TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM
ACT 21: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Outside the village of Istán, Spain
Miguel Caballero Rojo had been having rough days lately. The G Corporation had begun launching air raids to attack cities and villages of Spain's southern coast, including in Ojèn, where he was working. But with the entire village evacuating, Miguel felt the need to join them.
The group of evacuees had fled north, hoping to find shelter and refuge in the town of Monda. Sadly, that place was also being bombed by enemy fliers. In desperation, the evacuating villagers took to hiding in the wilderness. Harsh as it seemed, it was more preferable to hide amongst the woods than in a bombed town. They also assumed that the enemy wouldn't pay attention to forested areas.
Miguel had stayed at an unofficial refugee camp behind the mountain rang called Sierra Blanca. But the aggressive Spaniard refused to be stuck there. There was no food or water at that camp, so he proceeded to walk on the path all by himself. Navigating proved hard, seeing as Miguel didn't know much about these pathways.
But he knew that there existed a village somewhere in the valley of Rio Verde. Even so, the journey on foot proved harsh for this tough man.
"Argh! I've been walking for hours! How long till I reach Istán?" he complained as he kept walking.
Miguel stopped once he could see a white cradle of civilization. His eyes widened while his scowl turned upside down. He knew exactly where he was, based upon this village's location in Rio Verde.
"Finalmente. I have arrived at Istán! And just when things were beginning to get tiresome for me!" Miguel remarked and he looked up to the skies. "Gracias a Dios" he thanked whoever was up there.
The Spaniard proceeded to move down towards the village. From what he could tell, Istán looked like a quaint place. But he had to at least expect it to be affected by the G Corp's attack as well. Given how they bombed Ojén, it was likely that Istán had also been targeted by the air raids.
He walked down towards what appeared to be a football course. But as Miguel kept walking, he was stunned to se several villagers approach out of the trees. They were all armed with weapons, specifically rifles.
Miguel was shocked by what he was seeing, so he froze completely.
"Oye! Detente ahi!" one of the villagers, who appeared to be a brown-haired woman cried. "Put your hands in the air! Ahora!" she continued.
Miguel did as she said, not even opening his mouth to protest. Still, to be greeted like this by villagers really stunned him. Yet he knew he had to convince them how he was not a threat.
"Quién eres tú, G Corp-bastardo!?" the woman demanded to know more about him.
This really offended Miguel, as he couldn't believe this villager would suspect him of being such, let alone her hostile sentiments. Still, he surprisingly held down his aggression. Yet the same thing couldn't be said for his mouth.
"En serio? Malditas idiotas! I'm no soldier! You don't see any weapons or uniform on me now, do you!?" he swore back.
Yet the villagers didn't take kindly to Miguel's harsh language, especially the man who appeared to be a farmer.
"Mentiroso! We know all about their spies! They come in all sizes and colors. That twisted conglomerate is sending them to assess their damages they have caused to our homes!" he was furious, and justifiably so. "Mi casa! Mi propia casa! Those bastardos bombed it last night!" the farmer went on, breaking out in tears as he reminisced about his loss.
This caught Miguel's attention. "So you're saying that Istán also got attacked by these air raids?" he asked the farmer.
"Of course, we were! All cities, towns and villages across Andalucía were attacked by those G Corp bombers" the woman exclaimed, only to sigh deeply. "But the situation is even worse now. The entire Spain is under occupation. The same goes for Portugal" she lamented the situation.
Miguel was terrified of what he heard her say. Was it really true? Had the G Corp managed to oust the Spanish government and monarchy and taken control of the country?
"Mierda! I guess the situation is a lot worse than I imagined. That means we're in for a very tough period" he thought to himself.
Hoping to find a way to ease these villager's concern, Miguel felt the need to tell them who he was.
"Listen, my name is Miguel Caballero Rojo. I was living in Ojén for a while before these G Corp bastardos attacked. Ojén too was bombed so I fled through the wilderness" Miguel started, hoping to ease these villagers' fears. "Will you please let me inside Istán? I promise I will not….." Miguel was stopped when one of the villagers, who was a round and obese man, aimed his rifle at Miguel. He seemed more than willing to put a bullet in him.
"Cállate! The only thing we will give you is…" the obese man stopped once the woman started lowered her own rifle.
She looked at him while shaking her head. "Just stop, Ernesto. This man is speaking honestly. There's no reason for us to deny him entry" she told Ernesto before looking back Miguel. "Very well. You're welcome to stay at Istán. But don't even dare causing any mischief. The people here already have enough crap to worry about" this warning was more than enough to lighten Miguel's mood.
He lowered his hands and smiled back at her. "Gracias, cariña. You will not regret this, I promise" Miguel thanked her.
The woman didn't like his nickname for her, not matter how endearing it sounded.
"Mi nombre es NO cariña!" she snapped, only to take a deep breath to cool herself. "Me llamo Carmen. Follow me to the village center. I take it you must be hungry after all this wandering. I know a restaurant and bar that you can eat at" she offered him.
Miguel, knowing better than to refuse, accepted her offer. "Lead the way, then" he told him.
With that said, Carmen excused her follow villagers, and they all let her accompany Miguel down to the village.
The Spanish brawler was then taken down to the center of Istán itself. Along the way, Miguel watched as some of the buildings had been destroyed, leaving nothing but rubbles and crying villagers as a result. He felt for them, as well was others who had lost someone dare to them.
"I see that the G Corp has made its move here. But I'm surprised that Istán hasn't been occupied yet" he remarked to Carmen.
"Istán's location is quite isolated when compared to other pueblo blancos in the Malaga province. But that's not enough reason for us to celebrate. Sooner or later, those bastardos will send their men here. And there is no telling whether we'll be occupied or massacred" Carmen replied, her voice as serious as iron.
Miguel couldn't help but to agree with her. "Si. I understand. I lost someone dear to me during the raids from the Mishima Zaibatsu, so I know your fears" he spoke up, recalling back to the tragic day his sister died.
Carmen stooped and looked at Miguel. Clearly, she was shocked to hear what he just said.
