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King of Fighters II
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King of Fighters '00
Yuri and Mai sit on a couple of chairs on the train platform. They appear to be in the middle of an argument.
YURI: "Aw, come on, Mai. Are you still angry?"
MAI: "Why did he boot me off the team? I can't believe it! Oh, Andy!"
YURI: "He said that he had to let Mary on the team for her to complete the job she had, so what are you going to do?"
MAI: "What are you going to do? If it were that simple, than why would you need a cop on your team?"
YURI: "Don't take it out on me, Mai. More important, if we don't get cracking and find some new team members quickly we'll run out of time."
MAI: "I know, I know! There's nothing we can do so we have to make another team!"
YURI: "Geez, why are you getting all snippy with me?"
Yuri eyes dart around the surroundings as she gets off one last shot.
MAI: "Hey, Yuri. Are you expecting someone?"
YURI: "Heh, heh. I just got an idea about a possible team member."
MAI: "Really? Who is it?"
As Mai finishes her question, a train slides up to the platform.
YURI: "Ah, this is the train. She's supposed to be on board."
POOH-SHAW!
The train comes to a stop and the passengers file out. Among them is a young woman dressed in a traditional style that seems out of place and carrying an umbrella.
MAI: "Hey, isn't that...?!"
YURI: "Heeey! Kasumi-eee! Over here, over here!"
KASUMI: "Oh, Yuri-eeee!"
MAI: "Why if it isn't the girl who traveled 12,000 kilometers to see her father."
YURI: "Hey, back off, Mai. ...Ah, Kasumi. It's been ages."
KASUMI: "It sure has. Thank you for inviting me onto your team."
MAI: "Hello, Kasumi. So you found your father, I take it?"
YURI: "Mai! Put a sock in it, would you?! I'm sorry. Mai's a little touchy now. Pay her no mind, okay? So, since you're here, all we have to do is find one more member."
KASUMI: "Yeah, speaking of that, I have an idea!"
MAI/YURI: "An idea?"
"Hey, this is an audition hall, isn't it?"
A young girl obviously the product of well-bred family, gets out of a posh car in front a Japanese-style mansion.
On the gate to the house is a sign written in large letters, WAY OF TODOH DOJO-GYM.
The woman walks briskly through the gate and enters the mansion.
YURI: "Whoo!"
MAI: "Well, Yuri, did you find any good candidates?"
Yuri plops herself down on a piped chair while she wipes the sweat from her with a towel.
YURI: "How did it go...I don't mean any disrespect to you, Kasumi, but no one really had what it takes, Mai. I hope it all works out, though, and we can find another teammate."
KASUMI: "Really...I thought that a general audition for a teammate wouldn't be such a bad idea, but...Mary helped me when I last tried it, and I think she used something called the Intertrap to do it."
MAI: "That's Internet. Yeah! Yeah! So just why does someone like Mary have to join Andy's team anyway! Geesh! ...I got it! It's a conspiracy, a conspiracy carried out by this year's sponsor! The harmonious relationship I had with Andy was too much for them!"
YURI: "Not again, Mai...I told you to put a sock in it. ...But if this is the way it's going to be, I wish I hadn't introduced King to Ryo and the gang."
KASUMI: "I guess that's true, but, for the time being, there are still people waiting at the general auditions, so let's get on with it? Yuri?"
YURI: "Yeah, you're right. For the time being, there are those who've come to be on our team, so we should really meet them."
MAI: "OK, next!"
The next contestant enters the practice hall. She's the person who had gotten out of that posh care shortly before.
"Hello, my name is Hinako Shijo. It's a pleasure to meet you."
All three rise up as she enters and their jaws drop to the floor.
She has blond hair, an elegant and charming face, and a sailor uniform that seems like that of a high school student to boot.
It appears that a girl who has nothing to do with the martial arts is standing before them.
MAI: "Uh, excuse me, Hinako, is it? So you'd like to enter this year's KOF tournament, would you?"
HINAKO: "Yes. By all means I'm hoping you will grant me the opportunity to audition for the open position on your team. The honor to be here is all mine."
YURI: "Um, have you ever participated in a fighting tournament before, Hinako?"
HINAKO: "No, this is my first time."
YURI: "Ah, oh, let's see...(Mai! She's a freaken' amateur!)"
MAI: "(I know!) So, well...uh, yeah. Well then, I know it's a bit sudden but would you care to spar with Yuri here?"
YURI: "Say what?! (I'm not going to be the one to slap some silly kid around!)"
MAI: "(If you show her the difference in our abilities, she'll run right on home!)"
KASUMI: "(And it would be just plain rude to send her on her merry way without giving her a chance.)"
HINAKO: "Uh, is there a problem here?"
YURI: "Uh...no, no problem. Well, then, shall we have a little match then?"
HINAKO: "Yes, please."
