"Hey... Cloud," Shermie yawned, lazily leaning against Cloud's chair, "do we really not need to do anything? They're fighting so intensely down there, and we're just watching from here. Feels kind of unfair."
"What's the rush?" Cloud tossed another piece of popcorn into his mouth. "This is just the appetizer. Otoma=Raga is testing our strength while wearing us down. The real big fish hasn't taken the bait yet."
"Besides," he pointed at the fighters on screen locked in desperate combat, "this is valuable live combat training. Let them adapt to this intensity of 'immortals clashing' early, so they don't go weak in the knees when they see the boss in the final battle."
What he wanted wasn't a group of lackeys who only knew how to follow behind him, but a "hero alliance" where each could hold their own ground and defend different fronts.
Of course, that said, watching his friends struggle in battle, Cloud decided to "help" them a little.
He extended one finger, lightly tapping the air.
...
South Town Harbor.
Terry, Ryo, and the others were being pushed back by Rugal's new power. Rugal seemed able to draw dark energy from the void, doubling the power of his "Kaiser Wave" and "Gigantic Pressure."
Just as Rugal prepared to unleash an ultimate "God Press," his body suddenly stiffened.
"Hm? What's happening? I can't... channel the power?" Rugal discovered with shock that his energy link to "that person" had been "cut" by something.
"Now!"
Terry and Ryo seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, simultaneously erupting with their strongest techniques!
"Buster Wolf!"
"Shin Tenchi Haohken!"
Two forces of ultimate yang energy slammed into the power-deprived Rugal.
"No—!"
With an unwilling roar, Rugal's hastily assembled body once again dissolved into scattered points of light.
...
NESTS Floating Fortress.
Krizalid and K' were locked in fierce combat. Using his control over the fortress, Krizalid constantly deployed defense systems to attack K', keeping him on the defensive.
Just as he prepared to activate the fortress's main cannon to give K' a "surprise," the entire fortress's power grid suddenly went dark.
"Warning! Warning! Power core abnormally offline!"
"Main cannon system offline!"
"Backup power... also offline!"
"Nani?!" Krizalid stared at the completely dark control panel, showing genuine confusion for the first time in his life.
"Looks like your toy ran out of batteries." K''s voice came like a reaper from behind him.
...
Snow Mountain Peak.
Goenitz was about to chant his world-cleansing final hymn when he suddenly slipped on a patch of ice that appeared from nowhere, falling flat on his face in an undignified "faceplant," his sacred image utterly ruined.
Iori seized the moment with a "MAX Ya Otome" directly to the face.
...
Eiffel Tower.
Magaki was about to unleash his space-warping ultimate technique when he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his stomach, as if he'd eaten a year's worth of expired cheese. He immediately doubled over, his technique fizzling out.
Haohmaru and Ukyo exchanged glances. Though neither understood what had happened, both instinctively struck simultaneously—a deluxe combo of "Tenha Fujin Zan" plus "Tsubame Gaeshi" sent him straight back to the afterlife.
...
Mansion Command Center.
Cloud contentedly withdrew his finger.
Just now, he had merely used the tiniest bit of Dimensional Power to create small "accidents" for those returning bosses at critical moments.
For instance, cutting Rugal's "network cable," hacking Krizalid's "computer," dropping one of Kula's leftover popsicle sticks under Goenitz's feet, and using psychic power to stimulate Magaki's intestinal motility...
Deep achievements, kept hidden.
"See? Problem solved." Cloud shrugged at the "did you just cheat?" expressions behind him.
"Just like that... it's solved?" Shermie blinked, somewhat incredulous.
"What else?" Cloud laughed. "Against these small fry, we don't need us ultimate weapons stepping in personally. Our job is to conserve energy and wait for the real leading lady to appear."
He stood, walking to the massive floor-to-ceiling window and looking up.
In his divine vision, that dimensional rift at the world's apex had grown even larger and more unstable after absorbing the scattered energy from those defeated bosses.
Otoma=Raga's descent had entered the final countdown.
"Alright, everyone," Cloud turned around, his face showing an unprecedented excitement—like a director about to take the stage.
"The intermission is over."
"Now, let's go welcome KOF history's most magnificent and grandest..."
"...Closing performance!"
...
After the sudden "Boss Reunion Carnival" was defeated, the sky changed again.
This time, there were no world-destroying energy fluctuations, no unsettling whispers.
There was only... invitation letters floating down from the sky like snowflakes.
Each invitation was made of an unknown material seemingly condensed from starlight, with gilt letters spelling out elegant yet chilling text:
...
"To: My dear ingredients"
"Thank you all for participating in and enjoying the recent appetizer show."
"Now, it's time for the main course."
"All delicious souls are cordially invited to attend the Last Supper that will decide your fates—THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV"
"Venue: Earth."
"Rules: None."
"Stakes: Your world."
"Winners will earn the right to continue existing."
"Losers will become the most glorious part of my plate."
"Looking forward to your attendance."
...
This invitation dripping with "boss-drawing-pie" energy instantly spread to every corner of Earth. Whether heads of state in meetings or ordinary citizens eating ramen on street corners—everyone received one.
Global panic reached its peak in an instant.
Yet for the true fighters, this invitation full of ultimate provocation was like a shot of adrenaline, completely igniting their final fighting spirit!
...
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