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[h3][color=1E90FF][u][b]Level 9 Terry Bogard[/b][/u][/color][/h3]
[sub][color=1E90FF][b]EXP :[/b][/color] 88/90 (+4 pts.) [sup][color=lightgreen][b]LEVEL UP![/b][/color][/sup]
[color=1E90FF][b]Location :[/b][/color] Esaka’s Low Tier and Pools
[color=1E90FF][b]Word Count :[/b][/color] 3,596[/sub]

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[color=1E90FF]“Oh, hey there, you two!”[/color] Terry welcomed Sakura and Amaterasu from afar, giving them a big wave and trying as best as he could to maintain a bright demeanor. [color=1E90FF]“Yeah, no cap, the explosion was as awful as it sounds. I do think it was a tad bit fishy. Everything from the Jacks being sent there and the chopper that came after indicated that one of those G-Corp higher ups could be the one orchestrating this mess. But I dunno, the more I think about it, I guess they could be the cover up for something far bigger than Kaz and his stooges. Did y’all know that they sold those Jack bots to other shady ass companies in Esaka? Even literal terrorists like Black Dragon own ’em, and it’s been, like, an open secret around here.”[/color] 

Even he couldn’t believe that he just openly shared that piece of information in front of his (mostly) non-Esakan friends, but it went to show that underneath the ‘gatekeeping’ stuff and the fair, peaceful conduct, Esaka was about as corrupted as any place within Galeem’s twisted world. So corrupted that they allowed terrorists and serial killers like [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Freeman]Freeman[/url] ran wild around the city unpunished. Hopefully, he couldn’t be the only resident who thought that the system was extremely flawed, could he?

Just moments after, both Koopalings made their surprising entrance to the coffee house, with Junior proudly claiming that he’d discovered ‘how to shatter Flame Clocks.’ Since he was relatively new to the team, it was evident that Terry was clueless about anything that they’d claimed to find and learn throughout their adventures. Instead of chiming in, Terry greeted them with the same gesture and feigned expression he gave both Sakura and Amaterasu, looking just as exhilarated as the Koopalings despite himself.

[color=1E90FF]“Oh, hey there, err… [i]Raphael[/i] and [i]Venus[/i]?”[/color] he jokingly called both Junior and Rika, trying to guess their names. He hadn’t learned of their actual names just yet, as they’d completely parted ways with the squad the moment Terry introduced (or [i]reintroduced[/i]) himself to the squad yesterday morning. [color=1E90FF]“Well, those are some fine findings, you guys. [sub]And that makes me think that this Galeem freak’s just as clueless as the people around us are.[/sub] But anyway, yeah, like I said, the explosion was as awful as it sounds, so we’re totally [b]not[/b] okay over here. A lotta peeps are dying, and we can’t do anything about it.”[/color]

And Terry’s expression went wry almost immediately, despite his efforts to remain cheerful and friendly like he usually was. As much as he wanted to admit, the sight of the prior sprawling corpses with their wide, glassy eyes was still weighing on him, even when he didn’t know each and every one of the demised guests personally. To make matters worse, Nadia was still palpably absent, nowhere to be seen nor found. It gave him a sense of unease knowing that one of them might’ve still been caught under the ruins. Or so, he believed?

Then, Pit revealed to Terry the truth about Nadia. The winged captain claimed that he’d found her arm somewhere nearby the demolished Flats, its condition ‘healthy… for a severed arm.’ It was later revealed that Primrose had been stowing said arm under her bag, but just the thought of a decapitated body part being kept inside a bag nearly made the notoriously compassionate bruiser throw up. And that was before he even had his breakfast, too! Nevertheless, he could at least sigh in relief, knowing that Nadia would’ve possibly survived the collapsing motel.

