Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: Greetings. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it. I know this took a while, and I hope it's worth the wait. Well, here we are. At last, we've come to the final character campaign. At times, I wasn't sure if I would get here, so thank you to those who stayed with me. Nevertheless, this is last, but not the least; we have our final 'king', the current one. So, without further ado, let's get to it. And here … we … go:
The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7: A Final Tragedy for the Finest Future
Jin Kazama: A King's Burden
Just as always seems to be the case, Jin's life was a whirlwind, but never as severe as it had been as of late. After the fifth tournament and throughout the sixth tournament, he was exclusively under control of the evil inside him, a prisoner to his Devil Gene. However, through the help of his cousin, Asuka Kazama, and his then-friend, Ling Xiaoyu, Jin was able to release the power he gains from being a Kazama, and regained control of himself. With his Devil gene seemingly in remission and his soul protected by his own power, Jin began the unenviable and incredible task of rebuilding the world from the terrible state he put it in. It was so overwhelming that he needed assistance from G Corporation and Rochefort Industries, resulting in the merge of both companies and the birth of Kazama G Incorporated. Fortunately for Jin, Asuka and Xiaoyu decided to stay beside him to help keep him stable.
Four years later, the world was in a much better place, maybe even better than it was before. As the world around prospered, the company also prospered. Jin's life also went on an upswing afterward. He reconnected with the memory of his mother through Asuka. Lee Chaolan, his Co-CEO because of the merge with G Corporation, became something of a father figure. As for Xiaoyu… the relationship between the two of them grew, and, two years in, they got married. Also for the first time in a long time, Jin was actually … happy.
Recently, Jin finally managed to expel the Devil from his body, and it was discovered that Xiaoyu was pregnant, with twins no less. This was to be a very good time for him… but, as also always seems to be a case, it was never that simple. The pseudo-exorcism Jin performed on himself triggered a war within his body between the power he got from Azazel and the power of the Kazama, a war that is tearing him apart. Eventually, he found out the downfall of his body was certain; he was going to die very soon, leaving behind everything and everyone he cared about including his son and daughter, who would never see him.
Not willing to leave anyone unprotected, Jin set up the tournament, his last, to finally deal with Kazuya and Heihachi…
----
Payment for Pardons
Jin was trying to take in the marvelous and picturesque setting of his setting, but he just couldn't. Every time he tried, his cough flared up inside him, almost like a reminder. The cold was not good for his 'condition' at all. All it did was making him cough, which scraped his throat. The chilling wind stung against his skin, and his cough felt like sharp needles raking against the inside of his chest. Additionally, he wasn't wearing his sweat suit, although he wishes he was. It was a shame because the venue really was beautiful.
Jin was standing in the 'Winter Wonderland' stage, a large ring set in the middle of an ice rink. A light snow fell serenely onto the already snow-blanketed ground. On one end, one could see the nearby ski resort and lodge with skiers and snowboarders actually riding down the hill toward the ring. On the other end sat a set of railroad tracks with large snow-covered pine trees standing behind them. Just then, a loud train whistle blared into Jin's ears as the mammoth transport came into sight, the rumbling sound of the train growing louder and louder as it rolled up, and a second whistle signaled its destination as it came to a screeching halt close to the area.
Immediately, a gigantic crowd of people flooded of the metal vehicle and quickly surrounded the outer rink. The mass of people started reacting as fans do when they saw Jin, shouting, cheering and taking pictures including several people with cameras spread throughout the crowd. Right behind them was Detective Lei Wulong, Jin's opponent, wearing a blue Kung Fu shirt with Chinese designs over it, black pants and shoes. Upon seeing Lei as he made his way to the ring, the crowd started cheering even louder than before.
The announcer's quickly blared into the area to the excitement of the crowd, "Lei Wulong, Jin Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"
"Jin Kazama… I was hoping to find you." Lei said as he walked onto the ring.
Uncertain of Lei's intention, Jin hesitantly replied, "Detective Wulong… It's nice to see you again … isn't it?"
"Not really," Lei plainly replied, going on to further explain, "I took a lot of grief for how I dealt with you last time. They almost took my job.
"I would imagine…" Jin said, reacting to the revelation with understanding, "But I do apologize for all the trouble I put you through. You weren't … fired, were you?"
