{Hope you're feeling comfortable inside there, Zorkaan?}

There was an abrupt psionic silence that reigned as Shadow Dragon's face instantly contorted into one of shock and fury that went unnoticed by the rest. Victoria grinned from her vantage-point, then, making sure she was properly obscured from view, quickly drew her psychic energies to form a weak, fluid-like barrier around her mindforce. Then she shut her eyes, devoting her every fibre of concentration not to allow the shield to crumble.

Zorkaan's sweep arrived a split-second later, a telekinetic radar that Victoria -- or rather, Shadow Dragon -- knew would be inspecting the mindforces of every person, animal, insect, bacteria and any living beings within the immediate area. The energy rays of Zorkaan's vengeful scan danced around and finally locked on to him; and bent around the erected barrier in a half-circle, proceeding to pass right through as if though nothing were there for it to locate in the first place. Relaxing her mental pressure, Victoria allowed the shield to swim out of existence, satisfied that she had gone undetected, physically or otherwise.

ShockWave blinked. The stunning sensation of having his mindforce scanned over hit him with full force, causing bile to rise in his throat as he quickly struggled to seal his mind within a Psi-screen. But no sooner than he had completed his defences did the sensation drain away, so completely and entirely that, for several moments, he thought he had merely imagined it. He looked around, and found none of his companions to be betraying any signs of a similar experience. His gaze lingered on Astaroth the longest; the warrior stared straight forward, either ignoring or unmindful of his being caught in another person's intense line of vision, though ShockWave suspected it was the former. With a small shrug, and the indexing of the occurrence several seconds ago into the back of his mind should it be needed in the future, he walked straight on, pausing occasionally to check the slightly staggering elder brother, who acted as if he was half-drunk. Much to ShockWave's growing curiosity he noted that his brother's natural self-healing mechanisms hadn't kicked in yet, which was another decidedly odd event he would have to question Shadow Dragon about when both of them were alone, and back in their cabin.

{You are alive.} The venomous tone was hardly concealed. Indeed, it needn't be, for that was exactly what Zorkaan was intending to convey to his unseen conversation partner.

{My... soul, is still intact, if that's what you mean. But yes, I'm completely capable of possessing a corporeal body, and I'm still kicking.}

{You will regret that this conversation came to pass, Kai. I'm prepared for you now.}

{Really?} The voice was obnoxiously jolly. {Say, tell you what. How about I keep you guessing? See Astaroth over there? I just took over his body. Or maybe even Jin. OR I could be standing less than five paces away from you. Iwa? Kumori? One of the for-the-love-of-Goddish Phoenix twins? Hell, I could be standing right next to my own body right now. And the sweetest part is, of course, that you have absolutely no @#%$ clue. Nice weather today, isn't it?}

{I will find you.} Four steel-edged words found their way into Victoria's mind. {And when I do, I'll make sure I finish the job.}

Despite himself, Victoria's brow arched in slight worry at Zorkaan's stoic response, at what Zorkaan might do. Keeping the doubt out of her voice, Victoria replied. {No, I'll find you. And we'll see how prepared you are when I do. Because I'm watching you, not the other way around. Watching and waiting. Do you feel lucky as of late, Zorky?}

{We shall see soon enough, Kai,} came the smooth retort. Zorkaan knew his adversary was goading him, and he also knew to keep his rising temper and frustration in check. {Within the next 48 hours, in fact, and we shall see how Ishir's greatest mortal champion fares unstoppable tide of Chaos which he fights so valiantly to stop. Your move, Kai.}

{I love my job,} Victoria gave herself a tight-lipped grin. {Sleep lightly, Zork. And never stop looking over your shoulder.}

====

[ Fighters' Stadium: North ]

The overhead sun was on its way towards creating a warm, pleasant afternoon, eliminating any chances of rain or any other unwelcome weather changes, as it continued to shine brightly over the oval-shaped building. Just one of the numerous stadiums scattered in specific spots all over the island, the visually-impressive arena would be the host to today's scheduled match, much to the viewing pleasure of its audience. Coupled with the amiable weather, it hadn't been surprising to see the vast number of summer-related attires -- consisting mainly of T-shirts, denim shorts and shades -- that had made their way onto people's bodies as they now began to fill up the available seats, eager for today's match to begin. They wouldn't have to wait long.

With a light, white jacket slung over his shoulder, Crimson gave a small smile at the near-deafening cheers of the crowd, his body tensed and prepared for the upcoming battle. Having easily, along with Guy, crushed their opposition in the preliminary rounds of the tournament, the Bushin apprentice had basked in the pleasures that had come with his victory, intent on exacting a similar path in his first round match. That was, if he could get past his opponent.

