickness of an unknown origin... for the last few months, before the symptoms even came to show themselves, Kazumi has started developing a strange demeanor, whenever she was around her family, even her own son. She became so... mentally absent, always on alert... as if she was having ludicrous visions before her inner eye... and whenever she was alone with the still little Kazuya, her serious and scolding stares, that she would give him from time to time, with no words even being put to use in these moments... slowly began to freak the hell out of the young Mishima. In addition to that, whenever she and her husband did exercises together, in some instances, she would spill pretty aggressive and unusually spiteful language in regards to her current situation, as they spar together... with her openly admitting, after re-awakening from her post-battle collapse, due to the illness kicking in again... that she couldn't recall ever having said this and that.

Heihachi grew weary of the whole situation... he just couldn't make any sense of her strange mannerisms. But either way, he most certainly does NOT belong to those kinds of people, that chicken out far too quickly. He will find a way to bring his wife back onto her feet and giving up is not notified on his schedule, nor is it in his general vocabulary. The only question was... how is he going to continue from here on out?

That was exactly, what he was asking himself, as he now focuses on his training, stomping the ground, before hitting the air with a pretty swift and strong punch forward.

"It's really pitiful... I tried my hardest to assist in her recovery, but every time I try, it seems to be getting worse, as it goes along... what am I doing wrong?"

He then continues thinking to himself, as he continues his session of exercise, by either punching the air, or doing quick roundhouse kicks... and with every move, his frustration only grew stronger...

"But no matter the case, I am not giving up! There has to be a way and if I find it, she will be back to full health in no time..."

The thunder strikes booming from outside actually had a pretty soothing effect on the young Mishima... effective enough for him to now finally focus to 100% on his own movements... he remembered the times, where he and Kazumi ended up becoming THE fighting duo around town... as a team, they were unstoppable. He then stopped, with a last punch straight forward, with sweat running down his forehead, as he was starting to feel nostalgic for real now... he had to grin to himself, as he was missing the times, before Kazuya's birth... he may love his son, yet at the same time, he missed the feeling of when everything was much simpler, yet oh so good... there was nothing else in the world, that meant the most to him, than to train and fight with his beloved Kazumi...

"Heh... my childhood was anything, but a blessing... Jinpachi's strictness, all the rules, that the higher society bombarded me with, all the expectations that people had of me... I wanted to be free. Of course, my father did not really agree to that lifestyle of mine, but... I felt the most at home, being able to do, what I love the most... being a true martial artist..."

He then sees the angelic smile of his wife, right before his inner eye... the same smile, that she had shown to him, when they first encountered one another... with the current situation troubling him, he was especially missing that, exact, smile of hers... the purity, that emanated from her... it made the usually stoic-looking Heihachi crack a smile, as he closes his eyes and looks back into the past...

"...and Kazumi... oh my dear Kazumi... you turned out to be the bliss, that I have been searching my whole life for... unlike most women, you were so different. You refused to let defeat sit on you, you always wanted to try again, until you got the result that you desired. You kept pushing forward, even when the chances were slim... your passion, was inspiring, in fact... it was you, that gave me the idea of opening up this dojo right here. Teaching not only my son the arts of my family's fighting style, but to also spread the word among other aspiring martial artists out there, wanting to make the legend live on... and you... you made me feel... like I am alive...

FLASHBACK

May 2, 1955...

We see a teenager Kazumi falling flat on her back, as she found herself beaten by an even younger Heihachi, who could not hide his overconfident smirk, with her having failed to beat him, once again... she punched the ground in frustration, growling in an angry way, as she didn't want to admit, that she lost...

Heihachi: "So you still want to continue, I see... fine, I am always signed up for the next beating, that you shall receive..."

Kazumi: "Shut it, you...! One day, I am going to beat you... even if I have to break my own bones, should that help getting your huge, bony skull down to eat some grass...!"

Heihachi: "I'd like to see you try that. Makes me wonder, if you are going to keep that huge mouth of yours running, while we go for another round. You still have a way to go, dear. Remember that. I am the older one here... so if you want to stand a chance, you better listen, instead of blindly expecting success to ballet your feet."

She then goes ahead to ahead to slightly tighten the white headband around her skull... with her close friend doing the same, enjoying the challenge...

Kazumi: "Believe me, I am not just some little, pretty looking doll, that you can toy around with ever so simply. One day, you will be most certainly mine..."

However... the way she said that, could have been misunderstood for something else, which made the young Mishima stare at her with wide eyes, before laughing out loud... which only made the young Hachijo blush, before angrily stomping the ground, looking back at him with a pouting face, stuttering at the same time...

Kazumi: "...and no! I... I didn't mean like THAT, uhh...! Oh, freaking hell... what am I saying...?!"

Heihachi: "Hehe, it's alright, I already caught you really meant. ...or did I?"

Kazumi: "Damn you and your accursed teasing...! Darn you!"

Despite the reaction, it apparently put more fuel to the fire, that was Kazumi's will to continue fighting with the best she had and even though, Heihachi was still a little too high for her level, there wasn't a single dull moment with her... he blocked and dodged her every move, and could not resist showing a smile, as they continue their revenge match... and by the end, Kazumi was on one knee, panting in total exhaustion, as the sweat made her skin glisten in the sunlight, with her also slightly glaring at her loyal training partner, who actually got hit clean by her a few times and he wasn't able to hide the fact, that he was slightly tired himself... but for him, that was it for a day and she agreed to that...

Kazumi: "Alright... enough for today... my body is already starting to hate me..."

Heihachi: "Agreed, let us hit the showers. And tomorrow... same place, same time."

