Heya peeps! Very sorry for the delay, my job gets very tough the last two months of the year. Bleh. As always, thanks to all of you for your endless support, especially my strongest supporters. Writerperson, illyrilex, Robertcop, they're all fantastic writers. Check out their stuff. You guys are great supporters, and I couldn't have gotten this far without you. Thank you.
Also one more special shoutout to Robertcop, the Malin commercial immediately south of this was inspired by him. Public Service. Read it. Now, enjoy the chapter.
WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM TO BRING YOU A FEW WORDS. STAY TUNED.
"...We rollin? Okay cool! Hi, I'm Malin, and I own a knife! Uhh... ahh shit, that was stupid. Okay, I f***ed up. Can we- can we take two? Okay, HI, I'M MALIN! You may not know me, but that's a good thing! It means I'm good at my job! You remember that guy from last year, who said he'd stab anybody? Well... just ignore him! Have you read his reviews? He sucks! Unsatisfied customers, left and right! That's where I come in. You want someone stabbed, and stabbed GOOD? You come to me. I'll stab a bitch, and I'll stab her right! Now listen up, because I'm giving you a special TV offer... 2 Karens for the price of 1! I mean it! You won't get this deal anywhere else, folks! I'm Malin, and I'm here to meet your stabbing needs! Just call 1-800-555-7822. That's 1-800-555-STAB. Call my toll free number today!
...Look, can you please do this for me? I need money. Very, very badly. I traded a big payday for some ass. I'm kinda regretting it... but not all the way. Hee hee~"
THE TWILIGHT TOURNAMENT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
"Heeeeeeey! This is Ai here, with a revolutionary new game device designed by yours truly! That's right, I made it myself! I reverse engineered some old NeoGeo Pockets, to bring you this: the new and improved Neo Geo Handheld Unlimited! Guys, I've tested it myself, this battery will never run dead! That's right! NEVER! You can play your favorites, for days on end! SNK vs Capcom, SNK Gals' Fighters, Fatal Fury First Contact, even games that weren't originally supported by the system! That's right! Psycho Soldier, Athena, TNK III, if you can name it, you can play it! I reprogrammed these babies myself! It'll play anything!
I'll say it again folks, infinite battery! This thing never dies! If you make it to the end and can't beat Amakusa, you can just put it down and come back to it another day! But you might wanna... you know... flip it upside down... cuz Yuki will complain that he can't sleep because of the light... then he'll be cranky... so flip the screen over. Get yours today~!"
YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM WILL RESUME SHORTLY.
"MIGNON IS OFFERING FREE MAGIC LESSONS! White magic is the way to world peace, happiness, self-enlightenment and a healthy lifestyle! White magic gives you a sound mind, body, and spirit! I mean, sure you can't do... psychy wychy brain stuff, but that stuff's not even that cool! It sounds like it'd give you a headache! Do you like headaches? Mignon didn't think so! Thus, magic is cool and Psycho Power can suck Mignon's balls!"
"...Not THOSE balls! Mignon doesn't have those! I meant the little red balls on my cute, custom-made boots! Mignon judges you for your juvenile thoughts, you pervos~!"
AND NOW, ANOTHER WORD.
"U...ummmm... h-hi... ehehehe... m-m-my name is- AHEM! My name is... Futaba Hotaru, or Hotaru Futaba. I'm 17 years old. I... s-sorry, I'm nervous. I'm young, naive, p-pretty timid... not exactly the most ideal person to speak out. Ehehehe~
I just wanted to say... ummmm well... I have a simple message. P-please... be good to each other. Never take things for granted. And always cherish friends, family, and love.
...Th-that is all! Ummmm...bye."
ALLIANZ ARENA, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SEMINFINALS...
It was pandemonium, on its grandest scale.
Screams filled the air. Bodies ran rampant, nearly trampling over each other. The only modicum of relief came when the live feed was cut, so the viewing world was spared from the sight of Rose Bernstein's bloodstained body, and a screaming, sobbing Adelheid holding her in his arms.
Benimaru fancied himself a cooler-headed guy than most, but even he knew it was time to panic. He shouted one name: the one authority figure who always knew what to do, who always brought him comfort with a clear mind and a ready plan:
"CHIZURUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
The KOF fighters had cleared the bleachers, so it was a bit of a wrestle to get to her position... but when he found her - flanked by Saisyu, Shingo, and others - he began to feel only slightly at ease. Like they could at least begin to fight back.
"Chizuru! Chiz... huff... huff..." he panted, not from exhaustion, but from stress. "We are in a SERIOUS f***ing pickle right now! I don't think I can overstate how F***ED this situation is!"
"I know!" Chizuru had no mildness to her volume. "Believe me, I know... very few things could go worse right now." She put her hands to her face, massaging the bridge between her eyes... and her voice grew weak. "Oh god... why... why..."
Saisyu did the only thing he knew to do: place a consoling hand on her. But their lamenting was cut short, by the second authority figure who kept on top of things, and had nudged himself to their position.
"This is bad." Heidern, probably the best guy to deal with a crisis, spoke. "The audience is running rampant. Some are scared, shocked... many are angry. They're trying to rush the field. They think we just murdered a national figure. Some are gonna want blood."
"Wh-what do we do?!" Shingo freaked.
Heidern turned. "First of all, we need to get Iori out of here. FAST. You guys handle that. I'll try to... get help for Rose."
"And the people?" Saisyu asked.
"The others are keeping them at bay. But police are going to be out here, in force, any second now, and that's going to make this situation ten times more sticky. We need to stick together. We can do this!"
Chizuru nodded fiercely. "Alright. Let's get this under control. Cmon guys! I need all of you!"
"Leona, on me! Secure the Bernsteins!"
The two most qualified leaders stepped up, and began to make efforts towards mending what was an extremely delicate situation, falling apart at the seams.
