Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: What's up? Thanks for visiting and reading. Well, we're really getting down to it. While the battle the audience sees is ending, the real climax is just getting set. I'm moving as fast as I can to get done, so please stay with me. I hope I can do this justice, (I hope I can finish in time), and I hope you enjoy. And here … we … go:
The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7: A Final Tragedy for the Finest Future
Unexpected Championship, Inevitable Finale
Flight to the Pinnacle pt. I
The lights of the championship and their goals behind them, two men walked in different directions with two different destinations in mind. However, both of them had the same frustration, both were unaware that they were about to get a message that would change their entire mood … and both were named Mishima.
Still holding his still slightly-burning chest, Kazuya continued to think to himself, "Impossible! There's no way I should have lost! … What … What did that girl do to me?!"
Heihachi, seething over the way he lost more than the fact, just ranted internally, "How could I be so careless? I can't believe I let my guard down like that! I swear when I get my company back, I'll…"
Suddenly, at almost the same time for both, a voice called to them, "Mishima-sama?"
Both Heihachi and Kazuya stop, and turn to see tournament staff wanting to speak to them. One aide was sent to Heihachi, while two were sent to accost Kazuya. However, despite the distant between the two men, the message for them was the same.
The aides relayed, "Mishima-sama, I have a message for you."
Heihachi, not wanting to hear it, quickly snapped at the smaller man, "Buzz off! I have no time for any message!"
Heihachi's aide insisted, "Please sir, it's very urgent and of the utmost importance."
Already low on fuse, Heihachi quickly snatched up the smaller man by the shirt and barked, "I hope it's important enough for you to risk me breaking your pencil neck!"
Heihachi's aide quickly explained for fear of his health, "It's a personal message by way of Lee Chaolan … from Jin Kazama."
Heihachi paused for a moment before growling, "Speak, bug."
Almost at the same time despite being in very different places, the aides explained, "This is a personal invitation from Jin Kazama. He wishes to meet you on Ground Zero Isle… He says it's time to finish things permanently. We were sent to escort you."
Kazuya listened intently the entire time, and dropped his hands to his sides as when he heard that. After a few moments of silence, Kazuya let out a slow, quiet, menacing chuckle. The very next moment, he dashed forward, low to the ground, and uncoiled upward, blasting one of the aides with a 'Rising Uppercut', a celebration of sorts. Heihachi was also pleased to hear the news and dropped his aide to the ground.
"So, Jin craves death after all..." Heihachi said before growling to the aide again, "Take me there! And hurry up! I don't want to keep Jin waiting."
Kazuya turned to the terrified second aide, and said with satisfaction, "I accept Jin's invitation…" Kazuya motioned for the aide to leave behind the unconscious one on the ground, and as they started to depart, Kazuya thought to himself, "I guess I was wrong to discount Jin's death wish, and he had so much to life for. No doubt Heihachi will be there as well. Good! I'll relish the opportunity to destroy them both in one instance."
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Lee finally arrived at the harbor, and began to Jin's private port. There, he immediately spotted Lars near Jin's personal ship, and quickly approached.
Spotting him, Lars greeted him, "Lee-sama, you made it."
"I came as fast as I could," Lee replied, "Jin-san is inside?"
Lars quickly responded, "Yes; let's go."
The two made their way into the large boat, passing two dual-seated All-Terrain Vehicles, and joined Jin on the captain's deck.
"Good; Lee-sama is here." Jin reacted, "Now, we can go. Lars-san, set a course for Ground Zero Isle."
Suddenly, a very clear and loud sound rang out; it was … a j-pop idol song. Recognizing the tone, Jin took out his phone, only making the song that much louder and clearer. Both Lee and Lars immediately stopped what they were doing, turned, and gave Jin a confused and suspicious look. Jin turned the volume on his phone down, only to look up and see them giving him a look that seemed to ask 'Jin … is there something you haven't told us?' Jin could only roll his eyes, and flip his phone around to show who was calling: the caller was indicated by a picture of a smiling Xiaoyu. Lee and Lars then understood the ringtone she'd set for herself, and went back to what they were doing.