Kazumi: "Heh... but admit it, I may have not won, but you do have scratches here and there... so all that aggravation wasn't for naught, after all."

Heihachi: "It's like I told you... a pretty general phrase for everyone, that is full of ambition: Hard work always pays off. There are no shortcuts to success and you will only truly be respected, if you value that hard work..."

While he continues, Kazumi childishly made the gesture with her hand, that basically imitated a talking mouth, describing his, at least to her, annoying lectures about what to do, to remain on top of the game...

Kazumi: "Yeah, yeah, yeah..."

Heihachi: "...are you even listening to me?"

Kazumi: "Who cares? I at least-"

As they leave the dojo and continue their discussion, going off-screen...

FLASHBACK ENDS

...we end with the present Heihachi, smiling, as he looks at his open palm, in which he has Kazumi's old headband from their youth. The sight of this relic is what makes him feel so warm inside... a good change from everything has been happening thus far...

"...heh, the irony. Your words turned out to be true, even if it isn't what you really meant... to me, I saw more than just the truth in these words. Oh, how I love you... and how you completed my life, by giving birth to our Kazuya... even though, he says our love is "gross", like every child does. He will understand it, sooner or later..."

Suddenly, he heard footsteps... and as he looked up, he realized... it was Kazumi, who was approaching him, leaving the shadows around the corner... seeing her this stable on her feet, actually refilled the Mishima with hope, that this might be over, quicker than he initially thought...

"Kazumi! How are you feeling? Better already? Or do you need something, my love?"

However... her response... in combination with that serious glare of hers, that literally pierced through his heart... was what immediately made the Mishima's alarm bells go off in a loud rush...

"..."

"Kazumi, what's wrong? Did... something happen that I should know about?"

"I just wonder... what was it about you, that drew me closer to your filth of a family bloodline?"

These harsh and cold words, was certainly not the response that the Mishima was expecting... and it only got worse, as it went along...

"What nonsense that was about you telling repeatedly, you loved me... I was only a tool for your own success, right? And as soon as I have completed my deed, you would get rid of me, just for your convenience... is it any wonder, why my own family has warned me about you and your true nature?"

"What are you talking about...? You're not making any sense, right now...!"

"And of course, like every criminal-to-be, you deny it, but what else did I expect? After all, I am talking with a man here, that previously taught me the ways of your martial art. All this talk about there being no shortcuts to success... and this ideology of yours, that hard work pays off... there is more to it, am I correct?"

"I wasn't joking, when I said that! If you want to be strong, and be recognized and respected by others, you will need to earn said respect! And I always stayed true to my own philosophy."

"...and that is exactly, what makes you so dangerous."

Once she said that, he snaps and glares back at her, feeling the most alarmed than he has ever been before... this woman was no longer the same, it's as if, she has become a totally different person...

"What...?!"

"Ambition... it always is connected to something, that will eventually lead to every person's downfall... after a while, you want more... and more... and more... until you become a former shell of yourself... how foolish that was of me to put any faith in you...!"

This gave Heihachi to think... sure, she had outbursts before, during her times of illness, but... it never went this kind of low... it was all so sudden, he couldn't digest it after one bite, but one thing is for sure... his wife definitely wasn't the same anymore.

"...something is not right here. I have no idea, what caused her to say all these harsh things about me and imply, that I may be "dangerous". I never expected illnesses to even attack the psyche of a person, but... seems like, mother nature has completely left her behind in the mud, like a rotting corpse... either way, I have to do something!"

As if reading his mind, Kazumi was preparing for battle and it appears, she was unusually eager to enter the fray with him, as she goes into her stance...

"You have got to be some kind of fool to challenge a Hachijo for battle, my oh so beloved husband... do you even realize, the magnitude of what you are messing with?"

This was it. Heihachi realized, words would not reach her that easily, so he figured: Knocking some sense into her currently, completely numb skull, might do the trick. If he manages to K.O. her, he should be able to help her with that... he stomps the ground, before getting into his stance...

"There is no doubt in my mind... you will spite me for this later, but... it's only for your sake."

"...oh, how flattering. ...because now, you made me even more eager to kill you!"

"Here she comes...!"

She lets out a menacing battle cry, speeding forward to punch her husband across the mug... he quickly reacts to it, by crossing his arms to block... but to his shock, despite having put on the best of his defence, the amount of force, that was put in that single punch, still managed to send him flying slightly back, with his feet rubbing across the wooden floor. Since he was still stunned from how quick and strong that single attack was, he accidently lets his guard down, which took Kazumi to her advantage, by darting forward, stopping barely inches away from him, before grabbing him by throat to pull him closer, performing a really quick and powerful, gatling gun like combo of punches on him, before brutally kicking him away, sending him crashing right into fence, separating the path from the fighting grounds, to the huge statue behind them...

Heihachi was plain and simply in total shock... his wife was strong, no question, one of the best martial artists that he personally knows, but... he cannot ever recall her having been this insanely fast and hard to read...

"From... from where, in the name of all that is holy, did she gain this ludicrous agility...?!"

But there was no time wasting on too many inner thoughts, as Kazumi was, once again, too close again, with him then receiving a major grabbing move by throat, before being pushed into the next corner of the dojo, by another punch, coming from his love, right in the stomach... as he bounces off the wall, he then starts to finally pay proper attention, not to get hit too many times... and as she makes her way to him once more, he was already in his stance, ready to strike back...

"I don't know, what made you change like this... but don't think for a second, that you'll be rid of me in a few punches, my dear!"

