Tekken Fan Fiction ❯ The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 ❯ Heihachi vs Kazuya: Devil Denied ( Chapter 25 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Twenty-two years ago, Heihachi reclaimed the Mishima Zaibatsu by defeating Kazuya in the final match of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and then tossed his fallen son's body into a volcano.
Fourteen months ago, Kazuya returned from the dead to try and get his revenge on Heihachi, but fell to his father's might in the final match of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4.
Twelve months ago, Heihachi defeated his son once again in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, denying Kazuya the chance of seeing his grandfather Jinpachi.
But today, all of that will change, Kazuya thought as he straightened his tie while he waited for his audio cue at the runway.Today, I shall finally weed out the root of all of my problems! Today, I shall carve my name into his damn hide and repay him for every scar and burn that he has given me! Kazuya had experienced death once before, and it was a terrifying experience that gave even him the chills. Giving Heihachi even a fraction of the pain and fear Kazuya had felt would be satisfactory. Yes, killing him then reviving him afterwards would be a most suitable retribution indeed: I want him to remember the anguish…
“He's been known as `the Cold-Blooded Prince' and `the Devil made Flesh,' and was the champion of the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament, the sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and a finalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. Coming in at 50 years of age, using Mishima-ryu Karate….KAZUYA MISHIMA!”
Wait another minute
Can't you see what this pain
Has f---ing done to me
I'm alive
And still kicking
What you see I can't see
And maybe
You'll think before you speak
I'm aliiiive…
Kazuya walked down the runway to some of the angriest music known to man and a mix of cheers and boos wearing his trademark scowl. He wasn't exactly pleased with the predictions of his upcoming battle when he read the paper in the morning: the polls said Kazuya had a 3 in 1 chance of winning. Not that he cared about what other people thought: it was the premise that he even had the minutest chance of losing that bothered him.
Meh...they'll get theirs soon enough, Kazuya thought to himself as he stepped into the ring. I can always buy the newspaper company and fire the poll staff when I get the Zaibatsu back.
Once he had stepped into the center of the ring, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes while lightly tapping his foot to the music. He had made a specific request to have his song run the full-length, and Kazuya would not take “no” for an answer.
Suddenly, the music stopped right on a C note during a guitar riff, and the lights began to dim. What the-? Do those fools who work here have a death wish? I specifically told them to-
Another guitar riff on C…followed by a B flat, then another C…C, B-flat, C…C, B-flat, A-flat…
Oh great…it had to be that infernal song…
“He was the sponsor of the inaugural King of Iron Fist Tournament, the champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, the sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, the champion AND sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, and a finalist in the King
of Iron Fist Tournament 5,” Fireworks began to go off inside the arena as the announcer continued, “Coming from Japan at 76 years of age, using Mishima-ryu Karate, he's the man behind the fights, the original King of Iron Fists!” Lightning began to crackle across the body of the man at the end of the runway. “GIVE UP FOR….HEIHACHIIIIIIII MISHIMA!”
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye
Of the tiger…
The crowd exploded into cheers as Heihachi Mishima came down shirtless wearing purple hakama pants, dark blue gauntlets, and a pair of sandals. His body continued to crackle with electricity as he strode down the runway. Earlier that day, he had asked the people in the music booth what Kazuya requested for his introductory song, so Heihachi asked for a song that would mix well with Kazuya's. Besides, Heihachi thought it would be amusing to see Kazuya's face once he heard his song suddenly fused into another one.
As Heihachi stepped into the ring, he smirked as he caught glimpse of his son's scowl. No doubt about it; Kazuya definitely was not pleased.
“Why must you constantly give me more and more reasons to kill you?” Kazuya grumbled as he shook his head in disgust and the grated walls elevated out of the ground. “Well, it matters little. There is no where left for you to run or hide.”
