I'll go ahead and get this out of the way: this chapter is purely a one-off, and doesn't really contribute to the main overarching plots of Kumite 3. It barely has a place here. But I HAD to write it, because I wanted to fulfill a dumb fantasy of mine lol. This is basically self-indulgence, more than anything.
While I'm here, I'll go ahead and answer the previous reviews. To my loyal reader hyper... well, as always, you got some stuff right! But I won't tell you what of course lol. To HeyKyle, first of all, I would tighten up the character lore in the first one, since I barely "knew" the people at the time. I would rewrite a lot of the fights, because I definitely went too dorky MMA-style with it. In hindsight, I'm critical of a lot of the fights, because they were either too short and squashy, or didn't properly exhibit the character's moves, or were just... well, that first thing I said. Lastly, I'd probably just make it less raunchy, because I know I go too far sometimes lol. I'm a perv. As for Kumite 2... I think when I started it, I still hadn't found my stride yet, so I'd probably go back and tighten up those first few chapters. Funny we should be talking about this, because I have had this whimsical fantasy of "remastering" Kumite 1 and throwing it over there on AO3. But alas, that'll probably never happen.
Okay, enough rambling. Enjoy this kinda pointless chapter.
HUANGSHAN, CHINA
Tung Fu Rue lived a peaceful life in the Yellow Mountains. He'd retired from competition and all but retired from training pupils; the last ones to be taken under his wing were the surviving brothers of the Jin Clan, two young boys who had already been through a lifetime of experiences in their tender age. After a messy and confusing campaign to acquire invincibility scrolls passed down from their ancestors, the Jins eventually saw the light and settled into a more peaceful life, taken in by the kindness of the old master, and pledging to train under him. They'd gotten accustomed to this life. It felt like a warm home, and a real family.
The red one pressed the attack with light, noncommittal open-handed strikes; his brother, in blue, easily intercepted and parried with his own hands as they came at him. Their bodies moved in rhythmic motion, as the red one stepped in with his left foot and fired a palm, which was evaded by the blue one's swaying head, as well as the follow-up that curved towards him right after. The red one stayed committed with his strikes, dipping low and firing a back palm towards the midsection, switching to a low kick when the hand strike was parried. This got the defender into a series of backwards hops, timing the arrival of each sweep as they came, until the attacker finally spun around and instead went airborne, attempting a flying hook kick. This ultimately led to his foot getting caught, and as soon as his other touched the ground, he quickly backflipped free, but left him wide open to a double palm, courtesy of his blue sparring partner, which dropped him briefly to the ground.
The red one got up, dusted himself off, but only smiled in stride. "Great hit, brother!"
His brother, in good sportsmanship, extended a hand to help up his fallen partner. "You're getting better, Chonshu. You're throwing with much heavier volume. And your strikes are getting sharper."
The younger of the Jins, Chonshu, smiled sheepishly. "But I'm still not quite as sharp as you, Chonrei... that's why Master Tung favors you so."
The elder Jin made a dismissive noise and ruffled his brother's hair. "Ahh don't worry about things like that... he cares for us both equally, regardless of our talents."
After washing up, they sat on the porch of Tung's humble mountain house, admiring the vastness as they shared jasmine tea. They enjoyed this life; they weren't his blood, but having no kin of their own, and having been taken in from the goodness of the once-jaded master's heart, they were more than happy to call themselves his own. If he allowed it.
"I wonder what's taking Master Tung so long to return. He was just getting groceries."
"You think maybe he fell?"
"Chonshu!"
"S-sorry."
"Sifu is in great health. A mere fall wouldn't threaten him."
They sipped in silence a little while longer until Chonrei's eye caught an unnatural glimmer: the familiar reflection of sunlight, bouncing off a bald head.
"There he is!"
Like a lighthouse guiding a ship, their beloved bald master shimmered when he arrived, alerting them to greet and bow as they always did. They set their teacups down, and raced out there to meet him, quickly displaying honorifics.
"Sifu!" they shouted in unison, with a respectful bow.