Both then engage into a struggle, as the Mishima tries his best to counter or block any move, that he was getting bombarded with, by the love of his life... and soon, he tricks her, by making her kick him in the face... before unexpectedly, grab her ankle, as it lays on his shoulder, making her totally defenceless... before then brutally kicking her in the stomach. Four times, exactly, with the first three being normal ones and with the last one being a total low blow to her, forcing her away from himself. That counter may not have been much, but it was enough to force the female Hachijo to cough up blood, as that kick in the gut was too strong and unpredictable for her... now there she was, kneeing down, pressing her face against the floor, coughing out blood... the Mishima was worried about her, but he didn't dare getting closer, as he could almost sense, that what he just did, has only resulted in making the bull see red... and he was right...

"Why you...! Spilling my holy, righteous blood... at the hands of bottom-feeders... like yourself...?!"

The mere sight of her own blood on her palm... really did set fire within her... as she balls her hand into a tight fist, slowly getting back on her, with her face hanging...

"The penalty... for your insolence...

...revealing then a terrifying and really enraged glare, that only a monster could possibly pull off.

"...SHALL BE A CARNAGE!"

And she speeds forward, punching Heihachi across the face again, much faster than before, which was hard for him to dodge in the first place, because of it having been so sudden and not only was that really fast, but devastatingly strong, making him just fly across the room with the Hachijo speeding right past him to bounce off the wall and nail him in mid-air, elbowing him in the chest, right where his heart was... that move is what made the Mishima nearly lose consciousness from how forceful and painful that one assault was and because it was his heart, his eyes rolled back into his head...

"I shall massacre you...!"

Then, Kazumi engages her husband into a juggling combo, as she first brutally uppercuts him, higher into the air, followed up by her first kneeing him, as the distance gap between the floor and him decreases, before then hovering forward as Fearless Warrior, doing her own take on the EWGF (Electric Wind God Fist) just to further keep him up in the air, before then doing two middle punches from left and right, sending him into a tailspin by doing an additional roundhouse kick on him and as he bounces against the wooden floor, she performs another Fearless Warrior again, ending that combo with her first sweep kicking her love and then finishing it with style, by punching him forward... and the force was truly remarkable, as he flew right through two wooden pillars at the same time, painfully crashing against the statue's face...

And that wasn't enough to satisfy her, as she then jumps above the fence to pick her husband up by the head, just to then fall on her back to throw him over the border, just to continue her violent onslaught... and as he flies through the air, she jumps after him and starts performing an aerial combo of kicks on him, that send him into another tailspin and as he bounces back up, completely helpless, Kazumi arrives, just to then nail him, by low jabbing him first, before then kneeing him again to then perform yet another Fearless Warrior on him, allowing her to do one more EWGF on him, just to keep him in the air, before then finishing the combo, by then low punching him left and right, ending this splendid combination, by then flat palming him with both hands, right in the stomach, sending him crashing into the door of the dojo with him then landing outside, with the rain showering right down on him...

Heihachi was coughing, as he is starting to feel slightly feeble... that combo has really hit him harder than he initially expected... everything was aching and normally, he was used to pain getting literally delivered to him, but this different this time... not only because, his wife's strength has been doubled, making every single strike of her, pure torture to him, but... the fact alone, that he has to fight his beloved Kazumi, was hurting far more than just the physical pain he was feeling right now... those two things combined were too much for him to digest in such a short time... he was looking at the thundering, black sky with blank eyes...

"Why...? What did I do... to deserve this...? I just don't understand, what made her change like this... I know her really well, she would never show this kind of cruelty to anyone... her heart has always been as pure as crystal with gold encasing it... but ever since her health worsened, she is no longer the same... it's like, love has totally left her body and all she sees is what she imagines... as if, she is trapped in a nightmare..."

But before, he could continue sulking in the rain... his wife approached him, not feeling bothered by the rain in the slightest, smirking to herself...

"Well, how about it...? Are you still feeling confident, that you are going to win this? So far, you didn't make a pretty splendid figure..."

...before then, as heartless as she has become, stomping on his stomach, smiling like a psychopath at his agony, making him scream in pain...

"What's wrong? Won't you stand up?! Too nice to harm someone, aren't we? But you can't fool me, sooner or later, this kind of cruelty I am showing right now... will transfer over to you!"

"K... Kazumi...! Why are you doing this...?!"

"Excuse me..."

She then stomps on him again, this time harder than ever...

"...I didn't hear you! Mankind will scream your name in eternal suffering, they will curse your very existence! What I am doing is only righteous, you hear me? You see me as insane... but what about you?"

"I beg of you...! Stop it...! I don't want to hurt you...!"

"Good, even better for me... and for Kazuya..."

Once he heard the name of his son... the Mishima could already tell, what her intentions were... if he and his "entire bloodline" are viewed as trash in her eyes, god knows what she might end up doing to their godly gift, given by the heavens above... this fear, made his inner will flare back up in a fiery blaze...

"Don't tell me... you are also planning on harming our Kazuya...?! He is still a child... leave him out of this...!"

"Not a chance, the Mishima bloodline is way too much of a threat to the world than necessary! Taking risks, is not the way of a Hachijo. Trust me..."

She then bends forward, whispering into his ear, as his rage grew with every second passing, the longer she taunts him like this...

"...the poor kid will scream, but do not fear... it will be very quick... and painless..."

That was it for him... he had to abandon all hope of Kazumi ever coming to her senses, if she already is having messed up fantasies like this of most likely torturing their baby as morbid as she just described it to him... he still had no idea, what could possibly be the cause for this change in persona in his wife... but if she is truly planning on pulling his beloved son into this mess, she is already crossing the line for him... he then grabs after her ankle, looking at her with rage-filled eyes...

