As for the other new member—Angel—she was an entirely different story.
This Mexican bombshell with a devilish figure and fiery personality took her "passion" to the absolute extreme.
She and Mai Shiranui quickly became "birds of a feather," forming what they called the "Sexy Fairy Alliance."
Their greatest daily pleasure was researching how to wear even less fabric to showcase their perfect figures, and how to "drain" Cloud dry.
"Mai-sis, what do you think of this new swimsuit I just bought? Doesn't it pack quite a punch?" Angel posed in front of the mirror wearing a strappy swimsuit that barely covered the essentials.
"Hmm... it's not bad, but I think my secret recipe sheer nightgown is better at arousing a man's desire to conquer." Mai wore a black lace negligee that left little to the imagination, her eyes dripping with seduction.
Then the two would exchange knowing smiles and begin planning that night's "night raid" operation.
This left Chizuru Kagura, Kusanagi Aoi, and the others caught in between—both amused and exasperated, feeling their own "combat power" was utterly insignificant compared to these two "vixens."
Meanwhile, the pure-hearted Goniko watched their provocative displays with a crimson face before eventually deciding to join Kula's group as part of the "innocent faction."
And so, a sweet yet fierce "harem competition" centered around Cloud began to unfold.
Today, it was a showdown between Yuri Sakazaki's homemade bento and Kusanagi Aoi's nourishing soup.
Tomorrow, it would be Mai Shiranui's "kimono seduction" versus Angel's "Latin passion dance."
The day after, Chizuru Kagura might "invite" Cloud to her room under the pretense of "discussing the clan's future" for an entire night of "in-depth communication."
And Goniko would use "asking for martial arts guidance" as an excuse to drag Cloud to the dojo for some close-contact training.
Cloud, the fortunate owner of these "happy troubles," enjoyed emperor-like treatment every day amid this "sweet burden," feeling his waist... ahem, feeling his life was incomparably fulfilling and joyful.
Life was peaceful, the world was stable.
These days continued until 2003 drew near.
Strange, inexplicable phenomena began appearing across the world.
At first, they were just unverified "urban legends" circulating on the internet.
Someone claimed they'd seen time seemingly "pause" in a South American rainforest—raindrops suspended in mid-air, birds frozen in the sky—lasting for a full three seconds.
Someone else said they'd witnessed space distorting in a European castle—walls becoming soft like jelly, even allowing glimpses of what lay on the other side.
Still others claimed to have seen a "person" near the Bermuda Triangle, dressed in bizarre retro clothing, emerge from a mirage before mysteriously vanishing.
These rumors initially attracted little attention, dismissed by most as internet users' "photoshops" and "fantasies."
But Cloud detected something unusual in these seemingly unrelated incidents.
Until one day, while he was in his underground laboratory guiding Kula through "ice power and genetic lock fusion" training, his heart suddenly stirred. He looked up sharply, gazing toward the western sky.
In that instant, he sensed an extremely unfamiliar yet immensely powerful force—as if it had traversed endless time and space—flickering briefly on the other side of the Earth.
That power didn't belong to Orochi, didn't belong to NESTS, and didn't belong to any known powerhouse on Earth.
It was filled with antiquity, arrogance, and a complete disregard for "time."
"This is..." Cloud's brow furrowed deeply.
And at that moment, the System in his mind—which had been "slacking off" for quite a while—suddenly blared an urgent alarm!
[ULTIMATE WARNING! ULTIMATE WARNING! Anomalous spacetime fluctuation detected! This fluctuation originates from a higher dimension and is conducting illegal artificial interference with this world's timeline!]
[WARNING! This world's worldline is experiencing unexplained convergence and deviation!]
[Main Quest forcibly triggered—[Crimson of Time]!]
[Quest Background: Throughout the river of history, there exists a mysterious race calling themselves "Those From the Past." They are travelers through time, observers of history. They view humans as "playthings" and history as a "script" that can be freely modified. Their power stems from their control over time. Now, these "people" hiding in history's shadows seem to have developed an "interest" in our "disaster-prone" world.]
[System Sass Time: Host! Wake up, time to party! A new storm has arrived—how can you stay stagnant! You thought beating NESTS meant you cleared the game? Too naive! The real "major version update" is just beginning! This time's opponents are "hackers" who can use high-end tricks like "time stop" and "spacetime travel"! Are you ready to face a battle even more absurd and thrilling than anything before?]
"Those From the Past..."
Cloud rolled the unfamiliar name around in his mouth, his eyes flickering with unprecedented gravity and excitement.
He knew the peaceful days had ended.
A new enemy—more mysterious, more powerful—had turned their gaze upon the world he protected.
The world was quietly changing.
A brand-new KOF tournament manipulated from behind the scenes by "Those From the Past"—KOF 2003—its shadow had already begun to loom over the entire world.
And Cloud, this "savior" who had barely enjoyed a few days of peace, was about to be drawn into an even grander and more dangerous war involving "time" and "history."
...
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