Chapter 9: Esaka Forever
Tokyo, KOF VIP Hotel...
Shingo Yabuki sat on the cool marble floor of the suite, legs folded in a lotus position. His eyes were closed, and his teeth gritted with effort. The teenager was calm. He was collected. Nothing could disturb his composure.
He was kidding nobody.
"KUSANGIIIIIIII-SANNNNNNNNN!!!! This isn't working!!!!!"
Silence.
"Kusangi-san?"
"Uh, you're doing just fine, Shingo! Keep it up!!"
Juggling a plate of microwaved pizza and a cold beer, Kyo Kusangi walked out from the kitchen, trying very hard not to be heard by his earnest disciple. It wasn't that the kid had no skill. His participation in the previous tournaments had proved that, at least.
Shingo simply had NO talent. None whatsoever.
Try as he might, he couldn't even produce a spark of fire on the best of days, let alone on the worse. Even worse, he kept bugging Kyo to teach him more and more, forming a kind of half-baked ripoff of Magatama. Though it actually worked, something about it chilled Kyo to the bone.
Very quietly, Kyo began to sneak back to his own room. He intended to leave Shingo there for about half an hour. Then he would go through the standard 'Damn, better luck next time routine'. Maybe he could have some peace for once...
***FHOOMMMMM***
Kyo's snack crashed to the floor, completely forgotten. What the hell was that?
The acrid stench of burning wood filled the air, complete with floating cinders and the non-stop crackle of flames. The entire wall was now simply gone, with a huge hole burned all the way to the bathroom. Shingo stood where he was, grinning like a little kid. His clothes smothered, and his headband was singed, but he looked alright.
Unbelieving, Kyo stood perfectly still, frozen with shock. His beer was pouring all over his pants, and he didn't even notice it. He tried to say something.
"How..."
Shingo was capering like a schoolgirl.
"I finally got firepower, Kusanagi-san!"
"How...I mean...Uh...Great, Shingo! You've mastered everything I've taught you!"
"Can I go and show Benimaru and Goro-san? Pleaseeeeeee?"
It was like watching an eager puppy beg to go out and play. Still partially on autopilot, Kyo waved a hand dismissively, even as his earstwhile student bolted for the door. Very calmly, he stared at the ruins, where a wall had been moments ago. Carefully, he retrieved his fallen can...Only to smash it on the floor.
And then he swore.
************
A ramshackle hotel somewhere else...
***KNOCK-KNOCK***
"Chan? It's almost time for the fight. Wake up, man."
No response. Ryan rapped on the door again.
"Wake up. We have to go."
Still no answer.
Ryan pounded on the door, louder this time.
"Drat... We're gonna have to break it down."
"Not again," Andro groaned. "Just try the knob."
"You actually think he left it unlocked?" Ryan reached out and grabbed the knob. "Fine, just to shut you up." He turned the knob and the door slowly swung open, creaking inwards to reveal complete darkness beyond.
"See?"
"Huh. Imagine that."
Ryan slammed the door shut, and promptly shattered it with a flying Hiryu-No-Ken.
"Now that should wake him up."
"Damn, it's dark in here. Should we turn on the lights?"
"Why not?"
A dim lightbulb flickered to life inside the small room, revealing the drastic changes Chan had made. Symbols covered every wall, seemingly written in a flowing, non-stop hand. Something about them made Andro's eyes slide away from the words, leaving him feeling vaguely nauseous.
"Jesus Christ."
Scorch marks were everywhere. There was the sickeningly-sweet smell of burnt flesh, filling the air like a perfume. Right in the middle of the devastation sat Chan, looking for all the world like some kind of holocaust victim. He was busy scribbling on the floor, drawing some kind of…Pentagram?
Ryan felt sick. There was something fundamentally wrong here.
"Chan? Maybe you should…"
His voice trailed off, as their impromptu leader got to his feet, turning to face them. There was a new hollowness in his face, as if he'd seen something not meant for human comprehension. The Mage Cannon at his side now glowed a dull, evil red, sending palpable waves of disgust radiating through the room.
"Yes? Is it time to go already?"
Nod.
"…Could I ask what happened here?"
Chan tapped the side of his head slowly, wiping his other hand on his pants. They were visibly shaking, as if every movement was an effort.
"The book. It's the damn book."
They understood. Chan's obsession with the supernatural had just taken him to overdose. Ryan didn't know what was in the book, but he didn't particularly intend to find out. Eerily, the cursed thing rested in plain sight, lying open on the table.