“Obstreperous fool, I have no reason to run,” Heihachi replied as he crossed his arms, “You enter the ring with the same intention that you've had since I started this tournament: take your revenge and take the Zaibatsu,” the elder man smiled as he continued speaking; “Only the fool backs his fists with anger and hatred. The master backs his fists with spirit and purpose. I had forgotten this proverb when you defeated me the first time, but I still defeated you three times over. Do you honestly think you stand a chance against me now that I have focused myself? Your rage is nothing new to me, Kazuya. To be blunt, it's getting a little tedious.”
“Don't act so tough. I'm going to wring every last drop of blood out of your sorry carcass,” Kazuya's eyes narrowed as he uncrossed his arms and assumed his fighting stance.
“Hmph,” Heihachi said as he assumed his own fighting stance and watched Kazuya begin to advance, “we'll just have to see about that, now won't we?”
Heihachi ducked under Kazuya's backhanded punch and punished him for it with a powerful Demon Uppercut that sent his son high in the air. With Kazuya still airborne, Heihachi hit him with a backhanded swat followed by his open-palmed Demon's Breath. Kazuya spun uncontrollably as he landed on the floor with a thud.
What the hell? He's faster than I anticipated, Kazuya thoughts betrayed his expression as he stood up and dusted himself off, well, that'll make destroying him that much more invigorating.
Kazuya charged again and tried to hit Heihachi with a spinning backfist once again and Heihachi ducked as he did the last punch, but this time Kazuya was ready. Spinning around once again, he lowered his body and smacked Heihachi in the jaw with a low backhanded punch. With his enemy stunned, Kazuya spun around for a final time, sending Heihachi sprawling with a roundhouse kick.
New tricks, Heihachi said as he landed on his hands and flipped back up, but no new mindsets. Pity…I would've actually been impressed with that maneuver if it were anyone else.
“Oh come on, Kazuya,” Heihachi taunted as he crossed his arms, “Even Lee hits harder than that, and if I'm not mistaken, he came pretty close to beating you in the second round!”
Kazuya's scowl remained on his face as he shot out his right hand in a powerful straight punch, but Heihachi caught the punch and pulled Kazuya into him. Flipping his son's body so that he was standing on his head, Heihachi jumped high into the air with him and came crashing into the ground with Kazuya's head hitting the pavement as Heihachi's ki crackled across his body: the trademark of his infamous Power Bomb.
Kazuya rolled away and rubbed his head as he got back up. He had lost to Heihachi before, but he had never seen him dominate a fight as completely as he was doing now. Kazuya growled as he clenched his fists and ran towards Heihachi and sent the old man flying with a leaping jump kick and ran after his body with such speed that he had reached him before he hit the ground.
Grabbing Heihachi in mid-air, Kazuya slammed his father's body on the ground and stomped on his back. Heihachi grunted as he rolled over and caught his son's foot and tipped him over. “I haven't held you like this since you were born,” Heihachi said as he held Kazuya by his foot with his son dangling upside-down. The elder man then tossed his son in the air and sent him spinning uncontrollably to the ground with a spinning roundhouse kick.
Kazuya landed on his feet and shook his head from the dizziness he was feeling. How…DARE HE? Kazuya's mind was no longer calm: it was a disorganized jumble of hatred, disgust, and rage. I AM KAZUYA MISHIMA, HE IS BUT SCUM! HOW DARE HE THINK THAT HE CAN DEFEAT ME AGAIN? His body began to crackle with purple static electricity and his red eye glowed fiercely as he clenched his fists. I shall not stand for it!
Now this is where I must show no mercy, Heihachi thought as he saw Kazuya continue to crackle with his devilish ki, this is where I must show him the futility of relying of powers that do not come from within!
“MISHIMA HEIHACHI,” Kazuya boomed as he clenched his fist and went high into the air with a Thunder Godfist, taking Heihachi along with him, “UMAE KOROSO!” And with that, he grabbed Heihachi's body and they both went plummeting down to the floor.
Kazuya's grip on Heihachi did not loosen as both fighters stood back up simultaneously. Heihachi looked at Kazuya and saw him smirk: that same smirk that made most other men piss themselves. He's up to something, Heihachi thought as he gripped Kazuya's arm; let's see what he's got up his purple sleeve...
