Match 1-4: Strike Force Phantom vs. Team Final Fight
Author's Notes: Finally, an update. I had some trouble with this chapter and basically decided to write it up from scratch. Enjoy. (runs away before his readership can murder him)
Noctorro: Thanks for the continued support. But I really do wish that I had more material to work with - the tier list is in an absolute shamble right now.
Osaka, Japan
About the same time
"The grim reaper has come for you," Dadallent stated coldly.
Darrell and Kenneth both started. They both knew that Regina was a goddess, of course, but at first glance she seemed much less formidable than the dread Chaos Prince. Blake Wallis felt his mouth dry up completely. If McGrath's battle reports were anything to judge by, the three of them would have no chance fighting against the man unless Regina had some tricks of her own. They were good fighters, all of them, but he was much, much better. And they were badly beaten, too ... Blake was already calculating what he could afford to lose in order to get away. He could hotwire a car in thirty seconds; the question was whether the three friends could hold Dadallent back long enough for them to make good their escape. Blake glanced at Darrell and Kenneth and decided that they'd be lucky to last half the time. Then Regina spoke and the calculations went out of the window.
"Thank you for coming," she said. Blake stared at Regina; they all did. Were the two of them in league to ...?
And then the commandos opened fire, breaking the silence that had ensued with the arrival of the Chaos Prince. A dim part of Darrell's mind became aware, through the haze of the throbbing pain in his side, that the bullets were now aimed at Dadallent. Tracer trails scorched through the air, highlighting the path of the bullets. The Chaos Prince's body erupted in a gruesome spray of blood and gore as the automatic rounds tore through his body, leaving gaping holes. But he said nothing, only circled his arms and crossed them in front of himself in a locked X shape. His back was still turned to the four friends; some of the bullets went cleanly through his body but thankfully Regina's shield blocked all of them. A mess of blood was rapidly forming at Dadallent's feet. The commandos finished by lobbing a trio of grenades at the man and he once more vanished in smoke.
As abruptly as it began, the firing ceased and gave way to an eerie silence. From the side, Blake Wallis shambled to Kenneth and Darrell, his IDC communications device still in hand. All three of them had previously suffered nasty wounds in a close-quarters fight with more of the same commandos. Blake muttered something about how his missions always turned out like this. He and Kenneth helped Darrell into a lying position and went about stanching the flow of blood. "Backup'll be here any minute now," Blake rasped, pausing for a moment to spit blood to the side. "Just hold up until then, the hospital's not too far away from here." He glanced up as the smoke cleared and nearly suffered a heart attack, unable to comprehend what he saw. "What?! No way!"
Dadallent was still standing. Much of his outfit had been blasted into scraps of cloth, but his sword remained sheathed on his back, completely intact. His left arm had been blown cleanly off his shoulder and lay useless half a dozen meters away. Blood poured out from half a hundred bullet holes in his body; Blake could see right through a particularly large hole where his right lung should have been, a three inch wound that let in light from the other side. The Chaos Prince stood very still, showing no movement at all. Most of his blood had puddled in a swamp of flesh and gore at his feet; what little of his skin was still visible appeared very pale.
"As I said, the grim reaper is here for you," Dadallent stated softly.
Then he moved. The attack came so quickly that Blake's eyes barely registered all of it. Dadallent brought his right arm across his chest, a white glow playing off his fingertips. Then he twisted his body back in a clockwise slash. As his fingers came to their extreme range, the light suddenly flew off of them and arced towards the parking lot in an enormous blade of energy. There was a flash of brightness that blinded Blake. It faded a moment later and as Blake's eyes readjusted to the night lighting he could only stare in disbelief at the scene in front of him. Dadallent had dropped his hand down to his right side. Beyond him, the parking lot was a complete disaster area. The blade of light had apparently sheared through everything in its path; each commando's chest had been sliced from his torso, the cut so fine that the two pieces slid apart with no resistance. Blood geysered out of each soldier as more than twenty bodies crumpled to the ground. At a second, more detailed glance, Blake noticed that the cars had also been sliced apart.
Fear struck deep into the hearts of the three men as Dadallent turned around. At least a quarter of his flesh was entirely gone; the rest hung in tatters down his body, accompanying the river of blood that even now dripped from his frame. He looked more like a zombie than a human, if he were human to begin with. The bloodsoaked blindfold prevented any of them from seeing his eyes. "Regina, are you injured?" Dadallent asked softly.
"I - I'm f-fine, th-thank you," Regina stammered.
Dadallent said nothing else, only turned around again to regard his handiwork, as still and emotionless as a statue. After a short pause, Regina led the energy shield fade away and turned to regard the three men. "I'm sorry ... you suffered because of me," she said quietly. Tears materialized in her eyes, but she held them back for the moment as she extended her arms. A warm, radiant glow came from her palms; looking down, Darrell, Kenneth, and Blake saw to their astonishment that their wounds were closing up right before their very eyes. Vitality surged through their bodies. As the healing process finished, Regina smiled in elation, blinking back her tears. "Thank goodness. Dadallent -"
"Don't worry about me."
Regina studied him more closely, as did the three men. Despite his condition, he certainly didn't move as though he were injured. A moment later, they all heard the droning of a motorcycle from the right. Darrell and Kenneth turned to look; Blake, who had already guessed who it was, kept his gaze fixed on Dadallent. As they watched, a headlight came into view and Samantha McGrath followed a moment later, zooming into the parking lot on an IDC recon cycle. "Has the battle ended so quickly?"
"You're late, Samantha."
"My sincerest apologies," Samantha replied as a dozen more recon cycles roared into the parking lot. Actually, for its size the IDC recon cycle was a surprisingly quiet vehicle. It was a motorcycle and more, with an inch of armored steel plating that completely covered its front and forward sides. About half a foot behind the rider a pair of rocket launchers were mounted on what looked like two fins, both of which jutted up sharply, thus placing the warhead launchers on either side of and slightly behind the rider's helmet. Blake's experience with the recon cycle reminded him that they could break the two hundred fifty kilometer per hour mark if necessary. In all the recon cycles presented a sleek, efficient look. They'd proven their worth as vehicle killers in the War of Ascendancy a few months ago.
Blake was about to ask why Samantha hadn't arrived sooner when more vehicles approached: all-terrain humvees, each one with the well-known Shadowlaw insignia inscribed on them. So that explained it, the IDC soldiers were traveling in a convoy. Pretty smart, Samantha, not taking any chances. You must've figured that they had backup. As the vehicles ground to a halt and personnel spilled out, Blake realized that Illuminati agents were also present. And in the foremost vehicle, wearing a suit and tie that could barely contain his bulging muscles ... "So Gill came by, too. Interesting."
"My lady Regina!" Gill called, running as quickly as he could. "Are you unharmed?!" Then, as he caught sight of the stock-still Chaos Prince, he skidded to a halt and glared at Dadallent. "Why, you -!"
"Thank you for your concern, but please don't worry about me, Gill," Regina said hastily as she saw Gill sink into a fighting stance. "Dadallent actually saved us all."
"Verily?" Gill paused for a moment, then turned and bowed to the Chaos Prince. "Pardon me, I appear to have misjudged you. Please accept my deepest apologies."
"This place seems safe, at least for now," Dadallent told Regina, completely ignoring Gill in the process. "Call for me again if you need my services." He bowed to Regina - not a cursory bow or a mocking one, but a deep gesture that indicated genuine respect - and vanished in a haze of smoke and blood. Only the carnage scattered everywhere served to marked his passage.
Behind Gill, Samantha occupied herself issuing orders. "Search carefully, there may be survivors to interrogate. Take away each body and run the standard analysis on unknown enemies. BEAT leader, report on your current situation." She held up the communicator to her ear and listened. Apparently she was satisfied with whatever BEAT leader said as she issued no orders for his reinforcement. "Very well, come to the mall at the earliest time possible. I will debrief you there."
"What the heck ...?" Turning around, Blake and Darrell saw Mason Storm and Kikoken racing through the mall entrance. Now that he actually had time to look, Kenneth Feng noticed that the front of the mall, which was barricaded mostly with glass, had been completely shattered. Spent bullets littered the grounds. "What happened here?" Mason demanded, pulling short near his friends. Though he was accustomed to seeing bloody scenes in the street, Mason turned somewhat pale at the carnage in front of himself.
Blake sighed. "It's a long story, Mason. Get the others together and I'll tell you about it on the way back."
Mason muttered inaudibly under his breath; however, he did turn around and comply with the request. Fifteen minutes later everyone was present at the front of the mall entrance. Samantha detailed an escort of BEATs and Illuminati agents for the group, then sped off on the recon cycles with her remaining soldiers. At Regina's request, Gill went ahead of everyone else to report to Bison and McGrath on what had happened. "Well, so much for OC night out," Mason observed drily. "Now, what exactly happened?"
