The Ketsueki Quadrilogy: Majin Seiryu Ki

by iceangelmkx

Part 3 of the Quadrilogy. Earth is at war, and the awakening of a legendary demon is imminent. The chosen ones unite once more at a new tournament in hopes of stopping their enemies... and one of their own. A Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Soulcalibur, and Tekken Crossover.

38. Chapter Thirty Seven

Hidden Retreat - Switzerland

"Huh… this is really nice," said Wagner moments after the portal sent him to his tournament match location from Mishima Island. He couldn't help but gaze at his surroundings. "The pictures really don't do the Alps justice. Neither do the rolling green hills, nor that clear blue sky…"

"Do the pictures not do the sheeps justice, too?" his tag team partner, Alex Walker, pointed out.

Only then did Wagner notice their immediate location where their upcoming match would take place. Aside from a small cabin the distance as well as the tall pine trees and wildflowers across the field, they were surrounded by at least a hundred sheep. For the moment, all of them kept their distance from the duo.

"Eh, no they didn't," Wagner groaned. "Hmm, I bet the landowner got a good deal from letting the Zaibatsu use their land for a match."

"Probably," Alex agreed. "We just have to… watch our step."

Wagner sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Easier said than done. I think."

"Hey, isn't that large peak over there the Matterhorn?" Alex suddenly asked.

Before Wagner could reply, a portal opened up nearby and their opponents stepped out. One was a young woman with two shades of pink hair that fell to her shoulders and was decorated with a few daisies. The other was a taller man in his late twenties with sandy brown hair that was swept up on the right side into spikes along the back.

"Welcome to a Hidden Retreat in the countryside of Switzerland, Alisa and John Doe. You may begin the match at any time. "

Wagner gave his male opponent a perplexed gaze. "John Doe?" he asked curiously.

The man huffed a little with some amusement. "I've been meaning to change that. Long story… but my name is actually Lars."

To their shock, a nearby drone spoke up. "Hello. Your request was heard. Please standby while we make the slight change in your name registration from 'John Doe' to 'Lars.' If you don't wish to make this change at this time, please say, 'STOP.' "

Wagner shifted his eyes a bit after that. "That… is unsettling."

"You're telling me," Lars agreed with a slight shake of his head.

As they spoke - and unknown to anyone - Alisa was working on a quick mini project in her hard drive. In the data system, she created a file of each of her two opponents, which she pulled up from existing official records;

.

Name: Scott Kurt Wagner

Occupation: US Air Force 2nd Lieutenant

Age: 23

Birthdate: August 27th, XXXX

Birthplace: Del Rey Oaks, California, USA

Current Residence: Los Angeles, California, USA

Height: 5'11'' (180 cm)

Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)

Special Skills: Fighter Pilot, possesses chi power (known as 'Ultra') from unknown source. Trained in Military Martial Arts and knowledgeable in unconventional street fighting.

.

Name: Alexandra Walker

Occupation: Current - Security Department for US Embassy in Osaka, Japan (on medical leave). Former - US Special Forces 2nd Lieutenant

Age: 27

Birthdate: September 3rd, XXXX

Birthplace: Naples, Florida, USA

Current Residence: Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Height: 5'5'' (166 cm)

Weight: 135 lbs (61 kg)

Special Skills: Firearm and grenade knowledge, shooting accuracy. Trained in Military Martial Arts and Kajukenbo.

.

The purpose of the data was to prepare Alisa for what to expect in the match ahead.

Wagner turned to his tag team partner. "Mind if I go first?" he asked.

"Sure, be my guest," Alex replied as she took a couple of steps back.

The Air Force pilot soon took a step forward and got himself in a fighting stance. He then beckoned his opponents over with one hand. "All right, I'll take on whoever is ready."

Lars and Alisa looked at each other briefly before Alisa gave her tag team partner a brief nod before she took a couple of steps back. Lars then faced Wagner before he got into his own fighting stance. "No need to go easy on me," the rebel leader said.

"Wasn't planning on it," Wagner promised. He gave Lars a quick grin right before he flew forward towards him. As soon as he covered the space between, Wagner began to throw various punches and kicks at Lars, who was forced on defense as he blocked and parried the moves.

At one point, Lars blocked an incoming punch before he spun himself to evade another fist. That movement left Wagner wide open before his head snapped sideways from the open palm slap Lars delivered to his face. The rebel leader then followed through with an uppercut that sent Wagner a few feet up into the air before he delivered a forward kick that hurled his opponent a few yards before he crashed onto the grass.

Wagner rolled away a few feet before he slid into a stop. He heard Lars run towards him and he quickly got himself on one knee. At the same, he charged up some yellow electric energy in his right arm.

"Ultra disc! " he called out as he swung his arm upward and unleashed his yellow disc-shaped projectile at his opponent. Because he was in a kneeling position, the projectile ended up going in an upward diagonal direction, which made it easy for Lars to simply duck underneath it. The projectile also nearly hit the highest point of his hair judging by the way it swayed from the disc's small wake turbulence it left behind.

"Dammit," Wagner grumbled as he forced himself back on his feet.

It was Lars' turn to get on offense as soon he reached the pilot. He was just within reach when Wagner jumped up with his next attack. " Rising kick! " Wagner shouted as he performed a somersault and attempted to land his foot his foot under Lars' chin. However, the rebel pulled himself back before it connected, which left his opponent wide open once more.

Lars took the opportunity and jumped up to knee Wagner's side. As the air seemed to suck right out of Wagner's lungs from the hit, Lars spun himself around to deliver an axe kick that sent crashing Wagner back onto the ground.

Wagner forced himself on his feet even after all that. However, soon as he was standing again, his eyes went wide the second he saw red electricity surrounding Lars' fists - mainly because it seemed somewhat familiar to him. But the younger fighter didn't get the chance to fully comprehend the sight when Lars suddenly delivered a palm strike to his chest - hard enough to send him hurling backwards with full speed.

"SHIT!" he screamed as he flew back in high speed - right before he crashed back first into Alex, who wasn't able to get out of the way in time.

"AAH!" Alex screamed as soon as she was knocked sideways.

Both Wagner and Alex practically rolled across the field until they came to a sudden stop after what felt like a full football field to them (but was actually thirty feet or so). As dust and leftover sheep wool flew up and fell back down around them, Wagner landed on his back while Alex ended up right on top of him. Both of their eyes widened over the awkward moment and Alex quickly flipped herself onto her back and ended up next to her tag team partner instead.

"Well, that was-" she started to say.

Suddenly, one of the drones that monitored the match made an announcement. "Two on two battle initiated by Team Alisa and name change is currently being processed."

"What the-" Wagner started to say. At that second, he and Alex looked up towards the sky and saw Alisa - who had what looked like a pair of metal wings extended out from her back - fly down in their direction with high speed - and with both of her fists out in front of her!

"AAHHH!" Wagner and Alex both screamed at the top of their lungs. They both quickly rolled out of the way in opposite directions just as Alisa landed right where they were a split second ago. The punch she landed ended up creating a small crater on the ground and lifted up dust into the air.

Oh man! Wagner thought as his eyes widened at the sight. Imagine if our heads were still there!

Alisa swiftly jumped back up into the air, flew a few yards away before she began to turn around and head back to the battlefield. Alex and Wagner both got up back on their feet during that time. When Alisa was close, Alex attempted a flip kick while she performed a backward handspring, but Alisa noted this and just barely got out of the way by merely a couple of inches. As Alisa flew away, Alex had no choice but to flip back onto her feet.

While Alisa turned and headed back towards them, Alex managed to hear running footsteps from behind. She quickly turned to face Lars just in time to block an incoming palm strike with her forearm. Lars then went in for another hit with his free hand, but Alex dodged away from it before she performed a forward kick that connected to Lars' stomach and caused him to keel over with sudden pain. Alex then moved in to grab Lars' shoulders and attempted to slam him into the ground, but he was able to use his strength to prevent that. He then sprung forward and tackled her to the ground with a loud thud. Despite the pain that hit her, Alex shoved her foot into Lars' stomach and used it to flip him over and back, which sent him flying a couple of yards. That gave her the chance to roll back onto her feet.

While this went on, Alisa flew straight towards Wagner. Once she was close enough, the android extended her arm out for a clothesline, but Wagner saw this right on time and bent himself backwards Matrix- style - only for him to completely crash back first onto the dirt before he had the chance to pull himself back up.

"Ow…" the Air Force officer groaned afterwards. At least she completely missed me. As soon as that thought left him, he happened to look up and, once again, saw Alisa fly up towards the sky before she came barreling down towards him. Both of her feet were aimed right at him.

Not again!

"AAAH!" Wagner yelled as he rolled a few feet out of the way before he stood up. That made Alisa land hard on the ground once more. Both dust and left-behind sheep wool flew up around her and into the air.

"What are you trying to do, kill me?!" Wagner shouted as he raised his fists in front of his face in defense.

"I am sorry," Alisa answered cheerfully as she suspended herself a couple of feet off the ground. "That is not my intention in this fight."

"...I sure hope not!"

Meanwhile, Lars attempted to throw a forward punch, but Alex swiftly blocked the maneuver by grabbing his wrist. While she still held his arm, she quickly landed a hammer fist right into Lars' face, which caused him to hiss and back up as he held his fist in pain. She then went in for a round kick to his side with enough impact to make him stumble sideways.

Lars regained his balance and decided to bring up a subject that came to his head. It was a chance to give himself a few moments to recover. "You and your partner are definitely military," he mentioned.

Alex confirmed that with a nod as she stood a few feet away with her fists up and ready. "I used to be," she clarified.

Lars frowned a little at that. "You left?"

"I have my reasons. But it's funny how wars have a way of drawing you back to the battlefield anyway despite your own fears."

"So I've heard."

"Yeah, well… let's get back to the fight." Alex suddenly swooped in and attempted to throw a few punches at Lars, who had no choice at the moment but to defend himself. However, it wasn't long before pushed one of her punches to the side and moved in to deliver a knee to her stomach. Alex gasped in pain as Lars somersaulted forward, grabbed Alex's shoulders, then threw her overhead as he landed back on his feet. Alex flew a few feet before she crashed onto the ground and skidded to a stop.

"Damn…" the former lieutenant growled as she forced herself on her feet. By then, Lars slid towards her and attempted another punch, which forced Alex to defend herself.