...Their honorifics took a sudden turn, however, when they noticed their revered teacher was not alone.
Behind him were two boys, looking roughly their own age, if not older. The green-haired one, dressed in a simple black tang suit, was hard to read, given his menacing red eyes and stern face... there was an air of danger about him, like his boyish appearance didn't present the full picture. Chonrei was immediately distrustful of him... and why was he wearing headphones?!
If that one seemed dangerous, the other one looked the opposite. Fluffy white hair, dressed in exotic white garb, he was disarming in every way, from the purple pillow he affectionately hugged against his chest, to his sleepy, almost drugged-like facial demeanor. The boy looked ready to fall over at any second, and put that pillow to good use.
"Boys, I'd like you to meet Shun'ei." Tung motioned to the shonen-looking one. His head then tilted to the other, who looked about to fall down. "This is Meitenkun. They've come a long ways. I found them passing through the local village, and invited them to stay with us."
"W-wait a minute... 'stay with us'?" Chonrei's disapproval was clear in his tone.
"These boys have nowhere else to go." Tung defended. "They've been journeying for a long time, getting stronger together. I could sense, just from one conversation with them, these two are extremely gifted martial artists. I want them to stay and train with us for a while...so I can get a chance to see and cultivate their talents."
"Y-you said you weren't taking on anymore pupils!" the older Jin whined.
"I said the same thing... before I took on you two."
At this point, the green-haired boy had clearly picked up on the negative cues being given by the blue-clad incumbent. He leaned over, in a low voice, "I don't think he wants us here."
His partner, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to this world altogether. "YAWWWWWWWNNNN... Tung laoshī, do you have a bed nearby? I can't stand up much longer... zzzzzzzz..."
Chonrei's daggers pierced deeper and deeper into the disinterested eyes of Shun'ei, a boy who, in the span of minutes, now threatened the sanctity of everything the Jins had built here... it was a combination of ire for this strange intruder, and a deep feeling of betrayal from their revered teacher, who was supposed to be theirs and theirs alone... now here he stood, with two new boys, plucked off the street.
...Was he being a hypocrite? Maybe. But he didn't care. He was here first!
"What's with those dorky-looking headphones?" he challenged, thrusting his finger out with petty insults.
"They keep me from killing you." was the vexing, blunt reply from the boy.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
"Chonrei..." Chonshu reached up with a stifling grab of his sleeve, but his brother fiercely yanked him away, to his surprise.
"Who do you think you are, just walking in-"
Before the boy in blue could get any closer, Tung finally intervened. "CHONREI! Stop!"
The raised voice was enough to halt him temporarily, but when the old master spoke, it only made his blood boil more.
"You mustn't fight that boy. If you do... you will lose."
"Are you kidding me?!" Chonrei's defensive demeanor bounced him right back. "You think I'm just going to-"
"BEHAVE YOURSELF! NOW!" the ground kicked up slight dust, from the sheer power of Tung's shout, no doubt infused with some of his ancient chi, for added effect. This was finally enough to render the blue brother wary, and obedient.
The shortest man among them demonstrated his commanding presence, able to stop the confrontation altogether between the four of them. He spoke loudly. "I want you to treat our new guests with respect! Remember the generosity that you have been shown, and consider how it must feel for others equally less fortunate to be given such a chance!"
It was enough to repel him for now, but the vengeful eyes of Chonrei still rest on the green-haired neophyte, who, to his credit, still acted like he didn't care one bit; maybe it was the headphones. Was he even aware of what was going on? (the sleepy one sure wasn't)
"Now..." Tung started again, "I want you to welcome these two into our home. Show them around. Cook them a nice meal, and serve them tea. Make them feel welcome. I must rest from my trip."
As soon as the elder turned his back and walked away, Chonrei immediately continued where he left off. He stomped up to Shun'ei, grabbing him by the hem of his garb. "Who do you think you are, trying to steal our master from us?!"
He just looked back, with blank red eyes. "...What are you talking about?"
