"Terry... Andy..." Joe looked at his two closest friends, voice hoarse, eyes glistening with emotion.
"You crazy bastard, you actually survived!" Terry clapped him hard on the shoulder with a grin.
"Welcome back, brother." Andy's smile came straight from the heart.
The Fatal Fury trio—reunited at last after days of separation!
No sappy speeches. Just the unspoken understanding between men—a look, a fierce embrace.
That brotherhood forged in the fires of life and death, stronger than steel, said everything.
And when Joe's gaze found Cloud standing nearby, the tough Muay Thai warrior struggled to sit up.
He pressed his palms together in a traditional Thai wai, bowing toward Cloud.
"Brother Cloud... I can't begin to repay this debt! From now on, my life belongs to you!"
"Alright, alright, none of that." Cloud quickly eased him back down.
"We're all friends here—no need for formalities. What you need to do now is rest up. When we finally twist Geese's head off and use it as your personal soccer ball, you'd better be there to cheer us on."
The bold declaration set the entire room ablaze with fighting spirit!
The flames of vengeance roared in every heart!
But just as this touching moment of "brothers reunited, morale skyrocketing" reached its peak—
Rapid footsteps sounded from the courtyard.
"Who's there?!"
Everyone tensed immediately.
The clinic's apprentice, A-Zhen, rushed in with a peculiar expression, approaching Cloud: "Mr. Cloud, there are... more people here to see you. A, um... muscular guy who claims to be your brother-in-law, and a... handsome guy in a Ferrari."
Brother-in-law? Ferrari?
Cloud blinked, then it clicked.
Before he could say anything, two familiar figures strode in from outside.
One wore an orange karate gi, face twisted with "where's my sister, what have you done with my sister" anxiety—Ryo Sakazaki.
The other sported a tailored Versace suit, looking less like he'd come to South Town for a fight and more like he was attending Milan Fashion Week—Robert Garcia.
"Cloud!" The moment Ryo spotted Cloud, he lunged forward, grabbed his collar, and growled through clenched teeth:
"Where's my sister?! Where did you take her?! If she's missing even a single hair, I swear I'll show you what the Kyokugenryu Ultimate: Tiger Claw Bone Removal really feels like!"
"Bro! I'm right here!"
Yuri Sakazaki came running out from the back room, face flushed, quickly pulling her overprotective "siscon" brother away.
"Ryo, calm down..." Cloud's mouth twitched. "I literally just escaped from a dragon's lair, and you're starting internal drama? Not cool, man."
"Hmph!" Ryo released him with a cold snort, but those "death stare" eyes remained locked onto Cloud.
"We got Yuri's emergency call and drove through the night to get here," Robert explained smoothly, adjusting his tie. "Heard you're going to war with that old bastard Geese? A party this hot couldn't possibly be missing Italy's most handsome man, could it?"
The heroes of KOF 94—assembling once more for a common cause!
The small courtyard was suddenly packed with talent, a veritable "all-star" lineup!
Every face radiated the joy of reunion and the excitement of the coming showdown!
But just then...
Another familiar voice drifted in from the entrance—magnetic, tinged with exasperation.
"I have to say... you guys throw a party without inviting the most popular man in the room? That's just... cold."
Everyone turned in unison.
There, leaning against the doorframe, was a young man in a flashy designer shirt with flowing golden locks—so handsome even women were jealous—tossing them a sultry wink.
Benimaru Nikaido of Team Japan!
"Benimaru?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
Shock rippled through the group.
But the real surprise was yet to come.
Behind Benimaru, a petite figure peeked out—half her face visible, bright obsidian eyes full of curiosity and wonder as she shyly surveyed the courtyard.
She was a stunningly beautiful girl of about sixteen or seventeen!
Short chestnut hair, a cute sailor uniform, porcelain skin, features delicate as a doll's.
Most striking were her eyes.
Eyes identical to Kyo Kusanagi's—burning with the fire of life itself!
Yet unlike Kyo's arrogance and devil-may-care attitude, these eyes brimmed with curiosity, innocence, and mischievous energy.
When her gaze landed on Cloud, those bright eyes lit up like she'd discovered a new continent—filled with undisguised admiration and delight!
The courtyard fell into strange silence.
Every male present—including Terry and Ryo—instinctively held their breath at the sight of this suddenly-appearing beauty whose cuteness level was practically "illegal."
And every female present—especially Mai—felt their "anti-aircraft radar" sixth sense immediately... blare red alert when they saw the way the girl looked at Cloud!
...
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