Whew... my friends. I don't know how I could have possibly followed up the Hakkeshu Triple Feature... but I think I managed to make a main event worthy of Round 3 of the Twilight Tournament. This one has a much different style to it than the previous three. No demonic powers, no supernatural bullshit... just two people, punching each other in the face. Blood, dirt, and debris.

Enjoy the main event. It's long and gritty, so take a seat.

A brief intermission was held, for the sake of both their physical health... and the mental state of the entirety of Allianz Arena. It was a lot to digest, everything going down; although the blissfully ignorant audience would never truly understand the gravity of it all, they still welcomed a breather after three incredibly explosive fights, back to back to back.

The field had been completely cleared. Rose and her colleagues had taken Adelheid away, probably to tend to his wounds. The Hakkeshu presence had vanished altogether. Krauser, who had stood out there for about a minute, also left the field.

"Now. Yes, send them now!"

Krauser, who was now pacing the sidelines, was diligently conversing with the unfortunate individual on the other end of the phone.

"I don't CARE if they aren't 'mentally prepared'. Look, they only have to play the first movement! With what I'm paying them, they should have to play the whole damn symphony. I want this to be perfect. Now SEND THEM IN!"

The conversation ended there, as Krauser hung up the phone, and abruptly exited through the tunnel.

Minutes passed. The audience patiently sat idle, taking advantage of the situation to take bathroom breaks, buy concessions... the whole nine yards. The fighters themselves, however, did not have the luxury of seeing things through a consumer's eyes: they were on the other side of the spectrum, and thus, they all couldn't help but be restless.

"Alright, this is very close to cutting into my 'drown my sorrows' time." Vanessa urgently griped.

"I second that." Ralf echoed. "I could use a few pitchers after all the crap that's happened since before the Battle Royale."

"I could use something a little more... 'potent' if you know what I mean." Yuri snickered, while gesticulating with two fingers, back and forth from her mouth.

"Oh, I think Yamazaki might have some." Shen Woo casually mentioned.

"NOBODY SAY HIS NAME!" Clark commanded. "Him, and especially Mr. Big."

"I wonder where that rat Big ran off to." Ryo frowned.

"If he's smart, he went to go be a mountain hermit, like Geese." Mai responded. Andy high-fived her upon hearing that.

"Geese..." Chizuru spoke his name with a strange melancholy...

"Too bad he won't be here to see Terry put the smackdown on that big, purple jerk!" Joe grinned.

"What makes you so sure he'll win?" Malin was ever the naysayer. "Terry's psychology is all out of wack. Krauser might run a train on him."

"Don't talk about my Sexy Wolf like that, mosquito bites~" Jenet rebutted.

"I will put my dagger right in your nipple hole." Malin threatened.

Minutes continued to pass. There was no activity in the field. Surely, ONE of them would have come out by now...

...And then someone did emerge. More than one person. MULTIPLE people... clad in fancy black suits. Men and women They were carrying... equipment?

"Whoaa, what's going on here?" Ralf asked.

"Are they carrying...?" King inquired.

"Instruments." Ryo finished. "Musical instruments."

As the fighters pondered, the personnel on the field began truly setting up: chairs, stands, notes... and there was quite a diverse set present. There were two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, three horns, two trumpets, and an assortment of kettledrums and strings.

"Hmm, that's quite a layout." Robert observed. "Is this Krauser's doing?"

"Probably." Mai scoffed. "This sounds JUST like some stupid exhibition shit he'd do."

The Stadium grew deathly quiet when the saw one final figure emerge on the field... dressed more elegantly than the others and wielding a stick, he was clearly the conductor. He approached a stand, which had been set out in advance for him.

Silence continued to fill the Stadium, as he cleared his throat, slowly raised the stick...

...The orchestra began to play at once, igniting the Stadium with a whimsical, upbeat, heroic melody. It beautifully fluctuated, at times appearing to explode with the power of the strings, while at times quieting down with the gentle grace of the flutes... sometimes the score grew almost silent, before slowly emerging back with a resurgence of energy!

Anyone who was a music aficionado recognized this tune... an iconic classic, produced by one of the most legendary composers in history... Germany's own Ludwig van Beethoven.

"Hey, this is pretty good!" Robert tried to yell over the revurburating brass.

"What is this ballroom dancing shit?!" Malin griped.