"I'm tireeddd!" Meitenkun whined. "Is it naptime yet?"
Chonrei grunted as he suddenly felt a fierce resistance grab his wrist, and he was shoved backwards.
"I don't know what your problem is," the object of his anger finally fought back, "But I answer to Master Tung, not you. He's the one who invited us here. If you got any beef, take it up with him. I'm not interested."
The newcomers walked onwards, but not before Shun took the chance to rudely bump past the blue-clothed Jin, who had shown nothing but rudeness in kind.
"I can't walk! Carry me~!"
"Get a grip. We're almost inside."
The Jins stood and watched, as the two boys entered their home, their domain... and the brothers suddenly felt like outcasts.
"How could he do this to us?!"
Back in the house, having given them a brief tour of the place, the Jins were allowed a moment to themselves. Chonrei's fist aggressively gesticulated with his rant. "We train hard here, we sweat and bleed... and now, he dumps us for two shiny new models? Like we're yesterday's news?!"
As was the case since the guests had arrived, Chonshu continued to attempt to be the reasonable one. "Chonrei...don't you think you're being unreasonable? Tung's house is big enough to accommodate all of us. He's trained more pupils than us two in the past."
"You're just not seeing it the way I am, Chonshu! You're too naïve!" the blue one countered with force, making his younger brother recoil. He didn't let up, leaning in closer, grabbing both shoulders.
"Don't you get what this is? I'll explain it to you: he said those two boys were "gifted". That means he clearly sees something in them that he doesn't in us. He's going to use us as bait... fodder, to enhance their abilities. And when Master Tung gets what he wants from them... he'll kick us to the curb."
"You can't seriously think that of Master Tung, can you? He would never play favorites like that."
"Oh he wouldn't, would he? Then explain to me how the story of Jeff and Geese came to be."
With that one retort, the red one's argument felt defeated, and he could only hang his head in shame... and sorrow, that perhaps he really was wrong. Feeling his younger brother's defenses crumble, Chonrei switched off his aggressiveness, leaned in closer, and presented a much calmer, pleading voice.
"Chonshu, it's important that we don't show weakness in front of Master Tung. We can't let these new guys usurp everything we've worked for...I need to know you're with me on this. Please."
"B-brother, I-"
Even now, there was hesitation in the younger one's voice, but the more the two of them stood there, in suffocating silence, the more Chonshu felt his ground crumble. Who was he to deny his older brother? The only family he had? Maybe Chonrei was wrong... but maybe he was right. The younger one felt a duty to obey him, regardless.
"... Of course."
Things had de-escalated to an amicable state as the afternoon crept towards evening. The Jins cooked shrimp and fried rice, enough to serve the five of them, but Tung continued to nap in his bedroom. This left the four of them sitting across from each other, a silent tension glazing the air, as if Chonrei were looking for any excuse to do what he really wanted.
"Thanks for the food~!" Meitenkun cheerfully thanked, putting down his chopsticks to sip the hot, soothing jasmine tea they had brewed. The warmth calmed his insides, and he felt the embrace of sleep start to engulf him...
Chonrei continued to glare at the green haired counterpart, who ate with his eyes averted, head down, as if to not draw any attention. Chonrei wasn't content with that.
"So what do you listen to on those headphones anyway?"
No response.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
With a nervous smile, Meitenkun reached over and turned down the volume, prompting Shun to jolt to attention. "What?"
"He was just asking what you listen to."
Shun's expression calmed. "Oh. Mostly sounds of nature, wilderness, stuff like that."
"He also likes Fall Out Boy~"
"D-don't tell them that..." he showed a rare moment of vulnerability, blushing at his friend, who was now giggling.
"How long have you two been traveling together, anyway?" Chonshu chipped in with questions of his own.
"It's been a few years now," Meitenkun answered with a smile. "We just sorta ran into each other, and decided to go on a training journey. And thus, a friendship was born~!"
