DISCLAIMER: The Tekken series under the property of Bandai Namco and Tekken Project under Katsuhiro Harada. Action Taimanin, and the Taimanin Series belongs to Gremory Games and Lilith Soft.

Chapter 08: Pure White Light, part 1

The qualifying rounds of the King of Iron Fist Tournament Asia-Pacific region has begun, with the main battleground is the Tournament Arena in Japan. The tournament's qualifying rounds will start in each different regions, besides the Asia-Pacific side, there's also a qualifying round in Europe and in the Americas.

On the first day of the qualifying rounds, members of the Taimanin Task Force fought various fighters not just around Japan, but that from other countries in their regions. The qualifying rounds are ruled in a double elimination. Meaning, if a participant loses, they will be placed in the loser's bracket. But, this doesn't mean they are out of the tournament, they will have to contend with another fighter to get one shot to advance to the semi-finals. If they lose again, they will be out for good.

Match 01: Murasaki Yatsu vs. Kuma

The Undying Taimanin found herself contending with Kuma, Heihachi Mishima's pet bear. Despite Murasaki's display of power and finess even without the need to use her giant axe, Kuma was able to mop the floor with her. Allowing the bear to score a victory.

As Fuuma and the rest of the participating task force members were watching the fight, Fuuma realizes that the bear uses familliar techniques that he saw from Jin while in his incomplete Devil Jin mode. Those are actually Mishima-style Karate moves. Kuma apparently is unaware of Heihachi's death, trying to find his master far and wide in the edge of the world. Since then, the bear began wearing Heihachi's karate gi and using his red belt as a headband.

Winner: Kuma.

Match 02: Lee Chaolan vs. Fuuma Kotaro.

[BGM: Action Taimanin - Oboro]

The second match has the task force captain against Lee Chaolan himself, the same man who gave him the Excalibur XX. As soon as the two men are standing in the ring, with their eyes gazing on one another, the two had an exchange.

"I never expected that I'm fighting you.", said Fuuma.

"Well, like what I said. Anything can happen in the tournament.", Lee then assumes his Hitman stance. "Now, let me see you've tested the Excalibur's abilities to its full potential."

"In that case, let's make this a fight to remember!", Fuuma then proceeded to hold the handle of the Excalibur XX. "Calibur, are you ready?"

"(Very well.)", the sword's voice spoke.

Lee quickly runs towards his opponent as he proceeds to deliver a flying kick at Fuuma, only for the task force captain to block it using the Excalibur, then pushes Lee away. Afterwards, he summons a copy of Maika's Meido Bazooka from the Excalibur, and the bazooka fired a projectile on its own. Lee dodges the fireball before he once again missed a kick.

"He's good. His attack patterns are unlike Saika's.", Fuuma analyzed Lee's fighting style. "He strings more kicks with a few punches."

The Excalibur provides Fuuma strategic advice, "(Avoid low attacks. If he kicks high enough while you dodge, you can hit him below while he's vulnerable. There are certain attack patterns where your opponent is left wide open for counterattack. Use that to your advantage!)"

"Anything else?"

"(I'm afraid that's all I can provide you. Knowing yourself and knowing your enemy means you don't have to fear anything.)"

That said, Fuuma took his weapon's thoughts to heart as he and Lee duke it out. Fuuma found himself being tripped down into the ground by a low sweep. Only for Fuuma to kip-up back to his feet.

"I'm impressed you managed to be in sync with the Excalibur.", Lee commends Fuuma being able to master the sword.

"To be honest, the sword and I still have a long way to go.", said Fuuma. "Yet, he's able to understand my feelings and what it means to fight."

"To fight is to pour out your emotions into your fist, and into your sword. To learn from imperfections, overcome challenges, unwavering conviction, and the trust from your comrades. This is what it means to reach for the top.", Lee said as he and Fuuma continue their clash."

"(In that case, I will have to improvise my own set of moves!)", Fuuma thought to himself as he taps into the Excalibur XX's ability to summon the other Taimanins' weapons, equipping Su's gauntlets.

As Lee and Fuuma clash fists and wits, the latter immediately proceesed Kurenai's Wind Art, incorporating it while equipping Su's gauntlets.

Fuuma narrowly avoided Lee's somersault kick as he counterattacks with a right uppercut, and by doing so unleashing a neon-blue tornado from the trail of his fist. This new move is called Sonic Upper.

"(This is... This is Kurenai's Wind Art? Why am I throwing wind-powered punches?)"

