KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

On the dimly lit dock, a dilapidated fishing boat rocked gently with the waves. Faint light shone through the mottled windows onto the wet deck, creating patterns of light and shadow.

Alba was squatting alone at the bow of the boat, wearing a vest and shorts, silently cleaning the fishing net. He skillfully untangled the knotted net lines little by little, and then carefully separated the fish and shrimp he had caught from the mesh. These fresh aquatic creatures danced and struggled in his hands, and the splashes of water occasionally wet his slightly tired face.

Since escaping from South Town alone, Alba has been homeless. However, his concern and responsibility for his gang brothers kept him from stopping. Despite being wanted and hunted by the Hung Hing Gang, he resolutely chose to secretly infiltrate fishing boats near the gang's location, knowing that failing to keep track of their movements could bring even greater danger to his own gang.

Just as Alba was engrossed in his work, a soft footstep suddenly reached his ears.

His heart tightened, and he quickly put down what he was doing, looking warily in the direction of the sound. He saw two dark figures quietly slip into the fishing grounds from around the corner of the dock; one figure moved with light steps, while the other was agile.

As they approached, Alba finally recognized them as Shenwu and Yanyue.

Yan Yue and Shen Wu finally found Alba.

Yan Yue gazed quietly at Alba, who was busy at work, her eyes revealing a hint of admiration.

"Yan Yue, is that him?" Shenwu asked eagerly, his face full of excitement and his eyes revealing intense curiosity.

“That’s right, it’s him.” Yan Yue nodded slightly, indicating her certainty. At the same time, Yan Yue’s gaze was fixed on Alba, who was not far ahead. Alba was in a highly vigilant posture, ready to attack at any moment.

Seeing this, Yan Yue quickly explained, "Alba, don't be nervous, my name is Yan Yue. Do you remember? We met at Nanzhen Music Company before."

"Yan Yue?" Upon hearing this name, Alba's memories were instantly awakened.

He recalled the mysterious master who defeated Geese in the legend of South Town, and upon closer examination of Yan Yue's face, he suddenly remembered that he had met this person once before, downstairs at the music company.

Everything clicked at that moment, and Alba suddenly realized, blurting out, "So it was you! Yan Yue!"

Seeing that Alba still seemed wary, Yan Yue continued, "Alba, we mean no harm. I've come to ask for your help..."

"I'm not interested..."

"Hey, Alba!" Shenwu suddenly shouted with a wicked grin, "So what if it's the Hung Hing Gang? I, the Shanghai Martial God, will wipe them out for you!"

"What? You're actually...!?"

Alba stared at Shenwu in shock for a while, then turned his head to look at the underworld wanted poster of the God of War on the table next to him.

Although Shenwu was wearing a hat and sunglasses that covered most of his face, his facial features were exactly the same as those of the Shanghai Martial God described on the wanted poster.

Moreover, the aura emanating from Shenwu was incredibly powerful, clearly indicating that he was an exceptionally strong individual.

"Hahaha, that's right, it's me!" Upon seeing this, Shenwu immediately reached out and took off his sunglasses and hat without hesitation, openly showing Alba his true face.

Alba's gaze was fixed on the two people in front of him, and he was secretly amazed.

It's worth noting that one of them is the legendary figure from South Town who defeated Geese and Rugal, while the other is the recently famous Shanghai Martial God who single-handedly defeated an entire gang.

Faced with these two experts, Alba showed no fear, but he couldn't suppress his strong vigilance and curiosity, and asked, "So, may I ask, what brings you here?"

Yan Yue, standing nearby, keenly noticed that Alba seemed to have deliberately lowered his guard. So she quickly pressed her advantage, saying:

"Actually, I happened to be there on the day you were racing. Come to think of it, I was tricked by your white-haired little brother."

Upon hearing this, Alba instantly recalled the scene from that time. He naturally remembered that his younger brother, Sovare, had chatted with Yan Yue, so he did not doubt what Yan Yue said.

Seeing that Alba remained silent, Yan Yue continued to explain, "Crow was killed by Mephisto's assassins, as were those gang leaders. Their aim was to frame you for punishing Dark Alley."

Alba waved his hand, "I roughly know that..."

Yan Yue continued patiently, "The reason I've come is to invite you to join our team and participate in the World King of Fighters Tournament."

"The World King of Fighters Tournament..." Alba muttered to himself. He had heard of this tournament in South Town. You see, in South Town, a town rife with violence, any news about fighting spreads like wildfire.

"Last year's World King of Fighters tournament hosted by Rugal actually had a lot of inside stories, but unfortunately, the government forcibly suppressed all of that information. As the second-in-command of our South Town gang, you must know something about it, right?"