A few feet away, Wagner was relieved when Alisa finally decided to stand on the ground once more after a little bit of flying around on her part. There were a few moments where they exchanged various punches and kicks before Wagner got the upperhand when he punched Alisa. He then followed with two side kicks to her torso before he grabbed her arm and twisted it around to flip her in a somersault. However, as soon as he let her go, Alisa caught herself mid-air just inches from the ground, twisted herself around, and began to fly away from her opponent with rapid speed.

"Shit, not again …" he grumbled with annoyance under his breath. At that point, it was really becoming redundant.

Still, Wagner prepared himself as Alisa turned right back around and flew towards him to his left side. Wagner started to raise his arms in self defense, but Alisa moved so fast and swift that it took him a moment to notice that she moved to his other side and out of reach… and then another moment to realize that there was something in his hands, something that was round and… with hair?

"Wha-" he started to say just as he looked to see what he was holding.

"Hi!" Alisa greeted cheerfully.

Wagner's eyes went wide the moment he noticed Alisa's face, which had an innocent smile. That's when his brain finally caught up to exactly what he was viewing. In between his hands, staring right up at him with a pair of green eyes, was Alisa's own head!

Despite seeing the worst of humanity's violence over his career before that moment, Wagner freaked out to the point where his voice went high-pitched. "OhmyGodwhatthefuckhowwhatfuckAAAAAAHHH-!"

Suddenly, the head exploded with a measly little boom! which cut him off mid-scream. The explosion was too small and would not kill Wagner, but it was just enough to, well…

"Knockout detected, " one of the drones announced as soon as Wagner stopped moving after he fell back from the mini explosion.

"Shit!" Alex shouted as she turned to where Wagner fell. That momentary distraction ended up being a mistake on her part…

"Sorry, nothing personal!" Lars suddenly called out. Just as Alex turned to face him again, Lars - who's fists were once more surrounded by red electricity - jumped up in the air, spun in a downward and diagonal direction, then quickly kicked Alex in the side of the head - which promptly blacked her out before she even hit the ground…

"Knockout detected. Alisa and Lars win the match. Attention: name change was successful. Have a nice day! "

Lars sighed and shook his head over that.

---

Mishima Gardens

As morning turned into noon, the cyborg Matrik figured that most of those staying at the Mishima Hotel would be off to have lunch. That meant that the gardens would fall mostly quiet. Of course, some had the same idea as her to take advantage of the peace, but it still wasn't hard for her to find an isolated corner for herself.

It had been more than two weeks since she joined up with the other Chosen Ones for their mission. Though she was fully committed to stopping their enemies from making the current war worse than it already was, Matrik also had her own agenda. She especially wished to take advantage of it while her mission with the Chosen Ones was experiencing a lull.

However, aside from confirming the presence of her former clan, the Tekunin, as well as them siding with the Mishima Zaibatsu, there were no other updates. Of course, the Chosen Ones were long aware of the Tekunin's involvement, but it seemed to be nothing more than a blip compared to the presence of anyone from Outworld.

She did interact with the Chosen Ones, of course, especially with those she's known from the very beginning. Smoke, her tag team partner, even invited her to spend time with him, Sub-Zero, Sareena, and Sareena's tag team partner for R&R two days ago. Matrik appreciated the invite, but she declined that morning to focus on her task.

As far as she was concerned, it was best to take care of the Tekunin sooner than later - specifically before Azazel somehow awakened.

Matrik was just about to reanalyze the data she collected so far when her scanner suddenly alerted her to something incoming behind her. Matrik swiftly whirled around… just in time to duck underneath a handful of shurikens! The cluster of small weapons flew over her head before they embedded themselves into a nearby wall.

That gave Matrik's attacker the chance to move in as they jumped over the barrier that surrounded the corner of the garden she was in. Matrik - who knew from the start that the shurikens served as a distraction - quickly jumped back just as the person attempted a flying kick. The warrior, who was fully disguised, landed gracefully on their feet despite the miss before they flew forward and delivered a flurry of punches. This forced Matrik to block and parry the moves as well as keeping up with the fighter's speed.

From their build, height, and grunts, Matrik figured out quickly that her attacker was most likely male. She also had an inkling as to why he went after her out of the blue.

He must think I'm still Tekunin, was her guess.

At one point, Matrik parried a hand chop maneuver that would've connected to her neck had he succeeded. She pushed him back with force, which caused him to stumble back a couple of feet. Swiftly, the green cyborg jumped forward to land a few punches to his face and chest to stun him before she followed through with an ax kick that knocked him back first onto the stoned ground. As he shouted out in pain, Matrik pulled back to give him some berth.

Only then did it give her a chance to get a better look at her disguised assailant.

The first thing Matrik noticed was the attacker's mask - half the face of a black bird, its beak prominent. Only the attacker's upper half of his face was revealed, showing off a pair of dark brown eyes. A hood covered his head, and his entire outfit was black save for the sleeveless tunic and sash that were colored a dark orange. On the tunic itself was a black design of the head of a cawing bird.

Matrik knew right away what clan he was from. The clan in question was a rival of the Lin Kuei. Matrik had yet to deal with them personally since she joined Sub-Zero's clan over a year ago, but she knew what to look out for when she first heard about them.

"Why do you attack?" Matrik demanded to know.

"You're a Tekunin! " the masked fighter replied with malice in his voice. She figured that would be his answer. The assailant continued, "Your clan is responsible for the death of my sister! As far as I'm concerned, all of you deserve to be eradicated!"

Matrik raised a hand up to stop him in his tracks - though she prepared to shoot out her small bombs from her palm. "Yes, the Tekunin were responsible for my… creation. But I can assure you that I'm no longer with them. When I gained self awareness, I immediately turned my back against Sektor and his ways. I've been fighting against them ever since. I've been serving willingly with the Lin Kuei for the past year."

The warrior immediately shook his head at that. "A former Tekunin serving the Lin Kuei ?! I don't know which is worse…"

"I'm aware that the Lin Kuei and your clan - the Tengu - are natural enemies. But I calculated that revealing my current allegiance right away may earn your trust. Besides, even in the last few minutes of our interaction, it's clear that you and I already share a common goal - to see to the elimination of Sektor and his Tekunin clan for their crimes. What they did to me was horrific. I can only guess how they murdered your sister. The Tekunin are not known for their… mercy. All I can offer at this point is my condolences."

The Tengu warrior clutched his fists momentarily as he mulled over Matrik's words. Eventually, a small sigh escaped his lips before he straightened himself up. "I've been trying to get close to Sektor and his clan for a while now in order to seek justice for what happened to my sister. She was also a member of the Tengu clan. The Tekunin attempted to take over land where my clan's hideout is located. So our leader sent a small recon unit to take out the clan and assassinate Sektor. My sister was part of that unit. They sent eight clan members to take them out. Only two came back alive. One of them personally witnessed my sister's head being cut off by Sektor himself. She otherwise put up a fight before the end…"

"I'm sorry…" Matrik said solemnly. "I remember there was an ambush at the base, but I was not involved in that folly at the time. I wish I can give you proof, but all I can offer is my word."

The warrior took a deep breath before he answered her. "The fact that you deflected from the Tekunin speaks for itself. Your ambition to take Sektor and his clan out solidifies my confidence in you. The very few Tekunin who tried to assassinate me stopped at nothing to see to my death."

"Because they lost their humanity a long time ago," Matrik replied. "I was lucky enough to regain mine due to a technical error during a downloading process. I allied with the current leader of the Lin Kuei because of Sektor's past connection with them. That was two years ago. They, too, wish to end him and his clan."

"I see." The Tengu warrior then pointed at himself. "I am codenamed Genbu. I'm here with my wife - codenamed Hainu. We were assigned to this tournament mainly to represent the Tengu clan in the war against the Mishima Zaibatsu. At the same time, I was hoping at least one member of the Tekunin would show up to this tournament. During the last round of the tournament, Hainu and I were attacked by two Tekunins named Tixon and Zatax. The fight was brutal, but we were able to eliminate them. However, they managed to destroy their hard drive before we could download anything from them."

"Interesting," Matrik answered. "My tag team partner and I faced those two during the first round. We were victorious against them then. Because of them, we suspect that Sektor is close by, though I know for certain that he's not staying on this island. As a matter of fact, I was able to discover through files I managed to download from Tixon after our match - and after a few days of digging - that Sektor joined sides with the Mishima Zaibatsu in this war."

"Really?" Genbu said with some surprise.

Matrik nodded to him. "I'm certain he has his reasons for joining them. I suspect that it's for his own gain."

"That at least it's a good starting point in getting close to him," Genbu said.

Matrik wasn't sure what made her do it, but before she thought about it, she placed a reassuring hand on Genbu's shoulder. "No matter what happens, we'll find a way to stop Sektor and the Tekunin. And only then would we get our justice and your sister's death will be avenged."

Genbu nodded to her. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"You're welcome," Matrik answered as she pulled her hand away and took a step back. "I am codenamed Matrik, by the way. If you don't mind me asking - in case I get to Sektor first - I would like to know your sister's name so that Sektor knows why he will die under my hands."

"Of course," Genbu replied. "She was codenamed Mujina."

Curious over the codenames, Matrik pulled up the information with her tech and quickly got her answers. "The three codenames you gave me are interesting. All of them are connected to legendary creatures of Japanese folklore - Yokai to be exact. Your name, Genbu, is that of a large tortoise combined with a snake, which is usually wrapped around the shell. Is that a codename that you chose for yourself based on Yokai ?"

"It is, but that is all I can share without giving more away," Genbu said.

"Understandable." Matrik then crossed one arm over her chest before she bowed to Genbu - something she knew Sub-Zero would disapprove, but considering the circumstances, she figured it wouldn't hurt just this once. "I wish you the best."

Genbu returned the gesture with his own solemn bow. "May your journey lead you to success."

---

That Evening…

Okan Bar and Grill

While sitting at the bar with a beer in hand, T. Hawk couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was time to go back home. The last week or so were at least a little nice as it felt like a vacation he had long needed. At that point, however, not only was he starting to get bored, but his only reason for being on Mishima Island in the first place ended when he lost the Shikoken Tournament.

How else could I get close to help end this war? T. Hawk thought as he took a quick sip of his beer. My one chance ended during the last round of this tournament.

