When I say MON, you say TAGE! MON! TAGE! MON! TAGE!

This is the most fun part of the whole story. Swear on my life. May Yamazaki strike me down if it's not so. I pulled out all the stops; not only do the defeated ones get a second chance in the ring, I threw in EVEN MORE CHARACTERS! I even removed the stick and included a couple more Garou guys... but not Rock. As long as I draw breath, Rock and Geese will never co-exist.

I promise you, tournament will be over in three more chapters tops. CH 41, you will have a winner. All I ask is for this one final two-parter of fun and games and absolute mayhem. I haven't had this much fun since Pre-Fight Party.

Without further ado, let the glorious chaos begin. Long live SNK.

It couldn't have been a more beautiful Sunday in Milan, Italy. The majesty of this day was reflected in how grand Chizuru felt when she woke up that morning. She got out of bed, walked out onto her balcony, not even caring that she was wearing no pants and her hair was nappy as hell. She closed her eyes and drank in the sunlight, the clean, crisp air... days like this were when the gift of life were truly treasured.

"Today is a good day. Today is a good day. Today is a good day. Today is a good day."

Chizuru recited this simple creed repeatedly, hoping that it would indeed ring true. There was no reason why it WOULDN'T, as things couldn't have been going smoother: Heidern and company made it back on Saturday with no casualties, the clone operation was toast, and most importantly... she had made it through SEVEN DAYS of this insanity and still managed to keep everyone alive and the world intact. For once, King of Fighters would finally have the smooth ending it had so desperately needed for so long. It filled her with pride to be able to take credit for it... and she reckoned it was nice to see Geese have some of the praise too. This was his swan song after all; his name deserved to be brought up when the kudos were given.

Chizuru's lips never lost their perfect U-shape as she showered, lotioned, shaved, dolled herself up with makeup, did her hair. She was seriously in RARE form. There was no telling what the day had in store. Maybe she'd give Geese a big kiss. Maybe she'd pay Yamazaki to cut her hair. Maybe she'd buy Iori a stuffed animal.

...But what stood out the MOST, was the awesome activity she had planned for this final day. Just thinking about it sent shivers through her spine: warm, exciting shivers. The more she thought about it, the more eager she was to get her clothes on and get down there already.

This was going to be a fun day.

The Coliseum was absolutely PACKED for what would be the conclusion of the tournament. Every ass was in a seat; it wasn't long until security had to start shooing people away from the sold-out venue. One thing was for sure: Geese, Chizuru, the tv and advertising executives were going to make BANK for this final day.

The fighter stands were also generously packed. Every King of Fighters regular was able to make it, save for Clark who was still bound to a hospital bed. Many of the... stranger characters... had disappeared: perhaps they were called back to their own time period? Regardless, there was still that warm sense of completion as nobody important seemed to be missing out on what would be a day of true celebration.

"I'M SO STOKED FOR TODAY! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mai was bouncing off the walls, unable to contain her always-pulsing excitement.

"Sheesh Mai, what are you so lit up about?" Joe grumbled. "The final four are all assholes anyway. Who are you supposed to root for?"

"Oh shut up Joe. It doesn't matter who wins." Mai retorted. "I'm just happy we're all here together in beautiful Italy for the conclusion of another King of Fighters! Ahhhhh! It just sends the spirit soaring! OH ANDY TAKE ME RIGHT HERE!"

Andy had to immediately jump into preservation mode, lest Mai actually attempt to go through with it. "M-M-Mai! H-HOLD YOUR HORSES! WE'RE IN PUBLIC!"

While some fighters were consumed with the bright lights of the moment... others were a bit more observative of things. Mary usually had an eye for the unusual, and she definitely spotted something weird in the audience as she lay against Terry's large bicep.

"Hey babe... you notice something strange about the audience today?"

Terry subtly glanced over. "It's freakin' packed?"

"Duh doy. But I mean... look at all the people. The way they're dressed."

Terry observed more keenly this time, actually turning around in his seat to get a full frontal view of the audience. His eyebrow slowly elevated... he must have seen it too.

Gi, sashes, belts of every color. Headbands, boxing gloves, MMA gloves, foot wraps, sports bras. Even though there were only three fights left... the entire audience looked like they were ready for combat as well.