Alba nodded slightly in agreement.

Then, Yan Yue continued, "This time, participants must form teams of three. And the organizer is none other than Rugal!"

Hearing this, Alba frowned, somewhat surprised: "Rugal isn't dead?"

However, Yan Yue solemnly announced an even more astonishing piece of news: "Not only is Rugal alive and well, but Geese is too!"

"What? How is this possible..." Alba was incredulous. If Gis really wasn't dead, then the entire South Town would undoubtedly be in an even more dire situation.

At this moment, Yan Yue continued to explain in detail: "As far as I know, the current situation is this: Rugal has captured Geese and Krauser. He wants to eliminate all the powerful fighters currently in the game, whether it's Kyo Kusanagi, Terry Bogard, or Ryo Sakazaki. He won't let any fighter who has ever challenged Rugal go..."

Alba listened quietly to Yan Yue's story, pondering how to deal with such a difficult situation.

As Yan Yue's words deepened, Alba's initially relaxed expression began to change, slowly becoming increasingly serious. He frowned slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Yan Yue.

After Yan Yue finished recounting the whole story, she stood there quietly, waiting for Alba's response. For a moment, the entire room fell silent.

Alba hesitated for a long time, still filled with doubts about Yan Yue. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked directly into Yan Yue's eyes, slowly asking, "Why should I believe you?" His tone was clearly distrustful.

Upon hearing this, Shenwu, who was standing to the side, couldn't contain himself any longer and impatiently interrupted, explaining urgently, "We'll teach those Hung Hing gang guys a lesson and give you a generous reward! Do you want to cooperate with us or not?"

However, Yan Yue remained relatively calm regarding her suspicions of Alba. After all, Yan Yue understood that it was inevitable for a high-ranking member of a gang to be naturally suspicious.

So Yan Yue stopped Shen Wu and said directly without further ado, "Believe it or not, this is $15. As long as you agree to team up with us, this money is yours now. After the deal is done, the other half will be given to you in full."

After saying that, Yan Yue unhesitatingly placed the black leather suitcase she was carrying on the table and gently pressed a button. With a "click," the suitcase opened. In an instant, stacks of US dollars appeared before the three of them.

"I heard you smuggled yourself over from Nanzhen and don't have much money, so consider this your reward."

Without hesitation, Yan Yue pushed the box forward, directly to Alba, and then added:

"This King of Fighters tournament is unusually low-key, with virtually no news from the public, so there must be huge risks hidden behind it. We may very well have to deal with all of Rugal's forces!"

Alba keenly noticed the undisguised worry on Yan Yue's face, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew that Yan Yue's worry was not feigned.

For Alba, South Town was not only the place where he had lived, but also a home that held countless memories and emotions.

Faced with Yan Yue's sincere and earnest words, Alba couldn't bring himself to refuse. He gazed quietly at Yan Yue, the legendary hero of Nanzhen, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but ultimately he slowly nodded in agreement.

Seeing Alba nod in agreement, Yan Yue's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little. She let out a long sigh of relief, and a relieved smile instantly bloomed on her previously tense face.

Shenwu, standing to the side, also smiled knowingly. They had been searching for three whole days and were already exhausted.

The two seemed to have all their strength drained away, collapsing onto the splint and desperately trying to regain their energy. The air around them was filled with a relaxed atmosphere after the tension, and Alba finally let down his guard and suspicion.

Just then, Shenwu suddenly asked, "Hey, Yanyue! What name should our team have?" His eyes were bright and alert, as if he was full of anticipation for the team name that was about to be born.

Upon hearing this, Yan Yue fell into deep thought: "Hmm... let me think about it... I've got it! How about we call ourselves the 'Legend Team'?"

"Legendary Team?" Shenwu repeated the name, a hint of confusion on his face. Clearly, he hadn't fully grasped the meaning behind the team name.

Seeing Shenwu's puzzled look, Yanyue laughed and explained, "Haha, look, Shenwu, you can challenge the entire gang all by yourself. You are truly the Shanghai Martial God!"

Then there's Alba, who willingly endured all sorts of hatred and pressure alone for the sake of his gang brothers, even transforming himself into a top assassin—the Demon of Dawn. His title is now a terrifying legend in South Town.

As for me, while I wouldn't dare compare myself to the two of you, I've at least participated in defeating Geese and Rugal, and I'm somewhat well-known in South Town... so... the 'Legend Team' is the perfect fit!

After hearing this, Shenwu nodded thoughtfully and smiled foolishly along with Yan Yue. Alba remained aloof, but he agreed with Yan Yue's idea and continued to clean the fish and shrimp out of the net.