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[color=1E90FF][b]Level :[/b][/color] 9
[color=1E90FF][b]EXP :[/b][/color] 18/90 (+5 pts.)
[color=1E90FF][b]Location :[/b][/color] Esaka, the Tiered City
[color=1E90FF][b]Word Count :[/b][/color] 4,135

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[color=1E90FF][i]Okay… that was sweet,[/i][/color] Terry inwardly admitted, [color=1E90FF][i]but embarrassing. Sheesh… I could’ve sworn I almost passed out![/i][/color]

The hat-wearing bruiser could still feel shivers running down his spine after having been besieged by an army of devoted fangirls, their bright lip tints still lingering around his cheeks and neck. Stunned, he’d been holding his head while drawing himself farther and farther away from the prior secluded spot, his steps groggy and his grip around the strap of his duffle bag faltering. Imaginary stars and cupids started to swirl around his head, as he tried to calm the stinging dizziness the suffocating crowd had caused. The sight made him seem like he was either drunk or beaten up by a horde of fighters of his caliber, while really, the only real threat he was facing was a bunch of [i]baddies[/i] unwilling to let him leave. Well, that, if they could ever be considered a threat, anyway.

As Terry strolled past one dojo to another, noises of scuffles greeted his ears. The loud echoes of exploding projectiles, clinking swords, and colliding limbs played like a concoction of melodies uniting in harmony. It seemed that his newfound allies had started taking tryouts in their respective dojos of choices, and he couldn’t help but feel grateful for them. And of course, alongside the battle rhythm came those uncoordinated squealing noises again—the ones greeting him while he was chattering with Cap. They were closing in again, louder than ever in the most obnoxious way imaginable. Terry glanced past his shoulder, his blue eyes widening at the distant sight of the same horde who’d been holding him captive.

[color=1E90FF][i]Oh, shit…[/i][/color]

Hilariously, Terry darted his gaze ahead and ran away, his steps tremendously accelerating. He’d clearly had enough with those rabid fangirls he stumbled upon earlier. In no time, he managed to distance himself from the growing sight behind him, slowly but surely evading the wild crowd. If Pao Pao Café 7 was the next destination for the crew, he’d surely have fled there and hidden until the approaching crowd subsided. But alas, before he could realize his intention, something hampered his path. He quickly halted when someone called his name out from right across him, their voice deep and distorted.

“Terry Bogard,” the voice initiated. “It has come to my attention that you have a lot of admirers now. I still remember when you were just a poor kid trying to make a name for yourself in small fighting pits. You sure have come a long way. Too bad, your legend has to end here.”

Terry gasped, swallowing hard. Was that supposed to be a challenge? He wasn’t too certain. Though, there sure was a hint of passive aggression in their voice, as if he’d enraged them. He turned to face the source of the voice, and as it turned out, it was the obese, loinclothed man [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5611451]he and the crew happened to pass by while searching for dojos[/url]. The said obese man frowned, firmly squeezing the arms of his throne.

[color=1E90FF]“Mondu…”[/color] Terry muttered knowingly.

“Indeed. It is I, Mondu the Fat,” the obese man reintroduced, still managing a passive aggressive tone, “and I welcome you, Terry Bogard, to the Fight Palace… dishonorably.”

Terry arched an eyebrow, his duffle bag lowered. [color=1E90FF]“Excuse me?”[/color] he pardoned. [color=1E90FF]“You do know that I already have a dojo, right? And just why the hell are you looking at me like that?”[/color]

Mondu pursed his pale lips, his face scrunching. “You fool! Do you not realize that you have infuriated the Lord of the Fight Palace!?” he asked furiously.

Terry’s face was completely puzzled. He shrugged, spreading a hand. [color=1E90FF]“But… what did I do wrong??”[/color]

“Edwina is my wife,” Mondu elaborated. “She is the Empress of the Fight Palace, but I’m certain you hadn’t a clue of what she is, considering that you tried to flirt with her right in front of my eyes. Such a distasteful action, I must admit, especially coming from you, ‘Hero of South Town.’”

