Tekken Fan Fiction ❯ The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 ❯ Infectious Love ( Chapter 34 )

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

The Saitama Super Arena, also known the symbol of the Saitama New Urban Center, is located on the outskirts of Tokyo. The arena frequently holds a variety of different events, including concerts, sporting matches, exhibitions, and trade fairs, among other things. Jin Kazama had chosen this arena as one of the locations for the first two rounds of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, but decided to put the rest of the tournament in the more-conveniently located Tokyo Dome.
 
What makes the Saitama Super Arena truly noteworthy is how it can change its shape. The seats on one side of the arena rest on a gigantic mobile block that can be moved to adjust the layout of the arena, tailoring it to suit the needs of each individual event. It can hold up to 37,000 when the moving block is fully stretched across the arena to create a venerable indoor stadium.
 
How very fitting, Kazuya thought as he pulled up into the parking lot and got out of his car, a red 2006 Mitsubishi Galant. The place where I shall find Jun, who has the ability to change her fighting style at will, is a place that does not have one constant form…how deliciously ironic…
 
Kazuya looked at his watch. He still had ten minutes before he was supposed to meet Sorel. He considered going into the arena ahead of schedule, but Kazuya knew Jean all too well. There were probably numerous traps waiting for Kazuya if he went in too early, and he knew that Jean had enough information on the Devil Gene to know what kind of traps would be most effective against him. So all he could really do…was wait…
 
“…what are you doing here!?” An unknown voice shouted behind the middle-aged man. Turning his head slightly, he saw a fist approach his face, giving him a mere instant to move his head slightly to the side and narrowly dodge to blow. As Kazuya turned his body around to face his attacker, he saw that it was none other than his insolent fool of a son: Jin Kazama.
 
…interesting, Kazuya thought as he crossed his arms, he managed to get that close to me without my noticing him…perhaps he does have what it takes to make sure Heihachi doesn't get the Zaibatsu back. “It appears that you also received a call…that Sorel is digging himself a rather deep grave.”
 
“I don't care about your silly little vendetta with Sorel. I'm just here to get my mother back…and away from you!” Jin slowly assumed a fighting stance. He was extremely close to finding his mother, and he wasn't going to let the man who had given her nothing but troubles come between them.
 
“Imbecile…do you really think fighting me is going to do you any good?” Kazuya shook his head in disgust as he assumed his fighting stance. “However, if you continue to hinder me, I shall strike you down without a second thought.”
 
As the two were about to engage in violent combat, Kazuya felt a buzzing in his pocket. Pulling out his cell phone, Kazuya eyed Jin, who simply pointed at the cell phone and nodded. Opening the phone, Kazuya said coldly, “What do you want?”
 
“You're here early…and I trust that you've met your son,” the voice replied. “I asked for the both of you to come for a reason…if you want Jun, you'll both have to come and get her.”
 
“…hmph…I don't know what your game is…but I'll play along…” Kazuya said as he hung up. Turning to Jin, Kazuya noticed that he was no longer there. Looking towards the arena, he saw his son running towards the entrance. …moronic fool, Kazuya muttered as he walked after his son.
 
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In the Saitama Super Arena primary form, the Main Arena is the ideal venue for indoor sports such as basketball, boxing, tennis, gymnastics, as well as for musical events of many kinds. The exciting play of the athletes and the spectacular performances of the artistes reach into every corner of the arena, creating a strong sense of unity between the audience and the stage.
 
Jin Kazama entered the darkened arena at a full run. He was primed to tear that Frenchman apart for even thinking of harming his mother. He had spent the past seven years believing her to be dead, and now that he finally learned that she was alive, there were people out for her head. Although I'd hardly call the state she's in “alive,” Jin thought as he approached the main stage: the only part of the arena that was lit, once again, I have my father to blame…
 
“…welcome, Sir Jin…I was hoping that you would come so that you may witness this grand event.”
 
Quickly darting around, Jin got into a fighting stance when he heard that familiar snide voice. Stepping onto the main stage was the European man with his hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon. His black tuxedo with the puce trim, combined with his clawed silver gauntlets and rapier at his hip, were easily identifiable to who the man was.
 
