Sheol (PB's Original Fighting Game Story)

[Psychoblue]

Author's Note: So, it seems the Fan Fic forum has met its Armageddon, and the original thread for this was lost in the disaster. However, I was fortunate enough to have several backups strewn throughout the interwebs. I'll consider this an opportunity to repost this and share with those who missed it the first time the fruits of my labor in the world of original fiction.

Thus, here is the return thread of...

SHEOL



All art is copyright of http://sephirothbeatrix.deviantart.com

Let's start by meeting the cast!



From left to right:

Areva Petchyindee
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 122 lbs
Age: 20
Country of Origin: Thailand
Sex: Female
Fighting Style: Muay Thai
Voiced by: Kate Higgins
Likes: Hard rock music, Making new friends
Dislikes: Nervousness, bad memories
Theme: "Shout" - Atrocity
Theme Vs. Keiichi: "Nobody Reason" - MOVE

The daughter of her village's chief and a Finnish ring girl, Areva had high expectations placed upon her from a young age. This was not just because of her pedigree, but more due to her high intelligence that was apparent even when she was a toddler. Even though her village was small, it was enjoying modest prosperity thanks to its chief’s winnings as a professional kickboxer, though he was forced to retire due to an injury not long after Areva turned seven. It was here that she decided that she would make her father proud by following in his footsteps.

Areva’s intelligence played a key role in her quick mastery of her father’s Muay Thai techniques, being able to perfectly replicate everything he knew by age eleven. To further her training, Areva and her father made frequent trips down the river to Bangkok in order to watch other kickboxers show off their own moves, many of which were more than happy to give advice to the young girl. By age fifteen, Areva was being hailed as a genius in both the traditional and sport variations of Muay Thai, earning her the nickname “the Muay Thai Princess” thanks to her lineage and prowess.

She had not only grown into a very effective martial artist, but a highly attractive one, as well. Areva had been blessed with an absolutely stunning figure as well as an almost angelic face, and she captivated her audiences when she gave kickboxing demonstrations at the town square. She received many invitations to become a professional model, and even more invitations to become a wife, but Areva turned all of them down: she had to do her best to follow in her father’s footsteps.

However, despite all of Areva’s charisma and skill, she fell victim to her a personal demon that had been left unchecked: hypersexuality. Soon after she had become of age, Areva began to have uncontrollable urges of a carnal nature, and this greatly affected her personal life, causing her to jump from boyfriend to boyfriend in an attempt to satiate these urges. Word of this deviance quickly reached the town, and Areva’s reputation was smashed to pieces as a result: labeled a harlot by her peers and fellow villagers, Areva sank into a depression. Her father was the only parent she had ever known, due to her mother dying the day of her birth. What would he have thought if she heard about her demons?

When Areva contemplated leaving the village in personal exile, however, her father introduced her to a Japanese young man around her age. According to her father, the young man wished to spend time in her village in order to learn some of the more exclusive techniques that had made Areva famous. As such, her father asked Areva to train the young man.

It didn't take very long for Areva to develop feelings for this outsider, being thoroughly impressed with not only his physical attractiveness, but his devotion and calm fury in regards to training. At first, she kept her feelings to herself, afraid that it was just her condition flaring up, but she soon realized that the feelings she had for him were genuine, and the two seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

Returning home one day after going into the city for another tournament, she found her village in flames. Men, women, and children were strewn across the village either dead or dying. Hurrying to her house, she discovered her father's dying body. With his final words, the chief informed Areva of the culprit: a group of men led by the very same outsider. “There is a poison in his heart, Areva,” her father told her before falling into his final sleep. “I noticed it and hoped that your compassion would cleanse it, but it was stronger than any of us anticipated. You must find him, and finish what you began!”

Filled with a deep sense of betrayal, and her primal desires now given a violent edge, Areva begins her quest for justice by traveling the world in search of the man who has forsaken her. However, her father’s last words continue to trouble her: is it vengeance that she seeks, or something considerably more pure?


vs. Sarah "What amazing kicks! Thank you so much for sparring with me!"

vs. Areva "I guess now I know why everyone tells me I'm a knockout..."

vs. Keiichi "I've done it...but why do I feel so ugly inside? Keiichi..."

vs. Claude "Maybe in another time and place, things could have been different..."

vs. Igor "You reek of murderous intent: get away from me, creep!"

vs. Felix "(I'm shivering again: he's as much as a visual knockout as his fists are a literal one!)"

vs. Ulisse "Offense vs defense: it's always a pleasure to compare the two!"

vs. Fredrick "You're a very handsome hero, officer: it was an honor to-wait, what did I just say!?"

vs. Tony "So this is the power of pro wrestling: incredible!"

vs. Byron "You've lost something important, too: I'm sorry things had to turn out like this..."

vs. Ren "I don't like that look in your eye, sir...could you not grin at me like that?"

vs. Donal "I love dancing, too: perhaps next time we can teach other new moves...wait, not like that!"

vs. Lance "It's no wonder Keiichi fears you so much...and it's even more obvious why he hates you, monster!"

vs. Biata “I thought about picking up Mixed Martial Arts, but I think I’m happy with what I have right now.”

vs. Bradley “It’s you again: I see you’ve become much stronger! I’m glad we were able to sort things out!”

vs. Abraham “What a horrible glare…is this what I look like to people when I lose control?”


Keiichi Kobashi
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 189 lbs.
Age: 21
Country of Origin: Japan
Sex: Male
Fighting Style: Shootfighting
Voiced by: Derek Stephen Prince
Likes: Momento of his time in Thailand, momentos of his parents
Dislikes: Guilt
Theme: "Dogfight" - MOVE

Organized crime is something that Keiichi Kobashi was born into, and he was introduced into it at an early age. His entire family was killed by a budding crime syndicate when he was only six years old, but he was spared and brought into the organization as an adopted son of its leader. However, the memory of his family was burned into his mind, and he swore vengeance by one day taking his rightful place as the kingpin of the organization that would become known as Sheol.

Training his mind and body using the many fighters that were under his foster parents' employ, Keiichi worked his way up the metaphorical ladder to become one of the most feared men in the underworld. He obeyed his superiors without question and without fail, secretly plotting to overthrow them and position himself in their stead. His value rose so high, then he eventually found himself counted amongst the Four Golems of Sheol: the most elite warriors in the organization that consisted of the head of Sheol himself, and his three adopted sons.

Fifteen years after his family’s demise, Keiichi was nearing a position to where he could take his revenge. He had been given an order to travel to Thailand to expand the organization's drug trafficking ring: a mission reversed for only the most elite members. Arriving in Thailand, he found a quiet village that had crops necessary for the drugs his "superiors" desired, and positioned himself in the village accordingly under the guise of a martial artist wishing to expand his horizons in the way of fighting. By doing so, he would not only acquire the drugs, but improve his already-formidable technique.

What he did not count on, was falling in love.

The village chief's daughter, an impressive fighter in her own right, wound up being his most frequent sparring partner. This woman had the unfortunate disposition of being diagnosed with nymphomania, labeling her a deviant by her peers. Keiichi was familiar with being looked at with disdain, during his own time as "the final member of an exterminated family of vermin," and sympathized with her plight. As time went on, pretending to want to stay in the village became easier.

His leaders, on the other hand, had no intention of letting one of their most valuable henchmen abandon them.

Catching wind of his activities, the leader of the organization gave Keiichi an order that would prove his loyalties: burn down the village and take the drugs, or no longer enjoy the protection of the organization. Unable to entirely forget his ambition, Keiichi reluctantly set the village ablaze while his sweetheart was in the city. Before going to Thailand, Keiichi would not have thought twice about doing this awful deed, but falling in love had changed him considerably, and he was beginning to realize he could only justify his path of vengeance so far.

Upon returning home with a heavy heart, Keiichi was placed on standby while his other Golems actively pursued other missions. He recognized this as a sign that the leader of Sheol was becoming suspicious of his agenda: the time to act was coming closer than he had anticipated…

vs. Sarah "You have a lot of spirit: I have no doubt in my mind you'll get what you seek."

vs. Areva "...is this where my path of vengeance is leading me!?"

vs. Keiichi "As much as I wouldn't mind having family around again, this is a little too surreal!"

vs. Claude "You know how much I hate it when you hold back, Claude..."

vs. Igor "Consider yourself lucky I didn't do worse, slimeball!"

vs. Felix "Even if we are old friends, I can't make any exceptions..."

vs. Ulisse "I don't expect you to understand what I'm trying to do, doctor!"

vs. Fredrick "I am sorry things had to turn out like this..."

vs. Tony "Millions of people cheer for you, but only a few can truly appreciate our art."

vs. Byron "I am truly sorry for your loss, but business is business..."

vs. Ren "A man-for-hire like you has no place trying to break me!"

vs. Donal "Such bizarre techniques: and people tell me I'm unorthodox!"

vs. Lance "Finally..."

vs. Biata “Such raw anger: you really should learn to calm down before making a career out of this…”

vs. Bradley “I appreciate what you’re doing, but I don’t want any more people dragged into this mess!”

vs. Abraham “I did not think such terrible power existed: is it possible that you are even stronger than him?”

Sarah Taylor
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 133 lbs
Age: 22
Sex: Female
Country of Origin: Australia
Fighting Style: Tae Kwon Do
Voice Actor: Michelle Ruff
Likes: Drinking with friends, weight-lifting, Areva
Dislikes: Killjoys, close-minded people
Theme: "Head Up" – Cherry Filter

Energetic, wild, and passionate: these three adjectives are best used to describe the Tae Kwon Do ace known as Sarah Taylor. As the product of a loving mother and father, Sarah was introduced to the martial arts at an early age. The original intention of being enlisted in classes was to help tame her free spirit, but years of rigorous training only left the Sydney native thirsting for more adventures to quench her thirst of action.

However, her energy has also made it hard for her to stay focused, giving even her friends more than their fair share of headaches thanks to her hyperactive personality and red-hot temperament, not to mention her tendency to participate in street fights to give herself combat experience when she becomes bored at her local dojo. While her morals have always remained pure, Sarah's lack of discipline is often cited as her only glaring weakness to an otherwise impressive list of attributes. Because of this, her moniker "the Rose of the Outback" was given to her not only because of her intense beauty of mind and body, but also due to her undisciplined nature acting as an obvious thorn.

Sarah paid no mind to the critics, continuously saying some of the greatest martial artists in the world were as wild as she was. However, when it came time for her first Olympic games, she met a dead-end at the gold medal match. Forgetting the rules instilled by the Olympic committee, Sarah became carried away and demolished her opponent, but was disqualified due to violating the spirit of the rules.

With four years to think about it, Sarah devoted herself entirely to finding a way to keep her mind from going astray, but even her beloved teacher could not harness her unique spin on Tae Kwon Do. "If only I could find a coach who can match me in battle," she told herself as the fourth year drew closer. "Surely he or she could guide me to the gold!"

With only a few months left until it is time for the Olympic trials, Sarah waved goodbye to her friends and family in search for a warrior that she could proudly call "mentor."

vs. Sarah "Well aren't you a sexy thing? Maybe together, we can discover the wonders of narcissism! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

vs. Areva "You're not bad, love...maybe next time we can exchange special moves (Hmhm)!

vs. Keiichi "You shouldn't live your life with so much anger: don't you have a special someone to go to?"

vs. Claude "Calling me 'fair maiden' won't do you any favors, psycho! And would it kill you to go out in the sun ever so-...oh."

vs. Igor "Hey, back off, you loony bastard! What were you going to do with those sticks!?"

vs. Felix "Men aren't my preference, but I'd frolic with you again anytime!"

vs. Ulisse "So you're a psychologist? Sorry about hitting you in the head so much!"

vs. Fredrick "You're pretty good, copper: here I thought all that ninja stuff was-hey, my face is up here!"

vs. Tony "Just you wait, Mr. Wilton: I, too, will have a gold medal to brag about!"

vs. Byron "That's quite a nasty scar you got there: I don't know what I'd be able to do without my voice."

vs. Ren "Yeah, I don't think the Olympic committee would take kindly to me snapping limbs and spines. Sorry..."

vs. Donal "Those are some pretty nifty grooves you got there, mate! Maybe next time we can invade some raves together!"

vs. Lance "Who would have thought some stereotypical evil businessman would love fisticuffs so much?"

vs Biata “You shouldn’t get so worked up over other people’s bodies. Your body is a temple…and I can think of one person who’d gladly come and worship.”

vs. Bradley “Well, welcome back to the Land Down Under! Hope you enjoy your stay!”

vs. Abraham “Talk about your bad tempers! Even I’m unnerved by your power!”

[Psychoblue]

Xiahou Ren
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 232 lbs
Age: 33
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: the People's Republic of China
Fighting style: Military arts
Voice Actor: Michael McConnohie
Likes: his collection of various currencies
Dislikes: Miserly employers
Theme: "Avenging Battle" - MASA

Born in a small rural village deep within the People's Republic of China, the man who would train himself to be a human weapon always had a penchant for thievery. Even though he was larger than most of the other children his age, his talent and drive for pick pocketing was infamous amongst his peers. Furthermore, he was not afraid to use his size to his advantage, making his presence as an alpha male among the other children known through intimidation.

Several of the adults in the village took note of this, and hoped to harness that viciousness into something productive. As such, Ren often spent much time away from his home learning from various martial arts teachers and educating himself in the widely diverse fighting techniques China had to offer. However, Ren cared little for the old arts: what he really wanted was a chance to satisfy his rebellious spirit. At age 16, Xiahou Ren bid farewell to his old village and went into the city to enlist in the army.

With a muscle thickness comparable to a stone wall thanks to all of his training and exercise, Ren had little trouble adapting to the submission arts taught by his commanding officers. Unlike his waning interests in his village arts, however, Ren was mesmerized by the bone-snapping techniques that were now his to command. He would often write home to his village and tell them how astonished he was by how fragile the human body really was, provided an opponent applied the proper leverage. It was not sadism, but a fascination with human mortality.

However, old habits died hard, and Ren would eventually find himself dishonorably discharged from the army after stealing from one of his comrades and displaying his mastery of disabling another human being just as he would when he was younger. Fortunately for him, he was able to avoid the ultimate punishment, and was instead marked with shame when his commanding officer took away his left eye to exact a measure of revenge for his crippled subordinate.

Ren was not a stupid man: he still had plenty of combat experience at his disposal, and a cunning intellect to go along with it. As such, he became a soldier of fortune, selling his services to the highest bidder. Not only could he show the world his knowledge of the human body, but he could satiate his greed, as well! "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" he would ask himself after many a successful assignment. "I haven't had this much fun since I was a child!"

One day, the Chinese triad gangs called Xiahou Ren to action, with a simple but difficult goal: capture the leader of Sheol and bring him to Hong Kong. Xiahou Ren knew of the vast empire of Sheol, and was even more aware of their leader was rumored to be a warrior without equal. However, out of either bravery or simple greed, Ren accepted the assignment and set out to find the reclusive lord of the global underworld, and subjugate him to add another accomplishment to his impressive resume.

vs. Sarah "All that flailing around just makes you easier to grab, Ms. Tae Kwon Dyke!"

vs. Areva "A beautiful jewel from the jungle...but you've got too many imperfections for me!"

vs. Keiichi "That unorthodox shenanigans won't catch me off-guard, pretty boy!"

vs. Felix "I guess my reflexes were faster: stick to male modeling!"

vs. Claude "That Kung Fu nonsense didn't interest me as a kid, and it doesn't interest me now!"

vs. Igor "'Let the kroovy run rivers?' Why bleed them when breaking them is so much more effective?"

vs. Ulisse "Your self-defense skills are pretty impressive, but you should try going on the offensive!"

vs. Fredrick "This isn't some two-bit hitman you're dealing with, fool!"

vs. Ren "Nice try, but you're not going to confuse me just because you wear my face!"

vs. Byron "Those eyes...I like them!"

vs. Tony "Hmmm...your ground skills aren't bad, but your submission moves could use a lot of work!"

vs. Donal "What's the matter: not in the mood for dancing anymore?"

vs. Lance "If you're done with your stupid light show, we've got places to go!"

vs. Biata “Don’t compare yourself to me! What you do is in the octagon: what I do is on the battlefield!”

vs. Bradley “Just a hapless bum trying to throw his hand in with the major players: I’d laugh if it wasn’t so pathetic…”

vs. Abraham “All of that voodoo of yours is useless against a professional like myself!”


Felix Esquerra
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 176 lbs
Age: 26
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Spain
Fighting style: Boxing
Voice Actor: Rino Romano
Likes: Pleasurable company
Dislikes: Unfair fights (he's had his share of them as a boxer)
Theme: "Into the Night" – Santana feat. Chad Kroeger

It was no secret that Felix Esquerra was destined to be an athlete. Blessed with natural agility, Felix could have played just about any sport he wanted. However, few would have guessed this fun-loving young man from Madrid would have settled on the art of boxing. His friends and family would always tell stories about much Felix hated physical conflict as a child, preferring if everyone around him got along as opposed to be at each other throats.

Felix entered the boxing circuit at a young age, determined to accomplish his dream of becoming a professional boxer. To him, he was not fighting his opponent: instead, he was merely speaking to him with his fists. Fortunately for him, Felix's quick reflexes gave his fists the speed of a raging stallion, which along with his boyish good looks aided his popularity with the fans. However, his lack of experience hurt him in his early goings, and his looks and speed could only take him so far in such a vast world.

When he suddenly developed a winning streak, Felix was confronted by representatives of the criminal organization known as Sheol. Many of Felix's opponents had been under their thumb, and had been coaxed into taking a dive for him. Although Felix was not happy about an illegal operation taking an interest in him and rigging his fights, he did realize that he owed them a favor. Telling himself it was only a temporary measure, the young boxer reluctantly went along with Sheol's plan, moving up the ranks as honestly as he could in such a situation. At the same time, Felix performed errands for the organization, mostly working a debt collector and leg breaker.

Felix eventually became an international sensation, earning more money and becoming more famous than he had ever dreamed of becoming. However, the shadow of Sheol still loomed over him, and his patience for it was wearing thin. "I know I owe them a deal of gratitude, but my family raised me better than this," he told himself one day. "If only there was a way I could sever my ties with them..."

However, the young man nicknamed "Desperado" didn't have to wonder long about what to do. While he knew many people in the upper echelon of the hierarchy and was even friends with a select few of them, Felix was oblvious to the true identity of the leader of Sheol. If he could discover who that certain person was, he could confront him or her and personally request that he was through with them. If that person refused, then he was certain the police would be more than enough to sway the decision to Felix's favor. "It's a long shot, but it's worth a try!"

And so, the young boxer travels the world in search for more information as to the identity of the ruler of Sheol. Felix Esquerra's quest for freedom begins now!

vs. Sarah "The Rose of the Outback, eh? I see no thorns on you, senorita...just a big helping of beauty!"

vs. Areva "So you're his mistress? (Keiichi, you sly dog: scoring a babe like her!)"

vs. Keiichi "Sorry, amigo, but I have something I have to do, too!"

vs. Claude "You're an Albino assassin? Keiichi sure has some strange amigos!"

vs. Igor "It's people like you, that make me sick of being a part of Sheol!"

vs. Ren "I hate breaking people's bones: I don't see how you can love it so much!"

vs. Tony "Discipline, Durability, and Dignity: you are my hero, senor Wilton!"

vs. Felix "I've heard of boxing in a mirror, but...esto es muy ridiculo!"

vs. Fredrick "It's not that I don't trust you, but my family didn't raise a rat!"

vs. Byron "To have your passion taken away from you: I don't know how I'd live with myself!"

vs. Donal "I suppose boxing is a bit like dancing: we should compare notes one day."

vs. Ulisse "I appreciate your concern, el doctor, but this is for my conscience!"

vs. Lance "I knew this was going to be tough, but I wouldn't have it any other way!"

vs. Biata “I’d ask for a date, but you seem like a chica who’s into the rough stuff…”

vs. Bradley “You’ve got the heart of a champion, but your technique could use some moving up…”

vs. Abraham “Well, you definitely have the eye of the killer, that’s for sure!”


Ulisse Giordano
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 252 lbs
Age: 42
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Italy
Fighting Style: Aikido
Voice Actor: Douglas Rye
Likes: Home cooking, gardening
Dislikes: Loud neighbors
Theme: "Amaranth (instrumental)" - Nightwish

As someone who loved the art of fighting, Ulisse Giordano was more than capable of holding his own in hand-to-hand combat as a child. This love for fighting would translate to a 66th Dan in the self-defense practice known as Aikido. With 6'4" and 252 pounds of tempered muscle and bone at his disposal, there were few people in his class would could physically match him.

Despite this love of fighting, Ulisse realized at a young age that he could do so much more for the martial arts world than simply use his skills to inflict pain on other people. As much as he was a combatant, he was even more so a scholar. Graduating from both his high school and college with highest honors, Ulisse quickly and devotedly earned his Ph.D in Clinical Psychology. Combining the wealth of knowledge he gained in school with his battle prowess, the man who was known as the "Iron Curtain of Venice" started his own unique practice.

While no person was truly unwelcome in his office, Ulisse gained his highest degree of fame specializing with martial artists. The man knew that he was not the only person who loved to test his physical prowess against other capable creatures, but was also aware of the many demons that his fellow warriors had to deal with. "Competitions is an art that few can understand, and even fewer can appreciate," he would often tell anyone who was kind enough to listen to his lectures on his travels. "If I can shoo away the baser and less honorable reasons for combat, then I will have truly made a difference in this world."

For the past several weeks, Ulisse has been approached by a number of martial artists who come to him for guidance in regards to a source of stress that has been plaguing them. All across the world, warriors of all kinds are being approached by agents of the international criminal organization Sheol. Ulisse's patients are having their fights fixed, their families threatened, and their integrity questioned in order to sway them into joining the organization, with mixed results.

A massive group of criminals, with warriors strong enough to threaten even the most capable of martial artists: such opponents made the psychologist’s blood stir in a way that he couldn't remember the last time he felt such an emotion. Someone was corrupting the fighting arts to his liking, and was acting as a source of distress for his fellow warriors. "I thought I had left the fighting world aside, but I cannot sit back and watch this unfold!"

Dusting off his old uniform, Ulisse cancels his appointments for the next couple of months and pools his resources so that he can do a little bit of investigating in regards to the crisis his patients face...

Vs. Sarah "You seem to lack focus, but do not worry: it's nothing a little practice cannot handle!"

vs. Areva "Mild nymphomania!? Oh, signora Petchyndee, you certainly have quite a unique disposition!"

vs. Keiichi "Revenge is never the answer, Keiichi: justice, on the other hand..."

vs. Claude "You certainly have an odd way of coping with your parents' death: are you hiding something from me?"

vs. Igor "I would like to say there's a deeper reason for the way you act, but all I see is sadism."

vs. Felix "I am glad to see that you have such a bright outlook on all of this, signore Equerra!"

vs. Ren "We have similar methods of combat: why can we not be friends?"

vs. Tony "It is good to see that fame and fortune has not blinded your sense of responsibility!"

vs. Ulisse "Curious...curious indeed!"

vs. Byron "Be sure to contact me when this is all over: I think I can help you."

vs. Fredrick "Your sense of justice is a wonderful trait to have, but you should temper it with some restraint..."

vs. Donal "Your rhythm is too simple: try experimenting more often."

vs. Lance "Such a powerful opponent: it is a shame you are not using this strength more productively!"

vs. Biata “Yes, I definitely believe that your inherent anger can lead to severe problems later on. Don’t take this the wrong way, but medication might help…”

vs. Bradley “Haha! I see you’ve come down with ‘the sickness’ that all of us fighters are stricken with! Come back to me in a couple of months.”

vs. Abraham “I will rehabilitate your mind free of charge: it is people like you that remind me why I do what I do!”

[Psychoblue]

Fredrick Steinwald
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 185 lbs
Age: 24
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Germany
Fighting Style: Interpol-style ninjutsu
Voiced by: Wally Wingert
Likes: Rave parties, women
Dislikes: Crime
Theme: "Go!" – DM Ashura


It is only natural that a boy should look up to his father, and that is something that Fredrick Steinwald has done for all of his life. Born to a loving mother and a strict, half-Japanese father, the Frankfurt native has devoted his life to grow up to be like his male parent: a police detective at Interpol. To do this, Fredrick began training with Interpol's elite Silent Scan (a section of Interpol that uses ninjutstu techniques and methods) at age twelve.

Even though he idolizes his father, Fredrick has had more than his fair share of arguments with him. In stark contrast to the elder Steinwald's stone-like demeanor, Fredrick is an energetic and free-spirited individual with his hair dyed bright green who enjoys spending his free nights at rave parties and dance clubs, spending time with his friends and bragging about his accomplishments with Interpol. His father did not take kindly to this, continously reminding his son of his personal mantra as the founder of Silent Scan:

"We are shadows. We only appear with the light of evil is among us, and when that light is gone, we fade back into nothingness..."

Upon graduating from the police academy with highest honors, Fredrick set out to prove that he was every bit as good as his father: a feat that was not at all easy to accomplish. Utilizing his sharp intellect as well as his physical training, the man called "the Bright Shadow," quickly built up his resume as a defender of justice by uncovering scandals, breaking up drug cartels, and even quelling a riot. However, his ambition to become a great detective was often downplayed by his father's scolding: it got to a point where his father no longer wished to speak with him.

At first, Fredrick thought that his father was jealous of his early success, and returned the favor by not speaking with him for several weeks. However, after speaking with his mother, Fredrick learned that the real reason his father was angry at him was because the elder Steinwald had become so famous within Interpol by being very anti-social, so that he would not lose any friends due to the disease of crime. Fredrick, on the other hand, flaunted his personable demeanor every chance he had. "Sooner or later, he'll accept that," she told Fredrick. "In the mean time, just keep doing what you're doing."

Recently, Fredrick has been assigned to the daunting mission of dismantling Sheol, the international crime syndicate that has been responsible for much of its troubles. The destruction of Sheol was something that his father had been assigned to in the past, and even he was unable to do it despite Sheol being in its infancy. "I don't want to rub my accomplishment in my father's face, but I have to prove to him that I can do this without being just like him!"

Accepting the mission, Fredrick utilizes all of his detective skills to find clues as to how to unlock the secrets of Sheol. He does this not out of spite towards his father, but out of compassion towards him. "I'm going to make you proud, father, whether you want me to or not!"


vs. Sarah "You're not interested in guys? Are you sure I can't change your mind, honey?"

vs. Areva "It's a good thing I have a girlfriend: what a babe...What? I said that out loud!?"

vs. Keiichi "If not for the law, I think we could have been friends...maybe we still can."

vs. Claude "Didn't I tell you what would happen if I caught you doing something shady again?"

vs. Igor "This is what happens when you don't listen to authority: now TALK!"

vs. Felix "You should have come straight to the police, Mr. Esquerra: now sit back and let me handle this!"

vs. Ren "The infamous mercenary Xiahou Ren: looks like today is my lucky day!"

vs. Tony "I didn't think I'd face a celebrity in my travels: pretty impressive!"

vs. Byron "I can't condone vigilantism, big guy...though I have to say, I can't think of many criminals who could stand up to you!"

vs. Ulisse "Sparring with you is always a pleasure, doctor: until next time!"

vs. Fredrick "Identity theft is a serious offense, though I can't question your choice of impersonation!"

vs Donal "Usually I don't dance with guys, but you've got some pretty crazy breakdance moves? What? That's Capoeira!?"

vs. Lance "So, do you have anything to say in your defense, arschloch!?"

vs. Biata “Biata, this is way too dangerous. Go home and wait for me!”

vs. Bradley “I’m a huge Snowcaps fan: I might go easy on you at the station if you give me an autograph!”

vs. Abraham “I never imagined the Blood Red Sandman to be such a monster! I don’t envy my father for being assigned to that case!”

Claude Badeau
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 187 lbs
Age: 22
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: France
Fighting Style: Chinese kenpo
Voiced by: Crispin Freeman
Likes: Training, tea, visitors
Dislikes: Unrefined people, ungrateful people
Theme: "Schwarze Sonne" – E Nomine

Born to an exceedingly wealthy businessman and a mother who worked for the Chinese Embassy, Claude Badeau lived a very sheltered lifestyle in his early years thanks to being diagnosed with Albinism. His father spent most of his time away from home, working with his company to maintain the vast fortune that had been passed down to him from his own father. As such, it would be his mother who that would be responsible for much of the early part of Claude's life, though he was never allowed to go out into the daytime lest his condition affect him.

To help keep the toddler in fit condition, Mrs. Badeau passed down her own side of the family's gift to her son: a unique form of Chinese Kenpo that utilized every part of the user. Not only would it temper one's body, but the art would also utilize the user's "ki" to further purify the body as well as the mind and soul. This was his mother's gift to him, and Claude treasured it greatly along with the Catholic scriptures that his father instilled within him during the periods when he was home to care for his child. By age 12, Claude was able to at least keep up with his mother even in the most heated of sparring sessions.

However, his simple life of training and tea would not last long, as the grip of Sheol soon tightened around his family. The story was that Claude's father was refusing to bend to Sheol's will in regards to "donations towards their illustrious cause" despite accepting money from them in the first place, and were preparing to kill the entire family to prove to other potential "contributors" what happens when loaners to not pay debts. Discovering his fate on the night the slaughter was supposed to commence pre-teenage Claude made a dark and deadly decision: if he were to survive, his parents must die by his hand.

After performing the awful deed, Claude was approached by the leader of Sheol himself and offered a job within the organization: in exchange for his vow of servitude, the police would stay away from investigating the nature of his parents' demise. With nothing else to do, Claude accepted the offer and modified his training to suit his new purpose. He was no longer a timid boy who could not walk in the daytime, but a predator of the night who could snatch the lives of his target with but a whim and a few seconds. His control over his "ki" was so extensive, that by age 19 he could use his aura as a shield to provide limited protection to the sun's rays. This efficiency and loyalty earned him the nickname "the Red-Eyed Angel of Doom" as well as a place among the Four Golems of Sheol: the most elite group of warriors in the organization.

Even though Claude never openly said he enjoyed snuffing out the lives of his fellow human beings, deep within his psyche he relished it. The guilt in his heart from the awful decision he made as a child was vented by his furious technique and high success rate in his missions. When the guilt would build up again in his heart from the many other lives he had taken over the years, he would pray for forgiveness at his local church and then start over fresh with his conscience cleansed and ready for more tainting.

Recently, Claude received a new order from his leader: "All Golems are to be on alert! It's possible there is a rat amongst the four!" During his time in Sheol, Claude had become a close personal friend of one of the Golems, perhaps the only true friend he ever had aside from his butler that raised him after his parents' deaths. How could do such a thing to someone so close to him? He wouldn't have to wonder for long, however, as Badeau eventually found himself under investigation from the police. The only possible explanation Claude could think of was that someone in Sheol made his identity as their top assassin public...and there was only one person who was suspect of betrayal.

Stricken with rage and a sense of betrayal, Claude hardens his heart and searches for his comrade and "friend." He does this not because of his orders, but out of a much baser instinct: revenge...

vs. Sarah "Is something wrong, fair maiden? You seem to have lost your smile..."

vs. Areva "Sleep, madamoiselle...all of your pain and suffering will end in just another instant!"

vs. Keiichi "I would have followed you to the ends of the earth, and this is how you repay me!? What...you mean it wasn't you?"

vs. Claude "No one else should carry my burden: away with you, phantom!"

vs. Igor "What!? No, I don't savor the scent of blood...do I?"

vs. Felix "A word of advice, monsieur: do not test the patience of our leader!"

vs. Ren "I do not mind competition every now and then: it is good for work ethic!"

vs. Byron "So much rage, and yet so much silence: are your fists the only way you can make your anger known?"

vs. Tony "I was not about to lose to an English dog like you!"

vs. Fredrick "I apologize for your wounds, detective...but I know a surefire way to end the pain!"

vs. Donal "I, too, appreciate the art of dancing, but this is one tango you do not want any part of!"

vs. Ulisse "I appreciate your help, doctor, but NEVER mention my parents if you want to keep breathing!"

vs. Lance "I am sorry, sir, but this is for the best...I think."

vs. Biata “They say a fire flickers brightest before going out…is that your case, as well mademoiselle?”

vs. Bradley “I understand your plight, but you must remember that a dog should never bite its master’s hand.”

Vs. Abraham “I…I can’t bear to watch. He’s exactly what I fear I might become!”


Tony Wilton
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 282 lbs
Age: 38
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: England
Fighting Style: Pro wrestling
Voice Actor: Jameson Price
Likes: His family, his Gold Medal, his Three D's
Dislikes: His daughter's disobedience
Theme: "Ultimate" – Jim Johnston

Discipline, Durability, and Dignity: these are the principles that Tony Wilton has followed and preached since his days as a youth. Born in suburban London to a hard-working middle class family, Tony was once a merciless school bully who pushed around his smaller and meeker classmates despite what his parents taught him at home. It wasn't until one of his targets bloodied his nose in the fifth grade that Tony realized the error of his ways and began taking steps to come up with the "Three D's."

His first step, discipline, was something he learned from his coaches and teachers so that he would be of sound mind. His second step, durability, was something he instilled in himself from fierce physical training and mat sparring with his classmates. The final step, dignity, was something he earned as he tirelessly made amends for his past transgressions to his peers. By following his Three D's, he became a fine young man and an even finer amateur wrestler: so much so that Olympic scouts wished for him to represent the United Kingdom.

Tony's Three D's would translate to the most prestigious honor a wrestler could hope for: an Olympic gold medal in his weight class. However, this award was nearly taken away from him when there were rumblings of foul play. It would seem that someone else representing his country (albeit in a different weight class) was accepting bribes to take the fall for another competitor. Even though this did not effect Tony's accomplishment on the outside, on the inside it tore him up. After the medal ceremony, Tony and the smaller wrestler in question ran into each other and a huge brawl erupted. The bigger wrestler was able to keep his medal, but the media-concocted story of him "picking on the smaller man" got him kicked off the Olympic Squad for the rest of his life.

Several years later, Tony is an international sensation working as a professional wrestler. Utilizing his legitimate wrestling background and combining it with the art of professional wrestling and his larger-than-life persona, he dominates the ring while still finding time to preach his Three D's. The media that almost ruined him was now has greatest ally, as Tony's strength and charisma acted as his ticket to stardom.

For the past few weeks, Tony has been mulling over his contract with his promotion. Letting it expire to go to another company was out of the question: they had provided him sanctuary in his darkest hour in the wake of the "Olympic brawl." However, he had faced just about everyone in the company there was to face, and his thirst for competition was becoming greater by the day. "I still have plenty of juice left in me: surely there must be someone out there who I can tangle with!"

Just as the idea of an early retirement was beginning to swim into his mind during a push-up session in his locker room before a show, Tony heard a commotion. Leaving the locker room and running down the hallway, the gold medalist was shocked to see a couple of his fellow wrestlers beaten unconscious. Following them to the hospital, Tony learned that they were attacked by thugs working for the international crime syndicate Sheol, after shirking their offers to join them.

"Well, it would seem there are some idiots who haven't learned the Three D's yet," Tony thought with a facial expression that expressed both rage and joy. "Maybe once I beat some sense into them, I can bring them over here so I can have some new playmates!" After making sure that the boss was OK with it, Tony travels the world to not only spread his teachings to the minions of Sheol, but to look for possible recruits for the next main event.

Vs. Sarah "(How can she move so fast with a chest that big?) So, what's this about looking for an Olympic coach?"

vs. Areva "(A love-addicted Muay Thai princess with a killer rack?) Hey, sport...do you have an agent?"

vs. Keiichi "(Shootfighting with a touch of high-flying puroresu: that's pretty nifty!) I like your style, sport!"

vs. Felix "(He'd appeal to the female fans, for sure!) You have to work harder, for the sake of your fans!"

vs. Claude "(Well, if he only worked nights it would work out.) Your kung fu is pretty good, Frenchie!"

vs. Igor "(Damn, what a killer instinct!) Hey, sport, I'm no stranger to weapons, either!"

vs. Ren "(His submission skills are wicked!) You think breaking bones is funny? How would YOU like it!?"

vs. Ulisse "(I bet he'd make a good manager.) You've got the build for this, I'l give you that!"

vs. Tony "Can't you see the headlines? 'Tony Wilton better than everyone: will face himself in the main event!'"

vs. Byron "(The lack of speaking might hurt him, but that's what managers are for!) You're really cut out for this fighting stuff!"

vs. Donal "(I'm not sure what I can do with him...) You're got some pretty cool moves, young man. Keep at it!"

vs. Fredrick "(Kids love ninjas, right? He'll be way over!) It looks like we're fighting against the same thing: just leave to me!"

vs. Lance "(He's a natural bad guy: we need more of those.) So, repeat the Three D's back to me! I can't hear you!"

vs. Biata “(D-Did she just say pro wrestling is fake!?) Oh no…OHHHHH NO! I KNOW you didn’t just use the f-word on me!”

vs. Bradley “(What a goofy guy, and he’s got the build for it too!) You know, GWE is always looking for a guest celebrity and/or athlete to come to Grapplemania!”

vs. Abraham “(Locusts, frogs, hailstorm: he’s a walking special effects machine!) One Wilt-Away Bomb is all it takes for victory, even if you are the Blood Red Sandman!”

[Psychoblue]

Donal Mhic Cormac
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 191 lbs
Age: 25
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Northern Ireland
Fighting Style: Capoeira
Voiced by: Brian Beacock
Likes: Drum Solos, social gatherings
Dislikes: Silence
Theme: "Let It Rock" – Kevin Rudolf

Being a fighter was never part of Donal Mhic Cormac's plan to become successful. Born in the port city of Belfast when chaos was tearing apart the Irish Island, Donal would often practice banging on his father's old drumset to pass the time when the streets were unsafe. Even when the most dangerous times of the crisis came to a close, Donal's drum playing would persist.

Discovering a passion for percussion, Donal began asking his music teacher to properly teach him how to play musical instruments. No longer was he experimenting with just drums, but instead he was learning rhythmic patterns, practicing with mallet percussion, and occasionally trying his hand at woodwind instruments. He would often take what he learned at school to his neighborhood where he would entertain his friends.

By the time he left high school, Donal had already become adept at playing twenty different musical instruments, write music for eleven of them, and remix his own music using sound programs. As a way of testing the credibility of his songs, he would often send a disc of his beats to local dance clubs across the island, and take note of the feedback he would receive. Most of his reviews were positive, and any negative feedback he would receive he would address and remedy accordingly. By age 21, he was among the most popular DJs on the Irish Island.

Four years ago, Donal was working at one of his local clubs when he saw a man using strange dance moves. However, Donal quickly learned upon seeing the man strike a larger man in his head that what he was witnessing was not dancing, but fighting. Watching in awe as the "dancing man" fended off his opponents before leaving, Donal chased after the man and asked what kind of moves he was using. This was how he was introduced to the fighting art of Capoeira: something he would devote much of his time to.

Taking what the man from the dance club was willing to teach him and combining it with his own homespun dance techniques, Donal became an impressive and entertaining Capoeirista in the span of only four years. He would mostly use it to entertain his friends and patrons, but the Belfast native took his art seriously when he had to, experimenting with new techniques and moves just as he would a new musical instrument.

