Hello my friends! Feels like it's been forever. Nearly three weeks! Gah, I am slowing down more and more. The fatigue of the endgame is just eating away at me.
Before we continue, a quick note: as a reminder, if you want to read the conclusion to the Kasumi Arc, then go check out "Tales from the Twilight Tournament: Family Matters". Robertcop3 gets full credit for that, and I cannot thank him enough for his help. If you're reading this buddy, I am indebted to you!
Secondly, I'm sure you're all wondering on an estimated amount that this damn fic has left lol. Well, I'll go ahead and give you an idea: after the big battle, there's a few more little wind-down chapters, then you will have your two semifinal bouts. In two chapters tops, you will know who the final two is. But for the time being, we still have a little bit to trudge through before the final day of the tournament. Thank you all for your patience!
A lot happens in this chapter, so buckle up.
A good distance away from the action, the orchestrators of this decisive battle stood, watched, observed... the current strength levels, the individual fighters and their injuries, morale, numbers... all these factors and variables, calculated to judge whether this would be a success or not.
Shion and Botan had their own personal desires for the outcome. Botan wanted to win without lifting a finger. Shion secretly wanted their numbers to go down, so he could thrust his spear into the fray.
Up above, Eiji Kisaragi provided a top-down view of the battle, as well as a vantage point to jump in, should their forces happen to break through- to Botan in particular. The man had, against his will, fallen into the role as her personal protector. He was her first... the first man she took over here, in Munich, Germany.
"I see some new faces." Botan spoke, breaking the silence. "Seems we're not the only ones gunning for the Bernsteins."
"Who they are doesn't really matter." Shion dismissed. "They all serve the same end."
"No need to be so short with me. What's the matter? Itchy spear arm?"
Shion's weapon trembled in his hands. "I want to get in there so bad... I can't stomach the thought of letting my loss to Adelheid stand."
Botan chuckled. "Your priorities are all messed up. Avenging a loss? What do you care about more: fulfilling our mission, or your own ego?"
"It's called my pride as a warrior! Something your kind, who never dirties your hands, wouldn't understand!" Shion started to get a little snappy.
Shroom, who was standing a few yards back, looked over at Rimelo. He rolled his eyes.
Botan, not in the mood to get into a measuring contest, instead shifted the nature of their irritation.
"...Why does that guy not move?"
Shion's attention turned to the distance... towards the samurai Genjuro, who had yet to draw his sword from his scabbard. As the fists flew, he continued to stand there... watching... waiting... for what? Who knew?
"Maybe if I sneak up on him, I could..." Botan toyed with the idea...
Shion laughed aloud. "Ha ha ha haaa! Forget it. He'd cut you down before you got within 20 feet of him. Again, your ignorance of warriors shines. I can smell the air around that guy from here... I know what he's capable of without even seeing him swing his sword. So you just go on over there, and try your trickery. I'd love to see how it turns out."
"You're an asshole, Shion." Botan spoke with disgusted eyes. "Just shut up and watch the battle. Or better yet, go running in there with them and meet a grisly fate. I'll be there to laugh at your blood-stained corpse."
"You just ooze charisma, Botan."
Shroom and Rimelo shook their heads.
"Watch it! Two high speed contacts, moving in!" Ralf screamed, pointing.
Jyazu remained still, while Gozu and Mezu sprinted into the fray, rushing past all the bodies, fixated on a singular target...
"BROTHER!" Rose squealed.
Everyone in the vicinity heard her voice... and they all turned to her at once.
"That's her!" Earthquake exclaimed. "The Bernstein sister!"
"Hyeh hyeh hyeh hyehhhhh! Ohhh her blood will be FUN to spill~" Shikyoh moaned.
...But the two lost their chance, as Raiga stepped forth and shoved them both aside. "I'm going to collect my bounty right here, right now! DIE, SHE-DEVIL!"
Vanessa groaned. "Ugh, freaking idiot! She just gave away her position to everyone in the square!"
Raiga gathered speed until he was full-on sprinting, his hand already clutching the back of his belt, to draw his giant carving knife from its sheath.
"We'll stop him here!" Nakoruru shouted.
"Right!" Iroha agreed, as the two formed a defensive line, their weapons held against their bodies in defense.
Raiga didn't stop. His eyes glowed blue, as lightning crackled from the sky, crashing down on his blade and infusing him with electrical power. He drew his arm back and hurled the blade, brimming with electrical might, directly at the two ladies. As valiantly as they tried to hold their ground, the knife slammed into Iroha's blades with such force, combined with the supercharged aura... the resulting shockwave blew them both aside, easily.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" they screamed in unison as they hit the ground.
The knife was sent backwards, landing on the ground, and Raiga ran directly past it, able to scoop it up mid-run. His eyes fixated back on a startled Rose, and he went airborne, to deliver the killing blow...
"DIE!"
Rose recoiled in terror... but just as the blade came down on her, she felt a massive weight smother her. It was Silber, who threw himself in front, his back to the assassin... he felt the blade slice across his flesh, and his teeth gnashed in pain...
"S-Silber!' Rose squeaked. "Y-you saved me... you saved me... you really care about me!"
...Upon saving her, Silber abruptly shoved her aside. "Shut up and move! You're not dying before I get paid!"
Adelheid breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing Silber had his sister's back, he was able to turn his attention to the red and blue killers, moving in fast... Jyazu seemed content to let his lackeys draw the first blood. That was fine with Adel; he could pick them off one at a time.
Mezu rushed ahead, a blade extending from his left gauntlet, as he rushed in and tried to take the first swipe; Adel sidestepped and kicked him aside with a left roundhouse, but Gozu was right behind! Adel didn't have time to return to posture, so he kept spinning, and came around with a back kick, that struck Gozu's midsection. Gozu went backwards... but before he could go down, his blade shot from his gauntlet and acted as a crutch to stop his fall, and he used that to spring himself back forward and into Adel's face.
Adel dipped his head and dodged a big swipe, taking advantage of Gozu's over-extend, and countered with a knee to the body. Gozu staggered, but he came back across with a wide backhand, which Adelheid swayed to dodge... but Adel was wary of that other hand, which came around, and, sure enough... a blade sprang from that wrist as well.
