"All good things must come to an end."
Looking at her heart-wrenchingly beautiful expression, Cloud felt a pang of helplessness.
He reached out, intending to ruffle her hair as he usually did.
But halfway there, it felt somehow inappropriate. In the end, he just lightly patted her shoulder.
"I'm leaving."
"Mm." Goniko nodded gently, her voice barely a whisper.
"Take care of yourself."
"Mm."
"Remember to eat on time."
"Mm."
Watching her "repeat after me" mode, Cloud sighed.
He knew that he, this "irresponsible" man, had once again left an indelible mark on a pure and kind girl's heart.
"Oh, right!" As if suddenly remembering something, he extended his index finger and lightly touched Goniko's smooth forehead.
A golden-purple mark of Chaos Divine Flame, filled with sacred and protective energy, flickered briefly before silently merging into her spiritual world.
"What is..." Goniko blinked in surprise.
"A protective charm." Cloud withdrew his hand, that devil-may-care smile returning to his face. "If you ever run into trouble with bad guys who don't know better, or if any strange voices appear in your head, it'll protect you."
He didn't tell her that this mark didn't just protect her mind from being eroded by the "wind power" Goenitz had left in her. It was also the most precise "GPS tracker."
The moment Goniko encountered real danger, no matter where he was, he would sense it immediately.
Having done all this, he didn't linger. He turned with a flourish, his figure gradually disappearing into the misty rain.
All that remained was the golden-haired girl standing there in a daze, one hand gently touching her forehead where traces of warmth still lingered. Those azure eyes had unknowingly misted over.
...
Several days later. South Town.
This city of sin, having just emerged from the shadow of the "Geese Era," was experiencing vigorous, somewhat wild growth under the "friendly governance" of "Shadow Emperor" Terry and "Property Manager" Mr. Big.
And our protagonist Cloud, having concluded his "holy light"-filled European journey, had returned here once more.
He had planned to properly enjoy a "pool party" at his seaside villa, but he'd barely been back a day when a somewhat "headache-inducing" phone call came through.
"Hello? Is this Cloud?"
A familiar voice, full of energy and vitality, came through the phone.
It was Yuri Sakazaki.
"That's me, Yuri. What's up? Did you develop another biochemical weapon and want me to be your taste-tester?" Cloud joked.
"Th-that's not it!" Yuri's pretty face flushed on the other end, and she hurried to explain. "It's... it's about my brother!"
"Your brother? Ryo? What about him?"
"Sigh, you don't know." Yuri's tone turned helpless. "Ever since he lost to you at KOF '95, he's... he's like a completely different person."
"He locks himself in the dojo every day, either training or staring into space. He keeps muttering about Kusanagi's Mu Shiki, Yagami's Azure Flames, your Chaos Divine Flame... I feel like he's about to... go off the deep end!"
"So..." Yuri's voice carried a pleading tone. "Could you... come to our dojo? Try to talk some sense into him?"
"Well..."
Cloud rubbed his chin.
He could tell with his eyes closed exactly what was going on with Ryo Sakazaki.
It wasn't "going off the deep end."
It was that after witnessing true "battles among gods," he had developed deep self-doubt about his "mortal martial arts."
Simply put, he'd hit a bottleneck. His martial heart was unstable. He needed guidance from a "master."
And Cloud was that "master."
The only problem was that Ryo Sakazaki, the "Invincible Dragon," was born a tsundere.
Asking him to humble himself and beg his "almost-brother-in-law" for martial arts guidance?
That would be worse than killing him.
So the only option was... a roundabout approach, using his innocent little sister as the "messenger."
"Sigh, what an emotionally constipated man."
Cloud mentally complained.
But considering Yuri's "pleading" tone, and his own curiosity about what that "tsundere big-bro-in-law" was up to—
"Fine, I'll come by this afternoon."
...
That afternoon. Kyokugenryu Dojo.
The moment Cloud stepped through the door, he was greeted by a scene of utter "human tragedy."
There lay Robert, the suave and wealthy "Strongest Tiger," sprawled on the floor with a bruised and swollen face, moaning and questioning his life choices.
His opponent, Yuri Sakazaki, wore a pink training uniform, hands on her hips, looking utterly "triumphant."
Those bright eyes sparkled with "I'm the greatest in the world" energy!
"Robert! How did you lose again?! How many times have I told you! Your moves need to be flexible! Use your brain! You can't just rely on brute force!"
"But... Yuri..." Robert's voice was full of grievance. "Your fighting style... doesn't that just break all the rules? Who does the cute act while smashing their opponent's face with a Haoh Shoukou Ken?!"
"Hmph! It's called 'all's fair in war'! Cloud taught me that!" Yuri said proudly.
Cloud: "..."
That wasn't me. I never said that. Stop making things up.
Just then, a figure full of weariness and authority slowly emerged from the dojo's inner chambers.
It was Ryo Sakazaki.
He still wore that stoic "poker face," but those tiger eyes—usually brimming with fighting spirit—now held a deep exhaustion and confusion.
...
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