“…you again…” Jin began to crackle with crimson lightning, “…give me back my mother!”
 
“Tch! You call that a threat?” the Frenchman said with a hint of disappointment.
 
“Give her back to me now, and I won't put you in a coma for the next week,” Jin spat back as he continued to crackle with energy. He normally would not make such violent gestures to anyone that wasn't a Mishima, but Jean had been responsible for much of his grief throughout the tournament. Even though Jin defeated Jean in the quarterfinals, he still had not fully vented out all of his anger on him.
 
“Heheheh…take a look behind you, Oedipus…” Jean said with a smile as he pointed behind Jin with his clawed finger.
 
Feeling a dark aura that sent a chill down his spine, Jin slowly turned around to see a lithe woman clad in a white trenchcoat. “M…MOTHER!” Jin immediately identified the woman and ran towards her. But just as he was about to reach her, he went sent flying backwards with a palm thrust. “Mother…what are you doing?” Jin said as he rubbed where he had been hit.
 
As if to answer his question, Jun's eyes began to glow and she started to crackle with purplish-yellow energy. A bright green vapor seemed to eminate from her back as she gripped her face silently. In a matter of seconds, the vapor hovered around her body and started to take shape. Jin gasped in surprise in what the vapor solidified into: a frightening black wolf-like creature with the torso of a man with no legs, hovering around Jun and mimicking her movements. “What…what have you DONE to her!?” Jin shouted to Jean.
 
“All I did was unlock what was already there…you have your father to blame for giving me the means to draw forth the darkness within.” Jean put his hands in his pockets as his voice began taking a more serious tone. “Now, I originally wanted Kazuya to face her…but if you really want to save her, you have to fight her and defeat her…how does that sound, Oedipus!?”
 
no…” Jin muttered to himself as he turned back to his mother. “I will not fight my mother…no matter what…”
 
“Honestly, man…when I say `Oedipus,' I don't mean you should take that literally…maybe you'll change your tune if you are forced to defend yourself.”
 
With a snap of Jean's fingers, the possessed Jun charged at her son and tackled him to the ground, bringing him into a Vale Tudo mount. After being punched in the face a few times, Jin kicked her off of him and stood back up. “Mother…I'm sorry,Jin said as he finally assumed a fighting stance. I have to do this…to save you…mother…MOTHER!
 
Feeling his blood began to boil, Jin let out a cry of anguish as he began to crackle with red electricity. He knew this feeling all too well: he was about to transform. There's no other way…I have to remain in control! Jin's hands suddenly transformed into claws, horns began to sprout from his temples, and a red jewel emerged from his forehead. Finally, a pair of black feathery wings ripped through his shirt and erupted from his back. “M…MOTHER,” the transformed youth said, his breath haggard as he assumed a fighting stance. “I PROMISE YOU…I SHALL CLEANSE YOU!!”
 
That didn't take much…he's transformed without losing his sanity…he's even retained his preferred style rather than the style he uses when he's fully possessed, Jean thought as he stepped off the main stage, I wonder how this will turn out…
 
Tossing aside his doubts, Jin caught his mother's punch and tossed her over his shoulder, sending her crashing to the ground a few feet away from Jin. Scrambling back onto her feet, Jun swept Jin off his feet as he approached her, and then brought him into a leg lock. With a primal cry, Jin grabbed onto his mother's foot and began to pull. No longer able to take the strain, Jun got off of Jin and the two fighters stood back up.
 
Knocking his mother into the air with a straight uppercut, his Thrust Godfist maneuver, Jin juggled his mother in the air with a pair of jabs, another uppercut, and finally a leg thrust that sent her sprawling to the ground. Landing on her feet, Jun approached Jin faster than her son could think, and grabbed him by the neck. With her eyes shining no discernable emotion, she tossed her son straight up in the air and sent him spinning uncontrollably to the ground with a leaping roundhouse kick.
 
…I have to maintain focus, Jin thought to himself, feeling his sanity slipping away from the power he invoked from within him, I have to do this without letting my Devil within taking control!
 