His recent adeptness to the art could not have come at a better time, either: lately, Donal has been noticing an uprising of gang warfare in his hometown. "It doesn't look like the Troubles again, but something is definitely going rotten," he said to himself as he watched the situation unfold. "Maybe it's time I put my theories into practice!" With his Capoeira master's consent and blessing, Donal packs his bags and prepares to leave the port city with the intent of discovering the meaning behind the incidents.


vs. Sarah "That's some real wild footwork you have there! You'd be a real hit back home!"

vs. Areva "(O-ow! This supermodel almost caved my face in with that knee!)"

vs. Keiichi "Hey, don't be like that! I was just having some fun!"

vs. Felix "You know, if you're trying to stay trim, dancing is a great way to do it!"

vs. Claude "Be careful! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to kill me!"

vs. Igor "Bringing weapons to an unarmed brawl: whatever happened to the rules of engagement?"

vs. Ren "Whew! It's a good thing I catch on quick: otherwise I'd be on crutches right now!"

vs. Tony "Hey, if you ever need new entrance music, be sure to drop me a line!"

vs. Fredrick "Go ninja, go ninja, GO! Heh...I couldn't help myself."

vs. Byron "Hey, you're Byron Ogden! When are you accepting overseas bookings?"

vs. Donal "How about you come on back to my place? I bet we can cause some real confusion among our friends!"

vs. Ulisse "This fighting stuff is still new to me, doc: don't call me a fighter just yet!"

vs. Lance "Heh...not bad for a Belfast DJ!"

vs. Biata “Woo! You sure look like a ride, but I’d get thrown off like nothing!”

vs. Bradley “Hey, chin up! Someday America will embrace hockey and-oh, you’re Australian? Oh dear…”

vs. Abraham “You look like you’ve been through all kinds of hell. Maybe some Irish coffee will brighten your day!”

Byron Ogden
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 289 lbs
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: USA
Fighting Style: N/A
Likes: Writing music
Dislikes: the gangs of New York
Theme: "We Made It" – Busta Rhymes feat. Linkin Park

There was several avenues Byron Ogden could have taken on his life path, and very few of them were desirable. Growing up on the streets of busy Manhattan and the eldest of seven children, Byron often found himself the sole caretaker of the family thanks to his mother leaving the family soon after the seventh sibling was born, and the father throwing his money away in the underground gambling rings.

Despite having less-than-ideal parenting to point him in the morally-correct direction, Byron did his best to maintain a respectable lifestyle for his family while at the same time pursue his own dream: becoming a professional musician. However, if he wanted to fund his musical career and support his family, he would have to possibly do things that would be against his code of ethics. Recognizing his intimidating stature and even more impressive physical strength, Byron put aside his misgivings and entered the underground fighting circuit that his father had become consumed in.

Even though he hated the thought of physically hurting another person, Byron's size and power became his greatest ally in the barbaric fighting pits. There would be nights when he would come home bruised and battered, and others he might have a few broken bones, but Byron always made sure he came home with something to show for it. After a few years of letting his natural instincts guide him through battle, Byron left the fighting circuit to finally become the musician his dreamed about.

Blessed with a rich singing voice as well as a talent for playing and writing music, it didn't take long for Byron to make a name for himself in the world of the arts, as well. At first he started off doing small gigs, but he quickly rose up the ranks and found himself frequenting concert halls around the city. Byron's dream was coming true: not only could he support his family, but he could do it without having to resort to hurting another human being.

However, he could not entirely turn his back on the fighting: even though he left the underground circuit, he would still find himself brawling with the local gangs peppered throughout the city. Despite his dislike for physical violence, Byron had tasted the rush of combat and it was difficult to let go of it. Unfortunately, his addiction led him to a confrontation that he wouldn't walk away from unscathed: a gang fight that left him with a near-fatal slash across the throat. Though he managed to escape with his life, his voice was a thing of the past.

For the first time in his life, Byron actually wanted to hurt someone: some jerks had the audacity to take away his dream, and ruin his life! Taping his fists and informing the second-eldest of his family that he will be gone for a while, Byron ran down the gangs of the city until he found the name of the one that took his voice from him...Sheol.

Igor Orlov
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 242 lbs.
Age: 23
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Russia
Fighting Style: Escrima (stick-focused)
Voiced by: Steven Jay Blum
Likes: Intense action, Industrial Music
Dislikes: Those who are afraid to cut loose
Theme: "Wish" – Nine Inch Nails

Born in Russia but raised in New York City, Igor Orlov was brought up on a simple principle: the strong live and the weak die. As the son of the Orlov branch of the mighty Russian mafia, Igor was far from oblivious to the shady dealings his parents were involved with. In fact, they would often bring him to some of the more private meetings between the families, and sometimes he was allowed to witness executions if he had acted particularly pleasant to them.

Needless to say, young Igor wasn't afraid to make his family's influence known at school. Through intimidation from either his family's power or his own brute force, Igor got pretty much what he wanted, whenever he wanted simply because he could. This sort of deviant behavior would normally be chastised in the school yard, but the teachers and staff were afraid to scold him lest they earn the ire of the Orlov family.

Karma would eventually rear its ironic head, however, when the Orlov family fell onto the wrong side of a power struggle for dominance over the gangs of New York. On a dark and stormy night, young Igor witnessed his parents and their personal bodyguards slaughtered by the invading faction known only as "Sheol." He made no attempt to escape his attackers, however, and instead used whatever power his ten-year-old body could muster to do as much damage as possible. When Igor was fully restrained, he had downed three men using nothing but a baseball bat.

Taken before the leader of his parents' killers, Igor spat no curses nor made any threats: his mother and father had failed to stand up to someone that had wished to claim their territory, and therefore proved themselves to be weak. The leader, impressed with the boy's bluntness and comprehension of the situation, offered to take the boy under his wing and teach him what it meant to be strong. Not wishing to suffer the same fate as his parents, Igor agreed.

Sheol's empire grew, and Igor became a devastating fighter tempered by his Darwinian code. Favoring a pair of ebony rods as opposed to his bare fists, Igor quickly earned his spot among the organization's elite quartet of warriors, "the Four Golems." In addition to his killer instinct, Igor also possessed a dark charisma that allowed him to become one of the top weapons merchant on the planet. As time went in, killing and plundering was not just a responsibility, but a pleasure. "Every day is a bitva (battle), so it's only natural that we come to it prepared to win," he would tell Sheol's followers before they carried out their leader's "hostile takeovers," "We might as well take pride in our work!"

Recently, Igor received a new order from his leader, "investigate the rash of botched deals that has been plaguing us for the past couple of months." It was painfully obvious that the authorities were finally beginning to snap back at the organization that was responsible for much of its work. Furthermore, reports of civilians resorting to vigilantism were also beginning to come in. "Clearly they don't know who they're up against," Igor grumbled as he prepared an travel itinerary. "It looks like the krovvy will be flowing before this mission is over!"

With a cruel smile anticipating action, Igor leaves Sheol headquarters to quell the so-called "law enforcers'" attempts to disrupt the organization's businesses.

vs. Sarah "It is only fitting that the Rose of the Outback be adorned in fine red!"

vs. Areva "I'll drain every drop of krovvy from your body before I let you seduce him, cheena!"

vs. Keiichi "Did you really think I would let you go about your business, traitor!?"

vs. Felix "Know your place, gloopy nazz: next time I won't be so forgiving!"

vs. Claude "It's choodessny, isn't it: the smell of fresh krovvy..."

vs. Igor "You're an eyesore: SNUFF IT!"

vs. Ren "I think I can grow to like a chelloveck like you."

vs. Tony "Playtime is over, baldy: this is what a true bitva is about!"

vs. Byron "I guess making an example out of you once just wasn't enough..."

vs. Ulisse "I do not need your guidance: I just need you to snuff it."

vs. Fredrick, "You'll never take me alive, millicent: I'll see you snuffed before I let that happen!"

vs. Donal "This is what happens when you play with the big boys..."

vs. Lance "Impossible...does this mean that you were weak, after all?"

vs. Biata “The rookie MMA cheena, eh? I can think of a few wealthy men who might pay good money for your company…”

vs. Bradley “Get back in line! I’m at the top, and you’re somewhere below the earth!”

vs. Abraham “All of that power, and you cannot even keep it in check…what a sorry, sorry sod you are…”

[Psychoblue]

Biata Putska
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Age: 23
Sex: Female
Country of Origin: Poland
Fighting Style: Full-Contact MMA
Voice Actor: Karen Straussman
Likes: Unnecessary roughness
Dislikes: Tranquility (she gets bored easily)
Theme: "Feuer Frei" - Rammstein
Theme Vs. Fredrick: "Brennende Liebe" - Oomph


Despite growing up with a kind and loving family, the young Biata couldn't seem to help getting into fights in school. She couldn't explain why she was so quick to throw the first attack, or why she always felt the urge to hit someone if something was said that might have offended her. Regardless, it was clear to everyone that Biata had a temper problem, and this became the defining trait of this Warsaw-born native.

She also seemed to have a great affinity to watching other people deliver beatings to others, whether it be in children's action shows, pro wrestling, combat sports, or martial arts flicks. While her parents weren't too thrilled about this hobby of hers, they enlisted her in a self-defense class at age 12: not only to protect her, but to channel her inherent aggression into a more positive outlet.

Turning her passion for physical conflict into something she could use to her benefit, Biata's aggression propelled her to the top of her class, and by age 17 she was sparring with her teachers as their equal. Her relentless aggression would normally be considered a detriment, but she had learned to channel it into a fighting spirit few had seen before in the gym. This did not escape the notice of the teacher's agent who booked his mixed martial arts fights, and pretty soon Biata was offered a chance to become a professional MMA fighter, with a full scholarship at a university in Germany preceding her entry into the octagon.

With her parents' blessings, Biata moved to Frankfurt to receive her college education and further her new goal to become a mixed martial arts fighter. However, the students at the university did not know of her penchant for aggression, but instead saw a beautiful young lady with an impressive build. Not taking kindly to a random man's (and occasional woman's) advances, Biata's temper got the best of her and earned her the semi-insulting nickname of "Berserker Babe." However, during an incident where Biata was involved in a physical confrontation with a particularly smarmy suitor, she was confronted by a young policeman who upon breaking up the fight told her that she looked stunning with a look of anger on her face: the first time she had actually been complemented on her time-bomb temperament.

Not knowing what to do in the face of the handsome constable, Biata exchanged phone numbers with the man and the two started dating. Normally she would have been turned off by someone like him, who seemed to oodle other women even when she was next to him, but his sensitivity and genuine passion for justice struck a pleasant chord with her. Their relationship continued even after Biata graduated and began preparing for her MMA career, and she was starting to think that she would spend the rest of her life with this interesting man.

However, her boyfriend's work as a detective called him away from the country, and so Biata began visiting his parents as a way to help break the ice. It was here that she learned that her boyfriend was investigating the international crime syndicate Sheol, and he did not know if he would survive the case. Suddenly, Biata's anger began to boil once again, not just at her boyfriend who might die on her, but at Sheol for trying to take him away. Packing her bags and telling the fight promoters that she might be gone for a while, Biata prepares to begin an investigation of her own.

Vs. Sarah "I bet you think you're real popular with the men, with your Gigantyczny Piers and-what? You prefer women?"

Vs. Areva "So you say you have a sex addiction: looks more like a violence fetish to me!"

Vs. Keiichi "I've never seen a shoot-style wrestler like you before. What was your name again, handsome?"

Vs. Felix "Sorry, pretty boy, but you're a bit too smiley for me..."

Vs. Claude "That Kung Fu nonsense may impress tourists, but I don't have time for that mess!"

Vs. Igor "You want some more, freakazoid? Huh!?"

Vs. Ren "How much are they paying you to be a mercenary? You could really clean house in MMA, I bet!"

Vs. Ulisse "I'm told my temper can lead to high blood pressure. Maybe you're not the right kind of doctor I need."

Vs. Tony "(It's THE Tony Wilton! Quick, say something cool!) Umm...everyone knows pro wrestling is fake!"

Vs. Byron "Hey, what's with the silent treatment. Do you think you're too good for me or something!?"

Vs. Donal "What a jackass, dancing around like a moron expecting to do damage against a pro like me!"

Vs. Fredrick "So, how about we assume our respective positions and perform some Make-Up Sex. I promise I won't be TOO rough!"

Vs. Lance "How the heck did your silly karate give me so much trouble!? This is going to drive me crazy the next few days..."

Vs. Biata "Hey, maybe this can work to our advantage. One of us can fight, and the other can look for Fredrick!"

Vs. Bradley "I figured you would be a big pushover...still, keep at it and maybe you won't be such a joke."

Vs. Abraham "I don't care how tortured you are: get away from me, you psycho!"


Bradley Hickenbottom
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 278 lbs.
Age: 29
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Australia
Fighting Style: Whatever he knows
Voiced by: Paul Dobson
Likes: Hockey, Weight-lifting, beer with friends
Dislikes: "Wankers," that is, people who exert their will upon others
Theme: "Sabbra Cadabra" - Metallica


All his life, Bradley dreamed of being a hockey player. While he still enjoyed playing rugby with his friends, his true passion lay in skating around an ice rink as opposed to a grass field. Training his body to his limit, Bradley grew up to be an impressive physical specimen. However, he was only barely able to make the academic scores required to be accepted into college.

With his dream fueling his direction, Bradley attended a university in Canada with a sports scholarship acting as his lifeline. Though he grade point average hovered around the minimum acceptance to keep his scholarship, Bradley impressed his coaches and trainers with his work ethic and intensity. His imposing figure, however, kept him from keeping up with his more agile teammates: as such, he became a goalie.

To his good fortune, he was able to play goalie so well that major league scouts courted him for his services upon graduating. However, he settled on the Toronto Snowcaps, a team owned by the famed Lance Levesque of Relieve Corporation. Bradley eagerly joined his new team and made an impact on the league as a whole: he was a human wall, impenetrable and all-encompassing. In addition to being given the key to the fulfillment of his passion, Lance also introduced to Bradley his secretary Lauren, easily the most beautiful woman he ever saw.

After a few years of what Bradley considered the closest thing to paradise, he was brought into the owner's office. Rather than be showered with praise, Bradley was instead shown a video of Lauren hacking into Relieve Corporation's encrypted records. Initially confused by what his boss was talking about, Bradley was shocked to learn that what Lauren had discovered was the previous owner's ties to the local mob, as well as how Levesque rose to power to become the new owner as well as the head of the international crime syndicate "Sheol."

With the safety of his wife on his mind, Bradley accepted Lance's ultimatum: become an enforcer of Sheol, and everything can go along as it did before the incident. Traveling across the globe along with the team, Bradley secretly used his muscle to intimidate and threaten people smaller than himself. He knew that he was not a particularly intelligent man, so he settled for going with the flow, and pretended to enjoy it.

It took a chance encounter with a kickboxing woman in Thailand to snap Bradley back to his senses. What he was doing was wrong, no matter what the circumstances were. However, the most he could do was ask Lance to be sent back home: he lacked the planning skills needed to find a way out of his predicament.

However, rumors of a coup have been brewing, as Sheol's enemies continue to grow. Bradley may not be a genius, but he is smart enough to know when a chance presents itself...

Vs. Sarah "Hey, that's a nice kick you got there, love! I probably should be worrying about the hockey sign-ups!"

Vs. Areva "I have to thank you, love: you really changed my life!"

Vs. Keiichi "What, you're trying to take down the boss, too!? Gah, I don't know whose good and bad anymore!"

Vs. Felix "Well, aren't you a real lady-killer: aren't you afraid of getting your pretty face messed up?"

Vs. Claude "Oh, so it's you? If I knew what you did beforehand, I would have ratted you out long ago!"

Vs. Igor "You're just lucky I didn't bring my stick with me, you loon!"

Vs. Ren "There! How's that for a two-bit thug, baldy!?"

Vs. Ulisse "I'm probably going to need a marriage counselor when all is said and done: I'll be sure to keep your number."

Vs. Tony "Ow! I thought pro wrestling was fake...w-wait, I didn't mean it!"

Vs. Byron "What a creepy bastard you are...glaring at me like I did something to your mother!"

Vs. Donal "Um, my wife is part of an aerobics class: that's about all I know about dancing."

Vs. Fredrick "(Bugger, he's a cop!) I'm real sorry, mate: I hope I didn't hurt you too bad!"

Vs. Lance "GAHAHAHAHA! How about that, Mr. Levesque! I think I'll be taking my signing bonus now!"

Vs. Biata "Blimey, what a little fireball you are! I'd hate to meet you at the pub!"

Vs. Bradley "I..I guess I don't know my own strength...but would that mean he didn't know his, either?"

Vs. Abraham "I...I actually won? Against that freak!?"

Lauren Hickenbottom
Height: 5'4"
Weight: She won't say
Age: 27
Sex: Female
County of Origin: Canada
Fighting Style: N/A
Voiced by: Jennifer Connelly
Likes: Nothing in particular
Dislikes: Violence
Theme: "Heavy" – Collective Soul

Growing up, Lauren seemed to be an ordinary girl. She worked hard in school, played sports and games with her friends, and had the nondescript ambition to be a successful working woman. Lauren did not find herself overly attractive: she stayed in shape and took care of herself, but she did not understand the barrage of compliments she received for her beauty. Ignoring them, Lauren continued about her simple dreams and went to college. Graduating with a degree in business management, she found a job working as a secretary for a large pharmaceutical company.

It was here that she met her husband, a hockey player who played for her boss's professional team. His tall frame and bodybuilder physique intimidated her, but he repeated the comments she had heard earlier in her life: she was an angel in human form. Even though her husband traveled a lot due to his occupation, she was happy: her ambitions were being fulfilled quite fast.

However, Lauren soon realized that her dream had the potential to become a nightmare. Going through her employer's records one day, she discovered an odd amount of money going into behavior-modifying drugs. Using her position to gain access to the heart of her company, Lauren eventually found out why: her employer was planning to ship the new drugs to some choice names across the globe. Several of those names happened to be ones she recognized from reading the newspaper about their less-than-legal exploits.

To further her suspicions, her husband came home one day after a trip to Thailand, sporting a black eye and numerous bruises across his body. Even though he insisted that it was a small argument, the wounds he had sustained seemed to suggest something along the lines of a sound thrashing. Her husband was far from helpless, and not even the physical sport of hockey could inflict the kind of bumps he had brought home with him.

Keeping her motives a secret from both her husband and her employer, Lauren quietly investigates further into the plot that she has uncovered. She may not see herself as an exceptional woman, but she still sees herself as a good wife and a better businesswoman.

[Psychoblue]

Lance Levesque
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 229 lbs
Age: 45
Sex: Male
Country of Origin: Canada
Fighting style: Free-style Karate
Voiced by: Vince McMahon
Likes: Ice Hockey, Training, Bragging about his accomplishments
Dislikes: Reserved people, crime lords who won't bow to him
Theme: "Crystal Planet" – Joe Satriani

Hailing from the city of Toronto, the man who would create Sheol had considerably more humbler beginnings. Even though his family was well off thanks to his father's management of the stock market, the young Lance was eager to branch out on his own and become a self-made millionaire. Keeping his mind sharp with his neighborhood's local karate dojo, Lance ascended up that hierarchy by never being defeated in combat and becoming a twelfth-degree black belt by age 17: the first to do so in the history of the school.

After graduating from college with a degree in medicine, Lance quickly made waves in that field with research in behavior-modifying drugs, and by age 24 he had his first sponsor in the Relieve Corporation. To further his knowledge in medicine as well as gain a wealth of experience, Lance traveled the world over and aided his sponsor's relief efforts to the more poverty-stricken nations. In addition, Lance was able to temper his fighting skills by spending time with the said countries more reputable martial artists.

The more Lance ascended the ladder of success, however, the more aware he became of the evil that lurked at the top. Catching wind of a takeover bid that used blackmail and threats as its base components, Lance instinctively went to the authorities and reported the incident. However, nothing came of it...except for the death of his wife and his unborn child. The local mob, catching wind of his activities, approached him soon after the incident and informed him that if he continued being a thorn in his employer's side, his family would be next.

With rage and malice fueling him, Lance erased going to the police from his list of possible scenarios and prepared to weed out the branch of Relieve Corporation responsible for his plight. For someone like him, a person who was every bit as devoted to the art of injuring people as he was to healing them, breaking his targets was surprisingly easy...and surprisingly rewarding. By eliminating the board of directors, Lance found himself the sole head of Relieve Corporation, and even the local mob bowed before his impressive rise to power at the young age of 28.

However, not even their allegiance was enough to quell his rage. "By the time I'm done, everyone is going to be kissing my ass," Lance swore as he quickly gathered like-minded individuals to join his cause. "If you want to commit a crime in this world, it better be through me!" And so, "Sheol" was created in the wake of a worldwide series of hits and takeovers. At the young age of 30, Lance controlled 70% of all the major gangs and crime families. Those he found unruly or unworthy, he eradicated without mercy. For those he did find worthy and loyal, he allowed them to reap the benefits of his generosity.

Fifteen years later, Lance is not only the leader of Sheol and the head of Relieve Corporation, but also the owner of his favorite professional hockey team, the Toronto Snowcaps. Despite these luxuries, Lance desires even more power: enough for everyone in the world to recognize his greatness. Fortunately for him, fate has presented an exciting way to do so.

"There's been a lot of people who have been wanting to take me out," Lance notes after hearing rumors of vigilantes trying to seek his identity, as well as a possible coup within his inner circle. "This is the perfect chance for me to dust off my fists and show the world that I'm not afraid to throw down like a man should!" With his battle-tested karate gi hidden beneath a formal business suit, Lance sends out orders to his lieutenants and patiently waits for an upstart to approach him...just as he approached the previous owner of his company. "If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get: I'll be waiting!"

Vs. Sarah "Looks like the Rose of the Outback isn't in full bloom yet! Better luck next time, greenhorn!"

vs. Areva "You're as tough as your father: are you sure you don't want in on my plans?"

vs. Keiichi "Life sucks, and then you die: remember that, Keiichi!"

vs. Claude "You're finally learning what it means to be a member of Sheol...but you're an idiot if you thought you could take me!"

vs. Igor "It's just like you say, Igor: you're either strong or weak!"

vs. Felix "Felix Esquerra...YOU'RE FIRED!"

vs. Fredrick "Obviously my sway over Interpol could use some work: thanks for reminding me of that!"

vs. Ren "Not bad: how much would I need to make your services exclusive?"

vs. Tony "Just be happy you still have your gold medal, and your ability to walk!"

vs. Byron "Sorry, pal, but you're not going to get any sympathy from me!"

vs. Ulisse "I almost broke a sweat: pretty good for a shrink!"

vs. Donal "Kid, trust me when I say that you don't want any part of this!"

vs. Lance "You know, I bet we can cover a lot more ground on our plans if we work together!"

vs. Biata “I like your spunk, kid! Maybe if you promise to keep quiet about my operations, I can be your sponsor in the octagon!”

vs. Bradley “Well, we can’t say you didn’t try to fix things! Now, why don’t you go back to being my little errand boy and we’ll all go home happy?”

vs. Abraham “Whew, that’s what I call a workout! Now, how I can use your power to my benefit…”


Abraham (full name unknown)
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 230 lbs.
Age: Unknown (believed to be in early to mid 30s)
Sex: Male
Fighting Style: Jeet Kune Do + "Violent Impulse"
Country of Origin: Unknown
Voiced by: Christopher Sabat
Likes: Unknown
Dislikes: Unknown
Theme: "Drain" - X Japan


There are several stories that attempt to explain how the serial killer Abraham, nicknamed "the Blood Red Sandman," came into being, but the most consistent story seems to stem from Mt. Sinai in Egypt. According to this particular story, the man called "Abraham" was once a tourist visiting the mountain as part of a hiking trip. For whatever reason, he was separated from the rest of the group when he discovered a cave located within the mountain itself.

Within the cave were two cracked stone tablets with Hebrew letters written on them. Believing the tablets to be the fabled Ten Commandments, the man quickly dusted off the tablets to see if he could read them. However, the instant he touched them, he was overcome with a wave of malice and rage.

When Moses brought down the original Ten Commandments (as according to Judeo-Christian theology), he discovered his people worshipping idols, and threw the tablets to the ground in a fit of rage. In doing so, however, he transferred a small bit of the power that G-d have given him into the tablets, though now the power was tained with Moses' anger. What the man had discovered were the original Ten Commandments: the ones that Moses had discarded before going back up Mt. Sinai to obtain new tablets!

Upon leaving the cave, still in a maddened rage, the man stumbled upon the group he was separated from. Rather than greet them as he normally would, the man lashed out at them, thrashing about madly with the intent to harm them. Though they tried to retrain him, his bloodlust would not be denied: he easily overpowered them with his newfound holy madness and tore them apart with his bare hands. That evening, the village in which he stayed in during the night was attacked by a swarm of locusts, heralding the birth of the one that the tourists had called "Abraham."

Since then, there have been similar incidents occuring across the globe for the past several months. Sometimes a town water supply would suddenly become undrinkable due to an abnormal amount of plasma. Other times, there would be an infestation of locusts destroying local crops. On rarer instances, isolated hailstorms pop up in towns that normally would not have such weather. To the world's good fortune, however, Abraham has not yet been able to call upon the most devastating power that Moses was said to possess: the power of death to the firstborn. However, it could only be a matter of time before that power comes into play.

Driven by impulses beyond his control, Abraham continues to walk the earth, hoping to one day be free of his anger...and satiate his thirst for blood.

"S-SHRAAAAAAAGH!"
"You...are...DEAD!"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
"..."
"Get up...GET UP!"
"Pain...please...STOP!"

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 1: State of Mind

“Look at her, training like that pretending she’s still a pure-minded warrior…it’s such a disgrace…”

“A doctor from the city came a couple of days ago: he said she had a condition that makes it so that she can’t help herself…”

“But that doesn’t mean she has to give in to that disease like a cheap whore. She brings shame to our village and her father.”

Areva didn’t pretend not to hear the middle-aged couple whisper about her as they watched her chop at the tree with devastating right-legged kicks, but she could not deny such less-than-flattering gossip. She had become a cheap whore, and nothing she did would change that fact.

To those outside of her home village, Areva was a twenty-year-old Muay Thai prodigy as beautiful as she was skilled, with a deep tan, long black hair, and impressive bust to compliment her toned figure made possible from years of rigid martial arts training. She periodically traveled to the city to enter martial arts tournaments, usually leaving them with the top prize to support her modest village.

To those within the village, however, she was the daughter of the village chief who was diagnosed with nymphomania: a psychological condition that gives the patient an unusual desire for sexual activity that was made apparent when news spread of her having numerous sensual escapades with some of the village men, and even a couple of city-dwelling folk: it was extremely fortunate that no pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases came as a result from such behavior. Even though this condition was not extremely uncommon on the world stage, it was enough to label her a harlot by her people when originally they had considered her the jewel of their land.

Even now I can feel my body trembling, and not just from the impact of this tree, Areva thought grimly before quickly jumping away from the tree to prepare for a less-practical technique. My unclean body is matched only by my even filthier mind: they have every right to shun me.

Her left elbow glowing with her ki, Areva swiped at the air with the elbow and let loose a wave of energy that cut into the tree six feet away. This technique, considered the trademark move of her village, was proof of her prowess, but mastering the move only made her feel worse. All it meant was that she was simply a very talented outcast.

Taking a deep breath, Areva turned away from the tree and looked up into the sky. Muay Thai had a reputation as being the “sport of kings,” so she couldn’t help but wonder what her ancestors thought of her when they looked down upon her from the heavens. A woman practicing the traditional style was uncommon enough, and her battle attire of a zip-up black tanktop with black and pink boxer shorts accompanying her blue-and-purple arm tassels even more so: was her unfortunate mental disposition the breaking point from being unconventional to downright sacrilegious?

“Areva,” a familiar male voice broke Areva’s train of though, causing to turn in the direction of the voice. “Come inside, there’s someone I would like you to meet.”

Areva obeyed her father, but wasn’t sure what to expect once she had entered their hut: she had spent the past four nights outside in a sleeping bag she purchased in the city because her father refused to allow her into their home. It seemed out-of-character for someone as stern as he was to simply let her back in with open arms. Tossing aside her doubts, Areva entered her home and sat down in front of her father.

As she did so, however, she noticed that they were not alone.

“So this is your daughter,” the stranger only glanced at Areva via peripheral vision, rather than grace her with his full attention. “She does seem like she practices vigorously…”

Areva, on the other hand, turned her head fully and took note of the stranger: he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt, with ruffled dark brown hair and a pair of glasses sitting in front of his face--a face which was decisively not Thai. Areva felt a shiver go down her spine when she found herself lost in the man’s calm features: she did admit he was quite handsome, but she didn’t need that reaction caused by her nymphomania to tell her that. He’s definitely an outsider…Japanese, from the looks of it. What business does he have here?

“Areva, this is Keiichi Kobashi,” the village chief broke the brief-but-tense moment, causing her daughter to snap to attention which in turn caused Keiichi to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. “He witnessed one of your battles in the city, and was very impressed with your technique, so much that he found our village and requested that he learn its training secrets so that he can improve his own art.”

“But father, it took me years to master our art: how long does he expect to be here?”

“As long as it takes, miss Areva,” Keiichi allowed himself the slightest smirk upon hearing her unspoken objection. The smirk faded, however, as lifted his head to meet the village chief’s gaze. “Sir, if it is not too much trouble, I would like to begin training as soon as possible.”

“I won’t be the one teaching you, at least not immediately,” the chief replied, finally breaking Keiichi’s aura of calm and forcing him to lift his head up in surprise. “My daughter Areva is the most skilled fighter in our village: she would be more than capable to teach you the ways of our culture. In fact, how about the two of you stand up?”

Obeying him, both Areva and Keiichi left their kneeling positions and stood up. The hut wasn’t too awfully spacious: there weren’t many things they could do except leave, shake hands, or…

“Areva, Keiichi…tae chieng!”

Instantly recognizing the command, the couple’s left legs shot out into the air with precision and cohesion, their legs angling high so that their feet were level with their faces. Doing this kick correctly was impressive enough, but the two martial artists managed to allow their legs to remain angled as if they were posing for someone.

Rotating her head and looking at Keiichi’s form, she noticed the hardened expression in his face. What a fearsome glare, Areva thought as she took note of the outsider’s cold grimace. That’s not a look of a fighter, but of a killer…


------
The present…

A ringing bell from a nearby bicycle broke Areva out of her daydream and allowed her to once again focus of waiting for her boat to arrive. It was easy to reminisce about kinder, simpler times, but she couldn’t afford to do such a thing with her mission in front of her.

Areva should have taken more note of Keiichi’s fearsome glare that day, because in the weeks that followed, she let her guard down, and was ready to confess her love to him before she found her village burned to the ground after coming back from another tournament in the city, and her father’s last words telling her Keiichi was the one responsible.

Now she stood at the docks of Ayutthaya, where she was waiting for a boat to take her to the capital city of Bangkok so that she could begin her search for the man who had betrayed her.

I don’t know why he did what he did, but I promise that I’ll find out, Areva gripped her father’s burned mongkon in her hand tightly before placing it back in her bag. Once I do that, I’ll make sure he pays for his sin!

Even though Areva wasn’t entirely comfortable about leaving the precious few survivors of the village to themselves, she felt that it was her duty as the village’s new leader and as a warrior to seek out Keiichi. While she had no real clues as to his whereabouts, she figured Japan would be an ideal place to start, and to get there she had to take a boat down the river to Bangkok, where the airport was located.

Turning around upon hearing a shout, Areva looked behind her to see two strong-built men pushing around a considerably smaller and older Thai gentleman. This sort of bullying happened all the time in the city, and was one of the reasons Areva only ventured outside her village for tournament business and gathering supplies. Before she jumped to save the gentleman, however, she waited and listened to the conversation that was transpiring between them.

“Hey, mate, we tried asking nice, but the organization we represent has been really persistent about wanting to sell our goods in your shop, and we won’t take no for an answer,” the Caucasian man with slicked-back brown hair shoved the old man off his feet while his partner, a bald man with a deep tan, watched on with expressionless eyes. “So here’s your last chance, before me friend and I get rough: will you add our modest product to your catalog?”

“I told you, I refuse to sell your drugs,” the elder man spat back, trying to fight off the trembling sensation that had overcome him.

“Well then, that’s really a shame,” the brown-haired man smiled, looking as if he had hoped the old man would refuse his offer. “I guess we’ll have to use force then, won’t we?” As he raised his fist back to deliver a punishing blow, the man heard the familiar noise of grunts and blows landing behind him. Turning around, he saw his silent friend lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, with Areva standing above him.

Forgetting about his “client” for the time being, the man glared at Areva and pointed an accusing finger at her. “What do you think you’re doing, love? Are you lookin’ for an ass-beating?”

“Just because you are a guest in land doesn’t mean that you have to act like an imbecile,” Areva retorted before assuming her fighting stance. “Leave that man alone or I’ll do the same to you that I did your fri-“

Areva’s ultimatum was cut short by a shiver that had interrupted everything she was doing. Her nymphomania was beginning to bother her again, and her opponent took the opportunity to slam her into the ground with his massive hand before turning his grip into a stranglehold. “What’s the matter, love: quakin’ in your boots? Don’t make arguments you can’t back up I alw-AIIII!”

Shooting her leg up with blinding speed, Areva kicked the man in the stomach and forced him to relinquish his hold on her. Letting her unstable condition add fuel to her attack, Areva pressed on her assault with quick snapping kicks to her foe’s shin. After the sixth kick, the man fell down on the leg that was being assaulted, and allowed Areva to bash his face in with a powerful thrusting knee as he kneeled down.

Quickly scrambling back on his feet (though grunting when the pain in his attacked leg returned), the man blocked a quick elbow with his hand and tried to grab the arm for a counter-attack, but Areva pulled it back quickly and took advantage of her opponent’s miscue and collided her opposite elbow with his head.

Grabbing onto her opponent’s shoulders while crouching down, Areva rubbed her body against the man’s before rocketing back up and launching him into the air with her right knee glowing with her bright-blue ki. Jumping into the air with her opponent, she drove both knees into the thug and they both came falling down onto the docks, with Areva on top of her foe.

Areva moaned as she struggled to regain control of herself: the trauma of seeing her village in ashes had given her nymphomania an almost sadistic edge. Keiichi had once told her that sexual desire and violent intent used the same chemical in the brain, and she certainly believed him now. Pressing her forehead against the bloodied man she was sitting on top of, Areva took out a photo from her jeans pocket and slowly put it next to his right eye. In a voice that resembled a seductive whisper, she said to her hapless sparring partner, “Have you seen this man?”

Quickly glancing to the side, the man fumbled with his words: half-terrified of what she was going to do to him if he gave her the wrong answer, and half-wondering just what it was she was going to do to him if that was the case. “Y-yeah I know the bloke…h-he is the one I’ve been answerin’ to the past couple of days.”

Such an answer was enough to knock Areva out of whatever pleasure high she was feeling and her tone changed into a louder, more forceful one. “Do you know where he is now!?”

“Y-yeah…he took a plane to Sydney this morning because he had business to take care of there: if you took a boat down the river to Bangkok and used their airport, you should still be able to run into him by the time you get there,” the man took note of the complete change in complexion from his attacker and broke out in a cold sweat accordingly. “P-please let me go! I promise me friend and I won’t bother your town again!”

“Make sure that you don’t,” she spat back as she jumped off the man and kicked him away. Before she had even left her hometown, she had already found a clue to her former lover’s whereabouts. The sooner I find him, the better, she thought as she turned to the boat that was approaching the dock. I don’t have enough money to look for him very long and expect to have enough to come back home.

“Hey mate, it’s best that stay away from here for the time being,” Areva turned around to hear her former opponent say that to his accomplice that was just beginning to regain consciousness. “That lady is a total loony!”

He’s right about that, Areva looked at her bloodstained hands while the two men stumbled away from the docks. That sensation that came over me wasn’t like my normal breakdowns: it was something twisted and evil. It’s given me a mental edge in combat, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing…

----
Meanwhile, almost 2000 miles away…

Keiichi placed the plane phone back into its slot on the seat in front of him and let out a deep sigh. One of his subordinates had ran into trouble trying to persuade a key figure on the Thai market to carry one of their “alternative medical solutions,” and that meant his own superiors wouldn’t be too pleased. He himself could care less what happened with their product, as there were many other locations across the globe the organization could set up shop, but a failure was a failure, and he would have to answer for it.

However, the crimes that have been bothering me lately are the ones that my superiors actually approve of, Keiichi looked out his window into the legions of clouds just beneath the aircraft. I’ve killed many people in my relatively brief time on earth, but none of those deaths have made me feel as disgusted with myself as those that I added to the tally two days ago.

For the past six weeks, Keiichi had positioned himself in a Thai village several miles away from Bangkok with the intention of obtaining a certain type of vegetation grown only in that area of Thailand. Disguising himself as a martial artist seeking to learn the traditional Muay Thai fighting style, he attempted to earn the trust of the villagers so that he may obtain their crops for his own use: something he succeeded in doing, perhaps all too well.

While my technique is a furious raging fire, my heart has always been cold as ice, as well it should be…so why did I become so attached to that place?

The reason, he told himself, was that he allowed himself the ultimate hiccup in the life of a criminal deviant: he fell in love.

His usual sparring partner during his time in the village, a young woman named Areva, had grown incredibly close to him in a short period of time. Being the last surviving member of an exterminated criminal family, Keiichi had denied himself any real female contact for the purpose of one day taking his revenge against the one who slew them: his adopted father and the head of their organization, Lance Levesque. By allowing himself to develop a relationship with Areva, he gave the organization a weakness for them to exploit so that he would be degraded from simply being their henchman to their puppet: a weakness that they took advantage of when they ordered Keiichi to set the village ablaze and take the crops. Unable to forget his quest for power and vengeance, Keiichi complied and burned the village to the ground while a group of underlings ransacked the village.

At least Areva wasn’t there at the time: I don’t think even I would have been able to carry out that order if she were involved. But that’s why it’s best that I get the hell out of here: I’ll never see her again, and that’s definitely for the better. As Keiichi told himself that, he looked at his left arm to see the blue-and-purple tassel still tied around the sleeve of his black button-up shirt. He still wasn’t able to sever his ties completely, as he carried that tassel with him wherever he went, as a reminder of those peaceful six weeks and how vulnerable he truly was.

Of course, Keiichi had no intention of letting his superiors get away with ruining the only happiness he had in his life since the death of the Kobashi clan fifteen years ago: he intended to speed up his plans for a coup, and for Levesque to die at his hands. Once he had done that, he would become the head of the organization and acquire the power and influence that was always truly his.

For now, however, I will continue to act as his trophy and his agent, Keiichi mused while he looked away from the window and reached for his bag. I’ll drown this guilt in an ocean of chaos, once I get to Sydney to do my business. Pulling out a laptop computer and a DVD box, Keiichi switched the computer on and opened the CD tray on the side. The DVD was that of his favorite motion picture, Mothra. Putting the DVD into his computer, Keiichi allowed himself the slightest of smiles as the logo of Toho Ltd flashed across his computer screen.