"IORI! IORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Chizuru and crew made their way to his position... where he was still sitting. Still staring at that hand. That bloody hand, which continued to drizzle down his wrist, his forearm, through the gaps in his fingers.
"Iori!" Chizuru called to him. "Iori! IORI! We've gotta go!"
No response. He sat there. Stared at that hand.
"Iori, cmon bro!" Shingo urged. "We gotta bounce!"
"Yagami, I'm not scared to drag your ass up." Benimaru threatened.
"Cmon, whelp!" Saisyu urged.
The four of them continued their chants, an encouraging choir to get him on his feet, doing everything short of getting physical (which seemed a risky move)
They got nothing. Except for a few repetitive words.
"I... I didn't mean... I didn't... mean... I didn't mean..."
Benimaru threw his hands up. "He's too far gone right now. We just gotta-"
"What? Force him? Chizuru finished the thought. "That sounds like a good way to exacerbate things!"
"Well what the hell else do we do?! IORI! CMON MAN! WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!"
Meanwhile, Heidern and Leona had made their way to Adelheid. The boy was still sitting there, holding his sister, soaked in her blood. He didn't care. His eyes were closed. Tears continued to fall. His voice had grown from wild, desperate, pleading, to a low, whimpering moan.
"You can't leave me..." he cried. "Please Rose... please open your eyes... I can't lose you... not you..."
"Adelheid!" Heidern shouted, trying to break through. "Adelheid, let us take her! We can't leave her here for everyone to see! ADELHEID! Let's get her some help, Adelheid!"
He too, got nothing in response.
Leona stepped forward. "Should I?"
"No." Heidern quickly stopped her. "No... we'll figure something out. For now, we need to clear a path for paramedics."
On the "frontlines" of the mass panic, KOF's finest had formed a sort of picket line, and were trying to peacefully dissuade people from seeking retribution. It wasn't pretty: lots of shoving, expletives shouted, beer bottles and food being thrown. Shouts of "murderers" and accusations of being out of control were tossed. Nobody had worked up the courage to take a swing yet, but their overwhelming numbers were threatening to muscle the fighters backwards. It was only a matter of time before a spark ignited the situation further...
"BACK! GET THE F*** BACK!" Shen Woo's impressive physique forced them in the opposite direction. "I'm warning you- oh BITCH you are one more move away from getting punched in the skull...!"
"Hotaru-chan, get behind me!" Gato commanded his sister... for the first time in perhaps his life, calling her by an affectionate title. Hotaru nodded, clinging tightly to his back, as she wasn't much help in a contest of strength.
"People, please! Violence is not the answer!" Athena was having the most success up front, having summoned a powerful forcefield to repel a large majority of the rioters. Yuki and Ai followed her example, with their technological advancements. Some of the fighters were trying more diplomatic solutions.
"Ummm uhhh... F-FREE AUTOGRAPHS?" Mai called out to them, wiggling her curves enticingly to try and quell some of their wrath. "Anyone? Uhhh... selfies?"
"This sucks!" Malin complained. "Can't I just cut one of them? I promise it'll scare them off."
"No, Malin!" Athena shut it down, as she struggled. "We mustn't retaliate!"
"...I'm right though..."
"MIGNON CAN HELP!" the ever-bubbly white mage bounced in with a comical sound effect. "My white magic can be used to protect, not just attack!"
"No offense Mignon, but you're more likely to blow it up in our faces than be of any help!" Kensou scolded.
"...Mignon resents that statement."
"Hey, how come nobody's getting on to Angel? She's over there beating the crap out of people." Bonne Jenet pointed to the distance, where several groaning bodies were laying at the luchadora's feet, as she delivered a knee into the groin of another.
"ANGEL NOO!"
Angel looked up, casually, as she held one man in a bulldog headlock. "...What?"
"Oh, how could I have been so wrong?"
Nakoruru reflected, a few yards away from the commotion. "I had the wrong Bernstein. I thought Iori and the brother would clash and cause this calamity... it was the sister."
"...Well technically, you were right."
Nakoruru jumped, hearing an unfamiliar voice. She turned; it was that same shadowy figure from the battle at Odeonsplatz. He was completely docile, lounging on what looked to be a sofa made of pure sand, one leg folded over the other, arms behind his head. "I mean, they DID fight. And now we're f***ed. Minor details aside, I'd say your prediction came true."
"You're not helping!" Nakoruru fussed. "What are you doing here anyway?!"
"Enjoying the show." Kukri calmly responded. "That Mary sure is a pistol, ain't she?"
"Go away." Nakoruru turned sharply, brushing him off. She heard the sand fade away a second later. Her focus turned back to the frontline... back to the utter chaos reigning.
"Oh gods... the air is so thick..."
It felt like hours had passed, but it was only mere minutes. Efforts to quell the raging crowd were met with failure. Tensions rose on each side... coming to a boil. It took all hands of the more level-headed to keep the lid on, for as long as possible.
"Heidern." Chizuru met back up with him. "Any luck?"
Heidern shook his head. "He's not moving. Mary's trying to get through to him now. You?"
She shook her own in turn. "He's messed up... thinks this is his fault."
Heidern bared his teeth. "Damn... of all the lousy circumstances. The people are mad enough that Adelheid lost... this put them over the edge, regardless of Rose's hand in it. Anger and irrationality, combined with crowd mentality... one person throws a rock, you get a landslide. It's an ugly mess."
Chizuru hung her head. "I feel so bad for Iori... so much work, undone..."
These hands...
The world around him was a blur. Words muffled. Like 3D without glasses, he saw nothing clearly, except those two... "tools"... dripping with blood.
