Disclaimer: I don't own The King of Fighters…

A/N: Hello, fellow readers and writers. As you saw, this is the event horizon for this entry, and I have to say, there are some quirks with these chapters, but stay with me; I'll do my best to make the pay-off worth it. So, let's get to this first part of the culmination. And here … we …go:

The King of Fighters XVI: Where the Heart Is

This Year's Climax part 1

Though not well by any means but feeling slightly better, Hiroshi picked up the phone by his bedside, and made a call to the captain's deck…

"Adel?"

"Hiro…?!" Adel responded, very relieved and sounding so, "Oh man, I'm so glad you're okay; you scared us to death. How are you holding up?"

"Poorly, but I'm alive…" Hiroshi reassured him, before moving on to the real reason he called, "So, how long was I out? How's the tournament going?"

Adel relayed to him, "It has its usual insanity. So, we're already at the final match, and it's already started. We're rushing there now."

"Wow. So, we get satellite on the ship, right?"

"Of course… Turn the match on; I know you'll like how it all turned out."

Rose Stadium was absolutely packed, the seats filled to capacity and brimming with activity under the night sky. The smells of spent fireworks and buttered and fried concessions still filled the air from earlier festivities. People of all nationalities were in attendance, all cheering and shouting with all their might in support and rapture. Music blared through the system but the audience was not to be outdone. Elevating the atmosphere even higher, the venue was abuzz with electricity, a palpable collective excitement that permeated the air and gave one euphoric chills. The final round had begun…

"YARGHHH!"

King absorbed Oni Inomura's 'Bloody Mess', a two-part lunging slash crackling with static, her blouse ripping open as she flew backward. The crowd reacted in surprise at the Danger Move's impact and its results. Normally, this occurrence would signal the end of a round … but this was not a normal match. King shakily rose back to her feet, while Oni simply licked his lips at the prospect of fighting further. Chizuru and the recently defeated Mai both sighed in relief.

Oni charged again, but King would not be denied. Just as he got close, the Queen of Muay Thai unleashed her 'Mirage Vulcan', firing a volley of Venom Shots at various heights into Oni's chest, and finished by canceling into her MAX attack, 'Venom Shot', blasting her enemy with a massive crescent wave of white energy! Oni let out a gasp of surprised shock as he flew backward.

The announcer excitedly proclaimed, "KO! King wins!"

With a moment to rest, King gave an exasperated sigh as she now acknowledged her freshly-tattered blouse, "Da—it! I knew it; I knew I should have used my own clothes instead of these 'official' ones. Hey, Mai, could you…?"

Mai interrupted, saying, "Way ahead of you…"

Covering up as dignified as she could, King tore away the remnants of her shirt as Mai tossed her tuxedo jacket to her, and deftly slipped it on and fastened it around her exposed torso. The boss of the opposing Slasher team looked at the defeated Freeman and Oni then to King who had rebuffed his teammates. His left arm started dangling limp by his side as his blood started racing…"

The announcer's voice boomed, "Slasher Team, please send out your final member!"

The Mad Yakuza Ryuji Yamazaki calmly walked into the ring as his team's theme, 'Horror Story', started up…

"It's been a long time." Yamazaki said, practically licking his lips.

King, barely containing her disgust, replied, "Not long enough…"

"At least you've kept in shape while running that bar of yours."

King hostilely spat back, "Just because I own the place doesn't mean I stopped bouncing thugs like you out."

Yamazaki continued seemingly inanely, "I'm still not sure this is the best place for an English rose like yourself."

King chuckled irritatedly, saying, "I think Roscoe and Desoto behind you would disagree."

"You should be careful…" Yamazaki said as he swiftly extracted his knife, his expression flipping to crazed, "You'll end up with your stems cut up and all yours petals plucked!"

While this briefly gave pause, King remained steadfast, retorting, "That might have worked long ago, but like I said, I see dregs like you every day."

His tongue wagging like a dog, Yamazaki licked and put away his knife as he said, "I'm glad this is happening: I've always regretted not carving you."

King went into fighting stance, and stated, "Talk all you want, but we've fought a long time to get this far. We're finally at the top, and I'm not letting scum like you bring us back down."

Yamazaki let out a demented cackle, and said, "I look forward to ripping out your thorns!"

The announcer elatedly declared, "Is the Slasher team finished or will this go down to the wire!"