"You lost family to this damn war too? Then you will fit right in with the people of Istán" she responded, only feeling the need to ask him one question. "Ah, I almost forgot. De dónde eres?" Carmen asked him in Spanish.
"Soy de Madrid. But I moved down south to Costa del Sol in hopes of finding a job in the tourism sector. But just like Madrid, the economy here was also tough due to the ongoing war. I had that waiter job in Ojén. But due to the bombing, I'm unemployed again" Miguel told a little about his background. He lamented his current situation. "I have Kazuya Mishima to thank for it. Hijo de puta! He is no better than that spawn of his" he cursed Kazuya while also referring to Jin.
This made Carmen laugh, finding Miguel's description of the two Japanese men amusing.
"Claro. You could say that" she replied.
The pair was walking through the narrow streets. These were typical of Spain's pueblos blancos. Istán was no different. They were also the place where bars and restaurants could usually be found. With the recent airways, most of the streets were completely abandoned. There was almost no one walking outside. Even the elderly men had decided to stay inside.
But Miguel could understand this, seeing as how every Spaniard was fearful of another G Corp air raid.
Eventually, Carmen led Miguel to a bar that was located underneath the Torre de Escalante. They approached the bartender, who smiled brightly when seeing the brunette approach him.
"Ah Carmen! Me alegro de verte!" the bartender exclaimed happily in Spanish, yet he was confused when seeing Miguel. "Quien es este vago?" he then asked, yet Miguel was not pleased with what he had been called.
But Carmen stepped before Miguel before he could unleash whatever reaction he had in mind. She looked at the bartender with her usual courteous expression.
"No hay que preocuparse, Pepe! Él no es peligroso" Carmen assured him.
Miguel only scoffed, pretending that he wasn't listening to this conversation. On the other hand, Pepe, as the bartender's name was, seemed to have confidence in what Carmen had said about Miguel.
"Muy bien" Pepe said, feeling relieved. He then looked at Miguel. "Qué puedo conseguirte, señor?" the bartender asked him.
Miguel took his seat, letting out a sigh as he tried to clear his mind of whatever negative emotions he had.
"Un vaso de agua, por favor. As for something to eat…just give some serrano or whatever" he asked for some food and drinks.
With that said, Pepe was already on the move making Miguel's order. In the meantime, he and Carmen sat on the stools. Carmen felt the need to know more about Miguel.
"You said the Zaibatsu took someone dear to you. Who was it?" Carmen asked.
As much as Miguel wanted to lash out against this woman, he realized that he was now receiving some well-deserved hospitality by the people of Istán. It would be wrong for him to show ingratitude towards them, especially the woman who had chosen not to shoot him.
"Mi hermana menor….." Miguel started, getting slightly emotional when speaking about his late sister. "It was her wedding day and she was about to marry her greatest love of her life. But sadly, those Tekken Force-bastardos are so heartless that they would bomb places of worship too. The church was bombed in the air raid" he continued.
Carmen's eyes widened. "No…...was it THAT attack…...the one on the church?" she was rendered speechless. "I read about it…to think they would pull something like that. Jin Kazama really deserves to be sent to hell!" the brunette sounded passionate.
This reminded Miguel about how he almost killed Jin in the aftermath of the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament. While he had chosen not to deliver the blow, Miguel sometimes wondered whether he did the right thing or not. But then again, Miguel had chosen to spare Jin's life in order to not become the same thing he despised.
Indeed. Miguel was known to be a brutal ruffian who always got into confrontations with anyone he cam across. But the Spaniard had limits. He was not a ruthless killer. Miguel also knew that his sister would've not liked him killing someone, even if that person deserved it.
"Si. Kazama es un gilipollas grande. But I believe he deserves worse" Miguel noted.
Carmen looked at him confused. "What do you mean by that?" she quizzed.
In response, Miguel chuckled. "Nada, cariña. Nada en absoluto" he assured her, much to Carmen's irritation.
"I told you, my name is Carmen!" she snapped.
Yet Miguel was already finding amusement in this. He soon noticed Pepe arriving with his glass of water and some stripes of serrano ham. The minute the bartender put it all on the counter, Miguel immediately dug in. He drank up the whole glass in a second and proceeded to chew down the serrano hams.
Both Carmen and Pepe were stunned, yet they said nothing to Miguel. As soon as he was finished eating, Miguel wiped off some saliva on his lips.
"Ah, eso era bueno" Miguel remarked, finding the serrano hams tasty. He then looked at Pepe. "Muchas gracias, señor" he then expressed his gratitude.
As puzzled as Pepe seemed, he gladly appreciated Miguel's expression of gratitude. "De nada, amigo" the bartender replied.
Miguel then looked at Carmen. "Say, Carmen. Do you know any restaurant that would like to have someone like me waiting tables? If so, then I will be happy to take it?" he asked.
Carmen was slightly taken aback by this. "You cannot be serious! With everything happening in Spain I doubt there will be any customers visiting the restaurants" she rebuked him, only to sigh in order to calm herself down. "Still, I see your point. And I'm sure there is a place for you to stay at. In fact, there is a family-driven café right beside where I live. They are compassionate enough to give you some shelter. But know this: Istán could also be attacked at any rate" Carmen then revealed.
But Miguel didn't seem that concerned to say at least. Resting his hands behind his neck, the passionate Spaniard smirked.
"Maybe. But know that I'm more than capable of handling things on my own. I did wander through the wilds to get here, didn't I?" he pointed out.
Carmen giggled, clearly impressed with Miguel's level of bragging. She knew that this annoying, yet handsome-looking man would prove a great asset to the village.
On the top of the ship called the Amphitrite, somewhere in the Mediterranean
It was night in the Mediterranean, but the Amphitrite was showing so much light from its sides so it became a beacon of light in this dark ocean. In other words, it just showed how truly dangerous the seas could be at night, if one were to sail on it in the night.
There was already someone sneaking atop the ship itself, waltzing around the aft. It was far away from the bridge, which prevented this guy from being spotted by any unwanted eyes. However, this swordsman, who was Yoshimitsu, was also near the ship's stern.