The match begins.
At that moment Hinako immediately begins to stamp the ring to warm up.
MAI/KASUMI: "What the...?! Ah! That pose...!! It can't be!"
YURI: "S-Sumo?!"
Seeing a chance for an attack, Hinako stomps down on the canvas and lunges toward Yuri.
YURI: "(Oh, Oh no! She's got my waist!)"
MAI/YURI: "Aaaaaah!!!"
And the moment Yuri becomes aware of her predicament, Yuri goes falling to the mat.
MAI/KASUMI: "An overarm body slam!"
Hinako's sumo moves are masterfully applied to Yuri.
MAI: "N-No way...."
KASUMI: "Wow! You tossed Yuri on her caboose in no time!"
HINAKO: "How did I do?"
The serious look in her eyes during the match has already vanished, giving way to her unassuming visage.
MAI: "W-We got a good idea of your abilities. I just have a question for you: why do you want to enter the KOF tournament?"
HINAKO: "Uh-huh. If I go into to much detail it would become quite a long story, but if I win a well-known tournament, the school that I go to says that they would help me make a sumo team at my school, so I thought KOF would be the perfect opportunity."
MAI: "Uh, huh.... (I'm not sure I'm following her, but I really think we've hit paydirt this time...but there sure is a gap between her style of combat and her looks, isn't there...?)"
HINAKO: "If we're able to win the KOF tournament, I won't have to practice alone anymore. I wonder how many people would sign up? And I'll have to get the school to make a suitable training gym, too. Maybe that space at the right of the school gym...?"
YURI: "Uh, Mai...She seems to be getting all worked up alone over there...."
KASUMI: "But she's really something. With a body like that, what refined technique! And she must be the same age as I am, so it looks like she'll make a fine teammate! I want her on the team."
YURI: "That's fine with me. I'm a little humiliated that she could throw me so quickly, though...."
MAI: "Y-Yeah, she's a bit , though, isn't she? But she does have ability...Uh, Hinako?"
HINAKO: "And I'll have them make a window with a beautiful view of the hill outside...Uh, yes? Did you call me?"
MAI: "We'd like to welcome you as the new member of our team. We're looking forward to having you with us."
HINAKO: "Yes! Thank you so much. I won't let you down, and I look forward to receiving your kind guidance. Whooo-hoo!"
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King of Fighters '01
"Yes! This year I'm entering for sure!"
A lone girl mutters this with a touch of excitement as she squeezes the KOF invitation in her hand.
Her expression brims with her enthusiasm towards entering the tournament.
Now we're in Southtown's Chinatown. The young woman works here part-time in her Grandfather Bai's Chinese restaurant.
Her name is Li Xiang Fei. Ever since she can remember she has loved a good fight and works as this shop's bodyguard as well as one of its waitresses.
"Last year was a real letdown. Even though I got an invitation, Mary and King ended up entering on other teams, and Mai's team was already decided...."
Xiang Fei still stings with the regrets of being unable to find team members for the previous tournament, but this time, for sure, she's determined to enter KOF.
"OK! This year for sure I'm absolutely going to gather together some teammates and quickly form my team!!!"
Once she makes up her mind, Xiang Fei's quick to act. She bursts out of the early morning mist that shrouds Chinatown.
Meanwhile, inside Andy's gym in the middle of Southtown, Mai's voice echoes through the structure to no avail.
"That Andy. I'll never forgive him! This is the second time in a row he's left me in the lurch, and I won't forget it! Come on! Show yourself, Andy, you bleach-blond girlie-man!!!"
With almost perfect timing and no prior notification, in pops Xiang Fei, right in front of a truly peeved Mai.
"Hey, Mai! I thought you'd be here!"
"Say what?! You're Xiang Fei, right?! What're you doing here?!"
"Eh, heh, heh. I heard Andy had opened a gym, so I came to check it out. And just as I expected, here you are Mai!"
"Well, yeah. I don't mind about Andy opening a gym here, but...Nuts! The loser's not here! It's just getting to be more and more of a chore trying to find out where that pretty-boy is! Uh, anyway...do you have something you want to ask me?"
"Yeah! I thought I could convince you to be on a team with me this year!"
"Huh?"
Xiang Fei tells Mai relates her experience with last year's tournament.
"Hmm...the dickens you say...Well, all right! I understand. Let's kick some but, Xiang Fei! And I want to make Andy scream ÔUncle.'!"
"...Y-Yeah, that sounds nice. So let's do it together! (It's not the way I pictured it, but it'll have to do...)."
"Hmm, looks like the whole world's on the skids these days...."
A solitary woman sits inside a bar that boasts a reserved atmosphere.
She looks over the newspaper spread out on the table and sighs.
Meet King. Along with being the owner of the bar "Illusion," she is an figure well-known among fight fans.
