TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM
The final clash between Heihachi and Kazuya left the entire world on a standstil. Nobody knew what would happen next. Is the war over or not? Either way, recent events has made people confused about what to do next. In the meantime, corrupt and dark forces lurk beneath the shadows, eager to make their own twisted goals becoming a reality.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
MALE
Kazuya Mishima – Lex Lang
Jin Kazama – Brad Swaile
Lars Alexandersson – Taliesin Jaffe
Lee Chaolan – Grant George
Steve Fox – Gideon Emery
Leroy Smith – Dave Fennoy
Lei Wulong – Robert Jeremiah
Paul Phoenix – Eric Kelso
Marshall Law – David Vincent
Forrest Law – Todd Haberkorn
Eddy Gordo – Ike Amadi
Claudio Serafino – Troy Baker
Baek Doo San – Vic Chao
Bruce Irvin – Khary Payton
Craig Marduk – T.J. Storm
Robert "Bob" Richards – Patrick Seitz
Bo "Rodeo" Montana – Nolan North
Miguel Caballero Rojo – Liam O'Brien
Bryan Fury – Keith Silverstein
Sergei Dragunov – Matthew Mercer
Feng Wei – J.B. Blanc
Edgar Grant – Crispin Freeman
Enrique Ortega – Eric Lopez
Bryce Adams – Greg Ellis
Lukas Hayes – Christopher Judge
Shin Kamiya – Matthew Yang King
Armor King – Phil LaMarr
Fahkumram – Travis Willingham
Shaheen – Oded Fehr
Hwoarang – Johnny Young Bosch
King – Fred Tatasciore
Yoshimitsu – Dan Woren
Raven – Ogie Banks
Ganryu – Paul St. Peter
Sebastian – Dave Mallow
Revenant – Robin Atkin Downes
FEMALE
Ling Xiaoyu – Carrie Keranen
Asuka Kazama – G.K. Bowes
Alisa Bosconovitch – Cristina Valenzuela
Julia Chang – Annie Wood
Christie Monteiro – Erica Luttrell
Katarina Alves – Mela Lee
Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort – Joy Jacobson
Eleonor "Leo" Kliesen – Veronica Taylor
Josie Rizal – Cristine Marie Cabanos
Nina Williams – Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Anna Williams – Tara Platt
Lidia Sobieska – Cindy Robinson
Lana Lai – Kelly Hu
Miharu Hirano – Kether Donohue
Master Raven – Danielle Nicolet
Lucky Chloe – Cherami Leigh
Zafina – Leslie Wilkerson
Kunimitsu – Faye Mata
Shuwawei – Michaela Dietz
Eliza – Tasia Valenza
All characters belong to Bandai Namco, Katsuhiro Harada, Seiichi Ishii and everyone else involved with the making of this franchise.
ACT 1: Land of Confusion
Somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand
In the middle of the Gulf of Thailand, a luxury cruise ship was sailing the seas. It was called Amphitrite, named after Poseidon's consort in Greek mythology. The lights were on all across the ship, which only indicated that there was activity onboard. But what kind of cruise ship was it? Judging by its design, it looked quite old.
Onboard Amphitrite, there was activity in almost every floor. In what appeared to be the ship's main hall, there was singing, dancing and gambling taking place between the passengers. While the passenger all came in different ethnicities, yet they had one thing in common: they were filthy rich.
At one table, a young Japanese man dressed in a fancy tuxedo was playing a Japanese dice game called "Chō-han", which was about waging money while determining the winner by having the highest dice. They two players shook their dice in bamboo cups. Surrounding them were curious watchers, among them pretty ladies, eager to see which man would emerge the winner.
"Just you wait, you Japanese smartass!" the young man's opponent, who appeared to be a muscular Chinese man, spat boastfully. "I will win whatever pathetic game your yakuza buddies like to play!" he continued.
Despite hearing this, the Japanese man was unfazed at his comments. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, Xi. Because I know scoundrels when I see them" he responded nonchalantly.
The Chinese man grunted in return. "Whatever you say, xiao riben!" Xi insulted the man by using a derogatory slur aimed at Japanese people.
The dice were cast and both players removed their bamboo cups to reveal their dice. From the looks of it, Xi seemed to have the highest dice. Or did he?
"Hah! Would you look at that! It appears that I win this round, friend!" Xi arrogantly exclaimed, hoping to claim his money.
But the Japanese man suddenly took one of Xi's dice and crushed it open. It revealed something drastic to those watching it.
"More like you cheat this round" he bluntly said, revealing that Xi's dice were loaded.
Gasps erupted amongst the watchers and Xi found himself getting dirty glares from almost everyone. The Chinese man knew he was in deep trouble.
"H-hey! This is all a big misunderstanding….I d-didn't really mean…" Xi suddenly felt his opponent grab his left wrist. He looked at him with displeasure. "L-look, buddy, I can explain….." he didn't get to finish his answer.
The Japanese man quickly landed a knife through Xi's hand, making sure that it was stuck on the table beneath it.
"AAARGHHHH!" Xi screamed in pain. "Xiao riben! What the fuck's wrong with you!?" he demanded while using the ethnic slur once again.
The Japanese man remained unapologetic towards the man he had just stabbed. "I told you earlier, Xi. I know a scoundrel when I see one" he said, rising up from his seat and was about to walk away. "By the way, my name is not xiao riben. It's Shin Kamiya. And I tell you now, I'm not some yakuza deadweight as you may think I am" the man named Shin said before leaving the table.
Shin was growing tired of all this noise in the hall, so he decided to leave. Despite the jazzy music being wonderfully played, the Japanese man felt somewhat nauseated by it. That's why he headed for a narrow hallway.
As he kept walking, Shin couldn't help but muse to himself over something.
"Man. I can't believe how much different our lives have become throughout the years, eh Jin Kazama?" Shin was speaking about the infamous individual who had once led the Mishima Zaibatsu.
That's right. Shin appeared to have a history with Jin Kazama. But what that history was, only Shin himself knew.
When the Japanese man passed by a corridor to his right, something stopped him.
"Oye! 78M" this made Shin stop and he looked to his right to see two individuals leaning against the wall on each side of the corridor.
The one who had called out Shin by that word was a brown-haired man wearing a green jacket over a red zebra print shirt. He wore beige trousers which was tucked into brown snakeskin boots with a matching snakeskin holster. He also wore a belt with an elaborate deer skull buckle and a silver pendant with an embossed design. But his most signature description was the Japanese katana he carried on his shoulder.
"Where have you been? The summit between the executives is about to begin" he asked Shin.
The other man smirked as he looked at Shin. He had dyed his hair pink for some reason. His choice of attire was not much as impressive. It consisted of a tan colored vest under a brown leather tactical vest holding his weapons. He also wore black leather trousers and light pink sneakers that matched his pink hair. He seemed to be a gunman, given the abundance of weapons strapped to his body.
Without even thinking, this muscular man walked over to Shin. He even reached out a hand towards his shoulder.
"But we can't start the damn thing, because you're missing" the gunman spoke with an Australian accent. "So we were asked to bring your scrawny, little ass back to the…" his hand was swatted away by Shin.
"Don't you dare put your filthy hands on me, Bryce Adams. I'm more than capable of finding my way. So got no use for babysitting" Shin sternly told him.
The man named Bryce didn't appreciate the tone in Shin's voice. As such, he felt more than willing to physically assault Shin.
"Why, you little…" before Bryce could even continue, Shin walked off, completely ignoring him as a while. "Hey! We ain't done talkin' yet, ya drongo!" he shouted.
"Pipe down, Captain Kangaroo. I'm not interested in listening to your crap" Shin told him before continuing walking. But as he stood close to the other man, Shin stopped. He looked at him with clenched fists. "And as for you. Never call me by that name again, Enrique Ortega" he threatened him.
The man named Enrique only shrugged his shoulders, not taking Shin's threat seriously. "Cálmate, niño. I only said that to get under your skin" he assured him.
However, Shin was hardly satisfied by that answer. "Doesn't matter. Never say that!" he hissed before proceeding to walk through the corridor.
Both Enrique and Bryce followed suit. While they walked, Bryce felt the need to poke fun of Shin.
"Say, Kamiya. What were you doing out there just now? Desperate to find yourself a sheila, perhaps?" Bryce spoke up.