Adel caught the arm mid-motion, stopping the blade from reaching him, but he cut his eyes and saw Mezu closing back in. He quickly extended his knee, more as a roadblock, to stop Mezu from getting close enough... the end result was Adel sandwiched between both the red and blue killers, their blades mere inches from piercing him.
Even from this short range, Adel was able to generate enough power to kick Mezu in the stomach, then knee Gozu in the same place. As the two backed away in pain, Adel had more leg freedom to properly kick Mezu in the chest, dropping him... and he brought that same leg around and hit Gozu with a roundhouse to the face.
The two assassins downed, Adel turned back around and locked eyes with Jyazu... who merely stood there, still not moving.
...And then, as if life finally sparked in his eyes, Jyazu rose to his feet and began to slowly approach Adelheid. He walked with measured, unhurried steps... as he closed in, he casually extended his fist to the left, knocking Shikyoh to the ground, despite the man technically being on his side.
Once all obstacles were cleared between the two, Jyazu finally went into full sprint, his golden talons springing from his wrist gauntlets, brighter and more brilliant than the silver ones held by his two underlings. He went airborne, curling into a spinnig ball of death, and rocketed towards Adelheid!
Adelheid wisely dodged it, but Jyazu was able to control his descent and he landed right behind his target. Retracting his blades, Jyazu spun around and tried to land the first hit, but Adelheid blocked his left, and Jyazu drove a right towards his face. Adelheid's arm crossed over the blow, halting it from reaching his face...
...But he quickly realized he was staring down the wrist gauntlet, where the blades sprang from. With a curse, Adel bobbed his head JUST before losing it, as the blades shot out right where his head once resided. Surprise on his side, Jyazu took advantage and buckled Adel with a fierce leg kick, before nailing him in the chin with a knifehand. Adel stumbled back, just in range of Jyazu's talons, and the assassin spun around with a huge swing to try and end it right there. Adel ducked it, and he came forward, throwing rapid body kicks to try and back Jyazu up. After three successive ones, Adelheid spun around with a right back kick, aimed at Jyazu's head. Jyazu ducked it, retracted his right blades, and came forward with a body kick, setting up a spinning backhanded left...
...Adel felt his wrist cross his arm again, and he knew Jyazu was going to try that same move. Bobbing his head just in time, the blades SPRANG out, just enough that Adel could feel it touch his cheek...
...But Jyazu still had that right arm, and sure enough, the blades shot back out and he tried to finish the Bernstein boy right then and there with a wide slash. Adelheid desperately backflipped and launched a Reppuken... but as the ground projectile sailed towards Jyazu, the crow demon merely laughed, dipped his blade low, and slashed it away.
"HYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Adel shot forward to land the killing blow, his patented G Cross!
...but he hit nothing but a puff of smoke.
FLUTTER!
Adelheid looked up, and cursed; the black crow took to the sky, well out of range, before poofing once again, returning Jyazu to mortal form... and the man was content to rest on the rooftop.
"COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT, COWARD!" Adelheid called him out.
Jyazu just folded his arms, tauntingly.
On other fronts, the battle had taken an interesting turn. At least four of the baddies had gone down, and the numbers would have been starting to even out, if not for Jyazu's intervention. Despite this, the battles seemed to be getting... easier.
Basara swung wide at Vanessa, shuriken in hand, but as he spun around, his hand slipped to the chain and let the shuriken fly out, to try and nail her the second time. Vanessa barely dodged it, and she pieced him up with a body punch, left to the head, a second body punch, uppercut... before finally cocking her fist back, winding it up... and letting it fly across his cheek, sending spit from his lips as he was laid out.
Ryofu also appeared to be running at her... but for whatever reason, his eyes weren't even on Vanessa. The redhead took advantage of his distraction and nailed him with a drive-by body shot, sending him forward in a pained stumble... finally, Ramon met him head-on with a massive clothesline, laying him out flat.
"Is it just me, or do these guys seem distracted?" Ramon inquired.
"Yeah..." Vanessa turned around, looking at their rear line... and suddenly, she realized.
Silber was close to surrounded, but he was taking on all comers. None of them could stand in front of him: Shikyoh, Raiga, Jack, Genan... he was swatting them away like flies.
Meanwhile, Rose was standing behind him, laughing all the way. "Ohohohohohohoho! Come one, come all, freaks! Come and try to take a hair from my head! My ruggedly dashing and hunky Silber will break you all like little match sticks~"
"...I get it now." Vanessa analyzed. "Rose isn't so dumb after all... she's a bright, pretty light, leading them all to her like evening bugs. She's taking the heat off the rest of us."
Shikyoh flew at Hein, his tongue flailing, as he prepared for the kill... Hein didn't even move, simply adjusting his glasses and then easily sidestepping as Shikyoh's slash missed. Hein extended a hand to the back of his head, SLAMMING his face into the concrete... that same hellish red aura coursed into Shikyoh's body, and exploded with a burst of chi energy.
"Smart move, Queen Bitch. Smart move." Mary gave the occasional compliment.
Silber stepped forward, pumping a left kick, then a right kick into Raiga's thick body. Raiga took the first one, but was able to parry the second and come forward with a slash. Silber rolled with his kick and spun around into a perfect parry, catching Raiga's wrist before the knife could ever reach him.
"Heh!" Silber gruffly taunted as he bent the arm sideways, drew back his free hand, and blasted Raiga's ribs with a palm. As Raiga hunched over, Silber used that same hand and chopped him to the face. The force of the blow was so immense, Raiga's body did a near flip in mid air before he was laid out on his back.
"KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEEEEE!" Genan gave a piercing cackle as he flew at Silber, claw ready to slash!
...Silber, with the most casual demeanor, extended his palm and caught the little gremlin by the face, like a high school jock bullying a smaller kid. Genan yelled and whined, flailing around in his grip... and Silber slammed the green creature to the ground.
Silber's eye glowed an ominous red, as a dust cloud kicked up at his feet and he went airborne... Genan rolled over, just in time for his face to twist to a fear like he had NEVER felt before.
"Kekeke...kaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Silber came down on him like a falling mortar, his Ultimate Heel Drop so destructive in might, it produced a dust explosion that seemed to fill the entire square for a moment.
