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King of Fighters 15, The
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Better Than K
K' is a cybernetically modified human with genes transplanted from Kyo Kusanagi by the secret organization NESTS.
He wields the ability to manipulate fire, a power he controls with his right hand glove. Though his cool appearance shows a man cold and withdrawn, K' actually cares for his friends deep down. He joins this KOF together with Maxima and Whip in order to spy on the man who kidnapped Kula.
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King of Fighters II
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King of Fighters '99
The image expands grows through the camera lens.
First the crowd appears and then, zooming in, the lens focuses on a lone man.
"I've got him in my sights. What do I do?"
A big goon calls to the man next to him.
"Bring those here."
"Put on those goggles over there. They're directly linked with my eyes."
The man lazily puts on his goggles.
He gazes blankly at the man that appears within the goggles.
"Who is this, bozo?"
He lights a cigarette as he asks the question.
"It seems he's...Benimaru Nikaido, the genius shooter who can manipulate lightning. He seems like something out of science fiction, doesn't he?"
There is no reaction to this man's answer, and he asks the next question.
"Isn't this stalking? If this is all there is, I'm going."
"No, soon the trap is about to be sprung."
After bringing an end to his overseas tour, a long-awaited return to Japan.
Benimaru walks through the crowd, feeling the familiarity of being a fish returning to familiar waters.
BENIMARU: "In spite of my trip extended trip overseas, I'm tired of the scent of my fellow countrymen. At least I killed some time before my meeting.... Shingo sure is insensitive, choosing a place like this for us to meet."
Benimaru appears in a small courtyard. Shingo arrives shortly thereafter.
SHINGO: "Long time, no see, Mr. Nikaido!"
BENIMARU: "Yeah, it's been a while. But I wish you'd have chosen a more suitable place to meetÑyou know I hate crowds, don't you?
SHINGO: "Huh?"
BENIMARU: "What do you mean, 'Huh?'"
SHINGO: "Didn't you write me this letter that said you'd be arriving in Japan today so meet me here? See. I got an invitation to KOF with it too, right?"
BENIMARU: "A letter? An invitation? To KOF?"
Shingo points to the invitation and letter.
"You are cordially invited to this year's King of Fighters. We hope you, Benimaru Nikaido and Shingo Yabuki, will honor us with your presence on the Special Team consisting of these appointed members...."
A letter is included with the invitation.
It is just like his, but of course he cannot make out whose hand it's in.
BENIMARU: "Oh, how droll."
SHINGO: "What?"
BENIMARU: "We've been had. But how did they know I'd be returning to Japan today...?!"
Interference causes the notice screen in the square to hiss dissonantly. Snow covers the screen.
In spite of the loud noise, people pass by as if nothing is going on.
BENIMARU: "Do you see that...?! Who is it...?"
He looks around but doesn't understand. Benimaru is befuddled.
Meanwhile, the big man and his partner resume their discussion.
"He plays his part well. They'll make fine additions to our syndicate. They melt right into the rest of the crowd."
"I'm out of here."
"Just hold on a minute. It's almost finished, OK?!"
He pushes the terminal button at his fingertips.
In an instant, letters appear on the screen on the other side of the lens.
Benimaru scrutinizes the letters appearing on the notice screen.
BENIMARU: "S-T-R-I-K-E-R M-A-T-C-H...What's that all about?"
SHINGO: "Huh, that...?"
BENIMARU: "You know about it?!"
Shingo points to the contents of the invitation letter.
SHINGO: "It's all here in the invitation. It says that this is the format for this year's tournament."
BENIMARU: "The format for the tournament? What is it?"
SHINGO: "I don't know. I think we'll catch on once we get there, though. It seems this year's tournament consists of 4-on-4 team battles."
BENIMARU: "Did you say four team members?!"
SHINGO: "Doesn't it say so there?"
BENIMARU: "You, me...and who are the other two clowns?"
SHINGO: "That's written here too."
Benimaru quickly checks over the contents of the invitation.
BENIMARU: "K' and Maxima...?"
Examining the image through the lens, the sound of Benimaru's voice saying his own name synchronizes with the movement of Benimaru's lips.
"Yup. I'm looking forward to it, Benimaru Nikaido."
