DISCLAIMER: I don't own KOF, or any of the characters. This fanfic is written purely in the name of entertainment and is not going to profit me in anyway (in fact, it wastes my time). I accept all comments, however good or bad. STORYLINE: Character Focus – the Kyo/Shingo teacher/student relationship
Original Character – Kyuijyo Nikaido (yeah, Beni's lil bro)
Rivalry – ShingoYabuki VS RockHoward/JaeHoon/KyuijyoNikaido
Guests – This is KOF, but we will have a few walk-ins from
popular SNK/MARVEL/CAPCOM
TIME ERA – This takes place after KOF2001. Technically, I
started writing fic before KOF2002 even came out
in my local arcades, so this has absolutely
nothing to do with the KOF2003 storyline.

** Without further ado, go ahead and wipe yourself out. Domo!

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CHAPTER 03 : A Challenge to Kyo

KING'S BAR, SOUTHTOWN, TUESDAY, 10.13 AM ...

Shiranui Mai, Yuri Sakazaki, Li Xiangfei, Blue Mary and Kasumi Todoh stood around the table, looking sympathetically at King. She had not slept at all the whole night. It was only at 6.35 a.m. that Kyo and Iori finally decided to leave. King usually got started at seven in the morning, so there really was no point for her to go home and rest. "How terrible it must be for you ..." said Kasumi. King glared at her. How the heck more obvious can that be! But she calmed down when Yuri's hands affectionately squeezed her shoulders and neck. And she was far too sleepy to get pissed off at anyone anyway. Sleep. That's all that she desired for now.

Mary was stroking King's hair as she spoke about Kyo and Iori. "So, you are saying that they don't seem to hate each other anymore, hmm?"

Mai snorted. "Oh, I'm sure they do. They're just bored of pulling the same old 'I-wanna-kick-da-shit-outta-you' charade again and again. You'll see. When they get bored of being friends, they'll start killing each other again. Hahaha!"

Yuri continued to massage King tenderly, her skillfull hands working the lethargy out of her friends arms. "Mmm, now that KOF2001 is over, what do you girls feel like doing?"

"Whatever, I don't care, as long as we don't go along with any of Xiangfei's bright ideas! I am not crazy about being a waitress to pay off debts, even if it's in a five-star hotel in Paris!" Mai shrieked.

Xiangfei stuck her tongue out and hopped around, making explosive noises at Mai. At one point, she unwittingly bumped into Kasumi, and the little Todoh martial artist lost her balance and feel pertly on her cute bottom with a sharp 'eek!'

"LI-CHAAAN !!! Don't do that!!!" Kasumi wailed, rubbing her ass.

The other girls giggled at this, and even the partially-dead King managed a smile. Kasumi was always really whiny and sensitive when it came to basic manners and civic consciousness. They continued some idle chit-chat for awhile, when the bell suddenly jingled, indicating that a customer had just entered the bar. "Oh, darn ..." muttered King. She stood up and smoothed down her hair and straightened her uniform (from yesterday). King was not happy. She looked like shit, smelled like shit and felt like even more shit.

"Whussup, whussup, ya lovely ladies!". "Hey, it's too early in the morning for you to be flirting with girls, you faggot!". "Pipe down, shrimp, this is my league! I'm calling the shots!". "Forget about it, bro. Whenever Joe's got women on the brain, he resembles the Terminator. A man-machine with only one mission."

Mary and Mai both gave little yelps of joy. It's the men of the Fatal Fury team! Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia and Kim Kaphwan were with them as well. An unusually large group of delicious male specimens. Greetings were brief, but pleasant. And when Ryo came up and gave King a kiss on the cheek, she felt like she could tackle any number of sleepless nights. Terry gave Mary a piggyback ride, whilst Mai forced a protesting Andy to give her one. Robert went over to play with Yuri's braid, whilst she played with his ponytail. Kim smiled politely at the girls and went over to the bar to select a drink. Joe grinned all around, but was stoutly ignored by the girls who were heartily tired of his over-exaggerated hentai advances, especially Mai.

"Well, people, this is too beautiful a day to be spent indoors ... what say we all –" Terry began to say, but was firmly interrupted by one word.

"Sake ..."

Everyone turned to see who it was and froze. Kyo ... and Iori. King quickly brought herself to Earth. "Uhh, wow, okay, you're back! Uh, I'll be right with you!" She dashed over to the bar and grabbed a few bottles of sake, knocking over a chair in her anxiety. In her mind, she was already cursing the two of them to death. Worst thing is they hardly look tired. Suddenly, Ryo stepped in front of her, preventing her from going over to where the two devils were seated.

"No, I do not allow you to treat King like this! You have been hammering her all night, don't you think that you have enough already ?!" Kyo looked up. "We do pay", he said shortly and put his wallet on the table as if for verification.