As if to give answer to that unspoken comment, Kazuya's purple ki bgean crackling across Heihachi's body. Kazuya was using the static properties of his ki to turn himself into a living tazer. Heihachi gritted his teeth in pain as he was hit with enough electricity to power a city block.
“Every ounce of my ki is being used right now to fry your brain,” Kazuya said coldly as released his hold on Heihachi and watched him crackle with power that was not his own, “there's no chance for you now…you're already dead!”
That's what he thinks, Heihachi thought as he endured the pain of the electrocution. If Kazuya was indeed using all of his ki, then he was vulnerable to attack. Ignoring the pain, Heihachi stood back up and closed his eyes. A lapse in concentration would result in electrocution. Focus…Heihachi thought as he got into a horse stance and began to shoot sparks of his own ki.
“W-what? Impossible,” Kazuya exclaimed. Heihachi was just a man: it shouldn't have been possible for a man to endure that power. But there he was: crackling with not only his own cerulean ki, but Kazuya's devilish purple ki as well.
Heihachi used his own electric properties of his ki to turn himself into a human dynamo.
“Nothing is impossible, boy,” Heihachi smirked as took a step forward, “You just have to train hard enough!”
Mad as a hornet, Kazuya tossed aside his doubts and shot his fist out at his father. Heihachi caught the punch with his hand and began to squeeze Kazuya's hand. Now all of the excess power that was flowing through Heihachi was unleashed upon Kazuya's body. Every nerve of Kazuya's body was racked with pain as he was bombarded with immense power. The voltage that Kazuya had used to try and win the match was now being returned in spades.
“And that, Kazuya, is called `a taste of your own medicine,'” Heihachi said as he let go of Kazuya's hand and got into his Raijin stance. Now free of the effects of Kazuya's attempted electrocution, Heihachi's body crackled with his natural cerulean lighting. “So have some of this to wash it down!”
Heihachi's fist sent Kazuya spiraling away and crashing into the gates with such force that they bent from the impact. The walls became alive with lightning as Kazuya's electrified body hit it. If Kazuya had not been grounded with the rubber soles of his shoes, he would've certainly been electrocuted.
Kazuya groggily stood back up and got into a fighting stance, fighting back unconsciousness that was threatening to overcome him. He would not go down like this: humiliated for a fourth consecutive time. Letting out a primal yell, Kazuya ran towards Heihachi with inhuman rage. As if expecting such a maneuver, Heihachi grabbed Kazuya's neck just as his son was close enough and brought him into a headlock. He then raised his free hand and struck Kazuya in the temple. “ONE!” Then he repeated the process again… “TWO!”…and did it once more, letting go of his son and sending him screeching to the ground…”THREE STRIKES, YOU'RE OUT!”
Kazuya didn't get back up.
Heihachi looked at his son and listened as the ringside judge began the countdown. Kazuya had come into the ring believing that his mastery of the Devil Gene made him superior, but in truth, Heihachi was the master.
“AND 10! HEIHACHI MISHIMA ADVANCES!”
Heihachi let out a loud laugh as he pumped his fist in the air, then brought it down in a chopping motion. Perhaps he laughed because he knew that he had completely conquered the Devil power, or maybe it was because he had become high off of the massive amounts of electricity that had been flowing through his head. But one thing was for certain: Heihachi had not forgotten the whole point of the match; he had wanted to recruit Kazuya.
“N…no…DAMN IT!” Kazuya punched the ground with such force that it cracked. “How could I have lost?”
“You lost because you relied on your Devil Gene,” Heihachi said as he walked over to Kazuya, “in doing so, you sealed your fate. You have forgotten important steps of being a warrior, and as such I gave you, as Mr. Phoenix would say, `a royal ass-whooping.'”
“Spare me your pathetic lectures, old man,” Kazuya grumbled as he tried to get up, but had to settle with standing on his knees. The electricity was still running through his body: it would take a little while for Kazuya to regain his senses.”