"Didn't you guys hear?" Benimaru leaned in close to the couple. "I heard it from Kyo. Chizuru's announcing an open call this morning!"

Terry's eyes narrowed. "An OPEN... CALL?"

Benimaru grinned. "Hell yeah! Anybody can step into the f***ing ring and fight. Audience members, losers... it's a goddamn free-for-all!"

Ryo overheard the conversation. "Whoa... Geese and Chiz are really pulling out all the stops for this last day."

"Well, since there's only three fights left, there has to be something to keep people here for a full day." Robert analyzed. "I didn't expect it to be this crazy though. They're really going to let ANYBODY fight?"

"Everyone except the semifinalists." Benimaru winked. "Those poor suckers get to watch."

"Awww. So much for my rematch with Kyo." Shingo sulked. "Ah well, at least I get to beat other faces in! YAHOOO!"

"So let me get this straight..." Iori bitched. "I dragged my ass out of bed this morning, put on clothes, straightened my hair, because I heard that Chizuru was announcing an open call... and the ONE f***ING PERSON I WANTED TO FIGHT IS OFF-LIMITS?!"

"Yaggy baby, watch your blood pressure~"

Iori yelped as he was yanked backwards against his will... into the loving bosom of Mature, who started stroking his hair.

"It's okay, darling~" Vice spoke in a similarly-annoying motherly voice. "We'll make all the pain go away."

"I'm not in pain, you f***ing cunts." Iori cursed. "I just wanted to fight Kyo. Guh, f*** this. I should just leav-OOOF!"

"Oh you're not going anywhere." Mature commanded, easily manhandling Iori as he tried to pry himself from her grasp.

"Hey! Let me go! LET ME GO!"

"Iori! Behave or I'll spank you." Vice harshly scolded. "I'm not playing, young man."

Iori let out a defeated groan. "Guh... I wish I could re-kill you two."

"So what are we waiting on?" Yuri asked. "I wanna get started already!"

"Chizuru should be here anytime now." Robert replied. "And apparently... she's bringing Geese with her."

"GEESE?!" Andy grumbled. "Can't we ever get a damn break from that guy?"

"Easy, bro." Terry chuckled. "Stay mellow. No need to lose it on a fun day like this."

"Terry's right!" Kim boldly declared. "Save your fury for the ring!"

With that, the minutes continued to tick by... the fighters sat patiently, eagerly, the torment of being forced to wait almost agonizing as they squirmed in their seats. The sweet call of hand-to-hand combat beckoned to all of them... they were all true fighters, each and every one, and the desire to unleash their fighting passion had spread among them like a contagion. For many of them, this was a second chance: redemption, to be able to walk out there and put on a show for the fans after being humiliated in defeat. This was an opportunity that couldn't be wasted, lest these fighters leave Milan, Italy without absolute ease of mind and spirit...

The audience members were also feeling the growing urgency. Whether they were itching to participate, or their popcorn was simply getting cold... there was a collective swarm of ants in pants across the span of the entire audience stands. 80,000+ were eager for some form of action to commence.

...None moreso than the ones here to step in. Among those were two hardened martial artists, sitting side by side in the stands, appropriately clad in their fighting garb to show that they weren't simply there for feasting their eyes.

Between these two fighters, a myriad of experience was shared: one was a former King of Fighters contestant himself, on two different occassions. He had fought alongside the likes of Geese Howard's nastiest goons: Billy Kane and Yamazaki. On another occasion, the beautiful pirate queen Bonne Jenet was his partner.

The man known only as Gato was a rather hard one to read: his face always bore the most unsettling of scowls, and he carried himself with a demeanor as cold and hard as the most frigid mountains.

The fighter to his side was almost his opposite in flamboyance. A tall, buff dark-skinned man with the most epic of pompadours, he also bore a name befitting of his exotic character: Khushnood Butt. Unlike the bland, stuffy, stoic Gato, Butt was a powerful and prideful disciple of Kyokugen Karate, a former training partner of Ryo Sakazaki himself. He knew his name was unfortunately hilarious and the laughingstock of the entire population... but he didn't care. It only motivated Butt further to become a god of the art of Karate... because then he could simply kick the ass of anyone who dared rub him the wrong way.

"You two are lookin' good."