Jin however was forced to confront the call. He didn't like the Utada Hikaru song, but every time he heard it, he knew what it meant. The song in many ways fit Xiaoyu very well and reminded him of her. For that reason, he couldn't help when that picture came up and that song played but to smile. But, at the present, his happiness only turned to despondence. In a way, the call was a seemingly final, somewhat cruel remembrance. Jin finally let out a crestfallen sigh as he realized what must be done.
Somber but resolute, Jin spoke quietly, "I love you, Xiao-chan… I'm so sorry."
Lee and Lars slowly looked back toward Jin when they didn't hear him answer his phone … just in time to see what happened next. Jin took one last look at the picture of his wife … canceled her call, and removed the phone's battery.
In shock just like Lars, Lee promptly asked, "Jin-san … are you alright?"
Jin responded to Lee's inquiry with only a dejected shake of his head, a gesture to the negative, and went on to say, "Let's just, uh… Let's just get going. Lars-san, please…"
Not wanting to push the issue any further, Lars plug in the coordinates, and turned the ignition key for the ship. On command, the large motorized boat rumbled to a start, and sped off into the ocean.
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Improbable Title Bout
The massive audience of fans, spectators, sports media, and the like crowded into the 'Stadium', gripped by uncertainty. No one was really sure of what was going to happen in the tournament after the rollercoaster of events that took place in the Quarterfinals. First off, 75% of the competitors in the competition were gone including many tournament favorites. No two departures were more shocking than those of Kazuya and Heihachi. They were almost sure winners; everyone and their mother bet one of them was going to be in the finals. Both were heavily favored especially since neither had even lost a round, and yet … both of them lost in the Quarterfinals. Of course, almost as shocking was the match between Jin and Hwoarang; the two of them fought to a draw, which meant both of them were out of the competition as well. No one knew what this turbulence meant for the tournament, but one thing was for sure … they went came to see the action anyway.
Once everyone had filed in and the seats were filled, the announcement blasted throughout the arena…
"Ladies and Gentlemen, due to the sudden drop in competitors, there will be no semi-final round… But that does not mean the competition will stop. Have no fear; the tournament will continue! Fortunately, two of our fighters are still standing, so we will skip the semi-finals and go right to the Championship match!"
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In the women's locker room, Xiaoyu, Miharu, and Asuka were virtually silent. Truth be told, it was a very awkward situation to be in and a very awkward experience. Asuka and Miharu mostly focused on getting ready, and for the most part just avoided each other, not even really looking at each other. Xiaoyu was similarly silent as well as she was torn between her two friends, unsure even of whom to root for. In preparation, Asuka changed into her signature fighting attire: her silver body suit, blue midriff top, boots, and gloves.
It was at that moment that Xiaoyu noticed something about Asuka; she was noticeable slower, and seemingly struggling to do things. The reality of it was that Asuka was injured. Despite her effort and her power, Asuka still took an inhuman thrashing in her match with Kazuya, and it was obvious. Nine people had asked her if she wanted to continue in the tournament … and that was just since she'd been at the stadium. She didn't even count how many asked her on the way there.
With concern in her voice, Xiaoyu asked, "Asuka-chan … are you alright?"
Asuka quickly responded, trying to brush the comment aside, "Yeah… I'm fine, Xiao-chan."
Xiaoyu persisted, "You don't look fine; you look like you're in pain… I saw your match with Kazuya. I know you got hurt pretty bad."
In order to ease her friend, Asuka playfully retorted, "But I'm still here, aren't I? I'll be fine, Xiao-chan; stop worrying."
Worried nonetheless, Xiaoyu continued to reach her friend, "Asuka-chan… If you're hurt, you should say so. You don't have to fight if you can't."
"Yes, I do, Xiao-chan…" Asuka replied rather resolutely, "It as just luck that I'm here right now. I probably won't get another chance like his again, so I'm gonna take it. I want to fight… I want to win!"
"And if I can't…" Asuka continued as she broke into a smile, "I, at least have to make sure Miharu-chan earns it."
Xiaoyu simply returned the smile, and, respecting Asuka's resolve, leaves her to her thoughts. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and, being the closest one to it, Xiaoyu answered it to see a man standing behind it. He was a Japanese man a little older than Xiaoyu herself, had dark red slicked-back hair, and was tall with a toned build. He wore a business suit, a stylish watch on his left wrist, and thin wire-frame glasses in front of his eyes.
