Ryu continued with his face off against a phantom of an old foe.

He managed to dodge and duck the seemingly harmful yet harmless phantom limbs,but he knew he couldn't keep it up forever.

"I've got to find a way to fight back agains this--mind trick."he thought. "Before i'm destroyed within!"

Ryu then remembered something his Master Gouken taught him.

Gouken:"You must always remember my student,no matter what situation and opponent you face,you will also be facing a sudden rush of fear and intimidation. You must learn to overcome that fear,and not let it overcome you. Remember that when you are facing a powerful opponent."

Ryu then remembered his real first fight with Sagat at the tournament.
He felt a sudden fear grip of him when he fought the emperor of Muay Thai,but in the end,he overcame it and won the battle.

"When I fought him...I almost feel that I--couldn't touch him."thought Ryu. "I couldn't because of his might,size and devastating moves. But I hung in there,and perseverred."

Ryu then came to the decision that he was no longer going to fear what was happening,and he was going to succeed.
But..would it work in this situation?

"One way to find out."he said as he arose.

Sagat took one final charge at Ryu,he was going to kill him for good this time.

Ryu focused his power and concentration on what was going to happen with a look of serious determination on his face.

"RAAAAHH!"screamed Sagat as he charged at Ryu like a ferocious animal.
Once Sagat was close enough,Ryu launched his Hurrican Kick at Sagat,kicking him in the abdomen,and then launched his Shoryuken,knocking him out!

"KRRAAKK--THUDD!"

Once again,it seemed that history repeated itself,Ryu had defeated Sagat,or in this case,Ryu conquered an old fear.
"I--I did it."he said.

The phantom of Sagat vanished as did the entire tourney arena and Ryu found himself back in the dining room of the ship.
"I knew it was a trick!"he said.

He then saw Ken in a strange situation.
Ken was jumping about,looking as if he was being hit by an invisible enemy.
"Ken must be going through the same thing I did."he said. "Ken--can you hear me?"

Ken while in the nightmare he was in,heard him.
"Ryu..?"he said. "Where are you? I can't see you!"

"I'm here,believe me."he said. "Are--are you fighting someone?"
"Yeah,I am!"said Ken. "I don;t know how,but i'm fighting a phantom of--Urien!"

"He's not real,Ken!"said Ryu. "None of this is,it's a trick created by that Den creep!"
"Yeah,I can pretty much can see that."said Ken. "But--how do I fight this thing?"

"Focus your bravery on it,Ken."said Ryu. "I think what Den did was take our worst fears and brought them to life. Fight it with your mind Ken,and you'll overcome it."

"I--I never feared Urien."thought Ken. "I was afraid that I wouldn't get to win the contest Gill held. But--I took comfort in the things I had,a family,a fortune,and the title of current US champion. Yes--I shouldn't fear this--or him!"

Ken then jumped at Urien and hit him right in the head by a flying kick!
"YEAH--YOU WON'T BEAT ME,URIEN!"he said.

Ken then launched his SHoryu Reppa,knocking the egyptian down to the ground.
The image of Urien and the jungle faded away and Ken was back with Ryu where they started.

"Ryu,ah man!"he said. "Thanks,I couldn't have done it without ya!"
"Anytime,Ken."he said. "Now c'mon,we've gotta find the others."

While back in the swimming pool room.

Both Guy and Sodom faced off with the monstrous creature that was in the pool,trying to grab them.
Guy jumped over one of the monster's many tentacles,while Sodom took his stake hammer and clubbed another one away.

Once the two got close enough to a corner where the monster couldn't reach them.
"It looks like our first plan may have faltered."said Guy.
"Well,what do you suggest now?"said Sodom.

Guy looked at the creature's huge eye and Sodom's stake hammer.
"I got a new plan."he said. "I'll try to distract that monster,and while I do,you try and get close enough to drive that hammer stake--into it's eye!"

"Think it'll work?"Sodom asked.
"One way to find out eh?"said Guy. "Let's go!"

The Bushin ninja ran towards the monster and then jumped high into the air,front flipped and then landed onto the other side of the pool.
"C'mon ugly!"he said beckoning the monster. "Ya hungry!"
Guy then jumped from one side of the pool to the other,taunting the creature to get him.

"Y'know,for a ninja--he's pretty nuts!"thought Sodom. "Well,here goes nothin'."

Once Guy made it to the diving board,the creature lashed out a tentacle and snatched him in mid-air!

The monster then dangled Guy over it's mouth,intending to make a snack out of him.
"NOW,SODOM,NOOOW!"he called.

The samurai then jumped out in front of the monster,swung his stake hammer and---

"SHUUNNK!"
The stake end went right into the monster's eye,and it went in really deep!

