Chapter 76

The Interior of the Golden Dragon was fairly interesting to look at. Black paint on the walls contrasted against the yellow wood floors while red lighting around the place threw interesting shadows against everything. The kicker was the parasols, wood, and paper umbrellas hung upside-down from the ceiling in a unique effect that I thought was neat. Of course, that was just the main dining area. The bar was practically bathed in red light with Chinese lanterns sending crimson light to rebound against the gold mirror behind the mahogany bar.

Mind you, we weren't headed for the Bar or even the main dining area. Chin Gentsai led me up a flight of stairs situated past an indoor cherry tree whose blossoms hung over the bottom half of the wooden stairs like an archway. We went up the stairs and suddenly found ourselves in a VIP Area. The VIP area was sectioned off into various smaller dining rooms and we were led to one of our own by a pretty Waitress in a red Qipao with gold embroidery.

Inside, our VIP room had a large, round, table and several chairs that were currently in the process of being taken away by the staff until there were just two left. The walls and ceilings were colored gold, while the rich mahogany of the floor and furnishings was a reddish brown. Lamps accented with black and gold metalwork in the shape of bamboo leaves hung down to provide light, and a great bas-relief of dragons was carved in red jade and set into a gold-plated section of wall in the rear of the room. Off to the right, windows looked out onto Chinatown, providing a view for anyone who cared for such a thing.

"You really spared no expense on this place, huh?" I questioned.

"Brings in more high-paying customers that way. Besides, I'm old enough that I've lived to see a whole lot of my investments mature." Scoffed Chin Gentsai.

As we sat down, the pretty waitress placed two ceramic cups down in front of each of us and poured Baiju from a bottle for us. I nodded at her in thanks, and Chin Gentsai did the same. That got us both a brilliant smile.

"My name is Chai Meihua. I will be your personal attendant this evening. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." Bowed the Waitress, her English lightly accented.

"Actually, if you could get us some rice and Jaozi that would be a great start." Requested Chin Gentsai.

"Oolong Tea as well, please." I added.

"What's the matter, not a fan of Baijiu?" Queried Chin Gentsai.

"I'll have a few drinks, but I still have things I'd like to accomplish tonight in terms of training." I pointed out.

"Heh, suit yourself, Kid. More for me." Smirked Chin Gentsai.

"I'll put the order in right away." Bowed the Waitress, Chai Meihua.

As she turned on her heel and headed out of the VIP room, I found my gaze was drawn to her backside for a bit longer than I intended it to be. A snicker from Chin Gentsai brought my attention back to the present, though.

"I've seen that look before. You should be advised that I'm not running a cathouse here. If you want to take a run at Meihua, you'll have to do it the old-fashioned way." Chuckled Chin Gentsai.

Thoughts of my recent breakup flitted across my mind for a second before I quashed them. Shaking my head at Chin Gentsai's statement, I replied, "I just got out of a relationship. I don't think I'd be present enough in a new one for it to be fair."

"I've seen that look before too. You're young, there will be plenty of Girls, Kid. It's best not to dwell on things like that." Advised Chin Gentsai.

"I appreciate the advice, but it's not that simple. You wouldn't happen to know any Psionic Powers that can help with that sort of thing, would you?" I asked.

"That's the Telepathic Psionic Discipline, you're talking something like Psychic Surgery. Sorry, Kid, but that sort of thing tends to see the majority of folks who try it jump off the slippery slope to mind control sooner or later. You're better off just trying to deal with it the normal way. I find baijiu helps." Winced Chin Gentsai before picking up his cup.

I did the same, and with a solemn nod Chin Gentsai said, "Ganbei."

Then he downed his drink. I did the same and as the Baijiu burned its way into my stomach, I reflected on the fact that it was very likely that an ordinary person with no special abilities wouldn't be able to stomach something this high-proof. I cocked an eyebrow at Chin Gentsai, whose face split into a massive grin as he let slip a laugh.

"Saw that, did you? It's good stuff, really put some hair on your chest!" Laughed Chin Gentsai.

"Why not go with something lighter?" I demanded, sniffing the rim of my now empty cup and scrunching my nose at the strong scent of alcohol.

"Aw come on, you've honed your body and Chi enough to take it without even flinching. It's not like it hurt you." Snorted Chin Gentsai.

"A little warning would've been nice." I grumbled.

"Ah cheer up. This was the vintage my Sifu shared with me all those years ago, back during the twenties. Wuyue Taijitu Baijiu, it's a wine for Masters, Kid." Insisted Chin Gentsai.

"You're saying I'm a Master?" I questioned.

"From what I've seen, you've definitely reached the threshold for the lowest levels of Mastery and at such a young age too, I should be jealous." Nodded Chin Gentsai, sagely.