This made Enrique snicker from the sidelines, trying his best not to let Shin nor Bryce hear him.
But Shin was not amused, still ignoring them as a whole. "As they say in your country, put a sock in it!" the Japanese man directed a jibe back at him.
This really ticked off Bryce, yet he restrained himself for some reason. The reason for that was because they were nearing the door that led to this meeting hall between the executives onboard Amphitrite. Two security guards saluted before them and opened the door. The three men entered the hall, the door immediate closing once they were inside.
Everything inside was dark, except for a large table in the middle. There was light and around the table stood several chairs, which seemed to be reserved for five people. There was one particular chair which stood out most. In contrast with the others, that chair looked quite antique. However, this chair was turned around, so that it wasn't facing the table.
There was already one person sitting by the table by the time the three men arrived. He seemed to be a middle-aged man with black hair. He wore black gloves and a dark grey t-shirt. As he got a glimpse of the three men, his blue eyes narrowed.
"You are late" he bluntly told them, speaking in a English accent.
Enrique shrugged his shoulders as he took his seat. "Hey, it's not our fault this punk didn't show up in time. And for the record, you're the one who sent us to fetch him" he reminded this individual.
But this man was hardly satisfied. "Then you should have done it faster, Ortega" this mysterious executive responded.
"Now, now, Ed. This isn't the time to be so stingy. We're all mates here on Amphitrite" the gunman tried to calm him down.
"How many times have I told you not to call me Ed? It's Edgar. Edgar Grant. Get it right, you foolish convict" he responded by correcting Bryce.
This was more than enough to make Bryce agitated. "You wanna run that by me again, you stuck-up pom!?" the muscular man angrily snapped, that he almost got up from his seat.
Enrique mused to himself at seeing this. "Wow, tensions are already high between those two" he said, resting his hands behind his neck.
Shin, on the other hand, was not amused. "This is a waste of my time" he murmured, feeling irritated over even being inside this hall.
"That's enough quarreling for now!" a female voice coming from the antique chair forced Edgar and Bryce to stop arguing.
The chair turned around and all the executives could see a youthful-looking woman of Asian descent sitting there. Her white hair was cut in an eccentric style, with two strands framing her face. This woman's eyes were different colors, the left eye red, and the right eye hazel. Her main outfit was an elegant yellow dress decorated with a deep red petal motif and edging. She wore wears dark pink shoes decorated with a butterfly on each foot. But for all her elegant choice of attire, her appearance was quite frightening, not to mention her pale skin.
Facing all of the men sitting at the table, the woman smiled in a satisfied manner. She held a purple fan to wave at herself with.
"I welcome you all here, Edgar Grant, Bryce Adams, Enrique Ortega and Shin Kamiya. How nice of you executives to make it. It's not often that we get to spend some quality time together" she started the meeting with a welcome.
Bryce mused at this. "Anytime, sheila. I'm always up for chats with our dear boss herself" he responded to her.
"So it's just us here? Where are the others?" Enrique quizzed, looking around the table.
"Unfortunately, the executives couldn't make it due to certain "difficulties". So we just have to make the best without them" the woman answered.
Edgar didn't seem that much convinced. "Your answer is not sufficient enough, Lana Lai" he said while speaking her name.
Lana chuckled, her voice as elusive as her appearance. "At ease, Grant. There will be time to find them later. But now, Kometa has bigger issues to worry about" she revealed.
"And why is that?" Shin questioned the woman.
"Quite simple, Kamiya" Lana said and put a newspaper right in the middle of the table for all the executives to see.
The newspaper showed everyone a picture of Heihachi Mishima. But what was more eye-catching was the title of this subject: HEIHACHI MISHIMA IS DEAD. STATE OF THE WAR UNCERTAIN.
"So the old cabro finally met his end, eh? Vete con viento fresco" Enrique spoke with a positive expression on his face.
But he was given dirty looks by all the executives, minus Shin. This made him wonder why they didn't like him saying that.
"What? Isn't this something to celebrate?" he quizzed.
"Your head's clearly stuck in the clouds again, you drongo. Don't you know what this means?" Bryce rebuked his colleague.
"It means that the ongoing war between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation is now at a stalemate. None of us expected either Heihachi nor Kazuya to actually fight each other to their deaths. As such, this event caught Kometa by surprise" Edgar filled in for Enrique.
The brown-haired man was surprised, yet didn't seem to pay much heed to this revelation. "So what? We've got plenty of opportunities to pull amidst this confusion. Don't we, señorita?" Enrique asked Lana.
"And that leads us to our next course of action" she responded only to snap her fingers.
All the executives could hear someone approach the table, not close from where Lana was sitting. It was a middle-aged black-skinned man with glasses dressed in a white coat.
"I assume you know Dr. Lukas Hayes? He has been a great asset to Kometa as the project manager of our scientific operations. Among them is our recent project: Salacia" Lana revealed to her subordinates.
Lukas seemed very fragile, yet remained composed as an individual.
"Salacia….so that means it's already been…." Shin tried asking the scientist, who already seemed to have the answer for him.
"Yes. It's already been launched. So it should be in space quickly. With the international community currently focused on Heihachi's death, nobody will suspect a thing" Lukas answered, making sure all the executives got that.
Edgar seemed pleased with his answer. "Splendid work, Dr. Hayes. You are proving yourself to be quite useful to us" he praised the scientist.
"However, we must make sure that nobody gets knowledge of Salacia. And with the Zaibatsu leaderless and the G Corp confused about what to do next, there are certain groups we would do well to not draw attention from" Lana informed them all and then four pictures of several people at the middle of the table.
All the executives looked closer to see who these people were.
"I recognize one of them, at least" Bryce remarked as he held up one picture. "This yobbo here is Lee Chaolan, CEO of Violet Systems. I don't know why you would even consider him as a threat, given that all he does is chasing blokes and robots" he expressed his opinion on the matter.
"That's because he's been known to be in league with this man" Edgar pointed out, holding up a picture. "Lars Alexandersson, leader of the Tekken Force rebels calling themselves Yggdrasil. Allegedly, he's also Heihachi's illegitimate son. Rumor has it that he's been hiding former Zaibatsu CEO Jin Kazama. That being said, he's also been known to have dealings with both Interpol and the UN" he went on filling in the details.
Enrique looked at the picture that was near him. "Claudio Serafino. The Italian exorcist. I don't know about him, but he doesn't seem that much of a threat to us" he noted before looking at the other picture. "But him on the other hand…." the laid-back man found himself frowning deeply.
The picture showed everyone a hooded individual with a mask that seemed almost like a gas mask.
"Yes. This is the one calling himself Revenant. For years, we've struggled to uncover the identity of this cultist, but to no avail" Lana spoke up, looking at the photo of the mysterious man. "That being said, he's even more interesting. So much that I would like to meet hm" the woman suddenly revealed.
Her subordinates were stunned by what they heard. Was Lana being real?
"Woah! Slow down, Lana. Don't get too giddy. For all we know, that bastard could be as dangerous as the rumors make it out to be" the Australian man insisted.
In reply, Lana smirked at him, looking at Bryce as if she was trying to seduce him or something. "Please don't be so stingy, Brycie. You know that my choices have never failed at all" Lana said with a wink directed towards him.
Bryce was turned on by this look, and he even winked back at her. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm always on your side. No reason to question my loyalties" the man with the pink hair responded.
The other executives watched this with cringe. They understand that between them, Lana seemed to favor Bryce the most. His undying loyalty towards her decisions, no matter how questionable they were, seemed to be the main reason for such favoritism.
Lana soon focused her attention on everyone in the group. "No matter. We cannot afford to stay silent now that the entire world is in confusion. Kometa will now begin its move and acquire all the possible weapons available" she told them, her expression as cunning as ever. "Even now, my sources across the globe have managed to track down potential weapons we can use to our won benefit. Are you all willing to hear what they are?" Lana wanted to make sure they were in on this.
Judging by their reactions, the executives seemed to be fully supportive of her plans. This pleased Lana greatly.
"Excellent. Then hear what I have discovered" she informed her allies.
