We're over the hump! Congrats to those who made it this far. Painfully predictable Round 1 is more than halfway over : D
Author's Pick: #20 and #22 have Rocky-level action lol. Either one is best~
Hope you're still entertained.
Iori Yagami was pissed off. He had a 2 in 79 chance of getting the opponent he actually wanted in Round 1; obviously the odds were against him from the start. But the stubborn, unrelenting Yagami didn't care about statistics; in his pigheaded, entitled mind, he convinced himself he would get to face Kusanagi or Ash at his leisure, whenever he saw fit, and nobody would tell him otherwise.
Needless to say, this was not reality.
OPENING ROUND FIGHT #19: IORI YAGAMI VS DUCK KING
The redhead couldn't be more disconnected from his current situation: standing in front of the always energetic, infinitely annoying Duck King, who was moving and grooving in front of him with his blue tongue flailing.
"WOOOO BABY! LEMME SEE YA GROOOOVE! LETTIN' LOOSE THOSE FUNKADELIC FISTICUFFS BABAY! OWWW!"
Iori shook his head and scoffed, running a hand through his hair in true douchebag fashion. With a roll of his eyes, he extended his hand and flexed his fingers.
"You see this hand?"
Duck stopped jiving and looked forward. "Yo?"
"If you don't get the f*** out of my face in the next 10 seconds, this hand is gonna rip out your intestines and force-feed em down your throat until you choke on your own stomach juice."
As if someone flipped the "OFF" switch on him, Duck's groove was now non-existent. His face was frozen in place, the only thing making an effort to hide his fear the sunglasses he always wore. It only took a few seconds of staring into Iori's eyes to know the redhead was NOT bluffing.
Without another word shared, Duck King turned tail and ran his ass off.
WINNER: IORI YAGAMI
"Poor Duck... I wouldn't wish that on anybody." Shingo shook his head.
"Never change, Yagami." Kyo sighed. "Never change."
Iori returned to his seat and sat back down, no better off than when he got his fight notice.
OPENING ROUND FIGHT #20: SIE KENSOU VS WOLFGANG KRAUSER
In the non-fighter stands, Chin Gentsai sat with an open bottle of sake. Flanking left and right were his two youngest disciples: Bao and Momoko, novices in terms of Psycho Power, but still gifted nonetheless.
"...Master Chin?" Bao asked.
"Yeah, what?" Chin grumbled.
"How come you wouldn't let us fight in the tournament?"
"Because you're too green! This tournament is a milestone; it's for fighters who have put in the time to be called the greats! You two have only just begun on the path of martial arts. You're too young to be in a competition with these big dogs!"
"Then how come you're not fighting?" Momoko inquired.
"Unlike those fools Tung and Jubei, I'm smart enough to know I'm too old for this nonsense. I've entrusted the task of representing Psycho Soldiers to Athena and Kensou. I'm sure they'll do fine."
"Do you think Kensou can win the competition?" Bao asked.
"That lovesick dumpling-head? No. Athena, yes."
"Hey, Kensou's fighting now! Boy, does he look scared." Momoko pointed.
Chin leaned over and squinted his eyes; when he saw the opponent, they popped open wide.
"My god... Krauser..."
In the combat zone, Kensou was losing his cool. He maintained an awkward grin, but the more his eyes scanned the nearly 7 foot specimen of pure muscle in front of him, the more his legs wobbled.
"Gotta stay cool... gotta stay cool... gotta stay cool... Athena's watching me... AH! Meat bun!"
Kensou reached a trembling hand into his pocket and pulled out his favorite snack, scarfing it down. But the kid was so nervous he didn't chew his food properly.
"AUGH! AHK! COUGH COUGH!"
Krauser rolled his eyes as he finished tossing his red cape aside. "Are you ready to fight, kid? Or are you gonna pass out before we even start?"
Kensou finished choking and got into stance, trying to look as brave as possible.
"Now look here! I don't care if you are the Emperor of Darkness or whatever you call yourself. My future wife is up there watching me, and I am NOT going to embarrass myself in front of her! So put up your hands, pal!"
Krauser's lips formed a malicious smile. "So you fight for pride and dignity eh? Then we have much in common. Unfortunately, I cannot lose this fight either. My life is sustained only by the honor I bring to the name of Stronheim. To me, honor is everything. And... I lost mine a long time ago."
He swung his arm dramatically. "Since I've been away, my reputation has diminished, my name lower than mud! I WILL regain my place at the top of the food chain. When I win this competition, my greatness will once again be recognized!"
Kensou scratched his head. "Dude, I don't care about your melodramatic mumbo jumbo. I'm trying to impress a girl here! You see, my plan is this: I'm going to get as far as possible, and hope Athena does too. We'll meet in the final two, and I'll take a dive and allow her to win! Together, the two of us will celebrate her victory and she'll be so lost in the moment that I'll finally confess to her and she will ACCEPT ME!"