A giant "Hooo" sound is heard next to him.
When he shifts his glance, the man previously sucking on his cigarette extinguishes the butt in the hand wearing that red glove.
MAXIMA: "You really should stop that, nasty habit."
K' "I'm out of here."
MAXIMA: "OK, see you at the tournament then. That glove's important. Use it sparingly, OK?"
K' "Jeesh...!"
K' gives Maxima a big tut-tut and leaves.
The notice screen resumes its display of announcements, as if nothing had happened.
SHINGO: "So what're you going to do?"
BENIMARU: "All we can do is go, I guess."
SHINGO: "Mr. Kusanagi isn't around and Daimon is busy, it seemsÑI've got a bad feeling about this."
BENIMARU: "Kyo...? We just may meet up with him soon...."
SHINGO: "Why do you say that?"
BENIMARU: "I don't know for sure...I just've got a feeling."
SHINGO: "A feeling...you say?"
BENIMARU: "OK, let's get going. I'm leaving Japan today."
SHINGO: "Uh, yeah, I'm coming with!"
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King of Fighters '00
"Have you finished the preparations yet?"
The woman reflected in the rearview mirror asks her driver while she touches up her lipstick.
"The arrangements for the invitations were prepared one week ago. And I've just completed the preparations for the meeting. We'll be arriving at the meeting place in five minutes. Please be ready."
"Is that all that's on today's agenda?"
"Yes. I've heard nothing of any special options. Do you have any plans with your family?"
"Yes, we have reservations for dinner. But it's okay. It looks like we can do this without having to cancel it."
The woman finishes her preparations as she looks toward the hall from her car window.
The heat of the assembled mass is overwhelming. Among these members must be one who no one foresaw coming.
In spite of the hall being able to handle two to three thousand people, it's quite overwhelming when everyone is pickled into it like this. Even more, the majority of them are crazy with excitement at the event taking place in the hall before them. Not only is it hot in here, the heat of the bodies also takes its toll. For K' (K-Dash), at least, this is the worst situation imaginable.
"Is this some sort of torture?"
Not looking anywhere in particular, K' puts the question to Maxima in his usual surly matter.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want something to drink?"
Maxima, not looking particularly fazed by all this, offers the glass of beer he's taken a sip out of to K'.
It's clearly misunderstanding. But it puts an end to K''s listlessness.
"...That's not what I meant!"
"Care for another one?"
"Don't yank me around. That's not what I said.... How are we going to put an end to their plans?"
"You mean NESTS? Ah, I've got it under control. Once this little chore is over, that is."
Maxima answers K''s queries matter-of-factly and once again takes another gulp of beer.
"Chore...?"
"A meeting with our new teammate."
A suspicious expression seizes K''s face as Maxima offers him an envelope.
"An invitation...KOF? What is this?"
"We've been invited again. It requests our participation as invited athletes on the Special Team. I was accessed by our other teammates yesterday. And they told me to meet them here at this hall."
"Are you going to enter?"
"It seems that the finals are to be held in Southtown."
"Southtown...here?"
"It's just a stone's throw from here. There's evidence of their handiwork somewhere over there. No matter how you look at it, something is just not kosher about the tournament. I think it's best to check out anything dubious, don't you? ...So that's why I've entered."
The growing cheers signal the entry of the participants in the main event. The cheers well up, as if in waves. But as the participants near the ring, the cheers turn into a steady roar. Hidden by the onlookers, K' and Maxima are unable to make out what's going on. After a short while, some masked men spring into the ring. One, then another...one wrestler after another, wearing the same mask, climb into the ring. Before one knows, the roaring cheers change to laughter.
"This is hilarious! Aw, man, that's funny!"
K' stands beside the amused Maxima. K' looks even more bored than before.
"What a yawnfest!"
A gong chimes outside the pandemonium of the ring. Among the throng of small masked men, a larger hooded figure stands out, and he jumps at the smaller combatants as he removes his mask.
IT ENDS IN AN INSTANT.
The conclusion was as expected.
An explosion of cheers is directed to the man with a patch over his eye, standing in the ring.
"How stupid."
Maxima shoots a blunt look at his companion's blunt interjection.
"Oh, pipe down. Enough negativity. Some people here are actually enjoying themselves."