Blake finished the story as the group arrived at the hotel, with occasional comments thrown in by Darrell, Regina, and Kenneth. There was a long silence as each person filed into the hotel. "Hmph ... saved by Dadallent? This doesn't sound like him at all," Mason commented at last. "So Regina sent a mental distress signal to Gill but also reached Dadallent, and the Chaos Prince showed up first. I still wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him." He and Blake took a pair of chairs to the side, the others dispersing to their rooms. Mason cynically noted that Darrell and Kenneth had already begun to boast about how they'd taken all six commandos, with both hands tied behind their backs. "And who exactly were those people?"
Blake threw his hands in the air. "Beats me. I think we can automatically rule out the IDC or the Illuminati. Normally I'd suspect Shadowlaw - the attack was aimed at Regina, after all - but the tactics don't match up. So no clue." He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "I thought Dadallent had come to kill us, but ... dunno. We wouldn't have put up much of a fight if he had."
Mason swore lividly. "Somebody wants us dead, that's for sure. Good thing that you didn't kill all of your attackers; when they come to, we should be able to ... process ... them for answers." Mason sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then stood to his feet. Blake followed suit a moment later. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. It's real late now and I suggest you do the same."
"No kidding." On the third floor, they ran into a distressed-looking Yin Lee. "Hey hey hey, Yin, what's the matter?"
"Look at what I just found," she answered. Yin waved a sheet of paper and handed it to Mason, who began to read aloud. "Let's see ... 'Dear sister Yin, Yang and I were just called home by the village elders. They said that it was an emergency. While we don't have all the details, it seems that a new gang has moved close by and is trying to extort protection fees. We're heading back to kick some butt, be sure to join us as soon as you can. Our flight number is 834, we leave Tokyo International at 11:40 PM, and we'll give you a call tomorrow morning. Signed, Yun Lee.' Where'd you find this, Yin?"
"It was slipped under my door," Yin replied. "They were still here when we left for the mall a couple of hours ago. I went by the room that they shared, and it's been completely cleaned out. The receptionist has their keys and Jill said that she'd seen them leave. But this is completely irrational - they should have at least let me know before running off."
Blake shrugged. "Must've been a real emergency indeed. What're you planning to do?"
"Follow them, of course, as soon as I finish packing. I'd love to stay and watch the rest of the tournament unfold, but this is a serious situation. I want some answers."
"Tell you what," Blake offered, "I can arrange to lease you an IDC fighter jet. It's a two-seater. If you can finish packing and take off within thirty minutes, you should be able to arrive before Yun and Yang do. That sound like a good idea?"
"Thank you so much!"
"Right, lemme get on it."
Osaka, Japan
Four hours have passed
Night. Overhead, the stars shimmered brightly in their eternal routes. Tranquility reigned over the grounds of the old temple, broken only by the soft whisper of the wind wafting through trees. The old temple was much decayed and exuded a faint sense of nostalgia. Despite the attention of the resident caretakers, the cobblestones underfoot and the grass had been poorly kept. The moon hovered on the horizon, a bare sliver of silver light in the sky. A lone figure stood atop the roof of the temple building, some two stories off the ground. There wasn't enough lighting to trace any features.
I anticipated finding you here.
The figure spoke into the empty night, certain that her words were heard by undetectable ears. "Dear sister," Regina said softly, "you sent those assassins, didn't you?" A gentle breeze fanned her hair and jacket; they softly fluttered in the wind. Regina's eyes were open and her gaze fixed on the moon. She did not want to look down, where every last detail of the battle between McGrath and Dadallent could be observed. Even now the aura of their old rivalry still remained and it made Regina uneasy.
Indeed.
"Why?"
We have not spent much time together for the past two centuries, dear sister. I sent them to ascertain if you still retain your former beliefs. You did not disappoint me, Regina.
"I don't want to harm anyone if it can be helped."
Yet you have always faced my challenge with spirit.
"That was practice. This was a life and death situation; I'm just glad that no one was permanently injured, sister. Were you really testing me, or was it a test for them?"
Truth be told, both.
"Why are you doing this, anyway?"
You of all people should most swiftly discern my intentions.
"Stop speaking in riddles and give me a straight answer, please!"
I will not say. Soon you will realize what I intend. Regina, when this tournament has ended, there will be no more sorrow or pain upon this world. Your heart still aches when you see these mortals suffer, does it not? When you understand what I will do, I believe that you will be the first to support me. Until then, remain true to your heart. You are still the dear Regina who would suffer silently if so you could spare another's pain. Never lose that quality, Regina, for it is your best.
"I ... I understand, Marin ..." Regina said softly.
Why did you tell them about me?
"I felt that it would be in their best interest to know more about the host of the tournament. I know that you weren't planning to reveal yourself until the end, so please forgive me. Besides, I've befriended many of them and I hope you will too. Let's all be friends."
Perhaps what you did was for the best. That is my hope for the future.
A moment later Regina felt the link between her sister and herself sever. The short talk had left her with more questions than answers, but at least she realized why assassins had been dispatched at the men with her. "Part of love requires that you defend the ones you love with all your strength," Marin had once said, many thousands of years ago. "This is why I train with such intensity, so that I may protect my friends should the need ever arise." As Regina remembered the saying, her mind traveled nearly five hundred years into the past, to the last time she had actively trained with her older sister. It was the last time she had fought against anyone, even in play or practice.
Regina carried a sword with herself that day. She had arrived at the designated place on time, dressed in a borrowed combat uniform normally used by the fighting valkyries. The battleground had been chosen for its simplicity; it was a wide, flat plain filled with knee-length grass and red-blossomed flowers. Regina's uniform included boots made out of leather and stitched with white cloth as well as tight but comfortable cloth slacks. The white vest kept her torso well-protected while a pair of triangular epaulets protected her shoulders; however, her upper arms were exposed. She wore a white cloth glove on each hand and both looked a size too large on her. A cape that split into two tails near her waist completed the uniform. Regina had dispensed with the golden tiara that the valkyries wore.
Marin appeared from behind a low hill to her right, carrying a swallow that shone with a rainbow hue and whistling to herself. She smiled at the sight of her sister and strode closer. "Greetings, Regina. That is very fine blade that you have brought with yourself." And indeed it was. Regina drew the single-edged sword and it glinted brightly in the sunlight. The weapon was a genuine Masamune blade, forged by the master swordsmith and enhanced with Regina's own power so that the blade could shear through any material however obstinate it was, and yet would draw no blood against an opponent. "You must have learned so much after a century spent on Earth. Show me what you have learned to do with your weapon."
Marin nodded her approval when Regina finished a long demonstration of multiple sword forms. "Superbly executed. Would you care to test your steel against an opponent?"
Regina nodded too. "I feared you would not ask! En garde, dear sister."
Marin smiled secretively; as she did so, she threw her swallow off to one side and folded her hands behind her back. "Very well, I will not move a foot from this position. You may break as many swords upon me as you wish." When Regina swung her blade, Marin met the attack at the extreme range of her arm, deflecting it upward by an inch along the flat of the sword. Regina's attack went over Marin's head and she had to stagger forward a bit to compensate for the momentum of the attack. Unfortunately, this cost her balance; Marin reached up with her left hand and in one motion easily pulled the sword out of Regina's grip. She sighed inwardly but showed nothing and offered the blade to her sister, hilt first. "Do not allow me to disarm you with such ease."
An hour later, Regina threw the sword into the grass and sighed deeply. "Eighty-two times you have disarmed me, sister, and never once could I touch you. What is the use of continuing? Your skill far exceeds my own."
Marin shook her head. "That is not true. Do you not realize, Regina, that your obstacle is not a question of skill or lack thereof? You lack willpower; not once did you attack me with any measure of intent to wound me. That is why I could disarm you so consistently and I fear that any opponent in the future may do likewise. Your skill is superb, yet you are unwilling to use it."
"How so?" Regina asked.
Marin gestured and the blade floated into her hands; she offered the sword to Regina again. "Attack me one more time and aim for my heart. I shall not try to defend myself. Do not fear to injure me." So saying, Marin spread her hands wide and left her chest completely exposed, open for an attack. She fixed a steady gaze on Regina. Regina drew a deep breath and pulled her hand back, then unleashed a furious thrust directed straight at the center of Marin's chest. It never arrived.
"I ... I cannot do this ..."
"No, it is that you will not," Marin said softly. "You are not willing to injure anyone, not even an enemy. Therefore there was no intent to kill behind your attack. Unless you overcome that reluctance, you cannot truly defend those you love. Did I not say to fear no injury?" To emphasize her point, Marin took Regina's sword and sliced open a vein on her left arm. The attack drew no blood but Regina gasped anyway. "You know that no weapon can truly injure a goddess such as yourself. Yet you would not strike. But the battlefield is a harsh and cruel situation, Regina. Only those who live by the code of the warrior may survive and the warrior must kill without pity any who stand in her way, though her opponent be her very own sister."
"I ... I am sorry, Marin," Regina said, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I could not bring myself to do as such."
"I pray that it will never be forced upon you," Marin replied gently.
Regina clasped her hands to her heart and made no other movement for the remainder of the night.
Thebes, Egypt
Four days have passed
"Who the heck chose this place for the fight?" Cody swore. "There's not a McDonald's in sight! How do people survive in this wasteland?"
