This chapter and the next one were others that I was looking forward to write for reasons that will become clear to you very soon, soooo...enjoy.
GRIFFITH PARK
In an isolated bench mercifully covered by trees, Iori was finally enjoying some well-deserved leisure time with the sole company of his cigarette pack...or at least deserved in his eyes. While the passerby were out and about left and right making all sorts of noises, some with their smelly pets in toe, Yagami's mind was fixated on the conspiracy crap he was pulled into against his will. Aside from the fact this isn't even the first time it happened, Iori was selfishly wondering...why? Why KOF must always be the veil for some sneering asshole's plot of conquering the world, threaten the very fabric of reality, or whatever bullshit? He just wanted to settle the score with Kyo, but there's always gotta be something delaying his life goal. Hell, he's even gotta cooperate with the guy, for fuck's sake, again. The more he mulled about it, the faster his headaches were returning, so better focus on smoking.
To be fair, the townsfolk seemed to be getting quieter now, praise the lord. For once, Iori could afford a little smile, grateful that the background noise was giving him a little reprieve. Come to think of it, he wasn't even hearing the unbearable barking of dogs anymore...or the birds chirping...nor the sound of mosquitoes buzzing around...not a sign of life as far as the eye could see. By that point, Iori could guess something fucked up was going on; He may not have the greatest spatial awareness in the world, but Yagami was confident there were lots of people going about their business around him. He smushed the cigarette on the bench and stood up to take a look around, only to see the exact same thing in every direction, blades of grass and tress moved by the wind, devoid of anything else.
"Don't bother, wielder of the Magatama. I made sure nothing and no one could distract us."
Hearing that, Iori turned around violently already taking combat position. On the bench he was just sitting on, Ron appeared perfectly composed in spite of the hostility directed his way.
"Let me assure you, I came bearing no malicious intentions-"
"Give me one good reason not to set you on fire right where you are!" Iori wasn't falling for what he perceived to be fake-courteous bullcrap.
"Is this about the overzealousness of my subordinates? They always take their devotion a bit too far." Ron sighed.
"Yeah, I sure saw that "devotion" when they were trying to kill me. Forgot that little detail?"
"Please Yagami..." He raised his hands in the air, showing his peaceful approach as genuine. "I merely want to put forward an offer that could be immensely beneficial to us both."
"Spare your breath, I already went through this song and dance with your asskissers." He claimed, while admittedly snuffing out the purple flame his hand was holding." I'm not joining your fanclub and that is final, got that? As a matter of fact, I'm going back to the Dodger to tell Kusanagi and Chizuru about this."
"Really? After all the help I gave you without asking anything in return?" Iori was in the middle of leaving, but that garbage remark pissed him off enough to make him change his mind.
"What the fuck does that mean? I don't even know you. You can't string random words together and hope they mean something."
"It pains me to say that's where you are mistaken, Yagami." Ron started circling almost whimsically around Iori. "You mean to tell me you never wondered why your nightmares were are not as frequent lately?"
"W-what? How do you know-"
"Why the Orochi presence in this world was drastically weaker all of a sudden? So much so that the Hakkeshu's heads of light and darkness paid us a visit to change the course of chi back in their favor."
Iori started to genuinely sweat cold. "You don't mean..."
"Indeed. What were their names again? They screamed it at each other a few times while departing from this mortal plane...Mature and Vice, was it?" The New Hizoku's leader then started slowly walking towards the terrified Iori.
"So as you can see, I think I've improved your day-to day life by quite a lot."
"A-and what, you think I owe you or something?" Yagami tried to remain his usual attitude while unconsciously backing away in fear.
"You can be honest with me, Magatama. When the chains strangling your neck loosened up, it felt so...reinvigorating, didn't it? You got to the point when you simply resigned yourself to the fate of a "cursed child of Orochi", but now? That gutless snake is no more; It won't take long before his presence abandons this world completely." At this point, Ron was uncomfortably close from Iori, putting his grey hands on his shoulders like a loving parent. "Your tormented existence will soon be a distant memory, Iori. The chance of a normal life is finally within your reach."
"I've had it with you psychos trying to pick me apart! YOU DON'T KNOW THE FIRST GODDAMN THING ABOUT ME, GOT THAT?"
"The Devas said much the same...but I must disagree again." In seconds, Ron's red pupils turned into a bright, otherworldly light blue. "For I can see all of your true desires, no matter how much in denial you are."
