"Heh heh heh... What a lively evening."
A deep, resonant voice with a heavy German accent and supreme authority slowly rang out like thunder beside their ears.
"That trash Geese is still hiding in his tower, and yet some... small-time nobodies are already holding a victory celebration?"
His gaze swept contemptuously over Mr. Big, whose face had gone deathly pale and was now dripping with sweat.
That look was like regarding a cockroach that had accidentally crawled onto the dining table.
"You... are..." Mr. Big swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"Silence, vermin." The man didn't even bother looking at him as he cut him off. "You don't have the qualifications to speak with me."
With that, his hawk-sharp blue eyes settled on Cloud—the only person present who remained composed.
A smile full of "appreciation" and "challenge" spread across his face.
"You're the one who defeated Rugal at the KOF tournament? The newly crowned King of Fighters?"
"Wolfgang Krauser."
Cloud slowly rose to his feet, meeting that oppressive gaze head-on as he spoke the name that was equally legendary in Fatal Fury.
The Dark Emperor from Germany!
One of the Three Powers of South Town, once standing alongside Geese and Mr. Big!
Later, after clashing with Geese, he'd been driven to Europe.
But through absolute power and terrifying dominion, he had become the man who ruled Europe's underworld!
"Oh? So you know me." A hint of satisfaction appeared on Krauser's face. "Good. That saves me the trouble of introducing myself."
He walked step by step from the rooftop's edge. With each step, the entire rooftop trembled slightly.
"My purpose in coming to South Town is simple." Krauser got straight to the point, his imperial arrogance on full display.
"I heard that trash Geese has obtained a power that doesn't belong to mortals. That power... interests me greatly."
"And such power shouldn't belong to a coward who only hides behind schemes."
"It should belong to a true emperor!"
By which he meant, of course, himself.
"Therefore..." Krauser's gaze locked onto Cloud like twin blades.
"Before I go find Geese and take back what should be mine, I need a little appetizer."
"And you, Original King of Fighters—" a cruel, excited curve formed at his lips, "—are the perfect appetizer!"
"Let me personally weigh just how much that 'King of Fighters' title of yours is worth!"
The instant his words fell, a terrifying, pure Absolute Domain suffused with destructive energy exploded outward!
That power, while not quite at Rugal's level, wasn't far off!
This was the genuine strength of the "Dark Emperor"!
Absolute Domain: 38%!
Mr. Big, caught in the shockwave of this presence, was pushed back three stumbling steps, his face white as paper, nearly collapsing to his knees on the spot!
He realized with horror that he, a so-called "titan of South Town," was nothing but a joke before a true powerhouse like Krauser!
"Are all the bosses of South Town having their annual meeting for team building or something?"
Yet even amid this terrifying pressure that could shatter an ordinary person's courage, Cloud maintained his casual demeanor, even finding the mood to crack a joke.
"Hmph, sharp-tongued brat!"
Seeing that his overwhelming presence had no effect on Cloud, a flash of surprise crossed Krauser's eyes, quickly transforming into even more intense battle spirit!
"Then taste this first!"
"Blitz Ball!"
He raised his hand sharply. A sphere of highly compressed dark energy instantly formed in his palm, then transformed into a streak of black lightning that tore through the air at terrifying speed, hurtling toward Cloud's face!
Facing this devastating strike capable of reducing an armored vehicle to scrap, Cloud neither dodged nor evaded.
He simply raised his right hand slowly.
"You want to play projectile games with me?"
A hint of pity flashed in his eyes.
"You clearly have no idea how I educated those fighters at the KOF tournament."
"Heavenscorch Scripture—Divine Flame Shield!"
A circular shield materialized from thin air before him—formed entirely of pure golden Battle God Golden Flame, its surface inscribed with mysterious runes!
BOOM—!!!
The black lightning ball slammed into the golden flame shield!
There was no earth-shaking explosion. Only purification.
Krauser's "Blitz Ball," brimming with destruction and dark energy, the instant it contacted those golden flames—flames of ultimate yang energy that seemed capable of incinerating all evil—let out a shrill sizzling sound as if meeting its natural nemesis. Then it was purified, burned, and evaporated inch by inch!
Not even a ripple of energy escaped!
"Wh... what?!"
Disbelief appeared on Krauser's proud face for the first time!
His proud dark energy, capable of destroying anything, had been... eaten by his opponent's flames?!
What kind of fire was this?!
"Your energy is too dirty."
Cloud's voice drifted over, carrying a tone of "technical guidance."
"Full of impurities, not pure enough. Power like that, no matter how strong, is just a rootless weed."
"You...!"
Krauser was infuriated by Cloud's lecturing tone!
He, Wolfgang Krauser, the Dark Emperor who ruled over Europe—when had he ever suffered such "humiliation"?!
"Very good! Very good!" He laughed in rage. "It seems I underestimated you, King of Fighters!"
"In that case, let me show you... what a true emperor's wrath looks like!"
...
Get 20+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"