Disclaimer; I don't own The King of Fighters…
A/N: Hello, and welcome. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it. So, last chapter, we checked on our 'Big Bad', and got an inkling of what he has up his sleeve. Now, we'll check in with our heroes, and there's even a brush with the possible future. Again, I hope you like it. And here … we … go:
The King of Fighters XV
Under Pressure
"You know, it always creeps me out when you dress like that."
Hiroshi and Adel walked through the Amaterasu mansion, but Hiroshi was much more preoccupied with Adel's somewhat emblematic attire. The Bernstein son was clad in an all green business suit … that happened to look exactly like his father's…
"Why? What's wrong with it?" Adel asked in confusion.
"It's just… The symbolism is killing me."
Understand, Adel replied with resignation, "Right. But, what can I do? I take after … him."
Hiroshi put his arm around his friend, and reassured him, "Adel-san, what am I going to do with you? It's like I keep telling you: you're not captive to your genes… We're not doomed to be like our parents. If anything, we can learn from their lives, and even make better decisions."
Adel jokingly said with a smile, "That's easy for you to say. Your parents were practically angels."
Hiroshi persisted, "That's fortunate, but I didn't have to be this way. I could've been a spoiled brat or a psychopath or something."
Adel laughed, saying, "No, you couldn't…"
Hiroshi, taken aback by the reaction, said, "What? I could be a jerk."
Adel confidently reaffirmed with a smile, "No, Hiro, you can't…"
Hiroshi started to retort, but stopped before any words came. It was somewhat because he couldn't, but mostly because he realized it was inane thing to argue over. Finally, the two got to the office, and were promptly greeted with the sight of a small postal box with a note attached sitting on the desk. This mail new to him, Hiroshi grabbed the letter, opening it, before handing the box to Adel to open…
"From Svetlana in Reykjavik, Iceland…" Hiroshi read, "I'm a big fan of yours, and hope you accept my offer: If you're ever in Iceland or ever feeling lonely, feel free to call me. Here's my picture if you're interested…" Hiroshi picked the photo from the envelope, and admired, "Hmm, she is quite beautiful, very beautiful…"
Adel suddenly said, "I think you should call her…"
Hiroshi turned to see as Adel reached in the box. Out of the box, he extracted and held up a black piece of women's lingerie. After only a moment, Adel let out a long, admiring whistle.
Hiroshi reacted with a smile, "One of those, huh? That's number four for this week."
Dumbfounded, Adel asked, "Four a week? Women sending you their underwear… And they all look like this?"
Hiroshi plainly answered, "Pretty much… Then, there's the four marriage proposals I get a week…"
"Man… give me your life, right now." Adel reacted, only half-joking.
Suddenly, an alarm went off; someone was at the door. Hiroshi motioned for the door just as Maxwell and Almeida came in.
"I'll get that." Hiroshi said as he exited.
"Hold on. I'll go with you." Adel offered as he followed behind.
"Actually, Master Adel…" Maxwell said as he held Adel back, "There's something very important we must speak to you about."
Confused, Adel stopped, lose to what it could be… As he said, Hiroshi made his way to the door, and answered to find three fierce looking visitors. The one standing on the left had spiky white hair, a red coat with tails over a blue bodysuit, and a pair of sharp-nailed claws on his hands. The one standing on the right wore white pants, a black shirt, and black arm-length gloves with the fingers exposed, his skin a ghastly pale gray and his long orange hair covering his face. The largest one stood in the middle; He was a Japanese man with blond highlights wearing a black muscle shirt with black dress pants, and a white fur coat draped over his shoulders, his right hand placed in his pocket. There was no mistaking this one; this was the Yakuza boss, Ryuji Yamazaki.
Hiroshi flatly said, "Good evening, gentleman…"
Yamazaki coolly replied, "We sure hope so. May we come in?"
Hiroshi hesitated momentarily before conceding, "Right this way…"
The Amaterasu scion lead his three 'guests' through the halls, and walked backward to watch them, seeing if they steal anything, act suspiciously, etc. Oddly, Yamazaki was the only one looking around, and the other two were just staring at Hiroshi point blank. The clawed one even seemed to be smiling every now and then.
