A/N: It's been a while, but we're back.

Before I get to the reviews you folks have left, he's back. Heihachi is coming back as the Fall Character for Tekken 8 Character Pass. Apparently, his return wasn't originally planned, but the dev team and the right amount of fans (not me) missed him. So they Uno Reversed the decision. I may be annoyed that with his return, T7's entire story was run over by a tractor-trailer. At least the initial leaks are false. Anyway, reviews of the first couple are, once again, from Kamen Rider Sentry, and they say:

"Oh, finally Reina is here! Hope to see him and her dynamic in the future, and also, I was thinking that why not also make him be a bit like Garou as in his fighting and pushing himself to his limits, he unlocked a monster form of his own."

And:

"Hey, can you give Minazuki a monster form like Garou when he breaks his limits and goes further to fight?"

Alright. Obviously, as I said in the last chapter, Reina is most likely the reason you're all here, and I know that continuously holding off on introducing her would only hurt the story in the long run. An introduction in the last chapter was in order and from what people have left review-wise, she made a good impression despite only showing up at the tail end of the chapter. Then again, I could've put Reina on the winning side of a 1v20, and it still would've had a positive reception.

As for the Garou comparison. Being a Tekken gamer since I was 8, I completely understand and am aware that Tekken, at times, can be a bit off its rocker. But I don't think veering too far in that direction with the tone of this tale is a smart idea. Minazuki and co. will get into some bs, but not to the point where he'll develop the Devil Gene or something to that effect. Even though this story is essentially a Battle Shonen with a Tekken flare, I'm trying not to be too predictable here.

Normally, I don't include his reviews, but I did want to make a note of something based on what he said. Here's my editor, alwaysdoubted (great writer as well, check his shit out):

"Minazuki has already seen a lot in his first few days at a new school. Everyone in the halls focuses on him and his new friends, who only want to graduate and get out of dodge. Yet, some complications always seem to arise at the worst times.

Shin Kamiya has appeared with eyes for Shu. Unfortunately, his inability to fight may not bode well for his chances, as Minazuki pointed out. And in comes a newbie in Zoey. Her addition will be interesting to watch as the story moves along.

And here comes Heihachi lite.

I had a feeling Reina would appear in this chapter, and I was right. Minazuki already has a bad vibe about this girl. If he's not careful, he'll have more to worry about than merely graduating."

I called Reina the Pixie Mishima at the end of the last chapter, so hearing my editor call her Heihachi lite is hilarious. But it isn't completely inaccurate. Last review from reneryang3:

"Welp, I'm sold. Every other Tekken fic is either short, ancient relics or isn't that appealing. (At least to me) I've only ever managed to find two that were actually good. Unfortunately, to this day, they're still unfinished. I declare this fic to be the 3rd best Tekken fic I've read in a while, especially knowing that this is what most would consider the fetal stage. Yeah, this could go pretty friggin far. It's especially cool how you've brought Tekken's scraped characters to life. If I had one pet peeve, though minuscule, it'd probably be that Reina's dark side seemed (not forced, not rushed) just a tad bit eager. Granted, it doesn't bother me; it just kinda threw me off since I thought she'd be a bit more tactful and showcase it later. Like when either in a fight or when she's walking away and says something slightly dark at one moment only to cover it up with sunshine and rainbows the next if that makes sense. Anywho, this story is great so far; the MC is badass. And, uh, potential Archrivals, hopefully? Like the Judoka guy or some other oc. Maybe one of the already existing characters in the verse? Keep up the good work/fight. Hope to read what you do next."

Wow, that's a lot to unpack. Before I do so, I would once again like to pitch alwaysdoubted's stories bc he has more Tekken fics than I do and is currently in the middle of one on both FF and AO3 called 'Dark Desire' starring the Ravens. It's darker than this story, but his quality of work speaks for itself.

I'm glad to see that you're feeding your Tekken FF itch with my story. I feel you when you say that good stories from certain fandoms show their age despite their apparent quality. One of my favorite stories on this site was DC'ed years ago, and I still cry at what could've been. My editor and I always take the opportunity to give lesser-known or scrapped characters that we think deserve the spotlight. Hence why Shuwamei, Shin, and Zoey are all cast members here. Reina's dark side only had a line of dialogue, so I see why it could be viewed as eager. Her screen time last chapter was incredibly short. As for Minazuki, I'm glad you view him as a badass. Personally, I view him as a straight man in Tekken's kooky world. No dark side, no demonic urges, just a young man with his head on straight and upstanding morals. It helps that he hits awfully hard. Aizawa will be one of Minazuki and co.'s main enemies while in Mishima Polytechnical and a couple of others. In fact, one of them you've already met - Mystery. Thanks again for trying my story out. It will only get better from here.

