Announcer Yu yells out, "Championship fight! Jin and Asuka Kazama versus Kazuya Mishima and Lili de Rochefort! All fighters please come to the arena!"

Jin and Asuka walk towards the customized castle themed arena with multileveled floors. There is no audience but there are several cameras placed on the walls televising their actions to large screens by the announcer's booth.

Asuka sees that Mishima and Lili are already on the bottom floor of the arena, talking to each other while looking directly at them. Mishima's clothing of choice is simple white pants, red gloves and footpads. Lili is wearing the same skirt dress outfit, but Asuka finds it annoying that Lili is looking her up and down with a judging eye; a little anger stirs inside her.

"I hate her."

Jin comments, "Thirty percent of Lili's tactic in their past matches has been getting into her opponent's heads to make them angry and unfocused. With you it'd be eighty percent."

"I know…sorry." Asuka calms the dark place in her soul she reserves especially for Lili, paying attention to Jin's sternness to the fact he's about to fight his father.

"Don't be sorry, be ready. Summarize what we discussed."

"They fight up close and personal. Lili weakens fighters with her kick attacks and Mishima superhuman punches can break any combo if he stays focused. They'll double team at all times possible with Mishima doing the finishing move."

"And how do we beat them?"

"Divide and conquer. Make it personal…call them out…feed to their own egos if we need to."

"Are you ready?"

"Watch me."

As soon as they step upon the arena's stone floor, Asuka stands in front of Jin and points at Lili. She yells with resolve, "Lili!"

Lili and Mishima stop talking to each other. Asuka watches as Lili grins at her. "Yes?"

"It's just you and me Lili. Just-you-and-me…if you can think you can handle it." Asuka puts her hand down and walks towards an elevator lift that she assumes will bring them to the second level.

Asuka sees Mishima saying something to Lili until Jin calls out, "Mishima!"

Looking back at Jin, he merely cracks his knuckles and glares intensely at Mishima.

Mishima says dismissively, "I'm going to put you done like the dog you are."

With that Mishima pushes Lili towards the lift and she continues walking towards the lift; Asuka heart is with Jin, imagining he's mental preparation in order to fight Mishima. But she knows he wants to this alone, so she'll allow him this one indulgence, for now.

Announcer Yu yells, "Are they asking for dual battles, dual KO's, and still allow tags? We'll allow it! Fight your rival!"

As Asuka and Lili approach the opposite ends of the lift, they stare down each other and remain silent, even as the lift moves them up to the second level.

As they exit the left, Lili finally comments, "My people say you've been quite the competitor in this tournament. Funny, how your glamour didn't even make it to the first match."

Asuka replies, hiding her anger behind a smile, "Really? I was too busy knocking out my opponents to notice."

Lili brushes her hand through her blonde hair quickly but smoothly. "No matter, I'm just happy I have an actual fight to look forward to, like my breakfast and newspaper served to me in the morning. Although, I still expect you to lose. But…I'm interested to see what the fuss is all about."

Asuka maintains her smile, retaining Jin's council. "Be careful what you wish for."

Announcer Yu yells out, "Fighters ready?"

As Lili stands ready in her fighting stance, Asuka does the same.

Announcer Yu yells out, "Fight!"

Asuka immediately goes on the defensive, for a change, and blocks Lili's multiple attacks to her face. Asuka's charged punch to Lili's side is the first hit and nearly stops Lili's momentum. But it doesn't stop Lili from making a solid kick to her stomach. Asuka grunts as she bends forward, the pain is more severe than she thought it'd be.

Then Asuka feels Lili pulling at her hair and hears Lili laughing. Lili lets go and takes a few steps back as Asuka swings at her with her fists.

Lili teases, "Temper, temper."

"Shut up you little diva!" Asuka misses Lili with her right hook.

Lili mocks, "A little impatient are we? Am I too much for you?"

There's a loud noise and the floor shakes under them. They share a concerned look until it stops and they steady themselves. The event makes Asuka refocus on Jin's council, as she's now more motivated to check on Jin than hurting Lili.

Asuka yells, "Come on!"

"Sure thing," Lili says as she comes at Asuka with a spinning kick.

Asuka counters by swiping Lili's leg, following up with a kick to her head. Lili stumbles back but charges back angrily yelling with leap kick, Asuka catches her and slams her down to ground.

"This is me, keeping my head in the fight. Am I too much for you?" Asuka gets in a few punches into Lili's sides before Lili kicks her way free by kicking Asuka's stomach and legs.

Lili gets up and charges for an attack, Asuka is ready and lands a punch to Lili's stomach, then follows it with a haymaker punch to her face. Asuka watches as Lili looks back at her with a stunned looked as she's knocked against a stone wall. Asuka would follow up with another attack but she's still shaking off the hit to her legs.

They look at each other, breathing hard, until Lili says, "You have…gotten…stronger."

Asuka asks, "Do you give up?

Lili stands up to her feet. "You wish."

She charges and Asuka jabs her with an uppercut and finishes her with a spinning heel drop kick to the Lili's face. Asuka enjoys the sight of Lili's body bouncing on the floor twice and then slowly rolling on her back on the ground, knocked out.

"You've gotten pretty good yourself."

Asuka sees a white dove fly above her and she feels an internal calm sweep over her as it does. She watches it as it flies down to the lower level and suddenly one word comes to her mind. "Jin!"

After Asuka takes the lift back down, she sees that the bottom arena is chaotic. Red embers and hot ashes are falling from the sky, emanating from the burning booth, the television screens, and stones that have been burned and destroyed. She sees Announcer Yu is holding a wireless microphone, hiding behind one of the few stone walls that haven't been smashed or destroyed.