Wasteland was not the word that Samantha McGrath had in mind as she surveyed the chosen battleground. To her IDC-honed eyes, the banks of the river Nile teemed with life and resources. Lush green grass carpeted the entire field of battle and the water bubbled cheerfully in the background. The river itself was a few meters below the battlefield and the shore was filled with large rocks. The Nile ran a good twenty or twenty-five meters wide here. On the opposite shore was a ruined temple dedicated to Isis, its once magnificent brick structure having long faded into obscurity. The rising sun painted the landscape in deep reds and violets and oranges. The air was a comfortable seventy degrees and very dry. Osaka was being rained out when the two teams had left, not fifteen minutes ago. Samantha frowned to herself. Although a few of the enemy commandos had survived the firefight, they'd disappeared into thin air right before her incredulous eyes. Her husband and Regina were both unnervingly tight-lipped on the subject.
"Are you questioning the Lady Marin's judgment?" a voice asked from behind, nearly causing Cody to jump out of his skin. Cody stumbled forward and looked back simultaneously, presenting a ridiculous appearance as he tripped and flailed his way to the ground. Gill was behind him, arms folded and smiling politely.
"Um, no, not at all!" Cody replied, pasting an outrageously fake smile on his face.
"Excellent," Gill responded, also smiling. "For the match is to begin now. Team Final Fight, name your tactical leader."
"Here." Guy stepped up smartly.
"Strike Force Phantom, name your tactical leader," Jedah Dohma said.
"Ready." Samantha bowed to the judges.
"Very well, then, it's settled." Jedah noted the entries and left the two captains alone at the center of the battlefield. To the side, the Reploid Alia was already discussing probabilities with Jin and Kyosuke. The grandmaster of the Bushin style wore his usual red pajama outfit with the words "God of War" stitched into the upper right fold. He was sporting a pair of old Nike sneakers. Samantha McGrath, for her part, appraised him item by item. She herself had tied her blonde hair back into a ponytail secured by a red ribbon. Her outfit consisted of velvet boots, silk pants, a velvet vest embroidered with intricate designs, and silk sleeves with velvet cuffs, giving her a seductive but also quite deadly appearance.
"I've seen the way you looked at me when we trained together," Guy opened at last. "Very much like of a soldier, to scout out her opponent before a match."
"Anyone would first pause before fighting the master of Bushin," Samantha replied courteously.
"Please don't be so humble; I've heard the stories whispered about your skill, too."
A small smile played around Samantha's lips. "Then let us both strive to uphold our reputations."
"Ready when you are!" Guy called as he relaxed into his fighting stance, left arm extended from the waist up about a foot from his body, right elbow drawn protectively across his chest and a hand covering his heart. His weight went on his right leg, the left one arched into a cat stance with the heel off the ground. Samantha also assumed her fighting position, standing very straight and firm. Her weight was more evenly distributed, though she slightly favored her left leg. Her left arm was held behind her waist, fist closed. Her right arm also lay at her waist, about half a foot from her body and hand opened as if already warding off an attack.
"Begin!"
Guy had already finished his analysis of Samantha's stance when Marin's voice signaled the start of the fight. The flash of light disoriented him for a moment, but he instantly recovered and headed straight for Samantha's undefended face. Samantha blocked the first attempt to get in a quick punch at her face, at the same time ignoring a feinted attack from her right. They traded a dozen blows, Samantha keeping her opponent at arm's length the entire time. As Guy landed, Cody jumped in for an assist attack that prevented Samantha from following up her momentary advantage. However, he himself paid for it when Lloyd also jumped in and landed a solid slash on Cody's cheek with his metal staff.
"Looks like the action is fast and furious right from the start, folks," Alia observed. "Jin, Kyosuke, what do you think of this matchup?"
"I think that the IDC treats winning the tournament as second priority compared to investigating it," Kyosuke replied. "The IDC really shot itself in the foot with the lineup that it sent. If it had dispatched a single team captained by McGrath and with Samantha and Sonya Westin as the two other team members, this tournament would already have been decided. Instead, its strength has been dispersed. McGrath is a single entry and the two replacements, while both well-qualified, are nowhere near the caliber of McGrath or Sonya. So instead of a single strong team you have two somewhat weaker entries in the tournament, but no one is counting either of the IDC's teams out yet. Let's go to a special guest and get his opinion on the fighters - Master Gen?"
"Thank you, Mr. Kyosuke." Gen stroked his beard for a moment as he deliberated on exactly what he intended to say. "Guy's Bushinryu style is, at the master level, a close-range style that tries to overwhelm its opponent by the sheer ferocity of the attack. Therefore, no matter the distance between himself and his opponent, he can put pressure on his foe. Samantha's style is recognizable as being based on various forms of Kung-Fu. Her tactics seem to be to try and keep her opponent at a distance with her arms while landing heavy damage with her kicks. They both seem to understand the more subtle aspects of spiritual combat, too. Normally they'd be evenly matched but Samantha's fighting style seems to counter Guy's very well, so she would have the advantage in a single fight."
"Thank you, Master Gen." Kyosuke consulted a chronometer. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's five after two here in Osaka and raining like there's no tomorrow. How's the weather in Egypt, Alia?"
"Sand's getting into my servomotors and circuits, Jin, but otherwise it's fine here. If you'll look behind me, Guy and Samantha are fighting furiously. Guy is trying to narrow down the fight to a short-range match, but so far Samantha's doing a good job of keeping him at a distance where she can hammer him with her kicks. Take a look, you two."
The camera panned over for a better shot. As Samantha blocked a long-range kick, she retaliated with a snap kick aimed at Guy's temple. The kick came out as quickly as Guy himself could throw a light jab at the same area. At that speed, Guy had no chance to defend as he was still recovering from his own attack. Samantha landed her kick and Guy staggered backwards a little. Samantha pursued him; Guy rolled, but backwards, and suddenly unfurled into a jump, arcing at Samantha through the air. Had he landed, he might have finished the fight right there with an EXCEED Barrage at close range. However, right as he descended perhaps a mere half foot off the ground, Samantha retaliated with her own powerful Minerva Kick.
"Incredible!" Jin screamed excitedly.
Her back leg shot up and clipped Guy, unbalancing his tightly controlled Miracle Somersault. When her leg was nearly vertical, Samantha jumped off the ground entirely and brought her other leg up for another kick, heel first. Alia's enhanced optical scanners detected a faint trail of energy that accompanied this second attack. Samantha's heel smashed into Guy's jaw with all the force of her body behind it. The impact of the attack took Guy off his feet and sent him flying backwards; Samantha completed her flip kick and softly landed facing forward, her feet having switched positions. The complicated maneuver drew whistles of admiration from Jin and Kyosuke.
Amazingly, Guy was still conscious. "Cody, go!"
Guy dragged himself out of the battlefield as Cody bounced in; at the same time, Samantha called for an assist and Lloyd made a fast staff swipe. Cody dodged the attack, throwing out a jab at Samantha as he did so. Samantha parried the strike but kept her right hand loosely connected to Cody's elbow, at the same time retaliating with a kick. The intent was to march him backwards under a flurry of blows; unfortunately, she had miscalculated his response. Cody simply took the kick; it caused him to stagger for a moment, but his attack came through regardless. A fast double-handed swing clipped Samantha under the chin and sent her spinning; Maki added to the attack with an assist, landing a flying kick between Samantha's shoulder blades. She staggered back and tried to recover before Cody could follow up on his temporary advantage.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cody saw Lloyd enter to contribute a striker assist. But Lloyd was still half a dozen meters away, while Samantha was right in front of him and still struggling to put up a defense. He went for a Ruffian Kick aimed squarely at Samantha's ankles, intending to put her on the ground where she would be forced to grapple against an opponent half again as heavy as she. Instead, he nearly lost his eyes, dodging Lloyd's Sparrow dagger only at the last moment. He ducked under another dagger and hopped over the third one. Unfortunately, he fell for the trap.
While Cody was still in the air, Samantha came off the ground with a speed that defied logic, jumping forward with her front leg raised high. A moment later she'd caught Cody with a kick to the stomach, but instead of knocking him back to the ground, Samantha kept him suspended in the air off her leg for a moment before swinging around violently in a wheeling leg motion, slamming Cody hard into the sand on his back. She was kept from following the advantage when Maki rushed in with a flying kick. Lloyd reappeared and dove at Cody, who rolled away from the Hawk Strike before it hit. There was no time to celebrate, however; Blake Wallis also rushed forward for a takedown. Cody dodged to the side at the last moment, sticking a foot out. Although Cody failed to trip Blake, Guy's Armadillo Strike assist met Blake's Wolf Rush head-on and sent the Phantom reeling with stars in his vision.
Samantha and Cody traded another dozen blows before she penetrated his defense. Instantly Samantha went on the offensive, kicking out both of Cody's knees near simultaneously. Cody collapsed, but Samantha would not let him fall to the ground, instead launching a powerful roundhouse kick that almost crushed Cody's ribs. He flew into the air; a moment later, Samantha blew a kiss and slid out of the battlefield, Lloyd coming in to take her place. Maki's assist came too late to do anything.
