Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken

A/N: Hey there. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it. Sorry for the delay; I'm back at school. I hope I can finish in time. Here is part 2, and even more surprising results are set to take place, so let's continue, shall we. And here … we … go:

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

The Quarterfinals: Unforeseeable Results part 2

The Chosen and the Fallen

To say that Asuka felt odd would be an understatement. Despite the cold rain coming down around her, her body felt oddly warm like she had been wrapped in a warm blanket moments before. She felt light in rather odd way; it felt like she wasn't really walking, but more like floating. It was apparent to her she was still feeling the effects of what Zafina did to her after their match.

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"Tell me again. What exactly are you doing?" Asuka asked with confusion.

Zafina explained, "I'm going to attempt to draw out the spiritual power that lies within you. It will be a kind of … 'spiritual awakening'."

Completely apprehensive about the whole thing, Asuka asked, "Uh… Are you sure about this, Zafina-chan?"

Zafina reassured her, "It shouldn't have any negative effects… It must be done!"

Still unsure, Asuka continued to question, "I don't understand. What do you mean it must be done?!"

Zafina, out of slight frustration, forcefully revealed, "It must be done because, if not, you will be murdered in the next match, and that's not an exaggeration… Now, will you trust me or not?"

Asuka could only nod and replied with a stunned, "…Yeah."

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Asuka could still hear those words ringing and bouncing around in her head. What happened next … was sort of a mystery. She could barely remember what took place or how it felt. Asuka could remember the echo of Zafina chanting. Then, there was great, brilliant flood of white light. After that … she vaguely remembered Zafina taking her into transition and being escorted to this place. It was all mostly a blur.

Nevertheless, however she got there, Asuka had come to her next match, and her opponent, the already-waiting Kazuya. Both were set to do battle in 'Lightning Storm', a large helipad atop a large building with a satellite dish on one corner, many spotlights around the floor, and an even bigger hi-tech building behind it. A large rainstorm hung high overhead with lightning occasionally striking down on the helipad, and the lights of buildings in the distance shone from all round through the haze of the shower.

The announcer's voice at once rang out, "Asuka Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, get ready for the next battle!"

Kazuya said as he turned, "So, it's … you."

Again, Kazuya was taken aback by this girl. The pristine aura that surrounded her earlier was now present shine. The pulsation of power was now a steady emanation. She was practically giving light to the entire area. Suddenly, Kazuya felt pressure build up inside his chest, more specifically on and around his heart. It was as if something was trying to attack and tear into his soul.

Asuka, more as motivation for herself than anything, pointed at Kazuya, and proclaimed, "Kazuya Mishima… You won't get past me; I'll make sure of it!"

"Enough of this…" Kazuya said, fed up with mystery, "Just what is your connection to Jin… Asuka Kazama."

Asuka replied fervently, "Jin-kun's mother is my aunt Jun. Still, he's more of my niisan than anything."

Kazuya suddenly lined everything up in his mind. That explained everything. That's why she was always around Jin, right beside him. That's why she had the headband so reverently tied around her head. That's why the power coming from Asuka felt so familiar. Still, when this power came from … her … it was never so evident, never as vigorous as it was with this girl. Even with this new information and understanding, Kazuya still had no idea how this would affect the match.

"That cursed Kazama power…" Kazuya resolved, "I'll be sure to snuff it out from within Jin."

Riled by being overlooked, Asuka exclaimed, "Hey, hey! You still have to fight me!?"

Kazuya stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Calm down. I'm planning to start with you. It should be very good practice."

Practically smoking from the ears after that comment, Asuka angrily replied, "Practice?! I'll show you practice!! Come on!"

Asuka, done talking and ready to fight, furiously assumed her fighting stance.

Kazuya dispassionately crossed his arms, and responded coolly, "Hmph. You really are a nuisance … and so eager to run to your destruction. I warned you before… Now, I will send you to be with your ancestors."

With that, Kazuya assumed his fighting stance.

Asuka defiantly retorted, "Keep talking like that, and you won't even make it to Jin-kun."

