"Holy crap! You... are a complete monster!" Kyo looked at this "little brother" who could now trade blows evenly with him, unable to help cursing.
"Perhaps... this is what talent means." Cloud wiped his sweat with an utterly "humble-bragging" expression.
During the day, Cloud would attend another "sweet date."
"Calm your mind, Cloud."
In Athena Asamiya's villa, the two sat facing each other, engaging in "psychic power dual cultivation."
With prior experience, Cloud navigated easily this time, directly transforming his consciousness into a golden figure and diving into Athena's mental world filled with pink bubbles, beginning the day's "tutoring."
"Your psychic power has greatly improved due to bloodline evolution, but... it's too hard." Athena's gentle voice rang in his mind.
"Psychic power is like water—it can become raging waves or nourish silently. What you need to learn is control, not simply bursting."
Under Athena's—this "professional instructor's"—careful teaching, Cloud's psychic power usage became increasingly refined.
He even learned how to attach psychic power to his invisible [Absolute Domain], giving his domain a "psychic shock" property that multiplied its lethality!
Of course, during "study," he'd always "inadvertently" use his psychic power figure to engage in some "in-depth" academic exchanges with Athena's pink consciousness body.
The result was that he always finished "dual cultivation" feeling refreshed, while Athena would always have flushed cheeks, too embarrassed to speak for ages.
And Chin Gentsai saw everything from the sidelines.
This seemingly bleary-eyed old grandmaster, after witnessing Cloud's absolutely "bug-like" growth speed and that increasingly mysterious aura, completely reversed his attitude 180 degrees.
He no longer merely saw Cloud as a "brat stealing my disciple," but rather...
Viewed him as hope for opposing an ancient destiny!
"Young friend, do you know the Three Sacred Treasures' destiny?"
One day, Chin called Cloud aside alone, his expression unprecedentedly grave.
He told Cloud about that Orochi Clan attempting to return the world to "nothingness," and their entanglement spanning eighteen hundred years of destiny.
"Originally, Kyo Kusanagi was this era's hope." Chin sighed. "But... his personality is too proud, too pure. While you... young friend, I see in you a kind of... infinite possibility."
"Your power encompasses everything, both righteous and evil. Your very appearance is a variable." Chin looked deeply at Cloud. "Perhaps you are the key person who can truly end this millennium-long destiny."
Hearing Chin's nearly "spoiler-filled" speech, Cloud's heart surged with towering waves.
He knew he'd been drawn into the KOF world's most core, most grand epic storyline!
...
Half a year later.
Cloud's attribute panel had undergone earth-shaking changes.
[Constitution: 100]
[Strength: 100]
[Agility: 92]
[Spirit: 100]
[Overall Assessment: Human Weapon (Quasi)]
Through half a year of crazy "tutoring" and "cash spending," his strength had undergone another ultimate leap!
...
Kusanagi Castle, training grounds.
Golden flames collided with crimson flames once again!
Cloud and Kyo both activated their [Absolute Domain], engaging in the most intense collision using purest martial arts and flames!
Kyo's realm had also advanced dramatically over six months, reaching an astounding [Absolute Domain 48%]! Truly worthy of a "Child of Destiny"—this leveling speed was even faster than riding rockets!
Meanwhile Cloud, with more refined techniques and [Heavenscorch Scripture] fusing the strengths of many schools, actually fought him to a draw!
Finally, the two ended this sparring match with evenly matched Orochinagi collisions.
"Huff... huff..." Kyo knelt on one knee, breathing heavily, yet his face showed an incredibly satisfied smile. "Cloud... you bastard... are truly... an absolute monster!"
He looked at this "little brother" who was also panting yet whose eyes remained frighteningly bright, acknowledging from his heart: "I, Kyo Kusanagi, consider myself a genius. But before you... I'm the one who needs to catch up. You are our Kusanagi family's—no, the entire fighting world's—most brilliant... pearl!"
Cloud simply smiled without speaking.
Only he knew that when fighting Kyo, Cloud hadn't used full strength at all.
He knew his current achievements relied on the system, on cheats.
But that desire to grow stronger, that never-give-up spirit—those were... real.
Just then, a helicopter bearing the Kusanagi family sun emblem slowly descended onto the training grounds.
A butler respectfully presented a black invitation bearing the letter R.
"KOF 95..."
Cloud looked at that familiar invitation, his eyes instantly sharpening.
He opened the envelope. The list of participating teams made him narrow his eyes.
Besides familiar old faces, he also saw several names filled with "revenge" and "destiny."
[Yagami Team]
Captain: Iori Yagami
Member: Billy Kane
Member: Eiji Kisaragi
"Iori Yagami... Billy..."
A cold arc curved Cloud's lips.
He knew this KOF 95 wouldn't be as "peaceful" as last year.
That man who should've died in the explosion—Rugal Bernstein—he...
Had returned with greater power and deeper hatred.
And this time, Cloud would face an even more powerful "devil"!
...
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