So, I'm making this author note before even starting lol. Not sure I'll introduce all 48 contestants. At the same time, not giving somebody screentime is tantamount to deeming them fodder, and we don't want THAT. So... we'll see how it goes.
Also, don't let Kumite detract from the current tournament already rocking on strong: SNK Heroines Tournament of Dignity, by LordryuTJ. That story is a labor of love for him, and I'd appreciate anyone giving it support. So if you like 32 SNK babes from all corners of the universe, engaging in brutal combat and risque shenanigans... give it a read in the M section.
Pay close attention to catch all the reveals. Enjoy : )
It was officially out there: the call to battle. Munich, Germany would be the location of the ultimate showdown; Italy had probably had enough of this madness. Germany would be happy to oblige them though, especially for their beloved native son, Adelheid Bernstein. While Rugal was known far and wide as a tyrant and a pox on good people, his son blossomed with a much more honorable and just nature. The people came to love Adelheid, and honored him as their greatest sportsman. As long as his and Rose's faces were at the helm of a King of Fighters tournament, Germany would 100% support them in this endeavor.
A sold out venue was to be expected, even one as large as Allianz Arena, a football (soccer) stadium seating 75,000, notable for the incredible outer shell of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene, a flouride-based plastic, surrounding the upper exterior. This caused the Stadium to have the appearance of a cloud-like crown resting atop it, or a giant white inflatable tube from far away. Whether this could protect the patrons from potential destruction remained to be seen.
The entire world was on their heels, breath held, as they wondered who the 47 would be, to step up and stake their claim on 2.5 million dollars...
THE REFURBISHED BLANCTORCHE MANSION, FRANCE...
"ASH CRIMSON! ASH CRIMSON, A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME PLEASE!"
The voices sang out like a parasitic choir, the shameless vultures banded together to assault the Blanctorche Mansion with their nagging inquiries.
"ASH CRIMSON! ASH CRIMSON!"
Every voice fell silent when they saw the doorknob of the humble abode wiggle... it slowly turned counter-clockwise, until a click could be heard... the hinges squeaked as the door crept open...
...And there stood Ash Crimson, clad in a modest pair of white boxers, the only other thing on his person an open red robe cloaking his petite frame. He had a glazed look in his eyes, one hand caressing his nappy hair, another hand swirling the ice in his glass of water.
"...Oui?"
"ARE YOU AWARE THERE'S ANOTHER TOURNAMENT?"
"ARE YOU GONNA ENTER?"
"DO YOU WANT A REMATCH WITH IORI?"
"WILL DIO COME BACK LOOKING FOR REVENGE?"
"ARE YOU MAKING PLANS TO GO TO GERMANY?"
"IS MADAME BLANCTORCHE GOING TO ENTER TOO?!"
Ash's facial expression carried one, long, never-ending note as his ears drank in all these tired, frivolous, irrelevant questions. His eyes had maintained their blank stare, bypassing all of their useless faces... but they finally darted down to his glass, as he put it to his lips, took a sip, lowered it, and cleared his throat...
"A...hem! Ahem. Ah... ah-h-h-h-h-hemmmmmmm!"
Total silence, as they awaited his response...
"...I don't feel like it. Au revoir. OH, COMING BETTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY~!"
SLAM!
The last split-second thing they saw before the door slammed was Ash's face look away with utter enthusiasm, like a desired call awaited him. Probably from Elisabeth.
ALLIANZ ARENA, MUNICH, GERMANY...
The place was already wide open, bustling. Concessions sold, restaurants booming, merchandise selling like hotcakes. Rose and Adelheid were present at the Stadium, THEIR Stadium for the time being... and they were getting a warm reception. Rose naturally drank in the limelight, while Adelheid was much more reserved and would rather be in a private place... but leaving his sister alone was not an option.
As far as fighters, only one had made the trip so far. Granted, he had an advantage, being from Germany himself. The tall, statuesque drink of beer was alone with the two Bernsteins, deep in the belly of the Stadium, a hand on his chin, his forefinger gently stroking the edge of his purple mustache. He was scoping the place out, nodding intently alongside the duo standing in his imposing shadow.
"Hmmm... mm... yes. This is an impressive structure." he approved.