The film Mothra was a giant monster movie focusing on a gargantuan butterfly-like creature of the same name: she was a benevolent goddess who rose up to destroy Tokyo when her two priestesses (ironically, exceptionally small women) were taken from her island and exploited by a Japanese businessman who intended to use them as his own personal money-making devices. While considered dated in an age where huge budgets and spectacular special effects were valued over using the imagination, Keiichi never grew tired of watching Mothra tear through his homeland in an effort to reclaim what is hers: in fact, he had her likeness tattooed onto his chest.

This also happened to be the favorite film of his late mother, before the organization decided to do away with the Kobashi clan. Whenever Keiichi felt his ambitions waver, he watched the film over again to remind him of what had been stolen from him, and the glorious havoc that would be wreaked upon those that did them harm when the opportunity finally presented itself.

Unfortunately, his dearest Areva was still in his mind, and not even Mothra was letting him forget about her. How troublesome, he mumbled as he finally advanced past the opening credits, but such is the path to victory…

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 2: Outback Greetings


Areva watched Keiichi carefully while he bombarded the large oak tree with a barrage of strikes. It had been three days since Keiichi arrived in her village, and he had been progressing through his training regime smoothly. Areva’s father had told her that Keiichi had previous training in Muay Thai, but it only vaguely resembled the sport variations: it was as if he was using a different style completely. I can’t help but wonder why he wants to train here, Areva thought as Keiichi stepped back from the tree as if to catch his breath, he doesn’t seem like the person to actively seek help.

Suddenly, Keiichi jumped onto the tree using the large rope tied to it as a footstool. Propelling himself further upwards, Keiichi’s opposite leg burned with crimson fire as he rammed his knee into the main trunk and actually managing to create a decent hole with splinters flying out of the tree. Areva tried her hardest to keep her jaw from dropping as Keiichi gracefully landed on the ground. “That was amazing,” she finally said after gawking at the tree that had just had a hole punched through it as if it were cardboard. “What do you call that technique?”

“It’s called the ‘Shining Wizard,’” Keiichi replied coolly while he walked over to the nearby river to wash his face. “It takes a good deal of practice to perfect: do it incorrectly, and you can wind up being like putty in your opponent’s hands.” No sooner than he said that, Areva was rushing towards the tree with violent intent. When she put her foot onto the rope, however, she failed to maintain the proper momentum and began to lose her balance.

Rather than landing on her back onto the hard ground, she was instead caught by Keiichi who had rushed to her side as soon as he noticed the imminent failure. “What do you think you’re doing,” he said with the slightest hint of anger as he looked down at Areva, “did I not specifically say that it’s not a technique that-“

The irony of Keiichi the trainee scolding Areva the trainer was quickly lost, however, via Areva reaching up to stroke the Japanese man’s face. Quickly silenced by this act, Keiichi could do little to stop Areva from reaching up and slowly brush lips with him…

…until Areva’s eyes suddenly widened and she pushed herself away from Keiichi’s grip. “I-I’m sorry,” she cried, turning away from her guest and running her fingers through her hair in anxiety. “M-my condition…I didn’t mean-“

“It’s nothing,” Keiichi straightened his glasses and tried to regain his usual calm demeanor. “I should not have been so audacious as to scold you for trying to add a new technique to your repertoire: perhaps I should fetch some water to cool-“

“I’ll do it,” Areva blurted out as she picked up the two empty buckets near the tree and began walking away. “Sit down and rest: you’ve earned it.” As she left Keiichi, Areva bit her lip as she replayed what had happened in her mind. She had only known the young man for three days, and already she couldn’t help but be attracted to him. What’s worse is that I don’t know if I’m in love with him or if I’m simply targeting him because of my condition, the Thai warrior thought, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought I was a whore…

As she thought that, she could hear Keiichi punch the tree with echoing force and say in English, “Why am I being so spineless?”
------
The present…

Sydney, the most populated city in all of Australia, is located on the east coast of the continent in the state of New South Wales. The home of the 2000 Olympic Summer Games, Sydney was a city constantly bustling with activity. Its populace was a melting pot of cultures, with the citizens being able to trace their ancestries to the British, the Chinese, the Irish, and the native Australians among others. With its beautiful beaches and numerous famous landmarks (the Olympic park being just one of them), it was also a well-known international tourist attraction.

However, the history of Australia as a whole was not quite as attractive: it first became known to the world as a prison nation for the British Empire. The dregs of their society came to the continent via boat and were left to their own devices, and eventually the mass of criminals became a group of citizens by declaring themselves a nation and forming other colonies that eventually evolved into cities and states.

How appropriate, then, that Areva would arrive in Sydney searching for a criminal. Coming off of her first plane ride, the young woman couldn’t help but feel slightly disoriented upon leaving the aircraft and stepping into the airport: her ride lasted a long nine hours, although sleep and books helped pass the time. Unfortunately, most of her naps were interrupted with her ears popping from the pressure change: something she had never experienced before and cared not to experience again. Furthermore, being surrounded by so many men for that long a time had an adverse effect on her condition, causing her to shiver uncontrollably for three hours of that trip and garner more than a few strange looks from her fellow passengers. All in all, Areva was happy the ride was over.

Sydney is so much bigger than my village back home, Areva thought to herself as she looked out the large windows of the airport to gaze at the great metropolis, I won’t be able to find Keiichi simply by asking people at random like I could back home: I suppose for now I should simply sit down and plan my next move.

Placing her bag on a nearby seat and sitting down next to it, Areva opened her bag and pulled out the book that was the focal point of her attention during most of the trip when she wasn’t being overcome by ear-popping and shivering: a Thai-English dictionary. Areva had surprised herself two days ago when she communicated with the thug so well, but she still didn’t feel confident enough to carry on a lengthy conversation with another English speaker, and thus depended on the book to help her prevent this communication problem from occurring.

Coming across a chapter involving monetary terms, Areva let out a deep sigh: her plane ticket alone had created a significant dent in her funds. She couldn’t expect to travel around the world with what she had now and expect to make any sort of progress. If I settle down for a job, I’ll lose track of Keiichi. It’s unfortunate that there aren’t any martial arts tournaments in Sydney right now…or at least, none that I know of…

“TEE-YAH!!!”

An unknown battle cry entered Areva’s ears as she dropped her book and sprang into action. Darting her head left and right to see where the shout had come from, the Muay Thai student heard the familiar sound of blows landing and turned around to see a small crowd of people huddled together. It sounds like there’s a fight going on, Areva quickly picked up her book and shoved it in her bag before running towards the crowd. Maybe it’s Keiichi challenging someone!

With a flurry of shoves and apologies, she waddled through the crowd to see what had caught her attention: a medium-built man in a white muscle shirt and baggy violet pants, and a young woman in a white tanktop with red trim and a royal-blue martial arts uniform with the top hanging down over her pants. As her dirty-blonde hair tied back in a ponytail flowed in the wind as she connected with a snapping spinning kick, Areva took note of her technique. That fighting style: it looks like Tae Kwon Do, but I thought that was more popular in the Koreas. Why is a native here putting this art on display?

The unknown woman’s kick sent her opponent spiraling to the ground, and he didn’t get back up until a few seconds later when he groggily pushed his face off the ground as blood leaked from his nose. With a groan, the opponent crawled back onto his feet and into the crowd. “Nice fight, lady,” he said without turning around to face his conqueror. “You’re as tough as you claim to be…”

“Damn right I’m as tough as I claim to be, mate,” the woman shouted back as she walked over to a red bucket that was within the circle of humanity that surrounded her. “Does anyone else want to try their luck against Sarah Taylor, your future gold medalist?” Holding the bucket above her head before placing it down on the ground, Sarah continued, “Come on over and win my money, if you can!”

Areva leaned over to see what was inside the red bucket, and noticed an impressive amount of coins and paper bills within. While her English still needed improvement, she could get the gist of the other girl’s challenge: defeat her in combat and receive all of the money in the bucket as a result. She wasn’t exactly certain how much money was in there, but it would at least be a decent start to help remedy her current woes involving currency accumulation.

Stepping inside the circle of people, Areva steeled her nerves and pointed to Sarah, who whistled and nodded her head in approval. “My, my, here’s a nice-looking lass: what’s your name, love?” she asked, inspecting Areva’s toned physique via tilting her head.

Why is she looking at me like that: it reminds me of how some of the spectators at the tournament look at me, Areva raised in eyebrow in curiosity before whispering to a nearby bystander in the best English she could muster, “Why is she talking like that to me?”

“Oh, you must be new around here,” the bystander said with a light accent. “She’s a Lesbian: that’s sort of what made her famous aside from her skill.”

Areva had heard of this term before, back home in Ayutthaya. A woman who was attracted to other women: after giving a moment to think about it, it wasn’t that peculiar given her own sexual tendencies but it was the first time she would be facing one in combat. Well, regardless of whether she likes me in that way or not, I won’t show any mercy!

“Oi!”

Areva quickly turned her head back to Sarah and shouted abruptly, “My name is Areva Petchyindee! Let’s have a good fight!” Placing her bag down next to the bucket of money, Areva unzipped her jeans and began to pull them off, much to the surprise of everyone watching. Unfortunately for the male spectators (and Sarah, who groaned slightly after seeing what was underneath), pulling off the jeans revealed a pair of black boxer shorts with a light pink strap lining the top and the openings for the legs. Getting down on one knee, Areva muttered a quick prayer before springing back up and assuming her fighting stance.

“That’s a pretty interesting pre-fight ritual you have there, love,” Sarah applauded Areva with a quick clapping of hands before her right leg shot in the air and came down a vertical chopping motion. “Hopefully you fight better than you strip: I’ve always wanted to tangle with a Muay Thai fighter, and I’m in for a treat if it’s someone as sexy as you are!” With a quick bow, Sarah tossed aside her doubts and rushed towards her quarry while Areva prepared to defend herself.

Sarah began to fight with a knife-like chop to Areva’s neck, which Areva ducked under accordingly. Before she could rise back up and counter, however, Sarah’s opposite hand came crashing down on the back of Areva’s neck. This snare stunned the Thai woman enough for her opponent to send her face crashing into the ground with a high-arcing foot stomp.

Quickly rolling out of the way and onto her feet to avoid another stomp, Areva sidestepped out of the way of a forward kick and countered with a kick of her own that connected at Sarah’s hip. The kick was quickly followed up with a second one from the same leg, targeting the same hip and forcing Sarah to try and protect the hip with her hand. Seeing her opportunity, Areva’s lunged forward to punch Sarah squarely in her right jaw with a powerful straight punch.

Had Sarah been a lesser opponent, the impact of the blow would have sent her into unconsciousness. Unfortunately for Areva, Sarah shrugged off the blow simply by rubbing her jaw slightly and resuming her fighting stance. When Areva tried to employ the same tactic with another mid-section kick, Sarah caught the leg and made Areva pay for her repetitiveness with a jumping roundhouse kick that sent Areva reeling.

I can taste blood in my mouth already, Areva thought to herself as she leaned back just in time to avoid a standing roundhouse kick. She has so much power in both her arms and her legs: I’ll have to rethink my strategy and prepare myself for a drawn-out fight. Steeling herself to go on the offensive once again, Areva quickly dodged a high kick to countered with a jumping knee, knocking Sarah down like a domino and causing her to fall into the crowd.

It didn’t take long for Sarah to get back onto stable ground, and she repaid Areva in kind with a quick, snapping foot to the chin that knocked the Thai fighter off of her feet. Before her opponent could even land on the ground, Sarah brought down her still-extended leg onto Areva with a mighty axe kick, propelling her into the floor with her light-pink ki flashing in its wake.

“As you can see, I’m not just a big blowhard: I’m a world-class athlete,” Sarah added some self-praise before kicking Areva’s fallen body as hard as she could, actually managing to punt her off the ground and have her land a few feet away. “I know you Muay Thai fighters are used to taking a thrashing, so even that shouldn’t get you too hot and bothered.” Sarah couldn’t help but smile as Areva quickly got back onto her feet and wiped the blood from her mouth. “That’s what I want to see, dear: make this fight hard-won!”

Areva took a sharp breath and leaped at Sarah knee-first, knocking her over once again and forcing her to land flat on her buttocks. Not giving her foe a chance to breathe, Areva continued the assault with another knee that managed to knock Sarah into the air from the sheer impact of the blow, and then used that momentum to propel Sarah into her elbow that was waiting for her on the way up. The combination resulted in not only a cut to the chin, but a blow to the top of the skull that made Sarah lose her footing slightly.

Not letting such an opening slip by, Areva grabbed Sarah and put her in a clinching position, ramming her knees into her abdomen five times before knocking her away with an impressive uppercut. To her surprise, Sarah landed right back on her feet and repaid in kind (but not kindly) with an equally-impressive spinning backhanded punch, followed by a low foot sweep which was in turned followed by a standing side kick that sent Areva crashing into a few bystanders, with the group of them toppling over like bowling pins. “Oh bollocks,” Sarah muttered as Areva and the spectators scrambled to get back to their feet. “Sorry about that, people: I guess I overdid that a bit.”

Once Areva had apologized to the people she flown into, she quickly got back into the circle and resumed her fighting stance. Sarah was right about Thai fighters: they were known for their toughness and resilience. Areva was no exception: she still felt like she could go for another fifteen minutes of those kinds of attacks. It’s great to face someone this skilled so early in my journey, she mused to herself while she kicked Sarah in the head with a standing roundhouse, because this will be an ideal way to get myself ready for Keiichi. I’m privileged that my first opponent is someone as powerful as her!

Sarah spat out bloody saliva before rolling away from a left hook to catch her breath. “You’re as tough as you are beautiful: I fancy that a lot.” Grabbing the loose ends of her uniform and pulling them up so that it covered her torso as well, Sarah forcefully stomped her foot down with her ki flashing in the leg being used. “I guess that means we should stop holding back now!” Upon tightening her black belt, Sarah motioned to the bystanders, who responded accordingly by taking several steps back and making the circle wider.

Rolling towards Areva and surprising her with such an unusual tactic, Sarah suddenly sprang back up with her leg shooting skywards like a rocket, launching Areva into the air with her leg acting like a spear to the stomach. Quick as a hiccup, Sarah’s legs spun around vertically to strike Areva in mid-air while still maintaining a standing position before concluding the remarkable technique with another helicopter-like vertical kick that sent her Thai adversary away like a soccer ball.

Rather than pursue her opponent via the usual means, Sarah instead opted to remain where she was and charge her left leg with energy until it glowed bright magenta. Once she had felt she had compiled enough power, Sarah kicked the ground and a blade of pink energy shot out from the point of impact and made its way towards Areva’s body. Areva, still staggering from the previous combination, was sent rolling backwards as the blade of energy made contact.

When she finally managed to stop tumbling away, Areva rose back up just in time to avoid a jump kick and propel Sarah away with a swiping elbow. So she can project her ki, as well, Areva muttered as she tried to fight off the dizziness that was beginning to take hold of her vision. I guess it’s time to show her what I have, too! Focusing her own energy into her left elbow until it gave off a light blue radiance, Areva swiped the air and unleashed a wave of energy that flew towards Sarah like a discus. Not expecting such a maneuver, all Sarah could do was block with arms and grunt in pain as the blast exploded upon contact and dissipated.

When Sarah lowered her defense, she received another knee to the face for her efforts. This time, however, she stood her ground and countered with a flurry of kicks that bombarded Areva multiple times before she began blocking. Not to be outdone by the Australian lass, Areva returned the favor with her own flurry: a barrage of one-handed punches that clashed with the attacking leg like a high-speed fencing match. Sarah was the first to tire out, and the barrage struck her chest, face, and shoulder repeatedly before she finally backed away.

With both her elbows glowing neon blue, Areva used her bright limbs as weapons, striking Sarah again and again. Helpless to stop such an attack, Sarah took the full impact of the elbow strikes and couldn’t stop the final blow of the barrage: a spinning knee kick to the head that left a trail of blue energy in its wake. Collapsing to the ground, Sarah groaned before turning to lie on her back.

Rather than immediately celebrate her victory, as many of the spectators were doing by throwing coins in her direction, Areva leaned over and outstretched her hand to Sarah, who gladly accepted it and allowed her conqueror to help her back onto her feet. The two women embraced each other lightly in friendship: they had barely exchanged words, but through their techniques and martial arts, Areva and Sarah had become as close as sisters.

“Mmmm…you’re nice and warm,” Sarah finally said before breaking the embrace and raising the Thai woman’s arm in victory. “But it looks like you’ve won my money: I guess I need to train harder if I want to bring a gold medal to my dear Australia at the next Olympics.” Picking up both the red bucket and Areva’s bag, Sarah placed them down next to Areva and gave a quick bow. Areva returned the bow by putting her palms together and lowering her head. “If you need a place to stay, come down to my nest and we’ll have a bleedin’ grand time together!”

“Thank you…very much, Sarah Taylor,” Areva said quietly before taking the bucket and bag. As she did so, however, she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Turning around to see two men in dark blue uniforms, Areva realized that the police were confronting her. Now’s my chance to ask them about Keiichi, Areva thought as she picked up her jeans and pulled out the photo of him she always kept with her. Placing the photo in the face of one of the men, she asked politely, “Could you please tell me if you have seen this man?”

Both of the policemen’s eyes widened as they looked at the picture: it was apparent that Keiichi’s visage was familiar to them. One of the policemen asked Areva, “How do you know this man?”

“He…used to be my boyfriend,” Areva fumbled with her words, trying to think of the proper term on how to describe her relationship with Keiichi. “I’m trying to find him: someone told me that this was the city where he went to, so I left Ayutthaya to come here.”

The two policemen whispered to each other, leaving Areva in the dark as to why they were so surprised to see Keiichi’s photo. After a few seconds of talking amongst themselves, the same policeman who spoke earlier addressed Areva once again, “Ma’am, please come with us to the police station: we would like to speak to you about your friend.”

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While Areva was chasing someone down, she was unaware of the fact that someone had begun to follow her as the police began to escort her out of the airport. The stalker was a tall, muscular individual clad in a gray camouflage t-shirt, olive jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. Although his attire would lead people to believe otherwise, the man was actually well-known in political circles: the one-eyed Chinese mercenary Xiahou Ren.

As he continued pursuing his quarry while at the same time making sure he wasn’t being too conspicuous, Xiahou Ren reminded himself of why the girl was important: the triads in Hong Kong had assigned him the mission of capturing Keiichi Kobashi, one of the key figures in a massive international criminal organization that controlled almost all illegal activity in the world. If Keiichi was under their control, they would be able to use that leverage to improve their own standing in the global underworld.

Xiahou Ren, however, cared little for that: all he wanted to do was make some money. While in the army, he was dishonorably discharged for attacking one of his fellow soldiers in an attempt to steal one of their belongings: he was very fortunate that he didn’t receive anything worse than that. Just as well, though, he thought to himself at the time, I needed a fresh start anyway.

Now, as a soldier-for-hire, Ren used his abilities that had once made him revered in the People’s Liberation Army, rather than infamous. With that sort of skill, he was a “fan-favorite” or sorts within political and criminal organizations who wished to make their “less-than-legal” activities discrete.

I have to admit, that Kobashi knows his women, Ren smirked as his single good eye inspected Areva’s nubile figure while his fake, milky-white glass eye mimicked its opposite’s movements. Maybe when I capture her, we can have some fun while I wait for him to come running to save his damsel. Ren’s plan was a simple one: kidnap Areva, and lure out his true target that was active somewhere in Sydney. Once that had happened, bringing Keiichi to China would be simple.

As Ren stalked his prey, however, he was unaware that someone else was following him as well…

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 3: That Fateful Day

Areva couldn’t help but feel discomforted as she waited for the two policemen to return from the other room. While they had not yet left the airport, the small police station she was taken to made her feel like she had done something wrong upon entering Sydney. While she told herself that this was not the case, and they merely wished to speak about her about Keiichi, Areva was skeptic about what they thought about her. Maybe they think I’m some sort of accomplice, she pondered her fate worriedly as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair. What will happen if they decide to press charges against me?

After what seemed like an eternity, one of the policemen who brought her to the station came back with a moderately thick file folder. He was a slightly obese Caucasian man with a thin mustache and blonde hair. His arms were thick with muscle, Areva noted, so she assumed that his arm strength made up for what speed shortcomings his weight might give him. Already I’m thinking about a confrontation. I need to stop getting into the criminal mindset. I’m sure he believes what I told him.

“Well, Ms. Petchyindee, it seems your passport checks out fine,” he addressed Areva while he sat down in the chair opposite of the table Areva had been sitting at for the past few minutes. “This file here says that you’re a relatively famous martial artist in Southeast Asia: I’m glad such a distinguished athlete has decided to come to our great nation.” He smiled briefly when Areva bowed her head slightly in gratitude, and then opened the file folder to pull out a sheet of paper. “According to your story, Mr. Kobashi came to your village a few weeks back and remained there until a few days ago when you found your village in flames.”

“That’s right,” Areva nodded her head nervously, wondering if the policeman was skeptical of her story. “My father told me with his last words that Keiichi was the one responsible, so I set out to look for him to find out what really happened. A drug dealer in town claimed that Keiichi was one of his main suppliers and told me that he went here to conduct business.”

“I see…I suppose that’s understandable,” the policeman took out a pack of gum and silently offered Areva a stick, which she politely denied. Unwrapping the gum and placing the stick in his mouth, the policeman continued. “Areva, the reason we brought you in here is because your ex-boyfriend is wanted for questioning by Interpol.”

Areva raised her eyebrows in shock: Interpol mostly involved itself with international crimes, so whatever Keiichi was wanted for questioning for apparently wasn’t limited to just what happened in Thailand. I probably should have suspected something when the thug told me he went to Sydney for ‘business’, Areva thought while she regained her composure.

“The main reason Keiichi Kobashi is wanted for questioning is that we believe he might be one of the top executives of ‘Sheol,’” the policeman continued, taking note of Areva’s surprised expression.

“What is ‘Sheol’?” Areva asked, confused by this term.

“’Sheol’ is a massive international criminal organization involving itself in everything from gambling and drug trafficking to weapon shipments and assassinations,” the policeman answered with a hint of disdain in his voice, indicating the Sheol was a sensitive topic to him. “Originally their existence was a well-kept secret, but lately they’ve been much more brazen in their acts, as the drug trafficking in your hometown would suggest.”

“I see,” Areva said quietly, slowly absorbing the stream of information that was being fed to her in addition to the enormity of the situation she had stumbled into.

“It’s fortunate that we managed to bump into you today with your fight with Sarah: Sheol doesn’t take kindly to bystanders sniffing around their business,” the policeman stood back up and placed Areva’s file under her desk, and replacing it with her photograph of Keiichi. “With your testimony, we have more concrete evidence that Kobashi is indeed involved with Sheol. However, it’s best that you stop looking for him: just leave that up to the police.”

“But…how will I be able to know why he abandoned me?” Areva blurted out before realizing how selfish her words were in the face of what the policeman claimed Keiichi was involved in. Bowing her head in shame, Areva looked at the floor and ran her fingers through her hair once again.

“I can’t promise you’ll be able to meet him face to face once we find him,” the policeman walked over to Areva and placed a hand on her shoulder. “However, I can tell you this: when we find him, we’ll make sure he answers for his crimes.” As he finished saying that, another policemen entered with a large envelope and Areva’s bag. “Here are your belongings: in the envelope is all of the money in that red bucket, converted into bills and whatever coins might be left over. Take it and enjoy your stay in Sydney, quietly and peacefully.”

I wish I could do as he says, Areva thought while she stood up and took her bag and her envelope from the other policeman. Unfortunately, I can’t just leave things as they are: I have to find Keiichi before Interpol does!
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Stepping of the police station to return to the lobby of the airport, Areva took a deep breath and let out an equally deep sigh. Even though the police told her only thirty minutes passed from the time she walked into the station to the time she left just then, it felt like she had been there for hours. No longer was she searching for the man she once loved, but a criminal wanted by federal investigation agencies across the globe. If he was simply a scumbag, I wouldn’t have loved him in the first place, she muttered while she took a seat at a nearby row of chairs. However, I refuse to believe that he was simply pretending to love me back…what caused him to revert back to the cold look of a murderer?

“Excuse me, ma’am, are you Areva Petchyindee?”

Areva looked up from her seat to see a muscular hulk of a man approach her: he was wearing a gray camouflage shirt, olive-colored jeans, and black hiking boots. Upon staring at his bald head, Areva noted that one of his eyes were as white as chalk while the other eye was relatively normal. That’s certainly a disturbing glass eye, Areva thought to herself while she stood up to face the man. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

“My name is Xiahou Ren,” the man said as he outstretched his arm in greeting. “I’m a friend of Keiichi’s: he asked me to pick you up from the airport so that you could meet him.”

However, what he received was not a handshake, but a slap in the face. Ren recoiled from the blow as Areva assumed a fighting stance. “I may not know anything about Sheol, but I do know that Keiichi wouldn’t send someone else to do something he could do himself. Who are you really!?”

“Damn…you caught on quicker than I thought,” Ren smirked as he rubbed where he had been struck and assumed his own fighting stance. “I’ve been hired to kidnap your boyfriend, and I’ve decided that you will be the bait.” Licking his lips in anticipation, Ren offered Areva an ultimatum. “So, what’s it going to be, kickboxer: will you come quietly, or will I have to use force?”

The police haven’t come out yet, Areva quickly glanced to her left to see the police station devoid of any human traffic. I guess I’m on my own for this. Tossing asides her doubts, Areva rushed towards Ren and threw a straight punch to his face. However, such a reckless attack was caught by the man’s muscular hand. Squeezing his quarry’s fist, Xiahou Ren rewarded Areva with a punch to the face followed by single-arm take down forcing Areva on the ground with her back facing Ren, her arm still in his grip.

“You’re a feisty one,” Ren taunted Areva as he twisted her arm, causing her to grit her teeth in pain. “That feistiness is what my skill thrives in subduing. Again, surrender now and spare yourself the humiliation of defeat.” However, the answer he received was a foot shooting up from the ground and into his crotch. Ren howled in agony as he let go of Areva’s arm to grip his attacked genitals in pain.

Rolling back onto her feet, Areva rubbed her targeted arm before going to attack Ren with a jumping knee to the face. This time, the attack hit its intended mark and Ren stumbled back while still gripping his crotch. When Areva went to grab his shoulders and put him into the a clinch position, however, Ren’s hands suddenly grabbed Areva under her arms and lifted her off the ground like a mother holding her baby. Using his impressive arm strength, Ren powered Areva to the ground and began stomping on her stomach.

“You’re an ornery young lady, I’ll give you that,” Ren commented while he stomped down on Areva’s gut for a sixth time and grinded the heel of his shoe into her, “but spunk and talent have no place for the battlefield that is life. If you’re focused like me, then you can dominate combat and taunt as much as you wa-OOF!” Areva lifted Ren’s foot off of her and toppled him over, ending Ren’s monologue abruptly. The two fighters quickly scrambled back onto their feet and resumed their fighting stances.

His style has almost nothing in common with Sarah’s, Areva observed while she moved her head to the left to avoid a punch and counterd with an uppercut to daze Ren slightly. Sarah favors powerful strikes that put distance between her opponents, while this man prefers to keep the fight up close so that he can use his grappling techniques. Ramming her knee into Ren’s abdomen, Areva again attempted to get him into a clinch position. This time, she managed to get a firm grip on his shoulders and began to ram her knees into his chest repetitively. I have no problem with fighting at close range, but I doubt he realized that until now!

After the fifth attack, Ren finally stopped absorbing blows and began to return the punishment he had been receiving in kind by ramming his own knee into his Areva’s mid-section. Rather than following up with his own succession of knee strikes, however, he wrapped his arms around Areva’s neck and pulled her head under his armpit to put her in a headlock. Areva struggled violently, but she was unable to break the headlock as Ren fell down backwards to ram her head into the hard floor: the technique known in fighting circles as the “DDT.”

Areva groggily got back up onto her feet, disoriented by such a blow to the head. Ren, on the other hand, regained his footing with no problem and rammed his shoulder into her while the arm he used for the ramming glowed with his yellow ki to send his adversary sprawling backwards. “I’m surprised you have so much pluck left after that clinic you put on with the Tae Kwon Dyke,” Ren mockingly applauded Areva as he slowly walked towards her fallen body. “However, it would appear that you’re on your last legs: time to wrap this up.”

Wrapping both his hands around her neck, Ren lifted Areva off the ground and smirked as he gazed upon her lovely face in agony. “Don’t look so sad, ma’am,” Ren said with sarcastic courtesy while he tried to strangle her into unconsciousness. “You fought very well considering your battle damage.” Ren lowered Areva slightly so that he could put his face to her zip-up tanktop, taking a deep whiff of the sweat and blood that had adorned her body and gently kissing her left breast. “A kiss to the heart: it’s the least I can do.”

Suddenly, the groans of pain ceased, and were replaced by a light giggling. At first, Ren thought it was coming from someone else, but looking at Areva’s face he could see that she was laughing. Before he could counter with a quip, Ren received as a devastating punch to the jaw from his prey, forcing him to drop her and recoil. “You’re so rough,” Areva smiled as she looked at Ren with eyes that were less than sane. “Please, give me more…”

With a renewed fury, Areva rushed towards Ren with violent intent, spinning around a side kick and hitting him with a horizontal elbow swipe as a result. With Ren stunned from the attack, Areva bombarded her opponent with a flurry of left-handed punches that struck him repetitively like he was being pelted with a swarm of rocks before sending him flying away with an impressive uppercut.

“Where are you going, manly man?” Areva said with a giggle as Ren stumbled backwards to try and catch his breath. “There’s still so much fun to be had!” Running at Ren to get good momentum, Areva leapt onto Ren’s face with both knees ramming into his forehead to topple him over like a cut-down tree. As the two of them tumbled like demented lovers, Ren grabbed onto Areva’s right leg and turned her over on her stomach while he sat down on her waist with her leg still in tow. Areva ran her fingers through her hair in pain while Ren tried to snap her ankle.

“You know, I should have guessed that a woman bedding Kobashi would be a little messed up in the head,” he said while he wrapped his own leg around Areva’s as he grabbed onto her left arm. “I probably should have been more careful.” Pulling the arm as hard as he could, Ren succeeded in dislocating Areva’s shoulder, rendering it useless for the time being. Rather than a cry of agony coming out of Areva’s lips, a loud moan escaped her mouth instead as she stood back up with one arm dangling like a vine. “Are seriously getting hard from battle?” Ren said while he wiped the sweat from his bleeding forehead. “It’s a shame I didn’t find you before Kobashi did!”

Before he could resume his fighting stance, he was whacked in the cheek with a backhanded punch from the same arm that he had dislocated seconds earlier. Using her arm as a whip, Areva continued to thrash Ren with her disabled limb until she used her good arm to blast Ren with a wave of blue ki, knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing to the ground. Quickly scrambling back onto his feet, Ren decided to go onto the offensive while Areva charged her ki again for another wave of energy. When Areva let loose her discus-like wave, however, it dissipated in the wake of Ren’s glowing arm and did nothing to stop him from ramming his shoulder into her face.

Areva fell down hard to the floor, but the impact of the fall actually managed to pop her shoulder back into place, bringing the disabled arm back into the action. However, Areva was off in a world of her own: she didn’t even notice which arm she was attacking with when she stood back up to pummel Ren once again with a barrage of punches. As the assault continued, the attacking arm began to flash with her neon blue ki while blood began to fly from Ren’s face. After what seemed like an eternity of violence, Areva jumped high into the air with her glowing knee knocking Ren into the air with her. The two of them fell back down to the ground with Areva landing on top of her opponent, both knees driven into his sternum.

Ren roared in agony as the glass eye in his damaged socket cracked from a devastating elbow from Areva, who was still mounted on top of him. Areva moaned in ecstacy as she leaned to lick Ren’s cheek and whisper something in her ear in her native language, all the while pounding his chest with her elbow. What a humiliating defeat, Ren thought through the agony he was in, taken down by some kid with a sadistic streak…

Before Areva could pummel him into unconsciousness, however, a familiar face lifted her off of him. “Calm down, love,” Sarah said, trying her hardest to keep the struggling Areva from escaping her grip. “You’ve given him enough of a licking, in more ways than one…”

After a couple of seconds, Areva stopped struggling with her demeanor changing completely. Realizing what was going on, Areva gasped as she looked at Ren’s fallen body. “Oh no…I lost control again…what will I do if the police come and think I assaulted him?”

“Ugh…I’ll tell them that I attacked you and you defended yourself,” Ren said with a tired, haggard voice as he tried to get back up. “You’re a lot tougher than I expected: I’ll have to train harder while I do my time in whatever correctional facility I wind up at.” With a smirk, Ren added, “I can see why Kobashi found you so interesting…”

“You really do know Keiichi!?” Areva quickly got back on top of Ren, lifting his head off the ground by the folds of his shirt. “You have to tell me where he is!”

“Heh, I’m afraid I don’t know exactly where he is: I came here looking for him, same as you.” Ren’s smirk evolved into a smile. “When I saw you waving that picture of him around at the police after your scuffle with your friend over there, I figured you’d do well as the bait. Kobashi might be a scumbag, but everything I’ve heard about him says that he always follows a strict code of morals. It’s amazing he’s been a free man for so long with that going for him.” Ren chuckled before wincing in pain while Areva put his head back down on the ground. “I suppose there’s a reason why he’s Sheol’s favorite boy toy.”

Getting off of Ren’s chest, Areva stood up and turned around to thank Sarah for stopping her from doing something she would have regretted. Before Areva could say a word, however, a melodic tune emitted from Sarah’s right pocket. Pulling out her cell phone from her pocket, Sarah flipped it open and greeted the caller. Two seconds later, she raised an eyebrow and handed her cell phone to Areva. “It’s…for you, Areva.”

When Areva put Sarah’s phone to her ear, she heard a familiar voice greet her, “Hello, Areva.”

“K-Keiichi,” Areva stumbled as she heard her lover and enemy speak to her. “Where are you?”

“I’m somewhere in Sydney: where, exactly, is something that I would rather keep secret,” Keiichi’s voice was cold and emotionless, devoid of any sort of arrogance that his choice of words might suggest. “I understand that you’re looking for me: why?”

“Because you turned your back on me and destroyed my home,” Areva exclaimed, not caring about the glances she was receiving from people nearby (although her fight with Ren more than warranted its fair share of attention). “Tell me where I can find you!”

“As I said earlier, I can’t do that,” the voice continued. “However, I realize that you are a warrior, and you can’t rest until you’ve personally solved your problems. I will make it as simple as this: if you can find me, you can face me.”

“…I can deal with that,” Areva said in a calmer, quieter voice. “Before you hang up, Keiichi…can you tell me why you destroyed the village? You seemed so happy…”

There was a long pause, which made Areva run her fingers through her ebony, silk-like hair in nervousness, until Keiichi finally responded, “I did what I needed to do…unfortunately I can’t explain more than that. Goodbye, Areva: I look forward to that fateful day, and I won’t stop thinking about you until that day comes.”

--------
Keiichi hung up his phone as he gazed upon Areva’s visage several feet away. While he did say he was still in Sydney, he made sure that he didn’t tell Areva that he was still in the airport, waiting for next flight and his next assignment from Sheol. When Keiichi had followed his target Xiahou Ren to the airport, he did not expect to see Areva there, as well: it surprised him so much that he focused more on staying out of sight rather than his more important mission of subduing the hitman before Ren could do the same to him.

Targeting Areva in order to get to me: who would have thought that such an underhanded method would actually affect me had it succeeded, Keiichi frowned upon thinking of what would have happened had Ren been successful in luring him out. It would have tarnished his reputation that he worked so hard to establish for the past fifteen years after the death of his parents in the wake of the emergence of Sheol. I was called the “boy without a heart,” and only recently did I earn the name “the man without a heart.” The last thing I want is for that title to become obsolete in the face of those who would have no qualms in slitting her throat.

Stepping away from the pay phone once he saw Sarah and Areva step into the stream of people heading the opposite direction he was going, Keiichi straightened his glasses and began walking toward his flight gate with a single bag of luggage in tow. Areva was a smart woman: she would find a way to track him down quickly, even if it meant hopping around the globe in order to do so. When the day came that they would meet again, Keiichi would make sure that it would be just the two of them, and not Sheol. I don’t want Levesque or Orlov to get involved in this affair, like they normally do, Keiichi thought with disdain as he reached his gate at sat down to wait for his flight to arrive. This is between me and Areva, and no one else: those two would probably bleed her dry and then place her carcass in my bed just to get on my nerves…

However, what bothered Keiichi about a confrontation was what would happen when it came time to finish the fight. Keiichi had no intention of surrendering, but he knew that the fight would probably be to the finish. Could I do what needs to be done when it comes down to that, even if it’s Areva?

Keiichi tried not to theorize what would happen when that day came, and instead focused on his next mission. The sooner he completed it, the sooner he would be able to return to Sheol headquarters and prepare for Areva’s arrival, as well as continue plotting for the inevitable coup within the organization and taking his place as the new leader of Sheol. Train hard, Areva, Keiichi looked out the window and stared into the afternoon sky as his mind once again drifted to thoughts of his former sparring partner, because I can promise you that I will be doing the same.

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 4: The Edge

"It has been two weeks since you've entered that village, Kobashi," the distorted voice spoke to the young man sternly over his cell phone as Keiichi continued to remain vigilant in order to make sure no one was eavesdropping onto his conversation. "We've had men stationed in the town, and yet you still haven't given them even the seed of the plant we need to begin production."

"Trust is something to be earned, sir," Keiichi said, doing a fantastic job of hiding his frustration at his superior's arrogance. "I do not believe that I am in the village's good graces to a point where I can ask for a sample of their exclusive crop."

"Is that so?" the voice asked rhetorically, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That woman with the massive breasts seems to trust you just fine." Keiichi bit his lip upon hearing the voice's snide remark. It would seem that Sheol had been sending spies into the village.

How troublesome, Keiichi thought bitterly while he continued to look around him for any eavesdroppers, I did not think Levesque would be so tight with his leash that he would actually send chaperones to keep track of my progress. "If you have been spying on me, then you would know that she is the village chief's daughter: if I can get in her good graces, then requesting the crops as a souvenir from her father would be simple. They wouldn't be suspicious, and their ignorance to our true motives would remain intact."

The voice on the phone emitted a low chuckle before continuing, "Nice try, Kobashi, but it would be much easier to just steal the crops, and you know it. That was your father's problem, too: he always followed the rules that his occupation was created to break." Keiichi was unable to hold back the low growl that came from his throat, which in turn brought forth a hearty laugh that sounded downright sinister, thanks to the distortion device that the other line was using. "I'll give you two more weeks to have your fun with your sex toy: I just hope for your sake you haven't lost your edge..."