...When the dust finally cleared, Genan was like a squashed bug, limbs twitching, his body embroidered in the asphalt. Safe to say, he wasn't getting back up.
The prideful warrior rested his foot upon Genan's body, cackling, as he welcome anyone else.
"WHO ELSE WANTS SOME? HUH? ANYBODY! I'LL CRUSH YOU A...ahh... agghghhkkk...?!"
Silber felt the pain... but he couldn't even turn his head to confirm it. His body froze up, his joints locking in place, as if a signal to cease and desist was sent directly to his neural network.
Rose had a front row seat to it. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropping, hands cupping her cheeks in horror, as she witnessed the atrocity firsthand...
A figure, clad in black garb that contrasted his sickly skin. A long, black Chinese braid, still dangling from his swift attack. He turned his head to lock eyes with her... eyes that looked devoid of a mortal coil...
...Finally, he removed his fingers from where he had lodged them in Silber's side, his hand glowing with a sickening, yellowish-purple glow...
Silber hit the ground, falling on his knees first, his torso upright just long enough to see his shocked eyes... eyes that never thought he could be bested, let alone in one hit.
He hit the floor facefirst, unmoving.
Rose unleashed her anguish. "S... suuuhhh... SILBERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
Everyone else saw it too, and Ralf had the most appropriate first thoughts. "Oh great... we just lost our strongest guy."
Only one man in the area, who had witnessed this, carried deeper thoughts than the rest. That man was currently engaged with Lien, and luckily for him, the momentary distraction had caused both of them to look over and see.
Seth screamed his name. "L...LIN! What the hell are you doing?!"
Lin didn't acknowledge, instead turning to face the only other two people guarding the shaking target: Hein and Hyena.
"Hahhh... AHHHHH!" Hyena shrieked, turning tail and running, leaving Hein as her lone guardian.
Hein adjusted his glasses. "Miss Rose, I suggest you- URRRGHHHHHHHHHhh?!"
But before Hein had a chance to get into fighting stance, two pairs of chains- belonging to Earthquake and Basara- bound his arms, leaving him defenseless!
Their combined strength was enough to haul Hein away from the area, leaving Rose completely alone... with Lin approaching, his hand raised, poised to kill.
"G-guh.. g-get away from me!" Rose desperately retreated backwards.
"Nothing personal, of course." Lin coldly addressed her. "But I do get the slightest joy taking the higher class down a notch."
Adelheid was running like a man possessed. Nothing in this world would dare hinder him at this moment: nothing, between his feet, and his sister.
"ROSE, HOLD ON! I'M COMING!"
...But he would never arrive in time. Before his feet could take the required steps, three ballistic projectiles impacted at his feet, at high speed.
"Nnf!" he swung around, looking up at the vantage point: it was Jyazu, who had fired from his gauntlet.
"Gozu! Mezu! You take the girl!" he ordered. "I'll deal with the prince once and for all."
A red and blue blur rushed past Adelheid, enough to jar the blonde man for a moment. He didn't have time to get his bearings and go after them; the moment he dared turn his attention away, he heard the fluttering of black crow wings approach fast. His only option was to defend his own life... and leave Rose in the hands of allies.
FLUTTER!
Jyazu landed on the ground, and all at once, his body returned to mortal form! He raised his gauntlet, firing three more spherical bullets; Adelheid ducked and weaved them, before activating his barrier to block a second flurry.
The two figures closed in, and Adel's rage knew no bounds. "YOU BASTARRRRRRRRRD!"
He threw a high kick, but it bounced off of Jyazu's shoulder, and the crow demon responded with a slash from his left talons. Adel barely bounced backwards in time, and he shot back forward, pumping leg kicks, but Jyazu's own legwork minimized the damage, and he rolled with it and spun around with a wide slash from his right claw. As Adel weaved back to dodge it.. Jyazu raised his left arm and continued firing bullets into the Bernstein boy. Adel had to activate his reflect barrier to protect himself...
...But as Jyazu distracted him with the left arm, his right arm dipped low, and his talons scraped across the asphalt, summoning a destructive purple chi that flew at Adelheid, blasting the boy backwards.
"ARrrhh!" Adel had taken his first real hit of the fight, sending his body sliding backwards, but not enough to take him off his feet.
"You're going to die, knowing your sister was just out of reach." Jyazu taunted. He approached slowly, pointing his talons to the distance. "Look at her... she's just over there. Almost within arm's reach. But you'll never get to her in time. Gozu and Mezu will cut her down, and once you've seen her bloody carcass painting the gray concrete... I'll free your own blood to finish the picture."
"SHUT UP!' Adel cursed, stepping forth. "If you don't get out of my way, so help me... I'll strow you all over this square!"
As Adelheid rushed him once again... a faint afterimage of Rugal slightly flashed around him, then abruptly faded.
Silber's defeat signified a change in the tides: suddenly, the heroes found themselves outnumbered, on their back feet, with enemy reinforcements tipping the scales, 14 to 10 (Hyena was essentially useless)
"EVERYBODY FALL BACK! REGROUP AND FORM UP ON ROSE!" Seth boomed orders best he could.
"What about Adel?!" Ramon questioned.
"Adel can handle himself." Mary assured, snatching Ramon by the arm. "The Queen Bitch is our bigger priority, love her or hate her!"
Rose's time was approaching FAST. She'd backed up all she could from Lin, until her back hit the wall of the very church she'd been hiding in. With no avenue of escape, she could do nothing but stand there... and say her last words.
"I'll make it quick." Lin gave her a small mercy, raising his fingers.
"Y-you... YOU CAN'T KILL ME!" Rose snarled. "I'm too young, beautiful, and... p-powerful! I'm not going to just sit here and die, like Silber! I'M TOO IMPORTANT!"
Silber, who didn't appreciate that one bit, grunted from his downed position. "Ugh, I'm not dead, you dumb cunt! I just can't move my limbs! He hit me with some kind of...poison!"
"His life means little to me." Lin overlooked him. "As for you... I'll hit you with something far more lethal."
Rose, despite fearful tears pooling, still fought back. "D-do your worst, coward!"
Lin drew his hand back to finish the job... but before he had a chance to swing, the timely intervention of Ralf stopped the assassination, as the Ikari Warrior ran into him, full speed, carrying him all the way into the nearest wall.
