This chapter should turn this story M rated... but it'll be our secret. This is as gruesome and violent as this tournament will ever get. Viewer discretion advised.

Also, full kudos to Rex Madison for the "Yuki installs forcefields" idea. Thanks buddy! That will actually help me out greatly down the road.

In Round 3, everything would get a hell of a lot more serious. This was a time of breaking points, tensions at their peak, eternal rivals unleashing their fury, vengeful souls fighting for their very lives. The weak had been all but weeded out; from here on, only the strongest of the strong would stand tall. 20 contestants had fought the toughest battles to get here... and now, only 10 would advance to the quarterfinals.

First and foremost... some business had to be taken care of. There was a monster on the loose, and he had already claimed four victims too many. Two of them, precious to the girl who carried the name Heidern with pride.

Those people were her family. She fought alongside them, spilled blood with them, faced impossible odds at their side, hand-in-hand. Leona didn't have much in this cruel world... but she had her men. They were her most precious things. There was no taboo she wouldn't break, no boundary she wouldn't cross to protect them.

That's why... she had to become something terrible. She had to become hatred, menace, a demon in flesh and blood. She had to be pure evil itself, to protect what she loved.

"Leona. What I'm asking of you isn't easy..."

She barely even paid attention to Chizuru's words. She already knew what the woman was asking of her, and her answer was formulated before the first breath was uttered. Heidern would certainly object; there he was, coming this way now. Leona was a soldier; following orders, above all else, was her prime directive. But this time... just this once... she had to disobey her commander to do what's necessary. She could only hope he forgives her.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Heidern barked. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE ASKING OF HER!"

"She's the only one who can do it, Heidern." Chizuru stood firm in her decision. "We'll take good care of her."

"You are NOT going to make her trigger that! Don't you understand that she HATES HERSELF for being that?! She tried to kill herself, for god's sake!"

"...Sir." Leona jumped in.

Heidern was shocked when Leona's meekness faded before him. She walked up to him, posture upright, her face level with his.

"...I'm doing this. With, or without your word."

Heidern's eye widened. "Y-you what...? No! Leona, think about what you're...!"

"I have thought about it. I thought about it all night long. That... THING... cannot be forgiven. It can't be spared. He hurt you, and he hurt Clark. That's too far. I'm going to kill that thing... before it causes anymore suffering..."

"Leona..." Heidern's voice broke slightly, a true testament to what she meant to the ice-cold commander. "I can't lose you..."

"And I can't lose you guys. That's why I have to do this. Sir."

With a salute, Leona turned her back and walked away, leaving Chizuru and Heidern to process the gravity of things. The woman looked over; Heidern was close to losing it. She didn't know what else to do, but offer a consoling arm on his shoulder...

"Damn this for having to happen."

"There's no other way, Heidern. She... she's going to make it."

"...She better."

Leona was, for the most part, at peace with herself; she certainly didn't mind dying as long as it was for a noble cause. But if she was going to do this... she had one thing left to take care of. She needed to see... somebody. This man, for better or worse, was connected to her; they were forever entwined in a special, screwed up way that only the two of them could understand.

Thankfully, he wasn't too far away. He was in an isolated portion of the locker room, straightening his hair in the mirror. He had removed his head bandage. His hair was damp; maybe he was washing caked-on blood out of it.

"Hey."

Iori's first instinct was to spin around and growl at whoever dared bother him... but when he saw who it was, he abruptly mellowed out.

"...Hey."

They stood there awkwardly for a second, words still taking time to brew properly. Neither of them were really much for the whole... talking thing. One barely showed emotions, and the other showed too MUCH emotion. But fate connected these two... and their destinies would go hand-in-hand.

Leona finally spoke. "I have to do something drastic to end this thing. It's going to put a lot of people at risk. If I lose control... I want you to do it."

Iori said nothing, but his eyes told her that he received the message loud and clear. He knew all too well what she meant. He was the only one she trusted to do it... because he was the only one in the universe who understood.

"You know I would do the same for you." Leona continued.

"...Yeah. That's why my answer's yes." Iori finally replied.