Lei explained, "Fortunately, no. After I explained and they saw your effort, my superiors decided to let me stay on the force."
Slightly relieved by that news, Jin said, "That's good to hear."
Lei quickly continued, "Still I almost lost my badge because of you. Don't expect it to be that easy this time."
"I would hope not, for the audience's sake at least…" Jin returned. Suddenly, Jin's mind trickled to something he had in the back of his mind, and, deciding not to hold it in, went on to ask, "Detective Wulong, you have a daughter right?"
A little surprised, Lei answered, "Um … yes. How do you know about that?"
"You'd be surprised what gets into newspapers these days…" Jin explained before continuing, "But, tell me… What is it like … having a child I mean?"
Lei was quickly caught off-guard, stammering as he tried to come up with the words. Slowly, as he began to piece his response together, the Hong Kong super police detective tried to put the complex situation into words…
Lei spoke haltingly, "Well… Um, let's see… It's a lot of work… It's very tiring… Sometimes, it can even drive you crazy… But, one thing's for sure … you wouldn't trade it for anything."
Jin slightly dropped his head as he absorbed what Lei said, saying to himself, "… That's what I thought…"
Lei quickly asked, "Why do you ask?"
Jin, breaking the lost-in-thought trance, responded, "Oh… no reason. Just curiosity… We better get started; the crowd is getting restless."
Lei looked around briefly before adding, "You're right. Let's go!"
Finally, both men got into fighting stance.
The announcer's voice rang out over the snow-covered crowd, "Round 1! Fight!"
At first, Jin and Lei were even as they started slowly. Lei began maneuvering around as he does, careful to keep Jin at mid-range. Jin, careful not to give the elusive super police officer any opening, played it safe, sticking to his safe pokes and attacks. Fortunately, that didn't last very long. After some pensive tactics from the fighters, a particularly stiff blow from one of them caused the intensity to quickly ramp up and each fighter to start attacking fiercely against each other.
Primarily, as the intensity promoted, Lei fought from his standing position, but there was one problem: his style wasn't suited for that application, and Jin's was. It didn't help the mismatch that Jin was vastly more powerful. Even Jin's simple pokes like 'Knee Popper to Sidekick', 'Thrust to Roundhouse', and 'Switch Blade' would cause heaps of damage. Soon, Jin got the upper hand. The reigning king dodged a kick, and grabbed his opponent by the chin as he wrenched his arm backward. He then swung Lei into the air, and finally slammed him head-first into the ground, ending the round with a 'Tidal Wave' throw.
The announcer's voice then blasted through the snow, "Jin wins!"
Although Lei was the one getting up off the ground, Jin was the one feeling the effects. Slowly, he began to feel his chest starting to collapse, sensing a coughing seizure coming on, and he desperately did the best he could to stifle the cough inside of himself with some success. Then, just as the fit halted, an entirely new symptom revealed itself. All of a sudden, Jin felt lightheaded, and a spell of dizziness came upon him, the colors of Lei and the crowd starting to blur together with the white of the snow all around. Jin quickly tried to shake it off … literally; he closed his eyes as he shook his head back into focus.
"Your skills are better than I expected … and I expected the best." Lei complimented.
"Thanks." Jin replied.
Lei quickly added, "Still, don't expect me to just lie down… There's still plenty of fight to go."
Jin let out a soft groan when he heard that. In truth, if his condition kept up, Jin wasn't sure if he could survive much more fighting.
The announcer's voice again resonated to the crowd as both men got back in to position, "Round 2! Fight!"
This time, Lei went back to what he was good at, and began operating out his many stance including 'Tiger' , 'Panther', 'Snake', 'Crane', and especially his 'Drunken Master Walk'. As could be expected, Jin was forced off-center by this, and was jolted off rhythm by Lei's constant shifting. As if the movement itself wasn't enough, the return of his blurred vision didn't help the situation much. Lei's 'Drunken Master Walk' was particularly difficult to deal with; Jin's skewed perspective only added effect to Lei's dazed motion, and Jin was also turned back by the inherent parrying properties of the stance. After some frustration, Jin just stopped trying to follow Lei's movement … and that's when Jin saw it.
