Akuma leapt towards him, his foot extended. Ryu blocked the hit. Akuma thrust out his fist to sock Ryu, but Ryu blocked the hit…just like Akuma wanted, for he delivered a sharp kick to the stomach. In that instant, Ryu saw a disturbing image with a flash of white light. Yun was lying on a grassy field, his eyes closed, his face badly bruised…almost as if he was dead…

Ryu blinked. The image had seemed to appear out of nowhere. Just in front of his line of vision, yet not obscuring him from seeing his surroundings.

Ryu countered Akuma’s next kick with an elbow to the ankle of Akuma’s foot. Akuma limped slightly on his foot. Ryu attacked with a series of punches. Akuma teleported away from him. Ryu stopped his attacks, looking around for his opponent. Akuma kicked him in the small of his back.

Ryu grunted in pain before falling face flat on the ground. His eyes narrowed as another image flashed with light before his eyes. This time it was Yang, lying on that same grass field…his eyes swelled shut due to the fight he had just experienced. Ryu slowly rose to his feet.

“Ha-do-ken!” he called out.

Akuma merely teleported away. Ryu whirled around, but not before a roundhouse kick nailed his jaw. Ryu reeled back in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. And his eyes snapped open as he saw another image…Chun Li…her body curled into a ball, her head resting against her left arm…lying on that same grass field.

What’s happening? he asked himself.

“Do you see them?” Akuma asked.

Ryu swallowed, rubbing his jaw. With each attack Akuma delivered, Ryu saw an image in the future. He wanted to know so badly how Chun Li, Yun, and Yang died. But he didn’t want to take the impact from Akuma’s attacks.

He raised his fists. Akuma studied him. Ryu dashed forward, but not before Akuma jumped and kicked his chest. Ryu was knocked to the ground. And the image he saw made everything worse…Ken…lying in that same grassy field…dead. He closed his eyes. Now he understood what the Ghosts of Christmas Present had meant…The death of Yun, Yang, and Chun Li shattered Lien’s world. And the death of Ken shattered Mel and Bethany’s world.

“No…” he whispered. “This can’t happen…”

He rose to his feet, attacking Akuma with renewed strength. He jumped in with a fierce punch, ducked to deliver a quick kick to the ankles, and held his palms close together to gather his chi.

“Ha-do-ken…SHIN-SHORYU-KEN!” Ryu interrupted his fireball attack into one of his most powerful attacks.

The demon fell back. Ryu stood over him, noting that his adversary looked as if he was about to fall unconscious.

“You think you have won…but you are wrong…”

Ryu’s eyes narrowed, and more images appeared. This time, he saw the bodies of his fallen friends, and a pair of feet with worn karate trousers walking away from them. He glared at Akuma.

“This is your fault! You’re responsible for their deaths! Why did you - ?!” Ryu fell to his knees as his head began to throb. He clutched his head in his hands. He nearly howled in pain.

Even though his lids were shut tight, he saw Yun and Yang, side by side, on the field in fighting stances. Only…they were fighting against him. His form was unmistakeable…the body shape…the bandana flying in the wind…The scene immediately switched to Ken, standing on that field. Ken was facing him. There was no mistaking that. Ryu saw himself move towards Ken in a shadow type form. Suddenly, Chun Li ran in front of Ken…and it was too late…Chun Li had taken the blow for Ken…the very attack that had cost her life. Ken stared, wide-eyed…as the man he thought was his best friend killed Chun Li in front of him…

Ryu felt his eyes sting with salty tears. “I…I killed them…”

Hurt, shame, and grief struck him with a blow that hit him harder than any attack he had ever encountered.

After wiping his eyes, he glared at Akuma. “This is your fault…If only I had never listened to you…If only I had trained to suppress the ‘evil intent’…”

“I am not to blame for your wrongdoings,” the demon said matter-of-factly.

Ryu shot forward, throwing Akuma to the ground.

“Because of you…I lost all that was important…”

Akuma struggled to his feet. “Ryu…you have not learned anything this night, have you?”

“Only that I should have killed you when I had the chance!” Ryu spat.

His red eyes narrowed. “According to you, those are not the words of a true warrior.”

“If killing you would have destroyed the ‘evil intent’, then I would have done it!”

“Do not wish for the impossible, Ryu. What is done is done. That is - ” he choked, twitching, as Ryu grasped him around the neck.

In the struggle, the demon’s cloak slipped, and Ryu’s muscles tensed in shock. He stared at his own reflection…only…his reflection had glowing red eyes. The Ghost of Christmas Future wasn’t Akuma at all…rather…the spirit was his dark soul…

“Satsui No Hado…” Ryu’s voice shook with recognition.