Until We Meet Again!

6 Years Later…

Though it's been a few years since the great Kengan Tournament took place, many of those extraordinary moments still lingered in everyone's mind. All the fighters participating were unique; they all culminated into a special blend that couldn't be replicated. Be that as it may, many of the fighters who fought in that tournament continued with their lives. That single tournament was simply just another stepping stone to the never ending path we call life. When we are born into this world, we never truly stop growing. We grow in strength, in spirit, and in wisdom.


Location: Hopeful Chances - Children's Hospital

The sounds of children playing around in their rooms could be heard. The boys were play-fighting, imagining themselves as their favorite heroes while the girls were happily watching the show; giggling at the sillness.

"Settle down, children, settle down" said one of the nurses as she walked into the room. "Today we have some special visitors here to cheer you all up" said another nurse. The children were all bundled up together, very excited to see who had come and visited them.

"Hey, children!" Said a man stepping into the room, wearing a milkman uniform. "Have any of you seen a big sack of toys? I could've sworn-" The children's smiles only grew larger as another guest came walking in.

It was the famous brazilian fighter, Antonio Dos Santos and he was carrying what looked like a heavy bag of toys. "Come on, Jerry, you know this bag is pretty heavy right?" The Brazilian stated. Before the milkman could say anything back to his friend, the children quickly rushed over and tackled the Latino.

Both him and the children were laughing along. As the toys were scattered around, it revealed a great surprise. Some of the toys were in fact, action figures. Some action figures were from that very same Kengan Tournament years ago. You had Jerry "The MilkMan" Witz, William Brando, Terry Jackson and the limited edition Antonio Dos Santos action figure.

Opening the limited edition packaged toy, Antonio was surprised by the level of detail the figurine had. Bringing it close, he saw a button. Pressing that small button revealed the figure having a kicking feature to it. "Okay, that's freaking cool," stated the Brazlian as he played with the toys and kids.

It turned out that Jerry was a very marketable individual. The Kengan Association was able to make big profits off of him and the other cast of fighters. They had themselves, in their hands, a decent size merchandise deal. Due to his immense popularity, Jerry became a famous brand name. With all of the profits he gained, he used it to open up charitable hospitals for families in need. Likewise, his business partner and friend, Antonio, used his fame to open up orphanages throughout Latin America. In their spare time, they would make guest appearances with other well known fighters to bring some joy to the children around the world.

"Hey, after you children are done horsing around, let me show you some awesome animals!" Stated another man as he walked into the room. It was the strongman, Marco Dos Santos. He had a scalley snake wrapped around his neck like a scarf. In his left arm, he was carrying a furry baby kangaroo and on top of his right shoulder was a feathery colorful parrot. Surprisingly it wasn't the boys who came over to look over the animals first, it was the girls.

"So cool!" Said one girl. "I want to pet the snake, it's so pretty!" Stated another girl. "Man I love this job," stated the strongman as he began teaching the kids about each of the animals.


Location: Tokyo, Japan

"You gotta do it again, but with more like zow!" stated Kaiya Nariko as he was teaching in a dojo like setting. He spun and drove his elbow into the nearest heavy bag; the bag slamming back from the force despite the minimal movements. "Like lots of zow and bam!" He told the students as they watched the demonstration.

As soon as that happened, the short warrior finally noticed a large shadow casting over him. Nonchalantly turning his head around, Kaiya saw the figure make a mighty fist. In the blink of an eye, the Kengan fighter and friend, Yaturo Gojira, unleashed a powerful punch onto that same bag. He broke the chain and the heavy bag was sent flying across the other room. This little performance caused a big shock to the other students attending.

"Students, you can do the same thing...if you had hulkish strength like my friend here," said Kaiya as he laughed and patted his large friend on the back. Why Grandmaster wanted them to give a demonstration was anyone's guess, nepotism for her adopted son most likely. He wasn't cut out to teach but that didn't stop him from trying.