Yoshimitsu had been aiding Master Raven and Raven with this infiltration mission onboard Kometa's floating HQ. So far, they had done some searching, wanting to know what this large fortress really was. And luckily, they had avoided getting spotted by either Kometa's leadership or any others onboard the ship.
With that said, the trio of stowaways had decided to find out more about Kometa's "operations" onboard the Amphitrite. From what they knew, Kometa had with Dr Lukas Hayes' help, managed to create not just unliving mechanical zombies, but also other forms of machinery.
On the way to the aft, Yoshimitsu had managed to look down through windows. From what he could tell, it was a room where several robots were being stored. However, he recognized the designs of those robots.
"I cannot believe it. Those were the doctor's J-Robots" Yoshimitsu was referring to a good friend of his when recalling where he had seen those robots before. "It appears that the agents were correct. Hayes has indeed stolen ideas and blueprints from Dr. Bosconovitch and used them to Kometa's benefit. But even as Hayes is no longer affiliated with Kometa, I fear the damage his weapons have caused have already been done" the swordsman expressed his concerns.
As glad as Yoshimitsu was for the fact that Lukas was in UN custody, he still believed that the scientist had a lot to answer for. Yet Master Raven had assured him that Lukas would face justice, and that he would repent his crimes by cooperating with the UN against Kometa.
For some reason, Yoshimitsu was tempted to look straight into the darkness of the ocean itself. Given how there was no light on top of the aft, it gave anyone standing there a good look of the long horizon of the Mediterranean. The moonlight helped him get a better look of his surroundings. On the other hand, Yoshimitsu was technically cybernetic, so he could see in the dark too.
"Well, things seem calm so far. But it is only a calm before a terrible storm" Yoshimitsu remarked, reflecting on the conversations he had been having with the agents. He looked at his blade. "So many evil players in this world, and not just Kazuya Mishima and Lana Lai. What else must my blade cut down to bring peace?" he wondered.
But as he stood there, something else caught his attention. Yoshimitsu heard a wonderful melody being played. He knew what it was, as he had heard it before. This type of music came from a fue, a traditional Japanese flute.
Seeing the reflection of his blade, Yoshimitsu spotted someone standing beneath the moon itself. This could only mean one thing. Someone was behind him!
"That melody…...what is the meaning of…." Yoshimitsu turned around and saw someone standing on the exhaust pipe right near him. But the minute he looked up, Yoshimitsu froze.
It was a young kunoichi wearing a kitsune-mask. Despite this, her mouth and chin were exposed for Yoshimitsu to see. That said, the swordman knew who this was, although he didn't seem to recognize the woman's hair.
But even as the woman was caught, she had not stopped playing her fue. However, she had indeed taken notice of Yoshimitsu being aware of her presence. Even so, she continued playing.
As soon as this young woman stopped playing, Yoshimitsu drew his sword, pointing it up towards her. But the kunoichi was unmoved, still looking down at him as if nothing had happened.
"You have some nerve showing yourself here, Kunimitsu. How many times must we fight before you stop chasing after my sword?" Yoshimitsu called out the woman's name.
In response, the woman's lips curled into a smug smile. "Why would I stop chasing you? Doing that is all part of the fun after all. Wouldn't you agree, Yoshimitsu?" she spoke with such a youthful voice.
Yoshimitsu was stunned. This voice was unlike anything he had ever heard. Because he knew that there was no way this person could be Kunimitsu. He had also taken note of the kunoichi's youthful appearance, as well as her outfit and mask. It was not the same.
"What trickery is this? You are not Kunimitsu! Who are you!?" he demanded.
"But that really is my name. Why else would I be lying to you, the "infamous" leader of the Manji Party?" she responded in such a casual manner.
This really agitated Yoshimitsu. He felt the urge to speed up there to cut down whoever this impostor was. However, he managed to not give into such temptation.
"Enough of this nonsense! I want answers! Who are you underneath that mask!?" Yoshimitsu wanted to know who this woman really was.
But in response, "Kunimitsu" dashed down from the exhaust pipe and landed on her feet like it was nothing. This caught the swordsman by surprise, seeing as he had never seen such incredible speed before.
"I am Kunimitsu. How many times must I say this?" Kunimitsu said while putting her fue away. Instead, she drew out her kodachi and held it for Yoshimitsu to see. "Your paranoia never ceases to intrigue me, Yoshimitsu. How you are still leading that band of yours is beyond me" the kunoichi continued with the teasing.
For Yoshimitsu, this kunoichi was nothing like he had ever seen. He started thinking about who she could possibly be.
"This young girl continues to insist she is Kunimitsu. But that is a lie! Because the Kunimitsu I know was never this fast!" the robotic ninja thought as he kept studying this kunoichi. He noticed the way she stood with her kodachi. "Still, I will admit that she does appear similar to Kunimitsu, not just with her outfit. But who is she?" Yoshimitsu was filled with so many questions.
The swordsman readied his fighting position. He could tell that this woman was determined to fight him. Therefore, Yoshimitsu would respond in kind.
"I may not know who you are or where you are from. But I know one thing for certain. You must be after me and my sword" his grip on the sword's hilt tightened. "That being said, I do not plan on giving it up so easily. Especially to a lowly impostor such as you!" Yoshimitsu assured, showing his willingness to fight.
Despite being called that, Kunimitsu giggled lightly. This only irritated her opponent to the fullest.
"Impostor is not the right word to describe me. Because I will show you how I earned that name!" she declared.
And with that, a poof happened with Kunimitsu. It was a dash, and Yoshimitsu was too slow to catch wind of it. But he got a clue of where she was once he heard her voice.
"My speed's impressive, isn't it?" Yoshimitsu snapped once he realized Kunimitsu stood behind him with her back against his.
Luckily, the swordsman managed to move away quickly from this kunoichi. He aimed his blade at her.
"What was that!?" he was actually getting quite anxious, much to Kunimitsu's amusement.
"That was only a little demonstration. Just to show you how fast I could go" she answered, yet Kunimitsu reached for something in those straps of hers. "But I believe it's time for me to get serious. See if you can dodge these!" the kunoichi threw four kunais towards Yoshimitsu.