While she was very confident outwardly, in the back of her mind, she was thinking about just what impact this match would have. Deep down, she knew what this fight meant. All that kept running through her mind was Zafina's words and Jin's. Jin had to finish things with Kazuya; she wasn't sure how Jin was doing at that present time, but, if Zafina's words were true, he wasn't doing very well. That meant one thing for Asuka: At the least, if she couldn't beat Kazuya, she had to at least slow him down. She had made a promise to her cousin, and now, this was her chance to keep it.

The announcer's voice blasted through the area, "Round 1! Fight!"

The very first hit from both fighters served almost like a precursor, a kind of foreshadowing for the fight ahead. Right off the bat, Kazuya slammed Asuka with a hooking fist to her gut, an 'Entrails Smash', a hit so full of viciousness and sheer power if made her ribs shake. Before he could come further however, Asuka answered, and landed turning back kick to his chest, a 'Minazuki'. Kazuya quickly rolled through, and stood upright, seemingly unaffected by Asuka's attack until… The pain started small and minimal, but, very quickly, it ratchet all the way up, actually making him stagger a bit. The thing that puzzled Kazuya about was that it was a strange pain. It felt almost as if … she had hit from inside his body.

From there, the match was a virtual chess match as their respective styles were a natural fit for each other. Kazuya was game all about power moves and heavy damage. These moves however had very slow recovery, which gave many whiff and block opportunities to Asuka for punishment. With this offset, the contest was naturally back-and-forth with Kazuya initiating the action and Asuka responding every time she blocked or every time he missed.

But, just because the match was back-and-forth doesn't mean it was even. Over time, Kazuya began to simply overwhelm Asuka. She couldn't keep up, and wasn't able to cause as much damage as she was taking. Kazuya was just too powerful; he was a juggernaut, an absolute powerhouse. The match ended however when Kazuya took Asuka by surprise. Just as she blocked high, Kazuya attacked low and put her down with a 'Spinning Demon to Left Hook'.

The announcer's voice rang out, "Kazuya wins!"

"You fight well…" Kazuya exclaimed ominously, "But you've bitten off more than you can chew this time. Prepare to d…"

Suddenly, Kazuya was forced to stop as he saw what was happening to Asuka. The second Kazama lifted onto her hands and knees, facing away from Kazuya. The power and aura coming off of her instantly began larger and fiercer, as if sensing the danger she was in. It even began to pulse, almost like a heartbeat. The pressure on Kazuya's chest quickly picked up, and soon he almost found it hard to breathe. An entirely new wrinkle appeared as his skin began to burn as if he were standing too close to a fire.

In truth, Asuka wasn't trying to do it, not that she knew how. She was really just trying to strengthen herself, simply psyching herself up. If she lost, she would die. That simple fact made clear by Zafina was motivation enough for anyone, but Asuka was really worried about those she cared about. She couldn't let Kazuya run right through her; she had to fight him, and turn him away. IN many ways, Jin's struggle against Kazuya … was now Asuka's as well. The younger Kazama jumped to her feet, and both fighters settled back into fighting position.

The announcer's voice erupted over the helipad, "Round 2! Fight!"

Kazuya's confusion over Asuka's power only grew, but this time … it was coupled with pain. Every one of her hits was like her first one, only worst. Kazuya would brush off her combos, only to have great pain internally some time afterwards, almost as if there were a delay effect. On top of that, the pain seemed to multiply, and compound on itself. The pain after a while felt as if she was attacking the inside of his body rather than the outside.

Meanwhile, Asuka was taking a more proactive approach to the fight, and used her instant offense in an attempt to make something happen. She was able to get in many easy shots due to her speed and priority, unaware of the additional effects heaped upon her power. Soon, with the pain and damage of Asuka's offense beginning to pile up and accumulate, Kazuya incredibly felt himself begin to falter. After a while, he sidestepped and swung with a hooking fist, a 'Jaw Breaker'. Just then, Asuka dodged it, and threw a fierce back elbow … right on target. Kazuya had a white out just as the point of her elbow slammed into her forehead and sent him flipping backward onto his face.

The announcer's voice boomed into the area, "Asuka wins!"

