Chapter 160: Night Visit to Chun-Li (Patreon)

Hearing Iori Yagami's words, everyone burst into cheerful laughter, and for a while both the inside and outside of the shop were filled with merriment.

It bothered Iori a little, but when he thought about the image rock had left in people's minds, all he could do was sigh deeply and drink in resignation as he said:

"Rock is rebellion. It's questioning, freedom, self. It's refusing to be tamed and giving the weak a voice. It's not all that nonsense..."

"You're right," Yang said, nodding in deep agreement. "Too bad the first generation of rock old-timers partied harder than anyone."

Iori looked helpless at that. "Sex, drugs, booze, and rock" was about the most common impression people had of rock music.

A fair number of so-called rock superstars had dropped dead from heroin overdoses. Some people liked to call that dying young, but having come from the Tang Empire, Yang preferred to call it dropping dead. Or rather, good riddance.

Granted, now that society had entered the twenty-first century, chaotic private lives weren't as wild as they'd been in the sixties through the eighties. Still, people's impressions hadn't improved much.

In the end, compared to the present, the poison left behind by those past decades was just too memorable.

"The rock I want isn't that kind of thing." Iori sighed and lowered his head, yet his eyes were strikingly clear and bright.

"I'll accept the responsibility that belongs to me, but I won't acknowledge the fate that's been forced on me."

The others nearby only felt curious.

Yang, who knew a thing or two about Iori's family situation, nodded in full understanding.

As long as he wasn't planning to blow up Arasaka Tower...

With that thought, Yang looked over at Iori and said, "Good luck."

It was a little frustrating, really. SNK's official setting did make Iori hate violence, love music, and despise pointless fights. But in the story, and in the impression Iori left on people, there was no shortage of messy private-life behavior and the brutality that came with it.

Take The King of Fighters '96, for example. Yagami teamed up with Mature and Vice, and the two women were drawn to Iori, even betraying Orochi's plan for him. Yet after they were defeated, an enraged Iori killed them both.

Doesn't that suggest a chaotic private life and a temper that turns to violence at the slightest word?

In truth, it doesn't. Dig a little deeper and you'll find that Mature and Vice's interest in Iori was mostly a response to the Blood Curse inside him. Their so-called special feelings were closer to the special interest Hakkesshu members had in their own kind.

It's just that quite a few doujin works liked to dress that interest between kindred up as romance.

As for why Iori ended up killing Mature and Vice, the reason lies in '96 as well. Goenitz was defeated, which set off the Blood Curse in Iori's body, and in his rampage he killed the two women without even knowing it.

It was hard to keep a straight face about it, but when it came to violence and "indiscriminate slaughter of the innocent," Iori really was the victim...

Hearing Yang's words, Iori only nodded and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Yamashita Kazuo was clearly past tipsy. Completely oblivious to the mood of the scene, he turned to Iori with a flushed, drunken face and asked curiously, slurring his words:

"Yagami-kun, a guy who loves rock this much would rather sell cold noodles than stay in that band. That band must be having a headache finding new members now, huh!"

"...It's fine." Hearing Yamashita Kazuo's question, a flicker of awkwardness crossed Iori's eyes.

"Huh? Really?" Yamashita Kazuo looked a little surprised. "So what did Yagami-kun do in the band before?"

"Bassist..."

"..." After a brief silence, Yamashita Kazuo nodded. "Then Yagami-kun's cold noodles must be really good."

Iori: "..."

Seeing the conversation drifting toward bass jokes again, Iori could only sigh and drink his sorrows away.

Tokita Ohma and the others didn't care in the slightest. They just chattered and laughed about household trifles, swapped personal opinions on martial arts, and even took shots at each other.

"Taekwondo just sucks~" Tokita Ohma tossed out his hot take with total indifference. "Take it out of its rules and it's useless. And only being able to attack with your legs sounds weird as hell."

"Ssibal! I do Practical Taekwondo!" Juri Han shot up a middle finger. "Still better than a style like yours, where you fight and fight until your own heart's half ruined."