"I don't have the time for such amusements."
"Amusement? That guy? He does have a flare for presentation, but quite the contrary. He's quite a piece of work that man is."
Oblivious to K' who ignores this comment, Maxima takes readings on the man wearing the eye patch in the ring. The readings that register prove the man's extraordinary capabilities. The moment he attempts to examine the other traits, an alarm appears on the monitor.
"!"
A look of anxiety seizes Maxima's face. Next to K' sits a woman, her chin resting on her hands, in the seat that should have been open.
"Hi."
"Who are you?"
"Why, your partner, of course."
"Weren't you supposed to be a man?"
"Your manager contacted me yesterday. Did I surprise you?"
"No, I'm Maxima."
Maxima extends his hand, as if letting everything slide. The woman responds.
"The name's Vanessa."
"The other...Ramon, when will he grace us with his presence?"
"He already has."
The cheers drown out Maxima as he asks where Vanessa's partner is. When Maxima looks at the stage, the monolog of the man with the eye patch begins.
"I believe I sufficiently displayed my true abilities, but I'm think all of you aren't satisfied, huh? Maybe a further demonstration is necessary, so do not hesitate to try again! ...I dedicate my next victory to all of you in the audience!"
The man with the eyepatch points to the far-removed Vanessa. Vanessa responds with a wave.
"So he's Ramon?"
Maxima, seized by amazement, checks on Vanessa. Continuing to wave, Vanessa responds.
"Something wrong? I think I'm on the right track."
Before their exchange ends, K' rises from his seat. Vanessa looks over to K'.
"Are you leaving?"
"I have an errand. Maxima, I'm leaving."
He brushes by Vanessa as he passes. She whispers,
"How about learning a bit more amiability? It would make you more attractive, kiddo...."
"Put a sock in it, toots."
Without looking her in the eyes, K' bids these final words of farewell and leaves. Following his lead, Maxima rises from his seat.
"Sorry about that. My partner just hates being told what to do."
"Don't worry about it. If he weren't like that, he wouldn't be interesting. Do you think this is a good idea, you and us?"
"Let's hope so."
Unlike his partner, Maxima leaves the hall with a smile.
Vanessa removes a cell phone from her waist pocket as she sees him off.
"They've left now. Don't lose them."
Vanessa, too, leaves the hall, breaking into a jog.
It is underground, where the visibility is anything but satisfactory.
Following down along a line of a number of bunched up cables, a large object that is beyond K''s understanding emits a low hum. Maxima arrives late.
"This again. Just what time does that make it?"
"Near the area of the exhibition match there's an inexplicable object that lets out a moan. This is quite a piece of work, this is."
Touching the cords, K' mutters,
"But there's something different about this. It's the first time something like this has been placed in the center of a KOF venue."
Nearing the device, Maxima attempts to examine the data through the jack pin in his fingertip.
"It doesn't matter. Have you understood anything? Anything about its contents?"
"I'm working on that now. ...Hmph. It's the same. It has a transmitting device...that's all I know."
"Is it theirs?"
"No doubt. It's a product from NESTS. I recognize all the parts in it. But having one of these lying around a KOF venue.... Something must be up."
The alarm emitted by Maxima's sensors and the flashing is almost the same type.
A bullet zips by the eyes of K'. Maxima's sensors begin to count the number of enemies in succession.
"It looks like we got company today. A lot of them."
Rising up, he tugs at his thigh with his glove. The right hand of K' is burning red.
"Maybe they think if they group together they can win."
"Yeah, they just never learn; that's for sure."
Countless red points from laser gun sights light up the two.
Vanessa, returning to her car, gazes at the monitor installed in her seat.
The camera and K' continue to glare at each other momentarily.
And all of a sudden the image on the screen abruptly changes to snowy interference, and then it goes dead. The driver waiting for the end to the picture speaks,
"I'm sure you've already become aware of this. Someone came straight from the exit of the hall. He's lifted the back of this car and there's nothing I can do..."
She thinks about it a little and answers quickly.
"DO WHAT YOU CAN."
For Vanessa, this is the only option she can agree most with.
"It's OK, just go with it."
"Are you sure?"