The man kindly asked, his smooth and charismatic voice coming through, "May I speak to Miharu-chan for a moment, please?"
Xiaoyu called into the room, "Miharu-chan, it's for you."
Miharu heeded her friend's call, and peeked at who was just beyond the door. As soon as she saw who it was, she rushed to the door.
"Hayashi-kun!" Miharu exclaimed, almost shrieking with joy.
Miharu met him just beyond the door, and the two immediately embraced each other affectionately.
As they finally pulled apart, Miharu asked out of curiosity, "Hayashi-kun, what are you doing back here?"
"I wanted to talk to you… you know, one more time." Hayashi replied.
Miharu attempted to reassure him, "I know you're worried, and I am too… but please don't. I'll be fine…"
Hayashi politely interrupted, continuing, "I am still a bit worried, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about … because I know you'll be fine. I just wanted to say that I've been watching your matches… You look very good; I'm really impressed. I even think you can win. But no matter what happens out there, I just want you to know that … I'm really happy for you, and I'm extremely proud of you. You're really amazing, Miharu-chan."
Miharu's eyes beamed happily and the blood rushed to her face as she replied with a bright smile, "Thank you, Hayashi-kun!"
"Anytime, Sugar," Hayashi said as he returned the smile, "Now, you go out there and give it your best alright?"
Miharu nodded in agreement, and the couple shared a loving kiss. Xiaoyu smiled as she'd watched the whole thing through the crack in the door. It wasn't before long that it made her think and wonder about her own loved one. This only reminded her that Jin was still missing, and brought back all her worries. Xiaoyu slipped into an empty row of locker, and, as she'd been trying to do all day, took her phone and hit the first number on her speed dial… Jin's number. But the call only had undesirable results. There was no answer; there was no ring in fact. Her phone only said his phone was 'out of service'. As one could imagine, this only compounded her worries.
Xiaoyu could only say quietly to herself as she stared at the 'no service' indicator on her phone, "Jin-kun … where are you…?"
Suddenly, Nina popped her head into the room.
"Mrs. Kazama, it's time to be seated," Nina called into the room.
Xiaoyu distractedly replied, "Umm… Alright. I'm coming…"
With that, Xiaoyu followed her blond-haired escort out to their seats.
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The 'Stadium' was a large, open-air sports arena set in the heart of the Japanese city. Large spotlights shone into the air and spun as they shot light all around. Digital boards set all around flashed with information about the upcoming fight. Gigantic video screens on both ends were set to display the action with the huge square ring in the center as its focus. The entire venue was a giant festival of lights and sound under the still-young night sky.
Not a seat in the arena was empty. Thousands upon thousands of fans packed the stands, all of them cheering and screaming in palatable excitement and pandemonium. Right up front was a section of VIP seating sectioned off with a who's who of the competition seated there: (because he was considered family, Hayashi was allowed to sit there), Emily 'Lili' Rochefort and her entourage Hwoarang, Christie Monteiro, and Steve Fox; Lee Chaolan's entourage of Anna Williams, Bruce Irvin, Marshall Law, and Paul Phoenix (oddly enough without Lee); Nina Williams, and Eddy Gordo. Finally, right in front of them sat Xiaoyu. Unfortunately, there was one seat noticeably empty, the other main seat right to her…
Finally, the time had come…
The announcer's voices blasted over the sound system and into the night, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your Tekken Tournament finalists!"
As prompted, Miharu and Asuka entered the arena and approached the ring from opposite sides. As they emerged, the crowd cheered loudly. A hail of flashes fell from all around as millions of pictures were taken. Several Japanese flags shot up out of the crowd, and were waved as the audience applauded two hometown finalists.
The announcer's continued to boom through the introduction, "The tournament is full of surprises, and this has not disappointed! Not only are we assured to a brand new, first-time champion, but also we are guaranteed to crown our first-ever … Queen of the Iron Fist! History is about to be made tonight! So, Ladies and Gentleman, allow me to introduce to you, the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 finalists! … Introducing first, from right here in Shinjuku, this young lady entered as a mere alternate, but against all odds and naysayers, she's made it to the finals in her first tournament ever. Shinjuku, Japan; give it up for your own: Miharu Hirano!!!
