KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

The King of Fighters tournament was held three days early, and as time went on, more and more fighters arrived at the South Town Giss Building.

Below the building was a wide, flat plaza where Geese's conglomerate had already erected a large fighting arena. Numerous fighters had gathered, each clad in a different combat suit and exuding a powerful aura.

The atmosphere at the scene was incredibly lively, with people cheering and jumping for joy. There were members of gang-related organizations, ordinary citizens, and local reporters, all eagerly anticipating this grand event.

A group of scantily clad dancers swayed their alluring and sexy figures in the venue, instantly attracting the attention of many people.

Immediately afterward, the dancers dispersed, and the host stepped onto the stage to deliver the opening speech. He then looked at the audience, nodded in satisfaction, took a deep breath, and announced in a rousing voice: "The first King of Fighters Tournament officially begins!"

Fireworks burst in the sky, and ribbons drifted down. The contestants took to the stage one by one; they came from all over the world, each with their own unique style and skills. Some were agile ninjas, some were incredibly strong wrestlers, some were martial arts masters, and there were also unconventional contestants dressed in various styles.

The audience cheered excitedly for their favorite contestants, their shouts echoing throughout the venue. Backstage, the contestants nervously made their final preparations, knowing that the upcoming matches would be fierce and intense.

As the fighters lined up, the host announced the rules of the fight.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to this fighting tournament! Now, I'd like to introduce the rules of this tournament. First, all participants will engage in a random two-person duel in the preliminary round. After fierce competition, eight participants will emerge victorious and advance to the quarterfinals. The champion will receive a prize of $50. Now, let me announce the only rule of this tournament..." The host deliberately paused, his voice carrying throughout the arena via microphone. Everyone pricked up their ears, eager to hear the crucial rule.

"That's it—no rules! You win if you knock your opponent down or knock them out of the ring!" the announcer suddenly raised his voice and shouted. This rule immediately caused a stir among the audience, who gasped and cheered. For these combat sports enthusiasts, this meant they could see more exciting fights and more thrilling duels.

"Oh—!" A murmur rippled through the crowd, followed by even louder cheers. It seemed the people of South Town had a deep interest in this sophisticated aesthetic of violence; the unrestrained fighting was exhilarating and provided the audience with a superior viewing experience. In this arena, every attack was unreserved, and every knockdown represented a glimmer of hope for victory. This format undoubtedly ignited the fighters' most primal fighting spirit and gave the audience an unprecedented thrill.

The host then loudly announced, "Now, the competition begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar, with shouts and jeers rising and falling. As the fighters began to randomly assign fighting arenas, the spectators started moving around and changing their viewing positions.

Inside the Geese Building, Geese sat on his sofa watching the various fighters on the screen. When his eyes fell on Ryo Sakazaki, his gaze turned ferocious and greedy, revealing blood-red pupils. He muttered to himself, "Karate Kyokugenryu will be mine."

……

As the match began, Ryo Sakazaki's first opponent was a Muay Thai expert from Thailand. From the start, Sakazaki launched a rapid offensive, his punches lightning fast and incredibly powerful. His opponent attempted close-quarters combat, but Sakazaki skillfully evaded the attacks and knocked him to the ground with a powerful uppercut. Then, giving his opponent no chance to breathe, Sakazaki launched a continuous attack, using the "Tiger Flame Fist" and "Flying Swallow Gale Kick" in quick succession to win the first preliminary round.

Soon after, Ryo Sakazaki was assigned to another arena. He encountered a fighter skilled in combat boxing. The two engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle, and Ryo Sakazaki, using his superb martial arts skills and keen insight, gradually found his opponent's weaknesses, winning the second match with his "Kyokugen Ryuen Buken" (Genki Ryuen Buken).

In the final preliminary round, Ryo Sakazaki faced a mysterious master wearing a monkey king mask. This man, named Li Bailong, wore a black and white Chinese-style robe, and his graying hair suggested an elderly man. His moves were unique and swift, making them difficult to defend against. After a fierce battle, Sakazaki ultimately defeated his opponent with a single move, the "Haoh Shohoken," securing his place in the quarterfinals.

……

As dusk settled, the preliminary rounds drew to a close. The host's microphone once again resounded throughout the square of Nanzhen.

"The top eight contestants have all been selected. Let's give a warm round of applause to these eight true champions!" With the host's announcement and a round of applause from the audience, eight fighters with distinct styles silently walked onto the central stage. The host then introduced each of the eight fighters by name and their respective martial arts schools.