In the streets of Ebisuhigashi, Osaka, Japan
These streets of Osaka were usually busy. In the background stood the imposing tower of Tsutenkaku. However, Ebisuhigashi was also the perfect place to start confrontations. After all, Osakans were probably among the most outspoken when it came to the Japanese. Or that's what most foreigners always assumed.
Two local gangs appeared before each other. They were each led by a man. The first one was a guy with a black pompadour to signify his confidence as a gang leader. The other one, however, had an afro while wearing some sunglasses. All in all, the two gang leaders were keen on facing each other.
"Hey! What are you guys doing here!?" the pompadour-guy asked his counterpart while confronting him. "This is our turf, so get lost!" he added.
However, the afro-guy was not intimidated. "Or else what, bastard!?" he spat at his foe. "Me and my boys go wherever we want! Now get out of my face, before I pummel yours!" he then threatened him.
"Oh yeah!? I dare you to try!" the pompadour-guy challenged his opponent.
It didn't take long before their followers got dragged into the confrontation as well. Each of them wore weapons. The pompadour-guy's gang carried bats, while the afro-guy's gang wore brass knuckles. Needless to say, things were getting uglier. Nearby citizens took notice of it and moved away, realizing that being near a gang fight was dangerous.
But before the gangs could even commence, a voice interrupted them.
"Hold it right there! Both of you!" both gang leaders looked to their side and saw someone standing there.
It was two girls. Standing in the nearby street were Asuka Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. Having started off as hated rivals, the two had eventually come to form a close friendly bond after the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. They had both been on Hawaii, where they had witnessed a tragic loss. That experience had helped in overcoming their past grudges.
Asuka, who was the one calling those gangs out, stood there with her hands rested on her hips. "Just what do you guys think you're doing? These streets are not the places to cause mischief, you know!" the Japanese brunette spoke up determinedly.
"You people are disturbing the peace around here. So quit fighting and walk away from each other. Otherwise, we'll make you regret it" Xiaoyu chimed in.
Both gang leaders looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Clearly, they had never seen those girls before, not even Asuka.
"Who the hell are those girls?" the afro-guy asked.
"Yeah, I've never seen them around here" the pompadour-guy remarked.
However, their followers found themselves trembling for some reason. It appeared they recognized who Asuka was.
"Hey, boss!" one of the pompadour-guy's followers leaned over to whisper it to him. "That brunette…she's the gang mediator…" he told him.
The pompadour-guy looked at him questionably. "What?" he was confused.
"That's right! She's Asuka Kazama, the famous gang mediator here in Osaka" one of the afro-guy's followers moved closer to whisper them.
After looking at each other, both gang leaders erupted into laughter. They couldn't believe what their followers just told them.
"You gotta be kidding me! You're telling me that shrimp over there is the one who's been cracking the skulls of local Osakan gangs? That's ridiculous!" the afro-guy continued laughing.
"So true! I mean, look at her! She couldn't possibly be that strong! And neither is her friend!" the pompadour-guy joined in on ridiculing the girls.
As the gang leaders continued laughing, Asuka groaned out of irritation. She even facepalmed.
"Clearly those meatheads are too stuck-up to be reasoned with. And here I'd hoped to not use waste energy on such small fry" Asuka remarked before looking over at Xiaoyu. She smiled. "You up for some action?" she asked her.
Xiaoyu clenched her right fist in return. "Absolutely! Just make sure that we each get our opponent to punch the lights out of" the Chinese girl answered.
Asuka banged her gloved fists. "Sure thing, Xiaoyu. But don't fall behind" she told her in return.
Both gang leaders stopped laughing once they saw the two girls stand in their fighting stances. The two gangsters struggled holding back their laughs, seeing as how ridiculous their challenge seemed.
"What's this? You girls truly think you're strong enough to take on the likes of us? Pathetic!" the pompadour-guy spoke up, brandishing his bat.
Asuka smirked brashly. "Heh. The only pathetic among us here is the two of you!" she took a swipe at him verbally.
The pompadour-guy felt pissed. "Why you snotty, little…..." he did not appreciate the insult.
The afro-guy cracked his knuckles, making sure that his brass knuckle was hard and ready. "What do you say we save our quarrel for later, eh? After we dropkick these girls, that is" he asked his fellow gang leader.
"Deal. Better getting rid of common nuisances before solving our own issues" the pompadour-guy said, directing his gaze towards Asuka. "You take the pigtailed princess. That loudmouthed runt beside her is mine" he then told him.
Xiaoyu was finding this quite amusing. "So now you guys have decided to become friends? How very neat! Too bad you didn't do this earlier!" she taunted them.
"Probably because they're too stupid to even accomplish such" Asuka joined in, not holding back a giggle.
Losing their patience with these girls, the two gang leaders immediately charged towards the pair. The pompadour-guy was ready to bash Asuka with his bat, while the afro-guy was ready to pummel Xiaoyu with his brass knuckle. In other words, both gang leaders were determined to fight them seriously.
"YOU WILL BOTH BLEED!" the pompadour-guy yelled.
"HOPE YOU HAVE INSURANCE FOR BROKEN RIBS AND LEGS!" the afro-guy didn't hold back his violent rage.
However, they were seriously underestimating the strengths these girls possessed. Asuka delivered a powerful punch in her foe's stomach. Xiaoyu strongly moved her handpalm upon her opponent's chest area. As a result, the two gang leaders were knocked out, both landing on the ground of asphalt with blood running from their lips. They both groaned in pain, while their followers panicked over what to do.
Asuka and Xiaoyu moved closer to the gangs, thus intimidating them intensively.
"Take your leaders and leave these streets! And don't you ever dare come back and cause trouble again! If not, me and my friend will be here to put you in your places!" Asuka issued them a warning.
Knowing better than to argue, the two gangs disappeared from the streets while carrying their knocked-out leaders. With them out of commission, the gang members had definitely lost morale to put up a fight against the two girls.
As soon as the gangs were gone, Asuka and Xiaoyu took their time to assess their work. Asuka grinned at Xiaoyu cheekily, feeling satisfied of their accomplishment.
"What did I tell ya? Vigilantism sure is fun, isn't it?" Asuka asked her friend.
Xiaoyu shook her head slightly while smiling. "I'm still not getting at how you find this entertaining. Then again, there's no shame in stopping thugs from disturbing the peace in the streets" she remarked with amusement.
"You could say that. Lately, these gang leaders have become more bolder than before. They used to cower in fear by the mere sight of me" Asuka said, recalling what those gang leaders had said earlier. The young Osakan let out a deep sigh. "I guess things really have heated up with the ongoing cold war happening in the world" she told her friend.
Xiaoyu could not help but to think of the final clash on Hawaii. After all, two great fighters had perished. One was Heihachi. But the other one was Xiaoyu's late teacher in martial arts: Wang Jinrei. A cloud of sadness could be seen all over her face.
Asuka, realizing how much was on Xiaoyu's mind, put a hand on her right shoulder. She looked at the Chinese girl sympathetically.
"You still miss him, don't you? By that, I mean Master Wang" Asuka asked her.
"It almost feels like yesterday since I witnessed his final fight against that vicious cultist" Xiaoyu stammered, only to feel a passion of fire burn within her. Her fists clenched tightly. "I swear, this Revenant-guy will pay for what he did to gramps! As well as for other things he's done!" her determination stunned Asuka.
Surprised as she was, Asuka had to nod in agreement of what her friend said. "I say the same thing" she agreed, only to recall her own feuds. "Now that reminds me, I still a bone to pick with that Chinese Kenpo fighter who hospitalized my dad and almost ruined the Kazama Dojo. And I sill wanna get my hands on Jin for everything he's done" she expressed her resentment towards the two men.
"I can understand your willingness to speak with Jin. I feel the same way. But this Kenpo fighter, he seemed to have an awful lot of respect in gramps" Xiaoyu recalled to what Feng had done, making Asuka glance at her confused. "Don't you remember, Asuka? Back on Hawaii, he let us go when the Tekken Force were about to apprehend us. Could it be possible that Feng Wei possesses some…..." the Chinese girl was interrupted by her friend.
"Hold your horses, Xiaoyu. Just because he let us go, doesn't mean he's a good guy. True, he may not have done anything bad to you, but to me and Detective Lei, he sure did" Asuka reminded her.
This made Xiaoyu regret her choice of words. "Gosh, I'm terribly sorry, Asuka. It was never my intention to trivialize his past transgressions. They're inexcusable" she insisted.