Nursing a badly bruised chest, Cody opted to drop out of the fight for the moment. Maki appeared a moment later wielding a tonfa. "Looks like it's the battle of the weapon masters," Kyosuke observed. "Lloyd's staff has superior reach and speed, but Maki's baton has more precise control and greater defensive power. This ought to be an interesting match. Okay, Lloyd is starting off with the standard staff opening, a side strike to test his opponent's defenses. Fast response by Maki, she's already taken the initiative; no, wait, that was just a feint. Here comes Guy with an assist, and Blake with a counterattack on the Phantom side. Well, nothing got resolved out of that."
"But something will soon!" Jin shouted, upsetting Kyosuke's balance as he leapt up.
As they watched, Maki arced through the air in a graceful leap and caught Lloyd by the shoulders, angling him over her head and throwing him several meters across the battlefield. "Great counterattack by Maki against a Sparrow dagger throw," Kyosuke observed. "In general, the Bushin style tends to counter projectiles very well. One of the things you'll notice about Maki, though, is that despite the radical differences in moves between herself and Guy, they still fight in pretty much the same fashion. There goes Lloyd for another dagger toss. He fell for the same move twice! Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen!"
Brushing sand out of his mustache, Lloyd sized up his opponent with wary eyes. Maki's hit-and-run tactics were certainly starting to wear him down, especially since he couldn't rely on his only long-range weapon, the daggers. Perhaps a ruse would succeed where sheer force failed? Lloyd reached into his coat and produced another dagger; as before, Maki took two running steps and then somersaulted, expecting Lloyd to launch the dagger straight at her. Instead, Lloyd threw it into the ground and held his staff up defensively. Maki saw her chance in the action and altered her own attack accordingly; right above Lloyd, she uncurled and swung the tonfa down, hard. The weapons rang against each other and Maki felt her arms go numb, but that was beside the point. She kicked her legs into Lloyd's chest and bounced off of him, flying backwards gracefully. Lloyd, who had braced for the maneuver, was not forced to move.
As Maki landed, she turned around to face her opponent again. The initial glance sent warning klaxons off in her head; Lloyd was crouching low to the ground, a number of dagger heads poking out from his sleeves. There was no time to think as he unleashed a hail of daggers at Maki. Inwardly the ninja grinned to herself. Okay, so he wanted to play bladed weapons with a ninja. She held her tonfa ready, dodging the first dagger. The second one she caught solidly on her weapon, expecting to fly away with a metallic ring.
Instead, the Sparrow dagger shattered and Maki shrieked, a horrible sound, as fragments of steel shrapnel pierced deep into her skin. Her defense broken, the ninja lay exposed to the rest of the attack as multiple daggers struck everywhere around her, creating a veritable storm of steel. From his own position, Lloyd cursed in his clipped British accent as the first dagger found its mark and stowed away the remainder of his daggers. A moment later he ran to where the fallen ninja screamed in terrible pain. "Medic! Now!" Lloyd shouted.
"Take her out of the fight," Guy said to Gill and Jedah, stepping in to take Maki's place. He rubbed a spot under his chin where an ugly bruise had already appeared. "That was uncalled for."
"I apologize."
"Tell that to her later."
Lloyd reassumed his fighting stance and Guy needed no second bidding. Half a minute later a thoroughly beaten and bruised Lloyd exited the battlefield, replaced by Blake Wallis. "Maki's been withdrawn from the fight on orders of the tactical leader," Alia reported. "Those wounds are probably going to leave scars for life. And it looks like Guy and Cody are both majorly ticked off. Can you blame them?"
Apparently neither Blake nor Guy had any qualms about point-blank range combat, as they were at each other hammer and tongs in an instant. Despite the occasional assist from Cody and Samantha, neither could find an opening until Guy finally dropped low and kicked out Blake's left ankle. Blake charged forward and caught Guy by the waist, going straight into his Half-Moon Tackle and planting Guy's head into the ground. The Bushin master rolled a safe distance; when Blake chased him, Guy came off the ground with a furious Triangle Kick, knocking Blake a few meters away. Before he could recover from the kick, though, he himself was sent flying backwards by Samantha's stylish Minerva Kick.
They met again; Blake gained an initial upper hand and landed a heavy uppercut into Guy's abdomen. His followup attack was intercepted by Cody's Ruffian Kick and a moment later Guy was laying into Blake. "It's the old Final Fight attack chain!" Kyosuke raved. "Five-hit combo ending with a kick into the chin! And there goes Blake tumbling across the sand!" Breathing heavily, Guy paused and leaned over to catch his breath. He'd been beaten more badly than he'd thought.
Blake tagged out with Samantha and Guy cursed; he doubted that he'd survive another run against Samantha. Best to get in a launcher attack and then switch out with Cody, who was probably fresher. Samantha jumped at him, bringing her back leg overhead for an aerial strike. Guy blocked the attack, then had to fend off another powerful kick aimed at his chest. He was too tired to dodge or parry the attacks, though he desperately needed to. Cody's assist was met by Lloyd and effectively countered. Samantha pressed the attack hard with multiple kicks aimed at Guy's defense. Increasingly Guy was being forced into a corner. Samantha threw one last kick, jumping up and bringing her heel down with punishing force at Guy's head. The Bushin ninja master blocked it and promptly guard crushed.
"Goodnight for Guy!" Jin screamed into his microphone, nearly deafening Kyosuke.
Samantha moved in for the kill, gliding forward with a side kick that landed squarely in Guy's solar plexus. Heel planted firmly in his belly, Samantha levered Guy off the ground with her leg and held him suspended in midair, but only for a moment. Then she wheeled him across her body with remarkable speed and slammed him into the ground, Guy gasping as the impact knocked him breathless. The attack didn't stop there; Samantha repeated the slam, this time pulling Guy to the left, then to the right again, and so forth while keeping her own upper body perfectly still. Cody tried to break the assault but was countered by Lloyd at every turn.
After the seventh or eighth slam Samantha suddenly threw Guy off her leg and straight up into the air. The Bushin master fell heavily; Samantha intercepted him halfway to the ground with a powerful Minerva Kick and landed upright. Guy himself landed perhaps two meters from her, clearly knocked out; Samantha paused to pose a moment behind her opponent. Then Cody jumped in as the medical teams went to work.
She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead; the rising sun was making the day exceedingly hot and it would be best to finish the fight now. Prudence dictated that she ought to switch out with Lloyd, but Samantha still felt reasonably fresh. So she met Cody's attack and began to trade blows. No assists this time; she wanted a clean fight. Besides which ... she risked a glance back. Both Blake and Lloyd had taken serious injuries earlier.
"I'm gonna get you for what you guys did to Maki," Cody rasped, throwing a Mistral Kick.
Samantha deflected it to the side with a light kick. "It was not intentional."
"Rubbish!" Cody hollered. He swept his arm up, creating a miniature whirlwind. Samantha dodged the attack and retaliated with a kick to the side, but Cody was too angry to care. He charged ahead; Samantha aimed a solid kick at his chest. Cody knocked the attack to the side and it clipped his right shoulder but failed to stop the charge. A moment later, he rammed into Samantha and knocked her off her feet, throwing a violent kick in midair at her. Lloyd entered uncalled for and flung a Sparrow dagger, which seemed to enrage Cody even more. He tried to tackle Samantha on the ground, but she dodged to the side and caught Cody's back leg with both of her own. Then she jerked. Cody's knee snapped cleanly.
Cody roared in pain; turning around, he seized Samantha's hair and began to mercilessly beat at her face, leaving bloody trails running down her cheeks. Samantha grunted and snapped a kick up at his face; the blow landed solidly but Cody continued regardless. Then, to the shock of all present, he grabbed her breast and squeezed.
"You bastard!" Blake shouted.
Shaking off a rivulet of blood that threatened to cloud her vision, Samantha frantically signaled Blake out of running in to assist her. Cody drew back and let loose another punch; this time, Samantha turned and let the blow fall harmlessly off the side of her head. At the same time, she rammed her left knee into his stomach and in a moment pulled him over her head. Cody landed heavily; Samantha crawled upright, wiping away the blood that had been splattered all over her face. Cody was also bleeding through his shirt and he had enough trouble just trying to stand on his knees. Samantha's eyes narrowed as she snapped her fingers. She felt dizzy and her body was shaking with pain, but she didn't care. All she wanted now was to pull off one last attack.
"I think that she's angry," Kyosuke drawled, stating the obvious.
Blake Wallis and Lloyd Cunningham needed no second bidding; both of them charged onto the battlefield as Samantha herself broke into a dead run at Cody. He disappeared in a spray of sand and blood as all three Phantoms converged on him with a barrage of powerful punches and kicks, the sounds of fists ramming into flesh and breaking bones audible to everyone. The spectacular attack finished with a trio of launcher attacks from the Phantoms, sending Cody flying upwards out of the sand storm. Then Blake and Lloyd boosted Samantha off their arms and catapulted her into the air; she caught Cody halfway down and inverted both herself and him. She pressed a hand against his chin; at the last moment, she jerked back and he landed on his neck with an impact like thunder, collapsing into the sand. Samantha jumped back, propelled by the force of contact and landed on her feet. A moment later she too wavered and dropped into the sand, blissful oblivion overtaking her at last.