First, the host walked up to a middle-aged man dressed in Japanese martial arts attire and said, "Let's look at our first one, Ryuhaku Todo, a successor of the Todo-ryu ancient martial arts school. His martial arts are..."

After introducing Ryuhaku Todo, the host walked up to a contestant wearing a purple mask and said, "The second one is Eiji Kisaragi, who uses the Kisaragi-ryu ninjutsu..."

"The third one is our South Town's hip-hop dance master, Dak King. He also has another name we know well—the Duck King..."

After the host finished introducing the previous fighters, it was finally Ryo Sakazaki's turn. The host looked at Ryo Sakazaki with admiration and praise in his eyes and said excitedly, "Eighth place, Ryo Sakazaki, the head of the Karate Kyokugenryu school, a man who started running a dojo at the age of ten, the invincible dragon!"

As the host gave an enthusiastic introduction, everyone in Nanzhen had heard of Ryo Sakazaki's name in the past few days. They then gave him a warm round of applause and cheers, especially the disciples of Kyokugenryu, who cheered and shouted the name of the young curator.

Meanwhile, Ryo Sakazaki stood calmly to the side, thinking about the plan he had discussed with everyone the day before. His eyes grew increasingly fierce.

"Giss, how dare you lay a hand on Father and Lily! I will never forgive you!"

Rewinding to a few days prior, the group was discussing their plan at the Kyokugenryu Dojo. Their first priority was to get Ryo Sakazaki to participate in a tournament, regardless of his success or failure, simply to attract Geese's attention.

Based on the information gathered by Mai Shiranui and Andy, Yan Yue deduced that Geese was likely wary of Takuma Sakazaki of the Kyokugenryu school, which is why he orchestrated Takuma's disappearance. Now that Ryo Sakazaki and Robert have become powerful, they kidnapped Yuri Sakazaki while Robert was home, hoping to gain control of the Kyokugenryu dojo in the future. Angelina, Geese's adopted daughter, revealed that she had heard about a 14-year-old girl being held captive in the Geese building. Therefore, the group decided that their primary objective was to rescue Yuri.

Yan Yue naturally knew that Geese was extremely powerful, on par with Rugal and Krauser. Currently, only three people could rival Geese: Ryo Sakazaki, the lurking Yan Yue, and Terry, whose bleeding had stopped. The others were either too weak or severely injured.

At this moment, only by letting Ryo Sakazaki win the championship can they attract enough attention to get close to Geese. Meanwhile, the others must find an opportunity to sneak into the building and rescue Yuri.

At the same moment, Yan Yue, dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses, looked exactly like a gangster's underling in the Geese Building. He and Mai Shiranui, dressed as a young punk, were diligently patrolling. Leading the way was their boss—King.

Just a few days ago, King surprisingly came to the Kyokugenryu Dojo. She stated that she had joined the gang due to her brother's illness, but now she was willing to help rescue Yuri and was no longer willing to work for Big and Geese. As Big's henchman, King had the right to enter the Geese building. En Yue knew King's character well and had no doubts about her integrity. Therefore, King also joined the plan.

"Looks like I'm building teams for you guys. Dragon Tiger Team, Hungry Wolf Team, Female Fighters Team, you name it," Yan Yue thought to herself.

Immediately afterwards, Yan Yue activated her [Perception Domain], probing the surroundings in an attempt to locate Baihe...

At the King of Fighters tournament, all eight fighters had been introduced. Looking at the gradually darkening sky, the host announced loudly, "The eight fighters will compete tomorrow morning. Today's King of Fighters tournament is temporarily concluded. Let's look forward to tomorrow's fights!" His voice echoed throughout the arena, eliciting enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience.

As the host finished speaking, the staff began to disperse the crowd, guiding them to leave the arena in an orderly manner. People, filled with excitement and anticipation, discussed today's matches and their hopes for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the eight fighters also departed, each with their own feelings and plans.

Geese stood there, staring intently at the screen, watching Ryo Sakazaki's retreating figure, lost in thought. His eyes gleamed with greed and ambition, as if he were considering how to use this match to achieve his own goals.

"This Ryo Sakazaki is indeed a force to be reckoned with," Geese muttered to himself, a confident smile playing on his lips. "If only I could use his immense strength to my advantage."

Meanwhile, Ryo Sakazaki was walking along, secretly making plans in his mind.