They were fast as arrows, yet that didn't intimidate Yoshimitsu in the slightest. Using his sword, he spun it around like a propeller, thus swatting away those kunais. But Yoshimitsu knew that there was more to come from this opponent.
With her speed, Kunimitsu dashed towards him head on, intending on stabbing Yoshimitsu with her kodachi. But rather than avoiding her, the swordsman decided to clash with her. He sped up, confident that his blade would overpower her kodachi. The two ninjas clashed bladed, each of them facing each other.
Being up close, give Yoshimitsu the perfect opportunity to get a better look at this unfamiliar woman. He noticed not just her mask, but also her exposed chin. There was also this tiny birthmark near her lips.
"While there is no disputing your similarity to her, you cannot be Kunimitsu. I do not understand why a young girl like you would even choose to honor her with this ridiculous homage!" Yoshimitsu spat.
Hearing this made the young woman frown, clearly not appreciative of Yoshimitsu's description of her.
"The only ridiculous one among us is you! Your friendship with Dr Bosconovitch and your past cooperation with Jin Kazama really says a lot about your so-called ethics" Kunimitsu hit back, only to vanish from her spot once again.
This time, Yoshimitsu was quicker to discover her opponent's whereabouts, as she was up in the air. It was clear that the kunoichi was attempting to strike from above. Yet that didn't scare Yoshimtsu, since he jumped in order to slash her.
Kunimitsu used her kodachi to block the attack, then proceeded to kick the swordsman. Unfortunately for her, Yoshimitsu landed on his feet.
"You dare question my ethics? Watch your tongue!" he hissed as he got up on his feet. "Unlike the woman you pretend to be, my actions have been done to the benefit of this world's most vulnerable! You are in no position to judge me!" he continued.
Kunimitsu smirked as she landed on the deck. Somehow, she looked rather dismissively towards the swordsman.
"Wise words…...but I believe we have wasted enough time with chit-chats" she told him.
That's when Kunimitsu used her speed again, this time at another capacity. Not even Yoshimitsu could muster quickly to defend himself. As such, he was slashed by the kunoichi's kodachi. Given her speed, she appeared right behind her opponent.
Yoshimitsu held onto his wound on his right hip, while Kunimitsu pulled out another kodachi to hold in her free hand.
"This is the end for you!" Kunimitsu called out before launching another attack.
The woman performed two circular slashes, then a hopping slash, and then finally impaled her opponent. She then moved forward and swings her swords down cutting through Yoshimitsu. The swordsman was in pain and disbelief at the same time.
"Incredible…how….." were the only words he could think of.
With this attack, Yoshimitsu let go of his sword and was brought down to his knees. Despite being cybernetic, he was bleeding from his wounds.
"Damnit…how can this…..be….." Yoshimitsu refused to believe that he had lost to a mere girl.
Seeing his opponent defeated, Kunimitsu moved over to him, the sword lying straight at the kunoichi's feet. She smiled, bending herself in order to pick it up.
"I'll be taking this blade now" she said, studying the sword while holding it. From the looks of it, Kunimitsu was admiring its design. "My goodness. She was right. It really has an impressive grip. And now, it's in my very own hand" Kunimitsu commented.
Despite lying on the deck, Yoshimitsu could hear what this woman was saying. He had heard of her mentioning someone, as if she had been given information of his sword. Lifting his head up, the cybernetic ninja tried to speak to this stranger, who had made an impression upon him.
"Who…...are…you?" he mustered enough words, the kunoichi turning her attention down towards him.
Smiling, the kunoichi moved her left hand to her kitsune mask. She was clearly intending on showing who she was to the swordsman. Yoshimitsu remained on the deck, watching with slight anticipation.
"My mother told me all about you, Yoshimitsu. But saying this seem like a waste of time now" Kunimitsu said, finally removing her mask for her defeated opponent to see.
Right now, Yoshimitsu froze. Even though his face was covered by this metallic mask, he was definitely gasping. It was shocking for him to not just hear what this woman said, but also to see her face beneath her mask.
The kunoichi above him was revealing her own face to him. It consisted of grey eyes, purple eyeshadows and two purple-red markings under each of her eyes. Some of her bangs on her hair was red and blue. She also had a beauty mark on her chin.
"Impossible…" Yoshimitsu was almost rendered speechless. "Kunimitsu has a…daughter?" he didn't know what to say.
Kunimitsu giggled. "That's right. But seeing as how I have surpassed her, that title now belongs to me. Come now, I did defeat you in combat just now, didn't I?" she expressed some pride in herself.
Yoshimitsu was still baffled and confused by this unexpected revelation.
"But I do not understand. In all those years we have clashed…..she has never mentioned you…let alone which relationships she had" Yoshimitsu recalled back to what he knew about his former comrade.
Kunimitsu scowled weakly by hearing this. "Why would my mother ever need to confide in you of such things? You unjustly expelled her from the Manji Party after all" she rebuked him, only for her lips to turn upside down. "But then again, that band of misfits was perhaps not the right place for her" she then ridiculed the order of ninjas.
That didn't sit well with Yoshimitsu. "Lies! I expelled her because she broke the honor code of the clan. She used the Manji Party's funds for her own selfish schemes! Whatever your mother has told you, she is lying about being the…" he stopped speaking once he saw the tip of his own blade almost pointing at his face.
It was Kunimitsu doing it of course. "First of all, you do not get to speak of her with that conniving tongue of yours. And second of all, the Manji Party are nothing but hypocrites. They are not true ninjas. Plus, this ridiculous honor code of theirs is purely misguided" she hit back, not holding back her insults.
Yoshimitsu was enraged, yet he was powerless to do anything, especially with Kunimitsu was holding his sword. Still, he had hoped to find out more about this woman, who was her archenemy's daughter.
"You are probably wondering how I came to be the kunoichi I am now. Well, I suppose it doesn't hurt to tell you a bit about myself" Kunimitsu remarked, still holding the blade towards Yoshimitsu, so that he was at her mercy. "Even though you expelled my mother, she never gave up on being a kunoichi. That said, she encountered other shinobis. Shinobis who remained true to their calling" she tried again to throw the Manji Party under the bus.