He hated them. These hands brought nothing but destruction, to so many innocents, so many... friends... sometimes, he wondered if he could live his life without them. Just cut them off, cast them into fire, and burn them to nothing. The world would be safe from him. It would mean sacrificing the things he loves: his passion for music, the feeling of a friend's embrace, or a woman in his arms... but it'd be worth it. Worth it, to no longer live with the fear. To no longer spend his life with the mental strain, the burden of staying composed, of shutting himself off from others, out of danger of what he could wreak. To know that she was safe... they would all be safe.
"Good job, Iori! I knew you could do it!"
The voice drilled into him again, with that same painful feeing of intrusion... but he had not the mental fortitude to fight back, to lash out with defiant words. Not now.
"This was an important lesson for you, Yagami... an important reminder. You may have chosen me, but that doesn't make you the master. Everything you are, everything you ever do, will be according to my design. You're a means to an end; my final trump card, a game-breaking piece to bring victory and glory to My name."
He still couldn't muster the breath to respond.
"Now take a nice rest... everything else will go as it should. You played your part well, Iori Yagami. Good job, my little servant."
"No... I'm not... I... I'm... n...ot..."
His words had no fire, to bite to them. Eventually, his sentence faded into a defeated sigh.
"ori..."
A muffled voice? He heard something... something human. It wasn't that damned parasite.
"ori...asn't our ault..."
He recognized the voice... someone like him. Someone who shared the same fate. But she had beaten hers... she did what he couldn't.
"on't et it eat you ori... ease on't..."
He closed his eyes, forcefully shutting her out. He couldn't bear to think of her disappointment, after that talk in the hotel... after she believed in him. He'd failed her. He'd failed everybody.
"Adelheid."
Blue Mary had called his name several times, to no avail. He just continued to sit there... still staring at the body in his arms, losing warmth by the second. His own wounds were questionable, as the blood covering him belonged to his sister, but it appeared that he was making the choice not to move.
Mary found it strange herself that she took it upon herself to come over here and talk sense into him... it's not like she had the strongest relationship with them, especially his sister, whom she hated. But something about Adelheid compelled her: perhaps the blood they'd shed together this week.
"Listen to me." she urged. "We can't do anything for her here. Her being here, right now... it's making things worse. I need you to get a grip!"
"Leave me alone."
His command was sharp, stabbing, like a shot to the liver. There was no sorrow or mourning in his voice: but a cold, spiteful venom. A misguided wrath.
"Adel-"
"I want to be with my sister." he quickly cut. "My fate... will be the same as hers. Leave us."
"God dammit, Adel..." Mary puffed. "Look man... I've come to know you better this week. You're smarter than this. I know it's raw, but you can't let it- oh SHIT. They sound close...!"
The sirens could be heard halfway through the city... but that distant, droning sound crept closer, closer... until it was a deafening, repetitive wail in the ears of fighters and audience alike, enough to buzz the brains in their skulls.
Mary immediately sought out Heidern and the others, to plan their next move. "HEIDERN They're-"
"They're here... no doubt, Stadium security has briefed them on the situation." Heidern explained. "This is about to get dicey."
BWOOOF! BWOOOF! BWOOOF!
They recognized that sound: the sharp POP! followed by the hiss... they were deploying tear gas. The civilians were instantly affected, and were already beginning to cease their aggression. The colorful conglomerate of bodies were starting to decompress, opening up gaps, spreading slowly... and a legion of black-clad bodies could be seen forcing their way through the middle, like a human battering ram. Riot shields were brandished at the front, and long, slender batons were flailing: not to harm, but intimidate.
"DISPERSE NOW!" a bullhorn could be heard shouting. "DISPERSE AND EXIT THE STADIUM!"
Benimaru turned to them. "Well that solves THAT problem... but why don't I feel more at ease?"
Saisyu pointed. "THAT'S why."
In what could be closely contested as the worst case scenario, the police that weren't herding the civilians out of the Stadium... were now confronting the KOF fighters, issuing commands.
"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW! NOW!"
"Hey what the hell man?" Shen argued, inching closer, which was a mistake. "We didn't do squat!"
"GET DOWN OR WE WILL TASE YOU!"
"Oh you can't be serious right now... you know what? Do it! You don't have the balls, you donut hole-sucking mother-GHGHGHGLGLGGHGHGGHGLGLGLGLGLLLlllllhhhhhhh...!"
Shen Woo was the first to be issued excessive force, as the electrically-charged weapon was lodged into his abdomen, and his seizing, convulsing body was brought down by several armed peace officers. It didn't stop there, as many fighters were starting to get flanked, and tensions were rising all across the board, as many were less inclined to go peacefully.
"PUT DOWN THE FAN AND GET ON THE GROUND!"
Mai, in an unwise move, waved the fan at them tauntingly. "Oh whaaaat, you scared of this little thing?"
"PUT. DOWN. THE FAN!"
"Just admit you wanna get handsy with me- OKAY OKAY OKAY, I'M COMPLYING!"
Mai was forcefully restrained at the hands, Andy soon after, and the Bogard had to exercise restraint not to fight back. The situation got only worse and worse, as for every fighter that didn't resist... there was an equal amount that were tempted to get aggressive.
"DROP THE KNIFE! DROP IT, OR WE WILL FIRE!"
At least two of the fully-geared riot responders were aiming legitimate submachine guns at Malin, and, as usual, against better judgement, the runt failed to make the most logical move, choosing defiance.
"You can pry this knife from my BULLET RIDDEN CORPSE, YOU F***ING OINKER-"
RATATATATATATAT!
Some of the audience members screamed when they heard the sharp rattle of gunfire. Back at the source, Malin was now laying on the ground... the blue-haired Kasumi atop her, having tackled the girl just in time to save her.
"He just... he... HE TRIED TO F***ING SHOOT ME!" Malin babbled.
"Malin, just shut up... and stay down." Kasumi scolded, feeling a sense of debt due at the moment for having saved her life.