T. Hawk then looked up at the television that was suspended behind the bar table and against the wall. On the screen was a male news reporter with the view of Mishima Island on the green screen behind him. He spoke Japanese, so T. Hawk read the English subtitles on the screen below the reporter;

"Good evening, viewers! We are here at the end of another day of the Shikoken Tournament, and it's clear that the competition is getting tougher and tougher the closer we get to the end. With Round Three of this tournament ending four days from now, it will not be long before we are in the fourth round! And it'll be clear by then that we'll be seeing the best fighters in this tournament begin to go head-to-head against each other! Which team will make it to the top and face the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu himself? Visit our website to hedge your bets at- "

T. Hawk ended up rolling his eyes as he brought his attention back to his beer. "Great, the media are making bets now…" he grumbled. "Like it's some kind of wrestling organization…"

It was then that he heard a familiar voice behind him - one he hadn't expected to hear. "Thunder Hawk?"

T. Hawk's eyes went wide momentarily in shock, but he managed to check himself before he turned around to face the owner of the voice who called to him. There, standing a few feet away, was his beloved Julia.

Juli, he reminded himself. She calls herself Juli now.

"Juli," T. Hawk breathed. "I… I didn't know you were here…"

Juli frowned a little. "Admittingly, I found out you were here a few days ago," she replied. "Scott said you two met playing poker at the casino. He only figured out it was you because our friend Abel told him about our meeting back in Los Angeles."

"I see," T. Hawk sighed as he looked down at the ground. "He wasn't angry, was he?"

"No, but he was a little disappointed that he had to find out through Abel and not me. But to be clear, that's on me and no one else. Thankfully, we've moved past it."

"Good. Then… I assume you told him about… the past."

Juli simply nodded in confirmation. She then pulled out the dove necklace she wore around her neck, the charm initially tucked under the shirt she wore. "He also knows about the necklace you gave me."

T. Hawk stared at the necklace briefly before he brought his attention back to Juli. "Are you participating in the tournament?" he asked.

"I was, " Juli sighed with disappointment. "My tag team partner and I lost during the second round."

"I'm sorry to hear that," T. Hawk said. "I also lost the tournament back in Round Two."

"Sorry to hear that," Juli replied.

"I assume you're still on the island to support your beloved?" T. Hawk guessed.

Juli sighed a little. "I was until today. Poor guy lost just this morning. But regardless, we're still going to find a way to end this war."

T. Hawk frowned a little. "Really? Even though you both lost the tournament?"

"Yeah. Because this war is more than just about the tournament. We're not sure how we're going to do it, but along with some of our allies, we'll find a way." Juli then tilted her head to him. "When you and I last spoke in Los Angeles, you didn't really say why you were going to another country. Once Scott told me you were here, I had an inkling… are you here to stop the war, too?"

"Yeah," T. Hawk confirmed. "I was. But after I lost the tournament, I'm not certain what path to go on at this point."

"Well, don't give up," she began to encourage him. "Just know that no matter what happens, you're not alone in this battle."

He slowly nodded to her. "I… actually needed to hear that. You always knew the right thing to say. Thank you, Julia - um, sorry. Juli."

"It's all right," Juli assured him. "Well, I should go. I'm sure I'll see you later. Have a good evening."

"You too," he said as Juli turned around and left the restaurant. Briefly, he was reminded of days long gone - and how much he had missed her…

Once Juli was gone, T. Hawk chose that moment to turn back around and return his attention to both the beer and the television in front of him. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he suddenly felt like he was being surrounded by a small group of people.

T. Hawk furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to see who was surrounding him - but he soon recognized three faces - Ganryu, E. Honda, and Hakan. The younger warrior sighed before he asked them, "What is this about?"

"Well, Edmund and I are originally here to meet with a couple of friends for dinner," replied Hakan.

"And I was coincidentally here to grab a drink before I went outside to train," said Ganryu.

"But then we saw you here and thought we'd say hello," added E. Honda. "Also, you looked a little down and we thought maybe you wanted to talk about it if you so wished to."

A smirk came over T. Hawk's face. "You are good friends, but I promise you that I'm fine. When I first sat down, I was thinking that maybe I should head back home to my tribe. But just a few minutes ago, I was reminded of why I came to this tournament - to find a way to stop this war no matter what. Losing the tournament felt like it put a big obstacle on that plan. But then I realized that it really didn't. I was also reminded that I'm not alone in this fight."

"Suddenly, I feel silly about my initial reason for being here," mentioned Ganryu. "Some money and promoting Chanko Paradise. "

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little self promotion as long as it's tasteful," Hakan pointed out.

"Only because you're advertising your products," E. Honda teased his tag team partner. "And your wrestling, of course."

"And you can't help but advertise sumo whenever you get the chance, my friend," Hakan reminded him.

"And it's done without shame," E. Honda said with a big grin on his face.

"T. Hawk's right," Ganryu suddenly cut in. "This tournament is more than just that. There's a war going on, and I'd say we should try to find a way to end it while we're all still here. I don't know how we can do that, but I'm sure we'll find a way."

"In that case, even if Hakan and I lose this tournament, we'll stick around until we do find a way!" E. Honda agreed enthusiastically.

"I couldn't agree more!" Hakan said.

T. Hawk couldn't help the smile that came over his face over his friends' eagerness to end the way. They really were good friends.

It was then that Hakan spotted the two friends he and E. Honda were waiting for as they entered the restaurant. "Dudley! Eagle!" he called out. As soon as the two men spotted him, Hakan waved them over and they promptly walked over to him.

"Good evening, gentlemen," greeted Dudley. "I am glad we can meet up for supper and drinks."

"It's been quite some time since we last met up," mentioned Eagle.

"Has it been a while already?" asked E. Honda. "Well, better late than never." He then turned to T. Hawk and patted his shoulder. "T. Hawk, Ganryu, these are mine and Hakan's friends. Dudley is also a client of Hakan. Dudley, Eagle, these are T. Hawk and Ganryu."

"It's nice to meet you," greeted T. Hawk and he and Dudley shook hands. T. Hawk did find it peculiar that the man was wearing his blue boxing gloves, but didn't question him about it otherwise.

"Same here," replied Ganryu as he shook Eagle's hand.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance," said Dudley. "Any friend of Hakan's is a friend of mine."

"Shall we sit down before all the tables are taken?" asked Eagle.

"Yes," agreed Hakan. "And remember everyone, dinner is on me this evening."

"I at least insist on buying the first round of drinks," said Dudley.

As the six men began to head to a table in the restaurant, T. Hawk trailed behind him, a smirk on his face. At that point, he was feeling a lot better. There was a lot to think about over finding a means of ending the war. At the moment, however, he decided to put that behind him and enjoy an evening filled with good food and good company.

---

Tora Sushi & Ramen Bar, Downtown

Amongst the crowd inside a busy sushi and ramen bar, Smoke and Shura managed to get their own small table near the back corner. It was away from the crowd and gave them a little more privacy. The both of them were each served a plate of various sushi offerings that they let the chef pick for them. They also ordered hot sake for them to share.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time I had yellowtail that fresh," Smoke complimented aloud. Technically, he didn't have to eat or drink to survive these days since he became a cyborg, but the habit of enjoying a meal was a hard one to break. At that point, it was all about the taste and experience.

Shura was halfway done with her plate when she decided to see what else was on the menu. She gazed through the list before one item in particular caught her eye. "What's a fugu?" the Keiseian asked with curiosity.

"That's a blowfish," Smoke began to explain. "They're a type of fish that are actually kind of cute in their own way. However, they're called blowfish because they inflate themselves when threatened by potential prey. They're also full of toxins, so only professionals who trained for years can cut up the fish and serve it to us."

Shura gave him a playful grin. "Toxins, huh? Sounds quite dangerous. You should try it. For the challenge of course."

Smoke immediately shook his head. "Believe it or not, I've had it already in the past when I was still human. And honestly, it's just okay. I actually found it a bit too sweet for my taste."

Shura's eyebrows shot up with surprise at that. "Really?"

"Yeah. And honestly, if you ever hear anyone make a big deal out of it, well… it's really not. The potential toxicity is the main reason Earthrealmers dare themselves to try it in the first place. It's considered a delicacy otherwise." Smoke leaned forward and smirked at Shura. "You know what you should try while you're here on Earthrealm? Balut."

Shura gave him a perplexed gaze. "And what is that exactly?"

Smoke's smirk turned into a big grin. "Now that's something you'll have to find out for yourself. And when you do find out, I want you to tell me all about it."

"...Something tells me it's not as big of a deal as you make it out to be, like fugu," the Keiseian said with suspicion.

Smoke chuckled. "Maybe. If anything, Sub-Zero had it years ago and liked it."

"Has Sareena ever tried it?"

"I don't think so, but I'll ask next time I see her." Smoke then pointed to a particular nigiri on Shura's plate. "Try the unagi. It's super tasty and very tender."

For a while after, the two of them continued to enjoy their meal with Smoke showing her what each piece of sushi was. They then enjoyed a small offering of mixed fruit and whipped cream for dessert - which Shura mentioned was something they also had in her home in Keisei - before their waiter brought the bill over.

"I got this," Shura assured Smoke as she placed some cash down on the table.

Smoke's eyebrows rose up with surprise. "I'm okay with paying half of it at least."

"You can pay next time," Shura said with a wink. That got a smile out of Smoke.

Once the meal was paid for, the two of them headed out of the restaurant and into the outside world. The streets weren't too crowded and though there was still light in the sky, it was clear that it was going to be completely dark sooner than later. After all, the sun had already disappeared behind the island's hill.

"Well, now that dinner's over, what do you want to do next?" Smoke asked.

Shura seemed to think it over for a moment before she gazed up at him. "I think… I think we should head back up."

"Are you tired?" Smoke guessed.

Of course, Smoke figured he would get an answer, likely in the affirmative. What he didn't expect, however, was for Shura to move so that they were face to face before she grabbed for the collar of his shirt with both hands and yanked him close to her.

"Far from it," she whispered seductively - right before she moved in and pressed her lips into his in a searing kiss.

Smoke's eyes were completely wide at that. Not only was it his first kiss in a very, very long time, but in that moment, it was as though every nerve (and every circuit) in his body was on fire. He suddenly felt like an adolescent who was experiencing his first kiss.

After a few moments, Smoke calmed himself the best he could before he closed his eyes and relaxed into the kiss. As his arms went around her waist, Shura's began to go around his shoulders before she lifted her heels to meet with Smoke's height, deepening their liplock.

Smoke nearly chuckled when he felt Shura's hands reach up to dig into the strands of his silver hair. I wonder if she would like my hair long like it used to be? he thought.

And before he knew it, Shura pulled her head away and ended the kiss. Smoke felt a little disappointed that it was over, but upon looking into her deep brown eyes - and noting the lust in them - he realized that their evening was far from over.

"My room or yours?" Shura asked with a seductive grin on her face.

