Terry Bogard

Hi. I'm looking forward to meeting new friends and having fun :)

Hi, welcome to the guild! I hope you enjoy your stay :)

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Level 10 Terry Bogard

<sub>(Feat. @Lugubrious as Victor Chevalier)

EXP : 43/100 (+3)
Location : Winecup Hold, Esaka’s Mid Tier
Time : Thursday Afternoon
Word Count : 2,074</sub>

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“So yeah, that’s how Sol and I met. Eventually, though, we became friends and rivals and all that. They said Sol could’ve been the next me, but really, I feel like he might just be a level ahead. He’s almost up there with Ryu, Jin, and… Kyo, I guess?”

At this point, Terry didn’t know exactly how long he’d been yapping about Sol and the other Guilty Gear guys he’d heard and known of, as he made his way to his next destination alongside the other Seekers. He was getting so carried away with the conversation he didn’t quite pay attention to his surroundings while he strolled. Thankfully, his astonishing reflexes had been preventing him from bumping across other pedestrians by accident. Aside from Sol and the Guilty Gear Dojo, Terry also took his time to introduce his ‘bestest friend in the world’ in front of his fellows.

“Oh, and by the way, I’m pretty sure I haven’t told this to you guys, other than Cap and Ammy,” Terry initiated, gestured at the ever-energetic monkey on his shoulder, then added: “Guys, this is Ukee. Ukee, say ‘hi’ to my new friends!”

Of course, Ukee couldn’t talk, let alone saying ‘hi.’ The best that the little monkey could do was screeching adorably and giving the other Seekers a big, friendly wave. The sight of Ukee going bananas was so amusing to look at that Terry began to cackle.

“Ha ha… Okay! Looks like my boy loves y’all, amirite, Ukee? Hm?”

Before Terry could receive a screech of approval from his bestest friend, his attention immediately drifted towards their supposed gathering spot. It was the Winecup Hold, a winery that was built and decorated almost like a palace. Just glancing around the winery’s exterior kind of reminded him of the Stroheim Castle where he defended his King of Fighters title against Krauser in his previous life.

As the portcullis slid open, revealing the Winecup Hold’s luxurious interior, the king of fighters quickly spotted a number of familiar faces upon striding in. Of course, Yayama was one of them since she was an early bird, but then came a few other Seekers not present in the prior rendezvous. He, too, could feel that something was odd when Zenkichi hadn’t been around since the prior rendezvous. It wasn’t like him to overlook a meeting as important as this, he thought, considering he was one of the most reliable and responsive figures within their inner circle. Hopefully, he was wrong, and that this was only another one of those bad hunches he’d been suffering from lately.

“Alright, so, what do we have here?”

Terry was—and always had been—quick to bottle up his feelings and put aside his concern, putting up the usual smiling facade just as fast. Still, he might need to bring up Zenkichi’s mysterious absence in front of the crew some time later.

With vigilant eyes, the king of fighters scanned his surroundings one more time, wanting to get a better look at the courtyard as well as all the UN representatives present to keep the Seekers company. So far, no signs of Sol showing up. Instead, there was only Anji from the Guilty Gear Dojo introducing himself and welcoming them to the winery. He could only guess that the Badguy was either no longer with the organization or that he never developed weapons for them to begin with. However, he knew at least half of their representatives since they were also fellow KOF contestants. When Darli gave the Seekers a big wave, Terry and the monkey on his shoulder were the first to return her wave with one of their own, their smiles spreading from ear to ear.

“Oh, hi!” he greeted before also glancing at Dolores who’d been toying with her glasses. “I didn’t know you ladies were here, too.”

Frankly, between both queens of fighters, the blonde bruiser might’ve been more familiar with Dolores than he was Darli. After all, they used to talk about raising their respective surrogate children some time after the fifteenth tournament, with the blonde taking a tip or two from the soil-bending shaman. In addition, she used to be affiliated with the Ikari Warriors (now Ikari Forces) at one point, which led Terry to assume that this entire organization—as grand as it sounded—wasn’t the same UN that he’d always known, but instead, another faction of the Heidern-led military forces.

“Alright, lemme guess… Did Commander Heidern send you guys here?” Terry asked (more towards Chevalier than he did the other representatives), gesturing forth with his free hand. “Man… I thought you Ikari Warriors already had K’ and his fellas to deal with stuff like this.” Then, a sarcastic giggle. Certainly, he couldn’t ever say no to aiding a peace-keeping organization in their cause, but he also realized that the chances of Ikari Forces requesting an average Joe like him to collaborate with them had always been so slim back then, especially when they tended to rely on other KOF guys more aligned with their goals. But he was a Seeker now, so surely, he might’ve attracted their attention already.

Chevalier almost imperceptibly raised an eyebrow at Terry, his expression stony. "No affiliation."

And just those two matter-of-factly words were enough to prove Terry’s theory wrong. “Ah… I believe you. Of course, you’re not one of them,” he said with a louder voice, snickered more genuinely, then shook his head. What Chevalier said made sense to him. “Oh, silly me! What are the chances of the Ikari Warriors contacting us, anyway? They already have their own units.”

As he took a seat on the iron chair and dropped his duffle bag close to his feet, Terry continued to pay attention to each and every word spoken out of the mouth of the French-speaking UN leader, surprisingly understanding everything that he said despite the language barrier. Ukee, too, had been listening to Chevalier attentively, curious eyes ahead and small hands playing with the red fabric of his human friend’s jacket. While the king of fighters found that the UN leader’s pitched plan might be more effective than their prior collective plan, he didn’t think he could wholly agree with the notion of turning Azucena and Chloe into their primary targets when the two of them only used their connections with the G-Corp to either promote a coffee brand or launch a career as an idol. He believed there were far more people within the company that they needed to worry about more, most notably the bloodthirsty rascals who were actually involved in all the heinous acts that the company had done over the years.

“Well, those are fine plans, Vic, but I don’t think we should just worry about those two, especially when you’re looking to strip Kaz of his support system. It’s right that we could use Azucena and Chloe to send a message to their boss, but I’m sure you also know that these girls barely—if not, never—have anything to do with their actual schemes. Because, from what I learned, they’re only there to use the Corp as a stepping stone to either launch a business or a career, and the saddest part is, they sold out and let themselves be manipulated to partake in the Corp’s sportswashin’ practice,” Terry remarked rather wistfully before adding: “I guess this is why many of us fancied the idea of attacking their base. It feels like we also need to target the actual peeps involved in the Corp’s nasty deeds, don’t you think? And we’re talking about literal psychos like Bryan, Sergei, the Williams sisters, and the researchers involved in both the human and animal experimentations. Don’t you feel like we gotta do something about them, too?”

There was a clear accentuation in his voice when Terry asked Chevalier so. He could feel his bright blue eyes glimmering with determination, as he recalled everything that he learned from both Mary many years ago and from the Koopalings this afternoon. It never sat right with him when Esaka’s resident evil-doers could get away with just about anything by abusing their wealth and fame. Once upon a time, he thought that he’d gone insane thinking that something was off about how the city was run, and now that he’d met the Seekers and eventually the UN, he was no longer alone. Or so, he thought? Even when he knew that half of the UN could be trusted, remaining vigilant was still a must, given that their offer sounded a little too good to be true.