"RRRaaaaaaaaaaah! CLARK, SECURE HER!"
"Roger that!" Clark acknowledged, racing into Rose's vicinity and snatching the girl up like a victim trapped in a burning building.
"Hey!"
"Sorry, Miss Bernstein." Clark chuckled, running off with her.
"W-watch where you're touching me! Uncouth! Uncouth! My brother will destroy you for laying hands on me!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Nakoruru and Iroha valiantly took the front guard, but were quickly bogged down by the relentless assault of Gozu and Mezu.
"I'll take the red one, you take the blue one!"
"Hai!" Iroha nodded.
With Jyazu and his two underlings preoccupied, the only immediate threat to Rose was Lin... though Ralf and Clark tried their best to subdue him, the results were unfavorable.
"Hyah hyah HYAAH!" Ralf tried to come forward with his classic 1-2, spinning uppercut... Lin easily backpedaled out of range, and thrust his left hand into Ralf's ribcage, followed by the right, his fingers outstretched for maximum pierce... with Ralf hunched over in pain, Lin jabbed his fingers into Ralf's throat. The Ikari warrior let out a sharp gurgle as he seized up, making him all-too easy to drop with a well-placed kick.
Clark plowed into Lin from behind, putting him in a chokehold... Lin managed to get his hands behind Clark's head, and pull his face down just enough... to demonstrate his flexibility, as he brought his own foot up as high as his forehead, clocking Clark in the face and sending him backwards.
Lin folllowed up by lashing his Chinese braid, the rope-like black hair coiling around Clark's ankle. With a jerk of his head, he snatched Clark towards him... and laid him out with a palm to the face.
"God dammit Lin..." Seth watched on with a mixture of ire and betrayal. He quickly remembered, however, that he was already in a fight... as a well-placed punch to the jaw from Lien snapped him back to reality.
"Take your eyes off me, and you'll never see anything again." Lien Neville cruelly reminded him.
Seth massaged his jaw, before getting back into stance. "I don't have time to play with you anymore, Lien!"
The slightest, sadistic grin. "Then I'll quit toying around... and break your neck fast."
Lien rushed Seth. The latter put his hands up, preparing for defense... but the timely intervention of a redhead boxer stopped the battle before it ever rekindled, and Lien suddenly found herself on her back foot, reeling from a left hook. She dodged a right that came after, but a burst-fire of body shots backed her up even more.
"I've got her, partner!" Vanessa proclaimed, rushing into the fray. "You go and handle your man."
Seth did concerned double-take, but seeing Vanessa determined not to back down, he finally turned his head and ran off with parting words:
"Be careful."
"You too." Vanessa nodded. Seth fled the area, leaving just her... and her new opponent, who was all-too eager to spill new blood.
"Making things harder for yourself? What a masochist." Lien taunted. "I suggest you stick to drink to ease the misery of your mundane life... though if you want help dying, I suppose I can oblige."
Vanessa put up her dukes. "Don't even start with that cunt mouth of yours. Seth is a big softie compared to me; when I hit you, you'll hit the ground for good."
Lien's gauntlet glowed green. "Come try me, and see what little your puncher's chance is worth."
Vanessa lunged in with a deep left body hook, dropping Lien's arms low, so she couldn't defend the right hook across her face. Lien took it and stumbled, but she rolled with the impact and spun around with a straight-fingered chop, which Vanessa barely blocked. It sent her backwards, and Lien backed her up more with two high kicks, alternating left and right. She had Vanessa guessing, and then she powered forward with a energy-fueled blow from her gauntlet. Vanessa weaved and crashed her body against Lien's, then began raining short punches into her ribcage, backing her up with dirty boxing until Lien's back hit the nearest wall, and Lien spun her around.
"HYAH!" Lien swung her energy-fueled gauntlet... Vanessa dodged it, and Lien hit the solid foundation of the wall... sending pieces of concrete flying in large chunks.
Meanwhile, Seth was making his way over to Hizoku assassin Lin's position. Ralf and Clark were still trying to keep him at bay... but it was a struggle, as Lin's fighting style was too slick and precise for their brutish tactics.
Lin threw a repelling body kick to Ralf's stomach, and he swung around, his braid twirling and smacking Clark in the nose. It jarred him just enough for Lin to thrust his fingers into Clark's stomach, hunching the grappler over, and Lin brought that same hand up to stun him with chop to the neck. Lin put him down the rest of the way with a right roundhouse to the cheek.
"LIN! STAND DOWN!" Seth barked.
Ralf stumbled over to Lin... putting up his fists, he angrily bull rushed in, swinging hooks, and Lin easily dodged them and buried a foot into Ralf's gut, before spinning around and going airborne with a tornado kick that laid him out.
Lin raised his hand, to bring it down on Ralf... but before the hand reached its destination, Seth jumped in, catching him at the wrist.
"I SAID STAND THE F*** DOWN!"
These two former teammates locked eyes, for the first time in a long time... a stalemate was immediately produced, as both were fueled by an ambition that wouldn't permit them to back down.
"I don't take orders from you, Seth!" Lin retorted. "As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing to me but a passing face! If you get in my way, I'll kill you too!"
Seth muscled his way between Lin and the fallen Ikari Warriors, shoving the Hizoku assassin backwards. "What's gotten into you?! What happened to the guy that teamed up with me to take down Ron?"
Lin's face grew fierce. "You don't have the right to even speak about Ron! Where were you, when I gave up my livelihood, everything I cared about, to pursue him? Huh?! I've sacrificed more for the mission than you ever had the balls to!"
Seth stepped forth, standing his ground. "I had to take a break from it, Lin! I couldn't waste my entire life chasing after the man! I have a wife and kid, for god's sake!"
Lin didn't back down either. "And you think I don't have people I cared about? People I called family? I left it all behind! I threw it all away... because I understood the gravity of what needed to be done."
"It's not my fault you let your lust for vengeance consume your life." Seth admonished. "You made a choice. So did I. I chose to walk away from the Ron assignment... because I needed to keep on living. Not just for ME... for the people who care about me. I'm sure the people you left behind feel the same way about you."
Lin shook his head. "It's... too late for me. I've already burned all my bridges."