The crowd burst into animated cheers at the introduction, and only seemed to get louder as the cameras switched to her, placing her on all the screens around the venue. For some time, Miharu's story as an alternate moving through the tournament had actually gotten around many outlets, and had actually gained support with her as serving a heavy underdog. Needless to say, the 'mere alternate' was unaware of her growing fanfare. Miharu could only look up at the crowd with awe and pleasant shock at the avid response.
The announcer's voice continued blasting, "And her opponent, our second finalist… All you need to know to see this is a tough young lady is her last name. That's right; a prodigy from the Kazama fighting family, all the way from Osaka, Japan, let me hear it for : Asuka Kazama!!!"
The introduction of Asuka garnered loud cheers of in its own … not that Asuka could enjoy them. She was still dealing with the pain she was in; she was nowhere near 100 percent for the fight. All she could do was try to focus. So, even though she acknowledged the crowd, her mind was just set on maintaining.
The announcer's voice went on, "Now, let's start this party with a bang! Miharu Hirano, Asuka Kazama, everybody…" The entire arena joined in as the announcer finished, resulting in on uniform chant, "Get ready for the next battle!"
"Are you sure you want to do this, Asuka-chan?" Miharu asked with some uncertainty.
Asuka confidently replied, "Aww, Miharu-chan … don't tell me you're getting cold feet already."
Taken aback, Miharu shakily explained, Oh, no. No, it's not that… It's just that I overheard you and Xiao-chan … and you do look like you're injured."
"I'm standing here, aren't I?" Asuka resolutely responded, "Listen, don't worry about me; I'm going to fight… Just don't do me any favors. Take Hayashi's advice, and give me your best shot… because I'm definitely gonna give you mine!"
Miharu looked around her as she absorbed Asuka's words, partially wondering how she got herself in this situation. Finally, her eyes landed on her teacher and best friend Xiaoyu, and her paramour Hayashi as the impact fully set in. Now was not the time for uncertainty and self-doubt. It was now or never. It was time to give the best that could be given… time to put it all on the line, and fight your heart out.
Resolved to the situation, Miharu took a deep breath as she steadied her nerves, and nodded to Asuka. The two gave each other a swift bow, and jumped into their fighting stances.
The announcer's voice swiftly echoed through the arena, "This is it!! Go for broke, ladies! Round 1! Fight!!"
Miharu took Asuka surprise immediately … by taking right to her. Thinking it best (and maybe just a little overexcited), Miharu decided to take initiative in the fight, and instantly began attacking Asuka. Needless to say, the younger Kazama was not expecting such aggression from her humble and meek challenger, and was forced to fall back into a defensive position. That didn't stop Miharu from chasing her with moves including 'Poison Flower', 'X Marks the Spot', and 'Fortune'. Ultimately, Asuka had nowhere to go or turn. She couldn't accurately punish the offense; it was too difficult to follow, and too difficult to correctly detect where she would attack from.
Miharu finally hit Asuka with a signature four-hit combination, a 'Fire Dancer' that flipped the younger Kazama end-over-end into the ground. In an instant, the crowd erupted in an uproar of cheers as the hometown competitor made them proud. Even the usually-reserved Hayashi was standing up and cheering loudly.
The announcer's voice exploded to the crowd, "Perfect! The hometown girl takes it! Miharu wins!"
Miharu pensively watched Asuka, wondering (and partially worrying) if her friend was alright. Soon, however, Asuka slowly rose to her feet as she rubbed her chin, tasting a trace of blood from inside her lip.
Still astonished by what had just taken place, Asuka thought to herself, "Wow, I guess I sold Miharu-chan short… I'll have to turn it up a notch to get back in this…"
Both women got back fighting stance, ready to go again.
The announcer's voice resonated loudly through the scene, "It's not over yet! Round 2! Fight!"
Miharu immediately went back to what worked, and began attacking, but it was Asuka's turn to surprise. Asuka avoided the offense for a short period, but suddenly she turned it all around with an 'Attack Reversal'. The younger Kazama caught Miharu right in the middle of her volley, and flipped her. The negation and positioning easily set up Miharu for a long juggle from Asuka.