Krauser chuckled as he nodded in acknowledgement. "Young love, eh? A noble cause to fight for. Very well then. Let's see whose ambition will prevail."
FIGHT!
Kensou frontflipped forward several times for style, transitioning into a tornado kick which struck Krauser in the stomach. However, the purple-haired man's impressive abdomen absorbed the kick like body armor.
Kensou twisted his body and threw a spinning kick to Krauser's left leg; the man raised his shin to check it, and Kensou's leg collided with his golden shinguard. Immediately, the Psycho Soldier could feel his foot numbing; as soon as he tried to put pressure on it, it gave out.
Krauser took advantage when he saw Kensou stumble, coming forward with a lunging knee to his face. If the shinguard was painful, the metal kneecap to his face was even WORSE. Kensou was floored immediately, his face dazed; there was a huge gash on his forehead where the edge of the metal struck him.
"This is not good..." Chin hung his head.
"Ewwww he's bleeding!" Momoko looked away, sticking her tongue out in disgust.
Kensou leaped up and the blood drizzled into his eyes; as he tried to wipe it away, Krauser was on him immediately. The physically superior man scooped him up and leaped into the air, sending Kensou crashing behind him with a flying suplex.
"Uaaaaaagh...!"
Kensou was bloody, his foot numb... and now his back hurt something awful. He was totally miserable right now. But what made him get back up? What foolhardy goal drove him to carry on this grueling, losing battle?
Her.
Athena was up there in the stands right now, her hands clasped together fearfully as she watched him with full attention. He could see it in her eyes... her worry for him. Those beautiful purple eyes... he swore not to lose as long as those eyes were watching.
As Krauser leaned down to pick Kensou back up, the Psycho Soldier spring kicked directly into his face, achieving the double result of stunning Krauser and leaping back to his feet. When Kensou was upright again, he leaped up and brought his heel crashing across Krauser's cheek with a spinning kick. As the large man stumbled, Kensou hit him with a hard body blow, his fist fueled by his Psycho Power. To complete the combo, Kensou leaped up and decked him in the face with both feet, gracefully somersaulting through the air and landing perfect in stance.
As Krauser stumbled backwards on wobbly feet, Kensou unleashed his Psycho Power in the form of a crimson projectile, launching it forward at high speed.
...But this time Krauser was ready.
"BLITZ BALL!" Krauser called out his attack as he flung a fireball at the precise moment to meet Kensou's energy sphere mid-flight. The two balls collided, producing an explosion that warmed their skin from the shockwave.
As the smoke cleared, Kensou appeared in front of Krauser with a leaping palm strike (he had to leap to reach the guy's face properly)
The first one struck him, but Kensou got greedy and went for a second one. This is when Krauser finally intercepted his hand and crushed it in his grasp.
"Ahhhh!" Kensou howled in pain as Krauser's grip was like a pair of giant pliers.
Krauser drew his beefy arm back and clobbered Kensou in the face with his gold-plated gauntlet. He let go of the boy's hand... and Kensou was sent stumbling backwards on jello legs. But he didn't go down.
A Krauser right hook encouraged him, slamming into the boy's cheek and snapping his head sideways. But STILL he stood.
"You're too tough for your own good, kid. YAAAH!" Krauser finally brought the boy down with a push kick. To his amazement, Kensou leaped back up seconds later!
"That all you got, big guy?!" Kensou screamed, his face a mask of blood right now.
"Kensou's taking a beating, Master Chin!" Bao squeaked. "This is awful!"
"Yes it is..." Chin replied, a hand on his cheek. "But he won't stop, as long as she's watching..."
In the fighter stands, Athena's eyes were still on him, glistening from tears threatening to spill over. She didn't know why she kept looking; she was encouraging him to continue the longer she stared. She was the cause of his suffering... if she just looked away right now, he'd realize how badly he was hurting her by taking such punishment.
"You should stay down, kid. I don't wish to hurt you any further." Krauser threatened.
"I'M NOT QUITTING!" Kensou yelled. "COME ON!"
"Then you've sealed your fate!"
Kensou leaped at him shin-first, hitting him in the stomach with a flying kick. Krauser didn't budge.
Kensou hit him with a 1-2 to the body, then spun around with a backfist. Still, Krauser wasn't bothered by it.
Finally, Kensou leaped high like a monkey and slammed his palms into Krauser's ears. THIS one managed to disorient the big guy, as his ears began to ring with a piercing shrill.
"ARRRRRGH!"
Unfortunately, Krauser was fast enough to catch Kensou in mid-air; the big man mercilessly lifted the boy high and powerbombed him into the ground. As soon as he let go, Kensou went flat.
"KENSOU, STOP!" Athena finally cried, leaping to her feet. "You don't have to prove anything to me! I won't think any less of you, even if you lose here!"
