Chapter 86

The Starside Hotel had its own restaurant, one whose chef studied under the late Akiyama Kaiichiro, known in Japan as the Master of Chinese Cuisine. That sounded a lot more involved than I wanted for a meal right now, likely being a luxury experience. Knowing the reputation of the Starside Hotel, that was definitely what it was, and I figured I would give it a pass. Instead, I headed out of the Hotel, changing some money over to Yen at the Concierge, which was a thing you could do at the Starside, before hitting the streets.

I wandered around Roppongi for a bit, taking in the scenery of this part of Minato Ward. As I did so, I lit up a Red Apple Cigarette, just wandering about and looking for a spot for a quiet meal. At this time of night, there were a bunch of neon lights and various advertisements lit up on the streets as I passed by groups of people looking around for a good time in the various bars, restaurants, and nightclubs scattered around the district. Many clubs had closed their doors during the recession after the real-estate bubble had burst, but others had soaked up their business in the meantime to stay afloat.

I passed by suited men and women in tiny dresses alike, some Yakuza-affiliated, judging by the tattoos and attitude while others weren't. At one point, I spotted a man with the tattoos of the Red Dragon, the former parent organization and current arch-nemesis to the Black Dragon. That made my lips quirk upward briefly as I idly wondered if I ought to go over there and request a meeting with that Man's Superiors. If nothing else, a renewed war between the Red and Black Dragon Syndicates would keep Kano and his goons off my back for a bit. Ultimately, though, I discarded the idea. Odds were this guy's superiors weren't even aware of anything that was really going on between the Red and Black Dragon. Not if he was showing those tattoos openly on the streets like that.

Shaking my head, I continued to wander around Roppongi, smoking my cigarettes and looking for a spot to eat. I finally found a small ramen shop that seemed to be almost an old-school Yatai, with how small it was and how it was basically just a single food stall with a few stools at a counter. Of course, there was also the fact that most of the people on the street seemed to walk right past the stall without giving it a second glance which hinted that it wasn't all that it seemed. I made my way under the canvas flap serving as a doorway to be greeted by a smiling woman in her early twenties wearing a chef's apron over her skirt and blouse.

"Welcome to Kitsu Ramen! Please, sit!" Beamed the Woman.

"Thank you." I bowed, taking a seat on one of the stools.

Funnily enough, I could sense there was something about the Chi of the Woman who was running the stall that wasn't exactly normal. Opening my third eye revealed exactly what the issue was, as a pair of bushy, fox-like, tails were revealed jutting out from behind the back of her skirt now that I wasn't limited to normal senses.

"It's rude to stare you know." Huffed the Woman.

"Apologies. Most non-humans aren't so blatant where I'm from." I bowed.

"I suppose it is hard to fault the Gaijin for acting uncouth. You'd better leave me a big tip, though." Cautioned the Kitsune.

"Well, I may be a Gaijin, but far be it for me to gainsay a Kitsune when given a warning like that." I chuckled.

"Damn straight. I'm not just any Kitsune either, my ancestor was the Great Shippo, one of the vanquishers of the Yōreichō, among others." Announced the Woman with a foxlike grin.

"So, I have to admit to being unfamiliar with the cuisine. At the risk of sounding naive, what would you recommend?" I questioned.

"Well, I don't suppose you're just using a very good glamour or illusion to hide your true appearance?" Queried the Woman.

"Afraid not. My dietary restrictions are the same as any normal human's, even if I might not be strictly speaking completely human myself in bloodline." I responded.

"Well then, I think you might enjoy our Onmyo Ramen. It's been specially formulated to help fortify the Chi of Humans and Half-breeds alike." Chirped the Woman.

"That sounds great, thank you." I nodded.

"Fantastic! Now, it's a bit more expensive than normal, but I'm sure you don't mind, right?" Asked the Woman.

"Not at all." I answered.

"Good! It'll be a few minutes. Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?" Offered the Woman.

"Bepsi?" I questioned.

"Sure, we have that. It's not the Warring States Period anymore, after all." Grinned the Woman, ducking under the counter and popping back up with an ice-cold Bepsi, the Japanese Knockoff of Pepsi.

I slid over a few bills, easily three times what the can of Bepsi was worth. No need to anger the Kitsune. I wasn't trying to start a fight with the locals tonight, after all. I cracked the can and took a sip, which was still Bepsi even though the potential for a prank drink was high here. I put the can down as the Woman began to put a pot on one of the burners and nodded over to her.

"Not to be even more rude, but Ramen Shop is an interesting business for a Kitsune, isn't it?" I queried.

