KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

When Kikuri Tani slowly opened her hazy eyes, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar hospital bed. The environment around the bed was quiet yet slightly oppressive, with the white sheets contrasting against the walls, as if casting a faint shadow of sorrow over the entire space.

Her sister, with her head slightly lowered, was lying beside her bed, her hair hanging down like silk along the edge of the bed, her breathing even and long, and she had unknowingly fallen asleep.

Kikusato Tanima tried to sit up with her bare hands. This movement seemed to break the silence, and Konoe Tanima, who was fast asleep, seemed to be startled. Her bright eyes opened quickly, and a look of concern and panic flashed in them.

Konoe Taniguchi stood up with lightning speed, carefully helped Kikuto Taniguchi up, and said softly, "Kikuto! Are you feeling better? You're alright now, don't move around anymore."

Kikumi Tani gently shook her head. "I'm fine now, sister. Don't worry about me." Her voice was weak, but it contained a hint of resilience.

Just then, Kikuri Tanima suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Sister, where are my clothes?"

"It's here with me, what's wrong?" As he spoke, the guard took out the coat he was holding.

"There should be lyrics in his pocket."

Following his sister's instructions, Konoe reached into his pocket and took out several folded sheets of paper.

"This is..." Konoe Tani looked at the manuscript in his hand, his feelings somewhat complicated.

Kikuri Tani said softly, "These are the lyrics I wrote for Mr. Ian's new song."

Upon hearing this, Konoe Tani felt a surge of sadness and murmured to herself, "Sunset and Moon, right?"

Kikuri Tanima continued, "Yes, this song was composed by Mr. Iori, and I wrote the lyrics. I hope that my sister and Mr. Iori can sing it together..."

Konoe Tanima naturally understood what her sister meant, but when she recalled what Iori Yagami had said to her that afternoon, she suddenly hesitated and didn't know how to answer.

“Um…” Taniguchi Konoe hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Kikuri Taniyama seemed to sense her sister's predicament. She sighed softly and said gently, "Sister, we may never see Mr. Iori again, right? So, this is the only thing I can do..."

As Konoe Tani listened to her sister's words, tears welled up in her eyes. She knew her sister had always been a strong person, but at this moment, she saw the vulnerability deep within her sister's heart.

"Sister, I just want to express my feelings..." Kiku's voice was soft, but it carried an unspeakable firmness.

Konoe hugged Kikuri tightly, tears streaming down her face. She gently patted her sister's back, trying to comfort her.

"Okay, I understand..." Konoe Tani's originally resolute voice was now tinged with a barely perceptible sob.

"I'm sorry... Sister, I said something selfish..." Kikusa buried her tear-streaked face in Konoe's arms, her soft hair gently brushing against Konoe's eyes, making it impossible to see what kind of expression was on her face.

Konoe Tanima quietly held her younger sister. After a moment, she gently patted her sister's back. "Yagami is such a terrible person..."

“Sister, Mr. Iori is actually a gentle person…” Kikusato Tanima lifted her head from Konoe’s arms, her eyes sparkling with hope, as if she wanted to defend Iori Yagami.

“Alright, I’ll go talk to him.” Konoe Tanima decisively interrupted her sister, taking a deep breath with a firm resolve in her eyes.

"Sister?" Kikusato Tanima looked at Konoe's departing figure with a puzzled expression, not understanding what was going on.

Konoe then slowly walked out of the room. As she stepped out, she glanced back at her younger sister inside, a hint of worry and reluctance in her eyes. Finally, she said, "But you have to tell her yourself if you like Iori Yagami. I hope you can bravely pursue your own happiness."

As her sister walked away, Kikumi Tani murmured to herself, "Sister, this is what I wanted to tell you too..."

……

Port City Live House.

Yan Yue stepped into this peaceful and harmonious city, wandering through the streets and crowds, constantly asking people around her about local music performance venues and information about Iori Yagami.

As time went on, Yan Yue's inquiries unexpectedly became much smoother.

Perhaps it was Iori Yagami's uniquely handsome appearance, or perhaps it was his unparalleled musical talent that made him so memorable to the locals; almost everyone knew this red-haired band bassist.

When Yan Yue casually asked, she quickly found the live house venue where Iori Yagami often performed.

At this moment, Yan Yue stood in front of the slightly old but vibrant live house venue, feeling both excited and nervous. He gently pushed open the door, and a wave of enthusiastic music rushed out, as if to envelop him completely.

He looked around and saw the instruments gleaming on the stage and the lively audience below.

Just then, he finally found the owner of the venue. However, the owner's face showed no joy, but rather a deep sense of loss. He was sitting at the counter, drinking alone and brooding.

Yan Yue's heart clenched, and an ominous premonition instantly surged into his mind. He hurried towards the shop owner, taking three steps at a time, and asked with concern, "Boss, do you know Iori Yagami? I'm a fan of his."

The boss looked up at the sound and his gaze fell on the stylish and handsome young man in front of him wearing a hat. He felt that Yan Yue did indeed look like a fan of a rock band.

A complex and unreadable expression flashed across the depths of the boss's eyes before he slowly spoke, "Sigh, I just feel a little empty inside. I'm afraid I'll never be able to enjoy a performance by Taniguchi Konoe and Yagami Iori again..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yue was taken aback, her face filled with surprise and confusion. She quickly asked, "Huh? Why has Iori Yagami suddenly stopped performing?"

However, at that moment, a hint of barely concealed anger flashed in the boss's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deep disappointment.

He shook his head helplessly and said in a low voice, "Young man, don't ask any more questions. Some powerful and influential people are involved here, and it seems like they're specifically targeting Iori Yagami..."

"The Tani sisters, who collaborated with Iori Yagami, were also implicated. It's truly a pity for those two sisters..." After saying this, the boss, out of good intentions, gently nudged Engetsu, signaling him not to pry any further and risk causing himself unnecessary trouble.

Yan Yue tactfully moved to a relatively quiet corner, stood there quietly with her eyes slightly closed and her brows furrowed, lost in deep thought.

At this moment, Yan Yue's heart was filled with curiosity and doubt. He thought to himself, "Huh? Someone can actually threaten my number two, Iori Yagami? Just how powerful could this person be? Isn't this person afraid that Iori Yagami's purple flames will scatter the ashes of his entire family?"

Then, Yan Yue's thoughts drifted back to the Valley Sisters she had just mentioned.

"What exactly is the story behind these Valley Sisters? What is their connection with Iori Yagami? I've never heard of them before."

Yan Yue became increasingly confused as she thought about it, and the questions in her mind snowballed.

As Yan Yue pondered the matter more deeply, she found herself becoming increasingly interested in it, her intense curiosity burning like a raging fire.

At this moment, Yan Yue finally began to understand why Athena was always so keen on finding out all sorts of gossip. It turned out that this desire to explore the unknown and unravel mysteries was so hard to suppress.