The night grew deeper.
With all the troubles resolved and wisdom gained from his "senior," Cloud was in excellent spirits.
Humming a tune, he strolled to the door of Athena's room.
The door was slightly ajar.
Warm lamplight spilled out, accompanied by the fresh scent of shampoo and body wash that lingered after a girl's bath.
Cloud pushed the door open with a mischievous grin.
Athena sat at her vanity in a pink silk nightgown, toweling her short, neat hair dry.
Under the lamplight, her delicate face glowed rosy pink, like a perfectly ripe peach begging to be bitten.
Her slender neck and elegant collarbones played peek-a-boo beneath the loose neckline of her nightgown.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
And it had been quite a while since they'd last seen each other.
"What are you thinking about?" Cloud quietly wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Ah!" Athena jumped, startled. But when she caught that familiar scent, her body immediately softened.
She shot him an annoyed look.
"How do you walk so quietly? You scared me!"
"Because I wanted to surprise you." Cloud grinned wickedly and lowered his head to plant a kiss on her smooth, soft cheek.
"Sweet talker." Athena's face reddened further.
"Thank you... for today." She turned around, looking up at him. Those big, glistening eyes gazed at Cloud, overflowing with tenderness and love.
"For Kensou, and for Bao."
"No need to thank me." Cloud tapped her cute little nose. "Your problems are my problems. Your junior disciples are naturally my junior disciples too."
"Then... to repay you..." Athena's eyes shimmered, her voice turning sultry. "Should I... do something for you?"
She rose on her tiptoes.
And pressed her cherry-red lips—sweet as ripe fruit—against his.
It was a kiss full of gratitude and longing.
Cloud wasn't about to be polite.
He seized the initiative, sweeping this "psychic idol" who already belonged to him into his arms and striding toward the soft, inviting bed.
"If you're going to show your appreciation..."
"You'd better put some real effort into it."
"Let's have ourselves a proper dual cultivation session."
...
The night was still young.
The temperature in the room rose steadily.
Clothes scattered across the floor.
Diligent cultivation. For mutual advancement.
...
After resolving the Psycho Soldiers' "internal crisis," Cloud had assumed he could continue enjoying some quality alone time with Athena—discussing life, talking about dreams, and perhaps researching some new positions for "the great harmony of life."
But trouble always seemed to come in pairs.
Just as they were preparing to return to Japan, an unexpected visitor arrived.
A young man in dark combat attire, a black whip coiled at his side. His face bore the dust of hard travel and the marks of deep-seated hatred.
"Master Chin Gentsai!" The moment he saw the old man, the youth dropped to one knee, his voice hoarse and urgent.
"You're... Lin?" Chin Gentsai clearly recognized him, surprise crossing his features. "What are you doing here? Has something happened at Flying Thief Village?"
"Master!" Tears welled in the young man's eyes, though he forced them back. "Flying Thief Village... is gone!"
"What?!" Chin Gentsai's face went pale with shock.
Flying Thief Village was an ancient, hidden settlement that had endured for over a thousand years, renowned for its "poison arts" and assassination techniques.
Though little known to the outside world, in the eyes of old-generation martial masters like Chin Gentsai, its power was not to be underestimated.
Such a deep-rooted, secretive force had been wiped out?!
Through Lin's broken, tearful account, the group pieced together the truth.
Not long ago, the former leader of Flying Thief Village—a man known only as "Ron"—had inexplicably betrayed his own people.
He had colluded with a mysterious outside organization (Cloud could guess it was NESTS with his pinky toe), orchestrating an inside-out massacre that left Flying Thief Village bathed in blood. He'd stolen the village's ancestral "Dragon Treasure" and vanished without a trace.
Lin was one of the few survivors of that tragedy.
His purpose in coming here was to beg Chin Gentsai—this venerable elder—to help track down the truth and personally execute the traitor Ron!
"This plot... why does it feel so familiar?" Cloud mused, stroking his chin. "Massacre of the clan, orphan seeking revenge... isn't this the standard wuxia novel opening?"
"Master Chin Gentsai," Cloud spoke up. "Hunting down someone for revenge with just the few of you is like searching for a needle in the ocean. I have a suggestion."
All eyes turned to him.
"The KOF tournament is about to begin." A confident smile played at the corner of Cloud's lips. "If this Ron character is connected to NESTS, there's a good chance he'll show up at the tournament. Instead of running around like headless chickens, why not have your young protégé here enter the competition?"
"Let him challenge his enemy on the world's biggest fighting stage—in front of everyone!"
Lin's eyes lit up instantly.
This suggestion was genius!
"But... KOF requires three-person teams. I..." Lin hesitated.
"That's no problem." Cloud snapped his fingers. "I happen to know two guys looking for a team. They're skilled, just not the sharpest tools in the shed. Perfect for someone who needs some muscle. I'll hook you up—you can form a little Avengers squad and enter together."
And so, under Cloud's "backroom maneuvering," the KOF 2000 roster gained a rather eccentric new team:
First was Lin, seeking to avenge his entire village.
Second was Shingo Yabuki—the "chuunibyou hothead" who'd been "free-range raised" by Kyo Kusanagi and was desperately looking for a chance to prove himself.
Third was Benimaru Nikaido—the "playboy" who'd been "rejected" by every other team (they were afraid he'd steal the spotlight with his looks).
A bizarre squad forged from "vengeance," "hot-blooded enthusiasm," and "fabulous narcissism" was born.
...
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