"Your... your psychic powers?!" Athena's beautiful eyes went wide with disbelief.
"I told you—exceptional people are always drawn to each other."
Cloud's figure vanished from the spot!
What followed was less a battle than a flirtatious "teaching session."
Though Athena's spiritual power was strong, her application was far less refined than Cloud's, who had the system "tutoring" him.
"Your psychic reflection's range is too wide—you're wasting energy. Try condensing it into a shield!"
"Your Phoenix Arrow lacks penetration because your spiritual force isn't focused enough! Imagine it as a needle, not a hammer!"
Cloud easily dodged Athena's attacks while pointing out his understanding of psychic abilities with surgical precision.
Athena grew more shocked, yet more delighted with each exchange.
She felt the bottleneck that had plagued her for years finally showing signs of loosening under Cloud's guidance!
Eventually, Cloud caught a gap in her spiritual circulation, instantly closing in and stopping a knife-hand at her neck.
"You lose, Athena."
Athena stared at him blankly, feeling the familiar, comforting essence radiating from him, her cheeks involuntarily flushing.
Just as she was about to suffer "clothing destruction" from exhaustion, a large jacket—still warm from Cloud's body—descended from above to drape over her shoulders.
"As an idol, you need to maintain your image, you know."
Cloud's voice, carrying a hint of teasing and warmth, whispered in her ear.
Athena looked into his eyes, deep as a starry sky, and felt her heart thrown into complete chaos.
[Ding! Target Athena Asamiya Affection change: +50 → +60 (He... he not only understands me, teaches me, but protects me so gently... oh no, is this... what falling in love feels like?)]
Dragon Nation Team, three wins in three matches, advanced with undeniable dominance to—
The KOF 94 Grand Finals!
Their performance made all spectators and fighters abandon any remaining underestimation.
"Lucky? Found two strong teammates?"
A reporter murmured, then deleted that line from his article.
"No, all three of them... are monsters!"
Cloud merely smiled at these comments.
He watched the not-so-distant Athena being helped by teammates, secretly looking back at him with complicated yet grateful eyes, and stroked his chin.
"Being treated like a kept man... doesn't actually feel bad?"
He knew that when the finals bell rang, he would show the world who the true core of this team was!
After Dragon Nation Team advanced to the finals in a nearly "unscientific" manner, the other semifinal also played out on schedule.
[Fatal Fury Team VS Japan Team]
This too was a clash of titans—Mars colliding with Earth.
Terry Bogard, the Legendary Wolf of South Town, finally met Kyo Kusanagi, Japan's Child of Destiny, on the world stage—a fated encounter.
The battle's intensity was no less than Kyo's previous fight against Ryo.
Terry pushed his wild, wide-open American fighting style to the absolute limit!
"Burn Knuckle!" "Power Geyser!"—every move exploded with raw power!
He even broke through at the final moment, forcing his Absolute Domain to a terrifying 27%!
In that instant, he seemed to transform into a true wild wolf breaking free of all chains—his presence awe-inspiring to the extreme!
But his opponent was Kyo Kusanagi...
The true "protagonist" favored by the world's will.
Facing Terry's world-ending assault, Kyo only said coolly: "Nice flames. Too bad... they're not red."
Then, with his even more dominating, even purer "Kusanagi Flames," he completely incinerated and evaporated Terry's "Power Geyser" head-on—no tricks, just overwhelming power.
Fatal Fury Team fell.
Thus, the KOF 94 final matchup was officially set!
[Grand Finals]
[Dragon Nation Team VS Japan Team]
One was this tournament's most mysterious, most bizarre, most unconventionally styled dark horse.
One was the tournament favorite with both power and popularity, dominating every match with royal bearing.
The instant this matchup appeared, the entire world seemed to hold its breath.
All eyes focused on Sydney, Australia.
An unprecedented ultimate battle that would determine the crown of "First King of Fighters" was about to... begin!
...
The night before the finals, in a luxury suite at a Sydney harbor hotel.
The atmosphere was incredibly strange.
Cloud looked at his two still-"unreliable" teammates and felt his temples throbbing.
Commander Zuo sat ramrod straight, meticulously polishing his Spring-Autumn Blade with fine silk—the blade that meant more to him than his own life.
Cold light gleamed off the steel, reflecting his eternally frozen face.
Baobao sat cross-legged on the carpet, surrounded by a massive pile of Australian souvenirs—kangaroo jerky, koala-shaped cookies, and a bottle of sketchy-looking "snake wine."
She held jerky in one hand and a cookie in the other, agonizing over... which to eat first.
...
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