KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

(So ​​far, the stories of Garou, Art of Fighting, and Maximum Impact in the Orochi Saga have concluded. Next up is the main storyline of '96 and '97.)

The stars in the night sky shone like jewels, dazzling and captivating. The sea remained calm and undisturbed, stretching to the horizon. Golden fish swam in the sea, and their numbers were increasing, and they were also growing slightly larger than before.

Yan Yue lay on the sea again, looking up at the starry sky.

Many memories appeared in the starry sky, including past battles with Geese and Rugal.

At the same time, Yan Yue tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on the sea.

On the sea surface, scenes of memories from a previous life unfolded like pages in a book.

However, just as these scenes were changing, the golden fish in the sea suddenly became extremely excited and swam towards the memory scenes on the surface of the sea.

Yan Yue immediately sensed something was wrong and hurriedly shouted, "Hey! Not again? You can't eat anymore! Get away, you're not allowed to eat!"

Yan Yue called out anxiously, waving her hands in an attempt to scare the fish away. But unfortunately, there were simply too many of them.

In the blink of an eye, the few memories on the sea surface gradually became blurred under the frenzied devouring of the fish, eventually turning into specks of starlight and slowly dissipating into the sea.

Enraged, Yan Yue cursed loudly, "Damn it! You bunch of rotten fish, I'll blow you all up..."

But the fish seemed to understand suddenly, and they quickly gathered together. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into a huge ball of golden flame, carrying intense heat and a powerful aura, and pounced towards Yan Yue.

Yan Yue's expression changed drastically. He wanted to turn around and run away, but he found himself helplessly on the vast sea.

Yan Yue struggled desperately to move her feet, but every step was ineffective.

"Don't, don't, don't..."

Yan Yue shouted and waved her hands in an attempt to stop the approaching golden flame.

"Ouch..." With a scream, Yan Yue was finally engulfed by the golden flame.

……

"Brother Yan Yue, Brother Yan Yue..." Xiao Long's voice suddenly echoed in Yan Yue's ears.

Yan Yue slowly opened her eyes, feeling extremely dizzy. She didn't know when she had fallen into a deep sleep on her desk.

At that moment, Xiaolong's figure came into view. Xiaolong was sitting quietly beside him, his large, purplish-red eyes staring at him without blinking.

……

Six months have passed since the incident involving the secret book ended.

After Whip successfully returned to the mercenary unit, Yan Yue did not receive any further orders.

Terry took Locke to Wudang Mountain in China to visit Tang Fulu and the others. Yan Yue also heard from Terry's letter that Locke and Shunying Mingtianjun had a lot of fun, and that the three of them were improving their strength very quickly.

Ryo Sakazaki and Engetsu were all busy with their own training.

……

Yan Yue seems to have been overworking herself these past few days, as she often falls asleep at her desk when she gets home at night.

After Xiaolong discovered this, he would often put a piece of clothing on Yan Yue and cover her with it, then rest his chin on his hand and stay by her side for a while, which would also prevent Mai Zhuo from disturbing her.

"Brother Yan Yue, did you have a nightmare just now?" Xiao Long asked anxiously when he saw Yan Yue wake up.

Yan Yue rubbed her temples and shook her head blankly: "Sister Xiaolong... I'm not quite sure either. I just feel like something's been chasing me, but I can't remember what it is..."

Xiaolong pondered for a moment, "I see... It's probably because you've been too tired lately, Brother Yanyue..."

Suddenly, a sense of doubt arose in Yan Yue's heart, and she slowly scanned her surroundings.

Immediately afterwards, his gaze involuntarily fell on Xiaolong beside him.

"Brother Yan Yue, what's wrong?" Xiao Long asked, puzzled as to why Yan Yue was looking at him like that.

Suddenly, Yan Yue reached out and cupped Xiao Long's soft and lovely face, bringing it close to examine it closely.

"what!?"

This sudden action caught Xiaolong off guard. She was stunned for a moment, and then a shy blush spread across her face.

"Brother Yan Yue...you're so naughty..." Xiao Long exclaimed softly, her cheeks flushed, too shy to meet Yan Yue's gaze.

At this moment, Yan Yue felt as if she had discovered a new continent.

Now, Yan Yue could clearly see every subtle expression and skin texture on Xiao Long's face. This clarity of natural vision was completely different from the previous Nen vision!

"Great! My eyes are completely healed!" Yan Yue was overjoyed.

"Little sister Xiaolong, I can finally see you clearly! Hahaha..." Yan Yue suddenly let go of Xiaolong's hand and danced with excitement.