[color=1E90FF]“Ouch, dude! That sounds like something straight outta the Mortal Kombat tourney!”[/color] he remarked, wincing and scrunching his nose in disgust. [color=1E90FF]“But, damn, ’least Ms. Fortune’s okay. I’m happy about that. I just hope that—whenever we meet her again—she doesn’t have to feel so bad about, y’know, the thing that just happened back at the Flats. I don’t think it’s really her fault. ’Least not a hundred percent.”[/color]

By the time he reciprocated Pit, the prior Mii waitress approached their table, serving both the pretzel and the comically large cup of hot java the bruiser had been ordering. Once they were settled on his side of the table, Terry gave her a thumbs up, reciprocating her politely spoken “here’s your breakfast” with a friendly [color=1E90FF]“okay, thank you!”[/color]

As he nibbled and gobbled his pretzel with gusto, Terry continued to pay attention to everything that his fellow Seekers had been speaking of, ranging from the possible suspect of last night’s incident to the Koopalings’ curious discoveries. While he had barely any clue as to what the twins had been elaborating, he did, however, seemingly take interest in the ‘Source Engine’ that was hinted to be the machine responsible for mass-producing variants of themselves, all while fixating on the wall-mounted TV ahead of their table. Apparently, the commercial break still went on, now showing an advertisement for the latest KOF tournament that was coming in an hour. As per tradition, Terry was left out of the promotional montage showcasing nearly every premier fighter from the last tournament performing eye-catching combo sequences before an offer was made by the end of the advertisement that said:

[color=1E90FF][i]75% Discount. Grab your tickets… [b]now??[/b][/i][/color]
 
Even Terry had to inwardly reiterate the offer being displayed on the screen to make sure that he was reading every word right. This had to be a joke, didn’t it? The tournament was already around the corner, yet they were still selling tickets an hour in advance? It was sad that the advertisement had to be made, but it went to show the current, unhealthy state of the KOF tournament that Terry needed to make peace with, as harsh as it sounded.

Following the advertisement promoting [url=https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Armor_King]Armor King’s[/url] [url=https://youtu.be/RBjhCpvBtyk?si=1n7E6M65YvN2vbWE]blazing return[/url] to the latest Tekken tournament, the prior news broadcast was shown finally disrupting the lengthy commercial break, the reporter welcoming the viewers with a formal [b][i]“and now we’re back for another news update in regards to the recent explosion incident,”[/i][/b] which immediately elicited an uneasy expression from Terry. His free hand balled, and his inner burden escalated, the moment the group’s conversation deepened and the television’s loud echo reached every corner of the building. It was reported that the investigation team led by Heidern and Sonya was still examining the remains of the Jack droids found under the ruins, confirming that both the Gun Jack and Jack-8 models were deployed alongside the preceding Jack-5 droids. The estimated numbers of the casualties were also announced, their names listed. Some were tourists visiting Esaka, but most were local grapplers working for several wrestling promotions within the city and beyond. [b][i]“Including Andore Jr., Keiko Asano, Morio Smith, Jacob Cass, and the former WWCA champion Pulk Hogen.”[/i][/b]

Upon hearing the names of the casualties—both dead and injured—being reported, Terry weakly gobbled his pretzel and swallowed hard,  suddenly losing his appetite. He was crushed, devastated. It was almost as if the incident had claimed the lives of hundreds of guests, even though there were barely a dozen of them. The patrons around him didn’t seem too bothered (save for his fellow Seekers), but he did. Even if he was still gleaming at this point, he would’ve still cared. He’d seen his beloved hometown nearly getting demolished and wiped out of the map once in his first life because he didn’t care enough, and regardless of the casualties, he’d hate to see history repeat itself in his second life. The difference now was that he, at least, cared about what truly went on behind the curtains, but even in spite of his efforts, he still failed to save everyone. The brawny blonde sighed and settled his half-eaten pretzel back on his plate, his head dropping and his weary eyes flicking close.

[color=1E90FF][i]No… No, Terry! Nobody should’ve died. I could’ve saved everyone, but I didn’t try enough. I was too slow. Too… reckless! I put everybody in danger because of what I said. Shouldn’t have said what I said last night if this was gonna happen. It was all my fault. [b]My fault![/b][/i][/color]

Absently, Terry tightened his balled hands on the table, scrunching his face and nearly slamming his fists against its solid surface. After what happened to his loved ones, he should’ve known better to run his mouth than to grumble senselessly yesterday. Mustering the courage to own up to his mistakes, the erstwhile KOF champion swallowed again, then answered to Band’s question, flicking his eyelids open to look his fellow Seekers in the eyes.