As the years have followed, Yaturo was able to exact his vengeance unto that evil organization, Worm, to an extent. Thanks to Kaiya's boss and his information networks, they were able to do some damage and steal some of their data, so long as Yaturo helped keep the Worm off the CEO's back, a second, hulking bodyguard couldn't hurt. He would have been lost afterwards, but fortunately for him, he was able to make friends along the way. For Kaiya, he didn't really require fame like the other fighters. Instead, it was business as usual. He was now living the simple life; relaxing in between fighting wherever his boss pointed. Thankfully, having some comrades around would keep things interesting for him as he watched his friends and sister continue to deepen their bonds.

"Shorty, I need another shot of the medication," said in a Russian accent. It was Viktor Miller. He appeared more calm this time around. In the time after the tournament, he realized that the drugs were too dangerous on his mind and body; the effects starting to outweigh the benefits. He decided to quit, but it was too late for him. Without the drugs, he wouldn't be able to function as normally anymore. But thankfully, Naoki Chemical Industries was able to produce medication that helped heal the wounded man, for a cost. So in exchange for supplying him with medication, the Russian would have to work for the Pharmaceutical giant; fighting in tournaments on his behalf when Kaiya was unable to. While Akira lost in the tournament, he gained powerful pawns and allies in the wake of the tournament. The Chemist's claws were slowly starting to sink into other companies in the association; he had gotten exactly what he wanted.


Location: Hollywood, California

There was a pack of fans crowded outside a large movie theater. Tonight was the world premier of Grant Lukas's film entitled "Space Battle: The Final Battle". The film was starring its usual lead, Kun-Lee Jian, but it also came with new co-stars.

"They've just arrived! Start filming them! Film them!" Stated a woman in front of the camera. A white limousine parked in front of the entrance and then the red carpet rolled out. First, coming out from the limousine was a large turkish man in a white suit.

"It's Oguzan Maharret!" Stated a fan who quickly recognized the turkish oil wrestler. "Oguzan we love you!" Said one fangirl. Another fan with a cardboard mustache couldn't contain himself. "Please, Oguzan, do the 'thing'! Do the 'thing'!" Stated the cardboard mustache wearing man. He was hopping up and down all excitedly.

"Oh, you mean this?" stated the wrestler as he twirled his manly mustache. The fans ate it up, he just made their day. They started clapping and cheering as the turkish man did his signature move.

"Mr. Maharret, our sources say that you performed all of your own stunts. Is that true?" Said the interviewer as she placed the mic close to the turkish wrestler. "Indeed, everything you see, we did authentically...including the lasers." He finished.

After the tournament, Maharret's nickname, 'The Inescapable,' had another meaning. It wasn't solely related to his fighting style, but now due to his famous popularity. He couldn't escape from the public eye due to him landing in hit movies. Acting in movies was a blessing in disguise because not only was it another source of income, but he was able to spread the word of the great art of Turkish Oil wrestling as well.

The next group of actors stepping out of the vehicle was Aiguo Zhànsh and Jack-Guo Qiang. Both men were being surrounded by paparazzi; hundreds of flashes of pictures were being taken of the men. These foregin actors became big hits not simply because of how unique they were, but because of how they were able to perform.


Somewhere in Eastern Europe

"And I present all of you tonight, your new tag-team champions!" Stated the ring announcer. As the lights from above shined down, it revealed the shadowed fighters.

The three men went as follows, from left to right. It was Liska Drabek, Talon Hiragi and Steve Johnson. Both men were carrying a large check that awarded them 3 million euros.

Liska, after fully recovering from his injuries, became a force of nature as he came back to Europe. His new found confidence from his time in the Kengan tournament taught him a lot. He was able to be successful again in the underground circuits and was able to prove he was once again, still the people's champion.

Talon didn't let his defeat in the Kengan matches get to him. He took it as experience and grew from it. The loss molded his fighting spirit. It allowed him to grow more as a fighter. Training with his friends allowed him to reach new levels of strength. He still hoped to face a certain Italian someday in the future.