Author's Notes: Finally, an update. I had some trouble with this chapter and basically decided to write it up from scratch. Enjoy. (runs away before his readership can murder him)
Noctorro: Thanks for the continued support. But I really do wish that I had more material to work with - the tier list is in an absolute shamble right now.
Osaka, Japan
About the same time
"The grim reaper has come for you," Dadallent stated coldly.
Darrell and Kenneth both started. They both knew that Regina was a goddess, of course, but at first glance she seemed much less formidable than the dread Chaos Prince. Blake Wallis felt his mouth dry up completely. If McGrath's battle reports were anything to judge by, the three of them would have no chance fighting against the man unless Regina had some tricks of her own. They were good fighters, all of them, but he was much, much better. And they were badly beaten, too ... Blake was already calculating what he could afford to lose in order to get away. He could hotwire a car in thirty seconds; the question was whether the three friends could hold Dadallent back long enough for them to make good their escape. Blake glanced at Darrell and Kenneth and decided that they'd be lucky to last half the time. Then Regina spoke and the calculations went out of the window.
"Thank you for coming," she said. Blake stared at Regina; they all did. Were the two of them in league to ...?
And then the commandos opened fire, breaking the silence that had ensued with the arrival of the Chaos Prince. A dim part of Darrell's mind became aware, through the haze of the throbbing pain in his side, that the bullets were now aimed at Dadallent. Tracer trails scorched through the air, highlighting the path of the bullets. The Chaos Prince's body erupted in a gruesome spray of blood and gore as the automatic rounds tore through his body, leaving gaping holes. But he said nothing, only circled his arms and crossed them in front of himself in a locked X shape. His back was still turned to the four friends; some of the bullets went cleanly through his body but thankfully Regina's shield blocked all of them. A mess of blood was rapidly forming at Dadallent's feet. The commandos finished by lobbing a trio of grenades at the man and he once more vanished in smoke.
As abruptly as it began, the firing ceased and gave way to an eerie silence. From the side, Blake Wallis shambled to Kenneth and Darrell, his IDC communications device still in hand. All three of them had previously suffered nasty wounds in a close-quarters fight with more of the same commandos. Blake muttered something about how his missions always turned out like this. He and Kenneth helped Darrell into a lying position and went about stanching the flow of blood. "Backup'll be here any minute now," Blake rasped, pausing for a moment to spit blood to the side. "Just hold up until then, the hospital's not too far away from here." He glanced up as the smoke cleared and nearly suffered a heart attack, unable to comprehend what he saw. "What?! No way!"
Dadallent was still standing. Much of his outfit had been blasted into scraps of cloth, but his sword remained sheathed on his back, completely intact. His left arm had been blown cleanly off his shoulder and lay useless half a dozen meters away. Blood poured out from half a hundred bullet holes in his body; Blake could see right through a particularly large hole where his right lung should have been, a three inch wound that let in light from the other side. The Chaos Prince stood very still, showing no movement at all. Most of his blood had puddled in a swamp of flesh and gore at his feet; what little of his skin was still visible appeared very pale.
"As I said, the grim reaper is here for you," Dadallent stated softly.
Then he moved. The attack came so quickly that Blake's eyes barely registered all of it. Dadallent brought his right arm across his chest, a white glow playing off his fingertips. Then he twisted his body back in a clockwise slash. As his fingers came to their extreme range, the light suddenly flew off of them and arced towards the parking lot in an enormous blade of energy. There was a flash of brightness that blinded Blake. It faded a moment later and as Blake's eyes readjusted to the night lighting he could only stare in disbelief at the scene in front of him. Dadallent had dropped his hand down to his right side. Beyond him, the parking lot was a complete disaster area. The blade of light had apparently sheared through everything in its path; each commando's chest had been sliced from his torso, the cut so fine that the two pieces slid apart with no resistance. Blood geysered out of each soldier as more than twenty bodies crumpled to the ground. At a second, more detailed glance, Blake noticed that the cars had also been sliced apart.
Fear struck deep into the hearts of the three men as Dadallent turned around. At least a quarter of his flesh was entirely gone; the rest hung in tatters down his body, accompanying the river of blood that even now dripped from his frame. He looked more like a zombie than a human, if he were human to begin with. The bloodsoaked blindfold prevented any of them from seeing his eyes. "Regina, are you injured?" Dadallent asked softly.
"I - I'm f-fine, th-thank you," Regina stammered.
Dadallent said nothing else, only turned around again to regard his handiwork, as still and emotionless as a statue. After a short pause, Regina led the energy shield fade away and turned to regard the three men. "I'm sorry ... you suffered because of me," she said quietly. Tears materialized in her eyes, but she held them back for the moment as she extended her arms. A warm, radiant glow came from her palms; looking down, Darrell, Kenneth, and Blake saw to their astonishment that their wounds were closing up right before their very eyes. Vitality surged through their bodies. As the healing process finished, Regina smiled in elation, blinking back her tears. "Thank goodness. Dadallent -"
"Don't worry about me."
Regina studied him more closely, as did the three men. Despite his condition, he certainly didn't move as though he were injured. A moment later, they all heard the droning of a motorcycle from the right. Darrell and Kenneth turned to look; Blake, who had already guessed who it was, kept his gaze fixed on Dadallent. As they watched, a headlight came into view and Samantha McGrath followed a moment later, zooming into the parking lot on an IDC recon cycle. "Has the battle ended so quickly?"
"You're late, Samantha."
"My sincerest apologies," Samantha replied as a dozen more recon cycles roared into the parking lot. Actually, for its size the IDC recon cycle was a surprisingly quiet vehicle. It was a motorcycle and more, with an inch of armored steel plating that completely covered its front and forward sides. About half a foot behind the rider a pair of rocket launchers were mounted on what looked like two fins, both of which jutted up sharply, thus placing the warhead launchers on either side of and slightly behind the rider's helmet. Blake's experience with the recon cycle reminded him that they could break the two hundred fifty kilometer per hour mark if necessary. In all the recon cycles presented a sleek, efficient look. They'd proven their worth as vehicle killers in the War of Ascendancy a few months ago.
Blake was about to ask why Samantha hadn't arrived sooner when more vehicles approached: all-terrain humvees, each one with the well-known Shadowlaw insignia inscribed on them. So that explained it, the IDC soldiers were traveling in a convoy. Pretty smart, Samantha, not taking any chances. You must've figured that they had backup. As the vehicles ground to a halt and personnel spilled out, Blake realized that Illuminati agents were also present. And in the foremost vehicle, wearing a suit and tie that could barely contain his bulging muscles ... "So Gill came by, too. Interesting."
"My lady Regina!" Gill called, running as quickly as he could. "Are you unharmed?!" Then, as he caught sight of the stock-still Chaos Prince, he skidded to a halt and glared at Dadallent. "Why, you -!"
"Thank you for your concern, but please don't worry about me, Gill," Regina said hastily as she saw Gill sink into a fighting stance. "Dadallent actually saved us all."
"Verily?" Gill paused for a moment, then turned and bowed to the Chaos Prince. "Pardon me, I appear to have misjudged you. Please accept my deepest apologies."
"This place seems safe, at least for now," Dadallent told Regina, completely ignoring Gill in the process. "Call for me again if you need my services." He bowed to Regina - not a cursory bow or a mocking one, but a deep gesture that indicated genuine respect - and vanished in a haze of smoke and blood. Only the carnage scattered everywhere served to marked his passage.
Behind Gill, Samantha occupied herself issuing orders. "Search carefully, there may be survivors to interrogate. Take away each body and run the standard analysis on unknown enemies. BEAT leader, report on your current situation." She held up the communicator to her ear and listened. Apparently she was satisfied with whatever BEAT leader said as she issued no orders for his reinforcement. "Very well, come to the mall at the earliest time possible. I will debrief you there."
"What the heck ...?" Turning around, Blake and Darrell saw Mason Storm and Kikoken racing through the mall entrance. Now that he actually had time to look, Kenneth Feng noticed that the front of the mall, which was barricaded mostly with glass, had been completely shattered. Spent bullets littered the grounds. "What happened here?" Mason demanded, pulling short near his friends. Though he was accustomed to seeing bloody scenes in the street, Mason turned somewhat pale at the carnage in front of himself.
Blake sighed. "It's a long story, Mason. Get the others together and I'll tell you about it on the way back."
Mason muttered inaudibly under his breath; however, he did turn around and comply with the request. Fifteen minutes later everyone was present at the front of the mall entrance. Samantha detailed an escort of BEATs and Illuminati agents for the group, then sped off on the recon cycles with her remaining soldiers. At Regina's request, Gill went ahead of everyone else to report to Bison and McGrath on what had happened. "Well, so much for OC night out," Mason observed drily. "Now, what exactly happened?"
Blake finished the story as the group arrived at the hotel, with occasional comments thrown in by Darrell, Regina, and Kenneth. There was a long silence as each person filed into the hotel. "Hmph ... saved by Dadallent? This doesn't sound like him at all," Mason commented at last. "So Regina sent a mental distress signal to Gill but also reached Dadallent, and the Chaos Prince showed up first. I still wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him." He and Blake took a pair of chairs to the side, the others dispersing to their rooms. Mason cynically noted that Darrell and Kenneth had already begun to boast about how they'd taken all six commandos, with both hands tied behind their backs. "And who exactly were those people?"
