Tekken Fan Fiction ❯ The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 ❯ Succubus ( Chapter 29 )

King of Iron Fist 6

Day 5

6:11 AM

Zozoji Temple, main garden

 

 

Jean locked the door of the inner sanctum and began walking down the stairway whilst whistling a very poorly remixed version of the theme to Magiranger. He had miniature spy cameras hiding within the inner sanctum and all throughout the temple. He might as well have something to watch while he waits for the target to take the bait that he had just now set. Besides, he was quite interested in seeing what the boy might attempt to do to save his beloved. That was something that Jean respected: putting your life and soul on the line to protect the ones you love.

 

And given the rather large amount of sex appeal that the girl had…Jean would certainly be proud of the boy if he actually succeeded in quelling his friend's upcoming fit. Of course…the chances of the boy surviving were laughably slim. At least I'll get to see the look on the girl's face when she rips out the boy's heart from his chest, then comes back to her senses just in time to feel it beat its last…I can hear her lovely cries of mourning now…

 

“Interloper…”

 

Jean stopped in his tracks as he heard the unknown voice boom in a foreboding manner. He couldn't really tell where it was coming from, but he could definitely sense that someone was close by. And for some reason…the presence made Jean's blood begin to boil.

 

“I come to this temple to pray, but instead I find six dead bodies…all of them shrine keepers! HOLY MEN!”

 

He must be referring to the men I had to silence around ten minutes ago as I approached the children, Jean thought as he looked around to see where to voice had originated, I couldn't have any witnesses, after all…

 

“You have violated the sanctity of this holy place! The spirits of the dead have grown restless! The souls of countless warriors buried here now cry out for blood!”

 

As the voice finished, Jean finally spotted the man: he was at the bottom of the staircase, clad in blue-violet armor with numerous wires covering any openings in the armor and a golden horn on his helmet, his face covered with a hannya mask and further veiled with a bullet-proof lavender visor. In his left hand was a katana that glowed an eerie jade color. Running up the stairs, the man let out a war cry.

 

“I, YOSHIMITSU, SHALL SMITE THEE!”

 

Jean smiled deviously as he quickly drew his rapier. The closer Yoshimitsu got to him, the more Jean's pulse began to race and the more brilliant his opponent's katana began to shine. It had been a rather long time since Jean had faced a fellow swordsman, and he had hoped to tangle with the Manjitou leader at some point. “I have other matters that need my attention, so I'm going to make this quick…fun, but quick nonetheless,” Jean got into preparation as Yoshimitsu approached him, “EN GARDE!”

 

As Jean ushered out his battle cry, the dim sunlight that had been lighting the temple faded, and the lights of the temple turned on. The Frenchman's eyes sparkled as he let loose a cackle that was not at all sane. IIIIIIT'S SHOWTIME!!!

 

---------------

6:14(Sunset)

Zozoji Temple, Inner Sanctum

 

Kenichi let out a sigh of despair as he let go of the handle of the door. He had been struggling to open the door for nearly 3 minutes, occasionally stopping to look around the room and see if there were any other exits within the inner sanctum…but it was an old temple: there wasn't even a fire escape. The only thing he hadn't tried was breaking the actual door down, and that was out of the question.

 

Turning around, he looked at the fallen Asuka, still crackling with ki that was not her own. Kenichi had already tried to wake her up, but whenever he tried to touch her, he was bombarded with the same dark energy that was flowing through her, and he knew that he was of no use to Asuka if he was electrocuted.

 

He walked over to his rival and sat down next to her. The man mentioned something about her transforming into something…awful…I wish I knew what it was. Turning away, he looked at the golden Buddha statue in front of him and pulled out his red bead rosary from his pocket. As long as I'm here…I might as well pray…pray that I find the strength to save her…

 

But as soon as Kenichi began muttering a sutra, he noticed that his body began to darken, and realized the shadow that was beginning to loom over him. Quickly turning around, he saw a sight that he would not soon forget: his friend Asuka, a blue crystal on her forehead surrounded by black markings, slowing walking towards him. Crying tears of blood, she spoke, her words full of pain, “K…Kenichi…it…hurts…”

 

Kenichi had seen the markings before: they were the exact same markings that decorated Jin's forehead when he fought Jean. When those markings were upon someone's forehead, it usually meant that madness and destruction were not far behind. It became painfully clear to Kenichi just what Asuka was becoming. Half of him wanted to break down the door and run away as far as he could, but the other half, the half he listened to, told him to stay. Asuka was his friend and rival, and she needed him.

 

However, as Kenichi reached his friend, he was tossed back by an invisible force…and he knew that it came from Asuka. Her screams of agony began to increase, dark blue ki swirling around her body. Getting back up, he watched in terror as Asuka began to mutate.

