Canto 9:
"Oh wow! It's good to see you once again, King. It seems like ages since we were last together, doesn't it?!" asked Mai in her ususally cheerful mood.
"Actually, Mai, it was about three weeks ago."
"Er, ah...so how's the club going, girl?"
"Well you know, it'll have ups and downs. But I swear, Ducky can be a bloody idiot at times. It can sometimes make doing business with him a royal pain."
"I know what you mean!" said Mai between giggles, recalling one of the first times she and Andy went to his new nightclub, much to Andy's grief.
"Oh! By the way, how's Jan?"
King's pleaseant demenor turned to stone at the mention of her younger brother. Jan had had a long history of needing to be hospitalized. When she had worked for Mister Big, money was never a problem. Now that she was in business for herself, they could get on, but on occasion, when Jan needed medical attention, money seemed to just vanish.
King was so deep in thought about her brother, she flinched as Mai put her hand on her good friend's shoulder.
"Don't worry, King. I'm sure it will all work out. If you need to, I think I can help. I'm sure that Andy and Terry would love to help. And our two champs, Joe and Kim, they can do a lot if asked."
"Thank you Mai. I often wonder about that boy. I wonder at night, when I wake up, will he too? At times, I'd almost wonder how to be able to raise the cash to take care of him. It seemed that each time I got a little extra to treat him to something, it'd have to go for medical expeneses. I'm glad he's still young and doesn't understand all this madness ...it gives him hope...and me! Excuse, I need to go talk with Ryo!"
"Sure! Hey! Whose watching Jan? You didn't leave him with..."
"...No! He's with Yuri, Robert, and...say you didn't know our partner from '97 had come for a visit!"
"No! I was...out of South Town for a while," and they both laughed at what she had reffered to.
Elswhere, Terry, Andy, Joe, Kim, Haohmaru, Ukyo, Hanzo, and Galford are all getting better acquanited. Their topics, what their respective enemies could hope to gain by this alliance, what their goals are, and how they are going to go about it all.
"I tell you, if not all of it, most of it has to do with that psycho, Ryuji Yamazaki. I mean, the guy's Orochi! He's also the one with contacts in South Town, making it easy to find him for the likes of Geese and Krauser."
"But Joe, we've overheard from some of his men. He was no easier to find than any of the others. So why was he solely selected?"
Terry replied, "I can think of a few reasons. First off, Ryuji had been rumored to bust into Geese's own office, all by himslef. Geese likes that kind of attitude. Second, he's wild, but not as wild as his first Orochi interest. Third, he has yet to experience the Riot of the Blood! With the power he has now, and then adding the Blood Riot to that; that would be what Geese would sell just about anything to have."
Hanzo asked, as is his nature, "And what if he does `Awaken,' as you call it? What then?"
"Say, wouldn't Caffine know something about that? He's really into all this end-of the-world-craze!"
"I'm afraid it's more than just craze, Galford! Should the Orochi awaken here, without the three clans to prevent it, all human life could simply be erraticated!" replied Kim.
"Ouch! That could seirously put a damp on our future!" stated Haohmaru.
"I agree! We must figure out a way to deal with them. Let us not forget our foes, Amakusa and Zankuro. Both seem to be as interested, if not more so in Orochi," concluded Ukyo.
III
Whilest our heros wonder what our villians our doing, we shall go drop in (just be quiet and don't let them find you. I can't bail you out if...)
"I still can't see why we are having this Bloody tournament, Geese, I mean, boss! With all of these snoopers around, and now with these new guys, we'll have to take longer to work on our BIT project!"
"I'm well aware of that. However, if we didn't have them where we could watch them, then they may be able to get close enough to establish the truth. With the KOF, they will be more focused on it, as well as trying to understand history as they help to alter it. They will worry about what they do, for they are unwilling to risk totally altering time. My associates and I, on the otherhand, are more than willing to risk it."
"Agreed, my dear Geese! They lack the vision, the intelligence, and daring that men such as ourselves are willing to take. Now, while the fools attempt to figure out what we are doing, we will go about our plans while the fools all worry about who they are going to fight, as well as Ryuji. That was a good call, inviting Yamazaki. It must have taken a lot to find them. Orochis are near impossible to find."