"You read through everything?"
"It's all in my head now. Word-"
He swallowed. The clock chimed, ringing at 6.13.
"Perfect."
"We can discuss this later. Can we go now-please?"
"Okay-But don't disturb the pentacle."
Very carefully, Ryan froze, withdrawing his foot from the almost-scuffed markings on the floor. He shuddered slightly, not even wanting to know what it held.
With a disturbingly bright smile, Chan tugged his trenchcoat on.
"ROCK! We're going to WAR!"
He was first out of the door, leaving Andro and Ryan staring at his fast retreating back. Slowly, the two looked at each other, shrugged and followed him. They could deal with insanity. They all understood insanity.
************
KOF Stadium…
"FROM OUR VERY OWN TOKYO…PRESENTING…THE ESAKA TEAM!!!"
A speed metal remix of 'Esaka Forever' blared out of the speakers, complete with nasty, clashing echoes. Half the audience clutched their collective ears. The other half cheered, somehow managing to drown out the incredible flood of noise.
Shingo Yabuki vaulted into the ring with confidence, to a standing ovation from the inebriated crowd. He adjusted his white headband, aiming a classic finger-snap at the stands.
"This year, Shingo's not just an edit character!"
A group of people, normally perfectly sane, ripped away long coats to reveal…School uniforms? The stand resounded with noise, as the fanboys cheered their hero on!
Andro tapped his foot impatiently on the concrete floor, irritated with all the delays. Not-too-subtly, he coughed, trying to get Shingo's attention. Too busy grandstanding, the schoolboy barely noticed him.
Realizing he was the centre of attention, Shingo went a little…Crazy.
"Look at me, Kusanagi-san! I'm not just a cool fighter…I'm an SNK SUPERSTAR! YEAH!!!"
Andro cast a longing glance at the intercom overhead, hoping against hope for the fight to start soon. He got his wish. Just barely audible over the din, the speakers crackled into life.
"Testing…Testing…Testing one, two, three. Ahem…ROUND ONE, FIGHT!"
"Watch this! MOETARU!"
Shingo snapped his fingers, summoning a minute flame at the tip of his fingers. Just barely, he managed to keep it going, much to the amusement of all watching. He cast a triumphant glance at his idol, like a puppy expecting praise.
Kyo didn't say much. He was too busy facefaulting.
With the round officially begun, Alistair broke into an attack run, blades snapping forward like shears in the wind. Seeing this, the rest of the Esaka Team began to frantically gesticulate, trying to get Shingo to STOP SHOWING OFF, DAMNIT, and turn AROUND.
They didn't have much luck.
Shingo froze in place, attempting to make some sense of the weird and extremely frantic gestures aimed his way.
"What? Say again?"
Anticipating a chance for the ultimate cheap shot, Andro bore towards him, running faster and faster. Ghost images trailed behind him, as he accelerated to maximum speed.
The crowd fell silent. Something very painful was about to happen and they didn't want to miss.
With a shrug, Shingo gave up. He looked around, wondering why everyone was suddenly so quiet. In the stands, his teammates hid their faces in their hands.
Then Andro punched him a sweet one in De Nutz.
Every male watching winced in sympathy, crossing their legs at the sound of the solid impact. Some looked slightly ill.
Shingo staggered, but didn't fall. His eyes glazed over, and he wobbled slightly.
Andro took a cautious step back. That had to hurt.
Slowly, Shingo braced himself against the wall, moving as gingerly as possible. Two octaves too high, he squeaked.
"ow"
The schoolboy wasn't out of the fight yet. Silently, he thanked his personal kami for the lightweight guards he wore. But then again, it occurred that if he asked very nicely, he might possibly be taken into the next life right away.
Somehow, he managed to tag Andro with a weak, fast Dokugami punch. Shingo followed it up with a full-out Shingo Kick, grimacing as it strained his already-bruised netherregions.
Alistair spun with the blow, his glass visor shattering from the impact. Spitting out blood from a cut lip, he waded in, slashing and stabbing with both blades. Shingo's headband was promptly shortened by the first few centimetres, and a nasty gash opened up in his cheek.
The schoolboy let out a hiss of agony. He kicked Andro in the shins, sending the assassin doubling over in pain. Andro promptly returned the favour with a fast Blitz Kick, connected with all but the last hit.
They broke apart, each shoving the other away with a Oniyaki and a Aerial Slicer respectively. Cautiously, the fighters began to pace around each other, creating a slowly-tightening orbit of death.
