Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken

A/N: Hello. Thanks for reading. Well, we've visited two characters already, and there are more to come, so let's move right along. Now, this character's journey throws a proverbial wrench in the plan for the tournament. So, without further ado, let's keep rollin'. And here … we … go:

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7: A Final Tragedy for the Finest Future

Asuka Kazama: The Second 'One' Chosen

Death's Silence

Cautiously, Asuka wandered through the fog that hovered just above the ground, the only sound heard being her breathing lightly. The sky above was painted a uniform shade of dark gray. The only other noticeable life anywhere in sight were several scraggly, bare trees scattered about, jutting up above the ground's white blanket. A fine steam formed in front of her face with each breath. An eerie chill permeated this place, causing the hair on the back of Asuka's neck to stand on end and goose bumps to form on her skin. Try as she might, Asuka could not understand why Jin would include this kind of stage in the first place. Unnerved but determined, Asuka nonetheless continued through the 'Abandoned Wasteland' stage when…

Asuka suddenly bumped into a rather sturdy form, and, out of a mixture of anxiety and surprise, immediately spun around to see what it was. Standing above her was a tall, Lurch-like man with Jet-black hair. From the symbol on his military battle suit, he was Russian, and was set apart by his pale skin and the emotionless expression in his cold eyes. In many ways, this peculiar man seemed to be even more ghastly than the actual area.

Suddenly, the announcer's voice boomed through the area, seemingly from nowhere to nowhere, "Sergei Dragunov, Asuka Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"

Asuka, as fearful as one would be standing across from a living ghost, nervously stammered, "W-Who are you?"

Dragunov didn't answer or make any semblance of speech for that matter. Nevertheless, he'd seen this girl before, and knew she had a connection to Jin Kazama. However, the exact relation escaped him. Slowly, Dragunov crossed his arms, and began rubbing his chin as he tried to remember just what it was.

Angered by Dragunov's silence, Asuka persisted, "I asked you a question. Who are you?!"

Again, Dragunov didn't respond verbally, but merely continued to ponder her. That's when it hit him. Asuka Kazama… She was Jin's closest relative, and a significant member of his inner circle. If he could defeat her, Dragunov would have a direct line to Jin. With this in mind, Dragunov slowly began to circle her, looking her over, sizing her up.

Really not one to be blatantly disrespected, Asuka irritatedly exclaimed, "Hello?! Are you gonna answer me?! Are you even listening?!"

Finally, Dragunov stopped back in front of her, now sure he could best her, and slowly slid two fingers down his jaw, giving her a dismissive gesture.

Asuka, over her anxiety now and ready to fight, began to pound her fist into her hand as she said, "Oh, you don't wanna talk?! Well, I'm gonna find out who you are and what you're up to, one way … or another!"

Dragunov only shed the slightest of smirks and assumed his fighting stance.

Asuka assumed her stance as well as she asserted, "Alright, creep! You asked for it!"

"Round 1!" the announcer's voice resonated through the empty area, "Fight!"

It was apparent from the beginning that Asuka was at a match-up disadvantage with Dragunov. At its core, Asuka's style is meant for punishment, consisting of capitalizing on the opponent's mistakes and retaliating. That strategy was not going to work on the Russian special ops officer.

When it comes to battle, Dragunov is a machine; he doesn't make many mistakes, meaning there weren't many opportunities for Asuka. Not only that, Dragunov's Sambo rendered trying to throw him ineffective. When Asuka used 'Falling Rain' or 'White Mountain', Dragunov would roll through it and escape. When she would use 'Katanuki' or 'Falling Tower', he would turn it around and throw her instead. As for his own throws, he could execute them from any position, whether he was on the ground, standing up, or off-guard. Soon, Asuka, with really no other option, set Dragunov up for 'Aiki Nage', grabbing and wrenching his arm. As he'd done the rest of the round, Dragunov turned it around, spinning through it and twisting her arm instead. Finally, with her at his mercy, Dragunov flipped her, slamming her on the ground.

The announcer's voice immediately resonated through the wasteland, "Dragunov wins!"

Rather nonchalant about the bout, Dragunov simply brushed off his suit and smoothed his hair back with the announcement. Asuka slowly rose to her feet as she held her shoulder, flexing her arm out of pain.

"What … what do you want?" Asuka stammered, "What are you after?"

Dragunov saw no danger in revealing his target. Slowly, he pulled out a photo and showed it to her. Asuka let a shocked gasp at who was on it: Jin Kazama.