Leona extended her hand outwards. Iori looked at it for a few seconds... before extending his own to meet hers. This was their agreement: their binding contract, to watch over the other and do what was necessary if things went awry. They both had a horrible burden to live with... and that's why they needed each other. On the occult, satanic half of her existence, Iori was her watchful eye, her protector... and her euthanizer. She didn't ask for him, and she didn't want him... but she was grateful he was here to share it.

ROUND 3 FIGHT #1: LEONA HEIDERN VS RUGAL BERNSTEIN

"Yuki, Ai, talk to me." Chizuru held her cellphone up to her ear. She was sitting in her booth, watching the stands from afar.

"Yuki here. We just finished installing the forcefields." the agent responded from down below. "I can trigger them remotely. Just give the word."

"Thanks, but... I'd feel better if I personally had control of them."

"Oh... by all means. I'll give you the device, and show you how to use it."

"Thank you Yuki... I'm grateful for you. Now we can protect these people properly."

Chizuru hung up and awaited Yuki's arrival. At that same time... the gate opened and out walked the monster himself. Immediately, he was swarmed with the most ear-splitting onslaught of boos ever produced.

...But that thing didn't care. The concept of human judgement was lost to him. His purpose was to kill. Even with one functioning arm, one eye... he would fight and maim until his body no longer allowed it.

"Ugh. I'm ready for this asshole to go bye bye." Benimaru groaned.

"Leona will be the one. I'm sure of it." Kyo boldly predicted.

"Leona scares me... but I'm still rooting for her over that yucky Rugal clone!" Mai squealed.

"That girl's got nerves of steel. She's the one to end this." Terry assured.

On the Ikari Warriors side of the stands... Heidern was a nervous wreck. His hands squeezed his lap so hard, the gloves were the only thing preventing his fingernails from digging into flesh. He was about to watch his daughter, the only family he has left, risk her life against that barbarian. If she died in front of him... he couldn't go on. Seriously. It would be the last straw, the last thread binding him to this cruel world. If Leona dies, Heidern would join her. He told nobody this...

"This is screwed up. Leona shouldn't have to do this!" Ralf cried. He could really only convey his feelings through anger, after everything that's happened.

"Leona... please be safe." Whip prayed.

When Leona emerged from the other end, she was met with an uproar of positivity. It seems the crowd was on her side; maybe they too were ready to see an end to Rugal Bernstein, whether they understood what was about to happen or not.

"This could get very dicey." Chizuru worried. "We're about to see a bloodbath. How are we going to get away with a live death on television?"

"We tell them the truth. That's not really Rugal." Geese replied. "It's a fake. Nobody has to feel anything for it."

"Will they buy it?"

"They have to. Rugal is long dead, and they should be smart enough to know there's no coming back from what happened to him."

"Hm... we're gonna have to be quick and tidy about this. Public opinion is like a wildfire."

"In f***ing deed."

Leona finally stood before the monster. She closed her eyes, taking the deepest breath her lungs had ever partaken in. This was her most important moment. She was about to do something... truly terrifying. It was against all that was good, unleashing a nightmare that should be bound by the thickest chains and most solid walls. She just had to remember what she was fighting for; when her mind snaps, her sanity dissipates... that was her most vital key. This was for the betterment of humanity. She was becoming evil to REMOVE evil.

"Alright... do it." Iori muttered, his thumb being forcefully chewed between his teeth.

Leona closed her eyes... and focused. She allowed the purest of negative thoughts to enter her mind. It all came flooding back in an instant: that night... the night she slaughtered her own people. The night she was activated, like someone flipped her "ON" switch and let her loose on the people she loved. That night... the night that changed her into a completely different person. She was STILL that person, even now. Although Orochi was sealed, its influence can never truly be extinguished.

Deep down, in the darkest, most sinful depths of her heart... she can hear his voice speaking if she allows it to be heard. She squeezed her eyes extra tight, and listened... casting away her innocence, her protective shroud... to hear that voice.

"Let the world fear you. Let the world hate you. Shed your mortal skin, and wear the flesh of the Alpha and Omega, the one with the power to return all to whence it came. Let your fists carry His will, let your heart bear His noble ambition.

You are the acolyte of God himself. You are the one who delivers His judgement. You are His weapon, His almighty tool of righteous destruction. Fulfill your purpose... carry out His grand design...