Jiazheng leapt in, cutting loose with the Musashi no Shuugeki. Shingo blocked the energy wave, no-selling the sword-slash. He Giant Swung Jiazheng into the nearest wall, wincing a little as the blade cut into his arm.
Content to play the waiting game, Andro signalled to Jiazheng to leave, simply staying where he was. Shingo launched a series of palm strikes, testing Andro's defenses. He could feel the fires within himself, the results of Kyo's teachings, and was simply waiting for the right moment to unleash them.
That moment, he knew, wasn't long in coming.
Andro swapped to a one-handed fighting style, his other hand drawing one of the many curious items he now carried. So this kid thought he could win? Well, not if Andro had anything to say about it.
***********
The Esaka Team watched the fight from the stands with the experience of veterans, trying to analyze their opponents.
"I feel that Shingo's doing quite well, Kusanagi."
Goro proffered that short phrase, then promptly fell silent again. He didn't have much to say, and his old friend probably knew more about this than he did.
Kyo didn't say a word. Shingo was tough, Kyo had to give him that. One solid, running punch to the cajones would've put anyone out, padding or no. But somehow, Shingo was still on his feet, even making several daring attacks that were forcing Alistair back.
Benimaru, however, had something else on his mind.
"That Andro…He's sooo hot. Mmm…"
Both of his friends looked at him in disgust, and quickly scooted several feet away. Try as they might, they'd never gotten used to his…abnormal orientation. Benimaru looked at them with something like surprise.
"What's wrong with that? Because I'm…happy, it doesn't mean I don't have needs too!"
"Benimaru…"
"Yes?"
"You're a screwed-up homo."
The blonde pouted.
"You're such a he, Kyo."
"And I fervently hope I stay that way."
***********
Andro dug into his pockets, quickly removing a small vial. If he guessed right, inhaling this would make him move twice as fast as…
"SHINNNNGGOOO KICKKKK!!!"
The precious bottle went tumbling from his hands, smashing onto the floor with an acidic hiss. Andro looked up at the smirking schoolboy, something eerily like madness flickering across his face for a second.
"Look what you've done."
"What of it?"
"It's going to cost you."
And cost Shingo it did. Shingo went for a baseball slide into Andro's feet, merely to be caught, lifted up, and slammed right back down. Rolling to his feet, Shingo threw a high kick, hoping to put some distance between him and the merciless assassin. Andro caught the kick, and promptly gave it a vicious twist.
With a horrible snapping noise, Shingo's leg twisted. He went down again, clutching his wounded limb. Only a quick roll saved him from the follow-up slash, wrenching his foot even more.
"I hope this isn't all you have," Andro noted, striding in to close once more. He tested the razor edge of a knife on his finger, almost pricking them. Shingo, deciding that he definitely wasn't getting anywhere with this, felt that his best option at this point was to attempt to call upon the newly- found powers hidden away inside him.
Shingo concentrated deeply, feeling the fire deep within him begin to swell and come to life as though an unchained beast let free to unleash devastating power. He began to quake slightly, glowing red-hot. Fire crawled down his arm, as he called upon the flames that now lay deep within himself.
No fool, Andro began to back away.
Shingo screamed, a primal scream of war that shook the entire stadium. With a lunge of his arm, he let off a tiny speck of flame that would have had serious trouble lighting a birthday candle.
***********
"Good for him," Kyo nodded, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. "At the rate that he's progressing, he may have the art mastered within fifteen years."
"Perhaps not so good for him in the meantime, then," Goro politely suggested, as they both watched Andro slide forward, and pummel the crap out of Shingo with his Final Showdown.
"Probably," Kyo agreed.
"Ha!" Some fool in a pink gi laughed, a few seats away from them. "That has to be the saddest attempt to throw fire ever!"
Kyo turned a flat, menacing look of hatred at him. The man shut up, and hurriedly backed off.
***********
Shingo had nothing left by the time Andro was done. He laid another five attacks into the defenceless schoolboy, followed by a massive upward launcher that sent him sky-high.
"You know," Shingo thought blearily, as he ascended towards the heavens, "Maybe this means something. Perhaps one should simplify one's attacks and forego flashy offence in favour of a straightforward, effective offensive strategy--"
Andro vanished into thin air, reappearing forty feet up behind Shingo. Twirling dramatically, he dove down in a slamming attack that knocked the last of Shingo's strength from him.
