Chapter 18: Intelligence over Grudges

In the middle of Manila East Road, the vehicles of Rei, Rolento and Broadie arrive at Mabitac, Laguna after they drove downhill. Then, they turned right on the road leads to the city proper of Sta. Maria, Laguna.

"How long we can get through Hunyo, Rei? We're running out of time, I saw some helicopters are flying around the mountains of that place." Yoshimitsu said complaining about their time getting slower which Rei replies.

"I shouldn't trust Waze for once. The navigator of this app can cause confusion to motorists. But a lot of Grab riders are always followed it."

"These grown men had chosen Rhima as their personal navigator and picking the right highway to get through." Yoshimitsu grunted in disappointment.

"You two... don't forget... if we get through their main location. I'm sure our phones would lose signals because a few people live in the mountains or others might be swimming at Batis ng Kalikasan." Margie informs them both about losing the signals of their phones because there's no signals around the mountain side within Sta. Maria.

At Broadie's vehicle within his Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, Lidia and Broadie looked on Rolento's gold Toyota FJ Cruiser, and looking at its city proper.

"How come their city is a bit smaller? Other places at my country in Poland are bigger."

"Here in Sta. Maria, it is the second class city within the Laguna province. Other places had already been developed into a large city." Broadie said telling her. Lidia can sense where they are after seeing the helicopters passing by when they reach through their destination.

"Looks like the choppers we had seen goes to the mountain side of this city. I just hoped Rhima's friend not to make any mistakes when we go to our destination." Lidia said in her Polish language and Broadie nods and it reveals that he had been discussed with Veron's estranged family including Mr. Bravante which Rhima had been planning to use in her advantage to against her.

Later, both Rhima and Leroy defeats the mercenaries with their Wing Chun techniques and both looked to see Alisa eliminates the other mercenaries while being assisted by the the choppers from the AFP.

"You follow that flying android, young lady. She can help you bust your way in to their base."

"My dad was clever enough to make an ambush over his enemies." Rhima shrugged and looked at Leroy. "Right, Alisa can bust through with her rocket punches."

As Rhima goes to follow Alisa, Leroy goes on to help the others. Rhima then meets up with Alisa who continues to fly with her jetpacked wings.

"Alisa, bust the wall with your rocket punches!"

"Count on me!" Alisa then follows Rhima's command and directly shoots with her rocket punches to bust through the wall and succeeds.

"Thanks, Alisa..." Rhima said thankfully and Alisa seriously tells her to go forward.

"Go now, Ms. Rhima... Mr. Lee and my former master will be arriving to help you soon. There's more enemies to take them down."

Rhima finally gets inside the wall to find her mother Marissa who remains in captivity. Zen and Roderick battles the mercenaries while the other AFP soldiers had apprehended them. Meanwhile, Brian and Lars defeats the mercenaries and they noticed someone got brutally defeated by an unknown man.

"Who could have done this?"

"That's weird, did Kazuya do this?" Lars ponders about his half-brother's actions which surprises Brian.

"You mean he was there...? He almost killed Hunyo on their fight before that Geese interrupts their match."

"I sensed his presence because he likes to see how Hunyo would make a brutal fight against Merkova." Lars said noticing of Kazuya's reasons of trying to help Hunyo in the first place. "I think he would like to do this with Jin."

"!"

As soon as the two decided to help the others, Kazuya was revealed to be hiding with one of their camouflage cloths while wearing his purple military gear as he thought.

These cloths had reminding me of something. Ah, I remember that's what my devil instincts had telling me what to do. Hunyo might be facing off his nemesis one last time. I think Lars was right about what I'm going to do. A brutal showdown between me and Jin Kazama. That would settle our score between us in our world.

Inside the base, Rhima begins her search for her mother Marissa until she quickly avoids the gunshots and to see Veron was there and reminding her as his late ex-wife, Raquel.

"I would expect you came to find your mama. Muntik na kita patayin? (I almost killed you?)"