Asuka shrugged off what Xiaoyu said with a giggle. "Don't worry, I knew you didn't mean it like that" the Japanese girl said while patting Xiaoyu's left shoulder.
With that, the two girls started laughing together while walking down the street. Neither Asuka nor Xiaoyu could fathom how they'd managed to forge this friendship, despite meeting each other as bitter rivals. Clearly, something had forced the two girls to cast aside their hostilities towards each other. Regardless, they each appreciated each other's company.
"So, should we head over to your place?" Xiaoyu asked her friend.
"You betcha! Let's see what my dad's up to in the dojo" Asuka responded.
But as they continued moving in what appeared to be an alleyway, both girls stopped once they could see a group of people blocking their road ahead. These men were dressed in white garbs, yet they were much noticeable by their beaked masks. Those were masks worn by doctors during the Black Death.
"What the…who're these guys!?" Asuka snapped, only to notice something very familiar with these men. "Hold on…those outfits and masks…are they…" her pondering was interrupted by Xiaoyu tapping her.
"Um, Asuka. It appears we're caught in some kind of a trap. Look behind!" Xiaoyu said as she was looking her shoulder.
The two girls realized that they were trapped, as there was indeed another group of these men standing on the other side of the alleyway, thus blocking their chance to run away. At this rate, they had no place to hide.
"One thing's certain. These guys are not Osakan gangsters. I can tell that based upon their outfits…they're familiar…" Xiaoyu told her friend.
"Got that right, Xiaoyu. And it can only mean one thing" the Japanese girl said with gritting teeth.
Someone started to emerge out of the crowd before the girls and appeared right before them. It was a young man with slick black hair. Xiaoyu and Asuka recognized who he was. It was Claudio Serafino, the leader of this secret order of exorcists called the Archers of Sirius. He faced the girls in a smug manner while approaching them.
"It's you!" Xiaoyu spat, pointing a finger at him.
Claudio remained indifferent, resting his hands behind his back. "Saluti, ragazze. It's been a while since we last saw each other" he spoke up with a "formal" bow. The smug look on his face never vanished. "I assume you still recognize my identity. Or would a recap perhaps be necessary?" he went on with the sanctimony.
"Tch, how could we possibly forget the guy who almost captured us in Kamida, let alone followed us all across the sea to Hawaii?" Asuka barked, feeling more than willing to punch the lights out of that guy.
"You're the exorcist who leads this order called…umm…...was it the Arch of Uranus?" Xiaoyu quizzed, feeling somewhat confused.
Out of the ordinary, Asuka laughed her butt off at Xiaoyu's mispronunciation, much to the utter irritation of Claudio and his followers. The girls could see how it pretty much ticked them off.
"Good one, Xiaoyu! That sure was funny! Serves you guys right for all the crap you've pulled on us!" Asuka said, smugly facing Claudio and the exorcists behind him.
"Hmph. Your humor eludes me, Asuka Kazama" Claudio spoke up, quickly brushing off the insult. "Now as for you, Ling Xiaoyu. Allow me to correct your mispronunciation. Yes, we are exorcists. But we are called the Archers of Sirius. Throughout millennia, we have existed in Europe for the sole purpose of vanquishing all evil that roams this world" the exorcist went on telling them what his order was.
Still, neither of the girls were impressed by Claudio's boasting.
"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all, already!" Xiaoyu said, not even hiding her antagonism towards Claudio. She glared at him directly. "Now speak up! Why are you here in Osaka!?" she demanded some answers out of him.
Claudio chuckled. "Wanting to get straight to the business, I see. Very well. I will happily oblige" he said, pointing two fingers at the girls. "Me and my brothers came here searching for the two of you. Ever since our arrival in Osaka, we've been monitoring your movements from afar. But we decided to wait for the right time in approaching you" he revealed.
Both girls were shocked and outraged at the same time when hearing this.
"You mean to say that you've been stalking us!? That's freaking harassment, you lousy creep!" Asuka spat at him.
"Why would you even do this!?" Xiaoyu wanted some answers to this awkward behavior of Claudio.
"Calmati, signore. What I have done up until now is for the good of this world" Claudio assured the girls. "As the two of you may remember, I mentioned how you were well-acquainted with Jin Kazama. That is why I have come here to offer you a chance to see him again by joining us on this demon hunt" the exorcist offered them.
While Xiaoyu and Asuka were surprised, neither of them seemed keen on accepting Claudio's offer of friendship. For they knew very well what his motives were.
"Are you still on this demon hunt of yours?" Xiaoyu asked him dispassionately. "Either way, you can forget about me joining you! Because I know what you have in store for Jin!" the Chinese girl added, even standing in her fighting position.
Asuka did the same thing. "Same here! My beef with Jin is my business alone! No way I'm planning on letting you guys steal my chance by killing him!" she spat at Claudio and his followers.
As dismayed as Claudio as in seeing their refusal, he wasn't surprised by their decision. "So in other words, you both refuse to cooperate?" he chuckled while shaking his head slightly. "Che triste. And here I was hoping to avoid resorting to violence. But your stubbornness leaves me no choice" Claudio said, all of a sudden activating his mystical powers.
The two friends were in awe of watching the black markings that appeared around Claudio's left eye. At the same time, glowing light enveloped around his right arm.
"It's that weird power of his again!" Xiaoyu grew concerned about this.
"Just what kind of guy is he!?" Asuka wondered, starting to question whether the man before them was even human.
Claudio smirked at seeing their reactions. "Amateurs like you should know when to back down!" he taunted them, standing in his fighting stance. "Resist me as much as you can, but it will be inadequate. Two girls like you could never hope to best the leader of the Archers of Sirius in combat!" he went on boasting his abilities.
Asuka grit her teeth in frustration. "That sanctimonious jackass…" she muttered, looking over at Xiaoyu. "This is it, Xiaoyu! We make our stand here! Are you with me?" the young Osakan wanted her friend's confidence.
Immediately, Xiaoyu nodded. "Right! Let's show him how strong we really are!" she said.
The two girls charged directly at the exorcist, who remained confident despite fighting two foes. Clearly, he had already foreseen the outcome of this fight.
"Hah! Bambini sciocchi!" he insulted them before unleashing his true power upon Xiaoyu and Asuka.
Neither of the girls were prepared for this impressive display. As a result, they both fell down easily into unconsciousness. Clearly, Claudio's power was nothing like the powers from the Devil Gene, yet it was a different kind. Still, Asuka and Xiaoyu were no match for the exorcist.
Standing over the unconscious young ladies, Claudio smirked at seeing them defeated.
"Did you honestly think you would win? Dilettanti. I faced opponents who had more sense than the pair of you" Claudio chastised the young girls.
The nearby exorcists gathered around their leader, waiting for their leader's next orders.
"This is just a waste of our time" a familiar female voice could be heard from behind, yet Claudio did not pay heed to it.
A young woman suddenly emerged into the crowd and stood beside Claudio. This was the infamous assassin from Egypt known as Zafina. She had for the past months struggled to contain the evil entity that existed inside her bandaged left hand.
"What good will it do in capturing these girls? They obviously told the truth about not knowing Jin's current whereabouts" the dark purple-haired woman informed the exorcist.
Claudio looked at her with a confidential smirk. "On that, there is no question, signora. However, you misinterpret my reasons for capturing them" he revealed before looking back at the unconscious pair. "Those two are connected with Jin for different reasons. One was close to him during his school years while the other is a distant relative. Using them as bait should give Jin more than enough reason to come after us" he explained what his plans were.
Zafina looked at the Italian man suspiciously. "Normally, I would deem such actions as being too cruel, even by your standards" she told him, only to look at her bandaged left arm. "But because of these desperate times, it appears that we need to be pragmatic with regards to how we want to defeat the demons…including the one living inside this hand…." Zafina thought about Azazel and the influence he carried.
Claudio put a hand on the Egyptian woman's shoulder. "Make no mistake, Zafina. Azazel shall never get the chance to walk on this world. By eliminating the remaining devils that roams free, his inexistence will be guaranteed" he told her before looking back at Xiaoyu and Asuka. "That is why we will achieve our goal by any means necessary. And let me assure you, these two will be treated with dignity as our captives. Such is the honor code of the Archers of Sirius" he then explained on how they would treat the girls.