“Hmph! This is coming from the man who I have defeated four times over. But I did not come here to judge you.” Heihachi looked down at his son as he spoke. Kazuya raised an eyebrow as he listened to his father.
“G-Corporation is far too powerful an enemy to fight alone. Now, we've been going at each other for almost as long as you've been alive. As we fight, the Zaibatsu becomes more and more vulnerable to their schemes. The incident of Honmaru is proof of that.”
“Just get to the damn point,” Kazuya said quietly as he began to rise back up.
“When I take the Zaibatsu, I'll need a second-in-command: someone who has personal experience with G-Corporation.”
“How…DARE you insult me with your damned hand-me-downs?” Kazuya reared his fist back, but Heihachi rammed his head into him before he could use it.
“WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN?” Heihachi boomed. “I'm giving you what you want: the Zaibatsu! G-Corporation is bigger than the both of us, and we both want to destroy it. Now is the time to put our differences aside…and band together!”
“Hey, you two. Time to get out of the ring,” the ringside judge said as he walked up to Heihachi. The elder man nodded slightly as he and Kazuya turned their backs to each other and began to walk away.
“Kazuya,” Heihachi added as he stepped out of the ring, “I'll give you until the tournament is over to think about it…”
-------
As soon as Kazuya went back into the locker room, he pulled a small tape player out of his locker and put it on the bench. As he got out his extra set of clothes to change in, he pressed “record” on the tape player and began speaking.
“King of Iron Fist 6, Day 4,” Kazuya began as he took off his jacket, “it is over. Heihachi has defeated me again, but it was not like any other loss. He had every advantage over me and rendered my power completely useless. To add insult to injury, he even asked me to work with him.”
“I do not know what his scheme is, nor do I care. The important thing is that the fool is giving me a chance to gain back the Zaibatsu which I covet so. However, a coup will not work…not when he has that kind of power,” Kazuya's voice became softer as he unbuttoned his shirt and placed it on a hangar, “as such, I have deducted from his ramblings that he attained this power through something some fools call `enlightenment.' Bah! Enlightenment can only be achieved when one's heart of iron.”
“Heihachi believes that this involves unity of all forces within one's body,” Kazuya chuckled lightly as he spoke, “while this is probably utter rubbish, I cannot take the risk of losing a chance at my revenge. As such, I will have to study every part of myself, including the part that I hate and loathe…my compassion.”
“As such, finding Jun has now become imperative. I do not know why I saved her that day I was tracking Ogre in Yakushima. Perhaps the attraction that my other self felt was derived from something I felt. Or perhaps there truly is some grand attractiveness to her. But it matters not. What matters is that she has been the only one to see the sides of me that I reject oh-so-willingly. In any case, I have invested far too much to lose her now.”
Kazuya took off his pants and hung them up on the hanger with his jacket, shirt, and tie, then put them in a suit bag. He continued speaking as he got out a pair of street clothes. He would have been much happier with his hatred and indifference, but taking the Zaibatsu and eliminating his enemies were a priority.
“Perhaps I will take the fool's offer, and perhaps I won't. He is correct about G-Corporation, though. It is a powerful adversary that needs to be crushed. The fool Jean almost did what I could not: destroy my son. Speaking of whom, he would be far more valuable as an ally. Again, retrieving Jun becomes key as I can persuade him to work on my side.”
“And then there's the other child,” Kazuya put on his jeans and shirt, “I am again unsure why I tried to come back to Jun those 18 years ago. But regardless, the other child is best left not involved. If Jin's power is any indication, then her power is something best left untouched, lest I risk destruction. So long as no one else aside from myself knows about her true heritage, then all can proceed according to plan.”
“To take out an enemy from within: if I choose to take Heihachi's offer, then I can take the Zaibatsu with this plan,” Kazuya picked up the recorder as he finished getting dressed, “and I will look into my options more. But one thing is certain: I, Kazuya, shall not be denied my birthright.”