Now, it was the hometown girl who was off-balance; she couldn't break through the 'Attack Reversal'. The tricky part about it was that it had a much larger window for parrying. This made it much harder to know when it was safe to attack. All Miharu could do was guess and hesitate from it. Asuka used this aspect to stall Miharu enough to make things happen, and create opportunities for herself. Also, her actual strength was still augmented by her power, though its amplification due to Zafina had long since faded. Remnants of it remained, and came out when Asuka emphasized an attack. It wasn't very much … but enough for Miharu to notice.
From there, Asuka easily slipped into her strategy after battling Miharu's volley, and eventually won with an 'Inner Strength'.
The announcer's voice blasted out to the cries of the crowd, "Perfect! Never count out a Kazama! Asuka wins!"
Miharu slowly rose to her feet, much more shakily … in more ways than one. It was true that some of it was from pain, but it was more from uncertainty than anything. Like the plague that it is, doubt slowly started to creep back into her mind. Miharu did what she could… she started to look all around her. The crowd was adamantly cheering, many on their feet… As could be expected, Xiaoyu was cheering as loudly as she could from her seat as well… Hayashi was standing as well with his glasses in his hand, his sign that he was anxious, and he was gripping tightly to the metal railing, seemingly almost willing Miharu to stand… All that support, those people behind her, was enough. With that as motivation, Miharu simply shook away the traces of doubt away, and readied herself for more. Once more, both fighters assumed fighting position.
The announcer's voice instantly ripped through the arena once again, "This is it! This is for the Championship! We're all tied, up, and both fighters have shown they mean business. It doesn't get in better than this! This is what it's all about! Who will come out on top?! It's time to witness history! Final Round! Fight!!"
Almost as if coming full circle, the match started with a stalemate. Asuka started to attack, but Miharu was just a little faster. She cut off the younger Kazama with a swift kick over her shoulder, a 'Peacock Kick', and followed with a double rolling kick, a 'Monkey Kick'. Before she could capitalize, Asuka rolled through, and stopped her with a powerful sweep, a 'Sacred Blade'. Right away, Miharu pulled out her now-signature wrinkle in the style: her 'stance parries'. The surprise of it was enough to stunt Asuka's progress … for a moment. The younger Kazama, before the match got away from her, started waiting to break up the stances before a reversal could be made. For 'Phoenix', Asuka would come from overhead… When 'Hypnotist' was used, Asuka could break it with a low attack... 'Rain Dance' however was risky because that stance could parry at any height. The younger Kazama used this strategy with enough success to stay competitive.
With this exchange as a backdrop, the match turned into a deadlock, with Miharu and Asuka trading moves back-and-forth… Asuka's 'Mist Palm Thrust' was returned by Miharu's 'Step Kick'… An 'Exorcisor' garnered a 'Birds Flock' in response… When Asuka connected with 'Leaping Spin Kick', Miharu came right back with a 'Crescent Moon Kick'… After a 'Raging Storm', a 'Fan Dance to Pushing Hands' followed. The cycle of activity migrated from both being on offense, reverting back to defense with the 'parries' and 'Attack Reversal', and then back again.
Very quickly, not a single person in the entire arena was in their seat, not one person was left sitting. The massive sound of the cheers, chants, and stomping on the stands became deafening, and seems to shake the entire building down to its foundation. Ultimately, as in a match so close, mere inches factored into the conclusion…
Grabbing her opponent, Asuka knocked Miharu away with a swift punch to the ribs, a 'White Mountain'. Right after, the younger Kazama began spinning forward, her power building with each turn. An intense white light began to gather around her instead of the usual green aura associated with the attack. Miharu quickly recovered from the earlier attack, saw Asuka coming right for her … and Miharu just froze, unsure of what to do. At just the right moment, with just the right amount of strength, Asuka let loose with all she could in a mega 'Spinning Heel Drop'… only for Miharu to drop down into Phoenix at the last second, the intense attack just whiffing the top of her head. It was a very good thing she did react in time; the force from it was so great that the kick cracked the ring floor when Asuka followed through, and the power coming off it was so blazing hot that Miharu could feel it almost scorch her hair as it whizzed by!