"It's Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, 'Eroica'." Athena, ever a music-enthusiast, explained. "It's the first movement, Allegro con Brio."

"Of course you'd know." Malin taunted. "Cuz somehow, if you're involved in the music genre, you know ALL about music."

"W-well yeah!" Athena giggled. "I bet Iori knew what it was too. Right Iori? Huh? Ioriiiii~?"

Iori, who was sitting a few yards away, merely blew a puff of air.

It wasn't until nearly 9 minutes into the song... that a certain figure finally made himself known. His presence was recognized IMMEDIATELY, both by the explosion of pyrotechnics that erupted near the tunnel, and the screaming cheers of the audience, upon realizing he was emerging.

To top it all off, Hyena was holding a microphone, and felt the need to be his personal announcer.

"NOW MAKING HIS WAY TO THE RING, WEIGHING 320 POUNDS, THIS MAN IS A LORD, ARISTOCRAT, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED NOBLE OF GERMANY, A MAN OF TERRIFYING POWER AND STATURE, FEARED BY EVEN GEESE HOWARD HIMSELF. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HE IS A FORMER HOST OF KING OF FIGHTERS, FORMER RULER OF SOUTHTOWN, HE IS... THE EMPEROR OF DARKNESS... WOLFGANG! KRAUSER! VOOON STRONHEEEEEEEIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

The Stadium was absolutely ballistic. The purple giant carried himself with a flair of cockiness, donning his gold-plated armor, his red cape swishing behind him, his head stuck up high... like he was the king of Germany. As far as he was concerned, he WAS, being the new betting favorite to win the tournament.

The symphony continued to play, the hired orchestra demonstrating true professionalism by not breaking concentration, despite the loudness of the atmosphere and the chaos underway. Krauser walked past them, making his way into the dirt circle... but first, he stopped at the grass, to shed his golden armor, and remove his cape, letting it flutter into the sky. He never said a word... merely kept a smile on his face, occasionally closing his eyes and looking above, as if taking in the refined, cultured sound around him.


IN THE OTHER LOCKER ROOMS...

"Jeez, what's he trying to do? Flush me out with ear torture?"

In the confines of the locker room, the resonating symphony still penetrated the walls, shaking the interior with intense vibrations. Terry was sitting on the bench, silently reflecting... at least he WAS, until Krauser put on his grandiose walkout.

Mary was also with him, on the same bench, her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging him. "How ya feeling, big guy?"

Terry was able to smile easily. "I'm... I'm good. I'm really good. I'm just happy you're here beside me."

Mary, despite being pleased to hear that, rolled her eyes and gently slapped his shoulder. "Can't you forget about me for one second? You've got a German Goliath to beat down."

Upon hearing that, Terry's face straightened. His brought his own hand up... balled it into a fist.

"I'm not sure if I've got it, Mare. I just... I just don't know. Something feels different about this one."

"Because you're MAKING it different." Mary tried to dissuade. "Dude, it's psychological. You're just in your head right now. You're still shaken up about the Freeman thing, and maybe a little intimidated that Krauser has the home field advantage... but dude, you're the best fighter I know. And I'm NOT exaggerating. Your fighting instincts are a step above everyone else. You're the Wolf for a reason. You were born for it. Krauser? He's a f***ing fop. He's a wine-sipping rich guy that admires paintings and... objay.. duuh-art, or whatever f***ing word King probably knows."

Terry laughed out loud, the smile finally back on his face. He had to commend Mary; she, above everyone else he knew, could lift his spirits in her own, gruff, amusing way.

"There's that smile, handsome man." Mary winked. She leaned in... pressed her lips on his, held it there for a good few seconds, before they pulled away with a satisfying smooch. "Now get out there and whoop him already."

"Alright, alright... anything to shut that damn music up." Terry chuckled. Straightening his brown jacket, he rose to his feet, dusted off his jeans... checking his fists, he made sure his fighting gloves were tightly secured.

Mary accompanying him, The Wild Wolf exited the tunnel, and made his way out onto the field.


ROUND 3 FIGHT #8: WOLFGANG KRAUSER VS TERRY BOGARD

Despite being the visitor, Terry still commanded a huge reception of applause when he finally proceeded onto the field. The man's legacy was one that couldn't possibly be tarnished, for as long as he lived; for that reason, he could venture into any hostile country and always get a hearty feedback.