"You make many assumptions, Bogard," Chevalier remarked, his hands calmly clasped in his lap. "Wouldn't it be nice if things were that easy, but alas. The 'base' you refer to is just an office building. The enemy is not so complacent or foolish as to have their top personnel and military secrets just sitting around within arm's reach, waiting for Esaka's fighters to stroll in. The few who have, driven by Heihachi's bounty, have met an explosive end." He narrowed his eyes. "In other words, that building is a trap. The targets you mentioned are either in tournament, and protected by the Heavenly Principles, or hidden elsewhere. To stop them, we must force them to reveal themselves." The gentleman shrugged. "But if seeing is believing for you, by all means."

Then, a pause. A moment of silence. Arms atop the table, Terry glanced down pensively, his determined blue eyes meeting the table’s metallic surface. Oftentimes, he could be seen curling and unfurling his fingers every few seconds, all while considering the words of advice given to him by Chevalier. Perhaps, there was some truth to what he said. Kazuya couldn’t have been that stupid nor was he reckless enough to let his office wide open for his foes to attack. The dastardly son of Heihachi Mishima was cold and calculating—part of the reason why he was feared by those beneath him. Though, also, given what Chevalier suggested, there might still be a possibility that they would aim at the murderous rascals he suggested they should look after in their efforts, and not just the Corp’s so-called mascots.

“Hmm… I see now. Alright. I guess I get now why you suggested we should go after Azucena and Chloe. Now that I think about it, we might as well use ’em to bait the other, more dangerous targets to leave their hiding spots. Once they fall for the bait, then we can beat ’em up and get rid of ’em, stripping Kaz of his champs altogether, is that it?” Terry confirmed before adding: “Just my two cents, but if those are the plans we agree to go by, I guess it’s even easier now to divide us into groups, don’t you think? The guys who didn’t sign up for a tourney can join Team A, while the rest—the guys who did sign up and are scheduled to compete in tourneys—can stay in Esaka and join either Team B or C. And since I’d already signed up for a tourney, then… you know my choice. I think I can keep an eye on Azucena. I know somebody who might know her.”

Staying in Esaka might’ve been the most logical option for him. After all, the king of fighters still had a tournament to attend with his partners. While he never cared about winning or losing, he felt that he needed this victory more than ever—not because he had to win a fourth championship, but because there were lives to be saved. He had to know what was hiding behind Rugal’s tower. He needed to make sure that his friends, brother, and surrogate son were all still in one piece. And while only a minor driving factor, he needed to prove his doubters wrong about him being just another Ken from Temu. That he was more than just a fool’s bet and a fallen star with a dwindling fanbase. That he wasn’t just second fiddle to Kyo, Iori, or any skinny edgelords attending the same competition whom the hardcore KOF viewers blindly endorsed as the ‘face of KOF.’

On top of that, Terry knew a few people within the city that he could rely on aside from his fellow Seekers. Richard, for one, might know a thing or two about Azucena since he was running a café business. Who knows if the two even partnered up, too? It wasn’t to mention that he had Mai and her Shiranui network to aid him in his investigation. If only Mary was here, too…

“So, whaddaya guys say?”

FIN.

Terry’s Training Room

Level 10 Terry Bogard

_{EXP : 43/100 (+4)
Location : Winecup Hold, Esaka
Time : Thursday Afternoon
Word Count : 3,731}

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After finishing his lunch and paying his debt to the prior Quick Rise waitress, Terry decided to take an elevator to the Pools alongside his team before they were late for their second match. If the billboard that Terry found nearby Pao Pao Café was to go by, the subsequent bout was scheduled to take place at K-32. Fortunately, upon arriving and following the direction provided to them by the nearby map, it didn’t take a while until the Seekers located the exact stage they were looking for.

South Town Scuffle: Two Wolves (Terry Bogard VS Broken Promise)

It’s fine. No rush. You don’t have to set a deadline for a 1×1 RP like this. Just catch up whenever you feel like it. Right now, I’m also working on both a post for Terry and a collab involving Ryu, so I’ll be occupied too, as far as RP.

But anyway, I knew that you’d come back, eventually. Well, you always do lol. Glad to hear from you again, though. Good luck! 👍🏻

Terry’s Training Room

The Street Fighters

_{Esaka’s Low Tier | Thursday Afternoon
[Terry Bogard] [Zoey Boey]}

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Level 7 Ryu: 24/70
Level 11 Sakura Kasugano: 31/110
Word Count:
EXP Gained:

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World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Gold Team Rendezvous

wordcount: 4950 (+5)
Location: Forbidden Kingdom - Esaka’s Mid tier (southside) - noon
Bowser Jr: Level 15 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(304/150)
Rika: Level 12 EXP: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(140/110)

After watching the end of the first round of Pit’s second match, the koopa kids had sailed off to stake out Rika’s chosen meeting spot. The manner they had done this was by scaling up to one of the rooftops overlooking the elevator, sitting themselves down on its precipice, and then staring at their screens (Jr on his Rotom Phone, Rika on a clunky handheld she could use while wearing her gauntlets) while occasionally checking to see if anyone had shown up.

When the linkpearl call from Rika reached Big Band, it found him only about half a minute away from the southern elevator himself, since that lift happened to be closest for the World Warrior competitors while being rather far from the Mortal Kombat and King of Fighters sections of the pools. He was impressed with his good luck until the detective realized that attending this rendezvous would mean changing course from his plan to get himself repaired. The damage he’d suffered during his scuffle with Rhajang was more than superficial, after all. With one of his respirator’s tubes torn, actually breathing in the giant iron lung that constituted his mechanical body was a lot more difficult.

Then again, Junior knew his way around technology, didn’t he? If Tora had managed to figure out Band’s inner workings and tune him up in Twilight Town, Bowser’s kid could probably do the same, even if robotics wasn’t his specialty. With that vague hope in mind, Band waited for and then stepped aboard the lift with a handful of Esaka citizens. Idly he watched the matches unfolding around him get farther and farther away below him. Once the detective reached the Middle Tier, his form would be hard for the koopa kids to miss.

Despite this, it took a few moments for one of them to look up from their screens and to do so. Once Jr did so (mostly out of frustration at his lack of progress) he nudged his sister to get her attention.

”Hmmm?” she said, half glancing up, and then once Big Band was pointed out, she replied ”Oh. Right. He’s one of ours?”

”He kinda stands out, but yeah, we really don’t know a bunch of the people on this team, huh?” he replied, as he stashed his phone. Rika gave a noncommittal shrug in reply before simply slipping over the edge of the rooftop, eyes still on her handheld. She plummeted to the ground, only to land soft as a feather on the pavement below, startling a few passerbys in the process.