Rather than enlightened, Terry became even more clueless. He scrunched his face, faintly narrowing his eyes. [color=1E90FF]“Oh, I’m sorry? Me flirting with your wife?”[/color] he protested. [color=1E90FF]“Sounds like you got it all wrong, bud. All I did was give her an autograph and just call it a day. She never even got to kiss me.”[/color]

It was true that—out of all the fangirls surrounding Terry earlier—Edwina was one of the few who tried not to kiss nor cuddle him. And it wasn’t like Terry tried to do anything to reciprocate any of the affection given to him, either. The autographs were what he focused on the most, as that was what the fangirls initially came for.

“Liar!” Mondu objected with a pointing finger, refusing to accept the truth. “I heard it firsthand how my wife begged for you to marry her. Do not lie, Terry Bogard, you must’ve said something that encouraged her to say so, did you not?”

[color=1E90FF]“Oh, boy…”[/color] Terry sighed, planting a palm over his face. [color=1E90FF]“Look, man, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean that. First of all, I had no idea the mohawk lady was your wife, and I sure as hell didn’t do any of the stuff you accused me of—”[/color]

[b]“Enough!”[/b]

[color=1E90FF][b]“Gwahh—!!”[/b][/color]

Cutting his words, Mondu thrusted forth his lengthy tongue out of his layered belly, using it to wrap and bring Terry to his dojo. Mondu’s Fight Palace was unlike any other low-tier dojos, to say the least. It was a broad open space structured almost like an [url=https://imgur.com/a/pb4lezq]arena[/url], instead of a conventional gym. The roster mostly consisted of [url=https://imgur.com/a/A2IlwC6]outer-space creatures[/url] who’d been watching from the crowd section in silence. They sat incredibly still, rarely twitching nor making a single noise. If it wasn’t for the yokais and some of Terry’s fangirls drawn into the place, surely, the arena-like dojo would’ve felt flat and lifeless. As it was with many of the low-tier dojos, Mondu’s Fight Palace had assumed multiple names in the past, most popularly ‘Slaughter Sport,’ ‘Tongue of the Fatman,’ and ‘Red Belt.’

[color=1E90FF][b]“Ungh!”[/b][/color]

Terry’s torso kissed the ground harshly upon being slammed by Mondu’s squeezing tongue, his duffle bag flying out of his grip. A gasp escaped his mouth, as he laid flat on his stomach. Thankfully, it didn’t take a while for him to sit up, noticing that his upper clothes had been stained by the fat man’s thick saliva. The hat-wearing bruiser flinched.

[color=1E90FF][i]Gross![/i][/color] he cursed inwardly, hesitantly trying to wipe the sticky substance away.

Mondu laughed at the sight, crossing his surprisingly toned arms over his ample chest. “This is what happens when you despise the Lord of the Fight Palace,” he scoffed. “Do you not know that I’m the one keeping this part of the city afloat? Best you keep yourself wary, Terry Bogard, because today, you shall face the wrath of Mondu the Fat!”

Obviously, his statement was exaggerated, and Terry could tell it in a heartbeat. If Mondu was truly that mighty, he wouldn’t have been running a low-tier dojo to begin with. Better yet, he wouldn’t have gone as far as promoting his so-called ‘fight palace’ to every pedestrian walking past the street. His arrogance frankly reminded him of some of the practitioners he despised from the KOF dojo.

[color=1E90FF][i]Egomaniacs, Terry. Egomaniacs everywhere,[/i][/color] he told himself inwardly, grunting and picking himself up. Normally, he would’ve talked someone like the fat man out of unnecessary altercation, but since he was still under Galeem’s influence, he chose to reciprocate the challenge, anyway. [color=1E90FF]“Heh. Well said, fatso! That’s a damn fine speech, won’t you guys agree?”[/color] Terry asked with his hands gesturing at Mondu, blue eyes on the sidelines as he tried to communicate with the attendants. The outer-space creatures remained unfazed, yet his fangirls had already yelled nonstop. His eyes moved back to Mondu. [color=1E90FF]“So you really think that you can end my legend, huh? Heh. C’mon, be serious now! If you really wanna test your luck, then go ahead! You’ve been awful to me, anyway.”[/color]

Mondu smirked, patting his fat belly. “Oh, don’t you worry about that, child. We shall be fighting soon. For now, you shall play by my game and face my champion.” He snapped his fingers, gesturing his best fighter to enter the ring. “Rex?”