There is still a while before she's set to open her shop. King takes her eyes off the newspaper and shoots a glance at the envelope placed casually atop the thick oak counter. It's an invitation to King of Fighters.
"...It's come uninvited once again this year...ah, whatever...."
And just at that instant, "bing, bong" rings the doorbell.
"I'm sorry, we're not open yet."
King answers melancholically with her back to the door.
"Is that...King? Long time no see!"
"!! Xiang Fei?! And Mai, too. Hmph...."
The instant King saw their two faces, she knew it was another invitation to enter KOF. But this year she has not intention in the least of entering the tournament. So that's why she would tell the two the real reason and get them to leave. But as a result of Xiang Fei and Mai's persistent pleadings, King's chance to give these two the boot never arises. King eventually gives in.
"All right. All right already! I'll enter on your team, so enough of this whining!"
"Really?! All right!!!"
The two go wild with joy.
"But what are you going to do about the fourth team member? You can't join with a team of three members."
"Uh, I forgot about that...What'll we do? ...Kasumi said she saw her father in the last tournament so she set out to find him and can't be reached...and Yuri has already joined up with the Kyokugen Karate team...."
"Mai, uh, what about that sumo chick that entered last year. Won't she do?"
"Ah, you mean Hinako? She has school to worry about now...."
"That's not a problem. I'll convince here!"
Xiang Fei confidently comes to a credible conclusion.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Hinako Shijo."
It didn't take especially long for Hinako to show up at the bar "Illusion." What a coincidence that she shows up on a trip to Southtown at this very moment! It looks like the final pieces have fallen into place, so Mai's beside herself.
"So you're that sumo fanatic, Hinako, are you? Well, today everything's on the house so eat up!"
"!!!"
King stops wiping the glasses momentarily and takes a deep breath. She resigns herself that there's nothing she can do, today's just not her day. Not her day, and not her month: accounts this month will surely register in the red.
"Oh really? Thank you very much. I oblige myself of your kind hospitality."
"...So, Hinako, won't you enter KOF with us? With you on our team, I know we can win for sure."
"Oh, really-eeee? I'm truly honored to hear that. And if you provide me with another opportunity to enter...I'll be able to get more sumo club members, and...yeah, can I bring my sumo club teammates to the event?"
"Uh, yeah, the more the merrier, right?! It would be nice to have our own cheering section!"
"U-Uh, that's fine with me. Well, anyway, we have all of our members lined up, eh? Oh, good grief...."
"And in the event of our victory, I'll be happy to treat you and all your friends to a dinner party here at my place."
"Huh?!!! Really?! All right! Now I feel more psyched than ever. We're really going to bust some heads!"
And so, with Xiang Fei's passion, Mai's rage, and King's tolerance (?), the new Women Fighters team came into being.
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King of Fighters '03
It is early in the afternoon of a weekday and empty seats are prominent in this first-class car of the bullet train.
Athena Asamiya is sitting in a window seat, heading for her next concert venue in Fukuoka. Her manager has been directed to meet up with her at Hakodate. Now, she travels alone.
The train slows and comes to a leisurely stop.
"Kyoto. This stop is Kyoto."
The announcement echoes over the platform.
When the door opens, a familiar face is smiling in Athena's direction.
"Long time no see, Athena."
The attractive blonde is dressed in the sprucely designed uniform of a girl's high school. She is Hinako Shijo, one-fourth Russian and the daughter of a model upper-class family.
"So, Hinako, how have you been? Forgive me for calling you here."
"Oh, it's no bother - as luck would have it our family has villas in Kyoto and Kobe."
Without giving second thought to her blatantly bourgeois remark, Hinako shoves the backpack she had strapped to her shoulders onto the luggage rack above.
CREEEEAK.
The luggage rack squeals ominously. The backpack is loaded with weights of ten kilograms or more. Judging by the groan of the rack, Hinako's lugging more weight than usual.
Appearance, bearing, word and deed - all are what the dreamy-eyed Hinako is about, but because her dream is starting a sumo team at her girl's school, one cannot resist feeling that this young lady comes from a different cookie cutter.
In the meantime, Hinako has plopped down in the seat next to Athena. The first thing she says,
"Please accept my condolences."
A closer look reveals that Hinako conscientiously wears a symbol of mourning on her uniform. Athena, who is obligated in her line of work as a pop idol to remain unfazed by most things, finds herself flustered by this current situation.
"Y-your...condolences??"
The flustered Athena hesitantly takes the condolence gift Hinako extends to her.
"Master Chin did pass away, didn't he? Just how old was he anyway?"
"U-uh, no, the Master is still fit as a fiddle, in a manner of speaking."
"Athena, I know being in denial is part of the grieving process, but if you don't accept reality..."
"Uh, I don't know what impression you're under, but the Master is in the pink. He still drinks a gallon of alcohol a day, naps, trains Kensou, and watches after Pao."