He kept his eyes ahead... locked onto the eyes of his opponent, his sworn rival, who looked right back, a gaze containing a lust for vengeance that had festered and fermented for FAR too long.

This was Krauser's moment. His moment to try and redeem himself. In front of his native homeland. His people. And Terry... Terry was the bad guy, attempting to foil this fairy tale.

"At last... AT LAST!" Krauser's voice boomed with excitement, as the symphony began to play out... and as quickly as the Stadium had been rocked with the heroic orchestra, so too was it now graced with a tense, nerve-inducing silence...

Everyone knew what this moment meant. Thus, nobody dared speak out of line, dared to distract from this moment of epic confrontation.

"You've eluded me for too long, Bogard." Krauser addressed his nemesis. "Now, my moment is finally here... and things couldn't have fallen into place better. Here, in my homeland, the main event, on the grandest fighting stage... it's perfect. It's TOO perfect. Nothing will ever stop what's about to happen from happening. I'll fight to my last breath to make it so."

Terry reached up... clutching both sides of his jacket, he slipped it past his shoulders, shedding it, tossing it aside... for maximum mobility, he would fight in only his humble white tee. He responded:

"Just because the narrative is on your side doesn't mean victory's a sure thing."

Krauser laughed. "HA HA HA HAAA! Well it certainly helped Geese to triumph over you, now didn't it? Pfeeh! If my pitiful worm of a brother can beat you... then I can crush you in HALF the time!"

Terry felt himself grow slightly agitated, especially because of the previous mention. His response reflected his change in demeanor.

"You're so sure of yourself! Just like you were the first time, before I cleaned your clock! I beat you once already... that already gives me an advantage! Because beating you is embedded in my DNA... it's a sure thing that happened, which means it can be repeated!"

Krauser smirked. "I've beaten you before as well... have you forgotten?"

"ENOUGH!" Terry roared, brandishing his fists. "I've just about had it with you... hovering over me, threatening me, taunting me... bringing up Geese and my dad, in an attempt to trigger me. I think your mouth tips the scales compared to your fighting ability."

Terry stepped forward. "And as for me... my scales tip in the OPPOSITE direction."

Krauser stepped forth, in response... but his arms remained folded. "I'm the hero of this story, Bogard... and it tears you up inside. It's my right that will triumph! Now... 'Wolf'... I'll neuter you like a whimpering pup!"


FIGHT!

Terry's emotions ran hot. He charged at Krauser, fist drawn back, wanting to put his best in the man's jaw right there and then...

...Krauser smirked. Without even unfolding his arms, he extended his leg at the opportune moment, sparta-kicking Terry square in the chest. The blonde man went flying backwards, but managed to land on one knee as he skidded several feet to a halt.

Terry got back up, still furious. He rushed in, cocked his fist back and let it loose... his fist struck only the gold of Krauser's gauntlet, and the purple giant clobbered him with a big uppercut, leaving his midsection open to a knee to the body. Terry went down already... and Krauser put him down the rest of the way, as he raised his arm and brought it crashing down across his spine.

Rather than respectfully let him get up, Krauser LIFTED him up, and the pain continued: a forearm upper to the face sent him backwards, and Krauser spun around with a sobat, planting a foot in his body, before finally drawing his arm back.. and unleashing his plated forearm across his face. Blood and saliva flew from Terry's jowls, as the blonde man took another hard plant into the dirt.

"DAMMIT TERRY, COOL YOUR HEAD!" Andy urged.

Terry was feeling the pain already, and getting up was a chore... but Krauser motivated him to get up faster, as the looming behemoth hovered over him, raised his boot, and tried to come down on him. Terry rolled sloppy to dodge it, but Krauser persisted, coming forward and trying to soccer kick him in the stomach.

This was Terry's first opening; he caught the leg before it could connect, and he used it as leverage to help himself back up. Once he was at least mid-level, he rammed his fist as hard as he could muster into the man's washboard abs.

He heard Krauser's grunt of pain, and Terry knew he could push the pace; lifting himself back up, he gave Krauser payback with a rising uppercut to the chin. Krauser staggered hard, and Terry pummeled his body more with a 1-2, before throwing a nasty hook to his jaw.

Just like that, Terry had made himself known in this fight. Krauser could be hurt. He could be knocked down. He could be finished.