 

Kenichi could only imagine the anguish Asuka was in as sharp horns began to emerge from her brown hair and grow in a direction parallel to her eyesight, while feathery wings began to tear out of her skin, punch through the back of her undershirt, and protrude from her back: the left wing made of white feathers, and the right one made out of black features. The screams continued to increase, almost as if it was a cry of violent ecstasy, the blue “eye” on her forehead shot out a blue beam; it was not a thin beam like from Kazuya or Jin's transformed states, but a massive ray of ki that blew a hole in the roof of the inner sanctum.

 

A pillar of light engulfed Asuka, as if to herald the event of the destructive force that had just been unleashed. Kenichi shielded his eyes as the bright flashed reached him, and when the light faded, the flames of the candles in the room had turned an eerie blue color, the golden Buddha statue seemed to glow a cryptic green…and standing in front of Kenichi was an Asuka far different from the cheerful girl that he had grown up with. Her garments had transformed as well into a revealing combination of blue and black. Her torso was adorned with a blue leather vest, opened up wide and barely hiding her modesty and revealing the black markings that now adorned her chest, while her skirt had taken on the same leathery properties of her newly-created vest. The fingerless gloves that she had worn were now black, chains wrapped around each clawed finger, and her sneakers were now navy-colored boots that were protruding metallic spikes from the heel.

 

More frightening than Kenichi's more terrible nightmares, and more beautiful than his wildest dreams: Asuka had quite literally transformed in an angel of the fight. There was no good to her now, nor was there any hint of evil: she had morphed into an indiscriminate killing machine.

 

When Asuka stopped shrieking, she shot Kenichi a look that he would never ever forget: a look of pure insanity, as if the noun “madness” had taken on humanoid form. Lunging out at the young man, Asuka knocked Kenichi in the air and carved a massive scar into his back with her fingernails as she came down, tearing apart his sweater vest and undershirt and drawing forth a cry of pain as he was sent spinning uncontrollably to the ground, a trail of blood in his wake.

 

`If you defeat her, you will almost certainly have won her heart with your brave heroics,' Kenichi repeated in his mind as he landed on his feet, trying his best to ignore the blinding pain, whether I win her heart or not doesn't matter to me. Even my surviving this is trivial. All that matters is that I find a way to turn Asuka back to the way she was...save her from this…this form! I promised her father than I would bring her home in one piece…and I swear upon my life that I shall live up to my promise!

 

Slowly assuming a fighting stance, Kenichi prepared against the oncoming assault and said, “Forgive me, Asuka…but my fists shall beat to back to sanity! IKUZE!!”

 

 

---------------

6:15 PM

Zozoji Temple, Main garden

 

The blades of the two fighters clashed, a brilliant flash emanating from Yoshmitsu's katana as it came into contact with Jean's rapier. Both swords had a long history that dated back to the 16th century. Yoshimitsu's self-named katana had once been exposed to Soul Edge fragments, while Jean's rapier Flambert had once crossed blades with Soul Edge itself. And as the two blades grinded against each other nearly five hundred years later, it was like fighting with a pair of cattle prods.

 

My head has been pounding like a jungle drum ever since I laid eyes on this man, Jean thought as he broke the standstill and kicked Yoshimitsu away, I guess it really HAS been a long time since I've tangled with a true swordsman!

 

My blade has never shone with such evil energy before, Yoshimitsu swatted away Jean's trust and countered by bashing Jean over the head with the hilt of his katana then sent him sprawling with a roundhouse kick, there is more at work here than just this man! But what could it be?

 

Yoshimitsu tapped his helmet, and his purple visor lit up. Once he did that, the computer in his armor sprung to life, and his visor became like a computer monitor and beep as it picked up other life signatures. They were coming from the temple, and one of them was utterly massive…while the other with a life signature he had become familiar with in the past few days: Kenichi Masamune, the boy who he had been hoping to one day become his pupil.

 

“…this power…WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?” Yoshimitsu once again engaged his opponent and the two fighters crossed blades yet again, supernatural sparks spewing from the blades with every strike. “Why does the sacred room of the Amida Buddha radiate with evil energy!? Why is the Masamune boy trapped in that room, as well? Just how much damage have you done?”

 

Jean smiled as he grinded his blade against Yoshimitsu's, “You have no idea what's going on here…do you? But if you'd really like to know…head to the inner sanctum and see for yourself the terror that has been unleashed upon this world!”

 

Quickly breaking the standstill, Yoshimitsu pushed Jean away and ran up the stairs, but not before ushering a warning to Jean: “Beware, fiend. This is not over!”

 

“Of course it isn't, fellow swordsman. I shall see you at the next tournament! And I have enjoyed our brief duel,” Jean shouted after him as he sheathed Flambert and began running in the opposite direction.

 

Jean's head finally stopped pounding and he left the temple grounds. He had not felt a bloodlust that strong since he slew his sister's murderer so long ago. …must be the thrill of the fight, Jean thought as he went into his van and began his stakeout for the primary target to take the bait.

 

What he didn't know was that the true nature of his bloodlust stemmed not from the joy of competition, but from something dark that had been lying dormant within him…something that was beginning to wake up…