As she tries to answer, Vanessa's voice is cut off by the sound of an explosion. The car shakes violently.
"What...?!"
The sound of the explosion is not one that occurred close by. But the smoke that climbs from the manhole visible from her car, however, indicates the force of the blast.
"Wow, that kid can really do the job."
"I was right to let him take a shot."
Maxima whispers as he returns to the arm responsible for the blast.
"Do you have anymore ammo left?"
Keeping his back to him, K' responds:
I have about two or three for the Vapor. What'll we do?"
"Give me all you got. I still have got this baby with me."
At the other end of K''s line of sight, he sees one of the objects that withstood the blast. Maxima loads the cartridge.
"Be careful there...Hey, what's the big idea?!"
K' shoots Maxima a sideways glance as he burns the KOF invitation.
"I can't just punch it directly, can I?"
"That's right, but if I don't have this..."
"We can't enter? As long as that woman's around, it should be no trouble."
Pondering his words for a moment, Maxima soon agrees.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
They place the cartridge inside the object and fling in the burning invitation.
It doesn't take long until the sound of another explosion is heard.
This time around it is a little smaller, but it is sufficient enough to be heard.
"Things look like there going to get pretty interesting from now on, eh?"
Vanessa does nothing more than look in the direction where K' and Maxima must be.
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King of Fighters '01
Late in the night, three figures appear at an installation that seems to be some sort of research lab.
"Nuts. This place is empty, too."
A blond-haired man dressed in black rasps. A red protector is attached to the man's right hand.
"We were seconds too late."
A woman gently stroking the whip in her hand mutters.
"This just goes on forever.... Well, I guess I'll look around. ...It doesn't seem like anything dangerous is nearby."
A large man of roughly two meters in height responds while surveying the premises.
To be honest, the three were impatient. Up till now, these three had destroyed quite a bit of NESTS branches.
But recently someone appears to be equipped to anticipate their every action.
All facilities related to NESTS that they have raided have come up empty.
"How do you suppose they anticipate our every move, Whip?"
The mammoth male wonders out loud...and Maxima cannot suppress his irritation in his query as he ventures an answer.
"I haven't the faintest idea. But we don't know for certain that all of our intel is fresh. So if someone beats us to the punch, we may just have to live with it...."
"...No, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you. But...hey, K', don't you think there are a bit too many mysteries this time around?"
"What are you getting at?"
The blond-haired K' mutters incredulously.
"They're holding another KOF this year, right? Nothing strange about that, happens all the time. But did you check out the roster this time? There's a NESTS team! A NESTS team! Think about it. Why would a secret syndicate that tried so hard to keep itself hidden all of a sudden make such a point of using their name in public?"
"Only a privileged few know about NESTS. It looks like they've surfaced at last."
"Why would it be necessary for those clowns that destroyed an entire city want the world to know their name? Wouldn't it be in their best interests to stay behind the veil...?"
"There's no point trying to reason this out. ...I'm out of here, to our next objective!!"
"?!"
All three assume a combat position. K' asks Maxima in a whisper.
"...Maxima, can you see it?"
"Yeah...I don't know how it concealed itself, but my heat sensors caught them."
The moment Maxima mumbles his answer, the figure moves into action.
"Wh-What speed!"
The figure slips by Maxima's side and appears for an instant in front of K'.
Then the figure aims at K' and brings his arm down.
Almost simultaneously, K' jams his fists forward, flame shooting from it.
A violent roar rips through the darkness, but misses the figure. The fist the form swung at K' is stopped by Whip's bullwhip.
"Tsh, looked like I got a little carried away...."
"Sorry, K'. But you really should try to avoid unnecessary conflict. Well, let's hear your story."
The three bind the man to a chair near the center of the room that's illuminated by the moonlight seeping in from the window. All three know this man with the pig-tail. He's their "old pal" Lin.
"...Is this, perhaps, the reason for you tailing us?"
Whip sticks a picture in front of Lin's eyes. Lin is clearly affected by it.
"...I thought as much. If you're going to follow us, one day you're bound to meet up with this guy, right?"
"..."
"One of those tight-jawed types, eh? ...Ah, whatever. ...How about it? K', shall we make Lin a teammate and enter the tournament?"
"Do as you like."
