KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

“Yamazaki Ryuji? That bloodthirsty yakuza killer…!” Billy was puzzled as to why Geese had him participate in the competition.

Geese replied, "Because Ryuji Yamazaki also seems to be somewhat special, but that was a task assigned to Blue Mary by my puppet company."

The company will soon send her to investigate Ryuji Yamazaki.

Billy nodded, a sharp smile playing on his lips. "So, the adults have already kept them in check? That makes things much easier for us..."

Billy asked again, "But is there anything special about Ryuji Yamazaki?"

Geese sneered, "Actually, he's similar to Iori Yagami. You'll know when you meet him..."

Alright, go down... and get ready properly..."

"Yes!" Billy stood up from the sofa and bowed respectfully.

……

Southtown, USA.

Phantom Bar.

"Hello, Miss Mary, here to have a drink and chat with Sister King again?" Yan Yue greeted Mary in a friendly manner.

Mary took a sip of her drink and replied, "Hi! Handsome Yan Yue, what a coincidence..."

"Wang Wang..."

Upon seeing Yan Yue, Antonio excitedly ran towards her, his tail wagging rapidly.

Yan Yue crouched down and took the opportunity to stroke the dog's head repeatedly, making the dog very happy. "Hello... Antonov..."

"It's Antonio!"

"Oh right!" Yan Yue chuckled wryly and slapped her forehead. "Sorry, I misremembered..."

Mary muttered with a hint of exasperation, "By the way, what's Antonov? It sounds like a foreign name."

"I don't know, the name just feels familiar..."

King, who was behind the bar, put down the letter in his hand, looked at Yan Yue, and asked, "Yan Yue, what brings you here today?"

Yan Yue put the dog down. "I'm leaving for Japan tomorrow, so I came to see if my senior brothers and the others have returned yet..."

"Not yet, but the King of Fighters tournament is about to start, and I think Terry and Angelina should already be on their way back with Locke... Is there something wrong?"

"Sister King, could you please tell Locke to keep the pocket watch I gave him safe? He'll need it after the King of Fighters tournament..."

"A pocket watch?" King recalled that Locke did indeed often wear a gold pocket watch around his neck.

Mary, who was standing nearby, also remembered. During the incident involving the Qin Secret Manual, Mary had been asked by Yan Yue to investigate Locke's pocket watch, which seemed to be related to one of Mephisto's assassins.

"Is it the one Locke wears around his neck?"

"right……"

“No problem, but the plane ticket Wu sent me is for next week. If I can’t make it back in time, I’ll leave a note for them.”

"Thank you very much, Sister King."

Yan Yue then inquired with Mary about the latest news regarding the South Town gang.

After that, I left the bar.

……

In the cemetery of Nanzhen.

Yan Yue arrived at the cemetery at dusk.

At this moment, Yan Yue was carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, wandering through the cemetery, searching for the grave of an old friend.

Finally, after a while, Yan Yue found a tombstone.

“Uncle Jeff…” Yan Yue slowly placed the bouquet of white flowers in front of the tombstone.

This tombstone belongs to Jeff Bogard. Although Yan Yue had never met him, he knew quite a bit about Jeff. Jeff's name was frequently mentioned in conversations with Don Fulu, Terry, and Andy. Even Kusanagi Shizuru and Sakazaki Takuma often spoke of Jeff's deeds.

Yan Yue knew Jeff's place in their hearts, so she held this senior she had never met in high esteem.

Following traditional Chinese customs, Yan Yue opened the wine and poured it on the ground.

"Uncle, I've come to see you. You may not recognize me, but I want to tell you that I'm Terry and Andy's junior apprentice, and also a disciple of Grandpa Tang Fulu..."

Perhaps I was under too much pressure... As an outsider... and the emperor of the human race, I also had to protect the Three Sacred Treasures and such...

Orochi is coming, and the King of Fighters tournament is about to begin again. This time, I hope you can bless us from heaven…

……

The day of departure.

Yan Yue stood still, gazing tenderly at Xiao Long, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Brother Yan Yue..." Xiao Long's voice was slightly low, revealing a hint of reluctance, "Time flies so fast..."

Yan Yue responded softly, "Yes, but we'll see each other again soon." He reached out and gently rubbed Xiao Long's cheek, as if comforting a child.

Xiaolong closed his eyes slightly, enjoying Yanyue's caress, then suddenly opened them, took a step forward, and tightly hugged Yanyue's neck. This action surprised Yanyue, but he quickly reacted and reached out to hug Xiaolong back.