Realizing that the Sonic Upper managed to sent Lee floating in mid-air, Fuuma takes the chance to hit his opponent with a string of aerial and bound combos, before finishing the combo with another move...

"Try this on for size!", said Fuuma as he punches the ground, calling out, "Fuuma Style: Guren Bakuryuuken!"

With a single punch into the ground, a geyser of flames explode from the arena floor, Lee found himself being bounced back into the air. Fuuma throws a second punch, causing another geyser of flames to send his opponent into the air, and a finally a third one. Fuuma kicks his opponent down to the ground.

"K.O.!", the announcer exclaimed, Fuuma managing to score his first tournament win.

"Whoa... What power...", Fuuma was totally in shock, the instant he mastered his own moves.

Lee manages to stand up, as he congratulates his opponent.

"Excellent! You've made our battle into a pure spectacle.", Lee smiled. "Keep improving, and you'll eventually make your way to the top and face Kazuya."

"No, thank you.", Fuuma bowed. "I finally understand what it means to fight. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose. The path ahead maybe uncertain, but I'm not afraid, nor am I alone. I have people who I believed in me and trusted me."

"Glad to hear that."

Winner: Fuuma Kotaro

Match 03: Rin Uehara vs. Mystery Opponent

[BGM: Tekken Tag Tournament - Character Select (PS2 ver.)]

The next fight will be the Volt Taimanin, Rin Uehara against a mystery opponent.

Rin makes her entrance into the ring, as the announcer gives her an introduction.

"She's a substitute teacher in Gosha Academy and an elite Taimanin. She's fast as lightning thanks to her Lightning Art. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for RRRIINNN! UEHARRRAAAAAA!"

Rin has no clear idea who is she going to face in this fight. In fact, she doesn't even need to use her dual swords and decided to make good use of her karate. It also helps that she knows some of Jin Kazama's techniques, given that she also trained in the same karate dojo with him in Australia.

Meanwhile at the spectators' side, other task force members, Fuuma, Asagi, Murasaki, and even Rin's cousin Shikanosuke are cheering for Rin. Yet, they have no idea who her opponent would be.

The mysterious competitor decided to keep their identity secret, so the announcer did not bother to introduce them anyway.

But as soon as the mystery opponent enters the ring facing the Volt Taimanin, Rin apparently recognized her appearance.

[BGM: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Landscape Under the Ghost - Kaminano (SSBU ver.)]

"Holy Christ!", Rin anxiously exclaimed as her eyes gazed on a woman with long black hair with a very familiar white headband, in a white, collared, button-up dress with flowing sleeves that have a bow at the elbow of each. "It is you..."

"It's been a while since we last saw each other, Rin.", the woman spoke, revealing to be none other than, out of all people, Jun Kazama.

"Jun... were you alive this entire time?", Rin was at loss for words, having seen her long lost friend for years.

As the top of the arena has a lot of drones capturing the action in the ring, one of Fuuma's drones manages to catch Jun's face.

"Fuuma, what's going on?", Shikanosuke asked as Fuuma analyzed from his tablet of the woman Rin is facing.

After Fuuma manages to finish the analysis, the analysis actually confirms that it matches the description of Jun Kazama.

"Miss Asagi, Miss Murasaki. You guys aren't going to believe this... Jun Kazama is actually alive."

"That's impossible!", even Murasaki couldn't believe it.

"Wait, cousin Rin's facing Jin's mother?!", Shikanosuke asked.

Back in the ring, as soon as the fight is about to begin, Rin assumes her stance.

"Looks to me you've seen a ghost, Rin. How about we let our fists speak for themselves for old times' sake?", Jun said as she assumed her stance.

"Alright then, if you insist.", Rin replied as her eyes glow as she lets the electricity flow around her body.

The two women charge at each other as the announcer shouts, "Ready... FIGHT!"

To be continued...

Author's Note:

- In T8's story mode, Jun doesn't physically appear until the end of the Hope ending. She appears only in flashbacks and in Jin's consciousness before becoming Angel Jin. Here, she returns as Rin's mystery opponent. However, to avoid spoiling for those who haven't played the game yet, Jun will not interact with Jin and/or Kazuya much earlier.

- Some of Fuuma's newly learned moves are homages to other fighting games:

* The Sonic Upper is based on Joe Higashi's Hurricane Upper from the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series, as well as Cody's Criminal Upper from the Street Fighter games.

* The Guren Bakuryuuken (Crimson Lotus Bursting Dragon Fist) is based on Terry Bogard's Power Geyser.