"No...! You wouldn't dare... is that how you show your gratitude...?!"

"Huh?"

"I loved you, Kazumi... I wanted to escape the curse of riches... the fear of ending up as the same money glutton like my father... all I asked for, was a simple, yet happy life with you... you even gifted me a son... but all of this seemed to have meant nothing to you...! Where is your shame...?! Where is your heart...?!"

However, that wasn't moving anything within her, her goal remained her #1 priority...

"Tsk... I was a fool, you madman. I believed, we could have a happy life together myself... but it was truly moronic of me to have put any faith in a sociopath like you... and now, if you would excuse me, my Kazuya is waiting for me..."

"...oh no, you won't!"

She then found herself being grabbed by the shoulders, only to then get brutally headbutted in the face, making her fly back inside the dojo...

And as she jumped back onto her walkers, she scoffs, before looking with surprise, at a seriously angered bull, that was her former husband... with blue sparks and his aura surrounding him... the threat could not be anymore clear... what she did was dirty backstabbing at its finest. And by Heihachi's philosophy... "abysmal traitors have no right for mercy".

"You are going to pay for this... dearly...! I sold my heart and soul to you... and yet all you did was just waiting for the right moment to just crush the two of those most precious things to me, right beneath your boots...! And you should have learned by now... trash of the highest caliber, like you..."

And this angry look of his, is something, that may forever remind her, how much she actually screwed up.

"...has no right to be in MY family!"

And before she knew it, she already found herself getting brutally kicked in the chest, trying pathetically to block with both arms crossed, being pushed back quite a few metres, before Heihachi ducks forward and brutally uppercuts her into the air with his trademark, Dragon Uppercut. While she is in mid-air, the Mishima punches forward, before kneeing upwards to keep her in the air, before then elbowing her in the stomach, sending her into a clean tailspin, by then swiftly turning around and connect the backwards elbow hit with a roundhouse kick, jumping right after her and as she bounces off of the wooden carpet, she gets sent rolling like a bowling ball across the floor, by her former love, who performs a really quick Angekisai on her from above...

With that, she crashes right into the door, that leads to another exit to the dojo... before then, in a fit of rage, she starts shrieking in a menacing, animal-like way and causes an explosive shockwave, which causes the two halves of the door to fly right at the Mishima, who stomps the ground first, before punching the one door away and then kicking the second one so hard, it fell into a million pieces, revealing to him an angry looking Kazumi, who could not believe, how easy it was for him to just best her like that...

"May you rot in hell...!"

She then speeds right at her previous husband, trying to punch him, targeting his chest, before getting easily dodged by him, before sending her flying again with a well-timed, trademark of his and that was Demon's Wings. She did not see that one coming, but nevertheless, she quickly maintained balance and makes her feet immediately find ground again, before charging straight at the Mishima once more, trying to kick him in the face two times, but each one got countered with ease by him, before he then catches her off-guard, by then mercilessly nailing her in the stomach with a punch, straight into her abdomen and it had a lot of weight to it... but because she was too busy using her legs, she didn't pay attention and forgot to use her arms to block somehow and this is the result of her recklessness...

There, she tumbles back, as she clutches her own stomach, still on her feet... with the pains in her now churning stomach becoming unbearable, forcing blood mixed with saliva to drop out of her mouth... but even though, the Mishima managed to gain the upper hand, the injuries from the previous round were still getting slightly the best of him and he was already panting... but what he did not see coming next, was Kazumi glaring up at him, growling like an unpleased tiger at its prey...

"You accursed waste of human life... you haven't seen the last of me...!"

She then takes advantage of his exhaustion, by jumping onto his right arm, grasping it entirely with both arms and legs, performing an arm lock on him and because of her weight, it threatened to pull the Mishima down to his certain loss of one of his arms and the agonizing pain of slightly cracking bones in his left arm was undescribably awful. And because of his fading strength, it only further gave Kazumi the advantage of making sure, that he won't be able to use, one of his arm, for the rest of the fight...

"Hehe...! You're not so tough now, are you...? Too bad, I already wonder, how well you are going to stand up to me... with ONE arm less...?!"

"Damn it...! Raaaaagh!"

"It's futile... give up already...!"

However... it was then, when he got reminded of Kazumi's words of her getting her hands on the still young Kazuya, next... and he was not able to tell, what she might do to him, but if she is already this cruel to him, he is not taking any chances here... the thought filled him with unshakeable fear and sorrow... and an extra boost in strength, that allowed him to then overpower Kazumi's arm lock, lift her up and then brutally Mishima Headbutt her, off of his arm, before catching her by her throat with his right arm, before impaling her in stomach with his right knuckle, sending her flying across the room...

After that happened, the female Hachijo's hair accessory fell off, with two of the red hair ribbons missing, which she might have lost, in the middle of the fight... and her really long, black hair was now loosely hanging behind her, with her being on one knee, panting in exhaustion... it was maddening... she had all this power and yet, he still won't go down...

"Rats...! Why won't you just... DIE?!"

"Hmph."

She was charging recklessly at him again, with him dodging as best as he could, with a few strong hits being landed on him, but just when Kazumi thought, he was easy as pie now... he blocks her high kick with his wrist, before pushing her slightly away... to take advantage of her confusion and then catapult her in the air again with a sparking, EGWF... and as she helplessly hovers in mid-air, he first nails her with a punch from the side, before juggling her forward with two palm strikes, followed up by a chop from side and a coming elbow hit, which sent her in a good tailspin, which the Mishima took as his chance to send her properly flying again, as he ducks forward and does a backwards elbow hit, before then sending her off with a twisting flat palm towards her stomach...