Finally, the words ceased, as the Hizoku assassin got into stance. "Enough talk, Seth. I need this money. I'll give no quarter, even for you."
Seth straightened his purple tie... then got into his own stance. "I have no choice but to do the same."
The two former teammates rushed each other, in a grudge match that was a long time coming.
On every front, the heroes were bogged down. Nakoruru and Iroha were going two-on-two with Gozu and Mezu. Vanessa was keeping Lien at bay, while Seth attempted to stop Lin. Ralf and Clark were temporarily down. Adelheid was locked in a fierce battle with Jyazu. Hein was currently incapacitated, as both Earthquake and Basara had bound his arms with chains. Lastly, Hyena was cowering in the corner with Rose, who was at least trying to look brave.
Mary and Ramon, the only two left to hold the line, were being backed up, surrounded by all sides. On the far right, Joker was readying his hammer. Beside him, Ryofu has his spear brandished, and Jack the Ripper was licking his claws. On the far left, Sokaku Mochizuki had his ring staff at the ready. For the first time in the battle, the heroes were truly starting to feel outnumbered.
"Well chica... looks like we're all that's left." Ramon unfortunately proclaimed, his back against Mary's, hands at the ready.
"Guess we'll split em evenly." Mary responded. "You sure you can handle one?"
Ramon cut eyes at her... as she flashed a smug grin. "Ha ha, you should quit this line of work and do routines on Comedy Central."
The harmless banter passed quickly, as Ramon started to turn his attention back to the enemy... but he saw Mary's face wince in pain, and her leg start to buckle.
"M-Mary! You okay?"
Mary grit her teeth and put weight back on the leg. "I'm fine... just my stupid leg..."
"You're bleeding, too!" Ramon pointed out several blotches of red, starting to seep through the cloth bandages on her body.
"Okay, so I pulled some stitches. I'm not exactly baking an apple pie in the kitchen right now."
Ramon groaned. "Dios, dame la fuerza... look, just hang back, okay? I'll take the brunt of em."
"Not gonna happen, my one-eyed amigo." Mary refused, showing her commitment by stepping forward.
Another groan. "I figured as such. Just don't push yourself, Mare. You're way too beautiful to be bloody and beaten."
Ryofu charged at Ramon, thrusting his spear; Ramon sidestepped, grabbed the Chinaman, and slung him away, like he was tossing him into ropes. Ramon was wise to check his 6, as he caught Joker coming in with a back elbow, and he spun back around to face forward, and threw a stomping kick to his pelvis, folding Joker over... and Ramon spun around once more, locking his arms around Joker's neck, and he took the clown to the ground with a "Twist of Fate". As soon as they hit the ground, Ramon smoothly rolled over, achieving a top mount on the clown, and he bashed his head in with a mean series of elbow strikes.
Jack (The Ripper) was swiping at Mary like a madman, cackling maniacally; Mary dodged the blows, and Jack mixed it up with a kick, presenting the hidden blade in his boot... Mary caught the leg, and she put Jack in a world of trouble, as she draped her leg over his, and took to the ground, putting the two of them into an alligator roll that ended with his leg trapped in a vicious kneebar.
If she had time, she would have broken the leg right there and then... unfortunately, Sokaku struck her in the back of the head with his staff, and a grimacing Mary was forced to let go and roll to her feet.
Sokaku whacked her in the stomach with the butt of his staff, and Mary nearly went down... but Sokaku made the mistake of raising the staff above his head and trying to come down on her with a telegraphed overhead swing. She caught the weapon easily, and rammed a knee into his groin. Sokaku was rendered defenseless in an instant, and she tucked his neck under her arms and flopped to the ground, locking her legs around his waist and torquing as hard as she could. In mere seconds, her guillotine choke rendered him unconscious.
Mary rolled back up, admiring her handiwork, as Sokaku was snoozing at her feet.
"MARY, SIX O CLOCK!"
Mary could feel it; a shadow creep behind her. She swung around...
...Everything went slow motion at once. She'd felt it behind her, and she felt her wounds flaring up... but she didn't understand why.
Now she did. Her eyes turned to face the opponent behind her, and she felt her world once again thrown into a realm of chaos, dissarray, peril... and fear.
Every detail was exactly in place, as it'd been left. Like he had never even left this square. Like he'd been standing here... waiting... for her to come back and finish what they'd started. Blood-stained white slacks. A hunching, heaving torso, over-clad in bandages and the tattered remains of a straightjacket. Arms, also bandaged.
His face was almost completely mummified, save for a single eye... that peered beyond the fibers of his long, red, hanging hair.
Mary's body began to shiver. She felt cold. She didn't know if it was the blood loss, or just sheer terror. Her lips quivered, as they slightly parted, just enough that she could attempt to utter his name...
"F...F...Freem...!"
Before she could finish the two syllables, he LEAPED at her, spinning around with a wide openhanded slash. She just barely sidestepped, and he spun around and swung at her a second time, a third time... she dodged the last hit, but lost her balance and fell on her butt.
Mary's eyes quivered with fear as his shadow loomed over... that one uncovered eye contiuned to chill her soul, as he drew his foot back, and punted her in the chest. Mary yelped, taking a violent tumble backwards, and only pure instinct compelled her back to her feet... but she felt her leg nearly give out. As soon as she saw his face... those wounds started screaming out, filling her head with memories that were still far-too raw.
Freeman thrust with open fingers, towards her thoat; Mary just barely dodged it, and seized his wrist. Controlling the arm, she let loose with screaming fury as she rained punches into his stomach, his face... she finished with a knee to the body, and she brought her foot low, kicking his leg out and dropping him to his knees. She bent his arm behind his back and tried to force him down the rest of the way...
Freeman showed no emotion, merely bringing his free hand up and nicking Mary across the cheek, his fingers easily cutting through the softer flesh. Mary cried out and let go, granting the killer freedom back to his feet, and he swung with brutal intentions, spinning his body like a propellor, trying to nail her with a backhanded swing, a spinning hook, and a backhand behind it.
Despite a quarter of her face caked in blood, Mary showed no hesitation. Freeman slowly stalked her in a circle, looking for an opening to make a move. Mary kept her hands high, and her stance loose, awaiting his first move for an appropriate counter.
