A black crow flies over the city, as the orange hue of sunset slowly fades to dark blue...
Deep in the city, as the shroud of night signifies a transition from the joyous bustle of the day's events, to much more... perilous stakes... Shion was preparing for what would be his most decisive campaign against the Bernstein siblings yet.
His foot movements danced with grace, as he twirled his spear through the cool air, leaving beautiful red blurs behind, as the weapon soared in his hands with speed and fluidity.
From a few feet away, Botan watched him, her back propped against a wall, arms folded. Though the two shared an unhealthy competitive streak, she couldn't help but admire his proficiency with instruments of killing.
For the two of them, the Bernsteins had become an obsession. It had started off so simple: a means to an end, a necessary puppet to shepherd the masses, while Those From the Past enacted their true plans from the shadows... but Botan couldn't deny that she took an immense, sadistic pleasure in controlling the sister, robbing the arrogant, prideful young lady of her will.
It was only after the death of Saiki and the dissolution of their group, that more obsessive thoughts began to enter their mind. The REAL target they desired was Ash Crimson... but the boy had proven too formidable and dangerous a foe to take down. Thus, their aggression was channeled into other... more reachable... targets. If for no other reason than their association with the forces that caused their downfall, or perhaps the raid on Botan's cloning operation that destroyed her ambitions of world domination... they both agreed that the only way their grieving souls could find closure, was the death of Adelheid and Rose Bernstein. No matter how far fetched the justification was.
Besides... the siblings were just serving the same purpose as before: a means to an end. The death of the Bernsteins would merely be the catalyst that brought Botan and Shion's TRUE vengeance to fruition.
Saiki's vision would be realized tonight.
"You're looking good." Botan broke the silence, with surprisingly peaceful words. "It's been a while since I've admired the beauty of your technique."
Shion, though he appeared not to acknowledge her statements, did finally respond: a thrust of his spear in the open air. "I've had several days to recover. My strength is back to full. He won't stop me a second time."
They resumed their silence, as Shion continued his practice, his every step carrying a purpose, as the spear followed in conjunction, creating a deadly combination of gentleness, but aggression. The weapon, even when handled lightly, had the ability to pierce the strongest flesh with ease.
Shion ceased his movements for a minute, standing the spear at his side. He took a long, tired breath...
"...We've fallen so far, Botan."
This sudden inquiry caught Botan's attention. The woman tuned her ears in, though remained silent.
Shion now at rest, continued. "Saiki was a jerk. He was a narcissistic sociopath with a god complex. He cared nothing for our lives; we were as expendable as paper cups to him."
A sigh. "...But he was still our leader. Our beacon. Without him here to show us the way... look at us. We're scattered to the far corners. The only thing driving us, some petty revenge scheme."
"It's more than that, and you know it." Botan corrected, growing slightly agitated. "Don't even tell me you're getting cold feet now, at this stage."
Shion turned to her. "But what if this isn't the key? What if killing the Bernsteins doesn't do anything? Then what? We're back to square one. And we don't have infinite time... like we used to..."
Botan growled. "If you keep up this cowardly sniveling... I'll put my strings in you too. Just focus on the task at hand, and stop with the 'what ifs'. I miss Saiki too, but we don't need him to carry out the mission. We have the chance to do this thing, RIGHT NOW... the two of us. This world, time, and history... it can all be ours."
...From a small distance, Shroom and Rimelo looked on. Their faces suggested slight discontent.
BACK AT ALLIANZ ARENA...
Night was starting to creep in at the Stadium. Those in attendance had finally trickled out, and the fighters themselves had either gone out on the town, or retreated back to Krauser's castle.
An unfortunate few, however, were still stuck there, scratching their heads.
"This sucks, guys." Ramon whined. "Can't we just go out and get something to eat?"
Seth shook his head. "Sorry hombre; I got dragged into this, which means you guys have to suffer with me. We're holding position until our client gets back."