"Have you attended this Stadium before, Lord Krauser?" Adelheid addressed his elder with a respectful tone.
Krauser folded his arms, shaking his head. "I have attended some football games in my time, but never at this Stadium. It's my first time here... and you said that giant thing surrounding the rim is... plastic?"
"Nearly 3,000 ETFE-foil panels, inflated with dry air." Adelheid specified. "And they can even change color."
"Mm... impressive." Krauser smiled. "Young Master Bernstein, the House of Stronheim supports you fully in this endeavor. If you need use of my facilities, Castle Stronheim is open to you."
Rose gave a flamboyant curtsy. "Thank you, Lord Krauser! In return for allowing you the first entry card of the tournament, I have a humble request... may we use your castle for lodging? And a party? And maybe... open your wine cellar? Ahahahaha~"
Krauser let out a good-natured chuckle, his arms still folded. "Ha ha ha! Well, I guess there's no point in saving all that wine if it's not getting put to good use. Very well then: Castle Stronheim's doors are open to all competitors. There's plenty of rooms, if the local hotels are not to their liking."
Adelheid placed a closed fist on his own chest, in salute. "Your graciousness is appreciated, Lord Krauser. May you fight with bravery and ferocity in our tournament."
Krauser flicked his cape as he turned around to walk away. "HAH! To that, you can be certain. And I'll have another favor for the two of you, we'll discuss at a later time. For now, I take my leave to prepare the castle! Auf wiedersehen!"
Rose and Adelheid watched with admiring eyes as the revered figure of their native soil strolled away, carrying with him the same pride and dignity that made his stature so formidable.
"He really is magnificent, isn't he brother?"
"He's a figure of great power, and commands great respect."
"...Of course, he's not as magnificent as you~"
"Hmph."
With 46 spots left, it wasn't long until fighters came pouring in. This year would be a tighter race than the more lenient last year: the scramble for the final spots might even turn violent. Punctuality was the name of the game here. The quicker they came and nabbed an entry card, the easier they could rest.
"AHHHH! I MADE IT! I MADE IT! P-please... tell me I made it?"
The blonde girl hunched over from exhaustion, her limbs so sluggish, she could barely lift her hand to keep that weird purple hat on her head. Rather young in appearance, her beautiful long locks were drenched with sweat. No doubt, the girl had blazed a trail to get here.
"You're...?" Rose squinted her eyes warily, trying to figure out if she had seen this vague character before. She SHOULD have known who this was: she did compete in 2003, though Rose's lucidity is to be brought into question that year.
"Huff huff huff..." the blonde finally mustered the strength to get into a rather strange stance: her legs spread far apart, bent at the knees. As she rotated her head counter clockwise, finally resting at 12 o' clock... she extended her hand forward.
"Hinako Shijou! Three-time King of Fighters veteran! I never made it to Italy last year because of school obligations, but I'm not missing this one! That money will be mine, and I'll open a string of Chanko restaurants! DOSUKOI!"
Rose put a hand to her chin. "I... see. Well, Miss Hinako, here's your entry card. Congratulations! You are officially in!"
As Hinako held the card in her hand... words couldn't be expressed. Redemption... right in front of her. She had missed the last one. Nobody had even acknowledged her absence. But now... she could make herself known. She could stand above the rest. She could shine SO bright, they had no choice but to pay attention!
Finally, one word did come to mind: a mighty bellow, in celebration of Sumo culture...
"DOSUKOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~!"
"...Oww, you threw sand in my eye. How uncouth!" Rose whined, reaching up with a hanky to dab her permeated eyelids, courtesy of the weird Sumo sand the purple-clad schoolgirl had thrown.
"Hey Kingyyyyy!"
Mai Shiranui bounced erratically in attempt to wave down her blonde counterpart, who was standing antisocially near a corner, her arms folded. Since Mai stood out like a... well... bulging pair of knockers... it was easy for King to locate the bouncing and match the face with it.
"Mai! Heyyy!"
The two longtime counterparts met in the middle, upon which Mai won the draw and scooped King up with a massive hug. All eyes quickly fell on the display... mainly for perverted reasons.
"Ahahaha! Hahaha! Mai, cmon! Put me down!"