While Veron continues to gunpoint to find Rhima, she quickly disarms him by landing a heavy knee followed by a heavy blow between a punch and an elbow to knock her down.

"Still grudge over the death of your ex-wife. And I had enough of your bullshit." Rhima coldly grins at Veron who soon gets up to her feet.

As the rock song plays, Veron has a back up gun and tried to shoot Rhima who dodges by running or hiding on the wall. Rhima remembers how Jin teaches her to deceive and outsmart the enemy when both of them are fighting for every pieces of a spicy tuna maki while they eat at Nihonbashitei. Veron still gunpoints to find Rhima until she is behind her and makes an ambush towards her. Rhima overpowers her with her fighting ability and her current fighting style.

"Damn you bitch... you're so strong. Raquel would never do this to me."

"Why Harry... aren't you guilty for killing your ex-wife just because of your choice? A lot of gay men are very nice. Unlike you, you'd wanted to make all these mistakes between your lies and deception and to marry the man you like just because both of you are in a same gender." Rhima said berating Veron over her choices for being a woman especially for calling his real name. "How would your parents feel like if they see you become a transwoman? I know your father greatly opposed of that."

"Shut up!"

"You're also the father of Raquel's children. You're also a parent, can't you see? Your kids would not understand that their missing father had become a transwoman who becomes a murderer." Rhima coldly continues to berate Veron and to her surprise, her parents including her sister are here including Lidia and Broadie who arrive so late. Veron was afraid of her father Mr. Bravante and soon hugged her and asking her for forgiveness.

"Forgive me, Harry. I should be the one to be killed and not Raquel."

Veron remembers as how strict her father was when she was still Harry at the time knowing that he was more focus on their family reputation. He warns Harry not to make any shameful things to their family because he is his only son until asking him if he was gay or not. Because he answered no, he tells him to prove him worth of becoming a real man while handling his handgun. Realizing that it was his strict father who caused Harry's change into Veron Almas.

"It's because of me of my last threatening words to you, you were hiding from me. It was all my fault of why you have changed like this. Please forgive me..." Mr. Bravante said continues to apologize to Veron and soon accepting his choices and Veron emotionally cried and hugged her father as her mother Mrs. Bravante hugged him too.

Rhima looked to see them as a reunion and remembering the time she visits her parents at their home in Eastwood in her male disguise as she reveals her real identity to both of them and Mr. Bravante had recognized her as Hunyo's daughter since Domon had been targeted both her and her father at the time. Roderick arrives along with the other PNP-SAF led by Ibrahim to apprehend Veron for all the crimes and to serve justice for Raquel's death.

"You must find your mom, Rhima. Go..."

"She's at the dungeon... My boss had taken her there." Veron gives Rhima the location where her mother was held captive and she nods and leave.

Lee knocks the mercenary with Super High Combination while Jin executes his Rage Drive on the last one. Therefore, one of the mercenaries attempts to snipe in each of them only to be thwarted by Kunimitsu II by cutting off the tree with her kodachi.

"Kunimitsu? Is that you?" Lee wondered as Kunimitsu II faces the two men as she removes her modified half-kitsune mask to reveal herself.

"You're quite mistaken. That was my mother you were talking about and my name is Kunimitsu II."

"Jin, you must help Rhima. This young ninja is one of us but new."

Jin nods silently and decided to find Rhima inside the enemy base as more enemy reinforcements arrive to face them both.

"Hunyo is already fighting that scarred bastard who made a petty revenge against him. Let's just say we make a brief truce to face them." Lee said while looking at Kunimitsu II which she responds while going on her fighting stance.

"Mr. Panganiban is a good person. I finally understand him a lot. I will show you my ninjutsu style of fighting."

"Come on!" Lee goes in his Hit Man stance and taunt the soldiers to face them both.

Rhima finally arrives at the dungeon cells where she discovers a lot of people are also captured like her mother and she found her mother who is still unconscious.