One more thing before we begin the chapter. It's about Shuwamei. As I've said in the first official chapter, Shuwamei was a fan name for TKD Girl. But after reviewing her page on the Tekken Wikia, I realized that I actually misspelled her name. Her official fan name is ShuwaWei with a W, and I used an M, so in this story, her name is ShuwaMei. I like my name for her better, as Shuwamei is easier on the tongue.

Alright, let's get the next chapter started.

Minazuki's Current Record: 5-0 / Current Rank: Rank 10

Today is Sunday. Thankfully for us, we don't have classes.

Zoey called and told us that we should meet in front of the Rankings Board to see the updated ranks. Shu, Kamiya, and I met up with Zoey at the main building. On the way I was hoping that beating those Third Years, Kina and Kenta wouldn't jump my ranking up that high. The last thing I need is for more people to pick fights with me as a result of my rank increase. All I want to do is do my two years here, graduate, and get the hell outta dodge. In that regard, I'm jealous of Zoey. She's a Third Year, and since we're in the middle of January, she only has four and a half months before she's out of here.

"Minazuki-san," Kamiya called as he met Shu and me outside of the transfer dorm. "It's really cold outside, huh?"

"I'll say. Winters in Seoul normally aren't this harsh this time of year. I wonder where official fights will take place until the weather gets hot again."

"Your guess is as good as mine, Shu," I answer honestly. "Let's not keep Zoey waiting. Who knows how long she's been up."

"Yeah, I was just waiting on you two before I headed over there."

"You didn't have to do that, Kamiya-san."

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"Anderson-senpai scares me a little. She acts more like a firecracker and is as unpredictable as one."

"I understand what you're saying, but I wouldn't go as far as to call Zoey-senpai unpredictable."

"Plus, she knows you can't fight, Kamiya. She strikes me as the type to only fight to defend herself or if her supposed opponent can."

"Minazuki is right, Kamiya-san. If anything, the people who have to worry about potentially fighting Zoey-senpai are us," Shu brought up.

I actually never thought of that. I don't think I can defeat Zoey if I had to fight her. Kyokushin is awfully straightforward, and I don't know anything about Krav Maga or Systema. Martial Xenophobia is real on that account.

Anyway, the three of us walk inside the main building and veer over to the Ranking Board with Zoey already there.

She sees us and calls for us while enthusiastically waving her hand (and chest). "Hey, folks! Over here!"

"Good morning, Zoey-senpai. I hope you slept well."

"Like a baby. I just got to th' Rankin' Board myself. We can all look for my and Minazuki-kun's new rankings together."

We began looking. While doing so, I managed to sneak a peek at what everyone was wearing since it was Sunday and none of us were in uniform.

Shu wore a silver thermal jacket with a white-sleeved shirt underneath and black leggings. Because of the weather, she also wore black and grey boots. Kamiya wore a dark red hoodie with a Tapout shirt underneath, brown khakis, and black boots. Zoey, weirdly enough, wore a black short skirt and a long red jacket with boots that barely go under her knees and a black tank top underneath said long jacket. Kaa-chan worked in America over the Winter, and she had told me that white people tend to make interesting wardrobe choices that make no sense for the current weather.

I was wearing a blue casual jacket with a dark blue long-sleeve sweater underneath. I wore regular jeans, and if it weren't frigid, I would have cuffed the bottoms but kept them hanging. I wore white sneakers because I knew I wasn't going to be outside for long today, so I just threw them on. All of us dressed drastically differently. It's clear as day (well, not today the weather is awfully cloudy) that if it weren't for the universal agreement, we would back each other up during unfair fights, none of us would be friends, with the exception of maybe Shu and I.

"Found me!" Zoey spoke up. "I'm number three in my year with a staggerin' 25-0 record. Squeaky Clean Anderson is what they'll call me by the time I get outta here. How 'bout you, Minazuki-kun? Did you find your name?"

"No, but I'm looking," I answer before finding myself. "Oh, no."