A female voice snapped Gato and Butt out of their shared silence; the two veterans turned and were met by the smirking face of Malin, who was casually twirling her knife like it wasn't creepy at all.

"Malin." Butt addressed her. "I didn't think you were here, girl. Whatchu doin' on this side of the action?"

Malin shrugged. "Eh, I didn't make it in time to nab one of those lovely entry cards. But uh... that didn't stop me from trying to steal the money, hehehehehe..."

Butt smirked. "Tell me you didn't..."

"Oh I did." Malin winked. "Chizuru whooped my ass pretty good. I don't even think she knows I'm still here."

"Might be best for you to lay low." Butt pointed out. "You want me and Gato here to keep a lookout?"

"...Speak for yourself." that sharp, snarky sneer was expelled courtesy of Gato upon hearing those words. His face remained unchanging, though he brought his arms up to fold them for extra attitude.

Butt chuckled. "Don't mind him, he really does care."

Malin stuck her tongue out. "Oh I believe it. Anyways, I'm not here to hide: I'm here for the same reason you two are."

Butt grinned as he folded his arms. "So you heard too, eh? Chizuru's offering some special prize for any audience member who gets in the ring with the contestants."

"Ohhhh yes." Malin smirked. "It's not a question of what: it's a question of HOW MUCH. I'm not gonna pretend like I'm the best martial artist, but I am smart enough to know a weak target when I see it. Yuri's gonna have a hard time on her hands, heh heh."

Butt scoffed. "I can't say I approve of your tactics, girl. You're dirty as hell."

"Heh. That's the loveliest compliment you can give me~" Malin winked.

"You two... what are you fighting for? Material wealth?" Gato snorted. "You should be fighting for the chance you didn't get. This tournament is our chance to unleash our fighting prowess for the world to see... who cares what monetary incentives are being offered?"

"Oh get off your high horse." Butt retorted. "If you wreck one of the tournament fighters, you damn sure won't say no to whatever Chizuru's offering. Don't even play."

"Hmph. Fair enough." Gato allowed himself the tiniest of smirks upon his bluff being called.

"In any case, we're gonna have some serious competition..." Malin observed the numerous waves of audience members dressed for combat. "It might do well for us to stick together. Improve our chances?"

"Heh. You mean watch YOUR ass." Butt was wise to it.

"...I don't deny it. Hehe."

"You two do what you want." Gato dismissed. "I don't need anyone's help to crush my foe. I'm going to go in there, and show no mercy. Just don't get in my way."

Butt wiggled his hands dramatically. "Ooooh fine then Mr. Badass. The stage is all yours."

At that moment...a MASSIVE spike in the volume, as if someone was sitting on their tv remote and cranking the speakers to the max. There could only be one explanation... they had arrived. Sure enough, that was the case: the two main people of the evening came strutting into the Coliseum with smile and waves as the people went ballistic and screeched for things to finally get started.

"Welp, that's our cue." Malin grinned. "Best of luck, gentlemen. May fortune smile upon us!"

Butt chuckled. "Just don't go TOO hard on Yuri, okay? You know those guys are like family to me."

Gato merely let out a sharp breath as he turned around and folded one leg over his lap. His eyes focused intently on the two figures that had just arrived...

"Lift up your shirt."

Geese immediately grinned wide. "Whooa Chizuru! Not here in public, baby."

The woman was quick with an eyeroll. "Will you act your age? Sheesh."

Geese met her approach with no protest, as Chizuru grabbed his button-up white shirt and forcefully lifted it... upon seeing the horrid gash on his side, she nearly got sick right there.

"Oh my god, Geese! It's horrible!" she wailed. "You shouldn't be standing up right now! D-do you want a chair? C-can I help you get somewhere and sit-"

"Chizuru. Pipe down." Geese gruffly fired back. "Look, my body is scarred all over anyway. This is just one more mark, one more notch on my big-ass belt. I'll carry it with pride, just like all the other ones."

"G-Geese..."

"Now will you please get the day started already? For god's sake, the people are about to pounce like hyenas." Geese requested, while smoothing back out his fancy brown suit. Thankfully, he wasn't dressed for fighting today.

Chizuru grunted. "Fine, fine. Give me the mic..."