As Asuka steps unto the arena floor, she feels a fighting energy like she's rarely felt before as the wind blows away the fog of dust to reveal Jin and Mishima are still in battle. Jin eyes are burning red as he exchanges punches and kicks to the ribs with Mishima, who also has glowing red eyes.

Asuka watches as they become so engaged in battle, they are unaware of the arena floor cracking under their feet as they continue to fight. But when they exchange charged power punches to the face, there's a loud boom and gust of the wind. They are pushed off their feet and unto opposite ends of the arena, crashing into concrete walls.

Asuka hears Jin scream with pain and runs to him. "Jin!"

"Leave-me-alone!" Jin's yell echoes as he stands up straight, sprouting up black wings from his back.

Asuka stands in a place as a hard wind blows against her. She feels a cold chill as she hears Jim scream with anger and changes in front of her to that horrible creature she thought he'd controlled - the devil.

Asuka sees Mishima stand unto his feet, changing into something. To her shock, she sees that he too is becoming a devil as well. But his skin and wings are purple and more feral – a true monster. His eyes glow brighter.

She watches as Jin's eyes glows twice as brightly. As if knowing what is coming, she automatically steps back. She gasps as two beams of light spring from their eyes. The beams hit each other and create a hot white light upon contact. Both devils yell as their beams grow in size and the white ball in the center increases until it becomes unstable and explodes. Asuka covers her eyes and ducks down as a hard gust of wind blows past her.

Asuka uncovers her eyes as the wind calms down, but is unable to see anything from the ash covered air. Then she senses a spiritual light from the dove flying around the wall to her right. In that same direction, a slight gust of wind reveals Jin lying on the floor with his back against the wall, transformed back to human form.

Asuka runs to him and sits by him, happy to see him still alive but he's unconscious. The bruises on his face and chest are severe. "Jin! Jin!"

Asuka slaps his face, but he doesn't move. But Mishima's yell emitting from the cloaked arena makes Jin eyes snap open. "Jin," Asuka says happily.

But again, Mishima makes his challenging yell. Asuka watches with horror as Jin's eyes slowly turn red and the veins on his face blacken as he starts to growl.

Asuka grabs Jin's face to get his attention. With her eyes watering, she yells, "No! Don't lose yourself again!" Jin is trying to get to his feet but he's too weak, but she can see his fighting rage in his red eyes urging him on. "Jin…no," Asuka yells, holding him hold against his chest as hard as she can.

Jin says in a harsh voice as he struggles to stand again but fails from being too weak, "This is my fight…I need to know how much power the Devil Gene has…maybe I can cure myself…Mishima can show me…through battle."

Mishima emits a louder yell and Jin quickly tries to get to his feet again but he slips on pieces of stone on the floor. Asuka tears as Jin continues to try to stand, fighting her hold. She sings to him sadly Fake Wings by Yuki Kajiura, hoping to connect with his humanity.

But Jin continues to try to stand up like a feral animal struggling for freedom from its captor; the sight of it breaks her heart. She hugs him and cries, feeling the energy inside herself empty out.

It takes the sound the dove's flapping wings flying above them to make her realize that Jin stopped moving. She looks up and sees the dove still flying above them. She looks back of Jin with shock, as he's partially healed and recovered his humanity. She smiles as he wipes her tears away with his hands.

Jin says, "I shall not…succumb…to my fate…with you by my side."

She hugs him tightly and says, "I love you Jin."

"Asuka…I'm sorry."

Asuka let's go of him and then hits him on his arm. "Don't be sorry, be ready!"

Mishima emits another yell before he flaps his wings and blows the ash away, making the arena visible. They both turn to him and see that he's standing in the center of the arena ring before he blasts an eye beam blast towards them. They duck for cover as the blast hits the wall above them, causing rubble to cover their bodies.

They look at each other and Asuka says, "If he goes down, we do it together!" Asuka helps Jin up to his feet.

"Combo special…you ready?"

"Let's do it!"

They charge him, ignoring the intimidating size he's grown into and his challenging yell. Jin leads the charge, dodging another blast attack that only scorches the arena floor. Jin punches Mishima in the face with a power punch and then yells, "Asuka!"

"On it!" Asuka sneaks in a fast uppercut punch. "Jin, go for it!"

Jin follows through with a high flying kick, soaring above her easily, and making enough contact with Mishima to make him spin in mid-air. "Finish him!"

"Gladly," Asuka yells as she speeds pass Jin. She charges up an uppercut with all her remaining energy and connects with Mishima's face, making him fall to the ground hard.

As they stand there, they watch Mishima change back to his human form, knocked out.

Announcer Yu suddenly yells, "Um…it's over! We have our champions! Now get me out of here!"

As Announcer Yu runs away, Asuka takes deep breathes as she hears Jin say behind her, "It's over."

"Good." Asuka falls unto Jin's arms.

Asuka sees the dove fly above them and she hears a gentle, soft voice in her head say, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and it always perseveres. Love never fails. I leave you now with my son, but these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

And with that the voice goes away and the dove flies away into the sky.

Asuka smiles and then says as Jin lifts her off her feet, "Hey Jin, guess what?"

"Yes?"

"I think your mother likes me." Asuka faints unto Jin's chest.

Author's note:

Thanks everybody for your comments and personal feedback! I'm glad to see that the overall story is being well received, I really enjoyed writing it.

I recently received a new Tekken story request, so watch for it in a week or so.

And for those who are wondering, the message given to Asuka from the dove is a passage taken from the bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13. I was inspired to add it to the story as a nice way to help wrap up the chapter and, in a way, summarize the relationship between Jin and Asuka.

Thanks again for all the support and be good!

Bourguit