This chapter is a little break from the tournament action, a chance to explore a couple plots, as well as give our boy Adelheid some screentime, since... well... it's been lacking for him lol. Rest assured, the tourney will continue next chap, but for right now I wanna have some fun.

Shoutout to Savage Reign/Kizuna Encounter. I'd love to get my hands on those.

"Kill Adelheid Bernstein."

Their orders received, two kooky cutthroats, who'd traveled far and wide to answer the 2.5 million dollar contract of Shion, now had nothing left but to lie in wait for their prey. Shion spared no details on the plan of action: lure him out, take him and possibly his sister as a bonus... but the most important detail Shion placed... his head. According to Shion, the quickest way to throw the country of Germany into a spiraling torrent of misery and chaos, and subsequently, the world, was if the head of Adelheid Bernstein was suddenly to fall out of nowhere on live television, where 75,000 people live and millions of people watching on television could see. One thing Joker and Gozu remembered vividly was... the utterly creepy smile on his face as he shared that vision.

"You ever kill somebody, clown?" the red-clad, gas mask-wearing ninja known as Gozu addressed the man staking out to his left, a curiously ostentatious man known only as... Joker. The name befitted his jester-like appearance all too well.

"That's MISTER JOKER to you, punk! And have I ever killed someone?! he reproached. "Who do you think the Looly Po Po are, huh? A merry traveling band of jugglers and sword swallowers?

"...My first guess was freakshow." Gozu back-sassed.

"Your so-called 'Jaguar' clan doesn't exactly inspire a sense of able-minded normality." Joker shot back. "Speaking of, I bet Jyazu isn't gonna let you have a cent of this score, is he, sheep? Hyahyahyahyaheeheeheehohoho!"

"Shut up. I could always just kill you and take all the money for myself." Gozu threatened.

Joker didn't fall for his bluff, instead grabbing his own red nose and giving it a big, mocking pull, complete with a BOIIIIING! sound effect. "Ha! It's gonna take both of us to squash this weapon merchant's spoiled brat. I heard he's a decent fighter. And fyi... you couldn't kill me if you tried, Gas Boy."

"Whatever." Gozu dismissed it, growing tired of the argument. "We'll see your worth when the time comes. For now... we wait."

She tried to mask her desperately hurried footsteps under a thin film of professional integrity... but the desire to get away from them all grew at a cancerous rate. She was close to running... fleeing from the toxicity around her: angry attendants, vengeful contestants, her own weakness and lack of sound and swift judgement... the burden of it all, CRUSHING her.

She needed to get away. She needed him. Her rock, her protector, the one she could always show weakness in front of, in a world that demanded stone-like tenacity from her. When she saw him, she nearly tore the arm from his socket at the urgency with which she beckoned.

"I need to speak with you... in private, please. Outside the Stadium."

Adelheid showed only the briefest confusion; one look in her eyes, the red eyes he shared as well... he knew it best to go along and ask no questions. This was one she was going to win, no matter what.

"Lord Krauser, I must take a recess. I beg you... please take over hosting duties for just a little while." Rose addressed the last obstacle to her freedom with a respectful bow, silently praying his anger from earlier's mishap had at least somewhat subsided. She felt more leverage with Adelheid standing behind her, hopefully making Krauser less inclined to cause a fuss.

Krauser predictably had a crusty expression, standing there with his beefy arms folded, looking down at the Bernsteins with nary a hint of compassion in his vision. But, in some strange case... his face didn't tell the whole story, as, with a small sigh, he folded and nodded his head.

"Very well then."

A small sigh of relief. "Hah... thank you, Lord Krauser! God bless you!"

"Hmph."

With one last tiny bow, Rose dragged Adelheid behind her, out of the Stadium, away from the chaos.

Rose carried him a considerable distance, not only out of the field and the lobby, but as far as the parking lot itself. Adelheid, to his credit, managed to keep up, but he had to admit the slightest of fatigue, since he was doing the work (she wasn't exactly dragging him with her own strength).

By the time they stopped, the had cleared the parking lot, and were across the street. Finally, she let go of the man, who took a step back and glared scoldingly at her.

"Rose. What is this? I demand an explanation for-"

She melted into him all at once, smothering herself against his chest, her tension, her facade, all released against him, as her arms found their way around his broad torso and squeezed. Her eyes, no longer restricted by the judgement of other watchers, released their wetness, soaking his skintight black shirt.