"Yes. It took much time to find him. I was almost tempted to try the other one, but I want some one who has, as of yet, to be touched by the awkening. Orochi, yes, but not awkened yet is the key."
Amakusa then asked, "Why is it so important? What makes `Orochi' so valueable? Come to think of it, I haven't heard of `Orochi!"
"Nor have I. Tell us about this `Orochi,'" added the Demon, Zankuro.
Geesse, having more knowledge in regards to the legends, began.
"It all began several generations ago. There were three sacred clans. They were..."
"The Kasnagi, Yagami, and Yata!" exclaimed Amakusa and Zankuro.
"So, THE DARK POWER is what becomes called Orochi, interesting, very interesting," comments the Zankuro.
"Yes, indeed!" coos Amakusa, "This would make the Ultimate Sacrifice, when the time comes! Such power, yet to realize it's full potential. Oh, I'm so estatic. I must have died and went to Hell!" and the four mad men in their quest for power fill the room with their insane laughter, chilling all others to the bone.
While elsewhere, the very man they are talking about is recalling his head-to-head with the other man they spoke of, Iori Yagami (see, I know the names)! Ryuji Yamazaki plays through the twisted events that went through at the meeting, which was ironically the day before Geese's men sought him out. If only Geese knew, he had a chance to lure the deadly Iori Yagami into his fight, as well as Ryuji Yamazaki.
"Argh! I sense another of The Bloodline! Whoever you are, come out, or do you fear the great Iori Yagami! Don't think that because you are of The Bloodline..!"
"I would hope not! That would make this no fun at all! I came here to prove who is the most deadliest of our clan, and it isn't you!"
"You! You dare to challenge me!? Fool! You'll share Kyo's fate!"
"Bring it on, loser! You can't defeat me! I don't lose myself in combat, like you. The longer it goes, the harder it will be for you to maintain control. When you lose control, you'll be dead!"
"You'll be surprised at what I've learned since last time. I guess the only way we find out is if we do it, and fast! Ready to die?"
"Bring it on!"
Now, the two deadliest men go head-on, each intent on not only killing his foe, but utterly destroying the other. Not fast, but slowly and with as much pain as possible. Each wanted to break the others bones, damage internal organs, and do every and anything short of maiming their foe!
This, of course, would prove near impossible, even for one of their skills. Each was experienced enough to know what to expect in a fight to the death, for they had been in many (is it REALLY neccissary to say they won in their previous fights to the death?). What's more, they had something none of their death-match foes had, Orochi Blood! But Ryuji has yet to awaken. While Iori's massacre victims rank higher than Ryuji's, some are when The Bloodline had momentarily awakened. What would happen once Yamazaki's does? Could the world take two power-hungry madmen, powered by perhaps one of the strongest forces in our history?
"STOP! This shall not come to be!"
"What, who dares...you two!" and Iori sports his trademark insane laugh.
"Vice, Mature! You two sluts would stop me from killing this Bastard! He doesn't deserve the powers he's been given by his blood! Stand aside."
Instead, Mature faced Ryuji, while Vice faced Iori. Mature, who had orderd them to stop, now gave Vice the floor.
"Have you idiots forgotten the unwritten law of our clan. We shall not attack another of The Bloodline! The only exception is during an Awakening, in which case all sense is lost. Any foolish enough must accept the consequences. We did so, and we suffered. Neither of you are in such a state, for you both would have already torn our throats if you were. NO! You will both end this now!"
"Bah! I don't need the Awakening to rip the throats of you Bitches! Ryuji challenged me, and I accept. If you get in our way, you're part of the body count!"
Without waiting, Ryuji leapt forward, with a look he hadn't had since he entered Geese's demanding his pay.
Then, he dropped, his hands on his head. Blood dripped from his eyes, ears, and mouth. The others fell, and He appeared!
"My children! I forbid ANY of you to fight amognst yourselves!"
Just as suddenly, he was gone.
Ryuji awoke, and let out a blood-curling scream in pain, as blood dripped a second time from him. Those that were near did not understand it's meaning. Those that did, didn't hear it, but flet it's dark aura explode! No one had to ask who knew what was going on.
Ryuji had just experienced a minor awakening. Yet this one was much stronger than the last, as they always are. For a few rare cases, it only takes once. For others, it takes several. As for Yamazaki...
©1999