Acting quickly before Asuka had a chance to attack again (especially with another one like that), Miharu sprang up, and connected with a 'Fortune Cookie, exploding with all her might into Asuka's chest on the last attack. Suddenly, the whole venue grew silent and anxious, and the music turned ominous and tense as Asuka tried to continue the fight, trying to lift herself up and even managing to sit upright. The pain however was too much all at once to bear and she fell back down to floor…
…
Finally, the announcer's voice resonated through stadium and out into the night, "Here is your winner and neeeeew Champion… Miharu Hirano, the first-ever Queen of the Iron Fist Tournament!!!"
If there had been a roof on the stadium, it would have been blown off. With the announcement came a large colorful fireworks display shooting up from the top of the stadium itself, and a shower of multi-colored confetti slowly rained down over the arena as Miharu's face and name flashed across all the screens, and that wasn't the only fireworks that went off in the building. Also right after the announcement, a gigantic explosion of cheers, screams, chants, whistles, and applause blasted from the crowd into the night, all for the triumphant hometown girl.
The recognition and impact of the result slowly began to wrap around Miharu and cover her as she started to soak the entire moment in… She did it. She really did it. She never thought she could and hadn't even imagined it, but there she was… She had won! Overcome with emotion, Miharu fell to her knees, and covered her face with her hands as she burst into tears of joy. After a few moments, the new champion composed herself, jumped to her feet, and looked to her applauding fiancé, Hayashi, immediately beginning to approach him with urgency. Seeing her coming his way, Hayashi decided to meet her halfway, and jumped the barricade. Once she was within range, the ecstatic Miharu leapt joyfully into his arms.
"That was incredible…! You were amazing, Miharu-chan." Hayashi said surprisingly animated excitement.
Miharu tenderly replied, "Thank you, Hayashi-kun ... for everything. I love you so much!"
In the ring, Asuka finally rose to her feet, and experienced the crowd's reaction and the festive celebration taking place. It wasn't hard to notice from there the jubilant Miharu celebrating not that far off. Personally, it wasn't that long ago the Asuka would've gotten upset over such a close loss… but she couldn't this time. She simply shed a peaceful smile, and joined in the applause. Miharu, meanwhile, broke momentarily from Hayashi to embrace her recent-sensei and friend, Xiaoyu.
Miharu rapturously exclaimed, "I couldn't have done it without you, Xiao-chan! I'll never forget this; thank you so much!"
Happy for her friend, Xiaoyu humbly replied, "Thanks, but you're the one who did it, Miharu-chan… It's a good thing Hayashi-kun is an accountant."
The two friends chuckled as they separated. Miharu returned to Hayashi, and the couple embraced again as the stadium-wide celebration continued…
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Flight to the Climax pt. II
The silence on Jin's ship was suddenly broken when a rhythmic chime came from Lars' phone; it was an automatic alert. The Tekken Force Captain quickly extracted his phone, and checked what the alert was about.
Intrigued by the information relayed, Lars revealed, "Hmm… It seems Miharu Hirano has just won the tournament."
Jin responded with a smirk, "Well… It looks like what you said to her helped, Lee-sama. I was actually surprised you said that when I watched the recording."
Lee let out a sly smirk and replied, "I just gave her a few words of encouragement… I guess I'm just getting soft in my 'old' age."
"Yeah…" Jin quickly added, "Or maybe you were trying to make up for your actions in that movie."
Instantly, Lee lets out a groan and grimace at the reference. The allusion however went right over Lars' head.
"Movie? What movie?" Lars asked out of confusion.
Jin, realizing Lars might not know, explained, "There was movie about Tekken that came out a while back and … let's just say, it didn't portray Lee-sama in a terribly positive light."
"Ugh… Don't remind me; it makes me sick to think about it. I'm still trying to live that movie down…" Lee said with distaste before shifting gears, "Now, I have a question for you… Lars Alexandersson."
Lars responded, ignorant to what it could be, "Sir?"
Lee continued, "As I remember, you were one of Jin-san's fiercest opponents during the wars 4 years ago… Now, you're one of his most loyal supporters. What changed? What changed your opinion of Jin-san to stand beside him as you do now?"
