KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Osaka Castle High School, Japan.

At this time, Kyo Kusanagi was still in school, but he did not focus on his studies. Instead, he was fast asleep on his desk, with drool even hanging from the corner of his mouth.

The teacher on the podium had reached her breaking point. She slammed her hand on the table in anger and shouted, "Kyo Kusanagi!"

The loud noise silenced the entire classroom, and all the students turned to look at Kyo Kusanagi.

Kyo Kusanagi was startled awake by the roar. He slowly stood up, rubbed his eyes, and looked at his teacher with a blank expression.

The teacher glared at Kyo Kusanagi and continued, "You're sleeping again! Do you even know how to do this problem? Stand up and answer it!"

Kyo Kusanagi blinked, then yawned and said, "Ah... I can't..."

The whole class burst into laughter, and the teacher's face became even uglier.

The teacher pointed to the math problem on the blackboard and said, "You can't even do such a simple problem? Were you even listening in class?!"

Kyo Kusanagi scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "Um... I don't really know."

"If you don't understand, why aren't you paying attention in class!" The teacher was trembling with anger. "Look at your grades! You're always at the bottom! How are you going to get into university if you keep going like this!"

Kyo Kusanagi said nonchalantly, "Why bother going to university? I don't want to be an office worker."

"If you don't want to be an office worker, then what do you want to do?" the teacher glared at him.

"I want to become a professional fighter, like my dad, and I've already beaten him," Kyo Kusanagi said, starting to show his pride.

"A fighter? Do you think being a fighter is so easy?" the teacher said with a wry smile. "We all know you won the national fighting competition last time, but without culture and knowledge, you can't become an excellent fighter."

Kyo Kusanagi was silent for a moment, then said, "But... studying is really boring."

"You have to study even if you're bored!" the teacher said sternly. "If you don't work hard now, you'll regret it in the future."

Kyo Kusanagi sighed, knowing he couldn't win an argument with his teacher. "Okay, okay."

Kyo Kusanagi sat down again, took out his textbook, and began to pretend to listen attentively. But he was still somewhat resentful, thinking, "Just bear with it a little longer, two more years will pass."

At noon, Kyo Kusanagi, dressed in a blue school uniform, was resting alone under a tree on the lawn, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

"After the last Japanese fighting tournament, Benimaru and Daimon were both busy with their own training, while I was still at school..." Thinking of this, Kyo Kusanagi sighed helplessly.

Just then, two outstanding girls slowly walked towards Kyo Kusanagi, attracting the attention of the surrounding students.

Both girls were wearing the white and blue sailor uniforms issued by the school, looking youthful and energetic. One of them had neat, short black hair, and her pretty face wore a gentle smile that was like a breath of fresh air.

The other woman had flowing purple hair, and her bright, lively eyes sparkled with vitality. Under the aura of her unparalleled beauty, everyone who passed by paled in comparison. At this time, Athena had already successfully debuted in the music industry and was quite famous in Japan and South Korea, but she was still a student and attending school.

"Kusanagi-kun~" a soft voice called out.

"Jing!" Another shout followed.

Upon hearing the voice, Kyo Kusanagi slightly raised his head, looked at them, and unconsciously smiled: "What brings you here?"

Yuki Kusanagi gracefully walked to Kyo Kusanagi's side, gently handing him a bottle of drink, her face filled with concern as she said, "I saw you sitting here alone, so I thought I'd come over and keep you company for a chat."

Athena Asamiya smiled and replied, "Yes, I was just about to ask you some questions about cultivation."

Kyo Kusanagi casually opened a bottle of beverage, took a big gulp, and said, "Thank you, Yuki." He then turned to Athena and answered her earlier question, "Actually, I don't have any unique methods. I just improve my strength through continuous training and constantly challenging myself."

Kishinada Yuki nodded gently, indicating that she understood, but at the same time, a trace of worry appeared on her face as she said, "Kyo, I heard from your classmates that you were scolded by the teacher again. Just now, we even heard the teachers complaining about you to the principal."

Kyo Kusanagi nodded helplessly, admitting that he knew the news would eventually reach their ears. However, he was unwilling to discuss the topic further.

Athena couldn't help but laugh out loud, teasing, "Seriously, Kyo! Your exam results are simply astonishing, not at all what you'd expect from a descendant of the Kusanagi family."

Yukiya Kushinada gently advised, "Yes, as fellow fighters, Kyo could learn more from Athena and improve his skills."

"Okay, I understand, Xiaoxue."

Kyo Kusanagi's face turned very ugly. He frowned and rubbed his temples.

The observant Yuki Kusanagi noticed Kyo's troubles and tried to change the subject.

However, Athena seemed oblivious to his intentions and continued, "Oh, and I heard from Master that Yan Yue has already graduated successfully!"

"What?" Kyo Kusanagi looked extremely surprised. "Isn't he only 16 years old? How did he graduate so quickly?"

“Yan Yue is obviously not an ordinary person. She’s very smart, which is why she was able to graduate early.” Athena’s tone was tinged with envy. “Unlike us, who still have to stay in school.”

She winked mischievously, then teased, "And if you keep causing trouble at school, Xiaoxue will be worried again."

Upon hearing this, Yuki Kushinada was startled, but quickly understood Athena's meaning, and her face instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head shyly, muttering an explanation, but Athena interrupted her.

"Oh dear, Xiaoxue, don't explain~" Athena said with a smile.

Yuki Kushinada sighed helplessly, thinking to herself that this gossipy Athena always liked to joke about her and Kyo Kusanagi.

