Chapter 11: Devil Revealed; Steve vs. Jin

Barely inches away from his core, Nina was more than ready to give the death blow. Before she could make contact there was a drastic change in Kazuya's demeanor. The blood red in his eyes, his grimace of a smile, the darkening of the flesh wound on his chest, it was all startling to Nina.

"How foolish of me to think you could handle things on your own Kazuya. You can't even defeat this woman…"

Nina hesitated, mixed thoughts raced inside her.

"No…I can handle her! Get out!" he screamed.

Is he talking to himself? Nina questioned but quickly discarded the idea. "What are you!"

Gradually the transformation from man to monster began, with his skin turning lavender and claws forming. His thin, translucent wings and tail sprouted from his body as did the horns on his head.

"That's none of your concern wench. You were never to witness the inner being within the vessel called Kazuya, and now that you have…"

Once more his eyeballs glowed but this time in a different hue more similar to his own flesh. Nina could sense the devastation drawing near and without a second to lose rolled away from the blast. She was not even close to winning since this new threat has entered with fresh health while some of hers has been lost.

Taking advantage of his openness, the assassin attempted to grab Devil with the Leaping Heel Hold. Unfortunately Devil predicts this move and viciously throws her off. Nina hits the ground with a sharp thud but doesn't allow herself to recover and rolls backwards.

"Determined? You realize that your so-called mission is based on misinformation, right?" stated Devil matter-of-factly.

"Shut up! It all fits in there's no other explanation! We were both lab rats in enemy empires and our wants were null and void! There's even a scar on his arm that's just like the one on your chest!"

With abrupt speed Devil lashed Nina into the bone of her cheek, causing a wad of blood to spurt out of her mouth.

"You're completely ignorant! When have you ever in this lifetime heard of a child inheriting scars from their parent? Does the fact that or origins of rebirth are opposed to each other mean nothing to you?"

Nothing sunk into the blonde's mind except for getting past Devil. Wiping her mouth clean she went in for another close range attack only this time she was targeting the dagger still lodged in his chest. A rush of slaps followed by a right kick put Devil on the defensive. It was a this precise moment that she regained her weapon and without pulling it out, pushed it downwards so that the entire flesh wound reopened.

After 37 years of being sealed within him Devil had been released, and the purities surrounding him forced him to retreat, for now. Kazuya returned to his normal state while holding his chest terribly to keep the blood from splashing out too quickly.

Feeling triumphant, Nina eased her way over to him, dagger ready. "It's over, Mishima."

Huffing and puffing Kazuya struggled to even get on his knees when an aura crept up behind him. Nina studied this aura readily and realized that this was Devil in his most primitive form.

"He'll never leave…" the man mumbled nearly on the verge of death. "he just needed to recharge after the seal was broken. He'll always come back."

Nina fell at wit's end. If she couldn't defeat this man then defeating his demonic side would be a stretch. Devil thrives on Kazuya, Kazuya thrives on Devil. Only one would have to die and the other would be gone, question is who would that be?

In the depths of the Urban Jungle thugs and gangsters alike huddled and shoved to see one, no two things: guys beating the crap out of each other and girls wearing scandalous clothing while beating the crap out of each other. Today they would have to settle for guys and first up were the popular Jin and the Brit Steve.

Thing is a certain Japanese heartthrob was absent from his first fight and a certain blonde Brit wasn't too pleased. Steve paced around the dust covered floor tuning out the rioting thugs' complaints.

"Where's the other guy?" one of them yelled.

"He probably punked out, that punk!" said another.

Upset, Steve was nearly ready to let the timer run out and win by default, but that's not why he came here. If he was to win he would do it fair and square, he's just that kind of person.

"Hey announcer man!" he called out. "If you add another minute to the fight I can go fetch my opponent!"

"Uh, no."

"Why not?"

"Do you really want to fight against someone who's won this tournament 3 times in a row?"

"Yep."

"…Okay…exactly one minute will be added to the timer and if neither of you is hear by the time the buzzer sounds then your both disqualified."

"Right then!" he sped off in search of Jin with barely 50 seconds left.

Outside of the stage Jin wasn't far but he wasn't in a minute's reach either. Steve spotted him coming from around the corner and made his way over towards him.

Jin had already noticed.

"If you're here to make me come into the tournament then you can forget it. I have no wish to take part in it anymore."

"Sigh, then why'd you even bother entering?" Steve moaned under his breath.

"Let's just say a certain female friend would've scolded me if I didn't attend…"

"Well I've got my own reasons for being here too and I intend to earn my keep."

He glanced at his watch, "Thirty-two seconds left come on!"

"Not bragging here but your chances of winning are very slim. I've faced many whom are of an unworldly origin, some who"

"Yes, that's fine but even if I don't win I must press on knowing I at least made an effort. And also…there is someone…no two people in this tournament I can't risk losing. You understand, right?"

In the shadow of his hood a smirk appeared a rare sight indeed.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go against the likes of you, Steve Fox wasn't it? Let's hurry before my will returns…"

Note: I noticed that this story is sort of changing themes as I go along, but it will return to being dramatic and full of angst once the tournament draws to a close.