The two approached aggressively. Terry swung at him, but Krauser blocked it and countered with a body kick. Terry took it clean, but he maintained his wits enough to dodge the right hook coming at his head, and he threw himself against Krauser to avoid anymore incoming punches. The clinch didn't last long, and Krauser threw him aside.

Now at range, they both tried the long game.

"BLITZ BALL!"

Terry juked it easily, and fired back with his own. "POWER WAVE!"

Krauser sidestepped it, and Terry tried to use the distraction to come in close with a "POWER DUNK!"

Krauser avoided the serve-up strike, causing Terry to float in limbo, his supercharged fist cocked...and Krauser simply caught the man in mid-air and flung him several yards, like a sack of flour. Terry actually spiraled a few times before hitting the ground HARD.

He gasped at air, attempting to recapture some before his opponent drew too close. He was finally able to scramble to his hands and knees... with a few more breaths, he helped himself back up. His body was already wrought with pain... he knew he was losing right now. He had to pick it up.

Krauser came at him. Terry showed no restraint meeting him halfway. The two closed, and Terry fired a hard left. It merely bounced off of Krauser's pectoral, and the purple giant gave a half laugh as he came around with a spinning clothesline. Terry ducked it, and fired a quick body-head combo, nailing Krauser with both hits. He saw the giant stumble, and he tried to chop him down with a leg kick... he only felt pain and heard a metallic thud, as it bounced off Krauser's shin guard. In a desperate attempt to get range, Terry threw a spinning high kick behind it; Krauser backpedaled and blocked it easily with both gauntlets.

Neither man wanted to retreat. Terry inched closer, into kicking range, and threw his best body kick...

...Krauser, with uncanny timing, raised his forearm and hammered his leg in mid-flight! Terry grunted in pain as he went down to one knee... and Krauser came flying at him with a knee to the chest. The huge man plowed into him, and Krauser followed through, planting his entire weight onto Terry and flattening him with a body press. Krauser was able to use his momentum and roll through it, springing back to his feet, leaving Terry laying there, writhing in pain.

Krauser was afforded a second to admire Terry's struggle... his nemesis, crawling on his hands and knees, groaning in pain as the blonde tried to recover... it was amusing.

Before Terry had a chance to stand, Krauser made sure it wouldn't happen. Closing quickly, he got in front and wrapped his arms around Terry's neck, putting him in a front headlock. Terry was immediately pushed back down, as he couldn't carry the weight of 300 pound bearing down on him.

The struggle commenced for several seconds; Terry on bottom, crawling around desperately to find some way up, and Krauser, maintaining the headlock, his knees sprawled out, as he tried to hold the man down. Terry's struggles grew more and more successful... eventually Krauser feared the blonde Wolf would break out.

With quick thinking, Krauser threw his weight sideways, slamming the two of them into the dirt with a neckbreaker. Krauser rolled through the motion as the two of them reset... and Terry was right back to square one.

"Gh...ghhh...grrrr... GRRRRAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Finally, with a hysterical display of strength, Terry's knees shot upwards like a piston, and the man was back on his feet. He barreled forward, still carrying Krauser's weight, forcing the muscular man backwards... and the Wolf's fist glowed with chi as he slammed it into the ground at their feet!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A point-blank Power Wave broke the headlock easily, but it proved to be a reckless and self-harming move, as the resulting explosion blew BOTH of them backwards.

"Terry! Oh my god!" Mary yelped.

"The man is nuts... hitting himself with his own move." Ralf shook his head.

"Well, it worked." King shrugged.

Despite the hard knocks they both took... it was only seconds before they were back in each other's face.

Krauser roared violently as he swung at Terry with wild punches. Terry was ironically starting to become the cooler head, as he swayed and weaved the punches, even dodging the roundhouse Krauser threw at the peak of the combo.

Terry attempted a leg kick... once again, a bad idea. Krauser laughed at the THUNK! on his shin guard, and he clobbered Terry's face with a straight right.

Terry was sent backwards in a wild stumble... but he made use of the new range, and fired a "POWER WAVE!"

This one was smaller, aimed at the feet... Krauser sidestepped it easy.

...But that was the opening Terry wanted. "BURN KNUCKLE!"

The special attack jettisoned Terry towards Krauser, but he missed the Emperor altogether. However, the attack proved successful... as Terry was now flanking his left.

