Yet Akuma paid them no attention.
His gaze pierced through the crowd, landing directly on three individuals.
The first was Ryu. He sensed within Ryu a power of the same origin as his own—the seed of the Satsui no Hado, not yet awakened.
The second was Ken. From Ken, he felt a pure, blazing fighting spirit that belonged to a true martial artist.
And the third was Cloud.
The instant Akuma's gaze met Cloud's in the air—
For the first time, an expression of interest crossed Akuma's eternally frozen face.
From Cloud, he sensed something even more ancient, even more pure, even more domineering than his own Satsui no Hado—a "Will of Destruction"!
The aura of Orochi!
"Interesting..." The corner of Akuma's mouth slowly curved into a cruel arc.
Cloud was likewise studying this legendary "demon."
[Ding! Ultra-high-danger target detected: Akuma!]
[Style: Ansatsuken (Assassination Fist).]
[Core Abilities: Gohadoken, Goshoryuken, Tatsumaki Zankukyaku, Shun Goku Satsu!]
[Plunderable Talents: Satsui no Hado (Pure), Body of the Asura, Ultimate Mastery of the Fist!]
[System Evaluation: SS-grade top-tier ingredient! Extremely dangerous! Extremely delicious! This target has transformed himself into the very embodiment of "combat"—a pure aggregate of martial arts! His Shun Goku Satsu involves attacks on the level of causality. Host is strongly advised to exercise extreme caution! Highly recommended to save for last as the grand finale!]
"SS-grade ingredient..." Cloud licked his lips, unprecedented excitement blazing in his eyes.
This was the main course he'd been most anticipating on this "buffet" trip!
Just as tension filled the air, battle seemingly imminent—
DONG! DONG! DONG!
A series of resonant gongs sounded.
The venue's PA system carried the announcer's passionate voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Fighting enthusiasts around the world!"
"Thank you for your patience!"
"Hosted by Shadaloo Corporation, personally sponsored by General Bison—the Street Fighter World Fighting Tournament, Hong Kong Regional Qualifiers..."
"Now officially begin!"
...
Hong Kong Coliseum erupted.
When the announcer's electrifying voice blasted through tens of thousands of speakers into every corner of the venue, the countless spectators in the stands exploded into cheers and roars like a tsunami!
The sound waves nearly tore the alloy dome right off!
Countless streamers, glow sticks, and fan-made signs were thrown into the air, forming a colorful ocean.
"Zangief! Zangief! You're the best!"—A Russian fan club was singing "Katyusha" in unison.
"Honda-sama! Japanese sumo is number one!"—A group of fanatics wearing sumo loincloths were performing synchronized teppo (pillar-slapping) in support.
"Ken! Ken! Ken! Marry me!"—A group of blonde, blue-eyed female fans were screaming, trying to throw their lace undergarments onto the ring.
The atmosphere had gone completely insane.
Backstage, the frozen air that had formed with Akuma's appearance was finally dispersed by this wave of fervor.
The fighters began heading to their respective match tunnels according to the bracket randomly generated on the big screen.
Akuma fixed Cloud with a deep stare, his eyes seeming to say: "Your head—I've reserved it."
Then he turned and vanished into the dark tunnel like a ghost merging with shadows. He seemed utterly uninterested in these "qualifiers." Only the ultimate strong were worthy of being his prey.
"Tch, showoff," Ken sneered dismissively at Akuma's retreating back.
Then he enthusiastically clapped Cloud on the shoulder. "Hey, Cloud! My turn's up! Watch me take out that Hong Kong action star called Fei Long in under three minutes! Wish me luck!"
With that, he strode confidently toward his match tunnel, not forgetting to blow a kiss to his fan section, triggering another wave of high-pitched screaming.
"I should go as well." Ryu gave Cloud a solemn nod. "I look forward to meeting you in the ring."
His opponent was a Muay Thai expert from Thailand. For Ryu, it was merely a warm-up.
Soon, the once-crowded backstage area emptied out. Only Cloud, Chun-Li, Guile, and a handful of fighters scheduled for later remained.
"Our matches aren't until this afternoon," Chun-Li said, checking the bracket on the big screen. "Perfect timing—we can observe the other competitors' abilities first."
"My thoughts exactly." Cloud nodded.
His purpose here wasn't simply to fight—it was to gather samples. Being able to observe these top-tier fighters' battles up close, in high definition, was an excellent opportunity for learning and plundering.
The three found an inconspicuous corner and began "spectating" the fighting feast through the backstage monitors.
But while they watched others—
They too were being watched from above.
...
Hong Kong Coliseum, uppermost level—a secret monitoring room filled with futuristic technology.
The décor here was completely different from the arena below, with its blood, sweat, and passion.
The walls were made of deep black alloy, covered in streams of flickering blue data.
At the room's center sat a massive circular control console, projecting over a hundred holographic screens that monitored every corner of the venue, inside and out.
Countless workers in white lab coats bustled around the console, constantly recording and analyzing the massive streams of combat data flowing in from the arena.
"Report, General! Contestant A037, Ken Masters—his Flaming Shoryuken's instantaneous energy output has reached 3,800 combat units! That exceeds our projected peak!"
"Report, General! Contestant C019, Zangief—his Spinning Piledriver's instantaneous torque is sufficient to tear apart a T-72 main battle tank!"
"Data! I need more data! Record the physiological readings, energy fluctuations, and even emotional changes of every A-rank and above contestant! All of this will be the perfect nourishment for the Psycho Power Drive!"
...
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