KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

At this moment, Mai Zhuo nestled gently in Yan Yue's warm embrace. Her beautiful and captivating eyes were fixed on the KOF invitation in Yan Yue's hand, a complex mix of emotions in them.

After a while, Mai Zhuo seemed to have made up her mind and began to playfully tease Yan Yue. Her slender fingers gently traced across Yan Yue's chest, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, carrying a charming smile.

However, after this teasing, Mai Zhuo slowly raised her head, gazed into Yan Yue's eyes, and said softly, "Little Yan Yue, you must do your best in this competition~ I have to leave this place tomorrow."

Upon hearing Mai Zhuo's words, Yan Yue was taken aback at first, then replied softly, "Really? It seems I also need to hurry up and find suitable teammates..."

At this moment, Mai Zhuo's voice rang out again, but this time, her tone clearly revealed a hint of reluctance and sadness: "Then today, can you spend more time with your sister?" After saying that, she blinked and looked at Yan Yue expectantly.

Sensing the change in Mai Zhuo's emotions, Yan Yue, who had been somewhat hesitant, finally nodded and replied, "Okay..."

Unexpectedly, as soon as Yan Yue finished speaking, Mai Zhuo looked at Yan Yue with some surprise: "Ah? Little Yan Yue, you actually agreed!"

Immediately afterwards, Mai Zhuo slowly raised her slender jade hand and gently embraced Yan Yue's neck. She parted her red lips and placed a kiss on Yan Yue's cheek.

"Hey! What are you doing again? Don't do these weird things anymore!"

The moment Mai Zhuo kissed Yan Yue, a tingling, electric-like sensation quickly spread throughout his body, causing his heart to beat faster involuntarily.

Yan Yue blushed instantly. He was filled with remorse. He had fallen into Mai Zhuo's trap again, allowing this wicked woman to succeed and take advantage of him once more.

However, after spending so much time with Mai Zhuo, Yan Yue gradually realized that Mai Zhuo really took good care of her, and Yan Yue no longer felt the same fear and apprehension towards Mai Zhuo as she had at the beginning.

Despite her tendency to do unexpected things, Yan Yue could vaguely sense that beneath Mai Zhuo's charming and beautiful face lay a subtle sadness.

This subtle sadness is like a thin veil, shrouding the real Mature within, making it difficult for people to glimpse her true inner world.

After a while, Mai Zhuo teased Yan Yue again like a madman, but gradually, Mai Zhuo calmed down. Seemingly tired, she leaned against Yan Yue's chest and fell asleep on her own.

Yan Yue was momentarily lost in thought as she gazed at Mai Zhuo's suddenly gentle and serene face and sensed her calm breathing. But she quickly snapped back to reality, a headache returning; she still needed to figure out how to get this wicked woman back to her hotel.

……

The next day, morning.

Mai Zhuo bid farewell to Yan Yue and left Nan Town.

At this moment, Yan Yue sat down at the table in her home, her gaze falling on the pocket watch belonging to Lian Xin in her hand. Although the pocket watch was somewhat old, it was very exquisite, radiating a faint, mysterious light.

A moment later, Yan Yue slowly stood up, walked to Locke, handed him the pocket watch, and solemnly said, "Locke, please keep this pocket watch safe for me. I need to go out for a while."

Locke was somewhat surprised, but quickly reached out and took the pocket watch. He curiously opened the cover and examined it closely. The old photograph inside and the turning of the hands fascinated him.

"Whose pocket watch is this? It looks quite unique," Locke couldn't help but ask.

Yan Yue frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then replied, "This pocket watch is a very important item; it is related to the peace and tranquility of the entire South Town. So it must not be lost or given to anyone else."

Hearing this, Locke's heart tightened; he knew the weight of this responsibility. He quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, Brother Yan Yue, I will take good care of it! There will absolutely be no mistakes!"

Yan Yue smiled and patted Locke on the shoulder, showing his trust. Then he said, "Thank you, Locke. When I come back next time, I'll take you to Wudang Mountain to visit Shunying and the others!"

Locke was so excited upon hearing this that he almost jumped for joy.

"Wow! Really? That's great, brother! I've been wanting to go to Wudang Mountain to see Shunying and Mingtianjun for ages!"

His big eyes instantly transformed into two bright stars, sparkling with anticipation.

"I will never break my promise. If I lied, I wouldn't be your big brother!" Yan Yue couldn't help but laugh when she saw Locke's happy expression, and patted Locke's head.

"Remember to watch the house for me, okay?" With that, Yan Yue slung her backpack over her shoulder, turned, and left home, boarding a flight to China...

……

China, the Magic City.

Dusk.

In a dimly lit alley, a man in his early twenties is having a conflict with a gang.

Shenwu has been living alone in Shanghai for five years now. He has never joined any gang or had any subordinates. He can navigate the various forces in Shanghai all by himself. His strength has now reached the level of a top-tier fighter.

At this moment, Shenwu was tall and robust, nearly 1.9 meters tall. He had short, blond hair styled backwards. Combined with his rugged and domineering features, he appeared both roguish and wild.

Shenwu wore a purplish-red short-sleeved shirt with snake patterns, and a bone tooth necklace around his neck. His bronze skin was covered with bulging muscles, with strong yet smooth lines that exuded boundless power.

He wore black leather gloves and had tattoos on his wrists. He wore loose, durable jeans and heavy military boots.

Several gangsters opposite him were charging at him with clubs and axes, but Shenwu snorted coldly, dodged the oncoming attack, and then threw a heavy punch, sending one of them flying and crashing heavily into the wall.