KILL! DESTROY! PURGE! CLEANSE! RETURN ALL TO ITS NATURAL STATE! RESET EVERYTHING TO ZERO! NOTHINGNESS!

KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILL!"

She could feel it... her heart beating violently... so violently, the blood burst from her vessels. She felt warmth trickling from her orifices... her irises began quaking, bouncing around her eyeballs, the patterns in the retina of her eyes slowly disappearing, her pupils shrinking... shrinking... until nothing remained but darkness.

She felt an explosion inside her, like a warm balloon, its contents bursting so intensely, so violently... she was forced to tilt her head back and scream with all her might.

"Gugh... ugh... uhhhk... ahh... AHH... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Oh lord in heaven. This is so wrong." Ryo winced.

"L-Leona... she looks like she's in pain." Yuri softly declared, not even able to look without cringing.

"She is." K' assured her. "It's a horrible, horrible thing to live with. I don't envy her."

In the stands, Iori was close to puking. He stuffed his hands against his mouth so hard, they nearly went down his throat. He collapsed, his body wriggling and seizing as the Orochi influence gave off a horrid miasma that affected all those unfortunate enough to bear his blood. His insides were pounding against his walls, like a parasite threatening to rip through him and consume him.

"GUHHGK! GRRRRH! UGHHKKK!"

"Oh shit. KYO!" Chizuru screeched upon witnessing Iori starting to lose it. She was on her feet immediately, sprinting over there to help get him away.

"I've got him!" Kyo shouted in response. He ran over there to Iori and grabbed him, lifting him over his shoulder and putting him in a fireman's carry. As fast as his legs could move him, he took Iori far away from this wretched, demonic aura floating in the air. For that one moment... Kyo forget that he had officially screwed all responsibility he once bore.

"HOO HOO HOO HOO! HAHAHAHAHA! WHOOO! WHAT A RUSH!" Yamazaki cackled, as he felt his Orochi blood bubbling inside him, so intense he held a hand to his chest. Although he was too insane to ever be influenced by it... he still got an incredible thrill when it tried to worm its way into his consciousness and overtake him.

Heidern looked away; he couldn't bear to see her like this. As his eye shut tighter than it had ever shut, a single tear was forcefully squeezed out...

What now stood in Leona Heidern's place was a hunching, twitching, snarling beast with blood-red hair and eyes devoid of any color but white. Blood trickled from her mouth, leaked from her eyelids... and her light blue chi was now a devilish dark green.

Leona looked forward; she could only see red. Red... RED... EVERYTHING RED. In front of her... enemy... KILL...

FIGHT!

With an animalistic howl, Leona sprinted like a methed-out serial killer, blood and saliva flying from her jowls like a rabid dog. Her movements had no restraint, no discipline... she was practically a zombie smelling flesh and abandoning all safety to feast upon it.

"GRRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAGH!"

Rugal was undeterred; his one remaining eye glowed violently as he leaped into the sky, heel raised... and brought it slamming against the earth with a volcanic eruption of his chi.

"REPPUKEN!"

His incredible energy rammed into the approaching Leona, dropping her hard and swallowing her whole in its crimson waves. Leona's body vanished inside the tempest of fearsome power as it blazed a trail through her.

...But suddenly, the wave of chi parted like the Red Sea. Left, right, two halves the pure energy split into and traveled in opposite directions. And standing in the center, her hand extended like she had sliced through it like butter... an unharmed Leona.

"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Leona's guttural growls sent a chill in every spine as she sprinted towards Rugal and closed distance on him. The dark-skinned monster lunged forward, unafraid, and sent his foot soaring across her jaw, knocking her backwards. Leona stumbled back a few steps, her body eerily bending backwards... before suddenly posturing up seconds later and spitting a long string of blood from her lip.

"KILL... KILL..."

Rugal's eye flashed, as he lunged in with his signature move. "GENOCIDE CUTTER!"

His foot trailed forward implausibly, impossibly fast, the accuracy and speed as keen as a master swordsman. His foot carved a lethal trail of chi in a wide, deep upwards arc.

