She nuzzled her little head deeper into Cloud's embrace, found a more comfortable position, then closed her eyes in contentment.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Your relationship with core Bond Character Yuri Sakazaki has achieved a historic breakthrough!]
[Yuri Sakazaki's Loyalty locked: Devotion unto Death!]
[Special Bond Effect unlocked: Tiger's Roar (When fighting alongside Yuri Sakazaki, your Qi-based techniques gain 10% power boost)!]
And at that very moment—
Deep within the dojo's inner chambers, in that sealed cultivation room—
Ryo Sakazaki, who was attempting to break through to the "Realm of the Divine," suddenly shivered without warning.
He couldn't shake the feeling that...
Something very important—a "precious cabbage" he'd painstakingly raised for over a decade—had just been... rooted up by some pig that appeared out of nowhere.
...
When the sun over South Town once again turned lazy, when the "Closed for Seclusion" sign at Kyokugenryu Dojo had hung so long it was practically developing a patina—KOF '96, this fighting tournament destined to go down in history, finally raised its curtain on a stage filled with "gods" and "demons."
On this day, a unique invitation was personally delivered to Cloud's seaside villa—practically a "South Town landmark" at this point.
The invitation was made entirely from an unknown metal with a faint silver luster, cool to the touch, radiating a futuristic technological vibe.
And in the center of the invitation was carved an ancient, sacred-looking "Yata Mirror" emblem.
The moment Cloud's hand touched that emblem—
Hummm—!
A pure, vast spiritual imprint, like the whisper of the divine, instantly flooded into his mind!
Immediately after, a familiar voice—dripping with "tsundere" energy and "warning"—rang directly in his head.
It was Chizuru Kagura.
"Hey! Cloud! You big liar! You scoundrel!"
"Bet you didn't expect this! This year's KOF '96 is exclusively sponsored by the Kagura Financial Group! I'm your... sugar daddy now!"
"You tricked us sisters so badly before—I'm keeping track! At the tournament, you'd better... not give me any openings, or I'll definitely beat you until you're missing teeth!"
Before Cloud could respond, another voice spoke up—gentle, serene, carrying a hint of helpless amusement.
It was Maki Kagura.
"Mr. Cloud, don't mind Chizuru's nonsense. We sisters... really missed you."
"This tournament is extraordinary. The wind has begun to rage. We... need your strength."
"So..."
"We've prepared a special stage for you."
The spiritual imprint ended there.
Cloud held the invitation, still carrying faint traces of the priestess's spiritual warmth, his expression caught between laughter and tears.
He opened the invitation. The tournament rules inside made his jaw drop.
[KOF '96 Special Rules]
1. The final champion team will earn the right to challenge the "Double Champion," the First and Second King of Fighters—Cloud!
2. The winner of the final challenge match will be the true Grand Champion of KOF '96!
"Holy crap?! I'm the final boss?!"
Cloud stared at the rules, completely dumbfounded.
So after all this, I don't even have to fight in the preliminaries? I go straight to being the "Gatekeeper Demon King"?
Is this... a promotion with a raise?
But when he saw phrases like "Gatekeeper Boss" and "No Team Required," a massive wave of happiness instantly engulfed him!
"Hahaha... Hahahaha!"
He couldn't help bursting into laughter on the spot, laughing until tears nearly streamed down his face.
"Finally... Finally I don't have to worry about finding two oddball teammates!"
"System! Do you hear me?! I'm free! I don't have to be a babysitter anymore!"
[Host, please mind your image. You're technically a "Double Champion" now. Please don't laugh like a "two-hundred-pound child."]
...
In the days that followed, Cloud entered an intense yet fulfilling "pre-tournament preparation" state.
Though he was already strong enough to be a "human Gundam," he was about to face challenges from fighters standing at the very pinnacle of the KOF world!
Not to mention that final boss—Goenitz—who could pop out from any corner to deliver a "backstab."
So he began traveling the world, conducting inhumane "self-destruction" training in uninhabited primeval jungles.
He would use Orochinagi to level a mountain peak.
He would use Ya Sakazuki to freeze a waterfall in place.
His mastery of power grew ever more exquisite—and ever more terrifying.
This particular day, as he finished training and prepared to return—
The sounds of intense gunfire, along with an inhuman howl filled with agony and madness, suddenly echoed from deep within the jungle!
"Hmm?"
Cloud's brow furrowed slightly.
He could clearly sense that the howl contained an extremely unstable yet utterly pure "Divine Tribe" aura!
Without hesitation, his figure flickered, ghosting toward the sound's source.
...
Deep in the jungle, in a clearing that had been devastated by artillery fire.
Ralf and Clark of the Ikari Warriors were huddled behind a massive boulder, covered in blood, gasping for breath, looking utterly wrecked.
"Damn it! Why is these terrorists' firepower so intense?!" Ralf clutched his bleeding arm, cursing through gritted teeth.
"Something's wrong!" Clark's face was grave as he stared at the clearing's center. "It's Leona! Her... her condition isn't right!"
In the center of the clearing, a girl in a blue military vest and green combat pants, with ice-blue short hair, was kneeling on the ground in agony!
She was the Ikari Warriors' newest member—Heidern's adopted daughter—Leona Heidern.
...
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