Chapter 7: The Omen Star
" The fight was intense, with both unable to overcome the other." continued Ryu, " Now, they were no longer brothers, but mortal enemies."
" Who won the fight?" asked Kenshiro.
" No one knows." replied Ryu, " All I know is that somehow the fight ended and they never saw each other again."
" That still does not explain your hate of him, Ryu." exclaimed Kenshiro.
" I'm getting there." replied Ryu " Soon, my master felt we were ready and allowed us to compete in the Street Fighter competition. I had somehow won against Sagat and was on my way together with Ken to inform my master of my victory."
"However," exclaimed Ryu, his eyes turning dark, " We found our dojo in ruins. Ken and I searched frantically for our master, Gouken but he was nowhere to be found. All the while we were searching, Gouki was watching us nearby. It didn't take us long to realize he was the culprit and we challenged him to a fight. Unfortunately, we lost to him even when Ken and I teamed up against him. I was sure he was going to kill us but he stayed his hand."
" Why?" asked Kenshiro.
"Because." replied Ryu, " He saw the Satsui no Hadou within me. He wanted to make me like him."
Ryu's fist shook with rage.
" But I'll never be like him!" yelled Ryu, " To lose one's humanity is to stop being human. To be able to feel emotions and to care for the people you love!"
Ryu panted, the yelling giving him out.
" I understand." said Kenshiro.
" What?" asked Ryu.
" You fear becoming like him." replied Kenshiro, " You both share the common trait of becoming the strongest fighter you can be. It is no wonder he wanted to you to become like him."
Ryu stayed silent, surprised that Kenshiro understood him so well.
" When I fought with Gouki," explained Kenshiro, " I felt every emotion from his fists. Though the dark ki masked it, I felt his passion for being the strongest fighter in his art. His path may be a dark one but he still has the heart of a true fighter."
" He's a murderer, Kenshiro!" exclaimed Ryu, " He killed so many fighters."
" I am not saying he is not guilty of his crimes." esplained Kenshiro, " I am merely stating what I felt. It was the same feeling when I sparred with you. Both of you have the same raw passion for being the strongest."
" So," exclaimed Ryu, his head hung low, " You're saying I'm not so different than him?"
" You both may have the passion." replied Kenshiro, placing his hand on Ryu's shoulder, " The difference is how you achieve your goal. Gouki grows stronger by killing those stronger than him, but you grow stronger by learning from your friends. That's why I know you will never be like him, because you care for your friends."
Ryu looked up, a hint of hope in his eyes.
" In my opinion," continued Kenshiro, " You are stronger than him, not physically but spiritually. You are strong because you are able to resist the temptation of the Satsui no Hadou. This is because you have friends to remind you who you are and that you are not like him."
Ryu smiled.
"Thank you, Kenshiro." said Ryu, " You remind me a lot about Ken."
" Er, excuse me." asked a guard who had just entered the hut, " We need your help, Ryu."
" Alright." exclaimed Ryu, standing up. " Thanks, Kenshiro. You've been very helpful."
Kenshiro smiled as Ryu walked out of the hut.
Meanwhile, Gouki sat in a cave, meditating. It was only a day ago when he had found the empty cave he was in. As he meditated, the cave filled with dark ki, his wounds healing remarkably fast.
" Soon." Gouki thought to himself, " I will have my fight with the Hokuto man. And this time, I will show no mercy!"
Suddenly, Gouki felt a presence. His eyes flashed open and the dark ki in the cave disappeared. He lifted his hand up, as flames of dark ki engulfed his hand.
" The Satsui no Hadou calls out to me." he thought to himself, " Have you found another worthy opponent?"
Gouki stood up and went out of the cave. As he stood there, he felt the pull of the Satsui no Hadou getting stronger.
" Interesting." Gouki said to himself, " I have never felt this strong of a pull for so long. Who is it that is making my blood boil and dark ki scream?!"
Back in the Yellow Village, night has fallen. The villagers, tired from rebuilding the village have all gone to sleep. Only Ryu and Kenshiro remained awake, watching out for any attack that may come to the village.
" You really should be resting." exclaimed Ryu to Kenshiro, " It was only two days ago when you faced Gouki, you shouldn't be walking around."