Mary grunted, annoyed. "Where could she be anyway? Going outside the Stadium without us? She's painting a big target right on her head."
"At least she has two heavy hitters with her." Ralf shrugged. "As long as she has Adelheid with her, she's safe as a kitten."
Vanessa pursed her lips. "Still, I don't like her being out and about... the sooner she gets back within eyeshot the better."
"Heads up, guys!" Clark called their attention, pointing in the distance.
They all turned: a mixed feeling of relief and repulsion washed over them, as they saw their red-dressed hostess, once again, as if seeing her all day wasn't enough... and this time, she was carrying more personnel than she had left with.
Adelheid was to her immediate right, of course. Silber was to her left. But bringing up the rear... were two more colorful looking characters: one, a spectacled man clad in a black tuxedo, with raven hair, his gloved hand reaching up to adjust the glasses and producing an ominous shimmer in the glass...
The fourth, and by far most ridiculous: an extremely voluptuous woman, clad in an impractical, yet sexy, maid outfit, a white adornment in her raven hair. Seth and Ramon would have to beg pardon, as their eyes instantly trailed to the her thick, uncovered thighs, as well as the chest area her outfit failed to properly conceal...
The fifth was just Hyena, and the cowardly green-clad man looked like he and his big red nose wanted no part of any of this.
"I'm back~!" Rose flamboyantly announced. "And I've brought my security team with me! Adelheid, Silber, Hyena... and this is Hein and Iroha."
"My pleasure to make your acquaintance." Hein humbly bowed, with a hand over his midsection.
"I am honored to serve you all, my Masters." Iroha bowed also... and Ramon's head started darting up and over, trying to capture the M-shaped arch of her ass...
"Wh-why do I have to come too?!" Hyena wailed. "I'm just a spokesperson! I'm good with a mic, not my fists!"
Adelheid stepped forth. "So, let's take a head count. Ralf, Clark."
The Ikari warriors raised their hands.
"Seth."
Seth tugged on his suspenders, letting them snap back into place.
"Mary."
Mary flashed a wink, striking a sexy pose with her arms behind her head.
"Vanessa."
Vanessa nodded in acknowledgement... meanwhile, Ramon was trying to press himself against her shoulder, nudging her like a begging dog. She finally got fed up and punched him in the arm; Ramon just laughed.
"...And Ramon."
Adelheid nodded. "That's six. Plus myself, Silber, Iroha, Hein, Hyena... that's eleven."
"You mean ten!" Hyena whined. "I'm not fighting!"
Adelheid rolled his eyes. "So we're looking at about 20 men, as opposed to our eleven."
"...Twelve."
FLUTTER!
"Agh! Ah! Wh-what the hell was that?!" Ramon flailed his arms wildly in a sudden, onset hail of brown feathers.
FLUTTER!
The feathery creature passed over their heads a second time.
"It's that damned hawk again!" Silber grunted.
The bird passed over them one more time... before turning to a different route, out in the distance, descending lower... onto the arm of a young figure, bearing turmoil-filled eyes.
"Intruder!" Silber balled his fist... only for Rose to shut him down a moment later with a smiile.
"Save your murderous fists, Silber... I believe this is the girl who sent me the warning message."
The girl, after nuzzling the face of her pet, turned her attention back to them. She approached slowly, making sure to keep her hand away from the handle of her short blade, to demonstrate that she meant no harm.
Rose, fearless, stepped forth and bowed. "I got your letter! May I have the pleasure of your name?"
The girl's raven hair fluttered behind her as she finally stopped before them, bowing in return. "Nakoruru... I'm here for the endgame."
"The endgame?" Ramon scratched his head.
She nodded. "I don't belong in this time period... but I was called here, because I sensed a disturbance in nature and humanity: one that could only mean the resurrection of the God of Destruction is at hand."
Rose frowned. "You too, huh? And here I thought you were just here to protect me and my brother..."