Bearing a smile that seemed to rival Volpe's own version -- as far as Crimson was concerned, at least -- the warrior known as Dee Jay stood confidently on his side of the battlefield, the smile never fading or faltering. His partner, the dark-skinned fighter known only as Zero1, stood a small distance behind him, the near-emotionless facade bearing a sharp contrast to Dee Jay's far more content expression. Much like Guy, the Taekwondo practitioner appeared unaffected by the roaring of the fight-starved crowd, his lean, athletic arms hanging rigidly against his sides as he stared around the stadium in some sort of absent-minded gaze. Dee Jay, as if having just realised his opponent's presence, slowly paced towards Crimson, his strides showing confidence and control.

"So, you da one dey be callin' Crimson?"

"Yeah," Crimson casually replied, his eyes focused on his tad shorter, albeit far muscular, opponent. "And you must be Dee Jay, the so-called 'Southern Comet'."

At this, Dee Jay's smile diminished slightly, seemingly offended by the 'so-called' term that had preceded his honorary title. Shrugging it off, the tall warrior brought back his easy grin, the only thing as highly distinguishable as it being the long pair of trousers he wore, with the words 'MAXIMUM' emblazoned along each side in silver embroidery.

"Indeed, mon," he replied, maintaining the flat tone within his voice. "And you'll see why I be worthy of the title."

Crimson's brow furrowed, his face slowly turning serious as he noted the solemnity behind Dee Jay's words. "A'ight then, man. Bring it on..."

The pair then walked off towards the middle of the stadium, both of them pausing briefly before backing away from each other. Fidgeting with his cerulean-coloured Nike sweatband slightly, the Bushin apprentice threw an idle glance around the stadium, his gaze eventually resting upon Zero1. The eyes of both warriors met each other's, the Taekwondoist expressing a small nod in response.

"Round 1..."

Crimson quickly settled into his stance, just as Dee Jay followed suit. The volume of the crowd had also lowered somewhat, now making the announcer's voice much more prominent.

"...Ready..."

A wide grin still etched onto his features, Dee Jay raised one hand high, beckoning Crimson with a 'come here' gesture. The latter merely returned it with narrowed eyes.

"GO!!!"

Both warriors flew towards each other at around the same time, Crimson with a slightly raised knee and Dee Jay with a drawn back shoulder. Dee Jay, however, was quicker to connect, his fist sending itself into Crimson's gut, instantly cutting off the latter's intended attack as he staggered back. Still grinning widely, Dee Jay quickly took advantage of the situation, sending out a swift uppercut, knocking the Bushin warrior high and towards a painful collision with the ground. Rolling away to the side and back to his feet, Crimson backed away from attacking range quickly, intent on buying himself some time to regroup.

Unwilling to grant the young Bushin the opportunity, Dee Jay dashed forward a second time, his leg slashing low in a blindingly fast shin strike. With a short, hasty leap backward, Crimson barely avoided the impact of the blow. With his momentum still on his side, the kickboxer followed onward with a high side kick, only to have it parried as Crimson crouched low, throwing out his hands to catch the warrior's leg in a near-unorthodox manner. Grinning slightly at Dee Jay's now bewildered expression, the student of Bushin pushed his hands up and forward, causing his opponent to stumble as he staggered back, fighting to regain his balance. Almost as quickly as the previous action, Crimson ducked low, a small surge of ki gathering itself into his frame as the warrior gave a small spin, gathering the needed momentum for his technique.

"Gyaku Kudaki!"

With a small thrust of his entire body forward, Crimson flew into a swift elbow lunge, driving his elbow and the vast majority of his forearm directly into Dee Jay's gut, forcefully expelling the air from the proud warrior's lungs, and throwing his body backwards onto the ground. Dee Jay lurched back up from the ground soon after, slowly dropping back into his stance, just as Crimson did the same.

In a second attempt at an offensive assault, Crimson flowed into a smooth dash, sending out a roundhouse, driving most of his body's power behind it. Calmly shifting out of the attack's range, Dee Jay shot forward, hitting Crimson's leg with both hands. With the young Bushin's back now facing him, the kickboxer burst forward, intent on exploiting the opportunity.