Mai's adrenaline dump faded, and she found King to be a struggle to hold up, so she finally set the tall, blonde bartender down and the two commenced an onslaught of back-and-forth.
"Tell me you're entering."
"Of course I'm entering. Are you entering?"
"Dude, I'm Mai Shiranui! Missing a tournament is like Santa Claus missing Christmas!"
King shot her an eyebrow and a smirk. "Well we DID miss XII..."
"Let's not talk about that weird year." Mai blurted. "So how's the business? And how's... you know~"
King smiled. "Bar's going great, as usual. Sally and Beth are life-savers. And Ryo is... well... Ryo."
"Karate Karate Karate?" Mai grinned.
"Karate Karate. Karate Karate Karate Karate." King gesticulated as she talked, adding to the nonsensical conversation. Upon finishing... they both burst into a gail of giggles. Their laughter carried on for a good 10 seconds before King was finally able to regain herself.
"Hahaha... ahh but in all honesty, Ryo is doing really good. No seriously, he is like, REALLY f***ing zen now. He's never looked better."
"No shit?"
"I shit you not. Just ask Yuri, he's totally healthy. You know he's calling himself The New Mr. Karate? He even ditched his old gi for a badass-looking black one."
Mai flipped out a fan and waved it. "Oh thank god. That orange was LOUD."
King acknowledged that last statement with a shake of her head and a grin, before flipping the script.
"Soooo... your end? How's "Andykins"?
Upon bringing up her significant other... Mai's face suddenly turned bleak. She began to tilt downwards, like a blue wave had passed over her.
"Andy... is... I'm worried about him, King. He's been talking about hanging it up, ever since he took on a new pupil. He's more interested in training that kid than keeping himself in shape."
King's face turned concerned. "Did Andy get an entry card?"
Mai nodded. "Yeah, all the guys have already been through. Sigh... but King, I think Andy's losing his edge. I hate to see him throw away such a huge part of himself... and I wonder if I had something to do with it."
King gave her an encouraging nudge. "But you love him no matter what, right?"
That perked her back up. "Oh without a doubt. I don't mind if Andy quits competing, because that leaves more time for him being my lovey bear~"
"...Lovey bear? Mai, if you invented that nickname, Andy probably IS neutered."
As the two women continued to update each other on theirs and their men's lives, a reunion was underway elsewhere. Last year, a terrible cloning operation threatened the world, and a rag tag band of warriors banded together to shut it down, as the original Kumite was nearing its conclusion. This year, these same brave souls returned: The Ikari Warriors and The Agents, together again.
...But one could easily tell their ranks had been splintered. On both sides, only two had shown up.
"Hey guys. Long time no see." Ralf Jones greeted the duo standing before him, consisting only of boxer Vanessa and luchador Ramon, with a salute. His partner, the fully-recovered Clark Still, followed suit.
"What brings just you two here?" Clark asked a follow-up question, to which Ramon grinned and draped an arm around Vanessa's shoulder, pulling her closer.
"Hot date."
Vanessa gave an eyeroll and pushed him away. "Dream on. Seth didn't make it this year. Said he wasn't interested in competition."
"Mary?" Ralf inquired.
"Ah, who knows with her? She's a wild card." Ramon added with a shrug. "She could swoop in and park her hawg right between us any second."
"Alright, so what's YOUR damage?" Vanessa fired back to the Ikaris. "Forgive me if my math is wrong, but I think your clip is missing a few rounds."
Ralf inhaled deeply, preparing his blunt explanation. "Heidern's not interested. Leona's not interested. Whip is... on leave. For personal reasons."
"Guess you two couldn't stay away, eh?" Ramon winked.
"Hey, I'm always up for a good fight!" Ralf pounded his knuckles against his palm. "But honestly, it's more for THIS guy. Poor Clarky here still hasn't had his chance."
"That's right." Clark's sunglasses shimmered ominously, as his voice deepened. "I'm not going out like a bitch this year... you can bet your life on it."
"Eh, I'm not betting that. Too many pleasures in life. Hubby, kid... beer." Vanessa lightened the mood with her joking reply.
Ramon laughed as he played along. "Hahaha! Yeah, I think after what I went through last year, I'm a bit more stingy with th-AAAGHHHK!"