[color=1E90FF]“This is all my fault,”[/color] he admitted, his voice shaky. [color=1E90FF]“Ms. Fortune did nothing wrong. I shouldn’t have bitched about Rugal, Esaka, and the KOF tourney back at the lobby if it ended up attracting unwanted attention from the Four Kings. It did cost my family back then, and it damn near cost everyone of us, too. I’ve done more harm than good to the team. And… and…”[/color] He stifled his mouth hesitantly, his lips clenching tight. He didn’t know how he was supposed to address the next revelation in front of his team without sounding like the biggest snitch. His tongue clicked, his lips finally parting to speak. [color=1E90FF]“And I shouldn’t have told Geese what I saw back at the Teahouse. We were involved in a heated argument last evening, and I… stupidly blamed him for running South Town to the ground after learning what I learned when Ammy set me free. Sure, it was accidental, and I didn’t mention something like ‘Galeem’ nor ‘Seekers of Light’ that might’ve potentially put him on alert, but still… he seemed to notice. And I just remembered now that his company owned some of those newest Jack models sold by G-Corp.”[/color] Terry weakly exhaled, then covered his embarrassed face with both gloved hands, his fingers running through the wild strands dangling over his forehead. He shook his head in defeat before drawing his hands away, glancing back at the other Seekers. [color=1E90FF]“God, I’m such an idiot! Look, I don’t ask you guys for forgiveness, okay? I dunno if I can be trusted anymore after what happened. If you’re gonna disown me after we take down the Four Kings, then… so be it. I won’t object if that’s the consequence I have to face. But wait…”[/color]

His eyes narrowed observantly as if coming to a realization. All of a sudden, Terry was reminded by the conversation he had with Earthrealm’s lightning deity and two other Seekers at the Kyokugen BBQ. He remembered how the deity referred to them as the ‘Seekers of Light’—something that he was surprised to hear initially, but didn’t pay any mind until this morning. The brawny blonde darted his keen eyes towards Kim (who was present with him and Yayama at the restaurant), unfurling his balled hands.

[color=1E90FF]“Kim, I got a question,”[/color] Terry initiated before calmly asking: [color=1E90FF]“You investigated Lord Thunder God last night, didn’t you? I’m sure you didn’t say something off, but… how did he know that we’re ‘Seekers of Light’?”[/color]

Raiden couldn’t be involved with the incident, could he? While he wasn’t thoroughly familiar with what went on within the Mortal Kombat Dojo, Terry knew Raiden enough to conclude that he was one of the few good guys left among the sea of apathetic, able-centric Esakan crowd. After all, we’re talking about the same compassionate deity whose life goal—as he told three of the Seekers—was to assist the ‘mortals’ to the best of his ability. Perhaps, it could be argued that he knew about the Seekers through the Elder Gods or whatever magical components comprising the world of Mortal Kombat. The chances of anybody within their inner circle spilling the name to him were slim, especially not from somebody as vigilant as Kim.

[color=1E90FF][i]Don’t be silly, Terry. It’s still your fault, either way. Not Ms. Fortune’s, not Lord Thunder God’s, not anyone else’s. You’ve owned up to it, so live with it![/i][/color]

Before he could receive an answer from Kim, the prior Mii waitress had returned to hand him his own bill. Terry picked and inspected the bill, his burdened eyes immediately falling upon the estimated number printed at the bottom. It was barely a hundred zennies, not exactly expensive until he checked his wallet. He unfolded, then obliviously spread the wallet wide enough for anybody within his proximity to witness, only to be embarrassed when he discovered that there was only [url=https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/5/51/SMM2_SM3DW_10_Coin.png]a single 10-coin[/url] left beneath his wallet.

[color=1E90FF][i]Aww, man…[/i][/color]

With his visage dimming further, the erstwhile KOF champion drew the only coin left in his possession out of the wallet, giving it to the Mii waitress. The Mii waitress gasped mockingly upon receiving the coin, her features puzzled.

“I’m sorry, sir, but this is only 10 zennies,” she politely protested, gesturing at the coin clipped between her fingers.