"These are some pretty nice digs you have here." Yamazaki finally said, "Must have cost a fortune…"
Hiroshi plainly said, "This home is custom-built, so… Yes, it is quite expensive."
The Yakuza boss reacted with a smile, "Good to hear…"
"Gentlemen, if I may … To what do I owe this visit?" Hiroshi finally asked.
Yamazaki plainly answered, "We're just here to talk finances…"
Hiroshi thought to himself, "That's what I was afraid of."
Finally, they reached their destination: Having an understandable bad feeling, Hiroshi had actually led them away from his office to somewhere more appropriate. The four stepped into the master ballroom, a titanic, elegant entertainment room that, from the lights and painted walls, seemed almost to be made of gold. On the opposite wall stood large floor-to-ceiling glass doors flanked on either side by floor-to-ceiling dark red flowing drapes. Just outside the doors was a visible balcony. An exceptional marble floor stood underfoot, and above hung multiple golden chandeliers. The ceiling itself was covered by a beautiful mural of a woman looking over celestial plains … as if one were looking into Heaven itself. Immediately, the orange-haired man walked in an oddly-lifeless way right to one of the glass doors and gazed up at the moon…
"What a beautiful night." He mused.
Yamazaki calmly started, "Again, I'm impressed by your fortune. But, I'm not here to look at furniture… Just so you know, this set of claws behind me is Oni Inomura, and my star struck friend over there is Freeman. And in case you didn't know, I'm …"
Hiroshi politely interrupted, "I know of you, Ryuji Yamazaki-sama. So … what does a Yakuza want with me?"
Yamazaki composedly replied, "I thought it'd be obvious, but I'll spill things anyway… You see, my specialty is brokering, securing finances and all that jazz. That's where you come in… I found out recently that you're sitting on quite the fortune… I'll cut to the chase: I'm willing to offer our services for a piece of your sushi. Think about it; we can take you to places."
Hiroshi calmly retorted, "Well, I don't drink. I don't use drugs. I don't gamble… I doubt you can take me anywhere that I can't go to myself… Just what is it you can offer me?"
Yamazaki succinctly and ominously replied, "Protection…"
Mentally preparing, Hiroshi continued as he began to look at all three, "I protect myself just fine … unless this is a shake-down."
The Yakuza boss said with a laugh, "Aren't you smart! But shake-down is such a bad word. I prefer 'effective marketing'."
"Right…" Hiroshi said as he got set, "So, are these foot soldiers … or skilled assassins?"
With that question, Oni started forward, with only Yamazaki holding him back. Freeman instantly peeled his attention away from the night and turned toward Hiroshi, the sound of his nails against the glass ringing out.
An evil smile emerging, Yamazaki replied, "Let's say I like to keep like-minded men around me… But I can call them off if you agree. Otherwise, I can't promise your safety."
Looking at both killers poised to attack, Hiroshi calmly replied, "Hmm… The answer is still no."
"Have it your way…" Yamazaki quickly said as he let Oni go, "He's all yours, boys…"
Hiroshi assumed fighting stance as Freeman and Oni came charging. The proverbial sounds of doom filled the area with the swishing sounds of Oni's clawed fingers against one another, and the scraping of Freeman's nails against the marble. It only took the first exchange for Hiroshi to find out what he was facing. Oni arrived first, causing Hiroshi to block with his arm, and immediately he felt his forearm go numb from what he recognized as static energy coming from the claws. Swiftly, Hiroshi motioned Oni out of the way as Freeman came in close behind. Hiroshi, his arm still numb, blocked an incoming sweeping slash with his leg, and instantly felt his shin being cut by the impact before kicking Freeman aside.
Hiroshi, to say the least, was in serious danger against two natural born killers. Oni was a storm of manic energy that barely registered damage and just kept coming. Freeman, meanwhile, contorted and bent in all different directions, allowing him to attack in different ways and making him harder to hit. Even then, he seemed to feel little pain and actually enjoyed being hurt, laughing whenever it happened.
With all this combined, Hiroshi became pretty cut up rather fast. Meanwhile, as he watched on, Yamazaki felt himself slipping. His blood began to rush inside him, and his grin grew wider as he started cackling to himself. Most telling was his left arm dangling precariously in 'ready' position.