"But you're not?" I pressed.

"No. You know why? Because as your Sifu, I get to ride some of that prestige too. Perks of seniority." Grinned Chin Gentsai.

"You've been my Sifu for all of a couple weeks, how does that work?" I protested.

"I didn't come up with the system, it's just how it works." Smirked Chin Gentsai.

"Such bullshit." I muttered.

As I said that, Chai Meihua returned with a tray with servings of rice, both fried and sticky, servings of Jiaozi, freshly steamed and still hissing, and a pot of Oolong Tea and a ceramic cup for me. Not only did they have both fried and sticky rice, but Meihua had brought several different kinds of fried rice. Beef, Chicken, Pork, Shrimp, Vegetable, and Egg Fried Rice, along with Regional Chinese Variants like Hokkien Fried Rice, Sichuan Fried Rice, and Yangzhou Fried Rice. She placed the rice and Jiaozi down on the table, then poured me a cup of Oolong Tea.

"Xiexie." I thanked her in Mandarin.

"I was born in Guangzhou, we speak Cantonese there." Informed Meihua.

"M Goi, then." I reiterated in Cantonese.

"You speak Cantonese too, then? I should have guessed after seeing how you arrived with Mister Chin." Smiled Meihua, switching over to Cantonese.

"I speak a lot of languages, but I rarely get the chance to use them. The practice is welcome, so thank you very much." I responded also switching over to Cantonese.

"For someone who rarely speaks, you speak it very well. It's almost as if you can turn it on and off at will." Pointed out Meihua.

"It's a gift, I suppose." I shrugged.

"I'd hate to cut into your flirting with the Waitress, but I did have things to talk to you about, you know." Cut in Chin Gentsai, also in Cantonese.

I looked away from Meihua and she did the same before turning back to us both and asking, "Of course, can I get you anything else?"

"Peking Duck for me, easy on the tianman sauce, please." I ordered.

"Mapo Tofu for me. Don't go easy on the Mala and Douban, the spicier the better. I want to be able to spit fire from dinner." Intoned Chin Gentsai.

"Coming right up." Nodded Meihua before heading to put those orders in.

"Mapo Tofu's pretty spicy already, but extra sauce too?" I queried.

"Afraid I'll croak?" Challenged Chin Gentsai.

"Perish the thought, but if you wind up needing to call a plumber, I'm not paying for it." I retorted.

That caused Chin Gentsai to let off a laugh as he reached for some of the Jaozi. I took that as a signal to dig in, and found myself with four dishes of Rice, Chicken Fried, Beef Fried, Egg Fried, and Hokkien Fried Rice, along with a few Jiaozi dumplings. I poured myself some tea as Chin Gentsai poured himself another cup of the Baijiu and served himself some Shrimp Fried Rice and Sichuan Fried Rice. Then we dug in and for a few moments, all conversation died away.

I found that the Hokkien Fried Rice, which was a combination of Egg Fried Rice and Vegetable Stir Fry was actually pretty good for something that contained oyster sauce. Meanwhile, the Oolong Tea was better than the stuff that Aphrodesia's dad imported from China for the Espresso Pump back in Sunnydale. Honestly, everything I'd had so far was good.

When Meihua brought the main course out, I took a bite of Duck and it was perfect. Crispy, flavorful, and cooked just right. I thanked Meihua in Cantonese, who once again blushed and looked away before heading back to the kitchen.

"How's the food?" Asked Chin Gentsai.

"Real good. Beats just ordering from Little Neros and keeping up training." I mused.

"Like Little Nero's wouldn't just have delivered to the Arcade." Scoffed Chin Gentsai.

"Yeah, if I couldn't find your street address, the Little Nero's Guy probably wouldn't be able to either." I admitted.

"So, there's something I wanted to ask you about. Like I said, this isn't just a celebratory meal." Continued Chin Gentsai.

"Shoot." I remarked.

"Well, you may have heard that there's a King of Fighters Tournament coming up in the last week of July. What you might not have heard is that two of my students have received an invitation. Now, the King of Fighters' Tournament is a Team Tournament, and my two students need a teammate. While they've asked me to join them, I'm almost ninety years old. I shouldn't be fighting on the front lines at my age, Psychic Powers and Chi Abilities be damned." Began Chin Gentsai.

"Didn't some terrorist group bomb the finals of the last one? Castor Troy claimed responsibility, last I heard." I frowned.

"Castor Troy has been dead for the last four years. The man on the tape simply used his face through some experimental surgical procedure. The Tournament Organizers and the US Government lobbied hard for the cover-up. Something about ensuring that the truth about Stadium Bombing didn't affect the Markets." Refuted Chin Gentsai.