...But Kensou didn't listen. His body was the definition of pain, every inch of him screaming with pulsing agony. Even then, he brought his arms and legs up to lift himself. Albeit slower than normal, he pushed off the ground and launched himself back up.
With every ounce of passion and spirit in his soul, he had one message:
"ATHEEEEENAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Athena's eyes widened as she witnessed Kensou's body explode with red energy, his hair standing up as the ground all around him quaked. Was this... the extent of his love for her?!
Kensou leaped at Krauser with a flying double kick, bashing him in the face and backflipping to his feet. As Krauser stumbled, Kensou soared at him with a superpowered punch, but Krauser caught his fist and threw him into the air.
"BLITZ BALL! BLITZ BALL BLITZ BALL BLITZ BALL BLITZ BALL BLITZ BAAAAAAALL!"
Krauser screamed with fury as he launched an onslaught of fireballs, juggling Kensou in the air until his body couldn't even be seen in the fiery explosions.
The purple-haired man took a deep breath; surely when the smoke cleared he'd be...?
But he wasn't.
"HYAAAAAAAAH!" Kensou flew at him and smashed his face with the force of a comet. Krauser officially went down for the first time in this fight, landing butt-first.
"Look at Kensou go!" Momoko cheered. "Is this the Dragon Spirit?"
Chin shook his head. "No... this is just showing off for Athena."
Krauser stood back up; he was met with a double fist to the stomach that actually buckled him! Kensou followed up with a switch kick to the face, sending the mustached man on his back feet.
"This kid...!" Krauser cursed as he backpedaled to escape Kensou's fury.
"KEEP GOING KENSOU! YOU'RE DOING GREAT!" Athena cheered. The girl had changed her tune; a minute ago she wanted him to quit, now she wished he'd never stop. He was amazing... she could feel her insides warming up just watching him.
Kensou lunged with a low kick, but Krauser checked it. He tried to go to the body with a kick, but Krauser's forearms bounced it off like it was nothing. He spun around with a tornado kick; Krauser tilted his head back and Kensou's foot merely grazed his mustache.
As Kensou landed on his feet, his chest was met with a straight left that sent him flying back until he landed facefirst. He quickly sprang back up, and charged forward.
"Man, Kensou's not quitting!" Bao exclaimed. "He's gonna keep going forever!"
Chin was focusing carefully now... he was curious to see where this went.
Kensou kicked Krauser in the stomach, then twisted his body into a spinning kick to the face. He then launched himself up and came down on Krauser's crown with a heel kick to complete the combo. Krauser fell to one knee, but he retaliated with a rising uppercut that lifted Kensou off his feet. The big man's blows were just too heavy; they threw Kensou around with little effort.
"Huff... huff.. I WON'T LOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!" the boy cried with determination.
Kensou sprang back up with a grin and charged at Krauser... but something was different. He just didn't have the same pep in his step from a while ago; he could feel his legs getting sluggish, his punches turning weaker... he was slowing down. He seemed to realize this, and the grin faded from his mouth.
"Oh no, Kensou stopped glowing!" Momoko squealed.
"I was afraid of this... the boy used too much power too fast." Chin shook his head. "He's pooped."
Kensou took a tired breath, leaped up and struck Krauser in the cheek... but the mustached man's face didn't budge an inch. He was spent... the fire and passion in his blows had flickered out like a dying candle.
Krauser pushed the initiative, lunging forward with a brutal fist to the stomach. Kensou didn't have a snowball's chance of dodging it; he took it full force, bringing him to his knees.
"Kensou..." Athena whispered solemnly, closing her eyes. Deep down, she had sensed this outcome from the start; she knew Kensou better than anyone, and only Kensou could blow his wad trying to do something crazy to impress her.
Krauser stood him back up and pushed him backwards. The relentless man lunged and floored Kensou with a spinning lariat, the metal of the gauntlet smacking him in the face and laying him out.
"Sorry to do this to you kid..." Krauser apologized as he grabbed Kensou and lifted him. "...but you've surprised me one time too many in this fight. I have to make sure you don't get back up."
Half the audience and fighters looked away with a wince as Krauser threw Kensou into the air and drew his hands back.
"KAISER WAAAAAAAVE!"
Krauser thrust his hands and unleashed his mightiest attack: a sizable purple wave of pure energy, which soared with intense velocity and tore through Kensou in a flash.
"UAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh...!" Kensou's wail of defeat pierced their ears as his clothing exploded from the massive force. When the critical attack was over he fell to the ground, his hair a mess and wearing nothing but his half-torn shorts.
WINNER: WOLFGANG KRAUSER
Krauser approached the fallen Kensou... but with no malice in his heart. Instead, he took a knee and brought his head down, bowing out of respect for the boy's courage.
