"You've got some nerve, kid," Kusanagi Chafū said, stroking his beard. "Your real goal is to use the blood of the Three Sacred Families in exchange for information, isn't it?"
Nathan Hawke replied bluntly, "If you won't agree, I'll just go to Kagura Chizuru. I'm sure she'll say yes. As for why I came to you—well, I heard the Kusanagi family is short on money. I can make sure you get something out of it too. This kind of deal benefits all three sides—why would I refuse?"
"Hmph. The Kusanagi family may have fallen from glory, but our ancient Kusanagi martial arts have never been forgotten."Kusanagi Chafū stood up, releasing a powerful, burning aura that filled the room.
"So, you're saying you agree?" Nathan Hawke nodded slightly and continued, "The first piece of information—your son's mysterious opponent is none other than Storm Goenitz, one of the eight heralds of Orochi."
"That name…" Kusanagi Chafū frowned, as if it rang a distant bell.
"Rugal. Rugal was once defeated by Goenitz," Nathan answered.
Kusanagi's eyes widened. "So that's how it was. When Rugal went berserk, the serpent blood inside him came from Goenitz!"
He looked deeply at Nathan Hawke. "I'll agree to your deal. But I'm not sure if Kagura Chizuru can handle Yagami Iori's situation. You can stay here for a few days."
"No problem," Nathan replied with a satisfied smile.
He thought to himself: Didn't they see what NESTS did after obtaining Kyo's blood? They cloned an army of Kyos…
For Wesker—who carried all the Umbrella Corporation's knowledge—cloning techniques were something already burned into his mind.
But as always, humans knew how to imitate, not how to understand. Wesker hadn't told his recruited scientists his full intentions. Compared to bio-weapons, cloning was a far deeper taboo—one that even Nathan hesitated to cross.
If possible, he wanted to obtain the full bloodline of the "J" project within eight cycles—but that would be nearly impossible.
A few days passed.
Yabuki Shingo entered the Kusanagi training hall and glanced at Electro before saying to Nathan,"Mr. Hawke, Miss Chizuru and Master Kusanagi are waiting for you in the meeting room."
"Got it. Thanks for letting me know." Nathan smiled warmly, and Shingo scratched his head shyly in response.
Inside the Kusanagi mansion's meeting room:
"You're Nathan Hawke?" Kagura Chizuru looked over at him and the electric man standing beside him.
"Yes." Nathan nodded.
"I heard about you from Master Chin Gentsai," she said calmly. "That's why I agreed to this deal."
She opened a wooden box on the table.
"Three vials of blood—representing the bloodlines of the Three Sacred Families."
Nathan asked, "Can I know whose blood these are?"
"Mine, Kusanagi's, and Yagami's," Chizuru replied.
Kusanagi Chafū interjected, "Kid, my blood's stronger than my son's. He's not here anyway—so be satisfied with what you get."
"Fine," Nathan said. Even without Kyo's blood, this trip was already worth it. His plan was to use the blood of the Three Sacred Families to clone a being similar to "K"—and Chafū's blood would suffice.
He didn't take the box immediately. Instead, he began to explain.
"Let me tell you about the Eight Forces of the Orochi Realm."
Wind — The power to control air (Goenitz)
Earth — The power to command the land (the Hakkesshu Society)
Lightning — The power to control electricity (Chin Gentsai's student, Mature)
Flame — The power of blue-green fire (Chris)
Fang — The power of fatal precision strikes (Gaidel)
Darkness — Bloodlust and slaughter (Yamazaki Ryuji)
Beast — Inhuman agility (Mature)
Death — Immense physical strength, the purest form of Orochi's might (Vice)
Chizuru nodded. "I know Yamazaki Ryuji—he's part of the 'Team Geese.' They're one of the Eight as well?"
Nathan smiled. "Exactly. And Gaidel is dead—his daughter, Leona, inherited his Orochi bloodline."
"Leona!? You mean Leona from the Ikari Team!" Chizuru exclaimed.
"Yes."
"What's their purpose?" Kusanagi asked, though his tone showed he already suspected.
"It's Goenitz's doing," Nathan replied. "Kagura, your sister was killed by him. You know that. This year's KOF tournament is nothing more than bait to draw the successors of the Three Sacred Families into one place."
"He plans to kill Kyo, Iori, and you during the finals—unleashing despair among the fighters, loosening Orochi's seal even further."
Chizuru's expression darkened. "How strong is he?"
"Kyo and Iori have already fought him—and both lost. Alone, neither stands a chance against Storm Goenitz," Nathan said coldly.
"You know too much. Who are you really?" Kusanagi demanded.
Nathan smiled faintly. "Just a traveler passing through. You don't have to trust me—but you can trust Master Chin."
He stood, took the box, and added, "One more thing—Chris from Team Orochi is the backup vessel for Orochi itself. When the serpent awakens, he'll channel a fraction of its power. Be wary of him—his flames are the mirror of your own, Kusanagi."
With that, Nathan left with the three vials of sacred blood.
"What did he say?" Kusanagi asked Chizuru.
She nodded. "It checks out. Ever since my sister's death, the seal has been weakening. If Chris really is Orochi's vessel, then he will appear. His power may not match the true Orochi, but fate has already chosen him."
Chizuru fell silent, while Kusanagi looked worried.
The KOF preliminaries and eliminations had ended.Nine teams advanced to the main event:
Hero Team
Fatal Fury Team
Art of Fighting Team
New Fatal Fury Team
Psychic Soldier Team
New Women Fighters Team
Golden Team
Yagami Team
Boss Team
In the stands, Nathan watched the big screen, recognizing the characters he once controlled in his past life. A nostalgic smile crossed his face.
Just then, a familiar voice sounded beside him.
"Finally made it." Zhàn Jílíng Mǎ (Jean Grima) sat down next to him.
"So?" Nathan asked.
"As you guessed," she said proudly, "after a month in NESTS headquarters, I received an offer directly from Igniz himself."
"I see. So he's planning rebellion already."
According to the original story, the NESTS cartel was once named after its founder—a pacifist who led a peaceful trade organization using cutting-edge tech. His son, Igniz—calling himself the "Creator of Life"—murdered his father and turned NESTS into a militarized empire bent on global domination.
Igniz had been watching the KOF tournament, the Orochi bloodline, and the serpent's power. His dream—to become a god greater than Orochi.
Thus, the "God of Cruelty Project" began.
Before that, many other experiments were launched: "Project Kyo Clone," "Anti-K Program," and more. Igniz worked patiently to reshape the organization from within.
Now, Jean Grima, a talented scientist, had caught his eye.
"I told you this would happen," Nathan said.
"I went to Europe. They tested me, found me 'promising,' and now plan to introduce me to Igniz himself. They offered me a project lead position—with generous pay and resources," Jean said. "Of the three researchers you mentioned—Kakoff, Frey, and Cruz—I've only met Cruz."
"Kakoff is NESTS' chief scientist, in charge of advanced tech and weaponry. He's brilliant—but heavily guarded. I couldn't reach him. Frey, another senior scientist, has already gone to Europe under Igniz's invitation."
"So only Cruz remains in Japan?" Nathan confirmed.
"Yes. But are you sure you want to go through with this?" she asked, sensing his hesitation.
Nathan hesitated indeed.
Because the one he truly wanted to bring back—was Storm Goenitz.
After all, he knew the story's path: Goenitz would appear at the final match, crush the fighters, then face the Three Sacred Families, and finally take his own life.
If there was a chance, Nathan hoped to talk him down—to recruit him instead of fight him.
But after much thought, he decided not to take that risk.
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