Her brother got down via some reverse wall jumps, and then joined his sister in strolling over to Big Band. About halfway there, Rika groaned as her handheld made a sad little jingle, and only then put the toy away and gave the big man a big handed wave and a ”Hi there”

Roland had been making his way to the same location as Band, although while wearing his mask so that people couldn’t track him. He fought with it off in these tournaments, a conscious decision he made after G Corp had done their little attack on the Seekers so that it would make his movement through the city easier. Speaking of, he had been on the same elevator as Big Band, but kept to himself, instead following him until Rika and Jr. met up with him. Once they waved to Band, Roland made his presence known as well. ”Hey, how's the whole not fighting thing going?” Roland said, moving in a way that got Rika and Jr.'s attention.

”Huh, where’d you… I mean… yeah it's been fine?” the koopa prince replied, stumbling a bit over his words at the fixer’s casual stealthyness

Rika wasn’t particularly taken aback meanwhile, most likely because she’d only just started paying attention, and so replied more descriptively ”Yup. Been watching Pit’s matches, plus my brother’s looking some stuff up online about those G-Corp guys”

”Yeah. Its, uh, not much to go off though” Jr admitted

To this Rika just shrugged and asked them both ”How’s the fighting thing going?”

“Ain’t lost a round yet,” Band told the pair. “But that last one did a number on me, as you can probably tell. They had me fightin’ an honest-to-God tiger. Buff as hell, too. Pumped up full o’ steroids or somethin’.” Hopefully the kids were paying enough attention by now to notice his clawed-up hat and trench coat, as well as the damage done to his frame and his ripped respirator. “Actually, I was hopin’ you’d be able to do somethin’ about the state I’m in, li’l man. Heard you’re a whiz kid on par with Tora.”

Band glanced up at the sky, as if looking for the Avenger. “Speakin’ of. I guess he and Poppi ain’t adventurin’ any more? We were together on Yellow Team a week or two ago.”

”Yeah its kinda lame, but I guess he’s happier in a workshop than running around” Jr replied, as he ambled on over to take a look at Big Band’s tech ”Not exactly swimming in spare bits here, but I can do a patch job for sure”

”I haven’t lost any rounds either. Well, individual rounds in each match, but not the whole match. While the power of the library makes me really tough, it takes some time to get going…” Roland said. ”A whole lot of goofballs in my matches though. Fought a wrestling fisherman then some. Charlatan? I don’t know, I’ve never seen someone like him in my world. Usually people dressed like that are so high up the totem pole I’d see them maybe once and that's only for a super high paying job if that. But this guy was a total goofball.” Roland continued, explaining his battles. Band then got to his request to fix up his cyborg parts, something Roland really couldn’t help him with, but he did get an idea.

”Doesn’t Jr. have some sort of… weird teleporting power with paint? If he has something on the Avenger, if he can’t fix you up, I’m sure he can get you to someone who can and back in no time at all.”

”Never really tried it on something that moves before, so like, maybe you’d end up in the drop pod room, or maybe you’d end up in the middle of the air. We just used the fulton things to get back last night” Jr replied, as he got out some tools, and set about using a combo of mechanical and magical skill to patch up Big Band. A mix of ferromancy made parts and miraculous ”Cure!” Spells replaced what had been destroyed, while screwdriver, hammer and pliers salvaged what had just been loosened or bent out of shape.

It’d get the big man up and running, but as the prince had said, it was a patch job. Pure iron wasn’t exactly a good replacement for brass and steel after all, but it would hold till they took the time to source proper materials. Of course, these repairs left the detective’s trench coat and hat disheveled. It would also take more delicate and specialized materials to repair his respirator, so for now Band’s iron lung would still be wheezing.

Rika meanwhile kept the match talk going as her brother worked.

”The… fishermen are higher ups where you are from?” Rika asked with a head tilt, before saying that ”Most of the top tier fighters here just look like, well, humans in fairly straightforward outfits. Well except the Mortal Kombat ones they’re kinda colorful for some reason” having seen a few of them in action during their run around with Pit and Zeus.

”But yeah, we saw that everyone was doing well, which is good. Sept whoever that Kim guy is, he out already”

”People being in straightforward outfits is pretty common where I come from. Usually if someone is in a well tailored suit like I am means they’re very dangerous. Outside of R corp, most fighters use nice looking clothes with the durability of full body armor. ” Roland said, almost expecting something like that. ”I just wonder when we’re getting paid.”

"I'm sure you'll have to play up your act a bit more," came a familiar voice in answer.

It had taken some time for Primrose and Therion to reach the meeting point, especially as neither was particularly in a rush. As the two Orsterrans joined the loose circle of Seekers, Primrose stood with one hand on her hip and explained a little more of her reasoning to Roland. "The yokai donate to the competitors they like the best, isn't that right? So until you make it far, or add a little flair to your fighting, I'm not sure you'll see any zenny for a little while."

She spoke with the barest hint of amusement, as she might like to see some of the team try their hand at hyping up a crowd - not that these early rounds had much of one.

Regardless, now that she and Therion had arrived the latter figured any actual on-topic discussion hadn't happened yet, since the others had been chatting about clothes and money. The thief's tail twitched before he spoke up too, bringing the conversation back to the initial reason they'd gathered.

"So? How're we going to plan to take in the G-Corp bounty?" he asked of the group at large, glancing up at the next tier where the corporation in question's building stood. "I'm sure most of them are holed up in their headquarters, but it's not like we can walk in through the front door."

“Then, we’ll take ’em down when they least expect it.”

Then, from behind the gathering bunch, Terry appeared leisurely, seemingly alongside his partners. As usual, he brought along a duffle bag and the pet monkey perched on his shoulder, tightening his grip on the bag’s rough string. It appeared that Rika’s call through the linkpearl had caught up with him, too (only moments after his team emerged victorious in a bout against Team Breakers). He halted his strides, standing between Primrose and Therion.

“Better yet, when they’re all distracted or off-duty. Usually, in tournament weeks like this, most of their champs will have to leave the base to participate in a tourney. Bryan, Bruce, Sergei, Chloe, the Williams sisters, you name ’em. Normally, even their head honcho has to leave the base, too, to compete in the Tekken series,” Terry elaborated, his voice a matter-of-fact. “And assuming that they all signed up for the Tekken tourney—since they’re all part of the Tekken Dojo—it’s safe to say that they’ll be occupied for most of the day because… the Tekken tourney’s got some of the tightest schedules around, alright? And their matches last longer than usual since it’s a ‘best-outta-three’ contest. If we ever get there during the tournament hours, the best that we’ll meet is probably a bunch of unnamed researchers and soldiers packing the base from floor to floor. And knowin’ y’all, I got no doubt we can handle ’em just fine.” He absently tipped the brim of his cap, his bright blue eyes a hint of steely determination. “So, whaddaya say? Maybe you guys have better ideas in mind?”

Band considered the proposal. “Assumin’ it’s true that they’re all in Tekken, that leaves us in a bit of a bind, seein’ as most of us are registered for tournaments as well. Aside from Kim, it’s just you kids, and you two with consistent free time.” He nodded at the Octopath Travelers. “Unless we wanna get disqualified. I know I only got a an hour or two ‘til I gotta fight again. World Warrior’s got even more competition than Tekken.” He turned this way and that, quickly surveying his surroundings. “Luckily, we don’t gotta leave it to guesswork. Check it out.”