"SUÉLTAME! SUÉLTAME! TE ROMPERÉ EL PUTO CUELLO!" Angel could be counted on to resist every step of the way, as she had already downed two officers, and three more were clinging to her, shoving tasers in her stomach.
"HIT HER AGAIN!"
"JESUS, IT'S NOT WORKING! SHE'S A FREAK!"
At one point, they had managed to slap cuffs on her; she snapped them at the chain. It took about a dozen men, dog-piling on top of her, to finally get the ferocious wrestler down.
Chizuru and Heidern watched all this happen from a distance. They shook their heads... wondering how it could have gotten to this point. Things were supposed to be under control. The Hakkeshu had fallen. The assassins were defeated. Now, at a moment of celebration for the final two... THIS was their present.
"Well, you can't say the police are biased." Benimaru shrugged.
"I don't understand." Shingo asked. "Why are they rounding us up too?!"
"They're just doing their job." Heidern answered. "Trying to keep the peace. We're all considered lethal weapons to boot, so they won't show us the gentleness they would a non-combatant."
"But that's not fair!" Shingo whined. "I know I just turned 18 but... I'm too young to have a record!"
"Just don't be stupid and retaliate." Beni suggested. "This whole mess'll blow over soon enough."
As if on cue, armed officers finally arrived at THEIR position, and weren't looking to give special treatment.
"I need to see your hands, now."
Heidern eyeballed the officer who issued the command intensely. "You know who I am?"
The officer nodded. "I'm sorry sir, but you're still subject to international law. I need to see hands."
Leona's first instinct was to step up... Heidern quickly put a hand back to stop her. "Stand down, Leona." He faced the officer again. "Are you going to get medical treatment for Rose Bernstein?"
The officer nodded. "Yes, transport is on its way ASAP. Now... your hands."
Heidern complied, wise enough to not push the situation. He knew this was only a formality: an ugly mess that would be resolved soon. He was the first to be cuffed, followed by Leona, and Chizuru's crew weren't far behind.
Chizuru didn't mind being detained; she knew it was only a formality, a process that could be remedied. It wasn't until they turned their attention to a certain red-haired man, that fear began to BUBBLE in the pit of her stomach.
"Oh no...!"
It was widely known how dangerous Iori was... the fact he just spilled the blood of the tournament's hostess didn't help matters much. Thus, they were perhaps dangerously cautious in their approach to the man post-violent act, with automatics aimed, and careful footsteps approaching him without eagerness. They issued their commands loudly and clearly... from yards away.
"Iori Yagami! We need you on the ground, now!"
No response. Iori continued to just sit there... that far-out look in his eyes. Chizuru was starting to get VERY worried; if he didn't comply, they'd...!
"YAGAMI! ON THE GROUND!"
Chizuru tried to intervene. "P-please, leave him...!"
"Back." an officer pushed her, and it's a miracle Iori didn't see that. They continued to encroach... closer and closer...
"We won't ask again, Yagami! Get on the ground, or we WILL use force!"
"Pfft. Your funeral." Benimaru eyerolled.
Chizuru shut her eyes tight; if she wasn't cuffed, she would have fiercely clutched her chest. She turned away, preparing for the worst possible scenario...
They finally mustered the courage to appraoch him. Their feet shuffled... until they were at arms length. He continued to sit there, idle... motionless... like a breathing, sentient rock, unpredictable... uncertain.
Their hands reached out to grab him-
BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
The ground shook, like an earthquake. Everyone felt it, vibrating in the soles of their feet... they felt pieces of debris pepper their skin. In the distance... smoke.
Screams rang out.
"EXPLOSION! WE GOT AN EXPLOSION AT THE NORTH ENTRANCE!"
The hands reaching out to grab Iori were immediately retracted, and all uniformed bodies began scrambling, their attention turned, on a dime, to a new disturbance; one much more worthy of their time and efforts.
"We got a possible bomb detonation at the field entrance! Casualties unknown at this time!"
"JESUS, WHAT IS THAT THING?!"
Chizuru's heart didn't even have time to be relieved for the Iori save... it immediately fluctuated when she heard the screams of civilians, police shouting, and the smoke of what appeared to be some kind of explosion... the situation falling apart, more and more, with each passing second, an exhausting bearing on her after the day's already-transpired events.
"Chizuru... what's going on?" Benimaru vainly asked. "What's going on? What's going on?!"
"I don't know!" she excessively blurted. "SAISYU! Get us out of these cuffs! NOW!"
"On it." the Kusanagi elder nodded. Steam began to rise from his shackles, as they glowed red... the metal began to expand... until it broke apart easily, freeing him. He did the same to Chizuru, Benimaru, Shingo...
Leona and Heidern, meanwhile, needed no assistance getting theirs off; their hands were lethal tools, sharp enough to sever the chains and grant them freedom of movement once again.
"Hurry!" Heidern urged. "We can't let people die!"
"Do we really gotta help the assholes who just tried to arrest us?!" Shingo argued.
"It's a thankless job." Beni deadpanned. "Let's go."
The police had, en masse, abandoned them altogether, instead focusing their immediate attention at the entrance to the field, where a supposed new threat had emerged. While the fighters mentally dealt with the whiplash of being in custody and subsequently being freed again, Chizuru, Heidern, and their followers quickly rushed over, to where the source of black uniforms had gathered, weapons ready. All they could see was smoke... and they heard a distorted, garbling combination of screams, and commands being shouted.
"GET ON THE GROUND. GET ON THE- AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!"
"FIRE! FIRE! SHOOT HIM!"
The rattling, popping of bullets sounded, and the civilians screamed louder, their movements becoming less organized, more erratic. Chizuru gasped when she saw, at the very front of the action... uniformed personnel being thrown aside, like they were nothing, and a strange pink orbiting projectile floating... orbs?
Even Mary had her gun out at this point, and was herding several of the fighters behind her. "Everybody remain calm!"