Hiroshi frantically thought to himself, "I can't take this much longer. There's only one way out: I have to use … that …"
Adel asked in confusion, "Mr. Maxwell, Mrs. Almeida, what is it you want to talk to me about?"
Almeida began, concern evident in her voice, "It's about young Hiroshi. We're … concerned about him."
Even more confused now, Adel said, "Hiro? What's wrong with him? Is he sick?"
Almeida continued, "No, it's not that. It's about this upcoming competition. We're just … really concerned for his safety."
Adel tried to reassure them, saying with a smile, "Oh, I don't think you both need to worry. I've seen him training lately. He's probably better than I've ever seen him…"
"But that's what has us so anxious." Almeida expressed.
Maxwell explained, "You see, Master Adel… Master Hiroshi isn't just improving himself; he's pushing himself past his very limits. While that's not a bad thing, it's the extent he's going that worries us."
"Okay; you have my attention."
Maxwell continued, "Well, you're aware there are certain rules and limitations the Amaterasu abide by. Master Hiroshi, I'm afraid … has driven himself past some of them."
Adel reacted with worry and shock, "What? How has he… What's going to happen to him?"
Maxwell solemnly relayed, "He's been spending a lot of time studying the archives and family text, and through them, he's been expanding his repertoire … with techniques from the main style, ones he's been forbidden to use! By mastering them, he's put in serious risk every time he uses them. He's in danger of extreme fatigue, some backfire and hurt him as well, and some even shorten his lifespan with use… There's even one technique that, if he ever uses it, would cause his immediate death!"
Almeida, close to tears now from the last bit of truth, "We've tried to deter him and ease him away from this as best we can, but it's been to no avail. He feels he needs to use them in order for you three to succeed. More and more, it seems like there's nothing we can do."
"I can see why you're worried," Adel responded, "But, he loves you two, and, if you can't get through to him, what can I do?"
Maxwell replied, "That's what we wanted to ask of you… Master Adel, we really need you to watch out for him, and be especially vigilant when fighting alongside him. That way, he won't have to do anything drastic."
Almeida added, "Adel, please; we're begging you. Please, watch out for our Hiroshi."
Adel confidently said, "You don't have to worry. I promise I will."
Preparing for what he was planning, Hiroshi got some space, blasting Oni back with 'Heaven's Brace' and knocking Freeman with a 'Divine Press'. He wasted no time in using his breathing room, glowing momentarily and raising a fist as he reared back…
"Amaterasu Forbidden Art…" Hiroshi thought as initiated the attack.
A spectacular collision was inevitable. Oni and Freeman came rushing in again… Yamazaki's eyes and smile continued to grow wider and wider… Small streams of light formed in the air and gathered into Hiroshi's body, the aura around him growing fiercer and fiercer by the second…
"Infinity Overload…" Hiroshi thought out the next part of the attack.
Just before the impact, the world seemed to go silent… The lights and aura disappeared, and Hiroshi slammed his fist into the ground… A massive eruption of white flames shot up around him and reached all the way up to the ceiling, his form disappearing behind it! Oni and Freeman were blasted back toward Yamazaki, and all three 'mad men' looked up to an amazing sight: Behind the flames, they could see the figure of 'Nazo no Onna', the 'Mysterious Woman', slowly rising up into the air! Finally, after a few moments, the flames dispersed, and Hiroshi was revealed kneeling where he was, his attacking hand still in place.
Hiroshi looked up with his eyes glowing with intensity, only lifting his head, and said, "You picked … the wrong time to challenge me…"
Unable to hold himself any longer, Yamazaki began to rave, cackling loudly, "I'll fight you! I'll beat you up… I'll tear you to pieces. You're all mine!"
Finally, Yamazaki charged forward with crazed laughter, and began slashing away with 'Judgment Dagger'. Hiroshi managed to dodge, though his clothes were still slit, and countered with 'Heaven's Brace', sending the knife flying into the wall. The mad Yakuza boss quickly attacked with a rapid-fire series of 'Snake Slashes' from both hands, pummeling Hiroshi despite the latter being in blocking position, and finally propelled him backward with the 'Drill' whirlwind punch. Hiroshi rolled away and immediately responded by firing the massive fireball he usually reserved for the end of 'Angel Outburst' with his new danger attack called 'Reverent Saber'. He didn't have time to enjoy a successful hit as Yamazaki instantly struck back with a 'Guillotine'.