Carefully maneuvering around his much smaller compatriots, Band stomped over to a billboard a few hundred feet away. With a little finagling, the magical artifact shifted to display the current bracket for the Tekken tournament. Band read quickly, absorbing every detail. “I see Bryan Fury, Sergei Dragunov, who you mentioned. No Williams though, or Kazuya himself for that matter.” He gave a wry smile as he inhaled, as best he could with his broken equipment. Not being privy to the list of accomplices Junior found, those were the only names he had to go on. “Figured as much. No time for messin’ around in tournaments when your life’s on the line.” He looked over his shoulder at the others. “And there’s no tellin’ how many more o’ them mohawk-havin’ robots they got up their sleeves.”

”Kinda crazy any of them are still competing” Jr commented as he packed away his tools, before bringing up the list he’d found, and adding ”Julia Chang, Azucena Ortiz and Marshall Law” to the list of names they were looking for.

“Now that you mention it, I see Law in the tournament, too,” Band reported.

”They make ‘Gigas supersoldiers’ too, so we’re gonna have to worry about whatever those are if they didn't send any after you. Also, uh, ‘animal experimentation’ on top of the robots and genetic engineering so I guess maybe some kinda freaky beasts too” Rika chimed in to add, before saying ”Apprently they sell this stuff, but we’ve no idea to who given there’s not exactly an armies to sell too here.”

The animal experimentation got a growl of anger from Amatarasu, as well as a grimace from Ukee who had been paying attention to what his human friend had been discussing with his team, as if trying to decipher and comprehend every word spoken. Terry noticed, then comforted his monkey friend.

“Shush… It’s okay, buddy. You’ll be alright as long as I’m around,” he reassured, his voice soothing and reaffirming. Then, he turned his gaze towards the other Seekers, also noticing the lit billboard in front of him. “Julia and Law ain’t with the Corp anymore, though. Even Julia was around when the Banishin’ Flats exploded last night. Y’all saw the girl in a pink rasslin’ mask followin’ me and Alex to the lobby? Yeah, that was her.” Then, a small nod, his expression pensive. “So, yeah, I don’t think we should worry about her. Neither should we worry about Law. I know that guy. He’s just a goofball runnin’ a Chinese restaurant back at the mid tier. He left the Corp just as fast as he joined ’em from what I remember.” He shrugged, an open hand lifted along.

”They’re still listed under ‘associates and accomplices’ though, so looks like the kings don’t care about them bailing” Jr replied, showing the fighter the list he’d found online, before shrugging and saying ”good luck to em I guess, coz someone’s bound go after them as a result of that”

“Huh??” Eyebrow arching, Terry looked at the list of names showing on the screen with a puzzled face, scratching his golden temple. “Weird… I swear my girlfriend talked about it when we went to investigate something a long time ago. Looks like the Corp hasn’t updated the list since, like, forever, huh?” Then, an idea came to mind, an imaginary bulb popping and flashing close to his equally auric temple. “Oh, wait, I know! Given that some of their champs are still competing—and assuming that Kaz and several others are still hiding in the base—how about we split up?” Terry suggested, his free hand gesturing forth. “So some of us are gonna have to raid the base, while others still occupied with their tourneys are gonna have to keep an eye on their champs. Think some of us can distract guys like Bryan and Sergei while they’re still within the Pools area. And honestly?” The comical blonde brought his wrist close to his gaze, looking at a non-existent watch. “Yeah, I think it’s gonna take a long while till the next KOF match comes around. I can accompany y’all to the base if we’re gonna do it now.” With a determined face, the King of Fighters glanced over Amaterasu then Cap, as if asking for their confirmation. “What about you two? You comin’ with us?”

Captain Falcon had been keeping silent til now. Raids weren’t exactly something he could condone unless it was in the interest of taking down a law-breaking criminal with a bounty on their head. But at the time same… he was still remembering getting thrown into a wall by the Jack-5 last night. And the explosion and casualties that that event caused. Someone definitely needed to face justice for that.

”Count me in.” He confirmed, ”I don’t normally go after someone unless there’s a bounty involved, but for these guys? I’ll make an exception.”

By his side Amaterasu gave a bark of agreement as well. There was no way she was going to let these people get away with what they’d done, and she had to make up for not being there when the attack went down.

On Terry's right, Primrose considered the idea of splitting up. It wasn't a bad suggestion all things considered, but maybe the muscled man had the best suited roles for everyone backward. Then again, he was perhaps the most knowledgeable about Esaka's customs around. Even so she asked, "would interfering with the matches get you disqualified? It may be wise to leave the G-Corp members competing to those of us who aren't."

She could easily assume that any kind of interference to the bracket that didn't involve getting beaten in an official tournament match -assassination, sabotage, or even simple distraction or stalling- would have consequences if it was considered cheating... and with the Heavenly Principles as proliferated through the area as they were she didn't think much would escape their notice. Even now they probably could hear everything the Seekers were saying, but since it was a hit that the city's leadership had ordered themselves it was unlikely that they were the only group discussing such things.

“Okay, good question, Rosey,” Terry said with one of his fingers pointing at the dancer, wondering if he got her name right.

"Primrose," she corrected, polite but firm.

“Oh, right, ‘Primrose.’ But I don’t say we should interfere in their fights nor do I encourage that. This is a legit fighting tourney we’re talking about, after all, not some… corny wrestling matches. I feel like it’s best we leave Bryan, Sergei, and whoever the Corp sent to the Tekken tourney to the Seekers competing in the same tourney because… they’ll probably see each other a lot more frequently don’t you think? And it’s not to bring up the possibility of them going one-on-one with some of Kazzy’s guys along the way. But… if you guys would like to take care of these warmongerin’ chumps…” He paused thoughtfully, then shrugged. “Then, I guess why not? You can definitely do that backstage. I’d say, you beat ’em up and interrogate ’em. Because who knows, maybe that’d make them talk about what really went on at the Flats last night.”

Terry could feel his blood boiling while reminiscing about the Banishing Flats incident. A part of him still wished that he could’ve saved everyone trapped within the building that night, but he was also aware that nothing would’ve ever brought the demised back, no matter how hard he insisted. The only option now was to avenge the death, which was why he sort of entertained the notion of besieging the very headquarters those murderous cowards had as a hideout. It wasn’t like he had any other choices, either. And as far as backstage assaults were concerned, he knew that brawls could’ve occasionally occurred outside of the tournaments, especially involving bitter rivals. If anything, he was one of those unfortunate fighters pulled into a mini scuffle with a reigning KOF champion two nights ago.

On the blonde's left, Therion reminded them of the actual goal.

"Their leader's the only one we actually need to worry about. We can leave the rest to that Mishima thing - it's Kazuya's that gets us an in with the Principles." And possibly Consul B by extension. The thief tightened his grip slightly on his folded arms. "If just one of us can get to him, land a hit, and get out, he'll have to follow to finish the fight. So we don't need to gear up for a whole building wide raid, that's too much effort for too little payout."