Doubled over on his knees, Kazuya thought angrily to himself, "What … what is this?! What's happening to me? There's no way at my level that she should be able to hurt me this much! What is this power?!"

Asuka breathed heavily as the pain began to set in and she started to feel the effects the beating she was taking. Nevertheless, she managed to force out, "How'd ya like that?! Come on; get up so I can knock you down again."

Kazuya, now seething, raged inwardly, "No! I can't lose to her! I can't lose this way! I can't lose to … that power!"

Kazuya got up to his feet, and both once again got into fighting stance.

Once more, the announcer's voice resonated over the storm, "Final Round! Fight!"

Kazuya was finished. No more games, no more messing around … and no more holding back. Finally, he reached down, grasped a portion of his enhanced 'Devil' power, and immediately pushed it into his attacks. He then went on a rampage, and began throwing out combos and vicious attacks like 'Demon Backhand Spin', 'Searing Edge', and 'Soul Thrust'. Asuka tried to wait for openings, and tried to fight, but to no avail. She punished as much as she could, and she fought valiantly, but she still took a beating. Kazuya was too powerful; he just seemed unstoppable. Eventually, Kazuya slammed her with an elbow to the back of the head, a 'Skull Splitter', an attack that brought her to her knees. There was no denying it now; Asuka definitely needed help.

Calling out to anything or anyone, Asuka pleaded quietly, "He's … too strong… But I can't let him beat me… I have to stop him… for Jin-kun… I need help … aunt Jun. Please help me…"

Almost immediately, Asuka felt the power course through her, building and focusing in her arm. Then … she saw it. For the first time, she saw the white aura around herself. As she stayed focused on the pristine atmosphere surrounding herself, Asuka slowly pieced things together. This must have been why Kazuya paused the first time he talked to her… This must have been what Zafina saw, what she was talking about… This is what Jun had… This was the Kazama power!

Fed up and ignoring the growing power from Asuka, Kazuya proclaimed menacingly, "It's useless. Prayer can't save you now… Die!"

Kazuya came down with an axe kick, aiming to finish off his challenger. Slightly reinvigorated, Asuka quickly dashed sideways, and attacked with as much force as she could muster with a 'Mist Palm Thrust' … with oddly strong results. Asuka forced her palm right into Kazuya's chest, but … upon impact, a shower of white light flew through the air, and Kazuya flew backward a lot further than people normally would from the attack. Without delay, the air rushed out of Kazuya's body, and the pain rushed in under the attack's power.

The younger Mishima hit the ground with a bounce and a thud. Afterwards, however, was when the real surprise appeared. Kazuya tried to recover, but, to his amazement … he couldn't get up! The pain still clung to his chest. He tried to use his power to force himself up, but the pain only grew worse as he struggled. In many ways, his power only seemed to make the pain grasp his chest tighter and grew more gruesome. It was like his own power was being used against him. Kazuya let out a roar as he forced himself to sit up. The pain, however, became so insane and unspeakable that all he could do was slump back onto his back. Asuka watched on, oblivious to what was happening to her opponent. Finally…

The announcer's voice erupted over the rain and thunder, "Asuka Kazama wins! Please proceed to the next round!"

Hearing this, Kazuya could only clutch his chest in shock and disbelief. Asuka began to clutch her ribs as she turned and rather shakily started to depart. Her precarious stature and motion prompted her escorting aide to brace her against his body as he led her away.

Thinking to herself, Asuka relayed, "Aunt Jun… Thank you. That was for you and Jin-kun."

The aide asked with concern as he assessed Asuka's damage, "Asuka-sama, do you still want to compete? Do you think you can continue? "

"Are you kidding…?!" Asuka replied emphatically, "What kind of question is that? Of course, I'm going to keep fighting!"

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Rivalry's Crescendo

The air around the 'Skyline' stage was unbelievable; if you could bottle up the atmosphere at picturesque scene, it could power the whole city of Tokyo for a week. To say people were excited about the upcoming fight would be an understatement. The venue was set on the massive roof of a city skyscraper. Bright lights and electronic billboards shined all around from the surrounding sometimes taller buildings. The ring floor was illuminated with colorful lights set underneath them, with the color changes under time.