As instructed, [url=https://imgur.com/a/WI69FXQ]the champion of the Fight Palace[/url] leaped past the barricade, his bare feet landing smoothly atop of the sandy ground. One of the only two earthlings in the roster, Rex was a middle aged man with tanned complexion, thick moustache, and a pitch-black long hair that he kept in a ponytail. His outfit was simple, solely consisting of rolled sweatpants decked with crimson and golden lists. As he assumed his ready stance, Rex confidently approached Terry, taunting him.

“Touch me and I’ll kill you,” he threatened with a glare and a smug grin.

Mondu snickered, watching from his throne as his champion readied himself for a match against a fellow champion. His back relaxed against its backrest. “Make this amusing, will you, Terry Bogard? Or else, I shall feed you to my [url=https://imgur.com/a/rPPKE9t]pet shark[/url],” he threatened, his creepy smile widening. He then glanced at his champion. “Rex, you know what to do.” His eyes gestured at Terry. “Git’m and sic’m, boy!”

Terry didn’t say a thing to Mondu. Instead, he only smirked back, then took a series of small hops to warm himself up. [color=1E90FF]“Alright, time for a lil’ side quest!”[/color] he said, then slammed his fist back, his thumb pointing backwards. [color=1E90FF][b]“Hah!”[/b][/color]

As the bell rang, Terry swung his gloved fists close to his blonde temples, taking his own ready stance. Both he and Rex began circling and sizing up each other, searching for the right moment to strike. The cheers were loud coming from the horde of Terry’s fangirls, while the yokais involved themselves in a betting game conducted by [url=https://imgur.com/a/z4PTOEd]a scary-looking verdant creature with canine fangs and uniquely shaped antennas.[/url] Terry could quite hear some of the words spoken between the yokais and the space creature.

“Well, well… Welcome to the game, slimeballs!” the verdant space creature greeted. “If you don’t get your asses sent back to the spirit realm, you may make a few bucks. But then, none of you look smart. Better send some cash home for your upcoming rapture.” He extended his hand, as if gesturing to the yokais to start placing their bets. Despite the mockery, they went ahead with the offer, anyway. 

One yokai said, “Bet! I’ll go with the obvious. If it ain’t gonna be Terry, then I dunno,” before handing the space creature tens of notes worth of money.

The other agreed and did the same thing, handing a bag full of coins, instead. “Yeah, totally! I mean, duh, Terry was a three-time KOF champ and the slayer of Mars the Fire God. It’s no diff, y’all! Besides, all that Rex guy could do was win some shitty tournaments held by some creepy fatass with a funny tongue.”

Another one joined in a bit later, nodding in agreement. He handed the space creature a smaller amount of notes tucked within a crimson Chinese envelope. “I got no doubt that Terry’s winnin’, too,” he remarked. “But hey, better not go all in just yet, don’t you think? It’s only the first match, and Terry’s the one fighting Rex here, instead of anybody else from the KOF dojo. No cap that I would’ve placed a higher bet if it was Kyo or Iori competing.”

A different yokai chimed in, begging to differ. “Sorry, y’all, but I’m gonna go with Rex,” he told the others, confidently handing a miniscule briefcase to the space creature. “Y’all Terry mains really have no idea how much of a big deal Rex is. He’s one of the only humanoids to participate in Mondu’s fight pit, let alone in the entire universe! Dude can Wang the Chang, and his feet are registered lethal weapons. Seriously, though, have y’all even checked out his kill count?”

Regardless of what the yokais were rooting for, Terry chose to focus on the opponent ahead, planning on giving his all for each and every attendant watching by the sidelines. He had to admit Rex did look like a big deal, as he was an enormous man towering over him. He might want to be careful while facing an opponent of Rex’s size.

