Chapter 20: Claudio's True Reputation
That night back at the recreation center, everyone is having a dinner as Mr. Sakyo was pleased to see Hunyo's daughter, Rhima.
"Jun, I'm grateful to see your daughter had grown into a fine woman. The last time I saw her back 14 years ago she was so cute just like your wife. But now she looks just like you."
"Wow, I'm amused to his compliments, Rhima. There's no way that Hunyo is definitely shared his name with Jun Kazama." Lee said nicely until Hunyo angrily steps his foot to shut him up. "Gahhh! That hurts, Hunyo!"
"I didn't expect someone like him would be here. If I would be the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu previously I'll let him surrender by force." Jin said while angrily shaking his head.
"Hehe... I never thought Hunyo and this Chinese fellow got a complex problem or something. Does that mean...?" Mr. Sakyo smiled as Hunyo tells him.
"I already told you about this, Mr. Sakyo. Lee Chaolan is also a no ordinary person. He keeps wooing my wife everyday just to gain his attention."
"It is normal for me to hang out with a lot of women at my mansion in the Bahamas." Lee said in an elegant manner. "But the truth is, that my father had already taken over the Zaibatsu due to Jin's ultimate sacrifice in destroying the monster Azazel."
"..."
"What do you mean?" Hunyo nods while Jin keeps silent about what happened to him at that time.
"Due to Jin's unexpected war against my foster brother, Kazuya. Father wants to continue this waged war between them. However, I would not noticed that Kazuya has a mother who tries so hard to stop them both." Lee said knowing of the plot of their game.
"Lee... are you telling about Kazumi?" Hunyo said as he carries Kazumi's Kanzashi hair clip.
"Yes... that's right. Kazumi Mishima is Kazuya's mother through my dear father, Heihachi. I would never thought someone like Kazuya has a mother." Lee said telling to Hunyo and Rhima as he warns them. "But I must warn all of you this. There's someone out there who wants to obliterate both Heihachi and Kazuya for their power and dominant ways. His fighting nature is extremely dangerous."
"Dad, do you think you knew that person?" Rhima asked which Hunyo never realizes another fighter is the most dangerous one than both Kazuya and Heihachi as he thought.
It can't be, not that guy from the Street Fighter game. He's a dangerous fighter if each of us fight against him we're toast.
"Mr. Panganiban, you look like a stiff on ice." Jin said trying to regain his compose and Hunyo was shocked.
"No I'm not stiffy, Jin. I'm just being afraid of something."
After dinner, Rhima looked at Jin who is sleeping in a wink. She gets annoyed when he gets snore so loud. She decides to take an fresh air. Therefore, she saw Krelian is also staying at the recreation center.
"Krelian, is that you?"
"Wahh... Rhima why are you here too?" Krelian said surprisingly.
At the main theater of the facility, Krelian was surprised to see Rhima was there and she looked at the stage and full of chairs and other stalls in each sides.
"So this is where all people enter the retreat just for discussions."
"Yes, before doing those. We always do singing praise and worship. In each day it has some activities to deal with. Watching clips in how to sacrifice his life to everybody or financial things to compare with." Krelian said explaining. "But other times people who volunteers also to share their experience by their testimonies so that other people would learn their lesson about their lives."
"I guess my dad really did understand their discussions but he really fed up of people's sharing." Rhima said and she finally asks him. "Why are you here in the recreation center too?"
"I heard someone just came by as part of their refuge. Rumor has it that somebody had created a siege in the Metro several days ago. That's why I decided to came here at the recreation center." Krelian said and Rhima knows the incident.
"It all happened because of the DIRGE. They're the ones who created the siege and tries to assassinate innocent people who had game characters in our side."
"Are you kidding me? It was impossible to kill us because of that?" Krelian reacted.
"They really did when they attempted to assassinate me in the first place. I guess that you and Claudio does not know about this fact." Rhima said in a serious tone until Claudio overhears them.
"I heard you called my name, milady."
"Claudio..." Rhima wondered as Krelian reacts at his presence.
"You shouldn't butt us on purpose, you see. This is the recreation center and this is the place where some people have to redeem themselves to be good."
"Oh... I see... just like my secretive base of course." Claudio said as he finally spills his role on the game.
"Secretive base? What are you trying to say, Claudio? I know for sure you have some motive to fight me." Rhima said knowing of his acts and Claudio shrugs.
"I had no intention to fight you, milady. The truth is, I don't spoke too much with other people even I tried so hard to beat Jin on purpose."
"..."
"All right, I'll admit it." Claudio calmly admitted and he finally reveals his true reputation. "I was the leader of the Archers of Sirius an highly secretive organization whose existence are not known to the public and we are a group of exorcists who banishes supernatural entities from our world since ancient times."
"No kidding... my game partner is an exorcist!" Krelian said surprisingly.
"So that's the reason you're trying to attack Jin because he has the Devil Gene to think it was a supernatural entity, is that right?" Rhima said angrily on Claudio's true reputation.
