"Cl... Cloud?!"
Nakoruru's red lips parted slightly, momentarily unable to believe her own eyes.
She blinked hard, confirming that this man in strange clothing, smiling brilliantly before her, was truly the one who had stood beside her on the KOF stage—and who had given her countless moments of warmth and support afterward.
"How are you here?!" After the joy came overwhelming confusion.
"Long story. Think of it as being sent on assignment by the company, here for some friendly technical exchange and resource integration." Cloud shrugged, explaining in terms Nakoruru couldn't understand.
"ROAR!"
While the two were catching up, the surrounding demons finally snapped out of their shock.
Though low on intelligence, they instinctively sensed the massive threat Cloud posed and began roaring, closing in from all directions.
"Be careful!" Nakoruru cried out, instinctively stepping in front of Cloud. "These are Mizuki—corrupted by Amakusa's dark magic, very difficult to deal with!"
"Mizuki? Poetic name." Cloud smiled, gently pulling her behind him. "Relax, just some experience points. Perfect chance to show you some new things I learned in the KOF world."
As the words fell, his expression transformed instantly.
If moments ago he'd seemed like a lazy boy next door, now he was an awakened primordial beast. An indescribable pressure exploded from him!
He didn't use Orochi's power, didn't summon Kusanagi or Yagami flames, didn't even release the slightest external energy.
He simply took one step forward, assuming the most basic fighting stance.
"Come on. Let me show you what they mean when they say 'premium ingredients require only the simplest cooking.'"
A lizardman shrieked and lunged from the side, sharp claws slashing at his neck.
Without looking back, Cloud's left hand extended as if it had eyes, precisely catching the lizardman's wrist. The next second—a clean over-the-shoulder throw!
"Goro Daimon Style—Tenchi Gaeshi!"
BOOM!
The lizardman slammed into the ground, the earth cracking beneath it. It didn't even have time to scream before every bone in its body shattered, reduced to a pulpy mess.
Next, several "coal ball" black mist entities silently approached.
Cloud didn't dodge. His hands rapidly traced an arc before his chest.
"Chang Koehan Style—Iron Ball Rotation!"
Though he held no iron ball, Cloud spun at high speed with himself as the axis, the wind from his fists forming an impenetrable tornado!
The black mists were sucked in and instantly shredded by the violent winds, emitting sharp wails before dissipating into nothing.
"Who's next?!"
A spinning kick sent an approaching zombie flying, conveniently bowling over a row of its companions like dominoes.
He stood at the center of the demon horde, pajamas fluttering in the wind, flip-flops firmly planted, wearing an effortlessly superior smile.
Sometimes he used Ryo Sakazaki's "Kyokugenryu Karate"—one "Haoh Shoukou Ken" blast clearing an entire line of enemies.
Sometimes he channeled Terry, bellowing "Power Wave!" and launching a ground-hugging shockwave.
He even struck Kim Kaphwan's pose, executing a gorgeous "Hou'ou Kyaku" that sent a pack of demons spinning through the air with a perfect 3.5 rotation difficulty rating.
The entire battlefield had become his personal fighting technique exhibition.
Nakoruru was completely entranced.
Her small mouth hung open, beautiful eyes sparkling with wonder. She knew Cloud was strong, but at the KOF tournament, she'd mostly seen him use those miraculous flames and energy attacks.
She had never imagined someone could reach such terrifying heights through pure fighting technique alone!
Every punch, every kick contained the ultimate principles of martial arts.
Seemingly simple moves became extraordinary in his hands, full of power and beauty.
His perfect control of combat rhythm, his casual elegance—it simply defied logic!
"Is this... the King of Fighters' world?" Nakoruru murmured to herself. Her understanding of "combat" had been completely overturned.
Above, her guardian hawk Mamahaha had stopped circling, perched on an intact roof beam, head tilted, wearing a very humanized expression of confusion. As if saying: "Who is this guy? Definitely hacking. Report! Must report!"
Less than five minutes.
The hundreds of demons that had ravaged the village and pushed Nakoruru to her limits were completely wiped out.
Cloud withdrew from his final punch stance, letting out a long breath.
"Mm, warm-up complete. Feel like I've worked all the rust out."
He rolled his neck, producing satisfying cracks.
The villagers around him now looked at him no differently than they would look at a god. They fell to their knees, kowtowing to Cloud, shouting words of gratitude in a dialect he couldn't understand.
"All done. See, told you—professional team, trustworthy service." Cloud turned, flashing a V-sign at the still-dazed Nakoruru.
Nakoruru finally snapped back to reality. She hurried to Cloud's side, her beautiful eyes holding the joy of reunion, gratitude for being saved, and most of all, a light called "admiration"—sparkling brightly.
"Cloud... thank you." Her words came from the heart. "You saved me again. And everyone."
"No big deal." Cloud waved it off. His gaze swept over the devastated village. Though the villagers were saved, their faces still held numbness and grief. Having lost their homes and loved ones, their future remained bleak.
The tragedy of this era unfolded before him like a heavy scroll.
"This is... Hokkaido?" Cloud asked. He remembered that Nakoruru's homeland, Kamui Kotan, was here.
Nakoruru nodded, her expression darkening. "Yes, this is a village near Kamui Kotan. I sensed demons causing chaos here and rushed over, but I didn't expect..."
"Amakusa Shiro, right?" Cloud's eyes turned cold.
...
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