Jin realized the hole in the strategy: The super police detective could move, shift, avoid, and dodge all day, but he still needed to attack to win. This left Jin with one clear way to proceed and win. Taking this cue, Jin sat back and let Lei come to him, allowing Lei to move around and reacting when he got close. Jin mostly used his parry and 'Mental Alertness' stance, countering Lei's attack while laying on the damage. Soon, Jin countered a low four-kick combination from Lei, a 'Lift-up Cannon', with a low sweep transitioned into a falling wheel kick, a 'Low Lunging Roundhouse Kick to Spinning Flare Kick'. As if Jin had forgotten, the drastic change of direction that the move required only made Jin dizzier, causing him to stager as he got up.
With the loud cheers of the audience mixed in, the announcer's voice blasted through the snow-covered venue, "Jin Kazama wins! Please proceed to the next round!"
Jin approached the defeated super police detective, and offered his hand as a sign of respect.
"Detective Wulong, if you don't mind…" Jin stated, "I don't think your goal was to fight me… Just why are you in this tournament?"
As Lei got up with Jin's help, the Hong Kong super police detective revealed, "I'm not at liberty to discuss open investigations… but, at the heart of it, you're right; I'm not after you… My police partner is missing, and my daughter's mother was murdered. I can't help but think they're connected, so … I'm trying to find who's responsible."
Jin sympathetically offered, "I'm sorry for your loss; it sounds very personal… Listen, since I gave you so much trouble before … allow me to make it up to you... I will help you with your investigation anyway I can."
Understandably surprised by the offer, Lei replied rather resolutely, "Uh … thank you. But I'm afraid I'll have to pass."
Insisting, Jin continued, "Are you sure/ I have access to many ways of getting information. It could really help you find who did this?"
Lei again responded, "Like you said, it's very personal for me… I must solve this myself, on my own."
This resonated with Jin. Lei's motivation was much like Jin's, much like the motivation for the tournament itself. Instantly, Jin understood and didn't push any further.
Lei, though he had to turn it down, acknowledged the offer, "Thank you nevertheless. That's very noble of you to assist m, Mr. Kazama."
"Please; Jin is fine," Jin also insisted.
"Okay… Jin." Lei replied, "I have to go; I have a lot more investigating to do."
Jin offered his support, saying, "Good luck, Detective. I hope you find who you're looking for."
Both gave each other a bow of respect from one martial artist to another, and Lei took his leave, the crowd cheering him for a battle well-fought. Soon after, Jin started to leave as well when his cough once again rose in his chest. Again, cheers were given to Jin, less cheers but cheers nonetheless. Unfortunately, his returning cough drowned them out.
-----
In transition, Jin only got worse. As his adrenaline dropped so did his condition. His cough became persistent… His vision grew very blurry, almost gray… His equilibrium got so bad that he openly staggered down the hall, and had to lean against the wall to brace himself… Soon, it became too much at one time… THUD! Jin collapsed to the ground.
A passing tournament aide saw him lying practically motionless, and quickly ran up to him, "Kazama-sama! Kazama-sama!!!"
Frantically trying to help Jin, the staff member patted Jin on the back, and shook him in attempt to stop the fit. Eventually, with the aid of the staff member, Jin started to recover. His cough diminished until it disappeared. Jin's vision soon came back into focus. Finally, the fit subsides even though the sting pain in his chest lingered still. The episode now passed, Jin rose back to his feet.
Still worried, the aide asked with concern, "Kazama-sama, are you alright, sir?"
Jin shakily answered, "Yes… Yes; I'm fine."
The aide then asked with still-heavy concern, "Are you sure, sir? You don't look very well… Maybe it's best you not continue?"
"No!" Jin adamantly protested, "No. I have to continue… I'll be fine… Just take me to my next match please."
Hesitantly, the aide conceded, "… As you wish, sir."
As he was lead further into transition, Jin couldn't help but wonder about what had just happened to him. Why was this even happening now? What was that painful episode anyway? It was much worse than anything before … much much worse. In fact, for a moment … he was afraid he was going to…
----
Present Suffering
Jin's present placement seemed to be exactly what he needed. He was standing in the 'Hidden Retreat', a large field with a flock of sheep peacefully strolling all about somewhere in Switzerland. A forest rested on one end. On the horizon, there sat a large snow-capped mountain on the opposite end. Large hills with houses on them were lining the sides of the field. The cool breeze and the fresh air that filled this serene place were actually quite beneficial and almost therapeutic for Jin, his cough ceased and the pain in his body significantly lessened.
