Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: As promised, we're getting down to the wire. However, this is, in all odds, going to be the longest chapter in the whole story. But, I hope I can keep you reading and excited throughout the whole thing. Please, stay with me. Anyway, let's get to it!
The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 6: When Souls and Hearts Clash
The Semi-Finals: As the Worst Draws Near
Outside the Tournament Waiting Station, where the fighters lingered while the venues for their fights were prepared, two suited underlings flanked the main entrance, silent and stoic. Suddenly, one of them picked up a call on his headset, causing him to raise his arm to his ear to receive it.
"Have you located the girl," the man's boss asked impatiently.
The grunt respectfully replied, "She's en route to our location as we speak, sir."
After a moment of silence, the mysterious boss growled, "Good. I've grown tired of competing in this tournament. No more of this run-around. Take the girl and make sure she doesn't get to the next round, and, if she starts acting up, get rid of her! Understood?!"
The grunt only obediently responded, "Yes, sir," and the transmission ended with a concise CLICK!
Immediately afterwards, the second grunt tapped the first on the shoulder, spotting the vehicle stopping at the end of the path and seeing three people exit.
"Here she comes," the second suited underling softly announced to his partner.
Flanked on both sides by two more suited underlings, a young Chinese woman with her long, black hair tied into two pig-tails on the side of her head, and her vibrant brown eyes full of concern and discouragement came walking up the path to the building.
Surprised by her gentle appearance, the first grunt quietly voiced it to his cohort, "That girl made it to the semi-finals?"
The second grunt, hearing the surprise in his co-worker's voice, replied with a whisper, "Yeah. I've seen her fight; she's good … very good."
The first suit was silent for a moment, seemingly sizing her up, until verbally concluding, "I could take her."
Not entertaining the first's comment, the second changed the subject, saying, "I don't know, but save that for later. We've got a job to do."
--
Chance Meeting
Xiaoyu, still a little down after watching the 'Kazuya vs. Heihachi' match, was escorted through the building to a 'Transition Room' to await for her next match to take place, but she quickly stopped in the door; the girl that looks just like … her was already there, sitting solemnly, quietly, eagerly. Xiaoyu, trying not to seem stunned, took a seat next the young woman without a word. Then, as both continued to sit in silence, Xiaoyu found herself tempted to look at her, to compare her to the woman she closely resembled. She tried to keep herself from staring, but every time she pulled her eyes away, they found their way back to this girl. Although she acted as if she didn't, Asuka definitely noticed this Chinese girl's strange behavior towards her.
Trying to be courteous despite her growing annoyance, Asuka turned to the Chinese maiden and asked, "Excuse me, but is something wrong? Is there something on my face? I mean, what's going on?"
Xiaoyu, knowing she'd been spotted, nervously apologized, "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare; sorry for bothering you."
Asuka, less irritated after the girl's reaction, then inquired, "It's alright, but what … what were you looking at?"
Xiaoyu hesitatingly explained, "It's just that you … look like someone I used to know. You look a lot like her."
Asuka understood now; she caught the 'used to know' in the statement. Being considerate, Asuka decided to introduce herself.
"Okay, now I see. Well, I'm Asuka," she said graciously as she extended her hand.
Xiaoyu lit up at the offer of a new friend, and happily replied, "Hello, Asuka-chan, I'm Ling Xiaoyu, but you can just call me Xiao."
As she said that, Xiaoyu merrily returned Asuka's handshake and flashed a smile so infectious that Asuka found herself smiling.
--
Meanwhile, the venue for Ling Xiaoyu's battle was ready, and two tournament escorts were sent to take her to the location. However, as they began making their way to her, they were suddenly snatched into a dark corner. Sounds of a brief struggle could barely be heard in the darkness, and, after a moment, the escorts were unconscious. Then, from the shadows, the two suited underlings from before emerged and began approaching the 'Transition Room'.
--
Wanting to know more about her new friend, Xiaoyu cheerfully asked, "So, Asuka-chan, what brings you to this tournament?"
Suddenly, Asuka turned serious as she replied with quiet intensity, "I'm here to pummel that baka cousin of mine. He's hurting a lot of people, not to mention bringing shame to our family."
Noting Asuka's sincerity, Xiaoyu said in awe, "Wow; that sounds serious."
"It is," Asuka said before calmly inquiring, "Now, what about you?"
Xiaoyu turned slightly dejected as she replied unconfidently, "Me? I'm here to rescue a good friend of mine. He's in big trouble, and I need to save him before it's too late."
