Despite the unstable conditions around them, Silber's footsteps had no urgency in his approach to the downed body of Big. He enjoyed every extended second of the man rolling around on the ground, writhing in pain, a blow so severe to his body that it cracked multiple ribs and made getting up an impossible feat.

The often-scowling martial artist allowed himself a devious smile, relishing Big's agonizing groans, as his shadow finally loomed over his fallen foe, and he leaned down... as his hand clutched the key, forcefully removing it from his neck, he whispered a remembered promise.

"I told you I'd get you back. When it comes to my fists, I'm a man of my word."

The key now back in his grasp, Silber turned and faced the door... he then cut back to the downed Big. Decisions, decisions... what to do first?

His decision came quickly, and with it, a sadistic smile. He turned back to Big. "I'd love to see the wound of failure on your face when I walk out of here with the money... but I'll grant you a tiny mercy. More than you deserve. First, I'm going to bend you over my knee and sever your spine with a single chop... then I'm going to collect my fee and disappear. You can lay there and die, knowing that in your entire pathetic life, you finally crossed the wrong man."

"Urrrrrrrghhhhhhh..." was all Big could utter in response.

Silber leaned down, snatching him by the back of his head-

"SILBER!"

He stopped. Letting go, he turned to find the source of the voice. That's when he noticed them: Ryo and Yuri Sakazaki, trapped under fallen rubble.

"Silber! Urgh!" Ryo grunted. "It's... me! It's Ryo! We fought at Buriki One! Back in 99!"

Silber put a hand to his chin, remembering. "That's right... I remember you. You almost had me... and you wore me down so bad, that MMA punk Gai Tendo stole my championship."

"Look, I'm sorry about all that," Ryo sweatdropped, "But listen, can you find it in your crusty old heart to help us out of here? I... urrgh... my leg is hurt. I don't think I can put weight on it."

Silber scoffed. "You're a powerful martial artist. Get yourselves out. I'm taking the money and leaving."

"B-but...!" Yuri stammered.

"I said I'm DONE!" Silber barked. "I've had my fill of this assignment. Powdering the ass of that psychotic princess bitch all week... and I never even got to fight in the tournament like I wanted! She promised me a spot if anything went awry, and they went back on their word! Screw them both! Their biggest mistake was giving me this key to hold onto for the finals... now that it's back in my grasp, I'm going to do two things, and two things only: kill this bald bastard, and make off with MY prize."

Having said his piece, Silber turned back to his fallen foe. Kneeling down, grabbing his head...

Only for Ryo to again interject. "Silber, for god's sake man... you can't just kill Big here."

"Watch me." Silber accepted the challenge. A psychotic grin on his face, he started to bend -Big over his knee...

...Only for a loud crash to interrupt him. "Damn!" He just barely got his arm up in time, to shield himself from the dust and debris, as another piece of the roof had caved in, crumbling to the floor just a few feet away.

With an annoyed sigh, he let go of Big, letting him crumple back to the floor. "You know what? Screw it. Better to let you lay here and suffer until you're buried under a pile of rubble. Good call, Sakazaki!"

"That's not what I meant..." Ryo groaned.

Now with the only other thing checked off his to-do list, Silber presented his hand to the doorknob with newfound clarity, nothing else mentally hindering him, as he now felt satisfied with his settled vendetta. He began to twist the handle, and the door to his fortune cracked open...

"...Silber."

He sighed; always interruptions. He swung around once again, to face the siblings. "What?!"

"...Please. I'm begging you." Ryo's voice carried a pleading sincerity, not often needed to be utilized, as he could often fight his own battles... but this time, their lives truly were in the hands of another. He appealed to the man's humanity as best he could. "Please, don't leave my sister here like this. I don't know what I could do to pay you back, but... I'll think of anything. Please... just get us out of here. I need to make sure King's okay. And Robert. And Kasumi."

Yuri's eyebrow slightly cocked upon hearing that last name, but she too nodded in agreement.

Silber grunted, finding himself with a crossroads. He looked at the door, then back at them, then back at the door. He couldn't carry the money AND them at the same time... if he went after the money now, Ryo and Yuri could be crushed in the next minutes. Their deaths on his conscience. He had no qualms about death, but... not like this. This was different than killing someone in combat or settling a feud: this was leaving innocents to die. He could always just rescue them, and make a second trip...

With one final annoyed grunt, Silber's hand retracted from the door. He turned around, walking towards them... Ryo and Yuri's hearts started beating, their faces lighting up with newfound hope...

"DORRYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Silber raised his hand and brought it down on the rubble, obliterating it, and freeing the Kyokugen siblings. Through pained, groaning faces, they expressed their gratitude.

"Silber... thank you!" Ryo blurted.

"You do have a heart under all that ugliness!" Yuri smiled.

The dangerous Karate man rolled his eyes and knelt down, scooping them up by the arms, draping the appendages over his shoulders, so the three could walk out as one cohesive unit.

"You DO owe me for this, Sakazakis... and I intend to collect." Silber promised. "I want a match out of you when you're better, Ryo. But that's not all! I'll think of other things too!"