"R-Rose...?"

"Please hold me, brother." she quietly pleaded. "Hold me... like you held me the night Father never came home."

Initial confusion slowly clouded by sympathy, Adelheid's arms couldn't help but move on their own, sheltering his sister within the cocoon of comfort and warmth she sought, ignoring the cold of his shirt clinging to him, stained with tears.

They stood there in nearly two minutes of silence, until Rose's sobs slowed down, replaced by a gentle breathing. The strength of her embrace never let up, nor did his, as his fingers slowly trailed up to stroke her blonde locks.

Finally, he broke the silence. "What's gotten into you? You were so strong back there a while ago."

"I can't... I can't do it anymore, Adelheid." Rose whispered. "It's too much."

"You don't mean that." Adelheid quickly discouraged.

Rose sniffled. "I understand now, the convenience, the... the comfort... of being controlled by that puppet master. No reign of my own judgement, my inhibitions... the luxury of no responsibility, no weight to bear for my actions. How I wish to return to that time..."

The mere mention of Botan's name caused Adelheid's face to slightly twitch, though Rose was unable to see it from her position. His voice, as a result, grew slightly more intense, as well as the tightness of his grip.

"I won't hear that kind of talk! Father taught us to always be pillars, and never submit our will to the authority of another. That's why you are the host of this tournament, Rose. YOU! That puppetmaster is long gone. You have nothing but your own strength, your own judgement to command this contest, and so far things have stayed together. That's all YOU, Rose. Nobody else."

Rose peeled her face away from his chest, matching red irises with red. "B-but Adel... everyone's so unhappy. The audience, the fighters... that King woman snapped at me, and she was so scary. Half of the contestants are so dreadful, I..."

Adelheid could sense her getting flustered, by the way she had to stop talking, close her eyes and take several breaths. He respectfully remained silent as she regained her words... and she leaned in to press her head against him once more.

"Please, Adelheid... you must win this tournament. You must. Don't let any of these uncouth barbarians win it all. Father would weep in his grave. Our legacy, our pride, it all depends on you, my dear brother. I'll do whatever it takes to help you win..."

Adelheid simply closed his eyes, placed a hand on Rose's cheek, and softly shook his head. "You believe in me, don't you?"

"Of course I do! You're smart, strong, fast... your insight for battle is as sharp as Father's... no, even sharper!" Rose gushed, taking that hand in her own... and holding it tenderly.

"Then do your job, Rose. Be the best hostess you can be... and I'll be the best contestant." Adelheid replied with a tiny smile.

And just like that... things became bearable again. A few minutes alone with her brother gave her the strength, the fortitude to gather herself, piece together her iron will, become the glistening jewel of confidence, elegance, finesse that was blessed upon her by her extraordinary father's genes.

She was Rose Bernstein. She was above these uncouth plebs. Her brother was a champion, a fighting god. Together... this world would prostrate themselves at their feet.

"Brother... you have my word." Rose smiled. "I'll hold myself together... and you'll bring us victory. Together, we're unstoppable!"

Adelheid's smile thawed a bit more, and he extended his hands outwards, to interlace around his sister's own, as the two pressed themselves together, small, delicate frame against built, sturdy frame, red gazing affectionately into red.

"Oh Adelheid... I don't want to go back in yet. Can't we go out, and let Lord Krauser handle things for a while?" Rose pleaded.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well... I'd really like to visit the hospital, and check up on the health of the fighters. And maybe, apologize to Miss Sakazaki..."

"You sure?"

Rose broke apart, straightening her dress. "I'm the hostess of this competition, Adelheid. I won't shy away from my duties. Now come... be my guardian."

Adelheid knew any attempt to dissuade was useless when Rose extended her arm and glared at him: that same glare that always got her what she wanted. Probably the glare that spawned this tournament.

And thus, he did the logical move: hook his arm around hers, and escort her to her desired destination... the closest Munich hospital, where many notable fighters had been admitted, and others went to go see them.

HOSPITAL VISITATION

After causing a big scene at the Stadium, everyone's favorite luchadora had switched things up to a more discreet nature; having slipped away unseen, taking a sobering cold shower... a molecule or two of lucidity had returned to Angel. If any inebriation yet remained, she had undoubtedly gone from "angry drunk" to "sad drunk".