After a while, Jin's opponent arrived, his arms folded behind his back. He was a very familiar older Chinese man with a prominent white beard and a bald head under his hat, wearing a decorated Kung Fu outfit.
Suddenly, the announcer's voice boomed through the crisp air, "Wang Jinrei, Jin Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"
Jin respectfully bowed to his elder as he said, "Jinrei-sensei (Master Jinrei), it's an honor to face you again."
Wang let out a sigh and said in an almost disappointed tone, "I wish I could say the same…"
Jin was quickly caught off-guard by Wang's hostility. He wasn't expecting, but he realized he should have and that he couldn't blame Wang for it either. With no other recourse to take, Jin merely kept his head bowed out of respect.
"I understand…" Jin said slowly and humbly.
Wang then continued in an oddly matter-of-fact tone, "Do you, young one? You have committed many crimes against nature. You have reaped much ruin and suffering upon the world. Jin Kazama, you have brought much disrespect and shame to your family not to mention my friend, your great-grandfather's company."
Jin contritely replied, "I acknowledge my crimes, sensei, and I take full responsibility for them. If it matters, I have done everything in my power to restore the world and atone for my actions…"
Wang quickly interrupted, retorting, "The last time we fought, I lost due to my complacency and indifference. It is a decision I regret to this day… I assure you it will not happen again." Wang went into his fighting stance and concluded, "Lift your head, and prepare yourself."
Jin felt his heart sink within him as he was reminded, even after all this time. Slowly, he lifted his head and assumed his fighting stance.
The announcer's voice blasted into the hills, "Round 1! Fight!"
From the start, Jin and Wang's battle was a power struggle, a mainly power vs. power conflict. The round was a series of hits and counter hits, and a back-and-forth showcase of juggles. Jin however is the more powerful of the two, which had a profound impact on the match. Because of this advantage, Jin did more damage with his juggles, and the gap between their health slowly got bigger and bigger, making it very difficult for Wang to keep up. Jin eventually parried one of Wang's strongest attacks: Wang rushed forward with a dashing straight fist, a 'Heavy Power Punch'. Jin however swatted the blow away, leaving Wang wide open, and responded with a fast punch to his gut, a 'Suigetsu Strike'.
Without delay, the announcer's voice resonated through the area, "Jin wins!"
As Wang got up, he knew something had to change. Jin was much stronger than he was at the fifth tournament, stronger than ever. He had just brushed aside one of Wang's most powerful strikes with minimal effort, like it was nothing. Obviously, trying to go blow-for-blow with Jin was a lost cause. A different approach was definitely needed. Finally, both men got back into fighting stance.
The announcer's voice once again echoed through the venue, "Round 2! Fight!"
Wang fared a much better time as he fought 'around' Jin. He liberally used his 'Neutralizer' parry to countering Jin attacks. He also made good use of his vast array of throws including 'Body Slam', 'Headlock Toss', and 'Waning Moon', often adding on with mix-ups for more damage. Jin was reeling, and finding it hard to combat Wang's defense. In his desperation, Jin decided to go for broke, and try something drastic, employing a still-experimental strategy Jin was saving or later rounds.
Before he was ready but still as he needed to, Jin unveiled a different set of moves: his recently-relearned, newly-reworked 'Laser' strings. Jin's plan worked wonderfully, and Wang wasn't ready to face this onslaught. The strings themselves were very good mix-ups and hard-hitting. As the first two hits were identical, it was very hard to predict the end, and each end hit clean and powerfully. Jin's 'Laser' repertoire included his old strings like 'Laser Cannon', 'Laser Scraper', and 'Laser Annihilator', and several new ones like 'Laser Slasher', a string ending with a Right Roundhouse Kick, 'Darkness Purge', a string that inverted the first two hits and ended with a Left Roundhouse Punch to the side, and 'Laser Exorcisor', a string that ended with Jin's signature Right Roundhouse Punch. Wang, in accordance with strategy, found it very hard to parry Jin's offensive, and was forced to absorb Jin's shots.