"Foolish child. I never claimed that the Manji Party were the only ninjas existing" Yoshimitsu hit back, only for the tip of the blade to move closer to him.
"Do not interrupt me" Kunimitsu commanded him. "Now as I was saying, my mother met other shinobis. And it was one of those she fell in love with. They got married and their union produced me. But from the day I turned five, my parents trained me in the ways of the ninja. Throughout the years, I trained until I managed to surpass them in terms of skill. But my mother still bore the title of Kunimitsu…until recently" she seemed quite saddened as she said the final part.
Yoshimitsu couldn't help but to wonder what this young woman was talking about. After all, the Kunimitsu he knew had previously entered the previous tournament in order to take his sword. Yoshimitsu started wondering what had really happened to his archenemy.
"My mother had developed an illness, which has now resulted in her being bedridden. She is nothing but a hollow shell of her glorious reputation" the young woman sounded emotional as she thought about her mother's current state. "However, she told me that there was still a chance she could be cured…..by wielding this blade" Kunimitsu revealed, lifting the sword up so it's blade reflected in the moonlight.
Yoshimitsu was somewhat dumbstruck. It almost made him laugh, yet he tried to be serious in this situation he was in.
"You are in over your head! Has she really told you this false story about this sword being her grandfather's once? Ridiculous!" Yoshimitsu openly rebuked his enemy standing above him. "Whatever disinformation she fed you, it is all a lie! This blade was never meant to cure diseases! It was meant to fight evil!" he pressed on.
But Kunimitsu would hear none of this, so she pointed the sword at Yoshimitsu once again.
"Shut up! You should know by now that I would never take your words for granted! You are a fraud, who has stolen my family's treasure! And now, I have finally reclaimed it!" Kunimitsu spat at him.
Right now, Yoshimitsu had grown weary of being at this persistent woman's mercy. That's why he had already devised a plan on how to end this humiliation.
"The Elder Raven spoke the truth. This woman not only posed as Kunimitsu. She also surpassed her. I will apologize later" Yoshimitsu remarked, looking at Kunimitsu and how flustered this young woman seemed. "Now, about how to get her off me. I must prove to her that even without my sword, I am cappable of fighting my foes. And I happen to know just the right trick. It better work" he silently prayed for himself.
That said, the swordsman proceeded to try getting under Kunimitsu's skin. Hopefully, that would leave herself wide open. If there was one thing this woman shared with her mother, it was her arrogance. He needed to try it.
"You think I am a thief? Well, I beg to differ. Because my selflessness has helped this world's most vulnerable. The same can't be said for the selfishness that runs deep in your family!" Yoshimitsu verbally retaliated.
Feeling enraged, Kunimitsu lost her temper. She raised the sword in the air, determined to slash down upon her weaponless foe. However, it was clear that Yoshimitsu still had an ace up his sleeve….or more specifically, his legs.
Using both legs, Yoshimitsu delivered a powerful barrel kick, right upon Kunimitsu's stomach. It was almost like that of a horse. This really send the young woman flying and, in the process, she lost the sword. She crashed into one of the large exhaust pipes, yet the crash itself wasn't as big.
With his opponent down, Yoshimitsu got up on his feet, catching his sword as it fell down. Even as he stood, he could still feel his wounds.
"Curses! I might have used too much strength on this kick" he winced a little, only to look at his recovered sword. "Still, the effort was absolutely worth it" the swordsman didn't have second thoughts.
Meanwhile, Kunimitsu was clutching onto her left arm, yet it didn't appear to be broken. Judging by her narrowed eyes and deep scowl, she was angry.
"You dishonorable bastard! You dare resorting to such cowardly tricks!?" she yelled at him.
Yoshimitsu stood his guard, tightening his grip on the sword's hilt. "Why do you speak as if we are samurais? Ninjas use whatever advantage they have in a fight to survive" he responded, pointing his blade towards Kunimitsu. "That being said, I will do what I must to survive against you. Now that I know you're that disgrace's daughter, there is no reason for me to hold back against you!" Yoshimitsu added.
Kunimitsu spat out some blood, refusing to be intimidated by this swordsman's threats. She pulled out two kodachis.
"Save your threats for later! I will not rest until that sword is by my…" Kunimitsu ceased speaking, since she felt the need to dodge.
Her intuition proved correct, seeing as three shuriken stars were heading straight towards her. But with her speed, Kunimitsu got away. At first, she could see who it was, but a voice made it clear to her that there was someone else around here.
"Quite a fascinating speed. I would have ever expected this from a common thief" Yoshimitsu recognized the voice.
Before he knew it, Master Raven and Raven appeared out of the shadows, both agents jumping in the air before landing on each side of Yoshimitsu.
Kunimitsu gritted her teeth. "You!" she said that word in a quite condescending manner.
Nor surprisingly, Master Raven smirked in return. "Judging by that reaction, I assume you are aware of who me and partner are, let alone our affiliation" she commented.
"I don't understand. Why are you UN-lapdogs sticking up for that poor excuse for a ninja!?" Kunimitsu demanded, pointing a finger towards the swordsman in the middle.
Raven was irked by what she had called them. "Careful whom you insult, punk. If necessary, we can make sure you leave with more than bruises on you skin" he didn't mince his threats.
Yet Master Raven ignored her subordinate's words, proceeding to confront Kunimitsu, with Yoshimitsu struggling to understand what to do.
"It is odd, really. To find the daughter of the infamous Kunimitsu waltzing around Kometa's ship is quite the coincidence. Or is it really?" the agent remarked.
Yoshimitsu looked at her flabbergasted. "What do you mean by that, Elder Raven?" he wondered.
She looked at him. "Our sources had indeed reported about a certain kunoichi dressed like the infamous Kunimitsu. From what we gather, she had been known to spy on various activities, including the Mishima Zaibatsu" Master Raven spoke up.
This made Kunimitsu snap, realizing what this woman was speaking of. "What!? So you know…." the kunoichi seemed distressed.
"Yes. You attended Mishima High as a student, all while gathering information for a very important client. Needless to say, you went undercover" Master Raven said, crossing her arms. "And this important client…...happens to be Kometa" she finally spilled the beans.
