The preliminaries were in full swing.

The fights started to get a little rough, but that's what the protective gear was for. However, some people were starting to lose focus- the frustration of getting overwhelmed by some opponents and overpowered by others was starting to seep into the participants, and it was most likely that there would be a few eliminations soon. Some were even starting to tire out- matches were starting to become intense, and long, drawn-out fights eventually wore one down.

By the time this day was over, ten people would be leaving, for sure.


Kanto The Slayer presents a Tekken song fiction…

Caught Up!

Disclaimer: Not mine. I have an anti-lawyer cannon, so go away, you. The rest of you, read.


Hwoarang was sprawled on the floor, exhausted and angry.

He had been beaten yet again by her capoeira, and it was maddening him how he couldn't even get a shot in, due to her evasive actions. The match had ended with a score of 3-6; with the tae kwon do ace landing only one body blow after her flurry of almost constant attacks had nearly missed him. Sure, he saw the low left heel kick coming… but she stopped it dead, ending up in negativa. From there… it was already over.

She rose up suddenly in an s-dobrado, her right leg slamming into his stomach and sending him flying as she casually spun on her head, then arched her legs forward and pushed her hands up, thus putting her back on her feet. As soon as she did so, she jumped off of her heels, threw her arms over her head, and let inertia take care of the rest as she went into a back flip, then a back somersault, and ended up on the mat again, going from negativa to laying on her side and casually lounging there as if it were no big deal.

The crowd surrounding the sparring mat exploded. What a way to finish.

"See? No rhythm, although you did have me for a bit back there. Not bad. Maybe if we see each other again, you'll be better at it."

She then got up, dusted herself off, and walked off to go looking for her next match, leaving Hwoarang to simply lie there and brood. This was not his day…


It was however, starting to look good for a certain Ling Xiaoyu. Her match against Lei Wulong had gotten to the point where he had to use some of his low kicks- he was surprisingly good at them, and they either cut like swords or bit at her like a snake. Thing was, while the detective was fast, she was far faster.

He started the match by turning on the heel of his right foot and jumping off, twisting in the air and sending said same leg soaring in a horizontal kick that swept through the air, aiming for her torso and hoping to send her down. The kick ended up going nowhere as Ling knocked him out of the air with a simple left knife edge strike, moving her arms in a graceful half circle as she moved her left leg around, turning on the heel of her right foot until her back was turned.

That was one.

As soon as his back hit the ground, he sprung right back on his feet and came at her again, shifting his feet to get into position before coming at her with a flurry of punches- left first, then right, repeat one time before kicking low with the left leg. She had an answer for that as well- as soon as he came rushing at her, she suddenly leapt over his head in a layout, allowing him to pass right under her. As she landed, she put her right hand forward, her first two fingers in a victory sign.

"That was far too slow. You really have to do better than that… or are you really getting old after all this time?"

He turned around and quirked an eyebrow, smirking at her. She was awfully cheeky, but she did have a point about her speed. It looked like he would have to up the ante a bit. He stepped forward, quickly shifting his feet again and struck out with his left fist. She came at him again with the knife edge strike, only to have him narrowly avoid it… and settle into snake stance.

This was the part where it would get hard. The detective was now much faster, and much more precise with his strikes. And he lashed out with his right hand in a swift strike to her ribs, making her stumble to her side.

Score tied.

He calmly stayed in his form, waiting for her to regain herself. All the while, the same smirk on his face, he replied to her remark. "You said something about slow?"

She nodded towards him and got into stance. It was on now.

As soon as the ref pulled away, he came rushing at her, striking constantly with his left hand for a total of five times. With his speed, at least the second hit would come out at her, and the rest would follow. However, she wouldn't just sit there and take it- she rolled to her right side as he advanced, letting him pass the rest of the way. As she recovered with her back turned, she rolled towards him, and then hopped forward, landing with her right leg and kicking back with her left.

He turned back around to suddenly find her in front of him with her back turned, then found himself knocked backwards and onto the ground as she kicked him sharply in the stomach.

Score was now 3-1, Xiaoyu.

She said nothing this time- simply jumped right over his prone body in another layout and ended up looking straight at him as he got up. She was already in stance and waiting for him, her eyes narrowed slightly in a determined gaze. This was going her way, but she couldn't afford to make any more speeches until the end, she realized.

Just a few more… I have to end this quickly before he starts getting serious. Five Form Style is no joke, and he's a master!

Lei was about to show his mastery of said style. He figured that play time was officially over… so he made his way forward, shifting his feet again. Xiao was ready… or at least, she thought she was. She dove to her right as he came at her… and found herself on the receiving end of a right outside crescent kick, hitting her dead in the chest while she was in mid air. As she got knocked cleanly out of the air, he continued the movement. Left right left, then a right front snap kick before stepping to the side, ending up in crane stance.

Score tied again.