"I enjoy cooking. Besides, the local Yokai, Sorcerers, and Chi Adepts have to have places to go where they can have a quiet night, too right?" Shrugged the Woman.

"I get it. We've got places like this back in the States too, neutral bars where those of us on the extranormal side of things can grab a drink or a bite to eat without being at each other's throats." I remarked, thinking of Willy's back in Sunnydale or Caritas in Los Angeles.

Willy may be shady if you didn't understand how to handle him, but one thing you could say about his Bar was that nobody in there ever wanted to get into a fight while they were there, even the local Vampires tended to let stuff go while they had access to booze and blood from the Bar, and Vampires tended to be one of the more belligerent types of Demons. I'd even heard that the Host of Caritas, a Dethwok Demon going by Lorne, had paid some sorceresses to enchant his premises with a no-violence spell, mystically enforcing neutral territory. That had to mean this sort of thing was good business, which made sense. When you were around for centuries, you tended to accumulate wealth if you were smart about it.

"Yeah, it's actually a really lucrative business model. There isn't much call for seducing Feudal Lords these days. And if you try that sort of thing in the Criminal Underworld or Corporate World you can find yourself being hunted really easily these days. Human technology has come a long way from the days when spears and bows were their primary weapons. Plus there are over a dozen different Shinobi Clans all with Chi Adepts just waiting for mercenary contracts to come rolling in to get rid of a troublesome Yokai, to say nothing of the various temples whose priests have some level of Sorcerous Powers, and that's before talking about the various independents running around. Most of us Kitsune just feel things are too dangerous to go mucking about with high-status humans these days if you're not four-tails or more. It's easier to start businesses of our own, nowadays." Shrugged the Woman.

"That's remarkably forward-thinking of you. I know Demons back home more than a century old who haven't figured that out yet." I blinked.

"America's a lot bigger than Japan. It's a lot less densely populated too. There are probably dozens of small towns where low-level demons or minor spirits can set themselves up as Kings out there. It's a different story here." Responded the Woman.

"You know, I'd heard something similar happened in the UK a few decades ago as well. Something about densely-populated islands compared to continents must mean the local Supernatural populations understand the need to be smarter about things." I mused.

"I wouldn't know. I've only ever been around Japan. I did spend one summer in Okinawa, but I don't know if that counts. I do know that there was a Tanuki named Hachirobe a few decades back who decided to try and seduce the Heiress to the Osato Chemicals Fortune only to find that the Board hired Shinobi from the Azuma Clan to assassinate the Tanuki. Of course, what more would you expect from someone of Hachi's Lineage? The Fool barely escaped with his life. Last I'd heard, the Head of the Azuma Shinobi Clan still has one of Hachirobe's paws on a chain as a trophy. I doubt anyone was too willing to try something like that again after that." Opined the Woman.

"I'll bet." I offered.

"So, I have to ask, I've noticed there's a fair few more of you Chi Adepts in town than usual. I'm wondering what that's about?" Asked the Woman.

"There's a Tournament Going on. The King of Fighters Tournament." I answered.

"You mean the one that got blown up last year by terrorists?" Questioned the Woman.

"It wasn't terrorists. What do you know about the Yamata-no-Orochi?" I queried.

"Enough to know that if it's awake, I might consider taking an overseas vacation." Blinked the Woman.

"It's not awake yet, but it's getting there. Some of us have reason to believe that it will finish waking up during the tournament if nothing changes." I informed.

"I see. Which would be where you come in, I assume?" Asked the Woman.

"And a few others, but with something like this? You might want to take that vacation. Sometime in the next week if possible." I intoned.

"Good to know. I think I'll make you this to go and then close up shop for the foreseeable future." Nodded the Woman, before ladeling a portion of Ramen into a to-go container and sliding it over to me.

This Ramen had all sorts of things in it that weren't usually found. The vegetables were all the sort of specially alchemically grown sorts that would promote healthy Chi growth, while the spices were formulated to reinforce the internal cycle of Chi and the meat was from Basan, a type of Mystically Potent, Fire-breathing, Chi Awakened, Rooster. The noodles were made in an alchemically formulated manner to reinforce the mystical energy reserves of humans when eaten. Even the broth was a salt broth made with salt from a temple's stock of salt for the Misogi Ritual. No wonder this was so expensive.

"How much do I owe you?" I questioned.

"Ordinarily, I'd quote you some huge price as a way to get my own back from your earlier disrespect, but you may have just saved my life if this thing with the Yamata-no-Orochi goes badly. Call it ten thousand Yen." Answered the Woman.

