Athena took a deep breath, slowly walking onto stage.
Those beautiful purple eyes instinctively glanced toward the Beautiful Girl Squad's rest area.
There, Cloud was giving her a "go for it" gesture with an encouraging smile.
Athena's face instantly flushed, but the tension in her heart miraculously dissipated by more than half.
Her opponent Kyo Kusanagi watched this scene, that face usually wearing a confident smile showing an extremely complex expression full of "older brother watching younger sibling's boyfriend" vibes.
"Ahem..."
He cleared his throat, cupping his fists toward Athena, showing what he considered his most "benevolent" smile.
"Miss Athena, I've long admired you." His voice was full of magnetism. "Though we're on stage... please rest assured, I, Kyo Kusanagi, never bully women. I'll... hold back."
This "gentlemanly" declaration instantly drew cheers from all female spectators.
Only Cloud in the Beautiful Girl Squad rest area twitched at the corners of his mouth.
Good lord!
You rascal, I see what you're doing!
Match begins!
Kyo Kusanagi indeed kept his promise.
He didn't crush with violent flames like against other opponents from the start.
Instead, like a patient "sparring partner," he "amicably" exchanged moves with Athena technique by technique.
"Miss Athena, your Psychic Blade is sharp, but your telegraph is too obvious."
"Your Phoenix Arrow has good power, but its flight path is too predictable."
He fought while conducting live "instruction"!
The scene was so harmonious it didn't resemble KOF semifinals at all, more like a large-scale "martial arts exchange meeting."
Finally, after "sparring" for a full ten minutes, Kyo caught an "opportunity" and used a Style 100: Oniyaki that seemed powerful but actually held back 99% of its strength to "knock" Athena out of bounds.
Though Athena lost, she wasn't disheveled at all—even... her clothes weren't damaged in the slightest.
"I concede." Kyo gracefully cupped his fists toward her.
"Thank you for your guidance." Athena also smiled sweetly at him, then bounced off stage.
The scene couldn't be more harmonious.
...
Amid a "harmonious and friendly" atmosphere, the first semifinal concluded with Japan Team's victory.
Next came the highly anticipated second semifinal!
Beautiful Girl Squad VS Yagami Team!
When Cloud and Iori Yagami—these two "blockbuster" contestants with highest popularity—simultaneously appeared on stage, the entire Tokyo Dome completely boiled over!
"Cloud! Cloud!"
"Iori! Iori!"
Both sides' fans madly shouted their idol's name, that sound wave nearly flipping the entire stadium dome!
Meanwhile, Iori maintained that swagger incarnate appearance.
He didn't even bother looking at Cloud.
Those eyes filled with madness and killing intent locked firmly onto the red-haired girl behind Cloud—one with an aloof face yet instinctively hiding slightly behind him—Yata Tsukihime.
His fists clenched with audible cracks.
His teeth ground with grinding sounds.
"Cloud..."
He practically squeezed these two words through gritted teeth.
"What did you... do to my sister?!"
This question filled with "old father's" grief and indignation instantly froze the venue's fervent atmosphere.
Everyone used extremely gossipy, "I seem to know something incredible" gazes to sweep back and forth between Cloud and Tsukihime.
Cloud: "..."
He felt utterly exhausted.
Bro!
We're here to compete! Not join a dating show!
Can you... be professional?!
"I don't want to waste time with you trash."
Iori seemed to realize his "loss of composure," forcibly moving his gaze from his sister, restoring that "madman" appearance.
He pointed at Cloud from afar, his gaze filled with unquestionable arrogance.
"Just the two of us, one match."
"Winner advances."
"Loser... dies."
"Everyone else, scram."
This supremely domineering declaration instantly put the other four team members in extremely awkward positions.
So... we four are just here to fill numbers?
"Hmph, exactly my intention."
Cloud also didn't waste words, directly agreeing.
He waved at Kusanagi Aoi and Yata Tsukihime behind him.
"You two, go watch the show. Remember, eat plenty of popcorn—don't waste such good movie tickets."
"Don't... break my brother..." Yata Tsukihime's seemingly cold expression revealed a trace of worry.
Veins bulged on Iori's forehead.
Thus, under the entire audience's "exciting" and "thrilling" gazes, this match that should have been "3v3" team battle was forcibly transformed into...
A "1v1" match deciding both superiority and life itself...
..."Parent meeting"?
...
"Cloud! You bastard! We meet again!"
Billy Kane looked at that war god-like figure slowly walking onto stage, eyes filled with complex emotions of fear and hatred.
Ever since being punched away by Cloud in South Town then abandoned by Geese, his days had been utterly miserable.
Coming to KOF this time was purely for that pitiful prize money to buy himself a few new "dog-beating sticks."
Never expected to fucking encounter this death god again!
"I'm warning you! Don't come closer!" Billy waved his staff, blustering. "I'm... I'm Mr. Iori's teammate! If you dare touch me, Mr. Iori won't let you off!"
However, his "backer" Iori merely glanced at him coldly.
"Shut up, trash."
"Say one more word of nonsense, I'll kill you first."
Billy: "..."
He felt his life was a tragedy.
...
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