Nakoruru shook her head. "I'm here to restore the balance. That's all. Right now, the forces of darkness are coming extremely close to fulfilling their goal... they're betting on this tragedy, the death of you and Adelheid, to throw the world into chaos and gather the negative energy needed to break the seal."
Adelheid grimaced. "So Miss Kagura was right... she was right all along. Rose, this is way beyond us! This tournament is just another breeding ground to awaken an ancient demon that can end all life as we know it. The same demon that seduced our father..."
"I don't care!" Rose shrieked, swishing her dress. "I've held on to things this far, by myself! ME! Whatever their ambitions are, I'm not going to let them succeed... because we're putting an end to this. Tonight!"
Vanessa snorted. "Girl, you need to get your head out of your ass."
"She's right." Seth agreed. "We need to go to Chizuru about th-"
"NO!"
Rose's impulsive shout shut them all down. "I've managed to deal with these assassins all week without getting Miss Kagura and her posse involved. I'm capable of handling a situation! We don't need to go crying to the "heroes" everytime something goes awry. This is MY problem, and I'M handling it. Are we clear?"
Mary scoffed. "And what's gonna prevent us from squealing? You better dig deep into that bank account."
"...I'm not paying any of you another damned cent."
This startling revelation put them all on thin ice, as every hired eye turned and fixated on the blonde she-devil that had distinguished herself among them.
"Rose..." Adelheid mumbled.
"Shut up, brother!" Rose put a hand in his face.
She stepped forward, fearlessly into the crowd, thrusting her finger in a wide radius. "Now listen up and listen GOOD... this is no longer up for debate. This girl said it herself, right? If anything happens to me, the world goes to hell!"
Nakoruru gulped, but remained silent.
Rose continued her ranting. "We're going to meet them tonight, and destroy them. You're going to be my standing army, and nobody, I mean NOBODY, is backing out. And if I so much as get a SUSPICION that someone is going to tell Miss Kagura... Silber will see to it that you personally suffer. Bone... by bone."
They were all rendered speechless. Even Adelheid, perhaps the most qualified one to take a stand against his sister... had no power to muster words in retort.
After nobody dared to step up, Rose pointed her finger to the Stadium exit. "Silber, Hein, Iroha... escort them to the cars. We make our stand in Odeonsplatz Square. Now GO! And no funny business!"
The gathered forces, all looking less enthused than they already had been, fell in line behind Rose's lackeys. All of them had their own words on the matter, under mumbled breaths.
"Bitch is out of her mind..." Ralf whispered.
"You're telling me." Seth replied. "How do I get myself in these situations? I could be at home with the wife right now..."
"I swear to god I'm gonna break her jaw before this week's over." Vanessa slightly threatened. "How about you, Mare?"
Mary gave a look of pure evil. "Oh I have a much longer, much more painful script for her."
Ramon put her hands on their shoulders. "Tranquilo, tranquilo... she does kinda have the chips here."
"Oh shut up Ramon, you let every woman walk all over you." Vanessa snapped. "That's why Angel was dragging you by the nutsack."
"Stop bringing up Angel, dammit! I'm tired of hearing it!"
Seth finally stepped in. "All of you, can it! No point in ripping each others' heads off when we've got a bigger problem coming. Save your energy."
Finally deciding to shut up about the matter, the six of them fell in behind Silber and Hein, making their way out of the Stadium.
Nakoruru was the only one who didn't go with them. "I'll find my own way. Cmon Mamahaha~!"
After everyone had been sent on their way, Rose was left alone, with a visibly frustrated Adelheid, who wasted no time tearing into her.
"Rose, are you out of your mind?!" he lashed. "The LAST thing you should be doing is putting yourself at odds with the people who agreed to help us!"
Rose merely brushed him off. "Adelheid, darling... this is why politics has always been my department. You just don't get it. I HAVE to have a strong showing of power against these barbarians, or they'l eat us alive! Demanding more money, benefits, this and that and the other... we can't just let them walk over us."
