Chapter 5

Fate of the Warrior

Back at the harbor, a fierce battle raged on. Both Gotz and Saibara unleashed strike after strike, blow after blow, technique after technique, but both appeared unfazed. Despite, or perhaps it was because of the fact that neither man gained the advantage thus far, the two warriors appeared to savor this battle… and each other's strength.

This was the sort of fight these men lived for… and this was the sort of fight they were willing to die for, as well.

"Not bad for young'un." Saibara nodded. "I now understand the strength used to overcome Woody… it's incredible. But in case you haven't noticed, whippersnapper, you've yet to lay a finger on me."

"The same could be said for you." Gotz replied. "Could it be that your old age has finally caught up with you to keep you from catching up to me? You once prided yourself as the greatest living assassin, yet now you cannot even lay harm to one you call a "beast". If I had not sacrificed my humanity back then, I would ask you to step out of this battle, but I find myself enjoying it too much. You only have yourself to blame if you die of regrets…"

"None at all." Saibara smirked. "In fact, I'd have to say you're doing me a big favor with this fight. Go ahead and kill me if you can. I wish for a true warrior's death."

"Good. At least you understand… unlike my foolish brother." Gotz smirked back.

The demonic fighter then closed his eyes and concentrated his malevolent aura around his entire body.

"So you wish for death, do you? Fine… then bare witness to my ultimate technique… the RAGING DEMON!" he roared.

Suddenly, Gotz moved towards Saibara like a fading wraith. The senior assassin took a quick glance and felt the will of hell embrace his opponent.

"Shun Goku Satsu? But that technique… it uses it's targets violent intent to drag them into the pits of hell!" he realized.

Acting quickly, the old man cleared his mind of all anger, fear, and anxiety. Once Gotz took a hold of his opponent, his demonic aura dissipated completely. Despite his shock, the cruel fighter took this opportunity to fling his opponent across the field, but he was met with a quick elbow jab to the gut, and was tossed away instead. To his luck, Gotz managed to recover in mid-air and land cleanly on both feet.

"Splendid Recovery. But I see it is about time I unleashed my full power as well…" Saibara grinned. The older fighter then got into a Mantis fighting stance and eyed his opponent carefully.

"Zan'ei!"

Saibara then rushed his opponent while melding into the shadows at the same time. In an instant, the sound of numerous simultaneous strikes echoed in the distance, then Saibara reappeared behind his foe. The old man exhaled one huge breath, and then his hands shook in horror.

"Impossible… all of my strikes… I felt they were blocked!" he thought.

Gotz let out a triumphant laugh.

"So, I see age really HAS caught up to you… I saw every one of your blows come from a mile away! Even a slug has faster speed than you at that rate!" he bragged.

The demonic warrior then rushed Saibara again with a fast at his side at a miraculous pace.

"But I, however, am still fresh with the Murderous Intent!" he cried as he prepared to unleash his mighty fists.

"MESSATSU GOSHORYU!!!"

Gotz then performed two consecutive attacks that appeared to be toned down Shoryukens with weak lift, followed up with a stronger Shoryuken with even greater lift and power than any before. However, Saibara back flipped numerously to avoid all three blows.

"There is no mistaking it now. I must end this now!" Saibara thought as he saw the opening left by Gotz' missed blow.

The old man then leapt in the air and stretched out a leg to intercept Gotz during his decent, but he was immediately pushed back into the ground with a violet flame of chi from the sky.

"Uguh…. That… was an aerial Hadouken? I see. He gained not only power, but skill as well on his journey to accept the Murderous Intent… I may have underestimated him." Saibara realized. "But, no matter. A single setback like that won't--- ugh!"

Old Saibara managed to get back on his knees, however, he started coughing violently.

"No! Not now! I refuse to succumb to such a pitiful end! I must continue in earnest!" Saibara thought as his recent coughing fit overwhelmed him.

After making a smooth decent, the determined warrior was about to wail on his unguarded foe until he saw his condition. The demonic warrior's body trembled in frustration.

"I see… so this whole time, this aged warrior has been fighting me with a handicap of sorts. Damn… I thought after all this time I've found a worthy opponent, that decisive battle to fulfill me… but instead I see a stubborn old fool crippled by illness. I cannot continue this fight. I will not be satisfied…" Gotz thought with a growl.

In a flash of lighting, the warrior demon vanished from sight. Saibara looked up, only to see his opponent withdraw from their fight. The elder assassin's body trembled in relentless fury and sent a fist crashing on the floor.

"Gotz… Gotz! How dare you? How dare you leave this fight? I refuse to leave this world until it's by a worthy warrior's hands! You would rather see me deprived in my final hours thanks to a mere ailment? GOTZ!!!!!" Saibara yelled.

After another period of hacking coughs, the ill-stricken fighter stared at the sky in contempt for one last time.

"I WILL Die a Warrior!" he thought in fervor.