”I mean,we would be able to steal everything they have without worrying about the big robot cops complaining about it” Rika pointed out, guessing that they ”Probubly have a whole pile of zenny in there that’s just free for the taking once we deal with em”

That wasn't quite the payout Therion meant, but he played along with a counterpoint. "I doubt it. Doesn't matter if it's a business or one rich man, either way their piles of money aren't normally in the form of leaves... or zenny, in this case. It's gonna be in valuables or merchandise. Then you'll have to haul it out and find a buyer afterward, and that's if the city's head honchos don't confiscate it."

He couldn't imagine that they'd find many buyers for exploding robot warriors or experimental cyborg animals save for whoever G-Corp was already selling to. Although maybe if there were some advanced pieces of technology in there, one of the Seekers or Lost Numbers could make use of it.

With a half-shrug the thief added, "unless you're looking to turn to a career of banditry, I still say it makes more sense to go right for the target, and anything else that happens to get picked up is a bonus."

”Aww”

”I’m in the Tekken line, so I could scout them if I run into them as I fight through the tournaments. Tekken’s longer matches have been a bit… Well it makes it so I can win at least.” Roland said. ”Or… well… You guys know who I am, but this mask works against even Beholders from my world, the all seeing eyes of the Head. I could always ambush them after I fight them and I’m still energized…” Roland said, alluding to a plan of assassination. ”Assuming I win inside the match itself.”

As for the plan of taking the stuff of G corp for themselves, Roland shrugged. ”Between Tora, Susie, and I’m sure some of the Lost Numbers, they could make good use of that technology. So taking their stuff after the fact sounds like it’d be helpful.”

”Yeah see!”

“Err…”

Terry’s expression shifted into a hesitant grimace. There was a reason why he argued with Nadia about her stealing from Kazuya, after all. While he entertained the notion of giving some evil-doers cans of ass-whooping (even if it meant breaching through their shared hideout), he was never used to committing conventional crimes like claiming something that wasn’t meant to be his (regardless of the individual he stole from). Not that he wanted to come across as being self-righteous because, frankly, it had more to do with what he stood for and how his father raised him—the lessons he still kept dearly in his heart even as an adult. Hopefully, he didn’t come across as being a hypocrite, either, considering what he’d agreed to do with his fellow Seekers.

“Jeez, dude, I don’t think I like the sound of that,” Terry admitted, scrunching his nose. “Sorry, you guys. Don’t mean to be a party pooper here, but like the cat boy here said, I thought we were supposed to focus on that devil scum and his stooges, right? That’s our main goal, ain’t it? ’Cause really, if I were y’all, I’d rather just… tear those clankers into pieces. Make ’em all go bang somewhere far from anybody’s reach, so they can’t hurt anyone anymore. But that’s just me, though.” He managed a faint grin, almost snickering.

Therion couldn't help but roll his eyes both at being referred to as 'cat boy' and Terry's continued reluctance for theft. If the situation were different then sure, he wouldn't normally blame the guy, but this was a rich homicidal maniac they were talking about, one that had already gone after the group. Of course since Terry was technically agreeing with him, Therion bit his tongue from actually saying anything. Primrose though gave the South Town Hero a nod. "A fine idea. Any that aren't repurposed should be destroyed."

Then the brief, soft crackle of the linkpearls connecting filtered into the heroes' ears. It preceded the voice of one of the Seekers' newest members: "Hey, Yayama here. I've been approached by a man saying he represents the United Nations. They want to include us in some movement against G-corp, and might be sympathetic to our overall goals here. Their rep seems trustworthy enough; anyone open for lunch today?"

Band’s eyebrows went up as he heard the news. “Well, how about that,” he remarked, his comment not picked up by Yayama since his own linkpearl was in its default ‘receiving’ mode at the moment. “If there’s some kind o’ local faction against G-Corp, or better yet the Four Kings, we could use whatever tips they got to offer.” He glanced up toward the High Tier. “We ain’t dealin’ with some two-bit small-timer, after all. If this company’s as rich and powerful as it seems, and bold enough to bomb residential buildin’s in the night, it ain’t gonna be as easy as waltzin’ into their HQ and blowin’ up everythin’ we see.” He nodded at the others. “I say we go an’ see what these United Nations are all about.”

Jr, Rika, and Amaterasu were all onboard, that was for three. Local knowledge could only help.

"Bit lofty to call themselves the united nations," Therion muttered, lacking the context of the group's original namesake. But he couldn't help but be curious all the same, giving Big Band a quick nod. "Might as well."

"Let me know if anything comes of it," Primrose said, quickly making it clear that she did not plan to attend this luncheon. "I have other plans."

”I had plans of dealing with them, but seeing what this informants got can’t hurt. You don’t send exploding robots at a fixer and his buddies and get away with it.” Roland said.

“The UN, huh?” Terry asked with an arching eyebrow, showing a knowing yet cautious look. “Well, that’s something… Y’know, I know some of the guys related to them around here. Ever heard of Sol Badguy? The Guilty Gear Dojo’s undisputed champ? Yeah, I heard he used to make weapons for them, apparently. Now, I dunno if he’s still affiliated with the UN, but assuming he is the rep that Yaya was talking about, it’s safe to say she met just the right guy.” He readjusted the duffle bag loading his shoulder, his resolve steeled. He smiled and nodded. “So, yeah, I’m still coming with you guys, either way. Then, maybe I can talk about the Guilty Gear guys a bit, while we head there.” While he already had lunch with his teammates a while back, he didn’t mind having another one since the last bout left him hungry rather quickly.

While they chatted in person, it somewhat left the team members not here out of the loop.

One of these was Kim, who had been in the hospital for a bit, trying to recover from his wounds. The doctors at Esaka were working hard to make sure the detective was not bleeding to death. They were successful in stopping the bleeding and had dressed his wounds correctly. And Kim was glad to have a break from being a part of the tournament. However, he still felt the nagging feeling that he could still do more. As he was recovering, he was coming up with a plan to escape the hospital. With everything thought out, he executed his plan. Escaping through the side door of the hospital, wearing a wide range of mismatching clothes. ” This is Kim Kitsuragi, I am leaving the hospital. Where are we all meeting?” Kim's voice was heard through the linkpearl.

”We’re at… well we’re going to that UN place I guess now so meet us there?” Rika replied on behalf of the meeting she’d set up, before also relaying the result of that decision to the lady who’d possessed the question ” Also yeah, Yayama, we’re gonna move this meeting to you n them”

”Oh. and can you ask them what’s for lunch?”

FIN.

South Town Scuffle: Two Wolves (Terry Bogard VS Broken Promise)

Finally posted. I told you, right?

South Town Scuffle: Two Wolves (Terry Bogard VS Broken Promise)

_{“Hey, c’mon, get serious!”
– Terry Bogard}

Chinatown, South Town
_{1:40 PM}

▶︎• ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌၊|• 3:33
_{Osaka Jo Koen ~Kyobashi~ – Real Bout Fatal Fury 2}

“Babe!?”