"It's not too much to ask, Rose." Adelheid frowned. "We have more than enough."
Rose snorted. "Yes... and do you know how we KEEP having enough? By being smart. Now... let's go put an end to this already."
DEEP INSIDE MUNICH, NIGHTFALL...
"Gettin' dark..."
Lien casually noted the time of day, looking up to admire the full moon, radiating on the streets below. For their purposes, it didn't help things... but it was hardly a handicap. It was clear that this had gone beyond a mere hit job: this was full-on war.
Lin, his arms folded, slightly turned his head to look at the commotion brewing behind them; most of the assassins, brought to Munich, were gathered... none of them seemed of their own mind or body. Like a flock of sheep, they just stood... and waited...
"I feel sorry for those weak-minded cattle." the Hizoku assassin spoke. "For all they know, they could die tonight... would they even be aware? Would they be allowed to have final thoughts? Sad to think about."
Lien scoffed. "You're too sentimental. You'll never get the money if you keep philosophizing about the lives of others. We're ASSASSINS. Others' lives aren't supposed to mean anything to us."
Lin slightly laughed. "We're still human... our ability to empathize is the only thing that sets us apart from machines. Or have you already forgotten that talk we had? There's layers to you, just like there are to me."
Lien folded her arms. "I'll show you how many layers I have, when you're the first to go down out there."
Lin was surely smirking under his mask. "Oh I think it's impossible to not last longer than some of these losers."
ODEONSPLATZ...
"Get cozy, gentlemen. We're gonna be here a while."
As darkness covered the city, the chosen few who stepped up to defend the balance of the world had gathered... in the same square where Mary and Adelheid fought that fated battle.
"It's cold..." Mary puffed, tightening her beloved jacket around herself.
"Heh, well at least you ain't dressed like that." Seth pointed to the background; the sexy crane maid in question was not paying attention, more focused on polishing her butterfly knives.
"Fair enough." Mary snickered. "Not sure I could rock that one... but who knows? Terry might dig it."
Not too far away, Ralf and Clark were enjoying a smoke. Clark lit his own, before passing the lighter to Ralf, who ignited, and tossed it back to the wrestler.
"So where's the princess?" Clark asked aloud, his cigarette dangling in his mouth, blowing smoke with each word.
Ralf took a drag. "She's hiding in the Theatine Church. Pfeh... if I never see her again after this week, it won't be long enough."
"I just don't get how Adelheid can be such an upstanding guy, a guy that our commander bonded with... and that's a huge achievement, mind you! Yet, his sister seems to have inherited all the toxic DNA molecules from pops."
"You said it." Ralf puffed smoke.
Seth impatiently tapped his foot. "Where are they with that damn coffee..."
As if his inquiry were the magic words, Ramon and Vanessa entered the square, Ramon holding a grocery bag, Vanessa with a cup holder.
"COFFEE'S HERE!" Ramon exclaimed, reaching into the plastic sack. "I got... Vanilla Frappucino, Mocha, Caramel Tripleshot..."
"Caramel's me." Mary called out, extending her hand. Ramon flung it to her, and she caught it with style.
After passing out the rest of the cold goods, Vanessa delivered the hot ones to Seth, herself, Ramon, and Adelheid.
"Thank you." Adelheid nodded politely, accepting his cup.
Seth put his to his lips... a second later he removed it, a bitter twist of his face. "Is this soy? Ramon, dude, did you really?!"
Ramon shrugged. "What! I told em like you like it!"
"You're full of shit. You f***ed up my coffee on purpose, didn't you?"
...The next thing he felt was a hand reach over, pluck the coffee out of his hand, and quickly get replaced by a new cup.
"Soy was me, partner." Vanessa calmly corrected.
Seth looked at Ramon awkwardly. "Um.. hehe... sorry."
Ramon turned his nose up, sipping his own cup.
"Would anyone care for a Petit Four?"