"What is it, Minazuki-san?"

"I'm Rank 5!" I say, a tinge of anger in my tone. "How could my rank jump so high from a two-on-two encounter?"

"Minazuki-san," Kamiya began. "Third Years are typically the best fighters in the school. If you look at the Overall Rankings Board, most of the ten are in Anderson-senpai's year. So an underclassman like us defeating two Third Years regardless of assistance is a big deal."

"Crap..." That was all I could respond with. "This is the last thing I want."

"I'll say, Minazuki," Shu chimed in. "At this point, I'm starting to wonder if sticking around with you is the smart play."

"I know you're jokin' Shuwamei, but I don't think that's something we should be jesting about," Zoey interjected. "Still, this isn't good. Your meteoric rise to the top of the rankings this year is likely why Reina, who has never talked to anyone before, has suddenly taken an interest in you. If you keep this up, then a fight with her will be inevitable."

"Take a look at the overall rankings," Shu spoke again.

The four of us scanned the leaderboard and found Zoey and me.

"It looks like we're both in the ten, Minazuki-kun. I'm #7, and you're #10."

"Oh, that's really not good."

I've only been here for eight days and am already in the top ten of the entire school student body. I've only been in three fights!

"I guess we'll see just how bad it really is when classes start tomorrow," Zoey said with a hopeful subtone. "What are the three of you gonna do today? I was hopin' we could all walk around the city."

Kamiya, Shu, and I all made sounds of disappointment and disapproval.

"Sorry, Zoey-senpai. Mr. Haritomo, our Life Science teacher, has been murdering us with after-class work."

"I have to do Algebra II homework that's due tomorrow," Kamiya said.

Zoey then looked at me while I was still stuck on my ranking. "History drills."

"Aww, man! You guys suck!" She comedically voiced. "I understand Kamiya-kun and Minazuki-kun, they're both from Japan. But you, Shuwamei? Ain't you from South Korea? You should take in the sights before you head back home."

"But Zoey-senpai, I'm a Second Year, so I have another to take in the country. In fact, out of the four of us, you're the only Third Year we've met, let alone befriended," Shu brought up a solid point. "I still have plenty of time, especially if we have to stay on campus for summer vacation."

"Zoey, you should focus on getting your GPA up anyway. You don't know if you want to pursue a further education, but if you have at least a 3.0, colleges will reach out and save you time on applying."

"I already got a 3.2, Minazuki-kun. But I get the point. I'll consider furtherin' my studies later as I still want to head into the city. I'm gonna get properly dressed, then head out. Later, y'all!"

Zoey said her goodbyes before leaving the building.

"Minazuki-san," Kamiya called. "Are you in Algebra II as well?"

"Nope. I'm in Statistics."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that. I guess I'm heading to the Library today then. I'll see you tomorrow in Mr. Haritomo's."

"Alright, Kamiya-san. We'll see you tomorrow," Shu said goodbye to Kamiya as he left us. "I'm heading back to the dorm. We'll talk later."

"Later, Shu," I responded before she left me alone in front of the rankings board. The next few months are gonna suck.

I sighed defeatedly before turning to follow Shu, but before I could leave the building...

"Zuki-senpai!" Reina's voice boomed throughout the foyer.

I turned around, and she was not in her uniform. Reina wore a long black coat, a gray thermal sweater underneath, denim jeans like mine, and black boots. She then bowed at me, keeping up the act she had put on when we first met.

"I wish you would just drop the act, Reina. Though it's still good to see you."

"Likewise, senpai!" She said, completely ignoring me before pointing at the rankings board for our year. "May I?"

"Oh, sorry about that. Go ahead."

"Thank you," Reina said as she approached the rankings board. "Whoa, senpai! You jumped from #10 to #5. If you keep this up, you and I will eventually fight each other." She then playfully punched my chest. "I can't wait for our fists to clash. Don't you?"

"We'll see about that, Reina. My friends and I are trying to avoid as much unnecessary fighting as possible on top of trying to finish the year well."

And that answer finally got Reina to drop the act, her face expressing a steel focus.

"Senpai," her tone dropped to a serious but still high tone. "I've been here a year, so I know. The district's regulars do not like gaijins at all, nor do they like students who defend them. Kamiya integrating himself in your group doesn't help matters for you, Shuwamei, or Anderson since, from what I heard, he's been the school punching bag for as long as he's been here. It was only from Shuwamei, and you attending did the others back off."