Iori felt his very soul getting pierced by the light emanated by Ron's eyes. He wanted to slash him so hard, but his body outright refused the input the brain was sending. His eyelids closed involuntarily, reopening only a few moments later when that freak disappeared without a trace, leaving only the echo of his voice.
"There's a whole tournament ahead of us, which means plenty of time to reflect on what your future will be. Accept my offer and the killing order on your fellow Treasures will be cancelled. Consider it an incentive if you will, Iori Yagami."
The Magatama's hand was still trembling from the experience. Fear was something Iori taught he expelled from his system a long time ago, but whatever magic Ron used to mess with his head, brought that feeling back with a vengeance. After slapping his own hand to stop it from shivering, Iori reaffirmed what he needed to do before that whole unwanted interruption.
"Shit...I have to go back to the stadium!"
SECOND BRACKET ROUND°1 FIGHT #8: BENIMARU NIKAIDO VS JOE HIGASHI
There's been some highs and lows in this stretch of the tournament, no doubt, but for the most part the public seems to have moved on from the mess caused by Yamazaki, now full intending to enjoy the rest of New Horizon without worries. With the two last contenders of the second bracket in position, Clemence was ready to proceed once more with the ritual presentations.
"Finally, it's time to find out who will be the sixteenth fighter worthy of advancing to the second round, in a contest of peerless combat grace and ridiculous haircuts." He proclaimed in obvious jealousy. "In one corner, Japan's favourite ladies-man, Benimaru Nikaido. In the other, the Muay Thai genius from South Town, Joe Higashi. Start placing your bets, ladies and gentleman."
The female demographic was already showing its full appreciation for their lovable playboy, which made Joe roll his eyes in impatience.
"Don't beat yourself up, crocodile boy. No amount of plastic surgery will ever beat the grace of Mother Nature herself." Nikaido boasted.
"Christ, good thing I'm the one full of myself. Not sure if you noticed but this is KOF, not a fashion week."
"Luckily for you, 'cause your teammates all beat you in the beauty department by a country mile, especially the charming Mary."
"Keep running your mouth like that, blondie. You'll miss the sound of your own voice once I'm done busting my full arsenal."
"Another non-believer, I see. Have you forgotten that handsomeness equals strength? Or do I need to convert you as well?"
"...Alright, I'm just gonna ignore you now."
FIGHT!
Beni's tactic of riling up the opponent didn't have the desired effect, as Joe's flawless footwork suggested. In that case, the japanese simply opted for the evergreen KOF strategy of beating up the opponent until it loses consciousness. He went for a couple of up-and-down jabs to start, but Higashi deflect them all and answered with one of his vicious elbows, which only brushed on Beni's lustrous hair. After regaining some space, the playboy went for a straightforward Raijinken, the move hated by all taser manufacturers, but Joe swerved backwards to avoid that crippling attack. Seizing the opening left by that manoeuvrer, Higashi grabbed the opponent in a flash, trapping him in a classic Muay Thai clinch. He delivered two great knee strikes deep into Beni's abdomen, retreating to safety only when the latter threw a lightning charged backhanded fist in his direction. While certainly rattled, Nikaido spat on the ring and refocused his efforts on a counter-strategy.
Realizing just how much of a problem those engines were going to be, the japanese kicked low in the hope of ruining his game plan, but Joe's right shin checked it with remarkable ease. With the same leg, the South Towner tried for a side-kick, quick enough that Beni was forced to parry it with his elbows, not absorbing a whole lot of impact in the process. Not in the mood for any more of his shots, Beni used his one free arm to throw a half-assed hook towards Joe's pectorals, and while it managed to push him away for the moment, it was nothing more than a wasp sting for the Muay Thai master.
"It's pretty even so far, people, although Joe seemed to be conducting the dance there for a second. Both fighters want to keep things simple for now, wearing the opponent down and keeping their big guns in the reserve." Clemence analyzed.
Higashi continued to press on with his typical ardor, going for an overhead kick that missed by a centimeter, followed by a second elbow, which found its target. Beni stumbled for crucial seconds, giving Joe enough security to come forward with a Slash Kick. The playboy rolled into the ground unable to think of an alternative, barely avoiding getting cleaved in two by the Nak Muay, who was now a good six meters away from him. Staying on the defensive was getting tiresome so Benimaru, unsure if he could continue to block and avoid Joe's attacks effectively at this point, decided to take initiative.