"What are you doing here?" came the harsh tone of Vanessa, who was currently admitted all the way for possible concussion and neck trauma. She was donning a gown and smock, to her chagrin.

Angel, normally snappy with the rude remarks, had a strangely reserved aura about her. "I..."

"Nobody wants you here." Vanessa attacked. "Least of all, me."

"Will you just tell me where he is?"

"You don't deserve his time."

"..."

"...32b. Now get stepping."

"...Gracias."

Her legs carried her with a subtle haste, though a small part of her hesitated to see the damage she'd wrought. And of course, OTHER emotions made room to accompany that fear... the big R word. A word she long boasted immunity from.

She opened the door, and her heart shifted slightly: he was unconscious, hooked to IVs for sustenance. Nearly three quarters of his face were mummified, save for his good eye, mouth and chin. His eyepatch, which she'd heartlessly tore from him, lay beside him on a table.

"Mierda, Ramon..." Angel quietly cursed, turning her head away shamefully. But she could only hide from it for so long... eventually, she forced herself to look again. He was breathing peacefully, his chest rising and falling. His bandaged face wore shades and blotches of red, where the blood had seeped through.

Angel approached the bed slowly... until she was hovering over him. She extended a hand, trembling slightly at first... but eventually that hand found his cheek and gently stroked the side of his face.

"Ah, Ramon..." Angel whispered, as if he could hear these words. "I thought if I could just push you away, then I'd have nothing left to lose. But it sucks too bad... being lonely. It sucks. God, I'm such a frickin' idiot... oh Ramon, I hope you'll forgive me when you wake up..."

Angel looked around a few times, scanning the walls, the door, the ceiling... well, who was she to care about cameras anyway? Looking back down at Ramon, she reached into her substantial cleavage and pulled out a glass bottle: a nearly empty container of tequila, naught but a swig left. The rest had assaulted her liver, but ever since her fight, she had yet to taste another drop.

Staring harmoniously into his eye, she popped the top off and eased into the slightest smile. "This one's for you, Ramon."

Angel put it to her mouth and turned the bottle upside down, draining the last of the content. She then approached Ramon, leaned in close... her lips touched down on his, and allowed the liquid to free-flow down his throat, a single droplet drizzling out of the corner of his mouth. She picked his head up and cradled it to her bosom for a second, to make sure the alcohol reached its destination without choking him, then gently placed his head back down, reaching her gloved hand over to wipe away the dribbling residue.

Setting the now-empty bottle carelessly on a nearby table, Angel made her way to the guest chair and plopped into it. She figured the least she could so for the man she knocked out was be there when he woke up... and then maybe try to patch things.

But within minutes, the monotony of watching Ramon sleep, coupled with the fatigue of the day's events, caused Angel's eyes to grow heavy. She shifted in the seat, curling into a ball, and before long, drifted off to a deep slumber...

Arguably worse injured than Ramon, Kensou was down on his luck at the moment; not only did Choi Bounge take a swipe at his leg, splitting it open... at the moment, he had lost all energy and was unconscious, due to the accidental "loan" of his powers to Bao, without his permission.

Thankfully, the minuscule bodies of Bao and Momoko didn't have to lug their "big brother" (who had eaten one meat bun too many) by themselves; they found an unlikely ally in Mignon Beart, who, ironically, was helping them just to fulfill her own selfish end of battling Athena for her entry card.

"There. Kensou is cozy and he's wozy and he's sleeping like a big... cute baby." Mignon groaned, airing out her limbs from where they had accumulated serious lactic acid. "Now, Mignon is leaving! Athena has her end of the bargain to fulfill, so it's time to go kick your big sis's butt!"

Bao and Momoko, moreso focused on Kensou, didn't initially receive Mignon's message. It wasn't until the pink-haired girl began her hasty departure that Bao spoke up and stopped her.

"Hey wait!"

A huge vein throbbed... the last word in Mignon's dictionary right now was 'wait'.

"WHAT?

"Where ya goin?" the boy asked.

"IS YOUR VOLUME DOWN?! Mignon is going to demolish your sister in hand-to-hand-with-possibly-some-magic combat!"

"Oh yeah. Well uh... have fun with that?" Momoko laughed awkwardly.