After sizing each other up for quite some time, Rex decided to make a move. Smirking, he then exhaled a fiery breath, [url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/faqs/40/79540-41.jpg]a lengthy, swirling torch[/url] bursting out of his mouth. Thankfully, before it could roast him alive, Terry had managed to sidestep, his movements swift yet gracious. Rex hadn’t given up just yet and decided to use the same technique again, only to be evaded by Terry. Thinking that his opponent must’ve been frightened of his torch, he laughed, his head throwing back.

“What a coward!” Rex scoffed. “Keep running away like that, and you’ll never win a fight pit such as this one.”

Little did Rex know, Terry had paced right behind his back while he was still laughing, standing not too far from him. Playfully, he poked his opponent’s shoulder from behind, taunting him with a soft, almost whispering voice. [color=1E90FF]“Hey, hey… I’m right behind you,”[/color] the hat-wearing bruiser quipped. [color=1E90FF]“Don’t feel so confident yet. Can you even smell what the wolf’s cooking?”[/color]

At both the poke and the whispering quip, Rex leaped up in surprise, quickly turning in Terry’s direction. He clearly was taken aback, his eyes widened for a moment. “You… I thought you’d quitted!” he exclaimed, his finger pointing at his opponent. “That’s good to me because too bad for you, you’ll be the next victim of my [url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/faqs/40/79540-39.jpg]decapitating jump kick[/url]!”

It did sound intimidating, initially, but upon execution, it was just a plain, simple leaping kick that Terry had encountered countless of times in the past. The only difference was its rigid movement that made Rex move more like a machine than he was a human. Reflexively, he covered his face and torso with his arms, managing to block his opponent’s [i]deadly[/i] kick. Rex widened his eyes at the sight, gasping.

[i]Shit… How come he didn’t react to my special technique?[/i]

Rex could only muse in disbelief, expecting the kick to slice Terry in half like it normally did to his opponents. Refusing to use different tactics, the champion of the Fight Palace continued to attack the three-time KOF champion with the same leaping kick over and over again, his movement stiff and clunky each time. Easily, Terry countered the barrages of kicks hurled in his direction, his defensive stance still maintained. 

[color=1E90FF]“Dude, you’re so predictable, y’know that,”[/color] Terry quipped, stifling a chuckle. [color=1E90FF]“That all you got to show me?”[/color]

Rex was furious, frowning at Terry. He was still desperate enough to decapitate Terry with the same rounds of normal light kicks, sweats beginning to roll down his forehead. “Oh, shut up!” he shouted. “Why won’t you just die!?”

Terry couldn’t hold his snicker anymore, finding humor in Rex’s desperation. [color=1E90FF]“Because legends never die,”[/color] he answered, then broke out of his defensive stance to hold Rex by his leading leg, [color=1E90FF]“and that’s the bottom line.”[/color] And so, Terry pushed Rex aside, causing him to spin in circles. And just when the champion of the Fight Palace faced in his direction again… 

[b][i]POW![/i][/b]

Terry landed a clean uppercut against his mandible, launching his opponent backwards. Rex awkwardly collapsed, laying on his back. He coughed, spilling drops of blood out of his mouth. Finally managing to attack his opponent, the hat-wearing bruiser swung his fist excitedly, firing up the excitement of his steadfast supporters. 

[color=1E90FF]“Bingo!”[/color] he exclaimed, then looked down at his collapsing opponent. [color=1E90FF]“I’ve touched you, and you didn’t do anything about it.”[/color] He thought that was only the beginning of their bout, so he offered Rex a hand. [color=1E90FF]“Down for one more?”[/color]

Much to Terry’s surprise, Rex didn’t do anything. He gave no response, whatsoever, just laying still with eyes shut and lips partly parting. Seeing so, the three-time KOF champion scratched his cheek, his face puzzled. 

[color=1E90FF][i]Huh?[/i][/color] he wondered. [color=1E90FF][i]Really? I thought my uppercut wasn’t so harsh. He couldn’t have been knocked out, could he?[/i][/color]

After failing to show any signs of consciousness, Mondu finally decided that his champion had been knocked out. The bell rang aloud, signifying that the match was over. Both disappointed and angered, he commanded his pet shark to swallow Rex alive, which prompted Terry to [color=1E90FF][b]“woahhh!!”[/b][/color] at the graphic sight in shock. He tried to catch up with the verdant shark, wanting to free Rex but failing. The shark had already swam far. He could only wonder now how it even managed to breathe on the land, let alone swimming through the ground.