Ling got up, wincing in pain. That was one hell of a kick, and she now knew she was in trouble. One leg move could decide the entire match. This could be her loss, and she recognized that stance- it was for kicking efficiency. Xiao was probably done for now, but she had to try.

Oh, just go for it! It's only one loss anyway- nothing to lose now!

"Okay… Here I come!"


Kazuya was leaning against one of the walls, looking around for a decent challenge that he wouldn't tear through immediately. He knew that he was strong, that was for sure… he just hoped that there was someone just as powerful, if not stronger. He hadn't had a decent fight in ages.

Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching. The Mishima heir closed his eyes, acting nonchalant. As the man approached, he spoke. "Need something?"

The man who approached was in his twenties, his hair slicked back and in a warrior's braid. Most definitely from China, he had a certain noble air about him, though the look in his eyes was full of cunning, as well as spite for the weak. And he looked at Kazuya appraisingly, as if he were studying something closely.

"Are you a Mishima?"

Kazuya continued to act indifferent. "What if I am?"

The man struck, sliding forward and thrusting his right fist straight for Kazuya's ribs. With his eyes still closed, he blocked the oncoming attack with his left hand, casually putting it in front of his fist at the last second and stopping it altogether.

"You must not like me… what's your name?"

The man now looked at him with an air of respect. That attack was one of his fastest. Perhaps this would be an intriguing match. "Feng Wei. I'm here to take the God Fist scrolls that your family stole back with me to China. This is your chance to tell me where they are, before I strike again."

Kazuya smirked. Whatever this man was talking about, he knew nothing of it. "Heh… you've got the wrong family member. I suggest you talk to my old man about that one- he's the one that taught me."

Feng's eyes widened. "Don't joke around with me… you mean that you know the Divine Fist?"

Kazuya opened his eyes and looked at him, getting weary of this interrogation. "Yeah, I do. Unless you want to be on the receiving end, I suggest you take your line of questioning somewhere else, before I get irritated." Feng grinned wildly. "Show me."

The Mishima smirked. He wanted a demonstration, did he? Well, he sure as hell would get one if he stuck around. Or… perhaps he was trying to provoke him in the first place. Kazuya played along. "Was that a challenge? If it was, you'd better commit to it. I don't like wasting my time."

Feng looked at him boldly. This was borderline disrespectful, but he would put up with it. "Yes, it was. Show me the power of the God Fist, and let's see what it's worth."

He walked toward the empty mat that was right in front of them, and started loosening up. Kazuya leaned forward from the wall and casually walked forward, still looking lazy and bored. But in all honesty, from the moment that first punch was thrown and countered, the fight was already on.

"Hmph… are you done? Let's get this over with."

Feng grinned at this. The Mishima was as anxious for battle as he himself was! This would be one for him to remember! "…As you wish! Come and fight me!"


Baek Doo San was casually walking around, looking appraisingly at various fights. He took note of strengths, weaknesses, weak sides, blind sides, mentally pointing out flaws in technique or concentration, and mentally scolding those who did not take advantage of them. It wasn't his place to speak on the styles of others- he had to work on himself.

He noticed one young woman in particular who wore the traditional coat, hakama, and headband that was usually seen in aikido. A blue chest protector was worn, as well as other defensive gear. She had come prepared to take a hit or two, as well as bringing what seemed to be her own equipment instead of using those provided by the tournament.

He nodded towards her approvingly, though she didn't see. This would be a very proper match for him to have, or at least he thought so. Aikido, the way of harmony, was said to be both graceful and powerful- the attack patterns more in the way of a dance than a fighting style. Not only that, but the retaliatory and defensive aspect intrigued him. He wondered how well her counterattacks would fare against his kicks.

It wasn't long before he made up his mind and walked towards her, who was busy meditating while she waited for someone to challenge her. She would soon get one. He stood a few feet from her and called out. "Have you fought yet?"

Her eyes were still closed, but she answered. "Yeah, I have. I lost that one, too. One more and I'm out…" She opened her deep brown eyes and looked the man before her over. She seemed to be satisfied, because she got up from her knees and smiled at him. "If you're over here, I suppose that you want to give me another chance to win this thing, right?"

Baek nodded. "You use aikido, right?" The brunette nodded. "Good. I've heard certain things about the style- I'd like to see a practical application against my art." She grinned. This guy was not bad at all, as far as personality went. She just hoped that she wouldn't be overwhelmed like last time.

"All right, you've got yourself a fight. Don't hold anything back- I sure won't!"


Feng Wei was having a difficult time trying to keep up with this… Kazuya. The man was putting far too much pressure on him- he needed some space before he got hit again. And on top of that, he had not seen one move that would be considered a part of the Divine Fist style. He would recognize that art from anywhere.

Perhaps he was holding back?

"What are you waiting for? Attack me with a technique! Do something other than those conventional moves of yours." Granted, Feng had already been decked twice, and he had delivered a swift retaliation on one of Kazuya's combinations, moving his hands gracefully to parry his opponent's strikes before stepping in and delivering a back fist to the gut.