"While I have no doubt about Jin responding to these "baits", I can't say the same for Kazuya Mishima. He will be much harder to kill" Zafina pointed out.
"Ovviamente. However, we can take care of him after we finish off his son" Claudio insisted to her. "Do not forget, Azazel's influence is alive only because of those two Mishimas' devilish powers. We kill one of them, and it gradually starts to wane" he added.
"Naturally" Zafina responded with a weak nod. She went on to clutch her bandaged left hand. She would try getting rid of Azazel, once and for all.
"Carry these girls to our plane. We will leave Japan soon" Claudio commanded his followers, and they all responded to his orders without hesitation.
It didn't take long before the group was gone from the streets of Ebisuhigashi. But to what end would Claudio and Zafina go to fulfill their quest?
Near the Chureito Pagoda, Arakurayama Sengen Park, Japan
This exact place in the Japanese countryside was famous worldwide. It had more to do with the incredible sight one would have by standing near the Chureito Pagoda. In the distance lied the imposing mountain of Fuji, better known in Japan as Fuji-san. Even now, tourists visiting the place would always take pictures of its snow-covered top. Eve
But the area surrounding the pagoda was impressive as well. Cherry blossom trees stood around the building and some of them were even starting to fall down from the heights. As such, this place was a beautiful sight during the autumn season. And because of the sunset, the view was even more astonishing.
Amidst the quietness, someone had arrived at this location. It was a pale-skinned man, his appearance as dead as the snow itself. This was the Russian soldier named Sergei Dragunov, also known as the White Angel of Death. A top member of Spetsnaz, Dragunov had returned to his home country after the incident on Hawaii.
But his superiors had given him another mission soon after. It involved around participating in some kind of a meeting. Apparently, some hidden dealer in the underworld market had taken in interest in hiring him for some kind of business. Dragunov was hesitant at first, yet after learning that going undercover might help him learn more about who these people were, accepted the mission. He had thus flown from Vladivostok and parachuted himself down to this location.
Walking up the stairs, Dragunov arrived at his destination, completely indifferent to the wonderful view he was given. Reaching for one of his jacket's pockets, Dragunov picked up something. It was a paper which was allegedly sent to him. The Russian soldier took his time to read it carefully.
To Sergei Dragunov, the White Angel of Death
I have heard extraordinary tales about your military leadership. Your victories against enemies of Russia are well-documented. However, there are some enemies that you can't see by just on the battlefields. Indeed, for there are enemies hidden as well. Of course, these enemies will seek to exploit this ongoing conflict to their own amusement. Among their goals is to reduce Russia's military might. Surely you understand what that means, don't you? You wish to know more about these threats to your motherland? Travel to Japan and meet my associate by the Chureito Pagoda. It is there where you will be given the answers you seek. Best of luck to you.
Your greatest admirer.
Dragunov had a hard time figuring out whether this mysterious person was really concerned for Russia's security or not. Either way, he would get answers he wished soon. And if it was a ruse, he would waste no time eliminating the one who had lured him to this very place.
"Hey, Rusky! Over here!" the Russian man's attention immediately turned to his right.
Dragunov was surprised, yet also annoyed to see who it was that had called out to him by this ethnic slur. It was the murderous cyborg named Bryan Fury. But he was not alone. Following him was the Chinese Kenpo fighter named Feng Wei and the masked luchador in armor called Armor King. Dragunov was well-acquainted with them, having joined some kind of alliance with them under the guidance of Claudio Serafino not long ago.
Bryan looked at Dragunov with a smug grin. "Man, I keep bumping into familiar faces. So how've you been, pal?" he asked, only to receive nothing but a disapproving stare from Dragunov. Either way, Bryan didn't seem to care much. "Giving me the silent treatment as usual. Can't say you've changed much" he then added.
Armor King crossed his arms. "It has only been two weeks since we parted ways, cyborg. There is little chance of changes happening in such a short period of time" the man in the black jaguar mask pointed out.
"Was I talking to you, Señor Kittycat? No! So back off!" Bryan rudely responded.
Feng looked at Dragunov with his dragon-like eyes. "I assume that you got an invitation to be here as well" he asked, suddenly holding a paper for the Russian soldier to see. "We were too. This contractor claims to have knowledge of the last God Fist scrolls still remaining" the Chinese man said as he looked at the paper.
"Hah! Then you have only been conned, Feng Wei" Armor King ridiculed him.
Feng smirked in response. "And what did he promise you? A chance to kill that arrogant buffoon Craig Marduk? Well, he does not appear to be around here, does he?" he took a swipe at the luchador's personal vendetta against the Vale Tudo fighter.
A growl escaped the opening of Armor King's mask. "Do not trifle with me, dragon!" he warned Feng, who seemed not intimidated to say at least.
Bryan could sense a confrontation brewing between them, so he decided to join in. "What do you say we have a little sparring? It's been a while since I've taken out worthy opponents!" he exclaimed with so much bloodlust within himself.
"As if a demented man such as you could possibly defeat me" Feng responded, feeling more than willing to fight Bryan.
Armor King clenched his gloved fists. "It would be a pleasure to send you both to hell" he told both Bryan and Feng.
While the three were about to start a brawl, Dragunov remained aloof to their foolish competition. Rather, he was surprised to find out that these three had also been "hired" by this mysterious person to come to this place. But who could it be? They had all ceased any form of contact with Claudio and his exorcists.
Out of nowhere, a melody could be heard very close to the group. They all stopped with whatever they were doing and paid attention to where it came from. Judging by the way this melody sounded, it was that of a Japanese flute, also known traditionally in Japan as a fue. Looking behind, the group realized that it came from the pagoda.
In fact, there was someone standing up on top of it playing a fue. It was a very young woman, yet her appearance and clothes looked very familiar.
She wore a ninja garb, something usually worn by kunoichis. It consisted of a purple sleeveless garb with a black breast plate and matching dark purple and white leggings that reached to her feet, resembling a tabi. She was also equipped with knife holsters where she apparently kept her kunai. Beneath her garb was an indigo and white skintight turtleneck which was connected to her hands, resembling gloves. It was also adorned with brown straps on both sides. Yet her trademark appearance was a large purple scarf, sewn with a pink cherry blossom design that was frayed at the edges. She also wore a white modified half-kitsune mask with red and black markings on, as well as being adorned with two brown and red foxtails.
Dragunov observed the woman playing the fue. Slowly, he started to recognize who this individual was, as did Bryan, Feng and Armor King.
"Wait…..isn't that chick…." Bryan spoke up.
"Indeed. That kitsune mask of hers…there's no mistaking it" Feng said in agreement.
The woman continued playing her fue for a short while, only to stop once winds were blowing in her direction. She put her instrument away, looking down at the group below her. A smirk crept on her lips.
"I see. So you are here as well, Kunimitsu?" Armor King spoke up the kunoichi's name.
Dragunov's eyes narrowed as he got a closer look at the woman who had been working with them for a time. Something was very off with her. Was this really the Kunimitsu they knew? Her mask, as well as her hair, were completely different. They knew her hair to be crimson red with two long pigtails. But now, she seemed to have black hair and tied it to just one ponytail. The Russian solider got only more suspicious. Something was not right.
Before anyone could say any word, Kunimitsu jumped vanished from her spot. This caught the group by surprise, as they had never seen such speed before.
"What!? Where did she…." Feng was taken aback by it.
Bryan, with the help of his sensors, managed to track her. She was up in the air, yet he was too late to locate her.
"Such incredible speed!" Armor King was amazed.
But the group was in for a suck once Kunimitsu started throwing kunai at them. This caught them by surprise.
"Throwing kunai at us?! What are you doing!?" Feng said, using his gloved hands to defend himself.
Armor King did the same thing, while Bryan and Dragunov dodged them by diving forward or sideways. Needless to say, they managed to avoid getting hit by the kunai. Right before them, Kunimitsu landed on her feet.
"What the hell's going on here!?" Bryan spat at the woman, pulling out his handgun. "Well, I don't care! Nobody throws stuff at me and gets away with it!" he yelled as he pulled the trigger.
But as the shot was fired, Kunimitsu used her incredible speed to not only dodge Bryan's bullet, but also the other's attacks as well. It was amazing, and none of them managed to catch her.