"Yes it's true, milady." Claudio answered calmly. "But if it wasn't for your father, your friend would be killed at my hands. It was ashamed that I tried to fight you once because of my obsession to you. But when I see your powers it is the same as the Devil Gene activates."
"Rhima, you mean you have powers?" Krelian said wanted to know which she sadly admits.
"You guys don't get it, don't you. My powers are the same as what the Devil Gene activates. But in my condition, I would absorb any kinds of supernatural entities such as the Devil Gene to make me stronger. You wanna know the truth, Fine then."
"Milady..." Claudio said also wanted to know Rhima more.
"I was kidnapped at the hands of bald face which they know him as John Vanderkaum a former member of DIRGE who becomes rogue against their leader when I was a kid. I was experimented by them to make me as their super-powered assassins. Their plan fails when my father and his friends came to rescue me and destroying their lab completely." Rhima explained. "By the time I grown up like this, I realizes that being experimented by someone, I can't forgive them for what they did to me in the first place. I already tell to Jin the whole thing and he really think of me as his friend Shin Kamiya who is also been experimented but for his case he was killed by his grandfather by breaking his spine from his submission. If my powers are activated by absorbing their demonic energy, I could unleash something in a much powerful way. If I do that, I would end myself collapsed."
"Oh my God! Do they really do that Rhima?" Krelian said and he sees Claudio cries after hearing of Rhima's story.
"I'm such a foolish person... what have I done... I personally fought milady during that siege and I realizes that her powers are not from the Devil Gene users but human hands..."
"Claudio..."
"I'm so sorry for what I did before, milady. I really thought I could exorcise you with my Sirius-Style Purification Sorcery. But I realized that your powers are made by human hands and you have a pure heart. Please, can you forgive my dishonest acts?" Claudio cried as he wants forgiveness to Rhima by kneeling to the ground which she accepts.
"You already told me that before. Way back in the beach with me and Josie by the time my father and the rest are infiltrating one of the DIRGE branches. It's all right, I already forgave you. But I don't forgive you for what you did to my father before."
"Rhima, I think it's better you forgive Claudio for hurting your father too. Besides, we're in the recreation center where they can also forgive their actions. I didn't know Claudio would cause trouble back in the main facility in the church by making a brawl. I know you were compromise from what happened." Krelian said convincing which Rhima reluctantly agrees with him.
"Okay then... I think making friends with you will be nice. But if you do that again. I would never forgive you."
"Thank you so much, milady. I guess you're giving me another chance to make friends with you." Claudio said gladly thankful to Rhima.
"It's already settled..." Krelian smiled and Claudio also reveals to both of them of his motives in the game.
"I will tell you one more thing. My real motive is to investigate the Mishima Zaibatsu who wanted to pledge allegiance with us but I refused their offer. I wanted to uncover their motives behind the conglomerate's actions."
"Looks like the old bastard really got to his sleeve. Mr. Lee had already told us that Heihachi had reclaim the Zaibatsu after Jin risks his life on the line by destroying Azazel on purpose." Rhima said knowing of his motives.
"What do you mean risking Jin's life to destroy the monster, milady?" Claudio reacted after hearing of Jin's actions.
"Jin risks his life by destroying Azazel to save the world from destruction until he was found by Raven and his crew in a comatose state. I was worried to him when he found out what happened to himself in the game. He maybe a Devil Gene user but he does this to destroy other remnants with the Devil Gene such as his father or now his grandmother." Rhima said and Claudio was amused after hearing of Jin's sacrifice.
"He maybe as a Devil Gene user but he's trying to exterminate other evil entities to redeem his own pure soul."
Suddenly, they saw DIRGE soldiers are attacking the place as Claudio manage to get both Rhima and Krelian down to avoid the gunshots.
"Is everyone all right?" Claudio said worried to both of them.
"We're okay..." Rhima said as Krelian also replies.
"That must be the soldiers that Rhima was talking about."
"I was afraid of this... milady's father will be awakened if they continue to shoot us like this." Claudio said and becomes angered by this as he tells Krelian. "Krelian, take milady to safety. I'll hold them off."
"Let's get out of here, Rhima." Krelian said as he and Rhima escape and Claudio is ready to prepare to fight them off.
"All right you scoundrels... time to take you down with an ease." Claudio said as he begins to fight the DIRGE soldiers.
Trivia:
*Claudio's occupation is revealed in this chapter as the leader Archer of Sirius which is also his role in the game.
*The recreation center's activities are mentioned by Krelian is the activities handle by a group organizations such as B1G, life and Pursuing Passion during the retreat.
*Hunyo was shown to be afraid when Lee mentions about Akuma from the Street Fighter series which he is the guest character of the updated game.
*Hunyo's relationship with Lee is just like the third part of Strangest Things 3: The Final Vengeance when Hunyo beats him down or hurting him whenever Lee is wooing either Rhima or his wife, Marissa.