The next match of the new WW contest continued.

The first of many was Dan Hibiki facing Zangeif AKA the masked marvel in the ring.

Dan made the first move as he launched forward with his Spin Flail Kick.

The Russian simply swung out his spinning clothesline and knocked Dan away from him.

"KRAKK!"

"UGGH!"cried Dan as he fell on his back.

"HAHA!"laughed the masked marvel. "You try the same old tricks as before,Hibiki--you never get anywhere!"

"Hey,FYI I've gotten a lot more than you can remember dumb ass---I'll show ya what I really got!"

Dan then leapt to the floor and rollerbladed past Zangief.

The Russian then swung around just in time to see Dan slam a hard swing punch in the gut.

"WHAM!"

"UUF!"

Zangief was knocked a few feet away.

"You got stronger eh?"he said. "Good,that'll make this a lot more exciting!"

The Masked Marvel then jumped into the air and thrust both booted feet into Dan's chest knocking him a few feet away.

Dan then was about to launch another attack,but before he could,Zangief then swung a fist into his face,blinding him into darkness.

"OUCH!"said Fei. "Man,no matter who Gief's dressed as..his fists pack a helluva whallop!"

"Yeah mon!"said Dee Jay. "Danny boy ain't got a chance!"

"Hmm..not suprising."muttered Sakura. She then thought. "Well…maybe I shouldn't still hold a grudge against Dan..I mean..he meant well..but I could never learn diddly squat from his teachings.

But..now to see him make it this far in the tourney..maybe there is something new to him after all this time."

Zangief then grabbed ahold of Dan and clutched him into his Spinning Piledriver move.

"Aw man..not that again!"said Guile.

"I almost forgot about that move!"said Honda. "Look out below man!"

The Russian brought Dan down so hard on the ring the entire room and dome shook as if it was hit by a massive earthquake.

"THOOM!"

"Ouch--is all I gotta say,"said Guile.

"I'd never thought I'd say this but..poor Dan."thought Sakura.

Zangief then let loose of Dan who flopped to the floor like a rag doll.

"Mmmm.."he replied as he nodded. "Good fight Japanese..good fight."

The Masked Marvel then stood upright and raised both of his fingers in the air.

But before the referee could announce the winner,Dan suddenly jumped upright and coughed quite hard.

"HUUKK--HAKKK!"

Blood erupted from his mouth.

Everyone gasped in reaction to what they saw.

"He-he's not out?"said Guy.

"Well I'll be damned."said Cody.

Sakura was quite speechless at what she saw.
As was Karin.

"Dan.."she said.

"Where do ya think you're going,beefcake?"said Dan wiping his mouth.

"We're still in the middle of our fight!"

Zangief was as spellbound as the rest of them to Dan's sudden recuperation.

"Wha--what?"he said.

Dan then shot back to his feet and rushed at the wrestler again.

He flung his flail kick again,hitting him in the abs and knocking him backwards.

"AAAAUUGHH!"cried Zangief,his arms flailing back and forth.

"Now for the finish!"said Dan.

Dan cupped his hands together and charged up a giant amount of ki energy that was a yellowish red.

"SHINNKUU--HADOU!"he shouted and blasted Zangief head-on in the chest.

The blast let off an explosion of white hot energy and Gief toppled backwards and fell on his head,hard.

He was down and out.

"THE WINNER--DAN HIBIKI!"said the referee.

Dan raised a mighty arm in the air.

"OSHHAAAA!"he cried. "YEAH--THAT'S THE WAY!"

The crowds cheered in response for the first victor of the eliminations.

But not too many people in the street fighter crowd felt the same way.

"Geez.."said Cody scratching his head.

"Everyone's a frickin'critic!"he said. "Ah,bite me all of you bastards--when it's over,you're all gonna be kissing my ass--ya hear,my ass!"

"Oh brother!"said Sakura.

"Hey mon--"said DJ. "--I thought it was a good fight!"

Heh…that went..well."said Ken.

"I know Dan recently acquired some..new kind of power and strengths.."said Ryu scratching his head.

"But..somehow I doubt earning more respect in the SF circuit may not be as easy as it seems."