"Bullshit! Niko-ryu is the strongest! If I can't do it, don't you dare go blaming the road!"

"They're about the same. From the look of you, Niko-ryu's future is already visible from end to end."

"Niko-ryu would crush Taekwondo in seconds!"

"Practical Taekwondo would crush Niko-ryu in seconds!"

...

It was a bit noisy, but this was truly the first time Iori had seen the other side of martial arts: one that had nothing to do with fate, hatred, torment, or curses.

Surprised, even a little stunned, Iori couldn't stop himself from turning to Yang. "Are all the martial artists on your side like this?"

"Pretty much," Yang said with a shrug. "Martial arts are about exchange, after all... Come to think of it, I've got a decent junior I could introduce you all to sometime."

Baki hadn't visited in a while. According to Professor Albert, a new round of matches was supposed to start at Tokyo Dome. By Yang's reckoning, he should be able to make it after the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, and then he could go stomp the venue.

Hearing Yang's words, Iori nodded thoughtfully, then looked at him. "Come to think of it, are you really into tournaments and stuff?"

"...Kind of." Yang nodded. "Mainly because I can fight often without having to look for opponents one by one."

"Ever heard of KOF?" Iori jerked his chin toward Yang. "Looks like it's starting up again in the second half of this year."

Yang thought it over, then nodded slowly.

From what he knew, KOF had already been held twice: '94 and '95.

Both times the boss was Rugal. The second time, though, it was Omega Rugal, who'd been injected with Orochi blood.

Which meant the upcoming KOF would be the third one, the plot of The King of Fighters '96...

Thinking that, Yang frowned slightly.

The '96 storyline was a large-scale fighting tournament jointly funded by many conglomerates, led by the Kagura Conglomerate. In scale and influence, it far outstripped the earlier mid-sized competition that Rugal had bankrolled alone.

Lost in thought, Yang shook his head and stopped digging. Once people from the Kagura Conglomerate came knocking, these questions would answer themselves, so there was no point wasting time on them.

Even so, Yang asked about the first two tournaments. Iori didn't know much about the first one, since he hadn't officially appeared as a playable character until The King of Fighters '95.

He had taken part in the second, though. To earn a spot, Iori had thrown together a temporary "Rival Team" with Billy Kane and Eiji Kisaragi, and they won their entry by defeating the previous year's USA Sports Team.

Near the end of the tournament, Rugal appeared as the boss. After Iori and Kyo Kusanagi joined forces to defeat Omega Rugal, he learned of the dark power and the Blood Curse. And as Rugal lay dying, Iori didn't forget to sneer that he was unworthy of Orochi blood.

Maybe it was because the Blood Curse was making its first appearance? Or maybe Rugal's death had set something off?

Or maybe, since Iori's design as a new character leaned toward making him Kyo Kusanagi's evil rival, it was because he failed to kill Kyo in the story, and so the furious Iori beat up his two teammates, blaming them for dragging him down. That was where the three split for good and became enemies.

"The Blood Curse and all that was something my old man only told me once he realized he couldn't hide it any longer," Iori said. "I don't have any leads on it yet, but all of that fate will end with me."

"Good luck."

Yang nodded in encouragement.

As night deepened, Iori, Tokita Ohma, and the others left in twos and threes. Mai had meant to leave too. It was her first time coming out to find Yang, so today was just a scouting trip. She'd planned to wheedle her grandfather, Shiranui Hanzo, for permission, and then see whether she could rent a place nearby.

Unfortunately, this was probably Mai's first time in a place like Old City. Even after switching between several ride-hailing apps, not a single driver accepted, and a few apps flat-out showed that she was outside the service area.

Glancing at the sky, Yang mentioned that there was a spare room on the second floor. Mai only sighed. She said she'd tell her grandfather, but given how pedantic and stubborn he was, he'd probably say no, and in the end she'd still have to walk out of Old City to get a ride.