Smoke had to think about it for a moment before he answered her. "Eh… what's your room number?"

"229. Just a simple room. What about you?""

"I'm in Suite 408. It, eh… has a jacuzzi."

Shura tilted her head at that. "You don't have a roommate?"

"Nope. Granted, Sub-Zero and Sareena are next door in 410, as you remember when you first met us, but we should still be good."

Shura laughed. "Well then… lead the way."

Unknown to them, within that same restaurant, the small group consisting of Lita, Lucia, Cammy, Sonya, Chun-Li, Juni, and Christie all sat together to enjoy their sushi and ramen dinner. Since they were right next to the window, they all happened to witness Smoke and Shura sharing their kiss before they ran off hand-in-hand in the direction of the Mishima Hotel.

"Aww how cuuute!" called out Lucia. "Smoke found a girlfriend."

"Or a one-night stand," quipped Sonya.

"Well either way, his evening is far from over," mentioned Lita. She then raised an eyebrow as a question suddenly came over her head. "...Wait, can cyborgs… eh…?"

"I think that's a conversation that should be saved for after we eat," Cammy grumbled just before she took a bite of her takoyaki.

"Aw you're no fun, Cam."

"Anyway," Chun-Li suddenly cut in right after she took a drink of water. "As you might know by now, Lei and I lost the tournament yesterday. So now we have more time than we know what to do with between now and the end of the tournament."

"I know that feeling," answered Lucia. "It's great to have a bit more time, but I'm also bored . I'm almost thinking of joining the island's police force on a temporary basis until our mission is over."

"Think of it as a long-term vacation," Lita reminded her. " Enjoy it until you have to go back to Metro City."

"Hey, it's only a vacation until the time comes for us to save the universe," Sonya reminded them. "Again."

"...Oh bollocks, yeah, that's true. Hey, speaking of fun…" Lita then turned to Juni. "You never told me about your dinner date with Abel. As a matter of fact, you've been pretty quiet in general ever since we spoke about it."

"Wait, what?" Cammy suddenly called out as she turned her attention to Juni. "When was this?"

"Um," Juni started as her mind tried to catch up with the conversation. She then took a deep breath before she said, "It wasn't a date, actually. We, eh… chatted almost a week ago in the gardens. He ended up asking me to have dinner with him as a friend. And I said yes."

"Aaand?" Chun-Li encouraged her.

"...Aaand, um… I lost my nerve and ended up not going after all. And I… didn't tell him…"

"WHAT?!" Lita called out with shock. "You mean to tell me that you ghosted him?! Why?!"

Juni took another deep breath, this only seemingly with a bit more nervousness. "I mean, I was happy about it at first. I didn't mind that we were going as friends. Either way, Abel's a very sweet guy and I'm sure we would've had a nice time. But then something happened that afternoon. I… recalled an old memory. From before Shadaloo brainwashed me…"

"Ooh," Cammy breathed as she understood what Juni was implying. "Do you mind telling us what it was about?"

Juni nodded before she closed her eyes and recalled the old memory. "I can't quite remember the exact timeframe, but I was a teenager for sure. I just had my first kiss with a boy, and I remember being so happy. I also remember what he looked like - he also had blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Just like Abel," said Chun-Li.

"Do you think maybe you find yourself drawn to Abel because your mind might be remembering the boy you knew from your past?" Sonya guessed.

"Maybe," Juni sighed. She ended up wrapping her arms around herself as a frown came over her lips. "But I also couldn't help but wonder about him. Like… were we still together when I was kidnapped? And if so, what if he's been looking for me after all these years? Or did he move on? The only person who would know the answer to those questions is my father, but…"

"You haven't met with him yet," Lita finished for her. Juni simply shook her head in reply, her strawberry blonde hair swaying a little with her head movement.

"That's definitely a complicated situation," Chun-Li mentioned.

"And I don't blame you for not meeting with him while you have all this confusion in your mind," added Cammy.

"But I'm sure he was really disappointed that I didn't at least try to cancel," Juni said. "Once I realized what time it was that evening, it just seemed… pointless. Now I just feel embarrassed that I ghosted him to the point that I've been avoiding him ever since."

Christie - who was quiet through most of the conversation - spoke up. "You shouldn't have to be embarrassed. But at the same time, I can only imagine how confused he is. Whenever you feel ready, the two of you should talk. You don't have to explain everything to him if you don't want to. Still, it doesn't matter what gender you are, it's definitely not a good feeling to make a plan, only for it to fall through somehow without knowing why."

"Yeah, that's true," Juni agreed. She gave Christie a small smile. "Thank you, Christie, I appreciate that."

"You're welcome."

Sonya happened to look down at the table and noticed that everyone had pretty much eaten their meals. "Sooo… should we get more food? Or do something else?"

"Bar hop?" suggested Lita. "I've been wanting to do that since day one."

"Sure, why not?" Lucia agreed. "And maybe if we're lucky, we'll get into another bar brawl!"

"Oh heck no!" Sonya called out. "Cammy and I have a match tomorrow. The less fights we get into between now and then, the better."

"We just have to make sure we don't drink past our limit," Cammy reminded her. "Remember what happened to R. Mika's tag team partner?"

"Riiight. Yeah, I can't imagine what could be worse than that."

---

Mishima Forest

"I'd say this is most definitely us," Julia Chang mentioned aloud as she trekked along a hiking trail.

Walking along next to her, Ryu gave her a perplexed gaze. "What is?" he asked.

Julia laughed over his confusion and gestured to their surroundings. "This evening. Our second date."

"...Oh! Right," Ryu replied a little sheepishly.

Earlier in the afternoon, Ryu and Julia decided to sneak off to the forests of Mishima Island. Julia packed not only a picnic dinner, but she also brought along her tablet in case she ran into anything interesting regarding the ecosystem within the forest. She especially hoped to discover something that may be beneficial to her reforestation project. The sun was starting to set for the evening, but there was still plenty of light left, at least from near the island's hilltop.

"Don't get me wrong," Julia started. "I appreciate Ken's hard work with setting up our evening at the time. But this is already more for us. And with a lot less wine…"

"And a lesson was learned that evening," Ryu teased a little.

"Well, not that evening, but definitely after my match the next day," Julia grumbled. "Then Mika just had to make the 'she's not pregnant!' comment for all the world to hear!" The young woman huffed over that. "At least I was in my Jaycee mask at the time…"

"I'm sure Mika was just looking out for you when she said that," Ryu guessed.

"I guess so. After all, people still assume that a young woman puking in the morning means there must be a bun in the oven. So, so many stupid myths… Oh! Speaking of Mika!" Julia quickly pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. "She was the one who told me about the spot we're going to have our picnic. She wrote the directions right here. It should be about ten minutes Northwest past the torii that's on top of the hill."

"Oh right, I've trained by that torii a few times," Ryu mentioned. He then realized something and gazed at Julia. "You and Mika have been getting along quite well these days compared to our time in Outworld."

"We are," Julia agreed. "I'm pretty sure we, eh… hashed it out pretty well during the Blood Tournament. It's just a shame that it took almost two years for us to talk it out. Still, I'm glad it's something we were able to put behind us."

"I couldn't agree more," Ryu said.

It was another fifteen minutes before they finally reached the spot Mika directed them to. The sight took Julia's breath away as she not only noticed the beautiful clearing that overlooked the Sea of Japan, but also the nearby gazebo. The sun was still above the ocean line as it was descending downwards for the evening. Its yellow and orange rays reached the area they stood on and made it brighter.

"Wow," Julia breathed as she took in the sight before her with her brown eyes. "This view is incredible."

"It is," Ryu agreed as he stood next to her to admire the view. "I'm surprised Mika was willing to share this spot's location."

"Technically, it was Blanka who found it," Julia brought up. "He and Dan thought it was a great spot for training and invited all of us Chosen Ones to come up here anytime we wanted. I knew it would be nice for a picnic, but…" She gestured a hand at their surroundings. "I didn't realize how beautiful it was until now. Imagine this was two months ago when the cherry blossoms started to bloom," She pointed at some of the trees that surrounded them. "I recognize some of these trees. And I wonder - were they always here, or…" A frown came over Julia's lips. "Were they planted here by the Mishima Zaibatsu?"

"Let's not think about that and just enjoy it," Ryu suggested as he took her hand in his. "Besides, I'm starving. I'm almost ready to eat everything in this basket."

Julia laughed as she gently squeezed his hand. "Of course you are. I swear, your stomach is like a bottomless pit when it comes to food!"

"Well, it's a good thing you brought over plenty," Ryu mentioned.

Julia lightly punched the wandering warrior's arm. "If I didn't, I would leave here starving."

"I would never let that happen."

"Uh huh. Now then, start laying out the blanket so I can start setting the food out. The sooner we do, the sooner we can eat."

Of course, those words were all the motivation Ryu needed. "What did you pack?"

"Two bento boxes, one for each of us. Rice, gyoza, chicken kaarage, shredded cabbage, and carrots. I also have another box with your favorite dessert - mizuyokan. And it's the red bean type, too."

Ryu smiled at that. "You know me too well."

It wasn't long before the two of them sat down to enjoy their meal in contented silence with the sun setting over the Sea of Japan in front of them.

---

Tek-ken Steakhouse, Bar Area

"What will it be?" a bartender asked aloud.

Not feeling at his greatest, Wagner lifted his head - which was filled with a massive headache - from the long bar table he sat at. "Huh?"

"That bad of a day?"

"You have no idea. And I swear, I haven't had one sip of alcohol yet."

"I know, I saw you come in ten minutes ago walking in a straight line," the bartender informed him. "So, what will it be?"

Wagner thought about it for a moment before he made a decision. "...What's the strongest stuff you have here?"

"That'll be the Autowārudorikā."

He couldn't tell if it was his headache or not, but Wagner felt perplexed by the bartender's offer. "Um… come again?"

"That's what we call, 'Outworld Liquor.'"

"...What's the second strongest stuff you have here?"

"That'll be the Spirytus vodka."

"...I'll take it neat in a double shot glass."

The bartender nodded and left just as someone started to sit next to him. Wagner looked to see who joined him and quickly recognized his tag team partner, Alex Walker. Well, she was his tag team partner until earlier that morning.

"Hey," Alex greeted as she leaned her back against the bar table. "How are you feeling?"

Wagner groaned. "We just lost our match and I'll probably never hear the end of it for the rest of my life. I mean, damn, no one told me Alisa was an android!"

