The Path of the True Warrior Ch. 22
By Ryu-san

"Good job Ryu…now what are we going to do?" Ken asks him, slightly bitter.

"Let me think, Ken…um, let's test out the walls and see if there's something weak enough to break open…" Ryu says as he stands up, testing the walls. The rest of the group follow's Ryu's example and taps each brick on the wall.

"This isn't going to work," Ryu states, frustrated. He looks at the huge dungeon and he reaches a decision.

"Everyone, stand back…" Ryu warns them as he cups his hands. He brings his hands back and concentrates on the environment around him. His entire focus is solely on the chi within the atmosphere that is surrounding him. Chun-li and Cammy stare wide-eyed at the energy that is being drawn towards Ryu. Ryu then turns inward and draws upon his inner chi as the catalyst for releasing the energy within him.

"Shinkuu…Hadoken!" Ryu yells as he releases the energy around him. The walls crumble on impact as the streaking vacuum of chi rips a hole straight out of the dungeon.

"Great, Ryu!" Ken exclaims.

*BWEEEEEEEEEEE! BWEEEEEEEEEE!*

"Alert! Alert! Intruders are now escaping the facility! Repeat, intruders are now escaping the facility!" a voice announces.

"Ryu! Let's go, NOW!" Chun-li says as she grabs his arm. The quartet runs out and several guards soon follow.

"Shoot on sight! We'll shoot first and ask questions later!" the commander yelled.

"This is gonna cause problems, Ryu!" Ken says as he notices guns firing.

"Just run, Ken! We need to get out of here! I'll think of something after but we're useless dead!" Ryu says. Ken, Cammy and Chun-li run out of the castle and they don't stop running until they reach Ken's private plane.

"Whew, that was a close one, eh, Ryu?" Ken asks. Ken looks around and he spots Cammy, Chun-li and his plane.

"Where's Ryu?!" he asks the two girls.

"We thought he was with you…Don't tell me that he…" Chun-li doesn't finish her sentence as she runs back where she came from.

"Chun-li, wait!" Ken calls out to her. Chun-li keeps on running, forcing Ken and Cammy to chase after her.

Meanwhile…

"It seems that the prisoners have all escaped," the subordinate says.

"Really? Well, let's check on the prisoners," the voice responds.

The subordinate goes over to a nearby computer and uploads the information onto a huge holographic monitor.

"WHAT!" the voice thunders. "WHERE DID THEY GO!?"

"Please, sir, just give me a few seconds and we can check the surveillance cameras," the subordinate nervously replies as he scuffles over to the computer again. He types in several commands and the surveillance camera shows a replay of the occurrences during the intrusion. It shows Ryu running in the room, freeing both the mother and child, and running back out.

"GET HIM! GET HIM NOW!" the voice bellows.

"Y, yes sir!" the subordinate says as he grabs the microphone for the P.A. system.

In the third floor of the castle…

"Are you sure this is the way to go to destroy it?" Ryu asks as the trio run up the stairs.

"Yes," the mother says as she carries her daughter behind her back. Ryu runs and he finds a room on the top of the stairs.

"Ok, you two escape, and I'll destroy this thing!" Ryu says as he runs into the room. The woman jumps out of the window and, bouncing off the walls, manages to land safely. Ryu breaks the door down quickly and spies a mysterious humming machine.

"I guess this is it. Here goes nothing!" Ryu says as he runs forward and kicks. He is pushed back by a mysterious field.

"Nani!?" Ryu exclaims as his foot is slightly burned with a mysterious blue flame.

"Ha. Ha. Ha," a voice laughs dryly.

"Who's there!?" Ryu shouts in the darkness of the castle.

"Ore kara shini yatsu ni nano in neena ne na (the dead don't need to know my name)," the voice answers as a mysterious man descends from the sky.

"The dead? What do you mean?" Ryu asks the voice. The man says nothing as he lands on the ground. He steps out of the shadows, carrying something, and Ryu squints to try to make out what it is he's carrying.