The result was something of a surprise. Mai explained the situation, and Yang had expected Shiranui Hanzo to order his granddaughter back to the Shiranui-ryu dojo at once instead of lingering outside. Instead, the moment he heard she'd be staying at Yang's place, he agreed on the spot and even started a video call.

"I leave Mai in your care!"

Seeing the stern old man on the screen bow with solemn resolve, Chun-Li said in a flustered rush, "Not at all! And thank you for passing the secret arts of Shiranui-ryu on to A-Yang! It means so much to him!"

Shiranui Hanzo shook his head over and over. "No, no, no, this is a blessing for Shiranui-ryu. Mai!"

"Huh? What is it, Grandpa?" Mai had been a bit distracted, feeling awkward about an elder from home suddenly appearing in front of her friends to thank them so formally. Hearing her name called out of nowhere, she jolted.

"No foolishness, and no causing trouble," Shiranui Hanzo warned. "We can never repay what A-Yang has done for Shiranui-ryu, and that's exactly why we must do everything in our power to show our gratitude!"

"Okay, okay, I get it... A-Yang and I get along great. You're just making it awkward." Mai pursed her lips. She respected her grandfather deeply, but she had to admit that an elder's constant nagging could make your scalp crawl.

When the call ended, Mai tilted her head, rubbing her chin in bafflement. "Come to think of it, Grandpa agreed way too easily, didn't he? Something feels off."

"...Yeah, why is that?" Juri Han followed suit, shifting her gaze to Yang beside them.

Then she glanced at the two girls of the Kure clan.

Ever since the Kure clan, with true artisan dedication, had succeeded in making limiter Removal a routine practice through artificial genetic selection, quite a few martial arts families had begun to take targeted breeding of their descendants very seriously.

For a school like Shiranui-ryu, on the verge of being lost, even if Yang had lacked all those other abilities, the talent he'd shown alone was enough for them to stake everything on him.

With that thought, Juri stared at Mai and looked her over carefully.

After a moment, Juri curled her lip in displeasure.

Big chest, long legs, slim waist, round backside, and a pretty face on top of that...

And a ninja, too. Maybe she'd even learned some bedroom arts or something? Damn it, that dog Yang was getting the good stuff again.

After the cleanup was done and Mai's room was arranged, Yang and the others prepared to rest.

Yang had been thinking of cultivating together with Juri, Karura, and Fusui. But the moment he pushed the door open, he found Juri Han, Kure Karura, and Fusui propped up on the bed, playing with tablets and scrolling their phones.

It looked peaceful enough, but the atmosphere was different from usual.

"Not today." Juri Han raised an eyebrow at Yang, and Kure Karura nodded along in agreement.

"Is something wrong?" Yang was a little surprised. Juri and Karura were usually the ones who enjoyed it the most. Fusui was more instinctively reserved by comparison, and even when she couldn't hold back, she only wrapped her limbs tight around him and shook violently.

Juri Han said, "Hurry up and eat Auntie for me."

Yang froze for just a moment before realizing that the "Auntie" Juri meant was Chun-Li. He scratched his head helplessly. "Where did that idea come from all of a sudden?"

"Quit the nonsense." Juri Han waved a hand.

"Ever since that accidental run-in, that old woman has been looking at you like her eyes are spinning sugar threads, and she keeps spacing out. I bet she's bottling up her feelings. Go in there and pound her a couple of times, and she'll spill everything like beans out of a bag. Hurry up, I'm waiting to mess with her when we all play together!"

"...Good point."

Hearing Juri Han's words, Yang scratched his head in bewilderment, a faint complexity creeping between his brows.

To say Yang had no feelings at all for Chun-Li would obviously be a lie.

But apart from elders like Old Gen and Tong'ang, Chun-Li was the first person his own age he'd met after coming to this world, and she'd helped him in so many ways. So he'd hesitated, more or less.

Thinking about it now, though... things had already gone this far. Hiding it and pretending nothing had happened was a bit like burying his head in the sand.

With that, Yang headed straight for Chun-Li's room.