" As I've said, Ryu." replied Kenshiro, " I am fine. I have suffered worse injuries than this."
" Still." complained Ryu, " You shouldn't have to accompany me on guard duty."
" It's alright." exclaimed Kenshiro, " Besides, I like to look at the stars at night. From here, you can see the heavens."
" I see the Big Dipper is out tonight." exclaimed Ryu, " Why is your style called Hokuto Shinken a.k.a 'Fist of the North Star'?"
" It is believed that Hokuto a.k.a the North Star acts as the bringer of order when the heavens are in disarray." explained Kenshiro, " As such, those who are under the influence of Hokuto's fate will never find peace without conflict."
" Is that why you never stay at a village for too long?" asked Ryu.
" Indeed." answered Kenshiro, " When Hokuto appears, conflicts are bound to happen."
" I see." replied Ryu, " What about that star?"
Kenshiro looked to the star which Ryu was pointing at. The star was located a great distance away from the Big Dipper but was glowing a bright red. Suddenly, shock came over Kenshiro. The shock was so immense that Kenshiro stood up.
Ryu, sensing something wrong, stood up as well.
" What's wrong, Kenshiro?" Ryu asked.
" That star!" exclaimed Kenshiro, " That's the Omen star!"
" The Omen Star?" asked Ryu.
" The star signifies the arrival of the Great Destroyer, the Bringer of Chaos!" exclaimed Kenshiro, fists shaking.
" But who could it be?" asked Ryu.
Meanwhile, at an even greater distance from the Yellow Village, a figure was walking towards an abandoned city. He was dressed in white gi pants and was wearing red fingerless gloves, with metal dots aligned in the form of a triangle. His body was filled with scars with a very large prominent one on his chest. As he walked towards an abandoned building, he was quickly surrounded by six nameless Shuras. The leader of this gang, standing 8 feet tall with his long blond hair covering half his face, confronted the man,.
" You're in Kaine territory, mister!" exclaimed the leader, pointing a spiked mace towards the man, " Either pay us with food or die!"
The man did not reply but merely smirked. This made the leader mad.
" So." the leader once agin exclaimed, " A tough guy, eh? Well, we'll see how tough you are when you face my Shuras!"
The six nameless Shuras took out their staffs and circled the man, laughing at his impending doom.
"ATTACK!" yelled the leader and the six nameless Shura pounced onto the man.
The leader pulled back his hair and started to laugh uncontrollably, but his laughter turned silent when he saw all six Shuras lying dead on the ground. The man stood there as if the attack had no effect on him.
" So, you're fighter!" exclaimed the leader, " Good, I haven't been able to test my Northern Mace Wielding Style in a long time. Let's see what you got!"
The leader started spinning his mace in a fast rotation, slowly stepping towards the man. The man stood silently, his arms crossed. The leader got nearer and nearer until was 10 feet away from the man. Suddenly, the leader moved his mace to strike the man.
" Northern Mace Wielding Movement No.65, The Splitting of the Boulder!" yelled the leader, as he swung the mace down on the man.
Suddenly, the man moved his hand and stopped the mace before it hit his head. This surprised the leader so much that he froze in his position.
" Is that all?" exclaimed the man, before proceeding to punching the leader in the gut.
The punch was so powerful, it knocked the wind out of the leader, lossening his grip on the mace. The man then attacked with combinations of kicks and punches before using an uppercut that hit the leader square on the chin. The force of the uppercut sent the leader flying a few feet away from the man. His body bruised and bleeding from the attacks that were inflicted on him, the leader barely made out the figure of the man standing over him. The man grabbed him by the neck and hoisted him into the air, the leader's legs dangling uselessly.
" Please, Man with the Seven Scars." the leader pleaded, " I'm sorry. Please spare my life. I promise I would change."
Hearing this the man laughed, which both frightened and surprised the leader.
" I am not the Man with the Seven Scars." exclaimed the man.
" But, then, who are you?" stammered the leader.
Suddenly, one of the man's eye flashed red and the man proceeded to break the leader's neck. The leader's body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. The man, his eye still glowing, stood above the leader, his foot on his head.
" I am Kazuya Mishima! And THIS IS MY WORLD!"