"Get off me." Shun gently nudged off the fluffy head that was affectionately nuzzling his cheek. Chonshu blushed, as he found the two rather cute... Chonrei, of course, was the wet blanket in the room.
"So that you were saying about the headphones earlier...were you telling the truth, or was that just a load?"
This caused those rubies to fiercen. "It was true to a certain extent."
"Oh really? So I guess you must have some epically uber awesome power that can totally annihilate me, huh?"
"That's what Master Tung warned you about."
"So it's true then, just like I thought."
"Chonrei-" the younger brother tried to interject.
"Master Tung found someone better! This is his new golden child, and we're the past!" Chonrei was fully animated now, on his feet.
"Listen-" Shun attempted.
"No, YOU listen! You have no idea what me and Chonshu have been through! We've suffered, sacrificed, and repented to finally have a peaceful life here as Master Tung's pupils, and I'm not gonna let some hotshot upstart come in here and take my life from me!"
"Umm, can I get a refill?" Meitenkun casually jumped in, wiggling his empty cup.
Now Shun was on his feet. "Are you done? Good, then I'll say this: I sympathize with you both...but I've got to do what's best for myself. I NEED this training. I can't afford to squander this opportunity for Meiten And I...so you're gonna have to learn to live with us. And don't even think about trying to stop me... because you have zero chance."
Chonrei slammed his hands on the table, finally pushed over the edge by that indirect challenge. "That's it! You. Us. Outside. Now."
It took little time for the Jins' hospitality to be exhausted, and the four now stood opposite each other, on the same temple grounds the two brothers often trained. Now they intended to use that training... to oust the two "usurpers" who dared tread on their sacred home.
"You take the sleepy one," Chonrei spoke low to his brother, "The jerk is mine."
Chonshu continued to be the one who had doubts. "Brother, are you sure about this? There must be another way..."
"There is no other way!" Chonrei fiercely responded. "We have to defend our dignity and honor! We can't let everything we've worked for get squandered by these two strangers!"
On the other side, the "neophytes" stood as confused as when they arrived, but stalwart nonetheless.
"They seem angry, Shun..." Meitenkun rubbed his eyes as they spoke.
The green-haired boy's face slowly grew from indifferent to fierce, as he knew a fight was approaching. Reaching up to fully mute his headphones, he called out to his opponent. "I don't know why you have such a problem with us, but you're making a big mistake."
"No, YOU made a mistake by coming here." Chonrei insulted. "This is our home! You're not welcome here!"
"Don't make me hurt you."
Meitenkun just stretched, interlocking his fingers. "Do we have to fight? I'd rather drink some warm tea...zzzzz..."
Shun'ei loudly snapped a finger, jolting him awake. "Focus. We're not gonna let anyone push us around. Okay?"
"Kay~!"
There were only a few hesitant steps forward... before the Jin brothers broke into a full sprint, charging relentlessly at the new duo. Shun'ei and Meitenkun met them with hands up, in full guard, and their bodies clashed together, commencing a full-blown fight.
Chonrei pushed off with his left foot, and his right leg soared high in a kick; Shun swayed to dodge it, and the Blue Jin followed up with a low fist aimed at the kidneys, going high with a follow-up to the face when that strike was blocked. Shun caught the wrist, and Chonrei quickly swung his other hand horizontally to break the hold, coming back across with a wide reverse crop that the headphoned boy had to duck to avoid. Chonrei followed up after the whiff with a crossing right, and their bodies passed, Shun seizing the moment to clinch with him and stop his aggressive offense. They wrestled in circles for a moment, Chonrei's arm captured with both hands, until their lead legs entwined and trapped them both in place, forcing a stalemate that finally ended with Chonrei pumping a short palm into his opponent's ribs and yanking his arm free, which he immediately tried to use to come across Shun's jaw. The green-haired kid ducked it and threw his body against Chonrei's, pushing the relentless boy several yards backwards, until Chonrei finally seized the advantage by dropping down with cradle roll, ultimately throwing Shun off him and leaving the two to rise back upwards, knocking the dust off their clothes.