------

Tokyo, the capital of the islands of Japan, is a city blessed with a combination of historical landmarks, geographical beauty, and a bustling economy. Being the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, Tokyo is the largest and populous of the country's forty-seven, with nearly thirteen million people calling the city home. The city is a haven for technology developers to showcase their upcoming products, with computers and machines being the arteries of the heart that is the city's economy.

Keiichi was familiar with this place: he, too, once called it home when his family was still alive and he was still the youngest member of the powerful Kobashi yakuza family. His former home, however, was a stroll down memory lane that he wanted to steer clear of as much as possible. Even though he was very young at the time, the obscene amounts of blood spilled on the gruesome day that the Kobashi clan was wiped out had been etched into his mind indelibly.

Instead, Keiichi opted to go to the famed Tokyo Dome arena to track down his next target, the Spanish boxing star Felix Esquerra. Felix was a former leg breaker and bodyguard for Sheol executives who in turn helped him make a name for himself on the professional boxing circuit. After a few years of being Sheol's slave, he requested that he try to advance through the boxing ranks via his own strength rather than the fixed fights that the organization tipped in his favor.

Months had passed since the day Sheol ceased rigging Esquerra's bouts, but he had not yet returned to active duty. This was unacceptable: to leave Sheol was to declare a lack of interest for one's well being. Keiichi's order was simple: make an example out of Esquerra and show the members of Sheol the price for defection.

I've known Esquerra since I was fourteen, Keiichi mused to himself while stepped off the transit bus and into the parking lot of the Tokyo Dome, so perhaps I can coax him into returning. If not, then this will be a good warm-up before my bout with Areva. Two days had passed since he last spoke to his Thai lover, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was up to. The two of them had exchanged the names of several martial artists they had encountered in the course of their fighting careers, so it was possible Areva was doing the same thing he was doing at that time: tracking down old faces with the intent to fight.

Keiichi quickly dismissed thoughts of Areva: business came first, and dispatching traitors to the cause was very serious business indeed. He was dressed for business as well: his black button-up shirt, pale blue dress pants, ebony dress shoes and gray leather gloves displayed the workplace approach he took to combat. However, he always made sure the first few buttons of his shirt was undone, so as to reveal the Mothra tattoo on his chest that had become sort of his trademark in the global underworld. Taking off the blue-and-purple tassel on his left arm and gently kissing it before putting it back on over his shirt, Keiichi steeled his nerves and chilled his emotions until they became cold as ice before walking to the arena via the vast parking lot...

--------

Venturing throughout the corridors of the arena, Keiichi finally found Felix in a moderately spacious room: a practice court with a few benches, a water fountain, and boxing ring in the center of the room. Felix was preoccupied hammering away at a punching bag dangling by a chain hung to the ceiling when Keiichi entered the room, wearing nothing but gray boots and long yellow boxing shorts with a red stallion design on each side and the word "desperado" written in black across the front. Upon hearing the door close with a loud "clang," Felix darted around with his loose black hair flowing in the air to see the young man walk towards him.

However, Felix did not have the slightest bit of anger or fear in his face: in fact, he greeted Keiichi with a smile and open arms. "Keiichi, amigo," Felix exclaimed, outstretching his hands, still covered in dark blue boxing gloves, in friendship and walking over to his former colleague. "It's been a long time, man: como estas?" When he noticed that Keiichi was doing nothing in response to his greeting, Felix stopped in his tracks. "¿Cual es el problema, hombre?"

"You should know what's wrong, Felix," Keiichi's voice was cold and stern, as opposed to the cheerful demeanor of the boxer in front of him. "Our leader does not take kindly to traitors. It has been a while since you last checked in with Sheol: why?"

"The problem is that I got sick of all the dishonesty," Felix let out a deep sigh as he walked over to his water bottle sitting on one of the benches. "You're a fighter, too, so you know how winning clean makes a guy feel all warm inside." Squirting the contents of the bottle into his mouth, Felix placed the bottle back down and turned back to Keiichi. "Thanks for picking up the slack on my duties, though: I really appreciate it."

"Unfortunately, the reason I came here is that our leader wants me to use you as an example to what we do to deserters," Keiichi slowly assuming a fighting stance before continuing, "but if you would prefer to avoid a confrontation, hear my offer: rejoin Sheol or face the consequences."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as the two fighters stared each down, until Felix unexpected let loose a laugh. "I'll tell you what, amigo: if I beat you, then you give me your word that you'll leave me and my fights alone. If you take me down, then do what you want with me." Jumping up and down to pace himself, Felix did a brief punching demonstration before assuming his own fighting stance. "Let's make this quick: I have a match in four hours!"

However, rather than immediately engage in combat, the two fighters instead ran to the ring in the center of the room. Sliding under the ropes simultaneously, Keiichi and Felix quickly scrambled back onto their feet and resumed their fighting stances. By entering the ring, the two of them had made it known to their opponent that there would be no escape: simply fight or be defeated. It might have seemed silly that a life-or-death situation such as this would be postponed to move to a boxing ring, but the two young men had both been raised in a sport art and felt the most at home within turnbuckles and rope barriers.

Felix began the fight with a forward roll, making his way towards Keiichi like an out-of-control wheel before springing back up to hit his Japanese adversary in the stomach with an uppercut to send him flying backwards. Landing on his feet, Keiichi blocked a right straight and countered with a high-arcing knee to the chest that forced Felix to pull back his assault.

Not willing to let his opponent get even the slightest respite, Keiichi continued his offense with a rapid succession of kicks that rained down upon Felix like wind-swept hail. Knocking his opponent of his feet with a powerful kick to the chin, Keiichi concluded the barrage with a spinning reverse roundhouse kick that knocked Felix out of the air and brought him screening across the ring.

"Agh...you've been training hard, I see," Felix used the nearby ropes to help him back onto his feet and weaved out of the way of Keiichi's running knee. "That's what I've always liked about you, amigo: you never slack off." With his opponent's leg temporarily hung between the ropes, Felix returned to the offensive, hammering Keiichi with a monstrous mid-section lunging blow that knocked Keiichi free and sent him crashing into the turnbuckle.

Before Keiichi could respond in kind, Felix once again rolled toward Keiichi and struck him with a ducking straight to the stomach. With Keiichi pinned against the turnbuckle, Felix took the opportunity to merciless clobber the man with a rapid succession of lefts and rights. After a few seconds, Keiichi finally pushed Felix away to catch his breath. When Felix ran back into the corner, Keiichi used his athleticism to flip behind the turnbuckle and allow his foe to crash into it headfirst.

Walking across the thin line that was the outer edge of the ring, Keiichi grabbed onto Felix's head and rammed his knee into his face before jumping on the top rope like a high-wire daredevil and spinning Felix's head around like a top with an impressive corkscrew neckbreaker, causing the rest of Felix's body to twist and bring about hyperextension in his neck.

"Whoa...careful there, amigo," Felix massaged his neck before resuming his fighting stance. "If you twisted a little more you could have seriously hurt me!" Once again resorting to weaving in order to get out the way of a forward elbow, Felix attempted to return the favor by grabbing onto his foe's head and pushing his face into the ground before punching his head with a downwards strike.

As soon as Keiichi got back onto his feet, he was met with more fists raining down upon his person: a rapid succession of left-handed punches, followed by an equal succession of rights and concluded with both fists flying into his chest and forcing him back into the turnbuckle. He's so fast, Keiichi muttered to himself as the wiped the blood dripping from his chin. I pride myself on my agility, but he has been able to match it thus far: however, I refuse to go back in failure!

Reacting fast, Keiichi grabbed onto Felix's neck as soon as he was within a hand's reach and used his other arm as a battering ram to the Spanish boxer's skull with a succession of elbows. After the sixth elbow, Keiichi used the same arm to send Felix reeling backwards with a standing uppercut. Dazed from the hold, Felix was unable to stop Keiichi from stepping onto his knee like a stair and ramming his red-hot leg to into the boxer's skull: the Shining Wizard maneuver that had made him famous in Sheol.

However, not even that was enough to knock the boxer off his feet, and Felix rammed his shoulder into Keiichi's abdomen and pushed him right back into the turnbuckle that he was becoming acquainted with. Before Keiichi could react, however, he was struck in the chest with a devastating straight punch. As he coughed up blood, Keiichi noticed an ebony aura coming from Felix's fists: it would seem that the time for fun had ended, and the climax of the fight was drawing near.

Weaving left and right with his navy boxing gloves darkening further with his natural obsidian ki, Felix pounded away at Keiichi's ribs with devastating left and right hooks, swaying back and forth after each blow with the famous "Dempsey Roll." Every blow the ribs resulted in another bloody cough from Keiichi, who could do little to stop the onslaught. After what seemed like an eternity of punishment but was only eleven chops, Felix rose back up and hit Keiichi with a rising uppercut and then sent him face-first into the mat with a single-fisted hammer to the back of the head, his black ki streaking across the air along with the arm.

Taking a few steps back from Keiichi, Felix got into the opposite corner of the ring and began a ten-count between haggard breaths. "Uno...dos...tres...cuatro..."

Keiichi grabbed onto the bottom rope of the ring in a desperate attempt to get back onto his feet. He had foolishly underestimated his former colleague, believing that his training in Ayutthaya would be able to trump any condition that Felix had gone through. Now he was paying for that arrogance with his blood that was dripping from his mouth.

"...cinco...seis..."

I refuse to fall here, Keiichi stumbled back onto his feet using the ropes as a clutch, not until the day comes when I've beaten him...and avenged my family name! Standing on his own two feet unassisted, Keiichi took his glasses off and wiped off the blood that had splattered upon its lens and resumed his fighting stance. For my family, for my dignity, and for Areva, I will continue to rise from the ashes in victory!

"Siet-oh, not done yet, I see," Felix did a quick shuffle with his feet before getting out of his corner. "Final round, Keiichi: ding-ding!" As soon as he walked into the center of the ring, he was met with a ruby-colored knee to the face and Keiichi's hands grabbing his head and slamming the back of it into the mat. Scrambling back onto his feet, Felix received yet another Shining Wizard-neckbreaker combination, eliciting a groan of pain as he struggled to get back onto his feet.

As soon as he regained his footing, though, he was sent reeling backwards as Keiichi unleashed a standing uppercut, his fiery ruby ki burning within his fist. Coughing up blood from such a technique, Felix was left vulnerable to an elbow-knee combination that caused him to topple over in recoil. More blood sprayed from his mouth as he mustered up all of the strength he had to get into a standing position.

However, the most Felix could manage was get onto one knee and catch his breath. One knee to the head was devastating enough: he had lost count of how many he had taken throughout the course of the duel. Dizziness had overcome him, and try as he might, Felix could not get back onto both of his feet.

Keiichi, however, was slowly measuring Felix for another assault, one hand hanging from the top rope of the ring with the other motioning for Felix to get back up. Keiichi couldn't help but smile as he continued to watch Felix stumble, a low chuckle emanating from his throat.

After a few seconds, Keiichi sprang into action and ran towards the kneeling Felix at full speed with both his legs burning with his ruby, fire-like ki. Planting on leg onto the foot that Felix was standing on, Keiichi used it as a footstool and blasted Felix with a burning flip kick right to the chin. The impact of such a blow toppled Felix over like a cut-down tree, whereas Keiichi landed gracefully a few feet away.

After eighteen seconds (which Keiichi counted on his watch around his wrist), Felix finally stirred from his brief knockout slumber and let out a deep sigh. "Ugh...congratulations, amigo," Felix said before coughing up blood as he continued to lie on his back. "Hurry up and deliver your judgment: I'm only sorry my fans won't get to watch me work my magic tonight."

"Very well," Keiichi replied, walking over and ducking down to send a burning fist down upon Felix's abdomen five times like a stamping machine, eliciting a cry of pain each time from the Spaniard. "I broke at five of your ribs just now, and that should put you out of action for a while." Turning away from Keiichi and proceeding to leave, he warned, "If you continue to exploit the organization, I will not be so merciful next time..."

"Heh...I suppose I should thank you for being so lenient, though your ribcage must be in shambles, too," Felix chuckled before grunting in pain from the injury he had just sustained. "Are you sparing my life because Sheol still wants to use me?"

"You'll know about that soon enough," Keiichi snapped back, his calm demeanor thrown off by the intense battle he had just concluded. "If you wish to avoid further injury, call your old contact and tell him you would like to rejoin Sheol: otherwise, I strongly suggest you watch your back, as someone will always be there to stab it."

"Before you go, amigo," Felix suddenly called out to Keiichi, pointing at a photograph that was lying a few inches away from the boxer's grasp, "who is that girl? That picture fell out of your pocket and I took a glance at it while you were fighting off my count."

"...her name is Areva," Keiichi said quickly.

"She's very pretty," Felix complimented, although Keiichi grimaced upon hearing the remark. "You're a lucky man to have someone so beautiful."

"She is none of your concern: you'd be wise to worry more about yourself than about me." Keiichi hopped over the top rope and out of the ring, leaving Felix to lie in the squared circle in a pool of his own blood. "For what it's worth, though, I hope you recover quickly."

-------
Meanwhile, in Sydney...

"Are you sure you're going to be OK by yourself?" Sarah asked Areva as the Thai woman purchased her next plane ticket and placed it in her pocket. "From the sound of it, you've gotten yourself into a hefty pile of rubbish: you could use all the help you can get."

"Thank you very much, Sarah, but this is something I have to do alone," Areva assured Sarah of her well being and walked with her friend over to a nearby bench to sit down and talk. Areva had spent the time since her confrontation with Xiahou Ren in Sydney staying at Sarah's home: she had been very hospitable, and showed her around the marvelous city. However, the good times had to end sometime, and the longer Areva waited the less chance she had of finding Keiichi.

"I see, I can respect that I guess," Sarah bowed her head, slightly dejected that Areva would be leaving her. Suddenly perking up, Sarah pulled something out of her handbag: a dark purple stone necklace. "Here, I want you to have this: it's a little something to remember me by."

"...it's very lovely," Areva picked up the necklace and inspected it carefully. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"It's a good luck charm I've had since primary school," Sarah smiled as she explained the story. "It's followed me around all throughout my fighting career: I always put it on when it came time for belt trials. I think you should have it: you'll need some luck if you want to catch up with your pyromaniac of a boyfriend."

The two women embraced, knowing that a couple of hours the two of them would have to say their goodbyes. However, there was minimal sadness between either woman: they had promised to meet each other again, and that was good enough for that moment. "Again, thank you so much," Areva wiped away a tear as she put the necklace around her neck. "I'll keep it with me at all times."

"Anyway, going back to business," Sarah sniffed before going back to her normal, upbeat self. "This guy you're going to meet: what's he like?"

"He's a psychologist from Italy," Areva answered as she recalled the man being mentioned. "He uses his own martial art as a part of his practice: I first met him in a tournament a Bangkok, and Keiichi mentioned that he had crossed paths with him, as well. His name is Ulisse Giordano...and he's going to help me find who I'm looking for!"

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 5: Symptoms

Venice, a city of the Veneto region located in the northern part of Italy, has earned many nicknames for itself since its conception: "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light". With a modest population of just under 272,000, Venice is a place rich with architecture and art that has lasted for centuries. The true origins of the city are still unknown, though historians date Venice all the way back to the time of the barbarian invasions of Roman Empire.

World-famous for its canals, the city was bustling with the acquatic traffic of boats ferrying tourists and citizens alike across the neighborhoods, giving the passenger a unique view of the many historical landmarks that peppered the land. In many people's eyes, Venice was an ideal place for romantic getaways...including the eyes of one Areva Petchyndee.

This would have been a great place to go with Keiichi, had things turned out differently, Areva thought to herself as she stared at the port town in wonder from the small boat she being ferried in. Hopefully I can find a lead fast, so I can take some time to enjoy the scenery before my next flight to wherever it is I'm going. Areva had arrived in the city only two hours ago, but the breathtaking visage of Venice easily remedied any disorientation or nympomania attacks she had experienced on the plane. The city was calm and serene, like a dream: she wouldn't mind living in such a place.

After twenty minutes of staring in wonder at the city via the canals, Areva's ferry came to a stop at a quiet suburban area: it was in this group of houses that she would find the home office of Dr. Ulisse Giordano. Thanking the ferryman and handing him a group of coins, Areva tried to breach the language barrier between them by taking out a street address out of her pocket and showing it to the ferryman. The ferryman smiled, and pointed north to the direction of Giordano's place of residence.

------
Standing in front of Ulisse's doorstep, Areva knocked on the door and steeled her nerves. The last time she had spoken to the doctor was at a martial arts tournament in Bangkok nearly three months ago, before she had been diagnosed with nympomania and before she had met Keiichi. Although he gave her a lot of helpful advice that time, Areva couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to give her information, as well. A psychologist cannot give out specific details about a patient due to confidentiality rules unless asked by law, Areva thought as she waited patiently for Ulisse to answer the door, but maybe he can at least give me a clue to where Keiichi is now.

With a click, the doorknob turned and the door opened to reveal a tall, muscular individual wearing a peculiar mix of attire: a teal-and-dark blue aikido uniform, with a white button-up shirt and red tie underneath the top. The man himself had a light tan, with a black hair slicked back and a handlebar mustache under his nose. Tilting his head slightly downwards to look at Areva with bispectacled eyes, Ulisse scratched his head and said, "Do I know you from somewhere, miss?"

"We met three months ago in Bangkok, doctor," Areva smiled and outstretched her hand for a handshake, remembering that was the traditional greeting in Europe. "My name is Areva Petchyndee: I am glad to see you again."

"Areva...Ah, Areva," Ulisse snapped his fingers and laughed a hearty laugh. "You're even more beautiful then you were back at the tournament: how have you been?"

"I've...had some trouble that I would like to speak to you about," Areva's smile faded as she bit her lip, slightly nervous about openly speaking about her problems with a man she was only loosely acquainted with. "May I please come in?"

"Of course, but don't forget that I still have to charge for coming," Ulisse stepped to the side and allowed Areva to step in his house.

Areva looked around and inspected her surrounding: Ulisse's house was three stories tall with a lot of space: his guest room alone was bigger than her house in Ayutthaya. Being led into the even-more-spacious living room, Areva looked at the numerous trophies and plaques that adorned the room, as well as the uncarpeted hardwood floor that seemed more ideal for a gymnasium or a dojo rather than a living room.

"Please, Areva, sit down," Ulisse motioned towards the lounge chair in the corner of the room, and Areva complied with the request accordingly and made herself comfortable. Sitting down and reclining so that her back was parallel with the curved chair, Areva took a deep breath as she waited for Ulisse to sit down in the regular chair next to her, but instead he opted to stand next to her with a clipboard in hand. "Tell me about what is troubling you. From what I've heard in the fighting circles, you've been dealing with a lot of personal problems."

Areva ran her fingers through her hair: a habit she had developed whenever she became nervous. "I came here because I thought you could help me find someone...someone very important."

"Hmmm...well, as you know, it would be a breach of confidentiality if I gave you discrete information about one of my patients, though I'm not sure giving out a general location would be considered that discrete," Ulisse rubbed his chin in deep thought. After a few seconds, Ulisse turned to notice Areva's habit with her hair. "Areva, do you realize you've been running your fingers through your hair since the moment I you sat down?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Areva said abruptly, quickly putting her hands in her lap. "It's a habit I've developed since...since..."

"Since what? Areva, this is what I live for: whatever it is that is troubling you, you can tell me and will not judge."

"...since I was diagnosed with nymphomania." Areva finished the previously incomplete statement, which garnered a raised eyebrow from the Italian psychologist standing next to her. With her darkest secret out, Areva continued. "I slept with my first man eight months ago, but as recent as two months ago I had slept with twelve: whenever I wasn't in bed with another man, I became anxious and sometimes violent. Even when I fight today, I feel that shivering sensation come over me, and my personality changes completely."

"That is very interesting," Ulisse finished writing on his clipboard and placed it down on the chair behind him. "Would you be so kind as to show me what happens when you fight?"

"What do you-?" Areva's question was cut off as she narrowly jumped out of her chair away from a palm thrust that left an imprint on the leather exterior. "Dr. Giordano...what are you doing!?"

"I wish to see what happens during an actual fight, of course," Ulisse loosened his tie before tightening the black belt of his Aikido uniform. The sunlight from the nearby window reflected off of his wire-rim glasses as he assumed a fighting stance that vaguely resembled that of judo. "Come at me with everything you have: defeat me, and I will tell you everything I know about whoever it is you are looking for and even minimize the charge of my service!"

That's right: I almost forgot that he applies his martial art to his methods as a psychologist, Areva reminded herself as she assumed her own fighting stance. Maybe by trading fists with him, I can prove to him my determination to find Keiichi. Tossing aside her doubts, Areva began to advance towards Ulisse with steady forward steps, being wary of her opponent that used a fighting style she had not yet witnessed.

When she threw a punch, however, her wrist was snatched out of the air by Ulisse as easily as a child would catch a slow-moving ball, and twirled her arm around so that she landed flat on her back with a thud. She had no time to groan in pain however, as she narrowly rolled out of the way of a grab. That sort of counter: he's either uses judo or aikido. Areva rubbed where she had landed before resuming her fighting stance. That means he can turn my attacks against me. I better be prepared.

Despite that mental warning, Areva was caught off-guard when Ulisse suddenly dashed towards her, ramming his elbow into her sternum as he skit to a halt on the hardwood floor. With Areva stunned from the attack, Ulisse grabbed onto Areva's shoulders and slammed her into the floor, once again forcing her onto her back. Rather than roll away, however, Areva sprang back up and sent her fist crashing into his chin as he reached down for another throw.

Seeing an opportunity, Areva pressed onward with a rapid succession of fists, pummeling her psychologist in what she hoped to eventually be submission. However, this was not to be: after the eighth punch, Ulisse grabbed Areva's hand once again and sent her flopping over on her back just as he had done to her before. This time, however, he managed to snatch Areva from the ground and lift her over his head before slamming her into the ground with his orange-tilted, firework-like ki sparking in his hands.

Areva groaned in pain as Ulisse lifted her off the ground. Rather than slamming her again, however, the doctor asked a simple question, "Do you give up?" His answer came in the form of a snapping elbow to his jaw, forcing him to drop Areva and rub where he had been struck in an attempt to alleviate the pain. "I will take that as a ‘no.' Continue!"

Complying with Ulisse's request, Areva jumped forward and sent her knee crashing into Ulisse's muscular forearms as he successfully blocked the sudden assault. As soon as she put her feet back on the ground, she grabbed onto her opponent's raised arms and attempted to pull them down so that she could ram her knee into his abdomen without interference. When she tried to do so, however, the arms moved by themselves and she received a palm to her stomach for her troubles. A small explosion of ki was triggered in the palm from the blow, and Areva was sent screeching across the floor from the extra hits that resulted from the attack.

What a technique, Areva marveled at the blow (or rather, succession of blows) that she had just received while she quickly regained her footing and resumed her fighting stance. He can use his ki to empower his attacks, and then project it for a short distance, thus making one blow seem like several. I wonder just what else he's capable of!

Deciding to satisfy her curiosity by once again going on the offensive, Areva focused her own ki into her left elbow until it glowed a neon blue color. Unleashed her gathered energy, Areva hurled a discus-like blast at Ulisse, wondering what he would do to react to it. Fortunately, it came at such a speed that the most Ulisse could do was block with his arms.

When he lowered his guard, Areva was already there waiting in front of him, grabbing onto his shoulders and quickly locking him in a clinch position. With her knee shooting upwards with devastating force, Areva targeted the psychologist's abdomen by striking it three times. Then, in a move that surprised Ulisse, Areva fell backwards and stuck her knees upwards as if she were getting into a cannonball position, pulling Ulisse down by his shoulders and forcing his face to crash into her knees.

However, when doing this maneuver, Areva forgot about how her back was targeted earlier, and paid for her forgetfulness with significant pain as she fell to the ground while Ulisse recoiled from the blow he had just received. Due to the time it took for Areva to get back onto her feet with her back hurting in such a way, she was unable to put up a sufficient defense when Ulisse charged toward her with his elbow striking her stomach. Rather than grabbing her like had been doing for most of the fight thus far, he instead returned the favor she had done him earlier and rammed his knee into her stomach, actually managing to knock her into the air from the impact.

"Is truly the extent of the prowess of the Muay Thai princess that I witnessed only weeks ago?" Ulisse shouted out loud as he put his hand over Areva's face and struggled with her attempt of keeping him from pushing her off her feet. "If this it the best you have, then you might as well give up now and stop wasting my time!" Ulisse broke the standstill and used his other hand to reinforce his push, forcing Areva off her feet and pushing her head-first into the ground.

Areva's moans of pain, however, wer followed by a light laughter, like the tinkling of bells. Ulisse raised an eyebrow as he continued to grind Areva's head into the ground, and the laughter gradually became louder. "I don't believe what I am doing qualifies as ticklish, Areva," Ulisse said whiel he carefully observed Areva's laughing fit. "Tell me, how are you feeling right now?"

Using her legs to push Ulisse away, Areva slowly got back up and assumed a fighting stance, a twisted smile adorning her face. "Your hand is so warm," Areva said as she ran towards Ulisse with violent intent. "Give me more warmth!" Lunging at Ulisse with both knees forward, Areva toppled over her bigger opponent like a domino and landed with her knees on his stomach. Areva moaned in exotic delight as Ulisse pushed her off with his hands.

"Very interesting, Areva," Ulisse stroked his chin in contemplation as he watched Areva slowly resume her fighting stance, her breath haggard and almost primal. "Personality change is one of the symptoms of hypersexuality: your personality change involves becoming sadomasochistic. Come, show me what else you have to offer!"

"I have so much to offer, doctor," Areva replied with with another twist smile as she again rushed toward Ulisse with violent intent. "Come and you can see but a sample of just exactly <B>what it is</B> I have to offer you!" This time, Ulisse caught Areva's entire body and slammed her into the ground in an arcing, compass-like motion. Before she could roll away, Ulisse stomped on Areva with a falling cartwheel kick.

As soon as Areva stood back up, Ulisse continued his assault with a bicycle kick to the head, followed by a quick punch to the chest and a spinning heel kick to the jaw that sent her screeching across the floor. Areva was quick to get back onto her feet, and shot a quick ki blast from her elbow, but Ulisse cancelled it out with his exploding palm maneuver and the blast was lost in the orange burst.

However, being flashy in this manner was enough for Areva to get in close enough for Areva to unleash a powerful barrage of vertical and horizontal elbow swipes with her blue ki glowing brighter with every blow. Ulisse could do nothing to stop the attacks from coming, and little to minimize the impact of the attacks on her person. With a final spinning knee to the head, Ulisse spun around like a top and landed on his stomach while Areva gripped herself and let out an erotic moan.

"Very...very interesting, Areva," Ulisse noticed a crack on one of his lens and complimented Areva on her skill. "As promised I will give you the information that you seek. Now calm down so we can discuss your situation further."

"But doctor, I haven't been treated yet," Areva let out a light giggle before slowly advancing towards her psychologist. "You have to give me my shot, before I can go home happy..."

"Signora Petchyndee, that is for a different type of doctor entirely," Ulisse cracked his knuckles and resumed his fighting stance as his patient and opponent continued to make his way towards him in a sultry, psychotic manner. "If you would like for me to get rough, however, then come forward and see why the people call me ‘the Iron Curtain of Venice!'"

Lunging forward with all of his might, Ulisse plunged his palm into Areva's stomach, bringing forth a small burst of orange ki and detonating it upon his hand making impact with the woman. Not giving her a chance to breathe, Ulisse ran after her body as it screeched across the floor and lifted her up only to slam her back into the ground with thunderous force.

"If you want more, Areva, then get up," Ulisse shouted as he focused on Areva as she slowly ran her fingers through her hair before returning to her feet. "It has been a while since I have been able to take off the child gloves and show my patients the fruits of my labor!" Focusing his energy into his hands once again, Ulisse prepared to attack his patient once again.

When turned around to face Ulisse, she received an incredibly swift elbow to the chest, followed by a powerful body slam. With his hands still glowing, Ulisse pummeled Areva on the ground with his palms while stood above her like a chef tenderizing meet. After what seemed like forever, Ulisse plunged both his fists into Areva, drawing forth pillars of orange energy from each hand that were at least four feet in height.

"T-THAT'S ENOUGH," Areva suddenly shouted, causing Ulisse to immediately stop the onslaught and take several steps backward. Areva wiped the blood from her lip and coughed up more crimson fluid while she used her hands to push herself off the ground. "T-thank you very much for helping me regain control, doctor," she said as she willed her body back into an upright position. "What do you think?"

"Out-of-control behavior, personality changes, anxiety, stress, and abnormal tendency to think about sexual activity," Ulisse listed the symptoms he had noticed as he walked over to the chair next to the lounge chair and sat down in it while he picked up his clipboard. "These are all symptoms of hypersexuality, or what you like to call nymphomania. Tell me, do you have any history with alcohol and drug abuse?"

"Of course not," Areva exclaimed, offended that a fellow martial artist would accuse her of such things. "As a fighter, I have to take care of my body: I would never use drugs or alcohol and abuse it in such a way!"

"That's good to hear, because these are also symptoms," Ulisse motioned for Areva to sit back down while he scribbled words on his clipboard. Once Areva had returned to the lounge chair, Ulisse asked a less profound question, "Have you had any experiences with depression since these sexual urges came about?"

"Yes, when the people from my village began to see me as a harlot for the many failed relationships I had been through," Areva bowed her head in shame as she reminisced to those times when her self-esteem was low. "It wasn't until Keiichi came into my life that my mood started improving." Lifting her head to look at Ulisse with pleading eyes, Areva continued. "That's who I'm looking for, doctor: you have to help me find him."

"Is the man you are looking for, by and chance, a signore Keiichi Kobashi?"

Areva's eyes widened upon hearing the name of her estranged lover. "You know him!? Do you know where he is now!? You have to tell me, please!"

"He comes in here every three months or so," Ulisse remained calm in the face of Areva's spiritedness as he explained to the woman his working relationship with Keiichi. "The last time I spoke to him was two months ago, when he said he was going to Thailand on business. I had no idea he was going to Ayutthaya: otherwise I might have asked him to give you my regards."

"I guess it's a small world," Areva cracked a thin smile at the irony of the situation. "Please tell me, doctor: do you know where he is now?"

"He spoke to me over the phone yesterday: he mentioned something about going to Europe. Unfortunately, he did not say exactly where in Europe he was going," Ulisse rubbed his chin in contemplation as he remembered the few details Keiichi had told him about his endeavors. "Before you go looking for him, however, I suggest you wait until my next patient has come in."

Areva raised in eyebrow in curiosity upon hearing her psychologist's suggestion. "Why would I want to do that?"

"He is a police detective from Germany, and a personal friend of mine. The last I spoke to him, he was working on case involving signore Kobashi: my friend says Kobashi is wanted for questioning by Interpol and is looking for possible leads as to his whereabouts. He should be coming in momentarily..."

--------
The young German thanked the ferryman and tipped him handsomely before turning to begin his walk toward his next destination: the home of Ulisse Giordano. He was looking forward to seeing his old friend again, even if it was on official business. With his short, emerald-highlighted blonde hair blowing in the autumn wind, the young man's trenchcoat flowed elegantly as he thought about his assignment.

It's a shame he couldn't come over to Frankfurt: Oktoberfest is going on, the man thought, forgetting just how long a walk it was to the Giordano residence on foot. However, Interpol says it would be safer for me to travel so that Sheol doesn't catch me staying in one spot too long.

Detective Fredrick Steinwald, considered brilliant as a boy and even moreso as a young man thanks to his exemplary grades in school and atheleticm in training, was assigned the very important but very discrete mission of tracking down the leader of the criminal organization Sheol. Many of Interpol's best investigators either came up empty handed with their investigations or murdered for getting too close to the truth.

I guess they figure my special training will help me stay out of a body bag, Fredrick mused as he looked at a nearby rooftop and shrugged. Focusing his ki into his leg, Fredrick made a remarkable leap and jumped up onto the rooftop. After getting a good running start, Fredrick leapt and bounded over the neighboring rooftops while smiling as the pedestrians below him stared out in wonder. After all, this would probably be the first time they've crossed paths with a ninja.

Since age twelve, Fredrick had received special training from Interpol's Silent Scan group: a special section of Interpol that specialized in ninjutsu. Police investigation was something Fredrick was born into via his father's occupation with Interpol's Silent Scan, and Fredrick had relished the thought of honing his mind and body to the principles of a foreign culture using a martial art banned for centuries. Ninjas were still working for the Yakuza, after all, so it made sense that Interpol would employ a stealthy strike force of their own.

After fourteen rooftops, Fredrick landed gracefully and quietly on the house he had been seeking. Standing up and looking back at where he started, he estimated that he did a twenty-minute walk in about two minutes. Not bad at all, though I should probably refrain from doing that during the daytime, Fredrick wiped the sweat from his brow and hopped off the rooftop, and onto the front porch.

Knocking on the door, Fredrick waited patiently for Ulisse to answer the door. There was much he wanted to speak to him about: both about his personal life and about his business. One of Fredrick's targets was an acquaintance of Dr. Giordano, as well, so he hoped that he would be able to give him any new information regarding the targets.

The door opened to reveal Ulisse's smiling face. "Ah, signore Steinwald, we were just talking about you!"

Fredrick instantly noticed the crack in Ulisse's glasses, and looked past him to see an absolutely gorgeous Thai woman standing behind the doctor in curiosity. I know her: that's Areva Petchyndee, the Thai fighter that took down Xiahou Ren in Australia a few days ago. What is she doing here?

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 6: Whatever It Takes

As a popular tourist trap, Venice has many restaurants and hotels for their guests to settle down at before or after exploring the city and its many wonders. With the Venetian Islands being only but a few of the many places the city has to offer, one would often find it necessary to sit down and soak in the magnificent architecture of the land whether it was in the comfort of a five-star hotel room or at a chair in a small sidewalk diner.

Dr. Giordano had recommended a moderately-sized diner next to the Church of Santa Maria Formosa for Areva and Fredrick to convene after Fredrick's appointment with him had ended. Initially, Fredrick was surprised to see Areva the well-known Muay Thai prodigy in Italy, but upon listening to Dr. Giordano's story the German policeman couldn't help but feel sympathy for the woman.

I suppose we can't pick who we fall in love with, Fredrick thought as he got lost in Areva's piercing gaze that had been bombarding him since the moment they sat down. However, I have no intention of letting Ms. Petchyndee fall into the clutches of Sheol. Maybe I can help her in a way that doesn't lead her directly into a hail of bullets at a Sheol hideout...

Moving his glance away from Areva and looking at his watch, Fredrick noticed that a good seven minutes had passed since the two of them had sat down at the diner, and for that entire time her eyesight had not left his person. "Ms. Petchyndee, I don't mean to sound rude," Fredrick said with a light German accent, knocking Areva out of whatever trance she had fallen into, "but you have been staring at me for quite some time: is something wrong?"

"Would it be strange to say that for the past ten minutes, I have been thinking about the possibility of having hot, torrid, sweaty sex with you?" Areva said with a smile, half-joking and half-not. While the policeman in Sydney was a large, intimidating figure, the detective in front of her was strikingly handsome and lean, as if he didn't have an ounce of excess body fat upon him. She found it easy to get lost in his sapphire blue eyes, even with his light-green hair being too peculiar for her tastes.

"Not entirely strange: I have that effect on women," Fredrick returned the smile with a childish, slightly arrogant grin as he watched Areva let loose a moderately-loud laugh. It's no wonder Kobashi fell in love with this woman: I have a girlfriend with whom I have a happy and healthy relationship, and I'm starting to fall in love with Areva after only an hour of being with her!

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for saying that," Areva's expression changed as she suddenly apologized, running her fingers through her hair. "It's my condition: I think these dirty thoughts simply by compulsion. I didn't mean that I wanted to sleep with you!"

"Oh...I see," Fredrick's smile faded as he slowly put his head down in shame. Quickly ending his feeling of dejectedness, Fredrick lifted his head back up and changed the subject. "Dr. Giordano told me about you and Keiichi Kobashi: I can't say that I envy your situation."

"I came to Venice ask Dr. Giordano if he knew where Keiichi was right now, but all he was able to tell me was that he is somewhere in Europe," Areva replied with more than a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Europe is a very big place: it could be a long time before I find any more clues. However, I refuse to give up: I need to find him so I can figure out what really went on when...when..."

"...when your village was set on fire," Fredrick finished Areva's voice as her voice trailed off. "What surprises me the most is that our mutual acquaintance has a reputation for being as thorough as a government virus scan when it comes to erasing evidence: I doubt he waited to set your village on fire until you were gone simply from an oversight."

"And that's why I need to find him," Areva's voice raised as her eyes widened. "I was ready to show him just how much I cared for him when I came home from the tournament that day: I was going to show my prize money to him and ask him if we could start a new life together with that money to build off of." A tear formed in Areva's eye as she did her best to keep from crying. "Worst of all, I'm certain that he would have said yes."

"Unfortunately, my relationship with my girlfriend has not yet reached a point where something of that magnitude has happened," Fredrick rubbed the back of his head and gave a slight chuckle, realizing that the woman in front of him could begin sobbing at a moment's notice. "Be that as it may, however, I do believe the police already warned you of what you were getting into by looking for Keiichi."

"I know, I know," Areva wiped away the stray tear and regained her composure. "But Keiichi issued me a challenge over the phone shortly after I left the station and ran into that Xiahou Ren: 'If you can find me, you can face me.' I can't disappoint him, because I can't forgive him."

"I suppose I can understand that: unfortunately I don't have any real idea as to where he is either. Before Dr. Giordano told me otherwise, I thought he was still in Asia." Fredrick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pad of paper. Peeling a piece off of the pad, Fredrick reached for a pen that was left on their table and scribbled a name and address in English. "What I can do for you, however, is give you a name."

Areva picked up the paper from the table and read the name out loud, "Who is Claude Badeau?"

"Mr. Badeau is someone who we have suspected to be a member of the inner circle of Sheol," Fredrick explained, taking note of Areva's interest. "However, every investigation involving him comes up clean: what we do know is that Badeau is a personal acquaintance of Keiichi."

"Do you think he could help me find him!?"

"I don't know about that, but he could probably tell you more about him than I could: perhaps if you spoke to him, you could put the pieces together yourself. As you can see from the address, he lives on the outskirts of Paris." Fredrick's voice became unusually cheerful as he continued. "I should warn you though; the townspeople think he's a demon in human form."

"I'll keep that mind...thank you very much," Areva bowed her head slightly in thanks before standing up and taking a bunch of coins out of her pocket. "I'm going to go back to Dr. Giordano's house and ask him if I could stay for the night. Will you come with me?"

"In a moment, Areva: I'm going to wait until our waiter comes back so I can pay him my share and thank him personally." Waving goodbye to Areva, Fredrick couldn't help but be distracted by her flawless curves as she jogged away. What a body, he mused as he waited for the waiter to come back. I wonder what Kobashi did to get a babe like that.

"She's a beautiful woman," an unfamiliar voice called from behind Fredrick, causing him to turn around to locate the voice. When he did so, his eyes widened at what he saw: a Japanese young man with ruffled brown hair and wire-rim glasses, wearing the waiter outfit for the restaurant sans for a blue-and-purple Muay Thai tassel tied around his left arm over the shirt.