"Whatever you want man, we'll grant it!" Ryo agreed. "Just get us out of here!"

The three supporting each other like chain links, they began an uneasy but methodical trek towards whatever exit they could find, to get out of the enclosure and into open field.

Of the three, it was but one who began to feel reservations... and he stopped, holding up the progress, turning to look back at the crumpled mess of a man they were leaving behind.

"What is it, Ryo?" Yuri's voice was more urging than inquiring.

"Guys, can we really just... leave him here?"

His sister looked at him like he was crazy. "You're joking, right?"

Ryo nervously rubbed his head. "Yuri, I mean, it's... leaving a man to die. I'm not sure I can live with that on me."

Yuri's eyes spoke a much different story, as they narrowed to a ruthless frown. "...I can."

"Yuri!"

"It's not like we're MURDERING him!" she argued. "But why should we have to save him? No... we don't owe Big anything. I'm not lifting a finger of compassion for him."

"Yuri..." Ryo looked down in disappointment.

"You're outvoted, Sakazaki." Silber grunted. "Enough wasting time! We move!"

The other two- the majority vote - started to move again, prompting Ryo to use his feet to keep the line moving properly. He had only one more chance to look back, and reflect on t he morality of leaving another human being to die, before the three rounded a corner and were out of sight.


For all his effort to crush one Yata Maiden, Goenitz now found himself faced with two.

The blue one, designated as Maki, stood tall, poised and powerful. Unblemished. As if she were the real thing, standing there in such majestic radiance, fulfilling her sworn duty: the one she'd given her life for.

The white one, Chizuru, was much worse for wear: just barely on her feet, looking ready to drop any moment, it was obvious the wounded and fatigued maiden was now expending a tremendous amount of mental and spiritual energy to bring her "sister" to an ethereal form.

Yet, even now, that mouth-hanging, panting, hazy face carried a fire in those eyes that would not extinguish until justice was served. Justice... or vengeance. Either one would do.

Initially perturbed by the presence of both, Goenitz now gazed upon them with a mocking smile, and equally demeaning words.

"Just when I thought you couldn't be more pitiful... you conjure this "thing" up. A fake. Are you so deluded, so detached from the present, that you use your harlot magic tricks to desperately cling to the illusion of a life long deceased? This thing isn't your sister... she's a projection of your own shameful insecurities."

Chizuru shook away his words. He would say anything... any insult, to try and shake her nerve. She knew this wasn't the real Maki; it had nothing to do with denial, or a failure to let go. This was about bringing herself inner peace... and to stand alongside her sister, and strike down their hated foe together... that would grant them both a blissful sleep, at long last.

Goenitz continued to throw mockery her way. "You think yourself stronger as two? You've only made yourself twice as weak, forcing yourself to dedicated energy to this... pitiful monument to your failures. I'll do you a favor now... I'll end your anguish, and grant you eternal rest. There will be plenty coming to keep you company."

"...You done yet, windbag?!"

Chizuru couldn't help the tiniest smirk, seeing his eye twitch. Maki was almost the more brash, assertive one... to speak through her this way was a liberating privilege; a chance to be bigger than herself. To say things she herself wouldn't say.

Maki was full-on grinning mischievously. "You certainly dress the part, because you are SOOO PREACHY. You're worse than a Christian sermon on a Sunday. Nobody wants to come to your church, Goenitz... so I'll do YOU a favor, and close it early!"

Goenitz's initial disgust bottomed back out to a condescending smile. "You speak with words that aren't your own. You're a coward, through and through. I've entertained this parlor trick long enough... now you perish in the name of God Almighty."

The maidens saw his hand raise... and they knew the time for speaking had expired.

"Let's get him, Chizuru."

Goenitz unleashed Yonokaze, zeroing down on them from above; Chizuru and Maki's movements were in perfect unison, not a step missed, as they gracefully spun to evade, their arms swaying in motion like a swan's wings.

They both rushed him at once. Goenitz aimed his hand forward, unsure of which one to fire at first... figuring that he could destroy the illusion with a single hit, he fired a compressed wind blast at Maki.

...To his surprise, she acted in the same manner the flesh and blood maiden would: turning transparent, as the body residing there took the hit, and another Maki leaped out of her, flying towards Goenitz, still intact.

"What...!" Goenitz was forced on the defensive as Maki spun in mid-air to gather momentum and came down on him with a massive palm strike. By the time he translocated out of the way, a white-clad Yata Maiden shot forward, plowing into him like a drive-by, spinning him around. He looked around, trying to find her: gone, a diversion.

Her purpose to distract him, by the time he collected himself, he found his chest pummeled by a lightning swift combination palm by Maki, striking him with three quick stings, before spinning around for a fourth, more grandiose strike. He had the caveat to parry, and counter with a vicious slash that cut deep into her chest; the Maki standing there vanished, and another Maki backpedaled to a safe distance...

By the time he turned his attention to Chizuru, all he saw was a foot come down on him from above: a missile of a flying kick, knocking him clean off his feet and downing him for the first time.

"Awesome!" Mai, who had slightly recovered from the wind attack, was able to exclaim. "Chizuru landed a clean hit on him!"