"...never mind. Silly me."
***********
"Next up…PRESENTING…BENIMARU!!!!"
The blonde, questionably orientated fighter hurtled into the ring, blowing kisses to the audience as he ran.
"***Mwah*** ***Mwah*** I love you all!"
Half the guys in the seats cheered, causing the other half to back nervously away from them. Some of the girls began flinging flowers, photographs, phone numbers…(Hotel keys?) into the ring, receiving several odd looks from their friends.
Andro simply stood there calmly, sizing up his opponent. He drew his blades again, and quickly shifted into a defensive stance. The moment the fight bell rang, Benimaru was on him like a whirlwind, striking left and right with fast punches and kicks.
It didn't help that every strike packed a potent charge behind it.
Alistair blocked and blocked, backing away again and again. Every time he parried, Benimaru blasted electricity through him, sending minute sparks crackling down his body. Face frozen in a grimace of pain, Andro kept on retreating, with no chance to retaliate.
"HYPER…RAIKOU KEN!!!"
"AAAAAAAARRGHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
All the metal Andro carried made a perfect conductor for the 100 volt charge that promptly flowed through his body. Singed and smoking, he toppled, every cell in his body numb.
The audience groaned, as Andro's charred form hit the ground. He struggled to get up, finally managing to pull himself to one knee.
"SHADOW EDGE!!!"
"RAJIN KEN!!!"
More electricity pulsed and arced, neatly swallowing up the triple blades of shadow aimed him way. Andro flipped to his feet, somewhat unsteady. His vision was blurring, and his hands kept trembling.
Once again, Jiazheng leapt in, with a perfectly timed kiai yell. A Raijin Ken sent him back out the way he came in, even before he launched his emerald flame. Andro took the chance to roll away, trying to stop the spasmodic twitches from throwing off his fighting style.
This was like fighting a much stronger version of Ryan, what with the non-stop blitz assault, and the electricity that punctuated each strike. Frantically, his nerves jangling, Andro tried to think of something.
He took too long.
"GEN'EI HURRICANE!!!"
With no other way to dodge, Andro tried to go for the Army Of One, even as Benimaru's illusionary duplicates charged him. To his credit, he was close. Depleted by his previous fight, Andro was just a second too late on the draw.
Seven hits, and seven jaunty poses later, Andro went down one last time. He wasn't getting up.
************
"Ryan, don't you want me to handle this instead? I mean, that guy's…Abnormal. And…He's fights just like you!"
Ryan wasn't even listening. He pulled on his snappy new gloves with undue force, looking extremely disturbed and pissed at the same time. There was no way he was going to lose, at least not to this disgusting HOMO!
"Don't worry, guys. He's going down…Yesterday."
The boy somersaulted into the ring just for the hell of it, landing solidly on the hard floor. He stood, and promptly got ready to fight.
"You know, I make it a point not to hit ladies,"
The crowd gasped. Benimaru went white.
"But in your case…I'll make an exception."
"Aaargh! I keep on telling them, I'm just 'happy'! I'm NOT a…A…"
"A trans?"
The crowd oohed.
"Don't say it like it's an insult."
"Isn't it?"
Silence.
************
"Well said," Goro rumbled, clapping appreciatively.
"I've been trying to get him to understand that for years."
There was a long silence. Both man stared at each other for several seconds. Then, as one, both spoke.
"Why do we even keep him around, anyway?"
************
Knowing that he was close to getting a reaction, Ryan kept on talking, watching with interest as Benimaru's face went through a wide palette of colours, getting redder and redder.
"Is that you hair,
"You know, I bet if you wore a dress, you could easily pass as a cheap female whore somewhere in the Geylang region of Singa…"
"RRRRRAGGH!!"
Benimaru could take no more. Seething with rage, he charged, hair spiked straight up by the electricity he was channelling. Ryan dropped into a crouch, bracing for the impact.
"BIG MISTAKE! YOU JUST MADE IT…PERSONAL!!!"
Benimaru redoubled his speed even more. Ryan ate a fast Raijin Ken, followed by a quick set of kicks to his knees. Hopping over the last, he managed a quick spinning kick, which was in turn hopped over, and countered by a drill kick from above.
Rolling with the blow, Ryan grabbed Benimaru and sent both rolling across the floor, pausing only to slam his opponent's head into the ground. Turning a quick triple cartwheel, Ryan fired off a quick burst of lightning, slashing a quick line in the ground between himself and his opponent.
