By Sakura152

        Chun-li shook violently as she leaned over again, clutching her stomach.

        Ryu rubbed her back, “Are you alright now?” His voice full of concern.

        Chun-li wiped her mouth with a sweaty palm and nodded. “I don’t think I can take much more of this.” She mumbled as she glanced at the scene, which caused her sudden vomiting.

        Ahead of them a few hundred bloody carcasses lay in the streets. Flies buzz over them, nitpicking and choosing where to lay their maggots.

        “They didn’t deserve to die like this. They deserve a proper burial.” Cammy choked with her fists at her sides.

        “They’ll get one Cammy. We’ll make sure of that after we kill Bison.”

        Cammy glanced at the person standing next to her. It was Charlie. It was the first thing he hadn’t disagreed on with her. Cammy smiled and wiped at the tears that were forming in her eyes. She looked over at Chun-li, who was still shaking violently. “You alright love?” She put a comforting hand on Chun-li’s shoulder.

        Chun-li snapped out of her daze and looked up at Cammy. “Yea, yea. I’m fine.” She smiled weakly.

        Cammy nodded, “I don’t think your friend is doing as well.” She looked over at Kitana.

        Chun-li followed Cammy’s gaze over to Kitana. Cammy was right, Kitana wasn’t dealing with this well. She was sitting on a rock, crying into her knees as Liu stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

        Chun-li got up and knelt in front of Kitana. She smoothed back Kitana’s hair as she rocked back and forth. “Kitana? Are you okay?”

        Kitana shook her head violently, “I though things would be different in Earth realm. I thought they’d be better. I thought humans would be different.” She stressed. “I could understand an outlander being inhumane to someone not of his kind, but how an a human be inhumane to his own kind?” She looked at Chun-li and shuddered.

        Chun-li shook her head, “I don’t know. But after all that Bison has done, I wouldn’t consider him humane.” Chun-li smoothed Kitana’s hair again, “We should get going.”

        Kitana nodded and stood up.

        “Come on Liu.” Chun-li hit Liu softly in the shoulder to get him to walk. “Come on.” She hit again but he wasn’t listening. He was just staring out at the sea of corpses.

        Chun-li too looked out at the bodies and gasped.

        There was Akuma, engulfed in a red haze of fire, walking over the bodies. Each step he took was enveloped in flames so to every body he left behind him was dancing in fire.

        Liu cocked his head to the side, “Who is that?”

        “Akuma, he killed Ryu’s sensei.” Chun-li turned to call Ryu but found him to be already behind her.

        Ryu looked down at her, his eyes ablaze and his jaw set in determination. “Stay here.” He commanded before walking off to fight Akuma.

        “That guy killed Master Gouken?” Liu asked, pointing at Akuma.

        Chun-li nodded.

        Liu followed Ryu’s path and was quickly followed by Ken.

        Akuma gave the three a sharp toothed grin. “So. The so-called Shotokan warriors wish to fight me? And what is this? A third worthless warrior. Hm. You wish to be destroyed, so be it.” He got into his fighting stance, stomping his foot hard on the ground making it rumble and cry under his feet.

        Ken, being the most aggressive of the three, charged at Akuma and aimed a kick toward his head.

        With surprising quickness, Akuma grabbed Ken’s ankle in mid-air and ducked, executing a sweep kick. As soon as Ken hit the ground, Akuma dove his fist down, aiming for the center of Ken’s chest for a deadly blow.

        But Ken intercepted, he took hold of Akuma’s descending fist and pushed his foot into Akuma’s gut, flipping him over his head neatly.

        Akuma landed on his back with a thud. He curled his body inward, leaning back on his hands and vaulted his body into the air to land on his feet. Akuma turned and with amazing speed, shortened the distance between him and Ken, coming face to face with him. Akuma quickly double kicked Ken in the ribs and side. He finished this with a kick to the head so hard, it knocked Ken to the ground.

        Ken sharply exhaled, dust flying up. He pushed his hands on the ground, trying to get up but something was holding him down. Akuma’s foot.

        Akuma glared down at Ken, punishing him for even daring to touch him. He then looked up at Ryu and grinned like the devil himself.

        Sure Akuma was the devil, Ryu narrowed his eyes. He stepped forward, getting into his fighting stance.