Then, as lighting flashed once more, Saibara faded into the shadows, never to be seen in the eyes of mere mortals for a long time…

Somewhere in a Temple of Bangkok, Thailand, the fighter with flaming brown hair wandered the halls with a ill content look on his face.

"I still cannot believe that loss… with all that strength… with all that training… with all of his experience… with the might of Muay Thai backing him up… and he lost to some karate man!" the ill-tempered Muay Thai disciple barked. "I will not STAND for this! This new era of martial arts calls for a new Emperor of Muay Thai, and I shall be that usurper! Prepare to be dethroned by your "Student", Bob!"

After walking a few more yards, the eager fighter turned a corner to see an impressive training ring surrounded by shining Buddha embroidery and exotic plants galore. At the center of the ring was the scarred emperor himself.

"MASTER BOB!!!" The young disciple shouted.

The burly man turned to face his wily student.

"Ah, yes! Kurt! My prized student! I'm glad to see you've recovered enough to see once more! Well, after I take care of a few matters, I can get around to showing you a few new techniques I've learned to pay back the reigning Champion for that complete and utter loss!" Bob greeted in earnest.

"CUT THE SMALL TALK! I HAVE A DECLARATION TO MAKE! FROM THIS MOMENT ON, I, KURT, SHALL---"

The fiery disciple's declaration was cut off by the ringing of a ceremonial bell.

"Sorry about that, Kurt. Can you wait on that for now? I have a new challenger to deal with… I can't wait to test out my new technique." Bob answered with a devious grinned.

The Mighty Emperor slammed his fists together in anticipation as a figure entered the arena from Kurt's opposite side. Eventually, the figure climbed into the ring and gazed at his foe with hungry eyes. He happened to be wearing a familiar red bandana and a shocking pink gi.

"Yo! Bob! I've finally come to get my revenge on you for what you did to Dad!" the challenger cried.

"Ah… Dan. The son of that bothersome Go. I wondered when you'd finally have the guts to challenge me! Do you think can top you're old man's performance in our last battle?" Bob said.

"You bet your ugly flat top I will!" Dan shouted. "After some chick in Japan wiped the floor with me, I realized I wasn't serious enough in my training! So now I'm going all out against the world to show it what Dan Hibki is made of! And I'll start by claiming vengeance again the Emperor of Muay Thai, the very man who slaughtered my father!"

"Is that what you think…" Bob grinned in amusement. "Wait a minute, did you just say you got beat up by a girl?"

"I actually said that out loud?" Dan cried awkwardly. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid---anyway, with the teachings of my patented "Sexy Style", I'm going to send you to a world of hurt beyond suffering you could ever dream of!"

Bob simply laughed.

"Go ahead and try." He dared.

Dan nodded at charged straight at Dan with a raised fist. Was about to strike, the warrior in pink was countered with unimaginable brute force…

"TIGER UPPERCUT!!!"

To Kurt's surprise, Bob delivered a rising fist that rocketed both him and his foe nearly 30 feet in the air. After Bob's clean landing, Dan's limp body smacked the ground with a thud.

"Okay… maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. I don't have to challenge Bob immediately to prove my strength! Yeah, that's it! I'm sure there's another way to surpass him!" Kurt thought to himself with a gulp.

"Did you see that, Kurt? It's my mighty Tiger Uppercut! After being hit with Mitchel's mighty fist in such a fashion, I just knew I had to create a equally worthy technique to claim my revenge, so I trained hard near a waterfall to obtain this great strike!" Bob bragged. "So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Kurt glared at his Master with much fear in his eyes.

"Ah, eh… nice work, Master! You really put it to him! You know, after all that hard work at the World Warrior Tournament, I figured taking a vacation might do me some good! You know, relax a little, clear my head and stuff? I hope you didn't mind having your student take a temporary leave!" Kurt cried.

"Yes, very good thinking, Kurt! Although a restless man such as myself can't bring myself to break off his training, it just might do you a world of good! Very well, you have my permission! Just don't indulge yourself too much… I will not tolerate sloth and lethargy from my greatest student!" Bob answered.

Kurt responded with a respectful bow.

"Thank you, my master! I promise to return in good health!" Kurt said.

"Remain storng, my pupil." Bob said before bowing back.

With those exchanges of words, the determined Kurt left the arena to prepare for his newly improvised trip.

"Yes… why bother defeating Master Bob when there is a greater prize in the man who defeated him? Certainly, HE shall provide a fight more worthy of my time… and as soon as I defeat that Mitchel Blaze, I shall be recognized far and wide as the True World Warrior! It's the perfect way to surpass my shameful former Master!" Kurt smiled.

The hotheaded practitioner of Muay Thai continued his walk in proud strides as delusions of grandeur filled his head concerning the defeat of Mitchel.

"Goodbye Thailand… hello Japan!" Kurt announced in triumph.

Once again, the semi-finalist completely disregards the humiliating defeat he suffered in the hands of his intended foe..