"Hey, it was no picnic for me either," Alex pointed out. She rubbed the side of her head tenderly. "I'm still feeling a sore spot where Lars hit me after you were knocked out."

"You know… I'm surprised there hasn't been any reports of concussions with all these knockout matches. Wonder why that is…"

Alex shrugged. "Who knows. Then again, this world we live in has been a bit loopy lately."

"Tell me about it."

"By the way," Alex started. "Cyrax told me after the match that Lars and Alisa were recruited to our little 'club' by Liu Kang."

"...Really?" Wagner grumbled with annoyance.

"Yup. Apparently, they joined up two days ago, but they obviously haven't been formally introduced to everyone else yet."

"...Well, it wasn't like Cyrax knew we would face them. Still, it would've been nice to know that Alisa's an android beforehand. I'm sure someone in this world watching the tournament already created a reaction meme with my face on it by now."

"If I happen to see it on the internet, I'll let you know."

By then, Wagner's drink arrived. After he placed the drink down, the bartender looked over at Alex, who immediately lifted three fingers. "Uisukī no san-pon, eh… no yubi. Suntory Hibiki."

The bartender nodded and left to make her drink.

"Three fingers of whiskey," Alex explained. "Suntory Hibiki is the brand name."

"Ah," Wagner said right before he took a shot of his own drink. As soon as he downed it, his eyes went wide momentarily before he keeled over and started coughing and gasping a bit. "FUCK that shit burns all the way down!"

Alex chuckled at his reaction. "What is that anyway?"

"Apparently the strongest stuff on Earth," Wagner replied. "It was either that or Outworld Liquor and, well… you know how I feel about the latter after that campfire incident in Outworld."

"Who could forget? You okay?"

"Yeah yeah," Wagner grumbled as he straightened himself up and wiped the tears at the corner of his eyes. "I'm cool."

Just as Alex received her drink, someone started to hover over the two, but mainly over Alex. The both of them turned to see who it was, only to notice a complete stranger - some dude around Wagner's age with messy red hair and an ingrown mustache who had some muscle to him. He grinned at Alex despite unfocused eyes, and it was clear that his smile showed nothing more than nefarious intentions.

"Hey there hot stuuuff!" the man said, his voice slightly slurred and his breath reeked of alcohol. He then noted Wagner, even with unfocused eyes, before he shifted them back to Alex. "Damn baby, are pickings that slim? How about you ditch skinny boy here and we can go spend some real quality time together?"

"Oh yeah, buddy, just talk like I'm not here while I'm five feet away," Wagner pointed out with a hint of sarcasm. "Do you even remember where you are and why we're all here in the first place?"

The stranger paid him no mind. Wagner thought about clocking him in the face out of principle… but within seconds, he realized that he didn't have to for a good reason - and suppressed a grin in anticipation.

Alex chuckled a little as she swirled the alcohol in her glass. She then gazed up at the stranger with her blue eyes and gave him her sweetest smile. "Oh don't worry about him, sweetie. He's not my man." She then tilted her head, her eyes still on the stranger's - and quickly dropped her smile. "The one with the sword and standing directly behind you is."

Alex and Wagner took satisfaction at the stranger's wide eyes before he whirled around - became dizzy momentarily - before his eyes set on Kenshi, who just walked into the bar section of the restaurant a few moments ago.

"Oh! Oh SHIT!" the stranger yelled out as he raised his hands up in defeat. "I'm going, I'm going!" He then ran off before anything else happened.

Kenshi shook his head, an amused smirk on his face. "Clearly he's seen one of my matches if it garnered that kind of reaction."

"Well to be fair, you do kind of stand out in the crowd," Wagner pointed out. "Your powers, your magic sword, your… well…"

"Blindfold?" Alex finished for him.

"...Yeah."

Kenshi's amused smirk grew bigger. "Maybe I should've taken off the blindfold and gave him a nice surprise."

Wagner snorted. "Granted, your pale eyes and old burn scars can catch anyone by surprise. I should know of course. But when you really think about it, it's actually not that intimidating. No offense."

"None taken."

Alex suddenly grinned as an idea came to her. She turned her attention to Kenshi. "Hey. I dare you to show Wagner your new 'look.'"

Kenshi chuckled a little and he started to lift up his blindfold. Wagner rolled his eyes at that. "What could possibly be different than what I've already HOLY GLOW SHIT WHAT THE FUCK?!"

The last thing Wagner expected was Kenshi's eyes to not only have since turned as blue as his psychokinesis, but also glow like a pair of mini headlights.

Alex started to laugh uncontrollably over Wagner's reaction as Kenshi pulled his blindfold back over his eyes. "I'm surprised at you, Wagner," the swordsman started with a hint of amusement. "I thought you'd be used to weird stuff by now."

"Well, yeah," Wagner replied. "But weird stuff can still catch you by surprise. By the way, how did you end up with that anyway?"

"My theory is that it's the after effects of a certain… legend," Kenshi guessed. He tried to remain as vague as possible since the three of them were out in public. "During our battle, our eyes started to glow in our respective colors as our inner powers started to take effect. As I'm sure you've noticed, the others didn't end up with the same eye effect as I did. My guess as to why is because I'm the only one of us who's blind."

"That's a great theory and all," Wagner began as he got off his bar stool and rubbed his temples with both hands. "But right now, I'm starting to think that it might be a good idea for me to head back to my room. I thought getting out would improve my headache, but… clearly that's not happening."

"Well I'm sure you feel better by tomorrow," said Alex.

"Here's hoping," Wagner replied. He left some cash on the table for his drink before he began to depart. "I'll see you two around."

"Bye."

Once Wagner left the bar, Kenshi decided to sit on the stool Wagner occupied a moment ago. He faced the service area as Alex continued to lean her back against the table. "Sorry you two lost the tournament," he soon said.

Alex shrugged a little. "I don't know about Wagner, but I didn't expect to make it to the finals or anything unless it was out of sheer luck. Still, it was fun while it lasted." She gave him a grin even though he couldn't see it. "Now I get to cheer you and Ermac on from the sidelines. Apparently, word around the island is that you two are one of the top tag teams the spectators are rooting for."

"So I heard," Kenshi replied with a small smirk. "I wonder if anyone else in our group have that distinguished 'honor.'"

"Apparently King and Marduk do, but they were already popular wrestlers before the tournament began," Alex pointed out. "I'll have to do a little more digging to see who else is on that list. It might be a good way for you and Ermac to figure out the potential competition, especially if you both end up in the top twelve."

"Maybe. At the very least, it would be nice if there was a way to get close to Jin and… figure out his mind set."

Alex frowned a little at that. "It would be nice to figure out his motives, wouldn't it?"

Kenshi nodded solemnly at that. "I can only wonder what it is that made Jin want to plunge Earthrealm into war. What motivation does he have that made him want to turn his back on everything he stood for?"

"To be fair, we only knew him for a couple of years. Maybe his intentions weren't as pure as we thought it would be."

"I know, but you have to remember. Not only did I fight Jin in the Blood Tournament, but he and I also fought side by side during the Universal War to… you know. After all that time, I never suspected a thing. Well, there was a point where… wait!" A small gasp suddenly escaped the swordsman's lips as something suddenly occurred in his mind. "Damn! Why didn't I remember until now?"

"Remember what?" Alex asked with confusion.

Kenshi thought it over momentarily before he made a decision. "It's something Ryu and I noticed that day, and I wonder if he remembers it, too. But we can't talk about it here. Let's head back to our room and order in. We'll talk about it then."

Alex nodded at that. "Okay. Sounds good."

---

G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal

Within his sleeping quarters, Mavado was having a comm meeting through a laptop. On the laptop screen was the face of his boss, Daegon - whose face was mostly obstructed by screen glitches because of the interference of the old compound they were in.

"The mission is still going as expected," Mavado informed the Red Dragon leader. "However, Quan Chi recently requested to have a few more members of the Red Dragon sent here to Nepal."

"And what reason does he have to ask for more of our soldiers?" Daegon asked with some irritation.

"Mainly for security around his fortress in Egypt," Mavado explained. "Especially on the off-chance that the Brotherhood of Shadow decide to take… advantage of the situation. In my opinion, it's a matter of paranoia on his part."

Daegon was silent for a moment before he finally answered. "Fine. I'll send fifteen more soldiers to him. But warn him that the Zaibatsu's war is getting closer to our main base in Charred Mountain. We cannot afford to stretch our clan any further. If the Zaibatsu manages to breach our compound and discover-"

"I'll let him know," Mavado quickly promised. "Is there anything else?"

"Not at this time," Daegon answered. "Unless an urgent matter occurs, report back to me at this time next week as usual."

With that, the screen went completely black and ended the call. Mavado took a deep breath and leaned his back against his seat. He was just starting to rub his eyes from tiredness when he heard a light knock at his door.

Mavado groaned as he forced himself to get up from his chair. This better be good, he thought as he reached the door. As soon as he opened it, he was met with a familiar face that gave him a coy smile.

"Don't worry," Kira began to say. "No one saw me."

Mavado quickly opened the door further to let Kira in. As soon as she was in his room, Mavado swiftly closed and locked it behind him. "You're lucky you arrived when you did."

Kira raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"I just finished a meeting with Daegon."

"Oh?" Kira questioned with intrigue. "Anything interesting?"

"Just the usual Red Dragon business."

"So a nice little secret then," Kira teased.

Mavado shook his head as he walked past her. He went to his bed before he promptly sat down at the edge of it. Otherwise, he said nothing else.

"What's up with you?" Kira asked as she placed her hand on her hip and leaned to one side.

Mavado rubbed his temples with his fingers before he answered her. "This lull in our mission is irritating. The Universal War seemed to go faster than this last year."

"Well, the Universal War kept us on our toes last time," Kira figured. "It made things a tad bit more exciting. Right now, we're just waiting around and killing time with this tournament while Quan Chi does… whatever he plans to do with that temple."

"Right," Mavado grumbled.

Kira then chose that moment to walk over to him before she gently placed both of her hands on his shoulders. She then bent forward a little to gaze at his dark brown eyes with her hazel ones. "You think Quan Chi might have an ulterior motive?"

Mavado knew - as the Red Dragon's XO - that he shouldn't share what was on his mind. But in a very rare moment, he threw caution to the wind. "Our deal with Quan Chi was to help reach our respective goals. We filled our end of the bargain when he became Emperor of Outworld. He was supposed to help the Red Dragon dominate Earthrealm. That's why my clan and I are here in the first place."

"You think you won't fulfill his end of the bargain?"