I got in her face. "I'm glad we can finally act like ourselves, Reina. Was that so hard?"

But Reina made a great point. Kamiya can't fight. I would know since he told me before I helped Zoey fend off Kina and Kenta. And his crushing on Shu doesn't help him much.

"Thanks for the insight."

"You're welcome, senpai," Reina said, putting a bit of the act back up but not enough where she was being two-faced like before. "I really want us to beat each other up, but if you don't want to, I'll respect your wishes." She then placed a finger on my chest. "You let me know if any of these overindulging Second Years get on your nerves, senpai. I'll deal with them with you."

I take her hand and shake it. Much to my surprise, she returns the gesture. "I appreciate it, Reina. Truly."

I remember what she said yesterday about how Kina, Kenta, and Aizawa are all in the same group.

"Reina, do you know the deal with Aizawa, Kina, and Kenta? You said they were a part of the same camp. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, that. Well, you see-"

"Move!"

Oh, crap. It's Aizawa. He marched in our direction, no doubt wanting to look at the rankings. Motioning like he would bump shoulders with me, I move out of the way. As he rolled a D4 on his intimidation check, we both continuously glared at each other. He then looks at the rankings board, and it looks like he's ready to blow a fuse.

"What the hell? That South Korean and Minazuki are higher ranked than me!?" He furiously questioned no one specifically. "Damn Kina and Kenta! I told them that attacking that American dunderhead Anderson was a bad idea."

"It didn't help that I helped Zoey beat them both." I chimed in.

He then looked at me like I had killed his puppy. "You helped the gaijin, Minazuki? Why?"

"It was the right thing to do. That's why, you room temp IQ having bully."

He then grabbed my jacket with one hand. The second he puts both hands on me, I will retaliate and make his record worse.

"I get it now; you're gunning for Reina-kun's undefeated streak."

"I'm not gunning for anything, Aizawa. All the fights I have been in since I've been here have been either in self-defense or in defense of another." I point out the obvious.

Reina is behind Aizawa, waiting for a signal from me. I give her a look, implying, 'Not yet'.

Aizawa then placed his other hand on my jacket. "You listen to me, outsider, because I will be the one who breaks Reina's streak. Do you understand me?"

I respond by kneeing him square in the stomach, forcing a release. I then push him hard enough that his buddies have to grab him from behind to prevent a falling. One of the buddies hands Aizawa off as he approaches me.

Reina quickly intercepts the path, enthusiastically hitting the top of his head with an axe kick, which causes him to scorpion in a matter of seconds. The other goon picks him up and shakes him to prepare him for a fight mentally. I ready myself, and Reina mirrors me. As I eye her posture, I (unfortunately) don't recognize that stance. It's looking like a 3-on-2 in Aizawa's favor, but I one-shotted the goon on the right and Shu easily dealt with the other.

I heard footsteps in rapid succession before properly assessing how to deal with them.

"Reina, do you hear footsteps?"

"Yeah, senpai." She answered, "And I think they're getting louder too."

Then suddenly the goon on my right jerked his hip as someone stiffly kicked him there.

"What the-"

Was all he got out as he turned around as that same person who kicked him fiercely palmed his nose, causing him to fall hard on the marble floor. I swore I saw a tooth fly out from the impact. The person in question ran to my side.

A Chinese teen with soft facial features with black hair done in high pigtails and side-parted bangs. Aizawa picked up the goon who this Chinese girl floored, backing off and lowering the tension.

"Remember, Minazuki. Don't you dare fight Reina and win. Her winning streak is mine, you hear me? Let's go, fellas."

"Ugh, he has issues," I say to no one in particular before turning to the third in our group. "Thank you. I don't think we haven't met."

She shook her head. "We haven't, senpai." She then bowed at me before extending her hand. "I'm Ling Xiaoyu, a First Year."

Moments later, a girl with auburn hair and soft facial features ran up to Ling, out of breath. "Xiao, why'd you run off so suddenly? That threw me way off." She then looked at me and gasped. "You're the new Second Year that beat Aizawa-senpai!"

"Sorry, Miharu. But at least you know why I ran so suddenly."