"Come on, pretty boy... COME ON!" the elder brother, undeterred, beckoned the headphoned boy with a welcoming hand.
A loud, annoyed sigh was the response. "I swear..."
The younger brother, meanwhile, barreled forward with an equally spirited series of hand strikes... but found his opponent quite hard to hit, as the dazed-looking boy across from him seemed to move with the fluidity of a swaying tree, despite his eyes unable to even open.
'Unnn...hunnhhhh... you're pretty fast..." Meitenkun mumbled between dodges. "Hey when this is done, can you make me some more of that delicious tea?"
Chonshu angrily swung with alternating lefts and rights, but Meitenkun's head easily bobbed to avoid them, until the red-clad brother mixed things up with a lower palm, missing again as his opponent sucked in his gut to avoid it, which prompted Chonshu to finally go completely low with an ankle kick; the lazy fighter lifted his leg to avoid it, and managed to catch Chonshu's next punch as it came soaring in. Chonshu tried to take advantage of their close proximity and hit him with his free hand...
...But Meitenkun amusingly ducked the punch and then proceeded to fall forward, onto the younger brother's chest. That's when the strangest sound to be heard in a fistfight could be heard:
"Zzzzzzzzzzz..."
The red brother was baffled, if not insulted, by his opponent's lack of devotion to the ongoing battle in front of him. Now becoming as angry as his older brother, Chonshu shoved him away. "G-get off...!"
The drowsy fighter stumbled back on drunken legs, looking barely conscious. Chonshu didn't care, as his chi launched him forward and he tried to crack him with a hard palm; Meiten stumbled past his strike, and Chonshu again felt a weight press against him: from behind!
"Zzzzzzzzzzz..."
Not appreciating being used as a human mattress, Chonshu grunted loudly and pushed him off, then tried to punish him with a back kick; Meitenkun flopped to the ground, appearing to collapse into slumber, but his leg actually shot out and clipped the aggressive boy below the knee, dropping him to a similar fate.
Chonshu laid on the ground for a while, not out of pain, but because he was aggravated, feeling no answers for the puzzling opponent he had been selected to "dispose" of. An angry fist found the dirt, as his emotions began to interfere with his fighting ability.
Meitenkun, meanwhile, had a peaceful smile and began to curl up, snuggling his pillow.
"Stop insulting me! I know you're holding back!" Chonrei tried to provoke his opponent into throwing more meaningful strikes, as a rather lackluster side kick bounced off his shoulder.
"We should call this off. You really don't want this to go any further." Was Shun'ei's chilling warning, as he stepped in with a left jab that was easily blocked, then had to sway his head to dodge the subsequent right cross that came back his way.
As Chonrei's hand soared past his head, Shun seized the arm and used the leverage to throw him over his head; predictably, Chonrei landed on his feet, and launched himself back forward, using his chi to glide his feet with rocket propulsion. The blue Jin came in fast with a leaping hook kick; as Shun dodged it, Jin landed and threw a double fist that stunned the boy to the torso and backed him up.
Chonrei didn't stop; he swung a wide left and right, Shun's hands against his ears to block them, and the headphoned opponent returned with a knee to the midsection; Chonrei blocked it and stung him with an openhanded jab to the nose. He stepped in with a front kick, which was caught, but he went airborne and whipped his left leg over, which just barely passed over Shun's head, and the boy had to let go. With both feet free, Jin threw high with that same left leg.
"FIGHT! BACK!" Jin bellowed as he threw a fierce body punch; Shun caught it, and Jin's free hand went upwards with a punch, that was ducked. He tried to come back around, but Shun caught his other hand, putting the two in another stalemate, that led to them stumbling around, jockeying for position... until Chonrei finally twisted his body around like a windmill, putting strain on Shun's arms, and causing him to break the hold, upon which Jin lit him up with a three hit combo: slapping him with a straight right, hitting him with a follow-up left, then twisting around in an eagle-like wing spreading motion, blasting Shun back with a tremendous right hand.