Asuka had to ask, unable to hide her distress, "J-Jin-kun?! What do you want with Jin-kun?!"

Dragunov paused for moment, wondering whether to fully uncover himself. How would she react? If she panicked, would she become rigid and unhelpful? Ultimately, Dragunov determined a nervous reaction would damage her focus and thus make her easier to defeat. Finally, he responded to Asuka's question … by making a slow cutthroat motion, revealing his instruction to either capture or kill Jin. Instantly, Asuka got a chill as the realization of what he meant hit her: This phantom of a man was after Jin.

Thinking to herself, Asuka silently tried to resolve herself, "He's trying … to kill Jin-kun… No! I can't let that happen. Jin-kun's got enough to worry about; he doesn't need this guy after him too… I can't let this guy pass me!"

Asuka shook her arm to ease the still-nagging pain, and both fighters reassumed their fighting stances.

The announcer's voice blasted into the area, "Round 2! Fight!"

Asuka fared much better with a change of strategy. Waiting was not going to work (because he was not going to slip up); all she could do now was press the issue and try to make something happen. Going on the offensive, Asuka made use of her near-instant attacks including 'Heart Stopper', 'Sacred Blade', and 'Heaven's Hammer'. Dragunov was taken off-guard by Asuka's superior speed and priority; this had to change. Trying to break her momentum and slow down the pace, he went into every aspect of his throwing game to lock her down with some success. Eventually, Asuka surprised him with a rapid-fire twin palm thrust, an 'Inner Strength', trapping him in the vacuum effect of the attack.

"Asuka wins!" the announcer's voice exploded through the area.

"Did you like that?!" Asuka said as she confidently rolled her shoulder, "You want some more?!"

Calmly, Dragunov rose to his feet and brushed himself off. Then, his eyes met Asuka's. Without showing an inkling of emotion, the look on his face was filled with intensity and resolution. Dragunov raised his hand in front of him and slowly tightened his fist so hard that the leather glove on it groaned as it stretched, as if he were confirming his state of mind.

Asuka, a little unnerved by this, quickly shook her anxiety off as she quietly said to herself, "Come on, ugly!"

Once more, the announcer's voice reverberated through the area as both fighters' got back into fighting position, "Final Round! Fight!"

Their collective strategies worked in the former rounds, and so they both went back to them with Asuka being proactive and Dragunov using his repertoire of grapples and holds. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the match shifted as something just short of miraculous happened: Dragunov began to misjudge the distance between them and that Asuka could close. This caused him to miss some of his own attacks, which played right into Asuka's strength. Knowing she wouldn't get many more oppurtuniites, she moved to punish each of his whiffs to the maximum, and, in that way, she took control of the round. Eventually, a back handspring kick from Asuka launched Dragunov into the air, and followed with a fierce uppercut, using her 'Dragon Wheel Kick Demon Slayer' to win.

Without delay, the announcer's voice blasted through the area, "Asuka Kazama wins! Please proceed to the next stage!"

A victorious but disconcerted Asuka had spun around with the announcement, but, when she turned back, she saw … nothing. Dragunov was nowhere to be found, and when she thought about it … she couldn't even remember hearing him hitting the ground. Asuka paused for a moment, half awaiting an attack and half trying to figuring out what had just happened. The more she thought of it, the more she started to wonder if Dragunov had actually been there. His disappearance, like everything else about him, was … almost like a ghost. After a moment, Asuka finally relaxed, and noticed the picture of Jin on the ground.

Asuka said aloud to herself as she picked up the photo, "Guess he dropped it …" She then began looking it, thinking about what she'd done, and let out a satisfied sigh as she continued, "What would you do without me … niisan?"

Ready to move on (and get out of this creepy place), Asuka slowly tucked the picture into her suit, and quickly advanced toward her next fight.

This Scenario's Gravity

Asuka waited in the middle of a large stone road leading to a huge, ancient Japanese-style building. Large Cherry Blossom trees in full bloom lined each sides of the stone path, their petals peacefully falling to the ground under the breeze and filling the air with their scent. A smile emerged on Asuka face as she stood in the 'Sakura Shower' stage, awash in the beautiful sight and smell of the place. Just as she opened her eyes, an old friend wearing a red-and-black sleeveless dress with silver outlining and a peach-colored snakelike design, red-and-black gloves and silver bracelets oh her hands, light black stockings with small light brown designs, and gray heels with silver straps walked up.