*CRACKLE!*

Lightning flashes and for a moment, he sees the man's face clearly. He is wearing a red general's costume with a red hat, his face set in a serious countenance. Strangely, his face breaks into a maniacal grin as he lifts the object high into the air.

"LI CHUN-SAN!" Ryu yells as he sees the object's face. Ryu's fists clench so hard that his knuckles bleed and his face is livid with rage. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Get angry, Ryu! Hate me! Detest and despise me! Give me your anger!" Bison shouts joyfully as he grabs Chun-li by the neck.

"Ryu! Chun-li!" Ken shouts as he races into the room. Cammy soon follows but the two stop as they see Ryu's plight.

"Let go of her, Bison!" Cammy screams as she runs toward him. She spins her entire body around and kicks Bison in the face. Bison merely shakes his head, swats her away, and begins choking Chun-li.

"Stop you b******!" Ken shouts as he charges at Bison. "Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!"

"Ha ha! Useless efforts!" Bison laughs as his hand glows and he grabs Ken's leg. He smashes him to the concrete floor and then throws him into the air, punching Ken across the room and burning him with psycho power. Ken slumps to the floor, unconscious.

"Cammy! Ken!" Ryu shouts out. He slowly approaches Bison, step by step. "You…will…pay…"

"Mwa ha ha! Hate me, Ryu! Loathe me for the abhorrence that I am!" Bison shouts even more joyfully as a blue aura surrounds him. Soon, the brightness fills the room and the blue energy still increases.

Ryu then breaks into a run and aims a kick to Bison's face. Bison grabs the foot and throws him back with Psycho power. He releases his hold on Chun-li, who collapses to the ground, and he teleports next to Ryu. He grabs Ryu by the arm and kicks him, sending him to collide with another wall.

"Ha ha! Do you despair at your helplessness?" Bison asks as he jumps into the air and aims both of his feet at Ryu. Ryu gathers his strength into his fist and he quickly turns around. Just as Bison's feet are about to connect with Ryu's head, Ryu's fist strikes.

"Shoryuken!" Ryu shouts as his fist connects with Bison's chin.

"Tanoshimase te morau (This is going to be entertaining)! Misete kure yo (show me what you can do)!" Bison says as he teleports to his feet. Ryu says nothing but he brings his hands back as he once again draws the chi from his environment. Bison merely smirks as he waits for the attack.

"Shinkuu…hadoken!" Ryu shouts as he once again thrusts his projection of chi at Bison.

"Haha! Karae (take this)!" Bison speaks as he uses his Psycho power to reflect the blow. Ryu stares in shock as his own projectile quickly heads straight for him.

*KRZHZZHZHZ!*

Ryu falls down in agony as his entire body is stunned with the force of his own projectile mixed with Pscyho power. His body is filled with a burning sensation and his gi is singed.

"Hoi! Anta…so no te no ka yo (you…is that your best trick)?" Bison says, his voice filled with disappointment. Ryu tries to get up but he falls down. Bison walks over to Ryu and raises his foot high in the air.

"This is the end…how disappointing," Bison mutters as his foot drops from the air.

"SENRETSU KYAKU!"

Bison is flung backwards as his body is racked with pain from the multiple kicks. He falls on his back as the final blow hits him on the chest. He shakes his head as he slowly rises to his feet.

"Nan da kore wa!? I thought I killed you back there…" Bison says as his mouth gapes widely at Chun-li's renewed vigor. "However, this is all for naught. You will perish for sure this time…Shi ne (die)!"

Chun-li slides and kicks Bison, tripping him. She flips her body around and kicks Bison in the chest as he lies on the floor. Bison teleports and appears behind her. He grabs her by the back of her neck and throws her across the room, forcing her to slide across the floor. She jumps back up and aims a kick at Bison's stomach but Bison teleports out of the way.

"Game over little girl," Bison whispers as he charges his psycho energy. His entire body resonates with power as the room filled with blue soon intensifies tenfold. The entire castle is soon filled with the blue aura as Bison charges his psycho power.

"PSYCHO CRUSHER!"