"I will! It'll be a rip snorting, humdinger of a... uh... doozy... woozy... ah, Mignon is tired. Bye."

"Wait!" Momoko squealed.

...The next time Mignon turned around, the white mage was literally on fire, with demon eyes glaring orange, and little skull emojis floating above her head. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!"

"...Thank you for helping us, Mignon-san. You're a nice girl. Even though... you constantly try to fight my Athena-nee... ehehehe..."

Good at heart, the white mage couldn't deny the little butterflies in her chest as she heard those words, manifesting to a warmth that coursed upwards into her cheeks, tainting her pure whiteness with red. How... how was she supposed to feel about this? The associates of her sworn enemy... young casualties in a mage war. She mustn't get attached to them. Means to an end... means to an end...

"Th-thank you for that. Mignon is leaving now. BYE!"

In classic Mignon fashion, the girl literally sprinted down the hallway like a cartoon road runner, leaving a comical trail of white smoke behind her.

As they watched her leave, Bao and Momoko got the giggles out of their system from having dealt with such an oddball, before turning back to Kensou. The boy was still asleep, snoring peacefully, though his limbs showed no signs of movement. His leg had thankfully been properly treated, and the boy was given enough pain killer to give him comfort.

"...Momo?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you think me and Kensou are like this?"

"Dunno. Maybe Master Chin could tell us more? He's probably staying to watch Athena fight."

"Oh yeah. Wanna watch TV while we're here?"

"Sure!"

They found the remote easily enough, laying on a nearby table next to Kensou's food tray. Bao fired it up, albeit the short guy had to aim a few times to hit the receiver properly. The TV came on...

...Their eyes widened in unison as the channel was already on the tournament, events having already transpired that would put a certain pink-haired girl into another one of her classic tizzies.

The third big story of the hospital was, obviously, the Women. It had been a grueling round for them, full of trials, ordeals, pain and blood. Some won, some lost... some paid a heftier physical price than others.

Yuri Sakazaki, fresh off her defeat to Mature, was immediately rolled into an operating room, where King and Chizuru were forbidden to follow. The door slammed... and the ladies were left standing there, to stew in the dank pit of anxiety, the chill of the unknown poxing the surface of their skin.

"She'll be alright, King." Chizuru tried to ever-remain optimistic.

"...She better be." King snarled.

Without Yuri to tend to, all they could do was go visit Mai. Suffering only a small cut above her eye which didn't require stitches, the main damage Mai received from her bout against Malin was humiliation. The gadget-wielding runt truly dished out all manner of dirty tricks, and a mouth to match, nearly causing a harrowing upset in the early stages of the tournament. Luckily, Mai channeled her fire chi into one condemning blast, blowing Malin away and granting her victory. As this drastic output left her dehydrated and faint, she passed out a minute later, and was rushed to the hospital, Andy the last thing she laid eyes on. A hearty intake of IV fluids left her feeling 100% again in no time, back to her peppy, perky... very bouncy...self.

"...She did WHAT?!"

A meeting between the '97 Women's Team brought Mai up to speed on current events, as she had woken from her slumber, ate a meal, and turned on the tv just in time for fight #15 to end. King and Chizuru were forced to relive the horrid details, as they laid them out for the kunoichi... and spared nothing.

Naturally, Mai blazed with a fury even hotter than the flames that vanquished Malin. "OOOOOH! That's it. THAT IS IT! SHE'S FRIED!"

But as Mai's internal rage burned to the peak of hotness... a silencing gloved hand quelled her.

"No... she's mine."

The chilling follow-up came courtesy of King, no longer bearing a rage akin to her Aries-like astrology... but a more controlled anger. An eerie... calm... wrath. Her face was stunningly static, in the most unsettling way, as her eyes looked completely forward, seeing nobody... nothing... maybe not even the reality around her.

"K-King." Chizuru chimed in with a hand on her shoulder. "I understand you're angry, but you're speaking out of emotion."

"Does it matter?!" King spun around as her animation returned, eyes locked with Chizuru. "We're fighters! We don't have to mask our emotions! Some people fight better when they flip off the switch. Me? I WANT to be pissed. I WANT to feel like ripping someone's scalp off. And when I face that putain in the next round, I promise you, I'm gonna unleash a beautiful, BEEEAUUUUTIFUL vengeance on her mascara-wearing, cocksucking-for-$20-red-lipstick, bleach-blonde, botox-lifted face."

