It was late, and was an unusually warm evening for August. Then again, this was Hong Kong. The weather appeared ominous. Even the weatherman on the radio was uneasy, for this storm could not be explained by any of his coworkers.

Only a lone man on a hill nearby was unmoved by it. The weather was the very least of his concerns, what with what he had planned for the master of the dojo he was now approaching. It had taken him a bit longer than he had planned to in order to get all of the "players" for his "game," which would soon prove more than the "Mighty Akuma" could handle. Despite how "mighty" he claimed to be, nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to face. All he could think about was getting the last of the players ready for his game together so that it could get going.

As he came to the opening of the dojo, there were some figures inside. He realized that class was not yet over. No matter, he would wait and go over his plans. He had worked too hard, and there was no room for error.

Akuma then thought back to his sensei. He remembered asking about the Raging Demon. His sensei was taken aback; not from the fear of why he would be asked about it, but from when. After much training, he knew that in time, Akuma would find out about it, and try to learn it from him. He also knew that if he didn't teach it to him, Akuma would eventually find out, in time. What took him aback was that Akuma had asked about it much sooner than he had guessed. This upset him, because he knew what Akuma was capable of, and knew chaos would be unleashed upon the release of the Raging Demon.

Akuma recalled his rage when his sensei refused to tell him about it, saying he was not ready. In his rage, Akuma left, his dark fate sealed. After many years, he returned to the dojo, and used the Raging Demon on his sensei. He then used it on his own brother, Shen Long. He was a bit surprised when a young American in a red gi tried to attack him.

"Ignorant whelp! You are not even worthy to feel the Raging Demon!"

With that, he teleported out of the way of a flying kick, reappearing behind a bewildered Ken. He starred at Ken, laughing darkly aloud. Akuma was then knocked to his face by a wild and enraged Hadoken. He got up, looked around, and saw Ryu, glaring at him and trembling with rage at what Akuma had done to Shen Long.

Before Ryu could react, Akuma jumped and hit Ryu with two fireballs, much stronger than his. He crashed through a nearby table, unable to move. Ryu cringed and moaned in pain.

"You will die, DAMN YOU!" yelled an enraged Ken. He was going to do a Dragon Punch, a move he and Ryu had just began to learn from Shen Long. When he demonstrated it to them, he shattered an old boulder in the back.

Ken never stood a chance. A second teleport and a Dragon Punch from Akuma, and Ken was in Ryu's company.

Akuma laughed hysterically. He then made for the door, turned, and said, "For the first time in years, I have actually been entertained. For that, I give you your lives. Train hard so that I may allow you to feel the power of MY Raging Demon!" He then left the wreckage behind in his wake.

Akuma's mind comes back as the last student leaves the Saikyo Style Dojo.

"I'm surprised at how quickly my brother's students progressed since last we met. Still, they are nowhere near MY level. On the other hand, I'd say they are worthy enough to feel the Raging Demon!"

"This 'master' is nowhere near the level of the others, but his presence will make my plan run, with some interesting paths. Now, to bring in the final player, the son of the man who took Sagat's eye, and paid with his life. Dan."

"Hello there. I'm sorry, but we are closed for the night. If you would like an appointment, I can schedule you in for sometime early next morning."

"I am not here to seek help in that form. I wish your help in another way."

"I'm not sure what the Hell you are talking about! I've had a long day. Unless you want an appointment, I bid you good night!"

With that, Dan finished closing, expecting the man to leave. When he had finished, he saw that the man was still there. Dan was about to throw him out when he spoke.

"Are you too busy to listen to a person who has information about finding the location of your father's murderer?"

"What do you know about that? How do you know me? How do you know Sagat? How is it that you even know where to find me? Why do you think..."

"A moment, please. Who I am isn't important. Like yourself, I am a martial arts expert. I was giving a demonstration in Thailand when a monster of a man came in to challenge me. I thought he was just some arrogant punk that needed to be taught a lesson. He just barely left me in one piece. He then said 'Be glad, fool! Others who have fought me, like the one that took my eye, paid for it with their life!' He then left me for the doctors to attend to. As you can see, there is very little I can do. I am lucky to be alive."

Dan, he noticed, was totally absorbed in this lie. He could feel Dan's rage, and that Dan was ready to be a part of Akuma's twisted game.

"I have spent the last five months searching for the one who had taken Sagat's eye. When I learned that he had died (for I had forgotten Sagat saying that he had killed him) I began to despair. Would I never be avenged? Later, I learned that he had a son, and I have sought him out. Now, with your help, I would like to teach Sagat a lesson in life, pain, and humiliation!"

Dan's eyes had the fire of revenge burning brightly. Without a second thought, he agreed. Akuma gave him an envelope with information about a tournament that Sagat was participating in, as well as an accepted entry form for Dan.

"Wait a second! You entered me in this tournament! Do you know tha--Huh?"

While Dan was reading the papers, Akuma left.

Dan got together and put a closed sign on the door. He then hailed a cab to take him to the airport.