"You fought a fantastic battle, young man. You possess strength and courage that I've rarely seen before. It was an honor to share the arena with you. Thank you."
With that, Krauser rose back up and gathered his cape. With a clap of his hands, he called for his servant.
"LAURENCE!"
As fast as the matador's legs could carry him, Laurence Blood appeared by his side.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Go and get a couple of beers. We shall toast to my victory... and the rebirth of Stronheim's glory!"
As Kensou laid there, his body paralyzed from pain... he was grinning ear to ear. He wasn't too shaken up about defeat; he felt like the biggest badass ever to trade fists with Krauser and put on such a performance. And knowing Athena was watching... that made him feel like 2 million bucks.
"KENSOU!" he could hear her voice cry out, but he couldn't turn his head to see her. It wasn't until Athena came sprinting into his peripheral vision that he finally was able to capture her beauty: her flowing purple locks, her tear-filled eyes... her adorable lips pursed, trying to stifle sobs.
"Athena... I did... awesome." Kensou chuckled.
"You dummy!" Athena cried, falling down to her knees and scooping up Kensou in her arms. It was incredibly painful to be moved so brusquely... but Athena's hug made it all worthwhile.
"Why did you do it?' she whispered. "Why do you have to be so reckless? You should have just quit before he did all that to you..."
"Why do you think I did it, huh?" Kensou mumbled. "Do you seriously think... I was gonna go out like a bitch... with you... watching... ughhhhhhhhhhhh..."
With a final groan, Kensou passed out in her arms, his face buried in her chest.
"Oh Kensou... you're so foolish..." Athena smiled. She gently stroked his hair, leaning down to kiss him on the temple. She gently laid him down, so the paramedics could come take him.
"Wait for me Kensou. As soon as I'm done here, I'll come join you at the hospital... and I swear I won't leave your side."
In the stands, Momoko and Bao were still going nuts about how awesome Kensou looked. But Chin was silent, his eyes closed as he pondered deeply.
I always said that kid was the definition of untapped potential... could that have been a breakthrough?
OPENING ROUND FIGHT #21: DIO VS GEEGUS
"Whoooooa...look at these two freaks!" Terry pointed.
"What in the hell... what is this?!" Kyo inquired. "Baby Blue Alien Man vs... Bald Metal Man?!"
In the combat zone, two supernatural entities faced each other. One one side: a humanoid specimen whose entire body was sky blue, from head to toe. His eyes were a deep shade of amber, as well as the strange round gem that resided on a peculiar-looking blue growth on his head. He also appeared to have hair: a thick clump of tightly woven blue strands that were slicked back.
On the other side: another humanoid form, although this one seemed to only be shaped like one. He was bald, with a perfect Adonis-like body, with no clothing. He was COMPLETELY silver, save for his piercing red eyes.
"Hey! I recognize that blue guy!" Ai pointed out.
"Really? Who is he?" Ryo asked.
"WAREZ created a clone of him. He was called... Neo Dio. But that clone is dead now. This must be the original!"
"...He IS the original." a mysterious voice called out.
Everyone nearby turned and were met by the stern gaze of Hanzo. He was standing there, arms folded, looking as epic as a ninja giving exposition possibly could.
"How do you know?" Robert asked.
"I have fought him before." Hanzo replied.
"Oh... well, is he strong?"
"Yes. Dio commands the power of fire, ice, and electricity. He can alter his limbs to take on many forms. He possesses equal parts strength, speed, intelligence... and has no conscience. He is the perfect engine of destruction."
Ryo's eyebrows shot up. "Damn. He sounds dangerous."
In the combat zone, tensions were at a boil between these two creatures. The silver man stepped forward and thrust his finger.
"You cannot hope to defeat me now, Dio! I've acquired greater power than you could ever imagine! OBSERVE!"
Dio's face didn't change, he just stood there arms folded as Geegus suddenly melted into a silver puddle.
"That's his power? Melting? I guess his name is Popsicle Man or something." Shen Woo teased.
A few seconds later, the puddle began to reshape... taking human form... but it wasn't Geegus. It was...!
"WHOA!"
"What the...!"
"HOW did he?!"
"As you can see, I've copied the data of every single fighter in this tournament." Geegus boasted. His current form was that of Geese Howard himself. Suddenly, he melted AGAIN: this time, he re-emerged as Krauser!
"I contain the might of all the most powerful fighters on this planet! I can be anybody! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Dio just scoffed. "Hmph. You will never defeat me, Geegus. Do you know why? Because you don't possess any REAL strength. Your power is simply borrowed from others. I will defeat you with my own arms, my own legs, my OWN power! Now... fulfill your purpose in life, and die beneath my feet."
FIGHT!
Dio came forward with a looping leg kick; Geegus lifted his leg to dodge it, and Dio's foot whizzed past. He spun his body around, flowing with the momentum, and came back around with another kick. But this time... his leg seemed longer, as if he had stretched it! Furthermore, his foot no longer had its normal shape: it had transformed into a sharp, blade-like form.