Rubbing his suddenly sore back and skull, Benimaru stood, blinking in astonishment as Ryan blasted more electricity. He easily absorbed it with another Rajin Ken…Just barely. The boy was good.
"Hey! Where'd you learn that from?"
"Maybe I simply didn't spend so much time chasing after boys."
"Okay. Goro, sic him."
"What?"
Goro leapt from the stands, landing with earthshaking force. He grabbed Ryan in a Judo hold, and tossed him straight up…Then leapt, caught Ryan and-
"Oh, SHIT!!!"
-piledrove him into the ground.
Jiazheng and Chan winced and looked away, as a sudden eruption of small pebbles and stones rained down on the entire arena.
Very slowly, Ryan crawled out from the fresh crater he'd just created. A nasty new bruise mark decorated his face, and he moved like every bone in his body was sore. But he was definitely standing.
The audience cheered, eager to watch this match continue.
Defiantly, Ryan took his attack stance again, switching to a one-handed pose, palm forward. He was covered in rock dust, his black clothes now a depressing shade of grey.
Benimaru shrugged casually, slightly surprised at his tenaciousness.
"Well, if that's the way you want it…GEN'EI HUURICANE!!"
A blue duplicate of electricity lunged towards Ryan at incredible speed, tearing up the floor as it went. Ryan stood perfectly still, gathering his power, watching as Benimaru hurtled closer…closer…
"DESTINY CYCLONE!!!" (Formerly known as the Phnoeix Cyclonic.)
His opponent ran straight into the freak tornado, sucked in by the whirling vortex. Benimaru promptly got an uncomfortable impression of a blender, as gale-force winds flung him back and forth, yanking him brutally left and right.
With a flick of his hand, Ryan banished the cyclone, dumping his foe back onto the hard ground.
"Not so good, eh? Maybe it's time for the new generation to take over!"
Running like he'd never run before, Ryan gathered his feet together-
-And leapt.
Even as Benimaru descended, Ryan leapt straight up, in an incredible vertical leap. He seemed to soar like a bird, arms outspread. At the apex of his leap, Ryan turned his flight into a kick, and screamed down like a swooping hawk towards Benimaru.
Time seemed to slow.
"He's going to turnbuckle him," Chan breathed. His hand-held video camera clicked away madly, recording every second he could capture. Jiazheng stared bug-eyed, simply not believing it.
But Ryan hadn't counted on Benimaru's experience. The man turned his fall into a smooth handspring, flipping backwards to avoid the onrushing strike. Realising his error, Ryan tried to pull up, tried to stop, but he was already too late.
***CRUNCH***
More concrete shattered. Ryan crunched into the floor, hard. His feet went straight in, just ahead of Benimaru. Ryan tried to rise, trying to close in for the Final Symphony.
He couldn't move an inch. His foot was stuck.
*************
"God Almighty," Jiazheng murmured.
"His feet are trapped n the concrete. He's gone."
Chan gave him a light shove.
"Don't write off Ryan yet. He'll find a way out of this…I hope…"
*************
"Crapcrapcrapcrap…"
Swearing, Ryan tugged harder, realising he was in deep shit. Benimaru knew it too. Knowing his foe was helpless, he advanced, shocking his now-bedraggled hairdo back upright.
"No way to fight back know? That's so…"
A fist slammed deep into Ryan's stomach, sending him doubling over and retching. Another one shocked his head back, knocking loose a tooth. Swaying back drunkenly, Ryan almost fell, held upright only by the concrete vise around his foot. More and more blows rained down on him, increasing in tempo and strength. Ryan tried to shield his face, still hauling at his foot.
With a roar of frustration, he slammed his skull into Benimaru's forehead with all his might, eliciting a sickening crunch that resounded oddly through the enclosed stadium. An entire constellation of fireworks went off in Ryan's head, temporarily blinded him.
Benimaru fell back, letting off an oddly feminine squeal. Both hands clutched his face, concealing the blood that trickled from his shattered nose.
"You bode my node!!"
He sounded almost accusing, as if that was the worse thing that anyone could've done to him. Knowing this was the last chance he was ever going to get, Ryan reached deep into himself for the strength, braced himself, and pulled. The ground around his foot began to crack, as Ryan hauled with the energy of desperation. With a sudden pop and a sucking noise, the vise gave, crumbling away as Ryan's leg emerged.
The crowd went wild.
He was free!
"Now…RYAN'S FINAL SYMPHONY!!!"
