Adelheid: "..."
The entire audience: "..."
"Too weak." Cloud shook his head, then his figure flickered.
The next second, he had appeared behind Adelheid, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder.
"It's over."
Adelheid's body stiffened. He could feel that if his opponent wished, his proud head would be separated from his neck in the next instant.
He smiled bitterly and lowered his hands.
"...I've lost."
From start to finish, Cloud hadn't even moved his feet.
Rose's proud, sweet smile completely froze on her face.
The confidence and fervor in her eyes were instantly replaced by disbelief and tremendous humiliation!
Her "strongest" brother in her heart... had actually been... so easily one-shotted by this man?!
"No... impossible! This can't be!"
The young girl's sanity snapped completely in this moment! Her sapphire-like eyes were instantly filled with crazed blood vessels!
"Since... since you're all so powerful! Then... then die along with this ship!!!"
Screaming, she was about to press a red detonation button with a skull emblem engraved on it!
"Holy shit! This girl's gone crazy?! She'd self-destruct because she can't win? This temper is definitely Rugal's biological daughter!"
"Run! We're going down!"
The entire venue descended into chaos.
However, at that moment, a warm, large hand pressed down on Rose's frantic hand.
It was Adelheid.
"Enough, Rose." He looked at his sister who had fallen into madness, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness. "A loss is a loss. We... can't repeat Father's mistakes."
He took the detonator from Rose's hand, then bowed deeply to the bewildered fighters.
"My deepest apologies. My sister was out of line. I will immediately arrange for everyone's safe return to the surface."
With that, he pulled the still screaming and struggling Rose away, heading toward the ship's control room without looking back.
Before leaving, Rose's eyes—filled with hatred and madness—locked onto Cloud.
That gaze seemed to say: Cloud, I'll remember you! I will absolutely... never let you go!
Cloud watched this pair of siblings with completely opposite personalities and stroked his chin.
"Interesting daddy-issues kids. Looks like there'll be plenty to play with later."
...
The KOF 2003 finals arrived on schedule.
After a series of twists and turns, the familiar old faces ultimately made it to the final round.
And as the "divine descendant," Chizuru Kagura once again became the center of attention.
However, Cloud knew the real "main event" was just about to begin.
In the backstage rest room, Chizuru was resting with her eyes closed, adjusting her condition.
Suddenly, a peculiar mist filled with hypnotic and controlling power seeped silently through the door crack, slowly enveloping Chizuru.
Within the mist, the shadowy figure of a woman wearing an elaborate kimono with an eerie smile flickered in and out of visibility.
It was Botan—one of "Those From the Past" members, possessing the ability to control puppets!
Her mission was to control Chizuru and have her unseal "Orochi" during the finals!
Just as that eerie mist was about to touch Chizuru—
Suddenly!
A golden light blade slashed out from the void without warning, precisely cutting toward that mist!
"What?!"
Botan within the mist let out a startled cry and hastily retreated!
But it was too late!
The golden blade instantly dispersed the mist, its residual force even piercing through the wall and leaving a bone-deep wound on Botan's shoulder!
"Ugh—!"
Botan spat out a mouthful of blood, her eyes filled with terror.
She hadn't even seen where the attack came from!
"Trying to make a move on my people, on my turf? Did you ask the master of this place first?"
Cloud's lazy voice echoed through the rest room, but he himself was nowhere to be seen.
Botan knew she'd been exposed! And her opponent's strength far exceeded her own!
Without a moment's hesitation, she activated her ability and fled into the dimensional folds, escaping in disgrace.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Just as Botan's ambush failed, another ghostly figure appeared behind Chizuru.
It was Ash!
In his hand burned an emerald flame filled with devouring and destructive aura. Without hesitation, he grabbed toward Chizuru's back!
His target was the "Yata Mirror"!
He had calculated that Botan's ambush would attract everyone's attention—and this was his perfect opportunity to seize the Sacred Treasure!
However, just as his hand was about to touch Chizuru—
A hand like an iron vice firmly gripped his wrist!
"!!!"
Ash's pupils contracted sharply!
He whipped his head around to see the one face he least wanted to see, wearing that friendly smile.
Cloud!
"Hey, white-hair, long time no see." Cloud looked at him with a grin, but the grip on his hand was strong enough to crush steel. "What's this? Taking advantage of the ghost haunting someone else's house to do a little five-finger discount? That's not a very nice habit."
"You... you..." Ash's face showed an expression like he'd seen a ghost.
His plan was flawless! His every move perfectly exploited the blind spots of human nature! How had this man discovered him?!
"Why am I here?" The smile on Cloud's face suddenly turned ice-cold. "Because I've known all along what you, you lurking specter, have been scheming."
"Also, did you forget?" Cloud leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Chizuru Kagura is my woman."
"How could I possibly let my woman suffer even the slightest harm?"
"So, take your filthy hand away!"
The instant those words fell, a force of Ultimate Power capable of destroying heaven and earth exploded from Cloud's hand!
"URGH—!!!"
Ash didn't even have time to scream before being sent flying like he'd been hit by a cannonball, blood spraying wildly from his body!
...
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