Quickly regaining his composure, Fredrick responded, "She's beyond beautiful, but I have the decency not to steal other people's girlfriends...Kobashi."

"Hmph, I suppose I should have invested in a rubber mask, as well," Kobashi sat down next to Fredrick and maintained his calm composure despite being next to someone who wished him harm. "I heard you mention the name of my friend: why are you sending her to him?"

"I'm curious as to how far she's willing to go to meet you: you and I both know that there isn't anyone better for gauging that than Badeau," Fredrick answered with an almost-friendly tone. "If you're here though, what she told me is true: you are in love with her."

"That is none of your concern, officer," Keiichi scowled at Fredrick's demeanor, washing away the façade of tranquility. "So now that I'm here, what are you going to do with me?"

"Meet me on the rooftop of that church over there at 1800 hours tonight," Fredrick pointed at the Church of Santa Maria Formosa behind him, waiting until Keiichi shifted his gaze before putting his finger down. "I know you won't come quietly, so up there it will just be the two of us."

"Agreed," Keiichi nodded his head in acknowledgement before standing back up. As he did so however, he winced in pain and grunted. "I will see you then."

He's in pain, Fredrick noted as he watched Keiichi grip his sides. I wonder what that was all about...

-------

5:58, Keiichi mumbled as he looked at the rolex around his wrist. He'll be coming soon, and I doubt he'll announce himself before attacking if what I read about him was true. Had this been a different time and place, Keiichi would be looking forward to trying to match his agility with a member of Interpol's Silent Scan ninja group. However, Keiichi's ribs were still damaged from his fight with Felix a couple of days earlier. He would be fighting with a handicap: one that he was sure the Interpol detective would exploit.

I suppose there's no point worrying about that now that I've been backed into a corner, Keiichi tightened his leather gloves and kept his senses keen in case Fredrick took the sneaky approach that the Japanese young man was predicting. If I am to go down here, the least I can do is take the cop to the emergency room with me.

As if answering Keiichi's resolve, a light tapping sound caught Keiichi's attention. Slowly turning around, the Sheol agent spotted his quarry in an outfit entirely different from what he was wearing earlier. Fredrick's body was adorned in a black Kevlar vest with the letters "ICPO" splashed across the chest. Beneath the vest was a long black mesh shirt that covered Fredrick's arms and his legs were covered with baggy dark blue pants with large button-open pockets just below the hips.

"It's not everyday that I show off my work clothes, what being a plainclothes officer and all," Fredrick said beneath a black metallic mouth cover that projected his voice clearly. "You should consider yourself lucky that I'm going to arrest you in style."

"I could say the same thing to you, you the only arrest you might be going into would be of the cardiac variety," Keiichi's voice was cold and stern, contrary to his ruby fire-like ki that began to burn in his fist like a lit match. "Before we begin, I will ask you a favor: please pay for Areva's ticket should she decide to go to Paris."

"You're pretty sweet on your girlfriend, you know that?" Fredrick suddenly leapt towards Keiichi with a frog-like jump and reached into his pocket to pull out a small batch of nine-inch needles. "Overlooking burning her village down, you two could just as easily be making sweet love to each other as opposed to playing global seek-and-destroy."

Keiichi back flipped away from the rain of needles that came from Fredrick's hands and jumped over where they landed to kick the detective in the face as soon as he landed. With his quarry stunned from the blow, Keiichi pressed on the assault with a low kick to the shin, causing Fredrick to kneel slightly. Keiichi made the detective pay for his lax behavior with a burning step-up knee to the face that knocked Fredrick away like a football.

"Ugh, so that's your Shining Wizard," Fredrick gracefully landed on his feet and pulled down his yellow goggles that were sitting on his hairline. "It's fascinating how a move used to entertain people can be applied to real life to such devastating effect: it's a shame you use your skills for crime." Taking to the air once again, Fredrick spun around in a corkscrew motion and landed on Keiichi's shoulders. Before his opponent could react, Fredrick jumped once again, this time with Keiichi between his legs like a bird with a worm. With uncommon agility, Fredrick performed a mid-air forward flip and flung Keiichi several feet away while he safely fell back to the roof.

Keiichi crashed hard on his back, eliciting a grunt of pain from the young man as he quickly scrambling back on his feet. What athleticism, Keiichi rubbed where he had landed while he prepared for Fredrick's oncoming assault. I have never seen a head scissors like that before: now I'm curious to what else he can do.

When it looked as if Fredrick would collide with Keiichi like a rampaging bull, he suddenly ducked down and performed a cartwheel, dropping legs down on Keiichi's head in the process. Not yet finished with his athletic combination, Fredrick performed a second successful cartwheel kick and concluded the assault with a jumping suicide dive that toppled Keiichi over like a domino.

Taking to the air once again, Fredrick jumped towards Keiichi and prepared to pounce on his chest to plunge a devastating blow, but his quarry recovered faster than he could land. With Fredrick plummeting towards him, Keiichi's fist burned with ki as he intercepted the detective with a fiery standing uppercut. Fredrick fell to the ground hard on his back, but Keiichi was waiting for him as he plunged the sole of his shoe onto the German's chest.

"You're far too flashy for one-on-one combat," Keiichi commented on the young Interpol officer's ability as he grinded his foot into his chest. "Those kind of tricks might work against common thugs, but not against someone like me."

"Is that right?" Fredrick grabbed onto Keiichi's leg and stood back up, leaving Keiichi to fall on his back and be put at a disadvantage. "I usually like to give my opponents a show before I beat them: it's not a very good habit to have, but it does make things interesting." Twisting the leg around like a pinwheel, Keiichi was lifted off the ground and spun in the air in harmony with his leg. Quickly letting go of the leg once Keiichi was in the air, Fredrick struck his spinning body back down to the ground with an dropping heel kick.

Although dazed from the highly unusual maneuver, Keiichi managed to regain his wits quickly and avoid another high pounce. Shaking off the dizziness, Keiichi exacted a small bit of revenge when he flipped over Fredrick, grabbing his head on the way down and spinning it around with a corkscrew neckbreaker. As Fredrick gripped his head in pain while he lay on the ground, Keiichi lifted him back up and rammed his knee into the officer's abdomen.

Before Keiichi could capitalize on that attack, Fredrick returned the favor with a finger-first thrust to the young man's ribs. Keiichi roared in agony as he gripped the damaged ribcage area, preventing him from immediately responding to the attack. Dammit, Keiichi cursed under his breath while he ducked under a high roundhouse kick and countered with a desperate shoulder ram. He's found my weak point: this isn't good.

"Whoa, I must not know my own strength," Fredrick said while he folded his arms. "I didn't think this would be over so soon."

"Before you take me in, I have something to ask you," Keiichi began before wincing in pain. "Why are you going through all this trouble to face me one-on-one, when you could have called for backup and surround me?"

"You really want to know?" Fredrick asked rhetorically while he observed Keiichi's hunched-over position. "The reason I did this is because you're not the really the person I'm after."

"Is that so?" Keiichi raised an eyebrow as he straightened himself back up. If I keep him talking, I can catch a breather and continue the assault later. He seems to like the sound of his own voice, so it shouldn't be too hard. "Just who are you after then, in that case?"

"The fact that you accepted my challenge rather than do the smart thing and leave the country shows that you're not the high-ranking Sheol executive that reports make you out to be." Fredrick's arms remained folded as he explained his reasoning. "You have a code of ethics, you have a woman who you seem to care for, and you prefer hitting someone in the face rather than putting a bullet in their brain. Sheol is an organization of evil, and that is something that you are not."

"Do me a favor and avoid patronizing me," Keiichi spat back, still gripping the sides of his torso. "Even if I am all of those things you say I am, that doesn't mean I'm a saint in devil's clothing."

"Well that's true: you're so meticulous in your work that we really don't have any concrete evidence that you're actually involved with Sheol or not," Fredrick lifted one arm and rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "However, as a detective I've learned to follow my instincts and I'm not going to stop now. How about I cut a deal with you?"

Finally, my ribs have stopped hurting. As soon as he finishes, I'll pay him back in kind. "Go on, I'm listening."

"Give me the name of who you work for," Fredrick's voice suddenly became serious, as opposed to the casual tone he had been using before. "If you can give me the leader of Sheol, I will let you go free. You and Areva can make sweet make-up sex to each other and I will promise you that Interpol won't be there to hand you a condom and a pair of handcuffs."

"...unfortunately, I cannot let you have him just yet: not until I've beaten him first." Keiichi let go of his ribs and slowly walked towards Fredrick, taking note of how the ninja wasn't putting his guard up. "What I can give you, however...is THIS!" Grabbing onto Fredrick's head, Keiichi shoved his elbow into his forehead repetitively until he drew blood. Once he had done that, Keiichi spun around and sent Fredrick spiraling to the ground with a powerful spinning backfist.

Landing on his hands and springing onto his feet, Fredrick spun out of the way of a left straight and kicked Keiichi in the back with a roundhouse kick in mid-spin. With the Japanese youth turned away from him, Fredrick latched onto Keiichi's back and took to the air with Keiichi as his passenger. Turning upside down in mid-air, Fredrick dropped Keiichi on his head while he landed gracefully onto the ground: the maneuver Fredrick liked to call the "Jacknife Izuna Drop."

Disoriented by such a move, Keiichi barely had enough time to lean backwards and avoid a handful of needles once he had returned to his feet. The attack wound up being a snare, as Fredrick punched Keiichi in the face as soon as the Sheol agent straightened himself out like a bopping bag. Stunned from the attack, Keiichi could only recoil from the jumping roundhouse kick he received to the temples.

However, Keiichi quickly recovered with a blinding flurry of kicks that bombarded Fredrick all across his torso and face. Knocking Fredrick away with a reverse roundhouse, Keiichi watched Fredrick screech across the roof and took a brief moment to shake off the dizziness that had not yet left him. So far I'm doing a good job of taking the focus away from the ribs; he complimented himself as he resumed his fighting stance while he waited for Fredrick to get back onto his feet. I'll have to continue pressing on the assault and make sure he doesn't get any more mid-section shots in.

"OK...fun time's over," Fredrick suddenly clasped his hands together and began making peculiar motions with his fingers. "I didn't think I'd have to use this technique tonight, but I guess it's all good so long as I don't hit anyone but you." After a dozen motions, Fredrick pulled off his mouth cover and revealed his glowing lips. Keiichi's eyes widened as a thick beam of power spewed from Fredrick's throat like a monster from a low-budget sci-fi film. The most Keiichi could do was block the stream of ki that came rushing towards him, pushing him across the roof as easy as a child would roll a ball along his parents' living room.

What power: here I thought that kind of ninjitsu only existed in movies. Keiichi thought between the searing pain in his arms as he continued to block the stream that had not yet died out in intensity. On the other hand, I can project ki in my arms and legs so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise he learned how to do it from his mouth. Keiichi looked behind him: he was running out of roof and soon he would fall off of the building completely. I need to think of a way to get out of the predicament before I become a smear on the pavement below.

As if to give Keiichi a reprieve, the blast dissipated completely and the young man screeched to a halt. Keiichi put his arms down and saw the reason Fredrick had stopped: he needed a moment to catch his breath. Not letting such an opportunity slip by, Keiichi ran towards Fredrick with reckless speed: so much so that Fredrick couldn't even attempt to get out of the way. Once he was close enough, Keiichi left elbow and knee sprang into action, catching Fredrick between them like a vice clamping down.

Fredrick crumpled to the ground onto one knee, his forehead now bleeding severely. His vision was being impaired by the stream of bodily fluid dripping from the wound, and it was beginning to get in his way. Keiichi noticed the syrup-like leak from his head, and targeted it by stepping onto the leg that Fredrick was standing on, and using it as a stair to strike Fredrick with a fiery somersault kick to the forehead: Keiichi's self-invented Blinding Wizard however.

However, when Keiichi performed the move, he heard not only the sound of his shoe making contact with his foe's forehead, but a grotesque snapping sound, as well. Landing on his feet, Keiichi walked over to Fredrick's toppled body and immediately recognized the source of the problem.

Fredrick's neck had snapped from the whiplash.

This is not good: I didn't mean to kill him, Keiichi frowned as he kneeled down to look into Fredrick's lifeless eyes. I had only intended to put him in a coma for a couple of days. Now I'm a cop-killer: how disgusting. Reaching his hand out to close the dead eyes, Keiichi said out loud, "Forgive me if you can, detective..."

As soon as Keiichi touched the corpse, however, it suddenly burst with a huge puff of smoke. The Sheol agent quickly sprang back up onto his feet in surprise, wondering what was happening. When the smoke had settled, however, the corpse was replaced with a large rock. Realizing what had transpired, Keiichi pushed up his glasses and once again spoke, "You can shoot powerful streams of ki from your mouth, you can leap incredible distances, and you can perform a substitution technique? Interpol certainly has an interesting training regimen."

"You'll be pleased to know that I was the only one in my graduating class able to do the chakra cannon and the substitution," a voice called to Keiichi from behind, causing the Japanese youth to turn around. What he saw was Fredrick picking up his metallic mouth cover, his forehead still bleeding. "However, it's obvious that neither of us can really continue in our current conditions."

"Bruised ribs and forehead cuts will heal," Keiichi pointed out as he lowered his arms and sat down. "What are we going to do now? Will you take me to the authorities?"

"I probably should, but I'm not going to today," Fredrick turned away from Keiichi and began walking to the edge of the roof. "I want to see where this chase with you and Areva is going to go. As I said earlier, you're not the one I'm truly after...unless I'm looking for a new sparring partner."

"You are a very nosy detective," Keiichi said with disdain as he stared out to the dying sunset. "That can work against you, too."

"Don't worry, I'll stay away from your mistress: my girlfriend may only have an eighty-seven centimeter bust as opposed to Areva's listed ninety-three, but I'm faithful," Fredrick let out a light laugh before crouching down in preparation for a jump. "The next time we meet, I expect a different answer for my offer. Maybe then, you'll be at full strength and I can cut loose some more." Waving goodbye before jumping off the roof, Fredrick landed on the lower roof of the church gracefully and left Keiichi to his thoughts. "Gute Nacht, Keiichi Kobashi!"

Despite how he takes our relationship so lightly, our inevitable clash can only end in violence, Keiichi watched the sun go under the buildings in the distance while the sky continued to darken. However, he does bring up a good point about the mutual attraction: even if I muster up the guts to finish her, does Areva have what it takes to finish me?

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 7: Gentleman

"That's enough for now, Keiichi," Areva said with a smile as she lowered her fighting stance while Keiichi did the same. "Let's take a break."

"Agreed," Keiichi nodded his head and walked over to the bucket of water that was standing close by.

Eighteen days had passed since Keiichi had first met Areva, and she could no longer hide the attraction that she felt towards him. That hardened look in his eyes has almost gone away completely, Areva smiled as became lost staring at Keiichi's toned figure while he gulped the water from the bucket down like a man who had just been stranded in the desert without water for days. He looks so peaceful now, like he's achieved enlightenment...

"Keiichi," Areva managed to finally say once the young man sat down next to her and handed her the half-empty bucket. "It's been almost three whole weeks since you came here, and I think we know each other enough to ask some more personal questions about each other..."

"...such as what?" Keiichi asked in a casual tone that was so unlike his normal business-like self that it took Areva off-guard.

After a moment's pause, Areva continued, "I don't hear you talking about your family much. What are they like?"

The casual demeanor quickly faded, and gave way to a cold glare as Keiichi answered bitterly, "They're dead."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that," Areva frowned, knowing that she had ruined the moment. "What were they like, then?"

"They were very kind," Keiichi's frown remained on his face as he reminisced about simpler times. "My father was a wealthy businessman, and my mother a brilliant stockbroker. We lived prosperously, and we always looked forward to a better tomorrow." Keiichi's frown broke and finally gave way to a more neutral expression. "On that note, my past doesn't matter, because my parents would not want me dwelling on upon events that have already occurred."

"I'm sure I would have loved to meet them," Areva leaned down and reclined her head on Keiichi's shoulder, slightly surprising the young man. However, Keiichi made no attempt to keep Areva from comforting him, and instead opted to look out into the river into front of them. "If they're anything like you, Keiichi, then they must have been wonderful people..."
------

"His mansion is just up that path," the taxi driver pointed west as Areva turned her glance in that direction. "If you reach the water, it means you've gone too far out."

"Thank you very much, sir," Areva smiled in thanks as she got off out of the cab and went to the trunk to remove her luggage. "I am very grateful that you took me all the way from the airport."

"It is my job after all, mademoiselle," the driver smiled as Areva handed him the fee he had requested earlier. "I cannot see why you would go to a place like that: Monsieur Badeau is said to be insane. This part of town is not by any means a superstitious neighborhood, but he scares us all whenever he steps out of that place."

"I will worry about that when I get there. Au revoir, monsieur," Areva said her goodbyes to the cabbie in his native language, and the two of them parted ways. A week had now passed since she left her native country of Thailand to search for Keiichi Kobashi, and Areva was in particularly high spirits. An officer of the famed Interpol had given her valuable information regarding Keiichi only two days earlier, and she was feeling great because of it.

This Claude Badeau is supposed to be a friend of Keiichi's, Areva thought happily as she began walking down the path to the Badeau residence. I'm sure he must know something about where Keiichi is, and maybe he can tell me about how his parents died. The Thai woman always had a feeling that whatever happened to Keiichi's parents was the reason that he always seemed so bitter, and maybe then she could understand why Keiichi had forsaken her.

Coming across an iron gate, Areva noticed an intercom next one of the statues supporting the gate and a camera on the statue opposite. Before she could do anything, the intercom suddenly spoke to her, "And who might you be, mademoiselle?"

Pressing a white button on the intercom, Areva answered the voice's simple question. "My name is Areva Petchyndee. I was wondering if you could tell me about a friend of yours."

"I do not have many friends, so I probably cannot help you." The voice was cold and harsh, Areva noted. It wasn't all that different from Keiichi's tone. "However, please come in regardless: I will help you as much I can."

With a loud mechanical whirring, the gates slowly swung open to reveal a long driveway that led to a house on top of a relatively tall hill. Before Areva could begin walking however, she saw a vehicle approach her from the path she was about to take. Stopping to inspect the vehicle, Areva identified it as a limousine: something had never ridden in before. He even brings me an escort, Areva thought while the impressive automobile stopped in front of her. It's good to see he treats his guests well, even with that cold voice of his.

------

A minute later, Areva stepped out of the limousine and stared in wonder at the house in front of her: it was almost as big as her entire village, and that was an impressive feat indeed. This Badeau person must be incredibly wealthy: I should have guessed Keiichi's friends would be influential ones.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle: I am Claude Badeau, the owner of this estate."

Areva looked to the front entrance and saw a very frightening sight: an attractive medium-built young man in a tuxedo with light pink skin and white hair tied back with a dark violet bow. However, what started Areva was not his hair color nor the peculiar way he had it set or even the sunglasses that hid his eyes despite the cloudy day: it was his light-purple aura that surrounded his body and dripped off of him like liquid. Incredible: his aura surrounds his entire body like a thin coating of energy. I have never seen anyone have such control over his ki like that!

"I understand that you are looking for someone who you believe is an acquaintance of mine," Claude said with the same cold tone that greeted Areva when she arrived at the front gate. "Be so kind as to tell me his name, and I will tell you everything I know about him."

"His name is Keiichi Kobashi," Areva pulled out the photograph of Keiichi from her bag and walked up to the man so as to hand it to him. "Someone told me that you would be the best person to tell me where he is right now. I've been searching for days, and I hope that you'll be able to point me in the right direction."

Looking at the photograph, a thin smirk formed across the man's lips, as if he found Areva's journey humorous. Still smiling, the man gave the photograph back to Areva and turned is back towards her. "Come, madam Petchyndee, we will discuss this matter inside over tea."

Areva felt a chill go down her spine as she followed the man inside. Dammit, Areva cursed inside her head, I had hoped that I had managed to get better control over my nymphomania, but I still get the shivers when I'm around men like him. Stepping inside, Areva's shivers gave way to a sense of wonderment as she looked around the house she had just entered. Ulisse's house was but a small shack compared to this mansion: she could fit at least six households from her village into the guest room.

Following Claude to enter a massive living room, Areva was led to a coffee table with two couches surrounding on either side. "Please sit down, madam Petchyndee," the French host said to his Thai guest whle he sat down on the opposite couch that Areva had decided upon. "My butler Bartholomew should have our tea ready shortly."

"Thank you very much," Areva bowed her head in thanks as she down and gave Claude a closer inspection. He is very handsome, I'll give him that much, she thought to herself as she made herself comfortable. There's something about him that reminds me of Keiichi: maybe it's just the way he composes himself.

"So...what do you wish to know about Monsieur Kobashi?" Claude asked after a few seconds of silence. "If you want to know where he is, I cannot say for certain as I have not spoken to him in many months: not since I was accused of being a member of Sheol."

"I've known Keiichi for six weeks, but there is so much I still don't know about him," Areva began, wishing to learn as much about her quarry as possible. "For example, he told me that his parents died when he was young: do you know anything about how they died?"

"His parents died along with the rest of his family, or at least that is what he tells me," Claude folded his arms as he reminisced about their mutual acquaintance.

"What do you mean ‘with the rest of his family'" Areva raised an eyebrow in curiosity: it would seem that Keiichi's familial woes were deeper than simply losing his mother and father. "Did something happen to them as well?"

"They were all slaughtered mercilessly by a rival family," Claude answered the question with an almost emotionless tone, but the answer garnered a gasp of shock from his guest. "Did you know that Keiichi is a criminal by blood?"

"...no, I didn't," Areva lowered her head, slightly ashamed of her ignorance of Keiichi's plight. What a horrible fate: destined to do evil not by choice, but by inheritance. "What about you: you said that you were accused with being a member of Sheol. Do you know Keiichi because of that?"

"Keiichi and I have known each other for the good part of eight years: we've learned over the years that we have a lot in common," Claude turned his head to see his butler place an elegantly designed metal plate down on the coffee table. Taking a cup of tea from the plate, the host sipped the beverage before continuing. "Before I go into the more discrete details about my relationship with Monsieur Kobashi, I would like know your relationship with him: my friendship with Keiichi was known only to a few people."

"...he used to be my lover, until he burned my village down," Areva said with a breaking voice. "I left my village seven days ago to search for him, and my search has led me here."

"Is that so?" Claude asked, though his face remained emotionless. "Tell me something, Areva: what do you plan to do once you find him?"

"I-I'm going to defeat him, of course," Areva's hands trembled as she anticipated the fateful day that she would cross fists with Keiichi one final time.

"What do you plan on doing after that?"

Even though Claude's question seemed childishly simple, like an immature boy shouting to his parents on a road trip, "Are we there yet," Areva had no answer for Claude. Once she had avenged her father and her people, she had not thought about what to do after that.

"Hatred only begets more hatred," Claude sipped his tip quietly as he let Areva ponder the deeper meaning of his words. "Will you go back home once you've beaten him to a pulp, or will you continue to fight so that you may fill the void that he left in your heart?"

"...I will worry about that when the time comes," Areva finally picked up her cup of tea and guzzled the steaming contents as easily as if it were cold water. "In the meantime, could you please tell me whether or not you know where he is right now?"

"Unfortunately I do not have that information right now," Claude frowned as he reached to take off his sunglasses. "What I can offer you, however, is an invitation."

Areva couldn't help but be surprised as she looked into the ruby irises of Claude's eyes once his dark shades had been removed. Red eyes, light hair, and pink skin: he must be an Albino; Areva shifted her gaze downward as not to insult her host's condition. From what I read about them in school, they're extremely sensitive to sunlight: that aura of ki must protect him from the sun's harmful rays so he can go out in the daytime.

"As a wealthy businessman, I have many connections: I will tell my partners across the world to keep an eye out for Keiichi. Until you have more information, you might as well stay here and wait until I produce results." Claude's facial features softened as he outstretched a hand of friendship to Areva. "Of course, if you are in a hurry, I will not hinder you."

He's right, Areva paused before slowly outstretched her own arm and return Claude's jesture. It's nice that he's such a considerate man to help me like this: beneath that cold visage he puts up, there's kindness...not at all different from Keiichi. Perhaps he can teach me how to channel my ki. The Thai woman couldn't help but blush as Claude took her hand and kissed it. Yes, I think I'll have a good time here...

--------

Two hour later, in the Badeau private garden...

"How long do you intend on keeping her here, Master Claude?"

The question posed to Claude Badeau by his faithful was a relatively simple one, but broke the fifteen minutes where the only sounds heard were the sounds of Claude's kiais. As a martial artist, Claude prided himself on his daily training regimen that kept his body strong and his mind sharp despite the shortcomings of being an Albino. As a Badeau, it was his duty to be in the best in everything, and Claude didn't have any doubts that he was indeed among the best in everything he did.

When he was met in silence, the butler continued. "If she is indeed a friend of Master Keiichi, then perhaps he would appreciate it if you told him about Miss Areva and sent her on her way."

"Ah, Bartholomew," a grin formed across Claude's face as he threw a sharply-honed kick into the air. "I cannot just part ways before getting to know her better. Besides, if she is searching for Keiichi, then I must keep her here as long as I can: as the fourth golem of Sheol, it is my duty to take care of anyone who would interfere with the organization."

"I did notice a similarity between her and the late mistress: perhaps that is why you've already become attached to her," Bartholomew pushed up his nose-pinch glasses before continuing. "However, I am worried about your morals: keeping a woman here against her will is not the way a gentleman should act." Quickly catching himself, Bartholomew chuckled nervously and bowed his head. "Ah, forgive me, Master Claude: I suppose I spoke out of turn."

"You do not need to worry yourself, Bartholomew: I only intend to keep her here until I am satisfied, and then I will tell her where Keiichi is." Stomping his foot on the ground, Claude's palms shot out simultaneously, his violet fire surrounding them. The shockwave of such a maneuver was heard across the yard as Claude's aura burned brighter. "You understand that I have to have a little fun every once and a while, what with this unjust reputation I have as a demon."

"If I might say so, sir," the elderly butler wiped the sweat from his brow as he anticipated the consequences of what he were about to say, "perhaps this rumor came about when you killed your parents."

Claude's head quickly turned around, his ruby eyes fixated upon his servant. Rage burned in the eyes like ruby windows to hell as Claude scolded Bartholomew, "Bartholomew, you know that I did what I had to in order to prove my worth to Monsieur Levesque. Either they had to die, or we all would have died: I did what I needed to preserve the Badeau name!"

The subject brought about by Bartholomew brought about unpleasant memories. Claude's father was a wealthy businessman, and his mother a worker for the Chinese Embassy. Five years had passed since the young Claude, not even an adult, killed his mother in her sleep with her own martial arts technique, and his father with his neck crushed like a rotted stick. I did what needed to be done, Claude had been telling himself since that event transpired. Both of them were puppets of Sheol but intended to rat out our leader: the Badeau name would have gone to ruin if that information was leaked to the public, and even if it didn't, Monsieur Levesque would have killed all of us just like he did with Keiichi's family. Now the Badeau family name is more powerful than ever: my parents would be proud of what I have turned this company into.

Claude's train of thought was broken when he heard a rustling from a nearby bush. Before Claude could address the sound to his butler, a middle-aged Asian man clad in black jumped from the bushes brandishing what looked to be a knife. "You are trespassing on private property," Claude's eyes narrowed as he looked at the man, his violet aura once again intensifying. "What business do you have here?"

"Are you Claude Badeau?" The man demanded with an almost frantic tone.

"Indeed I am, now answer my question: what business do you have here?" Claude folded his arms, patiently waiting for the stranger to explain his actions.

"I'm here to avenge my sister...your mother," the man quickly ran towards Claude with murderous intent burning in his eyes. "Die, you demon child!"

"So you are my uncle, then: that's grand indeed," Claude easily sidestepped the blade and kicked it out of his hand. "My mother never told me about having siblings: what is your name?"

"That is none of your business, slime: you forsook both sides of your family when you did what you did," the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Claude. "Since the police obviously didn't do anything about you, I'll have to be the one responsible for avenging h-UGH!" The would-be assassin dropped the gun in the face of Claude's sudden and swift attack. Blood poured from the wound that Claude engraved into his "uncle's" abdomen while poisonous purple flames were injected into the wound.

"I am sorry, ‘uncle,' but I did what needed to be done," Claude slowly removed his hand from the man's flesh as he fell to the ground lifeless. "Please do not think ill of me in heaven." Dusting off the dark purple cheongsam atop his toned abdomen and tying the magenta sash that held it together tightly, Claude knelt next to the fallen man and began to mutter a Latin prayer. Throughout his life, Claude had been a devout Catholic: his very cheongsam was adorned with the visage of the angel St. Michael who cast Satan out of paradise. Even though there were times when he missed his parents, all he had to do was remember the scriptures he was raised upon and his mind was at ease.

"What are we going to do with the body, sir?" Bartholomew wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "Even I didn't know about the late mistress having siblings. What if the rest of her family comes against us?"

"Remember, Bartholomew, he attacked me: we shall bury him in a graveyard and report his actions to the proper authorities. I wonder why he waited five years to attack: I guess we'll never know." Claude looked at his blood-stained hand as he gave out his decision. Killing was nothing new to him: in fact, hand-to-hand assassination was his specialty and what made him so popular with his business partner Lance Levesque. "In the meantime, find Areva some fresh clothes: use my mother's, if you can."

"Very good, sir," Bartholomew bowed his head and walked away while Claude continued with his kiai as if nothing had happened.

Mother, did you see what I just did? Claude allowed himself a warm smile as he looked out to the setting sun after putting his sunglasses back on. When I go to Heaven where you are, we'll be one happy family again: I'll be able to catch up with you, and my dearest uncle! Just you, my father, my uncle, myself...and Areva!

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 8: Gentleman Part II

"Welcome back, my daughter," Areva's father greeted his beloved daughter as she entered their house and sat down in front of him. "How was the tournament?"

"I won first prize," Areva answered with a smile, putting her tote bag in her hands and giving it to her father. Her smile only widened when her father opened the bag and pulled out a fist full of bills. "I hope you're happy, father."

"Even if you didn't win the tournament, I would have been proud of you regardless: you have overcome so much adversity in your brief life and every time you have risen to the occasion." the middle-aged man put the bills back in the bag and embraced her daughter, holding her close to his person. "Keiichi has been worrying about you: he went to the city every day to see if anyone knew of your standings."

"That's very kind of him," Areva's face reddened, but her smile did not fade. "It's hard to believe that only six weeks ago he was the most anti-social person I had ever met."

"You've been a very good influence on him, Areva," Mr. Petchyndee praised his child, further displaying how proud he was of her exploits. "In turn, I think that he has helped you tremendously with your own problems." Leaning closer so that his mouth was next to Areva's ear, he whispered, "He's been considering proposing to you, Areva."

"Are...are you serious!?" Areva shouted in disbelief. "That's great news, I'll go find him and tell him I say 'yes!'" Scrambling onto her feet, Areva exited her home to the sound of her father's laughter. In just a few moments, her simple dream of spending the rest of her life with one Keiichi Kobashi would be a reality.

As soon as she stepped outside, however, she was greeted with the horrific sight of her village being engulfed in an inferno. Some of the villagers were running about frantically, their clothes and hair set on fire. Others were already lying on the ground lifeless, their skin charred like roasted meat. "What in the world!?" Areva exclaimed as she bore witness to the chaos in front of her. "Father, the village is on-"

Turning around, she witnessed her father's head dangling lifelessly in the hands of the very person she had set out to find upon leaving her home: Keiichi Kobashi. The Japanese youth's hands burned crimson as he dropped his mentor's lifeless body and turned his attention to the young woman standing in front of him.

"You...you monster," Areva clenched her fists while tears began to form in her eyes. "Was everything we went through together the past six weeks just a lie!? Was I simply your puppet!?"

"You are no one's puppet, Areva," Keiichi slowly assumed his fighting stance while Areva quickly assumed hers. "Now come on: show me what you're made of!"

With a shout, Areva tossed aside her doubts and ran at Keiichi with murderous intent. Quickly dodging a snapping high kick, Areva grabbed onto her enemy's shoulders and locked him into a clinch position. Putting every ounce of her ki into her legs, Areva rammed her knee into his chest like a battering ram, drawing forth blood as she felt his ribs snap like twigs. However, lost in a rage, Areva continued attacking the sternum, bones smashing every time. When she finally regained control of herself, Areva noticed that Keiichi wasn't moving.

"Heh...I actually did it," Areva allowed herself a small chuckle as she placed Keiichi on his back. "I think I've avenged my father after that. Come on, Keiichi: open your eyes and let's make our peace." However, Keiichi's handsome face was devoid of any sort of activity. Concerned, Areva knelt down and began shaking his shoulders frantically: it seemed as if Keiichi was dead. "Keiichi...Keiichi! KEIICHI!"

-------

"KEIICHI!"

Areva shot out her bed, grabbing the air as she came up. Upon realizing that she had been dreaming, Areva let out a sigh of relief. Claude had been kind enough to lend her a bedroom to sleep in while she lodged at his mansion, and while she was eternally grateful, the nightmare she had just experienced made her wonder if it came about from the conversation they had earlier.

What an awful dream, and such a vivid one, Areva could still remember the details of the dream, even though she knew she shouldn't have given the fleeting nature of the subconscious mind. Her train of thought was suddenly broken when she heard a quiet laughter, like the tinkling of bells. After a second of shock, Areva realized that the laughter was her own. Why am I laughing? Am I so pathetic that I find my own misery amusing?

Regaining control of herself, Areva got out of bed and placed a bed robe around her naked form. She couldn't go back to sleep after such a nightmare, so she instead opted to ponder the meaning of the dream. I've been so set on defeating Keiichi: a dream like that should have been one that I'd be happy about, yet I was crying once I had won. Areva turned on the light of her room and her room and squinted as he eyes adapted. Maybe Claude is right: I haven't thought about what I should do once I had avenged my father.

What if I'm just fooling myself, Areva questioned her resolve as she walked to her bag and pulled out a fresh pair of blue jeans. What if I'm still in love with him despite what he did? Zipping up her jeans and reaching down to find a shirt, Areva quickly realized that asking herself these questions simply confirmed what she had feared: she had not yet let go of her attachment to the man she was stalking. What she wanted more than actually defeating him was holding him in her arms.

I can't stay here, Areva decided upon taking off her bed robe and covering herself with a white t-shirt. I need to continue my search on my own. Zipping up her bag, Areva picked it up and headed for the door of the bedroom. Just as she was about to touch the doorknob, it turned by itself and caused Areva to jump back in surprise.

The door slowly opened to reveal Claude wearing a dark violet cheongsam with the visage of St. Michael splashed across the front and a magenta sash holding it together. "Oh, you're awake," Claude stated quietly before opening the door completely and bowing his head in apology. "Forgive me for intruding: I just heard you cry out and I wished to make sure that you were alright.

"You're very kind, Mr. Badeau," Areva bowed her own head in thanks before stepping out of the bedroom and into the hallway. "I am a total stranger, and yet you offered me a place to stay: I can't imagine how this rumor about you being a heartless fiend came about."

"Well, I suppose being accused of being a member of Sheol would create a rumor like that," Badeau replied with a smile as he escorted his guest downstairs and into the living room. "Sheol is more than just a large criminal party: its influence can be traced as deep as the most prestigious of government positions. It would make sense that someone like me would be under the thumb of Sheol."

"You seem to know a lot about Sheol, Mr. Bad-"

"Please, Areva," Claude allowed himself a warm smile as he interrupted Areva. "Please call me 'Claude.'"

"You seem to know a lot about Sheol, Claude," Areva corrected herself before getting on to the point. "I think rather than trying to find Keiichi by simply looking for him, I can progress faster by learning more about Sheol and from there deducting where Keiichi could be from where Sheol activity is heaviest." With that plan, Areva asked her question. "Claude, could you please tell me everything you know about Sheol?"

"...no."

"No?" Areva repeated the simple but devastating answer. "Please, Claude, I need you!"

"And I need you, Areva," Claude's voice gave way a curious mix of longing and anger. "If I tell you what you need to know, then you will simply leave me. I can't let you go, Areva: not until we get to know each other better." Even though it was still night outside, Claude's thin violet aura activated and gradually became brighter as Claude's fury began to seethe. "Won't you reconsider, my sweet Areva?"

Sensing Claude's violent intent, Areva pleaded with the man in an attempt to prevent a confrontation from erupting. "Claude, I am extremely grateful for everything you have done for me, but I can't just stay here while Keiichi continues to jump the globe. The longer I stop searching, the more likely he is to escape my grasp forever: I can't let that happen."

"It's because you still love him, isn't it?" Claude's dying smile finally gave way to a chilling grimace as his foot suddenly shot upwards and hit Areva in the chin, knocking her into the air and causing her to land on the floor a few feet away from where she was previously standing. "Never in my wildest imagination did I think a woman would pick Keiichi over me."

"Claude, what are you doing?" Areva slowly got back onto her feet and rubbed where she had been struck. It was a stiff kick: she was slightly surprised that her jaw didn't break from the impact. "I don't want to fight you, but I need you to help me!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear," Claude slowly lowered his leg and assumed a fighting stance. "You see, as the fourth golem of Sheol, I have a responsibility of weeding out any unnecessary factors that might interfere with the organization. I cannot let Keiichi meet you, lest he leave his duties unfulfilled." His aura flaring like a second sun for a split second before dying down to its normal dull glow an instant later, Claude lifted up one knee and extended his arm before motioning his hand towards Areva and stomping his foot back down on the ground. "Areva, promise me that if I defeat you, you will stay here with me and forget about your quest. In return I promise that if you defeat me now, I will give you the information you seek!"

Areva sealed the promise not with her mouth, but with her fist as it clashed with Claude's palm. Before Claude could counterattack, Areva shoved her leg into her host's chest like a torpedo and launched him away with a push of her foot. Claude skid to a halt on the carpeted floor and ended Areva's assault with a flying kick to the chest that sent Areva landing on the back of her head.

"Ow...that's quite a kick you have there: here I thought Albinos were supposedly to be relatively fragile due to lack of sunlight," Areva rubbed the back of her head as she narrowly ducked under a standing spin kick like a limbo player ducking over a pole. "You're a truly fascinating man, Claude: I hope we can still be friends after I defeat you."

"You are too sure of yourself, mademoiselle," Claude returned the compliment with a criticizing response as he continued to spin with a ducking sweep kick, knocking Areva off her feet. "The title 'golem' in Sheol refers to only the most elite warriors in the organization: don't think you will escape this battle victorious." Quickly attacking her fallen form before she could recover, Claude's glowing palm crashed into Areva's stomach like a hydraulic press. This maneuver elicited a loud "uuuh!" from the young woman as well as a spray of blood coming from her mouth.