This time Dio's kick cleaved through Geegus's torso like butter, severing the silver humanoid at the legs. The audience was horrified at the sight of someone getting cut in half right in front of them... but that trauma changed to bewilderment when the two halves of Geegus just melted to the ground in a puddle.
The puddle bubbled a few times, then re-emerged in the form of Kyo Kusanagi. He was an exact replica of Kyo, right down to the headband... but he was silver.
"Two Kusanagis." Iori scoffed. "What a shitty world we live in."
Geegus's body coursed with a blazing fire; although not the sacred Kusanagi flame, it was still a pretty convincing copy. He charged forward with his fists extended and started pouring on Dio with several hard strikes, a trail of fire following each swing as he threw fast and fierce.
Dio parried the shots easily with his hands, then drew back and sliced through Geegus with a blade protruding from his forearm. Everything from the arms up went flying, as the rest of the mutilated body fell over.
Geegus regathered himself into a puddle, then re-emerged as Terry.
"BURN KNUCKLE!"
Geegus torpedoed forward with Bogard's signature move, a fist of blazing chi. But Dio intercepted him mid flight with a backflip kick, knocking Geegus out of his attack and sending him to the ground hard.
Geegus reformed: this time he was Goro Daimon.
With a grunt, Geegus raised his stocky arms and slammed his palms into the earth, creating a tremendous shockwave that shook the entire Coliseum.
But Dio leaped high into the air, avoiding the damage altogether; he came down on Geegus with his legs extended, wrapping them around his neck and sending the humanoid on a wild ride with a brutal Frankensteiner.
Geegus was slammed against the ground so hard, his neck snapped and his solid form burst. Dio had plenty of time to get back to his feet before the puddle took form once again, this time as Ryo Sakazaki.
"HAOH SHO KOH KEN!"
Geegus thrust his palms and let loose Ryo's nastiest weapon: a fireball of terrifying size and speed. The giant blue projectile was bigger than Dio as it traveled towards him, threatening to blow him away.
Dio rolled his eyes and raised a flaming fist. As soon as the fireball came towards him, he lunged forward and punched it!
BOOOOM!
The fireball exploded in Dio's face, creating a huge smokescreen that obscured the blue alien from the rest of the audience.
"Whoa... no way he survived that." Ryo gasped.
"Yeah... nobody shoots fireballs like Kyokugen guys." Robert agreed.
"Oh my god... look!" Yuri pointed.
The smoke cleared... and Dio was perfectly fine. He was just standing there, his fist still extended.
"What... the... f***" Ryo's words spilled out slowly.
"Use whatever form you want, Geegus. It won't delay your demise for a second extra." Dio coldly stated.
Now angry, Geegus melted and re-emerged: this time he was Geese.
"REPPUKEN! REPPUKEN! REPPUKEN!"
Dio's speed was impressive; he sidestepped each blue wave as it soared towards him, and closed in on Geegus quickly. He drew his hand back, curling his fingers into claws. An electric aura began to sizzle in his palm, forming a huge electro-ball within his grasp.
Dio thrust his hand into Geegus's chest, his arm seeping into the silver man's gelatinous form.
"Die."
"UAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Geegus howled with pain as electricity burst from every pore. He was unable to contain his solid form, as his body sizzled and spurted from multiple areas. His arms melted, his legs... it was only a matter of time before...
KERSPLAT!
Geegus's body exploded all over the arena floor, covering a wide radius in little silver stains.
"Oh my god...ewww..." Yuri groaned.
Dio stood there triumphantly, his arms folded as the little pieces of Geegus slowly reformed... much slower and weaker than before. Instead of taking form, the puddle just slinked away.
WINNER: DIO
Everyone in the stands just sat there bedazzled, still trying to wrap their heads around what they just saw.
"So let me get this straight... a blue alien guy... just blew up a silver metal... shape-shifting... blob?" Kyo said it aloud just to vocalize the insanity.
"Sh-SHINGO DON'T MOVE! YOU GOT SOME OF IT ON YOU!" Benimaru screamed.
"GAAAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" Shingo squealed as he started smacking himself all over, like he was swatting a cockroach.
"...Just kidding."
Shingo lowered his eyebrows. "Ben, you're an asshole. I'm gonna go sit over there with Yagami."
"HAHAHA!"
The kid actually wasn't bluffing, as he stood up and walked away from the Japan Team to go do exactly what he said.
"Ah, you'll be back in two minutes." Benimaru laughed.
OPENING ROUND FIGHT #22: THE REAL OG MR. KARATE VS BROCKEN
"Hey, look on the TV. It says Papa's fighting next!" Yuri pointed.
"Ah yes, only he could pick such a goofy name." Robert chuckled. "You guys worried about him?"