The announcer's voice suddenly resonated through the area, "Zafina, Asuka Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"

Happy see her acquaintance from last time, Asuka cheerfully exclaimed, "Zafina-chan! I didn't know you were in the tournament."

"Hello, Asuka," Zafina straightforwardly replied, "To be honest with you, I would rather I not be here."

Asuka asked with surprise, "What?! Why?"

Zafina went on to explain, "I've been seeing bad omens lately, mostly concerning this tournament. I know that Jin Kazama, your cousin, has a limited amount of time left before his life ends… I guess I'm rather confused as to why he would call this tournament considering his current condition."

Not sure what answer to give, Asuka merely offered reluctantly, "Jin-kun … has his reasons."

"I must know why…" Zafina insisted, "It may be the key to these omens I'm seeing."

Asuka replied with concerns of her own, "I have questions for you too… I want to know what's happening to Jin-kun… Why is this happening to him?"

"Very well…" Zafina agreed before sensing what was coming, "But before we get any answers, there's something else we need to do."

The announcer's voice boomed through the area as they both got into fighting position, "Round 1! Fight!"

Asuka was at a certain disadvantage from the beginning as she had never seen Zafina fight before. As such, there was no way she know or even predict what she was about to see. To call Zafina's fighting style 'unorthodox' would be a vast understatement, and she quickly took control of the round because of it. More than once, the word 'contortionist' came to Asuka's mind: Zafina could attack form literally any angle and bend her body in ways that the human body really should not bend in. Asuka couldn't get in rhythm at all, and Zafina knocked her down.

"Zafina wins!" the announcer's voice suddenly rang out through the area.

"Now, tell me…" Zafina continued, "Why has your cousin organized this tournament? What is Jin hoping to accomplish?"

Asuka explained as she rose to her feet, "Jin-kun wants to fight Kazuya and Heihachi one last time… He said if he has to die, he has to take them with him."

Surprised by this revelation, a shocked look crossed her face as she thought, "What?! So that's what those visions mean … but what about that other one?"

"Zafina-chan?" Asuka, having answered the question posed to her, continued with her own inquiry, "Please I need to know why this happening … especially when he and Xiao-chan are supposed to together … when they're supposed to be happy."

"Of course…" Zafina remembered before sensing the confrontation again, "But first…"

The announcer's voice quickly blasted through the area as they again got in fighting posture, "Round 2! Fight!"

Throughout the first round and well into the second one, Zafina often dropped into 'Tarantula' stance, an extremely low stance that went under almost anything straightforward, a pretty effective strategy as many of Asuka's moves were linear. Fortunately, after taking enough abuse from it, Asuka recognized the pattern and began preventing it. Using her best low attacks, she began to punish Zafina every time she dropped into it with moves such the full 'Leg Cutter', 'Thunder Fall Kick', but mostly her best low attack 'Sacred Blade'. Eventually, after Zafina dropped into it once more, Asuka caught her in a full 'White Heron Dance', the first two hits lifting Zafina right of the ground into the volley.

The announcer's voice immediately exploded through the area, "Asuka wins!"

Ready for some answers, Asuka, while trying to hide her growing exasperation asked as Zafina got to her feet, "Alright, Zafina-chan. Now, please answer my question."

Zafina explained in a rather somber tone, "Okay… At the end of the last tournament, Jin gained a great power from Azazel… but, with his Devil gene now exorcised, that same power is at war with the power he's born with as a Kazama. This constant struggle within him … is slowly destroying his body, and will eventually take his life."

This disclosure hit Asuka like a punch in the gut. She speechless, devastated by the real reason for this whole tragedy. Suddenly, she felt her emotions (and tears) beginning to well up within, and she desperately tried to fight them back; she slowly dropped her head, clinched her eyes, and grit her teeth, fighting back her tears as she tried not to break.

Continuing with the rest, Zafina finished her statement, "That's why … I'm against his reasons for this tournament. I think it's unwise for him, especially in his condition, to pursue an encounter with his father and grandfather."

Surprised by this proclamation, Asuka snapped out of her sadness to force out, "What?! Why?!"

Zafina, seeing what the last explanation did to Asuka and unsure of what to reveal next, merely offered, "I have a specific feeling … that things will not turn out well for anyone should Jin's plan come to fruition. It's … complicated."