The creature screamed in angony,and then slumped down deep into the waters of the pool,it was dead.
Guy managed to free himself at the last minute and jumped onto the solid floor.

Sodom had to pull his hammer free before the creature went completly underwater.

"Nice move there."said Guy.
"Yeah,thanks,I think."he said."Now what do we do?"
"Now..?"said Guy. "We find the others and put an end to this madness."
"Whoopee."said Sodom unthrilled.
"Hey,you want to get out of here and back to Metro safe and sound?"said Guy. "Then get with it,now c'mon!"

Guy ran for the exit door as Sodom growled furiously.
"When this is over---your ass is at last mine,Bushin!"he thought before running after Guy.

WHILE BACK IN THE GAME ROOM...

Charlie jumped at the Iron monster and did his Sommersualt Justice on it.

The monster was hit non-stop in the chin by Charlie's flash kick barrage assault.

But just as Charlie did the last flip,Victor grabbed him by the foot,and threw him across the room.
"CHARLIE!"said Cammy.

Charlie fell up against a video game and lost concsiousness.
Cammy then was faced with the mosnter.

"Alright ya steel bastard!"she said. "Let's see how ya take in the eyes!"
Cammy aimed the rifle she was given,and fired off another shot of magic rock crystal.

"POOW!"
The blast hit the creature between the eyes,and blinded it momentarilly.

"RRRRGHH--UGGHH!"roared the monster as it clutched it's eyes in pain.
"GOT IT!"said Cammy.

She then grabbed the silver stake Charlie used,jumped onto Victor's back and shoved the stake into the creature's head again.

The stake pierced completly through the iron skull of the giant,and sparks and smoke began to pour out.
"Alright,now we're getting somewhere!"she said.

But before she could do anything further,Iron Victor grabbed Cammy by one of her wrists.
"NO---STOP!"she cried.

Suddenly,the words:"SONIC BOOM!"was heard,and Victor was hit again in the head,really hard!

The impact was so great,the front face of the head split open,revealling a cybernetic skull with circuitry attached to it.

Victor let loose of Cammy and she then jumped off of him.

"Charlie,you're all right!"she said.
"Not really,"he said rubbing his head. "just a splitting headache after that gorilla's throw.
Anyways,I think you should do the honors."

"Right!"said Cammy as she took the special rifle,and aimed it at Victor's skull.

"Dead on."she said before firing.
"BLAMM!"

The rock crystal hit the exposed skull,and the entire head exploded!
"CHOOM!"

The Iron Victor fell to the floor and was disabled.

Cammy rushed to Charlie and hugged him tightly.
"We did it luv,we did it!"she said.
"Heh-heh...easy there Cammy!"he said. "We'll...have plenty of time for huggies later,if we get out of here that is."
"Oh right,sorry Lt."she said as she eased off and saluted him.

"Now c'mon."said Charlie. "Let's get that bloodsucker king and his cronies..and finish this!"

The two commandos then ran for the exit and were off.

While back in the ball room...

Dudley and Rose were in a tight situation,a room full of vampires like something out of that Van Helsing movie,and they were trapped between them and a heavilly locked door.

"C'mon,damn you,open!"said Dudley as he continued to struggle against the door's lock.

Rose was suddenly tiring,she couldn't the mystic shield up forever.
She then saw the ceiling and had an idea.

She then flung out her scarf,and fired off a large Soul Spark fireball at it.

"FWOOSH--CRASSH!"

The entire ceiling caved in on most of the vampires,giving Rose a few seconds to act.

"Dudley,i'll get the door,you hold them off!"she said as she went for the door.
"Oh uh--yes,of course!"said Dudley.

Some of the free vamps then went for the pair,jumping for the kill.

Dudley then took out his crossbow and fired away at them all.
"BACK YOU BLOODSUKING FIENDS---BACK!"he said as he fired and subdued them.

Rose concentrated all of her mystic soul power on the lock,and then forced it free.
"There,c'mon!"she said.

The pair then ran out into the hall,just as the next group of vampires went for them.
Dudley slammed the door shut and forced his weight upon the door,to keep it shut.
"Now what do we do?"he said.
"Stand fast from the lock,i'll seal it!"she said.

Rose aimed her hands at the lock and purple flames flew from her hands,thus sealing the lock shut.
Dudley then eased off the door,just as he heard the pounding cries of the vampires beyond it.

"WHEW!"he replied. "That was a close one!"
"Indeed it was."said Rose. "Den's fortress must be armed to the teeth with horrors such as these. I shudder to think where he placed the others."

"Well,we'd best find them before all is lost."said Dudley. "After you,milady."
"Why thank you,Dudley."said Rose as she went down the hall,and Dudley followed suit.

AND FINALLY,IN THE ENGINE ROOM...