Upon hearing this, Xiaolong was slightly taken aback, then gave a sweet smile: "Ah? Brother Yanyue, you could see it before, couldn't you?"

Yan Yue excitedly explained, "It's different. This time, my eyes have completely recovered, and I no longer need to rely on my spiritual energy."

"So that's how it is..." Xiaolong nodded, equally happy that Yanyue had regained her sight.

"Yes... Xiaolong is so pretty..." Yan Yue couldn't help but gently pinch Xiaolong's pretty face.

Xiaolong blushed again when his face was suddenly pinched, but he didn't dodge. He just glared at Yanyue coquettishly, which made him look even more adorable.

After a while, Yan Yue escorted Xiao Long back to the third floor, preparing to go back to bed for a good night's sleep.

But then, a graceful figure appeared beside Yan Yue.

"Little Yan Yue, are your eyes really fully recovered now?" Mai Zhuo, as always, would quietly appear after Xiao Long left.

She casually wrapped her arms around Yan Yue's neck, a sly and charming smile spreading across her face.

"Hmm... Sister Mai Zhuo..." Yan Yue blushed slightly as she looked at Mai Zhuo's thin, daring, and sexy lingerie.

"Seriously~ I was chatting and laughing with Xiaolong just now, how come I'm like this as soon as I see my older sister?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Yue couldn't help but lower her head, her gaze involuntarily falling on Mai Zhuo.

"Because...because you are just too tempting..." Yan Yue stammered, her voice growing softer and softer.

"Hehehe... I didn't expect that Little Yan Yue would also learn to be glib and flatter people?" Mai Zhuo gave Yan Yue a coquettish glare, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Then, she slowly brought her face closer to Yan Yue and said with a wicked smile:

"You've been working so hard lately, so I've decided to give you a proper reward!"

As she spoke, Mai Zhuo gently pushed Yan Yue into the room.

"Huh? What kind of reward?" Yan Yue blushed, but was also somewhat expectant.

"It's that kind of reward~..." Soon, Mai Zhuo had pushed Yan Yue onto the bed.

Yan Yue's brain started to shut down...

In the end, however, Mai Zhuo simply pressed herself against Yan Yue's back, letting him feel her soft body. Then, she gently massaged Yan Yue's slightly sore joints.

Before long, drowsiness gradually crept in, Yan Yue's eyes slowly closed, her breathing became steady, and she soon drifted off to sleep.

Mai Zhuo quietly watched Yan Yue sleeping. She reached out and gently stroked Yan Yue's slightly tired face. After gazing at her for a moment, she left a kiss on Yan Yue's cheek.

"Little Yan Yue, you've worked so hard, I'll definitely reward you properly..."

Afterwards, Mai Zhuo covered Yan Yue with a blanket and, with elegant steps, quietly returned to her room.

……

Japan, Tokyo.

Inside a quiet, ancient temple.

A woman sits deep within the ancient temple, dressed in a signature white Japanese shrine maiden outfit, her hair jet black and glossy, cascading down to her waist like a waterfall.

Her face possessed a sacred beauty, yet also exuded a cool and aloof air.

A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the hem of her dress, which fluttered in the wind, making her appear like a goddess from ancient times, exuding an ancient and solemn aura.

The third member of the Three Sacred Treasures – Chizuru Kagura.

Kagura Chizuru was solemnly performing the ancient ritual of the Yata clan all by herself. Sometimes she knelt, sometimes she sat cross-legged, and sometimes she danced.

Her figure was graceful, her movements elegant, and every gesture and step was filled with a sacred aura.

Time passed quietly, and soon Kagura Chizuru completed a series of complex and tedious ritual steps. She let out a soft breath and walked out of the ancient temple with a sense of relief.

Sunlight fell on her, casting a faint golden glow.

Immediately afterwards, Chizuru Kagura turned around and went back to her room.

In the center of the room stood an antique wooden table, upon which lay a neat stack of white envelopes.

Each of these envelopes has a wax seal with a beautiful Yatagarasu (a mythical bird-like creature) design printed on the seal.

Kagura Chizuru reached out her delicate hand and gently picked up one of the envelopes. She gazed at the envelope in her hand, her eyes gradually hardening with unwavering resolve.

"The seal on Orochi has now been completely broken, but this does not mean the end of the world..."

Sister, please bless me during the new World King of Fighters Championship...

I am determined to seal the giant serpent once again!

The centuries-long entanglement between the Kusanagi and Yagami families should finally come to an end…

……

Japan, Osaka Castle.

At this moment, sunlight filters through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows, and a gentle breeze rustles through the vegetation in the mountains and forests.