"Yeah, how do you like that? You're not so tough! You're a joke!"
Back on his feet, Shun felt a warm tickle on his mouth; he pressed a finger to his lip and felt blood. He looked down, seeing it stain his finger...
...That's when he got mad.
Meitenkun sensed a shift in his partner's demeanor, and began to worry. "Uh oh... he has that look in his eyes... be careful, Shun!" But he barely had time to be concerned as Chonshu was coming back at him. Meiten parried high and low with his pillow, then countered with a short palm that stunned Chonshu backwards only slightly, but he immediately bounced back forward with a leg kick, which was checked, and a whizzing left palm, which Meiten sidestepped to avoid, leaving Chonshu wide open for a rather harmless-looking pillow bump, but the younger brother was knocked to his knees regardless.
"Um, can we stop now? I'm getting worried for my friend."
Chonshu's answer was to flip back to his feet and come forward with a flying kick that impacted into the center of the pillow, knocking Meiten back a few feet. Taking advantage, Chonshu rocketed forward with chi-infused fists and tried to throw a combination which ultimately ended with his hand sinking into the pillow, with supposedly a clean hit...
...But it was a trap, as Meiten flung the pillow upwards, taking Chonshu's arm with it, leaving his midsection exposed for a quick 1-2, followed by a final third strike, a double palm, which knocked him back to the ground.
"Sorry about that..."
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
Back on the other front, an enraged Chonrei was glowing bright gold, facing down his headphoned opponent, who had officially run out of patience. Regardless, the blue one's chi was roaring rampant, intending to end this fight once and for all.
"This is it... this next blast'll blow you away!" Chonrei cried, his eyes themselves shining with a gold light. The faint outline of a golden dragon could be seen coursing around him.
Despite the impending danger, Shun'ei's posture was solid and unyielding, his expression cold.
"I've had enough of this."
With no more warnings, Jin's fist glowed with a ball of golden energy, growing bigger...brighter... clearly a finishing move.
"TAKE... THIS!"
The sphere of chi flew fast and true, on a collision course with an opponent who seemed to have no defense, as he stood there and awaited its arrival...
Jin's expression grew to a malicious smirk, as it neared his opponent, to wipe him away...
...And just as quickly, it faded.
FWOOOSH!
What stood before the older brother was a sight he had never seen before; it wasn't the demolished body of his enemy... but an unharmed Shun'ei, who stood with his arm protruded, and a massive blue manifestation of energy, shaped in the form of an outstretched hand. It had intercepted his destructive ball... and tanked it effortlessly.
Chonshu, yards away, was also awestruck. "What in the...?"
"Meitenkun," Shun called out to his partner. "Stop messing around, and finish this."
The boy looked over, with dazed eyes, and saluted. "Whatever you say~!"
The finishing blows were swift, and merciless. Shun launched forward, taking advantage of a Chonrei who was still shocked to see his super move blocked, and thrust his hand upwards in an uppercut... from his arm spawned another massive burst of energy, this time orange, in the shape of a gigantic fist, that clobbered blue Jin and sent him rocketing into the sky.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
On the other side, Chonshu's body also glowed gold as he soared towards Meitenkun in a vain last attempt at glory...
"Yaawwwwnn... um, I gotta toast you now."
BWOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!
Chonshu only made it within a few inches of his sleepy opponent, before a dazzling burst of light EXPLODED from the boy's body, in a nuclear eruption of multicolored aura that spread in all directions, and left its host completely safe.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Chonshu was blown backwards, rendered helpless by a crushing display of power from a kid that couldn't look more harmless at a glance. It was clear now, despite their appearances, both of them contained hidden... terrifying power.
A blue body landed on the ground, followed seconds later by a red body, and it was clear this fight was over...probably before it had even began. The Jin brothers were outmatched, outclassed... and their pride now wounded, with nothing but hindsight to now haunt them.
"BOYS!"
The altercation finally attracted the attention of Tung, who frantically walked out there as best as his old legs could carry. He made a beeline for the Jins to check their well-being and help them up... but they could tell from a glance that his eyes had less sympathy, and more criticism.