King was also starting to come around. "She... looks like she has a chance now. Maybe if we..."

"No." Saisyu shook his head. "Chizuru would never allow us to intervene... she's determined to handle this herself. I don't agree with it, but..."

"Our girl's got this!" Mai threw her fist in the air. "Chiz is really, really powerful! I've always believed in her abilities, even when victory seemed ridiculous! She can win here!"

"Mai's right!" King backed her up. "They were able to stop Goenitz back then... and she can do it now! CHIZURUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! YOU GOT THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Chizuru was winded, but the support of her fellow women on the sidelines filled her with morale. Their cheers compelled her body forward as she spun around, thrusting her long leg out with a spinning back kick aimed high; Goenitz blocked it with his forearm, and was wise to Chizuru's tricks, as she tried to summon a clone to dip low and clip his leg. He floated backwards, easily dodging it...

...But he forgot about the blue one!

Chizuru smiled as she brought her hands up, using them as a springboard, as Maki landed on top of her and launched into the air, coming at Goenitz. He snarled and fired a wind sickle, ripping through her; but only a blue image took the hit, as the more solid Maki continued forward and tried to slam a palm into his face.

Goenitz was forced to physically sidestep the attack. Switching up his strategy, he decided that felling the REAL Yata Maiden would end the battle quickly. He tried to fire a wind sickle... but his choice to ignore the blue one cost him, as Maki grabbed his arm and yanked it off-trajectory, sending his wind sickle sailing into the distance.

His arm restrained, Goenitz was only able to sway his head to avoid the thrusting palm from Chizuru... but she still broke though, spawning a clone within her body that chopped him to the stomach, allowing her to backhand him in the jaw. Maki joined in, cracking him in the back of the head with a curving elbow... Goenitz was getting pieced up.

"Urgh.. n.. NO!"

Goenitz, in an act of desperation, raised his hand and engulfed his own body in a HELLISH tornado, the force of the gusts so powerful, it rended the Yata Maidens to pieces, the sisters forced to leave images behind and retreat backwards to safety. It looked like a suicidal move... but as Goenitz stood in the center of the whirlwind, he himself was unharmed.

Though they escaped, both Yata Maidens were shaken up by the powerful force of the tornado. It took a second to recover... and that's what Goenitz needed to resume his attack. He unleashed not one Yonokaze, but TWO: both coming down on the respective maidens at the same time, forcing them to just barely leap out of the way.

"We can't stay at range, Chizuru!" Maki urged.

Chizuru nodded. "Right! Set up our screen! We overwhelm him!"

Their eyes glowed in unison; their bodily movements in perfect sync, as the Yata Mirror worked overtime, spawning an army of mirror clones... half of them white, the other half blue. In a matter of seconds, the real Chizuru and "Maki" were concealed within the school, difficult to locate.

"GO NOWWWWW!" they all charged at once.

Goenitz didn't need to locate them. Deciding to overwhelm them with volume, he raised his hands and snapped both fingers at once, sending a destructive volley of wind sickles flying at them. The bodies met the projectiles, and the screams started ringing out; one by one, the clones fell... but they seemed to just go on forever, as they kept getting closer!

Goenitz growled. Surely they couldn't be infinite?! He raised his hand again, summoning Yonokaze: a whirlwind crashed down dead center in the pile, cutting down the majority of the clones in a blast so powerful, it kicked up a huge dust cloud...

...He was only able to enjoy a satisfied smile for a few seconds, as from that dust cloud, two Yata Maidens emerged! One white, one blue!

"NO!" Goenitz cursed.

"YEEEEAH KEEP GOING CHIZURUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Mai and King screamed their support.

"Maki, we end him now!" Chizuru yelled to the left.

"Yes! We finish this!" Maki called to the right.

Goenitz's face was deranged at this point. "I WILL NOT BE UNDERMINED BY CHEAP ILLUSIONARY TRICKERY! YOU'RE BOTH FRAUDS! FRAUDS! YOU DON'T POSSESS REAL POWER! THIS IS REAL POWERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Although he was a ghost, Goenitz still possessed an overwhelming wind aura, more powerful than Yashiro, Chris and Shermie combined. The sheer force of his chi was enough to blow Maki and Chizuru backwards before they could get within yards of him, and the terrifying wind didn't subside. They were forced backwards, feet skidding against their will, their bodies struggling to stay upright, as they were now forced to fight against the current... to work their way up to him...

"Urgh! This wind!" even from all the way to the wall of the Stadium, Saisyu and the others felt the effects.

Mai and King were pushed back, pinned against the wall. "Urrghhhhh...!"

"Miss... Kagura..." Saisyu grunted, even he unable to power through it. "Put an end to this madness...!"

Chizuru flailed her hands out, reaching... it was almost too much. Like waves of water constantly pounding her, threatening to send her body astray. Forward movement seemed impossible. She could only close her eyes and reach out... pray that another hand found hers, to give her some shred of support...

...and it did. Her eyes opened wide when she felt a hand clasp hers, and she could make out the piercing blue garb and raven hair.