And there she crashed against one of the wooden pillars, with her forehead starting to bleed through a wound, right close to her bangs... overall, she did look like she was in a terrible state, but Heihachi won't be fooled by it, as he expected the worst to come... and just as he thought... the pressure he began to feel, caused nothing but uneasiness to fill his soul...

"What is this... feeling...? This cannot possibly emanate from her... right...?! I have never felt something this intense before, it isn't from this world, I can sense it...!"

"He... hahaha... hahahahaha!"

This almost maniacal laughter came from no other than Kazumi herself, and as the Mishima wanted to go in and maybe help her (possessed or not, she was still his wife and despite his harsh words, he still loves her dearly and could not ever bring himself to spite her from the bottom of his heart, so he held some hope, that this might be over soon and it's all just a misunderstand, but... he should be proven dead wrong now), until... her head rose back up and totally of the blue, shot a laser, from her eyes and forehead... unexpectedly hitting Heihachi's left arm and even though, she barely hit him... the wound was burning, as if he just stepped on burning coal or more like, he entered the core of the sun, it was that painful to him and he fell on one knee, shielding his bleeding and burning injury, before rolling to the side to avoid another laser, coming from her...

"What in the world was that...?! A laser of all things?!"

He then realized, his wife, was slowly tumbling forward, approaching him with a psychotic smile forming on her lips... stepping right over the Kanji sign, that the two carved into the wood to announce their everlasting love... the thunder roared louder outside and when he looked at his Kazumi, he realized... that couldn't possibly be the same woman anymore, that he has grown to love... and the way she spoke, it all felt like a totally person was now speaking to him, only using Kazumi's body as a manner of communication to him... and that theory was not so far-fetched, because her eyes felt lifeless and empty, as her mouth kept running...

"Impressive. Impressive, indeed. It has really been a while, ever since someone pushed me this far... but I think it's time to finally tell you the full truth, Heihachi Mishima."

"So I wasn't wrong... something really does control Kazumi... it was an illness, alright... an illness, that attacked her mind, like a nasty virus..."

"Before I do, let me ask you a question... haven't you always wondered, why I even decided to marry you in the first place? I never did it out of compassion or for whatever sentimental reason, that I could possibly come up with... no, no, I did all this... in the name of my family."

"The Hachijos?"

"Precisely... and in fact, you don't seem to know, who we REALLY are. We are far more, than just a gold-digging, business partner for your greed-rotten father. We Hachijos have existed for centuries. Our clan has its origins, far back into the past, possibly reaching the medieval period of Japan... and ever since our clan was founded, it has always been our duty, to cleanse this world of unearthly abominations... like yourself."

This made the Mishima fold his arms together and slightly scoff...

"Heh, so your family decided to come in contact with mine, only to trick my father into trusting them and expecting me to take the bait and that is YOU, playing the role as the loving wife... just to then play assassin and getting rid of every single one of us... pretty sneak-ish move, you have my respect... it almost worked."

Her psychopathic smile widens further, as she enjoyed, watching her husband feeling an inner, emotional dilemma building up inside of him...

"Good job, you have figured it out."

"Unfortunately... I am not my father. I never trusted any of you and what I am seeing right before me, is the confirmation, that your clan is just filled to the brim with incompetent con artists. And anyhow, what gave you, whoever you really are, and your family the right to decide over someone's fate? What makes you come to the conclusion, that I am "a threat"? ...I smell a major contradiction going on here."

"Oh please, my dear friend... look at yourself, trying so hard to act like you are free of sins... all your fellows can fall for your facade, but you cannot fool my eyes. We do not come to such harsh conclusions, just like that... so I'd advise you to take a good glance at your own self, before a mirror and then come back to me... I saw it all. You are treating your own pupils like dirt and your own son isn't spared from your drilling methods... and haven't you once said, that the Mishima Zaibatsu will need a strong leader in the future... with a young heir to boot?"

But hearing that coming out of her mouth... it made the Mishima believe, that she completely misunderstood his own ambitions... sure, he was strict and not as merciful as most martial artists, but he was still honourable and never relied on dirty tricks to get to where he wanted to be...

"...I cannot deny. I am strict. And I value hard work quite a lot. But you get me wrong. I don't plan anytime soon on committing any dishonourable acts, all for the sake of finding a shortcut to absolute glory. This world is cold and lonely, you can only make it far, by becoming a strong-willed person, who won't let him or herself get pulled down in the mud, ever so simply. This is the only way to truly survive in the wild... and that is the reason, why Kazuya is part of my training. He must learn the hard way, that nothing in this world is all sparkles and sunshine..."

As he said, his knuckles balled together, real tight... as he felt awful for what he makes his son go through, even though it was for the best... if the world wasn't so harsh out there, he may have been spared from this...

"...but one thing, you should always know, is that I love my Kazuya, ever so dearly! And that is, what my ambitions will always respect!"

...however, this is what exposed his weakspot... his insecurity. And Kazumi felt an even stronger urge to destroy him, far more than ever... her starting to chuckle to herself like a maniac... before pointing at her husband, openly attempting at mocking him for these words.

"Oh, you put up quite an amusing act! So delightful, I sure laugh! You... and love... that sure was a well-planned joke, Mishima."

"Why you...! And yet you criticize me for being insolent...!"

"Like I said... we Hachijos can also be seen as fortune tellers, see it as you see fit, but that is the truth. You may say this now... but I saw your fate... you will lose, in more ways than one and you will be cursed... for the rest of your miserable life. And I will so enjoy watching you, begging to be put under salvation for your crimes in the nearest future... my family has opened my eyes... in my blindness, I gave birth to not only one, but two curses, that shall withhold this precious planet's fate in their dirty and greed-filled hands... and now, I am going to correct my mistakes, right here, right now!"