Meanwhile, Kyo Kusanagi was scratching his head, pretending not to understand.

Yuki Kushinada tried to change the subject: "Athena, how's your new song coming along...?"

“I’ve been listening to songs from The Voice of Masks lately, maybe I can get some inspiration…” Athena didn’t say anything more, and the three of them started chatting.

……

Evening, inside Kusanagi Castle.

"Ah... Mom!"

When Kyo Kusanagi returned home, he was immediately met with his mother glaring at him as soon as he opened the door.

"Look at you! You don't study properly every day. The principal and teachers have already called me!" Kusanagi Shizuka scolded, hands on her hips. "You are the heir of the Kusanagi family and will bear the heavy responsibility of the Three Sacred Treasures in the future! The Kusanagi Sword has been passed down to you. How can you be so lazy?"

Kyo Kusanagi lowered his head, not daring to look his mother in the eye. Kyo was fearless, except for his mother's scolding. Although he had never seen his mother truly angry, her gentle and kind aura could sometimes be quite intimidating, making both Kyo and Shizuru Kusanagi tremble with fear.

"And what's going on between you and Kushinada Yuki?" Kusanagi Shizuka stared intently at Kusanagi Kyo, her tone serious as she pressed, "Don't think I don't know, you two are inseparable. Tell me! What exactly is your relationship?"

Kyo Kusanagi was a little flustered, but he still tried to remain calm and said, "Mom, Yuki and I are really just good friends." His eyes flickered, as if he wanted to hide something.

Kusanagi Shizuka smiled slightly, a hint of slyness in her eyes. "Friends? I think it's more than that. The neighbors all say you two were often together during the National Fighting Tournament."

She shook her head gently, as if she had already seen through everything. "You child, you're not frank at all. But Xiaoxue is a very nice girl, gentle, kind, and sensible."

Hearing his mother speak so highly of Kusanagi Kyo, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. However, he still managed to maintain his composure and said, "Mom, please stop talking." A hint of helplessness crossed his face. "Right now, I just want to focus on my training and improve my strength. We can talk about other things later."

Looking at her son's determined expression, Shizuka Kusanagi felt a flicker of relief in her eyes. She knew, of course, that her son was sleeping at school because he often stayed up late practicing the Kusanagi-ryu ancient martial arts, but the thought that Kusanagi Kyo would have to repeat a grade if things continued like this gave her another headache.

"Alright then." Kusanagi Shizuka sighed softly and said earnestly, "If you really want to become an excellent fighter, you have to put in more effort. Don't cause any trouble at school anymore. Your father is away recently, and I have to take care of a lot of things at home and outside, so I may not have much time to take care of you."

Kyo Kusanagi nodded vigorously, indicating that he understood. So, after the meal, he went to the clan's training ground and decided to devote all his energy to training.

"I've mastered the [Orochi Nagi] technique, so now I need to research my new moves..."

……

At the same time, Yan Yue had already found a hotel in Osaka and was walking alone on the streets of Osaka Castle at night.

At this moment, Yan Yue had changed into a casual and fashionable outfit, and had taken off her sunglasses. She was wearing a white baseball cap given to her by Terry, which simply covered her closed eyes, making her look no different from an ordinary person.

He walked slowly, taking in the atmosphere of the city.

Yan Yue made a few inquiries and discovered that Kusanagi Castle was nearby. However, it was already late at night, and considering he might disturb others' rest, he decided to visit Kusanagi Kyo's house the next day. After all, of the Three Sacred Treasures, Kusanagi Kyo was the only one he was familiar with. He felt it necessary to inform the Kusanagi clan as soon as possible about Kusanagi Shizuru's disappearance.

As Yan Yue strolled along, he quietly sensed the people around him. He tried to find any possible clues from their breath, voices, and movements.

He walked through the streets, listening to people's conversations and paying attention to every subtle movement.

Before she knew it, it was late at night. Stray cats from the street corners all came running to Yan Yue, but Yan Yue was already used to it. She had a strong affinity for animals.

Yan Yue smiled and squatted down, taking a box of cookies out of his pocket. He gently unwrapped the package, broke the cookies into small pieces, and tossed them to the animals.

The cats immediately gathered around, abandoning their predator status, and grabbed the biscuits with their tiny paws, eating them with relish. They purred contentedly and occasionally tried to rub against Yan Yue's hand, as if expressing their gratitude.

At this moment, Yan Yue forgot all her worries and stress, immersing herself in interacting with the animals.

After the last cookie was shared, Yan Yue stood up, waved goodbye to the animals, and prepared to leave. The cats followed him for a while, then stopped and watched his departing figure.

Yan Yue walked all night and felt a little hungry, so she went to a nearby late-night snack shop.

Just as he entered and was pondering what to order, a figure suddenly caught his attention. It was a tall man, about 1.8 meters tall, with hair covering half his face, and his eyes revealing a cold and untamed spirit. Yan Yue sensed a powerful aura emanating from him, as if the entire space became oppressive because of his presence.

The man sat alone in the corner, eating ramen with a blank expression. His movements were elegant and swift, but there was a faint aura of cold evil about him.

Yan Yue remained calm, slowly walked into the shop, and ordered a bowl of ramen in a natural tone. She sat down not far from the man.

Yan Yue quietly observed him, noticing a hint of loneliness and sorrow in the man's brows.

"Who is he? One of the Eight Heroes? Why does he exude such a strong killing intent?"