ASAMIYA PROJECT.
CHAPTER 4.
"A NEW KOF"
Geese Tower, room 004, 6:30 p.m.
-Are you Asamiya Athena-sama, right?
-Err… call me with "-sama" is too much, only "-chan" or "-san" is ok, please.
-Athena-chan? Athena-san? Well, then Athena-san, ¿OK?
-OK.
The other girl comes close to Athena. She is very young and smaller than Athena; she's dressed with a white baggy trousers and a short-sleeved shirt of the same color, and a blue Chinese-style vest. Her hair is long, blue (like her eyes), and tied in twintails with red ribbons. In her arms she is carrying a little yellow ferret, which has in his neck a headband.
-Hotaru-chan, right?
-Yeeees.
-And who is he? – say Athena pointing the ferret..
-It's my friend, Itokatsu –the ferret jump to Athena's arms.
-It's so kawaii! Ah, about you say it… team partners?
-The rules say, "Contestants 7 and 8 must be partners for the combats".
-Rules? Where do you read this?
-Ah, I forgot it! Come with me, please.
Hotaru took Athena's hands and they walked trough the room. Then, Athena note the place: It don't look like a simple hotel room, it looks more as a suite: the room have a dining room, king-sized beds, thermal waters and, at the rear, a special room with a computer occupying one wall, and a pair of metallic visors designed as diadems. The girls stopped in this place, in front of the computer.
-Inside this are the rules and our stats. You only have to introduce your golden card and the computer makes all.
Athena introduced her ID in the central part of the computer and, few seconds later, the machine turned on and registered Athena:
NAME: Athena Asamiya.
FIGHTING STYLE: Psychopowers + Chinese martial arts.
NUMBER: 8.
TEAMMATE: Hotaru Futaba (number 7).
TEAM POINTS: 0/5."
-Hotaru-chan, what are the "Team Points"?
-According to the computer, we gain one point for a victory, and lost one point for every defeat. If we're the first 8 teams in obtain 5 points, we classify to the next phase.
-And… where do we fight? In Geese Tower?
-That's, in my personal opinion, the best part of the tournament.
Hotaru took the visors, giving one to Athena and the other kept her.
-Put it. After this, press the button in your right temple.
Athena pushed the button and suddenly, she only saw an intense light; an instant later, she was next to Hotaru in a forest.
-A forest? In South Town?
-Not exactly. We are in a virtual world designed for Mr. Howard. Here, you can use all your special attacks, and you don't suffer physical damage in the real world, except tiredness. If you want to go to another stage, press your left temple. Because we're teammates, if you transport, then I'll do in automatic.
As sample, Hotaru touched her left temple and disappeared. Athena only have a very little time for see her vanishing, because the light appeared again, and this time, the girls are in the roof of a skyscraper.
-Amazing. And for return to real world?
-The same way you arrive: press your right temple. Look…
Now, the blue haired girl pushed her right temple and disappeared again. Athena does the same. Now both are in the computer room.
-Well, Athena-san, what do you think?
-…Incredible. I hope the tournament stars soon! Ah, Hotaru-chan, can I see your ID, please?
-Of course, no problem!
Hotaru took her card out of her vent (the card have engraved the number "7"), introduce in the computer and, like Athena's card, the machine show the stats of the girl:
NAME: Hotaru Futaba.
FIGHTING STYLE: Kung-fu, juu-kei style.
NUMBER: 7.
TEAMMATE: Athena Asamiya (number 8).
TEAM POINTS: 0/5."
-Kung-fu? I have the feeling that somebody enters to KOF with the same fighting style.
-Yeah, first was... onii-chan (telling for herself).
-Sorry, I can't hear you. What do you say, Hotaru-chan?
-Err… no, nothing, nothing.
Suddenly, the girls hear a voice from the computer:
"Message for all the contestants. We need all of you in Geese Town, the host going to inaugurate the tournament".
-Geese Town?
-That's the name for Mr. Howard's virtual world (Yeah, he has a ego problem, hehe).
-Well, better we hurry up. See you in the virtual world, Hotaru-chan!
-Same you, Athena-san!
Both girls put the visors and transported to Geese Town, where the host is waiting, besides of the another teams. The girls are in a big room, stone walls and a central candle illuminating Geese, and the remaining part of the room is dark, because the team cannot see another thing. After a few minutes, Geese started to talk:
-Welcome to this, the new "King of Fighters" tournament! Obviously you're noticed of the "little" changes in comparison with another years, specially the stages. In this, my virtual world, are all types of stages, all ready for your fights, if you dare, of course.
You have 48 hours, starting at the end of this, for fight. In this time, 8 of the 16 teams have to say goodbye to the tournament, but you can see the tournament yet.
At the end of this phase, I'll inform about the second phase. Good luck, and… FIGHT!
The room enlightens, and suddenly, Athena and Hotaru back to the computer room.
-Well, I think the preparation is over. Athena-san, ready?
-Glad to hear your good spirit. Ok, here we go!
The girls put again the visors and went to Geese Town, starting (even if they don't know) the most important battle of their lives.
END OF CHAPTER 4.