Hiroshi continued to fight for survival, but gaining any kind of advantage was difficult with the Yakuza boss' insane defense and excellent game of keep away. All his moves were suited for locking down his enemies and limiting movement with moves like 'Snake Slash', 'Bombshell Bada-Bing', 'Sadomoso', and 'Double Return'. His dirtier tactics, 'Spray Sand' and 'Fight of Tempering', were less effective being used on a clean floor, but were still good at keeping distance. Hiroshi took a pounding from the vicious and experienced brawler.
In desperation, Hiroshi let loose for one long exchange. He attacked from above with 'Divine Dive', crushing a 'Snake Slash Upper' and staggering the Yakuza boss. The Amaterasu Scion immediately when into a string of attacks and transitioned into 'Angel Outburst'. Three-fourths of the way through, he canceled once again into his 'Heaven Nova', leveling Yamazaki and putting him down for a short while. Momentarily however, the Yakuza boss nonchalantly rose to his feet with a chuckle…
Once again relaxed and calm, Yamazaki said, "You know something, kid. I like ya. You got some real bite."
Hiroshi cautiously relaxed a bit as he reacted, "So… Does that mean we're done and no more of these … 'talks'."
"Yeah, for now anyway while I'm in a good mood…" Yamazaki said. He walked up, picking up his fur coat on the way, and placed a hand on Hiroshi's shoulder as he continued, "Kid, if you ever need a job, look me up and I'll make space for ya… Let's roll, boys."
As their leader commanded, the three 'mad men' started to leave, Hiroshi slowly turning his back to them. Freeman, however, continued to stare at Hiroshi, and soon stopped.
Freeman focused completely on Hiroshi, thinking, "This glorious night cannot be wasted. Blood must be spilled…"
The serial killer ran full speed at the Amaterasu Scion, ready to claim his life. His back turned, Hiroshi saw Adel enter the room … and immediately sprint toward him. Adel promptly dashed past Hiroshi and met Freeman with a powerful rejection: his new danger move called 'Urteil'! The young Bernstein grabbed Freeman before he could get any closer, and began siphoning energy into Freeman's body while detonating it causing explosions of energy to burst from the serial killer's body. Feeling his power inevitably lessen from the attack, Adel ended with one final blast, propelling the killer backward and sending him spiraling right to Yamazaki's feet…
Gleefully cackling, Yamazaki raved as he lightly kicked Freeman, "That's what you get! I told you to listen to me, didn't I? Now, I said let's go, so let's go!"
Taking the hint, Freeman picked himself up, and the three 'mad men' finally left. Inherently weakened by 'Urteil', Adel slumped to one knee, his breathing heavy as his heart raged inside his chest, even shaking ever-so-slightly. Hiroshi quickly kneeled next to him, and helped his friend to his feet.
Hiroshi reacted with concern, "Adel-san, thanks for that … but to use that technique…"
Adel feigned insouciance, "Hey, I couldn't let you have all the fun."
His anxiety not waning, Hiroshi retorted, "But, you haven't perfected 'Urteil' yet. It obviously still has a negative effect on you."
Adel continued trying to wave it off, "What better way to practice than in a live situation? Now, I know I can do it at a moment's notice, and it has good practicality. It helped saved you."
Hiroshi expressed, "Yeah, and I'm grateful for that. But it still worries me just how much 'Urteil' takes out of you."
Adel finally spoke with honesty, "Listen, if I'd gotten here sooner, you wouldn't have been in that mess. We could have driven them back sooner. I can't let anything happen to you, Hiro."
Hiroshi smirked at the comment, saying, "Thanks, Adel-san. I'm gonna make sure nothing happens to you either … including starvation. Come on; let's go to the kitchen, and I'll fix something for ya."
"Finally!" Adel exclaimed, "I thought I was going to have beg for some food."
End Chapter
A/N: Okay, there you have it. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. By the way, did you notice the not so subtle hint at a possible team? Anyway, next time, we'll meet the third team, and the back-story of Ash's return. Again, thanks for reading, I hope you liked it, and I hope you come back to read again. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.