[Constructing Mode One: Absolute Zero... Reducing water molecule movement to theoretical minimum. Can instantly freeze space and energy.]
[Constructing Mode Two: Stellar Core... Reversing program, elevating molecule movement to nuclear fusion levels. Simulating the ultra-high temperature and energy of a star's core.]
The entire upgrade process lasted three days and three nights.
When the life-support pod's door opened again, the Kula who emerged seemed no different from before—still that ice-blue-haired girl in her cute battle outfit.
"Cloud!" She spotted him and happily leaped into his arms.
"How do you feel?" Cloud held her, smiling as he asked.
"Hmm... My body feels lighter, and... I think I can do some things I couldn't before." Kula tilted her head, extending her small hand.
Whoosh—
A visible wave of cold air emanated from her palm. Within one second, the entire massive laboratory—all the metal walls and precision instruments—became coated in a thick layer of ice crystals glowing with an ethereal blue light. This wasn't ordinary ice, but "Absolute Zero" ice capable of freezing even light itself!
"Wow! So cool!" Kula marveled at her own handiwork like a child with a new toy.
"Don't rush—there's more." Cloud guided her. "Try... feeling the heat."
Kula nodded with partial understanding and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened them again—those ice-blue irises had transformed into brilliant gold! Even her signature ice-blue hair began radiating a golden halo, the tips dancing like flames.
She extended her small hand once more.
This time, no cold air—instead, a fist-sized golden energy sphere appeared in her palm, radiating terrifying heat and light. Its presence felt like a miniature sun!
"Stellar Core" mode!
The laboratory's temperature instantly skyrocketed. Those ice crystals that had just formed didn't even have time to melt—they evaporated directly into nothingness!
"So... so hot!" Kula, startled by her own power, quickly dispersed the energy sphere. Her hair and eye color returned to normal.
"From today forward, you're the Princess of Ice and Fire." Cloud affectionately ruffled her hair. "Do you like your new gift?"
"Yes!" Kula nodded emphatically, then wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck and whispered in his ear: "Then... as a reward, tonight I want strawberry ice cream... and also... Cloud-flavored."
...
Similar enhancement training continued without pause.
Cloud helped Mai Shiranui fuse the Shiranui flames with the solar blaze power of the Yatagarasu, creating "Amaterasu's Solar Blaze" that could incinerate all things.
He guided Athena to combine her psychic power with phoenix force, allowing her to not only heal allies with her voice but also directly shatter enemies' wills with psychic storms.
He infused Mature and Vice with purer Orochi blood, elevating their powers of "Slash" and "Kill" to a level capable of cutting through space itself.
Even Yuri Sakazaki, Leona, Goniko... every member of the harem received Cloud's personally tailored "God-tier Gift Package."
When all enhancement training concluded, Cloud surveyed the goddess army before him—each with distinct styles yet all possessing "god-tier" combat power—and nodded with satisfaction.
"Excellent."
"Miss Otoma=Raga, we're... ready on our end."
"I hope your feast's dishes are tough enough. Otherwise, I'm afraid my girls might not get their fill."
...
After successfully transforming his harem into a super squad where "everyone's a goddess, everyone can fight," Cloud finally had time to address some "historical legacy issues."
First on the list was naturally that pair who had been killing each other for over 600 years, starring in what could be called the fighting world's longest-running soap opera from KOF '95 to KOF XV—Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami.
When Cloud found them, the two were in the KOF Mansion's dedicated training hall, engaged in their daily "friendly exchange."
"Trash! Your flames are as annoying as summer mosquitoes!" Iori Yagami unleashed "Ya Otome" relentlessly while taunting in that signature voice that sounded like the whole world owed him money.
"Shut up! Instead of raging here, go practice your guitar—maybe you'll win a consolation prize at a music festival!" Kyo Kusanagi countered with "Orochinagi" while launching personal attacks without mercy.
Crimson and purple flames intertwined throughout the training hall, explosions echoing constantly. The intensity made the NESTS robots recording data emit strained "zzzt" sounds.
Cloud just stood at the doorway, arms crossed, watching silently for five minutes.
Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Stop."
One word, spoken casually, yet imbued with undeniable power of law.
Instantly, time in the entire training hall seemed to freeze. Kyo's about-to-strike flame and Iori's descending purple claws hung suspended mid-air, both still wearing expressions of insulting each other's families.
"Gentlemen," Cloud strolled into the arena like a school disciplinarian, circling the frozen duo, "what time is it, and you're still playing house like children? Your techniques—have they improved at all since I first met you? It's just MAX supers becoming Climax supers with flashier effects. Fundamentally, you're still running in place."
Cloud snapped his fingers, releasing the temporal freeze.
...
The following days, the training hall became Kyo and Iori's "Hell Cram School."
Cloud didn't directly infuse them with Orochi's origin power. Instead, he used it as a "mirror" to guide them in recognizing their own shortcomings.
He had Kyo feel the "destruction" and "corrosion" of Yagami flames.
Under Cloud's guidance, a trace of purple destructive essence gradually appeared within Kyo's crimson flames. His "Orochinagi" was no longer a simple sweep but now carried a burning effect that clung like a persistent curse.
He then had Iori feel the "protection" and "purification" of Kusanagi fire.
"Your destruction is too pure. Pure destruction will only make you lose yourself in power. Feel what happens when your flames are no longer for killing, but for protecting something."
This was an even more difficult process. Getting a lone wolf accustomed to killing to understand "protection" was harder than teaching him to sing "The Power of Love."
Cloud even resorted to illusions, letting Iori experience a scenario where "Kyo Kusanagi died protecting him."
In that illusion, Iori discovered for the first time that when his annoying rival truly disappeared, his world became so empty and boring.
It was also in that illusion that his flames, for the first time, erupted with warm light—for the sake of "protecting" Kyo Kusanagi's "corpse."
Once both understood each other's power, their bloodlines evolved further.
...
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