[color=1E90FF]“Yeah, my bad, I’m so sorry, but that’s the only money I got left,”[/color] Terry elaborated with a wry, hesitant grin, a drop of sweat comically streaming down his forehead. Considering the many bills he’d racked up wherever he ate, he hated having to keep the reputation alive, even though he was left with no choice. [color=1E90FF]“But can I pay part of the bill now and then the rest after the tourney? I seriously hate to do this, but I’m short on money right now.”[/color]

The waitress huffed, facepalming. “Old habits die hard,” she quietly grumbled, having heard of Terry’s reputation beforehand. She moved her hand away, revealing the irritated look on her face. “Fine then. [b]Only[/b] this time. And if you don’t pay the rest like you’ve promised…” With her spherical hand, she gestured at [url=https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Thrasher_Damnd]a towering Caribbean man[/url] sporting a pair of blue shades and golden dreadlocks, grinning maniacally upon stepping into the scene. Alongside him, came [url=https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Abigail]an even heavier man[/url] sporting a uniquely styled flat top and a dark facepaint that made him seem like he belonged to a certain glam rock band. Together, they silently revealed themselves as the coffee house’s bouncers, belittling Terry with cackles. “...They’ll have to make you pay for it.”

[color=1E90FF]“Oh…”[/color] Terry widened his eyes at the sight and gulped, nervously cackling along the scoffing titans. He saw Thrasher drawing out a knife from beneath his pocket and toying with it almost casually, his gesture playful yet threatening, giving Terry a slight sense of unease. It might come as a surprise that the seemingly friendly coffee house around the neighborhood recruited at least two former Mad Gear members notorious for their past crimes, but knowing Low Tier and, heck, even Esaka as a whole, anything could happen. With hesitation no longer weighing on him, he nodded and told the unnamed waitress [color=1E90FF]“okay, why not?”[/color] before offering her a hand. [color=1E90FF]“You have my word.”[/color]

The waitress—with a satisfied smile on her face—accepted, shaking his hand. “Deal!” she said. “And don’t you [b]dare[/b] violate our deal, mister.”

[color=1E90FF]“Sure, [i]miss[/i]!”[/color]

After the deal was sealed, Terry quickly finished his coffee, stood out of his seat, then picked his duffle bag, joining the other Seekers towards the Pools.
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Rightfully so, the Pools wasn’t exactly that crowded by the time Terry arrived at the place. When he observed his surroundings, he only spotted a bunch of early birds and a group of yokai eagerly waiting for the next—and perhaps, the biggest—betting game ahead. It was funny now that he thought about it since he’d normally come way later than anybody else, but here he was, gathering by one of the bulletin boards alongside other early birds like Band and Zenkichi.

Once an auric light magically brought the board to life, Terry began tracing the board with his finger, his vigilant eyes carefully following the traces that his finger made until the bracket for his own tournament was located. Having been familiar with all the symbols and numbers written all over the board, it didn’t take long for Terry to find what he was searching for, the tip of his finger halting right atop of the word [color=1E90FF]“The King of Fighters.”[/color] He dragged his finger further down, his scanning eyes stumbling upon popular names like ‘Team Japan,’ ‘Team Yagami,’ ‘Team Psycho Soldier,’ and ‘Team Ikari’ until his fingertip landed upon the name listed at the bottom of the board. Yes, it was his own team, ‘Team Seekers of Fight,’ being positioned beneath the rest, as if the sponsor was so hesitant about including him, Cap, and Amaterasu to the roster. The erstwhile champion craned his head and inspected the board closely, not expecting to find that their first opponent was…

[color=1E90FF][i]Team MUGEN??[/i][/color]

His eyebrows arched. He hadn’t heard that name in a while. When he initially [i]arrived[/i] at Esaka, the MUGEN Dojo was the first dojo he attended before he was promoted to the Fatal Fury Dojo and, eventually, the [i]moderately[/i] prestigious KOF Dojo. Known for their unorthodox training regime that’d put the now-defunct Kyokugen Dojo to shame, the MUGEN Dojo was once a massive hit among up-and-coming fighters desired to make it big in the competitive fighting space, giving birth to a lot of Esaka’s greats like himself and his former team. The dojo was so successful in creating durable yet adaptable fighters they were promoted to the Middle Tier in less than a year since they were established. Unfortunately, their popularity was cut short after numerous complaints were filed. Due to the same training method that pushed their applicants to their very limits, various sponsors would’ve pointed out how MUGEN alumni like [url=https://mugen.fandom.com/wiki/Crazy_Catastrophe]Crazy Catastrophe[/url] and [url=https://mugen.fandom.com/wiki/Rare_Akuma]Rare Akuma[/url] were unfairly ‘cheaper’ and more unstable than most competitors, resulting in their temporary ban from Esaka’s main tournament outlets. The ban didn’t only hurt the dojo’s image, but also (and unfortunately), forced them to be demoted back to the Low Tier due to the low number of applicants. They’d barely recovered ever since.