Yoshimitsu was speechless. This young woman had been working for Kometa in the past. And not only that, she had attended the school funded by the Mishimas.
Kunimitsu was enraged. But she was probably expecting this to happen. These agents from the UN were quite the nosy types. Noticing the mask lying nearby, the young woman decided to recover it.
"That's quite some detective work you have done. I'm amazed by how you have managed to find this info" she noted as she picked up her mask. "However, what I have done in the past, is not for hypocrites like you to judge me for. I took these jobs for the sake of my family…for my honor!" Kunimitsu said that as she put her mask back on.
"So what are you planning on doing now? There's no escaping from us. We're in the middle of the Mediterranean, so any hope of shaking us off is useless" Raven told her, feeling more than willing to have a go at her.
But Yoshimitsu stepped forward. "Stand down, ravens. This fight is between me and this woman. We will settle this like real ninjas!" he was determined to continue fighting Kunimitsu.
Still, Raven was not convinced. "Maybe you haven't noticed it yourself, but you most likely had your ass owned by this kid. And what makes you think you can continue on in that condition?" he questioned his resolve.
"Ugh…...shut up! This is my chance of redeeming myself from this humiliation…." Yoshimitsu struggled a little to hold himself.
Master Raven shook her head in disapproval. "Give the morals a rest for now. Sometimes, you must swallow your pride for the good of you" she sternly rebuked him.
But even as Yoshimitsu was arguing with the agents, Kunimitsu didn't bother staying with them any longer. She turned around, showing her back to them. The trio eventually took notice of her leaving, forcing her to stop moving.
"This is a waste of my time. I know that against the three of you, I wouldn't stand much of a chance. So I say we call this fight a quits for now. Now as for me working or Kometa…that's all in the past. I have stopped ever since they tried to backstab me" Kunimitsu said, only to briefly look above her right shoulder to face the trio. "But know this, Yoshimitsu. That sword will be mine again. And once it has been reclaimed, my mother will be free from her illness and our family's dignity restored. So heal your wounds and wait, because I will not let you go next time" with that said, Kunimitsu vanished without any trace.
After a brief silence, Yoshimitsu fell down to just one knee. He held onto his blade for support. Master Raven stepped beside him, trying to see if he needed serious medical treatment. But that didn't seem to be necessary, based upon her observation.
"Shouldn't we pursue her?" Raven questioned as he faced his superior with his arms crossed. "We may have stumbled upon her by coincidence, but there is no telling what she is capable of doing with regards to our mission" he pointed out.
"Negative. Our mission is paramount. Besides, given what she told us, there is little reason to believe that she's still affiliated with Kometa" Master Raven answered, only to look at Yoshimitsu. "That said, she seems to have much more interest in acquiring your sword, Yoshimitsu. Who would have thought?" she threw a little jibe at him.
But Yoshimitsu knew why she did that. He sighed and managed to get up on his feet.
"It appears…that I foolishly disregarded the intel you gave me back in Japan. This woman posing as Kunimitsu turned out to be not just real….but also different than I ever imagined" the swordsman realized, facing the deck a little. But he soon returned his attention towards Master Raven. "To think that my archenemy had a daughter whose talents, to my embarrassment, is very impressive. Had you not arrived here, I am sure I would have met a cruel fate. So that is why I apologize for doubting you" the infamous leader of the Manji Party did something so unusual.
He bowed down formally towards Master Raven. It rare for him to do such. Given the amount of pride and stubbornness he possessed, Yoshimitsu always hated doing such. Only a few people, such as Dr. Bosconovitch and Wang Jinrei, had earned him enough respect to bow towards them. And now, it seemed like Master Raven had somehow earned his respect.
The agent was amused by this, while her partner only watched this with zero enthusiasm. Raven never understood why his superior/sister had taken an interest in someone so pompous. Still, he was pleased to see how things between her and Yoshimitsu had gone better.
"While I appreciate your humility, I fear that it's too late to worry about your mistake. Now we all know that there is a new Kunimitsu walking on this Earth. And she happens to be a better kunoichi than her mother ever was" Master Raven noted, starting to think about this young woman. "It's true that she is currently at a hospital somewhere Japan. That would explain her determination of getting your sword" she remarked to Yoshimitsu.
Yoshimitsu shrugged his shoulders as he sheathed his blade.
"She seeks to create a replica of my blade, believing that it can somehow cure illnesses. Sadly, she has not just inherited her mother's title, but her delusions as well" he was in disbelief, yet there was something else to him. "But even as I feel the need to condemn her…I cannot help but to pity this poor woman. She has only been led astray by her family" he admitted.
Raven looked at him a little puzzled. "So in other words, you're saying you and her could ever become allies?" he bluntly asked him.
That didn't sit well with Yoshimitsu. "No! No! Absolutely not!" he quickly fended off whatever Raven was suggesting. "I may not always look like it, but I am capable of sympathy sometimes. Being a ninja is not always about living in the shadows" he assured the agent.
"Then let us leave this place and find someplace safe to hide ourselves for the night. Hopefully, we'll be able to find out more about Kometa's plans, as well as where they are headed" Master Raven suggested.
Her compatriots were in agreement of it. With nothing else to say, they vanished from the scene, using the shadows to hide form whatever lights that came from the bridge.
They were perhaps stowaways onboard this floating fortress, but they would manage themselves. No way would they let some corrupt organization capture them. The only question is what fate awaited them.
Near several temple runs, somewhere in Egypt
The night had arrived in Egypt, yet not everywhere was dark. Once outside the cities, the moon would give light to the sand in the deserts. But right now, there was a specific place where something terrible was taking place.
This place, located on the edge of an immense desert in Egypt, unknown to most people. It was a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Once upon a time, a large temple stood in this valley. Nobody knew about its existence. However, the place itself had been guarded by a tribe of spiritual warriors since ancient times. Throughout millennia, these warriors had defended this temple from greedy warlords and treasure hunters, who had sought out the temple's secrets.
But with the temple now in ruins, there was nothing more these spiritual warriors needed to protect. Or was it?