Xiaolong buried his head in Yanyue's arms, feeling his warmth and scent. Yanyue gently stroked Xiaolong's hair and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as the mission is complete."

Xiaolong nodded in Yanyue's arms and said in a muffled voice, "Mmm..."

After a while, Xiaolong slowly raised his head and met Yanyue's gaze. The two were very close, close enough to feel each other's breath. Yanyue stared into Xiaolong's eyes, which seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.

Xiaolong's cheeks flushed slightly. She hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Brother Yanyue, you must be careful..."

Yan Yue smiled and nodded. "I will, and so will you. Take good care of yourself."

After speaking, Yan Yue fell silent, simply gazing at Xiao Long with tenderness and affection in his eyes. Unconsciously, his face slowly drew closer to Xiao Long's, their lips growing ever closer…

However, unexpectedly, just as Xiaolong was about to be kissed, she suddenly dodged away as if she had been electrocuted.

Yan Yue was clearly somewhat surprised by Xiao Long's reaction.

Xiaolong blushed, her face as red as a ripe apple. She nestled softly in Yanyue's broad embrace and whispered, "...Not yet, Brother Yanyue, I'm sorry..."

"I'm worried this will hurt you..." Her voice trailed off, revealing a hint of concern.

The Heavenly Demoness's poison was truly terrifying; Xiaolong vaguely remembered the horrific deaths of those she had unintentionally poisoned.

It's already a miracle that Yan Yue can resist the poison outside Xiao Long's body, so Xiao Long would never dare to try to touch Yan Yue with his kiss. Even Xiao Long himself is afraid of the poison inside her body.

Yan Yue understood Xiao Long's worries, so she gently comforted him, "It's alright, there will definitely be a way to cure you..."

As he spoke, he gently pulled Xiaolong closer to his chest.

Then, Yan Yue slowly lowered her head and gently kissed Xiao Long's exquisitely sculpted cheek.

Xiaolong was caught off guard by the sudden kiss and couldn't help but say coquettishly, "Ah! Don't do that..." But she didn't resist at all and showed a happy smile.

Xiaolong and Yanyue embraced quietly, as if time had stopped. They enjoyed each other's warmth and were immersed in the tranquility of the moment.

However, good times are always fleeting, and Yan Yue finally broke the silence: "Sister Xiaolong, I really should go..."

Xiaolong slowly released Yanyue's embrace, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes, but she still smiled and nodded: "Mmm..."

She took a deep breath and then asked softly, "Brother Yan Yue, did you bring the [Poison Shadow Needle]?"

Yan Yue quickly replied, "I've got it, it's in my backpack..."

Xiaolong seemed a little relieved. She then took out a sachet from her bosom and handed it to Yanyue: "And this... it will protect Brother Yanyue and keep him safe..."

Yan Yue took the sachet and examined it carefully. The sachet was embroidered with exquisite patterns, but what caught the eye most was the cartoon image of Xiao Long and Duo Long drawn on it. Their adorable appearance made people smile.

"Wow...it's so cute..." Yan Yue exclaimed.

Finally, Yan Yue gently touched Xiao Long's cheek, "Little sister Xiao Long, wait for me to come back... We will definitely find Duo Long, and we will definitely cure your condition..."

"Yes, Brother Yan Yue, I will wait for you..."

……

In Kusanagi Castle in Japan, a powerful purple flame shot into the sky, instantly engulfing the entire Kusanagi clan's dojo in a sea of ​​purple fire.

Kyo Kusanagi stood in the center of the dojo, his eyes fixed on Iori Yagami opposite him, and roared angrily, "Yagami! Now that your injuries have healed, come on!"

Iori Yagami stood on the other side of the purple flames, his body trembling slightly, seemingly extremely excited. However, he responded with a roar: "Kyo! Today is your death day!"

Before he could finish speaking, Iori Yagami suddenly launched an attack, his flames flaming wildly as they lunged at Kyo Kusanagi.

Kyoya Kusanagi immediately unleashed his signature technique, crimson flames erupting from his hands and clashing fiercely with Iori Yagami's purple flames in mid-air.

what--!

Drink up!

boom--!

In an instant, crimson flames and purple azure flames intertwined, forming a huge pillar of fire that exploded in the dojo like a volcanic eruption.

The entire dojo was shaken to the point of collapse by this powerful force, and the ground was scorched black by the flames.

The battle between Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami seems to have only just begun.