KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

"Sakazaki Takuma is missing and there's still no news. Let's go check out the Sakazaki Yoshiie's dojo first. It was entrusted to us by Grandpa and Uncle Kusanagi." En Yue decided that since there were no opportunities to make money at the moment, she would help the Ryuko Team find Sakazaki Takuma first.

Thinking it over, Yan Yue decided to take a taxi to the Kyokugenryu Dojo. After all, this was the only place Yan Yue could remember; he couldn't recall any of the other place names.

Inside the Karate Kyokugenryu dojo, an adult man in a black vest and orange martial arts uniform is anxiously making a phone call.

"Robert, we still haven't found Lily. Do you have any news?" Ryo Sakazaki asked.

“I’m looking for her too, but we don’t have any leads yet. But don’t worry, we’ll definitely find her,” Robert reassured him.

"I hope so... Damn it, if I find out who kidnapped Yuri, I will never let him get away with it!" Ryo Sakazaki clenched his fist.

“Calm down, Liang. Our most important thing right now is to find Lily as soon as possible. Have you tried contacting her friends or classmates?” Robert suggested.

“I’ve tried, but none of them know where Yuri is,” Ryo Sakazaki said helplessly.

“Then let’s expand the search area, and we can also ask the police for help,” Robert said after thinking for a moment.

"Good idea, I'll go call the police right away." Ryo Sakazaki hung up the phone and prepared to go to the police station. Just as he was about to change his clothes, someone walked in through the door.

"Is anyone there?" Yan Yue shouted loudly from outside the dojo. He had already sensed through his own abilities that there was only one person inside the dojo packing up to leave.

Upon hearing the sound, Ryo Sakazaki came out of his room, changed his clothes, and hurriedly went outside. When he saw Engetsu, Ryo asked with a puzzled look, "Who are you?" He was extremely anxious at the moment because he urgently needed to get to the police station.

Yan Yue politely introduced herself to the other party and explained her purpose: "Hello, my name is Yan Yue, and I come from the Bajiquan sect of Wudang Mountain in China."

Ryo Sakazaki frowned and said, "If you're here to challenge me, then I'm sorry, I don't have time today. I have urgent business to attend to." With that, he turned to leave.

Yan Yue quickly explained, "I'm not here to cause trouble, but rather I've been asked by a friend of Mr. Sakazaki Takuma to help find his whereabouts."

Ryo Sakazaki stopped and turned to look at Engetsu, asking curiously, "Oh? Did Father's friend send you? Who is it?"

Yan Yue replied, "My master Tang Fulu and Kusanagi Shiba asked me to come and look for it." This time, Yan Yue did not lie.

Ryo Sakazaki was very disappointed after hearing this: "Okay, but my sister is also missing. I was just about to go to the police station to ask, but I don't think there's much hope."

Yan Yue asked in confusion, "How come another one has gone missing? Your sister, Sakazaki Yuri?"

Ryo Sakazaki nodded: "Yes, my name is Ryo Sakazaki, and my sister is Yuri Sakazaki."

Yan Yue frowned and started thinking, then said, "Let's go, I'll go with you to take a look first."

Ryo Sakazaki was surprised that Engetsu would help so readily, so he said gratefully, "Thank you. Let's talk on the way. Let's set off quickly."

“Okay.” Yan Yue put down her backpack and walked out the door with Sakazaki Ryo.

……

As evening fell, the setting sun cast its glow on the streets of South Town, illuminating half of the Giss Building. Inside this towering building, in a spacious and luxurious office, the lights cast the silhouettes of two middle-aged men.

One of the men, with short, neatly slicked-back blond hair, looked remarkably energetic. He wore a well-tailored black suit, its clean lines emphasizing his imposing stature. His eyes held a fierce intensity, as if he could unleash boundless power at any moment. He sat on a comfortable sofa, leaning slightly forward, his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly deep in thought about something important.

Opposite him sat another middle-aged man. He wore a striking red evening suit, as eye-catching as a burning flame. His hair fell casually over his shoulders, swaying slightly, exuding an untamed charm. He held a glass of crystal-clear red wine in one hand, elegantly savoring its rich aroma. Although he appeared very gentlemanly, his tall stature emanated an undeniable and powerful aura, inspiring a sense of awe in those around him.

A tense yet mysterious atmosphere hung between the two, as if they were discussing something important.

"Rugal, don't be ungrateful! This deal is beneficial to both of us." The middle-aged man in the black suit slammed his fist on the table angrily, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

“I don’t think so. Your conditions are too harsh,” Rugal replied with a scornful smile, sitting opposite him and responding coldly.

“You know my influence in South Town. If you don’t agree, you’ll face the consequences!” Gis Howard threatened.

"Haha, Geese, do you think I'm afraid of you? And what will your good brother do if you lose?" Rugal retorted defiantly.

The two were locked in a stalemate, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

After a moment of silence, Gis Howard said, "Alright, let's all calm down. Maybe we can find a better solution." Gis Howard thought of his equally ruthless and wicked troublesome brother and, feeling helpless, tried to ease the situation.

“I don’t want to waste any more time. Either go with my terms, or we’re not doing this deal.” Rugal stood up, ready to leave.