"I dunno... he's not that active in King of Fighters anymore." Ryo shrugged. "I'm afraid he'll be a little rusty."
"But Papa knows more about Kyokugen than all of us combined." Yuri argued.
"He's old, sis. In the fight game, age is one of the biggest factors. Pops just might not have it in him anymore..."
...Of course, someone failed to tell Takuma this. The Kyokugen master felt 30 years younger as he walked out to the combat zone in a traditional white Karate gi, his black belt proudly displayed around his waist. And on his face... the icing on the cake. The little defining piece of the puzzle that completed Mr. Karate... that weird-ass red Tengu mask.
"Ohhhh shit! The return of Big Nose!" Robert laughed.
"Papa looks better than ever!" Yuri cheered.
"This is a truly humbling moment... to see the bona fide Mr. Karate fight once again." Heidern nodded.
"Pay attention, youngsters. That man is a TRUE martial artist!" Tung addressed all those around him.
Takuma walked out to the combat zone and stopped, taking a deep breath through his nose, and exhaling through his mouth. His determined eyes opened... and he swung his fists from his chest to rest on each side of his hips.
"OSU!" he grunted, followed by several cracking sounds from his neck as he rotated his head left to right. He brought his fists back up to his chest, then slowly spread his feet... until he was in a wide stance. Finally, he extended one arm with an open hand, while his other fist rested close to his body.
"Wow... even at his age, Master Takuma moves with grace." Benimaru admired.
"He defines Karate." Kyo solemnly spoke. "I have nothing but respect for him."
Finally, his opponent emerged from the other side. This kind-looking blonde man was completely unknown... but his uniform unfortunately created an immediate backdraft of negative bias.
"BOOOO NAZI SCUM!"
"THE THIRD REICH CALLED, THEY WANT YOU TO GO JOIN THEM IN HELL!"
"AXIS LOVER!"
Brocken didn't understand the audience's hatred towards him; he was only a mindless soldier, a singular entity designed to fulfill one function. In his brain, the concept of human emotions didn't exist: only his mission to fight in the name of Germany's glory. The ignorant audience had no idea he just so happened to be built during a terrible time in history, to serve a less than reputable cause. It wasn't HIS fault!
So what was he doing in this tournament? Perhaps his programming encouraged him to seek out the largest stage in which he could spread the biggest influence. After all, history is determined by the victors: if Brocken wins the greatest martial arts competition in the universe, the respect and glory is all his. And glory for Brocken meant glory for his fatherland.
At last these two fighters approached each other in the ring. Takuma broke stance for the slightest of moments to give a respectful bow. Brocken's response was to bring his boots together and extend his hand outward at an obtuse angle, his rigid fingers pointing to the sky.
"Pretty bold of you to come to the tournament in that persona." Takuma opened, reaching a hand up to adjust his red mask a few times.
"I do not know what you mean." was Brocken's response.
"Uh... okay?"
Brocken gave his hat a slight tilt of respect, then got into stance. "I fight for the honor of the fatherland. This is the purpose of my existence. Prepare yourself."
Takuma shook his head. "Man... some real weirdos in this tournament..."
FIGHT!
The fight started off uneventful; both guys were looking to counter, so they both stood perfectly still. It became a contest of patience, to see who would make the first move...
Brocken's patience prevailed; Takuma finally charged forward... and the Nazi revealed his bag of tricks.
Before everyone's unexpected eyes, Brocken's hands extended far beyond human capabilities; they stretched a total of 5 yards before clocking Takuma in the face and sending the Karate man backwards. People easily saw his mechanical interior during that, and the big secret was out.
"Ohhhhh! He's a robot! Nazi guy is a robot?!" Shen Woo exclaimed.
"What the hell is a robot doing in the tournament? Who's his master?" Robert questioned.
"Robbie... look at the way he's dressed. You don't wanna know who his master is." Ryo patted his friend on the back.
Takuma was surprised by Brocken's reveal, but he was far from deterred. He charged forward again, not caring about the robot's strange extending limbs.
Brocken gave him another taste; he went for a low kick, and his leg stretched all the way across to reach the older man. The experienced Takuma knew enough to counter it.
"HIEN SHIPPU KYAKUUUU!"
The way Takuma's voice boomed as he declared his attack was so skin-tingling, so authoritative... it gave everyone chills. His chi coursed through him as his foot soared like a rocket, striking Brocken in the chest and knocking the robot off his feet.
As Brocken's body started to fall... blue flames sprouted from his feet and the Nazi robot took to the skies.
"Damn, this guy's got everything." Ryo spoke as he clenched his fist.
Brocken's hands opened wide, and two high-speed missiles soared towards Takuma! It soon became apparent to everyone... this robot was built for warfare.
"PAPA, LOOK OUT!" Yuri squealed.
