KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

After his fight with Kyo Kusanagi, Takuma Sakazaki voluntarily withdrew from the ring. He knew perfectly well that his true purpose in coming here wasn't to participate in this fighting tournament, but to find Shizuru Kusanagi. After all, for the two of them, their best friend and their father's life were the most important things; this match was merely a formality.

Of course, Kyo Kusanagi's strength is indeed not to be underestimated. If the fight continued, Takuma Sakazaki would also find it very troublesome. Moreover, Kyo Kusanagi knew that both of them needed to conserve their energy and did not want to continue fighting. Therefore, it seems that both sides tacitly chose to end the match.

As Takuma Sakazaki slowly walked off the ring, the atmosphere in the arena became electric. The host excitedly raised the microphone and loudly announced, "Let's congratulate Team Japan on their victory!" Instantly, the audience cheered and applauded, as if the entire arena had been set ablaze.

The Dragon Tigers and the Japanese team quickly returned to their locker room. Only Ryo Sakazaki and Goro Daimon sustained more serious injuries and were taken to the medical room by staff.

Soon after, the second preliminary round of the competition began.

Superpowered Warriors Team VS. Fatal Fury Team.

Athena and Joe Higashi begin their first clash.

……

Inside the Ikari Warriors' rest room, Engetsu suddenly paused.

Clark looked at Yan Yue and felt worried, so he quickly asked, "Yan Yue, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or did something happen?"

Upon hearing Clark's words, Ralph, who was standing nearby, also snapped out of his reverie and turned his gaze toward Yan Yue, his eyes filled with doubt and concern.

Yan Yue didn't answer their questions immediately, but continued to concentrate, using his senses. Time passed second by second, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on Yan Yue's forehead, sliding down his cheeks and soaking his clothes.

Finally, Yan Yue slowly withdrew his spiritual energy and perception, his face turning extremely pale, and his expression becoming unusually serious. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Something has been installed underneath the entire ship."

"What is it?" Clark and Ralph asked in unison.

“They’re probably bombs,” Yan Yue said in a low voice. “And there are so many of them that it’s almost impossible to defused them all.”

Upon hearing this, Clark and Ralph's eyes widened, and their faces showed shock.

Ralph's face was incredibly grim, and he said in a heavy tone, "These guys actually plan to kill everyone on the ship? They're so ruthless!"

Clark frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, denying it: "No, I think it's more like a backup plan, prepared just in case. After all, if they really wanted to kill everyone, they would have done it already, they wouldn't have waited until now without making a move."

Yan Yue sighed softly and said worriedly, "But now the ship has reached international waters, and we have lost contact with the general, so we can't report the situation here to him."

Ralph's eyes turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "By the way, have you found Kusanagi Shizuru?"

Yan Yue shook her head helplessly and replied, "Not yet. This ship is too big, and it's certain that Kusanagi Shizuru isn't in this area."

Ralph then ordered, "Let's not alert them yet. We'll act according to the situation. The officers will be here soon."

……

On the competition field, Athena is using her superpowers to restrain Joe Higashi.

Joe nimbly dodged Athena's [Psychic Ball] by sidestepping, then quickly closed in and delivered a powerful knee strike.

【Tiger Broken Foot】!

Athena leaped backward, simultaneously firing a laser beam. Joe blocked the laser with his arm, then rushed forward, attempting to grab Athena.

Athena nimbly dodged Joe's attack, then used [Mental Teleportation] in mid-air to teleport behind him, delivering a powerful kick to his back. Joe, in pain, temporarily halted his attack.

"Hmph, is that all you've got?" Dongzhang mocked.

“Don’t underestimate me, Joe!” Athena replied. “I will show you my true power!”

Having said that, Athena leaped into the air again, concentrating her mental energy, and a layer of red light emanated from her body. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and began to gather her power.

Joe sensed a powerful energy fluctuation and became alert. Suddenly, Athena shouted, transforming into a red energy shockwave that hurtled towards Joe.

Ultimate Weapon: Phoenix Arrow

Higashi Joe tried his best to resist, but was still knocked back a few steps by the impact.

Soon, Athena landed and used [Mental Teleportation] again to teleport and attack Joe Higashi.

Higashi Joe also predicted in advance where Athena would move.

Joe took a deep breath, gathering his power into his fist, and then punched forward with all his might. A powerful whirlwind instantly formed, like a giant dragon soaring into the sky, roaring as it swept towards Athena.

Super Special Move: Death Tornado!

Athena's eyes widened as she desperately tried to dodge, but the wind was too strong, and she couldn't escape. In the blink of an eye, she was swept into the tornado.

A piercing roar echoed from the eye of the storm, as if it were tearing the entire space apart. Athena struggled desperately within it, but the wind grew stronger and stronger, and she gradually lost control of her body.