Giving her throat a good clearing, Chizuru put the mic to her pretty ruby lips... and finally lit the match to start the wildfire.

"Testing 1,2, testing. ATTENTION, MILAN ITALY!"

It took a few seconds for the raging tides to settle down a bit, but eventually things got to a quiet enough level that Chizuru could continue.

"Thank you. First of all... it's been a long, long week for us all. There's been some crazy fights, some things have... gotten a little out of control at times... but I just want you to look for a second. LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME!"

Those words triggered another thunderous round of cheers, as emphasized by the way Chizuru boomed those last words and sent shivers through the spine of the awestruck audience. Another recess was taken so everyone could quiet down.

"Thank you. Thank you! Now... the moment you've all been waiting for is here. TODAY... this great tournament will finally have a winner. The final four have fought and bled, undergone tremendous trials to get to this point. So... what do you say we GIVE THEM A LITTLE BREAK!"

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what Chizuru meant by those words. The rumor was officially true... and it was enough to produce yet another cacophony of ear-splitting cheers.

"THANK YOU! Before we move on to the semifinals... I want to give everybody a chance to have a little fun today! For many of our beloved contestants... defeat came far too quickly. Perhaps they didn't get a chance to show their true stuff. Perhaps there was some beef that never got settled. AND SO... it is my honor to announce on this final day... AN OPEN CALL FOR ALL FIGHTERS TO STEP IN THE RING!"

Pause for another cheer. This one took a lot longer to die down, as the fighters in the stands were just as crazy as the audience members over hearing this wild news.

"QUIET PLEASE! Thank you! Now... as we get things started, I want to give the first opportunity to JUST the contestants. Audience members, please remain in your seats as our contestants get in the ring and fight for your amusement. But don't worry... you'll get your fun in a little while. I have something special planned for you."

Malin's tongue slithered across her lips upon hearing that. Her grip on her knife grew even tighter, until the color rushed from her fingers.

"This is a day of celebration." Chizuru continued. "On this final day of the tournament, I don't want ANYBODY to go home feeling unfulfilled, incomplete... empty. This is a day for all of you to unleash the passion you have inside yourselves, to put on one final battle in the name of martial arts! NOW... WITHOUT FURTHER ADO... CONTESTANTS! GET IN THE RING AND FIGHT YOUR HEARTS OUT!"

Terry and Andy were the first to leap from the stands.

"Let's show em what we got, baby brother."

"I hope you're ready for this Terry. Our next brawl has been long overdue!"

The Lone Wolf brothers jumped in the ring and started going at it, producing an uproar from the audience upon seeing their beloved heroes trade fists.

"ZAINEKEN!" Andy shot forward elbow-first and rammed into Terry's chest with all his might. Terry luckily had his forearms up, otherwise he might have taken a dirt nap.

"Damn bro, you trying to kill me? CRACK SHOT!"

Terry sling-shotted forward with his somersaulting heel strike, but Andy was able to backflip out of harm's way. Taking advantage of Terry's recovery, Andy frontflipped forward, resting his hands on the ground and flailing with his feet to give Terry a taste of shoe. His brother was able to catch his ankles, and flip him like a coffee table.

Andy got back up... and Terry was coming at him FAST.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

The younger brother would not be deterred; with all the fire in his spirit, he unleashed his strongest attack.

"CHO REPPA DAN!"

Andy launched at him, feet first... and those blazing feet collided with an equally powerful fist. The Coliseum was rocked with an awesome explosion of chi, as both brothers were sent flying backwards to an uncomfortable landing.

Joe ran out there, stomping angrily. "HEY COME ON! This isn't fair, man! You two can't have fun without me!"

"..You wanna play with someone, Joe? Play with me."

Joe spun around to capture that voice... and King was standing before him, already in Muay Thai stance.

Joe's face twisted. "K-King...?! Oh no you don't, young lady! Get your cute ass back to the stands right now! You're in no shape to fight!"

King stuck an adorable pose, wrist tucked underneath her chin. "Joe baby, if you talk to me like that again, I might have to kick your balls into your throat."

That one eliminated any sympathy in Higashi's heart. "Grrrrr... alright, King! YOU ASKED FOR IT!"