"Mom... wake up..."

"R-Rhima..."

Suddenly another brute attempts shoot Rhima which she dodges. She noticed that he was the one who guards the dungeon. She charges and using her athleticism which she immediately dodges the shot and steals the key and taunts.

"Are you looking for this?"

The brute tries to give it back but unfortunately Jin just beat him easily with a punch to the gut and knocks him skyward with Joudan Tsukiage Niren. Rhima manages to unlock the cell where Marissa was being held captive as Jin decides to help them.

"We have to get her out of there, Rhima."

"How did you find me, Jin?" Rhima asked while pondering of why he is here.

"I sensed your presence when I arrived inside of this place. Looks like some of us who were new are here to help us." Jin answered and knowing of the reinforcements's arrival.

"Hang on, mom... we're going to get out of here." Rhima said became concern towards her mother Marissa which she nods.

Meng and Daya battles their former comrades with their moves as Fahkumram arrives to join the fray. Rei uses his Omniyoji magics by summoning black dragons to smash some of them while Yoshimitsu and Rolento teaming up to fight them off as Armor King II, Margie and Josie are helping the AFP infantry units to disperse them and Josie reminds her of how she wanted to join the Tekken Force which is similar to the AFP.

At the top of the temple, Domon has nowhere to run and Hunyo corners him long enough and remind him of how they fought in the death tournament.

"Your mercenary group and your revenge is far from over. Surrender now, Domon."

Domon has something on his sleeve as he reveals to wield a long scimitar to battle Hunyo since he can fight with his own two fists.

"You have changed since the death tournament and you gave me this huge scar over my face. This is proven that I will have my revenge on you."

"It's ashamed that you and I we're gonna fight into an unfair fight." Hunyo said while shrugging off his statement while reacting about Kazuya and his devil powers. "People who turned devils are the one who do the unfair fight."

Without warning, Domon charges at Hunyo by striking with his long scimitar which he dodges several times as he grabs his hand and tripping him with a low sweep and a straight thrust to the gut, almost knocking him down. As their duel continues Kazuya was watching them in the shadows and seeing Domon with a weapon is considered an unfair fight as he thought.

Just like what I did to my father in our final showdown, I fought him when I transformed into my devil form which I made him an unfair fight against him. But I killed him with my own two fists after I reverted back to my normal state. Fair enough, Hunyo. You're not like my son who spoke pathetic words and I thought you're an unbearable disgrace. You're just like me, who is once an honorable fighter to make a fair fight with my youth.

Hunyo looked up to see Domon who is about to slash him with his long scimitar and their duel to the death continues.

Trivia:

*Within Kazuya's thoughts, he foreshadows his showdown with Jin in the official trailer for the upcoming Tekken 8 and his main reason of helping Hunyo's group to infiltrate Domon and his Black Devil organization.

*The music during the battle between Rhima and Veron is taken from the theme of both Shizuku Fuji and Miss Til in the fighting game Battle Arena Toshinden 3.

*The heavy blow between both punch and the elbow that Rhima uses on Veron is from Hitomi in Dead Fantasy III where she uses this move to defeat Tifa by knocking her out of the burning catherdral.

*When Mr. Bravante apologizes to Veron for his hiding and his change due to his strictness for their family reputation is based on the conclusion scene of Asawa Ko Ang Karibal Ko where Nathan Bravante now known as Venus Hermosa was forgiven by her father when she was rescued from getting attempted suicide and soon accepted by her parents after learning of his change.

*When Rhima outsmarts the dungeon guard by stealing his key is how Clover outsmarts Eugene Snit as a rikishi sumo to defeat him in the climax of the episode The Matchmaker in Totally Spies.

*The final confrontation between Hunyo and Domon is based on 2010 Thai movie The Red Eagle (Insee Daeng) which shows the first fight between Rom Rittikrai who is the masked vigilante Red Eagle and Singh who is actually the Black Devil in a cloak mask.