The streets were filled with raucous laughter as fighters and spectators alike flocked to the stadium where the twenty-eighth Tenkaichi Budouki Tournament was being held. A lone figure stood off to the side, green cloak blending in with the surrounding shrubbery. Moments later an identical figure emerged from the crowd and nodded briefly before disappearing again, the other figure followed.

Conan stared out at the large, tiled platform that served as the arena. It was exactly a year ago, at this place, that he suffered a humiliating defeat by a little oriental man by the name of Lei Fe. That little punk had done more damage to his pride than to his body, but that wasn't the reason that Conan's hands itched for revenge. After witnessing his defeat, his employers believed that he was incompetent and had told him in no uncertain terms that he was to terminate that little runt if he valued his job. If that little pipsqueak showed his face around here he was as good as dead.

Lei Fe took a deep breath as he waited in the tournament sign up line; it was good to be out of the hospital. Images of last year's tournament floated through his head like memories of a nightmare. His mind had not been his own and he remembered how he had struggled feebly for control before blacking out. There were times he would dimly become aware that his body was moving and would catch glimpses of people through a purple haze. One image stood out clearly though, an image of a man with blue-black hair and defiant, blue-green eyes.

"I said next please." Lei Fe shook his head and found the registrar giving him an annoyed look. He quickly signed his name in the registry and hurried to the locker room.

The announcer gave one last look at his watch, two more minutes before it was time to start. As he looked around at the assembled fighters, he saw some he recognized as well as some new faces. He nodded briefly to the large Italian fighter; Conan was his name, unless he was mistaken. He had seen the man taken down by a young oriental man during last year's tournament.

The announcer shuddered at the memories of that particular tournament, one of the fighters, Kale something or other, had gone berserk and had taken out a large number of spectators and the stadium with some sort of explosives. Thankfully that man was nowhere in sight. A stadium official tapped him on his shoulder, startling him out of his reminiscences. The official pointed to his watch, it was time to start the tournament.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. I'd like to welcome you to the twenty-eighth Tenkaichi Budouki martial arts tournament. We have some wonderful match ups for you this year, with some new faces as well as some old ones. Now, without further ado, let the first match begin!"