"CHIZURUUU!" Maki yelled out. "WE WORK OUR WAY TOWARDS HIM! TOGETHER!"

Chizuru knew what to do. Summoning her strength, she snatched up the arm of her sister, spinning her around to gather momentum, and she whipped Maki forward...

...Maki then followed suit, still holding Chizuru's hand, slinging the arm of the white maiden and sending her body forward.

Chizuru continued the cycle, spinning around Maki and sending her feet precious yards closer...

They worked in unison, like a machine, each supporting the other, as they continued the same motion over and over, falling into a comfortable rhythm. Chizuru sent Maki forward, Maki sent Chizuru forward... they were beating the repelling force of Goenitz's wind with teamwork and sheer will.

"Almost... there!"

"Just a little... more!"

Yes... they could see him clearly now. His face robbed of the high-and-mightiness it once contained. He looked like a man frustrated, a man who had spoken bombastically and struggled to back it up. The Yata Maidens had taken everything he dished out... and now they came at him once more.

"NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

They screamed in unison as Maki whipped Chizuru forward for the final time, and she was able to clone-climb the remainder of the way, switching body after body in a chain, until Goenitz was finally forced to abandon his nasty wind barrier and go on the offensive.

"IN THE NAME OF GOD, I SMITE THEE!"

Goenitz surprisingly came at her hand to hand, spinning around with a back kick; his leg passed through her stomach and the body vanished, the frustrated Goenitz unable to stop Chizuru coming down from above and crashing onto him, her hand snatching his neck and pinning him to the ground under her weight. She tried to seal him with two fingers to the chest, but he was wise to it, stopping the fingers before they reached and slashing through her chest with rending claws, prompting a body change to survive.

Goenitz floated back to his feet and found himself outnumbered by both sisters once again. He tried to unleash Yonokaze; they came in too quick, and Maki smacked his hand off-track, as Chizuru fired a knee to his gut that backed him into kicking range... and the two sisters again demonstrated perfect sync and symmetry, as their bodies moved as one and simultaneously hit him with a crane kick to the face. An astonished Goenitz was unable to tank the attack, and he hit the ground again.

"Just a little more!" Chizuru cheered on her fellow maiden.

"We just have to set him up for it...!" Maki smiled back.

Goenitz again returned upwards... and his face bore such fury, his words such thunder, if he were a mortal, he'd be spitting mad.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I WON'T BE DEFEATED BY YOU FILTHY, HEATHENOUS, UNHOLY, PESTILOUS SWINE! YOUR BODIES AND SOULS WILL BE DAMNED TO HELL!"

Chizuru steeled her resolve one last time, getting into fighting stance. "This is it, Maki. We-"

"I got this."

Before Chizuru could open her mouth again, Maki shoved her and charged forward by herself, towards a Goenitz so enraged, his eyes were blood red.

"Maki, NO! MAKI!" Chizuru cried. How was she acting of her own...?!

Chizuru tried to run after her, but two Maki clones sprinted out and subdued her, preventing her from joining her sister's side. "MAKIIII! WHAT ARE YOU DOINGGGGGGGG?!"

"TRUST ME!" Maki exclaimed. "LOVE YOU SIS!"

Maki spun around to gather momentum and unleashed a huge vertical chop, the telegraphed attack easily evaded by Goenitz, and he was also wise to the follow up left that curved towards his temple. Another evasion, and he predicted Maki's next move would involve a clone... sure enough, not even recovering from her whiff, a Maki clone shot out of her body, her spinning upper attempting to catch Goenitz on the chin... this is where she made a mistake, as the Maki on the ground switched into the one now in the air, allowing Goenitz to punish her miss, grabbing her and slinging her through the air, until he slammed her down at his feet.

"MAKIII!" Chizuru had seen enough, overpowering the clones holding her and racing forward to try and support her sister...

...but Maki only smiled at her, having all the time she needed.

Goenitz tried to dig into the downed maiden's chest, but she vanished, his fingers hitting nothing but dirt. Maki side rolled and sprang to her feet, and she lunged with a straight palm, Goenitz parrying and responding with a rending slash that cleaved her blue top several inches down the middle.

Chizuru ran as fast as her labored legs could carry... almost...!

"MAKI!"

Maki threw a high front kick; Goenitz caught it, holding her foot there... and Maki smile clone sprouted from her body and passed THROUGH Goenitz, appearing behind him.

By the time the Maki whose foot he was holding vanished, the Maki behind him seized his arms, attempting to hold him in place... but the enraged Goenitz quickly overpowered her, spinning around... a hand found her neck, and he snatched her up with bloodthirsty eyes.

Chizuru's heart pounded, all the air leaving her in one huge gasp. No... not again... not like this...!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

...But when she looked into the eyes of the captive Maki, she looked back... there was no fear. No sorrow. Only a smile: a warm, comforting smile, that spoke of content... that spoke of closure.

The last thing Chizuru saw of her sister's image was an affectionate wink, before a tornado ripped through her, engulfing her body within its tempest... until the wind subsided and nothing remained.