As a last desperate attempt to free her, Heihachi starts calling out for his wife... now that see has heard all that he needs to know, he wants to stop misfortune from further having its way with him and his family... he held something, that may convince her to stop following her family's orders... he had to think back, when his father actually sent him to the military to strengthen and heighten his senses as a fighter... and how the Hachijos almost functioned as a group of mere terrorists... flashback images popped up, showcasing the cruelty of Kazumi's family... he never trusted them and this decision was the best decision of his life, as this may save his wife from doing something, she may regret...

"Kazumi! I don't know if you can hear me, but I am fully aware, that you still must be in there, somewhere! I beg of you, stop this madness! Can't you see that the Hachijo clan is just using you?!"

"Shut it, you fool! Kazumi is no more! I am someone, way above her! It's too late now for compromises!"

And as she keeps denying him, she could actually see tears of desperation flooding out of Heihachi's eyes... he once saw her clan in action, during a mission, when he was still working in the japanese military... how they execute their own members, should they not follow their rules and all these cases he read about Hachijo members performing some sort of black magic on kidnapped members of the public... he knew the truth, which only made his heart race in anger and sadness...

"Goddamnit, can't you see what they are trying to do here...?! You are nothing but a mere puppet to them and as soon as your task is completed, they are going to get rid of you, just to continue with their dark conquest...! I know, what I am talking about, I saw what kind of bastards these people are... how they mercilessly use other people for their own selfish desires...! Whatever they told you about me, it's not true and you know it yourself, better than anyone! I know, I wasn't always fair with you, but my love to you was the most sincere thing, I could possibly give and I always tried to return it...! ...I cannot live without you!"

Hearing these really conflicting words... believed it or not, they actually moved something within the strong wife of the Mishima... doubt grew deep in her soul... if these rumours were really true, like how Heihachi told him, back when they were younger... did she fall for their "fake" kindness and acceptance towards her... she had an older brother, that had welcomed her into the house of the Hachijos, when she lost her parents... to this day, she didn't know, what happened to them... and then, one day, her brother was gone, alongside the clan... and then Heihachi came to her rescue, freeing her from the chains of these accursed people... they left her behind to rot in one of their many basements...

"Heihachi...! P... Please..."

Now seeing, that his plan worked halfway... hearing this gentle, loving yet now broken voice of his beloved Kazumi... Heihachi felt hope building up inside him...

"Kazumi...! Whatever it is, that is controlling you, fight against it!"

"I... I can't... it's too... too strong...! It hurts... hurts so bad...!"

"You have to fight, my love! You are strong, I know you can do it! We have been through so much, you can manage this too!"

She growled, as tears ran down her cheeks, as her mind was hurting so badly, as she tries to fight against this... thing, that consuming her...

"Help me... help me, please...! It's too strong... I can't hold out much longer... end my suffering...!"

"What?!"

"Please, my Heihachi, I can't bear this much longer... you have to kill me, before it's too late... it won't wait for much longer... and then you and Kazuya will perish... for the sake of our family... release me... I beg of you...!"

"No...! No, I can't! There has to be another way to save you...!"

As he was trying to motivate her further...

"Arrrgh...!"

...it then ended, with the Hachijo's head then going limp, before filling the dead silence with a sinister, menacing and demonic sounding laughter... it really was Kazumi's dying breath...

"Kazumi..."

And to make things worse, her eyes lit up, revealing yellow glowing irises and a psychotic smile replacing the quivering lips, that belonged to his wife... and when this creature spoke, it sounded so demonic and abnormal, like it isn't from the world of the living...

"Now... may she rest in peace... hope that will shut her up for good... and now, it is time for me to finally end this senseless struggle for you. The Hachijos always finish, what they started... and the same is going to happen to you now, Heihachi."

"Tsk... curse this... I have to stop it...!"

"Haven't you always wanted to look for a worthy opponent to go toe to toe with you? Fine... allow me to reveal to you... my true power!"

Suddenly, the ground began shaking, as yellow-red lightnings surround her, as she does her own Mental Alertness stance... with the Mishima staring in fear, as he steps back, trying to hold his ground...

"See this as your lesson... and the last one, you will ever learn. We Hachijos possess a might, that people like you can only dream about... and with this, that shall mark the end of your reign of terror... and in turn... I shall teach you, what TRUE terror is...! Hehehehe... hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

Now, we see a freaky transformation going on here... the aura only intensifies, as her red ribbons around her armpits implode, before exploding off, which causes her kimono suddenly to break open around her throat, nearly showing her cleavage, with her legs, completely tearing apart the white socks and the sandals break under her growing weight... in addition, her skin slowly turned milk white with red markings in certain places... and her gloves also break off, with the edges of her sleeves slightly burning away and becoming ragged... and to top it off, two large horns grow on her skull... and behind her, two huge, red-yellow glowing wings, almost like phoenix in person... and once the transformation was complete, a massive explosion of light escaped her and Heihachi found himself blinded for a few moments... before his eyes then fall upon this monstrosity, that was once his wife...

"The power of the devil himself... my Devil Gene is roaring... it feels so amazing... this power... nothing can stop me now... what are you going to do about it, Mishima?!"

"Devil Gene... rgh... ...You haven't won yet, you hear me...?!"

"Oh, I am afraid... I already have!"