"What the HELL is going on up there?!" King blurted. "I... I gotta... Ryo and Yuri...!"
"They're gonna be fine!" Mary shouted.
"But-"
"You know them, Ces! Right now, I need you to keep a cool head, and keep us all together!" Mary commanded.
"Whatever's up there..." Terry guessed. "It's not pretty."
It was hard to see what was unfolding, from the combination of dust, smoke, debris, the overcrowded hustle of bodies... but from the chaos emerged more of the pink spheres, more shooting, more officers being thrown like dolls.
Chizuru and Heidern at the helm, they were able to get a view of the perpetrator before anyone else could. Chizuru's face twisted with immediate disgust... Heidern, on the other hand, had a look of pure disbelief.
"What the- what is that thing?! It's horrible!" she cried.
"...It can't be."
Benimaru, right behind her, was the next to lay eyes on the attacker... and he too shared the same utter shock as Heidern... for he was intimately familiar with the figure currently terrorizing the Stadium.
"Oh my... GOD... that's impossible."
All of them having formed up, the majority of them were looking on with a shared cluelessness alongside Chizuru... but the unfortunate few, such as Benimaru, Heidern, even Kula... for them, this was an unexpected and unwelcome reunion.
His grotesque, malformed pink body hunched and shuddered with each movement, a contrast to his colorless gray legs and lower abdomen, feet shuffling about, almost corpse-like in their movements. A pair of enlarged, unnatural blue eyes glowed with only a dim, piddling light, as if the life in them barely shone. What was once a mane of full white hair now hung in thin, wispy clumps, showing several areas of baldness, and, even more disturbing... pieces of skull beneath the scalp.
The final, macabre piece to his ghoulish appearance, and a surefire sign of the devil's work: where his heart resided, a huge, sewn up gash... and some mechanical appendage residing inside his chest, hooked to discolored, throbbing veins... obviously some kind of artificial source keeping his body animated.
A figure once dead, brutally slain by his own cohort, now walked among them again. And he was here... to complete whatever destructive mission his decayed, nugatory brain compelled him to.
"That can't be... I watched him die!" Benimaru expressed the impossibility of what he perceived to be standing in front of him.
Heidern shared those sentiments. "Don't tell me the bastards who stole his corpse were able to...?!"
Chizuru turned to them both. "You know what this thing is?!"
Heidern looked to Leona; she nodded. He turned to Chizuru. "Unfortunately, yes... he was what we believe to be a top-ranking member of Those From The Past, a cult that tried to carry on where the Hakkeshu started a few years back..."
"I remember that guy in my freaking nightmares." Benimaru minced no words. "I fought him! Me, Betts, Duo... I thought for sure it'd be my last fight. I'd never faced anything so terrifying... not even Krizalid. But he can't possibly be... he was dead. Absolutely, without a doubt, dead."
"Then something has brought him back." Leona stated the obvious. "We must put him back under... before innocents are harmed."
Up front, the battle was going less than poorly; the armed responders unloaded on Magaki with every bullet they had, emptying their clips... but every bullet that seemed to touch him was vaporized by a short pink detonation, not to mention a volley of pink orbs were constantly swarming his person, acting as some sort of protective flock... he couldn't be touched. Every once in a while, an orb would fly out and body one of the shooters, sending him backwards like he was hit with a bowling ball.
"BACKUP! REQUESTING BACKUP!"
"GOD HELP US... HE'S NOT HUMAN!"
Magaki skulked forward, unafraid of the weapons being discharged in his direction. He walked them down, swinging his limber, sloth-like appendages, sending them flying with each strike. He swung around and backhanded two of them, then spun back around with both arms and downed a shooter with an overhead smash. He pivoted with his long, lanky leg, punting another.
One officer was in his face, and he fired every last bullet until his finger was squeezing unconsciously, producing naught but clicks. Magaki loomed over him... his instincts told him to back away, but his duty told him to stand his ground. A sort of middle was achieved, as he dropped his gun and fell in fear... but didn't back away.
Magaki's soulless eyes bore down on him as he raised his arm, preparing to come down on him...
...The attack never came. The terrified officer, whose life had flashed before his eyes, found himself still breathing, as he looked up and saw Magaki stumbling backwards, courtesy of a crescent-shaped blue projectile flying out of nowhere, striking him in the chest.
Before he could count his blessings, the man was yanked to his feet, and he was face to face with an eyepatch and an eye.
"Who is your commanding officer?" Heidern questioned.
The man was still shell-shocked, and stammering. "I, uhh umm.. I uhh..."
"FOCUS!"
"H-he's over there!' the man pointed.
Heidern squeezed his arm tighter, to emphasize his point. "Find him, and tell your men to fall back. This isn't a battle you guys can win. We'll take it from here. Concentrate your efforts on civilian evac! GO NOW!"
Despite trying to arrest him earlier, the officer stood up straight, saluting. "Y-yes sir! FALL BACK! EVERYBODY FALL BACK...!"
KOF's finest gathered up, forming an offensive line before the skulking pink menace, who continued to shamble forwards, a hissing rasp escaping his throat as some attempt at a coherent form of communication.
"Sssss...Ssssssshhh...Ssssssssiiiaaahhhhh..."
"That just leaves us... and him." Mary holstered her pistol, and got in a grappling stance... but Heidern was quick to intervene, stepping in front of her, much to her chagrin.
"Stand down, Mary. He's a bad stylistic matchup for you, and you're wounded enough as is."
"But...!" she argued.
Heidern turned around, giving her his one good eye. "I need you to protect the Bernsteins. We gotta take this guy down and clear a path for medics to come through. Can you do it?"
Mary sighed, rolling her eyes. "Guard detail again, huh... well I guess if there's one thing I've learned to do this week, it's babysit the damn Bernsteins. Fine."
Chizuru took her turn to address some of the fighters as well. "Athena! Athena, I need you!"