"I must win tomorrow's match. Only then can we get closer to Geese, and only then can Yan Yue and the others find a chance to rescue Yuri..." Ryo Sakazaki muttered to himself, his eyes firm and resolute. He knew that to save his sister, he had to go all out and show his strongest abilities.

Night fell, and the first day of the King of Fighters tournament came to an end. However, for these eight fighters, tomorrow would be the real test. They would compete in the arena to vie for the throne of King of Fighters. Ryo Sakazaki, however, carried an even heavier responsibility.

Inside the Kyokugenryu Dojo, everyone rushed over when they saw Yan Yue and the others return, their eyes filled with eagerness.

Ryo Sakazaki asked anxiously first, "How is it? Did you find Yuri?"

Yan Yue shook her head helplessly, her expression revealing a hint of weariness and regret. Upon hearing this answer, Sakazaki Ryo's anxiety intensified, his mood plummeting as he grew increasingly worried about his sister's safety.

Yan Yue sensed that everyone's mood was somewhat low, but he knew this was unavoidable, so he could only remain calm and continued, "Because there are too many surveillance cameras and security guards inside the building, we have only explored the lower half of the building all day and have not yet detected Baihe's presence. Moreover, there are three experts, Billy, Thunder, and Hoxha, in the building. We must change our plans and find a way to deal with them first."

After Yan Yue finished speaking, King added, "My authority is limited, and I can't go to the higher-ups."

A brief silence fell over everyone as they pondered their next move. However, just as they were racking their brains, Ryo Sakazaki's phone suddenly rang. The ringtone sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet dojo, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

……

On the second day of the King of Fighters tournament, Yan Yue and his two companions arrived early at the Geese Building to prepare for their next move. The tournament proceeded as scheduled, and the eight fighters began their group battles.

"Senior Toudou, please enlighten me." Ryo Sakazaki looked at Ryuhaku Toudou in front of him and prepared his fighting stance.

Ryuhaku Toudou stared intently at the young man before him, a complex emotion welling up within him. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Back then, in my youthful arrogance, I sparred with your father, but ultimately suffered a defeat. Since then, I've buried myself in rigorous training, studying the Toudou-ryu ancient martial arts day and night, hoping one day to defeat your father and avenge my humiliation. It's just a pity that you suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, a regret that will forever remain in my heart..."

“My father’s former rival…” Ryo Sakazaki murmured, his eyes growing ever more resolute. Then he said firmly, “I absolutely cannot lose. I will prove to everyone that Karate Kyokugenryu is the strongest!”

"Very good!" Toudou Ryuhaku gazed at the spirited young man before him, a sense of admiration welling up in his heart. "If I can defeat the successor of the Kyokugenryu, it will be enough to prove that my Toudou-ryu is far stronger than your Kyokugenryu!"

After saying that, the two quickly adjusted their stance and assumed a fighting posture as if facing a formidable enemy.

Seeing that both sides were ready, the referee announced loudly: "Then, the first match officially begins, with Ryo Sakazaki facing Ryuhaku Todo."

With the referee's whistle, the two men sprang into action like cheetahs, engaging in a fierce duel at astonishing speed...

"It seems Ryo has already started." Terry, dressed as a truck driver, was sitting in the passenger seat of a truck not far from the plaza, watching the battle between Ryo and Sakazaki with binoculars.

"Don't worry, Liang won't lose. He's my lifelong rival." The voice came from the driver's seat of the truck. Sitting in the driver's seat was a dark-haired man about Terry's age. Like Terry, this man was disguised as a truck driver; he was handsome and had an elegant demeanor. He was Roberto Garcia, a nobleman from Italy.

Robert put down his coffee cup, turned to look at Terry, and a confident glint flashed in his eyes.

"Terry, who do you think will win this game?" Robert asked with a smile.

Terry's lips curled up slightly. "Robert, you and I both know very well that Liang never gives up easily in a battle."

Robert nodded slightly in agreement. He knew in his heart that Ryo Sakazaki was indeed very strong, otherwise everyone wouldn't have been so confident that he could win the championship.

"No matter what, we must be prepared to provide support at any time. After all, this operation concerns Yuri Sakazaki's safety," Terry said seriously.

Robert took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with determination and ferocity. "Don't worry, Terry. Now that I've returned in time, I'm ready for battle. I won't let Geese get away with attacking Master and Lily."

After speaking, Robert turned his gaze back to the distant square, silently cheering on Ryo Sakazaki. Terry, meanwhile, thought about the plan devised by Yan Yue, his eyes growing increasingly determined.