While Chizuru was rather horrified by the intensity, Mai was all for it, outstretching a hand with a cheer. "You said it, girlfriend!"

King said nothing, but aggressively gave Mai some skin, prideful of her own sick burn.

Chizuru was still the voice of logic. "Guys, don't be so impulsive! There are other ways to do this... we should collaborate with Rose, explain the full gravity of the situation to her. She can help set things up, so we can knock the Hakkeshu out of the tourney fast!"

King rolled her eyes. "Chiz, I love your strategic approach to any and everything, but this isn't a board game, okay? This is a fighting competition. We fight, and we win. THAT'S how we beat those assholes. Nothing else matters. Now, we three are still in, so we've all got a good chance of going up against them. So, the ONLY thing we have to do... is fight hard, fight mean, and attack those bastards with extreme prejudice. Got it?"

Mai nodded. Chizuru gave a sort of... half nod.

"For Yuri."

"For Yuri!" Mai echoed.

Chizuru took a reluctant gulp, looking away... but finally joined in. "For Yuri."

At that moment, the door to Mai's hospital room opened, startling the three out of their personal conversation space. They turned to meet the intruder... and Chizuru felt a certain sense of cue, as it was Rose Bernstein herself entering the room. Adelheid was behind her.

"Sorry if I interrupted something important." Rose bowed.

Chizuru seemed pleased to see her; King not so much. Mai was totally indifferent.

"What is it?" King brashly blurted.

Rose took a deep breath, straightened her hair, fiddled with her dress. "Ummm... I uh... I just wanted to apologize to Miss Sakazaki. I assume she's being stitched up after that horrible... a-anyways, it was my lack of decisive action that caused her to get hurt, and I accept full responsibility. S-sooo..."

Rose looked around the room a few times, before looking directly at King... and she bent over to give the most embarrassing curtsy of her life. "Forgive me!"

...King just stood there, arms folded, unamused. "That's cute."

"K-Kingy..." Mai tried to be a voice.

"Don't wanna hear it, Mai." King shushed her with a hand gesture. "Look, Mademoiselle, I'll deliver your message to Yuri, and she'll probably forgive you in a heartbeat... but as far as I'm concerned, a simply apology isn't gonna cut it. You're gonna need a little bit more than that to make up for what happened."

Rose was put on edge by those words, instinctively clutching the bottom of her dress. "W...what should I do then?"

"I'll tell you." King commanded, with a thrust of her finger. "You put me up against that putain de salope in the second round, and we'll all be square. The balance doesn't get restored until she's laying facefirst in the dirt, with my heel on her head. That's how you fix this. That's how you avenge Yuri."

"Miss King, I... a-are you sure...?"

"I AM sure!" King reinforced her belief with a loud tone. "That girl in there is a sister to me. I love her as much as I love my own little brother. She's my best friend in the world, and I'd do a hell of a lot for her. Since she can't fight this battle anymore, I'm fighting it for her! Now... I want HER in Round 2. Got it?"

Rose, having spent much of this encounter on her back foot from the overwhelming assertion King exuded, finally found her ground, straightening her expression back to a calm, authoritative gaze. She put her arms to her sides and stepped forward with confidence.

"...And what if you lose?" she asked, her eyes directly on King, no fear in the potential revelation she bestowed.

King leaned in, matching the intensity of her gaze. "I won't."

The next seconds contained a tense silence, the blondes locked in their stance, eyes not averting... finally, Rose made the next move, breaking away with a polite bow. "Then I wish you the best of luck in battle, Miss King. Excuse me."

Rose walked away, Adelheid in tow, shutting the door behind them and leaving the three standing in the room: only two among them content. As predicted, Chizuru shot King the slightest of glances... and ran after Rose.

"C-chiz!" Mai called out, only to have the door shutting as a response. "Jeez, what's with her?"

"Ah, the same. Chiz having a stick up there about stuff. You okay, Mai?"

"I'm fine, thanks!" Mai grinned, striking a boasting pose, with her hospital gown fluttering and her ass hanging out.

"We can go get that runt back if you want." King flashed a mischeivous grin, coupled with a naughty raising of eyebrow.