Before Krauser had a chance to turn, Terry kicked his knee out, hitting a spot that the shin guards didn't protect. Krauser grimaced hard, and Terry blasted his temple with a short-range elbow. Krauser wobbled... Terry put it on him, firing a fist to the body, going high to the head... his hits landed clean, but he swung so hard that he was forced to throw his body against Krauser just to stop himself.

...Krauser took advantage of this. Still possessing superior strength, he used Terry's momentum against him, lifted him high... and he spun around, planting Terry on the ground with a lateral takedown.

Krauser scrambled on top to try and get a full mount, but Terry moved quick enough to avoid this. Realizing time was against him, Krauser achieved side control and went for broke; he snaked his arms around Terry's neck, putting him in a side choke. And anyone who knew of how ridiculously BEEFY Krauser's arms were, knew that this was hell for any poor neck.

Terry was immediately feeling the effects: his airway close, the world around him start to grow black in his peripherals... and slowly creep in... he knew he had to get out, and fast.

Terry was forced to turn his back completely to Krauser, as he knew that was his best bet in standing up. Krauser accepted the gift, and the side choke became a proper rear naked choke.

"Terry!" Mary encouraged. "Cmon, get out of that... as many times as I've put you there, you should know how..."

"Oooooh tell me more!" Mai snickered.

"Shut up, Mai."

Terry was a strong guy, but he could tell it was getting increasingly taxing on his legs, carrying Krauser's weight in this fight... he was afraid his knees would blow out soon, if this kept up. Honestly, getting choked unconscious was probably better than that alternative...

...Still, he had come too far in this fight. He didn't want it to be over like this. Not like THIS. To lose at this point would be...

Thus, Terry willed himself to one knee. That knee pushed up... and became a foot. That foot continued to push up, all 300 pounds bearing on top of him, choking him... the second foot found its placement!

Terry was standing back up now. He began to walk forward... his body moving like it was underwater...

...What happened next surprised everyone, and THRILLED Mary, as Terry hooked a leg around the back of Krauser's foot, used the leverage to trip him... and he hip tossed Krauser over his head!

"WHOA!" Joe exclaimed.

"Did he just...?!" Mai gasped.

"He did." Mary beamed with pride. "Yes he did."

A move out of Mary's arsenal, one she'd used on Terry multiple times, now proved to be Terry's saving grace, as he flung the giant and planted him flat on the ground. And, with Krauser laid out, grounded... Terry's eyes glowed yellow, and his chi manifested, as he unleashed his explosive might in one move...

"POWAH GEYSEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

A yellow eruption of chi sprouted from the ground like a volcano, shooting Krauser sky-high, into the clouds above. The audience SCREECHED with cheers, as Krauser's screams could be heard returning to the atmosphere...

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." THUD.

His body hit the ground so hard, it kicked up a massive dust cloud... and everyone was on their feet, clapping, stomping, whooping, going bananas over what had to be the most decisive attack of the entire fight.

"TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!"

Terry drank in their cheers, feeling 100% better about himself. He'd be lying if he said the doubt wasn't there... after everything this week, after the events of last year, he wasn't quite sure if his fangs were still at their sharpest. But after this-

"Huff...huffff...huff...hufffffff..."

...He had to cock his head, to make sure he wasn't imagining things. No way... surely that wasn't...?!

"Huff... huffff...hufffffff... hrrrghhhhhh..."

The dust began to clear... a silhouette could be seen, standing, his posture slightly hunched, shoulders rising and falling.

Terry's mouth dropped, when the dust cleared... and Krauser was still standing.

"NO WAY!" Andy, Joe, Mai, Mary all shouted in unison.

Much like it was improbable to kick out of a finisher, it was HIGHLY improbable for someone to tank the mighty Power Geyser... yet here Krauser was, busted up, hair a mess, taking hard breaths... but still standing, nonetheless. And Terry had just used a massive amount of chi... so both of them were sapped.

"I took your best and I'm still here!" Krauser spat. "You have nothing left to offer! NOTHING!"

Terry's fists clenched once more. "I've still got a lot in me!"

They closed distance again...but Krauser got the jump on him, as he sailed into Terry's legs with a low dropkick. Terry hit the ground, tried to scramble to his hands and knees... he put himself right back in the same predicament, as Krauser got to him and put him, once again, in that front headlock.