"Hey, hey, K', Whip, are you serious? You'll never know when this guy's going to screw us over."
Maxima, clearly rattled, urges his colleagues to reconsider.
"...If you're worried about that, I'd find something else to worry about...."
Lin murmurs dryly.
"Ungh. This guy's quite the hardcase. Well, if K' and Whip are all right with this, I guess I can play along. Well, in the spirit of friendship, let's shake on it..."
As he turns to look back at Lin, he sees that their captive's already long gone.
"What a crud! It's the rules to leave with at least a salutation!"
"Walk it off, Maxima. With Lin as our teammate, the tournament will be a breeze. Don't you think, K'?"
"...."
Without answering, K' takes his leave of the place. Alone, K' looks up at the night sky.
My past...my future...they took them both...NESTS...the root of my abilities...Krizalid...Zero...the powers that oppose me...Kula....
"That K' looks like he's got a lot to chew on."
"Yeah, but we've got to bring this to an end at any cost. For all those who have fallen victim to those scum..."
"Yeah, you're right...And for my own sake...I must destroy NESTS!"
"...You said a mouthful."
The two look up at the night sky. The light from the countless stars in the sky pours onto this trio.
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King of Fighters '03
The one who visits the unmarked room is an old man near the age of ninety.
His long grey hair, and similarly grey moustache. The gourd hanging from a string dangles as he walks. When he knocks on the door with the gourd, the sound of a dry thud and sloshing liquid resonates. The contents of the gourd: booze.
"You're in there, aren't you? Show yourself, you whippersnappers."
The door opens straightaway - but only a few centimeters with the chain lock still fastened. The man who peaks out from the crack is tan with silver hair, wearing a black leather jumper, and the hand resting on the doorknob dons a red glove.
"You...if I'm not mistaken, are called Chin Gentsai...."
"That's my name, sonny, don't wear it out. I hoped you'd at least remember the name of someone you've fought countless times before."
"...Excuse me. So what the hell do you want?"
Chin wordlessly taps the chain lock, indicating his desire to be let in. K' looks down upon the geezer from a difference in height of 20 centimeters.
"Hey, K'. How about showing a little respect towards your elders?
Maxima appears, making Chin look up another 20 centimeters more from K''s mug. "Master Chin, I presume. Do come in."
Maxima, reaching over K''s shoulder, undoes the chain and ushers Chin Gentsai in.
"Hey, big guy. You need to teach your young charge a little more manners..."
...bellows the one and only Chin, whose breath reeks of alcohol.
"...So?"
Chin scowls at "the young charge" who repeats his question with his usual surliness. But the scowl is lost in his overly long locks, going unperceived by the others.
"I am but a pathetic old man with a brief future before him."
"You don't look the part."
K' retorts quietly. Chin indeed looks as if he will no doubt live another 200 years, but ignoring the chide he produces a letter from his inside pocket. It's an invitation to the King of Fighters.
"I know you love this, don't you? The KOF."
"Don't trifle with me, old man! Of all the things I loathe...."
Had Maxima not grabbed his shoulders, K' would have rung Chin's neck.
"Would you do me the favor of desisting with the teasing of my partner? He's not yet familiar with the ways of polite society."
"Bah."
"I sense it this time, too. That 'evil presence.' It exceeds that of the time when the thugs from the Orochi and NESTS were on the rampage.
"What's that to us?"
"Hey, pipe down and listen. ...Yet, Master, if that's the case, wouldn't it be better if you had entered the competition the same as always and ascertained the true nature of this evil presence without even bothering with the likes of us?"
Chin lets out a sizable sigh.
"A keen observation. But this time that won't fly. Because of those two...that is..."
...Kensou and Pao, who triggered the awakening of the mysterious behemoth of a presence.
These two are now spending their days in rigorous training at an undisclosed location to one day confront the presence.
"We four are going to sit this out. I'm sorry, but for now it's the ideal choice."
"Wait. Did you say we four?"
"I certainly did."
"Even that cute idol goddess?"
"Athena? Indeed. Indeed."
Maxima, employing his "Maxima-devised" software, searches the web.
He finds information available to the general public. The results soon appear.
"I thought so. I checked the list of KOF participants and her name's on it!"