Rolling away from a second palm (though putting pressure on her stomach was painful), Areva scrambled back onto her feet and returned the favor in kind but not kindly with a low-but-powerful ducking kick that brought the kenpo practitioner down to the ground. Standing back up as Claude landed on his buttocks, Areva kicked him in the head repetitively with snapping kicks and eliciting a grunt of pain each time. When she attempted to run her knee into his face, Claude used his hands to propel himself off the ground and knocked Areva into the air with another high-angled straight kick. Returning to his feet before his guest could land back on the floor, Claude swatted Areva out of the air with a devastating half-knuckle blow as his aura intensified to a point where he left a small burn mark on the piece of carpet he was standing on.

So this is what the warriors of Sheol are capable of, Areva landed on her hands and flipped back on to her feet gracefully as she watched Claude look down to the carpet that he had singed with his violent intent. He's almost as powerful of Keiichi: maybe even more so. Tossing aside her doubts, Areva advanced on Claude and toppled him over like a cut-down tree with her leaping knee.

Claude sprang back onto his feet and spun around Areva's punch so that his back was facing hers. Throwing his elbows backwards, Claude's arms pounded Areva's back like twin battering rams and caused her to stumble forward. Turning around to face the stunned kickboxer's back, the French martial artist sent her flying face-first towards a couch with a stepping punch. Extending the punch's reach with the barrier of ki surrounding him, Claude made what would have been a soft landing onto the cushion of the couch into a hard crash onto its base.

"Pardon the cliché, but it is far too early for you to be losing steam," Claude brushed back his ponytail and watched as Areva took an extra second to regain her footing and move away from the couch. "If you wish to submit to my righteous hospitality, however, all you have to do is say the word is this ends now." However, in offering Areva his mercy, he left himself open to a flurry of left-handed punches and rained down on him like a spray of rubber bullets.

Areva tossed a right-handed punch immediately following the barrage, but it was parried by Claude's hand as easily as he would brush away a small tree limb. Surprised by this, Areva pulled her hand away and attempted a high-arcing kick to the temple, but Claude blocked it just as easily as he had parried the previous attack. Becoming frustrated, Areva lowered her leg and prepared for an elbow strike, but was sent flying away with another stepping one-foot punch, this time to the sternum.

Areva landed on her back and skid across the carpet before getting back up and groaning in pain. She had not been mentally prepared for a fight when Claude threw the proverbial gauntlet, but it seemed like Claude knew what he was getting himself into the moment he issued his challenge. I need to stop seeing him as a kind man who offered me a place to stay, Areva reared back and focused her sapphire ki into her left arm. He is someone who wishes to make me his personal playmate if I lose to him!

Flinging a discus-like wave of ki at Claude from her elbow, Areva put her prayers into her attack and hope that the maneuver would catch Claude off guard as she prepared to strike with her body. However, her hopes were in vain and Claude let out a powerful shout with his aura intensifying to a point where it seemed as if he was self-combusting. In the wake of such a spectacle, Areva's wave was snuffed out like a candle as Claude ran towards her with violent intent.

Grabbing onto Areva's neck and lifting her into the air, Claude squeezed as if he were trying to pop a balloon, bringing forth a cry of pain from her beautiful lips. Throwing her into the air, Claude's left foot flew into action and sent her spiraling away with a standing roundhouse kick, leaving a streak of purple flames in its wake. Even my village's most revered technique did nothing, Areva began to feel despair as she groggily stood back up and winced in pain from the marks on her neck that were left from the hold. I need to think of something else fast!

Before Areva could think of that "something else," she was suddenly poked in the throat with a snake-like snap of Claude's hand, stunning her long enough for Claude to attack her further with a vertical kick that slid its way up Areva's body, and a vertical hand strike that scratched Areva's arms and chest like a feline stalker. What's going on, Areva thought frantically as she tried to move her limbs. I can't move!

With Areva's legs standing straight together and her arms spread apart so that her body was in a perfect t-shape, Claude had effectively crucified her on a cross made entirely of the purple inferno that he called his ki. "This is the most potent technique in my arsenal, mademoiselle Petchyndee." Rearing back and putting his hands to his sides as he prepared for the finishing blow, Claude looked at Areva with eyes that had not malice but sorrow. "If you survive this, I hope you can become my willing sweetheart.

With both of his palms simultaneously shooting out with lightning speed, Claude broke his own crucifix with a monstrous strike to Areva's stomach, drawing forth a spray of blood from her mouth as she was sent crashing into the drywall barriers of the room. The kickboxer was suspended on the wall for a couple of seconds before sliding back down to the floor and leaving a streak of blood in her weeks.

Coughing up blood as if she were diseased, tears formed in Areva's eyes from intense pain as Claude slowly walked towards her fallen body. A mix of emotions began to flow through Areva's mind: pain, pleasure, sadness, and happiness were but some of the many. Areva recognized the feeling for what it was: her mood swings were about to happen. No, I won't try to stop it, Areva thought with a grim smile as she began to shiver while Claude lowered her hand and placed it next to her cheek. If I am to conquer this emotion, and this foe, I'm going to have to learn how to co-exist with it...

"My dear Areva," Claude said with a soft whisper as he stroked Areva's cheek and wiped away the tear that had come across it. "That attack used up a good deal of my ki: you should be proud that you can still breathe. I do not wish this battle to continue: will you stay here and be my darling?"

"Claude," Areva managed to say as her coughing softened and turned into a gentle laugh. "In another time and place, I would have loved to stay here, and have your touch explore me in oh-so-many ways." Lightly batting his hand away, Areva slowly got back onto her feet. "But I can't forget the love I felt for Keiichi...so I'm going to leave you with a memento of my time with you." Springing into action, Areva grabbed onto Claude's shoulders and sent him flying away with a knee to the chest. "Claude...let me show you my feelings!"

Flying over the same couch that Areva had become acquainted with earlier in the scuffle, Claude landed on the back of his head with a powerful thud. Though the impact of the landing addled his sight, he regained his footing with the grace of a dancer. Seeing Areva running towards him, Claude vaunted over the couch and used the momentum to kick Areva in the face twice with a pair of aerial kicks.

Under normal circumstances, the kicks would have been enough to knock Areva off of her feet and into the air, but with Claude's aura exhausted from his burning crucifix it only caused Areva to stagger for a few steps before resuming her normal fighting position. Recovering quickly, Areva fired off another discus ki blast and this time connected, forcing Claude's back against the couch. With a spinning elbow, Areva sent Claude stumbling to his right as he recoiled from the blow.

With both of her arms glowing, Areva continued the assault with a barrage of vertical and horizontal elbow strikes and swipes, breaking through Claude's guard and bringing heavy blows down upon him like sticks hitting a drum. When she concluded the barrage with a spinning knee to the head, however, she found herself blocked while her host pushed her away with a thrust of his palm. This time, Areva fell flat on her buttocks and moaned in both agony and delight.

"You're...a very interesting woman, mademoiselle Petchyndee," Claude said between breaths and he stomped on Areva's buxom chest and ground his heel into it. "However, it's obvious that you would rather accept death over submission." Rearing back his hand in preparation for a killing blow, Claude looked into Areva's less-than-sane eyes with a grim smile. "I will tell Keiichi that you fought with a fury that would make your ancestors quake in fear!"

Before the fatal attack could be delivered, Claude suddenly screamed as a beam of light came from the window. "Agh, I almost forgot it was so close to dawn," Claude shouted out loud as he covered his eyes and removed his foot from Areva's chest. "I got a full blast of sunlight right in my eyes, and with my aura so weak I couldn't filter it out!"

Areva could have cared less about explanations: all she cared about as she stood back up was speeding up the climax of their duel.

Her arms glowing with her blue ki, Areva unleashed a devastating barrage of fists upon Claude's person as soon as he turned to face her. The kenpo practitioner could do nothing against the onslaught of hands that rained across his face, chest, and abdomen. After what seemed like an endless flood of pain, Areva jumped high into the air and took Claude up with her using a jumping knee, and drove her knees into his sternum as they came crashing into the carpet, shaking the furniture as if the room was experiencing an isolated earthquake.

"Y...you'll find Keiichi in North America," Claude said quietly as he coughed up blood after a few moments of silence while Areva remained on his torso. "Focus your search in the New York area: Sheol makes their nest around that state. Bartholomew will also give you a cell phone that has Keiichi's number saved to it: call him and he will make himself known to you once you arrive in New York City."

"...why did you take me in?"

"Because you reminded me of my mother," Claude answered with a grim smile. "My own standing with Sheol comes from how I killed my parents in a desperate attempt to cover up their own connection with the organization. I had hoped by taking you in I would be able to fill in the gap that I myself created." Letting out a deep sigh, Claude turned his head and looked at the blood-stained carpet beneath him. "Look at this mess: I have no right to call myself a gentleman after this.

"Claude?" Putting her hand on Claude's cheek as she turned his head to face her, Areva leaned down and gave her host a gentle, passionate kiss on the lips before whispering. "Thank you...for everything."

-----

The next day...

Areva thanked Bartholomew as she picked up her bag from the seat in front of her and stepped out the limousine to step into the entrance of the Paris Airport. Even though her wounds still ached from the strenuous battle with Claude the morning before, her mood was as bright as could be.

Not only did I help myself by adapting to my nymphomania attacks, I helped Claude by showing him the error of his ways, Areva thought with a smile while she waved goodbye to Claude's butler as he drove out of the front loop and into the parking lot. I now know what I must do once I find Keiichi: my goal isn't to defeat him, but to redeem him. If I can get the Keiichi I fell in love with back, it'll be worth every trial I face on this journey!

Stepping through the electronically-controlled doors, Areva looked at the long line to the ticket counters and prepared for a lengthy wait to getting her next plane ticket. Before I can face Keiichi, I think I'll need to train some more. I can't face him and expect to him to change the way I am now. Clenching her hand, Areva looked at her newly-formed fist as she strengthened her resolve. By becoming better than what I was the day before, I'll avenge my father, and save Keiichi's soul!

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 9: Face and Heel

The City of London, the capital of the mighty United Kingdom and the largest urbanized area of England, can trace its ancestry back to the time of its founding by the Romans. It was the center of several important events in history such as the English Renaissance, the Gothic Revival, and the Industrial Revolution. Combining ancient medieval boundaries with modern structures and businesses, London draws in all manner of people and cultures and it is speculated that over three hundred different languages are spoken within the city.

This city would be Areva's fourth stop on her way to the destination that she only recently discovered: the city of New York. However, Areva was no longer in a frantic rush to find Keiichi: now that she knew where Sheol activity was the thickest, she was bound to run into Keiichi once she had arrived in North America. For now, her top priority was making sure she was ready to defeat him when the time came.

Areva came to London to seek out a particular martial artist that she had heard rumblings about from both Keiichi and the children of Ayutthaya. The fighter's name was Tony Wilton, and he was a professional wrestler and a former Olympic gold medalist. Areva had heard numerous opinions about professional wrestling: some regarded it as "fake", while others defended it by regarding it as theater and clinic. Keiichi himself had told Areva that his Shining Wizard technique had originated from a Japanese pro wrestler, and that the style itself could be traced back to the very real martial art of Catch Wrestling.

A martial art specializing in entertainment, Areva thought to herself as she sat in her seat on the trolley taking her to her hotel. When I think about it, Keiichi's techniques do seem far too flashy for a practical martial art. If this Wilton is anything like him, I'd do best not to take him as an actor and instead take him as a fighter! Professional wrestling only made its way to Ayutthaya once every three years, and Areva had usually opted to watch kickboxing tournaments in its stead: watching the art would be a completely different experience for her, so sitting in her hand on the trolley was a book that covered the "rules and regulations" as well as the pacing of the match.

"Selling" moves, "shooting" during a match or promo, "jobbing" to the opponent, and playing the babyface or heel: so many different terms to learn! Areva closed the book and let out a sigh. With Muay Thai matches, it's as simple as not doing illegal holds or strikes and scoring points with the judges. How can people keep up with all of this terminology? Realizing that the trolley had come to a stop, Areva looked out her window and saw that she had arrived at her hotel. Getting out of her seat and walking to the door of the trolley, Areva paid her fee to the driver and stepped out of the vehicle with her bag in tow.

Well, for now, I'll have to make myself comfortable until I figure out a way to find Mr. Wilton, Areva thought while she approached the entrance to her hotel. Claude told me that Wilton was here in London, but Bartholomew told me that his job as a professional wrestler has him traveling across the globe as frequently as I do: I hope I got here in time.

Areva's hopes were answered as soon as she stepped through the door of the hotel and entered its large lobby. Placed in the center of the ballroom-like area was a boxing ring, and standing in it was the very man Areva was looking for: Tony Wilton. Wilton was a hulk of a man, as muscular as Xiahou Ren, wearing blue-and-red wrestling tights with the flag of the United Kingdom splashed across the top, the five Olympic rings across the waist, and the word "Wilton" split across the legs. His dark gray hair was thin and balding, Areva noted: he had much more hair in the picture she had seen him in. Well, the picture was a few years old, Areva reasoned as she ran over to the boxing ring. I suppose time wasn't very kind to him.

------

"Take a good look at this jabroni, everyone," Tony said with a microphone in one hand and his other hand pointing at the fallen man lying beneath him. "He is but one of the many who received the Wilt-away Bomb and got his ass beat because of it!" Kicking the fallen man out the ring until he landed on the floor with a thud, Tony continued his boast. "I guess they just didn't have what it takes to take down your Olympic gold medalist Tony Wilton!"

"Anyway, for those of you who just now decided to take the time out of your tedious life to witness greatness in action," Tony added some extra swagger to his step as he paced around the ring, his eyes staring into the crowd that had formed around the ring, "this is how things are going to roll: if you can last five minutes in the ring with me, or hell, even pin me or have me tap out by some freak chance, then I will personally have the GWE give you 400 pounds as well as a developmental deal with one of their farm promotions." Pointing his finger out into the crowd, Tony's eyes narrowed. "So, who wants to be my first victim in some vain attempt to get fame and fortune?"

Tony paused, as if he were waiting for a particular someone to accept his challenge. After a couple of seconds of murmuring, he let out an arrogant laugh. "How disappointing: I was hoping that at least one of you so-called fans had the sand to put your money where your mouth is: looks like the most you can do is buy tickets and dream!"

As soon as he turned his back, he heard an eruption of cheers emerge from the crowd. Turning around once again, Tony saw the cause of the cheers: a young Asian woman with a deep tan wearing a black zip-up tanktop and boxing shorts of the same color with the words "Love Hard" going down one leg and "Hit Harder" going down the other. Placing her jacket and jeans in her bag while she put on her blue-and-purple tassels, the woman propped the bag up against one of the turnbuckles and approached Tony. What the hell: management didn't tell me about facing a woman; Tony raised an eyebrow as he tried his best to hide his surprise. Well, I suppose giving our Fatales some wrestling exposure couldn't hurt: she looks familiar though.

"Well, what do we have here?" Tony said with an impressed tone as he inspected the woman's curves. "You look ready to knock someone out: what's your name, sport?"

"My name is Areva Petchyndee," the woman answered with a sincere smile as she cracked her knuckles. "I would like to accept your challenge."

Areva Petchyndee? Management didn't tell me they hired Areva Petchyndee! "Areva Petchyndee, the Muay Thai Princess? I've faced Denji the Amazing, Sensei Thug, the Dynamic Wolf, and even Slick Blair, but I haven't faced a Muay Thai Princess before!" Tony successfully hid his surprise under a veil of arrogance. "Tell me, sport: what brings you all the way to London?"

"I was looking for you," Areva replied, oblivious to the segment she had just ruined. "I was hoping that I could face you in battle and continue my training."

"Well, don't worry about that, sweetheart," Tony glared at Areva as his voice suddenly became filled with sinister intent. "You'll have plenty of training and rehab to do once I break your arms!" Tossing aside his microphone and soaking in the loud boos he received from the crowd, Tony pressed his forehead against Areva's and whispered, "Did management send you?"

"What are you talking a-" Areva stopped in mid-sentence as she finally realized what she had done. "Oh dear, did I ruin your 'promo?' I'm so-"

"Hey, keep it down," Tony maintained his whisper while he made a menacing face. "It sounds like we're going to be doing a shoot: I'll take the heat, so don't you worry about a thing. Let's give this crowd a match to remember." Tony shoved Areva so hard that she ran into the opposite turnbuckle as he let out an arrogant laugh before shouting, "show me what you got, village girl!"

Complying with her opponent's request, Areva tapped the ropes three times for good luck and suddenly jumped towards Tony knee-first. However, Tony caught Areva's entire body like a boy catching a ball, and drove her face into the mat by falling on his back. Quickly shaking herself loose from Tony's grip, Areva stood back up and tried the maneuver again. This time, she struck the wrestler on the top of his head as soon as he was about to stand up.

Normally the sudden burst of offense would knock a man over, but Tony kept his foot and rubbed his head. What a knee: she stiffed the dickens out of me, Tony thought to himself while he stepped out of the way of a powerful straight and knocked Areva down with a spinning leg lariat. On one hand, management might yell at me for shooting on a fan, but on the other hand, this lady will leave me bruised and battered if I hold back!

Rising onto her feet, Areva latched onto Tony's shoulders and rammed her knees into his sternum before falling on her back in a cannonball position with Tony still in her grip to smash his face against her legs. However, this creative maneuver wasn't enough to stun Tony, as he picked up the curled-up Areva and slammed her into the mat with devastating force. A falling double-knee face buster transitioned into a power bomb, Tony took a brief moment to admire what he had just withstood and delivered while he let Areva get back onto her feet. Sometimes I surprise myself.

Tony paid for his moment of admiration with a swift elbow to the chin, followed by a knee the stomach and a left hook to the jaw. Stunned by this combination, Tony was unable to prevent Areva from grabbing onto his shoulders once again and locking him into a clinch position. This time, Areva managed to get four clean hits to his sternum before sending him stumbling away with an impressive uppercut.

Spitting out a wad of bloody saliva, Tony returned the favor by flooring Areva with a stiff clothesline. Grabbing her fallen body before she could recover, Claude jumped high into the air and held Areva over his head from beneath her shoulders. As they fell back down to the ground, Tony slammed Areva head-first onto the mat while landing a sitting position for a monstrous flying crucifix power bomb.

Keeping hold of Areva's arms, Tony pressed her shoulders down onto the mat while the referee began the three count. Somehow, Areva managed to kick Tony away before the final count could be issued. Disoriented from the punishing maneuver, Areva groggily returned onto her feet and tossed a wild punch that only grazed Tony's left pectoral muscle.

It looks like the Wilt-away Bomb did some serious damage, Tony mumbled as he grabbed Areva's second wild punch and dragged her to the ground to place her in an arm-bar. Hopefully she'll tap out to this and we can end this before I seriously hurt her. "Hey ref, ask her if she quits: she must have had enough of my machismo by now," Tony taunted in accordance with his belittling character as the ref complied with his request and asked Areva the question. Areva frantically shook her head as she reached out and grabbed the bottom rope of the boxing ring.

"Agh...it's a good thing I read about the rope break," Areva said out loud as she massaged her attacked arm as soon as Tony broke the hold. "I think I would've lost the match otherwise." Rotating her shoulder a few times in a taunting fashion, Areva's left leg suddenly shot out and struck Tony in his shin. Successfully stunning the considerably larger opponent, Areva continued targeting the shin with more leg-legged low kicks until Tony stumbled and fell onto one knee, at which point Areva kicked his head with a 360-degree kick like a batter hitting a t-ball.

The impact of the blow could be heard in the crowd, and the spectators voiced their approval of such an act with an explosion of cheers. Had Areva remembered to pin the balding athlete, she would have won the match. However, she instead stood over Tony's fallen body while the referee began the ten-count necessary for a knockout victory. While Tony was dazed from the kick to the head, he was able to return onto his feet at the count of five.

Areva attempted to grab onto Tony's shoulders to put him in a clinching position once again, but this time it was the wrestler who rammed his knee into the kickboxer's abdomen. Quickly letting go of Tony, Areva knelt down in pain and coughed profusely as Tony ran away past Areva to slingshot himself off the ropes and return the favor that Areva had done him earlier by kicking Areva in the head with a thrust of his boot: the technique known in his home country as the Hooligan Kick.

Rolling with the blow, Areva groaned with pain as she spun back onto her feet. The kick had definitely made its mark on the woman, and Tony took note of this as she tried to shake off the dizziness that the kick caused. Moving in for the kill, Tony channeled his golden ki into his right hand and slapped Areva across her chest with a devastating knife-edged chop. The impact echoed throughout the halls of the lobby and the crowd responded with a congregated "woooo!" Recoiling from the chop by turning her back to the wrestler, and he made her pay for it by grabbing onto her waist and tossing her behind him with an Exploder suplex.

However, Areva landed onto her on back, but her feet. Hearing the light creaking on the mat rather than the loud thump he was expecting, Tony turned around to see Areva breathing heavily, but a smile across her face with her arms still up in a fighting position. Heh, what's a match this is turning out to be, Tony returned the smile with one of his own as he watched Areva's right arm glow with sapphire power. Whatever suspension management gives me is well worth the cutting loose!

With a blue discus-like wave of energy flung his way, Tony once again focused his ki into his arms. Chopping at the air as if he were chopping his opponent, Tony's glowing arm not only stopped the blast, but sent it back towards its wielder.

Surprised by this turn of events, Areva jumped on the top rope and watched the blast go between the top and middle ropes just beneath her. Jumping off of the top rope, Areva drove both her knees into her opponent's nose and drew forth a loud cheer from the crowd. Continuing to build momentum, Areva pressed onward with a barrage of punches that pushed Tony's back to a turnbuckle. Upon feeling Tony's movements stop, Areva put her arm down and hit the wrestler in the face with a knee to the face before standing on the middle ropes that began at the turnbuckle.

Smashing her elbow against Tony's forehead like a hammer beating a nail into a piece of wood, Areva let out a shout each time her limb made contact with her opponent's skull while the crowd counted those moments of impact. After the tenth blow, the referee intervened and scolded Areva about not giving the opponent room to breathe after the "five-count" had transpired. Areva, in her adrenaline-fueled disoriented state, could barely make out what the referee was saying and was unable to split her attention between him and the recovering Tony who was bleeding from the forehead.

Running back to Tony and putting his back to the turnbuckle once again with a jumping knee, Areva hopped onto the middle rope once again to resume her attack. However, Tony had regained enough of his senses to grab onto Areva's chest and push her away (though spending a brief moment to grope her breasts in doing so). Areva's face turned beet red as she realized what had just happened, while Tony played off of the mishap by allowing himself a mischievous smirk.

"You...you lecher," Areva shouted as she tried her hardest to overcome the shivering sensation that resulted from another man holding her in such a way. "Don't expect me to take it easy on you anymore!" With both arms glowing with energy, Areva unleashed a fury of elbows onto Tony's head and torso like a storm of baseball bats. Concluding the barrage with a spinning knee to the temple, Areva sent Tony crashing to the mat.

This time going for the pin, Areva quickly got onto her knees and pressed Tony's shoulders against the mat. One...two...th-

Before the referee could make the final, fateful count, Tony lifted his shoulders off the ground and grabbed Areva by her hips. Lifting her over his shoulders once again, Tony placed Areva in a fireman's carry and bent her body, bringing forth cries of pain from the woman as he tried to break her like a wishbone. After the fifth bend, Tony spun Areva around and put her in a crucifix position by holding her under her arms. With his legs glowing yellow, Tony jumped an impossible height as he prepared to end this fight with his most devastating maneuver. This is it: forgive me, kid, Tony thought as the two fighters began to plummet to the ground. This is the part where you get hurt!

"DING!"

Hearing the bell ring, Tony instinctively altered his hold on Areva by placing her in his arms in a cradle position. Landing on his feet with grace that betrayed his size, Tony gently placed Areva's feet on the ground and let her walk away. "Heh, five minutes sure fly by, sport," Tony whispered to his opponent as she took deep breaths. "Looks like you won my money..."

--------

Three hours later...

"I hope I didn't rough you up too much back there," Tony greeted Areva as she sat down in the seat next to him. "It would be a bloody shame if I ruined the good looks of the famed Areva Petchyndee."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Areva replied with a smile as she looked at the menu in front of her. "I would be insulted if you didn't go full force. I should be thanking you for giving me such a fresh experience."

After their bout, the two of them were confronted by management. Tony had been expecting suspension, or possibly unemployment, but the people in charge were quite pleased with the clinic he and Areva had put on. Such a spectacle was bound to attract the media, and the publicity would be nothing but positive. Once they had their bruises treated, the two combatants decided to retreat to a quieter setting at a restaurant a couple of blocks away from the hotel they had brawled in.

"You know, it's not every day that I get to sit down and chat with a famous kickboxer," Tony took a sip of his tea as he watched Areva read the restaurant menu intently. "What brings you all the way to London: did you really come all this way just to talk to me?"

"I came here hoping we could spar," Areva put down the menu and made eye contact with Tony out of courtesy. "You see, I'm training so that I can be ready to defeat this person I'm looking for."

"Well, at least we got that much out of the way," Tony said with a light laugh. "This guy you're training to defeat: what's he like?"

"He used to be my boyfriend, until he did something horrible to betray my trust," Areva frowned as she remembered the sight of seeing her village in ashes and her people either dead or dying. "However, I'm not just looking for him out of revenge. There's a demon in his soul, and I hope to exorcise it with my fists so he can go back to being the man I love."

"If you have to go around the world testing your mettle against other martial artists simply to warm up, he must be one brutal chap," Tony commented before noticing the waitress in front of him. After ordering a corn beef sandwich while Areva opted for chicken salad, Tony continued, "What's his name, if you don't mind my asking?"

"His name is Keiichi Kobashi," Areva pulled out the photograph of Keiichi from her pocket and slid it over to Tony's side of their table. "He's a shoot fighter from Japan who works for Sheol."

"Hmmm...he's a handsome bloke, I'll give him that," Tony rubbed the bald spot on his head, mourning the loss of his youth. Realizing that Areva failed to find the humor in such a remark, Tony made his point. "I don't know anything about this lad, but I do know something about Sheol: they came close to ruining the Olympic wrestling event a few years ago with their gambling ring. Fortunately, Interpol stopped it before it got out of hand."

"How dreadful: I remember when I received my first gambling threat," Areva sympathized with Tony's plight as she explained her story. "In my first big tournament, a group of men came to me and told me to injure my opponent so that she wouldn't be able to compete in the next event. I was able to report them straight to the police, but it was a wake-up call for me knowing that people would ask for something so awful."

"Well, I suppose there are all kinds of people out in this big world: we just happen to run into the baser ones," Tony said with a laugh as he gave the picture back to Areva. "You know, talking to you like this makes it hard to believe that you're the ferocious fighter that gave me this bump on my head just a few hours ago." Tony pointed at the band-aid on his forehead, his smile not fading.

"I have a condition that sometimes lets me lose control of actions," Areva answered truthfully, though embarrassed that she had to share her nymphomania. "Of course, you seem to have mood swings yourself: one moment you're insulting my country and womanhood, and the next you're polite and well-mannered."

"Well, I have to keep kayfabe for the sake of my character," Tony replied with a chuckle. "When I turn face, I'll probably be more like the person you see now." Suddenly, Tony's facial expression morphed completely as he returned to the arrogant individual he was hours earlier. "Until then, I'm going to keep on snapping arms and cashing checks!"

"Well that sounds just fine to me," Areva allowed herself a smirk as she added some swagger to her mannerisms, much to the surprise of the other restaurant customers. "I intend to spend a couple more days here in London, and I'm looking for someone who can give me a good time until then." Areva moaned in pleasure as she gripped herself in a sensual manner. "You think you have what it takes to play with me?"

"You should just consider yourself lucky I'm a sweetheart: otherwise I would be the one having fun with you," Tony let out a loud, boastful laugh as he remained in-character. "I'm going to chop you so hard these next two days, you'll be plopping out babies before you even get pregnant!"

Between Areva's erotic moaning, Tony's maniacal laughter, and the two of them pounding on the table in a crazed frenzy, the entire restaurant had their eyes set solely on them as if there was a spotlight singling them out. After a few seconds of chaos, Areva and Tony took deep breaths and finally regained control of themselves.

"I look forward to being your sparring partner for the next two days, Ms. Petchyndee," Tony outstretched his hand in friendship, confusing the restaurant patrons even further.

"And I look forward to it, as well," Areva shook Tony's hand and reached for the glass of ice water that was next to her. "Thank you for fine match today."

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 10: DMC

Belfast, the capital of Northern Island, is the second-largest city of the Irish Island and the fifth-most populated city in the United Kingdom. It takes its name from the Irish term "Béal Feirste," which is translated to "sandy ford at river mouth." Located at the west end of the Belfast Lough and at the mouth of the River Lagan, Belfast is an ideal place for shipbuilding: an industry that earned it a degree of fame when it became the birthplace of the Titanic. However, the Titanic's maiden voyage has since been marked with tragedy.

However, the sinking of the colossal ship was not the only major scar the city would see in the 20th century. Belfast was also the center of conflict for the Irish Troubles, when paramilitary organizations, political activists, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, civil rights groups, and several other factions waged bloody battle on one another. This marred the Irish island to such a degree that it split the country in two: a split that has not yet ended. Since then, the conflict has died down with the Belfast Agreement of 1998, but the people of both territories remain vigilant of such chaos erupting again.

Standing on the docks of the battle-tested city was one Keiichi Kobashi, looking out to the mighty river that it sat next to as he let himself get lost in his thoughts.

So, Areva emerged victorious against Claude, Keiichi mused as he hung up his cell phone. That means that she's progressed as I have planned. Keiichi had spent the past twenty minutes talking to his old friend Claude Badeau on the phone, who had informed him of Areva's brief stay at his mansion only two days ago. While Keiichi wasn't too pleased that someone who he considered like a brother had tried to steal away and then maim the woman that he loved, he was happy to hear that Areva had managed to defeat the French gentleman in hand-to-hand combat.

Claude had also informed Keiichi of Areva's knowledge of his cell phone number, meaning that Areva could throw the proverbial gauntlet at any time. Even with this knowledge, Keiichi did not expect Areva to call him so soon. She will call when she is ready, and I will be waiting eagerly for her challenge.

Keiichi had come to Belfast for two reasons: to spread Sheol's influence within the workings of the several street gangs of the city, and to seek recruits for the massive organization. Lance Levesque had mentioned one particular individual: a Capoeirista who went by the nickname "DMC."

Aside from the man's personal appearance, Keiichi knew next to nothing about this DMC, as Lance enjoyed making him wander around in the dark so as to better control him like the puppet he was. Keiichi always felt more comfortable with the devils he knew rather than those he didn't, but he had grown accustomed to facing mystery opponents. At the very least, it helped him prepare for the unexpected.

With his first mission complete with three quarters of all the gangs in Belfast uniting to swear their allegiance to Sheol, Keiichi was at the docks killing time before he would venture out and search for his quarry. Pulling out a photo of Areva from his wallet, Keiichi stared at the Thai woman in the picture intently. He remembered quietly vividly when the photograph was taken: Areva was one week away from participating in another kickboxing tournament, and she was hard in training and happy as can be. Keiichi remembered the day for two reasons: the first being that they shared their first mutual kiss on that day, and the second being the tournament in question was the one that Areva was attending when he gave the order to burn down the village that had become both her home and his.

I did what needed to be done: my quest for retribution would have been ruined if I disobeyed and earned the enmity of the entire organization; Keiichi felt his emotions waver but continued to look at the photo. I do not expect Areva to understand, but she doesn't need to: all she needs to do is face me so that the both of us can get on with our lives with this unfinished business behind us.

"She seems like a real ride," a voice said just behind Keiichi's shoulder, causing the young man to quickly dart around. "What's her name?"

Keiichi couldn't help but be surprised as he took a good look at the man who had successfully sneaked up behind him to a point where he could peer over his shoulder. The man was a toned individual with short bleach blonde hair and a thin black mustache with a soul patch underneath the bottom lip. He was wearing a white muscle shirt and yellow sports pants with the Gaelic word "glóir" written in green on each leg. Holding a large stereo in one arm, the man waved his free arm in apology as he spoke in a light accent. "Sorry about that, friend: perhaps I should have been a tad more polite by giving out my name?"

"That would have been an admirable start...Mr. DMC," Keiichi pushed up his glasses as his eyes narrowed.

"Y'know my name: it's a bleedin' shame I don't know yours," DMC rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed that a complete stranger knew of his existence. "I only go by DMC when I'm performin': my actual name is Donal Mhic Cormac. How about you: could you tell me your name?"

"...my name is Keiichi," the Japanese youth replied after a brief pause. "I have been looking for you for some time in hopes that I could discuss important business with you."

"'Important business?'" Donal repeated before letting out a hearty laugh. "Well spit, man, come on over to my favorite pub and we can talk about it over drinks!"

"I don't drink," Keiichi's voice gave way to a hint of irritation. "If it is not too much trouble, I would like to discuss my business here and now."

"...suit yourself," the Irish young man put his stereo down on the docks and sat down with his legs crossed on the wooden docks. "I hate talkin' about serious shite while I'm standin'. Sit down and we'll talk about things like that."

At first, Keiichi remained standing, but after a few seconds he complied with the request and followed Donal's lead. "Mr. Mhic Cormac, are you familiar with the organization Sheol?"

"Golly, those are some real pieces o' work," Donal said with a chuckle. "Those guys deal with drugs, weapons, gambling, and assassinations: they've got sand, that's for sure."

"Indeed: I happen to represent them." Keiichi remained stoic in his speech and demeanor. "Our leader would like to include you in our ranks: your Capoeira alone has given you a degree of fame in the fighting world and yet I didn't even know your given name. Will join us?"

"Ah, I'd love to help you an' all, but Sheol isn't my fancy," Donal's smile only widened despite denying Keiichi's offer. "My mum always taught me that drugs are for losers, and I'm no loser! I'd be really upset with myself if I was forced to push drugs n' weapons on these docks!"

"I see...then I have another request," Keiichi said with a sigh as he stood back and assumed his fighting stance. "Get up so that I may make sure that you will not be a hindrance to the organization in the future. I will do my best to make sure that you will walk away with your life."

"How nice of you," Donal used his powerful leg strength to back flip onto his feet and pressed the "play" button on his stereo. "Let's dance, boyo!"

A steady hip-hop beat resonated from the stereo, and Donal lightly tapped his foot to the beat. Eight seconds later, the beat began to include other sounds ranging from tambourines to electronic synthesizers, and Donal's foot-tapping evolved into a complex Capoeira jinga. Just before music started to accompany the beat, the Irish martial artist jumped into the air and drop-kicked Keiichi in his chest before landing on his hands and gracefully spinning back onto his feet.

The music dictates the pace of the match for him, Keiichi thought as he rubbed his tattooed chest and resumed his fighting stance while Donal resumed his jinga. That's very interesting: usually I try to make my fights faster than the opponent can think, but if I do that here he'll punish me with his own speed. Instead of going straight for a counter-attack, Keiichi lightly tapped his foot to the beat and waited for his opponent to come to him.

Keiichi's patience paid off as he tilted his head away from a swinging leg, and took advantage of the brief opening by kicking Donal in the chest and following up with a rapid succession of blows from the same leg. Concluding the leg barrage with a reverse roundhouse kick, Keiichi sent Donal sliding across the dock like a puck going across shuffleboard.

"What a kick: I should've known that you'd have some fire in your boot," Donal said before letting out a confident laugh while he spun back onto his feet. "Come on then: I'm not done yet!" Dancing his way towards the stationary Keiichi, Donal suddenly stood on his hands and swung his legs on a horizontal axis, forcing Keiichi to quickly jump away. However, this was Donal's intention to begin with, and he propelled himself off the ground to ram his head into Keiichi's stomach like a spear. Landing on his hands while his opponent landed on his back, Donal spun his legs around again before dropping them onto Keiichi's chest like falling tree branches.

What a show-off: using spinning leg drops in a street fight, Keiichi rolled out of the way of another leg drop and Donal off the ground with an impaling knee that forced him back onto his feet. If Lance and Areva say my style is too flashy, I can't help but wonder what they would think if they ran into this fellow. With Donal still stunned from the blow, Keiichi jumped onto the Capoerista's knee and hit him in the face with his own burning knee while he grabbed onto his head and jumped over the Irishman's shoulders in a corkscrew motion to spin the man around like a top and have him spiral onto the dock: the mark of the potent Shining Wizard-Corkscrew Neckbreaker combination.

Donal quickly got back up and resumed his jinga, but as he gripped his neck, there was a curiously happy look on his face. He's clearly enjoying himself: that makes one of us, Keiichi effortlessly moved his head out of the way of another leg swing as he pondered what was pleasing Donal so much. Perhaps he enjoys the thrill of battle, like so many others. Spending a moment too long wondering about Donal's glee, Keiichi became victim to two palms clapping against his skill like cymbals, stunning him momentarily. Grabbing onto Keiichi's shoulders, Donal planted his feet onto the Japanese man's stomach and fell on his back to launch him high into the air. Keiichi landed hard on his back as he writed for a moment before once again rolling out of the way of Donal's falling legs.

However, Donal was quick to catch on, and sprung back on his feet only to flop forward like a buzzsaw to bring down his heel onto Keiichi's head like a hammer. The wild maneuver stunned Keiichi long enough for Donal to launch himself up by his hands and take Keiichi into the air with him. Pedaling his feet off of Keiichi's abdomen as if he were a bicycle, Donal launched his opponent away with a double-footed drop kick while he landed gracefully on the dock.

Keiichi landed on his hands and gracefully side-stepped a forward punch to his throat, kicking Donal in his back as a result and sending him towards the edge of the dock. Taking a moment to catch his breath while Donal teetered precariously over the edge, Keiichi wiped the blood from his mouth and listened to the beat still playing from the stereo. The young man was finally beginning to become accustomed to the rhythm of his opponent, and all that remained was that he exploited it.

As soon as Keiichi was about to knock Donal over the edge, however, the track concluded and a new song played. Donal finally maintained his equilibrium and turned around to adjust his jinga accordingly. This new beat was considerably faster, and had a pulsing rhythm of a trance song. Running towards Keiichi with surprising speed, Donal spun around to whack Keiichi in the throat with a backhanded slap, stunning the young man long enough to strike him in the side of his head with a spinning heel kick while his leg flashed with his teal-hued ki.

His rhythm changed completely: now it's become fast and rapid, Keiichi took note of Donal's rapid steps as he returned to fighting stance and frantically dodged the quick succession of spinning back kicks that would certainly knocked him into unconsciousness had any of them connected. However, fast and rapid is where I'm at my best: let's see how he fares now that the pace is being dictated like this!

Seeing a quick window of opportunity, Keiichi punched Donal in his abdomen with a rising uppercut, stunning the Capoerista and allowing Keiichi to perform a second uppercut, this time with his arm burning with his ruby ki. Grabbing onto Donal's head with one hand before he could even recoil from the Seika Upper, Keiichi shoved his elbow into his opponent's face several times before sending him stumbling away with a straight punch.