Seeing her foe delay for an instant, Jun returned Jin's previous volley of strikes in favor by launching him high in the air with a Demon Uppercut. After a pair of jabs, the youth was sent screeching across the stage with a Dragon's Breath maneuver. Not giving him a chance to breathe, Jun ran over to Jin and stomped on his head with a Geta Stomp. Grunting in pain, Jin came back to his senses and rolled away just in time to avoid another stomp.
 
Damn it all, I can't let this battle go on for very long! If I do, I'll completely lose it, Jin cursed in his mind as he quickly got back up. I have to make this quick…even quicker than my fights in the tournament! And there's only one technique I can think of that can do that for me…
 
Narrowly sidestepping a straight punch, Jin sent his spiraling high into the air like a rocket with a straight uppercut, and then immediately reared back his fist as he crackled with red lightning. I'll have to time this just right...NOW! Just before his mother landed, she was sent sprawling across the stage with Jin's most powerful attack: the Eighth Gate of Hell. As she landed, she didn't seem to get back up, though she was still breathing.
 
“I've…done it…” Jin said quietly as he fell down on one knee as his wings shrunk back into his back, his horns back into his head, his hands returning to their original state, and the markings and jewel on his forehead dissipating. Allowing himself to transform without losing his sanity had taken a toll on both his body and mind. He certainly wouldn't be trying that again. “…I've…saved you…”
 
However, Jin looked up and noticed that the wolf entity was still hovering above his mother. Jean had told him that if he defeated his mother, she would be cleansed and the wolf entity would disappear. So why isn't it going away?
 
In answer to Jin's unspoken question, Jun slowly got back up and shook her head, the wolf entity mimicking her movements. Apparently, the fight was not yet over.
 
…so close…I was so close, Jin thought to himself as he got back up and resumed his fighting stance. He couldn't risk transforming again: he might completely lose his sanity if he did that. The two fighters stared at each other, as if they were re-evaluating each other after their previous set of blows. Mother…I don't care how long it takes…I shall save you!
 
Charging at each other once again, mother and son raised their fists at each other, and just when they were about to resume trading blows…those fists were caught by unknown gloved hands.
 
Their heads turning to the source of those hands, they saw a middle-aged Japanese man with black hair and a purple tuxedo. It was none other than Kazuya Mishima. Then, faster than Jin could either break free or shout out “what the hell are you doing,” Kazuya's red eye glowed fiercely as his hands began to crackle with his blue electricity…electricity which then bombarded whoever was touching him at that time.
 
Jin roared in pain for a couple of seconds, then faded into unconsciousness. He was already fatigued: it didn't take much to send him into a knockout slumber. Letting go of his son, Kazuya focused his attention on Jun. Why am I doing this, he thought as he continued to try and send her into unconsciousness, she'd be more useful to me like this…so why…WHY?
 
The wolf entity above Jun howled in pain as the electricity continued to flow through its host. Finally, it let loose one last roar, then fizzled away in a green haze. Once he saw the spirit die, Kazuya immediately let go of Jun. The woman stumbled for a moment, then fell onto her knees, then collapsed onto the ground, but before falling into unconsciousness, she uttered a name with that cryptic but gentle voice of hers: “K…Kazuya…”
 
As he saw her collapsed to the ground, Kazuya felt an awful sensation well up within him. It wasn't like a seething hatred like he felt for Heihachi, but more like an awful sinking hatred that made him feel like his heart and just been hit with a Phoenix Smasher.NO, Kazuya screamed in his mind as he recognized the emotion for what it was, I have been infected! Infected with this…WEAKNESS! The cancer that took root twenty-two years ago has spread!
 
Suddenly, Kazuya heard the sound of hands clapping together as Jean walked back onto the stage. “Very impressive, Kazuya,” the Frenchman said with a cruel grin, “for a moment, I thought you decided to chicken out like at Honmaru…I'm glad to see I was wrong.”
 
Quickly transforming his “weakness” into something more useful like rage, Kazuya's red eye began to glow again. Jean Sorel had been a thorn in his side ever since he first met him nine years before. Jean Sorel was the one responsible for the ambush at Honmaru. Jean Sorel had willingly fouled up just about all of Kazuya's grand schemes, and with his capture of Jun, Jean Sorel had helped spread Kazuya's weakness as if it were a cancer.
 
Kazuya had absolutely no intention of letting Jean live…