Glowing a disturbing shade of red, Ryan went nuts. He belted Benimaru with five punches, a set of twelve kicks that felt like they'd all connected at once, and a massive Hiryu-No-Ken that sent him hurtling all the way across the ring, to crash into the opposite arena wall.
Very slowly, Ryan keeled over, catching himself against the wall. His strength was quickly draining from him like blood from an open wound. Sucking in deep breaths of air, he gingerly felt his myriad of wounds, wincing at his cracked rib.
If the other guy got up now, he was a dead-
Like some undead creature rising from the grave, Benimaru got up. His clothes were torn, his hairdo was wrecked, but both blackened eyes blazed with fury. Running like he'd run at the Lilith Fair, he quickly closed the distance between the two, raising a hand glimmering with electricity.
"HYPER…RAIJIN KENNNN!!!"
Ryan lit up like a light bulb. Bolt after bolt of electricity coursed through Ryan's veins, sending him twitching with convulsions like a headless chicken. Still with that flat stare, Benimaru turned up the current, increasing it to a level that would've killed a normal man.
Except that Ryan wasn't a normal man.
With a superhuman effort, Ryan brought his fist down onto Benimaru's skull, lashing out with a final, jarring blow. Both of them went down, toppling like felled trees in a thunderstorm. Ryan hit the ground first, with the solid thunking noise of a melon hitting the ground. Benimaru fell almost gracefully, seemingly floated back to softly alight. Of course, there was no doubt he wasn't getting up, make no mistake about.
*************
"AND NOW…PRESENTING…THE INVINCIBLE…THE UNBEATABLE …THE rarely defeated, ***cough*** Iori ***cough***… KYO KUSANAGI!!!"
The ovation that followed almost shook the place apart, resounding all the way up to the transparent dome that covered the entire area. Looking as confident and arrogant as he felt, Kyo Kusanagi himself stepped into the ring, without even bothering to grandstand for the audience.
His opponent was apparently some bespectacled teenager, dressed in a ridiculous-looking white trenchcoat that looked as if it'd been cut and pierced many time. The boy didn't even seem like a decent fighter, judging from his complete failure to assume any recognized fighting stance.
Kyo blinked once, suddenly feeling slightly disconcerted. Though Chan didn't look physically imposing, Kyo's senses could pick up something nearby that definitely was. He wasn't afraid: He had no reason to be afraid. It was just that events were
The fight bell rang, sounding the beginning of the battle.
Immediately, Chan opened fire, letting loose with whatever he could call to mind. Azure force bolts screamed through the air, warping and twisting reality as they flew. A massive flaming sigil followed right behind, razor-sharp edge cutting the air as it spiralled on.
Kyo took the attack head-on. He crossed his arms, summoned the flames to shield him, and parried.
***THHOOOMMMMMM***
Once again, gravel and stone went up everywhere, sending shrapnel hurtling back and forth, to ricochet among the audience seating. Fortunately for our fearless not-so-heroic hero, it ended up arching upwards, blasting out a window instead of Chan's brains.
Frantically trying to remain cool, Chan muttered spell after spell under his breath, prayers to gods no one even knew now. A pentagram of protection drew itself on the floor around him, even as patterns of sigils began endlessly chasing themselves round his hands.
"Nice trick, kid. A tad showy, don't you think? Are you trying to preen or something?"
A nervous titter ran through the audience.
Chan glared at him, not even bothering to dignify it with an answer.
"Requiem!"
Huge and twisted, the Stand interposed itself between him and Kyo, all claws and teeth. Unlike the previous versions, triple-marked runes of binding and control covered every available surface of the thing, crudely marked on by warpflame. Requiem was probably still traumatised by the crude way the ritual had been performed, but Chan didn't particularly care.
"If it works, don't change it."
Of course, he still wasn't used to the Stand's new appearance. Now, metal and flesh had seamlessly joined, giving the thing a quasi-organic, Terminator-style look. Maybe it was simply all the anime he watched that was getting to him.
Then again…
*************
Kyo stopped short in his tracks.
"HEY! No one ever said anything about two-on-one!"
Kyo never was for descriptions. Requiem's head made it appear like a robo-terminator-monster of sorts where the skin fell off on the scalp, and sorta looked like Frankenstein with all the wires, but that was about the only interesting thing about it. Not that Kyo really cared for those big humanoid, spirits that some people used, anyway. Big helpers made big targets, and Magatama was all he needed.