"HAOH KEN!" Takuma thrust one palm and sent two tiny fireballs to intercept the missiles. The smart Sakazaki used less chi than normal, as the fireballs were just for stopping them.
The projectiles collided with an explosion, covering the combat zone in a dust cloud... and both fighters had the same plan to move forward in the camouflage.
When the dust cleared, these two hardened warriors were throwing down. Takuma unleashed a crisp straight right that tagged Brocken hard in the nose, then went low with a straight left to his body, backing him up. As Broken retreated, Takuma finished his combo with a spinning kick to the midsection that made the robot fire up his boosters just to get distance.
As Takuma tried to pursue, Brocken's foot extended and caught him in the face, sending the older man stumbling backwards on shaky legs. Had he not been wearing that mask, his nose would be wrecked.
Brocken unleashed a steady stream of punches, extending his arms out to try and hit Takuma from afar. Being a robot, he NEVER got tired; he could continue at this same pace forever.
"GO IN ON HIM, POPS!" Ryo cheered.
Takuma pressed forward and tried to sway out of the way of the rapid punches, but they just kept coming. Eventually one hit him in the stomach, and Takuma's arms dropped right before he took a hard one to the face. The Karate master was floored, skidding back a few feet from the impact.
"Damn, that was a knockout punch." Robert cursed.
"He's not out. He's still in this!" Ryo encouraged.
Takuma did a spring kick back to his feet, his spirit not shaken. Brocken tried to stretch his leg out and kick... but Takuma was having none of it this time.
"HIYAAAH!" Takuma brought his right leg up and swung it right in a horizontal arc, knocking Brocken's foot aside and throwing the robot off balance. That was it... THAT was his weakness.
"Master Takuma figured it out!" Robert exclaimed. "When the robot stretches his limbs so far, it's easy for him to lose balance!"
As Brocken fell down, he brought his leg back to its socket and tried to rocket boost to his feet quickly... but Takuma still had plenty of speed at his age. The Karate master let him have it: a right hook to the face, a straight left to the body, that same hand going upwards to a backfist that snapped his head back, a sharp right palm to the area where his ribs would be.
Brocken stumbled backwards, his body shaking from several hard impacts compromising his stability. But Takuma wasn't done yet; he still had the cherry on top.
"KOUHOUUUUUUUUUU!" Takuma bellowed as his fist coursed with blazing chi. The old man put his entire body into the massive uppercut, his feet leaving the ground from his sheer propulsion.
Brocken took this granddaddy of uppercuts to the chin, launching his body high into the air. The robot was so disoriented he couldn't even fire off his rocket boosters; like a junkyard car being released from the magnet, he hit the ground with a massive CRASH!
Takuma took several deep breaths; he used an insane amount of energy to try and end this fight. He hoped and prayed he wouldn't get back up, otherwise... things would get hairy...
"Papa looks tired." Yuri worried. "I hope this is the end..."
"Keep hoping. The robot is getting back up!" Robert cursed.
Unfortunately, it was the truth; Brocken rose back up to his feet. His face was dented in multiple areas, some skin tissue missing. But the most notable damage was the lower half of his jaw, which was completely sideways.
The robot looked angry... and he was about to unleash some payback.
"GUUUHK!" Takuma choked out as Brocken's arm shot out to grab his neck. Takuma firmly in grasp, Brocken extended his arm even further.. FURTHER... until Takuma was 20 yards away.
And then, like letting go of a rubber band... Brocken retracted his arm and reeled Takuma in like a fish on a hook. Takuma's flailing body must have been traveling upwards of 30 mph...
When at last Takuma was in range, Brocken drew his head back and gave Takuma the most intense cranial bash the world had ever seen. The force was so unimaginably hard Takuma's mask shattered into pieces, followed by a stream of blood from his nose as he fell backwards to the ground.
"P..P... PAPAAAAAAAAAAA!" Yuri squealed with piercing volume, tears immediately spilling as she watched her beloved father take an extremely brutal hit.
"Oh my god, STOP THE FIGHT!" Ryo cried out.
...But to their surprise, Takuma got back up. His left eye was completely shut, his nose pouring blood... and his left eyebrow was split wide open from end to end. Even if his eye wasn't closed, the blood drizzling down would blind him anyway.
"Jesus... old man..." Kyo winced.
"He needs to stay down. No way his head's all there right now." Terry shook.
But Takuma proved them all wrong; he got back into stance, raised his left hand... and made a "come" gesture. Immediately the crowd broke out in cheers, their respect and admiration for Takuma soaring like a dragon.
The angry robot lunged forward and extended his right fist, burying it in Takuma's gut and knocking him on his ass.
Takuma got back up.
Brocken thrust his left arm out and decked him in the face, following up with a hard right to the ribs, then finished by bringing both his arms back and launching them simultaneously, to blast him off his feet with a double fist.