"What did I tell you?!" He chastised. "I told you not to fight those boys for a good reason!"
Chonrei just looked away, a shameful and bitter scowl on his face, while Chonshu looked remorsefully at the ground. The old master walked over to the other two, who quickly bowed in apology.
"Please forgive me, Sifu." Shun started. "He was very insistent."
"I just wanted some more yummy tea." Meitenkun followed up.
"You two did nothing wrong." Tung gently tapped them, to bring their heads back up. "My current pupils are having a hard time adjusting to new faces here is all. Go back inside, and I'll talk to them."
With a simultaneous bow, the two victors made their way back inside...but not before one more duel of the eyes between the green haired boy, and the brother in blue.
"When we get back inside, will you fluff my pillow with your big hands?"
"You know I don't like to use the hands like that..."
"But they make my pillow SOOOO fluffy~"
"Ugh..."
The master finally turned his attention back to the instigators. "As for you-"
"Spare me the lecture. I'm done."
Before he could start, Chonrei started to walk away, back towards the house, leaving Chonshu standing there, puzzled and nervous.
"Chonrei! Get back here!"
The blue one spun around, yelling, "You're no longer my master! Traitor!"
"If you would just let me explain!"
"There's nothing to explain! You've got two new pupils now, who can mop the floor with us! You clearly don't need us anymore! You can just train them now; Chonshu and I will find our own way, just like the old days."
"It doesn't have to be that way, boy!" The old master pleaded. "The four of you can get stronger, together!"
That was enough to stop the older brother, at least for a second. Long enough to think that maybe, just maybe, the old master's words got through. He pressed the advantage with a follow-up plea.
"Chonrei...please. I didn't bring them in to replace you. Please believe me."
Silence. A chance, a prayer, for the words to maybe get through to the impulsive older brother.
... Unfortunately, his next words proved it was in vain.
"Chonshu, pack your things. We're leaving."
Chonshu was frozen, caught between defying the master who had brought them in, cared for them, been a father to them... and going against his only blood.
"Chonrei, n-no. I don't want to..." he softly squeaked.
"Obey your older brother and LET'S GO."
The slightest addition of authority in Chonrei's voice got his younger brother's legs moving forward, even if he didn't particularly want to go along. He slowly, gloomily trudged over to where his blue-clad brother was standing, reluctance in every step.
"Why are you doing this, Chonrei?! What's your goal here?!" Tung tried to boom loudly, but his old vocal chords already began to hoarsen.
Chonrei gave his master one last display of respect: a bow, his hands clasped.
"I failed you, Master Tung. I'm too weak. My brother's too weak. I'm going to prove myself to you... we'll enter the next King of Fighters, my brother and I, and we'll win. Then maybe...maybe we'll be worthy of facing you again. And being here with those two."
With those parting words, Chonrei went back into the house, for perhaps the last time. Chonshu ultimately had no choice but to follow behind, as the choice to stay here and abandon his brother was an impossible one to ever make. Even if he was wrong... Chonshu had nobody else.
"Chonrei..." Tung hung his head, with a pitiable voice. "You young, misguided fool. I hope you find the clarity you need, and come home."
So to reiterate my other notes... this chapter is not really important in the grand scheme of things. Shun'ei and Meitenkun were basically cameos, and I had no intention of giving them roles in Kumite 3. I pretty much wrote this chapter because I wanted to write them whooping the Jins' asses lol. The Jin brothers will be in Kumite 3, however, so this isn't a complete waste. Anyways, from here on out, this is going to just focus on Southtown stuff, unless I just have anymore spontaneous ideas I want to add.
NEXT CHAPTER: A missing young man finally returns to Southtown, only to find that the city has plunged into decadence under a cruel new kingpin. How are the citizens surviving? Who will step up to make things right? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!
For now, here's Antonov buying more shit.
BONUS SCENE
THE SKY NOAH
"So let me get this straight... you've come here to purchase my stake in King of Fighters?"