That was when the kid pulled a gun.
Dammit, seemed like everyone these days had a gun. It was a sick world he lived in, SICK! He wasn't particularly surprised when blast after blast of red force tore from the barrel, forcing him to weave like a maniac to dodge.
***BANG***
Kyo dropped flat.
***BANG***
He rolled.
***BANG***
Another defensive tumble, taking him closer and closer to his opponent.
***BANG***
A Matrix-esque armless cartwheel. He actually felt the breeze of the bullet as it tore past.
***KA-BLAM***
Kyo twisted, beginning to feel more than slightly irritated. Was the boy ever going to run out of ammo?
***KA-BLAM*** ka-chunk
"Oh, damn. I'm screwed."
He was finally out! Sheathing his fists in flame, Kyo stood up, casting a nasty glare at Chan. The student frantically began reloading, digging into his pockets for more rounds, even as he tried to keep an eye on his foe.
"And now…Game over, man! GAME OVVA!!!"
"Not yet! Requiem? Erase him."
Now that didn't sound good. The horror surged towards Kyo in a sudden rush, as Chan flung glowing rune after rune into it's back. Flesh hardened into steel, and the Stand's eyes shone a ruby-red in the light of arena.
Kyo let out a mental sigh, staying barely ahead of the barrage of fists aimed his way. It always seemed that there would be some kid with a vendetta everywhere, who intended to take out his frustrations on Kyo Kusanagi.
He rolled right past the Stand in a blur of motion, tumbling all the way over to Chan, who'd almost finished reloading. A flame-encased right hook almost took Chan's head off, if not for the sudden, desperate dodge pulled off at the last moment.
Chan pulled back, desperately signalling for Requiem to return. He knew he didn't have much chance of holding off the three-time winner of the KOF Tourney by himself, despite the magic that now flowed through him. To make things worse, Kyo was matching his speed exactly, a certain glint of vengeance in his eyes.
"SOUL BLAZE!!!"
Chan faked a spell-casting motion, raising his hands the way he always did. Kyo instantly blocked, expecting some particularly nasty projectile his way. Desperately, Chan promptly pistol-whipped him instead with the butt of the Mage Cannon, connecting with a solid blow to the temple.
More surprised than outraged, Kyo faltered, rubbing his sudden bruise. An extra-shiny Flintlock Dragon uppercut blew him away, giving Chan more breathing room. Still, it wasn't enough. There was no way it would be enough.
Inky blackness flowed into Chan's hands, coating them with vaporous clouds of every-shifting chaos energy. He shuddered, feeling the rotting-meat taste and the filthy smell of the power, even as he tried to draw in all he could.
Requiem finally pulled back to its master, way too late. With a growl, Chan banished it, turning his full attention to spellcasting. Dropping the strongest barrier he could summon between him and Kyo, he began pounding away with everything he had left.
Short-lived spectres flowed from him, reaching out with spectral talons to rend and tear. Flaming fists made short work of them, obliterating them before they even got close enough. A short hop took Kyo over a flickering blast of warpflame, taking him within spitting distance.
Kyo took this opportunity to repay his tormentor in full. He let loose an onslaught of flame-covered punches at Chan, finishing off his chain with a hopping kick. The mage immediately rose back to a standing position, glaring at his assailant.
"You know…"
The sigils floating around Chan's hands twisted and distorted, warped from within by the moiling chaos of warpfire. An almost-tangible aura began to shimmer in the air, as if the heat wave had suddenly returned.
"You're making me angry. And…"
"…Yeah, yeah. I won't like you when you're angry. So what's new? I don't like cheapasses like you much anyway."
"SHUT UP! DIE!"
Requiem overlaid Chan like a suit of living armour, moving in perfect precision with its wielder. The pentacle around him flared back to life once more, every line burning away to be filled in with stark black.
Chan's hands shone with concussive force. Kyo ducked, and the wall right behind him exploded, as if some incredible force had smashed into it. He gulped, feeling a neat part in his hair.
Drawing the Mage Cannon again, Chan charged, gun booming. Requiem was just in front of him, jaws opened in a roar of rage and fury. Kyo met the assault with grim resolve, matching him blow-for-blow.
***WHAM***
An Oniyaki caught Chan, singing his trenchcoat, and setting his hair light.
*** KA-BLAM***
Frantically trying to beat out the sudden flames, Chan snapped off a quick shot. The bullet sliced off the tip of Kyo's ear, sending a trail of blood into the ear. He tried to fire again, but promptly got the gun kicked from his hand.