Miharu then bowed just as enthusiastically as Ling did. "I'm Hirano Miharu, senpai. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Mei Yin-Senpai's neighbor in our dorm, which makes you my next-door neighbor, senpai," Ling revealed.

"Oh, Shu mentioned you a week ago. I'm Minazuki Hirose. A pleasure to meet you both."

Hirano is Japanese, and Ling is Chinese. If she's my neighbor, she's also a mid-year transfer student. "Ling, if you don't mind my asking. How'd you end up here?"

"Well, I've always dreamed about opening my own amusement park. I snuck onboard when I heard that Mishima-san was in Hong Kong while I was vacationing there with my parents."

"You snuck on board Mishima's yacht?" I asked, slightly dumbfounded.

"Uh, huh!" She responded excitedly. "His guards tried to escort me off, but I beat them all up."

I like her already.

"Mishima-san was so impressed that he invited me to enroll here, free tuition, of course. He even promised to build me an amusement park if I won the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3."

"Anyone who willingly beats up Mishima's bodyguards is a friend of mine. It's nice to meet you both." I say honestly as I quickly glance at Reina.

Her face showed indifference to the conversation, but her eyes carried a murderous glare. I clutch the back of her coat and tug enough that she noticed. She looked at me, and I gave her a look of 'don't'. She then calmed down, but I think it's best to confront her now.

"Ling, we can talk later at the dorm. If you run into Shu, tell her I said hey."

Ling and Hirano both look slightly confused, but thankfully did as I said.

"Okay, Minazuki-senpai. We'll see you later. Come on, Miharu."

"Right. Until next time, Minazuki-senpai." They both bowed again before leaving the building.

Not beating around the bush, I start talking to Reina.

"Wow, Reina. Didn't peg you for the jealous type." I cut straight to it.

That causes Reina to become flustered, her face changing to a light shade of pink. "Ling-chan is already super popular with the entire student body. Word got around that she singlehandedly beat Mishima-san's guards, and she became the talk of the school for months. I wanted to be your friend to have something over her."

"Well, I already consider us friends since you're willing to help me with Aizawa even when the odds were against us. Plus, you offered to help me with anyone who wanted a piece of me before Aizawa even showed up. As far as I know, we're already friends."

She then gasped enthusiastically.

"We're still not fighting."

"Oh, come on, Minazuki!" She aggressively complained.

I can tell that's only the beginning of her constantly asking me for fights. Guess I have to deal with it.

"Well, Reina. I have homework to do, so we'll talk later."

"Okay, Minazuki." She then grabbed my arm fast enough that I couldn't properly react. "Keep in touch, okay?"

"As long as you let my arm go."

She then blushed again before letting my arm go.

I sell it, but that sudden arm grab hurt - a lot. I make my way back to the dorm, and when I get inside and up the stairs to my room, I see Shu talking to Ling. They both see me and wave over at me.

"Minazuki-senpai, over here." I walk over to them both.

"Ling-chan told me everything," Shu started. "How is it that you get into trouble every time I leave you alone?"

"Have you considered maybe your timing sucks, Shu?"

That earned me a punch in the arm. "At least we don't have to worry about Ling-chan and Hirano-chan."

"Why's that?"

"Miharu and I are numbers #2 and #1 respectively. I know Baguazhang and Pi Gua Quan, and I taught Miharu Baguazhang to defend herself since she befriended me makes her a target. I've been here since October, and I've been in and won 30 fights. Miharu has only been in 10 herself, but she hasn't lost yet either."

Not worrying about them is right.

"Well, I have History homework to do."

"We'll leave you to it, senpai. Before you go," Ling spoke. "I'd watch out for Reina, senpai. She's quite the enigma, from what the others told me. No one knows her parents' names or her family name. Her sudden interest in you is suspect."

I nodded intently. "Thank you, Ling. I'll see you both later."

I walk into my dorm. Taking my jacket off, I feel where Reina grabbed me and feel indents on my arm. Rolling up the sleeve, I see imprints of her hand on my arm. Her sudden interest in me since yesterday, her apprehension when my attention is on someone else, Ling's warning, and now this.

Who the hell is Reina, really?

A/N: And so, we got our first legit conversation between Reina and Minazuki, met Xiaoyu and Miharu, and learned of Minazuki and Zoey's new rankings. What will happen next? What other misadventures will our cast members get into next?

Find out in the next chapter of My Best Friend is a Wannabe Tyrant!