Asuka, struck by how serious Xiaoyu's goal was, asked, "Really? What kind of trouble is he in?"
With memories of the brutal showing from Heihachi and Kazuya still rampaging through her mind, Xiaoyu grew even sadder as she unconfidently said, "He's being held captive by something … terrible. He just hasn't been himself. I just need to remind him and I know everything will be good again … I hope."
Asuka sympathetically said, "Wow, that sounds awful."
Xiaoyu, with doubt evident in her voice, said, "Yes, it's pretty bad. Also, I use to be certain, but I'm … I'm not so sure if I can save him anymore."
Hearing that, Asuka suddenly had a thought. She was going up against arguably the most powerful man on earth. When they fight, could she really defeat him? And even if she could, would it really stop him?
Sympathizing with Xiaoyu's statement, Asuka gently said, "Tell me about it. I'm not so sure I can beat my cousin when he face."
Xiaoyu paused, but lit up again with excitement as she happily offered, "Hey, I've got an idea. If I help you fight your cousin, will you help me save my friend? We can definitely accomplish our goals if we work together. So, what do say?"
Asuka was surprised as Xiaoyu extended her hand with a smile on her face. She seemed serious about it; she was actually offering help to someone she barely knew and she didn't even ask who Asuka's cousin was. Ultimately, however, she had a point, and she looked trustworthy. Asuka, in the end, gave Xiaoyu a smile of her own, and returned the handshake.
"It sounds good. It's a deal," Asuka gladly replied.
Just then, the two grunts from before reached the room with one entering the room, and the other standing in the door.
"Ling Xiaoyu, it's time for your match," the first suit monotonously said.
As she followed the two suited underlings out, Xiaoyu turned back, cheerfully saying to her new friend, "Talk to you later, Asuka-chan; good luck in your match."
Asuka, as she smiled and waved at the departing Xiaoyu, "Good luck, Xiao-chan; see ya later."
--
A mass announcement goes out to all watching the live satellite television feed:
It's been a long journey, we're finally here with the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 semi-finals! The four best fighters in this year's tournament have emerged, and will continue to battle to be named the World Champion. If you thought the action up to this point was intense, you haven't seen anything yet! Are you ready?! Are you excited?! Then, let's get started! Your two semifinal matches are: Ling Xiaoyu vs. Kazuya Mishima and Asuka Kazama vs. Jin Kazama. So to, our final four combatants and all those watching, Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready for the next battle!!
--
Innocent against Evil
As soon as she entered the transport ship, Xiaoyu noticed something strange; she could remember ever seeing one as big as the one she was on. But, before she could think about it further, the ship rumbled to a start, and was on its way. Over time, Xiaoyu figured that the semifinals just garnered bigger treatment, but then she noticed that this trip was taking a lot longer than it had ever taken in the previous rounds. Bored with just sitting, Xiaoyu walked to the front of the ship, looking over the side as the pristine blue ocean water elegantly passed by. As she admired the picturesque scene, Xiaoyu suddenly was jerked forward by the ship coming to an immediate
halt. Not sure what was going on, she quickly scanned the area around the ship, and, to her surprise, saw no land even on the horizon.
Investigating a bit further, Xiaoyu leaned over the side while being carefully to not lean too far, hoping to see some kind of clue as to what was happening, and then noticed the large 'G' painted on the side of the ship. Now, Xiaoyu was panicking. She wasn't on a Mishima Zaibatsu ship; she was on a G Corporation ship. She first thought she'd gotten on the wrong ship by mistake, but quickly dismissed it when she remembered she had followed her two escorts all the way on to the ship. In any case, she knew she had to get off the ship, but, before she could form a plan of escape, six metallic CLICKs rang out behind her, sending a cold chill down her spine as she slowly turned around. Standing across from her were six suited G corporation minions, their guns loaded and aimed at her.
As he slowly approached her, the tallest suit plainly said, "Don't move; we were told to merely delay you, but, if you resist, we will not cease to fire."
Not far from Xiaoyu now, the tall suit stopped, his gun still pointed right at her heart. Xiaoyu, despite her own unbelievable dread, quickly noted the position of each grunt and came up with a plan of action.
The tall suit then continued, "Just relax, and this won't end painfully."