"What?! ...What did you say?!!!"
Chin, being the Chin he is, is this time taken completely aback. Behind her master's back, Athena has gathered together two other members and completed her application to participate in KOF before he had a clue.
"What is this treachery?! Why did Athena...? Hey, can't you tell me, big guy?"
"M-Me? Tell you...? How should I know about this?"
Maxima winces at Chin, who begins to rant with a vigor that quickly sobers him up.
"Dagnabbit! She told me she had to do a concert, and while she was away from me, she must have...I don't understand her. This time our foe cannot be stopped with some hastily assembled gaggle of girlies."
"Just smack her into submission and drag her back with you, old man."
"You don't know Athena's true nature...She's a kind kid, but she's stubborn, too. Once she decides something, there's no going back. She must have concluded that this time she's going to face the 'evil presence' in her own way. She kept quiet because she was concerned for me and the other two, I bet."
"......"
"Well, things being what they are, I can tell you everything. Like why I've come to ask a favor of 'you two.'"
Chin begins to speak grimly and solemnly.
The "presence" this time resembles that of the Orochi but is also unique.
Not only that, the inscrutable and unknown presence is surging.
And Kusanagi and Yagami are closely related to it.
The evil presence is mighty, comparable to the strength of the Orochi, and it is difficult to say whether even the likes of Kusanagi and Yagami could defeat it. What's more, these two are still feuding among themselves.
But the situation is not without hope.
If the "evil presence" cannot sense that other being...
If the second Kusanagi, who was created by man, still exists....
"Now I understand, Master Chin. We're nothing more than "insurance."
"Insurance? You mean "sacrifices," don't you? Or just "openers" for Kusanagi's main act.
"...You get the picture. I'm making a self-serving request."
"But during the tournament we just may come up against Kusanagi, you know?"
"We'll drive off that bridge when we come to it. What's vital is that there be mighty fighters to counter the 'evil presence.'"
"OK. I hear you, Master Chin. We have too much idle time on our hands these days anyway. Entering KOF again with this guy wouldn't be so bad. Hey, you don't mind, do you?"
"Hmph. Whatever."
"Thanks, whippersnappers. I owe you."
Chin for the first time deeply bows in gratitude.
"As you see, I am grateful."
"...Don't grovel. It's annoying."
Chin, continuing to bow, averts his gaze from K'.
"Well, it looks like we're in. Myself, K', and along with us...?"
"Curses. What'll we do about the remaining member? That young...you know, that child with chestnut-brown hair. No, she won't do. She's too childish. Much younger than Athena is, don't you know?"
"You need not worry yourself. I have the very pro we need."
"Pro?"
"You know, don't you, Maxima?"
"Ah, that dependable dominatrix is still around...but I believe she is presently involved in a mission with that squad of mercenaries, isn't she?"
"Ask me if I care! Make her a timely offer she can't refuse. I leave the particulars up to you."
"Why do I get all the grief? Jeesh!"
Two weeks later. Whip, in debriefing as a result of the completion of her mission, is promptly given another assignment.
"Link up with K' and Maxima. Form team. Enter KOF."
As did Chin, the leader of a band of mercenaries - Heidern - also senses the presence lurking in the shadows of this year's KOF and dispatches his squad.
Their struggle is just about to begin anew.
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King of Fighters XI
"Far beyond the mountain, happiness is what man fears.
A groan cannot convey the tears of those who walk alone."
There was a small public park across the street from the parking lot of a huge hospital, and a young girl was there playing, all alone.
"Look at that girl, Diana," Kula said to the tall woman standing next to her. It seemed the girl was always playing down there, or at least, at every opportunity. Her alabaster skin only accented her extremely thin body, and she regularly spent her time there on the swing.
"Would you like to be friends with her, Kula?" asked Diana gently, and Kula nodded her assent.
Tomorrow, Kula decided, she would call out to the little girl. She always seemed so lonely. In that, Kula felt she could sympathize. She had felt lonely every single day in the last three years. The girl was at the hospital regularly, but who knew what was wrong with her. But no matter... they would be friends, and Candy would be there with them in spirit.