King was in regrettable danger from the start; she already had two taxing battles with the two mad men, and her current opponent was not nicknamed by aficionados the 'king of keep away' for no reason. Yamazaki was a master at creating and controlling space and was vastly aided by having direct counters to King's strengths: he would absorb then fire back her trademark 'Venom Strike' with his 'Double Return', and would parry any up close attack with his 'Sadomoso' miniature tornado punch. With 'Judgment Dagger' and his signature 'Snake Edge', he controlled medium range and harshly punished any missed strikes.

Not long after they began, King saw a fleeting chance to do some damage and dashed forward, but with one forceful kick, Yamazaki stopped her cold with a cloud of sand to the face. Taking advantage of her built up momentum, the Mad Yakuza blasted her with a devastating headbutt, his 'Bombshell Bada-Bing', that exploded on impact, knocking King back with the force…

The announcer's voice boomed through the stadium, "KO! Yamazaki wins!"

Yamazaki, still in the midst of a psychotic episode, slowly approached his defeated opponent … his knife drawn … licking his lips… Chizuru quickly moved into the ring and stood between them, causing the Yakuza don to momentarily abandon his baleful intentions.

Chizuru knelt to help her teammate up, asking, "King? Are you injured? Can you stand?"

Gently swatting her friend away, King defiantly, shakily stood, "Yes, I'm hurt … and yes, I'm walking out of this ring."

Chizuru praised her, "You have nothing to be ashamed about; you were amazing."

King said with a smile as she began to exit, "Just kick his ass, for Mai and me, and let's win this title."

"It's weird…" Yamazaki said as King left the ring, "Something about you … just really pisses me off."

Chizuru slowly turned to him as she said, "Ryuji Yamazaki, the unincorporated snakehead… Tell me; have you heard its voice lately?"

"Let me check…" Yamazaki replied before knocking on his head as if it were a door, "No more voices than usual; sorry."

Chizuru said to herself, "Even now, he resists the serpent's call. It's almost … admirable."

"Is this chit-chat finished yet?" Yamazaki quickly going crazed again, "I'd very much like to tear you to bits now!"

Unaffected, Chizuru produced and gently waved a small tamagushi as she silently prayed, "Onee-sama, please be with me. Yata-No-Kagami, ancestors before me, please give me strength."

Chizuru stashed the prayer ornament away and got into fighting stance as her theme, 'The Queen Saves Us', began to play…

The announcer animatedly exclaimed, "This is it! It's winner take all! Final Round! Ready! Go!"

Yamazaki's entire plan of attack centered on him controlling the fight's pace and countering his enemy before they could get into their attack strategy, a lot of it hinging on timing and anticipation. Chizuru's mirror illusions, however, thwarted this, forcing him to guess whether the attacker is actually her or a simple image. In fact, Chizuru's game was all about mix-ups and confusion. Her 'Oracle's Decree' ended with an uppercut or a slashing chop. The jumping strike of 'Heaven's Decree' left her landing in four different distances, and 'Piercing Peak Punch' lent her the same advantage. Her 'Heaven's Way' soaring uppercut was a microcosm of her skills, perfect for her attacking-baiting guessing game as it confused whether she truly whiffed or not.

Unfortunate for her long-term success however, Yamazaki was not one to focus long enough to be confused. Using his dirty yet effective tactics, the Mad Yakuza implemented his 'Fight of Tempering' and 'Spray Sand' to force his own opportunities and followed them with his merciless 'Judgment Dagger' and 'Bombshell Bada-Bing'. Chizuru, recognizing how quickly the match could get away from her if allowed to continue, endeavored to cut his momentum at the outset, with her single attacks 'Seniority', 'Serenity', 'Supremacy', and especially her very effective knockdown, 'Echoing Harp'. With these methods, the Mirror Maiden managed to stay ahead of her frenzied foe.

By this point, Yamazaki had become thoroughly hysterical, prompting him to go for something much more powerful. Seizing an opening, the Mad Yakuza grabbed Chizuru by her face, lifted her into the air, and uppercut viciously for his ultimate 'Drill' … only for his attack to pass right through her; it was only an after-image! Taking the chance for a finishing blow of her own, Chizuru unleashed a blistering barrage of varying 'Oracle Decrees' and 'Heaven's Ways', and finished the illusion onslaught with a rapid flurry of dancing strikes from a steadily advancing clone, her signature 'Bustling Wind Bruiser'! Yamazaki let out a high-pitched shrill shriek as he was smacked to the ground…

The announcer exalted, "KO! That's the match! Your winners and the new King of Fighters Champions… Mai Shiranui, King, and Chizuru Kagura, the Gorgeous Team!"