What he didn't expect was the powerful backhand Crimson released in response, cutting off his charge abruptly as it collided with the side of his head. A reeling Dee Jay soon became open to a strong gut punch, further damaging him as Crimson proceeded to add a knee strike into the fray, throwing another swift leg strike, this time in the form of a roundhouse. Seeing the attack in time, Dee Jay brought forth his guard to deflect the attack, only to blink in surprise as the kick never came, Crimson managing to draw back his foot within the closing seconds. Maintaining his rotational movement, however, the young Bushin soon hopped off the ground, throwing his body into a fast, vertical vortex.

"Bushin Shoujinkyaku!!" Crimson cried, whipping out an impressive rush of kicks. The first strike streaked across and above Dee Jay's initially low guard, catching him on the side of his head; carrying him above ground before the following three ensued, the entire technique sent Dee Jay's body into an uncontrollable aerial twist, crashing into the hard earth with a deep thud. The kickboxer flipped back onto his feet, holding his chest as Crimson landed with relative ease, several yards away from him. For a few moments, they remained like this, both of them pausing to catch their breath and access their current bodily states. Eventually, both warriors slowly fell back into their respective stances, both of their bodies ready to either launch an attack or prepare against one. Crimson, having been successful in the past, decided to choose the former, his body now a blurred motion of speed and energy as it raced towards Dee Jay's confident, prepared form.

[ Meanwhile... ]

Shadow Dragon's expression literally shrunk as a smiling Victoria guided a small, rounded piece of black across the chequered board, hopping over 4 red pieces consecutively and removing them from the board. The Kai Master palmed himself, noting that his remaining pieces were trapped in the corners and couldn't be moved.

"Ouch."

"That's my sixth win," Victoria grinned as the board rearranged itself with an elegant flick of her wrist. "Care for another game?"

Shadow Dragon made a cringed face. "You're good at this, aren't you?" A slight nod of his head resulted in the materialization of a semi-transparent scoreboard, which hovered in mid-air, and to which was added yet another tick in the column under Victoria's name. Sighing, Shadow Dragon flung himself back into his unseen luxury chair, floating freely within the recesses of Victoria's mind.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"You look rather calm for a soul who just lost his body," Victoria stated pointedly, looking at Shadow Dragon straight in the eye. Shadow Dragon stared back into Victoria's dark brown eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Ain't the first time," Shadow Dragon replied in an off-handed tone that hinted at annoyed boredom, but Victoria couldn't be sure. "On the fourth time or so, you start to get pissed off instead." But then his tone sobered, as if he remembered who it was that he was up against this time, then a wry smile. "Hell, we'll see soon enough."

"If you don't mind a comment, your announcement to Zorkaan that you're still alive wasn't very wise," Victoria shrugged. "If anything, he'll know you're coming for him now."

"Your point being?"

"My point?" Victoria's brow furrowed as she stared at Shadow Dragon with the look of an exasperated teacher explaining a mathematical question to an uncomprehending student. "He'll be prepared for you now, for crissake. Unless I'm way mistaken it's far easier to pounce on him when he has his pants down." She paused for a while. "Or am I missing something here?"

"You're not." Judging from the tone of the reply, it appeared to be final.

Victoria knew enough that to press the matter any further would result in nothing but dead-end replies, and once again turned her attention back towards the board. Shadow Dragon's voice broke out before she could say anything further. "Sorry 'bout that." A slight pause. "Victoria?"

"Yes?"

Fixing her eyes upon Shadow Dragon, Victoria found herself startled by the dead-serious features staring back at hers. "Whatever I'm going to do with your body..." the Kai Master grimaced, as if grazed by the harshness of his own words, "there is a fair chance that you'll, well, die."

"Your point being?"

"My point being... if you want to back down, now's the time. I mean, it'd hardly be fair to drag you to your death as well..."

Victoria cut him off. "Look, hon, I told you it's fine with me. Hm?"

"...thanks."

Victoria smiled. "Are you going to quit now, or do you want to add a few more wins to my record?"

"Is that a taunt?" The voice was slightly disapproving.

"What do you think?"

"I think," Shadow Dragon replied, pulling himself upright as he snapped his fingers. Instantly the board and its arranged pieces warped in and out of focus for several seconds, then changed entirely into a board of the same size, but of different markings on its surface. Chinese characters were etched on the pieces, which were red and black checkers men a short while ago. "...It's payback time."

[ Elsewhere... ]

"How many lives must you interfere with, Phoenix?" Darius whispered softly to himself as he stood over Kay Lee's form. He had been hunting down the ki of his sworn enemy, but had lost it when he had reached the sea. Though the mainland was only a short distance across, the power of the Phoenix could extend across boundless regions. It had been the power of his amulet that allowed him to find someone working with the power of one of the four guardians. He had been too late, however, to prevent what had happened to Kay Lee. But, maybe... he could reverse the wrong that had been done. "Curse you, Phoenix, he had only wanted to live on in peace. The fight is over for him, why must they persist in drawing him back?"