[color=1E90FF][i]Well, that’s surely unexpected. Been a hot minute since they sent anybody to a tournament at all. Let’s see, uh, what do we have here? Kung Fu Man, Kung Fu Girl, and… [b]Rare Akuma!?[/b] Holy cow, we’re cooked![/i][/color]

Far beyond cooked, perhaps, and this was only the first round! Terry knew both [url=https://mugen.fandom.com/wiki/Kung_Fu_Man]Kung Fu Man[/url] and [url=https://mugen.fandom.com/wiki/Kung_Fu_Girl]Kung Fu Girl[/url]. They were occasional sparring partners back at the MUGEN Dojo, and safe to say, while Kung Fu Man was one of the most [i]vanilla[/i] looking fighters around Esaka, his ‘Kung Fu Palm’ technique and mastery in the art of ancient Chinese martial arts weren’t to mess with. There was a reason why he was the dojo’s champion, after all, and one of the few faces that Tu Shou sent to major tournament outlets like KOF. Kung Fu Girl, on the other hand, was perhaps a slightly improved counterpart of Kung Fu Man. While she might not be as seasoned as her older brother was, her speed, strength, and ability to stretch her limbs and shoot energy blasts that could rival [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/474c0dd9849f.webp]Takuma’s Haoh Shoukou Ken[/url] made her an equally formidable—if not, surprisingly ‘broken’—opponent. However, it was Rare Akuma that Terry was worried about the most, seeing that he was a distant relative of [url=https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Akuma]the original Akuma[/url] of the Street Fighter Dojo. Adding to his already notorious reputation as a ‘cheap’ competitor, his classic tactics involved bombarding his opponent with unforgiving maneuvers, parrying or teleporting out of harm’s way on the spot, and lastly, [i]self-resurrecting[/i] in the middle of a bout once he was close to getting knocked out. Of course, he was nowhere near as threatening nor deadly as the original was, but still. Just seeing how glaringly unfair the sponsor treated his team made him smile wryly, even when he knew his team still had a winning chance at the Losers’ Bracket if they lost this round.

[color=1E90FF][i]Heh. They [b]really[/b] hate to see us advance to the next round, huh? Is that why they allowed these guys to—[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF]“Ouch! [b]Hey![/b]”[/color]

The exasperated blonde broke out of his reverie once a miniscule fist nudged his cheek, jolting to his side and rubbing the part where he’d been hit. It was only the lightest hints of jab, thankfully. At first, he thought that a smaller fellow contestant was trying to mess around with him before the tournament started until he turned his head to his left, blue eyes widening to find that the fist was, instead, coming from his long-lost pet monkey.

[color=1E90FF]“Ukee??”[/color] Terry asked and blinked his eyes, making sure that what he saw was true. The monkey hopped and flailed the air vigorously, happily squeaking as if to tell his owner that he’d returned home after a long [i]vacation trip[/i]. Terry’s smile widened, his expression one of surprise and gratitude. [color=1E90FF]“Ukee!!”[/color]

Immediately dropping his bag, Terry scooped Ukee up into his arms, then rocked him like a precious, little baby, his nose nuzzling his bestest friend’s. [color=1E90FF]“Aww… aren’t you a cute, wittle wascal?”[/color] Terry teased, then pinched Ukee by his earlobe, feigning punishment. [color=1E90FF]“Caught you runnin’ away again! Where have you been? You made me sooo sad. I thought I would’ve never seen you again!”[/color]

If only Terry knew that Ukee had been staying at the neighboring small town this whole time where Sakura and Amaterasu just so happened to stumble across last night. Knowing how much he enjoyed their company, he must’ve been slipping out of the town in secret just to pursue the female Seekers, which eventually led him back to his bestest human friend in the world. That said, Ukee’s arrival perfectly coincided with that of Amaterasu and Cap, almost as if he was trying to inform Terry that his team was here. While Ukee rushed out of his affectionate arms to hug the furred deity, Terry gave his teammates a big wave and a smile, his mental burdens and exasperation partly wearing off.

[color=1E90FF]“Hey!”[/color] he greeted. [color=1E90FF]“Sup? Y’all wanna talk about our… first opponents?”[/color]

[b]FIN.[/b]