“Pathetic! I always knew he’s just a mortal weakling,” Mondu scoffed, his brow frowning. “Fine! If not even my best fighter can take down the little mutt…” Carefully, he raised out of his throne, his humongous frame hampering his movements. Oddly enough, it was revealed that his belly had a face of its own where he stored the retractable tongue from early on. “...I’ll do it myself.” His steps were heavy as he drew out of the throne, erupting loud thumping noises in his path. He tried to approach the three-time KOF champion. “I have to admit you are quite a guy, Terry Bogard. I challenge you to fight Mondu,” the fat man said. “Your legend is about to end. Do you have any last wish?”

Not even at the face of death did Terry show fear. He managed a confident smirk, readjusting his cap. [color=1E90FF]“Last wish?”[/color] he asked back. [color=1E90FF]“Well, my last wish is to kick your ass and become the new King of the Fight Palace. Does that sound like a lot?”[/color]

Mondu returned the smirk, amused by Terry’s optimism. “So be it,” he challenged. “Only if you’re lucky.” As the bell rang, the fat man curled himself into [url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/faqs/40/79540-124.jpg]a gigantic ball[/url], spinning in Terry’s direction. Just as he did with Rex’s torch, the hat-wearing bruiser simply sidestepped, letting Mondu’s curling frame continuously collide with the barricade behind. Terry’s fangirls continued to chant for him, while the yokais were still occupied with the betting game in front of them. 

“See? I told you Terry was gonna win the first one,” said one yokai with a sense of pride. “It’s no diff, and it’s shown. Think I’m gonna go with him again.”

“Yeah, me, too,” the other agreed with a nod. “Gotta place a higher bet this time. I’m all in for our boy Hat Ken.”

“Yeah, maybe I was wrong about him not being as strong as Kyo and Iori,” another one agreed, scratching the back of his bald head. “Yep, I’m all in, too!”

However, the one siding with Rex still insisted. “Yeah… Nope! Mondu’s the best fighter across the galaxy, don’tcha know?” he argued. “He’s also the final boss of this [s]game[/s] dojo. Terry’s only the best in South Town. How many big tournaments has he won in recent years? Exactly, [b]none![/b] He’s been taking a backseat to younger, cooler guys like Kyo and Iori for, like, forever. I think the winner is obvious here.”

Despite the chattering noises, Terry still didn’t seem to mind anything that the yokais or anybody by the sidelines was saying. He stood right across Mondu’s curling frame, blue eyes fixating on the sight of his opponent spinning away from the barricade. The fat man launched himself faster than he did before in Terry’s direction, only to be greeted by the same outcome. Now, he found himself stumbling upon his throne, continuously grazing his spinning frame against its metallic one until it toppled.

[color=1E90FF]“Missed!”[/color] Terry quipped, then gestured an open hand at his curling opponent. [color=1E90FF]“How long are you gonna spin around like that, anyway?”[/color]

Hearing Terry’s quippy question, Mondu growled, uncurling his humongous frame. He turned around, facing the three-time KOF champion with a frown. “You talk too much, Terry Bogard!” he exclaimed. “Prepare to meet your end!” Again, the broad lips across his belly parted open, retracting [url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/faqs/40/79540-126.jpg]the same large tongue[/url] he used earlier to wrap and bring his opponent close to his presence. Terry let out a loud [color=1E90FF][b]“gwahh!!”[/b][/color] like he did prior, as Mondu subsequently attacked him with barrages of alternating fists. Initially, he flinched, but as the fat man continued to bombard him with punches, he began to laugh. He started squirming uncontrollably, much to Mondu’s chagrin.

“What’s wrong?” the fat man asked, his voice a hint of exasperation. “Why are you laughing?”