Chizuru understood fully now. Goenitz's back still turned, she charged forward with all the fury of decades of sorrow and sleepless nights coursing through her. Her body glowed with a radiant light, as two supercharged fingers drew back... and with one last thought of Maki, she struck fast and true.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SEALLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Her fingers pierced Goenitz's back like a thrusting lance, right where his heart resided on the other side... all at once, she felt whatever menacing, terrifying strength the wind priest once had leave him, until his body radiated no more power than a docile child. She couldn't see Goenitz's face from her end... but she hoped he was shocked. She hoped he was humbled, knowing the sister that got away finally dealt him what he deserved.

"Got you... bastard..." Chizuru smiled weakly... and the two of them fell at the same time.

"NOO!" Yashiro witnessed the fall of Goenitz from a distance away, and felt his last bastion of hope crumble away.

The mistake of taking his eyes off Iori was a grave one; by the time he turned back around, a flaming purple fist crashed into his face, sending his large frame skidding across the ground. He sprang back up quickly, but Iori was already on him; a ferocious left body hook ripped his side, backing Yashiro into kicking range as a high left roundhouse followed after and crashed into his arm, buckling him to a knee. Iori tried to ram him with a charging knee... Yashiro was able to catch a breather by seizing his leg mid-flight and nailing him with a vicious straight to the body, stopping his momentum and stunning him long enough for Yashiro to recover and piece him up with a body-head combo, finishing with a roundhouse of his own that sent Iori tumbling backwards.

"BASTARRRRRRDS!" he howled as he cocked back and put his whole body into a massive left cross; Iori slipped through it and pressed himself into Yashiro's torso, firing a drilling knee to the body, which was still weak from the beating... Yashiro stumbled backwards, and Iori caught him with a front kick to the chin that knocked him back even further... the cherry on top finally being a fireball that exploded into him with no chance of defense, sending him a great distance across the field.

"Just stay down, you bastard." Iori muttered a plea to himself.

...But there was no chance of stopping the raw, unleashed fury Yashiro bore inside him. A suicidal rage, that led to but one destination.

"HRRRRAGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yashiro's body pulsed with golden veins as he slammed his fist into the ground, spawning a straight line of jagged, misshapen stalagmites that traveled towards Iori on a rail...

But Iori's mortal powers ignited, his eyes glowing violet as he raised his palm, streams of fire forming into a swirling ball, that ended with him slamming his hand into the ground and sending a trail of purple flames in the same path. The two streams met in the middle... but the debate was short, and Iori's power ripped through Yashiro's in a mere second, traveling uncontested until the lone survivor was forced to turtle up and absorb the burning, hellish power of live Yasakani flames. Iori heard his scream, and within the smoke and embers he assumed it was over. Quickly turning his attention to Chizuru, he raced in her direction...

...Only for the smoke to clear, and a hateful voice scream out his name, still very much existing.

"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

"Son of a...!" Iori spun around, and in the distance stood a man on his last stand... his hair a mess, clothes practically obliterated, the smoke still rising off his smoldering skin. He ignored it, burying his fist into the ground, to gather the life force necessary to deal a decisive blow.

"OROCHIIII! GRANT ME THE POWER OF THE EARTH!" he boomed as his body coursed with gold, his eyes glowing, until he removed his fist from the ground and charged forward with one final bid for victory.

Iori wasn't one to leave things unsettled. His eyes glowed purple as a terrifying aura surrounded him, his fist opening and fingers curling, fire on the tips of all five digits. With an equally powerful yell, Iori drew back his claws and raced out to meet him.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gold met purple in a scintillating flash, and the power of their impact sent shockwaves through the entire Stadium, even unearthing some clumps of dirt and grass in the process.

The explosion began to slowly wear down... the picture clearing...

...And the two of them stood face to face, Yashiro's fist past Iori's head, inches off mark...Iori's hand was through his stomach, the fingers emerging from the other end, clearly having hit their mark.

Iori wasted no time ripping his fingers from the torso and throwing his defeated opponent to the ground. "Chizuru!"

His foremost thoughts were of her safety as he raced out to meet her, where she had fallen. She was collapsed on the back of her knees, a few feet away from where Goenitz had went down; Iori was quick to rush in there and scoop her up, to get her away from him hastily.

"Iori..." Chizuru's eyes were pouring tears, as she surrendered herself into his arms, her strength gone from every last bit of power being put into that critical strike.

"It's okay, Chiz." he stroked her hair gently. "It's okay... you won."

"It was her..." Chizuru's breaking voice evened out. "She knew... somehow she knew... and she acted on her own. She knew Goenitz was angry... so angry, that he'd relish the opportunity to kill one of us, even if it let his guard down. That's why she raced ahead. She got him focused on her, knowing she didn't stand a chance by herself... she gave her life again, to give me that opening."

"Maybe you made her too well." Iori smiled. "You always said she was the brash, impulsive one, your sister. I know she wasn't the real thing, but... you knew her better than anyone. Her thoughts, feelings, convictions, the way she carried herself. I think the Yata Mirror made a realer Maki than you thought possible."

"Maki..." her eyes closed, and fresh tears spilled. "I hope you're resting peacefully now. Thank you..."