Blake threw his hands in the air. "Beats me. I think we can automatically rule out the IDC or the Illuminati. Normally I'd suspect Shadowlaw - the attack was aimed at Regina, after all - but the tactics don't match up. So no clue." He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "I thought Dadallent had come to kill us, but ... dunno. We wouldn't have put up much of a fight if he had."
Mason swore lividly. "Somebody wants us dead, that's for sure. Good thing that you didn't kill all of your attackers; when they come to, we should be able to ... process ... them for answers." Mason sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then stood to his feet. Blake followed suit a moment later. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. It's real late now and I suggest you do the same."
"No kidding." On the third floor, they ran into a distressed-looking Yin Lee. "Hey hey hey, Yin, what's the matter?"
"Look at what I just found," she answered. Yin waved a sheet of paper and handed it to Mason, who began to read aloud. "Let's see ... 'Dear sister Yin, Yang and I were just called home by the village elders. They said that it was an emergency. While we don't have all the details, it seems that a new gang has moved close by and is trying to extort protection fees. We're heading back to kick some butt, be sure to join us as soon as you can. Our flight number is 834, we leave Tokyo International at 11:40 PM, and we'll give you a call tomorrow morning. Signed, Yun Lee.' Where'd you find this, Yin?"
"It was slipped under my door," Yin replied. "They were still here when we left for the mall a couple of hours ago. I went by the room that they shared, and it's been completely cleaned out. The receptionist has their keys and Jill said that she'd seen them leave. But this is completely irrational - they should have at least let me know before running off."
Blake shrugged. "Must've been a real emergency indeed. What're you planning to do?"
"Follow them, of course, as soon as I finish packing. I'd love to stay and watch the rest of the tournament unfold, but this is a serious situation. I want some answers."
"Tell you what," Blake offered, "I can arrange to lease you an IDC fighter jet. It's a two-seater. If you can finish packing and take off within thirty minutes, you should be able to arrive before Yun and Yang do. That sound like a good idea?"
"Thank you so much!"
"Right, lemme get on it."
Osaka, Japan
Four hours have passed
Night. Overhead, the stars shimmered brightly in their eternal routes. Tranquility reigned over the grounds of the old temple, broken only by the soft whisper of the wind wafting through trees. The old temple was much decayed and exuded a faint sense of nostalgia. Despite the attention of the resident caretakers, the cobblestones underfoot and the grass had been poorly kept. The moon hovered on the horizon, a bare sliver of silver light in the sky. A lone figure stood atop the roof of the temple building, some two stories off the ground. There wasn't enough lighting to trace any features.
I anticipated finding you here.
The figure spoke into the empty night, certain that her words were heard by undetectable ears. "Dear sister," Regina said softly, "you sent those assassins, didn't you?" A gentle breeze fanned her hair and jacket; they softly fluttered in the wind. Regina's eyes were open and her gaze fixed on the moon. She did not want to look down, where every last detail of the battle between McGrath and Dadallent could be observed. Even now the aura of their old rivalry still remained and it made Regina uneasy.
Indeed.
"Why?"
We have not spent much time together for the past two centuries, dear sister. I sent them to ascertain if you still retain your former beliefs. You did not disappoint me, Regina.
"I don't want to harm anyone if it can be helped."
Yet you have always faced my challenge with spirit.
"That was practice. This was a life and death situation; I'm just glad that no one was permanently injured, sister. Were you really testing me, or was it a test for them?"
Truth be told, both.
"Why are you doing this, anyway?"
You of all people should most swiftly discern my intentions.
"Stop speaking in riddles and give me a straight answer, please!"
I will not say. Soon you will realize what I intend. Regina, when this tournament has ended, there will be no more sorrow or pain upon this world. Your heart still aches when you see these mortals suffer, does it not? When you understand what I will do, I believe that you will be the first to support me. Until then, remain true to your heart. You are still the dear Regina who would suffer silently if so you could spare another's pain. Never lose that quality, Regina, for it is your best.
"I ... I understand, Marin ..." Regina said softly.
Why did you tell them about me?
"I felt that it would be in their best interest to know more about the host of the tournament. I know that you weren't planning to reveal yourself until the end, so please forgive me. Besides, I've befriended many of them and I hope you will too. Let's all be friends."
Perhaps what you did was for the best. That is my hope for the future.
A moment later Regina felt the link between her sister and herself sever. The short talk had left her with more questions than answers, but at least she realized why assassins had been dispatched at the men with her. "Part of love requires that you defend the ones you love with all your strength," Marin had once said, many thousands of years ago. "This is why I train with such intensity, so that I may protect my friends should the need ever arise." As Regina remembered the saying, her mind traveled nearly five hundred years into the past, to the last time she had actively trained with her older sister. It was the last time she had fought against anyone, even in play or practice.
Regina carried a sword with herself that day. She had arrived at the designated place on time, dressed in a borrowed combat uniform normally used by the fighting valkyries. The battleground had been chosen for its simplicity; it was a wide, flat plain filled with knee-length grass and red-blossomed flowers. Regina's uniform included boots made out of leather and stitched with white cloth as well as tight but comfortable cloth slacks. The white vest kept her torso well-protected while a pair of triangular epaulets protected her shoulders; however, her upper arms were exposed. She wore a white cloth glove on each hand and both looked a size too large on her. A cape that split into two tails near her waist completed the uniform. Regina had dispensed with the golden tiara that the valkyries wore.
Marin appeared from behind a low hill to her right, carrying a swallow that shone with a rainbow hue and whistling to herself. She smiled at the sight of her sister and strode closer. "Greetings, Regina. That is very fine blade that you have brought with yourself." And indeed it was. Regina drew the single-edged sword and it glinted brightly in the sunlight. The weapon was a genuine Masamune blade, forged by the master swordsmith and enhanced with Regina's own power so that the blade could shear through any material however obstinate it was, and yet would draw no blood against an opponent. "You must have learned so much after a century spent on Earth. Show me what you have learned to do with your weapon."
Marin nodded her approval when Regina finished a long demonstration of multiple sword forms. "Superbly executed. Would you care to test your steel against an opponent?"
Regina nodded too. "I feared you would not ask! En garde, dear sister."
Marin smiled secretively; as she did so, she threw her swallow off to one side and folded her hands behind her back. "Very well, I will not move a foot from this position. You may break as many swords upon me as you wish." When Regina swung her blade, Marin met the attack at the extreme range of her arm, deflecting it upward by an inch along the flat of the sword. Regina's attack went over Marin's head and she had to stagger forward a bit to compensate for the momentum of the attack. Unfortunately, this cost her balance; Marin reached up with her left hand and in one motion easily pulled the sword out of Regina's grip. She sighed inwardly but showed nothing and offered the blade to her sister, hilt first. "Do not allow me to disarm you with such ease."
An hour later, Regina threw the sword into the grass and sighed deeply. "Eighty-two times you have disarmed me, sister, and never once could I touch you. What is the use of continuing? Your skill far exceeds my own."
Marin shook her head. "That is not true. Do you not realize, Regina, that your obstacle is not a question of skill or lack thereof? You lack willpower; not once did you attack me with any measure of intent to wound me. That is why I could disarm you so consistently and I fear that any opponent in the future may do likewise. Your skill is superb, yet you are unwilling to use it."
"How so?" Regina asked.
Marin gestured and the blade floated into her hands; she offered the sword to Regina again. "Attack me one more time and aim for my heart. I shall not try to defend myself. Do not fear to injure me." So saying, Marin spread her hands wide and left her chest completely exposed, open for an attack. She fixed a steady gaze on Regina. Regina drew a deep breath and pulled her hand back, then unleashed a furious thrust directed straight at the center of Marin's chest. It never arrived.
"I ... I cannot do this ..."
"No, it is that you will not," Marin said softly. "You are not willing to injure anyone, not even an enemy. Therefore there was no intent to kill behind your attack. Unless you overcome that reluctance, you cannot truly defend those you love. Did I not say to fear no injury?" To emphasize her point, Marin took Regina's sword and sliced open a vein on her left arm. The attack drew no blood but Regina gasped anyway. "You know that no weapon can truly injure a goddess such as yourself. Yet you would not strike. But the battlefield is a harsh and cruel situation, Regina. Only those who live by the code of the warrior may survive and the warrior must kill without pity any who stand in her way, though her opponent be her very own sister."
"I ... I am sorry, Marin," Regina said, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I could not bring myself to do as such."
"I pray that it will never be forced upon you," Marin replied gently.
Regina clasped her hands to her heart and made no other movement for the remainder of the night.
Thebes, Egypt
Four days have passed
"Who the heck chose this place for the fight?" Cody swore. "There's not a McDonald's in sight! How do people survive in this wasteland?"