Score was 2-1, Kazuya's favor, and Feng was getting frustrated. Why would he not use it? Was it that destructive that such skill could not be used until the tournament proper? No, it couldn't be. Nothing could stop his fists! "Fight me seriously, damn you!"

He rushed again, coming at him with a left right body blow combination, finishing by slamming his right shoulder towards his opponent. The Mishima heir blocked all three blows… and then it happened. He took one step forward and lay into him with his left fist, striking instantaneously, and with enough force to break two of his ribs… if it weren't for the protective gear. It hurt anyway, though.

Feng sprawled to the ground, gasping for air. That was it… the God Fist. There was no question about it now. The pain was excruciating, even with the equipment, but it was worth it. He had seen it in action, and now wanted that power more than ever. "Y-yes… that's good. That's what I was looking for. That kind of power… I will have it, no matter what!"

Kazuya smirked at him. "You're deluding yourself, you know. If enough force is applied, this style can kill. You want to waste your life on some fool quest, go ahead. But I'm not about to go get myself disqualified for killing you this early in the game. Wait your turn to die."

Feng stood up. He would not be denied a challenge! His side hurt like hell, but if he could stand, then dammit, he could fight! "I will not be denied!" Kazuya quirked an eyebrow… he actually got up from that? The pain that was garnered from that one punch should've been daunting. Essentially, if this were not a spar, he would be injured seriously.

"…Fine. Let's see what you can do with the pain in your side. Someone might want to restrain this guy once I walk away," he said to the ref as he got into stance. "I have a feeling he won't know when to quit."

Feng rushed forward, once again taking the offensive. He struck with a hard right fist; putting everything he had into it- his frustration, his pride, even the fresh pain that throbbed from his ribs. It wasn't enough, for as soon as he got within range, Kazuya jumped into the air, his left leg cutting downwards and hitting him clean in the forehead, the momentum from the attack helping to knock him to the mat, and hard.

Match over…

Kazuya casually walked off of the mat, not even regarding the cheering crowd. He was done here… showmanship was for the tournament proper. He didn't have time to spar, bur he had been forced into this one. All he had to do was find an actually… suitable challenge.

Feng stood up slowly, after the world stopped spinning. He had a cunning smile on his face as his opponent walked away, and the smile did not dissipate, even as he bowed to him, and then the referee.

Such power… I must have it! Next time, I will win… Kazuya Mishima.


Lei sat on the mat, shaking his head slightly. Everything just wouldn't stop moving…

He had just been kicked, quite hard, by Ling Xiaoyu. As she rushed forward, he did the proper thing and lowered his raised left leg, striking out with his right instead, aiming for her ankle. With the speed of her approach, the result was obvious.

But apparently, one's reaction time depends on whether they can see the attack or not. And as soon as she saw him lower his left leg, Ling didn't take any chances. She jumped into the air and turned, her left leg turning with her in a horizontal arc. Not only did his kick slide right under her, but she decked him hard, sending him spinning through the air and onto the floor.

As she landed, she gave him the victory sign again. She knew that it was luck, that he used such an attack in the first place. While she was in the air, he could've used anything else to disable her. But hey, a win was a win!

"How'd you like that? Not too bad, huh?"

Lei got up after the room stopped spinning and nodded to her. "Yeah, not too bad. You saw me coming, even at that speed. That takes good eyes… you've gotten better, Ling." She scratched the back of her head, blushing a bit. "Yeah, you too. But you're always good. Sorry about that… y'know, old guy thing."

Lei smiled. "I'm glad that you actually believe me. When I say my actual age, no one ever does." He bowed to her as the crowd cheered them on, and she could only bow back. Yes, he was good… he'd be a problem later if she met him in the real thing.

She made a note to work on her form a little more, before she had the unfortunate experience of being knocked out…


Asuka was having quite a time with this one.

His flurry of kicks had thrown her off once or twice, coming from all directions and from every angle. She found it hard to counter properly- this not only frustrated her, but it made her angry as well. Anger sharpened her focus…

I can't lose again! I have to get that guy back for hurting my father!

Her eyes narrowed in concentration as Baek approached again, coming at her with a high left roundhouse kick, and then a low left, finishing with a right body blow. She wasn't fooled this time. As soon as she went low to block the second kick, the third blow- which was supposed to hit her clean in the face- got parried. She then grabbed his arm, leading him further off balance by pulling said limb down and forcing one of his legs in the air. She grabbed said leg as she did so, turning him through the air. In the middle of the second circle, she let go of the captured leg and shifted her first arm to his shoulder, throwing him down to the ground.

Counter and point. Score is 4-1, and she's at a major disadvantage. The fact made her even angrier, and she was now totally committed to beating the pants off of this guy. As he got back up and she got into stance, Baek saw the determination in her eyes. He nodded to her and rushed again, coming at her with a left right combination, and pulled his left leg up, hopping backwards to keep himself in flamingo.