The next day, the little girl did not show up as she normally did. Kula sat on the swings alone, barely rocking back and forth. There was no sign of the girl approaching from the hospital... and as Kula looked up in the sky above, there was a thin line of vapor winding its way up and out of sight. Eventually, it faded away and was no more.
Diana looked at Kula gravely. "I'm led to understand that she died yesterday, Kula."
"Yeah," Kula sighed. "I suspected as much."
Diana leaned against the supports of the swing and continued. "She went through many different operations. There were treatments that could have helped her live longer, but she wouldn't go through with them."
"What kind of treatments?"
"Machines, mostly," the tall, raven-haired woman replied. "She would have to stay hooked up to them to keep her heart beating."
Kula looked puzzled. "...So she didn't want to live anymore?"
"I think there was more to it than that."
This was met with a shake of the head. "I'd choose to go on living, no matter what," said Kula. "Even if they had to make me all machines. I could even handle being like Candy, if that's what it took to keep me alive..."
She looked directly at Diana and asked, "So what makes me different from that little girl?"
But Diana had no answer for her. Undaunted, Kula pressed on. "Come on, Diana. What makes me different from her?"
***
"I'm getting back some of my memories," said K'.
But what had returned was hazy and impossible to make sense of. Moreover, who could tell if they were real memories, or ones that had been implanted into his mind? Why did he go on fighting? Though he had never been to this blink-and-you'll-miss-it town before, it all looked so familiar.
He walked around for a bit, and the impressions kept coming to him. But most of these were neither the ancient memories that man had told him about, nor of his own past. It was of the things that he truly did remember on his own.
NESTS, KOF, Maxima, Kula, Kyo Kusanagi, Ash Crimson, Mukai.... If his true memories came back to him, what would happen to his memories of all these people and things? Then he scornfully clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Bah, this isn't getting me anywhere."
He figured he could leave the worrying to Maxima. For now, he would be content to give as good as he got from any of them... Ash, Kyo, Mukai or anyone.
As he walked down an unfamiliar street, he looked up at the sky, and saw a thin stream of smoke working its way upward. The clouds, too, seemed familiar to him.
"So, where did this memory come from?" he thought to himself.
***
As he stood on the balcony of his room, Maxima watched the sky turn colors from orange to a rich, vivid blue. Though he had quit smoking years ago, the old habit caused him to unconsciously reach a hand into his pocket for his cigarettes.
Looking down, he could see K', who had been wandering idly about the town all day. It looked like he was finally coming back to settle in. Maxima stared thoughtfully at his friend, thinking of all that had happened to him. The power of Kyo Kusanagi had been forcibly made a part of his body. This left him with ties to that occult figure, Orochi. Then there was Mukai and crew, who seemed dead-set on acquiring Orochi's power.
Perhaps it was possible for a man to change his own destiny. To stand against all odds and survive. Perhaps there would be more for the so-called "Second Flame of the Kusanagi."
"What's with the strange look, Maxima?" K' asked as he entered the room and stepped out on the balcony. "Something wrong?"
"Nah, nothing important," Maxima replied, scratching his head.
"'Far beyond the mountain, happiness is what man fears'..." muttered K' to himself.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
K' gave a wan smile and said, "I think it means that happiness is further away and more fleeting than a wisp of smoke."
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King of Fighters III
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K'
K' is a modified human with genes transplanted from Kyo Kusanagi by the secret organization NESTS. He wields the ability to manipulate fire, a power he controls with his right hand glove. His personality is a mix of introversion and bluntness. He continues fighting in order to reclaim his lost memories.
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Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
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NEOGEO Battle Coliseum
The secret syndicate NESTS endowed K' with the special abilities of @char=kyo1_kof@.
And the destruction of NESTS, K' and his friends finally thought they could at least spend their lives in peace, but any respite was fleeting at best. The military industry division of WAREZ sought to apply the technology used in them for use in their human weapons. "Hmph...There's only so much of this non-sense I can take". Just how many of his pursuers who had unendingly hunted him down had he disposed of?
Going on the defensive won't be the answer to his future. As it had been with NESTS, there's no way to find a chance for victory if you don't enter the belly of the beast. Then WAREZ announced its sponsorship of the fighting competition Battle Coliseum. A trap perhaps...?For him, the choice was simple.
Now, as always.
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