Wasteland was not the word that Samantha McGrath had in mind as she surveyed the chosen battleground. To her IDC-honed eyes, the banks of the river Nile teemed with life and resources. Lush green grass carpeted the entire field of battle and the water bubbled cheerfully in the background. The river itself was a few meters below the battlefield and the shore was filled with large rocks. The Nile ran a good twenty or twenty-five meters wide here. On the opposite shore was a ruined temple dedicated to Isis, its once magnificent brick structure having long faded into obscurity. The rising sun painted the landscape in deep reds and violets and oranges. The air was a comfortable seventy degrees and very dry. Osaka was being rained out when the two teams had left, not fifteen minutes ago. Samantha frowned to herself. Although a few of the enemy commandos had survived the firefight, they'd disappeared into thin air right before her incredulous eyes. Her husband and Regina were both unnervingly tight-lipped on the subject.
"Are you questioning the Lady Marin's judgment?" a voice asked from behind, nearly causing Cody to jump out of his skin. Cody stumbled forward and looked back simultaneously, presenting a ridiculous appearance as he tripped and flailed his way to the ground. Gill was behind him, arms folded and smiling politely.
"Um, no, not at all!" Cody replied, pasting an outrageously fake smile on his face.
"Excellent," Gill responded, also smiling. "For the match is to begin now. Team Final Fight, name your tactical leader."
"Here." Guy stepped up smartly.
"Strike Force Phantom, name your tactical leader," Jedah Dohma said.
"Ready." Samantha bowed to the judges.
"Very well, then, it's settled." Jedah noted the entries and left the two captains alone at the center of the battlefield. To the side, the Reploid Alia was already discussing probabilities with Jin and Kyosuke. The grandmaster of the Bushin style wore his usual red pajama outfit with the words "God of War" stitched into the upper right fold. He was sporting a pair of old Nike sneakers. Samantha McGrath, for her part, appraised him item by item. She herself had tied her blonde hair back into a ponytail secured by a red ribbon. Her outfit consisted of velvet boots, silk pants, a velvet vest embroidered with intricate designs, and silk sleeves with velvet cuffs, giving her a seductive but also quite deadly appearance.
"I've seen the way you looked at me when we trained together," Guy opened at last. "Very much like of a soldier, to scout out her opponent before a match."
"Anyone would first pause before fighting the master of Bushin," Samantha replied courteously.
"Please don't be so humble; I've heard the stories whispered about your skill, too."
A small smile played around Samantha's lips. "Then let us both strive to uphold our reputations."
"Ready when you are!" Guy called as he relaxed into his fighting stance, left arm extended from the waist up about a foot from his body, right elbow drawn protectively across his chest and a hand covering his heart. His weight went on his right leg, the left one arched into a cat stance with the heel off the ground. Samantha also assumed her fighting position, standing very straight and firm. Her weight was more evenly distributed, though she slightly favored her left leg. Her left arm was held behind her waist, fist closed. Her right arm also lay at her waist, about half a foot from her body and hand opened as if already warding off an attack.
"Begin!"
Guy had already finished his analysis of Samantha's stance when Marin's voice signaled the start of the fight. The flash of light disoriented him for a moment, but he instantly recovered and headed straight for Samantha's undefended face. Samantha blocked the first attempt to get in a quick punch at her face, at the same time ignoring a feinted attack from her right. They traded a dozen blows, Samantha keeping her opponent at arm's length the entire time. As Guy landed, Cody jumped in for an assist attack that prevented Samantha from following up her momentary advantage. However, he himself paid for it when Lloyd also jumped in and landed a solid slash on Cody's cheek with his metal staff.
"Looks like the action is fast and furious right from the start, folks," Alia observed. "Jin, Kyosuke, what do you think of this matchup?"
"I think that the IDC treats winning the tournament as second priority compared to investigating it," Kyosuke replied. "The IDC really shot itself in the foot with the lineup that it sent. If it had dispatched a single team captained by McGrath and with Samantha and Sonya Westin as the two other team members, this tournament would already have been decided. Instead, its strength has been dispersed. McGrath is a single entry and the two replacements, while both well-qualified, are nowhere near the caliber of McGrath or Sonya. So instead of a single strong team you have two somewhat weaker entries in the tournament, but no one is counting either of the IDC's teams out yet. Let's go to a special guest and get his opinion on the fighters - Master Gen?"
"Thank you, Mr. Kyosuke." Gen stroked his beard for a moment as he deliberated on exactly what he intended to say. "Guy's Bushinryu style is, at the master level, a close-range style that tries to overwhelm its opponent by the sheer ferocity of the attack. Therefore, no matter the distance between himself and his opponent, he can put pressure on his foe. Samantha's style is recognizable as being based on various forms of Kung-Fu. Her tactics seem to be to try and keep her opponent at a distance with her arms while landing heavy damage with her kicks. They both seem to understand the more subtle aspects of spiritual combat, too. Normally they'd be evenly matched but Samantha's fighting style seems to counter Guy's very well, so she would have the advantage in a single fight."
"Thank you, Master Gen." Kyosuke consulted a chronometer. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's five after two here in Osaka and raining like there's no tomorrow. How's the weather in Egypt, Alia?"
"Sand's getting into my servomotors and circuits, Jin, but otherwise it's fine here. If you'll look behind me, Guy and Samantha are fighting furiously. Guy is trying to narrow down the fight to a short-range match, but so far Samantha's doing a good job of keeping him at a distance where she can hammer him with her kicks. Take a look, you two."
The camera panned over for a better shot. As Samantha blocked a long-range kick, she retaliated with a snap kick aimed at Guy's temple. The kick came out as quickly as Guy himself could throw a light jab at the same area. At that speed, Guy had no chance to defend as he was still recovering from his own attack. Samantha landed her kick and Guy staggered backwards a little. Samantha pursued him; Guy rolled, but backwards, and suddenly unfurled into a jump, arcing at Samantha through the air. Had he landed, he might have finished the fight right there with an EXCEED Barrage at close range. However, right as he descended perhaps a mere half foot off the ground, Samantha retaliated with her own powerful Minerva Kick.
"Incredible!" Jin screamed excitedly.
Her back leg shot up and clipped Guy, unbalancing his tightly controlled Miracle Somersault. When her leg was nearly vertical, Samantha jumped off the ground entirely and brought her other leg up for another kick, heel first. Alia's enhanced optical scanners detected a faint trail of energy that accompanied this second attack. Samantha's heel smashed into Guy's jaw with all the force of her body behind it. The impact of the attack took Guy off his feet and sent him flying backwards; Samantha completed her flip kick and softly landed facing forward, her feet having switched positions. The complicated maneuver drew whistles of admiration from Jin and Kyosuke.
Amazingly, Guy was still conscious. "Cody, go!"
Guy dragged himself out of the battlefield as Cody bounced in; at the same time, Samantha called for an assist and Lloyd made a fast staff swipe. Cody dodged the attack, throwing out a jab at Samantha as he did so. Samantha parried the strike but kept her right hand loosely connected to Cody's elbow, at the same time retaliating with a kick. The intent was to march him backwards under a flurry of blows; unfortunately, she had miscalculated his response. Cody simply took the kick; it caused him to stagger for a moment, but his attack came through regardless. A fast double-handed swing clipped Samantha under the chin and sent her spinning; Maki added to the attack with an assist, landing a flying kick between Samantha's shoulder blades. She staggered back and tried to recover before Cody could follow up on his temporary advantage.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cody saw Lloyd enter to contribute a striker assist. But Lloyd was still half a dozen meters away, while Samantha was right in front of him and still struggling to put up a defense. He went for a Ruffian Kick aimed squarely at Samantha's ankles, intending to put her on the ground where she would be forced to grapple against an opponent half again as heavy as she. Instead, he nearly lost his eyes, dodging Lloyd's Sparrow dagger only at the last moment. He ducked under another dagger and hopped over the third one. Unfortunately, he fell for the trap.
While Cody was still in the air, Samantha came off the ground with a speed that defied logic, jumping forward with her front leg raised high. A moment later she'd caught Cody with a kick to the stomach, but instead of knocking him back to the ground, Samantha kept him suspended in the air off her leg for a moment before swinging around violently in a wheeling leg motion, slamming Cody hard into the sand on his back. She was kept from following the advantage when Maki rushed in with a flying kick. Lloyd reappeared and dove at Cody, who rolled away from the Hawk Strike before it hit. There was no time to celebrate, however; Blake Wallis also rushed forward for a takedown. Cody dodged to the side at the last moment, sticking a foot out. Although Cody failed to trip Blake, Guy's Armadillo Strike assist met Blake's Wolf Rush head-on and sent the Phantom reeling with stars in his vision.
Samantha and Cody traded another dozen blows before she penetrated his defense. Instantly Samantha went on the offensive, kicking out both of Cody's knees near simultaneously. Cody collapsed, but Samantha would not let him fall to the ground, instead launching a powerful roundhouse kick that almost crushed Cody's ribs. He flew into the air; a moment later, Samantha blew a kiss and slid out of the battlefield, Lloyd coming in to take her place. Maki's assist came too late to do anything.