Continuing the assault, Keiichi pressed onward with a punishing combination of left and right kicks to the back and sternum of Donal. The smile on the Irishman's face finally faded as he continuously shout out in pain while Keiichi deviated from his kicks and began to use punches, alternating between right and left and bringing down his fists with punishing clubbing blows. After what seemed like an eternity of being on the defensive, Donal suddenly came to life once again and rammed his head into Keiichi's skull to successfully daze the bespectacled aggressor while he took a moment to catch his breath.

With Keiichi still reeling from the collision of foreheads, Donal stopped his jinga and suddenly fell down so that his belly was facing the ground. Pulling his legs so that his feet were next to his head, Donal let out a wild laughter as his entire body began to glow light teal while he rolled towards Keiichi like a human tire. By the time Keiichi had turned around to face Donal, he was rocked with a rapid series of blows that cut at him like a buzzsaw. The human wheel called Donal ripped apart Keiichi's shirt and cut at his skin before bouncing of him to land back on the ground in a much more normal position. "How d'you like me now, huh? When it comes to athleticism, you can't even touch me!"

"I'd...hardly call that athleticism," Keiichi said between breaths as he assessed the damaged done to his black button-up shirt. "With that kind of contortionist movement, you could be making much more money as an entertainer than whatever it is you do now." While his shirt had a few tears in it, Keiichi deemed it wearable for the time being and kept it on.

With his Mothra tattoo now fully exposed, the Japanese young man took a deep breath and focused his ruby ki into his arms. I had hoped to use this attack in my battle with Areva, and banish her from my life with it, Keiichi thought while Donal scratched his head in curiosity. However, I think I can afford to use a watered-down version on this fool.

Realizing what was going on, Donal quickly curled back up into his unique wheel position and flashed with power. However, by the time he had begun his forward momentum, Keiichi had focused his ki into his elbows in preparation for his most recent, most devastating maneuver. Slashing the air with simultaneous elbow swipes, Keiichi unleashed two remarkably wide, remarkably powerful blades of fire that knocked Donal out of his wheel position and returned the favor done earlier to Keiichi by slashing at his torso.

Donal slid on the docks and came close to falling over as he sat up and observed the wound left by the attack. There were definite cuts in his muscle shirt and his skin was raw and bloody. Standing back up and wincing in pain as he did, Donal turned around just in time to see Keiichi run towards him with violent intent. Using his foe's knee as a stepping stone, Keiichi propelled himself off Donal's leg and struck him hard in the chin with a burning flip kick that knocked Donal over the edge and into the water: the Blinding Wizard technique.

Donal's head quickly emerged from the water as he coughed up the sea that he loved so much. "Well, whattya know," Donal laughed as he swam back towards the docks. "You gave me a real lashin', you did. We should do it again sometime!"

"It is curious that you should say that, Mr. Mhic Cormac," Keiichi sat down near the edge of the dock while Donal climbed back onto the wooden platform. "I am actually training to defeat someone, and the technique I used on you earlier is still incomplete." Turning his head to face Donal, Keiichi spoke in an almost foreboding manner. "I need a sparring partner for the next couple of days: are you up to the task?"

At this point, Donal let out a long, hysterical laugh that piqued Keiichi's curiosity. After several seconds of laughing, Donal raised his hand in a thumbs-up gesture. "We're going to have such a grand time, boyo." Rather than shake Keiichi's hand, however, Donal opted to resume dancing to the music that was still playing from the stereo. "How about we share our newly-formed partnership with a dance?"

"I...think I'll pass," Keiichi rolled his eyes and waved his hand as he answered, "as I need to call someone first."

-------

Meanwhile, some 300 miles east...

"What do you think this is: summer camp?" Tony shouted as brushed off Areva's blow as easily as he would dismiss a droplet of rain. "Keep in mind that I'm bigger than you: it takes more than that to make me notice you! Come on; face me like you faced me yesterday!"

Areva and Tony were entering the second day of their private training session, and despite Tony's taunts, the relationship was proving to be mutually beneficial. Tony prided himself on being able to take the stiffest of blows without injury, and Areva was thrilled to be training against someone who used a fighting style that would normally be troublesome for a Thai fighter. There's so much resemblance between him and Xiahou Ren, and not just because of their lack of hair, Areva smiled as she answered Tony's taunt with a ki-infused fist that struck Tony squarely in the chest and caused him to recoil. Sparring with a grappler like him is definitely good in the long run.

"Hahahahahahaha," Tony let out a long belly laugh as he looked at the raw area on his chest. "That's what I'm talking about. Come on, Areva, I still have six hours until I have to show up for tonight's house show."

Before Tony could return the favor done to him with a stiff chop, a melodic tone emerged from Areva's bag across the room. Curious, Areva reached into her bag and pulled out the cell phone that Claude gave her a few days earlier. Flipping the cell phone open and pressing a button, Areva put the phone to her ear and greeted the mystery caller with a clear "hello."

"Hello, Areva: how has your training been going?"

"K-Keiichi," Areva exclaimed, surprising the eavesdropping Tony. "What a surprise, I was just thinking about you!"

"...you sound like you're a more pleasant mood than the last time I spoke you, in Sydney," Keiichi's voice had a hint of surprise. "What has caused your mood to change so much in only ten days?"

"It's because I finally know what I have to do," Areva replied truthfully without even a hint of malice in her voice. "I'm not fighting for revenge anymore: I'm fighting for both our sakes now."

"Is that so? You certainly have a much brighter outlook on our upcoming confrontation than I do," Keiichi's voice began solemn and almost tragic. "Areva, I've decided that our confrontation deserves a set date. Will you be able to arrive in New York City in four days?"

"...yes, I can do that," Areva answered while instinctively nodding her head. "I was going to fly to New York tomorrow, in fact."

"In three days, I will give you the address of our confrontation: that will give you a day to final preparations," Keiichi's voice became stern once again: a tone that Areva had become accustomed to. "Areva, when we clash fists, I expect you to hold nothing back and come at me as if you wished to kill me...because I will be doing the same."

"I understand perfectly," Areva let out a sigh, slightly depressed that Keiichi had not yet come to terms with his own feelings. "Keiichi, before you hang up, I have something to ask you: when you were back at the village, were you truly happy or was that simply a mask?"

After a long pause, Keiichi gave his answer. "I will not lie, Areva: nothing would have pleased me more than to hold you in my arms when you returned from the tournament. However, I made a vow on my parent's graves that I would avenge their deaths, and I couldn't afford to be happy until that happened."

"That's all I needed to know," Areva wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled. "I will see you in four days, Keiichi: I hope you're training as hard as I am."

"Likewise, Areva," Keiichi's stern voice cracked slightly, as if he too had just shed a tear. "Until that time comes, I wish you the best."

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 11: Musician


New York City is the most populated city in all of the United States, and its metropolitan area is among the largest in the world today. For well over a century it has been one of the world's most important centers of finance and commerce. With its global influence in media, politics, entertainment, fashion, and education, New York has a reputation for being a city that "never sleeps."

Many of the city's neighborhoods and landmarks are known throughout the world, whether it be the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, the global financial center of Wall Street located in Lower Manhattan, or the Empire State Building that was once dubbed one of the seven wonders of the modern world. With this much attraction, it even became the location of the United Nations to one of the world's most important areas of foreign affairs.

How appropriate, then, that I come here to witness a conflict between two young people from two different countries, Fredrick thought as he looked out the large window next to him while he sipped his coffee. Fredrick had received word from one of his moles in the Sheol organization that Keiichi Kobashi had reserved a room in a popular hotel located within New York City. Quickly hurrying to the city via jet, the German detective had learned via hacking into the hotel database that Keiichi was scheduled to arrive in his room in just one day, meaning Fredrick had beaten him to the punch. I guess the stage for his bout with Areva will be within this mighty city, and I'm sure Sheol headquarters will be close by!

The café that Fredrick was sitting in was located several stories above the busy streets of the mighty city, and he couldn't help but be impressed as he looked out to at the bright lights and full-motion billboards. While there were similar sights to see in Frankfurt, it wasn't quite as extravagant as those that lay before him. It's a shame I couldn't take my girlfriend with me, but I'm not about to take her to Sheol's backyard, if their main hideout is in this massive city, Fredrick mused while he looked out into the afternoon sun. Perhaps if I can convince Keiichi to accept my offer, I'll have time to buy my girlfriend a ticket to New York.

Fredrick's train of thought was interrupted by a gentle piano riff coming from the spacious catwalk a few feet away. The song was serene and touching, and did not need lyrics to spread its message of tranquility and harmony. What a beautiful song, the German detective smiled as he allowed himself to get lost in the melody. I'll have to tip the pianist.

Getting out of his seat to walk towards the piano, Fredrick took note of the pianist's considerable height: even sitting down he towered over the keyboard he was playing at. The pianist was a dark-skinned man wearing a navy-blue baseball cap with the capital letters of "N" and "Y" overlapping each other, wearing a nylon jacket of the same color with light blue jeans and white sneakers. He must around two meters tall: and he's a brick wall of a human bring along with it, Fredrick reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. He looks familiar, though.

"Excuse me, sir," Fredrick opened his mouth and interrupted the tranquil music piece. "Are you by any chance the famous Byron Ogden?"

The pianist suddenly stopped playing and turned his head to face the young detective. Fredrick's suspicions were confirmed when he noticed a thin scar going from the man's chin to the bottom of his throat. After a couple of seconds of uncomfortable silence, the pianist went back to his song while Fredrick continued. "I thought it was you: who else could play such a lovely piece of music?"

Fredrick knew quite a bit about Byron Ogden's musical career: he had kept up with his albums and works from the moment Byron decided to license his music. Byron had grown up in the rougher sides of New York, emerging from the fight clubs and street fighting pits to pursue his dream to become a singer. Abandoning his violent lifestyle in order to make his dream come true, Bryon's voice was as elegant as he was strong, and he was strong indeed.

Unfortunately, his strong sense of righteousness also put him into direct conflict with Sheol after he and a few of his fellow fight club regulars took down one of their street gangs. As a result, Sheol targeted the melodic man and slashed his throat in the following confrontation. While Byron miraculously survived the onslaught, his blissful voice had become a thing of the past.

It was only three months ago that the incident happened, Fredrick remembered as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to Byron's bench. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him: to be able to play with the music but not sing with it after working so hard to make a career out of music. "I am a very big fan of yours, Mr. Ogden: your music is still very popular in Germany."

Byron did not response with thanks, but with a couple of bars of complex notes and chords. Fredrick knew that Byron's injury left him voiceless, but he continued anyway. "My name is Fredrick Steinwald: I'm an Interpol detective investigating Sheol. I heard about your plight, and I would like to help you."

Suddenly, the big man stopped playing the keyboard and took off his sunglasses to make full eye contact with the considerably smaller officer. [/I]Those eyes aren't too different from Areva's,[/I] Fredrick noted as he maintained his composure in the face of such an intimidating glare. He's lost something important to him, and he wants to set things right with his own two hands. "I would like to know more about the gang that attacked you: is that all right?"

Reaching into a bag beneath his bench, Byron pulled out a notebook and a pencil and quickly scribbled the question, "Why do you wish to talk to me when you already know about what happened?" onto a sheet of paper and handed it to Fredrick.

Reading the question, Fredrick smiled as he answered truthfully, "Because I do want to help you. I have reason to believe that Sheol headquarters is somewhere within the tri-state area. I have the list of several possible gangs here in New York that are believed to be tied with the organization. However, I need confirmation from someone who has had dealings with them in order to see our leads are correct."

Handing the notebook back to Byron, Fredrick watched the man meticulously jot down a series of words that the young man could only guess upon their meaning. After fifteen seconds of waiting, Fredrick was handed a list of aliases as well as another question.

"'These are the gangs here in New York that I know work for Sheol. I would like to see your list so that I may do my part to stop them from doing to others what they did to me.'" Fredrick read Byron's request aloud and his smile dwindled as a result. "I am afraid that that is classified information, so it will take time for me to get clearance to give you any extra names." Stepping out of his seat, Fredrick cracked his neck and continued. "However, I do have a request for you: will you please spar with me and show me the skill that made you infamous in the street fighting circuit?"

Byron grimaced and turned his head away from Fredrick to go back to playing his piano. "Don't be like that, Mr. Ogden," the German detective sat down next to Byron and began to play a melody of his own. "I said getting the list of gangs that Interpol suspects would take time, but that doesn't mean it will take that much time. All I have to do is go to my room and get the files myself from my computer, and then they're all yours if you promise me you won't try to take them on all by yourself."

Byron's music suddenly became dark and foreboding, in contrast to Fredrick's happy tune. Electricity began to crackle in Byron's fingertips as Fredrick felt violent intent build up inside the man. Quickly getting off of the bench, the young detective watched as Byron slowly closed the lid of the piano and stood up to assume his fighting stance. Taking a deep breath, Byron lifted his hand and motioned Fredrick to come to him.

"I look forward to your cooperation," Fredrick's smile returned to his face as he took off his trenchcoat and threw it to the chair behind him to reveal his bullet-proof vest and wire-mesh sleeves. "Let me see if you have the fists to back up your resolve!" Jumping high into the air until he was close to touching the ceiling thirty feet above him, Fredrick's fist glowed with a light gray color as he raised it over his head while he let gravity take him back down to the ground. Just when he was about to land on one of his favorite music artists and drive his fist into the man's skull, Fredrick was snatched out of the air and slammed into the ground face-first like a throw rug.

"What precise reaction time," Fredrick rolled forward to avoid getting attacked further and returned to his feet. "Don't worry, though, I won't trap you by saying that you assaulted a police officer." Getting off the ground once again, though time only going a couple of feet off of the floor, Fredrick's legs swung into action and kicked Byron in the face with a picture-perfect, boomerang-like attack. The impact of such a blow caused the bigger man to fall on his back and slide across the carpeted floor for a few inches.

Quickly getting back up onto his feet, Byron ducked under another high spinning kick and countered with a powerful diagonal backhanded punch that swatted his foe away like a baseball. Running after Fredrick's body as it rolled onto the ground, Byron punted the man like a football and sent him rolling farther away. So much power behind those blows, Fredrick thought while he used the rolling momentum to get back onto his feet. I'll have to keep my defenses sharp if I don't want my pretty face to wind up like ground meat!

Not quite through with making circular motions, Fredrick crouched down and rolled out of the way of a downward punch. Springing back onto his feet, Fredrick ran towards Byron and this time took the more subtle approach of punching him in the chin with a rising uppercut, turning around as he lifted his body. With his opponent stunned from the attack, the green-haired officer kicked the big man in the stomach with a donkey-like kick and sent him stumbling away.

Byron was fast to recover, however, and snatched Fredrick by the throat as soon as he was within grabbing distance once again. Slamming Fredrick's head into the carpet, the African-American mountain of muscle and music lifted his free hand, focused his crackling bronze-colored ki into it and brought it down upon the ninja's chin in a swinging, uppercut-like motion that sent the officer sliding across the floor like a bowling ball and crashing into a nearby table as if it were the metaphorical pin.

Comically bumping his head on the table above him as he stood back up, Fredrick rubbed his cranium in pain and was left open to a devastating back heel kick from Byron that displayed athleticism betraying his side. The impact of the blow made a resounding whack throughout the catwalk and floored Fredrick like he had been hit by an iron ball. Reaching down to pick Fredrick off the ground, Byron held the officer's body in front of him and rammed Fredrick into another table as if he were a jouster ramming his shield into the opponent's lance.

Shouting in pain as his spine came into contact with the table, Fredrick desperately broke free of Byron's bear hug by shoving his fist into the big man's face and flipped behind the table in an attempt to put some space between him and his idol. "You are strong, indeed, sir," Fredrick complimented his foe as he jumped over the table with a graceful moonsault and perched himself atop Byron's shoulders. "Fighting you is truly a privilege: it's too bad you don't work for Interpol!" With Byron's head caught between the detective's legs, Fredrick jumped into the air to take the big man with him and flung him away with a mid-air forward flip to send Bryon landing hard into the carpet while he landed gracefully on his feet.

Seeing that Byron had not yet regained his footing, Fredrick once again took to the air and focused his silver ki into his fist as he came down to the ground. This time, Fredrick hit his mark and plunged his glowing hand into the brawler's abdomen, bringing forth a blast of air from the silent pianist's mouth. Before Fredrick could remove his fist, however, Byron's arms sprang to life and grabbed Fredrick's shoulders. Rolling over and taking Fredrick to the ground, Byron made it so that Fredrick's back was to the ground while he was mounted on top of him. Charging his bronze electricity-like ki into his fists, Byron applied his hands to the face and chest of Fredrick, raining down blows upon him like bruising hail. After the eighth blow, Byron stood back up to kick the ninja away and send him rolling away.

Amazing: he doesn't seem to have any sort of set fighting style, and yet my ninjutsu is barely doing a thing to him, Fredrick scrambled back onto his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. Simply by using his fighting instincts alone, he can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone no matter how much training they had gone through entering the fight. Reaching into his pocket to pull out his metallic mouth cover, Fredrick used his free hand to crack his neck. I knew he was good, but I had no idea he was so great at fighting. The lyrics of his songs would suggest otherwise.

"As I stated earlier, I look forward to cooperating with you so that we may topple Sheol as warriors of justice," Fredrick jumped over the charging Byron as if they were playing leapfrog as he fastened on his mouth cover. "Let us race towards the climax so that may advance our professional relationship!"

Using his athletic ability to his advantage, Fredrick pursued his quarry and performed a quality cartwheel kick to bring his legs down upon the skull of Byron. Performing a second cartwheel kick, Fredrick immediately followed the combination with a leaping suicide dive that brought Byron to the ground. With Byron's shoulders to the floor, Fredrick jumped into the air and once again plunged his ki-infused fist into the bigger man's abdomen before gracefully jumping off and allowing his foe to return to his feet.

Continuing to build momentum, Fredrick's hand shot out for a finger-first thrust to the previously-targeted abdomen. The maneuver caused Byron to stumble backwards and let out a cough, and left him open to a trio of standing roundhouse kicks. Taking to the air once again, Fredrick hopped up and sent Byron sliding across the carpet with a boomerang-like kick.

However, Byron was quick to get back onto his feet and caught Fredrick in mid-air as he went for another kick. Lifting him over his head like Atlas holding the globe in mythology, Byron slammed the ninja into the ground with a devastating power bomb. Even after all this, Byron was not yet done with the maneuver, and repositioned Fredrick to slam him back down into the ground, only face-first in a throw rug-like fashion.

It's a good thing I have my face mask on, Fredrick thought while he scrambled out of the way of Byron's boot. I might have lost a few teeth just now, and I have a dentist appointment in two weeks! Returning to his feet, Fredrick attempted another kick but was sent flying backwards with Byron's own side kick. Crashing into the piano with a comedic spray of notes, Fredrick groaned in pain while Byron grabbed him by his vest and tossed him over his head and away from the instrument.

Byron did not immediately pursue, however, as he reared back his fist and charged his ki into his clenched hand. Slowly walking towards Fredrick as the ninja struggled to return onto his feet, Byron stalked his prey like a lion stalking an antelope. Once he was within range, the musician unleashed his gathered energies into a single, devastating straight punch that made a loud echo throughout the catwalk as it made contact.

However, Byron expected the blow to effectively knock Fredrick out and end the conflict. What it did instead was shatter Fredrick into many small pieces of crystal and gravel. Byron was visibly confused as he looked at the debris from his technique. Looking around frantically to see where his opponent had gone off to, the American musician started to wonder if the ninja was even human.

He wouldn't have to wonder long, however, as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist like a boa constrictor. "You completely destroyed my substitution stone, Mr. Ogden," Fredrick said as he put all of his ki into his legs and rocketed high into the air to take Byron with him. "I take back what I said about you being great: you are amazing!" Just when they were about to hit the ceiling, Fredrick flipped Byron over so that his head was facing the ground and threw him to the ground with strength that betrayed his size. Byron landed hard on his back while Fredrick landed on his feet with grace and poise.

After a few moments of lying on the ground, Byron stood back up and brushed off the Jacknife Izuna Drop by lighting dusting off his jacket and pants. At first, Fredrick thought he was going to continue attacking, but instead the musician opted to return to his piano and resume playing the peaceful song he had been working on earlier. "Thank you very much for your time and gracing me with your technique, Mr. Ogden," Fredrick said with a smile as he went to his bag next to the table he had been sitting at and pulled out a brown folder. Opening the folder to pull out a few sheets of paper stabled together, Fredrick put the papers on top of the piano Byron was playing at. "These sheets of paper contain an incomplete list of suspects in this tri-state area who are believed to be Sheol henchmen. I will give the full list to you in approximately two hours. Will you still be here?"

Byron turned his glance to Fredrick and nodded his head once before turning his gaze back to the piano. With a smile, Fredrick continued. "Mr. Ogden, your help is greatly appreciated and noted by us at Interpol. Here is my e-mail address: contact me if you hear or see anything suspicious regarding the organization."

After scribbling down his e-mail address and giving it to Byron, Fredrick waved goodbye and picked up his bag. It's so weird seeing him silent after listening to his songs for so long, Fredrick mused while he began to walk out of the catwalk restaurant. I suppose it's just one more reason why Sheol deserves nothing less than destruction.

"Officer, is that you?"

Fredrick turned around in the direction of the familiar voice to see a familiar buxom female run towards him. I didn't think she would be here so soon, the officer thought as he stopped walking away so that the woman could catch up to him. Perhaps she wishes to be here in case Kobashi comes early. "What a coincidence to see you here, Areva," Fredrick hid his intentions behind a veil of ignorance. "Are you here to enjoy the sights of New York?"

"Actually, I just arrived at this hotel five minutes ago," Areva answered as she placed her bag down on a nearby table. "I was on my way to my hotel room when I heard your voice...but why are you dressed like that?"

"Hm? Oh, this," Fredrick realized that he was still in full Silent Scan uniform and quickly ran over to the table he was previously sitting at so as to put his trenchcoat back on. "I was just showing off my work clothes to the adoring people of New York." Taking off his mouth cover and putting it in his coat pocket, Fredrick spun around dramatically to put his jacket on. "Do you think I look sexy in it?"

"Very much so," Areva replied with a smile as she waved goodbye to the detective as he resumed walking and turned his back to her while he picked up bag up from the floor. "Maybe I'll see you again soon!"

"I look forward to it, Areva," Fredrick lifted his free hand and returned the good-bye with one of his own. "I am sure we will be meeting again soon."

-------

As soon as Areva sat down at the table she placed her bag on, she felt a rumbling in her jeans pocket. Realizing that the vibration was coming from the cell phone that Claude gave her days before, the young woman pulled the device out of her pocket and flipped it open. Pressing a green button on the phone, Areva put it to her ear and greeted the caller. "Hello?"

"Hello, Areva: welcome to New York City," Keiichi's voice returned the greeting, causing Areva's heart to skip a beat. "It truly is a magnificent place: it bears almost no resemblance to Ayutthaya."

"It's a concrete jungle as opposed to an organic jungle,"Areva commented while she looked at the window to gaze out at Times Square. "Keiichi, it is good to hear your voice: have you been training for this day as much as I have?"

"Of course, Areva: you not a warrior to be taken lightly," Keiichi reassured Areva while she ran her fingers through her hair.

Even though Areva's voice was calm, the woman herself was racked with nervousness and uncertainty. It had been two full weeks since she left her home to search for Keiichi, and in a matter of hours her search would be coming to an end. Either she would save Keiichi's soul from the clutches of the Sheol that she knew little about, or she would fall trying. "Keiichi, where are you? I want to get this duel over with as soon as possible."

"Look behind you, just in front of the large television."

Darting her head around, Areva gasped as she saw a young Asian man with ruffled brown hair wearing a white button-up shirt and beige khaki pants. If the glasses sitting in front of his face and the blue and purple tassel tied around his left sleeve weren't enough to give him away, it was the Mothra tattoo exposed by the first top buttons of the shirt that were undone. With his phone still up against his ear, Keiichi issued a simple greeting.

"Hello, Areva-san."

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 12: Duel


Thirteen days ago, Areva Petchyndee left her beloved Ayutthaya to search for the man who stole her heart and betrayed her trust by burning down her village and terrorizing her people. A remarkably persistent individual, she traveled around the world in search for the man and met many different people along the way. The experiences strengthened her in several ways and allowed her to prepare for the inevitable clash with the man when she finally caught up with him.

That day finally came when she arrived in the gargantuan New York City after being led there by the man himself, who was now standing in front of her in an elegant indoor catwalk restaurant just outside of Times Square. Finally gazing upon her quarry, Areva couldn't control her emotions as tears welled up in her eyes and her body began to shiver. It's like I'm dreaming, to have caught up with Keiichi, Areva used her shaking hand to wipe away her tears and used all of her mental training to keep her composure. It's up to me now to make sure this dream doesn't turn into a nightmare!

"Do not cry in front of me, Areva," Keiichi broke the tense moment with his cold, unforgiving scolding. "Warriors only cry after the battle has ended, and we haven't even traded fists yet." Walking away from the large television set he was standing in front of, Keiichi approached Areva and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. "Of course, perhaps I'm shortchanging your spirit: maybe crying helps get you into a mental state of mind."

"No, it's exactly as you said: I wasn't entirely prepared to face you," Areva graciously took the handkerchief and dried her tears. "I was expecting to see you tomorrow: you surprised me." Putting her bag down next to her, Areva sat down at a table and offered a seat to her Japanese lover. "Sit down: I want to talk to you."

After a moment's pause, Keiichi complied with Areva's request and placed his rear end in the seat. "Despite what you may think, Areva, it is good to see you again," Keiichi placed his hands under his chin and used his arms to support his head. "For the past thirteen days, I have thought solely of you and the day of our confrontation."

"I'm glad to hear that, Keiichi: I've been thinking about you, too," Areva hid her anxiety with a warm smile as she let herself get lost in Keiichi's handsome features. I should hate him, and find his face disgusting for what he did to me, the Thai woman thought as she gazed into Keiichi's visage. For some reason, I find him even more attractive than last time: maybe it's because for the past two weeks I've only been looking at him through that picture I have.

"Areva," Keiichi called out to his lover and rival, causing her to break out of her daydream. "You have traveled a long way, and it probably cost you a lot of money. Unfortunately, I have to ask you to go home now."

"...what?" Areva blinked, not entirely sure what Keiichi had just told her.

"When you defeated Claude, it attracted the attention of Sheol," Keiichi lowered his head, almost ashamed of what he was telling her. "They didn't tell me this until this morning, but they want me to do one of two things: they either want me to kill you, or they want me to convince you to join the organization as the fifth golem."

"...how very flattering," Areva ran her fingers through her hair, still hiding behind the smile even though Keiichi had just made clear his intentions to kill her. "Why are you telling me to go home?"

"I do not wish to put you in such a position," Keiichi answered while he raised his head once again to make eye contact with the woman in front of him. "I still have influence in the organization: I can arrange that you can go back to your village and they will never bother you again."

"Damn it, Keiichi, did you think I traveled across the world just for you to tell me to go home!?"

Areva slammed her fist again the glass table with such force that it left a large crack. The sudden outburst had attracted the attention of everyone in the room, who had been treated to a violent match between a ninja and pianist only minutes before. "I still love you, Keiichi: it's true that I started this journey for revenge, but meeting all of the people that I have while looking for you has made me realize that my feelings for you haven't changed at all!"

"...you do seem a lot more focused than you were two weeks ago," Keiichi complimented Areva after a moment's pause. "However, did you stop to think that this emotion you might be feeling could have stemmed from your condition? Could everything that we experienced in our six weeks together be nothing more than a compulsion?"

"...that could be possible, but you don't have any excuse," Areva calmed down as she called Keiichi on his own bluff. "Even now, you try to save me from harm by offering me a chance to go home unscathed. That just proves that you feel the same way I do." Her moment of tranquility was short-lived, however, as she clenched her fist. "Even though you did feel that way, you still couldn't break your ties with Sheol. You destroyed my home and killed my father."

"I do not expect you understand my reasoning during the incident," Keiichi maintained his composure, even in the face of the woman in front of him who could have had a violent outburst at a moment's notice.

"Suppose that I don't understand: elaborate for me," Areva's tone was cold and bitter, surprising Keiichi if only for a moment. "Is it about your parents: did raping my home of life further your revenge?"

"...the man who killed my parents, and the rest of my family tree, happens to be the leader of Sheol," Keiichi began. "For the past fifteen years I have trained my mind and body for the day that I strike him down and plunge my fist into his black heart. As I am now, I would last about two minutes with him before dying." The young man straightened his glasses as he contemplating the possibly of trading fists with the man he was describing. "Until I have reached the level that I'll need to be at to overthrow him, I have little choice but to act as his puppet."

"I could help you with your revenge, Keiichi," Areva's bitterness faded as she suddenly remembered her feelings for the man in front of her. "Just tell me what I have to do and we'll avenge your family toget-"

"NO!"

In a very rare lapse, Keiichi voiced his frustration with a loud shout that surprised Areva. She had clearly touched upon a sensitive topic that not even Keiichi could ignore. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Keiichi cleared his throat and continued. "It is something that I must do alone: I am not so obsessed that I would let an innocent woman become my tool."

"You're obviously obsessed enough that you would forsake the woman you love in order to pursue that revenge," Areva's facial features finally loosened and gave way to the concerned visage she had been putting up before losing her temper. "I can live with that, though: all it means is that I'll have to love you even more deeply than I had been." Reaching out to the other side of the table, Areva put her hand on Keiichi's cheek. "Come home with me: help me rebuild the village and I will help you rebuild your life. We'll get this man together, and then we can have our happily ever after."

For a moment, it looked as if Keiichi would finally bend to her wishes. His facial features softened as he held Areva's hand close to him while she could feel his cheeks warm up. Unfortunately for her, Keiichi regained his composure and let go of Areva's hand as he issued his challenge. "If you still wish your avenge you father, meet me at the Hammerstein Ballroom at midnight tonight. Go through the door located on the south side and walk straight into the main ballroom." Standing up and leaving the table Areva was sitting at, Keiichi turned his head before giving Areva a warning. "Just remember: I might pull my offer away and just decide that I would be better off with you out of my life and everyone else's..."

Areva did not feel threatened by such a remark: in fact, she welcomed that sort of challenge. A brutal, climatic fight to save not only Keiichi's soul, but her own well-being: such a prospect brought a grin to the young woman's face as she anticipated the confrontation. I know for sure now that he still loves me, she thought as she looked out to the Times Square outside the window she was next to. This just means that I can avenge my father, reform the man I love, and test my fists against a worthy opponent all in one setting.

A quiet laughter filled Areva's throat, like the gentle tinkling of bells. Maybe it's just my mood swing coming into play, she thought while her laughter became a little bit louder, or maybe I'm laughing because I'm happy that I'll finally be able to end my journey in a battle like no other.

---------

Located on West 34th street in Manhattan, the Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, twelve-thousand square foot ballroom located within the Manhattan Center that has housed many different kinds of events in its long history. Constructed in 1906 by a mister Oscar Hammerstein in 1906, it has been used been used for vaudeville plays, live music concerts, and even professional wrestling.

A recent fire had put a metaphorical damper on many of the upcoming events, but Keiichi was able to arrange so that he and Areva would be able to obtain access to the ballroom and settle their differences. The professional wrestling ring was still in the storage room, and Keiichi had his henchmen bring it to the center of the ballroom earlier in the evening.

The reason I didn't challenge Areva at the restaurant is because we both feel more at ease within the confines of ropes and turnbuckles, Keiichi mused as he patiently sat down in front of one of the turnbuckles and looked at his watch. With his white-pinstriped black button-shirt, pale-blue dress pants and black shoes, Keiichi seemed more suited to be at a funeral than at a fight. However, even within this ring I am tense. Areva knows that my own feelings have not changed in these past two weeks.

Clenching his fist, Keiichi dismissed such thoughts and chilled his heart. Bah! She represents everything I hate about myself. The reason I keep this tassel around my arm is to remind myself of my weakness that still walks this earth. Looking at his tassel, Keiichi let out a low growl. Tonight, I will say good-bye to this weakness forever, and continue my quest for retribution.

"Keiichi..."

Turning his head away from his arm, Keiichi looked up at the opponent in front of him as she stepped into the ring: a young Thai woman that made his heart dance simply by being in his presence. In contrast to Keiichi's choice of formal attire, the woman was dressed in a black zip-up tanktop and boxer shorts of the same color with pink trim. One leg of the shorts had the words "Love Hard" going down its side and the other had "Hit Harder." Her arms and legs were wrapped in boxing handwraps, and blue-and-purple tassels were tied to each arm. Straightening her choker-like purple stone necklace and brushing back her long and elegant ebony hair, the woman stuck out her fist and issued her challenge. "I, Areva Petchyndee, challenge you to a duel. There will be no rounds, and disqualifications: the only way to win is beat the opponent unconscious." Lowering her fist, Areva's eyes narrowed. "Are these terms acceptable?"

Standing up from his corner, Keiichi tightened his thin gray gloves and nodded his head. "I, Kobashi Keiichi, the third golem of Sheol, accept your challenge: begin!"

Rushing out of his corner with speed that would make a professional athlete tip their hats, Keiichi surprised Areva and drew first blood with a ki-infused knee to the chin while using her knee as a stepping stone for a quick Shining Wizard. With Areva stunned from the attack, Keiichi continued the assault with a series of whip-like kicks to the chest. After the fifth kick, Areva desperately performed a rising uppercut and successfully connected with Keiichi's chin to send him stumbling away.

Shooting out her foot as it were a harpoon, Areva kicked Keiichi in the chest with a lunging leg attack and pushed him all the way back into his turnbuckle. Not giving Keiichi a change to breathe, Areva jumped onto the second rope so that her torso was above her lover's. Bringing her elbow down onto his skull repetitively, Areva managed to get seven clean hits before being Keiichi pushed her away like a bodyguard shoving away a rabid fan.

She's learned to use the ring to her advantage, Keiichi thought as he rubbed the area that Areva had targeted. Sidestepping another lunging foot, Keiichi used his strength to grab onto Areva's arms and sling her away like he was tossing a bag of garbage. The woman landed in a way that saw her neck fall onto the ropes, causing her great pain as she stumbled back in a coughing fit, right into a devastating left hook.

Areva quickly recovered from the blow, and countered with a hook of her own, followed by a second hook punch that caused Keiichi to recoil. Grabbing onto Keiichi's head, Areva's leg shot upwards and kicked her opponent's forehead repeatedly before concluding the barrage with a knee to the chin and knocked Keiichi down as if he was hit by a lamppost. Remembering that there were no judges to give her penalties for hitting a downed opponent, the young woman mounted Keiichi and raised her fist in preparation to beat his face in.

However, she forgot what she was doing and became lost in his eyes just like she used to do back home in Ayutthaya. Keiichi, on the other hand, took advantage of Areva's lapse of judgment after a couple of quiet seconds and used his impressive leg strength to kick Areva off of his body. Even now she gives me the bedroom eyes, Keiichi muttered while his left leg shot into action to bombard Areva's body with machine gun-like kicks. For a brief moment, I was considering reciprocating those emotions: I need to stay focused. After two full seconds of rapid-fire kicks, Keiichi sent Areva sliding across the ring with a reverse spin kick.

Saving herself from falling out of the ring by using her hands as brakes, Areva returned to her feet just in time avoid a sweeping low kick only to perform one of her own. Her leg sweep connected and knocked Keiichi to the ground. As soon as her opponent sat up, Areva knocked him right back down with a running knee. The impact of such a blow knocked Keiichi's glasses right off of his face.

"Areva, I consider myself a tolerant man," Keiichi growled as he grabbed Areva's leg as he stood back up, "but never, ever knock my glasses off my face." Lifting Areva off her feet by her hips, Keiichi used all of his might to toss her into the nearby turnbuckle that was behind her like a basketball player shooting a ball through a hoop. The woman shouted out in pain while Keiichi walked over to where his glasses landed and placed them back on his face. Very few people have managed to knock my glasses off, Keiichi noted as he quickly advanced on Areva with his fist raised. She's improved so much since I last saw her, both mentally and physically.

Keiichi had spent too much time gathering his spectacles, and received a stiff foot to the cheek as soon as he was within striking distance. Grabbing onto his shoulders, Areva locked Keiichi in a clinching position. When she tried to ram her knee into Keiichi's abdomen, however, it was blocked by her opponent's opposite knee. Moving their legs as if they were performing a bizarre dance, Areva and Keiichi successfully countered each other six times before Keiichi's knee finally connected with Areva's sternum and forced her to release her clinch.

Keiichi, on the other hand, took the chance to lock in a hold of his own by grabbing onto the back of Areva's head and jamming his opposite elbow into her forehead like a jackhammer. Once he had lost count of how many elbow strikes he had applied, Keiichi suddenly spun around and knocked Areva to the ground with a spinning leg sweep before sending his burning fist down on her back.

Before Keiichi could even return to standing position, Areva's leg shot out like a mule and kicked the young man in the stomach. With her foe stunned from the blow, Areva stood back up and once again locked Keiichi into a clinching position. This time, Areva's knee barrage succeeded, getting seven powerful hits before jumping into the air and falling back down with Keiichi's face being pulled into her falling knees. Keiichi stumbled backwards from the recoil of such a peculiar technique while Areva flipped back onto her feet, and was sent crashing to the ground when Areva knocked him away with a standing roundhouse kick.

Keiichi was quick to get back onto his feet, but he had a harder time maintaining his fighting stance. Using the nearby ropes to keep himself on a stable base, the young man took a moment to catch his breath and turned to look at Areva. The sweat glistened off of her face and abdomen, and blood trickled from the scrapes on her body like a gentle stream. Even through all of this, Keiichi noticed that Areva was smiling as if such pain gave her pleasure. I wish I could be enjoying this as much as she is, Keiichi mumbled as he flipped over the ropes to avoid the charging Areva and came back down to swing his knees into her exposed belly. Landing on the apron of the ring, Keiichi swung himself over the ropes and grabbed onto Areva's head on the way down before twisting and spinning Areva around like a top as she crashed to the ground. I can't help but wonder what is making her so happy.

"Keiichi," Areva said between breaths as she resumed her fighting stance and rubbed her neck. "You always treat me special: even now you're giving it everything you have so that this battle can be worthy of what's at stake." Running her fingers through her hair, Areva continued with the slightest hint of seduction running through her voice. "Whatever you do, don't stop treating me special until I am physically and mentally can't take it anymore." Swinging her head around and cracking her knuckles, Areva came at Keiichi with a smile and a raised first. "Lover...don't stop until one of us can't stand up!"

"Be careful of what you wish for, Areva," Keiichi said behind a smirk and his raised arms as he successfully blocked Areva's straight punch. "Sometimes, the thing you wish for comes true in ways you didn't expect!" Ducking down with one arm while he used the other to grab Areva's hand, Keiichi rose back up with a burning uppercut that rode across Areva's body like a rolling wheel. With his hand still lit up with his ruby, fire-like ki, Keiichi knocked Areva away with a straight punch to the chest.

Areva was quick to recover, and countered the display of pyrotechnics with a discus-like wave of blue ki which she hurled at Keiichi from her elbow. Not satisfied with just one wave, Areva immediately hurled a second, and then a third. The first wave was dodged, but the second and third waves hit their mark and left marks in the young man's shirt. Her hands still glowing with sapphire power, Areva bombarded her beloved with more waves of ki that burned through Keiichi's clothes like matches and left him with hole-filled rags.