As she blocked both hits and watched him retreat, she slowly advanced forward. Whatever he had planned, she vowed not to fall for it. Finally making up her mind, seeing as he was going to be patient about it, she dashed forward, and that was when he responded. His left leg tore at her midsection, followed by a high right snap kick to the head, followed by an axe kick with same leg. He finished with a left heel kick, ending the flurry.

This was where things got interesting.

She stopped the string at the second kick, ducking under the attack and swinging her right arm at his supporting left leg with her fist closed, clipping him in the shin. Down he went. Score is 4-2.

Still in stance and waiting for him to get up, she didn't lose her focus, even for a second. She would watch his every move now, and if he made the slightest mistake, it was pretty much her chance to get him back down again, possibly keep him down.

He rose back up again, and came at her as soon as the ref gave the ok, hopping slightly into the air before laying into her with a flurry of left kicks- heel at chest level, then two hook kicks- one to the head and one to the chest again, before lowering said leg and turning on his heel, striking out with a right heel kick to the head for the finish.

She didn't fall for it. Left kicks were blocked, and the right kick was just plain ducked under, a natural reaction. Moving without thought, she lifted her right elbow straight upwards as she rose, slamming him straight in the chin. Score is 4-3. Asuka was not feeling confident yet- she was still very pissed at herself, mostly for letting the situation go this far. She would pick up the slack, starting now.

Now foiled twice, Baek decided that it was time to stop playing around. He hopped into the air again, making an attempt at the same move, and starting with the same left heel to left hook. Both were blocked. He expected that- but would she expect this? He switched feet on her, snapping up at her head with his right leg, and coming down in an axe kick with said same leg, before suddenly stopping there.

All four were blocked… but she showed her tenacity, staying on the defensive. The sudden stop had only made her more wary of him. And for good reason… he suddenly ducked and came at her with a fast right low heel kick, finishing this flurry of kicks.

Thought so!

The kick was expertly parried, before she thrust her left hand out in a spear strike from the waist, her left hand following in a palm shove that knocked him to the floor. Score was tied. Asuka got out of stance and waited for him to get up.

"You're not half bad, y'know. For a while, those kicks messed with my head. But this is where it stops, right here. I challenge you to one last attack for each of us- just one. No strings, no flurries, no parries. Got it? Show me your best move, and I'll show you mine."

As he rose, he nodded. "It sounds reasonable. One point could win anyway- I wouldn't want this to end simply by luck. Ready yourself, young one!" Baek slowly lifted his left leg into the air, turning on the ball of his foot to give him the best height and extra force. Not one to be outdone, Asuka began spinning towards him, turning clockwise.

One turns…

His leg was fully extended.

Two turns…

The full height had been reached.

Three turns, and she had gathered enough force to really hurt someone. Meanwhile, he hopped into the air and sharply brought his left leg downwards, the heel streaking towards her.

Whiff.

As soon as his foot hit the mat hard, he knew that it was finished. Asuka whipped her left leg around, her heel moving in an arc and dropping viciously toward his chest. It connected with such force that he was sent spinning through the air, landing hard on the sparring mat. Good thing it wasn't concrete or stone- he wouldn't just be hurting in one place.

Score is 6-4, Asuka.

The crowd exploded. It was such a fierce battle that they couldn't help but get into it. Besides, most of them had seen her loss to Julia earlier. Another close battle and she had lost that time- many wanted her to win this one, and were now behind her after that performance of skill in aikido. On top of that, such close calls and dramatic challenges were what made this tournament, and the surrounding crowds ate it up.

One in particular was watching intently, having just finished a fight of his own.

That stance… those techniques… just like her. And just as dangerous- she saw his every move coming, once she was focused properly. Maybe I'll have my challenge after all.

As she walked away, Kazuya followed intent on having a showdown with Asuka.


Meanwhile, Jin was standing on a wall with his eyes closed. It was uncanny, how he acted like Kazuya at times. But he did so because he could relax, for the time being. No matter what happened now, he was secure.

It had been easy enough to beat the next one in line- he was big and mostly a grappler. It was a bit irritating when he knocked him clean out of his attack patterns with his low right kick, which was faster than expected, but he had only gotten four points out of the whole deal.

For the rest of the match, he didn't get any more, as Jin began to put pressure on him, parrying everything he threw at him, and hopping into the air after a low kick, snapping his right leg upwards as he did so to catch him straight in the head.

His second score was when the Vale Tudo fighter, known as Craig Marduk, tried to go for some of his more interesting moves. He ducked low and charged forward, plowing his left shoulder into Jin's waiting defense, and afterwards, he got kicked away by a sharp right blade kick, scoring him another two points. Score tied.