Nursing a badly bruised chest, Cody opted to drop out of the fight for the moment. Maki appeared a moment later wielding a tonfa. "Looks like it's the battle of the weapon masters," Kyosuke observed. "Lloyd's staff has superior reach and speed, but Maki's baton has more precise control and greater defensive power. This ought to be an interesting match. Okay, Lloyd is starting off with the standard staff opening, a side strike to test his opponent's defenses. Fast response by Maki, she's already taken the initiative; no, wait, that was just a feint. Here comes Guy with an assist, and Blake with a counterattack on the Phantom side. Well, nothing got resolved out of that."
"But something will soon!" Jin shouted, upsetting Kyosuke's balance as he leapt up.
As they watched, Maki arced through the air in a graceful leap and caught Lloyd by the shoulders, angling him over her head and throwing him several meters across the battlefield. "Great counterattack by Maki against a Sparrow dagger throw," Kyosuke observed. "In general, the Bushin style tends to counter projectiles very well. One of the things you'll notice about Maki, though, is that despite the radical differences in moves between herself and Guy, they still fight in pretty much the same fashion. There goes Lloyd for another dagger toss. He fell for the same move twice! Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen!"
Brushing sand out of his mustache, Lloyd sized up his opponent with wary eyes. Maki's hit-and-run tactics were certainly starting to wear him down, especially since he couldn't rely on his only long-range weapon, the daggers. Perhaps a ruse would succeed where sheer force failed? Lloyd reached into his coat and produced another dagger; as before, Maki took two running steps and then somersaulted, expecting Lloyd to launch the dagger straight at her. Instead, Lloyd threw it into the ground and held his staff up defensively. Maki saw her chance in the action and altered her own attack accordingly; right above Lloyd, she uncurled and swung the tonfa down, hard. The weapons rang against each other and Maki felt her arms go numb, but that was beside the point. She kicked her legs into Lloyd's chest and bounced off of him, flying backwards gracefully. Lloyd, who had braced for the maneuver, was not forced to move.
As Maki landed, she turned around to face her opponent again. The initial glance sent warning klaxons off in her head; Lloyd was crouching low to the ground, a number of dagger heads poking out from his sleeves. There was no time to think as he unleashed a hail of daggers at Maki. Inwardly the ninja grinned to herself. Okay, so he wanted to play bladed weapons with a ninja. She held her tonfa ready, dodging the first dagger. The second one she caught solidly on her weapon, expecting to fly away with a metallic ring.
Instead, the Sparrow dagger shattered and Maki shrieked, a horrible sound, as fragments of steel shrapnel pierced deep into her skin. Her defense broken, the ninja lay exposed to the rest of the attack as multiple daggers struck everywhere around her, creating a veritable storm of steel. From his own position, Lloyd cursed in his clipped British accent as the first dagger found its mark and stowed away the remainder of his daggers. A moment later he ran to where the fallen ninja screamed in terrible pain. "Medic! Now!" Lloyd shouted.
"Take her out of the fight," Guy said to Gill and Jedah, stepping in to take Maki's place. He rubbed a spot under his chin where an ugly bruise had already appeared. "That was uncalled for."
"I apologize."
"Tell that to her later."
Lloyd reassumed his fighting stance and Guy needed no second bidding. Half a minute later a thoroughly beaten and bruised Lloyd exited the battlefield, replaced by Blake Wallis. "Maki's been withdrawn from the fight on orders of the tactical leader," Alia reported. "Those wounds are probably going to leave scars for life. And it looks like Guy and Cody are both majorly ticked off. Can you blame them?"
Apparently neither Blake nor Guy had any qualms about point-blank range combat, as they were at each other hammer and tongs in an instant. Despite the occasional assist from Cody and Samantha, neither could find an opening until Guy finally dropped low and kicked out Blake's left ankle. Blake charged forward and caught Guy by the waist, going straight into his Half-Moon Tackle and planting Guy's head into the ground. The Bushin master rolled a safe distance; when Blake chased him, Guy came off the ground with a furious Triangle Kick, knocking Blake a few meters away. Before he could recover from the kick, though, he himself was sent flying backwards by Samantha's stylish Minerva Kick.
They met again; Blake gained an initial upper hand and landed a heavy uppercut into Guy's abdomen. His followup attack was intercepted by Cody's Ruffian Kick and a moment later Guy was laying into Blake. "It's the old Final Fight attack chain!" Kyosuke raved. "Five-hit combo ending with a kick into the chin! And there goes Blake tumbling across the sand!" Breathing heavily, Guy paused and leaned over to catch his breath. He'd been beaten more badly than he'd thought.
Blake tagged out with Samantha and Guy cursed; he doubted that he'd survive another run against Samantha. Best to get in a launcher attack and then switch out with Cody, who was probably fresher. Samantha jumped at him, bringing her back leg overhead for an aerial strike. Guy blocked the attack, then had to fend off another powerful kick aimed at his chest. He was too tired to dodge or parry the attacks, though he desperately needed to. Cody's assist was met by Lloyd and effectively countered. Samantha pressed the attack hard with multiple kicks aimed at Guy's defense. Increasingly Guy was being forced into a corner. Samantha threw one last kick, jumping up and bringing her heel down with punishing force at Guy's head. The Bushin ninja master blocked it and promptly guard crushed.
"Goodnight for Guy!" Jin screamed into his microphone, nearly deafening Kyosuke.
Samantha moved in for the kill, gliding forward with a side kick that landed squarely in Guy's solar plexus. Heel planted firmly in his belly, Samantha levered Guy off the ground with her leg and held him suspended in midair, but only for a moment. Then she wheeled him across her body with remarkable speed and slammed him into the ground, Guy gasping as the impact knocked him breathless. The attack didn't stop there; Samantha repeated the slam, this time pulling Guy to the left, then to the right again, and so forth while keeping her own upper body perfectly still. Cody tried to break the assault but was countered by Lloyd at every turn.
After the seventh or eighth slam Samantha suddenly threw Guy off her leg and straight up into the air. The Bushin master fell heavily; Samantha intercepted him halfway to the ground with a powerful Minerva Kick and landed upright. Guy himself landed perhaps two meters from her, clearly knocked out; Samantha paused to pose a moment behind her opponent. Then Cody jumped in as the medical teams went to work.
She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead; the rising sun was making the day exceedingly hot and it would be best to finish the fight now. Prudence dictated that she ought to switch out with Lloyd, but Samantha still felt reasonably fresh. So she met Cody's attack and began to trade blows. No assists this time; she wanted a clean fight. Besides which ... she risked a glance back. Both Blake and Lloyd had taken serious injuries earlier.
"I'm gonna get you for what you guys did to Maki," Cody rasped, throwing a Mistral Kick.
Samantha deflected it to the side with a light kick. "It was not intentional."
"Rubbish!" Cody hollered. He swept his arm up, creating a miniature whirlwind. Samantha dodged the attack and retaliated with a kick to the side, but Cody was too angry to care. He charged ahead; Samantha aimed a solid kick at his chest. Cody knocked the attack to the side and it clipped his right shoulder but failed to stop the charge. A moment later, he rammed into Samantha and knocked her off her feet, throwing a violent kick in midair at her. Lloyd entered uncalled for and flung a Sparrow dagger, which seemed to enrage Cody even more. He tried to tackle Samantha on the ground, but she dodged to the side and caught Cody's back leg with both of her own. Then she jerked. Cody's knee snapped cleanly.
Cody roared in pain; turning around, he seized Samantha's hair and began to mercilessly beat at her face, leaving bloody trails running down her cheeks. Samantha grunted and snapped a kick up at his face; the blow landed solidly but Cody continued regardless. Then, to the shock of all present, he grabbed her breast and squeezed.
"You bastard!" Blake shouted.
Shaking off a rivulet of blood that threatened to cloud her vision, Samantha frantically signaled Blake out of running in to assist her. Cody drew back and let loose another punch; this time, Samantha turned and let the blow fall harmlessly off the side of her head. At the same time, she rammed her left knee into his stomach and in a moment pulled him over her head. Cody landed heavily; Samantha crawled upright, wiping away the blood that had been splattered all over her face. Cody was also bleeding through his shirt and he had enough trouble just trying to stand on his knees. Samantha's eyes narrowed as she snapped her fingers. She felt dizzy and her body was shaking with pain, but she didn't care. All she wanted now was to pull off one last attack.
"I think that she's angry," Kyosuke drawled, stating the obvious.
Blake Wallis and Lloyd Cunningham needed no second bidding; both of them charged onto the battlefield as Samantha herself broke into a dead run at Cody. He disappeared in a spray of sand and blood as all three Phantoms converged on him with a barrage of powerful punches and kicks, the sounds of fists ramming into flesh and breaking bones audible to everyone. The spectacular attack finished with a trio of launcher attacks from the Phantoms, sending Cody flying upwards out of the sand storm. Then Blake and Lloyd boosted Samantha off their arms and catapulted her into the air; she caught Cody halfway down and inverted both herself and him. She pressed a hand against his chin; at the last moment, she jerked back and he landed on his neck with an impact like thunder, collapsing into the sand. Samantha jumped back, propelled by the force of contact and landed on her feet. A moment later she too wavered and dropped into the sand, blissful oblivion overtaking her at last.