"...No. There's a reason he's interested in that temple. And there's a reason those villagers have fiercely protected it for centuries. What if he's holding back crucial information that would give him the upperhand and kill us all?"

"And if that time comes, we'll find a way to stop him," Kira said. "And if Daegon is as powerful as you say he is, I'm sure he'll take care of it."

Mavado knew that Kira was speaking the truth - even though she didn't know it. He had yet to share the fact that Daegon was a demi-God who happened to be the Son of Argus, a Protector of Edenia from long before Shao Kahn invaded the realm. Daegon could easily annihilate Quan Chi in an instant if he so desired to.

"Or…" Kira continued. "Maybe he'll surprise you and fulfill his deal after all."

"That would be nice," Mavado said as he reached a hand up to grasp hers. "But as you know in our line of work, loyalty is a rare commodity."

"So is what we have here," Kira said with some mirth.

Mavado huffed with some amusement before he turned his head to kiss the back of her hand. He then looked back up at her and smirked. "You know, it may have been a year since we… started this. But you know it's still dangerous for the both of us."

Kira smiled as she moved to straddle his hips before she settled on his thighs and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'll take my chances. You know how much I love danger by now."

Mavado answered that by swiftly claiming her lips in a searing kiss, one Kira eagerly returned. It wasn't long before the two found themselves under the sheets…

Meanwhile, Stryker found himself in a one-on-one conversation with Hotaru in a small meeting room. Initially, Hotaru wanted to discuss their respective missions. Luckily, it was more about what they already knew from the other rather than Stryker's true reason for being at G-Corporation. The trick was for Stryker to choose his words carefully. One wrong explanation would likely send the Seidan Guardsman into suspicion.

"This war is only getting worse with each passing day," Hotaru mentioned. It wasn't the first time Stryker heard him say that increasingly… with each passing day. "The more the war goes on, the worse the chaos."

"I agree with you there," Stryker simply replied.

"Mr. Mishima will figure out how to quell this chaos sooner or later."

"...That I'm certain."

At that point, there was nothing more to talk about, though Stryker noticed how Hotaru stared at him as though he was expecting him to say more. Stryker shook his head. "I don't have any other input to share today." He then suddenly found a way to kill a little time. "But I do have a question for you if you don't mind answering."

"That would depend on the question," Hotaru warned. "Even as one of the highest ranking Seidan Guardsmen, it is my duty to not divulge Seido's sacrality to outsiders."

"...I see. Okay, well… tell me about Seido in general. I mean, what you're allowed to tell me, of course. And I don't mean about your people and government. I mean - what is the weather like? Stuff like that."

Hotaru sat back a little in his seat as his mind thought carefully over what he could share with his tag team partner. "It is what one would call, 'tranquil.' From my studies of Earthrealm, it is similar to that of the lush green cliffs and clear waters of Langkawi. We have two types of lands - Lowlands and Highlands. The Lowlands are where the majority of the Seidans live. They are just as similar as your green lands of Earthrealm. The Highlands - man-made structures suspended in the sky - are platforms with pyramids as the central focus. Our senate, military, and the elite live among the Highlands.

Ah, so your elites like to look down on the commoners, too, Stryker wanted to say aloud, but he forced himself to bite his tongue. Instead, he asked, "What about the Guardsman? What made you decide to join?"

"Every Seidan citizen is required to serve for two years in our military as soon as they reach adulthood," Hotaru replied a little firmly. "Upon the completion of their mandatory service, they must then choose the path that will set them for life - they may either remain in the military and begin training in any position their superiors deem fit, or become an apprentice in whatever occupation they wish to work for the betterment of Seido based on the list available to them by law."

"So," the Earthrealmer started. "If the list contains being a doctor, they can choose that. But if they wanted to be, say… a swordsmith, but it's not on the list, that's not an option for them?"

"Precisely."

"And what if they changed their minds about their career halfway to retirement?"

"Unless they are physically prevented from continuing their chosen occupation, no, they cannot choose another career path." Hotaru suddenly stood up from his seat before he said. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to take this opportunity to continue my studies on the laws of Japan before it becomes late. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Stryker answered as Hotaru left the room and closed the door behind him.

Huh… he left in a hurry. And he definitely didn't mention why he decided to stay with the guardsman, Stryker realized. Still… I'm glad I'm not in Seido right now.

Stryker then gazed out the window momentarily, his eyes spotting the forest that surrounded the compound he was in. He knew that the city of Kathmandu was near - as were the Himalayas - but all of that was blocked by the city smog. Stryker briefly wondered how his allies were doing on Mishima Island. He also wondered what Kabal was doing right at that moment.

I really need to find some hardcore evidence right about now, he thought. The sooner I can figure out their true motives, the sooner I can complete my undercover mission.

---

The Docks

While leaning against the steering wheel of her ship, Ruby Heart sipped from the tequila bottle she had in her hand as she gazed out at the docks in front of her. As the sun finished setting behind the island's hill, she saw many of the fighters and visitors of the island go about their day as if the war around them didn't exist. She personally didn't blame them - it was nice to focus on other things if only for a little while.

That seemed to be the case for the Chosen Ones for the time being. As for Ruby Heart, her recent melancholy was little better than it was a week ago, but things could be better for her. Aside from the events of last year, recent thoughts about what she knew about the war on Earthrealm plagued her mind.

I wonder how much these people know about the finer details of this war? she asked herself. At least they do know there's a-

Her thoughts were suddenly cut short as she heard a small explosion close behind her as though fire was suddenly ignited. The pirate quickly whirled around in a panic - only to come face to face with the new Protector of Earthrealm himself.

"Good evening, Ruby Heart," Liu Kang greeted casually.

"CRAP!" Ruby Heart screamed as she nearly jumped a mile. Luckily, she managed to not drop the bottle that was in her hand. "Dammit, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," Liu Kang said as he raised both his hands up in defeat. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It seems to be your thing if the last group meeting was anything to go by."

Liu Kang chuckled sheepishly at that. "I guess I'm still trying to figure out how to approach mortals as a newer God of the Heavens without scaring them."

"That makes sense." Ruby Heart then glared at him with suspicion. "Let me guess. Zafina sent you to check up on me."

"Actually, it was Fujin," Liu Kang revealed. "He came to me earlier today so I could update him on our progress. Then he requested for me to check on you."

"...Oh," Ruby Heart replied. She then rolled her good eye. "He should've said hello himself."

"He does send his regards," Liu Kang confirmed. "He thought it was best to remain scarce during this mission since he's an Elder God again."

"Oh, so… what? Just because he's an Elder God again, he's no longer good enough for us simple mortals?"

Liu Kang shook his head a little. "I know you're just saying that because you're trying to find the bottom of that bottle in your hand, but you of all people know that's not the case. Fujin has been more involved with mortals than even Lord Raiden was over the centuries. His experience is one of the reasons why he and Raiden were picked to be Elder Gods at the same time not long before the Blood Tournament. And if it wasn't for him, the Universal War wouldn't have ended the way it did."

The God of Fire heard Ruby Heart let out a sharp breath before she pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "Yeah… you're right. I'm just… pissed off, that's all."

"I did notice you've been very scarce throughout our time here on the island. You even opted out of staying at one of the hotels here."

"Well, you would too if you live on a ship that contains a nice, comfy bed with everything you need."

"Fair enough. But even your tag team partner doesn't see you except on days you have your match, or whenever we have our meetings."

"I like Zafina, but just because we're partners, that doesn't mean we need to become best buddies or anything. Besides, friends are overrated. It just makes it suck that much more when they suddenly die on you."

From what he knew about the events of last year, Liu Kang figured out quickly why she said that. "Tell me about your experience during the Universal War," he asked gently.

Ruby Heart took a deep breath before she managed to straighten herself up. "I know where this is going… but I suppose I can indulge in your 'request' just this once."

The pirate walked across the deck until she reached the edge. From there, she leaned against the wooden railing and gazed out at the sea, her back to Liu Kang.

"I was sailing over Kerala when the war began. My ship crashed near Dhalsim's village, which was lit on fire by the Outworld Forces. We were both sole survivors. I lost my crew. He lost his family and neighbors. Perhaps it was fate that we found each other then despite our respective tragedies. Dhalsim's knowledge of the Ano Sentaku Bou legend was the key to ending the war. And I had the ship to help him with his task in finding The Four.

"At one point, Fujin showed up as he was guided to meet with Dhalsim. We eventually all came up with the plan to gather the Chosen Ones and bring the fight to Outworld. My ship suffered from a propeller issue from the crash and it took over a month to fix it." Ruby Heart chuckled a little with almost no humor. "Had that not been the issue, we would've ended the war a lot sooner, at least I like to think that…

"So we found the Chosen Ones, figured out who The Four were - and you can imagine my shock when Dhalsim figured out Ivy was one of them - and took the fight to Outworld, just as we planned."

A frown came over Ruby Heart's face as she folded her arms in front of her. "The war lasted two months for us Earthrealmers, but it felt much longer. And all that time, I expected to die. And I suppose Dhalsim knew he would die, too. When I last saw him alive, he was leading Ryu, Jin, and Kenshi to their destiny. I never saw a braver look on anyone's face for someone who was prepared to see the end. Fujin was the one who saw them off. I simply watched from the cave. I didn't say goodbye… because I thought we were both going to die by the end of it all…

"...Dhalsim was the only one out of all of us to die that day. The rest of us lived. Myself included."

Liu Kang had an inkling as to Ruby Heart's thought process as she told her story. "You believed that destiny had you survive your ship's crash so you can live long enough to help end the war. Dhalsim surviving the onslaught of his home was destiny's way to making sure he saw through to the Ano Sentaku Bou legend. In the end, you both succeeded and your destinies fulfilled. But you lived and he didn't."

"It's not just about surviving," Ruby Heart began to explain. She shook her a little. "I mean, sure, he did more good than I did. I admit, he should've been the one to live over me. But then again, it may have been a good thing after all that he didn't get to see the fruits of his labor."

Liu Kang frowned a little at those words. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, because of two things," Ruby Heart started. "One, at least he is reunited with his family and neighbors in the afterlife. My clairvoyant powers confirmed it. But recently, I just started thinking about the second reason it may be a good thing; Jin Kazama."

"...Because of the war he started."

"Yes. It's funny because when Dhalsim discovered Ivy was one of The Four, it almost seemed like a joke to me. I fought her during the Keisei invasion right before Dhalsim confirmed it. She was not only the Outworld Empress, but her fighting style was brutal and almost merciless. Eventually, though I didn't trust her , I did trust Dhalsim's own trust in her. Until the end, I hoped for the best, but expected the words."