While Keiichi wasn't particularly happy with his expensive shirt and pants being turned into expensive rags, he maintained his focus while his entire body burned with red power. Releasing the power in the form of two wide-ranged blades of fire, Keiichi returned the favor by leaving thin cuts in Areva's arms while she cried out in agony. That attack could have easily have hacked off a limb, or even her head, Keiichi thought while he took a moment to catch his breath again. For some reason, I pulled back and only grazed her arms: why can't I wrap this up?

Keiichi spent a moment too long thinking about his mercy, and paid for it with a rapid succession of glowing elbow strikes, courtesy of the woman he failed to decapitate. The blows scraped across his exposed chest and one swipe managed to stain his tattoo with blood before Areva sent Keiichi spiraling away with a spinning knee kick. Taking a quick breath, Areva let it out it a quiet moan of satisfaction as she let her unique mental condition get the best of her if only for a moment.

Assessing the damage done to him, Keiichi ran back and rammed his knee into Areva's abdomen with such force that she screamed in pain. Applying his knee in her abdomen three more times, Keiichi toppled Areva over by sandwiching her head between his elbow and knee like a hydraulic press. The young woman struggled to get back up from such a blow, but Keiichi was kneeling down next to her, motioning his fingers towards himself in an almost frantic fashion while he waited to deliver what he hoped to be the final blow. Once Areva had finally manged to plant on foot on the ground, Keiichi used that knee as a bony stair and propelled his burning leg into Areva's chin for a devastating step-up flip kick: Keiichi's signature Blinding Wizard that had defeated and even killed so many before her.

Keiichi landed gracefully while Areva fell on the back of her head hard. For a few seconds, it had seemed like Keiichi had won the duel and had placed Areva at her mercy. She's right: this was nothing short of glorious, he mumbled while he slowly made his way towards Areva's fallen body. However, he himself did not feel glorious as a horrible sinking feeling entered his gut. Why do I feel so awful if I have won?

In a double-edged sword of a predicament, Keiichi's spirits rose when he noticed that Areva was still moving and was attempting to get back onto her feet. However, Keiichi soon remembered that he was engaged in a brutal fight with Areva, and rushed towards her stumbling body while his mind was filled with conflicting emotions. I am doing what I have to do, so I have no time to let these emotions get in the-

His train of thought was broken in the face of a high-speed barrage of left-handed punches that rocked his face, chest, and abdomen like a hail of cannon balls. After what seemed like an eternity of pain, Areva knocked Keiichi into the air with a high-jumping knee. The two warriors fell to the ground with Areva's knees falling on Keiichi's stomach. Keiichi roared in agony as all of the woman's body weight fell upon him, but was soon silent as he waited for Areva to make her next move.

Several seconds passed, and nothing happened while Areva still sat on top of Keiichi in full-mount position. What's going on, Keiichi asked himself as Areva suddenly lifted one of her hands to unwrap the tape covering it. Why is she not finishing me off, after everything I did to her?

As if to answer his question, Areva's unwrapped hand slowly descended on Keiichi's face and gently caressed his cheek. "It's amazing," Areva finally said while gradually lowering herself towards the young man she was sitting on. "You are the one who broke my heart, burn my village to a cinder, and killed my father all in one setting, and it only happened two weeks ago." The young woman smiled warmly as her bare hand caused Keiichi's cheeks to warm. "I should be punching you in the face until it is too swollen to even be recognizable.

"But do you know why I'm not doing that right now, and doing this instead?" Areva whispered as her forehead gently touched Keiichi's. "I'm not doing that because of one reason: I'm still madly in love with you." Pressing her lips with those of the man who lay beneath her, Areva gave Keiichi a long kiss. The young man's cheeks turned red as a wave of emotion overcame him. I need to stay focused, Keiichi reminded himself as he focused his ruby ki into his arms. Even if my ki blades missed last time, they certainly won't miss here: if I can just keep her still enough...

However, the longer Areva kept her lips pressed with Keiichi's, the less willing he became to end her life. As soon as the woman moved her head back ever-so-slightly to conclude the kiss, Keiichi cursed his fate and let down his defenses completely. Mother...father, Keiichi called out to his parents with his mind as he slowly wrapped the arms he intended to use as a killing weapon around Areva to instead place her in a warm embrace. Forgive your stupid idiot of a son for having the audacity to fall in love with your deaths not yet avenged.

"You win, Areva," Keiichi said with a whisper as he took off his right glove to stroke Areva's beautiful face. "I'll go home with you..." Sitting up to return Areva's kiss, Keiichi let out a grunt of pain as the bruises and wounds he had collected throughout the battle returned to greet him. "But first, I think it would be best if we both went back to our hotel."

"What's the matter, handsome," Areva said with a chuckle as she kissed Keiichi's cheek. "Do you not feel comfortable making love to the woman you care about in the confines of a ring?"

"...it's more that there are better places to make love to a woman than in a blood-stained ring, especially when both parties are still bloody themselves," Keiichi replied with an incredibly rare hint of sarcasm as he let Areva dismount him while he stood back up. "I'm sure you know what I mean."

Areva let out a long laugh after listening to Keiichi's witty retort, and grabbed onto his arm and leaned against his shoulder. "Already you're becoming pleasant to be around: who would have thought that this side of you would only come out after being locked in bloody combat?"

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 13: Dreams

"So this kid is the last one?" the man said, referring to the little boy standing before him while he sat down at his desk.

"That's right, Mr. Levesque," a younger man nodded his head as he gently pushed the little boy towards the desk. "We found him hiding under a couch when it all went down. We were considering killing him, as well, but you did tell us to bring back one survivor so we figured it might as well be him."

"That's very interesting," the man referred to as Mr. Levesque stood up from his desk and walked towards to the boy that he towered over with his powerful frame. Squatting down so that his eyes were at least close to being level with the boy, Levesque asked the boy as simple question. "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"

The boy quickly nodded his head before saying in a confused and innocent voice. "What happened to mama and papa?"

"Kid, I hate to break this to you," Levesque let out a sigh before placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Your parents and the rest of your family have gone somewhere far away and won't be coming back. From this day forward, I'm your legal guardian."

"Le-gal gar-di-an," the little boy carefully formed the syllables of the unknown term. However, after a few seconds of silence, tears began to form in the little boy's eyes once he realized what Levesque was talking about. The tears gave way to sobbing, and the sobbing became a full-on bawl.

"He's got strong lungs, I'll give him that much," Levesque put a finger in the ear closest to Keiichi as he screamed to his subordinate. "What's the kid's name again!?"

"It's Keiichi," the lackey shouted back.

"OK then, Keiichi," Levesque raised his hand back before bringing it down on Keiichi's cheek. "This is how things are going to roll from here on in: the next time you cry in my face, I'm going to give you THIS!"

-------

Keiichi woke up in a cold sweat as his eyelids suddenly flashed open. His breath was haggard, and his heart was pounding: he didn't realize that he had been dreaming until a good three seconds after he sat up. Of all the times to reminisce about old times, it had to be tonight, the young man thought as he tried to recall what had gotten him so ancy. I guess old wounds never truly heal.

Once he had regained his composure, Keiichi felt a warm sensation come over him. There was someone else in his bed. Initially confused, Keiichi looked down at a lithe arm lying on top of his chest. Following the arm to its source, Keiichi turned to his right to see where the warmth was coming from.

Lying next to him was his precious Areva, sleeping peacefully with only the sheets and covers of the bed protecting her modesty. The two warriors spent the previous night knocking each other senseless, and then confessing their love for each other in both the confines of a professional wrestling ring and between the sheets of Keiichi's hotel room bed. Turning his head in the opposite direction, Keiichi looked at the alarm clock next to him: it had only been four hours since the two of them went to bed together. Areva certainly doesn't seem to be having any nightmares, he thought to himself as he took note of how deep of a sleep Areva was experiencing. For someone who is supposedly fighting with a mental condition, she certainly doesn't seem troubled. The young man leaned down and kissed her forehead while carefully moving her arm off of his chest. A thin smile formed on Areva's face as he did so: whatever she was dreaming about, she was certainly enjoying.

Quietly leaving the bed so as not to awake his sleeping beauty, Keiichi walked to the bathroom and gently closed the door. The nightmare he had experienced was actually a flashback of the incident that turned him into the person he was today: the day that his entire family had been brutally slaughtered and the day he first met the man who would later become his surrogate "father": Lance Levesque. He was so young back then, not yet entirely familiar with the concept of death despite how it was being dealt out in such quantities on that fateful day.

It was soon after that slap to the face that I made a decision to save the tears until after Levesque had been delivered to justice, Keiichi thought while he looked in the mirror to gaze upon his tired face. Some fifteen years later, however, I am considering abandoning my righteous quest for the sake of a woman. What the hell happened to me?

Splashing cold water onto his face to help wash away the grogginess, Keiichi reached a gray pouch next to the sink and pulled from it a razor. Removing the protective covering from the razor, Keiichi planted its blades onto his face and slowly ran it down his cheek. As he did so, he allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts of "old times." While Lance had treated Keiichi as little more than a trophy he would occasionally take out of its case so that he could flaunt it to his friends, he was accommodating enough to allow him to train in martial arts. To that extent, Lance allowed Keiichi a means to exact his revenge, whenever it would come.

Perhaps he knew I would try something one day, and wanted to at least give me an illusion of hope to further torment me, he thought as he put the shaver down and stroked his face to see if he missed any spots, or maybe he just welcomes any sort of challenge that comes his way since being the undisputed leader of Sheol can be boring. Removing his hand from his now-smooth face, Keiichi noticed a red smear on his fingers. The young man took a closer look, and realized that he given himself a small shaver's cut on his lower cheek. Either way, the fighter I am now will be no match for the "Fist God of the North" called Lance Levesque.

Washing his hands of his bodily fluids, Keiichi left the bathroom and quickly put on fresh clothes while still being as stealthy as he could so as not to awaken the sleeping Areva. Maybe I'll feel a bit more focused if I got some fresh air, he reasoned as he picked up his wallet that was sitting next to the television set and headed for the door. Even though I said I would go home with Areva, I still need some time to think about where my life will go from here.

---------

Not only did the hotel Keiichi and Areva were lodging in happen to be forty stories tall, it also had roof access for guests who wanted to get a bird's eye view of the magnificent New York City. Autumn was beginning to reach its climax, however, so the number of guests who came up to the rooftop was dwindling as the winter inched closer and closer. For a hot-blooded young man like Keiichi Kobashi, however, it was the ideal place to get the "breath of fresh air" he craved.

The young man stood next to the edge of the roof, looking down at the citizens of New York that walked the streets far below. Even though it was only seven o'clock in the morning, the City that Never Sleeps gave proof of its insomnia via the heavy traffic and hordes of people that crowded its streets every hour of the day and every hour of the night. If I don't figure what my next move is going to be, I'm going to be the insomniac, Keiichi mumbled as he sat down to look at the skyscraping buildings in the distance. I do love Areva, and I would do anything to make her happy, but at the same time I cannot push aside fifteen years of careful planning.

"Top of the morning, lover boy," a young man's voice called out from behind Keiichi. Surprised, the Japanese shoot fighter quickly sprang onto his feet and darted around to see a familiar face: a green-haired Caucasian youth buttoned up tightly in a trenchcoat with a long red scarf covering his mouth. "How was your evening with our mutual babe Areva Petchyndee?"

"That is none of your concern, detective," Keiichi growled as he lowered his fighting stance and turned his back to the Interpol officer. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to this city to hunt you down like an animal, Kobashi," Fredrick answered with confidence and he slowly walked towards his Asian counterpart. "I was under the impression that your flight arrived today: I guess you decided to come early."

"And how would you know about that: didn't your parents teach you to mind your own business?" Keiichi's gaze remained fixated on the buildings in the distance as he spoke. "Then again, I suppose I should be flattered that someone of your position has decided to make me his top priority."

"Don't get me wrong: I still think you're just a small-time crook," Fredrick stood side-by-side with his nemesis and looked down to see the tiny dots of people crawl around the streets like ants. "However, I do acknowledge you as a worthy opponent, and a valuable source of information." Turning his head to look at Keiichi, the detective continued with his praises. "Sheol is too good for you, Kobashi: you deserve better."

"What would you know about what I deserve?" Keiichi growled, asking the detective another question that he should have been able to answer. "I am as evil as they come: I serve only myself, and those who try to love me wind up dead. You should not consider me a small-time crook, and instead think of me as an S-class deviant."

"I probably would...if not for your relationship with Areva."

Keiichi quickly turned his head to face Fredrick and clenched his fist when he noticed the faintest traces of a wide smile that was hiding beneath his scarf. I should throw him off this building and hang him by his scarf, the shoot fighter thought angrily as he tried to regain control of himself. The only reason that I can think of that would vote against it is that Areva would be sickened by my taking another life.

"Take a good look at yourself, Keiichi," Fredrick's smile faded as his voice became unusually serious. "You have an absolutely gorgeous girlfriend, you have decades of living left in you, you have the pretty boy looks that some of the fashion designers down below would kill to exploit," the young German gently motioned his head downwards when he referred to the citizens down below. "Are you going to throw all of that away for the sake of crime?"

"I told you before: the reason I am continuing to work for Sheol is that there is a man I must defeat first," Keiichi replied solemnly and bowed his head, almost ashamed at what he was saying. "However, I have thought about what you said, and I think that I might be able to help you."

"I see: it sounds like Areva succeeded in what she set out to do," Fredrick commented while he sat down and crossed his legs. "Does that mean you accept my offer?"

"On two conditions," Keiichi looked down at Fredrick as he made his proposal. "I want you to promise me that if I give you the head of the organization, you leave both myself and Areva alone."

"Awww, I was hoping I could be your best man at your wedding. Now you hurt my feelings," Fredrick put his hands to face and jokingly dried his non-existent tears before suddenly becoming serious again. "What is the second condition?"

"If you do happen to follow up on what I say and somehow manage to accumulate enough evidence to convict him, I want you to tell me before you tell your superiors." Keiichi clenched his fist, which glowed softly with bright red ki. "I have waited a very, very long time to see him at my mercy, and I want to at least pay him back for destroying the Kobashi family. Once I have done that, you can have the crippled husk that will remain of him."

"Sounds like a plan," Fredrick nodded his head in agreement while Keiichi finally mustered up the decency to sit down next to him. "It's time for the million-dollar-question: who is the true leader of Sheol?"

"His name is Lance Levesque," Keiichi answered, pushing his glasses up as he spoke. "Does this name mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does," Fredrick nodded his head, confirming his knowledge of the man. "He's the head of the world's largest supplier of pharmaceutical goods, Relieve Corp. He's also the owner of the Toronto Snowcaps, which happens to be my favorite hockey team." Looking up into the sky, the officer thought out loud. "It's a darn shame that I'll have to shut him down: this was supposed to be the Snowcaps' year."

"All joking aside, you are aware that he openly flaunts his supposed innocence: you will have to shake down a good number of henchmen around the world in order to find something truly incriminating." Keiichi stood up and began to walk away from the officer. "When you do, be sure to notify me: I'm sure you have my cell phone number, as well."

"Since we're not enemies anymore," Fredrick blurted out, causing Keiichi to stop walking away, "how about we go down to the floor with the restaurant and we all have breakfast together?"

"What do you mean by ‘all,' detective?" Keiichi raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You, Areva, and myself: the three of us sitting down and catching up on how that big duel went down," Fredrick sprang back to his feet and punched the air in boxer-like fashion. "I want to hear about all the moves and parries and the inevitable make-up sex that most likely followed."

"Let me make something perfectly clear, detective," Keiichi snatched the tail of Fredrick's scarf and used it to pull him closer. The detective desperately pulled back in an attempt to keep the young man from strangling him as Keiichi made his point. "We are not friends, so do not presume that you know me as such." Once Fredrick had been pulled close enough, Keiichi reached out with one arm to grab the collar of his trenchcoat. "It is as simple as this: you scratch my back, and I scratch yours."

"Keiichi!"

Keiichi turned his head slightly to see Areva walking from the elevator door wearing a white winter jacket and dark blue jeans. Letting go of Fredrick so as not to worry her, Keiichi turned around and greeted her. "Good morning, Areva: did you sleep well?"

"My bruises still hurt, but yes I did," Areva replied with a smile as she reached over to grab Keiichi's arm. "You're such a sweetheart in bed, Keiichi: we should have fun like that more often." Turning to Fredrick, Areva's eyes widened in surprise when she realized that possibility of intruding on his conversation. "Oh, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything!"

"A sweetheart in bed: you mean this wallflower?" Fredrick said with a laugh as he put one arm around Areva and the other around Keiichi. "Now this I have to hear: my detective instincts tingle at this vital piece of information."

---------

Far below the three martial artists, a far more sinister member of their ilk lurked in the lobby of the grand hotel. The man was a muscular fellow with long, curly black hair and a black beard with all of his clothing devoid of color. He wore a sleeveless white tuxedo vest with a black bow tie just below the neck, white dress pants with black leather shoes, and a white top hat that sat on his head. Sitting in his lap were two well-polished foot-long steel rods that were perfectly cylinder in shape and as black as the man's hair.

"Excuse me, sir," a female receptionist returned to the desk that the man sat at and greeted him. "What did you say your name was?"

"My name is Igor Orlov," the man said in a low, almost foreboding tone. "Where is my room?"

Unknown to the receptionist, the man was one of the most fearsome hit men and weapon dealers in the criminal underworld. He had come to the mighty New York City to fetch his fellow golem of Sheol: the Japanese martial artist Keiichi Kobashi. My disgusting excuse for a comrade abandoned our leader for the sake of some cheena, Igor thought while the receptionist looked up his name on her computer. Our leader was so kind to him, even acting as his papa: I'll make sure he hurts long and hard.

Like Keiichi, Igor was introduced to Lance Levesque via his own Russian mafia family being eliminated in favor of Lance's growing Sheol. Rather than hating Lance for what he did, however, he willingly accepted him as his new father. His family was weak for allowing what happened to them happen, and the fact that Igor survived proved that he was special.

My elegant Escrima sticks have such a nice luster today, Igor looked at the rods in his lap and smiled as his eyes became lost in their obsidian glory. They'll look so much prettier when they're dripping with krovvy.

As Igor fantasized about drawing the blood of Keiichi and his lover and dragging their whimpering carcasses back to Sheol headquarters, he turned to his bare right arm and gazed at his tattoo just below his shoulder: the Hebrew letters spelling out the word "Sheol." The Russian-born escrimador took pride in his loyalties to Sheol, and periodically beat his loyalties into his own henchmen so as to share his love for the organization. It was a truly sadomasochistic pleasure he took upon himself: striking his valuable henchmen until their skin was raw, despite how it would hinder his own missions.

"Help," a female voice cried out in the distance, causing Igor to lift his head in surprise. "That bastard stole my purse!" The Russian stood up out of his seat to see an old woman lying on the floor near the elevator and a raggedly-looking man frantically running towards him. With a cruel grin, Igor lifted his sticks and charged his fiery emerald ki into them until they burned with his bloodlust. What an amazing city, Igor thought with as his smile widened with every step the thief took. To be able to flaunt your strength so frequently is such a privilege!

With a dreadful whack that echoed throughout the lobby, Igor struck down the thief and left him clutching his stomach and roaring in agony. A sinister chuckle crept out of the young man's lips as he snatched the purse out of the thief's hand and tossed the bag back to the elderly woman who was just getting back onto her feet. Crouching down to look into the man's eyes fright-filled eyes, Igor whispered his judgment. "Sheol doesn't need gloopy nazzes like you."

"E-excuse me, Mr. Orlov," the receptionist nervously called out to the escrimador, who responded by dusting himself off and placing his buttocks back in the chair. Trying to regain her composure, the woman gave the man a plastic card with her shaking hand. "Here is your room key: we hope you enjoy your stic-STAY, stay at our hotel."

Igor smiled at the woman's mistake: it was always nice to see someone who appreciated his demonstration of power. Getting out of his seat once again and kicking the man he had downed with his beloved martial art, Igor walked to the elevator and asked the woman he had helped earlier, "Do you have any gum?"

"Y-yes, young man," the woman fumbled nervously with her purse and handed him a pack of chewing gum. "Thank you again for saving my purse."

"It was nothing," Igor tipped his hat and opened the pack of gum to pull out a stick. "Have a nice day."

[Psychoblue]

Chapter 14: Adrenaline Rush

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper located in the massive New York City. Its name derived from the New York state's nickname, it is the tallest building in the city. The building is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world, and is also a national historic landmark in the United States. The 86th and 102nd floors in particular are very popular with people all over the world, offering observation decks that give the viewer a 360-degree view of the city.

Igor quietly stood next to the observation window and gazed out into the distance. As a major weapons dealer and representative of Sheol, Igor often found himself going to the city to broker a deal with the several gangs and criminal families that called New York their home. Even though this trip would involve doing something completely different, Igor still made his usual trip to the Empire State Building to stare at the city down below.

This city is always full of shit, Igor muttered as he turned around to look at the people around him. One of the life lessons the Russian learned while growing up was that most people didn't have the sand to survive on their own. Even though Igor was fortunate enough to be taken under Lance Levesque's tutelage, he knew that he probably could have managed being an orphan. His reasoning: because he was better than them.

I am better than him, and him, and him, and her, Igor eyes shifted from person to person as he reminded himself of his significance. These people have not the foggiest idea of how horrorshow I am, and how much better my job is than theirs is. They label me a deviant and call me a common prestoopnik, but they fear what they cannot understand.

Turning back to the window, Igor looked in the direction of where his hotel was located. His spies had told him that Keiichi had roomed in the same hotel, as did his voluptuous lover. His orders were quite clear: both of them were to be brought back to Sheol headquarters alive. He had a helicopter ready to take them there: all he needed was to capture them at a convenient location so that the helicopter could swoop in and take them without having to worry about the police catching up with him.

Feeling a buzzing in his pants pocket, Igor pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. There were very few people in the world who knew that the bearded deviant even had a cell phone, much less knowing his cell phone number. Whoever was calling, it was probably important. Putting the phone to his ear, Igor greeted the mystery caller with a cold, unforgiving "speak to me."

"Hey, boss, it's me," the voice replied with a bit of a hushed voice. "Kobashi and his cop friend just took a train to Jamaica: they shouldn't be back for at least an hour. Johnny says that Kobashi's girlfriend is still at the hotel."

"What are you going to do about it, you gloopy nazz?" Igor growled as his patience wore thin.

"Well, we were thinking about jumping her and knocking her out. Is that all right with-"

"No, it is not," Igor turned away from the window and stomped towards the elevator that would lead him to the lower levels of the building. "Keep a close eye on her: for what Keiichi did to our organization, I will personally make sure that cheena screams in agony before the day is over." Angrily hanging up his phone, Igor pressed the button next to the elevator door and impatiently waited for the elevator to make its way up the eighty-six floors to where he was standing.

What nazzes, to think that I would let them touch the cheena before I could, Igor growled to himself. I'll have to give them another lesson in pain when we get back to headquarters. Turning his eyes to the left, and then to the right, the man realized that he was muttering loud enough for other people to hear him. Tilting his hat so as to hide his eyes, Igor muttered to himself, "Gloopy nazzes..."

----------

"TEE-YAH!"

Even though it was a mere 40 degrees Fahrenheit on that chilly autumn afternoon, the droplets of sweat flew off of Areva's long hair as she tossed a sharply-honed kick into the air. Keiichi was off seeing Fredrick to the John F. Kennedy airport, as an uncommon gesture of good will between the two men. She was tempted to go with them, but she decided that it would be best for her if she had some time to herself to think about what had happened. Instead, she opted to do some training on the rooftop of their hotel.

There was a subconscious fear that Keiichi would buy a plane ticket and leave Areva in the dust, but she was quick to disregard such a suspicion. Keiichi is many things, but I know he wouldn't betray me a second time, Areva told herself when she watched her lover and Fredrick take the transit train to Jamaica. I've looked in his eyes, and the darkness that resided in him has all but faded completely. He'll come back...at least to pick up his things that he left!

It wasn't too terribly long ago where such a thought would have driven her to the brink of madness. When began her search for Keiichi, she was looking not for someone who loved her but someone who had forsaken her. Her mind was filled with rage, and this rage gave her nymphomania a violent edge. I remember when I attacked that thug: I completely lost control of myself and became something twisted. Areva reminisced about the day she left Ayutthaya while she tossed a punch into the cold air. However, since meeting up with Keiichi two days ago, I haven't even felt a shiver. I wonder if now that I'm back with the man I love, I can say farewell to these attacks.

Even though such a thought brought joy to her heart, there was a small part of herself that didn't want the mood swing to go away. As a warrior, she was always open to new experiences and her separate personality certainly gave her just that. There are some people who live for adrenaline rushes: from fellow martial artists to sky-divers and tomb raiders. With my alternate personality, I am both blessed and cursed with an adrenaline rush like no other. Charging her ki into her left elbow, Areva's arm glowed bright blue while she continued to think about her mental condition. My nymphomania is still my curse, but if I learn how to control it, it can also my blessing in combat.

Unleashing her gathered energy in the form of a discus-like wave, Areva hurled the wave out into the distance and followed it as it moved farther and farther away. Why am I even thinking like this: I am trying to prime myself for helping Keiichi fight Sheol? Areva asked herself while she watched the blast fizzle out after what she estimated to be seventy feet of travel. Well, whether I maintain control of my nymphomania or not makes little difference: as long as Keiichi is by my side, I'm sure things will turn out OK!

However, a trembling sensation overcame Areva that suddenly forced her to think otherwise. At first, Areva thought it was her hypersexual addiction coming back to haunt her, but she soon realized this was a different reaction altogether. It feels like I just got hit by a tank, Areva dropped to the ground and tried to regain her composure. What's going on?

Turning around towards the elevator door standing a few meters away, Areva saw the source of her problems: a muscular fellow wearing a sleeveless white vest, white dress pants and black dress shoes. His powerful arms were bare and shown off for the world to see, and his curly ebony hair danced lightly in the wind. Taking off his black top hat and placing it to his chest, the man bowed politely and greeted the woman. "Areva Petchyndee, I presume?"

What a malevolent aura, Areva struggled to get back on her feet and wiped the sweat from her brow in spite of the chilly winds cooling her head. He has that look of a killer, just like Keiichi. Walking towards the man cautiously, Areva returned the greeting with a couple of questions. "What do you want? Who are you?"

"My name is Igor Orlov: I am here for you and your dear Keiichi who you like lubbilubbing with." Igor put his hat back on his head and reached for his back pocket and pulled out two black rods as dark as his heart. "Where is Keiichi, per chance?"

"He's not here right now, but I'm not about to let you touch him: not with that evil aura." Raising her fists and assuming her fighting stance, Areva issued out a warning. "Keiichi doesn't want to be with Sheol any longer. Leave us alone or I'll make sure that you regret coming here!"

"Tsk tsk," Igor clicked his tongue as he banged his weapons together and assumed his own fighting stance. "You should show more respect to your superiors, cheena. What would happen if some veck decided to take your big groodies and shived them open like oranges?"

"I have no idea what you're saying, but I'm sure we can both understand this." Quickly hurling a ki blast at the Russian stick fighter, Areva chased after her projectile with her fist raised. "Prepare to defend yourself!" Originally, Areva's plan of attack was to have the blast act as a decoy while she immediately followed up with a physical attack once her opponent defended the blast. However, Igor brought both of his sticks down in an "x"-slashing motion and deflected the blast right back at Areva's face to stun her momentarily. Quick as a hiccup despite his bulky muscles, Igor ran up to Areva and poked both ends of his sticks into her stomach before lifting her into the air with them and slamming her into the concrete rooftop.

He's a stick fighter, Areva thought as she quickly got back onto her feet and rubbed where she had landed. I know a few stick fighters back home: they rely their extended reach given to them by their weapons to give them an advantage in combat. Resuming her fighting stance, Areva's left leg sprang into action and successfully connected with Igor's jaw to force him into a defensive position. If that's the case, I'll just have to disarm him!

Taking advantage of Igor's recoil, Areva grabbed onto both of his weapons and attempted to pull them out of his hand. Unfortunately, Igor's grip was too strong and she was rewarded for her efforts with a stiff boot to the stomach. Areva stumbled backwards and gripped her stomach in pain while Igor finishing recuperating from the foot to the face. With sinister intent shining in his eyes, Igor jumped into the air and brought his sticks down on Areva's shoulders in a slashing motion to knock her down like a domino.

"Such a disappointment," Igor clicked his tongue once again as he stood over Areva's body raised his sticks into the air. "I was hoping for a challenge." Before he could plunge his weapons into Areva's person, Igor received another kick to the face from the fallen beauty which caused him to back away and allow Areva to get back onto her feet. No longer in the mood for anything subtle, Areva's fist shot out and struck Igor in the chest.

With a shout of pain, Igor backed away and allowed Areva another opportunity to gain the advantage. However, he was quick to recover and narrowly parried an elbow swipe with his left forehand before stabbing Areva in her sternum with his free hand's weapon. The woman screamed in pain and Igor performed another "x"-slash, leaving green flames in its wake and sending Areva flying backwards like a leaf in the wind.

"You're obviously not just a common thug," Areva said out loud as she landed on her hands and flipped back onto her feet. "Are you one of those ‘golems' like Claude and Keiichi?

"The fact that you know about us golems troubles me," Igor said with a frown as he ran towards Areva with his sticks burning with power. "Have my droogs Claude and Keiichi been handing out secrets like our dealers hand our vellocets to addicts?"

"My English isn't very good, but I have never heard these words that you use," Areva commented as she ducked under a horizontal slash and came back up to apply her fist to Igor's chin with a rising uppercut. "Just what language are you speaking?" Locking Igor into a clinch position, Areva rammed her knee into his sternum five times before grabbing onto his head. When she tried to fall on her back to bring his face into her knees, however, Igor used his superior strength to keep himself from falling forwards and instead rammed his forehead into Areva's like a battering ram to daze her long enough for him to break out of the clinch.

"Just call it ‘Nadsat:' take a peep a book every now and then," Igor said with a hint of disdain while knocked Areva into the air with an upwards strike. Pursuing Areva like a hunter, Igor's arm spun around vertically like a windmill and as such brought multiple stick strikes onto Areva's person like a wheel of misfortune. While Igor landed gracefully on his feet, Areva crashed down on her back hard and cried out in pain.

Quickly realizing that her opponent wasn't going to back down simply because she was hurt, Areva fought off the pain and rolled backwards to avoid getting impaled on the man's rods. Springing back onto her feet, Areva took a sharp breath and jumped knee-first into Igor to bring him down. Now mounted on top of him, Areva raised her fist and brought it down on Igor's bearded face. She repeated the process four more times before Igor poked her with the ends of his rods and caused her to get off of him.

Charging his green ki, Igor suddenly sprang towards Areva with his arms in front of his face. Like a human torpedo, Igor toppled the woman over with a flying tackle and safely rolled onto his feet while he left Areva flat on her back. Running over to Areva's fallen body, Igor clicked his sticks together and banged on Areva's stomach like a drum with the beats being Areva's screams. After the third beat, Igor lowered his sticks and swatted Areva's fallen form away like a golfer.

It's so early in the battle, and yet my entire body hurts, Areva thought as she returned to her feet and use her right leg to kick the charging Igor's hip. I need to build momentum before this gets too out of hand. With Igor stunned from the blow, Areva pressed onward with several more kicks to the hip that caused Igor to kneel down and try to protect his hip. Unfortunately for him, doing so allowed Areva to target his head instead, which she did in the form of a running knee.

Lifting Igor back onto his feet by grabbing onto his ear, Areva once again locked the man in a clinching position and resumed ramming her knee into his sternum. This time, Areva managed to get Igor to bend over enough for her innovative double-knee facebuster to connect and cause him to reel back in pain. Not willing to give Igor a chance to breathe, Areva's foot lunged out and kicked him in the side of the head to topple him over like a tree.

Jumping into the air, Areva plummeted back down to the ground in an attempt to bring her foot onto Igor's chest. However, the man recovered fast enough to move out of the way and instead knock her out of the air with another wind-mill like series of strikes. Both combatants landed on their feet, but it was Igor who delivered the next bow by swatting Areva away with both rods like a batter hitting a baseball.

"You are such a bother: do you know that, cheena?" Igor asked rhetorically as he pummeled Areva with a rapid flurry of left and right whacks from his sticks. "Hurry up and fall before I get bezoomy!" After the twelfth whack, Igor knocked Areva away with both of his rods plunging into the woman's belly and causing her to entire a coughing fit. Taking pleasure in how the woman spat out bloody saliva as she struggled to breathe, Igor lifted the woman off the ground and again banged his forehead into her face.

Suddenly, Areva's eyes shot open and her fist shot out like a bullet and made contact with Igor's jaw, causing him to back off and yell out in pain. "You dirty whore," Igor shouted out as he tried to brush off the pain and resume his assault. "I'll make your krovvy flow in damn rivers!"

Areva could not hear his threat, however, as she knocked aside Igor's horizontal slash and punched him in the stomach. The young woman could only think about how if she fell at the hands of this man, her beloved Keiichi would fall soon afterwards. She had met many different people in her journey, and traded fists with almost all of them, but something about Igor made her sick to her stomach. He's just like I am: a person who revels in violence, Areva thought with disgust while she followed her the stomach punch with a knee to the same area. He makes me ashamed that I was even considering letting myself get lost in my adrenaline rush: to think that I would become like him!

Charging her blue ki into her arms, Areva bombarded her foe with a devastating flurry of elbow strikes, eliciting a shout of agony each time her limbs made contact with his body. Shutting out the rapid firing of curse words from Igor's mouth, Areva continued raining down elbows until her arms were so tired they felt as if they were going to fall off. Once that happened, Areva sent Igor spiraling away with a powerful spinning knee.

Areva took deep, tired breaths while she watched Igor land on the concrete with a sickening thud. After a couple of seconds, Areva regained her wits and allowed herself a smile. I did it: I defeated another golem of Sheol, she thought with happiness as a light laughter tickled her throat. If this is the best that Sheol has to offer, I don't know what Keiichi is so worried about. Together we'll topple the leader with no problem and we'll have a glorious wedding to celebrate our victory!

Before she could let herself become totally lost in her matrimonial fantasies, she realized that she wasn't the only one laughing. Silencing her giggling, Areva turned to Igor's fallen body and realized that the other laugh was coming from him. At first, it was a low chuckle, but not long after Areva had become silent, it had become an insane cackle. "You are so marvelous," Igor said between breaths and laughs as he slowly got back onto his feet and picked up his weapons. "It's no wonder Keiichi enjoys lubbilubbing with you so..." His entire body began to burn with his natural jade fire while he reared back like a pitcher and prepared for his next attack. "Oh, I swear...before this day is over, your krovvy will be all over my clothes!"

Making sure his promise would be fulfilled; Igor lunged out at Areva in a missile-like fashion with his body still burning green. With his sticks in front of him, the spiraling Igor crashed into Areva like a drill and pushed her away like a train. The woman let out a blood-curdling scream as her bodily fluids gushed out of her newly-created wound into her stomach before Igor's flames died down and she dropped to the ground in agony. W-what was that, Areva thought frantically as she inspected her stomach wound. He could have easily impaled me had he used a bit more force! What a monstrous technique...what a monstrous fighter!

"You're so much prettier when you're stained with red," Igor commented with a sinister smile as before plunging his glowing rods into the ground. "Let me continue doing your make-up by adding some screams!" As soon as his rods made contact, a thin stream of fire made its way towards Areva. The stream circled Areva's body and formed a ring around here, confusing the woman to a great degree. However, her confusion soon turned into fright as the thin stream suddenly intensified and engulfed her body like a volcanic eruption. Her screams pierced the air as struggled desperately to escape the wall of fire she had become trapped in.

After three seconds of screams, the wall of fire dissipated in a puff of smoke, revealing the woman within. Although ki flames did not physically char her skin, her mind and soul had been all but incinerated. Areva struggled to maintain her balance as she stumbled towards Igor on willpower alone. She did not get very far, and after seven steps she tripped and fell flat on her face. How am I still alive? Areva asked herself as she looked at her hand. Even though I only have a few scrapes and bruises, I feel like the skin has been burned off of my bones.

As she pondered how she retained her beautiful skin such an attack, she looked up to see something slowly descend upon the rooftop. Identifying it as a helicopter, Areva watched the aerial vehicle land on the roof while Igor put his sticks away and picked her up off the ground with his powerful arms. "I should demonstrate why I am your superior: rape you seventy times while playing with your groodies," Igor growled as he carried her over to the helicopter. "However, our leader wishes to have you in his company, so I will leave you be."

The leader of Sheol, Areva mumbled as she felt herself drift into unconsciousness. Keiichi...forgive me for not waiting for you. I need to save my strength...so I can deliver you his head.

-------

Now arriving in Manhattan: please your watch step as you leave.

Keiichi took heed to the feminine, computerized voice and carefully stepped out of the train to head towards his hotel. It had taken him two hours to see his new ally Fredrick off to his plane, and he did not enjoy a single second of it. He talks so much about himself and his relationship with his girlfriend: what an arrogant bastard, Keiichi mumbled as he merged with the flood of people coming out of the other doors of the train and joined them on their journey to the main streets. What right does he have to talk to me about my relationship with Areva: it's not like he's burned down his girlfriend's house...

Feeling a light buzzing in his pocket, Keiichi pulled out his cell phone from his pants and flipped it open. Looking at the phone number being shown on the small screen of the phone, Keiichi recognized it as Areva's. She's probably wondering whether or not I decided to abandon her behind her back, the young man thought with a smile before pressing a green button on his phone and putting it to his ear. As easy that would have been, I'm not about to betray her again. "What do you want, Areva?"

"It's not what she wants, comrade," a male voice answered on Areva's behalf, surprising Keiichi to such a degree that he almost stopped in his tracks. "It's what she needs..."

"...Igor," Keiichi growled as he did his best to contain his rage upon recognizing the voice. "What are you doing on Areva's cell phone? What you done with her?"

"I am taking her to see our leader, of course: he has shown great interest in her," Igor answered truthfully while Keiichi rushed to get back onto the streets of the city so he could find a quiet place to talk to his "comrade." "He would also like to know why you have not returned to headquarters after dealing with the Irishman."

"That is neither your concern nor his," Keiichi spat back once he entered a nearby deli to sit down at. "Where are you right now, you disgusting prick?"

"I am currently riding a helicopter to headquarters: if you follow me quickly, then maybe you'll get here in time to claim your cheena." The voice chuckled for a few seconds before suddenly sounding stern and cruel. "You really are a grahzny bratchny, Keiichi: you should be glad I don't shive her throat like a pig."

"A ‘shived throat' will be a pleasant demise compared to the one I will give you if I find that you have caused Areva suffering in any way," Keiichi returned the insult with a chilling threat before getting up out of his seat and once again heading for the streets. "I will see you at headquarters: you had best be prepared to suffer the consequences for your actions, prick."