She then shoots multiple lasers everywhere, causing everything to burn around Heihachi, giving him no chance of every escaping from this fight... then, she shoots another laser, this time, directed at her former husband... which he had to dodge by doing a massive Shadow Step to the side, but just when he did that, he then found himself getting catapulted upwards in the air by Yama-Kazumi, who flies right past him, before then repeating that, with him bouncing off of the wooden carpet, helplessly... and she finishes it, by crash-landing with her foot, landing right where his stomach was... making him scream in agony from how much weight that crashing kick was...

Thinking, she has won, she let her guard down for a few seconds with the Mishima then grabbing her ankle, using all of his strength to force her to move away from him and right, when he had the chance to grab her... she flies up and flees from the flaming ring, leaving him behind, where he was totally defenceless against her lasers... it was then, when she fires three more lasers, which the Mishima easily dodged, as best as he could, just to not get hit... all this firing causes rubble to fall on the ground... which gave Heihachi an idea...

"I have to lure her into the ring and as soon as she is close enough, she will get to feel a clean hit from one of those rocks... I want to see her talking big then... she may be really strong and agile... but a true Mishima never quits... and she is far from invincible... I will show her."

"Time to die, Heihachi!"

Yama-Kazumi fires more lasers at him and she misses every time and by the 5th shot being fired, she then has to reconsider her stragety...

"Playing hard to get, aren't we? Good, you nuisance will go down way quicker than you could ever wish for... take that!"

She flies back to gain some distance, before speed right at Heihachi, ready to ram right through him, maybe even impaling him with her horns, but...

"In your dreams!"

...the second, she was too close to hit, the Mishima then pulls out a rock from behind, just to counter her incoming attack and totally stun her and now there she stood, seeing stars, giving the young Heihachi a chance to strike back. He starts bombarding her with his own 10-Hit-Combo and much to his luck, she may be stunned, but she doesn't move away, she is way to defenceless and confused to hit back and it all results with him then sending her flying with a clean Dragon Uppercut, making her land outside the flaming ring, where she regained control over herself and flies back up, growling to herself...

"That bastard has tricked me... but no matter, his life will end quicker than he can possibly count up to 10... perhaps, this may keep him busy."

She chuckles, before collecting lots of energy in between her two open palms, before then summoning a white ball, which she fires straight at her former lover... he dodges it, but... he didn't realize, this was a trap... because he felt a presence from behind... it was a white tiger, jumping straight in his direction. He barely avoided the unexpected assault from behind and could only stare in shock...

"A white tiger...?! This is getting more and more insane...!"

"Heh, now fear the might of the "mascot" of our clan... the snow white tiger, that will ring the bell to your incoming doom!"

"Hmph...!"

Normally, Heihachi was strictly against cruelty towards animals of any kind, as he grew to love mother nature herself, ever since childhood, but this was a serious emergency and in this case, he had to swallow his pride and send this monster back to where it came from...

The white tiger growls, before jumping forward to glomp on top of the Mishima and even though, that was predictable to him and he dodged with such ease... he failed to realize, it was a trap, as the Yama-Tiger was far quicker in reaction time than any other of his own kind and before he knew it, the white monstrosity of nature than lands on him from behind... he obviously teleported, when his first attack failed and now, the Mishima was totally unshielded, as the tiger was ready to bite him... before he then quickly grabs the head of the animal... to which he responds, by pressing its sharp claws against Heihachi's exposed chest, while he tries to break free... blood already began to flow, the longer he struggled...

"Haha! You're such a good boy, my dear... now go on ahead and end this waste of human life!"

...when he heard that, it only gave him more fuel to fight back, as he then completely overpowers the tiger, before grabbing it by it's throat, just to then throw him onto the other side. That was nothing for this beast, however, as it then changed its strategy. It then ran up one of the pillars, before curling himself into a ball, with flaming spikes then forming on its backside... and as he rolls across the ground, there was nothing Heihachi could do about it, it rolled so fast, even if he blocked it, it would still harm him quite a lot... being the tough fighter, that he is, he decided to take it all in... and like he foretold, he couldn't dodge forever and he ends up getting struck, right in the back and that sends him flying against one of the wooden pillar... and just when Kazumi thought, she had won...

"...here is a present for you!"

"What in the...?!"

...suddenly, out of all the smoke, caused by the rubble having fallen on the Mishima, supposedly having "killed" him, came her white tiger, flying straight at her, still in its curled up, ball form. There was no chance anymore of it retreating its spikes, so it all resulted in her getting cut by her own weapon and it made her lose her balance, falling back down to the ground, no longer having been able to remain up in the air...

Out of the rubble comes a bleeding Heihachi, who pants and looks like, he was ready to collapse and admit defeat... but in his eyes, was still burning a desire to win this and save the day... if she wins this and ends up getting rid of him, not only Kazuya's life may be on the line... maybe, the entire world... this power she possessed was a threat to many...

"I... I am not going to die yet... until you fall first...! I just realized... not only my son's soul will be in danger... I know you Hachijos... we might not be the only ones to experience an earlier funeral...! And that's why... I am going to have to kill you, before that happens...!"

"Tsk, so transparent, aren't you...? Any novice could detect the hint of uncertainty in your words... you cannot expect to win, if you are looking like that...! Heh, I am still on a winning streak here... only a few more hits and you are done for...! You are making it too easy for me...!"

"Tell that someone who cares...! I can't lose here... I WON'T LOSE HERE!"

Suddenly, Heihachi lets out a menacing scream of rage, as his muscles tense up and the blue, sparking aura around him intensifies and in a burst of energy, his skin starts glowing red with Gi falling apart slightly, being now totally shirtless from now on... all the training paid off and he saved it all up for this one moment... the Mishimas are not legendary in the martial arts world for nothing. Because they are the main believers of the thunder god, Raijin... his inner, praying words had been heard... and now he became Raiko-Heihachi... electricity was just flowing out of him, genuinely making the demon now feel fear...

