KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

After entering the waiting area, Yan Yue quickly sensed the new faces team and the special participating team.

So far, the Three Kings have not yet awakened, but Yamazaki Ryuji's Orochi aura has become even stronger, as if his strength has increased significantly, which makes Yan Yue wary of Yamazaki Ryuji.

Yan Yue was also unsure why they had suddenly appeared here. She wondered if they would awaken during the tournament; if so, the course of history seemed unchanged.

It seems that the King of Fighters tournament has gathered the other eight members of the Elite Eight. A fierce battle is inevitable.

Ten participating teams have gathered in this spacious venue, and the atmosphere is both exciting and tense.

The host stood in the center of the stage, smiling, and delivered various speeches in turn, introducing the competition rules, awards, and precautions.

The content is largely the same as in the '96 era, still using the gauntlet format, with one chance to switch opponents after each fight. Players are eliminated after being knocked out of the ring or knocked down for 10 seconds.

After the speech, the host paused briefly, then announced loudly, "The official competition is about to begin!" Before the words were even finished, the huge electronic screen began scrolling with subtitles, displaying information about each team and the schedule of the upcoming matches.

Just then, two stunningly beautiful women walked slowly towards the host. They were dressed in sexy gowns and carrying an exquisite box, attracting the attention of the entire audience.

The beautiful women placed the box in front of the host's podium and then gracefully stepped aside. The host, looking at the box with a solemn expression, announced loudly, "The matchups for this fighting tournament will be determined by drawing lots! Two adjacent numbers will be paired as opposing teams!"

"Next, please invite the captains of the ten fighter groups to come up on stage to draw lots!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the square. The news instantly heightened the tension, with the audience eagerly anticipating the upcoming draw.

The atmosphere in the waiting area was somewhat tense. The fighters exchanged glances, all appearing somewhat nervous. However, they showed no signs of slackness, for they all knew that the upcoming draw would be crucial to the outcome of the match.

The team captains stood up and, following the host's instructions, slowly walked to the center of the ring.

"What a troublesome lottery system..." Iori Yagami walked towards the arena with a disdainful look. But deep down, he seemed to be looking forward to it, hoping to face Kyo Kusanagi in the very first match.

Yan Yue silently prayed that Iori Yagami wouldn't draw a match against Kyo Kusanagi in the first game.

Yan Yue didn't want to see the scene of both Thigh 1 and Thigh 2 being severely injured.

At the same time, Chizuru Kagura of the women's fighting team was also silently praying. She was secretly and vigilantly observing Yashiro and his two companions, as well as Ryuji Yamazaki.

……

On the arena, the ten captains faced off against each other, the atmosphere was extremely tense, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

The hatred between Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, these two arch-enemies, is no secret.

Billy and Iori Yagami also have a deep-seated hatred for each other, with Billy having to fight his teammates.

Yashiro stood aside, his hatred for Iori Yagami making no attempt to hide it.

Terry and Billy also share an unresolved feud due to Geese.

Ryo Sakazaki, on the other hand, had a determined look in his eyes, wanting to defeat Iori Yagami and avenge his previous defeat.

At this moment, all the hatred, resentment, and determination converged, making the host feel endless pressure and tension.

……

After all ten people had drawn lots, the host began to announce their numbers.

Number 1, South Korea.

Team No. 2, Women's Fighters.

Number 3, Ikari Team.

Number 4, Japan.

Team No. 5, the new faces.

Team 6, the Legends.

Team No. 7, a special participating team.

Number 8, the Hungry Wolf Team.

Number 9, Dragon Tigers.

Number 10, the Superpower Team.

Two adjacent numbers will form a battle, which means:

South Korea vs. Women's Fighters Team.

Ikari vs. Japan.

New Faces vs. Legends.

Special Team vs. Hungry Wolf Team.

Dragon Tigers vs. Superpowers Team.

……

When the huge electronic screen above the square began to display all the battle information, the entire square seemed to be set ablaze.

The audience's attention was instantly drawn; they stared wide-eyed at the names and match information scrolling across the screen.

A gasp and murmurs erupted from the crowd; some cheered excitedly, while others gaped in astonishment.

In the fighters' area, the reactions varied.

The South Korean team looked at each other in bewilderment, while the women's fighting team remained calm and composed.

The Japanese team smiled confidently.

The three members of the Ikari team quickly began to discuss and decide how to deal with the Japanese team.

Yashiro looked pleased, clearly very satisfied with his first match against Iori Yagami.

Terry and the others watched warily as Ryuji and Billy looked on with ferocity.

……

The host, standing on the stage, was equally stunned by the information on the screen. Staring wide-eyed at the match schedule, he exclaimed, "This is truly... an arrangement of fate!"

Yan Yue calmly pondered:

"To actually fight three members of his own company's band, it seems a conflict between Iori Yagami and Yashiro Nanakase is inevitable..."

But it's good, it allows for better monitoring of the Three Kings.

I'm also a little curious about what their combat abilities were like when they were humans...

"Tsk!"

Iori Yagami clicked his tongue coldly, staring indifferently at the screen with a disdainful smile. He muttered to himself:

"It seems fate is going to give you a break first. Well, I'll let you off the hook for now, Jing. Don't let me down..."

Shingo stood not far from Iori Yagami, and upon hearing his words, a surge of anger welled up within him.

As Kyo Kusanagi's top disciple, Shingo was naturally very unhappy with Iori Yagami's remarks. So he boldly mustered up his courage and retorted, "Iori Yagami! You... with a sissy like you... you can't beat Master Kusanagi!"

Although Shingo's voice trembled slightly, it still reached Iori Yagami's ears clearly. He turned his head sharply and glared at Shingo with a murderous look on his face.

"So you want to challenge me? You scum!"

Shingo trembled at Iori Yagami's gaze and promptly hid behind Engetsu.

"Senior Yan Yue, save me!"

Shingo grabbed Engetsu's arm, using Engetsu as his shield.

Yan Yue was caught off guard by Shingo's sudden action, and her thoughts were immediately disrupted. Seeing that Shingo's thought process seemed a bit off, she decisively shook off his hand.

Yan Yue was thinking about what to do next, but Shingo was still creating conflict with Iori Yagami.

This ignited a nameless rage within Yan Yue, and a powerful surge of Nen energy erupted from her. She snapped irritably, "If you don't want to live, then don't bother me!"

Shingo was startled by Engetsu's sudden outburst, a look of astonishment on his face. Just as he was about to explain, a muffled sound came from behind him.

Shingo was struck on the back of the neck by Nen again, and a strong, familiar numbness quickly spread throughout his body. Shingo's mind went blank for a moment. He only felt a blackout before his eyes, lost his balance, and fell to the ground unconscious.

Iori Yagami was also somewhat surprised by Yan Yue's actions, but he didn't say anything more and sighed, "This is much quieter now."

"Yes, it's much quieter now..."

Yan Yue grabbed Shingo's leg with one hand and dragged him to a corner like a sack of potatoes. She kept muttering to herself, "As expected of Kyo's apprentice, he's really mastered that annoying habit..."