King and Joe met right in the center... with an explosive leg kick. Their shinbones clashed together in equal magnitude, their attacks meeting mid-swing and cancelling each other out. Their legs were forced to retract, as both fighters retreated back.

King was the first one to come forward. She fearlessly threw a front kick to Joe's pelvis, but Higashi lifted his knee high and absorbed her foot. The blonde didn't stop there; she easily barreled forward into Joe's range and started swarming him with left and right elbows. Joe was able to parry the curving strikes with his wrists... and he took advantage of an opening to seize King in the Plum Clinch.

Hands interlaced behind her head, Joe was about to jerk her body downwards and bring a knee into her torso... but a tinge of remorse flared up at the last second and froze him solid.

"Agh... d-dammit King...!"

King sensed his hesitation... and smirked. "Heh."

King pried his arms loose and curved an elbow into his temple, stumbling Joe backwards right where she wanted him: kicking range. Now able to use her bread and butter, King easily comboed Joe with an almost vomit-inducing side kick to the liver, before whipping that same foot upwards across his cheek with a reverse crescent kick.

For the mistake of showing King that second of mercy... Joe was treated to a faceful of dirt.

"HEY BIGGY BOY! CATCH THIS! RAIOKEEEEEN!"

Mr. Big looked up just in time to see a pink fireball raining down like a mortar. With a scoff, he combat rolled to the side to avoid the pretty explosion as it landed. He whipped out his Eskrima sticks and met the vengeful eyes of Yuri.

"I've been wanting to punch your bald head for a long time, Big." Yuri smirked. "Chizuru just gave me the keys to the amusement park!"

Mr. Big cackled. "Wah hahahahahahaha! You're still wet behind the ears, little girl. Let's see how well you do without big brother Ryo to back you up!"

Mr. Big ran at her; Yuri's first instinct was to nail him at range.

"KOUKEN!"

The pink fireball soared towards his face... but Big smoothly rolled underneath it and was unharmed. As he was now close to Yuri, Big was able to counterattack; he crossed his sticks around the back of her ankle and jerked back; like yanking a tablecloth, Yuri was knocked off her feet and onto her cute little backside.

"Owie...!"

"Heh heh heh." Mr. Big chuckled menacingly as he rolled backwards to a safe distance.

Back on her feet, Yuri came at him with revenge in mind. She lunged in with a deep left, only to strike the wood of his stick. She mixed it up with a huge right roundhouse... but the sole of her shoe only collided with Big's weapon and left him untouched. She pivoted her hip and tried to go mid... but her foot just whizzed past Big's body and forced her to take a huge spin to stay standing.

Big combat rolled forward, and let her have it with a three-hit combo: a painful smack to her knee that caused her to hunch over, a short, stinging conk on the forehead. Reeling from the pain of getting hit by solid wood, Yuri was helpless as Big threw the third attack: he spun around to gather momentum and let his stick loose in Yuri's stomach with a backhanded swing.

"Ouuuuf...!" Yuri was officially down for the count, feeling like she was banged like a gong.

"Heh heh. You got a little too big for your spandex, cutie pie." Big taunted.

"NOW TRY US!" a simultaneous yell rang out.

...The next thing Big saw was two feet plow into his face: one from The Raging Tiger and one from The Invincible Dragon.

The bald man tumbled across the ground, cursing as he broke yet another pair of glasses. "GUUH! Here come the white knights! NO MATTER! I'm looking for a little redemption of my own!"

Ryo and Robert clenched their fists... and awaited Big with pleasure.

Big came soaring at them like a bullet, courtesy of his Cross Dive; the two Kyokugens separated and Big shot right between them. As he recovered, the best friends closed distance and let him have it.

Big parried a high kick from Robert and shoved his foot away, only to receive a straight fist to the gut from Ryo. Stifling his desire to puke, he quickly lit up Ryo with a 1-2 to the head, his sticks thudding against his skull like a drum. As Ryo recoiled in pain, Robert came back in with a high kick, followed by a spinning roundhouse; Big parried the first one and swayed his head on the second one, opening Robert up to a brutal counter.

Big swung his sticks wide and smashed into Robert's ankle, chopping him down easily as Garcia hit the dirt. Big rolled backwards just in time to bring his sticks above his head and stop a board-breaking Karate chop, which surely would have split his bald head down the middle.