Suddenly, the tall suit's phone rang, causing him to take his attention off Xiaoyu, and, in a moment that comparable to a lightning strike, Xiaoyu took a powerful step forward, and slammed him with a 'Storming Flower', sending him flying backwards until he crashed into the suit right behind him, incapacitating them both. As the remaining four suits were distracted by the quick action, Xiaoyu eliminated the suit closest suit to her with a strong, sidestepping sweep, a 'Phoenix Tail', and took out the grunt beside him with a quick rising kick, her 'Barrel Shotgun'. Just as the next underling turned around, Xiaoyu grabbed his shooting arm, twisted it, and flipped him behind her with a 'Dislocater' throw, dispatching him and disarming him at the same time. Unfortunately, this last move put her a good distance away from the last grunt with not enough time to attack, so she reacted instinctively by pointing the gun in her hands at him as he turned and pointed his gun at her. A standoff ensued, but it wasn't a very good one; Xiaoyu had never held a gun before, so she was understandably uncomfortable holding one in such a high pressure situation: her hands wouldn't stop shaking, and the gun itself felt like it weighed a ton.
Sensing her unwieldiness with a firearm, the last grunt held out his free hand, and persuaded Xiaoyu, "Alright, girl, we both know you can't fire that gun, so just hand it over. This game of yours is all finished now. Just put the gun in my hand."
The man then slowly approached her with his hand still outstretched. As he stopped in front of her, Xiaoyu knew he was right as she allowed the gun to force her hands down. As she looked at the deck of the ship, away from the man's face, she slowly placed the gun in his open hand, but, as he tried to pull away, he was stunned to find out he couldn't; Xiaoyu was holding his wrist. Then, before he could even point his gun at her, Xiaoyu surprised him with a Jumping spin kick, a 'Dragonfly', flipping him over his side and defeating the last of her foes. Xiaoyu's spur-of-the-moment ploy worked.
Just as Xiaoyu began looking for a way off the ship, the tallest suit pulled a remote out of his jacket as he said to himself, "Time for Plan B."
With that, he pressed the button, and rolled out of the way. Suddenly, the Captain's tower exploded with such force that it knocked Xiaoyu right of her feet. As she came to, she saw the six underlings run to the only rescue boat on the ship and drop over the side to the water below, and, as she got to her feet, she found out why. A small army of Jack-5s came tunneling out the now-destroyed and smoking Captain's tower, and she was their target. Rapidly, they surrounded her and began attacking. With furious and frantic speed, Xiaoyu began to fight them off, destroying them one by one only to be greeted by more coming out right behind them. Then, just as she was defeating one Jack-5, another managed to come up behind her without her noticing. Xiaoyu spun around just as it was bringing both fists down upon her, and she quickly shut her eyes as she braced herself for impact. After a moment when the blow didn't come, Xiaoyu slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see its arms stopped in mid-air, and sitting on its shoulders was an Egyptian-looking woman holding the Jack-5's now-severed head.
Knowing she couldn't just let the end of the world come to pass, Zafina figured that if she couldn't stop Jin Kazama, she might be able to stop Kazuya Mishima. So, she stowed away on this G Corporation ship in hopes of encountering him, but to her surprise it was only a Jack-5 transportation ship. She was going to get off, but, before she could sneak away, the ship began moving, forcing her to go along with it. She had managed to stay hidden until the explosion and all the Jack-5s suddenly activated. Thinking they would attack her on sight, Zafina readied herself, but was shocked when they all started ignoring her, simply filing past her. Curious as to where they were going, she followed them only to be stunned to find them all fighting one Chinese girl. With nowhere else to go herself and not wanting this girl to just be massacred, Zafina decided to help her.
As the Egyptian woman tossed the Jack head aside and jumped down from the now-crumbling Jack body, Xiaoyu gratefully asked, "Thank you so much. Who are you?"
"I'm Zafina," she replied before quickly changing the focus, "but that's not important now. We must focus on surviving for the time being."
"Right," Xiaoyu quickly answered just as another wave of Jack-5s came from inside the ship.
--
Meanwhile, at the arena, Kazuya waited silently with his arms crossed. He'd actually arrived a time ago, but Ling Xiaoyu had yet to be even heard from. In the meantime, the tournament staff was frantically searching for her, and a deadline was put in place. Finally, as the deadline slowly passed, the announcement went out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay and this unfortunate development," the announcer's voice rang out through the area, "Due to absence of Ling Xiaoyu, the winner of this match by default is Kazuya Mishima. Please proceed to the final stage."
As he uncrossed his arms and began to make his exit, an evil smile crept onto Kazuya's face. His plan had worked to perfection…
--
Kazama conflict: Is she here?