Takuma got back up.
Brocken extended his foot to Takuma's gut, then pushed off of him and went into the air with a leaping kick to his face.
Takuma got back up.
"PAPA, STAY DOWN!" Yuri begged.
"Jesus, this is murder!" Robert yelled. "Somebody get in there and stop our idiot!"
Brocken extended his leg for a kick... and Takuma caught it.
The puzzled robot was brought forcefully to the ground as Takuma leaped up and wrapped his legs around Brocken's extended limb, Takuma's body weight and momentum causing the robot to take a hard fall in the dirt.
His legs firmly around the appendage, Takuma pivoted with his hip and cranked on the foot in the opposite direction. To a normal man, their leg being twisted so hard would have them crying... but for Brocken, it was just a nuisance.
"Hnnnnnnngh GAAAAAAAAAH!"
Takuma screamed with all his might as he twisted the leg so hard, it broke off into two pieces!
"OH MY GOD!" Yuri squealed.
Takuma rose back to his feet, now holding Brocken's leg along with the long metal rod used to extend it. Brocken was left with just half a metal rod and a sizzling stump.
"I just watched my dad... rip someone's leg off... holy shit." Ryo stated aloud.
"Please don't invite him to mine and Yuri's wedding." Robert shuddered.
As soon as Brocken stood up, he fell back down. He tried again, this time using the metal rod used for extension as a pseudo leg to stand on. It worked a little better, but as Brocken took a step forward it slipped and he fell.
A third time, Brocken stood... but it would be his last.
"HAOH SHO KOU KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"
Takuma lunged forward, palms extended, and unleashed the piece de resistance of the Kyokugen arsenal: the mightiest fireball to ever be launched. It was a huge, majestic ball of bright orange chi, it's size and energy output superior to all before it.
The fireball ran through Brocken, swallowing the robot up in a sea of blazing energy. Only his black shadow could be seen in the midst of the grand projectile, no doubt suffering greatly.
When the smoke cleared, Brocken's body was but an empty husk. His uniform was scorched, his hat gone, his eyes dark. He fell over like a domino and hit the ground, just a smoldering metal shell.
WINNER: TAKUMA SAKAZAKI
"ALRIGHT DAAAAAD!" Ryo shouted as he jumped to his feet. Yuri leaped on top of him, hugging his neck as her brother spun her around.
"HAHAHAHA! PAPA DID GREAT!"
"That is a tough old bastard." Robert smiled, reaching a hand up to wipe a tear.
Takuma stood with pride, bowing on all four sides of the Coliseum to answer the cheers around him. The smile on his face couldn't be removed.
...But he could only keep it up for a few more seconds. Takuma was in PAIN; he had exerted everything he had. His breathing was a rasp, his legs just barely keeping him upright. His arms hung at his sides, no strength left to lift them.
And seconds later... he collapsed.
"MASTER!" Robert leaped from the stands and ran out.
"DAD!" Ryo and Yuri joined him quickly, the three of them running out to tend to him.
Robert slid on his knees and quickly scooped up Takuma's head, placing it on his lap.
"Master, speak to me. It's Robert!"
"Huff... huff... I know who it is!" Takuma wheezed. "I want to see my children..."
"We're here, papa." Yuri replied softly, her and Ryo taking his hands.
Takuma's face twisted as he took painful breaths to try and get the words out. "Hufff... hufffff... Yuri... Ryo... I'm done. I can't go on."
That instantly caused three pairs of eyes to start leaking.
"F-father...!"
"Papaaaaaaa..!"
"M-Master... sniff... master... please don't leave us!" Robert sobbed.
"I'm not... cough cough... I'm not dying, you idiots!" Takuma grunted. "I just can't fight anymore! I'm calling it quits!"
That stopped the tears at least, as their sorrow was replaced by embarassment.
"But Papa, you won." Yuri encouraged. "Don't you wanna sleep on it one night before making such a rash decision?"
"No... I know when I'm done." Takuma wheezed. "My decision is final. You three... carry on..."
As the paramedics came to take Brocken and Takuma away, Chizuru walked up to them. "He's quitting? Hmm... great. That puts a strange turn on things."
"What'll we do now?" Ryo shrugged.
"In the event that the winner can't continue to the next round, an alternate bout will take place. Two very lucky people are about to get the chance of a lifetime."
This tourney would be incomplete without World Heroes lol. Even if they're mostly fodder.
HOW are the World Heroes in this tourney, you ask after 9 chaps? Kumite is such a glorious tournament, it's not bound by the human concept of time. Fighters from all over time itself come to answer the call of this epic contest : )
Next chapter... Takuma needs a replacement. Who's it gonna be? I already know lol. And I really need to get some more squash matches out of the way... maybe I'll just do a little montage with all the obvious bigshots winning lol. I dunno. What do you guys think?
I love you all.