"Not a problem. Good luck, Miss." I agreed, sliding over the bills plus a further five grand in tip.

"Hanako. My Name is Hanako." Informed the Woman.

"And I'm Ulysses." I responded.

Then I grabbed my to-go container, finished my Bepsi, and headed out of the stand. Almost as soon as I was back out on the street, I felt a surge of mystical energy ping my radar, and when I turned back, the Ramen Stall was gone. I'd expect no less of a Kitsune with at least two tails like Hanako had been. Regardless, I had my dinner and made my way back across Roppongi toward the Starside Hotel once more. I wouldn't get all the way back before something interesting caught my eye.

A Japanese Guy in his late teens with a brown, curtain haircut in an unbuttoned school jacket and black jeans stood next to a Large Japanese Man in a Judo Gi with a Rising Sun Bandana and a Flamboyant Man in a Sleeveless Black Shirt and White Jeans with a spiked up, Blonde, Haircut. The three of them all clearly were Chi Adepts and had Mystical Abilities that pinged on my mystic radar as being elemental in nature. However, it wouldn't be enough to win them the battle they were currently angling for by annoying someone I automatically recognized as a threat in a vacant lot between two nightclubs.

A torn, dark blue, Gi was draped over a muscular frame. Bright orange hair was pulled into a topknot with a white cord that did nothing to detract from the fiery appearance of the hairstyle. A string of oversized prayer beads hung around his neck as the angry gleam in the man's eyes promised the capacity for incredible violence which would swiftly be unleashed on the trio if they didn't stop pestering him. On the back of his Gi, the Kanji for Heaven marked him as a practitioner of the Satsui no Hadou.

This was Akuma, one of the few remaining Masters of the Ansatsuken and the current sole Master of the Satsui no Hadou, a power so drenched in blood, and so destructive, that it was rumored that masters of it could utilize it to change the very landscape in which battles were fought, if they didn't lose themselves to it first. Akuma was the only one who had ever seemed to have mastered it fully that I was aware of. Those three idiots didn't stand a chance, and the worst part was, they didn't even know enough to know they didn't stand a chance.

I was going to have to intervene to avoid having them be murdered in front of me by Akuma, wasn't I? That wasn't good, because I knew I wasn't strong enough yet to defeat Akuma myself, even with help. My only shot was going to be to defuse this before Akuma lost his patience and decided that killing those three would be more expedient than just walking away.

"Hey, you three! Stop annoying the man who could kill you with one finger!" I called out.

That seemed to grab their attention, but it also seemed to grab Akuma's. There was nothing for it, now. I'd just have to get on with it and hope Akuma didn't decide that just barely having delved into the initial levels of the Chikara no Hadou meant that I was fair game for his talent for incredible violence.

"Who the Hell are you supposed to be? Butt out, asshole!" Demanded the Blonde.

"Benimaru, take it easy." Frowned the Large Judoka.

"No, Goro, I'm itching for a fight right now, and if it's not gonna be carrot top here, it might as well be this asshole!" Fumed the Blonde, Benimaru.

"I'd be a lot easier fight than him. You have no idea who that is, do you?" I questioned.

"I don't give a fuck who that is, somebody's fighting me tonight!" Insisted Benimaru.

"Let's hear him out, yeah? He sounds like he knows what he's talking about." Frowned the Curtain Haircut Guy.

"I agree with Kyo." Nodded the Judoka, Goro.

"That's Akuma, Master of the Satsui no Hadou and one of a very few living people who could be considered a Master of any degree of the Ansatsuken Style. Does that mean anything to you?" I queried.

"Satsui no Hadou? Ansatsuken? I don't know anything about either of those." Frowned the Curtain haircut Guy, Kyo.

"I do. I think we should go." Frowned Goro.

"Fine, but you owe me a fight!" Huffed Benimaru.

"I should save my strength for the Tournament, but if it'll get you to stop indulging your suicidal urges, then sure." I nodded.

"Wait, Tournament? You mean the King of Fighters Tournament? Are you in that?" Questioned Kyo.

"I am. I'm on the annoyingly named Team Psycho Soldier. I unfortunately didn't get to pick the name, or we'd have gone with something less stupid." I admitted.

"Yeah? Well, we're team Japan. Daimon Goro, Kusanagi Kyo, and myself, the Shooting Star, Nikaido Benimaru!" Grinned Benimaru.

"You'll be dead if you don't do what this one says, and fast. My patience runs thin with your annoyances." Rumbled Akuma, spiking his Chi just enough to warn the three idiots.