Amidst these ruins, an imposing figure was surveying it with his crimson eyes. This ancient creature appeared to be Ogre. He was now in this distant part of Egypt looking for someone.
Having failed to capture Kazumi Mishima, Ogre sought out what he believed to be root of humans wielding the Devil Gene. In other words, the source of that cursed bloodline. He was searching for Azazel. Convinced that the dangerous demon had betrayed the Gods of Old, Ogre decided to put an end to Azazel's schemes.
The ruins of the temple he was now seeing was the one where Azazel had been imprisoned once. But after Jin Kazama defeated him during the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, the temple itself had fallen into ruins. All this rubble of Anubis-statues and pillars was all that remained of the temple.
As Ogre carefully searched the ruins, he found nothing. No matter how many pillars he tried to remove, he couldn't find a single trait of Azazel. That agitated the creature to the fullest.
"This is absurd…." Ogre scowled, directing his attention towards a man he had mortally wounded. Ogre was holding him by his collar. "Where is he!? Where is Azazel!? He was supposed to be here!" the terrible entity demanded from the man, who appeared to belong to the tribe of spiritual warriors.
He coughed out some blood before answering. "I already told you…Azazel is…dead!" he weakly mustered enough words to reply. "He died….at the hands of…the Child of Destiny…" the man continued struggling to answer.
This filled Ogre with seething rage, as he knew exactly who this man was referring to, even by not mentioning that person's name.
"LIAR!" Ogre roared, unleashing a shockwave that created sandstorms in the area. He looked at his bloodied captive. "That traitor is NOT dead! Even now, I can feel his essence from these very ruins! So where is he!? Tell me where Azazel is now or you die!" he demanded an answer out of him.
Despite feeling completely hopeless against Ogre, the injured man remained defiant in face of this predicament. Clearly, he was not intending on telling Ogre what truly happened to Azazel, or where he could be. That's right, he knew all about this secret ritual Zafina had performed in order to seal Azazel's power into his orb. That knowledge was something he would not give away so willingly.
"Never would I betray my brothers and sisters….even to a filthy beast like YOU!" he cried, spitting blood straight at Ogre's face. "You are an aberration! You do not deserve to even walk on this world!" the man continued to express his fire of courage.
Tired of such mortal defiance, Ogre knew that it was no use wasting time with such lowlife creature. That is why Ogre decided to end this man's miserable life.
"THEN BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT, VERMIN!" Ogre exclaimed, and he threw the spiritual warrior so high in the air that he was in for a deadly fall.
Yet Ogre didn't care, even as he could hear his victim's body crack. The poor man was now covered by the sand, turning some of it red due to his blood.
But even as the man was dying, he could only think about Zafin. He hoped that Ogre would never find out about her.
"Zafina…..you…..must…..survive…." those were the final words before he succumbed to his death.
Meanwhile, Ogre continued his search for Azazel. His crimson eyes only highlighted the anger that was starting to take shape.
"I know you are here…." Ogre spoke as if his enemy was nearby. "YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME, AZAZEL!" his rage was exposed for anybody to see.
Ogre started taking small steps towards the ruins. He started removing one pillar after the other. Still, it was no use. To his frustration Azazel's essence couldn't be felt. That only made him more irritated. Even so, Ogre continued his search.
But as he was about to remove more rubbles to search for Azazel, a laughter could be heard from behind. Ogre stopped with what he did for a second, yet paid no heed once he saw where it came from. For he knew who that voice belonged to.
Beyond the sandy winds, the dark leader of the Acolytes of Pluton called Revenant, emerged from the dunes. Based upon his laughing, the cultist leader was somehow finding Ogre's frustration amusing. But even as he laughed, Ogre had surprisingly remained calm in face of this ridicule.
"What a shame. Coming all the way from the Himalayas to this desolate place in Egypt, only to find nobody but ruins. That sounds like quite the letdown, don't you agree?" Revenant chuckled, his gas mask helping echo his ridicule.
Ogre finally turned around, directing his gaze upon this mysterious individual. Judging by his deep frown, the entity was not taking kindly to Revenant's taunts.
"How long have you been watching me, cultist?" Ogre demanded his answer truthfully.
Revenant's ridiculing ended. "Long enough to watch you terrorize that miserable tribe in order to find out where Azazel is. It was quite amusing to watch, actually" he tried to pull Ogre's leg, yet he did so wisely. "But enough of this childish teasing. I came here to give you some information" the cultist revealed his reasons for being here.
Ogre was hardly impressed, yet he had done nothing to indicate he would kill Revenant. Still, he would hear the cultist out.
"Then speak plainly, mortal. I have no patience for your riddles" Ogre informed the hooded man.
Realizing that this revelation would shock this powerful being, Revenant decided to proceed with it anyway.
"It is as you say. Azazel is still alive. But at the same time….he is not living either" the cultist told him.
This really ticked Ogre off, so he dashed towards Revenant in a quick speed. Right now, Ogre was standing really close to the hooded man. They were only a few feet away from each other. Even so, he refrained from physically grabbing the cultist by the collar of his jacket. But that alone couldn't hide his anger.
"WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING!?" Ogre was few seconds away from tearing Revenant to shreds. "TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN BEFORE I TEAR YOUR BODY APART, LIMB FROM LIMB!" he was not making idle threats.
Yet despite this, Revenant remained calm. That was astounding, seeing as how Ogre was much more powerful when compared to him.
"Calm yourself, Toshin. We both share a desire to further the interests of the Gods of Old. There is no reason for you to unleash such hostility" Revenant insisted, addressing Ogre by another name he was known as. "All that I am saying is that the Rectifier has indeed not left this world. However, he has survived by a genius method" the cultist went on.
He started making an image with his powers. The image floated above Revenant's metallic hand. What he showed Ogre was the image of a dark, purplish orb that was filled with vicious energy. This was enough to gain Ogre's attention.
"This orb…that is…" Ogre knew what the thing was.