Big twisted and jabbed his sticks in Ryo's stomach, forcing the blonde on the retreat. Robert was back up, recovered from that low strike, and was charging at Big head-on.

Big made him pay dearly for that.

"BLASTER WAVE!"

The bald man unleashed the nastiest weapon from his arsenal; bringing his sticks together, he shot out a fierce wave of electricity in the form of a concentrated beam. Robert couldn't stand up to its electrical might, and he was fried like a fish.

Finally, Ryo came at Big one last time... and Big finished him off as well.

"SPINNING LANCER!"

Big's sticks became one, and he jammed the large staff into Ryo's stomach. As if that didn't shut down Ryo enough... with a twirl of his staff, Big struck his rival in the chin and laid him out flat.

"Ungh... cough cough cough... damn...!" Robert groaned as he too writhed in pain.

"Sh-shit... Big's been eating his Wheaties..." Ryo groaned aloud.

"ALRIGHT BIG! YOU'VE HAD YOUR FUN!"

Big hissed as his final opponent emerged before him: clad in traditional white Karate gi... and that red Tengu mask. How did he even get another one?! Does he keep his traveling bag full of those things?!

"Old man Takuma. I thought you called it quits." Big sneered.

"That's Mr. Karate to you, chrome dome." Takuma retorted. "And I think I have one fight left in me. You've got a little more karma due!"

"Have it your way. Here's a little blast from the PAST!"

Big rolled forward, his hand drawn back, preparing to unleash his stick... and Takuma gave him the surprise of his life.

"Whaaaa..?!"

Takuma threw a kick of such speed, grace, and flexibility... his foot was aimed at the sky. Despite Big's close proximity, the old man had succeeded in kicking the stick from his grasp; it flew outwards into the distance, never to return. Unless somebody went scavenger hunting, of course.

"HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Takuma kia'd as he threw a powerful straight fist to Big's sternum... probably powerful enough to shatter a cinder block. Big luckily didn't break any bones; his ass probably could have skidded for nearly half a kilometer though. He kept sliding backwards until the wall of the Coliseum granted him mercy and stopped him.

...At that moment, the legendary Mr. Karate collapsed to the ground. He had definitely just slipped a disc.

"Ryo... Yuri... help your papa, please."

Mai made the mistake of trying to throw a punch at Kasumi with no setup; the blue haired girl seized her arm and flipped her into the dirt.

"Nice move." Mai complimented as she used her hands to spring upwards and attempt to kick Kasumi on wakeup. Kasumi blocked the attack, but Mai still got the distance she needed to stand again.

Mai charged in with a knifehand strike; Kasumi bounced it off her wrist, spun around and protruded her elbow... directly into Mai's chest.

The brunette yelped as she stumbled backwards, tits flailing wildly. "H-HEY! WATCH THE GOODS, SISTER! I'd rather take one in the face, thank you!"

Kasumi grinned sheepishly. "S-sorry Mai..."

Mai charged in again; Kasumi ducked her strike and clinched with her, seizing her head within her biceps. Kasumi pulled Mai's head downwards, while simultaneously lifting with her hip... and Mai took another ride into the dirt.

...Mai's legs were not to be underestimated, though. As soon as Mai was dropped, she threw her legs up and locked them around Kasumi's neck. With one sharp yank, it was KASUMI'S turn to take a wild tumble. The end result was both girls grounded... and a race to see who would get top superiority.

Mai won the scramble, hovering atop Kasumi and attempting to smash into her with horizontal elbow strikes. Kasumi demonstrated her ground prowess; as Mai's arm came down, Kasumi threw her legs around it and seized Mai's wrist within her hands. Now trapped in an armbar, Kasumi was able to easily redirect Mai's body and toss her aside.

The two girls got up, dusted themselves off... and hugged.

"Did I mention I LOVED the year you were on our team?"

"Hee hee... same here. I wish could've been on your team again, and not that loser Eiji's. He takes his hatred of Ryo... a little TOO seriously."

Mai laughed. "Haha, yeah he needs to get a life."

"Oh tell me about it."

Yamazaki had found himself a willing playmate... one who had no qualms about jamming his long, red stick right where the sun don't shine.