They wrestled in that position for a good few seconds... but Krauser wasn't interested in staying there this time. He instead transitioned the headlock into something more damaging; lifting Terry to his feet, releasing the neck, spinning him around, seizing a bodylock around the waist... Krauser fell backwards and slammed him, with a traditional German suplex. He let go of the bodylock in mid-flight, however, causing Terry to take a hard tumble for several yards.

They were back to distance, Terry on his feet, Krauser in a low wrestling stance... he creeped forward, arms wide, knees bent, preparing to grapple with Terry at a moment's notice. They came at each other with measured movements... until Krauser finally took his shot. He tried, and FAILED, as Terry was able to shove him away before Krauser achieved the bodylock he wanted.

They danced in a dizzying circle, Terry's arms up... Krauser's low. The man was getting tired, and Terry could tell.

A stiff jab popped Krauser in the nose. Another jab. Krauser couldn't defend them. They circled around more... Terry threw a lazy leg kick, but it was only a setup, as he came across and CRACKED Krauser with a hard 1-2.

Krauser was dazed, bleeding, and heaving. He swung at Terry sloppily; the blonde dodged, and he tried to follow up his whiff with a high knee. Terry was nowhere to be found.

He rushed Terry with a hard left: Terry blocked it with his shoulder, and Krauser mixed it up with a body kick.

...Terry caught his leg, leaving the purple man hopping, and he blasted Krauser's cheek with a left hook!

Krauser knew he couldn't stay there; taking advantage of the situation, he sacrificed his footing, throwing himself upwards with his free leg and nailing Terry in the face with a dropkick. They both hit the ground.

They scrambled, and Krauser tried to get on top of him: Terry pushed him off, and they both crawled to distance.

Terry dipped his hand down, into the dirt below... grabbing a handful of it, he smeared it across his palms, rubbing his hands together until the fine grains spilled back off.

At this point, they were both wearing the effects of the fight... both were dirty, hair messed up, both sporting lots of makeup. Their mouths hung open with hard breaths, which would make breaking their jaw even easier if a punch landed well. It was hard to tell which one looked fresher... an easier answer would be that they were equally exhausted and battered.

Terry rushed in, throwing a series of of straight rights, one after the other... they impacted on Krauser's bicep, and Krauser stopped his advance with a forearm to the face. Terry took the metal of the gauntlet to his forehead, and he felt the trickle of a fresh cut...

Krauser brought his leg up to surprising height: his boot connected with Terry's face, knocking the Wolf off his feet and planting him on the ground, laying flat underneath Krauser's heel.

Rather than hold him there, Krauser bent his knees and tried to come down on Terry with a double knee drop... Terry rolled out of the way, and Krauser hit only dirt, the big man rolling smoothly to his feet.

Terry launched a bigger Power Wave; Krauser dodged it, but it was only a setup for Terry to come soaring at him with a Burn Knuckle. Krauser took it to the face, sending him backwards in a wild stupor... but the German fired back with a double Blitz Ball, kicking a low one, and flinging a high one.

Terry leaped to the side to dodge the first one, ducked the second one... but Krauser was already taking advantage of the setup, to come flying at him.

"LEG TOMAHAWK!" he crashed into Terry with his signature move, but unlike his usual kicking maneuver... he allowed his entire body to smash into Terry, tackling the man to the ground, and crushing him underneath Krauser's 300 pounds of pure muscle.

...Terry looked like he wasn't getting back up from that one. As Krauser helped himself off of the blonde... Terry looked like a crushed bug, his limbs twitching slowly, chest rising and falling... but unable to get back up. If it looked like Terry Bogard had taken the lead in this fight... it quickly just went back the other way.

Krauser furthered that gap even more, as he scooped up the weakened Bogard...hands around his waist, legs dangling, Krauser lifted Terry HIGH, above his head...

...And he brought him crashing down to the Earth in a thunderous power bomb.

SLAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

The audience gave out a collective cry of dread, as they thought for sure that was the death blow. The dust was still clearing, but from what could be seen, Terry appeared to be comatose.

The fighters were also close to calling, it seemed... though brave supporters said otherwise.

"Holy... he got him." Joe spoke, astonished.

Andy smacked him. "Terry's not done yet!"

"He's gotten up from much worse than this." Mary argued. "Remember what Geese did to him last year!"