It wasn't long before the confusing yet potent attack came in handy for Jin. In the middle of a string, a 'Laser Cannon', Jin canceled the string, dashed forward, and grabbed Wang. The next moment, Jin peppered the Xing Yi master with several shots and ended the multi-hitting grapple with a stiff kick right to the temple. All Wang could do was crumble to the ground underneath the tremendous blow.
Finally, the announcer's voice reverberated into the hills, "Jin Kazama wins! Pleas proceed to the next round!"
Jin gave the master a martial artist's bow, and rushed over to help him up.
Jin said with remorse, "Sensei, I know I have disgraced myself and my family… I am truly sorry for what I've done…"
Wang again interrupted, saying cordially, "There is no need to apologize. You have more than redeemed yourself with your actions over these past years."
Thoroughly confused, Jin stammered out, "I don't understand… What was… ?"
Wang again said in a genial speech, "Just a test of your fighting spirit … and my own… I'm not sure what happened to you, but, ever since the conclusion of the last tournament, you have carried yourself with repentance, honor, and humility… It is obvious you have changed , and thus have earned your redemption not just from myself but the world as well."
"Thank you, Sensei…" Jin said with a slight smile, "That means a lot."
Wang responded with a smile, "It also helps that you're my grandson-in-law."
Jin vaguely remembered that fact, the tidbit of knowledge having slipped his mind in the intensity of the moment.
"Oh… Right." Jin pushed with slight mortification over his momentary forgetfulness.
His smile still prominent, Wang continued, "Yes, I'm very pleased with how well you've taken care of my granddaughter. She never stops speaking good things about you… She feels very passionately for you."
Jin looked away as he said with the tiniest hint of sadness he couldn't hold in, "I care about her a lot too. She's the reason I set up this tournament."
Wang continued, voicing his support, "Nevertheless, if she believes in you so adamantly, I believe I can as well."
"Again, I am honored … Wang-sama." Jin replied with a smile, "I must go to my next match now; take care."
In what would have been a pleasant end to the match, Jin turned and began to leave. However, a simple moment later, Jin's condition haunted him once more … with a vengeance. It started slowly, essentially creeping up on Jin and causing him to come to a stop, and then erupted inside of Jin's chest. An excruciating, hacking cough grasped Jin's lungs, stealing his air and collapsing his chest in on itself. Jin desperately clutched his chest in pain, his covering his mouth doing nothing to stop the vicious episode. Finally, he collapsed to his knees as the cough only got worse.
Wang, having seen all of this and greatly concerned, called out, "Jin-san?! Jin-san?!?! What's wrong, son?"
After a few more moments of furious upheaval, the cough slowly tapered off , but Jin's health was ravaged nonetheless. Jin remained doubled over n pain, heavily gasping, trying to get air. His body trembled after the violent fit. His throat was a mess, rendered raw by the brutal hacking. Almost as a final resolution, Jin spit out to copious amount of red liquid filling his mouth onto the green grass. Quickly, Wang rushed over and helped Jin slowly rise to his feet.
Wang inquired with apprehension, "That was ghastly… Are you alright, Jin-san?"
Jin weakly responded, "Yes… I'm fine."
"You did not sound fine a moment ago…" Wang retorted, "Are you sure you are well?"
Trying to brush off the incident, Jin said, "Really, Wang-sama, it's nothing… I must keep going."
Slowly, Jin continued on his way. As he watched his grandson-in-law leave, Wang slowly trickled his attention down to the ground … and let out a quiet gasp at a troubling sight. His eyes had locked on a crimson puddle on the ground, only made more vivid and disturbing by the surrounding green grass. Immediately, Wang knew where it came from.
As Wang raised his focus back to the still-departing Jin, the Xing Yi master spoke silently to himself, "It is as you said, Jinpachi, my old friend… The young ones are always the ones who suffer…"
End Chapter
Next Time: "Like I said … you have noidea who I am!"
A/N: There we have it. I hope you enjoyed it. As stated above, this is the last character campaign, so we'll get down to the converging storylines with the next chapter. Again, sorry it took so long. I hope you liked it, and that you come back. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.