On the famed Sky Noah, which was currently grounded as to meet with a scheduled "potential investor", Adelheid and Rose Bernstein now hosted the company of a gargantuan Russian, and his compact counterpart.
"Correct, young master." Antonov smiled, as they sat in the parlor, on adjacent furniture, the four of them having opened negotiations with a cup of tea. He had since finished his and now reached for a lighter, but stopped, to be courteous. "May I smoke?"
"Of course." the Bernstein head allowed. "Anyways, this is the tournament that my father helped pioneer, that he brought to the glory and prominence it boasts today. The grandest legacy of the Bernstein family, and you want me to just...trade it away like a frivolous trinket?"
The wealthy Russian blew smoke. "Well, milord, that's certainly a-"
"The answer is yes."
This caused Rose, who had been docile up to this point, to immediately become vocal. "B-but brother...!"
"Quiet, Rose."
"No! You can't! Y-you can't just-"
Adelheid cut her off, with a mere lifting of his hand. "I can and I will. Geese Howard may have founded King of Fighters, but it was my father who launched it to international fame. It's become what it is today, thanks to the Bernstein name...with all the evil that comes with it. Greed, abuse of power, taking advantage of others...it's not a legacy I want to be tied to. To shed us of that burden once and for all, I'll gladly sell away any ownership that binds us to this accursed brand."
Rose wasn't having that answer, at least not without a furious pout. "But brother... King of Fighters...it belongs to us as much as it does Geese...it's not fair..."
He placed an affectionate arm around her, which went a long way towards quelling her. "Rose...trust me. This is what's best for us. We can be free of this madness forever, now legally. We can do whatever we want now. We're free."
Before his sister could conjure up anymore objection, Adelheid swiftly rose to his feet, and began gathering the cups. While he did so, he sealed it.
"Mr. Antonov, you have a deal. I'll settle on a fair and reasonable price, to free of us this burden that's plagued us for too long. And, on a personal note...I'm grateful to you, for giving us the incentive to do what should have been done long ago."
Antonov, pleased, also jumped up, a wide grin that nearly expelled his cigar. "Milord Bernstein, I'm grateful to YOU for seeing things my way! It's my pleasure to free you from this obligation the Bernstein name has carried on its back since the days of your father Rugal. And I will give you my sincere promise, now: I assure you, I'll do nothing to harm or tarnish the name of the tournament your family has so-proudly carried. Of this, you have my word."
A polite bow, before their hands met in the middle with a consummating shake. "I would expect nothing less from you, Mr. Antonov. Now... if you'll wait in the other room, I must speak with my sister."
The guests complied, and Antonov urged his short friend out of the room. The excitement on the large man's face couldn't be hidden, and he nearly threw the smaller guy out of the room in their haste to make the hosts happy.
Now alone, Rose finally had the freedom to properly tear into him. "Brother, how could you do that? How could you sell away our legacy?!"
Adelheid looked away. "It's our father's legacy, Rose...it's not going to be ours. What happened last year will never happen again."
"So it's about that after all!"
"It's about EVERYTHING. I know you don't understand right now...but in time, you'll be grateful."
"Oh I will, will I? You're just so sure of it!" she sassed, before swishing her dress and turning away. "Hmph! What would Father say, were he here right now? You're just giving away something that he helped create!"
"Rose..." he maintained a soft voice, despite everything. Approaching his sister, he rested a hand on her, to ease her tantrum. "We're not going to be defined by our father's achievements. I see a different destiny for us: one that can be without hosting a corrupt tournament that brings pain and destruction to humanity every year. We nearly didn't make it last year, remember?"
"B-but..."
"REMEMBER?"
Rose closed her eyes... all those horrid memories came back, including her brother's weary, blood-soaked body at the hospital, too fatigued to even wake up. She knew he was right.
"...Yes."
"That's what I thought." he rubbed her back gently. "Now quit arguing with your brother and let's get this deal done. It's time for King of Fighters to be entrusted to new hands."