Gis Howard gritted his teeth and finally relented: "But why are you in such a hurry?"

"Hmph, it's all because of those good-for-nothings. For some reason, their influence in China was discovered, and they were afraid their plans would be affected, so they wanted to take action against other countries' influence ahead of time. That's why they came to me. In order to gain power, I made a deal with them. I also need to collect information on the fighters in this King of Fighters tournament."

"It's them? Nests?"

“That’s right, it’s them. All these years, they’ve been secretly plotting something, trying to change the order of this world. Now, they finally couldn’t hold back anymore. Hahaha…” Rugal finished speaking and laughed maniacally.

Giss became wary as he looked at Lucar.

Next, they began to renegotiate the details of the deal, trying to find a solution acceptable to both sides. After a heated discussion, they finally reached an agreement.

In the end, Rugal left satisfied, but left behind a fierce and angry look in Gis's eyes. He secretly vowed to make these people pay the price.

“These lunatics!” Gis Howard muttered under his breath.

Watching Rugal leave, Geese took a big gulp of his drink. Then he glanced at the photos his men had sent over, noticing his goddaughter was flirting with a handsome man. Geese knew very well that nobody dared to deal with Angelina… Suspicious, Geese called his men: “Find out who this guy is.”

……

Nighttime, police station.

Engetsu and Ryo Sakazaki went to the police station and explained the situation to the officers. The police said they would do their best to investigate, but there were no leads yet. Ryo Sakazaki was heavy-hearted. Engetsu didn't know the story of Art of Fighting, so he could only comfort him and tell him not to worry, that they would definitely find Yuri Sakazaki. So, the two returned to the dojo, and Ryo Sakazaki made simple arrangements for Engetsu's accommodation.

Both were anxious about finding someone and neither was in the mood to relax, so Yan Yue gave the food in her bag to Sakazaki Ryo and urged him to sit down and exchange information to see if there were any clues.

Yan Yue asked first, "What does Baihe usually do?"

Ryo Sakazaki reminisced as he ate his food.

“Yuri usually likes to go shopping and watch movies, and occasionally participates in some fighting competitions. She is a lively and lovely girl, but sometimes she can be a little willful,” Ryo Sakazaki said slowly.

Yan Yue listened attentively, nodding occasionally. He thought to himself that perhaps he could find some clues from Sakazaki Yuri's daily activities.

"So, where was the last time you saw her?" Yan Yue asked.

“Hmm…” Ryo Sakazaki tried to recall, “The last time I saw her was a few days ago after a fighting match. She said she was going to see a friend, and then I never heard from her again.”

Yan Yue pondered for a moment, then said, "Perhaps we can start with her friends and ask them if they know where Baihe is."

Ryo Sakazaki shook his head helplessly and said, "Robert told me the same thing, but when I asked her, none of her friends knew."

Yan Yue thought for a moment and then asked, "What about your father, Uncle Sakazaki? I feel that his disappearance is related to Yuri in some way."

Ryo Sakazaki frowned, recalling sadly, "As for my father, he was a strict man and trained us very hard. He always hoped that we could become excellent fighters, but ten years ago my mother suddenly died in a car accident, and my father disappeared afterward while investigating the cause of my mother's death."

"Hmm, let me think..." Yan Yue lowered his head in thought. After a moment, he looked up, a flash of inspiration in his mind, "Who's in charge of Nanzhen?"

“Of course it’s Geese,” Ryo Sakazaki replied without hesitation.

However, Yan Yue didn't seem satisfied with this answer. He shook his head and continued to ask, "I'm talking about your area, there must still be some gang leaders, right?"

Ryo Sakazaki paused slightly, frowning as he pondered Yan Yue's words. After a moment, he nodded in sudden realization and said, "You're right. Although Geese rules the entire South Town, each area has its own local gangs led by small-time bosses."

Yan Yue nodded, his gaze sharpening as if searching for some clue. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he continued, "Kidnappings are commonplace in Nanzhen; usually only gangsters can pull off such things. By the way, how skilled is your sister Baihe? An ordinary person couldn't kidnap her, could they?"

Ryo Sakazaki's face darkened. He clenched his fists and said angrily, "Yuri has been training in Kyokugenryu since she was a child. She's quite skilled; ordinary thugs are no match for her. So, this was definitely done by some gang!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Yue's eyes hardened. He patted Sakazaki Ryo on the shoulder and comforted him, "Don't worry, we'll definitely find Yuri." Then, he turned to Yan Yue and said seriously, "Where's the nearest yakuza address? Let's go check it out."

Ryo Sakazaki's eyes gleamed with determination. He nodded vigorously and said, "There's a bar not far away. Gangsters often hang out there. We can go there and see if we can find any clues."

After saying that, Ryo Sakazaki immediately dialed Robert's number, explained the situation, and asked him to help investigate the nearby gangs. After hanging up, Ryo and Engetsu walked together towards the bar. Ryo's steps were firm and powerful, as if carrying an unstoppable force.

On the way, Yan Yue sensed something, "Wait a minute, I need to get something."

"?"

Ryo Sakazaki looked at Engetsu with a puzzled expression as he picked up a brick from the roadside.

Yan Yue said firmly, "It's Nanzhen, so naturally we should do as the locals do. I'll help with this fight!"