For Steve, the Kengan tournament taught him humility. Though he carried the Kure gens, it wasn't a real substitute for power. From learning against the fighter Cassius, he learned to rely on his inner strength. Instead of running back to America or Japan, he instead went to Europe and simply trained hard.


Location: Unknown Cemetery

A special gravestone read an inscription stating "I walk in the darkness so the others may see the light." This gravestone belonged to an old Kengan Fighter.

Four years after the great tournament, the grand dark arts master was finally put to rest. He died peacefully in his sleep due to natural causes. Agatsuma Takeo, was considered a strict, but fair man. He didn't have children, but he had many students. For years, try as he might, he couldn't find the right student to pass down his ultimate art form. It wasn't until meeting a certain young King, where he was able to finally pass it on. Eventually, simplified versions of the art started flourishing primarily in the land of Asura. It was used by the nation's police force and was known as the fighting art of light.

Next to the master's gravestone was another headstone that simply read the name Lysander Martinos. He was another Kengan Fighter, but unfortunately, he was a flame that died out too early. A few months after the Kengan Tournament, he fought off a swarm of Kure assassins. He did it to protect a young friend. The number of assassins that died by his hands was inconclusive, but figures estimated it was at least over 50 men. The reason for why the exact number was hard to decipher was because the exact information was not reported in the news. Rumors circulated that the Kure clan didn't want the information to be leaked out to the public because it was a disgrace to them. The assumption was that the master fighter would fade in obscurity. However,

following his untimely death, Lysander's fame only grew larger. Particularly in Greece, where it wasn't uncommon to see posters of the man posted in many fighting gyms.

"These were great masters; men that will never be forgotten." said Hiruma Niou as he took another hit from his wooden smoking pipe. "I hope to be remembered as they were someday," the old man thought to himself.

As he was about to puff out some smoke, a tall man came walking from behind. He was carrying a bouquet of varying types of flowers. From roses to lilies, all the flowers were a beautiful sight to behold. "Sorry to have bothered you, may I?" The tall man with flowers said. The aged master nodded and stepped aside.

The tall man kneeled down and laid the flowers to each of the gravestones. Tears started to drop from the man's eyes, the emotional fragile side of himself was finally revealed. This tall man was none other than Raphael Empio. After the tournament finished, after being captured and going on the run, he learned a lot. He learned the darkness was the thing that truly brought out the ugliness. After years of searching for redemption, he came back to the world looking to make up for his past mistakes. He wanted to show the others this great change, but it was too late. He only hoped they could see this change from above.


Location: Deep in the forests of Transylvania, Romania.

Two men are sparring in a grassy meadow near a calm stream. Both men seemed evenly matched, neither man wanted to declare the other the victor. The man wearing shepherd's clothing was doing his best dodging his friend's attacks.

"You've gotten a lot better at dodging, that's for sure, old friend!" Stated the king of Hela, Sigfried River. Sigfried's hand speed was incredible, his boxing improved quite a bit after the tournament. It was like he was a totally new fighter. But the same thing could be said towards the vampiric lord, Vlad Voiculescu. The older man's movement speed seemed to have doubled, he was super agile.

"Don't get too cocky, it's my turn to attack!" Shouted the vampiric lord. He headbutted the ex special forces soldier in the stomach. Vlad's counter attack proved to be effective as it sent his friend flying to the cold stream.

"Ah great. Now my clothes are wet." stated the annoyed Danish. Vlad was amused at his friend's frustration. He remembered back in the old days where Sigfried had a bit of a temper due to his hot headedness at times. However, it seemed like as the years followed, his friend's patience grew larger.

Closing his eyes, Sigfried then released a calm breath out from his lungs. "Alright buddy, want to go for a round 2?" Said Vlad as he extended his hand out towards Sigfried. The Danish man accepted his friend's offer. However, after being helped picked up, Vlad struck his friend in the stomach.

Surprisingly, the mighty vampire's punch didn't seem to affect the ex-soldier at all. In fact he was able to see a smile on the younger man's face. Vlad was going to try to unleash another counterattack but he had his world spun around. Sigfried countered by flipping his friend into the same body of water.