That choked gasp was courtesy of the surprise arm ambushing his neck, snatching him backwards as the back of his head sank into... a soft, mushy crevasse. It wasn't until the bare flesh squished against his ears that he deduced the texture...
Boobs.
"ANGEL'S BACK, BITCHES! NYA~" Angel proudly announced her presence, one arm keeping Ramon trapped in her bosom, the other arm shooting into the sky as her forefinger aimed to the stars, to exclaim her intentions to be the best of the best.
"NUMERO UNO! Hey Ramon baby, haven't seen you in a while. Let's go throw a few back, eh~?"
"Ggghkkkkghkkkkghhhhhkkkk..."
Ramon still couldn't talk. It was uncertain just HOW he felt being in this position: on one hand, his breath was being robbed from his windpipe, which is uncomfortable... but his head was also resting on a heavenly set of pillows, which MUST have been comfortable.
With a wide grin and a pat on Angel's shoulder, Vanessa gave her blessings. "He's all yours."
Ramon's opinion remained unheard as he was forcefully dragged away by his fellow luchadora.
The reunions kept coming, one after the other, after the other. In another area, all eyes had fallen on purple high heels, which belonged to a majestic pair of legs that wore them well. Those legs shown in all their bare glory in the purple dress, which displayed them generously, and a nice upper chest to go with them. These features, combined with the long blonde hair, made Bonne Jenet a treasure worth plundering.
Unfortunately for the unlucky lubbers, Jenet only had eyes for the quiet, stoic man standing in the corner, his arms folded, as his terrifyingly icy face scared away all potential intruders in his private space. Not that Gato ever struck fear in her, though. Gato may have been the human equivalent of a mountain, but the cheeky Jenet was always willing to scale him to the uttermost limits of his self-control.
"Well well well. Don't you look happy~" Bonne Jenet gave her former teammate a wink, as a pink heart fluttered about, invading his airspace...
...Before the pink heart could reach his cheek, Gato swatted it away. "Hm."
Not deterred, Jenet continued to push her luck with hands on her wiggling hips. "Hm? 'Hm'? That's all you can say to me? "Hm?"
Gato's eyes never cut in her direction.
Jenet finally took it a step further: she dared to put hands on Gato, leaning on his broad shoulders, her chest squishing against his frame and bulging her cleavage out further. He still didn't look at her.
"Are you practicing to be a statue? Cmon, Gato. Let's catch up! What did you do with the $20,000 you won last year?"
"Put it in a bank account." Gato bluntly replied.
"Oh? Well how boring. Did you do anything fun with it?"
"No."
"Well shit. You could have bought ME something! Maybe some jewelry, or some cool knick knacks from an antique catalog!"
"Where's your hat?"
The hat in question was referring to the memento bestowed upon her in last year's Kumite, courtesy of the great Captain Kidd. Jenet was absolutely enthralled with it, wearing it for the remainder of her stay in Italy, which is why its current absence was odd.
"In my bedroom back home, safe and sound." Jenet replied. "That hat is very special to me, and I don't want to damage it by carrying it with me to this crazy tournament."
"Fine."
A loud, unimpressed groan from Jenet. "Gatooooo... you're killing me here. Are you gonna lighten up and entertain me, or are you just gonna act like you've got a bo staff up your- OHHHHH MY GOD TIZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOC!"
Jenet released her grasp instantly, and created distance. This finally caused Gato to break his humdrum and actively dart his head to see what caused the commotion.
And there he stood. Seven feet tall, a colossus that could rival Krauser. An overabundant surplus of muscles and abs, BURSTING from every rippling inch of his body, which looked like it had been crafted on Mount Olympus. Even his head bore a mythical aura about it: nobody knew his true face, only the majestic draping red and white feathers, sleek, curved beak, and beady eyes of his trademark griffon mask.
Jenet was in his arms faster than a cannon could discharge. Tizoc timed her leaping arrival and extended his buff arms, catching her mid-jump and embracing the voluptuous girl within his bulging bosom. He spun around 360, taking the giggling pirate queen with him as she settled against him, not letting go anytime soon.