"And your thoughts on Ivy now…?"

"...Now, ironically, I'm one of the few who believes she'll prove herself before the end of this mission. Because when I first saw her after all was said and done, I could tell that Dhalsim's trust left a great mark on her. Because of that, I believe that she will come through and honor his sacrifice.

"Meanwhile, I trusted Jin completely to see through to the mission, which he did. When he won the fifth King of Iron Fist Tournament after, I thought he would do good with the Zaibatsu being in his hands. Instead…"

Ruby Heart clenched her fists as she whirled around to face Liu Kang, who stood a few feet away from her. "Why the fuck did he start this damn war?! Why the hell did he decide to spit on Dhalsim's sacrifice?! That part pisses me off more than anything!"

Liu Kang took a deep breath at that. "Even I don't know the answer to that, and I wish I did for all of your sake. The only thing I can offer is that, hopefully, at least one of our teams will win this tournament and get close enough to get answers to our questions."

Ruby Heart sighed. "I wish I could say that was good enough…"

"I know, but if we're lucky, that may change in the future. But for now, we need to be patient. We're only in the second day of Round Three. There's still a bit of a way to go…"

Liu Kang then took a couple of steps forward towards the pirate. "In the meantime, Ruby Heart, let me say this; as a Chosen One, it doesn't matter how big or small your contribution is. You are important to this mission just as much as you were during the last. Don't ever forget that."

Ruby Heart closed her eye and she slowly nodded. "Thanks. Your words are appreciated." A small smirk came over her lips. "You're definitely a much better leader than I was when it came to raising morale. I left that part to Fujin and Dhalsim."

Liu Kang chuckled at that. "Well, everyone has their own leadership style. Take Lord Raiden for example; depending on the mission, he's either all serious, or throws in some humor when it's needed." He then scratched the side of his head a little. "Apparently, he was a mixture of both during the Blood Tournament from what I heard."

"Maybe that depends on the point of view of those who were there," Ruby Heart guessed with a shrug of her shoulders. The pirate then took a deep breath as she gazed over at the bottle she left by the steering wheel. "Well… I'm at least feeling better enough to not finish that off. You can have it if you want. It's just some cheap tequila I got from my mother's bar back in Norway."

"I don't drink, but thank you," Liu Kang replied. He then gave her a concerned gaze. "Will you be alright?"

"I will be," Ruby Heart promised. "Even though survivor's guilt is a pain in the ass."

Somehow, that made Liu Kang think about the attack that occurred at the Shaolin Temple years ago in his mortal days; after Earthrealm won the Mortal Kombat tournament and Shao Kahn sent his forces to attack the temple. Many monks, most Liu Kang knew since childhood, died that evening. It was, sadly, a night he would never forget, even to this day as an immortal.

"That it is," was all he said in reply.

---

Mishima Forest

After nearly a half hour of chatting and eating, Ryu leaned himself back against a tree as he patted his stomach. "That was delicious! I wouldn't mind a few more bites if possible."

Julia laughed as she began to pack up the bento boxes. "Sorry, but I ate all of my share. And yes, that includes the mizuyokan. That reminds me, isn't there a vending machine station not too far from the hotel? Maybe we can stop at one on our way back."

"There is," Ryu confirmed. "I had their instant ramen a couple of days ago that's actually quite decent. They also have a machine with canned oden. I haven't tried that yet, but King said the one he got was not too bad."

"I'll have to check it out," Julia said. "Besides, I've always been curious about the wonders of Japanese vending machines. Is it true that they actually have a vending machine for canned bread?"

"Not that I've seen," Ryu answered. "Though it wouldn't surprise me. I once saw a vending machine full of sake samples during my last stop in Tokyo."

"Huh, interesting," Julia uttered. "And here I thought I heard of every vending machine in existence."

Ryu chuckled as he stood up on his feet. "This was a really nice picnic. Good food, food scenery, and of course, good company."

Julia smiled big at that just as she zipped up the bag she brought with her to pack their dinner. "It really was nice, wasn't it?"

"Mmhm. And I know the perfect way to end it - a sparring match."

Julia chuckled as she turned to face Ryu. "I should've seen that coming. But I'll take you up on your offer." She took her glasses off before she slipped them into her pocket. "Besides, I could use the exercise." The young woman then posed herself in her fighting stance. "Shall we?"

Ryu nodded before he got himself in his once stance just a few feet away. They both stood like this for only a couple of seconds before Julia quickly slid towards him and threw the first punch. Ryu, of course, blocked it with ease. From there, Julia attempted to follow up with a kick to his side, but the wanderer jumped back before the hit connected. He then ducked underneath Julia's high roundhouse before he stepped forward and delivered a palm strike to her abdomen. The force of the hit reeled her back a few feet.

Julia took a quick breath before she shook her head and focused back on the spar. "I should've seen that one coming," she mentioned.

Ryu smirked at her briefly before Julia flew forward to cover the space between them once more. With a battle cry, the young brunette ducked underneath an incoming punch from Ryu before she rammed her shoulder into his chest. That caused him to hurl back a few feet until his back hit against a nearby tree. After he regained his balance, Ryu charged up some chi in between his hands.

"Hadouken! " Ryu called out as he shot out his light blue ball projectile. Of course, Julia saw it coming and swiftly slid underneath it to evade the attack. She then got on one hand and pushed herself up to deliver a kick, but Ryu shifted him away before it hit him.

From there, Julia rolled back and promptly got on her feet once more. Neither she nor Ryu hesitated to cover the space between them and throw various punches and kicks at each other. Both were attempting to get themselves on the offensive. This went on for a few seconds until Julia attempted a forward palm strike with both hands. However, Ryu saw it coming and promptly jumped back to evade it.

Julia then dashed towards Ryu - only to trip over a rock she didn't realize was there until that moment.

"Whoa!" she cried out as she flew forward. Before she knew it, Julia crashed right into Ryu, who let out an ' oomph!' the second she slammed into him. They both then tumbled onto the ground until Julia found herself right on top of Ryu! Briefly, the two of them looked at each other almost in a mix of shock and embarrassment over their predicament.

Julia soon laughed as she looked down at Ryu. "I can't remember the last time I was that clumsy."

Ryu gave her a small smile as her comment reminded him of something from the past. "Do you remember when we first met? Back at the Blood Tournament in Outworld?"

"Yes. Ugh, that was embarrassing! Not only did I make a fool of myself tripping over my own feet, but I ended up spilling hot tea on your gi. I'm shocked I didn't burn your skin off in the process."

"It wasn't that hot," Ryu recalled. "Did I ever tell you how, later that day, Ken mentioned how much you blushed when I took off my gi that day?"

Julia rolled her eyes, though she chuckled regardless. "No, you never did. But that doesn't surprise me. About what Ken said, I mean."

Julia's eyes then relaxed and became more fond. Her smile was warm as she reached a hand out to brush her fingers through his strands of black hair that fell over his red bandana. "You know," she started, her voice a little quieter. "I always thought you had such beautiful eyes. Like a dark mahogany."

Ryu was lost for words on what to say, but he did at least smile at her. Julia smiled more before she cupped his face with her hands and leaned down to capture his lips with her own. Ryu let himself sink into the kiss as his arms instinctively went around Julia's waist.

As they continued their tender kiss, Ryu's mind began to wander. Not for the first time since their first date, he thought about the subject of… taking their relationship to the next step. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that their second date this evening could not have been more perfect. With that in mind, he decided not to broach the subject just yet.

Julia soon ended the kiss, and she pulled her head back just enough to look at Ryu and smile at him. "We should head back to the hotel," she suggested. "Mika and I plan to meet up at the gym early in the morning to practice since our match is scheduled for the day after. The sooner I get to bed, the better I'll sleep."

"Sounds like a plan," Ryu agreed. "That'll be an opportunity for me to meditate."

Julia laughed, mainly because she knew it was something he would say. "Of course."

From there, they both stood up, though Ryu took a moment to take Julia's hand and help her up. They then gathered their belongings before they headed back through the hill's trail and back down towards their hotel. Throughout the whole walk, they held hands and remained in contented silence.

---

Mishima Hotel - East Facing Side

The sun was just beginning to set when Kenshi and Alex Walker settled on the outdoor balcony table with their sushi dinner. Though there was a nice view of the sea beyond the downtown area, their suite faced east, so there was no view of the setting sun.

Not that the swordsman could see it or anything.

"Careful with the wasabi," Alex started to tease just before she took a bite of her ikura sushi.

Kenshi shook his head as he grabbed a tuna nigiri with his chopsticks. "You and the rest of Special Forces will never let me live that down, will you?"

Alex chuckled. "Well, at least you caught on to Cyrax's prank on time that night. Imagine if you didn't?

"It was those keen senses that helped me. Though my nose didn't feel right for an hour…"

"True, but what really caught us all by surprise was when you convinced Jax to rig Cyrax's digital music collection and make it play nothing but Who Let the Dogs Out in all of its repetitive glory, no matter which song he tried to play."

"I was surprised Jax was willing to go along with it," Kenshi mentioned. "But it turns out he was looking to get back at Cyrax for that time he hacked into Jax's mechanical arms and forced him to do the Mr. Roboto dance."

"Ha! I remember that." Alex grinned over an old memory. "You know, that was the day I realized how devious you can actually be when push came to shove. You were so serious up until that point. Technically, you still were after the fact, but the potential was there."

Kenshi smirked. "Then I assume it wasn't love at first sight for you."

Alex snorted. "Nope. Though I admit, I was curious from day one. After all, it's not everyday you meet a blind swordsman with telekinetic powers who can make his way around with ease with a mystical ancient sword."

"Well, the world can be interesting if you know where to look."

"Present company included?" Alex teased.

Kenshi let out a feigned huff as he put his chopsticks down. "If my blindness could talk, it would ask, 'am I a joke to you?'"

"...Only once in a while. Could be worse. I could be calling you 'Keanu' like Cyrax did when you first joined the team."

Kenshi shook his head at that. "One pop culture reference reminder and I've been living it down ever since…"

"Two references, actually," Alex reminded him. "Does Daredevil ring a bell?"

"...Riiight. Anyway, let's not talk about that anymore."

Alex decided then and there to get right to the reason they decided to eat their dinner in their hotel instead of downtown. "Now's the time to talk about what you remembered at the steakhouse. Something that involved Jin."