Darius shook his head and focused on the matter at hand, studying the effects of what the Phoenix Bearers had done. They had... reached into his soul, and changed it somehow. Manipulated it, crushed it, and attempted to renew it. They were attempting a... reincarnation? Spawns of evil! This was the last thing Kay Lee needed. To be made afresh when he had only just begun to live. To work so hard to build something, only to have it taken away and told to make it again. But it would never be the same. They had wiped away everything that Kay had once been and expected him return anew once more.

"Although once we were bitter enemies striving for the control of one body, now we are allies." Darius whispered, and from somewhere within the depths of the memory that he shared with the young man before him, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." In another life, Kay Lee had been his friend, Sauris. In the battle for life, they had been at war, for neither wished to become only what once was. But thanks to his totem god, the White Tiger, a happy solution had come for them both. Rarely did the four guardians ever grant a wish upon their followers, and Darius was thankful that his wish had been granted. "And so, friend, I will restore you to what you once was, allowing you to pick up where you had been so rudely interrupted." Removing his amulet from around his neck, Darius carefully set the magical artefact upon Kay Lee's chest.

{I've granted you three wishes,} a deep voice filled with boundless wisdom echoed within Darius' head, causing his amulet to emit a pale aura, its light spreading outward to engulf Kay's form. {Is this your second}

{Yes, this is my second wish.}" Darius answered in prayer to his totem god. {I've learned that even in my war against the Phoenix, I cannot ignore those who suffer around me. There are many that would dearly miss this young man for what he is, and would weep should he lose all that he had gained from life.}

{You have only one wish left... what will you do with it?} The White Tiger's voice echoed softly within his mind, and it was a question that demanded an answer.

{I will use it to set free my precious Juliana.} Came the reply.

{What of the legions of Darkness on the brink of overtaking this world? What of the Dark God known as Naar?} Darius knew that his very fate depended on his answer.

{A war between gods would prove disastrous and may even destroy the very fabric of the universe.} Darius replied slowly. {Though the choice of my third wish is selfish, it would be a hollow victory should the forces of Darkness turn back from your power. But I have faith in the humans of this world, of their own power, and especially the power of the Essences of Nine. For it shall be their power that would prove to be the greatest obstacle between Naar and conquest of this world.}

{If you had asked me to send back the forces of Naar, I would not,} the god said softly. {For I cannot interfere upon a world which generally worships the Light. My followers here are few in numbers, and even my once great name is fading into the realms of mythologies and stories. The Light, too, has faith in the power of his children and that, which has been granted upon them. Your final wish will be well made, as is this second one.}

{Thank you.} Darius whispered softly as he watched the white light of his god reverse what had happened to Kay. Carefully, he touched Kay's mind, and allowed a small smile to tug at his features. What had before been a clean slate had been restored into what was to be. When the White Tiger was done, Darius removed the amulet from Kay's chest.

{Not all that you see as evil is evil.} The White Tiger's voice whispered in his thoughts as he felt the god's presence begin to fade. {Let not the corruption of what once was blind you to the crimson glory of what is...}

Darius did not understand the words of the god even as he set off on a speedboat back towards Fighters' Isle. Though the words of the god troubled him, his mind quickly returned to thoughts of vengeance. The Phoenix Bearers would pay. No matter how many lifetimes it would take him, he would have his vengeance...

==========

[ The battle... ]

With a fluid shift to one side, Dee Jay watched his adversary's attack slip past him, stepping back for a quick counterstrike. As Crimson turned around, the kickboxer let his attack fly, driving his leg deep into the young Bushin's gut. Curling over from the painful impact, and expelling a small amount of blood, Crimson became helpless to a follow-up kick, this time to the chest, the ki and physical force behind Dee Jay's Rolling Sobat technique sending him to the ground in a brutal world of pain. Crimson soon rose back up, only to fall onto one knee, truly feeling the effects of Dee Jay's attack as he embraced a crouched stance, his right arm clutched around his bruised midsection. Subsiding the pain as much as he could, Crimson exploded from his crouch, adrenaline coursing though him as he unleashed a second Gyaku Kudaki, hoping to catch his adversary off-guard. Instinct and experience screamed at Dee Jay to move and he did, within inches of connection, forcing Crimson's blurred arm to strike nothing but the air around it. Never one to let an opportunity pass him by, Dee Jay mercilessly flew into his 'Sunrise Theme' technique, catching and pummelling a recovering Crimson with a strong chain of revolving square kicks to the midsection. The final blow soon impounded itself into the young warrior's gut, sending him smashing onto the hard ground below. With amazing recovery from such a level of ki exertion, the moment the sole of Dee Jay's sneaker touched the ground, the kickboxer launched his body forward, his mind set on bringing this match to a swift, powerful close.