Completely tired of him now, Craig decided to completely wipe Jin off of the map. He lowered himself quite low to the ground, and came up at him with a rising double hammer, strong enough to send him flying and win the match with style. Blocked, though it pushed Jin back a bit, but spacing was not a problem for him.

He lunged forward, striking out with his right arm and slamming his fist into the opponent's gut, winding Craig as well as knocking him to the floor.

He was secure and safe, but he couldn't help but wonder how Asuka was faring… he didn't necessarily want her to get kicked out at this point, but he didn't want to face her in the actual tournament, where she could easily be killed if he used his full strength. Sure, they were on par in all regards, but if he actually meant to, he could really hurt her, bad.

When he thought of that, and what was waiting at the end of this path, his protective instincts kicked in and he felt the need to get her and Xiaoyu as far away from all this as possible. He felt that he was the only one who could truly end this tournament, and destroy the one behind it all.

Suddenly, a roar exploded from somewhere in the crowd. A fight… and it seemed like a big one. Compelled to watch, seeing as he had nothing better to do, he walked towards the now growing crowd in the center of the tournament grounds to see what was going on.

He was not truly happy about what he saw. There, fighting on the sparring mat, were Kazuya Mishima and his Asuka. For a moment, he thought it strange that he referred to her as his… probably the Devil Gene reacting to her. There was no way that he could be that attached, even after that kiss on the mountainside earlier. And even if he did, he had not the time for it.

Sure, he liked her. She could read him perfectly- that, and the fact that she was honest, kind, liked to have fun- which he still didn't understand completely, though he used to enjoy himself as well- and had a strong sense of justice, like him. But he certainly didn't like her that much to call her his.

He wondered if she would laugh and call him silly for thinking such things. Then he shook it off and concentrated on the fight. He had no time for thoughts like those- he had a duty to fulfill. Besides, this was probably it for her… if she won, that was all good. If not… well, at least she would be safe. Hell, he would take care of the man who critically injured her father for her, but he didn't want her to risk her life any more than she had to.

In fact, he thought strongly about jumping into the fight to take his father on for her, but they were already locked in combat. He didn't want to disqualify anyone, though he could care less if Kazuya were kicked out. His concern was Asuka. This would be the ultimate test of her abilities… he himself knew how strong Kazuya was- though he had won, it had been a hellish fight.

Hold together, Asuka…


Bryan was seething when he stood again.

Well, that had not gone as planned. He had not expected the mercenary to be so even and on par with him. And that was one loss- he couldn't afford another. So he began looking for the easy prey… he needed a win, no matter who he had to fight to get one. So he found a relatively safe fight against a woman who used a unique style of bone martial arts- the kind that assassins used.

Still, she didn't seem like much, though she had beaten a man who used a high-powered style that mixed judo with just plain old whoop ass. Paul had been soundly beaten, and it was a shame too- he wanted to demolish the runt himself. Oh well- no matter; she was his next fight, as well as decidedly his first victim.

"So… you're the next one? You don't seem all too promising… no one here does. But anything's better than that idiot."

She turned towards him, one hand on her hip and the other hanging lazily at her side. "Not only that, but you could use a change of wardrobe- not like I care any. I'm not one for sparring, so let's get this over with." He walked forward onto the mat and got into stance, grinning wolfishly. She would regret those words, soon enough.

They didn't bother bowing respectfully- people like them had no time or place for respecting an enemy. As soon as the ref brought his hands in, Bryan went straight for the attack, rushing forward with a right straight that came with such speed that Nina was genuinely surprised. She got decked hard, and was knocked to the mat.

Point for Bryan. He felt better already.

As she got back up, her eyes narrowed in a bit of frustration. Okay, so he was just as fast as she was. That didn't mean that she didn't have a few tricks as well. As soon as the ref called the fight to continue, she advanced toward him, sliding low before bringing her right hand sharply upwards in a backhand slap, intent on lifting him into the air with the force behind the attack.

He had a simple answer for it, and that was to parry the attack, guiding it to his right side as it came at him. He then gave her a hard left body blow while her momentum carried her along, hitting her in her side. Thing was, he did it four times, and so quickly that his left arm was a blur. He finished by knocking her to the ground with a right body shot, and simply laughing as she fell. Only the first hit counted… but she still had to recover.

Another point- he was starting to irritate her.

She got back up and decided to change tactics a bit. And not a moment too soon, for Bryan came at her again, his left elbow slamming straight toward her head. She slid backwards instead, making the elbow just miss her head, then brought her right hand up for a hard slap, then a backhand that was so hard that it turned him to his side.

Heck, it counted. One for Nina… and Bryan was appalled.

"This ain't a play fight, you little bitch! Quit slapping and hit, dammit!" He brought his left knee right at her with alarming speed, but the ref broke them up. She had a smug look on her face- oh, that did it for him. Anger would make him lose his focus if he didn't concentrate on the fight, and not the fact that he had just been pimp slapped, and quite hard at that.