Eyes wide and jaw dropped, Xiangfei’s face quickly turned hot red at the mere nickname Oros gave her. Unlike Mai or any other busty femme fatales regularly competing for the KOF tournament, she wasn’t used to somebody calling her by that nickname, let alone trying to flirt with her. Still, despite the jarring hints thrown here and there, the young kung fu practitioner was still oblivious to the fact that this unhinged stranger seemed to be into her. She shook her head, then frowned even harder, pouting and bellying her warm cheeks out.

“Why you…” she muttered angrily, drawing up a pair of imaginary sleeves as if readying to flail the older woman in front of her. Slowly but surely, she closed the gap separating them. “Do you really think that’ll just magically solve anything? There are people you hurt, you moron! And they’re still scattering around! What are those new customers going to say about all of this, huh!?” With her hands, she gestured around her cluttered vicinity, mostly highlighting the group of fainting pirates spreading nearby her uncle’s restaurant. She sighed, then crossed her arms, her exasperation even more readable.

“Fine! You know what, here’s the deal. Since you refused to fight me, you’ll have to work here for the next few hours. You clean up the mess and make sure that those guys in the back are tended to. I’m sure it’s not too hard for you to do so, isn’t it?” Xiangfei asked, arching an eyebrow and drawing the other in a frown. Then, she took a moment to glance sidelong at the heated battle taking place at the center of the makeshift stage. “Oh, and also, can you look after those guys, too? Let me or my uncle know who the winner of the VIP spot is, maybe? I don’t think I can keep up with it all the time. The restaurant’s getting crowded pretty soon.”

Meanwhile, Terry couldn’t care less about what had transpired by the sidelines. He was already pissed beyond belief, especially now that his attempt to land a special move had been foiled. His Burning Knuckle was deflected almost immediately, forcing his knuckles to graze the knife’s metallic frame, instead. There were miniscule sparks forming as fire met steel before the sparks turned into an even bigger hitspark capable of jolting him a few feet to the back. While not exactly whiffed, the special move was still countered, either way, so he still went on to raise his guard highly, his gloved fists close to his golden temples.

“C’mon! Bring it!”

And the remaining spectators seemed to be getting a little frightened at the sight of the wise-cracking, happy-go-lucky King of Fighters suddenly showing an expression rarely made by his facial features: anger. While this was far from being the angriest he’d ever been, the sight of the traditionally jovial man showing even the slightest hints of tension was still horrifying for a few South Towners watching the bout. Nevertheless, the atmosphere shift also went to show that the fight was heating, so the spectators knew what to expect.

Mika threw a right hook, and as expected, Terry parried it with practiced ease. He let her fist graze his wrist instead, tension and pulses beginning to form across his muscles. However, what the former KOF champion didn’t expect was the knee that was aimed at his midriff. Since it was barely secured, he had to swallow the pain inflicted by the knee wholly, slightly hunching and jolting back. Furthermore, this allowed Mika to punish her opponent with her knife’s striking rear, grazing his ribs. As the impact, Terry jolted up.

“Arghhh–!!”

With his arms around his midriff, Terry hunched his shoulders again, taking a couple of staggering strides to the back. These combination attacks were far more devastating than anything that Mika had thrown at him throughout the bout (including the slightest bits of knife attacks). While he hadn’t been stunned just yet, it might’ve taken a while until Terry was completely recovered.

“Nice… try… sucker,” he stammered, then spewed a small drop of saliva onto the paved ground. “Just because I joke a lot, doesn’t mean I don’t take this fight seriously. Been holdin’ myself a bit, but now I know… You left me with no choice, but to rough you up like this!”

POW!

Once recovered, Terry immediately ambushed Mika with a jab to the face. He might’ve not wanted to let himself be punished again by his opponent. If connected, he’d swing a jab to the midriff, followed by a lunging knee across the torso. This, in turn, would send the silver-haired esper launching skywards. Turning his cap backwards, he’d then leave the ground and flail his opponent downwards, the fiery fist capable of dunking her back to the ground like a basketball through a hoop.

“POWER… DUNK!!”

KA–POW!

Once he reached the ground again on both feet, Terry would turn his cap back to the front, subsequently assuming his orthodox stance. Little did Mika know that he’d been gradually building his own power gauge since the moment they exchanged blows for the first time. It’d be a matter of time until he gained access to one of his desperation moves.

FIN.

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

Hey, guys! I might’ve talked with Pint and Cyrania about this already, but I’m going to announce it here, too. Unfortunately, I’m leaving this game starting this week. As much as I really wanted to continue writing Wolverine, I can’t deny that it’s been difficult for me to keep up with most games lately. I wish I could’ve gotten past one issue, but everytime I planned on writing the next one, life just seemed to get in the way of me working on the next Wolverine post. Hopefully, once things get sorted out, I can join the game again whenever it is.

Thanks!

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Level 7 Ryu

_{EXP : 20/70 (+4 pts.)
Location : The Pools, Esaka
Word Count : 3,038}

▶︎• ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌၊|• 15:01
_{Theme of Northern River (Extended) – Marvel vs. Capcom 2}

Focus, Ryu!

C’mon, Tiger! Shrewd as a snake, innocent as a dove.

DING!

DING!

---

_{RYU VS. TIGER
ROUND 2 – FIGHT!}

---

Both Ryu and Tiger could feel anticipation in the air, as the bell rang and the floating ethereal widgets reappeared close to them, displaying their respective health and stamina. As it was the prior bout, a V-sign emblem appeared next to Ryu’s recharged health bar to symbolize his victory in the first round. The spectators had only gotten louder and noisier when both competitors assumed their stances and circled each other. While most voiced their support for Ryu, it wasn’t to say that very few spectators were behind Tiger, either, seeing that he still had his self-professed followers and fellow martial masters as his support system. One of the martial masters was a red-haired woman sporting a golden head piece and a scanty verdant outfit that left her midriff bare, blowing a kiss to the evangelist from beyond the gondola. Aside from Red Snake, Reika and a few others were evidently present to accompany Tiger in the second round.

“C’mon, Tiger, don’t give up!” Reika shouted aloud, jumping and raising her curled hands. “You got this!”

“Let’s go, Tiger! Let’s go, Tiger!” chanted a brown-haired woman in a baggy blue-and-pink getup, theatrically dancing with her arms swinging left and right.

“Ho ho ho! Knock him out, Tiger boy! I know you could,” said an elderly drunken fist expert, belching after sipping the alcoholic beverage within the gourd-shaped bottle in his hand.

Yet, despite the anticipation, none of the competing men seemed to be trying to attack one another. Well, at least, not yet. Ryu and Tiger were still busy trying to gauge each other’s expressions, eager to get into each other’s heads. It appeared that Tiger was still holding himself back from going all out with the offense, while Ryu raised his guards high enough to anticipate any and every attack thrown in his direction. Eventually, as the crowd’s noises grew, the martial master decided to play along with them, taunting the street fighter with flexing biceps. The taunt managed to charge his power meter, albeit slightly.

“C’mon!” Tiger exclaimed with a smirk.