"Oh, really? I am so sorry. I just assumed the reason for you asking me to join you in KOF had to be because the Master had died and you needed an extra team member."
"No, that's not it at all. Anyway, let me return this to you."
Athena meekly tries to return Hinako's condolence gift.
"Ah, please keep it. You can always hang on to it until you need it again."
(Until I need it again...?)
There is no malice to Hinako's statement. Athena understands this, but....
"Wow. So Kensou isn't entering the tournament this time either...?
"As a matter of fact, he isn't. He's got a lot of other stuff on his plate..."
Athena casts her eyes downward. Yes, this time things are different.
"Then who will be our other member? I rather think that Chang Koehan would be a most excellent choice."
"I-I'm not too sure about him."
"Ah, you're probably right. He can't really manage a sumo wrestler's butterfly coiffure, can he?"
"U-uh, you do have a point there. Do you have anyone else in mind?"
"Hmm. I can't come up with anyone who's suited for sumo, though..."
"That's okay. That's okay. It doesn't have to be a sumo wrestler type."
Athena can't bring herself to say she'd prefer someone other than a sumo-type.
Of course Athena too has considered prospective teammates, but....
"Hey, you're Athena Asamiya, aren't you?"
"Huh? Oh, you want an autograph, right? Just a second. My pen...."
"No, that's not it. You're entering KOF, aren't you?"
Athena and Hinako both blink and do a double take at their new acquaintance.
She's a rather spunky-looking teenager, a bit shorter than Hinako. Her face and manner seem feline. She sports a miniskirt, blazer and bunched up socks - in short, she's a typical Japanese high school student.
"Yes, I'll be in it, but...how does that concern you?"
"Your team's short a member, isn't it?"
The girl helps herself to the seat next to Hinako.
"Uh, I suppose it may be."
"Hmm. I guess our organization's info is sometimes useful after all."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, nothing. By the way, have you considered me for your team?"
"J-Just like that? Who are you anyway?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. The name's 'Malin.'"
"So you're name is Malin, is it? I'm Hinako Shijo. That's an unusual name you have there; your family name's "Ma" and your given name is "Lin," I gather. What Chinese character do you use for "Ma?" Maybe the character for magic? Or is it the "ma" for "manuke" - you know, the word that means "bonehead"?
"......"
"U-Uh, don't let her offend you. Hinako didn't mean anything bad by that. Words just flow out of her like...well, no need to get yucky here."
"No, the name's just one word, 'Malin.' Works on its own, don't you think? So, are you going to put me on your team, or not? I'm getting off at Osaka, so you got to decide quick."
And as if on cue, the announcement is heard throughout the train: "Shin-Osaka. We will soon be stopping at Shin-Osaka."
The time for decision instantly arrives, but there is no need to mull over an answer.
"We appreciate the offer, but no."
"What? Why? Tell me, why?"
"The KOF tournament is the peak of fighting competitions. Though I do say so myself, Hinako and I are exceptional fighters. I appreciate the sentiment, but..."
"You doubt my abilities?"
"Doubt? I don't even know your abilities. We've just met!"
"...Shoot. Okay, you don't need to hit me with a hammer. I'm out of here!"
The train slides to a stop at the platform of Shin-Osaka Station.
Malin bolts up with a bang as if she has kicked her seat and abruptly exits.
"Uh, Athena, are you sure you made the right decision?"
"Yeah. I had no choice. This isn't some high school athletic event."
BAM. BAM.
Appearing out of nowhere, Malin is now outside, rapping on the bullet train's window.
In her hands (?), she holds two ribbons of different colors that flutter in the breeze.
"??...Hey, those are...!!"
In a panic, Athena and Hinako run their hands through their hair.
Gone.
One of the ribbons that tied Hinako's long blonde hair and the ribbon used to gather Athena's hair together to conceal her identity are gone.
(When did she...?)
Athena springs from her seat. She looks as if she intends to catch up with Malin.
At the same time, however, the bullet train has pulled out from the platform.
The train begins to accelerate.
The form of Malin smiling ear to ear and waving her trophies in the air slowly recedes.
"Oh, fudge...how stupid could I have been?"
Hinako consoles Athena who is slumped down in her seat.
"Cheer up. We can still find another team member."
"But...Huh? Hinako, under your ribbon!"
A small scrap of paper is secured under Hinako's remaining ribbon.
Athena quickly removes the paper and checks its contents.
"If you change your mind, give me a call. Malin. 090-XXXX-XXXX."
After reading the note, Hinako and Athena press their faces to the glass of the train as if to look for Malin.
The sight from the window, however, is no longer that of the platform but the buildings and streets of Osaka's north side.
Nevertheless, the two feel as if they can catch sight of Malin in the landscape streaming by, and they continue peering out the window for some time thereafter.
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