"Well..we'll just see how the rest of the fighters go at it in the next row of matches."

As minutes went by,more of the brilliant SF cast decked it out.

Honda fought Cody and Cody himself knocked out the sumo by a hard typhoon uppercut.

Alex once again fought Hugo and defeated the iron giant with his Stungun head butt and Hyper Bomb.

Maki did the same as she defeated Ibuki with her own Bushin art.

Alex fought it out with Dee Jay,slamming the Jamaican down on the floor.

Sakura fought it out with Datta,it looked like Dhalsim's son had the upper hand at first,but his flame blast was snuffed out by Sakura's more powerful hadouken!

Juli fought it out with Balrog.

She almost had him,but was knocked out by his Super Bufffalo.

Guile fought it out with Urien,the two blasted their deadly projectiles at each other.

Urien's magnetic Ball knocked Guile down,but just as the savage dictator moved in for the kill,Guile flung his Double Flash Kick and pulverized him twice as hard.

Cammy fought it out with Naneese,and the british commando made her next victor as she cannon drilled the young ninja to the floor.

Hokuto fought it out with the samurai bandit Sodom.

The pair locked horns,but Hokuto elbow slammed Sodom and then finished him with her arrow like ki blast.

Kairi fought the rebel soldier Rolento to a standstill,till Kairi defeated in a furry of deadly punches and kicks.

Akuma fought Fei Long for a few minutes,but the match ended violently as Fei was blasted right out the ring with a powerful Air hadou.

Vega made his next victory as he slashed his claws across Sean's chest,and then knocked him out with hard kick.

"SEAN--AW NO!"said Ken.
"Take it easy Ken."said Ryu. "He's still alive..he gave it the best he could."

"Yeah,I know."said Ken. "I was really hoping for him as well as my son! I swear..if I was in that ring!"

Mel was next to be defeated as Blanka knocked him to the curb with his roller attack.

"Geez.."said Ken. "…what next?"

"Well,at least my Sakura is still standing."

Karin fought Oro.

It looked like Oro was about to beat her,but him underestimating the rich girl was his last mistake as she grabbed his single arm and brought him down to the floor.

"Not suprising---either."thought Sakura with a smirk.

Yun fought it with Yang at last and the pair of bros decked it out for several minutes until at last..

"YAAAAH!"cried Yang as his fierce swipe chops took Yun out.

He was the latest to be the winner.

Rose fought it out with Chun-Li.

The psychics powers were formidable,but not enough against Li's flurry of powerful kicks.

Her student Pai wasn't so lucky as she was defeated by Cammy in the ring.

Alex fought Blanka,he knocked him out cold with hard and fast Flash Chop.

Kairi was next to be defeated by Sakura,as was Hokuto by Karin.

Guy was then defeated by Chun-Li,and Maki was beaten by Dan as well.

And Blanka was defeated by Yang.

At last it was decided,only 12 fighters remained.

"THAT'S IT FOLKS!"said the referee into a mic.

"THE FINALS WILL BEGIN LATER THIS EVENING--BE READY FOR ANYTHING!"

"ALRIGHT!"said Cody. "I made it!"

"We all did runts!"said Guile. "Now thing's are really gonna get interesting!"

"Indeed they will."thought Akuma.

"So I guess this is it."said Ken. "Even though my boys didn't make it..I'm glad your kid did Ryu."

"As am I."said Ryu. "Let's see how well she does at the rest of the matches."

"All fighters will take a 10 minute break and re-gather in the main ring."said the announcer. "That is all."

Benson was the one who announced and then went off into an unmanned lobby.

His eyes then glowed a bright white and his hands did the same.

"So…"he thought. "..they are the strongest the tournament has to offer. Good..very good..I shall deploy my forces and then reveal myself when it is over. Soon…the country of Japan will be mine--AS WILL THE WORLD--HAHAHA!"

While back in Shadowloo's secret HQ..

"FOOL!"said a voice sensing him. "IT IS YOU WHO SHALL BE MINE AND MORE WHEN THIS IS OVER! THAT I PROMISE YOU!"

The rest of the tournament was about to heat up.