His Bloody Highness began laughing and said, "Holy crap, this water is freezing!" The Danish smiled in agreement and started to chuckle. "But my friend, answer me this, how did you deal with my punch?"

Sitting down, Siegfried began to speak. "Remember my Berserk Fury?" A warm smile formed as he started to reminisce.

"Well shortly after marrying the wife, we had a baby girl together. Our little girl was truly the hardest thing I had to ever face. But eventually, like life, everything subsided. Raising a child teaches you patience. I guess I just incorporated those feelings into my special move. I can now fully control this state without losing myself in the rage," he finished explaining.

"Oh, I see...wait, you married that Kure clan woman who served rice to that fellow Yamashita?" Said Vlad as he was shocked that his friend would marry someone coming from such a deadly lineage. "Yeah that's her. Love that woman to death." Sigfried replied as he blushed.

Not forgetting to help his friend up, Siegfried extended his hand this time. Accepting the hand, Vlad was able to get up and get out from the body of water. The two then walked towards Vlad's vampiric styled castle.

"Right now, she's pregnant again and is back in Japan with her family. She's staying there for a couple months, so when you called about training together for that upcoming rumored tournament, I took the first plane ticket to here," Siegfried said as he finished explaining.

"That's amazing, my friend. It's good to hear what's been going on with you. As for me, I have gained full recognition from the government. The good people once again have come to respect the Voiculescu's name. This means that when I could no longer rule, I can safely know that my children will not have any trouble in governing our beautiful land," Vlad said.

Hearing this news brought a smile to Sigfried's face. He knew Vlad once had trouble with his land, but now he has gained full respect again. He was able to bring back honor to his generations.

Both men were honestly happy for each other. Hearing each other's good news was something special. That Kengan tournament helped forged friendship. Close friendships, but there was still one more friend missing out...

"Have you heard any news from David?" Asked Sigfried. He hasn't heard from their mutual friend in years; it was almost like he vanished after the tournament. "The last thing I heard was his nation had itself another revolution. A new king has been crowned, so the best case scenario is that David has just been really busy trying to fix up his country." Vlad replied.

Nodding his head down, it made sense to Sigifried. It would explain why David hasn't tried contacting them in a while. "In any case, one of these days we have to reunite again with all three of us present." Vlad continued.

"Yeah, the three kings again would totally rule!" Siegfried said excitedly.


Location: Okinawa Islands, Japan

Yes, there were rumors of another grand tournament. Others knew it was best to prepare themselves as well. Their experience of the kengan tournament taught them one thing, to be prepared.

An unlikely pair was made. Both the American gouging fighter Maxwell Beckett and the Akayama family fighter, Yuuta, decided to team up together and train with each other. Maxwell was the perfect sparring partner due to his high pain tolerance. This was great for Yuuta as it allowed him to practice his deadly moves on a live subject.

Yuuta was a perfect man in helping refine Maxwell's deadly moveset. If Maxwell was described as a weapon, he would be labeled as a battle axe. An attack from him would be devastating, but it can become predictable and easily exploitable. Yuuta for the first time ever will become a blacksmith. He'll forge this battle axe into a deadly saber. The training together will be a lesson in precision and timing.

Day and night, they've trained together. They forged their bodies to become human weapons. Weapons that won't break. Weapons of war. It was only a matter of time until another tournament would show up. But they knew in the back of their minds that this time they'll surely go further beyond than their past selves and win.


Location: Moscow, Russia.

It was very late at night. Many average individuals would have already been in their beds fast asleep. However, two men were perfecting their craft in an olympic gymnasium. What was the craft? Simple, it was the grappling art known as Sambo.

"No, no, no," said the sambo master William Brando. Pushing his hand, he positioned his trainee's head down to the floor mat. "Use your legs. Remember, all the power is generated in the legs." He continued. His tone of voice was stern, but his eyes were glimmering in excitement.