The others were terrified when they saw this, but they gritted their teeth and charged at Shenwu.

Shenwu smiled slightly, his eyes fierce. He neither dodged nor flinched, but went straight forward to meet him. Several crisp "crack" and "crack" sounds were heard, followed by the sound of metal hitting the ground.

In the blink of an eye, all the gang members crashed heavily to the ground. Some didn't even have time to grip their weapons before being sent flying by Shenwu's powerful force. The steel bars and axes also snapped into pieces and scattered around.

Shenwu swept through like a whirlwind, knocking down all those who dared to challenge him. He stood tall amidst the chaos, a chilling smirk playing on his lips.

Then, Shenwu turned around without hesitation and walked with firm and powerful steps toward the building not far away. The classical building was magnificent and solemn, like an unshakable fortress.

Because this building is the headquarters of the infamous Axe Gang! For a long time, the Axe Gang has shrouded the entire city in shadow with its ruthless methods and enormous power.

But today, Shenwu resolutely chose to challenge the largest gang in Shanghai.

Immediately afterwards, Shenwu walked to the door of a nearby house and shouted loudly into the house, "Yanyue, are you ready? Let's go!"

Just then, Yan Yue slowly pushed open the door and stepped out. To everyone's surprise, he had changed into a brand new outfit.

At this moment, Yan Yue was dressed in a set of Chinese clothing with a completely different style. At the same time, she tightly covered her eyes and face with a piece of black cloth, which made her appearance change drastically and she was not recognized at all.

Because Tang Fulu's previous disciples had connections with gangs, many tragedies occurred. Therefore, the Bajiquan sect has strict rules and regulations, explicitly prohibiting its disciples from participating in gang conflicts and fights in China.

However, time was of the essence, and Yan Yue had no other choice. At the same time, Yan Yue herself did not want to expose her identity, so she could only disguise herself to avoid being noticed.

Only in this way could he fight against the Axe Gang, which was entrenched in Shanghai, and Shenwu.

After all, this was a solemn vow they made five years ago.

……

Five years ago, on the night Yan Yue saved Shen Wu, under the moonlight.

That was when Yan Yue and Shen Wu first met, and they sat on the ground and talked.

"Shenwu, what kind of deep-seated hatred do you have with them? Why did these people try to kill you just now?" Yan Yue's tone revealed her concern for Shenwu's safety.

Shenwu bit his lip, his eyes flashing with fury, and slowly said, "It all stems from that Xing'an Society! They took everything from me... I was originally a helpless orphan, and I grew up in an orphanage, which was the only place I could call home."

However, in order to seize our orphanage, they murdered the director and the caregivers who looked after us. So, I did everything I could to destroy their territory and seek justice for my deceased loved ones.

But unexpectedly, the Axe Gang has joined forces with the Xing'an Society and is now hunting me down in their place.

After listening to Shenwu's explanation, Yanyue frowned even more deeply and said with concern, "So that's how it is. But given the current situation, isn't it too dangerous for you to stay in Shanghai?"

Shenwu, however, didn't seem to care. A confident smile appeared on his lips as he laughed loudly, "Hahaha, don't worry, Yan Yue. I'm not going to die yet!"

Yan Yue looked surprised and asked in confusion, "Huh? Do you have some special ability?"

Shenwu nodded mysteriously and said in a low voice, "That's right, I have a unique ability to use a special kind of energy. This energy can only unleash its power when facing life and death!"

"The energy on the verge of life and death? How is it different from my spiritual energy?"

"I can't say for sure, but when I become strong enough, I'll definitely let you see its power for yourself! By then, I won't need to use bricks as weapons anymore!"

Yan Yue took a deep breath and then solemnly said, "In that case, from today onwards, we are partners fighting side by side! We will participate in the King of Fighters tournament together from now on!"

Shenwu nodded vigorously and replied just as resolutely, "No problem! We'll meet again when we're strong enough."

"I'll help you defeat these gangs too!"

"Yes! I will definitely help in any way I can! I, Shenwu, will be waiting for you in Shanghai! Yan Yue!"

"Okay! It's a deal!"

After saying that, Shenwu tightly grasped Yanyue's hands to show his encouragement and trust.

"Come on, Shenwu, it's my treat..."

……

Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, we are back in the present.

The promise between the two is about to be fulfilled.

Yan Yue slowly walked out of the room. She went straight to Shen Wu and said softly:

"This operation is probably time-sensitive, the King of Fighters tournament is coming soon. For now, we can only clear out this Axe Gang building, and we'll deal with the rest next time."

Shenwu nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Yan Yue's opinion: "This King of Fighters tournament sounds quite interesting, but I didn't expect it would require a three-person team to participate."

Yan Yue sighed softly and explained, "The King of Fighters tournament is much more dangerous. Compared to it, the Axe Gang's power is nothing, and we're also lacking a capable teammate..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shenwu suddenly interrupted, "I do know someone named Ashu, and he's quite strong. It's just a pity that I don't know where he is right now."

Upon hearing the name Ash, Yan Yue was taken aback at first, then a complex expression appeared on her face.

Clearly, Yan Yue knew something about Ash, but then shook her head with a hint of disappointment and said, "Ash... let's forget about it, let's find someone else..."

After saying that, the two walked towards the Axe Gang's building.

As they walked, Yan Yue asked, "How many people are in the Axe Gang's headquarters? How many are experts?"

"There are probably around 400 people, and the four most skilled are the four guardians."

Yan Yue muttered to herself, "Two against 400... not bad..."

But Shenwu was unusually excited: "The advantage is on our side!"