"Putting aside how you know Castor Troy's dead for a second, if it wasn't a terrorist attack that blew up Kagura Stadium in Hawaii, then what did happen?" I questioned.

"A Demon was unleashed. What do you know about the Yamata-No-Orochi?" Queried Chin Gentsai.

"The Yamata-no-Orochi was an eight-headed Divine Serpent created by Gaia, the anthropomorphic personification of the Earth back in pre-history. It first appeared back in the Jomon Period when it was slain by the God Susanoo, allowing the Yayoi Period and its Ironworking Culture to take place before returning from the dead in one-ninety-eight AD to attempt to destroy the population of Yayoi Japan but wound up being sealed away." I recited.

"That's more or less on the money. However, it seems that the Yamata-No-Orochi also had human followers it could invest parts of its power into. One of those followers returned during the Tournament, Goenitz of the Wildy-Blowing Wind. I'll give you three guesses what power the Yamata-no-Orochi bestowed on him and the first two don't count." Intoned Chin Gentsai.

"Aerokinesis. So what, he used that to destroy Kagura Stadium?" I asked.

"He did. You can see why the Government and Tournament Organizers would want to sweep that under the rug. They've got a lot invested in keeping the general population from learning that things like Magic, Chi, Psychic Powers, Monsters, Gods, and Demons are a thing." Nodded Chin Gentsai.

"Yeah, even as they make use of it in the Special Forces. I've met members of the Special Forces Task Force Ironarms. Captain Blade had some pretty well-trained Chi herself. She'd have to, being on a task force dedicated to fighting the Black Dragon. That's only going to last so long, though. A masquerade like that can't be kept up indefinitely." I agreed.

"Regardless, this tournament's likely to draw even more Orochi Worshippers. Unfortunately, my two students are insisting on taking the invitation and going to fight in the tournament. I'm afraid I won't be of much help should someone empowered by the divine power of the Yamata-no-Orochi attack again. My psionic abilities didn't seem to do anything to Goenitz, and my Chi Power isn't enough on its own in the face of a divine champion like that. You though, have Chi Power and Magic, plus your primary psychic powers boost yourself instead of screwing with other people." Hedged Chin Gentsai.

"So you want me to sub in for you on your Student's Team? I can do that. I was planning on entering the Tournament as a solo fighter anyway." I shrugged.

"Thank you. You've got no idea how much that means to me. I'll call Athena tomorrow and let her know about all this." Thanked Chin Gentsai.

It was around that time, however, when we heard shouting from downstairs followed by the breaking of furniture. I looked over at Chin Gentsai and he nodded at me, then we both stood up and made our way downstairs. A bunch of people were fleeing up the stairway in an attempt to get away from whatever was going on in the main dining area. That delayed our response a bit as we navigated the stream of people like salmon swimming upriver.

When we arrived downstairs to the main dining area, it was to find a scene that was familiar to both of us. There was a pair of unconscious, downed, staff members, one of which had been picked up and thrown through one of the tables, on the floor. Standing over them protectively, Meihua was carrying a chair leg she was using like a sword.

Facing off against her were three Men. The First was the Muay Thai Fighter I'd seen a few weeks ago. The second was a Bo Staff-Wielding Man with a British Flag Bandana on his head, and wearing dark jeans and an open jean jacket. The third was a Bald Man in sunglasses and a fur-lined coat, wielding a pair of Escrima Sticks.

"Billy Kane, Hwa Jai, and Mister Big, the first two work for the Howard Connection as Head of Security and a Security Contractor respectively, the last is a Crime Boss who owes fealty to the Howard Connection. They all work for the same man Raiden worked for." Whispered Chin Gentsai, pulling a flask from out of a pocket.

"So this is my fault? And here I am without my normal gear." I grumbled.

As that happened, Meihua launched into a pirouette and slashed out with the table leg at the Staff-Wielder, Billy Kane, in a series of combination strikes. Her form was actually really good and it reminded me of something I'd read about, Ling-Sheng Su swordsmanship. Hadn't one of the famous practitioners of Ling-Sheng Su Swordsmanship had the Surname Chai? Chai Xianghua? Was Meihua a descendant?

If so, her ancestor would be disappointed. Billy Kane parried each of the spinning, flowing, strikes with his Bo Staff, keeping Meihua at range before pulsing Chi into his Bo Staff. At once, the staff separated into three sections, becoming a Sansetsukon that wrapped around Meihua's improvised weapon and ripped it away from her grasp. Another pulse of Chi and the Bo Staff solidified enough for him to slam it into Meihua's stomach, lift her up, and then slam her into the ground. Meihua let out a cry of pain as Billy Kane loomed over her.

"I entertained your wannabe hero schtick for a bit, but you lost. Tell me where Old Man Chin and the Kid are or I'm gonna stop sandbagging so much." Demanded Billy Kane as Meihua grit her teeth and stumbled to her feet. I'd had enough of watching, it was clearly time for me to intervene.