Instead of getting provoked, Ryu chose to play along, as well. He grasped and pulled both tails of his headband tightly—not to fasten the red headgear, but to taunt his opponent.

“Kakattekoi!” he shouted back with the Japanese equivalent of ‘come on,’ subconsciously building his own power meter.

At the reciprocating taunt, Tiger strode backwards, spreading his arms in front of the spectators quizzically. He wasn’t quite expecting the reaction at all, but given Ryu’s game plan, it wasn’t hard to imagine him holding himself a little longer to bait his opponent to attack first. At the same time, Tiger wasn’t planning on bombarding the street fighter immediately like he did in the first round, so he continued to play mind games with him and flexed his biceps again.

“C’mon!” he exclaimed, his voice louder.

Still, despite the taunting gesture, Ryu remained unfazed. He instead taunted back with his gloved fist extending, his knuckles facing the martial master directly. And as he charged his own power meter, he declared…

“Talk is cheap!”

…which prompted Tiger to raise both of his eyebrows then scrunch his face, the slightest hints of offense readable across his face. Had he talked a little too much? He didn’t think so. Sure, when it came to spreading gospels, he could come across as being preachy and talkative, but in the middle of a bout like this? He’d rather let his fists and claws speak for himself, instead of his mouth, acting as the extension of God’s unlimited power.

And so, after his attempts to provoke Ryu fruited nothing, Tiger decided to close the distance with a clawing thunderclap, his movements sharp yet sudden. There were a pair of auric scythe-shaped energies trailing behind his thrusting arms, as he attempted to leave his opponent’s dark temples with grazes.

SLASH!

Did it work? Unfortunately, before the special move could connect, Ryu had already leaped out of harm’s way, his curling frame casting a shadow over his lunging opponent. The street fighter landed right back on his feet behind the puzzled martial master, stomping the raft with a resounding…

THUMP!

It was a simple taunt, yet it managed to shake and jolt the barrels in place. He didn’t forget to strike his arms out and spread his legs, allowing the force from beneath to course through his veins and charge his power meter.

Tiger, alerted by the stomp, immediately shifted around, as if facing his opponent automatically. He didn’t follow his clawing assault up just yet. Instead of betting on his offenses completely, he chose to approach the second round strategically, entering his kung fu stance and striking his clawing hands outward, observing and baiting Ryu to strike.

From the gondola, the martial master could already hear most spectators urging Ryu to “beat him up!” and chanting “go home, Ken clone!” right in front of his face, the unwelcoming exclaims piercing his ears. Oftentimes, they even went as far as giving Tiger all sorts of nicknames, ranging from the playful but harmless ‘Catholic Ken’ to the harsh ‘Kuso Knockoff.’ Still, whether in good taste or bad taste, the chants didn’t quite affect the martial master at all. He instead sighed, inwardly prayed for the heckling spectators for they know not what they do, while still keeping an eye on the street fighter.

Ryu, on the other hand, continued to raise his guards close to his mandible, his fists hardening and his bare feet bobbing. The way his fellow Esakans ridiculed a number of fighters who looked almost like himself or Ken often made him sick to the stomach, though he remained undistracted. Not when his opponent had already lunged in his direction again with a pair of alternating uppercuts.

BAM!

POW!

“TIGER… CLAW!!”

Given the first round, Ryu knew for certain that Tiger was a sucker for offenses, and he wouldn’t want to fall for his trap anymore. Instead of opting for a regular block, he parried each and every energy-laced uppercut with a loud clash, erupting a bluish hitspark each time his opponent’s fist collided with his forearm. Once foiled, the martial master swung his arm upwards and attempted to run his claws across his torso, though before the sharp appendages could graze his skin, Ryu had already ducked, narrowly evading the sharp, stinging strike. This, thankfully, allowed the street fighter to ambush the martial master with a heavy-hitting, rising uppercut, bouncing the latter several feet to the back with a loud…

POW!

“SHORYUKEN!!”

Just like that, Ryu scored the first attack for the second round. Upon landing back atop the raft, Tiger curled himself and reeled back, immediately halting on his knee. Just when he thought he’d distanced himself from his opponent…

“TATSUMAKI SENPUUKYAKU!!”

Ryu had appeared scarily close to him with an outstretched leg, hovering and spinning like a hurricane. While Tiger managed to block the first half of the tornado kick, its intensifying speed and strength eventually forced him out of his defensive stance, the bare ankle knocking his golden temple over and over. The Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku ended up launching the martial master towards the other end of the raft, cornering him completely.

WHAM!

“Woahhh–!!”

By the time he was recovered, Tiger had found himself standing rather unsteadily by the raft’s edge, the gentle sound of the rustling wave eerily vivid to his ears. As Ryu reached the raft again, he wasted no time and punished his opponent with a “HADOUKEN,” blasting that regular blue fireball out of his hands. Out of instinct, Tiger leaped and dodged past the travelling fireball, closing the gap separating them with a diving kick.

THWACK!

The ambush immediately connected, catching the street fighter off guard. The martial master soon followed it up with an axe kick and a flip kick, cancelling both attacks into each other rather swiftly. Although Ryu managed to block both kicks, he soon had to succumb to Tiger’s raw strength when he broke through his defense with a multi-hitting shoulder tackle, having himself shoved several feet to the back.

CRASH!

“TIGER ATTACK!!”

“Gwahhh–!!”

The street fighter tumbled and reeled on his back, subsequently laying on his midriff. He could sense that his feet were close to slipping past the precipice, the rustling wave beneath nearly grazing his soles. While he continued to recline, the martial master had already left the ground, his boots only moments away from stomping his back. Bad idea, he thought, considering how easy it was to exploit said attack in the last round. Fortunately, it didn’t take a while for Ryu to wake up and dragon-punched his descending opponent right across his mandible, bringing his bare feet out of the raft in a flying motion.

BAM!

“SHORYUKEN!!”

This marked the second time he (successfully) executed a Shoryuken onto his opponent, the very tactic lulling Tiger into a false sense of security. However, like a double-edged knife, the rising uppercut left Ryu wide open while still in mid-air, rendering him vulnerable to each and any anti-air attack. Tiger, having been recovered and reached the ground, ambushed Ryu from beneath his feet, executing a flying shoulder tackle.

WHAM!

“CROUCHING TIGER!!”

And Ryu immediately swallowed the flying, ramming shoulder without being able to block, harshly descending towards the right side of the raft.

CRASH!

“Gahahhh–!!”

As the impact, the street fighter collided with the nearby barrels on his back, tossing one of them into the water. The collision immediately sent Ryu bouncing forth, dropping face first atop the raft. When Tiger landed and took a quick glance over the power meter beneath, he noticed that he had yet to activate any of his power bars throughout the bout. If the number shown next to his power meter was to go by, then perhaps, he’d gained access to his Level 3 super move.

Given that Ryu was still struggling to stand, Tiger activated every single one of the power bars he’d obtained throughout the bout, setting the number next to his power meter to zero. A bright, flickering light appeared, as he went mindlessly feral like the beast he was named after—a complete opposite of the merciful, God-loving evangelist Ryu was accustomed to. Executing the strongest variant of the Breaker, Tiger pounced on his prey, ready to claw and tear the street fighter into pieces.