He got back into stance, and as soon as the referee called for the fight to continue, he made it clear that he wasn't about to take that crap lying down… however, he only got halfway to her before lifting his right knee quite quickly, forcing her to block. Her stance was broken, but he did nothing but lean forward, tapping his chin with one of his fists.

"I dare you to do that again. Come on, it's a free hit… you do what you need to, right? Or can you actually do it?"

She was starting to really hate this guy. She suddenly launched into the air, snapping her right leg up as she did so, to wipe that silly grin off of his face. She didn't get far before he suddenly hit her as she advanced with a right left body combination, followed by a right knee that made her stumble to the ground.

Score is 3-1. Nina lost it right then and there.

"Go to hell, you psychopathic freak!"

"You first… weakling."

That did it. The ref barely called the match to begin when Nina rushed at him, tearing into him with a flurry of quick, merciless strikes, one after the other, before kicking out twice with her left leg- once high and once low, and then coming at him with a right backhand, followed by two more jabs and finishing with a right spin kick. In all, it was a total of ten hits. If he missed a block on even one strike, that would be a point, maybe two.

She didn't get anything from him. His defense had been rock solid, even going so far as to avoid the low kick, lifting his right knee to let the attack slip under the leg before blocking the rest of them. However on the final right spin kick, he made one slight change…

He ducked low, letting the kick pass right over him, and then while her leg was still in the air, he rose up and lifted his left knee, immediately followed by his right. The attacks smashed into her with such force that she couldn't breathe for quite a while. Down, and the match was over.

"Like I said…" he bent down and whispered to her as the surrounding audience cheered. "This ain't a play fight, sparring or not. For your sake, I hope you get eliminated here… because next time you might die. Not like I care any."

Then he walked away, leaving her to curse Bryan Fury, and anxiously wait for the time where she could turn the tables and kill him instead.

Just another one on the list… Anna.


Earlier that day, Asuka had been stretching out after her last match against Baek. He really pushed her hard, and his various leg moves had gotten her confused completely. But at least she could relax now. The frustration of losing a match had been replaced with the elation of winning. Not only that, but she could feel the crowd's support as they cheered her on once she won the fight.

Still, this was not the time to dwell on the last battle. It was time to look toward the next one. However, she sensed someone come up behind her, and without turning around, she asked the man what he wanted.

For some strange reason, he laughed softly. "You even have the same ability as she does. Reading a person before they even approached- feeling an attack come before it is even executed. Exactly the same…"

She turned… and saw Kazuya Mishima in front of her. And all at once, she was scared, angry, respectful, and wary all at the same time. This one sole man was responsible for everything that Jin was going through right now… but she knew perfectly well that it wasn't the whole story. There had to be a reason- everything had one. She had to think right now instead of feel.

"I'm not all that great. And I presume that you're Jin's father? I have to say, I've never heard of you." Kazuya shrugged- she wasn't supposed to hear of him. He had died once, after all, and Jun probably didn't even know of it. Or she had, and didn't tell anyone. Either way, it was done and done.

"I'm not surprised. How do you know about Jin, anyway?" She now looked at him with a prideful look in her eyes. "He's a cousin of mine. We hadn't met each other until a few months ago. What's it to you?"

Puzzled, Kazuya quirked an eyebrow at this. "You're a Kazama? Hmm…" He looked at her appraisingly, as if deciding what to do with her. After a while, he scoffed. "Someone lied to you when they told you that."

Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't scared of him anymore after that. "Take… that… back."

He raised his hands in mock defense. "Hey, it's true. If you're a cousin, you should at least look like your aunt, right? Well, I know Jun better than anyone. You certainly don't look anything like her… I suggest you check your facts. Mostly, the Kazama clan has black hair… jet black. The kind that shines in the moonlight and turns almost sliver- that kind of black. Yours is different- much different. Everything about you is different, save for two things…"

"Enough! You, me, fight… now." She pointed towards one of the empty sparring mats, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I won't stand for this- I'm proud of my family, and my heritage. If anyone says or does anything against them, then they'll answer to me."

He shrugged. The comment was directed to her… but he could see her point. If he said she wasn't a Kazama, then it was saying something indirectly about all of them. He knew this perfectly well… but it was true as well. If he needed to beat it into her, then fine. But she would stop trying to be something she was not, even if he had to force her to see it.

"…Fine. You'll see for yourself, sooner or later."

The two of them got into stance, and a nearby crowd gathered as soon as they saw them get ready. Few recognized Kazuya, and the word spread. The word also got out that Asuka was fighting, and the fans that she had gained from her last fight gathered there as well. So then, by the time the match began, there was quite a group of people gathered.

"Your ass is mine for dishonoring my family… get ready, Kazuya!"

He smirked. She was definitely full of fire and spirit- just at the wrong thing. Oh, well… it would at least be an interesting battle. He got into stance, said same smirk on his face. "That's fine. Show me the power of the Kazama-Ryu… I haven't seen it in such a long time that I've forgotten."