"That was a hell of a slam though... just sayin'..." Malin casually mentioned. Thankfully, she didn't notice Mary glaring daggers at her.

Krauser either wasn't convinced, or he wanted to TRULY leave his mark on this fight; rather than check Terry's body, he began walking several yards away. His body began to course with a purple energy, as his chi manifested all around him... he finally stopped, about ten yards away, turned back around... his eyes were glowing, as his arms drew back.

"KAISErrrrrrrrrr..."

...Three valiant words overshadowed his attack.

"ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Out of the dust cloud, Terry JETTISONED forth, his body awash in yellow chi, like a blazing meteor, as his fist flew forward and drilled into Krauser's stomach, stopping the man stiff in his tracks.

He was able to see right into Krauser's eyes... see the widened shock, the mouth drop with a lack of words, or breath... and it felt all-too good, as he brought his fist forward, once again, with the coup de grace..."

"BUSTER WOLF!"

All of his aggression and fighting instinct erupted all at once, in a point-blank outpour of chi, blasting Krauser backwards, with no stop... until his body soared into the wall of the Stadium. His massive size caused widespread ruin of the Stadium's foundation; at least three yards to the left and right of him, the wall had been reduced to almost rubble.

The fighters were on the peak of their tailbones, hearts racing with a pulse-pounding anticipation of the new dust clearing... surely to reveal the broken body of-

"KAISER WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVE!"

...No! Out of the rubble, out of the dust, his destructive purple projectile soared!

"NO FREAKING WAY!" Joe screeched.

"OH MY GOD!" Mai seconded.

Terry was in so much disbelief, he could do nothing but stand there... stand there, and allow the projectile to blast him backwards, sending him to the same destination it sent Krauser: the wall of the Stadium, with a demolishing smash. It was a perfect parallel between these two historic opponents...

At this point, nobody knew what the hell was going on. There were now two fresh craters in the Stadium wall. Dust clouds were spreading wild, from the awesome impacts. Terry and Krauser, respectively, had yet to emerge from their ends...

...What even was this? A double KO? No... not this epic rivalry. Not this grudge match that had been coming far too long. It couldn't end like this...!

...And it didn't. Two shadows began to emerge... legs, torso... arms... and the dust could obscure them no longer.

"WOW!" Bonne Jenet yelped.

"For Christ sake, somebody go down already!" Malin groaned. "I got things to do this afternoon!"

It felt like a literal mountain climb; the two figures, barely on their feet, had just enough strength in their weary bodies to LIMP across the grass, across the length of the field... back to the dirt circle, to meet each other in combat once again.

Terry was down to just jeans and gloves. His white tee had been obliterated completely, leaving his impossibly chiseled torso bare, to compete with that of his purple rival.

Speaking of Krauser.. the man was a mess. His hair wild, his mustache looking unkempt... his protective gauntlets, shinguards, boots, were destroyed, leaving the man in bare arms and bare feet for probably the first time in his entire fighting career.

They trudged forward, like zombies through mud... and they met in the middle with fists weakly flying. Terry reared back and clocked him in the face, Krauser too tired to bring his arms up and defend it.

Krauser recoiled, but shot forward and punched him back.

Terry took it clean, and returned the gesture with an uppercut.

Terry followed up with a straight left, but it hit Krauser's bare forearm, and Krauser brought it across his face with a backfist.

He followed up with a body kick. After success, he tried ANOTHER kick; Terry caught his leg, and rammed a counter hook into his body, before going high to his head. Krauser went down! But as Terry tried to approach, Krauser kicked him away with his long leg, giving himself enough time to get back up.

Krauser looked almost DEAD. He stumbled forward with sloppy punches, all of them missing, before Terry finally drilled his ribs with a fierce counter hook, before going high to his chin with a sharp uppercut.

His fist glowed yellow, with the last reserves of his chi... and he gave a mighty bellow. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He stepped in, and gave Krauser his best, knocking the purple man into a dizzying stumble.

Krauser was wobbling all over the place. He planted his left foot, but it gave out, and he tried his best to sustain himself with the right foot. It also wobbled, and he had to switch back to left. It was, in short, a MIRACLE... that the man stayed on his feet, and lived to take another punch.

Krauser stepped in, fist drawn back...

Terry stepped in, fist drawn back...

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

They put their dominant foot forward, their fists flew, and they clocked each other in the face with a blow of finality.