Just then, Joe shouted and intensified his palm strike. The tornado suddenly accelerated, carrying Athena high into the sky. High in the sky, Athena's figure disappeared.

"Wow!" The audience gasped in surprise as they watched Athena being blown high into the air. Some even stood up, their faces filled with tension and unease. They worried that Athena would be seriously injured, but at the same time, they were curious about whether she could handle the situation.

However, just as Joe was getting carried away with his triumph, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him—it was Athena. She teleported back to Joe, seemingly unaffected by the previous attack.

Joe opened his mouth in surprise and muttered to himself, "Didn't that hit?" He originally thought that his ultimate move had hit the target, but he did not expect Athena to be so tenacious.

"Joe, take this!" A resolute glint flashed in Athena's eyes. She clasped her hands together and then thrust them forward with a mighty jerk. A powerful surge of energy erupted from her hands, forming a massive energy ball that hurtled towards Joe.

Dong Zhang quickly dodged to the side, only to find that the energy ball suddenly split into countless smaller energy balls, which flew in all directions.

Athena smiled slightly, knowing her attack had worked. She continued her assault, unleashing energy spheres and forcing Joe into a corner.

Higashi Joe inwardly groaned, desperately trying to fend off Athena's attacks and find an opportunity to counterattack.

Athena's attacks grew increasingly fierce; her movements were ghostly and unpredictable. Joe, on the other hand, appeared somewhat disheveled, with multiple wounds on his body, his clothes stained with blood.

Athena's physical strength is not high, but she possesses powerful mental strength, which allows her to control her body's movements and achieve abilities such as teleportation.

In battle, she can use her mental powers to predict her opponent's movements and react accordingly. Furthermore, she can use her mental powers to interfere with her opponent's thinking, throwing them into confusion.

Joe Higashi was very strong, but his reaction speed couldn't match Athena's. Under Athena's continuous attacks, he gradually lost the initiative. At this moment, Athena used multiple [Mental Teleportation] techniques, constantly moving across the battlefield, making it impossible for Joe Higashi to catch her.

Dong Zhang's face turned extremely ugly. He never expected that he would be so suppressed by a little girl.

Suddenly, Athena teleported behind Joe. Her right hand flashed with a dazzling red light, like a burning flame. This light gradually condensed into a lightsaber, gleaming with a chilling light. Immediately afterward, Athena launched an uppercut with lightning speed, the movement swift and sharp.

Ultimate move: [Lightsaber Slash]!

Faced with this sudden attack, Joe had no time to react. He could only hastily defend himself with his hands, trying to block the blow. However, Athena's spiritual power was simply too strong; even with Joe's best efforts, he couldn't completely stop this powerful force. His body was involuntarily blasted into the air.

Just then, Athena suddenly erupted with blue energy. Two blue orbs of spiritual power appeared in her hands and flew towards Joe like lightning. These orbs contained immense energy, seemingly capable of piercing through any obstacle.

Super Special Move: [Flash Crystal Wave]!

"Bang!" With a crisp sound, Joe Higashi was struck by the two psychic energy balls. Although Joe Higashi managed to defend against the attack and the damage was greatly reduced, he was still knocked out of the arena by the impact.

As Joe flew out, the host announced Athena's victory.

In the second match, Kensou Shii faced off against Andy Bogard.

While Kensou doesn't possess Athena's high-speed teleportation ability, his combination of physical skills and mental strength makes him a formidable fighter with exceptional agility. Kensou's fight against a nimble ninja like Andy is evenly matched.

As the match began, Kensou immediately launched an attack. He moved nimbly, constantly closing in on Andy, while unleashing various techniques in an attempt to break through Andy's defenses.

【Dragon Fang】!

Andy countered with ninjutsu, his movements elusive and unpredictable, making him difficult for Kensou to catch. Andy vanished from Kensou's sight in an instant.

【Shiranui Phantom】

Andy then appeared behind him and launched a surprise attack.

【Shadow Slash Fist】!

Kensou quickly turned and leaped up, unleashing a powerful kick.

Dragon Claw Strike!

After easily dodging the attack, Andy seized the opportunity to counterattack, unleashing a series of continuous fighting moves and launching a barrage of attacks on Kensou.

【Rising Dragon Bullet】!

Fists clashed, neither giving an inch, and the match quickly reached a fever pitch. Suddenly, Kensou seized an opening in Andy's defenses, closing in and unleashing a powerful palm strike to Andy's abdomen. Andy staggered back in pain, and Kensou pressed his advantage, launching a series of attacks.

However, Andy did not back down. He endured the pain, formed hand seals, and unleashed a Fire Release ninjutsu.

Ultimate move: [Shiranui Style Clone]!

Andy used his clone technique, and several figures, wreathed in flames, attacked Kensou, severely injuring him.