"So... so powerful..." Leona murmured, feeling the earth-shattering force within her.
She felt like one punch now could destroy her former self!
"Very powerful, is it?" Cloud's voice came calmly at this moment.
He looked at Leona, his expression more serious than ever before.
"But you must remember."
"This form is a double-edged sword."
"It can grant you power that instantly exceeds your limits. But at the same time, it will frantically drain your life force. Look—"
Cloud pointed at her arm. On her smooth skin, fine web-like blood marks had appeared.
This was a precursor to her body beginning to collapse from being unable to fully withstand this power!
Seeing this, Leona's heart clenched, and she immediately released the "Riot" state.
"I understand."
"So!" Cloud looked into Leona's eyes, enunciating each word clearly. "Unless absolutely necessary, you are forbidden from using this form."
"Only when you encounter an enemy far stronger than yourself, an enemy that leaves you without any hope—"
"Only then is it your... final trump card to turn the tide at the critical moment."
Listening to Cloud's serious warning, Leona nodded heavily.
She knew this man was concerned about her, protecting her.
She rested her head against his chest again and said softly: "...I'll listen to you."
The morning light outside the window had grown bright.
But this iceberg now melted and burned for only one person.
...
Less than one month remained until the official opening of KOF 99.
The fighting atmosphere of the entire world had been preheated to a new boiling point.
Odds from major bookmakers changed three times a day; on fighting forums, flame wars about "who will win this year's championship" had gotten intense enough to require moderators to delete posts around the clock.
And amidst this atmosphere of "the mountain storm is coming, the wind fills the tower"—our topic of conversation, "Team Cloud"—was conducting a pre-tournament training camp with an extremely peculiar style on a private island in South Town.
Early morning, bright sunshine, gentle sea breeze.
On the beach.
"Shermie! How many times do I have to tell you?! Your Dark Thunder Fist needs precision guidance! Stop making it scatter everywhere like a celestial maiden scattering flowers! Look! You've fried another innocent grouper!"
Cloud, wearing beach shorts and sunglasses, was shouting at Shermie like a strict driving instructor.
And before him, Shermie—this sexy, alluring Thunder Queen—was currently wearing a bikini with pitifully little fabric, pouting, her face full of grievance.
"Boss, I've been trying really hard to control it!" Her voice was sickeningly sweet. "Besides, this grouper looks like... it would taste pretty good grilled."
"How dare you talk back?! You're banned from ice cream at lunch today!"
...
Not far away, at another training area.
"Goniko! Watch your Wind Barrier! If the range is too big, the defense won't be concentrated enough! Learn to focus your power at a single point! Like... an absolutely impenetrable safe condo—ahem, safe zone!"
Cloud appeared beside Goniko, correcting her movements.
Goniko—this pure-as-white-lotus silver-haired maiden wearing an adorable white dress—instantly turned red at his words. It was unclear whether she understood or not.
"Y-yes! I'll... I'll try again!"
...
And in the dense forest on the other side.
Leona—this ice-cold beauty—was engaged in high-speed combat training with an "energy phantom" that looked exactly like Cloud.
"Leona! Your blade speed is still too slow! Learn to predict! Predict the enemy's predictions! Make every attack of yours... a multiple-choice question the enemy can't refuse! A: get stabbed to death. B: also get stabbed to death!"
Cloud's voice echoed through the forest like a ghost.
Yes, this was the devil training Cloud had custom-designed for his "harem squad."
Using his supercomputer-like brain and deep understanding of power, he was simultaneously conducting "personalized" training for three team members in different areas.
This ability to "multitask" left Mr. Big—who was handling logistics nearby—absolutely dumbfounded and amazed.
He had only one thought: Lord Cloud truly deserves his reputation as the god who can manage so many "confidantes" simultaneously!
This "time management" ability has already transcended the mundane!
And through this high-intensity training, the three girls' strength was skyrocketing at visible speeds.
Their coordination was also becoming more and more seamless.
In one simulated battle:
Goniko led with "Wind Shackles" to restrict the opponent's movement.
Shermie immediately followed with precision-guided "Lightning Spear" for ranged strikes.
And Leona emerged from the shadows like a ghostly assassin, delivering the final fatal blow.
This combo was smooth as water—crowd control, damage output, assassination—clear division of labor, practically perfect.
"Not bad, not bad." Cloud nodded with satisfaction at their performance.
He felt that with their current strength and coordination, even without him stepping in, just these three alone could sweep through most teams in this year's KOF.
However, just as he was feeling smug about his "teaching achievements"—
An "urgent email" from the KOF 99 Organizing Committee poured cold water over his head.
The email's content was simple, translating to:
[Dear Four-Time Champion Mr. Cloud:]
[Given that this tournament adopts an entirely new format, to embody the principles of "fairness, justice, and transparency," after unanimous decision by all committee members...]
[You will no longer enjoy the privilege of "Champion Seed" status in this tournament.]
[In other words, you and your team must start from the preliminary rounds, just like the hundreds of other teams from around the world.]
[Good luck.]
[—Respectfully submitted by an anonymous temp worker at the KOF 99 Organizing Committee]
...
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