Lars rolled the question around in his head for a moment as he collected his thoughts, and finally answered, "It was … 10 months into my return to Tekken Force… We were in a different country, and I was still cynical toward Jin-sama… Well, a man attacked our party, but I hesitated and the man stabbed Jin-sama. After we subdued the man, Jin-sama truly surprised me with how he reacted …
"He apologized to the man for causing him pain, and then actually paid the man some compensation. It was then that I realized Jin-sama had honestly changed. I'll never forget what he said after that. He same that I hesitated and he said…"
Jin smiled with remembrance as he finished the quote, "'Lars-san, you'll have to be a little quicker on the trigger. I don't think I can take many more of those.'"
Lars continued, "Yes… He said it with a smile… I had allowed his entire life to be jeopardized, and he just pardoned me without a second thought. I vowed on that day never to let something like that happen again, and pledged complete alliance to him after that. So, that's why I'm by his side now when he needs me to be and will continue to be here."
Lee and Jin could only smile at Lars' earnest speech; soon, Jin remembered some last requests he had for his two companions.
Jin said, "On that note, I have something to ask of you both…"
Alerted by the request, Lee and Lars waited eagerly as Jin went into his bag and pulled out a red journal.
Jin continued, "This ... is a personal record of my last days. I need you both to make sure… that Xiao-chan gets this. This is for her specifically; please make sure it gets to her for me."
Lee couldn't help but inquire as he took the journal, "Alright. But I'm curious… Why are you asking this?"
Jin gave a rather ominous answer, "… Because I don't plan on walking away from this fight. Even if I did plan to, I doubt I will."
That sent a cold rush over Lee and Lars for sure. Nevertheless, they understood Jin's position, nodding to each other in silent agreement.
"Very well; we'll make sure it ends up in her hands," Lee finally conceded.
Jin nodded in acceptance, and then turned his attention to Lars.
Out of curiosity, Jin asked, "Lars-san, you have a son, right?"
Lars replied with a bit of confusion, "Uh… Yes sir."
"Mmm…" Jin continued to run with the idea, "And how old is he?"
Even more surprised and caught more than a little off-guard, Lars stammered, "Well… uh… Sven is five, sir."
"Five, huh? That's a good age…" Jin replied when he got an idea for another request, "You should take a few weeks off, and spend them with him."
Dismissing it as a passing comment, Lars casually brushed it aside, "I don't think my vacation time would cover that."
Jin then shocked the Tekken Force Captain, adding, "Actually, that wasn't a suggestion. It was an order, a last request really."
Completely stunned, Lars could only muster, "Uh … sir?"
"Go on; you've earned it," Jin continued with a smile, "Take a few weeks, maybe a month, vacation and spend some time with your family."
Still stunned but grateful nonetheless, Lars replied, "T-Thank you…"
Turning the concept to Lee, Jin started, "And you, Lee-sama…"
Lee politely cut off his nephew, divulging, "Don't worry. I already plan to spend some much needed time with my wife and daughter… as soon as this is over."
"Good…" Jin replied. Before long, he continued as he felt compelled to speak to his running-mates, "Listen, I just wanted to thank you both. You're sacrificing a lot and you didn't have to."
Lars quickly responded, "It's alright. You're not just fight for closure… You're fighting for us as well. Most of all, you're fighting for your family… That's something we sympathize with."
"Still, I'm glad to have you both beside me…" Jin concluded.
Jin's uncle and step-uncle shed smirks of bittersweet feelings as the boat sped on.
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Back at the stadium, Miharu was going through her coronation. A large robe was draped over her shoulders. She was presented with the now-famous 'Heihachi' trophy, and a new ornament in a championship belt, a large belt with a huge gold buckle in front and plates on the straps with elaborate patterns etched into them. Media of all kinds had taken the field, taking pictures, interviewing her, filming her, and things of that nature.
As her friend continued to celebrate and enjoy her success, Xiaoyu decided to slip away for the ceremony to try to get in contact with her missing spouse. Even in the happiness of the moment, she still hadn't forgotten … nor had she stopped worrying. Eventually, she found herself back in the locker room. Several times in the quietness of the empty room she called him, and each time, it had the same result: each time, she would hit her speed dial; each time, his picture would come on screen; and each time, the message that his phone was disconnected would play.