"Yes, your right." said the student as he was straining himself to get back up. Using the force of his legs, he was able to generate enough speed and power to reposition himself. He countered the master and was able to get on top of him. As the student looked down, he saw the Sambo master had a smile on his face. William was smiling because he was realizing that his student was finally adapting to the training.

"That'll be enough training for today…" William stated as he wiped away the sweat off his forehead. "Good work, Alexander." The master was then tossed a water cold bottle.

Alexander Flesas, known by small inner circles as the wandering drifter. Many were quick to assume he traveled all around the world, training, due to his loss in the Kengan tournament all those years ago. However, that wasn't truly what broke the camel's back. The turning point that caused this sudden change actually happened a few months after the great tournament. It was the death of his dear friend Lysander. His friend died protecting him; it was that exact moment where he realized the concept of fate and destiny. Was it fate that Alexander went along this journey? Was it possible for men to shape their own destiny? Whatever the case may be, Alexander searched. He searched not solely for power, but for wisdom as well. He came to the conclusion that both men who competed in the final rounds of the tournament shared one unique aspect. That unique aspect was conviction. One was fighting on behalf of others, the other man fought for honor and tradition. In essence, those particular traits were the driving force of their power. A man can have all the power in the world but it would still be useless without direction. Alexander's constant journey was to control destiny. His duty in life was to protect life. Death will not come as long as he had something to say about it.

"Hey, maybe this time I can beat you without your weights," said Alex as he cheered a playful smile at William.

William on the other hand chuckled. "It'll probably take you another year before you can even catch me without these babies" he said as he patted his weighted ankle weights.

For William Brando, not much has changed really. Other than the fact that he got married to his boss, Risa Vergo. It was actually Risa that recommended Alexander to William. William, after the tournament, was in desperate need for a training partner. He wanted to relive the excitement he had all those years ago. That tournament was truly something he couldn't let go. It was the first time he felt that he could go all out. Grappling with others didn't pose enough thrill anymore, at least with Alexander, he was able to keep things interesting. It didn't matter how many times he slammed or pinned the young greek fighter down hard, Alexander wanted to keep on fighting. William respected that, it was a noble trait to have and it helped him grow as a fighter as well. As Alexander grew stronger, so did "The Desert Tarantula." Till this day, William is hoping for another tournament to show up soon so that he could show the world his new found powers.


Location: Paris, France

A wedding ceremony was commencing on top of the fancy hotel rooftop overlooking the eiffel tower. After 6 years of being together, the Kengan fighter, Yajū, was finally marrying his long time girlfriend, Aimi. All those attending the wedding were familiar faces. The ones closest to the crowd were Shirokoma Kijin, Kachi Metsukara, Terry Jackson and Akuyama Rohza. All three men were suckers when it came to weddings. They cried over this beautiful moment.

By the food court, another scene was playing out. It was Qi Ling on top of a table with a wine bottle in his left hand, and his right hand holding onto his boss, Ishia. "Ishia, I love you~" said the slightly impaired martial artist. "Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?~" he finished with a small hiccup.

"Ling...we're already married. You don't have to keep asking that same question." She responded back to him. She was getting slightly embarrassed as more people began to stare at them.

"It seems like everyone is getting married," said the french fighter, Victor Faye. He had one arm around his girlfriend who was sitting right next to him. After the tournament, he was able to open up a successful 5 star hotel. It was extremely popular not only for its amazing scenery, but because once in a while, the owner would sometimes retell some of his old fighting stories. This attracted many people to come and visit. This also led many criminals to steer clear from the area or else risk being beaten up by the amazing fighter.

"Hey, when are you going to ask me to marry you?" Asked his girlfriend. His girlfriend happened to be the same nurse that treated him during the Kengan Tournament. "Hmm…" Victor began to resemble that of the thinker statue. He thought of his words carefully. "We'll get married when the time is right," he said confidently. He felt that was a satisfactory answer; there was no way it would bite him in the butt later.

"Sorry for the wait sir, here is the tastiest beer from the company Outlaw Bar and Brewery," said one of the servers. Taking the beer off the tray, Victor took a small sip and was amazed by the taste. "Mmhh, so freaking good. This was definitely the right time," he proclaimed.