        Akuma’s eyes glow redder and he grinned wider, snarling. He ran forward and with a grunt, vaulted into the air, twisted his body around and double kicked Ryu, first with one leg then the other. Ryu managed to block the kicks meant for his head, but stumbled a little from the force.

        Akuma took advantage of the stumble and side kicked in the stomach, knocking him on his butt.

        Not worried about Ryu for the moment, Liu watched from the sidelines. He watched the way Akuma fought, catching his weaknesses and his strengths. But he would not be fighting Akuma, no. Since Ken was down for the moment, Ryu would be doing all the work, Liu was just going to give him a little help. Between his fingers, he twisted a dart tipped with deadly nightshade. He had no access to such weapons and earlier wouldn’t have believed he’d be holding one now. He wouldn’t if it hadn’t been for Ibuki.
       
On their way through the jungle, Rose pointed out a tall two-foot plant. Immediately, Ibuki took out he Kunai and began to cut off the thick, fleshy, white root. After butchering the plant, she took out some of darts and squeezed the root so that white liquid would drip on to the tip of the darts. Ibuki had done this a number of times before Liu asked why she was wasting time doing such a simple task that could wait until later. Ibuki simply answered that she was tipping her darts with nightshade and continued on her chore. Only after finishing and seeing the confused look on Liu’s face, had she handed him one and explained that nightshade was a poison and the root was the most deadly.

        It was true, Akuma was definitely abnormal, but if he was breathing air, poison could kill him- not fully though. Liu knew the poison wouldn’t kill Akuma all the way and that he might recover, so he was depending on Ryu to do the rest. The trick was throwing the dart so it caught on an open patch of skin but not having Akuma notice it. Liu watched for the perfect time to strike as Ryu blocked two of Akuma’s punches. Immediately after blocking, Ryu delivered a roundhouse kick to Akuma’s face.

        Seeing his chance, Liu threw the dart quickly before Akuma hit the ground. The pain from falling on his back would definitely distract him from the little prick from the dart- that’s if it hit.

        Akuma stood quickly and was hit with a fiery fist that sent him into the air.

        “That’s for bruising my ribs!” Ken exclaimed as he stood by his best friend’s side.

        Akuma slowly sat up and stood with a grunt. The poison had already started to take effect.

        “What’s wrong Akuma? Tired?” Ryu taunted, although he wasn’t as fresh as a daisy himself.

        Akuma ran at them, kicking furiously back and forth between the two of them, but he began to slow down. The poison was taking a huge toll on him. Akuma pulled away from them to catch his breath but was still in his fighting stance.

        Both Ryu and Ken pulled back their hands, lightning crackling in their palms. Simultaneously, they pushed forward releasing two blue balls of chi.

        “HADOKEN!”

        Akuma saw the coming onslaught, his mind screamed to move or block or jump, but his body was just too tired. What was wrong with him?! His body wasn’t responding to his mind!

        Both balls of chi slammed into him with full force, knocking him into a nearby building.

        Ryu and Ken warily approached Akuma, still in their fighting stance least it be a trick.

        Akuma groaned again as he slowly lifted his head. He weakly opened his eyes, they were no longer a bright glowing red. Rather a dull blood red. “I have underestimated you. It seems..” Akuma wheezed and violently coughed. He slowly drew his hand across his mouth, streaking his dark hand with blood. “It seems Gouken has trained you far better that I thought.” Akuma drew in a long, slow breath. His eyes darkened to maroon. “I am .. I am honored to die at the hands .. of such.. sk-skilled warriors. At long last .. I have .. found the .. perfect .. fight.” And with those last words Akuma’s eyes grew darker, turning a soulless black.

        Both Ken and Ryu stared dumbfounded, amazed that two simple hadokens had killed the raging demon.

        But Liu knew the truth and was not about to tell them. it was a matter of honor to have, at last, killed one’s enemy and avenge your loved one. It wouldn’t be the same to them if he told them the truth.

        Suddenly, surprising everyone, Akuma’s body burst into flames. Consuming not only his body, but the rage and hate he carried within him and the rage and hate others carried for him.

        They all watched as the flames dancing around Akuma’s body changed from red to clack. The smoke rose to meet the midnight sky, darkening it with a circle of black. The raging demon was no more.