The sky above was still a bit dark from lingering storm clouds, but tinges of deep red sunset painted the breaks. Occasionally, helicopters flew over head. Meanwhile, the crowd was set on the outskirts of the roof surrounding the ring; the audience of fans buzzed and cheered loudly as they waited, but they really went wild especially the girls in attendance as the two fighters came on to the stage from opposite sides of the ring. Those two of course were Hwoarang and Jin Kazama.

The announcer's voice immediately blasted into the sky, "Hwoarang, Jin Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"

Hwoarang rubbed the back of his head nonchalantly as he addressed his rival, "Man, Kazama… How long has it been since the last time we fought?"

"It's been a while…" Jin replied casually, "Four and a half years."

Hwoarang reacted in a relaxed tone, "Yeah, it's been a while… Seems like forever, y'know."

Jin merely shrugged as he said, "Times change, and people change with them."

Hwoarang quickly reacted, "Hold on a second. You may be right, but I haven't changed that much… I haven't forgotten anything; I'm still going to kick you're a-- , Kazama!"

"Still chasing the end, huh…?" Jin calmly responded, "Figures. We are tied up after all."

Hwoarang unthreateningly jabbed at his rival, "Yeah, even though your win at Tekken 5 was a fluke."

Jin coolly retorted, "You said it yourself… It was still a win."

"Whatever, Kazama." Hwoarang said, as he changed gears, "I'll just have to pay you back this time."

"Hmm…" Jin said as he thought, "I'm the strongest I've ever been, and you're probably the strongest you've ever been… Sounds like a good way to settle things."

"We'll settle things alright!" Hwoarang quickly returned, "Come on!"

With that, Hwoarang jumped into fighting stance. Jin actually liked the opportunity to fight Hwoarang one last time. Truth be told, he had almost forgotten about his fiery-haired, Korean rival. This was actually a loose end just hanging over him. Ready to go, Jin assumed his fighting position as well.

Without delay, the announcer's voice blasted onto the roof, "Round 1! Fight!"

Hwoarang, as he's apt to do, went right on the offensive, making good use of his high-octane style. However, to the surprise of those who witnessed it … Jin just let him. Instead of trying to cut him off, Jin simply allowed his orange-haired rival streak across the ring with his kicks. All he did was defend and block. Hwoarang was of course was confused by Jin's surprisingly passive strategy (although it didn't stop him from kicking).

Right in the middle of delivering 'Blizzard Kicks', Hwoarang finally commented, "You actually gonna attack, Kazama?!"

Just as Hwoarang said that, Jin showed him just what he was trying to do. Jin shoved the last kick of Hwoarang's string aside, and blasted him with a ducking punch into his midsection, a 'Corpse Thrust', that knocked the young Tae Kwon Do master flat onto his back. Now, Hwoarang wasn't sure if it was because they hadn't fought each other in a while or something else, but … he was completely floored (literally and figuratively) and shocked by Jin's strength. That last attack was definitely a lot stronger than Hwoarang remembered it. It was so strong and so sudden that Hwoarang actually had to take an extra moment for the pain to subside and he could stand up.

With that one shot, Jin turned the entire match in his favor. His strategy proved to not only be effective but particularly appropriate considering his opponent. All he had to do was wait, and, when the time came, he would cut Hwoarang off with powerful strikes like 'Median Line Destruction', 'Blade Kick', 'Double Chamber Punch', and 'Demon's Paw'. Jin's plan of attack quickly had a negative effect on Hwoarang. The fiery-haired Tae Kwon Do master was forced to hesitate and think, and, obviously his style was not suited for a defensive approach. Eventually, Hwoarang blocked an attack, and started to attack himself, but, when Jin quickly readied himself for it, Hwoarang found himself hesitating. Not letting this opening go to waste, Jin quickly rushed in and delivered a 'Kazama style 5 hit combo' to claim the round.

The announcer's voice resonated over the cheering crowd, "Jin wins!"

"I shouldn't have listened to that guy on the ship…" Hwoarang said as he got back up, "You haven't skipped a beat, Kazama."