Everyone jumped at once, surprised by the sudden strange presence among them... but once they saw who it was- and what he was carrying... it quickly became a pleasant surprise.
"Oh, cool!" Vanessa wasted no time snatching one of the fancy, colorful cakes from the silver platter Hein had presented to them.
Ralf and Clark, ever the pigs, snatched more than one in their hands and started stuffing their faces.
Mary even joined in, plopping one in her mouth... although she was finally the one to address this weirdness. "Hey butler dude: why are you out here serving sweets, anyway? Don't you know this is about to become a battlefield?"
Hein reached up to adjust his glasses, causing an eerie shimmer. "I'm well aware, but my butler duties demand I provide all facets of comfort to the party I'm serving. Rose's orders. And please, Miss Ryan..."
He leaned in close, the glass lenses coated with an ominous white. "Don't underestimate my fighting abilities."
Mary grinned nervously, slightly leaning back. "N-noted, chief... noted."
SHION'S CAMP
Back on the other side, an increasingly frustrated Shion was tired of waiting. His spear quivered in his hands, to taste the blood of someone...ANYONE who would drive him towards his final destination: infinity and beyond.
"Where is she?!" Shion grumbled to Botan. "You should have made sure you put your strings in all these buffoons!"
Botan shrugged. "I did the best I could, stop complaining. Whether I have direct control of them or not... they're all still our pawns."
...Her eyes cut over to a certain redheaded samurai named Genjuro, who was eagerly caressing his hilt. "Whether they realize it or not."
On that note, a pair of light, nimble feet impacted on the ground near them; they turned, and were met with the red spectacles of Nagase.
"They're at some square! Odon... something. Odonspootz. Odinsplooge."
"Okay, shut up." Shion cut her off. "Botan, round em up. We make our move NOW."
Shion took his position at the forefront, as all the bodies started congregating: all of them, every last mercenary and cutthroat that had been gathered in this unholy meeting.
Lien and Lin also joined in, hanging around near the back. Nagase, also the wiser, took a high vantage point.
Botan bringing up the rear, Shion took a commanding step forth, planting his spear. "ALRIGHT LISTEN UP! YOU ALL KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE! REMEMBER... 1.25 MILLION PER HEAD. 2.5 MILLION IF YOU GET THEM BOTH! LET THIS BE THE FINAL BATTLE! TONIGHT... THE BERNSTEINS DIE!"
"March." Botan spoke that word softly... yet the command registered to them all, as they began to follow the function implanted in them, like an obedient class being directed by a teacher. In perfect unison they marched... towards their goal. Towards the battle that would change the world.
"Let's f***ing do this thing, Lien! May the best killer make the bank!" Nagase yelled out to her rival as she took to the rooftops, to find her own way.
Lien's face intensified. "I plan on it."
They marched on... all of them... towards the final battle.
Shion fell in behind them, his spear carried on his back. "Hmph. Worthless fools... by the time you're all dead, I'll step in and end this."
BACK AT ODEONSPLATZ...
"Maaan, this thing is screwed up."
Late in the night, Seth continued to lament, having finished his coffee and any other frivolous distractions that could have kept his mind stimulated. Now he had nothing left, but to sit... and wait... and think about what was going to happen.
"Feels too much like when I was working for Ling." he continued, to his friends. "Pawn in a game of kings..."
"In this case, queen." Mary corrected, her face glued in her phone. "Queen bitch."
Ralf chuckled, putting a hand around a certain Bernstein. "Yeah, no offense to you man, but your sister really needs a... well, a beating... and maybe some shock therapy..."
Adelheid, though he didn't appreciate it, still took the insults with humility. "None taken."
Vanessa was the next to stir the pot. "How have you put up with her your whole life? She just seems like... well... a handful. She's utterly obsessed with you, to the point that she'd watch the world burn if you could win this tournament. It's like you're... EVERYTHING to her."