Freeman lunged with a high stab, and Mary won the exchange with a kick to the stomach. Freeman recoiled, and she popped his jaw with a straight right, before coming across his cheek with a left hook. Freeman's body swayed, and she kicked him in the leg, dropping him to a knee.
Freeman tried to surprise her, with an underhanded stab, attempting to come up through her stomach and spill her intestines; Mary caught the powerful thrust before it could reach, and she tucked a forearm under his neck, forcing him backwards... their bodies stumbled back until Mary slammed him into the nearest wall, and she slammed a knee into his body. With nowhere to go, Freeman took the full brunt, and he doubled over. Mary tucked his head in her armpit... and took him for a ride, with a head-and-arm throw. The end result was Freeman flattened out on his stomach, Mary still in control of his arm.
Mary passed over and controlled the limb, flipping Freeman over onto his back. He tried to swing his free arm in defense, but Mary planted a knee on his hand, pinning it to the ground.
Vengeful eyes met his, and Mary grabbed his captured arm, and bent it at a right angle, up over his head, putting him in an Americana...
...And she screamed out everything that she had left in her, from days ago, and broke his arm where he lay.
CRAACKK!
Freeman was no longer putting up a fight. He was laying there, motionless... but Mary was not quitting. The fists started flying , crashing into his cheek, knocking his head sideways with each blow. She screamed and screamed, as her fists pounded him with such a vengeance, they nearly broke from finger to thumb.
"Mary! MARYYYYYYYYY!"
She finally snapped out of it when she heard Ramon yelling. She forgot...!
As quickly as she was trapped in this moment... so too did she snap out of it, as instinct to protect her friends fueled her body with a newfound adrenaline. Revenge could wait... she walked a different path. She saved and protected lives, before she ended them.
Ramon was in a predicament, as he was being cornered by Ryofu and Jack, and was running out of places to go. He tried to swing on Ryofu, but his fist hit the handle of Ryofu's spear, and the spearman kicked him to the ground. Ramon's situation worsened, as Ryofu went down on him, pressing the handle against Ramon's neck, not only strangulating him... but pinning him there, for Jack to come in and deliver the fatal blow.
Mary sprinted as fast as she could... but every step further agitated the thigh wound she had suffered with... until the pain eventually became unbearable, and she took her last step, falling yards away from where Ramon was trapped.
"Agghkkk.. sh...shit..!" Ramon choked out, as Ryofu held him there. "M...Mary...!"
Jack the Ripper was slowly approaching, licking his bladed claws... a chilling snicker echoed. "Hyeh hyeh hyeh hyehhhhhh... I love a bit o' Mexican!"
"R-Ramon! I..." Mary called out desperately, as she crawled towards him. "I... I can't make it!"
"RAMON! NO!" Vanessa tried to run out and help him, but Lien shut down that idea, as she kicked Vanessa in the back of the knee, and punched her in the head.
Ramon was effectively screwed. The luchador's life flashed before his eyes. He thought of all his accomplishments, his legacy, his regrets... his lack of closure with some things. Angel... above everything else, he wanted to save Angel. He wanted to make her feel like she had a life worth living, and someone who cared about her...
...Oh yeah, and he never got to live out his fantasy of him and Vanessa, naked in a poppy field... but that was a pipe dream anyway.
With a smile, Ramon closed his one eye, and accepted his fate. "Heh...they just had to kill the funny guy first."
Jack cackled, as he drew back his claws, and prepared to dig into Ramon's flesh!
"RAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!" Mary, Vanessa, and Seth screamed.
...Out of nowhere, two tiny, metal objects landed at Earthquake and Basara's feet.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two explosions burst, dropping the duo of chain-wielding killers like flies. Just like that, Hein's liberty of movement was restored.
Jack, distracted by the explosion, retracted his attack. "WOT THE 'ELL?!"
Everyone turned and looked, in all directions... until their eyes finally locked on to the presence of two unfamiliar figures...
Adelheid saw them, and he smiled.
Ralf and Clark saw them, and they grinned ear to ear, meeting each other with a fist bump.
"What are my orders, commander?" the blue-haired figure asked, her hands readied in a combat stance.
The taller man beside her also took stance. "Eliminate all targets, and protect our allies."
"Roger that. Beginning mission."
Rose gasped. "Y-you called in...?!"
Adelheid grinned. "Told you I was going to call in a favor."
Leona, clad in combat-ready camo pants and a black tanktop, sprinted forward and unleashed a terror on the enemy assailants. She ran past Sinclair and dropped her with a flying kick, continuing forward and not losing any speed. She made her way, to where Ramon was captured; taking to the skies, she flew down on Ryofu and Joker, swinging her arms in a cross-motion, and blasting them with X-Calibur, her crescent-shaped blue chi attack.
...Finally, her path of destruction ended at Gozu and Mezu. She sprinted past the exhausted Nako and Iroha, charged them head on... the red and blue assassins tried to rush her in response and meet her...
SLASH! SLASH!
Leona cleaved through them both, in sequence, with two perfect swipes of her hands, emerging on the other end of them, her body in post-attack. She didn't even look behind her, as Gozu and Mezu fell over.
Heidern was even more of a menacing presence, as he merely walked forward, at a casual pace, his arms behind his back with military propriety. Finally, Shikyoh tried to run up to him and stab him... Heidern presented his fingers into Shikyoh's stomach, and the crazed slasher howled into the night, as his body was enveloped in red, and the life was sucked out of him, to feed Heidern's own. Heidern finally removed his hand... and returned to his posture, walking forward, leaving Shiykoh to drop like a domino.
"EVERYBODY! FORM UP ON ME!" Heidern rallied all of the freshly-bailed-out troops.
Jyazu, on the other end, also made a power play. "Grrrr, FALL BACK! EVERYONE! FORM RANKS!"
Heidern and Leona's intervention provided what was the first break in the action since the Second Battle of Odeonsplatz had started. The fists stopped flying, blood stopped spilling, as hero and villain alike regrouped, helped their wounded, and fell back to strategic positions in the square. This moment of peace, undoubtedly, was only a tiny respite, as the next clash was sure to be even more brutal...
"Commander!" Adelheid bowed respectfully. "I can't thank you enough for coming."