The crowd exploded into thunderous cheers while fireworks burst into the air overhead. Every screen flashed with the team's fight card and their new title as undisputed champions. Mai and King immediately went to their strongest supporter, Yuri Sakazaki, seated right in the front row, and the trio of friends elatedly embraced one another in shared accomplishment. King soon broke free to her younger brother, Jan, seated right next to them, delivering a hug and kiss of celebration to him as well. Back in the ring, the triumvirate of women was presented with the large chalice trophy for the King of Fighters tournament, officially recognizing them as victors: Chizuru looked over the magnificent Cup and nodded in approval and contentment; Mai, completely filled with ecstasy as it was passed to her, hoisted the golden prize over her head as she bounced up-and-down with joy; King beheld with awe the celebratory goblet standing at half her height, then held it close to her chest as she shed tears of satisfaction, vindication, and happiness. A staggering horde of reporters and cameraman quickly gathered around them.

One reporter asked them while pointing a microphone in their direction, "Ladies, congratulations on your tournament win! Tell us: how are you feeling right now?"

In the sky, Hiroshi had regained enough strength to get out of bed and make his way to the cockpit to watch the final match with Adel, and naturally became extremely ecstatic that his friends and personal favorite team were now champions. Suddenly, his 'sense' kicked in: his vision tunneled. Sound dulled to a troubling ambient ringing. His already aching chest throbbed mightily under its dressing. His jaw instinctively clenched with much more pain than usual.

Worried, Hiroshi asked, "Adel-san, does Rose Stadium … have a basement?"

Adel responded in confusion, "I … think there are some underground passages underneath, but nothing major I can remember. Why?"

Hiroshi firmly stated, "We need to get to the stadium and into those tunnels now."

With the celebration still at full momentum, Mia expressed her rapture to the press and audience over the win when an odd feeling washed over Chizuru. A wave of dread rose up and covered her entire body, a very familiar internal sign gripping her. The mirror was picking up something … and readying itself for battle!

Meanwhile, King was giving a speech through tears, "This makes all those years of fighting for respect worthwhile. To everyone who supported us, we did it! Now, we have another goal to shoot for: Let's do this again next time."

The announcer proclaimed once more, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it one more time for the Gorgeous Team, your new KOF Champions!"

The next moment, a mechanical whirring started up. The platform under the ladies shook momentarily, then slowly began lowering underground as they continued to wave to the crowd. Just before they were completely alone, something stopped Chizuru cold…

"Was the platform supposed to activate just now?" One of the nearby KOF staff asked.

Another KOF staff member replied, "I don't know. Did you even know it was an elevator?"

The lights from the stadium gradually disappeared as the floor above them closed. Eventually, the elevator came to a halt in total darkness with an ominous THUNK! The women had gone from a storm of constant noise to utter silence, from a place of boundless energy to complete stillness. A sinking feeling gradually spread through them as the stillness persisted…

Mai asked with audible discomfort, "Oh-kay… Is anyone else getting creeped out now?"

King fired a 'Venom Shot' as she tried to get some bearing on their new location. Unfortunately, her attack barely lit the area at all as it quickly died out, disappearing into the darkness as it choked out by the setting itself. This did not go unnoticed by King…

"Well, that isn't good." King nervously said, her east London accent starting to emerge with her anxiety.

A troubling drone soon rose around them. Suddenly, the room became alight with red 'veins' along the walls and floor, cracking along the surfaces like magma under rock, rhythmically pulsating like a heartbeat. All the lines led down a long corridor. The new light revealed Mia fearfully clinging to King…

"Mai… You have … to let go." King choked out, her accent coming out more as her apprehension rose, "I can't … breathe."

Mai sheepishly said as she let go, "Oh, sorry."

Chizuru said with seriousness and concern, "Mai, King… we've fought our way into the true denouement. Down that hall is the greatest, darkest threat to us all, and the duty I have that I talk about … is to fight it and keep it locked away. But … that doesn't mean you have to share that burden with me. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner about the whole situation. I understand if you want to avoid this encounter; if you go now, you should be able to get away undetected…"

Her voice settling, King reacted, "Chizuru… I can't believe this; you're joking, right…?! This craziness happens every year, but we've never had a hand in it… We're your friends and your teammates; this is our fight too."

Mai added, steeling herself, "She's right. We've been by your side this whole time, and we're not ditching you when the real fight starts… You're not getting rid of us that easy."

