News of Cloud and the Emperor's "death match" spread like a bomb dropped into still waters—the entire world boiled over.
The front pages of every major media outlet, the top of every social media trending list—all were dominated by the simple, brutal, explosive topic of "Emperor VS King of Fighters."
Betting pools opened, with odds rocketing from 1:1 to 1:100. As for who was the "100," everyone knew.
After all, one was a mysterious, accomplished "cheater" King of Fighters, while the other was a reclusive shut-in who only existed in legends. You could vote with your feet and know who to bet on.
However, just as the outside world overwhelmingly favored Cloud—even starting to photoshop "Three-Peat Champion" posters for him—an unexpected person sought him out.
Saisyu Kusanagi.
This Kusanagi patriarch—Kyo's unreliable old man—had unusually abandoned his usual carefree attitude. His face was more grave than ever before.
"Cloud! You must be careful in this duel with the Emperor!"
"Oh?" Cloud was somewhat surprised. "You also think I'll lose to a 94% shut-in old man?"
"No." Saisyu shook his head. "What I'm worried about isn't the current Emperor... but the Emperor one week from now."
He paused, lowering his voice even further. "According to my spy planted within the Imperial household, the Emperor has been frantically recruiting talent lately."
"Recruiting talent? His eyebrows are on fire and he's got time for an autumn job fair?" Cloud quipped.
"What he's recruiting aren't ordinary talents, but reclusive masters who retired from the martial world long ago—experts with unfathomable power." Saisyu's expression turned serious. "For example... Kasumi Todoh's grandfather, the grandmaster of Mind's Eye Single-Blade Style—Ryuhaku Todoh."
"Ryuhaku Todoh?" Cloud thought for a moment. "Wasn't he reported missing?"
"He retired voluntarily." Saisyu sighed. "Lord Ryuhaku was a close friend of my father, Kusanagi Retsu. His strength, even in our generation, was monstrous enough to rank in the top five."
"After all these years, he's probably grown even more unfathomable. And there are quite a few old-generation powerhouses like him in Japan. Many of them are traditionalists who still hold foolish loyalty to the Imperial family."
"You mean the Emperor plans to call in backup for a group beatdown?" Cloud frowned. "That's not very sportsmanlike for a duel."
"No, it's worse than that." Horror and rage flashed in Saisyu's eyes. "According to my people, those elderly masters who were invited into the Imperial Palace... after helping His Majesty train... all became cripples! Some were even killed!"
"What do you mean?"
"The Emperor is using an extremely tyrannical, cruel method to forcibly absorb their power!" Saisyu slammed his fist on the table. "This isn't martial arts anymore—this is the dark path! Demonic arts! For victory, he's abandoned all principles. He's completely lost his mind!"
Just as Saisyu described, deep within the Imperial Palace at that very moment, a sealed cultivation chamber was hosting a hair-raising scene.
Ryuhaku Todoh, over eighty years old with white hair and beard, sat cross-legged at the center of a massive yin-yang formation. His eyes were closed, his entire being radiating the grandmaster aura of one who had returned to simplicity.
Seated across from him was the current Emperor.
"Lord Ryuhaku," the Emperor's voice was flat and emotionless, "my Imperial Ultimate Scripture has reached a bottleneck. I humbly request your assistance."
Ryuhaku Todoh slowly opened his eyes and sighed. "Your Majesty, this old servant has said before—the martial path values gradual progress. If you rush like this, forcibly devouring others' cultivation, though it may bring rapid advancement, it will ultimately destabilize your foundation and lead to qi deviation."
"Qi deviation?" Hearing this, the Emperor suddenly laughed—a laugh filled with cold madness. "I am Heaven, and Heaven is me! My path IS the Heavenly Path! Where does this 'deviation' come from?"
He suddenly raised his hand, palm aimed at Ryuhaku Todoh.
"I have no time! That Cloud is like an insurmountable mountain pressing down on me! I must obtain power enough to crush him in the shortest time possible! For that, sacrificing a few old cornerstones—what does it matter?"
"Your Majesty, you—" Ryuhaku's face changed drastically. He tried to resist, but discovered the yin-yang formation beneath him had somehow begun glowing with eerie red light. A powerful binding force locked him firmly in place.
"Lord Ryuhaku, rest easy." The Emperor's eyes gleamed with greed. "Your power, your martial insights—they will all become the foundation of my dominion over all! This is the supreme honor you, as a subject, can achieve!"
ROAR—!
Behind the Emperor, a massive dragon head phantom formed from black energy materialized. The dragon opened its cavernous maw and inhaled violently!
Ryuhaku Todoh felt his lifetime of cultivated power surge outward like water from a broken dam, uncontrollably pouring into that black dragon's ravenous maw!
"AHHH—!!!"
A grandmaster let out a cry of agony and unwillingness.
His body visibly withered at a rate the eye could follow. His white hair turned yellow and brittle. Age spots appeared across his skin. In mere minutes, he seemed to age decades.
Finally, when the last wisp of power was drained from him, he collapsed like a mummy sucked dry of all moisture—reduced to a helpless invalid.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, having absorbed Ryuhaku Todoh's lifetime of cultivation, let out a satisfied sigh.
He could feel his power had grown once more.
"Not enough... still not enough!" He licked his crimson lips, eyes full of infinite hunger for power. "Who's next?"
Outside the door, Director Konoe answered in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, it is the current head of the Fuma clan—Fuma Kotaro..."
"Good. Bring him in."
The chamber doors slowly closed once more.
Inside, another bloody, cruel "power transfer" ritual was about to unfold.
The outside media, with some interested parties' encouragement, began reporting these hermit masters' "disappearances," pointing the finger directly at the Imperial household.
The narrative of "Evil Emperor VS Righteous King of Fighters" had completely taken hold.
Everyone placed their hopes on the man about to battle the "Tyrant Emperor."
Amid this tension thick as an approaching storm, Cloud's mind echoed with the long-absent System notification.
[DING! Major plot node detected in current worldline: The Ultimate Confrontation Between Imperial and Divine Authority!]
[System Quest Issued: Divine Punishment for the Evil Emperor!]
[Quest Description: As a promising young man with ideals, ambitions, and good looks (moonlighting as Final Boss), how can you tolerate an evil Emperor who cheats by absorbing others' cultivation to defile the sacred words "martial arts"? Go forth, young man! Climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji and use your fists the size of rice cookers to teach him what "the true way of the king" really means!]
[Quest Requirements: Under the eyes of the entire world, defeat (or eliminate) the Japanese Emperor in an honorable fashion.]
[Quest Rewards:]
[1. Orochi Power Fragment (Low-grade) x3 (Collect 100 to exchange for complete Orochi Power and unlock more divine abilities~)]
[2. Source Points x150,000 (With these, Mom never has to worry about my skill points being insufficient!)]
[3. Mystery Lottery Box x1 (Chance to obtain Ultimate Power Trial Card, Random Hakkesshu Summoning Ticket, and other surprise goodies!)]
[System Commentary: Host, what are you waiting for? Think of those generous rewards! Think of those grandpas who got sucked dry! Think of those hungry sisters waiting for you back home... ahem, anyway, for love, justice (and rewards), just do it! Let's gooo!]
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