Bryan soon noticed that something was missing. His handgun was not in his hand anymore. And the fact that Kunimitsu had avoided the attack could only mean one thing.
"Son of a bitch, you took my…." Bryan growled as he turned around to see Kunimitsu actually holding his handgun.
None of the fighters could fathom what had just happened. Had Kunimitsu ever been this fast? Either way, it was incredible.
After a moment of silence and shock, Kunimitsu finally broke the silence.
"Quite a shot you just fired, cyborg. Sadly, your bullet was too slow to even hit me" she spoke with a voice completely unfamiliar to the group.
They were all stunned. The way her voice sounded just now was so…...young. They all knew Kunimitsu to be middle-aged. As such, there was no way she could have such a youthful voice. Something just didn't add up.
"Hold the phone…...I never knew your voice to be that girly" Bryan spoke up. The young woman proceeded to giggle, much to his irritation. "Damnit, you're definitely a pain in my neck, that's for sure" he remarked.
This woman who was presumed to be Kunimitsu continued giggling, and it annoyed the hell out of Bryan. On the other hand, his allies had already started to suspect something was amiss with her. The cyborg had noticed it and was confused.
"What's her deal, really?" Bryan was irritated, only to look at his "comrades".
"Maybe you have not realized it, but the woman you see here now….is not the Kunimitsu we know" Armor King bluntly stated.
"Huh? What are you babblin' about!?" he demanded, yet the luchador was finished trying to explain things to him.
"It's very simple" Feng said, facing the young woman. "That mask, your hair….as well as this incredible speed…it's painfully obvious that you are not the same Kunimitsu, are you?" the Chinese Kenpo fighter questioned her with his arms crossed.
Finally, the young woman turned around, showing her front for all of them to see. She threw away Bryan's handgun. After that, she walked slowly towards the group. A weak smile crept on her lips.
"My mother told me all about you…...Bryan Fury…...Sergei Dragunov…Feng Wei…...and Armor King" the young woman said, moving her left hand up to her kitsune mask. "But saying this seems like a waste of time now" she said before removing her mask.
The group was in for a surprise to see who this young woman was. Her face consisted of grey eyes, purple eyeshadows and two purple-red markings under each of her eyes. Some of her bangs on her hair was red and blue. She also had a beauty mark on her chin. It was similar to Kunimitsu's except that this young woman's beauty mark was on the right side of her lips.
"Who the hell are you?" Bryan rudely asked her.
"You said your mother told you about us. Does that mean you are…" Armor King uttered out.
The young woman nodded her head gently. "Correct. I am the daughter of Kunimitsu…as well as her successor as bearer of that title" she introduced herself.
This was unbelievable to them all. The young woman standing before her was none other than Kunimitsu's own daughter. And not only that, she had also inherited the title as well.
"So that means we're gonna call you Kunimitsu now?" Byran asked with a scoff.
"You might as well. After all, my mother would have never let me have her title if I hadn't surpassed her as a kunoichi" Kunimitsu said with a hint of pride in her voice.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here" Feng interjected her. His suspicious eyes were fixated upon the young woman. "Are you the one responsible for sending us these invitations? Did you bring us all out here?" he wanted to get some answers.
In response, Kunimitsu showed him and the others her own document. It looked just like the ones the group had gotten.
"I'm afraid not. You see, this high-profile client hired me as well. Although, I'm only stepping in for my mother due to her fragile condition" Kunimitsu revealed to them.
Armor King, eager to know more about this young woman, decided to dig more info from her.
"How is she, by the way?" the luchador asked her.
A slight sorrowful frown was formed on Kunimitsu's face. "For some reason, my mother has been plagued by a terrible illness for a very long time. Yet for years, she stubbornly clung to working as a kunoichi. But her recent mission with the lot of you proved to be a breaking point for her health" she revealed to the gang.
"That's bullshit! We ain't responsible for whatever illness your mom has!" Bryan told her.
"She never suggested that, fool" Feng spoke to him disapprovingly.
Kunimitsu found herself smiling. "However, there is one thing that I know could possibly help cure her illness. The blade wielded by the leader of the Manji Clan: Yoshimitsu" she revealed to them. "They say that it's magical and possess power to cure even the most terrible diseases. That is why I've agreed to this contract, in hopes of getting that sword. However, I will remain focused on the mission….for now" she went on explaining.
For some reason, Armor King was surprisal moved by Kunimitsu's motivations. It was as if he could feel a connection with her pain.
"Yoshimitsu…..." Armor King uttered the name with a growl. "I hear he has been in league with both Craig Marduk and King before. That makes us enemies" the luchador said.
Bryan felt his entire body tensing at the mere mentioning of the swordsman's name. Those around him could feel the bloodlust by just looking at his face.
"Yoshimitsu…...how I hate that name!" Bryan exclaimed, grinning psychotically over the things he wanted to do to him. "Back on Hawaii, I almost succeeded in killing that bastard! If it weren't for that damn cultist and his freakshows, I would've succeeded!" he lamented over losing the opportunity to kill his hated foe.
Kunimitsu smiled at what she heard from them. "That's right. My mother told me about your enmity towards both him and the Manji Clan" she spoke to Bryan. She then started facing the entire group as a whole. "But above anything else, I know all about your pasts, as well as what your desires are" she told the gang.
Feng looked at her rather dismissively. "Really? And I suppose that a kunoichi like you could find and steal the God Fist scrolls?" he asked her.
She smiled smugly. "Certainly. And if you ever need something like that done, I'm the right thief for the job. I've done plenty of high-risk contracts in the past. None of them were failures" she assured him.
The Chinese Kenpo fighter chuckled. "You talk boldly for someone at your age" her replied.
As they were in the middle of this conversation, Dragunov suddenly stepped in the middle, pointing his finger at something standing by the pagoda. They all saw what appeared to be a walkie-talkie standing there.
"How long has that thing been staying here?" Bryan wondered.
"Obviously long before we even arrived" Armor King responded.
The group approached the walkie-talkie, as it was already making noises. Each member got cautious, wary about this being a bomb or something else. However, the bad signal noises soon ended and a mysterious voice could be heard speaking. But due to the voice being distorted, none of the fighters could tell whether it was a man or a woman speaking.
"I bid you all welcome, former members of L'ordine. That's right, I know about your past partnerships with that exorcist, Claudio Serafino. But it matters not. The Archers of Sirius appears to no longer require your assistance. Which leads me to move on to the topic at hand. The reason why I've hired each of you is because of the extraordinary talents you possess. All of you are head for the stealth plane stationed at the foot of Mt Fuji. You see, there is something that I desperately wish to acquire, especially with regards to my business. That's why you will be leaving Japan and find the object. It's located in a military base outside the Thai capital of Bangkok. This military base carries a deadly weapon that men like me would be anxious to have possession of. The power it carries is nothing like anyone could ever imagine. Once you have freed this weapon, bring it to one of my ships docked at Bangkok Port. You may want to know what your rewards will be? Well, that's quite simple. Because once you deliver this weapon to me, I will personally make sure that my company will help you uncover all the secrets that you need. From where to find the God Fist scrolls, where the Manji Clan's hideouts are, as well as the location of the UN's intelligence bureau. Not believable enough for you? Well, you shouldn't doubt us, given that Kometa offers plenty of possibilities that are unknown to most people. Until we meet again, friends"
Those were the final words before the walkie-talkie self-detonated, albeit causing a minor explosion.
"Tch, some detonation this was" Bryan sneered, unimpressed that the explosion was not much bigger than anticipated.
But the group was now considering this offer they received, let alone this job they would partake in.
"Stealing a weapon from a Thai military base? Shouldn't be a problem" Kunimitsu remarked, looking at Dragunov. "Good thing that we have a Spetsnaz member who's got experience with such places" the young kunoichi smiled, yet Dragunov was too busy thinking.
Despite the Russian intelligence unit being one of the world's best, they had never found any intel on this Kometa. That's why Dragunov had no clue about this organization.
"Do you have any idea what this Kometa is?" Armor King asked him, to which the Russian soldier shook his head weakly. "Then it appears that we have been hired by a secret criminal organization. But the question is what kind of weapon the Thai military could possess" the luchador remarked.