The purple-haired pop idol popped in quick. "Yes!"
"I need you to assist the law enforcement with your protective powers! Get the civilians out of here!"
"Yuki, Ai, go with her!" Heidern added in.
"RIGHT!" they all three agreed.
"M-Mignon can help too! I won't be shown up by some platinum record-selling bimbo!" and the pink-haired "rival" ran fast behind them in a trail of smoke.
Kensou watched her run off, towards the chaos up front... he looked down at Bao and Momoko, who were both understandably terrified, and he gently stroked their heads. "She'll be alright, guys. Listen, I need you guys to hang back with Chin, okay? It's too dangerous for you here."
"Kensou-nii..."
"K-Kensou-nee..." they looked up at him with pitiful puppy eyes, glistening with tears yet to spill...
He groaned. "Gaaaaaa don't give me that face! Now go! W-we're gonna be fine! We're grownups here!"
Chin showed up in a timely fashion to escort the kids away, but not without giving Kensou an encouraging nod. With them out of the way, Heidern and Chizuru gathered at the front, taking a look at their current assets, explosions still falling around them, from Magaki's erratic pink projectiles flying. It truly felt like they were being bombed in a trench, in the midst of trying to regroup and reconvene.
"Now the rest of you... drawing board time."
PART 2: DISSOLUTION
Yashiro and Shermie, the two surviving Kings, weren't privy to the chaos happening outside... but they understood the importance of it, and knew that their objective had never come closer to completion.
"It's going nuts out there."
"I know..." Yashiro sighed... a second later, breaking into an ironic chuckle. "He was right. That bastard was actually right... hahahaha..."
Shermie leaned over, placing her hands atop his. "We're not going to get another shot at this. Are you ready?"
Yashiro looked down at the hands... the hands he treasured most. He closed his eyes, and thought of a future: a fantastic future, where peace on Earth was for nobody but him, and the people he loved. A world just for them. Where they could get married, have children, live forever in harmony... their Eden.
He brought his hands around hers, and closed them. His eyes opened. "I'm ready."
"KNOCK KNOCK!"
As if hitting a sour note on a perfect guitar solo, Yashiro and Shermie's eyes opened wide, their ceremony disrupted, by a rude voice flinging the door open. They spun around to see the source of the disturbance... and their spines quickly tightened.
Yamazaki was the first to emerge from the doorway, one hand in his pocket, as always. He began to look around... a grin spreading quickly. "Heyyy not bad, not bad! Good job, guys! You really livened up the joint."
...But the two figures who emerged behind Yamazaki: one blonde, one redhead, immediately tipped them off that this was no courtesy call.
Yamazaki, Mature, and Vice. The three commanded the room with their presence upon entering, spreading out and quickly flanking the two.
"Ryuji." the two of them rose to their feet, Yashiro calling his name sharply. "What is the meaning of thi-"
"Now what do we have HERE?" Yamazaki ignored them, brushing past them to scan the elaborate markings on the wall, where they originated from a source on the ground. "Looks like a bona fide Orochi Seal, designed to bring back our lord and master... but I'm seeing something ELSE here as well. Do you, gals?"
"Oh yes." Mature smirked.
"We see it." Vice finished.
The two were growing more and more uneasy by the second. They found themselves shrinking, slowly retreating, to where only a wall could be their destination.
The three intruders made their way over to the second seal in the room... Yamazaki eyed it carefully, still grinning. "Now THIS... this is a real eye-opener. A Wind Seal, designed specifically to ressurrect Goenitz's spirit back to Earth. Because as we all well know, Goenitz is too powerful to beckon his own ghost back to existence... he has to be BROUGHT back, by you guys, on a day where perfect darkness saturates the air, and makes it rich with Orochi's presence. A day like this... hehehehehehehehe..."
"You're right." Yashiro agreed. "Thanks to you guys. You three have been invaluable in helping us make this possible. If you hadn't informed us of Adelheid and Iori, we wouldn't have been able to-"
"Oh CUT THE CRAP." Mature hissed sharply, cutting him off. "We all know you're not the least bit gracious to us in any capacity. Never have been."
"You think we don't know what you feel about us?" Vice joined in. "There's no place for us in your perfect world, is there? There never was. You're happy to use us to achieve your ends, but when the time came..."
"Well if the cat's out of the bag, I guess it's out~" Shermie giggled. She turned to Yamazaki. "Ryuji darling... where's your bald butt buddy?"
Yamazaki grinned. "Eh, we broke up on good terms."
Yashiro's fists clenched. "So you've betrayed us. You came and told us about Adelheid and Iori clashing, about how it was our last shot to make this happen. You gave us a chance-"
"AND IT. WAS. GLORIOUS!" Yamazaki's eyes stretched wide with insanity, as he dramatically gesticulated, his lips grinning so wide, they nearly split. "HAHA! I CAME TO YOU IN YOUR MOST DESPERATE HOUR, GAVE YOU THAT TIIIIIIINY, SUGARY LITTLE SPOONFUL OF HOPE JUST TO KEEP YOU GOING... just to bring you to this beautiful, poetic moment where we snatch it all away. Heeheehe...hehehehehe... ha ha... HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!"
"You're scum." Yashiro growled, stepping forth boldly. "The lowest, filthiest form of it. You three don't deserve the new world. You never did!"
By the time Yamazaki's howling, hyena-like laughter died down, he was wiping tears. "Hahahaha, ahhhhhhhh... spoken just like the high-nosed, snobby elitists you are. Heavenly Kings... pfeh. You never gave a damn about us "outcasts." Just your own little clique. And you expected us to just go along with it, bring Orochi back and have Chris be the vessel, only for you guys and Goenitz to kick us to the curb? What did you THINK was going to happen?"
That line left Yashiro and Shermie subdued, the two remaining quiet. Yamazaki took a few steps forward, leaning closer... until those wide, insane eyes were in their faces. His voice grew low.