Sean continued with his face off against the shroud creature known as Darkness.
While inside the monster,Makoto's air was running out.

Sean had to do something quick,before it was too late.

The creature simply floated about in the engine room,and laughed and taunted at Sean who was unable to do anything.

Sean then saw something across from where they stood.
It was a machine that was marked LOX,which stood for Liquid Oxygen.

"Ah,it's a good thing I majored in science back at school."he thought. "Liquid Oxygen can harden and freeze things. So..maybe..."

Sean knew it was a longshot,but he had to do something.

He then rolled across the floor,past the creature and was in front of the LOX machine.
"C'mon,you shroud of soot and crap,you think all you can do is torment me?"he said. "HA,what kind of monster are ya then?"

"Dare to taunt me then,boy?"said Darkness. "Very well,you shall see what kind of monster I am!"

Darkness raised his left fist and formed it into a massive and hardened fist of stone.
"TAKE THIS!"he said as he thrust his fist.

Sean dodged the blow,causing it to hit the machine.
"KRUNNCH---FWOOSH!"

Fumes and crystal spray exploded from the machine,causing the monster to get doused in sub-zero cold.
"NOOOO---!"cried Darkness as he was hardened into ice.

Makoto managed to break free from the ice hardening,just before Dakness was completly frozen head-to-toe.

"Makoto!"said Sean as he helped her up."You all right?"
Makoto managed to catch her breath. "Yeah..I am now. Thanks,whatever ya did there,sure put him out commision."
"Aw,it was nothing."said Sean. "Just a little applied science."

"I'm sure it was."said Makoto. "Now,how about I do the honors on mr.blacky there?"
"Be my guest."said Sean.

Makoto went up to the iced remains of Darkness,pulled her fist back and then..
"HIYAAAAH!"
Makoto's hard fist punch smashed the ice apart completly.

"Now---let's find the others and ice us some vampires!"she said.
"What a gal!"thought Sean as he and Makoto ran off for the exit.

Once everyone was in the halls of the ship,they all managed to meet up with each other near the lower decks of the ship.
"Wow,it's just like when we were at the civic center."said Sean.
"I sure don't wanna be reminded about that one,Sean."said Ken. "But yeah,it's Den trying to sperate us again."
"Yes,"said Ryu. "but he overestimated us again,and this time he shall fall. But we still need to find Morrigan,Chun-Li and Guineverre,and stop that monster."

Rose placed a finger at one of her temples and began to mentally scan the rooms where they would be.
She then pointed her finger down the hall.
"That way--as far as I can tell."she said.

"Well then...let's go!"said Charlie.
The Street Fighters then ran down the hallways and coridors that would hopefully lead them to their quarry.

While back inside Den's lair..

One of Den's hoodmen saw what was happening on the monitors.
"Master,master!"he said. "The Street Fighters are free,they are headed this way!"

"What--ah so they are then."said Den keeping his calm.
"You're pitiful creatures and traps were no match for them obviously."said Morrigan."You might as well surrender!"
"I know not the true meaning of the word,succubus."he said. "And I will not let a mere group of mortals stop me,when I am so close to victory this very night!

I think what the Street Fighters need,is a little bit more..incentive to keep them from coming this way."

Den then used a telepathic call to his serving geisha maidens.
"Bloodthirst,Bloodlust..."he called. "...we have guests arriving,stop them at all costs."

The two japanese women nodded and then headed out the main door.

The heroes were at last headed for Den's lair.

Suddenly,they saw a pair of women dressed as Geishas standing before them in a small threshold.

"Hey,what...who are they?"said Ken.
"They appear to be--japanese geishas?"said Sodom,utilzing his knowledge of japan.
"Ah yes,the colorful and exotic fashions of medieval Japan."said Dudley. "I always admired their tea making ceremonies..."
"This is no time to admire fine arts,Dudley."said Rose. "I sense no life force from them save for evil auras of Darkstalker energy.

In other words...they're vampires themselves!"

"Oh boy,shoulda known!"said Ken as he took out a stake.
"Just lemme at'im!"said Cammy as she aimer her rifle.

The two maidens laughed.

"We are not just ordinary vampires."Bloodthisrt,the geisha in red said. "We are Lord Maximov's chief lieutentants for his demonic hordes."

"Yes,"said Bloodlust,the geisha in blue. "and you both---ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD!"

The two women ripped off thei kimonos,let down their hair and transformed into something quite monstrous!

Their skin turned a sickening pale white,their eyes turned red,their mouths bore vicious fangs and a pair of bat-like wings formed from their backs.

"My gosh..."said Dudley. ...heaven help us,we are facing the armies of darkness here."

While back inside Den's lair,the vampire lord continued to weave the spell of the bloodruby.

And in the night sky,dark clouds began to turn red as did the moon itself.