She collapsed into Iori's arms again, finding comfort there, as there was no need to hold back her tears. They flowed freely; Iori allowed her to stay there, understanding what it meant to her to be able to cry in seclusion like this. He soothed her the only way he could, gently running fingers through her long, raven hair.

"Ha ha ha ha ha...!"

The two of them jumped slightly; Goenitz, who had been laying there idle, his eyes closed, suddenly reopened them and was laughing. Chizuru's solemn moment was interrupted, as she turned back to face him with furious eyes, but Iori held her tight in restraint.

"You humans are so shallow." Goenitz, even in defeat, smiled. "What are you celebrating? Do you find slightly more inner peace for beating me in a fight? You think this brings you, or your sister closure? She's beyond hearing. She doesn't know what you've done here. Her last memory was and always will be calling out your name as I ended her life, and you were nowhere to be found-"

"SHUT UP!" Iori extended a hand, blazing with a furious ball of his hereditary power.

Goenitz cackled. "Hahahahahahahahahaaa... this is nothing, a pointless victory. This is the closest we've came since that year. The next time will be even closer... count your blessings while you have the chance, for humans' time on this Earth is limited. Your reign as the dominant species will soon take its natural course-"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Out of nowhere, Iori and Chizuru found themselves knocked to the ground, as a reddish-blue blur forced through them and pinned Goenitz where he lay. Her hand raised, and plunged into his heart.

"Urrrghhhkkk...!"

Goenitz's eyes rolled back, as the hand removed itself from his chest and came down a second time... a third time... a fourth time... by the time his body had vanished from this world, Leona was just stabbing the dirt... her rage in full speed, her hand couldn't cease the mechanical function, hysterical screams drowning out her rational thought.

"Leona...LEONA!" Heidern raced over to her, where her hand continued to assault that same spot where his body formerly resided. She raised her hand for the tenth time... Heidern quickly caught her wrist before it could come down again, snatching her up and pressing her tight against him.

"LEONA...Leona... it's over. Listen to me... it's over." Heidern held her tight, not daring to let go, but he allowed one hand to attempt to soothe her with a gentle rubbing of her back. "It's over... it's over..."

The traces of red in her hair slowly faded back to its natural blue... until Leona Heidern was herself again, her body wrought with fatigue, as she allowed Heidern's arms to support her weight. It was an affection not often shown in public...but in this case, she didn't care.

They all wanted to savor this moment, for their own personal reasons.


The next minutes ran the gamut: medics were on scene to pick up the grievously wounded, the fighters all picked themselves up best they could. Several of them had been hit directly by Magaki's Cosmic Distortion, and they were the ones in most need of urgent care. At this point, the KOF tournament might be relocated to the hospital altogether...

"Oh my god! Is everybody okay?"

Athena, who had overseen the evacuation, returned to the Stadium and finally witnessed the carnage firsthand. "Did Magaki do all this?"

Iori shook his head. "Not all of it. Something worse came... I'll tell you about it sometime."

"There's going to be a lot of stories to share." Heidern seconded. "But for now, the safety of our fighters is top priority. Good job on getting the people out, Asamiya. You too, Yuki and Ai."

"MIGNON HELPED TOO!" the pink-haired wizard angrily stomped.

"Thanks! It was nothing." Yuki grinned. "I even got Ai to take her nose out of Rage of the Dragons for a minute."

"Hey, I can do my job!" Ai stuck her tongue out at him.

Heidern nodded to them, before turning his attention to Chizuru. "Miss Kagura... do you need medical attention?"

Chizuru shook her head. "No, I can patch myself up. H-Heidern I... thank you. For everything. You came here and... if it weren't for your guidance..."

Heidern put a ceasing hand up. "There's no need, Miss Kagura. I was simply doing my duty, as always... but I'd be happy to tend to your injuries, if you'd have me."

That caused a slight blush to form on her cheeks. "Oh! Uhh... w-well... if you want to. Th...thank you~"

Iori, meanwhile, was tending to the other Heidern. She wobbled a few times, his arms quickly there to support her. "Easy, easy... I'm amazed you're up after everything you got hit with."

"I heal quicker than most." Leona dismissed. "Kind of like her."

The two of them looked in the distance, where Angel was just sort of meandering... upon the luchadora noticing their gazes, she flashed them a rather rude gesture, pumping her fist in front of her mouth, her tongue bulging inside her cheek to simulate... a behind-the-doors activity. Maybe she was aware of something between them that was attempted to be kept discreet. A laugh as she walked away indicated so.

Iori rolled his eyes. "You gonna be okay?"

Leona nodded. "I'll be fine... but... my men need me."

"It's okay, I understand."

"Will... you be okay?"

Iori nodded now. "I'll manage. Not sure if we have a tournament at this point. Doesn't matter to me, at any rate... I'm just ready to go home."

"So am I. Well then..." Leona leaned in, giving Iori a parting kiss on the cheek. "Take care of yourself."

"You too."

With that, Leona was on her way, leaving Iori to think... what was next for him, anyway? The hospital? No... didn't feel like it. Wasn't in the mood for such a social scene. He really just wanted to find a bed and crash. Unload everything that happened. It's been a long day... weird one. They can handle things from here. He did his part... he deserved to be a little selfish.