Mai dismissively flicked a hand. "Naaaaah, I got no beef with Malin. She's just a angry little puppy, barking at trucks. No idea what to do with the damn things. Leave her be."

"That's mighty clement of you, Mai."

"Thanks. Jello?"

Despite Rose's hasty departure, Chizuru's long legs allowed her to cover a wide berth and quickly catch up to the more delicate footsteps of the dress-clad girl. "Rose! Rose, wait!"

An annoyed sigh could be heard from Rose as she and Adelheid stopped once more, turning around. "Yesss... Madame Kagura?"

Chizuru took a firm stance, her gaze hardening. "We need to talk more about it. It's not that simple."

Rose turned away instantly. "It's already handled."

The blonde girl started back... but a much sharper utterance of her name cut her off. "ROSE!"

When the Bernsteins turned back around once more, Rose's face bore the official loss of patience.

Chizuru continued, with no reservation. "What happened back there at the Stadium could be just the beginning! If we don't do something about those-"

"We? We?" Rose interjected. "Madame Kagura, there is no we. This is MY tournament, and I will handle things of my own accord. I'm not afraid, and I'm not weak. I've been chosen by fate to run King of Fighters, like my father before me, and I will not besmirch the great name by allowing things to run amok. Now... good day."

With one final bow, nothing else would be done to deter Rose and Adelheid, as the Bernstein siblings turned heels and made a retreat from the hospital, for good.

The only offerance Chizuru had left was a few last desperate yells. "You're putting the entire world at risk, Rose Bernstein! WE CAN'T LET THE HAKKESHU WIN!"

"Then there's no problem." Rose called back, still walking onwards. "My brother is going to win."

In no time they were out of sight, and Chizuru was left standing there in defeat. The graceful, usually dignified woman, left by herself, wasted no opportunity to let out a guttural growl of annoyance... and her fist even found itself pounding the nearest hard surface.

"Why won't anyone listen to me?!"

Having fulfilled her hosting obligations, Rose rewarded herself with a bit of dessert at a local German cafe. While Krauser ran the helm back at the Stadium, the girl took this time to actually enjoy herself a little; it felt good just to step away for a minute, be alone with her brother, have some down time.

"Did I handle myself well back there, brother? Did I? Did I?" Rose excitedly pestered her brother for an answer as she stuck her fork in her streusel, to plop a sweet, savory bite of the pastry into her refined cheeks. Adelheid, aware he had a fight coming, remained light with a simple cup of coffee. He kept his eyes solemnly closed, his head bowed, as he sipped the hot confection diligently.

"Adelheid? Hey! I'm talking to you!" Rose got easily annoyed whenever her brother ignores her.

Finally, he spoke. "...You should listen to Madame Kagura more. She's a very wise woman."

Rose flashed a coy smile. "I am simply trying to protect Miss Kagura from the toilsome burdens she herself opted to step away from this year. Alas, she's so accustomed to taking charge, the poor woman throws herself into the fire without even really meaning to."

"She could be onto something." Adelheid continued to press.

"Whatever it is, we can handle. The benefit of this being a fighting competition, if any bad guys have truly infiltrated, they'd have to go through you anyway. And I don't see that happening~"

Adelheid allowed himself a smile at that one. "Your insight serves you well, dear sister."

...That's when his instincts compelled him, COMMANDED him to cut his eyes to the corner: he could feel something amiss. Rose, to her ignorance, continued to happily munch away on her sweets. She didn't notice Adelheid's eyes had narrowed into daggers.

"Rose... get up and start walking that way."

Rose, her mouth full, popped her head up. "Mm?"

"NOW, Rose!"

It was too late; two figures approached, one from the left, the other right, and Adelheid immediately deduced they were up to no good. The young man took his best course of action, at the cost of his sister's peace, as he brusquely rose up and snatched her by the arm, dragging her away.

"H-HEY! BROTHER! MY STREUSEL! UNCOUTH! UNCOUTH!"

"Oh shut it."

The two walked a fair distance, the figures behind them in tow, but hanging back a bit... they obviously didn't want to cause a scene in public. At the same time, they couldn't let Adelheid get back to the sanctuary of the crowded Stadium... with that in mind, one of them finally had to make a move. Adelheid couldn't see behind him, but the clown-looking figure pulled out a tiny device from his pocket, pushed a button... and disappeared.