Actually, that wasn't presently true; in fact, it was becoming more and more ironic as time passed. Jin's condition was manageable until that point, but, almost as soon as his winning string of blows was done, it ratcheted all the way back up again … only much worse this time. Even though the round was done, Jin's heart kept racing despite his attempts to slow it down. The pressure in his chest and around his lungs was building more and more with each passing second. The cough that usually followed was oddly caught in his throat, which made it seem like his body was seizing. Jin's vision began to rapidly go in and out of focus; with this, it looked like the whole world was vibrating at high speed.

Trying hard to shake the effects, Jin could only think to himself, "Not now. Come on; not now!"

As both men got back into fighting stance, the announcer's voice rang out, "Round 2! Fight!"

Hwoarang blazed back at his rival, determined to lock him down. The young Tae Kwon Do master unleashed his longest kicking strings, and began kicking at varying heights, all in an effort to confuse Jin and make it hard for him to defend. It didn't take much to start Jin reeling. He could barely keep up with Hwoarang in terms of actually seeing him. That lack of necessary focus led to many whiffs for Jin, and, as a result, he took a heavy beating. With Jin's disadvantage, Hwoarang carved him up with his furious kicks. Soon, Hwoarang tricked Jin into blocking by throwing out a low sweeping kick, an 'Ankle Biter'. When Jin backed up into a defensive posture, Hwoarang broke through to run up Jin's chest, flipped in mid-air, and came down with a gravity-amplified axe kick to the side of the face, a 'Falcon Dice Kick'. Afterwards, as he looks at Jin's nearly motionless body, Hwoarang suddenly had a strange feeling coming over him.

The announcer's voice suddenly resonated into the early night sky, "Hwoarang wins!"

On a mere whim, Hwoarang decided to comment, asking, "Now, I'm confused. First, I can barely get a hand on you; then you act like you can't see straight. What's goin' on with you, Kazama?"

Jin didn't immediately answer as he was coming to a realization. He just rest on his knees in silence as he realized that … he wasn't going to be able to shake the effects this time. He just had to accept that the symptoms simply weren't going away. Nevertheless, he tightened his fist in determination as he steeled himself. He still had to finish his feud with Hwoarang; Jin was still going to fight.

Jin finally replied as he slowly rose to his feet, "It doesn't matter… The match will keep going… We will keep fighting… And we will finish this."

Hwoarang shed a smile and exclaimed, "… Now that's what I like to hear. Let's go, Kazama!"

Once more, both fighters assumed their fighting positions.

In the truest time the words had been spoken, The announcer's voice erupted into the area, "Final Round! Fight!"

At the start, Jin still had trouble as his vision was still unfocused and, thus, Hwoarang was still hard to follow. However, Jin rather rapidly came to notice that Hwoarang's orange-hair was still very clear. That was just was Jin needed. Using this as a point to channel his view, Jin stopped trying to catch Hwoarang and instead kept his attention on his hair. Jin fared much better with this approach, and settled back into his strategy of waiting for Hwoarang, instead using his 'Laser' strings like in his fight with Wang Jinrei to cause major damage.

From that point, the round was much like their first one: almost dead even. The match started to escalate over time, and then kept going; every time one of them got a lead on the other, the other would top it. As the fight went on, the crowd seemed to ride it like a wave. They started out loud, but then went silent as they started to understand just what they were witnessing, and finally started erupting into cheers with every push and pull. All of this eventually led to a very rare finish.

Both realized that it was time to go for a kill. Hwoarang was able to start first, lifted his leg almost completely vertical in the air. Jin stepped back as he drew one arm back and held the other forward, trying to charge quickly in response to his rival … but he wasn't fast enough. Hwoarang brutally brought his heel, and slammed Jin with a 'Dynamite Heel', bringing the Kazama heir to his knees. The pain shot through Jin, and he felt his body start to give way, but he still kept building up power in his body. Hwoarang froze in place as he looked at Jin, wondering if he himself had achieved victory. Suddenly, Jin reached deep into himself, and, using his inner strength, sprang up to his feet. Immediately, Jin exploded forward with an incredible thrusting punch, his signature 'Avenger', unleashing a great amount of pent up power right into Hwoarang's chest.