"Right, we'd better leave before things get too heated." Nodded Goro.

"Yeah, well, you'd better not get knocked out before I get a chance to kick your ass!" Scowled Benimaru.

The trio made to leave shortly afterward and I moved to do so as well, only to find myself confronted by Akuma, who was now blocking my path. He glared down at me, gaze boring through me as my breath hitched in my throat and I waited for him to decide whether or not I was worth his time to kill. He sniffed the air like a wolf scenting something for a moment then spoke.

"You have the stink of the Chikara no Hadou on you, Boy." Stated Akuma.

"I have barely delved into that power, yes." I nodded, tentatively.

"How? I slew Gouken with my own hands. How do you come to know of this power at all?" Queried Akuma.

"A training manual written by a Master Goutetsu." I answered honestly.

There was no point in lying to Akuma, he'd know if I did and would likely kill me out of hand just for having the gall to try lying to him. Honesty was the best policy here, though it was in no way a guarantee of survival. Akuma considered that for a moment before nodding.

"I had thought I had destroyed all of those. How did you come by one?" He asked.

"This one was in the hands of some Ano-Movic Demons and only recently made its way back into circulation." I responded.

"I see. Perhaps this is an opportunity. When you have attained sufficient mastery of the Chikara no Hadou, I will seek you out. On that day, if you are not strong enough, I will kill you as I did Gouken. Until then, keep training." Intoned Akuma.

Then Akuma stalked off, presumably to find a less annoying place to meditate than someplace where his only defense against being bothered was the two Yakuza-run establishments on either side of the vacant lot scaring people away. As he did so, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I'd just wanted to grab dinner and now I was being set up for a future fight to the death against the King of Martial Arts Deathmatches. Seriously, the stories I'd heard about masters being challenged to such things by Akuma and being killed because of it were legendary. And those were just the ones deemed important enough for the Black Dragon to download them into my brain!

"Fantastic." I muttered.

Fortunately, I was able to make my way back to the Starside Hotel without any further interruptions by Legendary Masters of ancient powers or random Kitsune-run Ramen Shops. I made my way back into my room, as Athena, Kensou, and I had all gotten our own rooms, and finally sat down to eat my Ramen. It was pretty good, just the right level of savoriness. On top of that, I could practically feel it going to work on my Chi Reserves, Meridians, and Mystic Core, so that was nice. If only I hadn't attracted the attention of a literal Murderhobo who could kill me without even trying in the process.

I'd have to put my encounter with Akuma out of my mind for now and try to get some sleep. The opening Ceremonies of the Tournament were in the morning, and we had our fight with Kim Kaphwan and his Team Korea Justice afterward. Seriously, what was it with these teams and dumb names? Korea Justice, Psycho Soldier? Compared to those Team Japan, who I'd just met earlier, had a practically boring name, though given the three of them were dumb enough to try and antagonize Akuma, that wasn't saying much.

Sighing, I terminated that train of thought and turned in for the night, hoping to get some sleep. Tomorrow was a big day, after all, and I was going to need my rest if I wanted to be at my best. I had no idea just how eventful tomorrow would wind up being. Not only would I fight in a match with Team Korea Justice, but there would be a second match against Team Hungry Wolf.

And that wasn't something that we'd been able to prep for. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. A lot of this chapter is here to just introduce you to various concepts like Japan being too crowded with powerful forces for any but the most powerful of Demons to do their usual shenanigans with, or the fact that every major city with a large Supernatural Population has some form of Neutral Territory where Supernaturals can congregate without worrying about blood feuds. However, there is also a bit of setup, first for during the Tournament in that Benimaru will be egging Team Japan on to antagonize Team Psycho Soldier, and again for further down the line now that Akuma has his eye on Ulysses.

Other nineties stuff this chapter includes mentions of Hachi, the Yōreichō, and Shippo from Inuyasha, the Azuma Shinobi Clan from Tenchu, Akuma, the Satsui no Hadou, the Ansatsuken, and the Chikara no Hadou from Street Fighter, the Black and Red Dragon Syndicates from Mortal Kombat, Red Apple Cigarettes from the Works of Quentin Tarantino, Bepsi from various anime including Lupin the Third and others, the Starside Hotel from Kaiji, Akiyama Kaiichiro is from Iron Wok Jun, Osato Chemicals from the James Bond Series, while Willy's, Sunnydale, Lorne, and so on are from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel. Everything else is from King of Fighters.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the start of the Official Tournament, with appearances by other teams besides the ones already mentioned.

Stay tuned. . .