Heidern nodded. "When you explained what was at stake, I knew I couldn't let you do this alone. What's the situation?"
Adelheid pointed to the distance. "They want to kill my sister and me, for whatever sick goal they seek to obtain... apparently they think our deaths will be the catalyst for a catastrophic, doomsday-level event."
Heidern put a hand to his chin. "Sounds like the same old story... a story I've heard many times, and it gets worse with each telling."
Leona, meanwhile, was helping Ralf and Clark to their feet. The two Ikari Warriors, and longtime teammates, were overjoyed to see her again.
"Leona, you're an angel. A blue-haired angel!" Ralf praised.
"I'm not an angel." Leona flatly responded. "I'm not making miracles. I'm a human being, doing my part to protect human lives better than prayer could."
"Ahh Leona... chipper as always." Clark chuckled with sarcasm.
"...Actually, I am in a very good mood." Leona responded, with the most desolate look possible.
Back with the Agents, Mary and Vanessa glomped Ramon so hard, he was nearly toppled.
"He-he-hey hey! Wow!" Ramon laughed. "See, THIS is why I jump headfirst into danger."
"You stupid idiot!" Vanessa scolded. "Don't ever scare me like that!"
"Awwww you really do love me!"
"Married."
Mary had more humble words. "R-Ramon I... I'm sorry I... I was lost for a second. He, he was just... waiting... he was... waiting for me..."
Ramon smiled warmly, patting her head. "It's okay, Mare. I know you... you had to do that."
Seth approached last, gently patting Ramon's chest. "You okay, my man? Thanks for not dying."
Ramon grinned sheepishly. "Well hey, I couldn't die yet! Not until I get that threesome Mare and V promised."
SMACK!
Finally, Rose and her posse were gathered around, as Rose knelt down and tended to the still-wounded Silber. The big man looked more displeased than hurt, as he was forced to lay there, his forehead in a cold sweat, his face under constant strain, as if he were actively trying and failing to use his muscles.
"Urrgh... hnnngh...hrrrrgh... URGH! I just... can't... move my body! This is so f***ing stupid!" Silber complained. "That Chinese asshole hit me with some kind of paralyzing agent!"
"Silber-san, please just relax." Iroha bowed. "I'll try and treat it later."
"That... would be nice." Silber suddenly saw a silver lining, getting a personal treatment from the sexy nurse.
Rose shook her head. "Oh Silber...you made me look so bad, going down first. Now my brother is the big hero, calling in his reinforcements like that. But no worries, that will be fixed soon enough..."
Nakoruru heard that, and the pious maiden lost her cool. "Wha... what a horrible thing to say! How could you show such disregard for the people trying to save your life?!"
Rose folded her arms. "You're that time-traveling girl, right? You have a lot to learn about the modern world..."
Nakoruru swung her hand. "That's a foolish excuse! I... I just can't believe you're the one who holds the key to the balance of the world! It's... it's not fair..."
Rose grinned. "Hahaha... don't like the way the story is told? Then put down the book. Go back to where you came from. Some of us are meant for bigger things, and some are meant to put their lives at stake for it. Silber here? He's the latter. You are too. Accept your place in the world... and go fight for me~"
Nakoruru grit her teeth so hard, her jaws nearly caved in... but in the end, her cooler head prevailed. "Very well then... I'll continue to fight, but not for YOU. I'll fight for everything else: the fabric of the universe, humankind, nature and wildlife... but not for you."
Rose shrugged, walking away. "Whatever keeps the machine rolling."
Nakoruru couldn't stop her loathsome gaze as she watched Rose walk away, the pompous girl's nose up. It wasn't until the timely intervention of Iroha that Nakoruru felt the slightest bit of consolation.
"Nakoruru-chan... forget her." Iroha soothed.
Nakoruru grunted angrily. "I... I never thought light and dark could be so mixed up. It seems so much simpler back home. Perhaps Rose is right... perhaps I am just out of my time."
Iroha placed a hand on her back. "At least we know what we are. We care about the well-being of all life. That's what makes us good guys~"
With that simple inspiring note, Nakoruru gently stroked the beak of Mamahaha and smiled. "That is my main focus. No matter who or what it takes, I'll protect the balance of the world."
The cease-fire had lasted a good five minutes, or at least long enough for both sides to settle into the slightest of a lull. On the heroes' side, the Agents stayed ever-vigilant, prepared to be the first responders if the action picked back up.
"Sons of bitches..." Mary expressed disgust at the gathering of rogues across the square. "Will the day ever come when people wise up and stop trying to doom the world they live in?"
"Group mentality." Vanessa explained, gently massaging the wound on a wincing Mary's thigh. "They're as dumb as a flock of sheep, bunched together and swinging for some empty ideal."
"What I wanna know, is who orchestrated this shit. Who's pulling the strings?" Ramon delivered the inquiry of the day.
"Actually... I might have the answer to that."
Everyone- especially Adel and Heidern - turned their attention to Seth when he spoke those revealing words,
"I got Lien to spill a little." he continued. "She told me something REALLY interesting; she suggested that most of the enemies are being mind controlled."
"Mind control?!" Adel was in Seth's face in an instant, knowing all-too well what that meant.
"I think that puppetmaster is pulling the strings here. Literally."
BOTAN! Just the thought of those two syllables brought Adel's blood to a boil. That manipulative little witch... who had the AUDACITY to take over his sister, the most precious thing to him in the world. He wanted her to not only experience justice... but a fate far worse.
"Adelheid..." Rose approached, a hand on his trembling body.
"I won't let her take you again, Rose." He said those words aloud, if not to assure his sister... to assure himself.
"I know you won't." Rose pressed herself against him, her lips on his cheek. "There's nobody alive I'm safer with than my dear brother."
"Ahh jeeeez..." Ralf and Clark groaned in unison, close to being moved by the scene, if not for the girl involved.
On the enemy front, an increasingly impatient Jyazu was close to blowing his top, as he paced back and forth, his eyes scanning his assault force with contempt.
"This is pathetic! You're all weak! WEAK!"
He finally stopped in front of Sokaku, who was still in-between consciousness on the ground. "You!"
With zero sympathy, he snatched the conjurer up by his garb. "On your feet! Fight, now!"
