"Ryuji Yamazaki? What are you doing here?" Kyo recognized this guy—a mad dog of the Japanese underworld.
"Delivering mail." Yamazaki was brief, tossing a black-and-gold invitation to Kyo. "KOF97. Your ticket. Take it."
Kyo caught the invitation, looked it over, then frowned as he sensed something wasn't quite right.
"Just one?" He waved the invitation. "That's not right. Japan Team has three people. Where are Benimaru and Daimon's invitations?"
"I had my boys deliver theirs." Yamazaki said impatiently. "This is the captain's exclusive edition."
"Oh..." Kyo nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something and grinned, pointing at the curious youth beside him. "So... can I get one more?"
"Huh?" Yamazaki picked at his ear, thinking he'd misheard.
"This is my new apprentice, Shingo Yabuki." Kyo patted the boy's shoulder with a "benevolent master" expression.
The young man immediately puffed out his chest and bowed ninety degrees to Yamazaki. "Pleased to meet you, senior! I'm Shingo Yabuki! Master Kyo Kusanagi's one and only disciple! My dream is to learn Mu Shiki and become a great fighter just like Master!"
Yamazaki: "..."
He looked the kid called "Shingo" up and down. All he could sense from him was a "noob" aura—and the "so noob it hurts" variety at that.
"Him? He wants to compete in KOF?" The corner of Yamazaki's mouth twisted with undisguised mockery. "Kid, KOF isn't your school sports day. People die in there. With your scrawny build, you probably couldn't even finish a basic exercise routine before they'd be carrying you off on a stretcher."
"Y-you're lying!" Shingo's face flushed crimson, his whole body trembling with anger. "I'm really strong! I've already learned Master's Style 100: Oniyaki!"
With that, he struck a pose right there and bellowed: "Oni... yaki!"
Then... nothing happened.
The awkward silence was deafening.
Kyo covered his face with an expression of "I don't know this embarrassment."
"Ahem," Shingo scratched his head awkwardly, "um... I'm just not in good form today, the flames didn't come out..."
Yamazaki looked at this "comedy duo of master and disciple" and felt his blood pressure rising.
He was about to refuse outright, but on second thought, found it somewhat amusing.
"Tell you what." He beckoned to Shingo. "Kid, come fight me. If you can last ten seconds against me, I'll give you an invitation."
"Really?!" Shingo's eyes lit up instantly.
"Master..." He turned, looking at Kyo with "please approve" eyes.
Kyo sighed and nodded. "Go ahead. Let him teach you a lesson. Maybe it'll cure you of not knowing how high the sky is."
And so, an extremely bizarre "entrance exam" began in the Kusanagi family dojo.
"HYAAAAH—!"
Shingo roared and charged at Yamazaki in what he considered his fastest, coolest posture.
"Kusanagi-Style Ancient Martial Arts: Style 114, Aragami!"
He mimicked Kyo's technique and threw a punch. Though flameless, the wind from his fist was passable.
However, Yamazaki just... yawned.
He didn't even take his hand out of his pocket. Just a slight tilt of his body easily dodged Shingo's attack. Then he extended one leg and casually hooked.
Thud.
Shingo immediately face-planted, getting a mouthful of dirt.
"Too slow." Yamazaki shook his head in critique. "Your punch has the power of a cotton ball. Your stance is unstable—like you're walking on banana peels. And this wants to learn Mu Shiki? I think you'd better go back and learn how to walk in a straight line first."
"Damn it! I'm not done yet!"
Shingo scrambled up indomitably and charged again.
"Exterior Style: Tomahawk Positive!"
"Style 101: Oboroguruma!"
He threw out every technique he'd secretly learned from Kyo, one after another.
For a moment, shadows flew across the dojo, shouts shook the rafters—anyone who didn't know better might think they were filming a "crows zero" movie.
Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't touch even the hem of Yamazaki's clothes.
Yamazaki was like a cat toying with a mouse, effortlessly dodging all of Shingo's attacks, occasionally tripping him or flicking his forehead.
Within minutes, Shingo was black and blue, gasping for breath, his entire being educated into existential crisis.
"Why... why can't I hit him..." He braced against his knees, panting heavily, eyes full of frustration.
"Because you're too weak." Yamazaki finally stopped, looking at this youth—battered but with fire still burning in his eyes—and a trace of imperceptible appreciation flickered in his gaze.
"However..." His tone shifted. "Though you're weak and pathetic, you've got backbone. Slightly better than that show-off master of yours."
He pulled another invitation from his jacket and tossed it to Shingo.
"Take it, rookie. Try not to die too early."
With that, he turned to leave without looking back.
"Wait!" Kyo called after him.
"What now?" Yamazaki turned back impatiently.
"Nothing much." Kyo's expression had turned serious. "Just wanted to remind you—this year's KOF has a lot of monsters. Watch yourself."
Yamazaki's mind involuntarily conjured Iori Yagami's manic face, and... Cloud's even more unfathomable one.
He was silent for a moment, then snorted coldly. "Monsters? Heh. I've seen plenty."
He paused, then said in a voice only Kyo could hear: "Compared to the obvious monsters, I think you, the master, should train harder. I've met Iori Yagami. The pressure he gave off... was much stronger than yours."
With that, he disappeared at the edge of the dojo without looking back.
Leaving only Kyo standing there, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
Meanwhile, Shingo clutched his hard-won invitation, flames reigniting in his eyes.
"KOF! Here I come!"
...
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