"And newsflash... calling me scum is the equivalent of calling me the sexiest man alive. It's music to my ears, so sing... sing... SING."
Shermie snarled. "Tell me, do you really think you're gonna come out of this winning? You think you have any better chance with those two? They don't give a damn about you either. They'll cut you off, first chance they get."
Yamazaki remained all smiles, backing away, his hand up in a shrug. "Hey, not all the fun's had in winning and losing. Sometimes I just like to see how far I get... and we're gonna make it a hell of a lot farther than you borrowed-time, glorified daydreams."
"That's enough, Ryuji."
"You talk too damn much. Just get out of our way."
"We're going to end this."
With a sarcastic curtsy, Yamazaki stepped back. "You have the stage, ladies."
The besieged Kings were allowed no relief, as where one man stepped back... two more took his place, equally nasty... and ten times as ambitious.
Now two facing two, Yashiro and Shermie stood firm, determined to present a unified front, as they were flanked by their gemini associates, both with devious looks on their faces.
"Fufufufufufufufufu... this has been a long time coming, dear Vice."
"Kukukukukukukuku... it has indeed, darling Mature. Too long."
Yashiro showed no fear in their presence, even going far enough to take a step forward. "You traitors... you're not one of us. You never were!"
Mature's face twisted, as did Vice's in perfect harmony. "Traitors? Us?" the blonde started
"Don't get it twisted. YOU'RE the traitors. the redhead continued.
"How long were you planning on dragging us along until you decided to cut us loose?"
"No place for us amongst the Four Kings, is there? Get real. You only care about yourselves. You... and that disgusting pious windbag."
Shermie countered. "If you two would just show an ounce of decency and respect, we could have had the world. ALL of us."
To this, Mature laughed. "Fufufufufufufufufu! I'm afraid that's not how it's gonna go down."
Vice picked it up. "We don't want you here, and you don't want us here. But I'm afraid you're in position to stand in our way now."
"You 'Kings' are scattered."
"Weak."
"You once had power in numbers-"
"-but now the shoe is on the other foot."
"You're going to die here-"
"-and the future will be entrusted to those who love the world."
"Who respect the world."
"We know what's best for this place."
"And it's not gross, pampered, willfully ignorant, entitled, selfish, greedy, parasitic-"
"-HUMANS!"
"And especially... not you guys."
"Kukukukukuku!"
"Fufufufufufufu!"
Yamazaki, in the corner, rolled his eyes. "Hoo boy."
Yashiro's feet spread; his fingers tightened against his palms, teasing a fighting stance. "So what's your big game, then? You really think you can bring the Lord back on your own?"
"One of you has to be the vessel, have you forgotten that?" Shermie chimed in with a good point.
Vice grinned even wider. "Oh we've got that covered. Right, Mature?"
"Right, Vice." Mature continued. "You see, when the deed is done, we three will inherit this Earth."
"And we don't mean that grinning jerk behind us."
"This world is for just us."
"Nobody else."
"Nobody to condemn us."
"To scorn us."
"To hate us."
"To persecute us."
"To stifle us with silly man-made laws."
Mature stepped inches closer to Vice... reaching an arm out, she grabbed the redhead by her hip, pulled her against her... Mature's face crept towards her neck, until her lips were touching under her chin. "We're going to live happily ever after, in holy matrimony..."
"...And Iori will bear all of our children." Vice revealed, her hand gently stroking Mature's cheek, the blonde's head against her.
Yashiro's teeth bared at that line. "Yagami...?!"
Upon hearing that reaction, Vice cackled with laugter. "KUKUKUKUKUKUUUUUUuuuu... oh that is just what I was hoping for! What a classic face!"
Mature snickered as well. "He may look a little... different... after the God comes back... but he'll still be our boy."
"And you get to live with the torment."
"The torture."
"The delicious AGONY..."
"Of knowing the man you hate..."
"WILL LIVE FOR ALL ETERNITY AS GOD!"
"FUFUFUFUFUFUFUFU!"
Yashiro's veins started to burn, coursing with the rage of the Earth... towards his treacherous colleagues, towards the man whose name bore a cavity into the lobe of his brain and caused him constant discomfort...towards all of the setbacks, all of the obstacles... he was going to destroy it all.
"You're insane." his voice spoke slightly distorted, with a hint of a demonic undertone. "Your first mistake was standing against us... your second, bringing HIM into it. You're about to reap what you've sown... and that goes for you too, scumbag!"
Yamazaki's head cocked for a moment, but only a puff of air escaped his nostrils before returning to his leaning position against the locker.
Despite standing before the second strongest and pissed off King, Mature was unafraid. "Hah. You don't scare me. You're essentially one man... she's useless without her power."
Shermie slightly grimaced.
"Oh, you think we didn't pay attention?" Vice cackled.
"It doesn't matter!" Yashiro's booming voice sent shockwaves, making the metal lockers vibrate. "I'm more than enough to handle the likes of you. Now... let's settle this right here! Enough chit chat!"
On that invitation, the defective duo got a menacing look on their faces... and they began to inch forward, slowly spreading apart into flanking intervals, their eyes locked on one and one only.
"Very well then."
"Prepare-"
"-to"
"-die."
"AGAIN!"
NEXT CHAPTER: Violence and chaos are running rampant. Can the good guys defeat a fearsome foe brought back from the dead? And who will be the winner of the civil war brewing among the Hakkeshu's splintered ranks? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!
But first, I think we have enough time for a BONUS SCENE!
BONUS SCENE
DURING THE SEMIFINALS...
"Are you sure you guys are okay?"
"We're fine."
"I mean... really, mutually equal-"
Yuri pumped the brakes right in the middle of their walk, swiftly turning with a speed that made Ryo have to screech his feet to a halt to avoid bumping into her.
