At last it was down to at least two final elimination matches to qualify for the tournament finals.

It was Ryu Hoshi and Ken Masters going up against Steve Darren and Nadji.

Most of the other fighters were pretty confident for Ryu and Ken,that they'd win and go along to the tourney with them,but Chun-Li herself was mostly concerned with Ryu going up against that Nadji girl.

He told her recently of who she was and what happened.
"Oh Ryu--please be careful."she thought. "There's no telling what that woman up there will do!"

The announcer then called the next match.

"KEN VS STEVE DARREN!"

"All right.i'm up first!"said Ken as he stepped into the ring.

Nadji stepped down and waited her turn.
"No matter who wins this next match,I shall defeat and kill Ryu Hoshi!"she thought.

Ken and Steve stood face to face with each other,bot waiting for the match to begin.

"This is it!"thought Ken. "I get to at last face the strongest and greatest fighter from North America!"
"This is it."thought Steve. "I succesfully fought through many matches without seriously hurting or killing anyone. And if I defeat Ken here,I may very well win back my title of former US champion..but do I really want that as well as winning this World tournament? Ken has so much promise in him as do his friends there."

"BEGIN!"said the referee.

Ken made the first move as he fired a Hadouken at Steve.

The Grey Wolf dodged the projectile and thrust forward at Ken,doing a flying kick,hitting him in the chest really hard.

Ken fell onto his rear,and lost his breath.

"Man,he's a lot faster than I remember seeing him."he thought and then got back up. "I'd better be on a good defense here."
 

Ken jumped back to his feet and charged at Steve,and the two began to trade blows.

Ken did a roundhouse kick,but the Wolf ducked it and then slammed a fist into his chest,knocking him away.

Steve then made another move as he thrust forward again and did a turn kick.

Ken blocked it and tried to do a leg-sweep on him,but Steve merly jumped over it and and landed a foot drop on his right shoulder.

"UNNGHH!"went Ken as he rolled across the floor.

"Playin' rough so far huh?"said Ken.
"I fight in the style i've used for years,Ken."said Steve. "You should know that by now. As the grey wolf,I strike hard---and fast!"

Ken got back up again,and was ready for anything that would come next.

Steve then jumped at Ken,and was about to do a flying kick.

Ken saw an opening,and launched upward doing a Flaming Dragon Punch,knocking him out of orbit.

But to Ken's amazement,Steve back-flipped and landed on his feet.

"Wha..?"said Ken.

Steve rubbed at his chin.
"Not bad,but you're gonna have to do better than that."he said. "I've trained and fought longer and harder than you or anyone else in this arena."

"looks like Ken's really got his work cut out for him this time."said Guile.
"He's got to win!"said Ryu. "He can do it!"

Steve then jumped at Ken,and before he could figure out what he was doing,Steve slammed a rapid succession of super-fast punches into Ken's chest and stomach.

"WHAKWHAKWHAKWHAK!"

Ken grunted in pain as Steve's barrage continued.

"Look at that!"said Fei.

"It's a sort of barrage attack."said Ryu. "But can Ken withstand it and counter-attack?"

Ken remembered seeing Steve do this moves when he was training at the beach,he had no idea he'd use it as an attack move.

Ken's energy and stamina was about to give out,and if he didn't do something,he'd be out of the match.

Suddenly,Steve let off the attack to catch his breath.

"Had enough,student?"he said between breaths.

Ken smiled.
"Not on your life,old timer!"he said and then launced into a new attack.

"SHINRYU-REPPA!"

Ken thrust forward,slammed a low Dragon Punch into Steve's chin,and then slammed him again with a fiery Dragon Punch that sent him flying across the floor.

The referee counted to 10,but Steve was unable to get back up,he was done.

"THE WINNER--KEN!"said the referee.

"ALRIGHT YEAH,GO KEN!"shouted some of the others.

"I guess he's pretty good after all."said Guile.
"Oh,just admit he's the best will ya?"said Chun-Li.

Ken raised a fist in the air,signifying his latest victory.

"I did it,I beat Steve the Grey Wolf and now i'm the US champion once more."he thought.

Steve got up,brushed himself off and appraoched Ken.
"I guess my fighting days were truly over a long time ago."he said. "But it's good to see I have a great enough successor to carry on the tile of US champion. I salutre you8 Ken Masters,carry that title and power well."

"I will,Steve Darren."said Ken. "And may you never be forgotten as the greatest champion there ever was."

The two bowed and Steve then left the arena room.

"There goes one righteous dude."said Dee Jay.

"A fighter may lose a battle,but as long as he has his honor,he stands greatly."said Fei.
 

"Well...it's not over yet."said Chun-Li as she looked over at Nadji.