...But Leona met steel with steel. As his slashing foot threatened to gut her, so too did she lunge in and swing her blade-like hand upwards. The end result was their chis clashing like dueling katanas, complete with a loud CLANG and sparks flying.

Leona was the first to recover from the stalemate, leaping high and spinning around, sending her foot on a collision course with Rugal's face. Her hit landed clean, so monstrously powerful that the large man was felled with a single blow. Nobody knew if this was Leona's natural strength or the awesome, awful power of the Riot... but the latter was a much better guess.

Rugal leaped back upwards... and his jaw was literally sideways. The man acted like it didn't even hurt, like it wasn't even a bearing on his well-being. He continued to plod forward, despite it creepily swinging like a loose hinge.

Rugal drew his fist back and smashed into Leona with a clean hook, the force strong enough to topple a mountain. Leona's body bent... but her feet stayed rooted. Any other being on the planet would have been dropped like a pencil.

Rugal snarled as he brought his fist back the other way, backhanding her face from the opposite side. As his fist went in reverse and crashed into her, once again her body swayed like a tree in a powerful gust... but her feet stayed planted once more.

Perhaps baffled as to how she was still standing, Rugal took things up a notch. He protruded his hand, spreading his fingers wide; a fearsome red chi began to gather in droves, creating a huge wave..

"KAISER-"

SLASH!

Rugal looked down... his arm was gone. Vanished. Where? Where was it?! That thing... laying on the ground... it was... HIS!

The reality began to set in for Rugal as blood gushed from his stump, his severed limb laying across the ground with the fingers still extended. And at that moment... the creature known as Rugal Bernstein felt fear for the first time of his artificial life.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAHAAAAAAAAAA!" Leona tilted her head back and cackled menacingly, smearing Rugal's blood all over her skin with orgasmic glee.

"I'm gonna be sick..." Yuri groaned, burying her head in Robert's chest. He gently stroked her hair, reassuring her.

"It's okay, Yuri... this has to happen."

"This is f***ed up. The most f***ed up thing I've ever seen in my life." Benimaru uttered as he shut his eyes and looked down. He clutched his stomach, like it was all he could do to avoid expelling his breakfast.

Geese was on the edge of his seat, teeth clenched. He couldn't deny himself a sadistic smile as he watched this monster get ripped apart.

"Go Leona. Finish it." Heidern quietly muttered.

Now with only one useless arm remaining, Rugal could only howl and throw a kick to Leona's body. His foot, still impressively strong, rammed into Leona's stomach and sent her back a few feet.

He tried to follow up with a second kick... but Leona drove her foot into his approaching leg and stopped it. A horrid cracking noise echoed as his kneecap caved inwards, his leg bending at an obtuse angle in a way it was NOT supposed to.

"GRRRR! RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!"

This cry actually came from Rugal himself. It was the howl of a desperate killing machine, looking to muster some form of offense when his body had been all but shut down. With no other weapons at his disposal, he drew back and headbutted Leona in the nose. Her nasal passage opened, blood flowing freely like a crimson waterfall... but she merely ran her tongue across her upper lip, tasting her own essence.

Rugal stepped forward and threw a kick with his bad leg... Leona caught his leg and dragged him to the ground, locking her legs around it and putting him in a kneebar.

She twisted and twisted, no regard for mercy, no consideration for humane treatment. She twisted his leg 360, 720, the limb basically not even a functioning body part anymore... just a useless toy, still clinging to his body and serving no function but Leona's amusement and making the audience sick.

Finally, after mangling his leg to the extent that getting up was impossible... she mounted Rugal and finished the job.

"DIE! DIE! DIE DIE DIE DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Leona chanted this word religiously as her straightened fingers dug into his chest, repeatedly, over and over, left and right hands alternating with each stab. She tore into him, wrist-deep in his insides, rearranging his innards like a jigsaw puzzle.

Rugal's body flailed and flopped as the life was ripped out of him. His blood flowed upon the ground in all directions, exiting his body to the last drop. Leona was bathed in it, head to toe, cackling maniacally as she stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, STABBED, STABBED, ST-

WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WE'RE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE SHORTLY.

Millions of viewers across the globe were treated to cheesy Muzak and a cute chibi Mai waving her fans.