Adelheid, though getting frustrated with all the current talk... let out a loud sigh, and explained. "Rose is... caught in her ways. She's my father's product. Like him, she believes in the ideology of superior blood. She considers me the next vessel of godhood, that's supposed to carry our family name to the forefront... there's not a humble bone in her body."
"And I never see her look at other guys." Ramon casually chimed in. This earned him a slight elbow to the side, from Mary.
Adelheid grunted. "She's just... naive and confused. There's never been any other men in her life, besides my father and me, and she refuses to make an effort. She considers all of humanity to be lesser. Beneath her. That's why..." another sigh followed.
"And how do you stand?" Mary asked an honest inquiry.
Adelheid cut eyes to her... his expression slightly intense. "I don't agree with all of my sister's beliefs, or the way she conducts herself against society... but I still love her. She's the most important thing to me in this world, and I'll kill or be killed to protect her. So don't go thinking I'll ever stand against my sister...because I won't."
"BOO HOO HOO HOO! All I hear out here is a bunch of diaper measuring!"
A loud, obnoxious, gravelly voice interrupted their conversation; their collective displeased faced turned, and saw Silber approaching from the building Rose had been hiding in. He finally stopped right in front of them, taking in a deep lungful of the night air...
"AHHHH! You smell that? Death is on the wind. There's no cheaper or more thrilling experience than to fight for your life, and kill someone who's trying to kill you. All you pansies can talk about is how much you hate being here!"
"Because it SUCKS." Mary stood by her stance. "What kind of lunatic gets enjoyment out of this? Nobody should. Not even soldiers, like Ralf and Clark. People should only live this way for a real cause. Not just getting off on bruising their knuckles."
Silber let out a mocking grunt. "Pfeh! Well why don't you guys all pack it up and call it a day? I don't need you weak cowards! The truth is, I could handle 20 men on my own just fine! But the smell of you guys leaving piss trails might throw my technique off a little."
"That's enough, Silber." Adelheid interjected. "Knock it off."
Silber chuckled. "I ain't scared of you either, Prince Charming. You're right at home among these perfume-smelling pups."
Ramon facepalmed. "Ugh. That guy and Rose are made for each other."
"Tell me about it." Vanessa agreed.
Adelheid started to get in Silber's face... but a timely fluttering of bird's wings interrupted their standoff.
FLUTTER!
"It's Nakoruru-chan's bird!" Iroha pointed.
The bird let out a screech, before taking to the skies above. Shortly after, on the ground... Nakoruru's feet followed. The young warrior finally stopped in front of them, panting heavily.
"Huff... huff... huff... they're moving this way!"
"How many?" Seth interrogated.
"I counted 18!" Nakoruru answered. "But there's four more guys, hanging back several yards!"
Seth put a hand to his chin. "They must be the ones pulling the strings... but if they're non-combatants, we'll take them into custody later."
...Their time for planning quickly ended, as Ralf and Clark shot up to their feet, like dogs hearing a food bag.
"Heads up, we got contact!" Clark shouted.
"They're here already?!" Ralf uttered in disbelief.
"Everybody in formation!" Seth ordered. "We make our stand here!"
They all gathered in a straight line: the brave, the few, chosen to stand up and fight for what was right... even when that line got blurred at times. They all knew the world wasn't a black and white place; all they had to believe in was their own fighting spirits, and their own patriotism. That's what compelled them to stand here, at this late hour, and receive the threat that would soon be upon them...
...And upon them, they were. The footsteps could be heard, marching... a legion from Hell, hand picked to throw the world into disarray, once again, at the King of Fighters tournament: the largest social and commercial platform on the planet.
They came in all shapes and sizes: a big beefy wrestler, a fat guy with an iron mask, a spearman, a deranged lunatic with a mohawk and shredding claws... an inhuman looking man with a chained shuriken, a clown, a short green... thing...
Some of the more human looking ones included a Japanese sorcerer, a curvaceous blonde woman in a jumpsuit, a sickly-looking Chinese assassin...