Sensing the rising ki levels of his opponent, Crimson hastily shook off his hazy vision, just in time to see Dee Jay hurtling towards him with speed akin to a missile. Instinctively bringing up his arms in front of his body, Crimson's body tensed, narrowing his eyes in anticipation as he waited for the attack to land, knowing that the match was soon over. Dee Jay's beaming grin seemed to grow wider as he neared the young Bushin, focusing and channelling his inner energies into his right muscular arm, tasting the strong scent of victory. That was, until he saw something from the corner of his eye.

Everything seemed to slow down, Dee Jay mere moments from throwing his arm forward to begin the initial hit of his 'Climax Beat' technique, Crimson's expression still one of anticipation and some form of resignation and the scarlet, compact blur that silently roared towards the two. With the unexpectedness of the attack, plus the gathered momentum that was now against him, the Southern Comet never had a chance.

With a speed that only a true Bushin could appreciate, Guy emptied his elbow directly into Dee Jay's gut, dramatically cutting off his would-be finishing attack and lurching his body into a curled posture. As the force of the attack sent Dee Jay skidding back by a few feet, Guy fluidly whirled his body into a smooth, high spinning roundhouse. The attack connected with a thunderous crack, Guy's foot impacting solidly against Dee Jay's jaw, sending the warrior airborne towards an equally painful descent. For the battered, weak Crimson, it was a chance he could not let slip through his hands...

"Bushin... GOUSHOU HASSOUKEN!!"

Dee Jay's world instantly became one of pain as a now airborne Crimson let loose a short -- but visually impressive-looking -- chain of attacks, driving each blow with as much power and energy as his weak, tired body could release, carrying the both of them upward from each attack's sheer force. Swiftly nearing completion of his technique, the young student of Bushin boomed a triumphant yell, shortly before unleashing his final attack -- a wide, arching side-kick to the chest -- and sending his adversary crashing into the earth with an undignified thud, Dee Jay's body still and unmoving.

"KO! Winner is Crimson!!" The perfectly anonymous voice of the announcer boomed over the stadium, just as the said victor landed lightly, stumbling, then finally falling onto one knee, his breathing coming in long gasps.

"I...I won..." he puffed, the tone in his voice showing some element of disbelief. Gulping down more air, the young Bushin's breath became more regulated and his tired, partially bleeding face soon turned into a small, contented grin. A bolt of pain suddenly streaked through his form, however, causing the dark-skinned fighter to wince at the reminder of Dee Jay's power and commendable strength, hugging one arm around his ribs as he brought himself back upright.

Still smiling light-heartedly, the dark-skinned fighter turned to Guy. "Your turn now, man."

Having anticipated such a decision from his student, the Bushin warrior regarded Crimson's phrase with a stoical expression and a cold silence; his thoughts now focused on his upcoming battle, and everything that came with it. Zero1 appeared to show similar feelings, for his expression too was one of no emotion. Crimson, for his part, took the time to quickly bask in the cheering and jubilation of the crowd, shortly before he made his exit from the battlefield, just as Guy and Zero1 slowly paced their way towards each other. With several feet distancing them apart, Zero1 and Guy both came a slow halt, their eyes never leaving the other's, as if scanning for any potential strengths and weaknesses the other might have.

"Round 2..."

Despite the fact that he wore a black gi of some sort, Zero1 appeared unaffected by the heat. In fact, no perspiration was even present on his skin. Throwing out a few warm-up kicks, the dark-skinned warrior soon embraced his battle stance.

"...Ready..."

'Taekwondo...' thought Guy, instantly recognising the stance, as his mind quickly vaulted through the halls of memories, knowledge and experience, pooling on whatever he knew about the style. As the data began to formulate itself within the realm of Guy's mind, the latter slowly dropped into his fighting stance, both fists clenched in a gesture that he was ready to begin.

"GO!!