She took this as a cue to advance and ran at him, leaping into the air and snapping her left leg out at his head as she did so. Faster than he anticipated, he barely dodged the move and had to retreat for a bit as she regained herself. The two of them circled each other warily, looking for holes in each other's stance.

Asuka finally decided to move forward, dashing towards him and coming at him with a leaping right spin kick that came at an odd angle. As she advanced, he ducked low, sliding his left leg forward, trying to knock her down in the process. As it turns out, Asuka nailed him just as his kick slid under her attack, her leg coming at a diagonal upwards angle instead of just horizontally, sending him spinning through the air and to the ground.

Two points for Asuka. She felt a lot better, but it wasn't over yet.

"Not bad… you're just as strong, too. But it doesn't change the fact that you're not a Kazama. Like I was going to say," he remarked as he got up. "There are only two similarities between you and she… the first one is your technique."

"That much sure as hell is true. What's the second?" She asked as she got into stance. He must really have a thing for pain… He gladly answered, and his answer confused her to no end. "The second is your gift. It's the power in your blood. Don't tell me that you've never felt it…" She lowered her stance, completely thrown off guard. "What? What're you-"

The ref called the match to continue, and Kazuya advanced with the speed of… well, a demon. He slid low, coming at her with a low right sweep. She sensed his intent to attack, but took note of how damned fast he was. She barely had time to back flip, the kick just missing her before following with another one, and another near miss.

However, the left hook that he rose up with on a third revolution did not miss, and hit her dead on, knocking her to the side and to the ground. Score is 2-1, Asuka… but with Kazuya's speed and power, that could change. "Yeah," she said as she got up again. "You're pretty strong, I'll grant you that. But I'm still going to win. I have business to tend to."

Kazuya knew almost instinctively about that one. He had read up on events now and then- not that he cared, just that he could use the information sometime later. "Oh, you mean the man who's been trashing training halls? I heard he hit your father pretty hard… Sorry, I meant your adoptive father."

She was angry again. "Would you stop that?" She rushed again, coming at him with her trademark right uppercut. However at the same time, Kazuya slid low, quickly rising with a right uppercut of his own. One of them would hit, sooner or later… however, neither of them would. Asuka felt the attack coming again, and halted the attack as he swung at her. Seeing as the rising uppercut was high, he missed her completely.

However, his reaction time was quite fast, and he responded with a right splits kick, his heel coming straight down at her. She had an answer for that as well, as her right fist swung out at his left leg, knocking it out from under him and flooring him again. Score was 3-1, Asuka. Kazuya simply got back up again, and attacked once more, this time coming at her with the same move that he used to pound into Feng Wei, stepping forward and slamming into her with his left fist.

The fight was getting to the point where the referee couldn't stop it… so he simply kept score, not even breaking them up for a second- he could get decked as well.

Asuka blocked the oncoming attack, and struck with one of her own- she quickly turned her back and whipped around, making an attempt to hit him with her left fist. Bad move- he wasn't finished yet, and with another step forward, thrust his right fist towards her, slamming into her side as she turned.

Down she goes. Score is 3-2…

Kazuya relaxed a bit, but was still in stance. "You've never questioned once… never looked in the mirror and wondered why you look different? Didn't that seem strange, when you looked at your father and noticed that he didn't look the same as you did?"

Now that was unfair. She had quite a time getting up, and now he comes out with this again? "You're lying to me! You have to be! If this were true, someone would've told me by now! It would've weighed so heavily on him that… he would've told me…"

She started to wonder… then, she shook her head. It couldn't be. Not true. Not true. "It's not true! He is my father!" She stands up again, back on the warpath. As she charged yet again, he smirked. This would end pretty soon if she kept doing that. As soon as she got within range, he slid low and suddenly flew at her, his left leg extended in a blade kick

However, she saw him duck, saw him rise, and responded, coming at him with her reverse right sweep, cutting across the ground like a sword. But the fact was that none of the attacks hit- he went over, she went under. As Kazuya landed, he looked over his shoulder, impressed. Such reaction time at that distance… she was a master.

Still angry, she ran towards him again, closing the distance with a no-hands cartwheel and deliberately stopping just in front of him to attack with a quick right knee to the chest. He blocked it, and came at her with a left roundhouse kick, followed by a left hook to the head, a right kick to her shin, and a left body hook.

He had ungodly speed… but a determined Asuka was hard to beat. She blocked the kick and the first hook, and then parried the low kick, quickly turning it to the side before slamming into him with her right palm at point-blank range.

Kazuya took a quick trip to a location three feet away from her. Score is 4-2…

He got back up without anything to say, and came at her again. Now officially determined to wipe the floor with her, he jumped into the air and flipped forward, his legs striking out at her. She sidestepped the attack, and tried to cut out at him with the reverse sweep when he hit the ground. He managed to roll away, and the attack missed, though barely.