He shook him repeatedly, finally slapping the evil monk to wake him back up. Sokaku stirred... but Jyazu didn't allow him enough time to fully rouse before letting him fall back to the ground.
"You can all stand with me, or go down together. The choice is yours." Jyazu addressed them all from the front. "That includes you too."
He pointed to a figure, standing further away than most... the samurai known as Genjuro, who hadn't moved an inch since the battle began. Genjuro didn't cut his eyes in acknowledgement.
Jyazu neared closer... until he was directly in Genjuro's personal space. "Big man with a big sword... what use are you, huh? Are you a fighter, or do you use that thing to cut hair?"
Genjuro still didn't look his way. He remained silent.
"Tch. F***ing useless, just like the rest of you."
Jyazu rudely bumped Genjuro's shoulder, storming past him, past their offensive line, as he made his way out to the middle of the square. "I'll handle this myself! GOZU! MEZU! WITH ME!"
"Charming fellow." Lien rolled her eyes with a deadpan comment.
"Think we should drop him next?" Lin whispered.
"You kidding? He's the most useful one here right now. Let him wear them out. When he goes down, we finish the job." Lien displayed more of her selfish cunning.
Jyazu, flanked by his two Jaguar Clan disciples, finally stood firm in the center of the square, within shouting distance of the heroes, where he could make his demands heard.
"YOU ALL HAVE ONE WAY OUT OF THIS!" Jyazu shouted, his voice echoing in the night air. "It's simple: give me Adelheid and his sister... and the rest of your lives will be spared. None of you have any reason to go down with them. If it's money you want... I'm sure there will be other opportunities. Don't let this be your last job."
Silence. Moments passed, as the terms took time to marinade... but the heroes responded with a quick shutdown.
"Go shit on a park bench, you dumb ugly bird!" Vanessa screamed into the night, easily traveling to their irritated ears.
"As long as I'm here, the forces of evil won't have their way!" Nakoruru seconded.
"The Ikari Warriors never fail a mission!" Heidern proclaimed.
"This is another day at the office for us!" Seth boasted. "We'd be more scared climbing a ladder!"
Adelheid stepped forth. "You have our answer. So come at us... and do your worst. Nobody is backing down!"
Jyazu's eyes glowed bright. "So you've all chosen death then... don't say I didn't give you an out."
Having received the message loud and clear, the crow demon and his lackeys backed away, rejoining their forces. Jyazu addressed his fellow baddies one last time:
"We stand together. Anybody shows cowardice, and I'll kill you myself."
"You'd be smarter to watch your own back out there." Lien showed no fear in sassing back.
One last fleeting silence washed over the square, a gentle precursor to the violent rekindling of the chaotic battle. Both sides stood on jittery feet, nerves tense, each awaiting the other to make the first move...
..Until finally, one pair of feet started moving, and the rest followed.
Jyazu, the entire rogues gallery behind him, rushed forward in a symphony of trampling footsteps.
Adelheid led his own troops forward, matching the speed of the bad guys with their own thunderous sprinting!
The two opposing forces ran at each other, destined to meet in the middle of the square, in one big clash...!
And finally...
...The two factions became one, once again.
Bodies against bodies.
Screams of violent intent.
Complete and utter calamity.
The war had officially saw its second wind.
NEXT CHAPTER: The battle begins to wind down... but new faces continue to show up?! Who will jump in and shake things up even more? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!
And now, a breakdown of the Faces:
MARY, SETH, VANESSA, RAMON: The Agents. Mary has a bit more history than the latter three, having been from Fatal Fury and also teamed up with a couple of troublemakers in early KOF. The latter three came around in the NESTS Saga, and Seth even made his way to Maximum Impact.
RALF, CLARK, HEIDERN, LEONA: The Ikari Warriors. Military badasses since the beginning of KOF, and even before (in Ralf and Clark's case). Leona is my bae.
IROHA, NAKORURU: Good girls from Samurai Shodown. Nakoruru is an almost supernatural presence, always at the helm of the evil stuff going on. Iroha is... a critically-acclaimed sex symbol.
HEIN: A mysterious butler from KOF XIV. Before joining Geese, he's taking jobs powdering the noses of the most pampered aristocrats.
ADELHEID: The hero of this story. Wants to just be a good fighter and a sportsman, despite his father's evil blood, and his sister being a narcissistic psychopath who orchestrated a tournament just to flex his pecs.
ROSE: Adelheid's sister. Worships the ground at his feet, to the extent that this whole tournament exists just so he can win. She wants her brother's name up in lights, no matter what it takes, and no matter who she steps over.
HYENA: Joke character from Maximum Impact. Used to serve alongside Lien under Duke in the Mephistopheles gang. Has a big nose.
SILBER: Final boss of the 3D fighting game Buriki One. A mean, violent dude who's only on the good side this time because he's getting paid.
Lastly, here's the heels who made an appearance:
LIN: A forgotten character from the NESTS Saga. Teamed up with Seth in 2000, to go after Ron. He also teamed up with K' in 2001 and won the tourney, toppling NESTS. This time around, he's just trying to make a living for himself, and he's bitter towards Seth for abandoning their mission.
FREEMAN: Classic slasher from Mark of the Wolves. Went on a murdering spree earlier in this story, but Mary and Adelheid stopped him. Seems he's still alive, because slashers never die...
SHION: One of the main antagonists of this story. After losing Saiki and most of their group, he now seeks to awaken Orochi his own way: by killing the Bernsteins and filling the world with an influx of negative energy.
BOTAN: One of the main antagonists of this story. Last Kumite, she tried to run a cloning operation that could potentially take over the world. This time, she's teaming up with her fellow survivor Shion to awaken Orochi.
SHROOM, RIMELO: The only other two survivors of Those From The Past. They seem to be fully behind Shion and Botan, but who really knows...?
EIJI: Everyone's favorite purple ninja with a mullet, from Art of Fighting 2. He was a contestant, but he got mind-jacked before he ever made it to Round 1. Will he ever be free?
GENJURO: Haohmaru's rival in Samurai Shodown. Just like Haohmaru was a mysterious presence in the first Kumite, Genjuro's appearance in this sequel is one of mystery and wonder...
Until next time!