"Tizoc! AHHHH! Thank god you're here! Gato is nearly driving me to drink." Jenet laughed. She lifted her head from his chest to plant a big, wet smooch on... well... the closest thing she could find was his upper pectoral.
"THE GRIFFON MASK IS HERE!" he heroically bellowed. "WITH MY IMPERVIOUS PECTORALS AND BANISHING BICEPS, THIS TOURNAMENT WILL BE WON IN THE NAME OF CHILDREN EVERYWHRE! LEND A CLOSE EYE, LITTLE ONES!"
"...What are you talking about dude~?" Jenet giggled at her always over-the-top former teammate.
Tizoc swung around, taking the blonde with him as she was forced to cling tight. "I must set an example for the little ninos who have nothing but their heroes to look up to! This mask is a mask of righteousness, this body a template of justice! I will climb in the ring and elbow drop the forces of evil straight through the canvas!"
"...Will you lower the volume? You're so annoying, you giant chicken." Gato was visibly wincing at the powerful vibrations of his former teammate Tizoc's booming words and equally bombastic movements.
Jenet only drank it up, as she pressed her cheek against Tizoc's chest and stuck her tongue out to the naysayer. "What's the mater, Gato? Jealous? Hee hee. Cmon Tizoc, let's go get HAMMERED!"
"I COULD GO FOR A DRINK!"
"WHEEEEEE!"
Tizoc finally granted Gato the joys of silence, as he not only strutted his outstanding self away from the snide man, but also carried the other annoyance off in his thick arms.
Gato turned back around to his private bubble, closed his eyes, and let out a long, airy sigh. He just didn't care for such things... Jenet always tried to push him, but all he really wanted was to be alone and focus on his training. In a way, he was thankful for Tizoc: at least when the pro wrestler was around, he was a great distraction for Jenet. He was the one always willing to have fun with her and tag along on her shenanigans. They could goof off all they wanted... it wouldn't deter him from being the best fighter he could be. He needed to win this tournament. He needed a moral victory, a legitimate sign of progress on his journey to seek and destroy the man he called-
His thoughts were interrupted; he felt a presence far away, peering at him!
"Mm?" he grunted as he swung around and nearly met the eyes of the mysterious peeper, like it was a second sense to him. But as he looked into the distance, surely in the direction of the feeling... he saw nothing. He kept his eyes focused there for a few more seconds before deciding the coast was clear, and returned to his solitude.
...In the distance, right where Gato had been looking, a timid girl with blue pigtails blushed meekly as she slumped to the ground, her face in her hands.
In the interest of justice, other warriors came to Germany to fight in that creed. Everyone knew justice ran strong in Korea, as the upstanding fighters of the World Taekwondo Federation pursued martial arts for the purpose of bodily health, protecting the innocent, and punishing evildoers.
Nobody represented what they stood for more than Kim Kaphwan. Distinguished as Korea's national hero, the one thing Kim strove for as much as nurturing his own spirit, was adopting others to follow his culture. He was well known for taking on ne'er-do-wells and whipping them into shape, like he'd tried to do for a very long time with the notorious criminals Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge. But now, to everyone's surprise... he had found new reform prospects.
"Follow my lead, you guys. We'll get your entry cards." Kim commanded his two students. In a shocking twist, he had chosen none other than two of Geese Howard's former thugs as his new project. Back in the day, when Geese was at the helm of the King of Fighters tournament he'd constructed, these two stood loyally at his side to reinforce his evil empire. Nowadays, Kim must have thought they still had some lingering bad in them. They weren't REALLY still evil, but both were prone to being dirty and total jerks. Spending some time with Kim certainly wouldn't hurt them. Except maybe physically.
"Bear, why are you still wearing that mask?" Kim called out as he kept walking forward, not looking back.
"It's not Bear, IT'S RAIDEN!" the tubby blonde pro wrestler fired back in defense.
"What did we talk about, Bear? Being a heel is not the key to true justice. Don't you know the purpose of a heel is to be hated? His name cursed, as people wish for his defeat? You should be a GOOD wrestler, who warms people's hearts and inspires children. Like Tizoc."
"I'll never be like that bird brain!" Raiden spat. Nobody could see it under his mask, but the fat guy was prone to getting a pink face easily when he got angry.