Kyo Kusanagi was alone in this tranquil mountain forest. There was a wide clearing here, like a natural training ground.

"996...997...998..." He was dressed in a white training uniform. Accompanied by the counting sounds, Kyo Kusanagi was doing push-ups steadily while doing a handstand.

As time went on, Kyo Kusanagi had already completed several thousand push-ups today.

Finally, after a long and arduous struggle, Kyo Kusanagi completed the latest round of 1000 handstand push-ups. His strong body trembled slightly, and as if all his strength had been drained, he instantly relaxed and collapsed heavily to the ground.

Kyo Kusanagi was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead and soaking the ground.

After a long while, he finally caught his breath and struggled to take off his already soaked clothes. As the shirt slowly came off, what was revealed was an upper body wrapped in bandages.

At this moment, Kyo Kusanagi's eyes were filled with deep self-reproach and confusion.

He gazed into the distance and muttered to himself, "What exactly is the legendary ultimate technique of the Kusanagi style—the [Musou]?"

"Damn it, I've tried for so long, but I still can't find a clue!"

"If it were someone like Iori Yagami, he'd probably be even stronger by now..."

"Damn it! Yan Yue really is a jinx, her predictions are always spot on..."

Kyo Kusanagi's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to what happened three months ago...

……

three months ago.

As Kyo Kusanagi was training in the mountains, a sudden gust of cold wind blew by, rustling the leaves. Kyo Kusanagi stood up alertly, his muscles tensing.

A dark figure slowly approached from afar. As it drew closer, Kyo Kusanagi recognized the newcomer and immediately sensed the aura of the Orochi clan. This time, the Orochi aura was particularly strong, filling Kyo with a strong sense of crisis.

"Kusanagi kid, you seem confused."

The newcomer was none other than Goenitz, one of the Eight Orochi Generals. At this moment, Goenitz was still wearing his blue and black priest's robes, holding a Bible, and looking at Kyo Kusanagi with a mocking expression.

Kyo Kusanagi clenched his fists, glaring at him. "Someone with Orochi's power? Coming here to die?"

"Hehehe..." Goenitz chuckled lightly, "I heard you defeated Rugal, so I came here specifically to see what the new generation of Kusanagi clan heir is like?"

Kyo Kusanagi frowned; he knew the person in front of him had ill intentions.

Goenitz continued, "Nice to meet you. My name is Goenitz, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Orochi Eight Generals."

After saying that, he politely gestured for Kyo Kusanagi to enter.

Upon hearing this, Kyo Kusanagi couldn't help but recall the words that Engetsu had said.

"Kyo, be very careful of the Eight Heroes, especially Goenitz, who controls the power of the storm..."

Kyo Kusanagi gritted his teeth and decided to accept the challenge. He then took his stance, facing Goenitz. In an instant, dust billowed up where the two stood, and the battle was about to begin.

Suddenly, Kyo Kusanagi made the first move.

Kyo Kusanagi unleashed crimson flames from his hands and charged at Goenitz with all his might.

[Dark Brush]! [Wild Bite]!

【Hyakushiki - Oni-yaki】!

However, unexpectedly, none of Kyo Kusanagi's attacks managed to hit Goenitz.

"Hehehe..." Goenitz easily dodged Kyo Kusanagi's attacks while a contemptuous and mocking smile appeared on his face. He slowly said, "Is this all the successor of the Kusanagi clan has to offer? You've really disappointed me..."

However, at that moment, Kyo Kusanagi, who was already at a disadvantage, suddenly seemed to have his long-dormant power ignited, and his entire body was instantly engulfed in crimson flames.

"watch out!"

Immediately afterwards, Kyo Kusanagi roared and unleashed a powerful attack at Goenitz with all his might.

MAX Super Special Move: [Ura Hyakuhachi-shiki - Orochi Nagi]!

A giant flame roared toward Goenitz, its power covering a wide area, enough to burn everything within a ten-meter radius.

However, Goenitz walked right through the flames as if strolling in a garden. Then, with an uncanny speed, he reached out his right hand and grabbed Kyo Kusanagi by the neck.

Then, Goenitz muttered incantations, and in an instant, a violent storm of power erupted from his hands.

Super Special Move: Dark Cry!

This powerful storm force transformed into a black tornado, enveloping Kyo Kusanagi's entire body with a piercing howl.

"Ugh—!"

As Kyo Kusanagi's heart-wrenching scream rang out, he was instantly engulfed by the massive black whirlwind.

The whirlwind was like countless blades, frantically slicing through Kyo Kusanagi's body. In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, and Kyo's entire body became a bloody mess, a truly gruesome sight.