Requiem made a serious attempt to flatten Kyo through the ground, snatching up a sizeable piece of debris. Another Oniyaki reduced it to dust, and a leaping axehandle slammed Chan right back down, as he tried to go for the Flintlock Dragon again.
Snapping out harsh words of magic, Chan aimed a finger in Kyo's direction. Something black and hot punched through Kyo's shoulder, slicing flesh from bone. To his credit, Kyo barely flinched, performing a vicious baseball slide through Chan's ankles.
The boy rolled away, somehow coming up with the Mage Cannon in hand. He said something singularly unedifying as he aimed, words that were thankfully lost in the roar in gunfire.
Bolt after bolt of ruby force leapt from the handgun, leaving streaking red trails through the air. Kyo tried dodging again, but he was just too close for comfort.
***BLAM***
"Crap."
***BLAM***
"Crap."
***BLAM***
A lucky shot caught Kyo right in the heart.
The spectators gasped as he froze in place, illuminated from within by a red-glowing aura. He shuddered, trying to fight off the malign effects of the cursed round. With an obvious effort, Kyo fought off the spell, visibly shakened.
"The hell was in that? A cursed bullet? You have issues, kid. Never mix magic and technology."
"Why, thank you. I knew you'd understand."
A pause.
"Alright. Now let's just kill each other."
For the first time in the fight, the combatants sped towards each other in full-out runs, eager to finally end this in close. They prepared Desperations: Kyo glowed red-hot, while Chan wound up his fist.
"KORE GA…"
"REQUIEM…"
"KUSANAGI NO KEN DA!!!"
"…PUNCH!!!"
The following explosion showed up on an infrared imaging satellite orbiting China, and caused a huge fuss at the next UN meeting when the Communist ambassador accused Japan of developing some kind of low yield fusion weapon.
When the smoke cleared, Kyo still stood. He'd turned in mid-air, flipping to land…On his feet? He skidded to a shaky stop, feet trailing lines of dust into the air.
Chan was still on the ground, trying to summon the strength to continue. Behind him, empty patches began to show through Requiem's form, as the Stand struggled to hold itself together.
Clawing for his gun, Chan cursed, realizing it'd fallen from his hand somewhere during the brawl. He was completely unarmed, and now at a complete disadvantage. He'd nothing when this one-sided duel began, and sure as hell hand nothing left.
Realizing that the end was near, Kyo advanced, charging up.
"Good fight. Come back in a few years."
As Kyo powered up the Great Serpent Slayer, Chan cast every protection spell he had, praying for a chance to survive the onslaught, and hopefully snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
He was still chanting when the flame wave struck.
An inferno of flames slammed into Chan's force shield, seeking to tear right through. The Stand-wielder set his feet, gritted his teeth, and shoved back.
Kyo didn't let up. If anything, the flames grew even stronger. The shield turned red, the blue, then white-hot with heat, as each defence was burned away, one by one. Chan's coat began to char: Hungry flames licked along the edges, igniting it in many places.
But his resistance was getting to Kyo too. Sweat beaded the man's face, even as the shifting wave of fire began to ebb.
It was becoming a simple matter of who could hold out the longest.
Kyo, the irresistible force, was getting closer and closer. Centimetre by torturous centimetre, the fire wave crept nearer. But, when confronted with the immovable object, even his strength was beginning to give out.
The man's hands began to smoke, blistering from the intense, all-consuming heat.
"Just…a…little…MORE…"
The shield curved back on itself, slowly but surely. It held… held…held…
-Broke.
On fire and defeated, Chan hurtled backwards, like a shot from a cannon. He could see the crowd's shifting faces, smell the scorched scent of his own flesh. The ground rushed up towards him with the speed of destiny.
There was no pain. He was too shocked to feel pain.
Jiazheng was on his feet, mouth opened ridiculously wide, mouthing words that Chan was already too far away to hear.
Chan kept falling.
The noise of "Esaka Forever" redoubled, as Kyo turned away from his apparent victory.
Chan kept falling.
A bunch of doves flew through the air far, far above. They were white.
His mind manage to articulate a single thought: I failed.
Then Chan hit, and all went black.
(Man, that was a dark, depressing chapter. Sorry to take so long to update, but I've been busy studying for my exams, which come in somewhere during October. I'll still be writing, so check back regularly, 'kay? This isn't the end yet, not by a long shot it isn't.)