"Look, Ryo... if you have some kind of grievance needs airing out, just come out and say it."
Ryo's eyes slowly intensified... a moment of silence passed, before he folded his arms and spoke.
"Okay, fine... how can you forgive her so easily? After what she did to the man you and I love? Robert's my brother. And you... I KNOW what he means to you. So how? How can you just... forget it so easily?"
Realizing that they couldn't let their prey escape, Yuri's feet got moving again, as she responded. "Because it's not her."
Ryo's feet in turn activated, to keep up. "What do you mean not her? It was her hands that did it!"
Yuri sighed loudly. "Ahh Ryoooo... can you try not to be so obtuse? She's a kid."
"She's not a kid, she's almost an adult!" Ryo retorted.
Yuri's voice slightly raised. "She's a product of shitty parenting and stale, moldy Japanese traditions! Jesus, Ryo, you should know better than anyone... you know how dear ol' Dad treated us."
Ryo puffed from his nostrils. "Still, she's old enough to make her own decisions. To break off from all that if she wanted to. REALLY wanted to."
"You make it sound easy, and you know its not." Yuri gesticulated hard as they walked. "You know that sticks with you, in your brain. It molds you. You can't just undo that stuff. That's why Kasumi needs support from the people who want better for her. That means us. And YOU."
Ryo's feet stopped... Yuri heard the lack of footsteps behind her, and saw the black-clad bigger man stop in her peripheral. She stopped, and turned.
"...I'm sorry, Yuri." Ryo spoke with sincerity. "You and the others may be easy, but... I'm not sure I can find forgiveness in my heart for what she did."
Yuri's eyes narrowed upon hearing that. Her lip curled downwards... her fists found her hips. "Well Ryo, that's just the rawness of it speaking. In time, I hope you come around, otherwise you and I are gonna have a problem down the road."
"I'll try, sis... I'll try."
"Hey, look!"
Their feet got moving again, but it wasn't long until they stumbled upon the object of their wrath... he wasn't hard to spot, in his khaki slacks, long, dark purple pimp coat, and his shiny bald head was a dead giveaway. He appeared to have a great fascination with a nearby door...
"What the hell's he doing?" Yuri questioned.
"He's about to be doing nothing." Ryo growled. "Stop right there, Big!"
Big's hand must have been inches from the door, when he froze up, hearing an all-too familiar... and undesirable... voice call to him sharply. He turned around to confirm his fears, and let out an inevitable sigh when he saw who they were:
One man, standing tall, broad shoulders, black Karate gi. His younger sister, standing beside him, shorter, well built, with her combination of Karate gi and purple spandex. Both, with hateful expressions staring him down.
"Well well well..." Big gave a crooked grin. "If it isn't my original nemeses. The brother and sister duo. All that's missing is old pops himself, hehehehehe!"
"This is as far as you go, Big." Ryo's voice wasn't loud, but clear in its intent. "You're done. Everything you've done this week... hell, everything you've EVER done..."
"You're about to get all your sins beaten out of you." Yuri threatened, bringing both fists to a clench. "Starting with the one where you ambushed me and Robbie on a tennis court."
Big's sunglasses shimmered, as he turned fully away from the door and faced them forward, eyes darting back and forth between them. His grin had faded, fast.
"You know what the problem with you two is?" he began. "You're so content in your ways. Kyokugen Clan... ha! What do you accomplish, huh? You go to KOF every year, you win some, you eventually lose, you say "GG", pack it up and go home. Rinse and repeat. You never amount to anything! It's such a sad, unfulfilling life, destined for mediocrity!"
"You're one to talk." Ryo came back.
"The difference between you and me?!" Big continued. "I never quit! NEVER! When that walking troll doll Benimaru thrashed me in Round 1, did I pack it up and ride away? When my victory in the Battle Royale was snatched from me at the last second, did I call it a day? NO!"
Yuri snarled. "Yeah, you may look at that as some kind of merit, but that just means you're a persistent loser who relishes in ruining everyone's day and being a general piece of shit."
Big growled, having officially lost his cool. The two of them took a step forward to approach, but he quickly brought his hand around his neck and yanked the chain free, dangling a tiny silver key in front of them.
"Both of you just BACK OFF! You see this? This was given to me by the hostess herself. Now, this money is MINE. I earned it! You have no right to stand in my way, you little pissants!"
Ryo snorted. "Oh, rights? You wanna talk about RIGHTS?! Well let's go then... how about, you didn't have the right to play dirty and jump people before the Battle Royale. You didn't have the right to kidnap Bao and Momoko. You didn't have the right to run a crime ring in my city, blackmail my Dad, AND KIDNAP MY F***ING SISTER! YOU WANNA TALK RIGHTS WITH ME?!"
Big smiled a crooked smile, shrugging. "Hehehe! Yeah, well what's done is done, Karate boy. Yeah, I did all that stuff. And I loved every god damn second of it. I love being bad! It leaves a better taste in my mouth than stogies! And anyone who said being bad doesn't pay off, well..."
He just grinned mockingly, waving the key in their faces. Ryo and Yuri were less than impressed.
"You're gonna be wearing that key up your ass!" Yuri spat. "And it's gonna be hard to use it with ten broken fingers!"
Big sarcastically waved his hands. "Oooh I'm so scared of a bunch of punks I've schooled time and time again. What are you gonna do about it, huh spandex ass? You gonna stop me? You think you got the balls?"
Ryo stepped up. "WE are gonna stop you... and your history is a little blurry, because beating you is second nature to us. Now PUT EM UP!"
Big produced a twisted, maniacal grin, a face that shown even despite his obscuring sunglasses. He reached his hands into his coat, inserted the key... and produced his Eskrima sticks, flinging one into the air and catching it in his free hand. He crossed them, getting into fighting stance.
"This'll be the cherry on top of my epic success story!"