The final contendar to the finals stood there on the ring floor,ready to battle.

She looked at Ryu seethingly,her fists clenched.

"Man,she must really have a grudge against Ryu to act like that."said Honda.
"I sense a great blinding hatred within her."said Dhalsim. "I just hope Ryu can fight it off accordingly."

"Be careful Ryu,"said Guile. "we've all got a gut feeling about this one."

"I'll be on my toes."said Ryu as he stepped up into the ring.

"Whoever wins this next match shall be the last one to advance to the finals!"said the referee.
"RYU VS NADJI--BEGIN!"

Nadji swung out her battle rods and charged at Ryu.

She swings out her left baton,but Ryu dodges it,allowing her to swing her other baton into the side of his head.

Ryu jumped back,and clenched his ear from the blow.

He then thrust forward and did a Hurricane Spin Kick,but the philipine woman ducked it and slammed the butt of her left baton into his back.

Ryu staggered and fell flat on his back.

He then jumped back to his feet,ready to fight again.

Nadji then jumped into the air and began to bring down one of her batons upon him.
Ryu then reacted in turn as he jumped upward and decked the madwoman with a fast Dragon Punch.

The blow was hard,but not enough to take nadji out as she landed back on her feet.

Ryu landed back in his fight stance,ready for anything.

The two tghen collided with each other and faced off in close contact.

Ryu thrust forward with a few punches and kicks,but Nadji blocked them off with her batons.
She then swung out with a leg-sweep,but Ryu jumped over it and then landed a thrust kick into her stomach,knocking her across the floor.
 

Nadji then jumped back and then threw one of her batons straight at Ryu,but as he dodged it,the thing spun right back at him,hitting him in the side.

"HEY--WHAT?"he said.

The first baton flew all around him like a boomerang or an air top.

"Whoa,she got boomerang rods there,mon!"said DJ.

"Looks like she's been practicing a lot with those things."said Hawk.
"Come on,Ryu."thought Li. "You can do it!"

Ryu kept on his defense,summoning his inner ki,his inner strength.

While he did that,the baton continued to circle around him.

"You may think you've got my rods figured out,Hoshi."thought Nadji. "But my self-made weapons are nothing you've encountered before."

Ryu's eyes then shot open and he grabbed ahold of the flying baton in mid-air.

Nadji gasped.
"NO!"she said.

Ryu then gripped the baton,and broke it in two!

"Ha!"said Ken. "He's pulling her fangs for sure!"

Nadji then took her remaining baton,and a small but sharp blade pointed out of it.

She then jumped over Ryu and was right behind him.

"RYU---LOOK OUT!"called Li.
But it was too late,just as Ryu turned to face her,he was sratched across the chest with her blade baton.

"ARRRR!"
He cried and then fell on one knee.

"HOLD IT!"said the referee. "This goes beyond the contest rules,you're not supposed to injure him with sharp weapons!"

"Shut up,old fool!"said Nadji. "I'm not here to fight Ryu,but to kill him!"

"Guards!"called the referee. "YOU ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM THIS MATCH!"

"Matters not!"said Nadji as she grabbed Ryu by the throat and attempted to stab him in the head.

Suddenly,before anyone else could stop her,Nadji felt a pair of feet slam her in the back,knocking her across the floor.

Ryu turned to see who it was.
It was Bael Hoswang,the Korean fighter.

As Nadji got back up again,Chun-Li thrust at her and kicked the other baton out of her hand and then slammed a high kick to her face,knocking her to the floor,and out cold.

A pair of security guards then scooped her up and took her to a local holding cell.

"Yeah,ya got her good,Chun-Li!"said Honda.
"I think we have Mr.Tae Kwon Do there to thank for it."said Li.

Bael helped Ryu up.
"Thanks..."said Ryu.

"Thanks isn't necessary,Mr.Hoshi."he said. "I couldn't allow a fellow fighter to perish at the hands of a lowly thug. I had wanted to fight you in the tournament after you beat me last time. But,I have at least conquored my fear of facing other oppoenents in the ring,so I shall train hard and face you and others in the next contest."

"I look forward to it."said Ryu.

Bael then bowed and then left the arena.

"RYU HOSHI IS THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND BY DEFAULT! AND NOW THE LINE-UP OF FINALISTS IS CHOSEN!"

"All right,we're goin'to the tourney finals to face Bison and his goons!"said Ken.

Ryu and others knew that the greater battles were about to begin.

While outisde of the arena and in the shadows,a dark menacing figure watched intently at the finalists.
"When this is over..I shall face the one who is left standing,for he shall truly be the strongest fighter who is to face me,and when this is over...I shall find and kill my brother--HAHAHA!"