"And what makes you think that those guys will keep their end of the bargain?" Bryan asked with his arms crossed. "Based upon past experiences, being someone else's bitch hasn't benefit us in the slightest" the cyborg expressed his doubt about doing this mission.
Feng smirked. "You are only saying this because you were too weak to kill that foolish ninja" he chastised him, much to Bryan's anger.
"Back off, dragon-eyes!" Bryan hit back with an insult directed at Feng.
"Cállate! We have better things to concentrate on" Armor King snapped, looking at Kunimitsu. "Do you have any idea about this Kometa?" the masked luchador asked her.
"I've only heard rumors about it. But from what I can tell, it's a criminal organization that has been involved with plenty of wrongdoings throughout the years. There are even claims about with the ongoing war, Kometa has been supplying intel to both the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation, thus playing each side against each other" Kunimitsu explained what she knew.
"I see. Then that means this war has benefited them. But with the current stalemate, I wonder whether they continue such actions" Feng wondered.
"Unfortunately, I lack sufficient information to speculate further" the young kunoichi said.
Bryan, who seemed to grow tired of this chit-chat, decided to break it all by doing the unthinkable.
"Let's just get this job done with then!" he eruptively said before taking his leave. The others only watched his action completely confused. Bryan looked over his shoulder to face them. "What? Aren't you guys coming? The sooner we get that weapon, the quicker I can get some knowledge about where to find that conniving swordsman!" he added before moving on.
Feng smirked at seeing this. "The rabid hound finally knows what he wants? Amusing" the Kenpo fighter said before taking his leave.
It didn't take long before Dragunov followed him suit, leaving Kunimitsu alone with Armor King. She had just put on her kitsune mask and smiled at him smugly.
"Somehow, I have a feeling that you and I will get along. Not only because we share a habit of hiding our identities. But also because of us striving to live up to our predecessors" Kunimitsu told him.
Hearing this reminded Armor King about where he got his title from. The memories of his late older brother continued to have an effect on him. As such, the masked luchador growled slightly at the young woman.
"Do not get ahead of yourself, niña. Such sentiments are not enough to make us soulmates" he sternly reminded her.
Kunimitsu seemed unfazed by it. "I must agree with you on that one. Which is why I'm willing to gain your trust for the sake of fulfilling my goals" she said before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Armor King soon joined up with the gang as well, not feeling like staying at this park anymore.
Inside Violet System's HQ, Kyoto, Japan
The eccentric yet wise businessman and philanthropist: Lee Chaolan, had allied himself with rebels of the Tekken Force calling themselves: Yggdrasil. Led by a Swedish ex-officer named Lars Alexandersson, Yggdrasil had with Violet System's support staged a resistance movement against the machinations of the Zaibatsu and the G Corp.
While neither Lee nor Lars had been on Hawaii to witness the incident, they had pretty much observed all the events thanks to Violet System's own satellites. They had also been told everything by their friend: Alisa Bosconovitch, who had been on the island herself.
The outcome was sad, and it was not due to Heihachi's death. Instead, it was due to Wang Jinrei taking his final stand against Revenant. His death weighed heavily upon Lee and Lars. In fact, they along with Alisa and some others had attended Wang's funeral in China. Him being gone was a huge loss for the world's free people.
However, the two men didn't have time to mourn Wang's loss forever. The world was in standstill, due to Heihachi's death and the Zaibatsu lacking a leader. They needed to figure out what the situation of the current world was.
"I see" Lars remarked as he looked at the giant screen before them. It showed them the world. "So in wake of Heihachi's death, Kuma has now taken position as the unofficial leader of the Zaibatsu" he noted as he kept watching the screen.
"Correct. But so far, he has not given any order to continue this war. It appears that he wants to know what Kazuya will do next" Lee informed his friends. "But the G Corp has also been very silent so far. Just what is their game?" the business mogul wondered.
"If they wanted to strike the Zaibatsu now, they would've done so long ago" Alisa murmured.
Lars nodded his head. "You're correct, Alisa. If only we could understand more of Kazuya's plans" the rebel leader lamented.
"Speaking of Kazuya's plans, what is this satellite?" Lee said, touching the screen so that it showed them a picture from space. "This satellite was launched somewhere from the USA only days ago. But apparently, it doesn't seem to belong to either the US Army or any particular country" the business mogul proceeded.
Lars and Alisa looked closer. They were uncertain about this satellite as well.
"It doesn't seem to belong to the Zaibatsu either. Their satellite was destroyed by Kazuya, after all" Alisa spoke up her opinion.
"Agreed. Perhaps we should find out whether this satellite is used for civilian purposes…..or perhaps something much more sinister" Lars suggested.
As they kept looking at the giant screen and the picture of the satellite, the conversation between the three friends changed the subject. This was done due to Lee.
"So Jin has gone to Europe? For some reason, I feel that we shouldn't let him do as we please. Especially with the current circumstances" Lee spoke up about Jin.
"Trust me, he won't be gone for long. He went there to take care of something" Lars answered him. Both Lee and Alisa looked at him bewildered. "Yes, he already knows about the fact that he has a half-brother. I told him everything. Or perhaps more accurately, we all did" the Swedish man pointed out.
"Fine by me. I only hope that he doesn't plan on killing anyone. Although I wouldn't mind him putting Kazuya out of his misery" Lee admitted with a smirk forming at the end of his sentence.
"Kazuya's not the only foe we to worry about" Alisa suddenly insisted. "There's this cult leader who managed to defeat Master Wang…Revenant. He confronted Kazuya in the volcano's crater…...but I can't verify whether he's alive or not" the android expressed her concerns.
"He's most likely alive. I'm sure of it. We've managed to see his powers in action. Not to mention how he survived not just the volcano's eruption, but also being struck down by the Zaibatsu's satellite death ray. It's fair to say that this Revenant is alive and in hiding" Lars told his friends what his feeling was.
Lee nodded his head in agreement. "Agreed. The only question is….who is that man…and what's his story with the Mishimas? I just hope he's not another long-lost cousin or relative. That family already has too much drama going on, even with Heihachi gone" the business magnate expressed his annoyance.
All of a sudden, a cellphone rang. It was the one belonging to Alisa. Snatching it from one of the many pockets of her dress. Looking at the screen, she was surprised to see who it was that was calling her. It was one of her newest friends: Miharu Hirano. Putting it on speaker mode, Alisa decided to answer her.
"Hello, Miharu. How are you….." Alisa's trademark polite greeting was interrupted by the young girl on the other line.
"Alisa! Thank God, you answered! I really need your help! Like, so much right now!" the voice of the Japanese girl seemed so distraught.
This surprised Alisa, yet she did her best to calm her down. Both Lars and Lee wondered what this was all about, so they listened.
"What do you mean? What's going on?" the pinkette asked, feeling concerned for her friend.
"It's Xiaoyu and Asuka! I've been calling them all day and gotten no response from either of them! I visited the Kazama Dojo, yet they weren't there! They may have been kidnapped!" Miharu could be heard sobbing as she explained that.
Alisa's eyes widened. "Kidnapped? But how?" she was distraught.
"Me and Panda searched around Ebisuhigashi for any of them. She managed to track their scent, only to find out that it ended at a nearby road! That's why I think they're kidnapped! Panda's me right now, and she's devastated! Neither of us know what to do!" Miharu was still crying.
As Alisa struggled to find the right words in assuring Miharu, Lars and Lee had followed the conversation closely.
"She thinks they may have been kidnapped" Lee remarked, pondering about the potential suspects. "It may be too early to conclude, but we do know someone who has expressed an interest in getting to Jin by capturing "persons of interest". That Italian exorcist for example" he pointed out to his friends.
"Claudio Serafino….." Lars uttered out the name of this strange man. "But why would he even…damnit…...of course!" the Swedish man was now getting the picture.
Lee nodded. "Yes. It appears that he seeks to use those poor girls as bait to "lure out" Jin. That could prove quite problematic for our plans in ending this conflict" he revealed the details.
Alisa was still on her phone with Miharu. "Don't worry, Miharu. You and Panda should come over to Violet System's HQ. Me, Lars and Lee will find a way to reach Xiaoyu and Asuka" she told her friend before looking at the two men. "Won't we?" Alisa then asked them.