Kenshi nodded solemnly as he leaned back in his chair. "Do you remember how it was just Ryu, Jin and I fighting against Shao Kahn before Ivy eventually showed up?" Alex nodded before the swordsman continued. "Well, before Ivy arrived, something happened with Jin that neither Ryu nor I could explain at the time it happened. As a matter of fact, neither of us ever talked about it to each other except during the fight itself, and even that was very brief. Between that battle, Dhalsim's death, and trying to get back home, it just… I never thought about it again."

"Until today."

Kenshi nodded again. "It was right after Shao Kahn threw me across the field. While I was recovering, Jin was fighting him and was… struggling with something at the same time. He unleashed this strong energy, and it's aura… I can't explain it. It was dark, but it wasn't fully evil either. It was like two sides of the same coin have fused and balanced together. That's the only way I can describe it.

"At one point, Jin transformed into something. I was able to 'see' his silhouette at that point with the aura that was around him. He actually had wings, each one spread out and were each as long as his own height. And it was also like he became stronger. Because up to that point, any attacks on Shao Kahn had very little effect on him. When he threw his hammer, Jin actually grabbed it and threw it back at him. It actually hit him and knocked him onto his back. Ryu commented then that it was the first time any of us was able to do that since the fight began. And that was all that was mentioned about his aura and transformation…

"That's also all I remember about that moment. Like I said, I put it in the back of my mind with everything else that happened after. Now I'm starting to wonder if maybe there might be something to it. And I wonder if Ryu remembers…"

"Perhaps now's the time you two talked about it," Alex suggested. "And maybe depending on Ryu's side of the story, it might be a good idea to inform Liu Kang and Zafina about it just in case it might have some kind of significance to this current war."

"Maybe," Kenshi said. "But then again, it might just be nothing."

"It's better to be safe than sorry."

Kenshi took a deep breath as he reached out to give a gentle pat on Alex's shoulder. "I'll talk to Ryu at least. And maybe Ivy. She may have noticed something in her fight against him during the Blood Tournament. From there, we'll decide if it's worth bringing it up to Liu Kang and Zafina."

"Right," Alex said - and in that moment, she felt some pain in her shoulders. After taking a moment to put her plate down on the table, she reached a hand up to massage the spot between the base of her neck and shoulder.

"You okay?" Kenshi asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex assured him. "I'm still sore from this morning's tournament match. I'm thinking I'm gonna hop into the whirlpool after I finish my plate. I haven't really taken advantage of it since we came to this island." A small smirk came over her face. "You can join me if you want."

Kenshi responded by giving her a side smirk. "I think I may take you up on that. But under one condition."

Alex raised a brow at that. "And that is…"

"...Make sure you use some mint first."

That caused Alex to roll her eyes. "Hey, it's not my fault you decided we should get a sushi dinner."

Kenshi's smirk grew bigger. "And it's not my fault Sento decided to heighten my other senses to make up for my loss of sight."

"...Touché." Alex then got up from her seat and took her plate with her. "When you're ready, you better use some mint, too. Believe it or not, whether canned or fresh, tuna breath isn't exactly pleasant for me, either."

Kenshi chuckled at that. "As you wish."

---

Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters

Deep within the headquarters of the Mishima Zaibatsu was a private gym that was exclusive to the company's CEO and anyone who was granted access. As the day ended and all but the night shift had settled for the evening, Jin Kazama chose that time to train in the private gym.

Jin wore black trousers with an orange and yellow flame on the right leg, a black and indigo karate belt around his waist, red and black footpads, and black and red gauntlets that extended to his elbows. The gauntlets were also black and red with studs shaping into a triangle at the back of each fist. He practiced his katas in the middle of the gym on top of an unfolded black mattress.

For the most part, Jin's mind was clear from any thoughts. However, ever once in a while, especially when he made a mistake in his practice, an old memory would seemingly flood his vision - unwanted and seemingly out of nowhere.

Tonight, for the first time in a very long time, his thoughts were of his late mother…

Jin closed his eyes as he performed a round kick. He found himself back in Yakushima Forest - his childhood home - in a time when the air seemed clean and crisp and the sun was brighter than he could ever remember. Even after all this time, he still remembered training next to his mother like it was only yesterday…

Always focus on the immediate moment, the voice of Jun Kazama echoed in his head. Not your day before. Not the outcome you want later.

With a shout, Jin unleashed two punches in the air - one after the other - before he pivoted on his foot and used his other leg to perform a side kick. He then followed through by taking a step forward and extended his arm for an elbow strike. With another shout, he jumped up and forward to execute a double upward kick before he landed gracefully on the mat.

The only thing that should exist is the technique. The form. When you have mastered the moment, then - and only then - can you start moving ahead.

As he unleashed a roundhouse, his brows furrowed as he suddenly recalled the night of his mother's death. The monster that went after them… how he failed to save her… the flames that surrounded him in the aftermath… the fear of finding what was left of her… the white headband with drips of fresh blood that was left behind amidst the chaos…

The first opponent you must defeat in any fight is yourself.

We should never take pleasure in the suffering of others.

The most important thing I can teach you is to control your anger and use whatever power you have for good.

Upon that last thought, Jin stopped his practice as soon as he unleashed one last punch. His eyes snapped open as the past faded from his mind.

Jin reminded himself that he turned his back on his mother's teachings a long time ago - since the night Heihachi Mishima shot him in the back of the head and awakened the devil in him. Then again, the two times he had the chance to end Heihachi's life, it was the memories of her teachings that stopped him from going through with it.

Perhaps it wasn't quite in vain after all. Then again, Jin was more than certain that Jun would be more than disappointed in him considering his… recent actions. It was a haunting thought he forced himself to not think about every night.

If the end justifies the mean, he thought to himself - a manta that seemed so easy to convince himself with. Then so be it…

Jin's thoughts were suddenly disrupted when the intercom connected to the gym went off. "Kazama-san, this is Colonel Shikichi. We just received a report from our team in Mongolia. Our infiltration of the G-Corp facility there was a success."

Jin took a deep breath as he straightened himself back up. "Good. I'll be in my office in ten to fifteen minutes. Meet me there to discuss the report in full."

"Yes, sir."

The intercom soon turned off. Jin then focused on the moment - not the past and not the future - as he began to head out of the gym to take care of the task at hand.

---

Late Evening…

Mishima Hotel - West Facing Side

It was almost midnight when Smoke cracked his eyes open. Despite the darkness that surrounded him, he could see the shapes of objects in the room thanks to the moonlight that shone into the room. His enhanced vision was also a plus in that case.

"You're awake," a pleasant feminine voice whispered to his left.

As he was still sort of in that haze between asleep and awake, Smoke nearly jumped out of his skin. However, thanks to years of training, he remained calm as he turned his head to the direction where he heard the voice from. His eyes soon laid upon the face of Shura. She laid on her stomach, her long black hair free from her previous ponytail and framed her face. The Keiseian was also completely nude save for the single sheet that only covered her from the waist down.

That was when he remembered what happened earlier in the evening in this very room. Smoke managed to crack a small smile. "You must've been very pleased if you're still here."

Shura smiled more as she absentmindedly drew a finger over one of the light surgical scars on his bare torso. "Let's just say that you may have ruined me for humans of the non-cyborg variety for the rest of my life."

That got a chuckle out of the cyborg. "Glad to hear. I mean, not that I ruined you for humans, but-"

"Shh," Shura hushed as she placed a single finger over his lips to quiet him. "I know what you meant." She then leaned down to press her lips into his. Smoke didn't hesitate to return the kiss as he reached a hand up to card his fingers through her hair. Not for the first time that evening, Smoke found himself grateful for the fact that he truly felt human for the first time in far too long.

Dr. Bosconovitch really was the best at his work.

Part of Smoke also wondered how things between him and Shura would be once the night was over. Were they more than friends? Friends with benefits? Or was it just a simple one-night stand between two people who needed to let off some steam.

Let's see where this takes us, the cyborg eventually concluded.

Shura soon pulled away from him to end the kiss. She looked into his eyes. "Smoke-"

"Tomas," Smoke cut in. "I, eh… think we're kind of past codenames at this point."

Shura huffed with some amusement. "I guess we are." She then frowned a little. "If only I can remember my real name…"

"I know, and that's okay," Smoke assured her as his fingers continued to gently card through her hair. "Like we talked about the other day, let's enjoy the present. We'll figure out the rest later."

The Keiseian let out a quiet, contented sigh as she carefully placed her head on Smoke's shoulder and one arm went around his waist. Smoke responded by placing one hand on the crook of her arm that was around him while his other arm enclosed around her back. They both remained like this for a while, unaware of the passage of time.

A question soon came over Smoke's mind - one that came and went from time to time since he met Shura. He tried not to think about it because he figured it was none of his business so long as the target in question wasn't anyone he knew.

Tonight however, curiosity got the best of him. "Shura?"

"Yeah?"

"...Do you, eh… mind if I ask you about your… assignment."

"You mean my assassination assignment?"

"Yeah. I mean, unless the target is me. Then this is the perfect time to take me out. And before you do kill me, I have only two words to say; worth it ."

Shura laughed a little at that. "I can see why you would think that. However, you should know that if you were my actual target, I would've already killed you in your sleep."

"Fair enough," Smoke said. "So, eh… I admit that I'm curious about your assignment, but if you prefer to stay quiet about it, I understand."

Shura seemed to think it over momentarily before she lifted her head up from his shoulder to look down at him. "All right, Tomas. Since you've been quite the gentleman this evening, I guess I can lend you in on my little secret."

"If there's anything I love, it's secrets," Smoke teased. "I mean, the fun little secrets, not the big stuff."

Shura laughed a little again before she became serious. "So the thing is, my real target is actually the person who gave me my current assignment. At the moment, I'm feigning loyalty to them in order to gain their trust. There'll eventually come a time when the right moment arrives. Only then will I take them out for good."

"That sounds interesting," Smoke admitted. "So obviously, your actual target gave you the assignment that led you here to Earthrealm. They're in the tournament, which is why you're participating as well."

"Exactly."

"Do I get to learn who it is? I mean, I can understand if you don't want to tell me. But maybe I could help if there's a possibility."

Shura smiled at that. "That is very sweet of you. Though at the moment, I'm just playing the long game. They've been doing a very good job with keeping themselves scarce even on such a small island like this one."

"I understand," Smoke agreed. He teased her again as he asked, "Anyone I know?"

"I doubt it," Shura said. She then gave him a side smirk as what looked like a gleam came over her eyes. "All I know is that she's a demon huntress despite being one herself, and her name is Ashrah."