Jin was speechless, cast into a state of stunned stupor by the equivalent of a Lucid Dream. Across from him stood a younger version of the one person he'd never thought he'd see again; from her brown hair to her posture to the all-too-familiar white band in her hair, this young woman was almost a near mirror image of the lost lady. Even in the dark area of 'Gargoyle's Perch', surrounded by gothic statues, shadowy structures, twisted formations, she seemed to be giving off a subtle, white glow.
Suddenly, the announcer's voice rang out through the area, "Asuka Kazama, Jin Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"
"Finally, I get to meet you face-to-face," Asuka said, not noticing Jin's reaction to her.
Still in a state of shock, Jin stammered shakily, "… W-Who … who are you?"
"I'm the one who has to stop you," Asuka assertively replied before continuing with extra authority in her voice, "You're a morally-bankrupt, depraved terrorist, oppressing just about the whole world; you're a disgusting shame to our entire family especially … your mother, Jun."
The very mention of his mother plunged Jin into something akin to terror, causing him to weakly ask, "… H-How do you know my mother?"
Asuka took a step forward, and strongly replied, "I'm Asuka Kazama … her niece!"
In complete disbelief, Jin could only manage to whisper, "… W-What??"
At that moment, Jin felt as if something was compressing his heart, a sharp pain rising in his chest. Right behind it, Jin's developed a pulsing headache so incredible that it felt as if his temples would blast right out of his skull. Outwardly, Jin went pale, and looked nauseous. While it seemed as if Asuka's words had merely struck him, in truth, the entire encounter had woken up the good part of Jin that had been lying dormant ever since his battle with his great-grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima. His current illness was a side-effect of a desperate attempt to break the bonds that the Devil had on his soul.
Ignorant to all of this, Asuka asked indignantly, "What's wrong? You seemed surprised?"
As Asuka started to talk again, the pain suddenly grew harsh enough to cause Jin to actually hold his head with his hands. Tortured by the aching, Jin could only grit his teeth in anguish.
Asuka, thinking her words where getting through, continued to taunt Jin, saying, "Or maybe all of your crimes are catching up to you."
Still struggling with himself, Jin replied with a harsh whisper, "Shut up!"
"What?! Does it hurt to know you're a villain, a criminal," Asuka responded to Jin's weak command before firmly lashing back, "Does it hurt to know my aunt, your mother would be sickened if she could see you now?"
Suddenly, in a violent outburst, Jin shouted at Asuka, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!!"
Both Kazamas then assumed their fighting stances.
The announcer's voice then blasted through the area, "Round 1! Fight!"
Asuka owned the first round. Jin was still suffering from his internal struggle, and his abilities suffered as well; he was slower, and he couldn't put as much as power into his attack as he usually could. Asuka, not giving him as inch, easily took advantage of Jin's weakened state, dominating his errant strikes and punishing his lacking offense. Frustrated with his ineffectiveness, Jin's struggle began to halt as the evil within started to regain control due his growing anger and aggravation. When the second round started, Jin came screaming back, pushing through his strife through sheer will and fury. As such, Jin's tactics became unpredictable and erratic, giving Asuka more than a hard way to go. Ultimately, Jin narrowly subjects her to defeat. While she was regaining herself, Jin managed to dispatch the rest of his 'illness' as his evil side regained most of his control. Not fighting himself any longer, Jin reverted back to his regular fighting strategy as the third and final round began. This round was very even throughout, the tide of momentum constantly shifting back and forth like waves during a violent storm, until the entire fight came down to the wire.
Jin and Asuka knew they couldn't go on much longer; they had beaten each other senseless the whole fight, and it was starting to take its toll. As they stared each other down, trying to catch their breath, they knew that their next attacks would probably be their last, and they had to make them count. Asuka and Jin then both dashed backwards a bit, to give themselves enough space. Asuka spun towards Jin once; Jin stood up straight as he held one arm out in front of him. Asuka spun a second time, gathering a green aura around her lower body; Jin channeled his power in to his fist, red lightning crackling fiercely around him. Asuka spun one last time, translating the momentum into her 'Spinning Heel Drop'; Jin took a powerful step forward, thrusting his 'Avenger' ahead. Next, in a split-second, both fighters went spiraling backwards, a cloud of green smoke and red sparks flying through the air where both attacks collided. An incredible, unbelievable silence grew through the area as both fighters laid on their backs until …
"Jin Kazama wins! Please proceed to the final stage," the announcer's voice resounded through the area as Jin slowly rose to his feet.