But the android could see the expression on their faces. It was clear to her that they both seemed more than willing to help Miharu. Lars even walked over stood close to Alisa, so that he could speak to the cellphone.
"Alisa speaks the truth. We will help you find them, Miharu Mirano. Please come over to Violet Systems this instant. We'll then discuss how to find your friends" the Swedish man informed the Japanese teenager through the line.
"R-really!?" Miharu could be heard sobbing through the phone. "Me and Panda will be right there! Oh my God, thank you guys so much for doing this! It means a lot to me and Panda!" the Japanese teenager was still in tears over the phone.
Lee chuckled out of amusement. "Don't mention it, young lady. Just get over here quickly and we'll explain who has taken those girls" he encouraged Miharu.
Ending the phone conversation, Alisa turned her attention to her friends.
"Since we will help Miharu. Does that mean we're gonna travel outside Japan?" she asked them.
For some reason, Lars let out a sigh, indicating that this was a difficult question for him to answer.
"Reluctantly, yes. Because we may also have to pick up Jin along the way. In the meantime, I will need to inform our allies in the UN" he answered her.
Inside the G Corporation HQ, Jakarta, Indonesia
It was busy outside the G Corporation's HQ in the Indonesian capital: Jakarta. Thousands of people, among them journalists, were demanding entry into the tall skyscraper, only to held back by security forces of the G Corp. Apparently, they all wanted some answers, or at least comments with regards to recent events.
It was understandable. With Heihachi Mishima dead, and the Mishima Zaibatsu leaderless, the international community was uncertain about whether the global war had ended or not. The United Nations had repeatedly tried sending delegations to each warring side, yet neither of them refused to accept the delegates. Needless to say, the entire world was in confusion about who to trust.
While it was chaos outside, the same thing couldn't be said inside the HQ. At the top floor, where Kazuya Mishima's office was located, powerful executives and leaders of the conglomerate were discussing important matters in a conference room. The couple leading this discussion were Kazuya's two closest associates: Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams. Among those VIPs sitting at the table were the G Corp's famous poster girl: the otaku named Lucky Chloe.
"Alright. Let's start this meeting by just cutting to the chase. We all know what we're here to discus, I suppose" Bruce began the meeting.
One of the executives raised their hands. "Yes. Much is at stake here. And there's a reason why we should worry" he said, making sure all eyes were on him. "Only two weeks ago, Heihachi Mishima was defeated. The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu is now dead. That leaves our enemies leaderless. And yet, the boss has not given us any order on what to do next!" he went on expressing his uneasiness.
"Precisely. What do we do? Is it time to lay down our weapons? Do we proceed our attacks against the Zaibatsu? If Mr. Mishima wants to do the latter, then we must strike now while they're still reeling from the loss of their leader" another executive chimed in.
It didn't take long before the rest of them started babbling, eventually starting an argument over what to do. Bruce shook his head, annoyed at their failed attempts to stop squabbling. This forced Anna to interject their discussion.
"At ease, gentlemen. This is not the time to be uncomfortable. You heard Kazuya, he has plenty of things to ponder on. Not to mention, he's also recovering from his fight against Heihachi" Anna made sure everyone got that clear.
"Then how much more days will it take before we get an answer? Does he need more days? Weeks? Months? Years?" an executive asked.
Bruce glanced back in disapproval of that man's question. "You folks should know better than to doubt Kazuya. After all, none of you sitting here would've had your jobs today if it weren't for his leadership, let alone his sacrifices" the muscular man reminded them.
The executive gulped. "I-I never said anything like t-that! Up until now, I've always had confidence in his leadership. And I'm absolutely positive that everyone here feels the same way" he reassured Bruce, not wanting to draw his ire. "All that we're asking for is some clarity on this issue. That's all we need to dampen our concerns" he explained and everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well, we're just gonna have to wait. Mind you, Kazuya's not even willing to talk to us, his most trusted associates" Anna pointed out. The Irishwoman turned her attention towards the board between her and Bruce. "In the meantime, why don't we turn our attention towards something else, like for example…" Anna was interrupted in her explanation by Lucky Chloe.
The young otaku was starting to sing, let alone move her head up and down, as if she was listening to a beat. This only confirmed to those around her that Chloe had not been paying attention to the discussion so far.
"Haikei imawashiki kako ni tsugu zetsuen no shi!" Chloe started singing the refrain of a J-pop song.
But she was in for a surprise when she felt her headphones getting snatched. The young girl noticed it once she couldn't hear the music anymore.
"What the…who turned off the…" Chloe realized that her headphones were not on her. She immediately turned around and saw Bruce holding them. "Hey! What's the big idea, Bruce!? I was just in the middle of the chorus! Give me back my headphones!" she snapped.
"Not a chance! We're in the middle of a serious meeting here, so you're not gonna goof off with your lame-ass music again!" Bruce sternly replied.
This made Chloe furious. "Don't you dare insult J-pop, old-timer! I do what I want, so give those back!" she insulted Bruce's age.
Before Bruce could respond to Chloe's jibe, the door to the conference room suddenly slammed open. Everyone turned their attention to what appeared to be a security guard. From the looks of it, he had been running.
"What is the meaning of this interruption? Can't you see we're in the middle of something here?" Anna disapprovingly asked this man while crossing her arms.
As soon as the man had caught his breath, he looked up to face everyone. "Excuse my insolence…but I bring orders from the boss himself…he wants all of you in his office…now!" the security guard told them.
This brought gasps amongst the executives, while Bruce, Anna and Chloe were stunned. After two weeks, they would finally know Kazuya's answer.
"Impossible…after all these days…he's finally…." Anna stammered.
"Then we best not keep Kazuya waiting" Bruce said, facing all the executives. "Alright, men! You heard the boss' orders. In his office, now!" his commands were clear enough for all of them to hear.
Chloe, who had managed to snatch back her headphones from Bruce, couldn't help but to wonder what the G Corp's next move was.
"Geez. I really hope this wait has been worth it. I've been tired of getting stuck inside this stupid building! I've got fans I wanna meet!" Chloe complained, accompanying the others to her boss' office.
While the large crowd of executives were making their way to the office, Kazuya was currently watching the view of Jakarta from the window. It was amazing, yet Kazuya didn't seem to be doing this because of the view. He was in deep thought. Many things had changed the Japanese man ever since he defeated his father in an intense battle on Hawaii. While fighting Heihachi, Kazuya had learned some uncomfortable truths…...as well as some satisfying realizations.
Watching the view, Kazuya eventually closed his eyes, thinking about a certain person he had secretly loved in the past. And yes, it was not his late mother: Kazumi Mishima. Since learning the truth, Kazuya's affinity for Kazumi had gradually waned. Rather, the woman he was thinking of was someone much more mysterious.
"I know you're still out there somewhere. And now that I've finally severed my ties to the past…seeing you is the only thing I truly desire most…." Kazuya thought, his feeling bearing a hint of sadness.
Even though there was much noise from his subordinates entering the office, Kazuya's attention remained on the distance. It was as if he did not hear them. Still, the Mishima would not face them all just yet.
"I know for a fact that you're not dead. Because unlike Jin, I know you to be stronger than you appear to be. Yet even to this day, you have refused to show yourself before me. No matter. That is why I will force you out of hiding. Just like before…..." Kazuya said, a slight smirk forming on his lips.
After much consideration, Kazuya returned to his seat and faced all his subordinates in his office. His expression was still that of his usual self.
"I am glad you all could come. First, I would like to apologize for keeping you all waiting for my answer. There was much that I needed to consider with regards to the G Corporation's future" Kazuya started talking.
"That sounds very sweet of you, Kazuya" Anna said coyly. "But try not to scare us like that next time, okay?" she added, only to be nudged gently by Bruce.
"We've all been waiting to hear it, Kazuya. What are your orders?" Bruce asked Kazuya.
Before answering it, Kazuya closed his eyes, smirking as he thought about the woman he so desperately wanted to see again. There was no mistake that this plan would lure this person straight to him.
"After much consideration, I have come to a final decision" Kazuya spoke, opening his eyes to make sure he looked at everyone when he made this announcement. Standing up from his chair, he made the shocking declaration. "We raise hell on earth, by eliminating our enemies, as well as all those who would dare defy us!" he loudly declared in front of everyone.
To be continued…