Chizuru briefly smiled at the solidarity, and the trio cautiously moved forward… After a short time, the ladies reached a dual spiral stair case into a large area. In the middle of the room a glowing red sphere protruded up from the floor. The veins all converged into the ominous orb, the space uncommonly dark save for these aspects. The entire span had an overall organic look sickly reminiscent of something living. Far from empty, the area had two more occupants: a woman with her long blond hair tied into a high ponytail with a black lace band and wearing a long-sleeved black lace over shirt over a long lace dress with a flared collar and many embroider patterns throughout; and another woman with long tomato-red hair and wearing a frilled blouse under black business attire and tall lace-up boots. The two turned as the trio of ladies descended the stairs and approached…

Genevieve greeted them with frigid cordiality, "Welcome. I assume you're the new champions, and how refreshing to see that it is you three that is joining us."

Wasting no time, Chizuru spoke straightforwardly, "You need to stop. Do you even grasp the ramifications of whatever you're planning?"

Juno said matter-of-factly, "We have an idea, but the good thing is we don't need it awake. We're only taking just enough to get what we need."

King let out an irritated chuckle, saying incredulously, "That's … beyond crazy. Just what kind of game do think this is?! Do you really think this kind of thing works that way, that it's really going to be that easy?"

Mai expounded, "Sounds like you girls are playing a real dangerous game of roulette, and for what? What do you even want that you'd go through all of this for it?"

Juno and Genevieve looked at each other, saying in unison, "We just want to go home."

Juno added, "But to get there, we need a few very important things … things only you can provide."

The Gorgeous Team passed a brief confirmatory glance around and went into fighting stance, as Chizuru said, "I'll tell you one more time: if you really want to return home intact, you need to leave the seal undisturbed and leave this place."

Genevieve replied, unmoved, "I'm afraid that's not an option for us … and now that you're here, there's no choice for you either."

Genevieve briefly held her comrade's hand before incredibly, seemingly breaking apart into a cloud of black particles. Making an unusual exit, she flew and disappeared into the red sphere… Not allowing any more time to pass, Juno immediately gathered a violent red aura around herself, her red hair rising off her shoulders like static and seeming to glow. Mai sprang into action first, tossing a barrage of fans at her enemy, but the aura seemed to simply knock them away. Trying to close the distance, Mai sprinted furiously, but the output of Juno's gathering energy pushing against her, slowing her tremendously. The Shiranui kunoichi finally got in position and leapt toward her target … just as Juno released the attack.

Clusters of barbed, jagged red energy chain flew out of her body and right into Mai, but something was wrong. There was nary a sound when she hit the ground, and she was uncomfortably still afterward. This was not a peaceful drift away like in media, but a violent stop seen only in high-speed collisions. Chizuru and King rushed over to their friend and found her … gone.

Distraught and her accent heavy with shock, King exclaimed, "Mai…? No, Mai… N-No… Come on, Mai… Please wake up… Mai! Y-You… I'll … kill you for this!"

Chizuru could barely speak, let alone before King charged forward in a rage, with Juno already charging a second attack. The Muay Thai Queen struck viciously with rapid-fire 'Venom Strikes' from all heights, but like her friend's attacks before her, Juno's aura simply negated them, even seeming to absorb them. The rightfully-furious King soon cut through the aura's force to deliver vicious kicks and elbows, but the increasingly mind-boggling aura reacted like a cushion, giving under the pressure but not letting any strike close. Seeing the attack coming, King gathered her defenses, bracing her arms and knees to shield herself … but to no avail; Juno fired her barbed energy chains forward, ripping through King and sending her all the way back. King lifelessly slumped to ground in front of Chizuru as Juno began charging a third attack.

Chizuru was left with nothing; she could only stare in shock of her swiftly and mercilessly slain friends with their eyes locked in the telltale vacant, heavy-lidded stares. She was completely lost of what to do next or if there was anything to do but curse the futility of the insurmountable situation. Bracing herself, she bravely held herself together as she prepared to join her sister in the hereafter. Finally, Juno fired one more wave, the chains flying into the air before arcing down into her last target. Chizuru took notice as she rapidly lost all sensation and control, collapsing as she slipped away…

Fatigue gripping her through by this point, Juno slumped slightly as she remarked through heavy breathing, "It's up to you now, Genevieve; phase one is done. The sacrifices are in position. All that's left now … is the harvest."

To Be Continued…

A/N: And there you have it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I also want to personally thank you all of you who stayed with me and this story, as life has been picking up for me recently. Now, being a two-part chapter, the business really picks up next time, maybe a little too much. But, we'll build our wings on the way down, and I promise I'll give you the best I can. Thank you again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.