“RRAAHHH–!!!”

The martial master lunged closer and closer. However, before his clawing hand could connect…

POW!

…Ryu had already woken up, flailing him in the gut with his fist. Tiger’s cheeks puffed as the knuckles knotted his stomach, close to throwing up. As if one devastating blow wasn’t enough…

BAM!

…he followed it up with the one that went straight to his opponent’s mandible, employing an alternating fist, instead. Once everything was said and done…

WHAM!

“No escape!”

…the street fighter concluded the series of devastating strikes with the strongest variation of Shoryuken, launching his opponent with him. His battle cry was exclaimed, louder than ever before.

“SHIN… SHORYUKEN!!!”

There was a massive, ink-like hitspark forming around where Ryu’s knuckles had grazed the martial master, as the Shin Shoryuken was executed. Little did Tiger realize that Ryu had been intentionally keeping all his power bars intact for this exact moment. For every time the blow connected, Tiger’s health bar was drastically drained to the point where he was closer and closer to getting knocked out. After the final blow connected, the Level 3 super move successfully sent the martial master back to the raft, his back harshly colliding with its sturdy surface.

THUD!

“ARGGHHH–!!”

The collision’s harsh impact—combined with the damage inflicted upon him by the super move—was sufficient to knock Tiger out instantly, depleting what was left of his health bar. The metaphysical bell rang, and the martial master laid still with his eyes closed.

DING!

DING!

As per tradition, the accompanying widgets dispersed, regathered, then morphed into letters of gold separating the street fighter from the fainting martial master. The announcement was displayed, and it declared:

---

_{K.O.
ROUND 2 – RYU WINS!}

---

“Dōshita!? Tate!” Ryu urged, his face stern as he cast a glance over the prone Tiger. “I told you, you must defeat my Shoryuken to stand a chance!”

Most spectators screamed and rejoiced, as the original World Warrior champion came out victorious. Instead of absorbing the noises of the crowd, Ryu only closed his eyes and stood still with his arms crossed, letting the gentle wind blow the tails of his headband.

As the crowd carried on with the celebration, though, there was a defeated competitor still struggling to stand by the other corner of the raft as he woke up. When Ryu opened his eyes and turned his attention towards Tiger, he had only discovered that the martial master had been surrounded by his fair share of supporters upon his awakening. His missionary partners, the people whose lives he saved through the teachings of Christ, and his fellow martial masters had all stepped out of the gondola to lend him a helping hand. Out of all of them, only Felicia, Saojin, and Reika were close enough to reach out and help him lift himself up. But sure enough, when offered help, Tiger chose to turn down the offer, telling them “it’s okay” because the injuries were minor and that “I can still stand by myself.” With leisure strides, he approached the winning street fighter once he stood out of his sitting position, holding out a hand.

“Congratulations, brother Ryu,” Tiger congratulated with a soft smile, his peaceful demeanor restored. “Once again, you’re the better fighter between us. I couldn’t be prouder. I knew you would’ve come on top, eventually.”

Ryu smiled back and shook his opponent’s hand—more of a sign of gratitude than it was flattery. “Don’t undersell yourself like that. That was an excellent performance! This is why I hold the art of Chinese kung fu in high regard,” he praised before adding: “And frankly, you reignited something in me after our duel. It’s been so long since I fought somebody who could reinvigorate my spirit the way you did, even when it’s yet to die out.”

Tiger snorted, nearly snickering. “It’s a pleasure, brother Ryu,” he said heartily. “A pleasure to bring you closer to God. It’s why I’m here in this tournament, after all: to serve and to share God’s love with my fellow Esakans. Eventually, I hope that God has helped you find your calling, too. If not now, then perhaps, God has better plans for you, whatever and whenever that is.”

“Right,” Ryu answered pensively before adding: “Admittedly, I’d been contemplating what you told me before the match about saving the lost sheep, and I found that… maybe you're right. These fists aren’t just for battle anymore. They’re for defense, and we must use them for the goodness of others. You have no idea, Tiger, but travelling outside of Esaka has truly opened my eyes lately in regards to the world we’re living in. I must say that we’re fortunate enough to be gifted with the ability to fight because most people out there? They sure hoped that they had a fraction of what we could do. I think I’m getting closer to finding the answer to my question.”

Tiger listened attentively, nodding at some of his words. It appeared that his teachings had started to make the street fighter think. “Oh, believe me, brother Ryu, I know,” he claimed, placing a reassuring hand over his opponent’s shoulder. “I spent most of my life spreading the word of God to the ends of Earth. I’d witnessed and experienced all kinds of unimaginable deeds done to men throughout my journey, so I understand how you feel.” And that reminded Tiger of when the White Lotus sect kidnapped and tormented his fellow missionaries during their trip to a neighboring country. He remembered the agony, the fright, and the anger he felt in that moment, especially when his mentor who had nothing to do with his mission was being involved. While the tragedy still left him scarred to this day, he’d, thankfully, learned to forgive the culprits ever since. He drew a deep, deep breath, continuing to speak before Ryu could even chime in. “Also, brother Ryu, before you leave, may I pray for you?”

“Um… Sure!” Ryu answered with barely any hesitation—more out of respect than anything. He lowered his head and brought himself on both knees, as Tiger formed the sign of cross with his fingers, then held out an energy-laced hand atop his opponent’s head. The prayer began, and both men closed their eyes.

“Dear Father in Heaven, we would like to thank You for this wonderful afternoon and for the spectacular match which You had allowed us to participate in. Thank You for allowing brother Ryu to win this battle. May Your mercy and wisdom guide his every path and help him get through every battle from now and forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray…”

Before he concluded the prayer with an “Amen,” Tiger took a moment to read the ‘Our Father’ prayer in front Ryu, sensing as though a number of fellow believers had been following every part of the latter prayer that came out of his mouth. As both men opened their eyes, the martial master gave the street fighter one last friendly pat, his hand resting on the latter’s shoulder.

“Remember that Jesus loves you, brother Ryu. He loves you so dearly that He gave His life for you so that you may be saved. May His grace be with you throughout the tournament from now and beyond. I’m sure it won’t take long until you find the answer you’ve been craving for. You just have to hang in there and let God do His wonders.”

Ryu nodded. “I’ll try.” Already standing out of his kneeling position, he grabbed the duffle bag lying close to his toes, slinging it over his shoulder. He shifted around, though before he walked further, he gave Tiger one last glance over his shoulder, glimmers of gratitude evident through his eyes. “And… thank you,” he said. “Thank you for the prayer. May our paths cross again. Whenever that is...”

“Hopefully,” Tiger reciprocated with a small nod, giving Ryu a gentle wave. “God bless, brother Ryu!”

And that wrapped up Ryu’s second match in the World Warrior tournament. While they weren’t the best of the best, it was safe to say that his first two opponents managed to hold their own against the original World Warrior champion surprisingly well. His next opponent: Makoto Mizoguchi.

FIN.