"That's impossible...! So his family's belief in the god of thunder was not for naught...!"

No words were necessary anymore... Heihachi dashes within the speed of light, right at the female Hachijo, punching her right across the face... which catapulted her straight through the wall, making her fall right through and land outside in the stormy night... the fight should be continued outside... and because of the Mishima's now insane speed, both start countering one another with such insane and inhumane agility, it felt like it won't find an end soon and then, Kazumi decides to finish this fight for good... she catches his fist and swings him around, before throwing him up into the air, right above the dojo...

"Our amusing little game is now at its end... say goodbye, you rotten piece of trash!"

She spreads her wings and speeds upward to catch up to the Mishima, in the air, so she believed, he was completely unable to do anything, so she turns him over and positions him in a way, that points his face forward, to crash right through the ceiling with both of their weights combined...

"This dojo will be your grave, Heihachi... I win!"

"...tsk... please, forgive me... my love... I didn't want it to end like this... but... I got no choice... if I lose here... I will lose way more than necessary... we will meet again...! Raijin... you have never let me or anyone from my family, down... and now, once again... lend me your strength...!"

"What in the...?! You can still breath?!"

And then completely out of the blue, he regained his strength and found a way to totally turn the tables, right here and right now... he grabs Kazumi's arm, that prevents him from moving his head and then releases himself, before then performing a reversing move... with her now being in his place...

"...if I am destined to go to hell... then send the devil himself my sincere greetings to him...!"

"No...! What are you doing?! I command you to stop...! You will rot in hollow darkness for this...!"

"Too late, my dear..."

He now stuns her totally, by punching her in the stomach, before allowing one of the thunder strikes to hit him to give him an immense boost in power... and then ending this fight with his famous, now electricity enhanced Demon's Breath and once that attack hit her in the stomach... not only did it electrocute her to the bone, grilling her almost like a steak... the force of that Demon's Breath was so strong, she flew downwards, crashing right through the ceiling... with all the rubble from the ceiling falling on top of her... the battle... was won... but for the Mishima, it was no reason to celebrate in the slightest...

As he turns back to normal... he tumbles forward towards the mountain of rubble, that had piled up in the middle of the now wrecked dojo... just to find one of his wife's arms, showing itself through a gap under all that rock... to say, that his heart was broken at this point, would be a gross understatement... he had lost his wife... all because of the curse, of her own family, who had manipulated her into committing crimes, she would never commit, in her entire life...

"Kazumi..."

He uses his rapidly fading strength, just to get the rubble out of the way and free his wife's corpse from all that... and seeing her lifeless, limp figure... he kneels down, to gently close her eyes with one hand, with him then starting to sob, as he lifts her up and embraces her now dead body, not wanting to let go of her...

"Kazumi...! My love... I am so sorry... I never wanted any of this... may the heavens above... grant my soul mercy... but I doubt it... it should have hit me, not you...!"

If anyone expects the nightmare to now end and expect the Mishima family to find some peace at last, you were wrong... from this day forward, nothing was the same anymore. Heihachi's life turned for the worse, as... a dark suspicion began to grow within him... his wife mentioned something of the "devil gene"... if that is a real gene... and he takes a look at his own son, he realized... Kazumi was right, or... at least, that's what HE thought was right... his son really was a threat, since he may have inherited the same gene like his mother and that thought alone, after having witnessed, what terrifying power this gene withheld in just one individual... he believed, that if he was to kill Kazuya... his fate may change for the better... that is where he was deadly wrong.

A few hours, after the fight had taken place... his son came to the dojo, as the huge explosion has awoken him from his otherwise peaceful slumber... being the curious child, that he was, he came to investigate... and once Heihachi wanted to tell the truth, he realized... no matter he will tell him, because of his gene, he may end up feeling just as vengeful and full of hatred like the same person, that gave him life... he had to face the facts, it won't matter, what kind of excuse he will use for this horrific act, his son will always see him as cold blooded murderer, even if he was to tell him the truth, because he won't believe him anyhow, since... as much as the sad irony hurts, his harsh training methods already made his own off spring distrust him and he "kind of expected that to happen", sooner or later...

And later, after having received a hateful speech by his son, alongside a beating, that he was able to withstand with ease, but only physically... he knocks his own son unconscious... carries his limp body over to the edge of that rock formation... and drops him down into the ravine below, believing that if that truly killed Kazuya, he may find peace in heaven and be spared from the everlasting influence of the Hachijos... and from that day forward, Kazumi's words proved to be true... he actually began to see himself as cursed, cursed to forever cause harm to everyone... that is what she truly meant by him "being a threat to the world"... as he truly had fallen from grace...

To add further insult to injury, he later even imprisoned his own father, Jinpachi, under Hon-Maru and contacted the Hachijo family to no longer follow the business contract, as their business partner, had been dismissed from his position, who had no further interest in following their orders... but he didn't seal his father away, all because of taking over... it was all to protect him from the influence of his enemies... after they had already taken his wife away from him... his paranoia was a reality and it would only grow worse...

...and then he founded the Mishima Zaibatsu... born through the desperation of a man, that believed of himself to be cursed, for the rest of his life... and just like she foretold... he did indeed commit terrible crimes... with a number of innocent lives, still to be lost from here on out... and then Kazuya returned... and his grandson, Jin Kazama... saw the light of day... all his attempts at finding a power source, that may overcome the devil gene, would end up costing only more human lives... Ogre being one of these attempts...

...someone was waiting outside, in the door way to the dojo...

"...daddy, what happened? Where is mommy?"

THE END