"Indeed. Jin Kazama may have defeated Azazel's physical form, but he failed to realize that the demon's essence managed to survive inside this tiny orb. It serves as his heart, as well as the power source to keep his body together" Revenant explained, looking at the image of the orb he had created. "After the orb was recovered by these spiritual warriors, they noticed that it was slowly starting to spread its influence, in part due to the continued existence of Kazama and his father Kazuya Mishima. Hoping to slow down Azazel's resurrection, his powers were sealed inside a woman's hand" he then revealed, suddenly showing Ogre the image of a young woman.
This woman was of course Zafina. Ogre watched as he took notice of the woman's demonic left hand. He could not believe what he was seeing. A mere mortal…wielding the power of the Rectifier himself. It was both astounding….and insulting at the same time.
"That fragile woman…...she is wielding Azazel inside of her. How is that even possible? No human could possibly do such" Ogre noted, starting to realize something. As a matter of fact, the ancient entity found himself chuckling. For him, it was amusing to know what sort of fate Azazel was in. "On the other hand, it satisfies me knowing that coward is hiding inside a mortal body. It leaves him now completely vulnerable! Killing him will be easier. What tragedy for the almighty Rectifier of All Things!" his laughing was now on full display.
Revenant stood and watched as his "ally" laughed at what had happened to his enemy. For some reason, he found Ogre to be slightly annoying. Yet the cultist knew that there was more to share with Ogre with regards to Azazel's whereabouts. So he decided to move on and let him know more details.
"Since we are now on this subject, it would be fair that I share with you some good news. As you may know, we Acolytes of Pluton have eyes and ears stretched across this world. Fortunately, some of them happen to know the location of Azazel's lovely vessel" Revenant spoke up.
Ogre gaze upon the cultist, his expression only hinting to how doubtful he was of him. That didn't mean he was prepared to kill Revenant, though.
"Are you certain?" the ancient entity replied.
"Certain as ever, Toshin. My spies among the enigmatic Archers of Sirius have reported to me that this Zafina, as she is called, is currently allied with them. She is hoping those exorcists can help her find a way to end Azazel's influence once and for all. Yet so far, their effort has all been in vain" Revenant assured Ogre, keen on letting this entity know all the details. "As of now, she is hiding with the exorcists at one of their secret holdouts at Fort Saint Elmo in Malta. For what reason they are there, we cannot yet confirm. But it is clear that Zafina is desperate to get rid of Azazel" the cultist revealed the facts.
Ogre was furious. Revenant could see it based upon the long scowl across his face. But he didn't worry about the ancient creature killing him. On the contrary, Ogre seemed pretty satisfied with knowing Zafina's whereabouts.
"I see now. Given his current predicament, Azazel seeks allies against the Gods of Old" Ogre noted, his eyes starting to glow redder all of a sudden. "He shall not get that chance! That traitor must be punished for his misdeeds! I shall see to it!" he was determined to keep hunting Azazel.
Revenant stepped forward. "Then by all means, we should leave this place for Malta now. There is no telling what that woman could be planning with those miserable exorcists. After all, they are as much of a threat to the Gods of Old's return as those pesky Mishimas" he suggested to Ogre.
For a while, the creature with this metallic skin watched as Revenant looked back at him. It became clear that Ogre didn't trust Revenant fully. Still, he saw the value he and his Acolytes of Pluton brought to his masters. They would prove useful to his agenda….as long as it suited him. And once the Gods of Old had returned, Ogre would then decide on what to do with these maddened people. Killing them would perhaps seem harsh, yet Ogre still felt the need to dispose of them.
"Very well. Then to that island we go" Ogre said, beginning to take several steps towards the entrance of this secret valley.
He was about to walk past Revenant, only to stop so that he stood right beside the cultist leader. Ogre seemed to have something more to say to Revenant, as he slowly turned his head sideways to glare down at him. Surprisingly, Revenant did not look back at Ogre.
"But know this, Revenant. Should you dare cross me, your head will be ripped off and placed on a pedestal for all your servants to see" these were the last words before continuing towards the valley's entrance.
Yet Revenant wasn't affected, giving the ancient creature a "formal" bow. "Of course, o great God of Fighting. As you command" he politely responded.
But even as he said those words, Revenant had different thoughts in his mind. His loyalty to Ogre was not 100 % unconditional. That's why the cultist had come up with a brilliant scheme. It was a scheme to devious that even the late Heihachi Mishima would be jealous of him.
Despite the gas mask he wore, Revenant was clearly forming a devious smirk with his lips. The more he thought about his plan, the wider the smirk grew.
"Yes. I cannot wait till we arrive at Malta. Because I have a great surprise for you there, Ogre" Revenant thought about this masterplan. "In addition to be facing Azazel, you will also be facing another hated enemy of yours: Jin Kazama. Oh, how delightful this upcoming battle will be. Yggdrasil. The Archers of Sirius. Kometa. All of them arriving and creating a mayhem that is enough to bring Azazel back to life! The Gods of Old will be most pleased!" the cultist mused to himself
Realizing that there was no need or him to be at this desolate place, Revenant took his leave. He would use his powers to fly and catch up with Ogre. But for now, it was perhaps best to let the ancient deity be so obsessed with himself.
"I can sense an upcoming battle…..and it fills me with so much joy!" Revenant had to admit this feeling was amazing.
Meanwhile, Ogre was flying in the air. In the black skies, he was a dangerous monster hunting its prey. As he flew through clouds, Ogre directed his attention towards the direction of Malta. He would reach there in no time.
"I do not know what will happen, but killing that woman should end Azazel's insolence at last. But he is not the only one I hope to kill" Ogre thought.
He formed a grin that only hinted to his lust for power. But it also signified his desire to be the strongest fighter in this world. That is why Ogre was reminded about his bitter defeat to Jin. Ever since he managed to resurrect himself, due to the Gods of Old's intervention, Ogre desired nothing more than a rematch with that cursed human. And he would have it.
"Jin Kazama. How I hate THAT name!" Ogre's rage could be seen. But his grin also hinted to how he longed to tear Jin's body apart. "After Azazel, I will come for that cursed child. With or without the Devil's power, my Eternal form will break him!" the creature continued expressing his violent desires.
With that being carefully planned, Ogre continued to fly through the skies, not bothered by anything around him. All that he cared about was reaching Malta I order to find his next victims.
To be continued…