Like a trapped, wild animal unleashed, Zero1 decided to draw first blood, his leg a blur of motion as it screamed through the air. Although having anticipated such an impulsive attack, Guy chose not to guard against it, instead opting on avoiding it with a quick step backward, watching his opponent's leg whistle past where his head had just been. Recovering rather quickly from his missed strike, Zero1's legs became blurs as first his left then his right slashed outward. The Bushin master quickly committed his arms into a strong block for the first strike, but had no choice but to take the second kick with the side of his stomach, feeling it numb slightly from the attack's impact. Whipping back his leg in an impressively quick fashion, Zero1 spun into an aerial spin hook kick, focusing a considerable amount of ki energy into his leg. Sensing the attack in time, Guy drew up his arms again, forearms ready to absorb the impact.

The dark-skinned fighter's leg impacted heavily against Guy's guard, striking it with a loud crack. The force of the blow was so great that it sent the Bushin warrior skidding back several feet, his legs locked in a strong, solid stance in order to maintain his equilibrium. Zero1 swiftly pursued his opponent, unwilling to give up his offensive game, just as Guy came to a slow stop. This time, however, the Bushin warrior rushed forward to meet Zero1's attack.

Closing in on the charging Zero1, Guy sprung into action, pushing his body off the ground towards the open sky and into a small, compact aerial roll. So abrupt was Guy's manoeuvre that Zero1 had no time to react to it accordingly, blinking in surprise as he halted his intended strike. Swifter still were Guy's arms, shooting themselves off his curled body, his hands latching themselves onto the sides of the martial artist's waist. Even swifter came the next, final action, Guy hurling Zero1's -- and essentially, his own -- body into a rapid revolution, with unheard of agility and strength, before driving it into the ground in a brutal, and visually impressive, powerslam. Weakened by the force of Guy's Bushin Izuna Otoshi technique, Zero1 slowly hoisted his body off the ground and into his stance. A small twinge of pain stabbed through Zero1's body, which the Taekwondo practitioner managed to push away, but not before it etched a small, fleeting grimace onto his features.

Pressing on the advantage, Guy homed in on Zero1, his fingers now nothing more than a singular knife-hand as it flew towards the Taekwondo warrior's sternum. Pushing himself forward, Zero1 deflected away the strike, noting the ease behind it with some concern. Then he saw why.

Guy quickly rose his leg into a close knee smash, slipping up with beneath Zero1's guard. Having placed most of his power into the initial block, Zero1 had been left unprepared for the attack that followed the feint. Now in close, Guy launched into a short, fast combination of punches, completing the chain with a high spinning roundhouse, akin to the one he'd performed on Dee Jay earlier. Managing to deflect the fist strikes, albeit with some difficulty, Zero1 deftly crouched under the roundhouse. Before Guy had time to recover from the attack, surges of ki energy quickly gathered themselves into Zero1's frame.

"Spin Hook Buster..." With a quick hop off the ground, Zero1's body spun once, followed instantly by another spin as his leg whirled through the air with frightening speed. Unable to avoid the attack in time, Guy took the impact heavily as Zero1 emptied his leg directly into the Bushin warrior's right cheek, feeling the bone splinter under the blow's force. Guy's head snapped to the side violently, yanking the rest of his body with it as his entire form executed an involuntary aerial twist, crashing limply against the firm ground. Zero1 landed gracefully, a dark brown pair of eyes staring disdainfully at his prone opponent. A low, pained groan slowly rumbled its way out of Guy's body, however, surprising many of the spectators, including Crimson himself, as he hoisted his body off the warm ground and staggered back into his stance. The disdainful look on Zero1's face quickly drained away, replaced by a look of shock and surprise, having never recalled anyone recovering so quickly from one of his techniques. Guy returned Zero1's expression with a grim facade, his body doing its best to surpress the pain that now flowed through it.

In an ardent burst of speed, Guy streaked towards Zero1, the latter dashing to meet him in kind. Both warriors let their attacks fly -- the sole majority of Zero1's being kicks -- each of them skillfully avoiding or deflecting the other's strike, only to repeat the continuous cycle within seconds. Feeling the frustration beginning to build, Guy and Zero1 slowly began to intensify the power of their strikes, striving to land the successful blow and gain the upper hand, much to the growing excitement of their audience. Redirecting Guy's palm strike, Zero1 stepped forward, spearing out a long side kick that pounded deep into Guy's gut. As the Bushin warrior took a hasty, unwilling retreat, Zero1 pressed on after him, his ki energy exploding in release from his body.

Beginning with a axe kick, Zero1 unleashed a short, yet painfully effective, myriad of leg strikes, all ranging from knee strikes to shin kicks to from side kicks to roundhouses, each blow landing squarely with Guy's stuttering body. The Taekwondoist then lashed out violently, delivering a strong side kick to the stomach, causing Guy to wheeze from the pain and the abrupt loss of air as his body curled forward. Through the haze creeping into his vision Guy saw Zero1 slowly raise his left leg high above his head, looking to make a brutal descent. Performing another disdainful gaze, Zero1 slashed his leg downward, feeling the air rush against its path as it screamed towards Guy's head in a blinding force of speed, and towards his imminent victory...