After hearing those words, his girlfriend excitedly cheered and smiled. Realizing what he just said, Victor then quickly gulped down the whole entire bottle of beer.


Location: Land of Asura

"I've survived, come out on top; I've won. But at the same time, I was also a loser. Think about it. How can anyone be a winner in a situation like this?"

Six years have passed since that horrendous incident...two things were factually correct during the time. In the past, the prince of Asura was nothing more than a caged lion participating in a gladiator style arena. But at the same time, it was that special arena where he was granted his freedom. Rather, it was thanks to one man that allowed him the opportunity to be free. The wise Shaman, Cassius White, was the man that truly broke away the chains that kept him bound to the past.

After the young prince was granted his freedom, he set his sights in recapturing his land that was taken over. It wouldn't be till four years after the completion of the tournament where he was actually able to accomplish this dream of his. In time, he was able to make a family of his own and start a new life as King. But something still lingered in his mind. It wasn't a lust for battle. After the tournament, he never competed again. Rather, he felt there was still unfinished business he needed to resolve.

Wandering through the uninhabited jungle was no easy feat to say the least. The lush foliages, tall trees, and tough terrain would make it easy for any experience guide to get lost. This is not even mentioning the creatures living within this wild expansion of land. Super predators, the top of the food chain, would make easy work on any man that dared to enter its domain. However, a King was the sole exception to this rule. No beast dared to challenge the king of the land.

Squatting down, David King analyzed the muddy ground. He was able to see a clearly defined footprint. Touching the ground with his fingers, he was able to deduce that the markings appeared to be recent. "He must be losing his edge, no that can't be it," he pondered for a moment. "He isn't careless, it's like he wants me to find him." Getting back up, he continued his search for his target. He's been tracking this elusive man for two days, and the mighty king felt like he was finally getting close.

Continuing to walk for an hour, he stumbled upon a large cliffside. There was a beautiful view of a sunset overlooking the ocean. He stopped for a moment in order to admire the breathtaking view. The sun shined a beautiful light to the world. It provided warmth and a sense of security. The waves below were calm, it made soothing sounds as the tides went back and forth. The wind blowing in the air was soft to the touch, and provided a refreshing relief.

As he admired the view, he realized he wasn't alone. Slowly turning around, he was shocked to see who it was. It was like seeing a ghost, the man didn't change a bit since he last saw him. "You've grown a lot, King. And I see you've made a family with the woman you love, even having a child together, good for you." Cassius White stated with a gentle smile on his face.

The mighty King just stood there like a statue. He didn't know what to say to the Druid at this point. Did he come back for vengeance? For his life? Many questions were running through his mind until Cassius again committed to the first move.

"You've grown a lot, but it seems like you're still indecisive as always," stated the elder as he couldn't help but chuckle. As David heard the older man's laughter, he began to laugh alongside him. He felt at peace, just like the time Cassius broke his prison cuffs.

Approaching the king, the Druid made a move towards his back pocket and revealed the trophy necklace he had all those years ago. The Shaman placed the necklace onto the younger man's hands and smiled. "David, I understand being king isn't a simple task. But always try to remember those you've met along your journey. Reach out to them once a while. Them seeing you will make them happy, and you seeing them will make you happy too."

David couldn't hold back any longer, he embraced the elder. "Thank you, Cassius. A million thank yous." David felt honored to see the hunter once again. This was the closure he needed and again, it was the Shaman that relieved his pain.

"Hold on to that necklace, keep it safe." Was the last thing Cassius said as he let go of the embrace. He turned around and walked back to the jungle. And as the sunset disappeared from the horizon, it seemed like the illusive man, the human Yeti, had disappeared once again.


Author's Note

A big thank you to all who have been keeping up with the story since Day 1. To the entire creative team, thank you for the continuous support. It was a difficult task to accomplish in writing over 32 characters, but we did it because of the love we have in writing a fun story. For now, this little saga is over. Until we meet again! Good bye!