He started towards the exit, and out of the corner of his eye he saw... a tuft of white in the distance. He connected it to a body, not appearing to be moving, but sitting... dormant. After his eyes fully captured it, he was able to quickly piece together who it was.

"Yashiro!"

Refusing to leave a loose end, Iori raced out towards the outskirts of the Stadium, where Yashiro Nanasake was no longer up and active... his body had returned to its normal pigment, his power apparently drained. There was no sense of aggression in him, as he sat on the grass, his legs straightened forward, his palms gripping two clumps of dirt at his sides. He only stared blankly... outwards, towards the nearest wall in front of him. His fight gone.

Iori approached behind him, and Yashiro instantly knew who it was. He started to talk.

"I lost everything. I put everything I had into this... and I lost it all."

Iori's demeanor changed from his initial aggressive intent. This was no longer a man looking to trade blows to the last breath... but a man defeated. Broken. Stripped. Whatever hateful banter Iori had prepared was swallowed, and the Yagami only stood in silence.

Yashiro continued, with an ironic chuckle. "We were enemies... us and them. But in the end, we all wanted the same thing... a world where nobody else could put us down. A world where we weren't rejects. Freaks. Nobodies. That's all I wanted... to spend my life with them. The world hates us for it."

Iori finally spoke, challenging him. "You chose to put yourself at odds with the world."

"...Did I?"

Those two words extinguished whatever further rebuttal Iori had. At this point, there was no contest of ideals, no vendetta of circumstances' past... just a bittersweet silence between two "hated" enemies, who had nothing left in them, each in their own way.

A whole minute of silence passed, before Yashiro again uttered two words... words of finality, of terminal acceptance.

"Kill me."

Iori was hesitant for only a partial minute, taking in the weight and reality of the request... for mercy, if no other better justification. With a nod that went unseen, Iori raised his hand, curling the fingers into piercing talons. He made it quick.

NEXT CHAPTER: The aftermath of a horrific final day at Allianz Arena, as everyone attempts to lick their wounds and figure out their next step. But is the conflict REALLY over? Find out next time! But first... BONUS SCENES below! You don't wanna miss em!


BONUS SCENE 1

"RYO! YURI!"

As soon as King saw them, she raced with newfound speed out to meet them. Silber wisely let them go, allowing them to collapse forward into King's arms, who was able to support them.

"Mmmmwah! Mmmmwah! Où diable étiez-vous les gars?!" King was full-on French as she kissed Ryo on the lips, and then, perhaps unconsciously, kissed Yuri on the lips too, producing a slight blush from the Kyokugen sister. Her strength along with theirs was enough to hold the two of them up, as the three huddled together in a bubble of reunion. "I was worried sick about you guys!"

"You good here? Cool. I'm going back for the money." Silber quickly lit out.

"SILBER!" Ryo called out to him. "You're a good guy. Sometimes. Thank you."

"Thank you!" Yuri echoed.

Silber didn't look back; an annoyed grunt and he kept on walking.

King recaptured their attention. "What the hell were you guys doing? We had this horrible pink... THING out here, blowing up the Stadium! And then that wind guy showed back up and... where were you guys?!"

"Well, umm..."

"Ummm..."

"You see..."

"Well, we kinda..."

"See, Big was like... walking by and..."

"We followed him and... kinda..."

"...Beat his ass?"

SMACK! SMACK!

Ryo and Yuri were treated to another kiss... in the form of a hand slapping their heads.

"YOU IDIOTS! I WAS OUT HERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU, AND YOU DITCHED ME TO GO JUMP BIG?!"

"B-but Kingy-"

"But King...!"

"We didn't know about the...!"

"The Stadium exploding and...!"

"DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!" King silenced them. "Now... I'm marching you two to the hospital, and as soon as you're able to move properly again, you're in big trouble! Revenge doesn't come before your loved ones! Got it?!"

"S-sorry..." Ryo sheepishly apologized.

"S-sorry Kingy..." Yuri echoed.

"Where is Big, anyway?"

The two siblings looked at each other, silent, which stirred King's curiosity even further. She pressed the issue. "Well?"

...The two turned back to face her, their faces stone solid.

"We..."

"Left him inside the building."

King's eyes widened. She turned to face the Stadium, which was looking very dilapidated. "You left Big in THERE? But that place is coming down!"

"...We know." they said unison, their level of remorse questionable.


BONUS SCENE 2

Within the impending destruction of the interior, Mr. Big continued to lay, too wounded to move on his own. Silber's punch had no doubt cracked ribs, and potentially left him with his next bowel movement being more blood than anything.

But that wasn't what hurt the most. The biggest sting was knowing he had come THIS far... mere feet away from the door to the security room which contained the prize money. If he could but rise to his feet, and walk forward, he could reach out and touch it... but even a mere thought of moving produced a pain so horrendous, he let loose an acidic cough, gurgling on a bubbly, coppery liquid in his throat: perhaps bile, but probably his blood trying to puke out.