...Bringing up the rear, was a red-haired samurai, whose body was the peak of physical perfection, yet his eyes bore a malicious intent that was far tainted from humanity...
"Jeeeez. A bunch of winners." Vanessa lightened the mood with some sarcasm.
"Maybe I should have worn yellow..." Ramon laughed nervously.
"Can it, you guys." Seth ordered. "Psychology is half the game. We gotta put on a tough front."
"Hey Ralf..."
"Yeah Clark?"
"Have we ever fought guys this ugly before?"
"Well, there was that one time in Kabul..."
Silber, meanwhile, was unimpressed. "Ha! Look at these guys! Not a true martial artist among them!"
"Don't be so sure." Nakoruru corrected, her hand on her hilt. "I can sense a very terrifying power coming from a few..."
"You guys go on ahead!" Hyena whined. "I'll uh... b-bring up the rear!"
"Speaking of rear, yours seems to be shitting itself." Silber gruffly insulted.
"No matter what, I'll protect my honored Masters." Iroha spoke determined words, her butterfly knives drawn.
Adelheid and Mary stood next to each other, reminiscent of a few nights ago. Mary was the first to speak.
"Well, my guy... here we are again."
"So it seems." Adelheid responded.
"I may have no love for your sister, but I can at least trust you to watch my back." Mary assured.
"As you should." Adelheid nodded. "I have no intentions of letting anyone die here."
...Far away from the battlefield, the four scheming members of Those From the Past held back, determined to send their pawns in and soften up their forces.
The only thing they were waiting on, was a certain puppetmaster to give the go.
...And she finally did.
"Attack."
In Odeonsplatz, the forces of evil charged forth, with a menacing war cry.
"Here they come!" Seth bellowed. "TAKE THEM THE FUCK DOWN!"
NEXT CHAPTER: ALL OUT WAR!
And now, a bonus scene.
BONUS SCENE
"Step lively, gents! Gonna be a fun night! Hee hee heeeeeeee, fun fun fun indeed!"
Mr. Big, despite all his horrible defeats this week, had an unnatural pep in his step. He was marching down the street, lifting his knees as high as his head, twirling his sticks like he was some kind of band director.
...All behind him, his motley and unmotivated band trudged behind him, wondering why they were still following this lunatic, after all the L's suffered.
"Chang, carry me..."
"Walk yourself!"
"Cmon dude, you'll barely feel me!"
An annoyed grunt. "Alright, fine. Get up here."
Choi happily scampered along his stout partner, mounting his shoulders.
Hwa Jai looked at Raiden, a goofy, pleading smile on his face...
"Not on your life." Raiden shot him down.
Yamazaki, who was up front with Big, also expressed his displeasure. "Why are we doing this?"
"Ye of little faith..." Big chuckled.
"Dude, it's OVER! Don't you get it? You LOST." Yamazaki tried to give him a reality check. "Any further endeavors at this point is just insanity. And believe me, I KNOW insanity."
"Ryuji, my friend... with that kind of thinking, you'll never be a kingpin like me." Big talked down to his unlikely partner.
"I've got a busy schedule coming up. I'm not in the mood for this crap." Yamazaki groaned. "You've got a few seconds to convince me, or I'm going home."
"Hehehe... yet you felt the need to follow me this far." Big chuckled. "Fine, I'll tell you. I ran into a little birdy a night ago, and she told me some very interesting information: are you aware that people have been making an attempt on the Bernsteins' lives this week?"
"Sounds familiar. I wasn't really paying attention."
A grin. "Well, as it seems... tonight, they're making another move. There's going to be a battle. A big, BIG battle. We, my merry men, are going to march into the flames of Hell, and take control of this situation! When the smoke clears, it'll be Big's Crew that turns a tidy profit off the suffering of others! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
...Yamazaki's lips turned to a grin. "You certainly have a way with words, Big Cheese."