The black-clad thug smoothly dodged the end of the pole, just as it was about to jam between his eyes. Billy followed through with the motion, pivoting with his right hip and trying to swing around with a horizontal stroke. When Ryuji dodged that one as well, Billy spun around a second time and tried to take him out at the feet. Yamazaki smirked and lifted his shoe, just at the moment the stick grazed the ground... and he brought his foot down and stopped it.

Billy tugged fiercely, trying to pry it from under Yamazaki's heel. But the thug just grinned wide as he kept his foot there, enjoying the struggle.

"Urgh! LET GO OF MY STICK!" Billy demanded.

"Make me." Yamazaki smiled.

"Grrrrr... you're asking for it, you clown!"

"Oh I'm BEGGING for it."

With a loud grunt, Billy changed his stick to loose form and it slid free. He wasted no time whipping it backwards and then letting it fly forward to give his rival a good smack. Yamazaki swayed his head and it whizzed past; Billy followed through by spinning around and letting it carry a second time.

Yamazaki anticipated the arrival, whipped out his knife, and parried it aside. With a look of maniacal bloodlust, he drew back and threw the knife dead towards Billy's face!

Seeing his life flash before his eyes, Billy quickly changed his staff back to solid form and, at the last possible second, was able to smack the knife off-course.

"Hey, what's the big idea! YOU COULDA KILLED ME!"

"That wouldn't have killed you."

"YER HAVIN' A LAUGH!"

"I swear, you would have lived."

"Bollocks!"

"Fine, fine, don't take my word for it." Ryuji shrugged.

Billy charged at him with the staff drawn back, intending to thrust it like lance, but Ryuji stuck out his large foot and kicked Billy in the chest before he could get unleash. Billy was about to fall backwards, but he stopped himself with the end of his stick and launched himself back forward with a swift counter. His staff struck Yamazaki on the cheekbone; the black-clad thug stumbled backwards a bit, his head still turned... but he only grinned like a madman.

Billy tried to move on him and punish.. but Yamazaki started getting dirty. As Billy charged in, his hated rival kicked up a dust cloud that permeated the whites of his eyes... immediately producing tears that turned his vision glassy.

With a cackle, Yamazaki brought his heel downwards and stomped Billy in the shin, causing his stance to buckle and the staff-wielder to fall forward... directly into a skull bash.

BONK!

As hard as Yamazaki butted him, the grinning thug seemed not even affected by it. Billy, on the other hand, was stumbling around like a drunkard before finally collapsing on his back.

"You... fuckin'... dirty... agghhhhhhh..."

Benimaru had found a willing partner to trade kicks with; his old teammate Duo Lon. He had always liked Lon for several reasons...mainly that he was a good kicker and was pretty hot. Benimaru could relate to him.

Their legs clashed like dueling swords. When Benimaru would kick low, Duo matched it with his own low kick. Benimaru tried to go mid, only to collide with Duo's own foot a second time. Finally, the two of them tried to aim high for the head... only to have a meeting of feet for the third time.

Angered by the stalemate, Benimaru started going for more unpredictable moves. He feinted a low kick and went high with his Raiji Ken instead. Unfortunately, he would never even reach Duo... as the Hizoku assassin was able to stretch his arm beyond human capabilities and slap Beni in the face with the back of his hand.

As if Benimaru hadn't gotten enough stretchy action, Duo Lon extended his foot to incredible length and kicked the blonde square in the chest. Benimaru's beloved hair got a taste of the dirt, and Duo Lon just stood there casually, his face unchanging... but one could swear he was trying to stifle a grin.

Benimaru got up... and he was more vengeful than a woman scorned.

"Duo... I dare you... I DARE YOU... to get my hair dirty again."

Benimaru charged like a madman and threw a flying knee; Duo smoothly sidestepped it, thrust out his long brown hair, wrapped it around Beni's leg... and slammed him into the ground.

"Well, you dared me."

Shen Woo fought the way he always did; putting the entirety of his body into every punch he threw, even if he shattered his hand in the process. Against his teammate, buddy, and past opponent... it was no different.

"READY FOR ROUND 2, OLD MAN?!"

As aggressive as Shen Woo came forward, Oswald was the epitome of cool as he easily dodged the incredibly exertive punches Shen threw. He showed little to no urgency, seemingly content to just let Shen punch himself out with these hugely energetic swings.