[color=1E90FF]“Aww, cut it out, man! You’re tickling me!”[/color] Terry answered with a raised voice, managing to speak between laughters. [color=1E90FF]“I thought you were supposed to be the strongest in the galaxy. Do you seriously think you can beat me with those punches?”[/color]

Mondu huffed, still insisting on punching Terry. “Shut it, mortal!” But then, the longer he bombarded his opponent with the same punches, the more he felt worn down. His fists weakened, and eventually, he uncurled them. He took a moment to catch his breath, hands on both hips and sweats decking his forehead. “Dammit…” he muttered. “Why can’t you just die??”

Terry grinned. [color=1E90FF]“That’s when you make a mistake.”[/color] Then, he charged a miniscule amount of ki-energy into both his thumb and index, making them glow red. He used them to pinch Mondu’s tongue, playfully twisting its smooth, crimson surface. The fat man reflexively reacted to the scorching pinch with a deep groan, quickly pulling his tongue away from the three-time KOF champion. Terry landed on both feet, finally freed. [color=1E90FF]“And, oh, need I repeat what I told your homeboy early on?”[/color] he asked before attacking the flinching Mondu with a backspinning kick to the gut, sending him towards the barricade behind his toppling throne. He bounced forth, only to be welcomed by a hard-hitting shoulder tackle from Terry.

[b][i]SMACK![/i][/b]

[color=1E90FF][b]“OVERHEAT…”[/b][/color] he exclaimed, then flailed Mondu’s ample torso with a leaping uppercut, sending the latter flying with him. [color=1E90FF][b]“...GEYSER!!!”[/b][/color] 

[b][i]KA–BOOM![/i][/b]

Landing first atop the ground, Terry flailed the sandy surface to summon a surge of energy geyser, adding a finishing touch to his [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/news2022/char3/kof99-terry-bogard-super-vs-joe-higashi.gif]desperation move[/url]. A gauge stock was used, an enormous quake emerged, and the geyser managed to prevent Mondu from reaching the ground. It instead sent him colliding against the billboard perching by the farther back of the arena, displaying [url=https://imgur.com/a/Q782IU7]an obnoxious gnashing face[/url] similar to that of his belly’s. The billboard fractured and electrocuted him, subsequently knocking him out cold. The notorious fat man descended, then limply collapsed on his hip, both of his tongues spilling out. Once everything was said and done, the bell rang one final time. 

[b][i]DING! DING![/i][/b]

At long last, the victor was ruled. Half of the crowd roared in excitement, and so did Terry. As he posed by the center of the arena, he tossed his iconic cap towards the hysterical fangirls, listening as they fought to catch it. [color=1E90FF][b]“Alright!!”[/b][/color] he exclaimed, then revealed the exact same cap from his pocket, sporting it around the golden crown of his head. [color=1E90FF]“You’re a fat, fat guy, Mondu! Looks like I’m the new King of the Fight Palace now, huh?”[/color] He glanced at the unconscious Mondu ahead, then back at his wrist, as if looking at the watch that was never there. He patted the imaginary watch with two fingers, then glued it to his ear before turning to face the fangirls and the celebrating yokais. [color=1E90FF]“Five seconds!”[/color] he shouted exaggeratingly, placing both of his hands beside the corners of his lips. He then pointed a finger. [color=1E90FF]“Clip that, y’all!”[/color]

Terry smiled from ear to ear, the loud cheers from his steadfast supporters never failing to excite him. If they were entertained, he, too, felt entertained. Perhaps, Ryo was right when [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5609148]he told him that he was still loved and adored outside of the KOF dojo,[/url] as he was treated more like a reigning champion anywhere else but the place he’d considered his home for a long time. Yet, despite all the enthusiasm, he still failed to shrug away the feeling that something was off. Something was clearly lacking from him, but he couldn’t quite point out what. Whether it was the absence of his loved ones or his unusual aggression or the possibility that he was supposed to live a different life according to Pit, he wasn’t so sure which one of them was close to his concern. Heck, he wasn’t even sure if it was the combination of them or none of them at all. His smile faltered, and he could only sigh and ponder in the midst of the deafening crowd, blankly staring at his hands. 

[color=1E90FF][i]Gosh, it’s that feeling again. I still wish you guys were here.[/i][/color]

[b]FIN.[/b]