"Come, Iori."
Cloud stood at stage center, beckoning Iori with a finger, face showing a confident, provocative smile.
"Let me see—after losing to me last time—how much this mad dog has progressed."
"Die!"
Iori wasted no more words!
Absolute Domain 50%, full power!
Purple ominous flames soared skyward! Transforming the entire stage into a purple hell!
"Heavenscorch Scripture!"
Cloud wasn't to be outdone!
Absolute Domain 50%, boldly meeting him!
Golden Battle God flames shone brilliant as the sun!
Gold and purple—two domains representing ultimate power—collided once more!
In that instant, the explosive energy shockwave made the entire Tokyo Dome violently shake!
"Ya Otome!"
"Orochinagi!"
Neither tested the waters! From the opening—strongest killing moves!
Purple beast phantom and golden dragon flames engaged atop the stage in the most primitive, purest, world-destroying mythological battle!
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!!!!
Last time in Tokyo streets, both held back, ultimately ending with Cloud's "narrow half-move victory."
But this time!
Both held nothing back! Both performed their martial understanding and flame control to ultimate extremes!
Iori's attacks remained so mad, violent, unreasonable! Like a bloodthirsty primordial beast, he madly tore at his prey with sharpest fangs and claws!
Meanwhile Cloud, with even more refined technique and [Heavenscorch Scripture] fusing many schools' strengths, actually fought him evenly!
"Yami Barai!"
"Dokugami!"
"Oniyaki!"
"Oniyaki!"
"Koto Moon Yin!"
"Koto Moon Positive!"
Fast against fast, hard against hard! Kusanagi-style and Yagami-style—these destined "brother" martial arts—engaged in the most intense, direct, deepest "exchange"!
That scene left all spectators entranced, blood boiling!
Left even top-tier fighters like Kyo and Ryo shocked, feeling inferior!
"Too... too strong..." Kyo murmured. "These two... are they really... both monsters?!"
Finally, after exchanging over a hundred moves, the two again separated.
Both were covered in blood, panting heavily.
But those eyes looking at each other burned with equally scorching, flame-like battle intent!
"Cloud..."
Iori spoke with a tone full of "acknowledgment."
"You are the strongest Kusanagi I've ever seen."
"However..."
Those purple flames around him blazed fiercely again!
"This is the end!"
"Let me show you my true... finisher!"
"Forbidden Style 1211: Ya Otome!"
He again unleashed that bestial roar!
This time the purple phantom behind him became even more solid, more frenzied than before!
Cloud watched that strike capable of completely tearing him to shreds, yet his face showed no fear.
Instead, an extremely fervent smile appeared!
"Excellent!"
"Let me also show you my true sun!"
"[Heavenscorch Scripture] Final Ultimate..."
"—Divine Myriad Gods Orochinagi!!"
The golden dragon flames in this moment carried traces of purple-gold light filled with "divinity" and "destruction"!
BOOM—!!!!!!!!
Purple beast and purple-gold dragon collided again!
This time, the result was completely different!
That purple-gold dragon flame, in an overwhelming manner, instantly swallowed the purple beast phantom whole!
Then, momentum undiminished, viciously slammed into Iori's incredulous chest!
"Pffft—!"
Iori violently spewed blood, his entire body flying backward like a kite with cut strings, crashing hard into the barrier behind, slowly sliding down...
He'd lost.
Lost... wholeheartedly.
He looked at Cloud slowly withdrawing his fist yet whose eyes remained bright as stars. For the first time, those blood-red eyes showed traces of confusion.
...
Tokyo Dome, KOF 95 finals stage.
When Cloud's "I concede"-laden phrase slowly fell, the entire venue plunged into an eerie silence as if time itself froze.
Iori Yagami... lost?
That supremely arrogant one, that brutally terrifying one, that hell demon who'd just crushed the Ikari Warriors with a "one-versus-three sweep"...
Actually lost again to the same man?
Tens of thousands of spectators seemed petrified—mouths agape, eyes wide, brains blank.
Meanwhile, the involved party Iori knelt amid stage ruins, those eyes usually filled with madness and killing intent now written with disbelief and... a confusion called "faith collapse."
How could...?
Why...?
I, Iori Yagami, inherited the Yata clan's purest bloodline, gained these "Azure Flames" capable of burning everything...
I should be the strongest!
Why... did I lose twice consecutively to you, this "Kusanagi" who appeared from nowhere?!
An unprecedented emotion called "humiliation" and "unwillingness"—like the most vicious devil—instantly clutched his heart!
"No... I can't lose!"
"I am... the strongest!!"
He howled skyward, voice filled with unwillingness and madness!
His [Absolute Domain 52%] began uncontrollably going berserk under this extreme negative emotion stimulation!
Purple-black ominous flames soared skyward!
Transforming the entire stage into a destructive purgatory!
"Not good! He's losing control!"
At this critical moment, that familiar system notification full of "taking advantage of the fire" rang in Cloud's mind.
[Ding! Detected target Iori Yagami's mind unguarded, inner demon generated, mental defense dropped 90%!]
[Epic-level "opportunity to profit" has appeared! Host, what are you waiting for?!]
[Activate Dimensional Plunder! Target: Iori Yagami! Now... absorb!!]
"Holy crap?! You can do that?!"
Cloud first froze, then rejoiced!
System, you truly are my "considerate little helper"!
...
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