He simply wouldn't stop coming as he continued his advance, leaping into the air and going into a right spin kick that she managed to block, but it made her turn to her side… and from there, she got her legs kicked out from under her by the following right sweep.

Score is tied.

Kazuya backed away with a smirk. He pretty much knew that it was going to end, one way or the other. With how good she was, as well as the hidden strength she knew nothing about, it would've come to this. But this would be where thing got interesting.

"You're better than I had imagined. Usually, it takes me longer to kick someone's ass."

She got back up and got back into stance, looking at her situation calmly for once. Apparently, he knew something that she didn't, and was using it to distract her. She would have to think about it later- right now, she had to concentrate all of her efforts to beating Kazuya. He was strong, as well as fast… it would be difficult to keep up for long.

She had to interrupt his flow and control it- otherwise, she would be overwhelmed with attacks, and she knew that she couldn't block everything. After all, one missed block and she was done for…

She had no more time to think as the demon rushed forward again, coming at her with a left splits kick, which she had just enough time to block before countering with a left jab to a right uppercut. Both blocked, and then countered with two lefts, and a hard right straight. Block, block, and block again; turn and kick out with the right leg, aiming for his shin, followed by a left jab, then right palm strike, left, turn and left again, and ending with a double lift kick, starting with the right leg.

Kazuya moved with a speed that was surreal, and blocked everything, including the first low right kick, simply letting the second pass over his head. Then the coup de grace when she landed- a hard right hook to her side, one that would surely end the match.

Not one hit sounded, but two.

Asuka, tired of his antics, had just decided to deck him one, straight on. So she slammed her right fist down towards his forehead in an overhead hook, at the same time he struck with his attack. In effect, they hit each other, right on cue. The crowd went insane- each one had five points. This was the shout that drew Jin to the action, as well as many other people.

Both Kazuya and Asuka smiled, both getting worn out by each others merciless attack patterns.

"This is going nowhere…"

Asuka nodded. "I agree. But it can't end until someone does something to the other without… well, this happening."

Kazuya nodded. He actually had respect for this one- he had been looking for a good fight, and regardless of what happened now, he got his wish. He decided to give her a true test of her abilities. As they both stood up, he spoke. "I have one last attack- one that no one, save for one person has been able to counter. I admit defeat if you can use the attack against me."

She nodded. Whatever this attack was, it had better be something good- very good indeed. The same challenge was made to her last time, and if anything could top that then she would be in for a world of pain when the tournament came. She knew it, somehow.

"Okay, give me what you got."

The two of them stood back in the center of the mat and bowed to each other, for once. "Honestly…" she said as she prepared herself. "How do you know all this, anyway? …About my family and all that?" He looked at her with an intense gaze. "I thought you didn't believe me?" She nodded. "I don't… I just want to know."

He smirked. "I see. That's best left for another time, though… we're taking too long." With that, he rushed, ducking low and leaping up at her with a vicious left uppercut- one that had quite a speed and a force behind it. This move was the bane of many who were unfortunate enough to be hit by it- few could counter, and only one could reverse.

…Until now.

Asuka caught his punch- it was much faster than she had expected, and that was saying something. She already believed him faster than any normal human she had ever seen, and twice as powerful. But purely on reaction and instinct, she caught the punch, allowed him to rise up a bit higher, and arched her back as he did so, carrying him along with her. The crowd almost tore the building apart with their yell as Kazuya slammed into the ground, and Asuka lay on the mat, tired beyond all belief.

Score is 6-5, Asuka. And what a fight it was. But as she lay there, her mind retraced his words… she still didn't believe him, even now. However… she could feel something… something that oddly made sense to her. Something about his words and how he knew the subject so well.

She slowly got up, and the cheers of the crowd came back to her. She grinned broadly- she was safe. She was in. She walked towards the throng, through it, and when she emerged on the other side, there was Jin, smiling at her. "So, that's two?"

She walked toward him and hugged him tight. "Yeah… that's two."


Chapter 10: The Prelims 2 (Truth and Consequences)

Well, I did say that I would explain, no?

Okay, here's the deal on the eliminations, which will be posted in the beginning of next chapter. There are definitely a whole bunch of people fighting in this thing- thirty in total. All want the spot, and two are already in- Jin and Asuka. Now then, here's the question…

Who would you like to see in the next round? Yes, this is the end of the preliminaries. I couldn't put everyone in, mind you… I honestly don't have the capacity for it right now, without putting in a whole bunch of fill-ins that will detract from the story. I wanted to keep the fights simple, and stick to the script I had in my head.

So I leave it up to you all. Give me a list of the ten people that you would like eradicated in your review. Those who get three votes will be kicked out, and there will be room for only ten. If your character makes it through the filter, then don't worry- you'll get the opportunity to see them unconscious instead of simply walking away!

Ja ne.