With a taunting gesture, Beni provoked his opponent into coming to blows face-to-face, to which Joe took bait, more than happy to take him down a peg. First with a low straight kick, carelessly parried by Beni, then a diagonal one directed at his head, but Joe calculated badly the distance and the attack went nowhere. With Higashi still not having realigned his feet properly, Nikaido decided to risk it and flicked a rapid jab at his temple, nailing him perfectly. Shooting off a couple more, the second one landed as well, but the third was not only blocked, Benimaru's hand was grabbed in mid-motion. The South Towner saw the perfect opportunity to end it here with some more of his destructive knee strikes, but Beni acted slightly faster than him. While he managed to zap the everloving shit out of him, a knee still arrived in his stomach, what he deserves for getting way too eager in his plan to seriously damage the Nak Muay.
Greeted by the white floor beneath them, both fighters went on their feet as quick as they were able, with Higashi being first in that regard. He went for two horizontal elbows in quick succession, with Beni having little choice but to block them with his already worned out elbows. In an attempt to catch him off-guard, Nikaido launched a Raijinken and slammed it into the ring, the light generated blinding the South Towner long enough for Beni to spring back and land his peculiar 3-hit combo, the Handou Sandan Geri, onto the unsuspecting Higashi. The audience was at the edge of their seats from such a spectacular comeback.
"Finally, that's the stuff! Return the favor and corner him now!" Kyo exclaimed.
Half-paralyzed as he was, like hell Joe was gonna sit there and take it, going for a high knee despite the strain to his whole body. Beni curved his head to the right and hammered him with a charged-up haymaker to keep the current going. After literally and figuratively making him bow, Nikaido added another two on the collection, each one with the weight of an iron mallet. Getting more stunned by the second, Higashi tried to step back in retreat, but Beni wasn't having any of it. Coming forward with a Jacknife kick, he nailed the South Towner right on the chin, open for a brutal gut-punch that perforated Joe with all his residue chi, the crackling lightnings passing through his stomach in all their glory. With no fight left in him, Joe dropped to his knees in front of his opponent, who pushed him on the forehead with his index finger, making him fall to the ground in a model-like fashion, declaring him the undisputed victor.
WINNER: BENIMARU NIKAIDO
This was exactly the kind of intensity the KOF universe expected for the temporary end of a bracket, applauding both contestants for the show they put on. Before helping the defeated Nak Muay, Beni lifted his ear to listen perfectly to the cheer of the audience and more importantly, the chant of his name.
"I gather you're convinced now?" Beni asked as he finally landed a hand.
"Bah, screw that beauty noise. I only care about the fact you've beaten me fair and square, though losing so early still sucks hard. I really need to step up my game for the next KOF."
Nikaido was about to lift his opponent's arm in respect, but when the cheers from the audience turned into screams of terror, he stopped dead in his tracks. The cause of it was approaching fast from outside the ring, brutally dispatching the security team there to stop anyone who would intrude the white circle. A red-haired, bespectacled girl with hatred written in her eyes was marching unabating towards Benimaru and not with any pleasant intent. Even someone not particularly bright as Higashi could guess she was about to unleash hell.
"Hey, you maniac! What the hell do you think-"
Without a word, Lyzer grabbed Joe's head and fried it with her own version of the Benimaru Collider. Red lightnings enveloped his head, leaving him catatonic long enough that he didn't even register being thrown out into the distance. The only Wild Wolf remaining, Terry, ran up to him immediately, relived in the fact there was still pulse. Benimaru was speechless to say the least and the stadium was thrown into a massive panic.
"Relax, I didn't kill any of them and I don't plan to...unless you force me, of course." The girl coldly explained, before addressing the entire audience. "All of you better turn back right the fuck now! I can send an electrical charge that will spread among the stands, causing cardiac arrest to anyone I want to from down here! You want a first-row view of a massacre?! I think not, so plant your asses back onto your seats AND WATCH THE GODDAMN SHOW!"
Tearful yells joined in when that sentence ended, with the audience who capitulated to her demands. After all, who would have the guts to test her claim with the treat of death as the price? Still in complete shock, Benimaru could only utter one simple question.
"Who are you?"
"I'm your creation, you selfish fuck!"
NEXT TIME: The tournament has been hijacked! This is the moment Lyzer looked forward to as far as she can remember and Benimaru will have to confront her in order to protect the people of the Dodger Stadium.