Finally, Shen came forward with a telegraphed swing... and Oswald sprang into action. Summoning a card from his sleeve, he closed distance on Shen, protruded his hand... and stopped Shen's arm solid.

"Unfh! Wh-wha..."

Shen's arm felt completely paralyzed; Oswald had inserted his card right underneath the groove of his elbow joint, stopping his arm in its tracks. Shen struggled a few times, trying to move it... but he was stunned stiff.

Oswald smirked as he held his right hand there, and whipped out a card from his free hand... which he threw into Shen's ribcage.

"GaaaAAAH!"

Before Shen could even stumble backwards, Oswald sent him on his way with a spinning backfist from his right hand... and in one fluid motion he let the card in his grasp fly forward and strike Shen on the bridge of the nose.

Shen was immediately on his knees, clutching his nose in pain. "AAAAAGh! God DAMMIT those things hurt!"

Chizuru checked her cell phone; it was amazing how time had flown by. She looked out there to see that many of the fighters were still having a great time. Most of them had gotten into it, save for a few: Heidern was well beyond this sort of nonsense. Athena wasn't getting into it either. Shingo was still sitting down, but only because he had been pestering Iori to fight him, to no avail. Elisabeth wanted nothing to do with it, old guys like Tung were smart enough to stay seated. Goro Daimon also had no desire to fight any further. As for the rest of them... maybe they just hadn't found a willing partner to fight with yet?

Chizuru was about to change that.

"ATTENTION FIGHTERS! PLEASE HOLD YOUR FISTS!"

Her voice blaring in the microphone had the same effect as firing a gun to stop a mob; all at once, the punches stopped flying as every fighter in the combat zone stood at attention to listen to what she had to say.

Chizuru spun around to the audience, facing them. "Our contestants fought hard to put on a show for you all. I saw every ounce of their fighting spirit in there. Safe to say, they didn't leave anything behind. And now, I ask you all... are you not entertained?"

The crowd broke out in a huge positive reception.

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!"

An even louder increase in the thunderous cheers and screams.

"THANK YOU! And now... the moment you've all been waiting for. I'm sure many of you out there have heard... certain rumors... about what I had planned today. And now, it is my pleasure to announce... THOSE RUMORS ARE TRUE!"

Chizuru smiled as she was forced to once again pause for an explosive outburst of applause from the audience, who were all fired up now. Many of them had even leapt to their feet, struggling to hold themselves back.

"AUDIENCE MEMBERS! I give you this chance now... anyone out there who believes in their fists, their fighting spirit... I implore you, get in the ring! There will be no restrictions, nobody to be turned away! ALL OF YOU ARE WELCOME! I'M DECLARING OPEN SEASON!"

Chizuru knew she wouldn't be able to silence them now; they were screaming their heads off and jumping from the stands like a horde of zombies at an all-you-can-eat flesh buffet. But she had one more point to make: one more very important point. Taking a deep breath, she put her lips to the mic and yelled with all her lungs:

"ONE MORE THING! ANY OUTSIDER WHO DEFEATS A KING OF FIGHTERS CONTESTANT WILL RECEIVE A $20,000 CASH PRIZE FROM GEESE HOWARD HIMSELF! THAT IS ALL! HAVE AT IT!"

With a long breath, Chizuru dropped the mic and sat down. She was definitely hoarse now; trying to get through to these people was like trying to control screaming kids at one of those pizza party places. She looked up at the clock: one hour had begun to count down. That was one whole hour that she didn't have to do anything. She could get a cold drink, sit back, shut up... and relax.

"Whew... well fighters, it's in your hands now. Good luck."

Oh my god this is so much fun. I'm giggling as I type this. Next chapter is going to be the craziest thing you've ever read. I hate that I even had to break this up into a two-parter, but believe me... it's for the best. I want Part 2 to BLOW. YOUR. MINDS.

NEXT CHAPTER: Open Season has been declared! Audience members are flocking in droves at the chance to defeat our beloved fighters and earn some cool cash. How will the contestants fare? Will they watch each other's backs, or will it be every man for himself? Which ones will survive? Which ones will suffer the humiliation of actually LOSING to an audience member?

FIND OUT NEXT TIME! I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT TO START TYPING! AHHHH!