...which never came. Zero1 felt his foot impact against something, only to realise a split-second later with a fleeting shock that it had been Guy's palms, which had risen up to absorb the brunt of the attack, latching themselves tightly onto his raised foot. Tensing his arms, Guy pushed up against Zero1's would-be axe kick, hurling the fighter airborne, only to have the warrior reflexively perform an aerial somersault, landing softly on one knee. The dark-skinned warrior reared himself back up, just in time to see Guy rushing in.

Clenching his teeth slightly, Zero1 let loose a wild hook kick, hoping to cut off Guy's approach. With a raised arm, Guy avoided the impact of the blow, adrenaline coursing itself through his veins as he continued his dash. In a compact blur, a fist made its way onto Zero1's jaw in a fierce manner, causing blood, sweat and spittle to fly from the latter's mouth as his head whipped to the side sharply. Crossing over, Guy roared into a small flurry of punches, each one connecting with a thunderous crack as Zero1's body racked back and forth, dizziness beginning to trickle into his vision. Bringing his 'Bushin Gokusa Ken' combination to a close, Guy whirled into a reeling Zero1 with another high spinning roundhouse kick, only this time marked with a successful connection as opposed to before. The Taekwondo practitioner spun into unconsciousness, his body collapsing onto the stage.

"The eyes of a Bushin..." Guy whispered, staring at the limp body of his former opponent, again paying no attention to the actions around him. Slowly closing his eyes, Guy turned to walk away, onto his victory, and onto his destiny within the tournament.

And as he ventured on towards a smiling Crimson, his future successor, the final words of a phrase his own master had once told him, a phrase which had helped him a great deal today, continued to echo itself within his thoughts, emitting the concluding line, '...no movement can ever escape them.'

=======

"How do you feel?" ShockWave asked, deliberately masking the concern in his voice as he lowered Shadow Dragon onto the bed. The elder Kai made a slight motion with his hand, indicating he'd sit instead of lying down, which made ShockWave grimace. His brother had always been reluctant to display any sign of weakness, even when alone in private, and he knew better than to argue with his brother's self-imposed dignity. Which was rather irksome, in a way.

"Where's Jin?"

"He teleported away while you were unconscious."

"Astaroth?"

"I don't know. He broke off somewhere when we made our way back here. There's something I need to ask you about."

"Don't," came the curt reply.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know the answer." Zorkaan was inwardly pleased that his answer seemed to satisfy the younger Kai; raising suspicions now was not an option, especially since Shadow Dragon had not been neutralized as Zorkaan thought he had been. Reflecting back on his short telepathic exchange earlier, Zorkaan wondered, despite his bravado, how much was this acolyte Kai truly aware of. And when was it that Shadow Dragon himself would show up. Fighting him in this battered body would be an extremely troublesome inconvenience, depending on how much Shadow Dragon was willing to hurt his own physical form. The uncomfortable answer that popped into his mind was "very"; the Kai appeared to have little inhibition about his own safety and survival -- if at all -- when it came to such matters. Which was, Zorkaan noted with displeasure, one of the reasons that made him such an efficient soldier.

ShockWave sighed, then shook his head. "I'll ask anyway. Why did Jin and Astaroth suddenly turn into a pair of goody-two-shoes? Why did Kumori's spell backfire? And why aren't you healing yourself?"

"I can answer the last question, at least..." Shadow Dragon pressed two fingers to his ribcage, then slowly begin applying pressure and stopped almost instantly, when his face grimaced with pain. "Zorkaan screwed up a part of my mind, and I believe that several of my Kai Disciplines have been... disabled..."

"Temporary or permanent?"

"I'm not sure."

ShockWave drew a heavy sigh. "That's going to be a real problem." He paused, assessing the severity degree if this occurrence as well as any possible solutions, but finally gave another sigh, this time in dejection. He had absolutely no idea. "Jin and Astaroth?"

Shadow Dragon appeared to ponder this for a while. "Serving a master such as Naar cannot be easy, not even for them. But I can only speculate."

"And Kumori?"

Shadow Dragon gave a helpless shrug.

"Rest," ShockWave said with a nod as he turned for the door. He paused in mid-stride. "I still think I should have sent you to the medical facility."

"You'd have done the wrong thing."