"I'm right here." I proclaimed, striding away for the stairs and into the main dining area.

"On your own?" Scoffed Billy Kane.

"Unless Chin Gentsai wants to join me? Why not on my own?" I shot back, pulling a battered packet of Red Apple Cigarettes out of my pants pocket.

"You've got some balls, Kid. I'll give you that much, but when you beat the piss out of Raiden, you messed with something that didn't belong to you. Now we've gotta rough you up and send a message." Smired the Bald Man, Mister Big.

"Or, you could walk away and save yourselves a lot of pain. You've got no idea what I'm capable of." I pointed out.

As I said that, I pulled out a cigarette and snapped my fingers to light it with a bit of magic. True, it was a first-circle Cantrip Spell, and thus not terribly impressive, but these guys wouldn't know a burning hands spell from a delayed blast fireball. Plus, I could back my threat up with real power if I had to.

"Can't do that. Orders from on high." Responded the Muay Thai Fighter, Hwa Jai, shaking his head.

At that, I cocked my head, taking a deep drag off my cigarette before exhaling, then stubbing the cigarette out on the palm of my hand and flicking it away.

"Then I guess you'd better get ready to fight." I said, taking up a stance.

"Cheeky bastard. Break his legs." Ordered Billy Kane.

"Don't tell me what to do." Scowled Mister Big.

He still moved forward, though. At three-on-one, I'd have to pull out all the stops if I wanted to win. Meihua had taken her chance to escape when I'd drawn their attention and run for the hills with it. For a few moments, nothing happened, the three combatants circled me, looking for openings. I presented them none, cycling through my various enhancements in preparation for the fight. The last enhancement I put on before I was attacked was Kinetic Control.

Then, the Muay Thai Fighter downed a drink from the bottle of pink energy drink he was carrying, tossed it away, and then leaped for me with a shout. His flying knee kick trailed an aura of pink Chi as he attacked me, forcing me to cross my arms in front of me to block it. His knee slammed into me with enough force to dent tempered steel and did absolutely nothing thanks to my Kinetic Control absorbing the Kinetic Force. He landed on the floor in front of me with a puzzled frown.

"My turn!" I exclaimed.

Then I lashed out with an attack of my own, the Dragon's Breath Combo of the Great Kung Lao was a quartet of Chi-enhanced kicks, low, medium, and two high to finish it off. Adding the power absorbed from Hwa Jai's Flying Chi Knee Kick on top of that effectively sent Hwa Jai flying out of the entrance to the Golden Dragon to crash onto the pavement outside. I'd felt several of his ribs break from a basic combo from me enhanced with everything I'd put into it. He wouldn't be getting back up and into the fight again.

"Who's next?" I demanded.

Mister Big and Billy Kane looked at each other, then both moved forward at once, Billy with his Bo Staff covered in flames and Mister Big with his Escrima Sticks sparking with lightning, all thanks to their various Chi Techniques.

And with that, the fight began in earnest. . .

XXXX

AN: So yeah, Chin Gentsai asked Ulysses here to get him to be Team Psycho Soldier's Third for the King of Fighters Tournament. As there was no Tournament in Nineteen-Ninety-Eight in Canon, thanks to KOF Ninety-Eight being a Dream Match Game that used Ninety-Seven's Story but added a shitload of other characters, I've decided that the King of Fighters Ninety-Seven's Story is going on, but using Ninety-Eight's Expanded Roster.

That effectively means that we're getting Orochi's Return and the stuff with the Sacred Treasures Team. Unfortunately, that also means that Ulysses is dealing with a second potential apocalypse over his summer away, after just dealing with one involving Acathla in Sunnydale.

As for the stuff with the Howard Connection, Raiden was doing a protection collection for Mister Big, who in turn was subjugated by Geese and the Howard Connection earlier in the timeline, and thus messing with Raiden's collection meant that Geese's Envelope from Mister Big was going to be a few grand light that week. That meant that Geese had Hwa Jai shadow Ulysses so that Billy, Mister Big, and Hwa Jai could make an example of him for anyone thinking of playing hero.

Other nineties stuff this chapter includes mentions of Castor Troy and Experimental Surgery from Face Off, Psychic Surgery, Kinetic Control, Telepathic Discipline, Cantrips, and Circles of Magic from Second Edition Dungeons and Dragons, Chai Xianghua and the Ling-Sheng Su School of Swordsmanship from Soul Caliber, the Great Kung Lao, Sonya Blade, and the Black Dragon from Mortal Kombat, and Little Nero's Pizza from Home Alone. Everything else is from King of Fighters.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve the fight proper.

Stay tuned. . .