Akuma roared with laughter. He then yelled up to the heavens "Now, it is ready to begin! All of the Shotokan students will come for a class reunion! There are even going to be some special guests! They will fight, and drop like flies, one by one! Then, I will have the final victory!"

Ken was aboard his father's personal jet, which Ken was "borrowing." He was heading to Australia, and was looking over an envelope with contents not unlike the one Akuma had give Dan. His story was different, however.

Earlier in the morning, when the mail arrived, he found it addressed to him. It wasn't exactly addressed to him, all it said was:

"It's been a while since we last fought. Let's meet at this tournament and see who is really the greatest fighter in the world! -Ryu"

"Yes, Ryu! It has been a while. We will soon see who really is the best!"

Ken then thought back to when he was packing up and getting ready to go. Eliza had decided to pay him a surprise visit at his personal dojo. She was not happy to learn that Ken was leaving for Australia, just to participate in some "silly tournament."

"Why in the world do you want to do that? It's so far away. Why don't you stay here and we can do some things together?"

"Eliza! I have to go. This is my chance to prove I am the best beyond all doubt. It's time to see if Ryu's up to my level!"

"Ryu? Oh, yes. That Japanese friend of yours. As I recall, he is the sensible one in the pair!"

"Hey, don't tease like that!"

"Well, if he's there, he should be able to keep you out of trouble."

However, events would go beyond ANYTHING ANY of them had imagined possible.

IV

Ryu received the same kind of letter, only it was signed Ken.

He was going by commercial fishing boat. Ryu agreed to help with the fishing, and even letting them know where the fights were going to be so that they could make bets on and against him. He had no problems with it, just so that they didn't say if they were betting against him.

Getting Sakura was even easier than Dan. All Akuma had to do was tell her that this is where she could go if she wished to challenge Ryu. Nothing else was needed.

V

There were only two others not yet mentioned. They are not Shotokan students, but because of the connection the first has to them, and the fact that the second will stop at nothing to defeat the first, Akuma glowed with excitement at the possible outcomes of inviting these two warriors into his game.

They are Sagat and Adon. Both are exceptional Muai Thai masters in their own right. In fact, their skills individually are exceptional. Their histories together, as well as Sagat's history with the Shotokan intrigued Akuma to where he decided to invite both of them and watch the fireworks that would soon explode.

Sagat was training in front of his favorite statue. He had stopped to catch his breath and think about his plans for the day. For the first time in what had felt like an eternity, Sagat had felt that perhaps he had found peace. Did he dare even entertain the notion that his soul could actually rest? He looked down at his chest, and saw the horrific scar burned into it.

"DAMN YOU RYU!" Sagat bellowed in a rage not unlike the one Akuma felt all those years ago when his sensei refused to teach him the Raging Demon.

Once again, his mind was flooded by images of the fateful day when his pride of being "The World's Strongest" cost him everything that he treasured. More importantly, it cost Sagat his pride, and left him with a constant reminder of his overconfidence. He recalls standing over a fiery boy, laughing at him, telling him he was a worthless boy. The boy then hit him with the move that Sagat has hated ever since, a move which he has altered for his own uses, the Dragon Punch.

The nearby training dummy explodes as Sagat unleashes a Tiger Cannon.

Sagat stood, looking at the debris at his feet. He would put Ryu in the same position before he died, no matter how long it took. He turned at the sound of a sole man clapping.

"YOU! Leave me, Akuma! You may be able to intimidate boys with your powers, but you don't intimidate me! Whatever it is you have planned, I want no part in it!"

"You say I intimidate 'boys,' Sagat, yet wasn't it a 'mere boy' that has caused you to fall into the state you are now in?"

"DON'T even try that with me! I am no puppet for you to manipulate! Leave me!"

"Ah! But if I did that, then you wouldn't get your chance to fight Ryu. I have caught your attention, as we both knew I would. Here is a tournament that he will be fighting in. I too will be competing in it."

"Since when does 'the mighty Akuma' fight in lowly tournaments?"

"Since he learned that both Ryu and his friend, Ken, will be competing in it. I took care of their master, and now they will follow. Since you have a vendetta with Ryu, you may take him. I can take Ken. Both are great prizes. Both are also worthy foes."

"This is what I say to your offer!" Sagat wadded it up and threw it into a nearby can.

Akuma laughed, and teleported out of sight. He knew Sagat had to accept. He would take any opportunity he could to fight Ryu. Akuma then lets go with an insane laugh as he sees Sagat board a boat for Australia.

Akuma would go about nearly the same ordeal with Adon as he would with Dan.

Now, with all of the players set, who will survive this game of insanity? Will Ryu prove he is the best? Maybe his friend, Ken, will rise up to the challenge. What about Ryu's #1 fan, Sakura? Will Sagat get his hands on Ryu, or will challenges from both Dan and Adon be too much? Even if there is a victor, will he (or she) be able to take on a fresh Akuma?

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MKvSF

©2001