Ryo was not listening. "... and a girl like her needs her sleep coz she's got a brother to look after and –". He got no further than that for a chair suddenly came flying in his direction. Ryo had no time to think and relied on the instinct that came from his many years of Kyokugen training. In the space of one second, he called upon his ki, charged up a bluish ball of power in his palm and then brought it forward to meet the chair. "KO-OH KEN !!!".

"Shut up," said Iori, who had kicked the chair at Ryo. The chair was reduced to the role of toothpicks. Robert quickly dashed over and pinned Ryo by his arms. Having spent so much time with the Sakazaki family, Robert knew exactly what could make Ryo easily lose his temper. Downright disrespect, or making King upset. Either one of those things. Iori had done both. "Leave me alone! I'll kill him!" Ryo yelled, struggling to get loose from Robert. "No, Ryo! You don't stand a chance! Especially not when there're two of them!". Iori smiled evilly at this statement. "Yes, listen to your boyfriend, Sakazaki. If a raving homosexual knows his place, then so should you, Kyokugen Master!". Robert dropped Ryo instantly. "I am not GAY !!!". Ryo, free at last, charges at Iori. "He's not my boyfriend!". Surprisingly, Robert too began to charge at Iori. But for someone facing the two-prong Kyokugen attack of Ryo and Robert, one of the most deadliest pairings in the league, Iori appeared too calm. He lifted an arm to deflect Ryo's first punch. Then he swung it low to block a kick from Robert. His other arm went behind his head, knocking away an elbow attack from Ryo. Then he lashed out a foot right above his head defend against Robert who had used the momentum of the previous exchange to spin around and deliver a high roundhouse. Iori had to move very quickly for the timing and synchrony of the two Kyokugen practitioners was perfect, as they had trained together for so many years. After about 45 exchanges of blows, Iori began to look a little flustered.

Terry Bogard who was watching close by, ready to jump in if his help is needed, knew however that the tide was against Ryo and Robert. The scary thing is this : Iori was still smoking his cigar. Finally, sweating and pissed off, Ryo felt he wanted to end this now. He cocked back a fist and transferred as much energy as he could into it, all the power he could summon. This move was very difficult to do. Even his father, Takuma, could not master it. Just after Iori blocked five hits from Robert's Hien Shippuu-Kyaku, Ryo threw his punch at Iori's head. "Tenchi Hou-Ken !!!"

**** EAT this, Yagami ****

A moment later, Ryo's arm was on fire. He yelled and fell backwards in pain. Only the flames were not purple, they were crimson red. A foot lashed out and caught a distracted Robert in the head, knocking him far enough for Terry to catch him. Kyo slowly brought his outstretched foot back under the table. He was actually in the middle of drinking. Iori threw his hair back, then pulled out a new cigar. He looked completely unscathed even though he did not make any offensive moves and merely defended himself earlier. He looked at Ryo who was still moaning. "Some friends you are. Can't even take a lousy joke!"

Mai was not happy with him. Angrily, she grabbed Andy and ordered him to go beat the shit outta Iori. "A-are you kidding ?!" he cried nervously. But Mai had already pushed him forward. Standing inches from Iori, Andy began to sweat in fear. Iori glanced at him irritably, "Yes?" Andy fainted right on the spot. For the first time, Iori looked surprised. Then he went back to drinking sake. Mai pointed at Terry. "Aren't you gonna go help your brother?" she asked accusingly. A huge sweat-drop appeared on his head. "Uh ... okay." Terry walked up to the table, but surprised everyone by taking a seat with them. He and Kyo were old friends after all, and used to be drinking buddies. But that was long ago. If Iori was surprised or angry at this, he did not show it. Mai and Mary smacked open palms into their faces in disappointment. There was no more hope.

"We wish to issue a challenge to you!" Kim suddenly said. Everyone had quite forgotten that he was present, for he was leaning against the bar, quite out of sight. Kyo looked at him then back at Iori whose face was unreadable. "My son, Kim Jae Hoon, has improved to a point to which I am very proud of him. He is always full of fighting spirit, which makes him one of the toughest competitors in the Fatal Fury tournament to which I was once apart of." Looking at Kyo, he said, "I wish to have him challenge your apprentice. What's his name again?" Kyo looked up. "Shingo. Yabuki Shingo. And I am not interested." Silence stole across the room as Kim tried to think of how to persuade Kyo to accept the challenge. Then Terry spoke. "Would you be interested if your apprentice did battle with mine and Kim's simultaneously? My boy, Rock Howard, is full of fire too." Kyo looked at Terry for a very long time. "Two versus one ... Kusanagi-arts versus Jeff Bogard's skills and Taekwondo ... deal!" Kim sighed with relief. Kyo extended his hand to Terry. Somewhere in the middle, their hands meet. Shake.

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