Terry was knocked back into a stumble, his feet dancing wildly underneath him... the next several seconds were of uncertainty... but in the end, he persisted, and stayed standing.

Krauser did not. Upon taking Terry's respective punch, the purple giant fell like a domino...or more like a TOWER. His body hit the ground with a loud crash...

...And he stayed down for good.


WINNER: TERRY BOGARD

Despite seeing a native figure of great prominence and stature fall, the audience was no worse off for it. There were no petty boos of spite, or sore losers throwing bottles... the audience respected these two warriors for putting on a fight worthy of the main event, and they gave Terry his due.

"TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!"

Terry drank it all in: the cheers, the praise, from total strangers, people not of his own... he felt like that scrappy boxing Italian, who triumphed over Ivan Drago on the man's own home soil, and won the respect of a foreign, "hostile" crowd.

This was reality. He was living the dream.

Terry turned; he could see his friends and supporters approaching fast... but he had unfinished business first. Raising a hand up to halt their advance, he turned back down to the defeated lord, who had already regained consciousness, and was taking in the reality around him.

"Hey. You okay?"

Krauser looked around, saw that he was on the ground... he looked up... yes... it had all come back to him. With a humble smile, he reached out a requesting hand. Terry obliged, taking it, and helping the towering figure back to his feet. Krauser stumbled a few times, but he thankfully didn't topple over the man who helped stabilize him.

"Urgh... you... you were perfect." Krauser addressed his longtime nemesis. "Terry Bogard... you are my superior in combat. Nothing will ever reverse this law."

In front of 75,000 people, in his homeland... the proud and mighty "Emperor" took a knee and bowed to this humble street brawler, raised on nothing, who possessed little in this world but loved ones and the clothes on his back.

"Thank you for the fantastic match." Krauser concluded his show of humility.

Terry gave a faux Shaolin hand gesture of respect. "Thanks yourself. It was a great fight."

With that, Krauser stepped away, letting Terry indulge in the moment. He turned back around; with a smile, he opened his arms wide, beckoning a certain someone to come crashing in...

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Mary squealed, in a manner unbefitting of her, as she plowed into the larger man, despite her injuries. Terry laughed wildly, scooping her up, as her legs wrapped around his waist and she hugged him for dear life, the man spinning her around where he stood.

"Hahahahahahaha! I knew you could do it! I told you you still had it in you!" Mary gushed, before leaning in and planting one on his lips.

"You were right, Mare... you were right." Terry admitted with a shrug.

Their lips met once again.. and Terry's eyes widened when he felt Mary's tongue enter his mouth. He got shocked and tried to pull away, but Mary's tongue persisted, and he nearly had to take it with him to separate their lips.

"Tonight... you are MINE." she spoke brazen words with a mischievous smirk.

Terry was instantly a tomato. "M-M-Mary.. c-cmon now... you're injured."

"You think that's gonna stop it? Ohhhh no. You better just get ready." Mary winked.

Terry set her down, as the blonde woman playfully punched his shoulder. Terry, intimidated by her words, flinched at the gentlest strike.

"Good job, Terry!" Joe came in with the save, slapping him on the back.

Andy was the next to arrive, and met his brother with a hug. "You did well, bro. You're really amazing."

"Yeah, I've never seen Krauser get his butt kicked like THAT." Mai bragged. "I mean, Athena did some freaky shit last year, but... ehhh... what you did was cooler. You clobbered him, man to man!"

Terry chuckled. He eventually turned his back to them all, looking to the skies above... a solemn sigh floated upwards.

"I'm sure Geese is laughing with glee, wherever he is."

I am tired. Wow. This was probably the best round of fights I have ever written. Round 3 was just... so personally gratifying. I hope you all got the same pleasure out of it that I did. But now it's over... and we are officially at the Quarterfinals.

Before we move on, I'm announcing that I am putting up a poll on my profile, so that you can vote for who you think will win the tournament! Obviously, your vote won't DETERMINE the winner, as I've had it picked out since the beginning lol. But it's still just a bit of fun we can have. So I encourage you all, go to my profile and vote for your fav fighter!

THE FINAL EIGHT: Saisyu, Kula, Benimaru, Gato, Iori, Chizuru, Adelheid, Terry

I don't have it in me for a bonus scene, so I'll just say next chapter is some post-round stuff. I love you all. Until next time!