The next thing Adelheid knew, Joker was right in front of them. "Boo."

"GET DOWN!" Adelheid grabbed his sister's head and forcefully shrank her, just in time to avoid the whizz of Joker's giant hammer.

"Damn!" Joker cursed, before receiving a staggering kick to his stomach, launching him backwards with considerable force thanks to Adelheid's powerful foot.

Watching Joker hit the ground, Adelheid forcefully picked Rose up and shoved her west. "Go that way!"

"O-okay!" Rose wasn't exactly up to speed on everything, but she tried nonetheless to keep up with her brother's commands.

Adelheid spun around: a giant crimson flash came soaring towards him, steel shimmering from his hand. The blonde sidestepped just in time to avoid a lethal swipe from Gozu's talons, but the red ninja spun around with a wild swing and tried to take his head right then and there. Bernstein ducked, driving his fist into the gut of Gozu, doubling over the red assailant.

"Ugh?!" the red ninja grunted as Adelheid lifted him with one arm, a true display of "farm strength", and flung Gozu into the air. Before the ninja had time to compose himself mid-flight... Adelheid's leg had already gainted momentum and power, and he punted Gozu into a nearby wall. The red ninja hit hard, crumpling to the ground like a discarded ball of paper.

"Ah! AHHH!" Rose squealed, backed up against a wall. Joker was up, approaching... his giant red nose only drawing more attention to his blood red lips, curled into a smile. He reached into his shirt sleeve, as if readying a lethal projectile...

Adelheid came in with a flying kick, knocking him off-balance, just as he had flung a giant playing card from his sleeve. The card, off trajectory, struck the wall high instead, several yards out of reach of Rose.

Adelheid continued his focus on the clown. Joker tried to swing his giant hammer... but Adelheid protruded his leg upwards to stop it, and the hammer collided with his shinbone, being stopped solid, as if his leg bone was as strong as the purest diamond.

With a vengeful scowl, Adelheid flicked his leg left, sending Joker's hammer flying out of his hands. As the yelping clown extended his hands out in a vain attempt to catch it, he left his jester-like face wide open, as Adelheid's foot came back in the opposite direction, heel smashing across his jaw... and producing even more red to go with his lips.

Aware there was still one more, Adel turned; he immediately fired his modified Reppuken, kicking his leg upwards in a punting motion to send a stream of white energy soaring along the ground. Gozu went airborne to easily dodge it, and transitioned into a vicious attack: much like Choi, he turned into a raging, spinning ball of slashing death, coming straight at Adelheid with flesh-stripping intentions.

Adelheid grunted loudly as he juked left... he could feel the wind so close, it shredded the top shoulder of his black shirt. If that had been any closer...!

Joker, meanwhile, had a new trick up his sleeve: instead of clobbering Adelheid outright, he was going to serve him up to Gozu. The clown snuck behind Adel, laying a very generous red present at his feet: a mysterious box, its contents unknown.

"Hm?!" Adelheid grunted as he spun around, just in time for the box to spring open.

BOOOOIOOOOOING! The mystery gift revealed a humongous, unpleasant-looking but well-crafted inflatable Joker head, which filled with air and solidified in an instant, and sent Adelheid flying backwards, like a human-sized airbag.

"TAKE HIM, GOZU!"

Adelheid heard the ominous scraping of the talons... he had to adjust himself... compose himself in mid-air... or he's dead!

A deep breath. Relaxing of his muscles. Adelheid allowed his body to feel light as a feather... he controlled his flight, spinning around 180, just in time before his torso was to meet head-on with all four of Gozu's blades, measuring nearly a yard long.

Adel's chi manifested... he brought his leg up in time, and he unleashed his fury.

SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

Gozu's steel would not stain with red this day. He instead would bleed his own blood, as Adelheid's destructive G Cross, his modified version of his father's Genocide Cutter, tore into Gozu, severing all four blades from his gauntlets with one swoop, as they clattered to the ground in four rhythmic TINGS! Adelheid landed smoothly on his feet, and turned around, looking at his soon-to-fall opponent with eyes devoid of mercy.

"G..g-gaah... M-Master... Jyazu... will not forget this..." Gozu hoarsely grunted out his superior's name as he hit the ground. The red ninja, although unclear if he was dead or not, did not get back up.

...That just left the clown.