Jin, without a further word, began exiting the area.
Pushing through the still present pain in her chest, Asuka called out as she got to her feet, "Hey! Wait! I'm not done with you yet."
Jin didn't hesitate or even turn back; he just kept walking. Asuka, now completely ignoring her aching, quickly ran up beside him.
"You're really just gonna turn your back on your family? Just like that" Asuka angrily accosted Jin.
Again, Jin completely ignored her, not turning his head toward her or even acknowledging her presence; he just kept walking. Asuka, not one who liked being ignored, angrily ran ahead, turned in front of him, and held him back with both her hands.
"Stop and listen to me, you jackass! You can't just …" Asuka furiously began before …
Suddenly, a bright, white formless aura began to emanate from Asuka, and illuminate the area, effectively getting both Kazamas attention. As they looked at each other in confusion and fright, neither sure of what was going on, the pristine essence seemed to come out of Asuka and enter Jin's body. Almost immediately, Jin had a similar but much more intense reaction that he had in the beginning of the match. For the first time in months, Jin, the good side of Jin, was somewhat free; the chains the Devil had wrapped around Jin's soul had loosened. Outwardly, Jin appeared even worse than before, holding his head tightly with both hands against his temples, his eyes fiercely shut, his teeth barred, which caused Asuka to worriedly back away from him and allow him to drop to his knees in torment. Nevertheless, while he had some time, Jin desperately called out to the light surrounding him.
Suddenly, as Asuka listened on in horror, Jin said in a grisly, twistedly-tormented tone, "… Help … meeee …"
Asuka had never heard someone speak like that; it was like something out of a nightmare. However, she could easily sense his anguish, and, despite everything, he was still her cousin and she couldn't just let him suffer like he was. Not sure what to do, Asuka hesitantly approached him again as she gingerly reached for him.
"What's happening to you? I don't know … how to …" Asuka said to Jin, concern heavy in her voice.
However, though there was a much-fiercer struggle taking place, Jin's evil side was still in control. Seeing her reaching out, Jin swatted her hand away before she could touch him again. Suddenly, Jin's wings burst his back with the force of a parachute, quickly pulling him up to his feet. With an unearthly urgency, Jin turned, began
running as his wings began to flap fiercely, and took off flying into the air in the other direction. Asuka could only watch in awe as he soared out of sight.
"Whoa. What is he," Asuka barely audibly whispered to herself in amazement.
Thoroughly enthralled by the sight alone, Asuka just remained where she stood, frozen in place looking to where he flew off; the very thought she saw someone, her cousin no less, sprout angelic wings and actually fly off just sent a cadre of different emotions including confusion, wonderment, and astonishment running through mind. Asuka was so stunned by the sight that she didn't notice a tournament escort come up right behind her.
"Ms. Asuka," the escort said, breaking her brief trance and causing her to spin around, "Your transport is ready; we must ask you to leave."
--
As the Worst Draws Near
In the impressive, high-tech motorboat away from the area, Asuka just couldn't shake her match with her cousin from her mind. Above all else, she could still hear his gruesome cry for help ringing in her ears. She tried to convince herself to just let him go especially since he could grow wings and fly. Still, something within her told her not to simply ignore Jin's plea. After much debate, Asuka decided to listen to her inclination, and try to help her cousin, whatever that meant. She wasn't going home just yet.
"Excuse me, but do you know where the final match is taking place," Asuka asked the nearby captain as she rose to her feet.
The captain, who was concentrating on driving the boat and didn't notice Asuka coming up behind him, replied, "Ground Zero Isle. Why do you …"
BAM! In an instant, the captain was knocked unconscious, bringing the boat to an abrupt stop. Asuka took his limp body, and gently laid it on the floor against the wall, out of the way and out of sight.
"I'm sorry, captain-san, but I have somewhere else I need to be," Asuka apologized to the knocked-out captain.
Then, she turned to the console, and was frozen in awe again. Before her was a massive expanse of turns, dials, and levers, not to mention an array of buttons and lights that resembled a dropped bag of Skittles™. Luckily, out of the collection, she noticed the 'Auto-Captain' button, and quickly activated it. Immediately, a screen appeared, and, after a brief scan with her eyes, chose 'Ground Zero Isle' as her destination. Almost immediately, the boat sped off into the water.