Hwoarang sailed backward seemingly in slow motion, and Jin collapsed to the ring floor, almost entirely spent. The crowd quickly went silent in anticipation as both men laid motionless in the ring. Finally…

…

…

…

"Double KO…!" The announcer's voice blasted to the crowd and into the night, "The match is a draw!"

As the two men finally struggled up to their feet, the crowd sat in stunned silence as the incredible conclusion to the match. It didn't take long until the atmosphere in the Skyline grew tense, and audience could sense it as the two fighters remained silent. Jin and Hwoarang, both breathing heavily, stared intensely at each other, neither saying a word nor taking their eyes away. Soon, their gaze drifted to the silent and anxious onlookers and fans, and came back to each other… Suddenly, both extended their hands and exchanged a handshake, breaking the fever pitch. Finally, able to take a breath, the spectators cheered and applauded in response to the sign of respect and in respect for an excellent match.

"Well… that didn't solve anything…" Hwoarang finally said, "Nice fight, Kazama."

Jin nodded and replied, "You too…" Then, Jin shed a slight smile as the thought crossed his mind, "How appropriate… It ends the way it started."

Hwoarang then said, "Man, Princess is gonna chew me out for this."

Slight confused, Jin asked, "What does Lili have to do with this?"

Hwoarang explained as he casually rubbed the back of his head, "She bet me that I wasn't going to beat you, to get me riled up, y'know… Well, a tie isn't beating you."

Unsure of how to respond, Jin stammered, "I'm … sorry? It … sounds rough."

"Nah." Hwoarang coolly said, "I guess I'll just have to beat you next time. 'Till then, Kazama…"

With that, Hwoarang turned and began to leave, garnering an enthusiastic round of cheers and applause as he exited. Jin could only turn away from the sight as he felt himself grow more dejected. By all terms, this would be the last time he saw Hwoarang. It was the same low, biting feeling that plagued Jin with every resolution he reached.

Quietly to himself, Jin said with sadness, "I'm sorry, Hwoarang … but there won't be a next time."

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Jin knew exactly where he was, but he was still lost. Aimlessly, he wandered through transition, racking his mind for ideas that seemed just out of reach. No matter what he thought of, the situation of him facing Kazuya and Heihachi just seemed hopeless. He couldn't attack while the competition was still going on or while they were still in it. It was maddening. What should he do? What could he do?

Just then, Jin came across a tournament standings board, and spontaneously stopped to see where everything was. Since he and Hwoarang tied, they were both out and appropriately their names were digitally crossed out. He then saw that Lee had been defeated by Miharu only moments earlier. (Before moving on, Jin made sure to note what Miharu and by extension Xiaoyu had managed to pull off). He then read that Lars had withdrawn due to exhaustion. What Jin saw next made his jaw drop: even though neither of them had lost a single round until that point, both Heihachi and Kazuya … had lost!!!

Immediately, a plan forms in Jin's mind, and he was going to see that it came to pass. Jin had calls to make, and so he quickly took out his phone.

Jin pressed a single number on his speed dial, and got a quick answer, "Lars-san?! … Is it true you've withdrawn…? … Good. Can you get to the harbor? … Very good. Meet me at the harbor as fast you can…"

With that, the call ended.

Jin quickly pressed another number speed dial, and again got another quick answer, "Lee-sama?! … Does your offer to help me still stand? … Good, because I really need it now. I need you to come to the harbor as quickly as possible; Lars and I will be waiting for you… But first … I need you to send a message for me…"

End Chapter

Next Time: "Is it true…? IS IT TRUE?!?! … Where … where is my husband? Where is Jin-kun …?"

A/N: Whew. I thought I'd never finish this one. Well, I hope you liked it, and I hope you come back. (I also hope that the surprises didn't throw you off too much). Speaking of which, if you are confused, 'Lars versus Heihachi' and 'Asuka versus Kazuya' took place earlier in the day during the same rainstorm. So, when 'Lee versus Miharu' and 'Jin versus Hwoarang' came about, the storm had already past. Anyway, please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.