"Call me if you need anything." And with those words, the younger Kai disappeared through the door, closing it behind him with a soft 'click' as the spring jumped into place and kept the door shut. It was only then was Shadow Dragon's expression twisted by a look of pure, utter hatred as it stared at the door. Several seconds ticked past before Shadow Dragon's eyes dropped, and he began inspecting his new body.

The trenchcoat was flung aside, and Zorkaan examined the metallic suit that embellished his body, searching for a way it might be removed whilst marvelling at its fine craftsmanship. The suit was next to weightless, allowing him to freely exercise his movements as if the suit was nothing more than one of cotton instead of a solid steel-like material. It consisted of several pieces, but all formed a cohesive whole that wrapped snugly over his body and revealed no obvious way of shedding it. Moments passed, and Shadow Dragon finally abandoned his fruitless search. The suit held no pockets, but three were hidden in the interior of the coat, a quick inspection of which shown that they were totally empty, devoid even of lint.

Presently he became aware of something brushing against the skin of his neck. He lifted it off; it was a braided cord. And attached to it was a small amulet, crafted from kagonite. Shadow Dragon's eyes swept over it, noting its insignia, and replaced it over his neck.

The Sommerswerd was attached to his back, and he knew more than enough to avoid tampering with it or somehow removing it from its korlinium scabbard, not even for the purpose of examining it -- the sheath was one with the suit, and to lift the Sommerswerd would mean grasping its hilt, an action that, 15 years ago, he had discovered was rather unwise. Shadow Dragon's face contorted into a grim smile, recalling that foolish moment where he had been unwise enough to wield the Kai's weapon against its master. Besides, Zorkaan reflected to himself, the sword served an integral part of his disguise. Yet once he was done, the Sword of the Sun would certainly serve as a fine trophy for the Master. Completing his search, he picked up the trenchcoat and threw it once more over his shoulders, a coldly dangerous look on his face as he waited. He didn't wait long.

"The Kai is still alive."

The five words were enough to send chills of foreboding down Astaroth's spine. In Daziarnian slang, Shadow Dragon would have been, along with the Nine Essences, "number one on the hit list." Zorkaan's statement sent an indistinct feeling of anger into him, which he suppressed perfectly. There was no need to question what Zorkaan meant: the Kai had stubbornly survived, somehow refused to die. "How?"

"His spirit escaped, and bonded with another body."

"Who?"

"I do not know." 'Shadow Dragon' turned around swiftly, as if irritated by his inability to answer Astaroth's question. The fact remained that he was, that he somehow allowed his most hated enemy to slip past his very fingers. His gaze met with Astaroth's unblinking stare, which seemed to silently mock him. His blood rose instantly, but he caught himself an instant later, and forced himself to remain calm. "Where is the Kushina?"

This time it was Astaroth who betrayed signs of agitation, yet ever so slightly. "He has gone to... attend to the girl."

The eyes staring at his narrowed into slits. "I have no need to punish you if either of you fail. The Master will see to that personally; you have already incurred much of his wrath. Give Him any further reason to end your pitiful existences, and He most assuredly will."

"That will not happen," replied Astaroth in a flat monotone. "My sister..." he cut himself off abruptly, face set with a sudden hardness, "...the girl will be delivered, or killed if she resists."

Zorkaan's dark gaze seemed to bore into his eyes, searching for the slightest hint of any lies. Astaroth stared back with a quiet defiance. Eventually Zorkaan turned around, breaking off the uncomfortable eye contact. "Her disappearance -- or murder -- must not be tied to you or Jin in any way. Remember that. Our primary directive is covert infiltration, to lie hidden and sabotage them when they are at their weakest. Discovery of our true purpose here by them will be considered as our failure."

Astaroth's eyes narrowed. "Shadow Dragon."

"He will most definitely be a problem," Shadow Dragon -- or his corporeal body, at least -- appeared to sink into deep thought, as Astaroth waited patiently. "The Kai... are essentially survival machines, their skills and abilities being honed more on self-preservation under any and all conditions. Ferreting out this, Shadow Dragon," Zorkaan spat, as if the name left a foul aftertaste in his mouth, "will be considerably difficult."

"Unless he chooses to show himself," Astaroth added questioningly, cocking a glance towards Zorkaan. A small nod was received in reply.

"He WILL show himself," Zorkaan grinned to nobody in particular. "He is still alive, not dead. His spirit can only survive for so long without THIS body before its soul-energy runs out, and he dissipates into nothingness. Our goal now is to force him to reveal himself to us, and us only, and neutralize him... this time for good."