His stubborn persistence finally compelled him to will his body forward, the end result being him falling over like a tipped chair, onto his stomach, his face now kissing the floor. On the bright side, it finally allowed him to expel the blood and other fluids in his throat, lest he choke on them. It did, however, leave him in a new and more demeaning position of laying facefirst in a puddle of his own failure... and that just made him feel worse.

At this point, Big was humiliated and beaten enough to lay here and accept whatever fate befell him. He figured he deserved it, after everything... and maybe a roof falling on his head and killing him instantly was actually a more merciful way to go than what a scumbag like him deserves. With a content smile, Big closed his eyes and laid there, preparing to accept death...

...Until a pair of footsteps clacked closer, finally stopping in front of him.

"Big? The hell ya doin' here?"

Big's eyes opened, and he couldn't have been happier to see that pair of shoes, much less the impressive slabs they belonged to, clad in black pants.

"R...Ryuu...Ryujiii..." Big reached his hand out desperately, like a man dying of starvation reaching for a sandwich.

Yamazaki, who was disheveled himself after getting wind-blasted and crashing through a building, knelt down and snatched Big up by his chrome dome, no regard for the intense pain the kingpin was currently undergoing. Ignoring the cacophony of agonized screams, he stood Big back up to his feet, leaning him against the wall for support.

"NNNGGGGGH HOLY f***ING MOTHER OF f*** that hurts...!" Big's whimpers were almost childlike in their pity.

"Dude... you look like shit." Yamazaki bluntly observed, extending a single hand to keep Big against the wall.

"Cough cough cough cough... forget about it... the money... urrgh... through that door..." Big pointed weakly to the room, just a few feet away.

Yamazaki cackled. "HAHAHAHAHA! Damn Big, you're not lacking for being a stubborn son of a bitch. Don't you need a hospital?"

"Forget it..." Big rasped. "Ryuji... please... take me to the money... it's my last request..."

Yamazaki rolled his eyes. "Will you get a f***in' grip? Cmon."

Despite Big being no help whatsoever, Yamazaki was able to easily control him with one hand, as the two made their way next door to the room, finally catching a glimpse of the inside...

...And there it sat: a dark gray, steel box, two feet high, sealed by a circular padlock with a keyhole: the key currently held by Silber.

"There it is... hahaha... finally I can die in peace now..." Big exclaimed.

"Or, we could take the money and get outta here. How's that?"

"No Ryuji... don't you dare...don't give me hope again... please..."

"Oh shut up. Wait here."

Yamazaki sat Big down in the corner and approached the box... a maniacal glint in his eyes. His body glowed with a demonic reddish-black aura as his hand FLEW from his pocket with a SWOOOOSH!, too fast to be captured by the naked eye.

Big's eyes widened as he saw the padlock hit the floor... and the door to the box flew open, revealing its contents within: a solid gold KOF trophy... and 2.5 million dollars, in cold hard cash.

"We're in! Now let's find something to stuff it in and get outta here! Cmon Big, quit being useless! This was your plan all along, right?!" Yamazaki tried to urge him on.

"...Ryuji."

Big called out his name, halting his actions, and Yamazaki grunted with annoyance. "What?!"

"Why did you... come back for me?"

Yamazaki annoyedly rolled his eyes, extending his fingers. "Three reasons. One, because my other plans fell through, and my schedule is now cleared up. Two, because I want to get SOMETHING out of this week... and three, because of some stupid villain code of honor, you're the closest thing I have to a friend here. Now, are we still on or not? Because if you pussy out on me here, I'll be happy to take the money for myself and carry on the Southtown plan without you, comprende? Now... make yourself useful, and go find me a trash bag or something."

"Ahh what's the point..." Big sighed. "My men all left me... I got no crew."

Yamazaki leaned down, getting in his face. A hand flew out, slapping Big atop his bald dome. "So? They're the biggest bunch of naïve, gullible idiots I've ever seen. Go in there with your silver tongue, Speech 100 those bitches, and get em back!"

"You... you really think I can do it?"

Yamazaki shrugged. "Hey... you made it this far, right? You've gotten your shit kicked in more than enough times to make lesser people quit. You're either brave or certifiably insane. Now, for the love of god... get your ass up, and go limp somewhere and find something to stuff this money in!"

It wasn't easy... for a man to lose his hope, then subsequently regain that hope. It was almost cruel in its wiles, the way fate played such fickle hands. A few minutes ago, there would have been no greater pleasure than to just lay there, in his pain and misery, until it was finally silenced. And now, after all this... Yamazaki was asking him to get back up? No. No way. This was impossible. It was sick. He couldn't possibly... not at this point...

...Oh who was he kidding? He was MR. FUCKING BIG.

With a dastardly smile, Big strained with all the muscles that still functioned... combining his sticks into one, he used it as a crutch, helping himself up just a little higher... until he could get his feet under him. Then it became the final ordeal, pushing on the knees, ignoring the searing, screaming pain of his torso...!

...And he finally toughed it out. He stood once more, on his own two feet. He felt like expelling everything from stomach to chest... but if he could ignore that for a little while, the payoff would be worth it.

He flashed his teeth, as he proclaimed. "Let's get our money and get outta here."