Asuka, unsatisfied with that answer, paused for a moment before replying, "Well, if you're not gonna say it…"

Without further delay, the announcer's voice rang out through the area as both fighters once more assumed fighting position, "Final Round! Fight!"

Seeing how Asuka had handled 'Tarantula' and correcting her mistake, Zafina stopped dropping into the stance, abandoning it and its advantages altogether. From then one, she fought mainly standing up and out of 'Scarecrow' stance. Asuka was still mystified by Zafina's uncanny repertoire, but she quickly noticed that several of Zafina's moves left her with a long recovery time when blocked. Always on the lookout for openings, Asuka treated these moves as whiffs, and rebuked them accordingly.

In the end, the match ended with a rather ironic twist: Asuka actually threw Zafina off-balance … with a 'Destabilizer'. With Zafina stumbling, Asuka wrenched her opponent forward, and sent her careening away with a rib-shaking punch to the side, a 'White Mountain' throw.

Once more, the announcer's voice immediately erupted into the area, "Asuka Kazama wins! Please proceed to the next stage!"

Zafina slowly rose to one knee, one arm still wrapped around her midsection, and started to appeal to Asuka, "Asuka, listen to me. You have to stop Jin from going through with this. You must convince him to give up this quest."

Asuka shook her head in the negative and replied purposefully, "I … can't do that. Jin-kun wants to end this fight with his father and grandfather not just for himself … but more than anything, for Xiao-chan and their children. Those two men … have done horrible things to Jin-kun, and he wants to protect his children from going through that too. And he thinks that if he's gone, no one will be strong enough to stop them… Zafina-chan, I've seen both of them… I've seen what Kazuya and Heihachi can do, and I agree with Jin-kun… He needs to do this."

"But I fear …" Zafina quickly replied, "He may not be able to achieve that goal."

Completely thunderstruck, Asuka asked, "What … what do you mean?! … Zafina-chan, what do you see?"

Preparing to uncover everything, Zafina took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I've been having this same vision for a while now, and it's only gotten stronger over time. I wasn't sure what it meant, but, when you told me about Jin's intentions, I finally pieced it together... I believe the limited amount of time Jin has left was only if he remained inactive … but this tournament is causing him to exert himself a great deal.

"I think … this tournament is robbing him of his time, that … it's killing him even quicker! If I'm correct and my vision is true … Jin might die before he even has a chance to fight Kazuya and Heihachi!"

Now, this revelation hit Asuka like a punch to her face. She was again rendered speechless as she couldn't even attempt to hold her emotions back, letting tears flow freely down her stunned face. Nevertheless…

Asuka quickly resolved within herself, stating adamantly, "No! That can't happen. I promised him… I promised I would help him get this done. It's the last thing I can do for him. If he needs me to fight beside him … then that's what I'll do. This fight has to happen, and Jin-kun must win! And if … if I need to die for that to happen … I will! Jin-kun hasn't given up, and neither will I!"

Zafina was now speechless. It was clear that Asuka was set on this, and so, apparently, was Jin. Zafina could only sit in silence as she felt herself torn between her visions and her feelings.

Ultimately, Zafina slowly rose to her feet, and replied, "I … understand. I guess all I can do is … hope that my visions are incorrect, and wish you good fortune."

Then, out of nowhere as Zafina began to depart, an incredible pain shot into her temples as a sudden and vicarious vision came to her. The pain was so great that she fell to her knees and held her head as the waking dream flashed before her. Seeing all of this, Asuka quickly ran to her side.

"Zafina-chan?! Zafina-chan?!" Asuka called out with concern.

Finally, after several grueling minutes, the violent cascade of images ended, and the pain dissipated. Slowly, as she recollected what she just saw, Zafina let go of her temples as she opened her eyes and looked up at Asuka with bewilderment.

A rush of questions coming to her, Asuka began asking with worry in rapid succession, "What's wrong? What did you see, Zafina-chan? Was it about Jin-kun?"

"No…" Zafina responded before divulging, "It was about you… It turns out there's something else that I must do before I take my leave… Asuka, you must come with me…"

End Chapter

Next Time: "Listen …you're right. I am having a hard time. I just … don't know how to deal with this."

A/N: Alright, there you go. It was a whole lot faster this time, wasn't it? That's because I finally got a chapter finished without a hitch. Oh, and for those who don't know, 'Niisan' means older brother in Japanese. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it, and that you come back to read some more. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.