As she was carried to her location, Asuka suddenly noticed a large G Corporation ship that seemed to be smoking coming into view. Knowing people could be hurt, Asuka quickly decided to board the large water transport. Just as she came up to the side, Asuka managed to stop her motorboat, leaving it running, deftly climbed up the ship's anchor chain, jumped on to the deck of the ship, and …
…
Xiaoyu exclaimed as her newest friend came bounding over the side of the ship, "Asuka-chan?!"
"Xiao-chan," Asuka exclaimed, reacting to the sight of the one person she least expected to see.
Xiaoyu enthusiastically followed, saying, "Asuka-chan, I'm sooo glad to see you; we could really use your help."
By this time, Zafina noticed the new person on the boat, and immediately she was struck by what she sensed. This new girl had a surprisingly large amount of spiritual power, and, for the first time, she also noticed Xiaoyu did as well. While the new one, Asuka she realized Xiaoyu called her, had a power that seemed genetic, Zafina realized Xiaoyu's power stemmed from elsewhere: the purity of her spirit, her heart, and … something else that even Zafina herself didn't recognize, but whatever it was, it was indeed powerful. On top of all of this, they seemed to be good friends. Almost instantly, Zafina's mind began to run away from her with thoughts of how strong these two would be combined, but, before long, she felt danger coming.
"Ladies, I'm afraid our fight is not yet over," Zafina called out to the two chatting girls.
Instantly after Zafina's call, one more wave of Jack-5s emerged from the bottom of the ship, but this time they were accompanied by a fully-armored Jack-6. With all three ladies fighting together, all of the Jack-5s were dispatched of with relative ease, but the Jack-6 was a totally different beast. Their strikes seemed to have very little effect of it, and even if they were attacking it, it didn't stop it from attacking them. When they blocked, most
of its shots got through anyway because its immense power. After a brief session of fighting, Asuka, Xiaoyu, and Zafina knew they could go toe-to-toe with this mechanical monster for long. Then, Zafina noticed the Jack-6's self-destruct trigger underneath its chest plate. Quickly, to Asuka and Xiaoyu's horror, she charged at the Jack, and, in one skillful, precise strike, managed to activate the trigger through the chest plate. Before she could retreat however, the Jack-6 landed a solid hit by pumping its arm like shotgun, hitting her in the side with a 'Piston Gun Assault' and putting a sizeable gash right beneath her ribcage. The damage was done however as the countdown appeared on its visor. 15 … 14 … 13…
"That thing's going to explode! Run! Leave me," Zafina yelled to her partners as she held her side.
12 … 11 … 10 …
Xiaoyu hurriedly responded, "No way! We're not gonna just leave you here!"
9 … 8 … 7 …
Zafina then speedily replied, "Look, you two are the last hope for the world. You must go! Now, run!"
6 … 5 … 4 …
Without delay, both Asuka and Xiaoyu sprinted to Zafina, lifted her up, and dashed towards the edge of the ship.
3 … 2 … 1 …
All three went over the side when … KABOOOOOM!! The ship was thoroughly leveled as Asuka, Xiaoyu, and Zafina hit the water; by the slimmest of margins, the three of them had made it.
--
"What took you so long," Kazuya outwardly wondered as he sensed a familiar presence nearing.
Out of the distance, Jin came flying through the air towards Ground Zero Isle, the site of the final match. Seeing his opponent, Jin landed across from Kazuya, his wings quickly retracting as he touched down. A stare-down for the ages commenced …
"I guess there's nothing left to say," Jin said, breaking the silence.
Kazuya only smirked as he replied, "I guess not."
Suddenly, the announcer's voice began, "Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, get …"
Out of nowhere, the announcer's voice was cut off, and it seemed as if the entire island was shaking. A violent tremor had unexpectedly struck Ground Zero.
--
Back on the motorboat, Asuka and Xiaoyu were applying first aid to Zafina as the ship sped through the water. Suddenly, Zafina's eyes shot open with an eerie, horrified look in them, causing both Xiaoyu and Asuka to jump back in surprise and fright.
Zafina, with a soft, creepy, terrified tone, said, "Oh no, it's starting …"
End Chapter
Next time: "Evil stars, sons of the Devil, I am … the bringer of your death. Prepare for annihilation and assimilation."
A/N: Okay, I know it was long, and I commend those who stayed with me the whole way. If not, I understand. I promise the next chapter will be shorter as it's essentially one large fight. I hope I kept your attention the whole way, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you come back again. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.