Frustrated by the lack of success, Xiaoyu let her eyes wander before her next try, and eventually landed on something interesting. A red medical folder with Jin's name on it was sitting underneath Asuka's bag on one of the wooden benches. The idea to read it easily crossed her mind, although she oddly wasn't sure if she should; something about it just seemed … off in a way. Nevertheless, out of sheer curiosity, she decided to give it a peek and took it out from under the bag as she singlehandedly hit her speed dial again.
With a flip of the cover, Xiaoyu began to scan the page. As she continued to read, shock slowly set in. Her eyes started to steadily grew larger as they trickled across the words… Her body grew cold for the wave of emotion that came over her… the impact of it caused her to become weak and begin to tremble… When she finished reading, she was frozen for a moment, and the next moment, the entire message pieced together and slammed into. Immediately, she absently dropped the file and her phone. Almost 'perfectly', the phone, which was displaying Jin's picture, landed right next to the only four words that Xiaoyu needed to see… 'Jin Kazama … Death Imminent'.
A while later, Asuka strolled casually into the locker room, only to find the crestfallen Xiao still frozen in place with her back to the door. Confused and a bit worried by the presence, she soon saw the phone and the open file at Xiaoyu's feet. The younger Kazama quickly put the scenario together in her mind.
With dread and concern washing over him, Asuka gently called out, "Xiao-chan…?"
Not turning around, Xiaoyu asked with sadness and concern in her hushed tone, "Is it true…?"
Asuka didn't respond; she couldn't. The words stuck in her chest, right over her heart, and she couldn't bear to give the truth.
Xiaoyu's voice quickly went from very quiet to very loud as she screamed out of desperation, "IS IT TRUE?!?!"
Shocked by the outburst, Asuka answered somewhat timidly, "Y-Yes…"
Xiaoyu let out a quivering sad sigh, and said as she obviously held back tears, "Where … Where is my husband? Where is Jin-kun…?"
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"Ground Zero Isle," Lars said as the massive rock came into focus, "Dead ahead…"
The boat soon came to rest on the shore of their destination. But something was strange about it, to Lars anyway. Many small beacons of light were scattered about, lighting up the up-ahead forest.
"I didn't know lights were on this island," Lars admitted.
Jin explained, "I had them installed recently … with this moment in mind."
Lee then wondered aloud, "Do you think Kazuya and Heihachi got the message?"
"Definitely…" Jin replied after taking a quick look around, "Look over here."
Lars and Lee looked over the side of the boat, and saw just what Jin saw: two sets of footprints in the sand heading far away on the shore.
"You both should leave," Jin suggested with their safety in mind.
Lee, however, quickly retorted, "You can forget that. We're staying."
Not fighting it, Jin continued, "Fine, but please stay here… No matter what you hear, no matter what you see, please don't get involved."
The two paused for a moment, but silently agreed to the request. Jin, readying himself to go, bid farewell to his step-uncle and uncle turned travelling partners. Jin extended his hand to Lars, and, like the first time, the Tekken Force Captain wasn't expected the friendly gesture shared between those of equal rank but again he returned. Jin then turned to Lee, and they shared what started as a handshake, but just ended in a hug. Finally, Jin began to depart.
"How will we know if you've won?" Lee asked before his step-nephew stepped to what could easily be oblivion.
"Just keep looking up…" Jin replied surprisingly cryptically, "If I win, you'll see a signal in the sky."
Jin nodded to the apprehensive Lee and Lars on last time, and hopped over the edge of the boat to the sand. He then looked out into the ocean, and all he could think about Xiaoyu. He hoped she wasn't too worried, but mostly he just hoped she was okay. Above all else, all he hoped and desired at this point was to win for their children … and her sake. With a final sigh of resolution and absolution, Jin turned and walked up the shore to battle … to death … to destiny…
End Chapter (finally!)
Next Time: "I expect only what will happen here. There's no tournament, no one around, no place to go; it's just us three. There won't be losers, only victims; no winner, only one survivor. The one who wins this fight is quite simply … is the only one who isn't dead."
A/N: Whew! That was a lot. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Still, I hope you enjoyed it, (I hope you stayed with it), and I hope you come back for the final battle. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.