"Just calm down, tubs." Hwa Jai teased. "You don't wanna collapse right here in the parking lot, eh? Hahahaha!"
"Shut up, baldy!" Raiden took a shot at his old partner. "Your little power juice won't save you from my moves!"
"What are you gonna do, sit on me?"
"SHUT! UP!"
Kim closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Just give it a little time... he had to put up with this from Chang and Choi too. Eventually they mellowed out. If those two can, so can Geese's lackeys... he hoped.
From the distance, three familiar faces watched as Kim dragged the pro wrestler and Thai fighter behind him. Standing at the helm, the young man in charge shifted focus from his book to focus ONLY on Kim... every step the Korean took, his eyes were there to follow.
"He's here." the man said to the two standing behind him. "Follow me."
Putting his book safely away, the man's flowing white hair blew behind him as he towed two students of his own.
The last stop on the "justice" train ride was with another group of pious crime fighters whose righteousness shone brightly in the face of inky darkness. What separated them from Kim, however... they had special powers bred to fight evil.
"PSYCHO SOLDIERS, ASSEMBLE! BUUUUURP..."
The perpetually-drunken Chin Gentsai announced their presence, as he carried behind him the group molded by his own training. Standing at his right and left side respectively... how could anyone not know this dynamic duo? They were the shining beacons of Japan. Or... at least one of them was. The other one was more often than not lauded as a dopey sidekick.
"We're here, in beautiful Germany!" Athena Asamiya exclaimed with a cheery two-finger salute. "Ah, I'm so happy to be back. I've done some of my favorite shows here!"
"Which is weird, since... well, I always looked at Germans as more of a 'rock' people." Kensou mumbled in between bites of his meat bun. "I mean, I'm just sayin. I'm not trying to ruin your mojo or anyth-HHHGK! COUGH COUGH COUGH! HAAACK! COUGH COUGH!"
Athena showed no concern for the cacophony of coughing suddenly produced by her partner, Sie Kensou; he was obviously just choking on his food, as was the case most of the time. She instead just presented a palm to her forehead, and a sigh as tired and over-utilized as one ever was.
"Kensou..."
Bringing up the rear behind the two main players, were the junior members of the Psycho Team. Emphasis on 'junior'.
"Are you really gonna let us enter this year, Master Chin? Are ya? Are ya?" the small fry Bao bounced up and down with excitement as he asked repeatedly.
"Well, I brought you here didn't I?!" Chin grumbled. "This will be a much tamer tournament, as I sense a lot of fighters are still tired from last year and won't bother with this one. With that in mind, I think you and Momoko can have some fun in this one."
"I CAN'T WAIT!" the equally young-looking girl Momoko showed a preview of her dancing style as her feet tore up the pavement with her excited maneuvers.
"Well, you better NOT wait." Chin urged. "Athena, Kensou, go take them to get their entry cards. And hurry back!"
"Yes, Master!" Athena and Kensou bowed to their elder. Athena took Momoko's hand, and Kensou respectively took Bao's. Together, the four Psycho Soldiers ventured into the Stadium to go and secure their place in the competition.
"Are you excited, Athena-nee?" Momoko asked the figure she looked up to as an older sister."
Athena looked down and gave a smile as best as she could. "O-of course I am, Momo-chan. Why wouldn't I be?"
Looking back forward, Athena kept it plastered wide... but only she knew, deep down, she was nervous about this year. Being back in Germany only reminded her of one thing: the way she wronged Krauser last year. There was no doubt he was going to be in this tournament, and logic dictated that his eyes would be on HER. It was enough to make her skin go cold... wait, a cold feeling...?!
Athena froze in her tracks. Momoko, who had still been walking, was jerked backwards since she was still holding her hand.
"Athena-nee?"
"Yo, Athena! What's wrong?" Kensou had stopped too, able to sense Athena's discomfort with just his naked eye.
"I... I..." Athena stammered. "I sense evil."
Prolly a good place to stop. I introduced over half the characters. Sorry there's not much in the way of development for them just yet, you know I have to start slow lol. It's a long story, so right now the important thing is getting their names and/or faces out there.
NEXT CHAPTER: More faces revealed, Rose lays down the law, and PARTY AT KRAUSER'S PLACE! Stay tuned!