"EEEEEK! BROTHER!"

Adelheid turned quick... damn! Too late. Joker had his sister by the neck, a chilling grin on his cheeks as his lips, coated with an extra paint of blood, extended ear to ear.

"Heeeheeheehyaaahyaaahoohoohoohoo! PUT YOUR HANDS UP! NOW! Or she gets it!"

Adelheid, skilled in not showing any signs of compromised emotions, kept his eyes intensely locked on Jokers as he slowly picked his hands up... already his brain was calculating scenarios, producing every possible outcome, measuring the risk of his own life and his sister's...

With a final cackle, Joker sprang into action. "DIE, RICH BOY!"

Joker snatched Rose by the dress and flung the man's own sister at him, sending her stumbling uncontrollably towards him, until she crashed into his arms. Adelheid let his guard down.. instinctively extending his arms to catch her. That's exactly what Joker wanted, as he threw one of his giant playing cards of death, directly at the Bernstein siblings... if it hit, it would kill both of them at the same time.

Adelheid's movements were impeccable, not a wasted step: like the climax of a waltz, he spun Rose around until their positions switched, Adelheid's back now facing Joker. He let go of his sister and twirled, protruding an open hand just in time to activate his Reflect Barrier, as quick and powerful in utility as Athena's own Psycho Reflector.

The card struck his chi shield... and came flying right back at Joker.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Rose didn't need to look, to know that Joker's scream meant his defeat. She opted to stay huddled against her brother for a little while longer, just a few more tender seconds... before she steeled herself to take a peek.

Gozu was lying on the ground, limp, a small puddle of blood leaking from a gash, extending from his right pectoral all the way up his shoulder. Joker was against a wall, also limp, his own playing card lodged into his left collarbone, slicing deep into his shoulder.

"A...are they dead?" Rose asked that question with a hint of shyness, mixed with morbid curiosity.

Adelheid held his sister, shielding her from the sight. "It doesn't matter. The local authorities will take care of them. We're getting back to the Stadium, NOW."

"Could this be what Madame Kagura was warning me about?"

"I don't know... but it looks like darkness has plagued King of Fighters once again."

Happy New Year! What better way to kick things off than with that little piece of action! Our boy Adelheid cleaning up! WOO! Welp, now that that little diversion is over... we probably better go ahead and get done with Round 1. Feels like we've been here a while LOL. Much longer than the first Kumite, which is weird, since Kumite 1 had 80 FREAKING PEOPLE!

NEXT CHAPTER: the action continues. I might even squeeze in three fights.

But first... you all know what time it is! It's the extra gift that got accidentally left in the closet!

BONUS SCENE

Whimsical, carefree footsteps skulked through the hospital hallways. Almost a dancing, strutting type of movement from the wild flailing blonde hair and fluttering multi-colored dress of the mysterious intruder. Giant hair ornaments, like no other in the world, bobbled up and down and seemed to almost have sentience, as they nestled comfortably within the giant blonde rug they were attached to.

Nonsensical, nonchalant sounds echoed from her vocal chords, attracting attention to no one, caring for no one who happened to pay attention anyway. Nobody knew who she was, or her destination... even she didn't, really. But something in her brain told her to go this way...

"Bibibi...bibibi... bibibibiiiiiiii... huh? Go that way? Whatever you say, you're the boss."

The unknown guidance drew her closer to a certain door... 32b. All she had to do was lay her hand on the wooden frame to know this was her destination, as she literally jumped up with joy.

"BINGOOOOOOOOO! X marks the spot! XYZ, ABC, 123, do re mi, tea and jam and all that jazz."

A soft click indicated the door was opened: the only presence inside was two sleeping wrestlers, one in the bed, one in the guest chair nearby.

Instead of poking her head in personally, the room had a much stranger intruder: a gigantic eyeball, iris green, plucked from her head in which it usually resided.

"Bibibibi... bibibibibibi... captain's log, 2157asdfghjk...uhhh... 7. Destination reached. Have located two Mexicans. May request churros. May inquire why they like us so much. But one of these figures makes me very uneasy... she reminds me of the bully in middle school who used to take my milk carton and stick it in my mashed pota- no wait, I never went to school. They told me school was just federal brainwashing. I want a milk carton. Will retreat for now and return later for further reconnaissance. I wonder if they make strawberry in 2%."