KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

"Well then, thank you for your consideration. I must be leaving now." Kasumi Todo smiled and waved to everyone, then turned to leave with a determined yet expectant look in her eyes.

At this moment, Kasumi Todo had only one thought in her mind—to go to her father's Todo-ryu dojo and continue searching for her father's traces there.

Since her father suddenly disappeared, she had been frantic with worry, searching everywhere for news, but to no avail. Now, she could only place her last hope on that familiar temple, hoping to find some clues about her father's whereabouts there.

However, just as Kasumi Toudou took a few steps, Engetsu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and quickly called out, "Wait a minute, Kasumi!"

Hearing the call, Kasumi Todo stopped and turned around in confusion, asking, "What's wrong?"

Yan Yue quickly walked up to her and said with concern, "Think about it, aren't you short of money? You're having some trouble taking care of yourself, aren't you?"

These words struck Toudou Kasumi's mind like a bolt of lightning. Yes, how could she have forgotten something so important? When she first arrived in South Town, her wallet was stolen due to carelessness.

"Is that so..."

Without money, even maintaining a basic standard of living became a problem. Thinking of this, Kasumi Todo felt a wave of frustration and helplessness wash over her, her face contorted with despair.

"I have an idea!" Yuri Sakazaki suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Mai's not here, and the bar is short-staffed!"

Yan Yue also realized that King's bar was indeed missing Mai Shiranui, so it was a good idea to settle Kasumi Todo there, since they were both female fighters.

“Yes! Kasumi, you could work at the Phantom Bar for a while first…” Engetsu said to Toudou Kasumi with a serious expression.

However, upon hearing the word "bar," Kasumi Todo, who has a more traditional mindset, immediately looked troubled. She gently shook her head, her tone slightly shy and embarrassed: "No, I really don't feel comfortable in that kind of place, and I don't think I'm good at handling that kind of thing."

Seeing this, Yan Yue couldn't help but smile wryly. He waved his hand and explained, "Kasumi, don't get the wrong idea."

Just then, Yuri quickly chimed in, "That's right, Kasumi. This job is very proper, you know. I often go over to help out too!"

Locke, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly interjected, "That's right, a violent woman..." As soon as he finished speaking, he realized something was wrong. He saw Kasumi Todo's beautiful eyes widen and glare at him fiercely.

"Uh... no, Kasumi-nee, I'm so sorry!" Locke was so frightened that he backed away and hurriedly changed his words, "I mean, my sister works there too."

Then, as if eager to salvage the situation, Locke added, "I'll take you to see them later. Sister King is also a very strong female fighter, and everyone there is super nice and speaks very kindly..."

……

South Town, top floor of the Gis Building.

Due to the life-or-death struggle between the group and Geese, the powerful impact and destructive force have left the once intact top floor in ruins and dilapidated. Everywhere is littered with rubble, broken stones, and wood chips.

However, amidst these ruins, Yan Yue would often appear quietly, using the [Ladder Cloud Leap] technique to nimbly leap to the top floor, then find a relatively flat and clean spot, sit cross-legged on the ground, close her eyes, and begin to calmly cultivate her inner energy cultivation method.

As the golden flames within Yan Yue's body grew stronger deep within her consciousness, this flame burned fiercely, becoming increasingly intense and dazzling, like a brilliant golden sun, radiating boundless power and light.

At the same time, the Nen energy around Yan Yue occasionally flashed with a golden light, as dazzling and colorful as a shooting star streaking across the night sky, giving people a beautiful and powerful visual impact.

After a long while, Yan Yue relaxed, opened her eyes, withdrew her spiritual energy, and pondered her next plan.

"Rugal's [Genocide Cut] and [Caesar Emperor Wave] are too terrifying; we must find a way to deal with those attacks..."

Yan Yue recalled the scene when Rugal saw his golden flames.

Why do you possess the majesty of an emperor?

What did Lugal mean by what he said at the time? And what was the meaning behind his shocked expression?

A thought flashed through Yan Yue's mind: Could it be that he is somewhat afraid of this power?

To conceal her strength, Yan Yue has been keeping a low profile. Very few people know that Yan Yue possesses golden flames. It's safe to say that none of the people in Nanzhen have ever witnessed this power.

Yan Yue himself didn't know what this power was. He had used it unconsciously before, only when he was about to die did he use it to deal with Geese and Rugal. Now he could only gather a little bit to open his eyes.

"This golden flame represents 'imperial majesty'? But Rugal seems to be more afraid of the power of the Three Sacred Treasures..."

With that thought in mind, Yan Yue stared intently ahead, pondering to herself, "Let's see if I can use it!"

So Yan Yue took a deep breath and slowly and steadily readjusted her posture.

Yan Yue closed her eyes slightly, focused all her attention, and slowly sank into the vast and boundless world of consciousness deep within her heart.

As his thoughts deepened, everything around him gradually became blurry, except for the tranquil, shimmering blue ocean that was clearly visible before his eyes.

Yan Yue stood quietly on this vast ocean. With the call of Yan Yue's spiritual power, ripples suddenly appeared on the originally calm, mirror-like sea surface.

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling light rose from the distant sea, like a newly risen sun, radiating intense and brilliant light. This golden flame drifted towards Yan Yue's location at an astonishing speed.

Gazing at the golden flames so close at hand, Yan Yue's heart involuntarily quickened. He cautiously reached out his right hand, attempting to touch them.

However, just as their fingertips were about to touch the flame, a strong force of resistance suddenly came, as if an invisible wall was blocking their way.

"what?"

Yan Yue was somewhat shocked. He gritted his teeth and did his utmost to mobilize all the spiritual power within his body, continuously gathering it in his palm. Instantly, Yan Yue's entire body emitted a faint light, which shone brightly alongside the golden flames.

But no matter how hard Yan Yue tried, the flame remained unshaken. Despite expending a great deal of mental energy, she could only condense a handful of flames.

In the end, after struggling for a long time, Yan Yue's mental energy was severely depleted, and the last bit of mental energy she had used to open her eyes was also exhausted, causing Yan Yue to go blind again.

Yan Yue collapsed to the ground in despair, drenched in cold sweat. She sighed, "It seems I've failed... I guess I should just stick to practicing my Qi and Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist..."

……

Yan Yue lay quietly on the top floor of the building, waiting until nightfall to gather her spiritual energy again before getting up and jumping down the stairs.

On the rooftop of a tall building not far away, a mysterious woman knelt on one knee, holding binoculars and intently watching Yan Yue jump off the building.

She had wavy, golden hair that shimmered with a cool luster under the moonlight.

Her fair, snow-white skin was as smooth and flawless as mutton-fat jade. Her slender, willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed, beneath which were a pair of deep and captivating dark brown eyes, like a tranquil lake, exuding mystery and aloofness.

She wore a black and yellow two-tone tight leather outfit, her figure graceful, tall and slender. Her waist was so thin it could be encircled by a single hand, yet it contained a powerful explosive force. Her long, straight legs were encased in black tight leather pants, further emphasizing the beautiful and smooth lines of her legs.

Her leather jacket tightly hugged her ample bosom, and the zipper at the neckline was undone, perfectly showcasing her enviable curves.

She was now intently watching Yan Yue's every move.

As Yan Yue walked back to the Giss Building and ran downstairs, disappearing from her sight, the woman also put away her binoculars. She then reported expressionlessly through her communicator: "Yan Yue has left. Everything is normal at the Giss Building..."